Rainbow Dash [Ready]

[Scootaloved]

(Vector credit)

 

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria
Name: Rainbow Dash
Sex: Female
Age: Mare
Species: Pegasus
Eye colour: Magenta
Coat: Cyan
Mane/Tail: Frizzled and wind-blown, Rainbow's mane and tail are as wild as she is, and they're also her namesake, with brilliant rainbow colors adorning them both. Her mane splits along her head to fringe bangs and extends back over her neck.
Physique: A rather fit, yet average-sized pegasus, Rainbow's physique is what one would expect of a mare of her age. Her wings themselves don't look like anything special, but the power that they boast is nothing to sneeze at.
Residence: A cloud house near Ponyville, along its outskirts. She may as well live in Ponyville with how often she visits it.
Occupation: Wonderbolt (past: weather pony)

Cutie Mark: 

Rainbow Dash's cutie mark resembles a thundercloud producing a single bolt of electricity, with that single bolt being lit up by colors of the rainbow. Its bold and striking appearance resembles the feat that created it - more specifically, her signature move managed when she was but a filly, the Sonic Rainboom. In an attempt to defend her friend Fluttershy's honor after she'd been bullied in Flight School, Rainbow challenged these bullies to a race, and it was there that she performed the Sonic Rainboom in order to catch up with them when they knocked her off the course.

 

Rainbow's particular event is special in that it was what started a chain reaction for the rest of her main friends. The Sonic Rainboom's ringlet of rainbow echoed far, far enough in fact that it rattled the ground as far as Manehattan, Pinkie Pie's previous rock farm, and Canterlot. This Sonic Rainboom shocked Twilight Sparkle into performing magic, led Applejack to realize home was where she belonged, opened up a rock to allow Rarity to discover gemstones to use for outfits, brought smile and joy to Pinkie Pie's face, and startled the animals that Fluttershy calmed as a result. In a way, if Rainbow hadn't performed it, none of her friends would've gotten the cutie marks they did, or at least not quite in the same way they got them.

 

Rainbow of course got hers, and it represented her special talent: that was of earth-shattering speeds that produced a kind of magic of their own.

Unique Traits: 

The Sonic Rainboom is a unique act that only Rainbow has ever been recorded to perform. It is done by flying so fast, that a sonic boom and a rainbow happen at once. This effect is a ringlet of rainbows that can be seen from miles off of the initial site that it was performed, in addition to causing something akin to an explosion in midair, sending a shockwave that, near its starting point, could even resemble that of an earthquake. This is only possible for Rainbow because of her unique position on speeds she's able to reach while flying, which is considerably abnormal for pegasi, especially with her wing strength being as high as it is.

 

Rainbow has also demonstrated that despite not being an earth pony, she's rather physically capable in her own right. She was able to buck a dragon in the muzzle without feeling any averse effects (even making that muzzle vibrate and causing the dragon physical pain!), hold up a collapsing awning, and kick solid rock in order to break it into pieces. In addition, she's also managed to carry other ponies mid-flight and even work as a chariot, and she also shows a high capacity for stamina. This strength remains even if you somehow manage to get rid of her ability to fly.

 

History: 

Rainbow Dash was born and raised in Cloudsdale under doting parents Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof, who commonly applauded her for even the most trivial of successes, leading to bullying among her peers. As a result of this, she gravitated instead toward a stallion by the name of Rainbow Blaze, who played a part as being her mentor within her youth - and even this early on, found herself distancing herself from her parents. They failed to notice how smothering they had a tendency to act, simply loving their daughter and wanting her to succeed. It's maybe this that led them to being so oblivious to the treatment she received when she was in Flight School; there was no doubt that she exhibited talent, but with a lack of drive and focus she often found herself flunking out and even crashing as she had growing pains with her speed, which dubbed her the flattering "Rainbow Crash". Despite that, she managed to persevere within her fillyhood, making friends with fellow young flier by the name of Gilda and even earning her cutie mark as a result of a race she waged in order to defend Fluttershy's honor.

 

She had a lot of growing to do after that, but pulling away her parents proved to be her benefit to her future success. As she grew more and more independent, she made the decision to leave for Ponyville. Her parents grew tearful, but proud of her for the progress she'd made. Part of the decision came in the fact that there was a vacancy there for a Ponyville weather pony, a job that she took as a bridge to her real goal: the Wonderbolts. She'd admired them since she was little, them being her heroes even while under Rainbow Blaze's mentorship, and she planned on eventually reaching their heights. Rainbow's ambition didn't fade even as she landed that weather pony job, one that she would occasionally practice old habits of slacking off in because of the skills that she had but ultimately pulled through for in the end.

 

During this time, she remained in contact with Fluttershy as a friend of hers, though she commonly remained exasperated at her inability to stand up for herself, something she grew wearier of as she aged. On top of that, Fluttershy's brother, Zephyr Breeze, saw fit to hit on her every opportunity that he got, which Rainbow endeavored to rebuff his affections. It made the gaps in between visiting Fluttershy's home with her parents grow longer, until she stopped visiting altogether; thankfully, it wasn't a major issue as Fluttershy managed to hold down a job revolving around animals, allowing her to be independent as well. In the process of the two of them moving and becoming acquainted to their new home, they were welcomed in by Pinkie Pie, who ever since then threw them several parties (and even began a tradition of feeding Rainbow pies for them, mainly because she was happy to see Rainbow enjoy them; Rainbow, on the other hoof, didn't like the pies so much but would pretend she did because it made Pinkie happy). Despite the bridge that Pinkie Pie naturally made between ponies, though, Rainbow still remained relatively distant to them.

 

It was Twilight Sparkle's intervention that resulted in Rainbow getting to form a close-knit group in the other ponies, despite her differences. Fluttershy was, up until that point, the only one she could reasonably call her best friend; but as a result of uniting with Twilight Sparkle against Nightmare Moon's return (heralded by the stars), Rainbow learned to trust in and become friends with ponies she might not have otherwise had such intimate friendships with. It's funny in hindsight that Twilight Sparkle offered to be the glue to their friendship circle, given the fact that she herself did not see the merit of friends and placed her studies above them, but despite this she put all of her effort into restoring the world from the endless night that Nightmare Moon threatened to plague it with. Rainbow's meeting with Twilight in particular was along the lines of getting distracted mid-flight and crashing right into her, but then showing off and proving there and then the skills that she contained. It was through working a common goal that Rainbow saw the merit in all the ponies involved, and as a result they started to become more closely associated with each other and go on various adventures together, all while Rainbow learned the magic of friendship along with Twilight and the others.

 

While not all events altered Rainbow in a significant way, this shift in her life caused quite a few changes that would stick with her. She'd learned (arguably multiple times) to curb back her ego when it placed other ponies in danger, along with beginning to recognize that her pride often got in the way of meaningful relationships that she could have and colored her view of ponies around her in ways that were, quite frankly, unfair. As a result of this shift, she became more supportive and less abrasive over time, focusing on pushing her friends to be the best selves they could as opposed to putting them down when they did not reach her level. This allowed her to have even tighter a relationship with Fluttershy, as she learned to better recognize boundaries with her, as well as to get along with ponies she might not have even given a second glance otherwise, such as Rarity. And of course, while some of these relationships formed naturally on their own, Twilight was the one to blame for them having such a profound effect on her. Her friends began to bring the best out of Rainbow, to the point that she was doing things that she wouldn't have years ago.

 

It's because of this shift, as well as a little push from the restored version of Nightmare Moon, Luna, that Rainbow found herself forming even more connections, and perhaps one of the most important in her life: a little sister figure. Years ago, if Scootaloo would have confessed her desire to be Rainbow's surrogate sister, she might have rebuffed the affections; but with the development that she gained over the years and the sensitivity that came with it, she found herself eagerly embracing the opportunity to be the best big sister she could possibly be. This later influenced her other relationships, as Scootaloo would aid in bridging the gap that had severed her and her parents a long time ago by allowing her to appreciate them in a different level by seeing Scootaloo's life in comparison (the neglect induced by her own parents versus the overbearing nature of Rainbow's). Scootaloo was not the only influential relationship she formed mostly on her own, but indeed she also formed one with her pet tortoise by the name of Tank. It's through him that she learned to appreciate those who take life more slowly, because the companionship in the end was what mattered. Upon Rainbow's holding a contest to be her pet, Tank was the only one who demonstrated the character trait that time and time again Rainbow was beginning to realize she valued most: loyalty. While the other pets certainly had their prowess and appeal, Tank was the one who stuck with her when she had her wing tied down by a rock, in trouble and unable to rescue herself.

 

All of this development came to a head when it was thoroughly tested by the Wonderbolts Academy, which she attended because of her fillyhood dream to join the Wonderbolts. Passing through this regime would take her one step closer to that dream, and so it was only natural she went through it. She was paired with another pony named Lightning Dust, and the test that she was put through then made some things very clear to her: one, that she could not always be the leader and the center of attention, and two, the "coolness" or the sheer spectacle of something would always matter less to her than her strong morality. Rainbow demonstrated this when, upon Lightning Dust's reckless behavior one times too many as lead pony to the two (Rainbow accepted the wing pony role after objection as she swallowed her pride against it), Rainbow's friends lives were placed into jeopardy, and already after Rainbow's subtle objections that she'd given. She walked right into Spitfire's office, ripping off her badge and placing it on the desk, stating that if the Wonderbolts represented recklessness and didn't care for the ponies they supposedly existed to protect, she had no place among them. It was a shocking enough development to Spitfire that she realized she could not have Lightning Dust represent their interests, and she thusly sent Lightning Dust out of the program, which restored Rainbow's faith in joining the group.

 

It would be a test later (and Rainbow reminding the group what it stood for when it replaced its own teammate by coercing her to leave her own team to join theirs) before Rainbow would be considered among their ranks. Specifically, it was the Wonderbolts Reserve, but as she was the top of the list, the instant one of the members retired she became a Wonderbolt, and she has remained to be one since then. This hasn't prevented her from spending time in Ponyville and living there, but since then she has understandably been busier than before. Being in the Wonderbolts furthered her development in learning humility and becoming a member of the group rather than attempting to stand out within it, and while she still struggles with the desire to be recognized, Rainbow's been shaping as she's gone on to be a strong-minded mare who places duty, morals, family, and friends first.

 

Character Personality: 

Rainbow Dash is the classical definition of an extrovert. It's not simply in the fact that she is outgoing; it's in the fact that Rainbow thrives off of attention, so much so that she's willing to embarrass herself to garner it. To her, being recognized and seen is something that's more than just a desire, but a necessity, and as such she is a very social pony. She's loud and proud, and she takes up space in a room, and she shows it. A flaunting and almost flamboyant mare, Rainbow sees her core identity as being tied to the fact that she's surrounded by company, and she's surrounded by companionable company, at that.

 

Part of this stems from her core beliefs in life. For Rainbow, one of the most important traits that anypony can have is loyalty, and it's something that she herself embodies. As a result, she can react with betrayal, even, when someone's opinion on her changes. She does not take the idea of leaving anypony behind lightly, including if it's being done to her, and yet it's also one of her greatest fears, to be left behind and forgotten by those around her. She seeks to put forward her best hoof possible and exhibit so much pride because it's the way she feels she best gets noticed, and it's the way she can cling the best to attention. The plus side to this is that Rainbow is unlikely to abandon those she desires attention from, or perhaps anypony in general; if she feels someone is in need, she'll do what she can to provide for them, because it's what she would want done for her. The negative side to this is that she can be extreme in the manner in which she attempts to earn attention, and as such can even be needy to those around her.

 

This weakness is not one that she doesn't know she has. In fact, she's so keenly aware of it that she puts on airs in an attempt to cover up for it. She does her best to hide emotional vulnerability as much as possible, instead putting forth an abrasive persona to prevent herself from being too deeply affected by interpersonal relationships. She doesn't judge such vulnerability when it's displayed to her (not anymore, at least), but she's rather harsh with herself about it. She attempts to appear "cool" and "awesome" to those around her for the sake of earning that positive attention while not opening herself too much to hurt that could result from it. Unfortunately, this results in her ego being fragile, and the fragility of such ego leads to the belief that the balloon must be popped. And when it pops, it pops hard, as much of the cover-up for her sensitivity can be paper-thin. For however much she scoffs at "sappiness" and overly emotional attachment, she is perhaps the one who is the most sentimental of her group and the most likely to get attached, and it's a flaw of hers that she detests more than anything.

 

That isn't to say that every bit of confidence she displays is pure bravado, however. Rainbow is also very aware of her strengths. While she does make attempts to hide if she's scared, there are many existing situations in which she doesn't actually need to. In addition to that, Rainbow is aware of her physical and mental prowess and often encourages the development of it in other ponies around her. Knowing these skills in her repertoire combined with her attachment leads to her being rather protective for the little guys, something that's been further honed over time as having friends and more attachments has allowed her to open up that softer side to her more. As her compassion has grown over the years and her tolerance for others different from her, so too has her desire to protect those who are in need and lend a hoof if it's necessary. There are times she is still abrasive, still hot-headed, and still impatient, but those days are fewer and farther between as she progresses.

 

Rainbow exemplifies an inferiority superiority complex; if she's not the best, she's not good enough. It's easy to mistake it for true confidence, and in some areas there does exist true confidence, but Rainbow still shows a tendency to place others on a pedestal above herself. Part of this could be attributed to every contribution she makes being praised and the subsequent bullying that followed, part of it could be an innate part of her, but either way Rainbow struggles in a battle with herself on what true confidence really means and how to develop it.

Character Summary: 

Rainbow Dash is an outgoing, extroverted pony with some aggressive tendencies, but ultimately a strong heart and moral compass. While impulsive and leading to some not-so-smart decisions, as well as a desperate need for validation, she is bold and shows a hidden potential for being down-to-earth, confident, and well-balanced. And with her succeeding in her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt, her full realization is coming closer to a reality for her as she has come far from the little filly teased incessantly for her clumsiness.

[RainbowFoxxy]