Disclaimer: I do not own The 10th Kingdom. This is merely a fanfiction.
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"Love is like death, it must come to us all, but to each his own unique way and time, sometimes it will be avoided, but never can it be cheated, and never will it be forgotten."
- Jacob Grimm
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The words once spoken to Mother Holle by Jacob Grimm all those years ago, as he sat at her table with his brother, as she regaled him and his brother with tales of the forests, echoed through her head as she stood on a hill in the old cemetery, the battle in the valley not far away growing more intense with the second.
She sighed sadly as she watched Wallace – in his Horned King armor and helmet – strike down two foes as he and Blabberwort continued their contest of strength, dexterity and wit. Their weapons crossed below … the advantage was all Wallace's. He would likely win today, that much she knew.
How had it all gone wrong?
In these final moments of war, her mind wandered to the past. To the decades ago, to a bright, toe-headed, cheerful young boy named Kay. He was such a bright child, and so good-natured. The woodland creatures knew him and played all day long with him. Sometimes well into the evening when the sun was shining its last rays and the crickets had come out to sing. When one squirrel was wounded, he cared for it as his own. For a week straight he slept outside in the cold to keep a sick chipmunk warm. He often spared his own supper rations to share with the rabbits and foxes. When he stepped on a cockroach by accident – why, not even the rivers could contain his tears!
And he came to live with an old woman and her granddaughter, Gerda. How he loved Gerda, and how she loved him! How they played together in the woods, cared for the animals together. How he would walk on the logs with his arms splayed out, attempt to do a somersault and land in the mud – and how Gerda would hold her hands to her face and laugh.
Mother Holle stared now at the monster below her - his skull death-mask, the horns rising from it, his arms stained in blood, a dripping axe and sword in his hands, his maniacal laugh rising into the night.
What had twisted that innocent child so? Heartbreak, revenge … hate? The path that the original Snow Queen had set him on so long ago … and yet Gerda loved him like a brother. How much the girl had risked to save him from that frozen domain! And how wickedly he had repaid her – with poison on her wedding night.
The boy had become a living nightmare.
She turned her gaze to Blabberwort – the she-troll had the same manic look in her eyes as she parried and went on the offensive against Wallace. The same bloodlust, also driven by revenge. Revenge for her brother. It fueled her, spurned her on into a battle against a monster she could not possibly hope to defeat. And the troll knew it – but revenge is a poison all its own.
Revenge – which had consumed Wallace – was now consuming Blabberwort. She would rather die than forgive. And she likely would.
Mother Holle sighed again. Only one of them would remain standing – and as the greatest battle of the ages ramped up in intensity, it was likely neither would remain standing. Blabberwort and Wallace's swords locked again and he was pressing the troll back. She snarled, pulling a hidden dagger – thrusting it into the Lord Protector's thigh. He cried out, and hacked at her with his axe, spinning up with his sword, slicing up her arm.
The old woman closed her eyes, unable to look. The two would likely destroy each other. But then … they were both already destroyed shells, were they not? She leaned on her walking stick for support and uttered something ... an old poem of lament the Brothers Grimm had brought from their land – a lament of sadness for the loss of innocence that was uttered by the fortunetellers, soothsayers and medicine women of a land they called Romania.
"The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own. But as the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end. Now you will have peace for eternity."
She turned away from the battle and hobbled back into the cemetery …
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~0~
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"We are running out of time!" The Snow Queen's patience was running thin. "It is the time of decision, Virginia." The ice witch pointed a snowy finger and traced a line in the air in the shape of a doorway. Virginia peered into the door to see – the past? The Snow Queen hovered behind her, her chilled hands resting on Virginia's shoulders. "Just one step. That's all it will take. One step through that door – to the past. Your heart will be frozen, just like mine. All the pain will be gone, all the sorrow. Take that one step, and all my power to save the world will be yours!"
Virginia stared through the door hovering in the white void. She narrowed her eyes. She could see a world at … peace? At rest? Children laughing with their parents. She saw a little girl walking with her parents in Central Park. The girl reminded her of herself … and the girl had both parents.
A voice called to her through the door. "Virginia … Virginia, come to me …!"
The voice was familiar. "Mom? Mom!"
The Snow Queen leaned in, her frosty breath in Virginia's ear. "You can see her again. You can change the past, as I have. I turned her into the Evil Queen … but you can do with her as you see fit. After all – reality will be ours to create … just one step … you can give your mother her life back … just one step is all it will take …"
Virginia's fingers gripped the edges of the door. She could hear her mother's voice grow louder. "Come to me … my little girl, come to me … just one step and we can be together … forever …"
Virginia's heart longed to take that step, to see her mother again. But …
Her mind swam back to all those weeks ago, to those nights in New York City. To that dream of her mother – a warning! "Virginia … beware … beware the Snow Queen …"
It was a lie, it all was! That was not her mother's voice calling to her in the door! Her mother had remembered who she was in the end! She would never urge her to become the Snow Queen. Her mother's spirit had warned her to beware the Snow Queen in all those dreams!
"No!" Virginia staggered back, spilling onto the white ground, crawling away from the door. The Snow Queen's mouth was open, a hiss issued from it, as her fists balled. Virginia rose to her feet, defiant. "Never! I'll never follow in your footsteps! No matter what you offer! No matter what you threaten!"
The Snow Queen took a step forward. "You dare –?" Her nails extended from her fingers and she held them out, catlike, as though ready to slash Virginia's throat.
Virginia gulped but retained her composure. "You can't hurt me – you don't dare touch me!"
The Snow Queen faltered.
Virginia could feel the advantage now shifting to her. She took a menacing step forward. "You won't hurt me – because hurting me will be hurting you!"
"You know nothing –"
"Oh, I don't?" Virginia reveled now. She could feel the anger and frustration and even – fear – rising within the Snow Queen. "Go ahead. Kill me. Because if I die – you vanish out of existence. That's what this whole thing has been about, hasn't it? You don't care about saving the world or doing good! You only care to make me become you – to maintain your existence! You're growing weaker, aren't you? I can feel it! With each second my determination to notbecome you grows – and your existence is beginning to fade … isn't it?"
The Snow Queen hissed with fury. "You think you have all the angles figured out, do you? Typical Virginia, always one step ahead of everyone! You're right … I dare not harm you. But your friends … your father, your little retriever and especially – Wolf and Fen … they are completely at my mercy!"
"If you hurt them -."
The Snow Queen's fury was now replaced with exultant joy. "Oh, you will long to become me when all is said and done! As you walk my icy throne room – your feet soaked in the blood of everyone you have loved – knowing you could have stopped me! Knowing you could have saved them by simply cooperating! Did you think I hadn't prepared for this eventuality?! I know you!"
The ice witch clenched her fingers – the doorway vanished. It was replaced by a new one. One that led right back into the Snow Queen's palace. Through the door, Virginia could see her father and Prince – held at the mercy of Hebro and Dynaman. She could see Fen in his cradle, fifty feet in the air. And she could see Wolf standing there, at Fiona's side.
"No!" Virginia raced for the door – icicles rose up from the ground, trapping her wrists and feet. She struggled, twisting, writhing. It was no use. Her face rose, her cheeks flushed and blubbered as she stared into the new doorway.
The Snow Queen kneeled down before her. "You will watch this from here. A nice front-row seat to the end of your family. You can watch as I torture them to death. One by one. Slowly. Painfully. Drop of blood by drop of blood. Yes, you're family and I - we're gonna have a hell of a time!" The ice witch stretched out her hand – an icy pitchfork materialized, its prongs long and sharp, made up jagged icicles. The Snow Queen stood up, holding her weapon aloft. "Yes, perfectly pronged to strip flesh straight from bone. I will slowly skin each one of them alive." She glared wickedly down at Virginia who was crying. "You did this. You brought this upon them. Now watch what you have wrought!"
"Please!" Virginia begged. She continued to struggle in the icicles binding her wrists and ankles. She cried out in horror as the Snow Queen stepped through the doorway, back into her throne room, leaving her here. Alone.
A front-row seat to her family's demise.
She cried out, hysterically screaming and crying. Her tears stained the white, empty floor between her knees. Her head hung down, helpless. She would lose everything after all. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
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"Virginia." Her name carried along the air as though on the wind.
She felt … warmth.
Virginia's head rose up at the new feeling. It started out as though a ray of sun had beamed onto her neck. But it was growing. Already the icicles holding her in place were melting, turning to steam. She broke free and rose to her feet and looked around, wondering where the heat source was coming from. There was no light …
There was no time – she turned to run through the doorway – only to notice that on other side, everyone was unmoving. The Snow Queen, Fen, Fiona, her dad and Prince, Wolf … they stood there, completely still, as though time itself had frozen.
"Virginia …"
A voice, sweet and melodious and like soft butter danced in the air. The words filled her stomach with a soothing heat, strengthening her, as though a fireball had filled her core and was spreading to her extremities – to her fingertips and toes. She turned – her surroundings had changed. She was no longer in a white void in the Devil's Mirror. She was in a ballroom.
A beautiful ballroom – a wedding to be celebrated! Linen cloths covered the tables, generous portions of wine sat in golden goblets, fine silver adorned the dining room. It was a wedding! But where were all the guests?
"Virginia …"
She stopped in the center of the ballroom as a white light enveloped the room. The light took form and shape, swirling with color. Virginia shielded her eyes. When the glare had abated, a beautiful young woman gorgeously dressed as a bride stood before her. She smiled kindly. "Hello Virginia …"
Virginia couldn't believe her eyes. "G-Gerda …?"
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Gerda was every bit as beautiful as Virginia had heard. The young bride spun in her dress, taking in her surroundings, her mouth agape at the beautiful ballroom. "My, I haven't been here in ages!" She sung a hymn … her voice melted Virginia's stomach.
"I don't understand," Virginia said. "How am I here? How are you here?"
Gerda simply smiled. "Magic is a powerful influence. Evil uses it. But evil is not the only magic there is. And there is another magic, one that evil cannot even begin to comprehend, one that will overpower it at every turn. Can you guess?"
"Love?" Virginia replied skeptically.
"As they say in your world: sounds kinda 'cheesy' huh? But it's the truth! Snow White knew it and used that power to reveal herself to you the first time you were here. She used that power to shield your image from the Mirrors of the Evil Queen. And you yourself used that magic to remind your mother of who she really was. And I … I used that magic to help you throughout your last journey in the Nine Kingdoms."
Virginia thought on this for a moment. Then her face brightened. "We've met before!"
"I was hoping you would remember!"
"You were the old woman in the forest! The one who gave me the lesson about standing together using those twigs!"
Gerda nodded, chuckling. "When the student is ready, the teacher appears."
"And you were that little girl in kissing town! The one with cupid's arrow!"
Gerda shrugged. "I may have given you the nudge you needed to realize your feelings for Wolf." She saw Virginia's raised eyebrow and laughed. "I didn't put any feelings there that weren't there already. I only helped you to realize it was there. And as I said, love is the most powerful magic there is … and it is that magic that will help you to destroy the Snow Queen without ruining yourself. Oh Virginia, how close you did come to destroying yourself – until Snow White and the others intervened."
Virginia looked away. "I still lost Wolf … the Snow Queen has him under her complete control …"
"No one is lost that can't be found again," Gerda said gently. She gracefully sat herself down on a chair and Virginia scooted down, sitting at her feet, mesmerized by the beauty of her wedding dress. "That's why I never gave up on Kay – not even when the original Snow Queen kidnapped him and took away all his memories."
"You loved him," Virginia said.
"Yes. Just … not in the way he loved me. He was like a brother to me … and I was willing to risk everything to get him back. I set out, not knowing the way, with nothing but my own clothes on my back, just a little girl in a vast world. I met a magician woman who wanted to keep me a slave in her house, who made me forget that Kay even existed. But when she wore a rose on her hat, it reminded me so strongly of him that I couldn't help but remember! Love doesn't need memories – it's there, even when you can't remember. And I continued bravely on my journey, was kidnapped by robbers and met a Finn woman. A kindly person … she shared something with me, something that never left me. She told me that my unique power to save Kay was in my innocent heart. Only the innocent love of a child could save him. And I took that with me. I entered the Snow Queen's domain – I said the Lord's Prayer – evil, is driven away by good. I found Kay standing on the Mirror of Reason, his mind gone. I kissed him and cried over him. And my tear – it warmed him from head to toe. He remembered. After all that, he remembered!"
Virginia sighed. "Fiona has your final tear …"
Gerda laughed. "It's not the tear, Virginia! It's what it represented!"
"Your love for Kay."
"Yes. The most powerful magic there is! What could the original Snow Queen do in the face of it? What can the new Snow Queen – you – do in the face of it? Remember what your future self did in her pain. She froze her heart! She sold herself to the Devil for his mirror! She forgot all the lessons Snow White and I tried to teach her during her first journey here! But you … you do not have to repeat those mistakes. You turned away from power – that saved you!"
Virginia played with her fingers on her lap. She looked up at Gerda who smiled kindly in return. "But you didn't save Kay …"
Gerda's expression softened. "Sometimes … you can save a person but they can reject that salvation later on. I did save Kay as a child … the adult Wallace is another story …" Gerda's own eyes welled up. "If there's anyone to blame, blame me. You see, what happened to Kay was my fault."
"Your fault? No, Gerda you -."
"I promised him as a child that I would always be there for him. Don't you remember – I showed it to you in the forest where the Shadow took over your body. Don't you remember what I said to him?"
Virginia thought back to that night. "You promised you would always be there for him."
"But I wasn't! Kay grew up a true idealist. He wanted to be soldier for the Fourth Kingdom – a hero! He went and fought against the Southern Renegades for years. When he came home from his tour, he was a changed man. The war had scarred him – not on the outside. But on the inside. He had seen to much death, lost too many friends. And the only solace he had was his love for me, his hope that I would be there waiting for him, just like I promised. He came home, wearied, having lost his best friends in the war against the Southern Renegades. I was the last spark of light left in him, the last gleam of sunshine he clung to in the darkness. And when he sold off the last memento of his father to buy me an engagement ring -."
"You didn't love him in that way. Romantically."
"As I said, I loved him with all my heart. As a brother. I tried to let him down as kindly as I could … I assured him that I would always be in his life, that nothing in our relationship would ever change, that my new fiancé would nevercome between us, that we'd always be brother and sister … I broke his heart. I was the final straw that turned him into the monster he's become. He went to the Snow Queen – not realizing she wasn't the same woman. Not realizing that she was you – that your future self had usurped her place. She hardened his heart, twisted his mind – now he's no longer recognizable. He is Kay no more. He's become something … else. Twisted and deformed in his soul. All because of me …" Gerda looked down, her fingers tightly clenched on her knees.
"No!" Gerda looked up to see Virginia on her feet, her hands balled into fists. "I reject that!" Virginia was spitting. "What Wallace – Kay – became is not your fault!"
"Virginia –"
"You didn't love him! You had the right not to love him! You saved him from the first Snow Queen! You went on a long journey and put yourself in danger – for him! You didn't owe him another thing! Not a damn thing! He had no right to expect you to fall into his lap! You were your own person – not a possession and damnit he couldn't accept that, could he?! That he couldn't control you! That you weren't dangling from a string in his hand! So what does an entitled, spoiled brat do when they don't get their way?! Get revenge! He murdered you Gerda! You and your husband and your family and the whole wedding party! He couldn't possess you so he destroyed you! He took away your Happily Ever After! And then what did he do? He couldn't live with the guilt, but he wasn't about to kill himself, was he? No, he went to the Snow Queen and asked her to take away his pain. She promised she would, if he would do everything she said. And he's thrown this whole world into havoc! Look out at the world out there – what he's done! He's slaughtering the Resistance as we speak! All because of a vague promise to take away the pain in his heart! Because only his suffering matters! He didn't care about you – he cares about only his own feelings! Never mind your murder, not to mention your fiancé and family – all that counts is his pain!"
Gerda remained silent for a moment. Virginia was surprised to see tears forming in her eyes. "You're right. He is no longer the little boy I knew and loved. The little boy who was like my brother. But even now … hidden deep inside beneath the rage and hate … that little boy is still there."
Virginia rolled her eyes. "You don't surely believe that? After all he's done – that that little boy Kay is still hidden in that monster's heart?!"
Gerda leaned forward very seriously. "As I said Virginia – no one is lost that can't be found again."
"You think Kay can be redeemed?" she scoffed.
"I do," the beautiful young woman replied. "For if there's no hope for him to return – then there's no hope for Wolf either."
At this, Virginia had no answer. She sputtered, then fell silent. Finally, she looked up. "Can Wolf be saved …?"
Gerda stood up and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Yes. If you remember everything I taught you. I told you my story for a reason – you and I are similar."
"The tear –" Virginia began.
"- Is how I saved Kay the first time and how you'll save Wolf this time," Gerda finished.
"Then – then there is hope for Kay too?"
Gerda beamed. "Virginia – you've come out of the forest."
"I've got to go back then," Virginia recognized. "To save Wolf. And Fen. And the others …"
"And to stop your future self. Everything hinges on this. You will have to face the Snow Queen – yourself – one final time."
Virginia lowered her head. "But what if I'm not strong enough … she controls the elements themselves –"
"Will you stop doubting yourself?" Gerda scolded. "How quickly a lesson is forgotten! My old schoolteacher used to yell at us for forgetting our lessons! Don't you remember everything Snow White and the others tried to impart to you?! You were brought here for a reason! Snow White was right – you are standing on the cusp of greatness!"
"I'm a nobody! I had help last time! Wolf and Wendell -."
"No," Gerda corrected. "It was you. All you. You defeated and then redeemed your mother! The Evil Queen! And now – you will be the one to defeat the Snow Queen once and for all!" She leaned forward and kissed Virginia on the forehead. Virginia felt amazing warmth radiating through her body. Gerda took her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "The final confrontation is yours alone. Gaze at me and remember my story. It will give you strength."
Behind Virginia – a door appeared in the air. It led back to the Snow Queen's throne room.
"Go," Gerda motioned.
Virginia wiped her eyes. "How can I thank you?"
"By remembering my story. By stopping this madness. By becoming what Snow White predicted you would – a teacher and a comforter of other little girls lost in the woods. Go now – go and finally become who you were born to be."
Virginia lifted her hands to her mouth as she silently cried. "Thank you. Thank you … I'll never forget you. I promise!"
Gerda smiled sadly. "I had my Happily Ever After taken from me. But you – you still have a chance to have yours. That is one light that has not yet gone out …"
Virginia turned to look through the door back into the icy throne room. When she turned back to look at Gerda, the young woman had vanished. The ballroom was dark now, empty. Sad.
Nodding, Virginia turned and walked defiantly back through the door, back through the other side of the Devil's Mirror.
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"Where's Virginia! What have you done you sick, twisted –" Tony was screaming in the cold embrace of Hebro and Dynaman. Prince whined sadly. Above, fifty feet in the air, Fen was crying loudly from his cradle.
The Snow Queen grinned maniacally as she held up her pitchfork. "I think it's time for some change of color around here. White has become so boring. I say – let's stain the floors and walls a little. With red!"
Behind her, Fiona and Wolf licked their lips hungrily.
"Listen to me," Tony was sputtering as the Snow Queen twirled her pitchfork in her hand. "There must be some part of you that's still my daughter! She's got to still be in there somewhere!"
The Snow Queen pointed the pitchfork at Tony's chest. "First – Dear old Dad." She stepped forward –
"Your Highness!" Fiona's eyes gleamed with a hungry red light.
The Snow Queen turned to look at her. "Yes, my dear Fiona?"
"Let Wolf have the honors. Out of all of us – myself, Hebro, Dynaman – he has yet to partake in any bloodletting."
The Snow Queen raised her eyebrows. "What a wonderful idea! Wolf – come here, my pet!"
Huffing, Wolf walked next to the ice witch like an obedient pup. She held the pitchfork out for him. Wolf stared into her eyes, then reached out with a shaky hand, clasping it around the torture device.
The Snow Queen leaned into his ear. "Make it good," she whispered.
A light filled the room. On the other side of the throne room, Wallace's two guards whom he had left to guard the Devil's Mirror scampered away in fright as Virginia emerged from the depths of the mirror and stepped into the throne room. "Stop! Right now!"
The Snow Queen hissed as her archfoe and past self marched confidently up to her. She sneered. "So … you've made your way back? To see your family die?"
"No," Virginia replied. "To see you fade away into nothing!"
And Virginia and the Snow Queen stared at each other, ready to face each other for the final time …