I walked away from the school, and didn't look back. I stared at the ground as I walked, watching my hooves send tiny pieces of rock skittering across the path. After about five minutes of silent walking, I came to the clearing where my hot air balloon was waiting to take me back to Cloudsdale. I quickly undid the rope tethering the balloon to the tree stump, and climbed in.
My mother thought it would be best if I went to school in Ponyville, instead of Cloudsdale. I couldn't exactly take part in the flight classes. I didn't mind too much, I liked Miss Cheerilee, and I had Rumble to hang out with, and there wasn't any pressure for me to fly all the time.
I pulled on one of the ropes, and the balloon changed direction, climbing higher and faster. I could see Cloudsdale above me, coming closer. I looked over the edge of the basket, I knew that being in a balloon was very different to flying, but I liked to imagine that I was back in the air, doing backflips and having aerial races with the other colts who lived nearby. I could just see Ponyville's school in the distance, getting further and further away.
I felt the clouds around me for a second, and then the balloon came to a stop, resting on the cloud just behind my house. I tied the ropes round a pole and jumped out of the basket. I heard laughing behind me, and I turned around to see my neighbours, Smoky and Lavender, holding a model of a plane.
"Hey look Flicker, it's you!" Smokey laughed. He held up the plane and then smashed it into the ground, while Lavender made explosion noises. My ears flattened and I felt the tears come back to my eyes, I didn't need this after today.
"That's not funny!" I snapped, my voice starting to break.
"Oh Flicker, of course it is!" Lavender smirked. "Can't you take a joke?" I grabbed my bag and galloped inside, slamming the door behind me. I could still hear them laughing outside.
"Flicker you're going to start an earthquake slamming doors like that, be more careful!" A voice from the kitchen complained. I rolled my eyes and lay down on the couch on my back, throwing my bag into a corner of the room. My mother emerged from the kitchen, dressed in her Wonderbolts uniform. She dumped a duffel bag on the floor and pushed open the door.
"Salad in the fridge, don't break anything while I'm gone and no staying up late." She reminded.
"Yes mother." I replied.
"I'll be back at about ten ok, it might be longer though, depending on how long it takes the others to learn the routine."
"Yes mother." I repeated. I didn't believe her for a minute, she usually stays out at 'training' until at least three in the morning. I don't know where she goes, but anywhere but at home with me is fine. I saw her look at me for a minute and sigh. She picked up her bag and left, without even stopping to say goodbye.