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!”