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“What’s the reason to be lonely,
When there’s other folks like you?
And like birds of a feather, they all flock together too
Where there’s music and there’s laughter
And good times that have no end
Come with me and let your fur down with a friend!”
Pinkie bounced around the group, still singing happily at the top of her lungs. While her singing and laughter had saved them from the Swamp of Despair, she didn’t see their freedom as a reason to stop.
“Pinkie…” Rainbow Dash groaned, her amusement to annoyance ratio somewhere at 50:50 and tilting towards annoyance. “We’re not in the swamp or sad anymore…you can stop now.”
“Awww, but Dashie! Where’s the fun in that?” She pouted before launching into another verse.
“Come with me and let your fur down
Come with me to step inside
Come with me, join the hoe down
Come with me just for the ride
Come with me unto the bright light,
Come with me around the bend
Come with me and let your fur down with a friend!”
Applejack shook her head. “Boy howdy, they ain’t no stopping her, is there?”
“Nope!” Pinkie giggled. “I just keep going and going and going…” She emphasized each ‘going’ with a bounce.
Rarity tossed her mane. “Well, I for one am certainly grateful for Pinkie’s singing in getting us out of that filthy, dirty swamp!” She shuddered as she looked at herself. “Just look at what it did to my coat!” Rarity let out a low whine as she shook herself, trying to dislodge whatever remaining dirt and was still stuck in her fur.
“Nice to know your priorities are still in order.” Rainbow muttered.
Rarity ran a hoof through her mane. Then suddenly, her eyes widened. “Nononononono!” She frantically ran both her hooves through her mane, not caring as she messed up her hair.
Fluttershy looked over at her. “What’s wrong?”
“My necklace!” Rarity shrieked, looking around at the ground. “I keep it in my mane! But it isn’t there! It’s gone!”
Rainbow Dash flicked her head, her patience at a low ebb. “It’s not like you don’t have a dozen others back in your shop. I’ll even get you another one—you know, right after we’re finished SAVING THE WORLD!”
Rarity shook her head frantically, her face wet with tears. “Y-you don’t understand! This is the. Worst. Possible. Thing! Really!” She cried. “I-it was a gift from my grandmother after I made my first dress! It’s irreplaceable!”
“Sugarcube, ah’m sorry but we don’t have the time!” Applejack gently tapped her own hat. “Ah know how y’feel, but everypony in the world is counting on us! Ah’ll help you look for it on the way back, ah promise.”
“Wait.” Everypony looked as Twilight spoke up. “Give me a minute.” Twilight shut her eyes. “Here goes…” Her horn lit up as she focused. All of a sudden a white ball of magic appeared out of her horn and zoomed back in the direction they had just come from. Twilight galloped after it. About a minute later, Twilight returned with something clutched in her magical grip.
“My necklace!” Rarity shrieked again, but this time in a completely different tone—if not volume. “Oh thank you Twilight, thank you!” She gushed, nuzzling the flustered unicorn.
“I-it’s no big deal!” Twilight squeaked out. “It was just your basic track and search spell…I found it right at the edge of the swamp. Or the former swamp anyway--urk.” Rarity threw her hooves around Twilight, forcing the breath from the purple unicorn’s lungs as she hugged her.
“Oh my goodness, it’s certainly very pretty.” Fluttershy admired the necklace as it hung in the air. It was a simple silver necklace, finely woven, and in the center was a small perfectly cut gem that shown with all the colors of the rainbow, shimmering as it moved.
Rainbow sighed. Another delay. “Yeah, yeah it’s really nice. Can we go now?” She urged as Rarity clasped the necklace around her neck and tucked it away in her mane.
“Really, Rainbow Dash…” The white unicorn tsked. “You can stand to be a bit more generous when it comes to other ponies feelings.”
Dash was having none of it. “Oh come on! There’s no reason to get all…frou-frou and girly—especially when we’re on a trip into a dingy forest!” She didn’t notice the semi-offended look on Zecora’s face.
Rarity sniffed. “How one presents oneself to the world is important! When you show that you care about your appearance it shows that you care how others perceive you: that shows them that you value other ponies’ opinions and that you appreciate what they think.” Rarity stepped forward, sauntering slightly and shaking her tail.
“Oh come on Rarity, don’t--!” Rainbow Dash groaned, but it was too late.
Oh now I believe in looking
Like my time on earth is cooking
Whether polka dotted
Striped or even checked
With some glamour guaranteeing
Every fiber of my being
Is displayed to quite remarkable effect
From your cradle via trousseau
To your deathbed you're on view, so
Never compromise, accept no substitute
I would rather wear a barrel
Than conservative apparel
For my dress has always been
My strongest suit!
Somehow, at the exactly proper moment, Pinkie Pie burst out singing—completely in tune with Rarity.
Overwear!
Underwear!
Anytime!
Anywhere!
Rarity, nodded, smiling graciously as she continued her song, Pinkie repeating every last word or two per line.
Soooo bring me all my finest (my finest!)
Most audacious, my divinest (my divinest!)
Most revealing
Most expensive and to boot (most revealing, most expensive!)
Most arresting
Most heart-stopping
Most free-flowing
Most eye-popping
Dress has always been my strongest suit!
(I am what I wear!)
My strongest suit!
(I am what I wear!)
You know that I am what I wear!
A dress has always been my strongest--my strongest--my strongest
My strongest--my strongest--My strongest suit!
Rarity concluded, striking a pose. Rainbow Dash’s jaw was hanging open. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were applauding politely (the former with much more enthusiasm). Applejack shook her head as she smiled and Twilight looked bemused. Zecora affected not to notice as she tapped her staff against the ground. “Come then, let us move on. We have much further to go before this night is gone.”
One by one, the ponies followed her, except for Rainbow Dash who just stood there, stock still as she shook her head. “Confound these ponies.” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she flew off after them.
Their trek through the forest continued, each part looking much like any other. Soon they came to a clearing which everypony was looking forward to: a chance to stop and rest. But before they could enter, Zecora stopped short, causing the group behind her to stop. “We must tread with caution as we cross this place.” She said warningly. “Dangerous things lurk beneath the earth’s face.”
Rainbow Dash, who as usual was still in the air, looked down. All she could see was a dirt patch that covered the length and width of the clearing. Aside from a lack of grass, it looked no different than any other part of the Everfree.
“Oooh!” Pinkie Pie examined the dirt with a critical eye. “Like what? Is it giant worms with mouth tentacles that go all blaarg and suck you down! Or maybe it’s—”
Pinkie Pie opens mouth, insert hoof. Rainbow Dash had it practically down to a science by this point. “Pinkieee….” She said warningly before removing her hoof.
“Zecora, everypony needs a rest.” Twilight said, fidgeting. “What’s so dangerous about this place that we can’t stop? I don’t see anything.”
“And if’n it is dangerous, why not just go ‘round it?” Applejack asked.
Their zebra guide sighed. “The forest around here is too dense to go through, which leaves us only the clearing you see before you. As to the danger, as I said—it lies beneath the ground, something you should dread. Walk softly, with great care and of our presence, they will not be aware.”
Rainbow Dash flew over the clearing, circling around for any sign of…well, anything. “You’re reaaally stretching it with those rhymes Zecora.”
“If my syntax causes you vexation, then feel free to employ a guide more suited to your dictation.” Zecora replied airily as she gingerly started walking, slowly, across the clearing. She walked with such great care that she hardly left even a hoof print in the fresh earth. Seeing her example, the others followed suit.
Rarity, of course, couldn’t help tossing her mane and lifting her snout in the air as she elegantly pranced across the ground. Fluttershy stood on her tips of her hooves as she scuttled forward. Twilight and Applejack were having more difficulty—especially AJ—since neither one of them had much cause to sneak and creep around (aside from when Twilight was sneaking into a closed section of an archive that is).
They were about halfway across when Twilight’s hoof sank into a soft patch of dirt and with a surprised yelp fell over on her side. Everypony stopped short and held their breath. Nopony so much as twitched. After a moment of waiting, nothing happened.
Applejack sighed. “Well, that’s a relief!” She said as she took a step…only to have a clawed hand burst out of the ground and grabbed her by the ankle.
“Z-zombies!!” Yelled Pinkie Pie in terror. Fluttershy shrieked and froze up with fright as hand after hand burst up from the dirt, grabbing and waving at anything within reach.
“What are these things?!” Rainbow Dash demanded as she abruptly stopped flying and landed on one of the hands with all four hooves. Hard.
Zecora was swinging her staff around, smacking the reaching hands around her. “The diggers of the deep, rough and cruel, and smell of rotten hogs—” A howl interrupted her as dirt was tossed into the air. Hands reached out of the hole torn in the ground, and attached to them were long furry arms attached to equally furry bodies. Three forms emerged from the dirt, hands raised and claws bared.
“—beware of the Diamond Dogs.”
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