Due to FimFiction regulations, I cannot include the lyrics to the titular song of this ride in the actual story. So to understand the full impact of the setting on Rainbow Dash's psyche, feel free to play it yourself, cranked up to full blast, while reading this.

"Hey, Bulk, y'know... when I said I'd go on a ride with you, I REALLY didn't think this was what you had in mind."

Rainbow Dash looked up with mounting dread at the childish, yet somehow creepy, facade to it's a small world. It just felt... off. Everything about this ride looked off. She made an audible gulp as Bulk Biceps motioned for her to get in line.

"Aw, c'mon Rainbow! It's my favorite ride! I have the song in all my workout playlists! Can't say no to a CLASSIC!"

I would if I hadn't already given my word, she thought. Being the living symbol of loyalty definitely had its drawbacks. She sighed and followed Bulk down towards the back of the line, wincing as the hideous music became steadily more audible as she went along.

As they neared the boarding area, Dash looked down at the boats headed into the ride, filled with a mixture of pity for the poor souls within them mindlessly floating towards their doom and self-resignation knowing she'd quickly find herself in their position. Soon — too soon — they were at the front of the line, waiting for Charon's ferry to whisk them to the underworld.

"WOOHOO! YEAH! SMALL WOOOORLD!" Bulk cried boisterously behind her as the boat approached. The previous passengers disembarked and Dash, steeling herself, stepped inside.

She quickly found herself squashed against the left side of the boat as Bulk climbed in beside her. "Uh, Bulk, I, ummm... really need some space", she groaned weakly.

"Sorry, my bad. I'm just TOO EXCITED!" he shouted as he scooted to the other side, enough to turn some of the heads in front of them. Rainbow Dash's face turned pure crimson.

"I... I can see that." Just before the boat started to move, she heard a musical swell, swiveling her head over to the facade where a set of doors were opening. The music transitioned into a march as several rows of figurine-esque animatronics with the ride's signature dead-eyed look began to file out and disperse. Oh, please tell me that's not what we're in for.

Rainbow Dash wasn't completely unfamiliar with it's a small world, of course. She'd been exposed to the song growing up, that endless, haunting tune — Bulk had even played a discordant rendition of it on his violin during the Battle of the Bands — but she'd never ridden the ride before and didn't quite know what to expect. But she knew there were dolls, a lot of dolls. She didn't have a problem with dolls per se, but if they all looked like those...

The boat began to float forward into the garden as Bulk began to shake with anticipation. A voice came over the speakers. "Welcome to it's a small world. For your safety, please remain seated throughout your voyage, keeping your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the boat at all times, and please, watch your children. Thank you." Dash found it worrisome that any of those facts needed to be clarified on a slow boat ride.

They floated through a garden area, where Bulk pointed excitedly at various animal-shaped topiaries while Rainbow Dash started trying to recall the best breathing exercises she could apply here. Within a minute, she could see they were headed towards a tunnel, which, appropriately enough, appeared pitch-black inside. She braced herself as they went through.

She was quickly filled with regrets as that sickeningly saccharine song boomed all around her, and, once removed from the light of the sun, the look of those figurines mutated from somewhat uncanny to outright disturbing. It wasn't right, it just wasn't right, what am I doing here...

Fluttershy had mentioned wanting to ride this ride, and Dash could imagine being able to power through this with her. Being able to hold onto her, to have her reassurances whispered in her ear, to be inspired by her exercising her confidence when her own nerves were failing... none of that was going to happen with Bulk Biceps, for an overwhelming multitude of reasons. Still, the grey musclebound figure was clearly in his happy place — maybe she could coast off of his positive vibes?

Any hope of such a thing dissipated when they entered the next room, the Arctic room, where Rainbow Dash realized that first room, filled with a number of flat cardboard-looking figures, was just the warm-up. This was the real deal, and now the dolls were full-bodied and moving. She felt her skin crawl. The song was different now — sung in a language she didn't recognize — but not different enough.

Come on, Dash, you’re awesome, you can handle a few creepy dolls, you got this, you got this you gotthis yougotthis yougotthisyougotthisssssasdfghahwa

The room was mercifully brief, but the transition to the next room nearly made her shriek. It was a human-size figure of a Canadian Mountie with a comical mustache, which kept being pulled up and down to reveal a circular maw with a pair of beaver-like teeth.

Feeling herself shivering, she hesitantly nudged Bulk. "I gotta get off of this thing!" she whisper-shouted.

"We can't get off, Rainbow! We've got five more continents to visit!"

"Five more..." Dash quickly shut her eyes and started one of her breathing routines. It wasn't working. She'd promised her friends after the cruise incident to not be so overzealous about looking for Evil Magic everywhere, but she swore she could sense it here. Nothing else could explain this place or its hypnotic effect on Bulk and the others... nothing!

She couldn't take it anymore. The singing, the dolls, it wasn't her, it was too much, it-

She felt around her neck. The gem! Where was it?

And she realized with a gulp she'd given it to Fluttershy a few minutes before meeting up with Bulk Biceps.

Thankfully for the other riders, the song was there to drown out the screaming.

Fluttershy was waiting at the exit as she saw the boat with Bulk Bicep's towering figure pull up. She watched him get up and exit, and then saw-

"Rainbow?"

Dash looked wobbly, disoriented. She stumbled off the boat in a daze, clinging onto Bulk's shirt as she followed him up the steps toward the exit. When she saw Fluttershy, she sprinted forward and nearly tackled her to the asphalt.

"Dashie, what happened?"

"W- w- w- w- world, laughter, tears, share, small, dolls, dolls, DOLLS! Elephants, kangaroo, walruses, queen of the hippos! Birds, giraffes, penguins in hats! HAHAHAHA! More dolls, I love dolls! Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink!"

"Huh? What are you saying, Rainbow?" Fluttershy looked genuinely horrified as Dash gave an unhinged smile.

"LIZARD QUEEN!" And Dash snatched her gem from Fluttershy and zipped away, before reappearing behind her a second later, looking noticeably healthier.

"What is going on?!" Fluttershy shouted, disturbed.

"Sorry, I, uh... needed to clear my head after that. It was... it wasn't my favorite ride ever..."

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" came Bulk's voice. "Thanks for going on the ride! Told you you'd like it! Even I didn't think you'd start singing along, though. Bye!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes twitched as Bulk walked off toward the Matterhorn. "Don't ask."

"You were sing- WHAT?"

"I said don't ask!" And Rainbow zoomed off for another lap of the park.