*The next day*

The Zephyr Heights Bank was huge and futuristic looking. There were plenty of ATM machines and desks around. The tiles were neatly polished, not a scruff to be seen. The shiny walls gave the “rich” look and the pillars made the place look even more wealthy. He gulped a bit as he walked ahead, past a group was queuing at an ATM. He kept moving, trying to not get distracted as he moved to a desk, a very serious looking stallion was behind it. He quickly glanced up from his computer, looking at Dapple beyond the glass screen. “What may a do for you, sir?”

He paused a bit. Never being called that in his life. He didn’t mind, he just assumed it was a title for certain ponies. ”I’d like to borrow money…”

”Money? How much?”

”1,500,500 dollars?”

The was a pause as the stallion glanced at him, making him a little more nervous. “Are you aware that you’ll have a time limit on paying us back?” He asked, Dapple being a little puzzled as he hadn’t thought about that. He wasn’t familiar with banks. “If you don’t pay us back before then you can and will be taken to court, and stuff will likely be taken from your home to make up for the unpaid amount of money.”

He had froze, but he had to do this if he were to get the tearoom back. Everything will be back to normal! The unicorns needed the tearoom, it was a special place in Bridelwood. If he wanted to get it back, he had to make some payments… So he was going to take one for the team. With the tearoom back, being in debt with another city would be worth it! Besides, nothing about this felt dangerous.”How long will I have?” He asked softly.

”I’ll give you five years.”

”Five? Alright then!”

“Now sign this paperwork.” The stallion bluntly shoved a sheet ob a clipboard on the desk. Sliding it from under the gap under the screen.

“Sure.” Dapple responded, grabbing the clipboard and sitting down in a chair nearby. He wasn’t sure why they needed so much info, but if this was how he was saving the tearoom- or bringing it back. He was going to take it. “Fur colour?” He paused then looked down at his coat. “Brownish green… I think?” He responded to himself, wondering what colour his fur would be considered. But he wrote that down anyway then the next one was “Address” he knew what an address was, was where your home was!… But there was a problem. There wasn’t much room for him to write it down, he’d need at a line or two more than he was given. So he’d have to use more place and write in the gaps on either side of the lines themselves.

‘Start at the ‘Welcome to Bridlewood’ sign and walk forward till you go past the school. Turn left and walk fifty steps and turn 50 degrees and gallop till you get to the old playground that’s overgrown. Then walk east until you nearly hit a prickly blackberry bush. Then take a job towards the direction of the tearoom and you will see it!” He wrote then came to a realisation. Realising that could have been a lot shorter of he said. ‘Walk to the tearoom and walk south-west until you see a strange shaped rock and the walk west.’ He checked his writing and noticed it was the last question. He got up and walked to the desk.

The stallion was very unamused as he glanced. “I need you to redo your address.”

“My address? It’s right there?” He said, confused, wanting to point but the screen was in the way. He could not understand what the screen was for? Maybe it was some sort of protection.

“I mean, street and house number, not how to get there?”

”Street? House number?” Dapple cocked his head in confusion before he realised what he meant. “Oh! Bridlewood doesn’t really have house numbers or streets. We do name paths and landmarks. But we don’t have house numbers in Bridlewood.”

The stallion glanced at him. Pausing as he glared sternly, squinting a bit. “Bridlewood?”

”y-yeah? That’s where I live!”

”This is the Zephyr Heights bank. We deal with the Zephyr Heights currency and occasionally, Maretine Bay money since it works the same. But that money always gets sent there and traded for this city’s currency.”

”Okay…” He paused. “You can lend me Zephyr Heights money.”

”We don’t lend money to ponies that don’t live in Zephyr Heights. You’d need to visit your bank.”

”We don’t have a bank. Well, not like this, anyway.”

“Too bad!”

”But I need the money to save the tearoom!”

The stallion felt that bank thing was strange but ignored it. “Too bad. Next!” He called, a pegasus mare pushing Dapple out the way and rushed forward. He grumbled as he walked towards the exit. The bank was no help… He sighed to himself as soon as he stepped outside, looking around the city. Onyx would hate this city, well, maybe not hate- just not like it as much. He felt Bridlewood was better than Zephyr Heights, too. Comfier, more natural and sometimes quieter. He preferred animal noises over the sound of devices, machines and chatter. But Zephyr Heights was cool in its own way. He walked down the street and looked back at the bank.

”Time for plan two.”

It was late in the night. Dapple sneaked up the street, wearing a black batman mask and a panther onsie. To try and hide himself in the dark night better. Ponies were still up, but not as many as daytime. He slowly went over to the bank and looked up at the tall buildings. From what he saw in the movies, perhaps the front doors were not a good idea. He needed to get in while not getting any attention. Just as he saw an open window in an alleyway to the side of the bank, gasped with glee. Not even thinking that it was a little suspicious that a place with a lot of money had an open window in the night. Presumably unprotected. Maybe it was someone wanting him to get the money. So he opened the window a bit more, as quiet as he could. Cringing at the small squeak it made as he did so. He gulped as his heart started to race as he looked into the dark building. He took a breath as he thought about his actions.

Stealing was a bad thing to do, but he was going it for a good thing. Everything else he tried failed, so this was a last resort to save the tearoom. If he failed, he was going to be jinxed. He;d be seen as an outcast, but he was willing go take that risk for the unicorns. But there was a pain in his gut. Was this really the right thing to do? It had to be, they wouldn’t let him borrow the money, so he needed to take it. After a deep breath he climbed through the open window. Only to end up faceplanting the floor of the bank with a loud “thump.” He groaned a bit as he got up, looking around the dark area. Not wanting to use his horn for light just yet, in case it got someone’s attention. He slowly stepped forward, careful for any traps.

”Stick your hooves up in the air!” A voice shouted. Dapple nearly jumped out of his skin as he froze in place. His heart skipped a beat as he winced. Slowly turning around to see two royal guards, one holding a torch and shining it right at him. He had to squint a little from the brightness. There was seemingly two of them. One blue, one green. He was familiar with them, but had forgotten their names. “Drop your weapons,” The blue one shouted.

”Uh, Zoom. He doesn’t have a weapon?” The green one responded. Dapple remembered their names now, Thunder and Zoom. The queen’s favourite guards. They had somehow caught him and he was in big trouble. Which he deserved, so he wasn’t going to fight back. It would possibly be jinxie or something to escalate this crime any further. So he obeyed by putting his forelegs in the air as he sat down with a guilty look on his face as he thought if what he had done… But maybe they would listen to him.

“I-It’s not what-“

”You are coming with us, you criminal!” Zoom cried out, growling as she headed towards him. Slapping a tennis ball on his horn, which simply confused him. Sticking things on unicorn horns didn’t stop magic or anything? Maybe it was simply just protection from his sharp horn, what Zoom did next was rip his mask off and hoof-cuff his hooves.

“I’m… Sorry…”

“You have the right to remain silence!” Zoom screamed into his ear and dragged him away.

The next thing he knew, he was in the throne room with the guards on either side of her. On the throne was the queen. “We caught the criminal, your majesty!”

“Good job you two.” Haven thanked and then glanced at him. “I think you know we are very disappointed in you.”

”We?” He asked before gasping. Seeing Alphabittle, Onyx, Jasper, Zipp, Pipp, Sunny and Izzy walk onto the throne room, past him and stopping in front of him with stern expressions on their faces.

“Honestly. What were you expecting?” Zipp asked, stomping her hoof.

”You’d never do something like this…” Onyx bluntly responded. “Guess I was wrong.” She looked away from him. Seeing his best friend so betrayed in his actions hurt him.

“You and- You always weird me out in a way.” Zipp added. Wanting to say ‘you and Onyx’ but stopping herself. Knowing she had nothing to do with this.

”I never thought you’d become a thief!” Shouted Izzy. “You are even crazier than I realised!”

“Not cool…” Jasper sadly said the paused. “I have no idea why I’m even here… You already have ponies to shout at you.”

Alphabittle looked at the guilty unicorn who was just sitting there. “Dappled Grey Hoofbeats! What had gotten into you?” He asked in a stern but concerned voice, using his full name like a parent would do to their child that did something really wrong. But a snicker did escape from somepony’s laugh at his full name, which was ironic because he wasn’t dappled or grey. “You never struck me as the type to do this kind of thing?”

The was a pause as he looked up at his fellow unicorns as his ears drooped. He looked down and sighed. “I just wanted to save the tearoom…”

”I told you, the-“ Onyx was about to say before being interrupted.

”But why on earth would you try and rob a bank in a different city?” He asked.

“To try and buy the place back. So I could save and bring the tearoom back!”

”Daps! The tearoom-“

”Onyx, would you please allow me to speak?” He asked her, who sighed as her ears went flat. “But it’s been destroyed. There’s no bringing it back! I miss it too, but it’s not possible!”

”I-I-“ Dapple spoke then paused. “I just really miss it, I really thought I could! But everything I tried failed. It was where Onyx and I started our friendship as foals after we met at the creek! It was where we preformed for years! So many memories and I-“ He spoke as his voice cracked. “I-I really thought it would last forever! B-but our friendship and memories have been destroyed with it. I just want it back!”

Onyx glared in concern as she watched her friend burst into tears. Tears ran down his face as he talked about how much he missed the tearoom. She had only seen him cry on a rare occasion, so it made her heart ache to see him so low. Even if they both were pretty joyless before magic returned, but pretty much almost every unicorn was.

“You-“ Onyx was about to say before being interrupted. “Ugh.”

“I think you had enough.” Zoom glanced. “This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t kept going om.”

“B-“ Dapple shivered.

“You a-“ Onyx was about to say before being interrupted again.

“I liked it too, but that was kinda crazy to try and steal.” Izzy noted.

“Yeah! But!” Dapple cried. “Me and Onyx might not be able yo be friends anymore! I don’t want to leave her!”

“Dapple-“

“Onyx, let us speak!”

“Y-you think a building is the only thing keeping your friendship valid?” Izzy questioned

Onyx cleared her throat loudly. “Daps.” She said softly as she moved to towards him. “Sure the place that sparked our friendship is gone. But that doesn’t mean our friendship has to go away, too! We shouldn’t let such a major loss tear us apart-“ She said before being interrupted, her ears going flat, wanting to talk to him without being interrupted.

”Yeah! If you let Eggingtons tear you apart and make you quit being who you are. Don’t you think they will see this as a victory and make them stronger?” Suggested Thunder.

”I-I guess if you put it that way…” Dapple said, wiping his eyes with his hoof. He missed it so much, the stage, the ornaments, the decorations, the signs, the tables. Even the shape of the whole building! He heard himself sniffle as he sta there. “I guess I will just have to go on…” He said, sadly getting up, ears droopy. “Thanks for stopping me, I guess…” He said in a soft, sad voice, ready to leave, but he was stopped.

Onyx finally spoke, “The destruction of the tearoom does not make anything from it invalid, including memories. I still cherish the time I heard you first laugh, when I dropped a bucket of soapy water on my head when trying to use my magic. I don’t want you thinking times like that are invalid and turn them into bad memories instead of good ones just because the location is gone.” She explained, she didn’t find the situation as funny as he did. “Or any of our other great memories, I think it’d be better to let the memories of the tearoom live on and keep what reminds us of it as good things. Not throw everything related to it away. It’s what the tearoom would have wanted if it were alive.”

Dapple looked at her, a smile slowly forming. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew what she meant, he was going to let the tearoom live on in his memories and pictures. “Alright…”

”Don’t think you are getting away this easily.” Zoom exclaimed, ruining the moment. Tossing an orange vest, trash bags and bag of certain tools in his hooves. “What you did is still a serious crime! You better consider yourself lucky with a light punishment of one month worth of community service in the city, every day!”

”Every day? I live all the way in B-“

”That’s right!” Zoom exclaimed. “You must take that four hour hike twice everyday!”

He let out a groan as he heard the words. Then he considered that from how dangerous, stupid and jinxie his actions were, he did deserve this, after all.

“Actually, I think he can stay in a hotel here!” The queen perked up, not wanting him to do that every day in case something would happen.

”I think I’ll be fine, thanks for the offer…” He said before sighing. “One month of community service it is…”

“Alright, but if you ever change your mind, say so.” She said, a little concerned for him.

Dapple was about to say something but then paused. “But, may I ask how you knew what i was doing?”

Zoom smirked slightly as everypony else looked at her, wondering the same thing, except for the Queen who assumed she had gotten a message somehow. Maybe from a unicorn in Bridlewood who overheard his plan. But she didn’t confirm or deny it. “I’ll just say a little bird told me.”

Dapple rolled his eyes. Not understanding the ‘a little bird told me’ saying but rolled with it. “Alright.” He sadly looked back at the crowd, wanting to cry again, there was no way to bring the tearoom back. He had lost so much along with the tearoom, he lost friends, he lost his collection of jars and models and he’ll have to live without those things. He hated this way, but he had to deal with it.

Author's Note

Yep. This is how it ends. No new tearoom, Eggingtons does not go bankrupt and Dapple will have to work on moving on. (But he can still be friends with Onyx, I guess)

Just like the harsh cruelty of real life. I didn’t want the story to have a closure with everyone happy with the tearoom rebuilt and the eggingtons closed, because that is not what happened with the situation this is based on. Just Dapple and Onyx’s reactions and the former being stopped before he did something stupid while having to learn how to cope healthily and learning that just because a place got destroyed does not mean you have to get read of everything that relates to it.

If the food chain ‘Eggingtons’ is based on goes bankrupt, then I may write a sequel, but who knows