Meanwhile in Ponyland, Julie raced out of the Estate. She began singing and skipping outside.

"Julie, where are you going?" Megan asked, leaning out the window of the Estate.

"I'm going to pick flowers, Megan!" Julie called to her older cousin. "Is that okay?"

"Sure, it's okay. Just stay away from the Haunted Forest!"

"I will! Bye!"

Megan waved good-bye to her cousin, and then went back inside to help Cupcake do some baking.

Julie skipped along the forest and began picking flowers of all kind. She liked to pick the flowers, but she knew she'd have to do it in certain places. She once tried to pick the flowers in Posey's garden, but that didn't go over too well with Posey.

As Julie picked the flowers, Winnie flew overhead on her broom, looking for Reeka and Draggle.

"Oh dear sweet cousins!" she shouted. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Winnie continued circling until her broom ran out of gas. It sputtered, and then started to go down.

"Oh darn it!" she shouted. She landed in the bushes with a loud CRASH!

Julie jumped and dropped the flowers she had picked. She looked over at the bushes, and walked over, thinking it was a bird, or maybe a Pegasus pony. Actually, she was hoping it was Firefly, making one of her not so perfect landings from her Double Inside Out Loop. She pushed the bushes away and saw Winnie sitting on the ground, holding her broom in her hand.

"That's the last time I use unleaded broom juice," she said.

"Are you okay?" Julie asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. My broom ran out of juice."

"Are you a witch?"

"Sure am!"

"But . . . . but I always thought all witches are ugly!"

"My mama and my auntie and my cousins are ugly. But not all witches are ugly. My name's Winnie. Winnie Witch. What's yours?"

"Julie. Julie Olsen. How old are you?"

"Ten."

"So am I."

"I was looking for my cousins but I can't find them. Wanna play?"

"Okay!"

Winnie took Julie's hand and the two of them ran into the forest.

Winnie and Julie went to the edge of the forest, that just led into the Haunted Forest. This was the first time Julie had seen it, but she knew it not only led to Skull Mountain, but also to the Volcano of Gloom. She stopped.

"What's the matter?" Winnie asked.

"I'm not allowed to go in the Haunted Forest by myself," Julie said.

"But you're not by yourself! You're with me!"

"No, Megan will be mad if I go in there. It's scary in there!"

"Oh all right. We'll play out here. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. You're a witch, right?"

"Yup!"

"Can you do any magic tricks?"

"Sure I can! Watch this!"

Winnie pulled a small magic wand out of thin air, and waved it. Sparkles flew out of the sky and created a fireworks display. Julie giggled and clapped her hands.

"That's not all I can do!" Winnie shouted! "Look at this!"

Winnie waved her wand again, and bubbles came out of nowhere. Julie began popping a few of them. Every time Winnie waved her wand, something new would come out of it. Soon, both girls were giggling among the bubbles, feathers, and other things Winnie was making out of her wand. The two of them then leaned back in the grass and watched the clouds go by, just talking about things.

"I live over the rainbow," Julie said. "And I've got a little brother and a dog. But I like to visit Ponyland a lot, and play with Twinkles. She's an orange kitten."

"I have a kitten," Winnie said. "Her name is Midnight. She's black and she's got green eyes, and she wears a green witch's hat. I'll bring her over some time."

"And I'll bring Twinkles with me some time. Maybe our cats will be friends."

"That would be neat!"

Julie and Winnie giggled, and continued watching the clouds, and talking. They weren't keeping track of the time at all. Megan was leaning out the windows of the Estate, calling her cousin. It was almost time to go home. Medley and Firefly were looking for her, too.

"Julie!" Medley called.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Firefly shouted.

"She's never strayed far from the Estate before," Megan said.

"Maybe she's still playing in the forest," Gusty said, coming out of the Estate.

"We'd better go find her," Megan said. "Or else her mother will be plenty mad!"

Megan, Firefly, and Gusty started for the woods. Medley was going to stay behind, just in case Julie came back while they were gone.

While Megan and the two ponies were looking for Julie, Hydia, Reeka, and Draggle were skulking through the forest, looking for Winnie.

"You were supposed to be watching her!" Hydia yelled. "I've got better things to do with my time than look for my niece! I've got to find a way to turn Ponyland dark, dank, and dreary!"

"It was Draggle's fault, Hydia!" Reeka shouted. "She was supposed to be watching Winnie!"

"No, you were supposed to be watching her, Reeka!" Draggle retorted.

"Shut up!" Hydia yelled. "And come on! The sooner we find Winnie, the sooner we can get back home and turn Ponyland dark, dank, and dreary!"

The two groups walked on. Julie and Winnie were drawing in the dirt with sticks when they heard rustling in the bushes. Both of them stood up straight and alert.

"What was that?" Julie asked.

"Get behind me!" Winnie hissed. She held up her magic wand. "I'll scare them off!"

Suddenly, the ponies and the witches jumped out from opposite bushes.

"Julie!" Megan shouted.

"Winnie!" Hydia shouted.

"Megan?" Julie asked.

"Aunt Hydia?" Winnie said.

"Ponies!" Reeka and Draggle shouted at the same time.

"Witches!" Firefly and Gusty shouted.

"I'll save you Julie!" Gusty yelled, lowering her head. She was about to light up her horn, but Julie stopped her.

"No, Gusty! It's okay!" Julie shouted. "Winnie's my friend."

"Winnie?" Firefly asked. She turned to the little red haired girl and gave her a suspicious glance. "Are you a witch?"

"Darn tootin' she is, sister!" Hydia shouted. "Winifred Hogatha, you naughty little witch! What is the meaning of socializing with a friend of those puny little ponies?!"

"And what are you doing with a witch, Julie?" Gusty asked.

"We were just playing," Julie said. "Winnie's really nice."

"No witch is ever nice!" Gusty shouted.

"And nothing good can come from a little pony!" Hydia shouted. "You're a witch! You're supposed to like dark, dank, and dreary!"

"But I don't like dark, dank, and dreary," Winnie said. "I like picking flowers, and playing with Julie. She's my friend."

"What have you done to my niece?!" Hydia yelled at Megan and the little ponies. "That little brat put a bad influence on her!"

"Don't call my cousin a brat!" Megan shouted.

"Yeah, unless you want a taste of the Rainbow of Light!" Firefly threatened.

"Besides, all witches are mean and nasty!" Gusty shouted.

"But Winnie's not that bad!" Julie protested.

"Not that bad?!" Gusty yelled. "The witches only tried to bury us in Smooze and tried to take over Flutter Valley! And you're telling me a witch is not that bad?!"

"Come on, Julie, it's time to go home anyway," Megan said. She grabbed Julie's hand, and glared at the witches. Then she walked off. Firefly and Gusty glared at the witches as well and started back to Paradise Estate.

"Winifred Hogatha, I don't ever want you to see that goody two shoes again!" Hydia yelled, as she, Draggle, and Reeka began to take Winnie back to the Volcano of Gloom.

"But I like Julie!" Winnie shouted. "She's my friend!"

"Witches don't have friends!" Reeka shouted.

"You're a witch, and witches don't make friends!" Hydia shouted. "Especially not with little girls who are friends with little ponies!"

"That's not fair!" Winnie yelled, stamping her foot. "I like Julie! I want her to be my friend!"

"Oh brother," Reeka groaned.

"You'll thank me for this when you're an evil mean old witch like me!" Hydia shouted.

Winnie pouted. She started to brew a thunderstorm to take out her frustrations, but it was only affective in the Haunted Forest and at the Volcano of Gloom.