Giving up on her door, which was jammed, Emma started working on the windshield of the car. Propelling her feet through it, she managed to force most of the glass from the frame. After finally managing to wriggle out of the car (on her stomach, ruining her signature leather jacket), she saw that Neal had already fetched Henry out. The Kid stumbled a bit, unsure on his feet, and Emma dashed over to make sure he was okay. By the time she was sure Henry was fine (if you ignored his forehead gash), Evil Witch No.1 had started yelling ('Did you really think your power would be enough to stop me? You are weak Rumplestiltskin, and a coward.') Neal had turned back to face his father (still angry about that, btw), and his face was paler than she'd ever seen it. Emma figured 'What the hell', and put her hand on his shoulder for support, then forced herself to walk forwards (so not thinking to herself that Cora was seriously fashionable - that dress was awesome. For a dress.)
But when the Supreme Psycho Bitch saw her, she raised the weird crooked dagger above her head (from this angle it looked like it had letters on it - weird), and looked at Gold. "Dark One" her voice was deep and booming and creepy "I command thee. Tear out her heart." Emma blinked in disbelief, and watched as the Pawnbroker turned to her, a manic grin on his face. His eyes were creepily empty though, and if anything they only looked sad. Before she had the chance to react he was before her, a deep red cloud rolling away from him. Then he thrust his hand in to her chest, and it hurt worse than before. She could hear Neal yelling, and Henry screaming, but it was all so far away... But then that familiar burning began, and this part she could remember. It spread through her chest and her toes, and even her hair, and then Gold was gone, shot to the other side of the road in a pulse of light.
Cora growled, and Emma figured she must have forgotten about that part. But then it was like she remembered herself, and she said "Never mind the girl. Kill the child. Kill Henry." Emma shook her head, screamed no, but it was like he couldn't hear her. He went for Henry anyway, stalking towards him. Henry was crying, and he screamed too, screaming for Mom. Emma knew he meant Regina. And Emma seriously hoped that people with magic had super hearing or something, 'cos they needed help. Before she'd finished the thought the 'Evil Queen' was beside her, Mary Margaret and David too. With shocked expressions they took in the scene.
Cora didn't notice the new arrivals, nor did Gold, Neal or Henry. The Witch was still screaming for Gold to kill Henry, and now the Kid was running. All three of his parents and all three (four? Did Cora count?) of his grandparents followed, and a flash of orange dashed across Emma's sight - the town line. But Gold had Henry by the throat now, and MM screamed and David lunged and Regina yelled "Get the dagger!" And then Regina disappeared, which was totally not helpful. But Cora had turned around, and was directing her focus (and magic) at MM and David, so Emma figured she should at least do what the Mayor told her to do. Neal was keeping Gold back with his own cane, and protecting Henry as best he could, and Emma could do little else anyways. So she dashed forwards as Cora was distracted, and managed to grab the woman's outstretched arm (almost at the dagger, so close...) but then she and her 'parents' her thrown back by her magic, and she was further away than before (actually behind Henry now, and she could see Gold's dead expression). She tried to move forwards but was blocked and could only watch as her son was about to die, Cora saying those with magic could not step past the barrier she had created... MM and David were right by the town line, the latter actually with his head past the orange.
At a sudden thought she realised something that could save Henry's life (Gold was choking him with magic now, and Emma hadn't noticed it but she was still sobbing and screaming), and she yelled (kind of) for Neal to push Henry towards her. He understood her arm gestures, or seemed to, and picked himself up off the floor where he'd been thrown. He forced himself up from what was clearly a twisted ankle, and grabbed his son-Emma's son-by the back of his shirt and shoved The Kid fell into her arms, and before she fell to the floor she used his momentum to turn and make a mad dash to the town line. She could feel the magic drawing her in but she went for it anyway. She made it anyway. She let out a breath and turned, and watched. Watched as Gold crossed over the line to follow her, blue magic enveloping his form then fading, the shadows falling from his eyes.
Magic didn't work outside of Storybrooke.
After he regained control of his car, he rather wished he'd kept on driving. The dizziness wore off in time for him to watch Cora raise her arm to fling his (really rather expensive) car backwards into a tree, and then to watch her raise his dagger from the edge of his peripheral and summon him to her side. After a dramatic Disney villain-esque monologue, during which he felt his very freedom drain away, ice creeping down his spine, she gave her first command. He was to kill the Savior, the mother of his grandchild, the love of his son's life. He inwardly screamed 'No!', whilst wondering why it would be a problem if she died, now that she had fulfilled her purpose. As he 'magicked' (as Miss Swan would no doubt put it) himself before her, he watched all the color fade from her face, but his hand was already in her chest before she had the chance to move.
His mind was still screaming for his body to stop, but to no avail. At least until he felt his hands go numb. A child borne of True Love... She had mentioned this to him, after her father had been saved. Looked like the heartless bitch had forgotten this tiny detail. He finally managed to look Swan in the eye before he gave the heart a final tug, and was banished to the other side of the road, and into the trees beyond. As he stumbled to his feet (even the curse of the Dark One couldn't fix his leg in this world) he heard Cora growl (actually growl) and change her command. Now she wanted him to kill an innocent child.
And people called him the monster.
Still. He was the one to make her this way, so.
It seemed like everyone was screaming now; Emma screaming 'No!', Baelfire screaming 'Let him go you evil witch!', Henry screaming for his mother, Cora screaming 'Destroy him!'. Even Rumplestiltskin was screaming, though you couldn't tell that from his soulless grin and empty eyes. He screamed on the inside, against the steel grip of the dagger. At some point, when he hadn't been paying much attention, he had moved towards the boy, who was paralysed by fear. With the speed and precision of a snake his arm shot for the child's throat, securing him in a death grip. His own son had turned his back and was leaping for the cane that was abandoned on the ground. As Rumplestiltskin lifted his grandson from the ground, more voices joined in the screaming.
Now he heard fair Snow White, whose screams he had heard as he sat listening to her give birth from miles away in his lonely cell. He also heard Regina, who had clearly swapped sides (at least for the moment) as she yelled for someone, anyone, to grab his dagger. Clearly Cora had heard them too, since in mere moments the three (eldest) Charmings were flung past the Dark One and his son and grandson. Aforementioned son had at some point started to beat Rumplestiltskin's arm with his own cane, to no avail as the child continued to choke. Until he hit his leg at least, at which point he was for once grateful for the weakness of his human form. The boy fell to his knees and Bae dragged him back, the cane still in his grasp with the metal pointed threateningly at the Dark One. The command was still in effect, however, and where Rumplestiltskin would have gladly given up (would not have even attempted this cruel action), the Dark One in thrall was desperate to carry out the wishes of his dagger.
It was clear, to the darkest part of this monster's mind, that if he were ever going to kill the boy like he had been commanded, Baelfire would have to die first. So he took the cane from the man and threw it, then forced him to the floor, placing a choke hold on the child until he could deal with him. The blonde, her name no longer relevant to his mission, began to yell louder, and the man tried to force himself to his feet. He was unsteady on a now damaged leg, but still lurched forwards to grab the shirt of his victim. The boy was dislodged from the field of his magic, and hurled into the arms of the woman, who immediately turned and dragged the boy towards an orange line in the distance.
Rumplestiltskin, trapped within the mind of the Dark One, felt the very moment his magic was severed from the mother and her child, and silently, desperately wished for his body to cross the line after them. The Dark One was prowling closer, had reached Snow and Charming, had passed them, had reached the line, had crossed the line...
The ice fell from his spine. He was free again.
A/N Sorry about the dodgy formatting this chapter initially had! And thanks to Slightly Wicked for pointing it out! Knowing me I never would have noticed -.-'
