GeoSeries: Amethyst

Chapter 10

On My Friend's Wings

"You don't have a cutie mark…?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed at her friend, not very loudly, as they were in the Everfree Forest and didn't wish to attract any attention to themselves, but still loud enough to emphasize her shock.

"Yeah…where I come from, there's no such thing as a cutie mark. Ponies were just ponies. There was no jurisdiction of talents, we were just…us…" Age explained to them. They seemed interested by the lack of identity in Age's old home, which was now identified as the Gaitway. Twilight found this name fascinating, and took it upon herself to do some extra thinking, and she also pondered a way to tell Age that they had been searching through his mind.

"That's makes sense, I means, who needs a cutie mark to tell you who you are, right?" Applejack said with a delighted smile. But Rarity turned to her and gave her a smirk.

"Our sisters…or did you forget about the existence of the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Please, I'm still upset about the time they used my golden silk for those silly, yet still fabulous capes that they made!" Rarity said with flare, also flicking her mane in the process.

This was about the time that Twilight felt was right to speak, so she picked her horn up high and breathed heavily. "Age…" She said turning back to him while everyone was still walking. "I need to ask you a question…" But he only smiled at her.

"Shoot…" He said while still being supported by Rainbow Dash.

"Do you remember what your parents look like?" The question moved him, he hadn't been asked about that in such a long time, but one never forgets their parents, and Age was no exception.

"Of course I do…I love my parents with all my heart. My mother was a unicorn, a very pink unicorn too! I'd never seen anything like her, if her coat color was a fabric in Rarity's shop, it would sell out in no time! My dad was an earth pony, he had the brownest coat you'll ever see, and his mane was pitch black. He kept telling everyone that it was just a really dark brown, but everyone knew it was really black. I wonder to this day how I'm a pegasus if my parents were a unicorn and an earth pony, but I guess I just had some pegasus somewhere in the family." He recalled everything with a smile, and the group felt dumb that they hadn't just asked if he knew of his parents. "Why do you ask Twilight?" She shook her head,

"Well…we may have…used a spell to look into your memories since you couldn't remember them yourself." Age raised an eyebrow like he didn't know why she was talking the way she was. " And we saw your parents, so we were just wondering if you knew them, what they looked like I mean. And we also found out the name of your old home, is called…"

"Don't tell me…" Age interrupted her. "I left that place for a reason, I don't want to have any memory of it…" And he started to walk on his own. They all watched him, he seemed to not care that they looked into his mind, but they guessed it was because he had nothing to hide, therefore it didn't matter what they saw. Age was beginning to slip and fall due to his bruised legs and aching chest, so Rainbow flew to his side and returned the support he needed. They smiled at each other, grateful for the help, and the seven ponies walked back to Ponyville.

Once the seven arrived, the stopped in the middle of Manestreet, and everyone except Age had smiles on their faces. He looked around curiously, and nopony was in sight. "Uh…where is everypony?" he asked the six, and Pinkie Pie got up in the front of all of them and yelled,

"SURPRISE…!" And suddenly, ponies from everywhere, windows, doors, alleys, every one of them came to Manestreet and in unison yelled.

"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE AGE…!" And Pinkie Pie shot her party cannon and confetti was everywhere. Age was stunned, he was in public, with his wings at their full length, and no one was saying anything. In fact, everypony started coming up to Age and greeting him and giving him their wishes to get well again, and as shy and meek as he was about his wings, he was so moved and touched by their affection. Rainbow Dash turned to him and winked, and she supported him all the way to the center where the confetti was still falling and everypony was cheering for their new arrival. "Say something…!" Yelled a random pony from the crowd; Age smiled, and with the help of Rainbow Dash, the other ponies gathered around him and took their places by his side.

"I…I…I just don't know what to say everypony." He wasn't crying, but was sure filled with joy and happiness. "From where I come from, before I came here, ponies, and other creatures that saw the real me, they tore me down on the spot. They called me a freak, and treated me like a mutant of nature. But…after being in Ponyville for the short time that I have been, I see that…not every place is as judging as my home. In fact, Ponyville is the nicest place I've ever lived, and I say that having come right out of living in the Everfree Forest for a few weeks." And the crowd laughed, "Thank you all, truly…Equestria is awesome…Ponyville…is awesome…" And the crowd cheered once more. Everything he said was true, the ponies and other residents of Ponyville cared not for his physical appearance, they learned that lesson from Zecora. Rainbow Dash winked at Age, and he went to accept the wishes of his new fellow ponies.

The welcome party when on for hours, and honestly, nopony would forget it, after all, when Pinkie Pie throws a party, anypony better not forget it, or they'd hear it from the ponies who did. Inside the main room of Sugarcube Corner, where most of the parties were held, after the whole room started to clear and the Cakes started to clean up, the Mane Six and Age walked outside. He was able to walk better, but still not entirely on his own. He was still smiling at the kindness of the townsponies, and he offered his returned favor right away.

"Please, if there's anything I can do in return…just tell me." They all nodded, but free time is a virtue in Ponyville, and as soon as they began to walked back, Applejack stopped Age, who was still being supported by Rainbow Dash.

"Why don't you let me handle it for a while sugar cube…? I might have need of him on the farm." Rainbow nodded.

"Alright, but be very careful, we don't know what his limits are." She said and passed his weight to Applejack's. Rainbow then flew up, and gave Age a salute goodbye and darted off, probably towards her home. Applejack then escorted Age to Sweet Apple Acres, and there, he'd be put to some easy work, as Applejack though his wings would come in handy on many things around the farm.

Once there, all three of the earth ponies started harvesting apples while Age sat near the front of the barn feeling helpless. He had already moved a few things down into the cellar, and he also got a few extra ingredients for Granny Smith to make some extra apple pies to donate to the bakery, but other than that he just sat there like a bump on a log. After a few minutes of not doing anything, Age stood up and walked over to Apple Bloom, who was giving water to the pigs. "Apple Bloom…?" He said to her, and she turned to him in delight.

"Yes Age…what is it?"

"I feel so…useless. Isn't there something more I can do?" But the filly shook her head.

"Age, you're still recovering from the incident with the Everfree Forest and all, we don't want to push you too hard, you know?" She was trying to show concern. "I also heard that you don't have a cutie mark, and your just barely older than my sis' and her friends! How did that happen…it'd be interesting if you told me and my fellow Crusaders!?" Age smiled.

"I'll tell you guys why…but not right now…" It was then that Age saw Applejack, and he excused himself from Apple Bloom's presence and approached her from behind. "Hey Applejack…!" And she turned around and saw him. "Look I know you're watching out for me and all…but please tell me that there is something that I can do, preferably one that doesn't involve sitting." Applejack only shook her head and smiled.

"Age, we both know that since the only part of you that wasn't injured in that rodeo of a forest was your wings, everything else is damaged to some degree. I'm sorry that I'm making you feel bad n' all, but there's just no job I can assign you that I'm certain won't make you in any worse shape than you already are. Forgive me kindly…" And she walked past him and he watched as she walked up to the barn and placed a barrel of apples she was carrying. He then saw Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom carrying buckets of apples to the same spot. This gave the large winged pony a good idea.

"Hey Applejack…!" And not only Applejack turned to face him, but so did Big Mac and Apple Bloom. "If my wings are the only thing that are fully functional, why don't we use them as such? Put a bunch of bucket up against the side of the barn…I have an idea…" And he walked backwards and spread his wings, ready to try his idea.

Applejack didn't like where this was going, but it was clear she wasn't going to talk him out of it. A few minutes of noting but the three Apples lining the front of their barn with buckets, barrels, and wagons used to carry the apples they bucked and picked. "Alright Age…everything is set…have at it! Whatever it is…" Applejack said the last part under her breath, but after the first part of the sentence, Age flapped once, and like usual, shot sharply into the sky. He flapped up on the high, and they saw him grin from down below.

Age was eager to try this idea, and he turned his wings to the front and started flapping forward, and at first nothing happened. The Apples watched him, they really had no idea what he was trying to do, but as Applejack was about to say something, she felt the wind starting to pick up and push against her face. Her hat started to rattle a bit, and her mane began to blow back. The air was rushing towards them, and Apple Bloom got behind Big Macintosh and hid from the powerful, and over-whelming blasts. Macintosh turned towards the apple trees, and then he realized what he was doing, the reason they had placed all the collection barrels and buckets in front of the barn was because Age was creating a powerful wind using his wings to blow the apples out of the trees towards the barn, in which they'd bounced off the barn and fall into the buckets. And in due time, after Age quickly snapped his wings back and thrust them forward one final time, the entire orchard shook and apples from the entire front field flew off the trees, hit the barn, and fell into one of the set holders placed. Applejack was busy holding onto her hat, but she managed to get a look at the apples flying overhead and landing in the buckets. It wasn't a perfect strategy, and she did notice that many, along with the ones that got in the buckets, also missed and fell on the ground, only to start stacking up against the barn. Age stopped flapping as soon as he saw the trees were bare, which was only a matter of seconds after his final, hard wing strike, and he slowly drifted down to the ground, almost gliding even to come to a stop. He set down in front of the three Apples, and practically fell over due to his legs being in use once more, but he caught himself, and looked to Applejack with a grin.

"Wow…we've never been done that fast before…" Applejack said looking at their entire North field. Not a single apple was seen in the trees, it was all right there, at the front of the barn. "Now all we have to do clean up the apples that go on the ground, and store the ones in the buckets. Thanks Age…you sure have a gift…" Applejack said and picked up a barrel on her back and started to haul it over to her cellar.

"What…?" Age was stunned; all of them were just moving the Apples, acting like he wasn't there. "Well…I could move another field for you!" But Applejack stopped in her tracks.

"That's quite alright there Age; we already have enough spare time with this field being done. I wouldn't know what to do with all that extra time complied with what we already got. Why don't you fly on over to the track field? I hear Rainbow Dash is there…" Age seemed disappointed, he knew they weren't getting rid of him, but it felt like it. He knew was it was though as flew away from the farm, he simply did more than was asked of him, and that caused his time there to be shorten by getting everything done too quickly.

It wasn't that he was upset, he was just unrested by his inner guilt for having to create such a mess for the Apples, and then not even be asked to help clean up. He tried not thinking about it, but nothing seemed to be able to take his mind off it until he saw the track field in the distance, and sure enough, there was Rainbow Dash with an anemometer racing around the track. Age landed nearby and watched her fly, and she went around and around and around, and soon enough he just stood up and said, "Rainbow Dash…!" Which of course, threw off her balance and made her fall with a thud; Age covered his face with his wings and didn't watch her crash, out of respect of course. After he heard nothing, he uncovered his face and walked over to a dazed, blue pegasus. "Wow…you must've really been in the zone…" Age complimented. She got up and shook herself off, but she still wasn't happy about crashing.

"Yeah…I was…until you broke me out of it. But whatever, it's nothing I can't recover from." And she flew over to the device and grinned. "Awesome…!" And she flew in circles, happy about whatever she saw.

"I recognize this thing…" Age said as he walked over to it. "It's an anemometer…it tells you what your wing power is…right?" And Rainbow answered as she flew back down.

"Totally, and I just beat my best wing power record, no longer am I 16.5…now I'm 17.2!"

"Wow Dash…that's impressive…I wonder what my wing power is…?" But this only gave Dash an idea.

"Why don't you try it out then?" But Age gave her a look of shock.

"Me…? Try that…?"

"Yeah, sure…why not…?" She said and pointed to the track. Age just sighed and shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the track point. He got in the ready position, and flapped his wings the proper way like he'd seen Rainbow Dash do. The wind behind his blew hard, and in another second he shot forward, taking the air with him and literally streaking past the machine. He spread out his wings to land, but once again covered his face from the air he brought with him. He walked back over to his friend, and she was staring at the machine with her jaw on the ground.

"So…? What's my wing power…?" Age asked, sort of excited, but still nervous.

"Age…you have 15.1 wing power…!" Age nearly fell over.

"I have 15.1…? How is that even possible…? I've never even tried this before! It has to be because my wings are so big…!" But Rainbow shook her head.

"Nope, the size has nothing to do with it. I would know because the Hulk, they call him Snowflake, has those itty bitty wings, but his wing powers still measured 10.6, so I assure you, you aren't just a fluke, you have some real potential wing your wings!" This made Age feel really go about himself, and he even smiled.

"Well then what are we waiting for!? Let's get training…!" And he ran to the track and started flying around in circles, and Rainbow was soon to join him.

Weeks when by, and the time the two spent together on the track became their whole lives. For hours every day after Rainbow was done with Cloud Duty, the two friend raced around the track and performed tricks in the sky to increase all the attributes of a master flyer. Rainbow Dash showed Age the ropes, and he was a natural flyer in her opinion, even after not doing it for so long. During that time, Age went to Rarity's boutique and got himself a haircut, and his tail was fixed up as well. His mane returned to the short cut with the curl on the end, and his tail was groomed out to flow more easily. In short, he looked like his old self again, just with a much shorter mane and tail. After about a month since Age measured his wing power for the first time, he was standing on the track once more with Rainbow Dash, and Twilight was sitting near the anemometer ready to test their wing power once more.

"Alright Rainbow Dash…you first…!" The unicorn called, and Rainbow propelled her wings and shot like a bullet pat the device. She then flew back over to Twilight, and she was grinning.

"Yes…!" Rainbow yelled. "No longer am I a pony of 17.2 wing power, now I'm a pony of 17.5!" It wasn't much, but for Rainbow Dash, a little improvement was still an improvement. "You're up Age…" And Age did the same.

After his run, he walked back to the machine, and Twilight nodded at Rainbow. "So…?"

"Age…you have a top wing power of 16.8!" Age was ecstatic. He nearly improved his wing power by 2 in just a month.

"That's awesome…!" But as the pegasi were celebrating, Spike came up to Twilight from behind and tapped on her shoulder.

"Uh…Twilight…" And she turned to face him. He held out a letter, and Twilight used her magic to open up and read it. She widened her eyes, and turned to the two other friends giving each other wing bumps.

"Uh…guys…?" She said and got their attention. "Princess Celestia is requesting our presence in Canterlot…pronto…"