What It's Like to Fly

Xavier interviewed Rainbow Dash, asking questions about what it was like to grow up as a Pegasus, about her athletic abilities, the Sonic Rainboom, and competing for a spot in the Equestria Games. Then he asked the most pointed question of the interview.

“Dash, what’s it like to fly?”

Rainbow Dash sat thinking for several minutes. It was such a simple question, yet the answer wasn’t entirely simple. She had been able to fly from the time she was very young, so it was hard to remember not being able to do it. Yet Earth ponies and Unicorns couldn’t do it, nor could creatures like Xavier. They spent their entire lives on the ground.

Dash felt sorry for those who couldn’t fly, and then she felt terrible for feeling sorry for them. How could she think that their lives were any less positive than hers? Still, she realized at that moment just how much flying meant to her. She tried to explain this to Xavier.

“Xavier, I simply can’t imagine not flying. For me, flying is like breathing. Flying is freedom. When I fly, I not only become one with the wind, I feel like I am the wind. I work with the air, but more than that, I feel like I am the air.”

“Wow. Of course, I’ve never flown, so I’m trying to imagine what it’s like. Is it like running really fast? Since you can both run and fly, maybe you can make a comparison.”

“This may not be very helpful. It is and isn’t like running very fast. Just like I can walk slow or run fast, I can fly at either slow or fast speeds, depending on whether I want to cruise along like a leisurely cloud on a warm spring day or race like a gale force wind. I guess flying feels kind of like the feeling you get once you’re running really fast and you almost feel like your feet aren’t touching the ground. But it doesn’t have to take the effort that getting up speed running does. Does that make any sense?”

“It does, Dash. Thanks,” Xavier said.

“Xavier, I want to tell you something,” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re a smart young mule, and I think you’ll understand what I’m saying. For a moment, I found myself feeling sorry for creatures that can’t fly. I want to apologize to you for that. I have no reason to be feeling sorry for you.”

“I don’t think you were really feeling sorry for me, Dash,” Xavier said. “I think you were imagining what it would be like if your flying ability got taken away from you. Of course it’s not like that for me. I’ve never flown before. But I can climb steep hills and enjoy it. I look at everything around me really closely. I like to see all the different plants on Yellow Mountain.”

“I never thought about how many different plants there were,” Rainbow Dash said. “It seems like Yellow Mountain is kind of a barren place.

“Shucks, it only seems like that if you’ve never seen it up close,” Xavier said. “I can show you all kinds of things you probably never noticed before. That is, if you’d like to see them.”

“I’d love to,” Rainbow Dash declared. “Xavier, I have a terrific idea! Why don’t you show me what it’s like to be a mule and help me get in touch with the Earth, and I’ll figure out a way to show you what it’s like to fly.”

“Wow, Dash, that would be great!” Xavier exclaimed. “Thanks so much! This assignment is the best ever!”