A Royal on Skull Island Ch. 10
Raven and Dexter were examining food stalls. At first, the couple thought it was a market. But there were no exchanges of any kind. The Vendors would just set a few of whatever they had into a basket that a villager was carrying. Occasionally, a villager would give them something. Whether it be food or some other item but rarely asked for some of their food.
One of the Vendors, a man, holds a fruit that looks like a purple apple to Raven.
"Uh, I'm sorry but I don't have money," the Witchling tries declining.
The Vendor tilts his head. "Money?"
"You know?" Dexter speaks up to explain. "Currency. Something you'd trade for something you want."
As if told a joke, the Vendor laughs. "You outsiders are funny. Here!" he forces a basket into Dexter's arms before throwing some of the strange apples into it. "You can have some extra," he then shoed them away as another Villager walks up to him.
"No money?" the Charming voices. "No trading?" he looks at the other food stalls.
Raven reaches for one of the apples as some of the other vendors were throwing more food into the basket. Be it fruit, vegetables, or meat. "It's like none of them expects anything in return," she bites into the mysterious fruit and moans. "It's so sweet and juicy. Not like any fruit I've tried."
"Despite being on an island with so many things that will kill you," the spectacled boy takes one of the star shaped berries and puts it in his mouth, receiving a sour taste. "It almost seems like a perfect society here."
"It does," Raven smiles at the site of some passing children who were playing with a ball. "The people here seem to only keep what they need and just freely gives away what they don't need," the witchling grabs a green radish. "There has to be a catch. At least besides living on a deadly island."
"This is all your fault!" a certain fairy screams before the Witchling gets shoved into a stall, knocking it over and catching the attention of many of the villagers.
Dexter goes to help his girlfriend. "Faybelle!" the normally calm Charming shouts. "What's gotten into you?"
Soon Ever After High students, minus Kitty come running to the scene.
"What do you think, Four Eyes!?" the Dark Fairy snaps at him. "We're trapped on this Grimmforsaken island, with no MirrorPhones, no Magic! And it's all because of that witch!" she shouts.
Apple walks in between them. "Faybelle, please calm down. We can settle this without any form of confrontation."
"Can it, Princess!" the Villain Kid turns her ire onto the Snow White. "If I didn't listen to you back at Ever After what makes you think I'd listen to you now?" she gets dangerously close to Apple. "The way I see it, this is just as much as your fault as it is hers," Faybelle pulls back her hand, readying to smack that blonde's crown off her head. "Hey!?" she ends up shouting as her feet are lifted of the ground and finds herself hanging onto the makeshift shawl for dear life.
Kong has picked up Faybelle by the piece of cloth. The massive ape lifts her up to his eye level and glares at her.
"Put me down, you big, stupid Monkey!" she shouts as her grip starts slipping.
Not liking that term, Kong roars into the teen's face.
"Kong!" Apple shouts and the ape looks down at her. "Please let her down. Coming to this island is a lot for anyone and everyone has a different reaction to it," the Royal pleads. "Remember how I was?"
Kong takes another glance at the fairy before lowering her down. However! Halfway to the ground, the shawl tears, causing the VK to fall the rest of the way. Luckily with her cheerleading skills, she was able to right herself up to stick the landing.
"Faybelle!" Briar gasps at what she sees and tells her fairytale villain and best friend. "I'm so sorry."
The removal of the shawl gives a view of Faybelle's back revealing that half of her upper left wing and all the lower right wing were torn off.
Faybelle clenches her fists. "Now you know," she says while tearing up as the Sleeping Beauty walks up to her to comfort the pale girl.
"I don't see the big deal," Daring shrugs. "So her wings are a little torn. Once we find our way back home I'm sure you can just go and get them fixed."
The Fairy turns to the eldest Charming. "You think it's that easy!?"
"Um… yes."
"Daring," Rosabella places a hand on his arm. "There's no way to fix a fairy's wing. Once they break, that's it. They're gone."
Faybelle lets out a sob. "My magic going away for no reason. I could've lived with that," she admits. "At least I would still be a fairy. But without my wings? I'm not a fairy. I am nothing," the wingless fairy cries.
All the Ever Afterans looked upon Faybelle with sadden expressions. The Villagers did not fully understand the meaning of the wings but knew that it was a big deal and remained silent at the display.
"There is a reason," Apple speaks up, causing all her fellow classmates to look up at her. "There is a reason that magic does not work on the island." The priestess turns to the massive beast and bows. "Kong! My friends and I request an audience in the chamber of ancestors."
Kong looks at Apple and then over at the other outsiders. He turns and then gestures for them to follow before walking away.
Without a word, Apple runs up to Kong. Just as she catches up to him, he grabs the blonde and tosses her up and the Royal lands on the Ape's shoulder. The girl then turns towards where her friends remained. "Come on, guys!"
The Ever After stared in awe at what they just witnessed.
"Just to be clear," Daring speaks up. "She means just to follow, right? None of use are actually going to ride on a giant gorilla?"
The school kids look at one another and before they knew it, Darling rushes towards where Apple and Kong are heading. Soon, the others chased after her.
Briar stopped for a moment, noticing her fairytale villain remains where she was. "Faybelle. Are you coming?" Instead of answering, the Dark Fairy simply turns before walking off in the opposite direction. Even though she's still worried, the Sleeping Beauty continues after her friends.
When the youngest Charming caught up to them. "Hey, uh, Kong!" she shouts. "May we have a lift!?"
Apple smiles and turns to the Ape. "What do you think, Kong?" In response, Kong lets out a grunt before lowering his hand towards the ground. Apple slides down the arm and into the palm. The Royal then reaches out her hand and Darling happily accepts the offer.
Soon, all the kids have climbed up the gorilla's arm and all are sitting across both of Kong's shoulders. With the exception of Maddie who sits on top of the ape's head with her arms out as if to fly.
"Woohoo!" the Hatter shouts. "I'm on top of the world!"
Kong raises a brow at the Wonderlander's antics before rolling his eyes.
Daring then comments. "This is perhaps the craziest thing I have ever done."
Rosabella turns to him. "Even crazier than getting cursed into a beast and then pulling a sleigh?"
"No. Well," the eldest Charming thinks for a moment. "Maybe. If we were to rank all our adventures, where would we put riding a ginormous monkey?"
A growl from Kong startles everyone aside from Apple. The ape is glaring at Daring.
"Yeah," Apple speaks up. "Kong is not very fond of being called a monkey. You also might want to avoid using the words chimp and baboon in his presence."
Everyone glances at the eldest Charming, who's eyes dart from them, to Apple, and then at Kong.
"My apologies," Daring bows. "I meant no insults. I shall refrain myself from further offences."
Kong lets out a huff before facing forward.
Apple then says, "Kong accepts your apology."
Cerise notes, "You seem to have a pretty good relationship with Kong here."
"She better," Maddie pipes up. "She is his bride."
That catches the entire group off-guard as they all shouted, "WHAT!?" causing Kong to stumble and causes Dexter, Briar, and Alistair who has not once let go of the still rabbit Bunny to lose their grips and fall. Thankfully, the Ape was quick enough to catch them. However! The poor Blanc girl slipped out of the son of Alice Wonderland arms.
"Bunny!" Alistair reaches for her as Bunny gets further away.
"Alistair!" Bunny closes her eyes waiting for the impact. Only, it never came. Opening them back up, the rabbit finds herself in the arms of Cerise with her hood down.
"I got you," the Red Hood girl says and soon climbs back up to the Ape's shoulders.
"Bunny!" Alistair smiles as he takes the rabbit back. "Thank you Cerise."
"Don't mention it," the Ridding Hood turns away as she consciously pulls the hood over her head.
Once the ringing in Apple's ears stopped, she turns to the Hatter. "So, you heard about that?"
"Yeah! Neera told me and Kitty all about it." the Wonderlander beams.
"A, Apple," Darling turns to the Snow White. "What's she talking about?"
Apple smiles and places a hand on the youngest Charming's arm. "I'll explain everything once we get to the temple."
End