Feats of Friendship Issue 3

My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship #3 is the third issue of IDW Publishing's My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship comic miniseries. In the issue, the Young Six face the final challenge of the Feats of Friendship as their friendship comes apart because of Swift Foot.

Summary
Picking up where the previous issue left off, Swift Foot watches the Young Six argue with each other before the story flashes back to several days earlier. In the kingdom of Thrace, Swift Foot, living under constant torment by her older sisters Blonn Di and Shining Light, is tasked by her oppressive father King Diomedes and third older sister Terri Belle with infiltrating the School of Friendship and dismantling its friendship values from within. Once she is enrolled at the school, Swift Foot asks Headmare Twilight Sparkle to be partnered with the Young Six in the Feats of Friendship.

Back in present day, Swift Foot mentally remarks how the Young Six have treated her with more kindness than her own family, but she also comments on how easy it was to turn them against each other, seeing it as proof of how fragile friendship is. When an angered Silverstream try to speak to Yona in her native yak language, Yona laughs at her poor attempt. Yona's friends reveal that they have trying to learn how to speak yak to make her feel more at home, contrary to Swift Foot's claims in the first issue.

Yona apologizes for accusing Ocellus of stealing her thunder, Sandbar apologizes for forcing Ocellus to use her changeling abilities, Ocellus admits to being jealous of Silverstream for being able to transform in front of other ponies without being persecuted, and Gallus apologizes for being a poor team leader. Upon exchanging apologies, the six friends make up, much to Swift Foot's surprise. She is even more shocked when they extend their friendship to her once more. Feeling guilty over everything she has done to tear them apart, Swift Foot accepts the Young Six's friendship, and the seven of them prepare to face the final event of the Feats together.

For the Feats of Friendship's final event, the teams are tasked with taking down a magically-created hydra. Through Gallus' leadership, Ocellus transforms into an equally formidable hydra, and the seven teammates all work together to pin the hydra's heads to the ground. The Young Six and Swift Foot clear the event in record time and celebrate their victory, though they only achieve second place in the overall Feats of Friendship rankings.

Some time later, the Young Six are awarded medals during the Feats of Friendship's closing ceremonies, but Swift Foot leaves Ponyville during the middle of it. Having accepted the Young Six as her friends and acknowledging the power of friendship, she resolves to return to Thrace and convince her fellow Thracians to do the same, determined to fight for her friends if they do not.

Quotes

 * Shining Light: Dad said he wanted to see you, so that can't be good.
 * Blonn Di: He sent us a while ago, but we took our time finding you. Hurry-hurry!
 * Swift Foot: B-Blonn Di! You made me late!
 * Blonn Di: It's our word against yours, brat.
 * Swift Foot: Shining Light?
 * Shining Light: What? It's your fault for being so easy to pick on.
 * Swift Foot: You two are the worst!


 * King Diomedes: Ages ago, the other ponies united and left us in the cold. We Thracians have endured without friendship—thrived! And now Equestria's reliance on it will be their downfall. As Equestria crumbles without its guiding framework, we will sweep in and cull the herds of the weak.
 * Terri Belle: All hail King Diomedes! King of Thrace! Future king of all Equestria!


 * Swift Foot: (It's been... difficult. The allure of friendship is strong. These perfect strangers accepted me... Treated me with more kindness than my own family... But it is a lie. I've only been here a short time, and with barely any effort, I've pitted them against each other. So much for the "Magic of Friendship.")


 * Silverstream: Yek yokkity yak york!
 * [beat]
 * Yona: Pfffft! What?


 * Yona: Yona thought she had worst friends who ignore who Yona is! Yona has best friends who try hard for Yona!


 * Silverstream: [to Ocellus] We shape-changers need to look out for each other!


 * Gallus: If somebody has a problem with who you are, then they have to take it up with all of us!
 * Yona: Yona will squish them into jelly!


 * Ocellus: Friendship is hard work work.
 * Sandbar: And, like, really messy sometimes.
 * Silverstream: But with a healthy dose of forgiveness and communication, you can make it work! Because it's totally worth it!
 * Yona: Yak yakkity yak-yak!
 * Silverstream: What you said!


 * Gallus: Was that the lesson the Feats of Friendship was trying to teach us all along? Ugh!
 * Smolder: Oh no! We're learning!


 * Swift Foot: You... You'd all still be friends with me? After everything I've done?
 * Silverstream: Haha—what? You've shown us nothing but compassion and concern for us and our cultures.
 * Sandbar: Nothing wrong with being awesome.
 * Swift Foot: I... haven't... Okay. Thank you.


 * Smolder: We. Are. Epic. 
 * Gallus: Haha—Oh man, I'm glad that worked...
 * Silverstream: That was amazing! You were amazing!
 * Yona: Is that all? Send Yona another!
 * Sandbar: I'm glad you were here with us for this moment.
 * Swift Foot: I am, too.


 * Swift Foot: (Farewell, Equestria. Goodbye, my... friends. Your friendship truly is magic. I'll return to Thrace. Try to convince them of your strength. Maybe even that friendship is worth exploring... And if not... I will fight to protect my friends.)