Chapter Eleven - Into the Deep
Season 2 - Episode 8
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…
Killian manages to make his way down the beanstalk. When he jumps down, he finds Cora waiting for him. "My dear Captain. It seems you've been on quite an adventure," Cora comments, glaring at him. "The compass, please."
"Yes, that. Well… Matters grew complicated," Hook sighs, feeling foolish about getting caught off guard by Octavia. "It's eluded me for the moment. The details of the affair are a bit of a bore."
"Really? Stealing my protection spell and climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you. But to me, it's a betrayal," She sneers.
"I was going to bring it to you. Our agreement remains. We are going to Storybrooke together. I'll get it back," He promises her.
"I don't have time for your games," Mrs Mills snaps. "I've crossed through too many worlds to be brought short at the brink of success. Who was it who bested you?"
"Your Daughter – Octavia. Rest assured, it won't happen again," Killian tells her.
"No, it won't. You chose her, and the consequences of that decision," Cora warns him.
"Oh. Are you going to kill me now? Go ahead. Try," He retorts confidentiality.
"So brave. No, I'm not going to kill you. I have something far more satisfying in mind," She argues. "I'm going to leave you here with your thirst for revenge unquenched, while I complete our journey without you."
"There's no need to be rash. We can… Discuss this," The Captain scoffs, trying to stop her rash decision as he needs to fulfil his desire for revenge against Rumpelstiltskin.
"Your pretty face buys you a lot, but not my time. It's too valuable," The red-haired woman replies.
"I can do this. I can get it back. You need me," Killian argues.
"No, I don't. You've had your chance. Now, it's my turn to do this. The right way," Cora says, and he lunges towards her, but she disappears in a puff of smoke.
Cora reappears in a hut with several drawers filled with hearts. She takes one out of its box and blows on it, causing the rest of the hearts to glow. The drawers slide out, and the hearts beat louder. Still holding the heart, Cora steps outside, with the corpses of her victims strewn across the field. "Rise," Cora instructs them, and they begin moving, then stand on their feet. They start marching into the woods.
Emma, Octavia, Mary Margaret, Aurora, and Mulan are still in the woods, trying to process what Sleeping Beauty told them about her nightmare. Emma holds up a picture of Henry in front of her face. "The boy you saw in your dream - is that him?" Emma asks her.
"Yes. That's Henry," Aurora answers, looking at the picture closely.
"That's impossible. It was a dream. How could you dream of my son?" She questions.
"I have no idea," The Princess replies, just as clueless as them.
"Maybe it wasn't a dream," Octavia suggests, making them look at her.
"What?" Emma asks, looking at her.
"That room… I've been there," Mary Margaret adds, making everyone look at her.
"When I told you about it, you didn't say anything," Aurora snaps, feeling slightly betrayed.
"You were terrified. I didn't want to make things worse by telling you I thought it might be real," She argues.
"A room in a dream is real?" Mulan questions, looking at them.
"The sleeping curse. It has to be. I went through it, Aurora went through it…" Snow guesses and turns to Octavia.
"Henry's been through it because I wouldn't believe him," Emma mutters, her stomach sinking with guilt.
"Emma…" Mary Margaret sighs, looking at her daughter.
"What else did you lie about?" Aurora asks her.
"I was… I wasn't lying. I was protecting you," She argues lightly with her.
"What did he say – Henry? In the… In the dream?" Octavia asks her softly.
"He just said his name. He… And then, I woke up, and… It was over," Aurora tells them.
"Emma. It's going to be okay," Mary Margaret promises her.
"We are so far from okay," Emma argues, wanting to get back home.
"No. We have a way home now," Octavia assures her.
"We have a compass, and the wardrobe ashes are still with Cora," She snaps, wanting to get home to her son.
"Any attempt to steal from her would be suicide," Mulan warns them.
"Not anymore. We don't need her," Octavia informs them.
"How?" She asks her, making everyone look at her.
"With this," The Cruel Princess replies, conjuring the glass bottle filled with the ash inside into her palm.
"Why have you been hiding this?" Emma demands, glaring at her and the bottle, that Octavia makes it disappear to keep it safe.
"Because… we need some help dealing with my mother. And there's only one person who can… Rumpelstiltskin." Octavia tells her, knowing she can't handle her mother alone and doesn't want to.
"Henry. We can talk to him. Now we can communicate," She agrees, turning to look at the Princess.
"Wait, wait," Aurora argues, looking at them as she knows what they want.
"Oh yeah, Princess. You're going back to sleep," The blond woman tells her, looking at Sleeping Beauty.
Aurora appears in the flaming room in the Netherworld and begins calling for Henry, and he soon appears. "Hello? Hello?" Henry calls out to her from across the room.
"Henry! Henry, it is you!" Aurora asks over the noise.
"Yeah! Who are you?" He asks.
"My name is Aurora. I'm with your mum, your aunt and your grandmother," She tells him.
"Are they okay?" The young Mills boy asks, shouting almost.
"Yes, they're fine. They just want to come home. And they need your help," Sleeping Beauty informs him.
"Okay, so what do I need to do?" Henry wonders, listening carefully.
At the Blanchard apartment, Henry jolts awake from his dream. Regina and David are asleep by his bed but are awakened by his yelling. "They're… They're alive. They're alive!" Henry shouts gleefully.
"Who? Who's alive?" David asks, moving towards him and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"My mum, Octavia and Snow," He tells them.
"I told you, kid. I told you!" Charming grins, happy to hear his wife and daughter are safe, and Octavia, too.
"Was… Was it that woman you saw? Did she tell you this?" Regina asks him, smiling, glad to hear her little sister is safe.
"Her name's Aurora. She said they have a way home, but there's someone in their way – someone they need us to help them stop," Henry informs them. "Someone only Mr Gold knows how to defeat."
"Who?" She wonders.
"Your mother," He answers, seeing the look of dread on her face.
Belle and Mr Gold have their little lunch date at Granny's Diner. She serves them burgers and fires, though she isn't happy about having him in her restaurant. "They smell delicious, Granny," Belle compliments her, her mouth watering in anticipation.
"They are delicious. Didn't take any dark magic, either," Granny jokes and turns to Rumpelstiltskin, glaring at him. "Oh, and, uh, I charge extra for the pickles."
"Mmhmm," The Dark One hums, and Granny goes back up to the front. "I have a complicated relationship with her… As I do with most people."
"Well, it, uh… It did take me a little time to get to know you. They will," Belle reassures him kindly.
"You know, you should try it with ketchup. Condiments are this world's most powerful magic," He tells her, and Regina enters the diner, stalking towards their table.
"Gold. We need to talk," Regina tells him urgently.
"Do we?" Rumpelstiltskin questions and Granny sees the incoming altercation and walks over to intervene.
"Folks, I think I may need to close early. Uh, everybody out," Granny warns the others, shooting everyone outside.
"No. It's okay. We're civil," Regina assures her.
"Yeah, for now. Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for twenty-eight years?" Mr Gold retorts, gesturing to the former Mayor.
"Uh, I should probably just-," Belle says, going to leave.
"No, no. Please, stay where you are," He tells her, wanting to spend more time with her. "Whatever she has to say, won't be a secret from you. Whatever she wants, she won't get."
"I'm actually coming about the one thing that might unite us," Regina argues.
"And what on earth can that be?" Mr Gold questions, looking at her.
"Cora." She tells him, making him look at her. "She's coming from our land. I need your help to stop her."
"But she was dead. You told me you saw the body," He argues.
"Apparently, you taught her well," The Evil Queen retorts. "She's not, and she's on her way. And I don't think I need to remind you how most unpleasant that would be for both of us."
"For you. I can handle Cora," Rumpelstiltskin replies shortly.
"That's not how she tells the story," Regina argues.
"I won in the end," Mr Gold says, returning to his food.
"Maybe. But there's a big difference this time. This time, you have someone you care about. This time, you have a weakness," She warns him.
"I'm… I'm sorry. Who… Who is this woman?" Belle asks, looking between them.
"Someone you'll never meet. So you say she's coming. Where is she now?" Mr Gold wonders.
"With them. With my sister," Regina tells him. He thinks of the youngest Mills daughter and knows she can handle herself, but maybe not against Cora.
The women walk through the forest. "How close are we?" Emma asks, growing anxious. "Henry could already be waiting in that Netherworld."
"No, we planned to meet back there in two hours," Aurora tells her.
"You're not going to leave him waiting," Mary Margaret assures her.
"Yeah, but what if he's-," Emma argues.
"He was fine," Aurora promises her.
"There. That looks like relatively safe high ground. We'll set up camp there," Mary Margaret suggests.
"Aurora, you'll settle in and find Henry – get the information we need from Rumpelstiltskin. And we do this fast, in and out. It's still dangerous out here," Octavia warns them, and Aurora catches herself on a branch and stops. Mulan notices her companion and moves back to help her.
"Is something wrong?" Mulan asks her.
"No, just caught on something," Aurora lies.
"That does not explain your arm," She wonders, and the Princess covers her arm with her shawl.
"What about my arm?" Sleeping Beauty questions.
"The burns you're hiding—they're not from the sun," the warrior argues, spotting them on her arm.
"I… Brushed against a poison leaf," Aurora lies poorly again.
"You said that this Netherworld was full of smoke and flames. Aurora, if that's where you were burned, you should not return," Mulan warns her.
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" She argues.
"You're choosing to go in deeper, and staying under longer to find this boy. I vowed to Prince Phillip to protect you, not to help some strangers find a portal to another land," The warrior snaps, trying to help her.
"Mulan, I was cursed to spend eternity in that horrible sleep," The Princess retorts. "And, the only reason I'm here is because you and Phillip risked your lives to save me. Every day since my waking has been a gift, so let me do something with it. It's my turn to help someone else. I'm going to go back in and find that boy."
Henry lies in a small bed in the back of Mr Gold's shop, and Regina enters with a blanket to keep him warm while he's under. "I brought your blanket…from your bedroom back home," Regina says, putting it over him. David and Mr Gold watch in the background.
"Thanks. So, Cora… She's pretty powerful?" David questions, never meeting the woman.
"Yes, but, uh, not as powerful as I am," Mr Gold assures him.
"Debatable," Regina counters, walking over.
"Actually, no, it's not," He argues.
"You sure you're okay to do this, kid?" David asks his grandson.
"I was born to do this. I'm done reading about heroes. I want to be one," Henry tells him.
"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire," He replies.
"I'll be okay," The Mills boy promises.
"Look, whatever he faces in there, will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail," Mr Gold warns them.
"I can do this," Henry repeats.
"Get on with it. Fast," David tells them, turning to Gold and Regina.
"Alright, Henry. Just relax. And soon, you're going to drift off," Mr Gold says, moving towards the boy.
"What do I tell them?" Henry asks him.
"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear," He replies, sitting next to Henry's bed and placing his hand on Henry's forehead. "Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon."
"That was you. They used Cinderella to trap you with a magic quill," The Mills boy says, cutting the story short. Rumpelstiltskin moves his hand across Henry's face, causing him to fall asleep, and he continues the motion as he speaks. "Yes, indeed, a quill. And yet, it wasn't the quill itself, but the ink that captured the Dark One – harvested from the rarest species of squid, from the bottom of a bottomless ocean. Impossible to find, unless you're a mermaid… Or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell… That is where they will find it."
The women set up camp, Mulan watches over Aurora as she sleeps, and Octavia heals her minor burns. "Hey… It'll be okay. You'll see Henry again. This will work," Mary Margaret assures her daughter, and they hear a noise in the woods.
"What was that?" Emma asks, looking around.
Aurora and Henry both arrive at the room in the Netherworld. "Henry! Henry! Can you help us?" Aurora asks him.
"Yes! I know what you have to do to stop Cora!" Henry shouts. "You have to go to-," The flames flare out, muffling Henry's voice. "Rumpelstiltskin's cell!"
"Where? We have to go where? Wait. Where do we have to go?" She asks.
"Rumpelstiltskin's-!" He keeps shouting, and again, the flames cut him off and muffle his voice.
"Henry! Henry, I…" Sleeping Beauty wonders and hears a voice calling her name from an unknown place. "Who is that?"
"Did you hear me?" The Mills boy asks.
"No! Henry, say it again! I-!" Aurora shouts, and she hears her name being called again. "Did you hear that?"
"No! Aurora, what's going on?" Henry questions and the voice comes again, urgently calling her name.
"Do you hear that?" She asks, and suddenly, she's sucked into a vortex, lifting her out of the room and leaving Henry alone.
Mulan keeps calling for Aurora as she shakes the girl awake. "Aurora, wake up! Aurora, wake up! Wake up!"
"Henry wasn't finished," Aurora tells her.
"The time for that is over," Octavia replies as Cora's zombies invade their camp. Mulan draws her sword and fends them off as Aurora watches, frightened. Octavia waves her arm, sending most of them back. Elsewhere, Emma and Mary Margaret also fight off the zombie horde.
"Emma, watch out!" Mary Margaret shouts, and a zombie tackles Emma to the ground, causing her to lose the compass. It rolls a few feet away, and another zombie comes along and picks it up.
"The compass. The compass!" Emma yells, and Mary Margaret shoots the zombie with an arrow, causing the compass to fall back to the ground. Emma quickly scrambles to grab it. "Any idea how to kill these things?"
"None! Mulan! Mulan?" She calls for her, and they look around, but Aurora and Mulan are nowhere in sight, leaving Octavia to use her magic to protect them.
"Where is she?" Octavia questions, not looking back.
"Emma, Octavia, we've got to run for it!" Snow suggests, and they flee the campsite. Meanwhile, Mulan helps Aurora navigate through the forest.
"Come on – hurry. Aurora, go," Mulan tells her, and the zombies catch up to them. One grabs Mulan, dragging her to the ground, while the others swarm Aurora.
"No!" Aurora shouts, and Mulan fights off the zombie, but she realises Aurora is gone when she gets up.
"Aurora!" She yells, calling out to her, and Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia successfully escape the zombies.
"You both still in one piece?" Emma asks the others.
"Yeah, pretty much," Mary Margaret replies.
"Yep, I hate my mother," Octavia groans. They hear rustling in the bushes. Mary Margaret draws an arrow, and Octavia raises her hand, but they stop when Mulan emerges.
"They took her. Aurora's gone," Mulan announces, growing worried for the Princess she swore to protect.
Henry awakens from his trip to the Netherworld, and David rushes to his side. "Henry. Are you alright?" He asks his grandson.
"Did you see her? Did you tell her?" Mr Gold questions the boy.
"No. I… I didn't get the chance. Something… Something happened. She… She got sucked out of there," Henry tells them, and they all notice he appears to be in pain.
"Henry?" Regina wonders, moving towards her son.
"Some… Something's wrong," He replies, and she pulls back his sleeve, revealing a burn.
"Henry…" She mutters in horror.
Aurora has been taken to 'the pit' at the Haven. Cora enters with a tray of food as a fake peace offering. "I thought you might be hungry. I hope you enjoy stew," Cora comments, placing the tray before the Princess.
"I enjoy anything that masks the bitter aftertaste of poison," Aurora retorts hostally.
"Plucky. I like that," She muses, admiring her a little.
"You might as well go. I'm not going to tell you anything," Sleeping Beauty replies, trying to act bravely.
"Oh, I know. That's alright. You've nothing to tell. You weren't my target," Mrs Mills tells her.
"The compass – sad you lost it?" Aurora questions.
"I suppose. But now, I have something to trade for it," Cora retorts, looking at the Princess.
"They'll never trade me for that," She argues firmly.
"You might be more valuable than you know," The red-haired woman replies, knowing Mulan very well.
"To who? They just met me, and they're trying to get back to their families. Do you really think they'll sacrifice that for a stranger?" The Princess wonders, thinking of the others.
"Your newfound companions? You may not know them, but I do," Cora remarks. "Snow and her daughter just can't help themselves. And my daughter may seem brave, but she is anything but. No matter the personal stakes, they won't let an innocent die."
"We shall see," Aurora replies, getting to know them a little.
"And what stakes do you have in their cause, Princess? It's not as though you'd travel back with them," She says, and Aurora's face falls slightly. "Oh… What a sweet, misguided notion. Did you really think you could have a life there? Find another prince? You've forgotten Phillip already."
"Phillip is in my heart every moment of every day. If there was anything I could do to bring him back, I would," Sleeping Beauty argues, missing her beloved.
"Is that so? What if I told you that when a Wraith consumes a soul, it merely travels to another realm?" Mrs Mills tells her. "But that soul could be brought back to this world? Show me a little courtesy, and I may explain how." Aurora angrily kicks the tray of food at Cora. "Oh! You stupid, ungrateful girl!"
"I'm not as stupid as you think, nor my loyalty so easily bought. You can bring me a hundred meals, and make me a hundred promises, but I will never help you!" Aurora yells at her, and Cora magically throws the Princess against the wall, knocking her out. "Plucky…" She approaches a crow perched on a cage in the pit and gently strokes its chest. "Tell them." She orders, and the crow flies out of the dungeon.
The crow reaches the women in the forest and sits on Mary Margaret's shoulder, making everyone draw their weapons. "Wait," She tells them, and the crow caws, seemingly 'talking' to Snow. The crow then flies off.
"What the hell was that?" Emma asks her mother.
"Cora. We have until sundown to bring her the compass. If we don't, she'll kill Aurora," Mary Margaret informs them.
"Give it to me," Mulan demands, holding her hand out for the compass.
"Hold on, Mulan. Just give us a minute to consider," Octavia argues.
"There's nothing to consider. A compass is not worth Aurora's life," She retorts, glaring at them.
"We need a plan to get back Aurora and keep the compass," Mary Margaret suggests.
"My vow to Phillip was to protect Aurora," The warrior replies angrily. "That promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done." Mulan attempts to grab the compass out of Emma's hand.
"Hey. Hey! Octavia climbed a beanstalk for this. You go get your own," Emma snaps, pulling it away.
"Give it to me!" Mulan demands.
"Mulan. Mulan. Give us a few hours, please," Mary Margaret says, trying to calm her down. "If we haven't defeated Cora by then, you can have the compass."
"You can't hope to defeat her. We no longer have access to the Dark One's assistance," She reminds her.
"Yes, we do," Octavia argues, looking at Snow.
"How? Aurora's gone," The warrior questions.
"Aurora isn't the only one who's been under a sleeping curse. I can go back to that Netherworld," Mary Margaret tells her, catching onto Octavia's thinking.
"The door to that place is closed. You said it yourself," Mulan reminds her.
"There may be a way… A way for me to go back into a deep slumber. One that can let me access it again," She argues.
"Another sleeping curse?" Emma asks, looking at her mother.
"No, not another curse," Octavia tells her.
"I don't need one. I've been under already. I need to go into a sleep where my natural defences slip away – where my mind stops protecting me." Mary Margaret replies.
"How?" Emma asks, looking between them.
"Your sleeping powder…" She says, looking at Mulan. "If I inhale it, I will fall into a deep enough sleep that I should be able to do this."
"I used the last of it on the giant," Mulan replies sadly.
"Then make some more," Mary Margaret suggests strongly.
"The poppy plant is extremely rare in this kingdom, but I know of a place that may grow some more. It's a bit of a journey from here," She agrees.
"Can we make it by sundown?" Octavia asks, and Mulan nods.
"We have to hurry," Mulan replies, heading off.
Regina tends to Henry's burn carefully, though he flinches in pain. "Here," Mr Gold says, limping over. "Let me take care of this." He magically heals the injury.
"What caused this?" Regina asks, looking at him.
"When you venture deeper into the Netherworld instead of away, there are risks," He tells her. "Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's going to need some time to recover before he can be sent back."
"Out of the question," She snaps, protecting her son.
"Not a chance in hell. We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again," David agrees with the Evil Queen.
"Careful with your tone, Charming," Mr Gold warns him. "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow, Emma, and Octavia will soon be dead. And then… A true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."
"Aurora is gone. Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?" Regina questions, holding her son.
"Because someone will be there," David replies.
"Who?" She asks, looking at him.
"Snow," He answers.
"Well, that's an awfully big assumption," The Evil Queen scoffs, thinking of her stepdaughter.
"No. No, it's not. She was there once before. She can go back. She can find a way," Charming argues. "She will – I know it. And I'll be waiting."
"You're going to this Netherworld?" Regina asks him.
"I faced you. How bad could it be?" David teases her.
"It's not as simple as that. You can't get there," Mr Gold tells them. "You haven't been under a sleeping curse."
"Well, then put me under one," He suggests, still not understanding magic.
"If we do that, there's a chance you might never wake up," The Dark One warns him.
"Sure I will. When I see her, she'll kiss me, and I'll be fine," The Prince argues. "Now, put me under. I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home."
In the pit, Killian tries waking an unconscious Aurora. "Wake up. Wake up. Come on, sweetheart. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. On your feet. Hurry." Aurora gradually comes to, and she realises who's before her.
"No! No! Are you going to kill me?" Aurora gasps, looking at him fearfully.
"If I were here for that, then waking you first might not be the best course of action," He argues, breaking the shackles on her wrists.
"So what? Did Cora send you?" She asks him.
"Cora has no idea I'm here," Hook tells her.
"I don't… I don't understand," The Princess mutters, looking at him in shock.
"Look, I know you're sleepy… Isn't it obvious? I'm setting you free," Killian retorts.
"What is this? Some sort of pirate's ruse?" Aurora questions, not trusting him.
"Cora's denied me passage to Storybrooke, and my vengeance," He replies. "And now, I'm going to deny her her wishes, starting with the compass. In pirate terms, you might say I'm firing a shot across my enemy's bow."
"You'd risk your life to break in here, all so you could thwart Cora?" She asks, still unsure if she can trust him.
"I don't like being double-crossed. Now, go," The pirate tells her.
"Thank you," Sleeping Beauty replies, going to leave, but Killian stops her.
"You can thank me by doing me one favour," Killian requests.
"What?" Aurora asks, looking back at him.
"Give Octavia a message," He tells her. "Tell her that the deal still stands. If she provides me passage back to her realm, I swear I will help her find that dust that opens the portal."
"You really want to assist us?" She questions, surprised.
"It hurts Cora and helps me. Of course I do. Now, go," Hook replies, letting her leave.
The four women still travel through the woods to find the poppies. "Once we crest this ridge, we'll be near the woods of the dead," Mulan informs them. "The last poppies in this realm have taken seed there."
"You okay?" Emma asks her mother.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Mary Margaret answers.
"Hey. Wait. Wait. No, no, no. You look nervous," She argues. "This Netherworld… How bad is it? What's it like?"
"It's like you're, um… Lost, drifting in the dark. No one to talk to, nothing to do," Snow explains. "Except think of all the people that you love, and how you'll never see them again."
"Henry was lost in that dark too because of me," The Saviour gulps, feeling guilty.
"What are you talking about?" Octavia questions.
"He tried so hard to convince me I was the Saviour," Emma sighs, thinking of her time spent with Henry.
"Stop it. Nobody would've believed Henry's stories," Mary Margaret argues.
"But his mother should have," She retorts.
"Okay. You want to play the blame game? If I hadn't told Cora about Regina's true love, Cora never would've killed him," Snow replies, making Octavia sigh. "Regina wouldn't want revenge. The curse? Never would have happened. We could spend all day trying to figure out why each of us should feel guilty, but it will not help us get home."
"You really think we're going to make it back?" The blond woman asks her.
"If there's one thing your father's taught me, it's not to give up. Now, it's time for me to go back to sleep," Mary Margaret retorts.
"It's Regina," Emma says, making them look at her.
"What?" Octavia asks her.
"Regina. That's who we should blame," She repeats.
"Please. It's Rumpelstiltskin's," The Cruel Princess snaps, walking away and thinking of the past and stories she grew up listening to, especially when no one knew she was there.
Regina prepares the potion for the sleeping curse using supplies from Mr Gold's shop, and Henry enters and watches her work. "It smells funny," Henry comments, sniffing the air.
"I know, sweetheart. It's a curse. It's not meant to be pleasant," Regina replies, smiling at her son.
"So the potion's finished? Mr Gold had everything you needed in his shop?" He asks her.
"Yes. We're almost ready," She tells him.
"So this is how you do it – Magic," The Mills boy questions.
"There are many ways. It's never easy," The Evil Queen remarks.
"And… Have you been using magic?" Henry wonders, looking at his mum.
"Henry, I told you I wouldn't, and I haven't," Regina assures him. "Except for… with Daniel. …And now. I've really been trying."
"It's okay. At least you're using it to help people now," He argues, smiling at her.
"I'm trying. And after this, I won't," She promises him.
"I know. Will David be okay?" The young Mills boy asks her.
"He'll be…asleep. And in there, he won't die. Gold's explaining everything to him right now," The former Mayor tells him.
"It should be me. I can go in there without a curse and still come back," Henry argues, feeling bad about David taking his place.
"Henry. David and I have many differences, but, on this, we agree. We won't let you risk your safety. It's just not worth it," Regina retorts, wanting to keep her son safe.
"It is to me. He won't wake up," he replies.
"Unless he succeeds. And if there's one thing I know about your grandparents, they always find each other," She assures him, though it's with a slightly bitter tone.
The women finally find a single poppy in the forest. "It's beautiful," Mary Margaret compliments it, looking at the flower.
"I'll use my dagger to crush the seeds. We're doing this the old-fashioned way," Mulan replies.
Mr Gold discusses the sleeping curse with David, and he brings him to a spinning wheel. "What do you mean, the old-fashioned way?" David asks, looking at it.
"You're about to join a quite distinguished club, Mr Nolan," Mr Gold replies. "Before such innovations as the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required… Through blood. By pricking one's finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, one falls under the spell. Your Majesty, you did his wife. I'm sure you'd like the honours." Regina dips the needle end into the sleeping potion and then places it back onto the wheel.
"It's all yours," Regina confirms, grimly looking at him.
"Good luck," Henry says, looking at David.
"It's going to be alright," David promises him.
"How do you know?" He asks.
"Well… How did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?" Charming questions.
"I… I believed in her," The Mills boy replies.
"The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family," David tells him. Henry takes the pendant from around his neck and gives it to David.
"This helps control the flames in the room. It'll keep you safe," Henry says, looking at it.
"I will guard it with my life," He promises, putting it on.
Mulan grinds up the poppy with her knife while Mary Margaret sits down and prepares to sleep. "The powder's nearly ready," Mulan informs her.
"How long will the effects last?" Mary Margaret asks her.
"It's difficult to say. Maybe an hour, or much less," She replies.
"Well, I shouldn't need much time. As long as Henry's in there when I am," Snow resorts, a little scared about going back.
"I'll be right here. Say hi to my son for me," Emma tells him.
"Same," Octavia smiles. Mulan finishes the poppy powder and holds a handful up to Mary Margaret's face, blowing towards her. Snow inhales it, knocking her out.
David stares at the needle as Mr Gold spins the wheel. Regina and Henry watch from the side. "When I awake, I'll be in that fiery room?" David asks Gold.
"Not exactly. That room is where those who've already awoken from the curse return. You, however, are being put under for the first time," Rumpelstiltskin reminds him.
"Then how will I know where to go? How the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?" He questions.
"And that, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving. Now, I say this with the utmost sincerity… Good luck," Mr Gold says, beginning to spin the wheel. This time, David extends his hand, pricking his finger on the needle. He quickly falls under the curse.
When David arrives in the Netherworld, he finds himself in a dark room lit only by a single torch. He picks up the torch and begins wandering around. All of the walls around him are mirrored. "Snow!" He shouts, calling out to her. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret arrives in the flaming room, calling for Henry, expecting him to be there, but she's alone.
"Henry? Henry? Henry? Henry?! Where are you?" Mary Margaret shouts, and David wanders through the Netherworld's mirrored part. In the mirror, he realises Henry's necklace is glowing blue. He holds it in his hand, realising it glows brighter the closer he gets to his destination. It continues glowing brighter until it burns his hand. He drops the pendant on the ground. He bends over to pick it up but touches the floor itself instead. He draws back his hand when the floor burns him.
"The room…" He mutters and uses the torch, breaking the floor, which appears to be made of glass. It shatters, and he falls into the flaming room with Mary Margaret.
"Charming? Charming?" She calls him.
"Snow!" Charming shouts gleefully.
"I don't understand. I… Henry should be here," Snow argues, though she's happy to see him.
"I wouldn't let him come back. This is… This is too dangerous," David replies.
"You found me," Mary Margaret smiles, looking at her husband.
"You found me. I knew you'd be here," He smiles back at her.
"I don't know how much time we have," She tells him.
"Gold… He says there's a way to stop Cora. We have to stun her like we did with him," Charming explains.
"The quill," Snow realises.
"It wasn't the quill, it was the ink. There's a jar of it in his cell where we kept him. Get it. Get it, stop her, and come home," David informs her.
"Charming, how are you here? There's no way for you to be here, unless…" Mary Margaret says, stopping when she realises what's going on.
"I had to see you," He replies.
"You're in a sleeping curse," She gasps.
"It was worth it," The Prince tells her.
"Now you're cursed," Snow says, tearing up.
"A curse you're going to break with true love's kiss," David assures her, leaping over the flames towards her. "Now…" They go to kiss, but they go straight through each other.
"No!" Mary Margaret shouts.
"It's a Netherworld. We're not really here," He realises, and Mary Margaret begins fading away.
"I'm waking up," She announces, looking at her hand.
"It's okay. You'll get back, and then you'll wake me as I woke you. You will always find me, and I will always find you," Charming assures her.
"Yes. Will we always lose each other, too? Is that our fate?" Snow questions, looking at her husband.
"No. I refuse to believe that. You need to have faith… In us," David tells her firmly.
"I'm waking up," Mary Margaret replies.
"It's okay. You can do this," He says, having faith in his wife.
"Charming…" She gasps, feeling her hold in the Netherworld growing less.
"I love you," The Prince proclaims.
"I love y-!" Snow tries to say, but she disappears completely, leaving David alone.
Regina, Mr Gold, and Henry wait for David to wake up, but it's taking too long. "Come on… Come back," Henry mutters. "Should he be in there so long?"
"I'm sure it's fine. I imagine they're just catching up," Regina assures her son, looking at Gold, who shakes his head.
Emma, who sleeps across from Mary Margaret, wakes as Snow emerges from her dream. Both are being looked after by Octavia and Mulan, though one is missing. "Hey. Hey, you okay?" Emma asks her, and Mary Margaret stands up, jerking away from her daughter. "What… What happened? What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for more powder," Mary Margaret replies, searching for more and gaining Octavia's attention.
"Well, I'm pretty sure we're out of that. What happened?" Octavia asks, looking between them.
"No. I have to go back in. He's all alone," She exclaims.
"Henry? What? Is he okay?" Emma asks, growing worried for her son.
"No. David. He went under a sleeping spell so he could see me. He thought that my kiss would wake him, but it didn't. And now he's trapped," Snow explains, growing frightened for him.
"Okay, slow down. David is trapped in there?" She asks.
"I have to get back. There's only one way to help him," Mary Margaret argues.
"True love's kiss," Octavia agrees.
"Yes, but… It won't work in there. We have to get back. If we don't-," She says, looking up at them.
"We will. We will," Emma promises her.
"Now you're so sure?" Snow questions.
"Yes. You told me to have faith, and now I'm telling you. We will make it back. Okay? Did you get the information?" She asks her urgently.
"It's Rumpelstiltskin. He said the key to stopping her is in his jail cell," Mary Margaret tells them.
"The ink?" Octavia questions, making the Princess look at her.
"Yeah," She replies slowly.
"Okay. Then let's go get it. Come on – get your stuff. Come on," Emma says, helping Mary Margaret up, who retrieves her things. Emma checks her pockets and becomes frantic. "No…"
"What?" Mary Margaret and Octavia ask,
"The compass is gone. And so is Mulan," She tells them, looking around, not seeing her anywhere as she's running through the woods, compass in hand.
Cora enters the pit and finds Aurora missing, with Hook waiting for her. "Looking for someone?" Killian questions, smirking at her.
"Oh, don't tell me you were dumb enough to let her go," Cora scoffs in disbelief.
"She was never going to give you what you wanted anyway," He argues.
"So, you freed her. And stuck around for the petty satisfaction of seeing me suffer?" She questions.
"Oh, watching you suffer is a tempting motivation, but it wasn't that," Hook retorts.
"Well, then you must have a death wish," Mrs Mills sneers, magically throwing and binding him against the wall. She removes his hook and traces it along his chest. "You know I have to kill you."
"You should try thanking me," Killian replies, struggling to free himself.
"Oh, really? Why's that?" Cora asks him.
"Because I've brought you a gift. It's in the satchel," He tells her, gesturing to the bag on his belt.
"What is it?" She wonders.
"Customarily, surprise is part of the fun of gift giving. Open it," the pirate says. She removes the satchel from his belt and looks into the bag.
"Is that…" The red-haired woman questions, looking back at him.
"Indeed, it is. And with it, you'll get everything you want," Killian replies with a smirk.
Mulan runs through the forest when an arrow zooms past her head, hitting a tree. Mary Margaret, Emma, and Octavia appear behind her. "That was a warning shot," Mary Margaret tells her. "Try to run, and I promise the next one won't be."
"How did you find me?" Mulan asks them.
"I know a thing or two about tracking," She replies.
"All we want is the compass," Emma snaps.
"Very well," Mulan agrees, lying, and she goes to draw her sword, but Octavia tackles her to the ground before she gets the chance.
"Give me the compass," Octavia sneers at her.
"And seal Aurora's fate?" She questions.
"We learned how to overpower Cora," Mary Margaret argues. "Once we get what we need, we will defeat her, and Aurora will be free."
"Another journey – just as I predicted there would be," The warrior snaps. "Our best chance to save Aurora is to make that trade now."
"Not going to happen. Without that compass, we can't get home," She retorts.
"Then I hope you're prepared to use that arrow," Mulan replies and Mary Margaret draws her weapon back, but something stops her.
"Stop!" Aurora shouts, making them all stop as she appears.
"Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but how the hell did you get here?" Emma asks, looking at the Princess.
"Let Mulan go. I said, 'Let her go'!" She demands, and Octavia gets off of Mulan, and Aurora helps her up.
"Were you followed?" Mulan asks her, getting to her feet.
"I… I don't think so. Cora may know I'm gone, but she didn't see me escape," Sleeping Beauty assures them, not realising how wrong she is.
"How did you escape?" Octavia asks, frowning. She knows how her mother can be.
"It was Hook. He let me go," Aurora informs them.
"Why?" Emma questions.
"Because of you," She says, looking at Octavia. "He said he wanted to prove to you that you should've trusted him. That if you had trusted him…" The women, all unaware these aren't her own words as Cora holds the Princess' heart in her hand, and whatever Cora says, Aurora mimics with Hook watching the display.
"You could've defeated Cora together. That the two of you could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe," Cora says as Aurora speaks to the others. "Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I… I think he may care for you."
"Nice touch, that," Killian smiles at her.
"But you know she won't trust you," she argues, looking at him.
"Ah, she doesn't have to. All I need is for her to believe that I was genuine in letting the girl go, which I wager she does now. You're welcome," he replies.
"Impressive. You took a heart," Mrs Mills comments.
"Now you've a Princess," Hook retorts.
"Indeed, I do," Cora says, grinning.
"Now, can we get on with the business of going to Storybrooke… Together?" Killian asks her.
"Why not? I hate to travel alone. All we need is the compass," She reminds him.
"Which will soon be delivered," He assures her.
"Did you find a way to stop Cora?" Aurora asks, looking at them and standing before the others.
"Yes," Emma answers.
"Where are we going?" She asks.
"Rumpelstiltskin's cell," Octavia tells her. She looks at the Princess funny, feeling something off about her.
"Great. Then lead the way," Sleeping Beauty replies, and they set off as Cora continues manipulating Aurora's actions.
Chapter Eleven - Queen of Hearts
Season 2 - Episode 9
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…
Killian raises his arm, preparing to kill Belle with his hook, but the Evil Queen stops him. She enters the room and magically removes his hook. "No. Not useless," She argues, looking at the bookworm. "She's a valuable chess piece."
"Do I look like I'm playing a game of chess? My hook, if you please," Killian requests, glaring at Regina, who denies him. "The asking was me being a gentleman."
"Is that any way to address a Queen? Even a pirate should have better manners than that," Regina snaps, surprising him. "Yes… I know who you are… Captain. I know why you came here from Neverland. And I know all about the crocodile you wish to skin."
"Then you also know that I'll stop at nothing," He questions.
"So dedicated and resourceful. No one has been able to fight their way past my defences before. She can't help you kill Rumpelstiltskin, Hook. But I can, if you do something for me. Care to join me for a drink?" She asks, needing his help.
Regina pours two drinks, handing one to Killian, who stands across from her. "Things are about to change in this world," She informs him. "Radically. I have plans to enact a curse that will take everyone to a far-off land."
"How will that help me?" Killian wonders.
"This new realm? It's a land without magic," Regina informs him. "Where the Dark One will be stripped of his powers. There, you won't need any magical weapon to kill him. You can do it with a mere flick of your wrist."
"Tell me what I have to do," He asks her.
"There's one person I don't want following me to this new land. You're to see to it that doesn't happen," She informs him.
"An assassination. Who is it you want me to dispose of?" Hook asks her.
"My mother," The Evil Queen replies.
Mary Margaret and company arrive at Rumpelstiltskin's cell under the castle. "Rumpelstiltskin's cell. I haven't been here since before Regina's curse," She comments, looking around. "This is where he told us you were going to be the Saviour."
"He knew?" Emma questions.
"It was prophesied," Octavia informs her. "Come on." Inside, they find the cell completely empty.
"The squid ink – it's not here," Aurora announces.
"Gold said we would find it," Mary Margaret argues, and they begin checking the crevices of the walls.
"Well, was there anyone else in here with him? Could they have taken the ink?" Mulan wonders.
"No, he was kept alone. Visitors were forbidden," she answers, slightly making Octavia snicker. "He was too dangerous to allow any human contact."
"How'd he keep from going crazy?" Emma ponders, and Aurora finds a piece of paper tucked into the wall.
"He didn't," Aurora announces, taking it out.
"What is it?" Mary Margaret asks, looking at it.
"Is that a message?" Emma questions.
"Yes. And I think it's for you," Aurora tells her, handing the paper over.
"Why would you think that?" she says, but she sees why, as 'Emma' is written repeatedly on the paper.
Henry is reading David the story of Snow White from his book when Regina walks in. "I think this time, it'll happen the other way around," Regina comments.
"You think so?" Henry asks her.
"I do. Which is why I need you to stay here and watch David for a little while," She requests lightly.
"Where are you going?" He asks her.
"Mr Gold and I need to prepare for Emma, Mary Margaret and Octavia's return. Coming through the portal won't be easy. We need to make sure everything's in place," The Evil Queen lies.
"Really? You're really going to help them?" The Mills boy questions, wanting to believe her.
"I promised you I was going to do better – to be better. So, yes, I'm going to do everything in my power to see to it they come home safely," Regina promises him.
"Wow. You really have changed," Henry smiles, which breaks her heart for lying to him.
"Be back as soon as I can," She tells him.
Regina and Mr Gold enter the mines as everyone else has already left for the day. "I'm really glad you, uh, came to your senses," He remarks, looking at her.
"Let's just get this over with," Regina replies, not really wanting to do this to her son or sister.
"It's right through here," Mr Gold says, and they arrive at the diamonds. "Ah, yes. Should suit our purposes, no?"
"How much do we need?" She questions.
"All of it," He answers.
"How are we going to do that?" The Evil Queen wonders.
"With a little help from a fairy," The Dark One answers, taking out a wand. She looks at him. "Dead one. Believe me, no one mourns her." He waves the wand and magically absorbs the power from the diamonds. They disappear, and the wand glows with magic.
The Evil Queen waves her hand over Killian's hook, causing it to glow, and she hands it back to him. "It's now… Enchanted. It will enable you to rip out her heart," She explains. "I believe you've seen it done before."
"Yes," Killian replies, thinking of his late Milah.
"The enchantment will only allow you to rip out one heart, so make sure you do it right," Regina warns him.
"What could she have possibly done to warrant such brutality?" He wonders.
"That's my business. Yours is to kill her, and bring her body back to me," She snaps back.
"Easy enough. When will I set forth on this murderous journey?" The Captain asks her.
"Immediately. But you won't be going alone," the Evil Queen informs him and walks over to the sitting area, where a blanket covers something significant on the chair. She pulls it back and reveals a corpse. "You remember Claude?"
"Can't say that I do," Killian replies, looking at her.
"You killed him in the cell block," Regina tells him.
"Ah, yes. I didn't recognize him without my hook in his neck," he jokes. "Forgive me, but isn't he a bit of dead weight?"
"I banished my mother to a far-off land some time ago. You're going to need a portal to get to her," She explains, pulling out the hat box containing Jefferson's hat.
In Wonderland, several guards capture and escort Killian to the Queen of Hearts and various other citizens. Her face is obscured by a mask. "Kneel before the Queen of Hearts," the Knave of Hearts orders the pirate.
"Appreciate the warm welcome," Killian retorts, and the Queen of Hearts uses the tube to speak through. The Knave of Hearts relays her message.
"The Queen wants to know why you've come to Wonderland," He demands.
"I'm in search of someone. In her native land, she goes by Cora," Hook replies, making the crowd begin whispering at the use of the name 'Cora'. The Queen of Hearts removes her mask, revealing herself to be Cora.
The group scours the cell in search of the ink. Emma looks at the paper, still figuring out why he would write her name. "What does this even mean?" Emma wonders.
"He was obsessed with you, Emma. You were the key to breaking the curse," Mary Margaret reminds her.
"We've looked everywhere. There's no ink in this cell," Aurora sighs.
"Well, it has to be. He told David," She argues.
"You were in a Netherworld. Maybe something got lost in translation," Emma questions.
"No. She heard right," Mulan agrees.
"You found it?" Octavia asks, and Mulan holds up an empty bottle.
"In a manner of speaking. There was ink in the cell," She replies.
"Son of a bitch…" Emma curses and Aurora suddenly grabs a rock and throws it against a lever just outside the cell. The door to the cell falls down, trapping the five of them inside. "Aurora, what are you doing?!" Cora and Killian arrive.
"Of course," Octavia scoffs, glaring out of the cell bars.
"Helping me," Cora announces, magically summoning the compass to her.
"No!" Emma shouts.
"No. Don't waste your energy, dear. Rumpelstiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell," She warns her. "Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you."
"Why would you do this?" The Saviour snaps, turning to the Princess.
"How could you?" Mary Margaret asks.
"Don't blame her. She was only doing what she was told," Cora argues, pulling out Aurora's heart.
"You took her heart?" Emma asks.
"Actually, I did. It was a gift," Killian tells them, and Cora squeezes the heart, causing Aurora to yell out in pain.
"Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits," Cora smirks. They turn to leave, but Octavia snaps.
"Hook. Wait. Please don't do this. My nephew is in Storybrooke. He needs us," Octavia snaps, making him walk towards her.
"Perhaps you should've considered that, before you abandoned me on that beanstalk," Killian argues.
"You would've done the same," She retorts.
"Actually, no," He tells her. "Do you know what this is, Octavia?" He takes out the mummified bean that the giant had on his necklace.
"The bean that the giant kept," The Cruel Princess says, recognising it.
"Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this… Well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility…" Hook replies. "Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done… With you." He walks away with Cora, leaving the women.
Ruby frantically runs into the mine, where Leroy is staring vacantly up at the ceiling where the diamonds are. "Leroy!" Ruby calls out. "What is it? What's the emergency? Leroy."
"They're gone. They're all gone," Leroy replies, and she looks up to see he's right.
Henry reads by David's bedside when Ruby, Leroy, and the rest of the dwarves enter the back of the shop. "Where are they?" Ruby asks, looking around. "Regina and Gold."
"What's going on?" Henry questions.
"All the magic has been drained from the mines," She informs him.
"They stole it?" He asks.
"They snuck in after our shift and took everything. Nobody steals from a dwarf!" Leroy snaps.
"Except the Queen," Doc argues.
"…And Rumpelstiltskin," Happy adds.
"If they're not helping Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia that… That means my mum lied to me," Henry mutters, feeling betrayed.
"I'm sorry, Henry," Ruby apologises to the kid.
"We need to find her. We need to stop them. We need to help Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia," He tells them, jumping to his feet.
Emma futilely bangs on the cell door with her sword while the others watch. "We aren't going to break it down, Emma," Mary Margaret argues. "It was enchanted to hold Rumpelstiltskin. We don't have a chance."
"This is my fault," Aurora mutters, feeling horrible about what's happening.
"No, it's mine. Cora stole your heart because I failed to protect you," Mulan argues.
"That's very sweet, but I believe it's my fault. I'm the Saviour, and I'm not doing much saving, am I?" Emma adds her hat to the blame game.
"We're going to win this fight, you know. Good always defeats evil," Mary Margaret tells them.
"You sound like Henry," She retorts, glancing at Octavia, who sits in the corner with her eyes closed.
"Guess optimism runs in the family," Snow teases her.
"I think it skipped a generation," The blond woman jokes.
"You should know better than anybody. You broke the curse," Mary Margaret retorts.
"What have I done since then? I got us stranded over here, burned down the wardrobe, let Cora get the ash, and now, the compass," Emma replies. "The only reason I ever broke the curse was because it was exactly what Gold wanted me to do. I had nothing to do with it."
"What are you talking about?" She asks her.
"He told you I was the Saviour. It was his plan," The blond woman says. "Once I fulfilled that role, maybe that's all I was ever meant to do. Everything I've ever done… He had it all mapped out before I was even born. I'm not powerful. I'm… I'm not… A saviour. I'm a name on a piece of paper. I'm a pawn, and that's exactly why we are in here. And Cora's on her way to Storybrooke."
Meanwhile, Cora and Killian travel through a field. "Where are we going?" Hook asks her.
"Lake Nostos. The legend says its waters hold the power to restore what was once lost.," Cora tells him. "It'll return magic to what remains of this wardrobe. And then, we'll be able to cross worlds." They arrive at the dried-up Lake Nostos.
"I may be a simple pirate, but… I know one thing—lakes have water," he retorts. Cora waves her hand, magically forming a tiny vortex in the middle of the former lake. Suddenly, a geyser of water shoots up from the ground.
"After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?" She questions, smirking.
In Wonderland, Cora has her hand in Hook's chest. "I've told you all I know. Now have some honour, and kill me," Killian gasps.
"Honour? For the pirate who snuck into my palace to assassinate me?" Cora questions, glaring at him.
"At your daughter's behest," He argues.
"She should've come. She should've killed me herself," She snaps, removing her hand from his chest but leaving his heart intact.
"Mercy seems a bit out of character," Hook remarks, looking at her.
"Oh, not mercy, Hook," Mrs Mills corrects him. "You're going to help me. Regina knows my methods better than anyone. If I was controlling you, she'd know. This has to be your choice."
"Why should I?" Killian questions.
"Because, my dear, I'm the only one who can give you what you want," Cora replies.
"Is that so?" He wonders.
"This curse my daughter plans to enact? This new land she's taking everyone to? You won't remember who you are," She informs him. "So tell me, Captain – how do you expect to kill someone, when you can't even remember him? But, if you do what I say, I'll make sure you not only kill him, but that you remember every single moment."
"Well, what shall you have me do?" The Captain asks her, joining in on her plan.
"Get me close to my daughter. And then, I'll rip her heart out," The red-haired woman replies.
Cora and Killian return to the Evil Queen's castle. Cora lies in a casket and pretends to be dead. Hook brings Regina in to show her the results. "Satisfied?" He asks her.
"Did she put up a fight?" Regina questions, looking at her mother.
"Nothing I couldn't handle," Killian replies.
"Thank you. Now leave us. I'd like a moment alone to say goodbye," She demands, and Killian walks out, leaving Regina with her mother. "I'm sorry, mother. Without you, I never would've become the person I am now. But I had no choice. I had to do this. After you killed Daniel, you told me something I've never forgotten. Love is weakness. Well, mother, you are my weakness because I love you. That's why I couldn't risk taking you to the new land with me. Your grip on my heart is just too strong. And for what I need to do… I can't have any weaknesses." She places a rose on top of Cora's body. "Goodbye, Mother." When the Evil Queen exits the room, Hook emerges from the shadows but hears the door open again and hides. Octavia comes rushing into the room and stops by the casket.
"Wow, she wasn't kidding," Octavia mutters, looking at her mother. "When she told me I had to come see. The great Cora, killed by someone that wasn't me or Rumpelstiltskin." She smirks, looking at her, and Killian watches her, not seeing her face as she stands with her back to him. "I hate you," She sneers, leaning in closer. "I wished for you to see me for years. But I don't need you. I never needed you. I'm stronger than you, because I know what I need to do about myself, and I promise, if we ever meet in the afterlife, I'll end you again." A tear falls out of her eye. "I don't think you ever knew what love was." She leaves the room, slamming the door behind her, and Killian emerges from the shadows again.
"What happened? You didn't kill her," Killian questions, looking at Cora, who sits up in her casket.
"There's been a change in plans," Cora replies, thinking about what her daughters said.
"What would that be?" He asks her.
"My daughter's curse is coming. We have to protect ourselves," She says, ignoring his question.
The Evil Queen's curse rips through the Enchanted Forest, and the smoke quickly progresses across the land. Cora and Killian watch from a distance as it approaches. Cora strikes the ground with her sceptre, creating a beam of light that shoots up towards the sky. Eventually, the beam scatters, creating a domed shield around a small section of the land. "Wouldn't it have been easier to reconcile with her before her curse destroys the land?" Killian questions, looking around.
"Regina doesn't need me – not now. Not when she thinks she's about to win. But I still have a place in her heart. And the curse won't last forever. It will end. In twenty-eight years, there'll be a Saviour. And she'll break it," Cora tells him and thinks of her youngest daughter. "And Octavia never needed me, apparently, but I'll show her how wrong she is."
"Twenty-eight years?" He exclaims, thinking of his revenge.
"You won't even notice," she assures him. "You'll be frozen, like all those in this corner of the land. But, when the curse ends, our quest will resume. And when it does, Regina and Octavia will truly have lost everything, and then they'll need me. That's when we'll go to this new land. You'll get your revenge. And me, I'll… Help them pick up the pieces."
Regina and Mr Gold walk through the woods towards the 'wishing well', needing to stop Cora from entering Storybrooke. "You're certain the portal's going to open up all the way out here?" Regina asks him.
"There. This is where things once lost are returned to us," Mr Gold replies. "This is where Cora's going to come through." They look inside, and the water below begins bubbling.
"Unless, it's Mary Margaret, Emma and Octavia," She argues.
"I highly doubt it," He retorts. "Though maybe Octavia will."
Mary Margaret analyses the paper, as they're still stuck in the cell with no way out. "We are going to get out of here," She assures the others.
"How? By staring at that scroll?" Emma asks her. "It's not like it's going to magically open the door for us."
"Yes, it is," Mary Margaret replies.
"What?" She asks, looking at her.
"When I was a little girl, I used to sneak into Cora's chamber and watch her practice magic," Snow tells her. "She had a spell book and, Emma… The spells were in the book."
"Yeah, isn't that what a spell book is? A book that has spells in it?" The blond woman questions.
"Dummy," Octavia scoffs, jumping up and taking the paper. "Watch," she blows gently on the paper, causing the words to lift off the page.
"Whoa. Squid ink. Gold wrote the scroll in squid ink!" Emma exclaims, and Octavia blows the words towards the cell door. The inked words magically create a hole, giving them an exit.
"Told you. Good always wins," Mary Margaret smiles, looking at her daughter.
"Wait. I can't go. You have to tie me up," Aurora tells them, making them stop.
"No. I'm not leaving without you," Mulan argues.
"I can't be trusted. Not as long as Cora has my heart," She retorts, not wanting to get them in harm's way.
"Then I will get it back for you," The warrior promises her.
"Mulan…" Sleeping Beauty mutters, looking at her.
"I will," Mulan tells her.
"Mulan. We got to go," Emma says.
"Do it," Aurora orders her, and Mulan takes a piece of rope and ties Aurora to the remaining cell's bars. "Good luck."
"Thank you. Good luck to you," Mary Margaret says before running off.
"Good luck, Aurora!" Octavia shouts, running up the stairs.
The geyser of Lake Nostos gradually subsides, leaving behind a small lake. Cora takes out the vial of ashes. "And now, the ashes," Cora announces. "Would you care to do the honours?" Killian takes the ashes and sprinkles them into the lake. A whirlpool magically forms in the centre of the lake. "Here we go. We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter."
Mr Gold and Regina continue staring down the well until they see a change in the water. "It's time," He tells her.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Regina asks him. They step away from the well, and Mr Gold takes out the fairy wand. He holds it up towards the sky and summons a thunderstorm. A clash of green lightning strikes the well, creating an electric barrier.
"Doesn't matter who comes through now. No one can survive this," Mr Gold replies over the wind.
Cora and Killian stand near the whirlpool, waiting. Cora takes out the compass and holds it out for Hook to grab. "I told you I'd deliver you to Rumpelstiltskin. Now don't let go. Unless, you want to end up someplace that isn't Storybrooke," Cora warns him, and he takes the other side of the compass, and they prepare to jump. However, Emma, Octavia, Mary Margaret, and Mulan arrive at the scene in time to stop them. Mary Margaret shoots the compass out of their hands.
"You're not going anywhere. This portal's taking us home. The compass – get it," Mary Margaret snaps.
"Find it first. I'll take care of them," She says, shooting a fireball towards the ground, but Mulan deflects it with her sword. Emma draws her sword and starts a fight with Hook over the compass. Octavia raises her hands, creating a purple glow like a bow and arrow. Cora continues to shoot fireballs at Mulan while Mary Margaret attempts to assist by shooting arrows from a distance. Octavia adds to the assault with her flaming arrows. Cora dodges Mulan by magically disappearing, but the bag containing Aurora's heart is left behind. It's flung towards the whirlpool, but Hook catches it in time before it falls in. He tosses the bag to Mulan, surprising her.
"I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart—unless it's over me," Killian teases her, and Mulan looks conflicted about what to do next. Mary Margaret approaches her.
"Go!" Mary Margaret shouts.
"No, but you need the compass!" Mulan argues.
"And Aurora needs her heart," She retorts, and Mulan gives Mary Margaret her sword.
"Take it. It deflects her magic," The warrior tells her and leaves the battle to return Aurora her heart. Emma and Hook continue fighting as Octavia and Mary Margaret focus on Cora.
"I had no idea you had such a soft side," Emma remarks.
"I don't. Just like a fair fight," Killian retorts, swinging his sword to match hers. "Good form. But not good enough." Hook grabs Emma's leg and manages to flip her onto her back.
Meanwhile, Mary Margaret, Octavia, and Cora square off. Killian slowly slides his hook down Emma's sword and pins her to the ground. "Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it. You might want to quit." Emma feels for the compass buried in the sand under the back.
"Why would I do that when I'm winning?" She argues, grabbing the compass and holding it up. Hook is momentarily distracted long enough for her to push him off of her. They briefly duel until Emma gets the upper hand. "Thanks." With the compass in her fist, Emma pulls back her arm and punches Killian in the face. He collapses to the ground, unconscious. "Now, let's go home!"
Mr Gold and Regina watch the storm brew inside the well when Henry and Ruby arrive, hopefully to stop them. "Mum? You're not helping Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia, are you?" Henry asks her.
"I'm helping you, Henry," Regina argues.
"What are you talking about?" He questions.
"You're going to kill them," Ruby snaps and Mr Gold magically shoots Ruby back with the wand, knocking her out.
"Sorry, dearie," Mr Gold smirks.
"Mum, what are you doing?" Henry asks her.
"We can't let Cora come through the portal. You have no idea what she would do to us," Regina tells him.
"Emma, Mary Margaret, and Octavia are going to defeat her. They're the ones that are going to come through," He argues.
"Henry, your mother's right. It's going to be Cora," Mr Gold retorts.
"No. It won't. Good always defeats evil. You should know that more than anyone," The Mills boy snaps.
"What I know is my mother will destroy everything I love—and that means you. And I can't let that happen," Regina replies sourly.
Mary Margaret and Octavia keep fighting with Cora when Emma charges Cora with her sword. The older Mills woman dodges Emma by magically disappearing. "Emma, run!" Mary Margaret shouts, and the women break for the whirlpool, but Cora reappears, blocking their path. She magically throws them backwards onto the ground. Cora stalks towards Mary Margaret. Emma attempts to get up, but Cora throws her to the ground. Octavia scrambles to her feet, waving her mother's magic off. "Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?"
"Because my daughter needs me. And now, I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted – your heart. Goodbye, Snow," Cora tells her.
"No!" Emma shouts, and Cora draws her hand, but the blond woman pushes Mary Margaret out of the way just before she reaches into her chest. Instead, Cora ends up with her hand inside Emma's chest.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret and Octavia shout.
"Oh, you foolish girl. Don't you know? Love is weakness," Cora smirks, trying to rip her heart out, but finds it impossible to draw her hand back out.
"No. It's strength," Emma argues, and suddenly, a burst of white light spreads out from Emma's body in all directions, causing Cora to disappear.
"Impossible…" Octavia mutters.
"What was that?" She wonders, looking down at her chest.
"That… is a great subject for discussion. When we get home," Mary Margaret tells her, grabbing Emma's arm. They dash towards the whirlpool. "Ready?"
"Yeah. Let's go," the blond woman replies. Before they can jump, Hook grabs Octavia as Mary Margaret, and Emma jump into the whirlpool portal, leaving Octavia behind.
Henry tries to run towards the well in the forest, but Regina restrains him, not wanting him to get hurt. "You can't! Stop it!" Henry shouts, struggling in her arms. "You're going to kill them! Please! No! They're going to make it through! We have to turn it off! You're going to kill them!" Henry manages to break free from his mother's grasp, but she quickly pulls him back.
"Henry! What are you doing?" Regina asks, growing scared.
"Emma, Octavia, and Mary Margaret are going to come through. I know it. You said you wanted to change—to be better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me," he tells her, making her think, and Mr Gold notices the look.
"Regina," Mr Gold hisses, and Regina approaches the well and extends her arms over the electrical barrier. She uses her magic to absorb the storm into her body, effectively removing the barrier around the portal. The power of the magic throws her back. Despite removing the threat, no one appears to be coming through the portal.
"No!" Henry shouts.
"I'm sorry, Henry. I'm sorry," Regina says when suddenly, a hand comes out of the well and grabs the edge. Emma pulls herself out, followed by Mary Margaret.
"Mum?" He questions, looking at her in shock.
"Henry!" Emma shouts.
"Mum!" The Mills boy yells, rushing toward her. The two hug, and Mary Margaret soon joins them.
"I missed you!" She exclaims, hugging him tight.
"I missed you, too," Henry replies.
"I missed you so much," the blond woman retorts. Returning from their group hug, they see Mr Gold silently slinking away. Regina is on the ground, looking at the well, expecting Octavia to appear, and Ruby finally comes around.
"What's going on? What happened?" Mary Margaret asks, looking at everyone.
"She saved you. She saved both of you," Henry tells them, looking at her adopted mother.
"Thank you," Emma says, looking at Regina.
"You're welcome," Regina replies.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asks her friends, running towards Mary Margaret. They share a quick hug.
"Where's my husband? I need to find him," Mary Margaret replies, running off with Ruby.
"Um, your mum… She's, uh… She's… A piece of work, you know?" Emma comments, looking at Regina.
"Indeed, I do. Welcome back," Regina replies, looking around.
"Thanks," She says.
"Where's Aunt Octavia?" Henry asks finally, noticing that Octavia didn't appear from the wishing well.
"Wait, yeah, where is she?" Emma questions, looking around. "She was right behind us."
"She didn't make it?" Regina asks, growing scared for her little sister. "Where is my sister?"
Mary Margaret and Ruby run into Mr Gold's shop, with Emma and Henry trailing behind them a little, leaving Regina alone. David lies unconscious, and the dwarves gather around the bed. "David?" Mary Margaret questions and leans down, kissing him, breaking the sleeping curse. A pulse of magic spreads throughout the room, and he wakes up and gasps for air.
"You… You did it," David smiles, looking at his wife.
"Did you ever doubt I would?" She replies, kissing again.
"No. Though, the burning red room did give me pause," He jokes, making her laugh a little.
Emma moves away to the main part of the shop to find Mr Gold, and she decides to confront him. "We need to talk."
"Yes. I believe apologies are in order," Mr Gold replies.
"No. No apologies necessary. I understand why you wanted to keep Cora out of here," She argues, though she feels terrible about leaving Octavia alone with her mother.
"Just remind me never to bet against you in the future, Miss Swan," He retorts with a small smile.
"It's not really a bet when the game is rigged, is it?" The Saviour retorts.
"To what exactly are you referring?" The Dark One questions.
"Your scroll. I saw it in your cell. You wrote my name again, and again, and again," Emma tells him.
"Just wanted to make sure it would stick," Gold lies.
"The ink—it was there all the time. You could've gotten out," she comments, looking at him.
"I was exactly where I wanted to be. You needed to find that, so all this could occur," He tells her.
"You created the curse, Gold. You made me the Saviour. So everything I've ever done… It's exactly what you wanted me to do," The blond woman argues.
"I created the curse, dearie, but I didn't make you," the crocodile retorts. "I merely took advantage of what you are—the product of true love. That's why you're powerful. And everything you've done, you've done yourself."
"So you don't know," Emma questions.
"Know what?" Mr Gold asks her.
"Cora… Tried to rip my heart out, but she couldn't," She tells him. "She was blasted back by something inside me. By… By-."
"By magic. Whatever that was, I didn't do that. You did," He informs her. "What happened to Octavia?"
"I think Cora has her," The Saviour replies.
"I doubt it. Octavia is rather resourceful," Rumpelstiltskin retorts, thinking of his young student.
Mulan brings the bag containing Aurora's heart back to the cell; she carefully takes the heart out of the satchel. It glows and beats in her hand. "Have you done this before?" Aurora asks her.
"No," Mulan replies, lifting the glowing heart to Aurora's chest and pushing it inside her. She briefly stops breathing but suddenly gasps.
"Thank you…" She gasps.
"What now?" The warrior asks.
"Cora told me something. When a Wraith consumes a soul, it's not trapped there forever. It can be reunited with its body," The Princess informs her.
"You think we can save Phillip?" Mulan questions.
"We can try," Aurora replies hopefully.
"Then let's try," She agrees, extending her hand to Aurora, and they leave the cell.
Cora stares vacantly at the now defunct whirlpool portal, and Hook moves towards her with Octavia lying on the ground unconscious. "We failed," She sighs.
"Really, Cora. After all this time, why do you still doubt me?" Killian questions, holding up the mummified bean.
"Well, that bean's petrified. It's useless," Cora argues.
"But these waters have regenerative properties. Perhaps it's time to do some gardening," he replies. Octavia groans, waking up, and they look around at her.
"I definitely hate them both," Octavia groans, turning to look at them. "Yep. I definitely hate both of you."
"Lovely to see you awake, darling," Hook smirks, turning to her.
"Mother. Unpleasant seeing you again," She adds, faking a smile.
"No. 8, please stop doing that," Cora scolds her daughter.
Everyone gathers at Mr Gold's shop, and Henry goes over to his adopted mother, who stands off to the side. "I was right. You really have changed," Henry tells her, wrapping his arms around her, who cautiously returns the hug. "Thank you." Emma reenters the room.
"Emma…" Mary Margaret calls her.
"Looks like we have some catching up to do," David remarks.
"You have no idea," Emma agrees.
"How about dinner at Granny's? On me," Ruby suggests.
"As long as it's not Chimera, I'm in," She agrees. "Hey, kid. You hungry?"
"Yeah," Henry nods, breaking away from Regina and joining Emma. Everyone begins filing out. As everyone exits, Regina begins tearing up, feeling so alone. Eventually, Regina and Mr Gold are the only two remaining.
"Congratulations. You just reunited mother and son. Maybe one day, they'll even invite you for dinner," Mr Gold comments, looking at her, and Henry comes running in.
"Are you coming?" Henry asks, making her wipe her tears and nod, joining him. "We need to figure out how to get Aunt October back." Regina wraps her arm around him, which he seems to accept as he doesn't pull away as they walk to Granny's Diner.
The reunited group happily walk down the main street of Storybrooke to Granny's Diner. Regina and Henry are not far behind them. On the horizon, a large ship draws nearer to the town. Hook, Octavia, and Cora are on board. Cora holds a black wilted rose while Killian inspects the town through a telescope, and Octavia sits tied, unable to escape just yet.
"There it is," Killian announces.
"Storybrooke," Cora smirks, looking at him.