The Mare Witch Project by Pan

 

 

---

 

I don't believe in ghosts. I don't think you go anywhere when you die and I don't believe there are aliens from other planets who walk around on two hooves and use lightning to power their spaceships. Nightmare Night has been a bore since I was 12 and stopped dressing up. Sometimes I pass out candy to little foals with my parents.

 

Luna has been back for years. The whole business with the Summer Sun Celebration and Nightmare Moon's return and all that was odd to be sure. But it was rational. Celestia banished her. She came back. How it ended up as a waste of candy every year is beyond me.

 

My friends are superstitious as are most creatures in Ponyville. We got in a little argument at Sugarcube Corner like we do every day. This time instead of getting heated over which teacher has the hottest flanks or if 100 Gets is real music, we fight over if ghosts are real. It didn't mean anything. It never does. But nopony would get off each other's rump and eventually one of my friends proposes a bet.

 

Black Night says "Okay Mr. Tough Stallion. You and anyone dumb enough to go with you can spend one night in the Everfree Forest. Nightmare Night."

"Ooooooh"

"Take a camera and tape recorder and write down what you see. Look for the Cottage of the Third Sister. Since you think it's an empty building you should have no problem taking photos of the boring old walls. Even if it's 4am and the forest is pitch black and time runs backwards in there."

"If time runs backwards how will it be 4am? By that logic I should enter at sunrise if I want to see it at night."

"You'll tell me... assuming you make it out alive."

"Oooooooo"

"Got his ass. Now you HAVE to do it."

All in good fun even though I was quickly becoming the butt of the joke.

"He's turning red!"

My ears flick. I am still yellow, thank you. My pride won't let me slow my gait.

"Fine. I bet it's not even real. When I come back with those weak-ass photos of an empty forest, all of you have to do my chores for a moon."

"Shyeah. And when you come home shellshocked with psycho pictures, you'll have to do our chores for a moon."

"That's not fair, the numbers don't add up."

"Okay, okay, only one creature's chores per day, so it's a moon of labor no matter who wins. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Wait!"

Charity Hayfield piped up. Super lame name but she's cool.

"I'm going with him."

Everycreature else made kissing noises.

"Ugh it's not like that! You're a nerd but I want to see the Mare Witch."

Facing the prospect of no longer having to do this alone, I smirk. Of course Charity wants to tag along. Her parents wanted her to stay out of trouble with a name like that but it backfired. She's the only girl who will hang out with us and she's a goth. It's so funny going to her house. Charity's coat is brown like the dirt her parents work in. Her tail is only a shade lighter. Her house is covered in plows and butterflies except her room is all pentagrams and animal skulls. She's like the opposite of Fluttershy.

 

"Charity, of course you'd want to go. But don't you have your Nightmare Night party?"

"Oh whatever, guess I'll skip it this year. We watch scary movies practically every week."

We hoofbumped.

"Okay, see you the morning after. The evidence better be clear!"

"Crystal clear footage of stupid trees."

 

We have a week to prepare, and then it's Nightmare Night.

 

We meet at the entrance to the Everfree Forest.

 

"Do you believe any of those horseapples about the Mare Witch?"

"I'm not sure. A monarchy with that much history must have some skeletons in the closet."

"Come on. A third sister nopony's ever seen? There was no birth announcement? Filly murder?"

"Wait, wait. Let's get this on camera."

"Good idea. Should we use our horns?"

"No, it's moodier with just the moonlight."

 

"So what do you think about the Mare Witch?"

"The monarchy might have some skeletons in the closet."

"I think it's a bunch of junk."

"Maybe you should explain for everypony what the Mare Witch is. AKA the Third Sister."

 

I play up my role, trying to get the moon to hit me just right.

 

"The Third Sister and the Mare Witch are kind of the same thing. The story goes that there was another princess long ago. Princess Aurora was supposed to control the stars. But Celestia and Luna were jealous little fillies. They took her into a dark forest and pushed her into a raging river. Celestia and Luna lied to their parents. "All the king's horses searched all the king's fen and they never found Aurora ever again." There are stories about her all over Equestria."

 

"Here in Ponyville, there is a legend that the dark forest was the Everfree Forest. The cottage was some old building that was technically always Aurora's. Celestia and Luna had more grandiose inheritances, but being fifth in line to the throne meant her holdings were more scattered and uninspiring. Some creatures say that Aurora is now the Mare Witch. She died that day but became a ghost and grew up. Ponies say they see her at the edge of the forest on nights of a full moon."

 

Charity added with a spooky voice:

"Just like this very night."

"Yeah, yeah. This has been Helio Ray and Charity Hayfield. Cut!"

 

We pack the camera into our saddlebags and venture into the forest. We need our horns now because it's black as soon as you set hoof into it.

 

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Sort of. There's no real map of the Everfree Forest but we're staying away from Zecora's hut. If there is a Mare Witch, she's never bothered Zecora so she must be farther away."

"How will we get back?"

"Luminescent ribbon. Tie it to tree trunks every 200 steps and you can't get lost. Plus in the daytime you can see the sun. Speaking of,"

 

I get out the glowing orange ribbon I intend as our escape route.

 

"That's one tree down. No sweat. This forest is boring."

 

"Why did you go with me, anyway? Trying to spend time alone with me?"

Her parents never let us close the door in her room, not that she was interested.

"In your dreams, dork. I thought you were brave. And maybe a bit foalish."

She puts a hoof on either side of my head and makes me look at her.

"I want to stare death straight in the eyes."

"I want to stare that empty cottage straight in the eyes."

"You have no sense of dramatic timing."

"And you believe in old mares' tales."

 

I guess that killed the mood because she lets go and we keep walking. I need to shut up if I'm ever going to get under her tail. At 16 I'm just a grade, not a stud. Pathetic I know.

 

We walk for about an hour, with me tying up ribbons everywhere. I start to ration them out because the forest is bigger than I thought. But we can always see the last one we put down.

 

I have to admit, being alone with your crush is nice. I confide in Charity that I've always been afraid of horror movies even though I know they're fake.

 

"Oh, you are DEFINITELY watching The Branding with us. Even if I have to tie you down."

 

I break something underhoof.

 

"Hold on, I think I feel something. Look."

"What is that?"

I start recording.

"I don't know what any of this is."

I zoom in on the crap beneath our hooves.

"Brighten up your horn."

I do, matching Charity's.

 

"It's mostly branches, but there's other stuff here too."

"Boat paddles? Cutting boards?"

I zoom back out and show Charity levitating one of them.

"Most of them have rope or something to hang with too. Weird..."

"Maybe they used to dump trash here? Nopony ever lived here..."

"Check this out. This isn't a paddle. It's too small. It's a manebrush."

"Strange. And you can tell this is some old dump because none of them are made of plastic."

"These are like old fashioned brushes. Big and blocky and made of wood. I see em at antique stores when my mom drags me to them."

"Well folks you heard it here first, our first mystery. The Mare Witch was a hoarder and dumped her trash here a hundred years ago."

I reach to turn off the camera.

"Helio! All these branches don't have any leaves on them!"

"Say that again? I already turned off the audio recording."

"There's NO LEAVES on any of these branches."

"Isn't the whole forest like that?"

"No! Was I the only pony paying attention?"

"So they're some old branches on the trash heap, so what?"

"First off, branches break down. These aren't rotted and they don't have mushrooms on them. They died recently."

"So there was a storm or something."

"Sunny, you don't get it. Storms don't strip leaves clean off. There's always a leaf or two if it's not fall. Some creature... some THING did this. There's more trash here!"

"You're just messing with me."

"I wish. This campout just got fun. We're gonna meet the Mare Witch! And she lives next to an old wood shop. Walking sticks and spoons too. Hold up this is freaky."

I jab the stop button on the camera. There is no Mare Witch and I'm gonna prove it.

 

 

"Did you stop recording?"

"Yeah why?"

"Give it to me if you won't do it. Lift that up, 'on-camera talent.'"

"This is... a razor strap? Ew... I really hope this is fake leather."

"Whips and crops too... the kind they used to torture ponies with before the Solunar Biumvarate."

"The what?"

"Celestia and Luna's reign. ... WAIT! This is crazy. Helio, Helio, that's not a razor strap! These *brushes* aren't for manes! These PADDLES aren't for rowing. Don't you see? Helio, we're on a pile of spanking equipment!"

"Magical pile of spanking equipment. Those movies totally warped your brain."

"The sticks! Those aren't branches! Those are switches like I get licks with! Like I used to get licks with."

"Okay fine, you win. I'm officially creeped out. You can tell the colts you got me."

"Helio, I'm not fucking with you. None of us had anything to do with this."

There is a lump in my throat.

"... ... ..."

Eventually I stammer out:

"It doesn't prove anything. There used to be a school or a store here and the forest grew around it. The branches could be anything. Some animal eats the leaves and snaps them off when it's done. Let's just find this cabin and go home."

Charity whispers, "Okay but I'm tying three ribbons here so we can see it in the morning and take more pics."

 

We keep talking. We're both too terrified of silence.

(eiiiooaaoiioii)

"What was that?"

"That's creepy as Tartarus. Nothing sounds like that. Can't be a pony."

"But it can't be an animal either. Seriously, what was that?"

"Let's hope it stays away. I don't have much energy left after all the bright horn magic."

 

My friend had a point, keeping our horns that bright for this long tuckered us out.

 

"You know what, let's just call it off. We had our fun, got our footage. I'll change your brother's diapers if it means we can hightail it out of here."

 

"Thank Celestia. Just tell the guys it was your idea."

"......."

Frantic taps on my shoulder turn into punches.

"Where's the ribbon, Helio? Where's the ribbon. Where's the ribbon."

I look and see nothing. My stomach drops like I'm on the tallest ride in Las Pegasus.

 

"I don't know. Let's just. I'm sure if we turn around we'll see it."

We gallop towards where we thought we came from.

 

"You know Sunny, if we don't make it out of this... I always wished you'd ask me out!"

"Now you tell me! If we ever leave these woods let's have a roll in the hay!"

"I'll even do anal if you get me out of here alive!"

 

"I see it! I see the ribbon!"

 

We sprint towards the ribbon.

 

"Wait, that's not the ribbon."

I start filming.

"That's impossible."

"It looks like a runway."

"And a clearing. I don't know what it will look like on camera but with your eyes you can see the trees stop."

"Z-Zecora maybe?"

"Y-yeah, j-just Zecora..."

 

"Sunny, those are eyes! Some bug thing! Maybe a changeling?"

"Be quiet and let's get closer."

 

 

"Golden apples! It's a cabin! The Mare Witch's cottage is real. And there's a runway of floating eyes outside."

"Mostly eyes and some floating lines. Everything looks 3-D. And it's all different shades of red and... it's like...

"It's like shimmering other colors behind the red too."

"I don't think we can leave, Helio. Even if we turn tail whoever lives there wants us on that runway."

I peck Charity on the cheek.

"If we're going down we're going down fighting and filming."

She nods with determination.

 

We walk low through the runway. On either side there's a long row of 20 sets of glowing red eyes with those odd lines floating between them. The Mare probably knows we're here but we need all the luck we can get. The eyes move in circles when we get close to them but they don't move away.

 

I push the door open and it makes the loudest CREAK ever.

 

"Hello? We're sorry to go in your woods. We got lost and we'd like to be out of your way. Can you let us go? We promise not to bother you again."

"WE'LL LEAVE THE CAMERA!"

 

All I hear is thumping.

 

"It's upstairs. C'mon."

 

We climb up the stairs, too scared to run.

 

"I can't hear where it's coming from."

 

We go from room to room, panting and horrified. They're covered in mold and all empty. I hear Charity scream.

 

I look behind me and she's not there.

"CHARITY!"

Charity keeps screaming.

"CHARITY! I'M COMING!"

I run downstairs.

I hear her scream.

I search the first floor.

I don't hear any more screams.

I enter the basement.

 

"CHARITY! CHARITY!"

I sprint to the next room.

 

"CHARITY! CHARI

 

I can't talk

I can't scream

I might be dead

I'll be dying soon regardless

I feel a pull on my ear and I swing with all my might all through the room.

I swing towards the tugging and try to pull my ear out of the grip.

I am fighting for my life.

The ear pain is unbearable.

The thudding won't stop.

 

I give in.

I swing towards the pull for a second, relieving the pain briefly.

I feel myself floated into the air.

I look down and notice my muzzle glowing orange.

The ribbon! She shut my mouth with my ribbon!

I try to talk, grunt, shout, even through the ribbon.

I can't make a peep.

 

I feel something long and thin brush down my back.

I feel my tail being raised.

I feel the stick tap me gently on the rump.

For an evil forest demon, she's murdering me in a very pleasant way.

 

Suddenly my rump hurts!

I look behind me and see nothing.

My butt hurts in a new place!

Then I realize I am being spanked.

Is this some kind of joke?

(CRACK!)

Payback for not believing in her?

Ow!

Punishment for dying a virgin?

(WHACK!)

I'll take spanking over death but it's very low on my list of tortures.

(CRACK CRACK!)

I didn't like spankings as a kid but that stopped when I was 10.

Spankings are for little kids. Why is she wasting her time?

Ow!

Sure it hurts, especially when this stick hits my upper thighs.

I always hated that part.

(WHIP SMACK!)

I've felt worse.

Oh no.

(CRACK WHACK SNAP WHACK!)

She's doubled up on whipping sticks now.

My rump is starting to hurt.

OWWW!

Is she going to kill me?

OWW!

Is this just the warm-up?

(WHIP!)

How she gets her kicks?

OWWW!

She OW keeps OW hitting OWWWWW! my thighs.

(FWIP FWIP!)

I buck all over.

She easily OWWW has me contained OWWW has me contain- OWWWWWW! contained OW in what I OW assume is her magic.

She must

(WHACK WHACK!)

Have learned OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

OW OW OW

that I don't OOOOOOOOOOOW

like her OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

hitting my thighs.

OOOW OW OW OW OW OW MAKE IT STOP!

 

The whips don't stop.

I cry.

I want to shout out but I can't.

Minutes or hours pass.

They finally stop.

I'm sure there's a pool of tears on the floor.

I'm still alive which is good,

though my throbbing backside wishes it was dead.

It feels welted and hot.

I want to rub it but I can't control my hooves.

 

I don't see Charity which has me concerned.

I have to wonder though,

if the Mare Witch wants us dead she's sure taking her time.

 

I am floated back up out the stairway.

Rump first, which makes me blush.

That's stupid.

There's only the two of us and some blind batty old bimbo-bitch buffoon out here.

OOOOW!

Maybe she can read minds.

 

I am floated out the front door,

out of that tartarushole.

I sob again

(I never stopped)

and notice I can at least grunt.

The ribbon is stubbornly tied around my muzzle,

its annoying orange light reminding me of my hubris

and I still can't use my hooves or horn.

 

I float down the path and notice something awful.

(GRRR! AUUU!)

I can't talk, it's useless.

But all those eyes don't look like eyes anymore.

I remember what Charity looked like in that awful basement.

These are the rumps of creatures being tortured by the Mare Witch!

They come in a rainbow of colors...

I never thought how many different kinds of butts there are.

I'm floated past all of them.

Mostly ponies but some griffons, dragons, and others too.

They shake their rumps but don't move.

They grunt and I grunt back.

The floating lines were probably creatures like me.

A switch Charity called it?

I got a switch or a walking stick or something like that.

Thin and wooden, not like my parents' hooves.

Despite what happened tonight,

I don't have eyes on my ass to see what I got spanked with.

 

CHARITY!

(AUUU!)

She shakes when she hears me grunt but her hooves are glued down.

I take my place next to her.

Not like I have a choice.

Everycreature's tail is up.

Part of the Witch's cruel game I suppose.

I blush again.

I wish at a time like this I could say I didn't like what I saw of my good friend's cute pussy.

(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUU!)

FUCK that stings

Yeah she can read minds.

Some moaning, but creatures quickly realize it's pointless and save their energy for whatever the Mare Witch has planned for us next.

 

Is this eternity?

I could barely take one spanking...

I can't do this forever.

 

"It's this way!"

"Wooooah!"

"C'mon Grace, you chicken?"

"What are all those red things?"

...

"EYES!"

 

More ponies are coming?

Golden apples!

We all start groaning and shaking as they approach.

(AUUU! DUU DUUU!)

Nooo! Don't go!

 

I shake as these new victims pass me.

"The eyes are moving. This is wild."

My cheeks redden (my face cheeks this time) when I realize that everycreature who walks on this accursed runway gets to see my heinie beaten like I'm a little foal.

And my balls when the new victims get put on the runway...

Ponies are nudists but usually the tail provides a modicum of modesty.

 

I hear the door close and I'm sure those poor saps are doomed. The shaking wasn't enough warning for me or Charity and adding our own rumps to the chorus didn't do anything either.

 

I hear some screams which abruptly stop.

 

Minutes later I get two new spankees next to me, and I hear two more on the other side. They try to have a conversation but give up. I see out of the corner of my eye that the closer one has a pacifier in his muzzle. Maybe the Mare saw our ribbon and saved herself the trouble of using her own collection. As a reader of ancient Marean myths there is a certain irony to being punished with your own tools.

 

Around an hour later I hear a cockatrice crow. Normally I'd be terrified but I'll take a stoning over this any day.

And it means the sun is rising.

My body tingles as if it has been asleep.

I try to move and grunt and can barely move my walking corpse.

I hear some joyous cheers from the other runway but then an eerie silence falls behind me.

The sun hits my back hooves and they can move again!

I kick and buck in delight.

Minutes later the sunlight travels up my body and I can talk.

Before I can walk or move my head, a tree appears in front of me.

Yes, a whole-ass tree.

My muzzle is stuck to it.

Soon I can walk and I look next to me.

Charity is there, thank Celestia.

She has a tree too.

She gets free a minute after me.

My ribbon fell to the ground but I don't pick it up.

We look and nopony is there.

The cottage isn't there.

This place is batshit crazy and we embark on our earlier plan to get the fuck out.

We're halfway out (we hope) when I realize

"What about the cameras?"

"Whatever we have we have,

whatever we don't I'm not asking that witch for!"

We see sun poking through and we think it might be the end.

We opt to brave some thorn scrapes (even on our tender behinds) rather than spend another second in that awful forest.

"That was fucking crazy."

"Fucking crazy."

You might think we had some epic debrief.

But we had just been up all night.

We went to bed... sleeping on our stomachs.