[Ponyville] Willow Wisp's Guide to the Spooky, Creepy Etc.

[WillowWisp]

Finally everything was unpacked and she was settled. It had taken almost a week, but the so called "haunted" house was now her home. Willow Wisp didn't bother changing the outside any; she loved how old and creepy it looked. And for the most part all she did on the inside was move in her things. The decor of the old home was just perfect for the image and atmosphere the building had.

But now it was time to get to work. The reason she moved to such a central location like Ponyville was so she could work on her guidebook. She wanted to educate others on the things that most found scary. She'd always been interested in monsters, weird places and creatures, and of course all the stories that went with them. However she also wanted others to know what was fact and what was nothing more than old pony tales.

However a guidebook would only be useful if it had the information others wanted. So she had a plan; ask the residents of the town to send in their fears and questions and she would use those to compose her guide.

Wisp trotted around town hanging poster after poster, hoping somepony would reply.

Do you ever find yourself wondering about the unknown? Does fear of monsters keep you from venturing past the safety of town? Manticores making you manic? Spooked by Spirit Foxes? Creeped out by Cockatrices? Let me help.

It could be all the stories you've heard are nothing more than pony tales. In fact many of the things that go "bump in the night" are merely misunderstood. And with the right information you won't need to fear traveling anymore; even into the Everfree Forest.

So send your questions to Willow Wisp! Let me demystify the mystic and de-buck the myths that have you shaking in your hoofs.

[Cinnamon]

Two letters arrive for Willow Wisp:

***

Dear Willow Wisp,

As a pony of science, I have never been a strong believer in the occult. However, recently I have heard rumors pertaining to the creation of something called a "Pony Golem"; a pony created from artificial materials and animated through magic. While normally I would dismiss such myths, this particular legend is remarkably persistent despite the apparent lack of evidence. Magic is indeed a strong presence in Equestria; perhaps there is at least some truth to the story? And if so, could there theoretically be a way to duplicate the process scientifically?

-Oppen Stein

***

Dear Willow Wisp,

I have forayed into the Everfree Forest many times over the course of my life, and know more about said forest than most ponies ever even ask. However, there is one question I have never been able to answer: where does that spooky background music come from? Y'know, that eerie tune that echoes through the forest whenever a pony ventures in?

-Cinnamon

[WillowWisp]

Finally! It had been a couple days but finally she had some letters. And Wisp was more than excited to answer them. They were both such good questions to start off with, and the information would be great for her book in progress. She could send a reply to the ponies who asked, as well as write a copy to use when she compiled her guide.

Looking between the two, she started with the one about hearing music first. That would be a little easier to answer than the other.

'

Cinnamon,

It's interesting you should ask that. There it actually a very normal explanation. It's really in your mind that you're hearing a tune, the real culprit is the wind. In a place like Everfree there are lots of trees, plants, bushes, sticks and twigs, all crammed in close together. This is perfect for causing odd sounds. When the wind blows through it makes all sorts of noises; take reeds for example, they can sound like whistles or even flutes.

The mind tricks us into thinking these sounds are more than they really are. With a creepy atmosphere, the mind is preset to think everything is unnerving. So even though it's just natural noise being heard, it gets processed as a creepy background tune. And once you've heard it one time, it stays with you. You remember hearing music, so every time after you go into the forest you're expecting it.

The soundtrack is nothing more than nature itself.

Willow Wisp'

That was a great warm up. Wisp smiled as she wrote a second copy for herself to keep before turning to the next letter. A bit more of a challenge and she's had to reference some myth and lore, but she was up to it.

'

Oppen Stein,

'Pony Golems'? Well personally I have never seen one. So I had to take a look into some of these myths myself and I think I've come up with an answer. I really believe that these creatures are nothing more than lore when it comes down to it and I think I can give examples of how it may have come to be.

Firstly, a lot of myth comes from before we had ways of recording stories. We would pass things on by word of mouth and of course, from pony to pony, the words could get mixed up and the meaning changed. For instance, say a warrior was fighting another with armor that was strong. And when the one returned home he referred to it as 'hard as stone'. Then as the story was passed on, it got construed and became a 'warrior made of stone'. Hence this could be the start of a golem.

It could also possibly come from the rockier areas of the land. Roughrider Ridge has a lot of cliffs where Dragons live. And some Dragons have a stone or rock like appearance. Somepony traveling from another place could have seen the local Dragons looking like such and assumed all those living there looked the same.

However what has mainly drawn me to the conclusion that these monsters are not real are no other than rocks themselves. They are not at all made up of the things living creatures are. And there is no magic to my knowledge that can give life to things that don't have it. I don't know if science could do this either. I'm pretty sure these 'pony golems' will remain in stories.

Willow Wisp.'

There, another letter done, and that meant another page too. She smiled happily as she addressed the envelopes for the letters she was going to send out. Hopefully she would get more letters; her book was on it's way!