Sunset continued to run straight home from Twilight's house, after almost completely freaking out right in front of her. She mentally facepalmed just thinking of it of it. This wasn't a good idea, she didn't know why she decided to come in the first place.

Sunset eventually stopped running to catch her breath. Apparently, she had run off in a random direction rather than the path home. She leaned against a shop's wall and tried to clear her mind.

'This is just some nightmare, right? God,
I hope it is...' she thought. 'This is just a nightmare and I'm going to wake up...' she closed her eyes tight. "Now!" Sunset said out loud. She was still in the same street, on the same walk, at the same time. Being crazy, she tried again. "Now!" Sunset groaned. "Now! Now! Now! Now!"

Sunset turned around and saw the Crystal Prep student, Sugarcoat. "Oh, uh... hi, Sugarcoat. How are you?" she nervously asked.

Sugarcoat crossed her arms. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing, spinning around, shouting 'Now!' in the middle of the street?"

"Uuh... no reason..." She gave the Crystal Prepper a wild, and obviously nervous, smile.

Sugarcoat raised her eyebrow at the crazy girl. "Sunset, I've may not have known you or your friends (except for Twilight) for a very long time, but I think I know you well enough to tell when something is up, especially when you act like that."

Sunset didn't know what to say. Sugarcoat was probably one of the most direct girls she's ever met. She then shook her head and tried smiling again. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just... having a bit of trouble with Twilight at the moment."

"Well... we just had separate opinions on this thing that she so desperately wants to study, but I tell her it's a bad idea and then shortly after, I left her," Sunset explained.

"It's a lot easier to understand if you knew what we disagreed with eachother with." Sunset repeatedly shifted her arms in opposite directions up and down.

Sunset opened her mouth to speak but instead left it closed and she slowly nodded.

Sugarcoat huffed. "Whatever. I'm in a rush anyway, so I guess I'll see you later, Sunset." She began walking down the street away from Sunset.

"Hey, Sugarcoat?" Sunset called, holding her arm out before Sugarcoat. "Before you go, could you pinch me?"

Sugarcoat's eyes widened at the bizarre question. "Never have I ever been asked such a weird question..."

Sugarcoat walked back up to Sunset, still wide-eyed, and gave her a pinch on the arm. Almost immediately, Sunset pulled back her arm in pain. Now, she had a red mark on her arm and, unfortunately, it's going to have to fade away on its own, for this was no dream.

"No, no!" Sunset stepped back to make sure Sugarcoat couldn't touch her again. "I'm fine. Thanks, though."

"Yeah, whatever. Look, I really have to go now. See you again soon, Sunset." Sugarcoat began walking away again, this time managing to get away.

Now she knew for sure that this definitely wasn't a dream and that she was currently living in a hell. A hell of which only includes herself and her friends.

She frantically shook her head. She had to get her mind off of this whole werewolf fiasco, at least for now, because there was probably a chance she'd go insane with fear and try and isolate herself only to keep everybody safe.

She started walking again. Not in the direction to her home, but to a place where she could clear her head.

After a while of walking, Sunset arrived at the entrance to Canterlot's large park, the same one where that boy was jumped. She travelled deep into the forest of the park until she found this large pond. She sat at the edge of the water onto the soft grass. She slipped off her boots and laid her head down. Whenever she felt stressed out, she'd always come to this pond for it was the most peaceful place she knew. The grass was always very soft and warm enough to even sleep on. It was also very quiet here, so no one could interrupt while she tried to rest her head.

She breathed deeply out of her mouth and smiled. This place never fails to do its job.

Suddenly, she begins to feel very strange again. Similarly to when she went out while with her friends. Much like last time, her eyes closed and she was gone.

Sunset woke up in a place that was all too familiar. "Not again," she said, disappointment, as she stood up and looked around the black limbo. "Why am I here, again?"

"Failing? Failing how, and what?" Sunset could probably tell what, but she wanted to make sure.

"The condition of your friends from your last visit, time is coming together. If you can't act now, they will become hurt."

"I tried to tell Twilight to not go through with this, but she didn't listen to me!" Sunset snapped and sat back down, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Then she backed me into a corner and I left as soon as possible."

Sunset sniffed. "Well, she said that she did feel scared of doing this but she apparently has to do this. Then I told her how I know why this was a terrible idea, especially for the fact that she now wants to go for this new wolf." She sighed. "Can I ask you a question?"

The voice hummed and then paused again. "I'm afraid to say, but yes, you are in fact that beast."

Sunset nodded. "Which is the reason why I left Twilight. I thought I was this monster from the beginning, and now I know that my own friend wants to hunt me."

Sunset shrugged. "She says that she just wants to run a few tests and doesn't want to harm me, but you should see the traps she's setting up."

Sunset know the answer to that straight away. "The safety of my friends, and those who I might end up harming."

"What about the safety of yourself? Are you worried about that at all? There may be people who would want to harm you."

"Yeah, but I don't know who would be stupid enough to do that." Then, something clicked in her head. "Wait, is that why I'm still here?"

"Okay, seriously, you have got to stop with these long pauses. It's very uncomfortable and nerve-wracking," Sunset scolded.

"All I can say now is that you must watch out, for dark nights will bestow upon you, Sunset Shimmer. Goodbye, may we see each other again soon."

Then there was complete silence. As a repeat of last time, the ground all around her started falling apart piece by piece. This time, it more surprised her than scared her as she again fell into an infinite white abyss.

Sunset's head sprung up as she awoke. She was still lying by the pond and, thankfully, fine. That voice, so far, had done nothing but make Sunset more and more paranoid as to what was coming for her. First it tells her that she's a werewolf, and now there's actually something, other than Twilight, out for her. But what exactly? Or who?

Sunset looked up at the sky. It was sun was beginning to set over the horizon, so she still had time to get home before her transformation. So, she put back on her boots and began running back home.

Twilight had invited Rainbow Dash over and they both went over their game plan. Rainbow Dash often made her suggestions and Twilight would make changes to the board. Twilight was very surprised as to how serious Rainbow was taking this. Then again, she did say she'd get her revenge on that wolf for Sunset's sake.

"So, Rainbow Dash, go over what we just talked about," Twilight said, pointing a stick of chalk at her friend.

"Place traps wherever it can hide; always stay close to eachother; and flash it with the flashlights to distract it whenever it gets too close," Rainbow Dash listed.

"And remember, if at any point we have to use our powers, we'll use them, got it?"

Twilight smiled confidently and placed her chalk back onto the chalkboard. She then began walking out of the room. Until Rainbow Dash stopped her.

"Wait, we're doing this now?" she asked. "I mean, it's still pretty early. Why not later?"

"Do you know how many traps we have to set up? If we want to do this tonight, we set these traps up now," Twilight explained.

"I guess so. Fine then." Rainbow shrugged and followed after her egghead friend.

Surprisingly, the girls finished setting up all of the traps much faster than Twilight predicted. That being mainly because of her rainbow friend's superspeed.

Twilight scratched her head. "It looks as though we still have time left to kill. We should probably go check up on all of the traps, see if anything had set one off."

"I'm on it!" Rainbow quickly announced before speeding off into the woods. She was back again only seconds later. "A squirrel had set off a net trap, so I helped it out and set the trap back up." She looked at Twilight. "Oh, uhh... you got a little something..." She pointed at Twilight's hair.

Apparently, Rainbow's speed had messed up Twilight's appearance. Her glasses began slipped right down her nose, her hair was a mess and some leaves were caught in it. Twilight quickly fixed herself up and loudly sighed. "Okay, so it looks like we're going to have to wait for another while." She began pacing back and forth while tapping her chin. "What to do? What to do?"

Then, something caught the attention of both girls. It sounded like a whip cracking. It was one of Twilight's traps nearby. Both girls looked at eachother confusingly and went to investigate it. As they got closer, they could hear someone shouting.

Twilight and Rainbow then broke into a slow run and found a man hanging from his ankle on a rope trap. As soon as they got close enough for the man to realise, he quickly spun around 180° and pointed a large gun at them.

"Don't shoot!" Twilight quickly shouted, holding her arms up. "We're going to get you down from there, sir."

The man confusingly hummed and then lowered his gun. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh nothing, just going on a little hunt for a monster," Rainbow Dash answered as she untied the rope.

"A hunt for a monster? I presume you are talking about the werewolf from the television- oof!" he finished as he fell to the ground, unbound from the rope.

The girls lifted him back onto his feet. He turned to them and rubbed the dirt off of his arms. "Do you girls have any idea what that thing may be capable of? It could tear you both into shreds!"

"And what you may not know, mister, is that we've fought against many demons the last couple of years," Rainbow gloated. "I doubt a werewolf can compare to what we've faced in the past."

Twilight answers this time, "Well, it was us along with five others. But my friend here is right, compare it to what we've seen. That werewolf probably couldn't beat those standards."

The man nodded assuringly. "Hmm, I see. So, I take it that you two were the ones who set up all of the traps? Oh, I'm sorry! Where are my manners?" He stuck out a hand. "Woodland Musket, at your service."

Twilight smiled widely. "Yeah, I've heard of you! I've read all of your books and they are A-MA-ZING!" she shouted with excitement.

"Ah, a big fan of the 'Hunt for Monstrosities' series, how I love it! It's not everyday I get to meet a fan such as yourself, Miss...?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, heh-heh." Twilight cleared her throat. "My name is Twilight Sparkle and this here is my friend Rainbow Dash."

"It is a pleasure," Musket said. "So do tell me, why do you think you are capable of hunting down such a beast?"

"That, and all of the traps around the forest," Twilight finished her friend off. "I made sure to think of absolutely everything: hiding spots; possible exits; advantage points, you name it, I've looked at it."

"Fascinating!" Musket complimented. "You really are such a well organised female, I must say!"

"Please, Twilight, call me Musket. Now come with me. I must bring you both to my office!" Musket began walking out of the forest.

Rainbow looked at Twilight. She just shrugged and started following after the hunter. Rainbow then looked deep into the forest before catching up with everyone.

Musket opened the door into his office, allowing the two girls to step inside. To Rainbow Dash, his office looked like a principal's office only bigger. On the walls were the decapitated heads of other animals hung up by a wooden frame. Musket took a seat on the black leather chair on the other side of his desk.

Twilight had the look of amazement drawn on her face. "Wow, you've surely found a lot of animals."

Musket leaned back. "Ah yes, for years upon years I have had this job. They labelled me as best in the whole city which really gave me the inspiration to make my book series." He sniggered. "It's really smacking that 'Daring Do' out of the park."

Rainbow turned to Musket in shock. "You did not say what I think you just said..."

"More than just a fan! Daring Do is literally the greatest book series of ALL TIME! Nothing can compete with it!"

Twilight continued looking at all of the different animal heads and one frame in particular really got her attention. That reason being because it was empty. The name under it was carved in a gold plate saying 'WEREWOLF' in big black letters.

"I see you have noticed the one I still haven't found," Musket said, now appearing next to Twilight. "The creature my family has been on the hunt for for generations."

"Blimey, yes! And everytime my family has come even close to catching it, it attacks and then disappears back into the shadows!"

"Unfortunately, I don't exactly know. These are strange creatures, but I do know that they'll stop at nothing when it comes to hunting for their prey. Anyway, we ought to get going soon. Feel free to look around, girls."

Twilight took this opportunity to its fullest and looked for any other information on the werewolf. She looked in drawers, on shelves, anywhere. She took note on what she found, but there was something that was very interesting to her. A large, but old, page. It showed pictures of a werewolf, a moon and a sun. There was also written text which she read in her head.

As the sun sets, and the moon shall arise
A beast you shall become and finally rise
You read during the beginning hour
And shall be granted with great power
Granted with strength stronger than man
Sense strong and speed through the land
And finally be given the mind of one
For a beast you shall now become

Twilight made sure to jot down the passage and made a mental note to look it over when this is over.

Musket picked up the gun he left on his desk. "So," He cocked the gun. "I'm going out to find this thing. You two will stay here."

Rainbow perked up. "What? Nuh-uh! We're going to find that wolf thing with you!"

Musket moaned and looked at the girls. "I know you two think you are capable of handling this, but this monster is extremely dangerous. I don't want to be the one responsible for the death of two high schoolers. That's why I brought you here, to keep you out of harm's way."

Twilight crossed her arms. "I think you've forgotten, but I've figured out all of the possible outcomes in my plan. If we can just follow every step correctly, we can find this thing! You can't do this without us, Musket."

"But I-I..." Musket knew that he could use the help, but he didn't want their blood on his hands. He has looked at Twilight's plan and found it amazingly planned out, and if Musket were to do this without them, then he'd have no plan to follow. He loudly groaned, "Alright fine, but you two will do exactly as I say without question, got it?"

Musket took the hand confidently and shook it. "Yes, I'd say we are. Lead the way, Twilight Sparkle. I'll make sure to follow your lead."

As the Moon Rises

by MorbidTheBrony

Chapter 5. Forces