//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Listless Wings // Story: Unmarked // by Croswynd //------------------------------// Chapter 1: Listless Wings -Illustration courtesy of Wisdom Thumbs Novell flapped through the sky, wind blowing through his brown mane as he flew,  a feeling of freedom rising in his breast. Clouds of all kinds swept by, fluffy and without any threat of rain to the town he soared over. It was peaceful gliding, the local weather pegasi having done their job well to provide a day free of any disturbances. He felt his wings working as they held him aloft, the familiar ache that came with prolonged flight starting in his muscles. His eyelids fell as his wings extend outward, enjoying the sensation as he coasted on a thermal. Warm air ruffled his feathers and mane, almost enough to cause him to yawn, but he ignored the impulse as he flapped above the market square. The subtle aroma of fruit and baked goods wafted below him, his nose twitching as he inhaled the fragrances. His stomach rumbled in reply, grumbling for him to join the grounded ponies for lunch. Smiling, he winged his way to a cloud large enough to hold him comfortably and plopped down on it, admiring the town from afar. Hoofington was bustling with activity as mail mares crisscrossed the lower altitudes, intent on delivering their goods in a timely fashion. Bakers, weavers and farmers struggled through the busy market, buying and selling their wares or just enjoying the ambiance as they rested beneath the shade of trees nearby. Friends stopped to speak to one another, lifting hooves or extending wings in emphasis of their points. The houses around the ponies were tastefully decorated - dark, neutral colors blended in well with the cobblestone street and surrounding environment. Hoofington was an old town and the decor matched an age of proper architecture long past. Novell noticed the doors to one particular building, the local candy shop, were wide open as young fillies and colts rushed in and out, followed closely by their weary parents. He couldn’t tell which ones were already hyped up on sugar and which ones weren’t with the way they were all bouncing around. Their high pitched laughter reached his ears, thankfully reduced in volume due to the height. The pegasus sighed as he remembered the carefree days of being a colt, no concerns but keeping up with school and playing with friends. He had done more of the former as the years went by, his friends deserting him to keep away from his ‘curse’. The memories disappeared in a mist as he snorted, intent on enjoying his day. Laughter and the dull roar of many ponies all in one place buzzed in Novell’s ears, the hum lulling him into relaxation. He laid his hooves in front of him and stretched out on the cloud, yawning and flapping his wings to gently cool them off. The puffy consistency of the cloud beneath him stirred a yearning to just lie down and enjoy the feel of the sun beating down upon his back. A small breeze blew by, tousling his short dark mane and tail as he fell to his stomach. Laying out across the cloud with his hooves under his chin, Novell gazed out over the landscape. Rolling hills of golden grass dominated most of the surrounding area, leaving Hoofington the lone sign of civilization. Old dirt roads lead of town in four different directions, able to take a pony anywhere in Equestria they desired. Mountains crowded either side of the valley of flatland, far in the distance with forested areas gathering below them. A set of particular peaks guarded the pass into the middle of Equestria, where Princess Celestia resided upon her mountain palace. Recently, rumors had sprung up that the other Princess, long ago banished, had returned to once more envelope the world in the peaceful glow of the moon. Novell had noticed the silver orb strengthening in both luminosity and size since the rumors had started, a fact he took solace in. Nighttime flying was  one of his favorite forms, the clear air above the clouds offering a beautiful glimpse at the large celestial body. Not that I really get to fly much at night anymore, Novell grumbled inwardly. His parents had grounded him during the nighttime hours in the thought that a good night’s sleep would help him in his daily toil. Just the thought of the million tasks he had to perform each day caused him to groan in tune with his stomach’s complaining. His eyes narrowed at his white flank, bare as ever, and he sighed. Will I ever find my place? “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” The morose pegasus glanced up just in time to roll over as an orange blur ripped through the spot he had been relaxing on. His heart hammered in his chest as he glared through the hole the blur had made, watching as a particularly annoying pony tumbled straight for earth. Novell rolled his eyes and tried to plug the tear in his perch with a passing nimbus, ignoring the pony’s plight. As soon as he repaired it, an orange head poked up through the cloud and glared at him, rendering his work moot. “Not even gonna help a pony in distress, huh, blank flank?” the offending pegasus accused, worming her way up through the cloud until she was standing on the tatters of it. A mane the color of orange cream soda stirred in the breeze, curled at the ends into graceful bobs. The effect was only slightly ruined by the disheveled hairstyle, a side effect of travelling at high speeds into solid objects. Bandages covered her face, shins, and sides from the many failed stunts she performed on a daily basis, the orange coat ruffled from her antics. Three lighter orange squiggles on each side of her flank represented the wind currents that she could more finely control than anypony else in the city. However, the most striking thing about the mare was the snail that clung to her mane. It gazed at him with a half-lidded stare, seemingly incapable of falling off as the young pegasus bobbed and weaved over the tatters of cloud beneath her hooves. Novell arched a brow at her, unimpressed with her harsh look. “Go bother somepony else, Whisper. I’m busy.” He fluffed up his cloud and tried to wing away a few meters, but the other pegasus just followed and casually insulted him. “Obviously. You trying for a cloud repair cutie mark? I don’t think that’s really a special talent for a pegasus,” Whisper Wind replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she flew in a small loop, a concentrated look on her face. Novell watched unsurprised as one of her wings failed to flap correctly, causing the mare to fall out of sight. A moment later she returned and continued as if nothing happened, her eyes closed. The snail’s expression still hadn’t changed. “You know, if you actually tried at something, maybe you could actually do it. All you do is quit if things get tough, even if you’re kinda good at it.” She opened her eyes and paused as she realized that was almost a compliment. “Not that you’ve really accomplished anything good,” she finished lamely. “And your problem is you never quit,” Novell countered, drawn into the conversation despite his wishes. “All you do is fail over and over at every ‘trick’ you do. One of these days, you’re going to fall and not be able to catch yourself. You might even try a dive and not pull up in time, the way you’re going. Not everypony can perform to Cloudsdale standards, Whisper. You’re a weather pony, not a Mare Devil.” He said the last to empty air as Whisper attempted a cartwheel and fell onto a cloud below her, bouncing slightly on the fluffy surface. Novell wondered at how lucky the other pegasus was, never managing to hurt herself too gravely despite her dangerous stunts. She stuck out her tongue at him as she regained her hooves, raising her voice to be heard. “At least I know what I’m supposed to do!” Novell watched her fly away to either perform more tricks that were certain to end in utter failure or actually do her job for once and regulate the air currents. He hoped it was the latter, but knew it was just going to be the former. Peace and quiet returned, his efforts to salvage what was left of his cloud ending in failure as the remnants vanished into thin air. The pegasus sighed as it evaporated, forced to flap once more as dark thoughts for the other pony ran through his mind. A bell tolled below him as the Hoofington clock tower’s hands hit twelve, the sign for him to once more begin the day’s labors. Novell headed toward home with another sigh, winging his way across the sky. So much for relaxation. Moving swiftly, the pegasus’ house came into view a few minutes later, a solid wooden house rather than the cloud palaces most pegasi preferred. The sturdy home had been built by an old friend of his father’s many years ago, still standing strong despite its age; it hadn’t even required any repairs aside from a fresh coat of paint now and again. Novell was always the one forced to redo the paint, though he didn’t mind as much as he complained aloud. It was relaxing work for somepony who could fly. As he drew closer, he heard humming coming from the adjoining garden, an arch of white fencing covered in vines leading the way in, premature grapes beginning to grow and add a splash of color to the painted wood. Branches from the nearby forest hung over the garden, rustling in the wind and bringing with it the slight aroma of pine and oak. The twitter of birds accompanying the song grew audible when he landed, watching his mother gently flap and twirl as the breeze carried her to and fro. His mother was extremely light, with all the weight of a cloud, despite of her shape. She was easily blown away and had to stay indoors whenever a storm was scheduled or she’d end up miles from home, lost, with no sense of direction. Even the slightest breeze could move her, as it was now, brushing her cloud-like mane in easy motions. Her teal body was usually guided gently by the birds around her, all eager to help keep the mare in the garden. A tan feather against a fluffy white cloud floated on each flank, her special talent allowing her to communicate with any avian and create the shapes of the clouds that ponies always giggled at from the ground. Whereas most pegasi could shape clouds to do what they wished, Feather Light could transform them into full fledged art. She was often asked to design homes for the local pegasi, to which she graciously assented. With hooves clip-clopping against the small, stone walkway into the garden, Novell chose to sneak in before she could see him. His ears twitched as the humming stopped, the door to his home halfway open. “Good afternoon, Novell!” his mother’s voice said airily, as if she wasn’t completely aware of her surroundings. “Your father’s in the kitchen waiting for you. Have fun, today, will you? And don’t worry, you’ll find your special talent soon enough. Everypony does.” “Thanks, Mom.” Novell sighed at the encouragement and opened the door the rest of the way. “Let’s get this over with.” He said the last under his breath, already feeling the disappointment exuding from the kitchen. Wooden furniture at home in any earth or unicorn pony’s house tastefully decorated the living room, a clock ticking on the wall as if counting down the time he had left before his lecture. When he turned the corner into the kitchen, he saw his father standing there, waiting with his back turned. He was a dark grey stallion, the color of the storms which he stewarded above Hoofington. A black cloud with two branches of lightning forking from each covered his flank, in tune with the yellow streaked zigzags that adorned his mane and tail. Most ponies agreed that it was reminiscent of the stallion’s ferocity when dealing with the chaotic weather patterns. Thundermane turned as Novell trotted into the kitchen, head lowered in shame and waiting for the inevitable reprimand. “You’re late,” his father said quietly, though Novell could have sworn he heard the harsh crack of thunder in the tone. “We have much to do. You will work beside me today, as a storm is scheduled soon. But first, we must prepare the town. Perhaps you will find your place among the flashes of lightning and pouring rain.” The powerful stallion snorted softly, his yellow eyes staring at Novell with a weary look that seemed more directed inward than outward, quickly erased by a small smile. “Please warn the mayor and citizens before joining me above the storm system. We can’t have Hoofington taken by surprise.” “Yes, sir,” Novell replied, unease rippling through him at the thought of dealing with a thunderstorm, tempered slightly by the levity his father displayed. Still, Thundermane wouldn’t put him at risk, despite the stern exterior - he was only trying to help, in his own way. Novell slinked out of the room and made for the door, cheered up slightly at the prospect of working beside his dad. His change of heart was almost exciting, as if he were crackling with some inner energy. Flying back into town, the pegasus hoped that meant he was close to finding his special talent. ***** “Yes, yes, a thunderstorm would do quite well,” the mayor of Hoofington bellowed, stroking his beard with one hoof. Novell winced at the mayor’s volume. “Excuse me, I’m so used to speaking to crowds. Anyway, I must say, we have all become a bit complacent with the calm weather this season. Perhaps this will liven things up a bit. Wouldn’t that be something, livening up Hoofington? Ho, ho. Such a busy place, but where’s all the fun and excitement? Not like Ponyville, no, no.” The mayor snorted and tapped his brown hoof against the map on his table right on the dot that marked the other town. “I hear they’ve had quite the bunch of interesting circumstances happening there. Parasprites and hydra attacks, by Celestia! But, I digress; you have my word that the town will be warned. Now, I do believe you have a job to do and good luck, young Novell. I know you’ll find your place here in our little town soon enough.” Novell nodded somewhat morosely at the last, a sigh creeping in before he quashed could the urge. It seemed the task of getting him his cutie mark was the goal of everypony in town, as if they were ashamed of having a fully grown pony without any talent. The constant reminder that he had yet to find any specialty was irking, but he shrugged it off with practiced ease. He nodded to the receptionist on the way out, the unicorn barely registering his presence from behind the large newspaper she held in her hooves. A steadily growing excitement was gathering in his body as he imagined the tug of the high winds on his mane, the loud cracks of lightning as he and his father worked the clouds to release the rain held within, the smell of the ozone filling the air, and look of the cloudscape from above, grumbling under its own weight. He’d watched from afar as his father performed these duties but had never participated himself. Perhaps this would do the trick to make his flank less bare. The door to the mayor’s residence opened easily despite its weight, closing with a small thud as he stared into the sky. Dark clouds were just starting to gather near Hoofington, out on the plains. He spied a few pegasi swiftly ducking and diving through the storm clouds, agitating them enough that they crackled and spat with lightning. He counted the seconds before the sound rolled over him, a deep rumble that sparked a million new thoughts in his mind. Was this the key? What could he say to ever do justice to the sound of thunder rippling through the town? How did the pegasi not get shocked themselves? Would he hurt himself trying? Was he going to fail again? The thoughts began spiraling down into more negative areas, so he broke off the inner monologue with a snort and a shake of his mane. A small puff of dust rose as he stomped his hoof and lifted his wings. Jumping into the air and letting his wings buoy him upward, Novell once again experienced the exhilaration of flight as he headed toward the symphony of light and sound. Wind began to clutch at his mane, sending it over his shoulders in random directions, sometimes falling into his eyes despite its short length. Ponies walked leisurely to their homes below him, staring upward with a variety of different expressions ranging from annoyance to relief as the storm drew closer. A few of the fillies and colts he’d seen bouncing around at the candy store earlier were playing in the square and giggling at the thunder and lightning. One pegasus filly stared up at him with awe in her eyes, her own little wings flapping. He grinned and waved at her as he flew, the town quickly making way to farmland and finally to the fields he had gazed out over just an hour ago, grass waving in the wind. Without warning, he was suddenly buffeted to the side and lost altitude. His wings instantly shifted into a position to correct the path from years of flight experience, but the impact was still jarring. Wind was fiercely regulated around Hoofington, so there was only one excuse for an errant stream. Looking around suspiciously, he noticed an orange tail stuck out of a cloud near him, two sets of eyes peering out at him, one set half lidded and the other mischievous. He sighed and continued his journey, ignoring the weather mare’s attempts to annoy him. Acknowledging her pranks would only encourage her to do it again and again. His eyes narrowed as he remembered her killing his cloud for the thousandth time. And again. The storm front was slowly plodding toward the town, the wind ponies near the back of the clouds beating their wings in unison. Lightning crackled again in an early warning for the townspeople while a female pegasus kicked another cloud, seemingly unruffled by her proximity to the sound. When he looked closer, he noticed clouds stuffed in the mare’s ears as sound suppressors. Nodding at the logical precaution, he snatched a fluff out of the cloud nearest him and stuffed it in his own ears. The world around him dulled as the cloud muffs did their work, blotting out the thundering roars and whistling wind. With his ears protected, Novell raced to the top of the thundercloud where his father would be supervising the entire operation. A spec of yellow against a black background and gray coat caught his attention, his father’s hay colored eyes bright in the growing darkness. Small sparks of electricity appeared in his mane, uncontrollable bursts of electrical power drawn to the stallion. His father nodded in greeting, a splotch of white cloud in his ears evidence that Novell had done something right, at least. The winds were fierce up at their altitude, whipping his hair to and fro as he looked side to side, watching the birth of a storm. Pegasi of every color flew through the clouds, lightning trailing them as they bucked and kicked. Lights danced through the scene, bright in the muted cloudscape. The moisture in the air rippled over his coat, transforming into rain, small crystals of ice and back again as they rode the high powered breeze. The dampness in the air covered him in a thin sheen of slick ice, his wings beating harder in response to heat himself up. Freezing this far up would be dangerous even with the safety crew waiting on the ground for any accidents. His ears flicked every which way in a futile effort to try and make sense of the dull roar he felt in his chest. The storm was almost over Hoofington now, all but trembling with anticipation. A grin spread across the pegasus’ face as he realized that the anticipation was true for both the cloud and the city itself. A motion from his right alerted him that his father was ready to begin the deluge. Large, dark wings lifted the stallion’s body higher, pegasi all around following their leader. Novell quickly joined the rising tide, knowing what was expected of him from previous experiences watching from below. Without a word, Thundermane stopped and held steady, looking left and right, the rest of the weather team halting in accordance. This was the moment Novell had been worried about—the drop. His mouth dried as his heart thumped in his chest, but one look at his father’s face quelled the agitation. Lightning veritably flickered through Thundermane’s eyes, a slight smile appearing as he prepared himself for the task. Ponies all around started grinning at one another, their wings beating in rhythm. Everypony was so filled with confidence, the result of performing their task over and over, and the joy that showed on their coordinator’s face only amplified their feelings. Novell felt like nothing could go wrong, the edges of his mouth slanting up in a smirk of his own. Each pegasus stopped beating their wings, dropping like stones toward the upper layers of the cloudscape. Novell followed a second later, diving for all he was worth and squinting his eyes against the rush of air with his wings pulled in close to his body. The storm grew closer, pegasi all around him scattered across the large surface area in the same dive. It was an awe-inspiring sight to see all the ponies trailing air streams behind them, clouds swirling in their wake. They looked like the shooting stars Novell loved to watch streaming across the night sky. Even though it wasn’t audible, he noticed more than a few ponies laughing in adrenaline fueled excitement. When they hit the top of the storm cloud, a crack so loud he could hear it through his cloud muffs echoed around him, rattling his bones. His teeth gritted together as he followed, hitting the gray storm and causing a small crack of his own as the clouds reacted to his sudden intrusion. Ice and sleet whipped through his mane, his wings fighting the gales trying to buffet his body back and forth. Separated from the others in sight, Novell felt a hint of his nervousness returning, the cloud lightning up all around him. What felt like an hour of diving through a soupy mist ended as his vision cleared, the ground still far away, and rain following him as he punched a hole through the clouds. Similar holes all through the bottom of the storm released their own precipitation, bathing Hoofington in a dreary, wet atmosphere. Novell leveled off, winging on as he tried to make sense of the thousand sight rolling through his mind as he stared at the cloud’s pitted surface. He had seen the start of a thunderstorm from the top, but this was different, the storm roiling around the holes in its surface, rain falling like diamonds at the reflected light from Hoofington. Lightning crackled across the sky, avoiding him entirely and impaling itself on the many lightning rods scattered amongst the city’s rooftops. The rumble of thunder sounded deep in his chest, rattling the windows around him as he flew lower. Slowing down, Novell rendezvoused with the rest of the pegasi weather team in the town’s square, puddles already forming in the parts of the street where the flagstones were cracked or broken. Lamp posts blazed cheerily against the growing darkness, the flames guttering gleefully, protected from the rain by small glass domes. Smiles broke through the grim atmosphere as the pegasi pulled out the clouds stuffed in their ears, chatting with one another and congratulating those who had pulled off some daring moves. “I saw what you did there at the end. That loop de loop with the rain following you was awesome!” a red coated pegasus said to his companion, a teal mare smiling coltishly. They both had their cutie marks, rain on the red and snowflakes on the teal. Another group of three ponies nearby performed a zany series of hoofshakes with each other.  “Nice work, today. No accidents this time, eh?” one said, laughter breaking out from a small crowd of ponies. Novell watched them for a few seconds, basking in reflected friendship with a feeling of a job well done in his heart. He squinted his eyes against the rain, glancing around for his father. The lead stallion was in the midst of a group of other pegasi, chatting amiably about the weather. No one seemed in a hurry to escape the conditions, despite their coats becoming heavy with the rain. Pegasi didn’t get cold easily, fortunately. His thoughts were interrupted as something poked his side, hard. “Still no cutie mark, huh? Figures somepony almost as good as your dad can still mess things up,” Whisper smirked, and then dropped her mouth back into a scowl. “Not that you did that, uh, great, compared to everypony else. Like me. Anyway, enough about you, did you see me? I was all like, wham, bam, practicing my moves for the competition coming up, doing cartwheels and flips while still moving that storm along. Everyone was so impressed, even Swirley.” She emphasized her point with one hoof pointing at the snail on top of her head, its eyes lazily blinking one at a time. “That means yes. Anyway, it was almost too easy. Too bad you were too busy not getting your cutie mark to notice.” Novell’s shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, used to such jibes. The feeling of companionship he had felt a few seconds earlier evaporated as the crowd began to disperse. He didn’t even bother checking to see if his flank was still bare. It was and would always be, even if he did something as exhilarating as what he had just experienced. Listlessly shaking his wings, Novell trotted away, his head lifting toward the sky. The drops of rain tasted sweet as they fell across his tongue. There’s always tomorrow, Novell thought hopefully, not feeling any real confidence. Whisper made no move to follow, rolling her eyes at the blank flank, the snail on her head lowering its eyes near her own. Swirley stared at her for a few seconds in his half lidded way, communicating silently. She scowled. “Stop staring at me. He’ll get over it.” She shook her head as her pet returned its eyes to gazing lazily at the world. Whisper sighed and turned to the pegasus beside her to brag about her moves. It was such a shame.