“I just don't know how to feel about this.” Rainbow Dash sat in a cushioned chair inside the room where Flash Magnus was staying. She propped her chin in her front hooves as she watched her legendary hero fly back and forth, sort of pacing in midair.
“I've looked up to the Wonderbolts my whole life,” she continued. “And I finally joined the reserves last year. And I've always looked up to you, too. But now you've got nothing positive to say about the Wonderbolts, or the royal guard.”
Flash flicked his red tail. “Try to see it from my point of view, Dash. I was in the Royal Legion at the height of its strength. There were thousands of troops stationed from coast to coast. We were the first line of defense from every threat. We had the most advanced armor and gear available at the time. I've been talking to the guards and other ponies all day, and I don't like what I'm hearing. The castle has only a dozen guards on duty at a time, and about two hundred that patrol the city altogether. And there are only a hundred Wonderbolts even though the population is many times what it was in my day. Starlight told me that she had never even heard of the Wonderbolts until you told her about them.”
“Okay, so maybe they could stand to recruit more. But they're still an awesome team. I've learned so much from the 'Bolts.” Rainbow sat up straighter. “They make me feel like a part of something bigger, the same way the Elements do.”
Flash sighed. “It's great that you feel that camaraderie with the other cadets, but Celestia admitted that they relaxed their standards for joining. If six or seven untrained ponies are more capable of defending Equestria than the entire military, what's the point of keeping it going?”
She squirmed in her chair, torn between her loyalty to her friends and to the Wonderbolts (and the royal guard, to a lesser extent). “I don't know. My friends and I can't be everywhere, even with the Map directing us.”
“Isn't that all the more reason to bulk up our defenses?”
“I guess. But the kind of change you want isn't going to happen quickly. I don't think it should, for that matter. I think a lot of ponies would get nervous if there was suddenly a military presence in every town. It might make our allies nervous, too. They'd wonder if we were planning something bigger.” Dash looked up at the dome ceiling in thought.
“So we tell them the truth!” He waved his forelegs.
“They probably wouldn't buy it, especially not the dragons. And there's another thing you're missing. The military is expensive. I don't pretend to know how the government spends its bits, but we need to make sure we have enough funds for thousands of troops and all the equipment we'll need.”
“Then that's something I have to ask Celestia and Luna about. I think it would be worth the expense to get the 'Bolts good armor. I can't believe you only have those thin flight suits.” He shook his head.
Rainbow knew that the reason they had lightweight uniforms instead of armor was that they did aerial stunts and maneuvers almost exclusively. Yet if they had been wearing helmets when they'd tried to rescue Rarity, maybe her flailing hooves wouldn't have knocked them unconscious. Some protection could serve them well even in noncombat situations. It was certainly something to consider.
“I do like the aviation goggles, though,” added Flash, pausing to hover in midair. “If you have a cost-effective way to make glass, it makes sense to use it to protect your vision.”
“Actually, they're plastic,” said Dash, relieved that she could tell him some good news for a change. “It's cheaper than glass and way more durable.”
Flash rubbed his chin. “Like those headphones you showed me?”
She nodded.
“That's good, but they need armor like mine, or helmets at a bare minimum. I shouldn't have to tell you how deadly a high-speed head-on collision can be.” He tapped his chin. “Now, what about the earth pony and unicorn branches? What kind of equipment do they have?”
“Huh? Are you talking about the royal guard?”
“Not the guard, the branches.” He spread his forelegs. “You know, the specialized forces that train to use their skills together? It's great to combine tribes most of the time, but it makes sense to divide by tribe for training purposes. Learning how to stick a landing isn't practical for a unicorn or earth pony, for example,” he explained.
Rainbow frowned in thought. “I don't know much about them, but I don't think there are branches for just unicorns and earth ponies. The AMA is a specialized force, but they're more of a government peacekeeping agency than part of the military, and I don't know exactly what it is they do. It's very hush-hush.”
Flash landed on the carpet and massaged his temple. “Okay. So either these special forces are in even worse shape than the pegasus branch, or they're secretly powerful and advanced and the princesses are covering it up.”
“Come on,” she said, rubbing her forelegs together. “That's pretty unlikely.”
“Which one?” He narrowed his eyes at her.
She looked away. “Uh . . .”
“That's what I thought. We're not recruiting, we're not training, we're not equipping, and we're not utilizing our ponies' strengths. Can you imagine how helpful it would be to have a squadron of unicorns using battle spells and shields, and using their magic to stop enemy combatants in place? Not to mention an earth pony cavalry that can throw projectiles with incredible speed, break up rocks and tunnel underground with their bare hooves. I tease Rockhoof about his shovel, but it's actually a good tactical skill to be able to dig a trench quickly.”
Rainbow put her hoof to the side of her face. “Well, maybe the AMA does some of that stuff. I don't know. We could ask one of the guards. Or we could visit the AMA headquarters ourselves and find out more about them.”
Flash sat back and folded his forelegs. “All right, where is it?”
She raised her hoof. “I . . . I don't know. It's somewhere in the city.”
“Do you even know what AMA stands for?”
“Of course I do. It's . . . Something something agency.” She held her head in her hooves, not sure whom she was more frustrated with – Flash or herself.
“All right, that's it! I'm waking up Luna.” He rose into the air again.
Dash zoomed up in front of him. “Flash, why do you feel like you have to do something about this now? We just stopped the Pony of Shadows and freed Stygian from the darkness. Can't you take one day to relax?”
“No.” Flash's ears lay flat. “I can't relax! If I try, I know I'll start moping around, feeling sorry for myself like Rocky and the others. I'm not going to let myself do that.”
Rainbow winced. “I'm s-”
“Don't say you're sorry, Dash.” Flash was rubbing both temples at that point. “It's not your fault that our friendship problem almost eliminated all the light and hope in Equestria. And now I really am feeling sorry for myself. I hate this.” He rapidly shook his head. “The point is, everypony has bad things happen in their lives that they can't do anything to change.”
Rainbow's ears drooped. “Do you think it was a bad thing for us to bring you and the other Pillars back from Limbo?”
Flash hesitated for a few seconds, but when he responded, his voice was firm with conviction. “No, this was a good thing. It doesn't feel good right now, but the Map wanted you and the other Elements to bring us back for a reason. There's still a lot we can do to change things for the better. That's what we need to focus on – not what we can't change, but what we can. Besides, my friends and I knew that we would have to make sacrifices for the sake of Equestria. What we're going through right now is just another sacrifice,” he finished.
“Wow, Flash.” Rainbow blinked at him. “I knew you were smart, but I had no idea you were such a deep thinker.”
Flash offered a wry little smile. “It's like Rocky says – there's a reason they decided to keep me around.”
“I'll say,” said Dash with a laugh. “I don't know how quickly we can start some of the changes you want, but I'll help you any way I can.”
“Thanks, Dash. That means a great deal to me. I know that you have earned the respect of the ponies, and your opinion holds a lot of clout.”
“I am pretty awesome,” said Rainbow, her grin spreading wider, “but this is the first time anypony told me I had clout.”
“Well, it's true.” He soared around her toward the door. “Come on, let's see if we can find the AMA headquarters.”
“Right behind you.”