To Love a Pet

Chapters

Chapter 1: A Somber Sleepover
Chapter 2 - 1/2: A Forest Convening
Chapter 2 - 2/2: A Forest Convening
Chapter 3 - The CMC Decision
Chapter 4 - Friendship Separated
Chapter 5 - 1/2: The Duo Rejoins
Chapter 5 - 2/2: The Duo Rejoins
Chapter 6 - 1/2: A Grand Day Out
Chapter 6 - 2/2: A Grand Day Out
Chapter 7 - 1/2: A Sickening Display
Chapter 7 - 2/2: A Sickening Display
Chapter 8 - 1/2: Acceptance Not Acceptable
Chapter 8 - 2/2: Acceptance Not Acceptable
Chapter 9 - 1/3: Let the Healing Begin
Chapter 9 - 2/3: Let the Healing Begin
Chapter 9 - 3/3: Let the Healing Begin
Chapter 10 - A Sisterly Tête-à-tête
Chapter 11: Adieu to a Friend

Chapter 1: A Somber Sleepover

The sewing machine whirred as it stitched each notch of thread into the aqua blue gown. Rarity was concentrating hard on her work, so as not to mistakenly stitch the sleeve improperly and ruin her whole night's work. This dress was a very elaborate request from a pony in Vanhoover, and Rarity had stayed up late in order to get it done on time, so she did not get any sleep, making it harder to concentrate on her work. But, being the perfection-demanding pony that she is, she knew she would not be satisfied unless her work was faultless.

The sleeve was almost complete, and soon Rarity's hard work would finally be finished. "Almost there...just a little..bit..more..."

"You almost done??" Rarity jumped in fright, accidentally pulling her dress off the machine and ripping the sleeve on the sewing machine's needle. She fell to the floor, and the dress flopped over her head. She quickly pulled the dress off her head and looked at the sleeve, horrified at this disaster. She then angrily turned her attention towards Sweetie Belle, whom was hanging out at the boutique today, and was nosing around Rarity until she inadvertently caused this incident.

Sweetie Belle could see how angry Rarity was at her, and she smiled tensely. "Soooo...I guess you're not done, then?" she says, chuckling nervously.

Sweetie Belle stood where she was, looking quite disconsolate as Rarity paced back and forth in front of Sweetie Belle, haranguing her quite sternly.

"Sweetie Belle! I've been hard at work all night to get this dress perfect, and now I must begin again!"

"Well, why do you have to start over? Can't you just fix the sleeve?"

"Of course I could! But having exposed stitching will look absolutely dreadful! And that is not acceptable for the high standards of the Carousel Boutique!"

"Oh," Sweetie Belle replied nonchalantly.

"What's more, shouldn't you be in bed already? It is clearly far past your bedtime."

"But I'm not sleepy!" Sweetie protested. "And when I saw you still up, I thought we could do something together!"

Rarity sighed, both from Sweetie belle's bothersome ways and knowing that she was about to disappoint her sister.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle, but I must finish this dress before tomorrow if I hope to convince my client to recommend my boutique to the other ponies in Vanhoover."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? And going to sleep isn't an option!"

Rarity was feeling the tiniest pangs of frustration from her sister's constant disruptions, so she had to think of some way for Sweetie Belle to be occupied so she could finish her work in peace.

"...why don't you play with Opal? I know you two never spend much time together," she said as she got out a new piece of fabric.

"Umm," Sweetie Belle responded, sounding unsure. "I think that's because Opal doesn't really like me."

"Well, if you two spend more time together, then I'm sure she'll get to love you the way she loves me," Rarity replied positively.

"Yeah, sure" Sweetie Belle said sarcastically. However, she knew that playing with Opal would still be better than having to go to bed, so Sweetie Belle went to go find Opal, hoping that this time will be different.

Sweetie Belle proceeded to leave Rarity's work room and traversed down the stairs to the front room of the boutique. As she walked to the center of the room, she saw Opalescence, whom was sleeping on the couch. Sweetie Belle then flipped on the light switch on the wall by the front door, turning on all the lights in the room. Opalescence was none too contented from Sweetie Belle's actions, as even though she still had her eyes closed, she looked quite irritated from the sudden exposure of luminosity disturbing her sound sleep.

As Sweetie belle walked up closer to the cat, she stopped, still containing feelings of reluctance in trying to befriend Opal. But, being the goodhearted little mare she was, Sweetie Belle felt that she had to give friendship a chance.

She walked up to Opal and waved at her. "Hi there, Opal!" she said in an affable manner. The goaded feline opened one of her eyes, looking at the smiling Sweetie Belle, and then she closed her eye again, ignoring the little filly. Sweetie Belle was a bit upset with Opal, but still she would not give up.

Sweetie Belle reached towards Opal with her hoof, in an attempt to pet the cat and get on her good side, but since this was Opal, it would not be so easy a task. Sensing something, Opal opened her eye a second time and saw Sweetie Belle's hoof drawing closer to her head. Opal did not like this one bit, and as a reaction, she stood up all fours, growling with her mouth closed. Sweetie Belle immediately stopped, retracting her hoof a bit, as Opal's actions were making her feel a bit uneasy. She started to doubt more that it was possible to befriend the surly feline, but with each letdown, Sweetie Belle grew more adamant in her aspiration for friendship with Opalescence.

"Hey, you don't have to growl at me, Opal. I just want us to be friends," she reached for Opal again, and it was this time that she had crossed the line with the cat. Opal started hissing as Sweetie's hoof drew closer, and just when she got within range, Opal swiped at Sweetie Belle with her claws, causing the filly to yelp as she bounds backwards in fright. Opal stared back at the frightened filly with her stern, unmoving eyes, showing the Sweetie Belle that she was not interested in Sweetie Belle's kindness.

After that fearsome display, Sweetie Belle finally felt that this was too much for her, and walked back up the stairs in defeat, turning off the light as she left. After she had gone, Opal laid herself back down on the couch, and dozed off to sleep once more.

Once back upstairs, Sweetie Belle headed to the guest room, where she was staying at, having elected that now felt like the right time to go to bed. She went inside, closing the door behind her. As she turned towards her bed, she yawned, admittedly feeling tired. The filly climbed into her bed and pulled the covers over as she lie down on her back. However, she did not shut her eyes, but instead stared up at the ceiling, as not all was at peace in her mind.

"Why?" she thought to herself. "Why can't Opal be more nice to me? Why can't I be friends with my sister's pet? All I want is a pet that can be a friend to me. One that will want to be my friend; one that will love me, so I can love them back..." she gave a sigh of dejectedness. "A pet should be a close friend; a loyal buddy that will enjoy being the pet of their loving owner, and will make their owner happy that the two of them are caring friends."

Sweetie Belle turned her head and looked out the window at the moon, yawning once more. She then turned onto her side, shutting her eyes as she began drifting off to sleep. But before she succumbed to her slumber, "I wish...yawn...I had a pet of my own..." the filly finally dozed off, hoping in her mind to have a perfect dream about her perfect pet.

Chapter 2 - 1/2: A Forest Convening

The next morning, Sweetie Belle was up and about, feeling much more perky and pleasant as she waited at the table for her sister to finish preparing breakfast.

"So, sis; did you finish that dress yet?"

In contrast to Sweetie Belle, Rarity looked quite frazzled and sleep-deprived, as she had already been quite tired from staying up to make the dress, and seeing as she was forced to start again, it would seem fit that she be in the weary state of self she is currently within.

Rarity yawned as she took notice of her sister's question. "Yes, Sweetie Belle. It took me late into the night to finish, but I succeeded in doing so, and now it is ideal for my client's tastes," even though she still sounded tired, Rarity still managed a pleasant tone in her voice.

"That's really great! I'm sorry I ruined the first dress you made," Sweetie replied, sounding guilty.

"...yawn...it's all right, Sweetie Belle," Rarity replied as she turned her head back to face Sweetie Belle. "What's important is that I'm finished, and can now focus on other important matters."

"You mean like not burning the eggs?"

Rarity was puzzled upon hearing Sweetie's words, but then quickly turned her head back towards the stove, only to see that the eggs she was frying were indeed burning! Rarity promptly used her magic to remove the pan from atop the stove, simultaneously turning the stove off. She placed the pan on the counter and used a towel as a fan to blow away the smoke.

After completing her de-burning task, the anxious unicorn produced a breath of relief in her attainment. “It appears I am not entirely well as of yet.”

“Maybe you should go to bed,” Sweetie Belle said as she walked over to her sister. “Then you’ll be awake and be able to make breakfast just fine; like me!”

“Right…” Rarity replied with a hint of sarcasm. “Speaking of which, I see that you indeed got a good night’s sleep. Did you not spend time with Opal?”

“…actually, it’s the other way around” Sweetie Belle stated, having reverted back to her saddened state of mind from the previous night. “I tried to be friendly with Opal, but she hissed and swiped her claws at me,” she made a melancholy sigh. “I guess me and Opal just aren’t meant to be friends.”

“Oh, now don’t say that,” Rarity said as she walked over to console her sister. “I know Opalescence can be a bit petulant at times, but deep down she’s the sweetest cat a pony can have,”

“Well, she does a good job of not showing her sweet side to me,” Sweetie did not relent in her melancholy tone, which made her sister feel more concerned for Sweetie Belle’s well-being, as she was now gaining more of an understanding on Sweetie’s predicament. “I wish I had my very own pet: one that would like me and actually want to be my friend.”

“Well, you never know what the future may hold. Perhaps one day you will find the pet that is right for you, just like I and my friends have.”

Sweetie Belle smiled at her sister, feeling comforted by her encouraging words. “Thanks, Rarity. You’re still the best sister a pony can have,” Sweetie hugs Rarity affectionately, as Rarity does the same.

“I’m glad I could help, Sweetie Belle. Now then, I should get back to finishing our breakfast so we may finally eat,” she says as she trots back to the counter.

“Do you want me to help so you’ll get done faster?” Sweetie eagerly proposes, to which Rarity freezes in place for a few moments.

“Actually, I do believe I can handle this on my own, Sweetie Belle; you can just wait—over there in your seat, while I’m over here.”

“Well, if you want just a normal breakfast, instead of a Sweetie Belle breakfast, then go right ahead,” she replies nonchalantly.

“Glad you understand, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity replies, going back to cooking, followed by a confused Sweetie Belle looking back at her, bewildered as to why Rarity did not want one of her breakfasts instead.

After breakfast, Sweetie Belle left Carousel Boutique in search of her friends: Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, so they may try to think up more ideas on how to earn their cutie marks. She traversed through town for a bit before moving towards the woods near Sweet Apple Acres, as their clubhouse in Sweet Apple Acres was the most probable location of the other Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Although Sweetie Belle had her mind on earning cutie marks, she still could not relent her wish to have a pet of her own, despite the fact she did not know what type of pet she would want, or where she could possible find one. Pondering these considerations certainly did not ease the filly’s forlorn heart, and thus she hoped that being with her friends would take her mind off of this whole pet ordeal—at least, for a while.

Sweetie Belle continued her trotting towards the farm—until she suddenly halted in place. Something had caught her ear: a sound emanating from off the path. The noise was that of rustling leaves, and as Sweetie Belle ventured off the path towards the noise, she was able to pinpoint its source much more easily. The noise was not coming from the trees above, but rather from the bushes below. Sweetie had her eyes locked onto a small group of bushes directly in front of her, and not only could she hear the rustling sound, but she could clearly see the bushes gradually juddering around.

“Hello? Is someone in there?” Sweetie received no response, but the bushes ceased their shaking, so it was apparent that what or whoever was in there had heard her question. “Whoever’s in there, you can come out. You don’t have to be shy: I’m a nice pony,” she stated with a pleasant tone.

At first, the bushes remained motionless, but soon after they began trembling once again, and Sweetie Belle grew more curious as to who it is that is concealed within the shrubbery. Sweetie Belle took a few steps closer to the bush, moving slowly so as not to startle the cloaked being inside. She moved her head close to examine the bush, then suddenly moved back quickly in alarm at the sight of a tiny brown protrusion that had just poked itself out of the bottom of the bush.

Sweetie Belle had walked back two feet away from the bush, still unknowing of what it was she was currently seeing. The protrusion stirred a bit, and then it extended a bit more out of the shrub, revealing that it was actually the front part of a small animal’s face, with the animal staring directly at an astonished Sweetie Belle.

Though startled at first, Sweetie now looked upon this creature a more positive outlook. “Come on, little guy. It’s okay; I won’t hurt you,” the animal stared back at Sweetie belle for a few moments, and then began moving out of the bush, taking one slow step at a time. “That’s good. Come on, come on. Keep coming,” Sweetie continued her encouraging of the animal to emerge from its shrubbery hideaway.

Upon its full appearance from outside of the bush, Sweetie Belle saw that this shy animal was a young male porcupine. He stared indifferently at Sweetie Belle, who stared right back at the prickly fellow. Sweetie Belle had never met a porcupine before, but she thought that now was the perfect time to introduce herself to one.

“Hello there, little guy. I’m Sweetie Belle,” she took a step forward as she said this, and in response the timid porcupine stepped back a bit, wary of this pony who was still unknown to him. Sweetie stopped moving when he had done so, seeing that the little guy was still a tad frightened of her. She felt troubled in knowing the porcupine continued to contain fear of her within himself, but she still retained her confidence that she could win over this animal with her kindness and friendship. “Hey, you don’t have to be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you. I’m as nice as a pony can be. My name even has “sweetie” in it!” The porcupine appeared to be unwavering in his doubt of the filly’s intentions, but gradually he began to step towards Sweetie Belle, still keeping with his cautious frame of mind. Sweetie Belle was happy to see the porcupine was warming up a bit to her, but not wanting to scare him again, she, as slowly as the porcupine, began moving her hoof towards him. Closer and closer the two progressed to meet one another, until the porcupine ceased moving, right before he had reached Sweetie Belle’s hoof. He stared back up at Sweetie belle once more, who was smiling warmheartedly at the furry creature. As he watched her smile, he felt a sense of trust from the filly’s positive expression, and now thought that there may be nothing sinister hidden behind her kindly exterior. With these thoughts brewing in his mind, the porcupine gently moved his snout towards Sweetie Belle, touching his nose to her hoof at long last.

Sweetie Belle was overcome with elation. Her resolute compassion had finally gotten though to her new little friend, and now that he trusted her enough, it was time to implement new the tactics to gain a true friendship between the two.

Sweetie Belle carefully moved her hoof up above the porcupine’s head, making sure not to move too fast so he would not be startled away. She looked at his face, which did not display any form of fright or alarm, showing he truly trusted the filly, which made things much easier for Sweetie Belle. She then placed her hoof down on the porcupine’s back, and, with much caution, began stroking his back, making sure to only stroke against the quills on his back, so she would not prick herself on his many needles. Sweetie Belle felt a new sense of enjoyment that she had not felt before, as she had never obtained the opportunity to stroke an animal like this, mostly due to Opal’s refusal to accept the filly’s affection.

Sweetie Belle suddenly became fearful that the porcupine might react the same way as Opal did, so she peered down at his face to see how he was taking to her gentle petting. The porcupine looked to be smiling pleasurably, enjoying the feeling of being stroked so gently, as he had never had anybody do this to him before, and he was loving every second of it. In turn, Sweetie Belle felt quite comforted in knowing that her new porcupine friend enjoying her kind treatment of him.

Chapter 2 - 2/2: A Forest Convening

“This is going so great!” she thought to herself. “I finally made an animal as a friend! Maybe if I get to know him better, I may even get the pet I’ve always wanted…”

Sweetie Belle took her hoof off of the porcupine, much to his dismay, as she now wanted to talk with him a bit more. “So…” Sweetie Belle remained silent for a moment, unsure of what to say first. “…do you have a name?”

The porcupine shook his head no, and suddenly sneezed right afterward.

“Awww,” Sweetie Belle said, seeing his sneeze as a very cute display. “You’re so cute. I’d give you a hug if I wasn’t worried about getting poked by your needles.”

The porcupine felt bad that Sweetie Belle could not show her affection the way she wanted, and he wanted to make her happy. He walked over to the filly and began nuzzling her leg with his head. Sweetie Belle adored this act of affection from him, and she indeed felt quite happy because of it.

“Oh, you are just the sweetest wild animal a pony could meet,” without much thought, Sweetie Belle bent her head down next to the porcupine and rubbed part of her face against his, which he was a bit surprised by at first, but then did the same in return, gaining more of a liking to his filly friend.

“Your family must love you a lot for being so nice,” Sweetie Belle said as she lifted her head back upright. The porcupine’s pleasant disposition instantly faded from his face, leaving only a blank expression.

“Are you all right?” Sweetie asked, bewildered by the porcupine’s actions, although he gave no response, as he was deep in thought about what Sweetie Belle said. His blank expression suddenly permutated into one of despondence, and the porcupine hung his head down, greatly distraught over the remembrance of his family.

It was then that Sweetie Belle realized why her furry friend looked so gloomy. “Oh…do you not have a family?” The porcupine shook his head in response, sneezing right afterward. Sweetie Belle shifted into her own downcast feelings in knowing she inadvertently triggered these unhappy memories in the porcupine’s psyche. The filly now wished to make amends for what she had caused. She wanted to do something to make the little guy feel better: something that would make him feel like he was part of a family again—but what? That was when she was struck with a brilliant idea, which would not only make him happy, but simultaneously do quite a bit good for her as well. “Hey, I’ve got an idea,” the porcupine looked up at her. “How about you come live with me?” the porcupine was taken aback by this sudden offer. “It’ll be great! You’ll have a place to live, where I’ll feed you and take care of you!” her rodent friend was unsure of how to react to her proposition. “And best of all, you’ll be part of my family, and I couldn’t imagine a better pet to have as part of my family than you.”

Now was when the porcupine was able to form up a reaction. He felt incredibly touched by Sweetie Belle’s loving words, gaining a sense of happiness in knowing she was be so willing to accept him as a pet and part of her family. He had not been part of a family in so long, and knowing he now has an opportunity to be part of one again made him feel the type of bliss he thought would never return to him again. The porcupine looked up at Sweetie Belle’s pleasantly smiling face, and smiled lightly himself back at her.

“So you want to be my pet?” she asked, her eyes gleaming.

As there was no reason for doubt in his mind, the porcupine cheerfully nodded, with Sweetie taking it very well indeed.

“Woohoo! I did it! I finally have a pet!” the excited filly shouted as she hopped in a circle around the porcupine. Watching her bounce around with such glee made the porcupine eager to do the same, and he began to merrily hop around as well, following Sweetie Belle along as they bounded together—until the porcupine was halted in his leaping by yet another sneeze, with Sweetie Belle stopping herself so she could remark on how he was so incredibly cute.

“Hey, you know what? We should go to the clubhouse me and my friends have! I was already going over there to see if my friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were there. They’d definitely want to meet you!” The porcupine looked more than happy to go along with Sweetie Belle to meet and make some new friends. “Okay! Let’s go!” the two then began their saunter off to the CMC clubhouse, looking forward to a long and happy friendship together.

“I know you’re going to love our clubhouse! My friends and I fixed it up to be the perfect place to learn how to get our cutie marks! And I know you’ll love my friends, too! Once I introduce you to them,” it was then that Sweetie Belle realized something, which caused her to stop in her tracks, and the porcupine did so as well. “You know, I just thought of something: we need to come up with a name for you, so you’ll be an official pet!” The porcupine never had a name before, being just a wild animal, and felt a bit unsure of the idea, but if it was what Sweetie Belle wanted, he was more than willing to receive a name from her.

“Now let’s see, what would be a good name for you?” Sweetie Belle pondered over what name would be most fitting for her porcupine friend.

“How about Pokey?”

The porcupine shook his head, not being too fond of that name.

Sweetie Belle thought some more. “What about—Spiny?” He did not care for that name, either.

“Prickly?”

“Fuzzy?”

“Thorny?”

“Bristly?”

The porcupine turned down each and every one of Sweetie’s name choices, showing her was pickier than would be thought of a wild animal.

“Boy, I never thought you would be so picky. Now I’m not sure if I can pick out a name that you’ll like,” Sweetie Belle looked at her furry friend’s face, as he was looking at her with an expression saying “don’t give up”. As selective as he was, he truly wanted her to give him a name, as receiving a name given by her would broaden that already growing bond of friendship between them. Sweetie Belle could see how he felt, and regained her tenacity.

“You’re right. There has to be a name that’s good for you. I just have to figure out what it is,” Sweetie Belle began to think harder than before, fueled by her determination in choosing the perfect name for her perfect pet. “Okay, let’s see…Let’s see…letssee..lestee—Lester!” her eyes perked up at the saying of that name. “That’s it! Lester! That’s the perfect name! Isn’t it?” she asked as she looked down at the porcupine. This time, he did not look repelled by her choice of name. The porcupine smiled big, excitedly nodding in response, showing his eager acceptance of gaining the name of “Lester”.

“Yes!” Sweetie gleefully shouted as she hopped into the air. “I knew I would find a perfect name for you!” she looked down at her smiling pet, feeling a prodigious amount of elation in making herself and her pet so happy. She then bent down and rubbed her head against his. “The perfect name—for the perfect pet,” Lester was heartened by Sweetie and her continuously sweet things to say about him. He rubbed his head against hers in return, with a mutual feeling of owner-pet love between them, which would only grow more over each passing day, they both believed.

Now that the name-choosing situation was completed, Sweetie Belle and Lester continued on their way to the CMC clubhouse, with Sweetie Belle as eager for her friends to meet Lester as he was to meet them.

Chapter 3 - The CMC Decision

Lester chewed happily on the lettuce leaves given to him by Sweetie Belle. He had not tasted this type of plant before, and was certainly enjoying trying something new.

Sweetie Belle was experiencing much glee in feeding her pet for the first time, feeling more and more like a real pet owner. Simultaneously, though, she contained feelings of disappointment because her friends were not at the clubhouse when she and Lester had arrived, as she was feeling so very eager to introduce him to her friends.

After their initial arrival, Sweetie Belle was going to leave to find her friends, but was stopped in her tracks when there came upon her ears that of a trifling growling. She turned her head back towards the source of the noise, and saw Lester, whom was sitting on his bottom, grasping his belly with his paws.

“Awww, poor little guy. You must be hungry,” she walked over and rubbed his head gently. “Don’t worry, Lester. We have plenty of yummy food for a pet like you to eat.”

Sweetie Belle trotted over to the cupboard that lie in a corner of the clubhouse and opened it, looking around for what would be best to feed Lester. After rummaging for a bit, she found a few large leaves of lettuce in the cupboard, taking them out with her mouth and carrying them over to Lester, who promptly began wolfing the vegetables down. “Boy, you really are hungry,” Sweetie said as she watched him gobble away.

Midway through his meal, Lester stopped munching and coughed a bit, after which he resumed his eating like nothing had happened. This caused some concern for Sweetie Belle

“I know you’re hungry, but you shouldn’t eat too fast, or else you’ll make yourself cough like that," Lester took notice of Sweetie's request, and not wanting to worry her, began to chew his food at a more leisurely pace. Sweetie was pleased by his cooperation, and wished her friends were here to see what a great pet owner she had become. That is when Sweetie remembered that her friends were not at the clubhouse, and she felt disappointed by these thoughts, which is where we had started.

But, as luck would have it, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came trotting through the front door, both surprised to see Sweetie Belle standing alone in the clubhouse, her back facing the two of them. Sweetie turned her head back upon hearing the door open, and when she saw her friends, she became quite keyed up.

"Guys! You're here!" she exclaimed with excitement as she turned partly towards her friends. "I was hoping you'd come here today!"

"Why's that?"

"Do you have an idea on how we can get our cutie marks??"

"I have something even better! Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, I'd like you to meet," she stepped to the side. "Lester!" Lester stopped eating for a moment to look at Sweetie's friends, who both gasped with astonishment from this unexpected surprise.

"Is that a..."

"...porcupine..?"

"Sure is! And he's not just a porcupine—he's my new pet!" Sweetie said as she walked over to Lester and scratched under his chin, much to his delight.

"Wooooow..." the two fillies expressed in unison.

"You were right," said Apple Bloom. "This really is better than an idea for how we can get cutie marks!"

"Ehhh...yeah, okay" Scootaloo agreed hesitatingly. She and Apple Bloom then trotted over to Lester, who had gone back to eating his lunch.

"Where'd yah find him at?"

"In the woods near Sweet Apple Acres. Although it took a lot of convincing to get him to come near me. He was pretty afraid of me when we first met," Sweetie then noticed Lester bumping her leg with his snout, and saw that he had finished his meal. She then proceeded to rub him on the head the way he adored so much.

"Well, he sure seems to like you now!"

"He sure does! We're the best of friends a pony and a porcupine could be!"

"I guess I can't argue with that," Scootaloo said.

"Why not?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Because I don't know any other ponies and porcupines who are friends."

"Ohhhhhhh..."

"Isn't he just the cutest, most fun pet you've ever seen?" Sweetie asked her friends as she continued rubbing the head of her pet.

"You've obviously never met Tank" an unimpressed Scootaloo stated.

"And Winona's really fun to play with, too!"

"Well, those pets may be fun to play with, but I'll always like Lester most of all!"

During Sweetie's whole conversation with her friends, Lester had been gradually moving his head upwards as Sweetie rubbed his head, with Sweetie's hoof moving down his head the higher he lifted his body up, and eventually the porcupine lifted his body up so high that he accidentally tumbled backwards onto his back, much to the surprise of him and Sweetie Belle. However, Sweetie Belle thought of something amusing to do, so, taking advantage of the situation, she began to rub Lester's belly with both her hooves, which caused the ticklish porcupine to start chuckling uncontrollably, with Sweetie Belle doing a bit of tittering herself.

"Well...I'll admit he does look a bit like fun," Scootaloo said.

"And he's real cute, too!" Apple Bloom said in adoration. These comments made Sweetie Belle smile with delight of her friend's approval of Lester.

Just then, Lester coughed several times, which made Sweetie Belle stop rubbing his belly. "Oh my! Did I tickle you too hard, Lester?" Lester rolled back on all fours, slowed his coughing to a halt, and shook his head at Sweetie Belle. "Phew...that's good. I wouldn't want to hurt my new best pet friend," she lovingly nuzzled her snout against his.

"So, what are you going to do with him now?"

Sweetie turned her head towards Scootaloo. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, where are you gonna take him?"

"Take him? Why would I take him anywhere? He's already home!"

"Wait, you mean he's going to stay here at the clubhouse??" she said in disbelief, with Apple Bloom looking just as surprised as her.

"Well, yeah! We've got everything Lester needs right here—aaaas soon as we add a few more things he needs," she looked around, imagining what she wanted to get for Lester and where to put it all.

"Why can't you just take him home?"

"I don't think that would work out. Not only do I not know if my parents would let me have a pet, they probably wouldn't want me to have a porcupine as a pet, because they would think me or somepony else could get hurt by his quills, or at least some type of accident would happen. No offense, Lester," Lester looked okay with what she said. "Anyways, it's better to just leave him here, since nopony ever comes to the clubhouse when we're not around," both of Sweetie's friends looked unsure with her suggestion.

"Ah don't know..."

"Yeah, me neither."

Sweetie Belle could see their uncertainty, and thought quickly for a solution that would keep Lester at clubhouse. Her eyes sparked with the formation of her idea. "Hey! How about if Lester stays here, he can become the mascot for the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"Mascot??" Scootaloo said in astonishment. "Really??" she said with bit more excitement.

"That's a great idea!" Apple Bloom said joyfully. "We've never had a mascot before! This'll make the Cutie Mark Crusaders even greater!"

"Yeah!"

"Fer sure!"

"Then it's agreed!" Sweetie bent down to Lester's face. "You hear that, Lester? You're gonna stay here and be our mascot!" Lester was overcome with joy with not only his new position in the CMC association, but that he had a new home and would continue to be Sweetie Belle's pet and best friend. He couldn't be happier, and it showed as he hopped up and down to go along with the joyous cheering of the fillies, albeit it was cut short by a loud sneeze from Lester, which dropped him flat upon the ground, nonetheless happy still.

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.

Chapter 5 - 1/2: The Duo Rejoins

The early morning sun peeked over the horizon, shining its rays of stunning daylight all over the town, showing it to be a bright and joyful day for the citizens of Ponyville.

These very sunbeams also shone on the house of Sweetie Belle, with her still sleeping soundly inside, undisturbed and unaware of morning's arrival. After some time had passed, and the sun had risen higher in the sky, the rays of light moved down from the ceiling onto Sweetie's bed, shining right in her face. When the light touched her face, she began to feel bothered, moving around to get comfortable, but was unable to escape the light beaming down on her.

Finally, Sweetie Belle was forced awake, and she sat up in her bed, still half-asleep. She yawned as she stretched her body and front legs, then rubbed the sleep out of her dreary eyes. She then looked out the window towards the sun, and after a few moments, her eyes sprang open.

"Oh, hey!" she shouted with excitement. "It's morning! That means I can finally see Lester!" Sweetie hopped up out of her sheets, her merriment having pushed out all her feelings of fatigue.

Sweetie Belle quickly jumped out of bed and tidied up her bed, folding the sheets back into place. After that, she trotted over to the mirror, and was astounded by how much her mane had been messed up while sleeping.

"Whoa! Don't want Lester to see me like this!" she then picked up her hair brush. "Good thing Rarity showed me how to get a perfect mane in just a few brush strokes!" Sweetie speedily brushed her mane a few times, then looked at the mirror, only to see her hair was still quite a mess. "But it looks like a still need a few more lessons."

~~~

After finally getting her mane right, Sweetie Belle ran downstairs, where her parents were. Both Sweetie's mom and dad were in the kitchen, with her mom making breakfast and her dad reading the newspaper. Sweetie ran into the kitchen to greet them.

"Hey, mom and dad!"

"Hello there. Sweetie Belle!" her father said.

"Good morning, Sweetie dear," her mother said. "What would you like for breakfast, hon?"

"Sorry mom, but I don't have time to eat breakfast right now?"

"Not eat breakfast?" Sweetie Belle's mom said, as both Sweetie's parents looked surprised by this response. "Why ever not?"

"Because I have to get to the Cutie mark Crusaders clubhouse right away! I just wanted to let you know where I was going first before I head over there!"

"Oh, have you got something special planned?' her father asked, sounding a bit eager. "You gals gonna try and get your cutie marks again?"

"Err...yeah! That's it! We got some new ideas, and today might be the day one of them works!"

"Well, all righty, then!"

"Have a good time, dear!"

"Thanks, mom and dad! Bye!" Sweetie Belle turned around and ran to the front door.

After getting outside, Sweetie Belle closed the door, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew...that was close. I gotta remember not to let them know about Lester. I don't want to risk having to lose him. I know it would hurt him a lot more than it would for me," Sweetie looked rather despondent because of these thoughts, but then abruptly shook her head. "But I can't think about that now! I want Lester to see me happy so he'll be happy, too!" And with that, Sweetie Belle dashed off towards Sweet Apple Acres as fast as her hooves could carry her.

Chapter 5 - 2/2: The Duo Rejoins

Sweetie Belle trotted hurriedly as she made her way through town to Apple Bloom's farm. "I can't wait to see Lester! I He's sure to be really glad to see me again!" She ran up the path next to Sweet Apple Acres, rounding the entrance into to the farm. She ran past the dozens of apple trees until she finally caught sight of the clubhouse. "I'm almost there, Lester!" she reached the clubhouse, ran up the walkway, and excitedly opened the door to an unexpected surprise.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom both turned their heads back towards Sweetie Belle upon hearing the door swing open. They looked surprised to see her, but not as surprised as she was to see them.

However, before anypony could say a word, Lester, who was in front of Scootaloo, and therefore was being blocked by her, moved his head to the side and saw Sweetie Belle had at last returned to him, causing the porcupine to instantly burst into unrequited excitement. Without a second thought, Lester ran past Scootaloo and Apple Bloom at top speed and leapt up onto Sweetie Belle, knocking her over and down onto her back. The filly began to laugh uncontrollably as Lester nuzzled and licked her face over and over, his affection causing a ticklish sensation in Sweetie Belle.

"Ha ha! I'm really glad to see you, too, Lester!" After she felt enough of his adoration had been given, Sweetie Belle picked up Lester and placed him on the ground. She then got up on all fours again, now facing her friends, trying to shake off some of the laughter she was still feeling. "Looks like I was right about Lester being happy to see me," she chuckled.

"You got that right," Scootaloo also chuckled a bit.

"He he, yeah. Oh! I almost forgot to ask: what are you both doing here?"

"Well, I was really eager to see our mascot again, so I came here earlier and bumped into Apple Bloom."

"She told me what she was doin', and ah came with her cause ah wanted tuh see him, too!"

"Yeah. But then, something weird happened."

"Really, what?" Sweetie inquired.

"Well, when we came to the clubhouse and opened the door, Lester was lying on the floor, asleep. He then woke up and looked at us, and then he bounced up in the air, looking really happy and excited!"

"Is that what was so weird?"

"Actually, it sorta was, but that's not the weird part. The weird part is that after he looked at us while looking happy, he suddenly got all sad and stuff."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Apple Bloom added. "First he was as happy as pig in a mud puddle, but then he got as sad as a..."

"...pig not in a mud puddle?" Scootaloo said, finishing Apple Bloom's statement.

"Yeah!"

"Well, at least he's happy now!" Sweetie looked down at the still happy porcupine as he hugged her leg and nuzzled against it. "...hey, you know what: I think the reason Lester acted that way when you two first showed up is because he thought it was me!"

"What?"

"I mean that he must have wanted to see me so bad that when he saw you two, he got excited because he hoped I was the one who came in! Isn't that right Lester?" she asked, to which Lester nodded brightly.

"Yeah! That makes sense!"

"Yeah, that doesn't sound so weird now."

"Well, I've been excited to see you again since yesterday, so I know how you feel," Sweetie and Lester both looked hope in their mutual feelings, but this sharing of emotions was short-lived, due to Sweetie Belle's remembrance of the difficult decision she had chosen to follow the previous evening. She now looked upon Lester not with a face of joy, but with a face of gloominess. Lester was surprised and confused by her sudden display of despondency. "...although, one thing I kept doing while trying to fall asleep was thinking about how I had to make you stay here after I went home, and how sad it made you feel. It made me feel so bad that I had to separate us. I really wished that we could have slept in the same room together, like real pets and pet owners do, but I knew it would have been even worse if my parents knew about you and made me send you back to the forest, because then I would never have been able to see you again," tears began to well up in her eyes as she sat down, looking dejected. "I really wish you could understand why I did what I did, Lester."

Lester appeared quite troubled to see his friend so saddened. He felt bad for seeing her like this, and because he believed that he was responsible for making her feel so dismal, it made him feel even worse. Lester truly cared for Sweetie Belle more than anyone else he had ever known, and he wanted to do whatever he could to make her smile, like a regular pet would. This would mean Lester would need to do what Sweetie Belle thought was best, no matter how much it pained him to be separated from her. But it would be worth it to keep their relationship intact, and that's what Lester knew to be what was most important.

With these thoughts now present in his mind, Lester wanted to let Sweetie belle know he understood her actions so she would no longer be sad. Lester walked up to Sweetie Belle, standing on his hind legs and putting his front paws on her leg to hold him up. Sweetie turned her head and looked at him, wondering what he was doing. Her question was soon answered as Lester licked her nose, holding a pleasant smile afterwards. Sweetie looked back at Lester with a hint of astonishment.

"It looks like he's pretty okay with it," Scootaloo said.

"Yeah, he seems pretty happy!"

Sweetie Belle looked at her friends, then back at Lester, whom was still showing his smiling face to her, and in turn, Sweetie Belle smiled herself. Now feeling joy rather than despair, Sweetie Belle bent down to hug her porcupine pet, but this tender moment lasted for only an instant. "Ouch!" Sweetie yelped as she sprang back up, having poked herself on Lester's many needles. "I need to remember not to do that."

As Sweetie Belle sat nursing her slight injuries, Apple Bloom projected the next idea for the trio.

"Well, now that that's all been taken care of, what do y'all wanna do?"

"Oh! I know! How about we do something with our new mascot?"

"Yeah! But what?" Apple Bloom inquired and began to ponder the suggestion, as did Scootaloo.

"...I know! We can go and show him to everyone to let them know we have a mascot!"

"Hey, now that's a pretty good idea!"

"Yeah!"

"Wait!" Sweetie Belle suddenly shouted in a panic, interrupting her friends' banter. "We can't show Lester to anypony! I don't want to risk my parents finding out through my sister or anypony else!"

Apple Bloom quickly took this into account. "...oh, right. Ah hadn't thought about that. Ah guess we shouldn't do it, then."

Sweetie Belle looked pleased with Apple Bloom's verdict, but not so much with Scootaloo's.

"Awww, what' the point of having a mascot if nopony knows about it?" Scootaloo carped.

"He's not just some mascot! He's still my pet and friend! And I won't let him be taken away from me!"

"Okay! Okay!" Apple Bloom said as she went between the two to reassure Sweetie Belle. "We won't show him to anypony!"

"Do you promise?"

"Yeah, yeah," Scootaloo replied with reluctant agreement.

"Do you crusader promise?"

Scootaloo sighed an uptight sigh, and walked over to Sweetie Belle along with Apple Bloom so they could all do the crusader promise.

First, the girls sat on the floor, forming a triangular shape with all three facing towards the center point of their formation. They then all clapped their hooves thrice at the same time. Next, they all simultaneously and swiftly tilted their heads to the right, then to the left, then straight upright again. After that, they criss-crossed their front legs to touch the knees of their hind legs, then switched the positions of how their front legs overlapped each other. Next, Sweetie Belle downwards slapped the hooves of Apple Bloom with her own hooves, then Apple Bloom did the same with Scootaloo, who did the same back to Sweetie Belle. Lastly, the girls, though reluctantly, reared their heads back at the same time, and swung them forward, klonking all their heads together at once, after which they all fell backwards onto the ground, feeling quite dazed from the collision of their noggins.

"We've gotta think of a different promise routine," Apple Bloom stated as her eyes spun around from the dizziness, with the others agreeing through their dazed tones. Apple Bloom then shook off her wooziness, and was now able to talk more clearly. "Well, now that that's all settled, what do y'all wanna do, then?" Scootaloo tried to think of another idea, but before she could make a suggestion, Sweetie Belle intervened with one of her own.

"Well, actually; what I really want to do today is spend the day with Lester: just me and him," Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were perplexed by this suggestion. "It's just that I want to give Lester they kind of day he wants now that I'm his owner, and I want to get started right away. Would that be all right?" she asked, making her eyes look as big and sad as possible.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at each other, then back at Sweetie Belle. "Sure, that would be fine," Apple Bloom answered.

"Really??"

"Yeah, but it's not because of that thing you can do with your eyes," Scootaloo responded.

"Well, ah thought it sorta was, but mostly it's because you're our friend, and we don't wanna keep you from doin' what you wanna do."

"Yay!" Sweetie Belle cheered as she beamed with delightedness. "Thanks, you guys!" she quickly hopped over and hugged both of her friends tightly, and after a bit of initial immobilization, both hugged Sweetie back.

"Well, we hope you have a good time with Lester, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said after the hugging was finished.

"Thanks!" she replied with glee. "So, what are you both going to do while I'm gone?"

"Oh, just the usual stuff."

"Yeah, we'll just look for ways to earn our cutie marks by ourselves."

"It'll have to be something that can be done with two ponies."

"How about kickboxing?"

"Yeah! That sounds fun!"

"Okay, then! You guys have fun, too!" Sweetie said, and then she turned towards Lester. "Come on, Lester! Let's go have our own fun!"

Lester leapt with excitement at Sweetie's enthusiasm, and immediately after the filly and the porcupine both dashed out the clubhouse door, as eager as ever to spend their first whole day together as friends.

Chapter 6 - 1/2: A Grand Day Out

Sweetie Belle and Lester's grand day out was indeed the fun and exciting time they had both hoped it to be. After leaving the clubhouse, the two headed to the lake for a swim, splashing about in the water, diving to the bottom, and just plain swimming all around. Sweetie was surprised that Lester was such a decent swimmer, but that didn't bother her one bit. After their dip in the lake, Sweetie began to feel hungry, as did Lester, so Sweetie found an open field and the two friends had a nice lunch of apples from Sweet Apple Acres. During this lunch, one of the apples next to Sweetie Belle had rolled away from her, and Lester chased after it, grabbing it with his mouth. Sweetie Belle thought it was so cute the way Lester was holding the apple in his mouth. Just then, Sweetie got an idea from this. After Lester had coughed the apple from his mouth, Sweetie whistled to him. She was waving an apple around in the air for him to see, which his attention was firmly locked onto. Seeing he was now looking, Sweetie Belle tossed the apple up in the air over Lester's head, and, with the use of all his strength in his little porcupine legs, Lester had jumped up in the air and caught the apple with his teeth! Sweetie cheered for her little friend's victory, feeling ecstatic that he was able to perform this feat flawlessly, and Lester was feeling joyful, too. With lunch finished, Sweetie and Lester began a game of tag, with the two of them playfully chasing after and tagging one another over and over(although Sweetie accidentally tagged Lester's spines a few times). However, their little game was apparently tiring for Lester, who let out a yawn, as did Sweetie Belle soon after, so the two of them went over to the tree they were near when they had lunch and took a nap against it, with Sweetie Belle lying against the tree and Lester curled up right next to Sweetie Belle. Both drifted off to a sound and pleasant slumber.

Sweetie Belle and Lester awoke from the nap one hour later, and the nap proved refreshing for the two friends, as after they had both woken up, they felt energized and ready to have some more fun in the day that still awaited them. Sweetie pondered on what game they could play which they had not previously. She then swiftly proposed that take part in a game of "hide-and-seek". Lester agreed wholeheartedly with another merry bit of nodding. The two then ran off towards the nearby forest area so as to have better places to hide. Sweetie Belle chose to hide first, and she told Lester to close his eyes and count while she found a place in which to hide, and then he would come and try to find her.

After Lester started counting, Sweetie Belle trotted away a short distance and looked frantically for a spot that would be perfect for her to hide in. When she did not find any place on the ground where she could conceal herself from Lester, she looked upwards towards the trees, and considered hiding in a treetop to be the perfect plan. Unfortunately, getting up into the tree proved to be quite difficult, as Sweetie Belle quickly realized that climbing a tree with hooves is not a simple task. Every time she attempted to ascend the tree trunk, she found herself sliding back down to the bottom again and again. Sweetie was worried that Lester would find her before she even got a chance to hide, so she knew she had to get up into this tree now. And with that, Sweetie readied herself, and swiftly jumped onto the tree, grabbing the trunk, and without a moment's hesitation, she commenced in moving her hooves as fast as she possible could, and now she started to move upwards. Executing such a task was clearly not so simple, as doing such took all of the little filly's strength to scale the tree—but even all of her strength would not be sufficient for this task.

As soon as she had made it over halfway up the base of the tree, Sweetie felt her strength start to give out, and she was feeling quite tired. However, before she was entirely sapped of strength, Sweetie Belle noticed a branch just to her right, and, using the last of her clout, the exhausted filly made a leap onto the top of the branch, grasping it just in time and holding herself in place atop the limb. Now that she had made it high enough into the tree, Sweetie elected to take a much-needed respite before continuing further up into the tree so as to gain better coverage for hiding herself from Lester. Sweetie laid herself down on her stomach, sweating profusely and taking constant deep breaths. While Sweetie rested, she glanced downwards towards the ground to see if Lester had begun his search for her hiding spot. As soon as she looked down, she had ceased her heavy breathing in surprise of what she beheld: Lester had indeed started his search for Sweetie Belle, and he was now currently standing right near the base of the tree, looking straight up at Sweetie Belle. Sweetie was very astonished that Lester had located her so quickly, but at the same time she was not surprised, since she stuck out like a sore hoof on the branch she was lying on. Sweetie Belle was a bit discouraged to have been found so speedily, but she still congratulated Lester on being so fast to find her.

After she slid down to the bottom of the tree, Sweetie told Lester that it was his turn to go and hide while she counted. Sweetie turned around and pressed her head against the tree, covering her face up with her front legs at the same time as she began to count. As soon as she had started her counting, Lester hurriedly skittered away to find his own hiding spot. A short time after this, Sweetie Belle had completed her counting, and commenced her searching for her furry little friend's area of concealment. Sweetie checked behind every bush and rock as she crossed through the forest, but to no avail so far. She even looked up towards the trees for any sign of Lester, because if she was able to climb a tree, then why not him? Unfortunately, she was unable to locate her companion within the surrounding foliage, but she pressed on further, determined to find him. After a short while longer, Sweetie began to wonder if she could ever discover the hiding place of a minuscule creature like Lester—until she heard a sneeze come from nearby. The sneeze was sudden and unexpected, but quite audible. Sweetie turned her head in the direction that it had come, and saw a lone bush between two oak trees. She trotted over to the bush, pushed apart the branches, and found Lester sitting on the inside of the bush, rubbing his nose with his paw. Upon hearing the rustling of the bush, Lester looked up at Sweetie Belle, surprised to see she had found him. As Lester walked out of the bush, he appeared rather dejected over having been found so easily due to his sneeze, and he felt that he had ruined the game because of it. Sweetie Belle could sense that this was the reason for Lester's gloomy appearance, and, not wanting him to continue with his troubled state of mind, she told him that he was still a great hider, and that if he had not sneezed, she might have never been able to find out where he was. Hearing such encouragement did well for Lester's self-confidence, lifting his spirits and getting him back in the proper mood for more merriment. However, even though Lester was feeling better now, Sweetie Belle was afraid a repeat of his previous unintentional actions may damper his morale once more, and she didn't want him to feel so badly all over again if that did indeed occur. So, instead of continuing with their game, Sweetie Belle suggested the two of them go do a more relaxing activity: one where winning and losing were not factors. Lester agreed with no opposition, and both he and Sweetie Belle left the forest, heading back to the spot where they had lunch earlier.

While Sweetie Belle was contemplating on what noncompetitive activity she and Lester could do together, she looked up at the sky, and saw it full of clouds. She became entranced by the passing clouds, and slowly came to a stop, with Lester doing the same(although he wasn't sure what Sweetie Belle was doing). Staring at the slow-moving clouds formations filled Sweetie with a sense of peace, making her forget her troubles of the recent past and care only about the harmonious activity of watching the clouds for the time being. Sweetie Belle then laid herself down on her back and looked up the sky, with Lester imitating her precisely. Such a passive avocation proved to do well for both the filly and the porcupine, them both being encompassed by the good thoughts and feelings brought with the serenity of this simple yet enjoyable pastime. During the period of time in which the cloud watching took place, Sweetie Belle conversed her thoughts to Lester, remarking on the great day they had together, and how it was one of the best days she ever had. Lester nodded gleefully, showing his agreement, since he had never had a day like this in his entire life, and sharing this day with Sweetie Belle made it even better than it ever could have been with anybody else. After articulating her feelings to Lester, Sweetie Belle decided to take it easy and lay back while watching the sky, which she and Lester both did for some time longer.

Chapter 6 - 2/2: A Grand Day Out

Sweetie Belle's eyes sprang open as she awoke. She instantly sat upright, and, after looking around, was astonished to see it was almost sunset. Sweetie had unexpectedly fallen asleep while cloud watching, and had been asleep for several hours. She looked to her side at Lester, whom was still snoring away. Using her hoof, Sweetie gently nudged Lester, and Lester soon became awake, albeit gradually.

Lester yawned as he blinked several times to clear his vision, and then he turned his head towards Sweetie Belle, wondering as to why she woke him up.

Sweetie Belle apologized for having to wake up her furry companion, but she swiftly informed him about the extent to which the day had gone by, that it was nearing the end of the sunset, and that they both needed to head back to Sweet Apple Acres before it got dark out, so Sweetie's parents would not be worried about her.

Lester had no tribulations with his owner's request, and made haste to flip himself back on all four legs. The two then raced off to the farm, as the gradient of the mutual evening and night sky lessened in yellow and orange and gradually shifted into the dark blue of nighttime.

A fairish breeze swept through the many acres of the Apple family farm, with every tree swaying in the unremitting windy night as they were caressed by the wind. Sweetie Belle felt all too well the oncoming boreal draft, and wanted to get to the clubhouse as swiftly as she could so Lester would be contained from the chilly conditions of outdoors. The two eventually made it to the clubhouse, and took shelter inside the joint dwelling, feeling much warmer and more comfortable now that they were indoors. Once Sweetie had felt composed, she said her goodbyes to Lester, once again apologizing for having to leave her pet behind and all alone.

However, Lester did not react in the same fashion as the other night. Because of the swell time he had today, and because he actually got to spend a whole day with just him and Sweetie Belle, he felt fulfilled, and not so empty inside. For these reasons, Lester did not make the slightest attempt to resist Sweetie Belle's decision to leave him in the clubhouse overnight, and Sweetie was in higher spirits than ever before because of it. Lester felt quite overjoyed himself to not have to see her be saddened as she was before, and this experience showed Lester that the things he wanted couldn't always come first. After all, he was not just her friend, but also her pet, so he knew he had to trust Sweetie Belle to know what was right for him, and to show her that he accepts her trust. Sweetie Belle couldn't be happier with Lester's acceptance of her difficult choice, and in response she bent down to nuzzle her snout against his, which showed vibrantly the faithful companionship these two friends shared so deeply.

Unfortunately, this mutually happy moment had to be cut short, as when Sweetie Belle glanced out the window, she saw there was but a mere splotch of sunlight shining over the horizon, and that if she didn't get home immediately, she would get into very big trouble for being out so late by herself. Sweetie quickly petted Lester's head one more time, said her goodbyes, and dashed out the door, back towards her place of residence.

Once she had left, Lester walked over to the still open door and pushed it shut with his muzzle. He then walked over to the carpet in the middle of the floor, and situated himself in the most comfortable spot. He laid himself down on the floor, emitted a small yawn, and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Sweetie Belle had arrived home just before the last smidgens of sunlight had disappeared, and the wave of the dark nighttime sky cascaded into place. Luckily for the little filly, she did not receive punishment for getting home late, because, as it turns out, her parents weren't even home. Sweetie was bewildered by this situation, but then she found a note on the living room table. It read:

Dear Sweetie Belle,

Your father and I have stepped out to visit our next-door neighbors for dinner. I left you some leftover daisies on the kitchen table for you to have for your own dinner, dear. We'll most likely arrive back home after you've gone to bed, so have a good night's sleep, my little angel.

Love, Mom

Sweetie Belle breathed a great sigh of relief, knowing that she avoided being caught, and Lester would continue to be her secret pet. However, even though she was able to slide past this near calamity, she knew she would have to be more careful the next time she and Lester spent a day together. But for now, Sweetie was awfully tired, and didn't feel like mulling over this any longer, so she carried her worn-out body up to her room, and flopped right into bed. As Sweetie pulled the blanket up, she smiled, knowing that this night, unlike the previous one, would go much more serenely, with all her troubling thoughts about leaving Lester vanished from her mind.

Sweetie Belle awoke fresh and full of vigor the next morning. After a quick breakfast, she raced off to meet Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, so they could all spend the day searching for their cutie marks again. She was also looking forward to telling her friends all about her day with Lester, and how much great fun it was.

As she was heading towards Sweet Apple Acres, Sweetie Belle reflected further on the time spent with Lester the previous day. So much fun was had between the two of them, that Sweetie felt like doing it all over again. Unfortunately, this idea did not form without the inclusion of some quandaries: Even though Sweetie Belle knew that Lester would be more than eager to spend yet another day with her, she didn't like the idea of abandoning her friends to hang out with her pet instead; it made her feel like not only a bad friend, but a bad crusader. What was a pony to do?

Sweetie decided to stop and contemplate these thoughts before continuing her venture to the clubhouse. Such ideas would not be easy to come up with a solution for, but it was necessary that she conjure a resolution so as to ascertain the correct choice for her to follow. Which seemed like the best choice? Hanging out with her longtime friends, or her shorttime pet? Sweetie concentrated as hard as she could on who she felt deserved her time the most. Sure, Sweetie loved Lester a lot, and loved every second they were together, but that didn't mean that they could be together all the time—it's important that she make time for all her friends and family. But, on the other hoof, Sweetie has only known Lester a few days, and she has known everyone else she knows a lot longer than that; and that especially goes for Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, since she has spent so much time together with them, searching for their cutie marks and even just doing regular friend stuff. But with Lester, they have only had a single full day spent with one another, which is considerably less then everypony else she is acquainted with. With that logic in mind, Sweetie Belle leaned towards the notion that Lester was the one more deserving of her time at this point, and that she owed it to him, considering that she was his owner and all, and that in part decreed a level of responsibility for her to adhere to, which she willingly accepted.

Thusly, Sweetie Belle retrieved Lester from the clubhouse, and the two friends spent yet another glorious day with one another, having fun and loving every second they were together. After this day had been completed, Sweetie Belle again chose to hang around with Lester for yet another full day, and she did just that. With each passing day, Sweetie Belle found herself palling around with Lester every single day, with their bond growing ever closer from their invariable new way of sharing their friendship together.

In addition to the activities they had performed before, and even repeated in the days after, Sweetie and Lester got some new ideas on how to have fun together: instead of merely walking down the paths in the forest, they merrily bounded together, hopping one after the other in the shimmering light of day; when it was windy enough, they flew a kite Sweetie kept in her room(which was shaped like a regular kite), and enjoyed watching their aircraft sway back and forth as it was caressed by the breeze; Sweetie's favorite thing to do with Lester is where she lays herself down on her back with her hooves up in the air, and Lester would stand on her hooves. She would proceed to toss Lester straight up into the air, and she would catch him with her hooves when he came back down. They performed this avocation repeatedly, and had a blast whilst doing it. As the days passed, things went splendidly for these filly and porcupine companions—however, things were not so joyful with their fellow crusaders.

Though they did not mind so much back on Sweetie and Lester's first day out, having a CMC member absent had been getting to them every day afterwards. Apple Bloom contained feelings of concern that their friend had been absent for so long, and she really missed her, whereas Scootaloo had grown more and more perturbed, thinking that Sweetie Belle was flat-out ignoring her and Apple Bloom just to spend all her time with Lester. Well, after seven days of absence, enough was enough for Scootaloo. She elected that both her and Apple Bloom were to go out and find Sweetie Belle to let her know how bad of a friend she's been to them.

After a bit of searching around Ponyville, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo located the two of them in the area of the park where the other ponies come to have their pony pet play date every week, although today was not the day when they would come, so Sweetie Belle knew she was safe playing with Lester here. Scootaloo was raring to go and give Sweetie belle a piece of her mind, but was suddenly halted by Apple Bloom. Feeling perplexed, Apple Bloom told her to look at Sweetie and Lester, and how much fun they were having jointly. They were happy to be together, and could such genuine happiness really be interfered with—even by Sweetie's best friends? Apple Bloom believed well that real friends would not want to ruin the contented friendship between Sweetie and Lester, and Scootaloo gradually came to acceptance of this credence. If Sweetie Belle wanted to play with Lester instead, then her friends need to be accepting of what she chooses to do, and be faithful that she'll know that her friends miss her and return to them, which she indeed did only two days afterwards. She had felt like spending time with her friends again, and Lester was eager to go along with when she let him know, and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were elated to have Sweetie back. Now that the trio had reunited, they(and their mascot) could go out and do their crusading as a team, just as it was meant to be.

Things were looking up even more for Sweetie Belle and Lester in the days that followed, now that they nopony had to be left out, and their friendship remained solid because of it. Times got better and better for the filly and her pet, as each new sunrise was the mark of another day for them to be happy together, with everything always going swimmingly; however, on this most recent day, there would come a sudden and monumental shift—one which nobody was prepared for—especially Lester.

Chapter 7 - 1/2: A Sickening Display

Lester let out another big sneeze which was followed by several more coughs. He had been sick all day so far; ever since Sweetie Belle first came to greet him in mid-morning, and she was really worried. Although Sweetie wanted to get Lester some help, she still didn't want anypony else to find out about him, so she decided to try and nurse him back to health herself.

After seeing Lester so sick in the clubhouse, Sweetie Belle took him outside and placed him on a stump, hoping the fresh air would do him good. She also placed a blanket over Lester to keep him warm, as Sweetie's own mother did the same for her when she fell ill.

Ever since Sweetie Belle had placed Lester outside, she had not strayed too far from him, as she did not want him to be left alone for too long if he needed something. Most of the time, she just sat right next to the sickly porcupine, waiting on him hand and foot so as to do whatever possible to speed up Lester's recovery as swiftly as she could.

"Would you like some food, Lester?"

Lester endeavored to open his eyes, but only managed to get them less than half open. He glanced over to Sweetie Belle, then weakly shook his head, abruptly producing a violent sneeze right afterwards.

Sweetie Belle felt she was entirely incapable of taking care of Lester with the limited provisions she had at her disposal in the clubhouse. She desperately sought to leave and search out more effective remedies for the accelerated and ameliorated treatment of her furry companion, but the thought of leaving him alone for that long was something that she simply could not bring herself to do. All she could do now was wait and hope for help to arrive, growing more despondent with each passing second that Lester lie unaided.

Just then, the answer to Sweetie Belle's wish came walking up to the clubhouse in the form of her two best non-pet friends: Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. However, since the distraught filly was so preoccupied with tending to her ailing pet, she did not at first take notice of her friends as they walked up to her and Lester.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom greeted her, which instantly caught Sweetie's ear.

"Guys!" she shouted with much rapture. "I'm so glad you're here! Lester and I really need your help!"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"When I came to see Lester this morning, I found him lying on the floor, looking really sick. He kept on coughing, and his nose was all red. His eyes were tearing and a little puffed up. I just don't know what could be wrong with him," she placed her hoof on Lester's head, with tears starting to well up in her own eyes.

"Well, can't you take him to the vet?"

"I can't do that by myself. I would need my sister or parents or somepony else who is old enough to take me and Lester there, and then everypony would know about him, and I just couldn't have Lester leave after all we've been through together..." Tears formed into larger droplets around Sweetie's eyes, plummeting to the ground and soaking into the soil of the earth.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged looks of sympathy to each other, feeling anguish over their friend's great anguish.

"Yah know, Sweetie Belle; if yah want, we can both watch Lester so you can leave and get whatever it is yah need fer 'im."

"Really??" she responded elatedly.

"Sure! Me an' Scoot can watch 'im while you go an' get whatever it is yah need fer 'im!"

"Oh, yay!" Sweetie bounced gleefully up into the air. "You guys are the best!" she says as she hugs both of her friends, with both hugging her back. "Now let's see...what should I get first...?"

While Sweetie Belle was thinking, Scootaloo glanced over at Lester, noticing that he was panting. "He looks pretty hot to me," she remarked.

Sweetie looked over at Lester herself, and was in agreement with Scootaloo after seeing him look so hot herself. She proceeded to remove the blanket to cool the porcupine down. "There: is that better?" Lester nodded weakly in response. "Now, how about I get you some nice, cold water?" Lester nodded as weakly as he did previously. "Okay, then—you rest up while I fetch you some refreshing water," she gave Lester a quick pat on the head and trotted off towards the farm to retrieve the liquid refreshment for her sickly porcupine pet.

After watching Sweetie Belle leave, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo turned their attention back towards Lester, who did not look to be getting any better, with his head getting warmer and his breathing becoming heavier and slower as he tried to sleep.

"The poor little guy...ah hate to see a somepony's pet lookin' so sick..."

"Yeah; and Sweetie Belle was looking pretty sad over this."

"Ah wish there was somethin' we could do tuh help out more than just watchin' Lester."

Scootaloo pondered this notion. "Hmm...maybe there is more we could do."

"Really? How?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"Well...since Lester is so sad, we should do something to cheer him up! So that when Sweetie Belle comes back, she'll see him happy, and she'll be happier, too!"

"That sounds like a pretty good idea, Scoot!"

Scootaloo smiled from the recognition she was receiving from Apple Bloom, now feeling that her idea was a good one. Scootaloo then turned her attention back towards Lester. "How about it, Lester? You in the mood to be cheered up?" she asked as she nudged the porcupine.

Suddenly, Scootaloo felt her hoof being smacked away by an irate Apple Bloom. "Ow! What did you do that for??" Scootaloo irritably responded, rubbing her sore hoof.

"'Cause yer gonna wake Lester up if yah go 'n' poke 'im like that!"

"I wasn't going to wake him! He's not even asleep!"

"What are you talkin' about?"

"Just look!" she said as she pointed towards Lester. "He's not asleep because he's not snoring anymore!"

"Snorin'? I didn't hear him snorin' before."

"Of course he was snoring! He was going (inhale, exhale) over and over after Sweetie Belle left!"

"...yah mean breathin'?"

"That was breathing? It sounded like a snore to me."

"Ah'm pretty sure it was breathin'."

"Well, whatever it was, he's not doing it now."

The two fillies turned their heads towards Lester once again, looking intently at his motionless body. Both looked puzzled as to was going on with Lester, and why he was now making no sound at all. It was quite perplexing for the both of them. The both continued to ponder—until Apple Bloom's face instantaneously changed to one of pure shock and horror—which Scootaloo didn't notice, as she was still thinking herself.

"...that was breathin' he was doin'..."

"Whaaat? That can't be right, because he isn't doing it now. And how could someone just 'stop' breathing?"

Apple Bloom stared back at Scootaloo without uttering a word—her visibly forlorn expression doing the speaking for her. It was from a thorough examination of the filly's facial appearance did Scootaloo finally realize what had happened—and she was no less shocked than Apple Bloom was.

"Oh my gosh..." Scootaloo looked at Lester, then back at Apple Bloom, who remained wordless.

There was a long pause for Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, as the severity of this sudden situation was such that it not could be taken so easily, and was a lot to place on one's mind—especially for two young fillies such as these.

"What...what should we tell Sweetie Belle??"

"Ah...ah really don't know..."

"Well, we can't just do nothing! I mean, this is Sweetie Belle's pet! How do you think she's gonna take this news??"

Apple Bloom didn't respond, but she agreed fully with Scootaloo's statement; knowing full well that someone who loves Lester as dearly as Sweetie Belle does could not handle such grim news in a totally calm and collected manner. It was clearly too late to do anything about Lester, so they needed to come up with some kind of way to soften the blow for their friend, although that task seemed impossible—but it was worth giving a try if it meant helping their dear companion through this hard time.

Chapter 7 - 2/2: A Sickening Display

However, before the ponies even had a chance to think of anything, the sound of humming was picked up by their ears, causing the two fillies to quickly about face and see a cheerful Sweetie Belle returning to the clubhouse, now carrying with her a bucket full of water. Immediate panic struck Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, as their time for planning had so promptly been cut short. Now it was time to face their friend with this tragic news hanging over their heads—a task much easier said than done.

"I'm back!" the high-spirited filly shouted after stopping and placing the bucket on the ground. "How is Lester doing?"

"How's he doin'??" Apple Bloom responded nervously. "Is that what yer askin'? Well...he he...uhh...he's doin'..."

"...well!" Scootaloo blurted out.

"Yeah, well! Just as well as well could be!"

"Couldn't be any weller!" Both ponies smiled as big as they could to hide their deceit—but this odd speech and awkward facial expressions only had Sweetie Belle bemused by the way her friends are acting.

"Uhh, okay..." Sweetie responded in a puzzled manner. She then picked the bucket back up and brought it over to Lester—before abruptly being blocked by her friends. "What are you guys doing?" she said with the bucket handle still in her mouth.

"Uhh...Lester doesn't need water anymore!"

"Yeah! He's feelin' much better!"

"Really?"

"Yep! But now he just wants to sleep some more, so you should just...go someplace else while he's sleeping!"

"A—and then you can come back...and he'll be...awake!" There was a long pause of silence following these words.

"...you guys aren't making a whole lot of sense."

"Ah know..." Apple Bloom said with a bit of despair as she put her hoof on her face.

"Well, anyway, even if Lester is tired, I know seeing me will cheer him right back up!" Sweetie hurriedly pushed her friends to the side and went right up to Lester. "Hey there, Lester! I'm glad to hear you're feeling better! I brought you a bunch of water like you wanted! I hope it's enough!" Sweetie waited for Lester to wake up and greet her, but he remained silent and motionless, which puzzled Sweetie Belle. "Come on, Lester! Rise and shine!" she said as she nudged the still porcupine. While Sweetie remained unaware of the current situation, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked on, growing more tense with each passing second.

Still not getting any kind of response out of Lester, Sweetie Belle was now getting worried for her pet. She turned her attention back towards her friends. "Hey, what's wrong with Lester? Why won't he wake up?" It was clear there was no way around it now—Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were going to have to suck it up and tell Sweetie what needed to be said.

"Umm, Sweetie Belle, we have some bad news about Lester..."

"What?! What is it?? He's not more sick, is he?? I thought you said he was better!!" Sweetie Belle was in great distress as she shouted back at her friends.

"Ah know that's what we said, but we only did that because we were too afraid tuh tell yuh the truth."

"Truth?? What truth?? What's going on?!"

So much it pained Apple Bloom of her obligation to reveal unto Sweetie Belle the hapless fate of her beloved pet and friend, and she found it extremely difficult to express these words to her dear, sensitive friend. Somepony who shared such a firm bond with their pet as Sweetie did would clearly not take such hearsay with a pleasant smile and move on quickly—no, would be an arduous task unlike any other she has had to endure, but, being Sweetie's friend meant she had to do it, and do it she would. After taking a gloomy sigh, she began her dialogue, "Well...umm...gee, ah don't know how tuh start this...hmm...well, it all started not too long after you left. That was when we noticed that Lester had, well...stopped breathin'..."

"Stopped breathing?!? What do you mean 'stopped breathing'?! Lester!" Sweetie jostled Lester as she pleaded for him to respond. This distressing display made Apple Bloom feel entirely incapable of continuing. The courage she had used to explain to Sweetie Belle about Lester had faded. She became immobilized by fear and uncertainty, unable to continue speaking or respond to anypony in any way.

While Apple Bloom was dealing with her own inner dilemma, Sweetie Belle's moderate distress had grown more rampantly distraught, having not brought any manner of reaction out of Lester, no matter how much she pleaded with him. "What's wrong??" she shouted to her friends. "Why won't he say or do anything??"

Apple Bloom could not get herself to answer Sweetie Belle. She could barely even force a response out of herself now, and even then, she could only manage a meager number of words. "Lester's, well..." her stuttering turned into a lengthy mumble, and she couldn't get herself to stop.

Scootaloo sighed of disappointment while watching Apple Bloom avoid giving Sweetie Belle a straight answer. She knew that Apple Bloom didn't want to say anything—heck, neither did she. But, Scootaloo was getting sick of all this stalling, and seeing that Apple Bloom wasn't going to get this done and over with, it was up to Scoot, who quickly took hold of the conversation. "Look, Sweetie Belle!" she shouted, grabbing everypony's attention. "Apple Bloom can't come out and say it, so I'm just going to have to: Lester's dead, okay??" Sweetie Belle remained entirely motionless as she stared back at Scootaloo. "I know that's hard for you to believe, but it's true—Lester's really gone, and he's not going to come back. I'm sorry I had to say it like that, but we couldn't keep it from you any longer."

Sweetie Belle's eyes were locked on Scootaloo as she backed away from Lester, knocking over her water bucket in the process and causing all the water to spill out. "W...what?" she looked over to Apple Bloom, who silently and sadly nodded to Scootaloo's statement. Not a single tear did drop from Sweetie's eyes, as she had yet to accept or even fathom the words that had just been laid upon her. How could this have just...happened? Right out of the blue like that? Right when everything was truly perfect for her? It seemed unbelievable—and impossible, more so, that someone whom she had held so close in her heart would just up and pass on like that. As these thoughts drifted throughout Sweetie's head further, tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Her body was now reacting to her emotions—which made for a seriously heartrending display. The true pain of this heartache set fast upon her mind, and her body expressions showed full well the impact of these harrowing feelings.

With eyes enlarged, lips aquiver, and tears trickling from her face, Sweetie Belle slowly walked back over to Lester. She looked down at his still, lifeless body, unknowing of what to do. Never before in Sweetie's life had she experienced any kind of loss, and having one just thrown upon her was much more than this sensitive little filly could handle. She placed her hooves around Lester, pulling him closer to herself. The tears from her eyes dripped off her cheek and splashed upon the porcupine's body, soaking into his fur. She placed her head against his back, uncaring of getting pricked by any of his needles as she pressed the side of her face closer into his needles and held him tighter simultaneously. Her tears continued to flow from her eyes, soaking even further into Lester's fur, as Sweetie Belle was incapable to stop crying—the severity of her anguish was too great. All she could think about was: why? Why did this have to happen? Why did this happen to her? To Lester? Neither of them did anything to deserve such a cruel punishment...especially not Lester. He was the sweetest, most lovable pet a pony could ask for—and now he's gone, and Sweetie Belle is left an empty shell of a pony, with her heart: broken; her spirit: crushed; and the depths of her anguish: incalculable.

Out of everything Scootaloo and Apple Bloom have had to endure throughout this entire ordeal, Sweetie's tragic display was the most harrowing of all. This was exactly why they didn't want to tell her—why they wished they could have just stayed out of it. Seeing their friend so distraught was horrible, and it felt like a burden to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, for they felt it was their fault she was feeling this way because they told her about Lester. Could there be anything they could do? And for that matter, would they even want to attempt to help their friend? Or would they just make everything even worse than it already was—if that were even possible? At this point, both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo felt they could be nothing more than onlookers to their friend's exhibition of her feelings of grief and desolation over the loss of her dearly beloved pet. But, these self-outlooks of incompetence would have to pass, as Sweetie Belle would need her friends more than ever now, and since Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were her two closest friends other than Lester, they were the best option in assisting their friend through this terrible hardship.

"We're really sorry about Lester, Sweetie Belle."

"Yeah. We know how much he meant to you."

Sweetie did not respond in any way. She continued her sobbing as her face remained buried within the many quills covering Lester's back.

"But, we wanna let you know that we're gonna help you get through this."

"Yeah, you'll be back to your old self in no time!"

Sweetie's weeping had stopped. She sniffed as she lifted her head upright, though still having it faced away from her friends. "...I don't need your help in getting over anything," she stated in a flat tone.

"What? Why?"

"...because Lester is not dead."

"Huh??"

"What??"

"He isn't! I don't believe it!" she shouted much more sharply as she quickly turned to face her friends, a perceptible ferocity in her eyes. "Lester wouldn't just die like that! He's my best friend!" she grabbed hold of Lester and held him tightly against her body. "You're both lying because you never liked me hanging out with Lester! You're both just jealous!!

"We would never do that!"

"Yeah! We're your friends!" both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were in dismay as they verbalized their candor.

"No! You're lying! Lester's just like this because he doesn't like being here and being around you two!" Sweetie hurriedly picked up the overturned water bucket and placed Lester inside. "I'm taking Lester away from here and I'm never bringing him back!" she then grabbed the handle with her mouth and ran off, ignoring Apple Bloom's and Scootaloo's pleas to not run away and to believe them. Seeing that Sweetie Belle paid no attention to their supplications, the two fillies gave chase after their friend in hopes that they could get her to listen to reason.

Chapter 8 - 1/2: Acceptance Not Acceptable

"Hmm...all these ones look good. Better check the part of the orchard over there," Applejack stated as she trotted through the many apple trees of Sweet Apple Acres: searching for any trees that may not be in the best of health. She had just approached an intersecting path when she became startled by the sudden passing of a flustered Sweetie Belle, whom sped by her without even taking notice of the mare. "Ah wonder where she's runnin' off to in such a hurry," Applejack continued walking as she kept her eyes on Sweetie Belle, and unfortunately it was this action that prevented her from taking notice of the forthcoming Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, whose swift pace hindered their ability to stop themselves quickly enough upon their sighting of Applejack, and the two fillies promptly plowed into Applejack, and after a short tumble, the three of them ended up in a pony pile-up.

Though dazed at first, Applejack quickly became sore at the two fillies, "What in tarnation do you two think yer doin', tearn' through Sweet Apple Acres like that??" Applejack asked irately as she pulled herself out from under the two overturned fillies.

"Sorry, sis, but we havta catch up tuh Sweetie Belle!"

"Yeah! We need to tell her that she's wrong about how she thinks we feel about Lester!"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got up to pursue Sweetie Belle forthwith, but Applejack stuck her leg out in front of the fillies to stop them. "Hold on a minute there—who is this Lester fella yer talkin' about?" Both fillies knew their promise to keep Lester a secret, but clearly there were more important things to worry about at the moment.

Scootaloo began the explanation, but started off a bit too quickly, "He's our mascot that Sweetie Belle got a while ago and she'd been spending every day with him since then, but now he—"

"Woah, woah!" Applejack interjected, cutting Scootaloo off. "Just hold on, there! Tell it all to me a bit slower."

So, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo spent several minutes explaining to Applejack the whole story about Lester: how they both met, how much Sweetie loved Lester, and how Sweetie Belle reacted to the bad news just minutes beforehoof.

"Sounds like she doesn't want tuh believe he's really gone," said Applejack.

"Yeah, and she thinks we're lying because we didn't like Lester."

"But we always liked him! He was a really cool mascot!"

"Well, it seems that she won't believe any word comin' out of the mouths of you two right now."

"What are we supposed tuh do??" Apple Bloom asked in fret.

"The only thing tuh do now is find Sweetie Belle," Applejack turned around and started walking down the path Sweetie Belle had taken, with the fillies following after. "...and show her the truth about you two—and about Lester."

After leaving Sweet Apple Acres, the three ponies began combing all of Ponyville for the distressed filly and her deceased pet. Knowing she would still not want anypony else to find out about Lester, they checked every vacant area in Ponyville: every alley, every bridge, every doghouse(though that was Scootaloo's idea)—until finally they had located her in the field where the pony-pet playdates take place. Watching from behind the bushes, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo watched Sweetie belle, who was, having her own pony-pet playdate—which was a very sad sight to witness.

As opposed to the critical levels of sadness and torment she was suffering through before, Sweetie Belle was now happy and upbeat as she "played" with Lester. She was laughing and having as good a time as any other that she shared with her porcupine pet, doing all the fun things the pair had done together in the past, such as hopping around, tumbling in the grass, and catching Lester after throwing him up into the air, with Lester lifeless and unmoving all the while.

"Oh, dear...that poor filly," said Applejack, expressing her sorrow for Sweetie Belle.

"What's she doin' Applejack? She's playin' with Lester like he's not...wait, is he not...?"

"No, he most certainly is; but she doesn't want tuh believe Lester's gone, so she's actin' like nothin' ever happened. That's why she's playin' with him and actin' like everything's normal."

"That's bad, right?"

"Yes it is, Scootaloo. A pony can't lie to themselves like that—no matter how hard it is for them to handle the truth."

"Are we gonna havta be the ones to tell her that?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"Well, she's obviously not goin' tuh tell herself anytime soon, so we don't have any choice. We can't let this go on any longer," and with that, Applejack marched out of the shrubbery towards the troubled filly, fully set on making things right.

At first, Sweetie Belle did not notice Applejack and her friends coming towards her, due to her being preoccupied by Lester, but once they had gotten close enough to Sweetie, she turned her head towards them, and, astonishingly, was not angry or upset at all. "Oh, hey guys!" she greeted heartily. "Lester and me are just playing! Isn't that right, Lester?" she smiled as she held Lester close to her face, the mammal's body still completely static, with Sweetie Belle seemingly oblivious to her pet's departure from this world. "He must still be too tired to say anything right now, but I know he's happy to see you, too! Aren't you, Lester?" she said as she nuzzled her snout against his.

While Sweetie was looking to be as happy as ever, the other ponies watched, feeling completely nonplussed by this behavior. Why did she not get upset by the sight of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo? And why was she even happy to see them?

"It's like she completely forgot what happened earlier."

"No...she didn't forget," said Applejack. "She's just doin' what she's been doin' this whole time: actin' like everything's normal."

"What does that have to do with when she got mad at us before?"

"Well, since she wants to believe that Lester's still alive, she's also pretendin' that what you two told her earlier never happened, 'n' that's why she's bein' as nice and friendly to y'all as she always has before."

"It's so great playing with Lester!" Sweetie blurted out. "We're best friends forever and ever!" she hugged the porcupine mightily, and was forthwith pricked by his many needles. "Upp! There I go getting myself poked by Lester again! I never do learn, do I?" she chuckled before hugging Lester again, albeit avoiding his needles this time.

"She's gettin' worse..." Applejack stated, more upset than she was before.

"Well, what do we do?"

"What we came here tuh do: put a stop do this once and for all," even though Applejack knew this wouldn't be a simple task, it was for the good of this one little filly, and Applejack wouldn't allow her to live in this state of denial forevermore.

Chapter 8 - 2/2: Acceptance Not Acceptable

"Sweetie Belle, we need tuh talk."

"Sure, Applejack. What about?" she replied, holding Lester tighter and closer to herself.

"It's about this whole thing with Lester. Now, ah don't know all that much about your relationship with him other than what yer friends told me, but ah can see that he really was a special pet tuh you."

"He sure is! We're going to be best friends forever and ever!" she said gleefully as she swung Lester around while still keeping him in her loving embrace.

The difficulty was growing more relentless with trying to get through to Sweetie Belle, but Applejack was steadfast in her assertion of the truth, and was not about to give up on the filly yet.

"Look, Sweetie Belle, I know Lester was yer friend and all, and you cared for him a lot, but yah just can' pretend that he's still here when in reality he's not."

"What are you talking about? Lester's right here!" she held Lester up to Applejack's face, inadvertently causing discomfort in Applejack for putting Lester in her personal space, but Applejack promptly pushed Lester away from her face.

"Ah know it's hard for you tuh believe that he's gone, but lyin' like this isn't good for yah."

"Nopony's lying about anything!" Sweetie shouted back crossly. "The only pony lying here is you! You're just like Apple Bloom and Scootaloo! Lying to me about Lester to keep me from spending time with him anymore! Well I won't let it happen again!" Sweetie held up Lester with her left leg and turned away from her friends, walking away soon after.

"Sweetie, stop! We weren't lying before!"

"Yeah! And none of us are lyin' now!"

"None of us except you for lying to yourself!"

Sweetie Belle continued walking, appearing unfazed by their words.

"And now you're tryin' to run away from your problem! Well yah can't run away forever! That's why yah have to face this problem now! If yah don't, then you'll just live the rest of your life unhappy and without a real friend in the world!"

Sweetie Belle halted, though still facing away from the others. Her friends remained unsure of if she was truly listening to their statements or not, but continued speaking their minds regardless.

"We know this must hurt for you to hear, and it hurts for us to say it."

"And we don't like making you sad, Sweetie Belle."

"But we wouldn't be doin' it unless we really cared about yah!"

The others couldn't see it, but Sweetie Belle was indeed hearing their words—every single one of them. With every word spoken by each of the ponies, the tears welled up even greater in the filly's eyes, pushing out and flowing down her face. Though feelings of sadness were rampant in Sweetie Belle, there was also the presence of anger and heartache, shown by the fierce clenching of her teeth. But, even the unbridled emotions going rampant in her mind, Sweetie Belle persisted in keeping her true feelings inside and not muttering even a single word to anypony at all. Because of this lingering of silence, the others persisted in their endeavors to persuade the filly to see what was right.

"Sweetie Belle, please say somethin'!"

"Don't stay quiet! We only want to help you!"

"We know yah don't want tuh listen tuh us, but what we've all been sayin' is the honest-tuh-good truth! Happiness isn't somethin' that should be faked just because what's true is too hard tuh take!"

"You need to be happy for real!"

"And you never will with what yer doin' now!"

The ponies waited to see if they would get a response this time, and at first, the filly's silence had lingered—until at last she spoke, "...you can say all the mean things you want, and try to lie to me as best you can...but you'll never, ever tear me and Lester apart!" she shouted in a rage, stunning her friends and Applejack. "We'll always be friends! Always and forever, no matter who doesn't want us to be together! Isn't that right, Lester?" Sweetie smiled as she looked back at Lester's still, limp body.. "Yeah! That's right! We will be!" the forcefully happy filly replied, after which she laughed gleefully, though still shedding her tears all the while. Her eyes were locked on Lester as she continued to laugh—until something inside her stirred. Sweetie's laughter had changed: it was becoming abnormal in tone, and much more nervous than it should normally sound. She continued this mousy laughter for several seconds longer, until she stopped completely. She bit down on her lower as it quivered, unable to hold back the repressed feelings that were forced inside of her now coming to the surface. her hold on Lester weakened slightly, his body gradually slipping through her hooves and slowly plumping down upon the grassy earth. Sweetie shut her eyes forcefully, desiring not to set her gaze upon what was once her vivified and adoring pet companion. She had been denying it for so long, and was struggling to do so now; the conflict raging inside her had dampened considerably, and the awful truth she so desperately had fought against had been winning the fight—and just became the victor.

Sweetie Belle pulled back her hooves from Lester, his body slumping over to the side. She wheezed in and out uncontrollably, until the turbulent dolefulness reached its breaking point, begetting the torrent of tears from this heartbroken filly.

Sweetie bawled wildly, in a state never felt by her before. She collapsed onto the ground, her tears now soaking into the soil; tears infused with the heartache of a desolate soul robbed of a piece of her heart, leaving a gaping crevice that could never be filled by any type or amount of sentiment in this world.

These feelings of misery weren't only being felt in Sweetie belle, as both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had their own share of the pain in themselves. This exhibition of torment reminded the fillies of exactly why it was they did not wish to inform Sweetie Belle of her pet's passing. Though they had already done it once, this time it was far worse, as anger and denial was infinitely easier to endure than anguish and despair—at least, for those not containing said feelings.

Applejack placed her hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder. "Ah know it was hard, and it's probably even harder to watch Sweetie Belle be so sad, but remember that yah still did the right thing here."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"Yeah..."

"But now Sweetie Belle is gonna need you more than ever to get through a hard time like this. And it's better if you both do it without mah helpin' this time, since it'll mean more if ya'll say what's in your own hearts rather than mine," Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both nodded in agreement, and turned their attention back to the still sobbing filly. Before a word could be outputted by either of Sweetie's friends, the forlorn filly spoke out first herself, sniffing every so often.

"When...when I looked at Lester after you first told me...I just knewsomething was wrong...but I loved him so much, I just couldn't imagine my life without him anymore...I couldn't believe he was really gone..." she glanced over at Lester. "I thought...I thought that...if I kept playing with him like normal...eventually he would open his eyes..and everything..would be okay..." Sweetie produced a few short bursts of sobbing. "But he's really gone...gone...gone..." she repeated softer each time until turning to a state of gentler weeping.

"Sweetie Belle..." Apple Bloom reached out to her lugubrious friend.

Before any solace could be given, Sweetie Belle reverted to her immoderate bawling, and without giving any regard to her consoling friend, sprinted away from them as her unruly squalling furthered.

"Sweetie Belle! Wait!"

"Come back!"

But their efforts were in vain. Sweetie Belle sustained her steadfast pace as she hastened out of the field, crying uncontrollably all the while until she was out of sight and out of earshot. Naturally, the filly's friends were devastated by all this. They were truly at the lowest they've ever been, hooves down. Their feelings of dejection were in such lofty magnitudes that they simply slumped down on their bottoms lacking the drive to follow and show their commiseration to their dear, downcast companion. it was not long that they remained in this state, as Applejack spoke up regarding the next course of action.

"Ah know that was hard for you two, and yer obviously feelin' downright awful about it now, but Sweetie Belle is goin' tuh need all the help she can get right now, and nopony's better fer doin' that than you two, since ya'll are her closest friends. So, you'd best be gettin' after her bufore she gets any worse than is already."

"But, what about you?"

"Ah'm gonna go and gather a few ponies. If you two can't get her feelin' better, then Sweetie'll need all the help she can get," Applejack trots off towards the center of Ponyville to enact her objective. After watching her go, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both nodded to one another, and took off themselves after their woebegone friend with the high ambitions to alleviate the filly from the state they unintentionally placed her in.

Chapter 9 - 1/3: Let the Healing Begin

At the residence of Sweetie Belle, both her parents were going about their day as was the norm for them: Sweetie's mom was dusting the fireplace mantle, and Sweetie's dad perused the newspaper whilst he sat upon the sofa. The peace was abruptly shattered by the bursting open of the front door by a despondent Sweetie Belle, her bawling sustained as it was throughout her whole journey home. Both her parents are in shock over seeing their little girl crying so extensively, considering she is not normally like this.

"Sweetie Belle??"

"What's wrong, dear?"

Both Sweetie's parents were deeply concerned with their daughter's state of mind and well-being, but she paid them no heed. Without uttering a single word, the filly ran up the stairs and down the hall to her room, slamming the door behind her. Both her parents were speechless and still in shock at what they just witnessed. What could have driven their sweet little girl to such tears? And could they do anything to help her? Being Sweetie's parents, it was their duty to reassure their child whenever she was feeling down.

The two of them traversed the stairs and made their way to Sweetie belle's bedroom door. On the opposing side of the door, the tearful aria of the downcast Sweetie could be heard. This brought about a troubling dilemma for Sweetie's mom, as she was unsure as to the proper course of action to take in this scenario. Should she try and talk to her daughter, or just leave her be for the time being? A choice like this was clearly a difficult one, but Sweetie's mom soon made up her mind. As she did not want to intrude too hastily, Sweetie's mom knocked on the door first.

"Sweetie Belle? Is there something you want to talk to us about?"

"NO!!" Sweetie Belle hollered, causing her parents to recoil in alarm. They had never heard a tone of such harsh severity from their daughter before. Whatever it was that was making her feel this way, it was clearly a serious plight for the little filly. As Sweetie Belle was not in the mood for talking at this time, Sweetie's parents felt that they did not want to force their daughter into a conversation pertaining to whatever misfortune had befallen her at this time. For now, it was best to simply let Sweetie Belle be, so her parents left and went back downstairs, hoping that Sweetie Belle would be uplifted from this depression soon, as it pained her parents greatly with the knowledge that their dearest daughter suffered, and that they both felt so inept in helping Sweetie Belle overcome this serious matter.

The sun had lowered only by a small degree when Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had arrived at Sweetie Belle's home. They were both unsteady in entering their friend's domicile, as it would apparent to anypony that she would still be in shambles over Lester in the short time since the tragedy was revealed.

Apple Bloom knocked upon the front door, and not long after she and Scootaloo were greeted by the less-than-joyful demeanor of Sweetie Belle's father. His expression stated better than words that he and most likely Sweetie Belle's mother had already taken notice of their daughter's plight, making the two fillies feel even worse than they already did for bringing about distressed feelings in Sweetie's parents as well.

"Hello, mister...Sweetie Belle's dad. Is Sweetie Belle here?"

"Well, yes she is, but I'm afraid now isn't the best time for you all to be palling around. You see, she's been really depressed and—"

"Now hold on a minute," Sweetie Belle's mother interjected, having walked up next to Sweetie's dad. "Seeing how terrible our little girl is feeling right now, maybe seeing her friends will cheer her up. Would you girls mind doing that?"

"Oh, no, not at all."

"We'd be happy too, missus...Sweetie Belle's mom."

"That's wonderful to know," Sweetie' mom replied with a smile and a hint of comfort in her voice. The fillies walked inside as Sweetie's dad shut the door, and went back to the living room while Sweetie's mom led Apple Bloom and Scootaloo up the stairs. While traversing the steps, Sweetie's mom expressed her concern over her daughter's current condition.

"I just can't understand why my darling Sweetie Belle is like this. she's usually so happy—in fact she'd been happier than ever these past few weeks." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's exchanged glances showed their anxiety on the situation.

Once making it to Sweetie Belle's room, her mom knocked upon the door. "Sweetie, dear? Your friends are here to see you," Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both greeted Sweetie Belle, but she didn't make a sound from the other side of the still closed door. Growing more worried, Sweetie's mom followed up with another question, "If you'd like...the three of you could maybe...talk?"

"NO!!!" the filly screamed, her enraged outburst greatly startling her mom and friends. "I don't want to talk to anybody!! Ever again!!" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were just as shocked as Sweetie's mom after hearing Sweetie Belle shout in such a furious tone. They never imagined the level of anger and grief she would be feeling in response to Lester's passing. The fillies to sink to their lowest point ever after this flare-up, and felt that it had come to the point where neither of them could do a single thing to bring their friend back to the way she was. She was just too hurt over Lester to want to have anything to do with her friends, or anypony, and clearly it was still not the time to try and converse with the filly about any topic pertaining to her beloved pet. Even though she still didn't know about Lester, Sweetie's mom felt the same notion as Sweetie's friends, and decided the three of them should just go back downstairs and dwell on the situation further amongst themselves.

"It sounded like it didn't go well," Sweetie's dad said upon the other ponies' arrival back in the living room.

"You can say that again."

"Ohh...I just don't understand why my dear Sweetie Belle is like this," Sweetie's mother bemoaned.

"Must've been something really bad to upset her like this, since she's usually as sweet as can be."

"Yeah...and we can't just stand by and let her stay that way forever! We have to find out what's wrong with our Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie's mom proclaimed.

"How can we do that if she won't even talk to us?"

"There must be somepony who knows something about this," Sweetie's mom pondered out loud. She turned towards Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Do either of you girls know what could be wrong with Sweetie Belle?"

This piercing question struck through both of the fillies, and they became petrified with the fear of giving the truth because of what the repercussions may be. Beads of sweat formed at their brows, dribbling down their heads and bodies with the quickly amplifying trepidation emanating inside them both. The perspiration took only seconds to shape into the puddles set around their hooves, growing in size with the increased perspiring of the fretting fillies. Apple Bloom bit her lower lip nervously while Scootaloo concurrently grinded her teeth, feeling the same level of nervousness as Apple Bloom.

This odd behavior made both Sweetie's parents suspicious of the girls, with Sweetie's mom giving them both distrustful glances.

"Why are you both acting so strange?"

"Is there something you're not telling us?"

"Why would there be anything we wouldn't want to tell you??"

"Yeah! We don't know anything about Sweetie Belle being sad that her pet died! Nope, not a thing!" Scootaloo smiled as Apple Bloom smacked her face in response.

"Wait, what's this about a pet?"

"Sweetie Belle had a pet?"

The fillies were in an inexorable predicament now, though Scootaloo still attempted(poorly) to get her and Apple Bloom out if it.

"Is that what I said?" Scootaloo responded with her poor acting skills. "Because I'm pretty sure I got mixed up somewhere...maybe with my words or maybe you two just heard me wrong, or..."

"Scootaloo, just forget it..." Apple Bloom sighed in submission. "We can't keep lyin' like we tried to do with Sweetie Belle. That's never gotten us anywhere tuhday, so we might as well start tellin' the truth now," Scootaloo was disinclined to admit defeat at first, but she realized that her lousy lying wasn't going to help them avoid this problem either. The only way for them to deal with this dilemma to face it head on, which both girls were finally ready to do so.

"So you both know what's wrong with my little girl?" Sweetie's mom asked.

"Yes, yes we do."

"But it wasn't our fault, even though Sweetie probably blames us for it..."

Sweetie's father walked over to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. "I think it's best for you both to start from the beginning."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom nodded to one another and began their narrative of all the events that had occurred in the last few weeks, which was one story they most certainly wished they would not have to speak of again, though they did not hesitate in doing what it took to help out their closest companion, who out of everypony, demanded the assistance of friends most of all.

Chapter 9 - 2/3: Let the Healing Begin

Sweetie's parents were nothing but dumbfounded after being informed of the happenings that had taken place over the course of the last several weeks. Both of the ponies had to sit down on their couch in order to take in all that they heard.

"I can't believe all this has been going on and we never even had the slightest clue to any of it..."

"Was she really that afraid that we would tell her she couldn't keep Lester as her pet?"

"Yeah. She really loved Lester a lot, and didn't want to risk you saying no tuh her keepin' him."

Sweetie's dad groaned dejectedly. "Now I feel like this is all our fault."

"Don't say things like that," Sweetie's mom responded. "This wasn't anypony's fault. It was a terrible misfortune that nopony could have seen coming, and we can't change what happened, no matter how much anypony wishes we could."

"...yes, you're right, dear."

"You're right I'm right. And what else I'm right about is that the most important thing for us to do now is to get our little angel back to the way she was," Sweetie's mom stated, resolute in fixing this matter posthaste.

"But how? She won't even talk to anypony."

"There must be somepony who she'll talk to."

Just then, there came a rapping at the front door. Sweetie's dad walked over and opened the door, revealing Applejack and all her friends(minus Rarity).

"Oh, hello there, girls."

"Howdy, mister...Rarity's dad. Do yah mind if we come inside?"

"Oh, not at all," he replied as he stepped to the side, letting the girls all come into their humble abode.

"What are you girls doing here?"

"We came here to see if we can't give ol' Sweetie Belle a helpin' hoof in getting' back to her ol', chipper self again."

"You all heard about it, too?"

"Applejack gave us the whole story from what Apple Bloom and Scootaloo told her."

"Well, she really just gave us the gist of it."

"And because of that gist, we came here to make Sweetie Belle happy in the biggest, most funnerist way possible!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with intense joy.

"Actually, Pinkie, it's not 'most funnerist', it's just 'funnerist'," Twilight said, correcting the erroneous mare, who promptly thanked Twilight for her backing.

"Uhh, Twilight?" Applejack said as she leaned over to Twilight.

"I know, I know; but if she's going to use made-up words, she should at least be grammatically correct," Applejack shot Twilight a cynical look, then turned the focus back onto Sweetie Belle.

"Anyways, as we'd been sayin', we all want tuh do what we could to help Sweetie Belle."

"The way Applejack described what happened was so sad..." Fluttershy added upsettingly. "I know I would be devastated if anything ever happened to any of my animal friends..." just having these thoughts floating about in Fluttershy's psyche generated the very feelings she just described as if she really had just lost one of her animal companions, and her eyes began to well up with tears, prompting the crestfallen pegasus to excuse herself outside, as it was easier to mollify her emotions when alone.

"Sorry 'bout that. Fluttershy's a pretty big animal lover. More than all of us put together. Though I'm pretty sure Sweetie Belle's heart for Lester would match Fluttershy's pretty darn closely."

"Yes, I understand," Sweetie's mom replied. "And I just want to thank you all for caring so much about our dear little Sweetie Belle. I couldn't think of kinder ponies to have as friends to Sweetie. Ohh...it just hurts me so much to see her so upset..."

"It always hurts when somepony is feelin' down."

"But we'll cheer her right back up again!"

"She'll be so up she'll be flying through the air!" Pinkie blasted off like a rocket as she sped around and around the walls of the vestibule, shouting out "zoom" on each pass before ceasing her bustle and skidding to a stop next to Twilight.

After that bit of Pinkieness, Twilight asked if the she and the others could go upstairs to begin assuaging Sweetie Belle's damaged psyche, to which Sweetie's mom granted wholeheartedly. However, they ponies didn't get far, as just before they reached the stairs, they found themselves halted by the interceding of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

"Ah'm sorry, but nuthin' any of ya'll can do is goin' tuh work. We've seen it."

"And heardit," Scootaloo added, rubbing her ear.

"Ah just don't think that anything any of you can say or do will help. She's just too torn up about Lester to even hear anypony out."

"That doesn't mean we can't try!"

"Yeah! I even brought all of my top-of-the-line party gear! Nopony can be sad after seeing what I've planned!"

Pinkie picked up one of her party horns with her mouth and blew it joyfully, but then Twilight responded to Pinkie's comment with her own, "Hold on, Pinkie. I think they may be right," the noise of Pinkie's party horn fizzled out as the noisemaker drooped as a show of dejection. "Anything we try might just push her further away. We can't just go up there and expect her to let us try and help her."

"But we can't just do nuthin'!"

"I know...but there has to be some proper way of dealing with this problem," as good as Twilight was at ascertaining solutions to onerous dilemmas, this was one quandary which she found herself struggling to resolve. Difficult problems obviously would not be so simple to solve, but a remedy was needed, for every second that passes, further into the pit of despair would the filly slip. However, even with all of Twilight's proficient thought processing, there existed one thought that had yet to come across her mind, or the mind of anypony else—until now, that is.

Chapter 9 - 3/3: Let the Healing Begin

Apple Bloom's eyes glanced back and forth at the ponies in the room. Something wasn't right. Something was—missing. No, not something: somepony. The one pony amongst her sister's group of friends who is the most important to have here, yet was nowhere to be found. This was a question which needed a response posthaste, and so it was asked by Apple Bloom, "Hey, where's Rarity?"

"Yeah, that's right. Where is she?" Scootaloo added whilst also surveying the vestibule.

"Oh, my!' Sweetie's mom responded in astonishment. "I didn't even notice she was here! All I've been thinking about is helping my little girl," Sweetie's mom's head hung down in conjunction with her feelings of shame.

"There, there, dear" Sweetie's dad embraced his wife and patted her back as he consoled her. "Do you girls know where Rarity is?"

Applejack began the explanation, "Well, when I first left to gather everypony up, I ran into Rainbow Dash first. After she asked me what race I was in and why nopony told 'er 'bout it, I told 'er my real reason fer rushin' around."

"So after she gave me the whole scoop, I went to get Rarity and Fluttershy while she went to get Twilight and Pinkie. I went to Rarity's house and knocked on the door, but she didn't answer. I figured that if she wasn't there, I should just go and get Fluttershy, since I'm sure Applejack would want this done as fast as possible."

"Are yah sure that wasn't what you were thinkin'?"

"Hmmm...nnnno, I'm sure you thought it first," Rainbow answered nonchalantly, with Applejack rolling her eyes in response.

"Regardless of who thought of what first, what matters now is that Rarity be here for her sister."

"Twilight's right," Fluttershy stated. "If there was ever a time for Sweetie Belle to need her sister, it's now."

"Well, she might be home now. It's worth a shot tuh go and check," Applejack turned to leave, but was stopped short by the intervening of Rainbow Dash, whom had flown right in front of the mare.

"Hold on! I'm the fastest pony here! I should be the one to go get Rarity!"

"No offense, Rainbow Dash, but yer not exactly the most unassertive pony in the world. You'd prob'ly just try and force Rarity tuh come here without even tellin' her why."

"That's—actually probably true."

"Glad yah agree," Applejack resumed her venture, momentarily stopping at the front doorway. "Ah'll be back as soon as ah can," the mare dashed out the door, with her and everypony else hoping that not only would Rarity be available at this time, but that she may hold the key to her little sister's salvation.

As it turns out, Rarity was indeed not home at the time of Rainbow Dash's earlier call. She was, in fact out purchasing the supplies she required for a new project she recently materialized. How exultant she was when she trotted through the doorway of her better-than-humble abode(which is how Rarity would certainly see it). The unicorn's confidence was unwavering in this new undertaking; the reason being that nopony else had yet to try their hoof at this manner of endeavor. After having made so many sartorial wares, there remained one which until this day had eluded the seamstress: a table cloth!

She had never thought to make soft goods of this variety in the past, so now was as good a time as any to fabricate this fabric! But this was no mere wonted task: the ponies of Ponyville needed such an item in their lives—so as to bring a sense of extravagance to their mealtime; and who wouldn't want their lives to be as lavish as was possible? Nopony, that's who! Ponies from near and far would revere Rarity for having given a gift of such a grandiose scale to the world! They would drop down to their hooves when in her presence and praise the seamstress for enriching each and every one of their lives to a new, nonpareil extent!

Rarity's eyes beamed at the thought of the superb future she believed to be awaiting her. This cogitation over the table cloth intensified Rarity's resolve. This was not some mere task for her to accomplish—this was a mission—a true and noble mission for the greater good of the fashion realm! And for all textile-related situations! To put it simply: a table cloth she had yet to produce, so produce one she must!

Rarity placed her supplies amongst the tables in her vestibule. She was exceptionally eager to begin work on her new enterprise, but was not ready to begin the physical work just yet—because she still had plenty more to say about the prominence of her table cloth.

"This shan't be an ordinary high-fashion dining cloth. Anypony can simply make a tablecloth. Mine will be nothing less than a masterpiece of banqueting wares! A true chef-d'œu•vre!" This fanciful description caused Rarity's imagination to be piqued at all that she expected from every pony who would obtain one of her magnificent tablecloths.

"How dazzled ponies will be to gaze upon my work of art draped across their tables! When any pony sits down at their table to dine, they will be in such awe at my creation that they will never remember to eat again!" Rarity's zeal was prominent, but then she took a step back to think of what she had proclaimed so impulsively. "Hmm...that doesn't sound so good when I say it out loud. But, that does not mean I should falter in my efforts to fashion my wondrous creation!" Rarity grew more inspirited with each word uttered. "It will be a dining cloth unlike any other! A magnificent cloth! A grandiose cloth! A cloth for the ages!"

"Yah sure yer not oversellin' it a bit?" Rarity about faced to see Applejack standing in the boutique's doorway.

"Oh, Applejack—when it comes to my work, nothing less than the best words should be used."

"Yeah, ah suppose ah can see you sayin' something like that."

"Glad you do," Rarity responded brightly, entirely incognizant to Applejack's non-compliment. She then turned back to her work, with Applejack's earlier mood and frame of mind returning.

"Look, Rarity: ah didn't come here just as a friendly visit. Ah came tuh talk tuh you 'cause a big problem has come up, and me and yer friends need yer help in fixin' it."

"Well, it must certainly be a considerable problem for me to be the only pony who can solve it," Rarity responded whilst preparing her materials and sartorial implements with her magic.

"You got it right on the head, there," Applejack replied, though not sounding so enthusiastic. "Though it's more of the 'yer the only pony who can solve it' which needed me tuh come here."

"I see," Rarity replied, though most of her focus seemed to be on preparing the tablecloth, as now she was not even facing Applejack whilst conversing with her, showing the unicorn's incognizance of this problem's seriousness.

"So, tell me: exactly what dire straits have befallen whomever has become the recipient of this affliction?"

"Well, it's not gonna be so easy to explain—or, it's not gonna be so easy for you tuh hear."

"Now how could that be?" Rarity asked nonchalantly.

"Well...yah see...it...Rarity! Would yah stop with what yer doin' and listen tuh me fer a dang second??"

Rarity wasn't so pleased by Applejack's attitude or her disruption of Rarity making dining room history. However, she did stop the work she was doing, though she appeared quite agitated in doing so.

"Honestly, Applejack! You really don't think I can work and listen at the same time? I can easily do both!"

"It's not that ah think yah can't do both at the same time, Rarity; it's just that what I'm trying' to tell yah is important, and I want you tuh realize how important it is by listenin' tuh me."

"Well, if it's really as important as you, say, then it's only right that I do the polite and proper thing and listen as you so wish of me."

"Thanks, Rarity," Applejack said with a hint of contentment, relieved to have finally gotten the unicorn's undivided attention. "Now, ah don't know how yer gonna be akin' what ah'm about tuh say, but ah think you should sit down fer it."

Rarity let out a bit of a groan, feeling that Applejack was deliberately taking as long as possible to relay to her the news. In response, Rarity used her magic to pull up her finest chair and sat herself down upon it. "I do hope everything is adequate for you now," Rarity said contemptuously; much to the annoyance of Applejack. Rarity's behavior made Applejack not very keen on telling Rarity the important news, but this wasn't about Rarity—it was about Sweetie Belle, and she needed Rarity more than she ever had before—and Applejack was not going to be the pony to let the dismal filly down.

"Okay," Applejack took a breath, both ready and uncertain of the outcome of this imparting of information. "...so it's like this..."

Chapter 10 - A Sisterly Tête-à-tête

With a resounding bang, the door to the home of Rarity's parents burst open, slamming against the adjacent wall and considerably surprising everypony(and inadvertently causing Fluttershy to tilt back and fall off the stool she was sitting on).

"Where is she??" Rarity pleaded as she dashed into the center of the vestibule. "Where's Sweetie Belle??"

"Woah, Rarity! Calm down!" Applejack called out to the frantic mare after having just arrived at the house(because after giving Rarity the news, Rarity bolted out of the boutique before Applejack even knew what happened). Applejack was quite tired out, and had to sit herself down to take a breather while Rarity continued her frenetic clamoring.

"I will not calm down until I see Sweetie Belle!!" the unicorn blustered.

"Well, try!"

"Here: have a party favor!" Pinkie said as she stuffed one into Rarity's mouth. "Something as fun as that will calm anybody down, I assume!"

Rarity swiftly spit the paper kazoo from her mouth. "I don't have time for party favors!" she proclaimed, to which Pinkie gasped in shock. "I need to see Sweetie Belle right this instant!!"

"Rarity!!" Rarity's mom shouted. "What you need to do is stop all this hollering and listen to your friends! Now sit down on the couch at once!" Heeding her mother's words Rarity was quick to seat herself upon the couch and make herself silent. "There: now isn't that better?"

"Yes, mother," Rarity replied, making sure to sound as compliant as possible.

"So, I'm guessing Applejack gave you the full picture?" Rainbow inquired as she leaned herself on the back of the couch.

"Indeed she did. I was certainly not prepared to hear of such a calamity. My heart shattered into more and more pieces the longer I listened. I didn't even wait to hear the whole story—I just ran out when I knew I could not leave my sister like this any longer."

"It's good that you care so much, since your sister is really going to need you to get her through this tough time."

"Since you're closer to her than anypony."

"So if anyone can fix this, you can."

"And trust me, I will indeed do whatever possible to ensure my dear Sweetie Belle lives a happy life once again!" Rarity proclaimed in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Yeah! Use that zeal and go help your sister!"

"I will!" Rarity proclaimed once again, and she made a dash towards the staircase, only to be stopped by Twilight.

"Only you may not want to start off using that zeal in such a vociferous manner. Try and ease into the conversation so she will be able to take it all in easier," Rarity nodded and trotted lightly up the stairs, leaving the others behind wondering how this will all turn out.

Rarity approached Sweetie's bedroom, stopping at the door. She glanced downwards at the doorknob, hesitating to open it, as even with all her boasting, Rarity still held with her a small sense of self-doubt: Does she really have what it takes to help her sister? Will everything turn out well in the end? Or will Sweetie Belle simply turn her away as she did the others? The only way to gain the answer to these queries was for Rarity to do what must be done and face her sister—no matter how difficult it may be.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, Rarity reached up to knock on the door, but decided against the action. Instead, she simply opened the door to Sweetie's room, albeit slowly and steadily, so as to produce as little sound as possible. However, any sound which the door might have made would be drowned out by the unbroken sobbing of Sweetie Belle, who was still lying on her bed; her face sunken into the tear-soaked pillow, the droplets trickling off the cushion and staining the pink fabric of the bed sheet beneath. It was hard enough for Rarity to have heard what had happened to Sweetie Belle, but seeing it was far worse. Still, she had to try and get her own word in if there was any hope to help her little sister.

"Sweetie Belle..?"

"...sniff...what do you want..?" she asked, not lifting her face away from the pillow.

"Just what any sister would want: to help a sibling in need."

"I don't need anypony's help. All I need is for everypony to just leave me alone forever!" she shouted before sinking her face back into the cushion, the sounds of whimpering emanating from within.

Rarity was finally seeing for herself exactly what depths of despair Sweetie Belle had sunk to—and how much anger had been released to the surface. This was already proving to be much more difficult than Rarity had anticipated, but there was no room for backing out here.

Rarity had to shift her sister's mood to a degree where she would be more willing to listen. "I know you don't really mean that—"

"Yes I do!" Sweetie Belle snapped before turning her head to face Rarity. "Everyone wants to help me, but I don't want any help! Not unless you or someone else can bring Lester back! But if you can't, then just get out of my life!!"

Never before could Rarity have known how harsh her sister could truly be. She has shown anger towards Rarity in the past, but never to this extent—this whole incident with Lester left in a very emotionally unstable state, causing her to lash out at others without provocation and be entirely unwilling to listen to reason. In spite of those complications, Rarity carried on.

"Holding love for another is a very joyful experience; and can be that much more difficult to handle when you lose the one you cared for so deeply. I may never have met Lester, but I understand he was a dear pet to you."

"Lester wasn't just some pet! He was my best friend! And I was his!" Sweetie Belle stood up on her front legs as she vociferated. "We did everything together! We always had fun together! And the only time we weren't happy was when we had to be apart!" Sweetie sat herself more upright as her tone shifted to that of a downcast filly. "I always thought we would be the best of friends—that when we were together, nothing bad could ever happen to us...that's why I refused to believe he was really gone..." Sweetie Belle sat herself on the edge of her bed as she tried to hold back the crying that so desperately wanted to come out—though she couldn't keep it all in, as shown by the myriad of tears that pooled around the edges of her hooves as they were pressed against the filly's face, some trickling off her hooves and dripping down to the floor below.

Rarity felt so deeply sorry for her sister. She clearly cared for Lester as much as she would her own sibling, which allowed for the two them to form a special, unbreakable bond—and it was that bond being unbreakable which led to her not being able to let go of these feelings; and who could blame her? Was it easy for anypony to properly handle the unexpected situation of losing one close to them? For some it might, but for others; especially those as young as Sweetie Belle, it feels like the most taxing ordeal a pony could go through.

Rarity moved herself around to Sweetie Belle's right side, sitting herself on the bed next to her sister. "I know how you feel," she said empathetically.

"Know how I feel??" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she turned back towards Rarity, appearing quite upset. "How could you know how I feel?? How could anypony know how I feel?? Nopony else here has had their best friend taken away from them, with them not having been able to do anything to stop it! So how in Equestria could you think that you know how I feel?!?" Sweetie shouted back in a most vexed of tones.

"...because I have Opal."

"Opal..." Sweetie Belle responded gruffly. "Opal's not a pet! A pet cares for their pony! And their pony cares about them! And that's something she would never do, because she's just a mean, stupid, cat!"

"Now that's enough, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity replied sharply. " You can't berate Opal because of what happened!"

"Well, someone has to be blamed for this!" she retorted through her ire-filled tears. "Lester couldn't have died for no reason! That means there's someone somewhere who made this happen!"

"Now, you know that's not true," Rarity replied, trying to sound as placating as she could. "You're allowing your hurt feelings to control your better judgment. You say it's the truth that someone must take the fault for Lester's passing, but deep down you know there isn't anybody to condemn for this," Sweetie Belle stopped her sobbing for a moment as Rarity continued speaking. "I agree: this was an unfortunate set of circumstances, which can happen to anybody at any time—even the most innocent of ponies...so don't feel like you were singled out for this tragedy. There was never anybody trying to hurt you, and there was never anyone to blame."

Sweetie was silent and motionless after Rarity's speech, but then she broke the silence by making an unforeseen announcement of her own, "...I know somebody to blame..."

"Now, Sweetie Belle, we just talked about this. Who could possibly be to blame for Lester's passing?"

"...me."

That was the last response Rarity expected from Sweetie Belle; and it was certainly the most shocking thing to hear from her yet. Rarity was rendered unable to properly form a response to such a staggering accusation. Sweetie Belle, on the other hoof, felt not the slightest bit of surprise or doubt in her statement. In fact, this was the first moment since her discovery of Lester's quietus that she truly believed that what she was speaking was the genuine truth.

Because Rarity had not formed a response as of yet, Sweetie Belle was unhindered in continuing her elucidation of her previous avowal. "I know you want to tell me I'm wrong, but I'm really not. Nopony else is responsible for Lester dying but me! Because it was me who told Apple Bloom and Scootaloo not to tell anyone else about Lester! All I could think about was keeping Lester, I never even noticed how sick he got!" the sound of whimpering emerged in the middle of the filly's explanation. "If I hadn't kept Lester a secret, someone else might have noticed he was sick, and then he could have gotten the help to get better! But I didn't tell anyone! I was selfish and kept him to myself and now he's dead because of it!" Sweetie Belle did not relent in the subsequent onslaught of tears. Her bawling was so strident that it was even audible all the way downstairs, which was none too reassuring for everypony there—especially for her parents.

Initially, this sight was harrowing for Rarity to witness, but unlike before, she did not allow this tribulation to phase her. After all Rarity had heard from her sister—from the most saddening to the most distressing—she had heard enough.

"Don't you dare say that!" she snapped. "I will not hear of such foul talk directed at your own self. You are no more responsible for Lester's death than the next pony!"

"But it's true!!"

"Not it is not!! Out of all that I've heard you say during our whole time together, that is one comment that is truly nothing more than utter nonsense; and let me tell you: I am appalled that you would even speak in such a derogatory manner about yourself. It is unacceptable!"

"That's what anyone would say..."

"And those who say it would be right!" Rarity gave a flustered sigh. "Look: I wouldn't expect you to take this well. Nopony would. But one thing you have to understand is that—sometimes, these things just happen. Life affects everyone in different ways: whether it be good, bad, or somewhere in between. The thing to understand is that nopony is ever singled out for a specific lifestyle, so you shouldn't think that Lester was chosen for this unfortunate eventuality. Nor that you were chosen to have experienced such love for a pet only to have it taken away from you. I know during difficult times, some ponies may see it that way, but it is just their pain that causes them to believe there has to be reason behind the misfortunes that occur in their lives. Tragedy happens to us all, and it's not something anyone has the power to change—no matter how much we wish we could."

Though tears were still present around the edges of her eyes, Sweetie Belle was listening well to her sister's discourse.

"Things like this make the world appear that it is not fair, but life isn't meant to be 'fair' for anyone. This is simply the way the world works; by not being perfect. Now I know that may sound a tad negative to say, but in hindsight, it truly isn't. The imperfections the world is fraught with are mostly terrible ordeals, but others aren't so much. And though you may not agree, what happened with Lester is one of those lesser ordeals."

Sweetie Belle was shocked at such a statement, but Rarity told her sister to calm down so she could explain this notion further.

"I know it sounds harsh, but in a way, hardships such as these can be good for a pony. Everyone goes through different forms of hardships or struggles in their lives, and some take them as terrible incidents which make their lives worse. But, they way I see it, struggles aren't really bad; they are simply part of life, and we shouldn't see them purely as ordeals to make one's life more miserable, because going through many hardships can teach us and make us stronger for the future," Rarity reached over and placed her hoof on Sweetie Belle's shoulder. "So when you even try to think that any of this was your fault at all, just remember: even though it was a difficult time for you, what happened to Lester was just another one of life's unfortunate incidences, and take from it what you believe should be taken from it."

Sweetie Belle was still silent. She appeared to be mulling over everything her sister had explained. She was still a little filly after all, and can't be expected to go through a turnaround just like that. Rarity could see this, and just then thought up one last lesson for her sister to hear.

"I understand you would still feel sad over Lester, and I can't force you to get over his passing, but there's one last thing I want you to think about," Sweetie looked back up at Rarity. "Everypony who cares for their pet as a dear friend would feel just the same if their own pet had died—even me. But in time, we must learn that we can't dwell on the death of a beloved pet, because nopony can change these unfortunate events, and leaving these unhappy thoughts to fester in your mind...it's the worst thing for a pony to do, for the reason that you will never be happy or be yourself again. And it isn't simply that I or any of your family or friends wouldn't want to see you sad: it's also about what Lester would want," Sweetie's pupils shuddered at this new insight. "Think about Lester: would he really want you to be sad over his being gone forever? Or would he rather you be happy and live your life with that same level of happiness you and he both shared, even if he isn't around to share it with you?" Sweetie's gaze shifted away from Rarity; this new notion being one she could hold a greater capability of understanding. "After all, if anything were to happen to you, wouldn't you want Lester to continue to be happy, even if he could no longer be with you?"

Sweetie Belle slowly nodded, tears having welled up around her eyes once more. But, these were not filled with all the same feelings of despondency as before: new emotions were present in these salty droplets, and they were more of the kind Rarity was hoping for.

"I'm glad to know you think that," Rarity responded with a smile of relief. "Lester and you were the closest of friends, and a bond as strong as yours can be broken by no force of this world or the next. You loved him and he loved you, and that is a truth that will always be bound to your heart—forever..."

Sweetie Belle's eyes were soaked now. She couldn't hold in her feelings anymore, and went into a frenzy of bawling as she grasped her sister and hugged her tightly. Though astonished at first, Rarity soon returned her little sister's hug, happy she had finally brought her sister back.

Sweetie Belle attempted to speak through her sobbing, "You're right...Lester would want me to be happy...and I would want the same for...for him...but I can't help myself...from...from feeling sad about him..." she cried as Rarity rubbed her sister's head comfortingly. "I mean...I...I wasn't even there...to say goodbye..."

Rarity pondered this notion for a moment. "Well," she said as she lifted Sweetie's head towards her own. "Who's to say you can't say goodbye now?" Sweetie Belle appeared perplexed by her sister's proposition. "We'll give him the best goodbye he can get."

Sweetie smiled as she hugged her sister again; this time without any crying, as she no longer had a reason to do so.

Chapter 11: Adieu to a Friend

Everybody was both surprised and excited to see Sweetie Belle traverse down the steps to the vestibule filled with many cheery faces that awaited Sweetie's much anticipated return to her old self. After receiving hugs from her friends and parents, she and Rarity went on to explain Sweetie belle's wish to give a proper farewell for the companion she cared for so deeply. Everyone was more than happy to join in and help accomplish Sweetie Belle's heartfelt desire.

After the passing of nearly two hours, everything needed had been arranged for Lester's apt send-off. Sweetie Belle truly wanted to say goodbye to her friend, and since she could not do so to Lester in person, the only other way for her to do so was give Lester a proper funeral: send him into the next world showing there were those in this world who cared for him.

The funeral itself was to be held at the field where all the ponies liked to play with their pets; and Sweetie Belle loved ever so much playing with Lester here herself, so she believed it to be the ideal location for his vale.

All of Sweetie's friends and family were so great for helping her set up this funeral service, and all were in attendance as well—even the pets of all the ponies had come to pay their respects for their fallen comrade.

The time had come: everypony and Spike were gathered around the burial site, and Sweetie Belle herself stood at the head of the grave, as nopony was more fitting to give the eulogy then the dearest friend of the deceased porcupine.

Sweetie Belle took a deep, cleansing breath. She didn't feel entirely ready for this, as she had never given a eulogy before, so thinking up all the right things to say wasn't easy. She had this fear inside that she was unfit to properly represent Lester. And having to give her speech in front of so many people didn't help. Sweetie looked down into the burial plot; her eyes fixated on the coffin which held the lifeless body of her companion. A single tear rolled down the side of her face—but soon after, this tear was followed by a tiny smile that appeared in the corner of Sweetie's visage, and t was right then that Sweetie belle knew exactly what to say. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat as everyone waited in anticipation for the filly's oration.

"It's not easy. But then, it's never easy. Each and every one of us has someone we care about, whether it be friends or family, and we all care for them so very much. And that can make it so much harder when those we care about leave us. Lester was not just one, but both of those: he was not just a friend, nor a pet, but a true member of my family. I loved him, and he loved me, and we made each other's lives so much happier. It wasn't always like this, though: when we first met Lester was shy and scared, and trusted me no more than he would any other pony; but I saw he was in need of a friend, and I was more than happy to be that friend. It didn't take long for him to accept me as his friend, and it was then that he showed me the true Lester: the sweet, caring, and adoring friend he wanted to be. Ever since then, we had so much fun together: laughing, eating, playing; we played just about every day, in every fun place we could think of. Swimming in the lake; playing hide-and-seek in the forest; running through the field; or even just looking at the clouds. I'd never had so much fun in my life—and I don't think Lester had, either," Sweetie had been smiling during her whole speech, and even sounded happy as she spoke, which was more than uplifting for everyone to hear. "With times as good as these, I never even thought that they could ever end one day..." Sweetie Belle paused, raising the levels of anxiousness in her friends and family. "...but even though those times did end, I'm thankful they ended the way they did: with Lester having gained a friend before he left, and that I was lucky enough to have gained him as a friend," she looked back down at Lester. "Goodbye, Lester; I'm glad that we could've known each other, and I'll never forget the time we shared," Sweetie Belle stated as one last tear trickled down her face.

A bow of the head was given by everyone as a show of respect at the end of the eulogy. Now that Lester's departing words were spoken, it was time for the ceremony to conclude. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Spike performed the task of burying the deceased. Sweetie Belle watched in silence during the entirety of their work, her face looking nothing less than impassive; but nopony said anything, as they felt it best to give her a moment to herself for the time being.

After the burial was complete, a headstone with Lester's name carved into the front was placed over the grave. The ceremonial was complete, and Lester could at last rest in peace. Sweetie Belle walked up to the tombstone and stared at Lester's name. Several tears more emerged, and the filly shut her eyes in reverence for her passed companion.

Rarity walks up next to Sweetie Belle, unsure of how her little sister felt. "Are you going to be all right, Sweetie Belle?"

Momentarily looking towards Rarity, Sweetie Belle wiped the tears from her eyes, following this action by taking a small, cleansing breath. "Yeah, I think I'll be okay," she responds; albeit not sounding sad, she did not sound particularly happy either. There was clearly a fair amount of turmoil that had yet to settle in her mind. But, even with the response given, Rarity believed her sister's words. Sweetie Belle was tougher than she looked; and after how she dealt with Lester's death, she was even more so.

As the sisters stood together, Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy stood a short distance behind the two, each voicing their own thoughts on the incident.

"I can't help but still feel bad for her."

"Yeah, but I think her speech was very well done and very heartfelt."

"Yes—very much heart-y it was."

"She sure right cared for that porcupine," Applejack stated. "Definitely showed how much a pony and their pet care fer one another," she said, her friends nodding and concurring with her avowal.

"...does anypony know where Rainbow Dash is?" Fluttershy asked. She and the others looked around, and soon spotted the pegasus behind them a short ways, with Tank standing in front of her.

Rainbow Dash suddenly grabs her tortoise and hugs him tight, saying, "Don't you go anywhere," as tears fell from her eyes.

The ponies were mightily surprised by this cordial show of affection by Rainbow Dash, and found it rather comical at first, saying how silly Rainbow Dash looked for worrying too much about her pet's future. But, it didn't take long for each of the ponies' amused faces to shift to faces of sadness and dread, each realizing the same thing that happened to Sweetie Belle's pet could happen to each of their own. In response to these thoughts, each of the ponies ran to their respective pets, cradling and cuddling the animal, not ever wanting to lose them.

Apple Bloom approached Applejack as the mare held Winona tightly. "Ah don't think this is what ya'll were supposed tuh get from Sweetie's speech."

"Whattya mean?"

"Ah mean that Sweetie started lookin' happy once she stopped thinking 'bout all the bad things and started thinking 'bout the good times she had with Lester; and ah think we should all start doin' the same thing."

"Yah, know: you're right," Applejack replied as her hold loosened on Winona. "But how'll we go about doin' that?"

"By makin' some happy memories right now!" Apple Bloom then ran towards the field, shouting for Winona to follow her, to which the dog promptly obeyed.

"Hey, wait for me!" Applejack shouted as she chased after her sister and pet. The other ponies and pets watched the trio begin their pony-pet playdate, and that was all it took for the rest of the group to join in on the fun; to stop worrying about the future and start enjoying their time together now.

As the rest of the ponies and pets(including Sweetie's parents and Scootaloo) romped around the field, Sweetie Belle sat herself atop a nearby hillock as she watched the festivities. Spike walked up to Sweetie Belle, asking her if she wished to join the others.

"No thanks," she replied. "But, do you think you could write down a letter for me, Spike?" Spike agreed, and pulled out a quill and scroll from his carrying bag as Sweetie Belle began her dictation:

"Having a pet is a wonderful thing, and losing that same pet can be very hard to go through. But you shouldn't think only about your pet being gone, because when you do, it can only make your life unhappy, which makes everyone around you feel the same way. That's why it's important to remember all the great times you had with your pet, so you will always be happy knowing how much you loved your pet, and how much they loved you."

Upon completion of Sweetie's oration, Spike wrapped up the scroll and sent it off to Princess Celestia with one shot of his flame breath. "Now then, let's go have fun with the others!"

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle agreed ecstatically, and then she and Spike run down the hill to join up with the ponies and their pets. As she is running, Sweetie Belle looks up at the clouds, slowly coming to a stop while Spike continued all the way down to the field. She stares intently at the cloud, as it bears an uncanny resemblance to Lester. After staring at the cloud for a short time, Sweetie Belle smiles, remembering the good times with her friend once more.

"I'm glad we could be friends until the end, Lester," she says to the Lester cloud. Sweetie then resumes her way back down the hillock to join in on the festivities with the rest of her family and friends. Up in the clear blue sky, the smiling image of Lester's true face appeared over the cloud, happy in the knowledge that the best time in his life was spent with Sweetie Belle: the greatest friend he could have ever hoped for.

THE END