The Regular

by Milo_Chalks

Iced Coffee

“Haaaaazell! Hazel come back! Hazel!” Ristretto called out as the twilight sun began to set. It was getting dark, and the barista pony knew he had to find his brother soon or it would be too late. He couldn’t do this alone; he needed help.

“Sunburst!” He cried before dashing in the direction of where Sunburst said his house was. He knocked on every door that resembled Sunburst’s description; ponies would answer, and Ristretto would apologise and quickly move on. Halfway through the street and finally he was greeted by his orange companion.

Although shocked to be receiving a door knock in the evening a smile spread across his face as Sunburst realised who was at the door. “Ristretto! How are-” Sunburst paused as he saw the panicked face of his friend accompanied with a desperate look busting to tell the orange stallion what was wrong. “Is everything okay?” Worry was quickly filling his face.

“I told him, I told Hazel Quill, and now he has run off! He just ran away I don’t know where he could have gone we need to find him.” Ristretto cried, tears streaming down his face as the cold night bit through his coat. He was visibly shaking from shock and cold trying to maintain his composure. Sunburst’s mind kicked into action. “Oh Ristretto I am going to get a coat, and we will search together, wait right there,” Sunburst replied as he ran back inside. He grabbed two coats, two scarfs and a sleepy Starlight Glimmer who was sitting by the fire.

“Starlight, this is my friend Ristretto. Ristretto, Starlight is going to help us search, now put this on.” Sunburst threw a shivering Ristretto one of the scarves and jackets. The barista gave his thanks and hugged his friend before slipping on the oversized coat and scarf. Sunburst and Starlight quickly followed suit and they headed out.

Starlight was the first to speak as they exited the street. “Alright, we should split up now; one of us will go to the school and the nearby playground, another will check the library and the other searches in the streets near Ristretto’s house.” She planned.

“Alright, Ristretto, you know the area around your house the most, you should check there. I walk passed the school every morning, so it makes sense for me to go there. And Starlight you should go and check near the library.” Sunburst replied. The three ponies parted their separate ways agreeing to meet in an hour at Ristretto’s house if they didn’t find anything.
We are going to get you, Hazel, please be okay. The silver barista thought and hoped as he made his way through the freezing night to his neighbourhood.

---

Hazel was in a panic. He ran out onto the streets and kept running. Passed the crystal houses and long into the empty darkened streets. His hooves started hurting; his chest was pounding, but he didn’t want to stop, didn’t want to let his brother catch him. The thoughts of what his brother had said fuelled his pace through the streets and dark alleys all through the city. Driven by tears in his eyes and the hate in his heart he didn’t dare slow down until he was sure he was alone.

Unbeknownst to himself he was unconsciously travelling a route he had walked a thousand times before. Eventually, he lay panting at the foot of his middle school. At least I won’t be cold for a while. He thought.

After a short search, he found a small alley adjacent to the school where he could plot out the details of his hasty escape. Alright, Moonbeam’s mum, Mrs J is nice; maybe I can stay with her, just live on their couch or something. I can go to school with Moonbeam. He was planning his escape down to the little details. Thoughts kept invading his mind as the little colt closed his eyes and did everything to make them go away.

What about play fighting with Retto? Or going to the park on the weekends? What about when he would look after me when I am sick or eating ice cream at the shop?

Hazel Quill was now lying down in the alley, tears slowly puncturing through his resolve as his mind gave him no choice but to endure all the good times he had with his best brother. He kept trying to force the thoughts that lead him to run away. Ristretto is not normal, he attacks colts and goes against nature; he’s wrong and gross. The tainted thoughts only made the tears flow easier, and soon Hazel’s chest was hurting, his eyes stung and his throat, hoarse as he sat there in his despair working out what to do next.

“What’s the matter kid, why you in a dark alley with nopony to protect you, sobbin' ya eyes out.” Came a gruff, smoke-tainted voice. Hazel looked up to see a figure moving up to him. The night was bright, and the owner of the voice quickly revealed itself as a shabby, coat stained stallion whose colour had long since lost to age and the street.

Fear pricked Hazel’s spine as he got up and slowly backpedalled keeping his eyes locked on the alleys occupant. “Sorry… I… uh... I didn’t know… uh anypony lived here,” He replied keeping his body low as he looked between the stallion and the exit. “I’ll just go now.”

“Kid ya just got ‘ere, why leave so early? We were just gettin' ta know each other. Don’t ya know it’s rude to leave a host, without thankin’ him for his kind hospitality?” The stallion spoke as he slowly advanced, closing ground between him and the colt. Fear gripped Hazel’s insides as he continued to creep backwards, not daring to take his eyes away from the advancing alley occupant.

“Hazel! Haaazell!” The little colt could faintly hear someone calling his name; he couldn’t make out the owner of the voice but at this point anywhere was better than this alley. The little colt turned and as soon as he did so he ran from the pony as fast as his sore hooves would take him. He sighed a relief as the walls disappeared and the open street invited him.

“Hazel!” He heard the call much louder this time. Hazel Quill was starving, freezing and in no position to continue surviving on his own. He headed in the direction of the voice. He made his way through the empty streets, following the calling of his name. His hooves were weak, barely managing an even pace as the bone-chilling temperatures and all the running caught up to him. Eventually, he spotted an orange stallion, the owner of the voice calling out to him. Hazel picked up his pace trying to reach the voice as quick as possible.

“Hey!” He croaked trying to get the attention of the stallion. “I’m here!” He cried.

Sunburst heard a faint voice behind him. The stallion turned around quickly to spot a little colt standing in the middle of a street light lining the road and filling the moonlit night with an orange glow. ”Hazel Quill? Is that you?” He cautiously asked as he spotted the colt.

“Yeah, it-it’s me” Hazel replied shakily.

“Hazel Quill! Thank Celestia you are safe. I am a friend of your brother; we were all so scared for you!”

Slightly shaken but relieved to be in safe hooves Hazel withdrew at the mention of his brother pleading eyes locking onto Sunburst’s eyes. “Please don’t take me back to my brother, I don’t wanna see him, please don’t make me.” Hazel cried. Sunburst sighed and placed down the colt; he indicated for Hazel to follow him. Sunburst walked over to the side of the building they were next to on the street. He hoofed through the snow to remove a patch before sitting down on the ground. The young colt followed suit.

“Hazel, I don’t know where you got this whole thing against two stallions or two mares loving each other, but you have to realise that it’s not right to think like that. What do you say is so bad about being gay anyway?” Sunburst spoke carefully scootching slightly to get in a better position.

“Well, they attack and do things to colts! You can’t say that is a good thing.” He replied.

“I don’t know who is giving you that idea, but it is very wrong, gay ponies are just like everypony else, they don’t hurt or attack colts, they don’t hurt or attack anypony. Your brother wouldn’t do a thing to hurt you, he is an amazing brother to you, looking after you all this time. I assure you he would never hurt a soul.” Sunburst paused letting his words sink in before once again puncturing the silence. “He really cares about you, you know. He came to my house in tears because he was scared of losing you.” Sunburst finished.

A long pause followed as the little colt gathered his thoughts and tried to make sense of this.

“Really?” he asked quietly.

“Really. He was so worried about you… he loves you, Hazel.” Sunburst soothed.

Emotion overwhelmed the little colt and soon salty tears were rushing down his cheek as he realised how much his brother cared about him and how much he had scared everypony by running off like that. Sunburst hugged the little colt as they sat on the quiet streets of the night.

---

“Hazel Quill! Ristretto cried as he saw Sunburst and his younger brother walk through the door, their coats shivering and feet trudging. Both Ristretto and Starlight rushed forward with blankets, Starlight giving hers to Sunburst where they made their way to the lounge room where a fire was warmly crackling awaiting the freezing ponies to warm up.

Ristretto wrapped his hooves around his now blanketed brother where he tightly hugged him, tears rushing down both ponies faces as they embraced. “I’m so sorry Retto, I don’t hate you, I love you. You’re not a freak, and I am sorry.” The little colt sobbed in his brother's hooves.

“It’s okay Hazel, I forgive you, but please, don’t ever run off like that again. I love you too, and it would break my heart to see you get hurt.” The barista replied hugging him tighter before setting him down and letting him get warm by the fire.

Starlight and Ristretto made some hot chocolates for everypony. They walked out to the fire Ristretto put two of the mugs on the table, Starlight following suit as they all sat down. “Sunburst told me all about this… stuff and I understand it a lot more. Retto, as long as he isn’t a bad pony, then I won’t care who your special somepony is I promise.” Hazel concluded holding onto his blanket, sitting on the couch next to his brother.

Ristretto smiled at his little brother giving him one last hug. “I think it has been a late night for everypony, Hazel why don’t you go and start getting ready for bed?”

“But Retto I wanna stay up, until everypony goes home, I’m not tired I swear” The defiant colt complained.

“Hazel, it has been a big night and I think that it is best if we all got some rest. Sunburst and Starlight will be leaving soon anyway, I really think that you should head up to bed.” Ristretto replied encouraging Hazel to get ready for bed.

The little colt thought for a second, contemplating his options. Finally he leaned in and whispered in his brother’s ears “Can you still come in and say goodnight? It’s scary if you don’t.” He softly asked.

“Just like always,” Ristretto whispered back giving him a hug before sending him off to bed. Hazel slowly trudged his way up the stairs smiling to his brother before disappearing to get ready for bed.

Ristretto made his way back to Sunburst and Starlight, he hugged each pony then smiled to them. “Thanks so much both of you, I have no idea how to repay you, you have both been so amazing and who knows what would have happened if you didn’t help.” he beamed as the two ponies smiled back.

“Think nothing of it Ristretto. We are just glad your brother is safe in your hooves. I admire you looking after him. He is a great kid when I walked home with him, he was just a little misguided” Sunburst replied.

The three ponies bid their goodbyes and took their mugs to the kitchen before heading out the door. Ristretto stood at the doorway as the two looked back before waving. Starlight walked to the end of the yard and waited by the letterbox as Sunburst hesitated halfway down the yard. He quickly went up to Ristretto standing by the doorway.

“I really did have fun today, we should head out again one day, I am really starting to like you Ristretto.” Sunburst smiled before quickly pecking the stallion on the cheek and waving as he walked back to Starlight. Heat filled the barista’s cheeks as he placed a hoof over where Sunburst had set his lips, warmth flowing through the touch the smile only got larger as he closed the door and did a small dance in the hallway. The smile didn’t leave his face as he washed the mugs on the counter and headed up to Hazel’s room.

Ristretto slowly opened the door to Hazel’s room to see the colt lying half on, half off the bed as he lay asleep with his bottom on the floor and his front hooves as well as his head lying on the bed. Ristretto smiled to himself as he carefully picked up his little brother. He gently placed him in bed properly and pulled the thick doona cover over the sleeping pony kissing him on the forehead as he did so before gently stroking his mane.

“G’night Hazel” He whispered before quietly walking out the room and closing the door.

A single eye opened in the darkness of the little colt’s room as he smiled and snuggled into his bedding. “G’night Retto.” He whispered back.

Author's Note:

Things are getting busy now. Tourist season and working Christmas and what not a new chapter might not come out for a bit but I can assure you it will be back on schedule as soon as possible (pfft if any schedule).

I would like to give a super amazing thank you to Explosive News helping me edit this chapter! It would hardly be the standard it is without his careful guidance!

With all that out of the way, if I don't post before Christmas then I wish you all safe and happy holidays to come! And here's to 2017! 2016's hopefully better successor.

Comments

[CrackedInkWell]

Excellent chapter! I'm glad that everything is alright with Hazel. Though at this point when its revealed to him that everything he thought he knew about gay ponies is wrong, I can imagine that he has a lot of questions for his brother.

[Milo_Chalks]

7804787
I feel like the relationship between Hazel and Ristretto is going to be very fun to work with, also fitting Sunburst in this is going to just be so much fun! I feel like a kid in a candy store!

[Shadow_Quill]

YAY Solutions Galore!

[An Alternate Universe]

And here's to 2017! 2016's hopefully better predecessor.

Hem. "predecessor"
I really hope that 2016 doesn't come after 2017. Successor maybe.

It was a pleasure to work with you on this chapter, I eagerly await the next.

[Milo_Chalks]

7806138

I should really stop writing those stupid things at 2am in the morning

[An Alternate Universe]

7806142 Probably a good life choice... to be entirely honest, one that I should probably make as well. Spoiler Alert: I probably won't make the right choice.

[Beau_Dodson]

Starlight and Ristretto made some hot chocolates for everypony walking out to the fire Ristretto put two of the mugs on the table, Starlight following suit as they all sat down.

Jesus H. Christ on a fucking pogo-stick, that was one hell of a run-on sentence! Try this:

Starlight and Ristretto made some hot chocolates for everypony. Walking out to the fire, Ristretto put two of the mugs on the table, Starlight following suit as they all sat down.

Also of note:

“Starburst told me all about this… stuff and I understand it a lot more. Retto, as long as he isn’t a bad pony, then I won’t care who your special somepony is I promise.” Hazel concluded holding onto his blanket, sitting on the couch next to his brother.

*cringes heavily* "StarBurst" is the name of the Starlight Glimmer x Sunburst ship, but I doubt the reference was intentional. Try this:

“Sunburst told me all about this… stuff and I understand it a lot more. Retto, as long as he isn’t a bad pony, then I won’t care who your special somepony is I promise.” Hazel concluded holding onto his blanket, sitting on the couch next to his brother.