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[Home] Invitation by Letter [Ended]


MudBug

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The stallion had recieved the letter from the lamenting teacher after the confusion and tantrums of his boy coming home in the middle of a school day, which lead to further confusion and further tantrums...and maybe some tears. He wasn't sure.

But then Champ never allowed anyone in his room when he was in moods like this and for the past few hours they'd been conversing tenuosly through a wooden door, which wasn't the best way of things to go...but...in his experience, sadly, not the worst...

It would've been till sunset and leaving a his son supper by his doorstep till he recieved the mail from that peculiar pegasi that was often seen roaming around.

And his feelings were soon realised.

What had his son done THIS time?

Despite his want to rail and at the same time console his son, the letter sounded urgent and already so much eaten into the day he headed his way out. Only after assuring that his son would get a firm talking too and he expected the door to be open by the time he got back.

A father shouldn't have to talk through a DOOR to have to talk to his own son!

De-aproned and locking up after him, the deep blue stallion made his way across town while the light was still with him. The sky a deep and sunny orange and hopefully he'd be able to catch the purple pony while school was still filing out, hopefully.

When the school house came to view on the horizon, he waited patiently as the foals began to file out of the quaint little learning establishment and made him smile ever so slightly in gentle memories of his own foalhood and of watching his own son's first day.

And once all of them were headed home, he made his way past the threshhold of the gate to poke his head curiously in the door.

"Miss Cherrilee...?" He called out curiously.

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Cheerilee was sitting at her desk at the head of the classroom, a single lamp lit nearby as she was looking over the papers. Her hoof absently rolled the broken pencil on the corner of her desk as she tried to read the little pony's work. It was hard, all of what had taken place over the course of the day was weighing heavily on the normally all-around cheerful pony. But even her cheer had its limits, and as hard as she would try to make sure it never showed, things affected her as deep as any other. The scene with Champ. She replayed it over and over in her mind, trying to think of ways it could have gone differently, other results, but the end kept playing out the same with Champ overturning his desk and storming out of the school.

Things just didn't go as planned. Sometimes, things just didn't. But she worried for the colt, after that there was no telling what would take place next. She just hoped his father was more reasonable and could perhaps cast some light on the subject. She really wanted to help the poor boy, but she didn't know enough to approach things properly and he evidently wasn't getting all he needed. The last time she'd spoken with his father, things had been fairly vague, just enough to come up with some suggestions. He'd had a tough time adjusting, he had friends back home he really missed, his mother was gone, but there hadn't really been any explanation. But maybe she'd get what she needed soon enough; provided Champ would return to school.

The teacher sighed and set the paper down, and was preparing to blow the lamp out when the knock came at the door of the school. She looked up as Champ's father poked his head in the door. "Oh, hello there, Mr. Oakhoof." she exclaimed, a little surprised by the appearance, but relieved it had come now and not during a scene in the middle of class. That could have been very awkward, and she'd have preferred to avoid that. And he'd been gracious enough to come at the time that was best for a little one on one. "I didn't expect you tonight, but thank you for coming. Is Champ along with you? No, I suppose not." she met him at the door, and looked behind him at the waning light, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face as she saw he'd come alone, and closed it behind them.

"I guess you recieved my letter. Let me start by apologizing. I had no idea that his scars ran so deep. I'd felt that if I had touched him just enough, that he might open up and respond to me, but they apparently go deeper than I had feared. I should have asked more when you came to enroll him in class, but while I may be a teacher, I'm hardly wise by any means. Please, take a seat. No, not at a student's bench," she paused as she'd led him towards the front of the class, and tugged a larger bench that appeared to do double duty as a low table and took a seat on it. "This might be more comfortable."

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Oh good, she was in. Eyeing over her a moment, the stallion could almost tell instantly that the mare'd had a long day...a really long day indeed and the guilt welled up in his chest. What'd Champ done? What had he DONE? Lines creased his brow in great concern as he moved himself inside and offered a polite smile to the mare as the deep cerulean stallion sat himself down at the bench she offered for him.

Straightening the small half moon glasses on his muzzle, a nervous smile lit up his teeth.

"Yes, I'm sorry...he uhm...he's still in a mood, I'm afraid." Came a soft mutter.

The appology made him choke a little, ears splayed against the top of his head as a hoof raised to nervously rub at the back of his neck and rolled his eyes down to look at the broken pencil. Oh Champ...Champ what did you do.

A soft sigh escaped him as he looked to Cheerilee with a forlorn and deeply appologetic expression.

"Miss Cheerilee-" He said, trying to cut off her last sentance short. "-It's I that have to appologise for my son's attitude...he's been misbehaving ever since we got here, I'd have thought he'd settle by now..."

Scars...

Glancing at Cherrilee, worry was strewn across his face as a hoof gently clopped against the desk in thought and a small sigh escaped him. Removing his glasses briefly as he looked to the teacher through his fringe.

"Miss Cheerilee, I don't know what was said to him today but...it doesn't excuse him running out of school like that...but...just so I have a better idea, what exactly did you tell him...?"

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"Well..." she started, rubbing a hoof against the back of her neck as she relived the moments that'd lead up to Champ's storming out. She told him how she'd noticed he wasn't in a good mood during his speech in front of the class, and his subsequent behavior towards the other students afterwards. She hadn't noticed all that had gone on, but enough that had made her realize that he had to be disciplined. She told him that during lunch recess, she'd decided she'd forgo a detention if she could just talk to him during lunch and maybe come to terms. She'd been willing to do that for him, especially on the first day.

She finished up by telling Mr. Oakhoof the last thing she'd said to Champ. "And I asked him what his mother would think of his attitude. At that moment, I must have struck the wrong nerve, and he bit his pencil in half, threw his desk over and ran out of the school." she nudged the broken pencil towards the stallion. "I had meant it for him to stop and think about what he might have done wrong and how it might have met with disapproval. You are a good father, and I can tell you are trying hard to do well for your colt, but I know next to nothing about his mother except that she isn't around. I hadn't thought about asking where she was, thinking that might have been intruding but I can't help but feel now that there's more to the story. And I'm really sorry for evoking his mother like that. Mr. Oakhoof, I hope you can forgive me for prying, but I would like to know, if only to help understand what is going on in his mind. What happened to her? I gather she's not just around anymore, but..." and she trailed off there, not knowing what else to say.

Cheerilee rolled the pencil on the bench between them, staring at it as her thoughts trickled through her mind. This was so difficult to come to terms with, most of the ponies in Ponyville had lived there all their lives, including herself and all of them pretty much knew one another. There'd been such an influx of new ponies that she'd realized they'd come from a variety of backgrounds and not all of them might have been pleasant. Like that little ragamuffin filly on the roof of the school earlier (and Cheerilee hoped she was okay!), she must have been living alone and the teacher intended to find out where.

"If I had known, I might have tried to approach it from a different angle, but I guess I might have moved too far too fast, and he just wasn't ready to take it. I thought it was just homesickness and loneliness that's made him strike out at anypony around him, but I realize now it goes deeper than that." she finished and searched his eyes for a response.

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Even the stallion had to wince at the mention of his wife, his brow creased sadly and a soft sound of realisation passing his muzzle as those softened emerald eyes wandered from the teacher to the bitten pencil forlornly. How long did his son want to embitter himself with these memories?

Raising a hoof to rub against his cheek with a small sigh, he met Cheerilee's eyes with his own through the small half-moon's of metal rimmed glass and found himself searching for an answer. Could he just lie?

No...no that wouldn't have been fair to the mare. And she deserved to know why his own upstart son was acting like this...especially from the reaction he'd heard was given that, quite frankly, made the old stallion disapointed.

And it pained him to be disapointed...

Especially in these instances...

"I should've told you from the start, miss Cheerilee," Boyd started, that same appologetic tone ringing in his voice as he sat there. It'd been a LONG time since he'd sat at a teacher's desk to make a confession, that's for sure...

Raising his head he cleared his throat softly and looked the other pony in the eye. Placing one hoof gently over the broken pencil as his mind ticked delicately over his words.

"My wife...passed on a month prior to our moving here...she uh...she was in a poor state of health..." Taking a deep breath he continued, assured his voice wouldn't break.

"Champ is a hellion, miss Cheerilee...but...at the same time he's probably the most emotionally sensitive foal I've ever seen and...his mother knew that more than anyone...but when she started getting sick...it broke him...he thinks HE caused it somehow because he was always around her..." Staring at his hooves for a second he took another small breath. "But...ever since then he's just been so introverted...and...discipline hasn't helped a lot, I've tried reasoning and I've tried having him work in the ship and in different place...but..."

After a moment, he paused and looked to Cheerilee with a blink before his shoulders sank.

"I'm sorry I'm rambling..."

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The teacher's gaze remained on Boyd's as he thought for a moment, and her own thoughts were running through her mind. What could have been wrong, what right did she have to ask? She had to know...her future with Champ depended on it. She wanted to give him the best, and she had to know what brought out the worst to be able to do anything about it. She couldn't dance around an unknown opponent, this one was likely to rear its head again at the most inopportune time...what if this had been in class? What if it had been an innocent comment that wasn't even related? What if he'd decided to take it out on another student? The thoughts terrified her, and she trembled in anticipation of his response.

She listened, her ears pricked forwards as he spoke. She started to say he didn't have to apologize, but then he continued as he lifted his head and the words died before they reached her throat. The mare couldn't interrupt, she could see how deeply this affected him as well. Her hoof and his on the pencil connected, indirectly as he spoke, and her heart jumped a moment as if she was being told a terrible secret, guilt and fear racing through her nearly simultaneously until the words she'd expected but was afraid of left his mouth. Her face went crestfallen, her ears splaying as he finished, and she nodded sadly. She nudged him gently with her hoof to continue, but didn't say anything as he explained what had happened.

Cheerilee agreed that Champ was a hellion, and she let it be known with a faint nod while she continued to study his face, and looked away for a moment at Champ's desk. It'd been cleaned up and long since returned to its original position even if it had remained empty for the rest of the day. She'd made sure it would be ready for the next day when he returned to class, if he returned to class. Deeply inside she hoped he would, and she felt what Mr. Oakhoof was telling her now was making all the difference. When he had finished speaking, she allowed her hoof to touch his gently. "I...I think I understand now, Mr. Oakhoof. I was afraid something like this had happened, but I had no idea how hard it had affected him. I can tell he's a good boy, he's just lashing out and this is fueling his fire...and lashes out at anything that threatens it, because he's afraid of what it will mean, what it'll do. I've seen students like this before, but never affected as deeply as Champ is."

She paused for a moment, and shook her head before continuing. "You don't need to apologize. I'm the one that said something without thinking. I should have just given him detention and then returned him to you and spoken to you first. I wish I had known this first, but the damage has now been done. Maybe something of this can be salvaged, but it will take time." a tear had begun forming at the corner of her eye, and even though she tried to put a brave face on, it still coursed its way down her cheek and dripped from her chin onto the floor. She stared at it for a moment, then wiped at her moistened cheek with a hoof. "It's me who should be sorry. I promised to bring cheer to all of my students and I've brought probably the worst case of misery down on one who needed it the most."

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The hoof on his helped more than words could at the moment, looking over the bitten pencil and then up to Cheerilee as she appologised after telling him he didn't have to...but...for so long he felt he'd had too...he was his son.

Watching the tear rolling down the other pony's cheek, there was a soft pang of guilt and worry as he rummaged in a small saddlebag he'd taken along just incase and took out a tissue. Offering it to the other with a small smile.

Once it was relieved of his mouth, the stallion let out the faintest of sighs past his muzzle.

"Miss Cheerilee, don't think you're the cause of this...Champ...Champ embitters himself further and further since...since the day in question."

Swallowing that dry lump in his throat he looked over the pencil once more and gently rolled the two bits towards him with a creased brow, to break something...? It wasn't the first time...but still...infront of a teacher. What must he treat students like?

A soft sigh ran through the old pony as he rubbed his cheek lazily, mind racing over his son and ideas at some way...something to help him...somehow...

Glancing up to the teacher, there was a weakened threshhold there. He'd done everything to support his son and at times it seemed like a fruitless effort on his behalf...but...what else could you do?

"He will be coming back to school, I'll make sure of it...he can't afford to pass up his education..." Another forlorn sound rumbled through him. "I'm just not sure what to do anymore..."

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Cheerilee thanked him and took the tissue, blowing her nose quietly before depositing it in the nearest trash can. "I'm just not sure what to do. Champ has to be willing to make the effort, but it's such a powerful thing to deal with for a little pony. I thought that suggesting the trip and the penpal idea would cheer him up a bit, but he doesn't want to settle for that. It's admirable that he wants more than just settling for things, but I can't promise him more than that." she sat there looking at the hoof for several moments while the words sunk in her mind. "Maybe if he can be involved in the sports, he can pour his heart into it and eventually it will absorb the passion he feels for it. I think he can be a really good athlete if he wanted to."

"But I don't think he's ready just yet, Boyd. May I call you Boyd?" she looked at the stallion, then over to Champ's desk. "I don't want to have to keep giving him detention or risk more scenes like this morning. He deserves better. He needs some friends here, too. Something exciting and distracting to do. He works at your toy shop, I understand, but that doesn't seem to be enough for him." Cheerilee thought for a few moments, then looked towards the talent show poster from last year. It would be a good idea if Champ could be in the show, but she didn't know if he'd be willing to participate, not yet. If only she knew what he really wanted to do, separate from returning home or mourning his mother... "I'm glad to hear he will be returning. An education really is important for a young pony. I don't know what else to do right now, but maybe we can think of some ways to move forward." she sniffled again, then offered Mr. Oakhoof a smile. "What does he like to do on his own, when he has his time to himself, for fun?"

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Seeing the sincerity in the others face, he couldn't help but smile just a bit despite the turmoil his head was going through at the current, different thoughts rolling against the other like waves crashing against the shore as he tried to consider possible ideas for what to do with his son...and...so far his head and heart just came up with nothing.

Like neither were very into it at the moment.

However the gentle reassurance from his son's teacher did help incredibly, eyebrows raised at the set of questions and possibilities.

He did want his son to have friends, certainly. He'd had some in Filly like he'd had and at times it seemed like the colt just couldn't be any happier than when he was with those two colts.

Always playing hoofball or playing tag...or their favourite games really, anything that consituted as good healthy fun for them at their age, they seemed to do.

Pulling out of his head, he blinked and let out a slightly unintelligent 'uhhh' before he cleared his throat and answered properly, with words this time.

"Well...he never lets me in his room but he does love sports, it's how he got his cutie mark...other than that, I think he just enjoys things with sports..." A faint sigh escaped him. "We uh...we never were as close as he was with his mom..."

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The teacher nodded as he spoke. "He seems like the sporty type. I'd offered to get him into the sports program like I'd said, but all that remains is to have him actually get into it. I think if he were to try out for captain of the team, he would have a really good shot at it." Sitting here, talking to Champ's father, made her feel a bit better, she got the feeling that he genuinely did care about the welfare of his son. Though he'd confirmed her fears, that Champ's problems were deeper than she'd thought, enough to think that he might even need to seek greater help than either of them were able to provide...but who in Ponyville would be able to help such a deeply-rooted pain? She'd never thought to see if there was a psychiatrist in Ponyville before, but she supposed there should be one somewhere.

If he'd had trouble with Champ up to this point, who was she to suddenly turn things around? But there had to be a way. Being blunt and direct didn't help, but now that she knew the cause of his hurt, she could work with it. She'd try her best to turn this raw and rough-edged cluster of hurt and anger into a refined and polished ingot ready for the world. Such metaphors, maybe she'd turn that into a literary lesson for her students sometime. But this wasn't the time to think about future lessons either. She rubbed at her cheek with her foreleg again, and nodded. "Some ponies are closer to one particular parent or another as they grow up, it's natural. His mother must have been something really special. But he's still got you, and he's still new in town, so making friends will probably take a little time as well. If we can just get him to get over lashing out..." she paused here, in thought.

"Do you suppose he likes muffins? Or baked goods? I don't usually do this for all of my students, but sometimes the newer ones need a little help fitting in. Once in a while, I'll take students new to Ponyville to Sugarcube Corner for a school-sponsored baked goods trip. Lots of ponies go to Sugarcube Corner all the time and surely, he might find some ponies there he'd get along with as friends in a busier setting. If we can convince him to be eager to go, that is."

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Closer to one parent than the other...yes...that sounded right...

His mind rolled on the images of his wife

The happy memories that resided in his head, of younger times, of better times. Making baked goods together, that sweet smell that wafted throughout the house every time they did and how happy everybody seemed because of it...

Hearing the last words mentioned by the teacher, he had to spurr himself from his lonely thoughts and blink at Cheerilee curiously as she spoke of Sugarcube Corner...that...could work. Actually. Yes. THAT could work a LOT.

Rubbing his chin with a hoof, there was a small, thoughtful sound that went through his chest before he looked back to the teacher with a hopeful expression lighting up his face as he thought over the idea.

"That could work...he and his mother used to make sweets and bake all the time..."

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Cheerilee smiled brightly at Boyd. That sounded like it'd work out better. Now if only the colt wouldn't take offense and hurt by the suggestion...but that would be something that might come with time. Tact and feeling were two different things that were hard enough to work together, but if they could make this work...maybe it'd help Champ find the direction in life he needed. He couldn't stay at home forever moping and beating up on other ponies all day every day. That road led only to misery. And she had such high hopes for him, too. If only she could get him to break a smile.

"Sugarcube Corner is one of my favorite places. Pinkie Pie is a little rambunctious, but she's just got so much joy to give. I almost always end up in a little chat with her to perk up my spirits a bit as well. It's like, I get some cheer from her, and in turn, try to pass it on to my students. And when I'm feeling low, a muffin there and a little time around Pinkie gives me more." she patted Mr. Oakhoof's hoof. "Then I think we have a plan. Perhaps later this week, maybe I'll see if Champ's willing to go to Sugarcube Corner with me and we can sit and have a cupcake or a muffin. I think it would be fantastic if you came too. Maybe we can get him to relax and think of other things. But that way if things go wrong, you can be there too. I really hope we can bring Champ out of his shell together."

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This could work.

This could really, really help his son.

He found himself a ltitle excited at the prospect.

Finding a smile in him, he watched the teacher and found himself brightening as he thought of his son breaking out into a smile again...it was about time he did.

So many months, it wasn't healthy for a young foal not to smile. He understood WHY he didn't smile...but...it was so long now. It was time for his son to move on. It was time to have some fun for once and watching Cheerilee he found himself nodding along to the teacher's words.

"Sounds like a great idea, I've never been to Sugarcube Corner yet since we moved her."

Glancing out the door, he noticed the sky slowly growing an inkier shade of blue and he almost felt inclined into the next question.

"Well, it seems to be getting late, would you like an escort home?"

It WAS only polite that he ask, she'd gone to the trouble of asking him to come and this had been such an emotional session.

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She stood, her hooves clopping on the floor as they found the wood again. Cheerilee stretched her leg out for a moment before she nodded in answer. "That would be very nice of you, Boyd!" she said, seeming chipper now that a plan seemed to have been agreed on. "Just let me tidy up a few more things before we go." it didn't take her long, however. She picked up the broken pieces of the pencil and put them in her drawer atop some papers. It wasn't clear why she hadn't thrown it away, but she likely had her reasons. Shortly afterwards, rolling up the map from the day's Geography lesson followed, and then she drew the shutters on the windows. After she'd been satisfied that the school was ready for the night, she shouldered her saddlebags with some leftover homework she still had to grade (After all, those students' essays weren't going to read themselves!) and trotted towards the door. Just the one lamp next to it remained and she waited for Mr. Oakhoof to join her there. The lamp preceeded the teacher out the door and hung on a hook on the outside before she closed and locked the door behind her.

"I have a feeling, Boyd, that this will all work out, we just need to give him some time. Ponyville really is a great place to live and play and I'm sure he'll warm up once he works through this. I'm eager to see what kind of a student he'll become, and an athlete, too. We haven't had a really good Hoofball team in years, it's about time Ponyville had a strong one." she blew the lamp out, and satisfied all was well, she indicated down the path. "My home isn't far from here, of course, it's just down this way, but it will be nice to have your company on the way home and I'd feel better after we got there."

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The positive turn of events could've had the stallion skipping if it weren't for his clunky hooves, didn't want to mess up the desks and such with his big old clompers. A small cough escaped him as he followed the teacher to the door and offered a kind smile once he had himself at the doorway and stared out into the night sky and the darkened town of Ponyville. The stars and moon already up rather high up as he stretched himself slightly before he headed out as the lamplight was blown out of sight.

"It's a lovely night, I gotta say...and I'm glad to have had this conversation, it'll be good to see the boy smiling again." He commented with a small smile flickering over his muzzle as he straightened up his glasses.

Darn things never sat properly on his muzzle at times.

He then offered a small smile to Cheerilee as they made their way out, a light shrug rolling his shoulders.

"Well it is only polite to escort a lady home after you took the time to write that letter."

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Cheerilee walked alongside the stallion, quiet in her thoughts for a moment until he spoke. It was a lovely night, the stars so bright and the moon (Minus the Mare now...she'd had a field day with updating her curriculum with that one) was shining bright enough to see the path underhoof. "I'm glad we did, as well. I was afraid you'd be angry at me for what happened in class. I'm still concerned about how it'll affect him, but I'm looking forward to seeing him smiling as well." she swished her tail behind her as she walked. Mr. Oakhoof was very nice, and she really felt for him for all he'd been through the last few years. His wife must have been something really special for Champ to have loved her so, and Boyd seemed the kind of pony who made a great father and husband as well.

She thought about why she'd never found herself a stallion. Never settled for the time, she supposed, there was just so much to do with the school and keeping all the young ponies cheerful and excited with extra-curricular activites. She remembered the little play that Rarity had put on so long ago, with the food costumes...she smiled, remembering, though she couldn't remember now what it had even been about, but those costumes had been so dazzling! Maybe she should do something similar for her own students and she halfways wondered if Rarity would be willing to work with the costumes again unless there were ponies in class who'd want to. Maybe that'll be a topic for another lesson, perhaps. Tomorrow was a new day, after all!

"Oh, it was nothing. Boyd. As your son's teacher, it's my job to keep you apprised of any developments. Normally I don't have to write one so soon after the first day of school, but it's not unusual. Most of the time it's about students who are homesick and lonely or don't seem to be fitting in well on their own. I remember when I was a little filly, some of my classmates took a long time to get adjusted. It's my hope that all of my students will go home at least a little more cheerful than when they came in, and with more knowledge than they had before."

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Boyd was flad he'd came, miss Cheerilee was obviously a very wisened pony and knew how to deal with little ones very well. Which he felt was needed nowadays, especially with spring and little ponies popping up everywhere. He must've seen quite a few when he moved here and hoped at some point to see them all at the shop one day.

He had so many toys to sell since he'd made so many, couldn't stop doing what you love could you? It'd be going against your nature!

Smiling towards the mare he could tell she was acting according to her nature and loved every moment of it.

"I'm sure in time he will get used to this."

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Cheerilee nodded as they walked before she lifted her head to see a dark shape heading off in the distance. "I wonder who that could be at this hour?" she commented to nopony in particular as they turned down the lane towards her house. She stopped at the gate and smiled at Mr. Oakhoof and forgot all about the figure. "Thank you for walking me home, Boyd. I really appreciate it. You can never be too safe even out here." she paused as she nearly turned towards her front door. "I'd offer you in for some tea, but I haven't been to the market yet and I'm sure you'd like to get home quickly to check on Champ. I hope he's been okay all by himself at home."

The teacher looked wistful for a moment, then brightened. "I wouldn't suppose you'd have some tea, yourself? I'm not certain I want to sit down and grade these papers just yet, or even all alone, and maybe you might be interested in hearing some of what the other students have to say. Getting to know some of the other little ponies in town might help you get some ideas for making new toys they'd enjoy. I don't want to impose, though..." she looked up at him curiously.

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Tea...?

TEA.

Ofcourse. How rude he was. How could he NOT offer her some tea back home!? Smiling akwardly he nodded and offered the same akward smile to the mare whilst clearing his throat to push said akwardness away. Didn't want to rasp and squeak the dang words out through a tight throat, did he?

Patting his throat gently with a hoof he nodded and gestured to the store that was still lit up across the way...hadn't Champ gotten to sleep yet? He'd had to have another word with that boy...if he'd opened his door.

Glancing briefly to Cheerilee, there was a soft and nervous sound.

"Sorry if the place is a bit of a state, been having a lot of orders to fill out so it is a might dusty here and there...and...uhm...covered in teddy ursa fluff...lots of it."

So much fluff. WHY were soft toys so FLUFFY?

Moving to the door he jostled it open and for once found it to be quite easy to open up, that was odd....he must've done something when he left for this evening and narrowed his eyes a little as he stepped inside. Something didn't feel right.

"Champ! I'm home!" He called, not expecting a reply and wasn't suprised when he didn't recieve one...so why did that put him so on edge.

Heading inside he invited Cheerilee in with a smile, if somewhat worried for the fact the place was currently a state.

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The teacher followed along behind him as he lead her across the road, how convenient that the store wasn't too far from her own home. She'd never really thought about it before, but it seemed like a nice place. She wondered if he did birthday parties, for some reason. Though the storefront all lit up, she was somewhat surprised, she'd thought the place would have been closed by now. But a spot of tea and settling back with student assignments didn't seem like a bad way to wind down the night, and so her soft footfalls thudded on the dirt as they neared the front of the store.

"Oh, it's alright, you should see the school on crafts days. It gets so crazy, I just don't know what to do with myself sometimes!" she peered around the stallion, curious as to what he did with that ursa fluff, and how he got it. Her eyebrows went up as the door seemed quite easy to open, especially at his apparent shock at the door being loose. "Is everything okay?" as his surprise registered. She cautiously followed behind him as he called out, though she didn't say anything in case Champ was still angry with her. She'd rather not have a scene here. But the eerie silence didn't seem to sit well, and she looked about at the state of the shop. It seemed so...empty, for being so full of toys. Like that unusual feeling that something wasn't right.

Cheerilee couldn't help but feel alarm. What had she done?

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Something was deffinately wrong, ears splayed back as he looked over the work benches and such he furrowed his brow in the faintest of sense of worry that only seemed to deepen. Like an instinct was tugging violently at the back of his mind, saying, something was here and now it's not. That little niggling feeling like when he left his keys on a cafe table...only this felt much more worrying.

And his son's silence only intensified that.

"Hold on, I'm gonna go check he's okay..." He mutters towards the mare, making his way up the stairs that clop and groan under the weight of his hooves. Eyes wandering over the door as he moves to it, the same picture carved into it and the same name...

"Champ? Buddy, y'there? The shop light's still on downstairs...Champ? Are you still angry with me?"

Knocking his hoof against the door he watched it slowly open up to his suprise, it wasn't locked? Blinking he very gently poked his head in, incase his son was infact sleeping, the room was lit up, so that couldn't be right...

But when he saw that his son infact wasn't in his room, the stallion's heart sank and he made his way downstairs with a clatter of his hooves at the speed he was going. Deep pine green eyes wide in fear as he looked to Cheerilee.

"He's gone! He's not in his room!"

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Cheerilee followed him around the workroom, poking her nose into various crevices and cabinets in her search for Champ, though mild curiosity of the toymaker's business also intrigued her. But there were more impressing matters at the moment, and her cursory glances at everything was merely a distraction for the big picture. "Champ!" she called out, hearing her voice echo through the small building. After they'd checked through all the possible hiding places, she'd just been about to join Mr. Oakhoof upstairs when he suddenly came barrelling back down, almost running into the violet mare.

"Gone? Where, what do...Oh dear, this is all my fault! What do we do? Everyone in town is asleep and we've never needed a police before!" she exclaimed, dropping her saddlebags on the floor nearby as she rushed about, double checking as if she couldn't believe that he wasn't there. Finally, she stopped, and let her shoulders slump. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Oakhoof," then she looked up. "But we can't let him run around outside on his lonesome around here! There's many dangerous creatures around Ponyville. We've got to search for him!"

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He was gone. He was gone. The father was so terribly worried, he was pacing now, back and forth and his hooves clacked noisily on the floor before he finally looked to Cheerilee with wide eyes, that was right. Dangerous things. Especially for a foal. He looked disdainfully to a few stuffed ursa minor toys just sitting on the shelf to his far right and giving their small, lifeless stares.

Their larger counterparts, which they'd been based on....could easily swallow a foal whole...and that fear just shot through him entirely as a small and worried nicker shot through his muzzle.

Looking to her, she winced at the apology and shook his head, moving to place a hoof on her shoulder with a suprisingly calm expression. Or the calmest he could manage at this point in time as the corner of his mouth twitched worriedly from time to time.

"No need to appologise, we have to search, like you said, but...but I don't know where to start! He could've gone anywhere!"

The worry rose up again and he marched back and forth before his eyes caught the flicker of white, eyeing over the paper questioningly as he moved to look over it. Blowing away some of the sawdust that was flecked over it as his eyes skimmed over the lines.

"Dad...going home...don't try and come after me...I told you we belonged home and we should have stayed...now I am doing as I said from the beggining...if you ever get out of that podunk town...I will be staying at Dusky's..." His son wasn't the best writer in the world and looking over the scrawls he quickly glanced up to Cheerilee.

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The teacher shook with pent-up anxiety, being unprepared by this entirely. She may be the teacher in Ponyville, but she was still just a pony. And maybe not a mother, but she loved all her students just as much and even if they hadn't gotten along, she loved Champ, too. Maybe not like a mother, but more than just one pony to another. She had to make sure he was safe, and sound. There was no way she could possibly let Champ run off on his own, especially all that had happened. Cheerilee would feel absolutely devestated if something happened to the rambunctious colt.

She flinched as Mr. Oakhoof placed his hoof on her shoulder, expecting a tirade, then opened her eyes wider at his as reasonably calm voice he mustered. Her ears folded back against her head for a moment, then eyes widened. His father hadn't any idea either! Her eyes followed his around the room, glancing at the toys around, and then at the note as it was discovered. Dusky's...must have been one of his childhood friends back home. Suddenly, she had an idea. "He must be trying to get back to FIllydelphia. That means he'll be going past..." her voice nearly dropped to a whisper as the horror of it slipped past her carefully structured walls she'd been trying to maintain. Her voice wavered, "The Everfree Forest."

There was a thud as her saddlebags struck the floor. The student's homework would wait, they had to leave now before Champ made it too far in the wrong direction. Cheerilee turned towards the door and galloped towards it, nearly throwing it open. "There's no time to waste, there are extremely dangerous creatures out there and if he's all alone...oh, I don't know what could happen!"

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