"You want a what?" Twilight asked, sitting on her throne.
"A pet." Starlight answered. "I've seen you and your friends go on your weekly pony-pet play dates and feel a bit left out. So, I want a pet that I can join you guys with."
"Oh, Starlight, a pet is a lot of responsibility, and don't you have anypony else to go to?" Starlight raised an eyebrow.
"You do know that I was a dictator before? A pet is nothing compared to an entire village. And while I do, but both Trixie and Maud are a bit busy with their own pet." Twilight gave a confused look.
"Wait, Trixie has a pet? I know Maud has Boulder, but what does Trixie have?"
"Mr. Schmoopkins. Her Teacup poodle." Twilight stared blankly. "It's a long story, but I want a pet for myself, one that's alive and... well, natural, unlike Trixie's."
"Uh... Well, pets aren't really my thing, Starlight. But I think Fluttershy can help you with that! She has a lot of animals that would love to meet you."
"...Why didn't I think of that? Oh well, thanks! And I bet you're gonna love it!" Starlight trotted out of the castle, giggling like a foal on Hearth's warming eve.
Starlight examined each of the pets around Fluttershy's shed, with the pegasus right by her. Fluttershy picked up a kitten.
"How about this wittle putty tat?" Fluttershy cooed, rubbing the kitten in Starlight's face. "Isn't she the cutest!?" Starlight took a step back.
"Uh... yeah, she is, but not what I'm looking for." Starlight answered, turning to a bulldog.
"Woof!" It barked.
"Too small." She stood in front of a great dane.
"Bark!" It barked.
"Too tall." Starlight stood in front of a dog wearing a viking helmet.
"Bjärk." It barked. Starlight just stared at it rather confusingly.
"Uh... no." She turned to Fluttershy. "I don't think there's any pet that will work for me here, Fluttershy."
"Oh, none of them will work?" Fluttershy asked in a bit of a defeated tone, having gone through her song she did with Rainbow Dash before she took Tank the Tortoise.
"Yeah, I'm so sorry, Fluttershy. None of them worked, and I checked them all out; Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and insects."
"Um, you're missing one."
"Missing one? What can that be?"
"Amphibians."
"Amphibians?... Oh, right... forgot about those."
"Would you like to meet some amphibians? They will be so happy to see you!"
"Hm... I don't really see why not. Care to show them?"
"Oh, yes!" Fluttershy flapped her wings and took Starlight to a nearby pond. A couple of fish swam in the pond, but resting on some lily pads and swimming were a couple of frogs, toads, and newts. "As you can see, they love to be around the water, and eat insects."
"Gross."
"I know, but they're lovely that way. Care to pick one up?"
"Uh... sure..." Starlight hesitantly picked up a nearby toad. On her hooves, she felt how slimy it's skin was, and got a close look at it. It's skin was brown, with a slight yellow tinted underbelly, and a black went around it's body and ended right at the tip of it's mouth. "It's... slimy."
"Mucus. It helps keeps it's body body moist when it's out of water."
"Yeah, I see." She gently released the toad from her hooves and backed away a bit. "Well, that was something, but I don't think any of these pets won't do it for me."
"Oh, are you sure? We can sing again."
"Uh, no, that's alright! I only need one song for today. I guess a pet isn't meant for me, really. So, I guess I'll just sit by... and watch... alone." Starlight sighed and walked away. Unbeknownst to her, the toad she picked up hopped right after her, stopping and eating an insect along the way, with Fluttershy watching.
"It's like Rainbow and tank again."
Starlight sat on a bench and watched everypony around play with their pets. The filly, Zipporwhill, had a fun time playing fetch with her dog, Ripley. At another part, a unicorn filly groomed a grey cat, with said cat purring away by the grooms. Up above, a pegasus colt sat on a cloud with a parrot on his left hoof, cawing away. Starlight groaned and turned to her right, seeing a toad sitting by her.
"Ribbit." It croaked.
"GAH!!!" Starlight screamed and jumped off. She groaned and stood right up, seeing the toad. "Alright, mister, just what are you doing here?"
"... Ribbit."
"Are you following me? Or are you lost?" She used her magic to pick up the toad. "Because I'm sure you belong in Ponyville's pond." Starlight walked to the nearby pond and set it on a lily pad. "There you go. Home!" She turned around and walked away, only to hear something flopping behind her. Looking behind was the toad.
"Ribbit."
"Ugh..." She carried the toad again and put it back on the lily pad. "Stay!" Starlight turned and walked away, but looked back. The toad was still on it's lily pad. She walked away and turned back. Still on it's lily pad. With a sight, Starlight turned around and walked away.
"Ribbit." She stopped, frozen. Her head turned around to see where it was. There was no toad.
"... Huh... must've been my-"
"Ribbit." She stopped and slowly looked up. The toad was on her head, looking down at her. "...Ribbit."
"AHH!!!" Starlight screamed and ran around in circles. "Get it off me! Get it off me!" Her blind fear made her run past everypony and into Ponyville's local dump. She ran up a hill of trash, tripping over a can, and rolled all the way to another hill of garbage, making a loud SPLAT in a collection on 2 week old meals, dirty diapers, and trash in general. A low groan came out of her as she shook her head and rubbed the trash off, with the toad next to her.
"Ribbit." Starlight glared at the toad.
"Great! Look what you did, frog! I'm gonna have to take multiple baths to get this stench off! I swear to Celestia, if you don't get out, I'm-!" A loud buzz stopped her mid-sentence. Soon, the buzzing was followed by more buzzes. She turned and went pale as a small swarm of Flyders approached to her. A splat of webs covered her mouth before she was about to scream again. Her muffled screams came out as the Flyders approached to her, ready for their meal... until a long, slimy tonngue caught a couple of them. The swarm stopped to see that a Toad was next to their meal.
"Ribbit." It croaked before firing it's tongue to get another group of flies. Starlight watched in amazement as this little toad was having itself a buffet, firing it's tongue after swallowing some flyders. In a few minutes, a tenth of the original swarm flew away, probably realizing that it was suicide with a hungry toad nearby. It was at that moment that the web around Starlight's mouth came off, having her turn to the toad.
"You... you saved me... I-I don't know what to say." The toad had an unamused look on it's face.
"Ribbit." It turned and hopped away.
"Wait! I'm sorry for my actions. I guess I was taking too much pity over myself for not finding a pet, that I turned down the perfect pet right next to me. Please, can you forgive me?" The toad blinked for a bit, and smiled.
"Ribbit." It hopped onto Starlight's back, then onto her head. She giggled.
"Aww, thanks. I'll think of a name when take my bath." She walked back to the castle, smelling away, but happy as her pet rested on her head.
Twilight and her friends sat down and had confused looks on their faces... all but Fluttershy.
"Who's a good wittle toad," Fluttershy cooed. "Yes you is, yes you is!"
"Why a toad?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, I get it saved you, but why that?" Starlight held the toad in her left hoof and stroked it with the other.
"Well, the little guy here is pretty unique. Plus, he can be feed rather easily! Any place with flies will work."
"Even if he looks... like that?" Rarity asked with some disgust in her tone.
"I know, he's not the easiest to look at, but past his appearance, he's great!"
"I'll say!" Pinkie added. "He and Gummy can be Reptile buddies!"
"Uh, he's a toad." Fluttershy corrected. "Toads are amphibians, not reptiles." Pinkie blinked.
"Confusion buddies then!"
"Ah bet he and Winona can be racin' buddies." Applejack added. "He'll probably give her and Angel a run for their bits."
"And I think he can help with some experiments." Twilight added, followed by stares by everyone. "... Not like that. Amphibians are really durable with magic, compared to other animals. And don't worry, I won't hurt... uh... what's his name?"
"You know, I still haven't come up with one." Starlight replied. "I was thinking Hopper, or Bumpy, but those sound kinda... cliché." A fly flew and landed on Rarity's nose. The frog noticed and fired his tongue, catching the fly, leaving some thick saliva on the tip of Rarity's nose.
"Guh!!!" Rarity shuttered in disgust, taking a napkin out and rubbing off the small wet spot. "Well, he's certainly quite the charmer."
"Sorry, Rarity. He's... hey, wait a minute! Charming! That's a great name!" She held the toad in her hooves. "How does that work, Charming?" The toad smiled.
"Ribbit." It croaked, jumping onto her mane. Starlight giggled.
"This is going to be so fun! Is the Pony-Pet play date tomorrow?"
"Why yes." Twilight answered.
"Then consider us there!" She got up and walked out of the room. "Come on, Charming! I gotta share you with Trixie and Maud! Ooh! Maybe they can join our Pony-Pet Play Date!? Ooh! This is too exciting!!!"
Author's Note
A little something I thought of after seeing Sunset Shimmer getting a pet gecko. Figured a toad will work, since frogs are kinda cliché.
