A/N: This chapter was mostly written by me, but the prison part was written by Night.
"So, this is Monquista," Destiny mused, looking out at the Skyway, which was an aesthetically pleasing mixture of orange and tan. "It's a little… well, spread out, isn't it?"
"Yes, but it is a different world," Hazel reminded her. "Some things are bound to be different."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," she retorted. That was true enough, and like it she certainly did not. The more spaced out things were, the longer Skyway trips would take, which was not good news for her.
"Hey, you two!" Both Hazel and Destiny turned their heads as an unmistakable bubbly voice grabbed their attention. "I just went and had a chat with Hannah," Harmony informed them. "She thinks we'll be at the main city of Monquista soon."
"Good to know," Destiny responded. She paused, a brief wave of nausea passing over her. "I'm feeling a little sick. Let me know when we reach the city." With that, Destiny retreated to the cabin, but it wasn't long before a soft thud and the snapping of ropes on the main deck heralded their arrival at the island of Monquista City. Stifling a retch, Destiny ascended the staircase
"So, how are we going about this?" Destiny questioned. "We can't exactly go in asking about pirate legends — we'd give ourselves away."
"I thought about that," Hannah replied. "I was thinking one of us could go into some shops, pretending to be a MooShu noble, and innocently ask about dangers in the Skyways. Maybe you'd like to do that, Destiny."
"It's a good plan, but what if I'm found out and attacked?" Destiny questioned. She decided now was not the ideal time bring up the fact she technically was a noble, if of Marleybone, and had the credentials to prove it. "Nobles don't generally carry weapons around."
"I'll go with you, and act as your bodyguard," Harmony volunteered. "I don't even need my spear to inflict damage, so it works out perfectly!"
"Sounds like a plan to me," Hazel said with a nod of approval, "but just to be on the safe side, how about using fake names? Maybe Aurora and Sophia?"
"I like it," Destiny agreed.
"All right, let's put this plan into action," Hannah announced. "Good luck."
Destiny idly glanced over the various trinkets presented before her without really paying attention to them. "Are any of these to your liking, miss?"
"Oh, I don't know," Destiny replied in a vacant tone rather higher than her real voice. "What do you think, Sophia?" She glanced towards Harmony, secretly wondering how the monkey shopkeeper was buying the ploy — surely nobody was really as airheaded as she was acting!
"Don't you have anything better?" Harmony demanded, her voice carefully serious. "Lady Aurora deserves the best!"
The shopkeeper turned back to his wares. Destiny wondered what to do, but Harmony helped her out. "Are there any dangers in the Skyways we should watch out for?"
"Actually, yes," the monkey replied. "There's a pirate hanging about, calling herself the Iron Dove. She calls herself a legend, but really, she's a no-good, stuck-up, disrespectful…" he continued in this vein for a while. "…cold-hearted ruffian!"
"Oh my, she sounds very dangerous!" Destiny was having trouble keeping her rage in check. "Where does she fly her ship?"
"Oh, all over, but she mostly protects the foul Opposition at their base on Zenda."
"Thank you, we'll be sure to avoid her." Suddenly, Destiny struck out. There wasn't much power behind the blow, but the speed of the punch and the fact that she was about three times the monkey's size more than made up for that. The shopkeeper was flung across the room, his skull connecting with the wall. He fell to the ground, unconscious.
Harmony stared at her in amazement. "What did you need me for again?"
"Moral support, I suppose," said Destiny in her normal voice, smirking. "Let's get back to the ship; the others need to hear this."
Suddenly, the shop door banged open. "You there! Come out where we can see you with your hands over your heads!"
"What, us?" Destiny asked, once again using the fluttery voice.
No fewer than six monkeys wearing full Monquistan battle armor and carrying swords and halberds stormed into the shop, identical looks of rage contorting their furry faces. A seventh monkey with a ridiculous plume on his helmet and an equally funny-looking cloak strode in with a look of arrogant insolence on his face. "You are under arrest for assaulting an innocent and consorting with known Opposition sympathizers!" he declared; it would have been intimidating had the top of his head come up past their thighs. On the other hand, the sword which he now pointed at them looked plenty sharp, and as they watched, more monkeys flooded in behind him, all armed, armored, and angry.
"I don't have my staff," Destiny whispered desperately. "Can you take them?"
"There's too many of them!" Even in a whisper, the terror was evident in her tone.
The caped and plumed monkey, who seemed to be the commander, cleared his throat. "So… will you come quietly, or by force?"
Destiny and Harmony exchanged a look of despair. "Quietly," said the two cornered pirates in unison.
"Well, this is just great," Harmony grumbled as the cell door slammed shut behind them. Looking around, Destiny saw what her friend meant — the cell was quite small, with a hole in one corner, a tiny, barred window, and a stone bench that was, in fact, occupied.
Destiny gave a start as the person lounging on the bench spoke. "Tell me about it." She was another human teenager who looked to about Destiny's age — she looked about fourteen, but it was hard to tell — and appeared to have been bleached. Her skin was deathly pale and chalky, her eyes were a light, rainy grey, and her hair was prematurely pure white. As if that wasn't enough, her tattered, piratish garb was also white — the only splashes of color on her whole body were her outfit's faded orange trimmings.
Destiny rediscovered how to speak first. "Who are you? My name's Destiny, and this is Harmony."
"I don't see why I should tell you," the prisoner said dryly.
"At least a name?" Harmony pleaded. "It seems like we're going to be stuck here for a while, and it's not like we'll be able to not interact. Please?"
"No." The stranger glared at Destiny and Harmony in turn. "Just leave me alone, okay?"
"We'll have to call you something, though!" Harmony complained. "Ooh, I know! I'll just call you George. Hi, George! How ya doing, George? Tell me about the prison food, George!"
She went on like that for a while. Destiny noticed the prisoner's facial expressions moving from surliness to annoyance and finally into rage. "Enough!" she roared. "My name's Haley! Now would you please just shut up?!"
Harmony giggled. "Well, that worked!"
"You're going to get yourself killed like that," Destiny told her matter-of-factly, though she too was trying to stifle laughter.
Haley glowered some more. "And I thought my first five months in here were awful!"
Five months? Destiny thought in despair. But we need to be looking for Marissa now! With a sad sigh, she sank to the floor and allowed her mind to wander into more cheerful daydreams — it seemed she would be here for a while, with only Harmony's ridiculous optimism and Haley's surly sarcasm for company.