"May I ask you something, my friend?"
"Oh, of course, darling. Anything."
"Well... I don't mean to approach in a selfish or self-centered fashion, but... why do you always say I'm not a great magician?"
Sunil's question took Zoe by surprise, and she immediately felt her stomach drop. Being the open book she is, the dog always speaks her mind, whether it may be complimentary or insulting. And now that she thinks about it, she had once said when Shivers the squirrel was hanging around Littlest Pet Shop that she didn't think he was great. Or even good for that matter.
And she knew it hurt. Her mongoose friend had been known to have low self-esteem and lack of confidence in himself, and these opinions only made things worse for him. How do you expect someone to be the best they can be when there's always one or two individuals, sometimes even an entire crowd, saying they don't like what they have to offer?
"Um... if you don't mind answering..." Sunil muttered uncomfortably, snapping Zoe out of her thoughts. She looked into his bright amber eyes and could see nothing but desperation and helplessness, which only made her stomach drop further.
"Well... Dear, I... Um..." The dog fought to find the best way to start this off, but she knew she was only making herself look even worse, proving to the mongoose that what she had said was true.
When in reality it wasn't.
She needed to confess sooner or later.
Heaving a sigh, she looked back at Sunil. "Sunil... I don't mean what I say-"
"Then why do you always say I'm not a great magician, or even a good one with total confidence?" A flash of anger struck like lightning in his eyes and boomed like thunder in his Indian-accented voice.
"You didn't let me finish. I love your magic acts and everything you have to offer. However..." Zoe looked down, unable to keep eye contact. "Well... It's just... It feels like... I know that... you're... better than me..."
"Excuse me?" Sunil's head and tail shot upright in astonishment.
"It's true. All I have to offer is my singing voice, but you... you can cast spells and make things disappear, and you can really wow the crowd with your magnificent talent. And I... I'm... I'm jealous..."
"J-Jealous? Of me?"
"You're better than me at keeping the crowd at the edge of their seats. And as I love being the center of attention... I find it difficult to accept that... that there's someone who's better than me to do just that."
"Zoe, I could never be better than you at anything," Sunil smiled humbly, lifting Zoe's chin up and looking into her intimidatingly beautiful ice-blue eyes. "We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and we all have our unique ways of showing off. So what if my magic can - uh, wow the crowd you had said? - You have the most beautiful singing voice anyone has ever heard, so lively and meaningful. Don't think for a second that I could ever outshine you, Zoe. We can both shine... together."
