AJ and the Dragon

Chapter 3

Coming to a Castle

After working and traveling all day, Big Mac and Apple Bloom finished their pie deliveries to the town. When nightfall arrived, they were riding along a dirt path, but unknowingly into the Everfree Forest.

Apple Bloom was trying to make sense of the map she had. "Are ya sure ya know where we're going?" Big Mac asked her.

"Of course I do." She lied with a nervous smile.

Her brother glared at her with suspicion. "Remember what your sister said about lying." He reminded.

With a huff, Apple Bloom closed the map and tossed it over her shoulder. "Fine! We're lost! Happy?!"

"I kinda figured that out because we're in the Everfree Forest." Big Mac gestured to the briar filled trees and the dense fog around them.

Apple Bloom shuddered. She remembered AJ telling her stories of some monsters she and her friends faced the few times they dared to go into the forest.

A foul smell suddenly filled the air. AB covered her nose, as did Big Mac. "What in tarnation is that smell?"

Winona started snarling at a shrub. "You see something, girl?" Big Mac asked the dog. She just kept on growling. Then, a deeper, meaner, and louder growl filled the air, followed by two more. Big Mac and Apple Bloom looked through the shrubbery, and three pairs of yellow glowing eyes pierced through the mist.

"Uh, big brother? We should get going." AB quickly said.

"No kidding." Big Mac quickly started to run. As soon as he did, three nasty Timberwolves came out of the greenery and started chasing them, snarling and barking. They were some of the most dangerous monsters in the Everfree Forest. They blended perfectly in the shrubbery, since their whole bodies were made of thorns and tree branches.

Apple Bloom held on tight onto her seat as Big Mac steered the wagon left, then right. Winona was barking ferociously at the Timberwolves who were still on their tail. AB then saw something in the distance. It looked like an iron gate.

"Over there!" She pointed. Big Mac followed it, and the wagon came onto a cobblestone bridge. He slid to an immediate stop, lifted Apple Bloom into his arms, and carried her to the gate, with Winona on his heels, as were the Timberwolves.

Big Mac pushed the gate open with one hand, and once he and Winona were on the other side, he slammed it shut, leaving the Timberwolves outside. They growled once more, before accepting the fact that their prey got away and disappeared back into the forest.

Big Mac released Apple Bloom from his arms and they both looked behind them. There, a tall castle came into view. It looked dark and gloomy. There was no signs of light or any life. The towers were covered with trailing but dead ivy, and the first snow of winter were showing on the roof and on the cobblestone courtyard.

"Well, maybe we could see if anyone's home." Apple Bloom suggested. "If there is, they may let us stay here for the night."

Big Mac sighed. "All right, but stay close to me." He guided themselves to the huge dark front doors, with Winona behind them, sniffing cautiously at the new place.

AB slowly pushed the doors, which opened with a creak. "Hello?" She called out with a hollow echo. "I'm sorry if we're intruding. But, we're lost, and we need a place to stay for tonight."

There was not a sound. Until, suddenly, two blurs came flying above them, one cyan blue, and the other orange. But, just as they appeared, they vanished.

"Sure! Of course you're welcome here!" said a very familiar female voice.

"Follow us!" Another familiar girl voice piped up.

The blurs appeared again, zipping into a lit room off the dark and gloomy hall.

Apple Bloom and Big Mac slowly went into the room. It was definitely warmer, because of the fire flickering in the hearth. There were soft armchairs, fur rugs, and the firelight made the walls gleam red.

The blurs appeared again, but two more joined the first two, one pale yellow and the other light purple. They landed in each corner of the room, which were still dark despite the firelight.

"Who are you?" Big Mac asked them, keeping Apple Bloom close to him.

"Come on." Said one of the voices. "Is that the way you greet friends?"

AB squinted at the corner where the voice came from. The figure came into view. It was a girl about Apple Bloom's age. She had short dark mauve hair, with some areas that seemed sleeker than others, with purple draconic eyes, orange skin, and short matching dragon wings were on her back. She wore a black leather jacket with aqua trim, forest green shorts, and black boots with aqua trim. She gasped as she recognized the girl.

"Scootaloo?"

She grinned, showing short but sharp fangs instead of teeth. "It's been a while, Apple Bloom."

The two girls immediately came into a tight hug.

"That was not bad, Scoots." Another figure came into the light. It was a 19-year-old girl with long rainbow hair pulled into a ponytail. But, the end of the ponytail seemed sleeker than the rest of her hair. She had magenta draconic eyes, cyan blue skin, and she wore a white shirt with a short-sleeved blue sports jacket, a rose colored gym skirt with white stripes, black biker shorts underneath, and blue sneaker boots. She had matching cerculean dragon wings like Scootaloo's, but a bit larger and blue.

"Rainbow Dash?"

She smiled, showing her fangs. "Hey there!" She waved.

The other two figures came out of hiding. One was a girl Rainbow's age with long soft pink hair into a sleek ponytail, pale yellow skin with matching dragon wings on her back, teal draconic eyes, and she wore a white tank top, a light green skirt, and matching boots with pink trim.

The other had long indigo hair with violet and pink highlights tied into a sleek ponytail, violet eyes, light purple skin with matching dragon wings, except hers seemed more majestic than Rainbow's. She wore a light blue blouse, a dark purple skirt, and matching boots with hot pink trim.

"Fluttershy? Twilight?" Big Mac asked.

Winona started yipping happily as she ran into Fluttershy's arms.

"Oh, hello, girl. It's so good to see you again." She started stroking the collie's fur.

"It's great to see all of you." Twilight said.

"What happened to y'all?" asked Apple Bloom, releasing Scootaloo. "Y'all look a bit different."

"That's a bit of a long story." A different voice chimed in. Three more figures came into the room. One was a girl about AB's age with light pink and mauve hair with a long sleek ponytail, green draconic eyes, white skin, and she wore a white and pink striped shirt, a yellow skirt, a hot pink jacket dress over it, and matching hot pink boots with yellow buckles.

"Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom rushed over to embrace her other best friend.

"Now this reunion should be a party!" A cheerful voice squealed. A girl skipped in, with poofy hot pink hair, her ponytail leading to its sleek end, light blue draconic eyes, rosy skin, and she wore a white shirt with a blue jacket, a blue skirt, and matching boots.

The other girl had royal purple hair styled with fancy curls and her ponytail was sleek like everyone else's, pure white skin like Sweetie Belle's, and blue draconic eyes. She wore a fancier light blue blouse, a dark purple skirt, and matching boots with diamond studs on them.

"Pinkie Pie! Rarity!"

"Somebody please tell me what the hay is going on?" Big Mac asked.

Rarity gave a nervous grin, showing her fangs. "As much as we love to let you two stay and explain this predicament, I insist you leave as soon as possible." She glanced at the doorway. "Who knows that he might do to you if he finds you here."

"Wait, who?" Apple Bloom asked, letting go of Sweetie Belle.

Before Rarity could answer, the doors burst open, wind howling and blowing out the fire. Everyone started getting nervous.

"Uh-oh." Pinkie and Sweetie whispered. This person must be so scary, even for Pinkie, who always smiles, even in distress.

"This isn't good." Rainbow shuddered as she brought Scootaloo closer to her. Fluttershy whispered in fear, and held Winona tight.

Big Mac and Apple Bloom looked behind them and saw the monster standing in the doorway. AB yelped in fear and clung onto her brother, hiding her face.

"Someone care to explain why there are TRESPASSERS HERE?!" The figure shouted, making everyone flinch.

"Please, don't hurt us!" Apple Bloom pleaded as tears start to form because of her fright.

"We got lost and we need a place to stay." Big Mac explained.

"Oh, I'll give you a place to stay." The figure snarled.

"Please, don't be so harsh with them." Twilight begged.

"Why should I listen to you, Twilight?" said the figure with a disappointed growl.

She slowly hung her head with shame. After listening to the silence for a few seconds, the figure then grabbed Big Mac and AB and dragged them away, ignoring their pleas.

After he left, Fluttershy released Winona. But, before the dog could go after her other owners, she stopped her.

"No, girl. He is too dangerous to face alone. Go get help."

With one last look to where they were dragged off, Winona barked an affirmative, and she ran out of the castle, and back into the Everfree Forest towards Ponyville.

Author's Note

A/N: Oh, no. Big Mac and Apple Bloom got caught. But, Winona is going to get help from Ponyville.

Well, this was pretty long to get down on a Kindle tablet. But, it was worth it.

If you're confused about what the others of the Mane 6 and the CMC look like, envision the ponytail so sleek, like a dragon's tail. Except for Scootaloo's, since her hair is short, so some parts of her hair are like spines.

Well, I guess I'll see y'all in Chapter 4, where another song will come in, if you haven't figured that out yet. Don't forget to let me know about what you guys think.

Got to fly! ;)