Family Apprciation Day: A Charles Hoofwin Story

by Spades_of_Ace

Chapter 2

The clock tower that could be seen from the Hoofwin residence rang the call of Celestia’s sunrise. Charles and Margret lay soundly in their large bed as they heard the soft gongs of the bell from the tower.

Charles was the one to wake up first. He smacked his dry lips as he lazily opened his eyes. He suddenly felt something on the foot of his bed. It wasn’t too heavy, but it certainly caught his attention. After rubbing his eyes he could see his son Esbin staring at him patiently.

“Morning dad!” he said, quickly.

Just like that, Margret woke up with a startled gasp; a pair of eye covers over her eyes. While Charles didn’t even flinch from his son’s unexpected outburst, Margret quickly took off the cover of her face and could see Esbin sitting in front of Charles with a big grin on his face.

“Esbin,” Charles said with a lazy glare, “How long have you been sitting there?”

“An hour…or two.” Esbin replied almost on command, both of his parents looked at him with wide eyes with a hint of concern in them.

“Hey um dad… I was wondering, can you tell me why you were the guest of honor at the Grand Galloping Gala years ago?”

“W-what,” Charles asked, as he raised an eye brow.

“The Grand Galloping Gala, you were the guest of honor there,” Esbin said hopping softly on the mattress.

“W-wait, how did you even…” Charles was about to ask a question, but Esbin interrupted him.

“Mom told me how you and she met that one night, and she told me that you were the guest of honor,” Esbin explained, as he continued to bounce excitedly in front on his parents. Charles glanced over at his wife Margret of a moment.

“I’m sorry Charles, Esbin seemed upset about something so I decided to tell him the story on how we first met.” Charles perked up for a moment and a slight blush grew on his cheeks.

“You didn’t tell him about uh… what happened ‘after’ the Gala, right?”

Margret blushed heavily and exclaimed, “HEAVENS NO CHARLES! Esbin’s just a child, for Celestia’s sake!”

“You mean when you two kissed,” Esbin chirped, trying to put the pieces together.

“Yeah, Mom told me about it. I mean it was gross to me, but it’s what grown-ups do, right?”

Charles and Margret looked at each other with concern on their faces; until Charles said with a nervous smile, “Yes, we kissed.”

“Mhmm, it was very sweet,” Margret said with a nervous tone.

“Okay soooo, can you tell me how you became the guest of honor at the Gala, I mean isn’t Princess Celestia the only one who appoints somepony as the Guest of Honor?” Esbin asked as he took a few steps closer to his father.

“*Sigh* Esbin… I understand that you wish to know more about me, but could you at least give me and your mother five minutes to wake up, please?” Charles asked, trying not to sound too desperate to avoid conversation.

Esbin’s ears flopped down, “Oh… okay.”

He hopped off the bed and slowly trotted towards the door. Margret nudged Charles, which caused him to look over to his wife.

“Charles, at least promise to him to that you’ll tell him so that he has something to say at his school on Monday,” Margret said in a whisper, “After all, the only reason why he’s curious about you is because you weren’t interested to agree to go on Family Appreciation Day.”

Charles lowered his head in realization from last night. He let out a sigh.

“Um…Esbin.”

The brown colt turned his head around to look at Charles.

“Yes, dad?”

“I suppose I could tell you about the Gala, if you really want to know about me,” Charles said with a gentle smile on his face. Just like that Esbin jumped up with joy and started to bouncing around the room.

“Oh Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

“BUT, I will only tell you on Monday,” Charles said as he raised a hoof to gain Esbin’s attention, and just as quickly as his excitement started, it ended as he stopped in midair.

“MONDAY?!”

“Yes, on Monday. The same day as Family Appreciation Day,” Charles repeated.

“*Groan* Fine, if you say so,” Esbin groaned as he trotted his way out of the room again to have some breakfast. Just as Esbin left the room, Margret heard a chuckle escape Charles lips. She looked over at him to hear him say, “That ought to keep him interested for a while.”

He suddenly noticed that Margret was frowning at him.

“What’s this about you not being interested in going to Family Appreciation Day when Esbin asked you to come; since it’s his turn to bring in somepony from his family.”

“I don’t want to seem like the bad pony here,” Charles said, maintaining eye contact with his wife, “but why didn’t you offer to go with him to go to school on Monday?”

“Charles, don’t you see? He only wants to get to know you, considering that you spent most of your time at work,” Margret explained with a more loosened expression.

“Things have just been busy that’s all at work, that’s all. I guess I’ve been a little stressed out lately,” Charles explained to Margret.

“I understand times at work can be stressful honey, but please don’t take it out on Esbin.” Margret said showing concern while placing a hoof on Charles shoulder.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Charles asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Esbin told me yesterday that before he left you to your work, he said that he loved you,” Margret explained.

“And… and I didn’t say that I love him too…” Charles finishing the rest of Margret’s answer as he remembered from last night when her over heard his wife and child talking to each other. Charles let out a sigh and hung his head again in shame; until Margret wrapped her arms around her husband.

“You heard us talking about you… didn’t you?”

There was a moment of silence.

“I was going to check on Esbin… *sigh* I’m sorry honey. I really should show up on Monday.”

Margret planted a kiss on Charles cheek and smiled happily at him.

“It’s alright dear; Esbin just wants you to know that he loves you.”

“I know dear, I know,” Charles said with a sigh, “But to Esbin it just doesn’t feel the same unless I tell it to him. I really do love my son; I don’t want him to grow up thinking that I don’t love him anymore. I just don’t want to be those kinds of fathers, you know?”

“Charles, I know you,” Margret said as she placed both of her hooves on each side Charles head, “You’ll never be like those kinds of ponies. I admit you can be a little stubborn at times, but deep down you a good pony at heart.”

Charles smiled softly and kissed Margret on the lips.

“Thanks Margret, I can always count on you. Well, I better start making breakfast.”

The two ponies got out of bed and made their way down stairs into the kitchen, where they found Esbin trying to make some toast while he waited for his parents. Charles pulled out several plates and set them on the table beside glass cups. While Charles sliced some apples into slices, Esbin sat patiently at the table next to his mother.

“Hey dad.”

“Yes kiddo,” Charles asked as he continued to chop the apples in the cutting board.

“I know you said that I had to wait until Monday for you to tell me your life story, but I was wondering… could you at least give me a hint on what you did,” Esbin asked with bright eyes.

“Well… I was told to not reveal any information but… let’s just say that the life of a very important pony in Canterlot was in my hooves, and let’s just leave it at that,” Charles said trying to hide a chuckle from his son.

“WHOA, were you a body guard or something like that,” Esbin asked with wide eyes as he balanced himself on his chair.

“Sorry kiddo, but that’s all you’re going to get out of me until Monday. Now then, who wants breakfast?” Charles asked with several plates full of apple slices, toast with butter and jam. The two ponies smiled at the breakfast that was placed in front of them, they each picked enough for each other while Charles helped himself to a mug of coffee, and they all sat down quietly while they enjoyed their meal as the clock ticked on by. After the clock in the kitchen reached 8:00 A.M. Charles placed his mug down.

“Hey Esbin?”

“Yes dad,” Esbin replied as he raised his head up.

“Didn’t you say that you had some sort of meeting with your friends?” Charles asked with a lowered eye brow.

“Oh jeez, you’re right! Bye mom, bye dad, I’ll see you guys later,” Esbin said quickly, he guzzled his orange juice and kissed his mother and father on the cheek before he took off toward the door to grab his saddlebags.

But before he even reached to the door Margret called out, “Esbin brush your teeth before to go.”

Esbin’s hoof dropped to the floor as he made his way up stairs to his bathroom and brush his teeth, after the task was done Esbin ran down the stairs toward the front door.

“Esbin?”

Esbin froze for a second as he turned around to see his father standing up between the doorway to the kitchen, he then asked, “Yes dad?”

Charles gulped nervously.

“I love you son.”

Esbin stood where he was for a moment before a small smile grew on his face with a slightly tearful expression.

“I love you too dad.” Esbin then faced the front door again to turn the knob and open the door into the streets of Ponyville. He closed the door as he made his way out and started to trot down the pavement.

Meanwhile, Charles looked at his wife who smiled warmly at her husband.

“Thank you Charles,” Margret said as she nuzzled him happily.

“Ahh, don’t mention it. I care for our son as much as you do.”

“Still, it’s nice to say that you love him,” Margret said with a smooth tone.

Charles smiled and said, “I know sweetheart. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to pull out some of my old stuff from Canterlot.”

Margret raised a brow and asked before her husband left the kitchen, “You mean your old uniform when you were still in the…”

“Shhh,” Charles shushed with a hoof to his mouth, “Esbin might be still around and I don’t want him to know anything about me until Family Appreciation Day. Just make sure he doesn’t go into our room until that day comes, alright?”

Margret nodded with a giggle as she went back to drinking her juice while Charles peered outside to see if Esbin was still around, there was no sight of him anywhere. Charles chuckled softly to himself and made his way upstairs into the bedroom, he closed the door and locked it behind him so that no pony could disturb him as he walked over to the double closet. On the floor was a dust covered olive green trunk. He pulled out the heavy trunk by one of the rope handles with his teeth to drag it out in the open, once the trunk was out he went over to his night stand to pull out an old key that was concealed in the very back of the drawer. Charles took the key and went back to the trunk; he swiped away the layer of dust the top of the truck to see black colored lettering that said, Property of Pvt. Charles Hoofwin.

“I never thought I’d ever have to pull this old thing out ever again,” Charles said with a soft smile as he took the key and unlocked the brass lock that contained the old memories deep within.

Comments

[chavis54]

So he was a soldier then?
okay, thats actualjy pretty cook
imguessing celestia's bodyguard