"I used to be so scared of the evil queen in the window when I was little." Skylar said, looking up at the tower's glass window that had dark plum curtains pulled in front of them.

In Disneyland, above the entrance to Snow White's Scary Adventures, was a tall window that the Evil Queen would peek out through and glare down menacing at the crowds. It was just an Audio-Animatronic of course, but to a little kid who happened to look up, she was spooky.

"Really?" Andrew replied, looking up briefly from the ground.

"Yeah. I uh--" She laughed to herself. "had her locked up, you could say."

Andrew gave her a quizzical look.

"I don't remember exactly but a cast member friend of mine turned it off for one day. Told me she was locked up and wouldn't bother me again."

"A cast member friend huh?"

"Well when you're there all the time you see the same cm's, and eventually make friends."

"That's true." He responded shortly.

The queen hadn't shown her face, and Skylar was secretly relieved.

They passed under the tower where a book lay open, up on a podium. It looked as if King Midas had touched it for the whole book was solid gold. Etched on the two pages it was open to were words, a warning about an apple. An apple happened to be sitting right next to the book and it was also solid gold. It was very shiny and shimmered brightly, looking good enough to bite. Very tempting, despite it being metal, Skylar felt the need to touch it at least.

Like a siren song it called to her, beckoning her with the smallest gentle voice. It didn't command, just asked politely; suggesting an interesting notion. If she were to touch the apple, even the slightest, the loveliest thing would happen; what specifically she had no idea but she desired to deeply.

"It's beautiful." She breathed softly.

Andrew was about to enter into the attraction when he turned back toward her and saw what she was practically ogling.

"Skylar don't." He said harshly.

"It won't do any harm to just touch it, now will it?" She said dazedly in a trance.

"I suppose not." Andrew answered suddenly, drawing close to it.

The apple's surface glinted roguishly, as if taunting them, daring them.

With Andrew newly infatuated, he was further from the apple, and much to his abhorrence Skylar reached it first, clutching the top of the golden fruit with her hand.

Rising up from the apple was the disembodied voice of the Evil Queen, cackling maniacally.  The sinister laughter grew louder, echoing off nonexistent walls. It shook them up and broke the spell. They did not want to bite the apple, let alone touch it.

Skylar backed way from it and they rushed through a large wooden door into a stone hallway. The eldritch, screeching laughter chased them as they hastened through the long stone corridor.

The hall was extremely long, in a castle it would be, but this one went on for a very long time. Skylar was being  reminded of Haunted Mansion way too much.

Trying ever so desperately to escape the Queen's voice, they ran as fast as possible. The castle walls began to blur, the stones turning dark, turning green. The walls dissolved, the floor was gone; in it's place, dirt. Around them, trees, dark, gnarled, sickly trees.

No longer in the Evil Queen's castle her laughter died away and was replaced by harrowing sounds of the forest. The wind whistled in gusts, calling a dog to hunt them down. The leaves crackled as they snapped their former homes of branches, being torn off into the vicious wind. Trees lunged at the trespassers, clawing with jagged arms of wood. Vines thickening the path hung overhead, coiled up and hanging like venomous snakes, fangs bared. Plants with sets of teeth as well stung, ripping at the already bleeding flesh.

The wild beasts sprang into action as their territory was invaded. Some tried warning off the unwanted guests. A screech owl with intensely bright yellow eyes  let out a shrill, descending whinny, driving them away from the path as it flapped wildly in front of them. A large colony of screeching black bats that were hard to see in the dark escaped into the night as they almost took the heads off of the two humans. Crows cawed in murders, while deer fled in fright. A hairy boar snorted, flicking its wispy tail in an agitated manner, and trotted past them.

If all that wasn't enough to scare them, the shadows created illusions in the forest that appeared as even more creatures. The tree hollow held a monster with green eyes, the desiccated logs in the pond were snapping alligators, and the fireflies flickering were all evil eyes blinking at them.

All this, after their prior experience with the wicked Queen, had left them in much disarray. Battered to the bone, with tore clothing and bleeding skin, they had to stop. They would drop from sheer exhaustion had they not.

Leaping over the sharp rocks that lay to stab them, Skylar and Andrew collapsed on the forest floor, not able to take a step more. They rested, panting on the ground, as the creatures of the forest began to reveal themselves.

Many of the things that had them run, now were very harmless. The whole forest lightened, the spooky sounds died away and were replaced with the happy twittering of birds.

It was strange to them how the time of day could suddenly change from day to night or vice versa. In an attraction, the regular rules of time didn't seem to apply just as physical boundaries were stretched and toyed with.

There were nights, actual nights, where Andrew and Skylar would sleep, but that was always outside a ride. When the sky is suddenly black or the day turns extremely bright with the moon or stars still out, they can tell it's not actually that time yet.

So the forest coming alive instantaneously was clearly the attraction's doing, not the natural Earth's orbit.

Rabbits bounded out of their hidden burrows and deer timidly watched from behind a fallen tree as the two intruders composed themselves on the floor.

Despite the forest's now happy demeanor, they were still horrified by it's night-time face. It's claws, teeth and desire to kill were real, no matter how it looked in the light.

With some fears allayed and physical health gained back, Andrew and Skylar managed to stand up. This allowed them to see, through the brush of several small trees, none other than the seven dwarf's cottage.

The white clay cottage sat merrily in a clearing. They had to cross a small bridge over a trickling river to get to it.

The roof of the short cottage was thatched and the straw sat dingily stuck on it. Tangled, non-blooming wisteria vines had grown over the arched wooden door that led into the dwarfs' house. Through the surprising clean glass window there was a little light, revealing that someone was at home.

Slowly creaking open the door, Skylar and Andrew walked into the rustic home. Almost all the furniture was handmade out of wood, each with its own ornate carving of an animal. An organ sat in one corner of the room, rabbits carved on the front, squirrels on the sides, and it's six pipes sat on top of the keyboard each like a colorful totem pole with animals beautifully carved on top of one another. A staircase leading to a second floor had an owl whittled on the side of each step. The dwarfs were quite the handymen.

A black pot was heating up in a fireplace, various cooking tools placed on the mantel above it. A table had 8 plates, sets of utensils, and chairs over in the next room. A window was wide open with the curtain pulled back, showing the sky to now say it was dark again.

Arriving at the window and seeing outside made them feel as if they'd been inside the cottage for hours when only a few minutes had passed. Outside began to again turn into the dark place they'd run through, being chased by all manner of things.

Gazing out the window, Skylar and Andrew saw shadows begin to spring to life, taking the form of unseeable creatures. A few shadows came so close, they were glad to have the window, even if open, as a barrier. They saw the world out there but were lucky enough not to be experiencing life inside it.

Still the shadows approached the window sill and suddenly they were on it. Albeit, the shadows were no longer shadows. Two striped chipmunks, a gray squirrel, and a long-eared rabbit had jumped onto the window sill, and none were a threat. They scrambled over the tub of water for dishes that sat in front of the window and without a second glance to the two humans, the animals all hopped into the next room.

Turning away from the window at last, Skylar and Andrew heard a voice.

"Oh you're here, good! No the roof must wait till tomorrow, it's getting dark and the dwarfs will be home soon. You--in the living room?" A young, silvery voice said that they recognized.

Snow White in her blue and yellow dress walked up to them, pursued eagerly by several little woodland animals that she'd been talking to. Her hair, black as ebony, was tied up in a vibrant red bow and her lips were even redder. With skin white as snow the princess smiled at them cordially.

"How do you do?" Snow White asked politely, setting down a vase of flowers she had in her hand.

"How do you do what?" Andrew said, copying what one of the dwarfs said in the movie but the princess didn't hear.

So both guests replied that they were well. They remembered their short encounter with the princess back in Toontown, which felt like a lifetime ago. They wondered partially whether she had recalled who they were or not, but this question was answered quickly.

"It is good to see you again, what brings you here?" Snow White gestured for them to sit down on the minuscule chairs.

"An Apple." Andrew muttered but Skylar talked over him quickly.

"We're uh-- looking for Mickey."

The princess' face turned slightly grave when she said "Any luck?" and they had to say no.

"He'll turn up and so will the creator." Snow White seemed to reassure herself and then was cheery again as they left the subject.

"So you left Toontown to come back here?" Skylar inquired casually.

"Yes the dwarfs have really fallen behind in their cleaning! I've done most of the house but didn't have the time to get up on the roof. And those dishes, there seems to be an endless amount of them in the tub."

"What of the prince?" Andrew said conversationally.

"He's back at the palace, waiting for my return." She replied.

"And the evil queen?" Skylar said hesitantly, not fully wanting to talk of something dark.

"My stepmother? She's still around here." Snow White said dismissively but then added, "Steer clear of any apples around here!"

Both agreed they would but were uneasy being reminded of how that golden apple out front was irresistible.

"Now do come outside, the animals have grown quite restless." The princess turned and walked out the back door of the cottage, trailed by all her little admirers.

Skylar and Andrew followed to find it day for a third time. They had walked out, not into the forest but, to the courtyard in front of the Queen's castle.

Out in the courtyard there were copious cherry blossom trees, all blooming beautiful pink flowers. Pearly white stone steps led up to the gloomy castle that couldn't dampen the light atmosphere. Bevies of doves sat on the steps and around the courtyard but all began to fly as Snow White approached. They did not fly out of fear but rather wanted to accompany the princess, along with all the other animals on the floor.

Snow White had them follow her to a wishing well, much like the one in Toontown. Doves, with the musical whishing sound of their wings, flew onto the lip of the well and peered down at the water. She drew water with a pail as Andrew and Skylar reached the well.

"How are you're wishes doing?" Snow White asked out of the blue.

Both were nonplussed and looked to the other to answer.

The wishing well was decorated with purple wisteria, just as the seven dwarf's cottage had above the door. The vines had climbed completely up the well to it's roof, twining vines counter clockwise together and around the two columns of the well.

"I see." The princess said smiling. "These things take time, can't always expect it to happen today. I doesn't work like that."

The teenagers were relieved not to say anything about the matter, and instead gazed into the depths of the well just as the birds had done. The water seemed impalpable, so deep down they could never reach it. Their pennies seemed to be sitting there, somewhere in the dark liquid, even though this was a different well.

So entranced by the water, they didn't notice anything else for a minute. When looking back up Snow White was gone with no trace of her. All the little critters were as well except for the doves that had gone back to scouring the ground for food.

The humans looked still for the princess but had to eventually accept the fact that Snow White had vanished, whether she left them on purpose or the Happiest Place on Earth had a hand in isolating them. Newly in their view was the forest, just a little ways away. In it, trees, apple trees.

Seeing the fruit embedded in them the strong desire to bite one. It was only a short distance from them, reachable. They were going toward it, stretching out their arms to get it. Almost there, a few feet away, the scenery changed.

Before the castle walls of the Queen's castle had melted into forest trees and now forest trees melted into castle walls. Back in the dank castle, the stone cold palace where the evil queen was most likely lurking about, the two teenagers immediately lost their craving for apples.

They weren't in a long hallway this time but rather in the mirror chamber. That was clear by the giant gold and purple mirror on the wall. It showed them staring back at themselves confused.

Then suddenly there was a third person in the reflection, an old hag. In a black cloak covering her whole body they could just see some white hair peeking out from her hood. Of course this was none other than the evil queen in disguise and they knew it.

The trouble was this old woman had a shiny, red, delicious-looking apple clutched in her right twisted hand. The sight of the apple made both teens turn around quickly to greet it.

This was the third time an apple had presented itself to them and their crave for it was even more powerful than the two previous times.

The Evil Queen just stood there knowing she needed to do nothing in order for them to be tempted by it. Their urge for action, their thirst for the crisp red skin and sweet white flesh of the apple , it overwhelmed them and one little whisper of coaxing did the trick, making them care not that it was poisonous.

"Go on---go ooon, have a bite dearies." The hag's outstretched, faded and wrinkly arm was a foot from them with an apple, then, without an apple.

Hardly had Andrew a bite of it in his mouth than he fell down on the ground dead. The apple rolled a short distance then stopped. The wicked old woman slunk away into another part of the castle leaving Skylar stunned, standing over the lifeless body of her friend.

She had been slower than him, only by a fraction of a second but it had been long enough for him to take the fatal bite. She did not look to the deadly apple on the ground that was moments ago her only wish in the world. Skylar couldn't take her eyes of his body, sleeping but dead, dead but sleeping; in the Sleeping Death.

Skylar turned away at last, having to relieve herself of the sight. She found herself behind her in the reflection of the mirror, no one else, just her. She stared back at herself expecting her second self to do something, to say something consoling, to even shown single emotion on her face. Alas, her twin was truly a reflection of herself and did only what she did. Still Skylar felt somewhat surprised when she saw her reflection muttering the same thing she was.

Skylar was quiet at first, not even able to hear herself. Gradually she grew louder, finally echoing off the mostly bare walls of the mirror chamber.

"Mirror Mirror, Magic Mirror, I summon thee! Come through wind and darkness from the farthest space!" Remembering bits of dialogue, Skylar recited some of the words the queen had used to call her slave in the mirror.

Wind whistled and lightening flashed in the mirror and Skylar was glad to see herself no longer. Then flames filled the whole oval of glass.

"Let me see thy face!" She commanded, quavering slightly.

"What wish thou know young traveler?" The mirror bellowed as a mask-looking face appeared.

"How do I save Andrew!?" Skylar blurted out frantically but the mirror just stared back at her silent. She cudgeled her brain before asking again.

"Magic Mirror on the wall,

how must I wake who apples make fall?" She said with little hope.

The mirror answered dutifully.

"The cure of the ailment Sleeping Death,

is a kiss with very little breath."

"Yes, I know a victim of Sleeping Death is said to be revived only by Love's First Kiss but that doesn't help us here!" Skylar was very frustrated. "Magic Mirror on the wall, is there another way at all?"

"Perhaps there is another way,

to not have a goodbye to say.

That answer lies within thy brain,

you not the queen so cruel and vain."

"I don't know the answer, despite me being unlike the queen!" Skylar said exasperatedly. "Magic Mirror on the wall, what is wrong with that bite, so small?"

"Poison did the red cheeks hide,

though fine was the white inside.

Sleeping Death did still pursue

the boy, unlucky one that chewed."

The mirror said this then was silent once again.

"Mirror mirror on the wall, how must I wake who apples make fall?" Skylar asked again, now desperate.

"That answer lies within thy brain,

you not the queen so cruel and vain,

but if you insist on further guidance

I'll help you remember an unrealized contrivance."

Skylar was at her breaking point but held on, her brain working overtime.

"I do insist on further guidance.
Do tell me, I have much reliance."

"Think back to your young days in bed,

when parents would kiss your sweet head,

and tales were made by two close brothers

who's name was not at all like others'.

They wrote the stories off of a whim,

of course their names were brothers Grim.

The tale that you remember most

is also one that they held close.

Original story of the apple,

how did she avoid the trip to the chapel?"

Skylar tried to understand all that the mirror was saying but much of it confused her. Her parents, well mostly her father, had read her the Grim stories. Rapunzel , Cinderella, Snow White, they had been the ones most often read, the Disney ones.

The mirror told her to remember the original story of the apple, the story of Snow White. 'How did she avoid the trip to the chapel?' That was the confusing part. From what Skylar remembered there was no chapel at all in the short story by the Grim brothers.

She thought long and hard about that part, not daring to turn around lest she see something on the ground. Snow White had avoided a chapel? Chapels where church was held, communion, prayer, fellowship, worship, offerings... Skylar tried to think of everything related to a chapel. They had church on Sunday as well as wedding and---memorials. Snow White had avoided the chapel because she had woken up from death, Sleeping Death, otherwise she'd eventually, at least in the real world, have a memorial.

The Mirror was asking Skylar to think about how Snow White had woken up in the story. It wasn't by a kiss, no that was too romantic for someone named Grim, but the fair maiden had been dropped, her glass coffin hit and she had spit out the piece of poisoned apple in her throat! This was what Andrew had to do, Skylar was sure of it.

She could at last look at him, and awaken him from Death.

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As soon as Andrew had dropped dead on the stone floor he had funny sensation. It couldn't have been a feeling, not as the impalpable being he was. Nevertheless he did.

He also saw something, himself, on the floor inert with Skylar standing over him. She then began prattling away with the mirror about something but Andrew could not make himself listen. He was too busy looking down at himself, seeing his translucent feet, and then at his other solid self that was lifeless on the floor still wearing ripped clothing from going through the forest. The version of himself that he could move in was transparent, a ghost but it took him a while to figure it out. His body he'd left puzzled him and he couldn't touch it or anything for that matter.

Finally ignoring both of himself he looked at Skylar.

"Yes, I know a victim of Sleeping Death is said to be revived only by Love's First Kiss but that doesn't help us here!" She shouted to the mirror with a face.

Andrew knew the meaning of her words and didn't want to hear them anymore. Not wanting to talk to her, although he couldn't even if he wanted to, Andrew left the castle. His wishes alone did not transport him but what did was a mystery.

He, his transparent self, not only left the castle but left the Happiest Place on Earth. Andrew was back in Disneyland. People were packed down Mainstreet as usual, the castle gleamed, and the Walt statue shimmered with not only Walt but Mickey too. Time was passing while they were away in the Happiest Place on Earth. They had just disappeared completely and no one cared? Where were their parents?

Andrew's trip didn't stop there. He left Disneyland as his surrounding faded into nothing and went somewhere else he didn't recognize. It was very white, pristine white walls, floors and beds. It was a hospital and he now saw a third version of himself, this one looking just like him as well. It--he lay in a hospital bed breathing but otherwise motionless, clothes in shreds from their forest trip. In the next bed next to him was Skylar in the same condition.

There was only one other person in the room, a man next to Skylar's bed whom Andrew assumed was her dad. He wasn't 100% sure though, for he'd only seen her parents once right before they had been taken to another world. The man, with forget-me-not blue eyes, was dressing the wounds Skylar had gotten in the vicious forest.

Andrew now fully realized that their bodies here looked exactly like they did in the Happiest Place on Earth. Their injuries, clothing, hair, everything, but the man didn't seem to be surprised by this. Andrew then wondered why he was being neglected, he looked awful.

Observing all this in a short amount of time Andrew noticed that he was slowly drifting down off the ceiling he'd been watching from. He drifted down toward his body and the closer he drew the more worried he became. What would happen when they made contact, his 'spiritual' and physical self? Would he wake up in the hospital or would he--die? If he'd died in the Happiest Place on Earth wouldn't he die in the real world too?

They were about to touch, both of him. Just an inch away, Andrew could feel his own breath on his face.

Then suddenly he was gasping for air in the castle of the evil queen. He could feel again, truly feel. He felt something squeezing him tightly, not helping his breathing situation. It was Skylar, hugging him. She abruptly pulled away from him, wiping her face with her torn sleeve.

"What happened?" Andrea managed to say.

"The bit of the apple you ate, I-- you coughed it out, after--- I-threw-you-on-the-ground-sorry." Skylar said her last words all together, hurrying through it. She then stood up and helped Andrew do the same.

He had nothing more to ask, to say, nothing more he could say at the moment. Andrew's capacity for thinking was overwhelmingly full. he couldn't process most of it and  wasn't going to voice any of it to Skylar at that moment. One question just kept resurfacing in his head: did he just die?

"Andrew?" Skylar repeated for the third time after she noticed he wasn't listening at all.

He looked at her in response.

"Any idea of how to get out of here?" She asked him. "Wait hold on." Skylar approached the mirror that only showed herself again. "Magic mirror on the wall, I summon thee." She said a whole lot more polite than last time.

The Mirror's face immediately appeared.

"What wish thou know young traveler?" It said again with exactly the same tone.

"Magic Mirror on the wall, how can we leave this stone hall?" Skylar worded carefully, but she wasn't sure that question would get the results she wanted.

"To walk just out would do the trick

but going further is less quick.

What is it that you ask of me?

What is the place you want to flee?"

"We want to flee the whole big realm,

of Snow White that does overwhelm.

To move on to another ride,

please be our very gracious guide." Skylar was getting better with the rhyming.

"To flee the whole big scary realm,

of Snow White that does overwhelm,

do come quite closer to me now

right through the glass, it will allow."

"Through the glass? Through the glass." Skylar murmured. She looked at Andrew but saw he wasn't all there. "Andrew?"

He hummed in response but it didn't satisfy her. She knew something was up but she would let it rest for now.

"Through the glass, we have to go through the glass." Skylar explained slowly.

"Right." He said absentmindedly with false enthusiasm. Andrew was staring at something behind her that made Skylar look back at the mirror.

She saw what was in the mirror that he was staring at. The swirling image of Fantasyland was in the glass and led them to believe that Skylar was right thinking them had to step through the mirror.

Taking Andrew's right hand, since he was pretty unresponsive, Skylar stepped within an inch of the magical glass.

"I feel like Alice doing this." She said in an attempt to liven him up but he didn't seem to hear her words. "Anyways, through the looking glass we go." Skylar stepped through the glass with Andrew.

They were back in Fantasyland or the Happiest Place on Earth version of it anyway. With Andrew being comatose Skylar made the decision of the next attraction and to save them the trouble chose the closest one: Pinocchio.

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Kenton could have, he just didn't want to.

He did pity them, really, he knew how it was in there but his first priority was to protect himself and Quinn. He had already failed at doing half of that.

Skylar and Andrew were on their own, although he could message them he wasn't going to.

Kenton just knew that if they got out---when they got out he'd have to do something. This would supposedly lead to helping Quinn as well. Who was he to doubt Mickey? But the mouse was no longer there, he had returned to his land, and the hope that the character had put in him had all but diminished.

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That's a wrap, for the chapter anyway. I hoped you like it and just know you can show how much you do through a vote or comment ;)

Was I too confusing?

So I read the short Grim tale of Snow White, yeah she spits out the apple and awakens, how romantic. Also, and I know there has been much debate about this before, in the book the queen says "Mirror mirror" whereas in the Disneyified movie it's "Magic mirror." So I used both.

People often point out that Snow White is a pretty creepy story, especially the ride but I think I captured both the light and dark pretty well. The name is "Snow White's Scary Adventures." (emphasis on the scary).

I happened to play with a little poetry in this chapter, well I don't know if I'd call it poetry but it rhymed so let's just say it is. The Mirror, quite confusing sometimes isn't he? But our characters are smart (and not to mention always in danger) so it's all good.

Anyways, I have no idea when I will update again but hopefully it will be soon.

See you in Pinocchio's Daring Journey (that story is weird too), Bye!

~Disneyfanaticforever