This is a non-profit fanfiction created for entertainment purposes only. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Lauren Faust. This story contains content of an adult nature and is an Alternate Reality take of the character Spike as a human (who I do not own). Please support the official release.

Twilight's Treatment Volume 2 - Chapter 2 - Night of the Were-Dragon

In the night past the apple orchid of Sweet Apple Acres the tree house was lit with the soft light of lanterns and echoed with the voices of young ladies. Apple Bloom happily got herself together as she and her friends prepared to have their own camp out/slumber party in a long while at her place. Her friend's hadn't stayed the night like this for some time. Even more exciting was the fact they'd be to themselves and unsupervised (not that they planed to do anything that would get them in trouble anyway.)

"Ya gals all set fer yer sleep over?" Applejack questioned her little sister and her friends, watching them lay out their sleeping bags one by one and picking spots along the wooden floor. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle all took positions close to each other as was typical for them. Still there were two others that were in the club house who were out of the ordinary visitors.

"I'm as good as I'm able to get in such an environment." The haughty young voice of Diamond Tiara spoke up as she sat on her plush sleeping bag, her bespectacled friend Silver Spoon close by.

"Well it ain't Horseshoe Heights Hotel, but ah think it suits us just fine." Apple Bloom stated, keeping her temperament even when dealing with the stuck up girl she would be forced to spend the night with. All as some sort of favor to her father Dirty Rich from Applejack to try and get Tiara to become more sociable with the other girls. Apple Bloom didn't think it would have any luck but for her big sister she was willing to give it a shot. She just hoped Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle wouldn't blow a gasket over her Diamond Tiara's attitude.

"Now Apple Bloom and her friends put a lot of work into this ole' club house, so it'll keep ya warm and safe from the wind and rain. Ya doin' alright there Silver Spoon?" Applejack checked up on the other young girl, who was doing her part to keep herself behaved a bit better than Diamond Tiara was managing.

"Yes Ma'am, Ms. Applejack." She adjusted her glasses and sat dutifully near Tiara, the girl practically her follower. Apple Bloom supposed everyone needed friends though, regardless of the nature of their friendship.

"Alrighty then. Apple Bloom, ah'll be just over at Twilight's place for most the night, so if anything comes up ya'll come runnin' tah me ya hear?" Applejack checked in with her little sister again, always looking out for her family every step of the way. Apple Bloom walked over to Applejack and gave her a hug for assurance.

"It's alright Sis, we'll be just fine here. Ya'll can go out with Twilight if ya want."

"Someone mention my name?" Twilight popped her head in the door suddenly. "Looks like you guys have a big group for your sleep over."

"Not all of us had a choice." Silver Spoon admitted although she did it fairly quietly around the adults. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle heard it though and the two pairs of girls got into a glaring contest. None if it seemed to be noticed by Twilight though.

"If you guys need some light I have a better and safer way for you to enjoy your sleep over." Twilight reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black stone. The girls looked it over curiously until Scootaloo broke the ice.

"It just looks like a rock." She stated unimpressed but that didn't deter Twilight, now more than eager to show it off.

"Ah, but what looks like just a rock hides so much more. For you see this is an Everlight Coal." Twilight got curious stares and she smiled confidently as she walked over to one of the lamps. Pulling off the glass protective cover she ran the stone quickly over the flame, catching it on fire and making it burn brightly. Applejack had a freak out.

"Twi', toss it away before ya hurt yer hand!" Despite the blond's shouts Twilight just held up the stone on her finger tips, totally unharmed as it burned brightly. "What the hay...?"

"That's the trick." Twilight said smugly. "The Everlight Coal only burns itself in a magic flame and doesn't run out. Furthermore it wont burn anything but itself while it's lit." Twilight tossed it to Sweetie Belle who caught the stone and admired it as it burned along with Scootaloo. "You guys can have that one, I have more back at the house. It's good for things like telling ghost stories."

"Oh yeah, like we're going to do that. No one gets scared by those kinds of stories anymore." Diamond Tiara suddenly exclaimed in her annoyance with her company. Getting a scolding look from Sweetie Belle.

"Just cause you have to come to our slumber party doesn't mean you have to be a downer you know." Sweetie Belle's comment got further dirty looks from the two "proper" young ladies.

"We're not being a downers, we're just saying we don't get scared by that kid's stuff anymore." Silver Spoon retorted in defense of her friend and it didn't do anything to settle tensions. Applejack and Apple Bloom shared a worried gaze and Twilight caught the sight of it as well. Deciding to do something to try and defuse the situation she stepped in again.

"Well it's not like fake ghost stories are all that scary. I mean the REAL ones are way scarier when you know about them anyway." The tree house suddenly grew quiet as Twilight calmly explained that there were actual supernatural forces at work in the world.

"R-real ghost st-stories?" Applejack of all people asked. "Ya don't really mean that now, do ya Twi'? Being a girl of fancy mathematics and science and all that hooey?" Applejack had never done well with spooky things or the supernatural, and the clutching hug that Apple Bloom was getting was proof it set her off easily enough.

"Well I guess not..." Twilight said opening her hand and floating over the Everlight Coal with her magic, setting it in the middle of the tree house and sitting by it. "Except for the legend of the Were-Dragon."

"That what now?" Diamond Tiara asked in disbelief but the other girls were already crowding around to hear. Scootaloo looking especially excited and Silver Spoon seeming fascinated.

"The Were-Dragon. Historical legends and evidence point to a sickness that effects people bitten by wild dragons. It's said that those afflicted become savage monsters during the full moon." Twilight put her hands up and held them like claws, casting shadows behind her in the club house. "The afflicted would roam the country side, selfishly stealing everything in sight and devouring any food or creature unfortunate enough to cross their path." She wiggled her fingers menacingly as the shadows made her look more foreboding. The girls were now all crowded close together as they listened. "The last documented case was in... lets see... I believe in Trottingdale."

"That's close to here." Silver Spoon said ominously.

"Oh, I guess it is. The scary thing is that they never caught him either. He just prowled the night, taking anything and anyone he wanted and never being seen again." The girls were all wide eyed now, including Applejack who had her little sister in a death grip. "But I'm sure we're fine, right? I mean it was only seven years ago." Twilight stood up and smiled at them mischievously. "Well girls you enjoy your slumber party. I'd keep the door closed while you're in here though." They all nodded in unison as she turned to her friend. "Shall we go Applejack?"

"Uh... y-yeah! Yeah lets git goin'... mighty fast too." Applejack finally let go of her sister and gave her a good bye kiss before the two women walked out of the clubhouse and through the orchard. Once they were alone the girls all looked around each other quietly as they digested Twilight's story.

"It was a ghost story... just made up to scare us." Sweetie Belle finally spoke up. "I mean... it had to be right?"

"Yeah, sure. There's no such thing as Were-Dragons." Diamond Tiara concluded as well, Silver Spoon nodding beside her.

"Ole Twilight was just havin' some fun with us is all." Apple Bloom agreed as she sat down with the other girls as well. "I mean there ain't even no wild dragons 'round these parts anyway."

"There are in the Everfree Forest though." Scootaloo suddenly answered and all the girls got quiet again. As they sat there looking at the magic fire, checking the windows every so often, Diamond Tiara finally broke the silence.

"So... that's a pretty ascot you have on Sweetie Belle." Sweetie looked down at her little accessory. It went with her blue pajama pants and thick white pajama shirt well she thought.

"Thank you Diamond, Rarity gave it to me for the sleep over. She said it would help keep me warm and be stylish. I have another one if you'd like. It's green." Reaching into her bag Sweetie pulled out a green piece of cloth and handed it to Diamond Tiara, who took it hesitantly and tied it onto her neck. "I think it looks good on you." It matched oddly well with her purple nightgown.

"Thank you Sweetie." She replied with notably less snark than her previous comments, accepting the gift. "It's a new nightgown. Your outfit is too, right Silver Spoon? I've never seen you wear that before. Let alone the color orange at all." The light haired girl with the glasses looked down at her orange turtleneck sweater and red pajama pants that covered her snugly to keep her warm during the crisp night.

"Yeah my mom got it for me. I thought it was nice." Silver said with a hint of shyness to her voice suddenly being the center of attention.

"I like it!" Scootaloo spoke up, orange being a color she wore often. Except tonight, dressed in tan shorts and a brown t-shirt. "Not enough people wear orange if you ask me. It's a festive color. Kinda like green is, like that kerchief thingy you got on and Apple Bloom's shirt." Apple Bloom was also wearing deep brown shorts and a long green T-shirt. "So uh... what should we do now. Not really looking forward to more ghost stories."

"Truth or dare?" Sweetie said with a smirk.

The truth or dare session had actually been kind of fun. There were a few moments where the girls didn't want to share answers, but everyone was willing to do the dares. Even Diamond Tiara who was willing to stand in the dark orchard for ten minutes straight without running away. She earned a few points with Scootaloo for her bravery. By the end of the night the girls had talked themselves tired and were ready to sleep. Once everyone had tucked themselves into their sleeping bags and put out all the lamps and Twilight's magic fire stone they were off to dream land. Well... almost all of them.

Apple Bloom was still awake, all the talking and activity got her stomach grumbling and she wasn't able to sleep it away. The longer she laid there the hungrier she got and waiting till morning didn't feel like an option. Rising from her sleeping bag she checked around to make sure she didn't wake anyone else up with her stirring before unzipping it.

"Are you getting up?" She nearly jumped up out of her pajamas when the voice whispered to her in the dark. Turning around she saw Scootaloo had her eyes wide open and not the least bit sleepy.

"Yeah, ah was hungry so ah'm gonna go tah the house real quick tah get somethin' tah eat." She unzipped the sleeping bag all the way and looked around but saw no one else was up besides them.

"Can I come, I'd like to get a bite too." Scootaloo slipped out of her sleeping bag with much less finesse than her friend but was quiet enough that she didn't wake Sweetie Belle next to her.

"Sure thing Scoots, lets go." Scootaloo looked at her funny at the sudden nick name but didn't think anything more of it as they snuck out of the tree house together. The two girls slipping out the door and through the orchard to Apple Bloom's familiar home. When they arrived the door was thankfully unlocked and they walked right in, turning the corner to the kitchen. "Alright, what do ya feel like havin'?"

"I dunno, I'm really hungry though. Can we make like a big sandwich?" That sounded really good actually. Yes... yes they could have a big sandwich.

"Just step back Scoots, old buddy old pal and ah'll show ya how it's done." Scootaloo raised an eyebrow at Apple Bloom as she started to gather various ingredients out of the fridge and stack them on the table.

"Why do you keep calling me Scoots?" Apple Bloom stopped to consider it for a moment then just shrugged.

"Ah dunno, just felt natural. Ya don't like it?" Apple Bloom got out two plates and placed the bread down getting ready to begin. Her hands began moving in quick motions as she applied meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mustard, mayo and then rinse and repeated. Scootaloo just watched on as she created stack upon stack and then folded them together like she was shuffling cards.

"Whoa, where did you learn to do that!?" Scootaloo watched in awe forgetting about her question.

"From mah big brother, he likes to make big sandwiches all the time." By the time she was done she had two tall sandwiches before her, ready to be eaten. "Like, not bad if ah do say so mahself." Sliding one plate to her friend the two girls picked up their epic meals and began chowing down, Scootaloo managing much larger bites that Apple Bloom. Despite that she was tearing through her sandwich even faster. Seemed she was hungrier out of the two of them.

"Riss ish 'retty gud." Scootaloo said through a huge mouthful and Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

"Like thanks for the compliment. Ah guess we should finish on up and get back tah..." Her sentence was cut off short as there was the sudden low echo of a howl from a wild animal through the night. Both girls became wide eyed as they looked at each other in the following silence.

"Rut wsh Rhat?" Scootaloo still had a mouth full of sandwich and Apple Bloom moved to the window to look out and see what could have caused that noise.

"Like ah dunno! It sounded like a wolf or a coyote or maybe a..." She stopped cold as a figure came up over one of the hills, it's body shadowed by the full moonlight in the sky. It was clearly humanoid and yet it wasn't. The shape was wrong, exaggerated somehow. It walked with a hunch and there seemed to be spikes coming off its body in odd places. "What the hay is that?" The thing in the distance suddenly opened its mouth, a small spark of red fire coming out of the fearsome maw as it leaned back and howled at the moon again.

That was all the girls needed to see.

"Ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh-Rere-Ragon!" Scootaloo managed out through a mouthful of sandwich and finally swallowed it down.

"Like it is a Were-Dragon!" Apple Bloom shouted in agreement and fear at the sight in the distance. "Run for it Scoots, like get tah the club house!"

"Wait for me!" Faster than either girl probably thought they could move they tore out of the kitchen and into the orchard. They were sure they heard another howl and it just added flight to their feet as they raced through the trees and up the ramp to the club house door. Running inside the two opened it and slammed it shut, waking up the other sleeping girls.

"What the actual heck!?" Sweetie screamed as she sat up suddenly, both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looking terrified. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon rose with the commotion as well, Tiara ready to find out who was disturbing her sleep and why.

"What are you two dommmf!?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were on top of her in seconds and covering her mouth. They shook their heads and held a finger to her lips to advised to be quiet. Tiara nodded her head and they removed their hands from her mouth. "Blech... that's better." She whispered now. "What happened to you two?"

"Like we saw a Were-Dragon." Apple Bloom said in hushed tones.

"No way." Sweetie Belle argued crawling closer to them. "There's no such thing."

"We saw it!" Scootaloo insisted pointing to the window. "It was on the hill outside of the farm, and it howled at the moon."

"That doesn't really make sense even if it was a Were-Dragon." Silver Spoon noted observantly. "Since when do dragons howl? What did it look like?" The two girls stopped to think about it.

"Like it was pretty tall." Apple Bloom explained while Scootaloo stood up with her arms above her head to demonstrate. "And it hand big clawed hands and it hunched over." Scootaloo participated with the miming to demonstrate further. "And when it opened its mouth there was fire coming out of it." Scootaloo hissed for some reason, not really sure how to replicate fire breathing.

"Did it look like that?" Sweetie Belle suddenly asked pointing to a shadowed face looking in at them through the window by the front door. All the girls looked over and stopped in mid-motion till Apple Bloom finally answered.

"Zoinks, like that's the Were-Dragon!" The monster suddenly opened its mouth, showing off the glowing fire in its jaws. It moved away from the window to open the door but the girls piled themselves against it to keep him out. "He musta followed us back tah the club house!"

"Why did you lead him here to us!?" Diamond Tiara complained as she helped hold the door, the monster pushing it open ever so slightly.

"What were we supposed to do, just let him find you guys asleep!?" Scootaloo shouted back as they were all fighting as hard as they could to keep the monster from getting in. One clawed hand managed to slip inside, reaching out for the girls. They all ducked but it managed to snag its claw and grab onto Diamond Tiara's diamond tiara.

"My tiara!" The girl suddenly shouted, leaving her place at the door to grab a hold of it. "You give that back to me right now!"

"Tiara no!" Silver Spoon protested. "Don't leave your spot by the ooof!" The monster kicked the door, sending the girls sprawling onto the floor and opening it for itself. As it walked in it stood against the moonlight, its jaws opening to revealing the glowing flame behind its teeth and fangs. Still clutching the jewelry the monster let a roar out in the club house. The girls responded with an even larger scream in unison at the creature and threw all of their pillows at once. The barrage hit the monster like repeated cannonballs as it stumbled backwards and over the railing onto the ground.

"Everyone run!" Sweetie Belle ordered as the girls all ran out of the club house together and into the orchard. Leaving the monster in the dust.

"Is everyone... phew... okay?" Sweetie asked leaning against a tree to catch her breath. She didn't know how far or how long they had run, or even in what direction. But they were still in the orchard, and they'd managed to put some distance between themselves and the monster.

"I think so... ugh, I'm not made for running." Silver Spoon complained as she nursed a stitch in her side from the fear induced sprint they'd all participated in.

"Told you it was real." Scootaloo said to everyone with a bit of indignation that they didn't believe her and Apple Bloom right away. "Least it didn't hurt anybody."

"Speak for yourself." Diamond said sounding upset. "That monster took my Tiara." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes that she was even complaining about such a thing.

"Ya'll are lucky that it took just that and not yer bloomin' head." Diamond Tiara didn't appreciate the lecture from Apple Bloom and stood up straight after catching her breath.

"I'm going back for it." She said to the shock of everyone, even Silver Spoon.

"Tiara don't! That thing is out there and if it catches you who knows what it'll do." Silver tried to protest but Tiara's mind was made up.

"You guys don't have to come if you don't want to, but I'm not leaving it behind no matter what." She said and clenched a fist, looking out into the dark that lead back towards the club house. Taking in a deep breath for courage she started marching back towards the direction they had ran from.

"Is she insane?" Scootaloo asked out loud. "She's going back for a hunk of jewelry? That thing's going to eat her if it catches her." Silver Spoon looked between the other girls undecided as she watched Diamond march farther into the dark and the others just stand by. Gulping down a lump in her throat she started to walk towards Tiara hesitantly before Sweetie put a hand on her shoulder.

"I... I can't let her go alone." Silver said pleadingly and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"I know. Okay gang, lets split up." Sweetie said sounding a lot more authoritative than usual. "Silver Spoon and I will go back with Diamond Tiara and try to bring her back safely. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, you two head back to town to warn Twilight and Applejack what's happening so we can get help." Silver Spoon looked thrilled that she wouldn't have to go alone.

"Split up? Did ya lose a few apples outta yer bushel on that run Sweetie? We should all just go back for her together instead of splitting up." It made a lot more sense to Apple Bloom to stay as a team but Sweetie had made up her mind.

"We don't have enough time. Besides you and Scootaloo together should be fine, you're faster runners than both of us."

"I don't know..." Scootaloo said looking out into the dark towards the farm and the road into town. "It's awfully spooky." Seeing their hesitation Silver Spoon reached into her pockets and pulled out a delicate and delicious looking cookie. It got Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's attention right away.

"Would you do it for a Spoony snack?" Silver asked waving the cookie around. "Two Spoony snacks?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked between each other before deciding that yes, they were still hungry and Silver Spoon's private snacks were worth the risk. Each taking a cookie the girls ate up, Scootaloo shoving it into her mouth.

"Rank rou Rilver" She said through a mouthful of cookie.

"Okay, lets hurry before that thing has any more time to run around." Sweetie said as the two pairs of girls split up and started towards their individual destinations.

"I can't believe this!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed loud enough that Silver and Sweetie could hear her before they could see the club house. While her noisy nature made them nervous the fact she was able to complain was a relief. The girls looked around carefully before climbing the steps to the club house door.

"Tiara?" Sweetie asked in a low voice as she walked up. "Are you there?"

"I'm inside. Just look at what that big fire breathing jerk did!" Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle shrugged to each other before coming inside the club house. Diamond Tiara was standing in the middle of what might as well have been an abandoned building.

"What the... where's all our stuff?" Sweetie asked looking around surprised. "Everything's gone, even the chairs."

"That filthy beast wasn't satisfied with my Tiara, he went and took all of our things. What would he need with girl's clothes and sleeping bags anyway?"

"Making a bed?" Sweetie shrugged as she asked, Diamond Tiara not looking amused at the suggestion.

"Jinkies." Silver Spoon suddenly said, catching the attention of both other girls. "Look at these footprints." Silver Spoon was leaning down and looking at the dirty print on the wooden floor.

"What about it, there should be a lot of them with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom running around through the night before that thing got here." Diamond Tiara was still clearly upset and Sweetie Belle wasn't sure why she was so angry or determined to find this thing. Personally Sweetie Belle wanted to get away from it as fast as possible.

"Look at them though. They're way too large to belong to either of them, so it must be the Were-Dragon. And can you smell that?" Sweetie leaned down as well sniffing the air around the foot prints.

"Apple Juice?" She asked somewhat surprised and Silver Spoon nodded.

"Exactly, these foot prints are damp. The ground outside isn't wet at all though, so this monster is leaving foot prints from some place that is wet, has dirt and reeks of apple juice." Sweetie thought it over but no ideas were coming to her head. "This is a clue, I just know it."

"Well... even if it is we can't make sense of it now. We should try to catch up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo and after we find Twilight Sparkle she can help us locate it." Silver nodded and the two rose to their feet. "C'mon Diamond Tiara, we'll come back for your jewelry."

"I guess we have no choice..." She said sounding sad and walking slowly to the door. Sweetie waited till they were outside before turning to the girl. Her face was an odd expression of sad she normally never saw on her.

"Hey Tiara, how come that crown was so important? I mean you came back to get it despite there being a monster out here." Diamond Tiara looked down at the ground as she walked, sighing and hugging herself tightly.

"That Tiara belonged to my mother, it was a gift my dad gave her when they were younger. My mom said that her and my dad named me after that first gift." She said the words carefully without a hint of arrogance that she normally carried. "It's very precious; not just to me but to my parents as well. I'd gladly fight a Were-Dragon or a Were-Badger or any other Were-Animal for it." Sweetie Belle was shocked; even Diamond Tiara had a heart and feelings like any other person. Seeing what it meant to her now she patted her on the back.

"Don't worry then, we'll get it back for sure." She said trying to cheer the girl up, Silver Spoon joining in too.

"That's right, when we get to Twilight Sparkle's house I'm sure she'll have some kind of spell to catch the Were-Dragon and get our lost things back." Tiara softened her features a little from the comfort she was receiving, her finger rubbing the green ascot Sweetie had given her.

"Yeah... alright then, lets go so we can get back and get my Tiara from that freak!" The girls walked with renewed vigor now, heading towards the farm house and ultimately the town afterwards.

"Like this sure is creepy Scoots." Apple Bloom said as they moved from tree to tree, looking to maintain their cover.

"Yeah, you said it." The girls zig-zagged their way towards the front of Apple Bloom's home. "But it looks like we're almost out of danger."

"Almost is the right word, we gotta git ourselves across this here open field before we're on the road." The duo looked around the open area trying to spot any sign of movement. "Looks like the coast is clear." They walked out of the orchard and past the tractor in front of the house, letting out a sigh.

"If we hop on my scooter we can get there that much faster." Scootaloo suggested and the girls agreed that was a great idea. Making their way to it by the front door Scootaloo got it ready before Apple Bloom came to a realization.

"Wait we can't leave yet! Granny's still inside the house." She said pointing up to the window leading into her grandmother's room on the second floor.

"Can't your big brother take care of her? We should get going as fast as possible." Scootaloo already had her helmet on and was eager to tear out of there.

"Big Macintosh ain't home right now, he left town two days ago and wont be back fer three more." Scootaloo sighed and gave up, taking her helmet off again and setting it down.

"Okay then; lets go wake Granny and take her with us. Then we can all leave together." The girls nodded and walked to the front door, but when Apple Bloom touched it she saw it swung open on its own ever so slowly. The two girls looked between each other with dread. "Did we... leave the door open when we ran earlier?"

"Ah think so." She didn't know for sure though. "That's probably all it is. But uh..." Apple Bloom looked around in the dark noticing something strange. "That's funny, all our shoes are missin'." Normally the family left their shoes by the door, the work kind and the going out to town kind for when ever they had to leave. It was odd they would be missing from their normal spot. "Maybe Granny cleaned up before she went tah bed?"

"Who cares, lets just get up there and get out." Scootaloo wasn't in the mood to dawdle and Apple Bloom could agree with the sentiment. The two girls began slowly climbing the stairs and stayed close together, looking down the hallway. "Which room is Granny's?"

"All the way at the end." Figured. Letting out a sigh the duo began to step onto the floor of the hall, letting out a moaning creak. "Your floor is too loud."

"It's an old house. Just walk lightly." Scootaloo didn't even want to walk down it at all but she complied. Taking a step and letting out a creaking noise. Another step and another creak. Apple Bloom was practically pressed against her back as they walked in unison steps. "So you think that Were-Dragon snuck in here?" Step, Creak.

"I dunno. I'm hoping he ran away into town or something." Step, creak.

"But that ain't good either, if he got lose in town he might hurt somebody." Step, creak. "Not tah mention that's where my Big Sis is at." Step, creak.

"But that's where all the adults are." Step, creak. "Maybe they can stop him if he gets lose there." Step, creak. "Why does this hallway have to be so long?" Step, creak. Creak. "...wait a minute." Very slowly the two girls turned their heads to look behind them, the looming shadow of someone that clearly was not one of their friends standing in the hall. It opened its mouth, revealing some of the fire from its gullet inside as it growled.

"W-W-W-W-Were-Dragon!" Apple Bloom shouted as it started to roar, lifting its arms to grab her. Thinking frantically Scootaloo reached out and grabbed a flower vase. Stepping between her friend and the monster she suddenly tossed it to the creature.

"Here you go!" The monster actually stopped and caught the vase when it was tossed. "Sorry but we'll have to cut this date short, keep the flowers." Scootaloo grabbed Apple Bloom's shoulder and pulled the girl with her, the duo running into Granny's room and shutting the door behind them. They heard a roar in the hallway and barricaded themselves against the door after locking it.

"That was some quick thinkin' there Scoots." Apple Bloom complimented as they propped themselves up with their heels.

"It was all I could think of. Hey... I don't hear anything do you?" The girls stopped and listened as the hallway seemed surprisingly quiet.

"Maybe it got bored and left?" Their question was soon answered as a head smashed its way through the door, opening its glowing jaws and roaring as it did before. The girls screeched again and backed away from the door, running to the other side of the room. "Ah think we really made it mad!" Scootaloo was looking around the room for anything that could help in this situation, noticing Granny sleeping in her bed like not a thing in the world was happening. Amazing of the old timer that she could sleep through all of this. But between her and them was Granny's vanity desk.

"Grab anything." Scootaloo announced as she began to pick up perfume bottles, combs, and jewelry. The creature had already reached its arm inside and was unlocking the door. When it entered though it got assaulted with a barrage of items in the dark.

"Get outta mah house you varmint!" Apple bloom cried as her and Scootaloo began smacking it repeatedly with different objects. They kept it up until Scootaloo noticed their supply depleting.

"We're running out of ammo." She began reaching around, the only thing in reach being a jewelry box. As she picked it up to toss it she noticed something odd. "Hey, what's he doing?"

"He's... pickin' up the stuff?" After their assault the Were-Dragon was on his hands and knees, picking up nearly everything that the girls had tossed. "Why's he botherin' with that?"

"Now's our chance, lets get outta here with Granny." Scootaloo wasted no time as she tried to shake Granny Smith awake from her slumber. However the old woman wasn't moving, her snoring indicating that she did not intend to wake until the appointed time. "C'mon Granny, we need you to help us. You have to get up!" Scootaloo tried in vain but Granny refused to budge.

"Ferget it, lets just grab her and go." Apple bloom said moving to Granny's feet to hoist her up. Scootaloo did the same with Granny's shoulders but their plan was short lived as Apple bloom was suddenly hoisted into the air thrown over the Were-Dragon's shoulder. "HEY! HEY LET ME GO!"

"Apple bloom!" Scootaloo watched as the Were-Dragon marched through the shadows, one arm full of stuff and the other carrying her friend. The girl dropped Granny Smith back on the pillow as she jumped off the bed, unsure of how to stop the monster. She looked around for anything that might help her beat it. Then she saw the jewelry case.

Running out into the hall after them she saw Apple Bloom kicking and fighting with all she had. Scootaloo tried to put a plan together as quick as she could. What would Rainbow Dash do in a situation like this? The girl opened the box and saw all the shiny jewelry inside, behind her at the end of the hall was a window. Before her was a monster. She opened the window as her very scary plan formed in her head.

"Hey you big ugly freak!" The monster turned with a growl to face Scootaloo, who was standing in the only real light source from outside. "Sure you're going to leave without these?" Scootaloo opened the jewelry box to reveal the shiny gems and metals inside. The monster dropped Apple Bloom and the other stuff on the floor at the sight of it. Soon it was coming for Scootaloo down the hall and she had seconds to react. "Go fetch!" Stepping to the side she tossed the jewelry box out the window, the monster predictably leaping for it past her as it went. In the brief seconds of light she saw it in, it almost looked kind of human.

After the beast had leaped out of sight Scootaloo ran over to her friend. "Apple Bloom, are you okay!? Did he hurt you?"

"My achin' behind." The girl said rubbing her butt after she'd been dropped. "Nah he didn't hurt me none. That was real good thinkin' back there Scootaloo."

"Don't mention it. But we should probably get going right now. He might only be satisfied with that stuff for a little while." Apple Bloom agreed as the two ran down the stairs to exit the farm house. As they did they suddenly collided with someone running into the farm house. Tumbling over each other the girls landed in a heap together.

"My aching butt." Sweetie Belle said as her friends laid on top of her.

"Sweetie, Silver Spoon, you found Diamond Tiara!" Apple Bloom exclaimed seeing all of her friends under her. "Thank goodness, we were worried about ya."

"We weren't the ones screaming for help. Can you two get off of us?" Tiara asked sounding annoyed and everyone helped each other up. "That's better, now what happened in there?"

"It was the Were-Dragon, he attacked us inside the farm house." Apple bloom explained. "He tried stealin' a bunch of our stuff and me too, that is until Scootaloo tricked 'em into jumpin' outta window."

"Nice thinking Scootaloo." Sweetie congratulated her.

"So it was him that stole our belongings back at the club house." Silver Spoon commented thoughtfully. "Why would a Were-Dragon keep trying to take seemingly random possessions from every place he comes across?"

"Maybe he's buildin' a hoard?" Apple Bloom suggested. "Dragon's do that in the wild right? Why not a Were-Dragon too?"

"That would explain why it went right for Diamond Tiara's crown." Silver said thoughtfully again.

"But why would he try to kidnap Apple Bloom then. What sense does it make to take her if he just wants our stuff?" Scootaloo asked really confused about this whole thing. "I mean stealing Tiara's jewelry makes sense, but stealing her doesn't really fit. Right Diamond? Diamond Tiara?" They all looked around, noticing she was very absent all of a sudden. "Where'd she go?"

"There!" Sweetie shouted, pointing to the shadowed figure that was running off with the shape of a girl restrained in his arms. "He kidnapped Diamond Tiara!"

"After him!" Silver Spoon cried out and all four girls charged after the Were-Dragon. Funny enough this got the creature to take to its feet that much more quickly now that it was being pursued. The girls stayed on its trail all the way to the barn before it rounded the corner. When they came around after it the figure had already disappeared, not a trace to be found.

"Darn it, we were so close!" Scootaloo said sounding angry with herself. "That freaky monster is trying to steal us away one at a time. What the heck does it want?" The girls stopped to catch their breath, each one looking upset and disappointed they let their friend get stolen away so easily. They stood against the barn wall for a bit, listening to the quiet in the night. "Now what do we do?" No one had an answer for a while, but Silver Spoon finally responded.

"Say Apple Bloom, does your family store Apple Juice anywhere on your property?" The girl was confused by the nature of the question but she thought it over before nodding her head.

"Yeah, now that ah think about it. Whatever we don't keep in the house we got down in the cellar in the storage barrels. How come yer askin' 'bout that?" Silver Spoon stood upright and looked at the three girls before her.

"Because I think I know where he's keeping Diamond Tiara, and everything else he took from us."

The girls made sure to sneak around the house as quietly as they could, aware that the monster was probably still out there somewhere ready to pounce on them again. They'd agreed that the splitting up idea wasn't helping and vowed to stay together now in situations like this. As they approached the cellar doors the padlock was notably broken off and things were very quiet on the other side of the entrance. "Okay, we all go in together." Sweetie Belle announced and everyone nodded. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom opened the cellar doors together and Sweetie Belle lead the walk down the stairs.

The girls closed the door behind them, knowing that if the Were-Dragon was out there they didn't want to tip him off as to where they were. Stepping downstairs though there was enough light from the small lanterns already lit to see around them. "It's just a bunch of barrels." Sweetie said unimpressed.

"Wait, this ain't right." Apple Bloom said walking forward. "The barrels are scattered all over the place. Normally we got 'em stacked in the back. But they're all moved around in every part of the floor." Scootaloo walked forward to investigate, her foot making a squishing sound as it collided with the dirt.

"Yuck, what's this all over the floor? Everything is wet."

"I knew it." Silver Spoon suddenly exclaimed as she moved forward despite the squishy dirt. Tapping the lids of each barrel she moved between them, until there was a tap back on one of the lids. "She's here!" The girls moved forward to help, prying the barrel's lid off in a team effort and revealing an upset Diamond Tiara in the process.

"Blech!" The girl said standing up now out of the barrel. "Everything smells like apples."

"Normally that's a good thing." Apple Bloom interjected as the girls helped Tiara out of the barrel. "Are you okay Diamond? What happened in here?"

"That maniac threw me in a barrel, what do you think!?" The girl exclaimed, trying not to shout despite how upset she was. "After he ran away from you guys he brought me down here and stuffed all the other junk he had in a barrel over there." Diamond pointed to one of the other ones that was closed up on the other side of the room. "Then he came over here and tossed me in this one after he dumped all the juice out of it."

"Wait a minute." Scootaloo shook a barrel, hearing contents shift around inside. "He's storing all our stuff down here in barrels? What for?"

"Jinkies, he really is building a dragon hoard with all of the possessions he finds around the farm. Maybe all of the town." Silver Spoon observed looking around the cellar. "This must be the closest thing to a cave that he was able to find."

"Okay so now we're in the dragon cave, what should we do to stop the Were-Dragon?" Scootaloo asked and the girls all looked between each other at a loss. How do you stop a monster like that? Sweetie Belle looked around the room observantly until she spotted something.

"Hey Apple Bloom, are these jars of honey?" She wondered out loud as she pulled one off the shelf that was lined with them.

"Yeah, Granny keeps a whole stash a stuff down here through the seasons." The girl walked over to see what Sweetie was up to. "Now ain't really the time tah be gettin' a snack though."

"You're right, now's the time to set ourselves a trap." Sweetie Belle smiled mischievously. "Gang, we're going to capture ourselves a Were-Dragon." Everyone looked completely confused as to how they were going to do it. "But we're going to need a ramp, an empty barrel, a lot of honey and something really slippery."

"The ramp I do tricks with is still over by the club house." Scootaloo said quickly.

"There's plenty of empty barrels around here, believe me." Diamond Tiara commented still sounding annoyed that she had ended up in one.

"Well we got lots of honey." Silver Spoon chimed in grabbing a jar of it as well. "But where will we find something slippery?"

"Granny's got some cookin' grease down here too, we can use that if ya need to." Sweetie Belle nodded as her plan was coming together.

"Oh yeah, we'll also need a pretty girl wearing jewelry as bait for the Were-Dragon." Sweetie said and the room grew quiet. "Any takers?" The girls all looked around at each other wondering who would be the one to take up duty as Were-Dragon bait. When no one said anything Apple Bloom finally stepped forward.

"Well, ah guess ah might as well strut my stuff tah help stop 'em." Diamond Tiara suddenly scoffed and stepped forward.

"Please, she said a pretty girl in jewelry. As we all just saw there's one girl that fits that description better than anyone else here." Apple Bloom scowled a bit at Tiara.

"Ya'll tryin' tah say that ah ain't pretty enough fer this job?" Apple Bloom started glaring at Tiara and the girls got in each other's faces.

"I'm saying in comparison to a real proper woman that we don't need a farm girl trying to measure up." Tiara got her tone of arrogance back and Apple Bloom was getting ready to show her just how proper she could be as she cracked her knuckles.

"Guys; can either one of you outrun that monster?" Scootaloo asked suddenly and both girls got quiet. "Can anyone here but me outrun that monster?" Scootaloo looked around at the silent stares, suddenly getting a diamond tiara placed onto her head by Sweetie and a necklace put around her neck by Silver.

"Looks like we got our lovely bait." Sweetie said in success. "Just try not to get eaten out there okay?" Scootaloo gulped.

Some time later Scootaloo found herself walking through the orchard by herself. Decorated with a diamond tiara, an emerald necklace shaped like an apple and a few bracelets for good measure. Aside from her shiny display she carried a lantern that was lit with a low flame and proceeded at a slow pace, trying not to get freaked out by the fact she was attracting a monster to herself.

"So here I am. Totally lost from my friends and wearing all this expensive jewelry." She narrated looking around for the first sign of trouble. "Oh what is a poor, sweet, innocent girl like me to do all alone out here in the field." She turned the flame up a little higher and held it high to see if anyone was approaching. "I mean I'm completely helpless out here, alone and with not a soul in sight." Still no monster. She was talking in her normal voice now as each step took her through the field and seemingly farther away from her target. "Boy I sure hope some monster doesn't come to steal me away for his private collection." She was dropping the hints kind of excessively as there was still no result. Was that thing even out there still? "Hey, cute girl in expensive, shiny junk is alone. Doesn't anyone want me?"

Just when she was about to get real upset if that thing was actually avoiding her because she wasn't pretty enough, she heard it. Slowly the steps started to approach from the trees, Scootaloo turning down the flame as she became instantly nervous at being seen by the creature. It didn't take long though for its shadowed, humanoid form to appear from the dark. Approaching her with heavy steps and its mouth giving off an unearthly glow. As it got closer Scootaloo froze in place, forgetting her part of the plan at seeing the thing stalk her. It stopped suddenly before her, seeming to look her over slowly. After a while she realized that the thing was judging her, sniffing her scent and checking her out as opposed to just taking Apple Bloom or Diamond Tiara. "Oh you better not be comparing me to Diamond Tiara, I am at least as cute as her!" Scootaloo suddenly shouted, feeling insulted. The monster responded in turn.

"RAAAAAH!"

"Whoa!" Dropping her lantern Scootaloo turn and ran as fast as she could into the orchard, the beast following her in hot pursuit. She'd been walking for a while but she still remembered where it was she was supposed to go. Pushing it with all the strength her legs would allow her she felt the Were-Dragon closing in. Just a little farther and... "Slide!"

Scootaloo shouted as she leaped forward and slid along a thick patch of slippery grease. As expected the monster did the same but unwillingly so, sliding behind her out of control. Keeping her balance Scootaloo put her arms up and they were grabbed by two pairs of hands, lifting her into a tree branch to safety while the Were-Dragon slid forward underneath her.

"Nice going Scoots." Apple Bloom said as their friend was now safely out of harm's way, Diamond Tiara on the other side of her in the tree as well. They watched as the Were-Dragon picked up speed going down a hill and eventually onto a ramp. This launched it into the air and it flew in an arc, right into a large barrel that was waiting for it. The Were-Dragon splatted into the barrel full of sticky honey, and before it could pull itself out a lid came crashing down on top of it. Silver Spoon and Sweetie Belle hoisted a cement brick on top of the barrel lid and backed up as the monster tried struggling to get out but couldn't move well in its sticky prison.

"We did it gang, we caught the Were-Dragon!" Sweetie Belle announced in victory as the others joined her, cheering as well over their accomplishment. Diamond Tiara took her crown off of Scootaloo and put it on herself.

"So what do we do with him now that we caught him?" Tiara asked looking at the barrel that was still shaking slightly as the monster tried to escape. "We can't keep him barreled forever."

"One of us should go and get Twilight while we have him captured." Silver Spoon suggested. "We can keep guard so he can't escape while we're waiting for her."

"That wont be necessary." A woman's voice suddenly chimed in as the girls all turned to see Twilight walking forward, along with Applejack and Rarity in tow. The three women were carrying lanterns and Applejack had her lasso for some reason.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle, thank Celestia you arrived when you did." Silver Spoon said sounding completely thrilled the adults were finally back after this nightmare had been concluded. "Look, we caught the Were-Dragon!" The girls presented the shaking barrel proudly and all three women looked on confused.

"Were-Dragon? But that was just a story I made up." Twilight said sounding confused. Then she looked like realization hit her. "Oh my goodness you didn't..." Twilight walked up to the barrel inspecting it closely, while Applejack was holding the lantern up and looking around herself.

"How come ah smell apple juice and honey? Is that... cookin' grease too?" She asked looking around but Apple Bloom decided to remain quiet on this one until the first issue of the monster was solved. Twilight used her magic to take off the cinder block from the barrel and then pop the lid, the Were-Dragon's head surfacing from the honey as quickly as it could gasping for air.

"So this is the Were-Dragon huh?" Twilight said looking at it closely with the lamp light. "Just as I expected."

"Now let's find out who he really is." Sweetie Belle suddenly declared as she grabbed a hold of the Were-Dragon's spiky yet sticky hair and started to pull to remove his mask. And pulling. And pulling. And pulling some more despite its groaning for her to stop.

"Sweetie Belle stop that, he's not wearing a mask." Rarity suddenly stepped up just as Sweetie was starting to use her foot against the barrel for leverage.

"He's not, then he's a real Were-Dragon!?" Sweetie suddenly took her hands off like she might lose them. "I thought Twilight just said they were made up?"

"He's not a wearing a mask." Twilight said using her magic to break the barrel and release the sticky monster. "But he's no Were-Dragon. Applejack, can you do the honors?"

"Don't mind if ah do, Twi'." The Were-Dragon was sticky but still energetic as it was getting ready to pounce on the women. It didn't get far though as Applejack gave one of her trade mark apple bucking kicks to its stomach. The creature actually lifted off the air from the blow before it coughed hard and spat up a rock out of its throat. The rock looked slightly familiar as it burned on the ground encompassed in a green fire. Twilight used her magic to lift up the rock off the grass to everyone's anticipation.

"Now for the final touch, Rarity would you please?"

"Of course darling." Rarity approached the dazed Were-Dragon and pinched its nose, pulling its head back and lifting up a gourd in her hand. She poured a liquid down the Were-Dragon's throat and in the lamp light Sweetie Belle noticed the monster looked slightly familiar. "There we are. Are you feeling better Spiky-Wikey?"

"Spiky-Wikey!?" The girls all shouted in unison and surprise, the Were-Dragon blinking confused as it looked around and coughed hard from all the sudden abuse it received from the women.

"What... what happened?" Spike said looking around. "My mouth tastes like apple juice and tomatoes... and I'm sticky..." He looked over his body covered completely in honey, the girls looking on completely confused.

"Wait wait wait. Wait a minute." Diamond Tiara threw her arms up in outrage. "Spike was the Were-Dragon? What the heck, he was like all claws and spikes and glowing mouth fire." Looking at him now Spike was hardly the image of a fearsome monster. Heck in his current state he looked more like a wet puppy, Rarity fawning over him not helping that image any.

"That's kind of my fault." Twilight said holding up the burning rock with her magic. "Remember that Everlight Coal I gave you girls when we left earlier tonight? Well one of my samples sort of ended up near by where Spike keeps his gemstones for snacking on." Spike was still wobbly like he had no idea where he was, and Rarity was trying to keep him steady without actually getting covered in honey. Thankfully Applejack was nice enough to hold him up. "Spike ate the coal by accident, and near as I can tell it had a nasty reaction with his internal flame and drove him into a fit. His dragon-blood instincts took over and he started building a hoard in the closest safe cavern he could find."

"Our cellar." Apple Bloom suddenly exclaimed and Twilight nodded in response.

"Exactly. It wasn't until after Spike ate the coal that I knew what had happened. He took off pretty quickly into the night and the other girls and I were trying to find him before he could cause any damage to himself or anyone else. Thank goodness you girls were able to stop him."

"Ah'm mighty impressed with how you managed to snag this wild critter too. Didn't think you girls had it in ya." They all looked at each other. The reveal of Spike being their monster was a bit confusing but they did feel accomplished in not only keeping themselves safe but stopping their attacker. Rarity was even there to praise them.

"Thankfully with your meddling you kids were able to stop poor Spiky-Wikey before anything bad could happen. I guess we should get him home and hosed off. Not to mention let the others know we found him so they can call off the search." Rarity and Twilight started to lead Spike away in his dazed state, but not before Sweetie Belle ran up to see him.

"Spike, wait up!" She stopped before the honey covered boy, who was looking at her through tired eyes. "Um... I don't know if you remember anything that happened tonight. But if you do then don't worry, we're not mad at you for anything you did. I just want you to know you should get better."

"Yeah, we're all okay over here. We'll see you later, okay Spike." Apple Bloom called over and the other girls waved to him too, shouting their well wishes for him to recover. He waved lazily back to them and marched off with the purple haired women back to his home. Applejack stayed by her sister as she watched everyone begin to get ready to go their separate ways.

"So, ya'll had a pretty eventful night huh?" Applejack said to her sister and Apple Bloom giggled a little in response.

"Ah guess we did. It was pretty scary fer a while there, but we managed to keep our cool and stick together." Applejack watched all the girls talking to each other, noting a closer bond between them now than there was previously when she had left them for the night.

"Ah'll say. Looks like there was somethin' good that came outta tonight after all." The beautiful blond woman smiled and Apple Bloom just looked at her curiously not really understanding the meaning of her words. "Alrighty then, ah guess ah'll check with Twi' just tah be sure there ain't nuttin' more ah can do tah help. You girls gonna be okay before ah get back?" Apple Bloom looked back at her friends who were simply watching on now waiting for her response. Apple Bloom smiled and nodded to her big sister.

"We'll be just fine Sis. Ya'll can go off. We'll see ya in the mornin'." Applejack smiled and hugged her little sister tight before wishing all the girls a good night. They waved to Applejack as she walked off and Silver Spoon turned to Apple Bloom.

"So are you going to tell her about the wrecked house or us using the supplies to build that trap?"

"Heck no." Apple Bloom said keeping her smile up till her sister was gone. "Ah'll let her find that out fer herself tomorrow. Right now ah'm plumb tuckered out."

"So what should we do about tonight?" Tiara asked. "All of our sleeping bags and blankets are stuffed in a barrel somewhere down in your cellar." Apple Bloom thought this over carefully before coming to a decision.

"We'll use Big Macintosh's bedroom. It's pretty big and he's got a big bed too. We can figure out places fer everyone to sleep in there." The girls agreed that sounded like a much better option than trying to dig out all of their belongings for the night. As they got ready to leave though Sweetie Belle noticed something was missing.

"Hey... where did Scootaloo go?" The girls looked around suddenly frantic that another one of their friends has gone missing again. "Scootaloo?" Hey, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom cupped her hands around her mouth and called out as well.

"Scootalooooo! Where are you!?"

"Ooooover here!" The response came from the direction of the farm house, Scootaloo holding a bunch of ice cream sandwiches in her arms. The girls looked at her confused before she grinned back to all of them. "I found these in the cellar when we were making our plan. I figured they'd be good to celebrate with if we actually caught the Were-Dragon."

"Nice going." Sweetie said as she took one and started for the farm house. "So can we all fit in Big Mac's bed or are we going to have to play rock paper scissors for it?"

"I can sleep on the floor as long as you have some good pillows and blankets." Silver Spoon took one too and followed after.

"I'd rather sleep in a bed if I can, I don't do well with hard surfaces." Diamond Tiara considered the risks of eating ice cream so late, then decided she'd been through enough she deserved a treat too and took it following the others. That left Apple Bloom and Scootaloo following in the very back.

"Nice thinkin' Scoots. So ah guess we're having a Scooty Snack then?" Apple Bloom asked giggling a little.

"How about an Icecreamaloo?" Scootaloo suggested, joining in on the fun.

"A Scooty Sandwhich?" They were laughing together now. Scootaloo finally coming up with the silliest but best suggestion yet.

"A Scoota Loota Loo!"