Chapters Bright sunlight spread across the valley as the sun slowly made its ascent into the sky. Birds chirped and sung their morning choruses as many little creatures began to wake from slumber.
One such creature was, well, not what some would traditionally think of as a creature. He was purple, with big eyes and four wheels… yes, wheels, and a short windshield. He was sitting in the quaint little garage that he called home, mementos of past adventures scattered about.
Including the one he cherished the most that was now stretching in his passenger side and smacking its lips as it rose from slumber. The little brown dog scratched at its ears a bit before hopping out and looking about for its bowl. He let out a cute little bark as he found it empty, causing the purple creature to stir.
“Mmhm aaah… just a moment…” Putt Putt said as he began to wake, his big eyes blinking a few times as Pep grabbed his bowl and came around to sit in front of him patiently. As soon as they were fully open, he felt a wide smile gracing his front as he said,
“Good morning Pep! You must be hungry!”
Pep nodded his head, dropping his bowl and letting out an eager bark as Putt Putt used his antenna to grab a nearby box of kibble, pouring it in for his best friend in the whole wide world. “Eat up buddy, who knows what adventures we’ll have today!”
Not needing to be told twice, Pep dug in as Putt Putt picked up the bowl of Tire O’s and made himself some breakfast as well. Today wasn’t a school day, so he was free to explore Cartown and see what may be going on. He turned his radio on, but today didn’t seem to have anything terribly exciting going on. So he’d have to find his own fun.
Once Pep had finished his breakfast, Putt Putt gently picked him up and sat him down on one of the seats. Then he drove to the end of the little path to his home, spotting that the flag on his mailbox was up.
“Wowie zowie Pep, we’ve got mail! Let’s see what it is!” Letting his antenna reach out, he flipped it open and peered inside, finding a letter with the stamp for Mr. Firebird’s lab on it.
“Hey, a letter from Mr. Firebird!” Putt Putt exclaimed as he pulled it out and tore it open. As always, he read it aloud for his dear friend Pep.
“Dear Putt Putt, I know the last time you came by didn’t end up going the way either of us would have expected, what with your belongings getting flung back in time, but I have a new device I think would really get your engine roaring. So come on down anytime you’re up for taking a look. Your Friend, Mr. Firebird.”
Pep whimpered a bit at that. He remembered winding up in prehistoric times and having to eat worms fed to him by a pterodactyl. Putt Putt gave him a sympathetic look, even as his smile remained. “Don’t worry Pep, I’m sure Mr. Firebird has everything taken care off. And even if he doesn’t, I’ll make sure to help set everything right!”
That seemed to reassure Pep, who let out an adventurous bark. “Great! Then let’s get going.” Putt Putt exclaimed, revving his wheels up before heading on out. Something told him that this was going to be a great day!
-*-
Mr. Firebird’s Lab, formerly Firebird Fireworks, was looking better than the last time Putt Putt had seen it. Mr. Firebird had fixed some more things up, added another wing, and now had a range for testing out rockets and other fireworks. Just because he didn’t make them for sale now didn’t mean he’d stopped creating new kinds of fireworks!
“I wonder what Mr. Firebird wants to show us today.” Putt Putt said aloud, earning some barks from Pep. “Don’t worry boy, I’m sure everything will be just fine. Mr. Firebird promised he’d be taking extra care in the creation of any new machines since the last incident.”
With that said, Putt Putt rolled down the road and pressed the buzzer next to the door. Mr. Firebird’s voice chirped out from the speaker as he asked “Hello? Putt Putt is that you?”
“It sure is Mr. Firebird! I got your letter, and am here to see what you’ve been working on.” Putt Putt declared, and watched as the door opened on up to allow him entry. Rolling on in, he looked this way and that at many other inventions that were still work in progress. Being inside Mr. Firebird’s lab always made Putt Putt feel like trying to make something himself.
“Welcome Putt Putt!” Mr. Firebird said as Putt Putt rolled into the main room, smiling even as he looked a bit confused at the sight of the old rocket from his adventure to the Moon and his trip through time and space. The only new thing about it was that it was connected to an oven and a dishwasher.
“Mr. Firebird, I thought you said you weren’t going to mess around with the rocket anymore?” Putt Putt asked as Pep eyed it with suspicion.
Mr. Firebird gave a sheepish smile and shrugged a bit. “I wasn’t planning to, but then, after reading a comic book of Mrs. Dimensions, I had a brilliant idea for a new invention. A portal that can let us see into different worlds, different dimensions of existence!”
“Wowie Zowie! That sounds amazing!” Putt Putt exclaimed, any worry about it quickly fading as his excitement and wonder raced ahead. Pep just shook his head and tried to find a more secure space inside the purple car.
“I haven’t tried it yet, but I figured that something this neat would be something others would want a chance to see. I sent out letters to all my friends, but so far you’re the only one to show up.”
“Well, I’m always happy to see the things you make Mr. Firebird!” Putt Putt exclaimed, earning a wider smile from the larger red car.
“Then how about we fire this up and see what it shows us?” Mr. Firebird asked, earning an even bigger smile and a nod from Putt Putt. He pressed a few buttons on the washer and fired the oven up as motes of energy raced up the wires connecting them to the rocket.
Through the porthole, Putt Putt could see a rift of energy beginning to spiral out and form a sphere. Driving up to the rocket door, he peered in and ooohed and awed at the sights that began to form within the sphere.
“Careful there Putt Putt,” Mr. Firebird began as he scooted closer. “We don’t know how the portal is going to-”
Alarms began to blare out as Putt Putt gasped and watched the strange portal grow larger, starting to expand and fill the confines of the rocketship. Putt Putt started to try to move away from the rocket door, but the portal quickly passed through the rocket, swallowing it whole as energy spun and swirled before him.
Pep let out a yelp of fear as Putt Putt felt the force of the portal pulling at him and his furry passenger. Putt Putt reached out with his antenna, grabbing a nearby pipe to avoid getting sucked up altogether.
“Hold on Putt Putt, I’m doing what I can!” Mr. Firebird said as he desperately tried to get the machine to turn off or close the portal, but nothing he did worked!
Even as Putt Putt felt the strain in his antenna, accompanied by an ever increasing suction, he tried to maintain his smile in response to Mr. Firebird’s hopeless expression. He had to keep smiling… after all, if he kept smiling, everything would be okay in the end!
His grip was loosening… he could feel the antenna trying to tear. With an audible gulp, he looked to Mr. Firebird even as the older red car didn’t seem to look all that hopeful.
“Don’t worry Mr. Firebird! I’ll be alright!”
“No Putt Putt, I don’t-” He tried to say, but it was too late. Putt Putt let go of the pipe he was hanging onto, and was sucked into the strange portal. He saw a rainbow of spiraling colors and shapes, indescribable things as he fell…
And fell…
And fell…
At some point, he felt something happening to him, his whole chassis tingling as Pep climbed onto his head and clung on for dear life. He let out a cry as the tingling grew into a sudden wave of pain, and moments later, he fell again, but this time, into darkness.
-*-
Putt Putt felt… weird. Very weird.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually the darkness slowly began to recede, and he became aware of himself and his surroundings. The only thing he could knew for certain was that he felt off. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around.
He was in some kind of overgrow forest, one that was darker than the jungle he’d been in during the prehistoric age or his visit to the Cartown Zoo. He felt grass and dead leaves beneath his…
He blinked. He… he couldn’t feel his wheels. Or the seats he had… Putt Putt couldn’t even feel his antenna, though as he thought about his antenna, something just above his face lit up, casting a silvery glow around the area. It was more than enough light for him to get a look at himself and…
He looked up, seeing the beginnings of some kind of thing on his head that was the source of light. He also saw strands of what looked like white or silver blue hair. Looking down, he saw, not wheels, but legs… purple legs, four to be exact, so that at least was somewhat familiar… but those four legs were attached to a body that had a tail of the same color as the hair he now appeared to be sporting.
Putt Putt blinked once… twice, then did something he’d never done before.
He screamed.
His scream echoed about the forest and sent numerous critters flying away. The jump into the air he made also sent his canine companion rolling off his back, causing him to yelp in pain. Pep quickly moved aside as Putt Putt came crashing back down and let out a startled bark as he too saw what his owner had become.
“P-Pep… P-Pep… I’ve.. I’ve become a pony!”
After a short two minutes explaining to Putt Putt how the restroom worked… and what he needed to do to relieve himself, Fluttershy quickly hurried back down to the kitchen where Twilight was sitting at the table. Her brow was furrowed as a frown draped her muzzle.
“I told him to take his time… so I think we have a few minutes.” Fluttershy said as she took a seat.
Twilight sighed. “I really don't know what to make of this. Just the bit you told me left me thinking you had found an over-imaginative foal… but not knowing how to do… that…” She shook her head and rubbed her head with a hoof.
“Can you start over, from the beginning? Maybe this'll make more sense hearing it again.”
“Of course Twilight.” Fluttershy said, relaying the story that Putt Putt had told her. How he visited a friend called Mr. Firebird, how he'd shown Putt Putt a machine that could make portals to other dimensions, and how he had been sucked into said portal when it went haywire.
She even told Twilight that Putt Putt had told her this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, but that all he had said was that it involved time travel and school supplies.
“But that's impossible! Time travel isn't scientifically possible!” Twilight let out a groan and thumped her head on the table. She frowned and added as an afterthought, “And so are dimensional portals.”
“Well, then what does that mean for Putt Putt?” Fluttershy asked as she heard hoofsteps coming down.
“I don't know, but we're going to find out.” Twilight replied as she got up. She glanced to the open arch leading into the kitchen as Putt Putt walked in with that… smile of his. Something about it was… offsetting to Twilight, but she couldn't put her hoof on what.
“All done! I even washed my hooves and brushed my teeth!”
Fluttershy smiled at this, even as she idly wondered which toothbrush he had used. She had several up there and only one of them was for house guests spending the night. “That’s good to hear Putt Putt. Well, if your ready, we can head on into town so Twilight can talk with Mayor Mare, and they can see if they can help you out.”
Putt Putt’s smile seemed to widen at that. “Gee, that sounds like a swell idea. I’m ready and all revved up to go!”
Twilight and Fluttershy both quirked an eye up at that phrase, but Twilight took the lead as they headed on out. As Fluttershy waved goodbye to Angel Bunny, Twilight stole another peek at Putt Putt’s expression, catching the wide, beaming smile on his face. It reminded her a bit of Pinkie Pie… so then… why did it leave her so unsettled?
“Make sure to stick close Putt Putt.” Twilight said as she and Fluttershy took the lead. Putt Putt nodded and made sure Pep was comfy on his back before trotting on behind them.
The two mares stayed a bit ahead of Putt Putt, shooting glances back his way every so often as he seemed to drink in the world around him. After a bit, Twilight looked to Fluttershy and asked “Has he been smiling like this for a while?”
Fluttershy nodded her head, keeping her voice low. “I think he was smiling even while being chased by the Timberwolves.”
Twilight shook her head at that and paused when she saw Putt Putt was being distracted by a big butterfly that had landed on his muzzle. He seemed to be talking to it, to which Twilight saw a bright smile spread across Fluttershy’s muzzle.
“If he’s been smiling like this the whole time, especially while being chased by Timberwolves, I’m even more worried than I already was.”
Fluttershy was about to inquire why, but Twilight beat her to the punch. “I don’t know about you, but there’s something strange about his smile… and a normal colt who’d just been chased by Timberwolves wouldn’t be smiling… and they certainly wouldn’t be talking about portals or time travel!”
“Well, when you put it like that…” Fluttershy said, while Twilight gave her an incredulous look. Fluttershy retreated a bit into her mane as she said “W~Well after Discord, it’s a bit hard to say some things are impossible… but you are right about his smile. There’s something… strange about it.”
“I know that Discord could do impossible things… but from what Celestia told me, he can’t use his powers while he’s in his stone prison.” Twilight said as she rubbed a hoof to her head. “And even if Discord was somehow involved… when we used the Elements, it undid everything Disord messed with. So, if he WAS a talking carriage…”
“Car, not carriage. I think it’s like a carriage.” Fluttershy interjected.
“Whatever. The point is that even if he was one of those, and Discord somehow brought him here, he should have been sent back by the magic of the Elements. That he’s not suggests to me that he’s a lost colt with a very overactive imagination… or…”
Fluttershy gave Twilight a worried look as her friend stopped. “Or what?”
Letting out a sigh, Twilight replied “Or he might be a colt who's gone through something… traumatic. And this story of his is his way of coping with it.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the implications of that, and was about to ask something, when she saw Putt Putt saying goodbye to the butterfly and was now moving to catch up with them. Twilight gave her a nod as she instead turned to give the colt a smile.
“Did you make a new friend?”
Putt Putt nodded his head. “I sure did. He said that my mane is a very pretty color, and I told him I liked the patterns on his wings. I also told him it was a little weird that he talked like Pep and your critters do.”
Fluttershy quirked an eye up at this. “What do you mean by that?”
Putt Putt tilted his head for a moment, a thinking expression making his smile thin a bit… if only for a few seconds.
“Well, the animals I met at the Zoo, and at the Circus, could all talk like we do. Pep… and well, a cow who lived in Cartown, were the only animals I knew that talked like an animal.”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to quirk an eyebrow up. “And that doesn’t sound strange to you?”
For a brief moment, Putt Putt seemed to consider that, frowning a bit as he looked at the ground. Then he just smiled that wide, unnerving smile as he said “I guess it’s just something about the dimension I’m from! Maybe most animals here just can’t talk like us.”
Twilight resisted the urge to facehoof, just giving Putt Putt a smile of her own as she said “Maybe. Anyways we need to get going, shouldn’t be long before we’re in Ponyville.”
“Hot Ziggity!” Putt Putt said as Twilight and Fluttershy shared a look again before turning and continuing on towards the town.
-*-
Walking on legs, or more specifically, hooves, was certainly not as fast as he could go on wheels, but he didn’t mind too much. It was actually rather fun to trot along and feel the grass and dirt under his hooves. Not that he couldn’t when he had wheels, but there was something that was more…
Real.
Thinking that felt a bit odd, but well it made sense. Tires were rubber things after all. He could have them get popped and replaced but wouldn’t get hurt if they busted, like when he forgot his magnet and tried to drive past those nails someone left on the road.
Hooves however… well, he could feel when he stepped on a rock, could feel his fur get damp when he stepped in a puddle… yeah, that was more real than a tire.
Though, even with such reasoning in his head… describing it like that made him feel… strange.
Shaking his head, he was about to return his attention back to the road when he stopped, blinked… then blinked again as he found himself looking into a big pair of bright blue eyes ringed by pink.
“Uhm, Hi?” Putt Putt asked, his ears catching the sound of Twilight and Fluttershy stopping before he found himself in a tight hug and a big squeezing hug.
“Eeeeehhheee your so cute and adorable!” The pink thing exclaimed, which now that he wasn’t able to only see it’s eyes, he realized was just a pink pony with poofy mane and tail.
“Pinkie Pie!” Putt Putt heard Twilight exclaim in some surprise before he was released from the hug and set back down. His head was spinning a bit from how tight and swinging it had been, eyes spinning about a bit before settling back to where they belonged with a shake of his head.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!” The mare he assumed was the formerly named Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she turned to the others. “I sensed a new pony was in town, and I came to see them, and I just thought ‘Oh my gosh, such a cute colt! He looks so huggable and cuddleable!’, so I just knew I had to come over and say hi and give him a big Welcome to Ponyville Pinkie Hug~!”
Putt Putt blinked a bit, trying to catch all of that, but Pinkie Pie had said it all really quick. Twilight and Fluttershy must have been used to this though because they seemed to understand.
“Still, you should be more careful. You might have scared him.” Twilight chided, to which Putt Putt smiled and shook his head.
“Don’t worry Twilight, nothing scares me!” After all, he’d been to the moon, through time… even when he’d lost Pep during his time travel adventure, he hadn’t been scared, just worried.
At this, Pinkie Pie hummed, turning back around and peering at him. Putt Putt returned her gaze with a smile… though as she continued to study his face he felt something… strange within him. A feeling he wasn’t familiar with was welling up inside, the urge to squirm in place being resisted as he just kept smiling… not noticing how wide it was getting as he continued to stare into those bright blue eyes that seemed like they were boring into him. He didn’t notice how his heart started to beat faster and how he was beginning to sweat…
No, he just kept smiling. Putt Putt knew it was important to smile.
After a moment, Pinkie Pie finally smiled again, ruffling his mane as she said “Okie Dokie Lokie silly billy!” The feeling that had been filling Putt Putt faded, and he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d bee holding in. His smile returned to its normal state as he giggled and watched her walk over to her friends.
As he ran a hoof through his mane to fix the mess Pinkie had made, Putt Putt heard Pep give him a questioning bark. “Huh? Am I okay? Of course I’m okay… why wouldn’t I be?”
Pep gave him a strange look, but settled back down on his back as Putt Putt turned and saw the three mares beckoning for him. With a shrug, he brushed aside that confusion and quickly trotted over to rejoin the three as they made their way into Ponyville.
The rest of the trip was relatively quiet, at least for the three mares as they conversed quietly. Putt Putt however made sure to look at everything… he even reached out with his magic to poke at some things and see what they did.
Most things didn’t seem to do anything, but here and there silly things happened. An apple suddenly spat seeds into a picture of a smiley face. There was a bush that reshaped itself into the image of a fish. A pie was suddenly carried away by ants that hadn’t been there before. A trio of mares at a flower shop fainted after their flowers started singing Winter Wrap Up to them.
Oddly, nopony else seemed to notice these events, especially since as soon as Putt Putt’s magic faded, the silly things returned to normal. Well, maybe a certain Pink Pony did, given every so often she had to raise a hoof to muffle a giggle.
Nonetheless, soon the four reached Town Hall. Pinkie Pie slowed for a moment, so she could ruffle Putt Putt’s mane again as she said “That’s quite a nifty trick your magic has. But let’s save more clicking around for later alright?”
“Sure thing Miss Pie!” Putt Putt said, even if he wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘clicking’.
“Just call me Pinkie, all of my friends do!~” Pinkie replied with a wide smile which Putt Putt returned as she held the door open for him. Putt Putt nodded his head in understanding and went on in, catching sight of Twilight and Fluttershy waiting for them at a big arch with stairs leading up and down.
“This way Putt Putt.” Fluttershy said as the pair started up the steps, Pinkie Pie bringing up the rear. Putt Putt happily followed along, even as a tiny part of him wondered what sort of thing was here in Town Hall that could help him get back home.
They soon walked into an office, where a grayish-amber coated mare with a gray mane was busy reading a scroll of some kind. She looked up at the sound of their hoofsteps and gave them all a smile.
“Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, what an unexpected surprise. And hello there little one.” She said as she nodded to each, then turned her to Putt Putt. He was about to introduce himself when Twilight spoke up.
“Mayor Mare, we need some help with something, but first we need to ask some questions in private. Is that alright?”
Putt Putt tilted his head a bit at that, but didn’t pay it much thought. It was probably an adult thing.
Mayor Mare quirked an eyebrow up at this, but nodded as she said “We can talk in the committee room.”
Twilight nodded, and she and Fluttershy turned to Pinkie and Putt Putt. “Do you think you can keep Putt Putt company while we’re busy?”
Pinkie gave one of her own trademark smiles and saluted “Yessiree Bob!”
“I think you mean Twilight. Her name’s not Bob.” Putt Putt said, causing Pinkie and Fluttershy to giggle while Twilight and Mayor Mare rolled their eyes but smiled in amusement.
“We’ll be back in a bit.” Twilight said, the three stepping into another room as Pinkie Pie pulled a checkers box from her mane. Putt Putt’s eyes widened in amazement as he asked,
“Can you teach me to do that?”
Pinkie giggled. “Sorry, Pie family secret! But we can see how good of checkers player you are!”
That was enough to distract Putt Putt as he quickly sat down and watched her set the game up. If there was one thing he enjoyed more than helping others, it was playing fun games!
-*-
“... And that’s the situation as it stands Mayor.” Twilight finished as Fluttershy gave a simple nod of affirmation. She’d mostly let Twilight do the talking, only chiming in with any details she might not have mentioned.
Mayor Mare frowned, looking over the notes and papers Twilight had inquired about before explaining what was going on. “There’s been a fair bit of chaos even with everything being set right after you sealed Discord back up. Just because things returned to normal didn’t mean some ponies still didn’t end up lost on the other end of Equestria after walking through a wall or stepping on a checker panel and winding up in somepony else’s house.”
“But looking through local reports… and the ones I’ve been forwarded from Canterlot… I’m not seeing any notices for a lost Unicorn colt of his age or coloration. Certainly none named Putt Putt.”
“Oh my…” Fluttershy squeaked, while Twilight sighed and shook her head.
“I was worried that might be the case.”
Mayor Mare offered them a sympathetic look. “It’s possible it hasn’t reached Canterlot yet… he could be from one of the more remote villages on the edge of Equestria. And well…” Mayor Mare shifted a bit uncomfortably as she tried not to think of some other alternatives to explain why this colt was all alone in the Everfree…
“Well, I’ll make sure to send Princess Celestia a letter asking if she can look into it. In the meantime, we need to make sure he’s taken care of until we learn more.” Twilight declared, earning nods from both mares. She looked to Fluttershy and asked “Would you be up for taking care of him for a bit?”
Fluttershy’s answer was immediate. “Oh of course I can! He’s been well-behaved and sweet so far, I don’t see any problem with it. And he seems to like the animals, and they don’t mind him.”
“Well then, let me go fetch the Guardianship forms so everything’s done right, then I recommend after we ask him some more questions that you take him to Ponyville Hospital for a checkup. Just to be safe.”
Twilight nodded. “Already planned on it.”
Mayor Mare then left to fetch the paper work, while Fluttershy looked towards the door. She could hear Pinkie and Putt Putt talking sometimes, or one of them cheer at a move they made as they played their game.
“You think he’ll be okay with us doing this Twilight? He thinks we’re trying to help him get back to Cartown…”
Twilight squirmed a bit at that, but then said “I know you said he seemed to believe every word he was speaking Fluttershy… but I don’t think we should just take the word of a colt on something like this as true without more facts.” She smiled and reached out to place a reassuring hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry Fluttershy. We’ll sort this out. If it turns out he’s telling the truth, I’ll do everything I can to try to help him find a way back to his dimension… and if not, we’ll still help him find his real home.”
Fluttershy smiled at that, giving Twilight a nod. “Thank you Twilight. I think I needed to hear that.”
Twilight seemed like she was about to say something, but Mayor Mare returned with the paperwork and set the sheets in front of Fluttershy. “Hear they are. If there is any need for help, I can walk you through it.”
Fluttershy nodded, grabbing the offered quill and ink as she got to work. She made sure to look every single line and detail over… this was going to be a big responsibility to bear, and she didn’t want to mess anything up.
Especially for Putt Putt’s sake.
Author's Note
I decided to be productive after calling off last night due to being so tired, so when I wasn't napping and trying to make up for lost sleep (Yay insomnia!) I was writing and working on this.
Thank you everyone whose read this, whose commented, even those who have done ratings, upvotes and downvotes alike.
Chapter 3
Twilight walked back into the Mayor’s office, watching as Pinkie Pie finished her turn and ruffled Putt Putt’s mane. “Your pretty good at this Putt Putt!~ Almost as good as Dashie! Keep it up and you might be able to beat me too!”
“Thanks! Though I don’t really care about winning, just having fun!” Putt Putt exclaimed, earning a wide, beaming smile and nod from Pinkie. She turned her head though and said,
“I think Twilight has some things she has to ask you Putt, so I’m gonna go see if Fluttershy needs any help!”
“Alright, that’s fine. Can you give her a hug for me? I’d give her one, but if she’s busy with something I don’t want to be a bother.”
Pinkie giggled and exchanged a look with Twilight. Twilight got the distinct feeling Pinkie wanted to say something, but not with the colt present. So Twilight just gave her friend a nod, who proceeded to skip and bounce into the committee room with Fluttershy.
“Alright Putt Putt…” Twilight began, grabbing a scroll and quill from the Mayor’s desk. “It might be a bit before we can figure out how to help you get back to… Cartown. In the meantime, there are some questions I have to ask if that’s alright?”
She did her best to hide the discomfort at lying to the colt, but if they were going to get some answers, they needed to move away from what she was certain was the work of an overactive imagination… or something more.
Thankfully, Putt Putt didn’t seem to mind… or at least, she couldn’t tell if he did. The… smile of his never seemed to leave his face, not for long anyways.
“That’s alright. I’m in no hurry. Besides, I’m having a great time meeting new friends and seeing a whole new world!”
“That’s the spirit.” Twilight said, then wrote out the first question as she said “Now, since you’ve said you were a car before you woke up in the Everfree, these questions are really just a formality. Ready?” At Putt Putt’s nod, she began.
“How old are you?”
Putt Putt’s answer came quickly, though it surprised her a bit. Nine years old… yet he was a bit small for a colt his age. Jotting that down, she asked questions about where he lived, getting… the same answers revolving around Cartown. She went ahead and jotted those down though, before asking the big one.
“And what about your parents?”
That… made Putt Putt blink, his smile turning into a thin line for a moment. He looked… confused. That confusion only seemed to grow as he finally sat back on his haunches and said in a soft voice, “I… I don’t think I have any.”
Twilight turned her full attention to him at this point. Finally, as sad and terrible as it is to say that… this… this might give me some answers, she thought to herself as she asked “What do you mean? Everyone has parents right? You told Fluttershy you helped a… Baby Beep I believe? Get back to his Mama after getting lost in a theater.”
Putt Putt’s smile returned at that, but only for a moment. “Yeah! I did help Baby Beep… his Mama gave me the balloon I needed for the Cartown Parade!” His expression fell again as he said “But… I don’t remember having a Mama… or a Dad.”
Twilight watched as he looked down to the ground, trying to concentrate. Deciding to see if she could help a bit, she offered “Any family at all?”
She almost instantly regretted it, because the look of concentration started to take on one of pain… Putt Putt was starting to shake a bit as he shook his head… before being nuzzled by Pep. It took a moment, and a happy bark, but Putt Putt’s smile quickly returned… though it most assuredly did not make her feel any better. If anything, the smile was even MORE unnerving now…
“Nope, just Pep! I lived all by myself before then!”
“And how long ago did you get Pep?”
Putt Putt again took on a bit of a confused look, then said “Nine years ago!”
Twilight raised both eyebrows up at that. That… made no sense. “But that would mean you were… less than a year old when you got Pep.”
Putt Putt blinked at that, again getting a bit of a confused look. But this time it faded quickly. “Yeah, but I wasn’t a baby, I was a Car! I was a bit bigger than I am now… and have been that size all nine years!”
Recalling how Fluttershy had explained what a Car was, or at least what Putt Putt had been able to share, she asked “So you were made nine years ago… and lived by yourself. Do you remember anything about who made you?”
Again, a look of confusion, and again… a brief moment of mumbling to himself and confusion turning to pain. But the return of the smile was much faster as he said “It’s okay, I can figure it all out once I get back to Cartown!”
“Right…” Twilight said, making a note of how he responded to those questions… she was going to have some work to do back in the library. “Alright… that’s all the questions I had to ask… the only other thing we have to do is get you a check up and make sure your alright, then Fluttershy will be taking you back to her place while we try to figure out how we can help you out.”
Putt Putt nodded, the smile feeling a bit more normal to her now, even if there seemed to still be an unnerving edge to it.
“That sounds fine! I’ve never been to see a doctor before!”
Twilight’s quill snapped at that, but she just giggled and fetched another one as she tried to keep her mounting worry from showing.
Thankfully, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie chose that moment to return, with the former offering Putt Putt a smile as she came over and gave him a nuzzle.
“Everything’s taken care of for me to be your Guardian for a bit, i-if that’s okay with you.”
Putt Putt beamed at this, wrapping his hooves around Fluttershy for a hug. When he let go he said “It’s more than okay Fluttershy, it’s fantastic!”
Pinkie Pie and Twilight daawed a bit at the sight. “Well then, his next stop is Ponyville Hospital for a check up, then you two can head home and I can get started on some research at the library.”
“Alright, we’ll head there right away!” Fluttershy said, taking one of Putt Putt’s hooves in her own for a moment. “Stick close okay?”
Giving a vigorous nod worthy of Pinkie Pie, he replied with a “Yes ma’am!” before trotting on off after her. Only when he was gone did Twilight let out the breath she’d been holding.
“I think my worst fears about him are coming true Pinkie.”
“Perhaps. I’m at least glad we got to see a real smile on him.” This made Twilight quirk an eye up, and Pinkie gave her a somber grin “I’m the premier party pony Twilight, and the one that loves to make everypony and everyone smile. I can tell when someone is forcing a smile.”
Pinkie let out her own sigh, gazing at where Putt Putt and her had played checkers. “Most of his smiles have been forced… at least, somewhat. A few times he was genuinely smiling… but something made him smile way more than he needed to. It just made a lot of them be… well…”
“Unnerving?” Twilight offered.
“I was going to say creepy, but your word is better, and smarter too. Just like the smart pony who said it!” Pinkie replied, giving Twilight’s mane a ruffle which earned a bemused look from Twilight.
“Well, I just hope I can help out the little guy… especially after learning he doesn’t have… or doesn’t remember any parents.” She shook her head sadly at that as she made a copy of the answers for Mayor Mare, rolling the original up and keeping it near her head.
Pinkie gave a sad nod at that, saying “I saw the answers… but I’m not worried Twilight. You’re the smartest pony around, and he’s got Fluttershy taking care of him. And he’s got me to throw him a super funariffic Welcome to Ponyville party!”
That cheered Twilight up a bit… Pinkie Pie’s parties were always fantastic and always put smiles on everypony’s face. If anything could put a real smile on the colt’s face, it was one of her parties.
“Then I won’t hold you up. Looks like we both have a busy day ahead of us!”
“Yepparooni!” Pinkie declared, bouncing on out with an excited smile plastered across her face. Shaking her head in amusement, Twilight followed on after her. Once outside, she turned the other way and made for her library, a new quill and scroll already working on a list of books to dive into.
-*-
The visit to the hospital was… different for Putt Putt. No, it wasn’t really the examination… that had been kind of fun and new… he’d even giggled when they tested his reflexes. Nor had it been the weird tingliness from when that Unicorn doctor had used magic to check him more thoroughly after Fluttershy had a short talk with him.
No… it was a strange feeling of… familiarity. As if… as if he had been inside a hospital before. But that was just silly… Cars didn’t go to hospitals, they went to repair shops! So then… why did being in a hospital feel familiar?
Thankfully, he was given a clean bill of health, as was Pep though that was after Fluttershy checked him over instead as the doctors there didn’t take care of animals. Which confused Putt Putt for a moment before he just shrugged and followed Fluttershy out as the three of them made their way back to her cottage.
There, he played with Pep and gave him some lunch while eating a very tasty set of corn cakes with pureed mushrooms and buttered beets stuffed inside. He’d never had anything like that before, but it was delicious!
After that, Fluttershy showed Putt Putt to the guest room, which she said would be for him while he stayed here. He thanked her for it and then explored it curiously. It wasn’t much- a bed, a vanity atop some drawers, and a small bathroom attached to it with a shower. There was a chest, but opening it revealed that it was empty.
“It’s for your toys… if you end up being around long enough to get some.” Fluttershy said, wondering about his stories once again.
“Wowie zowie! Thank you Fluttershy!” he then pouted a bit, nearly catching Fluttershy off guard as he said “I wish I had my Smokey the Fire Engine lunchbox with me… I could put that in there.”
Fluttershy moved to place a hoof on his back, wanting to comfort him, but his big, wide, unnerving smile quickly returned. “That’s okay though! Maybe when I figure out a way back home, I can come and visit and leave things here!”
Fluttershy quickly but a smile of her own on as she said “That sounds wonderful Putt Putt.” She didn’t have it in her right now to tell him he might not be able to find a way home…
After all, on the way to her cottage Owlicious had stopped by to relay the answers to Twilight’s questions… and like Twilight, she was starting to think there was something more worrying about this colt’s head…
Putt Putt however was too busy telling Pep all the things from his garage he could keep in the chest, only stopping when Fluttershy let out a little cough. “Yes Fluttershy?”
“I have some chores around the house and yard to take care of… I have a few coloring books you could draw in if you like, or I could get some dog toys for Pep and you to play with.”
This time, Putt Putt’s smile didn’t leave her with that same weird feeling from before. “Those all sound like great ideas! I’d be happy to help out with the chores too if you want!”
Likewise, the smile on Fluttershy’s face now was much more sincere. “That’s very sweet of you Putt Putt, and you can in a bit. But you should take some time to play with Pep some first. I can tell he’s full of nervous energy right now.”
Putt Putt nodded, then with a giggle tapped a hoof lightly on Pep’s head as he said “Tag! Your it Pep!”
Pep let out an excited bark as he gave chase, with Fluttershy quickly dashing for the door to keep from being ran into… and admittedly, half worried the two would carry the game to the rest of the cottage. The guest room however was plenty big for the two, and so she let out a soft giggle as she said,
“I will be right back with some dog toys.”
Putt Putt only gave a nod, to busy laughing and grinning and now giving chase to Pep after Pep had managed to tag his nose. The pair kept this up for about five minutes before Putt Putt had to stop… feeling a bit tuckered out already.
Thankfully, Fluttershy arrived with a few dog toys, including a bright red and yellow ball which Pep was happy to play catch with as Putt Putt used his magic to grab and throw the ball at the opposite wall. He giggled as he watched Pep chase after it as it rebounded, especially when it went under the bed.
Pep eventually grew bored by this though, and since he was tired given the three or four yawns he let out, Putt Putt simply picked him up and gently set him on the bed before heading downstairs. He found Fluttershy tending to some mice, one of whom had an arm in a sling.
“Anything I can help with now?” Putt Putt asked as he gave the mice a smile. Most of them returned it but two of them seemed to shiver before racing off, making Putt Putt tilt his head a bit in confusion.
Fluttershy seemed a bit confused too, but quickly said “S-Some of the critters are a bit shy… they’ll get used to you.” This seemed to… cheer Putt Putt up a bit, and she asked “So you sure you want to help out?”
At Putt Putt’s eager nodding, Fluttershy smiled and lead him about the house and then the yard outside, telling him about the chores she had left. Some of them involved a bit more time and work, so she told Putt Putt she’d take care of those… but he was free to handle the simpler ones as long as he made sure to ask for help if he needed it…
… which, as it would turn out, he did need some help. The birds especially seemed to like flying away from him when he came over guide them to their basin for bathtime. He was only able to get the last few to cooperate by shouting “Honk!” at them, much to Fluttershy’s confusion.
The rest of the afternoon was spent helping Fluttershy prepare the meals for the critters and for themselves. Pep joined them at the table again after smelling the food and racing down. After dinner, it was bath time, and again he found himself needing a bit of instruction on what to do- the Car Wash in Cartown had all been automatic.
As Fluttershy was helping to dry him off, she smiled and asked “Would you like a bedtime story?”
For some reason… that made Putt Putt’s smile disappear… a distant, almost far away look took hold of him as his mind processed those words. Once again, just as at the hospital… there was something… familiar to such a query.
“Putt Putt? Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked, a look of worry returning to her face, even as he shook his head and smiled.
“I’m just fine, but thank you for asking Fluttershy! And yes, I’d love a bedtime story!”
Fluttershy wasn’t entirely convinced… especially when his smile grew wider again… but she just nodded and lead him to his bedroom, tucking him in first before going off to fetch a book. Pep climbed on up into the bed with him, Putt Putt giving him a few pets with his hooves and scratches with his magic while they waited.
It was only about a minute later when Fluttershy returned. “This book is called, The Little Chicken That Could !” She turned the main light off, then flicked on the lamp on the end table next to the bed. She smiled as she saw Putt Putt and Pep getting comfy and looking to her expectantly.
“There once was a little white chicken, who believed if he tried hard enough, that he could fly in the sky like his other bird friends.” Fluttershy began, smiling as she saw they were both giving her their full attention.
She spent the next few minutes reading through the little chicken’s many attempts to fly, ending the story with his successful, final attempt that let him fly in the sky with his friends. As she closed the book and looked back up, she saw that both Putt Putt and Pep were fast asleep, peaceful smiles on both their muzzles.
Letting out a soft giggle, Fluttershy reached up and gave them both a peck. “Good night Pep… good night Putt Putt. Sweet dreams.”
With that, she set the book on the stand, turned out the light, and left the room, closing the door as gently as she could.
Putt Putt found himself suddenly floating in a void of darkness… he couldn’t even see his own body, though moving about revealed he was still a pony. He squirmed about, trying to find something to grab hold on… even trying to use his new magic to at least light up the world around him.
But nothing seemed to do anything, so he was left to drift and float in the void… left to his own thoughts.
“I must be having a dream… but this sure isn’t like any dream I remember having…”
He was starting to feel a little weird as well… being here, in a pitch black inky void… with… well, no one else around… it was making him feel something strange that he hadn’t felt for a long while…
But before it could settle in further, he heard… a voice. It was… distant. Distorted. He couldn’t hear what it was saying, but he could hear the voice. Spurred by this discovery of a sound in the void, he tried to ‘swim’ towards the source.
He wasn’t sure if he was getting closer or not, because the voice still sounded distant and off… though now he realized there were two voices rather than one. And both sounded strangely familiar…
“Hello? Anyone out there?” he called out, turning this way and that… and when he made a full circle, he found himself nose to nose with…
“Pep!” He cried out happily, then his smile thinned a bit… before turning into a confused frown. He blinked, and looked again, and saw that what was in front of him wasn’t actually Pep… but a stuffed animal that looked like Pep.
The plushie Pep let out a ‘bark’ that sounded more like someone else mimed the sound, prancing around Putt Putt a bit before sitting in front of him, its plush tongue hanging out as it panted and whimpered for some attention.
Even though Putt Putt was a bit… well, weirded out by this, he offered a partial smile as he reached out with a hoof to pet it between the ears and along the back… though as he did, he could swear he felt… strings?
He blinked again, and concentrated the magic around the plush. He soon saw the outline of long, thin wires that lead up into the inky void above. And this time, he was able to hear the distorted voice better. “Here comes… your other favorite!”
He heard what sounded like someone… trying to make car noises as a purple car with big googly eyes glued to the front and a smile painted onto it pulled up next to the plush of Pep.
It… it looked like… him… only, it was a toy… he could make out the hint of more strings leading from it up into the darkness above, and as he stared, transfixed and a little… well, confused and frightened, he felt his smile beginning to slip.
“W-What’s going on… w-what is this?” He asked, watching as the toy purple car and the Plushie Pep seemed to spin around and chase and play with each other for a bit, the strange barks and a voice that wasn’t his came from the car.
It was like watching a puppet show… only, the puppets were of yourself and one of your friends.
A part of Putt Putt wanted to turn and run… but his mind recalled that feeling he’d started to feel before he encountered Plushie Pep. For some reason, he was having a hard time naming it… yet he was certain he knew what it was.
Despite how creeped out he was by the toy and plushie before him, after about a minute of watching, he called out “H~Hey, c~can I play too?”
As if that was a cue for something, the two slowly began to rise up into the darkness above… one of the voices spoke, and Putt Putt could pick up a tone of… sadness to it.
“We… go now… back… rrow… please… ter… dbye…”
Then the voice was gone, and it was just Putt Putt again left in the void of darkness, all…
... Alone.
Suddenly, the word he was looking for returned as the feeling itself did, stronger than before. Putt Putt gulped and looked this way and that as his heart began to race. He tried to smile, but it wavered and quivered as he called out
“Hello! Hello? A-Anyone… anybody… a-anypony? Someone… p-please say… something?”
All he heard was the brief echo of his own voice… before even that faded. No one responded… nothing stepped forward…
Nobody came.
The feeling of loneliness intensified, and each second only made it worse. The smile faded quickly, and he tried to keep a sob back as his eyes began to water. He started running, calling out again, trying to find someone, anyone!
Each time though, the darkness didn’t answer, and the silence began to overpower him. Soon, he came skidding to a stop, dropping to his haunches as he cried and sobbed, tears running down his face…
“P-Please… someone… anyone… I… I don’t want to be alone…”
His plea went unheard, and with a choke he laid his head down, covering his eyes as he cried, completely unaware and uncaring as the inky void began to close in around him, wrapping him in its empty embrace…
-*-
Fluttershy had been sleeping rather peacefully in her bed, the soft sound of a spring breeze blowing through the grass and trees outside helping her to quickly drift off, and was just about to begin her first dream of the night…
When she heard Putt Putt scream out, followed by loud sobs.
Instantly, Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open, and she was flying out of her room with a speed that Rainbow Dash would have been impressed by, even if it wasn’t really needed, given her room wasn’t that far from the guest room.
She heard Pep’s insistent and worried barks even before she threw open the door, spotting Putt Putt in the bed. His eyes were screwed shut as tears practically poured forth. His hooves were digging into the pillow that he was clinging too, and amidst the sobs she could make out
“Alone… can’t be alone… someone… anybody… don’t leave me here…”
Fluttershy raced over to the bed, quickly climbing into it and taking hold of the colt. She pulled him into a tight hug as she called out to him, trying to pull him from the nightmare plaguing him.
It took a moment… and she wasn’t sure if it was her calling his name or Pep deciding to bite onto his tail to give it a slight yank, but his eyes shot open, and he looked about the room wildly. When his eyes settled on Fluttershy, he tried to smile again… but this time, it quickly crumbled and fresh tears streamed forth as he buried his muzzle into the crook of her neck.
“Sshh… it’s okay, it’s okay. It was just a bad dream… everything’s going to be okay…”
Putt Putt eventually ran out of tears, and his sobs dwindled down to sniffles and the occasional hiccup. Fluttershy continued to hold and comfort him, gently running a soothing hoof up and down his back as she gave him nuzzles, with Pep soon joining in.
She wasn’t sure how long it took, but Putt Putt finally seemed to calm down, pulling back and trying to put on a brave face… this smile seemed a little forced, but only a little as he let out another sniffle. He pat Pep a bit and scratched at his ears before giving Fluttershy a tight, almost desperate hug.
“You gonna be okay?” She asked as she gave him her own smile. She watched as Putt Putt seemed to think about it for a moment before answering.
“I… I don’t remember ever having any bad dreams… or… or crying. I… I felt so… alone… t-there was… no one around… just… darkness.”
Fluttershy stroked his mane again, her heart going out to the colt, even as she found herself growing concerned again. She quickly pushed that concern aside for a moment though… she needed to be strong for Putt Putt.
“Well, you’re not alone Putt Putt… I’m here, and so is Pep.” She heard the door creak, and turned her head to see some of her animal friends peeking in. Her own smile grew a bit as she gestured them over, then they joined the three on the bed.
“And all of my animal friends are here too… so don’t let that dream bother you Putt Putt… you’re not alone.”
Putt Putt nodded, his smile becoming a little less forced to Fluttershy as he giggled and reached out to pet some of the little critters, who moved closer to try to offer some additional comfort. After a bit though, Fluttershy started to gently usher the other critters towards the door.
“Alright, we all need to get back to bed. We need a proper night’s sleep after all.” Once the critters had left the room, she walked back over to the bed, helping to tuck Putt Putt back in.
“Are you going to be alright?”
Putt Putt gave her a nod, and a proper smile as he wiped his eyes again. “I-I think so… thank you Fluttershy.” Pep gave a bark and quickly moved over to lay right beside Putt Putt, the colt giving his friend a hug and snuggling together under the covers.
“G-Good night Fluttershy… s-sorry for waking you up.”
Fluttershy gave him a soft, gentle smile and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. “It’s alright Putt Putt. You just do your best to sleep well, alright?”
Getting a nod from him, he closed his eyes and quickly drifted off. Fluttershy’s own smile faded as she gave him a worried look. A sigh left her lips as she ran a hoof through his mane and then stepped out of the room. She’d need to write herself a note to speak with Twilight the morning about this…
-*-
The rest of that night, Putt Putt slept peacefully, if dreamlessly. Fluttershy tossed and turned a bit, her mind briefly occupied with worry about the colt she now cared for… but eventually, sleep claimed her, even if it was a restless one.
-*-
Morning was a bit rough going at first. While they had both gotten the sleep they needed, Fluttershy’s sleep had left her tossing and turning a fair bit, and she hadn’t managed to have any dreams, none she could remember anyways.
As for Putt Putt, he had that big wide smile back, but his eyes showed that he was still a bit shaken by the nightmare, and only served to leave Fluttershy more bothered by his ever present grin.
Breakfast was some peaches and cream oatmeal that Fluttershy nearly burned as she found herself keeping more of an eye on her young charge as he went around filling the bowls for the critter’s breakfast.
After that, she decided to spend a bit of time with Putt Putt and some coloring books that Rarity had given her, having said something about them being surprisingly relaxing even though they were not as detailed as the ones she had.
Even if that was the case, they seemed to help Putt Putt feel a bit better. Especially when Pep started playing with a few of the crayon’s. Angel Bunny seemed content just to watch them, even if he gave Putt Putt odd looks every so often. If Fluttershy were to hazard a guess, she suspected Angel Bunny was either worried for the colt, suspicious of him, or both.
An hour of coloring later, with both of them feeling better, Fluttershy stood up, grabbing her book and the crayons she’d been using. “Come along Putt Putt, we’re going into town to see Twilight. I need to ask her a few questions.”
“Hot Ziggity! Just give me a moment to put these all away and get Pep, and I’ll be ready to go.” Using his magic, he gathered the rest of the art supplies and the books, gently setting them back in the cabinet Fluttershy had taken them from.
Fluttershy waited patiently as Putt Putt picked Pep up and got him comfy on his back, then together they trotted off into town. Putt Putt kept his magic to himself this time, his thoughts moving to Cartown and wondering if everyone was worried about him or not, or whether Mr. Firebird was working on a way to come and bring him back home.
Thinking about that got Putt Putt’s smile to widen a bit as he thought Of course he’s working on something. Mr. Firebird is really smart and a good friend. If my new friends here can’t help, I’m sure he can!
He ignored the errant thought that all his prior adventures had only taken a few hours at most before they came to an end, simply telling himself it wouldn’t be long before he was going back to Cartown.
This time, Putt Putt saw a bit more of Ponyville, taking interest in a building that looked like a gingerbread house with cupcakes on it. Fluttershy said that was Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie Pie worked and lived.
If he was good, and if he wanted to, she told him that she’d take him there once they were done at the library. Putt Putt really liked that idea, even if he was quickly distracted by the sight of another odd looking house, one that made him think of carousels. He quickly learned that was where another of Fluttershy’s friends, Rarity Belle, lived and ran a fashion store.
Putt Putt didn’t know much about fashion, but he did idly wonder if she’d be able to use magic to change his coat color, just for fun. Maybe he could ask her later?
However, his eyes went wide and his smile grew when he saw the library. “Wowie Zowie, is that it?”
Fluttershy smiled and held a hoof up to try to hold back a soft giggle. Putt Putt was already reading out the sign and bouncing in place, causing Pep to shake and shift all about.
“Careful there Putt Putt, or you’ll make Pep fall off.” Fluttershy chided, earning a blush from Putt Putt as he calmed down and turned to give Pep an apologetic look. Pep growled a bit but quickly laid back down, though this time he tried to get a better hold with his paws.
Leading the way, Putt Putt followed her on up to the door, his excitement getting to him again as he waited for the door to open. A library inside a tree? That was awesome!
A few knocks later, and the door opened, revealing a small purple and green Dragon who was about the same height as Putt Putt.
“Oh hey Fluttershy, ya here for Twilight? She’s downstairs in her lab if you need her.” The dragon said, shooting a curious glance towards Putt Putt.
“Y-Yes, I need to talk with her about something.” Fluttershy said, then added “And Spike, this is Putt Putt, the colt I’m looking after.”
“Hi Spike!” Putt Putt exclaimed, offering a hoof. Spike gave it a bump, which seemed to briefly confuse Putt Putt, but he shrugged it off as he said “Your a lot smaller than the last dragon I’ve seen before.”
Fluttershy squeaked at this, while Spike quirked an eyebrow up. “So I’m not the first dragon you’ve seen huh? Run into the one that’s in the Everfree?”
Putt Putt shook his eyes. “Oh no, I met this dragon on my time travel adventure. He was in the Medieval times and was helping Sir Poundalot in his forge. He was a nice dragon, but didn’t say anything, just waved.”
Spike was giving Putt Putt a rather incredulous look at that, while Putt Putt seemed to just stare at him with that big… huge… grin of his. Spike soon shot Fluttershy a look, before shrugging and saying,
“Oookaaay then… well, come on in, no reason to block the front door.” Spike gestured them both in, with Putt Putt’s smile growing as he saw all the books.
“Hot Ziggity! So many books! I don’t even know where to start!” Having said this though, he soon made his mind up as he raced over to one of the closest bookshelves. He could read the titles of most of the books, but there were a few which seemed to have some kinds of runes and symbols instead.
Taking hold of a few with his magic, he smiled and found a spot at one of the smaller desks meant for young foals, quickly diving into the first in his little pile. This seemed to be a cooking book for beginners.
“Please keep an eye on him, won’t you?” Fluttershy asked Spike, who nodded his head and pat her side.
“Relax, he’s in a library with his nose deep in a book. You go talk to Twilight… and if you can, try to see if you can get her to think about a nap, she’s only had two hours of sleep.”
“Oh no… I-I’ll see what I can do.” Fluttershy says as Spike grabbed his broom and went back to sweeping.
“Seriously, what’s the worst that could happen?”
If he had taken the chance to glance out one of the window’s, he might have caught sight of three young fillies racing towards the library, and reconsidered his own words.
Putt Putt was just starting to read a book on the Everfree Forest, curious about what else had been in the dark and creepy place he’d woken up in when the library doors were thrown open and three foals called out “Twilight! Spike! We need a book!”
Spike let out a yelp, falling off the ladder he’d been standing on to do some of his dusting. Thankfully, Putt Putt’s magic grabbed him before he could hit the floor.
“T-Thanks uh P-Putt Putt. Nice catch.” Spike said as he was lowered to the ground, shooting the purple foal an appreciative look.
Putt Putt just smiled widely and said “Your welcome Spike, happy to be of service!”
This exchange served to distract the three fillies, who glanced over to Putt Putt with interest. “Woah nelly, that was some really fast thinking!” The yellow one with a soft rose mane exclaimed, while the white one with a horn was eyeing Putt Putt up a bit.
“You look like your about our age… but I can barely use my magic to cast even basic levitation…” She looked at his purple coat and asked “Are you related to Twilight?”
The orange filly with the purple mane and small wings was more excited however about his flanks, which Putt Putt found a bit odd… even more so when she squealed “He doesn’t have a cutie mark! He’s a blank flank like us!”
“Hey girls, you said something about a book?” Spike called out from the other side of the room, setting his duster aside for now.
“Yeah yeah, hold yer horses.” The yellow one replied again, earning a quirked eyebrow from both Spike and Putt Putt, though for different reasons. “We got something more important to do now!”
The three fillies formed a half circle around Putt Putt, not seeming to be bothered by the wide grin he was bearing as he turned to give them his full attention. “Hi, I’m Putt Putt!”
The three fillies beamed and each one took one of his front hooves and gave it a shake, the yellow one giving the most vigorous one that left him bouncing in place a bit.
“Apple Bloom!”
They chimed out one after the other, adding “And together we’re…” They drew in a long breath before shouting at the top of their lungs…
“THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!”
Putt Putt’s smile had been wiped off by the force of the shout, and he had been sent tumbling over the desk he’d been reading at. His eyes spun a bit as he laid on the bottom of his neck, back hooves in the air and his tail tangling a bit over his head.
As Putt Putt shook his head to make the little stars spiraling around his head fade away, he could see that, even if he hadn’t been right in front of it, Spike was also rubbing at his own ears.
“You girls really, really need to dial down the volume on that cheer of yours.”
The three ignored that comment, with Apple Bloom coming over to help Putt Putt back up. His smile managed to return to his face as he gave a nod of thanks.
“It’s really great to meet you, but uh, what’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”
“It’s our secret club!” Sweetie Belle chirped, earning a mutter of ‘some secret’ from Spike as he returned to his chores.
“We’re on a mission, a crusade to find out Cutie Marks!” Scootaloo added, as if that explained everything. They quickly frowned though when Putt Putt just gave them a confused look while continuing to smile. “You do know what a Cutie Mark is, don’tcha?”
Putt Putt shook his head. However, he was observant, and after glancing to their own flanks, recalling the comment of “Blank Flank”, he thought about how Pinkie Pie had balloons on hers, and that Fluttershy had butterflies. Twilight had some kind of starburst or firework.
“Are they those things Fluttershy and her friends have? The pictures on their flanks?”
The fillies nodded their heads enthusiastically.
“A Cutie Mark represents your special talent, what your really good at and the thing that you want to pour your heart and soul into!” Sweetie Belle explained. “My sister Rarity has three gemstones for hers, and she got it after making a bunch of costumes with gems she found in a giant boulder.”
“And my Sister has three apples for hers, representing her love of our farm and working there. I couldn’t picture Applejack doing anything else in the whole wide world.” Apple Bloom added. She looked ready to say something else, but then Scootaloo jumped and hopped excitedly in place, wings buzzing.
“And my idol Rainbow Dash got hers after performing a Sonic Rainboom to defend Fluttershy’s honor! Or something like that.”
“Wowie zowie, it sounds like there’s great stories behind each of those.” Putt Putt said, the girls nodding their heads in agreement.
“We could tell ya about them if you like! Though they are a bit mushy, finding yourself stuff.” Scootaloo said, while Apple Bloom took another look at Putt Putt and sat on her haunches.
“Hey, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before, and we know just about every other foal in town. Ya’ll just move to town or something?”
Putt Putt’s grin returned in full force. “Oh no, I’m just visiting. I’m actually from a town in another dimension called Cartown.”
All three fillies blinked, giving him disbelieving looks. Putt Putt just smiled and started telling them everything that lead to him being in Twilight’s library…
-*-
“... He didn’t tell me much of anything about the dream, just that he was alone in it, and that it was dark. It seemed to really, really bother him.” Fluttershy finished filling Twilight in on how the rest of the day and night had gone by for Putt Putt.
Twilight had paused in her study of a pile of books, many of them seeming to deal with the inner workings of a ponies mind, as well as a few books on foals and their behavior patterns. Fluttershy’s mention of a nightmare had caught her attention, and she hummed as she considered the possible implications.
“That might give us a clue… but not much of one. It doesn’t have good implications given he can’t remember anything about his parents or family.” Twilight replied, and then after a moment added “And even if by some chance he was telling the truth, it doesn’t fit with the stories he’s given us of his friends back in ‘Cartown’.”
Fluttershy gave a worried nod, poking the tips of her hooves together. “That’s one reason why I wanted to mention it… his first night out of the Everfree, and even in a house full of critters, and with his dog pep sleeping with him, he had a nightmare about being alone… maybe even abandoned.”
Twilight let out a sigh, hanging her head down as she said, “I know… that’s one of my fears. I can’t imagine why anypony would do such a thing… but it has happened before. Putt Putt wouldn’t be the last foal abandoned…”
Twilight didn’t mention a worry that Putt Putt might have been abused, not sure how Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness of all things, would respond to that. She knew from her own cutie mark story that Fluttershy had been bullied and teased… but abuse by a parent to a foal seemed like something the kind mare wouldn’t be able to fathom.
The sound of the CMC’s trademark call drew their eyes to the stairs leading up. “Oh joy… that’s the last thing we need right now…” Twilight groaned and stuffed her face into one of her books.
Fluttershy did her best to hide her smile and giggle with a hoof, before saying “I don’t know, it might do him some good… I mean, if he is a Car, from the sound of his stories all or most of his friends are adults. Not kids.”
Twilight lifted her head up to ponder that, then said “True… I can’t argue with that… but I also feel a need to point out that he might confuse or scare them, either with that smile of his or telling them his stories.”
“Really? You think the CMC of all foals would be scared by those stories?” Fluttershy asked, to which Twilight gave a sheepish smile and looked away.
“Okay, maybe I’m more worried it’ll give them ideas… his going to the moon story alone could do that…”
That Fluttershy could understand. “We’ll head up in a few to check on them… and as long as we don’t hear any loud crashes they should be fine. Besides, Spike’s up there to keep an eye on them, and he knows how much trouble the CMC can be.”
Twilight gave an absent nod at that, already beginning to pull books out and letting them float before her. Pages flipped by at a pace that Fluttershy knew most ponies wouldn’t be able to get anything… but getting to know Twilight over the last year and a half lead her to know Twilight was skimming the books with a practised eye.
It took a little under fifteen minutes for Twilight to sigh, setting the last book down. “Well, I think I know what books will be useful, but I’m not sure if they’ll actually help us with Putt Putt. There were two spells that we might be able to make use of, but I’ll need to look into them more.”
“Oh? What spells are those?” Fluttershy asked as she looked at the trimmed down pile of about twenty books from the original… well, fifty or so.
“One of the spells is one that will let me see the dreams of another Pony… if Putt Putt has any more nightmares, I can use it to see them and get a better idea of the imagery his subconscious is bringing up.” Twilight explained. “The other is called the “Mind Delve” and it’s a spell meant to seek out the deeper problems in a Pony’s psyche…”
-*-
Pinkie Pie, who’d been putting the finishing touches on the front dining room of Sugarcube Corner, stopped what she was doing and looked up to the ceiling.
“Really? You went with that?” She asked nopony in particular, shuddering before shaking her head and returning to her work. The Cakes both ignored this, used to such things from the hyperactive party pony.
-*-
“Well, those sound like they’d be really good to know even if we can’t use them to help Putt Putt.” Fluttershy said as Twilight grabbed hold of the other books and made for the stairs.
“Certainly true, I’m sure I could find other times when either of those would be a big help for somepony.” She tapped a hoof to her chin in thought and said aloud “I wonder if Ponyville has a counselor or therapist… maybe I should have asked Mayor Mare…”
Fluttershy was about to comment at the idea of Twilight being a therapist, considering what had happened just three days ago, but instead was stopped when she ran into Twilight. She stumbled back, noting that Twilight had stopped and was staring into the main room of the library, eye twitching.
Curious, she stepped to the side and peered through… and saw Putt Putt helping Sweetie Belle draw what she assumed was a car version of herself, while Applebloom and Scootaloo were using some art supplies to try to make a cardboard version of one.
“Well… at least they haven’t broken anything yet?” Fluttershy offered, before Scootaloo let out a yelp as one of the rubber hands she’d been fiddling with snapped, flew through the air and smashed into a vase sitting nearby, which promptly fell onto the floor and smashed into a dozen pieces or so.
Twilight gave Fluttershy a flat look, the pegasus hiding most of her face behind her mane as she blushed a bit.
“Don’t worry about it… I’ll fix it.” Twilight muttered as she gathered the pieces up and fused them back together with her magic. “Spike, can you put these back for me while I talk with Putt Putt for a bit?”
Spike looked at the pile of books floating in her magic, sighed, and braced himself as she handed the tall stack over to him. “S-Sure thing T-Twi.”
“You sure your okay with all those Spike?” Putt Putt asked as Twilight walked over to him, his silver hued magic helping to stabilize the stack. Spike flashed him a quick smile and nodded, while Twilight gave a little cough to draw his attention to her.
Twilight opened her mouth, ready to start with a simple question, despite what one might have suspected given her questioning the previous day and the books she just read, only for a pair of pink hooves to slip under Putt Putt.
Said hooves quickly picked him up and deposited him on her back, much to his own confusion even with the smile plastered across his muzzle.
“Twilight Twilight Twilight, you can play therapist pony later! Right now it’s time for something much more important!” Pinkie Pie said with a cheery tone as she booped Twilight on the nose before sliding her and Fluttershy an envelope. “We’ll see you there shortly!”
With that Pinkie Pie turned and pulled four more envelopes out of her mane, tail, and from under Sweetie Belle’s chin of all places and gave one each to the CMC and Spike. Then she happily trotted out with Putt Putt on her back still singing “Lalalalaa!”
Twilight and Fluttershy both blinked, before looking to the envelopes. A quick flick of magic opened both theirs, and she pulled out an invitation to a “Welcome to Ponyville Party! Putt Putt style!”
“Putt Putt has a style?” Spike asked in bewilderment, receiving only shrugs from all the rest.
-*-
Putt Putt eventually hopped off of Pinkie Pie’s back and trotted along beside the bouncing party mare, his smile ever present as he wondered just what exactly was going on. Pinkie Pie was even more excitable and cheery than she had been the day before, and seemed eager to take Putt Putt somewhere.
Said somewhere was soon rather obvious as they drew closer to Sugarcube Corner. He perked up, having been told that it was a bakery full of delicious sweets and pastries of all kinds. He hoped the stuff inside looked as tasty as the outside did.
Once they reached the door, Pinkie Pie gently set him down with a smile as she opened the door for him. The inside was dark and dim, and he could hear a few whispers being quickly shushed. Putt Putt had a feeling he knew what was about to happen, but didn’t want to say anything. After all, if it was that, it’d ruin the-
“SURPRISE!”
Putt Putt had started in, and just as he was thinking that, the lights flicked on and the entire room lit up. The place was full of Ponies of all sizes and colors, and they were all smiling and waving. He saw a sign saying “Welcome to Ponyville Putt Putt!” which even had a drawn version of his pony self on it.
There were cakes, muffins, tarts pies, candy and oh so much more on several tables. There was even a small pile of presents on a table with a little note that said “Welcome Gifts!”
Also present, he noted with interest, a fair number of randomly placed items across the room, that seemed to have ‘click me’ notes on them. He could see a few ponies eyeing them with some slight confusion, not sure exactly what they were.
He of course beamed a fair bit more at the sight of them, knowing somehow that they would do even more exciting things if he used his magic on them than just any random object.
“Wowie Zowie! Is this really all for me?” Putt Putt asked, turning his eyes up to Pinkie Pie. The premier party pony gave a very vigorous and excited nod as she said,
“Yupperoni! I throw one or everypony or thing that comes to Ponyville and hasn’t been here before! Though I think this one is going to be one of my bestist!” She ruffled his mane and then gave him a light push “Go on! Go mingle and have fun!”
Putt Putt didn’t need to be told twice, racing off to start saying hi to the many ponies present. He noticed that there were plenty of older ponies as there were younger ones, and they all seemed eager to meet him.
Well, except for two fillies, and only after they noticed he had no cutie mark. Their expressions had changed to something that he wasn’t immediately familiar with… but he just kept smiling at them despite the odd looks until they eventually wandered away to grab some punch.
It was about this time that Twilight, Fluttershy, and the CMC arrived to join the fun, with Fluttershy coming over to check on him while Twilight moved off to talk to Pinkie. The kind pegasus watched in some bemusement as Putt Putt lit his horn up and ‘clicked’ at a balloon, watching as it changed into the shape of a present box, then a car, and then into a basketball.
“How about something to eat?” Fluttershy offered when his stomach let out a soft rumble, drawing his attention to the treats that were scattered about the place that many a pony were already digging into as they chatted amongst each other.
There were little rock candies in the shapes of nuts and bolts, bags of what looked rather close to cheese squigglies, chewy fruity wagon wheels, and even a cake that even he gave a rather confused look at, given that it was in the shape of an H and e resembling an exclamation point inside of a circle.
“Sure thing!” He said as he quickly grabbed a plate, taking a piece and finding it was flavored like cotton candy and grapes. Certainly an interesting combination and one he didn’t mind in the least.
He’d barely taken more than three bites when Apple Bloom called out “Hey Putt Putt! Wanna play pin the tail on the pony?”
He tilted his head at that, asking “Gee, that sounds fun, but uh, which pony?” That earned some laughs from everypony who heard.
Nearby, Pinkie Pie chortled a bit as she and Twilight watched the three crusaders go over and grab the colt to take over to the aforementioned game. Twilight saw that Pinkie Pie was in very high spirits, and asked,
“I take it this is mission accomplished for you?”
“We’ll find out over the course of the party. He’s definitely having fun, well, except for when he was meeting Tiara and Spoon.” She tapped a hoof to her chin, then added “Though since it seems like putting a smile on is his default expression, maybe he has trouble reading other faces. But at least his own smile is better now!”
Twilight sighed, mentally adding that to a list of things she needed to look into… and mention to Fluttershy that perhaps some sort of flashcards with various facial expressions might not be a bad idea.
Still, as she heard Putt Putt exclaim excitedly when his tail ended up being one of the closest to where it was supposed to go, she could at least agree with Fluttershy on one thing. He certainly did seem to be having a fun time as he talked and played and made new friends...
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Author's Note
Here we go, another chapter! Three more chapters to write up (hopefully if I can stick more or less to my outline) and that'll be it!
Chapter 7
This morning’s breakfast was… quiet. Fluttershy sat next to Putt Putt today instead of across from him as she had been doing, a wing draped over him for some additional comfort. He was trying to put on a brave face… perhaps too brave as she could see his smile straining to stay as wide as it was.
The rest of the night he had slept like a newborn foal- having someone to sleep with, more than one if she were to guess, had kept any additional nightmares away.
Maybe, Fluttershy thought to herself. Princess Luna had managed to reach his dreams and keep any additional nightmares away. Twilight did mention that Luna has taken up more of her old duties, which includes being the keeper of the Dreamscape.
She tried to give him comforting smiles, but she almost found herself wanting to cringe each time she saw his muzzle-wide smile. They way one of his eyes seemed to twitch a bit did nothing to help, reminding her of how Twilight had looked as she became increasingly worried about being “Tardy” for her friendship reports.
“Are you ready?” She asked as soon as Putt Putt finished washing his bowl and spoon.
“Almost!” He said as he dried his hooves off and then moved to pick up the saddlebags he had gotten from Rarity. Pep happily leapt into one, letting out some happy barks as he popped his head back out to give Putt Putt some friendly licks.
“Hehe, all right, I’m ready to go see Twilight!”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded, then turned to Angel Bunny and said “We shouldn’t be gone for too long, but if we are please make sure the other critters get their lunch okay?”
Angel Bunny rolled his eyes and shooed them both towards the door, gesticulating a bit and even telling her it was about time she took him off to get his head checked.
“ANGEL! That’s no way to speak about a friend!” She chided, only to have the door slammed in her face once they were both outside. She sighed, shook her head, and gave Putt Putt a hug.
“Come on, let’s get going. Twilight is expecting us after all, and we don’t want to keep her waiting.”
Putt Putt bobbed his head in agreement, and together the two of them set off into town. It was still early morning which meant most ponies were still inside their homes, either preparing breakfast or catching a bit more sleep.
As it would turn out, the latter was what at least one of the residents of Golden Oaks was up to, as Twilight was the one to open the door when the three arrived. She looked a little tired herself but from the cup floating next to her Fluttershy suspected it wouldn’t take long for Twilight to be alert and ready for her spell casting.
“Morning Fluttershy, Putt Putt, Pep. Just have a seat, I was finishing up breakfast. I still need to double check the spells I’ll be using anyways.”
The two nod, taking a seat near the table in the center as Twilight returned to the kitchen. Putt Putt gave her a curious look and asked “What exactly is Twilight going to do?”
“She’s going to use some magic spells she found to try to see what’s causing the nightmares.” Fluttershy explained as she again draped a wing over his back. She gave him a soft nuzzle as soon as she saw him shiver at the mention of those bad dreams of his.
“Oh, okay then… I hope she can help make them go away.” Putt Putt said, his smile stretching again. “It’ll make waiting for a way back home a lot more fun if I didn’t have those anymore!”
“Nightmares are part of a normal ponies sleep actually.” Twilight said as she strode back in, a book floating in front of her face as she scanned its pages. “Everypony has a scary dream every so often, but frequent and intense nightmares are usually a sign of something deeper.”
Putt Putt blinked at that, giving her a confused look as he said “But I don’t think I’ve really had any nightmares before coming here.” He reached up and tapped a hoof to his chin and added, smile fading for a moment “Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve had many dreams before coming here either…”
That earned raised eyebrows from both mares. Twilight sighed and closed her book, setting it aside as she said “Well, in any case, first I’ll be reviewing the dreams themselves to see what I can learn. I have a book over here that contains a bunch of thoughts and research on dream symbolism.”
“Alright!” Putt Putt exclaimed… a bit more excitedly than Twilight would have thought appropriate given the circumstances. “Do I need to do anything?”
“Just relax, and close your eyes… and try to think about the dreams. It will make it easier for me to see them.” Twilight said, watching as his smile started to falter before going even wider. It almost made her think of Pinkie Pie, but not in a good way.
“Hot Ziggity, I can do that! Anything to help a friend!”
Twilight smiled at that, then began focusing. She went through the spell one last time in her head before casting it and placing her horn upon Putt Putt’s forehead.
The world around Twilight dissolved, and she found herself in what she assumed was Cartown. She could see Putt Putt leaving his garage home and going about the town… she followed along, having to gallop a bit every so often as Putt Putt in car form seemed to go by a bit faster than she could trot.
She watched as the dream quickly became a nightmare, making note of every detail she could. Twilight found herself wishing this spell didn’t require so much of her focus- she could be writing it all down on a scroll instead of having to play the the dream out several times, and doing the same for each of the other nightmares Putt Putt had experienced since he came out of the Everfree.
More surprising however was when she tried to see dreams from before that… there seemed to be… well… nothing… at least, at first glance. She could sense… something… but it was so distant, so faint, it might as well have not been there… and it almost felt like they didn’t belong…
Twilight reviewed the dreams and nightmares she could get to one last time, noting that they all seemed to only be from while he was here in Ponyville. She then finished the spell, taking a step back for a moment as she worked to re-orient herself as her magic got to work noting everything down.
Twilight also glanced at Putt Putt, who looked a bit uncomfortable. His smile was still there, if diminished, and his eyes looked just a bit damp. “I-I did my best to think about and recall them. Did that help?”
Twilight nodded, giving him a smile of appreciation as she said “Yes, it did… though I think I need to use the other spell to try and learn more…” Especially about that… well, I suppose anomaly is a good word for that strange feeling in there.
She didn’t share it with Putt Putt though as she said “First though we’ll take a ten-minute break… mind spells aren’t something that should be cast right after the other.” And as an afterthought “I need to talk with Fluttershy for a moment, so feel free to read any of the books while you wait.”
Putt Putt nods, smiling as he goes over to look at the books again, while Twilight leads Fluttershy into the kitchen. She closes the door partway, and sighs as she rubs at her head.
“Is it worse than I think it is?” Fluttershy asks, and Twilight frowns, pondering the question.
“Well, I definitely sense the theme of loneliness, and hopelessness is another part. Darkness being everywhere is very big, as almost all of them ended up having things being swallowed by it in some form or another. I’m not sure I can figure anything out about the ‘cars’ in his dreams, but I also saw the cars and others important to him in the dreams turn into toys… with Pep becoming a plushie. And at times there are strings leading up into the sky… almost as if everything in the dream is just puppets on a stage.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “So the answer right now is that I don’t know… I certainly think something is eating at him… and whatever it is, it’s because he’s here. I can’t find any dreams he had before his first night here.”
Fluttershy gulped at that, shaking her head as her gaze was cast to the door. “Oh dear… that doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s certainly not a sign that he’s as fine as he likes to think.” Twilight said, peering out the door with Fluttershy as Putt Putt looked at a kid’s book on magic while Pep cuddled up against his barrel, licking at his chin.
“And I’m not sure now how the Mind Delve spell is going to work. The book says that it lets the caster and the subject both see the memories… I’m not entirely sure what I’ll find in his memories, or if something did indeed happen in his past how he’ll react to it.”
She turned her head to Fluttershy as she asked “I’d like you to stay next to Putt Putt to give him some moral support, and to help keep him still in case he reacts badly to any of the memories I see, and that he experiences.”
“Of course Twilight… I can do that.” Fluttershy said, standing a bit taller as she pushed some of her mane out of her eyes. “I’ll do whatever I can to help to Putt Putt.”
Then she lowered her head back down and admitted as she dug at the floor with a hoof, “I just hope I won’t have to try to hold him down or anything… do you really think his memories could make him lash out?”
“Honestly, no. He doesn’t come across as the sort.” Twilight said as she sat down, pouring herself another cup of coffee and bringing it over to her. “But the spell in the book for the Mind Delve does recommend it. It is normally used for ponies visiting a therapist or going to a mental institution.”
Fluttershy nodded at that. She didn’t know much about magic and only understood some things about psychology… and that was mostly animal psychology. But a spell meant to dive into the mind and memories…
She could see how, for someone or somepony who’d been… she shuddered to even think of the idea of a pony being abused, such a spell could bring up things that they wouldn’t want to see again.
The next few minutes passed by in relative silence, being broken up only by Twilight offering Fluttershy some tea and by Spike’s coming in to get himself a bowl of gems for breakfast. Once Twilight had finished her pot of coffee, and done some extra looking reading on the details and effects of the Mind Delve spell, she closed the book and nodded to Fluttershy.
Together, they came back out, Fluttershy calling to Putt Putt, who happily put the book back where he’d found it before walking back over to the two of them.
“This next spell is going to be a bit more. It’s going to be looking over your memories, so I can see if I can find what’s causing the nightmare’s in question. You may or may not see some of the memories as well. If any of the memories you see while I’m looking through them bother you any, tap your hoof on the floor three times.”
Putt Putt nodded in understanding after he tapped the floor three times and asked “Like this?” and receiving a nod from Twilight. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, and then relaxed as Twilight prepared the spell.
This time, there was a sensation of sinking that came with the spell. She let it wash over her, the book mentioning that resisting it could cause the spell to cancel out or even miscast and cause temporary memory loss. Once she felt her hooves on solid ground again and saw herself looking up at herself through Putt Putt’s eyes, she knew the spell had worked.
Alright… the nightmares started after Putt Putt arrived here… he says he hasn’t had any nightmares before… so I should probably look at his memories before he woke up in the Everfree.
With a bit of focus, she watched the world around her blur, as if his memories were rewinding backwards before her at rapid speed. There wasn’t much need to pay attention to anything until she felt the form she was in… shifting… and saw black before spirals of color…
The feeling of being a car was… odd… to say the least. But what was stranger was that the surrounding details weren’t as… sharp as they had been in his nightmares, or as clear as she would have expected a recent memory to be.
She could see the ‘dimensional portal’ that Putt Putt had mentioned, finding it weird that a rocket attached to an oven and a dishwasher was able to do something like… well, open a portal to another world. It almost sounded like the sort of thing a foal would dream up for a story, like how some foals would make armor from cardboard or use a pot as a helmet.
With some effort, she slowly extracted herself from the form of Putt Putt, sticking close to him as she took in as many details as possible.
Which, to her immense frustration, soon began to be… well, hard! Harder than it should have been in fact! Anytime she tried to focus on something besides whatever Putt Putt was paying attention to, whatever she was gazing it seemed to become fuzzy, almost out of focus like she was looking through a smudged up lens.
This trend continued through the memories of each of his adventures… but what drew her attention more was how… disjointed those memories were. His memory of his adventure through time seemed to be missing… well, his actual driving to his school he supposedly went to, and well… anything after that.
And his parade adventure (which made no sense at all seeing as there was no one WATCHING it) just seemed to end with him leading the rest of the cars off into the sunset… for Celestia’s sake, his memory of going to the circus seemed to end when the clown threw a pie in his face!
Then, there was that… anomaly again. The instant she tried to go further back into his memories after he woke up on the day of the parade… there seemed to be… nothing. As if he simply didn’t have any memories before that! Yet the magic of the spell seemed to be telling her that there was… something beyond that.
She decided to go through the memories a few more times… maybe she was missing something… because nothing about the memories she saw seemed to indicate anything that would be causing Putt Putt nightmares with the fear of being left alone as a central theme to them.
As it would turn out, going through the memories a few more times had in fact given her a potential insight. Each time she went through the memories, she started to notice that there was something… off about the voices from the other cars and beings she saw in the memories. And after her fourth run, she could swear she heard someone describing some of the surrounding environment.
It took some additional magic, but she was able to isolate what she was hearing as she went through the memories for round six, and to her surprise, found that what she heard was two separate voices pretending to be other voices… including to her own confusion, Putt Putt’s voice!
One sounded like that of an older stallion, while the other was that of a mare, and they seemed to exude an aura of… love and kindness that made her think of her own parents when they would read bedtime stories to her and Shiney…
And then, something in her head seemed to click. She went through the memories of his time in ‘Cartown’ one more time, and as she did so, she realized that what she was seeing was not an actual memory… but a construct. The reason so much of the world around her seemed so blurry, distant, and… detached when Putt Putt wasn’t focusing on something was because he didn’t have anything to work from! When she heard a tree being described, and how it would suddenly have its leaves transform into the shape of say a rubber ducky, it was clear and vivid- but as soon as the voices were ‘speaking’ or describing something else it’d go out of focus, losing its importance to Putt Putt and the adventure he was on that day.
This time, when she reached the garage on his ‘first’ memory, she frowned and gazed at the wall behind the table where the tube of wax for his teeth and his bowl of Tire-O’s sat. She could feel now, much more clearly, that there was something behind here…
She wasn’t sure what it was, but she was determined to find out now.
Her horn glowing brighter, she poured more magic into the spell, focusing on the wall before her as she began to step towards it. I’m getting through here… I’m going to find out what’s going on, and what’s plaguing this colt’s mind!
This time, she was able to step through… and she found herself in what seemed to be a big dark void of… nothingness. She blinked, checking the spell and discovering this was, in fact, a memory, and that there was more ahead of her.
Slowly, Twilight walked forward, unnerved by the silence surrounding her. On what she figured was her thirtieth step, she heard a voice… the voice of the mare. She had trouble making out what she was saying, as if the words were garbled, or talking from a far distance making it almost sound like a murmur.
But she did catch a glimmer of a toy car that looked like Putt Putt, and a plush animal, moving about as the voice continued. Twilight sat down, watching and listening. With some effort, she was able to make out a word or two…
Walking again resulted in several similar instances, sometimes with only the mare speaking, other times the stallion was alone, and then there were times they were together. Each time, the outlines of toy Putt Putt, the plush Pep, and sometimes other toy cars that looked like the citizens of Cartown, would accompany them and play out what she was starting to guess were scenes, almost like a puppet show.
And with each one she saw, it took fewer steps to reach the next little ‘act’.
Suddenly, after an act that didn’t seem to have Pep involved until the end, she saw a light form up ahead. A very bright light. She heard a loud clop against wood, but continued forward anyways.
The light brightened, and suddenly, she felt herself no longer in her own form… what form she WAS in she couldn’t be sure as everything felt… numb. She could feel limbs… feel that they were there… but they couldn’t move, and in this memory, she found that only her head seemed to move any, and not by much. She was barely able to register that she seemed to be on a bed… one that was moving, and that sounded like it was one wheels.
Actually, it kind of sounded like a stretcher. And that thought let her hear mumbling and murmuring of someone completely different, someone with an authoritative voice barking out orders as they followed along besides her.
She heard another clop, this one louder, but ignored it as the bright light seemed to dim above her for a moment, letting her see a shadowy form leaning closer to her. It briefly faded from sight again as the light shone and tried to practically drill into her eyes, but what mattered was what the form said next, the sound of barely held back tears easy for her to pick up.
“It’s okay baby… you’re not alone… come on baby… please just hang on and smile… smile sweetie. Remember what I told you? Always keep a smile on your face… it’s always important to keep a smile on your face, as long as you’re smiling, everything will be okay, right sweetie? Right?”
She could feel the memory moving forward now, the darkness moving to swallow her up again, and as soon as she was back in the empty void, she heard the sharp crack of a hoof stomp on wood.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she cancelled the spell.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Author's Note
So, all that's left for this story now is the epilogue, which will wrap things up and will have an authors note explaining how I came up with the idea for this story and everything. I'm excited to being so close to having another finished story, and in a VASTLY shorter time span than my other finished story.
I want to thank everyone again whose left comments and ratings, I appreciate it as it's helped me be able to reach this point.
Chapter 9
Putt Putt sat there for a bit, just crying into Fluttershy’s shoulder as he tried to come to grips with the choice he was making. Just because he was making it didn’t mean there weren’t doubts or fears… especially when you were abandoning… n-no, letting everything you thought you knew about the world go.
If I was never a car… then I’m… well, I’m not alone now… but what happens to me next? I don’t have my own place to stay… Putt Putt thought to himself as he let out a few sniffles, his tears running dry after so much crying today.
He was about to pull away and try to ask Fluttershy that same question, but the shout of “There you three are!” from Twilight stopped him as the unicorn raced on down to them. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you Putt Putt! And Fluttershy, when did you find him?”
“O-Oh, I uh, just a bit ago I think.” Fluttershy said, giving a sheepish smile as she said “I found him crying and Pep found me.”
Twilight let out a sigh at that, then frowned. “Why didn’t you use that flashlight I gave you to signal us?”
“Oh!” Fluttershy exclaimed, and Putt Putt watched as Fluttershy ruffled about in a pair of saddlebags that he hadn’t noticed. She finds the flashlight in question, and points it up to the air as she mumbles “I forgot.”
A second later and a flick of her tongue against the switch, and a beam of light that had Fluttershy’s cutie mark pierced through the leaves and shone high above the canopy of the Everfree forest.
“Well, that’ll at least let the others know we found him.” Twilight said, her expression softening as she then sat down next to Putt Putt, her face on his level as she asked “Are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?”
Putt Putt gave a soft nod, and for the next few minutes Twilight checked him over and used her healing magic to deal with the bruises and scrapes he had gained in his fear induced dash.
Twilight then squirmed in place for a moment, before surprising Putt Putt as she said “I’m so sorry Putt Putt. I… I shouldn’t have told you what I did, at least, not the way I did. I was too absorbed in the enormity of what I saw in your memories… the implications… I didn’t think about how it might affect you.”
Putt Putt wasn’t entirely sure why she was apologizing… after all, if he really wasn’t a car, believing he was couldn’t be good could it? And his ‘Cartown’ memories didn’t offer anything to explain for before them. Not that they were much to work with.
Still, he tried to give her a shaky smile as he said “I… I think I forgive you.” When he saw her wince at that, he quickly added, “I… it’s… a lot is going through my head right now. I just… I don’t know anymore… I’m, I’m left feeling even more alone now.”
“But you’re not alone.” Fluttershy said with a soft smile. “We’re here, even your good friend Pep is here, and he was very worried about you when I found him.” Pep let out a bark of agreement at that, which made Putt Putt smile for a moment before his expression fell again.
“I know that… but it doesn’t stop me from feeling like it here… or here.” Putt Putt said as he placed a hoof to his chest, then his head. He then looked between the two as he asked “S-So… what h-happens now?”
Twilight and Fluttershy shared a look for a moment, then Twilight said “How about we start with something simple, like getting out of here and meeting up with the others.”
That seemed sensible… and given his stomach was rumbling, Putt Putt wasn’t inclined to argue too much about it. Figuring out everything else could come later…
It took a bit before they set off, as Putt Putt’s legs were all still sore. He’d likely have to take it easy for the next few days, even after the spells Twilight cast on them.
They walked in silence as they made their way out of the woods, with the occasional nuzzle from Fluttershy or Pep to try to help raise his spirits. He appreciated the gestures, which helped to put a smile on his face for a bit but soon his mind would drift again.
Drift is a good word for it… Putt Putt thought to himself. His mind was wandering this way and that, wondering what was in store for him. There were so many questions to ask, one of which was wondering about his own past. And of course, whether he wanted to know more about said past.
After all, the feelings he’d gotten just from seeing that one moment, with the concerned, worried, maternal voice… he wasn’t sure he wanted to see that again, and he’d probably have to if he wanted more answers to that.
And that didn’t even touch on asking who he really was if what he thought was real was a lie.
“Hehe, you don’t need to worry about that silly billy!” A familiar voice said, making Putt Putt blink. They were reaching the edge of the forest, and Pinkie Pie had joined them and was now walking in front of Putt Putt. Backwards.
“H-Huh?” Putt Putt asked, drawing the attention of Twilight and Fluttershy who both slowed, so they could listen in on the conversation.
“Well, for a start, Putt Putt’s a great name for you.” Pinkie Pie said with a smile. “And more importantly, I can see the kind, friendly, helpful, and fun loving colt you are. All things that it sounds like the Putt Putt from those stories was.”
“Besides, whether they were stories or real, they’re a part of you. An important part of you, one that when all was dark and empty, you used them to keep going. You didn’t let that darkness take you!”
Putt Putt started to smile a bit at that, finding Pinkie’s words to be striking a chord with him.
“And if they were just stories… stories that you loved, and that somepony knew you loved, then what better way to honor those stories then by being the best Putt Putt you can be! Car or Pony, you can have fun adventures, make new friends, and help others out all the same!”
Putt was nodding now, the smile on his face not quite as wide as it used to be, but it was a real one which made it all the brighter. “I… I think you’re right Pinkie Pie.”
She closed her eyes and gave him a brilliant smile at that before ruffling his mane. “Doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but I think you know rather well nothing worth doing is easy.”
Putt Putt couldn’t argue with that too much. After all, in those… story memories he supposed he could call them, Putt Putt the car hadn’t had an easy time. Those adventures had involved solving problems and finding ways to reach his goals, whether they be joining a parade or traveling through time to retrieve his school supplies.
Putt Putt the Car had faced such challenges head on, smiling and knowing that as long as he persevered, he’d reach the end.
Now, he supposed, it was time for him, Putt Putt the Pony to do the same. The future was uncertain and unknown. It wouldn’t always be something where he could smile… he was rather certain of that now. It wouldn’t always be easy…
But seeing what lay ahead, seeing what adventures he could have, what friends he could make, that… that was something worth seeing til the end. That was something worth leaving the past in the past and looking ahead to the future.
He did appreciate how Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to assume his memories of Cartown were made up… even if perhaps she was doing it for his sake. But given he hadn’t been able to find where he’d fallen in the Everfree, and there’d been no sign of anything to show anyone from there was able to trying to get him back…
Either way, it seems I’m here for good... Putt Putt thought to himself as they exited the forest, three other mares whom he’d met at the big party Pinkie Pie threw for him waiting for them.
They rushed forward, eager to check on him and just as concerned as the others had been. Putt Putt felt his cheeks heat up just a bit as he got both worried queries, some lecturing about running blindly off into the Everfree, and a bit of back-hoofed praise from Rainbow Dash on just charging into the big wild Forest without a second thought.
Putt Putt didn’t mention that at the time he’d been too afraid of other things to worry about the forest.
A few more grumbling stomachs put any further chiding or worrying to rest, as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy lead the way back to her cottage to make something for everypony’s hungry tummies.
Putt Putt did his part to help as well, using it as an opportunity to put his questions and worries aside for a bit and just enjoy the company of all these ponies who cared so much for him. And as Twilight said when they walked in, there’d be time to deal with such things later.
-*-
Later that night, Putt Putt found his dreams to be… peaceful this time. He did have a short-lived visit from his fears of being alone… but he’d felt the form of Fluttershy hugging him in his sleep, and the nuzzling of Pep into his neck as they shared the same bed. That had been enough to chase those fears away.
And when morning came, Putt Putt was strangely feeling… much better than he had since the first day he came to Ponyville. It felt like… it felt like something was slowly lifting off his shoulders, a weight he’d never known was there being taken away.
And another was about to be dealt with as Fluttershy pulled him aside and asked “Putt Putt, I’ve been thinking, ever since we left the forest, about what you said. About what happens next.”
Putt Putt felt his heart beating a bit faster at this, a mixture of emotions leaving him only able to give her a curious look as fear and hope warred for dominance.
“And I talked it over with Twilight… and well… i-if you don’t have a problem with it that is… I figured that I could… well… not be just a temporary guardian but a… a permanent one.”
Hope began to grow stronger in Putt Putt’s heart, and he began to smile as his head worked through the implications.
“I-If you want… I… I was thinking I could be your… well… your Mama.”
Putt Putt found himself giving the butter yellow pegasus a warm smile as his eyes teared up, then he threw his hooves around her neck as he nodded his head feverently.
“T~Thank you Fluttershy… I~I mean… M~Mama…”
Pep was letting out happy barks and bouncing around Fluttershy, just as happy as Putt Putt was as Fluttershy returned the hug, nestling his face into the crook of her neck as she held him tightly against her.
The question of where he would go had been answered… he wouldn’t have to go anywhere. The pony who had shown him so much kindness and been so patient with him was going to be his caretaker… no, more than that, she was going to be his mother.
There was a brief feeling of pain as that memory that Twilight had found resurfaced… but now, he could feel it better… it was an old memory. If the voice had belonged to his original mother… he hadn’t heard or seen her in person in a long time.
And something told him that she would want him to be happy… to be able to put a real smile on his face. Not force it like he had been.
“I~It’ll take a bit to make it official… but Twilight said she can send the paperwork to Celestia to speed things up. But we don’t have to wait till then if you want to call me Mama.”
Putt Putt giggled a bit as he pulled back. “Gee Zippity, I don’t think I could wait even if it took a month!” As he was released from her hug, he joined Pep and his happy bouncing as he sang out “Mama ‘Shy, Mama ‘Shy!”
Fluttershy blushed a bit, but was beaming just as much as Putt Putt was. She let out a soft little giggle as she reached out and pulled him back in for another hug and some nuzzles to the top of his head.
“My little Putt Putt… you’ll have a family again, and me and all my friends, pony and animal alike, will do our very best to make you happy and make sure you never feel alone again. It might not always be easy… but I’ll do my very best to be a good Mother.”
With some nuzzles of his own, Putt Putt smiled and said “Don’t worry Mama, I’m sure you’ll do a great job.” A thought then struck him, and he giggled a bit as he looked from Fluttershy to Pep.
“Hehe, you know what boy?” Putt Putt asked, earning a curious bark from his eager and excited friend. Putt Putt reached out with his magic, drawing Pep over so he could join the big cuddly pony hug.
“I think I was right… this is going to be a great adventure… and everything’s going to be okay!”
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. It took Putt Putt a moment to recover his thoughts as he laid there on the ground, chest heaving as his mind worked to make sense of what it was receiving. The feeling of legs… of skin and fur… the mane on his head, a tail… he was still trying to figure out what the weird pointy thing he could barely see on his forehead was.
“Bark bark!” Pep said as he rushed in front of Putt Putt, his paws reaching up to rest on his… muzzle? Yeah, that was the word.
“H-Huh? S-Say again?” Putt Putt asked, not catching all of that as he shook his head and began clearing his thoughts. Pep barked again, and Putt Putt blinked as he said “I have a horn? Of course I have a horn, I’m a car.”
Pep rolled his eyes and growled and barked again, causing Putt Putt’s eyes to widen in understanding.
“Ooohh, you mean I have an animal horn on my head… but wait, if… If I’m a pony, and I have a horn on my head…” Recognition twinkled in his eyes as his smile finally returned to its usual state.
“Wowie Zowie, that means I’m a Unicorn now!” He said, Pep barking an affirmative at this. Slowly, Putt Putt worked to get to his hooves, his smile thinning just a bit as he felt his legs shake slightly.
He looked down at them, marveling a bit at each leg as he tried lifting them up and moving them one at a time. Putt Putt’s smile returned to it’s beaming state as his eyes twinkled with excitement and wonder at these new sensations. This was going to be a more interesting adventure than all of his past ones!
It was also a bit more uncomfortable than the rest, as he quickly found out when he tried to drive forward, only to fall flat on his muzzle. His eyes spun a bit before he shook his head and stood back up, trying again and flopping into the grass.
Pep was watching from nearby, rolling his eyes again as he gave the purple unicorn a chastising bark, before slowly walking back and forth in front of the former convertible.
“H-Huh? Oh right, legs… leg’s don’t spin, they walk. Hot Ziggity, I get to walk around like you do Pep!”
Pep barked excitedly at this, though he winced a moment later when Putt Putt tumbled to the ground after a few steps. He shook his head before walking over to lick at Putt Putt’s face, earning a smile and a nuzzle from the purple unicorn as he chuckled at his mistakes.
“This may take a bit little buddy, so stay near me okay?” Putt Putt asked, earning a nod from Pep, who started sniffing at the air and exploring the very immediate area. He kept in sight of Putt Putt, both because he didn’t want to get lost and because he wanted to keep an eye on his owner as well.
It took about half an hour, and a great many stumbles, trips, and falls before Putt Putt started to get the hang of walking on four hooves. Pep kept an eye on him and encouraged him along the way, especially after the seventh fall when he saw Putt Putt’s smile fade and his eyes begin to water.
Some comforting licks and nuzzles and a few encouraging barks had his smile returning in full force, though Pep kept an extra eye on him after that… he’d never heard Putt Putt make a sound like that whimper before…
As soon as Putt Putt was confident in his ability to walk on all fours, and keeping his stumbling to a minimum of one every twenty or so steps, he called out “Pep! Come here boy!” When Pep came over, Putt Putt did what he usually did when he was getting ready to go somewhere. He grabbed Pep and put him on his back…
… Only, being a pony, he didn’t have an antenna anymore, so how did he do that? He hadn’t used his mouth…
Pep suddenly let out a yelp, and Putt Putt turned his head to look at his canine companion, letting out a gasp and suddenly dropping him. Pep let out a growl and glared a bit at him as he picked himself up, while Putt Putt said,
“S-Sorry Pep… but well, you had a silver glow around you and… wait…” His mind recalled that strange glow he’d seen from his horn before, and then he thought back to his antenna. He saw light come from his horn again, and he looked back to Pep as he thought about picking him up with his old antenna.
To his surprise and delight, he saw Pep slowly rise from the ground, Pep letting out a confused bark as his legs paddled a bit. He floated him to his left, to his right, up and down for a moment, Pep’s movements in the silvery glow followed his own mental directing of his antenna. And when Putt Putt imagined letting go, the glow faded as he mentally retracted his grip on Pep.
This time, Pep simply hopped out of the magical field, not wanting to repeat smacking into the ground.
Putt Putt sat down on his hind legs, clapping his forehooves together excitedly. “Wowie Zowie, I have magic Pep! And it works just like my antenna does!”
Pep’s annoyance at being carried about like that quickly faded as Putt Putt’s excitement became infectious… and went away completely as Putt Putt tested his magic out by picking up a stick and giving it a light shake.
Pep lowered his front in preparation, a playful growl coming forth as Putt Putt giggled and gave the stick a light toss. With a cheerful bark, Pep gave chase to it, quickly returning with the stick in his mouth and tail wagging happily.
“This is fun!” Putt Putt said as he tried it some more, finding it rather easy to use this new magic he had like this. He played around with it and Pep for another few minutes before some loud shrieks of birds nearby reminded him they were in a strange, dark forest.
“C’mere Pep, let’s go see if we can find someone who can help us figure out how to get back home.” Putt Putt said with a smile as he once again picked Pep up and set him down on his back.
Pep let out a worried whimper as he used his paws to cling to Putt Putt’s neck, but a bright smile from Putt Putt and a quick nuzzle helped settle some of the dog’s trepidation.
“Don’t worry buddy, it’s just another adventure. Everything is going to be just fine.”
Someplace not to far away, a certain pink pony said aloud, “Ponies really need to learn not to say that.” before resuming her baking, causing the confusion of the two ponies in the room with her.
-*-
It was just another normal morning at Fluttershy’s Cottage. The sun was shining down, it’s warm rays bathing everything in its brilliant light. Birds were chirping in the trees, Fluttershy was doing her usual morning rounds, there was a roar coming from the Everfree forest and the sound of a colt screaming…
Wait… one of those things didn’t fit…
Fluttershy looked up towards the forest, her eyes shrinking as her ears did in fact catch the sound of a colt shouting out in fear. Several of her critters turned their attention to the forest with her, and together they gasped as a purple Unicorn colt with a silvery blue-white mane raced out of the forest, a pair of Timberwolves hot on his trail!
Harry the bear let out a roar of his own as he quickly raced over, with Fluttershy right on his heels. Harry reached the Timberwolves just as Fluttershy darted past him, snatching the colt and the little dog clinging to his mane off the ground and arching away from the enchanted beasts.
“Are you alright?” She asked, then blinked as she saw that, while the colt was panting, he was quickly smiling widely as he looked at her in awe.
“Wow, a real Pegasus! And you can talk!”
“I-I uhm… of course I can talk…” Fluttershy stammered, thrown for a bit of a loop before she heard Harry let out a growl of pain. She looked and saw that one of the Timberwolves had bitten him and, while it hadn’t broken skin, it looked like Harry was in a fair bit of pain.
Seeing her friend being hurt, a look of anger and determination formed on Fluttershy’s face as she raced over and gave the wooden wolf her patented “Stare”. The wolf whimpered a bit as she kept it up, saying,
“You let go of my friend right this minute! He is not for chewing and you do not belong out here!”
The Timberwolf let go but growled, especially as Harry smashed it’s friend to pieces. Fluttershy didn’t relent however.
“You heard me mister! Apologize to my friend and then go back into the forest!”
The Timberwolf whined a bit, then gave Harry an apologetic look before turning and darting back into the forest, his friend doing the same once he reformed and Fluttershy turned her stare upon it.
Only once the Timberwolves were out of sight did she turn around and check on Harry. She cooed and stroked the spot where he’d been bitten, telling him he’d be alright and that she and Angel would have it taken care of in just a sec.
A swift call for him later, and Angel Bunny was quick to hop over and point Harry towards the door leading into the cottage as she floated back towards the strange purple colt, whose smile had widened as he gazed at her.
She studied him a bit in kind, trying to see if she recognized him, but after a cursory glance, she couldn’t recall seeing this colt before today.
“U-Uhm, hello there little one. Are you alright?” He nodded his head, his breathing now back under control as he replied,
“That was amazing Miss Pegasus! I’ve never seen anyone stare down a wooden wolf before!” He then paused and added “Course, I’ve never seen a magical wolf made of trees either.”
Fluttershy quirks an eye up at this, before saying “I-I uhm well… I am a Pegasus, but I’m not Miss Pegasus. My name is Fluttershy. W-What’s your name?”
“Oh, sorry Miss Fluttershy. I should have asked first.” The colt said, then added with an even wider smile that very much reminded her of Pinkie Pie “And my name is Putt Putt, and this is my friend Pep. Say Hi Pep!”
Fluttershy smiled as the dog gave her a friendly bark, letting out a soft ‘aww’ and a blush as she said “I~It was no problem Pep… I couldn’t just sit by and let those Timberwolves chase and possibly hurt either of you.” She then frowned as she turned her attention back to Putt Putt and asked “But what were you doing in the Everfree Forest? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?”
Putt Putt blinked, his smile shrinking just a bit as he shook his head and said “I didn’t know it was dangerous. Dark and scary, but not dangerous…” His smile returned, unnerving her a bit with how quickly it came back as he continued,
“And as for what I was doing in it, I was arriving there from Cartown!”
“C-Cartown?” Fluttershy asked with a confused blink, slowly setting down on her hooves. “I’ve never heard of a place called Cartown.”
Putt Putt smiled. “I’m not surprised, since I wound up in that forest by accident. Mr. Firebirds new invention malfunctioned and sucked me through a portal, and I woke up in the forest after being transformed into a Unicorn!”
“I… I uh…” Fluttershy began, not sure what to make of all that. After a moment, she felt a kick from Angel Bunny, and she nodded to him as she turned towards the cottage.
“Why don’t you come in with me Putt Putt, and you can tell me everything while I tend to my friend?”
With a nod of his head, Putt Putt said “That sounds great! May I help?”
Normally Fluttershy tended to tend to the injuries of her animal friends by herself, with maybe some help from Angel Bunny… but given how eager the colt was, she didn’t see any harm in it.
“Of course you may Putt Putt. I’m sure Harry will appreciate it as much as I do.”
Putt Putt did a little hop and shouted “Hot Zippity!” before trotting on in. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and Angel Bunny shrugged before they followed him on in.
Once inside, she got to work tending to Harry’s injury. She also asked Putt Putt about how he’d wound up in the forest while he helped bring her the bandages and medicine she needed. Halfway through his story, she had him go to the kitchen to get a bowl of water for Harry… then turned to Angel Bunny and asked if he could go get Twilight.
“Hey, where’d your bunny go?” He asked when he returned, Harry taking the bowl and saying thank you in bear before gulping it down.
“Hm? Oh Angel? I sent him into town to get one of my friends. She’s a very smart Pony and I’m sure she’d like to meet you.”
“That sounds great! I love making new friends!” He exclaimed before returning to his spot next to her. There wasn’t much more to do for Harry, so it wasn’t too surprising that she finished up as Putt Putt wrapped up his story.
“And that’s how I ended up in the Everfree Forest!”
Fluttershy just nodded and smiled a bit, even as she realized she was now more worried than she had been outside.
To say she was more concerned when Putt Putt finished relaying his story to her would be a bit of an understatement. His story sounded… well, crazy. She’d had to ask what a car was, and the idea of an adult letting a kid near an untested machine that’d already malfunctioned before was… well, so irresponsible! Not to mention impossible! It sounded like something out of Pinkie’s imagination… or maybe that big dumb meanie Discord!
She shivered a bit at that last bit, trying not to think about him. It’d been a little under a week since they dealt with him.
Fluttershy was about to ask him about his parents, having noticed he hadn’t said anything about them, when his stomach rumbled loudly. She watched as Putt Putt blinked, then blushed a bit and asked “Do you have anything I can eat?”
Holding a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle, she smiled and nodded. “Of course I do. Let me whip you up a nice tasty salad, and some delicious kibble for Pep. Oh, and while I’m doing that, you can help me out by getting my critter friends their lunch too~”
Putt Putt let out an excited “Oh boy!” and hurried off to the kitchen. Fluttershy could only shake her head and smile. He was certainly an excitable and upbeat colt, and eager to help. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… off about the foal…
The rumble of her own tummy forced her to shake her head and put such worries to the side for now. She needed to make lunch for the two of them… and make sure he was giving her critter friends the right food.
-*-
Miss Fluttershy is really nice! Putt Putt thought to himself as he took a few more bites of the salad in front of him. It wasn’t Cheese Squigglies, but it was still delicious! He’d never known flowers could taste so good. Then again, he was a Pony here so that made sense.
Pep was also enjoying his lunch, as were all the other critters! Miss Fluttershy told him he’d done a great job, only messing up the food for her snake friend and her flamingo friend.
He’d also talked with some of the critters, finding it a bit weird they talked like Pep did even though he’d met lots of animals at the Zoo and the Circus who could talk like cars and ponies could.
He was washing down the last few bites of his lunch with the glass of fruit punch that Fluttershy had given him when he heard a knock at the door. He heard a girl’s voice call out “Fluttershy? I’m here!”
Putt Putt watched as Fluttershy slid out of her seat and replied “Just a second!” She then smiled and asked “Would you like some cookies and milk for dessert Putt Putt?”
His eyes widened and his smile grew wider as he nodded his head. “Yes please Miss Fluttershy! Cookies sound great!”
“Well, helpful and nice foals deserve a treat for their work.” She said as she opened her fridge and pulled out a few cookies, setting them on a plate and bringing the milk over to him as well.
She excused herself before Putt Putt could thank her for them, earning a confused tilt of his head before he shrugged, petting Pep before digging into his treat. Putt Putt felt his ears swivel a bit as he heard the two… mares, yeah mares was the word, talking to each other in a hushed tone.
He idly wondered what it was they were talking about, but he couldn’t pick up the words. So with a shrug he returned his attention to the cookies which only took a few minutes to devour them. He even licked the plate clean of crumbs! Next was the milk, and just as he was setting the cup down and letting out a happy sigh, he saw Fluttershy returning with another pony.
She was a unicorn with a purple coat similar to his, dark blue mane with a pinkish streak through it and inquisitive purple eyes. He noticed she had a starburst like pattern on her flanks, just as Fluttershy had three butterflies.
She also had a horn like he did, marking her as a Unicorn, which made him smile some more. He had been curious to know if there were more or if he was the only one.
“Hello there Putt Putt.” She said with a smile, her eyes studying him as he returned it with a bigger one and waved a hoof. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy here told me about your situation, and I came to see if I could lend a hoof.”
“That’s great news! Hear that Pep? Miss Sparkle here is going to help us get back to Cartown!” Pep let out an excited bark before returning to his kibble, while Twilight’s smile thinned a bit before brightening back up.
“Please, just Twilight will do. No need for formality among friends.” Getting a nod from Putt Putt, she continued,
“Before I can go about helping with that, we need to head into Ponyville and visit the Town Hall and Mayor Mare. There’s a few things we need to do first. Is that alright?”
“Sure thing Twilight, I’d be happy to-” Putt Putt began, then stopped and developed a curious look. He felt… weird… it wasn’t a sensation he had any experience with, and trying to pinpoint it took a moment. When he did, he was left confused and wasn’t sure how to describe it as he started to squirm.
Pep looked up from his bowl, watched Putt Putt for a moment. Then he let out a curious bark, which made Fluttershy stiffen a bit as Putt Putt gave him a befuddled look… before realization dawned on his face and his cheeks turned red.
Which left Twilight rather in the dark, since she couldn’t understand Pep. She looked from Putt Putt, Pep, and finally Fluttershy as she asked “What’s wrong?”
Squirming a bit, Putt Putt offered a bit of a sheepish smile as he said “I-I’ve uh, being a car, never had to do this but uh… how do I… how do I go?”
Twilight gave him a blank look and asked “Go? Go whe-” Then her own eyes widened before shrinking a bit as she got the meaning of it.
Putt Putt dipped his head in embarrassment again even as a small smile remained. This adventure was definitely to be different from his earlier ones.
