The Lion and The Unicorn

The next morning…

Onyx was snoring quietly on the couch, drool coming out her mouth and mane messy, she groaned and stirred when something wet and slobbery hit her face, she tried to wipe it away but the wetness seemingly stayed and sticking to her foreleg. Upon opening her eyes, she was greeted with the familiar face of the lion, her heart skipped a beat, but she was a little relieved when the lion growled amd jumped off her as soon as she saw she was awake. Leaving her in place to discover the present she left behind, a face full of fresh slobber… “Ew…” She said softly as she sat up, wiping her face with her forelegs. “Was the slobber necessary?” She asked with a monotone voice.

”Not my fault that I slobber when standing above something smaller and weaker than me!” The lion scoffed, getting an unamused reaction from her.

“Ugh, hope you aren’t like that for your entire stay here..” She said, not wanting to wake up to a slobbered face every morning until she healed up. Which was strangely something she was both happy for, with the lion, too, but something she was concerned about.

”What?”

”You are too injured to leave, so i’’ll have to take care of you for a while.”

“Wasn’t planning to. Already used my energy last night pillaging on an injured leg.” She laughed. “You didn’t even know i was gone! What’s for breakfast?”

Onyx glanced at her, wondering if she was just messing with her or actually thought she’d serve her breakfast. “Not for you.” She said, getting up and heading into her kitchen, putting bread in a green toaster. The lion growled pushing Onyx to the ground as soon as she grabbed her toast out onto a plate, she scoffed up her breakfast and make a slight chuckle sounding growl, running back into the bedroom, leaving the unicorn laying there like a discarded rag doll. ”Rude…” She whispered before going upstairs to bathroom,ignoring the lion as she prowled behind her, keeping an eye on her but keeping her distance. It seemed like she was very wary of her, which was fine, Onyx didn’t expect her to trust her immediately, even if she did save her. As soon as she went to her sink, she grabbed her toothbrush, the lion cocking jet head was she watched Onyx put some paste on it and put it in her mouth, brushing it.

“Gross??” Asked the lion. “You like eating those weird tasting plants?” She paused, “They seemed covered in paper before, but that didn’t make them yummy.”

Onyx stopped brushing and and looked back at the lion, puzzled on what she meant by weird tasting plants. “Whoaaarght?” She asked, mouth full before looking at the other two unused-by her at least- toothbrushes in the cup, formerly unopened, finally seeing the saliva dripping off and signs of them being chewed on, there was also a broken one on the floor. She slowly looked at her current one in slight disgust, slowly realising what the lion had done. Somehow mistaking her toothbrushes as a plant, she had no idea how, but it was pretty gross that she put lion spit in her mouth… She wasted no time to spit out her mouthful of toothpaste and rise it out with water, feeling a little grossed out as she spat out the water, rolling her eyes upon missing the sink. She glanced at where the lion once was. ”I have things to do today, so behave, I don’t need you getting into trouble.” Onyx said as she entered the lounge room, glancing at the lion. “Plus, leave my toothbrushes alone, they are not yours.” She added.

”Whatever, pony!” The lion snorted as she rolled on the couch, her fur getting everywhere. Ignoring Onyx as she brushed her mane and gazed at her one more time.

“Actually, I think I’ll give you a list of things to follow while I’m gone.” She said before clearing her throat, hoping the lion was listening. “No taking my food, no opening the fridge- I know you won’t close it after you. No escaping and pillaging, no scratching furniture, do not enter the locked room upstairs, no parties, no going through my stuff. Did I mention no going into the locked room upstairs?”

“Twice.”

“Wanted it to get in your head.” She said, knowing the lion would need to eat more than just toast and random junk. ”I’ll get you some food while I’m out, any preferences?”

”Buffalo, gazelle or antelope.”

Onyx simply glanced at the lion, knowing that she should have known she would ask for something in a natural diet of a lion. Which would have been something a pony would make a friend out of if they ever met, not food! Obviously, none of those were possible. “Actually. I will get whatever I am able to…”

Onyx walked near the creek by herself, looking around at the bugs dancing and soaring around the crystals. She had more plans at the tearoom this morning, but he was going to greet Dapple nearby soon, they were going to do some things together. He would be rather happy this morning, thanks to the fact his breakfast did not vanish due to the thief not being lose. Well, if she hadn’t managed to mess with him in some way already last night. The creek was a special place for them both, she wasn't very familiar on why it was, she just knew it involved Dapple and loneliness and the cold. She was almost at the place where she was going to meet said friend, just walking over some puddles of the creek, but suddenly she stopped in her tracks at the mention of the monster nearby by a familiar voice. She looked in the direction and took a few steps ahead. She sneaked up behind a tree, seeing a familiar pony talk behind a bush, on the phone to another pony. Bounty, he always seemed suspicious to her. Now was her chance to get answers, hopefully she was thinking wrong. She listened carefully to his speech.

”Hey, Hey. It seems it avoided all my traps last night! But if the paws are anything to go by, it is still here and I’m going to catch it for my collection.” He sniffled. “I can just smell the money from here. Taxidermy gets you so much dirty money.” He chuckled, Onyx opened her mouth but did not make a noise. She took a step back, crouching behind the tree. “This unicorns won’t suspect a thing when they realise I am the hero when I claim I sent the lion elsewhere. They don’t even know it’s just a misplaced regular animal. Idiots.” She gulped as she backed from the tree and galloped down the creek, hoping she hadn’t made the stallion suspicious. Taxidermy was illegal for generations, also, unicorns never harmed animals in Bridlewood, unless it was a threat to them, kr if it was for food for animal companions and pets, fish being the most common animal to killed to feed them. She had to keep the lion safe u till he gave up, or else, she was dead. She only thought he wanted her to keep he as a crazy pet of some sort, but no. He wanted to kill her. She knew needed to take care of the lioness, to keep her safe until she healed and until this crazy thing blew over. But that meant she would need to feed her actual things for lions.

After spending some time with Dapple, she managed to excuse herself early and get a bag of unwanted fish from the pond, being basically the only accessible form of meat, unless one would want to hunt down a mouse or bird, which she didn’t really want to do, it would have been much harder anyway, plus they could have their own lives ahead of them. Unicorns don’t like wasting food, so if somepony caught too many fish, or not the fish they wanted at the pond, they could leave them in a basket for others to take if they want, so that’s what she did. She was sure she was not looking suspicious to anypony when they saw her pack up a few fish and walked away, for all they could have known she was doing a favour for somepony, since she acted normal, despite feeling a little nervous. As she trotted home, she head inside, happy to see the lion on the couch, but not happy to see the damage she had done to it. Both their eyes met before Onyx gazed at the lion’s figure. Seeing the ribs and the scars, she gulped as she removed her brown bag and put it down. “I have some bad news…Which i already told you earlier.” She sadly said in a mellow voice. “You’ll need to stay with me until you are better. Which means we must stay low, if the wrong pony finds out then Bounty will find out. If Bounty finds out, it’s over.” She said,noticing the lion savour her wounded leg as she crouched down, slowly coming over as she sniffed the air, growling slightly. “I got you some fish… Since you need a carnivore diet and uh… Gazelle and buffalo aren’t exactly accessible.” Onyx said, keeping calm and keeping her composure. Slowly taking a fish out of her bag using her magic, a bass, she couldn’t help but feel bad for the fish as she looked at it in the eye, seeing it helplessly flail in the magic.

”Why’d you even bother asking me what i wanted!” The lion shouted then sniffed the air again, glaring at the fish. “How do I know it’s not poisoned?”

”I took you out a trap, I’m feeding you and letting you stay here until that hunter that wants to taxidermy you gives up. Why would I poison it?”

”Bite it?”

”Pardon?”

”I’m not eating that till you bite it to prove to me it’s not poisoned!” The lion roared, despite her growling stomach. “I can smell you are nervous…”Onyx gulped, the lion needed to eat. Eating fish wasn’t necessarily dangerous for ponies, but it was disgusting and there were records from getting sick from eating a certain amount of it. But if it was likely only a little bit of fish, then she’d be fine.

“Fine…” She said, looking unamused as she headed into the kitchen, getting a chopping board and a large knife, preparing herself for the smell and the disgusting guys and juice! She glanced at the fish in the face one last time before putting down the knife and looking at the lion. She had to do it, even if she didn’t want to. She glared at the fish’s dead eyes, lacking any life or emotion, like she thought! At least it was dead, so it wasn’t looking towards its impending doom. Pet owners or anyone that makes cat food must have guts, or at least be used to the fish just staring out at them, helpless, lost and alone. But it had to happen, she grabbed the knife in her hoof and took a breath before slicing down on the head, cutting it off, smelly, sticky juice spraying onto her leg and chopping board, a lot more than she was prepared for. She let out as slight groan as the lion stared at her with unblinking eyes, watching every move. But Onyx kept going and discarded the head, in a biodegradable plastic bag, hoping to bury it far away from here. She used a knife to cut a piece of meat from the body, making sure the lion was watching her put the piece in her mouth. The slimy, cold sensation immediately made her feel a bit off, it felt like it did not belong in ger mouth… She chewed the piece up and swallowed it forcibly, looking at where the lion was supposed to be, a bit puzzled on where she went. Did she even see her eat the fish or was it all for nothing? Because that was disgusting! “You just wanted to see me eat fish, didn’t you?” She softly accused as she left her kitchen to find the lion’s head in her bag, scoffing down every crumb of fish before she lifted her head, the bag coming with her, stuck. She freaked out, shaking her head around and backing into a wall, trying to get the bag off. Clawing at it, missing the strap by a few inches. She nearly hit her head on the wall and started backing up, clearly freaked out. Onyx was quick to act, she slowly went over. “H-hey, chill. It just needs to be pulled off…” She said, the lioness moving her paws but stopping in place, facing her with a growl. Onyx quickly getting it in her magic knowing there was no chance the lion would let her touch her in this stake. She was quick and gentle to yank it off and put it on a nearby shelf, the loon lion standing there dazed.

“What was that!?” She roared accusingly at Onyx.

”Just a bag, just wait for me to take them out next time, ight?” She asked, only to get bowled over as the lion ran into her room. Onyx muttered to herself. “We should work on that…” She said, sitting up, deciding to give the lioness space, wondering why it had to be her that decided to take a lion in. It was crazy, she was taking care of a predator… “At least you haven't broken any given rules, as far as i- Oh.” She said, looking chill as she spotted a dead, half eaten rat and a packet of oats that was torn open. “This will be a long week…” She sighed, heading to her bedroom after hearing a loud thump, making her wonder what she was up to this time. “What are you doing, lion?” She asked as she entered the room, stopping in her tracks to see her in a box on top of her bed. She cocked her head slightly and eyed the now-open window and back at the lion, she let out a sigh. “I’m not even gonna ask…”

It indeed was a long week, actually two weeks, which wasn’t easy. Like cleaning up the messes she left behind, it was pretty gross to come come to a dead rat. Onyx was also not a fan of that time when she was in the kitchen and the lion came storming in, knocking into some shelves, knocking some honey from the top one. It wasn’t pleasant to have your horn impaled through a plastic jar of honey, with honey dripping down all over you. She could tell the lion was pretty amused at that sight, too. Bur was was a little disappointing when she woke up some mornings to find out The lion escaped her home and pillaged for more things to eat or whatever, which made the village despise her even more when she damaged a favourite structure with the unicorns. Which meant a few of them actually wanted to help Bounty hunt down the monster to try and trap it. Unaware that he wanted to do something so inhumane and creepy. They had spent a week together already, the lion hardly went near Onyx, she was often kicked out of bed or slobbered upon. She hadn’t managed to pet the lion yet, or sleep in her won bed.

But it wasn’t all so sour…

One particular morning, Onyx had woken up to her being in a more playful mood, which was nice to see her running around, thankfully not damaging anything. Once she headed out the bathroom, she dried herself the best she could with a towel, grabbing her scarf and putting on before reaching for her hat, only to see it was missing.

”Uh… Where’d it go?” She said softly before looking right near her to see the lion up close, holding it in her mouth. Once she reached for it she yanked it away and ran into the kitchen. “Guess you want to mess with me…” She said softly before running after her, almost crashing into a sack of flour before the lion ran back out, past the door and suddenly in the other direction, meaning she had to jump out the way and run after her up the stairs. “Uh, where are you head’n?” She asked softly, looking more worried as the lion went past two doors before approaching a locked one, running straight into it and falling to the ground. “Bet that hurt.” Onyx said softly with a slight smile as she looked at her slobber-soaked hat on the ground and looking at the door, thankful that it stayed up, nice and sturdy. Behind there was something she didn’t want anypony- or lion- to see. She picked up her hat, trying to ignore the drool before putting it on, “Wow, that’s the most slobber I’ve seen in like… A whole week, when you woke me up with slobber.” She said bluntly before heading back to the stairs, “C’mon,” She gestured. “One of my rules was to not enter that room, besides, there’s far more interesting stuff down here, anyway.” She said, going downstairs and freezing in place when she saw the lion pawing at the window. It was clear she wanted to go out. “You can’t leave yet. You aren’t in the right shape, and I don’t want to risk anypomy seeing you. There’s somepony suspicious hunting you down.” She paused, making a stern glare. “Especially after the last time you sneaked out.”

“In here forever!?” She paused at the vicious, cold eyes and sighed.

“I guess i can give you a walk at night while nopony is around. Might help your muscles stay in shape and train for the journey ahead. But I’ll have I hide you somehow. But I think I know what.” She muttered to herself before leaving, “I’ll be back this afternoon.”