//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Putt Putt Becomes a Pony // by Rainbow Sparkle //------------------------------// It took Putt Putt a moment to recover his thoughts as he laid there on the ground, chest heaving as his mind worked to make sense of what it was receiving. The feeling of legs… of skin and fur… the mane on his head, a tail… he was still trying to figure out what the weird pointy thing he could barely see on his forehead was. “Bark bark!” Pep said as he rushed in front of Putt Putt, his paws reaching up to rest on his… muzzle? Yeah, that was the word. “H-Huh? S-Say again?” Putt Putt asked, not catching all of that as he shook his head and began clearing his thoughts. Pep barked again, and Putt Putt blinked as he said “I have a horn? Of course I have a horn, I’m a car.” Pep rolled his eyes and growled and barked again, causing Putt Putt’s eyes to widen in understanding. “Ooohh, you mean I have an animal horn on my head… but wait, if… If I’m a pony, and I have a horn on my head…” Recognition twinkled in his eyes as his smile finally returned to its usual state. “Wowie Zowie, that means I’m a Unicorn now!” He said, Pep barking an affirmative at this. Slowly, Putt Putt worked to get to his hooves, his smile thinning just a bit as he felt his legs shake slightly. He looked down at them, marveling a bit at each leg as he tried lifting them up and moving them one at a time. Putt Putt’s smile returned to it’s beaming state as his eyes twinkled with excitement and wonder at these new sensations. This was going to be a more interesting adventure than all of his past ones! It was also a bit more uncomfortable than the rest, as he quickly found out when he tried to drive forward, only to fall flat on his muzzle. His eyes spun a bit before he shook his head and stood back up, trying again and flopping into the grass. Pep was watching from nearby, rolling his eyes again as he gave the purple unicorn a chastising bark, before slowly walking back and forth in front of the former convertible. “H-Huh? Oh right, legs… leg’s don’t spin, they walk. Hot Ziggity, I get to walk around like you do Pep!” Pep barked excitedly at this, though he winced a moment later when Putt Putt tumbled to the ground after a few steps. He shook his head before walking over to lick at Putt Putt’s face, earning a smile and a nuzzle from the purple unicorn as he chuckled at his mistakes. “This may take a bit little buddy, so stay near me okay?” Putt Putt asked, earning a nod from Pep, who started sniffing at the air and exploring the very immediate area. He kept in sight of Putt Putt, both because he didn’t want to get lost and because he wanted to keep an eye on his owner as well. It took about half an hour, and a great many stumbles, trips, and falls before Putt Putt started to get the hang of walking on four hooves. Pep kept an eye on him and encouraged him along the way, especially after the seventh fall when he saw Putt Putt’s smile fade and his eyes begin to water. Some comforting licks and nuzzles and a few encouraging barks had his smile returning in full force, though Pep kept an extra eye on him after that… he’d never heard Putt Putt make a sound like that whimper before… As soon as Putt Putt was confident in his ability to walk on all fours, and keeping his stumbling to a minimum of one every twenty or so steps, he called out “Pep! Come here boy!” When Pep came over, Putt Putt did what he usually did when he was getting ready to go somewhere. He grabbed Pep and put him on his back… … Only, being a pony, he didn’t have an antenna anymore, so how did he do that? He hadn’t used his mouth… Pep suddenly let out a yelp, and Putt Putt turned his head to look at his canine companion, letting out a gasp and suddenly dropping him. Pep let out a growl and glared a bit at him as he picked himself up, while Putt Putt said, “S-Sorry Pep… but well, you had a silver glow around you and… wait…” His mind recalled that strange glow he’d seen from his horn before, and then he thought back to his antenna. He saw light come from his horn again, and he looked back to Pep as he thought about picking him up with his old antenna. To his surprise and delight, he saw Pep slowly rise from the ground, Pep letting out a confused bark as his legs paddled a bit. He floated him to his left, to his right, up and down for a moment, Pep’s movements in the silvery glow followed his own mental directing of his antenna. And when Putt Putt imagined letting go, the glow faded as he mentally retracted his grip on Pep. This time, Pep simply hopped out of the magical field, not wanting to repeat smacking into the ground. Putt Putt sat down on his hind legs, clapping his forehooves together excitedly. “Wowie Zowie, I have magic Pep! And it works just like my antenna does!” Pep’s annoyance at being carried about like that quickly faded as Putt Putt’s excitement became infectious… and went away completely as Putt Putt tested his magic out by picking up a stick and giving it a light shake. Pep lowered his front in preparation, a playful growl coming forth as Putt Putt giggled and gave the stick a light toss. With a cheerful bark, Pep gave chase to it, quickly returning with the stick in his mouth and tail wagging happily. “This is fun!” Putt Putt said as he tried it some more, finding it rather easy to use this new magic he had like this. He played around with it and Pep for another few minutes before some loud shrieks of birds nearby reminded him they were in a strange, dark forest. “C’mere Pep, let’s go see if we can find someone who can help us figure out how to get back home.” Putt Putt said with a smile as he once again picked Pep up and set him down on his back. Pep let out a worried whimper as he used his paws to cling to Putt Putt’s neck, but a bright smile from Putt Putt and a quick nuzzle helped settle some of the dog’s trepidation. “Don’t worry buddy, it’s just another adventure. Everything is going to be just fine.” Someplace not to far away, a certain pink pony said aloud, “Ponies really need to learn not to say that.” before resuming her baking, causing the confusion of the two ponies in the room with her. -*- It was just another normal morning at Fluttershy’s Cottage. The sun was shining down, it’s warm rays bathing everything in its brilliant light. Birds were chirping in the trees, Fluttershy was doing her usual morning rounds, there was a roar coming from the Everfree forest and the sound of a colt screaming… Wait… one of those things didn’t fit… Fluttershy looked up towards the forest, her eyes shrinking as her ears did in fact catch the sound of a colt shouting out in fear. Several of her critters turned their attention to the forest with her, and together they gasped as a purple Unicorn colt with a silvery blue-white mane raced out of the forest, a pair of Timberwolves hot on his trail! Harry the bear let out a roar of his own as he quickly raced over, with Fluttershy right on his heels. Harry reached the Timberwolves just as Fluttershy darted past him, snatching the colt and the little dog clinging to his mane off the ground and arching away from the enchanted beasts. “Are you alright?” She asked, then blinked as she saw that, while the colt was panting, he was quickly smiling widely as he looked at her in awe. “Wow, a real Pegasus! And you can talk!” “I-I uhm… of course I can talk…” Fluttershy stammered, thrown for a bit of a loop before she heard Harry let out a growl of pain. She looked and saw that one of the Timberwolves had bitten him and, while it hadn’t broken skin, it looked like Harry was in a fair bit of pain. Seeing her friend being hurt, a look of anger and determination formed on Fluttershy’s face as she raced over and gave the wooden wolf her patented “Stare”. The wolf whimpered a bit as she kept it up, saying, “You let go of my friend right this minute! He is not for chewing and you do not belong out here!” The Timberwolf let go but growled, especially as Harry smashed it’s friend to pieces. Fluttershy didn’t relent however. “You heard me mister! Apologize to my friend and then go back into the forest!” The Timberwolf whined a bit, then gave Harry an apologetic look before turning and darting back into the forest, his friend doing the same once he reformed and Fluttershy turned her stare upon it. Only once the Timberwolves were out of sight did she turn around and check on Harry. She cooed and stroked the spot where he’d been bitten, telling him he’d be alright and that she and Angel would have it taken care of in just a sec. A swift call for him later, and Angel Bunny was quick to hop over and point Harry towards the door leading into the cottage as she floated back towards the strange purple colt, whose smile had widened as he gazed at her. She studied him a bit in kind, trying to see if she recognized him, but after a cursory glance, she couldn’t recall seeing this colt before today. “U-Uhm, hello there little one. Are you alright?” He nodded his head, his breathing now back under control as he replied, “That was amazing Miss Pegasus! I’ve never seen anyone stare down a wooden wolf before!” He then paused and added “Course, I’ve never seen a magical wolf made of trees either.” Fluttershy quirks an eye up at this, before saying “I-I uhm well… I am a Pegasus, but I’m not Miss Pegasus. My name is Fluttershy. W-What’s your name?” “Oh, sorry Miss Fluttershy. I should have asked first.” The colt said, then added with an even wider smile that very much reminded her of Pinkie Pie “And my name is Putt Putt, and this is my friend Pep. Say Hi Pep!” Fluttershy smiled as the dog gave her a friendly bark, letting out a soft ‘aww’ and a blush as she said “I~It was no problem Pep… I couldn’t just sit by and let those Timberwolves chase and possibly hurt either of you.” She then frowned as she turned her attention back to Putt Putt and asked “But what were you doing in the Everfree Forest? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?” Putt Putt blinked, his smile shrinking just a bit as he shook his head and said “I didn’t know it was dangerous. Dark and scary, but not dangerous…” His smile returned, unnerving her a bit with how quickly it came back as he continued, “And as for what I was doing in it, I was arriving there from Cartown!” “C-Cartown?” Fluttershy asked with a confused blink, slowly setting down on her hooves. “I’ve never heard of a place called Cartown.” Putt Putt smiled. “I’m not surprised, since I wound up in that forest by accident. Mr. Firebirds new invention malfunctioned and sucked me through a portal, and I woke up in the forest after being transformed into a Unicorn!” “I… I uh…” Fluttershy began, not sure what to make of all that. After a moment, she felt a kick from Angel Bunny, and she nodded to him as she turned towards the cottage. “Why don’t you come in with me Putt Putt, and you can tell me everything while I tend to my friend?” With a nod of his head, Putt Putt said “That sounds great! May I help?” Normally Fluttershy tended to tend to the injuries of her animal friends by herself, with maybe some help from Angel Bunny… but given how eager the colt was, she didn’t see any harm in it. “Of course you may Putt Putt. I’m sure Harry will appreciate it as much as I do.” Putt Putt did a little hop and shouted “Hot Zippity!” before trotting on in. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and Angel Bunny shrugged before they followed him on in. Once inside, she got to work tending to Harry’s injury. She also asked Putt Putt about how he’d wound up in the forest while he helped bring her the bandages and medicine she needed. Halfway through his story, she had him go to the kitchen to get a bowl of water for Harry… then turned to Angel Bunny and asked if he could go get Twilight. “Hey, where’d your bunny go?” He asked when he returned, Harry taking the bowl and saying thank you in bear before gulping it down. “Hm? Oh Angel? I sent him into town to get one of my friends. She’s a very smart Pony and I’m sure she’d like to meet you.” “That sounds great! I love making new friends!” He exclaimed before returning to his spot next to her. There wasn’t much more to do for Harry, so it wasn’t too surprising that she finished up as Putt Putt wrapped up his story. “And that’s how I ended up in the Everfree Forest!” Fluttershy just nodded and smiled a bit, even as she realized she was now more worried than she had been outside. To say she was more concerned when Putt Putt finished relaying his story to her would be a bit of an understatement. His story sounded… well, crazy. She’d had to ask what a car was, and the idea of an adult letting a kid near an untested machine that’d already malfunctioned before was… well, so irresponsible! Not to mention impossible! It sounded like something out of Pinkie’s imagination… or maybe that big dumb meanie Discord! She shivered a bit at that last bit, trying not to think about him. It’d been a little under a week since they dealt with him. Fluttershy was about to ask him about his parents, having noticed he hadn’t said anything about them, when his stomach rumbled loudly. She watched as Putt Putt blinked, then blushed a bit and asked “Do you have anything I can eat?” Holding a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle, she smiled and nodded. “Of course I do. Let me whip you up a nice tasty salad, and some delicious kibble for Pep. Oh, and while I’m doing that, you can help me out by getting my critter friends their lunch too~” Putt Putt let out an excited “Oh boy!” and hurried off to the kitchen. Fluttershy could only shake her head and smile. He was certainly an excitable and upbeat colt, and eager to help. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… off about the foal… The rumble of her own tummy forced her to shake her head and put such worries to the side for now. She needed to make lunch for the two of them… and make sure he was giving her critter friends the right food. -*- Miss Fluttershy is really nice! Putt Putt thought to himself as he took a few more bites of the salad in front of him. It wasn’t Cheese Squigglies, but it was still delicious! He’d never known flowers could taste so good. Then again, he was a Pony here so that made sense. Pep was also enjoying his lunch, as were all the other critters! Miss Fluttershy told him he’d done a great job, only messing up the food for her snake friend and her flamingo friend. He’d also talked with some of the critters, finding it a bit weird they talked like Pep did even though he’d met lots of animals at the Zoo and the Circus who could talk like cars and ponies could. He was washing down the last few bites of his lunch with the glass of fruit punch that Fluttershy had given him when he heard a knock at the door. He heard a girl’s voice call out “Fluttershy? I’m here!” Putt Putt watched as Fluttershy slid out of her seat and replied “Just a second!” She then smiled and asked “Would you like some cookies and milk for dessert Putt Putt?” His eyes widened and his smile grew wider as he nodded his head. “Yes please Miss Fluttershy! Cookies sound great!” “Well, helpful and nice foals deserve a treat for their work.” She said as she opened her fridge and pulled out a few cookies, setting them on a plate and bringing the milk over to him as well. She excused herself before Putt Putt could thank her for them, earning a confused tilt of his head before he shrugged, petting Pep before digging into his treat. Putt Putt felt his ears swivel a bit as he heard the two… mares, yeah mares was the word, talking to each other in a hushed tone. He idly wondered what it was they were talking about, but he couldn’t pick up the words. So with a shrug he returned his attention to the cookies which only took a few minutes to devour them. He even licked the plate clean of crumbs! Next was the milk, and just as he was setting the cup down and letting out a happy sigh, he saw Fluttershy returning with another pony. She was a unicorn with a purple coat similar to his, dark blue mane with a pinkish streak through it and inquisitive purple eyes. He noticed she had a starburst like pattern on her flanks, just as Fluttershy had three butterflies. She also had a horn like he did, marking her as a Unicorn, which made him smile some more. He had been curious to know if there were more or if he was the only one. “Hello there Putt Putt.” She said with a smile, her eyes studying him as he returned it with a bigger one and waved a hoof. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy here told me about your situation, and I came to see if I could lend a hoof.” “That’s great news! Hear that Pep? Miss Sparkle here is going to help us get back to Cartown!” Pep let out an excited bark before returning to his kibble, while Twilight’s smile thinned a bit before brightening back up. “Please, just Twilight will do. No need for formality among friends.” Getting a nod from Putt Putt, she continued, “Before I can go about helping with that, we need to head into Ponyville and visit the Town Hall and Mayor Mare. There’s a few things we need to do first. Is that alright?” “Sure thing Twilight, I’d be happy to-” Putt Putt began, then stopped and developed a curious look. He felt… weird… it wasn’t a sensation he had any experience with, and trying to pinpoint it took a moment. When he did, he was left confused and wasn’t sure how to describe it as he started to squirm. Pep looked up from his bowl, watched Putt Putt for a moment. Then he let out a curious bark, which made Fluttershy stiffen a bit as Putt Putt gave him a befuddled look… before realization dawned on his face and his cheeks turned red. Which left Twilight rather in the dark, since she couldn’t understand Pep. She looked from Putt Putt, Pep, and finally Fluttershy as she asked “What’s wrong?” Squirming a bit, Putt Putt offered a bit of a sheepish smile as he said “I-I’ve uh, being a car, never had to do this but uh… how do I… how do I go?” Twilight gave him a blank look and asked “Go? Go whe-” Then her own eyes widened before shrinking a bit as she got the meaning of it. Putt Putt dipped his head in embarrassment again even as a small smile remained. This adventure was definitely to be different from his earlier ones.