Stoker - An Anonymous Werewolf in Canterlot 2

>Things tend to get restless around this time of the year.
>Canterlot has always been a quiet town, but it has a history of disturbances that some would consider bizarre.
>These usually get ignored by the average person, who quickly rationalizes away the seemingly impossible.
>The human mind does this for many reasons, largely to protect itself.
>Things that would break the otherwise accepted realm of normality can cause a mind to go mad, from fear or the inability to comprehend what they perceive.
>So people tend to think that the supernatural is fake, or they forget their supernatural experiences over time and move on with their lives.
>After all, ignorance is bliss.
>You, however, cannot afford such a luxury, because you live in two worlds, and you’ve sworn to protect one from the other.
>The world you once lived exclusively in is the waking world, one of normalcy, where the innocent live and go about their lives day by day.
>The other world, the one you were forced into suddenly and without warning one year ago, is where darkness takes malevolent shape and preys upon the weak.
>You live in both because of what you are and what you have chosen to do.
>You are Anonymous, a werewolf and the last of the white wolves, the guardians of humanity against the supernatural.
>And tonight, you are hunting.
>It is a cold autumn night and the moon is full.
>Throughout the Everfree National Forest, not a single animal seems to stir.
>This stillness is not uncommon to the massive forest, with trees ancient enough to predate the nearby town of Canterlot where you live, but tonight it is distinctly unnatural.

>You are running through the forest, all four paws digging into the dirt and leaves as you move like a white blur between the trees, over rocks and logs.
>Your golden eyes scan the wilderness around you, allowing you vision as clear as day, even in the dark of night.
>The nose at the end of your muzzle picks up a scent and you turn, following it further along up an old trail.
>You lose the scent, however, at a flowing river.
>You pause by the riverbank and stand up on your hind legs, sniffing the air.
>Around your neck, the moonstone which hangs from a thin chain glows bright blue, empowered by the large full moon that shines brightly in the night sky.
>With the power of the moonstone, you have a greater range of abilities than any normal lycanthrope would possess.
>As your nose has failed, you instead close your eyes and reach out with your mind.
>And as you previously thought, the quiet of the forest tonight is due to an otherworldly presence.
>A darkness is lurking in the Everfree, stalking something.
>A girl.
>And they are not far away.
>You rear your head back and open your mouth to let out a long, loud howl.
>Although howling is fun for you, this is not merely for your own benefit; this is to alert your allies that you are near the source of the disturbance.
>For you are not alone this night, nor have you been alone on any of your hunts since one year ago.
>You may not run with a pack of other werewolves, but they are others like you.

>Those that walk the thin line between the natural and the supernatural, protecting the former from the latter.
>Some of them are gifted like you are, and others are merely aware of the truth.
>As turn to follow the flow of the river and sprint, following the new trail with your heightened senses, a shadow passes by overhead.
>The figure in the sky glides quietly on large membranous wings that resemble those of a bat.
>She’s one of yours, scouting above and providing a bird’s-eye-view on the forest.
>As you near the source of the disturbance, your keen ears pick up the sound of a girl screaming for help.
>She’s desperate, panicked and crying, but you cannot make out who the voice belongs to.
>As you reach the edge of the forest, you look down the river and see an old log mill, long abandoned and empty, basking in the moonlight.
>There is a girl running towards it, screaming and crying, and behind her is a dark figure that is chasing her.
>It does not run so much as glide across the grass, leaving a wispy trail of shadow behind its torso-like appearance.
>You watch as she reaches the saw mill and runs inside with the apparition right on her heels.
>Your ally soars down and lands next to you, her wings folding up to rest beneath her pink hair.
>”What was it?” Fluttershy asks.
>You respond by speaking telepathically to her—one of the abilities granted to you by the moonstone and your control of the white wolf’s lunar powers.
“A phantom of some kind. I need to get in there and get its attention away from her.”
>Fluttershy looks at the river; the lumber mill is on the other side of it, and lightly bites her lip with a fang.

>”You go on ahead; I’ll double back and bring the others!”
>You know that as a vampire, she cannot cross the running water.
>You nod at her as she takes off into the air, flying back where you came from.
>As you are not restricted by the same boundaries, you leap over the river with your powerful legs and up to the log mill, running into the same door that they previously entered from.
>You can hear the girl’s voice echoing inside as she tries to escape her pursuer.
>Moving in the darkness, you make your way into the main room.
>Old conveyor belts from the fifties with large saw blades line the walls of this place, along with occasional stacks of old rotting logs.
>Towards the back, you can see the girl, finally getting a good look at who it is: Lily, one of the local girls and a classmate of yours.
>She has tripped over a warped plank sticking up from the floor and is now on her back, crawling backwards and looking up at the spectre that looms over her.
>”P-Please, no!” she begs. “Get away! Leave me alone! Leave me ALONE!”
>The entity says nothing as its long, spindly limbs, each ending in foot-long fingers, reach out for her.
>You dig all four paws into the wood and howl at it, issuing a challenge that echoes throughout the room.
>Lily’s blood runs cold as she hears it, but you’ve successfully drawn its attention away from her.
>It turns around to consider you, locking onto your white form with glowing red eyes.
>You’ve encountered a number of ghosts and other similar spirits, but never one like this.
>Most ghosts resemble what they looked like in life, or are simpler in appearance.

>This one, however, is downright sinister looking, with a shredded black cloak-like appearance, glowing red eyes and clawed fingers.
>It’s also considerably stronger than any of the others you’ve faced; the sheer presence of dark power contained within its shadowy form is nearly overwhelming.
>It seems to rob light away from the area around it and emanate despair.
>As it looks upon you, it releases a piercing shriek that breaks the glass of nearby windows and causes Lily to clamp her hands over her ears.
>You bare your fangs and, although the loud sound is painful to your sensitive pointed ears, you begin to focus the power of your moonstone into your clawed hand and you thrust it in the direction of the phantom.
>A beam of white light that briefly illuminates the room emerges and blasts the spectre, silencing it.
>It does not, however, have the intended effect that you desired; the dark figure seems unharmed by the lunar ray, even absorbing and countering it with its dark power.
>Well, there’s always your backup plan.
>You kick off the ground and lunge into the air, brandishing your claws and tackling its floating form.
>However, you end up passing through the phantom as it makes itself intangible, causing you to land near Lily.
>She looks up at you with wide, terrified eyes.
“RUN!” you shout into her head.
>In response to this, she faints.
>Well, that’s inconvenient.
>She always has had a bit of a weak heart, you’re surprised she even made it this far.
>You need to get some distance between her and the thing trying to kill her, that’s priority number one.
>Behind you, the dark figure turns around again and slashes down at you with one of its long arms.
>You dodge out of the way, leaping onto a nearby large industrial machine as it tears into the flooring of where you were just standing.

>You jump at it again, this time managing to make physical contact as you rake its back with one of your claws.
>It shrieks again, not so much in pain but irritation, as it prepares to attack you again, reaching up with an arm.
>However, it is suddenly hit with a fireball that is thrown from across the room, briefly enveloping its wispy form in flames, illuminating the room with orange light.
>You both turn and look at the new figure in the fight.
>Sunset Shimmer stands in the entranceway, one hand holding a book and the other alight with flame.
>”Started the party without me, Anon?” the witch asks with a cocky grin.
>Before you can reply, the entity shrieks again and stretches its arms out wide.
>Two sawblades on either side of the room are torn from the machines in which they rested and fly towards its hands.
>It twists its legless form as it throws them both with telekinetic power; one at you, and one at Sunset.
>She escapes the large blade by casting a rapid incantation that teleports her away to safety just as the blade would have hit her.
>It instead gets stuck in the doorway, horizontally embedded in the frame.
>You flip backwards over the sawblade thrown at you, curling your tail close to your body as you do so that it does not get cut off.
>As you land, the blade flies off and cuts right through a chain holding several logs in place.
>Now freed, they tumble forward and threaten to crush you, but you turn and jump over them as they roll across the floor.

>You dig your claws into the wooden wall and hold yourself there as the logs finish falling.
>The phantom uses its power to pick one up and hurl it at you.
>Seeing it coming, you wait until the last moment before letting go and dropping to the floor as the log hits, blasting through the side of the mill, sending chunks of wood and splinters everywhere.
>It’s not what you had planned, but you’ll take advantage of it.
>Now with a very large hole in the wall, the moonlight streams inside and hits you, reinvigorating you and restoring any spent energy.
>The spirit flies towards you as your hands glow with lunar energy, elongating into glowing spears of light.
>You dash forward and impale the entity in the chest before using your legs to push back, tearing it from the mill and bringing it with you outside through the convenient hole it just made.
>It goes intangible again, but you’ve managed to successfully lure it out into the open.
>Sunset reappears, standing at the hole in the wall, preparing to cast another spell.
>It shrieks and swipes at you with its claws again and again.
>Each time, you bring up a paw and deflect the strikes.
>Your claws glow white with the power of the moonstone, the lunar energy acting as a barrier against the dark claws.
>As you square away with it, Sunset blasts it with another fireball, a stronger one this time, that causes part of its cloak-like appearance to burn away and shrivel.
>As its form burns, it raises a hand high up and prepares to bring it down upon you.
>You bring both of your forearms up and block the attack with a lunar shield as it pushes down on you, causing you to dig your feet into the ground.
>As it pushes against you, matching your strength, it suddenly cries out in pain as a silver crossbow bolt flies through its body, leaving behind a shredded hole.

>Suddenly, the crack of a whip is heard throughout the clearing as it coils around its arm and pulls it away from you.
>Applejack stands there, tall and imposing with her signature hat, decked head to toe in monster hunting gear.
>In one hand she wields a whip lined with silver rings and doused in holy water, while in the other she holds the crossbow she just fired.
>The burning spectre looks at her and shrieks again in an attempt to ward her off, but she’s come prepared with special wax from sacred candles in her ears that render her immune to such an attack.
>She pulls on the whip again, drawing the creature closer to her as she slides the crossbow into a holster at her side before using her now free hand to take a vial off of a bandolier on her chest.
>”Y’all look like you could use a drink!” she says as she opens it and splashes it onto the entity.
>The holy water within puts out the fire, but burns the unholy spawn much worse than Sunset’s enchanted flames did.
>Her whip digs into its arm, burning and cutting into it, as pieces of its cloak fall off and wither from the holy water.
>It attempts once more to go incorporeal, but the holy water prevents it from doing so.
>This allows you to vault onto its back and tear into it with your claws and teeth, closing your jaws around its neck and tearing at it viciously.
>The entity spirals around but Applejack holds it in place with her whip; meanwhile, Sunset prepares a new spell to animate a nearby pile of chains.
>From the sky above, Fluttershy swoops down and lowers a hand for you to grab onto.

>You reach up and take her hand, letting go of the spectre as Sunset commands the chains to wrap around the body of the creature, holding it in place even more.
>Fluttershy effortlessly carries your much larger, heavier form thanks to her vampiric strength and drops you off nearby.
>At that moment, you see the lights of a truck as the vehicle pulls up into the clearing.
>The truck stops, its headlights focused directly on the target and four people in matching blue jumpsuits pile out.
>Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity each run to the back of the truck and grab their proton packs, a technology pioneered by Twilight herself, strapping them onto their backs and turning them on.
>The distinct hum of the packs can be heard as all four of them run up and take position around the trapped spirit, which shrieks again in desperation.
>”Light it up!” Twilight shouts and all four of them unleash a proton stream of positively charged ions from the neutrona wands in their hands connected to the particle accelerators on their backs.
>Four bright orange beams resembling lightning all blast the spectre at the same time, encircling it and holding it in place in a cage of protonic energy.
>Sunset and Applejack drop the chains and the whip from the spirit, as it now assuredly has no chance to escape.
>Twilight reaches to her side and takes out a black box attached to a wire and throws it under the spectre, laying the trap and preparing to activate it.
>”Trap is down!” she tells the others. “Disengage in THREE! TWO! ONE!”
>All four of them disengage their beams as she hits the release on the trap.
>It opens up and a blinding white light emerges that causes you to avert your eyes, completely encasing the spirit.

>It releases one final shriek as its form is sucked inside the small box.
>A moment later, the trap closes and a red light on it blinks a few times before turning green and the box lets out some smoke.
>Dash throws a fist into the air. “One in the box!”
>Pinkie jumps up in excitement. “Ready to go!”
>Rarity brushes a strand of hair aside. “We be fast…”
>All four of them then sound off. “And they be slow!”
>As Twilight holds up the smoking trap, all four of them high-five.
>You look up to the moon and let out a long howl, your own contribution to the post-bust celebration.
>Sunset, Applejack and Fluttershy join them as Twilight inspects the trap.
>”What do you figure it is this time?” AJ asks as she coils up her whip to place it on her hip.
>”Definitely a Class V,” the scientist with a flair for the paranormal replies, “but unlike any I’ve ever seen. Full-roaming, but it doesn’t seem like a manifestation of someone’s spirit… Definitely malevolent. Maybe the spirit of a murderer?”
>”It’s a wraith,” Sunset says, holding up her spellbook, “a spirit that feeds on the life force of the living, sustaining its own dark power on the souls of its victims.”
>”That’s awful,” Fluttershy says, holding her hands close to her chest.
>Rainbow cocks an eyebrow. “Really, Shy? You’re the vampire here.”
>”H-Hey, that’s not fair, you know I don’t feed on people,” she says softly. “…Anymore…” she adds as a quiet afterthought.
>Applejack clears her throat and changes the subject. “But where’d it come from? We’ve never had anything like that ‘round these parts before.”

>Sunset nods. “That’s just it. Wraiths are not naturally-occurring spirits, they are purposefully summoned.”
>You look around at the others as she brings this revelation to light.
>It’s not difficult to understand the implication behind it.
>Twilight’s eyes narrow. “But I thought the only one in Canterlot with the kind of power to summon a wraith was you, Sunset.”
>”Precisely,” she says. “Someone else must have performed the ritual to summon it, but who? I haven’t detected any kind of magic in town lately.”
“Someone outside town, perhaps,” you telepathically suggest to all of them. “Maybe someone in the Everfree Forest.”
>”Or maybe someone who got away last year,” Sunset suggests.
>You know who she refers to: the old curator of the museum and secret leader of the cult to bring about the rebirth of Archsepsis, the evil sorcerer who also happened to be her father.
>He narrowly escaped justice and ever since he’s been number one on your team’s list, but he hasn’t appeared since.
>But does this wraith herald the return of him and his cult of fanatics?
>”Well if he’s out there, let’s go find him and kick his ass!” Rainbow says.
>”Easy there, darling,” Rarity urges. “Let’s leave that to the ones among us who have powers.”
>Rainbow crosses her arms in a huff.
>Pinkie Pie has Gummy, her swamp monster pet, and Rarity has Spike, the body she stitched together and brought to life alongside Twilight, but Rainbow has always been the odd one out of the group, the one with no secret.
>Of course, it was quite a shock to her when she found out everyone else’s secrets, but she’s always somewhat resented not having anything unique to bring to the table.

>You can’t deny her loyalty to the cause, though—she’s the most dedicated and enthusiastic member of the team.
>Well, except for Applejack, who has a lineage of hunting monsters to live up to.
>And Pinkie Pie, but only for sweets and parties.
>And Twilight for science and researching the paranormal…
>Well, you could go on, but the point is that Rainbow is very dedicated.
>Since you refused to turn her into a werewolf, Fluttershy won’t turn her into a vampire and Sunset isn’t keen on teaching others her witchcraft, she’s made due with learning how to bust ghosts from Twilight and hunt monsters from AJ.
>Applejack looks back at the old lumber mill. “What about the girl it was chasing?”
“It was Lily. She’ll be alright; when she wakes up in the morning, she’ll think this whole thing was a bad dream. They usually do.”
>Fluttershy stretches out her wings. “I should carry her home. I know where she lives.”
>”We should head back to the cabin and investigate this further,” Sunset suggests. “Will you meet us there, Fluttershy?”
>The vampire nods before flying back up to the hole in the wall to pick up Lily.
>Pinkie eagerly adds, “Yeah! And we can have cookies and punch to celebrate our newest catch!”
>Rainbow sticks out her tongue. “As long as you don’t try baking them with ectoplasm again like last time, blegh…”
>Rarity shivers. “I must agree. I love your confections, darling, but those cookies were positively abhorrent…”
>Pinkie shrugs. “I liked them.”
>You sit back on your hind legs and look back up at the full moon.

>As Rarity, Dash, Pinkie and Twilight move to the truck to take off their proton packs and drop off the filled trap, Applejack turns towards you.
>”You comin’ along, Anon?”
“I’m going to stay outside for a bit,” you say to her. “It’s not every night that we get a full moon this bright.”
>She understands, but still advises caution. “Don’t know what else might be lurkin’ out there now that we know someone let that wraith off its leash.”
“Maybe I can find out if they’re still out there,” you say.
>”I don’t like it, Anon,” Sunset shakes her head. “Someone brought this wraith into our world. Power like that can’t go unchecked.”
“I agree. I’m going to sniff around a bit. I’ll head back and meet you all at the cabin when I’m done.”
>Nearby, Fluttershy steps out into the night, carrying Lily in her arms.
>She lifts off the ground with a flap of her wings and soars off into the sky headed towards town.
>As Dash opens the driver side door, she looks over at AJ.
>”Hop in, AJ!” she calls out.
>The blonde girl nods at you before walking over and climbing into the back of the truck alongside Sunset.
>A moment later, the vehicle pulls away from the mill, leaving you by yourself in the clearing.
>Sticking your nose up, you sniff around, but there are no residual traces of the wraith that you can discern.
>Heading back in the direction it chased Lily from, you follow their trail back into the Everfree National Forest.
>With any luck, you can figure out where it originated from.
>You take off on all fours, running at your top speed, occasionally stopping to sniff around a bit and ensure that you are heading in the right direction.

>The trail twists and turns; it chased Lily for quite some time.
>Why was she out in the forest, you wonder?
>You don’t know her too well, but you know that she was good friends with Roseluck.
>Roseluck…
>One year ago, when you first discovered your lycanthropy, you transformed under the full moon in the public park and lost control of yourself.
>Roseluck was the unfortunate girl who happened to witness your transformation.
>You chased her down and killed her before feasting on her body.
>It was the most haunting way to begin your life as a werewolf that it could be.
>Though the Egyptian god Anubis allowed you to make peace with her spirit, it has never truly left you.
>The guilt of taking an innocent’s life is what has driven you to so dedicatedly pursue the forces of darkness around Canterlot and protect the innocent.
>That’s how it’s been ever since you formed your team with your friends last year.
>Just like you did tonight, over the past year you’ve tracked down and fought wayward spirits, leftover reanimated corpses from the same incident and kept evil at bay.
>Working together, your team has been an unstoppable vanguard that you have so far been able to keep under the radar of the local news.
>Sometimes there’s talk of sightings of wolves and bats and other strange phenomena, but such things have been happening in the background of Canterlot for ages, so people don’t pay attention to it.
>It’s a good cover for you and your friends.

>Twilight provides the brains and the technology, Applejack and her monster hunting family bring the resources and funding, Sunset brings the magic and knowledge of the supernatural, and you, Spike, Gummy, Pinkie, Rarity and Dash provide the muscle and backup.
>And so you’ve worked together to keep Canterlot safe, but all of the incidents you’ve so far encountered were all disconnected.
>A lost soul, a haunted house, a zombie in the sewers.
>Incidents which were fundamentally independent of each other.
>This wraith is the first instance that hints at something larger going on, at someone behind the scenes pulling strings on the situation.
>If someone is summoning dark spirits like that wraith, you absolutely will not stand by and rest, not when the potential of someone getting hurt is this great.
>And if it is that same cult leader who got away, you’ve got more than questions for him.
>You’ve got some teeth and claws, too.
>Lost in your thoughts, you realize too late that the trail has gone cold.
>Strange…
>Sniffing the air, you don’t detect Lily or any hint of the phantom that was chasing her.
>Nearby, however, you suddenly hear a howl that makes the fur on the back of your neck stand up.
>It is long, piercing and unmistakably that of a wolf.
>There are no wolves around Canterlot…
>Other than you, of course.
>Turning in the direction of the howl, you dash through the forest to investigate.
>You sprint through the forest until you come upon an old gate with rusted bars set between crumbling stone walls.
>You’ve never seen this place before, but the Everfree National Forest is massive and full of old structures.

>Approaching a nearby bronze plaque, you use a hand to wipe some moss off of it.
>”Everfree Resting Grounds”
>It must be an old cemetery that nobody uses anymore.
>You bound over the wall with a single jump and sniff the air.
>The ground here definitely smells differently, with an acrid stench of old bodies not buried deeply enough.
>You pass by many graves, some of which are too old to be legible anymore.
>The ground here is loose and very little grass grows, but in some areas the natural vegetation has gotten out of hand and has overtaken the graves around it due to the lack of care and a groundskeeper.
>You reach the middle of the graveyard and look around.
>You know you heard the howl come from this direction, but there’s no hint of any wolf anywhere.
>No tracks, no scent, nothing.
>But you’re positive that you weren’t just hearing things, you know you heard a howl.
>Actually… now you hear something else as well.
>It’s a soft humming, rhythmic and strangely alluring.
>A fog begins to roll in on the graveyard from all sides and the sound grows louder.
>What could this be?
>You scan your eyes across the grounds as you turn, but you see nothing.
>The soothing melody continues to grow.
>Now, there is a chanting mixed in with it, not quite words, but a harmony of euphonious sounds working in tandem to put you at ease.
>You find yourself growing weak-kneed and go from your bipedal position to back down on all fours.

>What is happening?
>Nothing has ever made you feel so lucid and not in control.
>Shaking your head, you try to rid yourself of this sudden dizziness, but your head feels as foggy as the area around you.
>Something is wrong… something is very, terribly wrong…
>You open your eyes and see three figures approaching you, their graceful bodies accentuated by hypnotic swaying motions.
>Around each of their necks is a choker from which hangs a crimson gem.
>They glow brightly, piercing the fog with red light.
>You try to reach out and speak to them with your mind, but forming coherent thoughts doesn’t seem to be something you’re currently capable of.
>All you can do is watch and listen to their voices.
>Their lithe bodies move in tune to the seductive siren-like song that echoes through your ears.
>Every note, every moment, every step they take closer saps you of strength.
>As they move closer, you start to make out more details.
>They’re naked…
>And covered in fur…
>With long, winding, thin tails, just like…
>Felines…
>Pointed ears stick up from their heads, and their long fingers end in rounded claws.
>Their feet are wide and padded like a cat’s.
>But as your vision swims and you struggle to stay upright on your limbs, the leader reaches you and kneels in front of you.

>She pets you, scratching the top of your lupine head and under your neck, dragging her claws across your white fur.
>As she and the other two sing and rob you of your free will, she reaches down your neck and hooks a claw under your moonstone’s chain and with a sudden yank, severs it.
>The moonstone falls from your neck and one of them catches it.
>They all stand straight and encircle you, their song growing quiet and more reserved.
>You find yourself gaining more control over your actions and you reach up to feel around your neck.
>One of them dangles the moonstone out in front of you; you reach for it but she pulls it further away from you, teasing you with it.
>You fall forwards onto the ground and you struggle to get back up.
>You attempt to reach out and communicate telepathically, but find that you cannot due to the absence of the moonstone.
>Suddenly, there is a shift in tone in the music.
>Far up above in the night sky, something begins to happen to the moon.
>As the moon passes into the shadow of the Earth, a total lunar eclipse occurs.
>Slowly, crater by crater, the moon changes color as the only light reaching it from the Sun is light that passes through Earth’s atmosphere.
>On this night, the moon takes on a new color, going from white to a dark, muddy red.
>It is the night of the blood moon.
>As this happens, all three of your singing sirens point their hands to the sky and their necklaces glow brighter.
>The fog around you turns red and their eyes change to match.
>You hold up a hand as panic begins to run through you.

>Whatever they’re doing, you’re powerless to stop it.
>As they continue to sing, entrapping you with their voices, another figure begins to take shape in the red fog.
>It is much, much larger than they are, and it walks on all fours.
>You hear a deep growl as the beast approaches, fixing you with a pair of yellow, bloodshot eyes.
>Its mass must be at least twice that of yours.
>A single one of its paws is as large as your head.
>It doesn’t quite resemble a wolf as much as it does a gargantuan dog, with wild black fur matted with blood and drool pouring from its mouth.
>Its fangs are yellow and gnash together as it lowers its head to stare at you, all the while growling with sinister intent.
>It looks like a beast straight out of hell, a monster comparable to beasts of epic legend and myth.
>The kind of thing that Hercules would fight.
>There are others as well, but these ones are like you—werewolves that move around behind it.
>This thing, whatever he is, is clearly the alpha of this pack.
>As the three felines wave their arms in sync with one another, you start to feel a change within you.
>The beast over you continues to growl and stare into your eyes, and the wolves around him begin continue to circle, their frames becoming shadows in the red fog.
>Their growls form a background chorus to the sirens.
>Deep inside you, something stirs.
>Something you have kept hidden and locked away, controlled and sedated.
>You have occasionally felt his call, but you have managed to keep him in line ever since he took you over and you took your first life.
>It is the Wolf.

>With the power of the moonstone and self-control, you have been the one to be in control of your transformed state.
>Not the feral animal, the bloodthirsty beast, the murderous monster.
>But now, with the moonstone gone, the chanting robbing you of your willpower, surrounded by others of your kind and under the influence of the blood moon…
>The Wolf awakens, and he is hungry.
>You feel him raging with you—your heart pounds in your chest, going a hundred miles an hour as your limbs stiffen and your brain feels as though it is on fire.
>You wrestle against him, but he is much stronger now.
>You feel the bite of his jaws as he locks them around your throat, holding you down and shredding your flesh, consuming you.
>You are unable to fight back, while he is made stronger.
>Slowly, your fur begins to change as the battle within turns in his favor.
>Your lustrous white coat darkens, first on the limbs near the claws, then on your back, running up your arching spine, covering the top of your head and spreading to your shoulders.
>You fall down and roll onto your back as you struggle futilely against the beast within.
>Your arms are now a completely grey color, but rapidly turn darker, to a rough, matted black.
>Once more you roll over onto all fours as you feel the last bit of yourself be swallowed whole, your worst fears realized as the Wolf completely takes over.
>Gone is any chance of control, of rational thought, of human compassion, empathy or remorse.
>Now, only the Wolf remains.

>You throw your head back and howl, joined by your brethren as the song around you reaches a crescendo.
>All is silent for a moment, save for the growling of the large dog in front of you.
>He barks, a sound that could make a giant recoil in fear, issuing a single command to you: be free and eat freely.
>You growl in return, hungry for real, physical flesh to feast on.
>The weakling whose soul you swallowed provides no sustenance for you, and it has been long, oh so very long, since you’ve tasted true flesh and blood.
>You are starved of it!
>At their leader’s command, the pack makes way for you and you take off, finally stretching your legs.
>Behind you, they all howl in wild celebration for their newest pack member’s liberation, and as you run, you do the same, crying up at the blood moon above.
>Your claws dig into the dirt as you tear through the forest, a hunter on the prowl once more.
>Leaves, stones and sticks are kicked up behind you as you make your way south, towards the sweet, sweet smell of prey.
>It is not long before you see a light up ahead; a cabin in the woods.
>You slow down and stalk around the outside of it, peering in through the windows from a distance.
>You can see several people inside, talking to each other.
>As you wait, the front door opens and one of them walks outside.
>A girl, athletic and limber, with a headful of eye-catching colors.
>Rainbow Dash.
>As you skulk towards her, she takes out her phone and fiddles around with it.
>She holds it up and takes a photo of herself; the flash illuminates your eyes and face behind her.
>When she looks at the photo, she’s suddenly aware of your growling and whips around, her skin turning pale at the sight of you.
>”Anon? Is that you?”

>Already poised to pounce, you tackle her to the ground and lock your jaws down on her shoulder, biting down hard.
>Her screams mixed with the sound of bone and sinew snapping creates a chorus that is beautiful to your ears.
>She punches and kicks as you claw and bite, lapping up blood, skin and muscle.
>Her shrill voice becomes grating after a moment, so you bring up a paw and cut through her throat.
>Her eyes go wide as her mouth and throat fill up with blood.
>She stops moving.
>You, meanwhile, are now free to enjoy the first real meal you’ve had in ages.
>You chomp down on her, reveling in your feast, scarfing down a lung and a hand.
>It brings to you a bliss unlike any other, a sensation of fullness that is unrivaled by any other pleasure that can be experienced.
>It is truly unfortunate, then, that it is brought to a sudden and painful halt when your backside is shot with a shotgun.
>You howl in pain as a terrible burning sensation emanates from the wound.
>Standing in the doorway of the cabin is Applejack with a smoking shotgun in her hands, working quickly to reload it.
>You know that she will not miss her fatal mark a second time and you run away.
>She shoots into the darkness, hitting a tree next to you as you vanish into the night.
>As you charge through the forest, your backside bleeding and stinging like hell, you see a shadow swoop overhead.

>Fluttershy flies down in front of you and prepares to stop you as best she can.
>You run right at her and bring up your claws to attack her, but she puts her hands up and catches yours and pushes back, matching your strength.
>As the two of you push against each other, you howl in her face and snap at her.
>The desperate vampire rolls back, bringing up a foot and stomping your chest as she takes you with her, using your momentum and weight to kick you off.
>You hit a tree and slide down, hitting your head on the ground.
>You quickly get up on all fours and shake your head, opening your blood-stained maw to roar at her as she prepares for your next attack.
>You go in low, grabbing her feet and getting the better of her, lifting her up and swinging her around by one of her legs.
>You smash her against a tree, snapping one of her wings, causing her to let out a painful cry.
>After dropping her to the ground, you bare your fangs and advance on her, ready to learn what vampiric flesh tastes like.
>At least, until you are attacked from behind by a burst of electricity.
>Sunset, having just teleported into the clearing with Applejack, stands there with her spellbook, preparing another harmful evocation.
>Applejack wastes no time and raises her shotgun again, but you duck under her shot and spring forward, swiping it out of her hands.
>Your next attack is aimed upwards at her stomach, but she flips back and kicks you in the jaw.
>Sunset then unleashes another torrent of electricity, shocking you until you can no longer stand.
>The blonde monster hunter takes out her crossbow and quickly loads a silver bolt onto it.
>”Stand back!” she orders Sunset, who stops blasting you and steps aside, giving her a clear shot.
>She fires and you manage to bring up a hand too late; the stake embeds itself in your shoulder, the silver searing your flesh like a hot iron.

>You howl in pain as you try to rip it out, but her other hand reaches for her whip.
>The silver-ring-lined whip cracks and wraps around your arm, holding it back from grabbing the stake.
>You roar and use all of your strength to pull against the whip, forcing her forwards.
>With a savagely brutal backhand, you smack her away and into Sunset, forcing her to drop her spellbook.
>With your hand now free, you rip out the stake and lean down to pick up the spellbook in your mouth, biting down on it and vigorously shaking your head, shredding it with your monstrous jaws.
>The papers within are quickly torn and scattered around.
>Fluttershy, having picked herself back up and approached you from behind, wraps both arms around your waist and thrusts backwards and upwards, performing a devastating suplex that cracks your head against a rock on the ground.
>She hits the ground along with you, wincing and crying out from her injured wing, but it is worth it to buy enough time for AJ to get back up and reload her crossbow.
>As you look up, you see her aim at your heart and fire.
>This time, you’re able to get a hand in the way of the bolt, and it goes right through, embedding itself in the palm of your paw.
>You hold up your left arm and look at the stake in your hand and howl in pain.
>Nearby, Sunset gets back up and looks at what remains of her spellbook as AJ desperately searches for something on her bandolier.
>The redheaded witch brings her hands together and casts a spell from memory, causing roots to leap out of the ground and wrap around your limbs, holding you down.

>You struggle against the earthly restraints, but to no avail—the silver afflicting you from Applejack’s attacks has taken its toll.
>The vampire gets back up and looks down at you as the roots tighten, with thorns cutting into your arms and legs.
>You snap your jaws at them and bark threateningly, but you know you are defeated.
>The monster hunter finds what she is looking for—wolfsbane venom.
>It will kill you.
>You realize that you have only one defense left, one chance at survival.
>Your body begins to undergo rapid transformation back into your human form.
>The blonde advances, ready to use her poison, but the witch holds her back.
>”Wait! He’s changing!”
>”Who cares? This thing just killed Rainbow Dash! SHE’S DEAD, SUNSET!”
>”We need to know who it is!” Sunset insists, holding her friend at bay.
>Your coat falls off of your body and your skeleton begins to restructure itself.
>You feel yourself slipping away…
>Losing control…
>You don’t enjoy the fact that he’s getting his body back, but you know it’s only a matter of time before you come back.

>And then, you’ll feast again.
>You lose consciousness as your body undergoes the incredibly painful process of changing back.
>The last thing you hear before your mind completely blackens is a series of shocked gasps.
>”No… No, it can’t be…”
>”It… It ain’t right… It…”
>”Anon…”
>As your friends drag you back into the cabin, naked and covered in one of your best friend’s blood, your unconscious mind is filled with images of hunting more prey.
>Rabbits, deer, people.
>Your friends.
>You dream of feasting on them, to further satiate your insatiable lust for flesh, warm and fresh.
>Far above, the lunar eclipse ends, the moon once again shining brightly, full and white.
>The beast has waited a year for this moment, and he is far from done.
>He eagerly awaits the next outing, scratching at the unconscious grey matter of your brain.
>It’s like you said earlier.
>Things tend to get restless around this time of the year.

>When you wake up, you’re in a sitting position.
>The first thing you feel is pain, pretty much all over your body.
>Your back is killing you, your shoulder is killing you, your arms and hands are killing you.
>And there’s this really tight constricting feeling around your head, tight enough to be giving you a terrible headache.
>And for some reason, when you open your eyes, you only see black.
>You then realize that there is a headband wrapped around your head that is covering your eyes.
>You also feel full, like you ate a really big meal.
>Gorged, really.
>Then it suddenly all comes back to you.
>The graveyard, the singing, the three cat-like women, your moonstone, the blood moon, the giant black dog, the werewolves…
>You turned into a feral wolf again, ran through the forest and…
>Oh…
>Oh, no…
>NO!
“NO!”
>You try to get up, but the back of your pants is tied onto some kind of post.
>That, and there are manacles on your wrists connected to chains bolted into the floor.
>You pull against them as panic settles in.
>Images in your mind of tackling Dash to the ground and attacking her, clawing at her, tearing her flesh and eating her…
“NO! Not again! Not again!”
>You scream in despair as utter revulsion and terror create a maelstrom of emotion that prevents any kind of rational thought.
>You killed Rainbow Dash.

>You ate her flesh.
>It’s in your stomach.
>Turning over, you immediately vomit, regurgitating your stomach’s contents.
>Some of it splashes onto your arm and chest, which you suddenly realize is naked.
>The only clothing you feel is your pants.
>Somebody dressed you and blindfolded you and chained you up.
“Hello? Who’s there? ANYBODY!?” you shout into the room.
>Suddenly, you hear footsteps moving towards you.
“Oh god, oh god, please, just tell me what’s going on,” you beg of the person nearing you.
>Though the smell of your own vomit is strong, your unnatural sense of smell detects the familiar scent of apples.
>Applejack tears the blindfold off of your head.
>The first thing you see is the end of her shotgun pointed directly at your face.
>You then look down at yourself, seeing your chest covered in blood.
>Dash’s blood.
>Tears well up in your eyes as you look at your wrists, the skin red from the silver manacles placed on them, irritating your skin.
>Your left hand has a wound in the palm that is not healed; the flesh there is red and dark.
>Turning it somewhat, you can see right through the hole in your hand.
>You shout in horror as tears stream down your face, mingling with the dried blood.
“Oh god, Applejack, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” you say over and over again.

>Her green eyes are stern, but her hands are lightly shaking with uncertainty.
>”I know you didn’t,” she says softly, with forced detachment. “But you did it.”
>You close your eyes and shake your head, slamming it back against the beam your waistline is tied to.
>No, no, no, no, NO!
>Not again…
>It’s just like before, only so much worse…
>Dash was one of your best friends, one of your teammates.
>And oh god, her death is so vivid in your mind.
>Every scream, every snap, every crunch of bone in your mouth…
“I killed her,” you say breathlessly. “Oh, god, please, no… I killed again… I killed her…”
>AJ moves the shotgun aside.
>”You’re chained up for our safety and yours,” she says. “The others are out trying to deal with… this mess.”
“Where are we?” you ask between sobs.
>”Sunset’s cabin. It’s where you—” She stops herself from finishing that sentence and changes her mind, “Where it happened.”
“AJ, I’m so sorry, I… I had no control, none at all! But oh, god, I can see everything, I can remember everything, it’s just like Roseluck all over again!”
>She sighs and kneels down to get on your level.
>”I know, Anon. I’ve been hopin’ that it wouldn’t come to this, havin’ a werewolf on the team, but I thought you had a handle on this. We’re gonna try and figure this out. But until then, let’s just try and calm down. Breathe.”
>You follow her advice and take a few deep breathes, trying not to panic.
>She continues to talk as you try to take deep breathes.

>”We had a hell of a time trying to put you down. Loaded you up with a lot of silver… I picked it all out of your back, and shoulder, and hand.”
>You nod, trying to find some solace in her words, but all they do is bring you more guilt.
“Did I… Did I hurt anyone else?”
>”Fluttershy got a little bit banged up. Don’t know if she’ll be able to fly for a while, but she’s alright. Everyone else is just… really shook up. ‘Specially Pinkie.”
>Yeah, you imagine they would be.
>It’s not every day that one of your friends turns into a monster and eats another one before trying to move onto you as well.
>What’s going to happen to you and your team now?
>How could they ever accept you again?
>Everything you’ve worked towards, everything you’ve striven to do and correct, it’s all pointless now.
>You’ve spent so long trying to keep the Wolf locked away, to keep him from harming others, to use his powers to protect those who would be his prey.
>And now it seems like it’s all been for nothing.
>What’s the point of trying to help others or keep them close if all you’re going to do is hurt them?
>Applejack shifts a bit and puts the shotgun on a nearby table.
>”Anon… I know you didn’t mean to do what you did. But until the others get back, I can’t let you up. The silver’s keepin’ your wounds from closing. When the others come back, I’ll take them off, okay?”
>You nod, understanding her words.
>You open your eyes and meet hers.
>Behind her, someone walks into the room.
>You look up and see Rainbow Dash.

>Her body is mangled and torn, she’s missing a hand, half of her lungs are hanging out of her chest and she has a massive gash in her throat, with bits of skin, flesh and bone hanging loose or jutting out.
>And she doesn’t look too happy, either.
>You scream and pull against the shackles, burning your skin more and irritating your wounds even further.
>Rainbow Dash folds her scarred arms in front of herself and taps her foot on the floor a few times as Applejack tries to grab your shoulders and hold you steady.
>”Anon! Anon! What is it? Calm down!”
“SHE’S THERE—SHE’S RIGHT THERE!” you shout as you look up at Rainbow.
>”Who?” AJ asks, shaking you a bit.
“Rainbow Dash—She’s there, she’s right there!”
>Applejack looks in the direction you’re pointing at, but then she gives you a look that makes it seem like you’re crazy.
>”Anon, there’s nobody there. Calm. Down.”
>You continue to struggle against your silver bonds as the spectral figure of your latest victim stares down at you.
>”You’re not making yourself look too good,” Rainbow says.
>Just hearing her speak makes you shiver, not knowing if she is a ghost or if you’ve gone completely mad.
“You, you’re dead,” you say, panting heavily.
>”Anon, I’m not dead,” Applejack insists.
>”No, you’re one of the lucky ones,” Rainbow says as she rolls her eyes, even though the monster hunter does not react to her voice.

>She can’t hear her… only you can.
>Applejack holds you against the post as she tries to get you under control.
>She says your name a few times, forcing you to look at her.
>”Anon, please, calm down,” she says. “Now… do you see Rainbow?”
>You look back at the ghost and grimly nod as Rainbow waves her stump at you.
>”Well, I don’t see her,” AJ confirms. “Can you speak to her?”
You gulp. “D-Dash? Can you talk to me?”
>”I’d rather throttle you,” she says through bloody, gritted teeth.
“Yes,” you say to Applejack, “she’s talking to me.”
>Rainbow Dash storms over to you, causing you to pull away from her.
>”Yeah, you can see and hear me, and I’m pissed off,” she says as she leans down.
>You get a very uncomfortable look at the musculature exposed by her wounds and the organs hanging out of her chest.
>You whimper as she thrusts her face into yours; Applejack looks on, confused.
>”It just HAD to be me, didn’t it Anon?” she accuses you. “You know, I didn’t get magic powers or vampirism or the brains to fight ghosts or a swamp monster for a pet, no! I just got to go along for the ride! And what do I get for all the hard work I put in? EATEN!”
“I’m SORRY!” you shout at her. “I… I didn’t mean to!”
>”Yeah, that’s real comforting,” she coldly replies.
>”Uh, Anon,” AJ gets your attention. “Be honest with me now; are all your dogs barkin’ up there?”
“She’s right there, AJ, I swear it!” you say. “Rainbow… Pick up something! Show her!”
>Rainbow sighs. “It’s no good, Anon. I tried that already.”

>She walks over to a nearby nightstand and tries to pick something up, but her hand passes right through it. “See? Nothing.”
“Oh wow…” you gasp. “You’re really a ghost, aren’t you?”
>She groans. “Where have you been this entire one-sided conversation, Anon? Yes, I’m dead! They’re outside gathering up my body as we freaking speak! Into a TARP!”
You look towards the window. “The others, they’re outside?”
>Applejack stands and walks over to it. “Yeah. It’s a real mess… But the girls are talking about ways to bring her back.”
>”You better hope they do!” Rainbow shouts at you. “Otherwise I am SO haunting your ass for the rest of your life! I am not letting this one go, Anon!”
“Oh man,” you close your eyes and shake your head again. “This can’t be happening, this is a dream, it’s a nightmare, this is all a bad dream, please, please, please…”
>You devolve into a blubbering mess again.
>Rainbow walks over and stands next to AJ.
>”Anon, I need you to focus up a bit,” the dead girl says to you. “If you’re the only one I can talk through, then man up and deal with it. I can’t have you going crazy, for my sake at the very least.”
“I fucking killed you…” you whisper. “I ate you…”
>”Yeah, and I bet I was really fucking delicious,” Rainbow sneers. She looks over at her friend. “Tell AJ there’s a spider on her shoulder.”
“There’s a spider on your shoulder,” you repeat her words without looking up.
>Applejack looks to her left and swats it off before looking at you in surprise. “How did you…?”
“Rainbow told me,” you reply.
>”So it’s true, then? She’s really right next to me?”
>Rainbow dances around her a bit; a morbid sight to see her entrails flopping about.
 “Yes,” you nod.

>She looks in the direction Rainbow is in and speaks. “Dash… If you really are here, we’re not giving up on you, girl.” Applejack thinks for a bit. “I’ll go tell the others. Wait here, Anon.” She pauses when she looks at your manacles. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Go,” you whisper, and she leaves you alone with your murder victim’s spirit.
>Rainbow sits down next to you and looks you up and down.
>”You look like shit, dude.”
“You’re one to talk.”
>”Let’s not forget who did what to whom,” she snaps. “But you’re my only link to the real world now, so I guess I have to deal with the jerk that ate me.”
“Why are you here?” you ask her. “Do you know why only I can hear you or see you?”
>”No,” she shakes her head. “I wish I did. Let me tell you, it was a hell of a surprise for me. I kept trying to get everyone else’s attention right up until I saw my own body.”
“God…” you say, feeling another terrible pang of guilt. “Dash, I’m so sorry, I—”
>”Don’t apologize,” she interrupts. “I know you’re sorry, I know you didn’t mean it. I don’t LIKE it, but I GET it, Anon. Christ, this sucks.”
“I never meant for it,” you say anyway. “Not to you, of all people, or any of my friends.”
>She leans her head back. “I guess it’s what I get for hanging around with the Monster Squad,” she says. “Play with fire… get burnt.”
>She looks at the stump on the end of her arm. “I wonder what’s going to happen. With my body and my spirit. There’s no light, or heavenly voice, or big bearded man in the sky or anything trying to drag me to hell. Is this limbo or something, then?”

“I don’t know,” you say to her. “And I don’t know why you look the way you do right now, either. All mangled and torn up…”
>She’s quiet for a few minutes.
>”Anon?” she finally speaks up. “I’m… I’m really scared.”
>You look over at her and find her shaking and on the verge of tears.
>”I’m scared and I’m angry and… I don’t know what’s going to happen to me,” she sniffles. “What if I can’t be brought back? What if I’m like this forever?”
“Don’t,” you plead. “Come on, Dash, we need to think positive, right?”
>Though you’re having a hard time seeing anything positive about the situation whatsoever.
>”Positive?” she says incredulously. “Oh, pardon me for not looking on the bright side of things!”
>She stands back up.
>”I mean, I’m only dead! Half of me is outside in the dirt, and the other half is puked up next to you!”
“I KNOW!” you shout at her. “But, I mean… You’re here, aren’t you? You’re still WITH us, in a way. Maybe there’s something we can do.  A spell or a ritual or something. We have a witch on our side, right?”
>She throws up her hands and paces back and forth nervously.
>”I’m just feeling a lot of really strong emotions right now, Anon,” she says. “I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to kick you really, really hard in the nuts and twist your fucking eyeballs out of their sockets and… and…”
>She stops in the middle of the room and falls to her knees, tears beginning to fall down her bloody cheeks.
>”It’s not fair! It’s just not fair! I wanted to start a rock band, I wanted to compete in the Olympics, I could’ve been a freaking astronaut for all we knew, but now I’ll never know because I’m dead, dead, dead, DEAD!”

>You listen to her break down and cry, feeling every tear she sheds like a knife in your heart.
“Dash… Dash, please, just… Okay, I know, I know… Let’s just, let’s just keep talking, okay?”
>She looks over at you and waits for you to continue.
“I promise, Dash, I swear on my life and everything that encompasses my entire being, my soul and, and absolutely everything that I’m going to help you. I’m going to do everything in my power to help you.”
>She wipes a blood hand on her face. “Oh, that’s comforting. ‘Everything in his power’ he says. Well, your power did a number on me already, wolfman,” she spits out at you in a venomous tone. She grows quiet and looks away. “I can’t believe I ever liked you…”
“Dash…”
>Ever since last year when you learned that she had a crush on you, you’ve kept your distance.
>Fearful of forming such attachments to a best friend and fellow teammate.
>And given your power, your curse… you never wanted to hurt her accidentally.
>Though of course now it seems that you were going to hurt her by simply being her friend.
>But you aren’t going to abandon her now, no matter what you and she felt for each other.
“Dash, I know we had unresolved feelings, but we can’t let ourselves be compromised now,” you tell her. “I’m all you’ve got right now and I’m not going to give up on you.”
>She doesn’t say anything, but she does look you in the eyes.
>So, you keep talking.
“We always knew that something like this could happen. We’ve been fighting monsters and ghosts and stuff ever since that deal with Archsepsis and Anubis. We never talked about it, but every time we fought, we stared death in the face and laughed.”
>”Yeah, we did,” Rainbow softly says, even managing to chuckle a bit.

“Now I wouldn’t give up my time with you and the others for anything in the world,” you continue. “This last year has been the best year of my life. I’m not going to let you stay like this, Dash, I don’t care what it takes. Do you believe me?”
>She slowly nods. “I believe you, Anon, but I don’t know how much good it’s going to do. I don’t know how long I’m going to stick around. I don’t know how much time I have or even if I can be brought back.”
“Well, I’m going to find out, and if there’s a way, I’m going to make it happen. I swear it.”
>”Just… Just don’t let them put me in the box, alright?”
“What?”
>She throws up her arms. ”The box, Anon! The damn trap! I’ve seen what we do to ghosts—hell, I put half of those freaks in Twilight’s containment unit in there in the first place!”
“Dash, I won’t—”
>”PROMISE ME!” she says, getting right up in your face. “Promise me that you won’t throw me in there! That’s like putting a police officer in the jail of people he arrested himself!”
“I promise!” you say to her in a serious tone. “Come on, Dash, they’re our friends, they wouldn’t do that to you.”
>Suddenly, Pinkie Pie bursts into the room, surprising you both.
>”Is it true?! Is Dash here?!” she says excitedly. “Can she talk to us?! I have a Ouija board hidden away just in case!”
“She’s here,” you nod.
>Pinkie Pie looks around and starts to shout. “Dash? Dash, if you can hear me, make a sign!”
>Dash covers an ear and tells you to tell her to be quiet.
“Pinkie, she can only be seen and talk to me.”
>The pink-haired girl deflates somewhat. “Awww.” Then, she runs over and grabs you by the neck. “WHY’D YOU DO IT, YOU MANIAC?! WHY’D YOU KILL DASHIE, HUH?!”

>”Pinkie! Let go!” Applejack shouts as she pulls her off. “He didn’t mean to!”
>The party-throwing girl is still very upset, not used to losing a friend like this.
>She sniffles a bit and looks around the room. “Dash…? Do you want me to hurt Anon for you?”
>”Yes!” Rainbow says to her, even though she cannot hear.
>Just then, Twilight and Rarity enter.
>The fashionista gasps when she sees you. “Goodness, darling, you’re an absolute mess!”
“Yeah, well, I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation,” you mutter.
>Twilight takes out a small device she uses to measure psycho-kinetic energy.
>She turns it on and waves it around the room, searching for Dash.
>When she points it in Dash’s direction, it buries the needle.
>”There’s definitely a ghost here,” Twilight confirms. “But why can’t we see or hear her?”
“Is there anything you can do to make her visible? Or hear her?” you ask.
>”I have some things at home I would like to try,” she says. “Experimental new ghost hunting technology I’ve been developing to track down harder-to-find ghosts.”
>”That’d be sweet,” Rainbow nods. “At least then I wouldn’t be stuck talking to you all the time, you jerk.”
“I said I’m sorry,” you sigh.
>Pinkie Pie walks over to Twilight and waves her arm in front of the P.K.E. meter.
>You see her limb pass cleanly through Dash, a surreal sight as any today.
>”Well, what do we do?” Rarity asks. “I mean, what now?”
>Applejack looks down at you and tilts her hat up. “I say first thing’s first: let’s get down to the bottom of what happened last night.”

>”I concur,” Twilight says, putting away the device. “Anon, where is your moonstone? Did you remove it?”
“No,” you say. “It was… It was taken from me.”
>”Who the hell got the jump on you?” AJ asks. “You’re the fastest among us and the one with the best nose.”
>At that moment, Sunset and Fluttershy walk into the room.
>”We got… the body in the trunk of the truck,” the witch says, not keen on saying that it is Dash’s body.
>”Ask her if she can bring me back! Ask her if she can bring me back!” Rainbow nearly shouts in your ear.
>She’s eager to change the subject to getting out of her current condition.
“Alright, alright!” you snap at the ghost. The girls all look at you like you are crazy. You look at Sunset and say, “Rainbow wants to know if there’s a way to bring her back.”
>Now they all look at her.
>Sunset gulps and says, “I… I certainly hope so.”
>”She HOPES so?” Rainbow facepalms. “Gun her for more info! This is my LIFE on the line!”
“Technically your life is already over the line,” you point out.
>”SHUT UP, ANON!” she stomps her foot on the ground.
>”What?” Fluttershy asks, confused by what you just said.
“It’s—Nevermind. Look, Sunset, she’s understandably very upset right now. I think we all are. So do you have any good news, any at all?”
>”I think I can bring her back, yes, but it’s not going to be easy. Remember when I tried to bring back my father? He wasn’t the same. But that case was very different from this one… If she is still here, her spirit I mean, then maybe we can bring her back to normal.”
>Rainbow wipes a bloody hand across her forehead. “WHEW! That’s a relief.”
>”But it might not be in her old body,” Sunset quietly adds.

>”WHAT?” the ghost shrieks. “Ask her what she means!”
>Twilight does it for you. “What do you mean by that, Sunset?”
>” I know how to bring people back in their own body. I brought my father back in his old body, which was basically a mummy. I mean it worked, but… Dash’s body… It isn’t pretty.”
You look at the ghost, seeing the damage you’ve done. “No, no it isn’t.”
>”We could put her spirit back into her old body and reanimate it, but… Oh, hell, the pain she would be in would be indescribable. That and there’s the fact that my spellbook was ruined last night.”
“Yeah… Sorry about that.”
>She looks over towards a nearby trapdoor.
>”It’s alright, I still have the original.”
>You know she is referring to the Necronomicon Ex Mortis.
>Ever since she started putting together her own spellbook, she hasn’t touched the ancient dark tome.
>But now, it seems like she’ll have no choice.
>”Can we repair her body?” Fluttershy asks. “With magic or Twilight’s reagent?”
>Twilight nervously scratches the back of her head. “I haven’t worked on the reagent in so long… But, it’s possible, maybe…”
>Rarity places her hands on her hips and smiles. “Well, I’ll certainly help! I know a thing or two about putting bodies back together.
>Rainbow pales a bit. “I do NOT want to look like some stitched-together nightmare, Anon!”
“She’s worried,” you tell them. “She’s really, really scared, you guys. And I don’t blame her.”
>You look down at your hand, seeing the tender red exposed flesh.
“I don’t suppose I could get out of these silver cuffs, could I?”

>Everyone is hesitant, but Applejack nods as she continues to hold her shotgun.
>Twilight, not afraid to get her hands dirty, undoes the shackles and cuts your waist free.
>You sigh and wring your hands a bit, rubbing your irritated wrists and standing up.
>They’re all still silently staring at you as you retrieve your jacket and slide it on.
“Alright… I know there’s a pretty damn big elephant in the room right now, so let me try and tell you all what happened last night after we busted that wraith.”
>You go through it all, detailing everything you can remember.
>Though your mind is hazy on some of the details, you can remember most of what happened.
>The howling, the feline sirens, the blood moon, the giant dog, the pack of werewolves…
>And, of course, losing control and doing what you did to Rainbow.
>They all listen in silence, dreading the terrible news that you reveal.
>When you are done, they all take a moment to digest it before Rarity breaks the quiet first.
>”Goodness… I just don’t know what to make of it all. This is far more severe than any ghost or other ghoul we’ve encountered.”
>Applejack tilts her hat up. “A pack of werewolves out in the Everfree is bad news. They’re not gonna stay quiet for very long.”
“Especially with how hungry they get,” you say, speaking from personal experience. “But those sirens…”
>”They sound like werecats,” Sunset says. “Not lycanthropes, but another form of therianthrope. But the way they lulled you into such a weak state… they may be witches.”
>”Werecat witches?” Twilight says. “Well, what are they doing here?”
>”Who cares!” Rainbow says to nobody but you. “I need to get back into my body, pronto!”
>Fluttershy shivers. “That giant dog monster sounds absolutely awful…”
“I don’t think he was a werewolf, either,” you say. “He was something else entirely… But everyone else with him was definitely a werewolf.”

>”This is almost as bad as that time Rainbow died,” Pinkie says somberly.
>The ghost slaps her own face and drags her hand down. “Thanks, Pinkie.”
>”One thing’s for sure: they ain’t gonna stay in the Everfree for long,” AJ says.
“And with one of us down and another unable to control his curse, they’ve taken out two of their enemies.”
>Everyone is still as they reflect on the trouble that’s on the horizon.
>”Well, we can’t just sit around,” Twilight says. “We’ve got work to do. Rarity, Sunset, you’re with me. We need to see what we can do about Rainbow’s body.”
>”Got it,” the witch nods. Rarity goes to gather her things.
>Twilight looks at Pinkie and AJ. “You guys should stay with Anon and Dash… Uh, Dash’s spirit, I mean.”
>”The hell with that! I’m going to go with my own body!” she says. “Besides, I need some distance away from you, Mr. Tore-Me-Apart.”
“She’s going to come along with you,” you relay her feelings to Twilight. “Not like any of us can stop her.”
>”Damn right,” Rainbow says as she sticks out a bloody tongue in your direction.
>She floats towards a wall and slips right through it.
>”Alright, well… Maybe I can test out my new equipment with her,” Twilight says as she scratches the back of her head. “Pinkie, AJ, Shy, you should stay with Anon. Maybe have a look around the forest?”
>Pinkie jumps up. “Ooh! Oh! We should visit Gummy and make sure he’s okay! With so many nasty-wasties out there, he might get hurt!”
>”We’ll swing by the swamp,” AJ says with a nod as Twilight, Sunset and Rarity prepare to leave.

>You look out the window and see Rainbow reach for the door handle on Twilight’s car, only to pass right through it.
>She lets out a groan that you can hear from here and then phases into the backseat.
>The three of them get in and drive off, but when they do, Rainbow is left behind, phasing right out the back of the car.
>She blinks a few times and then reaches out for the car, calling out to them as they drive off.
>But of course, they cannot see or hear her.
>She floats there for a moment before the crushing reality sets in again and tears well up in her eyes.
>She notices you standing at the window and gives you a painful look before she flies up into the sky and vanishes from sight.
>Seems like she’ll need some time to herself.
>”Anon?” Fluttershy gets your attention. “Are you going to be alright?”
>You look at your wounded hand.
“This is going to be tender for a while… Hey, Shy, how bad did I hurt you?”
>She averts her eyes. “Oh… Not too bad. My, um, my wing hurts, so I’ll need to not stretch it for some time, but other than that I’m okay.”
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you or anyone else, but that damn thing inside of me, he just…”
>Your voice trails off as AJ walks over.
>”What’s he like? You know. Him.”
“He’s hungry,” you reply with a low voice. “He wants to eat more people. He’s been hungry ever since I haven’t let him out last year.”
>She closes her eyes and thinks for a moment. “Well, tonight’s another full moon. We’ll need to lock you up somewhere.”
>”How about the school gym?” Pinkie suggests.
“Windows are too big in there,” you point out. “No, no it’s probably best that I stay here, locked up in chains or something.”

>”I’ve got an idea,” AJ says. “We could take you to Sweet Apple Acres tonight. Put you in one of the barns and lock it up. It ain’t much, but it’s something.”
“Better than nothing,” you say. “But I’m more worried about those other werewolves, and those werecats running with them. They were all working together and they outnumber us pretty heavily.”
>”Let me worry about them,” AJ says. “After all, I’m the monster hunter around here. Besides, if last night’s any indication, I know how to handle a werewolf.”
>You look into her eyes and feel the stinging of your hand.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
>”Still… With that many werewolves on the prowl, I might need to call in some backup.”
>The others and you all look at her oddly.
“You mean Big Mac and Granny Smith?”
>”We might need more of the Apple family in on this one,” she says. “I need to start makin’ some calls.”
>Pinkie and Fluttershy follow her outside towards her truck.
>You come along as well, pausing briefly to look at the nearby wall.
>This cabin once belonged to Sunset’s father, but now is inhabited jointly by all of you as your primary monster hunting HQ.
>One of the recent furnishings is a photo of all of you, including Gummy and Spike, standing in front of the cabin that was taken earlier this year.
>You approach it and take it off the wall, looking more closely at it.
>You see Rainbow with her arm thrown around your neck, smiling wide and giving the camera a wink and a thumbs-up.
>The moonstone around your neck is also visible, shining brightly even in the daylight.
>You are going to make this up to Dash.
>You are going to find a way to bring her back.
>And nothing is going to stop you from tracking down those responsible for her death, taking your moonstone back and showing them its full power.
>You swear it.

>As you step out of the cabin, you take a deep breath and smell the area around you.
>Inevitably, your keen sense draws you to a nearby spot on the ground, stained dark red as the leaves and dirt soak up the remnants of Rainbow that could not be collected.
>The sight is another chilling reminder of the current situation that you are in.
>”You comin’ Anon?” AJ calls out from the truck.
>You compose yourself with another steadying deep breath as you climb into the truck and sit shotgun next to AJ’s shotgun, ironically enough.
>Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy both climb into the back and the vampire girl opens up the back window to talk.
>”Are we going to the swamp first?”
>”Might as well,” the blonde says as the turns the ignition. “It’s closest.”
>As she pulls away from the cabin, you get one last look at the spot where you killed Dash at.
>You close your eyes and lean your head against the cold glass of the window, still wishing that this was all just a nightmare.
>But it isn’t.
>You wish you had Anubis’ cell phone number, and that ancient Egyptian deities had cell phones, so that you could call him up and ask him for a favor again.
>AJ drives deep into the woods, her eyes searching the environment for anything strange.
>Can’t ever be too careful out here, especially given what’s happened recently.
>The area gradually turns swampier until the roar itself becomes too muddy to drive through without becoming stuck.
>She stops the truck and the four of you pile out and head towards Gummy’s lagoon, with Pinkie leading the way as she knows it best.
>You remember when you first came here a year ago under instruction from Sunset Shimmer to gather ingredients for the ritual to resurrect her father.

>The small island is still in the middle of the large lake, and the old boat you used to reach it is still here.
>Pinkie hops to the edge of the water and puts both hands to her mouth.
>”Oh, Gummm-eeeeeeeie! Gummy Gummy Gummy! Here Gummy!”
>After a moment, there is a disturbance in the water as the swamp creature awakens and begins moving to the surface.
>You follow the trail of bubbles until the humanoid gillman emerges and rises from the water, leaving a large wake behind him as he strides towards the shore.
>Pinkie smiles as he approaches and hops up to him, throwing her arms around his wet, scaled chest.
>”Oh, Gummy, you’re alright! I was worried! With all these monsters out here, I’m glad they haven’t found you.”
>The gillman gurgles something and hugs her back.
>It’s always been a sweet, if slightly frightening, sight.
>She lets go and brushes some weeds off of her now-wet shirt before taking him by the webbed hand and leads him over to the rest of you.
>”I don’t think we should leave him out here,” she says. “We need to smuggle him back into town.”
“That’s a little bit dangerous,” you say, downplaying the fact that smuggling him into town would be a very difficult task indeed.
>”And where would we even keep him?” Applejack asks. “ Can’t put him in a chlorine pool, it’d kill him.”
>”What about the public park’s lake?” she points out.
>Fluttershy gulps. “But there are so many nice families of ducks in that lake… and children, too.”
>”But it’s practically October already!” Pinkie says. “What loco-in-the-coco parent would let their kids swim in a month like this?”

“She’s got a point there,” you agree. “Still, it’s dangerous. Maybe we should just wait until tonight before trying to bring him into town.”
>”Fine…” the party girl says sadly. She takes Gummy back by the edge of the water. “Gummy, you need to be very careful, alright? Don’t show yourself to anyone except us. It’s very dangerous.”
>The fishman looks at her and gurgles again.
>You’ve never been quite sure if he actually understands what she says or not, but he’s definitely obedient.
>When ordered back into the water, he does so without complaint, quickly vanishing beneath the surface again.
>Pinkie Pie waves until he is gone before turning back to you and saying that she is ready to go.
“Wait,” you hold up a hand as you walk towards the boat. “There’s something I want to grab real quick.”
>As you get into the boat and prepare to push off, Fluttershy joins you.
>”You’re getting the flowers, right?”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
>”I’ve been working with Sunset a bit. Learning about some of her rituals.”
>As she uses the oar to push you both off of the bank, you give her a quizzical look.
“What for?”
>”Curiosity, mostly,” she says. “And… maybe learning about a possible cure for vampirism.”
“You want to be cured?”
>”I don’t know,” she replies honestly. “But in case I ever accidentally infect someone like I did with Angel, I wouldn’t want them to stay like that.”
“I can see what you mean,” you tell her. “I just wish I hadn’t fully torn Rainbow apart. Maybe she’d still be with us as a werewolf too.”

>”Try not to think about it too much,” Fluttershy says as she rows. “You had no control over it. And it wasn’t you, not really. It was that thing inside of you, right?”
“That’s one way to look at it,” you admit.
You look at her rowing and say, “I can row if you like.”
>She giggles. “Your hand, Anon.”
>You look down at the palm of your left hand.
>The hole from the silver stake has healed, but you can still see flesh and bone within and you can’t quite move the fingers yet without great pain.
“Good point.”
>”Besides, I’m stronger than you.”
>You cock an eyebrow.
>”In this form, anyway.” She gives you a disarming smile and you can’t help but chuckle a bit.
>She may seem cute and innocent but that girl could pick up a fully-grown man and throw him fifteen meters away, provided it was at night when she did so.
>You reach the island and spend some time with her gathering up the unique blue flowers that grow on it.
>After you and she have gathered up a sizeable bushel, you step back onto the boat and row back to shore.
>You put them in the back of AJ’s truck and wince slightly from the tender wound on your hand.
>That’s going to get very annoying.
>You sit shotgun again as AJ backs up and turns the vehicle around, driving back out into the forest.
>”So, you said it was a graveyard, right?”
“That’s where they ambushed me with their song, yeah. Everfree Resting Grounds.”

>”The Everfree National Forest is too damn big to wander around it lookin’ for a graveyard. We need a map. Luckily,” she says as she opens the dashboard, “I always come prepared.”
>She pulls out an old guide to the forest and hands it to you.
>With your one good hand, you find a fold-out map in the back and open it up.
>The forest itself is five times the size of Canterlot, and a lot of it is protected under national law.
>As you look through the map, Pinkie sticks her head in through the back window.
>”So, what are we gonna tell the teachers at school? And Dash’s parents?”
>You and AJ both look at each other, unsure of what to say.
>”We need to stall for time,” AJ says. “We’ll tell the school that she’s sick.”
“And her parents?”
>”Uh… I’ll work on that one,” she says as she turns her eyes back to the road.
>Pinkie scrunches her face in thought. ”Maybe we can tell them Dash ran away!”
“And have the police out looking for her?” you point out.
>”Well then, what else can we say? We can’t just tell them that she’s dead, Nonny!”
“I know, I know… But if we can bring her back, then maybe this will all go away and we won’t get in trouble.”
>”That’s mighty optimistic,” AJ says doubtfully. “Somethin’ tells me this’ll only get worse before it gets better.”
>You silently return to pouring over the map as AJ takes you up a large hill.
>You look up and don’t recognize where she is going.
“AJ? Where are we headed?”
>”An outpost for the Everfree Forest Rangers,” she says. “They’ve got a better lay of the land than us. Plus, I know someone here.”

“Well, I can’t find the graveyard on this map, so hopefully they’ll know.”
>As the trees clear, you see a large tower at the top of the hill.
>You know it to be a fire lookout tower, used to spot wildfires out in the forest.
>A large wooden building underneath it serves as a ranger station.
>AJ pulls up outside and gets out.
>”They should have a shower inside, Anon,” she says. “You still look an awful mess.”
>You look down at all of the blood on your skin.
“Yeah… A shower would really be nice right about now.”
>She leads you, Fluttershy and Pinkie up to the door and walks inside.
>”Shouldn’t we knock?” Fluttershy asks.
>”Don’t worry; like I said, I know the person stationed here.”
>The interior is rather rustic in nature, with furnishings from older rangers like hand-carved tables and chairs.
>One wall is dominated by a massive map of the Everfree National Forest.
>Before you can look more closely at it, AJ pulls you along to the bathroom and forces you inside.
>A little bit roughly, but she’s got a good reason to be slightly angry with you still after what you did to your friend.
>You lock the door and strip down, shedding your slightly bloody clothing and getting into the shower.
>The hot water feels good on your aching body.
>The blood on your skin washes away, turning the white floor of the shower red as it swirls up to the drain.
>You especially take time to clean your wounds; it is painful, but necessary.

>Your shoulder has healed up nicely thanks to your lycanthropic healing factor, though there is still a painful red gash there.
>You can flex the fingers on your other hand much more acutely now, though it still hurts terribly.
>As you soap and shampoo your hair, you sigh as you close your eyes and let it drain down.
>”Nice junk, bro.”
“Thank you.”
>Your eyes shoot open and you see Rainbow in the shower with you, the water passing right through her spectral form.
>Shampoo gets in your eyes and you shut them as you let out a surprised shout, slipping on the floor and falling.
>You hit your head on the wall and groan as the water continues to cascade down on your nude form.
>There’s a knock at the door.
>”Anon?” It’s Fluttershy. “Are you alright?”
“Fine, fine, everything’s just…” You crack open an eye and see Rainbow smugly staring down at you. “Just fine.”
>You cover yourself up as she chuckles and says, “That didn’t hurt too much, did it?”
“No, not really,” you reply, rubbing the back of your head.
>”Gee, what a relief,” she says sarcastically. “I wouldn’t want ANYTHING to happen to you.”
“The hell are you here for, Dash? I’m showering!”
>”I’m here because of you, unless you forgot already you man-eating meathead.” She sounds exceptionally annoyed at the moment.
“I didn’t forget,” you say through your teeth. “But really? In the shower?”
>She sighs. “Turns out I can’t get too far away from you, Anon. I tried following the girls back and I can’t.”

“What stops you?”
>”I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like a grey wall but I can’t really see or feel it, I just can’t go any further. So I’m stuck with you.”
“Great. Now how about some privacy?”
>”Oh, sure thing princess, I didn’t mean to interrupt your ‘me time.’ I’ll just fuck off and go be dead somewhere else.”
“Dash, come on, I’m—”
>She slips through the wall of the shower and leaves you alone.
>You let out a frustrated breath as you stand back up and prepare to finish cleaning.
>Her voice suddenly comes from behind. “Don’t forget to wash your ass, you ass.”
>You spin around and catch sight of her just as she vanishes through the back wall.
“Goddamnit, Dash,” you say to yourself.
>This isn’t going to be easy.
>You finish up and towel off, getting your clothes back on.
>You step outside the bathroom and find your three friends looking over the map.
>Behind them is Rainbow Dash, and alongside them is Big Mac, AJ’s brother.
>He’s wearing the outfit of an Everfree Ranger, complete with its own vest and hat.
>”Howdy,” AJ says to you. “Mac here was just tellin’ us about the graveyard you saw that ghost in last night.” She winks, subtly cuing you into the lie she told her brother.
“Right…” you say as you walk over to the tall Apple family member. “How’s it going, Mac?”
>He doesn’t reach out to shake your hand.
>Ever since you kicked his ass a year ago in your werewolf form, he’s been distrustful of you.

>AJ was always a bit uneasy about working alongside you, but he’s flat-out refused to join in any of your hunts for the supernatural, despite your good intentions.
>Seems like he’s gotten a job here now.
>Well, it certainly seems like it would suit him.
>Mac turns back to the map and points at a small square on it.
>”Everfree Resting Grounds. Hasn’t been used in more than five decades now. Makes sense that a ghost would be haunting it.”
>You look back at Dash, who is leaning against the wall.
>How does she not slip through it, you wonder?
>”Anon, think we should go check it out?” Pinkie asks.
“We could… but is there anything else around there? Some other structure maybe?”
>Anywhere where those witches could be hiding would be helpful to know.
>Mac looks around the map.
>”Well… There’s the old Spencer Estate. Nobody’s lived there in a long time, and it’s not far from that graveyard.”
>You look up at the map and see where he is pointing.
“The Spencer Estate? What’s that?”
>”An old mansion in the forest. The family that owned it invested heavily into a lot of early industrial efforts that damaged much of the reserve, before it was a national reserve. Old lumber mills and such.”
>Kind of like where you ended up fighting the wraith…
>”Do you think it might have anything to do with that ghost?” AJ asks, knowing that she’s actually referring to the witches and werewolves who ambushed you.
“It’s possible…”

>Dash suddenly whispers in your ear, “Hey Anon, this is interesting and all, but I’d like to go check on how my body is doing.”
>You look at her and nod; Big Mac catches the sight of it and gives you an odd look.
“We’ll just be going now,” you say to him.
>”Wait,” he says, suddenly stopping you as you walk towards the door.
>You hear his footsteps as he walks up behind you.
>AJ watches her brother and gets ready to step in depending on what he’s about to do.
>Turning, you look him in the eyes as he asks, “Where’s your moonstone?”
>Your eyes widen a bit and you find yourself gulping.
“I left it at home,” you lie to him.
>”It’s a full moon tonight,” he says. “You best get a handle on it.”
“I will,” you say as you head towards the door.
>Applejack follows you, as do the others.
>Pinkie Pie manages to swipe a ranger map from a nearby wooden cubby and stuff it into her pocket as she waves goodbye to Big Mac.
>Once you’re out to the truck, you wipe your brow, which is suddenly sweaty.
“He’s always been an observant one, hasn’t he,” you say as you adjust your collar.
>”Let’s just go. I hate lying to my brother,” AJ says as she opens the door. “If it weren’t for all this nasty business, I wouldn’t even have to.”
“Oh, by the way… Dash is here.”
>The girls all look at you.
>”Wasn’t she going with Twilight and the others?” Fluttershy asks.
“Turns out she can’t get too far away from me,” you say, looking at her as she floats down the stairs. “Something stops her.”

>”That ain’t right,” Applejack says. “You’re the only one who can see an’ hear her, she can’t get too far away… It all adds up to somethin’ fishy.”
“What are you thinking?”
>”That we should go an’ see how her body’s doin’,” she says.
>”At least someone has some common sense,” Dash says as she walks up to the truck. “Tell her to drive slow. I don’t wanna get left behind.”
>You pause as you get ready to get into the truck and instead close the door.
“I’ll run into town,” you say. “That way Dash doesn’t get left behind.”
>”You sure?” AJ asks.
“I’m sure.”
>”How about we go look around for that graveyard and the mansion?”
“That’d be fine with me,” you reply.
>”AJ.”
>You all look up at Mac as he exits the ranger station holding onto a radio.
>He walks down to the truck and hands it to her through the rolled-down window.
>”Take this and call me. Better than using cell phones out in those woods.”
>”Alright. If you see anything strange, let us know Mac.”
>”Eeyup.”
>He turns around and walks back as the blonde girl drives off into the forest, leaving you alone with Rainbow.
>”So, gonna jog into town, huh?”
“My werewolf abilities let me run without stopping.”
>”Yeah, I remember. I used to run with you before I had to float everywhere.”

“Alright, look, I don’t need any more poignant reminders about what I did to you. I said I would do everything to get you back, didn’t I?”
>She folds her arms and sits cross-legged above the ground.
>”I know you did. But I’m still pretty ticked off.”
>You turn and start running towards town; Rainbow keeps pace with you, floating at your side.
>”I wonder how many people are gonna show up to my funeral…”
“Really? Now?” you say between breathes. “If all goes well, there won’t be one. We’re going to bring you back.”
>She decides to continue on. “I always joked that I didn’t want anyone to be sad at my funeral, you know? Like, I would have awesome guitar music playing, maybe a rockin’ band and stuff. I just never wanted everyone to be all mopey. ‘I had an awesome life, let’s have an awesome funeral!’ You know?”
“And now?”
>”Well, now that I’m dead, it really fucking sucks and I’d like to get back into my body, thank you very much.”
“We talked briefly about this earlier, but what do you think we should tell your parents?”
>”They’re out of town, thank god. They left to go see an air show in Washington. They’ll be back within the week, though.”
>Her eyes open wide.
>”Omigosh! Tank! I need to go home and feed him!”
>You remember her pet tortoise and how fond of him she is.
“You do?”
>”Well obviously not me, you dummy! You do! Run to my house first so we can put lettuce in his aquarium.”
“Werewolf, defender of Canterlot, murderer of friends, caretaker of tortoises,” you say with a sigh.
>”Shut up and hop to it, wolfy.”
>As you continue to run towards town at a decent jogging pace, you ask her some more questions.
“So, can you breathe right now? Do you feel anything?”
>”I can breathe, but I don’t think I need to,” she says. “I think I just do it because my brain thinks I need to. My head doesn’t quite get that I’m dead.”
“Lovely. What about feeling stuff?”
>”I can feel myself,” she says, “…with my ONE good hand.”
>You close your eyes and power on through the fact that you ate the other one.
>Cannibalism is one of the few things that is taboo in nearly every culture in the world and you could really go for not being reminded of the fact that you ate her.
>She does seem to notice it, however.
>”Hey… I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep harping on you. I’m stuck with you, so I should stop trying to make you feel so bad.”
>You stop running and pant very lightly, hardly winded.
“It’d be nice. I mean, I look at you and I’m reminded of what I did by sight alone.”
>She looks down at herself. “I wish I had some kind of ghost shower. All this stuff is just nasty.”
>She pokes her exposed lung and you turn away, nearly ready to vomit.
>”Oh come on, don’t blow chunks at a time like this,” Rainbow says, but it’s too late.
>You lean over and unleash the contents of your stomach in a mighty hurl.
>She waits for it to be over before she comments, “Damn. That was a lot.”
You wipe your mouth and say, “I can’t take this shit.”
>”Anon?”
“I don’t want to be a fucking cannibal,” you say as you sit up from your kneeling position. “I don’t want to EAT people.”
>She slowly edges over and sits down next to you.

>”Yeah, I get that,” she replies. “I know it’s not really your fault, Anon. It’s that fucking Wolf inside of you.”
“I’m just… I’m worried that without the moonstone, I won’t be able to get a handle on him. He’ll take over every full moon and I’ll hurt someone else if I’m not locked up somewhere.”
>”Well, we just need to get the moonstone back from those catty bitches, right?”
>You manage to smile and laugh a bit at that.
“Heh… Catty bitches.”
>”What?”
“You know, bitch being a female dog and all. And them, being werecats.”
>It takes her a moment but then she laughs along with you at her unintentional wordplay.
>You look at her and see her smile, and for a moment, your shared merriment makes you forget all of the troubles you are faced with.
>After a few more laughs, you get back up to your feet and resume running into town.
>You run to Rainbow’s house and she tells you where the keys are, hidden underneath the doormat.
“How original.”
>”Shut up,” she says with folded arms. “It’s the one place nobody would look because that’s the one place everyone would think it is.”
“That’s exactly why they would look there,” you say as you roll your eyes.
>You unlock the door and walk inside.
>Dash instructs you on where to get the lettuce for her pet tortoise and you open up his aquarium and place it inside.

>You turn around and look at the rest of her bedroom: rock star posters, models of fighter jets, sports trophies, the usual kinds of things you’d expect to find.
>But there’s also a teddy bear on her bed.
“What’s this little guy doing here?” you ask as you pick him up.
>”H-hey! Put that down! I don’t even know where he came from. I-it’s not mine.”
You smirk. “Okay, sure, whatever you say.”
>You set the bear down and chuckle as you leave the room.
>”S-shut up.”
>You make sure to lock the door and leave the key under the doormat before you walk back to the sidewalk.
“So, Twilight’s house next?”
>”Damn right. I want to know what they’ve been up to with my body.”
“So, what do you think about what Sunset said? About bringing you back, but not in your old body?”
>”To hell with that. My body was awesome, and I’d need a way more awesome body to be brought back into before I would even consider it, and that’s pretty much impossible.”
“Well, here’s hoping we can use your old body, then.”
>You run to Twilight’s house and knock on the door.
>Her mother answers it.
>”Hello, Anon! It’s nice to see you.”
“Nice to see you too,” you say with a smile. “Can I come in?”
>”Of course! The girls are downstairs working on a science project, I think. Is there a science fair coming up at the school?”
“Um, maybe?” you say with an unsure smile. “But, you know Twilight, always cooking up something in her lab, haha.”

>”Oh, isn’t that the truth. I’ve got a pizza on the way for you kids. Have fun!”
>You walk in the kick off your shoes and head downstairs.
>How the hell Twilight has ever kept her mad science body-experimentation from her parents is a fucking mystery, but in this case it’s a relief.
>You approach the large metal door to her lab and knock on it.
>An eye-slit opens and Sunset peers through.
>She closes it and unlocks the door from the other side and lets you in.
>”Anon, we weren’t expecting you,” she says.
>As you enter, the first thing you notice is Twilight and Rarity bent over the body of Rainbow Dash, carefully cleaning and dissecting it.
>Rainbow notices as well.
>”Woah, woah, woah! Why the hell are they cutting me up even MORE?!”
>Twilight looks up and adjusts her goggles. “Anon? Why are you here?”
“Yeah, it turns out Rainbow can’t get too far away from me, so I had to come here to allow her to see what’s happening to her body.”
>Twilight doesn’t look surprised. “Must be why I wasn’t getting any readings on my P.K.E. meter. I thought it was strange that she wasn’t here.”
>Sunset scratches her chin. “Odd that she can’t get too far away from you… I need to look that up. It might narrow down what kind of case we’re dealing with.”
>Rainbow looks at her body. “Ask them what they’re doing! Come on, I need some reassurance here!”
“Rainbow wants to know what you guys are up to.”
>Twilight invites you over. “Well, since she’s here with you, I can explain everything, but it isn’t pretty.”

>You examine Dash’s body; they’ve actually cleaned most of it up and washed away a lot of the spilt blood and tucked some of the organs back inside.
>Her head has been cut open and the top of her scalp is removed.
>Her brain is gone.
“I think I’m gonna be sick…” you say, holding your hand up to your mouth.
>”You and me both…” the ghost agrees.
>”Now I know this is difficult for all of us, but if we’re going to save Rainbow, we need to be as professional as possible,” Twilight says. “Now then. I’ve placed Rainbow’s brain in a special fluid, a combination of my reagent and other preservatives that will keep it in prime condition; I am also administering small electrical shocks to keep it stimulated.”
>She directs your attention to a nearby brain in a jar, floating in bright green liquid, with small electrodes attached to it.
>”During the last year, I’ve developed a special serum which preserves bodies at the moment of death. Back when most of my research concerned the reanimation of dead corpses, this was very important, as the freshness of the bodies was a key factor.”
“So, is her body fresh?”
>”Very fresh, but very badly damaged,” Twilight says grimly. “If we hope to bring her back in this body, we’re going to need… replacement parts.”
>You wipe a hand across your suddenly very sweaty forehead.
“Does that mean…”
>”Looks like I’ll be on graverobbing detail again,” Rarity says with a sigh as she cleans a wound on Dash’s arm. “Such dreadful work; I always break a nail or two when digging them up.”
>”Can’t Sunset like, magic my organs back or something?!” Rainbow asks you.
>You turn to the witch, who is busy pouring over an anatomy book.
“Sunset, what can we do with magic to help the situation?”

>”Well, right now the only thing I have any real experience with is getting the soul back into their body, like I did with my father. I can use magic to reanimate a corpse, but I don’t know how to completely regenerate missing body parts.”
>Twilight continues, “Assuming we can’t use magic to generate new body parts, we’ll have quite a shopping list. We’ll need blood to match Rainbow’s blood type, a new windpipe for her throat, a set of lungs from someone about her age, a new left hand obviously, and minor other areas require patching with new skin and flesh.”
>Rainbow’s spirit groans and floats off into a corner to sulk.
“What about the Necronomicon? Is there anything in there that will be able to help us?”
>”I’m still hesitant to use dark magic and rituals on Dash’s body,” Sunset replies. “Some of those rituals have a pretty high cost, and I’m not talking money. I’m talking the kind of stuff where sacrifice is needed.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure we don’t want to take any more lives than necessary.”
>Rainbow floats over to a nearby table and looks at her things that Twilight took out of her pockets.
>”Hey Anon, come over here and take my wallet and phone for me. Since you’re the only one I can talk to, you’re the only one I can talk through.”
>You approach the table and take her things, explaining that she wants you to.
>That reminds you of something.
“Hey Twilight, do you think there might be a way to make Rainbow visible and audible to others? Besides me, I mean.”

>”It’s possible, but I haven’t put any dedicated research into it yet. I’ll need to look into it later; right now we need to focus all of our time and attention on preserving Rainbow’s body so we can get ready to bring her back.”
>You find yourself looking at Rainbow’s brain, floating in the jar.
“So, how did you remove this thing, anyway?”
>”Lots and lots of practice,” Twilight replies, leaving the gorier details to your imagination.
>Their work has always freaked you out, but you have to admit that in this instance it’s come in handy.
>Rainbow looks at the jar.
>”You know, if it wasn’t my brain, I’d think this is totally cool,” she admits. “And you know… it kind of still is. It’s alive, right? Is it thinking?”
“What’s the brain doing?”
>”Well, it’s basically analogous to being in a deep coma. It’s functioning, but not ‘awake’ per se.”
“Do you plan on removing anything else from her body?”
>”Well, it’s hard to say. I might remove some of the other important organs, like the heart, in order to keep them as preserved as possible, and the damaged lungs will have to either be replaced or regenerated—if we can find the magical means to do so—but other than that, my serums should keep the body ready. I’ll also be storing it in a very cold area.”
>Rainbow floats over to Sunset, moving through her own body on the table as she does.
>”Anon, ask Sunset about those rituals again. I want to know more about what she might be able to do.”
>You nod and sit next to the witch.
“Rainbow wants to know more about any rituals you’d have in mind.”
>Sunset closes the book and looks at you.
>”Magic isn’t always easy,” she says. “I’ve mastered a lot of basic and simple spells, most of which are harmless and take advantage of latent energy around us that we cannot perceive, but something on this caliber? Regrowing damaged organs and flesh? That’s more complicated.”

“What would we need to do?”
>”Well… Normally, we sacrifice something of equal worth to the corpse in order to use its base components to repair any damage. Basically, we’d need to give up a body to fix her body. That’s the easiest way I can put it that makes sense. There are other rituals, but I don’t think we want to be making deals with demons or devils to get Dash back.”
>”Yeah, that’s not on my list of things to deal with,” Rainbow admits.
>”If we do this, we need to do it on our own, without outside intervention.”
“What if we gather up the ‘shopping list’ Twilight mentioned? Would those work for the ritual?”
>”Maybe,” Sunset says. “But I’ll need some materials to prepare for the ritual, and hunting down those body parts won’t be easy.”
>”Oh, it never is, darling,” Rarity says with a nod.
>”Your blood might come in handy,” Twilight says to you. “If you remember, I used its healing properties to enhance my reagent.”
“That’s right,” you say, standing up. “If we find a way to give Dash my healing factor, could her body fix itself?”
>”That’d solve a lot of problems,” Sunset points out.
>Dash starts to get excited, thinking the solution may have been found.
>Twilight grimaces. ”The only issue is that you and Dash don’t have a matching blood type.”
>The ghost snaps its fingers.
“What if I give her my lycanthropy?”
>Twilight shakes her head. ”I don’t think it would work… Since her body is already dead, and your extraordinary abilities only manifested after the first time you transformed.”

“Tonight’s a full moon,” you say. “Maybe it’s worth a shot?”
>Twilight taps a pen to her goggles.
>”I don’t think so. I’ve studied your body under transformation, but I still don’t fully understand it. Lycanthropy is not entirely based in science; it’s partially magical. That’s the only explanation I have based on my research. But to try it on a corpse… No. There’s simply too many variables.”
>”I agree,” Sunset says. “We have no way of knowing that her body will even transform, now that it’s dead. Most werewolf lore I have read tells me that a werewolf, when deceased, turns back into its human form. So I don’t see why a corpse would turn into a wolf.”
“What if we try bringing her back in her current body, and I infect her then, tonight under the full moon?”
>Sunset holds up her hands. “No, no, and no. We can’t bring her back like this—the pain would be excruciating.”
“And turning into a werewolf isn’t?”
>”That’s not what I mean. I know the physical transformation is painful, but Rainbow might die before she has a chance to turn if we bring her back as she is right now. Besides, I don’t even have the necessary components for my ritual right now. I need more time.”
“So, not tonight, then. When’s the next full moon?”
>”Should be at least thirty days away,” Twilight answers.
>Rainbow’s shoulders sulk downwards. “Damnit. Am I going to be stuck like this for a full month?”
>”But that’s only if we go with the werewolf plan, and I’m not sure it’s completely necessary,” Sunset says. “I think that we may be able to combine magic and science to bring her back sooner.”
“How so?”
>”Well, when Twilight brought up the regenerative capabilities of your blood, it got me thinking: maybe I can use it to create a potion to restore lost flesh. If I can make enough of it, we could completely immerse Rainbow’s scientifically-preserved body in it, healing it completely.”

>”I like where this is going!” Rainbow practically squeals.
“That sounds like it could work,” you say, “but do we have precedence for this? Any proof that it would do what we want?”
>”It would require testing,” Twilight says. “Perhaps on lab animals that we kill and remove body parts from…”
>Rarity shivers. “Goodness. Don’t let Fluttershy hear you say that.”
>Sunset stands up. “I may not be a master alchemist, but I know someone who is. I should visit her.”
“Huh? Who?”
>”Just someone I know from my earlier days as a witch,” she replies. “She’s much more experienced in potionmaking than I am.”
“Where does she live? Is she in town?”
>She shakes her head. “The only problem is how far away she lives. She has a hut all the way on the other side of the Everfree Forest. I need to go to her and ask for her advice on this situation; if she doesn’t have the kinds of potions I seek, then maybe she can help me make them.”
“Well, let me know if you’ll need my blood.”
>”Oh, I will, probably a lot of it,” Sunset grins.
>Twilight reaches for a large syringe on the table behind her.
>You’re suddenly reminded of the oft-deranged company you tend to keep and take a big gulp.
>As Sunset leaves to go back to her cabin, teleporting away with a flurry of her fingers, Twilight prepares to extract your blood.

>This goes on for some time; she draws what seems like a liter out of you and fills up several vials before placing them in cold containment.
>You shake your dizzy head and sit down for a while as Rarity continues her work, using her dexterous fingers to clean and prepare Dash’s wounds.
>A hobby of sewing dead bodies together has prepared her well for this task.
>Since you’re stuck sitting around until your head clears, Rainbow watches them work on her body, growing less and less repulsed by the sight of it all as time goes on.
>She knows that her friends are doing their best to bring her back and is starting to let hope creep into her mind that she’ll come back.
>You certainly share her hope; you don’t want her stuck around you forever.
>Not as a ghost, anyway.
>You look over at her and watch her for a while and cannot help but think about how she must be feeling.
>You’ve got it rough, but she’s got it way worse.
>At least you can still interact with the world and talk to other people.
>She’s alone, isolated, unable to even feel anything or communicate with anyone—except you, her killer.
>No… No, Anon.
>You need to stop thinking that.
>It wasn’t you that tore off the moonstone and unleashed the Wolf.
>And it wasn’t you that hungered for human flesh.
>That thing, deep inside of you, locked away until its bars are melted by the full moon, that isn’t you.
>It’s that damn beast, the Wolf.

>You’ve spent a year keeping him in chains, preventing him from having any control over you, but now you have no defense against him.
>But he isn’t you.
>His insatiable bloodlust is not your own.
>You did not choose to hunt down and kill Rainbow Dash—it was him, and only him.
>But what are you going to do to get him under control again?
>What if the moonstone is gone forever?
>Well, your moonstone can’t have been the only one.
>Surely there must be others out there.
>As you think, you feel something stir within you.
>A low growl reverberates through your mind.
>”Don’t think you can stop me…”
>”Don’t think you can keep me locked away…
>”You are weak, I am strong…”
>”And tonight, I will feed again.”
>Your eyes widen as you realize that he’s talking to you.
>You close your eyes and try to suppress him, thinking about other things.
>”She was delicious, wasn’t she?”
>”So young, so tender, so fresh…”
>”I wonder how the farmer tastes…”
>”Or the vampire…”
>”In time, we’ll know how they all taste, won’t we?”
“NO!”
>You shout and suddenly stand up, breathing hard.

>Rarity, Twilight and Rainbow look at you, surprised.
>You stand there for a moment, panting.
“I… I need a minute.”
>You run upstairs and out the front door, pushing past the pizza deliveryman who just arrived.
>When you get to the sidewalk, you take a few deep breaths as Rainbow pops out of the ground alongside you.
>”Anon? The hell was up with that?”
“I’m just… I’m hearing voices.”
>”Uh-oh. Tell me you’re not going crazy.”
“No, not like, not voices, I mean just one voice. The Wolf is talking to me. He’s taunting me. Talking about how good you tasted and how good everyone else will taste.”
>”That’s fucked up, man.”
“You’re telling me.”
>You sit on the sidewalk with your feet against the curb as Rainbow sits next to you.
>”So, what do you think you’re going to do tonight?”
“Lock myself up somewhere,” you say. “Someplace where I won’t break out and hurt anyone. We’ll use silver chains and manacles and… I don’t know. But I can’t hurt anyone tonight, I just can’t.”
>”Yeah, the last thing I need is another ghost hanging around,” Rainbow says. “As nice as it would be to have company, I don’t need anyone else knowing that I’m dead.”
“Or about our secret,” you say to her. “If I get loose tonight, who knows who I might end up killing. Principal Celestia, Mr. Cake, Flash Sentry… Hell, probably more than one.”
>Your phone suddenly buzzes with a call.
>You take it out and look at the screen; it’s Applejack.
You answer it. “Hello? AJ?”

>”Hey Anon. No luck in the woods findin’ either the graveyard or that mansion. It’s like the roads are all different for some reason.”
“That’s odd…”
>Rainbow puts her ear up to the phone to listen in.
>”Yeah. We’re headed back into town now. Where are you at?”
“Twilight’s house.”
>”Alright, we’re on our way.”
>You put away your phone and look at Dash.
>”So, what do you think will happen to me when you transform tonight?”
“I guess you’ll get a front row to the show,” you say to her.
>”A front row to what?” the pizza deliveryman asks, stopping on the way to his car.
>You look up at him and don’t say anything.
>”Who were you just talking to?” he asks, confused.
“The ghost of my best friend. She’s sitting right next to me.”
>The man blinks a few times before shying away and getting into his car and driving off.
>Rainbow bursts into a fit of giggling laughter and you can’t help but join her.
>”Anon? Did you want some pizza?” Twilight’s mom calls from the doorway.
“Sounds good,” you reply, standing up and walking back.
>”Save me a slice,” Rainbow says as she floats alongside you.
“Yeah, sure,” you say, rolling your eyes at her joke.
>The next few hours are spent with the gang trying to figure out what to do next.
>Fluttershy and Pinkie don’t look at Dash’s body; they just don’t have the heart for it.

>Applejack has a bit of a tougher stomach and is willing to help Rarity in getting the body ready.
>She’s also experienced from hunting (regular animals, not monsters) in skinning and working with organs, so she doesn’t shy away from the gorier details of the work.
>You, meanwhile, listen as she describes the strange experience she had out in the woods, where the roads seemed to be all wrong and lead them in different directions.
“Maybe someone doesn’t want you to find them,” you say. “Like a trio of witches.”
>”That’d explain it,” AJ says.
>You look at the clock; only three hours until sundown.
“So, did you put any thought into what we should do about tonight?”
>”Like I said, we can use one of my old barns. We’ll pick up the silver chains and I’ll stand guard all night to make sure you don’t get out.”
>”I’ll help,” Fluttershy offers. “I mean, I’m the only one in the group who can match your strength when you’re transformed.”
“Sounds good. We should probably get going, I don’t want us to be caught unprepared.”
>AJ nods and goes to the sink to take off her rubber gloves.
>Twilight approaches you, taking off her goggles. “Anon? Be careful tonight, okay?”
“I’ll definitely try,” you reply. “Once that dog gets let out of his cage… there’s no telling what will happen.”
>You leave with AJ and Fluttershy and drive to Sunset’s cabin to pick up the silver chains and manacles.
>From there, you head to AJ’s farm and prepare for the spot you’ll transform at tonight.
>She selects an old barn on the edge of her property, one with iron hooks embedded in the cement that you can connect the chains onto.
>As you and Fluttershy prepare the bindings, AJ drives to another barn of hers to get more chains and other supplies.

>All in all, you’ll have several chains holding you down; one on each limb, one connected to a collar around your neck, and two on your waist.
>She is also spreading wolfsbane around the barn itself, which will irritate your nostrils when you are transformed.
>She’s also hanging up some cloves of garlic; more of a vampire thing, but she’s the monster hunter, not you.
>Hopefully the silver cuffs will keep you from transforming, but if they don’t, then hopefully they’ll rob you of your strength to break out of them.
>And if they don’t, AJ and Fluttershy will be outside the barn all night with a loaded crossbow, nets and more ready to go in case you get loose.
>The sun begins to dip below the horizon.
You let out a long sigh. “Alright. It’s that time.”
>Rainbow watches as AJ and Fluttershy put you in chains, biting her nail as you are bound in place.
>You feel like a prisoner about to be executed, but you know it’s all for everyone else’s safety.
>With a few more deep breathes, you prepare yourself for the coming full moon.
>The silver cuffs burn and irritate your skin, but that’s nothing compared to the pain you’ll be feeling once that transformation hits.
“AJ,” you call out to her as she leans on her truck.
>”Yeah, Anon?”
“If the worst happens and I do get out, just promise that you won’t let me kill anyone else.”
>”I won’t let that happen, Anon. But we can’t exactly put you down; we don’t know what’ll happen to Rainbow.”
>The ghost looks on, concerned.
>You nod as you see the first light of the full moon begin to peak over the treeline in the distance.
“Alright… here we go.”
>You close your eyes as the moon’s rays begin to wash over your skin.
>Deep inside of you, you feel a stirring and your heart begins to beat faster.
>You suddenly realize how much you’re sweating.
>When you had the moonstone, your transformations were quick and relatively painless.
>Uncomfortable at worst.
>But now, it’s almost as if the Wolf wants to drag this out and make it painful.
“This… This isn’t going to be pretty…” you say to them. “You might… want to turn away…”
>A contraction within causes you to cry out in surprise; your back straightens and you pull against the chains.
>A headache hits you next, like a drill boring through your skull and into your brain, setting it on fire.
>Your brain begins to throb, each pulse driving you more and more into a screaming mess.
>Your skin feels irritated and burning all over, like acid peeling away at your nerves.
>Your mouth and eyes shoot open as more painful contractions hit you consecutively; you hear a strange snapping noise from your chest as one of your ribs breaks.
>”Holy shit…” Rainbow mutters as she watches.
>The chains rattle and tighten as you pull against them, thrashing and yanking, desperate to be free.
>Your palms begin to elongate; the sounds of bones snapping and realigning can be heard underneath your screams.
>Each finger twitches uncontrollably as the nails are pushed out of the way to make room for boney claws.
>The backs of your hands are growing incredibly hairy, as is your feet and neck.
>Your lower legs break and snap as new joints form in mimicry of a wolf’s.
>Inside your chest, your organs shift and change; some growing.
>The remainder of your ribcage breaks as it expands, with new bone growing to replace the old.

>Your jacket rips and tears as your suddenly-hairy frame is too large for it to contain; your feet burst out of your shoes and your pants are torn off.
>Your spine grows longer, with new ridges forming along your backside.
>Your screams do not die down—they only get worse and more labored as every single possible pain you could experience is felt all at once.
>Your hands and feet widen into paws as your skin continues to grow more dark hair.
>The areas that do not grow hair instead change in color to that of a dark leathery shade of brown.
>You snap your jaws shut over and over as new teeth form, the old ones changing into sharpened versions, yellow with red roots.
>Your face now begins to lengthen and jut outwards as the inhuman shape of a wolf’s skull forms behind it.
>Your nose merges with your new muzzle and becomes small and black, like a dog’s.
>As the final portion of the transformation completes, you pant heavily before rearing back and pulling on all of the chains, letting loose a long and loud howl.
>You are yourself once more.
>Your true self, the one that hunts and kills like a truly ferocious beast.
>You look down and see your prey, just outside the barn, and you lunge at them, only to be stopped by chains.
>You howl in frustration as the two of them look on, horrified but ready to defend themselves.
>These chains will not hold you!

>You are not some common hound!
>You will feast upon them for this indignity!
>You yank and pull on every chain, straining your muscles as you pull against them.
>Your jaws snap as you bite at them threateningly, howling your rage and lust for blood.
>Nearby, the dead girl you ate last night lingers, but you don’t care about her.
>You already had your fill of her—now you want more!
>The scent of wolfsbane and garlic reaches your nostrils, stinging them and causing you to go into even more of a rage.
>You do not relent, even for a moment.
>”Do you think he’ll grow tired?” Fluttershy nervously asks.
>The monster hunter adjusts her hat and tightens the grip on her crossbow. “I hope so.”
>You will not be kept chained!
>You will feast upon flesh—even if it’s your own!
>You look at your wrists, bound by this accursed silver, and you know the path to freedom!
>Opening your mouth wide, you bite down on your hand, using your teeth and the muscles of your neck to shred the abendage.
>”What the hell is he doing?!” Rainbow desperately asks, though none can hear her.
>As you finish chomping down on your hand, ignoring the pain, you twist your neck and tear it off, slipping your bloody stump free through the silver manacle which falls to the ground.
>You swallow your hand and then go to work on the other, biting and tearing it off.
>They watch in horror as your arms are freed and you eat your own hands.
>You let out another bloody howl and feel your hands begin to grow back, regenerating on the spot in the light of this full moon.
>The lunar rays are giving you strength far beyond your normal limit, resilience enough even to resist the power of the silver manacles.

>Your claws scrape against the cement floor as you try once more to pull on the chains, but the ones on your waist and neck will not give.
>You howl again as your new bloodied freshly-grown claws form before you lean down and bite at your ankles.
>”He’s tearing himself apart!” AJ screams. “At this rate, he’ll get free!”
>”It’s the moon!” Fluttershy realizes. “The moon is letting him do this!”
>”We need to close the damn barn! Come on!”
>The monster hunter and the vampire work together to seal the doors, cutting the moon off from you, but by then you’ve already bitten off both feet and freed your legs from the oppressive shackles.
>The two of them stay outside of the farmhouse.
>The ghost of your last victim approaches you.
>”Anon… If you can hear me… you need to fight him, Anon! Don’t let him use your body like this!”
>The fool thinks her words mean anything.
>You’ve already absorbed enough lunar energy to survive the most severe of wounds—which you are about to inflict on yourself.
>You howl as you dig into your stomach with your claws, tearing out the flesh above the iron band around your waist.
>”Anon! Stop him! Don’t let him do this! I know you can hear me! Fight him! Fight him!”
>You snarl at her as you rip your innards out, spilling them on the ground in a hot, steaming pile.
>You cry out in pain as you expose more and more of yourself, eventually digging all the way to your spine.

>With a piercing shriek, you push against the restraints with all of your might and snap your own spine in half.
>Your upper and lower halves fall apart and you lay very, very still.
>”Omigosh omigosh omigosh,” Rainbow says, clasping her mouth in horror. “Don’t be dead, please don’t be dead… Come on, Anon…”
>Your ears twitch as you howl again, the painful sensations coming back to you.
>Between the cracks of the old wood, the light of the full moon bleeds inside and reaches you.
>Your two halves slide towards each other and begin to fuse into place, your organs slithering back into your chest.
>Your spine reconnects itself as the flesh regrows around it.
>After a few moments, you are more than prepared to get back up.
>You snarl and stride towards the barn entrance, but are held back by one final chain.
>The one around your neck.
>Howling, you place both hands on either side of your head and pull.
>”ANON, STOP!” Rainbow cries, hardly able to take the sight.
>Everything goes black as you tear off your own head.
>The collar and the chain fall back as your body falls forward, your head rolling away and hitting the barn door.
>AJ opens it ever-so-slightly to see what the hell is going on, allowing the moonlight to hit the torn-off head.
>Your eyes snap open and look up at her and she lets out a surprised cry as it flies back into the darkness where it fuses back into place atop your neck.
>While it is by no means painless in any way, after a moment you are completely whole again.
>And free.
>You stand up and howl as they both pull the doors open and look at you, completely unchained and ready to kill.
>You fix your golden eyes upon them and bare your fangs, ready to sink them into a new victim.

>AJ wastes no time in raising her crossbow and firing, embedding a silver stake in your thigh.
>You roar at her and lunge towards her, but Fluttershy pulls her back before you can swipe at her.
>She quickly reloads as you smash the barn door and step fully into the moonlight.
>Grabbing the stake, you tear it out of your leg.
>Fluttershy, however, grabs your arm and forces it down, causing you to stab yourself again.
>You howl as Applejack finishes loading her crossbow and fires another stake into your other leg’s foot, nailing you to the dirt.
>You elbow check Fluttershy in the face, knocking her back, allowing you to tear out the stake in your thigh again.
>As you toss it aside, Applejack runs up and punches you in the face.
>You slowly turn your head back to look at her, fixing your golden eyes upon her, blazing with fury.
>She sweats. ”Heh… Good doggy…”
>As you bring up a clawed hand, she dives backwards to avoid the swipe; you manage to tear off a good portion of her jacket and shirt, only just barely scraping the skin and drawing a minute amount of blood.
>You try to step forward but trip due to the stake in your foot.
>Despite this setback, the moon is still filling you with energy.
>You attempt to lift your foot up off of the stake, but Fluttershy suddenly tackles you back down again.
>You snap at her as she gets behind you, grabbing both arms and getting you into a full nelson.
>You struggle against her, but her strength is a match for yours.

>”I… will… hold… you… all night if I have to!” she says through gritted teeth. “AJ, now!”
>The monster hunter springs up and throws a net on you, the crossing fabric lined with small silver rings.
>Curse this blonde bitch and all of her silver!
>You struggle against the net as Fluttershy drags you backwards, pulling your foot out of the stake as she goes.
>AJ runs to the silver chains and picks them up, preparing to wrap them around you as you are dragged out of the moonlight.
>You kick upwards and manage to roll forward, taking the vampire with you.
>She lets go and hits the ground, leaving you with a tangled in the net.
>As you try to rip out of it, AJ shouts in anger and savagely brings the chain down on your head.
>”I ain’t gonna kill you, Anon, but I sure as hell can hurt you a lot!”
>You snarl at her as she brings the chain up again and smashes it against you again and again.
>Each blow robs you of some more energy and will to fight.
>As Fluttershy picks herself up, she watches as AJ forces you into a corner and lays an unrivaled smackdown on you with the silver chain.
>Eventually, you are driven into the corner and you lay still, your vision swimming.
>AJ wastes no time in wrapping you up in the chain; Fluttershy, meanwhile, grabs the other end and unhooks it from the iron loop in the cement and throws it over one of the ceiling’s horizontal supports.
>From there, she grabs the end again and pulls, dragging you until you are suspended, hanging in the net and the chain, the silver keeping you from gaining strength.
>The moon rises higher and leaves the barn’s interior, no longer bathing you with its light.
>AJ goes and reloads her crossbow and pulls up a chair, panting, sweating and bleeding from her scratches.
>Fluttershy isn’t too hurt, but that elbow check to her face left a nasty bruise.

>You struggle futilely against the net and the chain, but the fight is over.
>You can’t angle yourself to bite through the net, nor would severing your own limbs get you out of it.
>Though you struggle for hours, the silver eventually takes its toll, burning your skin and robbing you of all power.
>With one last defiant howl, you transform back into Anon.
>But this isn’t over yet.
>Not by a longshot.
>As you slowly slink back into the recesses of your human mind, you fall into a deep, hungry sleep.
>You find yourself slowly drifting through a foggy void, unsure of where you are or where you are going.
>There are vague shapes all around you, distorted and murky from the fog, but calling out to them grants no response.
>In the fog, you begin to see a light.
>It is large, round and white.
>The full moon.
>Heading towards it, you begin to hear a chorus of howling wolves, one after the other joining in, their joined cries echoing throughout the void.
>You want to join them, but you know that you shouldn’t.
>You resist their call as best you can, but then you hear the song of the sirens again, slowly worming its way into your brain and forcing you to walk towards the moon.
>You find yourself powerless against it; the fog turns into a black tide of lupine forms, staring at you with red eyes.

>The three witches are there, the gems around their necks glowing red, as the moon changes from white to a piercing crimson.
>They call to you and you walk forwards until you feel a hand on your shoulder.
>The song stops and you look back, seeing the spirit of your grandfather, Heronymous.
>His white aura brings you comforting warmth and his smile dispels your fear.
“Grandpa…”
>”It’s time to wake up, Anon.”
>Your eyes snap open as the dream rapidly comes to a close.
>”WAKE UP, ANON!” Rainbow shouts.
>You suddenly realize that you are hanging in a net, upside down, with a terrible headache.
“Ughh… Hello? Anybody?”
>”I’m here,” AJ says, walking into the barn.
>Fluttershy follows her and they work together to undo the chain.
>They slowly lower you to the ground and help you out of the net and chains.
>You look at them, seeing the bruise on Fluttershy’s face and AJ’s torn shirt and scratched skin.
>Then, it all comes back to you.
“Damn… I didn’t know I could regenerate lost limbs like that…”
>”Neither did I,” Applejack says. “I know the legends said that only silver in the heart could put a werewolf down, but I never imagined that was a translation of ‘if you cut them to pieces, they’ll just come right back together again.’”
>They help you to your feet as you look at all the blood on the floor.
>”Nasty stuff,” Rainbow says. “But I gotta say, Anon, you were pretty badass, tearing off your own head like that.”
>You give her an odd look as you go to sit down.
“Goddamn, I am sore all over…”

>Your clothing is mostly ruined, save for your pants, which are just shredded in some places.
“And my clothing is wrecked. Don’t know why I didn’t see that one coming…”
>”We also learned that chains aren’t gonna be enough to hold you when you transform,” Applejack says. “We’re gonna need a cage. Maybe a cell…”
“Why not make it a padded cell while we’re at it? I’m already going crazy,” you joke.
>”There is the old spooky abandoned asylum in town,” Fluttershy suggests.
“What? No! I wasn’t serious.”
>”That actually might be a good idea,” AJ says. “Remember when we busted that ghost that died in his cell and was haunting it? I saw all sorts of cells in there!”
You sigh. “A nut for the nuthouse, then.”
>Fluttershy puts a hand on your shoulder. “It’s alright. At least the full moon is gone.”
>”Still,” AJ says, “it might be best to start sleeping in there every night, just to be safe. Don’t want any surprises cropping up from the wolfman.”
“Probably for the best,” you agree. “Well, now what?”
>”Well, we’ve survived another night with you transforming, and it’s mighty early. We should probably check in with the others and see how Dash’s body is doing.”
>You look over at the ghost, who stands silently.
“Hey, Dash,” you speak to her openly in front of the others, “are you alright?”
>”Well, it’s not like I can get much worse,” she says. “Was kind of a bummer not being able to help fight you last night, but man, you should have SEEN the beating you took with that chain, man!”
“Yeah, I was there,” you deadpan. “I was on the receiving end of it.”

>Dash laughs. “I’m sorry, but man oh man, Applejack might use holy weapons, but that beating was unholy! Hahaha!”
“Hilarious.”
>”What’s she saying?” Fluttershy asks.
“Just commenting on AJ’s strongarm tactics with the chain. I appreciate your nonlethal means to capture me, by the way.”
>You rub your bruised arms from where she hit you, and with the way your face feels, it’s probably not too pretty.
“But next time, maybe just go for the knockout rather than everywhere but my head.”
>”I didn’t have too much time to think about it,” she admits. “Not when every second can mean life or death, dealin’ with a vicious werewolf.”
“I got you,” you say as you stand. “Let’s just… Let’s just get back with the others.
>You limp to AJ’s truck, your bad foot making it difficult to walk, and with Fluttershy’s support you climb into the back of it.
>Rainbow floats alongside you, still making little whip-motions with her hand and making a lashing noise with her mouth.
>You roll your eyes as you sit and just try to focus on healing.
>On the ride back into town, you talk with them about the plan for the day.
>Today, you and the others elect not to go to school, much as you did yesterday.
>You’re a bit too banged up to go to so public a place, as are the others.
>AJ agrees to drop you off at your place to let you change and clean up.
>You each call into the school ahead of time and make your excuses, yours being an unfortunate illness (though from what you understand, the others make similar excuses).

>For a few hours, you relax in your apartment.
>After your home burnt down last year along with your grandfather’s residence, you and your father have lived in a simple apartment building.
>He’s always away on business, though, which suits you just fine.
>Though, after AJ drops you off at your place, you realize that it’s the first time you’ve ever invited Rainbow over.
>It’s fairly messy, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
>After all, she’s the most out of place thing in your apartment; some clothes on the floor won’t bother her.
>You turn on the television for her benefit and switch it to her favorite channel as you go to bathe and get rid of the funk from last night’s transformation.
>As you wash your healing wounds, you find yourself amazed by the fact that you tore off your own head.
>You always knew that werewolf regeneration was powerful, but to that extent…
>It’s a real eye-opener, to be certain.
>As you wash up, Rainbow sticks her head through the wall and says that you have someone at the front door.
>You nearly jump at your spectral guest’s intrusion and are about to say something to her when she vanishes again.
>That’s going to get annoying.
>After changing into a fresh pair of clothes, you walk to the front door and see who it is through the peep hole.
>It’s your landlord, come to collect the rent for the month.

>You take an envelope off of a nearby countertop and slide it under the door; you don’t feel like dealing with her and her nonsense today.
>Sunset might be an actual witch, but that lady is just a bitch through and through.
>You go and sit next to Rainbow Dash on the couch.
>She’s lounging a bit.
>If she didn’t look like she had been caught in a meat grinder, you’d almost think this is normal.
>”Hey, I had something I wanted to ask you,” she suddenly says.
“What’s up?”
>”Are you and Sunset, like, still together? What’s up with that?”
“Oh… Well, we were never really a thing, so much. I mean, when everything kicked off last year and I found out I was a werewolf, I thought we were building up something really nice, I mean we spent a lot of time together and kissed and stuff but it never really went beyond that.”
>”Got a bit too caught up in hunting monsters, huh?”
“I guess. It just sort of… stopped after a while, I guess.”
>”How come you never dated?”
You shrug. “I’m a werewolf. And romance on the team just seemed kind of… I don’t know, inappropriate.”
>”Oh.”
>She seems almost disappointed by your answer.
>”You wouldn’t lie to me, right?”
“What? No, of course not.”
>”It’s just I always thought you two had a thing going on behind everyone else’s backs.”
“We didn’t,” you say honestly, looking at her even though she doesn’t look back. “We don’t.”
>”I guess I only bring it up because it’s why I never, you know, said anything.”
>You’re silent for a moment as the girl quietly kicks her feet together.

“Dash… If you’re wondering why I never went for anybody on the team, it’s not because I was involved with Sunset. It’s because I was always worried that something bad might happen. I had the moonstone, sure, but… Well, I mean, look at us now.”
>She doesn’t seem to respond to that point, instead changing the subject to something else.
>”That thing inside of you, is he completely different from you?”
“What do you mean?”
>”I mean, are his thoughts based on your thoughts, like, your subconscious or something.”
“No, I don’t think so. He’s his own… entity, I don’t know.  He’s not me.”
>”So… He didn’t kill me because you don’t actually like me?”
>You get off the couch and look her straight in the face, kneeling in front of her.
“Dash, how can you even say something like that? Do you think I wanted you dead?”
>”I don’t know.”
>You blink a few times and open your mouth to say something, but you can’t find the words.
>Is this all about you knowing that she liked you and never making a move?
“Dash… If I had done something with you, started something up… How do you think I’d be feeling right now? I’m already sick to my stomach that this thing inside of me killed a friend, but if it had killed something even more? Someone that I loved, maybe?”
>At that, she looks at you.
>”You think you could have loved me?”
“I don’t know. I was afraid to start anything with anyone because of this happening. Because for all our success in fighting the supernatural, we could still die at any moment.”
>”Yeah, I know, but… You can’t just spend your life being afraid of what might happen.”

>You stare at her and realize that her words remind you of someone else.
>Your grandfather, Heronymous.
>He spent his life afraid of what he could do with his curse…
>That he never made it into his gift.
“Dash, I… I know I could have said something, done something, but I just didn’t. I was afraid.”
>”Well, what if I come back?” she asks with a suddenly hopeful voice. “What if I come back? We can make things different.”
“I… I’d like to, but…”
>You avert your eyes and drop your hands as you sit on the floor.
“I just don’t know.”
>She’s silent, contemplative perhaps, but then she kneels down next to you.
>”Hey…”
“Hey.”
>”I’ve had a lot of time to think about death since it happened. I’m really hoping that I get to come back, because I’ve learned that there’s no point in living unless you really live. I want a second chance because I don’t want to spend an eternity in limbo thinking about what could have been or what should have been, you know?”
>You look at her as she smiles.
>”It’s like… Death is opening my eyes to life, all the stuff I never got a chance to do what I always wanted. And I wanted to try a lot of stuff, you know, but the thing closest to home that I never got to try was starting something up with you.”
“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
>”I don’t care!” she exclaims, flying up a bit. “I want to find out! I want to come back and LIVE! Make mistakes, get bruises, learn from them and move on! I want to spend my life experiencing new things and not worry about if they are or aren’t the right things to do!”

>She soars down close to you. “Kissing, hugging, running, skydiving, deep sea diving, fucking—I don’t care, man! I just want to feel things and do things again! This, this whole thing here?” she says, motioning to her ghostly body, “This sucks! I can’t feel, I can’t taste, I can’t smell! I can see and hear and talk, but that’s it.”
“Dash, I—”
>”And come on, Anon! Don’t you want more out of life than what we’ve been doing for the past year? You didn’t think we would always be fighting monsters, did you?”
“I don’t know. I never thought that far ahead.”
>”Well, me neither to be honest. But now I want to, and I want it to be fun and awesome and I’d like you to be in it.”
>You look up at her and see her smile, despite her current condition, and it’s hard not to smile back at her optimism.
>Still, it’ll all be for nothing if you don’t uphold your promise to bring her back.
“I’d like to,” you say after a few moments. “But the first thing is getting you back among the living.”
>”So, does that mean you’ll give it a shot?”
“If we bring you back, I owe you a date.”
>”You owe me more than that, mister. You’re paying for it, and I’m gonna want a nice meal.”
>She floats back down onto your couch and folds her legs, putting her hands behind her head (well, one hand and stump, anyway).
“I have something I’ve wanted to ask, too,” you say. “How do you not fall through my couch?”

>”I just kind of choose not to,” she says. “Like, I know it looks like I’m sitting here, but it’s more like I’m floating.”
>She falls through the couch before rocketing back up through the floor with a disturbed look on her face.
>”Oh, god, your landlady is doing some weird naked aerobics down there. I’d puke if I had the guts for it.”
>At that, you both actually burst out laughing.
>You spend some more time hanging out in your apartment when you get a phone call from Fluttershy.
>Her voice is shaky and you can tell she has been crying.
>”A-Anon, something horrible has h-happened!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
>”Last night…” Her voice trails off as she devolves into sobs.
>Nearby, Rainbow looks on, concerned.
“Hello? Shy, talk to me!”
>”My home… My Angel…”
>Suddenly another voice comes over the phone as she devolves into fits of sobbing.
>”Anon?” It’s AJ. “We drove out to Fluttershy’s house and… It’s not pretty.”
“What happened?”
>”It’s destroyed. Completely torn apart, pulled to pieces like. Her animals are all… chewed up.”
“How can that be?”
>But as you finish asking, it comes to you.
>Her cottage was nearby the Everfree National Forest, and with last night being the full moon…
>That gang of werewolves must have swarmed over her home last night, tearing it to pieces.
>She had a lot of animals, of course, so it must have been like a small feast for them.
>But what was the main course, you wonder?

“It had to have been those other werewolves I met in the graveyard,” you say to her. “It had to have been, but I doubt that’s all they did last night.”
>”We didn’t see any destruction on the way out of town,” AJ replies. “What else do you think they did?”
“You should radio Mac up in his tower, see if he’s alright. If he is, ask him if there were any reports of hikers or campers missing or injured, or worse.”
>”Will do. Call the others and let them know.”
>You both hang up after saying goodbye and you send alerts to the others as Rainbow watches.
>”What’s up with those werewolves? What’s their endgame?”
“I have no idea,” you admit. “But they’re in league with those werecats who stole my moonstone, so it can’t be good.”
>She floats towards the door as you get your shoes back on.
>You head downstairs and out the door of the apartment building and start jogging towards Twilight’s house.
>Along the way, you get responses from Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight but not Sunset.
>How successful was she in finding that potion maker, you wonder?
>It’s not a long jog to Twilight’s house, but halfway there you encounter a strange sight.
>Rarity is walking down the street with a very tall man in a thick trench coat, large sunglasses, a scarf around his face and a large fedora.
>You know that it’s Spike.
>”Not very inconspicuous, are they?” Dash says with a mocking tone.
“Hey!” you get their attention as you run up.
>”Hello, Anonymous!” Rarity says with a small wave. “Is Rainbow Dash still with you?”

“She is,” you say with a nod.
>”Not like I have anywhere else to be,” she rolls her eyes.
>”Wonderful. I worked with Twilight all night last night on her, um, problem, and we’ve made a lot of progress!”
“I was a bit busy last night myself,” you say grimly. “But nobody got hurt.”
>”Oh, dear… Well, we have her body perfectly preserved. Twilight has fun a few tests to ensure that no further decomposition will take place and we have it ‘on ice’ as it were.”
>”Hello Anon,” Spike says through the scarf.
“Hello, Spike, nice to see you.” You point up at him as you look at Rarity. “So, what’s up with him? Bringing him somewhere?”
>”Well, as the only successful reanimated subject, Twilight thinks that Spikey-Wikey here will be able to help us with Rainbow Dash. Isn’t that right?” she asks, reaching up to pinch his cheek through the scarf.
>He lets out a dopey laugh and the four of you continue on to Twilight’s house.
>Rarity brings Spike around to the back to use the basement’s direct entrance; you all go in through this way so as not to alert the parents to your absence from school.
>Once you give the secret knock on the metal door, Twilight opens it and locks it again.
>Rarity takes Spike over to the corner and undresses him of his large baggy clothing; his normal suit and tie, personally tailored by Rarity, is worn underneath it.
>You can’t imagine how she made shoes for his massive feet, but somehow she managed it.
>After giving them an update on what happened last night with your transformation and Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight is very concerned but also very interested.
>”You mean you actually tore off your own head?” she asks, taking notes.
“Yeah… Well, I mean, the Wolf did it, not me. But it flew back onto his body.”

>”Amazing…” she says. “The regenerative capabilities granted through lycanthropy go even further beyond anything I imagined… Oh, if only your moonstone was still here! We could perform more tests!”
“Woah, I’m not up for being cut into pieces,” you say. “I remember last year when you tried pulling that kind of stuff.”
>”Oh, nonsense! You know I was under the influence of the reagent at the time. I was taking it because it allowed me to stay up and research without sleep, but the adverse effects on my mind were simply too much. I’ve been off of it ever since that incident with the Trioxin…”
“Yeah, fun times. Say, have you heard anything back from Sunset yet?” you change the subject.
>”No, not at all,” Twilight says before returning to pour over her notes.
>You check your phone and find no messages from her, which still concerns you.
>”Anon okay?” Spike asks.
>Rarity has been teaching him how to speak, but he’s still struggling with proper sentence structure.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” you say to the large man.
>”Wolf hurt people?”
>You give him an odd look; Rarity also looks concerned.
“I hope not, buddy. I’m doing everything I can to keep him under control.” You turn to Twilight. “On that note, I’ve been thinking of locking myself into a padded cell at night to keep myself safe.”
>”In the old asylum?” Twilight asks. “I’ve actually been thinking about moving my laboratory there, coincidentally. Keeping everything down here in the basement is getting to be a hassle.”
>”Speak of which, ask her where my body is,” Rainbow prods you.
>Upon doing do, Twilight takes you over to one of her large freezers and opens it up.
>Rainbow’s body is in a large plastic body bag; her skin is fully cleaned and her wounds are as dressed as possible.
>She’s also nude.
>”Hey, stop staring already. I’m dead, you creep,” Rainbow teases you.
>You turn away as Twilight closes the doors and reseals the freezer.
>As she goes back to tweaking various scientific instruments in the hopes of finding a way to communicate with the ghost of Rainbow Dash, you get a phone call.
>AJ tells you that Big Mac did indeed receive a report of an overrun ranger station last night.
>It was completely destroyed and the rangers stationed there were not found in the morning when a search party was sent out.
>You scratch your chin as you wonder what their plans truly are—why take out Fluttershy’s house and a ranger station?
>After relaying the bad news, Rarity and Twilight grow just as concerned as you are.
>”This is going to get very messy by the sounds of it,” Rarity says. “I mean, I’m no stranger to getting a little ectoplasm on me from time to time, but this gang of werewolf ruffians sounds positively abhorrent.”
>”And my ghostbusting equipment will not be very useful against them,” Twilight says with a nod. “The positron beams would hurt them, surely, but not kill.”
“Still, they’d make for a good method of subduing them if worse comes to worse and we find ourselves in close quarters against them.”
>”Goodness,” Rarity fans herself slightly. “Is there any way we can stop them without having to fight their werewolf forms?”
“Well, fighting them at day is preferable, but if I was the leader of a gang of werewolves, I would hide in the day. But the full moon cycle is over, so they shouldn’t be a problem until the next full moon… But then again, they do have my moonstone…”

>”Do you think they could harness its power in some way?” Twilight asks.
“I have no idea what those witches plan to do with it,” you admit. “But whatever it is, it can’t be good.”
>”This really sucks,” Rainbow says softly, not having much else to add.
>You spend some more time at Twilight’s house, helping her and Rarity with anything that you can.
>You draw a little more blood and Spike is also tapped for some of his reagent-enriched blood for testing.
>The giant is pacified by a small television with bright cartoons on it as Rarity helps stick a needle in one of his large veins.
>As you leave Twilight’s, you try giving Sunset another call, but you get no answer.
>”That’s worrying,” Rainbow says as she looks on.
“I know. I can only imagine what’s happening on her end. With all this new stuff going on, it’s not safe for her to be out on her own. I should’ve gone with her.”
>”Come on, Anon. She’s a witch. Of all of us, she’s probably the most capable on her own, since her powers aren’t tied into night or day. I’m sure she’ll be fine…” she says, her voice trailing off a bit.
>It’s not very encouraging, but you have to believe that she has a point.
>Sunset is much more powerful than most of the group.
>You’re truly lucky that she’s decided to use her powers for good.
>What, then, can you expect from your three new werecat foes when you finally catch back up to them?
>You catch back up with AJ, Fluttershy and Pinkie and learn more about the damage to her home.
>The vampire girl is an absolute mess; her animals, especially her bunny rabbit Angel, were all gone or slaughtered.
>Strange that she should think her animals are more important than her home, but that’s just her way.
>Fluttershy asks you if she could stay in your apartment for the time being.
>You suggest Pinkie or AJ as likelier preferable alternatives, but she is rather adamant about it.

>Since you plan on locking yourself in a cell at the asylum each night for the time being, you don’t see any harm in this.
>You give her the key to your place and tell her that she’s free to any food in the fridge.
>She says that she’ll be just fine; though she is saddened greatly by the loss of her animal friends, she doubts she’ll have any trouble finding food around your home.
>As she parts, you wonder what exact kind of “food” she might be thinking about…
>You spend the rest of the day talking with the others about the plan to deal with the werewolves.
>The problem is that they could be hiding in plain sight and you wouldn’t even know it, outside of certain visual distinctions.
>For one, the golden eyes that you possess, a common indicator for them.
>Of course, colored contacts and sunglasses hide those well enough.
>There’s also the fact that they’re likely to travel in a group, keeping with pack mentality.
>For the last year or so you’ve been with your team, who served as your de-facto pack.
>AJ suggests using you to “sniff” them out, as it were.
>Simply being around them might be enough to trigger some of your more latent senses and reveal their identity.
>But it will all be for nothing if they’re hiding out in the woods somewhere, and if those witches are using some kind of magic to obscure their home, then it may be doubly impossible.
>As unfortunate as it is, the only option may be to prepare for them to make the next move.
>Twilight will work on her end to prepare some advanced warning equipment, possibly setting up a surveillance system along the edge of the forest.
>AJ and her family will work on preparing anti-werewolf weaponry, the mention of which makes your skin crawl a bit.

>As for school, you’ll have to keep going to keep up appearances but all of you will have to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice each day.
>The situation is difficult; with Rainbow down and you robbed of your moonstone, this new enemy force has already severely hindered the team.
>But you aren’t out of the fight yet.
>When it nears sundown, you and the others all travel to the abandoned asylum in the less-used part of town.
>An old fence surrounds it that is easy enough to bypass.
>Once inside, you recall the various details of the floorplan from the last time you were here to bust a ghost sometime back in May.
>Or was it March?
>It doesn’t matter too much.
>The girls help you find a padded cell in decent condition and Applejack takes out a large iron lock that looks like it’s from medieval times.
“That seems a bit much,” you say.
>”It’s cold iron,” she explains. “Ain’t no magic or ghosts gonna touch it.”
>Experimentally, Rainbow Dash attempts to prod it and finds it impossible to pass through.
>”Woah, that’s actually kind of cool,” she says.
>Pinkie Pie helps furnish the cell a bit with some streamers and colorful decorations so that you don’t feel too sad being locked up all night.
>Her ability to produce these things seemingly at random is always mind-boggling.
>”So, how should we settle who stays here all night?” AJ asks.

>”I’ll take the first night,” Pinkie volunteers. “You probably got a lot of stuff to do back home, right Applejack?”
>The cowgirl nods as Twilight returns from exploring the lower levels.
>”This building is structurally sound,” she says with a smile. “I think it’ll make a good new location for my laboratory.”
“What mad scientist wouldn’t want to move into an asylum?” you ask, much to her chagrin. “I mean, outside of ancient castles or underground lairs, it’s got to be high up on the list.”
>”Ha ha, very funny,” Twilight says with a healthy amount of sarcasm.
>Alongside her (though she does not know it) Rainbow snickers at her frown.
>Outside, the sun begins its final descent beyond the horizon, its last rays shining down on Canterlot.
>”That’s your cue, sugarcube,” AJ says as she opens the door to your cell.
>Without a word, you step inside and she locks it with the iron lock before handing they key to Pinkie Pie.
>”You gonna be alright in there?” she asks.
>The room is small, but it has a bed and a toilet.
“Yeah, I think so.”
>”Don’t worry, Nonny! I’ll be here to keep you company all night! And Dashie’s still around too, right?”
>The ghost slips through the wall and gives you a sheepish smile.
“I couldn’t pay for better company,” you smile as you sit on the bed.
>The old frame still holds up, but the mattress is lumpy as hell.
>The padded floor is probably more comfortable.
>While you wait for the moon to rise, you make conversation with Pinkie and Dash.
>The energetic girl has lots of questions for her dead friend, and you are able to relay her answers.
>Mostly stuff about what it’s like to be a ghost; if she gets hungry, cold, what it’s like to fly and such.
>Rainbow’s current condition is akin to a limbo of sensation; she doesn’t get hungry or cold, rather she is constantly deprived of sensation.

>It doesn’t sound too fun, but Rainbow’s trying to keep in high spirits.
>She was very angry and sad initially, but everything they’ve learned so far about her condition has significantly lightened her outlook.
>She’s very confident that the team will find a way to bring her back.
>Eventually, the moon rises and its light comes in through the window.
>You do not feel anything from it; no stirring within, no strange tingling in your spine, and while you had been dreading the moon’s rise, you find yourself relieved that it evidently is not causing you to turn.
>It seems that, in the absence of your moonstone, you need only worry or plan for transformation during actual full moons.
>In the end, you still elect to stay in the cell all night.
>Pinkie and Dash are similarly happy to see that you are not turning into a murderous wolfman tonight.
>Which is good, because as Pinkie reveals, Applejack left her with a silver stake and some wolfsbane just in case she needed some protection.
>As frightening as that may be, you can relax and get some sleep.
>The next morning, you are roused from your sleep by Dash, who had been watching you in your sleep.
>”Did you know you talk to yourself at night?”
“Can’t say that I did, I never recorded myself while sleeping,” you reply with a raised brow.
>”It’s kinda cute. The big bad werewolf sleeptalking, hehe.”
>You give her a frown that she smirks at before you approach the door.
“Pinkie? I’m ready to get out of this cell.”

>The girl wakes up and bounces to her feet, holding the stake in front of her like a shank, ready to defend herself.
>She blinks a few times before realizing that it’s morning.
>”Oopsie-daisy! I got a little excited is all,” she says with a big wide grin as she sets the stake down and takes the key out of her poofy pink hair.
>She unlocks the cell and lets you out.
>You squint slightly at the sunlight as you stretch your limbs, ready to face another day.
>Pinkie walks alongside you to school, which you hope proceeds rather normally.
>It would be a nice change of pace.
>But, of course, it isn’t so.
>The school is rife with rumor and talk about strange happenings; disappearances in the woods and the overrun ranger station which has already made the news.
>Two young students who were dating haven’t been seen since they went to the forest two nights ago.
>In addition to this, search parties are being formed as the police begin mobilizing in response to these happenings.
>And news of Fluttershy’s destroyed home has reached the school as well, causing some of the students to worry even more.
>Nobody knows what is happening, but the nervous fear of something terrible in the works is keeping everyone on edge.
>Well, on the upside, hopefully this will keep people from wandering out into the woods, and keep them in their homes at night.
>With people out of the forest, incidents should hopefully be low over the next few days.
>But who knows what else those witches might have planned…
>As you sit in your second class, one you share with Sunset (who is still worryingly absent), you overhear two nearby students, Lyra and Bon Bon, whispering to each other.
>”Did you hear about the fire out in the woods last night?”

>”That old lumber mill, right?”
>”They say someone burnt it to the ground and the rangers had to call in the fire department to keep it from spreading to the rest of the forest.”
>The old lumber mill…
>Where your team battled the wraith the night you lost your moonstone.
>It can’t be a coincidence, but why would they burn it down?
>To keep the rangers and the search parties distracted while they battle the fire, perhaps?
>But to what end?
>None of this is right.
>It unnerves you greatly that there is a group working in secret out there in the woods, plotting who knows what.
>Before, it was all simple—fight a ghost here, a zombie there, sometimes banish a dark spirit or two.
>These people, whoever they are, they have an agenda, a plan.
>You need to find out what it is, and soon.
>At lunch, you sit with the others, though Fluttershy and Sunset are still gone.
>The vampire girl is at your home, likely still grieving over the loss of her animals, but nobody has heard from Sunset.
>”I don’t like that sound of that,” Applejack says over her meal. “Somethin’ ain’t right.”
>”You don’t think that someone or something got to her, do you?” Rarity asks.
“I hope not, but she hasn’t called or texted back in two days now.”

>Pinkie gulps down the rest of her cupcake before speaking with a partially-full mouth. “Maybe she got caught?”
>”That’s the best scenario,” AJ says. “It’s either that or killed.”
>Everyone looks at the monster hunter, who takes a spoonful of red jello and eats it silently.
>Her brutal honesty doesn’t make anyone feel too much better, but there isn’t any point in denying the possibility.
>Still, you don’t think she is dead.
>Surely she would have found a way to escape, or to alert her friends to the danger she is in…
>”Big Mac’s workin’ with the rangers to try and find the missing people,” AJ says after a few moments of silence. “In the meantime, I’ve called a few members of the Apple family to come and help us.”
“Are they… you know, in the know?”
>She nods. “They’re up to speed on the situation, though they aren’t trackin’ about all of ya’ll’s secrets so it’s best to be careful for now. Granny Smith and Big Mac won’t spill the beans to anyone, I trust them, but until they’re ready let’s just keep the bigger secrets to ourselves.”
>You gulp down a spoonful of cornbread and nod; you definitely don’t plan on revealing your lycanthropic self to anyone else anytime soon.
>You look up and see Rainbow Dash floating around the tables, listening in on gossip.
>She floats back and whispers in your ear, “The whole school’s spooked. Somebody saw something outside his window last night and it scared him half to death.”
“What was it?” you ask her in a hushed voice.
>”He doesn’t know, but it was big and ugly and it ran back into the woods when he shined a light in its face. He says that it looked like its head was some kind of animal skull.”
>That doesn’t sound like a werewolf…
>Some kind of monster conjured up by the witches, perhaps?
>Either way, it’s more unsettling news.

>Rainbow floats off to learn more.
>After lunch, you head to fifth period, but are suddenly called to the principal’s office.
>As you step inside the office, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna greet you.
>You take a seat and Rainbow floats alongside the chair.
>”Hello, Anonymous,” Celestia begins. “Are you feeling better? I understand that you were absent from school the last two days due to illness.”
“I’m hoping I’m over it,” you reply.
>Luna nods. “Good, good. We’ve talked with some of your friends, but we believe that you may have some more answers for us. We have attempted to reach the home of your friend Rainbow Dash, but there is no answer, from her or her parents.”
“I heard that they had left to go see an air show,” you say to them. “Dash is just sick, is all.”
>”Indeed,” Celestia says, though she does not sound very convinced. “Anon, we have tolerated a number of occasional absences from school for the past year but frankly we are worried that something else may be going on.”
>”Do you need to speak to a counselor about anything?” Luna asks.
“No, no, not at all,” you wave the notion away. “Sometimes things just… happen, is all. I’m sure Dash is fine—everything’s fine.”
>Rainbow looks at you with uncertainty but Celestia speaks up again.
>”Well, this is hardly the first time Miss Dash has been absent. We merely wanted to check in with a friend of hers to see how she is doing. Please ensure that she returns to school as soon as possible.”
>You smile and nod as you stand up from your seat.
“If there’s anything else I can do for you, just let me know, ma’am.”

>”Actually,” Luna says, “there just may be. Do you recall the events that occurred roughly one year ago, right around this time?”
>You stare at her with a blank look on your face.
>The undead rising and nearly overwhelming the school, the battle against Archsepsis, Anubis banishing the undead and erasing everyone’s memory of the event—of course you remember everything, but they shouldn’t.
“I… can’t say that I do, no,” you lie with a straight face. “What do you refer to?”
>”My sister means only to bring up the rather peculiar events that happened last year. I don’t think I need to remind you of Roseluck’s untimely death.”
“Yes, I remember that,” you say.
>All too clearly, in fact.
>”Around that time, your home and the home of your grandfather also burnt to the ground, did they not?”
“Very unfortunate that an arsonist targeted my family, but it’s all just a weird coincidence,” you smile as you begin to sweat.
>”And finally, our memories seem to get a little fuzzy towards the end of the month,” Luna says. “You wouldn’t happen to have no memory of that time either, would you?”
“I… really wouldn’t be able to say, I mean if I had no memory how would I know that I didn’t know, right?”
>They look at each other and give a small nod.
>Celestia stares back at you with a very stern gaze, and in a voice that drops all pretenses, she asks you a question that shakes you to your core.
>”Very well then, Anonymous, perhaps you would instead like to tell us why Miss Dash is floating alongside you, dead?”

>You stare back at the principal before looking at Dash, who is equally shocked.
>The ghost manages to be the first to speak up. “You… You can see me?”
>”And hear you, yes,” Luna replies as she folds her arms.
>You surge forward and plant both hands on the desk.
“But… how!? I thought I was the only one who could see and hear her!”
>”So you did kill her, then?” Celestia dodges your question with one of her own.
You shrink back somewhat. “I… It wasn’t REALLY me, but—”
>”Who, then?” Luna asks.
>You look back at Dash, who urges you on.
>After taking a deep breath and deciding to speak truthfully, you answer her.
“The Wolf inside of me, when my moonstone was stolen by three witches.”
>The two faculty members look at each other again, sharing some kind of unknown knowledge in their eyes.
>Celestia speaks next. “It’s not entirely surprising. We’ve suspected for some time that you’ve been affiliated with a werewolf, but we did not know it was you.”
“How? How did you know this? How can you see and hear Dash?”
>”My sister and I are talented in a number of different practices,” Luna explains. “Including mediumship; mediating communication with undead spirits.”
>Rainbow floats closer. “But plenty of our friends deal with undead—we even have a witch on our team! How come only Anon could see me?”
>”Because you’re not in a normal situation, exactly,” Luna goes on. “You have been cursed. The both of you.”

Your blood runs cold. “Cursed? By the witches?”
>”Now that you have sat in our office, we’re certain of it,” Celestia says. “Our psychic abilities may not be very potent, but we can detect much more than the average person, including Miss Dash, the black curse upon your soul, and the slumbering beast within you.”
“So you’re psychic? Like a gypsy?”
>Luna scoffs. “We are not fortune tellers or palm readers, and we do not advertise our powers.”
>Celestia picks up from there. ”However, given the strange circumstances, it is time for us to step out of hiding and reveal ourselves. I think it is time you and your team do the same.”
“You mean in public?”
>The principal shakes her head. “No. We mean only to each other. If we are to discover the truth behind recent events, it is necessary for us to work together.”
>”You can start by telling us everything about why Miss Dash is dead and these ‘witches’ if you please,” Luna replies.
>You look at Rainbow, who is still in disbelief over their ability to perceive her, and begin to explain the situation.
>The witches, the blood moon, the giant black dog, the werewolves, killing Dash—everything that had led you to this moment.
>Rainbow also adds in, excited to be able to speak to two more people than just yourself.
>Along the way, you also reveal the involvement of the others and their own secrets.
>You don’t like to betray their trust, but having two psychic mediums on your side may be invaluable.
>Towards the end, you finish by talking about Sunset’s disappearance.
“And she hasn’t called back in two days. We’re all worried that something may have happened to her.”
>”And was she, too, involved in the incident one year ago?” Celestia asks.
“Well… we all were, technically. But it was caused by a lot of different things.”

>”We have no memory of that time, but we have always been able to sense the gap in our consciousness. What exactly did happen?” Luna inquires.
>But Celestia holds up a hand. “Perhaps that is all a story for another time. Right now, we need to focus on the present.”
>”Yeah, like this ‘curse’ thing you talked about,” Rainbow says. “Am I going to be stuck this way forever?”
>”We cannot say for certain,” Luna says honestly. “We have little experience in dealing with curses directly. We are more a product of an older time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
>Luna approaches the window and checks out of its blinds. “Canterlot has a history of strange things. Things people do not remember, but history is often forgotten for a reason. People deserve to live without fear, but Canterlot was once a very, very frightening place.”
>Celestia continues, “We have always known about the darker aspects of our town’s history. We are all that remains of a group dedicated to protecting it.”
“What group?”
>”The Disciples of the Sun and Moon,” Luna answers. “Not so much a cult as it was a covenant to use whatever means necessary to keep the darkness at bay without succumbing to it.”
“Was this group associated with the white wolves?”
>”We only know of the legends surrounding them,” the vice principal replies. “We know that they helped guard against evil, but that they eventually all vanished.”

>Celestia rises from her chair and joins her sister. ”We worried last year that Canterlot would return to the old ways, but the coming darkness was stopped. Now, one year hence, it seems that it means to attempt to return again.”
“Like, the power of evil itself is trying to take over the town?”
>Luna turns around. ”Not exactly; evil is not a tangible thing that can be spoken with, reasoned with or fully understood. But the darkness that once held sway over Canterlot and its people has always sought to return in one form or another.”
>”We have, on occasion, felt its presence,” Celestia reveals. “But it seems you and your team have been doing a good job of keeping it at bay for the time being. You have kept it from gaining strength.”
>”But nothing ever stays weak for long,” Luna says. “Canterlot is like a beacon to beings of darkness, and now it seems that it has attracted a particularly powerful and motivated group.”
>”But what does this all have to do with me and the curse?!” Rainbow impatiently asks.
>Celestia puts her hands together and says, ”It means that even though your friends are attempting to bring you back in your own body, it may be impossible to un-anchor yourself from Anon. Your spirit is intertwined with his. It is why you cannot travel too far away from him.”
>Rainbow looks frightened. “So… I might be like this forever?”
>Luna holds up her hands. “We don’t mean to imply that. Only that it may be more difficult to bring you back than you realize, because it may be impossible until the curse is broken.”
>”Well then, how the hell do we break it?!” Rainbow demands.
“Dash, calm down,” you implore your ghostly friend.
>”We don’t know,” Celestia admits. “But if it was cast upon you by the witches you spoke of, it may only be broken by finding them and forcing them to undo the hex.”

>”Okay, then you need to let Anon and the rest of the girls get time off from school so we can find them and kick their ass!” Rainbow orders the two of them.
>They look at each other, surprised by her boldness, but do not react in anger.
>Celestia straightens and says, ”It is true that your team is currently our best option to investigate this group. In light of recent circumstances, I will give you all an extended leave of absence. However, we will not be kept out of the loop. You are to report to us on matters relating to the group.”
“We will,” you say. “Though, I’ll have to explain it to the others.”
>Celestia nods at her sister, who goes to the microphone on her desk and calls the other members of your team to the office.
>”We trust you to do the right thing, Anonymous,” Celestia says. “But you must be wary of the beast within yourself. Take every precaution against him.”
“I intend to,” you reply as you move to the entrance of her office.
>”Anonymous,” Luna interrupts your leaving. “There is one more thing we need to discuss.”
>You and Dash both look at her, waiting for her to speak.
>”We have known about the presence of the werewolf for some time, even if we did not know who it was. Given that you were responsible for Roseluck and Rainbow Dash—”
“Woah, I never said I was responsible for Roseluck’s—”
>”Do not lie,” Celestia cuts you off in a stern tone.
>”As I was saying, as you are already indirectly responsible for the deaths of two of our students, you need to know that we will take every action to protect the student body from harm. We know that you currently do not have any means to control your transformation, but if you kill another one of our students, we will take action.”
>You look between her and Celestia, but before you can reply, there is a knock at the door as Twilight walks in.
>”You have much to speak about,” Celestia says.

>Taking the hint, you step out of their office and take Twilight with you.
>”That’s messed up,” Rainbow says as you walk outside.
“You’re telling me,” you whisper.
>”Telling you what?” Twilight asks.
“Things are getting a little bit complicated," you say. "And you might be a little bit angry at what I have to say.”
>The other girls walk up.
>”What’s this all about, Anon?” AJ asks.
“Wellll…”
>”So how are you gonna pull this one off, genius?” Dash asks.
>One semi-detailed explanation later, once you are off school grounds for the inevitable harsh words…
>”You WHAT?!” AJ shouts. “Land sakes, Anon! We’re supposed to be a team!”
>”I for one am utterly appalled at your indiscretion,” Rarity says as she folds her arms.
>”Do you have any idea how much this could jeoprodize us?” Twilight says, equally disappointed.
>”I’m also angry!” Pinkie says, pointing her finger in your face. “Last week I used my lunch money to buy you an ice cream and you said that you’d get me back this week!”
>The girls all look at her with blank expressions.
>”Also you just sold us all out, you dummy!” she adds.
“Alright, alright, alright!” you say as you hold up your hands defensively. “But it’s Celestia and Luna! We trust them, don’t we?”
>Twilight shakes her head. ”As much as I like our principal and vice principal, Anon, we have no way of knowing if they’re trustworthy with our secrets!”
>”How do we know they’re not connected to the werewolves?” Applejack asks, her voice rife with suspicion.

>”If they’re psychic, how do we know they didn’t mind control you?” Pinkie adds.
“I did NOT get mind controlled,” you say.
>”Yeeeeaaaah, but how would you know, hm?” Pinkie says with a smug smile.
>You blink a few times, unsure of how to answer that.
>You were surprisingly forward with your information…
>Did they trick you into spilling the beans?
>”This is actually kind of funny,” Rainbow says. “But tell them the important stuff already!”
“Well, okay, look, we don’t know that they’re not connected to the werewolves and the witches, but we don’t know that they are, right?”
>”Huh?” Pinkie scratches her head.
“What I’m saying is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. They could see and hear Dash, and I didn’t tell them what all of your secrets were specifically… Just that my inner circle of friends knows my secret and we’ve been working together to help keep Canterlot safe from spooks.”
>”Darling, I know what you mean, but be careful with that word,” Rarity reminds you.
“Sorry, supernaturals.”
>AJ sneers. “I just can’t believe you’d go and just betray our trust like this, Anon. It’s against all we’ve stood for as a team for the last year. We don’t reveal each other’s secrets!” she says, emphasizing each individual word of her last sentence. “We just… We just DON’T!”
“I know, and I’m sorry, I really, REALLY am,” you reply, looking them all in the eyes. “But I just… I don’t know, I just trust them, alright? They could already see and hear Dash, it’s not like I could keep that secret from them.”
>”Miiiiiind controooooollllllll,” Pinkie loudly whispers behind her hand into Rarity’s ear.

“Look, they said that there’s a curse on me,” you say. “And I’m not talking about my lycanthropy. The curse has bound Rainbow Dash to my soul, that’s why she can’t get far away from me and it’s why we might have trouble bringing her back.”
>Twilight narrows her eyes. “A curse? And they sensed this with their ‘psychic’ powers?”
“Come on, Twilight! You were the first to believe in the paranormal when you saw a ghost for the first time a year ago, are psychic powers outside the realm of possibility?”
>”No, of course not,” she says. “After all, psychics have been a common staple in folklore for generations, so like werewolves and vampires it’s logical to assume that they exist. But we had two psychic faculty members and they never found out about us? Any of us?”
“They had their suspicions. Look, the important thing is that they’ve all let us out of school until we can find these werewolves and stop them. They want to help us, I believe they’re genuine. And right now, our number one goal should be finding the one member of our group who knows the most about curses.”
>AJ picks up the hint. “Sunset’s been missin’ for too long now. We need to go find her. I can agree with that, even if I don’t agree with him straight-up tellin’ folks that we hunt monsters.”
>You throw up your arms and give her a ‘come on’ face, but she turns around the snubs you.
>Pinkie pats you on the back. “There, there, Anon, I know it’s not your fault that you keep getting mind controlled. First the moonstone and now this…”
“You’re a real gem, Pinkie,” you sigh.
>”No, that’s Rarity,” the girl says with a wide smile. “I’m more like cotton candy!”
>Dash giggles a bit, floating behind you as you follow the others.

>Applejack takes charge, as she often naturally does. ”So, first order of business is to get supplies ready and suited up. Anon, go pick up Fluttershy at your place. Twilight, get all the ghostbustin’ gear you got ready and everybody else meet up at the armory on Sweet Apple Acres.”
>She makes it to her car and gets ready to climb in.
>Before she shuts her door, she looks at you.
>”And Anon, you pull one more stunt like this again, and you an’ me are gonna have one hell of a problem. My patience is wearin’ reeeaaal thin, mister. You hear me?”
“Yea ma’am,” you say.
>She slams her truck door and kicks the engine into gear before driving off.
>”Man, she’s really pissed at you,” Rainbow says. “I mean, killing me, having to deal with your transformations, and now this…”
“Thank you, Rainbow…” you silently deadpan.
>Twilight turns and looks at you, but when she speaks, she does not address you, but instead your spectral companion.
>”Rainbow Dash, I know that you must be worried about this curse business… But once we find Sunset, we’ll get it all straightened out. Nobody in the group knows more about them than her.”
>The ghost nods and is about to reply, but remembers that she wouldn’t hear.
>”Tell the egghead I say thanks, meathead,” she orders you.
>You’re getting a little bit tired of suddenly being walked all over by everyone.
“She’s very appreciative, Twilight,” you say. “Which is good, because she’s been very, very afraid up until now.”
>”Oh don’t you go spreading lies about me now,” Rainbow warns you. “When I get back into my body I am so kicking your ass.”
>Twilight places a hand over her heart. “I know I can’t tell you not to be scared, Rainbow, because we all are, but we’re not going to give up on you.”
>Pinkie gives a big wide smile and hugs the air, but she does not hug Rainbow.
>She peeks at you with one eye. “Is she in my arms?” she asks.
>Rainbow sighs and floats over into Pinkie’s arms.
“She is now.”
>”Yaaay! I know you can feel this in your heart, Dashie!” Pinkie says as she hugs the intangible spirit.
>”Oh, be still my non-beating heart,” the ghost rolls her eyes.
>As Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie walk away, you turn to begin walking towards your home when you suddenly stop.
>”What’s up, Anon?” Rainbow asks.
>You smell something.
>It's not a very strong scent, so you didn't pick up on it until you were done conversing with your friends, but it's different from the usual smells you pick up around town.
>It's something strange and foreign.
>Like burning candles…
>You take a few sniffs and your eyes are drawn up to the top of a nearby building.
>A crow is sitting on the corner of it, looking down directly at you.
>Upon noticing the black bird, it immediately takes off into the air with a loud caw.
>The bird flies away and vanishes over the treetops.
>The smell is gone.
>”Anon? Dude? Hello? What is up?” Rainbow says, floating in front of you.
“I don’t know… I don’t know.”

>You make the jog back home and open the door to your apartment to find Fluttershy curled up on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest, her eyes puffy from tears.
>Her cheeks are slightly stained from runny eyeshadow.
>You go and sit next to her as Rainbow looks on, concerned for one of her oldest friends.
“Hey,” you softly say as you sit down, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.
>She hides her face as she shies away from you, not wanting to be seen in this state.
>Rainbow floats around behind her and tells you to comfort her. ”Come on, man! Lay on the hugs and stuff!”
>You shoot her a cocked eyebrow but turn your attention back to the sad girl next to you.
“I’m here to listen,” you say, unsure of what else to do. “I know you loved your animals, but—”
>”A-Angel…” she whimpers. “My poor little baby bunnicula…”
“Hey, it’ll be okay,” you try to calm her with soothing words. “Maybe they didn’t even get him. Maybe he made it off into the forest.”
>”Y… You think so?” she asks through sniffles.
“I mean, maybe…” you say, not wanting to make promises about things you cannot know for certain. “Well, he’s a smart rabbit, right? Maybe he got away!”
>She turns a bit and hugs you, wrapping her dainty arms around you as she buries her head in your chest and lets the tears flow freely.
>”This is nice,” Rainbow says with a smile. “I mean, it’s sad and all but it’s kind of sweet, you know?”
>As she pours out the sadness from losing her friend and her animals, especially her treasured rabbit, she hugs you tighter and tighter.
>”I just miss them so much, all of them already, they all had names and I would feed them and take care of them and I loved them all so much,” she says through sobs.
>”Which reminds me, you need to drop by my house later and feed Tank,” Dash reminds you.
>You give the ghost a “I’m a little bit busy at the moment” look as you gently rock the crying girl back and forth.

>This goes on for some time, to the point where the mushiness is starting to rub Rainbow the wrong way.
>”Okay, come on now Anon, we’ve got a job to do already,” she says, rolling her bloodshot eyes.
>As you try to disengage, Fluttershy only holds you tighter, all but refusing to let go.
>”I don’t want to lose anyone else…” she says as she calms down a bit.
“Yeah, I know Shy,” you say reassuringly. “But we should probably get going. The others are—”
>”Just a bit longer,” she pleads. “Please…”
>You oblige her as Rainbow folds her arms and looks displeased.
>You’re suddenly aware of a slightly different sensation emanating from your overly-embracive friend.
>She’s starting to feel very cold, and her skin feels a bit clammy.
>”Anon… You’re so warm…” she whispers as she starts lifting her head.
>You turn to look into her eyes and find them to be a stark red.
>At that, you suddenly start feeling a little uneasy.
“Uh, Shy, your eyes, they’re—”
>She interrupts you. “I’m so cold…” she says, grabbing the back of your neck. “And you’re… so… warm…”
>Uh oh.
>Rainbow cocks an eyebrow. “The hell is she doing?”
>You’ve seen this behavior before, when she starts to lose her grip on her humanity and slides into the hungry embrace of her inner vampire.
>You put a bit more effort into disentangling yourself from her, but she doesn’t let go.
>In fact, her hand tightens on your neck and it starts to hurt.
“Shy, you’re hurting my neck,” you tell her, trying not to panic but also trying to get out of her grip.

>”I’m hurting too,” she whispers, leaning up to kiss your neck.
>”What the heck?! Fluttershy, get off him! Stop it!” Rainbow shouts ineffectually at her.
“Shy, I know what you’re thinking, and I’d really, really appreciate it if you stopped thinking it and we just talked about it,” you say as sweat runs down your forehead.
>”Shhhh,” she shushes you as she drags her tongue across the skin of your neck. “I just need a little… It’ll make me warm…”
“Rainbow is here, you know,” you tell her. “Her spirit is right there! Don’t, uh, act like this in front of her!”
>She shakes her head. “I don’t care,” she says. “She can watch.”
>You stop trying to be polite and actively attempt to break out of her grasp.
>She keeps her hold on you and she falls back with you onto the ground, grinding her body against yours as she gets on top, pinning you to the floor.
>”Break out! Come on, get out!” Rainbow urges. “Wolf-out or something, man!”
>You know you can’t do such during the day without your moonstone, so all you can do is continually try to appeal to her.
“Fluttershy, stop! Stop this now! Please, I’m your friend, come on!”
>”Struggle more,” she says with a wicked smile, writhing her hips against yours. “Fight me, Anon, fight me like an animal…”
“Get off!” you shout.
>She lewdly licks her lips. “I’m trying to.”
>”Punch her! Knock some sense into her!” Rainbow advises.
>You try bringing up an arm but her great strength holds you down.
>”I only need a small drink,” she coos. “Just a few drops…”
“I’m not a damned bloodbank, Fluttershy! I’m your FRIEND!”

>At that, she seems to falter a bit.
>But then she opens her mouth wide, her fangs fully emerged and ready to pierce some flesh.
“What would Angel think of this?! Or Rainbow! FLUTTERSHY! STOP!”
>Again she hesitates, just above your neck.
>You can feel her cold breath on your skin, making your hair stand up.
>She blinks a few times, her eyes turning from red to blue.
>”A… Anon? What am I…”
“Fluttershy, stop! Get off me!”
>She suddenly realizes everything she’s done and she leaps off of you and onto your ceiling, sticking to it like a spider.
>She clasps her hands over her fanged mouth as she immediately begins to regret everything.
>”Oh Dracula, no, no, no, not again, not again,” she whimpers.
>You look up at her as fresh tears begin to form.
“Hey, hey now, it’s, it’s okay,” you say with a shaky voice. “I know what it’s like to lose control, I do.”
>She vigorously shakes her head as she falls to the floor, landing on her feet.
>She doesn’t stop to say anything more; she runs straight to the window, grabbing her shoes as she does.
“Fluttershy, WAIT!” you call after her to no avail.
>She opens the window and leaps out, landing on the grass below and taking off.
>”Go after her!” Dash encourages as she floats through the wall in the vampire’s direction.
>You waste no time in getting to a standing position and you run to the window, diving out headfirst.
>As you reach the ground, you curl into a ball and roll forwards, an acrobatic skill granted by your lycanthropy.
>You take off after her as she leaps over a chain-link fence that surrounds the apartment complex.
>Upon reaching the fence, you scale it as well, quickly and efficiently.

>Overhead, Rainbow Dash soars in the sky, calling out Fluttershy’s position to you as you chase her through town, down alleys and across streets.
>Although you do not tire easily, she is able to outpace you thanks to her own supernatural abilities.
>As you reach the public park, you look all around for her but find no trace of her.
>As Rainbow looks around, your enhanced hearing picks something up.
>”Fluttershy? Is that you? What’s wrong?”
>Male voice, familiar…
>Flash Sentry.
>”I need your help,” you hear her say.
>You turn around to face the direction of the sound and spy them beneath a large oak tree.
>He moves in close to put a hand on her shoulder.
>Ever the ladies man, but in this instance it’s likely to get him killed.
“STOP!” you shout, running up to them both.
>Fluttershy turns away from you, and Flash looks at her teary face and back to you.
>”Did you hurt her?” he asks accusingly, narrowing his gaze as he takes in your panting form.
>You almost repeat what he said incredulously, but you need to keep her secret at all costs while trying to protect him, despite your rocky history with the guitar-playing jock.
“Flash, listen to me man, you really need to get out of here,” you try to warn him.
>”I don’t know what’s going on, but I think you need to go,” he says, pointing further up the park. “Take a hike, Anon.”
“No, Flash, you really don’t know what’s going on, and you really don’t want to do this!” you say.

>Rainbow floats up behind you. “I don’t think he’s getting the picture,” she says. “Knock his lights out!”
>Fluttershy looks at Flash from behind, her eyes glowing red again.
>He stands his ground. “How about you make me, chump? I saw you chasing Fluttershy. What, are you beating her up? Is that how you get your kicks?”
>Your eyes widen as you look at her open her mouth and bare her fangs.
“FLASH, TURN AROUND NOW!”
>But he doesn’t, thinking you are playing some kind of trick.
>She lunges onto him from behind and bites his neck, sinking her fangs into his muscle and instantly drawing blood.
>He shouts and tries to get her off of him, but she pins him to the ground.
>You run forward and tackle the vampire off of him before she can drink anything more.
>Flash puts his hand on his neck and screams as he gets up and runs away.
>The vampire smiles and licks her fangs, relishing the taste, as you get on top of her.
“Fluttershy! FLUTTERSHY! Snap out of it! SNAP OUT OF IT!”
>She blinks and her eyes turn blue again and the weight of her actions quickly comes crashing down on her.
>”No… NO!” she struggles against you.
>You let her sit up, but still hold onto her wrist.
“Fluttershy, please, calm down,” you urge.
>”Not again,” she cries. “Not again, not again, no…”
“It’s okay,” you say, holding her close. “Nobody was hurt… Nobody was hurt, right? Is Flash going to turn, you know, into a vampire?”
>She shakes her head. “I didn’t drink enough,” she tells you. “He’ll be a little woozy, but okay.”
>You hold her close for a bit as Dash circles around.
>”I’m a monster…” she says between sobs.

“No more than I am,” you tell her, making her look at you. “I know what it’s like to lose control. I’ve seen you do it before, and I’ve done it more than a few times.”
>Looking around the park, you are stricken with memory of your very first transformation.
“The very first time I ever turned was in this park. Roseluck was there…” you whisper softly.
>Rainbow looks on, listening closely.
“Ever since, I’ve always known that there’s this beast inside that wants out, and up until recently I was able to do so, but now I can’t. So I know what it’s like, I do, but we can’t lose ourselves to it.”
>She lets out a sniffle as she nods. “I’ve been so good about it, not hurting anyone or turning into that… thing… I turn into. She’s horrible; she’s just awful… so seductive and evil.”
“We both have something inside that wants to come out,” you say as you tighten the hug. “But it’s not us. We aren’t monsters, and we can’t think we are. Otherwise, they’ll win.”
>She nods a bit and is silent, giving you a chance to continue.
“I think almost everyone has monsters inside of them… In our case, it’s a bit more literal,” you joke, getting a chuckle out of her.
>”It’s hard sometimes,” she whispers.
“I know. But as long as we stick together, we can make it through this, Shy. I know we can.”
>”Thank you for understanding, Anon… I don’t know if there’s anyone else who could.”
“You and I are pretty unique out of our group,” you smile. “We’re fighting more than just monsters on the outside… We’ve got them inside, too.”
>Rainbow too manages a smile and is about to say something to you when your phone rings.
>You take it out and check it; it’s Applejack.

>After answering it, you tell her that you and Fluttershy are both in the park.
>She’s on her way to pick you up.
>”Isn’t it still school hours?” she asks.
>Now that you have her calmed down a bit, you explain to her the situation with school, Celestia and Luna.
>This time making sure to emphasize that you did not tell her secret to anyone, so that she doesn’t react too harshly to the news.
>She’s a bit easier than the others when it comes to chewing you out, but she’s more glad to know that they too can see and hear Dash’s spirit.
>”At least it means you aren’t crazy from guilt or anything,” she says.
“Yeah. Hey,” you snap, causing her to giggle.
>You look at her chin, seeing some of Flash’s blood still there.
“You’ve got a little bit of, uh,” you lick your finger and rub her chin.
>She blushes, something she could not due while in her vampiric form.
>The color to her skin and eyes has returned and she’s thankfully normal again.
>She smiles and thanks you as you wipe the blood away.
>At that moment, Applejack pulls up in her truck; the others are inside or in the back, with all of their gear.
>”We interruptin’ you two?” the monster hunter asks.
>You look at her and she at you; you can tell from her expression that she wants to keep what happened with Flash a secret.
>He might be a little freaked out, but with any luck he won’t think that she’s a vampire, just a bit of a biter.
>You understand her and climb into the back of the truck alongside her, sitting next to Twilight and Pinkie Pie.
>”Next stop, Everfree National Forest,” Applejack says over the roar of her truck’s engine.

>You’re mostly silent during the trip into the forest.
>You look around and see the others making their preparations, such as Twilight, who is adjusting a pair of tech-goggles.
>AJ drives out of the town limits and across the many fields towards the national forest.
>The thick canopy of trees masks the sun, but it’s already a very cloudy day, giving the sky a bit of a grey overtone.
>AJ decides to head towards Sunset’s cabin first, to see if there is any sign of her.
>When you pull up, it isn’t pretty.
>The front door is wide open and the windows are broken; the wood is covered in scratch marks.
>The remembrance of wolf claws…
>”Looks like we’re not the only ones who’ve been here,” AJ says, stepping out of her truck, shotgun at the ready.
>”It’s just like my house… Well, not as bad, honestly,” Fluttershy says. “But it’s definitely similar.”
“Maybe Sunset fought them here?” You hop out of the back and look around.
>”I don’t think so,” Twilight says. “There would be more evidence of a battle, surely. I mean, there’s no sign of the scorching or blasting that typically accompanies Sunset’s offensive magic. And no bodies.”
>”Unless they were dragged off,” Applejack says, kneeling and inspecting the dirt and leaves. “One thing’s for sure, there were a lot of them here. Tracks all over the ground, and they scattered in all directions.”

“Maybe Sunset wasn’t here,” you say as you boldly approach the cabin, “but rather, they were searching for something.”
>You walk in and the others follow.
>Pinkie Pie immediately calls out her name, but there isn’t any response.
>You head directly towards the trapdoor that leads to the cellar.
>Sliding down the wooden ladder, you turn towards a nearby table and find the usually-lit candles upon it are out.
>And the Necronomicon Ex Mortis is gone.
“Damn. Either she has it, or they do,” you whisper to yourself.
>Pinkie sticks her head down the trapdoor. “Nonny? Is Sunset down there?”
“No, and neither is the book.”
>At that moment, Rainbow Dash flies up to you through the cellar wall.
>”Finally! Do you know how hard it is to keep up with a damn truck? If I still breathed I’d be winded!”
>You point at the table and draw her eyes to the missing spellbook.
>She doesn’t have as much an understanding of the significance of it as you do, but she understands well enough that it could mean trouble.
>You can hear the footsteps of the others above, tromping around and looking for evidence on Sunset’s current whereabouts.
>A dedicated sniff of the air tells you that she isn’t here anymore, though.
>As you climb back up, the others are piecing together the torn-up furnishings that you’ve all worked on over the last year.
>Applejack shakes her head. “The group couch is all but ruined.”
>Rarity picks up a broken frame. “The pictures on the walls are smashed and trampled on, the ruffians.”
>Fluttershy walks out from the kitchen. ”They even ate all the food in the fridge.”
“Those bastards,” you nearly snarl. “I had a sandwich in there I was saving.”

>”Forget the sandwich, Anon! We need to worry about Sunset!” Dash reminds you. “She’s the only one who can fuse my soul back into my body!”
>At that moment, Twilight comes in from having search outside with her new goggles, the headset of which wraps around her head and covers her ears.
>”Well, there’s no trace of ectoplasmic residue, so we can rule out ghosts.” She changes the topic. “Anon, could you point out Rainbow’s location please?”
“She’s right next to me,” you say, looking at the ghost.
>Twilight’s brow furrows as she adjusts her goggles, looking for the right frequency that would allow her to see and hear her dead friend.
>”Strange, she’s not registering on any of the usual wavelengths of negative energy that spirits tend to manifest in,” she says. “Perhaps I need to make further adjustments…”
>AJ puts her shotgun over one shoulder. ”This is good an’ all, but if we’re gonna find Sunset, we need to split up.”
>You shoot her an incredulous look.
”AJ, you have seen horror movies, right?”
>”I tend to agree darling, splitting up is simply far too dangerous,” Rarity nods.
>”I don’t like it either, but we need to cover more ground. I say we head to Big Mac’s ranger station and coordinate a grid-by-grid search of the area, with radio communication. Not cell phones. Damn things can’t hardly get a signal out here amongst these trees.”
“Well, I mean you made it sound like a good idea, but all those witches would have to do is get one of us alone and use their magic to incapacitate us.”
>AJ scratches her chin, then her green eyes light up with a mischievous glare.

>”I got an idea…” she says, looking directly at you.
>Something tells you that you aren’t going to like it very much.
>”Twilight, you brought most of your gear, right?”
>”Yes, everything I could grab,” she nods.
>”Good. Remember that one ghost in the water processing plant that we couldn’t find because it kept runnin’ around the tunnels?”
>”Yes, we used my tracking device after we tagged it with—Ohhh… I see where you’re going with this, Applejack.”
>The monster hunter looks at you with a slick grin. “We can find those witches… we just need bait.”
You immediately throw up your hands. “Woah, woah! Let’s talk about this now!”
>”I vote for it!” Pinkie says. “After all, he WAS mind controlled.”
“I was NOT mind controlled and I do NOT want to be bait!” you say.
>”Come on! You’re the most attractive one outta the bunch of us,” AJ says. The rest of the girls all look at her. “I meant to the witches. The witches.”
>She coughs into her hand. “What I meant was that they probably want Anon. We send him off into the woods with the tracer somewhere on him and wait for them to take him to their lair.”
“We don’t know that will work,” you say.
>”If we can’t split up without the risk of getting caught, then selecting which of us is caught and following them would be the better solution,” Twilight agrees with AJ.
>”I’m in!” Pinkie says. “It’ll be like fishing, but for witches! With Anon on the end of the hook!”
“Rarity! Fluttershy! Back me up here!” you plead.
>”I can’t say that I like the idea of hanging one of our own teammates out to dry like this,” Rarity says.
>”I’m not all for it either…” Fluttershy says as she twiddles her fingers. “I mean, Anon didn’t mean to kill Rainbow…”

“There, see? Fifty-fifty. It’s a tie, which means we don’t send me off to get captured by the witches.”
>”Hey!” the ghost says. “I’m here too! I should get a say in this.”
“You don’t get a say,” you reply, irritated at the idea of being bait.
>”What? Fuck you! I totally get a say!”
“Well, nobody else can see or hear you!” you snap back at her.
>Twilight goes back to adjusting her goggles.
>”Well, maybe I think you should be bait!” Rainbow says. “Then we spring a trap on those catty bitches and make them reverse the curse!”
“We don’t even know if we can do that!” you argue back.
>”I say you go, that means the majority is for you being the one to play the patsy.”
“What, you don’t think they’d find that the least bit suspicious? They’re witches! For all we know, they could be listening in on this conversation right now with some kind of crystal ball!”
>Rainbow scoffs. “Man, Anon, I thought you had balls.”
“Oh, do not go there right now.”
>”Oh, I’m going there right now! Why don’t you stick your head between your legs and sniff them out like a good dog, or is your tail going to get in your way? What with you being frightened and it curled up between them. You’re a dog, by the way.”
“Riveting retort, Rainbow.”
>The ghost uses her one hand to flip you off.
“Oh, why don’t you use the other hand too while you’re at it?”
>”You know damn well why! You ate it, you moron!”
“I know! I’m starting to regret not chomping down on the other set!”

>The others in the room, able to only glimpse your side of this argument, watch you like one watches a crazy person.
>But at that moment, Twilight shouts, “EUREKA! I got it!”
>Everyone turns to look at her as she minutely adjusts the lens of her goggles.
>”Rainbow… I can see you! Very faintly… try saying something!”
>”Hello? Twilight? Can you hear me?”
>”My headset can’t quite make out your words yet, but I can see the physical outline of your body!”
>”Awesome!” Rainbow says, throwing her arms up.
>Applejack steps forward. “Rainbow, do you think Anon should be bait?”
>She energetically nods while you pleadingly shake your head.
>Twilight smiles. “She does!”
“Damnit.”
>Pinkie Pie bounces over and swipes the goggles off of Twilight’s head. “Lemme see! Lemme see!”
>She takes them, slams them over her mane of poofy pink hair and starts fiddling with them.
>”No! My adjustments!” Twilight cries.
>But Pinkie has already turned the lens to a new configuration.
>”Pinkie! I had her in sight!” Twilight says, annoyed at her friend’s antics.
>”Well I can see her just fine!” Pinkie says with a bright, white smile. “Boy, Dashie, you have seen better days…”
>The ghost rolls her eyes. ”Ugh. Tell me about it. I have to be stuck with this lug head.”
>”I can hear you too!” Pinkie exclaims with glee. She runs up to Dash and puts her hand through her stomach. “Woah, that’s spooky.”
>Twilight can’t believe her ears; she grabs the headset off of Pinkie and examines them again.
>”By Einstein’s ghost, I can’t believe it! Rainbow! I can see you!”
>”Great!” she says. “Now all you need to do is make it so I’m not dead!”
>”Well… we’re trying,” Twilight replies.
>The other girls move in to get a look through the goggles as Pinkie smiles at her work.
>She dusts off her hands. “Happy to help, Twilight,” she says with a wink. “All in a day’s work.”

>After making peace with your new role as bait, and apologizing to Rainbow for arguing with her (you do have to keep dealing with her, after all) you prepare yourself for what comes next.
>Twilight affixes you with a tracking device, which she can use coupled with a GPS to track your exact location.
>AJ parts with some of her gear to give you some support.
>After this, the rest of the group parts from the cabin, driving away in AJ’s truck  towards Big Mac’s ranger station to coordinate the search from there.
>They wish you luck before they depart, but it is of little comfort.
>”Maybe it won’t be that bad,” Rainbow offers as she floats alongside you.
“You haven’t dealt with these witches yet,” you reply. “I have, and I’m not too keen on doing so again.”
>”You got those earplugs from AJ, right?”
>You dig them out of your pocket.
“Yeah, I still have them.”
>”And the mini-crossbow, right?”
>You open your jacket, revealing the handheld crossbow.
>It’s loaded up with paralyzing tranquilizer darts; if you’re lucky, maybe you could knock one of the witches out with it.
>”And the radio?”
>You pat your leg pocket, full with the green radio.
>”And the holy hand grenade?”
“In my other pocket, yeah, I’ve got it all,” you reply. “It still doesn’t make me feel any safer. They have magic, and all we have are trinkets.
>As you make your way deeper into the forest, you grow increasingly nervous.
>Every shadow beneath every tree seems to cause you to shift your eyes, as though they’re going to jump out at any moment.
>”You’re on edge like crazy,” Rainbow observes. “Are you alright?”
“This was a stupid plan,” you mutter.
>You duck under a broken tree and cross a stream when your radio buzzes to life.
>”Anon?” It’s AJ. “We’re at the ranger station, over.”
>You fish out the radio and depress the transceiver button.
“Copy that. I’m still out in the woods, over.”
>”Keep us updated and stay safe! Out.”
>You put the radio away and can’t help but think it ironic that AJ told you to be safe.
>Ever since this incident started, she’s been the most abrasive and cold towards you.
>Well, actually, it’s been somewhat like that ever since she found out you were a werewolf and that you had lied to her a year ago.
>She’s softened up considerably since then, but members of the Apple family tend to hold long grudges.
>Especially Big Mac, who can hardly stand you being in the same room as him.
>You didn’t like lying to her, but she was a monster hunter and you were a monster.
>It didn’t help that she was getting so close to you, either.
>The few kisses and passionate moments you had shared with her only made the betrayal of her trust even worse for the both of you.
>It’s partially the reason why you never pursued anything with Sunset, even though you could have.
>Hell, you could have probably gone with anyone in the group, if you’re being honest with yourself.

>You remember that one time Twilight described your “animal magnetism” that the lycanthropy seemed to grant you, causing her to practically throw herself at you.
>But that was also likely the result of the odd behavior afflicting her through abuse of her own reagent.
>Regardless, you grew to dislike the idea of getting into a relationship.
>You look over at Rainbow, who is scanning the trees in order to help you spot the witches.
>Somehow you doubt they’ll just pop up like you keep expecting them to.
>The ghost girl raises some conflicting emotions within you, particularly about what you promised to do when she got back into her body.
>Can you really justify going out on a date with her, knowing that you’re the one who killed her?
>No, no, it wasn’t you.
>It was that damned Wolf.
>What if you can’t get him under control again?
>What if you’re going to be stuck like this forever, like you feared one year ago?
>If that’s the case… then perhaps it’s time to consider curing yourself, much like you did when you woke up after the night of your first transformation.
>Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to finally get rid of this curse.
>At the same time, it’s given you a lot in return.
>A place on the team, great memories with great friends, and more adventures than you can easily count.
>You can’t lie to yourself and say that it’s been all bad.
>Still…

>If you can’t regain control over the beast inside, then it would be irresponsible to start a relationship.
>You find yourself looking over at Rainbow some more, but this draws her attention.
>”Uh, Anon? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she jokes.
“I don’t know how you’re keeping in good humor about all of this.”
>”Well, I’m just confident that things will work out. I mean, our team is awesome and there’s nothing we can’t do, right?”
“Right, I guess so. Still, I’m sorry we had that fight back there.”
>”Ah, don’t sweat it, you big baby. You can make it up to me when I get back into my body.”
>She throws in a wink that would be cute were it not for her ghastly face.
“About that, though… I was just thinking…”
>She stops moving and looks at you. “What? Don’t tell me you’re flaking out on me, Anon.”
“No, no, it’s just… I’m worried about not being able to control myself.”
>”What, like with chicks? You want an open relationship?”
“What?! No!”
>”I mean, I’d be open to the idea, I’m not entirely against it. I’d have to approve the other girl, though.” She giggles a bit, but she still seems rather serious.
“I’m talking about the thing inside me! The Wolf!”
>”Ohhh… Well, we’ll just get the moonstone back from the witches, right?”
“But what if it isn’t that simple?” you ask. “What if I can’t control anything about my transformations ever again?”
>Rainbow doesn’t seem to concerned. “Well, it’s a magic moonstone, right? Maybe we could just make another one and bam, you’re back in control.”
You sigh. “I really hope it ends up being that simple, Dash, I really do. Because something tells me that it’s only going to get worse.”

>The ghost crosses her arms. “Maybe… But maybe not, right? Let’s just keep going with the plan.”
>She hesitates for a moment, but then asks you another question.
>”You were having second thoughts about ‘us’ though?”
“Not exactly. But I’m wary of getting into a ‘thing’ with anyone while there’s a risk of me ripping their head off on a full moon.”
>”I get where you’re coming from, especially with my current circumstances, trust me on that. But I mean, we can make it work, you know? I just really want to try.”
“You want to try that much?”
>”Well… yeah. I like you.”
>You stand there for a moment as she blushes and looks away.
>”S-stop staring at me like that, dork.”
>You chuckle and avert your eyes.
“Sorry, it’s just, I always assumed it was just a, I don’t know, a simple crush.”
>”Well, it could be more, you don’t know,” she says, looking back at you. “You should find out.”
>Before you can say anything else, you hear a noise.
>A soft humming, almost like a bird’s, but from very far away.
“You hear that?” you ask her.
>”Hear what?”
>The humming slowly but consistently grows in strength, becoming more audible and clear.
>”Okay, yeah, I definitely hear that,” she says.
>There’s a rhythm to their humming, a light-hearted and jovial nature to it that almost puts you at ease.
>Almost.

>You’re not falling for this again.
>Immediately you take out the wax earplugs and shove them in.
>The humming can still be heard, but whatever intoxicating effects that are carried with it are nullified.
>You and Rainbow both scan around for any sign of the witches, but they are as invisible as they are insidious.
>”I can’t figure out where the sound is coming from,” the ghost says.
>Just then, words start to join in the humming.
>They’re singing a nursery rhyme.
>”Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?
>”Big bad wolf?
>”Big bad wolf?
>”Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?
>”Tra-la-la-la-la!”
>The three of them are singing all together, and as they close in, the nursery rhyme grows louder.
>”Are you afraid of the big bad wolf?
>”Big bad wolf?
>”Big bad wolf?
>”Are you afraid of the big bad wolf?
>”Tra-la-la-la-la!”
“Show yourselves!” you shout, curling your hands into fists.
>”I can’t see them anywhere!” Rainbow says over the song.

>The wind picks up, kicking up leaves and blowing them in a small circle.
>From the corner of your eye, you see another circle of leaves begin to appear, and then a third.
>All three of them equidistant from you and Dash, surrounding you.
>Their voices grow as they reach the final verse.
>”I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf!
>”Big bad wolf!
>”Big bad wolf!
>”I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf!
>”Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
>On the final line, accompanying their mocking laughter, the three small cyclones of leaves blow apart and in their place stand the three witches in human form.
>In fact, they’re dressed like somewhat punky girls, each with a distinct style of their own.
>One of them has blue hair, pulled into a ponytail, with purple clothing.
>The second has purple hair with green streaks, wearing a slightly torn-up top and jacket with tightly-fitting pants.
>The final one has bright orange hair, wide and poofier than even Pinkie Pie, with belt studded with metal spikes.
>The poofy one gives you a sinister smile. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t the big bad wolf.”
>The other two giggle as they slowly begin walking in a circle around you.
>”What’s this? You came unarmed?” one asks.
>”Maybe he wants to talk,” the ponytailed one says, smiling wide.
>”Well, he didn’t come alone, so he’s not lonely at least,” the second says, pointing at Dash’s spirit.
>”Or maybe he just appreciates fine art,” the first adds with a cocky grin.
“I came here looking for you, alright, but it wasn’t to talk or look at you.”
>There is a low chuckling from all three of them.

>You notice that around each of their necks is a glowing red gem, worn on a choker.
>Three matching red stones, three insidious voices worming their way into your head.
>Thankfully the earplugs are keeping them at bay.
>”He may be unarmed, but not unprepared,” the poofy one says, looking at your ears. ”Turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks.”
>At that, the other two laugh.
>Rainbow flies over to the poofy one, apparently their leader, and shouts, “Enough being coy! You’re going to fix this, or else!”
>The witch regards her with some amusement.
>”Or else what? You’ll wave your arms at me? Or, rather, through me?”
>Rainbow fumes as you look them in the eyes.
“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,” you change the subject. “I like to know the people who I’m going to end up fighting.”
>”I’m Sonata,” the one with blue hair says, wiggling her fingers at you with a cute, disarming smile.
>”Aria,” the second one says with a sinister grin.
>”And I am Adagio,” the first one introduces herself. “But you can go ahead and call me Mistress, since I hold your leash.”
>You let out an amused snort.
“I wasn’t aware that cats told dogs what to do.”
>Adagio places her hands on her hips and cocks them to one side. ”All good dogs know when to heel, but then again, perhaps you’ve never been properly trained.”
>”I wonder if he’s even housebroken,” Aria sneers.
>”You’re a dog!” Sonata laughs.
>The other two roll their eyes.

>”Enough of this bullshit,” Rainbow says, staring Adagio in the face. “If you don’t break the curse on me right now, then you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
>Adagio seems to take great pleasure in the ghost’s frustration.
>”I think she’s getting a bit upset,” Aria says.
>Sonata giggles. ”Careful! She might look at you meanly.”
>Adagio steps through Rainbow, ignoring her, and heads towards you.
>”I don’t care about Miss No-Body. I’m far more interested in you… Anon.”
“So, you do know my name. But we’ve never met before. Which means that you knew about me before that night.”
>”Goodness, you’re a bright one,” she says as she rolls her eyes. “Of course I knew about you, Anon. You and your little freakshow team. You’ve been making some noise.”
>Aria nods. ”Rubbing some folks the wrong way.”
>Sonata pops up in the corner of your vision. “And somebody wants you out of the picture!”
“The curator,” you mutter under your breath. “But what do you get out of this?”
>”Well, it’s amusing, for one,” Adagio waves her hand. “And it brings me a measure of joy to see the self-righteous taken down a few pegs.”
>Aria speaks up. “Plus, it’s not good to let someone like you running around unchecked. It’s bad for business all around. I mean, sooner or later you and your team were going to expand beyond this stupid little town, and we can’t have that, no, no, no.”
>”So we made you lose control and eat your friend!” Sonata pipes in.
>Adagio and Aria both groan a bit.
>Clearly, she’s the one of the three with the least going on upstairs.

>”So why the curse, then?” Rainbow demands.
>”I see your witch friend already detected the hex,” Adagio says, apparently unaware of Celestia and Luna.
>Good, they don’t need to know that.
You step towards her. “That’s right, and it’s only a matter of time before she breaks it.”
>Aria laughs. “I don’t think she’s in much of a condition to break any hex.”
>”She’s caught in our trap!” Sonata proudly exclaims.
>”Shut up already!” Aria snaps at her. “We’re trying to be coy and aloof, you featherbrain!”
>So, they either have Sunset in captivity, or they’re bluffing.
>And they're not commenting on the curse itself.
>Best to not show weakness and instead try to foster some discontent between them.
“Good to know you girls are such friends,” you chuckle.
>Adagio holds up a hand and they both go silent. “Friendship doesn’t factor into it,” she says. “We share a common interest.”
“That would explain why you got me alone and ambushed me. Can’t stand up to my friends.”
>Adagio laughs at that. “Oh, you’re one to talk. Every ghost you’ve ever taken on has been against overwhelming odds. Seven against one? You’ve got no room to talk about us doing the same to you.”
“Maybe, but I never hurt anyone intentionally. We help people. You’re clearly in it for yourself.”
>”You’re breaking my heart,” she yawns. “Oh, you hero-types are always so boring…”
>”Kinda cute, though,” Sonata says, waving her fingers at you.
>Aria nudges her in the ribs.
>Rainbow circles back around behind you as Adagio continues to speak.
>”You don’t know how much of an impact you made when you defeated Archsepsis,” she tells you. “His name was spoken of in whispers across shadowy circles, and though he was no figure of great power or renown, a threat to one of us is a threat to all of us.”

“Me and my team wouldn’t be a threat to you unless you made us one,” you counter.
>”There really isn’t a choice in the matter. In the end, we were always going to be enemies, sooner or later. We just decided on dealing with you sooner.”
“And what about the giant black dog? What’s his deal?”
>She shakes her head and turns her shoulder to you. “You think I’m just going to tell you everything? I’m the one holding your leash, remember.”
 “You keep saying that, but I think it’s bullshit. You can’t control me with your music.”
>Adagio smiles and you see the other two slink closer to you.
“Back off,” you warn, reaching into your jacket.
>”Oh, do you have a toy?” Sonata asks. “Are we going to play a game?”
>”I have a game,” Aria says, reaching out with her hand.
>Your jacket flies open and the mini-crossbow soars out to her hand.
>”What’s that?” Sonata asks. “Were you going to use that on us?”
>Shit.
>”Truly, a grand plan,” Adagio laughs at you. “But it seems like your options have run out.”
>You turn to face her and prepare to lash out with your fists when she takes something out of her pocket and holds it up.
>Your moonstone, dangling on its chain.
>The sight of it causes you to pause.
>”Oh, yes, that’s right,” Adagio says with a smile, slowly swinging it back and forth like a pendulum. “I just found your leash.”

>The other two laugh as Aria throws the mini-crossbow over her shoulder.
>”Give that back to him right now!” Rainbow orders her.
>”Tell you what: if you can grab it out of my hands, it’s yours.”
>She holds it right out in front of you, tantalizingly close and within reach.
>”Go on. Take it.”
>You try to move your arm, but cannot.
>You want nothing more than to grab it and teach them a lesson… but you simply cannot.
>There is a sudden strain as your muscles fail, leaving your limbs useless.
>”What’s the matter, little doggy? Can’t you grab it? It’s right in front of you,” she taunts.
>The other two laugh at you.
>”Anon? What’s wrong? Grab it!”
“I… Can’t… Move…” you say through gritted teeth.
>”Good,” Adagio says. “Now, heel.”
>Your legs buckle and you fall down onto your knees, muddying your jeans.
>”How about we play fetch?” she suggests, before throwing the moonstone away.
>Suddenly, as she loses contact with the stone, the spell on you breaks.
>Your eyes follow the glowing blue stone as it lands nearby, between two trees.
>Immediately you scramble after it, brushing aside leaves as you crawl towards it.
>They all watch, amused, before Adagio uses her magic to summon it.
>It slips through your fingers as you attempt to grab it and flies back to her open palm, and once inside, she shouts, “HEEL!”
>You fall down again, this time on all fours.
>Rainbow watches in despair as you are forced down and all three witches laugh again, mocking your misfortune.
>”You see, you and this moonstone are connected from how much you used it,” Adagio says. “And in my hands… it’s your leash.”

>She walks over and places her purple spiked boot right in your face.
>”Now be a good boy and kiss my boot.”
>Your head is forced up and you feel the strain on your face as it is forced against the leather of her boot, your lips mashing up against it.
>Aria kneels down next you. “You like that, don’t you? You like being told what to do.”
“Fuck… you…”
>Adagio twirls your moonstone around her finger. “You wish.”
>Rainbow has had enough. “Stop it! Stop it right now, you freaks! I swear, if I had my own body right now, I would kick the ever-loving shit out of you and stomp your stupid, smug faces into a goddamned tree!”
>They all look at her, surprised and amused by her outburst.
>”It’s funny how she thinks she’s in any position to demand anything from us,” Adagio says.
>”You’re just a lost spirit with a loud mouth,” Aria adds.
>”And you’re ugly!” Sonata sticks out her tongue.
>Rainbow looks about ready to explode when Adagio suddenly releases control of you.
>You collapse into the dirt and manage to pick yourself up as the witches walk away.
>”You’re not the only one on our leash, you know,” she says. “You’re just our newest toy. You’re not broken in quite enough yet.”
>”So we’re going to let you play with another pet of ours,” Aria says with a wicked grin. “And he’s been very, very eager to have a new playmate.”

>”I think you mean hungry,” Sonata says to her, causing Aria to groan.
>Adagio holds up a hand and again silences them both.
>Suddenly, there’s a ‘caw’ sound from above and your eyes are drawn up to the branch of a nearby tree.
>A crow sits there, staring at you.
>The same crow from before, perhaps?
>But what does it mean?
>Just then, from the trees around you, there is a creeping fog.
>You feel a bit of a haze come over you and a foul smell reaches your sensitive nostrils.
“God… What is that smell?”
>The fog begins to grow thicker, and along with it, the air takes on an unnatural chill.
>You slowly shake your head and try to focus your eyes as a shape begins to take form in the mist.
>It is tall and thin, with long limbs and a hunched over appearance.
>Each step it takes is slow and stiff, almost like it is forcing its legs to move.
>It reaches out and grabs hold of a nearby tree, allowing you to see its fingers—each maybe a foot long, boney and stained with blood and bits of flesh, tapered with sharp claws.
>Clumps of flesh cling onto its frame, skin stretched thin across a twisted skeleton that reeks of rotten flesh.
>Bones jut out in odd places and what appear to be bits of hair—or fur—grow on odd misshapen growths around its body.
>Strange totems and other fetishes hang around its neck and waistline, including a collection of human skulls.
>But its head is by far the strangest.
>You aren’t certain of it is wearing a skull or if that is its skull, but it resembles that of a deer, complete with antlers.
>There are no eyes in its hollow sockets, and what little skin and fur stretched across the skull doesn’t extend to its mouth—it has no lips.
>You can see its teeth, yellow and sharp.
>Its breath is fog, deathly cold.

>”I want you to meet our other pet,” Adagio says to you as the monster looms over you, standing at least eight feet tall. “He’s one of our favorites… the wendigo.”
>It opens its mouth and lets out an inhuman howl, a screech that rattles you to the bone and causes you to fall back in fear.
>It advances as you crawl backwards, and you bump into a tree.
>”If I were you… I would run,” the lead witch says.
>The wendigo brings up a clawed hand and gets ready to swipe; you dodge to the right just in time, causing the monster to rake into the bark and leave a deep gash.
>You get up and take off at full speed as the monster—now fully awoken—takes up pursuit, running just as fast as you, if not faster.
>As you run through the forest, the shadows of the trees seem to get darker, the sky more bleak, and the fog becomes more pervasive.
>You can hear the mocking laughter of the witches as their wendigo pet chases you, eager to feast on your flesh.
>Wendigos… Wendigos… Why did you never read up on wendigos?
>Well, you never expected to run into one, for starters.
>Nor did you ever count on being chased by one without your moonstone.
>As the beast chases you, Rainbow flies alongside you and shouts, “Any ideas?”
>But all you can think about is running, so you don’t reply to her.
>Perhaps you are being forced to flee by Adagio for her amusement.
>This becomes somewhat more apparent, because you realize that you are being led somewhere.
>As your body is taken out of your control, you leap between a pair of trees and onto an old dirt road.
>It leads to a large, dark house, old and covered with boarded-up windows and vines.
>You remember it from the map in the ranger station—the Spencer Estate.
>Its front doors are closed, but with the wendigo on your heels, you run up to them and all but burst through, slamming them shut behind you.
>Outside, the monster reaches the doors and pounds on them, but you put all of your weight onto the door and keep them from opening.
>You see an old brass lock on the door and quickly slide it shut.
>After a few minutes, the pounding ceases and the cold in the air goes away.
>The wendigo slinks off, taking its horrible smell with it.
>Leaving you and Dash alone in this mansion.
>As your breathing returns to normal, you look around the massive entry hall.
>A large staircase dominates the center, leading up to the second level.
>There is a grand painting at the top, faded and torn in some places, but it still clearly depicts a man in a suit with a cane, though his face is mostly obscured and scratched out.
>The carpet that lines the floor is old, and the parts of it that it does not cover are white marble, dusty and occasionally cracked.
>This place definitely hasn’t been in use for a long time now, and it’s a relic of decades past.
>”Why’d you run in here?” Rainbow asks, floating around the large room.
“I don’t know. I think they made me do it,” you breathe. “Damn. To think that they could just control me like that… Like a damn puppet! All because they hold the moonstone.”

>”We definitely need to get that out of their hands,” Rainbow agrees. “Maybe this is the place they’ve been hiding, yeah? We should call the others!”
>You take the radio out of your pocket, silently thanking whatever deity might be paying attention that it did not fall out during the chase.
>Fearing the wendigo again suddenly, you look back to the door, but it is gone.
>Likely not far; perhaps even searching for another way into the mansion.
>You turn the radio on and depress the button.
“AJ? AJ, do you read me? This is Anon, over.”
>After a moment, the radio buzzes back and you can make out the monster hunter’s voice through the static.
>”Anon? What happened? Where are you?”
“I’m in that old mansion, the Spencer Estate. The witches chased me in here with a wendigo.”
>”A damned wendigo?” A moment of silence. “Alright. I don’t know how to deal with one of those, but we’re on our way to you. Do you still have the tracking device?”
>You check the inside of your jacket where Rarity sewed it in.
“Yeah, I’ve got it. You should be able to hone in on my position with it.”
>”Rodger that. We’re on our way, don’t worry. Out.”
>You put the radio back into your pocket and look up at Dash, who is inspecting the massive iron chandelier.
>”This thing is nuts,” she says, trying to touch it. “I can’t go through it.”
“Can you push it?”
>She tries doing so, but cannot manage to even budge it.
>”No, this iron stuff, it’s like I can touch it but I can’t move it at all, you know?”

“Crazy…”
>You dust yourself off a bit and look around, wondering why the witches brought you here.
>Their plan still eludes you… what’s their end game in all of this?
>As you approach the back of the large hall, you can’t help but think that Sunset must be in this place.
>You don’t know why, but there’s an indescribable feeling in the back of your mind that she must be.
>You sniff the air, picking up only the scent of moldy walls and dusty carpet.
>A large pair of doors is nearby, which upon opening, lead to a large dining room.
>A massive wooden table stretches from one end to the other, covered in ancient silverware, and large windows on one side of the room dominate the wall.
>You peak outside of them between two large wooden boards and find the entire grounds obscured in fog.
“That’s going to make it hard for the others to find us,” you whisper to yourself, though Dash can hear you.
>”Twilight should be able to track you down, right?”
“If the witches don’t have some kind of way to stop them, yeah.”
>Suddenly, a loud noise from behind startles both of you; you whip around and find the old grandfather clock has started to tick again, rather loudly.
>It echoes throughout the dining room, eerily masking your footsteps as you make your way to the other end.
>”Maybe we should wait for the others,” Rainbow suggests.
“I think Sunset may be here,” you tell her.
>”How do you know?”
“I… I don’t, but I do. Somehow. I just know.”
>She gives you a questioning look, but doesn’t press you further on the subject.
>You spy an old fireplace full of ashes, with a family crest over it.

>The crest is of a black dog, whose mouth is open and full of sharp teeth.
>What connection might it have to the massive hound your encountered on the night of the blood moon?
>As you run your fingers over it, you hear a noise through the wall, like someone slumping down or falling to the floor.
>A nearby door is all that stands between you and the source of the noise.
>Reaching for a fire poker, you hold it in front of you like a spear.
>Giving a wary look to Rainbow, you slowly approach it and push it open, finding a dark hallway beyond.
>The western end of the hall has a window, and you hear a noise coming from that direction.
>You near the corner and peak around it, discovering nothing outside of an empty seating area with old lounge seats and cushions.
>Rainbow peaks over your shoulder. “Huh. I could’ve sworn there was a—”
>Your nostrils pick up the scent of decrepit flesh too late as a corpse attacks you from behind, turning you around and forcing you to stare into its skeletal face.
>With your poker, you stab it in the chest, causing its ribs to collapse as you plant it into the wall.
>The grasping fingers let go and you fall back onto the floor as the corpse opens its mouth as if to scream, but its vocal cords withered away long, long ago.
>You watch as it slowly begins to pull itself free.
>Before it can, you reach up and grab the poker and wrench it from the monster’s chest.
>The skeleton falls upon you, fingers scraping and teeth gnashing.
>You manage to roll the surprisingly light body over and get on top, positioning the poker right at the bottom of its mouth.
>With a bit of force, you thrust the spear-like end into the skull, piercing it all the way through, with the tip breaking through the skull’s dome.
>The body goes limp and you stand up, dusting yourself off once more and shivering a bit.
“Fucking hate skeletons…” you mutter.
>”Is it a zombie?” she asks.
“Hardly any flesh on it,” you say, bringing up your foot and stomping down on the skull, shattering it.
>This lets you pick up the poker again.
>The body is completely skeletal, with only the faintest hints of flesh, skin and hair in small bits around its bones.
>Moldy clothing hangs in tattered rags around it; if you didn’t know better, you’d say he was dressed like an old-time butler with a black suit and matching shoes.
>As you turn around to leave, Rainbow continues to look at the body.
>She suddenly shouts a warning as it reaches out and grabs your ankle, causing you to trip.
>You turn around as the headless skeleton crawls up your body, reaching for your neck with the intent to strangle.
>With the poker in hand, you swipe its arm away with a single bash before battering away at the body, breaking the bones and beating it until the body stops moving again.
>Rainbow cheers you on as you smash the body off into the corner before getting up and steadying your breathing.
“So… There’re reanimated corpses in this house,” you say between deep breaths. “That’s going to complicate things.”
>”We should probably warn the girls,” Rainbow says.
>At that moment, somewhere further in the house, you hear a crashing noise as a window is broken.
>The howl of the wendigo can be heard as it makes its way inside, echoing down the halls.
“That’s also going to complicate things,” you say very quietly.

>As you make your way through the mansion, traversing its dark halls and old corridors, you keep on the lookout for more undead—or the wendigo.
>You find a staircase and slowly climb it, each step creaking loudly, worrying you that they may draw the attention of unwanted undead.
>Now on the second story, you look down the hall and see a few doors.
>Some of them are boarded up or similarly barred, making entry impossible without making too much noise.
>One of them, however, a large ornate oak door, draws your attention.
>You slink along the wall and duck near it and look back towards Dash, who has been silently shadowing your every move.
“Can you look inside and see what’s on the other side?” you ask her.
>She nods and peaks her head into the wall.
>A moment later, she takes it out.
>”There’s three zombies in there, but there’s also a shotgun on the wall.”
“That could be useful,” you say, mostly to yourself. “Alright. I’m going to go for it.”
>”Think you can take them?”
>You hold up the poker and nod.
>Moving to stand in front of the door, you take a deep breath and ready yourself.
>Alright, fast and lethal.
>Make as little noise as possible.

>You open the door and burst through, raising your weapon high.
>The room is dark, but a single light from an old oil lamp is enough for you to see your foes by.
>The first undead turns to you, its missing cheeks allowing its mouth to open to an impossibly wide gap as it reaches out for you.
>You bring the poker down on its head, smashing it with the heavy iron and knocking him to the floor.
>From here, you see the second one approaching, its arms outstretched and its fingers groping at the air.
>You swing the poker upwards, swatting its hands away before you bring up your foot and plant it on the zombie’s chest with a firm kick, pushing it back against the wall.
>You bring the poker up like a baseball bat and swing it at the corpse’s head, causing it to fly cleanly off and land in a nearby corner.
>The third zombie lumbers towards you, shifting its weight with each step in an almost exaggerated fashion.
>The first tries to grab your ankle; you bring your leg up and slam it down on its neck, separating the head from the body.
>Though the first and second zombies are now bereft of their heads, you learned downstairs that these corpses are fueled more by magic than by science, and as such they are not stopped by losing them.
>Backing off to gain some distance, you raise the poker and jab it forwards like a spear, impaling both the second and third through their chests.
>You run them through to the wall and drop them both to the ground; they struggle to get up, pushing and pulling against each other.
>This gives you an opportunity to grab the shotgun hanging on the wall.
>”Nice one!” Rainbow says, giving you a thumbs-up.
>You smile, but your smile runs away as you hear a noise from above, like stone grinding on stone.
>A click behind you is also audible as the hooks the shotgun once hung on are retracted into the wall.
>A mechanic connected to the ceiling causes it to start lowering!

>Dust falls from the stone above as it begins its descent, a deadly weight meaning to trap and crush those who would think to steal the weapon you just took.
>”Dude, run!” Rainbow shouts.
>You dive for the open doorway and crawl towards it when one of the undead grabs your leg and pulls.
>You desperately turn around the kick at it; the headless body continues to grab your ankle and pull, meaning you take you down with it.
>Raising the shotgun, you point it at the headless torso and fire, blasting it to pieces.
>It lets go as the ceiling grows dangerously close.
>You pull your feet out just as it comes down, shattering the wooden door and crushing the zombies.
>One skeletal hand sticks out from beneath the stone, twitching slightly before going still.
>You pant as you examine your feet—yup, both still there.
>Rainbow looks on as you get back up. “Man, I thought you were done for there.”
“Me too. Glad that this thing is loaded.”
>Somewhere in the mansion, you hear the roar of the beast, it having heard your discharge.
>”I think we should go now,” she suggests.
>You waste no time and take off in the opposite direction of the sound, hoping to distance yourself from the stalking beast.
>So, this mansion is trapped, too…
>Well, that’s just the cherry on the shit sundae, isn’t it?
>You hope the others get here soon.

>Shotgun in hand, you make your way to what appears to be some kind of art gallery.
>The décor in the mansion is sparse, and most of it is covered in sheets, but this gallery is rather immaculate.
>Large paintings depicting ancient noble-looking people and battles between knights across gothic landscapes can be seen as you walk by.
>One of them in particular catches your eye.
>It is of a large wolf, much larger than a man, covered in chains.
>The beast is bound by them, but is snarling towards the heavens, where dark figures look on.
>You approach the painting and dust off the bottom of it, revealing the name.
>”Fenrir in Chains”
>Fenrir…
>You remember once reading about a wolf named Fenrir, what was it?
>Norse mythology, if you remember correctly.
>You look up at the painting again and stare at it, unsure of what it speaks to you.
>Rainbow is preoccupied with some of the other paintings in the room, so she doesn’t see you reaching up towards the wolf.
>You place your hand upon it and hear a voice in your head.
>”Why fight it?”
>”Why try to keep me in chains?”
>”Soon, I will be free again…”
>”Soon…”
>You open your eyes and take your hand off the painting after hearing the voice of the creature inside of you speaking once more.
>Shaking your head, you turn away and walk back towards the entrance of the gallery when you hear a noise from the other side of the door.
>Something is outside in the hallway.

>Immediately, you point your shotgun at the door as you hear the footsteps grow louder and louder.
>Your nostrils pick up the rotting scent of the wendigo.
>You look around the gallery, but there aren’t any places to hide.
>The brass handle on the door grows cold as the creature walks past it, dragging its feet and claws along the wooden floor.
>Each small noise causes your heart to jump a bit as you try to control your breathing.
>You’re sweating profusely and your hands are shaking.
>Can you fight this monster in your state?
>Unsure of what the beast is going to do, you wait for it to make its move.
>It seems to linger outside the door for a moment, perhaps detecting you through whatever means it uses to track its prey—scent, perhaps—but then it begins to move on.
>You can hear its footsteps as it leaves, moving further down the outside hallway, taking its cold air with it.
>Rainbow is silent as she floats towards the door, looking back at you before sticking her head through the wall.
>She reemerges after a few seconds. “It’s gone,” she whispers, though it likely cannot hear her.
>You nod and lower the shotgun, breathing easier.
>As you bring up a hand to wipe the sweat from your brow, the clawed arm of the wendigo bursts through the wall, breaking through wood and bricks.
>Shouting in surprise, you dive to your right, narrowly dodging the swipe.

>The wendigo lets out a howl as it forces its way into the room, breaking through the wall.
>You turn and look up as it towers over you, its inhuman jaw opening wide as its foggy breath emerges from its scream.
>As it lunges, you raise the shotgun and fire, blasting a hole in its chest and knocking it back.
>The monster is stunned, but not killed, as it falls back against the wall and roars.
>You try to pull the trigger again, but you’re out of ammo—only two shots.
>From here, you get up and run to the gallery doors, bursting out of them and running down the hall.
>Rainbow pursues you, and behind her is the monster, howling and clawing up the hallway.
>”Anon!” Rainbow shouts as you round a corner. “The grenade! The grenade!”
>That’s right!
>The holy hand grenade!
>You reach into your pocket and try to pull it out, but in doing so, part of the fabric of your jeans catches on the cross-shaped pin and pulls it out, activating the grenade.
>You realize this just in time and drop the bomb right at your feet.
>Up ahead is another set of doors.
>You run up to them and shoulder your way through, breaking the latch.
>You’re all the way back in the entrance hall, though now you are on the second level, where the massive staircase leads.
>Behind you, the holy hand grenade explodes in a ball of white fire, covering the monster in flames as he runs over it.
>You turn back and see the creature screaming in pain as the fire spreads across its body.
>Driven to a rampaging fury, it claws at the walls and leaps towards a window.
>It smashes through the glass and falls one story below, out of sight and onto the mansion grounds.
>You approach a nearby window and watch through it as the creature takes off into the foggy night; you can make out its burning form for some distance, but eventually even the fog obscures it.
>”Nice!” Rainbow says. “I’d totally high-five you right now if I could.”
“I hope that’s the last we see of that thing,” you say.

>Your radio suddenly buzzes and you take it out of your pocket.
>”Anon! Anon, come in!”
“What is it, AJ?”
>”We were approaching the mansion when we got separated—something out in the fog attacked us. Couldn’t see what it was. It kept… changing.”
>You put the radio down and mutter a brief obscenity.
You bring it back up and say, “Can you still make it to the house?”
>”I think we all did, but we’re all scattered.”
“Where are you?”
>”I’m in some kind of hedge maze behind the mansion. It’s massive.”
“Of course this place has a hedge maze,” you say to yourself before speaking back into the radio. “Alright, I’m going to look for the others. Stay safe.”
>”Out.”
“Out.”
>You put away the radio and look around the main hall.
>Well, doesn’t look like anyone made it to the front door.
>As you walk towards a nearby door, however, there is a pounding on it, desperate.
>You run down the stairs and Dash floats through the wall to see who it is; it’s Rarity!
>Undoing the latch you set upon it earlier, you let her in.

>She practically bursts through the front doors, her clothing somewhat torn and her usually-pristine hair disheveled.
>Her skin is also somewhat cut and shows a few bruises here and there.
>”Well, I never!” she says in a huff, brushing herself off. “Those trees were absolute ruffians!”
“Are you alright?” you ask.
>”Apples! They pelted me with apples! And not even good ones; smelly crabapples!”
“The… trees?”
>”Yes! They came to life and just started pelting me, whipping their branches around and trying to snatch me up in their roots.”
“Well, did they get anyone else?”
>”No. We were all separated and I found myself in the nearby tree grove when… Well, you know the rest.” She examines her clothing and pouts. “Oh, this is just awful. I should’ve brought my jumpsuit…”
“Well, you did know we were going into battle,” you say, pointing out the obvious.
>”Yes, well, we were in such a rush! I didn’t want to waste any time.”
>She looks around, finally taking in her surroundings.
>”Goodness… This mansion is rather drab, isn’t it? Hardly what one would expect from the outside. It seems like nobody’s cared for it in ages.”
“Well, I met the butler earlier I think, and some of the other staff likely.”
>”Oh! Were they courteous?”
“In that they tried to take my head off, yeah. They were skeletons.”
>She shivers. “Dear.”
“We need to find the others. Let’s go.”
>She nods and follows along behind you, and her behind is Rainbow Dash.
>As you explore the mansion further, getting a hang of its layout, you eventually discover a large library.
>As if she possesses some kind of strange sixth sense for books, you also find Twilight in here.

>She nearly jumps as you enter, pointing her proton pack’s wand in your direction.
You hold up your arms. “Woah, woah! No ghosts here.”
>”Ahem,” Rainbow clears her throat.
“Well… No unfriendly ghosts here.”
>The scientist takes a breath of relief and lowers her positron collider and lifts up her goggles.
>”Anon, Rarity, I’m glad you’re both okay. Come here! I was just reading something interesting.”
>You look at the fashionista and shrug, walking up behind Twilight.
>The book is old and set upon an aged pedestal, with thick bindings and leathery paper.
“What is it?” you ask.
>”It’s a book on Norse mythology. Specifically, it was opened to the passages of some of its wolves.”
>Your eyes narrow slightly as you look at her.
>Just like the painting in the gallery earlier.
“Well, what does it say?”
>”It speaks of the great wolf Fenrir, chained to keep him locked away from doing harm, who is prophesized to eat the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök.”
“That’s the end of the world, isn’t it?”
>”Primarily yes, but it’s also a recreation myth. The end times are foretold to bring about a great battle and natural disasters; the world will flood and be repopulated by two human survivors.”
>Rarity adds, “Oh, like Adam and Eve?”

>”Very similarly, yes. But going on, Fenrir is the father of two great wolves, or wargs, named Sköll and Hati. Sköll chases the sun across the sky, and Hati chases the moon. It is prophesized that when the two finally catch their prey and swallow them whole, Ragnarök will be upon us.”
“I found a painting of Fenrir earlier in a gallery. What does this all mean?”
>Twilight scratches her chin. “Well, either the family who owned this mansion had a passing interest in Norse mythology, or…”
“Or?”
>”Or, this may all be connected in a way we don’t yet understand. The open passages concerning the wolves, the painting, the fact that we’re dealing with a group of werewolves in the first place…”
“You don’t think this has anything to do with Ragnarök, do you?”
>”Well… We learned first-hand last year that ancient gods are not dead, only asleep. It may very well be possible that all of the legends could be true, and the cataclysmic events of Ragnarök simply have yet to happen… or be triggered.”
>Rarity folds her arms. “But what possible reason would they have for destroying the world in battle and flood?”
>”I don’t know,” Twilight says. “Remember Archsepsis? His plan was to drain Anubis of his power. Perhaps… Perhaps something similar may be going on and we don’t even know it. Some kind of plan to reawaken an ancient mythological figure and absorb its power?”
“Or let him loose,” you whisper to yourself.
>”What?” Twilight gives you a curious look.
“What if their plan is to unleash Fenrir from his chains? Or have his son succeed in catching the moon? Maybe they somehow stand to benefit from the power of these mythical wolves.”
>”It’s difficult to say what they may be planning,” Twilight says. “But we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. We should probably find the others and tell them what we know.”

>Rainbow Dash suddenly gets your attention.
>”Hey, Anon! What’s this?”
>You walk around a large bookshelf and see that she is staring at a painting on the wall.
>It depicts a group of armored angelic women, wielding swords and shields, descending from the heavens upon a battlefield.
“Those are valkyries,” you tell her, able to exposit on a particular facet of Norse lore that you happen to know.
>”They look badass,” Rainbow says. “Like warrior angels or something.”
>Twilight walks up, having put her tech-goggles back on to pick up Dash’s voice and appearance.
>”It’s said that they only carry the worthy who fell in battle,” she adds. “They carry the honored dead to the halls of Valhalla where they feast and drink and prepare for, well, Ragnarök.”
>Rainbow looks upon the angelic warrior women, and you can’t quite tell what she is thinking.
>As Twilight and Rarity make for the exit to the library, you follow them, urging Rainbow to come along as well.
>After a moment, she does so.
>You take out your radio and contact Applejack; she has found Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, and the three of them are still outside the mansion.
>Picking up the pace a bit, you head through the mansion towards its back end, thankfully not encountering any more resistance as you do so.
>The last thing you need right now is more zombies.
>As you walk, you explain to them your encounter with the witches and what happened.
>You weren’t able to learn too much, but the fact that they can control you with the moonstone is very troubling, to say the least.

>As you talk with them, you eventually come to a balcony that overlooks the mansion’s backyard.
>The thick fog persists, making it almost impossible to see beyond a few yards.
>Rarity cups her hands to her mouth. “Applejack! Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie! Can you hear us?”
>After a moment, Pinkie echoes back, “We’re here! Somewhere! We’re just lost!”
“Follow the sounds of our voices!” you shout.
>After a few moments, you hear the sound of someone getting upset, followed by the sounds of chopping foliage.
>Applejack appears to be cutting her way through the hedge maze.
>”But it’s cheating!” Pinkie chastises her.
>”I don’t give a damn! I wana outta this damn maze!” she retorts.
>Suddenly AJ lets out a surprised cry as she steps into the wrong section of the maze as she emerges from one of the hedges, stepping right over a large pit.
>Pinkie and Fluttershy both dive for her hand, managing to catch her before she can fall in.
>”Dangit! Pull me up! Pull me up!”
>As the three of you watch from the balcony, you suddenly hear a loud ‘caw’ from right behind you.
>You turn around and look up; it’s a crow.
>Could it be the same crow as the one you’ve been seeing up until now?
>You look to your right and see a small potted plant; you pick it up and throw it at the bird.
>The black bird caws again and takes off before it is hit, landing on a nearby branch.
>As you turn your attention back to the others in the hedge maze, you begin looking for a way down in order to help them get out.
>Suddenly, a fully-grown wolf leaps out of the tree the crow was just sitting in, lunging at you!
>You see the flying mass of grey fur coming at you, but are not fast enough to move out of the way.
>The wolf tackles you and knocks you through the old, rotten wood of the balcony’s railing.

>You both fall to the first floor and into the courtyard below, where you land with the wolf atop you, breaking an old table as you do.
>Your head hits the stone floor and your vision flashes white for a moment.
>The wolf snaps its jaws down at you, but you manage to hold it at bay.
>The claws on its feet tear at your clothing and cut you slightly, and its yellow eyes stare deeply into your own as its mouth continues to bark and bite at you.
>With a grunt, you throw the wolf off and into a nearby old fountain, where it splashes and tries to right itself.
>You shake your dizzy head and try to get back up, but have trouble standing; the back of your head is bleeding.
>You hope you don’t have a concussion.
>Suddenly, the thrashing in the water stops as a smaller animal leaps out; a fox.
>What the hell?
>Are you seeing things, or…
>No, it’s a fox alright.
>The red-furred animal snarls at you before running at your leg and leaping onto it.
“Shit! Fuck!”
>You try to grab it as it runs around you, biting and nipping at your exposed areas like your neck and chest.
>The animal continues to scurry around you.
>Up above, Twilight has her goggles on and she’s trying to aim her proton pack, but trying to blast such a small target would only result in you being fried.

>You shout as it clamps onto your neck; you reach up and grab hold of the fox and fling it aside.
>The fox hits a wall and slides down.
>As you rub your neck and recover, what rises next is not a crow, nor a wolf, nor a fox, but a man.
>He is covered head-to-toe in animal skins of various species, and his skin is slightly dark.
>But his eyes are pure white.
>Around his neck are necklaces of animal teeth and upon his belt are totems in the shapes of animals.
>You blink a few times as you look at him, thinking that he looks strikingly Native American in appearance.
>The man holds up his hands as he stares at you.
>”So, you are the one…”
“The one what? The one who’s pissed off? Yeah, that’s a start. The hell are you?”
>”I have no name that men now speak… I am he who goes on all fours, he who flies and he who sees. I am the yee naaldlooshii; skin-walker. And I have seen you, at the bidding of my masters.”
>You give him a strange look as he slowly approaches.
>”I have seen the creature within you… It is strong and fierce, a thing of twisted nature. My masters seek to control you, just as they control me.”
“What do you mean? Who are your masters, the witches?”
>”They control me, and they seem in control of themselves, but this is an illusion,” he says cryptically. “You have been brought here as a trap. As a distraction. The true master who holds their strings, just as they hold mine and soon yours, has returned to your home. He seeks something there. He will find it.”
“Wait… Are you telling me that the werewolves are in Canterlot right now? That they wanted us to come here, to this mansion?”
>”They set the bait when they captured your friend. She lies below… in a death trap.”
>Suddenly the man convulses slightly, then straightens.
>”I have broken their control… but it shall not last. Take this!”
>He produces a key that he throws at your feet.

>”Your friend lies in the dungeon within the depths of the mansion. When next we meet, we will not be allies… I cannot break free again.”
“Wait! What is their plan? What must I do?”
>As he falls to his knees, he looks up and says, “You… can… control…”
>Before your eyes he begins to change, not unlike how you transform into your werewolf form.
>His mass grows as his body undergoes a rapid change; thick brown hair sprouts up all around his body and his snout elongates.
>His hands turn into claws and he roars as his transformation completes; he is now a fully-grown brown bear.
>The skin-walker turns its eyes upon you and growls, once more under the control of the witches.
>As the large creature prepares to charge, Applejack suddenly bursts from the hedge maze, wielding a machete.
>She jumps between you and the bear and takes out a small firebomb from her bandolier, throwing it onto the ground in front of her.
>Flames leap up from the spot and the bear rears up on its hind legs, pawing at the air as it roars.
>The monster hunter shouts a challenge at the skin-walker, waving the machete back and forth.
>As the fire burns, keeping the bear at bay, she takes out her whip in her other hand and cracks it in his direction.
>She whips the beast again and again, eventually driving him to the edge of the grounds and into the woods.
>She turns around and gives you a slightly cocky smile.
>”What’s the matter? Afraid of bears?” she jokes.
“That was no bear,” you say as you lean down to pick up the key. “Some kind of Native American shapeshifter…”
>”So then he’s the one who attacked us and separated us,” AJ deduces. “Kept changin’ up on us, we couldn’t see him in the fog…”
>Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy emerge from the hedge maze behind her as Rarity and Twilight look on from the upper balcony.
“We might not have much time,” you say. “If what the skin-walker just told me is true, then the werewolves are in Canterlot right now. We were lured here.”
>”And Sunset?” Fluttershy asks.
“She’s the bait, and somewhere underneath the mansion. We need to find her, and fast.”
>Rainbow floats down and says, “I’ll scout around and see what I can find!”
>She dives underground to search for the dungeon.
>As the four of you head into the mansion to link back up with Twilight and Rarity, you discuss what you have learned with them.
>Applejack scratches her head.
>”Seems like it don’t all add up,” she says. “Skin-walkers are Native American, and wendigos are Algonquian in origin, so they’re part Native American too. What’s all this got to do with Norse mythology?”
“I don’t know. Somehow it’s all connected. But I think the witches might just be pawns in all of this, if what that skin-walker said is true.”
>”You mean they’re the ones being mind controlled?” Pinkie asks.
“Maybe…”
>”But you said they can control you too, right?” AJ asks, suspicious of you once more.

“Only so long as they hold the moonstone,” you reply. “We get that out of their hands, and I won’t be any problem.”
>”Let’s hope so,” the monster hunter says.
>As you make your way back to the entrance hall and reunite with your friends, Rainbow pops out of the ground.
>”I found her! And the entrance to the dungeon!”
“Where?”
>She leads you over to the columns near the back of the main stairwell and takes you behind them, behind the stairs itself.
>There is a large door here, made out of solid metal, with a keyhole in the center.
>You look at the others and they all ready themselves.
>Inserting the key and twisting causes a number of sounds, like gears turning, as the door splits in half and retracts into the walls around it.
>This reveals a dark passageway leading down, with old stones that seem to predate the mansion itself.
>In fact, the mansion’s location seems to be based around this dungeon, rather than the dungeon being built underneath it.
>Up ahead, you can see a light from torches, and the passage ends in a large room.
>The room is mostly circular, with its walls obscured in shadow, for all the light in the room is focused upon its center, where there is a large pit.
>Hanging down within the pit, there is the head of an axe, the size and weight of which could cleave a man in half.

>Its handle is metal and it extends to the top of the room, where large gears and cogs lay dormant and covered in dust.
>The axe itself is not unlike a crescent moon; the significance of the comparison is not lost on you.
>Hanging from the ceiling by chains are four large coffins made out of iron and upon each of them is engraved a man holding a crest.
>These four crests are distinct from each other by color and design, but not by shape, as they are all in the shape of shields.
>And as you approach the edge of the pit in which the axe lays, you all look down and see Sunset bound upon a stone slab by metal bands, unconscious and unresponsive to shouting.
>As your group looks down upon her and debates the next course of action to take, a small sound begins to reach your ears.
>That of singing.
“The witches,” you mutter in a low voice, “they’re here.”
>The song of the sirens grows louder and AJ is fast to hand out spare earplugs.
>You still have your pair and you are about to put them in when you are stopped.
>”Anon?” AJ asks, looking at you curiously. “You alright?”
>You close your eyes and try to put the earplugs in, but cannot.
>Your arms are stiff and will not answer your commands.
>Suddenly you are forced to back up a few feet, your muscles not obeying you.
>You want to shout out that you are being controlled, but the witches will not let you.
>Still, AJ seems to get the idea and moves to stop you.
>As the others take up pursuit behind her, you make your way over to a nearby lever, which is large and heavy.
>You grab hold of it and roughly force your weight down upon it, pushing it until it is switched.
>With your task complete, the witches have no need to control you further and they command you to let go and jump back into Applejack’s arms, knocking you both down.

>All throughout the room, the sound of metal scraping against metal can be heard as gears in the ceiling begin to move.
>Dust falls as they turn and slowly but surely the axe at the heart of the chamber begins to move.
>Back and forth, back and forth, rocking only slightly at first, but soon reaching from one end to the other.
>And with each swing of the pendulum, the axe is lowered ever-so-slightly, until it will reach Sunset and inevitably cleave her in half.
>The cackling laughter of the witches echoes throughout the chamber.
>”Now you have sealed her doom by your own hand!” one cries from the darkness.
“I did no such thing! It was you! It was you!”
>You receive only laughter in return.
>”Can you save her? Can you return the shields to their true owners?”
>At that cryptic hint, you look around the room as four great braziers light up, and behind each one is a suit of armor.
>Each carries a weapon in one hand, but their other hand is barren and open, as though it should be holding something.
>But why would they give you a hint about how to save her, unless it was also a trap?
>AJ doesn’t seem to care, and immediately takes out her whip and snaps it around one of the chains holding a coffin aloft.
>She crawls up the whip like a rope and grabs onto the red shield.

>Gritting her teeth from how firmly in place the crest is and how much she has to pull on it, she shouts as she puts all of her strength into pulling before finally dislodging it.
>She falls back but catches herself with her whip.
>”Catch!” she cries as she throws it in your direction.
>You reach out for it and catch the rather heavy crest and take it over to one of the knights.
>You place it in his hand and the arm falls down a bit, almost like activating a lever.
>Down below, one of the metal bands holding Sunset in place releases itself, retracting into the stone altar.
>And behind the knight that you just put the shield into the hand of, a gate rises.
>And behind the gate is a group of the mansion’s former servants, all undead and moaning.
>So, that’s their game: each shield that brings Sunset closer to freedom also unleashes a new threat.
>Now freed, they shamble forwards, reaching out to you with skeletal hands.
>You retreat as Twilight runs up with her proton pack, ready to discharge a blast of energy upon the undead horde.
>”Ah-ah-ah! No cheating with your technology!” one of the witches’ voices reaches your ears.
>Suddenly a series of sparks go off in the proton pack, causing a portion of it to explode.
>Twilight drops the wand and hastens to take the now-burning pack off.
>Meanwhile, the zombies advance dangerously closer.
>AJ kicks her feet out and lands on the edge of the pit, taking out her machete.
>”I got ‘em! Don’t worry!” she says as she charges headlong into the crowd of zombies with nearly reckless abandon.
>She shouts what could be described as a war cry as she hacks away at the undead, slicing through limbs and necks.
>”The crests! The crests!” she orders the rest of you.
>Fluttershy, with her vampiric strength, works with Pinkie Pie to get the blue crest.

>She picks up the pink-haired party girl and tosses her onto one of the hanging coffins.
>Pinkie works fast, using her body weight to yank off the crest before tossing it to Fluttershy.
>The vampire catches it and runs to the nearby suit of armor and places it in his empty hand.
>Like before, one of the bands on Sunset retracts and a gate behind the knight opens.
>This time, however, it is not an undead horde, but a creeping chill that rolls in.
>You turn back and see it, recognizing the deathly cold that accompanies the wendigo.
>The creature emerges from the shadows, its body badly burnt, but it continues to live its tortured existence, fueled by hunger.
>And now it sets its hollow eyes upon Fluttershy, opening its long jaws to let out a long and high-pitched howl.
>The vampire stands her ground, however, ready to face off against the monster.
>”You think I’m afraid of you?” she says as the wendigo towers over her. “You monsters took my Angel… Now it’s time for some payback!”
>She lunges at the monster’s chest, tackling him backwards and into the darkness where you hear the two of them battling.
>The pendulum swings ever closer to Sunset with each passing second.
>You and Rarity both run towards one of the hanging coffins.
>”Give me a boost!” she says, and you lean down onto one knee.
>She steps into your palms and you push her up to the coffin, where she grabs onto one of the chains.
>From here, she maneuvers herself and climbs onto the coffin in order to grab at the green crest.
>Suddenly, you feel a thin hand on your shoulder as a zombie tries to bite you.

>You grab the hand and pull it over, taking the corpse over your shoulder and slamming it onto the ground; from here, you kick it over the edge of the pit.
>It falls down and hits the stone floor, shattering into pieces.
>Rarity manages to dislodge the crest and toss it to you.
>You run back to the knight and drop it into his hand, whereupon the gate behind him opens.
>This time, it is the skin-walker who emerges as the third challenge.
>Like before, he stares at you with his milky eyes, but unlike before, now he cannot speak.
>He begins to transform into a wolf, but you’re not keen on fighting him.
>Part of you thinks that he may yet somehow become an ally, so instead, you grab the edge of the brazier nearby and turn it over, spilling its burning contents onto the floor.
>This creates a barrier of fire between you and him, just like AJ used when he transformed into a bear.
>The wolf growls as he backs away from the flames, giving you enough time to run towards the final coffin.
>All of the others are busy either getting themselves down or fighting off the monsters, leaving this one all up to you.
>You look down at the unconscious Sunset and see the axe swinging barely two feet above her stomach.
>Immediately you look back up at the coffin, and without a second thought, leap towards it.
>You grab onto the sides of it and hold on for dear life as the axe swings below.
>Pulling yourself up onto the coffin, you grab the final crest, a yellow one, and pull with all of your might.
>But it will not budge.
>You wedge your foot onto the side of the coffin and yank and yank, but it simply will not yield.
>Suddenly, one of the chains holding the coffin breaks, causing the weight of the suspended object to shift.
>You nearly fall down as you tumble over the side, holding onto the crest and dangling over the pit.
>Nearby, Fluttershy battles the wendigo; they grapple each other as they slash and bite, pushing each other into the stone walls surrounding the chamber.

>Twilight is desperately trying to work on her proton pack as AJ fends off the undead nearby.
>The skin-walker stalks along the edge of the room; Pinkie Pie and Rarity keep him at bay with torches they took from the walls.
>And down below, Sunset lies, moments away from death.
>Rainbow floats up alongside you.
>”Come on, Anon! Come on!”
“I’m trying!” you say as you yank on the crest, even as you barely manage to get a new foothold on the coffin. “It’s stuck!”
>”Punch it!” she shouts. “Do something!”
>Curling your hand into a fist, you punch the crest.
>It hurts like a motherfucker, but you do it again, and again, and again, until your knuckles are bloody.
>Like slamming the lid on a stubborn bottle, you strike the edges of the crest, attempting to loosen it.
>On the fifth punch, just as you are about to give up, you shout as you punch it one more time.
>The crest suddenly gives and wobbles slightly; you close your eyes and wrench it out of the coffin’s grasp.
>Looking nearby at the broken chain, you reach out and grab hold of it and let go of the coffin, swinging back to the pit’s edge.
>You run to the final suit of armor and place the yellow crest in its hand, activating the final release mechanism.

>The last band holding Sunset in place is lifted and you ignore the rising gate; your priority now is freeing your friend from certain doom.
>But as you are about to scale down the wall of the pit and help her, you are suddenly frozen in place.
>The song of the sirens reaches your ears again as the witches emerge from the final gate, surrounded by a thick fog.
>Adagio, the lead witch, holds your moonstone in hand and forces you to turn around.
>”You want to save your friend?” she asks with a cruel smile.
“Let… me go!”
>Aria and Sonata sing as Adagio walks near you.
>”How helpless you must feel… A puppet on the end of my strings. Turn around, little puppet.”
>Your legs move or her accord and you are forced to look down into the pit.
>There, the axe is mere inches above Sunset.
>”Watch as your friend dies.”
>Rainbow looks desperately at you. “Come on, Anon! Fight it! Fight it off! Overcome it!”
>Her faith in you is admirable, but it’s no use.
>You try as hard as you can, but you cannot move.
>Your legs are stone; your arms are limp and useless.
>The pendulum swings ever lower, slowly nearing its target.
>You close your eyes, not bearing to watch.
>Your friend desperately pleas with you.
>”Come on! Don’t give up! DON’T GIVE UP!”
>…
>No.
>NO!

>You’ve had enough—you will NOT be controlled!
>No more!
>Not by these witches, not by your fear, not by the Wolf, NO ONE!
>You feel your fists clench as your arms twitch.
>Within you burns determination unlike any you’ve ever felt before!
>You will NOT let her die!
>Not like Rainbow, not like Roseluck.
>The moonstone’s power is great, but it is only a tool.
>And you will not be held captive by its power, cowering in the darkness.
>You will fight!
>YOU WILL MOVE!
>The witches watch, stunned, as you lift your leg and step forwards, into the pit.
>”YEAH!” Rainbow gives a happy cry as you manage to move.
>You fall and hit the stone ground, hard, but you manage to pick yourself up and crawl towards the altar.
>Overhead, the axe swings, slicing through the air, just above your friend.
>”Grab her! Grab her!” the ghost chants.
>The witches run to the edge of the pit and look down.
>Adagio holds the moonstone aloft.
>”Stop! STOP! I order you to stop! OBEY ME!”
>Every muscle movement is forced and difficult, like you’re weighed down with hundreds of pounds.
>But you move, because you have to.
>Because you won’t let them win, you won’t let them hurt another one of your friends.

>You reach up and take hold of Sunset by her jacket and pull as hard as you can, pulling her right off of the altar.
>The axe swings down and slices into the stone where she just was laying and embeds itself with a small shower of sparks and a thundering noise.
>Sunset is safe.
>Up above, Adagio screams in frustration.
>”You… You weren’t supposed to save her! She was supposed to die!”
>You ignore the furious witch and gently shake Sunset, trying to wake her.
>Rainbow cheers you on from the sides, pointing up at the witches and shouting, “SUCK IT!”
>Their leader stamps her foot. ”I won’t stand for this… I won’t!”
>Adagio holds the glowing moonstone in front of her and places her other hand just underneath it.
>”When you last used this moonstone, it was on the night of a full moon! It has plenty of reserve power within… More than enough to fuel a transformation… or many!”
>The three red gems around their necks glow as Adagio casts a spell, muttering words of power as the blue energy within the moonstone seeps out, swirling through the air.
>It turns red as it connects to their gems, and one strand strays towards you.
>As it connects with your back, the energy of the full moon pouring into your body, you feel a stirring within you as the Wolf begins to awaken.
>You shake your head and begin to sweat as you feel the power collect within, fueling the monster.
>The Wolf begins to snarl in your head, growling words into your mind.
>”Yes…”
>”YES!”
>”Let me out… I will feast again!”
>”You cannot stop me… YOU CANNOT STOP ME!”
>Your shut your eyes and take a steadying breath.
“Yes… Yes, I can.”

>With every last ounce of your willpower, you attempt to reject the Wolf, to subdue him and put him back in his cage.
>Your body convulses as he attempts to take control, howling in defiance.
>”You cannot! I am stronger! I am the one who will run free!”
>A splitting pain throughout your arm is felt as it changes, the palm elongating and your fingers growing large claws.
>You slam your fist onto the ground, cracking one of the stones.
“You’re just a dog… Nothing but a mad hound… I am the one who holds your leash!”
>He howls in your brain as your body continues to twist and contort, but you keep fighting him off, resisting the change.
>This is your body, not his.
>Your mind is stronger than his; he is bestial instinct and primal rage, but you have the willpower of a man with everything to lose and nothing more to give.
>You will not let him be the one in control.
>Not anymore.
>Up above, the sirens use the remaining power of the moonstone to fuel their own transformations.
>Their bodies grow thick fur and their limbs become longer and thinner, and narrow tails sprout from their lower backs.
>Their faces change into feline forms, with large eyes, whiskers and fanged mouths, and their feet and hands grow claws as their werecat forms are revealed.

>They hiss and pounce upon your friends up top, clawing and biting at them.
>You’d like to help, but you’re bit preoccupied keeping the Wolf at bay.
>Rainbow watches as you struggle against the transformation and cheers you on.
>”Fight him, Anon! Fight that fucking mutt off! Show him who’s boss! Give him one for me, right in his wolf-nards!”
>She punches the air as she encourages you.
>But the Wolf is not so easily deterred.
>You can feel him gnawing at your mind, wearing it down, shredding it with his teeth.
>He howls as he relentlessly bites into your heart, sapping you of strength and determination.
>But you refuse to buckle and give in; you stand your ground and keep pushing back, even as your legs transform into their wolf-like form.
>You shout and it echoes throughout the chamber; your mouth opens wide and your teeth begin to sharpen.
>”LET ME OUT!” he cries in your head. “I WILL NOT BE CAGED!”
>Far up above, the battle continues on.
>Your friends are outnumbered and outclassed; the wendigo is keeping Fluttershy at bay, but the agile werecats are overwhelming Rarity and Pinkie Pie.
>Applejack, having nearly finished off the undead horde, turns around only to get a claw to the face from one of them.
>Twilight looks up as Adagio stands before her, holding the moonstone in one hand and preparing to swipe at her with the other.
>However, she’s managed to repair part of her proton pack and aims the wand up at the werecat, blasting her backwards with a single burst of protonic energy.
>The orange-colored feline hisses and lands near the edge of the pit.
>Twilight runs at her and jumps atop her, trying to get the moonstone out of her grasp.

>Adagio scratches at her, tearing her jumpsuit and scraping her skin, but Twilight manages to grasp the blue gem and pulls on it.
>As they both struggle for control of the gem, Applejack curses at the new scar on her cheek and she reaches for her pistol.
>With the speed and accuracy of a true gunslinger, she draws the weapon and aims it at Aria’s neck and fires.
>The silver bullet flies straight at the red gem and shatters it to pieces, causing a cascade of magical energy contained within it to release and the siren to wail in pain.
>The bullet and the shards of red crystal fall to the ground, along with the witch, unconscious.
>Nearby, Rarity and Pinkie Pie both tackle Sonata to the ground.
>Pinkie reaches for a nearby rock and gets ahold of it, bringing it up high and smashing it down on the necklace.
>This, too, causes a small explosion of red light as the gem breaks.
>The wendigo bites down on Fluttershy’s arm and she lets out a cry, but grabs onto him and rolls backwards towards the edge of the pit.
>Using his momentum and the weight of his bulk, she throws him over the edge.
>The wendigo howls as it falls towards the altar below before landing right on one half of the embedded axe’s crescent moon blade.
>It twitches and screams as the sharp metal is impaled right through its torso, causing great pain and, in mere moments, death.

>Unseen by all, the skin-walker takes advantage of all of their distracted states and slips out of the dungeon, into the shadows, where he becomes a crow and flies away.
>As Twilight and Adagio struggle against each other, Applejack walks up and takes out a silver stake, stabbing it into the werecat’s shoulder.
>She reacts violently, tearing the moonstone out of the scientist’s hands, but in her pain, drops it.
>All eyes follow the descent of the glowing blue stone.
>Adagio and Twilight both reach for it, but it is far out of their reach by the time they can react.
>Time seems to slow down as you watch it fall, and you know that you need to catch it.
>But the Wolf also knows what will happen if you get it back.
>You stand and lunge towards it with an upturned palm, ready to catch it, but in that moment he becomes more desperate and fierce than ever before in his attempts to take control.
>He causes your arm to twist and change, closing your hand around thin air—as the moonstone slips between your fingers.
>It hits the ground and it shatters into countless pieces, the fine chain that once wrapped around it now empty and barren.
>The moonstone is irreversibly destroyed.
>With the magic of the moonstone no longer contained in a single vessel, it expands out in a bright display of blue and white lunar energy—and then is gone.
>You land on the ground amidst the broken shards, and your hope of controlling the Wolf breaks as well.
>But, with the moonstone no longer sustaining the transformation, he cannot take control of you and is forced, kicking and howling, back down into the cage within the dark recesses of your mind.
>The witches, too, are forced to return to their human forms, as they follow the same rules as lycanthropes—no full moon, no transformation, and with no moonstone to access lunar magic, they are human once more.

>As you change back to human form, your legs painfully shift out of their inhuman shape.
>Your pants and your shoes aren’t in very good condition, but at least the beast has gone back to sleep and the pain is going away.
>Up above, at the top of the stairs leading to the pit, Adagio is going through a transformation of her own.
>She groans in pain and turns over, giving Applejack a chance to reach down onto her neck and tear off the choker with the red gem.
>Severed from the mind controlling stone, her eyes change color slightly to a more dull hue.
>The hair around her body retracts and her mouth changes back to normal as the whiskers vanish.
>Twilight looks down at you, her eyes wide and mouth agape, not believing that the moonstone is truly gone.
>”Anon… is it… is it?” she asks.
>You slowly nod as you reach out and touch the fragments, scooping them up into your hand.
>They’re nothing more than worthless rocks now, not even glinting in the light.
>As the girls go about gathering up the witches and binding them with ropes, you look over at Rainbow, who is floating over Sunset.
>”What about the Wolf? Is he gone too?”
“For now,” you reply. “He wasn’t bound to the stone, it was just how I controlled him. But now…”
>Sunset stirs, her mouth opening slightly as she gasps.
>You crawl over towards her and gently shake her, whispering her name.
>She opens her eyes, and as she regains consciousness, you are the first thing she sees.
>She smiles and says your name.

“Are you alright?”
>As memory returns, her smile runs away as her serene expression is replaced by one of panic.
>She jolts upwards and grabs your collar. “Is it too late? Did we stop them?”
“We dealt with the witches,” you nod.
>”No! Not them! They’re just pawns, puppets in the scheme of it all! The wolves, Anon! The wolves!”
>She desperately grabs at your collar and you take hold of her wrists, trying to calm her down.
“Sunset! Sunset! What did you learn? What do you know?”
>She looks at you with a serious expression and says, “They’re coming to Canterlot tonight… and they have a terrible plan. They mean to open a portal between worlds.”
>Your eyes narrow as you ask, “It wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with the wolf Fenrir, would it?”
>She nods. “They mean to free him. They mean to free him so he can attack the god Odin and kill him… putting Ragnarök into motion. Anon… they want to destroy the world!”
>The scope of their plan is now clear, and the notion is terrifying.
>To destroy the world in earthquakes and floods…
>But why?
>Why send the world into turmoil and destroy everything—including themselves?
“Do you know what they plan on gaining from this?”
>”That’s just it, I don’t think they mean to. They want to take the world with them, to sweep everything away and wipe the slate clean. I don’t know if they’re nihilists or not, but they don’t care about anything but destroying everything.”
>She then steadies herself as she says, “There’s more. The curator is with them. He’s their leader, and he owns this mansion. His name is Oswald Spencer.”
>You look up as some of the others stand at the edge of the pit, having heard everything.
“I think we should wake up the witches and get some answers out of them.”

>At the top of the pit, Sunset explains everything that happened to her when she left to see the alchemist in the forest.
>She was successful in getting the potions and reagents she needed, but as she came back through the woods, she was attacked by the witches.
>Overpowered, she was brought to the mansion, where she was to wait.
>There, she was reunited with the curator of the museum her father had been held in one year prior, the man who had escaped.
>”He was inspired, he said, by you,” she says, looking in your direction. “How you had managed to defeat my fath—Archsepsis. He became enamored with the power of the werewolf, and rediscovered his family’s love of Norse mythology. He said he believed it was fate, all of it.”
>Applejack, nearby, taps Adagio’s cheek.
>”Wakey wakey,” she says.
>The lead witch mumbles something, but doesn’t wake up yet.
>All three of them are tied up, with their backs to a pillar.
>Sunset continues, “He told me that I was going to be bait. All of you were meant to come here.”
>”To kill us?” Twilight asks.
>She shakes her head. “Just to distract us. To keep us away from the town. Whatever they’re planning, they’re doing it soon. So we need to hurry up,” she says as she looks towards AJ.
>The monster hunter nods as she taps Adagio again.
>This time, however, the lead witch opens her eyes.
>”Time to talk,” AJ says to her.

>Adagio looks up at you all, her mouth shut tightly in defiance.
>”Where is Spencer?” AJ asks. “Where is his cult?”
>She looks away, subtly struggling against her bonds.
>AJ grabs her by the chin and forces her to stare into her green eyes.
>”You know their plan. They mean to drown the whole damn world. Is that what you want?”
>Adagio grows still.
>”No…” she says. “No, I never wanted to be part of their plot. None of us did, when they first approached us. Then they gave us these necklaces in exchange for us helping to just lure you out, nothing more. But they did more than what they told us; they controlled us.”
>You kneel down and speak next.
“If you don’t want to die with the rest of us, then you’ll tell us where they are and what they need to do to finish their plan.”
>”It’s a ritual,” she explains after a moment of silence. “I don’t know how they’re going to do it, but they’re going to free the big wolf… Fenrir, I think.”
“We know that,” you say. “But what else? Come on! Time is short, we need details!”
>”They’re going to bring Odin down to Earth somehow. Something about… the Wild Hunt.”
“Wild Hunt…”
>Sunset walks up. “The Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth about a group of hunters travelling across the land, engaging in the sport of hunting. It varies from place to place, but in one region of the world, it is said that Odin leads the hunt.”
>You look back at her as you stand.
“So, they free Fenrir, and summon the Wild Hunt, led by Odin…”
>As Applejack reloads her revolver, she says, “And this jumpstarts the end of the world.”
>”But there’s more to Ragnarök than just Odin dying,” Twilight says. “There’s supposed to be a great battle… the sun and the moon swallowed. The world serpent rising from the oceans.”

>”But maybe they can set it all in motion with Odin’s death,” Fluttershy says. “Maybe it all starts with this, like it’s the catalyst for all of what’s to come…”
>Sunset chews on a fingernail and looks around. “They might already be finishing their ritual. We need to leave!”
“Wait,” you say, holding up a hand.
>You look down at Adagio, who stares up at you with uncertainty.
“You have two choices,” you say. “Either we keep you tied up and leave you here, where we can come collect you later—”
>”If you’re still alive,” she interrupts you.
You continue unabated. “Or, we untie you right now and you help us.”
>”You can’t be serious,” AJ says. “Anon, they’re the ones who took your moonstone! Who made you kill—You know what they did!”
“And now I know that they were forced to, if what she’s saying is true.”
>”It is,” Adagio swears. “We never wanted to be part of that psycho’s revenge or his ‘fuck the world’ scheme. All that bullshit about you being a threat to us, that was him talking. We never knew you or cared about you until Spencer showed up and made us his slaves.”
“So help us stop him,” you say. “Help us save the world.”
>She scoffs. “Like it’s that easy.”
“We’ve done it at least once before,” you say with a somewhat cocky smile.
>”Anon, we don’t know if we can trust them,” AJ points out. “They’re witches and werecats and they might be lying.

“We already have one on our team. Think of what we could do with three more.”
>Adagio remains silent, but the other two stir and slowly wake up.
>”We need a decision and we need it soon,” Sunset urges. “If we’re going to stop them, then we need to move!”
>The radio on AJ’s belt sudden buzzes with static.
>She takes it out and listens, but cannot get a signal down in this dungeon.
>”We should head up to the surface,” she suggests.
“Wait!” you reply. “Adagio, Aria, Sonata—I’m asking you, please. After this is over, we go our separate ways. But tonight, we need your help.”
>Sonata blinks a few times. “Wait, what’s happening?”
>”Why should we help you?” Aria says with a distasteful expression.
>”We don’t have time to argue!” Sunset says as she stomps over to the witches. “Listen up and listen good. If we don’t stop Spencer and his cult, the world might end. Now even if you don’t give a damn about anyone else, you’re on this world too. So let’s all just cut the bullshit. Are you with us or not?”
>Sonata looks at the other two and raises her eyebrows. “I kinda wanna get that jerk for mind-controlling us.”
>Pinkie nods in agreement. “Mind control is so messed up.”
>Aria rolls her eyes. “Not my fight.”
>”Shut up, both of you!” Adagio commands them. “I’m trying to think.”
>”Well think harder! We can’t just sit around all day debatin’ while that cult runs loose!” Applejack says.
>”Alright, alright, alright!” Adagio says as she sits up and straightens. She clears her throat and tries to maintain her dignity as she says, “Fine. We’ll help.”
>”But—” Aria begins.
>Her leader cuts her off. ”No buts! That creep Spencer put us through all this trouble; we might as well repay him the same ‘kindness’ that he did to us.”

>Sonata eagerly nods. “So we’ll put him under our mind control and make him do our bidding, right?”
>Adagio sighs. “No, you idiot. We’ll just kill him.”
>”Oh! Well, that works too.”
>The witches look up at you all. “Well?” Adagio says with a raised brow. “What are you waiting for? Cut us free! I said we’ll help you and we will!”
>You look at AJ, who still seems unconvinced.
>”Maybe we should give them a chance,” Fluttershy says to the suspicious monster hunter. “I mean, a chance to redeem themselves, you know?”
“I think this is the right thing to do,” you agree.
>After a moment, AJ takes out her machete.
>She leans down and slides it under Adagio’s ropes, then swiftly slices through them.
>The lead witch brings her arms in front of her and rubs her wrists.
>AJ does the same to her companions, until all three are freed and standing alongside each other.
>Now your group stands together, facing them down.
>The three witches look at each other, no doubt considering their next move, but Adagio keeps her word.
>”Wherever they are, it’ll be somewhere in town. Their plan involves Canterlot.”
>”What about Canterlot is so important to that man?” Rarity asks.
>”He hates the town almost as much as he hates you,” Adagio says. “Since it’s under your protection, the fact that he’s going to make it happen in the town is kind of his version of a ‘fuck you’.”
“The man’s hungry for revenge… I say we go and find the dinner table.”

>Upon leaving the dungeon, Applejack’s radio becomes much clearer.
>Big Mac responds that a thunderstorm is on approach to Canterlot, and it isn’t natural in any sense of the word.
>It’s moving fast and against the wind.
>Furthermore, disturbances are being reported all over town.
>Strange folk moving in groups, setting fires or smashing windows and scattering afterwards without a trace.
>The town’s police are scrambling around and disorganized because nobody knows where they’ll pop up next.
>”We need to get back into town immediately,” Twilight says. “Sunset, can you teleport us all there at once?”
>”I’ve never done more than two people at a time,” she says.
“What about with the Necronomicon? It wasn’t at the cabin.”
>”I had it with me when I was subdued,” she says in a grim tone.
“Well, shit,” you say as you run a hand through your hair. “Now they have that, too.”
>”I’m sorry,” she says softly, regretful that she can’t conjure up enough power to bring all of you into town.
>Upon looking at your new allies, however, she gets an idea.
>”But maybe I actually can, with a little help…”
>”Teleporting isn’t really our thing,” Adagio says.
>”We mostly walk,” Sonata admits. “Sometimes we hitch rides!”
>”What good are ya, then?!” AJ groans.
“Is your truck nearby?” you ask her.
>”Now hold it!” Adagio interrupts. “I didn’t say we couldn’t give her some of our power. If we do, she might be able to bring us all into town.”

>Rainbow floats through two other members of the group and gets your attention.
>”What about me? I can’t teleport with the rest of you.”
“Damn… Alright, I’ll run into town.” You blink a few times. “Hey, hold on, wait a minute! You three! Take that curse off of me and Dash before we do anything else!”
>They exchange somewhat nervous glances.
>Adagio scratches her poofy hair. ”Well… That’s the thing… We never actually cursed you. We just helped Spencer do it.”
“So HE’S the one?” you sigh.
>”It was always him, man,” Aria replies. “Dude seriously hates your guts. Like, it’s half of what he talked about. How you ‘denied him his ascension’ or something.”
“He was the servant of a sorcerer. I guess he planned on getting power out of it.”
>Sunset waves the notion away. ”It doesn’t matter. We’ll deal with Spencer when we catch up to him.” She looks at the other three witches and tells them to hold hands, and then she holds two of theirs.
>Everyone except you crowds in the middle of the entrance hall inside of their circle.
>”We’ll meet you in town,” Twilight says.
“Right, I won’t be long.”
>”Anon, be safe,” Fluttershy wishes you.
>You nod as Sunset begins an incantation, and Adagio and her companions all raise their heads back and close their eyes, allowing her to siphon some of their latent power.
>Deciding not to stick around and instead get a head start, you run up to the front door and burst out of it, smashing the wood and immediately taking off into a dead run.

>As you do, Rainbow floats alongside you.
>Far up above, the moon continues to shine.
>It’s not full anymore, so you don’t transform, but it still affects you on a deeper level.
>One of its more subtle qualities is that it recharges you and lets you keep going.
>”This is all so nuts!” she says. “I mean, all of this is just… Do you really think they can end the whole world?”
“I don’t think we should give them the chance,” you say between breaths, pausing to hop over a log.
>You grit your teeth and take pacing breaths as you charge through the forest with more determined haste than you’ve ever ran with before.
>Over rivers, between trees, through bushes and around rocks, you sprint through the woods almost as fast as you could if you were in wolf form.
>In the distance, you hear the crack of thunder, followed by another shortly afterwards.
>”What do you think that storm is? Is it them?” she asks.
“It might be that Wild Hunt on its way,” you reply. “Maybe they’re summoning it first… and freeing Fenrir when they arrive.”
>”How the hell are they going to free that wolf anyway? And how do they know their plan will work?”
“They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t think they could. And that means, no matter what, we have to stop them from freeing him.”
>Rainbow’s brow furrows. “Damnit, damnit, damn this fucking curse! If I had my own body, I’d be of some use!”
“You still are,” you say to her, managing a smile despite you running. “Down there, in that pit, when I was transforming and keeping the Wolf at bay… you were there, helping me. Keeping me focused.”
>”Could you stop him? I mean, were you able to?”
>You don’t immediately reply, but when you do, you are honest.

“No… No, I couldn’t stop him. But I could delay him, hold him off for a bit… I gave the others a chance to get the moonstone out of Adagio’s hands. And that made all the difference.”
>”What are you going to do now? I mean, with the moonstone gone…”
“I don’t know, Dash. I honestly don’t know. But right now, we’ve got bigger things to worry about.”
>But even as you put her question aside and keep on running, it still stays in your mind.
>What are you going to do without it?
>Cure yourself?
>Live with that murderous beast within you?
>Could you even conceive of such a thing—living in doubt and fear for the rest of your life, knowing that you might one day make a mistake and let him out to kill again?
>Rainbow’s voice suddenly jostles you out of your distracted state.
>”Anon! Up ahead—there’s a light!”
>You pause, digging your feet into the ground and panting heavily.
>There is indeed a light up ahead, a rather bright one, with a strange, ethereal quality to it.
>You hold a hand up to your eyes to shield yourself from the bright rays as whatever it is turns to look at you.
>There’s curious warmth to it, almost a welcoming aura of peace…
>It feels familiar somehow, too.
>As the spirit takes form, you realize who it is.
>Your grandfather, Heronymous.
>”Anon. It’s good to see you again.”
>He smiles and holds out his arms as he approaches.

“Grandpa…”
>”You’ve done so well, Anon, and I can’t keep you for long—dark forces conspire to bring ruin and damnation to all. But I knew I had to come to your aid.”
“What do you mean?”
>Rainbow looks on as you approach the glowing spectral figure.
>”Anon, you may not believe me, but you can control him. The beast that lurks inside. You can stop him from taking over.”
“But… But how? The moonstone, it’s gone…”
>”Nothing more than a tool. A useful one, I admit—but not necessary. The magic that fuels it, the power that it grants, it can be found inside as well.”
>Though you’d like to believe his words, you still doubt.
“I couldn’t control him down in that pit. I could stall him, but he was winning. He’s stronger than me.”
>Heronymous continues to smile and places a warm hand on your shoulder.
>”He isn’t stronger. He is feral, primal and powerful, yes, but he isn’t stronger than you, Anon. He isn’t the one who gave himself to be judged in place of his friends by a god. He isn’t the one who selflessly protected his home for a year against things that would harm the innocent.”
>He gives Rainbow a look as well, one that seems to silently thank her for all she has also done in protecting Canterlot.
“That’s all well and good and all, Grandpa, but it doesn’t change anything. I can’t stop him.”
>”You can.”
>His hand slips from your shoulder and he begins walking back towards the trees.
“But how?” you ask him to his back. “How can I? I don’t know how!”
>Heronymous gives you one final look over the shoulder, along with one last knowing smile.
>”You will learn.”

>With that, he continues walking into the forest until his light fades completely as he returns to the ethereal plane from which he briefly left to visit.
>You are left with more questions than answers, but as you stand there with an outstretched hand, you hear another clap of thunder in the distance.
>Time is short.
>You take off running again and don’t stop until Canterlot is in sight, and Rainbow stays with you all the while.
>The spot you emerge from the forest is atop a large hill overlooking most of the town.
>You narrow your eyes and scan across the town, looking for disturbances.
>The light of some police vehicles are visible; that might be a good place to start looking.
>As you run down the hill towards the edge of town, your cell phone rings.
>It’s Twilight.
>You come to a stop and answer it, but you can’t quite make out what she is saying.
>”Anon, they took it! They took it all, they took it all!”
“What? What did they take?”
>”The house is ransacked. My parents, Spike, the containment unit for the entities, and Rainbow’s body—it’s all gone!”
>Your blood runs cold.
>What could they possibly need with those?
>There are dozens of spirits trapped in that containment unit that Twilight devised…
>Such otherworldly power, in the wrong hands, could be very dangerous.
>And Spike and her parents… Rainbow’s body…

“Alright, listen to me. Grab whatever gear you can. Arm everyone. I just got into town; I’ll head over. I get the idea that this will be get very ugly very soon.”
>Though terribly shaken, she understands and hangs up.
“This is going to hell real fast,” you say as you look at Rainbow.
>”What do those sick freaks want with my body?”
“I have no idea.”
>As she fumes, Rainbow looks over past your shoulder.
>”Hey… isn’t that the rec center? What’s going on over there?”
>You follow her gaze and see a lot of cars pulling up to the recreation center, with quite a few people, sometimes whole families, getting out of their cars and heading inside.
“I don’t know, but something tells me I should find out.”
>You run up to it and stand outside the parking lot, watching as people stream inside.
>Just as you are about to ask a passerby what’s going on, someone grabs your arm and tightly yanks on it.
>It’s Flash, and he looks crazed.
>”Anon! Anon, you have to help me, man! They’re after me—they’re after all of us!”
“Woah, woah!” you disentangle yourself from his tight grip. “What’s going on? What is all this?”
>”There’s people in the town,” Flash explains, scratching his chin nervously. “Starting fires, stealing stuff, raiding houses—nobody knows who they are or why, but I know! I know!”
>He grabs your arms and looks at you with wide eyes.
>”It’s the vampires, right? Isn’t it?! You were there, you saw her like I did!”
“What? Oh… Right.”
>You remember your encounter with him and Fluttershy in the park earlier.
>”I’m telling you, I saw it! I saw what she turned into! And now all these people are appearing and disappearing.”

“Flash, calm down. It’s not vampires.”
>You almost consider telling him that it’s actually werewolves, but you hold your tongue.
>”I saw them,” he says. “I saw them open the back of a truck and dump bodies out into the river.”
“What?” Bodies into the river… what are they planning?
>He vigorously nods and insists, “I saw them! They were dropping them out and I don’t know why! They drank them dry, I bet!”
“Flash, get ahold of yourself, man! Why are all of these people going into the rec center?”
>”Cops said it would be safe,” he says. “They’re ordering people inside until they can catch them. But I know better. I know better! I’m not going in there!”
>You watch a woman enter the building with two small children.
“No… It’s a deathtrap. A slaughterhouse. We need to get them all out of there.”
>”So you know? You believe me, right?”
>He smiles, desperately waiting on your acknowledgement.
“Yeah, yeah, sure. Listen, I need your help. Go inside and pull the fire alarm.”
>”Good idea! That’ll get people running!”
>As he takes off towards the rec center, Rainbow looks over at you.
>”So, what’s your plan exactly?”
“I don’t know. I just think it’s a bad idea to have everyone bunched up in one place. Anything could go wrong when they’re all—”
>Suddenly, screams from inside the rec center draw your attention.
>People outside are confused, but you run and push your way through the crowd to get inside.

>Once you’re in, you look around the large gym that people have been gathering in and find a group of people crowded around something, and some of them are screaming.
>You run up and most past the circle of people to get a look and see a person lying on the ground, convulsing.
>At her neck is a white rabbit with patches of black fur and bright red eyes, sticking a pair of fangs into her bleeding neck.
>It’s Angel!
>Suddenly, the rabbit leaps into the air, flying like a bullet straight for someone else’s neck.
>The crowd scatters and people scream as the new victim goes down, bleeding from two deep puncture wounds in the neck.
>You dive for the bunny but he leaps again, cutting several feet in a different direction and straight for someone else’s neck.
>The chaos in the room as people push and trip over each other only helps serve the rabbit-vampire’s cause as he leaps again and takes down another victim.
>When you said that this was a slaughterhouse, you didn’t quite picture this!
>As the rabbit takes down its seventh person, the fire alarm rings, sending people running out of the room.
>Flash runs in and look around, when suddenly the bloodthirsty rabbit flies straight for him!
>You jump in the air and intercept the rabid and adorable monster, hitting the ground and holding him above you.
>He screams as blood drips from his fangs and mouth, pawing at your hands with tiny little claws.
>You grunt and try holding him at bay, but he is surprisingly strong for so small a creature, continually trying to fly out of your grasp.
>Flash, though stunned at the furry assailant, reaches for a nearby shovel that someone dropped and picks it up.
>”Anon, throw it at me!”

>You oblige and let go, allowing the vampire to soar towards the ready jock.
>With a swing and a loud THUD, Flash whacks the vampire out of the air and he hits a nearby wall, slowly sliding down.
>You look around and see that someone brought a doggy cage; inside is a small poodle.
>In their haste, they left the animal behind.
>You run up and open the cage and let the dog run away; all you need is its housing.
>Before Angel can get up and split more necks open, you scoop him up into the kennel and close the metal cage door.
>With that done, you breathe a little bit easier and try to relax.
>You think about taking out your phone and calling Fluttershy to let her know that you found her pet.
>But why was he killing people?
>Was he set loose by Spencer and his cultists, and if so, for what purpose?
>Perhaps just as another distraction.
>Flash walks up with the shovel.
>”You got it in there?” he asks.
You nod and hold up the cage. “The littlest vampire you ever saw, huh?”
>”We should burn it—or something.”
>At that, you disagree with him, but don’t want to fight him.
“I’ll take care of it, trust me. Flash, you should go home. Go home, make sure your family is safe. Tonight, bad things are happening.”

>He seems to understand. “But what about you? Can’t I help?”
“I don’t think you’d be much good,” you say. “You’re a little whacked out from earlier.”
>”That’s… I’m just scared, man. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Good. And if we’re all lucky, I can stop it.”
>As you get up and head towards the door, he moves to catch up.
>”Wait, wait! I can help, really I can! Do you know what’s happening? Do you think you can stop it?”
You turn and look him in the eyes. “Flash, if you really want to help, go get everyone you can and tell them to go into their homes and not come out. People like you, they’ll trust you. Can you do that for me?”
>”O… Okay. I’ll do it.”
“I’m serious, Flash. Help people get home.”
>He nods and runs out of the gym, leaving you with several corpses of Angel’s latest victims.
>You hold up the kennel and he hisses at you.
“You are a bad rabbit, you know that? A very, very bad rabbit.”
>As you leave the rec center with the plastic and metal cage, you can still see families scattering, confused and not knowing what to do.
>You watch them run to their cars and pull away, some of them even accidentally running into each other.
>The thunderstorm approaches; in the distance, you see a bolt of lightning flare in the sky followed shortly by the sound echoing across the landscape.
>As people run, hooded figures start to appear.
>You begin to notice them in increasing numbers; they are approaching the rec center, or more specifically, you.

>Having been told to watch for hooded figures, the people continue to run away, frightened.
>Your eyes dart from right to left, taking count of them; nine, ten, eleven.
>Slowly, you set the kennel down and get ready for a fight, curling your hands into fists.
>”No need for that,” a voice says from behind.
>You recognize it; it’s one you haven’t heard for a year.
>Turning around, you see Oswald Spencer, with his greying hair, bushy eyebrows and goatee, wearing a brown suit.
>He greets you with a smile. “It’s been too long.”
“Not long enough,” you reply, taking note that the cultists have stopped. “I could have gone a lot longer without seeing your smug ass again.”
>”But we’re such good friends. I’d even go so far as to say that I love you.”
“I’m not your type.”
>He laughs. “No, not that. I don’t love you, I love what you’ve done for me. You’ve made me see truth.”
“I know what you’re planning.”
>”Yes, I imagine by now the pieces have started falling into place.”
>He looks at Rainbow Dash and gives her a smile as well.
>”My, my, my! Miss Dash, how lovely you look! I haven’t had a chance to see you myself until now.”
>”Get fucked, you cunt,” she spits at him.
>”My, my, such language.”
>He puts his hands behind his back and walks around you in a circle, keeping his distance.
>”You may know my plans, but I doubt you know everything.”
“We know enough. We know you plan on setting off Ragnarök, and that’s all we need to stop you.”

>”There’s so much more to it than that,” he says, waggling a finger. “I wanted to thank you for showing me the folly of following Archsepsis. You showed me that there is stronger power than that which can be dug up in ancient Egyptian tombs.”
“What power is there in destroying the world?”
>He chuckles. “There are ways to benefit from wiping the slate clean, my boy. Much to gain and little to lose, as far as modern society is concerned.”
>You smirk and cannot help but roll your eyes.
“So, you just want to get rid of everything and start over, is that it?”
>”Don’t tell me you plan on arguing that we should keep things the way they are,” he says coyly. “Look at the state of the world: corruption, pollution, laziness. The modern world is one of wanton carelessness and neglect. People neglect their traditions, their ancestry, their true nature.”
“Alright, humor me: what are people’s true nature?”
>”Just look around,” he says with arms spread wide. “People running in fear, cowering. Long ago, when people still worshipped the ancient gods, they feared judgment and retribution. Now they only fear when their computer stops working and they can’t update their status.”
>”This dude loves hearing himself talk, huh?” Rainbow says.
“So, you hate technology then?”
>As he talks, you slowly reach into your pocket to your phone and begin typing out a message.
>”Technology is not responsible for mankind being led astray; it is merely a byproduct of it. No, man was led astray because they stopped worshipping the old gods. They lost faith! Faith in tradition, faith in judgment, faith in higher power. They are shameless now; heathens of decadent lust and gluttons all.”
“You act like there’s nothing left in man,” you reply distastefully. “That there’s nothing worth fighting for.”

>”There isn’t! Now they worship credit cards, shopping malls, internet feeds and celebrity gossip! All around them, the world suffers and they freely ignore it, content to live in their comfortable lives of leisure and boredom! They never truly earn what they have, they profit upon the misery of all others!”
>As he finishes speaking, you can’t help but laugh a bit.
“You miss the good ‘ol days, is that it? When people lived in villages and burned people on crosses for being witches?”
>”At least those people had values,” he replies. “They truly believed in a higher power. But even though they stopped, the gods never truly die. They sleep, and can be roused, just as we did one year ago. But I seek not to awaken Anubis. No, now I wish to show everyone in the world their folly. I want them to see the wrath of gods and nature reborn! I want—”
“Ragnarök,” you finish his sentence for him. “You want to show everyone the power of the gods, to make them run and fear, and then die.”
>He composes himself and straightens his brown jacket. “Yes.”
“Yeah,” you say as you nod a few times. “You’re pretty much whacked in the head, you know that?”
>”How ironic for a blind man to say that what I see is false,” he cackles. “You who deny your true form, your true power! You fear what makes you strong!”
“That thing inside me doesn’t make me stronger.”
>”That’s where you’re wrong. It took me seeing the power of the beast last year during our battle in the Hall of Two Truths to fully understand it, but the power of nature, like the Wolf inside you, is stronger than any mere sorcery.”
>”You mean when we kicked your ass and made you run away like a bitch, right?” Rainbow says with a smirk.

>”I will admit defeat last year, but now… Now, we cannot be stopped. I have converted all my followers into lycanthropes, and soon we will run as a pack. For though I have learned that nature is powerful, I have also discovered the most powerful force in the universe, and it is the key to all of my plans.”
“And just what might that be, since you’re willing to be so talkative?”
>You continue to stall for time, waiting for the moment to strike.
>He looks at you both and smiles, his eyes taking on a sinister red color.
>”Chaos,” he says. “Chaos will reign when Ragnarök comes. The world will shake, the oceans will boil, mountains will crumble, stars will fall from the sky! Battle will rage! Fires will spread to every forest and home and all will tremble and fear! They will cry for mercy, but chaos will spare none!”
>You fold your arms and shake your head.
“You know we’re going to stop you.”
>”I am the harbinger of chaos,” he says, apparently ignoring you. “I am its cleric! Its begotten son! I am Discord, and I will bring the world down around me!”
>He looks down at you and reaches a hand out.
>”And once more, I would like to thank you for making this all possible. But the time has come to end all things, and the doom of the world isn’t going to wait for us.”
>You take this moment to swing a surprise punch towards him, but with the speed of a cheetah he catches your fist in his hand and stops it.
>He has surprising strength, supernatural strength.
>Now, the final piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.
“When you said you will run as a pack… that means you’re the one, the giant dog I saw on the blood moon. You’re a werewolf too.”
>He laughs, waving the notion away.
>With a simple push, he lets go of your fist and knocks you backwards.

>”I am no werewolf. I am something much more powerful than any wolf, cat, skin-walker or wendigo. I have resurrected a legend, just as I have brought about Ragnarök. I searched for this power, power greater than even your own, and I found it.”
>With his arms held wide, his eyes glow red as he reveals a mouthful of fangs.
>”Behold! Just as you were the last of the white wolves, I am the last barghest!”
>You blink a few times.
“I’m sorry, a what?”
>”It matters not,” he growls. “For the time has come to end the world.”
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see a truck approaching.
“Oh, it’s time for an end alright,” you say with a smile.
>He turns, as do some of his cultists, as AJ drives over the curb and into the parking lot.
>The truck she is driving has been modified, for on its back is a mounted crossbow more closely resembling an automatic ballista.
>A young man you don’t recognize, with blonde hair and a wide Stetson hat, sits upon it while a young woman with fair skin, green hair and two ponytails stands behind him, holding ammunition clips for the crossbow.
>AJ was right; the Apple family sent reinforcements!
>”Yeeeeeehaaaawww!” the young man cries as he lets loose with the first silver bolt.
>It flies through the air and clean through one of the cultists, striking him in the chest and killing him in a heartbeat.
>As AJ pulls up, the cultists scatter, with Spencer cursing this latest development and running.

>”Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow shouts. “Get him, Anon!”
>As the monster hunters focus on the cultists, gunning them down with silver stakes, you chase after the chaotic prophet.
>You leap for his legs but he jumps up high, on top of a parked car.
>Scrambling to your feet, you follow him up as he leaps from car to car.
>When he reaches the road, he takes off running towards the center of town, faster than even you can keep up.
>The cultists, meanwhile, are driven into complete retreat, allowing AJ to pull over next to you.
>”Anon, meet Braeburn and Apple Fritter, my cousins.”
>”Howdy!” Braeburn says, extending a hand.
>”Hi,” Apple Fritter gives you a tiny wave.
>You shake his hand, but then turn back to AJ.
“We don’t have much time. This guy is seriously cracked. He thinks he’s the harbinger of the end of the world. He’s heading for the center of town.”
>”Hop in!” she says, kicking the truck into high gear.
>You roll over the back of the truck as she takes off, speeding towards the town square.
>”The others are all over town, trying to hunt down these cultists,” she shouts back at you. “But we haven’t found any trace of the stuff they stole from Twilight’s house!”
>You look up ahead, past the front end of the car.
“I think we just did,” you say, and AJ slams on the breaks.
>The town square has been converted into some kind of ritualistic site.
>Dead bodies of people the cult has killed are scattered around, some of them arranged in particular patterns with knives sticking out of their chests.
>The cultists themselves are numbered more than fifty at least, all circled around a central stage of wood.

>In front of the stage is a massive pyre, the flames of which reach up several feet high.
>Upon the stage itself is Spencer, and tied to a large wooden cross is Spike.
>”What the hell are they doin’?” AJ wonders out loud.
>Spike groans in pain; he’s got tubes running out of his body that all lead to a central canister that is filling up with a green liquid.
>The canister itself is placed on top of the ghost containment unit, but is not connected to it.
>On a nearby altar, Rainbow’s body is there as well, similarly being drained into the same canister.
>”That’s my body! That’s mine!” she shouts as she flies up.
“They’re being drained of the reagent,” you say.
>Spencer turns around and holds aloft the canister.
>”This is it, my brethren! Non-believers, sinners and saints alike, now you will witness your doom!”
>Above, lightning strikes nearby, lighting up the dark clouds swirling overhead.
>He throws the canister into the fire, breaking it and turning the flames to green.
“Oh no,” you mutter, realizing what he’s planning.
>Suddenly what Flash said about them dumping bodies around town makes sense.
>Twilight’s reagent, when burned, produces a toxic chemical she has called Trioxin.
>It goes up into the air and mixes with the clouds before coming down in a torrent of rain, reanimating any corpses it comes into contact with as brain-hungry ghouls.
>You remember this all too well from last year when a similar accident aroused the dead.
>But now, with so many people gathered in one place…
>Even now the black flames from the Trioxin-fire reaches to the stormclouds up above.
“We have to stop him! Come on!”

>You leap out of the back of the truck and run towards the square, but the cultists stand in your way.
>They draw out knives and hold torches, but do not advance upon you; in fact, they merely seem to be trying to keep you at bay.
>Applejack steps out of her truck holding her shotgun and wastes no time in blasting two of them away.
>Apple Fritter hands Braeburn a fresh clip that he inserts into the side of the automatic crossbow and begins plugging away at the cultists.
>You charge headlong into two of them, knocking them over, even though one of them manages to slash at your side with his knife.
>It hurts like hell, but you’ll heal.
>On the other side of the stage, Sunset and her fellow witches appear, brandishing daggers of their own and attacking the cultists.
>Sunset, in particular, uses her offensive evocations to great effect, blasting a small group of the hooded figures with a fireball.
>Up on the stage, Spencer takes out the Necronomicon and opens its pages to a specific passage and begins chanting.
>Overhead, another bolt of lightning pierces the sky, striking a nearby telephone pole and causing it to fall and burst into flames.
>Now it begins to rain, and it is accompanied by a stinging sensation.
>As you fight your way to the stage, trying to get past the thick crowd of cultists, Spencer hits the release on the containment unit.
>Like an explosion, a wave of purple and green ethereal energy is released, knocking everyone around the stage down to the ground.
>A large cone of light from the top of the containment unit grows brighter and brighter, creating a corridor through which the spirits who were trapped inside now escape.

>As the shrieking spirits form a swirling cyclone that reaches up to the sky, wailing and reveling in their freedom, Spencer continues to read from the book of the dead, commanding them.
>At the issuance of a spell that they have no choice but to heed, they scatter around town, jumping into bodies that are being reanimated.
>This fusion of Trioxin and dark magic creates a new breed of undead, bound by the Necronomicon and dedicated to spreading fear and chaos amongst the living.
>These deadites rise from the rivers, the sewers, the cemeteries—anywhere and everywhere, using their new powers to attack the living.
>Even as you battle the cultists, you can see the effects this has on the town as the spirits roam freely, piloting their new undead shells.
>Some of them can even fly and cast spells of their own, depending on the strength of the spirit contained within, but all are dangerous and maliciously evil, just as the one who brought them forth is.
>Your other allies, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy are intercepted by the deadites before they can make it to the town square, forced to battle the newly-raised evil dead.
>Amongst this cataclysm of monstrous terror, Spencer raises his hands to the heavens and cries out, “Let chaos reign! Let the screams of the innocent be lost in the storm! Let all suffer and die, and let the moon be swallowed in shadow!”
>He throws his head up to the sky, staring at the moon.
>”I summon thee! Hati! The time has come! Give power to those of your blood, and allow us the means to break the chains of your father!”
>Far above, the clouds swirling around the moon seem to take shape; that of a great and monstrous wolf’s head.

>The shadowy form, fed by the chaos of the town and the ritual, opens its maw and lunges towards the moon.
>The celestial object is swallowed in shadow as the wolf sinks its teeth into it, obscuring it completely.
>As this happens, you feel something deep within you, a pain unlike anything else.
>All of the other cultists feel it as well, falling to the ground and clutching their chests.
>”What the hell is wrong with them?” AJ asks, putting down her firearm. She looks over at you. “Anon? Anon!”
>Your eyes shoot open and they burn with a golden color as the Wolf within begins to awaken.
>This was the plan all along; to have the moon itself swallowed whole by one of the sons of Fenrir, the great wolf, allowing all those who carry the blood of the wolf within them and are bound by the moon to transform freely.
>The cultists all begin to change, their forms growing hairier and larger, ripping out of their robes.
>The monster hunters back away as dozens of werewolves begin to manifest from their human shells, raising their snouts up to the sky and howling.
>But not you.
>You stay on the ground, struggling to stop the Wolf, to keep him at bay.
>Even as the werewolves around you awaken and set loose upon the town, spreading chaos and destruction at their master’s bidding, you refuse to let him take over.
>The Apple family falls back, now fighting a small group of the ravenous beasts, and your witch allies are also forced into retreat just from the sheer number of powerful lycanthropes now bearing down on them.
>You close your eyes and slam your hand onto the ground, digging your fingers into the earth as your heart races and pounds in your chest.
>”Let me out!” he cries in your head.
>”Release me! I must feast! I must taste blood again!”
“NO!”

>You shout as the Wolf strikes again, gnawing its way into your head.
>”I will not be denied! This is my time! This is our time! Run with me, not against me! STAND WITH ME!”
“NEVER!”
>Nearby, Spencer slowly walks down the wooden steps from the stage and approaches you, chuckling softly.
>”So admirable, your attempts to deny your true self, your true power. You cannot hope to win. Give in and join us. Attack the innocent! Spread chaos and death! Revel in the slaughter, for soon the world will end! Why fight it? Why resist? There is no hope, no chance of victory.”
>”Fuck you!” Rainbow shouts as she flies up to his face. “Anon, don’t listen to this dirtbag! Fight it! I know you can, and so does your grandfather!”
>At the mention of Heronymous, Spencer laughs. “That old man? The one who lived in fear and cowered his entire life, denying his power? Look how he died! Alone and in flames when my cult burned his home to the ground! Truly someone to emulate, hahaha!”
>You scream in rage as your limbs twist and change, your legs breaking and bending with new joints.
>Your teeth sharpen and your snout juts outwards, but inside, a much more terrifying battle is held.
>The Wolf snaps and bites, but you stand your ground against him, pushing back.
>He claws and howls, but you do not relent, you do not buckle.
>”You cannot chain me! I am stronger! I will feast!”
“You will NOT!” you scream.
>He is not the one in control.

>This is not his body; it’s yours.
“You… will… OBEY!”
>Your clothes rip and tear as your form grows larger; hair sprouts across every inch of your skin.
>The Wolf continues to fight, continues to gnash his teeth and sink his claws into your soul, but now you fight back.
>You beat him, savagely smashing him across the face with your fists.
>He falls back and you fall upon him, wrapping your hands around his throat.
“YOU WILL OBEY! YOU ARE AN ANIMAL, A HOUND! I AM THE MASTER! I AM THE ONE WHO COMMANDS!”
>As your grip tightens, he continues to rake at you and snap his jaws, but he is losing strength.
>He has power, but does not have your will.
>You pick him up and slam him on the ground.
“OBEY ME! YIELD! YIELD! YIELD!”
>And in that moment, as you stare into the Wolf’s eyes, you see fear.
>He whimpers.
>And now he is yours.
>Your transformation complete, you leap off of your back and dig your paws into the soft grass below you.
>Spencer backs up, his eyes wide with disbelief.
>You howl at him before bearing your fangs and growling.
>Your coat is no longer black, but rather a mixture of color—white, black and grey.
>Your eyes burn with the same golden color, and contained within them is not the primal, ravenous spirit of the Wolf, but your mind, your rage, your spirit.
>The only one in control is you, and you have a score to settle.

>Spencer seems amazed. “So… it’s true, then…”
>You bear your fangs and growl at him.
>”I never thought it possible,” he admits. “Controlling the beast without the moonstone…”
>After unleashing another howl, you charge towards him and lunge forward, intending to gouge him with your claws, but he dashes to the side and dodges you.
>”It’s a fight you want, and a fight I shall grant you!” he says as he begins his own transformation. He throws the Necronomicon aside and points a finger at you. “Now let us see who is truly stronger!”
>His eyes burn red and he throws his head backwards as his chest suddenly expands outward, ripping through his suit.
>Fingers become claws, hands and feet become paws and his head elongates and grows along with his neck, spine and limbs.
>Black fur bursts forth from under the remainder of his clothes, shredding them completely as his bulk becomes even more massive.
>The barghest takes form in the shape of a colossal black dog with burning red eyes and white fangs.
>Drool drips from his maw as he digs all four of his paws claw into the earth.
>He almost seems as long as a school bus or a limousine, and is at least twice the height of a normal man.
>His transformation complete, the barghest looks at you and growls, demanding your obedience, much like he did on the night of the blood moon.
>But in response, you howl back, denying his claim of superiority.
>Slowly, the two of you circle around each other, growling and waiting for the moment to attack.
>You strike first, leaping at the black hound and clawing at his face.

>He springs forward with all four legs and tackles you out of the air, into the nearby street, through the lamppost that falls over and smashes through a store window.
>The monstrous hound is on you in an instant, trying to bite your midsection.
>You howl in pain as his mouth sinks down around your hip.
>He lifts you up and shakes his head voraciously, trying to rip you in half.
>With one of your claws, you scratch him in the eye, causing him to yelp in pain and let go.
>You are thrown from his jaws and onto a nearby car, crashing through its roof and windshield.
>The barghest shakes his head and rubs a paw across his bleeding eye before growling and stomping over to you.
>He brings up a foot and tries to smash you further into the vehicle, but you leap backwards as he crushes the car beneath his paw.
>You roar and dash underneath him, bringing up a claw and slicing at his underbelly.
>This draws another painful cry from him as he tries to swipe at you with his claws and bite at your back as you run under his tail.
>He turns and chases you down the street, even as you reach city hall and begin to scale its walls.
>You claw your way up the side of the stone building, out of his reach—he is too large to climb the wall.
>At the top, you turn around and look down at him.
>He hunches over, keeping his body low to the ground, as he prepares to leap upwards.
>You fall back as he pushes off of the ground, shooting up to the top of the town hall and smashing through some of the concrete at the edge of the roof.
>He snaps at you with his mouth as he claws and scrapes the stone, scrambling to get up onto the roof.
>You see your opening and charge at him, digging your claws and sinking your fangs into his neck and tackling him off of the rooftop’s edge.

>The two of you fall to the ground and crash onto the street, with him taking most of the fall.
>As you shred into the folds of his neck, he thrashes around, his jaws snapping close to you as he tries to bite you.
>He brings up a paw and swipes you off of his neck, giving him a chance to roll back onto his stomach and try to stand.
>You land near the fallen lamppost, and as you get up, you get an idea to pick it up.
>The barghest opens its eyes and sees the lamppost coming too late as you use it like a club, bashing it against his head and bending it.
>You bring it back up and then down again, but this time he catches it in his jaws and snaps it in half.
>Now you reach for a blue mailbox and tear it out of the ground, throwing it at him.
>It makes contact with his head and he shakes it wildly, stunned temporarily.
>Now, however, you approach an abandoned taxicab.
>With strength you never knew your form could possess, for you have never fought so physically strong an opponent, you lift the cab overhead and charge at him.
>His eyes widen as you leap up and howl before bringing the front of the cab down upon his head.
>The weight of the vehicle slams his head against the street, which cracks from the impact.
>You let go and leap back as the car falls back down onto its wheels, its front end now looking like it hit a wall doing eighty miles an hour.
>Nearby, Rainbow, who has been watching the fight proceed, is rendered speechless by the display of strength and power.
>The barghest twitches slightly, but does not get up.
>Good.
>However, you now have a different problem.

>Nearby, a horde of deadites advances towards the town square, eager to share in the spilling of blood.
>However, the sudden intervention of your friends led by Twilight keeps them at bay.
>Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie all wield proton packs and blast at the undead, in some cases destroying their physical forms and releasing the spirits bound within.
>Fluttershy uses her vampiric strength to fend off any of the werewolves, picking them up and throwing them into the sights of her friends, who blast them into pieces with their protonic energy beams.
>As they proceed down the street, forcing the horde backwards, a manhole near them bursts open from below and a scaly hand reaches up.
>Gummy, the swamp monster, rises from the sewers to come to the aid of his owner Pinkie, who is delighted to see him and takes a break from blasting deadites to give him a hug.
>But not for long, for there are more monsters to kill.
>At the other end of the square, the witches work together against their werewolf foes.
>Through they are not werewolves themselves, Adagio and two lackeys are bound to the power of the moon and fight with all of their might to free it from the shadowy curse put upon it.
>Though they cannot transform themselves, like you they have feline qualities and use their acrobatic prowess and skill to compliment Sunset’s spells and conjurations.
>And of course, the Apple family, with the newly-arrived Big Mac and Granny Smith in the family pickup truck, continues to fight the supernatural horde, mere men and women standing against the bulwark of terror arrayed against them and holding their ground.
>Hell, even Rainbow actually gets a chance to fight.
>The wraith you helped capture on the night of the blood moon has returned, freed from confinement along with all of the other spirits.

>It sets its sight upon you and flies towards you before it is suddenly and violently tackled out of the air by Rainbow Dash.
>She drags it to the ground and proceeds to lay down a savage beating, happy to finally have someone she can not only touch but let loose a lot of pent up aggression on.
>It’s understandable; she’s been dealing with a lot of things lately.
>You want to go and help them, but your attention, however, is suddenly drawn above, for the rain stops falling but the storm remains.
>A new power has manifested within the sky.
>The sound of thunder can be heard again and strange lights are seen over the town.
>As you look up, you behold a sight unlike any you have ever seen before, one that few mortals in history have ever had the fortune of seeing.
>Horsemen and hounds are charging across the sky, carrying spears, bows, swords and all manner of hunting equipment.
>They are accompanied by horn men, blasting their instruments and beating drums.
>The spectral hunters are led by an enormous figure, one who seems almost larger than life, with a great beard and winged helm that sparkles and shines in the light of the torches carried by his companions.
>He has only one eye, rides an eight-legged horse and carries a golden spear that burns with the light of battle and honor.
>There are shapes that move around him; warriors, ravens, wolves, other gods and heroes alike.
>Odin, ruler of Asgard and Valhala, master of the Wild Hunt.
>The sight of him is awe-inspiring, forcing you to halt and simply witness him and his band.
>Rainbow Dash is similarly stricken with awe at the awesome and powerful sight.

>Hunters from the sky descend upon Canterlot, attacking werewolves and deadites alike, scouring the earth of the unholy creatures.
>But this is what Spencer wanted; he wanted the Wild Hunt to be as close to earth as possible.
>For now he rises, shaking his large head of the daze you gave him from the taxi, and charges past you.
>He runs past the Apple family, knocking over their truck and pinning Braeburn underneath it.
>He shouts in pain as the AJ and Apple Fritter have to stop in their fight to try to help him; fortunately the werewolves are now battling the warriors of the Wild Hunt.
>Big Mac puts down his shotgun to help his sister and cousin lift the truck, but Granny Smith keeps firing with her rifle, putting a silver bullet into the heart of one of the werewolves leaping at them from a nearby rooftop.
>The barghest charges back into town square, to the heart of the ritual site, and unleashes a bark so mighty and fierce that it blows away the stage along with Spike and Rainbow’s body.
>Beneath the stage is a circle of blood runes and stones, set meticulously and prepared in advance.
>Spencer places his massive paw in the heart of the runic circle and howls, completing the ritual.
>The wind around him picks up, scattering leaves and bodies alike.
>You watch as something opens before the barghest, a massive rip in reality that slowly stabilizes into a portal large enough to fit him through.
>Without a second thought, he charges inside.
>You look up at the Wild Hunt and you know what must be done.
>As you run past Applejack, she looks up and shouts your name.
>”Take this!” she cries, throwing a silver stake in your direction.
>You catch it, and although it burns to hold onto it, you keep moving towards the portal and leap within.
>You find yourself in a grey landscape, a joyless and bleak place.
>The sky here is dark and cloudy, with little light.

>But enough to make out the form of a massive wolf, its legs, body, head and mouth all bound in great chains that dig deeply into the earth around it.
>You look upon the great beast Fenrir, taken aback by the sheer size and power of the mythical animal, as it snarls and pulls against its chains.
>At its base is Spencer, who bites down upon one of the chains, severing it.
>Fenrir growls appreciatively, offered a bit more freedom of movement as one of the chains falls from its body.
>You howl and charge at the barghest, leaping on his back.
>Spencer growls and tries to shake you off, but your claws hold you firmly in place as you raise up the silver stake and stab him in the back of the neck.
>He yelps in pain as he lets go of another chain, unable to bite down on it.
>You bring up the bloody stake and stab him again and again, gouging the back of his neck with the stake.
>Finally, with one last cry, the barghest falls over and lies very still.
>You roll off of him and let go of the stake, dropping it into the dusty ground at your feet.
>As you take a few deep breaths, you hear growling from above.
>Slowly, you raise your head and find yourself staring into the eyes of Fenrir.
>The legendary monster growls and deep down you understand that it is ordering you to free him.
>As a wolf, you must listen to him.
>You rise from your four-legged stance to stand on two legs and stare him in the eyes.
>With a howl so great and mighty as you make even Fenrir pause, you communicate to him that you are no wolf—you are human.

>And you stand for mankind, no matter what, and will never forsake it for so selfish a purpose as wiping the slate clean because of disgust, like Spencer.
>Though mankind may have its shortcomings, you will defend them, just as you have done this last year, just as you will do for the rest of your life, so long as you continue to draw breaths on this Earth.
>Which, as it turns out, isn’t much longer.
>Spencer, now once more in his human form, leaps upon you from behind and shoves the silver stake into your heart.
>Your eyes widen and you fall down onto a knee as he laughs.
>You can feel a horrible burning pain in your chest and you cannot breathe.
>You grasp the stake and try to pull it out, but you are suddenly without the strength to do so.
>But not without the strength to lash out one last time.
>You turn around and behold his mocking face as you bring up a claw and slash at his throat, severing his head from his shoulders with one mighty swipe.
>His lifeless body falls backwards as his head rolls away in the grey dust.
>You fall onto all fours and choke, feeling yourself begin to change form.
>Back to your human self.
>The portal is beginning to close; you desperately crawl towards it, but cannot make it.
>And so you are pulled.
>Your friends rush in and grab you, pulling you out of that grey limbo and back into the mortal world.
>The rip in reality closes just as you escape it, and you feel very warm and soft.
>Though you can see all of your friends, their voices are soft and far away.
>Except for one…
>Rainbow Dash.

>She floats above you and cries.
>”Anon! Anon, stay with me! Come on, you bastard, don’t you just give up on me! Come on! I need you to fight! Fight! Fight for life, damnit!”
>She tries to reach out to hold you, and to her amazement, she can.
>For your spirit is leaving your body.
>”No, no, no! Get back in there!” she shouts as she holds onto you, trying desperately to push you back in. “I’m not letting you go!”
>The two of you are now in a slightly different reflection of the mortal world; brighter and strangely fluid.
>The ethereal plane.
>You find that you cannot yet speak, but you can hug her.
>She feels cold, and you are warm.
>You’d like to warm her—she’s been through so much in so short a time.
>She deserves so much more than a hug, but it’s all you can give her right now.
>”Stop it,” she says, fighting back tears. “Stop hugging me, you creep! Get back into your body and hug me later! You can’t die too! You can’t!”
>”You must let go, child,” a strong voice from behind draws both of your attention.
>In the distance, the Wild Hunt is moving on, leading a great trail behind them.
>And in their wake, a group of winged warrior women have followed.
>They are tall and fair of skin, with golden hair and beautiful faces, with arms and armor made of glinting steel and silver.
>”He must come with us,” the foremost one speaks. “He has been chosen.”
>”No!” Rainbow shouts defiantly. “If you want him, you have to get through me, you got that?!”

>”Child, do not weep for him. He gave his life in battle to save our lord. He has been chosen for the greatest of honors.”
>”I don’t care! You’re not taking him away from me!”
>You watch as she runs halfway between you and the valkyries, putting up her fists, even though she still only has one hand.
>”I’ll fight you if I have to! I’ll take you all down—just try me! Try it!”
>The lead valkyrie regards her curiously, almost like one would regard an upstart child, but she does not react violently.
>Instead, she approaches Rainbow calmly and kneels before her to get on eye level.
>”You have a great spirit, young one, though you lack the wisdom of a warrior. You cannot stop us from taking him.”
>Rainbow rubs her nose, sniffling a bit even as she tries to fight back tears. “I don’t care. I’m not going to let you take him no matter what, so do whatever you can, because I’m staying with him.”
>The valkyrie stands and looks down at her, considering her next move as her angelic companions approach from behind, forming a semicircle around you both.
>In the distance, there is a sudden crack of thunder.
>The valkyries look back as the sound of thunder can be heard again, roaring across the fields.
>The golden-haired warrior looks down upon Rainbow and smiles.
>”Lord Odin has spoken.”
>She draws a sword from her side and Rainbow prepares to defend herself, thinking that the woman means to attack her.
>But instead, she turns the tip of the sword towards herself, putting the hilt within reach of your friend.
>”We valkyries have many responsibilities. But above all else, we are guardians of the worthy souls during their passage to Valhalla. We would give anything to defend our friends, for our loyalty is unquestioning. It has been many centuries since last we met one such as you, one who is like ourselves.”
>The other valkyries kneel alongside her, their heads bowed.

>Rainbow’s eyes widen as she begins to realize what is happening.
>”You, too, share our goal. Now I charge you with the protection of the living, until the time of the final battle, when we shall all stand together and charge as one. Ragnarök has not come this day, and you and your allies are champions for stopping it. We shall sing songs of you and your valor in Valhalla, and in time, you may yet hear them.”
>Slowly, Rainbow reaches up and takes the sword from her hands.
>”But for now, you will stay upon Midgard with your fellow warriors… for there is more work yet to be done.”
>As she grasps the blade, she is suddenly covered in a warm light.
>The golden aura encompasses her fully, and her form changes.
>Her body heals as all wounds seal and missing flesh returns.
>Her left hand is back, as though it had never been missing at all.
>Any hint of blood or injury is swept away and armor takes form around her; steel, silver and gold plates of mail and chain.
>But the most startling transformation of all comes from the massive pair of angelic wings that grow from her back.
>They spread out wide and long as she stretches them.
>The valkyries rise and take out their weapons, pointing them to the sky above.
>”Return now, and continue your fight against darkness and chaos!” she commands. “And know that on this day, Odin has smiled upon you.”
>You hear another crack of thunder, and suddenly, you wake up, surrounded by your friends.

>Your heart pounds in your chest and you reach for the stake, but it is gone, along with any wound it may have left behind.
>They all look down at you, bewildered.
>”Anon?” Sunset asks. “Are you alright?”
>You look up at the sky, seeing that it is nearly dawn.
>The sun is starting to peak over the horizon.
“Yeah… I am…”
>As you move to stand, you are suddenly tackled to the ground by Rainbow Dash.
>It becomes quickly apparent that she is back in her body, with all of her wounds healed.
>”You did it!” she cries in happiness. “You crazy son of a bitch, you did it!”
>Everyone practically swarms over you both, overjoyed at the two of you being returned to life.
>All of your friends help you both to your feet, though Rainbow does not so easily disentangle herself from you.
>Everyone gathers around.
>Nearby, Adagio and her two lackeys stand together, but hang back from the main group.
>Braeburn is busy getting a makeshift splint put on his leg by Big Mac, and Rarity is tending to the wounded Spike, sewing his hand back onto his wrist.
>Fluttershy even found Angel, and is holding him and petting him gently to keep him calm.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
>Applejack explains, “It’s all over. The undead and the werewolves were all mopped up by that horde of hunters.”
>Sunset nods. “And with the portal closed and Fenrir still bound in chains, everything is back to normal.”
>Pinkie Pie, who is sitting up on Gummy’s shoulder, coughs. “Welllll… not everything…”
>The town square is still mostly destroyed.

“Jeez… I don’t know how we’re going to explain this one away.”
>”You won’t have to,” a voice says, drawing all of your attention.
>Everyone turns to see Celestia and Luna approaching.
>”All of this carnage and chaos will be expensive to take care of, but it can be explained,” the principal says.
“How? How can you hope to just wave all of this away?”
>Luna smirks. “It’s a good thing nobody was harmed in the tornado that cropped up last night.”
>Celestia smiles and nods. “Oh yes, it was awful. It hit the morgue and the town square and caused so much damage. And all those sudden looters causing so much damage, it was awful.”
“Tornado? But there was no—”
>Rainbow elbows you in the ribs to get you to shut up.
>Luna continues, “And it hit a passing truck carrying those dangerous chemicals and nerve agents! Why, the entire town must have been suffering from temporary hallucinations.”
>You start to understand the angle they’re working with.
>”Do you really think everyone will believe that?” Fluttershy asks.
“We know better than most that people tend to rationalize the unnatural away,” you remind them. “I think this might actually work. After all, ignorance is bliss, right?”
>”Well, if they don’t believe it, we have ‘other’ ways of making them think differently,” Luna replies with a coy grin.
>The implication hangs in the air for a moment and you wonder just what kinds of powers these two psychic mediums may truly possess.
>”Well, it’s all over anyway,” Adagio says as she and her fellow witches prepare to leave.

“Hey, wait! Don’t you want to stick around?”
>”Okay!” Sonata says with a smile before Aria slaps the back of her head.
>”I think we’ve overstayed our welcome,” Adagio answers for the three of them. “Besides, we’re not really into the whole ‘team’ thing.”
>”You sure you won’t change your mind?” Sunset asks.
“It’d be nice to see you around again sometime, despite what happened,” you say.
>”Maybe we’ll drift though sometime… But for now, I think we’d better leave.”
>The three of them walk off, eventually leaving from sight.
>Celestia and Luna approach a bit closer.
>”Well, it seems none of us have any secrets left to hide,” the principal says. “I think you’ve all earned some time to rest; we’ll be closing down classes for the next few days to accommodate the ‘tornado’ that just hit town.”
>”That sounds awesome,” Dash says. “I’ve been needing some serious break time. And speaking of things I’ve been needing…”
>She reaches up around your neck and pulls you down into a fiercely passionate kiss.
>Your eyes widen in surprise and Fluttershy puts a hand over Angel’s eyes.
>Applejack scoffs a bit and pulls you both apart.
>”Alright, alright, get a room you two! But later. We’ve got work to do in cleanin’ up this mess!”
>Rainbow smiles as she licks her lips and winks at you, her mischievous look telling you that there will be more to come later.
>Twilight looks around and finds the broken containment unit and lets out a sad groan. “All that work! All that time! And now not only do I have to build a new containment unit—with more advanced safety protocols, clearly—but we have to catch all the ghosts we let out again!”
>AJ tips up her hat and nods. “Yup, I’d say so. They all scattered to who-knows-where when the Wild Hunt passed through. We got our work cut out for us, I’d say.”

>”Probably enough for a whole year!” Pinkie exclaims, giving a few playful pats to the top of Gummy’s head.
>Celestia clears her throat. “Miss Pie, it’s going to be difficult to explain away your, erm, pet. I suggest you hide him immediately.”
>”And your… whatever that is,” Luna says, pointing at Spike, whom Rarity is still doting over.
>”His name is Spike!” the fashionista retorts before going back to finishing her work on his stiches.
>As Pinkie Pie leads Gummy over to the nearest manhole, Sunset walks over to a nearby patch of grass and picks up the Necronomicon.
>You and Rainbow walk over as she holds it up.
>”This thing is too much trouble,” she says with a sigh. “It was wrong of me to keep it around. I’m going to hide it again, only this time it’ll be in a much safer place, where nobody will find it.”
“Where’s that?”
>She gives you a smile. “It wouldn’t be a very good hiding place if I told others where it is.”
>She places the book within her jacket and looks at Rainbow.
>”I just can’t believe you’re back… What was it like on the other side?”
>”Boring and depressing,” Rainbow says. She nudges you again. “But this big lug made things easier.”
“I try,” you reply with a smile.
>”But how’d you come back?” Sunset asks. “I mean, what happened after you died, Anon?”
>Rainbow lets go of you and steps back.
>”Are you guys ready to have your minds blown?”
>She gives everyone a cocky smile as she throws out her hands and changes.
>Her glinting armor appears around her and her longsword manifests in her hands, but of course, the most notable aspect of her new form is the pair of angelic wings that grow from her back.
>Before anyone can say anything, she spreads them and takes off into the sky, laughing as she feels the wind flowing through her hair.
>”Miss Dash! Get down here!” Celestia shouts. “Before someone sees you!”
“Let her have this moment,” you say with a smile. “If anyone’s earned a bit of happiness through this ordeal, it’s her.”
>As she bursts through the clouds and soars across the sky, propelled by her new magnificent wings, you cannot help but feel a warmth in your heart.
>It’s finally over.
>As you look back on the events of your life from the past year while also keeping an eye towards the future, you find yourself no longer fearing what may come.
>Later that day, you visit the town graveyard.
>Some of the graves are disturbed from the events of last night, but the Apple family is hard at work putting bodies back in their proper homes and fixing the graves back up.
>You kneel before the gravestone of your grandfather, Heronymous.
>Silently, you thank him for all he’s done for you.
>In what may have been your darkest hour, he helped you find the strength to finally control the darkness within you and not to cower from it.
>But it wasn’t just him.
>You feel a hand on your shoulder and look up to see Dash standing there, smiling.
>Nearby, a crow caws and gets your attention; it seems to nod at you before it flies away.
>Reaching up to take hold of her hand, you walk out of the graveyard with your arm around her shoulder, and into the next chapter of your life.
>You are Anonymous, werewolf, hero, teammate, defender of the innocent against the darkness.
>But most importantly, you are alive, and so is she.

THE END