Al Drin Hoshizora: Sure...
LilactheDryad: What?
MrScourch: Funny you should mention that. Thanks for pointing it out.
I am a burglar: Sure, whatever floats your boat.
Goldilocks tapped lightly on the wall of her cell, waking Hansel and Gretel out of their slumber.
"Hansel?"
"What is it?"
"When will we get to go home?"
Hansel froze at the question. Sitting up, he stared through the eye hole, and gazed into Goldilocks' pleading bright eyes. Her face was pale and streaked with dirt and other marks. She looked like an abused child, which, given the situation, she was.
Gretel tugged on her brother's arm. "Hansel, doesn't it seem strange that the Queen is only giving us sweets now?" She pointed out to her brother. Hansel turned to his sister, a confused look on his face, and he gestured for Gretel to continue.
Gretel glanced at Goldilocks, and cupped her mouth as she leaned in close to Hansel's ear and whispered so that only he could hear her. "Back when we were trapped, you were given sweets every day. But it's been weeks and only now has she decided to-"
Hansel shushed her sister. Giving her a light nudge, Hansel crawled over to the eye hole and peered into it. "The Queen is planning something," He said to Goldilocks. "I know it. We don't have much time; we'll have to try and escape soon."
Goldilocks' whimpered in fear, and nodded understandingly.
Hansel paused for a brief moment, and let out a small sigh. He delved into his pocket and pulled out the sharpened iron.
"Here, take this," He said, pushing it through the eye hole and into Goldilocks' cell. "You need it more than we do."
Goldilocks stared at the iron, then looked up at Hansel on confusion. "But, why-"
"You'll know what to do with it when the time comes," Hansel reassured her. Then, he slumped onto the ground and dozed off, Gretel doing the same.
Before long, the sound of their snoring filled the dungeons.
Goldilocks watched the two sleeping siblings, and stared down at the iron rod. Taking it in her tender hands, Goldilocks held it close to her face, feeling the sharp tip of it with her finger. Indeed, it was sharp; the slightest prick was enough to send a string through her whole hand. Wrenching her hand away, Goldilocks sucked on her finger, and slowly placed the iron rod into a corner far away.
As she, too, dozed off, she wondered what Hansel and Gretel had planned for her.
The Queen's corridors were filled with the screams of a young girl as she was dragged down a large hallway by two guards. Pushing open the door, they entered into the Queen's chambers.
The Queen and the Huntsman stood over a large table, the two mulling through a map of the kingdom and the far reaches of it. They ignored the screaming child as the guards dragged her past them.
"It truly is unfortunate that a wolf and a girl with a red hood have interfered with my affairs," The Queen murmured to the Huntsman. "But it appears their arrival could provide some use to me after all."
"What do you mean, my queen?" The Huntsman pondered.
"Far off in the dark forests, there are tales of a big, bad wolf," The Queen said. "A wolf who lurks in the forest, and has haunted many who lived there. Three little pigs, seven young kids, a lad named Peter..." She turned to the Huntsman, her eyes twinkling, before she finished with, "And a Little Red Riding Hood."
The Huntsman's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you inquiring?" He asked. "Has the Wolf turned over a new leaf?"
"It appears, if he's travelling with this girl," The Queen said. "But more to the point, they both came from this forest, a forest with so many stories woven, not just of this wolf. Could you imagine all the treasures hidden there? All the people, the children, that could very well belong to me?"
The Huntsman understood. "So it appears some good has come of this wolf and girl coming to your kingdom?" He asked.
The Queen nodded. "Indeed. Now, all we ought to do is catch them."
In the same room, one of the guards had picked up the girl and was carrying her to a furnace. The girl's eyes widened in shock as she neared the burning opening of the furnace. Her screaming intensified.
"Oh, and those children," Queen Rosina muttered. "How have so many of them escaped from my grasp these past few days? Have my guards been slacking off?"
As Rosina pondered the question, she could hear the light sound of singing coming from the hallways upstairs. She recognized it as Snow White's singing. Normally, the Queen ignored the sound of the scullery maid's singing, but there was something... strange about it this time.
As one of the guards prepared to throw the shrieking girl into the furnace, the Queen said, "Stop."
The guards paused, and the girl immediately stopped screaming, now that the danger had, at least for the moment, been relinquished.
Rosina squinted her eyes and cupped her ears as she tried to listen in on Snow White's song. She absent-mindedly left the table and walked over to the door leading to the hallways. As she opened the door, she could hear Snow White's voice better.
As she listened in on Snow White's song, her eyes darkened in fury.
Snow White stood at the staircase outside the castle, the entrance of the castle opened slightly. The maid washed the staircase with a rag, a flock of small birds surrounding her. She sang to the birds as she washed the steps, a melodious tone in her voice.
"We're standing by a wishing well," The maid told the birds cheerfully. "Do you want to know a secret? Promise not to tell?"
As the birds stood around her intently, Snow White sang.
"Make a wish into the well, that's all you have to do
And if you hear it echoing, you're wish will soon come true.
I made a wish into the well, for the one I love to find me today
And it came true today
I'm hoping, and dreaming, of the lovely things he'll say
When we meet once more again."
Snow White would've sang more, but she stopped when she felt a dark presence near her. A dark feeling entered the pit of her stomach, and the maid slowly looked up at the open door of the staircase.
"Oh my!" She gasped in shock.
Standing at the door was Queen Rosina. The monarch stared down at the lowly scullery maid, but her eyes contained not anger, or fury, but an unfamiliar calmness to them.
"What a lovely melody, my dear," The Queen said to Snow White in a disconcertingly sweet tone. "And such... intriguing lines."
Snow White gulped and nodded. There wasn't a hint of hostility in the Queen's tone, but for some strange reason, she still felt uncomfortable by her presence.
The Queen took a step down the stairs, approaching the maid, who's body tensed up as she neared her. "You know, Snow White, you've worked so hard these past few days, that I'm feeling a sense of lenience," The Queen told her. "I feel you deserve a breath of fresh air, a break from all this work."
Snow White's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" She asked, wondering if she'd heard correctly.
The Queen smiled down upon her. "Yes," She said.
After a moment's silence, Snow White sprang into the air, ecstatic. "Oh thank you, my queen!" The maid said, refraining herself from hugging Rosina, as she realized the Queen wouldn't appreciate it. "I'll get my coat on!" She dashed up the steps and into the castle to get ready. She stopped and turned back, calling back once more, "Thank you!" Before she left.
The Queen watched her leave, and chuckled bitterly to herself. "No, my pet, thank you," She whispered darkly.
While Snow White had gone upstairs to change out of her rags, the Queen had whisked off into her own personal chambers. The Queen's chambers were dark and drag, a reflection of her own soul.
"So, my dear has found the one she loves?" The Queen mused as she grabbed an old book off the bookshelf. "One who she would do anything for, it appears. Including betray her queen!" She laughed at the notion. She couldn't believe that Snow White had managed to keep her in the dark for so long, misleading her into blaming the guards for the scullery maid's actions.
The Queen sat down at the table and dusted off the old book. "It appears this man, whomever he is, sees the beauty in the maiden," She mumbled to herself. "Whoever he is, he has poisoned her mind against me. So, I'll have to seek him out myself. Who knows, he may be the key to finding all the traitors in my kingdom."
The Queen found it oddly amusing at how things turned out. The arrival of a wolf and a girl with a red hood had managed to spike her interest in lands outside her kingdom. And at the same time, a man who had stolen Snow White's heart had given the Queen the opportunity to root out any miscreants in her kingdom.
It appeared keeping Snow White alive had its uses after all.
"I'll follow Snow White myself," The Queen whispered to herself. "Find the man who has convinced her to betray me. But first, I must don a disguise. A disguise so complete no one will recognize me."
She flipped through the old book, reading its instructions carefully to find the right ingredients for the potion.
"It's been years since I've had to use this book," The Queen mused. "But that was before I lived in the castle. Now, it has found its way back to me."
As she read the instructions, the Queen soon went to work. Her chambers were filled with spells and potions for her to practice dark spells, and she was careful to use the right ingredients so as to not ruin the spell. She poured a mixture of potions into a glass cup, a dark liquid forming within it. A red gas emitted from the cup.
"My spell is almost complete," The Queen whispered. I just need one final ingredient."
Setting the cup on the table, the Queen turned and called out, "Misty! Come down at once!"
Immediately, the Queen heard footsteps coming down the stairs as the elderly maid answered the Queen's call. Soon, the door opened and Misty entered the room.
"Yes, my queen?" The old maid asked as she hobbled into the chamber.
"Come here," The Queen commanded to the old servant. "I need you for something."
As the old maid approached, the Queen unsheathed a dagger hidden within her cloak and, before Misty could react, plunged it deep into the maid's chest. Misty doubled over and let out a choked gasp as the Queen stuck the blade deep into her, feeling the tip of it pierce her heart.
The Queen held onto the dying maid, feeling blood seep out of her. Quickly, she grabbed onto the cup, and held it under the maid's chest, letting the blood pour into it. She then ripped the blade out of her chest, letting the maid slump onto the floor, blood oozing from her wound.
The Queen ignored the dying maid, and held the cup to her mouth. "The blood of an old crone," She said. "Finally, my spell is complete." Quickly, the Queen drank the potion, not sparing a single drop.
The sound of glass breaking echoed through through the room as the Queen dropped the empty cup. She grasped her neck and doubled over in pain. She felt as if a burst of fire was burning her throat. She groaned in agony, choking on the potion.
As the Queen dropped onto the ground, her crown clattering off her head, she began to change. Her skin turned warty and wrinkled. Her hands became thin and bony, her fingers transforming into claws. Her back contorted painfully into a hunched shape, and her blonde hair withered into a pale white.
The Queen, in her current appearance, threw back her head and tried to scream, but all that came out was a choked gasp as her chin began to stretch out. Her nose began longer and hooked, a wart growing on it. Her teeth morphed and began sharp and crooked, sending surges of agony into the Queen's body.
Finally, the Queen collapsed onto the ground, her cape covering her. She lay there, still, lying next to the dead body of the old maid. For a moment, she looked as dead as the old maid.
Finally, the Queen moved. Slowly, she pushed herself off the ground and onto her feet. Moving was more of an effort for the Queen now.
"Oh," She moaned, looking down at her claw-like hands. "My hands. My voice..."
The transformed Queen's lips peeled into a hideous grin, revealing her jagged teeth. She threw back her head and cackled.
"The perfect disguise!" She shouted, her hideous laughter echoing throughout the chambers.
In the woods, the Wolf wandered around the Dwarfs' cabin. As he did, he noticed that the spot where they'd buried the guard Red had killed had been dug up. He stopped to stare at the spot, confused.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Red let out a growl of frustration nearby. Turning in the direction of the voice, he wandered off to where Red was.
He soon found her, and the guard's body as well. The body was hanging from a tree, suspended by a rope. Red, on the mean time, held a bow and arrow and was aiming it at the guard. Her arms trembled as she struggled to aim.
"What are you doing?" The Wolf asked just as Red released. The girl screamed in surprise, having not noticed the Wolf sneak up on her, and missed the target by a wide margin. The two watched as the arrow soared off past the body and into the deep forest, striking a tree a long distance away.
Red groaned, exasperated. The Wolf looked around, and noticed that the forest was filled with arrows, all of them having failed to hit her target.
"Whose bow and arrow is that?" The Wolf asked, standing on his hind legs.
"Grumpy," Red mumbled, holding the bow up to her face. "Don't tell him, though."
The Wolf shrugged, and sat down. "I figured I should practice archery in case the time ever came," Red explained, and let out a deep sigh. "It's harder than I thought." As if to demonstrate, she took aim and fired again, only for the arrow to strike the tree the body was hanging from, rather than the body itself.
"How can I help defeat the Queen if I'm scared to kill?" Red asked, slumping her shoulders and giving the Wolf a defeated look. Lycan nodded understandingly, and got up, approaching her.
"Let's see," He said as he neared her. Grabbing Red, he spun her around so she was facing the body. "Take aim."
Red pulled out another arrow and placed it into the arc. As she raised her arms to aim it, the Wolf gently took her shoulders and said, "You're shaking. You must never do that if you're aiming."
Red nodded, and stopped shaking. She had hardly even noticed the Wolf holding her shoulders.
"Be careful to keep your eyes on your target at all times," The Wolf instructed, helping Red to adjust the bow so that it was aimed directly at the body. "Never let the target leave your sight. Remember, concentrate and be patient."
"Alright," Red whispered, focusing on the target. Her breathing slowed to a stop as she focused all her concentration on the body. For a moment, she imagined that it was alive, and that only she and it were there.
After a few moments that seemed like an eternity, she fired.
The arrow zipped through the air at high speed, and the sound of flesh being pierced filled the air as it plunged into the guard's chest with such force that the body was pushed back a bit. It swung in the air, the arrow sticking out of its chest.
Red's eyes widened, shocked that she had actually hit him. She noticed that the Wolf had an almost proud look on his face. He turned to look at her, and Red looked away so that he wouldn't see that she was smiling.
Suddenly, the two heard footsteps from behind them, and the two turned around to see Woody run up to them, his face bright with glee.
"Come back to the cottage, quickly," He told them. "We have a visitor."
In a few minutes, the Wolf and Red found themselves seated with the Dwarfs and Woody, the baker baking a tray of cookies for them.
Sitting in front of Woody was Snow White, a giddy expression on her face as she looked at the people seated with her, particularly at Woody. The woodcutter had an identical expression on his face as he stared at Snow White. The two giggled absent-mindedly to each other.
Red's body tensed up as she stared at the two. "I don't like that look on his face," She whispered to the Wolf, who shrugged.
"Refer to what I said earlier," He whispered back, hoping the two wouldn't hear.
"So, how are things back at the kingdom?" Woody asked, smiling.
"Oh, it's great," Snow White said. "Ever since I told the Queen about the missing children, she's been on it, sending her men out to find whoever is responsible. They're doing a good job; many parents have been reunited with their lost children. Isn't it great?"
Woody nodded. Next to him, Red and the Wolf both narrowed their eyes at her suspiciously.
"What do you mean, the Queen's helping to release them?" Red questioned, holding her arms and eyeing Snow White.
"Yes, I can't believe she let me leave the castle today," Snow White said, clasping her arms together. "She was so nice."
Red's eyes narrowed at Snow White. "The Queen let you leave?" She questioned, a knot of dubiousness welling up in the pit of her stomach. The Wolf noticed the stare Red was giving Snow White, but said nothing.
The older maiden payed Red no mind and asked Woody, "So, have you found a special someone, yet?" She fluttered her eyes at the woodcutter, who blushed.
"Oh, uh, you know..." He said, rubbing the back of his head. Snow White chuckled.
At this point, Red felt the need to butt in. "Excuse me, princess," She said, putting her hands on her hips. "But may I ask how come you're wearing such a low-cut dress this evening? It shows quite a bit of chest for someone who's 'just visiting'?"
Snow White's smile was replaced with a confused look at the odd question. Before she could reply, Red continued with, "And you're wearing an awful lot of makeup. Looks like you really want to impress someone, your Highness."
"I, uh. . . just wanted to look good," Snow White said, shrugging uncomfortably. Woody's love-struck face was replaced with one of restrained panic as he saw the enmity in the air.
"Red, what are you doing?" He asked. Red ignored him.
Snow White sank into her chair as Red stood up out of hers. "So," She said, leaning in close. "When were you planning to get into my friend's pants, may I ask? Princess, or should I say harlot!"
"Red!" Woody shouted, horrified at Red's degrading insult. Everyone at the table let out a gasp, even the Wolf.
Woody turned to stare at Snow White, and saw her eyes glistening with tears. Her red lips quivered.
"I have to go," She said, standing up. "Excuse me!" She turned and rushed out of the room, covering her eyes to stop the tears from flowing. She choked back sobs as she burst through the door and ran out into the woods.
"Snow White!" Woody cried out, jumping up from his seat. He whirled upon Red, who was shocked to see fury in his eyes.
"What did you do?!" He shouted at her. Red's eyes widened in shock; Woody had never gotten angry at her before, especially not like this.
"She's messing with you, Woody!" Red said in an attempt to defend her actions. "Look at her. That low-cut dress, the make-up, it's so obvious! For all we know, she and the Queen are plotting to dupe you!"
Red was shocked when Woody's hand shot out and cracked against her face, causing her head to whip to the side. She froze, clutching her stinging cheek as she turned back to face Woody, who was seething in rage.
"She is not a harlot, Red; she loves me," He said, trying to restrain himself as much as possible to speak. Finally, he said, "I love her."
Red's eyes widened slightly, though she wasn't very surprised by the news.
"I know she wouldn't lie to me," Woody said as he wrenched his gaze from the blonde girl. "Excuse me." With that, he turned to follow Snow White out of the house.
As soon as he left, guilt flowed through Red as her friend left. "Oh Lord, what have I done?" She asked as she sat back down in her chair. The Wolf and the Dwarfs all glared at her, disappointment in their eyes. Red, unwilling to look at them, buried her head in her arms and rested her head on the table.
Woody raced through the woods after Snow White. It wasn't long before he found her, crouched down and sitting next to a tree in the forest, her head buried in her arms. She sobbed silently to herself.
It pained Woody to see Snow White like that. Temporarily setting aside his anger at Red, he approached Snow White, and asked, "Snow White, are you alright?"
Snow White choked on her sobs, and removed her hands from her face, revealing her eyes red with tears. She looked up at Woody, and sniffed. "Is she right?" She asked, referring to Red. "Am I truly a harlot?"
"No!" Woody shouted, shaking his head. "Don't listen to her. She's a fool! In fact, I'll go back and make her apologize to you!"
"No, she's your friend," Snow White said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I don't want to cause problems between friends."
Slowly, Snow White got to her feet. "Forgive her, Woody," She asked of him as she turned to leave. "I must go home now. I was a fool to come here." She began to leave.
"No, Snow White, wait!" Woody said, but Snow White dashed off in the direction of the kingdom, leaving the woodcutter alone in the woods. Soon, she had vanished from sight.
Woody stared at where Snow White had stood, silent. After a few moments, he turned and kicked the grass nearby.
"Dammit!" He shouted. He turned and punched the nearest tree repeatedly until he felt his knuckles would snap. Then, he slumped down next to the tree, sighing to himself.
He sat there for an indiscernible amount of time, lost in his thoughts. He was snapped out of his thoughts, though, when he felt a presence close by.
Turning his head, Woody's eyes widened as he found himself staring up at an elderly crone holding a basket full of apples. "Hello, my dear lad," The woman cooed at him. "What are you doing out here, so alone."
"Oh, nothing," Woody said, turning away from the woman. "Just. . . I care about this girl, and I feel I love her even, but I'm not sure if we can be together."
The old woman nodded understandingly. "Ah, young love," She said, resting a hand on Woody's shoulder. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have a basket of apples, the sweetest apples in the entire kingdom."
"I'm not really in the mood," Woody said, but the woman said, "They're wishing apples. Make a wish and take one bite, and you're dream will come true."
This got Woody's attention. Turning to the woman, he said, "Really?"
"Really," The crone said, smiling. She handed the gift basket out to him.
Woody stared at the apples. They looked so shiny and delicious. They truly did look like the sweetest apples in the kingdom. He paused for a moment, pondering on his wish.
Then, he took one of the apples.
The Dwarfs had gone out after eating, leaving the Wolf, Red and the baker alone at the cabin.
"Red, that was really irresponsible of you," The Wolf chastised the girl, her head still rested on the table. "You not only hurt Snow White, but your own friend, too."
"I know," Red groaned bitterly, feeling intense guilt. "I just-"
"This girl is living in the same castle as the Queen," The Wolf told her. "Do you really believe she receives any love there? This may have been her one chance at finding love, and you could've ruined it."
"But you told me love was blind!" Red pointed out, trying to defend her actions.
"Hatred is blinder!" The Wolf exclaimed, raising his voice. Red went silent, and sunk into her chair.
"If it makes either of you feel better, I could make some more cookies," The baker suggested, hoping to ease the mood.
"No!" The Wolf and Red both shouted at him, and the baker jumped at their sudden hostility.
"My, my, friends shouldn't fight with each other like this."
The trio all froze, and turned to the window. There, the same old crone stood outside the window, a crooked grin on her face. Her stare was putting the three on edge, as was her hideous appearance.
"W-We're not friends," Red said, stammering. "Who are you?"
"Just an old woman passing by," The crone replied, eerily calm. "I happened to notice you three arguing. You know, in times like these, an apple tends to erase all the conflict." She put her gift basket on the windowsill.
The sight of the fresh fruits entranced the three immediately. With all the bitterness in the air, the sight of something sweet was attractive to all three of them.
The crone grinned as the three approached the windowsill and all took an apple each. As they did, they all paused for a second, as if a voice in their head was telling them something was wrong.
"Just take one bite, and you'll feel better," She reassured them. She looked into their eyes and nodded to them, urging them to continue.
After a moment's hesitation, the baker took a bite out of the apple. Red followed suite.
The Wolf was the last one to eat the apple. As he did, he noticed the crone's warm eyes darken and became maliciously deceitful. Her smile turned into a nasty grin, and she let out a dark chuckle.
The Wolf began to feel lightheaded. As he swayed, struggling to stand, he could hear the sound of Red and the baker both slump onto the ground, the apples rolling across the floor.
Then, the Wolf, too, fell.
The last sounds he heard were the woman's laughter echo through the room before the darkness overtook him.
A pretty face is nothing if you have an ugly heart.