After most of the laughter had passed and the group had caught their breath, the group began to get back up on their hooves. The moment had not only helped them get past the strange trees -- all of which now looked like perfectly normal trees -- but the laughter had helped to release a lot of the tension that the group had been feeling. The Everfree Forest was really seeming to be far less scary than they had believed.
"I can't believe that worked," Shining Armor said as he helped Pinkie up to her hooves. "I've heard of laughing in the face of danger, but I never thought I would see a pony literally do so."
"Don't worry, Shiny-hiney," the pink pony said as she gave him a hug, "you just trust your aunt Pinkie Pie." With that she bounced off.
"Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle as she started to walk, "you're so random." The others soon were up and walking as well. There were still chuckles and grins as they went.
Shining Armor found himself smiling as well as he walked. As they continued, his pace went slightly slower than the others, letting them get ahead. The smile faded as his mind worked. He had just seen three of the five ponies that he was traveling with deal with the forest without much effort. Applejack had taken down a Timber Wolf with a lasso, Fluttershy had helped a manticore by befriending it, and now Pinkie Pie had made what looked like monstrous trees just vanish by laughing. It seemed like the ponies from Ponyville knew how to handle whatever this place was able to throw at them.
So why are you here? a small voice in the back of his head asked. These mares grew up nearby and seem to know what they are doing. You are just a bookworm from Canterlot.
"Shining," a voice called out, making him jump slightly. "Come on."
Giving his head a hard shake, he sprinted to catch up with the others and continue on their way.
It's not too late, the voice continued. You can still turn back and let them go on without you. It's clear that they'll be fine without you. What could you possibly have that they need?
Hope.
Catching up, he looked around at them. It was what Applejack had said earlier. Even if this did turn out to be a waste of time, he had at least given them hope. The opportunity to try and do something other than sit around waiting and expecting somepony else to help fix things. He had given them the chance to at least try.
Besides, how would he explain to Twiley that he had just left five ponies alone in the forest without him? How would she think of him? He was the filly's hero and she looked up to him. She would probably never look at him the same if he abandoned them. And how would he ever look at himself?
His train of thought was derailed as he ended up walking into Pinkie Pie's plush pink posterior. He let out a grunt as the ponies behind him ran into him, knocking the air from his lungs. Gasping to catch his breath, he moved to look around Pinkie and see what had made her stop.
In front of them was a river, and it looked to be very turbulent. The water rose and fell, sloshing and swirling. It looked like rapids and it was hard tell where any rocks might be.
"How are we gonna cross this?" Pinkie Pie asked, watching the turbulent tides of the river.
Before anyone could respond, the sound of crying reached the ears of the ponies. It seemed to be coming from upstream. Following the sound, the traveled up. Pushing past some bushes, the six of them looked around.
A great purple scaled tail lashed up and down. Each time the tail struck the water, there would be turning and roiling, causing the dangerous turmoil they had seen earlier. Following the tail up, the six of them looked at a massive serpentine form in the river. The entire length of the body oscillated, rising out of and falling into the water with the entirety of it ending in the slapping tail. The crying and wailing seemed to be coming from the great serpent himself. His hands were on his head as he cried out, looking down at the water.
"Excuse me," Shining called out to the serpent. "Why are you crying?"
"Well I was just sitting here," the serpent explained, "minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whiffed past me, and tore half of my beloved mustache clean off." Leaning in close, he pointed at the end of the mustache that was now gone. "And now, I look simply horrid." With that, the serpent threw itself backwards into the river, causing a large wave that splashed the six ponies.
"Oh give me a break," Rainbow Dash said, almost growling.
"That's what all the fuss is about?" Applejack asked.
"Why of course it is!" Rarity said as she stepped between the two before continuing toward the serpent. "How can you be so insensitive. Oh, just look at him. The lovely luminescent scales."
"I know," the serpent said with a sniff.
"Your expertly quaffed mane."
"I know. I know."
"Your fabulous manicure."
"It's so true."
"All ruined without your beautiful mustache."
"It's true, I'm hideous," the great serpent cried out covering his head.
"I simply cannot let this crime against fabulosity go uncorrected," Rarity said as she narrowed her eyes. Reaching out, she grabbed one of the serpent's scales and pulled it off. Holding the scale like a dagger, she made two quick slashing motions.
One cut off the other half of the mustache, causing the serpent to faint.
The other cut off Rarity's tail hair. Tossing the scale aside, her horn began to glow as she picked up the two sets of hair. Separating the hairs each into to separate groups, she then combined half the regal purple hair from her tail with half the orange hair from the mustache remains. Equally divided and the two colors combined, the unicorn mare used her magic to reattach the hairs to the remnants of the serpent's mustache.
"My mustache!" he squealed happily. "How wonderful!"
"You look smashing," Rarity told him.
"Oh, Rarity," Fluttershy said, "your beautiful tail."
"It's fine my dear," Rarity responded. "Short tails are in this season. Besides, it'll grow back."
"So would the mustache," Rainbow Dash said in a low voice.
"We can cross now," Shining Armor called out to the others as he started walking toward the water. "Let's go."
As he started to cross, the stallion felt something moving beneath his hooves. Before he could figure out what was going on, Shining found himself standing on the serpent's back about five feet above the water.
"Allow me," the serpent said before sticking its head under water. The creature's back now created a series of arches that would allow the ponies to cross without getting wet. Shining started jumping from one to the next, quickly followed by the others. The six of them made it across to the other side without any further problems.