Friendship is Magic Issue 85

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #85 is the eighty-fifth issue of IDW Publishing's. In the issue, Applejack teaches Apple Bloom the meaning of courage by telling her the story of how she conquered her fear of the water when she was little.

Summary
At Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom alerts Applejack to the presence of a giant fly-der somewhere on the farm. Applejack initially doesn't believe Apple Bloom until she discovers a giant spider web. Applejack asks Apple Bloom if she's scared, and Apple Bloom denies it. When Apple Bloom gets herself stuck in the spider web, Applejack also gets stuck trying to rescue her. Apple Bloom dreads that the creature that made the web will come back and eat them, but Applejack tells her not to be scared, which she again denies. Explaining that it's okay to be scared, Applejack tells Apple Bloom a story from her childhood.

Many years ago, a filly Applejack once stumbled into an old well at the edge of the farm. Big McIntosh and Granny Smith eventually saved her, but from then on, she was afraid of the water. One day, during a particularly hot summer, Big Mac and some members of the Apple family play in the lake while Applejack is too scared to join them. Big Mac tries to convince her to face her fears, but she denies all notions that she was afraid. When she finally works up the courage to go into the water, she nearly drowns. Big Mac saves her, and she vows to never go back in the water.

Back in present day, Applejack and Apple Bloom encounter the creature that made the giant spider web: a wolf fly-der, a much larger species of fly-der believed to have been trapped in Tartarus. Applejack tries to get Apple Bloom to calm down and relax her muscles so that she falls out of the web, but Apple Bloom is too terrified to relax, so Applejack scares the wolf fly-der off by yelling at it. As Apple Bloom continues to deny that she's afraid, Applejack continues her story.

After being saved from being drowned, filly Applejack lashes out at Big Mac in anger, causing him to walk off. When the other Apple family members ask Applejack what's wrong, she lashes out at them as well and storms off. Just then, a rainstorm starts to roll in, and Applejack races back to the lake. The change in weather causes the lake to become extremely turbulent, and Big Mac is stranded in the middle of the water. More scared of losing her brother than she is of the water, Applejack dives into the lake and pulls Big Mac to shore.

Back in present day, the wolf fly-der returns and menaces Applejack. Apple Bloom, taking Applejack's story to heart, relaxes her muscles and finally frees herself from the spider web. Then, in an act of facing her fears, she tells the wolf fly-der to let Applejack go, clean up the webs it made, and leave. The wolf fly-der unexpectedly complies with Apple Bloom's orders, and both she and Applejack are surprised by how brave she can truly be.

Quotes

 * Applejack: Whatsamatter? Ya scared?
 * Apple Bloom: No!


 * Apple Bloom: I ain't scared!
 * Applejack: It's okay to be scared, Apple Bloom. Plenty of things scare me, too.


 * Young Big McIntosh: Bein' brave doesn't mean not bein' scared. It means facin' the thing you're scared of.
 * Young Applejack: How did— That's not why I'm not goin' in!
 * Young Big McIntosh: Eeeyup.
 * Young Applejack: I mean it! It ain't about the water at all!
 * Young Big McIntosh: Eeeyup.
 * Young Applejack: I ain't scared! Not even a little.


 * Applejack: It's a wolf fly-der. But they're all supposed to be trapped in Tartarus...
 * Apple Bloom: How do we stop it?!
 * Applejack: First, you gotta calm down. Relax your muscles so you fall outta the web.
 * Apple Bloom: How can I relax when thereisagiantcritterbehindme?!


 * Apple Bloom: I ain't scared, I already told you! Stop sayin' I am!
 * Applejack: No need to lash out.
 * Apple Bloom: I'm not!


 * Young Applejack: You stay outta this! I never woulda gone in if you hadn't made me!
 * Young Big McIntosh: "Made" you? I saved you!
 * Young Applejack: Why don't you just leave me alone?!


 * Applejack: [narrating] I was so scared, and so mad that I was scared, that I hurt the ponies I loved—when I could've just admitted what I was feelin'.


 * Young Applejack: I ain't scared. I just got better things to do, is all.
 * Applejack: [narrating] I didn't.


 * Applejack: [narrating] Goin' in the water? That was scary. But not knowin' if my big brother was safe? That was scarier.


 * Apple Bloom: Now listen here, we've had quite enough of you leavin' webs all over our farm and scarin' everypony! So how about you let my sister down, clean up your webs, and go somewhere dark and creepy, like straight back to Tartarus!


 * Applejack: Y'know, Apple Bloom... you're awfully brave.