Episode 17: ‘Best Laid Plans’

Fairy Tale Land

Snow and Charming seek out a unicorn. Snow feeds it an apple so they may have a vision of the future. Charming sees his baby and all is well. Snow sees Emma as a teenager who rips her heart out. She tells Charming of her vision.

Snow and Charming come upon a peddler. They help him move his cart, and he warns them their town is under attack by Maleficent. She has turned into a dragon and laid an egg she is protecting. He advises them to seek an alternate route and find a cottage.

Snow and Charming find the cottage where a man has been expecting them. They hear chaos from Maleficent, and he tells them to ignore it. Once inside, they discuss the baby. He explains that we are all born of free will. Snow is persistent that there must be a way to keep the baby well. He tells her that all magic comes with a price. The baby’s darkness can be transferred to another living vessel with a blank slate. He leaves them to talk. Snow tells Charming they should use Maleficent’s egg.

Using magical dust Snow renders Cruella and Ursula unconscious. They enter the cave. They spot the egg and a dragon attacks. The dragon transforms into Maleficent, who pleads with them not to hurt her child. They tell her the baby will be a monster like her anyway, and they take off with it. Snow does tell Maleficent they will bring the egg back.

The couple brings the egg to the man. He begins the spell. They heard what he says and did not realize the baby will be sent to another world. They plead with him to stop, but he cannot. The egg hatches and they see a baby’s arm. Cruella and Ursula come to save the baby, but a portal opens and swallows all three of them.

Snow is sad in her nursery looking at unicorn decorations. She realizes because of her Maleficent’s child as well as Ursula and Cruella are in another world. Charming tells her they must be better people for the sake of the child.

The Apprentice finds the Author with his back turned. He demands the man turn in his quill. He tells the Author he had no right to make him do this to a baby. Using the magic, the Apprentice locks the Author in the book.

Storybrooke

Henry sees something is wrong with August. They call on Blue. I cannot stay as I promised Gold and his girls that I would bring them the page. Emma creates a forged page. Worried Gold can spot the fake I instead take a picture of the page.

Hook meets with Emma and her parents. He tells them what Ursula told him about Gold’s plans.

I show the picture on my phone to Gold. I realize I made a mistake. Gold can see the light coming from the page. Even from a cell phone he can see the illustration is magical.

Emma explains her history with August to her boyfriend. They see a light and look out the window. The light is a sleeping curse cast by Maleficent.

Mary and David are immune to the sleeping curse as well as anyone else who has been subjected to one. They are not home when we go their place. I tell them the book has to be there somewhere. Gold realizes Henry will be awake and has taken the book. I warn them not to touch my son and that I will deal with him myself.

When I leave, Gold sends Cruella and Maleficent to follow me. Mary and David see this while they get a call from Henry. He has gone to the Sorcerer’s mansion. David tells Mary that they should destroy the page.

Henry looks at the page and sees lights coming through it. He goes to a drawer and pulls out a key. I enter the room not knowing I was followed. I sternly tell Henry he must give me the page. Cruella and Maleficent are satisfied thinking we are leaving with the real illustration.

Once we are gone, Mary and David arrive. David insists Henry give him the page and the key. He sends Henry to leave.

Gold goes to his shop. He moves his unconscious wife from the floor to a couch. He tells her he hopes he can come back for her and kisses her hand. Belle is still asleep as Gold leaves. Once outside, he is greeted by us. He immediately knows the page is a fake and has Maleficent knock me out with magic.

David is about to burn the page. Mary stops him and tells him this is not up to them to do. They cannot betray me like that. She tells him it is time for Emma to know the truth.

Emma is upset with her parents when she finds out the truth. She walks out on them. Giving her time to cool off Hook finds her at the dock. He tells her August is doing better.

Maleficent and Gold talk about her baby. She wants to know what happened. He uses magic so they can see in her total. The vision shows the baby being adopted in this world. Her name is Lileth. Maleficent is happy the child lives and wants to find her.

Emma goes to see August. Her parents are there too. She gives him the page and the key. August explains that this Author may not be the one who scribed her story. He explains that being the Author is a job that is passed on to time, and this is just one of many Authors. This one was punished because their job is only to record, and this one manipulated people.

Emma uses the key to set the Author free. Mary and Davis are shocked to see he is the peddler they met many years ago who sent them to see the Apprentice at the cottage. The Author quickly runs away, and Emma chases him. He is gone.