Chapter 17
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.
Rainbow Dash groaned but couldn't stop from smiling as she did so. Her normal mood for Pinkie's antics was either bemusement or annoyance, usually somewhere in the 50/50 ratio. Since the swamp it had definitely started tilting more towards the former. "You do know we’re not in the swamp or sad anymore, right? You can stop anytime.”
“Awww, but where’s the fun in that?” She pouted before launching into another verse.
Applejack shook her head. “Boy howdy. There 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 until Rainbow Dash covered her mouth.
“Do you internalize any of your thoughts?” She asked dryly.
Pinkie blinked at her. “You can do that?” She didn’t puzzle over it long before she shrugged and resumed her pronking about. Even if it was odd, her peppiness did have the benefit of making the others temporarily forget how tired they all were, especially after the swamp.
Rarity tossed her mane. “Well, I for one am certainly grateful for Pinkie’s singing in getting us out of that filthy swamp. 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. She didn't seem to notice several eyes rolling in unison. She ran a hoof through her mane, then her eyes went wide. “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. “It’s gone!”
Rainbow Dash frowned, not looking forward to another detour right after their last one. “We just lost a lot of time in the swamp. We can come back to look for it after we’ve finished saving the world.”
Rarity shook her head frantically, her face wet with tears. “Y-you don’t understand! It’s the one my grandmother gave me after I made my first dress! It’s irreplaceable!”
“Sugarcube, I’m sorry but we don’t have the time!” Applejack gently tapped her own hat. “I know how y’feel, but Rainbow's right; everypony in the world is counting on us. I’ll help you look for it on the way back, I promise. We all will, right?”
“Wait.” Everypony looked as Twilight spoke up. She shut her eyes and focused. “Here goes.” 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 before anypony could object.
Rainbow prepared to race after her, but Zecora didn't seem worried by this. Before Rainbow could make up her mind, Twilight returned with something held in her magic.
“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 her lungs as she hugged her.
Rainbow rubbed her face at another delay. “Okay, now can we go?"
Rarity clasped the necklace around her neck and tucked it away in her mane. “Really, Rainbow,” she tsked, “you can stand to be a bit more generous when it comes to other ponies’ feelings.”
Dash dug in her hooves. “You insisted on coming out here and you know we're pressed for time. You could’ve just decided to leave your necklace back in Ponyville if you were that worried about it—it’s not like any of the creatures around here are gonna feel offended that you didn’t bring it with you into this dingy old 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.” She stepped forward, sauntering slightly and shaking her tail. “You might want to try it sometime.”
Zecora affected not to notice the byplay as she tapped her staff against the ground. “Come then and let us hurry, it’s high time we move on. We have further to go before this night is gone.”
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 great caution as we cross this place. Many dangerous things lurk beneath the earth’s face.”
Rainbow, looked down from where she was hovering. 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. “Pinkie,” she warned before removing her hoof.
“Zecora, everypony needs a rest.” Twilight fidgeted. “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 only the clearing you see before you. As to the danger, as I’ve previously said—it lies beneath the ground, something you should all 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 really stretching it with those rhymes Zecora.”
“If my personal syntax causes you that much vexation, feel free to employ a guide more suited to your dictation,” Zecora replied as she gingerly started to slowly walk 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 Applejack—since neither one of them had much cause to sneak and creep around.
They were about halfway across when Twilight’s hoof sank into a soft patch of dirt and tripped her up. With a yell she fell flat on her face. 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 took a step—only to have a clawed paw burst out of the ground and grab her by the ankle.
“Z-zombies!” Pinkie Pie yelled in terror. Fluttershy shrieked and froze up with fright as paw after paw burst up from the dirt, clawing and waving at anything within reach.
“What are these things?!” Rainbow demanded as she abruptly stopped flying and landed hard on one of them with all four hooves.
Zecora was swinging her staff around, smacking the reaching paws around her. “The diggers of the deep, who smell of rotten hogs. They're rough and they're cruel, and are stubborn as mules—” A howl interrupted her as dirt was tossed into the air. Paws 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, paws raised and claws bared.
“—the Diamond Dogs!”
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What are Diamond Dogs doing in the Everfree?
9742307
They took a a wrong turn at Albuquerque?
Diamond Dogs? In the Everfree? That doesn't sound right.
Okay... Rarity's turn for Generosity next chapter?
9742392
"Bemusement" and "amusement" are not quite the same thing, even if the words themselves are similar. Pretty sure you meant "amusement" both times here? I think?
I mean, I don't get the sense that Rainbow is confused by Pinkie at this point.
Amusement and exasperated annoyance go hoof in hoof pretty easily, there, though...
"Dingy? Old?! My home, this is! Young ponies, these days, so quick to dismiss!"
/zecora off
9742392
Dose anyone know what it is whit Albuquerque that makes everyone make a rong turn?
9744217
It’s a Bugs Bunny running gag.
Diamond Dogs in the Everfree is strange since it's not exactly close to where their tunnels were in the show. Also Rainbow really doesn't seem to care about the feelings of others in the group.
So I know that with the story well completed by now it's a bit late to be brignign this up,m but if I might offer a bit of criticism a lot of what Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, etc. seem to say tends to be something of a re-hash of things they've said before. I havne't been counting...and admittedly it might just be because re-writes of the pilot episodes tend to hit the same beats over and over again - but I feel this is like the third or fourth time in the story that Rarity and Rainbow Dash have had more-or-less the exact argument that they had at the start of the chapter here, about how to present yourself to the world and how it can be important without necessarily being vain or empty.
Also since these chapters of exploration are relatively short I also just don't have much to say. I wonder if perhaps you could compress this story by folding a few chapters together.
See it's not just ponies that are racist!
10669688
Hmm, I'll go back and look it over, but off-hand I can think of only a few significant exchanges:
-Rarity and Applejack at the party where she says that presentation is reflective of the work that goes into the product.
-Rarity and Rainbow Dash at the spa where she gives her view on outfits bringing out confidence.
-Rarity and Rainbow Dash here about valuing the opinions of others.
Now, to me, I think the emphasis is on different things. While they're all reflective of Rarity's philosophy and outlook on life, they're not exactly repeating the same points. Or at least, even if her conclusion is the same ( https://youtu.be/a_hsjTExzbw?t=64 ), it's for different reasons that, I think, flow from the different situations surrounding them. So I don't think it's the same point repeated over and over, but I might be biased.
I’m not sure if this is written correctly. It seems like you might have intended to say Rainbow is starting to tilt toward annoyance. Not bemusement.
Did you know there’s a pink Duracell bunny who’s used to market outside the United States, and he actually came before the Energizer bunny? I just learned that the other week.
I’m hopeful that Rainbow Dash will begin to appreciate the others more by the end of this saga. I know it’s been a rough day for her, but there's an undertow of cliquishness and nastiness beneath these verbal snipes. The team could really use some positive energy, and Rainbow just isn’t bringing it. Being a leader means setting a good example for those who follow you. But Rainbow is still stuck in this rut of being annoyed they’re even there.
Kind of surprised neither Zecora nor Rainbow Dash registered a complaint here. The last time someone charged off alone into the thicket, the party almost got sucked under a swamp.
I’m on Team Rarity here.
I don’t understand why Rainbow is starting these pointless arguments. This has to be the second or third time she and Rarity have crossed swords. Instead of putting on a good front, she’s needling everyone around her, making snide comments behind their backs and openly tearing into Rarity in front of the group, which never feels good.
If Rainbow were to have a genuine concern about Rarity’s conduct or priorities—not a passing annoyance, but a genuine concern—the leaderly thing to do would be to pull her aside and have a calm, rational, private conversation with her. Instead of doing that, she blows everything out of proportion and turns it into a public spectacle. Not only does that cause Rarity to go into a defensive crouch, it also undermines the rest of the party’s confidence in Rainbow’s leadership. Nobody cheers for the bad boss who rips their subordinates a new asshole because they stuck a toe out of line.
Rainbow picking another pointless fight, this time with her guide and two-time rescuer. Actually, I didn’t even think the rhyme was that bad. In Chapter 15, we saw Rainbow reflecting on the things Celestia had taught her about diplomacy. Diplomacy begins with showing respect, and this constant disrespect and needling of others seems poised to drive her would-be friends and allies away.
I was right there with Pinkie Pie in expecting sandworms or giant spiders or something. Diamond dogs, unexpected. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
10694884
It was actually meant to show her going from annoyance towards bemusement with Pinkie's antics.
Your comment gets to the very heart of what Rainbow is feeling and how she's going to change over the course of the journey. Remember, her original plan was to bring her more adventurous friends on her quest with her, Cloud Kicker and Derpy Doo. Then they both were taken and transformed by Nightmare Moon, expressly because she (NMM) wanted to hurt Rainbow by striking at those close to her. So now in the wake of that, her old flight camp friends are gone (save Fluttershy who Rainbow never envisioned taking along anyway), Shining Armor is gone and Celestia is gone.
Now enter these five other ponies who insisted on accompanying her. Rainbow Dash doesn't want them with her. She made that quite plain at the outset. In the wake of losing her oldest friends, she's withdrawing into herself. Partly to prevent other ponies from getting too close and getting hurt too (or having herself get hurt) and also because she legitimately doesn't see what they bring to the table. She's not particularly close to most of them and, from what's seen so far, feels most are bringing a lot of baggage with them, are not temperamentally suited for this, and are just generally unprepared and making things go harder and slower for Rainbow. Further, to Rainbow this is her responsibility, her duty, her destiny. Not theirs.
Put that on top of the crunch situation they're in, the fact that none of them have slept in a while and everything else Rainbow has had to deal with tonight, it's no wonder she isn't being super diplomatic with them (even if that was her normal strong suit, which it is most assuredly not).
That is where she should be in a situation like this. If some of what I put in this and the last chapter impacts her likeability too much, then perhaps some bits can be smoothed out. But she is supposed to be annoyed at the group's slow progress and their tendency to get distracted. She has to grow to appreciate what the others contribute, otherwise there's no character growth for her. It's a bit like where Twilight was in the movie. Even if she made the wrong choices, you could see why she didn't think her friends were pulling their own weight or were making things more difficult by trusting randos after they had been repeatedly attacked and betrayed. Her position is understandable, but ultimately wrong and self-defeating.
Ironically, a lot of your comments about how Rainbow is acting sums up all my feelings on why I find the common refrain among fans that Applejack is the "level-headed voice of reason" member of the group to be pretty hard to swallow. Only here, I'm not pretending that Rainbow is anything but frustrated (albeit with reasons for her frustration) and not avowing that these speak to Rainbow's rationality on the question.
Can't say I agree with that, Rarity.