Chapter Eight: The Wishing Apple

A few days later, the kids left to dig up more diamonds. The last couple of days had been very nice and peaceful. Lightning Lad had consented to teaching Tinya how to play the organ, Superboy had finally managed to get over his hay fever and regain control over his super breath, Shrinking Violet had become much more open to Tinya, and Saturn Girl kept making googily eyes at Lightning Lad every night and referring to him as Garth.

"Ha-ha!" Chameleon Boy had laughed. "Garth?"

"You wanna make something of it, Reep?" Lightning Lad had said back.

Today, they all prepared to leave as they needed some more diamonds for money.

"Now don't forget Tinya," Cosmic Boy had said. "Falyce's sly and full of witchcraft, so beware of strangers."

"Don't worry." Tinya said with a smile. "I'll be alright."

Tinya then kissed Cosmic Boy on the head.

"See you tonight, and remember to wash up before dinner." Tinya said.

"Uh… Yes…" Cosmic Boy gasped with a nervous smile. "Come on, guys."

"I hope you'll be really careful." Brainiac 5 said. "Why if anything happened-"

Tinya then kissed him on the head, and he blushed so much, you'd think he had more blood than he actually did.

"Good-bye." Tinya said cheerfully.

"Ah, gee!" Brainiac 5 said as he walked off.

"That is disgusting." Lightning Lad muttered from the back of the line.

"And be sure to watch out." Superboy said as he left, and Tinya kissed him. "Thanks."

Chameleon Boy later came up and tugged on Tinya's cape as he puckered up. Tinya smiled kindly, gently bent Chameleon Boy's head down, and kissed him. He then left and came back just a few moments later.

"Oh alright." Tinya said with a chuckle as she kissed him on the head. "But that's the last-"

Chameleon Boy then ran off like a cheetah and came back as one too, except as a cub.

"Oh, run along." Tinya said with a chuckle, and Chameleon Boy went off.

"Bye." Shrinking Violet said as she was holding The Magician's Nephew in her hand. "Now remember, you promised we could talk about this book when we get home."

"Yes, I remember." Tinya said before kissing Shrinking Violet on the cheek and she walked off.

Lightning Lad took his mask off and put up some stray bangs before putting his mask back on.

Saturn Girl then received a kiss on the cheek and walked off as she helped Shrinking Violet along.

Heigh-ho. Heigh-ho.

It's off to work we go.

Lightning Lad then coughed to let Tinya know he was there.

"Now I'm warning you." Lightning Lad said as he removed his mask. "Don't let anyone or anything in this house unless you know them like the back of your hand."

"Why Lightning Lad," Tinya said with a smile. "You do care."

Tinya then kissed Lightning Lad on the forehead, and he put his mask back on and walked off before he stopped and smiled a little. It was just like what his mom had done when he was the real Bruce Wayne. He shook his head and walked off.

()()()()()

Falyce walked slowly to the cottage as she chuckled to herself. Only an hour left, and Tinya was an easy five minutes' walk away.

"Those little brats won't be at home." Falyce chuckled evilly. "And she'll be on her own. With a harmless old peddler woman." She chuckled again. "A harmless old peasant woman."

()()()()()

Tinya decided to use this time to make some goose-berry pies for the children as a surprise and began making the last one after putting the other six on the table.

Someday my prince will come.

Someday we'll meet again.

And away to his castle we'll go.

To be happy forever I know.

She then placed the top of the pie on the last one and cut off the excess with a small knife. After that, she put the crust she cut off and put it on top of the pie, so that it spelled, "Lightning Lad".

Someday, when Spring is near,

We'll find our love anew,

And the birds will sing,

And wedding bells will ring.

Someday, when my dreams come true…

Tinya then looked up and gasped as she saw an old woman with a long hooked nose, greasy white hair, and bulging green eyes. Out of her black cloak, Tinya saw two hands that were so skinny that they looked more like claws.

"All alone my dear?" The old woman asked in a high raspy voice that seemed slightly familiar to Tinya.

"Uh…" Tinya said nervously. "Well yes I am."

"What?" The woman said in surprise. "But you're only a girl, you can't be older than sixteen. Aren't either of your parents or any little brothers or sisters around?"

"Well, my parents died when I was still a little girl." Tinya said. "But the children are away for a little while."

"Hmm…" The old woman said. "Making pies?"

"Yes, goose-berry." Tinya said. "They're the children's favorite."

"Then they haven't tried apple pies." Falyce said with a smile. "They can make any little child's mouth water. Made from nice apples, like these."

The old woman picked up an apple that was so beautifully red that Tinya couldn't help staring at it.

"They look delicious." Tinya said.

"Yes, but wait until you taste it." The old woman said sweetly. "Would you like to try one? Go on… Go on and have a bite."

Before Tinya could grab the apple, the birds began attacking the poor old woman.

"Hey, you leave her alone!" Tinya said as she threw a small star bolt into the air to frighten them off. "You should be ashamed of yourselves for attacking a poor old helpless lady like that!"

The woman made sure the apple was still alright, and Tinya put her arms on her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Tinya asked.

"Oh, my heart!" The woman said as she clutched her chest. "My poor heart. Get me into the house and give me a drink of water."

"Oh, of course." Tinya said as she helped the old woman inside.

()()()()()

The animals looked into the window and saw Tinya go off to get the old hag some water. They could tell that something wasn't quite right about her, and they saw her look at the apple and then at Tinya, and they knew something terrible would happen if she ate it. They then ran off towards a diamond mine where they knew the children were.

()()()()()

The children arrived at the mine and were about to get to work. They began to push a small track car full of any digging equipment they'd need, and Chameleon Boy accidentally shoved Shrinking Violet inside.

"Ouch!" Shrinking Violet said.

"Sorry." Chameleon Boy said meekly.

Suddenly, several animals arrived and began pulling at their capes and hair like there was no tomorrow.

"Get out of here!" Lightning Lad said as he swatted some birds away.

"Hey, let go!" Chameleon Boy shouted as several birds were beginning to pull him away.

"What's going on here?!" Cosmic Boy shouted as a doe was shoving Cosmic Boy away from the mine.

"They've gone crazy!" Brainiac 5 called out.

"No kidding." Superboy said as he blew, and the birds and squirrels that were pulling on his cape and feet were blown away, but they came right back.

()()()()()

Tinya had given the lady a drink of water, and she smiled kindly like a grandmother… Or at least how Tinya imagined grandmothers smiled as she never saw one.

"And because you've been so good to dear old Granny," the lady said kindly. "I'll let you in on a secret. This is no ordinary apple. It's a magic wishing apple."

"A wishing apple?" Tinya asked in awe.

"Yes." The lady said. "One bite, and all your dreams come true."

"Really?" Tinya asked as she thought of Robin and how she could finally be with him.

"Yes deary." The lady said. "Now make a wish and take a bite."

()()()()()

"Hey go away!" Saturn Girl shouted as a dear was holding her in his antlers and shoving her forward. "What's wrong with them?!"

"I don't know, but they're not acting like this for nothing." Lightning Lad said as he zapped away several birds that nearly pulled his gloves off.

"Uh-oh." Shrinking Violet said as she finally managed to get herself out of the car. "What is that mean queen, Falyce's got Tinya?"

"Falyce?!" They all called out in alarm. "Tinya!"

"Falyce will kill her!" Lightning Lad called out in alarm. "We've gotta save her!"

"Yeah, we've gotta save her!" Cosmic Boy shouted.

"She'll kill her!" Superboy shouted.

"What do we do?!" Saturn Girl asked.

"We go back to the house and save her!" Lightning Lad said, and Superboy, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, and Cosmic Boy flew off as Lightning Lad and Brainiac 5 rode on the stag and the doe while Chameleon Boy turned into a cheetah and ran off.

()()()()()

"There must be something your heart desires." The lady said. "Maybe someone you love?"

"Well, yes." Tinya said as she blushed.

"I thought so." The lady said with a laugh. "Old Granny knows a young girl's heart. Now take the apple deary and make your wish."

"I wish…" Tinya began.

"That's it." The lady said. "Go on. Don't be afraid."

()()()()()

Getting to the cottage proved much more difficult than they thought, especially for the people who were flying as their outfits got on low hanging branches, and twice, Chameleon Boy nearly fell to his death when he ran into a large gorge, but managed to survive by turning into an eagle.

()()()()()

"And that he'll carry me away to his home, and we'll live happily ever after." Tinya said with a smile.

"Excellent wish my dear." Granny said. "Now take a bite."

()()()()()

The children hurried on as fast as they could.

()()()()()

"Don't let the wish grow cold." Falyce said as all her dreams were about to come true.

Tinya bit into the apple, and she smiled for a minute before staggering and holding her head.

"Oh… I feel strange." Tinya said weakly.

"Her breath will still." Falyce said with a wicked smile as her fist began to become fuller and orange. "Her blood congeal."

Tinya fell to the ground asleep, but to all but the most observant, dead, and at that moment, the disguise wore off, and Falyce was her lovely self again.

"NOW I'LL BE FAIREST IN THE LAND!" Falyce called out with wicked glee.

Oh dear…