Coltcuddler

Dream Chaser couldn't move. His legs were screaming at him to run, his hooves screaming at him to fight back, but he just couldn't.

Before him, his father paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to buck against the wall, or smash one of the framed comic books he had on his walls. Dream Chaser had seen his father get angry before, but never anything like this. His hair was frazzled, his mouth was drooling, and his eyes seemed to glow red. At his feet laid the torn remnants of his diary.

'So is this it, son?' His father eyed him up, abruptly stopping his pacing. Dream Chaser back up further as his father approached, finding his back pushed up against the wall. 'Hm? Is this you? A Celestia-damned queer for a son? You make me fuckin' sick.'

Dream Chaser looked down at his hooves. 'I'm sorry, dad. I just-'

'SHUT UP!' His father snarled and pushed Dream Chaser back into the wall. His voice was no longer quietly dangerous, but loud and unhinged, cracking every few words. 'I ought to knock some sense into you. I should have done it years ago.'

A few moments passed in silence. Then, a third, much quieter voice cut into it. 'Daddy?'

A small colt poked his head through the doorframe, his eyes wide and terrified. Dream Chaser's father turned around, his face softening as he did so. 'Everything's fine, Whisper. Go back to your room.'

'Daddy, why are you shouting?'

'I said go back to your room.'. There was a quiet danger in his voice, one Whisper new well. In a second, he had vanished, and the two of them were alone once more.

'Get out of my house.'

Dream Chaser's eyes widened. 'D-dad, please-'

'Don't make me throw you out on your flank, boy.'

Tears began to well in the corner of Dream Chaser's eyes. 'Where am I supposed to go?'

For the most fleeting of moments, a twinge of pain seemed to cross his father's face, before it hardened once more. 'I don't know. I don't care. I will not have you under this roof. I will not allow you to corrupt your brother with your sickness, you hear me?'

Dream Chaser said nothing. His father gave a sigh. 'I tried my best with you. Your mother - she'd be ashamed of you. Of me. I want you out by midnight, or so help me Celestia, I will throw you out myself. Pack and go.'

As the door slammed, Dream Chaser was sure he could make out an audible sob.

Dream Chaser wasn't sure if his father would make good on his promise, but he wasn't willing to find out. Filling his old leather saddlebags with what little he valued - a small sack of bits, a small watch his uncle had given him, and his Colt Guide map of Equestria - he slipped downstairs.

His father was standing in the kitchen. He watched Dream Chaser come down the stairs, a weary look on his face. He opened his mouth for a split second, then closed it, turning away silently. Dream Chaser felt the tears return. Never before had he felt so lost. 'Daddy, please don't-'

His father turned around, eyes burning with genuine hatred and anger. When Dream Chaser didn't move, he seized a nearby mug and flung it at him.

The mug flew over Dream Chaser's head and shattered against the wall. A small shard flew off and sliced deep into his forehead, leaving a long cut from which blood freely poured into his eyes. Dream Chaser stumbled, falling to one knee in shock. His father gave a bullish roar, and charged across the room. seizing his son in a vice-like grip.

Dream Chaser could barely resist as he was bodily dragged through the hallway, his wings being repeatedly bent out of shape by the rough handling his father gave him. He heard the sound of the front door being wrenched open, before the breath was knocked out of him by the feeling of a hoof striking him in the stomach with enough force to send his tumbling out of the front door.

He landed to excruciating pain and the sickening sound of his wings breaking in multiple places. As he stumbled to his hooves, blinded by blood and pain, he heard the sound of a door slamming.

Frantically wiping the blood out of his eyes, Dream Chaser spun around. His street was deserted, as usual. He attempted to close his wings, stopping immediately at the sharp pain that ensued. He needed to see a doctor. How was he going to explain this? Maybe he could lie and say he got beat up. St Belle's treated loads of homeless ponies. He probably wouldn't even register on their radar.

Wiping more blood out of his eyes, he took the first agonizing step towards St Belle's Hospital.

Dream Chaser hated walking around Central Canterlot at night. You could barely walk down the road without someone trying to sell you drugs, or porn, or stick you up. This time, coated as he was in blood and filth, he found ponies gave him a wide berth - which suited him just fine.

The guard had been increased recently. The Summer Sun Celebration was coming up, so they had been dispatched to clean up the city for the inevitable flood of tourists. This usually meant beating any unsavoury characters into a coma. As Dream Chaser watched, two stallions clad in armour seized a unkempt looking pony and dragged him into an alleyway.

Did Celestria know about things like this? She had been so kind when he had met her for his Senior Colt Guide award ceremony. Dream Chaser chastised himself. Of course Celestia knew. She was as big a fucking hypocrite as the rest of them.

Dream Chaser had been so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't see the guard in front of him until it was too late, and walked straight into him. Backing up, the guard turned around and advanced on him.

'Why don't you watch where you're fucking going?'

'I-I didn't see... I'm sorry.'

The guard eyed him up. 'Shit. What happened to you?'

'I was in a... uh, an accident. Chariot collision. I was just going to St Belle's.'

The guard smirked at the feeble attempt at a lie. 'Oh, really. Well, you match the description of somepony we're looking for. I'm going to have to search you.'

Dream Chaser blinked. 'Uh... okay?'

Dropping his saddlebags on the ground, he stepped back to allow the guard to examine his saddlebags. The guard seized the bag and turned it upside down, shaking it violently and allowing his worldly possessions to fall out. Throwing the bag to one side, he seized the bag of bits triumphantly and stuffed it into his breastplate. 'You're free to go.'

Dream Chaser's jaw dropped. 'Are you fucking serious?'

The guard advanced on him, not stopping until his face was mere inches away. 'Yeah. What the fuck are you gonna do about it?'

Shaking with anger, Dream Chaser looked away. The guard gave a sadistic grin. 'That's right. Now move along before you get hurt. More.'

Turning, the guard noticed Dream Chaser's watch lying on the floor. 'Oh, hello.' He stooped to scoop it up off the floor, weighing it up in his hoof. 'I'll take this as an apology for your bullshit.'

Dream Chaser felt his blood boil at the sight of his uncle's watch in somepony else's hooves. 'Give that back.'

The guard turned around. 'Don't make that mistake, boy.'

Dream Chaser lurched forwards. If he could just grab the watch and run, he'd count it as a victory. Before he even reached the guard, a bolt of light flashed towards him, knocking him to the side effortlessly. Slamming into a nearby wall, Dream Chaser's vision flashed white and he felt the strength drain out of him. Somewhere nearby, he could hear several stallions laughing harshly.

He braced himself for a barrage of kicks, but nothing came. As his vision slowly returned, he found himself mercifully alone. Scrabbling to his hooves for the second time that night, he spat out a mouthful of blood and frantically looked around. A few ponies were giving him odd stares, but for the most part, they ignored him. His belongings were nowhere to be found.