Chapter 14: Beneath the Surface
Killian pulls Emma behind him as they watch the crack in the middle of Main Street widen and the pieces buckle upwards as something massive pushes its way to the surface. The glowing is becoming more intense, and they can already feel the heat. The couple looks at one another… they were so close to making the town seem normal… so close to getting everyone out… so close and yet the universe never lets it happen that way. The funniest thing about it was that this was normal for them.
Rory and Amy are still on the ground when they look up and their eyes go wide at the shiny silver appendage attached to the dark-haired deputy's left appendage. Of course, this is proof that these people had something to hide but not the strangest. Lots of people have prosthetic limbs, Rory being a nurse would know, but hardly anyone had a straight-up hook in the place of their hand. It was like he was trying to pass for a pirate or going to a fancy dress party as a knock-off Captain Hook. However, the man is not threatening them with it and is instead using it to anchor himself and his wife down.
Another round of tremors leaves everyone reeling and unable
"Coming from the mines?" Killian asks.
"Hiding anything that big, most definitely," Emma agrees.
Not giving Amy or Rory a second thought, the two race towards the street, knowing that they had to act.
The outsider couple regains their footing and stand up.
"I knew they were hiding something," the redhead says.
"It doesn't matter at this point, and this isn't the time to be right," Rory replies. He's prepared to shove Amy and himself back into the diner for safety and until the danger passes, but the best solution is to get back to the TARDIS. "We need to find the Doctor and get out of here."
"How if we don't know where he is…"
Just then whatever is underneath the town has made its final effort to come through. The entire town rocks like a massive earthquake. Like the concrete was merely water, the head of some kind of reptile breaks the surface. Elegantly curved and pointed horns appear first, like a spade making the hole big enough for the rest of the head to emerge. It's gray and covered in rocks and asphalt. A glowing, sinister-looking orange eye opens and scans around the area. Some sort of noise comes from the creature before finally allowing the rest of its body to begin breaking free. A long neck stretches up into the sky. Surrounding buildings, including the clock tower, begin to be pushed inwards and sustain massive damage to their fronts as the creature's torso and wings come forth from the earth. Its thick, tree trunk-like arms reach out along the road to pull itself upwards, claws digging inwards and ripping more of the town apart so its back legs can be freed. And finally, the tail finishes the destruction by stretching out and breaking about another block of the road.
Despite their travels with the Doctor, both companions stand in front of the diner, petrified at what they're seeing. A dragon… a mythical creature, like the minotaur thing they encountered back in that hotel. Whatever this alien is, it likely only looks like a dragon. Perhaps a distant cousin of the Silurians.
Sounds of gunshots are heard as the humans of the town attempt to take it down. However, the dragon is impervious to such feeble weapons. Any bystander would also come to realize that the reptile does not have scales but is completely made of stone/rock. It looks as though it was entirely born from the Earth.
The creature roars, a sound that forces Amy and Rory to cover their ears and the ground to shake again. Then it opens its wings, smashing into the upper floors of a building, sending debris and glass everywhere. With one flap that knocks the couple off their feet, the dragon is lifted from the underground and is airborne.
As the creature continues to fly upwards, something is attached to his back leg. A rope that is pulling something up from the rubble. With another pound of its mighty wings, what on the other end of the rope is revealed. A dust-covered and ragged Time Lord.
He dangles from the rope like a spider on a thread and he only managed to get a glimpse of his friends once before being lifted further into the sky.
"DOCTOR!" Amy screams.
"Found him," Rory manages to say.
The two get up and try to follow, but the massive pile of rubble and the gaping hole in the street prevent them. They shift around the minorly undamaged sidewalk next to the Granny's diner, desperate to rescue the Doctor from almost certain death.
…
Emma and Killian race down the street towards the mayor's office, knowing that they would meet Regina halfway in no time. They're careful to avoid the massive cracks in the road and know that every step counted because whatever was under the town was going to cause major damage and the way they came might be impassable when they turn to fight. The heat underneath is causing both to begin to sweat. The pirate keeps a strong grip on his wife's hand as they sprint forwards.
A dilemma arises in the Saviour's head. No doubt that this threat is magical and the only way to beat it is with magic… but the outsiders are there. She's praying that the two had enough sense to go back inside, but the risk is still there. To have the secret blown wide open, just to protect the town.
Up ahead, they see another figure dressed in dark clothing is there, the mayor of Storybrooke.
"Regina!" Killian calls out as the Evil Queen rushes forward to meet them.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Something's trying to come up from under the town," Emma replies.
"That's impossible. There is nothing under the town," Regina says.
"Well, it's certainly not nothing," the pirate retorts. "Is there anything else that you hid down in the mines?"
"No," the Evil Queen says adamantly.
"You kept Maleficent down there for 28 years, you're sure you didn't hide something else and forget?" Emma asks.
"NO!" Regina shouts, her anger flaring up.
Just then, the old brown truck pulls up with a sharp screech of the breaks and David and Mary Margret get out. Immediately, Snow has her arms wrapped around her daughter, checking to make sure she's okay.
"Everyone all right?" David asks, intense worry on his face.
"So far," Killian answers. "I do believe that the tremors and cracks drove everyone inside."
"What's down there?" Snow asks
"No clue," the blonde says.
"And this is not my fault," Regina snaps before her former enemy can implicate her.
However, the ground shakes again and the horns begin to emerge from the road.
The small group of heroes just watch in silence as a familiar form appears, but it's still so different. It lays waste to Main Street and everyone fears for other people, however with magic not being an option at the moment, they can only watch.
"No way," David says over the chaos.
"That's impossible," Regina shouts.
"It can't be," Snow says.
"That's not Maleficent," the mayor says firmly.
"It looks like her though," Emma says, removing her gun from her holster. Knowing how useless it was, with the outsiders around, it was their only choice.
"I've known her long enough, that's not Maleficent."
"Is it Lily?" Killian asks, also drawing his gun.
"Not Lily, this thing is completely alien," Regina answers.
Before anyone can think about the actual alien in their town, the dragon looks at them and Emma opens fire. Killian joins her and David aims with his rifle. However, it does nothing as they all suspected it wouldn't and they realize…
"Yeah, Maleficent wasn't made of stone," Emma agrees.
The creature looks at them in annoyance as barely can bullets even reach its skin. It's mostly irritated with the noise.
"Except for her stone-cold glare…"
The sarcastic comment comes from Crystal, running up to the group.
"Not the time Crystal," Snow snaps.
"Is everyone okay?" the young woman asks.
The dragon roars, making their ears ring before its wings spread and it takes flight with massive gusts of wind nearly knocking them back. The group watches as the thing gets higher and higher in the sky. David is the first to notice something tied to the leg.
"Someone's tied to the dragon!" he shouts, confirming what everyone can see.
The figure wears a tan coat and is covered in dust. David realizes that it's the alien doctor Despite the imminent peril, the sound of someone laughing is heard and he realizes that it's the same man.
"He's enjoying this?" David says in disbelief.
Belle races up to them, covered in dust and debris.
"Belle!" Emma says in shock. "What happened?"
Regina checks to make sure that she's not injured.
"I was just sorting books when the whole library began to shake violently… Books went flying and even some shelves came down. I barely got out one of the back windows without being crushed, but it definitely came from under the library…"
"How do you know?"
"Because of the heat," the beauty replies. "I noticed the heat when I opened up, but it was like a volcano by the first tremor. But I also heard and felt something moving underneath the building."
Rumpelstiltskin appears.
"Belle!" he says, pulling her into an embrace. "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough. A shelf fell on me, and it took me a few minutes to teleport out."
"Are you okay?" Crystal asks her father.
"I am fine," the imp says.
He then surveys the scene of the familiar-looking dragon flying above and the alien is still dangling from its foot.
"And this isn't Lady Maleficent?" the Dark One asks, recognizing the shape.
"No… this one's made of rock."
"We have to use magic," Regina says, her hands lighting up with fireballs.
"No, not with the people around," Snow snaps.
"Well, how else are we supposed to fight this thing huh? True love along with rainbow hearts and unicorn stickers?"
Ignoring the comment, the fairest one of all goes to the bed of the truck and removes her bow and arrows. David follows his wife and grabs the swords. He tosses one to Killian.
"And what the hell is that going to do?" the Evil Queen carries on. "Didn't you notice that it's made of rock? And how does old-fashioned arrows and swords not also raise suspicion from these people."
"It's better than nothing," Snow fires back.
"This wouldn't have been a problem if you'd let me wipe their memories and push them back over the town last night!" the queen growls.
"DOCTOR!"
The Scottish voice pulls the group out of their argument and at to the streets again. Even if they wanted to use magic, it's a little late now. The outsiders come racing towards the group, trying to find the safest way to approach the overgrown flying lizard without falling into the massive craters it's left in the street.
"DOCTOR LET GO!" the man, Rory shouts.
"It's all right Ponds." the Time Lord says. "It's all right."
"Nothing about this is all right," Amy growls.
She then notices the people… the ones who had greeted them last night and the ones who had a lot to hide.
"YOU!" she snarls, glaring at them. "YOU DID THIS!"
Rory is the first to notice the lethal and medieval weapons in their hands. Ignoring the bizarre choice in weapons for the moment, he tries to keep his fiery wife from becoming impaled on one of them. He grabs Amy's arm to keep her back.
"I KNEW YOU HAD SOMETHING TO HIDE AND NOW IT'S GOING TO KILL THE DOCTOR!" she screams.
"US?" Regina steps forward to face this woman. "THIS IS NOT OUR FAULT. WE HAVE NOTHING LIKE THIS. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL YOU AND YOUR ALIEN MONSTER CAME ALONG"
"MONSTER?!" Amy is ready to punch this woman, her hands curled into fists. Rory struggles to keep his wife from taking a swing at the woman.
"Amy no…" he says.
Regina does step back to avoid being but knows this woman doesn't have a prayer when it came to an actual fight against her. She was the Evil Queen after all, and after the Dark One, one of the most powerful magic users in the realms. Not that she would use her magic to hurt someone, she was a hero after all and she'd never engaged in a physical fight either, it was something completely beneath her. It would also be very immature to egg the woman on, so she remains there, glaring daggers but showing no sign of attacking her.
However, a massive roar from the skies brings them all to the actual threat.
The dragon's orange eye glare down at the tiny humans, having had enough of the noise and wanting it to end.
Crystal looks at her Dad, both having not taken their eyes off the reptile.
"Do you think this dragon can…?"
A glowing light comes from the throat of the creature and it opens its mouth.
"DUCK!" she screams.
Thinking quickly and knowing they had no choice at the moment of life and death, the Dark One teleports them all away, seconds before the stream of fire hits the pavement where they had been standing.
They all reappear a few feet away, Rory and Amy dazed and confused about what just happened.
However, none of them have time to react as the dragon prepares for another attack.
This time, Crystal uses her magic to blast everyone in different directions, scattering them all safely from fire range.
The companions are thrown back onto the pavement, stunned and unable to think straight, but now they are in the open and exposed.
They look up to see the dragon ready for another attack.
"AMY! RORY!" The Doctor's voice can be heard.
Unable to fully recover, Rory rolls over to shield Amy with his body.
"I love you," he whispers
"I love you," she replies.
They brace themselves for the fire, with a flash of orange rushing across their vision.
A/N: To be continued... A classic Doctor Who cliffhanger