Snow White and the Seven Werewolves

*Chapter 17: A Bite of The Apple

They had to make their way through the courtyard before they could get to the Throne Room if they wanted to get there faster. Rain pounded down on their heads and backs, soaking them quickly, as they made their way across the muddy courtyard. Halfway across they were met with 100 guards.
A little less then fifty, not all of them armed, against 100 well prepared guardsmen. They odds weren't good, and some of the men thought they were sure to die.
JC, unspoken leader of them all, raised his sword, and screamed, "For the Kingdom!" They all screamed, repeating what JC had said, and ran forward, merging with the guards.

Swords clashed, lightening flashed, thunder boomed, and they were getting pummeled.
"We should change!" Zander screamed to JC as he smacked another guard away from him.
"Think it'll work?" he shouted back.
"Yes I do!"
They handed off their swords to other prisoners and the next thing the guards knew, seven wolves were plowing through them, advancing the ragtag crew of fifty back towards the castle. Someone set of an explosion, and another followed. It was full on war.

Somehow, miraculously, they won, and they plowed through into the castle, dripping with rain, mud and blood, not pausing for a second. The boys returned to their normal form and claimed their swords back.

The only things left to conquer were the one-foot thick doors leading to the Throne Room. Thunder boomed and crashed as they tried everything to get them open. The boys threw themselves against the doors one at a time, then they all tried at once and they bust open. Men flooded into the room, surrounding it to prevent anyone from escaping or entering.
JC contained himself from running in as he walked forward into the throne room, never before seen by anyone's eyes for over 50 years.

* M * M * M * M * M * M * M * M *

Snow's eyes widened as the seven guardsmen took off their helmets and the boys she had grown to love like brothers stepped forward. "JC... Merlin! Zander!" she jumped up and tried to walk forward but she couldn't move her feet to the first step. The Queen had replaced her old chains with new ones while the men flooding into the room distracted her.
JC walked forward and glanced at her, then went to the Queen. He flipped her over and his face grew hard.
"Who is who?" he asked, his voice full of confusion and bitterness.
Snow felt tears brimming in her eyes as she tried to reach forward for her friends. "Me! Me! Its me!"
The Queen, laying on the ground, began to stir and looked up at JC. "You came," she smiled and reached for his hand but he pulled away, taking a large step back.
He looked at Merlin, his eyes pleading. "Ask them questions to figure out which is who, I-I can't tell."
JC starred at the Snow on the ground. Something glinted on her neck and he knelt down and looked closer.

It was the necklace.

"Its her," he pointed to the Queen, lying on the ground. "That's Snow."
"No! JC no!" The actual Snow cried out. She collapsed on the ground, legs no longer able to hold her up.
JC looked at the Snow on the ground, and the Snow by the throne. The one at his feet had a torn dress, combed back hair, floppy shoes and his necklace. The one by the throne looked like she was dressed for a funeral in a black dress, messy hair, dried blood on her arms and hands, no shoes, and a desperate expression on her face. He looked at the one on the ground. "Who brought you to our cabin?" he asked.
"Zander did," she breathed.
He looked at the Snow by the throne. "What were you teaching Merlin for the past week or so?"
Snow choked out a somewhat hysterical laugh, both at the question and that Merlin had told JC what they had been doing. "I was teaching him how to dance and be proper, while he taught me the ways of the forest," Merlin nodded, confirming this was true.

This went on for minutes, questions back and forth, each answering them correctly like it was a game show and not life or death.
"Enough!" Zander shouted. "You!" he pointed to the Snow by the throne hair. "Come here." Snow stood, and took a tentative step forward. She could finally move. She walked down the steps and stopped directly at the bottom. "And you too." The Queen managed to get herself up and stood next to Snow. They stood two feet apart, hands clasped in front of them, negative energy humming in the air. Murmurs erupted throughout the crowd as the starred at the two identical Snow White's side by side, confused which one was which.