//------------------------------// // Puppy Power // Story: Rarity's Colt: A New Life // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// Snickers pet Pup while he watched Twilight and Celestia talk inside a purple shield sparkling with a golden haze that shrouded both mares in shadow and nullified all sound they made and probably heard. The wolf wasn’t calm, Snickers could feel it as a sensation in his mind that he couldn’t explain to himself or completely understand.  Psionics were something of a specialty in his experience, and it wasn’t one of his. At best he could feel deja vu once in a while, but that amounted to little more than a feeling. His mother was more adept, being able to sense an event a few seconds or less before it happened while some people were trained from a young age and could see across space to events happening behind the most sealed rooms and doors. Snickers equated his current sensations with Pup being nothing like anything he’d heard of or experienced beyond a close bond between friends or lovers that could sense how the other felt, but even those were supposed to be fleeting and fickle; he could feel the nervousness Pup felt as the wolf stared at the dome with unerring attention. Snickers gave Pup a push. “Hey, c’mon, girl. Let’s let them have their thing. I have to introduce you to Kiwe,” Snickers said and smiled softly as Pup relaxed visibly and emotionally at his command. “Good girl,” he said and stood up again. “Hey, girls? I’m gonna go get Kiwe, if that’s okay with you all, darlings.” Snickers squeezed his eyes closed as the words left his mouth and the mares kept their conversations going while their attention slightly focused on the colt; the fillies giggled en mass. “Oh, don’t worry about a thing, dah-ling,” Scootaloo teased, “I wouldn’t dream of stopping you, dah-ling.” “No, no, it’s more like this,” Diamond Tiara butted in, “oh, woe is me, dah-links, for never shall I find the mare of my dreams,” she swooned and fell into Scootaloo’s forelegs. Rainbow laughed and pointed at Rarity. “That is so you! They must practice to get it so good,” she laughed and the others giggled, even Fluttershy, though behind a forehoof to be polite.  “Well,” Rarity huffed, “I must say that mockery is a sincere form of flattery, so I thank you for showing me some of the respect I deserve. Now, if you wouldn’t mind; could you stop teasing Snickers for the way he speaks, even though it is with more eloquence than most of you may ever have,” she lifted her chin and turned back to Fluttershy. “As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted…” Snickers sighed. “Well, let’s face it; I’m talking like mom now,” he shrugged. “But, I should go get Kiwe and let him meet Pup and maybe Celestia, too. Hey, where’s Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo helped Diamond stand again. “She ran out as soon as you said his name, she’s really into him,” Scootaloo smirked and shared a wink with Diamond. Silver Spoon walked around the two and stood beside Snickers. “So, no joke about you know what?” Snickers shook his head. “No, I have to stop being so crass, lest the scales tip against my favor. Dang,” he said quietly, “I’m really talking like her, aren’t I?” Silver Spoon gave Snickers a side hug. “It’s okay, I’ll be here with you through it all.” Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo nodded. “Us, too,” they said in unison and shared a big smile. “Jinx! Jinx again! Jinx, jinx, jinx, jinx!” Pinkie landed beside the fillies and quickly moved her hooves between them and hopped back when she was done. “There! Now you’re both jinxed!” Snickers and Silver Spoon snerked and then laughed, leaning on one another when they saw the two loosely leashed to one another. “Hey, this isn’t funny! Get this bridle off me,” Diamond Tiara demanded and pulled, only to find that it was just tight enough to not get over her head.  Pinkie shook her head. “Nope, you have to work together to get it off. That way you can be friends and the soda's on me back at Sugarcube Corner.” Celestia walked up with Twilight beside her, the unicorn looking somewhat sullen like a scolded puppy that didn’t understand why, but knew it was in some trouble, tangentially from what the other ponies in the room didn’t know. “My little ponies, my dear student, Twilight, has helped me understand that I am out of sorts at the moment and should take time to gather my thoughts and Self before I interact with Aequalis again. As far as my time here,” she looked at Snickers with sad eyes, “I must take my leave. I have a lot of work to do back in Canterlot and being here, around… all of you is an unnecessary distraction.  “Girls, fillies, and…” Celestia winced a little, “I wish you all well and the best of days ahead. If you need anything from me,” she looked at Snickers while she spoke, “you need only ask and it shall be done as fast as I can have it done. Young Spike, if Snickers ever comes with a letter for me, you will send it without asking or waiting, yes?” Celestia, without waiting for Spike to answer from his spot out of the way and against the wall,  cantered from the group of ponies and she left the room in silence.  “Well, being a prince is gonna be interesting,” Snickers said into the silence, “but can we keep it between us? We don’t need the attention, do we?” The mares and Spike shook their heads. “No thank ya, kindly. Ah had a mess’a attention when Nightmare Moon was dealt with and Ah ain’t one fer the limelight.” Rainbow puffed her chest a bit. “I could use a little more attention from the press. The Wonderbolts read the papers, afterall. I can use the clips and photos in my applications when I send them on the 17th of the month.” Fluttershy eeped and hid behind her mane, whimpering quiet words none of them could hear. Twilight spoke next and last. “Then it’s settled, we won’t bring up Prince Snickers Aequalis Solis Lunaeque, of House Belle again,” Twilight tittered and let it grow into a giggle when she saw the various looks she was getting from everypony in the room. When Twilight saw Pup’s expression nearly matching Snickers’s, she broke into laughter and had to rest a forehoof against Rarity to keep standing while Snickers and many others rolled their eyes. Rarity looked at the foals and then glanced at the cat clock set on the wall. “Well, it’s nearly five in the evening, so if you have any plans before nightfall, I suggest you do them before it becomes too late. Supper is at 6:30 and Kiwe will be here to begin cooking another wonderful meal, especially since Snickers is back.” Snickers hugged Rarity and then galloped from the room and out the door after Celestia, who was standing over a balking brown zony with a kind smile. “...and you say you’re a chef, at your age?” Kiwe nodded. “Yes, your highness. I am seven years of age and have traveled across the land and across the seas to try the cuisines the world has to offer.” Celestia nodded. “I understand, and I wish you the best of luck. If you receive a mark, perhaps you can apply to work at our castle. I apologize, and it was nice to meet you, but I must go. Farewell, Azikiwe.” Celestia walked past him and onto the chariot. She was whisked into the air promptly and was a shrinking sight  in the sky, flanked by armed pegasi. “Kiwe! I’m glad you got to meet Princess Celestia,” Diamond Tiara said, “I know you had a thing for meeting her,” she grinned, “I can’t believe I met the princess! This is going right into my diary as soon as I get into bed tonight...” she smirked devilishly, “and I’ll need a hot bath to clean up before I go to sleep.” Kiwe’s eyes widened and he blushed. Sweetie Belle pushed Rarity aside to keep him in her view; with a sigh, Sweetie let her mind wander about snuggling with him and maybe sharing a picnic under a tree by a burbling creek on top of a hill, alone without anypony around for fifteen minutes trot in any direction.  She even thought about him nuzzling her under her chin and the mental image made her giggle and blush while hugging herself. Silver Spoon stopped beside Diamond and looked at the princess being ferried away. “I can’t believe I know a prince,” she said quietly so she wouldn’t be heard by ponies that were standing around and watching the princess leave and beginning to resume their day. “I can’t believe it’s not butter,” Pinkie said, biting into a warm slice of bread. “Anyway, this has been one loco day and I think I’d better go meet a friend before he thinks I forgot I said I’d see him before sunset. You think he’d know I keep my word, even after he told me to leave him alone and to stop inviting him to my parties,” she snortled and hopped away. “Whatever she’s on, she can keep it to herself,” Snickers said, “and I’m getting her an energy drink for her birthday.” Scootaloo laughed. “You’d better be out of town when she drinks it; she had one once and it took two days to clean the town up from the party she threw.” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, but she made the houses taste like… what’d she call the flavor, Apple Bloom?” “Snozberries,” the filly answered, “whatever those are, Ah’d hate ta have ta clean them up, they turned mah family barn yellow and pink polkadots fer days.” “But they sure tasted good,” Rainbow said hovering over Snickers, “I licked that wall like…” she clearly stopped herself and crossed all her legs, “nothing. Like nothing at all, right, Aj?” “Exactly what Ah wanted ta hear from ya, Rainbow. Ah don’t wanna hear another thing about ya teachin’ these foals mare’s talk; let’m be their age.” Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, I know. Hey, I’m sorry, Spunky, I got out of line and I won’t treat you like an adult anymore, er, like a mare, anyway. You can be treated like an adult, just not,” she groaned, “you know what I mean.” Snickers nodded. “Yeah, so, I’ve got an hour and some to try for a cutie mark, so I’ve gotta go.” The CmC gasped and screamed happily, running to Snickers and hugging him. Applejack and Rarity smiled and watched the four run into town, then looked at Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. “Ah’m hopin’ y’all’re gonna keep an eye on them and stop them from doin’ any damage.” Diamond and Silver shared a look and shrug. “I can keep an eye on Snickers and you can watch Scootaloo,” Diamond offered. Silver was prepared to protest, then nodded. “Sounds good, let’s go keep them from making another catapult, or something.” “Ugh, like, why do they have to be so crazy about their marks, anyway?” Silver Spoon started talking as she and her friend quickly followed the CmC’s trail of dust and a random mare’s scream of surprise. *** Pup trotted beside Snickers on his way to school, panting regularly yet still scaring the adults into creating a straight path as the colt walked. Scootaloo and Silver Spoon were walking ahead of him with Sweetie and Diamond Tiara taking the rear of their formation. Snickers noticed, even though it didn’t seem any of the others had. The fillies had created a safety box around him, from every angle of danger he was able to be protected by a filly or timberwolf puppy. Scootaloo would glance at the sky every so often while Silver Spoon would use flipping her mane, adjusting her glasses, or rolling her eyes to look at different ponies. Snickers had glanced back and noticed the same from Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle, they had everything covered and if a pegasi were to fall, the ones behind him could push him out of the way, the ones ahead could turn back and use their bodies as shields and were perfect for bucking anypony that got too close. Scootaloo had the advantage of flight, or she would if she actually could have flown, as well.  The fillies in the back would be able to use magic and buck, all while watching one another’s backs for any other attackers.  Or, maybe they’re just where they are because they’re there and I’m over thinking this, Snickers smirked to himself. A sense of curiosity tingled inside Snickers and he looked aside and down at Pup. “Oh, just thinking about stuff. So, ready for your first day of school?” Pup barked. She didn’t know where she was being taken, but she was with her pack and Alpha was happy, so she was happy. Her spirit was bound to his now, she could feel what he felt as long as he wanted her to, and she’d always share her feelings. They could even share brief images of thought, something she didn’t know creatures of the land could do. At times Pup wondered what her abilities as a bound spirit were and what limits she’d have, then there were times like this; where nothing bothered the pack and the others stayed away like the omega’s they were. ‘Stay back from Alpha, he’s on a hunt’, Pup barked happily. Her nose made a whistling sound as she sniffed the air and an image of Apple Bloom’s bow flashed into Snickers’s mind. “?” “Howdy, sorry Ah’m late, there was a bushel of apples that broke and Ah had ta get a new one and pack’m up. So, goin’ ta school again, huh? Ya know, you’ve missed half the days ya’ve been goin’, right?” Snickers pointed to himself. “What, me? Nah, I’m just too cool for school. I can get a cutie mark shoveling manure if I just skip the rest of the year.” The CmC gasped and stopped the precession, each of the three fillies looking to their flanks in abject horror, then relief akin to peeing in the morning after drinking too much water before bed. “Thank Celestia,” Sweetie muttered. “Yeah, reckon there’s only one thing related ta that bein’ anywhere near there if Ah have a say on it.” Scootaloo reached Sweetie and Apple Bloom. “Yeah, and it’s not something I want to think about, so let’s get to school. AB, you take center with Snickers and Pup.” … “No! Your… pet cannot stay in class, Snickers. Leash… er, muzzle… just…” Cheerilee growled and dragged her hooves down her face in frustration. No matter what she did, she was in a losing position. Keep the carnivorous plant beast in the room and risk it attacking a foal, or send it out without it’s owner and let it rampage around Ponyville. And sending Snickers out of school wasn’t on the table, not after all the schooling he’d already missed. She sat on the floor and took what should have been a calming breath. “Snickers, can you please have your… wolf--” “Pup! Her name’s Pup, until I change it later. I know she’s not gonna be a pup forever, right, Miss Cheerilee?” Snickers said, still petting Pup on her uneven wooden back. “Yes, can you have Pup sit against the wall by the open window, please? Then take your seat, we have a lot to cover and you have a lot of learning to do to catch up, young stallion.” Snickers smiled widely as he took his seat. “Alright! Are we gonna start with math, science, or writing skills?” Miss Cheerilee shook her head. “No, we’re going to begin today by discussing how pegasi make it rain. Ready your notebooks, children, there may be a test on this later.” Snickers noticed Sweetie Belle trying to cast a spell to pick up her pencil so he raised his foreleg. “Miss Cheerilee?” “Yes, Snickers?” “When is there unicorn or pegasus magic training? I haven’t heard anything about that and I know unicorns have the power but just lack the focus, so... yeah, that’s my question.” Cheerilee stood still and her ears flicked while she seemed to think hard on the question. “Huh, you know, I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll make a note and ask about it after school. Maybe we can have a guest speaker come in and spend some of her time showing us how to cast spells or meditate.” Cheerilee made a note and nodded appreciatively at Snickers before returning to the blackboard. “Now, class… this is the base coloration of a rainbow…” Snickers sat tall in his seat, pride practically glowing from himself as he looked side to side and saw approving looks from the other children in class, the fillies returned their attention to the front but a rough shod hoof poked Snickers’s neck. “Hey,” the voice of an awkward teenage boy struck him. “Hey,” Snails dragged the whisper out longer. Snickers turned his ear back to show he was giving at least some attention. “That was really cool how you got the teacher to give us another few seconds, can you do it again?” “Yeah,” Snips added in with his nasally voice, “do it enough and we’ll practically get a whole day off at the end of the year.” Snickers leaned forward and rested his chin on his hooves. “Hey, Snips, do you think he heard us?” “I don’t know, Snails. He might have heard something about my part, but what about yours? Should we ask him again?” “I don’t know, why’re you asking me?” “I don’t know?!” “Boys,” Miss Cheerilee said sternly and loudly over the volume the colts were reaching, “whatever you’re talking about, is it important enough to hold school up for?” “Gyeah.” “No.” The colts looked at one another and changed their answers. “Boys, that’s enough. If you won’t be quiet for the sake of your classmates, then I’ll separate you for the remainder of class.” Snips and Snails sat ramrod straight. “That’s more like it. You may relax, but don’t let me catch you talking between one another again. And no notes, either,” she finalized her statement with a stomp and both colts’ hooves returned to the surface of their desk, a single sheet of blank paper drifting to the floor between them. Pup’s attention was on the falling paper and she ran to it, catching it in her mouth happily. She didn’t understand why the small creatures were making loud noises, but it wasn’t disagreeable; it reminded her of the way trees would talk to the sky for water. Only a bit more painful on her ears. Snickers and Cheerilee stood side by side and held Pup between them as the class tried to stampede through the closed door. The class made a nice pile of foals trying to push a pull door in their panic. “Oi, cram it!” Pipsqueak shouted in a voice the belied his size. “The wooden doggies just got a hankerin’ for some paper, I’d wager bits ta buttons. Lookit,” he said pointing a spotted foreleg at the wolf chewing the paper into a pulp. The room calmed and now Cheerilee knew she’d lost the day, but for a much better reason. “Well, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier. Snickers, would you like to show and tell us about… uh, what’s it’s name again?” “Her name, Miss Cheerilee, is Pup, but I’m gonna change it soon. She won’t be a pup forever and she’s already a few inches bigger than when I got back to town a couple days ago. Twilight says Pup’s growing at an exponential rate and if she doesn’t stop, she’ll be as large as an ursa minor by winter fall.” The class gasped and their expressions turned to grins. “Cool.” They all said, various images of a giant wooden dog hopping over houses, chasing away a monster, or barking at an unworthy mare trying to join as a herd mother, among others, filled their minds. They all started talking at once, asking, advising, and offering things to Snickers and Pup at first, then it spread to who was known as being in her herd, even if they adamantly weren’t. “Stop it, get back,” Diamond glowered and waved her forelegs as foals got too close to her tiara, offering to polish it in exchange for something lost in the crowd. Silver Spoon moved beside Diamond, Scootaloo moved beside Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom moved beside Snickers, who noticed that the fillies had formed a wall protecting him.  Pup stood proud beside him and, sensing no ill will, happily wagged her tail and shuffled back with her pack from the joyful others. Alpha, can I play, too? Pup thought and barked. Picking up on the growing excitement in Pup, Snickers looked aside and shook his head. Pup’s twiggy ears drooped and her glowing green eyes widened.  Pup’s attempt was a moot point because Snickers could feel the hope covering the deception coming from her and he didn’t waver, ignoring her look that would have worked on any other creature. Opting to try her paw at pouting, she increased the size of the wood on her lower jaw, creating a small rounded lip that protruded from her maw and whimpered. The room was filled with a collective ‘aww’ when everypony saw Pup and Zipporwhill even wiped a tear that had suddenly formed in her eye. “Zat is so adorable! He will liek my poppy to play with.” “No, mine!” “I have a cat he’d like.” “My bird.” “My pet snail.” “Ew, my pet.” “No, mine!” Snickers gave his attention to Pup with a spark of anger that burnt into Pup’s spirit and hurt her metaphysically. .” He hissed quietly. Pup’s eyes returned to normal and then the light dimmed, narrowing. She growled quietly, but it was enough to quiet the room. Unsure ponies looked from the wolf to Snickers. “Don’t worry, just give her space. You know what they say about a cornered animal, right?” He waited and looked at the unknowing expressions. “They’ll attack if cornered, so back up and don’t get pushy again, she’s protective like a good dog.” The words were taken to heart as the class now saw an uncertain tamed predator in their midst, one with the reputation of being vicious pony eating monsters that showed no mercy. “On that note, class, let’s get back to the lesson. Everypony, please take your seats. Snickers, can you keep Pup under control until we take recess?” Snickers pat Pup on her head. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee,” he said in a droning tone that the mare understood as reluctant acceptance of her authority; regardless of rumors of his origins, she was still the adult and he was certainly a colt under her guardianship for the next few hours. She returned to the board and sighed while picking up the chalk. Two o’clock can’t come soon enough. … Snickers sat in the shade of the trees as he liked to do, only with Pup playfully chasing a pair of happily screaming fillies. If he weren’t made from wood, he’d be just a normal dog chasing girls for fun. Snickers’s ear drooped and he smirked. Naughty Pup, chasing filly tail. Pup sped up and started trying to bite the fillies’ tails and Snickers clenched his teeth. No, I didn’t mean that! I was being… inappropriate.  Pup resumed her play chase and took a corner better than the fillies, shouldering one into the other, toppling over and with them. Snickers felt Diamond against his side and leaned into her. “?” Diamond was quiet for a moment. “.” “, you meant to say. You said, uh, walnuts singing, I think.” “Hey, it’s your dumb language, why don’t you speak both better and think less?” “Why don’t you stink less?” Snickers replied. “Stink? Is that what you think, that I stink? Because, let me tell you--” “Rit-dit-dit-dit-dit-doo,” Snickers interrupted getting a swat from Diamond’s tail on his backside. “Jerk.” “You rhymed, it’s a rule I had to stop you before you broke into song.” “That doesn’t just happen, there has to be a reason,” Diamond said, her eyes moving to find Pup and darting around until she saw a small cluster of foals. “Rhyming isn’t a reason.” “No, but it’s a start.” Sweetie Belle walked into view from behind Snickers with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom following. “What’ve you got against heart songs?” Snickers looked at the trio. “Did you wash your hooves?” They each lifted a forehoof and looked at it, then one another. “Yes,” they chorused. “Really?” Snickers said looking back at Silver Spoon as she approached. “Where did you wash in the woods, exactly? No, don’t start. I don’t want any of you touching me with unclean hooves, and I’d prefer if you’d wash regardless, especially after relieving yourselves in the woods, of all places.” Scootaloo nickered and stepped closer to him. “You know, you’re more of a jerk since you started acting like Rarity.” Snickers let his emotions show and stood up, his shirt trailing fresh grass. “Excuse me, but you wanted me to be less like the bad mouthed ass I was, so I start behaving a little better and now I’m my mother?” he said with restrained frustration. Scootaloo reached foreward and wiped the tip of her forehoof on his shirt, maring the white with a small line of mud. “You aren’t her, but you’re not you.” Snickers looked at his shirt and then to Sweetie Belle, feeling his growing fury stop and dampen. Silver Spoon nuzzled him from the side and he smelled her on the air. “Snickers, sit back down, you’re gonna say or do something you might not like.” He nodded and backed up a step and sat down, pouting at the line in his shirt. “But, Scootaloo ruined my shirt,” he pointed to himself and the mark she’d left.  Silver Spoon looked at the mark and then back at Scootaloo with curiosity. “Did you, like, have to do that?” Scootaloo looked sheepish. “No, not really, but I just got mad at him,” she declared, “he’s not the same colt I fell in love with, or you either, for that fact.” “I know, and that’s what makes him even better; he can change.” “Ugh, gag me,” Diamond said from Snickers’s other side. “He’s who he needs to be, okay? Don’t go making him a… well, I was gonna say prince when he’s a peasant, but that doesn’t work anymore, does it?” They all shared a laugh, then the fillies started screaming again, ruining the moment. Snickers looked up and watched five fillies running from Pup in a scattering game of chase. Pup picked Berry Pinch and caught up to her, shouldering her, then barking at her while choosing a new filly.  Berry was clearly having fun, like the rest were. Berry even got back into the game and Pup stumbled when she saw the filly back in the game, not understanding the rules. Pup was under the impression she was to chase the others and bump them into his pack, easing the hunt for the endgame of victory and necessary biological nutrients for them all to share equally. Instead of the hunt, she was confused. Pup stopped slowly, then looked at the foals watching and at the fillies on guard and ready to bolt away, their tails raised and twitching with each motion they perceived from the predator hunting them. A flash of an image came to Snickers’s mind. A short wooden pony doll with rounded features at the joints and glowing eyes. Snickers liked the image and at the speed of thought, he said so much into the mind of Pup. The wolf had roots grow from her body in hundreds of places, it seemed, until her legs resembled stumps. The bark around her body grew to encompass her and in thirty seconds she was a small tree. Snickers was staring with wide eyes and finally got to his hooves before the outer bark sealed Pup in. “?!” He reached the tree and his heart thudded in his chest suddenly, as though he was going to feel it was going to stop at the same time Pup’s spirit left its form. But it didn’t happen, Snickers waited for what was going to happen and finally felt himself warm in a comfortable way, like he could feel the warmth of sunlight inside his body, safely warming him and bringing goose bumps to his skin. The seconds passed and the class noticed Cheerilee among them. “Is she gonna be okay?” Dinky said quietly.  “I’m not sure, but how about we… go,” she trailed off as the top of the tree grew a dark brown flower that opened to the sun. The grass around Pup’s tree began to wither and shrink, but not die. The class backed away, staying away from the fast spreading circle of potential death. Snickers stood his ground and didn’t move as the grass wilted under and around him, leaving him unharmed. Snickers’s herd sisters were there as well, waiting at different spots to see the event unfold, and unfold it did. The tree wilted and crumbled, exposing Pup, only now she was a Dinky sized wooden pony with rounded joints and a flowing mane of long grass and flower petals that waved in the breeze like a kaleidoscope of snacks. Pup’s head turned to look at Snickers when he thought of sampling her mane and Snickers smiled.  Gotcha, he thought. Only he noticed Pup’s eyes weren’t glowing yet, but he saw small flames dancing in the void of her eye sockets as they were covered with a thin membrane of cellulose creating the eyes everypony knew. She was clearly held together with vines and glowing magic that Snickers hadn’t noticed before. It was like a series of green lines running the course of her body, at least he thought it was until the lines vanished from his vision into the wooden pony’s body. She stepped from the roots that had crumbled and she looked at her forelegs legs and turned to look at her very timberwolf style body. Silver Spoon giggle snorted. “She  was a timberwolf, but now she’s a timber-pony.” Snickers took a step towards Pup. “Pup, are you okay?” “Apa,” she said and met him three quarters of the way, being faster than any of them had expected. She nuzzled under his chin and her mouth moved, but the sound was very high pitched and very off from the motion. “Apa, Pap.” It was a tone akin to something like someone taking a squeaky toy and tying to make it say something by squeezing it quickly. Ears flattened and Pup spoke again in a more femanine voice better for one her age. “Pap,” she said. Snickers stepped back and looked her over. “Wow. Um, I guess you need a new name since you’re not a pup anymore, are you?” Pup sank her forelegs into the ground and looked up, her mane fanning out to create a small flower like pattern woven through her vine mane. She shrunk slightly and elongated, her features becoming rough again and in the several seconds the class watched, she was Pup again.  Everypony stomped their hooves in applause, startling Pup into running to hide behind Snickers before she stopped and turned back to see the crowd encircling her.  “Wow, that was amazing.” “I want a changing pony-wolf for my birthday.” “I want to get lost in the forest and have a cool tree thing, too.”  “I can’t believe it’s not butter!” Pinkie shouted from the crowd, hopping to a stop and giggling. “Oops, I already did that one. Can I get a do-over? No? Well, I had a feeling there was gonna be a new pony in town, and I saw her, then she was gone! Where’d she go, she was kinda like Pup, only bigger and more rounder and less terrifying to the ponies of Ponyville.” “?”