Q&A Blog 05: Rainbow Dash

NSS: After a long delay, we’re back with Rainbow Dash!

Rainbow: Augh, I don’t have to write anything, do I?

NSS: No, I think Spike has that covered again.

Spike: Yeah yeah, I’m coming.

Twilight: Rainbow, you can take the sunglasses off.

Rainbow: I’m getting in the zone, Twilight. Hey, back off!

Twilight: Fine.

NSS: Our questions today come in from regulars, the first from MBreeden.

Rainbow: Oh wait, that’s the human in the whatchacallit, the air patrol?

NSS: Um, the United States Air Force?

Rainbow: Yeah, that! Go on ahead and read it.

MBreeden writes:

Lady Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty,

Hello! I have to tell you up front that I admire your drive and willingness to head right into Cloudsdale to help your friends and aid in your home's defense. You always show a lot of gumption in all you do. I know when I served in the military I always wanted to be where the action was happening and you seem to be that type of pony. My question is: Was there any time you were afraid for yourself or had doubts about what you were doing? You always seem very confident and I was wondering if ever felt that way.

Thank you for all you do.

Rainbow:

Yeah, I guess I am pretty awesome.

What? Twilight, don’t look at me like that.

Anyway, yeah, doubts and stuff. I mean, I know it must have sounded like I was really inching to fly off when I heard about things in Cloudsdale and…well, I was, but I wasn’t excited about it.

I mean, you guys know the story about me doing the sonic rainboom that one time, and winning best young flier that year. Well, that happened at the stadium. Twilight says that you guys have sports too. I mean, if it was your city and your stadium…It’s just not cool. I didn’t want to fight, but I couldn’t just sit at home. So I went to fight. Then, when we saw the city…

Okay, yeah, I guess I kinda did want to fight, sometimes.

I dunno, I try not to think about this stuff much. We’re at peace and the damage is pretty much fixed.

Twilight, could I get another question?

Merne23 asks: Did you stay in the military after the war? Actively, I mean.

Rainbow: Are you kidding? They’d want to make me an officer or something. Do you know how many reports they have to do? Not. Cool. Naw, I went back to Ponyville and my Weatherpony job. I mean, the militia was just to clean up the mess while we were under attack. Everypony was kinda supposed to get back to whatever when it was over, that or fixing all the broken stuff.

And, I’m just not sure it’d work for me, anyway. I met a lot of combat fliers during the war, and they're cool ponies. I mean, duh, about half the Wonderbolts come from air defense groups. They're real passionate about flying, and I’m real passionate about flying, but…It’s not the same.

So we hang out. Which is awesome. But I don’t think I could do what they do. Not as a job, anyway. NSS: Wait, you haven’t given up on being a Wonderbolt though, right?

Rainbow: What? Of course not! I spent a few weeks at their training camp and everything.

NSS: But, it sounds like-

Rainbow: I don’t want to be a combat flier. I never said anything about giving up on being a Wonderbolt. They take ponies from lots of branches.

NSS: Really?

Rainbow: Didn’t you hear about the Wonderbolts Reserve they’re recruiting? I’m practically a member already! I even passed the written test.

Twilight: With some help.

Rainbow: What was that, Twilight?

Twilight: Nothing.

Comments

[Olden Bronie]

Thank you, Rainbow!
I know it can be difficult to answer 'those' kind of questions. I don't talk a lot about it sometimes, either. I know what you mean about the regular service....someone famous once said that being in the military is days of ceaseless boredom followed by minutes of shear terror. We just found was to make it entertaining and focus on what we might need to do. Its always a challenge but someone's got to be there all the time, right? The Reserves are doing a superb job in our current situations. We really couldn't function without them! And like you, they're totally cool!