//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Charles Pathfinder - A Gryphon in Canterlot // by Xaratos //------------------------------// Charles Pathfinder Chapter 10 (finally) Just the normal morning routine to wake up. Get out of the bed shutting down the the alarm getting into the shower and eating breakfast. I was getting ready for work when I suddenly remembered that I live where I work so I had a lot of time to do nothing probably learn a little bit more till I have to work. The hour passed and I heard a knock on my door.         “Charles are you in there?” White Quill asked.         “Yeah i am in there. What time is it?”         “Time for work but not here Charles. Miss Dash explained to me that you did are really good job in Ponyville so she wants you to work there permanently. So you are going to work in Ponyville. We organised a house for you and it is already paid. I made a bank account for you there too so you don't have to do that. If you need anything else just speak with Miss Dash. So you can pack your things and leave whenever you want.”         “Okay? Why are you placing me into Ponyville? I am fine here. I have my home here so why do I still have to go there?” I asked.         “Because I think that a change of scenery would be good for you and you need to get to know other ponies then these stuck up nobles which don´t care about the rest of the ponies when they aren´t nobility.” he shook his head “That´s why I said yes. You lived too long on the streets here and you should get a house for yourself.” White Quill looked to me with a friendly smile.         “I understand that but I am still not happy with that. But how do I get there? I am still exhausted from the flight in the night back from Ponyville. I don't think I can handle another flight back to Ponyville yet.”         “We already took care of that. The Cloudsdale weather factory is paying for your train trip and you can take whatever train you like. So you can finish whatever you still have to do.” White Quill told me “I am sad that you have to go but I think you are going to have a better time there than here in Canterlot.”                  “Why do you say that?”         “I am originally from Ponyville. I was born there I lived most of my time there and I had a lot of friends there too. My childhood was pretty normal compared to yours. I think you need to go there because everypony is nice there and the town itself is better than Canterlot. After everything you have gone through you need a peaceful place to live.”         “Yeah I already realised that. The town itself is pretty nice too.”         “So you can do whatever you have to do but you have to be till tomorrow in the morning. You already have to work there tomorrow.”         “I am going to pack my things as soon as possible and that would be right now. But I am still going to visit you.” I smiled at him and gave him a shake with my paw.         He left my room after that was said. I started packing my things which are not that many things considered that I am an orphan I just packed the books and the essentials into my bag. I still have to bring them back to the Canterlot Archives. I just realised that White Quill put a small letter on my desk. I opened it and saw that this was about my bank account in Ponyville which he said he opened for me. I started flying to the Archives. When I landed there I walked inside the building and looked for the librarian. When i found her I walked straight to her.         “Hello Velvet.” I greeted her with a faint voice which was pretty low for library standards. “How are you doing?”         “Oh hello Charles.” She smiled when she saw me “I am doing fine. You know a lot of books to sort and categorize and I have to deal with these stuck up nobles who don't come here for the books. They just wanna look like they have an idea who is related to whom. But thats a diffrent story. So what brings my favourite gryphon back here to little ol me?”         “I have to move to Ponyville and I wanted to give back some books I lent here. I really don't want to go to Ponyville. But my boss thinks that I am going to feel better when I am going there” I sighed “i am just used living here that I actually don't want anything else.”         She just stood there and stared at me and then looked me into the eyes and made a ‘hmmm’ sound, she formed a smile to me and said to me in a soft and calm voice  “You know Charles I remind me of somepony.”         I tilted my head in confusion “Who?”         She tilted her head with her eyes closed and a with a soft smile she uttered the words “My daughter.”         “What?”         “She used to live in Canterlot and just like you books mean a lot to her and are a big part of her life. Because of that she never really had friends. She was reading so many books that her only friend was her brother and her foalsitter. That was until her teacher sent her away to Ponyville to learn how to make friends. She only had a few friends until she moved to Ponyville.” Velvet sighed but a small smile started to form on her face before she continued “But now her life is filled with friendship. And I think if you go you will find something worth keeping that will make you stay in Ponyville.”         “That sounds good but I still don't know. I lived here my whole life. I had many downs here but at the moment I am having so many good times that I don't want to move out from here. Everything turned better after I talked to Princess Celestia. Now I have a place to stay, some friends and a work where I am pretty good at. Now I have the feeling that I am worth something. And then they asked me to move away from everything I have gained? How can I leave this? How can I move aways just like that? HOW DO I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE OK!?”         Before i could say anything else closed my beak with her hoof and said “You know it better than to yell in here Charles.”         I looked away in embarrassment and when I noticed that ponies who were reading started looking at us before they finally returned to their books. “Sorry…”         “It’s okay Charles. I understand that is is hard for you to let it go after you finally found some happiness in your life.” She took the books I held and started stamping them off and while she did that she said “I think you are going to have it better there than you will get in this place.”         Then i noticed something small on her chin. A tear? Why is a tear rolling down from her eyes? Before I could ask anything else she said to me in a gentle voice and a smile on her lips “I wish you good luck Charles and I hope you will find the happiness you deserve.”         I suddenly felt something on my beak. It seems like she was not the only one that had tears rolling out of her eyes.         “Charles what's wrong?” Velvet said with a concerned voice.         “It is difficult to explain Velvet...” I tried to say with the most composed voice i could muster but failed miserably to keep my shivering voice in check “I have lived most of my live here. I have seen ponies doing all horrible things both to me and each other which I can never forgive nor forget. I have dreamt about leaving this place since I have been living here, but as I found some friends i finally feel at home. for the first time in my life Everything has gotten better for me and even I am the only gryphon here I gained some friends who like me the way I am and I...” Before I was done with my sentence I was caught in a warm embrace. It seems like the time I had used to talk about my feelings she had moved around her desk and now she is giving me a warm hug. The feeling was weird. It was a feeling that i don't understand. A feeling that i couldn't fully comprehend. It was warm and felt like all the sorrows have been washed away from me. This feeling made me feel relaxed. It felt like the first time I slept in my bed in my old living place. But it was warmer and in the end it made my tears roll out faster. But I knew it was the feeling I have been longing for all those years and if felt like all of my past burdens have  been washed away.         ______________________________________________________________________________ We arrived at the Canterlot train station. Everywhere were ponies in a hurry to catch their train or wish farewell to their loved ones. We arrived at the platform for the train to Ponyville. The train was already waiting for the passengers to get into the train. “Velvet are you sure this is going to be okay? Don´t you have to watch over the library?” I asked her with a guilty smile on my face. I wasn't sure if I am yet ready to move to a different town.                  “It´s going okay Charles. My assistants have the library under control and today is no such a busy day. And I also thought you could need my support.”She said with a smile on her face that did in fact boosted my confidence. As we moved to the platform where my train is waiting for me to get in and bring me to my new place where I am going to live. The train station was crowded as usual. Ponies were busy going to their trains - not really paying attention to what is happening around them - or going back to their loved ones after a long trip. “Here we are Charles are you ready for this?” She looked at me with a honest smile as we reached the platform “Do I actually have a choice? “ I gave a stiff laugh as I looked sheepishly at her, earning only a small grin for my second-rate performance.  “I wish you good luck on your future life.” She hugged me and hold me a little bit longer. Out of everything in this place this is probably the thing that I am going to miss the most. I silently thought to myself. “Charles I am going to be here no matter what. So if you ever have problems just visit me in the library okay?”          “Thanks Velvet for everything you have done for me.” I smiled at her and returned the hug. “So I guess it is time for a goodbye?” “Goodbye Charles.” She simply said and waved at me while having that ever lasting warm smile on her face that I loved so much. “Goodbye Velvet.” I just replied with a small simple smile that I would be never able compare to her warm loving ones. I entered the train. The train was like everything ponies made pretty colourful. Everything in there was comfy and there were also some other Ponies sitting on there. Some would go to other cities but most of them would visit Ponyville. As I took my seat - which was close near a window - some ponies moved away to other seats that were far away from my own and gave me odd looks. Thats just as I am used to that kind of behaviour. The train started pulling out of the train station I looked out of the window to give the city one last glance `Some things won't change hmm?` I thought to myself. I just realised after the train started to move slowly that my work colleagues were waving like maniacs to me. I just thought ‘They should be working these idiots and not waving goodbye to me’. A smile made its way on my beak `maybe some things are changing`. The next thing is that the train reached the end of the platform and started pulling into the direction of Ponyville. I was thinking about what is going to happen in this small little town. I looked out of the window into the direction of Ponyville which you could see `What will await me when I get into that town hmm? It can't be as bad as what I experienced in Canterlot` I stated to myself as I stared into the direction of Ponyville which is going to be my new home.