Something Wicked This Way Comes

Peter walked into the dining room to find March missing and the cheshire cat in his place. "Where'd March go?" he asked.

"Out looking for someone," the cat replied. "Foolish."

"Who?"

"It doesn't matter. It was a foolish action and now I'm stuck babysitting you."

Peter approached the cat and snarled, "Who is March looking for?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I do."

"He went looking for a man named James Kilpatrick Hook." Peter straightened, eyed the cat for a moment, and then walked over to the door. "Don't think you're going to go look for him."

"Shut up."

"Aren't we cheery this morning."

"And apparently we're supposed to be apathetic toward each other." The cat wordlessly continued grooming. Peter stared out the window.

OUAT

Bae's shot went wide, but that wasn't his focus; it was on a ripple in the air, one of pure evil and hatred of the entire world. He dropped his bow and walked back into the castle. "What is it?" Belle asked when he reached the main hall.

"Where's Papa?" Bae asked.

"In his room. Why do you ask?"

"Something's happening."

"Then I suggest you better get going."

Bae turned to leave, but then he stopped, looked over his left shoulder, and said, "My bow and a quiver are in the garden. I figure you might like some practice, given that you hadn't had it in a while."

"Thanks."

So Belle walked into the garden and Bae up to his father's room.

OUAT

Rumpelstiltskin turned on his heel in front of the mirror when Bae opened the door. "What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Bae replied, "but it feels wrong."

"Wrong how?"

"Like evil and hatred toward everyone and everything."

"Can you be sure where it came from?"

"Somewhere northwest of here." Bae paused, studying the floor for a moment before meeting his father's gaze again. "If you want me to wager a guess, I'd say Wonderland."

OUAT

For almost half an hour, Peter stared out the window. The cheshire had long since disappeared, much to the former's relief, but Peter was still puzzled by what he was staring at. All he knew was that it was bad.

Finally, light glinted off the helmets of upwards of twenty men, marching in ranks of four toward the safe house. How did they know where they were? Peter wondered. Safe houses were supposed to be safe. That was why they were called that.

Peter turned and walked through the house toward the back door, slipped out, and ran into the forest.

He continued to run, listening for soldiers behind him but for a long time hearing nothing. The twigs and dead underbrush threatened to trip him up several times, but he kept his footing. Giant mushrooms dropped spores, and he managed to dust them off without breaking his rhythm.

Finally, he tripped on a rock and stumbled into a river bed. His lungs burned, and he coughed and shook. His head pounded, and he thought he was about to lapse into a long and particularly rough episode.

He heard something rustle in the forest around him, and he bolted to his feet and grabbed a rock. He held it up, ready to strike or throw, and his breathing was heavy for an entirely different reason. "Show yourself," he yelled, his voice raspy. His eyes jumped from point to point in his surroundings, waiting for the sound again.

It came, from the same general location as before. He snapped his head toward it. "What do you want?" he yelled.

To Peter's surprise, Hook emerged from the forest, his hands up and a bare sword hanging from his belt. The rock fell from Peter's hand, and he sank to his knees. Hook scrambled over to him and knelt in front of him. "Peter," he whispered, resting his hand and forearm on the boy's shoulders. "Peter, are you alright?"

Peter blinked at his father, his eyes slightly unfocused. "What's happening?" he whispered. His voice shook slightly. "Am I hallucinating? Is this real? I don't understand."

"That's okay. We can help you with that."

"You can?"

Hook nodded. "Yes."

"There," someone yelled. "Intruders." Hook pulled the boy toward the woods where he had emerged and moved between Peter and the source of the sound. Then he drew the sword and waited. "Who goes there?"

Then a figure emerged.

OUAT

Rumpelstiltskin returned to the mirror, and Bae stepped forward and asked, "What is it? Do you see anything?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked from the mirror to the window in the direction Bae had earlier indicated. "I think you might be on to something," he said softly, his fingers curling slowly toward his palm. Bae didn't see it, but Rumpelstiltskin's eyes softened.

"So...what do we do?" Bae asked.

"Well, Bae," Rumpelstiltskin answered, turning toward his son, "I'm not entirely sure, but I do know this."

"What?"

"Something wicked this way comes."