//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Vámonos, Equestrian Exploradora! // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 7 ___________________________________________________________ “So… how long do you think til we find a way to get home?” Sweetie Belle asks as we make our way through the jungle as I push up a branch for her to pass. I glance at Ahuizotl. “We are heading to a clearing where we shall rest for the night.” “We’re not going home today?!”Sweetie Belle’s jaw drops as she looks incredulously at the Guardian Creature. He merely points to the sky. “It was already late when we met. Even I cannot get through the jungle from where we are before nightfall. No es possible.” “It’s not possible,” I translate, before nodding. “Makes sense. Rarity sent me to get Sweetie Belle for dinner.” “And then my wish got us here,” Scootaloo rubs her neck, smiling sheepishly. “Lo siento, cruzados. Sorry, Crusaders,” she adds at the raised eyebrows. I shake my head. “No es tu culpa, Scootaloo. I had no idea the Wishing Crystal would even activate. It’s not worked exactly as I expected since I first got here, so it doing what it normally would do took me by surprise as much as anyone.” “None o’ us coulda seen this comin’,” Apple Bloom agrees, before grinning. “Besides, without yer wish, Scoots, we never woulda learned Ahuizotl’s actually a good guy.” We go silent for a while, eventually reaching a small clearing. Ahuizotl’s cats fan out, getting leafs and branches to help me and Apple Bloom built a temporary cover. It’s not perfect, but it’ll at least keep us dry if it rains. The cats also come back with fruits for us to eat, along with prey they themselves will be eating. “Rarity’s got to be so worried about me,” Sweetie Belle says as we start on the papaya Ahuizotl peeled and cut for us, having headed everything out on leaf plates. “Applejack too,” Apple Bloom admits. “And my aunts,” Scootaloo nods. “I wish we could just talk to them,” Sweetie Belle says glumly, picking at her makeshift fruit salad. “Just to let them know we’re safe, ya know?” I’m about to answer, when I feel a warmth around my neck and glance down, the Wishing Crystal glowing. I frown. What, does it only respond to other creatures’ wishes and not mine? That’s a bit of a cop out, if true. Everyone else turns as the crystal glows, three images appearing in it, one being a worried looking Rarity, the other Apple Bloom’s family and the other Scootaloo’s aunts. “Rarity?!” Sweetie cries out happily. All the ponies look up, glancing around in confusion, before looking at us. “What in Equestria?” Lofty gasps. “SWEETIE BELLE?!” Rarity hurries forward, her face pressed against the crystal surface. “Where are you?! Where’s Dora? Is she with you? Where are the both of you?!” “That’s… a long story,” Apple Bloom says uncertainly. “Wait a minute,” Applejack blinks, before I realize she’s spotted Ahuizotl behind us, looking at the crystal in fascination, a frown of puzzled recognition on his face. “Apple Bloom, watch out! Ahuizotl’s behind you!” Scootaloo glances back, before waving her hooves. “No, no, no, Applejack, you don’t understand. Ahuizotl’s a good guy. He’s this thing called a Guardian Creature and everything’s been a huge misunderstanding.” “Misunderstanding?!” Rarity says fiercely. “So when that beast trapped Daring Do in that fortress to drown while being eaten alive by piranhas and unleash eight hundred years of unrelenting sweating heat was a misunderstanding?” “Estrus,” I say flatly, folding my arms as I look down at the crystal. “I… erm, what about it?” Rarity asks, a slight blush forming, the change of topic not being what she’d expected at all. I cock an eyebrow. “Eight hundred years of heat, Rarity?” There’s a pause as all six ponies in the crystal frown in confusion, before their expressions slowly morph to understanding, then uncomfortable as they all blush severely. “I… oh,” Applejack covers her face with her Stetson. I nod. “Eeyup. So, can we lay off the whole Ahuizotl is a monstrous evil beast thing and move on? Bueno?” The adults all nod, now not fully looking into the crystal out of shear embarrassment. “What’s Estrus?” Apple Bloom whispers to Scootaloo. The Pegasus just shrugs. “How should I know?” The yellow filly cocks an eyebrow. “Ain’t it Stirrupainish or whatever?” She shake hers head. “Never heard that word before. If it’s Equespañol, I’ve never heard of it.” “Anyway,” I say, trying to steer the conversation away from a topic the Crusaders shouldn’t be learning until Miss Cheerilee starts teaching it, which shouldn’t be took long off, really, considering the Crusaders’ ages, “back to the whole where we are matter?” Rarity blinks, before her eyes widen. “That’s right! If you’re with Ahuizotl then you’re in the jungle!” “How in Equestria did the lot of you end up there?” Lofty asks, before point. “And who’s the odd bald monkey?” I glare. “I’m not a monkey! And the name’s Dora!” “Oh,” Lofty blinks, seeming to understand how offended I am being called a monkey and, being married to the sister of an explorer, probably thinks she broke some taboo from my culture or something. “I… I’m sorry, Miss Dora.” “Está bien,” I pout. “It’s fine!” I repeat more forcefully to the confused looks of the others who don’t speak the language. Guessing Lofty picked it up from her wife and niece or both. “Anyway, like Rarity asked, how did you end up in the jungle with Ahuizotl?” Big Mac asks. Scootlaoo and I look away sheepishly. “It was kinda both our fault.” We glance at each other, before laughing a little. “See, I have this item called the Wishing Crystal,” I explain to the ponies. “It hasn’t worked quite like it normally does, but it’s main purpose, as the name suggests, is to grant wishes.” “And I accidently made a wish without realizing it that sent us here,” Scootaloo says, rubbing her neck. “And we tried, but wishin’ ourselves back didn’ work,” Apple Bloom answers the obvious question. “So, Señor Ahuizotl offered to take us to the train station, but it’s so late we won’t get there before nightfall,” I continue. “Well, I don’t like it,” Holiday says, frowning, “but I guess it can’t be helped.” She points, I’m assuming, at Ahuizotl. “You’d better take good care of my niece and her friends. If anything happens to them…” “You have my word as a Guardian Creature, miss, I will do everything in my power to keep these young ones safe and ensure their safe return to your all,” he says firmly, holding up a hand. She stares up at him sternly for several moments, before slowly nodding. “Okay. I’ll trust your word.” “Ah’m gonna hold ya to that, Ahui… okay, Ah still can’t say yer name right,” Applejack says, the firmness in her tone losing some of the impact from her flubbing the name. “But if’n mah sister is hurt in any way…” “She will be safe. You have my word,” Ahuizotl says, though I notice a slight tremor in his voice. He likely realizes just how serious Applejack is and senses she isn’t just saying that, but that she’d really be able to hurt him. “Fine,” Rarity huffs, before glaring, I get the feeling, at both Sweetie Belle and myself. “But you’re both in big trouble once you get back!” “What did I do?” Sweetie and I ask in unison, though I do so in Spanish. She just huffs, turning her head away. “Well… Ah guess this is g’night then,” Applejack says, rubbing her neck. “Sleep well, Apple Bloom and we’ll see ya tomorrow, okay?” “Keep safe, slugger,” Lofty says, smiling at Scootaloo. “Be safe,” Rarity huffs a bit less firmly. The crystal stops glowing and the all fade away, it’s surface blank once more. “Well, at least they know where we are now,” Apple Bloom says. We finish eating, before settling down for the night. Well, the Crusaders do, anyway. I don’t feel quite as tired yet, so they settle into a huddle without me, Ahuizotl’s cats joining them and snuggling up, causing the three to giggle. As the Crusaders fall to sleep, I look up at the stars in silence, the only other sounds being those of the jungle’s nightlife. “Are you going to tell them soon, Princesa?” I start, glancing to my left as Ahuizotl comes over and sits down next to me, looking up into the sky. I return my gaze to the star. “How did you know?” “Princesses have a unique smell,” I notice him tap his nose in my peripheral vision. “I did not notice it at first due to your scent being so different from other creatures, it overwhelmed that smell.” “Princesses have a scent in this world?” I ask, before groaning. “Well, there goes any chances of princesses hiding in secret, should the need arise.” “Hmm? Oh, no, you misunderstand,” he shakes his head, drawing my attention and I turn to look at him. “I am not talking about just any princess. If that were true, the scent would be overpowering throughout the world. I mean True Princesses.” I cock an eyebrow. “So, I’m the only one then?” He shakes his head. “No. But you are one of the few. Those I know with the scent are the Royal Sisters of Equestria… though I have not personally met with them for many a century now… though, now I think about it, one of those ponies during the debacle with the Ring of Destiny had the scent.” “That would be Twilight Sparkle,” I say, before glancing up. “So, aside from me, only Alicorns carry the scent? Can just anyone identify us with it?” He shakes his head again. “No, Princesa. I can smell it because I am a Guardian Creature. Only specific beings should be able to smell the scent of a princess.” I wrap my arms around my legs. Still, if that’s true, it does make me stand out even more now and I’m not sure I like that. “Do… does no one else know?” Ahuizotl asks. I remain silent for a moment. “No. No one but me in this world knows Dora became a True Princess long ago.” He cocks an eyebrow. “You speak as if you are not you.” I glance at him. “You said it in the legend, didn’t you?” I point to the crystal around my neck. “You said this would go to one from beyond this world who would not be them self and could speak the language of the animals. I may not believe in some legend, but Dora still isn’t who I used to be and she does speak the language of animals.” “You became another being?” he looks worried. “Then… what happened to this Dora?” I shake my head. “Nothing. She’s just a fictional character from my world. She doesn’t actually exist. She’s not real. Why she was part of a legend in another world is beyond me.” We stay silent for a while, just staring up at the stars and listening to the sounds of the jungle. After a while, I can’t stop a yawn that comes and I rub my eyes. “Guess I’ll go to sleep too. I am only eight now, after all.” He nods. “I shall keep watch.” I stand, before I stumble as I feel a wave of magic pass over me, the crystal flashing briefly. “What… what in the world was that?” I ask, standing up, a hand to my head as I look around. “I… do not know,” Ahuizotl says, looking around with narrowed eyes. “I have never sensed that kind of magic before… but it was strong. For it to be that easy to sense, it had to be quite powerful indeed.” We remain still for some time, waiting, listening. Nothing seems to have changed... but the reason for that magical wave can’t have been normal. “Rest, Princesa,” Ahuizotl says after some time. “I shall protect you and your friends.” I nod, not sure, but move over to the pile of sleeping bodies and nestle down with them. The jaguar shifts in its sleep, moving into a postion that will keep me warmer. I give a small smile, before closing my eyes, sleep coming, while not right away, in time. ___________________________________________________________ “Ya know, the jungles pretty nice in the mornin’,” Apple Bloom remarks as we walk down a path, following Ahuizotl. I can’t help sighing, smelling the morning air. Rainforest or jungle, the mornings are very beautiful and calming. “Buenos dias exploradoras.” I glance around and notice a macaw smiling down as we pass. I wave back. “Buenos días señor guacamayo” “You’re making animal noises again,” Sweetie Belle says from behind me, her tone sounding like she’s telling me off, so I turn my head back and just stick my tongue out at her. “Ah don’t see a problem with it,” Apple Bloom shrugs. “Fluttershy talks t’ animals all the time.” “Yeah, but she just talks to them. She doesn’t talk to them by making animal noises at them,” Sweetie Belle remarks. “Well, most of the time,” she adds, I’m guessing because her friends were giving her a look. “It should only be an hour or so’s journey,” Ahuizotl says reassuringly. “All we need is to get through this part of the jungle and then—” He stops and I know why. His cats have halted in place ahead of us, their backs hunched. They sense or smell something. “What is it?” I ask. “There are ponies ahead,” the lynx says, growling. “Ponies ahead?” I repeat, cocking an eyebrow. “This far in the jungle?” Scootaloo asks, glancing to her fellow Crusaders in confusion. Before anyone can answer, there’s a loud explosion and a red light appears far ahead, followed by two distant screams. “We have to go help them!” Scootaloo looks to Ahuizotl. “I wish we could, little Pegasus,” he says, shaking his head, “but that direction leads to a wide river that would take hours to get across, unless—” “I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” I say uncertainly, the glow of the crystal spreading out and surrounding us. When it fades where standing a little away from a small burning fire, though what else we see takes a few moments for my brain to actually catch up on. An Earth Pony it takes me a moment to realize matches the colours of that guy playing the role of Stalwart Stallion in Equestria Girls Movie Magic, but more so because of the mare he’s holding threateningly while Daring Do and another pony watch on in angry worry. The other stallion… looks like an adult male Apple Bloom with an apple with a star inside for a Cutie Mark. The mare Stalwart is holding… is light-orange with a darker orange mane and a Cutie Mark of a jar of butter. “Wha… wha…?” Apple Bloom says beside me, her mouth agape. I’m staring too, my brain struggling to process what I’m seeing. That’s… that’s Pear Butter, Apple Bloom’s mother! And the stallion by Daring is Bright Macintosh, her father! I… but… WHAT?! Apple Bloom’s parents are alive? HOW? And why’re they here with Daring Do? WHAT?! “Now, Daring Do,” Stalwart says… apparently not having noticed the three fillies, five cats, human and Guardian Creature that have just materialized right by them, “you and this stallion will lead me to where you’ve taken the Sword of Altoriosa and you monkeys will hand back the sceptre, or this mare shall never see the her next sunrise!” I blink as I realize he’s not just holding Pear Butter, he’s got a knife to her throat. Holy fuck! Wait. Monkeys? “Bobos! Bobos!” I deadpan. “Tienes que estar bromeando.” Swinging in the branches a little above Daring Do and Bright Macinstosh are a pair of brown capuchin monkeys who are annoyingly familiar. Between them, they’re holding the sceptre I remember from Movie Magic. “Freeze, Bobos!” Daring says sternly. The two freeze in place, before their expression sag. “Whoops. Sorry.” Then they seem to realize how much danger Pear Butter is in a look to the staff. “Do we give it back?” the one on the right asks. Daring shakes her head, before she groans, rolling her eyes as she looks back at her enemy. “Why are you so obsessed with the sword of Altoriosa and its sister relics? It’s like that’s all you think about.” “Those relics are mine by right!” he growls, bringing the knife closer. “Now, do as I say or—” “Leave mah mother alone!” “What in the— pah!” the stallion named Stallion begins, only for his words to turn into a pained gasp as Apple Bloom charges forward, whirls around and bucks him right in the crown jewels. He lets go of Pear Butter, keeling to the ground, pulling himself into a ball as he gasps for air. “What the?” Daring turns, noticing us. “Ahuizotl?” her eyes fall on me, then the crystal around my neck. “A human? And… that crystal… Where did you get it?!” I’m not going to question how Daring could know what a human is. Considering her line of work, I’d be more surprised if she didn’t know what a human is. “Ma!” Apple Bloom lunges into her mother who’s just getting up, causing the two to tumble back down to the ground. The mare stares at the filly for a few moments, before her eyes widen. “Apple Bloom? Mah little Apple Bloom?” “Eeyup,” Apple Bloom sobs happily, nuzzling into the mare’s fur. There’s a moment of pause, before the mare returns to hug, tears falling from her own eyes, the two shortly being joined by the stallion, who’s shedding tears too. “Wait. I thought Apple Bloom’s parents were dead, aren’t they?” Scootlaoo looks to Sweetie Belle, who shakes her head, just as stunned. “Why are you here, Ahuizotl?” I look to my right to see Daring watching her arch nemesis with narrowed eyes. “Why’re these fillies with you? And why is a human with you?” “Si puedo, señorita Do?” I ask, my use of Spanish drawing her attention. “Dora?” a pair of voices asks, before repeating in delight, “Dora!” I’m suddenly glomped by the Bobos, both seeming very happy to see me. “Where’s Diego?” “What is this place?” “What’s a Sword of Altor-whatever?” I spend the next couple minutes briefly explaining what I can, giving Apple Bloom time to reunite with her parents and introduce the other Crusaders to them. The Bobos seem a small bit disappointed that I’m not actually the Dora they know, but they seem to get over it, especially when Ahuizotl congratulates them on keeping the scepter away from Stallion. Once I’m done, Daring has quite the shocked expression. “Wow. After hearing the explanation and looking back on it all…” she rubs her neck, looking to the Guardian Creature, “I guess it does make more sense now. I’m so sorry, Ahuizotl. I had no idea.” “Yes, well, you could’ve bothered to do a bit more research into the temples,” he says, before sighing. “Then again, I too could’ve tried to better make you understand instead of jumping to the conclusion you were just another thief like the rest and then never bothering to try again.” “This’ll certainly change things between us,” she smirks, folding her forelegs. “Dunno how this’ll affect my home life either, but I guess I’ll find a way to make it work.” Nodding, I move over to the downed stallion and glare at him. He dared to threaten Pear Butter’s life? I kick him. He deserves what Apple Bloom did. I turn to introduce myself to the Apples, before I feel something grab my right leg and I’m yanked back, falling face first to the ground, my pith helmet flying off and rolling away. “Dora!” the Crusaders and Bobos cry as I feel a weight on my back and a knife brought to my throat, my right arm being pulled back. “Nopony move!” Stalwart snarls, his voice a little higher pitched and raspier than before, but none the less threatening. “One wrong move and this freak of an ape gets it.” Well, at least he didn’t call me a monkey. Humans are technically apes, so I can’t feel too insulted by that. The knife against my neck and threat to my life, however? Yeah, that’s not something I’m so comfortable with. “Stallion, don’t you dare harm a hair on that child’s head!” Ahuizotl warns, snarling, his cats hissing. “Let’s not be hasty,” Daring says, her eyes fixed on the stallion. “I’m done waiting, Daring Do! And don’t you ponies try anything either!” he says quickly and I notice Bright Mac bitting his lip, his posture saying he was about to charge. “Any of you so much as moves an inch and she loses an eye!” Damnit. What am I supposed to do now? In this position, there’s no way out. If only there were something I could do that’s so unexpected it would stun Stallion. “Well, Daring?” Stallion asks warningly, shifting his grip on my arm, making me wince as he pulls it back further, my bracelet pressing against his… I blink. My bracelet? My bracelet! “Fine then,” Stallion says when no one does anything. He leans down a little, sneering at me. “Any final words, Ape?” I turn my head slightly, smirking at him. “Just one.” He chuckles, his tone mocking. “Oh, really? What?” I grin. “Transformar-se!” At once, my bracelet glows, its magic expanding around us. Starlwart’s cry of alarm shows he definitely didn’t see this coming. Within seconds we’ve both transformed. My mermaid form is no different from before aside from my Khaki Shirt shrinking a little and losing its sleeves. Starwart kinda looks like Shining did as a Sea Pony, only lankier. The change in his hooves was so shocking the knife slips from his grip, him not used to holding things with flipper-hooves. I use his distraction and lack of understanding to spin us around so that I’m on top of him (think how Nala always pinned Simba in The Lion King), before rolling away. “Dora?!” the Crusaders and Bobos hurry over. “Está bien,” I say reassuringly, before changing back. “Is he going to be alright?” Pear Butter asks as she and her husband join us, the cats surrounding the floundering Sea Pony. I nod. “I’ll change him back. Sea Ponies can last a few hours out of water, so a few minutes like that should be fine. Hey, no!” I add as the jaguar licks her lips. “Pero él amenazó tu vida, princesa!” she says firmly, then pouts. “And he smells so tasty now.” “No comer los ponis!” I say firmly, noticing the odd looks from the others. “Better you not know,” I shake my head. Apple Bloom introduces me to her parents and we start talking. ___________________________________________________________ Ahuizotl smiled as the human child started chatting and laughing with the other ponies and monkeys. He glanced down to his now former nemesis… and noticed she was staring stunned at the human. “Daring Do?” he asked, puzzled. “What is wrong?” “She… she turned into a creature of the sea,” Daring say, her voice… concerned? “She surprised me with that, too, I will admit,” he said, looking to the group. “I had sensed something magical about her bracelet, but had never imagined it was a gift from the ocean.” He looks back. “Why does this worry you, Do?” “She… she can’t be,” Daring shook her head slowly, taking a step back. “It… it was just nonsense. He couldn’t have known…” Now Ahuizotl was concerned. “Daring Do, is there something you know about that Princesa?” Daring eyes widened and she glanced at him. “No. She’s not a princess! … Is she? Please tell me you’re joking, Ahuizotl?!” He hesitated. Daring seemed… scared? What did she have to be scared of? “How could it be true?” Daring looked down at the ground. “She… she can’t be the one. She… that prophecy can’t have meant her!” “You know the legend of how the crystal would go to one from beyond this world whom would not be them self and could speak the language of the animals?” he asked, an eyebrow raised. Daring looked to him, frowning in confusion. “What? No, I’m not talking about that legend. I’m talking about that crazy griffon’s prophecy about my d —” Daring’s eyes widened and she stopped herself, looking away. Ahuizotl just looked at her quizzically. “Let’s… let’s just get them home,” she said, before turning away. “I’ll take Stallion to the authorities… once she changes him back.”