While Spike was running back to the Gala, following the map, his friends were having problems of their own.  Everything they planned out on happening seemed to work, but as the party moved on,  Their efforts were wasted.  Applejack couldn't sell, Twilight couldn't talk to the Princess, Fluttershy couldn't play with they animals, Rainbow Dash couldn't 'hang out' with the Wonderbolts, and Rarity was unimpressed with Blueblood.  Well, maybe the last one about Rarity wasn't too bad for Spike...

"oh, this is not what I had in mind," they all thought.  Nopony even thought of where Spike had gone, they were too busy solving their problems.  

Spike used Canterlot as a beacon to know which direction he was running, and the map was pointing towards the Palace.  Spike dodged trees and branches, and every step he sprinted, the Everfree Forest grew thicker and more lush.  His view of the kingdom became less visible, as the branches engulfed the sky, and acted as an arch above his head.  He shined his lantern dead ahead, and it was the only light source, for the moon was blocked of too.  A tunnel of trees, the path became, with leaves for a ground, and small critters as it's inhabitants.  But there was something more to the community of critters, something larger.  Spike could sense it, but the map couldn't, for it didn't shine and rumble in his pouch.  He slowed his pace, as his fear grew, he knew he was being followed, and he would probably have his physical fitness tested against him.

He started to grow internally cold, as his flaming excitement shrunk in his head and heart.  His heart was pumping faster and faster, and even though it seemed nothing was around.  He heard and read tales of a demonic animal in the woods.  Something dark, hairy, and larger than he is.  It violently tears through it's victims and ate them, a beats, but not a normal beast, a shape shifting monster.  It was known as "Caliceornousius", an old Alicorn Legend, written in native Alicorn Speech,  and it was said to live around these parts of the woods.  It had the power to look into peoples minds, and see there past memories.  His moral dropped low, as he knew it was more powerful than the dragon he defeated earlier, and would take more thank punches and kicks to finish it.

Spike's footsteps got softer, so soft that he could barley hear the leaves crack and his breath was louder than he was.  The wind stopped blowing, then returned, but blew away from the path thinking it was a sure sign of danger.  Everything went quiet as the wind blew it's last time, pointing through the tree line, and then a soft noise was heard... Whistling.  Somepony else was with Spike, right beyond the treeline.  He was so scared, he didn't even have time to think, as he reached for the branches covering up the sound.  He looked through and found something that was a strange sight.  There was an open spot in the woods, like the one were he was captured in, but instead of an old shack, there was a campfire, an old tent, and a few old logs, used to sit on.

Spike walked over, the fire was blazing, and there was a pot of some type of soup hung over it, in an old pot.  It was very hot, and there was a sack next to it, and old, sewn sack, with a string lace around it, to keep it shut.  Spike reached for the sack, and just as he was about to grab hold of it, a voice snapped out,

"Hey! What are you doing with my things?" The voice was rugged, but young.

Out of the treeline, a pony trotted through, and it seemed friendly, but something wasn't right.  What would a pony be doing out here?  Spike pulled his hands away from the sack, and looked up,

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought nopony was here, and I heard sompony whistling, and the soup smelled delicious,"

"That's very nice of you, but keep you're paws, or, claws off my stuff,"

"Right, sorry,"

"Well, if we are on the subject, would you like some of the soup?"

Spike hadn't eaten anything but a few gem stones down in the mine, so he accepted it.  The pony walked into the tent, and pulled out two bowls.  She brought them over to the pot, and poured them both a bowl.  

Spike sat down on one of the logs, and grabbed a bowl.  He gulped some of it down, and it slid down his throat and warmed him up.  His fear quickly diminished, as the pony seemed nice enough, he tried to start a conversation, and shined the lantern on her to get a better view of her.

"So, what's you're name?" he asked,

"It's, uh," she stuttered, "you can call me Alice,"

"Alice? Funny name, not to many ponies have short names,"

"I think it's good to be different,"

"Who doesn't," he replied.

The pony was about Twilight's size, and looked to be her age.  She had a black mane, white eyes, with black pupils, and had a dark colored tint on her body hair.  Her tail covered up her flank as she sat down, and she gulped the soup too.  It was a broth, some green leaves in them, basil, maybe, and was as thick as water.  He was still curious about the sack, and he tied to get this mysterious 'Alice' to tell him what was inside, "So what's in the bag?"

"Just some supplies," she returned,

"Mind if I take a look?"

"Yes,"

"Oh, I'm sorry,"

"You should be," she said, a little louder.  She was becoming more hostile, and Spike was becoming aware that something was wrong with this pony.  He needed to know what was in that bag, he just had to.  He decided that he would try and sneak it, so when the time was right, he would snatch it, take a look, and put it back.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Alice asked,

Spike thought it was better not to tell her about the map, so he lied, "Just taking a stroll,"

"A stroll? But I thought you were going to the Gal-," Alice stopped,

"Wait, how did you know about the...Grand Galloping Gala?" he said slowly,

"Uh, uh, hmm, just a, uh, l-l-lucky guess," she stuttered very harshly,

"What?"

"I mean, you look like a fine classed dragon, and I expected you to go," she said, but Spike knew she was lying, and his spikes on his back stood up,

"So, Alice, have you ever read the story of the, uh, Caliceornousius, by any chance?"

"What did you say," Alice's head dropped,

"A beast, a shape shifter, and it can read pony's memories," he said, with a straight face, pointing the lantern at her, like an interrogation lamp.

"Uh, no, I haven't, Spike,"

Spike was sure,

"You called me Spike, but I never told you my name..." he lowered his voice,

"I, uh, I-I need to get something I left in the woods," Alice replied, scared, and she dashed off into the woods.  Her tail moved out of the way, and she had no Cutie Mark.

Spike got up from the log, spilling the rest of the soup from the bowl, and grabbed the sack.  When he picked up the sack, there was a liquid dripping from underneath it.  "Aw, what the hay," he said as he pulled the string.  When it came undone, there was a disturbing stench that was released from the bag, and when he emptied out the contents, he almost threw up, again.  In the bag was a pile of gross, dirty, torn up bones, with blood and flesh still on them.  They were old, he reached his hand into the pile, and pulled out a bone.  

The fireworks started up again, and the sky was clear of the trees, as the branches blew back, and a gust of wind erupted into Spike.  The map started vibrating violently, and he pulled it out, and it said on the back,

There is danger, very close, run or fight, you're choice.

Spike never let's down a fight, and the adrenaline started pumping through his veins again.  His heart beat faster, and ran over to a shrub of bushes to confirm Alice and the monster.  He could only beat it, if he knew what he was up against.

Alice came back out of the woods, and looked for Spike,

"Spike?" she called out, and then she checked the soup, it was spilled over.  She seemed normal, and Spike began to question his theory, but then something happened, that changed everything.  When Alice looked at the ground, and found that the contents of the bag were emptied, a gurgling noise erupted from her mouth, and a hot stream of drool dripped from her mouth, she snarled, and fell over to the ground.  The whole transformation was gruesome, Spike could hear her bones shifting, cracking, and growing.  Her eyes were popping out, and growing smaller, turning yellow.  Her mane sucked back into her head, and her body hair over took her.  Her neck shortened and flattened out, and after the entire sight, she became a huge wolf.

A flashback slapped Spike across the face, and he could see it.  

He was reading the book on the beast in Twilight's library, and he remembered the Caliceornousius in Alicornian Languages stood for werewolf (Obviously)

"Oh, how could I have been so stupid, Alice and Caliceornousius, it was right there, in his face.  His heart beat rapidly, and he charged out of the bush, ready for action.

Engage Epic Fight Scene: Cue the Music!

Spike cracked his knuckles again, and dashed towards the wolf.  It was unaware of his silent charge, and Spike hopped on it's back, scratching wildly at it.  He tore of chunks of fur, and scrapped it's back, letting it bleed out.  It's blood was a slight yellow color, yellow like it's eyes.  It kicked up wildly, and tossed Spike off.  He landed a few feet away, and the wolf charged back at him.  Spike had to act fast, but he wasn't fast enough, the wolf swiped him, and threw him very far, this time.  It didn't hurt him too bad, his scales absorbed most of the hit, and there were some very large claws jabbing into his stomach.  He torked them out of his chest, not leaving to bad of a mark, and came up with an idea.  He took the four of the claws, and blew on them with his fire.  He formed them into a small dagger, and used it as a weapon.  Now he had the upper hand, and the wolf charged at him, once more.

The wolf jumped on him, and pegged him to the floor.  It was about to swipe his face, clean off, when it leaned it's face into him, and Spike took the dagger, and jammed it into the right eye.  Yellow blood spewed from it's face, and it howled in pain.  The blood sprayed on Spike, and he got some of it in his eye's, blurring up his vision.  He wiped it out, but it was still all over his body.  The map was okay, but he needed the lantern to get a better view.  He ran over to the log, and the wind blew towards the tent.  He took the lantern, and made his way to the tent, while 'Alice' was trying to regain sight,  he searched the tent, and in one of the extra sacks he found.  There was a bottle, it read temporary magic.  Ah ha!  Spike had used this before, so he popped it open, and drank it.  His body felt odd, and his arms and hands lit up, like a unicorn's horn.  He could feel the magic, and he ran out of the tent and cast a levitation spell on Alice.  The wolf raised up in the air, and blood was dripping down to the ground in a big puddle.  Everything was happening so fast, and Spike was acting like a professional at this.  

He slammed the wolf into the ground, and he heard a bone or two crackle, and snap under the weight of the massive beast.  The wolf howled in pain, and the spell was released.  The magic was wearing down, but when Spike tried to take another gulp of the bottle, the wolf got back up, and smashed the bottle away from his hands.  Spike swung the dagger into it's rib cage, and punctured a hole in it's side.  A small waterfall of blood poured out, and the wolf put it's paw over it, in a fail of an attempt to stop the bleeding.  While that paw was occupied, Spike jammed the dagger into the other paw, nailing it on the ground.  The wolf was pinned, and Spike took his claws, and smashed up the face, and let the rest of the blood pour out.  The wolf collapsed on the ground, and gave huge, heavy breaths of air.

Spike knew the battle was over, and he knew that he won.  The wolf let out a cry,

"Spike, come to me," it groaned, and he walked over to it, stepping it the huge pool of yellow blood.  The moon was reflecting off the blood.

"Yes, Alice?" he asked, he was covered in the blood, as well as the wolf,

"You were supposed to loose, like those other ponies," it whispered,

"Other ponies?"

"Yes, there was a group of them.  Three, I think, I killed them, and all I needed was you.  You ruined my plans,"

"I ruined you're plans to save many lives, and I think I know what ponies you are talking about, I ran into them a few hours ago,"  The ponies she killed were the kidnappers he was taken by.

"You saved nopony,"

"I'm sure I did, but believe what you must, you are going to be stopped from killing others, tonight,"

He pulled out a stick of dynamite from his pouch, and took a spark from his mouth.  He lit the fuse, and put the dynamite next to the wolf's slashed head.  

"What is that? I can't see," it moaned,

"That's because I cut out you're eyes, you sick monster, killing you will be a weight lifted off of everypony's shoulders, and you wont be missed,"

"Curse you," it said, and let out a dying last breath.

Disengage Epic Fight Scene: End the Music!

Spike walked away from the dead wolf, and watched it as the dynamite erupted, and destroyed the wolf.  The fireworks drowned off the sound of the explosion, and Spike went over to the campsite, and burned that too.

He strolled back on his path, took out the map, and it read, "No threat,"  He followed the pictures, and headed off to Canterlot.  The wind blew even harder, and the map erupted.  A new note was written down,

Dear Adventurer, that was a mighty fine performance of you slaying the beast, but I would like to inform you that this was not part of the treasure map, you killed the beast on you're own terms, and saved ponykind by destroying it.  Well done!

Spike did that by himself, and it wasn't even part of the the map.  He was just too unlucky enough to run into the wolf at the wrong time.  Spike ran off, feeling good about himself, knowing he saved hundreds of ponies from a gruesome death, and as he wiped off the blood, the lantern jumped up and down, as the fireworks blew up in the distance, giving Spike a trail to follow.  It was his own Polaris, using it as a check mark, to now where he was heading, back to Canterlot, for the next part of the map!