They were talking again. I strained my ears to listen for anything I could understand, but the doctors loved their long words, and every time an extended sound left their mouth I got confused. I even felt a headache coming on.

Not all the words were confusing. Short words, short sentences with only a little meaning, and one particular word: Screwy.

I whined. Not like a pony whines (I've met Rarey, she does some great whining), but when there's no animals around I tend to act a little dog-like. It's comfortable, easy to do, and I can pretend ponies aren't using long sentences that I don't understand and give me headaches anyway.

They were talking right outside my door. It was annoying when they did that because I couldn't stop hearing them. I jumped up on my bed and shoved my head under the pillow. When that didn't help, I started trying to dig a hole.

The talking stopped and yelling started. I liked yelling, it was exciting to hear ponies excited. I pulled my head out of the hole I'd dug in my bed and barked at them. Language was funny. I couldn't understand their words, but they seemed concerned and excited—and angry at me.

Tucking my ears back, I dropped to my belly on the bed and looked up at the ponies (doctors and nurses alike). The doctors seemed to want to use long words and complicated sentences again, but one of the younger nurses reached up and rubbed at my ear.

I crawled closer to Nice-nurse and tilted my head into her attention. A thudding sound behind me was, of course, my tail.

The doctors and nurses (except the nice one) were arguing still, but focusing on Nice-nurse kept me from getting a headache.

"Good girl. There you go, Screwy. Just relax," Nice-nurse said.

Simple words, little words, and it meant so much to me to be able to understand them. The meaning wasn't complicated, which helped. I gave a happy whine this time and crawled a little closer to her.

"Why don't —— bed and ——sleep on ——"

Now Nice-nurse was a little harder to understand, and she would have given me a headache if she weren't so good at scratching ears. She looked to the other doctors with a stern expression—I really liked her. Jumping to my paws—hooves, whatever—I licked the nice nurse's face and wagged my tail a lot.

Nice-nurse tried to push me away, but her laughter told me that she was enjoying it. So, I kept going until she stopped laughing. All the doctors and nurses were looking at her now, and she made some complex sounds that were too fast for me to follow.

Everypony (but Nice-nurse, of course) turned and left my room. Without all the talking going on nearby, I could actually just listen safely again. I barked at Nice-nurse in thanks, and she gave my chin a scratch. Did I mention she was "Nice-nurse" for a good reason?

She waited with me while the big ponies that weren't nurses or doctors dragged my bed out and brought something so much better in. The moment they put the round, soft thing where my bed was I jumped inside the hollow mountain.

"She likes it."

I did! This was the best. I could hide in here and even shove my rear against the hole and lay over it so no talking got in. This was the best, thing, ever!

"Hello?"

"Hi?!"

"You're awesome!"

"Hello!"

The words weren't a pony talking. My ears twitched as I tried to locate at least what direction they were coming from. Then there was a clunk and a clank, and somepony opened my door. If it had been Nice-nurse, I wouldn't have shoved past them.

Loping into the common area, I looked around at all the ponies milling about. Happy voices spoke words I couldn't track, but there was one voice I could.

"How are you? Nice to meet you! You give the best belly rubs!"

I'd met Winona before. She was a pretty awesome dog, and she barked really clear. "Hi Winona!" I barked, and launched into a jump and landed right beside her. "You visited again!"

"You know Applejack brings me around to say hello to everyone," Wynona barked with a little yappy-yap. "You look happy!"

"I am happy! They finally got me a bed that is good. Wanna see it?" I asked, and turned as if to walk back to my room.

I froze, however, as I noticed the nurse who'd opened my door looking very cross and trotting toward me. She didn't look happy to see me again.

"Run. I'll distract her," Winona said then bounded forward and started yelling at the top of her lungs. "HEY! LOOK AT ME! DON'T CHASE SCREWY! LOOK HERE!"

"What the hay——?" Winona's owner, Asomething, said. I didn't catch all of it, but that was pretty normal for her, and she wasn't looking at me so I figured I could make my break.

"Thanks!" I barked as I pounded the floor with my paws—hooves (ugh, it gets hard to think about it sometimes).

Not everypony was focused on Winona's awesome distraction—a big not-nurse-or-doctor saw me running for the front door and turned to face me. "——Screwy, just calm——"

"No!" I barked.

If he'd been the pointy not-nurse-or-doctor they sometimes had there, I wouldn't have had a chance. He braced for me, used his body to force me to thump into him if I wanted to get through the door, but he didn't account for sneaky-Screwy who could slide along the last bit of shiny floor on her belly.

Under the not-nurse-or-doctor, I braced my forepaws on the ground and kicked the door closed as hard as I could with both back legs. "Can't catch me!"

Being chased was almost as much fun as chasing. They didn't let me chase too often, and they tried not to have to chase me, but I liked being chased, so that didn't work. I ran and ran, and found lots of ponies to bark at.

All the ponies around seemed surprised to see me. I barked at as many as I could, but then I noticed Ranblue flying over me. Again I ran as fast as my paws would take me, barking at her the whole way. I guess it was easy to tell I was distracted by Ranblue because I smacked right into another pony.

"Sorry, ——" the pony said.

I shook my head, then kept shaking my whole body as I stood up and looked at the pony. He looked a little scrawny, and pointy. I barked at him. Not the kind of bark to get a message across, just an upset one.

"Wait, is—— Screwed Tight?"

The usual flow of meaningless sound was interrupted by two pure words. Perfect words. Words I felt I knew. I stared at the pony—stallion—while my mind raced free in my head.

"Got that end, Screwed?"

"Sure, Tight, give it a push and I'll get it together when everything lines up! " "Got it!"

"Great work!"

The feel of wood, tools, and even glue filled my world for a moment before I came-to. I looked at the stallion who'd said—said my name. "Sunburst," I barked, just before everything went completely dark.

I woke up again to see a pony ass right in front of me. The colors looked familiar, and while I struggled to recall where I'd seen it before. There was a lot of words flying around me—pony words. I shook my head to clear them out so I could think about the orange stallion wearing a dress.

Inevitably, just as I started to pin down where I'd seen him before, words started to infiltrate my head. I looked past the pony and saw two not-nurse-or-doctors (one of them was pointy!) gesturing at me and making loud pony words.

Stomping his hoof, looking every bit as brave as Winona had been, the stallion kept using the N O word on the not-nurse-or-doctors. I didn't know whether to bite, hug, or lick the stallion, so I chose to sniff his butt instead.

His dress, unlike most, had a hole that was almost perfect for sniffing. His tail was in it right now, but I stuck my nose under that and inhaled deep. I didn't recognize him. I only realized the pony-yelling had stopped when I floated into the air. "No! Stop!" I barked.

Pointy not-nurse-or-doctors were the worst. I floated along beside them while they marched back to the kennel. Halfway back, however, I floated around enough to see that the Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress was following. (I had decided, after a good long sniff, that he smelled nice.)

I smiled at Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress, and while he smiled back at first, he looked worried. That worried me, but I kept smiling in the hope he might again.

"Here—— home," the pointy not-nurse-not-doctor said.

He didn't put me down until we were all inside the kennel (even Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress) and the door was closed and locked. Pointy ponies were the worst. Then I realized something world-shattering: Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress was pointy!

I shook my head and looked at Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress. He still smelled nice (from where I stood anyway, I would have to circle around and investigate further when he was distracted), but being pointy worried me. I tilted my head to the side to hope that he might be less pointy that way, but there was still the pointy-thing sticking out of his head.

The not-nurse-not-doctor who wasn't pointy said something to Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress that I couldn't pick up.

"No—— Screwed Tight," Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress said.

The words rattled my world again, and I had to shake my head a few times before I could think straight. Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress was still talking, but now he didn't say those surprising words. I watched him talk to the not-nurse-or-doctors, then he talked to the nurses, then he talked to the doctors. It was so exciting to watch him talk at them—even if I couldn't understand more than a word or two—that I didn't even think to run away.

The doctors led Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress away to a room that wasn't a kennel, while one of the pointy not-nurse-not-doctors whistled to me. I liked it when they whistled—I knew what they wanted when they whistled. And, when they whistled, they didn't float me. (I really hate being floated.)

The point not-nurse-not-doctor led me to my kennel and I saw the best thing ever in there. I jumped inside and stuck my head into my water bowl. Gulping down water, I kept going until I felt not-thirsty and turned on the bowl of food beside it. Crunchy orange things covered with yummy stuff was on the menu, best day ever!

Eating my fill, I turned to my bed and walked inside the hole and started to curl up. A clunking at my door caught me by surprise. The door swung open and Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress was standing beside two doctors and two not-nurse-not-doctors. Everypony but Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress was smiling.

I shuffled to the back of my bed until Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress walked into the room on his own. My mind raced as to the meaning of the situation. He didn't look happy, but then everypony else did.

Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress reached out a hoof to my bed, and I reluctantly poked my head to let him pet me. But he didn't pet me! He just held his paw—hoof (ugh)—under my jaw and looked at me. I decided I needed to help, so leaned forward and pushed until his paw was under my throat. He scratched at my throat, at last! I was the cleverest ever! I'd trained Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress!

"Want —— me, Screwed Tight?" Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress asked.

Most of the words made sense. I wanted many things about Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress, first and foremost being to check he definitely did have a nice smell again. I nodded my head while he scratched.

"Never —— calm. ——" Nice-nurse said.

I leaned forward and pushed my way free of my bed and started licking Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress all over his face. He smelled good and tasted good!

Mentally, I upgraded him from Nice-smelling-stallion-in-a-dress to just Nice-stallion—which gives some indication about how many ponies I could call Nice-stallion exist.

His face turned red, but Nice-stallion didn't pull away from me like everypony else I'd licked did. I licked him a few more times (to make sure I had his taste right) and then sat back.

Nice-stallion talked, though the words didn't make any real sense. The tone he used was calming, and I couldn't help but like him more. The last words he spoke ended with an upward inflection—a question. Shrugging my shoulders a little, I barked. There was one thing I had learned here, and that was to agree with everypony.

It was a shock when Nice-stallion stood up, turned, and marched outside my kennel. The door closed, but I could hear voices from outside. Nice-stallion started off speaking softly, then he got louder. Nice-nurse even got loud too, but I had a sense that she wasn't being loud at Nice-stallion, but with him.

The noises of talking faded, and I was all alone in my kennel again. Turning around in place, I spotted somepony had left something by the door. Walking over, I bent my head down to identify the item.

Okay, I could identify it was—it was a ball. Leaning my head down, I opened my mouth to grab the ball when something stopped me. I closed my eyes, took a deep sniff, and smiled. Nice-stallion.

Everything changed for the better. He got me a present, and in my mind that made Nice-stallion into Best-stallion. I grabbed the ball in my mouth and shook it around, then chewed it a bit, then did both. It was the first time somepony had gotten me an actual toy (rather then me having to find one), and it made me feel great.

Bouncing around my kennel, I tossed the ball and grabbed it again over and over. Then I needed a rest. I must have only been laying down for a little bit of eye-resting when I heard hooves coming to my kennel door.

Lifting my head, I wagged my tail when the sounds stopped just outside. The sound of a key in the lock had me tilting my head—for a moment I couldn't think why they would be coming to my kennel before feeding time, but then the smell of my ball hit me. It smelled of me, of my kennel, but it also smelled of Best-stallion.

His voice cut through the sound of the door opening. "——Screwed Tight."

I shivered a little at the two words I picked out of whatever it was he said. Somehow, somewhere in my oft-confused head, I put those words together and it meant me. Not the me now, an old me.

"——take you," the pointy not-nurse-not-doctor said to me, not to somepony else while looking at me, actually to me.

When Best-stallion walked in, I wagged my tail even more—actually it was now more of a back-end-wag now. Jumping to my hooves, I ran over and licked his face again, only to feel something close around my neck. It was such a shock that I stepped back and tried to look at it, only to see a cord leading from it to Best-stallion.

I tilted my head to the side and looked at the cord. My brain wasn't the best at working these things out, but dog-concepts always filtered through. Collar. Leash. Owner. My head tilted back the other way as I looked at Best-stallion. He solved my mental confusion by tugging on the leash.

Not being trained to obey a leash, I did the first thing that came naturally. Turning around, I braced and pulled. Though Best-stallion was pointy, his pointy didn't seem strong enough to hold on to the leash. I rushed back to my bed, trailing the leash behind. Ignoring the yelling of the pointy not-nurse-not-doctor, I grabbed my ball in my mouth and turned back to the door of my kennel. Best-stallion looked at me with a smile in his face that made me feel good.

Prancing with each step, I made my way back to the door and pointedly ignored not-nurse-not-doctor.

"Good girl, Screwed Tight," Best-stallion said.

I didn't often get a full sentence in my head that I could understand all the meaning of, but this was one of them. When Best-stallion took the leash again, I tried to remember how dogs were supposed to act. Of course, I ignored everything my memories of dogs on leashes told me, and instead trotted along at Best-stallion's side.

We left my kennel, then the whole kennels, and I was shocked when Best-stallion led me toward the biggest kennel in town. There was smells everywhere and so many butts to sniff, but I was a good dog. Besides, I had my ball and didn't want to get other smells on it—not when I'd just gotten it smelling good.

Best-stallion banged on the door of the kennels and then turned to me. I liked how his face had a little tufty bit at the bottom of his chin. "——help us." His tone was upbeat, happy, but there was a hint of something sad to it. It made me think serious things were afoot—I kept on the look out for cats.

The strangest thing opened the door of the kennels. It was kinda purple all over, except the bits that looked just perfect for chewing. Plenty of dogs had things for chewing, so that didn't narrow down what it was. It began talking to Best-stallion, but there were some quantities about it that had all my attention: it had claws, it was smaller than me, and it made a lot of sounds that were annoying. The facts added up to just one thing…

"Cat!" I barked. "Cat! Cat! Cat!"

I pulled as hard as I could on the leash, but Best-stallion kept a good grip on it. The cat jumped back, but didn't run. Either the cat knew I was on a leash (they were really tricky) or it wasn't a cat.

"Not a cat?" I whined.

Figuring sideways would be better to look, I tilted my head and looked at the not-cat. I was so silly. Cats don't have wings! Clearly, it was a dog!

"Hi! Sorry, I thought you were a cat!" I barked.

"——go get—— help?" Best-stallion asked.

The other dog turned around and ran off—obviously to get their owner so Best-stallion could talk to them. I turned around and looked at Best-stallion. "Sorry, I thought he was a cat," I whined.

It was then I discovered the best thing about pointy ponies: Best-stallion held my leash with his pointy color, and reached up to rub my ears with a hoof. Is there something better than Best-stallion to call him? Bestest-stallion? I better save that for if he uses both hooves at the same time.

I relaxed so much that when the shrill voice shouted from inside the kennels, I folded my ears back and opened my eyes. Other-dog's owner seemed to be a pony with wings and pointy—something in the back of my head insisted that was special. She trotted up to Best-stallion and the two started talking really fast.

I whined, knowing a headache would hit me soon if I kept listening, but Best-stallion held my leash. I needed a good reason to leave, and looked around. Of course I was being silly. The best way for a dog to get away from two ponies when they were arguing was…

I squatted and let sweet relief flood through me—and all over the floor.

Best-stallion yelled. Other-dog's owner yelled. Even other-dog yelled. I trotted outside and made my way for a tree. Considering that other-dog was in the big kennel, I was surprised at the lack of smell on the tree. Feeling a little more relief still inside, I turned and made sure it was properly marked, then sat down on the other side of it. Then I laid down.

I woke up when Best-stallion rubbed at my ears again. Not moving my head, I thumped my tail on the ground to show how much I appreciated him.

Best-stallion talked a little, his tones soft and calm. I couldn't follow any of it, but getting a nice rub around the ears held back any possible headache from forming. He stopped talking, but kept petting me—best stallion or what?

I was almost asleep again when another pony walked toward us. She wasn't other-dog's owner, and she wasn't anypony I'd ever seen before.

"Hello Sunburst, who's this?" As she spoke I jerked my head up. Every sound, every word, was clear.

"Hi! I'm Screwy!" I barked.

Best-stallion said something, and finished with my name—my old-sounding name.

The nice mare-who-talks smiled wide. "Well. Hello Screwed Tight—"

"My name's Screwy," I barked.

"S-Sorry. Screwy. My name's Fluttershy. My friend, Twilight, said you think you're a dog, and thought I might be able to help. I can talk to all the animals,' mare-who-talks said. "Do you mind if I lay down too?"

She looked calmer than anypony or anydog I'd ever met. Mare-who-talks settled down and looked to Best-stallion. "Was there something in particular you wanted me to ask her?"

I tilted my head and looked up at Best-stallion. He looked back down at me and said something that sounded like a question.

"Do you remember Sunburst, Screwy? He remembers you from when he was a colt," mare-who-talks said.

I just shook my head.

Best-stallion said something else—another question.

"He says you aren't acting how you used to. What are you?" mare-who-talks asked.

"I'm a dog of course. How are you talking to me?" I barked.

Mare-who-talks smiled in the same way as a dog would smile and slowly empty their relief on the front step of a huge kennel, but then she broke into a genuine smile. "I can talk with all animals, it's my special talent."

"Huh. Cool. Want to run with me? I like running," I barked.

Mare-who-talks became nice-mare-who-talks the moment she reached out and rubbed my other ear. Running became the last thing on my mind, and my tail had never thumped so much before.

"Do you like Sunburst?"

I tried to focus on nice-mare-who-talks, but the rubbing at my ear was literally pushing any ability to talk completely away. I just lay there, smiling, thumping my tail from time to time.

"Do you like Sunburst?" This time nice-mare-who-talks stopped rubbing and I was able to reply.

"Who's Sunburst?" I whined.

The name felt familiar, but something wasn't right. It felt old like Screwed Tight felt old.

"Sunburst." Nice-mare-who-talks poked at Best-stallion. "He's Sunburst."

"Oh. He's Best-stallion to me, because he's so nice. I really like him."

"She said she really likes you. I think you're doing the right thing, Sunburst. Ponies shouldn't be locked up inside, even animals don't like that. Screwy is a dog, it's more than just what she thinks. Be kind to her and treat her how she wants to be, and you might be able to bring her back." Mare-who-talks-a-lot got a name change because though she is still really nice, she talks way too much, and I can understand all of it.

Lifting my paws—hooves—I covered my ears and managed to miss the rest of the words she said.

A little tap of a hoof at my snout got my attention, and I followed the yellow hoof to its owner. Carefully lifting my limbs down, I perked my ears toward mare-who-talks-a-lot.

She giggled. "Best-stallion said he would like to take care of you. Would you like that, Screwy?"

"Of course! He didn't become Best-stallion because he's the worst at everything. I like him!" I barked.

"Screwy says she is very happy to have you as her owner." Mare-who-talks-a-lot directed the words to Best-stallion, who made a lot of words back. "Well, of course she will think of you as her owner." I nodded to her words because they were true. "See?"

But Best-stallion still didn't look convinced. He came back at mare-who-talks-a-lot with so many words I instantly got a headache. Standing up, I heard the torrent of words stop, but it wasn't a good enough solution. I walked close to Best-stallion and flopped on top of him.

"Screwy! What are you doing?" mare-who-talks-a-lot asked.

"You both talk way too much. It hurts my head when there are too many words." Laying on top of a pointy pony generally resulted in them using their pointy to make me move, but Best-stallion didn't seem to. He actually turned a little red.

Leaning closer, I licked best stallion on the cheek to help him cool down. It didn't seem to work.

"I need to get back to my friends—it's almost time for their lunch. Screwy said she doesn't like it when you talk too much. She said it gives her a headache," mare-who-talks-a-lot said. "Did you need anything else?"

Best-stallion seemed to get the point and only said a few words that I think amounted to no. Mare-who-talks-a-lot took this as her cue and turn to trot away.

I settled my weight a little more firmly on Best-stallion. For a pointy, he seemed really nice and not at all prone to using his pointy stuff. Yawning, I slumped down and set my head on the ground.

Nopony had ever let me just sleep on them before. Move, they'd say, Get off! I could understand those kinds of concepts easily. Still, it was nice to just relax and sleep with somepony that actually liked me.

I woke slowly, yawned, and looked around. Memories of my day were sluggish in returning, but seeing Best-stallion asleep softened something inside me. I lay my head back down and waited for him to wake up too.

Later, nearly a whole minute or so, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up as carefully as I could to not wake Best-stallion, carefully stepped away from him, and then walked around him. He wore some kind of clothing—a dress or something. When I circled behind him, I realized this was my best chance to have a good smell of what kind of stallion he was.

Short, sharp sniffs were the way to go. Then best-stalling jumped. I'd never seen a pointy pony fly before, but when I put my tail under his tail to smell him, Best-stallion did a good job of trying.

"What ——?" Best-stallion said, after he landed.

I tucked my ears back and crouched down on my belly. There was shock and anger in Best-stallion's voice. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I just wanted to smell you," I whined.

The angry look on Best-stallion's face changed to something neutral. He reached a hoof out to me and rubbed me on the head.

There was no better feeling in the world than knowing he wasn't mad with me. Wagging my tail like crazy, I leaned up into the petting. When he slowly took his hoof away, I tried to follow it.

Best-stallion used his pointy, but rather than pick me up, he took hold of the leash with it. I wagged my tail, ignored whatever it was he said to himself (that I couldn't understand anyway), and walked along at his side.

It was exciting to walk through town without anypony chasing me. I got to relax and sniff the air, bark at a cat, and because I did it beside Best-stallion I didn't have to worry about anything. He led the way to what seemed to be a kennel, but when we walked through it there was a long line of little kennels.

"Good girl, Screwy ——" Best-stallion said.

Being called a good girl was just about the best thing ever. I know I wagged my tail a lot, and even barked in excitement. Best-stallion led the way into one of the little kennels, and then into a small kennel box within it.

When Best-stallion started talking, I jumped up on the soft bed opposite him and whined. He asked a question I didn't understand, so I put my pawns—hooves—over my ears again.

Then the kennel moved!

I couldn't stop myself from barking. A kennel shouldn't move! "What's going on? Make it stop! Help!" I barked.

"Whoa! Calm down. Relax." The words Best-stallion said were simple, uncomplicated—they were Screwy words. I looked at him, focused on his calm features. "——relaxed."

I nodded, my tail not moving for fear the kennel would jerk around and eat it. But, the thing that stopped me from panicking was Best-stallion. He looked at me through his metal eyes—Metal eyes! I jumped across the gap between us and landed on top of him.

"Metal eyes!" I barked, and started to lick his face excitedly.

Best-stallion seemed angry at first, though he never said, No, so I continued. Then he started giggling and laughing. It was music to my ears to hear Best-stallion laugh. He tried to push me away, but that just made licking his face even more fun.

In the end, being a pointy (and not using his pointy) was Best-stallion's undoing. There was just no beating an earth p—dog—in a wrestling match. I was panting, sure, but I had licked him into submission enough that I was content to just lay beside Best-stallion while he got his own breath back.

One yawn led to more, and before I knew it I was sleeping again.

I dreamed of chasing a ball, playing tug-o-war, and being a very happy dog with a very happy owner. It wasn't a new dream, but one part of it was: Best-stallion. He was the pony throwing the ball, pulling on the rope, and petting me until I couldn't take another petting (technically impossible, but it was a dream).

Waking from such an awesome dream was a sad thing, until I realized Best-stallion was right beside me. Leaning close to him, I licked Best-stallion's shoulder. When he didn't react, I realized he was even more asleep than before.

No butt sniffing, that apparently wakes him too quickly, and causes shouting. I licked down his side and to his belly—he didn't wake. It was easy to relax and groom Best-stallion, he was a lot more calm when he was asleep. When I licked along the underside of his belly, he shifted a little. I thought he was awake, but Best-stallion rolled to his side and exposed his belly to me.

Not one to turn down such an offer, I kept going. With my eyes closed, I lapped along his belly until my nose bumped something new. Best-stallion must have been having a happy dream, I reasoned, and licked the new surprise.

I just started getting used to the strange taste and smell of the new part of Best-stallion when he jerked awake. One more lick and I heard him make a happy-stallion noise, another and he made a choked gasp.

"No."

I folded my ears back and pulled away from Best-stallion—he looked really hot again. He didn't look angry, or shocked, just some kind of confusion. It was kinda cute on him, but I really wanted to hear him make the happy-stallion sound again. Leaning forward, I tried to find that good-tasting-place (with a little time to think on it, I decided it was a good taste) again, but Best-stallion rolled until he hid the good-tasting-place under his belly.

He lay like that all the way until the moving kennel slowed down. Best-stallion jerked up to his hooves and jumped down from the bed we'd been sleeping together on. His pointy came to life and tugged at my leash.

Wagging my tail with enthusiasm and excitement, I walked after him, even trotted when we got out of the moving kennel. I turned—when he paused to talk to somepony—and barked at the moving kennel a few times, just to make sure it knew I meant business.

A tug at the leash reminded me I had an owner now. I turned back and trotted at Best-stallion's side. He kept quiet, which was good, and led me down a road toward what seemed to be a second sun.

As we got closer I saw it wasn't a sun, but it wasn't for lack of brightness. It was whole mess of kennels all made of bright rocks. I winced and half-closed my eyes and made a little whine.

"Sorry, Screwy." Best-stallion, despite his apology, led the way deeper into the pretend-sun-place.

Here and there was little rock kennels that seemed to be newer kennels—I didn't know how I knew, but I knew. It was to one of these that Best-stallion led me. He opened the door and took me inside, then closed the brightness out.

I let out a relaxed sign at being able to see again. Then I sneezed.

"Sorry——" And Best-stallion sounded sorry, too. His pointy started pointying, and things all around the room moved and seemed to find places to be.

I barked at a few of the things nearby to make sure they knew who was boss, then turned back to Best-stallion. He seemed to be a little confused, unsure. That wasn't right! I marched up to Best-stallion and licked his nose with as much enthusiasm as I could.

Best-stallion laughed at my lick, and his mood seemed to lift because of it. This is why everypony should have a dog like me! I barked at him, crouched down low on my forelegs and bounced into the air. After a repeat of my excited gesture, Best-stallion seemed to get the idea. He found a stick from somewhere and tossed it to the other side of the room.

A shudder of canine bliss ran through me as I lived out part of my happiest dream. I leapt at the stick, grabbed it in my mouth, and trotted exactly ten steps to get back to Best-stallion. Dropping the stick at his hooves, I barked at him.

Having a pointy pony as my owner was the best. He picked up the stick with his pointy and tossed it again. And again. And again! It was the best thing ever!

I figured Best-stallion would get tired of the game first, but he always waited for me to bring him back the stick—so much so that I started wearing myself out, from just one little romp across the room. I yawned and brought the stick back to Best-stallion for what I'd decided was the last time. Rather than put it on the floor, I held onto it.

"All done?" he asked.

I nodded to him, and then gasped in delight when he used his pointy to rub behind one of my ears. Pointy ponies are now, officially, the best.

When Best-stallion picked up some papers from beside the front door and looked at them, I heard him gasp in surprise. "——go!" He moved faster than I'd ever seen him, rushing out the door and closing it behind him.

I blinked in surprise at the empty spot where Best-stallion had been standing moments before, shrugged, and found a good chair to curl up against. Chasing sticks was tiring!

The sound of the door closing woke me back up. When I turned my head, I saw Best-stallion looking a little rough around the edges. He reminded me of a pony I knew once—Sunburst. I shook my head and thumped my tail on the floor at seeing him.

"Hey, Screwy." Best-stallion sounded exhausted.

I shoved my legs under myself and pushed up to my paws—hooves. Walking over to him, I contemplated what I'd need to do. The solution was obvious. I walked around him quickly, put my head down near the floor and shoved forward.

Best-stallion exclaimed in shock, but I ignored him and kept pushing until he was on my back. Then came a new problem: where did Best-stallion sleep? I disregarded the couch in front of the cold fire and the floor. At the end of the room was something that got my attention.

"You about got those stairs done, Screwed Tight?"

"Yeah. Gimme a few more minutes to get this banister on."

I shook my head at the rush of words that made sense to me-that-isn't-now-me. Banister and minutes were becoming more and more indistinct the more I thought of them, but stairs I knew. Putting paw—hoof—in front of the other, I carried Best-stallion up the stairs.

Soft sounds came from behind my ears—Best-stallion was asleep already. I investigated room after room until I found the big one with a bed in it. Proud of my own superior canine sleuthing, I carried Best-stallion to the bed and slowly flopped sideways.

Best-stallion woke up, but not enough to do more than crawl under the big blanket on the bed. It didn't take much thinking to work out that was going to be the best place to sleep. Sticking my snout under the blankets first, I shoved forward until I was completely on the bed.

I didn't think I was tired, but apparently I was.

Author's Note

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Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
A.P.O.N.I.
Boulder
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Daremo
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KFS Crimson
Lazyreader19
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