Instead of the heroes traveling to a different land, the people of a different land had traveled to Storybrooke.
The Land of Untold Stories had already brought forth quite a few interesting characters.
And it seemed there were also some horrifying ones.
A clue to there being another big bad in town was discovered just after sunrise.
Some dock workers discovered one of their own lying lifeless on the ground.
The only visible wounds were two puncture marks on his neck.
"The markings kind of remind me of the vampire bites I've seen in movies." Emma groaned. "Please tell me we aren't dealing with vampires now."
"Sorry honey." David didn't like what the situation indicated. But with two puncture marks on the neck and the body drained of blood, the implication was clear.
The only questions now were, just who, and how many, were they dealing with.
To make sure, they talked to Dr. Whale, who was Frankenstien in his other life. If anyone knew about these types of things, it had to be him.
Just then David's phone rang.
"Charming, somethings wrong. The body of the night custodian was just found outside the school. There's no sign of injury except for two small wounds on his neck."
A call from Killian added to the situation.
"Smee just informed me that two men who often fished at night have just been found lifeless on their boat, which has crashed on the rocks."
A meeting was called to figure out, and how to handle, what they were dealing with. Dr. Whale and the head of the fairies, Blue, were asked to attend.
It was thought best for school to be canceled for the day.
Henry insisted on joining the meeting. Snow insisted that he stay by her side the whole way to the sheriff's station.
"Well, Storybrooke had been flooded with people from various realms. It stands to reason that beings of myth, legend, and lore are here as well."
"So are you saying we're dealing with an actual vampire?"
"Hopefully, it's just one. But with multiple victims, I fear there may be more."
"All of the victims have been found early in the morning. Which means whoever is attacking them, prefers to do so at night."
"Maybe they can only attack at night."
"Night is a pretty common time for one person to harm another." Emma sighed. It didn't matter if they were dealing with a magical world, or a non magical one; every realm had people hurting other people.
"Darkness and shadows. A lot of crime is easily committed with the help of darkness and shadows." Killian nodded.
"It's why a dense forest was an ideal place for being a bandit." Snow added, remembering her own past deeds.
It left very little clue to who the culprit could be.
"The problem is, besides people being killed, all of the victims have been from different lands. None of them seem to have anything in common."
"Which means we may be looking for someone who simply enjoys the act of killing."
"Who either is, or thinks they are, a vampire."
"So are we saying that vampires could really be in Storybrooke?" David asked, incredulous at the idea.
"Looks like it." Mary Margaret shook her head, agreeing with her husband at the insanity. "But if vampires only exist in Whale's' world; how did they end up here?"
"Obviously through the Land of Untold Stories." Whale said, matter of factly.
"What can you tell us about the vampires from your world?"
"I only know what my former professor told me." Whale explained. "Dr. Van Helsing claimed to have dealt with beings who he referred to as vampires. These beings were humans that were turned by those who had also been turned."
"Van Helsing?! Seriously?!" Emma knew she should probably be used to fictional characters actually being real; she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming after all. Still, the idea that Van Helsing from the Bram Stoker story was real was difficult to believe.
And with that thought came another.
"Did he mention Dracula?"
"Yes, he did. Something about sealing the ancient vampire in a tomb in the depths of a church. He and a man named Jonathan Harker. It was the only way of saving Harker's wife."
"I take it this Dracula being is some sort of monster in one of this world's stories?" Killian asked.
"Something like that."
"Can we blame Whale for all of this? And send him back to his world?" David was secretly hoping a vampire would get Whale.
"You have to stop trying to get rid of Whale."
"Did Whale ever flirt with you?" Killian asked Emma.
"No. But that might only be because he had already been hitting on Mary Margaret. And she and I became roommates pretty soon after I came here. Then again, it might be because I also started working for the sheriff station pretty soon after moving here. And I started carrying a gun."
"Maybe we should turn the bullets to silver." Snow suggested, trying to get the conversation away from the fact she had gone out with Whale.
"I thought silver was used against werewolves?" David asked.
"I've heard lore where it burns vampires."
"Let me see what I can do. I should have a few chests full from my pirating days."
"Thank you, Killian." Emma looked at him with affection and pride. " We might have to pass them around Storybrooke. So people can defend themselves."
The first person to be given trinkets of silver to wear was Henry.
"Wind these silver chains around your wrists. If a vampire comes after you, press the silver to their skin." Killian advised as he fastened the chains to the boy.
"It would be better if we told people not to leave their homes at night." Leroy said.
"That's not always possible. Some people have animals. And kids don't always listen to warnings."
"Adults don't always listen to warnings." Emma sighed.
"Are we driving stakes through their hearts, or are you guys going to try to redeem them?" Whale asked. "I know you hero types are always wanting to do the right thing. Or you think everyone can be saved from themselves. But I think you have your work cut out for you this time."
"The only way to stop them without killing them is to turn them back into humans. But we would need to find a spell to do that." Snow said, the worry of the whole situation clear on her face.
"The prince in me wants to try to return them to human. But the bigger part of me that's Emma's father wants to end them completely, before they hurt my little girl." The determination in David's stance made Whale take a step away. A flashback of getting punched in the face flitting through his mind.
"The one thing we have going for us is that it appears these vampires don't like direct sunlight." Henry pointed out.
Emma didn't say it out loud, but she was relieved they weren't dealing with the sparkles in the sun variety. She probably would have left Storybrooke if she had seen some Rob Pattinson looking guy show up.
"Van Helsing said direct sunlight was harmful, it literally burns a vampire's skin. But if it's a cloudy day, where the sun is blocked most of the time, we could still be attacked." Whale warned.
Emma gave a heavy sigh. "Whale, write down everything Van Helsing told you about vampires. We need to know which rules apply, and which don't. We need to hold a town meeting and warn everyone about the latest threat.
"There might be a bigger threat at hand, love." Killian advised. "If these creatures just needed blood, they could have broken into the hospital. They're obviously strong enough. Or they could have asked for help. It's been made clear that help is available to everyone. My instincts tell me there is a lot more going on."
"My instincts tell me the same thing." Emma agreed.
"I hate to suggest this. But do you think we could get Gold to help with our vampire problem?"
"He can not help us." Blue warned. "His power comes from darkness. These beings we deal with exist in the darkness. The dark one's magic will have no effect on the creatures."
"The magic in each world manifests differently. In the world of the enchanted forest, it's healthy, thriving, and can be controlled with a little focus and practice. In the world of Wonderland, it's chaotic and not always easy to predict or control. In the land of horror, it's weak and rare. it only manifests in certain areas, and in certain beings. And often takes a specific time, element, and energy to tap into. The rules are different."
"But there are rules. If we can figure out what they are, we can deal with this new crisis."
By the end of the day, everyone in town had been warned of the new threat and been advised on how to protect themselves.
Needing to take her mind off of the potential of horror movie monsters in Storybrooke, Emma decided to focus on her sexy boyfriend.
She practically threw herself at Killian, who easily caught her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. Their lips fastened firmly together, barely parting as they made their way up the stairs and into their bedroom.
From just outside their fence, a figure cloaked in shadow stared at the lovers. Eyes filled with envy gazed at the beauty who was giving her body so willingly. Sharp ears picked up her breathy moan of "Killian".
The dark figure moved up into a tree, peering into the window, staring at the two lovers wrapped so much in one another, neither felt his menacing glare.
He watched with increasing envy as the golden haired beauty pressed herself to the raven haired man and whispered that she wanted him.
The dark entity plotted that soon he would be the one to receive the attention of the one called The Savior.
By sunrise, the figure was gone.