Vámonos, Equestrian Exploradora!

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 4 (Follow)

Chapter 4

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“Sigue,” I nod, the others looking unsure, but agreeing.

We wait until Skystar swims off, before following her from behind, being sure to keep our distance.

I frown down at the crystal. It’s light has gone. Either I’m doing something wrong, or it was leading us to Skystar this whole time and she’s meant to lead us to Seaquestria herself.

We follow her for three minutes, before a yell from behind makes us whirl around.

Shining’s doing battle with… General Sea Spray?!

The two are rolling around in the water, Shining keeping Sea Spray’s spear at bay.

“Oh dear,” I look to see what Rarity’s talking about, only to yelp when a spear is held inches from my throat.

At least seven more Sea Pony guards are floating in front of us, before slowly surrounding us from all sides.

“You intruders will come with us!” one them, a male with bright yellow scales and a mane of yellow and green says firmly.

“This… could’ve gone better,” Dash says nervously.

I gulp again. “Sí.”

___________________________________________________________

“Don’t we get a lawyer, or something?!” Dash yells, banging on the coral bars of our cell.

It’s been about three hours since we were caught and thrown in these cells.

The cells themselves are big enough for three to walk a few steps around it all at once, so it isn’t cramped. The floors are bright silver, with the bars being purple mixed with swirls of pink.

Rarity, Dash and I are in one, while AJ and Shining are in the one next to us.

“So much for diplomacy,” Shining sighs.

I sigh too, sitting on the edge of my seaweed-rock bed, dejected. Great. Because of whatever caused me to come here as Dora also making me have to talk to people who shouldn’t exist, instead of getting Equestria allies early, I got us thrown in jail.

I look up, trying to see whomever it was before, but they’re nowhere in sight. Considering this was what their choice led to, I honestly hope that doesn’t happen again.

“This is bogus!” Dash swim over, glaring at the crystal around my neck. “I thought you said that thing was going to lead us to the Sea Ponies, not get us arrested by them.”

“Don’t blame Dora,” Rarity says defensively, putting a foreleg around my shoulder. “She didn’t mean for this to happen. If anything, we’re the ones who wanted to follow that Sea Pony instead of talk to her, like Dora suggested.”

I glance at her, confusion mixing with my dejected feelings. Is that how they remember it? Wasn’t I the one who said what the one who chose what we’d do?

I look down again, pulling my tail up like my knees and burying my face in it, wrapping my arms around it.

“Uh… hey. I… I didn’t mean it like that, kid. Lo siento,” Dash is clearly trying, but, let’s be honest. Who else is there to blame for this other than me?

“Que es mi culpa,” I say, my voice muffled by my tail.

“Hey, I said I didn’t mean it like that!” Dash says firmly and I feel a hoof on my arm. “It’s not your fault.”

“Isn’t it?” I ask, looking up at her. “I’m the one who said we should bring Shining Armour to the Sea Ponies. If not for me, you four would still be in Ponyville, getting ready for the Friendship Festival, instead of being stuck in here in jail with me, thousands of miles underwater.”

“Well, they didn’t take your bracelet away,” Dash points to my arm. “You could just change us back. They can’t keep ponies and a human who can’t breathe underwater prisoner underwater, right?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s a bright idea,” Applejack says sarcastically from her and Shining’s cell. “Make it so we can’t breathe underwater, while still thousands of miles underwater, with no way for us to escape beforehoof. Perfect plan, Dash.”

The Pegasus blinks, going over it, before blanching. “Oh… yeah. Never mind.”

Rarity looks to me, her expression soft and comforting. “Dora?”

I sniff, putting my head back on my tail. “Now I’ll never get home. I’m gonna spend the rest of my life in jail underwater in another world, with my family having no idea where I am.”

I can’t hold it back. I start crying, the fact I can’t feel my tears due to being underwater making me cry even harder.

I feel Rarity put her hooves around me and I lean into her, sobbing.

This isn’t fair. Why did this have to happen? What in my life did I do to deserve this?

Rarity holds me close, making calming shushing noises. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure something out.”

“I… I’ll never see mi familia again,” I sob.

“Well… this isn’t quite what I was expecting from the creatures I was told were stalking my daughter.”

We all look up as someone comes into view. Her tall frame, her purple eyes and mane grabbing my attention immediately.

“Reina novo!” I gasp, still held in Rarity’s forelimbs.

The Sea Pony gives me a raised eyebrow, before looking to the mare holding me tightly, glaring daggers at her, then Dash, who’s expression is firm, but not like the unicorn’s.

“Normally, stalkers of royalty have ill intent,” Novo swims forward and turning, ending up in front of Shining and AJ’s cell. “When caught, they unintentionally show their true motives when they think no one is around.”

“Like?” AJ snorts, clearly not caring that she’s in the presence of royalty when said royalty has locked us up. Though the glance my way suggests she might be thinking of me like she would if Apple Bloom were in my position, unable to ever see her family again.

When it comes to AJ, you don’t mess with family.

“They mutter about how to escape,” Novo says cooly. “Talk about which of them made the mistake. Start blaming each other. How they can rework their plans so they can still carry out their intended plan.”

“And what of us?” She glances back to Rarity and myself and I feel the mare’s grip tighten on me.

It’s probably just because I’m so emotionally screwed up right now, but I find it comforting and let myself sink a little into her embrace.

“Rarely do I see or hear such a sadness, though,” Novo’s tone sounds genuinely confused and worried. I glance over my shoulder to see she’s floating in front of our cell now, her eyes on me. “What are you, young one? You seem to be of the sea, but I have never heard of your kind before.” She glances at the others. “And you seem of the sea too, yet I have never seen your kind before.”

“Her name is Dora!” Rarity says firmly. “And all she wanted was to talk with your people.”

Queen Novo raises an eyebrow. “And why did she want that?”

“She wanted to invite your people to our kingdom’s Friendship Festival!” Dash growls. “Though, with how you’ve treated us, I don’t see why in Equestria she’d want you around to begin with. Friends don’t lock each other up in prison cells!”

“And they certainly don’t lock up children, keeping them away from their families forever!” Rarity add, her tone very cold.

The queen blinks. “Equestria? You come from Equestria?”

“Where else did ya think?” AJ snorts.

She looks to us in confusion. “But… how? How can you come from Equestria if you are of the sea?”

“Dora has this magic bracelet given to her by a friend!” Dash says and I notice my bracelet is just visible from the angle I’m being held by Rarity. “It let us turn into these forms so we could find you.” Dash snorts. “Guess she shouldn’t have wasted her time.”

The queen looks stunned. “There’s another magic artifact that can change one into sea life?” Then her eyes narrow. “So, first you abandon us is our time of need, then you send in scouts to take us out?! Are you working for the Storm King now?!”

That manages to pull me from my funk.

Uh oh. I think we’re getting into spoiler territory here… but since it’s Novo saying it, I can’t really give a reason to stop her without blowing the fact I know what she’s talking about and it’s implications.

“The only king we know is King Sombra and he’s long gone!” Dash says firmly.

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Novo snarls, looking from one pony to the other… am I being ignored because I’m a child and she’s now assuming I’m a captive or something? “We sent word asking for help long ago and you never responded! Now you come here in a small group, stalk my daughter and just happen to have an item like The Pearl?!”

“Pearl?” Dash and AJ share a confused look.

Damnit. Novo, shut up before you say too much!

“We didn’t even know your kind existed anymore!” Shining says firmly, swimming up to the bars of his cage. “When would we have gotten word from you regarding anything?”

“I had one of my guards sent with word of The Storm King’s attack on our home all the way back in Spring!” Novo says as if that explains everything. “When, at first, he didn’t come back, we thought maybe he’d gotten word to you.” She grits her teeth. “Now I see you held him captive and forced him to tell you about The Pearl so you could make you own!”

“Spring?” Dash asks, before her face blanks. “Wait. As in… last Spring?”

I blink, quickly going over the episodes between now and the start of the show… before I cringe. Oh… that would explain a lot.

“Shinin’?” Applejack slowly looks to him. “Wasn’t yer weddin’ in…?”

“Spring?” Shining say uncertainly. “Yeah.”

This just seems to anger Queen Novo further. “You ignored our pleas for help because of a wedding?!”

“No, no!” I pull out of Rarity’s grip and swim up to the bars, waving my hands. “No es así. The wedding itself isn’t why they didn’t answer your pleas, Su Alteza. The invasion of Canterlot was.”

That causes Novo to pause, though it could be because she’s directing her anger at the ponies and therefore is treating me as the child I physically am. “What do you mean? Did the Storm King invade you after all and you escaped, pequeño?”

I blink. Wait. Novo speaks Spanish?

I shake my head. Questions for another time. Defusing this situation should be my top priority.

“Canterlot was invaded by creatures called Changelings, beings able to change their appearance,” I explain, getting confused looks from all but Rarity. Thank God she’d talked a little about the wedding, so she isn’t suspicious how I know this and also thankful for my unintentional word choice so we don’t have to worry about us being mistaken for Changelings. “During the weeks leading up to Prince Shining Armour’s wedding and, subsequently, the Changeling’s invasion, Canterlot was under heavy guard.”

That causes Novo’s eyebrows to furrow. “So, you held my guard in custody under the guise he was one of these Changelings?”

I shake my head. “Sadly, Canterlot had already been infiltrated. Their queen and several of her drones had already gotten in and she had taken on the appearance of Shining’s bride. It wasn’t found out until the day of the wedding, and even then, only because his sister knew the mare he was supposed to be marrying too well to not notice something was off.”

Novo thinks for a moment, before looking confused. “But how does that stop Equestria from getting our pleas for help?”

“If I may, Your Highness?” Shining says, causing our attention to turn to him. “What with the fact Queen Chrysalis had already infiltrated Canterlot with several of her drones, some who’d even taken on the forms of our guards, I wouldn’t be surprised if the guard you sent was stopped by the fake guards and they’d taken him.”

I blink, before blanching. Oh… God. Does that mean that poor hippogriff is still in a Changeling Pod in the Changeling Kingdom right now and won’t be freed until…?

I hold my hand over my mouth. I think I’m gonna be sick.

“She probably planned to go after yer kind once she took over our home,” Applejack says, putting the pieces together.

“So… you didn’t come… because you didn’t know we’d asked for help?” a new voice causes us all to look beyond the queen, who glances back herself, as Skystar swims in. She becomes sheepish as her mother looks sternly at her. “I was listening the whole time.”

“Por favor, su alteza,” I ask, attention being drawn to me, “we only came to invite you to the Friendship Festival. Equestria has no idea your home was invaded.”

Telling the truth without having to admit it. Thank you, creative thinking.

“You weren’t stalking my daughter to for ill reasons, were you?” Novo looks around at us all as we shake our heads. She frowns, forelegs folded. “I shall have to think about this.”

“Mother, please,” Skystar swims in front of her mother, blocking her off. “Does that pequeño seem like she’s lying?”

Novo pauses, glancing back our way.

I use the fact I look like Dora to my advantage, giving her the most pleading, innocent look I can.

She remains silent for several minutes, before sighing and nods. “Fine. I’ll have the guards let them go.”

Skystar cheers while we sigh with relief.

That was too close.

The next day, we leave Seaquestria, with twenty Sea Pony guards and Princess Skystar… though I don’t remember her mother saying she’d be coming with us.

“Did your mother say you could come with us, Princesa?” I ask as we swim beyond the boundaries of her kingdom and out into open waters.

She looks away, not saying anything.

Whelp. That part of the movie’s still gonna happen, it seems.

I cock an eyebrow, glancing up in thought. I wonder what would’ve happened if that someone had chosen for us to talk to Skystar instead of follow her.

“You don’t gotta worry, kid,” a voice says from next to me and I glance to see… a Sea Pony Screwball? The fuck?

She winks. “I fixed it so you won’t have to worry about those choices again. You’re all good. Have fun at the festival. Adiós.”

And she’s just… gone.

Um… what?

Author's Note:

And that's finally that chapter done.

Yeah, thanks to Screwball popping in, there will be no more multiple choice chapters, so don't worry about that. that was just to screw with Dora for a little.

And, yes, you'll notice it didn't matter which choice was made, they end the same. it's the lead up that changes is all.

would say more, but i've less than five minutes

Spanish translations:

Sí = yes or yeah

Lo siento = I'm sorry

Que es mi culpa = This is my fault

mi familia = my family

Reina novo = Queen Novo

No es así = It's not like that

Su Alteza = Your Highness

pequeño = little one

Por favor, su alteza = please, your highness

Princesa = Princess

Anyway, hope you enjoyed. til next time, adios amigos

Comments

[Divan1229]

Crossovers, why not? you have created many stories and most of them are easy to recognise. It certainly helps not having the Choice option like dora.