To Love a Pet

by Creative Charmer

Chapter 4 - Friendship Separated

After his first successful day as Sweetie's pet and the CMC's mascot, Lester was feeling the pull of slumber upon his own self. He yawned a big yawn as his eyes began to droop. This display did not go unnoticed, as Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom felt that they were affected by the same effects of tiredness, each yawning after the other one.

"Ah think it's time for us to hit the hay."

"You read my mind. We should all head home now," Scootaloo and Apple Bloom walked towards the door, but stopped to look back at the motionless Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle, are you coming?"

"In a minute: I just want to say good night to Lester."

"Oh, okay then."

"Let him know how great he is as our mascot!"

Sweetie giggled. "Can do!"

After saying good night to their friend, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom trotted out of the clubhouse, shutting the door behind them. Afterwards, Sweetie Belle turned her attention back towards Lester, ready to say farewell to her furry little pal. "Well, Lester, this has been one of the best days I've ever had: meeting you, becoming friends, and having you be our mascot. It couldn't get any better than this," Lester beamed with pride, sharing in Sweetie's emotional stances. "That's why it makes me feel so bad to have to leave," she replied glumly, causing Lester's previously sunny disposition to switch to that of bewilderment. "It's really lousy that I have to leave...sigh...oh, well. It'll just make me more glad to see you tomorrow!" she turned herself around to leave. "Goodbye, Lester!" and Sweetie trotted towards the door.

Sweetie Belle's trotting was suddenly cut short by what felt like tugging on her hind leg. She turned her head back to see little Lester grasping her leg tightly: a forlorn expression upon his face.

"Lester? What are you doing?" she looked at his pitiful face more closely this time, now understanding his actions. "Oh...Lester, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here. I have to go home."

These tragic words only made Lester cling to Sweetie Belle tighter.

"I wish I could take you with me, but I don't want to worry about my parents not letting me keep you, so you have to stay here at the clubhouse, okay?"

As reasonable as Sweetie tried to be, Lester could not be swayed by her words. After all the time they had spent together, Lester could not bring himself to part with the only real friend he has ever known. Just the thought of it wrenched at his heartstrings, dragging him down into a hollow of despair from which he would not be able to recover from so easily. Tears began to swell in his eyes the more these thoughts rattled about in his mind.

Seeing such a distraught expression on her pet's face just about made Sweetie Belle cave in to Lester's desire for them to be together, but she quickly thought of what would happen if Lester were to be found by her family: and that was something she was not about to let happen to her and the best pet she's ever had and could ever have.

Sweetie struggled as she pulled her leg out of Lester's grip, then turned around to face him. "Lester, you need to understand how much I don't want to lose you. You're the best pet I could ever have, and just the thought of not being friends with you anymore makes me really sad. And I'm sure you feel the same way, don't you?"

Lester despondently looked down at the ground, silently agreeing with Sweetie Belle, knowing he couldn't be as happy without her in his life. He then felt Sweetie's hoof being placed under his chin, and then the lifting of his head up towards the heartwarmingly smiling face of Sweetie Belle.

"Don't worry, Lester. We'll see each other again tomorrow, and then we can play all we want!"

Lester stared back at Sweetie Belle in silence for a few moments, then stood up on his hind legs and licked Sweetie belle's face before going back down on all fours, at last in acceptance of her wish for them to stay apart for the time being.

Sweetie Belle was happy to see him go along with what she wanted, and after one last heartfelt goodbye, Sweetie Belle left the clubhouse, shutting the door behind her.

However, even after the filly was long gone, Lester continually sat in the same exact spot in front of the door: staring at the entrance in a constant state of despondency, as even though he did as Sweetie belle wished, it did not mean it was something he was glad to do.

~~~

Sweetie Belle yawned as she entered her bedroom. The long walk back home made her more tired than ever, and she was looking quite forward to hitting the hay. She pulled back the sheets of her bed, climbed inside, and pulled the sheets back over herself. all tucked in and ready for a good night of sleep.

Before going to sleep, however, Sweetie Belle reminisced on the wonderful day she had. It was truly incomparable to any other day she's had, and she hoped many more superb days would come now that Lester had become her pet and friend. Having him as her pet made her feel so happy, and not just normal happy: a different type of happy, as if there was a void inside her that made her feel like there was something missing in her life, and that little porcupine was exactly what she needed to fill that void, causing Sweetie Belle's life to now become whole, which, of course, made her entirely contented.

This was also true for Lester, as Sweetie Belle not only filled the void for friendship in Lester, but for family as well, and that made him feel even greater bliss than Sweetie felt, as being alone was hard for him to go through, and that little filly helped him to break out of that hard time and find happiness again. Unfortunately, Lester was not thinking about all that at the moment.

After sitting and staring at the door for a little while, Lester felt the pull of sleep yet again, and laid himself down on the floor, just about asleep already. However, he still couldn't help but think of Sweetie Belle, and how much easier it would be for him to get to sleep if they were together. Even though Lester barely knew her a day, it felt as if they were together all his life, and because he missed her so terribly, it caused him great pain and aching in his heart to have to be away from his one and closest friend, no matter how long or short their time apart would be.

Unbeknownst to Lester, Sweetie Belle was beginning to be mutual in Lester's feelings of loneliness. At first, she only thought of the good times they've had together, though they numbered few. She then thought of the countless amount of good times that were to come for the two of them in the future, and she was more eager than ever to go to sleep so she could wake up and get back to Lester. Upon thinking about Lester, Sweetie started to contemplate how Lester was doing at the clubhouse. As Sweetie Belle stared straight up at the ceiling, just as she did the night before at her sister's. she remembered the devastated look on his face, and it made her feel a bit culpable for leaving him behind. She knew it was the right choice, but couldn't help but feel it was wrong as well. Lester cared for Sweetie Belle so much, and having to tear them apart so suddenly must have been so devastating for the little guy. Should she have done what she did? Would Lester be as heartbroken as she thought? What was the best course of action for her to take? These questions troubled Sweetie Belle's fragile little mind greatly, and even though she very much desired the answers to these questions, such a task could not be accomplished this moment, for the longer she stayed awake to ponder these thoughts, the greater her tiredness began to overtake her.

Lester was feeling extremely tired as well, and could not keep himself from sleep any longer.

As both Lester and Sweetie Belle drifted off to the realm of dreams, they both did so pining for their respective companion, having finally gotten through this tough night.