Recap / My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (IDW) Issue 38 to 39

Yay, wilderness!

Don't You Forget About Us

Story by Christina Rice, Art by Agnes Garbowski

Cherilee, along with Applejack and Rarity, lead the students on a wilderness hike. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Snips, and Snails wander away from the main group when they think they've seen the fabled Turul, and find themselves lost. The conflict between the Crusaders and Diamond Tiara prove no luck to find their way back, and then they are further chased off the main path when a bear finds them.After the group takes shelter and waits for the bear to leave, they try to figure out how to get back. Unfortunately, Sweetie Belle, Snips, and Snails' magic is too weak to send off a signal flare, and Scootaloo is unable to fly high enough to get a lay of the land. Apple Bloom leads the Crusaders to climb higher; Snips and Snails follow, not wanting to be around Diamond Tiara. When Silver Spoon decides to go with the others, Diamond Tiara eventually relents and races to catch up with the others. She trips and falls over a cliff-face, hanging for her life off a tree branch. The others all try to rescue her, and Apple Bloom ends up falling over the edge as well, hanging onto Diamond Tiara in a cliffhanger.

The second and final part starts with Sweetie Belle, Snips and Snails combining their magic to help Scootaloo fly high enough to reach and break a branch (Silver Spoon is used as a stepping stone) and then lowering said branch to pick and pull up Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom. The plan works, but a sudden rain forces the tired kids to keep moving to higher ground, both to search for the rescue party and because the rain is eroding the ledge they are standing on.Hours later, the kids find no trace of any rescue party and are forced to find shelter before it gets dark. Applebloom leads the group into a cave, and with a fire provided by Snips and Snails, the kids try to settle in for the night, but Diamond Tiara's neverending bullying and superior airs finally makes Apple Bloom snap and call her out hard on it.Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon end up confessing that the reason why they always act as if they were better then everyone else is because their families are the richest ones on town, so they always must live up to their family's name and standards, something they don't expect "poor" ponies to understand. At this point, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo practically explode, reminding them that their own relatives (or as in Scoot's case, Rainbow Dash, her almost sister) are national heroines who save the world at a regular basis, are best friends with a princess and still ace on their respective talents, so the frustrated fillies have no idea of how to deal with the pressure of having to live up to that. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are forced to admit they never thought about other people's problems, and at this point Snips and Snails also intervene, commenting about how everyone (CMCs included) always treat them like the town's dunces without caring about their feelings, making Apple Bloom admit she never thought how many things in common they had.

Morning arrives, and Apple Bloom awakes to find Diamond Tiara outside, still looking out for the rescue party. Suddenly, a giant bird appears: it's the legendary Turul, guiding the rescue party straight to the kid's shelter, from where they are finally picked and taken back to Ponyville, where their friends and relatives are waiting for them.Applejack congratulates Apple Bloom for keeping the group safe and united through the ordeal, to which the filly admits it was a learning experience that showed her how deep inside, everyone were really not that different and that's maybe the turning point for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.... or not, as she discovers that Diamond Tiara has learned nothing and Snips & Snails, while grateful for their help, still resent being treated like fools so they don't want to hang out with the CMCs.

Tropes appearing in this issue

• Adaptational Intelligence: While they still can be rather silly, Snips and Snails are way smarter and quick–witted than their cartoon counterparts: even Diamond Tiara had to admit they are useful.
• Bears Are Bad News: One chases the girls and Snips and Snails down until they are able to hide from it.
• Bittersweet Ending: The kids are rescued safe and sound, and get to see the legendary Turul to boot, but Diamond Tiara is still a self centered brat while Snips & Snails still resent the CMCs for treating them like the town dunces.
• Continuity Nod: Scootaloo reminds Snips and Snails of the time they brought an Ursa to Ponyville.
• Dude, Not Funny!: Everypony's reaction to Diamond Tiara's little suggestion that Scootaloo fly to get a layout of the area only to want to see her fail. Even Snips and Sails thought she took that one too far.
• Everyone Has Standards: Snips and Snails, the town dunces, call out Diamond Tiara for wanting to see Scootaloo fall in her attempt to fly and get help.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Teased during the story, but eventually subverted: at the end of the comic, Diamond Tiara is still a bitch and Snips & Snails still resent the CMCs for treating them like idiots.
• For Want Of A Nail: Rarity's decision to pick flowers from a living vine results in the group getting separated.
• Hair-Trigger Avalanche: While climbing the mountain, Snips and Snails scream for help which gets the group covered in snow.
• Help, I'm Stuck!: Sweetie Belle gets her rear hoof stuck in the ground. Snips and Snails dig her out using their horns.
• Hypocritical Humor: Diamond Tiara going "Puleez. What's the big deal about a crown?" Says the pony who's cutie mark, signature accessory and name is one.
• Literal Cliffhanger: The first issue ends with Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom hanging for their lives from a cliffside.
• Kick the Dog: Diamond Tiara suggests that Scootaloo fly high enough to see where the rest of the class is. Naturally, Scootaloo is unable to do so and Diamond Tiara mocks her for it and admits that she did it to watch Scootaloo fail. Nopony was amused.
• Missing Child: A bunch of little kids get lost in the mountains, in genuine danger, including being attacked by a bear that is very much not harmless like Fluttershy's.
• Now You Tell Me: Rarity ignores the warnings from Applejack and Cheerilee not to pick flowers from a vine. After the vine comes to life and wraps her up, Rarity says the trope word for word.
• Prequel: Set before the CMCs got their cutie marks and Diamond Tiara's Heel–Face Turn.
• Security Cling: Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara hug each other when the bear passes over their hiding spot. They do it again when a wolf howls as they spend the night in a cave.
• Shout-Out: The part where the gang hide from the bear is a pretty close recreation of the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where the Hobbits hide from a Nazgûl. After the avalanche, the snow on Apple Bloom makes her resemble Gandalf.
  • The arc's name is a reference to Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds.
• Shown Their Work: The Orphan bird is a mythical creature from the middle ages that follows in line how Cheerilee describes them, including how the good from the bad would be determined if the egg floated or sank. The Turul is also a legend from Hungarian myth.
• Team Mom: Apple Bloom assumes this role to keep the group alive and safe during the story.
• The Load: Diamond Tiara is this during the whole story.
  • Inverted with Snips and Snails, who despite their "Town Dunces" reputation turn out being immensely useful for everyone.
• What the Hell, Hero?: When Diamond Tiara reveals that her suggestion for Scootaloo to fly was done to mock her when she failed, the Crusaders and even Snips and Snails chew her out for it and leave her behind. While Diamond Tiara tries to catch up, Apple Bloom tries to make sure there's distance between them.
• Your Makeup Is Running: Happens to Rarity whose makeup runs while she hugs Sweetie Belle in the end.