"Ay, Miss Angel! One more cup of joe, sweetheart!"

"Ah! C-Coming right up, M-Mr. Whole Blend!" Angel called, and grabbed the coffee kettle in her mouth from the black and dark blue bannered wooden desk.

"I'm having a craving for those chocolate glaze's, Melody." The curly blond earth pony mare drooled.

"Three again, Star?" Her friend furrowed her brows.

Excusing herself past the earth and unicorn mares who were waiting in the long line that Donut Joe was busy with, and dodging the bouncing pale eggplant unicorn filly that came her way, she raced over to the earth pony stallion who stood out sitting at the pink bench by the window, with his unsaturated, chocolate coat.
*Phew...*
She placed the kettle on the table, and pulled his mug close. "W-Wait, this'll be your fifth batch, M-Mr. Whole Blend... did you possibly have another two n-nighter?" She frowned, filling his mug only halfway instead of to the top, she glanced back at the full house they were having and blew her dark salmon bangs from her eyes. ...Will Mr. Joe be able to handle all those ponies? The line had stretched even out the door, and the tables were being occupied by the early customers. I think he may have to renov—

He grumbled down at his amount and took a large gulp of the plain black coffee. *Sigh...* "Well, sweetheart, a pony's got to do somethin' to live in a place like this." Whole Blend sunk into the cushion of the bench. "Thaaat's the stuff." He mused quietly.

She stared at the dark circles under his dazed, lifeless eyes as he gazed at the mug. "S-So it is true.... Mr. Whole Blend."

"Eh?" He answered her with a side look.

"D-Deteriorating your...your health won't do you any b-better." She said, her voice straining her throat as she made sure he heard her over the background noise. "A-A pony shouldn't be...be working without sleep for l-long periods of time...."

He hummed. "Apologies to disappoint, sweetheart," he rose the mug up to her, "but that manuscript deadline is cuttin' it's cornars for me."

Blinking at the waiting mug, she shook her head. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Whole Blend," chewing the inside of her mouth, she breathed out slowly, "but un-until you c-cease your procrastination, you're getting only tea. Y-You need rest."

For only a second did he stare at her, and look down in his mug to sip the coffee. "Will do."

Her frown deepened. "M-Mr. Whole Blend—"

"I'm goin' to do what ya said last time, Doc." He yawned.

"....I...I trust that you can... M-Mr. Whole Blend." She said, calming the trembling of her voice.

"...."

Leaving the stallion with his should be now empty mug, with a heavy, long sigh, she returned to Donut Joe who was with those two customers.
Setting the kettle down to be refilled, she took hold of a tray and began placing three chocolate glazed donuts to hoof over to him.

"Thanks, Miss Angel!" He laughed, levitating the tray to the next customer.

"Y-You're welcome." She nodded her head, and returned to her station near the coffee.

The fragrance of the earthy coffee beans exploded into her face upon opening the the large brown sack under the counter.

Am I still doing a good job? Angel lifted a bean in her hoof.

Why...Why isn't this easy? Her face scrunched up.

I...I wish I could get some help with Mr. Whole Blend, like from Seaweed.... She shook her head, and tossed the bean in the small trash bin.

No, no! I-I should see Dr. Just Right about this... will he help though?

"...."

Seaweed would always help me when I had a problem.

Digging out the beans with the metal coffee bean scoop, and dropping them in the grinder, she closed the sack. I...I'll just a-ask hi—

"S'cuse me!"

Her ears twitched at the young voice.

Turning around to see the same young filly that she almost bumped into, she smiled, and trotted towards the marble counter that separated them both. "Y-Yes?"

"Can...can I have a coco? Pleeeaase." She asked, with a childlike voice, and wide doughy eyes.

Giggling at the generational technique, she nodded. "I'll...I'll be with you, dear."

The free hot chocolate for the little fillies and colts was a wonderful idea!
Running into the kitchen and to the ice box filled with her pre-hoofmade hot chocolate in an airtight glass jar, she began the boiling process on medium heat.
Grabbing a small, black, star patterned styrofoam cup with Donut Joe's pink donut logo, and pouring the steaming beverage inside with four chocolate chips then covering it, she returned to the anticipated young filly. "H-Here you are." She carefully hoofed the cup to her.

"Thank you!" The filly sparked her horn, resulting to the cup to float towards her.

"Y-You're...You're welcome!" She smiled, and waved a creamy white salmon hoof at the bouncing filly goodbye, as she went over to her unicorn parents; enthusiastically reciting her great feat in ordering by herself. Well... kids will always be kids, they're all so—

Her smile took a turn when the filly's puce mother furrowed her brows and glanced directly at her in a quizzical manner.

Gingerly looking away from the stare to Donut Joe dealing with his customers and hoofing them a cheerful smile, she went to check on how the coffee beans were doing.

"Now that's, what ya call a masterful sell, Miss Angel!" Donut Joe bellowed out a triumphant laugh.

She nibbled on her blueberry donut. "Y-Yes it was...."

"Hah! I gotta really hoof it to ya—" he levitated a glazed donut hole to pop in his mouth, "—nevah woulda thoughta makin' the hot chocolate free for the fillies and colts. *Gulp* That really drives in more families!"

"Oh...Oh, yes...yes it does...." Angel nodded her head with not much thought, and turned to the window to see the sun setting. Looking down through her bangs, and at her unfinished donut in her hooves with lidded eyes, she kitted her brows and peeked up at the arched browed Donut Joe. "Y-Yes?"

"Are ya alright there?"

Biting her lower lip, she placed her donut on the plate and wiped her hooves. *Sigh...* "N-No, but I d-don't want to talk about it."

Joe stroked his chin and hummed. "Is this 'bout ya thing, again?" He circled his hoof in front of his thoat.

"...." She rubbed her hooves together and twisted her lips side to side while facing her awaiting donut.

"I don't believe it! I know I didn't see no pony messin' with ya this time around, Miss Angel. Though I was busy, I'm sure I woulda seen it."

Her shoulders flinched up, and so did her head. "N-No! I-It's... it wasn't m-much, Mr. Joe." Angel averted her eyes. "I-I really shouldn't have been...been bothered by it." It was just a look anyway, Angel! A look of curiosity! There is nothing wrong with that!

"...Well, it should botha ya, Miss Angel. And, it ain't so right for a pony to not be comfortable in their own horseshoes."

"...." But...But it's not.... *Sigh* "Y-Yes, you're right...."

He sighed and popped in a chocolate donut. "Shame ah can't repay ya enough for ya help, Miss Angel."

She blinked. "O-Oh, it's no p-problem, Mr. Joe. *Sigh* I'm just happy to w-work here for my assignment." A wide smile grew on her muzzle, And... maybe for the free blueberry donuts too. "This was my...my favorite place as a f-filly."

He snorted. "Ya sure 'bout that?"

Angel's brows lifted. Ooh, he's going to bring it up again.

His snorting gradually developed into a deep laugh. "Don't ya remember your brotha being bucked in the stomach?! Hah! That incident was even in the papers!"

Shaking her head she corrected him. "...Um... It...It was actually his face—"

He shivered. "Woah, woah, no need to remind me on that."

She laughed. "—but, Honey's...Honey's actually r-really nice, Mr. Joe."

"Uh-huh, well, only you would know."

"Y-Yep." Finishing her blueberry donut, Angel excused herself from the table.
Bending down to get her triangle themed saddlebag, she tossed it on her back and adjusted the straps. "Th-Thank you for the talk, Mr. Joe."

"Just tryin' to keep my best temporary employee."

Giggling, she bowed her head respectfully, and pushed in her stool. "I-I will see you to-tomorrow, Mr. Joe."

He whistled. "Hah! I'll need it." He stood up from his stool. "Nightmare Nights gonna be a hit!"

Her pastel brown eyes widened. "O-OH!" She bonked her head with her hoof. "That's...That's right!"

Donut Joe's mouth hung open, and his sap green eyes bulged out. "How in Equestria did ya forget 'bout Nightmare Night?! There's decorations all over the place!" He motioned his light amber hoof around his shop and pointed outside the window, where most of the other shops and homes were too, dolled up to the extreme, with dark blue banners, and star and bat ornaments.

"Oh, n-no! It's not that." Giggling at his shocked face, she shook her head. "My...My nephew's were coming t-tomorrow... hah... a-and I really forgot." She rubbed her foreleg. This week has been busy....

He nodded with understandance then hummed as he rubbed his chin in thought. "It's alright with me if ya bring 'em over."

She took in a quick intake of air and her jaw clenched. "Uh... i-i-it's f-fine Mr. Joe, we...we already hired a foalsitter. Sh-She's a family friend." Though, I was against the idea of him doing that, now that Mr. Joe suggested this... I...I don't want to bother him more than I've done before.

Taken aback by that idea, he put his hoof down. "I've got no dough to pull with foalsitter's, but, come on, ya nephew's are comin' all the way from Tall Tale to visit their aunt and uncle, and they get that?"

Angel's bottom lip trembled as she faced downcast at the floor. "I...I-I'm sorry...."

Donut Joe shut his eyes shook his head upwards *Sigh...*. "Nah, I have to blame ya brotha on this, he's always been a ring stuck in a pile of dough."

"I-It's fine Mr.Joe, but p-please don't be too h-harsh on Seaweed! I...I should have tried harder in convincing him...." Angel rubbed her foreleg, biting the inside of her mouth.

He cringed back. "Alright, alright! No hoof pointing."

*Sigh...*
Glancing out the window and stagnant sun, she furrowed her brows.

Shouldn't the sun have went down?

He turned to where she was looking. "Oh, wow, it's getting late." Looking back at Angel, he shook his head. "I don't want to hold ya up now." He levitated their empty plates and motioned it over into the kitchen and escorted her to the glass door.

Nodding, she smiled. "W-Well, till next time, Mr. Joe." Angel trotted out the door as he left it wide open.

"Make sure ya bring ya nephew's!"

"Um... I-I'll try!" She laughed back at him.

Watching him close door and wave her goodbye, she crossed the street and headed into the decorated Canterlot with a hum.

If I convice Seaweed again, I'm sure he will allow it....

Well, that is if he'll be home early, but that'll depend on his schedule. She took a quick glance inside the boutique shop, where a rose gold, earth pony mare was caring for her plants. Ah! It's Miss Sunshine! Angel gently tapped on the window, signaling the mare to snap her head up.

Sunshine immediately stopped her work and raced outside of her shop. "Angel!" Stopping to catch her breath, she held her hoof up. *Phew!* "Great *huff* timing, could you wait here for a sec?"

"Umm... o-okay?"

"Great!"

Galloping back inside her shop, Angel blinked at how she went behind the counter, and opened a draw from the built in shelf. She pulled out a rectangular, red box, tied in a pink ribbon, and quickly returned to her, like there was no tomorrow.

"Pl-Please *huff* give this *huff*, to uh..." once again catching her breath, she sighed, "uh... can you give this to, Dr. Min—" she paused, then an amused grin grew on her face, and later a snort, "—Seaweed."

Angel smiled at how Sunshine was stifling a laugh behind her tight lips. "Al-Alright." I can't say no to this.... Taking hold of the gift and carefully placing it in her saddlebag, she nodded her head. "I'll...I'll make sure, h-he gets it."

"Yes!" Sunshine hopped up; her plaited platinum mane simultaneously following, and ran back inside her shop.

Once gone, Angel frowned, placing her hoof on her lips. I...I just hope he will actually open it....

Shaking her head, she trotted past Sunshine's shop, then the closing icecream vender and cafe. She soon entered the Serenity Gardens.

It was getting late, seeing how ponies were already leaving, but, the sudden fall breeze disrupted Angel's slow walk, causing her to stop and take in the earthy, natural air a pony would rarely received in some of the parts of Canterlot. Exhaling, she gazed up at the twilight sky, where Luna's moon was arising, and Celestia's sun was finally, gradually descending towards the horizon. Continuing her trot on the cobblestone path, and past a giant willow tree and bench, at her left was where the three Night Watch guards began to appear from their station by the exit.

She flinched when one of the guard's started closing the gates. Oh...Oh no. Quickening her left turn, Angel galloped towards the one in charge of the task. "Ex-Excuse me!" A short wheeze left her.

In the midist of lighting his horn, the gray unicorn guard turned away from the gate, to face her. "Yes, ma'am?" But, staring down at her, his fixed expression shifted into an oddly confused look.

"Uh... um...." Completely taken off guard at the new face, Angel gulped. They have a new recruit here? I-I thought it was a maximum of three? Wait, there are three, did Mr. Sand Stone get replaced? He had always closed this gate. Did something happen, did he get promoted? Or f-fired? A nervous sweat beaded down her forehead. Dear, Asphodel, he's giving me the look, maybe I shouldn't have brought my saddlebag, and just worn a hat, a hat would have been nice, but I don't really like hats. Wait, if I hadn't taken my bag, I wouldn't have bee—

"Ma'am, we're closing, and I'm not authorized to let you past, you will have to travel around the garden to make your delivery."

The side of her cheek twitched as her face fell and melting heat crept up from her neck. Rubbing her foreleg, Angel slowly began to shrink. "N-N-No, I, um... I-I l-live here." She squeaked. "Um! W-Well not here! But...But out there!" She pointed outside of the gate. "S-See!" Retrieving a necklaced pocket watch from her bag, she hung it up to him.

"Oh." The guard was deadly silent with a scrunched muzzle.

"...."

"...."

"...."

"...."

Gulping, Angel sighed. "S-Sorry... can...can I l-leave?" She returned the necklace back.

The guard blinked. "Uh, yes, yes of course." He inched away from the gate.

"Th-Thank you." Making her way past the guard with her head down, she breathed out softly, once a few blocks away from the garden. That...That was embarrassing!... Shaking the tinge of warmth off her face, Angel made a haste retreat from the commercial district of closing shops, towards the perfume and cologne drenched Promenade and dodged a few ponies, to make her way to the residential district.

*GASP!*
She stumbled as her foreleg entangled with the other. Not wanting to plummet onto the ground in the middle of street and publicly humiliate herself, she pushed her weight on her left side to balance herself. But, as she came to fix herself, her body tilted to the right, bumping into a shrieking mare.

Oh, oh no! She skittered over to help the fallen tea green unicorn mare.

The mare slapped Angel's offered hoof, and instead stood up on her own. "Don't you ever—"

She flinched away. "I-I'm so, sorry, m-ma'am."

The mare sneered down at her. "You."

Angel shuddered at the way that word reeked of indignation that ripped open her chest just to shred her lungs and beating heart.

The mare gazed at her saddle bag, causing a twitch on her upper lip. "Ugh, to fall down so low." Reeling around on her hoof, she humphed with her nose in the air.

"...."

"...."

Twice in a day....

"...."

I should have ran faster, I could have avoided something like this happening again if I were just faster....

*Sigh...*

Continuing her travel home, Angel ran through a large gate.

Magnificent homes competed against each other, and the few ponies out, held their noses in the air with an arrogant pride.

Huffing out slow tired breaths, she laid a hoof on her chest to calm down. *Phew...* Walking past a few homes and stone walls, and making a right, she glanced over at the lone modest victorian manse behind a hedge wall, and blinked at how the lights were on.
Wait, Seaweed's home?!
Galloping towards the large house, and up on the patio, she knocked on the door, a wide smile sprouting on her face.

"Coming!" Yelled a stallions voice from the other side.

The sound of a metal door slaming inside made her ears twitch. However, there was a loud crash in the background, and a quick hissing curse. "—apples!"

Angel flinched back, her smile quickly morphed into a terrified stare when there was a sudden surprised yowl and something akin to a giant sack of potatoes collided with a weak wooden wall and glass window. Glancing behind her to see curious onlookers from their balcony or window, she froze at the growing audience behind the hedge wall and gate. "He-Hello." She waved at them.

Most of the mares in the crowd shook their heads with an annoyed looking scoff, others grimaced and went on their way.

Simpering at the reaction that was returned to her, she sighed. Oh, Angel.... She jumped upon the abrupt opening of the door. Reeling her head around, she blinked at the aggravated, chartreuse yellow, earth pony stallion covered in small cuts, from head to flank. His short, wavy, pure seaweed colored mane was caked in some type of yellow slime, making it stick out in random directions.
Placing a hoof on her mouth at his condition, Angel quickly trotted to him. "S-Seaweed, what...what happened?!"

She watched as his aqua blue eyes squinted into a murderous glare at the crowd behind the gate. "Eggs." He sneered, the word coming out in full vexation.

She tilted her head. "E-Eggs?"

"We need more eggs." His muzzle scrunched up in disgust.

"U-Um...." She peeked an eye back at the still apparent audience, but now containing an extra set of young mares with spellbound stares. "C-Can we go i-inside first?" Why do they always stare like that?

He took a moment to answer, occasionally mumbling something inherent to her ears. "Yes." Turning around to enter, she followed in after, closing the door with her hind leg and locking it with her foreleg.

Wiping her hooves on the mat, she surveyed the foyer, everything was as normal as it ever was, except for the slimy substance that stuck to her hooves as soon as she came off the mat. Wh-What? Lifting one of her hooves to her nose, she took a small sniff, Eggs? furrowing her brows, she glanced at her left where the old, long mahogany table that held five potted plants and the wide wall mirror reflecting, a gorgeous, portrait of an earth pony mare.

She stood on the tip of her left hind leg, with her other in the air, as if she were to begin dancing at any second. Clear amber eyes shined with confidence, as did her small smile under that single spotlight, that enhanced her groomed turquoise coat and long, wavy, pearl green mane.
*Sigh...*
Trotting to the arched, wooden, double doors next to the painting, and entering the lounge room, she took in a sharp intake of her breath.

The coffee table had been turned over, missing three of its legs, and the vase that had originally been set on top had shattered completely. Wide pastel brown eyes wandered down to a carton of cracked eggs and the fallen season rack by the kitchen entrance on her right. A long yellow trail of egg yolks lead back to the turned over coffee table. "Oh."

"Oh, ith righk." Seaweed muffled with the mop in his mouth and a pail of water hanging from his fetlock, his mane no longer a mess, but tied back.

"Do...Do you need help?"

He shook his head. "Ah, gok dith."

"B-But, this is a...a lot of work, Seaweed." She rubbed her foreleg. We'll have to clean the entrance way, replace the table and repair the rack and—

He spit the mop out his mouth and had it lean against him. "I said I've got it, Angel. My house, my mess. You know the rules."

She blinked. "O-Oh...."

An awkward silence overtook the room between the two siblings. With Angel observing her older brother mop up the raw eggs, and throw out the eggshells, to him sweeping away any wooden and vase shards.

"Um... S-Seaweed." This is the time to say it.

"Yes?" He said, now starting to trot over to the kitchen.

"Is...Is there a-anyway we didn't h-have to have the boy's just stay with Miss Gumdrop?"

*Sigh* Setting the dust pan on the floor, he turned to her. "I thought we came to an agreement that we wouldn't split them."

"W-Well, Mr. Joe said it was alright that I could bring them." So, I won't be a problem for him.

"And I'm sure you two will be busy with that place?"

"Y-Yes."

"It's going to be crowded, I suppose?"

"Um...Um y-yes...." Please don't bring up—

"Larkspur."

Her eyes shot open, everything, from her hooves to her ears turned to hard stone. Stomach clenching, and lips as tight as leather, Angel breathed out. "Y-Yes." She squeaked. I know he's...he's going to be a tough bundle of wet, pop rocks to handle. But...But Oleander and Foxgloves will be there as always to help.

"He's a good kid... but you really can't expect him to stay calm in such a crowded area, with children around his age. There will be chaos."

"W-Well, Oleander and Foxgloves will be there."

His brow twitched up. *Sigh* "And what of Miss Gumdrop?"

"She...She will come, Seaweed, it...it wouldn't be fair to turn her down at the last mi-minute."

Angel stiffened up as he scrutinized her face making a drop of sweat beaded down to her chin. Jaw clenched, she focused her eyes.

Seaweed sighed. "...Fine...."

A smile brightened on her muzzle.

"Just... don't be excessive." His mouth twisted to the side.

"Y-Yes!" She bounced, galloping into her brother almost knocking him over, and hugged his neck tightly. Digging, and nuzzling her face deep into the fluffiness of his fur, she was granted the freedom to disavow the few hardships of the day that were being held in the corners of her mind.

"Yes, yes." He patted her back.

"Heehee." Releasing him, Angel grinned up at him.

He furrowed his brows. "Uh-huh." Lifting the dust pan, he vanished into the kitchen, where she heard the lid of the trash can lift.

Still smiling wide from ear to ear, Angel blinked down at her saddlebag. "A-Ah!" Running into the large kitchen, she slid over to the island. "S-Seaweed!"

"Yes?" He glanced up from the trash can.

"Miss...Miss Sunshine asked me to give you something!" There was a slight hop in her hind legs, as she extracted the gift from her bag.

"Who?"

Before she could place the gift on the island, Angel paused and blinked over at him. "Miss...Miss Sunshine?" I'm sure I've mentioned her.

His forehead creased in confusion as he stared at her fraught face.

"She...She delivers the f-flowers to the institution?"

Leaning away from the trash can, he shook his head.

"Sh-She's the one who brings flowers to your o-office!" Angel placed the box down.

He scratched his stubbled chin and hummed. "Ah. The one with the ob... crush?"

"Y-Yes! Wait... huh?"

"Hm? You thought I wouldn't know?"

"She...She had a crush on y-you?!" Angel pointed her hoof at him. My brother is the mysterious sexy stallion?! SEAWEED?! Him?! Her inside's swirled. Oh, sweet cream and cherry crackers.

"Wait—" his face scrunched up, "—you didn't know? How is that possible?"

Her body stiffened, blushing, she quickly turned away and rubbed her foreleg. "I...I d-don't know..." her voice gradually began to soften, "uh... 'c-cause you...you or her n-never told me?" She peeked and eye over at her brother as he sighed.

"Well, it seems that conversation didn't work...."

"C-Conversation?"

"I had told her to not bother her time," he trotted over to Angel and took hold of the gift in his hoof, "and not to get over herself to try and use you."

She cringed at the word 'use'. "Sh-She's not like that, Seaweed.... And, how was I suppose...supposed to know she l-liked you, a...a lot of ponies give you g-gifts." How did I not notice? Th-Though it's not like she made anything obvious. She followed him out, but flinched from almost tripping on the elevated marble. I kept saying we should have evened it out.

"Huh, I guess that would be confusing to you."

They trotted over and up the curved, carpeted staircase on the opposite side of the kitchen. Stopping on the landing, Angel gawked at the giant family portrait.

"Y-You actually put it u-up!" She grinned up at him as he stood on the second staircase.

"Mmhm, and I think you were right, it does fill in that blotch of emptiness, just like the one of, Mother...."

"'C-Course I was." She held her head up as a swell of small pride grew in her chest.

"Uh-huh."

Author's Note

I love making my homemade coconut oil hot chocolate, warming up the meaty hearts of my family.

But on that note, do you know how hard it is to rescue your ring in dough, especially brownie batter, and then wash it?