Queen Morpha was very nearly done with the final piece of her plan.
"Dip the apple in the brew." she read from the book.
She dipped a honey crisp apple attached to a string into a pot of boiling green witch's brew.
"Let the Sleeping Death seep through!"
The apple was completely covered in the potion and slowly drip with a skull symbol of what lied within.
"Now turn red," said Morpha, and the apple did just that. "To tempt Princess Padme. To make her hunger for a bite."
Morpha smirked as she looked at her pet crow and held the apple to him, which made the poor bird freak out.
The disguised queen laughed and said, "It's not for you. It's for Padme. When she breaks the tender peel to taste the apple in my hand, her breath will still, her blood congeal. Then I'll be the fairest in the land!"
But then Queen Morpha realized something.
"But wait! There may be an antidote. Nothing must be overlooked!"
And the queen went back to her book of potions and found that there was an antidote.
The victim of the Sleeping Death can be revived only by Love's First Kiss.
"Ha! No fear of that." she said. "Those batchers will think she's dead. She'll be buried alive!"
Queen Morpha cackled as she placed the red apple into a basket filled with green and yellow apples so she could tell them apart, and she left to head for the Batchers' cottage.
Meanwhile, at the cottage, it was already morning. And it was Saturday.
Normally, the Batchers would've taken the twins to work with them since they couldn't afford to hire a babysitter. But now that they had Padme and saw firsthand how good she was with kids, they left the twins in her care instead.
"You're sure you'll be okay watching them both and their horses, Princess?" Echo asked.
"Don't worry, Echo. They're in good hands."
"Okay, but don't forget. The queen is tricky and may still be after you, so beware of strangers."
"Don't worry. I'll be careful. And so will the children."
Padme gave Echo a kiss on his cheek before he left.
"See you tonight."
"Hey, I want a kiss too!" Wrecker whined.
Padme chuckled and gave Wrecker a kiss too. She gave everyone a kiss before they left.
"Now remember," Crosshair said. "Don't let nobody or nothing in the house."
Padme and the twins waved goodbye as the older Batchers left to go to work.
"Why, Crosshair, you do care." Padme smiled, and she gave him a kiss last.
Crosshair gagged a bit, but as he left, he sighed, actually liking getting a sweet kiss from the fair princess.
Sometime later, Queen Morpha, under the guise of Lady Serafina, followed the butterfly she'd sent out as she passed through the woods with her basket full of apples, ready to take the princess out.
"The Batchers will be away, and she'll be all alone." Queen Morpha said.
Apparently, no one told the queen that two of the Batchers would be home today, on account that the five older ones didn't feel it was safe to bring a couple of kids to the construction site, even if they wore hard hats and stayed a distance away from the power tools.
"She'll never be able to resist an apple from an innocent young village girl." she smirked, fluttering her lashes.
Meanwhile, Padme sang a little song as she and the twins were baking pies together. Strawberry pie, their favorite.
Boba and Omega kept eating the strawberries though.
"Omega, Boba." Padme giggled. "Try to put more berries into the pie than into your mouths."
"But they're so yummy." Omega said.
"Yes. Fresh berries are extra healthy for you too." Padme said.
The pie looked about ready to put in the oven, so Padme sent the kids to go get themselves washed up, when Padme was surprised by an unexpected visitor.
"All alone, my sweet?" said the blonde woman.
"Well, not quite." Padme said.
"The, the Batchers aren't here today?"
That was when the twins started to enter.
"No, they aren't." Padme said, looking subtly at the twins and motioning for them to hide. And they did.
Morpha took a whiff of the air.
"Making pies?" she asked.
"Yes, strawberry pies." Padme said.
"It's apple pies that make the men's mouths water." said Queen Morpha, taking out the red apple. "Pies made from apples like these."
Padme looked at the red apple. It looked very delicious. But then, Padme remembered what the Batchers had told her, and another important something her mother told her when she was a little girl.
Remember, Padme... people who may try to hurt you will try many kinds of tricks. They may pretend to be someone kind and innocent. They may offer you a treat. Always be aware of strangers. And never take candy or anything else from a person you don't know is safe.
"They look lovely," said Padme politely.
"But wait 'til you taste one, dearie." said the queen, offering Padme the apple. "Like to try one?"
"That's very kind of you, but I must decline."
That response shocked Morpha.
"Oh, but why?" Morpha tried to give her the apple again. "These apples are from a very fine orchard of the highest quality."
"Thank you, but no thank you." Padme said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some cleaning to do."
Padme shut the window and went to check on the kids.
Morpha groaned. Why her disguise wasn't working, she had no idea. There had to be some way to get Padme to bite the apple!
Padme took the twins to their room and spoke to them.
"Listen to me very carefully kids. There's a strange woman out there and she could be dangerous."
"She doesn't look dangerous." Omega said.
"Looks can be deceiving, Omega." Padme told her. "I don't know if your brothers have told you, but you must never take anything from, go anywhere with, or even talk to or approach a don't-know. More commonly known as a stranger."
"So, what do we do?" Boba asked.
"For now, remain inside until your brothers come home." Padme said. "I'm going to see if I can get this woman to leave. Stay here and don't make a sound."
Padme carefully peered through a crack of another window and saw the strange woman was still there.
"It should've worked!" Morpha grumbled to herself. "How was she not tempted?"
The Queen growled.
"One way or another, she will bite this apple, and I will be the fairest in the land!"
Padme covered her gasp. It was worse than she thought. Her stepmother had found her, and now the kids would probably be in danger too! She had to get the kids out of here!
Padme took the back door and went to the stable to get Estrella and Remix. And very quietly, she told them to be prepared to get the kids out.
Padme checked outside again; the woman was still there with her apples, and the critters looked like they were trying to scare her off, but she kept shooing them away.
If this woman wouldn't leave on her own, Padme had to face her stepmother on her own. She looked around for something she could use as a weapon. She picked up an umbrella and went outside.
"Ah, you've decided to accept my gift, have you?" said the woman.
"Actually, I've come to ask you to leave this cottage right now." Padme said.
"Isn't it rude to treat a guest this way?"
"You are not a guest. I don't know you, so I would like you to leave. If you mean no harm, you can return when the Batchers get back."
Queen Morpha took out the apple and offered it to Padme again.
"Won't you at least do me the pleasure of accepting an apple?" said Morpha.
"No thank you." Padme said. "Since I have not been so inviting, I believe you are more deserving of such a lovely apple."
Morpha didn't like the sound of that.
"Oh, I couldn't."
"Oh, go ahead. Take a big bite. It looks very lovely."
"I insist, you should have it."
But what neither of them knew was that Estrella had flown up high and saw with Omega what was afoot.
Estrella fetched Remix and Boba, and they rushed as fast as they could to get their brothers for help!
Padme could see that this woman was being so stubborn. And when her golden hair started to turn silver.
"You don't fool me, Stepmother!" Padme said. "I know it's you under there!"
And then Morpha discovered her hair was turning silver again. She saw only one thing to do.
Morpha tried to grab Padme forcefully, but Padme whacked her with the umbrella and knocked her down! And remembering what she was taught, she ran!
Padme ran into the woods as fast as she could to try and escape her wicked stepmother. She didn't know where she was going yet, but she hoped the horses would get the twins to safety.
Meanwhile, the five oldest Batchers and their horses were back to work building the greenhouse, when they suddenly heard the sound of their youngest siblings calling their names.
"Boba? Omega? What's wrong?" Hunter said. "Where's Padme?"
"A strange woman came to the cottage," said Estrella. "We think she's the evil queen in disguise!"
"Are you certain?" Tech said.
"Yes! Padme warned us to stay inside and told the horses to get us out of there and everything." Boba said.
That got the elder brothers worried.
"We have to save her!" Wrecker said, immediately getting on Pinto. "Giddyup, Pinto!"
Everyone else got onto their horses and rushed into the woods to get back to the cottage and find Padme.
However, they didn't know Padme was already on the run, and Queen Morpha was catching up to her.
And pretty soon, Morpha made her moths surround Padme and trap her in a cocoon of them.
"What did I ever do to hurt you?!" Padme said, struggling. "When my father married you, I welcomed you with open arms!"
"I held nothing against your father, Princess." said Morpha. "However, if I am to be fairest in this land... I must get rid of you."
"That's what this is all about? Being fair?" Padme said angrily. Even though she knew her stepmother was vain, she still couldn't believe this was why she was so mean to her. "If you wanted to be fair, you wouldn't be doing what you are doing now. Outer appearances mean nothing without love in your heart. Did you even have any when you married my father?"
"What do you think?" Morpha said.
And Queen Morpha brought out the apple and forced Padme's mouth open and made her take a bite of the poison apple, and held her mouth closed so she couldn't spit it out.
"HURRY!" Hunter shouted. "I know a shortcut!"
The Batchers rode their horses as fast as they could run or fly. And Teatra spotted something from above.
"I can see Padme!" exclaimed the green alicorn.
But by the time the Batchers got to Padme...
She was face down on the ground!
The Batchers gasped when they saw the state Padme was in.
Estrella and Remix were told to stay with Padme and the kids, and the older ones went after the queen as she ran away.
The sky was turning dark as a storm brewed. The Batchers angrily ran after the queen and chased her to a cliffside.
The unicorns all blasted magic, and Indira swooped at the queen.
"Normally I'm all calm and such, but this is the exception I make to unleash anger violently!"
Indira whinnied loudly and angrily as she swooped again and again, throwing the queen off balance.
Queen Morpha, however, began to send her moths flying at the horses, sending them off course. And while they were trying to swat away the black and gray moths, Queen Morpha saw a large rock. She had an idea: roll the rock onto the Batchers and their horses while they were on the ground. It was big enough to crush them all, assuming she could make it roll down in their direction.
She grabbed a big and strong stick and began to dig it into the ground underneath the boulder.
Rain began to fall, which started drawing the moths away, and made it easier for the Batchers to run towards the queen again. And the queen found the ground beneath the rock becoming softer, making it easier to move it, but... she didn't notice that the very ground she was standing on was also crumbling beneath her feet!
And before Queen Morpha could roll the boulder and claim her next victims... the cliff crumbled and dropped her over and the boulder too!
Morpha's screams echoed as she and the rock fell down to the ground far below. And the evil queen was no more.
But things didn't seem any better when they finally got back home.