Coltcuddler

St Belle's was relatively quiet when he arrived. The staff mercifully asked few questions, and treated his wounds to the best of their ability. His wings were washed and bandaged, and his forehead was sutured.

Day had already broken when he found himself back outside, the street around him glowing in the light of the new sun. Leaning against a nearby apple cart, he pondered his next move. The shock of being made homeless either wasn't as bad as he'd anticipated, or it hadn't hit him yet.

He could, of course, go back home. Maybe... try to get his father to see reason? They were family, after all. No matter what, you were always meant to have family.

Then again, he had never seen anypony as angry as his father had been last night. As his hoof traced the stitches in his forehead, Dream Chaser knew he couldn't go home. At least, not tonight.

A shelter? Canterlot had built a series of homeless shelters across the entire city, and an unaccompanied underage colt was almost certain to get a place. On the other hand, he'd have to explain why he was homeless in the first place. He'd never been a good liar.

As engrossed as he was in thought, Dream Chaser didn't notice the figure behind him approaching until he felt a hoof land on his shoulder. Startled, he jumped back and twisted around, noticing as he did so that the hoof didn't feel like a hoof at all.

'What the-'

In front of him stood a shaggy-looking griffon, his charcoal black feathers ruffled and dulled, boring into him with his bright orange eyes. Dream Chaser had never been so close to a griffon before, and couldn't help but be amazed.

'You look lost, kid.' Dream Chaser felt his hackles rise as he slowly backed away. The griffon noticed, and gave him a smile, unexpectedly warm and welcoming. 'Don't take it the wrong way, but that's not a good look to have.'

He stuck out a claw. 'Gregor.' Dream Chaser stared at him, and the griffon raised an eyebrow. 'You're meant to shake it.'

Hesitantly, Dream Chaser reached forward and shook the griffon's claw. It was hard and scaled, and he could feel Gregor's razor-sharp claws dig into his skin. 'So, what's your story?'

Dream Chaser was silent. Gregor raised an eyebrow. 'Look, If I was going to rob you, I wouldn't have introduced myself first.'

That was fair enough, Dream Chaser supposed. And he wasn't exactly in a position to be choosy about friends. Besides, what else did he have to lose?

'I... sort of... fell out with my dad.' Dream Chaser wasn't sure where he was going with this story. 'I'm just... kind of at a loss. Don't know where to go.'

'Oh, really?' Gregor gave a low whistle. 'That sucks. You got anywhere to stay overnight? There's not a lot of room left in the East Shelter.' He looked Dream Chaser over once more, like an antiquer appraising a new find. 'Listen, me and a few friends have a pretty nice setup going for us in the south.'

Dream Chaser looked up. 'Really?'

'Yeah. Bunch of old flats, falling apart. Nobody gives two shits about them, or us. If you like, you can stay with us. At least till your old man calms down.'

Gregor sounded sincere, but Dream Chaser still had his suspicions. 'Why are you helping me? We don't know each other. We're not even the same species.'

Gregor waved his claw dismissively. 'That doesn't matter. I know where you're at. I know what it's like. It sucks. Please, do yourself a solid and accept help when you're offered it.'

Dream Chaser swallowed. 'Sure.'

Gregor didn't bother knocking, simply kicking the door in with an almighty kick. 'Listen up!'

Two other griffons and a Earth stallion were sat inside the room. They barely looked up from what they were doing.

'This kid's staying with us for a bit. Name's Dream Chaser. Play nice.' Gregor pushed Dream Chaser into the room with his wing. 'They're not so bad, kid, but don't be stupid. All right?' With that, he turned back to the rest of them. 'All right, daddy's gonna go and get some groceries. Anything you boys want?'

One of the griffons, green-feathered with a seemingly perpetual twitch, shot his hand up into the air. 'I n-n-need more thyroxine. Pl-please, Greg! For old t-t-t-time's sake?'

Gregor spat on the floor, apparently disgusted. 'For Celestia's sake, Grubs. Fine. I hope this batch fucking kills you. Any other requests?' Silence. 'Good.'

With that, he strode out, slamming the door behind him. Cautiously, Dream Chaser approached the trio. As he got closer, he could clearly see they were in a bad shape. Grubs could barely sit still, and his arms were covered in obvious needle marks. His hind legs were equally marked, covered in scars and chunks of missing flesh. Had he done that to himself?

'Hey.' The Earth stallion gave him a warm smile, and gestured to an empty pillow on the floor. He looked remarkably normal, except...

'Noticed, did you?' He smiled sadly, gazing down at his blank flank. 'Guess we got that in common. Late bloomers.'

The other griffon looked up from tending to what appeared to be fresh marks on Grub's hind. 'Nice to meet you.' Though raspy and coarse, the voice was unmistakable female. That was fortunate, because nothing else about her would have been telling.

He hadn't noticed from a distance, but she had been... plucked. Her body was missing the usual sheen of bright feathers griffons were so well known for, instead covered in hideous pockmarks and scars. She too possesessed the same tremor Grubs did, though it was less pronounced. Most grotesquely of all, her right eye had been ripped out. Ripped. Most of the flesh around her eye socket was destroyed. His surprise must have shown, because her eye suddenly narrowed. 'Take a picture, why don't you?'

Dream Chaser immediately looked to the floor. 'I'm sorry.'

She sighed. 'Don't worry about it. There's a reason I stay indoors. I'm Gretel. That big, stupid-looking motherfucker over there is Oak.' She turned back to Grubs, who had begun to mew, either from pain or withdrawal. 'Shhh, relax, baby. Gregor's gonna get it. He always does.'

Dream Chaser felt something tap him on the back. Turning around, he saw Oak with his hoof outstretched, holding a bottle of spirit. 'Want some?'

Dream Chaser's eyes darted back to Grubs. 'No thanks.'

Oak laughed, a deep, booming laugh that filled the room. 'Trust me, you'll change your tune when it gets dark. The cold bites deep in here. Only way to keep it out is this, or whatever Gregor comes back with.'

For a few minutes, they sat in silence, punctured only by the occasion whine from Grubs, or the clinking of Oak's bottle.

'Hey, kid.'

Gretel snapped her talons together, causing Dream Chaser to snap out of his stupor. 'Pass me that bag, would you?'

She jerked her claw in the direction of a beat-up old green bag, with an unmistakable white cross on it, a faded "FIRST AID" emblazoned underneath it. Jumping to his hooves, Dream Chaser grasped the bag in his mouth and hurried over to her.

Gretel snatched it out of his jaw and pulled it open. She rummaged around for a few seconds, before grunting in frustration and dumping the entire contents onto the floor. An assorted collection of needles, pills, cotton buds, bottles and plasters fell out.

Gretel sifted through the pile and pulled out a role of thick tape. 'I need your help with something.'

'Me?' Dream Chaser froze. He had done some first aid with the colt guides, but...

'Don't look so petrified. I just need you to hold him down while I tape his beak. He's gonna start biting himself if I don't. Can you do that for me?'

'I-I don't-' Dream Chaser looked down at Grubs. He was weak, sure, but easily weighed three times what he did, and those claws looked sharp.

'Oh, for - just fucking do it! I'm not letting him hurt himself more because you decided to wuss out.' Gretel snapped, tearing off a strip of tape in her beak. 'Come on!'

Dream Chaser approached Grubs cautiously, resting his hooves on his chest. He could feel Grub's hulking muscles underneath his hooves. 'Good.'

Gretel gripped Grubs by the forehead, and began to wrap the tape around his beak. Sweat began to pour off Dream Chaser's forehead as he felt Grubs stir. He was going to die, he was going to be blinded, why had he-

'Done.' Gretel stood up.

Dream Chaser hopped off Grub's chest, wiping what felt like a gallon of sweat of his brow. 'Good job, kid.'

Gretel gave him a smile, and her face was suddenly transformed. Dream Chaser could see she was relieved. 'No... no problem.' He wasn't sure what else to say. 'You have to do stuff like that a lot?'

Gretel's smile slipped slightly. 'Yeah. He gets like this a lot. It's a shame you're not here when he's more... sober. I'll make sure he knows you helped me out, though. He's really a great guy.' She slapped a claw on Dream Chaser's back. 'Anyway. Thanks for that. Not many stallions would volunteer to restrain a griffon, let alone a colt. You got some balls.' She sneered at Oak. 'Unlike some of us.'

Oak took another swig from the bottle. 'Why don't you tell the kid how you lost your eye? He might think twice about helping that animal if-'

'You shut your fucking mouth!' Dream Chaser had no ideas griffons could flush red. 'How about I tell him-'

Oak looked up from his bottle, and the burning look in his face was sufficient to silence Gretel immediately. She opened her beak, then closed it again, and turned around to tend to more of Grub's injuries.

Dream Chaser returned to his seat. Oak offered him the bottle once more. He shook his head, and Oak merely shrugged.

'So...' He was feeling a little more confident now. 'What do you... do?'

'Survive.' Oak drained the last of his bottle, before chucking it over his shoulder. 'Gregor keeps us hooked up, as long as we pay up. Lets us stay rent free, so long as we buy regularly. So, you might want to reconsider your objections to that stuff.'

'Buy? You guys have jobs?'

Oak snorted. 'Does Grubs look like he's in any position to work? I got some money. Gretel works, don't you, sweetie?'

Gretel looked up from Grubs and shot him a nasty look. 'Go fuck yourself.'

Oak continued. 'This isn't permanent. I just want to kill a few weeks, do whatever the fuck I want, then move on. I'm not gonna end up like those two fu-'

The sound of the door being kicked in again interrupted Oak's monologue. Gregor burst in, chucking a black plastic bag onto the floor. He looked furious. 'Fuck!'

'What's wrong?' Oak sounded bored.

'The fucking guard! They - Fuck!.' Gregor slammed the door again with such force Dream Chaser could swear he heard the walls shake. 'No more freebies, Grubs! You hear me?!'

Grubs ignored him, pushing past Gretel to get his claws on the bag. He tore it open and began scrabbling at the tablets that fell out. Gretel picked herself up, and went over to help him.

Gregor sneered at the pair of them, and sat down on a nearby sofa opposite Dream Chaser. Producing another bag, he rummaged around inside and pulled out three bottles of a clear spirit. 'Here, kid. On the house.'

Dream Chaser somehow caught the bottle that was flung his way. He opened his mouth, but was able to catch the sight of Oak shaking his head warningly. Gregor leaned in, a nasty look on his face. 'What? Not good enough for you, your fucking highness?'

Dream Chaser swallowed. 'No. I- Thanks.'

'You're welcome. Drink up.' There was a silent threat to his voice.

Dream Chaser nodded, and raised the bottle to his lips. He took a swig, and felt the liquid burn the insides of his throat, causing him to cough and splutter, nearly dropping the bottle as he did so. Somewhere in the background, he could hear Gregor shrieking with laughter.

'Did you see that shit!? Oh, wow! Kid, you are something else.'

'Real funny, Gregor.' Oak muttered. Gregor's grin vanished.

'Whatever'. Wrenching open his own bottle, he took a deep chug, apparently with ease. 'Next one's twenty bits. Now, are we gonna sit around, or are we gonna get fucking drunk!?'