Dopey jerked awake that night and began screaming at the top of his lungs as something burned him. Whatever it was, it was hotter than the forging fires he worked with in the winter. He thrashed and wailed, getting tangled in the blanket before he crashed to the floor. Despite the pain from landing, the young Dwarf twisted and writhed, screaming and slapping at his nightshirt pocket.

"What's happenin'?!" Sleepy cried from the next room.

Doc came running into the room and grasped Dopey. He saw what his youngest brother was doing and snatched whatever it was out of his pocket. He froze as a strong feeling burst inside his skull. Every nerve in his body lit up with the absolute certainty that they were in grave danger and had to get out of the castle.

"Get dressed! Now! Grab essentials! Move!"

Doc's voice was so serious and terrifying that the brothers scattered to obey without question, stumbling around in the mostly dark rooms. Doc looked at the aquamarine in his hand, unable to comprehend why it felt so strange, but another pulse from the gemstone and Doc began to dress. When he was done, he shoved the aquamarine into Dopey's hand and scrambled for the diamond Grumpy had given to him. After a moment, the urgency began to fade, but Dopey shoved at him frantically, so he kept searching.

The others had scrambled into their clothes by the time Doc finally found it in his good pants. He shoved the diamond into his pocket. The others all did the same with their own trinkets. They hurried to grab their packs and get everything together, frantic to get it done. When they were ready to go, they all looked at each other then stuck their hands in their pockets and grasped their stones.

Almost as one, they snuck out and kept quiet, the gemstones egging them on. Without talking, they all snuck through the halls, ducking past servants and guards. They finally made their way out into the garden and hustled for the hedge maze. It wasn't something they needed to discuss. Clutching at the gemstones, they stepped into the maze and everything stopped. The urgency was gone, and they suddenly had no idea why they were standing out in the middle of the royal gardens at the entrance of a hedge maze in the middle of the night. They peered at each other, embarrassed by what they'd done.

"Ah, best get back to stead, uh, bed," Doc said sheepishly.

They stepped out from the hedge maze and immediately felt the urgent pulse go through them. They all were compelled to step back into the hedge maze, where the feeling faded again.

"What's goin' on?" Sleepy asked, jittery and wide awake.

"I don't know," Doc said. He stepped out and the feeling returned. Stepping back into the maze, he noticed his hand grasping the diamond. He tugged it out of his pocket and frowned at it.

"Hold this," Doc said. He handed it to Bashful then stepped out of the maze again. This time, he felt no different. He turned and rejoined his brothers, taking the diamond back. "I think it's this. And the other gems that Grumpy stave, erm, gave us."

"How is that possible? They're just for good luck," Happy argued.

Dopey sucked in a breath and his eyes went wide. Grumpy had told him they weren't just for luck when he'd asked about it after they'd washed. They had the strongest protection spells he could make woven into them. Something dangerous was going to happen.

"Dopey? What is it?" Sneezy asked.

Dopey looked up, helpless to explain. But he didn't have the chance anyway. The entire castle suddenly lit up in a burst of magic. Doc and the brothers gazed in horror as screams began to fill the night, and the urgency returned. They all turned as one and wound their way to the center. Unlike when searching for Grumpy after his beard had been yanked by the queen, they didn't get lost. The gemstones showed them the way, and when they got to the center, they were almost dragged toward the statue.

Without thinking about it, Doc touched the base and gasped. "Oh," he breathed. "Oh, it's Dwarf-made. Oh my."

He was astounded at the strange workmanship beneath his hands. It was magic and stone woven together in a way that was foreign to him. Doc stepped back and opened the tunnel with a hidden switch that would be hard to find if one wasn't a Dwarf. The gems tugged them forward, and they obediently went in.

"Wait! Snow!" Sneezy exclaimed, and he turned to leave, but there was the sound of hostile voices.

"I heard them talking," somebody said. "She won't like that some escaped."

Without a choice, Sneezy swung the tunnel closed, and they all stepped back in the dark. They hardly dared to breathe. The gemstones tugged them down the tunnel, and they felt their way through the blackness, their only hope that whatever their luck charms were doing, they would protect them. As for Snow, they could do nothing for her. They had to focus on one thing at a time, and since Snow wasn't an option, they focused on Grumpy. Maybe he was still in the city and not in the castle. They had to find him, had to make sure he was safe. So they continued on in the the dark, grasping each other and praying that Grumpy was okay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The live-wire sensation exploded across Grumpy like a bolt of lightning, and he jumped out of bed and started to get dressed.

"Get up!" he roared. "Get up and get dressed! There's gonna be trouble!"

He threw a ball of magic into the air, where it burst into light, flooding the room. The thieves were all up and moving as soon as they got any sort of bearing. Grumpy was dressed within a minute, and he jerked his boots on and stood up, grabbing his pack and slinging it on his back. William, the curious boy who had taken a special liking to him, hurried over.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't know yet," Grumpy said tightly. "But somethin' ain't right. I'm goin' to the castle to check on the princess." He looked around at the alert thieves. "Get outta here. Stay in the shadows, and find out what's goin' on. Don't speak to nobody, and no stealin'. It ain't the riot kind of bad." The thieves watched as Grumpy threw out a sheet of silver before stepping into it. They flooded up the stairs as soon as he was gone and scattered into the night.

Grumpy ended up inside the castle. He snuck down the hallways, his skin tingling. Something wicked was going on, and he swallowed nervously. He hoped he wouldn't run into the brothers. No doubt they didn't want to see him again. He wondered how the wedding would go, and immediately uninvited himself. They would get so much more out of the experience than he would.

"Halt! Who goes there!" a guard shouted. Grumpy stopped moving and focused. The guard came around the corner, his eyes sliding past the Dwarf without seeing him. He went back to his post, and Grumpy exhaled and relaxed his magic so that he became visible again. He didn't trust the guards, and he didn't want to be caught.

He quickly flashed into Snow's room and peered around. She wasn't there. He closed his eyes and sent out a wave of magic that outlined every single person in the castle for him. He saw her talking with the king and queen, and she was most unhappy. The feeling of danger was growing, so he decided to get to them.

Carefully peering through the sheet of magic, Grumpy found a secluded spot in the room where he wouldn't be seen then stepped through.

"Isabela, they're perfectly lovely men. I don't see why you're so angry about them," Snow was saying.

Grumpy peeked out to see Snow was very angry indeed. Her control was admirable, seeing as how even from there, Grumpy could sense her restraining her magic. He had never seen her so livid.

"They're Dwarfs, Snow," Isabela said acidly. "Do you know what Dwarfs do to young women?"

Bile rose in Grumpy's throat, and he cursed the queen in his head. How dare she suggest the brothers would do something so vile! And to Snow White? That beautiful girl, so kind and thoughtful, would never be treated that way by them, or anybody if he had anything to say about it. He wanted to slap the woman across the face. Snow shook a little, gritting her teeth.

"You're wrong," she said quietly. "You're wrong about them. And I won't stand you hurting them again."

"Hurt them?" Ferdinand asked. "How?"

"I know what you did to Grumpy."

Grumpy flinched. He'd hoped Snow wouldn't find out.

"What?" Isabela scoffed. "Pulling his beard? I see Dwarfs do it all the time."

"There's a difference between a tug and a jerk, though I suppose the second part is in your nature already."

Grumpy's eyes went wide and he grinned, holding back a laugh. There she was, the sassy girl he loved and cared for. She so rarely spoke frankly to anybody and he was proud to hear her stand up to the queen.

"I beg your pardon?" Isabela demanded.

There was a knock at the door, and Florián came inside, followed by a servant. Snow turned around and she jumped to her feet, looking ready to attack.

"Halt!" she boomed.

Florián stopped, looking startled. "Snow, my love? Whatever is the matter?"

"Who are you and what are your intentions?"

"Snow?" Florián asked. He turned to look at the servant. "It's just one of the servants."

"She's not a servant. I know them all. She's disguised herself as a servant."

Grumpy knew Snow was right. Dark magic poured off the innocent looking woman. She appeared to be about Calida's age, with dark eyes and smooth skin. Neither Grumpy nor Snow were fooled, and the Dwarf tensed and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen.

The woman stared at Snow in surprise. Then she smiled and closed the doors. "You are very astute, Princess. I did not know you possess magic."

Isabela, Ferdinand, and Florián looked at Snow in surprise. Though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she didn't relax.

"I do, and I don't care for your tone. What do you want?"

"I want what any girl wants," the woman said, and she pulled a small orb out of her pocket.

"What do you want?" Snow repeated.

"Oh, money. Fame." She turned to look at the royals. "And the crown of course."

"Guards!" Ferdinand shouted, suddenly aware that Snow had been right. But it was too late.

The woman hurled the orb at their feet, and there was an explosion of black light. Grumpy threw up a shield, his heart hammering.

"Snow!" he shouted, barreling out of hiding. The woman turned to him and her mouth fell open.

"You?!" she asked, stunned.

"Grumpy!" Snow called.

"Here, Snow!" Grumpy exclaimed. He could feel the black magic trying to burst his shield. It was strong, and even though Snow had clearly shielded herself too, she wouldn't be able to stave it off for long. They had to get out of there.

"No! No no no!" the woman screeched. "You stupid, filthy mongrel! You're going to die this time! I'll make sure of it!"

Grumpy ignored her, running toward the pink light that was Snow. He got to her only to see her pale and weak. Her magic was strong, but her stamina wasn't good. Grumpy ran through her shield and grabbed her hand, strengthening her magic with his own.

"Grumpy!" Snow sobbed, pointing, and he saw the king, queen, and prince had been turned to crystal.

The woman was preparing another spell, and Grumpy looked around. It was no good. They had to leave, had to get away. But there had to be something he could do about the royals. His eyes fell on the orb, and he threw his hand out, summoning it. It flew into his hand, and he threw out a silvery sheet, pushing it as far out of the city as he could without hurting himself. As the woman reached them, they vaulted through, and Grumpy crumpled and collapsed the portal so that they couldn't be followed.

They landed in a grassy field twenty miles away from the city. Grumpy shuddered and dropped to his knees, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. He'd never traveled that far before, and he could feel that he'd stretched his own magic to its limits. He turned to see Snow unconscious beside him, her eyes rolled back in her head. She was safe, and to Grumpy that was all that mattered in that moment. He cast the best protection charm he could on them before he passed out and knew no more.