A rainbow coloured trail

"Omygosh Rainbow. So you just..." Fleetfoot stared shocked at me.
I nodded slowly.
"You just sneaked into Spitfires house? And it looked like she never lives there?" Fleetfoot gasped. "And then you found out that after she started the case her parents did'nt responded to her letters."
I nodded again.
"And you and Soarin found out that she photographed her whole life. And she loved her parents very much." she continued.
"They used to visit her every week." I said.
Fleetfoot looked at me with a comfused face. "Visited? Her parents never visited scince I came here."
I tried to remember her photo albums. Just pictures of her everyday life. But they stopped suddenly.
"Just like the letters!" I then said.
"What?" Fleetfoot said "I don't understand."
"Halfway the album she stopped photographing ther life. Just like the letters stopped." I explained.
"Ooh. I get it. Maybe the dates are the same. Just saying something." Fleetfoot shrugged.
"No, the last picture was from 2 march at the Wonderbolts Gala. But it does mean something happend at that gala, just like something happend at 5 june." I answered. I wondered what went wrong then.
"When the Gala was on 2 march she became the captain of the Wonderbolts. It was 3 years ago. Two weeks later I got in. And if you like to know, this year the Gala is on 2 march too." Fleetfoot put her bag in her locker. "I'm going to train."
She walked back into the hallway and flew outside.
Somewhere, I felt really bad about digging up Spitfires life, but I pushed it away. If I wanted to know, I had to go trough it. And Spitfire wouldn't notice anything.

The next few days I avoided everypony except Fleetfoot and Soarin.
It was almost easter holiday and I was going to visit my parents with them.
First I doubted about asking Soarin but Fleetfoot convinced me that it would be more fun with the three of us and we all are in this Aviane-case/investigation so we could talk about it without looking around if anypony heared us. I agreed.
Louise was going to Manehattan to some fancy festival and Fluff was going back to Las Pegasus with Strato who appearantly lived there too.

"Finally!" Fleetfoot spreadded her wings and did a looping "The first time I ever leave this place. Woohoo!" She did another one.
"How far is it actually to Cloudsdale?" Soarin asked.
"Not so far, but my parents live in some sort of fancy looking suburb some kilometres from Cloudsdale." I is'nt even fancy, but because of the large houses which have only one floor it looks like it.
I could'nt believe I was going to see my mom and dad again.
"Look! There's the fancy looking suburb." Soarin pointed at some clouds with houses on them. Finally.
When we stood in front of my partents house I got a little nervous. My dad said I could bring my friends, but what if he does'nt like Fleetfoot or gets the wrong idea about Soarin? That won't happen, I kept telling myself.
My mom opened the door.
"Hi Rainbow. It's so nice you decided to visit. Oh, and you brought your friends. Come in."
"Thanks. This is Soarin and this is Fleetfoot." They both greeted my mom and dad, who came to the hall.
My parents home had a living room with a kitchen isle and two small hallway's. The first had the front door and my parents room connected to it. The second had two rooms and the bathroom connected to it. We drooped our bags in the two rooms. the house barely changed scince I visited for the last time. That has been almost a year ago.
"Do you want something to drink?" my mom asked "It must've been a long flight."
"Yes please." I said.
After having a drink we dropped our bags in the two rooms.
"Your parents home is quite nice. Do you want to sleep on top of the bunk bed?" Fleetfoot put her bag on the bed below.
"Okay." I answered and flew up.
"But do you think your parents will talk about the case?" Fleetfoot said while unpacking her stuff.
I shrugged. "They want me to become a Wonderbolt real badly."
"And do you want to be a Wonderbolt?" she asked.
I did'nt know what to answer. I did'nt even know the answer for myself.
I had to live in Cloudsdale instead of my house above Ponyville. And I was going to be a member of team B with Misty Fly and Lightning Streak who did'nt like me. Cloudsdale is'nt that far from Ponyville and besides the choreography's I could still be with Soarin and Fleetfoot. But Spitfire is suspicious of everything I do and Louise wants to get me kicked out.
I have to prove Louise wrong and Spitfire can do whatever she wants. She won't get the best of me and Fleetfoot.
Like Fleetfoot read my toughts she said "If you don't want to be a Wonderbolt you don't have to. I'll be fine."
I had no idea what to say.

The next day we ate breakfast and visited the music festival in Cloudsdale.
There was a giant statue of a microphone on wheels riding trough the streets of Cloudsdale and a pony in a costume giving candy to filly's and colts. We wondered which pony walked around in that costume.
We had lunch at a restaurant where we could see one of the platforms where somepony was singing.
"How long do we actually have this holiday?" Fleetfoot said while eating her sandwich.
"5 days I guess. I don't know exactly actually." Soarin looked at me.
"Well, we're staying three day's here." I said. I wondered if Spitfire was home now and found her old dairy's padlock broken.
Maybe she's mad I did'nt invited her or because I invited Soarin. I bet she wanted to spend the holiday with him.
"Look! There goes the costume pony." Soain pointed at the street. We laughed and ate the rest of our lunch.

"My hooves hurt!" Fleetfoot sighed and opened the door.
"Then you should'nt have walked that much. And be a little quiet. The neighbours have two colts who probably are asleep." I answered.
Soarin closed the door behind us.
"Hello. Did you have fun?" My mom was reading a book.
"Sure. We've already eaten, so you don't have to cook for us." I said.
"That's nice to hear. Your dad is still at work. Why don't you sit down, it's quite late."
We sat down on the couch next to the bookcase.
"Do you have a dress for the Wonderbolts Gala?" Fleetfoot asked.
"No, do you have to wear a dress?" When saying that I already knew the answer.
"Sure. I have to wear a smoking." Soarin said "And I look weird in one."
We all laughed.
"Then we should get one tomorrow." Fleetfoot said excited.
I raised an eyebrow.
"The Wonderbolts gala is very soon and then every shop makes the prices at least ten bits higher. I have mine already." Fleetfoot turned her head to Soarin who was sitting on the other side of her. "What do you think?"
Shopping. Something I absolutely disliked. What could be more boring than searching a dress?
Searching a dress with Louise, who stays at least one hour at each shop. That would be worse then just searching a dress.
"Fine with me. The festival is still in Cloudsdale tomorrow." I sighed and made sure nopony heard it.
"Then it won't be so crowded near the shops." Fleetfoot was getting even more excited.
Well, maybe it would be fun with them.
"Your friend is a Fashion designer right?" Soarin asked.
"Yeah. Rarity is awesome." I was happy I did'nt had to talk about dresses anymore.
"Tell something about your friends." Fleetfoot asked.
That's easy. "Well, Rarity is a fashion designer. She made my gala dress at the Grand Galloping Gala."
"When you saved my pie." Soarin remembered.
"Yes! And Applejack was the one you bought the pie from. She works at her farm near ponyville. Pinkie Pie is crazy." I described my friends and realised how much I missed them.
"Let me guess, she's pink." Fleetfoot said sarcastic.
"How do you know?" I said overly surprised.
"Just saying something."
We laughed.

The next day Fleetfoot dragged me into the first shop she saw and let me put on all sorts of dresses.
"Fleetfoot, Rainbow tried so many dresses on already." Soarin said after what felt like forever to me.
"And this is why you guys don't like shopping." Fleetfoot said while she gave me another dress.
The appearantly I'm a guy too.
"Fleetfoot, I like this one." I grabbed a dress with a dark grey back and a silver lint and a train from black fabric you can see trough.
"Oh yes! That one is amazing. You should totally try that one on." She pushed me into a changing room.
"But I just did." I said. Actually I did'nt know because I stopped counting after the first one.
"You did'nt!" Fleetfoot smiled and she closed the curtain. The dress was'nt itchy and I could still fly fast in it, as far as flying fast in a dress was possible. I'd better buy that one or else Fleetfoot kept me trying dresses on.
"I'm done." I opened the curtain and walked out.
"It's so beautiful!" Fleetfoot pushed me towards a mirror.
"I like this one and it's not too expensive so I think I'm going to buy this one." I turned around in front of the mirror to give Fleetfoot the idea I was really looking at the train of the dress.
"Are you sure you don't want to try on this one?" She holded a light purple dress with a lot of lace.
I hated lace.
"No. I want this one." I turned around again.
"Fine. Then I'll put these back." She grabbed the pile of dresses I tried on and hung them back in the racks.
"That took so long." I sighed.
Soarin nodded. "Try not to be annoyed. It's the first time in three yeaqrs she has been in this kind of shop."
He walked to Fleetfoot and helped her put back all the dresses while I changed back.
After paying the dress I looked at the clock in the shop window opposite the street.
"By Celestia, is it already five o clock?" I said. Did we spend two hours inside that shop?
"Appearently. We better go back to your parents house. Then we will be there before dinner." Soarin said.

"You bought a dress for the Wonderbolts Gala? How nice." My mom put a saucepan on th table.
We all got some food.
"When is the Gala actually?" my dad asked.
"Two march." Soarin said "Just like three years ago. It's always on two, eight or nine march."
"That's very soon. And then Spitfire will announce the new Wonderbolts right?" My mom sat down too.
"Yes. I probably will join team B." I said. If I decide to become a Wonderbolt after all, I added in my head.
After that my dad started talking about something else.

I slept bad. I wanted to be a Wonderbolt, but I wanted to be with my friends too.
According to Fleetfoot it's not nice to be in a team with Misty. And when I tried to speak to her she acted very strange.
But you're the element of loyalty. Something said.
I was and I always be loyal to my friends. Even if I have to give up on my dream?
I turned around.
Maybe.
What if Spitfire makes me a Wonderbolt at the gala?
Then there's no way to go back. And what if I ever regret becoming a Wonderbolt?
No, I won't be a Wonderbolt. I won't leave my friends.
I woke up.
"I won't be a Wonderbolt..." I whispered.
Even tough I already knew I never got myself to go to that gala anyway I felt sad.
I just realized that my dream was gone. The thing I wanted scince I was a filly, which half Ponyville helped me by teaching the history of the Wonderbolts. Just... gone.
I got up and flew into the kictchen. I'd better get something to drink. I opened the fridge when my dad walked into the living room.
"Hey, are you awake too?" I poured some orange juice in a glass.
"Yes. I wanted to drink something too." he said.
I got another glass and filled it with orange juice.
"I slept bad." I gave him the other glass.
"Why? A nightmare?" he asked.
I better tell him now I'm quitting. "No. I decided to quit the Wonderbolts training."
"What do you say?" He gasped and almost dropped the glass. "But you can't quit."
"And why not?" I almost quitted the academy once.
"You can't give up on your dream." he said.
"But it is'nt my dream anymore. I'd rather stay with my friends in Ponyville." I explained. Fleetfoot and Soarin would understand.
"But you have to become a Wonderbolt."
"And why?" I asked. That was something I really wanted to know. "Do you want me to be a Wonderbolt because you believe I want it or because of something else?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe something that happen three years ago? On 5 june?" I continued a little angry. "Did I needed to become a Wonderbolt because of something you wanted?"
I got him. He had to answer my questions now, but instead my inner Dash answered them.
Proving his daughter is better then the pony who took his inheirtance. She said.
No. My dad is'nt like that. He won't...
But as soon as she said it I knew it was true.
It felt like something inside me broke and stared at the ground.
The anger was gone and replaced by a hollow feeling.
My dad knew it too. "Rainbow, I will explain." He wanted to hug me but I turned around,
"No, you don't have to." I flew back to the room where Fleetfoot was snoring a little and felt asleep crying.

That morning I woke up late. Fleetfoot and Soarin were already up.
It was such a weird night. Did I dream that my dad wants me to be a Wonderbolt?
I sighed and went to the living room.
"Hi guys." I said not that happy.
"You're awake. Finally." Fleetfoot said. "We did'nt wanted to wake you up."
I forced myself to smile.
"We better pack our stuff if we want to be back at the Academy tonight." Soarin stood up. "Are you sure you're alright?" He tried to look into my eyes but I stared at the ground.
"Yeah, I'm okay. You're right." I went back to the room and put my stuff back in my bag.
The whole trip back to the Academy I was quiet.

To not make my friends suspicious I went to the library and searched for books about Aviane.
She was the only thing I could think about that was not making me feel sad.
Everything I belived was shattered. What now?
I browsed trough some shelves. History of Clousdale. The Wonderbolts. Famous pegasi.
I opened the book about the Wonderbolts.
"General Firefly, Commander Easyglider. The Academy record." I read out loud.
Wait. The Academy record! I broke it. I could be the captain of the Wonderbolts if I wanted to.
There would be no Spitfire to watch me and I could make sure Misty was'nt being mean to Fleetfoot.
I could stay in my house above Ponyville. There was nopony telling me that I had to live in Cloudsdale.
That moment I felt like the happiest Pegasus in Equestria.
There was a solution. I could be with my friends and live my/my parents dream.
Was it my dream?
Yes. But my friends are more important.
I opened all the books I could find and opened the pages about Aviane.
The rainbow maned pegasus stared right into the camera. I noticed she had three little thunderbolts on her front right hoof.
"I'm going to be the captain just like you Aviane." I whispered.
"Ahum." Somepony couched. "You want information about Aviane?"
An old stallion wanted to talk to me.
"Yes. I broke the Academy record." I said.
"Please." he said. "Let me tell you something."
We sat down behind a big shelf of books for eggheads where nopony ever came.
"Did you know Aviane?" I asked.
"No. But my brother did. Just listen." he said.
I nodded.

"I have 5 brothers and sisters. My older brother was 12 and I was 9 when he realised he was the oldest and that nopony was around his age. My family counted 8 ponies. My father and mother, my brother and I, a filly from 5, two twin brothers from 4 and a foal from 2 years.
I was the only one noticing he was feeling really bad about it.
Untill he stormed into my little room saying he met the girl of his dreams. She was the one and he was so in love.
The fact that she was already 19 did'nt matter. In love age does'nt matter."
I thought of Rarity and Spike.
"I've never seen him so happy. When he started to describe her I could only imagine the most beautiful pegasus in Equestria. A black coat, red eyes and a wavy rainbow coloured mane."
Aviane.
"Aviane" He repeated my toughts.
"He lived on a pink cloud and did'nt came down. When Aviane broke the Academy record he was so happy for her.
Just a few weeks after her twentieth birthday she left to go to the academy. She became captain and stayed there. The fame got the best of her. She did'nt write and did'nt visit. He had to read all her scandals in the newspaper and saw how much she has changed."
"And then?" I asked.
"And then? What do you think happend then?" He laughed a little melancholic.
"His heart was broken. Avaine left him and changed into an arrogant, over self-confident pony that hit the newspapers with tons of fights. Aviane was unrecognizable.
Untill that little letter. A tiny sheet of paper with: Please visit and a little heart.
He did want to go but he felt confused and did'nt knew what to do and he was too afraid Aviane was going to tell him she did'nt love him.
Ten days later she was dead."
Did she kill herself? It was like he read my toughts.
"She comitted suicide. She was found with her wings tied to her back under the floating rocks near the academy.
My brother felt it was his fault. If he visited her...
He left and never returned."
"Oh my. That's... terrible." I stared at the old pony "And have you ever heard of him?"
"No. He might be in Canterlot or in Manehattan. Fillydelphia or Las Pegasus. Or he might be dead. I'm over hundred now and I have'nt seen him scince I was 11.
Now listen.
Everypony says not knowing is sometimes better then the truth. Not knowing the negative news is worse then questioning.
But sometimes it's just opposite. If I get the negative news he is dead, I will be so sad.
If I don't, I will question my whole life where he is and if he's actually alive.
Sometimes not knowing is worse then the truth." He wishpered the last words.
"That's so sad. But one more quetion before the library closes." I looked around.
"Why did'nt Aviane visited him?"
"Don't you know?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Once you become the captain you're not allowed to leave. Ever."