The Rosado Tribe lay awake for a long while in their shelter. The council had not gone according to plan on their part. While they had numbers to endure the test as opposed to the members of the Estrella Tribe, something had started to grow within their minds;
Doubt.
Doubt that anyone was going to come and rescue them off this island any time soon. Here a majority of them thought they could survive on their own. Yet Prospero was swinging back and forth between compassionate host to a ruthless sorcerer. Some of these women had seen countless ruthless villains in their time all ranging from horrid sorcerers that abused magic to family members hurting one another out of spite.
"Do you think we made the right decision?" Sofia asked after a while.
Jasmine turned to look at her. "Snow White's health was more important than getting us rescued quickly."
Moana glanced over to one side. "It's true, the needs of some…"
"I don't think that's how that phrase goes," Elena interrupted. "Someone should have volunteered to go home. Also I'm not feeding that monkey again."
Cinderella was starting to doze. As she was tucking her makeshift pillow under one arm, she stole a look with some other tribe members. Elena's feisty attitude was going to paint a target on her back for being sent home for a selfish reason. Tonight was the first time she felt she had voted to keep someone safe and not for selfish reasons like getting home faster. She could endure a lot on this island, be it Prospero's strange tests to sleeping on the dirt. Some of the other princesses were used to luxury. She ran a hand over her silver ballgown. The shimmering fabric was starting to wear and grow dull. Her gloves were ripping and exposing her hands. Hands that had been chapped and roughened from years of work as a servant under her roof. Was that what she was being? A servant to Elena's ideas on who to send home? She had hurt Ariel, someone who did nothing wrong, and now Snow White would probably become bitter when she arrived.
She stared at the tightly woven leaf fronds that made up the ceiling. Tomorrow, she would confront Elena about them splitting up. It was painting them as the villains of the story, when she was sure there were other foul forces on this island. Did some of the other tribe members feel it? The sense of dread that something wasn't right? Prospero was becoming shadier with each tribal council. Like he was studying them for something. She shook the thought aside and let her eyes droop. Day 16 was upon them soon.
The Estrella Tribe had fallen asleep the minute they had left the cave. The fire was still cracking and keeping them warm. Some had moved their mats towards the central fire so they could soak in as much heat as they could. The logs turned black veined with orange. No one was moving from their spot on the mats. Their chests rose and fell in time, and the only time someone made the slightest motion was to shift in their sleep.
The first person to open their eyes was Mulan. The sky overhead was still dark save for a few stars. But as she looked closer, her brow furrowed. Time spent sleeping outside had given her insight of how the sky looked overhead without light from a nearby city or village. The stars here were dimmer, and she couldn't blame a nearly dying fire this time. Was her mistrust of Prospero making her paranoid of the rest of the island now, too?
She inclined her head to the rest of her tribe. They were all still sleeping, some of them choosing to stay quiet about their suspicions of Prospero while others seemed naïve to the idea. It wasn't sitting right with her. Sending Tiana home may have saved her life, or maybe put her in a worse predicament. As for the Estrella tribe, it was clear Elena and Cinderella needed to be separated. Their bond was toxic; the group had overheard it from when they hidden in the alcove they had won in the challenge.
The challenges.
Mulan looked back to the sky. Prospero could have easily called them a ship and gotten them home. Yet he insisted they continue with these tests. The only thing they seemed to accomplish was determining who was imprisoned and who won the right to go home. She flipped back over and tried to sleep again, but she was continuously restless. This would not fare well for the morning.
"You may take a look at your new tribes. The Estrella tribe elected Tiana to return home. The Rosado Tribe has sent Snow White home."
The sun had just gotten over the horizon when Rosado and Estrella were summoned to the rocky eastern shore. Luckily, the challenge was no where near the rocks. Instead, a small stone tower sat in the center of a pristine lagoon. The turquoise water was clear and shimmering, not unlike the blue gray brown ocean water that was beating against the stones.
"This is your reward test. One member of each tribe will act as a defender standing on that rock," Prospero gestured to the tower. "One at a time, member of the other tribe will leap off that platform," he gestured to a jutting rock crusted with barnacles and mussels, "and attempt to throw a ball into a net." The net he was speaking off was practically invisible from how fine the fibers were woven. A basket of rainbows. No plant on earth could have created such beautiful fibers. "The first tribe to score five points wins reward."
Like a swan taking flight, Prospero gestured to one side. Six beautiful horses were grazing in a serene meadow. The stables were crafted from pieces of driftwood and trees cracked and repainted a lavender hue. A weather vane shaped like a unicorn, turning green from oxidation, spun around.
"These horses were crafted by the magic of the ocean. The winning tribe will take these steeds to a secluded lagoon where I have asked several nymphs to cook fresh breakfast. Now as you can see, there are six horses. That means, Rosado, you must have someone sit out of the challenge."
Sofia raised her hand. "I'll sit out for this challenge," she said quietly.
The wizard gestured to a small stone for the auburn haired princess to sit. As she did, her blue-green eyes studied him suspiciously. There had been no comments made about her age by him. The only people concerned about her had been Jasmine and Elsa. Jasmine had been hovering over her like a brooding hen. Now with some distance, Sofia could watch the challenges carefully. She wasn't about to let someone else go home without the excuse of being sick. It had happened to Tiana, and to Eilonwy, and she refused to let it happen to someone else.
Prospero gave the princesses a moment to strategize as he always did. The final decision had come to Elsa defending for Estrella, and Pocahontas defending for Rosado. Rosado had won the coin toss, thus giving them the opportunity to aim balls first.
Cinderella gripped her ball and stared at Elsa. With their sparkling gowns, they could have had similar designers. But the slightest details put the two apart. Cinderella's gown had traces of stars while Elsa had sparkles in fractalized shapes like snowflakes. They looked at one another, blue eyes to blue, almost daring one another to make the first move. Elsa could feel her fingers tingling. All she had to do was jump and try to freeze the ball. Cinderella was running forward with one hand on her skirt and another on the ball. She leapt airborne, throwing. Elsa jumped to intercept and winced as the ball flew overhead into the net.
The second round began with a trade off. It was Vanellope taking on Pocahontas. The two of them had been on the first tribe, but never really spoke. The younger princess spat into her hands to grip the ball tighter. She rushed forward, and just as she leapt, something happened. The very air around her appeared to glow blue and pulsing. She had this power thanks to a curse, but never found any true reason to be rid of it. In Vanellope's eyes, this power gave her an edge. She had never showed it off until now. While the others saw just blurs and lines, she saw the net in sight and a way around Pocahontas. She chucked it just before she landed in the lagoon with a splash, tying the score.
Round three pitted Elsa against Jasmine for part one. The Arabian princess rushed forward and threw. As she did, the ball rebounded from Elsa reaching her hands upward. A wall of ice sprouted from the lagoon. The ball was caught directly in the path, freezing it in place with the princesses gaping in surprise. Jasmine swam away, cursing herself for forgetting Elsa had the name Snow Queen for a reason. In the second face off, Anna went against Pocahontas. The ginger girl grinned wildly and threw the ball the minute she was airborne, landing a second point for Estrella.
As Elsa stood back on the perch, she thawed the ice. It wouldn't be fair to keep the wall up. Elena was coming next, tightening her side ponytail. She threw the ball, yet it was deflected by Elsa, who lost her balance and fell into the water. Her pale blonde hair was drenched from the impact, the tendrils of ice freezing as she wrung her fingers through. Pocahontas took her place as Meg stepped up for Estrella. She took a running start and threw with a new method. Her other teammates had thrown with one hand, she made the shot with two hands. The extra strength sent the ball flying into the net, earning Estrella a lead.
Kida took a second chance for Rosado. She threw the ball, but it was deflected again by a well timed strike. This was followed by Mulan. At first, her shot seemed promising. The ball was thrown as she jumped high. Yet the aim had been miscalculated. The ball bounced off the wooden rim, back into the lagoon. All the princesses groaned. The shot had been good, but not good enough.
The rounds were showing clear winners. Estrella was ahead with three, and Rosado only had one point. That changed with Moana's throw. She had coiled her arm back and shot with force like she was harpooning. The ball soared above Elsa's head and into the net, giving Rosado a much needed point to try and catch up. Belle went against Pocahontas, taking a breath. The score was tightly knit. The brunette rushed forward, and was able to throw the ball past Pocahontas, but it barely missed the net.
The cycle continued back to where it had begun with Cinderella versus Elsa and Vanellope versus Pocahontas. Both tribes were smarter on how to defend. Elsa had managed to block Cinderella's shot quicker, and Pocahontas adjusted for Vanellope's block. Jasmine scored for Rosado, giving them three points. Anna followed this up to give Estrella four.
"If Meg scores this next one, it's over," Mulan whispered to Belle. She was watching Elena rush forward and miss. This left the Estrella tribe nervously watching the final contestant. The tosser adjusted her ponytail and narrowed her violet eyes. This time, she threw with one arm. The aim had been true, and the ball sailed past Pocahontas' outstretched hand and into the net.
The Estrella Tribe burst into cheers. They hugged and spun around. The biggest hugs had been reserved for Elsa, who had dove into the water and swam from the lagoon to her companions. They were embracing and laughing, acting like…well…friends.
"Estrella, your horses are waiting," Prospero reminded them.
The six young women practically raced to the fields. The six horses were all unique in color, so no one would be confused for which steed. Peeking into the tack area, they found saddles and bridles. Elsa mused the leather before glancing at her tribe. Her powers were more than creating ice. She touched one set of beaten leather, transforming it into a beautiful patchwork of white and pale blue, complete with blue crystals along the buckles.
"If you'd like," she offered, "I can personalize your saddles."
Mulan came in with a beautiful black steed. "That would be nice. It'd give me sort of a reminder of home." She gave Elsa her preferences before settling her horse with a saddle selection woven with red silk and gold accents.
"Does everyone know how to ride?" Anna asked as she mounted a dappled grey.
Belle was brushing the golden locks of her palamino steed, decorated with roses. "I've been riding since I was a little girl. I'm more used to draft horses, but this will do."
Meg laughed. "Do riding Pegasus count?" She was coaxing a chestnut brown horse into a bridle with a braided fashion.
"You mean the ones that fly?" Elsa asked. She had chosen a white horse, who was already sniffing her dress for treats. She gently patted its nose, coaxing it to a stop. Meg nodded and the Snow Queen nearly dropped her bridle. She recovered by making ice steps to ease her mounting, frowning as she saw the final member looking nervously at the final horse.
Vanellope's eyes shifted, "Uh, yeah…about this…" she pointed to the paint horse. The patched coat of the final steed was a monochrome version of the splotched quilted design of the saddle Elsa had crafted for her, "I know…horsepower, but not…actual horses."
Belle steered over. "Would you like some assistance in riding?"
It was at that moment of the five veteran riders assisting the youngest member of the tribe into riding a horse as opposed to a 'racecar', which her kingdom had been known for, that something overcame them. They all had come from multiple kingdoms, and with the tribal councils, mistrust had started to come up. Yet moments like this had started to blanket the seeds of doubt and show commonalities besides royalty. The refreshing quips of Vanellope were helpful in that regard as well. As they rode through the glade and feasted on the fresh breakfast, complete with eggs, fresh bread, milk, and even cured meats such as bacon and ham, it reminded them all of what was being missed beyond the island. If they lost the Immunity Challenge, they would confront Prospero. They would get answers. Not just for their sake, but for a child just learning how to ride and behave.
In the afternoon, Prospero had summoned the tribes over again. The test this time was all for immunity, highlighted by the roses and pearls scattered across the arena. The Estrella tribe was all smiles while the Rosado tribe looked fatigued and grumpy; not even the fish Moana successfully had caught for their breakfast had been much help. The device set in front of them were two towers stacked from rose-twinned boxes, hovering over large tiles of red and white, matching each respective tower's roses. And speaking of roses, Prospero snapped his fingers, and the immunity necklaces won by Belle and Moana shriveled into black ash. The tribe would be a conjoined group afe once again.
Prospero went over the rules of the challenge as he always did. Two member of each tribe would stand at the top of each other and roll large pearls down a chute while four other members will attempt to aim the chute to shatter the rival tribe's tiles. The first tribe to break all five of the other tribe's tiles would win immunity.
"I'll sit out for my tribe." Pocahontas spoke loud and clear, much to the surprise of her tribe mates. She was one of their best members when it came to the physical tests. This would make their game much more of a challenge. Worried looks were exchanged, and the whispers began the moment of strategic planning. The mumbles and whispers lasted until all the princesses faced Prospero, eager to begin the test.
Cinderella and Elena stood atop the white rose tower. Next to them, on the red rose tower, stood Meg and Anna. The other tribe members stood by ropes for their respective tribe. The thunder clapped, and the challenge began. The two princesses for Rosado started their commands, asking for Jasmine and Sofia to bring their section of the chute higher. As it rose, the chute spun slightly. Cinderella asked for them to stop, yet Elena wanted them to keep going. The two of them bickered for directions until finally, Jasmine situated the chute at the base. Elena took a pearl and dropped it. It rolled towards the tiles, but stopped just short, only hitting grass.
The Estrella tribe listened to Meg and Anna work together in conversation. They urged Belle and Elsa to bring their chute piece high enough to where the curve jutted into a J shape. Meg took the first pearl and dropped it. The pearl sped down and looped. A loud crack of a broken tile echoed through, followed by cheers.
"Mulan and Vanellope, pull more, please," Anna chirped to her tribe.
"I think that might work," Cinderella was musing as the tribe went for their second shot, adjusted by Kida and Moana. She dropped her pearl. The pearl rolled down before connecting with the white rose tile.
"It's like two feet lower…" Elena murmured, staring at the chute after her pearl failed.
"Which one are you aiming for?" Cinderella asked.
While they discussed routes, the Estrella tribe aimed for the farthest tile. Meg released the pearl. As she hoped, it connected. Right after her, Elena let their pearl fly. Unfortunately for her, it missed.
"I knew it," she muttered.
"It should be lower," Cinderella suggested to her tribe
"It has to be lower," Elena corrected her.
"I think we should push it up a little," Sofia suggested.
Elena held out her hands. "Really? You think that…come on, Sofia!" The competition was getting to her head. The Estrella tribe had been beating them in almost every challenge. But that made no sense. The tribe consisted of women who came from hardworking kingdoms. Kingdoms that relied on the land for support and not outside help. How were they losing?! And Pocahontas had sat out, leaving them useless.
Anna had gone down to the second level to drop their third pearl. As she dropped, it shot and connected. Quiet claps resounded. Elena groaned in frustration, dropping the next pearl, which just missed. The strategizing became heated quickly from both parties. Suggestions to lower became ruder, namely from Elena. Estrella hit the fourth title while Cinderella's pearl just missed. The Rosado Tribe waited patiently for adjustments while Anna dropped the next pearl, just missing. This gave Elena a window to head down to the third level with her pearl. She dropped it onto the chute where it arced and hit the closest tile.
"The aim is good, we're just overshooting," Moana suggesting.
"But…" Elena objected, "when I…"
"We need to see the whole picture, Elena," Kida cried out. "Not just the whole idea!'
No sooner had Kida given that advice than it had been put to no use. Meg dropped the fifth and final pearl, sending it flying and connecting onto the final red rose. They had won immunity. Just like before, they descended into the tower and they hugged and cheered.
Prospero approached the six princesses with an impressed smile. "Back to back wins. How does it feel?"
Vanellope punched the air. "It feels awesome!"
The enchanter nodded. "Enjoy your evening, ladies. Rosado Tribe, I will see you this evening."
Cinderella and Elena bickered all the way back to camp. The bickering had been so bad that Elena had resorted to talking in Spanish. No one understood what was being said until both of them stormed off in opposite directions. Cinderella approached Jasmine and Sofia, who had been sitting by the rose bushes and weaving small chains from the flower clusters. The blonde princess sighed and glanced around. "I'm thinking of voting Pocahontas out."
"Pocahontas? Why her?" Sofia asked.
Cinderella wrung her hands. "She sat out in this challenge, which is crucial to getting off this island faster, but ask yourself this; what has she contributed to the tribe?"
There was silence. Pocahontas really hadn't done much in terms of peace keeping. That often tended to fall to Kida or Moana. The most she had done was the challenges.
"Besides win games?" Sofia asked. "Nothing."
Cinderella pointed to her. "Exactly."
Jasmine pulled a flower petal off. "What bout you and Elena?"
Cinderella sighed. "We've done more bad than good by sticking together. You saw how we did today at the challenge. I said we needed to step away from one another. The bigger picture is getting off the island. I'm not sure I like it here."
Sofia nodded. "I gree. When I sat out today, I wanted to watch Prospero. He wasn't interfering with the tests, but whenever someone did something with magic, his eyes got this…gleam in them."
Jasmine arched her brow. "A gleam?"
"Yeah. Like he wanted to keep them around."
The somberness flooded over camp. Meanwhile, the three Rosados that came from ethnic backgrounds murmured amongst themselves about the camp becoming an unfair divide. Pocahontas has suggested taking Sofia home to spare her from injury. Moana took one look and said Sofia had some potential, but with Jasmine constantly buzzing over her, Sofia wasn't going to be able to grow. Kida agreed with Moana, saying that without Jasmine, Sofia was a different person.
The mindsets were settled as they came to Prospero's cave to hold council. As they sat down, the women spoke of how the reward challenge had been something they had admired and wanted, and instead they had missed out on because of a miscalculation.
Pocahontas frowned. "Miscalculation? You mean by choosing me to be the blocker? It's why I sat out."
"But we needed you!" Jasmine objected. "Without you, people were being home possibly being hurt!"
"Hurt on what?" Moana sassed. "How do we even know we're…" But then she saw the blue gray glint of the enchanter's eyes. No. Mouthing this out loud could spell trouble. "I think no matter what, people are going to get hurt."
Prospero made a thoughtful hum. "Pocahontas, Moana made an interesting comment. Is that something you agree with?"
Pocahontas nodded. "Yes. On this tribe, it's clear we have some disharmony. The Estrella Tribe has something in common, yet we have far too many differences and that's clouding how we're seeing the truth."
Jasmine stroked her hair. "I agree with Pocahontas about the truth being clouded…"
Pocahontas held up a hand. "Let me finish, Jasmine. We also have a difference in who we're trusting. Cinderella told me Elena and her split up their close friendship. That;s going to leave a very large crack in who to trust."
"It seems to me you all know whom you can trust, then," Prospero sat back. "Kida, care to begin the voting?"
Trust came full circle after everyone finished. Prospero read the votes quickly. The final results were four votes Pocahontas three votes Jasmine. Pocahontas' face fell. These were women she was supposed to trust. What good did it do her? They may have sent her home safe, but she was being mistreated for everything she had done. Her long mane of black hair billowed in the wind as she disappeared, leaving the Rosado Tribe going home perhaps not as whole as they should have been.
FINAL VOTES:
Cinderella, Elena, Jasmine, and Sofia voted for Pocahontas
Kida, Moana, and Pocahontas voted for Jasmine.