Can love bloom on a battlefield?
Of course. That's how I met my husband Dragonfly, after all. Weren't you paying attention?
How would you feel if I suddenly exploded, causing you to be mortally wounded?
I think if you really wanted to do that, you would've done it already.
Also, please tell me a story about emus.
No. I will not do that. I've put up with a lot of your shenanigans, but this is where I draw the line, Mr. Book. Emus played no part in my life, and that's final.
What was life like in the Cloudsdale Militia? Could you describe your first day there?
Life in the barracks was pretty rough. There's really no other way to describe it. As I mentioned before, the Cloudsdale Militia is where I was whipped into shape, thanks in no small part to our CO, Captain Monsoon. And my first meeting with Monsoon could've gone a lot better.
On my very first day at the training grounds, I got into a big fight. Thistle Whistle joined up the same time as me, and right away, other recruits were picking on her. Of course, I stepped in to defend her honor. One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting in Monsoon's office along with the pricks who started the fight in the first place. Suffice to say, he was not happy with any of us.
I was confined to barracks for three days for engaging in fisticuffs while the other recruits got put on KP. You can only imagine how frustrated I was by this. My first day in the military, and I had to spend it in bed because I had the nerve to stand up for a pony who had trouble standing up for herself. If you were in my horseshoes, I'd bet you'd feel the same way. Of course Thistle, being Thistle, tried to make it up to me in any way she could. However, I was just too mad at her to acknowledge it, even though she really had nothing to apologize for. Again, it wasn't until my first taste of combat against Scylla that I realized just what a good friend Thistle Whistle was to me.
But that's not to say I didn't learn my lesson. After those three days, I made a concerted effort to control my temper and avoid getting into fights. There were still times when I lashed out, but those incidents became less and less frequent as time went on.
How was basic training? Was it anything like you expected?
It actually pretty much matched my expectations. There were cloud-busting exercises; laps around the facility; team-building drills; all that good stuff. Back when I was a filly, young pegasi were exposed to the concept of basic training at a young age. It was all part of our military culture. They still teach the material today, but unless you really want to join the military, it's not required.
Do you have any enemies, rivals, or ponies you just can't stand being around?
Not really. When you're a military pony, you don't have the luxury of forming petty rivalries with others. Because one day, that rival may just end up saving your life, or visa versa. Now, that's not to say that ponies didn't get on my nerves from time to time. Before I knew just how important Thistle Whistle was to me, I always got annoyed by her constant whistling. I also got annoyed at schmucks who tried to bring her down because of her nervous habit. And I can't say I was a big fan of Songbird insulting the military left and right, even if she did have her reasons.
But I would never call any of these ponies my enemy. At the end of the day, we were all still fighting for the same thing. My only enemies were those who wished harm on Equestria and its citizens. And that is a position I think most ponies in the military should take, if they haven't already.
Do you ever find yourself loosing track of time?
More so nowadays than back when I was in active service. Especially when it comes to answering your questions, Mr. Book. You just have so many things to say, even if some of it is nonsensical. I'm actually worried that I might end up dying while writing in you.
...
Just a bit of morbid humor there. Don't worry yourself, Mr. Book.
Goodnight.
Goodnight? Goodness gracious, have I really been writing in your for that long? Hold on, let me check the time...
...
Very funny, Mr. Book. It's only noon.
Or, is this your way of saying goodbye? I'm willing to answer more questions if you have them, but at the same time, I do have a decent amount of material for my memoirs. Maybe I should start wrapping this up pretty soon. I hope you don't mind.
Either way, thank you. I was very skeptical about this at first, and your weird questions did throw me off quite a bit. But I can't say this wasn't fun. There's something, magical about reliving my life through answering these questions, y'know? Talking about all of the glory, the heartbreak, and everything in-between just helps me realize what an awesome pony I truly am. And I'm not saying that just to boast; it's all documented history.
So, again, I thank you for helping me with these memoirs. If you do happen to have any other questions before we part ways, I'll be happy to answer them. For now, have a nice rest, Mr. Book.
...
And it still feels weird to say that to you. I guess there are some things in life that you just don't get used to.