//------------------------------//
// Not Quite Dragons 
// Story: Equestria Dogs 
// by PonyPixel 
//------------------------------//

One day, in the Dragon Lands, Garble was sitting with his bongos in his lap.  He would normally be thinking of some poetry but today he was just coming up blank.  Ember was flying by and noticed the dragon looking upset.  She decided to land and see what was wrong.

"Poetry block?" the Dragon Lord asked.

"Kind of," Garble replied.  "I'm missing Smolder.  I've heard of some weird things happening at the school.  I'm a little worried about her."

"Uh-huh."  Ember thought for a moment to remember what a friend of hers told her what to do in a situation like this.  "How about you go to visit her?"

"I don't know the way to the school."

"...Well, I could show you the way.  We'll just make it quick.  I can't leave the Dragon Lands for long.  Follow me."  The two took off.

At the school, Spike was humming himself a tune as he placed some books back on the library's shelves.  Smolder walked in and rest her feet on the table.  "I don't think you're allowed to do that," Spike said.

"It's just one break," Smolder groaned.  "Lessons have been getting to me."

"I understand that, but Starlight won't be happy having you getting your feet on the tables.  Which I just cleaned."  The orange dragoness realized her mistake and set her feet back on the floor.  "I'll clean it later."

"You know, cleaning this entire school has to be straining on you.  How do you not just...  Lose it?"

"Are you about to?"

"Yes."

"I don't exactly spend all my time here."

"Right."  She got an angry look from Spike.  "I'm not going to run away from school, I just need a break."

Spike just focused on his work.  He left the library and walked down the hall.  He had been told there would be another delivery of school supplies when he heard something.  "Come on, keep up," groaned a female.

"I've never been this way," groaned a male.

"We're flying.  You just have to follow me.  How is that so hard?"

"Huh?" Spike asked as he looked up in the sky and saw two dragons flying towards the school.  "What are they doing here?"

"How can you fly here all the time?" Garble asked.

"I don't fly here often."

"Then what's with the changeling guy?"

"Don't bring him up!"

"Ember, Garble," Spike said hoping to stop a fight.  "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit Smolder," Garble explained.

"Oh.  She's inside the library."  The visiting dragons walked with Spike down the hall back to the library.

"So, how is she doing?" Ember asked.

"Well, she says she's been wanting a break.  Anyways, I won't be helping with the school for much longer."

"How come?"

"Princess Celestia and Luna are retiring, so Twilight's going to be the new ruler of Equestria."

"Just like that?" Garble asked.  "If I had someone just dump their jobs on me, I probably just punch them."

"I think you would want to retire too if you were working for one thousand years."

"Hey, Spike," Sunburst called walking towards them.

"Who's this guy?" Garble asked.

"I'm Sunburst," the pony explained, "I'll be taking Spike's place here at the school when he goes to Canterlot with Twilight."

"Well," Ember said, "That bites."

"Yeah," Spike sighed.  "But I'm sure Sunburst's going to do a good job here."

"Sure will," the unicorn said.  "I saw you already took care of the books in the library."

"Yeah, is Smolder still there?"

"Yes, but she doesn't seem to happy."

"I can fix that," Garble said.  Spike showed him where the library was and the dragon walked over to his sister.

"Gar-gar," Smolder gasped as she hugged her brother.  "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to visit.  Some unicorn said you were down.  What's the problem?"

"It's just...  School."

"You just something to blow off steam.  I saw some boulders on the way here, follow me."  As the siblings flew off Ember chatted with Sunburst.

"So how is Smolder doing?" the Dragon Lord asked.

Sunburst rubbed the back of his head.  "Well...  She seemed to be slipping since I became vice-principal," he explained.

"How come?"

"I don't know.  I've tried to talk to her but she always just ignores me."

"Have you tried been more assertive?"

"Not unless it's absolutely necessary.  I don't want any of the students to hate me."

"Right.  I can try and get her to talk if you want."

"That may help.  Plus, I think you may want to get Starlight involved.  Good luck finding her though."

"Oh, good, I just wanted to go look for a pony that likes wasting my time," Ember said sarcastically.

"I'll lend you a claw," Spike said.  "I think she might be in the castle."  The two walked off to find the principal.

On the outskirts of Ponyville, Garble and Smolder were blowing some boulders up.  The two were quite literally having a blast.  "Yeah-hah," Garble cheered before tossing a boulder breathing fire at it making it explode.  He stopped to take a breather and looked towards his sister.  "Feel better now?"

"Yeah," Smolder panted.  "But I'm kind of hungry now."

"Maybe we could have a part of that castle."

"Garble!  Spike said we can't do that."

"Then maybe we can see if Spike has anything to eat."  The red dragon already took off while his sister tried to catch up.

"Okay, I admit, I tried to take a bite of the castle but you can't do that."

"I'm not going to eat the castle.  I'm just going to look for a snack."

"Okay, just don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

In the castle, Spike and Ember weren't having much luck for Starlight.  "Is dodging responsibilities something you ponies do often?" Ember asked a little annoyed.

"Some of us," Spike said as he checked Starlight's room.  "Where is she?"

"Where's who?" Garble asked as he flew in with Smolder.

"Starlight Glimmer.  She's the principal of the school now."  Spike checked in another room which he immediately closed.

"What's in that room."

"Gah...  Uh...  Nothing."

The three dragons weren't so easily convinced.  "Move out of the way," Ember ordered pushing Spike to the side.  She opened to the door to find a mirror that had a picture of a pony above it.  It was also surrounded by bits of technology and book lying next to it.  "Why are you so freaked out about a mirror?"

"It's...  Special."

"How?" Garble asked as he went to get a closer look.

"And what is this book about?" Smolder asked picking up the said book.

"Guys, you shouldn't be in here?" Spike said as he tried to pull on Garble's tail.

"It's just a mirror," Garble said.

"Do you know anything about Equestrian magic?"

"Look, Spike, you're overreacting," Ember said.

"Yeah, your Twilight is showing," Smolder joked.

"I have a reason to be worried," Spike said.

"Over a zit or something?" Garble asked as he leaned on the mirror.

"Don't lean on that."

"Okay, look," Smolder said, "We'll just get out of here and look for the principal."  She tossed the book back and it landed on a shelf above the mirror.  The book suddenly glowed and so did the mirror, which Garble fell through.

"...What just happened?" Ember asked in shock.

"This mirror isn't normal," Spike said.

"Yeah, apparently."

"What happened to Garble?" Smolder asked.

"He's fine," Spike said, "He's just in a different world.  I'll just go in and..."  Smolder just rushed pasted by Spike and leaped through the portal.  "Smolder, come on."

"Get back here," Ember ordered as she picked up Spike without warning and they both soared through the portal.  However, her tail accidentally hit the book causing it to fall off the shelf and made the portal close.





Spike was launched out of portal now as a small purple pup.  "Well, this is just great," he said to himself.

"What the heck happened?" Ember cried.  Spike looked and saw the three former dragons.  Ember now appeared to be a Saluki, Garble looked to be a German Shepherd, and Smolder was a husky.

"Why are we dogs?" Garble asked.

"It's this world," Spike said.  "It changes our forms when coming from Equestria to here."

"Then how do we change back?" Ember asked.  "I'm a Dragon Lord, not a mutt."

"Don't panic, we just need to...  OW!"  Spike tried walking through the mirror but he only got a bump on his head.  "Uh oh."

"Don't "uh oh," Smolder said.  "I don't want to be stuck like this."

"It's okay.  I know someone who can help us."  Spike ran up to the nearby school and looked through the glass door.  The halls were dark and there wasn't anybody inside.  "School must be out."

"And that's important why?" Garble asked as he tried to walk over to Spike.  He tried to stand on his hind legs but his new body forced him to stay on all fours.

"Because the someone I know who could help us usually goes there.  Her name is Sunset Shimmer.  She has a book that allows her to communicate with Twilight from this world."

"So, where is she now?" Smolder asked.

"I...  Don't know."  The three dogs groaned.  "Don't worry.  I know where a friend of her's lives.  Though, I should warn you, the creature in this world might be weird to you."  Spike led the group down the sidewalk.  They could see some people walking around, which apart from Spike, the dogs found very weird.

"What those things?" Ember asked.

"They're called humans.  Try to talk so loud."

"Why not?"

"Because dogs don't normally talk in this world."  Even though they didn't speak, some people looked towards them.

"Why are they looking at us?" Garble whispered.

"It's probably because of your lack of collars."  Spike was right.  He was wearing a spikey collar while the other three were lacking one.

"So what?"

"If you don't have one it means you don't have an owner."

"What?  Look, just hurry up and show us where your friend's friend lives."  Spike stopped before he walked out into the street but the others kept going.

"Guys, stop."

"Why?" Smolder asked.  She got her answer when the traffic light above them turned green.  Suddenly, cars started driving towards them, which the three canines barely avoided.  They scampered back to the sidewalk terrified of their near-miss. 
"What were those?"

"They're called cars," Spike explained.

"Why do they exist?" Garble asked.

"I think they're for travel.  Humans don't have magic or wings."

"And neither do we," Ember stated.  "So, how do we get across without getting flattened?"

The purple pup looked around to see there were very little people walking around and then he looked up to the nearby post and saw a button.  "I think we could push that button."  Ember tried to reach for it, but it was too high for her.  "Okay, plan B.  Smolder, get on Garble's back."  The orange husky did so and stood on her brother's back.  Spike then told Ember to lie down so he could get on her back.  He then got onto Smolder's back pressed the button which changed the traffic light to red.

"Alright," Smolder cheered, "Let's go."  The four dogs raced across the street before the light turned green again.  "Is this what people have to deal with here?"

"Unfortunately."

"Please tell we're not too far from getting home," Ember begged.

"I'm...  Not a hundred percent sure..."

"Seriously?" Garble cried.

"Keep it down."  The purple pup looked around to see if anyone heard them.  Thankfully, no one did.

"Spike, we've been turned into dogs.  I don't have my claws and wings anymore and everything is bigger than me now."

"How do you think I feel?"

"Focus," Ember said.  "Spike, carry on."

"Thank you."  They carried on for a while but Smolder's hunger was starting to catch up with her.

"Please tell me there's a place we can eat," Smolder begged.  She went to hold her stomach but since she was now only using three legs she tripped.  "Ugh," Smolder groaned, "I don't see how Sandbar and Yona could walk like this?"

"You're going to have to hold out for a while."

"Not unless we pick up the pace," Garble said.  "Get on my back, sis."  The husky did so and the german shepherd took off,

"Garble, wait up," Spike cried.  He ran after him but since Garble was tall than him, Spike couldn't keep up and soon ran out of breath.  He looked to the german shepherd turn the corner and he was already out of sight.  "Great."

"Are you okay?" Ember asked as she caught up.

"Just...  Need...  Some air."  The purple pup collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion.

"Gotta admit, that was a dumb move on Garble's part."

Spike looked up and saw they were near a pet store.  He managed to stand up and got onto Ember's back so he could look inside the windows.  There were some people inside but the one that caught his eye was the one with a green dress with three pink butterflies on it.  "Fluttershy!"

"Wait, she's here too?"

"Not exactly."  Spike tried barking to get the girl's attention.  She was surprised to see the pup outside.

"What is he doing here?" she asked.  She walked outside to find the purple pup.

"Fluttershy, I'm so happy to see you."

"Spike, why are you here?  And who's your friend?"

"Ember," the Saluki said.

"Oh, well, I'm Fluttershy."  Fluttershy bent down so she could pet Ember's head which the Saluki didn't like.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to pet you."

"Pet me?  Don't even think about."  She backed up which made Spike lose his balance and fall off.

"Ember, she's just trying to be nice," Spike said.

"It's embarrassing.  Not to mention I'm used to seeing these...  Humans."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm not a mutt.  I'm a Dragon Lord."

"Dragon...  Lord?"

"Is there a place where we can talk privately?" Spike asked.

"We can go to my place."

"That'll work."  After a chat with people inside the pet store and walked outside and showed the two canines a pink scooter with a sidecar.

"When did you get that?"

"After we graduated from high school.  I usually use this to help transport my animal friends."  Fluttershy placed her helmet on before she drove off with her canine companions.

"So, how long has it been since you graduated?"

"About a year."

"Good to know.  Fluttershy, Ember isn't the only one who followed me here.  There are two more named Garble and Smolder."

"Well, where are they?"

The german shepherd and husky had gotten lost after they ran off.  "This was...  Not my best idea," Garble said.

"Why did you run off?" Smolder asked.

"You said you were hungry."

"And what were you going to feed me?"

"Uh..."  Garble didn't know how to respond.  The two soon found themselves in an alleyway where there was a dumpster.  Inside of it, there was a wild Beauceron digging through it looking for a snack.  It had black and brown fur with some patches missing, showing his skin.

"Hey, could you give us some help?"

"Huh?" the Beauceron questioned.  "Who the heck are you?"

"Smolder."

"Garble," the respective dogs said.

"Odd names for dogs," the Beauceron said.  "Mine's Smudge."

"What are you doing?" Smolder asked.

"Looking for some food.  Sweet, a T-bone."  Smudge bit down on the bone he found and jumped down from the dumpster to chew on it.  Smolder hopped into the dumpster to see if she could find anything.

"I thought Spike said dogs don't normally talk in this world," she thought.  She didn't have much luck so she just jumped down.

"Yeah, good luck finding anything.  This place hasn't dumped any leftovers since lunch."

"So, what are we suppose to eat?" Garble asked.

"Don't know."

"Hey, you mutts!" cried a voice.

"Uh oh.  Time to go."  Smudge grabbed his bone and ran off with Garble and Smolder following behind to avoid getting caught by an angry man.

"Stupid dogs."

"Who was that guy?" Smolder asked as they stopped running when they were at a safe distance.

"He's the head chef at the restaurant," Smudge explained.  "He tries to get us when me and my pack go dumpster diving."

"Your pack?"

"Yeah.  We hang out at a junkyard.  Probably a slim chance you could find some to ea-  Oh, crud, he's still chasing us."  The chef was, with a broom.  The dogs hid under a nearby truck with the chef trying to stick his broom underneath to get them.

"I've had enough of you," he said, "I'm going to get you to the pound once and for all."

"I'm not going to last long in there," Smudge whimpered.

"Hey, back off," Garble cried.

The chef was surprised.  "Who said that?" he asked.

"I said back off!"  The chef did so and ran back to his restaurant.

When the hounds climbed out from their hiding spot.  "How did you do that?" Smudge asked very confusedly.

"What?" Garble asked.

"That guy heard you.  When my pack and try talking to him, he says he just hears our barking."

"Well, Smolder and I aren't like normal mutts."

"Hmm."  Smudge seemed to be impressed.  "You know, I was just going to head back solo but I can show you guys the way to the junkyard."

"Okay."

"Garble," Smolder said sounding rather frustrated.

"Look, he said he could find some food for you."  He turned to the Beauceron.  "You can find her food, right?"

"If you can help my pack and me out," Smudge said, "We could get you a feast."

"Sweet.  Lead the way."  Smudge grinned and led his two new companions to his hangout.





Back to Fluttershy, she just pulled up outside a house a nice red paint job.  "Alright, this is our stop," she said.

"Why are we here?" Ember asked as she jumped out of the sidecar.  "I zoned out from everything I saw in this place."

"She said this was Applejack's place," Spike said as he walked beside Fluttershy.  "Is she home."

"Her text said she was," Fluttershy said as she rang the doorbell.  A few seconds later, a blonde girl wearing a light brown cowgirl hat.

"Hey, Flutters," she said.  "You said you were comin' over."

"Yes.  Someone came to visit."  She pointed down to the purple pup.

"Well, howdy Spike.  What brings you here?"

"I got dragged along with some friends of mine," he said pointing towards Ember.

"I was trying to get Garble and Smolder back," Ember protested.

"Whoa nelly," Applejack gasped.  "You can talk?"

"Yeah," Spike said, "Can we come inside.  Applejack nodded and let Fluttershy and dogs into her house.  She led them into her bedroom where they could have some privacy.

"So, you said something about...  Garble and Smolder," Fluttershy said.  "Who are they?"

"They're two dragons like us.  They accidentally fell into the portal and we went after them but we can't go back the way we came.  For some reason, the portal closed."

"Oh my."

"I still don't understand why we became dogs," Ember complained.  "I'm stuck on all fours and all of you...  Humans are taller than me.  Some of us dragons are giants."

"Really?"

"Ember, I know you don't like this," Spike said, "But we have more things to worry about."

"Maybe this will calm you down," Fluttershy said as she started scratching the back of the Saluki's neck.

"Stop that."

"Admit," Spike said, "You're enjoying this.  Your leg's kicking."  He was right.  Ember couldn't help it but her right hind leg was kicking like crazy.

"Why is it doing that?"

"I think I found your sweet spot," Fluttershy said.  "Dogs really enjoy that."

"Speaking of which," Spike said looking towards AJ.  The southern girl just rolled her eyes and started scratching his chin, which made the dog tap his foot.

"Okay, I'll admit," Ember said, "This does feel nice."

"How are things back at home?" Fluttershy asked.

"Pretty good," Spike replied.  "Twilight's about to be the new ruler of Equestria."

"Wow, she's movin' up," Applejack said in amazement.

"How about you guys?"

"I've got a job at a smoothie shop and Flutters said she works at the pet store."

"It's true," the shy girl confirmed.

"Okay, you can stop now," Ember said which Fluttershy did.  "How do we know where Garble and Smolder are?"

"I'll text my friends if they've seen them."  Fluttershy took her phone out and started sending a message.  "Can you describe what they look like?"

"Garble had dark red fur with bits of orange on top of his head and a yellow chest," Spike explained.  "Smolder has the same colored chest but she also has orange fur and yellow ears."

"Right."  The information was sent as Ember looked confused at the phone.

"The heck is that?" the "dragon lord" asked.

"It's a cell phone," AJ explained.  "It's somethin' we use to keep in touch with each other.  Hopefully, one of our friends can find yours."

Back to the siblings, they had followed Smudge to the fence of a junkyard.  There was a small patch of dirt that had been dug out so dogs like them could squeeze under it.  "Welcome to our humble home," Smudge said.  He let out a howl which made an Australian Kelpie, an afghan, and a Scottish Deerhound come out of hiding.

"Hey, Smudge," they said.

"Who are those mutts?" the afghan asked.

"Easy Roxy," Smudge said, "They're just new recruits.  Meet Garble and Smolder."

"Who are your friends?" Smolder asked.

"Ah.  The kelpie there is Ziggy, he's like a little kid.  The afghan is Roxy, I must warn you about her short fuse.  Scotty's that Deerhound, trust me, he's a teddy bear.  Me?  I'm the brains of this team."

"Hi there," Ziggy said with his tail wagging like mad.  "It's nice to meet new faces.  Why are you here?"

"You're not going to believe it.  These guys have the abilities to talk to humans."

"Wow, really?"

"Smudge, you can't be the brains if you make claims like that," Roxy said.

"Oh, I saw it happen.  You know that dumb chef who keeps trying to get us when dumpster dive?"

"I always wanted to do that," Ziggy sighed.

"Yeah, sorry man.  Anyways, Garble here gave him a warning and he thought some human was actually talking."

"You sure he just didn't get scared by something?" Scotty asked.

"He asked, "Who was there?"  You say to something you've already heard too many times before.  He actually talked to him."

As they talked, Smolder to a look at the pack.  Ziggy's hind legs were just being dragged on the ground.  She wanted to say something but it didn't seem to be an appropriate time.

"So, what do you want us to do?" Roxy asked.

"You remember that old payphone we found that still works?" Smudge asked.

"Yeah, it was one of my first finds," Ziggy said.

"Get something pointy and do we did last time."  Once they found the payphone next to the street, Scott gave it a kick and Smolder got on Garble's back with a pen in her mouth and knocked the phone down.  "Okay, put in this number.  Four, zero, one."  Smolder poked the numbers with the pen then they heard a ring.  "Your turn Garble."

"What do I say?" he asked.

"Just repeat what I say."

After a few more rings a voice came.  "Hello, this is Peppy Pizzas," it said, "What can I get for you?"

Smudge whispered into Garble's ear.  "Uh, yeah," the German shepherd said, "I'd like...  A large pizza with pepperoni, sausage, bacon..."

"And one-half of anchovies," Ziggy said.

"Really?" Roxy asked.

"I actually don't mind that," Scotty replied.

"And...  Can I get one-half of anchovies on that?" Garble asked.

"Yeah, sure," the voice replied.  "Would you like some breadsticks with that?"

"Um, sure."

"Alright, that'll be twenty-eight sixty-nine.  Could you tell me your address?"  The Beauceron whispered the information into Garble's ear, and the German shepherd told the recipient the address.  "Okay, if it's not there in thirty minutes it's free.  Have a nice day.  With that, he hung up.

"Sucker," Smudge chuckled.

"I can't watch to have pizza," Ziggy cheered.

"It'll be nice we don't have to work so hard for food," Scotty said.

"But what happens when that guy shows up?" Smolder asked.

Roxy laughed.  "It's okay," she said.  "Smudge and I will handle that."

Later, a pizza guy drove up to the junkyard.  He took the pizza box out with him as well as the breadsticks.  He was very confused about the location.  "Did I take a wrong turn?" he asked.  The only answer he got was the sound of an angry Beauceron and afghan barking at him while charging.  In fear, he dropped the delivery and got back in his car so he could drive off.

"Thanks, sap," Smudge said.  "Foods up, guys!"  The other hounds walked towards the dropped pizza.

Ziggy was the first to take off a bite.  "Sweet, they remember my anchovies."

"All yours," Roxy said as she bit off a piece from the other end.

Smolder chewed off her piece more slowly.  "This is actually pretty good," she commented.

"It is," Garble agreed after swallowing his piece.

"I'm honestly impressed," Roxy said.  "I thought Smudge finally got into something that messed with his head."

"Yeah, I was kind of nervous too," Smudge admitted.  "Maybe we could try that Chinese place tomorrow.  I think that other one with the drive-thru would be too much of a stretch."

"Just focus on the food we have now," Scotty said.  They continued to eat the pizza and the breadsticks until there were barely any crumbs left.

"Man," Ziggy gasped, "I don't remember the last time I've eaten that much."

"Me neither," Scotty said.  "Let's get you back to your couch."  The Deerhound bit down on the Kelpie's tail and lifted his rear up.  The two made their way to the hole under the fence and squeezed through.

"Um, Smudge," Smolder said, "What's wrong with Ziggy's legs?"

"That..." the Beauceron paused for a minute.  "His breed has a few health issues.  He got really unlucky and he can't control his hind legs.  We don't like talking about it."

"Sorry."

"It's okay.  Just back to the other side of the fence before a dog catcher finds us."  Smolder and her brother followed the pack members back to the hole and into the dump.  She could see that the sun was starting to set.

"Garble, we need to find the others and get back home."

"Smolder, we have no idea where they can be," Garble replied.

"Besides, it's hard to see in the dark," Smudge said.  "One wrong turn and you'll find yourself in the pound."

"Or maybe getting hit by a car," Roxy said.  This made the husky and german shepherd shiver remembering their near-miss.

Scotty helped Ziggy onto a couch, which had some ripped parts that exposed some foam and a spring.  "You want to join?" the Kelpie asked.

Smolder looked at the couch and found the only spot that room for her had a loose spring.  "I'm good," she replied.

"Then enjoy lying on the ground," Roxy said.

"Don't you have any other couches?"  The afghan just laughed.

"Good luck.  Any other couch is either broken or impossible to sit on comfortably."

"Roxy, she was only asking," Scotty said.

"Thanks, Scotty," Garble said.  "Jeez, did I really act like this?" he thought.

"Roxy's still right," Smudge said.  "You're not going to have much luck other than the couch Ziggy's on."

"I'll just lie on the ground," Smolder said.  She walked over to her brother and then dragged him somewhere private.  "Garble, we need to get home."

"I know that," he replied, "But we don't know anything about this world.  You remember those cars that nearly hit us."

"Hard to forget."

"I don't want you to get hurt so we'll just stay here until morning and see if we can go dumpster diving with Smudge."

"Why?"

"There's a chance that we could see Spike and Ember.  Let's just lay low until then."

"Alright.  Hope the others don't freak out where we are."

"They probably are."  The two walked back to where the pack was, but Roxy was suspicious.

"What were you two talking about?" the afghan asked.

"Nothing that would bother you," Smolder replied.  The husky looked at the sky and could see the moon was coming out and let out a sigh.  "Come on Spike."

Fluttershy drove around with Spike and Ember riding in the sidecar.  She pulled over and double-checked her phone.  "Girls, did you find anything?" she asked.

"Sorry, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied.  "Pinkie and I came up dry."

"Twilight and had the same luck," Rarity replied.

"If it makes you feel better," Sunset Shimmer said, "I've sent the message to Twilight and/or Starlight to pick Spike and the dragon dogs up."

"Thanks, Sunset," Fluttershy replied.  "We'll try again tomorrow."  She hung up and drove on for a few more minutes until she got a small house.  "You guys can stay at my house for the night."

"Thanks," Spike said as he followed the kind girl inside.  Fluttershy placed her helmet in a closet next to the front door and led Spike and Ember to her room.  The girl closed the door for a minute so she could change real quick then she opened the door once she was in her PJs.

"You're not the first two pet's I've kept over here.  I've watched my friend's pet's when they've gone on long trips."  There were some smaller beds in a Fluttershy's room, specifical ones for dogs like Ember.

The Saluki walked over to one of the dog beds and lied down in it.  "Gotta admit," she said, "This is really soft."

"They are," Spike agreed as he sat in another one, but he noticed some fur lying in it.  "Uh, is this a cat's bed?"

"No," Fluttershy replied.  "That's dog fur."

"Oh, joy."

"You mean I'm going to be shedding fur?" Ember asked.

"It's not likely," Fluttershy said.  "Have you gotten anything to eat?"

"Not since we got here."

"Follow me for a minute."  The two canines did so and they were both given two bowls of water and kibble.

"You want us to eat this?"

"It's the only dog food I have."

"That's not..."

She was interrupted by some crunching sounds which came from Spike munching on his kibble.  "It's pretty good," he said.  "Try thinking of this as a nice pile of gems."

Ember just groaned as she looked at her kibble and regrettably took a bite.  The Saluki's eyes widened from the taste.  "Wow."

"Told you it was good."

"You enjoy your meal," Fluttershy said, "I'm going to get ready for bed."  The kind girl walked off towards the bathroom to leave the hounds to eat, drink, and talk.

"So, where do you think they are?" Spike questioned.

"You think I know?" Ember replied.  "I've only been here for a couple of hours and I still have no idea how this world works.  There's no magic, no powerful creatures, it's just a word if earth ponies had claws."

"Hands."

"What?"

"They're called hands."

"Whatever.  I don't want to stay here longer than I have to."

"I understand.  Garble and Smolder are going to be lucky to find anywhere to stay."

"Most dragons sleep outside of caves."

"Dogs aren't as tough of dragons.  We have fur instead of scales.  Not to mention our lack of fire breath and size.  Hopefully, the girls should be able to help us."

"Right.  And a personal one for me is that I can't walk on my hind legs.  I've seen Garble try and...  Is it weird if walking on fours feels right?"

"Depends on who you ask.  It goes back and forth for me."

Ember just sighed as went to drink her water, but she was having some trouble.  "Seriously, even drinking it different?"

"You have to make a sort of hook shape with your tongue like this."  Spike showed his friend how it was done.  The Saluki did the same but just found it weird.

After they were finished, the two canines walked back into Fluttershy's room, where the said girl was lying in bed with her pet Angel Bunny in her arms.  The two had already fallen asleep and Spike decided to do the same.  He walked over to his bed and walked in a circle twice before lying down.

"Spike why...?" Ember paused as she could see her friend was out like a light.  The Saluki just sighed and lied down in her bed.  It took a while, but she did manage to get to sleep.  "Oh...  Thorax, there you are," she mumbled.





Ember awoke to find something thumping her on the muzzle.  She opened her eyes and saw Angel stomping his foot on her nose.  The Saluki promptly growled and let out a breath of air, which confused the bunny.  He bounced away as she looked at her body.  "Right, I'm not dragon anymore," she said to herself.  She stood up and stretched then walked down the hall to find Spike and Fluttershy.

She found the girl wasn't alone.  Sitting beside her at the table was a blonde man who had his hair in a bun along with a bit of stubble on his chin.  "I don't get it, sis," he said to Fluttershy, "How could that dog just wander off so far from home?"

"It's not uncommon Zephyr," Fluttershy replied as she petted Spike, who was lying in her lap.  "I'll try and return him to Twilight.  I don't work today so I have plenty of time."

"Oh, maybe you could help me with the job hunting."

"I'm afraid the girls need me for something else.  Though, I appreciate your attitude."  Spike could see Ember was hiding behind the corner and he jumped down to run over to her.  This grabbed Zephyr's attention.

"Wait, you have two dogs?"

"Oh, Ember."  Fluttershy walked over to the Saluki.  "I didn't know you were awake."  Angel bounced up to the girl and tapped on her foot.  "Angel, not now, I need to get Ember a collar."

"A collar?" Ember asked.  Spike jumped up to cover her muzzle but Zephyr already heard her.

"Did you hear something?" he asked.

Fluttershy thought for a second.  "I...  Don't think you're all awake yet," she said.  "Come along, Ember.  I think I have one in my room."  She took the Saluki back to her bedroom with Spike and Angel following behind.  Zephyr just shrugged and went to get some more milk.

"What did I say about not talking?" Spike asked as he closed the door behind them.

"Hey, it slipped," Ember explained.  "Why do I even need a collar?"

"It's to make sure that people don't think you're a stray," Fluttershy explained as she looked through some boxes.  "Oh, this one looks nice."  She placed a purple collar with red gems on it around Ember's neck.  The Saluki noticed Angel trying to kick her in the leg.  In response, she tried to bite him but the bunny got out of the way.  "Ember!"

"He was testing my patience."

"Say you're sorry.  Now."

"Seriously?"  Fluttershy didn't appreciate this behavior so she gave Ember, The Stare.  The Saluki started to whimper as she felt nervous.  "Alright, fine."  She turned to Angel.  "I'm sorry.  Even though you're a bit of a jerk."  Fluttershy crossed her arms.  "What, it's true."

Meanwhile, Smolder and Garble were just waking up.  They were a bit stiffer than their friends due to the fact they didn't have any proper cushions to sit on.  "Man," the husky groaned, "I think the school's bed are spoiling me."

"Hey, Garble," Smudge said as he walked over to the german shepherd, "You think you could make another call?"

"Uh, sure," Garble replied.  "Just let me wake up first."

"You do that, I'm going to see what we can get."  The Beauceron walked off and found a small box.  Inside, he found a variety of menus from various different restaurants.  He looked for the ones that had the most meat.

"Didn't you say you wanted Chinese," Ziggy asked.

"Yeah, but they don't open until lunch."

"How do you know all of this?" Smolder asked.

"I just do.  Let's see."  The moved a menu to the side until he came across one with breakfast options.  "Huh, don't know how I missed mutton."

"Does this place even deliver?"

"It says so right there," Ziggy said pointing to some lettering saying, "Call to deliver."

"Could you guys let me think?" Smudge asked.

"Sorry."  The Kelpie and husky walked off, though Ziggy's dragging legs slowed him down a bit.

"Hey, Ziggy," Garble said, "You ever wanted to go dumpster diving?"

"Yeah, but I can't get into one."

"We can find a way."

"You just woke up," Scotty said.

"Yeah," Ziggy agreed.  "I don't think my legs would even make it that far."

"Maybe we have them...  On a towel or something," Smolder suggested.

"So, I place a towel under my legs?"  Smolder nodded and looked around and found one.  She placed it under Ziggy's leg and then walked off but the towel just slipped off.  The husky went to try and tie it around his waist but she couldn't get her paws to work the same way as her claws.

Stupid paws," Smolder thought.  "I wish Ocellus was here.  She'd probably think of what to do."

"Well, this worth a shot," Scotty said.  "I can show you guys some stuff I found around here."

"Yeah, it was," Roxy said, though it didn't sound like she cared.  "So, Smudge, what's for breakfast?"

"Hope you guys like eggs with your bacon and mutton," Smudge said.  "Garble, Smolder, get a pen."

Back with Fluttershy, Spike, and Ember, they rode down the street on the scooter searching for the missing canines.  "Where could they be?" the girl driving asked.

"I don't know," Spike said.

"We're just repeating what we're doing yesterday," Ember said.  "I need to get back to the Dragon Lands."

"We can't just leave them here."

"I know that, but the other dragons are going to be out of control until I get back."

"I don't want to imagine what that'll be like," Fluttershy shuttered.  She jumped when she heard a honk behind her and saw it was from a dark orange pickup truck.  She knew who was driving it and she pulled over as the truck did the same and Applejack stepped out.

"Morning, Flutters," AJ said.  "I didn't think you would be up so early."

"I just couldn't help it.  I wanted to help Spike and Ember find their friends."

"Well, I was drivin' by our old school when I found someone who was doin' the same."  Out from the passenger side of the truck stepped a woman with purple hair that had a light blue streak in it.  She also had a teal shirt under a black jacket with ripped jeans and a pink beanie.

"Starlight?" Fluttershy and Spike asked.

"Spike?" Starlight asked as she walked over to the purple pup.

"Yeah, you're probably surprised by this," he said.  "Guess who's the dog beside me."

Starlight bent down to look at Saluki and took a good look at its blue fur and white ears.  "Ember?"

"Are you Twilight or Starlight," the "dragon lord" asked.

"We literally just said her name," Spike said.

"Hey, they look the same to me."

"One has wings."

"Well, no one has wings in this world."

"Forget about it," Starlight said, "Where are Smolder and her brother?"

"That's what we want to know."

"I've checked with the others," Applejack said.  "No luck."

"Great," Starlight sighed.  "Let's make this quick.  Sunburst can only keep the school in order for so long."

"Well, let's keep looking," Applejack said.  "We'll split up to cover more ground."

"Right," Fluttershy agreed.  Applejack and Starlight got back in the truck and drove off as Fluttershy and the dogs rode off in the opposite direction.

"This is what we did yesterday," Ember groaned.

"Well, we can't give up," Spike said.  Suddenly, the scooter bounced a bit as there a loud pop.

"Oh, dear," Fluttershy sighed as she pulled over.  She stood up and saw that her scooter now had a flat tire.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I guess we'll have to walk from here."  She took off her helmet as the canines jumped out of the sidecar as the human attached leashes to their collars.

"What are these?" Ember asked she tried to pull her's off.

"These are leashes.  They're to make sure you don't run off."

"They aren't necessary."  The Saliku kept trying to tug her leash off but she had no such luck.  "Come on, how do you work these paws?"

"They're harder to work with than claws," Spike said.

"Let's go," Fluttershy said as she started walking.  Ember and Spike followed along.

"Okay, so what are the places we haven't check yet?"

"I've texted Twilight if they're at their at the animal shelter, they're not there."

"How big is this town?" Ember asked.

"Bigger than you think," Fluttershy replied.

Back with AJ and Starlight, Winona was riding with them and she was getting irritated.  "Look, I know you wanted to talk with the new dogs," the dog's owner said as she drove, "But we need to find their friends."

"I'm still surprised by how far you've gone," Starlight said to the driver.

"Same to you.  You said you were a principle now?"

"Yeah.  Twilight's going back to Canterlot to be the new ruler, so she asked me to take over the school.  Smolder's one of the students and her friends are getting worried about her."

"That's why we're 'ere."  Suddenly a car raced right in front of the pickup, making Applejack swerve.  "Hey, get back 'ere you racin' roadhog!"  Winoa started barking at the driver who was already out of sight.

"Roadhog?"

"It's a term for bad drivers.  There's actually a reality show about them."  She continued driving on as Starlight petted the dog to calm her down.

Two hours had passed, and even though Fluttershy asked some people she came across, they couldn't find Smolder or Garble.  "I can't take it anymore," Ember groaned before Spike covered her mouth.

"What did I say?" Spike asked.

"I can't help it.  I'm at my breaking point."

"Maybe something to eat will help calm you down," Fluttershy suggested.  "I know a place that isn't so far from here."  She led her canine companions to the nearby to a place called, "Sugarcube Cafe."

"Do they let pets inside?" Spike asked.

"I've seen Twilight take her Spike inside, and I've also brought in some of my animal friends."  They walked in to find Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight sitting by the window.

"Fluttershy," Rarity said, "Sit with us."  The kind girl did so as Spike jumped onto her lap.

"Any luck?" Dash asked.

"Sadly, no," Fluttershy replied sadly.

"Spike and I have gotten the same results," Twilight replied.

"But Spike was with us," Ember stated, surprising Fluttershy's friends.

"Did she just talk?" Dash asked.

"Yes," Fluttershy replied.  "I honestly thought I was the only one who could understand her, but my brother heard her."

"Who's talking?" asked a voice.  "Twilight, can come out now?"

Twilight looked towards her backpack.  "Spike, be quiet," she said, which was confusing Ember.

"It's getting hot in here, and I have to pee."

"Your other you is here."

"Just real quick."

"Alright."  Twilight picked up her backpack and walked outside.

"Why was he in her backpack?" Fluttershy asked.

"It was the only way he could ride with us on my motorcycle," Dash explained.

"You have a motorcycle?" Spike asked.

"Sunset said I couldn't use my magic too much or the girls' magic will be overpowered.  So, I got a motorcycle, that needed a bit of fixing.  My parents helped."

"Oh, they were excited to you ride it," Rarity said.

"Don't remind me."

"Just hang on," Ember said, "There's a second Spike?"

"Well, yes," Rarity said.  "And that's a different Twilight than the one you know."

"So, is there another me here?"

"Mostly.  I don't think you would be able to talk, however."

"Then why is that Spike talking?"

"Magic," the girls said.

Twilight and her Spike walked in, with the pup back in her bag as two young men walked in behind her.  One had green dreadlock and the other has grayish-blue hair and glasses.  "Hi, Sandalwood," Fluttershy said while waving.

"Fluttershy," Sandalwood said as he and his friend sat down.  "Can't really talk right now.  Micro Chips's a little nervous today."

"What for?" Twilight asked.

"I had a bad run-in at my job yesterday," Micro Chips explained.  "I was delivery with almost every type of meat topping we had.  What was weirder was I was delivering it to a junkyard.  Once I got there, some dogs just came out of nowhere and I dropped the pizza and just drove off."

"Did you get a good look at them?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not really.  Though, I think I saw something orange moving."

"Orange?" Spike said under his breath.

"That might have something to do with the dogs we're looking for.  Could you tell us where the junkyard is?"  Micro Chips didn't understand but he told them the location and they also texted it to their friends who weren't there.

"You texted us?" Pinkie asked as she and Sunset just showed up.

"Going, to be honest," Spike whispered to Dash, "She scares me sometimes."

Back with AJ and Starlight, who at the former girl's house having lunch.  "We gotta lead," AJ said looking at the text she received.

"What is it?" Starlight asked.

"It's an address to somewhere.  I'll be back Granny."  AJ waved goodbye to Granny Smith as she and Starlight walked back to the truck and drove off.

At the junkyard, Ziggy was bouncing a ball Scotty had found.  It had a small hole in it with a couple of cracks, but it still held.  Garble and Smolder were looking for the hole under the fence as the Kelpie noticed them.  "Hey, guys," he called, "Are you going to join in?"

"Sorry, Ziggy," Smolder replied, "We're looking for something."

"But we still have two sausages left."  Roxy ate the two sausages that were still left.  "Never mind."

"Found it," Garble cried.  He crawled under the fence as his sister was about to do the same.

"Hey, where are you going?" Smudge asked.  "We need you for one more order."

"We got you dinner and breakfast," Smolder said.  "We need to get back to our friends and get home."

"Look, I don't want to cause you any trouble, but Ziggy can't get far from her.  Getting food for him is the hardest thing we have to do.  You guys being able to talk to humans makes things a lot easier.  Besides, getting sent to the pounds has its own risks.  Stuck in cages, unable to see each other unless you're across from each other, one meal per day, which is nice, but have you ever tried the food there?"

"It sounds like you've been there before."

"I have.  I don't want my pack to go through that."

"You know, maybe there's another place that's better than the pound."

"Sorry, kid, I'm not taking any chances.  Besides, they're like a family to me."

The husky paused to think for a moment.  "Smolder, are you coming?" Garble called.

"Hang on," she replied.

"Look, just one more call," Smudge begged.

"We need to get going.  Garble and I stayed to eat and we were still a little tired from last night.  We're glad you let us stay with you, plus it was cute to see Ziggy's collection of stuff, but I have a friend out there who's like a brother to me."  As the husky explained, the german shepherd had already gotten out into the road.

"Man, I hate this fur," Garble groaned.  "I keep scraping my back.  I wouldn't feel a thing with my scales.  Wait a minute, isn't this-?"  He could finish as he was interrupted by the honk of AJ's truck, which was heading straight towards him.  He was just frozen and covered his eyes.

Luckily, the truck stopped inches before hitting the german shepherd.  "Sweet Swirves," Applejack gasped.

"Is it okay?" Starlight questioned.  They both got out of the truck and looked over Garble, who had fainted.  AJ checked on him but Smolder and the pack had heard the screech of the truck's tires.

"Garble," the husky gasped.

"Hang on," Scotty said, "There's a chance he's okay."

AJ picked Garble up and Starlight helped get him in the truck.  "Hey, give him back," Roxy ordered.  Though the girls couldn't understand her, the afghan barked as loud as she could before biting Starlight's shoe.

"Gah," Starlight cried, "Get it off!"

"Roxy, get back here!" Smudge cried.  He ran over to mad afghan but him yelling at her sounded like more mad barking to Applejack, as she helped get Roxy off of Starlight.  Once they did that, the two humans got back into the truck and quickly drove off.

"What was wrong with those dogs?" Starlight asked she buckled up.

"I wish I knew," Applejack replied, "But I think this is one of the fellas that matches Fluttershy's description."

"Sure hope he's okay."  She placed her hand on Garble's chest and felt a heartbeat.  "Thanks, goodness.  He's just out cold."

The pack didn't know about that.  "What was that?" Smudge asked Roxy sounding furious.

"We didn't know if he fine or not," Roxy protested.  "How are we suppose to know they weren't just going to take him to the pound?"

"I'm pretty sure a pound would higher some people look older and gruffer."  While they were arguing, Smolder sat on the couch with Ziggy and a sigh.

"If it helps," the Kelpie said, "I saw him move his legs."

"Thanks for noticing," Smolder said as she lied down on the couch.

"Look, Smolder," Scotty said, "I know you feel.  I'm not sure who those girls were but I think they'll patch him up."

"How...  How did you guys end up here?"

"We all have different stories.  Ziggy was bred to run races, but due to his legs he was neglected and it's a miracle he's here.  I used to have an owner but he was getting old and his kids didn't want to take care of me."

"What about Roxy and Smudge?"

"Roxy's owner was a hairstylist and she was starting to get tired having to pay for dog supplies so she just left her a curb.  That's why she's has anger issues.  And Smudge?  He was just wandering around the streets.  No owner, no home, the closest thing he had was the pound, which I'm sure he explained how that was."

"That's...  Rough.  But I know someone by the name of Fluttershy.  She's really good with animals and I'm sure she'd be able to find you guys some good owners.  Though, I feel like it would be hard for her to get here.  Just hope Garble's okay."

The german shepherd was slowly opening his eyes as he found he was in a bedroom surrounded by Applejack and her friends.  "Are you alright?" Fluttershy asked.

Garble didn't know what to say until he saw Spike and Ember.  "You can talk around them," Spike said.

"Oh, good," the shepherd sighed as he stood up.

"Yeah," Starlight said, "I almost thought we hit you."

"I'm pretty he just fainted from the shock," Fluttershy said.

"Or...  Maybe I just banged my head," Garble suggested.

"You sure?" Applejack asked.  "I didn't hear a bump."

"And I don't see one," Fluttershy added looking at the german shepherd's head.

"Can we focus on where Smolder is?" Ember asked.

"Wait, you didn't see her?" Garble asked as he pushed Fluttershy back.

"So, can't we just go there and pick her up?" Spike asked.

"Did you not hear about the dogs that attacked us?" Starlight asked.

"Yeah," Pinkie said, "How do we get past them?"

"Speed, strength, levitation, and talking to animals," Sunset Shimmer listed.  "I think our powers can keep the mutts at bay."

"What?" Garble asked.

"We'll explain on the way," Fluttershy said.  The girls walked outside and Twilight got onto the back on Dash's bike.

"Please tell me you won't go too fast," Twilight begged.

"The others need to keep up," Dash said, "I don't need much of a choice."

"Can I get out of the bag when we stop?" the human world's Spike asked from inside Twilight's backpack.

"Sure," Twilight replied.  Rainbow revved the engine and drove off with the others driving their vehicles behind.  A few moments later, they arrived at the junkyard.

Once the backpack was placed on the ground, Twilight's Spike opened it and crawled out.  "Finally, it was getting hot in there."

"Hold on, there's another you?" Garble asked the Spike from his world.

"Yeah," Spike said, "Everyone that exists in our world exists in this one, somewhere."

The girls started looking around to see if there was anyway inside.  While Garble led Ember and the two Spikes to the hole under the fence.  "Just be careful," he warned, "You'll get your back scraped by crawling under here."

"Maybe it'll just help with my itch," human world Spike said.  "Hope I didn't get fleas."

"What?" Ember and Garble asked.

"It's a dog thing," the Equestrian Spike said.

"They're a very small bug that makes your body itch," human world Spike said.

"Ah, that's just great," Ember complained as she squeezed under the fence.  "Now, where's Smolder."

"The pack should be around here," Garble said.  Suddenly, the colors of a rainbow darted past them.  "What was that?"

"Rainbow Dash," both Spike said.  They could also see an afghan running around the piles of trash to catch up with the rainbow blur.  Dash tripped over a tire and faceplanted on the ground before she got attacked from Roxy.

"Get off me!" Dash ordered.  She only heard some barking from the afghan.

"Rainbow," Applejack cried as she ran up and threw Roxy off of her.

The afghan was going to attack again but Garble got in her way.  "Hey, we just want my sister," Garble said.

"That's the same girl that took you away," Roxy protested.

"Well, I'm back.  What do you think happened?"

"There you are," Fluttershy said as she and the others walk towards them.

"Get back!" Roxy cried as she started growling at the humans.

"There's no need to act like that."

"Get out of our junkyard."

"We're not here to cause any trouble."

"Hold on, are you understanding me?"

"Crystal clear.  Now, where's Smolder?"

"Ugh..." Roxy was just shocked that the human could understand everything she said.

"I think she might be over here," Garble said leading the group towards the main spot the pack rested.

Smolder was still lying on the couch with Ziggy as the other hounds and humans walked towards them.  "Hey, how'd they get in?" Smudge asked.

"Probably magic," the Spikes said.

"Wait, Spike?" Smolder asked confused on why she saw two of the same dog.

"I think it's the last thing we should worry about," Garble said.  The husky suddenly jumped down from the couch to run up and hug her brother.  "Yeah, I'm fine.  Banged my head a bit."

"You fainted from shock," Ember stated.

"Shut up."

"What about them?" Scotty asked.

"Well, we just came here to find Smolder," Fluttershy said, "But I think we should be helping you."

"Did she just hear you?" Ziggy asked.

"Yeah, she talks to animals," Pinkie stated.

"How?" the pack asked.

"Magic," the girls replied.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Smolder said.

Ziggy slipped off the couch and dragged his legs over to Fluttershy.  "Can you walk?" the girl asked.

"Not really," the Kelpie replied.  "My legs don't work."

"Hmm," Twilight thought.  She took a good look at Ziggy's unfunctional legs.

"What is she doing?" Smudge asked.

"Thinking," the human world Spike said.

"I think I could help build him some wheels," Twilight said, "Though, I think I'll need to bring him to my house and some parts."

"I can help with that," Applejack said.

"What about the rest of us?" Roxy asked.

"Uh, look at your fur," Rarity said not understanding what the afghan just said.  "When was the last time you had a bath?"

"They live in a junkyard, Rarity," Dash said.

"Yeah, just look at that one's patches," Pinkie said pointing to Smudge.

"Would you little ones like a good home," Fluttershy asked the pack.

"It would be nice to have a proper meal," Scotty said.

"And I'd like to keep up with my friends."

"Ugh, guys," Smolder said as she scratched her neck, "I'm starting to itch."

"Ah, that's probably the fleas," the human world Spike said, who the husky just noticed and was just speechless.

"I know the perfect place where we can clean you up," Fluttershy said.

Smolder and the pack were taken to the pet shop where some baths had been prepared for them.  "I forgot how this feels," Roxy said as Applejack lathered soap on her back.

"It's nice to actually talk to a human," Scotty said to Fluttershy.

"That's nice," the kind girl said as she scratched the deerhound's ear.

Starlight and Sunset took Smolder out of the tub she was in.  "Okay, it's your turn Garble," Starlight said.

"Do I really have to?" the german shepherd asked.

"The sooner you get washed, the sooner we can go home," Spike said.  Once he said that Ember pushed Garble into the tub.

"Seriously?"

"Look, I've been in this world for too long," Ember stated.  "The Dragon Lands must be in chaos without me."

"She has a point," Sunset added.  "Dragons are known to violent and greedy."

"Plus, you smell like the place you been staying in," Spike said, where he got a glare from Garble.  "Just saying."

"Okay," Pinkie said to herself as she dried Smudge off, "Now just to deal with those patches of skin."

"They should grow back as long as he gets a proper meal," Fluttershy said.

"How's Ziggy doing?" Twilight asked from the other room.

"Nearly done," Dash said rinsing the Kelpie off.  She helped him out of his tub and dried him off.  Twilight and her Spike walked in with a doggie wheelchair.

"What's that?" Ziggy asked.

"It's something that'll help you move around," Spike explained.  "Try it on."  Twilight and Dash helped Ziggy out by putting him into his new set of wheels.

"So, do I just walked."  The purple pup nodded as the Kelpie walked forward and started picking up speed.  "Look at me go!"

"Slow down," Fluttershy begged as she managed to catch Ziggy.

"Sorry, I got excited.  It's so good to walk without dragging my legs."

"So, what now?" Roxy asked as Rarity dried her off.

"Well, now you each get collars and some lunch," Fluttershy explained.

"Lunch?" the pack asked in surprise and excitement.  Applejack walked off for a minute brought back some bowls and filled them each with dog food.

"Alright," Smudge cheered as he started eating.  Ziggy quickly started digging in too, at a much fast rate.

"Slow down," Fluttershy said.

"I wish we could stay longer," Starlight said as she dried off Garble, "But we have to get back home."

"We understand," Rarity said.

"Come on guys."

"Wait," Fluttershy said.  She handed two collars and four leashes.  "It's to make sure nobody thinks their strays."

"Thanks, Fluttershy."  Starlight placed the collars around Smolder and Garble's necks and left the pet shop.

"Can't wait to get back," Garble said.

"Me neither," Ember said.

"If you drag me you'll be sorry," Starlight warned.  It didn't take long for them to get back to the portal.  After they made sure nobody was looking, they jumped in.





Starlight and the dragons had turned back to normal, much to their relief.  "Finally," Smolder said as she took her collar off.

"Yeah, it feels good to be back," Garble added.

Ember let out a breath of fire.  "Dang, I've been waiting to do that," she said.

"Guys, your collars," Spike pointed out.

"Right."  Ember and Garble tossed their collars away and made their way to the exit.

"This isn't really how I wanted to visit you," Garble stated.

"I could tell," Smolder chuckled.  "I better get back to class."

"That's a good student," Starlight said.  "I'll see you in class."  And she teleported away.

"Well, thanks for visiting anyway," Spike said.

"We'll be sure to drop by when we have the chance," Ember said before she flew off.

The two dragon siblings shared a hug before the brother took off to follow the Dragon Lord.  "See ya, Gar-Gar," Smolder said as she waved.

"So, are you feeling better now?" Spike asked.

"Huh?"

"Sunburst said you were feeling down in the dumps.  But we took you out of there."  Both dragons laughed.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine."

"Alright.  I'm going to see if Twilight's fine."  Spike walked off as Smolder sighed to herself.

"I'll be good."