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lefemmerougewriter · 3 years

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Lucky and the Lady with the Magical Scepter

This story is reprinted from Archives of Our Own. After seeing that only two people had written Spirit Riding Free fics, I decided I needed to write a fic of my own. I love both series (Spirit Riding Free and Elena of Avalor) so much that a crossover seemed perfect on so many levels. I know that not everyone likes Spirit Riding Free, but the similarities between the backgrounds of characters in EOA and Spirit Riding Free were too hard for me to ignore, even though the characters are obviously different. You don’t have to know Spirit Riding Free to understand this story. You can go along for the ride, I suppose. If you have watched the show, great! This is set post-Season 7 of Spirit Riding Free, and post-series finale of Elena of Avalor. I also added in two characters from another of my favorite series at the end, as I wasn’t sure how to end this story without that. Writing this story took longer than I would have thought (about a month), but it was a lot of fun to write and a break from my usual stories. I’m thinking of having this as the beginning of a new series, maybe even crossing over with some of my other series. I haven't decided yet, although I am seriously thinking about it.

Romantic pairings: Elena/Naomi, Kate Flores/Jim Prescott, Mateo de Alva/Naomi Turner (previous), Kate Flores/Elena Castillo Flores (crushing on each other, sort of)

Friendships: Jim Prescott & Lucky Prescott, Lucky Prescott & Spirit, Kate Flores & Lucky Prescott, Lucky Prescott & Pru Granger & Abigail Stone, Elena Castillo Flores & PALs, Naomi Turner & PALs, Mateo de Alva & PALs, Mateo de Alva & Elena Castillo Flores, Balthazar Cavendish & Vinnie Dakota, Lucky Prescott & Elena Castillo Flores, Elena Castillo Flores & Isabel Flores

Words: 10.1k

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32692273

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1254722950-lucky-and-the-lady-with-the-magical-scepter

Characters: Jim Prescott, Lucky Prescott, Kate Flores, Spirit, Boomerang, Abigail Stone, Pru Granger, Chica Linda, Javier, Mateo de Alva, Elena, Naomi, Vinnie Dakota, Balthazar Cavendish, Vinnie Dakota 2, Balthazar Cavendish 2, Maricela, Turo

Summary: Lucky, coming from visiting San Jorge, the burial site of her grandparents, with her dad, Jim, and adopted mom, Kate, is rejuvenated. She feels a connection to her past unlike anything she has ever experienced. On the way to the Miradero station, the locomotive is stopped by a mysterious, and terrified, lady in a tiara. The woman, wearing a dress that changes colors based on her emotional state of mind, is armed with a scepter which can cast powerful spells on command. The lady escapes with her two accomplices into the forest. Is Lucky imagining all of this, or is it real? She, Pru, and Abigail, are the only ones who can find out the truth, with the help of their noble steeds.

"Thank you for coming," she told her parents, and hugged them both excitedly.

Jim chuckled. "I wouldn’t miss it for the world, sweetpea," he responded. Kate looked up briefly and continued to write in her journal. She didn’t want to be bothered. Fascinated, Lucky looked over at her notebook. She was astounded to see a near-accurate illustration of the tombstone, with relevant information about the cemetery’s location in San Jorge. On the opposite page, Kate had started drawing a crude family tree, trying to guess the family relations. "Hey, what’ya doing with those scribblings, that drawing, and all that?" Lifting her head, she answered an eager Lucky. It made her happy that her daughter showed an interest in what she was doing. "I'm jotting down notes about…your…our heritage." This astounded Lucky. Although she remembered giving her mom a photograph of her birth parents who left her at an orphanage, she never thought Kate would be interested in family history stuff. It didn’t seem like her thing.

"Really?" she said inquisitively. "I…didn’t think you’d want to do that…it seems more like something Aunt Cora would do…with her family quilt and all." Patting Lucky on the shoulder, she explained why this meant so much. She didn’t want Lucky to have the wrong impression about her family history research. "It hasn’t been that long since me and Jim got married…I want to do something that brings us together." She continued. "I know this is important to you, Lucky, and I want to…write a book on our shared heritage…so we don’t forget what happened in the past." This made sense to Lucky. She had never thought about having a book that only focused on the history of the Prescott/Flores/Navarro family, but it sounded like a swell idea. "That means so much! Tell me how I can help." She nestled herself in Kate’s arms and looked out the window, longingly, while Kate stroked her hair. She couldn’t wait to tell Aunt Cora about it. While everything seemed calm at that moment, the ensuing storm about to hit them would be something no one saw coming.

Without warning, lightning crackled in the sky and hit the tracks about half a mile ahead of the train. Lucky heard the noise and found it strange as she saw no clouds in the sky or any thunder. While she knew about heat lightning from a class her mom taught in school, something about this seemed off. Even so, she saw the Miradero station up ahead and didn’t think this lightning was a big deal. Whatever the phenomenon, she doubted it would stop her from getting there, and she stayed calm. Without warning, the train began floating the air. A purplish glow surrounded the whole train, with everyone on board beginning to panic, wondering what would happen to them. "Dad, what’s going on?" Lucky asked, worryingly. "I…don’t know…Lucky…I’ve never experienced anything like it." He did not know what else to say to reassure his daughter. In a big thud, the train tell onto the tracks. It skidded to a stop at the station as the frightened engineer pulled the break. As soon as the doors opened, the passengers scurried out of the train and onto the platform like jackrabbits, leaving dust in their wake, as did the train engineer.

Lucky, Jim, and Kate also exited the train, although not in such a frenzied state. Prior to leaving the platform, Lucky spied a woman in a red dress with wavy deep brown hair. She was riding a horse with a blonde mane, accompanied by two others on horses with white and dark brown manes, galloping into the distance. It’s almost like they wanted to be seen, or weren’t trying hard enough to be hidden. She tugged on Jim and pointed. "That’s them! That’s the people that did this!" Jim shook his head. He didn’t want his daughter believing in illusions. "I know you are probably scared…it’s a coincidence…another one of those freak storms…we’ve been having."

Lucky couldn’t let it go. She knew she saw something. She tried to convince him. "Dad…it has to be…" Jim put his arms around his daughter and wife. He sighed. "That’s enough excitement for one day. Let’s get home." She begrudgingly agreed, walking with them back to their home on the edge of town. As she left the station platform, she saw three horses riding into the woods. Her instincts as a city-turned-frontier girl began to kick in. She wanted to find out who these mysterious people were and why they had come to Miradero.

As it so happened, Pru and Abigail were in front of home when she got there, joined by Spirit. "Dad, can I go riding with them?" While they'd been through a lot with the whole ordeal on the train, he hoped that a ride would calm her down. He thought it would cause her "hallucinations," as he termed them, to disappear. He had some conditions. "Ok, Lucky, you can go. Be back by sundown." She nodded. She stepped up on Spirit and got on his back. All three road out of town and then into the woods. What the PALs would discover would blow their minds and begin a whole new adventure.

"Hey, Lucky, is there a reason you want to ride out to the woods?…I’d like to do Boomerang’s weekly grooming." Pru echoed Abigail’s concern. She did not want to go on another wild adventure. She would rather relax for once. "I wanna groom Chica Linda too!" She pointed to his mane and shook her head. "His hair is getting shaggy again…you have to keep up with this stuff, otherwise it gets out of hand." Lucky had to think of something to convince them and fast. The idea came to her. She snickered, something which concerned Pru and Abigail. “We…can earn another badge…the 13th badge as part of the Frontier Fillies!” This fascinated Pru a little, and Abigail even more. She scratched her head. "…the book says we only need 12 badges to be official Frontier Fillies…and we did that Clippitty-Clopper wilderness adventure course last week!"

Lucky knew Abigail would mention this. But she had a plan. She did not know what danger lay ahead of them, so she wanted to be prepared. She told Pru and Abigail to gather supplies for the "Seek and Retrieve" badge, which involved catching a mammal in the woods. Her friends were not aware that the "mammals" Lucky wanted to seize were people, albeit from another dimension. While some would have seen this as wrong, she wanted to do whatever necessary to ensure Miradero was safe. She would go to any length to find out what really caused the train to rise into the air earlier that day, especially after her dad had been threatened by the lady bandit Butch LePray.

In less than a half hour, Pru and Abigail had put supplies in satchels attached to the saddles of Chica Linda and Boomerang. In the meantime, Lucky had a satchel over her arm and rode Spirit without a saddle, as didn't like that kind of thing, as he wanted to remain "free," as she termed it. They rode ahead with incredible speed, unsure of what lie in ahead. She hoped that this would be easy and not a mistake which could put the lives of her friends, and herself, on the line.

Entering the woods, Lucky heard some talking close by. She told Pru and Abigail to dismount and approach slowly on foot. They did so, with Abigail excited to earn yet another badge. Pru worried a bit about sort of mess her friend had roped them into this time. "…this isn’t anything illegal, is it Lucky? ‘Cause I don’t wanna be working for Mr. Grayson for another week again." She touched Pru on the shoulder and smiled. She tried to reassure her that her concerns were unfounded. "Silly goose, we won’t be breaking any laws…nothing like that...just some fun interrogating." This made Pru feel a little better, even though the talk of interrogation concerned her. She hoped everything would be fine.

Coming closer to the strangers, they hid in the bushes and overheard their conversation. "What the heck did you do? You were to send us to Paraiso so we could surprise Princess Valentina for her birthday!" the 20-year-old woman shouted. She wore a long red over-shirt sleeveless dress with ruffles along the neckline, on the bottom, and side of the dress. It was complete with silver accents throughout in equisite spiral designs. She also had on a silvery-colored underskirt. Around her waist was a silver belt held in place with a silver buckle. She sported low high heels, a silvery flower hair comb on the right side of her hair, a beaded, and braided, bracelet on her left wrist, and two silvery engraved hoop earrings. She snarled at the 20-year-old slender, dark brown-haired man who wore an outfit which made him look like a monk. Her amber-brown eyes stared right into his hazel eyes with fury. He cowered. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to do it, I…" The other woman, 19 years of age, standing nearby, shook her head. She wore an outfit which seemed suited for sailing. She looked quite angry at the man as well. Rolling her eyes, she said "let’s go…We can’t stay here forever. We have to get a move on…no more metal beasts to lift into the air…that try to kill us on arrival." All three agreed. It would be safer to keep moving.

When they looked for their horses, they were gone! Even worse, their weapons, the tamborita, scepter, and lasso had also disappeared. Desperate, the woman in a red dress cried out "hello! Is anyone out there?" Out of a cloud of smoke, Pru and Abigail stepped forward with their lassos. Lucky, realizing they were the ones who had nearly destroyed the train and threatened the lives of all those on it, including her parents, she snuck behind each person. Using the sleeping powder she got from her friends in the circus, she sprinkled some in the face of the strangers. This plan worked perfectly, with all three falling to the ground with a thump. While they had once fought against Shuriki and the Malvagos, they were a little rusty, as threats to Avalor had remained non-existent in recent days.

Pru and Abigail were astounded at how well this worked. Lucky scratched her chin. "Uh, what do we do now? We could tie them up to these trees…" Pru chuckled. She thought that Lucky would want to take these strangers into town and learn why they were here in the first place. "Let’s take them to my dad’s barn…we can…interrog…ask them questions there." Lucky realized that Pru was right. Leaving them in the woods would be a mistake. "Fine, we can do that, but…we have to make sure no one sees us." Abigail agreed. Lucky told Pru and Abigail she would ride back to her house to stash the weapons of these strangers in her room. Then, she'd tell her dad that she’d be sleeping in the barn that night. All three then agreed to tie up each one of these interlopers with their lassos, then cover them with cloth. An empty cart filled with hay happened to be nearby. So, they used that to move these people back to the barn without anyone suspecting a thing. A few minutes later, these strangers were tied up, with their hands behind their backs, and covered with hay. Pru and Abigail said their adieus, and Lucky rode off back home. She hoped that everything would go to plan.

Stopping in front of her house, she dismounted and patted Spirit. "It’s okay, boy, I have this all under control." He chuffed at her, unsure whether she had it right or had deluded herself yet again. After climbing up the three steps leading from the outside porch and inside, she opened the door. "Mom? Dad? I need to talk to you about…something." Jim came out from the kitchen, with Kate grumbling about how he had ruined yet another meal. Even so, she saw some improvements in his cooking, although these were at the pace of a single sand grain falling from the air every day. "Yes, sweetpea, what is it? What do you want to tell us?" She breathed in deeply. She knew her parents wanted to make sure she would be fine. She also knew her mom, especially, worried about her a lot after everything that happened in the past year. "I’d like to sleep in Mr. Granger’s barn tonight, if that’s ok." Kate chimed in. She knew her daughter had to make her own decisions. One day they wouldn't be there for her, so she liked her daughter taking responsibility for herself. :Of course, Lucky, you can do that…as long as you aren’t alone." Lucky reassured them that she’d be with her friends. Jim grinned. "Ok, kiddo, have fun!" Lucky closed the door and climbed atop Spirit’s back. "Ok, boy, let’s go…Abigail and Pru are waiting for us." He neighed loudly and they were off in a flash. Kate and Jim hoped everything was all right, although they suspected something might be wrong.

Arriving at the barn, Lucky opened the stall doors and saw two exhausted friends, on the verge of passing out. Weakly, Abigail remarked "you finally made it, Lucky…I’m so exhausted." Pru said something similar. She whispered, "they don’t have their weapons now…so they’ll be harmless…we can talk about it in the morning." Lucky wasn’t completely sure. These new visitors made her apprehensive. In a hushed tone, she replied, "I sure hope so, Pru…If they sleep as soundly as us, everything will be a-ok." Pru, Abigail, and Lucky slept together in the middle of the barn, on some hay bales. The strangers were tied up, each one of them in a stall with a horse, as they couldn't be put anywhere else anywhere else to put them.

The warm morning sun poured through the windowpanes and into the barn, shining upon the olive skin of the woman in a red dress. Yawning, she attempted to move her arms. She couldn't do so since hwer arms were tied behind her back. Grousing, she yelled, "I am Elena Castillo Flores, Queen of the Kingdom of Avalor and I demand you release me this instant!" She hoped this would get her captors to explain why she was tied up and on the ground of a stinky, smelly barn, within a horse's stall, of all places! Her words woke Pru and Abigail. While both were a bit groggy, they managed to make it over to the stall. They opened it, pulled her outside, and re-locked the latch. "What is it, lady? Did you say something?" Pru said, still yawning. Elena shook her head and sighed. She realized that her loud voice wouldn’t do anything for her at a time like this. In a calmer voice, she said, "I want to know…why am I here, in these stables, sleeping next to a horse, and who you all are?" About to answer her question, Pru motioned to Abigail, telling her to wake Lucky. She hoped her friend could talk some sense into their new guest. Abigail came close to her friend and spoke to her softly. "You need to get up…that pretty lady in the red dress wants answers." Opening one eye, Lucky saw Abigail in front of her. She muttered, "...five more minutes."

Abigail would have none of this. Since tying up these strangers had been Lucky’s idea from the start, it only made sense to her that Lucky ask the questions instead of her. "Come on, this is important, Lucky," she said and then pinched her forearm. Annoyed, Lucky opened both of her eyes and growled a little. "Hey, Abigail, cut it out! I’m coming…" Rubbing her eyes, she got up and followed behind her friend. She led her to Pru, who sat in front of Elena, wose amber-brown eyes stared back at her hazel eyes.

"So, Ms…" Lucky began, only for Elena to interrupt her. "…Elena…if you didn’t catch that earlier…I’m the queen of the wonderful kingdom of Avalor." Lucky scratched her head. She never remembered hearing about Avalor in any of the classes taught by Kate. She also didn't know sure if to totally trust this woman or not. She gave her the benefit the doubt, for now. "Ok…I’m Lucky…and these are my friends Pru and Abigail…we’re the PALs." She cleared her throat. She started in her questioning. Somehow, she was more awake than her two friends. "So, tell me…why were you outside Miradero…and on the railroad tracks?…I saw YOU there." This confused Elena. She had no idea what Lucky meant by "Miradero" or "railroad." These were words foreign to her vocabulary.

She shrugged her shoulders. "What is a ‘railroad’ and what is ‘Miradero’? I only came here because my royal wizard made a mistake…and then that metal beast almost murdered me and my friends." As she spoke those words, she became more anxious. Her dress suddenly started to turn purplish, the same glow that Lucky had seen on the train the day before. A pitchfork became illuminated with the same color, and went flying across the barn. It slammed into the barn door with such force that it went right through it and onto the ground outside. After seeing what she had done, Elena began breathing deeply, saying "baby jacqins" over and over. As a result, the color of her dress changed back to the normal baseline of red with silver as she calmed down to normal. "Sorry about that," she said, nervously chuckling. She added, "it’s my…uh…powers…they are controlled by my emotions…what you said was making me very uneasy." She further explained, "I never intended to hurt anyone…or arrive in this place which you call ‘Miradero’ or see metal beasts on something you describe as a ‘railroad.’"

Lucky was still a bit perturbed. The fact that Elena had almost killed her, her mom, and dad did not sit easily with her. However, after learning a little about her, what she thought of Elena had changed. She told Lucky that she could explain what had happened better if her friends Mateo and Naomi were there. Pru and Abigail assumed she meant the two people in the other stalls. They rustled these strangers out of their hay beds, sitting them next to Elena. All of them had their arms tied behind their backs. She explained how they'd ended up there. She recalled how terrified she'd been, thinking that she would die alongside her friend Mateo and her "dearest friend" Naomi. This made Lucky curious. She wondered why Naomi would be described differently than Mateo. Without trying to make her intentions known, she questioned blandly, "so, you are the queen of this…kingdom or something…Naomi is what? And Mateo is?" Naomi, still a bit groggy, piped up. She did so after being reassured by Elena that they were in no danger. "I’ll answer part of that question. I’m her royal chancellor." She clarified how they knew each other. She hoped this would clarify any misunderstanding, although it led to more questions. "We do everything friends do, like sleeping together, snuggling, going on beautiful midnight strolls, and occasional…uh…kisses…you know, for good luck."

Pru and Abigail rolled their eyes. They knew about relationships which went beyond normal ones or what had been socially defined as "acceptable." Such relationships had the same emotional closeness and dedication of two or more people who had romantic feelings for one other. However, they were not romantic in their nature and about platonic attraction instead. Even so, from the outside looking in, people might say they were romantic relationships. In some parts of the universe this would be called "queerplatonic," but not in this one. In Miradero, people did not use specific labels like that to describe themselves. Whether Pru, Abigail, and Lucky were in a queerplatonic reationship themselves, they hadn't quite figured that out, yet.

For Lucky, the attraction Naomi and Elena showed for each other sounded more like something her mom and dad had, leading her to blurt out, "so you love Elena, like she is your girlfriend or something?" With Elena blushing and unable to say anything, Naomi jumped in. She pointed to Mateo, trying to change the conversation quickly. She really didn’t want to talk about her relationship with Elena to anyone she didn’t know. "Uh, so…He’d like to introduce himself." Mateo spoke loudly. He declared, "I’m the Master Wizard of Avalor…and I can…hey, where’s my tamborita?" Lucky laughed. She knew exactly where their weapons were. She didn’t want to embarrass Naomi or Elena any further. If they wanted to talk about themselves, they could do so on their own terms.

She told her friends and new guests, "I’ll bring you to your weapons...don't you worry…let’s walk there." She then began muttering to herself, hoping her parents weren’t at home. If they were there, she predicted that it would be a disaster. She resolved to untie the hands of Elena, Mateo, and Naomi. "If you try any funny business, we will tie you up and send right back to the woods…got it?" All three moved their heads side to side, not wanting that fate to befall them. While they could have overpowered her, and her friends, if they'd wanted, Elena, Naomi, and Mateo guessed that none of the PALs would try and harm them, at least from what they had experienced so far.

In no time at all, they reached Lucky’s large yellow house. It had a peach-pink turret where Lucky’s room is located, along with a thinner yellow turret on the other side of the house. This home had all amenities, and rooms, whether a foyer, dining room, parlor, or kitchen, along with a bathroom. The inside walls were covered with fine patterned wallpaper. Opening the door gingerly, Lucky bellowed "hey, mom, dad…are you here?" Not hearing a sound, she assumed they were somewhere else. Checking a second time, she led them up the stairs and into her room. Sauntering over to her bed, she reached under her bed and pulled out their weapons: the lasso, tamborita, and scepter. Prior to handing them over, she warned Elena, Naomi, and Mateo. "Don’t you even try to hurt me, my family, or my friends…otherwise you will get a big whooping…you’ll be sorry." While she usually didn’t talk this way, she was borrowing the hard attitude she learned from Grayson, hoping it would scare them. Pru and Abigail were a bit shocked to hear Lucky talk like this. They resolved to confront her about it later. Her tactics worked. None of the three wanted to cross her.

Exiting the room and coming down the stairs, Jim and Kate happened to walk in at that very second. Both were surprised to Lucky to bring home visitors. Still, they were pleased to see she was making friends. After talking with one another for a second, Jim went into the kitchen to prepare food for guests, while Kate started playing the role of host. "Pru, Abigail, nice to see you…and who might you three be?" she asked, pointing to the three people behind Lucky. About to say something, Lucky smiled first. She then declared, "this is Mateo, Lucky, and Elena…all from a kingdom…called Avalor, I think," proud of herself for remembering all that. After they descended the stairs, Kate grinned. She shook their hands and said, "welcome to our home, I’m her uh, mom." In front of Abigail, Pru, and Lucky, she asked Naomi and Elena if she could give them the "kiss of peace." They readily assented after she called it a "family and religious tradition," proceeding to smooch each of them on the mouth, one by one. As everyone filed into the kitchen, she acted like nothing had happened, sauntering ahead without a care in the world.

She had a grin on her face while Naomi and Elena were in a bit of a daze to be kissed by a woman they only met less than a minute before. Their expressions changed to joy when Elena saw the appetizer. "Tamales! I love them…Who made these?" Lucky sheepishly responded, "it was me…I’m getting better at cooking all the time, thanks to help from my aunt…and my mom." Elena chomped down on some of them. They were some of the best tamales she had ever eaten. She said, in garbled words, "I like you more every minute I’m here, Lucky, as a…friend." While Lucky didn’t know what to make of her words, she hugged her. She murmured "thanks, Elena." Right after, Elena, Mateo, Naomi, Pru, Abigail, and Lucky grabbed wooden cups, with Kate proposing a toast, "to new friends…from places near and far." Everyone clinked their glasses together. Jim sat in the back of the room and smiled. He didn’t care much for toasts and he had to get ready for work.

Chomping on their food and having a fun time, Kate interjected. "So, how’d you end up in our small town here?" Elena went into the story of how they ended up in front of a "train," as Lucky called it. She recalled how she freaked out, using her scepter to protect her friends. "I’m sorry for nearly killing you, her husband, daughter…and all those people." Kate understood. She tried to be sympathetic toward her daughter’s new friend, who had started crying. "I’d do the same for Lucky…she isn’t my child…by birth…even so, I still see her as my daughter." Elena recognized this perfectly well. Her grandparents treated her and her sister Isabel like their children, leading them to have a non-traditional family. She sighed. She decided to say something to help her relate better to Kate. "My parents��they perished when I was only 16…murdered by this wicked witch…A wizard saved me when he trapped me in an amulet for 41 years…and released by a brave princess named Sofia…as such, I can use magic…it’s a long story."

This intrigued Kate. The PALs wanted to hear more, although Elena's story disturbed them. Kate had read about people like Elena in some of her favorite fantasy novels. She had never met anyone like her in person. She wanted to learn more about someone as fascinating as Elena. Uncomfortably, she asked "can…you show us?" in a very soft voice. This delighted Elena more than anything and her dress became bright yellow as a result. "Yeah, her dress does that when she’s happy," Naomi added, then uttered, "show them the coronation." Elena agreed, and pointed her scepter at the wall. She then saying the word "Truth." The PALs looked intently. Jim slipped out of the room and started walking into town, on the way to work. Mateo did so as well. He went outside for a breath of fresh air, somehow not crossing paths with Jim. They could all see the coronation, which happened over a week ago in the royal palace, unfold in front of them, like watching a film. When the part came when Elena made Naomi a chancellor, they all cheered loudly.

The vision ended not long after, with so many comments. Kate, without any prompting from anyone, said, openly, "you and Naomi looked really pretty in your blue and purple dresses…I wish I could have worn something like that to my wedding!" She ran to the mantle. She snatched the photograph of herself, Lucky, Jim, and Spirit. "See?" she said, pointing at her dress. Lucky reminded her that "Aunt Cora spent a lot of time on that dress…aren’t you grateful for that?" Kate chuckled. She didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. "Of course, I’m grateful, it’s that they were so cute there in that vision, movie, or whatever that was…I can’t ignore how gorgeous they were in those clothes…I am…so ordinary in this photograph." Elena twirled her hair. She appreciated the praise, even from a stranger. She remarked, "You look fine…and have beauty in your own right…I only wore that stuff for my ceremony to become queen," adding, "thanks for saying that." Naomi joined in too. She remembered the coronation like it had happened the day before. "I am so grateful Elena chose me…I can be with her all the time…as her closest, dearest friend…I won’t go anywhere without her."

Kate couldn’t help herself. She felt so excited for them. She hoped her suggestion would be helpful. Even though Lucky had easked Elena earlier if Naomi was her girlfriend, Kate took this to an exteme. "So, why don’t you get married?…I joined Jim in holy matrimony…it has worked out so far." The situation had gotten a little awkward and tense. Kate had gone too far. She had meant well. As she should have known, projecting your marriage experience on two people you don’t know very well isn't right. Pushing that decision on others is wrong. Elena started to say something, then Naomi came to her defense. She growled. "We…will decide that…on our own terms."

Kate got angry looks from all the other women in the room. They were annoyed she would suggest this. To defend herself, she hedged her comments and tried to explain herself better. The last thing she would want would be for Lucky’s friends to dislike her, as that might make them think badly of Lucky herself. "I…didn’t mean any disrespect…ladies…I…thought that since you seem to like each other a lot…that’s the only reason I mentioned it…sorry for saying anything…I’ll excuse myself." Elena held her hand. She didn’t want her to leave yet. It seemed too hasty. She wanted to be gracious to a woman who let them stay in her house. She could have prohibited them from staying there. She could have been inhospitable even though she wouldn’t do that, as it would violate her strong moral code and Christian values. "Miss, thank you for your hospitality…we don’t want any bad blood between us." Kate realized Elena was right. She smiled and hoped to patch things up with Elena and Naomi later. "Sure, Ms. Elena. Any friend of Lucky is a friend of mine…I’ll be in the parlor if you need anything."

With the departure of Kate from the room, Abigail, Pru, Naomi, and Elena couldn’t be more confused. Lucky recognized why Kate had acted the way she did around Elena. "I think I know what is going on." "Oh?" Elena asked innocently. "I’m pretty sure my mom has a crush on both of you." Pru scratched her head. What Lucky said made some sense. Pru had no experience with this. Her mom and dad had a good relationship and her mom had never shown any attraction to those outside their family unit, from what she had seen. "Well, she is 24 years old, and the half your age plus seven rule would mean…that she could date those between ages 19 and 34." Abigail hated people who mentioned that rule. It was one of things in women’s life magazines, something that a stuck-up person like Maricela would read, but it had no acutal meaning. It only helped when you didn't know what to say at boring and inane fancy dress parties where everyone sneered at your clothes. It disappointed her that Pru even gave it any shred of credibility. While she called the rule "pish-posh," she said it might mean something in this situation. In a weird coincidence, that none of them noticed, Elena and Kate had the same surname, at least originally. In some way, this might have drawn both together, in a cosmic way, if you believed that. However, very few gave credence to such quackery.

Naomi thought of another reason. A silly dating rule had no bearing on this situation. She could guess the reason of Kate's behavior from her experience of dating men and women. She used bisexual version of what some called "gaydar," with some peope in the galaxy calling it "Bi-Fi" Naomi guessed that Kate would soon begin coming to terms with her sexual orientation and her romantic attractions. Nothing could be further from the truth. When leaving the orphanage and trekking to Miradero, she had a female traveling companion who she did everything with. They had parted ways at a train station as she went to the Pacific coast to a town called "San Francisco" and she went to the small frontier town she now resided in. Sadly, she had forgotten the woman's name. While the woman had promised to see her again someday, and Kate doubted it, unexpected things can happen every day.

"Lucky, I think your mom likes men…and women." Naomi words had caught her off guard. She thought of her mom only as a person who liked other men, but not women. She never saw her mom, from what she recalled, crushing on women. Then again, she only saw her mom flirting with her dad. So, what Naomi said blew her mind. "You…can do that? HUH?!?" Naomi prepared herself to talk about her own experience. Elena told her that she didn't do that. Instead, she tried to explain it to her new brown-haired friend. "You can…you know, my good friend Naomi, over here dated Mateo…and she had a good friend named Veronica…so it is possible." She hadn't predicted her girlfriend would say this. Even so, the fact Elena was acknowledging her in this way excited her. As a result, she couldn’t think straight and accidentally she spoke her thoughts out loud. "Elena is right…I ADORE my good friend Elena as much I love sailing across the wide seas." She then kissed Elena on the neck, who giggled in response. Pru, Abigail, and Lucky were stunned by this public display of affection. While no one in Miradero judged anyone else on their skin color, gender, or any other characteristics, none of the PALs had seen any expressions of adoration like what Naomi and Elena had done only seconds earlier.

Realizing that their newfound friends were watching, they stopped and grinned back. They tried to act like their behavior had been normal and not out of the ordinary. This made sense. Men and women were in romantic relationships with each other across the town, some who were very affectionate with one another. There was one difference: Naomi and Elena were two women who loved each other, unlike the men and women who loved each other. The PALs hadn’t seen it, in part because they didn't go to places in town where there were more women who loved women, like the saloon or the brothel. This wouldn’t stop the PALs from always remembering what they saw there that day. "Sorry, I couldn’t help it…I guess you could say I am drawn to this girl in her fine red dress," Naomi remarked. Elena snickered. She loved to see her girlfriend expressing her love for her, even when talking to strangers. Still, she wanted to clarify something about herself. "I feel the same way as Naomi…however, my romantic attraction transcends what we call gender…I’ll love anyone for who they are."

Pru wanted to make sure that Elena and Naomi didn’t feel ashamed by showing affection. She told them both, "it’s great to show love for each other…we don’t see much of that in this frontier town." Abigail knew Pru was right. She wanted to make sure Elena nor Naomi felt bad about themselves. "Don’t be worried. There are people who go out on dates and all that…you two are so cute together…I wish the best for you both." Elena and Naomi were happy to see such support from two of their friends. They all turned and stared at Lucky. She stayed silent, unsure of what to say. "Uh, let’s go outside," she said uneasily.

Everyone else followed behind Lucky. Pru and Abigail were guessing what she would say. As she came down the steps, she moved to the back of the group, letting Pru and Abigail walk in front of her. She wanted to speak to Elena and Naomi more privately. "I…am happy for both of you…I have never been in love with another girl…so I don’t know what’s that like…I’ve only been with boys like…" At that very moment, Javier, on his horse, rode in front of them and waved. He couldn’t pass up an opportunity to visit his girlfriend. "Fortuna," he began, "it’s so nice to see you again." Twirling her hair with her finger, she chuckled. She didn’t think she'd see him there. It made her happy he had come. She always liked seeing her boyfriend. "What are you doing in town, Javier?" He laughed. "Just passing through…do I need to explain myself to my favorite girl?" "I suppose not," Lucky said, her eyes lighting up. She always became happy every time she saw Javier, no matter the circumstances. Even if the weather was as hot as blazes, her day would be made better just by seeing him. "Let me introduce you to my…friends from out of town…Elena, Naomi…and Mateo." "Hola, amigos," Javier said, taking off his hat and bowing his head. Everyone easily accepted him. When Naomi and Elena looked at him, it reminded them of people in Avalor City they saw every day.

While everyone else had been inside of the Prescott house, Mateo had been enjoying his time outside. Sitting peacefully, he began trying to figure out how he, Naomi, and Elena would get to Paraiso from whatever alternate world they were in. He had missed all the fun, or what could be called fun by some. "Hey, do you want to see a trick?" Mateo asked. "Let’s do it!" Pru shouted. Elena, Naomi, Abigail, and Lucky followed suit, bellowing the same. Mateo spoke to Javier. "You’ll be front and center for this trick…is that ok with you?" he inquired. He didn’t want to do anything that Javier would be uncomfortable with. He reminded himself it was Javier’s horse and Lucky was Javier’s girlfriend. "If it makes my Fortuna that happy, I’ll do it." "Hacheta, be calm."

The horse relaxed. Mateo yelled "Llévaluq," as he tapped his tamborita, causing Javier to float into the air. He blew a kiss to Lucky, "this is for you, Fortuna." Her heart melted with joy. She stared at him lovingly. "That’s my favorite boy up there…in the sky…he’s so great." She cut herself off before gushing off about him. Mateo slowly moved his tamborita closer to the ground. The spell had been broken. He touched the grass and landed safely. At that moment, Kate closed the door and came toward Elena, standing beside her girlfriend. "Can…I talk to you privately?" Elena nodded. She followed Kate back inside to the parlor, tentatively. Naomi had recommended that she be careful and not take any unnecessary risks since Kate clearly had a thing for her. Once inside, Kate explained what this was all about. "I’d like you to be a special guest in my class tomorrow, since you have that scepter." This intrigued Elena. She didn’t think that someone like Kate would be a teacher. Perhaps, this said something about her perceptions of other people. "You’re a teacher? I will do anything to support learning." Kate smiled. She couldn’t be gladder to hear this. She hoped that Elena would accept, and the fact this really made her day. "Great! Meet me behind the house at 7:45 A.M. tomorrow morning…and we can walk over to the schoolhouse together." Realizing that Elena didn’t have a watch, she handed her a spare watch she happened to have. "Here, use this." Stashing it in her pocket, Elena didn't know sure what would happen the next morning. Kate, on the other hand, was over the moon with this news. She would get to hang out with her favorite of Lucky’s new friends, the person she liked the best out of them all.

That night, Kate setting out a blanket and let Elena sleep in the parlor, along with Naomi. She soon told Naomi, and then Mateo, the plans that Kate made with her in the classroom. Mateo then went on a midnight stroll to search for their horses, so he could bring them to the schoolhouse the next day. With his tamborita, he could coral the horses as easily as any horse wrangler. Back in the parlor, Elena slept soundly, weary from a long day, with Naomi sleeping beside her and holding her tight, ensuring that no harm would come to her. Javier had left and moved on, unable to stay the night.

Early that next morning, as the sun hit her skin, a soft voice awoke her. "Time to get up, sleepyhead, you cute queen," said the woman. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw Kate in front of. "Hi, Miss…" "Flores-Prescott," Kate said, completing Elena's thought. "You can call me Kate…Lucky and Jim do so and I’m totally fine with it." Yawning, Elena had a slight smile on her face. Kate then told her, "I’ll be in the kitchen making pancakes," as she left the room. Seeing the coast was clear, Elena kissed Naomi on the forehead. She whispered to her. "It will be okay my sweet Nomes…get your rest" Groaning, Naomi started to get up, wiping her eyes. "No, thanks," she said, astonishing Elena that she had woken up so fast. She preferred talking to her face-to-face, which her girlfriend didn't mind. Elena wanted to say one more thing before she left. "Nomes, tell Mateo to come to the schoolhouse…help him, if he asks, figure out how to get back to the Ever Realm." Naomi nodded. She understood completely and grinned. Getting back home was a paramount responsibility. They couldn’t stay in Miradero forever. "See you later, Ele," blowing a kiss toward her, leading Elena to giggle a little.

Getting up from the couch in the parlor room and walking into the kitchen, she smelled the aromas of pancakes cooked on a griddle. "Breakfast is served!" Kate announced triumphantly. Elena began eating the food in front of her, relishing every bite. She didn’t get how she had missed out on something that tasted so good. She loved all the food in Avalor, especially the heavenly Avaloran chocolate, but Kate's cooking was as good, if not better. "Miss…I mean, Kate, this is great…what do you call these strange wheat cakes with some sort of sweet berries and this spicy sauce?" "Oh, these are pancakes…with strawberries and spicy hot sauce." She then started telling a story about her past. It sometimes pained her to remember her time at the orphanage. With all her family history research, and her crush on Elena, Kate thought that sharing something about herself would allow them to understand each other better.

After making a fool of herself the day before in asking Elena and Naomi if they wanted to get married, Kate wanted to make up for it, even in a little way. "I moved to this town in my teens…from an orphanage where they gave us bland food…and I became accustomed to bold new tastes when living in a hotel." Elena, continuing to chew on the pancakes, enjoyed the flavor of these foods. She wanted to know more about her new orange-haired friend who had a light pink skin complexion. She didn't know how much longer she’d be in Miradero. It could be days, or even months until Mateo had figured out how to get back to the Ever Realm. Being nice to the locals made sense. "So, Kate…how’d you become a teacher?" Kate went into another story, explaining how she began as an assistant to the teacher a couple of years before. Then, when the long-time teacher retired, she became the teacher, and had worked there ever since. Looking at her watch, she tapped Elena on the shoulder. "Let’s get going…so we can surprise my class." Elena nodded. Both went out the backdoor and began their walk to the one-room schoolhouse on the town’s southern outskirts.

On the way, Kate began talking about her students. Elena joked about her role as the queen of Avalor. "Sometimes, it’s so much responsibility…but I have my grandparents to guide me…well, along with my sister and friends." Kate couldn’t understand what it meant to be in a position of royalty, as she was middle class, as some would call it, thanks to Jim’s job as a railroad manager. She only knew about royalty from fantasy novels or newspaper articles she had read. The fact Elena only mentioned her grandparents, not her parents, piqued her interest. "You mentioned your grandparents…what about your parents?...are they around?"

Elena shook her head. She breathed in deeply and explained. It was always a hard subject to talk about. To manage her trauma, she had to confront it, in the words of her therapist. "Some evil witch named Shuriki murdered them…in front of me!" Kate hadn’t predicted she'd say something like that. She thought that Elena has been in an orphanage like her. She struggled for the right words to say. "I’m…so sorry…I hope that ‘witch’ got what she deserved! It’s not right to kill anyone’s parents!" Elena chuckled. It brought a smile to her face, thinking of it now. Even one year ago, she would have trembled in fear when remembering their deaths. She didn't do so this time, for some reason. She may have had a bit of a crush on Kate herself, even if she wasn’t totally aware of it, maybe giving her confidence to tell Kate this without breaking down and crying. "She did. I blasted her with this…" She paused and took out her scepter, pointing to it. This confused Kate. She still thought that what Elena had done the other day has been a magic trick. "It might look like something a magician has…but this can be a dangerous weapon." Kate smiled, not in response to what Elena had mentioned about the scepter, due to the fact they had arrived at their destination. "We’re here…at the schoolhouse." Walking inside, Kate directed Elena to hide in the cloakroom and come out when Kate introduced her to the class. While this seemed a little silly, she agreed to do so, to play along.

Each of the eleven students started coming into the classroom one by one, including a cheerful Lucky with her friends, Abigail and Pru, by her side. "I hope we get to see that interesting guest again today…" Lucky began. As the clock struck 8 AM, Kate rang a bell, beginning the school day. She prepared to make her announcement. "Well, class, I know we were going to talk about sedimentary rocks today…instead we have a special guest." Turo complained. He had been the only one in the class excited about learning more about types of rocks. No one else cared that the lesson would be different. "Excuse me for a moment." The class murmured. No one knew what surprise she had in store.

Lucky rolled her eyes. "I know exactly who it is…it is so obvious." Pru and Abigail couldn’t figure it out. Maricela chuckled. "It'll be a grand duchess from a faraway land…I can feel it in my bones…thanks to the food Cook is feeding me." Kate came back into the room. She told the class to "give a warm welcome to Ms. Elena Castillo Flores, the Queen of Avalor!" This didn't impress Lucky, as she had seen Elena the previous day. However, Elena's presence entranced Maricela and caused Snips to pulled in by her aura. Bianca snickered, remarking under her breath, "I’ll get my dear Snips to wear a dress like that one day…it'll be so magical." Mary Pat, her sister, told Bianca to shut it and stop crushing on Snips. The other students were equally enthralled, even Pru and Abigail, with Lucky surprised to see this as she never thought her friends would act that way.

Pointing her scepter at the blackboard, she said, loudly: "Farsight!" A bluish glow showed the image of a 13-year-old slender girl with amber-brown eyes, olive skin complexion, and brown hair which reached down half-way down her back. Elena smiled. "That’s my sister, Isabel…the Royal Inventor of Avalor." Her presentaton amazed the class. None of them had seen anything like it. Lucky didn't pay much attention until she saw Isa flip her hair a little and twirl it around her finger. Her cheeks became a bit reddish, and she hid them with her hands, so no one would see her expressions in response to Elena’s sister. If anyone saw her, she predicted it would be embarrassing. She even thought that her friends would surmise that she liked them the same way, since they were the same age as Isabel. This thought process, of course, was extreme, and did not reflect any sort of reality. Sometimes, Lucky jumped to conclusions which were not supported by any evidence and only her personal feelings.

Lucky had a reprieve. Elena’s arm had gotten a bit tired, and she didn’t want to hold it up anymore. She whispered to Kate, who then told the class, "that'll be all for our demonstration." The students were dumbfounded, so Kate continued talking. "You can ask questions of Ms. Flores, one at a time." Maricela raised her hand. "You can go ahead, Maricela," Kate added. "In this…Avalor…do you have maids and cooks?...I love Cook so much…she makes all my meals." Elena chuckled. She could tell that Maricela was a total snob, but she didn’t care. Meanwhile, Mateo continued his work on finding a way out of this frontier town and back to the Ever Realm. While the people in the town were nice, she really didn’t want to stay, under any circumstances, unless she had no choice in the matter. "There is a wait staff in the palace, and they make meals...I like to make my own food too…and I don’t eat every meal there." Pointing at Lucky, she added, "I’m probably as skilled a cook as she is."

Maricela did not expect to hear that. It shocked her to hear someone she considered a "rube" be praised by someone she thought had "class." She didn't know what to say. While she contemplated how she’d respond to Elena, Turo raised his hand. "So, do you have blacksmiths…and horses in this…uh…place you are from?" Elena smiled. She liked the questions Turo had posed rather than one about cooking, as her response made her seem privileged. And while she obviously had privilege as a royal, putting her at the top of Avalor’s socioeconomic class structure, she did not like to flaunt this. She wanted the people to see her like them, one of the masses. "Good question. Me and my friends each have our own horses, and there is a mounted unit of the royal guard. We also have blacksmiths who make the horseshoes that they use." And she noted the most important part. "They are paid a fair wage for a fair day’s work…we aren’t about taking advantage of anyone." Everyone in the class nodded. No one, especially not the PALs, wanted to mention Grayson, concerned what Elena would do if she found out about him.

Elena stayed in the classroom for the rest of the day until Kate dismissed the class at 2 P.M. Kate remained giddy the entire time. After the students had left, and as Kate was about to pull Elena aside, Naomi jumped out of nowhere and shouted, "Ma’am, she’s taken." While Kate inferred from the previous day that Naomi and Elena loved each other, she didn't guess that Naomi would act like this toward her. She began to back away and apologize. "Sorry…I didn’t mean any harm." Elena laughed it off. She acted much cooler about it than her girlfriend. "Nomes can get like that sometimes…that’s part of the reason I like her so much." She added a rejoinder so Naomi wouldn’t think she had "backed down" or something like that. "Let’s make sure we all respect each other’s boundaries." Naomi and Kate nodded. Naomi extended her hand. "Friends?" she asked. Kate smiled and shook her hand. "Definitely." All three walked out the schoolhouse doors. They saw Lucky, Pru, Abigail, and Mateo on their respective horses awaiting them, while their horses were there too.

Neither Naomi or Elena, nor Kate, would have predicted that. In fact, Kate really wanted to give Elena and Naomi a going away present, as a happy couple, something like a tasty berry pie. She felt sad that they had to leave this soon. She tearfully waved goodbye. Jim would have done the same had he been there. It was Monday, one of the busiest days for him during the week, while working in the railroad manager’s office. The PALs went with Naomi, Elena, and Mateo outside the town limits and into the woods. "Can you find your way from here?" Lucky asked. Elena tentatively answered. She did not want to disappoint her new friends. She believed she could leave without causing them any more trouble. "Uh, sure…we know…how to get back to Avalor." Naomi looked at her confusedly. She knew that Elena had been making it all up. She nodded along anyway. Mateo shook his head. Unlike Naomi and Elena, he didn’t want to mislead the girls. He sighed. "We have no idea how to get back," he stated plainly. He had tried to use some spells and calculated what could be done. He did not have the know-how to cast something that could move beings across dimensions. Elena tried to shush him. Naomi shook her finger. She realized that Mateo had said the right thing. "Mateo speaks the truth," she began. "We are stuck here…unless a miracle happens."

Something extraordinary was heading their way. A small beige automobile with three wheels appeared out of thin air like an apparition after appearing through a portal of some kind. As the car came to a standstill, two men stepped out. A thin, and tall man, with short grey hair came out first. He sported a mustache, a three-piece olive-green suit, brown vest, green top hat, and square frameless glasses. A shorter man with curly brown hair and wearing a red-and-yellow tracksuit stepped out of the car after him. He wore yellow and orange tinted sunglasses. "Come with us if you want to live," the shorter man said, leading the other to chuckle. Elena would not let them be kidnapped again. She raised her scepter and pointed it in their direction. "What do you want with us?" The older man grumbled. He predicted this would happen. Their client had told him that this might have occurred, but it seemed like hogwash. "I’m Cavendish, and this is Dakota. We were contracted by Lady Isabel to bring you back to your kingdom." Naomi laughed. She knew at once who they were working for. "You mean Isabel Flores, right?" Dakota smiled. It relieved him that someone had a sense of why they were there. "That’s right, lady. The Trans-Dimensional Taxi is at your service." He opened the doors and waited for them patiently. After Elena talked with Dakota and Cavendish, she walked over to the PALS. She wanted to give a proper goodbye. "Thanks for hosting us at your house, Lucky…Pru and Abigail, it was nice to meet you too." "The pleasure is all yours, high exalted one," Abigail said, giggling a little. Elena appreciated the humor. Pru remained astonished at the arrival of the car, something she had never seen, her mouth gaping open. Lucky hugged Elena and whispered to her that she hoped she’d return some time soon. Elena promised to come back some day, even if it happened many years in the future.

"It’s time to go, we mustn’t be late for Lady Isabel!" Cavendish remarked. Naomi, Mateo, and Elena dismounted their horses. They packed into the back seats of the car. Dakota aimed the Shrinkinator, borrowed from Heinz Doofenshmirtz, at the horses. The horses were shrunk to a small size. He handed Naomi, Mateo, and Elena their horses, now in miniture. Closing the back doors, Dakota and Cavendish stepped inside the passenger and drivers’ seats and shut the doors behind them. "Here we go!" Dakota said cheerfully as Cavendish pushed all sorts of buttons. He hoped this worked because they had barely survived on the way there. In no time at all, the car entered the dimensional time stream, connected to other time streams across the universe, like the one on Earth. Back in Miradero, the PALs waved longingly in wishing their friends good travels. Lucky even missed Elena a little. When she had reached the age of 17 and 1/2, Elena would reappear. This time, Elena would be within Lucky’s dating range, if that dating rule in the women's magazine, which Pru and Maricela had read, could be believed, as Elena would be 20 years old.

A warning light began flashing and the car began smoking. "Oh no, that’s not good," Dakota admitted. Cavendish shook his head. He pulled the emergency escape and it didn’t work. The vehicle went flying out of control and somehow exited the time stream at the right time. It landed on top the fountain in front of the main palace in Avalor, smashing it into a million little pieces.

The car had been damaged. Miraculously, no one inside had been seriously injured. Isabel came running out of the palace and saw, to her horror, her sister and friends coming out of a smoldering vehicle, holding their tiny horses in their hands. She angrily berated Cavendish and Dakota. "What were you two doing? How the heck did this happen?" Both prepared to defend themselves from Isa and explain their actions. Suddenly, another car miraculously materialized. Two men, dressed exactly like them, grabbed their arms, and threw them inside the automobile. One pressed a button and caused the car to zap through the time stream, out of Avalor. Simultaneously, Isa shouted "I’ll get you Cavendish and Dakota, if it’s the last thing I do!" Cavendish and Dakota were in a daze, unsure why they'd been abducted. The two men in the front seat laughed and turned their heads, to reveal they were other versions of Cavendish and Dakota. The other Dakota chuckled. "Sorry we had to get you like that...we had to go back in time and save you both." The other Cavendish nodded as he continued to drive the car. The original Dakota said, "Thanks, guys, for saving us…now let’s back to…the present."

Meanwhile, in Avalor, Isa remained angry. Focusing on the matter at hand tempered her rage. She continued helping the palace staff care for Naomi and Elena. Gabe treated Mateo the same, bringing him to his room where he could rest peacefully and recover from his journey. Isa hoped Naomi, Elena, and Mateo were ok and would have easier days ahead. The horses would regrow to a normal size, as the shrinking effect only lasted for about an hour. Little did she know but the troubles for Elena and her friends had only started, with more adventures ahead.

*********

End Note: According to the fandom pages, Kate is age 24 while Elena is age 20 by the end of the series, so this attraction could be possible. The fandom pages note that Lucky is age 14-15 in seasons 7-8, with Pru and Abigail probably around the same age. The Spirit Riding Free wiki pages for “Milagro Navarro,” “Kate Flores,” “Prescott House,” “Javier,” “Orphanage,” “Schoolhouse,” and “El Circo Dos Grillos,” Elena of Avalor pages for “Princess Elena,” “Mateo,” and “Naomi Turner,” and the very helpful “Spells from Elena of Avalor” page on the Disney wiki, as was the “Time Vehicle,” “Cavendish and Dakota's Relationship,” “Balthazar Cavendish,” and “Vinnie Dakota,” and “List of Inators and inventions by Heinz Doofenshmirtz” pages on the Milo Murphy’s Law Wiki. Kate’s full name is Caitlin "Kate" Flores, according to her fandom page, but I mainly used "Kate" here. I originally had Aunt Cora (also known as Cora Thayer Prescott) listed as a character, but since she has no lines, I didn't include her. I had thought of using the words "bisexual," "pansexual," and "lesbian" in this work, but decided to not do so. It wasn't until "in 1890, the term lesbian was first used in a medical dictionary, though how long it had been in common usage is anyone’s guess" as noted by Into, with the words "lesbian, invert and homosexual were interchangeable with sapphist and sapphism around the turn of the 20th century," according to the wikipedia page for the word "Lesbian." Furthermore, while according to pansexuality wikipedia page, "the hybrid words pansexual and pansexualism were first documented in 1914," it did not come into more common use until the 1990s, and the word bisexuality was coined in 1892 according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. As such, it is unlikely they would have known of those words at the time, if we roughly set the world of Spirit Riding Free in the 1870s.

#elenaomi #Elena of Avalor #gabteo #spirit riding free #fanfics #fanfiction #lgbtq #lesbians #bisexuals #pansexuals #bisexual crises #dakota x cavendish #elena of avalor fics #spirit riding free fics #ao3fic #ao3 #wattpad

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tohbi-isi · 6 years

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Preventing Movements from Being Overlooked in the Age of Activism

Contemporary social movements have a higher chance of fading into the background now more than ever. Benjamin Sáenz, a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, says “There is no [Chicano] movement per se. That doesn’t mean there is nothing happening” (Guerrero, 61). This holds true for many modern-day movements where people have the Internet to aid in spreading information faster than traditional methods. It’s easy to be forgotten when activists can be branded far-left SJWs (social justice warriors) as a tactic to ignore the message. The racists that many of today’s movements are fighting against can have entire pages taken down after false reports of hate speech. In a country founded on the beliefs of the white, Christian majority we often see the issues that stick are what these people are in direct opposition with – black vs white, gay vs straight, rich vs poor, Christian vs savage. Movements like Black Lives Matter see huge success because they are right – there’s an issue that needs to be addressed – but also because this country thrives on the continued white against black narrative that raises white inhabitants higher on their pedestals. While all social movements of the future have to worry about whether the public regards their goals as positive or negative, it is especially the movements of smaller groups that are vulnerable to being left behind. In addition to the fading of news that inevitably happens with a 24-hour global news cycle, active erasure now occurs with a few clicks.

Because I am not Black, Mexican, or Asian it isn’t my place to speak on the movements of those groups beyond observations of them. I can, however, speak to the many movements of my people. Okla Chahta ohoyo hapia hoke. I am a proud woman from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. All through school I had teachers ask me if I knew that Native Americans made up just 1-2% of the entire United States population. It was hurtful to always be stared at as if I belonged in some sort of museum, and pushed me to look deeper into the needs of Indian Country as a whole. Issues my tribe doesn’t face, others do; and where there is trouble, there is generally a movement to change the cause for a better outcome. Since the very first colony settled on these lands in 1492, Indigenous peoples have been at risk for becoming one of these aforementioned forgotten groups.

Diminishing the power of those who make up today’s 566+ federally recognized tribes was the goal from day one and that’s obvious when you look at our numbers in the broad population. Even so, this has not stopped the fires burning among us. Every day we fight for a different facet of the erasure and oppression we face: Standing Rock, Bears Ears, Mauna Kea, Native mascots, tribal sovereignty, missing and murdered Indigenous women. The goal is to start these movements and prevent them from disappearing before anything can be accomplished. But how can we ensure that when even movements like that of Colin Kaepernick – who had the attention and support of millions of football fans – can be warped and forced out of the spotlight?

Journalist Jacqueline Keeler, of Navajo and Dakota decent, spoke briefly with me on the issue of staying relevant and being heard. Much of her beliefs appear to lie in the idea that our strength manifests in numbers.

I think that it’s not going to be easy and this is not the natural course of things. The exertion of sovereignty [and] something which I really advocate for: an Indigenous tribal government. I think that we need to organize politically because we’re talking about political rights, you know? Our safety, our security, our identity is only going to be protected politically. All of this is permeable as long as we are not politically strong, so we need to strengthen ourselves politically. Obviously we are talking about several hundred different nations, but we are stronger together and we have more at stake in common than we do apart.

Strengthening ourselves politically is an important idea to consider because tribal sovereignty is already ignored in day to day life. We need leaders who aren’t afraid to assert their power, and from there we need to work together to get our best into the U.S. government. Politics are at a turning point where things will either improve for those experiencing injustice or history will repeat itself.

National headlines detailing Standing Rock Reservation and the protection of sacred sites that were desecrated for the Dakota Access Pipeline proves that this idea of strength in unification is on the right track. Standing Rock is shared by Yanktonai Dakota, Hunkpapa Lakota, and Sihasapa Lakota. People from these tribes united and rallied for help in protecting their lands and burial grounds that were being threatened. Tribe after tribe sent letters of support and representatives to aid in the work that was happening up north. I sent packages of supplies to the very first wave of protectors in April 2016 while urging my tribal leaders to pen their support and send help. I observed Linda Black Elk, of the Standing Rock Sioux, use her background in Ethnobotany as an EMT for the protectors. I watched as needed roles were filled and veterans showed up to stand on the front lines following Trump’s executive order that reversed Obama’s protections. Although the pipeline has been completed, the events at Standing Rock are an inspiring example of strength in numbers. If we can come together and turn the public’s attention to the injustices we face, we can come together and work from inside the corrupt system that holds us down.

A Lakota youth advocate, Megan Red Shirt-Shaw, has worked admissions at multiple universities and is using her experience to work on a project designed to connect Natives pursuing their Ph.D. with mentors in their desired field. This came to mind when reading about Sáenz and Guerrero discussing how “Many of the young leaders of yesterday went to school and are now our doctors, lawyers, educators, and writers” (Guerrero, 61). If wielding our collective power to change societal tradition is key to the social movements of the future, avenues to and participation in academia is necessary. Education will be the foot in the door for minorities in politics; without which nothing will change about the lack of diversity in our representatives. The statistics for politicians in the United States proves that the diversity of the country is not reflected. In 2015 I read a Washington Post article titled “The new Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male and 92 percent Christian” that went on to detail the exact numbers of the 114th Congress. This country is not in a crisis where our population of women is severely lacking in numbers, so why is it that our government doesn’t more accurately reflect the diversity of the current population? Activism taking center stage in conversations across these lands means more youth are likely to actively pursue higher education and get involved in politics. As these numbers rise there is higher potential for the government to accurately represent this nation’s inhabitants.

By working together toward the ultimate power of representation we will eventually be able to reinvent the foundation of this country without a radical anarchy. And that’s how it should be done – slowly and with enough thought that everyone can benefit – otherwise we run the risk of someone being left out or these lands being damaged further. “Critics will rightly contend that co-management is not an ideal status for tribes. We are indigenous to the land and by right should have complete authority. But the political reality is that we don’t” (Curley, 72). I don’t believe there is a need to speak of something as severe as overthrowing and abolishing the government while minorities are at such a clear disadvantage. Though a nice fantasy to dwell in, a slow trickle into spaces that don’t currently have their doors open to us will be much easier.

While it is less than ideal to have to work so much harder than those currently in power just for the chance to enter their stadium, it’s worth it when we look at the cause. The root of any social movement examined corresponds with lack of power and that’s why we must focus on taking back said power and distributing it where deserved. Without that we will only see movements grow silent and fade out like the Chicano movement and the water protectors at Standing Rock. Movements visible to those who are involved, but otherwise unseen. We can choose to let the media pit us against other movements, break us from the inside, and turn onlookers against us or we can cease to feed that monster and focus on feeding ourselves. The majority will look away when comfortable and it is in those moments that we can choose to stay down where they want us or build up.

Works Cited Bump, Phillip. “The New Congress is 80 Percent White, 80 Percent Male, and 92 Percent Christian.” Washington Post. 5 January 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the- fix/wp/2015/01/05/the-new-congress-is-80-percent-white-80-percent-male-and-92- percent-christian. January 2017.

Curley, Andrew. “Some Thoughts on a Long-Term Strategy for Bears Ears.” In Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears, (pp. 66-73). Jacqueline Keeler. Salt Lake City, Utah: Torrey House Press. May 2017.

Guerrero, Salvador. “The Chicano Movement – Alive and Evolving.” In English One Reader, (pp. 61-62). Charles Brown. (Original work published 2011)

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#paper two: social movements #grade: excellent #native american #college #english one #essay #personal #cultural #september 2018

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