The Lion and The Unicorn

it was pretty early in the morning in Bridlewood, it was a cool, but lovely morning. Unicorns were mostly just waking up for their plans for the day, or to find something to do. Alphabittle was up early to go to his tearoom, to tidy up a little before customers arrived. Unaware of the drama that would come that day.

Dapple, a fellow unicorn was also up at this time, having just made some pancakes for himself. Planning to eat them on a new wooden table just outside his house. Nothing like eating breakfast out in nature, even if you do literally live in a tree. He happily piled them on a plate, topped with berries and walked outside with them, putting them on the table. Picking up his knife and fork just before he realised something was missing.

”Oh yeah, the maple syrup!” He exclaimed, telling himself off for forgetting such an important part for pancakes. “Stay right there!” He warned his pancakes with a hoof before hurrying inside and rushing into his kitchen. “Where’d I leave it again?” He questioned as he opened a cupboard full of random stuff. Like cookies, chips, coffee beans he never opened and tea! He eyed all over for it before seeing it in the back of the cupboard, with a smile, he reached back and grabbed it in his hooves. “There you re!” He exclaimed before leaving the kitchen, walking outside only to stop in terror, dropping the syrup on the floor as it drizzled all over the grass. His mouth was wide open as he glanced at the table.

”My pancakes!” He exclaimed, running over, only to see nothing but a muddy paw print of some sort, bigger than his head, right where the plate was. Looking rather ominous in it’s size and the evidence of existing sharp claws, but he ignored the fact he just missed a run-in with whatever creature had those paws. Said plate was currently shattered, on the grass, it was just a generic white plate, so he wasn’t so upset about the loss. But he was heartbroken at the loss of his pancakes and a little terrified at the size of the paw now, once he realised how big it was. “What took my pancakes!?” He exclaimed as his ears went flat, he was so excited in eating them, his stomach ached at the thought of what was meant to be his breakfast. “Guess I’ll have to get something at the tearoom…” He sighed as got up and noticed his friend walking by.

“Onyx!” He exclaimed with joy upon seeing the familiar colours and expression she had on her face. She stopped upon hearing her name being called and glanced over at Dapple as he hurried over. ”Onyx! Have you seen my pancakes!?” He exclaimed in terror as he looked back on the table. “Something with massive paws stole them! I was so excited to eat them!” He exclaimed, only yo see her unamused expression.

”No.”

”Darn it!” He exclaimed and sighed, falling on his rump. “I was so excited.”

”We can eat something at the tearoom.” She bluntly said, sounding like she didn’t care, in reality, she did feel a bit bad for him.

“Yeah, I guess so. Maybe i should have remembered to bring the syrup out with me…” He said as he got up, nervously rubbing his head before looking down the pathway and back at his friend. “Hey, Remember what that unicorn said yesterday?” He asked, perking up a little, Remembering something, while Onyx had no idea what he was talking about. He narrowed it down so little that she wouldn’t even be able to guess..

”Which one?”

“Oh never mind.” He said before getting ready to run. “Race you to the tearoom, loser has to challenge Alphabittle to a hoof-wrestling match!” He said before running as fast as he could. Leaving behind Onyx who grew concerned, now realising what he was talking about. He must have heard that unicorn brag at how easy Alphabittle was to beat in hoof-wrestling and he got a prize. She knew that unicorn was a liar, because those big hooves had lots of muscles. She sighed a bit was she watched Dapple disappear, deciding to just walk, to save him the pain. She had already witnessed a different pony squeal and cry in pain after loosing at him, he was rather apologetic at letting his competitive side get the best of him and the pony wasn’t too badly hurt, thankfully. She simply walked along the path as she usually does, thinking of what Dapple would be thinking when he finds out she was not right behind him. Which was answered once she arrived, Dapple was sitting at the door, looking a little confused, he perked up a bit when he saw her.

”I won!” He boasted proudly.

”Congratulations.”

”What took you so long, anyway? I didn’t even use my ultra shortcut this time?”

”I wanted to lose.” She responded with a shrug, making him puzzled on why she would want that. “I like losing, feels natural.”

The two unicorns walked in, many where already drinking tea while Alphabittle was wiping down his bench. Onyx eyed him as Dapple nudged her. Looking a little cocky at his friend, it was nice to see him begin to get more confident and more eager nowadays, thanks to magic returning, unicorns didn’t feel so incomplete anymore. “Well, a deal’s a deal.” He said before she walked over to him staring right at him as he glanced at the two.

”Oh! Good morning, Onyx.”

”I challenge you to a hoof-wrestling match!” She said in a serious tone, putting her hoof in the bench. Staring at him in the eyes.

”Me?” Alphabittle asked, wanting her to confirm. She never challenged him at anything before, in fact he didn’t really recall last time she challenged anypony to something physical. If she ever challenged anyone, it was more emotion or poetry related. “Are you sure, I won't go easy on you.” He wanted then finished with. “Is there something you want to challenge me for, or just for fun?”

”I lost a race with Dapple.” She said bluntly, seeming not upset. “Loser has to challenge you, deal’s a deal.”

”Oh, fair enough.” He shrugged, feeling it was unusual for Dapple to do that, but shrugged it off. It was nice to see the formerly depressed unicorns of the forest to be more eager and playful. He raised his hoof to hers and they locked them together, pushing them against eachother with all their might. It appeared they both struggled for a bit, with many unicorns watching with amusement, every one of them cheering for Alphabittle. Onyx gasped a little in surprise as she saw his hoof go down a bit with a grunt, but then he glared at her with a grin. Then at the blink of an eye, she left out a gasp as soon as her foreleg was overpowered, crashing to the bench right after Alphabittle‘s, harder than he would have liked, he would have admitted. “Oh! There we go!” He exclaimed, briefly eyeing Onyx to check if she was okay, but she had an expression on her that seemed she didn’t care much. With a slight smile he luaghed his hoof from hers as she took hers back, rubbing it slightly. “Are you-“

”I’m fine, I had worse.” She dismissed his concerns before walking over to the stage where Dapple was. Hiding the pain of her foreleg being bent slightly incorrectly and smashed against the table. He was known to be rough with hoof wrestling, plus, that was the first time she tried it. “Happy now?” She asked Dapple who nodded slightly. He was quick to grab his bongos when she decided it was time to start her poetry. Regretting choosing that for the loser to do that instead of something else.

Neither of them payed much attention to Alphabittle for the next few hours. Until they were having some tea and sitting down. He grunted in frustration as he dug though a box, seemingly looking for something he was missing. Which wasn’t known by either of them, but they were both a little confused at his frustration. Did he misplace something again? ”Alright! Has anypony seen my gift for Haven?” He asked out loudly, directed at all the unicorns present, he seemed pretty desperate to find whatever he had lost. Being literally the biggest stallion in Bridlewood, nopony would have the guts to steal from he he thought. But then, he wasn’t the type to fight someone unless he really had to, so it was clear whoever stole it was going to get a lecture of strong words and not a hoof laid on them.

”You aren’t the only pony who had something stolen from you, Alpha.” A unicorn mare gulped as she looked around, approaching the counter with a whisper. “I think it’s troggle season…”

”But the Lumibloom season isn’t till a few months.” Alphabittle added, raising his brow in confusion.

”Maybe the tale of Grogar is bases on a true story!”

“He kidnapped unicorns to use as slaves, not stole from them.”

“I don’t think that’s how the story went either.”

“Whatever it is I saw the shadows!” A young colt pointed out. “Outside my bedroom window, I saw the body and the creepy glowing eyes.” All the unicorns besides Alphabittle gasped. It wasn’t long for another unicorn to add himself to the conversation.

Dapple seemed pretty spooked as he came over, explaining his experience. “I think this is a new thing! My pancakes went missing while I went to get the toppings and all I saw was a muddy pawprint on my table!” He exclaimed, the unicorns besides Alphabittle and Onyx gasping in horror. “I didn’t even hear it from my kitchen!”

”Well maybe it’s jinxie to leave your window open with unprotected food, now!?” A mare with long, shiny hair suggested dramatically. Ignoring the fact that Dapple had it outside, not inside.

“I hope not.”

Alphabittle sighed softly as the unicorns spoke their theories further and further. A few more adding to what things of theirs was stolen or damaged, like pillaged gardens, broken branches, trampled flowers, even a broken window or two! It didn’t take long for him to sigh a little as their theories got even less logical on what it could possibly be, but he knew something was up and they had to tread carefully, just in case it was something dangerous. “Has anypony even seem this supposed monster?” He asked, dismissing the colt’s remark as it wasn’t detailed enough. He wanted answers, or else there’d need to be some sort of wood-wide meeting to reduce panic if the theories got out of control.

“I think it’s hairy…” A random unicorn said, voice a little shaky, “I-I heard a noise in my kitchen but I was too scared to come out! When I looked out the window, I saw it in the shadows, lurking.” The stallion gulped as he shuddered, all the others remaining quiet as they watched him try to speak. “The eyes were glowing from the shadows, the sharp teeth shimmering in the moonlight, strong agile legs, strong grabby claws and what I think was a tentacle!” He then gulped. “Or a tail.”

The unicorns all looked frightened, looking at each other concerned. There was silence before Dapple spoke up. “What if it gives jinxies!? Quick, everypony!” He exclaimed before he among the other unicorns did their ‘anti-jinxie dance.’ Onyx and Alphabittle being the only ones to not join in, the latter feeling there was a simpler story to this situation and perhaps feeling the jinxie dance wasn’t necessary yet, if not at all.

“What do you think, Onyx?” Alphabittle asked the unicorn who was currently the most sane one in the tearoom at the moment, even if she was pretty weird in her own ways. With poetry that made no sense.

“No clue.”

“Possibly a rare monster?” A voice asked, belonging to some sandy orange earth pony stallion with a yellow mane. “I like the sound of that.”

”Uh… When did you get here?” Asked Dapple as everyone in the room looked towards this unnamed stallion. Alphabittle seemingly recognising him from somewhere.

”Bounty? What are you doing in Bridlewood? I thought I told you we had any pests we had under controll or things planned out concerning them here. Don’t you have work to do in the heights and bay?”

”Well. Unicorns can’t hog the fun with magical pests all the time. Rodents, birds and bugs get boring after a while, after all. Displayed- Eh, my skills- on pretty much all of them.” He grinned in a slight sassy way. “C’mon, just let me do my job and your kind won’t get their manes in a knot about crazy theories.”

”Bounty. No. You don’t understand Bridlewood, or any of its magic. It’s best if we unicorns deal with it.” Alphabittle said, feeling rather suspicious about this earth pony. He wouldn’t mind of he was just happened to be in the tearoom and offered to help, but the fact declined this pony and his duties many times during his visits to Maretine Bay and Zephyr Heights, it seemed a but suspicious that here was here now at this convenient moments. This thief was only around for the last week or so, but he never told anypony about it, neither did any unicorn really talk that much about it. So the second he found out, he decided to butt in! “I get you have powerful dart guns to put pests to sleep or trap them to release in the wild later. But I think we are the experts in thus scenario.”

”Oh mate, let me help.” Bounty said in a sneaky voice. “Our species are allies after all.”

The was a pause as Alphabittle let out a slight grumble,he was not pleased. “Doesn't mean you can just butt in, Bounty! Besides as I said, we unicorns know Bridlewood better, we’ll get this under control just fine. Like we always have.”

Bounty only chuckled. “Sure sure, I get it, I understand. I wouldn’t want to get in the way with your magical forest, anyway.” He scoffed. “Just wanted to help you and get my hooves on some gorgeous-“ He paused, thinking about the next word. “dirt” He said with a roll of his eyes as he left his seat and moved over to the counter, slapping down a card upon in. “I’ve got plenty of traps and tools up my sleeves. Just give me a call, anytime.” He said with a wide grin and a wink before leaving.

”Does he creep anyone else out?” Jasper whispered.

“He seemed alright. Just wanted to help.” Dapple suggested. “Just a bit pushy.”

”I think he want’s more to do with the monster than he’s making it seem…” Onyx said with squinted eyes.

Alphabittle groaned, “Guess I’ll have to try and get a new one- She was going to love it!” He muttered. “I guess I do have time, It’s a while before the anniversary.”

“What are you going to do with the monster?” Dapple gulped. “If Bounty doesn’t succeed in shooing it away?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” He paused. “For all we know, it could just be another pony playing tricks.” He snorted at the thought of that.

”Y-yeah…”

The sun had gone down, Onyx and Dapple were walking through the village, back from helping a friend with some tricky duty. Getting all three of them covered in flour. Dapple laughed a bit as he past his house. “What a day, Right, Onyx?” He asked, stopping in his tracks. Flour flying from his curly mane as he looked at her. “Well, I better wash up, see you tomorrow.”

”Bye, Daps.” Onyx smiled a little as she bid her friend goodbye and walked through the trees. It was rather chilly, so she picked up her pace, nearing the outskirts, of the village, her home was rather far out the way for some reason. Guess that’s just where she ended up, it was her foalhood home, it wasn’t that bad of a walk there and back, anyway. Eventually she reached her home, going towards it quickly and looking around, hearing a ruffling noise in nearby bushes before heading inside and getting herself into the bathroom. She had a shiver down her spine from a sudden loud noise outside as breeze came in from her window. She tried to not feel nervous, but it was an unnatural noise. Her home was so out of the way that ponies would rarely have a reason to go past it. But she shrugged it off, trying to assure herself it was an animal of some sort, trembling a little as she remembered the theories. They were theories, but the monster must be real, right? What was it? After calming herself down, she turned on the shower and got in, soaking her mane for the shampoo, grabbing a bar of her favourite soap and washing up. Not hearing another suspicious noise until…

Very late that night, Onyx was nice and cozy in bed, or it seemed like it if she wasn’t grunting a little in her sleep, soon enough she woke up to a loud snap sound that rung her ears, followed by a loud roar that sounded nearby. She jolted up and looked around, her heart racing as she gazed at her surroundings. Trying to remain clam before she heard another roar, this time quieter but still loud. She was not happy from being woken up, having already had a bad dream. She gulped and laid her head back on the pillow, trying to finally sleep, not happy about these distractions. But feeling like her life would soon take a turn.