Chapter 18:
Upendi
Dusk and Ocellus continued nuzzling until Ocellus cleared her throat, catching Dusk's attention.
"What's wrong, Ocellus?" Dusk asked, wondering what was bothering the Outsider.
"Uh…It's nothing." Ocellus said, walking away from Dusk a little bit with guilt on her face.
"Ocellus…" Dusk said, wanting to help Ocellus with whatever she's conflicted with.
Ocellus faced him and began to explain, "It's just that all my life, I've been trained to…Nah, forget it. I gotta go," Ocellus tried to explain to Dusk about the plan that Stone Heart had but instead she decided to leave. How could she explain that she was part of plan to kill Dusk's mother, especially now that she was falling in love with him?
"Ocellus, wait…" Dusk said, reaching his hoof out to her.
Ocellus stopped for a minute and turned to see Dusk looking at her with sadness in his eyes, begging her not to leave. Ocellus didn't want to leave either but she knew that the last thing she wanted to do was to hurt her childhood friend/rescuer. Having made her choice, Ocellus continues to move on.
But before she could leave, a gray hoof appeared from the grass and touched Ocellus' snout.
"And where are you going?" a familiar voice asked.
"Uh, nowhere," Ocellus replied sadly.
"Hah, that's what you think," Starswirl said, appearing from the grass in front of the Outsider before diving back in.
"Who was that?" Ocellus asked, watching Starswirl moved around in the grass. She thought whoever it was must be crazy.
Dusk heads to Ocellus and chuckled nervously, "He's a friend of the family," He replied.
Dusk was used to Starswirl's unusual behavior, but he didn't always understand it.
Then Dusk and Ocellus turned to see Starswirl laying on Ocellus' back and playing with her tail with his magic.
"Come on, you follow old Starswirl because I know the way," Starswirl said, tugging on Ocellus's tail before running off laughing.
"Wait, way to where?" Ocellus asked as Dusk just shrugged in reply, for he was just as confused.
On the top of a rocky cliff, Starswirl chuckled, "You follow, you see!" He called out.
Ocellus and Dusk turned to each, a little confused about what Starswirl was saying.
"Hurry Now!" Starswirl said as he swung down on a vine over them.
"Ocellus, come on!" Dusk chuckled as he and Ocellus chased after the Unicorn Wizard around the bend.
But as they ran after Starswirl, they suddenly stopped and looked more confused than before.
"Where is he taking us?" Ocellus asked, wondering where Starswirl is taking them.
In front of them, Starwswirl seems to have disappeared, and the vine was just swinging on its own while behind it, there is a flowing waterfall.
"To a special place in your heart called…Upendi," Starswirl replied, placing a hoof behind Dusk and Ocellus's head as the two Alicorns pressed their snouts together and the waterfall magically opens up.
Starswirl laughed with joy as Dusk and Ocellus suddenly found themselves riding on a giant leaf that is shaped like a heart in a river and Starswirl begins to sing…
Starswirl: There's a place where the crazy moon makes the Griffons sing and Hippogriffs swoon.
And the sultry scent of the lotus bloom will carry you away.
As Starswirl sang, the moon rose up causing some Griffons to sing. A couple of Hippogriffs kissed each other before sighing heavenly as they hung from the branches.
One Hippogriff passes Starswirl a lotus flower who then passed it to Ocellus. The Outsider showed it to Dusk as he sniffs the flower but then sneezed.
Starswirl: Where the Yaks swung from the vines and the Buffaloes rumba a conga line.
And the pink flamingos are intertwined as the stars come out to play.
Starswirl then showed some Yaks swinging on some vines and the Buffaloes doing the conga line as one Buffalo bumped into some Flamingos causing some stars to appear as Starswirl grabbed them and tossed them into the night sky.
Everyone then began to sing as a chorus as they dance to the song and music…
Starswirl and Chorus: In Upendi!
Starswirl: Where the Passion Fruit grows sweet.
And it's so divine that you lose your mind as it sweeps you off your feet.
Starswirl then grabbed some fruit and fed one to Dusk who loved the taste of the fruit. He offered one to Ocellus but she declined the fruit, she didn't understand what was going on, so Starswirl just threw the fruit away and looked ahead.
Starswirl and Chorus: In Upendi!
Starswirl: Without a worry or a care, it just takes two to make true.
Your heart will lead you there.
Starswirl spotted some plants ahead and rowed past a small waterfall, grabbing a large heart-shaped leaf and placing it on Dusk, causing Ocellus to laugh finding it funny, and the Prince takes it off of himself.
"Where is it?" Ocellus asked, wanting to know where Upendi is.
Starswirl covered her eyes with his hoof and smiled, "No place you don't take with you." He replied, causing Ocellus to giggle.
Starswirl: You better watch your step 'cause the path is steep
Better hold your breath cause the water's deep
It's a long way down over Lovers' Leap
But falling's half the fun!
Starswirl hopped off as Dusk and Ocellus fell down and landed in a small pool of water where Starswirl then pulled a vine and the bottom of the pool opened up causing Dusk and Ocellus to continue falling. Starswirl was riding on a floating leaf until he popped it and fell down as well.
Starswirl and Chorus: In Upendi
Starswirl: Where the passion fruit grows sweet
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
Starswirl and Chorus: In Upendi
Starswirl: Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
Your heart will take you there
Dusk and Ocellus landed back on the heart-shaped leaf and laughed for that was pretty fun. Then more passion fruit fell down as Ocellus caught one but struggles to swallow. Dusk caught two more passion fruit until he quickly noticed Ocellus having difficulties and helped her by kissing her cheek. Ocellus swallowed the fruit and let out a sigh of relief.
Starswirl was holding some more passion fruit and he kicks one over to where the other creatures of Equestria are doing the conga and the butterflies started frolicking around. Then Starswirl helped Dusk and Ocellus looked at each other as the two Alicorns pressed their snout together lightly.
Starswirl appears riding a floating leaf and continues singing…
Starswirl: You can beat the bush like there's no tomorrow
From Equestria's Lake to The Crystal Mountains
But you'll find Upendi wherever you are
Oh, underneath the sun.
Starswirl and the other creatures were doing the conga while shaking some bushes like maracas as they put the bushes down and looked out. All the way down the conga line, Starswirl was at the back as one of the Crystal Mountains popped out and the Unicorn Wizard opened the top and more butterflies appeared.
Then Starswirl grabs some patch of orange and lowers down from the mountain.
"Hang on, Upendi means 'Love' doesn't it?" Dusk asked, remembering what Upendi means.
"Welcome to Upendi!" Starswirl announced as Dusk and Ocellus were shot up into the air by a sprinkler of water.
Starswirl and Chorus: In Upendi
Starswirl: Where the passion fruit grows sweet
And it's so divine
That you lose your mind
As it sweeps you off your feet
Starswirl and Chorus: In Upendi
Starswirl: Without a worry or a care
It just takes two
To make it true
Dusk and Ocellus watched as everybody conga below them and Starswirl passes them some passion fruit to eat before jumping into the water. Wanting to join them, the two Alicorns jumped down from the sprinkling water and splashed into the water down below. Then they got out and joined the conga as they were fed some fruit and splashed into the water.
Starswirl: You're Heaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrt….
Will take you there.
As the last lyrics were sung, Dusk and Ocellus went up one water hill to another before jumping off a ledge and a heart-shaped parachute appeared.
Chorus: Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
Down in Upendi
Way down
In Upendi!
As Dusk and Ocellus floated, many other couples floated as well around them and Starswirl was riding on a cloud by himself as they all then gathered and stopped, becoming stars themselves…
Later that night, Dusk and Ocellus were walking their way back to the Castle singing the song Upendi and it was very catchy.
"In Upendi," Dusk sang.
"In Upendi," Ocellus sang next as they began to giggle.
By the time they arrived, Dusk and Ocellus nuzzled each other happily for this was a beautiful night for them.
"Good night, Dusk," Ocellus said with a smile.
"Good night, Ocellus," Dusk said also with a smile.
But then they realized that Dusk is allowed into the castle, but Ocellus isn't, since she is an Outsider. So going their separate ways, Dusk heads inside the castle while Ocellus heads to her tree to sleep for the night.
Before Dusk entered, he looked back at Ocellus and lets out a happy sigh, and smiled. After he entered the Castle, Twilight appeared by the entrance seeing her son seem so happy before turning to Ocellus, who has made it to her tree and laid down, ready to get some sleep.
After some careful thinking, Twilight realized that it wasn't very nice of her to put the Outsider outside of their castle at night by herself. And remembering what Flash said, Twilight thinks it might be best to get to know Ocellus rather than judging here. Seeing how her son was happy, Twilight has made her decision and turned to mare with a smile. She did something that was surprising, but kind.
While Ocellus was laying down, she noticed a shadow coming to her and looked up to see Twilight approaching her with a kind and friendly smile. Though it was friendly Ocellus was nervous. Did Twilight suspect her?
"It's kinda cold tonight, huh? Come on in, Ocellus," Twilight offered as she heads back inside the castle.
Ocellus smiled, grateful to see the Queen is finally allowing her to come inside her palace to rest from the cold night. And for the briefest moments, she wasn't worried about any plot of Stone Heart's. The two Alicorn mares headed inside the castle.