First Attack
The group congregated into an amoeboid mass at the edge of the ring, all sensing what lay beyond and none willing to venture beyond the remains of the Ring. Morraine and Bae moved together, lacing their hands together. Rumpelstiltskin stepped up to the Ring and wondered aloud why the Black Forest hadn't engulfed Sherwood yet. "If you're looking for someone to wager a guess, I'd say it's because of Sherwood's funky time schedule," Tuck said.
"It could be any-when it wanted to?" Emma asked.
"Basically. Or it was every-when at once."
"How's that possible?"
"Magic, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said.
Emma shrugged. "Why the hell not?"
"We can't exactly be trapped in the remains of Sherwood for the rest of our lives," Bae said. "That sort of defeats our purpose."
"Bae has a point," Morraine added. "We'll have to keep going."
"Oh, joy," Emma muttered.
"Jesse, do you know this forest?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.
"Yes," Jesse said through her teeth. Immediately she knew where this was going.
"Could you do us a favor and-"
"Lead you through it?" She let out a heavy breath. "Okay, but only because you're the one asking."
"This is bad," Bae whispered to Morraine. She nodded to concur. Jesse took another shaky breath and stepped over the line in the grass that had marked the former edge of the Ring. With both feet planted firmly on the outside of Sherwood, she looked around as if waiting for something to come and eat her before disappearing into the darkness. After a moment, she released the breath.
"Follow me," she said. "Here's hoping you guys don't get eaten."
"By what?" Regina asked.
"Depends on what takes a liking to you."
OUAT
By some miracle, everyone had by degrees trusted Jesse enough to follow her into the shadowy forest. The Merry Men congregated at the front of the pack as a way of showing support for Jesse in this endeavor, and the others spread out behind them. Bae remained at Morraine's side as they wove through the long-dead underbrush, that all but crumbled on contact, and the brambles, which were much hardier.
Bae and Morraine tripped over a root, and they felt mud squishing around their shoes. "What is this ground made of?" she wondered.
"Not a clue," he replied. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure I want to find out." With that, they continued on.
OUAT
Regina and Emma walked side-by-side, Emma trying to gain answers as to Regina's newfound peace and Regina being as snappish in her replies as usual. The cold air suddenly shifted, and they turned at the same time. A shadow shot toward them over what they could see of the snow and the fog, and a gaping circular maw appeared out of the darkness. "Down!" Emma shouted, tackling Regina just as the mouth swooshed above them.
"What the hell is that thing?" Regina asked, staring at the giant worm's black underside.
"Not a clue, but we better move fast before it kills us. Come on." She pulled Regina to her feet, and by then the rest of the crowd had begun to watch what was taking place. Emma pulled Regina toward the front of the crowd as the thing opened its mouth again and let out an ear-piercing roar. The crowd began to scatter, rushing mostly forward. The beast lunged again, this time toward the Merry Men, and Bae and Rumpelstiltskin turned and stepped in front of it. The beast stopped. "Leave," Rumpelstiltskin said. The beast sized Rumpelstiltskin up for a moment that seemed, to Bae especially, to stretch out into eternity. Then it pulled up and flew over them in search of another hiding place.
"What was that?" Emma asked.
"That's an example of what could take a liking to you," Jesse said, not looking behind her. "We better keep moving, or more will follow." She walked off with the other Merry Men close behind her.
OUAT
Bae fell into step between August and Rumpelstiltskin and drifted close to his father, wondering aloud what connection there was between the Dark One and the Black Forest. August looked askance at Bae and then glanced at the Blue Fairy, flying throughout the crowd as if restless. She showed no reaction to the comment.
"People do listen to me, Bae," Rumpelstiltskin said nonchalantly in response to his son's comment.
"And beasts? Do I need to bring up the ogre?" Bae asked through his teeth. "And what was that thing? A giant worm?"
"Lamprey, actually."
"A giant magic lamprey. Alright, and how come I can't feel anything? I'd very much like to know when I'm about to be attacked by another giant flying magical beast. Or any magical beast, for that matter."
"That's a rather strange aspect to this situation, I admit," a voice said from behind them.
