Rainbows and choices

8

My alarm clock woke me up. I had been busy reading the letters 'till deep into the night. I didn't sleep much, but I was awake right away. I emptied both the box with seized things and the box with letters in my saddle bag. After that, I only had to take the things that they had not confiscated. I stuffed my toilet bag and towel in my bag. Then I had two things left. A necklace. It was gold and had half a heart at the end. The word Friends was written on the heart. I never wore it. I didn't want it to break or blood to come on it in the Rainbow factory. I got it from Devo for my birthday. He also had a necklace with the other half of the heart. The word Best was written on his heart. I put the necklace on for the first time in ages. Now I only had a stack of framed photos. The top one was the school photo. I stood there among all my friends with a big smile. The second photo was one of me and Devo. He was taken when we were younger. As little foals we were laughing in the grass. The third photo was one of me, Yona, Sandbar, Smolder, Gallus, Ocellus and Silverstream. We all lay on our stomach on the floor in a circle around a board game. We all had a smile on our face. The fourth photo was a family photo. He was taken before I could fly. I sat on the back of Cloud Walker and Spitfire flew next to us. It looks like we had a lot of fun. The last photo was also taken in Cloudsdale. At flight school. I already had my cutie mark, but I was still a little foal. I just did a little walk in the air while Snow Star flew beside me laughing. I had many more pictures in my room in ponyville, but these 5 were my favorite. Carefully I also put them in my saddle bag. That was the last one. I put my necklace under the t-shirt of my work outfit. Then I closed the door behind me.

Rainbow Dash was already waiting for me at the gate. 'River Wing, do you want to put Black Blue's name on the list of ponies that are allowed to leave The Rainbow factory?' Rainbow Dash asked the green pegasus who was in charge of the guard. He nodded surly and scribbled my name on an exceptionally short list. 'I'm ready.' I said. Rainbow Dash nodded at River Wing. He, in turn, nodded at one of the guards, who started to open the gate. 'Remember, not a word.' Said Rainbow Dash. 'Yes Ma'am.' I said. Rainbow Dash spread her hoof out. 'You're free to go.' She said. She didn't need to say that twice. I spread my wings and flew out. I enjoyed the feeling of the wind through my mane and I took a deep breath of fresh air. Then I started a dive. I dove down. Under Cloudsdale. I moved up about 12 meters from the ground. I flew low over trees and forests. Until I approached Ponyville. I shot back into the air and kept flying on the spot. I looked out over ponyville. Nothing had changed in a year. I saw sweet apple acres and sugarcube corner. I saw Twilight's castle and the school of friendship.

I calmly landed in front of the school door. I didn't really live in Ponyville, but I had a room in the school. Just like my friends. I originally lived in Cloudsdale. I pushed open the door. No one was there. I walked to the courtyard. It was also empty. Sure, it was Wednesday afternoon, but was there really nopony in the school? I walked on to the student corner. I heard no sound. I entered my room and put my saddle bag on the floor. I would empty it later. I took off my work clothes and went back out of my room. I knocked on Devo's door. No answer. I knocked on Smolder's door. No answer. Then something came to my mind. In the past, when the weather was nice, we all often went to the lake on Wednesday afternoon. I didn't want to waste a second and flew like lightning to the lake. There they sat. Yona, Sandbar, Gallus, Smolder Ocellus and Silverstream. They were laughing. 'And when I stumbled, the cake I had came right into Gilda's face.' Gallus said. They all laughed. 'She won't like that.' Smolder said laughing. 'Nope, she picked up a cake herself and threw it at me. I was able to jump just in time, but then it landed in Gabby's face.' Gallus said. 'Knowing Gabby, she wouldn't have found it such a disaster.' Said Sandbar. 'She probably called the entire city together for a food fight.' Said Silverstream and she threw a muffin at Yona. Yona caught him and ate him. 'Do you call that a food fight?' Asked Smolder and she threw a handful of nuts at Ocellus. 'Hey, I thought Silverstream wanted to do a food fight.' Ocellus said and she herself threw a carrot at Silverstream. Within a few seconds they were engaged in a food fight. It looked like fun. It was so good to hear their voices again. Suddenly I had an idea. As fast as my wings could carry me I flew to sugarcube corner.

'3 boxes of cupcakes please, Pinkie Pie.' I said. 'Oh, Black Blue. You're back. Your friends have missed you so much, and we as teachers and friends too. For Twilight you don't have to catch up on tests, but you do get a bit behind on the rest then. But that's okay because what you did was also very important. I mean, waaw, Cloudsdale Air Force Reserve.' Said Pinkie Pie. 'Good to be back. But now I would like to go to my friends. So I would like to have 3 boxes of cupcakes, but none with red icing.' I said. I didn't think I could ever eat anything red in my life without having to think back to a pony that was completely torn to pieces in the pegasus device. I might be back, but it would never be the same again.

When I had the cupcakes I hurried back to the lake. My friends were still unsuspecting in a food fight. I put two boxes of cupcakes on the floor and with the third in my hooves I rose high above the fight. 'Do you call that a food fight?' I exclaimed above the chaos and started throwing cupcakes at everything that was moving. I heard their enthusiastic responses, but did not intend to stop the food fight that quickly. I threw to Gallus, Yona, Ocellus, Sandbar and Silverstream. I couldn't find Smolder anywhere until she suddenly appeared out of nowhere with her hands full of what was once a delicious salad. She dropped on me and we splashed together in the lake. We surfaced just when Yona jumped in the lake too. A giant wave engulfed us, but we surfaced with a smile. The others also jumped into the lake. For a moment we laughed and played, but then a very familiar voice came from the edge of the lake. 'Black Blue?' I turned around. There was a blue unicorn. His mane was dark blue and light green and his cutie mark was a pencil. It was Devo.