My Little Pony--Ponyville Mysteries--The Tail of the Timberwolf

by Penumbra Quill

  “I think the Timberwolf isn’t attacking ponies. It’s going after sugar! Like at Zipporwhill’s birthday party: It ate all the candy on the table. And it went after cupcakes. And it ate the birthday cake, which was sweet, but not the dog cake, which wasn’t! And then, it attacked the sugariest part of Ponyville, Mrs. Cake’s shop. But it didn’t touch anything but the candy and sweets!” Sweetie Belle stopped talking. The others stared at her.

  Finally, Apple Bloom sighed. “If you don’t have a serious suggestion, you don’t need to make stuff up,” she said.

  “But I am being serious!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice cracking indignantly.

  “Who ever heard of a Timberwolf eating candy? That’s not what those big teeth are for,” Scootaloo said.

  “Actually,” Lilymoon said thoughtfully, “Sweetie Belle might be onto something.”

  “What?” Scootaloo blurted.

  “Ha!” Sweetie Belle said.

  “Have you ever heard of wereponies?” Lilymoon asked the others. “Ponies who change into different creatures?”

  “There was that one time Fluttershy turned into a vampire fruit bat-pony…” Apple Bloom said, remembering.

  “Like that.” Lilymoon nodded. “Only it happens on a full moon.”

  “You think the Timberwolf may be actually… a pony?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes wide.

  “Which pony?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously. She knew it couldn’t be her friends or her sister, since they had all been around when the monster showed up. But what if it was somepony else she knew, like Mayor Mare? Or Miss Cheerilee!

  “I don’t know.” Lilymoon shrugged. “I’m just saying, this Timberwolf isn’t acting like a real Timberwolf. Especially when it comes to candy. But if it was really a werepony who had a sweet tooth…”

  “Well, how do you spot a werepony?” Apple Bloom asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lilymoon admitted again. “But I know where we can find out!”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “I’m sure there’s a chapter on wereponies in The Lost Creatures of Equestria,” Lilymoon said as they walked up Horseshoe Hill.

  “Didn’t we tell our sisters we weren’t gonna get into any more monster trouble?” Sweetie Belle asked.

  “We aren’t gettin’ into trouble,” Apple Bloom said. “We’re just gatherin’ information.”

  Sweetie Belle had a feeling “gathering information” would quickly turn into “getting into trouble.” But she didn’t want them to think she was scared, so she let it go.

  As they reached Lilymoon’s house, the front door flew open, and Ambermoon came trotting out. She saw them and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you three have your own homes to go to?” she asked.

  “Sure. But if we didn’t come visit, nopony would be around to tell you that you’d be a lot happier if you weren’t so nasty all the time,” Scootaloo shot back. Ambermoon’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Where are you going?” Lilymoon asked quickly, changing the subject.

  Ambermoon continued glaring at Scootaloo but answered her sister’s question. “Well, since somepony in this house keeps stealing my candy, I’m going into town to get some more.”

  “Ugh!” Lilymoon groaned. “I’ll never borrow anything from you ever again, happy?”

  “Happier,” Ambermoon said as she trotted down the hill.

  “So?” Apple Bloom asked casually. “Has your sister always liked candy?”

  “Yeah… she’s had a sweet tooth for as long as I can…” Lilymoon’s eyes widened. “But… it couldn’t be her! She was at the party with us!”

  “She did kinda disappear right before the Timberwolf showed up, though,” Apple Bloom pointed out.

  “And you did say she acts weirder during a full moon,” Sweetie Belle reminded her.

  “I totally bet it’s her!” Scootaloo said. “That’s why she’s so mean.”

  “She’s always that mean.” Lilymoon shrugged. “It doesn’t mean she’s a werepony.”

  “Wereponies?” Somepony cackled above them. They all looked up to see Auntie Eclipse trotting down the stairs. “Now, why would such innocent little fillies be talking about wereponies?”

  Sweetie Belle glanced nervously at the others. Should they tell Auntie Eclipse what they thought was going on? Lilymoon subtly shook her head. Sweetie Belle sighed. Of course they weren’t gonna do that.

  “We just… uh… have a report for class,” Apple Bloom lied.

  “Everypony got different creatures,” Scootaloo added. “We got a werepony! So we were just gonna check out a book in your library to see what it said about ponies and Timberwolves and—”

  “Timberwolves?” Auntie Eclipse interrupted her. “You want to know about ponies turning into Timberwolves!” The ponies nodded. “Timberwolves aren’t like regular wolves.”

  “Duh,” Scootaloo said. “They’re made of timber.” Auntie Eclipse arched an eyebrow at Scootaloo. “Sorry,” she said quickly.

  “It’s a rare magic that brings wood to life. In fact, it’s only ever been found in one place in all of Equestria.”

  “The Everfree Forest?” Lilymoon asked.

  Auntie Eclipse nodded. “Timberwolves have never been spotted anywhere else. And you won’t find any books about ponies turning into Timberwolves because it’s not possible. Not the same way they would turn into a werepony. Seems like a strange assignment to give young fillies.…” Auntie Eclipse let the comment hang in the air. The young ponies all glanced at one another, unsure of what to say next.

  “Thanks for your help,” Apple Bloom finally said. “I’m sure we can find the rest of what we need on our own.” She started toward the library.

  “Actually,” Auntie Eclipse said, stepping in front of her, “I’ll be needing the library this afternoon. I’m sure you have more than enough information… for a school project.” She strode into the library, the door magically closing behind her.

  “Wow,” Scootaloo said. “Guess she really doesn’t want us in there.”

  “Great,” Lilymoon said. “Where are we gonna get answers now?”

  “Actually,” Apple Bloom said with a grin, “there may be somepony who could help us.…”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Sweetie Belle shuddered at the spooky trees and strange sounds of creatures that stayed just out of sight. For somepony who didn’t like scary places, she sure found herself in the Everfree Forest a whole lot. Fortunately, she knew where they were going, and that place didn’t scare her at all… anymore. Still, Sweetie Belle didn’t want to spend any more time in the spooky forest than she absolutely had to.

  “You know a Zebra? And she lives in the Everfree Forest?” Lilymoon asked as they walked along the path. “You think she’ll help us?”

  “Zecora helped me when I got Cutie Pox,” Apple Bloom said. “I betcha she knows about curing other curses, too.” They turned a corner and saw a hooded figure gathering plants just off the path. The figure turned and regarded the fillies.

  “Four ponies where there are usually three—have you all come out here just to see me?” The figure removed her hood, and Zecora smiled at them.

  “Hi, Zecora!” the Crusaders said in unison.

  Zecora glanced at Lilymoon. “I’m always happy to have guests. Who might you be? I know the rest.”

  “H-hi,” Lilymoon said shyly, “I’m Lilymoon. My family just moved here.”

  Zecora nodded, then turned and walked along the path. “Follow me and sit a spell. I’m sure you all have much to tell,” she said over her shoulder. The others quickly followed.

  Sweetie Belle heard Lilymoon gasp when they arrived at Zecora’s home. It was pretty impressive. Zecora lived inside a giant tree. Different-colored bottles filled with Celestia-knew-what dangled from the branches outside. Sweetie Belle looked around as they walked through the door. A cauldron was bubbling, odd objects hung on the walls, and the shelves were filled with spells and potions. Zecora checked the bubbling cauldron as she regarded the young ponies.

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nbsp; “I sense this is more than a friendly visit? You all look worried; so come now, what is it?”

  “We know it sounds crazy, but we think the Timberwolf that attacked Ponyville is really a werepony,” Apple Bloom explained.

  Zecora’s eyes widened. “A werepony can bring much danger. But a werepony Timberwolf? That’s even stranger.”

  “Very strange,” Lilymoon agreed. “My aunt told us a werepony Timberwolf was impossible.”

  “I don’t want to say that your aunt was wrong, but it is possible, if the magic is strong.” Lilymoon looked surprised that her aunt might not be right about something. Zecora cocked her head. “But I’m confused. Please explain to me: Why would a Timberwolf be a pony?”

  Scootaloo nodded to Sweetie Belle, who was getting way more comfortable in Zecora’s familiar home than out in the Forest. “I noticed that both times this Timberwolf attacked, it only ate candy,” Sweetie Belle said. “Which seemed really weird.”

  “Yes, I see,” said Zecora, “that is quite suspicious. You think it’s somepony who finds candy delicious.” The ponies nodded. “A spell this strong is very impressive. But the pony who cast it is clearly aggressive.”

  “I didn’t even think about that,” Apple Bloom admitted. “Who would turn a pony into a Timberwolf?”

  “Why would someone turn a pony into a Timberwolf?” Scootaloo added.

  Zecora looked away from the ponies. She stared out the window into the Forest beyond. Sweetie Belle thought she looked… worried? “I have an idea, but I don’t want to say. I believe that’s a tale to tell some other day. For now, let’s just focus on getting a cure. We will know more when it’s time, I am sure.”

  Zecora wandered around the room as she spoke, gathering bottles, herbs, and various ingredients. She tossed them into the boiling cauldron. “To avoid serious trouble, there is no time to waste. You must locate the pony and do it with haste!”

  “You mean so it won’t have time to attack again?” asked Scootaloo.

  Zecora shook her head. “There are bigger things at play than you understand. If you don’t cure this pony as fast as you can, it may never turn back to a pony again!” The fillies all looked at one another.

  “It becomes permanent?” Sweetie Belle squeaked. Zecora nodded.

  “But how are we going to figure out who it is?” Lilymoon asked.

  “Maybe we already have,” Scootaloo said.

  “It’s not my sister,” Lilymoon insisted.

  Zecora took an empty bottle and filled it with the milky-gray potion bubbling in her cauldron. “A Timberwolf pony could hide anywhere. But when you do find it, you must pluck a hair.”

  “We have to what?” Sweetie Belle asked.

  Zecora handed Apple Bloom the bottle filled with potion. “Put the hair in the potion and watch it turn pink; when the pony turns Timberwolf, give it this drink.”

  “Are we sure we want to do this?” Sweetie Belle hesitated.

  But Apple Bloom’s enthusiasm overpowered the sentiment. “Wow. Thanks, Zecora! I knew you’d know what to do!” she said, studying the potion. She turned to the others. “Come on, y’all! We got no time to waste!”

  The ponies all rushed toward the door—Sweetie Belle with less speed than the others—but Zecora’s voice stopped them: “One final thing: When the suspect you find, here is a warning to keep in your mind.” The ponies all stopped and turned. Zecora looked at them with a very serious expression. “Don’t let it scratch you, whatever you do, or else you will turn into a Timberwolf, too!”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Did you hear her? We could become Timberwolves!” Sweetie Belle called, rushing after the others as they hurried toward Ponyville. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Lilymoon were busy discussing what to do next.

  “How do we get the Timberwolf to drink the potion?” Scootaloo asked.

  “We know it likes candy. We could pour it on something sweet!” Lilymoon suggested.

  Sweetie Belle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “We aren’t gonna do anything!” she said loudly. Everypony turned to look at her. “Our sisters told us not to get into trouble, remember?” The others stopped running and considered what she said.

  Apple Bloom sighed heavily. “Sweetie Belle is right, y’all,” she said. “We did promise not to get into more mischief.”

  “Thank you!” Sweetie Belle was relieved.

  “But everypony still thinks it’s a regular Timberwolf!” Scootaloo said. “We need to tell them it’s really Ambermoon!”

  “We don’t know my sister is a werepony!” Lilymoon reminded them. She thought for a minute, then: “It could be one of your sisters’ friends.”

  “What? Who?” Apple Bloom asked.

  “The pink one. Pinkie Pie? She was acting pretty strange at the party,” Lilymoon pointed out.

  “Yeah, but that’s Pinkie. She always acts weird,” Apple Bloom said.

  “She did say she slept through the whole Timberwolf attack,” Sweetie Belle realized. “That does seem a little suspicious.”

  “You just don’t want Ambermoon to be the werepony, so you’re trying to make us think it’s Pinkie!” Scootaloo accused Lilymoon. The Unicorn rolled her eyes.

  “You just don’t like my sister, so you want her to be a werepony,” she huffed.

  Scootaloo considered that. “Okay, that’s actually kind of true,” she admitted.

  “If we tell Rarity and her friends what we know,” Sweetie Belle said, “they can check out Pinkie and Ambermoon.”

  “We should get a hair from Ambermoon’s mane or tail,” Apple Bloom said. “Just in case.”

  “Actually…” Lilymoon reached into her bag and pulled out a manebrush. “The hair is no problem. I still haven’t returned this.” She magically pulled a long black hair from the brush. She looked at the others. “If my sister is the werepony, we can handle it.”

  “And if it’s Pinkie… either way, we gotta tell the others right now!” Apple Bloom decided. “Let’s hustle, y’all!”

  They raced back to Ponyville. The sun was setting when they arrived, but the town was bustling. They quickly realized why. Rarity, Applejack, and their friends were preparing to head off into the Everfree Forest to hunt down the Timberwolf! The CMCs had arrived just in time! They rushed through the crowd.

  “Rarity!” Sweetie Belle called. Rarity turned and saw the fillies approaching.

  “Sweetie Belle, darling, we’re just a teensy bit busy at the moment,” Rarity explained. “Perhaps whatever it is can wait until after we’ve dealt with this beastly business?”

  “We’re here because of the beastly business!” Apple Bloom explained.

  “Oh no, you ain’t,” Applejack said, walking over to them. “If I told you once, I told you a dozen times: We are handlin’ this!”

  “We know!” Apple Bloom said. “But we need to tell you what you’re handling!”

  “Don’t worry,” Fluttershy said sweetly as she walked past them. “We know just how to take care of the poor creature.”

  “You do?” Scootaloo asked.

  “Sure,” Applejack said. “We’re gonna find it, catch it, and take it far away where it can’t harm nopony.”

  “You can’t!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “It’s not a regular Timberwolf! It’s a—”

  “We doin’ this or what?” Rainbow Dash called out to the others.

  “One second!” Applejack called back, then turned to the fillies. “We appreciate y’all wantin’ to help. But we do this stuff all the time.”

  “Don’t worry about us,” Rarity said to Sweetie Belle reassuringly.

  “Rarity. We aren’t worried. But you don’t—”

  “Pinkie, dear, are you quite all right?” asked Rarity, cutting off her sister. Sweetie Belle and the others turned and saw Pinkie Pie walking toward them, strangely subdued.

  “Never better,” Pinkie said. She really didn’t look so good, but she was putting on a brave face for the task at hand. “Let’s do this thing!” She walked past t
he fillies as she struggled to smile. As she passed, Sweetie Belle saw Lilymoon use magic to pluck a hair from Pinkie’s tail. Nopony else noticed, and Pinkie didn’t even flinch! As they trotted off, Applejack and Rarity glanced back at the fillies.

  “Y’all go home. Stay outta trouble,” Applejack warned.

  “Don’t be scared, Sweetie Belle. We shall be fine!” Rarity called. The grown-up ponies all hurried into the Forest, Twilight leading the way.

  “I can’t believe it,” Scootaloo said.

  “They wouldn’t even listen to us!” Apple Bloom said, kicking her hoof in the dirt angrily. “If we’re right, they’re gonna take some poor pony and dump it Celestia- knows-where!”

  “If it is my sister… she’ll be stuck as a Timberwolf forever.” Lilymoon looked horrified.

  “And if it is Pinkie,” Scootaloo said, looking at the rising dusk, “and she transforms into a werepony when she’s with the others…” They all looked up at the sky. The full moon would be out soon. Sweetie Belle was the one who finally said what they were all thinking, even though she didn’t want to.

  “We have to go find the Timberwolf first, don’t we?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “Are we sure this is the best plan?” Sweetie Belle asked as she walked over to the others. They were standing by the entrance to the Everfree Forest. She adjusted the knapsack on her back. They each wore one filled with candy. They had raided their emergency Nightmare Night supplies to make sure they had enough for the mission.

  “We don’t have a choice. We only got one shot at this,” Apple Bloom said. She pulled Zecora’s potion out of her bag. “We go in, find the Timberwolf, and get it to drink this here potion!”

  “Well, first, we have to figure out who the Timberwolf is,” Lilymoon reminded them. She opened her bag, one black hair and one pink hair visible inside. “Once we find out which one it is, we drop the hair in the potion…”

  “And wait for it to turn pink,” Scootaloo finished. She reached into her bag and pulled out a buckball-size peppermint. “Once it does, we pour the potion on this. We know that whoever it is likes candy. This they won’t be able to pass up!”