Chapter 17: Wishing Apple

The next morning, the Pandemonium Gang members were woken up early as the General's advisor had gotten a hand-written message from the General saying they were needed at the Tong Shou restaurant. Eager for battle, Ling and the others quickly drove off in their car while Mulan followed in hers. Mushu came along in secret, but Snow White was ordered by Shang to stay behind and take care of things while they were gone.

"Now remember this, Snow," Shang reminded. "If anyone else besides us comes here, then don't answer."

"Yes, sir," Snow bowed. "I understand."

Satisfied, Shang left in his white Mustang car.

Once everyone had left Snow locked the front door of the Dojo, checked the windows to make sure they were closed, and the back-door as well. To keep her mind off of Mulan, she decided to go into the kitchen and make a homemade gooseberry pie for the men to have once they returned. But because the room got super-hot, she was forced to open the kitchen window to allow some air-flow and the pie to cool off. What she didn't expect to see was an old crone wearing dark-colored rags and carrying a woven basket under one arm.

"Hello, little one," the crone smiled, though only one tooth showed. "Are you all by yourself?"

"F-For now," Snow reluctantly answered.

"Are the men not here?"

"N-No, but…how did you know that?"

"I've occasionally walked by this place every once in a while."

Snow gave the crone a suspicious look. "I must have missed you, then."

Then just as she was about to close the window, the crone sniffed the air. "Making pies, I see."

"Yes," Snow acknowledged. "It's a gooseberry pie, in case you're wondering."

"Hmm, I've always preferred apple pies myself. I use these ones in particular."

From underneath the basket, the crone produced a bright red apple and presented it to Snow.

"It looks…delicious, I suppose," Snow replied, trying to be polite.

"Would you like to try it?" the crone asked.

"Um, I just ate," Snow lied. "So I'm not particularly hungry right now."

"Then I'll just leave it here in case you change your mind."

Before Snow could protest, the crone placed the apple onto the windowsill and walked away. "Have a nice day!"

"Y-You too," Snow responded, waiting for the crone to be gone before taking the apple.

She looked at it carefully, and glanced at the trash-bin. But looking back at the apple again, she sighed. It was then that she noticed a small parchment tied to the apple's stem and unrolled it

"'If you make a wish upon this apple and take a bite out of it, your dreams will come true,'" Snow recited. "Sounds like a scam to me."

Just as she was about to put the apple in the fridge, her stomach growled.

"Well, maybe a little bite wouldn't hurt," Snow debated. But before her lips could touch it, she decided, "But I guess I could give this wish-thing a try."

Holding the apple in both hands, Snow closed her eyes and thought hard.

"I wish…that Mulan will come back soon, along with the others," Snow said out loud, but then realized, "No, this is for them. What do I want?"

Thinking harder, she pictured Prince's face and smiled at the thought.

"If Prince knew where I was, I wish he would come riding on a white horse, sweep me off my feet, and carry me to a glimmering white castle with tall spires accompanied by all the animals in the forest."

Letting the image stay in her mind, Snow bit into the red apple. It tasted sweet, but also slightly sour. After swallowing a piece of the apple, she suddenly felt light-headed. Ignoring the feeling Snow made her way to the sink and took a clean glass. But just as she started to pull the nob for some water, her vision darkened and found herself falling backwards. She landed on the floor of the kitchen, letting go of the partially eaten apple. A cackling laughter soon erupted as the old crone reappeared in the window.

"Thought you could get away from me, didn't you, Snow White?" the crone chuckled. "Instead of your heart like I asked, Hunter gave me the heart of a pig from the local butcher. The mirror also told me you'd gone to the Dwarfs' cottage, but I checked and no one was there. Then I remembered the Emperor Dojo was here, and figured that'd be the only other place you would be hiding. Now with you and your father out of the way, I, Queenie, can now inherit White Apple Pharmaceuticals unopposed and have Hunter arrested for your 'murder' though in reality you're in a death-like sleep."

Laughing some more, the crone who called herself Queenie walked away from the window just as it started to rain outside. However, she didn't get very far before a group of small men came charging up the driveway wielding pickaxes and shovels in their hands. They seemed genuinely angry and were shouting all at once, causing the crone to run away. But she could only get so far in her elderly body and scrambled up the side of the rocky slope the Dojo stood next to. She managed to get to the top of the slope and used her cane to start nudging a large boulder right next to her. The little men, whom the crone assumed were the Dwarfs, saw the boulder and stopped. Thinking she'd won, the crone cackled loudly when a sudden bolt of lightning came out of nowhere causing her to fall backward. In turn, the boulder got singed but didn't move.

Amazed, the Dwarfs slowly ascended the slope and looked at the crone's fried body which now resembled a younger middle-aged woman with black hair wearing a purple business suit. Dopey then took out a picture which showed Snow White next to a woman with similar features that had been labeled 'Evil Stepmother Queenie'. Doc examined this picture and looked back at the woman below them.

"What should we do, Doc?" Grumpy asked, glancing at the boulder. "Finish her off?"

Doc shook his head. "No, we'll call the police."

End of Chapter 17