Trash? Deforestration? This looks like a job for the Captain Cutie-teers!
The Cutie Mark Crusaders are back! When Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle take a trip into the woods, they find a forest filled with trash! Just what could be causing this mess?! Looks like it's another mystery for our favorite fillies to solve-and one where not everything is as it seems...
Spirit of the Forest is the seventh spin-off series in the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic comic series, replacing Nightmare Knights series.
This series provides examples of these tropes (for more, please also visit the character guide):
- Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed. As the Big Bad, Filthy Rich is seen in a more negative light similar to his Equestria Girls counterpart. However, he is quick to accommodate the CMC's protest against his workers littering, and he's quick to change his ways after Diamond Tiara talks to him despite that means he'll make less money.
Tropes applying to Individual Issues:
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Issue # 1
- Written by Ted Anderson
- Continuity Nod: To Ponyville Mysteries as the CMC bring up the last time they did detective work when planning to scout the area on who keep leaving the trash.
- Don't Celebrate Just Yet: The three manage to convince Filthy Rich to have his workers not litter their trash on the ground while walking to work at the lumber mill. But now have a new problem; keeping him from cutting down the forest for his furniture mill.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Heavily downplayed in that the lumber mill workers are careless rather than evil, but when Sweetie Belle tells them that their mothers would be ashamed of them littering in the forest, one worker is horrified at the thought of his mother being ashamed of him and runs off in tears shouting "I'M SORRY, MOM!".
- Hidden Depths: Much to the surprise of the CMC and even Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara is quite passionate about keeping the forest clean since it's where her family, including her grandmother, would take hikes and her grandmother would tell her about the Spirit of the Forest.
Issue # 2
- Written by Ted Anderson
- Both Sides Have a Point: While the CMC are rightly concerned about Filthy Rich cutting down White Tail Woods with his lumber mill, it likewise was providing jobs for some of the ponies and most of the ponies in Ponyville needed the furniture the mill made for various functions.
- Clockwork Prediction: After Rarity mentions how it's nice to have a day where nothing unexpected happens...Applejack: Rarity! Why would you say something like that?Rarity: Hm?Applejack: Everypony knows saying stuff like that causes unexpected stuff t' happen! It's a law of nature! Some creatures gonna come through th' doors with a weird problem any moment—Apple Bloom: (Bursting through the door with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo) HALP!Applejack: (flatly) —now.
- "Scooby-Doo" Hoax: One of the rare times it's the heroes doing it as the CMC dress up as the Spirit of the Forest to scare the lumber mill workers enough to quit working. It ends up foiled due to Applejack, Rarity and Dash setting a trap to catch the "Spirit".
- Tempting Fate: When the Mane Six enter the story, we find them taking a tea break from their school duties. Rarity makes a mention that it's nice to have a day when nothing unexpected happens. Applejack chides her for saying that right before the CMC come running in, asking for their help.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Both Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash and Filthy Rich give the CMC guff once they find out they were behind the Spirit scarings, Filthy especially reading the three the riot act at the end.
Issue # 3
- Written by Ted Anderson
- "Eureka!" Moment: While the CMC and Diamond Tiara are hiking through the forest, the former cite how beautiful it is and wish they could show Filthy the beauty of it. This gives Tiara the idea to go talk with Filthy directly and remind him of their old walks together with his mother and how cutting down most of the woods will take away from that memory.
- Puppy-Dog Eyes: When Tiara goes to talk with her father, he tries to tell her that he's a bit busy to do so, forcing her to use puppy eyes to get him to reconsider.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Filthy sprouts this after talking with his daughter who informs him that his overdoing it on the lumber work is damaging the forest and in turn disrespecting his mother's memory of the family's hikes in the past.
- Real After All: The Spirit of the Forest is, in fact, revealed to actually exist, as shown at the end of the comic.
- Sixth Ranger: Diamond Tiara to the CMC, heck she's the one that ultimately saves the day in the end.
- Take a Third Option: After talking with Diamond Tiara, Filthy Rich nearly shuts down the mill but she suggests an alternate solution: namely the mill can stay open by they don't get too rampant with cutting down the trees, limiting themselves to specific smaller areas to do so and replanting the trees they do cut down. While it won't make as much money for him, it'll still keep the forest from being ruined and allow the ponies working at the mill to keep their jobs.
- This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: Rather "Something I Have To Do Myself" which is what Diamond Tiara tells the girls after hitting upon a idea on how to make Filthy Rich ease up on his lumber work.
