A Tangled Web
Chapter Eight: The World Cracks
In later years, the citizens of Storybrooke, Maine would come to speak of what happened on April the twenty second in hushed voices. It all started very early in the morning, when Sheriff Emma Swan was awoken by a series of explosions on the edge of the forest that surrounded the town. Bright purple fireballs rocketed upwards, lighting up the night sky. Emma threw her hands in front of her face to avoid being blinded, and that was when the entire building shook violently. Emma screamed, grabbing onto her dresser, and the floor suddenly rolled beneath her feet. Emma screamed again, and that was when the lights went out.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret came stumbling into the room, her voice frantic with worry. "Emma, where are you? !" Emma inched her way over to the frightened woman, grabbing her hands, and Mary Margaret clung to her, sobbing in relief. "Oh thank gods you're okay!"
"I'm fine, but we need to get out of here! Follow me." Emma slowly began to lead Mary Margaret out of the apartment, both women trying to stay as upright as possible. They managed to reach the street, and watched in horrified fascination as the houses and buildings swayed back and forth. Emma planted her feet, doing her best to keep her balance, and then heard a sound that made her blood run cold. A soft, cracking sound. Even as she listened, the sound grew louder. Mary Margaret screamed, pointing down the street, and Emma saw the chasm heading for them. "RUN!"
They ran, not daring to look back, Emma trying her best to ignore the sound of the world cracking in pieces. She wanted to pinch herself, but a part of her knew that this was no nightmare. This was happening.
"Emma! Mary Margaret!" A voice to her right made Emma turn, and she gaped in shock at Ruby. The waitress was wearing what looked like a Halloween costume-a huntress' outfit complete with red cape.
"Ruby, what is going on?"
Ruby glared at her. "I'll explain later, right now you have to follow me! I can take you to safety." Emma gave her a skeptical look, and Ruby growled in exasperation. "Emma, COME ON!" Emma looked over at Mary Margaret, who nodded. Ruby sighed in relief, then turned and ran down the alley, the two women following. Ruby led them through the forest, stopping when she reached a lighting struck tree. Emma started forward, and a force seemed to fling her back onto the ground. Ruby helped her up, and then spoke to the air. "Tomas, I've got Mary Margaret and Emma. Open up." Emma was about to ask her if she'd lost her mind when she noticed a door hovering in the air.
"Whuh…?"
Mary Margaret was equally stunned, so Ruby grabbed them both and wrenched open the door. "Come on in!"
Emma stumbled inside, looking around in shocked recognition. "This is Gold's cabin!"
"Very good, dearie." Gold stepped into the room, an impish grin on his face, and Emma gaped at him. Gone was the neat suit and tie, to be replaced by leather pants and an open dark purple silk shirt. His normal leather shoes were also gone, replaced by calf length leather boots. But what Emma noticed most was that his limp was gone.
"Gold…you look…different."
He cackled, waving his finger at her. "Oh no, dearie. I look how I'm supposed to look. Gold is no longer here. His time is finally over. I am Rumplestiltskin."
Emma was about to say something when she heard the most wonderful thing she had heard all night. Henry's voice. "Emma!" She spun around, sobbing in relief as he came dashing down the hall and into her arms. Emma clung to him.
"Henry, thank God you're okay!"
Mary Margaret turned her attention to Rumplestiltskin. "Where's my husband?"
Rumple stared at her, no mockery in his eyes. "In the other room, with Belle and my daughters. He's fine, except for a small cut on his hand." Mary Margaret beamed, and then ran down the hall.
James was rocking Emmalyn when a sound made him look up. "Snow!" She ran to him, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "Thank the gods you're safe! Where's Emma?"
"Talking with Rumplestiltskin."
Emma sank back onto the couch, her mouth agape. "Say that again."
Rumple sighed, running his hand across his face in an effort to calm himself. "The Curse is weakening. This world is falling apart. I saw what was happening, grabbed my family, and transported them here. Then I placed a spell on the cabin so it could only be found by people I wanted to find it. After that, I sent Red into town to grab as many people as she could before disaster struck. Regina no doubt is holed up someplace safe as well, plotting her revenge."
"Why is the Curse breaking? I thought I was the only one that could stop it."
"You are. But stopping it and weakening it are two entirely different things. To stop it, you have to stop the Caster, and to do that-she cannot wield any power. Here or in the other realm."
Emma nodded. "Right, and so your solution is..."
"As I said, it's to put Mary Margaret, sorry, Snow White-up as candidate for Mayor. She's the rightful ruler of our realm, and she should be the rightful leader of this one. After all, I've managed one election, why not two? Of course, I won't have to set any fires for this one to work. Snow will do it all herself."
"But not two months ago everyone shunned her for her affair with Dad!" Emma slapped her hand to her mouth, and Rumple's grin grew wider. Emma sighed. "OK, so I believe. That doesn't mean I think it's a good idea, or even a workable one. Regina's got a lot of clout."
Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "True, dearie, but I've got more, and I intend to use it." He suddenly smiled, reminding Emma of a shark. "And I will do everything in my power to keep my family safe. I lost one, I'm not losing another. I will protect them above all else, even if it means my death."
Emma felt herself shiver as she looked into his black eyes. There was no lie there, only cold truth, and a power that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"What do you need from me?"
