Disclaimer: I do not own The 10th Kingdom; this is merely a fanfiction.

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Virginia stood rooted to the spot as the Shadow Crawler slithered out from one of the labyrinth walls, a forked tongue hissing from the Rumpelstiltskin head. The eyes rolled out of synch with its face and its huge fangs gleamed with saliva.

"Not good …" was all that Virginia could bring herself to say.

With a sudden coil, the Shadow Crawler struck. Virginia dove out of the way, bouncing off a hard wall. She groaned in pain as she rolled on the floor, her injuries from Wallace's knife – not to mention just giving birth – racking her body. The Shadow Crawler missed her by inches, its head striking the wall. Instead of bouncing off the solid stone, the giant snake vanished right through it as though it were made of air. The snake was gone.

Virginia rose to her feet, her eyes narrowed, her ears wide for any sound, looking for the slightest movement in the shadows.

Silence.

She gingerly took a step forward, arms out at her sides –

The Shadow Crawler BURST out from the opposite wall, bearing down on her with its fangs. Virginia cried out as Rumpel-head of the snake bore down on her, its blade-like teeth nearly raking her throat. Acting instinctively, she grabbed the two front fangs, struggling to hold the monster back. Her feet skidded along the stone floor as the snake bore her down, pinning her up against a wall.

Her biceps were giving out. Her muscles struggled to keep the snapping fangs of the creature at bay. She looked around – no weapons to fight with – nothing to save her from being devoured alive by the Shadow Crawler. She was trapped! The fangs inched closer – she couldn't hold it back. She closed her eyes, resigned, as the pointed tip of one of the fangs began to pierce her shoulder …

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~0~

"Rumpelstiltskin thinks he has all the advantages. But he has become so used to winning, to cheating, that he has forgotten – in magic games, both sides are entitled to use magic."

~0~

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Virginia's eyes flared open as her mother's words washed over her. If this is a magic game, I can use magic too!

The fang sunk deeper into her shoulder. She cried out with pain.

Then her eyes shone with a new ferocity as she began to concentrate with all of her might.

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~0~

"Do not think. Become."

~0~

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Virginia closed her eyes, emptying her thoughts and her emotions, feeling only the cold stone wall against her back, ignoring the searing pain in her shoulder.

And to her amazement, she vanished through the wall as though it were nothing but air …

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The Shadow Crawler's jaws crunched on nothing but open air. It raised its face, looking left and right, the giant jack-in-the-box head springing around on the neck. Its eyes rolled in confusion. The head sprang left and right.

Then it led out an ear-piercing shriek as its head rose fifty feet into the ear, before it dove headfirst into the floor, vanishing through it like water.

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Tony and Prince and stopped short in their section of the maze as they heard the monstrous shriek of the creature. "Oh, that doesn't sound good," Tony remarked.

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Virginia passed through a wall into another section of the labyrinth. She touched her shoulder – blood. Ignoring the pain, she walked up to a wall, rubbing her chin. "Do not think. Become." She touched the wall – it began moving, shifting. Focusing her mind, this entire section of the maze began shifting and opening.

Rumpelstiltskin's voice rang out from above. "Virginia – what are you doing? That's cheating! You're not playing by the rules -."

"Oh, I'm not?!" She shouted to the ceiling. "If this is a magic game, both sides are given access to magic! Or did you conveniently forget to mention that part?!"

"You are nothing! You're not as experienced in the depths of magic as I am! I will crush you!"

"I heard that before from the Swamp Witch! How'd that turn out for everyone!"

"Fine! If it's a full-fledged magical battle, bring it on! You're up against a master magician!"

"And you're up against the future Snow Queen!"

"You haven't come into your own yet! You haven't been granted powers by the Devil's Mirror! You're an untrained nobody from New York and I will bring all of you captive to the Snow Queen!"

"You'll have to stop me first!"

"My pleasure!"

Behind her, the Shadow Crawler shot up out of the ground, its head raised, ready to strike!

"You think you're hot stuff?!" Rumpel roared. "Then let's double the fun!"

The Shadow Crawler's head began shifting left and right. Dead snakeskin began to shed from its neck – A SECOND LONG NECK AND HEAD SPROUTED FROM THE SNAKE'S BODY! The two heads coiled around each other, hydra-like. They reared up, then struck from two opposite sides! One head grasped Virginia by the legs, the other by the arms. Virginia cried out in pain as the heads shook her like a dog shaking a rag doll, both preparing to devour her from both ends. They raised her up, fifty feet into the air.

Virginia closed her eyes, shutting off her fear, terminating her panic.

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~0~

"You're no longer the girl trapped in the forest. You have become what I never truly could be …"

~0~

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"If you can use magic …" Virginia uttered through gritted teeth, "… then so can I!" She closed her eyes, allowing her body to become limp. The two monstrous heads snapped at each other, before the one holding her feet relented. The one holding her by the arms snapped its head backwards and gulped Virginia down its gullet. Virginia went limp, allowing herself to slide down the monster's throat.

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The Shadow Crawler slithered on the stone floor, the two eyes closed, having enjoyed its most recent snack. It sat there, satisfied, Rumpelstiltskin laughing, thinking he'd won.

Then, the eyes on the head that devoured Virginia suddenly widened. It began gagging. A bulge appeared in its neck. It turned, staring at the other head for help. The other head gave it a blank look, not understanding what was happening …

SLASH! BLOOP!

The bulge suddenly erupted through the snake skin – a sword! The sword sliced in an arc, cutting tissue and bone. The snake head flew from the body. It hit the ground, slithering on its severed neck, the eyes rolling wildly. It suddenly burst into flame and was turned to ash on the ground.

Virginia – covered in slimy green blood – burst out of the stump on the snake's body. She landed on the ground, leaving a trail of green blood, a sword with a golden hilt in her hand.

"Impossible!" Rumpel was both indignant and shocked. "How?!"

"Do I have to keep repeating myself? The rules of the game – I get to use magic too! And I used magic to will a weapon into existence!"

Virginia spun as the remaining head on the Shadow Crawler reared back, ready to strike. Virginia spun the sword clumsily, but ready. She motioned for the monster to bring it on. The Shadow Crawler's remaining head hissed angrily before it lunged.

Virginia leapt out of the way – the monster hit the wall head-on. The Shadow Crawler used its magic to try to go through the wall like air. Virginia struck her sword into the wall and it solidified – trapping the monster's neck in the wall. With all her strength, Virginia raised her sword and brought it down upon the long neck. Once. Twice. Again. And again. And finally –

PLOOP!

The trapped head was severed from the body. The Shadow Crawler's body twisted and writhed on the stone floor, bouncing off it, struggling with no brain to control it. It curled up and lay still, moving no more.

Virginia turned, bloodstained, grossed out, yet exhilarated. She shouted to the sky. "I killed your little beastie! I've won!"

"Not yet. You and your friends still have to find the exit …"

"Then we'll do just that – and I'll make you pay for taking my son!"

"You still have to get past the Shadow Crawler!"

"I killed it -."

"Did you now?"

Virginia slowly turned her head, her eyes wide with fear once again. The coiled-up body of the Shadow Crawler was now uncoiling. It was thickening, twisting, molting – FOOSH! A dragon-like leg with razor sharp claws sprang out from the side of its body. Then a second. Then a third and fourth! The headless monster rose on its four newly sprouted limbs. The headless stumps were pulsating, gesticulating, new tissue was forming and growing.

SIX NEW HEADS SPROUTED OUT ON LONG NECKS, EACH WITH A RUMPEL-HEAD!

Virginia backed away; her sword was raised, her hands trembling.

Batlike wings sprouted from the monster – the Shadow Crawler had transformed into a full-fledged dragon!

Rumpel was cackling. "And let's increase the fun – how about I intervene and take personal control?!"

A mass appeared between the newly formed shoulders of the monster. Virginia watched, nauseated and horrified, as the upper torso, arms and head of Rumpelstiltskin burst out from the monster's back. He peered down at Virginia, cackling, his arms outstretched. "Now that I've fused myself with the Shadow Crawler, let's see how you handle yourself!"

Rumpel waved his arms like he was moving water. The Shadow Crawler – now fused with him and under his control – rose up into the air, the wings beating down with gale force winds. All six heads reared back as one, prepared to devour her altogether.

Virginia was already racing down the corridors, sword in her hand. The Shadow Crawler rose up above the very tops of the walls.

Rumpel was triumphant in his exultation. "I have a full view of this entire labyrinth! There's no place you can hide! I see all – I KNOW ALL!" And there she was – turning a corner.

The Shadow Crawler dove, its heads tightly pressed together to increase its speed like an arrow. It slammed Virginia into the stone floor. Her sword flew out of her hands, rolling out of reach. The monster reared up, its claws pinning her down, its six heads raised, fangs wide open …

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"Hey! Slime-breath! The Bee Gees suck!"

The Shadow Crawler paused. Rumpel turned his head, his eye twitching as he forced the Shadow Crawler to back off Virginia. "What was that?"

Leone stood there, fists clenched. "You heard me!"

The Shadow Crawler turned, Rumpel cocking his head. "You're a brave soul to insult my favorite musicians …" The monster took a step for the warrior. And another. And another.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leone stared at Virginia. He gave a subtle nod, before returning his full attention to the monster-Rumpelstiltskin. Behind the monster, Virginia nodded back. She crawled carefully, quietly, along the floor, her fingers reaching out, stretching for the hilt of her sword.

The Shadow Crawler was slowly baring down on Leone now. "I was only going to devour her," Rumpel hissed. "But it looks like a double-deal for me!"

Leone stared with all the hatred in the world. "I will have my vengeance!" he declared. "For my family. But on those responsible! The Evil Queen is beyond my reach – but your Mistress isn't …"

Rumpel laughed. "My Mistress?" He jerked a gnarled finger over his shoulder. "That would be her, over there."

"Not. Yet," Leone declared with all the determination in the world.

"We'll see," Rumpel laughed.

CLANG!

Virginia thrust the blade of her sword towards the Shadow Crawler's heart with all of the strength she could muster.

The blade merely bounced off the creature's hide as the scales instantly fused together, creating a thick armor. The Shadow Crawler spread its wings like a fan, blasting her back with gale force winds. She slammed onto her back, her sword once again sprawling away.

Rumpel laughed. "Oh please, like I didn't see him subtly nod to you and instantly know you were gonna attack from behind! Now – let's finish this!" The wings flapped, and the Shadow Crawler rose up, Rumpel's upper body fused from its shoulders, controlling the beast as it rose fifty feet into the air.

Leone scrabbled over to Virginia, helping her to her feet. "Where'd you get a sword?" he asked.

"Magic."

"You can do magic?"

"No, not in the real world. But in this realm – all participants in the game can use magic."

Leone nodded. "Just what I wanted to hear. Leave it to that dirtbag to leave that fact out. I need a weapon. Can you use magic to poof it?"

"You can – just will it into your hand."

Leone nodded and closed his eyes.

Up above, the Shadow Crawler circled. "Make all the plans you want, little ants!" Rumpel was exultant. "It won't make any difference in the end!"

Below, a bow appeared in Leone's hand. A quiver materialized over his shoulder with two fletched arrows. "Leave this to me," Leone muttered as he grabbed an arrow and took aim with his bow.

TWANG!

The arrow sailed through the air, picking up speed, wobbling in the middle.

It struck the Shadow Crawler right in its belly – and bounced off harmlessly.

Rumpel was cackling. "Didn't you learn your lesson from the sword? Nothing can pierce the Shadow Crawler's hide! NOTHING!" The monster did a loop in the air, then its six heads tightly knit themselves together to pick up speed as the Shadow Crawler dove headfirst down at Virginia and Leone. Rumpel's eyes were wide, mad, laughing hysterically. "The game is over!"

Leone watched as the monster dove straight for them. He quickly grabbed the second arrow – his last one – and pulled it back in his bow, closing one eye, taking aim.

"What are you doing?" Virginia protested. "You can't pierce its hide!"

Leone smiled. "Who says I'm aiming for it?"

He released the bow.

Virginia watched – as though in slow motion – as the last arrow sailed through the air. The middle of the arrow's wooden tube buckled as the air raced around the tip and the end, making it more aerodynamic. It sailed straight and true – Rumpel was still laughing, triumphant, absolutely confident that nothing could break through his monster's hide …

THUD!

There was a moment's pause.

Rumpel, his upper body jutting out from the Shadow Crawler's shoulders, froze. He turned his gaze down to his chest. The arrow was embedded in it. Red blossomed from it, staining his shirt. He gazed at Leone and Virginia. "Oh …" was all he could say, before the Shadow Crawler crashed into the ground, slamming into the stone floors, writhing around, banging into the walls. It twisted on the ground, its limbs vanishing, its necks shriveling up, the wings turning into bone.

Virginia and Leone stood over the creature as the Shadow Crawler's body shrank and writhed, twisting and melting away. The scales slid off, the flesh and bone turning into thick green slime. In a moment, all that was left was a thick, goopy puddle with Rumpelstiltskin lying in the middle. He lay in it, staring up at them. "How …?"

Leone pulled the arrow from the little man's chest. Rumpel sat up, holding the wound as Leone picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

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Tony and Prince raced around a corner; Tony was covered in a thick sweat. He stared at the thick, goopy puddle that was once the Shadow Crawler. He saw Virginia and Leone, covered in green blood, with a squirming and kicking Rumpelstiltskin held up by the scruff of his neck by Leone.

"What'd I miss?" Tony asked.

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"We can use magic here," Virginia repeated. "And if that's the case … I wonder …" She closed her eyes, her arms splayed out before her. "Do not think. Become." She concentrated, mustering all her willpower.

Leone and Tony watched in amazement as the labyrinth walls began shaking and quaking. Rumpel sighed, his chest wound healed by his own magic … but defeated, he knew …

Summoning all the magic of the labyrinth, Virginia lowered her hands. Moving in synch with them, the walls of the maze collapsed downwards, vanishing into the floor. There – yards ahead of them – was a white light. The exit to the labyrinth and the entrance back into the Third Kingdom.

Virginia laughed as she hugged her father and Prince. Leone awkwardly gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "We did it!" she exclaimed.

Rumpel sighed. "I'm toast."

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"And no more crocs! I mean what a disgrace!"

Blabberwort stood in the throne room, stripping her troll guards of the new brightly colored uniforms that Rumpel had forced upon them. She, Burly and Bluebell had been freed from that stinking glass vial. And on a table next to the throne stood the vial – inside, was a shrunken Rumpelstiltskin, banging on the glass. The second that Virginia and the others crossed the threshold of the labyrinth, the binding magical nature of the game went into immediate effect. The trolls were freed and Rumpel was now himself a prisoner in that vial.

Blabberwort picked up the vial, staring at it. "And now – to put you in a place where no mortal would dare go without having their head removed."

Bluebell nodded, grinning wickedly. "Our shoe closet!"

Rumpel's tiny voice rang out from the glass vial as he beat on it. "You can't do this! Let me out of here! The Snow Queen will -."

Blabberwort placed him on the top shelf of their shoe closet. They had revamped it, replacing all of Rumpel's odd shoe collection with their old leather collection. Blabberwort closed the doors of the closet, shutting out Rumpel's squeaky protests. She then turned, hands clasped in front of her.

Virginia stood to the side, holding Baby Fen in her arms, rocking the napping baby in the swaddling. "I'll never let anything happen to you," she said to the baby. "Never." Tony peered over her shoulder, trying to tickle the baby's cheek. She swatted his hand away.

Leone sat on a chair, legs splayed over the armrest, gently scratching Prince's ears. He looked on with faint amusement.

"Now," Blabberwort began, "as acting Queen of the Troll Nation -."

"Wait a minute," Bluebell interrupted. "Who made you Queen?"

"I'm the oldest -."

"I'm the smartest!"

Burly flexed his arms. "And I'm the strongest -."

"Dad made me Queen -."

"No he didn't, he made me his heir -."

The three trolls stood in a circle, now engaged in a screaming match. Bluebell shoved Burly, who attempted to shove him back, missed, shoving Blabbewort, who smacked Bluebell. In a moment, the trio had each other in three-way headlock, knocking into furniture.

Tony stepped forward, hands held up. "Guys! GUYS! How about all three of you rule together?"

The three trolls stopped in mid-headlock. The released each other. "What do you mean, O Fat One?" Blabberwort asked.

"Still with the Fat One? I don't get it!" Tony sighed. "What I'm saying is – what if all three of you reign as equals?"

"But then – who's the top troll?" Burly asked.

"That's the beauty of it – you all are."

The three trolls looked at each other, mouths open, pondering it. Could it work?

"That's the stupidest dang thing I ever heard!" Bluebell muttered. "And trust me – I hear a lot of stupid! Those two are my siblings after all."

Tony collapsed into a chair. "Look – it won't take the Snow Queen long to figure out what happened to Ol' Rumpel over there. Like it or not, she's going to come after the Third Kingdom. So you can either rule together for the time being and figure out 'who's in charge' later – or you can argue about it until her Frost Knights are on your doorstep. Your choice."

"He does make a valid point," Blabberwort admitted. "Perhaps we could all three of us co-rule."

"And then after we defeat the Snow Queen, I'll take my rightful place as Troll King!" Bluebell exclaimed.

"Let's not get hung up on 'after' just yet," Tony advised as he saw that Blabberwort and Burly were about to erupt into another argument.

"So what do you propose?" Blabberwort asked.

"An alliance," Virginia said as she rocked the baby. "Between us and the Troll Nation!"

"And what would this alliance cost us?" Blabberwort asked. "And why should we join forces with you?"

"Hey, you guys are the ones who first suggested an alliance back at the Shoemacher's factory," Tony reminded them.

Blabberwort shrugged. "That was merely to escape. But this is a political alliance now. And say we defeat the Snow Queen – what happens after?"

Virginia stepped forward. "When King Wendell is restored to his throne, you'll receive fair treatment. If you're willing to have a seat at the table, you can finally join the Nine Kingdoms Treaty."

"Can we trust Ol' Wendy?" Bluebell asked. "After all, we did turn him into that dog and try to capture him -."

"He spared your life," Virginia reminded them. "After we stopped my mother, you got a full pardon. I think that speaks for itself as to how you'll be treated."

Tony pressed the issue. "And the Snow Queen is going to come for your kingdom regardless. No matter what – you're already involved."

The three trolls turned, huddled up and began whispering to each other. Tony rolled his eyes. Finally, they turned around. "We've come to a consensus –" Blabberwort started.

"No we didn't," Bluebell interrupted. Blabberwort stomped on his foot.

"As I was saying," she went on. "We agree to this alliance. The might of the Troll Nation's army is at your disposal."

"Is this really what we want though?" Leone asked. "To go into a full-scale war?"

"Our trolls are mighty," Burly warned.

"Yeah – but you're not up against one nation!" Leone rebutted. "Wallace is the Lord Protector of all the kingdoms. You're up against all of the other eight. I hate to say it – even with the Troll Army – we're outnumbered eight to one. We need more men."

Virginia handed the baby to her father. "There are none." She turned and stormed off as Leone sunk into his chair.

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Virginia stared off into night sky from a balcony in the Troll King's palace. She watched a shooting star. Her first impulse was to make a wish on it – but no. Wishing would do no good. Action was what was needed.

Behind her, Tony appeared.

"Where's the baby?" she asked.

"Leone and Prince are watching him. Blabberwort was nice enough to make little leather troll boots to keep his little feet warm."

"I'll thank her later."

Tony joined her, staring up at the crescent moon. "You don't think we can win, do you?"

"I don't know," Viriginia said. "Wallace has the entire world in his pocket, sucking up his lies like poison."

"Then we expose his lies to the nations. Get them to see that he's accomplice to the Snow Queen."

"How?"

"I don't know."

Virginia rolled her eyes. "And Wolf … she's got him, hasn't she? She's going after everyone I love. My mother. Fen. And Wolf." She turned to Tony with tear-stained eyes. "And if she's got Wolf – she'll do to him what she did to my Mother. What I did -."

"You are not her!" Tony reminded her.

"Not yet," Virginia replied. "She'll make Wolf stare into the Devil's Mirror. He'll forget everything … Fen, me …"

"Wolf is strong -."

"And I need him. I want to be strong, but I always felt stronger when he was here -."

"Then you're gonna have to learn to rely on your own strength," Tony answered. "You and you alone determine what course your life is going to take – and you and you alone are going to have to stand on your own two feet. The Snow Queen can't make you become her. Only you can."

"But what if -?"

Tony stopped her. "You've always attacked yourself. And I blame myself in part for it. I wasn't a perfect father, but I tried with the tools I was given. I'm sorry if I didn't instill confidence into you – but you have nothing to be diffident about. Haven't you proven yourself time again and again? You saved your mother from herself -."

"I didn't," she replied.

Tony stopped. "What do you -?"

"Mom is still trapped – in the Devil's Mirror. Her powers are feeding the Snow Queen along with everyone else she's imprisoned. It's my fault because I killed her … and because I turned her into the Evil Queen in the first place."

"Virginia -."

"I'm going to rescue her soul, Dad. Somehow. Some way. And I'm going to rescue Wolf. Whatever it takes. If we can't overcome Wallace and his armies, if we can't stop him … then maybe the choice everyone's telling me to make isn't the right one …"

Tony couldn't believe his ears. "What are you saying?"

"The power I felt in that labyrinth … when I was able to use magic … for the first time I wanted to be seen! I felt so powerful! Like when I put on the Troll King's magic shoes …"

"Virginia – you can't be saying –"

"And maybe that power is what we need to stop Wallace and the Snow Queen. Maybe the way of stopping them … is to do what everyone has been warning me not to do. Maybe the way to stop the Snow Queen … is to become her … maybe the Snow Queen is the only one capable of defeating the Snow Queen …"

"Virginia – listen to me very carefully –"

Virginia spun around. "No Dad – you listen! You didn't see what I saw in that labyrinth! You didn't see Mom!"

"Virginia – yes I did."

She stopped. Tony's eyes were brimming. He no longer cared about showing strength and being prideful in front of his daughter. He let the tears fall. "I was forced to relive that night … I did see her. And I will not let my daughter become what she did ... you mark my words on that!" Tony turned and stormed off.

Virginia sighed as she leaned on the railing. She heard footsteps and rolled her eyes. "Dad – I think we've discussed this enough -."

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop." It was Blabberwort. Virginia shrugged indifferently. Blabberwort joined her. "I worry that we cannot defeat Wallace … not without magic. You may be right … we need the magic of a powerful sorceress …"

"The Snow Queen –" Virginia began.

"Maybe not," Blabberwort said. "Even in death, the most powerful sorceresses still have power and influence. Why not seek aide from the one who taught your mother everything she knew?"

Virginia turned to look up at the troll. "You don't mean -?"

"Perhaps we should seek aide from beyond the grave. Perhaps we should seek the counsel and powers of the Swamp Witch …"