Another commission thingy for blaster884, another petrification scenario but up my alley with pones. I was looking forward to this one because for those who know about my pone Sketchy Dupe, here’s a new side to him I’ve been thinking of for some time now. Hope you like it!

<ins>(Original sketch:sta.sh/0j16vlmu9ix)</ins>

    It was only a few days before Sketchy Dupe would try to move to Canterlot as a means of him and Saffron Masala living closer to one another after dating for some time. The lovely chef mare payed a visit to the earth pony’s home back in Ponyville, with boxes and wagons about for the move. She brought some ingredients and kitchen tools so the ponies would whip up a splendid dinner and spend time together. Along with that, Saffron read about an exotic meal that required a unique plant that rested in the burden-filled Everfree Forest and has been meaning to make the dish and see how well it tastes. Sketchy was concerned for the mare as he didn’t want her to go into the forest and get hurt finding this spice, only to be hugged by the mare as she is going since the sun is still up and she will be fine. She heads out and goes to the forest, leaving the stallion to remain there waiting for her return.

    It was only then when Sketchy saw the moon take the skies he knew he had to find Saffron and bring her back. Ever since she left that sunset, he has been itching and itching endlessly in worry, scratching himself, oddly enough, like a mere canine to relieve his stress. It didn’t help as he needed to search for her, using the scent of her sweet-scented mane and tasty kitchen scent to guide him. He left his house and ran to the forest, the mare’s scent keeping him alarmed and focused on her trail as he treks through the hazardous land. His mind was filled with tension as to what creatures could be lurking to harm Saffron as she was alone, but he didn’t want that to eat at him. Just the mere thought of that made Sketchy growl and snarl at those who could do said harm. The scent was stronger, meaning that the stallion was very close to his beloved mare, skidding to a halt as his face was filled with nothing but shock and horror. The pony he loved, Saffron, was now a still and cold stature, her form being nothing but stone with her expression of shock and surprise.

    Sketchy ran up to the petrified mare, yelling for her if she could hear or even see him, even while being encased in the stone prison. He got no response, as expected, leaving him to hug the statue in sadness, his mind spinning and racing on what to do or how to bring back the unicorn he loved. He shivered when he heard a monstrous hiss killing the chilling silence between the stallion and statue, revealing a venomous cockatrice appearing from the shadows and looking right at the stallion with red glowing eyes. Sketchy knew of what cockatrices could do and should have known better to think these creatures would be hunting for prey to petrify, especially Saffron. The stallion was stiff once the glowing red orbs were aimed at him, feeling his body being turned into stone to join alongside his beloved chef mare. He was filled with fear, agony, but definitely anger, but a more monstrous and animalistic rage he felt towards the cockatrice for taking Saffron away. Sketchy felt a headache grow as he felt his sense die out, replaced with a natural urge to attack the serpent bird. There’s was nothing he could do as his entire form was petrified, leaving his still like Saffron as the creature claims another victim.

    That would have been the case if the cockatrice didn’t notice the sudden growing wood emerge from Sketchy’s hind hooves, growing right from out of his body and covering most of his red coat as the shredding wood and timber ripped apart the creature’s strong stone casing. The stubby hooves of the pony started to grow sharp wooden claws, the forehooves doing the same as the stone barriers were being overpowered by the strange event occurring before the serpent creature. The pants Sketchy worn was being ripped to shreds by the wooden coat, revealing the altered cutie mark that was once a doodle of a simple snake now turned into one of a forest-like wolf, similar to the Timberwolves that resided in the Everfree Forest. Bits of his revealed mane was no messy and rugged, with leaves being inside the hairdo as they poked out. The stone around his eyes cracked apart as the once calm and faithful gray orbs were replaced with black eyes and green glowing pupils. With a low, beastly growl being audible, Sketchy managed to shake and break apart the cockatrice’s formally powerful stone prison as he appeared anew, no longer a normal stallion, but rather a timberwolf-like pony that wanted nothing more than to pierce the flesh off the creature before him to get the unicorn mare back.

    He growled at the cockatrice to turn Saffron back to normal, only to get a hiss in response as the cockatrice took flight, aiming its claws at the timberpony as it flew directly towards him. Timber Sketchy dodged the flying serpent’s strikes, slashing back with his wooden claws to make it pay for its actions. The cockatice swiftly flew back, managing to bite its sharp teeth into the stallions non-timber parts of his body, causing Timber Sketchy to let out a agonizing howl. He took this moment to grab the cockatrice and take it off, throwing it around towards the rough trees and bark like a pointless, lifeless doll. He threw, clawed, and slammed his hooves onto the creature, not holding back until the creature gave in and would let Saffron free in order to survive. As Timber Sketchy extended his bark claws to pierce into the bird serpent, the cockatrice decided enough was enough, undoing the spell as the stone casing around Saffron was slowly fading. Sketchy saw the results of the fight, seeing Saffron fully restored as she was dizzy for a moment. He snarled at the bird as it flew away in fear and humiliation, not wanting to come across the timberpony or the mare that influenced him into such a strange and near magnificent state of mind.

    Timber Sketchy then whimpered and growled, feeling the wooden parts of his body go back into the pony body it was stored in somehow. The leaves on his mane fell down, some remains of the timber broke off and fell onto the dirt, his eyes drained of the venomous range of colors and back into the usual white eyes and big gray pupils. The cutie mark lightened up, reversing back into the tiny serpent that was on Sketchy’s flank. Sketchy, now suddenly back to normal, was dizzy for a bit until he heard the voice of his Saffron speak to him. He turned to see the mare alive and well, pouncing her as he hugged her close, nuzzling in relief that she was alright. Saffron reassured that she was fine, but she felt like she zoned out for a moment somehow and then back to where she was. Sketchy said of how he felt the same as well, as if his mind was somewhere else for a quick minute. It was as if his transformation and beastly change was unknown to him, the only sign being his shredded pants that were damaged during his change. However, this only left Sketchy to yelp and cover himself, wondering where he can get a new pair and asked Saffron is she found the spice she looked for. She couldn’t help but giggle at the stallion’s usual silly behavior, saying that it’s best to just go back home and worry about the spice some other time.

    The two ponies then walked back to Ponyville, close and nuzzling their heads as they urged to feel relieved for some mysterious reason. Saffron wasn’t harmed in the end and that was all that mattered to Sketchy. Though, due to the sudden rough night leaving him a bit tired, he was unable to notice some timberwolves in the distance who have witnessed the stallion’s monstrous change against the cockatrice. The timberwolves he once lived with since foalhood and had to move from as he got older. They watched in honor as well as fear, their magic being the source of the stallion’s unknown, strengthened, dangerous side.

So there you have it. A new change in my Sketchy Dupe character. I initially made him a simple pony with pants at first, but I wanted to give him a little more pizazz or something to go for him. So inspired by Jekyll and Hyde, Bruce and Hulk, and mostly the Wolfman/werewolf, I gave Sketchy a monster side thanks to some timberwolves. For his new background, he was basically found by some of them when he was a little foal, having some magic transferred into him to strengthen him since the wolves knew he wouldn’t survive in the harsh forest. That unintentionally creates a new form inside the stallion, a timberpony, that no one was aware of even after Sketchy left his wild family to live among the ponies of Ponyville.

I do have to give a big thanks to ya, blaster. I tried to find an idea to introduce this new change/addition to my Sketchy, kind of thought to just go with a profile pic like some of my other OCs, but I think the comm idea for the doodle was a good start.   Hope to draw more of the now timiberpony Sketchy down the road. I do want to know what you think of the design I gave him. If you have any suggestions on how to iron out the look, feel free to comment, I’m curious to look at what you suggest.  

Saffron Masala/Cockatrice-Hasbro

Sketchy Dupe/Timber Sketchy-SnakeyThingy