Chapter 12
Chapter 12
___________________________________________________________
“I’m really looking forward to this Friendship Festival!” Boots cheers as we walk together towards Rarity and the stage.
I smile, nodding.
True, I want to go home soon, but it’s hard to not be excited for the festival.
It’s been two days since I met Boots and saved him from Svengallop and that Firm Stance guy.
At first, I decided to stay in the hotel room with him, since he was a little anxious about going around Canterlot (understandable, with how he was treated), though, yesterday he was brave enough to come out as we watched Rarity and other ponies setting up for the festival.
The Wonderbolts and the Apple Family arrived that day and had gone about getting ready.
I had hesitated about introducing Boots to Applejack, what with her “Ya’ll tell me if that ever happens, ya hear?” line from The Washouts regarding if Apple Bloom ever started liking bananas more than apples.
I mean, Boots is a monkey, so I knew she’d take that into consideration… but still.
Thankfully, it had gone over well, though that might’ve been because Pear Butter and Bright Mac were there too, so were able to keep their daughter’s… I don’t think I’d call it ego, but something, in check.
Apple Bloom had been shocked when Boots started talking, though I’m guessing that’s mostly because she’d gotten so used to the idea of me being able to understand animals while she couldn’t, that when he first starting talking, her jaw had dropped to a level that would make Pinkie Pie proud. Then again, the two are related, so Apple Bloom having a few Pie traits isn’t too odd an idea.
Today, I’m wearing Dora’s normal outfit. I just didn’t feel like dressing up or anything. Plus, I think it’ll help Boots feel more at ease. Not that I plan on wearing this outfit all the time.
“So, it’s decided then,” Sapphire Shores is saying as she and another pony I can’t see are standing with Rarity, a list levitated by the unicorn. “Songbird will start out the festival, then Rara, myself and Star Song will end the song performances.”
I blink. Star Song? As in, G3 Star Song? Well, the G4 version of her, but… You get my point.
“Yes. That’s a good idea,” says a voice that causes me to halt in place because it is not Star Song from G3.
“Dora?” Boots asks, noticing I’m not following anymore and glancing back. “What is it?”
“Shakira?!” I gasp.
Our little conversation gets the attention of the ponies who move… though who I see does not look like what her voice would suggest. For one, she’s not a pony.
Along with Rara and Sapphire Shores, there’s, to my surprise, a hippogriff standing there. The majority of her feathers are either a very deep-blue or black, with a tiny tuft of blueish-white feathers near where her wings connect to her shoulder blades and a tuft on her chest that looks just normal chestnut coloured. Her head beak and claws are a grey colour.
However, a defining trait, one that draws your attention is her mane. It and her tail are brownish-blonde, the former being very long, reaching below her chestnut fluff and styled in a way that looks very similar to the hairstyle of the women I thought I heard.
“Dora,” Rarity says, delight, before turning to the Hippogriff. “This is the girl I was telling you about, Star. Dora, this is Star Song. Star, this is Dora and the monkey is Boots.”
The Hippogriff looks to me with big brown eyes and smiles. “Hola Dora. Hola Boots. Encantado de conocerte.”
I glance to Boots, then the Hippogriff. “Tu hablas Equespañol?”
She nods. “Si. Muy bien, de hecho. I am Coltumbian, after all.”
I cock my head. “Why’d you stop speaking Equespañol?” Then I blink. “Wait. Coltumbian? But… Okay, I’m confused. Señorita Star, you’re a hippogriff. Haven’t you all been living under the ocean since last spring? Princess Skystar said she’d never seen Equestrian Sea Ponies before and, if you’re from Coltumbia, wouldn’t you have needed family there?”
She nods, her expression saddening a little. “Si. Mi padre era un Pegaso, que conoció a mi madre mientras estaba de vacaciones.” She blushes, shaking her head. “They became close and, having no family of his own left in Columbia, moved to Mt. Aris to be with my mother a few months before I was hatched. He…” She stops, closing her as and taking a breath. “He was among those who did not make it to Seaquestria when the Storm King attacked our home.”
My hand flies to my mouth, while the mares are looking shocked.
“You… you never mentioned that,” Rara says, her expression sober.
“I’m so sorry, Señorita Star,” I hurry forward, taking her right claw and holding it. “I… I didn’t mean to make you remember something so sad. Lo prometo.”
She shakes her head, gently taking back her claw and wiping away a few tears that had started to leak from her eyes. “No te preocupes, Dora. It’s okay. You did nothing wrong.”
“So… why did you stop speaking Equespañol earlier?” I ask, trying to get back onto a lighter topic and realizing the question hadn’t been answered before.
She chuckles. “I noticed your friend looking confused.”
I glance at Boots to see he does indeed have a very confused look on his face mixed with the sadness brought on from the previous topic and find myself giggling along with the ponies and hippogriff.
“You’ll be performing at the festival?” I ask once we’ve settled down.
“Si,” Star Song smiles, before frowning slightly. “Though I’m not quite sure which song to end my set with.”
I blink, before smiling. “Tengo una idea!”
Star Song leans down and I whisper into her ear. She blinks, before leaning back, smiling and nods. “Oh, esa es una idea maravillosa, Dora.”
“What’s marvellous? What’s marvellous?” Boots asks excitedly, jumping up and down as he looks between the two of us.
Star Song looks to the happy monkey, smiling. “So he knows some Equespañol then.”
Boots nods. “Si. Dora taught me. Well, I mean…”
He looks to me and I nod. I understand. It’s a bit hard to explain without going into all the details.
“Well, I’m afraid I’m going to be a bit busy today, Dora,” Rarity says, looking to me. “I don’t suppose there’s something you could do while you and Boots wait?”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind getting a better look around Canterlot before the big day,” I say, looking around, glancing down when Boots takes me hand. “Plus, I want Boots to see the better side of ponies. He deserves that after what happened before.”
“True,” Rarity nods, before frowning. “Though, I certainly can’t take you.”
“Ah’d be happy to,” the three of us turn as Pear Butter comes over, smiling warmly. “Sorry, but Ah couldn’t help overhearin’. If’n it’ll help, Ah’d be glad to watch over the two young’ns fer the day.”
“That would be wonderful,” Rarity says, nodding. “Thank you, Pear Butter. Please make sure they’re back before dark, though.”
The Earth mare nods, smiling at us and indicating to follow.
“Dora, who’s that?” Boots tugs on my arm.
I smile down at him as we move to follow. “That’s Pear Butter, Applejack’s mother.”
Boots looks back at the pony as we catch up and walk alongside her. “She seems nice. I like her.”
I can’t help but giggle, before waving to Rarity and Terrain Meoldy. “Adios, Star Song. Te veo en el festival.”
“Adios, Dora,” she calls, waving back.
___________________________________________________________
“Dowa!” I barely have time to turn around before I’m bowled over by a pair of fuzzy projectiles and fall to the ground, Pound and Pumpkin laughing happily as the cuddle into me.
“Hola, Pound y Pumpkin,” I smile, cuddling them back.
“Oh, goodness. Sorry about that, Dora,” I look up as Mrs Cake walks towards me, a sheepish smile on her face. “They’ve missed you so much, I guess you were more interesting than the fountain.”
Glancing around quickly, I indeed notice a circular fountain towards the centre of the square.
It’s here. Today’s the day of the Friendship Festival, aka, the movie’s day to start its events… and I’m more anxious than an ibex surrounded by a pack of hyenas.
Everything seems to have gone okay, the hippogriffs were accepted by the majority of the Equestrian populace, security is good with guards uncover as just simple festival attendees around all of Canterlot (plus a few of the hippogriff guards to aid in the illusion) and so far, all seems to be going as well as one could hope with the knowledge of the upcoming invasion that only I actually know is coming because I can’t say anything without opening a can of worms that should not be opened.
I haven’t even told Boots about the Storm King’s advance fleet. I want him to enjoy the festival and I know he won’t if he’s aware of what’s coming.
I just have to hope everything I’ve done has helped enough to prevent Canterlot suffering the exact same fate as it did in the movie.
I even had made sure to ask Fluttershy if she was going to invite Discord to the festival. Granted, she doesn’t need to invite him, he’s more than welcome to come, but just putting the idea in her head to make sure he is well aware of the festival put my mind at a lot of ease.
I mean, if Discord’s at the festival, it’s pretty much like I needn’t have gone to so much trouble, but still.
Having the Cake twins surprise me like this helps a lot to ease my worries.
“Aw,” Boots says, smiling at the babies, before looking to the blue mare. “Are these your baby ponies, miss?”
“Mrs, dearie,” she corrects him politely, before chuckling. “And, yes, they are.”
“They’re so cute!” Boots chirps, leaning down to the foals.
They turn to look at him, before smiling wide and tackling him.
“Seems they like Boots too,” I chuckle as I get up, dusting myself off.
I’m wearing the dress I’d worn the day Rarity and I went around Ponyville after my adventure with Daring Do. Not my choice, Rarity had insisted.
“Dónde está el Señor Cake? Um, where’s Mr. Cake?” I blush as I repeat in English, before looking around again.
Mrs Cake smiles warmly. “Oh, he’s busy helping the Apple Family set up the food. He and Bright Mac were good friends after Carrot and I got married. I’m guessing the two are trying to make up for lost time.”
I nod. Makes sense. Back when she was Chiffon Swirl, Mrs Cake and Pear Butter had been good friends, so I’s only natural that, once she’d gotten married to Carrot Cake, Bright Mac and him would’ve met and become good friends too.
“Wait a minute! I know you!”
I suddenly go ridge. Whirling around, I see none other than Starlight Glimmer walking towards me.
I glance around quickly. Why is nopony reacting to her presence? How did she get past the guards?
She’s still season 5 Starlight, so surely Twilight warned Celestia and Luna about —?
I stop, deadpanning. What am I talking about? Starlight was able to sneak into Celestia’s Personal School during the finale with nopony batting an eye, Twilight being the only one to actually notice her among the other ponies. Of course she hasn’t bothered to tell the other princesses about her yet.
“Well, that’s at least a different reaction from before,” Starlight’s voice pulls me from my thoughts and I see her giving me a very confused look. “So… mind explaining why you just vanished when we met all those weeks ago?”
“Primero, qué estás haciendo aquí, en Canterlot?” I point, my expression firm, before I snarl, throwing my arms in the air. “What’re you doing in Canterlot?!”
I am really starting to get sick of having to repeat myself to ponies who don’t speak Equespañol and Season 5 Starlight being here with the movie’s events less than half an hour away is not helping with that frustration.
She frowns. “Well, it is a festival for all of Equestria, isn’t it?”
“You’re still aiming for revenge on Twilight for rightfully stopping you from holding your village hostage!” I point out, causing Mrs Cake and Boots to gasp.
At once, her eyes widen and she snarls. “Rightfully?! My village was a sanctuary of equality, where nopony’s Cutie Mark allowed them to feel superior!” She looks up wistfully just like in the finale. Wait, am I unintentionally derailing that before it happens? Is that good or bad? “It was a special place,” then she looks back at me and glares, “but then Princess Twilight and her friends took it away!”
“Oh, dame un descanso!” I snap. For crying out loud, she’s in the middle of Canterlot during a Friendship Festival! How can she not see the problem with her current mindset about friendship?
Starlight looks confused.
“Nopony’s Cutie Mark allowed them to feel superior? Says the pony who had the authority to force anypony even a hair out of line to be punished!” I point at her. “Let me ask you, who accepted being a part of your village before you took their Cutie Mark away?”
Starlight frowns at the change of topic, before getting a smug look. “Easy. There was…” she blinks, her frown becoming confused as she looks down. “Wait. Gimme a second. I’m sure I can remember. Oh, yes, he… no, wait, he didn’t have his mark when he made his choice. Oh, but she… no. No, she didn’t have hers before she chose either. But then there was… no… no, he didn’t chose to stay until after I’d taken his mark…”
“Bien? Estoy esperando. I’m waiting,” I repeat in English.
Starlight doesn’t answer, her frown becoming deeper and more anxious with each passing second.
“Dora, what’s going on?” Boots asks as Mrs Cake holds her foals. “Who is that unicorn and why are you so angry at her?”
I blink, before realizing that was something I had neglected to inform the monkey on and Mrs Cake is likely just as in the dark on the matter. “Her name is Starlight Glimmer. She made a village where she took away everypony’s Cutie Marks to make them equal under the idea that was the only way to have true friendship… failing to realize all she was doing was imprisoning ponies against their wills,” I finish as Starlight looks up, her eyes wide. “Well?”
“Nopony,” she whisper, almost sobs, her voice hoarse. “Not one pony in my village accepted being a part of it before I took away their Cutie Mark. I took it away and forced them to live there first. That… that’s not choosing to stay…”
“It’s being forced to stay,” I nod, arms folded. “Starlight, Twilight and the others don’t know about Sunburst,” her eyes widen further at the mention of her foalhood friend’s name, “and you didn’t lose Sunburst because you two weren’t equal.” I shake my head. “Your parents were just too stupid to realize not keeping you both in contact was a bad idea.”
“But, but Twilight and the others…” she starts feebly, it clear even she isn’t believing whatever it is she’s trying to say.
I shake my head again. “They weren’t in your village because they wanted to take anything away from you, Starlight. They were there to save your village… from you.”
“I… I made nopony equal,” Starlight stammers, flopping down on her rump, her expression hollow. “I did the opposite. I took away what made them equal. I… I don’t understand. How could I…?”
I sigh, my expression softening. I walk over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Listen, I’ll help you explain things to Twilight and the others after the festival.” I give a sly smile. “Plus, unless he’s gotten lost in studying a spell of some kind, Sunburst should be somewhere in this crowd. If not, I can take you to him later.”
She looks to me, stunned. “But… why? You were so scared of me when we first met and looked like you hated me now. Why would you help me at all?”
I shake my head. “I don’t hate you, Starlight Glimmer.” The H.S I Hate Starlight sunk back about half way during the season 6 premiere. “But I do know what you were planning and how driven you can be when you fix your mind on something.” I blink, before giggling. “Ember was right. You and Twilight are a lot alike.”
She gives me a very confused look.
I shake my head. “Anyway, the point is, you don’t have to take revenge. That’s not the right path. True me, I’ve seen what that can do.” And you do not need to know why, Starlight.
She just looks more confused.
“Hi, Starlight!” a familiar high-pitched voice shouts as a pink blur shoots past us, making us jump. Before it zips by again calling, “Enjoy the festival!”
“Was… was that…?” Starlight looks to me with confusion.
I nod, smirking. “Pinkie. Better not to question that.”
Doing a quick memory scan of the movie’s early events, I’m guessing Pinkie is chasing, or being pulled along by, the deflating Discord balloon she tried to make.
“But, if she knows I’m here, wouldn’t Princess Twilight?!” Starlight starts showing the obvious signs of a Starlight Panic Attack, so I put a hand on her shoulder again, shaking my head.
“Pinkie is Pinkie. She usually knows when others are around before anyone else. Plus, I doubt she’s telling Twilight when… yep. It’s starting.” To her confused look, I point up, where a massive amount of clouds just burst, followed by a smaller one bursting seconds after.
We Got This Together has started, so Pinkie is way more occupied helping Twilight feel calmer about the festival.
Eventually, we get pulled into the music number too, shortly after we pass by Trixie doing a fireworks show, though I noticed Starlight is way too occupied before we actually get roped into the song to notice Trixie.
Guess their first meeting is still gonna happen the way it did in the show.
The music number ends just like in the movie, with Pinkie firing her Easy Bake Confetti Cake Cannon and the end results burying Twilight.
Starlight just stands next to me, her face blank. “With friends like that, I don’t think she’ll be around long enough for me to take revenge.”
I giggle, before a thunderclap makes me stiffen and I whirl around to see dark storm clouds approaching Canterlot and gulp.
This does not go unnoticed by Boots or Starlight.
“Dora?” the monkey takes my hand. “Is… is something wrong?”
“Kinda?” I say slowly, an anxious smile spreading on my face. “We’re about to have a visit from Fizzlepop Berrytwist.”
Starlight blinks. “Huh? Fizzle? She’s here?”
I blink, before whirling on the unicorn. “You know her?!” Um, how?!
“It’s been a long time since I was home,” she shrugs. “Though, she left Sire’s Hollow about a year before Sunburst.” She looks to me. “What’s she been up to? She never told anypony where she was going.”
I just stand there, my right eye twitching. Starlight and Tempest both lived in Sire’s Hollow and this could’ve been prevented?! Are she fucking shitting me?!
The dark dirigible emerges from the clouds, moving closer and coming down to land, breaking several spires in the process.
The ramp falls down, squashing a pink balloon animal.
“Brian! No!” Party Favour yells in anguish,
Starlight glances quickly at him, then me, whispering fiercely, “I didn’t know Party Favour was going to be here too!”
“Tenemos mayores problemas en este momento, Starlight!” I hiss back, my tone causing her to startle.
We wait as Grubber comes down the ramp, sets up his megaphone and does his speech, ending by introducing Tempest.
“Is that a unicorn?” Boots whispers, cocking his head.
“I… think so,” Starlight says, looking uncertain. “Is that Fizzlepop? What happened to her horn?”
Seconds later, Celestia, Luna and Cadance land in front of all the gathered ponies, the former addressing the unicorn. “Tempest, is it? How may we help you?”
Tempest smiles. “Oh, I’m so glad you asked. How about we start with,” her expression darkens, “you’re complete and total surrender?”
“Don’t both those words mean the same thing?” Boots asks, confused.
I nod, noticing Twilight stepping forward and saying her bit.
“Oh, goodie. All four princesses,” Tempest says and she starts walking down the ramp. “Here’s the deal, ladies, I need your magic. Give it up nicely please, or we make it difficult, for everyone.”
“And why should we cower before you?” Luna asks sternly and, out of the corner of my eye, I notice the undercover guards moving into position. “There’s one of you and hundreds of us!”
Tempest chuckles. “I was hoping you’d choose difficult.”
As she speaks, the Storm King’s soldiers into the doorway of the balloon as more balloons start to appear out from the dark clouds.
I feel my body tense, my hand reaching up to the Wishing Crystal. Please let this work?!
The Storm King’s soldiers start dropping from the balloons.
“Now!” Celestia yells, thrusting a foreleg out.
At once, the the Royal and hippogriff guards undercover rush out, meeting the soldiers, taking them by surprise.
The fighting begins, with civilian ponies running in terror while the guards defend.
Tempest seems frozen where she stands, clearly not having expected a fight at all. Seems she underestimated her own kind.
Not that I’m able to enjoy the humour of it, as I’m ducking and dodging around in the ground, avoiding both getting trampled by the ponies running, but any of the soldiers who notice me and try to grab me.
“Dora!”
My eyes widen and I whirl around to see Boots running from a soldier.
Looking around frantically, a glint of light hits my eyes and I glance down at my wrist to see my mermaid bracelet.
I blink, before I frown.
I run towards the soldier chasing Boots, my smaller frame allowing me to move much faster than the bulky… whatever species the Storm Kings army is made of.
Using a nearby plank of wood, I jump up, landing atop the soldier’s shoulders.
He cries out in confusion and starts moving around frantically, trying to get me off, and reaching up to grab me.
“Transformar-se!” I yell, holding up my wrist as best I can while still holding on.
My wrist glows with light as I’m transformed into a mermaid, the magic leaking down and transforming the soldier too.
His legs changed to something else, he flops down, myself falling off and rolling, shouting out the word again and righting myself in a kneeling position.
I blink at what I see. He’s turned into what kinda looks like a Red-Lipped Batfish (I would question why I know what the heck that even is when I’ve never even heard of the species, but I’ll save that for a safer time), only blackish-blue.
A deep injured cry from behind makes me look over my shoulder to see Starlight is blasting away another soldier who’d been just behind me.
“How did you do that?!” she asks, wide eyed.
“Te lo explicaré más tarde.I’ll explain later!” I repeat quickly, rolling to avoid another soldier, whom Starlight blasts right in the face. “For now, we gotta keep the princesses safe!”
“The princesses?” Starlight seems confused and annoyed. “They’re the princesses. Why would they need us to keep them safe?”
“Sister, the stories I could tell you,” I shake my head, remembering all the events of the previous four seasons and beyond.
Telling Boots to stay with Starlight and the latter to keep him safe, I rush off towards Tempest’s balloon, dodging, leaping and sliding under any of the Storm King’s Troups that I come across, each time shouting “Transformar-se!” before leaping off, pushing away or sliding under them and repeating it to stay in human form, leaving them a Red-Lipped Batfish.
I finally break through the throng of fighting to see Tempest has just leapt into the air and thrown one of the green orbs that turns those caught in the smoke from them into stone, Cadance’s shield already up, but I’m fully aware it will only hold for a few seconds.
I grab the Wishing Crystal and hold it tightly in both hands. Please work! Please work. Please work! “I wish the four Alicorns were by my side!” I yell quickly.
The crystal’s glow shines brightly through my hands.
Just as the orb gets through Cadance’s barrier, right as it shatters on contact with Cadance, the four Alicorns glow with a white light and vanish.
“What?!” Tempest’s eyes widen as she lands, looking around frantically, before her eyes stop in my direction.
Twilight, Cadance, Celestia and Luna are all now standing by my side.
“Wait, how did —?” Cadance begins, glancing around in confusion.
“No hay tiempo!” I yell, turning to Cadance and Twilight in turn as Tempest starts running, myself fully aware she has at least three more of those orbs. “Cadance, get ready to put up another barrier! Twilight, levitate over a piece of one of the broken beams, keeping it behind us and, on my signal, drop the beam and teleport us behind Tempest!”
If Twilight or her sister-in-law are confused by my order/request, they don’t show it, only nodding, lighting their horns.
Tempest does a slid, turning kick, sending another orb in our direction.
Cadance puts up her barrier like before and I wait three seconds, before yelling “Ahora!”
Twilight teleports us just as the orb passes through the barrier.
When the world stops being purple, we’re behind Tempest, who looks shocked for the split second I let her, before I lunge forward, grabbing her around the neck.
We tumble for several moments, before I finally get a moment to breathe and shout, “Transformar-se!”
At once, we’re both engulfed in a stream of a magical light, Tempest seeming to sense the spell, tossing me off, but too late. She’s already caught in the transformation.
I roll for a few moments, being stopped when I hit something with my back, looking up to see Celestia.
Glancing back towards where Tempest is, it’s to show her flopping around on the ground, a Sea Pony.
“Luna, search her!” Celestia shouts as she moves a little away and I change back.
Her sister nods, horn glowing, Tempest being surrounded by said glow and two more orbs being pulled from small pockets sides.
“No!” the unicorn Sea Pony yells, flopping about in an in vain attempt to grab the orbs, before glaring at me. “What have you done to me? How did you do it?”
“You’re not the only one with magic, Fizzlepop,” I say, dusting myself off, the mention of her real name causing the unicorn’s eyes to widen. “Did you really think taking over Canterlot would be that easy? You do know someone tried and technically failed, to invade it less than a year ago, don’t you?”
Tempest looks around, only to see my words are more than just that. Thanks to a combination of the Royal Guards, hippogriffs, Wonderbolts, Starlight, my having turned a good number of the Storm King’s Troupes into Red-Lipped Batfish and Mane 6 working together, the invasion is winding down very fast, with Canterlot on the winning side.
Tempest looks back at the five of us.
“You should’ve known you couldn’t win against five princesses!” Boots voice calls as he and Starlight are hurrying over.
“Starlight?!” Twilight cries in panic.
“Está bien… I mean, it’s okay, Twilight,” I say quickly, moving in front of the unicorn, holding up my hands. “I can explain and… is something wrong, princesas?” I ask, noticing Celestia and Luna giving Boots confused frowns.
“Why did you say five princesses, little monkey?” Luna asks.
“That’s easy,” he says casually. “Dora’s a princess too.”
I got ridged as all five ponies look to me.
Boots blinks, looking around in confusion. “Didn’t anypony know that?”
Crap.
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So, from that Author's Note, I assume shit is gonna get real and soon?
Nice!!!!!
Drama Button
I bet Twilight's going to have a fit.
Come to think of it, the storm king’s voice actor did sound a bit like the Greedy king from “Dora the Explorer Saves the Crystal Kingdom”
Oof!
Boots you unintentionally Doom Dora.