Author's Note

I don't own the songs or the videos used. They all belong to their respective creators/artists. To immerse yourselves in the story, please enjoy the music along with the story.

Chapter 20: Halloween Special

The Night Before Halloween

The school was a hive of activity in regards to Halloween. Spike walked through the halls trying to avoid the onslaught of students, teachers, and the occasional Inquisitor. It seemed the the Inquisitors were still investigating the attack on the school and the "Dreadmire Miracle" as the students have called it. Grand Inquisitor Sombra has been paying extra attention to Spike for some reason, so he tried to avoid Sombra whenever he could.

Aside from that, Spike noticed that the entire school was getting ready for Halloween. Decorations were being hung up on the walls and ceilings and most of the students were making plans for what they were going to do on Halloween night. The one thing that was common was something that they mentioned called "The Witching Run".

"What's the Witching Run'?" Spike thought.

As Spike rounded a corner in the hall, he saw Rumble hanging up a string of paper bats on one of the walls. He waved over to his Wendigo buddy.

"Rumble! What's up man?" Spike greeted.

"Just excited for Halloween. It's one of the most important holidays for monsterkind," Rumble said.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. What's Halloween for monsters like?"

"It's the one night out of the year where we can walk among the humans in our true forms without fear of the Order hunting us. They even cancel all hunts on Halloween to avoid accidentally killing innocent humans."

"Huh. Also, I heard some of the students talking about something called the 'Witching Run'. What is that?"

Rumble grinned from ear to ear. His face screamed with excitement. "The Witching Run is when monsters either walk among humans in their true forms or run around the wilds. It's very exciting!"

"That actually sounds fun," Spike said.

"It is fun! There's a huge party that proceeds the Run at sunset," Rumble said. "I heard that your female following are performing a concert for the party."

"Really? That sounds awesome!" Spike said. "I'd love to stay and hang out with you, but I've gotta get back to my dorm. I need to write a letter to my family."

Ever since Spike first arrived at the school, he had been writing letters to his family letting them know he was okay. Of course he left out the fact that he was now able to use magic and that his teachers and classmates were monsters. Also, the magic prevented him from sending or receiving texts to begin with. Miss Luna had been making sure that the letters were delivered and she was the one to give Spike the responding letters. Spike made his way to his dorm without much trouble.

As soon as Spike opened the door, he had been greeted by a sight he wasn't ready for. Before him was Sunset and Fluttershy wearing maid outfits. Both girls were in their true forms and were kneeling before him with pleading eyes. Sunset gave a small smile to Spike.

"Good evening, Master. Would you like us to serve you?" Sunset asked in a soft voice.

"Sunset, why did you make Fluttershy do this?" Spike asked.

"Well, I figured her personality would be suitable for this role," Sunset said before giving Spike a sly look. "You can't tell me that Fluttershy doesn't look good like this, can you?"

Now that Spike was really looking at Fluttershy, she did look good in the maid outfit. She coiled her serpent tail underneath her and hid her face with one of her wings.

"Do... do you like it... Master?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

It was taking every ounce of restraint within Spike to keep himself from tackling her in a hug. Fluttershy was as adorable as a little kitten at this very moment. Sunset took Spike by the hand and led him over to the couch and sat him down. Both she and Fluttershy joined him while Spike simply wondered what they were planning to do. Sunset looked to Fluttershy with a bizarre expression.

"Okay, Fluttershy, do exactly what I taught you," Sunset said.

"Sunset, what have you been teaching her?" Spike asked in his head.

Spike looked down and saw that Fluttershy was coiling her snake half around Spike and placed a firm grip on his body. The sensation of being coiled like this felt both terrifying and oddly arousing. Fluttershy's coils hiked up Spike's shirt while wrapping him up, so he could feel her scales on his bare skin.

Her scales were so smooth and soft, and Spike could feel the thick and powerful muscle underneath. He could feel her coils loosening and tightening, the subtle movements and quivers of her muscles, and the scales gently rubbing against his skin. It was a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced before!

Once Spike was coiled up, Fluttershy wrapped her arms and wings around him, pulling his head into her bountiful chest. He could hear her heartbeat through her shirt. A fast and steady beat pounded in his left ear as he sat there in Fluttershy's embrace.

"How does this feel?" Fluttershy cooed into his right ear, her breath tickling it.

"This feels amazing and terrifying at the same time. I can't really explain it," Spike replied.

"Fluttershy, it's time to do the other thing I taught you," Sunset said.

"Wait! There's more?"

Fluttershy started to loosen and squeeze her coils at regular intervals. Her coils slowly shifted to other parts of Spike's body, hitting every sore spot perfectly. Spike smiled goofily to himself at the sensation.

"Okay, this is nice. Hell, this is addictive!" Spike thought giddily.

Spike could feel all of his worries and tension melting away like a ice. It was like Fluttershy's coils were turning him into a pile of quivering jelly. It was the most amazing experience of his life so far. He was about to fall asleep when he heard his door open. He looked to see the other girls simply barging into his room.

"Where are the teachers telling them to leave the boys' dorm when you need them?!" Spike thought.

"Hey, Spike! I thought we could all hang--," Twilight was about to say before she saw the position Spike was in.

"What's going on here?" Rarity asked with a mischievous look on her face.

"Looks like someone's getting a bit cozy," Applejack said with a chuckle.

Rainbow Dash changed into her true Harpy form and spread her wings. "Spike, if you wanted to cuddle, you could've just asked me. My feathers are soft and warm."

Sunset clicked her tongue in a condescending way and stood to face them.

"Now girls, I put Fluttershy up to this," she informed the group. "She wanted to have her own way of getting closer to Spike, so I provided her with a way."

"I see what you mean. It's not like the rest of us have snake tails we can wrap around Spike whenever we want," Pinkie said before showing her tails. "Though my tails are soft and fluffy."

Twilight sighed and walked to Spike, still wrapped up in Fluttershy's coils. "Spike, I was wondering if I could have a few sips of your blood?"

The rest of the girls shot their gazes towards Spike with hungry looks in their eyes. Spike had to really set his foot down on this one.

"Actually, I'm glad you brought that up. We're going to put a limit on that," Spike said. "Ever since the first time, I've been tired and weak. It took every ounce of strength I had just to keep my eyes open during class!"

"But it's so gooooooood!" Twilight whined.

"I'm sure, but I need you to place a limit on yourselves if you all want more of my blood," Spike said firmly. There was no budging on this one.

The girls looked to be considering this and pouting like children. It was kind of cute for Spike to see them like that. Rarity was the first one to respond.

"Okay, Spike. We'll try to be careful with your blood from now on. It's your blood, after all," Rarity said.

"I'll... try to restrain myself from now on," Twilight said. "But... can I have just a little bit?"

Seeing that these girls weren't going to leave without a drink, Spike sighs. "Alright, fine. You all can have just a few sips."

Immediately, the girls launched themselves at Spike, biting him at different points to draw blood. Spike, full of venom, tried to keep his mind focused on keeping his healing factor up to heal from the bites. After a few of these feedings, Spike had grown to actually enjoy the act.

"I should probably talk to someone about this," Spike thought with little concern.

Surprisingly, the girls did indeed stop after a few sips of blood. Spike was able to fully recover from his experience after a few minutes. He sat up, still wrapped in Fluttershy's coils and looked at the girls with gratitude.

"Thank you all for restraining yourselves," Spike said.

Rainbow looked to Fluttershy with a smirk. "You know, Flutters, you could start an OnlyTails with your tail skills."

"I don't think I could handle something like that," Fluttershy said with a blush.

"I can only guess what OnlyTails is," Spike thought.

"Actually, while we're here, there's something we've been meaning to ask you about," Twilight said to Spike and Sunset.

"What is it?" Sunset asked.

"We were wondering if you two would perform with us for the concert this Halloween," Pinkie replied.

This was something that neither Spike nor Sunset had expected to hear from them. Spike had never sung in front of an audience before. Sure he sung in his old school's choir, but never for something like this. Sunset seemed to be eager to do so.

"You know what? That sounds fun. I'll sing," Spike said.

"I will, too," Sunset agreed. "I've always wanted to perform at the Halloween celebration."

"Then it's settled, we're all performing at the festival," Twilight said. "How about a band name?"

Everyone looked around in thought for a band name. It would have to be something good, something that will grab the audience's attention. Eventually, Spike raised his hand.

"I have an idea! How about we call our band 'The Dusk Pack'?" Spike suggested.

The girls seemed to be mulling over the idea in their heads, but eventually smiled at the idea.

"'The Dusk Pack'? I like it!" Pinkie said.

"I can fly to it!" Rainbow said.

"I guess we're the Dusk Pack, now," Fluttershy chimed in.

"How's about we all have dinner together to celebrate?" Applejack asked.

"I'm happy with that," Twilight said.

Pinkie shot up her hand to add something. "We can all also enjoy watching anime together while we eat!"

"That sounds awesome!" Rainbow shouted.

That night, the newly-minted Dusk Pack ate food they brought from their own dorms and ate while watching anime on Spike's TV again. Yes, Twilight drank more of Spike's blood during the feast, but Spike didn't mind. After this, they would have to rehearse for the upcoming Halloween party. Spike knew it was going to be a Halloween he wouldn't forget.

*****

Halloween Night

If Spike thought the school was active before, it was positively buzzing now. Spike, the Dusk Pack, and the other school bands all gathered together in one room while waiting to go on next. The Dusk Pack were watching the other bands perform while waiting.

The Halloween concert was taking place outside where the school's theater department had built a large stage in the field where the bands would perform. This concert was being streamed to everyone's families and the Inquisitors took time out of their investigation to observe the party. Vice-Headmistress Celestia was the one to announce the next group to go on after the first groups were done.

"Up next is the Witchdoctors! Let's give them a round of applause!"

Rumble, Snips, Snails, Featherweight, and Pipsqueak walked up to the stage. Spike gave Rumble and the guys fist bumps.

"Good luck out there guys!" Spike said.

"We don't need luck. We know we're good!" Snips said with bravado.

The Witchdoctors were all dressed up in long white coats with white broad-brimmed hats and put on black goggles as a part of their band's look. The stood on the stage and Spike finally noticed that they had no instruments.

"Are they... doing acapella?" Spike thought.

Rumble walked up to the mic and announced himself and his band.

"Happy Halloween, Dreadmire!" he cried into the mic. The crowd cheered at that. "Me and the other Witchdoctors are here to give a little number called 'Cheri Cheri Lady' sung in Gaelic. Hope you all enjoy!"

Rumble cleared his throat and began singing along with the other Witchdoctors.

Once they were done, the crowd erupted into a chorus of appraisal for their performance. Spike and the others were stunned.

"I didn't expect Snips to have such a set of golden pipes on him," Applejack noted with whistle.

"I wonder how good the other bands are," Spike wondered.

Once the Witchdoctors were done, Celestia ushered them off the stage. The group returned to everyone else clapping for them. Spike high-fived his group of buddies.

"You all killed it out there!" Spike said. "Are you sure you aren't famous?"

"Hopefully, we will be after this," Rumble said. "I was afraid we were gonna mess up our performance."

"You were all great!" Adagio said, standing next to the Dusk Pack. "I know musical talent when I hear it and you boys got it!"

Just then, Celestia's voice came from the stage. "Next up is the Dazzlings!"

"That's us. Better move it," Adagio said.

"Time to show our stuff," Aria said.

"Wish us luck out there!" Sonata said.

The other bands gave their assurances as the trio of Siren sisters made their way to the stage. Adagio was the one to speak into the mic.

"Hello and happy Halloween! I hope your ears and souls are ready for a Siren's talents!" Adagio said before turning to her sisters. "Ready, girls?"

"Ready!" Aria and Sonata confirmed in unison.

"First, a song to give thanks to our Nightmother, Nyx, for this auspicious night!" Adagio said, before singing.

The crowd didn't necessarily cheer, but they all had looks of blissful contentment on their faces. Spike was watching the Dazzlings with a goofy look on his face.

"So this is what a Siren's singing is like. I could listen to them and no one else from now on," Spike thought dreamily. The Dazzlings continued their lovely selection.

*

*

Everyone in the crowd was ecstatic to hear the singing of actual Sirens on display. The Dazzlings bowed and returned to the stage. The other groups were more than impressed by their performance.

"That was amazing!" Rarity said.

"You were so awesome!" Featherweight said.

"Thanks! I've always loved making people happy by singing," Adagio said. "And I've always loved performing with my dear sisters."

Adagio hugged Aria and Sonata close to her. Sonata wrapped her arms around the two and squeezed tightly while Aria simply wrapped her arms around them with a small, but loving smile.

"We love you, too, Adagio!" Sonata cried.

"Yeah, I love you guys, too, I guess," Aria said.

"Huh. She seems like the tsundere type," Spike noted while looking at Aria.

"Next up are 'Trixie and the Illusions'!" Celestia called from the stage.

Spike had heard of Trixie before. She was a Vashta that was known for being really good at stage magic. It was slightly weird for someone like that, but she might be pretty good. Trixie and her two other bandmates were dressed up as witches with a nice Gothic lolita look. Spike gave them a thumbs-up.

"You all kill it out there!" he encouraged.

"Thanks, hero!" Trixie said.

Trixie then leaned close and whispered sensually into Spike's ear. "If you ever want to hang out after the show, I'd be more than happy to show you some magic tricks."

Spike felt a forked tongue caressing his ear seductively while she spoke. Spike's cheeks flushed as he dumbly stared into Trixie's eyes.

"I'll... pin that as a 'Maybe'," Spike said.

Trixie giggled while he felt dark energy coming from his bandmates behind him. The Vashta girl joined her bandmates on the stage and prepared to sing.

"Prepare yourselves for a truly magical musical performance on this hallowed eve!" Trixie called out to the crowd.

The crowd cheered as Trixie and her band began their performance.

*

Oddly, their final song was in English.

The entire crowd clapped in awe at the Illusions' songs. The girls bowed and walked back to the others.

"That was great music!" Rumble said.

"You should do this for a career," Adagio said, impressed with their talents.

"Yeah, you'd be platinum in no time!" Spike agreed.

"Thanks. I have a real passion for stage magic, but maybe I can throw in some music to spice things up," Trixie said.

"The final group for the evening is the Dusk Pack!" Celestia called.

It was finally time. Time for Spike and his friends to show the school what they were made of. They agreed that some of them would take turns being the lead singer for this. Sunset was the one going first. She stepped up to the mic and presented themselves. Then, she started singing.

Once she was done, Twilight stepped up and sang her chosen song.

Rainbow Dash grabbed the mic after Twilight and began her song. It was something that definitely grabbed the audience's attention.

Next up to the mic was Applejack, who produced a banjo and certainly knew how to play it.

Finally, Spike and Twilight were singing. Spike would've been lying to himself if he said that he wasn't nervous. His hands were trembling until Twilight took a hold of them. Calming down, he took a deep breath and began their final song.

The Dusk Pack bowed when the crowd began cheering. Celestia joined them on the stage and spoke into the microphone.

"That concludes our school's on-campus party. Now onto the main event!" Celestia said.

The large gates in front of the Academy's main building opened wide and a strong breeze swept over the crowd. Celestia put the mic to her lips and brought down her right hand.

"Let the Witching Run begin!!" she called.

Right in front of Spike's eyes, every teacher and student changed into their true monster forms. They looked powerful, menacing, and strangely exotic to Spike's human eyes. Everyone took off towards the main gates with the speed and determination of hungry wolves. The Inquisitors weren't joining them.

"Probably still focused on their investigation," Spike thought.

Celestia shifted into her Werewolf form and ran off after the others on all-fours. The rest of the bands took off already while leaving the Dusk Pack on the stage. Twilight, in her true form, turned her bright red eyes towards Spike.

"You're not changing into your true form?" Twilight asked. "It'll be fine. It's the Witching Run!"

Before Spike could say anything, Luna joined them, still in her human form. "Ah, Mister Roman, could I ask you something real quick?"

"Uh, sure," Spike replied. Spike followed Luna a ways away from the rest of the Dusk Pack until they were out of sight and she handed him a small plastic vial with a purple liquid of some kind.

"What's this?" Spike asked.

"This is a potion that will allow you to look like a Ghoul for twelve hours," Luna said. "It should help you get through the night unharmed."

"Thank you so much!" Spike whispered with audible gratitude.

Spike opened the vial and drank the contents within. It tasted like sweaty socks, but the effects were worth it. Spike was enveloped in a low purple light and his form had changed into that of a Ghoul.

His hair had turned chalk-white, his skin turned gray, and his fingers were now tipped with vicious claws. Running his tongue along his teeth, he felt many sharp points. He used his phone to look at his reflection. His nose was nothing but two vertical slits in his face and the sclera of his eyes had changed into bright purple while his irises had turned white. Truly a terrifying sight.

"I'll never forget this, Miss Luna!" he said, wrapping her in a hug. Luna blushed and blinked her wide eyes a few times.

"It's okay. It's my job to look after you," Luna said returning the hug. "Now, go on and have fun with your friends. It's Halloween, after all."

Spike turned back to his friends and ran off with them towards the gates. They would have fun and Spike would get to spend Halloween with actual monsters!

*****

Spike's Neighborhood

Spike and his friends found themselves in a spot that Spike recognized all too well, and that made him worry. It was his neighborhood. And there were a lot of humans around, parents and kids all in different costumes. Spike hoped that they wouldn't find out about his friends' true natures. They walked through the neighborhood with all the confidence of a fashion model.

One pair of kids, dressed up as Frankenstein's Monster and a ninja respectively, walked up to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was in her full Kitsune form, which looked like a pink fox walking on two legs. The kids walked right up to Pinkie with smiles and wide eyes.

"Hi there, kids!" Pinkie greeted. "Can I help you with something?"

"We were wondering, can we take a picture with you?" the ninja boy asked.

"Of course you can!" Pinkie said.

The ninja boy pulled out his phone and positioned it to take a selfie with his Frankenstein companion and Pinkie. Her muzzle smiled, revealing sharp teeth as the camera flashed. Both children were elated.

"Awesome! Your costume looks so real!" the Frankenstein exclaimed. "Where'd you get it?"

"That's a little secret I have. Now go back to your parents," Pinkie said. "And happy Halloween!"

"Happy Halloween to you!" the ninja boy said back before leaving.

People really don't seem to see that there are actual monsters in their midst tonight. Spike began to wonder just how many times he went trick-or-treating on Halloween and encountered an actual monster? The thought nearly made Spike's head hurt, so he decided to have fun with his friends.

The Pack wandered through the neighborhood until Spike noticed something he didn't expect to see outside that night. It was his older brother Garble dressed as Jack Sparrow, but that wasn't what he didn't expect to see. There was a female Werewolf walking next to him. An actual Werewolf, not a human in a costume. Somehow, this she-wolf looked weirdly familiar to Spike.

The she-wolf was tall and lean with noticeable muscle on her, and white and dark silver fur covered her body underneath the red T-shirt and black leggings. She was gazing lovingly at Garble with piercing golden eyes and wrapped a clawed arm around him. As she and Garble walked down the street, Spike noticed something about the she-wolf. One of the she-wolf's fingers had a titanium ring decorated with a wolf's head. Spike knew that ring anywhere.

"Is that... Ember? My brother's girlfriend?" Spike thought. "She's a Werewolf?!"

As if some higher power was at play here, Garble turned to face Spike and his Pack and his eyes widened in recognition. He smiled at him and ran over to hug him. Spike laughed and returned the hug.

"Spike! It's been too long!" Garble laughed. "That costume is so good! It's like you're an actual monster!"

"And it's like you're everyone's favorite pirate, bro!" Spike greeted back before turning to Ember. "Ember? You look great as a Werewolf!"

Ember didn't reply immediately. She stared at Spike with a hidden look of shock on her face. Ember smiled and tried to save face.

"And you look great as a Ghoul," Ember said.

Garble finally took the time to look at Spike's companions. "And who are these girls with you? Your girlfriends?"

The last bit was said in a teasing tone, which made Spike blush. He shook his head rapidly as he gave his reply.

"They're my friends from school! That's it!" Spike said.

Spike then felt a pair of arms wrap around him and a face rest on his right shoulder. He saw that Twilight had embraced him from behind. She smiled, flashing her fangs dripping with saliva and venom.

"He says that, but we do enjoy different... intimate activities," Twilight said before licking Spike's neck.

Electric tingles shot throughout Spike's entire body at the contact. Garble and Ember stared at the two of them in shock. Garble had an impressed look on his face.

"Spike, you sly wolf. I'm so proud of my little brother!" Garble said with a thumbs up.

"Wait, you're Spike's brother?" Applejack asked.

"Yep, we live nearby. I can't wait for you to return home during the breaks, Spike! I hope to hear all about this mysterious school of yours," Garble said. "Me and Ember are heading to a party at her friend's place. You all wanna come?"

"Sorry, but me and my friends already have other plans for tonight. We'll go with you next Halloween, though," Spike replied.

And with that, Garble and Ember made their leave, with Ember shooting Spike a look that said that there was going to be a conversation between the two of them. Spike and his friends walked a ways down the street when Fluttershy spoke up.

"You never told us you had a human brother, Spike," Fluttershy said.

"I was adopted by humans at a young age," Spike said, thinking quickly. "I hide my true self from them, though. I can't be too careful."

"Makes sense. It must be hard hiding your true self from your family," Rarity said. "Your brother seems really nice, though. I didn't know he was dating a Werewolf. That seems a tad queer."

"Yeah, the fact that she's a Werewolf is new to me. She's always been human whenever I saw her before," Spike said. "I don't think Garble knows she's a Werewolf."

"That's a bit concerning, a human dating a monster without knowing it," Twilight said. "I hope those two will be alright."

"Garble's not the type of guy who would stress over things like that, so I think he'll love Ember, human or monster," Spike said.

"I hope you're right. Anyway, let's have some fun!" Twilight said.

From the shadows between two houses, out of sight of the Dusk Pack, Jack Volgaroth was watching them until they were out of his sight. Jack put a finger to his chin in thought.

"So... Spike's family is human and his brother is dating a monster," Jack noted before his perma-grin became more manic. "How interesting. I'll be sure keep this in mind."

Jack reached into the pocket of his special black trench coat and pulled out a small vial with a pair buzzing mosquitos inside. He brought the jar to his lips and whispered a spell at the mosquitos. The insects stopped buzzing until Jack was done. Once he was, Jack shot up into the air and used his magic to fly off towards the forest.

"Now's the time to begin. I'll be sure to keep Spike and the Inquisitor's occupied while I work," Jack said to himself as he reached the woods. "I wonder how the Guide-Light will be able to handle this."

*****

The Woods Outside of Town

Jack was flying around the forest at top speed, scanning the forest floor with his enhanced vision. He reached a large clearing in the woods when he saw a familiar pair of Werewolves consuming the carcass of a deer. He recognized them as Octavia and her friend Twinkle Shine. These two were part of the same pack.

"Perfect timing," Jack whispered with a more devilish grin than usual.

The half-Demon landed on the top of a tall pine tree and unscrewed the jar for his two mosquitos. The mosquitos flew out of the jar and made a direct beeline towards Octavia and Twinkle Shine. Jack watched as they went for their respective targets and saw them strike themselves at the spots where the mosquitos bit them.

"What was that?!" Twinkle Shine asked.

"Just a mosquito. I got bit, too," Octavia said. "Forget about them. Let's get back to eating."

And just like that, Jack had succeeded. Now, all he had to do was wait. Spike and the Inquisitors were going to have a major problem coming up soon. And Jack was going to have a front row seat to it all.