Hey! I saw a bunch of people doing the 100 thing and A-Z, so I decided I'd join the fad! Well, hope you enjoy! R & R! WARNING: Crap ending! :P

"An apple?" Nastasia asked, puzzled.

"Yes, an apple." Dimentio confirmed, throwing the fruit into the air and catching it.

All the minions of Castle Bleck had been assembled in the meeting hall for, you guessed it, a meeting. Earlier that week, they had all been assigned to writing a speech on anything they wished. Mimi had done hers on dress fashions, Mr. L on how thunder and lightning work, and O'Chunks on how his mother's cooking had been a big influence on his life. But as for Dimentio, no one really knew...

Mr. L raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you wrote your speech on a fruit?"

Dimentio nodded. "Yes. Well, not the apple exactly, but, more or less what it means."

"And... what does it mean?" Mimi asked, becoming even more convinced that Dimentio had lost his mind. If that was possible.

"Ah." Dimentio said, pointing his finger at the ceiling briefly before putting it down. "Well, first of all, I would like to ask you all a question. When you look at this apple, what do you see?"

Mr. L shrugged. "Food."

"A red... sphere thingy with a brown stick on the top." Mimi commented, squinting her eyes to see it better.

"Something edible." Nastasia said, perching her glassed at the edge of her nose to look at the fruit without them on.

"Ah see-" O'Chunks began, but Dimentio cut him off.

"No! I told you, you can't answer!"

"And, why can't O'Chunks answer?" Nastasia asked suspiciously. "I really don't deem that fair."

"It won't be fair if he answers!"

"Why?"

Dimentio sighed. "Because I showed him the speech to see if he thought I should choose another topic. But, he liked it, so I kept it. And, he knows what I'm going to say..."

O'Chunks smiled. "Sorry, lad. I had teh see what you'd do."

Dimentio shrugged. "And, Count what do you see?"

Count Bleck looked at it for a while, before answering; "Much more."

Dimentio smiled. Not creepily, but he just smiled. "As do I."

"Whatddya see?" Mimi asked, cocking her head to the side.

Dimentio smiled. "Well, dear, that is what my speech is all about. First, I would like to point out a few things. One, is a phrase quoted by Sherlock Holmes many a time. He says to his dear companion Dr. Watson, 'You see but you do not observe'. And, I am going to tell you what I have seen and observed from this apple.

"Now, I found this apple sitting on the counter the day after we had been assigned our task. For some reason, it seemed to pop out at me. I find that minute details often make themselves known to me. Anyway, I was utterly amazed at this apple. Now, I know you're all probably thinking that the only person who would find an apple interesting was someone who had just popped out of the looney bin. But, I found it amazing simply because it was there.

"When an apple grows on a tree, it faces millions of challenges from the day the flower buds to the day it reaches our stomachs. Quite like everything else. Now, when an apple blossom blooms,it faces the wind ripping it off the branch, hungry caterpillars, curious squirrels, nesting birds and many other weather conditions. For a bloom with that many threats to keep on growing is utterly amazing to me. Then, the flower falls off and the fruit begins to grow. The fruit also faces a variety of troubles, including bugs, animals weather, etc, etc. But, yet, here it is." Dimentio looked at the apple and smiled.

"Oh, and another thing," Dimentio's head snapped back towards the group. "If an apple can survive all that, If Grambi created it that way, is the apple's only purpose to feed us? Or, is there something else that this little fruit can do? However, if its sole purpose is only to feed others, then how do we repay it? It is a growing organism, after all. Just like us. And, now we reach my conclusion.

"No matter who you are, what you are, however rich or poor you are, old, young, male or female, we are all the same inside. We are all equal; We have dangers, we have problems. And, more often than not, we overcome those problems, and serve our main purpose in life; To live, love, and do whatever Grambi has in store for us. We grow just like apples on a tree; Some do not survive, some go rotten, some are thrown away. Others... Others survive. We are all survivors. We have grown on the apple tree, avoided harm's way. We have been picked from our home, our tree, and sent for transportation. We are still on our way, but we will arrive soon. We will arrive at our destination, and we will serve our purpose. We will be ended, and, if we are lucky, be reused in soil and grow our own apple tree, and our children will continue the same, and their children. We all hope to grow like the apples on trees; we all hope to survive."

Dimentio ended his speech by taking a bite of the apple.

Removing his hands from his cloak, Count Bleck began to clap. Soon, the rest of Castle Bleck's highest-ranked minions began to applaud the magician.

"Dude... That was deep..." Mr. L commented once everyone had finished clapping.

"Told ya they'd like it, lad." O'Chunks smiled.

"...Wow. You passed, Dimentio." Nastasia informed, writing something on her clipboard.

"Ya think?" Mimi giggled. "That was awesome, Dimmy!"

Count Bleck nodded. "I agree."

"I am blushing furiously under my mask." Dimentio muttered, trying not to make eye-contact with anyone.

"Alright, meeting adjured." Nastasia said, ringing a small bell. As soon as she said that, Dimentio teleported out of the room.

Mimi laughed. "Chicken."

O'Chunks laughed as well. "Yeah. Betcha he was blushin' redder than an apple!""