//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Vámonos, Equestrian Exploradora! // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 11 ___________________________________________________________ I hold Boots close as the little monkey shudders against me. I honestly don’t know how long we remain like that, it could’ve just been a few minutes, maybe hours. I honestly couldn’t say. “What is the meaning of this?!” The loud, snooty, angry voice cuts through the air and I lift my head to see several if the ponies who’d been chasing after Boots quickly part to let another pony pass… and I find myself blinking in confusion for a second. It’s a unicorn stallion… who looks an awful lot like Professor Flintheart from the A Hearth’s Warming Tale episode and story. The only difference is the colouring. His coat is dark-brown and his lanky mane and tail are dark-green. His eyes are dark-blue. I can’t tell what his Cutie Mark is though, because, like Flintheart, he’s wearing a long black cloak that covers it. Is he a descendant of Flintheart? Who would’ve wanted to marry a stallion like that, let alone further his bloodline? Not only that, but his voice sounds like that of Frieza from the Dragonball Z Resurrection F movie. I’d honestly worried for a second Frieza was in Equestria for whatever reason. Glad I was wrong on that. He looks down at me as I hold Boots and, at once, his face turns into a scowl. “Why are these monkeys still free?” At once, I feel Boots stiffen against me and my eyes narrow at the Flintheart lookalike. Did he do something to Boots? I know he wouldn’t have stiffened at being called a monkey, so it must be the voice that made that happen. This guy did something to Boots that makes Boots scared of him. That means I don’t like him. And what does he mean by “Still free”? “Firm Stance,” another stallion’s voice, one I annoyingly recognize, within the crowd says, before a white Earth Pony stallion with an orangey-pink and white mane, wearing a blue steps out, flanked by three Pegasus Royally Guards. “Where is my monkey? I’m paying you good money for…” he trails off upon seeing me and Boots, though it might be my glare giving him pause of confusion. Svengallop. Why is he here? Wait. Paid good money for his monkey? Svengallop bought Boots?! “Were you holding out on me?” the Earth Pony looks to the Flintheart lookalike named Firm Stance. “You had two monkeys that can talk? Though, why you shaved the female mostly bald I do question.” “They can talk,” Stance smirks. “Unless you want to pay more money, I’m hardly going to give you both. And I never shaved her. She came like that.” “Nopony is buying Boots!” I say firmly, gripping him tighter. Svengallop just gives me an uncaring look. “I think you’ll find, monkey, that I already have. That monkey is my property, so release him back to me now.” Then under his breath he mutters, but still loud enough I can hear, “if the Countess refuses to do as told, I’ll make due with a talking monkey.” I’ll file away the fact this suggests The Mane Attraction has already happened away for later. It’s not important right now. “Boots doesn’t belong to anyone!” I growl. “He’s no one property! And neither am I. We have rights.” Both stallions just laugh. “Last time I checked, animals don’t have rights,” Firm Stance says. “A funny attempt at an argument there, monkey.” I glare. “Animals? Unless it’s escaped your notice, unicornio y Pony Tierra, ponies are animals. Every living creature in this world is an animal in some shape or form.” Svengallop looks furious. “What did you just dare to call me, you damn monkey?!” I roll my eyes. Why am I not surprise he doesn’t know Equestrian Spanish? Probably doesn’t even know it’s a language, the narrowed minded, self-centred git. Stance just raises an eyebrow at me. “Seems your previous owner has been trying to teach you like a pony.” He chuckles. “How amusing.” He frowns, looking back to the guards from before, who haven’t moved. “You there, are you deaf? We told you to grab those monkeys.” “I won’t let you lay a hoof on Boots,” I tighten my grip around said monkey. “He’s not yours and neither of you have the right to treat him like you own him. Whatever you did, apologize, right now!” Stance cocks his head slightly to the side. “Do to him?” “As soon as he heard your voice, Boots stiffened,” I snarl. “He’s scared of you and the only reason I could think that is you did something to him! What did you do and apologize for it!” He laughs. “Do? I merely put him in a cage, like one would any animal.” “H-he said he was going to sell me,” Boots whispers against me. “Yeah,” I nod. “I heard. He wants to sell both of us now.” Boots shakes his head against my body. “When I was outside the city a few days ago, he found me and captured me. He put me in a cage, saying he was going to sell me.” “You see?” Stance says, indicating Boots hadn’t whispered quietly enough not to be heard. “He is my property to sell as I wish and have. And, if you are his monkey friend, so are you. I will sell you if I wish.” “You will do no such thing!” Rarity says firmly, stepping up next to me. “Dora is in my care and I’ll make you sorry if harm even a single hair on her head!” This seem to confuse Stance. “What? In your care? Madam, if you are going to own such a pet, I recommend you put it on a leash and teach it to behave—” “Pet?!” Rarity exclaims, before snarling. “Pet?! Dora is not my pet, you narrowed minded brute! She is a brave, kind child whom has been entrusted to me to look after until such a time as she can go home and I will not stand for you treating her as if she is property in any manner!” “Indeed!” a voice I recognize but was not expecting says as Jet Set, of all ponies, steps out from the crowd, glaring daggers at Stance and Svengallop. I can’t help but glance from Jet Set to the other two stallions. This is different. Maybe Jet Set and Upper Crust have already turned over a new leaf. “Jet Set?” Rarity asks, her expression and tone sceptical. Okay, maybe not yet? Being in this mixed up timeline is very confusing. The grey stallion looks to Rarity and nods. “Greetings, Miss Rarity. It has been a while since our last encounter.” “Frankly, not long enough, if you ask me,” Rarity mutters. Yep. She’s still sore about their last meeting. I feel it better not to poke that hornets’ nest right now. “You’ll have to excuse me, Jet Set, I must have misheard you, yes?” Stance says, giving a mocking smile to the stallion, “It almost sounded like an upstanding stallion like yourself was standing up for these… creatures.” I’m starting to wonder if this Stance guy and Chancellor Neighsay are related. “You didn’t mishear, Stance,” the surprises keep on coming as Upper Crust steps out from the crowd, coming over and standing on my other side, so now I’m flanked back both her and Rarity. “After encountering Miss Rarity, my husband and I have been taking a good hard look at ourselves and, after learning a pony we mocked was actually Princess Twilight Sparkle herself, we realized judging others by their appearance alone is wrong.” “Now we judge others by their character,” Jet Set says, moving to stand between the stallions and myself. “And, frankly, I see a better character in that bald monkey than I do you.” “No soy un mono! I’m not a monkey!” I repeat when a confused glance is given from all around. “I’m a human.” “Hoo-man?” Svengallop says, before laughing. “Such a stupid sounding name. You’re right, Stance. I don’t want to pay more, but this one would make a great comedy act.” I shake it off and return to glaring at the stallions. “We’re not for sale! And Boots and I are not going anywhere until after the Festival de la amistad!” “Nor will she be leaving until after the Friendship Festival and on her own terms!” Rarity says firmly. I deadpan. I literally just said that, Rarity. Yes, I said Friendship Festival in Spanish by accident, but I’m pretty sure it was obvious to all what I meant. “The festival?!” Stance looks aghast. “You’re not seriously telling me those… creatures are coming to the festival?!” “And why not?” I demand. “Last I checked, the Friendship Festival isn’t exclusive to ponies. Any creature, big, small, short, tall can be friends and have every right to go to the festival. Friendship isn’t exclusive to ponies!” Stance gives me a cold look. “It should be.” “Care to repeat that?” The new voice causes all to turn around as a group of hippogriffs are marching towards us, Princess Skystar among them. “Princess Skystar! Great to see you again!” Boots screams, leaping up onto my head, causing me to fall over as Ponyville’s premiere party pony is just there behind us and hurries over to greet the hippogriff princess and… wait. Since when did Pinkie meet Skystar when the movie’s events haven’t even…? I blink as I lay flat on my stomach, Boots atop me, before shaking my head. You know what? No. I am not questioning Pinkie Pie. I get Boots to scoot off me and I get up, dusting myself off us Pinkie and Skystar hug each other happily. “Since when were Pinkie and the hippogriff princess acquainted?” Rarity whispers to me. I shake my head. “I don’t know, and I don’t wanna know.” Rarity opens her mouth to say something, then seems to think it over and closes it, clearly deciding I’m right to not question that. “Well, sir?” a hippogriff I recognize as General Sea Spray says, looking firmly at Firm Stance. “If you have something to say about non ponies, especially those of royalty, now would be the time.” Stance looks from the hippogriff General, to myself as Boots stands behind me, holding onto my arm, to the guards, before snorting and walking off. Svengallop looks from the retreating form of Stance to us. “Wait. So I’m not getting my talking monkeys?!” I shake my head, Rarity speaking for me. “Not now, not ever, Svengallop. Now, leave, before I have you arrested for attempted foalnapping and enslavement.” He looks for a moment like he’s going to blow a fuse, before he huffs and hurries off, shouting, “Hold it, Stance! If I’m not getting what I paid for, I want my money back! Do you hear me?!” Boots and I both sigh in relief, before he grabs onto my arm again, looking up at me. “Dora, what’s going on around here? Where is here? I’m so confused.” I glance at Rarity, before sighing, pulling myself out of his grip and placing my hands on his shoulders. “You know, Boots. I know you do. You’re not in your world… and I’m…” I sigh again. “I’m not your Dora.” “But… but you have to be Dora!” Boots says anxiously. “If you’re not Dora, who are you?” I pull back, shaking my head. “I do and don’t know, Boots. I know I am a Dora… just not your Dora.” The monkey just gives me a very confused look. “Huh?” I sigh, folding my arms and thinking for a moment. “Boots, you know there are other worlds, right? You’ve been to several of them, Fairytale Land, the Crystal Kingdom, Wonderland, Wizzle World...” “Yeah,” Boots nods, though seems a mixture of confused and annoyed. “So?” “Well, I’m a Dora from a different world,” I say, kneeling down a bit. “There’s more than one Dora out there, after all.” Boots blinks, shocked. “There are?” I nod. “There’s a world where Dora lived her whole life in the jungle, but then had to move to the city before she, Diego and her new friends saved a lost city called Parapata. Then there’s a nothing where she moved to the city before she turned ten. Your Dora is likely still back in your world.” At least that’s what I tell myself so I don’t have confront the horrifying idea that who or whatever turned me into Dora didn’t just shove me inside her own body, erasing Dora herself from existence. “Parapa… wha?” Boots scratches his head, frowning. “So… you’re Dora… but not my Dora?” I nod. “Si lo tienes. I’m a different Dora.” I hope. Boots folds his arms. “So… how do I get back to my Dora?” I blink, before glancing down at the Wishing Crystal and smile, taking his hand and placing it on the crystal. “Make a wish, Boots.” His eyes widen. “You have the Wishing Crystal?” He looks at me with worry. “You gotta return that to Wishing Wizzle, fast.” “No hay problema, Boots,” I shake my head. “Once I’ve figured everything out, I’ll make sure the crystal is returned to its rightful owner. For now, let’s get you home.” He looks unsure, but smiles and nods, placing his hand on the crystal. “I wish I could go back with my family,” he says. There’s a long pause. “Is… something meant to have happened?” Upper Crust whispers to Rarity. Boots opens his eyes and looks around, before becoming worried. “Dora, it didn’t work. The Wishing Crystal didn’t send me home.” “Maybe if we both wish and specifically say we want you to go back home?” I try to reassure him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He nods and we both touch the crystal. “I wish I was back home,” Boots says. “I wish Boots was back home,” I say at the same time. The crystal doesn’t even flicker. “Everyone,” I call out, looking around at the crowd. “I think we need your help.” I mean, that’s how Dora and Boots got back home from Wizzle World, by everyone wishing them there. Maybe it’ll work this time? The ponies and hippogriffs look confused, before all nodding. Boots wishes again, with all of us saying “I wish Boots back home”. We try for at least half a minute, before we all just give up, myself glaring down at the crystal. “I’m… I’m not going home?” Boots asks, his voice quivering. I shake my head and pull him into a small hug, making sure to look him in the eye. “We’ll find a way, Boots. I need to get home too and the crystal won’t grant that wish either. You’re not alone. For some reason, there are wishes it will grant and those it won’t.” “I… don’t understand what you’re talking about, exactly,” Jet Set says, coming over. “But, if I may, you say that crystal grants certain wishes and not others?” I nod, before holding the crystal tightly. “And it won’t work if anyone else is wearing it. Only me. And… I need to have given permission for a wish. Stolen wishes don’t count.” Okay, I’ve no idea if that’s true, but I gotta make sure anyone in the crowd listening doesn’t go getting any ideas about stealing it. “Well, which wishes won’t it grant?” he asks. “Aside from the “going home” wishes,” his wife interjects. “Thank you, dear,” he says kindly. Okay, seeing these two being kind is actually kinda weird. I shake my head, thinking over the wishes that have been granted since I got to this world. “Well… while I never said I wish, when I first got to this world I was scared and wanted to get away from where I’d appeared and I found myself suddenly in Princess Twilight’s castle, so I guess that’s one wish. Then there were two wishes said near me that didn’t get granted, one about the princess wanting to drop everything so she could help me with something and then Prince Shining Armour wishing he could join in with the festival.” “Dora wished we could see the hippogriffs in her crystal and it showed us them,” Rarity says, thinking. “We had no idea they even existed until the crystal showed them to us, only Dora seemed to know about them.” “And my friend, Scootaloo, she wished we could go with Dora to help her with… an adventure in the jungle,” Sweetie stops herself from revealing Daring Do is real as she joins in. “It took us there, but wouldn’t send us back. We had to take the train back home once the adventure was done.” “Any others?” Upper Crust is looking very interested now. “Aside from the wish to tell our families goodnight and let them know where we were while in the jungle and to help Apple Bloom’s parent when they were in danger… not really,” Sweetie thinks, rubbing her chin. Jet Set frowns, rubbing his chin too. “So… the only wishes it wouldn’t grant… are ones you could accomplish on your own?” I blink, mulling that over, before my eyes widen. “Wow. You’re right. Every time the crystal’s granted a wish, it was something we couldn’t just do on our own. I couldn’t get to the jungle from Ponyville at the time, so it let me and the Crusaders do it.” “We couldn’t talk to our families any other way, so it let us,” Sweetie gasps. “It didn’t let us wish ourselves back home from the forest because we could do that by train.” “So… the only wishes it grants are those you can’t make happen yourself?” Boots asks, scratching his chin, before his face lights up. “Does that mean we can go home on our own?” He’s looking at me. I blink, thinking it over. “Maybe. It… would make sense, considering the evidence.” Though I feel more like we’re grasping at straws here. There’s could be countless reasons the crystal wouldn’t grant those wishes. “And, I’m sure, since she offered to help Dora get home, once the festival is over, Twilight will do has best to help you go home, too… Boots, was it?” Rarity says, smiling at the monkey. “Ooh, ooh, ah, ah!” Boots cheers jumping up and down, before hugging me. He blinks, then looks down, uncertainly. “Um, Dora?” “Yes, Boots?” I smile. “I… I know you’re not my Dora, but… do you think we can still be friends?” I pull him into another hug, this time a gentle one. “Of course, Boots. I’d be happy to be your friend.”