My Little Pony: Friends Forever #31 — Rainbow Dash and Little Strongheart
- Story by Tony Fleecs, Art by Tony Fleecs and Sara Richard
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Tank are enjoying a flight, when Dash sees a smoke signal far off in the distance, fashioned after her cutie mark. She races off and is pleased to see that it was sent by Little Strongheart, who had called for Dash's help. Taking Dash back to the buffalo tribe while in the midst of a snowfall, Chief Thunderhooves explains that a harsher-than-normal winter has prevented them from growing their crops for food. He goes on to explain the legend of the Rainbow Crow, that their buffalo ancestors asked the multi-colored Crow for help to get fire from the sun to hold off winter. The Crow had gotten fire, but the fire left soot all over her body, turning her black. The buffalo had not recognized the Crow on her return, but took the offered fire as well as some of the feathers the Crow offered, and the Crow then flew off to be left alone in shame. The buffalo thus have used some of the Crow's feathers to start a new fire on the harshest of years to start the spring thaw.
Chief Thunderhooves explains that they have since run out of the Crow's feathers, and need Dash's help to reach the Crow's nest and ask her for more of its feathers, while Little Strongheart will help lead the way. He gives Dash a tribute to give to the Crow. The two set off, but soon Dash's insistence on flying over the otherwise dangerous path is at odds with Strongheart's choice to want to stay to the tradition to follow the path to the Crow's nest. Though they manage to get through, Strongheart is upset at Dash with not following their traditions, while Dash thinks its just as easy to take shortcuts, and in their argument, accidentally drop the tribute. They reach the rock cropping where the Crow's nest is, and Dash proceeds to fly up to meet the Crow. She realizes the tribute is gone, but the Crow is amazed by her rainbow-colored mane and only asks for a strand of it in exchange for the feathers.
Humbled, Dash starts back the journey with Strongheart, still trying to understand why the buffalo need to stick to tradition when she could just ask Princess Celestia for help. Strongheart reminds her that keeping the buffalo's traditions help to make their future prosperous, and that they also may be spectacular, as evidenced by the ceremony to bring back fire with the Crow's feathers.
Tropes appearing in this issue:
- Art Shift: The legend of the Rainbow Crow that Chief Thunderhooves narrates and the feather-burning ceremony at the end are drawn in a more detailed and watercolor-y style from the rest of the issue, courtesy of Sara Richard.
- The Bus Came Back: Little Strongheart, Chief Thunderhooves, and the other buffalo, while briefly appearing only in a background shot of "Pinkie Pride", haven't been in the spotlight since their debut in Season 1's "Over a Barrel".
- I Can't Hear You: Rainbow Dash, on seeing the smoke signals from afar, takes off stating "This looks like a job for Rainbow Dash!", producing a sonic rainboom mid-sentence. Fluttershy and Tank look on, confused, as they only hear "This looks like a job for..." before Dash's speeding past the sound barrier made it impossible for them to hear what she said, leaving them confused. This happens again when Dash and Strongheart take off from the buffalo camp.
- Fantasy Kitchen Sink: Part of the story involves two different in-universe mythos (Celestia controlling the sun, and the Rainbow Crow helping to bring warmth of the sun to the buffalo) that both exist in that universe.
- Mythology Gag: An elephant they pass through a jungle is based on the My Little Pony Friends' Edgar the Elephant.
- Short Cuts Make Long Delays: Rainbow Dash's attempts to fly over everything cause her to take longer than if she stuck to the path that Little Strongheart knew — at least, Strongheart gets where they're going quicker and with less effort — since they involve her going through difficult, harsh terrain like high mountains or coyote-infested badlands.
- Took a Shortcut: Little Strongheart beats Rainbow Dash across a snow-capped mountain (despite Dash flying) as she knew of an internal cavern that worked like a natural waterslide, letting her cross with ease.
