Chapter Eight - Broken
Season 2 - Episode 1
There was an Enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.
Or think we know.
One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.
Our World.
This is how it happened…
In New York City, a man in a business suit walks down the street, travelling by foot, down to the subway, until he arrives at his apartment. Inside, he sees it's raining outside. He notices his window open and tries closing it, accidentally dropping his phone onto the fire escape. Frustrated, and with the window remaining open, he leans his head against the window sill when suddenly, a pigeon lands on the sill and then quickly flies away. When he looks up, he sees that he left a postcard from Storybrooke; he looks at it and then flips to the back with the words 'broken' written on it.
Prince Philip and Mulan ride toward an abandoned castle on horseback; when they arrive, they discover Princess Aurora lying on a dias, seemingly under a sleeping spell. The Prince cuts through the vines while Mulan hangs back, letting him do the leg work. "If this works, we don't tell her everything," Phillip warns his travelling companion. "Not right away." Mulan nods, agreeing with him for now, and the Prince kisses Aurora, which breaks the spell, waking her up as a pulse of magic spreads throughout the land.
"Phillip…" Aurora gasps, looking at her beloved.
"Yes, Aurora," He smiles down at her.
"I told you not to come after me," she replies. They kiss again and pull apart, and Phillip helps her off the dais. "How long have I been asleep? What happened?"
"It doesn't matter," The Prince assures her. "The worst of it is over. Now that we're together, we'll restore this castle and our kingdom. As we dreamt. We'll be here always."
"Where is everyone? Why does it need to be rebuilt?" The Princess asks him.
"It's a long story. And you, my love, need rest," Phillip replies, not wanting to talk about it till they're safely back at the safe haven.
"I've had my fill of rest," Aurora assures him, feeling wide awake.
"Come with me. Our people have gathered in a new safe haven. We must join them," He informs her.
"A safe haven… From Maleficent?" She asks him, completely out of the loop.
"No. Worry not – she can no longer harm us," The Prince promises her, wanting to get her to safety.
"First, she goes after my mother, then me. Forgive me if I'm still a bit wary," Sleeping Beauty replies.
"Don't be. There are new dangers now. But nothing we can't handle," Phillip assures her.
In Storybrooke, the purple smoke swirls around the town, and Mary Margaret and David hug in the middle of the main street. "What's happening?" Mary Margaret questions, looking at the purple smoke.
"Let's find out," David replies as the purple smoke dissipates, and the two come across Granny and Ruby's reunion.
"Oh!" Granny exclaims, engulfing her granddaughter in a hug when Ruby spots Mary Margaret across the street.
"Snow?" Ruby says, looking at her, and the best friends embrace. Meanwhile, the 'seven dwarves' find their group.
"Your Highness," Leroy greets Snow and shares a big group hug. "The curse… It's broken?"
"Well, it appears so," David replies, looking at them.
"So, what do we do now?" Ruby asks, looking at David and Mary Margaret.
"Now? Now I find my daughter," Mary Margaret announces, and Emma, standing behind them, speaks up.
"So, it's true," Emma questions, and Snow turns around, cupping her face before hugging her. Emma doesn't return the gesture, still trying to wrap her mind around everything that's happened in the last few hours.
"You found us," Snow smiles, and David joins in the hug. Henry also comes over with Emma.
"Grandpa?" Henry asks, looking at David.
"Yeah, kid. I suppose so," David laughs, hugging the kid. "She did it. She saved you."
"She saved all of us," Mary Margaret agrees.
"I… Well…" Emma stutters, looking at everyone in shock.
"Uh, then why are we still here?" Leroy asks the others.
"That, my friend, is an excellent question," David replies, spotting Octavia in her pink scrubs not far from the group.
"Well, what was that smoke?" Mr Clark asks, looking to Snow and Prince Charming for answers.
"Who did this? What was that smoke?" The group of heroes ask their leaders.
"A-And why?" Walter asks.
"And what was that smoke?" The group asks more when Mother Superior walks over to the crowd.
"Magic. It's here. I can feel it," Mother Superior announces, making them look at her.
"Magic? In Storybrooke?" Henry asks and looks at her. "You're the Blue Fairy. Do something magical."
"It's not quite that simple, Henry. No wand, no fairy dust… Matters are complicated now," she explains, looking at Octavia. "Isn't that right, Healer?" Octavia looks at them, stepping towards the heroes, waving her hand slightly and creating a small flame in her hand.
"I think it's not so complicated," Octavia replies, extinguishing the fire.
"Let's go to the person responsible for bringing it – the Queen," Leroy suggests, glaring at the Cruel Princess.
"No, wait. It wasn't Regina," Emma tells him.
"I agree, it wasn't my sister," Octavia says, looking at the Saviour.
After the purple smoke finally disappears, Mr Gold and Belle stand by the well in the woods. "My darling Belle…" Mr Gold smiles at her. "You have to tell me what happened to you."
"I was abducted," Belle tells him, remembering her time in the Enchanted Forest much more precisely now.
"Regina," He growls, and she nods, confirming it. "Octavia?" She shakes her head, knowing the Cruel Princess had nothing to do with it, only being used by her sister.
"Regina locked me away until her curse, and I've been in the asylum ever since," She explains, thinking of how alone she's been for the last twenty-eight years.
"For twenty-eight years?" Rumpelstiltskin asks her, and she nods again. "All these years, you've been here. Alive."
"Is… Is that… Is that why you did this? Why you wanted magic? For revenge?" The Beauty questions, hoping he will change his mind.
"No, no. But it might come in handy," Mr Gold argues, thinking of how to get his revenge against Regina for taking Belle away.
"No. No," Belle argues, not wanting him to return to the way he was before.
"I cannot let this stand, Belle. I will not let this stand!" He snaps at her.
"Look, promise me. Promise me you won't give in to your hate. Promise me you won't kill her. Promise me, and we can be together," She asks him, trying to get him back and away from revenge.
"Sweetheart… I promise," The Dark One lies through his teeth, and she kisses him, thinking she's won the argument.
The large crowd on Main Street walks toward Mr Gold's Pawn Shop to look for the man. "Is there anything that you want to ask us?" Mary Margaret asks Emma as they speed toward the shop. "You must have questions."
"The only questions I have are for Mr Gold. Why did he double-cross me, and what did he do to this town?" Emma argues, not sure if she can handle all this right now.
"Uh… Shouldn't we talk about 'it' first?" She questions, wanting to get to know her daughter better now.
"What?" The Sheriff asks her.
"Us, your life, everything?" Snow suggests.
"Can we do everything maybe later? Like, with a glass of wine. Or…several…bottles," Emma counters, needing some time.
"I know it's a lot to take in—for all of us," David agrees, trying to reason with the two women.
"And we don't want to push, but we've waited for this moment for so long," Mary Margaret argues, looking at her husband.
"Yeah, so have I," Emma agrees, looking at them. "I've thought about this moment my entire life. I've imagined who you might be. But, of all the scenarios that I concocted, my parents being… I-I just need a little time. That's… That's all." A problem is developing in the background behind the group of heroes.
"Come on!" a man shouts, drawing their attention. They see an angry mob running down one of the streets.
"Snow," David says, and Archie quickly approaches the group, needing their help.
"There you are," Archie sighs, standing by them. "Come with me. I need your help. Dr Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They're going to kill her!"
"Great, let's watch," Leroy grins, earning a look from Octavia.
"No. No, we cannot stoop to her level," He argues. "No matter who she is or what she's done, killing her is wrong."
"He's right," Henry agrees, looking at Emma and Octavia. "Please. She's still my mum."
"We have to stop them," Emma and Octavia reply, looking at the others.
"If the Blue Fairy is right and magic is here, Regina could have her powers back like Octavia. They'll be marching into a slaughter," David argues, and the group runs toward the mob's direction.
Phillip and Aurora talk while Mulan surveys the area. When she pauses, she crouches to feel the ground as if something is off. She feels vibrations and draws her sword, and from below, a Wraith bursts, throwing Mulan backwards. Phillip draws his sword, swinging it wildly at the Wraith. "Phillip!" Aurora shouts for her beloved as he eventually hits the medallion chain around the Wraith's neck, causing it to fall to the ground. The Wraith screams, flying away. The three gather, and Phillip bends down to pick up the dropped medallion. "What was that thing?"
"Something bad," Phillip replies, looking at the medallion dreadfully.
After their time in the forest, Mr Gold and Belle arrive at the pawn shop. "You, uh… You wait here, Belle," Mr Gold tells her. "I'm going to find you something to wear. You've spent enough time in these rags."
"Thank you," Belle smiles, and he goes into the back room while she waits in the front of the shop. After pulling on gloves, Rumpelstiltskin pulls a chest off one of his shelves and opens it, revealing inside the Wraith's medallion.
The angry mob finally reaches Regina's house with Dr Whale in the lead and banging on the door. "Open up!" Dr Whale shouts. "Open up, or we're coming in!" Regina casually answers the door, not scared of the angry mob in her front garden.
"Can I help you?" Regina asks, looking at them confidently.
"That smirk isn't going to last forever, Regina. you took everything from us, and now-," He tells her.
"What? Now you're going to kill me?" She questions, interrupting him.
"Eventually. But first, you need to suffer," The Doctor replies, smirking.
"Listening to you has been enough suffering for all of us," The Evil Queen remarks, pushing off the step. That's right. You wanted to see your Queen? Well, my dears." She looks at the crowd. "Here… She… Is." She extends her arms, attempting to use her magic, but nothing happens. The crowd flinches, expecting something to happen, but when nothing does, they realise she can't perform magic.
"She's powerless!" The crowd shouts.
"What?" Regina questions, looking at her hands.
"Get her!" they shout, and Dr Whale grabs Regina and slams her against the doorway pillar.
"Now… Where were we?" Dr Whale grins when Emma comes rushing through the crowd, with Octavia not far behind and the rest of the group behind her.
"Let her go. Let her go! Let her go!" Emma orders the Doctor, pushing him away from Regina.
"Why should I listen to you?" He questions, glaring at the blond.
"Because I am still Sheriff," She replies, glaring back at him.
"And because she saved you. All of you!" David yells to the angry mob.
"And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this," Mary Margaret argues, sticking up for her stepmother.
"We are not murderers here," Emma reminds them.
"Well, we're not from this world," Dr Whale counters.
"Yeah, well, were in it now," Octavia snaps, making him look at her, and David pushes the Doctor away.
"Okay, Whale. We're done," David announces, and Dr Whale pushes him back.
"Back off. You're not my Prince," Dr Whale snarls at Prince Charming.
"Who are you, Whale?" He questions, looking at him.
"That's my business," The Doctor replies.
"Well my business is making sure this town doesn't go to hell. So, whether or not I'm your prince, isn't the issue. We have a lot to figure out, and this isn't the way to do it," Prince Charming argues, glaring at the man.
"And Regina's death won't provide any answers. She needs to be locked up—for her safety and, more importantly, for ours," Mary Margaret tells them. Octavia looks at her sister, who seems to want her help but can't look at her, so she walks away.
"What about Octavia?" Someone in the crowd questions, and Henry looks at his aunt, scared they'll turn on her next.
"Go for it, but unlike my sister, I can do magic," Octavia warns them, holding her hands and disappearing into teal smoke. Henry looks at the empty space, wishing his aunt stayed, but he knows that not everyone knows what she's done for them in the past. Henry leans into Emma, and she wraps an arm around him, but she has to take Regina to the Sheriff's station for her own good while everyone is still struggling from the curse breaking.
Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Regina, and Henry arrive at the station to find Octavia waiting, having changed out of her scrubs. "Took you long enough," Octavia remarks, and Henry runs into his aunt's arms, glad she's safe. Emma locks Regina in one of the cells while Henry and Octavia reunite.
"So, I'm a prisoner now," Regina questions, looking around at the cell.
"The curse is broken. Why didn't we go back?" David asks her, glaring at the woman.
"Because there's nothing to go back to. That land is gone," She informs them.
"We should get to Gold," Mary Margaret suggests, and the adults leave. They see Henry hugging Octavia in the hallway, crying a little, making them feel bad for what's happening. Once alone, Regina attempts to magically unlock her cell door but is unsuccessful again when Mr Gold enters the room.
"Magic is different here, dearie," Mr Gold informs her, making her look up at him.
"I noticed. I assume this is all your doing," Regina remarks, looking at her old mentor and frenemy.
"Most things are," He agrees.
"Get to it, Rumpel. What do you want? You're here to finish the job?" She asks him.
"No, no, no. You're safe from me," The Dark One assures her.
"I feel so relieved," The Evil Queen sighs, knowing her most significant problem is him.
"I made a promise to someone that I won't kill you," Mr Gold tells her.
"Who could elicit that from you?" Regina wonders, not thinking of the only person that can.
"Belle," He answers.
"She's alive," She fakes a smile, pretending she doesn't know.
"You are a dreadful liar," Rumpelstiltskin growls angrily at the woman.
"I could've killed her, but I didn't," The Mayor argues with a slight shrug, trying to play it off as cool and calm, but inside, she's panicking dreadfully.
"Yeah, you did much worse than that. You kept her alive, so you could kill her when it suited you," Mr Gold replies, getting angry at her even more. "A fate worse than death. Which, incidentally, is exactly what I've got in store for you." He grabs the Queen's arm angrily in a tight grip as she tries pulling away, and he pulls it through the bars, taking the medallion and pushing it into the palm of her hand.
"Is that…" Regina gasps, looking at the golden item in her arm.
"Yes, dearie. The one thing no one can escape – destiny. And, I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant," He grins, removing the medallion, and Regina looks at her hand, but there isn't a mark on it so far.
The royals and the warrior are still in the castle after the Wraith attacked them. "Cretin," Mulan snaps. "In your land, you would call it a Wraith."
"I'm sorry. Who is this?" Aurora asks, looking at her beloved and the strange woman.
"A friend," Mulan answers, removing her helmet finally and revealing that she is a woman to the Princess.
"You're…a girl," She gasps, looking at Mulan in shock.
"Woman. My name is Mulan," The Warrior corrects her.
"In your absence, she's helped me like no other. We fought many battles together," Phillip explains.
"With a woman," Aurora adds, still in shock.
"And now, we have another to wage. The cretin – the Wraith – is one of the most dangerous creatures in all the known lands," Mulan tells them, having encountered one before. "A soul sucker. According to legend, it marks its victims and removes their souls – damning them for all eternity." They hear screams coming from around them. "Those are the sounds of the souls that stopped trying to escape. But fortune favoured us, as we all avoided the mark. We need to begin our journey."
"It's okay. We'll be safe with our people," Phillip assures his beloved, hugging Aurora to him, and he notices the mark on the palm of his hand.
"Phillip, what is it?" Aurora asks him, but he quickly hides his hand, not wanting the women to worry about him.
"Nothing. Everything's fine," he tells her, smiling at her even though he knows something terrible is about to happen.
Mr Gold brings out his Dark One Dagger and the medallion into the woods, dropping the medallion onto the ground, then raises the Dagger. "The Dark One summons thee," Mr Gold says before stabbing the ground with the Dagger.
Meanwhile, Regina wakes abruptly from inside her cell and stares at the palm of her hand, which now clearly shows a visible mark of the Wraith.
Mr Gold watches as the Wraith emerges from the medallion and flies off in the hunt for its prey.
David, Mary Margaret, and Octavia watch as Emma loads Henry into the car with Ruby for his own safety while they try to deal with their newest problem. "Keep him safe, Ruby," Emma pleads with her.
"Don't push it, Snow," David warns her.
"I'm not…" Mary Margaret argues, making Octavia roll her eyes.
"You guys ready?" Emma asks them.
"We need to talk," She says once Emma comes over.
"I… Well, I don't… I just… I don't want to talk," The blond woman argues.
"Well, I do, kay," Snow retorts. "Gold can wait. I can't. I mean, you're my daughter, and… I want to talk to you. I know that we have talked. But we didn't know that we were talking. And we talked about things we probably shouldn't even have talked about—one-night stands and the like."
"One night stands?" David questions, making Octavia giggle.
"Whale," Mary Margaret tells him.
"Whale?!" He exclaims.
"I am so glad I am not you right now," Octavia remarks, looking at Snow and Emma.
"We were cursed. That is neither here, nor there. The point is, we did not know that we were mother and daughter and, now, we do. And, so… Please, let's talk," Mary Margaret requests, turning to Emma after glaring a little at Octavia.
"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Emma asks her.
"We're together – finally. And I can't help but think you're not happy about it," She remarks, looking at the blond woman.
"Oh, I am. But, see… Here's the thing – no matter what the circumstances, for twenty-eight years I only knew one thing. That my parents sent me away," The Saviour retorts.
"We did that to give you your best chance," Snow argues.
"You did it for everyone, because that's who you are. Leaders, heroes, Princes, and Princesses, and that's great. A-And amazing. And wonderful. But it doesn't change the fact that, for my entire life, I've been alone," Emma reasons.
"But, if we hadn't sent you away, you would've been cursed, too," Mary Margaret argues, not seeing the problem.
"But we would've been together. Which curse is worse? Come on. Let's just… Let's go find Gold," she replies, making David and Mary Margaret think while Emma and Octavia walk ahead.
"It's not my place to say, Emma, but if they hadn't sent you here, you may have been raised by some random people forever," Octavia tells her, patting her on the shoulder.
Mulan, Phillip and Aurora ride through the woods on horseback away from the castle, heading back to the safe haven. "We should camp here tonight," Mulan suggests. "The Wraith only appears when light is absent. That's why it ran when it first appeared. Light is its adversary."
"And you want to stop. Now?" Aurora questions, looking around.
"It's looking for a mark—something alive. Our best bet is to be still until night passes," she explains.
"She's right. We have to rest here," Phillip agrees, setting up a makeshift shelter for Aurora. "Here. You should sleep."
"No. I-I can't," Aurora declines, thinking of her time under the sleeping spell.
"Just relax. It'll come," He assures her.
"No, I mean I won't sleep. Not after what I just went through," She tells him, and Phillip's demeanour changes. "What's wrong?"
"I just missed you so much," The Prince replies, not wanting to tell her the real reason.
"And now, you don't have to," The Princess promises him.
"I'm going to find wood to build this fire. I'll be back in five minutes," Phillip tells them, kissing Aurora passionately.
"That's a 'see you in five minutes' kiss?" Aurora questions, looking at him funnily, though she enjoyed the kiss.
"I'm making up for lost time. I love you," he says, needing to say it one last time.
"I love you, too," She replies before watching him leave.
Mr Gold is making tea when Emma, Mary Margaret, Octavia, and David enter the pawn shop. "What can I do for you?" Mr Gold asks them.
"What you can do, is tell us what you did," Emma demands.
"I'm sorry. You're going to have to be more specific," He replies, looking at her.
"You know damn well what we're talking about," David snaps at him.
"You double-crossed Emma, you, uh, took your…potion, from her," Mary Margaret says, not sure what the potion was, to begin with.
"And did who knows what to this town," He adds.
"And, worst of all, you risked Henry's life," Emma says, and Octavia nods, agreeing with her about her nephew.
"Well, that is quite a litany of grievances now, isn't it?" Mr Gold questions, looking at them.
"Maybe I don't need answers. Maybe, I just need to punch you in the face," She argues, glaring at him.
"Really, dearie? Allow me to answer your questions with some of my own, alright? Did your dear boy Henry survive?" He asks.
"Yeah," The Sheriff answers.
"Is the curse broken?" The Dark One asks another question. "And let's see. Uh, Miss Swan. How long have you been searching for your parents? Looks like you're reunited. Seems like, rather than a punch in the face, I deserve a thank you."
"Twist my words all you want. What was the purple haze that you brought?" Emma snaps at him.
"You know… Magic," Mr Gold answers.
"Why?" Octavia asks him.
"Not telling," He replies, and a loud explosion rocks the building.
"What the hell was that?" Emma asks, and they rush over to the window, finding all the transformers blowing outside.
"That… Is my gift to you. That… Is going to take care of Regina," Rumplestiltskin announces, making Octavia gasp, not wanting to lose her sister.
"Emma, come on," Octavia shouts, running to the door.
"We need to go take care of this," David agrees, opening the door.
"We're not done," Emma warns him.
"Oh, I know. You still owe me a favour," Mr Gold agrees, watching them run out of the shop. Belle walks in, joining him. "Hey," he greets her with a loving smile.
"You lied to me," Belle snaps at him, having heard everything.
"No, I-I kept my word. I will not kill her," He argues.
"No. You toy with words like you do people. You're still a man who makes wrong choices. I thought you'd changed," She replies angrily.
"What? In the hour you've known me?" The Dark One questions, and she stomps toward the door. "Belle, I… I'm sorry. Belle, I'm sorry. I am." But she leaves, not wanting to hear any more of his lies.
At the campsite, Mulan tries starting a fire with a flint while Aurora watches when they hear the souls screaming again. "Where's Phillip?" Aurora asks, looking around into the trees.
"I thought he was in your tent?" Mulan questions, looking at the Princess.
"He said he was making a fire," She replies.
"I'm making the fire," The warrior states, holding the flint.
"I can see that," The Sleeping Beauty retorts shortly.
"He left. The voices are gone," Mulan says, looking around into the dark trees.
"W-Why would he leave?" Aurora asks, growing worried about her beloved.
"Because he was marked," She states, getting up to leave.
"What are you doing?" The Princess questions, watching her.
"Going after him. He's sacrificing himself for you," The warrior replies, looking back at her.
"No, for both of us. We have to get him," Aurora argues.
"I'm going alone. You'll only slow me down," Mulan tells her, walking away into the trees.
"No, I won't slow you down. Mulan! Mulan!" She shouts after her as she chases the other woman, who doesn't stop to wait for her. "Mulan, wait! Mulan! Mulan!"
The Wraith cuts the power off at the Sheriff's station, where Regina is still in her cell. "Hello?" Regina calls out into the dark. "Who's there?" The Wraith enters and pulls the door off of the cell. Emma, David, Octavia, and Mary Margaret race into the room as the Wraith begins sucking out Regina's soul.
"Regina!" Octavia shouts, looking at her big sister.
"Hey!" David shouts, smashing the Wraith with a chair, and the creature begins throwing furniture around the station.
"Over here!" Mary Margaret yells, using a lighter and an aerosol can to create a makeshift flamethrower, which drives the Wraith out the window.
"What the hell was that thing?" Emma asks, looking at the thing in shock.
"A Wraith," Regina answers.
"A soul sucker," Octavia adds.
"Did I-?" Mary Margaret wonders, looking around.
"Kill it? No, it's regenerating. It'll be back," Regina informs her.
"It doesn't stop until it devours its prey – her," Octavia explains, pointing to her sister.
"So, how do we kill it?" Emma wonders, looking at the Fairy Tale worlders.
"There's no way. Can't kill something that's already dead," Regina tells her.
"Then, we have a problem," She sighs.
"No, we don't. Regina does," David argues, glaring at the woman in the cell.
"What?" The Mills sisters snap, glaring at Prince Charming.
"David?" Mary Margaret gasps, looking at her husband.
"You want to let her die?" Emma asks, looking at her father.
"Why not? Then it goes away and then, we're safe," David reasons.
"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughter, there," Octavia snarls, moving towards her sister; even if she doesn't like the things she's done, she doesn't want her dead.
"No, you don't get to judge us," He snaps, looking at the Mills sisters.
"Let me ask you something. Where do you think that thing came from? Gold," Regina tells them.
"I made a promise to Henry. She's not dying," Emma reminds her parents.
"If it can't be killed, what do you suggest?" Mary Margaret asks, looking at the sisters.
"Send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone," Regina suggests.
Emma and Regina walk into the Mayor's office, and the raven-haired woman pulls out the hat box containing Jefferson's hat. "Did Henry really ask you to protect me?" Regina asks her.
"Yes," Emma answers, and Regina pulls out the hat. "The hat. You had it all along."
"What do you mean?" She questions, looking back at her.
"That's Jefferson's hat," The blond woman snaps.
"Who's Jefferson?" The Evil Queen lies when Mary Margaret, David and Octavia enter the room with brooms for improvised torches.
"Torches – for when it comes back. I know it's old fashioned, but so am I," David jokes, looking at the women.
"So. How does it work?" Mary Margaret asks, and they bring the hat and torches into another room.
"It will open a portal to our land. All we have to do is send the Wraith in there," Octavia explains.
"Oh, yeah. Just that," David sighs, feeling overwhelmed.
"I don't understand. I thought our land was gone?" Mary Margaret questions, wondering why they can't go back home.
"It is. But sending it to a place that no longer exists… Well, that's banishing it to oblivion," Regina reasons. The lights begin flickering as they hear the Wraith approaching, and they light their torches, getting ready.
"Regina," Emma says, and Regina attempts to open a portal with the hatt, but it only slightly spins.
"I'm trying," She snaps, and the doors burst open.
"Move over," Octavia snaps at her sister, moving her out of the way.
Mulan tries tracking Phillip in the forest when she hears a noise behind her and draws her sword. However, she discovers it's only Aurora on horseback. "I found one of the horses. I'm coming with you," Aurora tells her, not wanting to argue with the other woman.
"You need to stay here. It's dangerous," Mulan argues with her.
"I wasn't asking for your permission," She replies firmly.
"That thing out there is dangerous. And Phillip? He left to protect you. So, even if I don't believe in his methods, I'm going to honour his wishes. I'm going to keep you safe," The warrior retorts, trying to warn her about what they'll be facing.
"I never asked him to," The Princess snaps, wanting her beloved back.
"He never had to. Everything he does, he does for you. And now, he's going to die for you. Love is sacrifice. Something you clearly don't understand," Mulan retorts, huffing at the Princess' oblivious behaviour.
"I'm not going to let him face that alone," Aurora argues, looking at the woman.
"He won't. But, with all due respect, Your Highness? Phillip's best chance is me," She tells her.
"You love him," Sleeping Beauty states, getting it completely wrong.
"What?" The warrior questions, looking at her in shock.
"Phillip. You love him, too," Aurora reasons.
"I owe him much. We fought many battles together side by side, nothing more," Mulan corrects her.
"Deny it all you want. I know love when I see it," She argues.
"You're wrong," The warrior sighs, and they hear the Wraith in the distance.
"Phillip…" The Princess gasps.
The Wraith enters the room, making everyone turn and look. "Octavia," Emma calls for her.
"I know," Octavia snaps, turning the hat. David uses his broom torch to keep the Wraith at bay as Octavia gets the hat to work. Mary Margaret grabs a bottle of alcohol off of a nearby table and pours it along the railing in front of them.
"David!" Mary Margaret shouts, and David gets behind the barrier and lights the railing on fire.
"Hurry!" David yells.
"It's not working!" Regina snaps as Octavia tries to get the hat to open a portal.
"I hate this thing!" Octavia growls.
In the forest, Phillip, armed with a torch, tries to provoke the Wraith. "Come on, you bastard!" Phillip shouts to attract the creature when Mulan and Aurora arrive. "No! Stay back!"
"Phillip, what are you doing?" Aurora asks him, wanting him to come back with her.
"I know what I'm doing," He assures her.
"No, please. We can help you fight!" She promises.
"Go! It will find me," The Prince tells her, and the Wraith howls. "I've been marked. It's too late for me. Go! There's no other way."
"Yes, there is. Give me the talisman, and I can mark myself. You can live," Mulan tells him, knowing he has someone to live for.
"This is my choice. To save you. To save both of you," Phillip replies, growing serious.
"No, Phillip, I don't want to live without you," Aurora tells him.
"Neither do I," He replies, and the Wraith arrives. "You two need to keep each other safe."
"Phillip, no!" She shouts, watching him.
"I love you," The Prince says, and the Wraith attacks him, beginning to suck out his soul.
"No! Stop! Phillip!" The Princess cries as she watches her beloved collapse, and the Wraith disappears. "Phillip! Phillip!"
Everyone continues to hold off the Wraith while Octavia still can't get the hat to work. "It's not working!" Octavia shouts.
"What is the problem?" Emma asks her.
"Magic… It's different here," She replies. "And I hate the hat!"
"Now would be the time!" David argues, and Emma touches Octavia's shoulder, somehow triggering her magic. The hat begins spinning, with the purple vortex appearing beneath. "It's coming!" The Wraith gets past David's shoddy defence and charges towards Regina.
"Regina!" Emma shouts, pushing Regina out of the way. This causes the Wraith to fall through the portal. However, on its way down, it grabs the blond by the ankle and drags her through the portal.
"No!" Mary Margaret and David shout, watching their daughter.
"I'm not losing her again," Mary Margaret says, looking at her husband.
"Neither am I!" David agrees, and Mary Margaret jumps into the portal to follow Emma, accidentally knocking into Octavia and making her fall into the portal after her. David jumps towards the vortex, but it closes before he can get through, ending up landing on the floor as Regina looks on in shock, fearing she will lose her sister forever.
Mulan and Aurora place Phillip's body on the dais at the castle that Sleeping Beauty once occupied. "This palace was to be our home. You have to spend eternity here," Aurora mutters, looking at the soulless body of her beloved.
"How did you end up here in your cursed state?" Mulan asks, looking at the Princess.
"You're not the only one who knows about sacrifice," she replies, and Mulan takes out the medallion and hands it to Aurora.
"You should have it," The Warrior tells her.
"Thank you," The Princess whispers, her heartache worsening.
David frantically swipes at the floor when he notices the crushed hat underneath him, making him panic even more. He gets to his feet and stalks towards Regina. "Where are they?!" David demands, glaring at the Evil Queen.
"I have no idea," Regina replies, feeling lost without her sister.
"Are they dead?" He asks her.
"The curse – it destroyed all the lands," She tells him.
"Are they dead?!" The Prince demands an answer.
"I don't know," The Mayor answers honestly, hoping they are alive for her sister's sake.
"I should've killed you myself," Prince Charming growls, glaring at her.
"Well, then. What's stopping you?" The Evil Queen asks, magically throwing David up against the opposite wall with vines sprouting from the wallpaper, holding him in place while attempting to strangle him in anger over losing her sister. "You think you're some heroic prince? Please. You're nothing but the son of a shepherd. I should've killed you when I could. And now… Now I can." Suddenly, Henry and Ruby burst into the room.
"Mum?" Henry says, looking at her, and Regina turns towards him, looking at her son.
"Henry, what are you doing here?" Regina asks, looking at her son with concern.
"What are you doing?" He asks her, not answering her question.
"It's okay. You're safe now," she assures him. The vines disappear, making David fall to the ground. Ruby goes over to help her friend.
"W-Where's my mum, Aunt October, and where's-?" The Mills boy asks, looking around but not seeing Emma, Octavia, or Mary Margaret.
"They're gone. They fell through a portal. They're… Henry, I'm sorry," The Evil Queen informs him, dreading losing her baby sister.
"No, you're not. You really are the Evil Queen. I don't want to see you again," Henry snaps at her out of anger and loss.
"No, don't say that. I love you," Regina tells him with all her heart.
"Then, prove it. Get Emma, Aunt Octavia, and Mary Margaret back. And until then, leave me—leave everyone—alone," he retorts, wanting his biological mum, grandmother, and aunt.
"But where will you go?" She questions, looking at her son.
"With me," David announces, taking Henry under his arm and leading the boy out of the room, leaving Regina alone.
When Belle returns, Mr Gold spins some straws at the wheel in his pawn shop. "Hi," she greets him.
"Hey," Mr Gold replies, turning his attention to her.
"I, uh, went for a long walk," Belle tells him.
"I thought you didn't want to see me?" He asks her.
"I didn't. But I… I was worried," She replies.
"Well, the beast is gone and Regina…lives," The Dark One informs her, though he wishes it was Regina who was gone, not the others.
"So, uh… You didn't get what you wanted," Beauty sighs, knowing what he can be like.
"Well, that remains to be seen," Rumpelstiltskin retorts. She notices the chipped cup and picks it up as memories fill her mind.
"You, uh… You still have it. My chipped cup," Belle smiles, looking at him.
"There are many, many things in this shop. But this? This is the only thing I truly cherish. And now, you must leave," Mr Gold tells her, making her look at him.
"W-What?" She gasps, looking at him in shock.
"You must leave because, despite what you hope, I'm still a monster," He replies, wanting her to leave for her own good.
"Don't you see? That's exactly the reason I have to stay," Beauty tells him, not wanting to leave him.
David and Henry arrive at Mary Margaret's apartment; Prince Charming sees Henry staring at a picture of Emma and Mary Margaret. "Henry?" David calls to the boy, who looks back at him.
"Yeah?" Henry asks, trying not to think of the three lost women.
"Don't worry. Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia—they're alive," he assures the boy.
"How do you know?" The young Mills boy wonders, hoping he has a good answer.
"I have faith," Prince Charming tells him.
"But…" Henry argues.
"Henry. Come here. I will find them. I will always find them," David assures him, pulling him into a hug and letting the boy cry.
Aurora rests her head on Phillip's still chest when Mulan comes to fetch her, wanting to get her back to the safe haven. "We should leave this place. It's not safe here," Mulan warns her.
"But the Wraith is gone," Aurora argues, wanting to stay with her beloved.
"There's more. You need to know everything. Much has changed in our land since you've been asleep," She tells her.
"It was less than a year," The Sleeping Beauty replies, frowning.
"In a manner of speaking," The Warrior retorts. "You see, as you slept, and Phillip and I searched for you, something worse happened."
"What?" Aurora asks in shock.
"Are you familiar with Regina, the Queen?" Mulan questions.
"Yes," she replies, knowing the Evil Queen quite well.
"She cast a curse on this land. A terrible, terrible curse. It ripped everyone away to another world," The Warrior explains.
"But, we're still here," The Princess wonders, looking around.
"This corner of the land was untouched. No one knows why. But something saved us. And, for twenty-eight years, we were frozen," Mulan explains further. "And then… Time started again. The terrible curse's power was weakened. Phillip and I were able to resume our search. We found you. But the land is ravished with dangers more fearsome than you can imagine. For those of us who remain, we found a safe haven. We must go there now." They suddenly hear a noise coming from the hole where the Wraith initially appeared, and they go to investigate.
"Something's in there," Aurora states, hiding behind the other woman.
"Stay back," She warns her.
"What did it bring?" The Sleeping Beauty asks, peaking over her shoulder, and Mulan peers into the hole. "What is it? What do you see?" Mulan pulls back some of the rubble. "Mulan, what is that?"
"That… That is what brought the Wraith here. That's what killed our prince," Mulan informs her, showing Emma, Octavia and Mary Margaret lying amongst the rubble near the hole, all three unconscious.
Chapter Eight - We Are Both
Season 2 - Episode 2
There was an Enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know.
Or think we know.
One day, they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.
Our World.
This is how it happened…
Leroy and the rest of the 'dwarves' gather by the Storybrooke sign at the edge of the forest, and Grumpy spray paints an orange line, indicating the border of their town, while he lectures the others. "This, gentlemen, is our mission. The great barrier of our existence - does it remain? We must investigate the line." He pulls out a handful of straws. "I made straws. Short one crosses. Draw." The others each pick a straw, one by one.
"With the curse broken, we can cross, right? It should be no problem," Happy suggests with no actual proof.
"With magic back, it could be even worse now," Walter argues.
"Like, vapourize us," Doc agrees.
"Let's go home," Bashful suggests.
"Guys!" Leroy shouts at them. "We are the Royal Guard towards loyalty to Snow White. This is our chance to prove ourselves to the Prince. We must do this." Everyone finishes picking their straws. "Show your hands." They slowly reveal their straws, and Mr Clark has the shortest. "You're up, Snotty." Grumpy leads Mr Clark to the border. However, he hesitates to step over it.
"You know, what if we found a turtle and sort of nudged it over first?" Mr Clark suggests, looking at Leroy.
"Oh, for the love of…" He grumbles, looking at him, pushing Sneezy over the line. The second he crosses, a magical force begins to act on him. "Sneezy, you okay? Sneezy?"
On the main street, a few townspeople attempt to clear away the damage caused by the Wraith. Meanwhile, in August's room at Granny's B&B, August's wooden form is still lying on the bed, and he blinks, the magic awakening him. Outside the town hall, the citizens of Storybrooke have set up a Crisis Center. Marco puts up a 'missing' poster of Pinocchio. "My boy… My poor boy," Marco mutters, looking at it before moving away, and Ruby appears to be one of the coordinators.
"If you are looking for a family member, come to the front table," Ruby coordinates people from the stand. "If you need counselling, Dr. Hopper has a signup sheet. If the Wraith damaged your house, there are cots at the school."
"This is getting out of hand. People are in a panic. They don't know what to do," Mother Superior states, looking at Red Riding Hood.
"It's okay. It'll be fine. We just need everyone to remain calm. I have a feeling our Prince is working on something right now," She assures him.
David knocks on Regina's front door, needing to talk with her. When she answers, he lets himself in. "Tell me… about this," David demands, holding up Jefferson's crushed hat.
"Surprised you don't have armed guards 'round the clock," Regina teases him.
"Don't need 'em. We both know if you step outside, there's a line a mile long for your head." He argues, glaring at her.
"Who's going to risk coming at me?" She questions.
"Take your chances, then. But I think that little wallpaper trick? Was an anomaly," Prince Charming retorts. "If you had your abilities back, this town would be charcoal by now. You're having problems with magic, aren't you? Right now, the only thing keeping you alive? Is that Henry wishes it. Now, this." He shakes the crushed hat.
"It's the hat that pulled your loved ones and my little sister away," The Mayor answers, glaring at the hat a little, wishing it would spit her sister back out.
"Well, where did you get it?" David asks her.
"I've long since forgotten. You know what? Maybe you should be less concerned with hats and more concerned with taking care of my son," she argues, wanting to know how Henry is doing.
"Oh, because you took such great care of him," He snaps at her.
"I will not listen to child care lectures from a man who put his daughter in a box and shipped her to Maine," The Evil Queen sneers at him.
"Okay, listen. I need my family. You want your sister back. There's magic here now. There will have to be ways to follow them," David says, needing her help.
"Follow them where? Into a sucking airless void? And good luck getting magic to work. Because, as you said, you'd be charcoal," Regina argues.
"Oh, frustrated, are we? Serves you right. You've earned every bit of this," He snaps at her.
"Keep on baiting me, Charming. Right now, I don't have magic and I don't have my son and I don't have my sister. But, when I get one, I get the other. And you don't want to be around when that happens," She warns him.
"If you have to use magic to keep your son, you don't really have him," The Prince advises her before leaving her alone with her thoughts.
A younger Regina rides along the road in the woods on horseback, trying to escape her fate of marrying the King. "We're almost free!" Regina exclaims when several vines magically appear and pluck her from the horse, suspending her in the air. Cora appears with a book opened in her hands.
"And I thought we were done with all this nonsense," Cora huffs, looking at her daughter.
"Hello, Mother. What evil have you conjured?" She asks, glaring back at her.
"Not evil, darling. A barrier spell," The Mills Matriarch corrects her and gently blows across the pages of her little spell book, causing black dust to lift off the pages, and the vines release Regina. "Designed to keep you where you belong."
"I can't leave?" The bride questions and spots her younger sister walking casually towards them.
"Hello, sister," Octavia greets her, then turns to her mother. "Mother."
"Not alone. Not without the King," Cora ignores her youngest. "We've been through this. In two days, you'll be married – you'll be Queen. After that, you're free to go – whenever you're with him."
"Momma, I don't want to marry the King. I don't want this life!" Regina shouts, wanting to be free.
"You're just frightened of having all that power," She assures her, faking a smile.
"I don't want power. I want to be free," The raven-haired woman argues, and Octavia rolls her eyes.
"Power is freedom," The red-haired woman says, and Regina fights the smile as she sees her sister mimicking their mother. "Don't worry. I'm here to show you."
David arrives at the Crisis Center, where he spots Henry. "Henry!" David shouts, gaining his attention. "Have you seen Blue? Uh, Mother Superior?"
"No. But everyone is looking for you," Henry tells him as several people crowd around the Prince, harassing him with questions.
" Do we know where Rump- Mr Gold is?" Ruby asks.
"Wait! Does the Queen still have power?" Archie asks.
"I thought I would find my boy," Marco states.
"Please! We've got to be planning something!" Henry announces.
"Hey, let me ask you something? Are the nuns still nuns? Or can they, you know, date?" Dr Whale questions.
"Uh, I don't know," David answers them all.
"Don't say it's me asking…" He replies.
"Blue!" Prince Charming shouts, spotting Mother Superior. "Could there be a tree on this side? The way we sent Emma through as a baby. Maybe I could go after them that way."
"It's possible, but without fairy dust to guide us here… No, it's hopeless," Mother Superior replies.
"You'll find another way. In the book, things always look worse right before there's good news," Henry assures her, and Leroy and the rest of his group come rushing towards them.
"Terrible news! Terrible news!" Leroy shouts, gaining everyone's attention. "We were out at the town limits. Tell them who you think you are, Sneezy."
"Oh, will you stop calling me that," Mr Clark snaps. "You know who I am. I'm Tom Clark. I own the Dark Star Pharmacy. What's going on here?"
"If you cross the border, you lose your memory all over again," He announces.
"A-And coming back doesn't fix it?" Archie asks, looking at Mr Clark as if that doesn't answer enough.
"If it did, would I have come running in yelling 'terrible news'?! If we leave, our curse selves become our only selves," Grumpy snaps at him, and the crowd begins panicking.
"I wonder if my mum knows?" Henry questions and David separates himself from the others, attempting to leave, but Henry and the others follow. "I can help!"
"People! Everybody! Everybody meet back here in two hours. I'll tell you my plan to fix everything," David assures them, and the group dissipates.
"What's the plan?" Ruby asks him, talking alone.
"I don't know. But I got two hours to figure it out," he replies, storming off.
Regina attempts to use her magic to light a candle in her living room, hating being alone in her big house. "Come on…" Regina groans, and the candle briefly flickers and then goes out. "Light, damn you!" She picks up the candle and throws it in the fireplace in frustration, heading to the front door, where she tentatively surveys the area outside her house. Seeing that the coast is clear, she starts walking to her car when she's approached by Archie.
"Regina! I thought you might want to talk," Archie says, looking at her warily.
"Oh, right. The conscience thing," She sighs, not having missed that.
"It's what I do," He reminds her.
"I'm in no mood," The Mayor replies, not wanting to deal with him right now with everything.
"That's too bad, cause… Cause I think talking about your pain might be very helpful. Might help you learn who you truly are," The shrink tells her, trying to help her.
"I know who I am," Regina answers shortly.
At the castle, Regina helps a young Snow White's hair as Octavia is busy helping their mother with the preparations for the wedding. "What do you think, Snow?" Regina asks.
"It looks beautiful," Snow beams, looking at her hair.
"No, dear. You look beautiful," She smiles back at the young Princess, and Snow looks in the jewellery box on the table beside her, pulling out Daniel's ring attached to a chain. "What's this?"
"What? That's mine," The bride answers, and Snow puts the ring around her neck.
"It's pretty. Where did you get it?" The young Princess asks, admiring the ring.
"Daniel gave it to me," Regina tells her.
"The stable boy. The one who left you," Snow questions.
"He didn't leave me," She corrects her.
"What?" The young girl asks.
"He was killed," The future Queen informs her.
"Oh, no…" Snow gasps.
"He was killed because you couldn't keep a secret from my mother," Regina tells her.
"By… But she said… She told me she was going to help you," She stutters, and the bride pulls on the chain around the girl's neck, strangling her.
"My mother corrupts young souls. If you were stronger, none of this would have happened," the future Queen sneers. Regina snaps out of it and sees Snow sitting in front of her.
"It's pretty. Where did you get it?" Snow asks, admiring the ring.
"I don't remember," She answers.
Regina and Henry Sr walk outside the castle, needing to talk alone. "Daddy, you don't know what mother's doing to me," Regina sighs. "It's like she's turning me into her. I have to get away."
"Get away? But tomorrow's the wedding, child," Henry Sr replies, looking at her in worry as he fears what his wife will do.
"I don't want to marry the King. I've told you that," She argues, wishing she was Octavia, who has no parents pressuring her into marrying someone she doesn't love.
"Well, you're certain it isn't just cold feet?" He asks her.
"Daddy, this is not cold feet. This… This is… This is insanity. I'm angry all the time. She's making me crazy," The bride huffs, wanting her mother to leave her alone for a few seconds.
"She wants to give you everything she never got for herself," Mr Mills tells her, wishing the best for his daughter.
"I don't want her life. I want a life of my own. How did she get like this?" Regina wonders, looking back as if expecting her to appear.
"There was a man. Well, not quite a man. Someone Cora knew before I met her. He brought magic to her. Gave her that book of spells. He made her like she is," Henry Sr tells her, unaware of the story himself.
"What was his name?" She asks.
"I don't know. Cora won't even say it," He replies, frowning.
"But the book is his?" the raven-haired woman asks, remembering that her mother goes everywhere with the little book.
Regina enters the Pawn Shop, not seeing Mr Gold anywhere, and begins rummaging through his books when he steps inside the front of the store. "The library's beneath the clock tower. You closed it, remember? When you still had power," Gold remarks, glancing at her.
"I need the book. I need to get my son back," Regina tells him, looking back at him.
"Which book?" He questions, and then it dawns on him. "Ah. So, it's come down to that, eh? You need your mommy's help?"
"Give me the book," She demands.
"Do you really need the smell of the written word to get the magic flowing again, love? Maybe if you relaxed, it would just happen," Rumpelstiltskin suggests.
"I don't have time. It worked once, I know I can do it. I just… I just need a shortcut back," The Evil Queen argues, needing her magic back and wishing her sister was here to help her.
"Yeah, well, I don't have time, either. Leave. Please," Mr Gold asks her, and nothing happens.
"Well, how about that? Your 'pleases' have lost their punch," Regina retorts.
"Well, the fact remains, jumpstarting your magic is not in my best interest," He argues, not caring for her predicament.
"You know what else isn't in your best interest?" She snaps, glaring at him. "Having everyone know the Enchanted Forest still exists. Knowing that, you and I are keeping that little secret. You're up to something. And it doesn't involve going back home." She goes to the chest on the counter, but Gold stops her, magically producing the book.
"Careful, dearie. These are straight up spells. Rough in the system," The Dark One warns her.
"I don't care if they turn me green. I'm getting my son back," The Mayor argues, making him think of a certain green-skinned woman. She grabs the book from him and heads for the door.
"Oh my…" Rumpelstilskin muses, looking at her.
"What?" Regina asks, looking back at him.
"It's just, holding that… I told you once you didn't look like her, but now… Now I can see it," He says, making her scoff before leaving.
Regina attempts to summon Rumpelstiltskin after talking with her father in her chambers, and she has difficulty pronouncing his name. "Rumpelshtil- Rumpelshtilshin, I summon thee." The Dark One appears behind her.
"That's not how you say it, dearie. But then, you didn't have to say anything," Rumpelstiltskin muses, looking at her.
"What are you?" She asks, looking at the strange-looking man in her bedroom.
"What, what, what. My, my. What a rude question. I am not a 'what'," He retorts, looking at her.
"I'm sorry. I… I don't really know what I'm doing," The future Queen tells her, growing nervous.
"That much is clear. Allow me to introduce myself – Rumpelstiltskin," The Dark One introduces himself.
"And I'm-," Regina tries introducing herself, but he interrupts her.
"Regina. I know," He answers, surprising her.
"You do?" She questions.
"But of course," Rumpelstiltskin replies.
"Because of my mother, Cora. You taught her?" The bride-to-be questions.
"My legend precedes me," He smirks, knowing a secret.
"People say I look like her when she was younger," Regina says, making him look at her closely.
"Really?" Rumpelstiltskin muses. "I don't see it. No, that's not how I know you."
"Oh? How then?" She asks him, wondering how he knows her.
"I knew you long ago, dearie. It's been some time, but I knew this day would come. I've been waiting for it. And I'm so happy, we're back where we belong," He tells her, confusing her a little.
"And where's that?" The future Queen questions, frowning.
"Together," The Dark One answers and thinks about the youngest Mills daughter, his greatest prodigy.
Regina sits under her apple tree, tightly gripping her mother's old spell book she got from Mr Gold's Pawn Shop.
At the Blanchard apartment, David practises his speech for the meeting with everyone in town in front of the mirror while Henry watches him. "People of Storybrooke. I know we're trapped together again, and things look bleak. But… They're not."
"No, keep going. You were on to something," Henry encourages him.
"No, I wasn't. I did the fighting, Snow did the talking," he argues, pulling the hat out of his bag. The boy realizes he knows who it belongs to.
"Can I see that?" The young Mills boy asks, holding his hand out.
"Yeah," Charming agrees, handing it over.
"I think I know what this is," Henry announces, flipping through the pages in his storybook until he finds the right page for the Mad Hatter story. "It's the Mad Hatter's hat. It's a portal between worlds."
"The Mad Hatter…" David says, looking at the page.
"You've heard of him?" He questions, looking at him.
"No. I-I mean, yeah. I mean, the 'prince' me doesn't know him, but 'David' had memories of reading Alice in Wonderland in school. I need to get it to work again. Who is he? I-I mean, who is he here?" The Prince questions.
"I don't know. Maybe he'll check in at the Crisis Center. You could check after the thing," The Mills boy suggests.
"What thing?" David asks him, completely forgetting the meeting.
"The meeting? Where you tell us about your plan, remember? The speech you were doing?" Henry reminds him.
"Right. I'll be back for that," He replies, leaving the boy in the apartment as he tries coming with him.
"Gramps, you got to use me. Come on! The curse was broken cause of me. Let me help!" The young Mills boy shouts as the door shuts. "Or…not."
Mr Gold packs a bag with several brochures and maps when David barges inside, needing something. "It appears when I bought that closed sign, I was just throwing my money away," he jokes, but he doesn't get any laughs.
"Looks like it," David replies curtly.
"Sorry to hear about your wife and daughter. If you're looking for a retrieval, I'm afraid portal jumping is just outside my purview," He tells him.
"Of course it is," Charming scoffs.
"So, what's the commotion outside?" The Dark One questions, not having gone outside yet.
"Oh, a little stir at the border. Problem crossing the line," David informs him, making Rumpelstiltskin's stomach drop.
"Do tell," Gold replies.
"Actually, I'm here to buy something—a way to find someone," he tells him.
"Well, like a map?" Rumpelstiltskin suggests, gesturing to his extensive map collection.
"Something with a bit more kick. Like the ring you gave me to find Snow," The Prince counters.
"Ah, yeah, magic. Whom are you following?" Mr Gold asks.
"Not telling," David answers, smirking.
"So, do you have something of theirs, this missing person?" He questions, looking at him.
"Yes," Charming answers.
"May I see it?" The Dark One asks.
"No," David answers and Mr Gold reluctantly pulls a vial out of the box behind him.
"Pour this on the object, and then follow it. So simple, even David Nolan could do it," He tells him, holding it in front of him, but he pulls away when Prince Charming tries to take it.
"What do you want?" The Prince questions, glaring at him.
"Peace. Leave me alone," Rumpelstiltskin orders him, needing to discover a way to escape Storybrooke and find his son after all this time.
"What do you care what David Nolan does?" David wonders.
"Oh, no. It's Charming I worry about. I'd like a little non-interference guarantee," He argues.
"Fine. If you give me the same. You and I – we stay out of each other's way," Charming agrees, and Gold hands the potion over.
"Thank you for your business," Gold says, and David starts to leave, but he stops him. "So, uh, what happens when you try and cross the border?"
"You lose your memory of everything of our old lives. Looks like we're stuck here," The Prince informs him and leaves, and in anger, Gold smashes two of his display cases with his cane.
Regina and Rumpelstiltskin sit talking in the castle. "Oh, yes," He muses. "I know everything about you, my dear. I held you in my arms. You were younger. More… Portable. There is much history between your family and me. History both in the past, and in the future."
"Then, can you help me?" Regina asks him, needing to get away from her mother.
"Possibly, yes. You seek power. The death of your enemies… The death of your friends?" He questions, already knowing the answer.
"No! I don't want to hurt anyone," She argues, waving her arms around.
"Hard to believe you're from the same family," The Dark One scoffs, thinking of Cora and Octavia, and starts stroking the sides of her face. "So… Kind. So… Gentle. So… Powerful. You could do so much, if you just let yourself."
"But, I don't know how," The future Queen replies.
"Well, let me show you the way," Rumpelstiltskin tells her, and a large, wrapped object appears.
"How did-?" Regina wonders, looking at the large gift.
"Magic. It can set you free," He sings.
"I don't want to do that—use magic. That's what she does. I don't want to end up like her," she argues, thinking of her mother.
"No, no, of course not. But that's the beauty of my gift. You don't have to. 'It' will do it for you," The Dark One assures her.
"What is it?" The bride-to-be asks, looking at it.
"A portal. A passage between lands. This is a portal to a specific, annoying little world. Useless to me, but, for your purposes, a perfect. You're unlikely ever to see her again. All she needs is a little push. The question is, can you do it?" Rumpelstiltskin questions, looking at her.
Regina sits under her apple tree with the little spell book. She opens it to a page depicting a tree and gently blows across the pages, causing black dust to lift from them. The Evil Queen inhales the dust, causing her eyes to faintly glow for a moment. The black rotten apples on the tree turn ripe once again.
On the main street, David pours the potion on top of the hat, but nothing happens for a second, and then the hat lifts up and flies through the air. Charming follows the hat to a flipped car, where he can hear someone inside calling for help. He pries open the door, revealing Jefferson. "Ah, thank you. No one heard me," Jefferson sighs, looking out the open car door.
"You okay?" David asks him, and the Mad Hatter nods. "Good. That means we can talk." He drags the man out of the car.
The town gathers at the town hall for the meeting, and Henry attempts to call David, who still hasn't arrived. "Come on, Gramps. Pick up. Come on…" Henry mutters, growing nervous as the crowd grows impatient.
"Please, everyone. Just be patient. I'm sure he's going to be here any second," Ruby calls out to the growing crowd, and Granny wanders around with her crossbow as a detergent from anyone getting out of hand. "Granny, do you really need that?" She asks her.
"We've got a lawless town, Ruby. Damn right I need it," Granny replies confidently.
"Try calling him again," Red Riding Hood suggests, looking at Henry.
"He's not picking up," Henry tells her.
"Just keep trying," she says. Regina makes a grand entrance into the town hall and casually walks to the front of the room.
"My, what a nice turnout. No need for a fuss. It's just little old me," Regina smirks, looking at everyone.
"Regina. Think about what you're doing," Archie warns her.
"Bug," She sneers, magically throwing him across the room.
"Hey!" Leroy shouts, and she does the same to him. Granny then fires an arrow at Regina in retaliation, but the Evil Queen simply catches it.
"How sweet," The Mayor muses, setting the arrow on fire and transforming it into a fireball. She flings it into the crowd, ultimately catching part of the wall on fire.
"What do you want?" Ruby asks her, glaring at the woman.
"Me. She wants me," Henry announces, stepping forward. "Okay, I'll come with you. Just leave them alone."
"That's my boy," Regina smiles, putting her arm around her son's shoulder and leading him out.
David and Jefferson sit at a table outside, the hat between them. "Can you get me through?" David asks him outright.
"No," Jefferson answers, looking at the crushed hat.
"Can you get them back?" He asks, thinking of his family and Octavia, and Jefferson rolls his eyes. "Can you get it to work?"
"If you only knew," The Mad Hatter sighs.
"Okay. You had a little girl's tea set in your car and a stuffed rabbit toy, so I'm thinking you have a daughter you love. Well, I do, too. And a wife. And they're out there somewhere with Octavia. In the Enchanted Forest, or a void, I don't even know. But I'm going to get them back," Charming tells him, and Jefferson tries hiding his shock, thinking about the kind Mills sister.
"They're in the Enchanted Forest, that's for sure. I just can't get there," Jefferson replies.
"It still exists?" He questions.
"It exists. I don't know if that matters, since we can't go there," The Mad Hatter argues.
"So, you won't help me?" The Prince asks him.
"I'm a portal jumper, and you destroyed my portal, so you're out of luck," Jefferson replies, and David angrily grabs him by his shirt collar.
"Well, I'm the closest thing left to a Sheriff here, so I can just throw you in a cell until you figure out a way," David threatens him.
"Then all we'll do is both sit. Stuck. Two lives in our heads, cursed worse than ever. Two lives, forever at odds. Double the pain, double the suffering," He says and suddenly bolts from the table, beginning to run down the main street. While chasing him, David gets stopped by Ruby.
"David, stop!" Ruby shouts, getting in his way.
"Get out of my way!" David shouts back.
"Regina has Henry," She tells him, making him stop.
"But he has the way!" He argues.
"She has Henry! She's threatening everyone," Red Riding Hood warns him.
"She has Henry?" Charming repeats in surprise.
"She showed up at your town meeting – the one you missed. Her magic's back. Everyone's panicking. They want to leave town – they're going to lose everything," Ruby says, needing his help.
"Okay. Okay, but I have to go after him first. He's my only hope of finding a way to get Emma, Snow and Octavia back," David argues.
"Back to what? This town is about to come apart. You've got to do something," She snaps.
Regina and Henry arrive back at the Mills Manor, and the first thing he does is run upstairs. "Now, I don't want you to think that things are just going to go back to how they used to be," Regina warns him. "Henry!" Henry pulls out the prepared rope made of blankets from the window in his room. He doesn't get very far until Regina stops him with magical vines like her mother used to do. "Don't fight it, honey. You'll get a splinter." The two of them sit in his bedroom.
"How long am I in prison? Till I grow up?" Henry asks his mother, feeling trapped.
"Henry, I rescued you because I love you," She replies, losing herself.
"So, I'm a prisoner because you love me. That's not fair," He retorts.
"You know where I come from. That was really not fair. Of all the places I've seen, this is the fairest of them all," The Mayor argues.
"You ruined lives. You sent away Mary Margaret and Emma, even your sister," The young Mills boy snaps at her.
"That was an accident," Regina assures him; she would never send her sister away.
"The way you treated me wasn't an accident. You made it so no one believed me. You made me feel like I was crazy," Henry argues, feeling hurt by her.
"But that's all going to change, now. Henry, you can know all the secrets. You can live in a house with magic. Look what I could do," She tells him, conjuring a giant cupcake. "And I can teach you. You can do this and so much more. You can have all the friends you want come over any time, and you can show them everything in your book."
"No one's going to want to come over here. They're scared of you," He argues, knowing she's a big evil villain in the Enchanted Forest.
"You can make them not be scared. You can make them love you," The Evil Queen promises.
"I don't want that. I don't want to be you," The Mills boy exclaims angrily, wanting his family back together.
Regina dresses in her wedding dress, and Cora and Octavia, dressed for the wedding, walk into the room, spotting Rumpelstiltskin's 'gift'. "What's this?" Cora asks, looking at it.
"I don't know. A gift?" Regina says, not having seen it herself.
"Maybe it's a portrait," Octavia suggests, and Cora removes the covering and uses her magic, revealing the portal, which is a looking glass.
"Oh, a looking glass. Not nearly as personal. I wonder, sometimes, if the people really love you," Cora muses, making Octavia roll her eyes, which she sees. "No. 8, don't roll your eyes, it's unladylike."
"I'm doing my best, Mother," Octavia and Regina reply.
"Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Come here," She sighs, and Regina stands before the looking glass. "Look at you with your whole life ahead of you. And it's going to be better than you can imagine. The King's not a strong man. The kingdom will be yours. Raise the tributes, form a personal guard, let everyone know where the new power lies, and you'll hold the hearts of your people in your hands."
"Is that what you would do, Mother?" Regina asks her.
"That's exactly what I would do," Mrs Mills answers.
"Well, the thing is, I don't want to be you," she replies and lunges at Cora, but she stops herself from falling with her magic.
"What are you doing? You think it's that easy to get rid of me? You're stuck with me forever, darling. Because I'm your mother, and I know best," Cora warns her. Rumpelstiltskin appears in the looking glass behind Cora, making a pushing gesture. Octavia looks at her mentor and smirks, touching Regina, who grows angry. She releases magic that throws Cora backwards through the portal, which suddenly shatters.
"Well, that was interesting," Octavia comments, looking at her sister. "So, the wedding?"
The citizens of Storybrooke pack up their cars and head along the road to the town border. David and Ruby get ahead of them in another car to cut them off, stopping the line of vehicles by angling the car sideways. Everyone angrily gets out of their cars while David and Ruby get out to confront them. "Get out of the way! We have a right to go!" Archie shouts at the Prince.
"Listen to me! Listen!" David shouts back, making the mob go quiet. "If you cross that line, you're going to be lost. Everyone who loves you will lose you. But there's something worse – you'll lose yourself. Look, I get wanting to leave here, I do. And I get that it's easier to let go of bad memories, but… Even bad memories are part of us," He tells them, seeming to get through to some of them. "David, Storybrooke David, was – is – weak, confused. And he hurt the woman I love. I wouldn't give up being Charming just to be him, but you know what? I wouldn't make the other trade, either. Because of that, David reminds me not only of who I lost but of who I want to be. My weaknesses, and my strengths. David, and the Prince. I am both – just like you. You are both. The town is both. We are both. Stay here, and every choice is open to you. Live in the woods if you want. Hell, live in a shoe if you want. Or eat frozen burritos and write software. Let's open Granny's and the school. And get back to work. I will protect you. She won't be able to hurt any of us. Not as long as I'm alive. Not as long as we all come together. As we did before. As we shall do again." Everyone goes silent, then finally starts getting back into their cars.
Regina heads along the path leading from the castle on horseback alone, leaving her sister to happily deal with the fallout of their missing mother. The older Mills sister encounters Rumpelstiltskin on her way to freedom. "Leaving, are we?" he questions, looking at her.
"That was always the plan," She replies, getting off her horse and handing him the spell book back. "Here. A gift. I don't want it."
"Uh, can't be a gift. It was mine to start with," Rumpelstiltskin argues, looking at it, and she turns back to get on the horse. "Before you go… Answer me this – how did it feel?"
"I loved my mother," Regina retorts.
"B-But that's not what I asked, dearie. How did it feel to use magic?" The Dark One asks her.
"It doesn't matter. I-I'll never use it again," The future Queen replies, though she loved the feeling of power she got from using that little bit of magic.
"Why not?" He wonders, intrigued by the answer.
"Because I loved it," She answers with dread.
"You've discovered who you are. You could do so much now, if you let me show you how," Rumpelstiltskin suggests.
"Through magic?" Regina questions, looking at him.
"Through many things," He counters.
"And what do you get out of it?" She asks, stepping towards him.
"Someday, you'll do something for me. Let me guide you," The Dark One offers, thinking of his sight into the future.
"And I won't become like her?" The bride-to-be questions, not wanting to turn into her mother.
"That, dearie, is entirely up to you. But your sister certainly hasn't," he tells her, making Regina look at him in shock and then turn back to the castle in the distance, thinking of her little sister, who keeps recently disappearing occasionally.
David barges into Regina's house with his sword, ready for a fight. "I want to see him," David demands, bringing the sword to her neck.
"Henry, come down! You won't be using your sword," Regina assures him, thinking of her time in the Enchanted Forest before she became the Queen.
"Whatever you conjure, I can fight," He promises.
"I mean, you won't need your sword," She corrects him, gently pushing the blade away as Henry comes downstairs. "Henry, you're going to go home with David."
"Really?" Henry beams, looking at his grandfather.
"Really. I shouldn't have brought you here," The Evil Queen sighs, looking at her son and thinking of her younger self. "I was… I don't know how to love very well. I wasn't capable of it for a very long time, but I know I remember… If you hold onto someone too hard, that doesn't make them love you. I'm sorry I lied to you. And that I made you feel like I didn't know who you are. But I want you to be here because you want to be here. Not because I forced you, and not because of magic. I want to redeem myself. Go get your things." Henry looks at her briefly before running back upstairs, leaving Regina and David alone.
"Then prove it," David tells her.
"How?" Regina questions.
"Answer one question – does it exist?" He asks her.
"What?" She asks back.
"The Enchanted Forest – our land. Does it still exist?" Charming questions.
"Yes. But I have no idea how to get back there. I can see I just launched you on a heroic quest. Just also make sure you take care of my son?" The dark-haired woman pleads with him.
"That, I can do," David assures her as Henry returns with his things. The two of them leave the house, leaving Regina all alone.
On Storybrooke's main street, all the businesses reopen, and the dwarves, armed with their pick axes, are filing out of a building and crossing paths with Mr Clark. "What do you need those for?" He asks them.
"Don't worry, brother. You've lost something. It's going to take fairy dust to get it back," Leroy assures him before turning to the others. "So, we're going to do what we do best. Come on, boys. It's off to work we go."
Elsewhere, Marco sits at a table at Granny's Diner, having a cup of coffee, when Henry and David enter. The kid whispers something in the old man's ear, and Marco arrives upstairs to August's room at the inn, which he discovers is unoccupied. He finds Pinocchio's childhood hat on the desk.
At the town border in the forest, Mr Gold stands in front of the spray-painted line, thinking of what he needs to do to step over it with all his memories intact.
Meanwhile, Regina hesitates at the burn spell book but keeps it and locks it in a cabinet for later. She wishes her sister was there to help her through all this.
David and Henry sit at the counter in Granny's Diner, trying to enjoy something to eat. "Hey. It exists, Henry. The Enchanted Forest is still out there," David assures him.
"And… So are they," Henry adds.
"Yeah," He replies.
"But, how do we know they survived the trip there?" The young Mills boy wonders, wanting his aunt there at that moment more than ever.
"Because I can feel it," Charming tells him.
As they travel across the deserted Fairy Tale World, Mulan and Aurora bind Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia's wrists and pull them along behind their horses as the warrior guides them to the safe haven. "What is this place?" Snow asks, looking around.
"Our home," Mulan answers, arriving at the island where the remaining Enchanted Forest inhabitants have set up a village-like encampment.
"It's like they're refuges," Emma comments, looking at her mother and Octavia.
"We're survivors," she argues, having heard her. Mary Margaret knees Aurora in the gut, making a run for it.
"Emma, run!" Octavia shouts, snapping her hands-free and using some of her magic to push the horse away. Emma follows after Mary Margaret, but Mulan strikes her down, knocking the Princess unconscious. Emma stops suddenly, knocking Octavia over as she tries to run, and the blond woman tries to wake her mother.
"Mary Margaret! Mary Margaret! What did you do?!" Emma yells at the woman clad in armour.
"Take them to the pit," Mulan orders the other. "Not her," she points to Octavia, who sighs, knowing they'll do something to stop her magic. The guards throw Emma and Mary Margaret into the dungeon while Mulan escorts Octavia further from the encampment to another more secure and underground prison.
"You've got to be kidding me," Octavia groans, looking at it as Mulan pushes her inside.
"Be careful!" Emma shouts at the guards as they slam the door in her face. "Come on…" She kneels by Snow. "Wake up. Can you hear me?"
"Do you need help?" A voice asks from the shadows of the cell.
"Who are you?" She asks, trying to find the person.
"A friend," They reply, emerging from the shadows, showing herself as Cora, Regina and Octavia's mother. "My name's Cora."