The Drinking Contest
So you want to know the story of the famous Madpony do you? If that is the case, then sit down, and be quiet. This is a long story, and it isn’t the type your grandma reads you to at night. No, this is the side of Equestria that your parents never wanted you to explore. To begin, just like any good and cruel storyteller, I’ll start at the middle.
Manehatten, one of the largest and most heavily populated cities within all of the country of Equestria.The city, home to some of the most privileged, most successful, and even some of the worst kinds of ponies. As the sun began to rise over the town, soon reaching its full height over the city, the city was gleaming. The sunlight reflected from window to window of the tall buildings, some even seeming to breach the sky itself with their height. However, most were simple apartment complexes, or places of business. Most buildings were made of simple bricks in the few dull colors of red or beige, although some buildings were more colorful than others. The city was famous for two primary reasons, the rich or famous that lived within, and the parties that could be found going on at least once a week. The city was a mix of prim with proper, and party with playtime.
However, not everypony in Manehatten was rich, or a party pony. The majority of the population of Manehatten was ponies who were just looking to make a living. Some were workers, some were thinkers, and some were small shop owners. From all around the world, ponies came to Manehatten, expecting to make a good life for themselves’, but very few did. Toward the more run down side of the town, there was a district that held quite a large number of ponies in this situation. These ponies were simply looking to make a living, each one owning their own business. These businesses’ all had large display windows at the front, some cracked or damaged, others even boarded up from having to close shop. The sidewalks were thankfully neat and clean, a few weeds growing here or there, but mostly well maintained. Lamps lined the sidewalks, giving light to ponies that walked at night, and support for ponies who were too tired to walk much farther. All in all, it was a rather peaceful side of town, during the day anyway. On the day in question though, it was rather strange; almost mad and it started with a single pony.
“57 cups of cider in the barn, 57 cups of cider. Take one out, drink it myself. 48 cups of cider in the barn,” sang the unicorn as he wandered through the district. His tail swung from side to side as he sang. He walked with his eyes closed, a bright smile on his face. His mane was short and messy, a light brown color to it. His skin was a light gray in color, with a wild card for his cutie mark. The unicorn seemed carefree and vibrant, despite the cloudy day overhead. His stride was simple and seemed almost as if it would not be broken. This unicorn was certainly a unique one. As he walked down the road though, the street seemed empty;almost a ghost town save for him. This was something that was unexpected; this side of town typically had people going through it all the time, looking to buy well-crafted items at cheaper prices than designer ones. However, on this day, it seemed devoid of such; as if a storm was coming and everypony knew but the unicorn. The unicorn did not seemed bothered by it though, certainly not visibly anyway. The unicorn simply continued his steady stride with a smile and a song. It was a wonder if the unicorn were drunk or simply foolish.
“Another one for the loony bin,” stated the shop keeper as he watched the unicorn through the window. The aged earthpony shook his head slowly, it seemed like everpony was going mad these days. “ I never should have come to Manehatten in the first place,” he said as he wandered around his shop, no customers in sight. Although this was not an uncommon thing for the shopkeeper, it still disappointed him. This was something that had become quite common for the aged pony. As of recent days, with the summer rolling around, less and less ponies came in for his clothes. He got most of his business during the winter season, when everypony wanted to bundle up in warm clothing for a decent price; which he was happy to provide. He, like many shop owners in the area was not afraid to sell his goods at a lower price. This was because he knew the value of what it cost him to produce, and, like few ponies in Manehatten, knew the value of a bit.With the change in season though, he could not manage to sell much to anything, and dropping prices too low meant he was losing money.
At times, it was a wonder that the aged pony did not need to live from sale to sale, much less paying rent. Still, this was what he did for a living, and at this point in his life there was no use trying to change now.With a heavy sigh, he opened the cash register, disappointingly empty, save for the few bits he had to keep to give change. He looked up slowly, letting out a whinny of surprise. The shopkeeper felt his heart beating at an alarming rate, the figure having snuck up on him. The shopkeeper had to rest for a moment, the unicorn he had seen passing by standing before him now. To the shop owner, the unicorn that he had just referred to as mad seemed to have an odd air about him. He was young, that much the earthpony could tell, and looked quite healthy, perhaps not strong, but healthy. Now that the earthpony was closer to the unicorn, he could see that despite how messy the mane of the unicorn was, it was clean and well kept. Still, no matter how normal the unicorn looked, there was something about his attitude that just confused the aged pony.
“Is this your shop?” asked the unicorn curiously of the shopkeeper. The unicorn was not aggressive, actually seeming to be rather friendly towards the pony. The pony watched the unicorn for a moment, unable to really respond.
“Yes,” he said after clearing his throat, “ I am Mr. Shoe and this is my shop.”
“So you sell shoes?” asked the unicorn, speaking in the same tone as before. The question seemed odd to the shopkeeper, understandable, but odd.
“No- Well, yes, but I make and sell all kinds of clothing,” Mr. Shoe answered the unicorn. Mr. Shoe motioned to all of his wares as he spoke. Mr. Shoes made just about any type of clothing or accessory needed, ranging from shoes to hats, and in between. The clothes were out on display, some on pony figurines, other simply shelved to be examined. His specialty ranged more in suits and dresses though, those being the most requested items. With Manehatten being a large center for the rich and famous, plenty of ponies came in asking for suits and nice looking dresses; so that they could impress whomever’s boots they wanted to lick. The unicorn admired the clothing for a moment, nodding.
“Mind if I look around?” Mr. Shoe smiled brightly for a moment, shaking his head.
“Of course, feel free to, sir,” Mr. Shoe responded. The unicorn nodded in thanks before he turned and went amongst the displays. He did not seem to have a target in mind, simply curious. His wandering did end up more into the section with jackets and coats; odd for this time of year. The store itself wasn't too big, just large enough to display a little of everything. There was a set of stairs at the back of the store, and a series of shelves and displays along the walls. Mr. Shoe watched the gray unicorn as he walked around the shop, almost looking lost. The unicorn continued to wander around the store, his movements almost fluid, despite the confused look on his face.
“Isn't it a bit warm of weather to be displaying scarves?” the unicorn asked curiously. Mr. Shoe walked over to where the unicorn was, in the head-wear section. There were a series of all kinds of objects, hats, bowties, and even scarves. Mr. Shoe kept the section stocked most of the time, since many ponies, trying to dress like proper gentlecolts came in from time to time looking for any type of accessory that could make them look more sophisticated.
“Not at all, scarves can be worn for a multitude of reasons, more than just temperature.” Mr. Shoe responded to the unicorn. The unicorn was admiring the head-wear, nodding to show he was listening. The unicorn seemed uninterested in Mr. Shoe’s answer though; somewhere between already knowing the answer or just not liking the answer. As to which it was though, Mr. Shoe could only guess. The unicorn’s eyes locked onto something then, seeming to zero in on it. He reached for a green cap that was resting on the head of a mannequin, staring at it.
“What about this cap-” the unicorn began to ask before the sound of a throat clearing came from behind them. Mr. Shoe turned to look at the pony behind him, the unicorn continued to look at the head-wear. The unicorn had seemed to lose interest in the cap already, going back to looking around the store. Mr. Shoe gulped with fear as he recognized the pony before him. The pony was large and intimidating, a feint orange color to him. He wore a clean black suit, with a matching fedora. His stride was powerful, his stance confident, and his eyes holding a smirk all their own. It was clear that this pony was enjoying the expression on Mr. shoe’s face, enjoying seeing Mr. Shoe’s fear of him. He was even followed by two equally intimidating pegasai.
This was Mr. Deceive; a wealthy and invested businessman. His particular favorite type of business was extortion, namely through the many different properties he owned. This tall and intimidating pony owned most of the shops down the street, including Mr. Shoe’s. He wasn’t afraid to remind his shop owners of that either, often using one or two of them as public examples for the other ponies who ran the shops down the street. Those who did not owe a debt to Mr. Deceive avoided him at all cost, somehow fearing that his power could affect them too. Although he was still a reasonable pony, rarely asking for any extra money, but when he did, he made sure that those who he asked knew of his power. Mr. Deceive was simply unwilling to bend on his late policy, preferring to bend ponies’ spines before bending his policies.
“I do hope I'm not interrupting, but-” Mr. Deceive began to say.
“You are.” stated the unicorn, not looking away from the clothing. Mr. Shoe gulped once more, his eyes darting from the unicorn to Mr. Deceive.
“Smart mouth,” Mr. Deceive muttered with a chuckle, seeming amused. “ But, I need to speak with you Mr. Boot,” he said, resuming where he had been cut off. Before Mr. Shoe could argue, he was pushed towards the front of the store by the two pegasai. This was the typical treatment, blatantly call Mr. Shoe by the wrong name, pull him away from any customers, and then threaten him. He did not want to look like a monster to those who did not owe him a debt after all. He had boots of his own to lick, and he did not want to have a bad image when he did so.
“Wh-What seems to be the problem Mr. Deceive?” Mr. Shoe asked, his voice quivering as much as he was. Mr. Deceive pulled a flask from his suit, taking a drink for a moment. Another typical tactic Mr. Deceive used was proving that he did not care for the pony. Often by simply drinking in the middle of a conversation.
“It appears, Mr. Boot, that you were late on last month's rent, again,” stated Mr. Deceive slowly, his tone flat. Yet it was this flat tone that made it sound all the more dangerous. He slowly paced before Mr. Shoe, his face displaying his displeasure. He gave off an aura of confidence and arrogance, one that filled the room with an awful stench.
“Well, I'm s-sorry, sir. But nopony has been buying my stock. It’s hard to accumulate enough for rent.” Mr. Shoe said, not sure if his aged bones could handle this much quivering. Mr. Deceive said nothing for a moment, simply smirking. Mr. Deceive had little to no concern to whether the shops he owned were successful or not, only that he got his money.
“ You know, Mr. Boot, making all these clothes by yourself would be tough,” Mr. Deceive said. “ I guess it’s a good thing your daughter is helping you . . . for now.”
“Oh please Mr. Deceive, don't hurt my little filly.” Mr. Shoe said swiftly. He moved to grovel at Mr. Deceive's hoofs, kneeling before him. Mr. Deceive had at times forced other ponies to do this, wanting them to grovel and beg him for forgiveness. This was often the point in which he found the most pleasure in his extortion. Mr. Shoe move to sit up once again, before he found Mr. Deceive's hoof on his back holding him down. He looked up slowly; fear filling his eyes as he looked at Mr. Deceive. Mr. Shoe’s mind ran with fear, terrified for his daughter, as well as of the rage of Mr. Deceive. Although in truth, Mr. Deceive rarely got angry, only agitated before he would take his stress out on the pony that had agitated him.
“Hurt your daughter you say? Well Mr. Boot, if you insist- “ Mr. Deceive began to say. Before he could finish though, a boot slammed into his face. In that instant, rage filled Mr. Deceive’s eyes, the boot falling to the ground now. A large red mark lined his cheek as anger swelled up in him. None of the shop owners had ever done such a thing to him, so it enraged him. They all turned to see the unicorn from before using his magic to float the other boot above his own head, examining it.
“ I don't understand your fascination with these things Mr. Receive, but since you kept going on about them, I figured I'd give you one,” the unicorn said, his horn glowing. The glow of his horn had a slight grey shade to it, as well as surrounding the boot. It was clear to the on lookers that it was the unicorn’s magic that was levitating the boot. The two pegasai leapt forward, moving to hurt the little unicorn. Mr. Deceive motioned for them to stop, leaving them to guard Mr. Shoe. Mr. Deceive wanted to teach this unicorn a lesson personally. He wanted to intimidate the unicorn; just as he did every other pony down the street. The unicorn seemed uninterested though. “Sorry, you didn't catch it? Should I have warned you?” the unicorn asked. Mr. Deceive only smirked as he approached the unicorn.
“You really do have a smart mouth kid, and a death wish,” Mr. Deceive responded.
“You're a drinking man, right Mr. Deceive?” the unicorn asked, catching Mr. Deceive off guard. This was definitely not the response that Mr. Deceive had been expecting. He had been expecting the pony to kneel and apologize for his actions, not question his drinking habits.
“W-Well yes,” Mr. Deceive answered, stopping a few feet away from the unicorn. He found himself staring at the young unicorn all the more. Something about the pony that spoke to him just did not seem right. Something about this unicorn seemed off, just different, something that he could not place his hoof on.
“Then I propose a drinking contest, you win, you get his daughter. I win, you give him the deed and buy me whatever I want from the shop” To this, Mr. Shoe’s eyes lit up with fear, struggling against the two pegasai who held him back. He did not like this plan at all, much less that this unicorn he had just met was making this deal for him.
“I'll buy you a hat.” Mr. Deceive did not want to have the unicorn abusing his wallet, and making him look like a push-over. He knew buying a hat for the unicorn would make it look like he was being kind or respectful about it. Although he was sure that he wouldn’t have to buy the hat anyway, he would not need to worry about looking bad at all.
“Perfect,” purred the unicorn, smirking just a little too much. His eyes seemed to dance with fire as the smirk spread across his face, something that seemed to make Mr. Deceive nervous.
“Men, set up a table,” Mr. Deceive ordered the pegasai. The two nodded and leapt into action, setting one up swiftly. Mr. Shoe could only watch, his jaw dropping as these events unfurled before him, filling him with fear. He could not imagine losing his daughter, wanting to speak out against this plan. However, it was clear that Mr. Deceive and the strange-unicorn had made up their minds.
When the pegasai finally finished, the two competitors sat across from one another. The strange-unicorn sat on the end towards the back of the store. Mr. Deceive sat on the opposite side, closest to the front of the store, with his two pegasai standing behind him.. The two pegasai each kept a hoof on Mr. Shoe’s shoulders, not wanting to give him the chance to cheat or to escape. The pegasai poured a shot glass full, one in front of each of the drinkers. “Last one conscious wins?” Mr. Deceive asked with a glint in his eyes. “ To give you one final chance to surrender, I will let you in on something. I have never lost a single drinking contest, it’s actually a favored pastime of mine. “ Mr. Deceive droned on and on for a minute or so, mentioning many different ponies he had shamed. To the unicorn, it was all a load of useless nonsense. “To surmise, are you sure about this?”
“Of course. 3. 2. 1.” The unicorn counted down as the two began to drink. The unicorn lifted the glass to his lips, able to feel the cool alcohol as it slid down his throat in one simple gulp. The first shot went down easily, the drink being a strong one indeed. However, it was not too strong of a drink that he would not be able to handle drinking it. A small smirk played at his lips as he set the glass down on the table, the unicorn feeling confident. The second shot was poured and he lifted the glass up once more. Once more, he took one large gulp, expecting the drink to go down just as easy as it had the first time. He was about to set the glass back down, until he felt more of the cool liquid touching at his lips. With a quick movement of his lips, he opened his mouth once more, allowing for his mouth to fill once again. He swallowed the second gulp, it going down a little more roughly than the first two, unexpected as it was. He gasped when he set his glass down, not expecting the drink to be so rough. He looked to see Mr. Deceive simply smirking at him, a certain twinkle in the unkind stallion’s eyes. There was something that the unicorn did not like about the look in Mr. Deceice’s eye, it felt almost too confident. However, he could not place his hoof on it, so he let it pass. The unicorn frowned, still confused by the drink and now also Mr. Deceive, but simply held out his glass for another shot.
The next two shots went about the same, the unicorn’s vision starting to blur. He felt his head sway a little from one side to the other, unable to steady himself. He could not understand how it was possible that he was so drunk from only four shots. He tried to make himself glare at Mr. Deceive, trying to stay firm. “Are you alright there smart mouth, regretting your hijinx?” Mr. Deceive asked. The unicorn did not respond, his eye fluttering for a moment as he did his best to keep himself sitting upright. However, he could not bring himself for form any words, simply slumping over the table, turning his glass over in defeat. He could already feel a bitter taste in his mouth, not liking the taste of defeat.
“No!” Mr. Shoe said, moving to the young unicorn’s side. He rubbed the unicorn’s back for a moment, making sure that he was okay. He found a frown glued to his face as he looked into the glossy eyes of the drunken unicorn. He cursed himself for allowing such a youngling, seeming barely any older than his daughter, to hurt himself. He felt ashamed for a moment, that such a young unicorn could stand up to Mr. Deceive, but he could not. He did not dwell on this long though, soon remembering the wager that had been placed on the contest. His mind returned to his daughter and her safety as he turned to face Mr. Deceive.
The smirk that was on Mr. Deceive’s face could only be described as sadistic, clearly enjoying the unicorn’s failure. He was about to demand his prize, before his smirk grew worse, and the twinkle returned to his eyes. He decided the unicorn needed a proper punishment, just a little more, to ensure that he would not challenge Mr. Deceive again. “Still, since you tried so valiantly,” continued Mr. Deceive,” and rent isn’t due for two more days. I’ll let you try again on the day rent is due.” He had other appointments to attend to, so he would release the unicorn from his torment for now. Mr. Deceive stood, motioning for the pegasai to follow and walked out. It was like a blur for the poor shop owner, almost like a dream, but more like a nightmare. Mr. Shoe was left caring for the sick unicorn, rubbing his back still, knowing the unicorn would have a powerful headache when he was done recovering.
Mr. Shoe cleaned up the mess from the drinking contest, a few hours afterwards. The unicorn had spent most of that time stumbling about and groaning about his aching head. Then, as the unicorn slept in the back of the store, the door to the store opened. “Dad! I’m home!” called a female voice as the pony entered the store. A light-blue pony walked toward the back of the store, spying the sleeping unicorn. Her stride was smooth and her steps careful as she examined the brown-manned unicorn. “Don’t tell me another drunk one came in,” she said with a worried tone. It was not uncommon for the shop owner and his daughter to get a pony or two that would wander in drunk, especially given the district that they lived in. Mr. Shoe shook his head, a very clear defeated expression on his face, going to his daughter and hugging her close. His grip was tight and fear filled his eyes, relived to see his daughter home safe.
“No, it’s worse, we’re being shut down,” Mr. Shoe said as he leaned on his daughter. His daughter blinked and hugged him back, having to contemplate what exactly that he had just told her. She held him for a moment, letting him rest on her, only able to imagine that the day had been hard for him. Though a part of her was not sure what the sleeping unicorn had to do with them being shut down.
“That’s only if I lose next time,” the unicorn stated, standing slowly, still dizzy with a throbbing headache.
“Listen young stallion. I don’t know who you are. I’m not sure I want to know. But you can’t win, you were out after four shots.” Mr. Shoe said, turning to look at the unicorn. It was very clear that Mr. Shoe was a father, his tone was stern and demanding, yet it was not cruel or cynical. He looked at the unicorn not with anger, but with concern, with fear, concern for his daughter, concern for the unicorn, and concern for his shop.
“Don’t worry, next time I’ll send it all the way to the left field,” the unicorn said, a smile slowly spreading across his lips as he spoke. His eyes gained a glint to them as his cheery attitude returned. Mr. Shoe simply sighed, exasperated, going back to cleaning up his shop. “I’m just going to need a better bat,” the unicorn said thoughtfully, looking around the store for a moment.
“Dad,” the mare said, staring at the unicorn. “Who is this?” she asked a confused expression on her face. She had seen many of the faces that were from around their neighborhood, and this one was unfamiliar to her. She had never even seen him in town before; it was a wonder to her, where he had come from.
“This, Silk, is a unicorn who was mad enough to challenge Mr. Deceive,” Mr. Shoe called over his shoulder as he stacked the boots back where they belonged.
“At your service,” the unicorn said, doing a bow to the young mare, Silk. Silk proceeded to hug the unicorn tightly, a look of relief on her face as she did so; catching both Mr. Shoe and the unicorn off guard by the hug.
“Please help my father,” she whispered the fear that could only have been building for weeks, obvious in her tone. Indeed, for weeks she had been dreading the looming day when the tyrant Mr. Deceive would stop accepting late payments and when they would be cast out into the street, or worse. She had tried getting help from other shop owners, expecting them to be willing to work together to stop Mr. Deceive, but all had been too terrified of him.
“Alright, but I’ll need a pillow at least,” the unicorn said, nodding firmly.
“A pillow? What for?” asked Mr. Shoe, giving the unicorn a curious look. So far, the poor shop owner had only found more and more confusion from the strange unicorn that had entered his shop. Silk giggled and smiled at her father, unable to help but find both him and the unicorn to be acting silly.
“Dad, I think he needs a place to sleep,” Silk said, turning to the unicorn to ensure she was correct.
“Yes, the floor was not good to my head earlier,” the unicorn said with a nod, referring to when he had been recovering from the drinking contest. Although Mr. Shoe was certain that it was not the floor that had been aching his head prior. Mr. Shoe sighed once more, shaking his head, any hairs he had left would be gray long before their time at this rate.
“You would take in a dragon if it asked nicely,” Mr. Shoe said to his daughter.
“Only if it gave me puppy dog eyes,” Silk said with a bright smile. The unicorn stared at the two earthponies for a moment, silent. He watched them, their faces, despite the terror around them, they seemed happy. His face seemed blank, his eyes seeming spaced out, not revealing his thoughts. Silk turned to face him once again, looking at the blank expression on the unicorn’s face. She looked at him curiously, wondering what was going on in his head.
“Well, how about I help clean up?” offered the unicorn before Silk could voice her query. She nodded in agreement as the she and the unicorn went about, finishing the cleaning, allowing Mr. Shoe to rest. Silk knew that her father probably needed the rest more than he let on, so she was happy to let him sit down for a while.
Silk smiled as she gently and silently shut her father’s bedroom door. She did not want to wake him up, not so soon after he had just fallen asleep. After cleaning, she had made the two stallions dinner, and helped her father to bed. The dinner had consisted of the two stallions discussing clothing, sports, an intense discussion about scarves, and a little about Silk. On more than one occasion during the dinner, Silk had to stop her father from embarrassing her in front of their unicorn guest. Now, she carried a pillow to the store floor, wanting to bring the unicorn his pillow. She looked around for a moment, wondering where the unicorn had set himself up to sleep. “Sir?” Silk called out as she looked amongst the clothes. She was surprised that she had not found the unicorn, wondering if he had changed his mind on staying the night. A part of her, just a small part, felt scared that he had given up on saving their store. She set the pillow down on the floor and began to look around for him, knowing she had not seen him on the second floor, so she headed for the roof. When Silk opened the door to the roof she saw the unicorn lying down. The unicorn was on his back, upside down, his hind-end resting against the wall, tail falling over one of his flanks. “Doesn’t that hurt your back?” Silk asked with a giggle as she looked down at him. She looked into his eyes, seeing the deep blue that they were, wondering, what story such young eyes held. Wondering, if such young eyes, held any story at all just yet, but she did not want to pry.
“Not at all, rather beautiful actually,” the unicorn responded, not looking away from the stars, not exactly answering her question. However, she was not worried about it enough to question him.
“Yes, they always are, even their name is cool. Star.” Silk said as she looked up at them. She wasn’t big into astrology, but she could not bring herself to ever find the stars anything but beautiful.
“Some say it is the name that makes him great,” the unicorn responded, looking at Silk now. Silk, was a little baffled by what the unicorn said, trying to understand what he meant by that comment. After a moment, she felt like she sort of understood what he had meant.
“Well that’s a silly thing to say,” Silk said, giggling more now as she looked at the unicorn. The unicorn watched her, a confused expression on his face, clearly not understanding what was so silly about what he had said. “The name star is just a name, a label,” she continued, “an apple by any other name is just as sweet.”
“Is the apple unhappy?” the unicorn asked, his face and eyes once more blank, displaying nothing of what was going on in his head. Silk looked at that same face once again, trying to look closer this time, hoping to see something that she had not the first time. However, once again, she was left without a clue as to what was going on in his mind.
“No, but it is the apple that makes the name apple sound good.” Silk responded to the unicorn, looking back up at the stars. “The same goes for the stars. The stars could be called lilies and still be just as amazing.” Her eyes almost seemed to glow as bright as the stars as she spoke. The unicorn watched her for a long moment, not seeming to react to what she said. However, his eyes did not leave her for a second as she spoke. “ Just like with a pony, no matter what their name is, it is not their name that defines who they are. It is they that make their name great.” Silk smiled and tried to picture a lily shaped star. She could even connect the stars if she wanted to. She did not know that there was not already a constellation in the shape of a lilly, but she liked the idea anyway. “Speaking of names, we still don’t know yours, si-“ Silk turned to look at the unicorn, finding him gone. Silk looked around the roof confused, wondering where the unicorn had gone.
Silk walked downstairs, expecting to find the unicorn asleep on the floor. Instead of a unicorn, she found a pile of feathers and a note. She picked up the note curiously, examining it. “Be back in two days, thanks for dinner and the pillow. Signed, Mr. Unicorn,” read the note. Silk giggled as she read the note and looked at the pile of feathers.
“The stars could be called lilies and still be just as amazing,” Silk said with a bright smile. The unicorn stayed silent for a moment, thinking. Then he slid from the wall, moving smoothly and silently. He went through the door of the roof and down the stairs. He entered the ground floor, grabbing the pillow as he went. He used his magic to unravel the string of the pillow and dumped the feathers out, letting them fall to the floor in one neat pile. He tore a piece of paper from the newspaper behind the counter and wrote on it. Ignoring the headline on the paper, he slid the pillow casing over his head and walked out the front door, heading out into the streets of the night. He started by walking down the road for a minute or two, until he approached a policepony, whom was looking around diligently. With a quick and almost silent step, he side stepped into an alleyway, heading down its dark depth. He seemed to walk aimlessly as he took turn after turn, dodging into different alleyways. He came out of an alleyway, passing near a policepony, trying to walk past without being noticed, keeping the pillow case tight around his head.
“Excuse me, sir,” the policepony address him, catching his attention. With a bit of a grimace, the unicorn stopped, looking at the policepony. “We're looking for a missing pony,” the stallion said, holding out a picture to him. The unicorn did not bother looking at the picture, but pretended to for a moment, not wanting to make the policepony suspicious of him.
“'fraid I 'aven't seen 'im, not one 'air,” the unicorn responded, putting on a very thick accent. It was the best type of accent that he could think of, not knowing many.
“Alright, well, let us know if you see him,” the policepony said, flashing a missing tooth smile.
The unicorn swiftly resumed on his track, soon entering a large cul-de-sac. The cul-de-sac was a dark area, even for nighttime. It was surrounded by tall buildings on all sides, preventing much starlight from reaching the circle. Only the very center of the cul-de-sac was receiving star light, the rest of it was almost devoid of natural light. There were many tents and small shacks built amongst the circle. Many of structures had a glow about them, each glow its own color. Some of the tents were old and tattered, a cone shape to them, with a few star shapes in them, other had small sparkles seeming to emit from them. Plenty of the shacks looked like they had been made out of many materials, some from a few bricks, other from bricks and metal roofing pieces. A few lanterns were hung between buildings, just a simple method to provide a little light. It was to ensure that everypony could read the signs in front of the buildings. This was one of the “magic hubs” of Equestria, the only one in Manehatten. It was a place where unicorn, archeologists, astrologists, and treasure hunters could gather to study, sell, and experiment with magic. It was like a festival of magic going on all the time. There were shops that sold magical artifacts, as well as enchanted items. There were tents designed for testing a pony’s new spell that they had been working on. The streets were lined with cobblestone, making ever hoof clack on the ground as ponies walked around.
The unicorn walked amongst the buildings, looking for one that matched his interest. His eyes flowed from building to tent, looking to see if they had a sign, or if they had anything that just looked too interesting to ignore. While, there were many things that he did want to look at later, he knew he had a goal in mind and kept walking. He eventually did see a sign that matched what he was looking for. He stopped at a building labeled “transformation spells”. The building did not look very complex from the outside. It looked very simple, having a wooden frame, and a surface of sheet metal. There were two windows to see inside, each one having a small shelf by it, displaying a variety of magic looking items. He nodded and entered the building, looking around. “Welcome to my shop, be sure not to let your jaw drop,” said a smiling zebra from behind a counter. The unicorn looked over to the zebra whom had spoken, certainly admiring the sale’s pitch.
“Would I be able to experiment with magic using your supplies?” the unicorn asked the zebra. The zebra continued to nod before he spoke again.
“Two things I need, you see,” the zebra said to him.” First, for you to not hide from me,” he said, referring to the unicorn's makeshift hood. The unicorn’s pillow had been kept tight around his head ever ‘since he had run into the policepony. He had no reason to trust this zebra, and yet, he knew he needed to work with the zebra’s supplies. The unicorn nodded, pulling the pillow from his face, looking the zebra in the eyes. The zebra looked the unicorn up and down for a moment, taking note of his brown mane and sky-blue eyes. The zebra recognized the unicorn from the paper, having been as suspicious to this. However, he had seen many different types of ponies in his shop and had done plenty of ‘interesting’ things himself. “Second, my supplies are best,” the zebra continued. “But for use, you must pass a test,” he walked around the counter, motioning for the unicorn to follow him.
The unicorn nodded and followed, taking the moment to examine the store. The store felt bigger on the inside, partially due to the fact that the roof was enchanted to look like the night sky. There were four isles, each shelf covered with various magical items. There were windows at the front of the shop, allowing anypony to look inside. There was a doorway covered with beads behind the counter. There was a similar doorway to the back of the store. Some shelves had feathers, tails, scales, and even something that resembled a unicorn's horn. The unicorn shivered at the sight of that, but continued forward.
“Be sure to keep in mind, to not fall behind,” said the zebra. The unicorn shook his head for a moment, focusing on following the zebra through the back doorway. The next room felt impossibly big for the size of the store. The unicorn shrugged it off as being a reaction to the magic. The room was bare, dark blue walls, save for a large circle off odd symbols that were etched and glowing in the floor. The symbols seemed permanent in the floor and their glow was a feint white. “I request that you step here,” the zebra said as he pointed to the center of the circle. The unicorn nodded and stepped into the center. The zebra stood outside the circle, looking at him.” And know that there is no need to fear.”
“I am not scared,” responded the unicorn, smirking a little, deciding he could always bolt out of the store if it turned into a trap. The zebra rolled his eyes at the madpony.
“Just gather your magic to pass this test,” the zebra explained. “And create a light to complete the rest.” The unicorn nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, beginning to focus. He could feel his own magic flowing inside of him, as well as the lingering magic in the air around him, calling it to his horn. As his magic gathered in his horn, the symbols began to change to a blue color. The more magic he gathered, the brighter the symbols became. As the lights began to become almost blinding, the zebra nodded. “Now, make a light,” said the zebra.” And we shall see if you are right.”
The unicorn released his magic, opening his eyes as he did so, feeling the magic release from his horn. The spell he had casted was to make a ball of light, typically to see. However, instead, the ring of symbols had made a type of wall around him. He recognized this wall as being made of his magic, so he knew he wasn’t trapped, almost certain that he would be able to pass through is flawlessly if he wanted to. “What is this?” the unicorn asked confused. The wall was made of a transparent light, one that shifted from light-blue to purple in odd waves.
“This field gives us a view,” explained the zebra. “Of what is the real you,” the zebra touched at the wall gently, the magic almost seeming to freeze in place. It looked like the waves reacted to the zebra’s touch, acting like water, with ripples forming where the zebra had touched. “There is a mixture here,” the zebra said thoughtfully,” of chaos and fear.” The unicorn flinched visibly for a moment, but said nothing. “However, there is a goal of fun,” he continued,” as pure as the sun.” The unicorn watched the zebra for a moment, examining the expressions that crossed his face. The zebra seemed to be in deep thought, almost as if concerned of what the unicorn would do with the magic supplies. Across his face, a variety of emotions could be seen going across it, namely confusion and concern.
The zebra was concentrating on the wall before him, examining the flash of emotions he received. As they went in and out of his mind, he wondered what the runaway could possibly want with his shop. There was something else that he could sense, he could feel an almost overwhelming sensation inside the wall of light. Where the light should have been completely frozen by the zebra’s touch, and yet it was still moving, albeit slowly. However, shortly after, he decided that the unicorn simply wanted to disguise himself, so as to not be caught. “Use my supplies you may,” the zebra addressed the unicorn, letting the magic wall drop and slowly vanish, the magic going back into the air. “Just do not let it end in disarray,” the zebra said turning to lead the unicorn back to the front of the shop. As the magic dissipated, the symbols returned to their usual feint white glow, if not a brighter glow now. The unicorn followed behind the zebra, his eyes bright with getting the chance to play with magic, one of his favorite pass times.
Often times during his foalhood, the unicorn would study magic, limited as the textbooks were. He even got opportunities to watch his teachers display great feats of magic, but never did he get to practice it, much less experiment. Now, the unicorn was setting out to create a new spell that he was sure did not already exist, as far as he knew. Once back in the front of the shop, the unicorn began to browse through the books, knowing that study would be best before any practicum. He would occasionally pull a book down if it looked like it could help. He even pulled down a few books that just looked like fun. He found himself a desk towards the back of the main shop. There he wrote down notes that he learned from reading the books. Half of his notes were about the spell, the other half, completely unrelated to it. He would occasionally get an object from the shelves and perform small spells to test the properties of the object. He looked almost like a normal pony for a few hours, a normal magic enthusiast anyway.
The zebra on the other hoof patrolled the shop, mostly working on keeping it organized. He had a system set in place, and he liked it that way for when he wanted quick access to an item. He was also keeping an eye on the unicorn, occasionally glancing at the back of his shop. He did not think the unicorn was up to any sort of shenanigans, but he did not want to give the unicorn a chance to. From time to time the zebra would go through the door behind the counter and return a few minutes later, but he did not bother the unicorn’s work.
Every few hours a customer would stop in the shop, going through the store, looking at all of the supplies. Most simply walked around and then left, a few others stopped and asked the zebra questions. To the unicorn, this looked like a normal day for the zebra. Although by now he was sure it was dawn or past dawn. However, examining a clock proved otherwise, displaying the time to be almost mid-day already. He looked for a moment at the desk he had been working at, seeing the scattered pages of messy notes, seeing a few where his writing had gotten quite tragic. The unicorn got up from his chair and stretched for a moment, relaxing. He marked his page in the book he had been in and closed it, going to walk around the store.
“Your research goes well I trust,” the zebra said to the unicorn with a smile. “I just hope that your spell does not turn out to be a bust,” the zebra said, seemingly to reassure the unicorn. However, it didn’t really come out that way, it seemed like it sounded better in the zebra’s head.
“It is going well, I’m gathering what notes I can,” the unicorn said with a nod. “Your library has been a big help, I can’t thank you enough,” he said to the zebra, bowing to him a little.
“Come, how about some hay,” the zebra said, leading the unicorn through the door behind the counter. “Before you work yourself to death this day,” the zebra lead him through the bead covered door and into another room that felt impossibly big. The room was much like a one-bedroom apartment. The main room was divided into a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room, with two doors off to the side.
“Your shop is bigger on the inside,” the unicorn stated finally, no longer able to hold it in.
“Does this bother you?” the zebra asked, “others have been bothered by it too.”
“No, no, I like it. I find it rather fun,” the unicorn said, his cheerful smirk returning to his face.
The zebra nodded and lead the odd unicorn over to the dining room, the walls of it decorated with masks and other objects from the zebra’s homeland. The unicorn took the moment to examine the many objects, finding the zebra culture fascinating. After a few seconds though, the zebra returned, bearing two hay sandwiches. The two stallions ate their sandwiches, making small chit-chat, mostly about what spells they found the most fascinating. Although the unicorn would occasionally get off topic, somehow ending up on the subject of paper being used to make false wings. However, the zebra did not mind the oddness of the unicorn. The zebra had met many madponies in his time, and he could tell when they were dangerous, and when they were just odd. After they had finished eating, the zebra went to go clean the dishes, the unicorn thanking him once more.
The unicorn went back to the desk in the front of the store, opening the book once more. As he began to read, his eyes felt heavier and heavier. Within moments, he found his head resting on a comfortable surface, until he finally fell unconscious.
The unicorn began to stir slowly, awakening from his slumber. However, no matter how hard he tired, he found his arms refusing to comply with his commands. He opened his eyes to look around, finding his face shrouded in a cloth like material. He began to struggle more, trying to break free of what was binding him. He looked around, able to see somewhat through the cloth. He found his hooves were bound by simple rope binds, nothing painful, but enough to hold him in place. He looked around more, before realizing that he was still in the shop, towards the back.
“So where is the unicorn?” asked a gruff male voice loudly.
“Witnesses said on multiple accounts that they saw him in your shop,” added a smaller male voice.
“ Many unicorns enter my shop,” the zebra responded, standing behind the counter. “However, very few come in acting like you slop.”
“Don’t get smart with me, we know he’s here,” the gruff voice said again, a buff earthpony coming into view. The unicorn could barely see the uniform that the ponlicepony wore as he stared at him.
“Please, sir. Just let us search your building for him,” the small voice said once more.
“We don’t need to ask nicely,” the gruff pony said turning to look at his partner. “ We know you’re hiding the missing-pony here.”
The smaller Pegasus pony shook his head, also stepping closer to the counter, coming into view. “We don’t know that he is here and we can’t force ourselves in,” the Pegasus responded.
The unicorn struggled against the binds once more, wanting to go over to the two police ponies and knock them both out.
“Search my shop you may,” the zebra responded to them,” but know I do not treat you kindly this day.”
The two police ponies nodded, only one of them bothering to thank the zebra. The two police ponies split up, going around the store shelves for a moment. The unicorn began to almost feel panic as he saw the larger pony coming towards him, staring at him curiously.
“I found a basement, “ called out the Pegasus, drawing the earthpony’s attention. The earthpony smirked and nodded, almost seeming smug for a moment. The earthpony went over to his partner, opening the basement door.
“Mind if we go down there?” asked the Pegasus, turning to look at the zebra.
“You may go and see,” the zebra responded, ”but not everything down there will be as friendly as me.”
“Well if that unicorn tries to attack us, we will handle him.” The Earthpony responded to the zebra nudging his partner down the stairs, going in before him. The two went down the stairs into the cellar, soon their voices going out of range. The zebra proceeded to shut the cellar door, placing a jar of some odd liquid onto it. The zebra turned his eyes to the unicorn, locking eyes with him for a moment. The zebra swiftly moved over to him, removing the hood from his face. The unicorn blinked for a moment, glad to finally be able to see once more.
“ Get you out we must, for else those ponies may bust.” the zebra said as he began to work on the ties that held the unicorn in place. The unicorn now having a chance to see where he was, discovered that he had been disguised as a Zebra statue on its own little display. He was half wondering how stupid the policeponies were to not recognize that he was too short to be a Zebra. However, he did not complain. The zebra finished untying him and began to push him towards the front door. However, out of the corner of his eye the unicorn noticed his notes from earlier. The unicorn stopped for a moment, running over to his notes. “ Leave your magic, least things become tragic,” the zebra said to him.
“No, I have to perform this spell, come help me,” he said to the zebra, running into the backroom. He clutched his notes tightly, optimistic to think that his spell would work, although unsure. The zebra had a very worried look on his face, but followed the pony into the back room.
“This is not a good idea,” was all the zebra muttered as he went into the backroom, finding the unicorn standing in the middle of the circle, gathering his magic.
“Trust me, I'll be fine, just stand over there and help gather magic,” the unicorn said to the zebra, pointing to a spot next to the circle. The unicorn closed his eyes as his horn began to glow brightly. From the front of the store, the zebra could hear the banging as the policeponies tried to open the cellar door.
“Unicorn we must hurry, for soon they will be here, with much fury,” the zebra said as he concentrated on helping the unicorn gather his magic. Soon the symbols began to glow, their brightness becoming intense. “Unicorn!” the zebra shouted as the jar in the front of the store shattered on the floor. The unicorn muttered a few words of the spell, the light from his horn growing intense before it filled the entire room with a blinding light.
“Augh!” the unicorn cried out with pain as his spell took effect. A pain surged through his body, coming from his own horn, his own spell. He felt it, like an electric fire coursing through his veins. He closed his eyes tightly from the pain, a part of him fearing death would overtake him. Then, a spark touched at his heart, the magic beginning to flow back into his horn for a moment. He felt the pain as it changed into a fuel, flowing through his body even to the tips of his hair. The zebra could only stare into the bright light as it watched the magic shooting out of the unicorn's body. The policeponies turned with surprise when they heard the cry of pain and saw the bright light. They made their way towards the door, poking their heads inside.
“Alright what in Celestia's name is goin on back here?” the earthpony roared into the room. As the light grew brighter, the magic gathered fully into the unicorn’s horn. The zebra could only stare as he watched the unicorn's eyes flare open. A new pair of eye met his, a green pair of feline eyes that seemed to shine almost as bright as the light. The unicorn released the magic in his horn, sending out a shock wave of magic, pushing everypony back a few feet. The policeponies got blasted away from the door, their vision blurred for a moment. The unicorn coughed as the light began to die down, vision returning. He gasped for a moment, he could feel! He could feel different, like his limbs were more alert and alive. He could see, even better than he could before in the dark room. He found a smirk playing at his lips, deciding it was time to give the policeponies a real run for their money.
The policeponies stood up slowly, groggy for a moment, their vision taking longer to clear. They barely even noticed the rush of wind that brushed past them as the unicorn ran right past them. The unicorn slid his pillow onto his head as he ran from the store into the black of the night. “ Yo! You guys lookin for me?” the unicorn called from outside the store, sticking his tongue out at the policeponies. The two ponies blinked slowly, seeing the missing-pony outside.
“Get him!” the pegasus said as he charged after the missing-pony, the chase beginning.
“Sorry about the confusion, sir!” the smaller pony said to the zebra as he ran after the pegasus.
The zebra was left staring as he watched the three ponies run off into the dark of the night. “Thank you, be sure to get them to pay you for the damages,” the unicorn had said, right before he had rushed out of the room. The zebra found a smile spreading across his face, a large wide one that had not been there since he had left his homeland. “Run you madpony Run,” the zebra said, “ because it seems like you're going to have lots of fun!”
The unicorn ran for hours on end, a new energy, a new vigor filling him, one the likes he had never felt before. He ran around the city, leading the policeponies on one of the largest chases the town had ever seen. Occasionally a fast pegasus would get close, or a unicorn would teleport in front of him. However, he kept himself moving, dodging around a unicorn or ducking under a pegasus. It was nearly dawn before he either wore the ponies out or lost them. As the sun began to rise, he thought to himself, his spell had not worked, so what else was there to do. Then, as the light of the day began to hit him, he smirked, the idea coming to his mind. He then began to slowly stride towards the shop of Mr. Shoe.
The two days passed by rather uneventfully for the Shoe family. Mr. Shoe worked on orders and ran the shop; while Silk kept everything organized and helped customers shop. As the day of rent dawned, Mr. Shoe stood behind the counter in his store, gulping occasionally. Silk found herself looking out the window, both wishing for Mr. Deceive to not show up, as well as for the unicorn to show up. However, as if on cue, Mr. Deceive and his two pegasai came around the corner, heading for the store. “Here he comes Dad,” Silk said to Mr. Shoe. Mr. Shoe nodded his head slowly, going to get the closed sign. As Mr. Shoe grabbed the sign, Mr. Deceive walked in with a confident stride. “Good morning Mr. Boot, and to you Ms. Boot,” Mr. Deceive said with a smirk. Silk glared at Mr. Deceive, having to force herself not to spit at him. “So, where is the smart mouth?” Mr. Deceive asked the Shoe family, his two pegasai standing at his side. Silk gulped, trying to think of something to distract him with. Mr. Shoe said nothing as he put the sign in the window.
“May I still come in?” asked a male voice as a stallion poked his head through the door. The stallion’s head and upper body were cloaked by a piece of cloth, leaving just a small enough opening to see his nose and his shining eyes. His eyes were green and bright, the pupils thin and tall. His tail was messy and made of two shades of blue.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed right now,” Mr. Shoe responded to the stallion, trying to motion for him to leave. The stallion simply walked inside, striding past Mr. Shoe. The stallion walked right up to silk, not saying a word. He slipped the covering from over his head and handed it to her.
“Thank you for the pillow, it was quite comfy,” said the unicorn as he shook his head and short mane. His mane matching the new color of his tail. With the same confident stride as before. He brushed past Mr. Deceive, moving to the headwear section.
“Who in Equestria are you?!” Mr. Deceive asked staring at the agitating unicorn. The unicorn smirked and grabbed the green cap from the other day and plopped it on his head.
“Just your friendly neighborhood unicorn,” stated the stallions, his eyes shining brightly for a moment. However, the hat was two sizes two large and fell over his right eye. Silk began beaming at the unicorn, chagrining over to hug him once again. He chuckled and let her hug him for a minute. “Alright, now, where is Mr. Receive?” he asked as he pulled away from silk. Mr. Deceive glared at the unicorn, fuming at him.
“You're supposed to disguise yourself after I finish shaming you,” Mr. Deceive said, having to hold himself back. He wanted to shame the unicorn before hurting him. He motioned for his pegasai to get the drinking contest ready. As the two pegasai went about it, he walked up to the unicorn. “Ready to lose again?” asked Mr. Deceive glaring down at the unicorn.
“Nope, but I am ready to make you drink those words,” the unicorn responded, smirking up at him. When the pegasai signaled that they were done, the two stallions walked over. They sat opposite of one another, just like before, glaring at one another. “You can count this time,” the unicorn said.
“How polite of you,” Mr. Deceive said, growling a little as their glasses were poured. “3.2.1.Go!” Mr. Deceive said, announcing the start of the competition. The unicorn chugged down the first glass easy, seeming normal for now. The unicorn set down his glass, looking to see Mr. Deceive smirking at him. “You can give up now, smart mouth,” Mr. Deceive said to him.
“I'm nice, but not that nice,” the unicorn responded as their next shots were poured. He lifted his glass up and paused, looking like he was drinking. However, the unicorn smirked and used his magic, the glow hidden by the cap. The unicorn focused his magic on the drink and teleported it into Mr. Deceive's glass. The unicorn felt smug, feeling he had beat Mr. Deceive. However, shortly after, he felt more drink in his glass. His eyes fluttered open for a moment, realizing what was going on. He glared at the unicorn in the fedora that sat across from him. He knew Mr. Deceive was cheating just as much as he was. He glared at Mr. Deceive and teleported the contents back into Mr. Deceive's glass.
A look of shock crossed Mr. Deceive's face, taking a moment to think. Mr. Deceive locked eyes with the unicorn, both of them glaring at one another. The two unicorns began to battle with magic, teleporting the drinks back and forth between the two glasses. This stalemate went on for about a minute, the audience ponies, staring confused at what was going on. The unicorn stopped teleporting for a moment, both resting and watching Mr. Deceive. Mr. Deceive was glaring back at him, almost daring him to continue. The unicorn started to for a moment, but then shrugged. He smirked, his eyes glaring a little as he did so. The smirk sent chills down Mr. Deceive's spine as he waited for the worse magic to be used against him. However, nothing appeared in his glass. So, he set his glass down, smiling victoriously. The unicorn set his glass down as well, sighing contently.
“Ready to give up yet?” asked Mr. Deceive with his smuggest tone possible.
“Not in five minutes,” responded the unicorn, his eyes still glinting just a little. Mr. Decieve did not like that glint, it still gave him an eerie feeling. However, the next shots were poured and they both lifted their glasses to drink. The unicorn made sure to focus as he used his magic once more. It was difficult to teleport something inside the body. He made sure to concentrate on where he was aiming before he teleported. He nodded a little, once he was sure he had succeeded. He set down his glass and watched Mr. Deceieve, somewhat groggy so far. The next shot was poured and the unicorn made sure to give Mr. Deceive a moment to surrender. However, Mr. Deceive did not, rather, he sluggishly lifted his glass.
The unicorn shrugged and waited for Mr. Deceive to teleport his drink. Once both shots were in his glass, he teleported it into Mr. Deceive's stomach. He slowly put his glass down, watching Mr. Deceive's swaying form. He watched as Mr. Deceive began to set down his glass, as if for another. However, instead Mr. Deceive fell over groaning.
Mr. Shoe and Silk let out a whoop of joy as the unicorn stood from the table. One of the pegasus made sure Mr. Deceive was alright, while the other gave the deed to Mr. Shoes. Mr. Shoe nodded his head in thanks as he took the deed in his hoofs. The unicorn took another gulp of the drink, smiling brightly, as he did so. “ Put this on his tab,” the unicorn said with a smirk as he tipped his hat a little.
“ We gotta celebrate! I'll cook us a huge victory meal.” Silk said joyously. She all bust skipped to the kitchen, shining as she walked away. Mr. Shoe smiled at the unicorn for a moment, an almost sad expression.
“ I don't suppose you'll be staying for lunch?” asked Mr. Shoe, finding a new respect for the unicorn.
The unicorn smiled at him,” sure, but you can't let her cook a big meal by herself.” The unicorn turned to the pegasai. “ You two, chop chop,” he said to them, watching the three go to the kitchen. The unicorn waited until the four ponies were in the kitchen. Then, he went over to the register, opening it.
“I forgot to ask him what he wanted to eat,” Silk said with a smile. She went downstairs to speak to the unicorn. However, she found him gone, and the front door ajar. She went out the door, looking down the road to see the unicorn walking away. “ Thank you Mr. Unicorn,” she called after him.
“No, thank you for the train ticket,” the unicorn said quietly as he slid the money into his hat.
Silk's eyes saw the glint of the money as it slid into his hat, almost making her giggle a little. “Why is the register open? There is money missing-!” Mr. Shoe exclaimed before he turned to see Silk walking inside, her face a little down. “ Don't worry Silk, I'm sure he will be fine,” he assured her. However, Silk only smiled at her father.
“Oh, I'm sure we'll see him again someday.” Silk said as she brushed past the newspaper. The headline of the paper reading about a missing-pony with a picture of a unicorn with short hair.