Decided to split these into separate parts so that it's more apparent when I add another addition to this story.

Part Two:
>You got some moss growing on your left hoof, you've been eating nothing but homegrown carrots for the past week, it's gotta be Hermitnon O'clock
>And despite normally being able to do this shit in your sleep your last five ritual circles have come out as ovals, and you're one wobbly sigil away from setting this entire forest on fire
>Fuck it, trying out this Animate Furniture spell can wait a few days
>You don't know it yet, but you're sparing yourself the realization that you don't have any furniture to animate in the first place 
>Timberwolf time
>Last time you fucked around with them you figured out what they ate - namely, sunshine
>it's like having a bunch of pet rocks that try and bite you
>Very convenient though, you heard that fucking Zebra screeching and shouting some invectives in rhyme a few days ago after almost tripping and falling into the moat
>Serves her right, this forest is huge, how the Hell does she manage to stumble into your neck of it?
>Fuck off
>Probably wants to talk shop or trade herbs
>Go find that shit yourself, lady
>Anyway, wood dogs
>Today's experiment is pretty straightforward:
>'How can I make these fuckers do things without the obvious incentive of food'
>Clicker Training only works because you give the dog a piece of food after the noise
>They associate the noise with food, so they do whatever you say to get it
>Can't really restrict their access to sunlight without killing them a little
>And that would just create mental connections that are less beneficial
>If food's off the menu then giving them something to play with might do the trick
>So here you are with a scurry of squirrels bundled up and shivering before your moat of Timberwolves
>It's... slow going
>The Timberwolves are interested in the squirrels, obviously, but they seem to be paying way more attention to them than your commands
>The back of your neck is starting to itch after a few days of little progress
>You're on the third day of zero progress when something finally breaks up the monotony
>A voice breaking through the serene backdrop of nature you're used to
>Soft and buttery, you probably wouldn't be able to pick it up without the enhanced senses afforded to an Alicorn
>"... And it's just past this brush, you said? Alright... I'm sure we can work something out, this is all surely a big misunderstanding!"
>Within a few moments the Pony behind the voice makes itself known, walking through the treeline
>It's that yellow one, you remember seeing her in the Library when you were scoping it out to nab Purple's grimoire
>Shutterfly
>She's currently playing host to a squirrel of her own, jabbering angrily while tugging on her mane, from which it's nestled in
>Their conversation drops dead when they see you
>Situated above a hole with gnashing wooden teeth peeking out, holding a number of squirrels in your magic
>"Annon!"
>Great, she says it wrong too - how does she even know (approximately) your name anyway?
>"What are you doing?! Those poor things are terrified! How could you be so cruel?"
>There's a lot more steel in that voice than you were expecting
"Training these mutts... or making an effort, anyway. These fucks aren't cooperating at all. I can't use food to gain their obedience so I figured, why not try toys?"
>Your admission drains the color out of the Pegasus's face, which is pretty impressive given that she's covered in fur
>The squirrel in her mane absolutely fucking loses it and starts flailing its little arms and jabbering at an increased, squeaky rate
>Did it understand you? That's a bit more sapient than you were expecting
>Either way, not a great idea on its' part
>As interesting as the scurry of terrified squirrels in your grip is, the Timberwolves are very interested in prey that's a bit more lively
>Such as the aforementioned pissed off Squirrel and equally peeved Yellowquiet that's launched into a pretty impassioned rant about the sanctity of life and how mean it is to dangle squirrels so close to the maw of death
>It's just annoying enough to get your attention off the Timberwolves and on her
>You're almost impressed by her ability to barrel over you and not let you get a word in edgewise, but your emotional capacity is mostly focused on being irritated by this sudden social event
>So imagine everyone's surprise when two of the fuckers manage to drag themselves out of the moat you made and start barreling for the Pony and her companion
>They're barreling for her like some bats out of Hell
>She's so taken off guard, going from passionate hippie to deer in the headlights
>You get your wits about you to realize that even if this butterhorse is being a pain in the ass you're not interested in watching her get mauled
>So you start cantering to get after them, take a deep breath
>And employ that lovely Royal Voice you've barely had a chance to utilize out here in bumfuck nowhere
"STOP."
>To yours and Flutterface's surprise, the Timberwolves dig their wooden paws into the ground mid run and skitter to a stop
>They turn to face you as you perform a similar maneuver, heads bowed and twiggy tails tucked beneath them
>That's the first time they've actually heeded your commands!
"Well shit, I was starting to workshop the theory that those ears were just vestigial and you used vibrations or something to locate prey. Good boys."
>Now it's just a matter of figuring out the exact factor that got them to behave
"Hey Yellow, what do you say to sticking around for a bit? Much as I hate to admit it I might need another body to tease out how to make this consistent."
>Silence
>You look up from your Timberwolves to find a conspicuously empty spot near the brush
>Fluttershy fucking booked it
>Either scared shitless by the beasts sprinting at her, or maybe you knocked her into the next zipcode with the power of your voice
>Both are just as likely
>Ah well, you're a big stallion, you'll figure this shit out with or without help
>Pretty quickly, in fact
>With another blast of the Royal Voice the Timberwolves meekly return to their moat, which you add a 'lip' to with the spell you used to make the enclosure in the first place
>Is it volume, then? Maybe those ears really are mostly for show
>Or maybe you're vibrating their bodies enough to compel action
>Further testing is required, but for now you're feeling confident you can nail the form for those ritual circles, now that you've succeeded at something
>Your good mood lasts all the way until a few hours later when the future comes to pass and you realize the closest thing you have to furniture is the pile of moss you sleep on