//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Charles Pathfinder - A Gryphon in Canterlot 
// by Xaratos 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 3


	I awoke at the crack of dawn. Damn, I was tired. Not being able to get up early in the morning is not a good thing. Especially when the alarm starts to ring like tartarus and you have to stand up, walk to the alarm and turn it off. I  decided to take a shower to start my morning. I am still not used to having a shower. It is really hard to believe but it’s true. Hey, if you never used a shower before, you would feel the same.


	


	I came out of the shower feeling refreshed. Oh sweet Celestia, a shower wakes you up.  Especially when the shower is really cold. I left my room and went to the kitchen to make myself some breakfast. When I entered the room I saw her. It was the mare who didn't want me to get this job. This was like a bad beginning for a long day.


	


	


	“Good morning, miss. How are you doing?” I started the conversation with doubts as to how it would end.


	


	“Good morning, Charles. Sleep well” She replied.


	


	“Yeah this was the best sleep I've ever had. Stones are not really what you would call a good place to sleep.”


	


	“Sounds like it.” She replied curtly.


	


	Then there was silence. Just silence. Some noises from the coffee machine, but nothing more . It was just like being watched by a timber-wolf. She drank her coffee and just looked at me. It was as if my being alive was a mistake. I turned myself to her and looked deep into her blue eyes. I could see it in her eyes that she wanted me gone.


	


	“If you don’t mind I would like to ask you for your name.” I broke the silence.


	


	“My name is Free Spirit, and I am kind of the secretary here. I help the boss with paperwork. I also organize the daily schedules.” she explained.


	


	“So can you tell me what I have to do today?”


	


	“Ehm...I think you are paired with two pegasi to clear the sky. Today should be a sunny day so you only have to clear out the clouds. Just make sure that the sky stays clear.”


	


	“Ah, I understand.” I took a sip of my coffee to wake myself up a little more. “And is there nothing else to do?”


	


	“I don’t think so. But be prepared to help the other weather teams out. Sometimes they need help, so you might have to fly to some towns like Ponyville.”


	


	“I have been there once. it was rather funny.” I giggled. “They are a very closed community.”


	


	“So what are you doing here in Canterlot Charles?” I was surprised by her question.


	


	“Ehm...I am trying to live a normal life like everypony else here. But just to say it the easy way it’s rather difficult. If you have a life like mine it's really hard to get a job.” I put on a fake smile and take another sip of my coffee which was starting to get cold. “Damn...next time I should make myself some tea.”


	


	She giggled a little bit and smiled. This was the first time since my arrival that I've seen her smiling. Maybe she isn't that bad. So I tried something new.


	


	“What about you? Why are you living in Canterlot?” I asked her straight out.


	


	“I came here to get this job. I was used to living in a small town. After I hit eighteen I decided to get a job and live on my own. That's why I moved to Canterlot and got this job.” she explained.


	


	“Sounds quite interesting.” I said honestly.  “Ehm, when do I have to start working? And to whom am I paired with?” I also asked her.


	


	“I am going to be your partner for a while now and I am going to teach you how to make rain and snow. I am also going to teach you how to make a dark cloud and a normal cloud. You also have to learn how to destroy clouds to clear up the skies.” she explained briefly. “To make them disappear you have to kick them really hard.”


	


	“So when do the lessons begin?” I asked her excitedly.


	


	“I think now is a good time to start them.” Free giggled. “Let’s move” she said as she gestured for me to follow her into the meeting room.


	


When we arrived at the meeting room, she told me to take a seat.





	“Now welcome to our boot-camp, recruit!” she yelled at me “I am your drill sarge. But for now just call me Free. Your first task today is going to be learning how to move a cloud. So lets start.”


	


	“Here's the cloud you have to move.” she pointed to the cloud in front of me. “You have to feel the cloud. You can walk on them. But as a normal pegasus who isn't shown how to move one can’t move a cloud. Now come on and try to move it.“


	


	I grabbed onto the cloud with my claws but as I tried to move it I just flew through the cloud. That made her laugh at me.  I was like `Buck why can't I get that cloud to move?` I tried again and put my claws into the cloud, but my claws just went straight through the cloud. It was like tartarus. I tried it for two more hours and I still couldn’t figure out how to move this damn cloud. On the last try I can't quite recall but I felt the cloud. There was water in it and it was just like a container. So I thought about it as a container and grabbed it again.


	


I flapped my wings and the cloud moved forward. I was really surprised at how easy it was.





	“Move the cloud out of Canterlot and meet me there.” With those words she flew out of the city and I followed her. After I reached her I watched her sitting on a cloud. Then she started hopping on it and suddenly the cloud became black.


	


	“Now I am going to show you how you can make rain.” She said. “Okay here we go. Its really simple. You have to touch the water and set a timer like progress. That's how we make rain. At first I want you to make it rain in 5 minutes.”


	


	“Okay and how am I supposed to do that?” I said, a bit annoyed. It took me at least two hours to get this freaking cloud to move out of Canterlot.


	


	“It is like telling the water the time you want for it to start raining. Sounds easy enough, but I think you should try it.” She explained and sighed.


	


	“If you say so. I'll try that right now.” I sighed in frustration and tried to feel the water. The first thing I felt that the water inside the cloud waited for something. So I told the water to fall in 5 minutes. After waiting for  five minutes, it suddenly started to rain.


	


	“Nice job Charles. You made it rain.” she giggled.  “To be honest it took me one year to get to that. Now that we are finished with that, just let the cloud disappear. Just kick it with your claws.”


	


	I did what she told me and the cloud disappeared with a poofing sound.


	


	“Now we are going to take a break. It took you long enough to learn how to move clouds. So what do you want to do Charles?” she asked me.


	


	“Normally I would go hunting. But I don’t know. Since you are here I think we could try some small talk.“ I replied.


	


	“You go hunting?” She asked surprised


	


	“Yeah I am an omnivore. I eat meat and vegetables. But I prefer eating meat. Don't worry, though. I only eat small woodland critters, like squirrels and rabbits.” I explained to her. “If you want to eat something vegetarian, I'd love to join you. I think it is better to talk to you instead of hunting, but I don’t have any Bits to buy something to eat.“


	


	“Ah, it’s no problem. I think I can pay for your food if you tell me something about yourself in exchange. Deal?” she asked me.


	


	“I think it's okay.” I replied.


	


	“So let's get going.” she said as she started flying back towards Canterlot. I followed her. After a couple of minutes she landed in front of a small building. There was a sign which showed that it was open. Free Spirit opened the door and gestured for me to follow her in.




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