Fairy Tale Land
A man dressed in a cape has somehow made it into my castle. He is here to see a prisoner. My knights attack him. He defeats them and removes his cape. It is Hook. He opens the door to the cell where I keep Belle. Belle asks if I have sent him to kill her but he tells her he has come to rescue her. He tells her that Rumpelstiltskin means to hurt her father and he must find what he needs to defeat him. Of course Belle will never believe this story nor help him as she is in love with Rumpelstiltskin. She tells him she does not know how to help him. Hook strikes her and knocks her out. He mumbles that she is useless. I open the door to the cell and tell him that she is not useless. I then tell him that Belle cannot help him but I can if he will do something for me.
Hook and I have a drink together. I explain my plans to curse everyone and send them to a land without magic. I explain that in this land he will be able to defeat Rumpel because there is no magic. My condition is that I want him to stop my mother Cora from being able to follow me there.
Hook accepts my offer. I give him an enchantment to rip out a heart. I tell him that he will not be traveling alone and show him the lifeless body of Claude, a man Hook had killed. I explain to use the portal two bodies must go in and two must come out. He will go to Wonderland with Claude but return with Cora. He asks how he will find her and I assure him she will find him. I throw down Jefferson’s magic hat and open the portal to Wonderland.
Hook is taken by knights once he arrives in Wonderland. They bring him before the Queen of Hearts who wants to know what he is doing there. He tells the crowd he is seeking Cora. The Queen of Hearts removes her mask and reveals herself as Cora. She is left alone with him. Hook tries to reach in and take Cora’s heart. He is stunned that there is nothing to take and she explains she does not keep her heart where it can be found. Instead she reaches into his chest and explains that when you hold someone’s heart you control them. She wants to know everything. Cora is shocked to find out that I want her dead.
Hook is in pain and begs of Cora to kill him. Instead she removes her hand from his chest without taking his heart. He asks why she would show him mercy. She tells him that he will help her instead of helping me. She tells him that with my curse he won’t know who he is and will never kill Rumpel but by helping her he will remember everything and enjoy it. Cora wants Hook to help her to get close to me so that she can kill me.
I stare at my mother’s seemingly lifeless body. I do not realize that Hook is now working with her. I ask him to leave us. He leaves the room. I sadly talk to my mother while she is in her casket. I tell her that she made me the person I am today when she killed Daniel. I then tell her I also learned from her that love is weakness. I tell her this is why I cannot bring her with me to the new land because I love her so much. I place a rose on her chest and say good bye. I exit the room and do not see Hook sneak in behind me. Cora sits up and faces Hook. He asks why I am still alive. She tells him plans have changed and they must protect themselves from the curse.
The curse begins but part of the land is under a bubble created by Cora. She and Hook watch the purple smoke consume the outside of the bubble. Cora explains that in 28 years the curse will broken and it is then that I will need her.
Modern Day Fairy Tale Land
Emma, Mary, Mulan and Aurora arrive at Rumpelstiltskin/Gold’s old jail cell. Aurora tells Emma there is a parchment sitting there with a message for her. Emma is puzzled. She takes the parchment and is confused to see her name written repeatedly on it.
Aurora purposely triggers the door and traps them in the cell. They ask her what she has done. Just then Cora and Hook stand outside the cell. Cora tells them it is not Aurora’s fault and shows them that she has her heart. Hook admits he is the one who took it. Cora turns to leave. Emma pleads with Hook to help them and reminds him she has a little boy. He shows Emma an old trinket and tells her it is useless like her. He turns and leaves with Cora who waits for him.
Aurora feels awful for what has happened. They know it is not her fault as Cora has been controlling her. Mulan feels guilty because she did not protect her as she promised Philip. Emma tries breaking them out and cannot. She says out loud that she believes her only purpose in life was to break that curse and now there is no other purpose for her. She refers to the parchment and says she is nothing more than a name on paper.
Cora and Hook visit the barren Lake. Cora opens the ground and the magical water erupts like a fountain.
Mary suddenly realized something. She is excited and grabs the parchment. She blows on it. Rumpel had written the scroll in squid ink. The door opens for them to leave. Aurora will not follow. She tells them to tie her up. Mulan reluctantly does it. Emma, Mary and Mulan leave.
Cora gives Hook the ashes to the wardrobe. He pours them into the Lake. The portal opens. Cora tells Hook to take her hand. Just then Mary shoots the compass out of her hand with an arrow. A battle begins. Mulan is about to attack Cora but she disappears in smoke. The pouch holding Aurora’s heart almost disappears in the portal but Hook grabs it with his hook. This surprises the women but he explains he believes in a fair fight. He tosses the heart to Mulan but continues battling Emma. He has Emma on the ground as their swords are crossed. He tells her to give up but she tells him she is winning. Emma knocks Hook off of her and knocks him out. She calls to Mary that it is time to go home.
Cora uses magic to knock the women around. Emma falls to the ground and Cora faces Mary. She tells her that will give her daughter what she wants and is about to rip out the heart of Snow White. Emma jumps in front of Mary/Snow to save her and Cora instead has her hand in Emma’s chest. At first she is amused but then becomes shocked. Emma is too powerful for Cora and her heart cannot be taken. Emma uses magic she did not know she had and this time it is Cora who is knocked to the ground. Mary tells her they can talk about what happened later and the two finally jump in the portal.
Mulan goes back to Aurora. She thrusts Aurora’s heart back into her chest. Aurora tells her that Cora had said that when a soul sucker takes a soul it is possible to get it back. The women wonder if they can save Philip.
Hook and Cora stand in front of the Lake. The portal is closed. Hook reassures Cora and tells her that the Lake has regenerative powers.
Storybrooke
I am concerned that David has not woken up. I stand over his body. Gold asks if there is any improvement. He tells me that we must consider the possibility that Cora may be the one who comes through the portal. We do not know if David got the message to Mary. I point out to Gold that he could be wrong. Gold tells me on one hand Cora may be the one who comes through and on the other hand if it is Mary and Emma it will benefit me to close the portal as I will be Henry’s only mother again. I shake this off and tell him that I am trying to be a better mother for Henry and not lie to him. He points out if Cora comes through she may want to hurt Henry and I would be a good mother by protecting him.
Henry sits by David and reads him Snow White’s story. I tell him that he should stay with David. I am going over to the portal. I promise Henry that I will make sure it is safe for Emma and Mary. Henry is proud of me. I meekly smile at him.
Gold and I go the mines. He summons all the magic into a sword.
Leroy is at the mines with the dwarfs. Ruby comes to meet them to see what is going on. He shows her all the magic is gone. Henry is with her and immediately they know that Gold and I must be behind it.
I stare down the well. I feel awful lying to Henry but I don’t know if Gold is right. Gold tells me that it is time. He raises his wand/sword and a green surge of energy comes from the sky into the well. He tells me no one will survive who tries to come through.
As we stand at the well we are confronted by Henry and Ruby. Gold uses magic to knock Ruby out. Henry shrieks at me. I tell him I fear Cora may be the one who shows up and that she will hurt him. I hold Henry back. He is yelling and pleading that good will overcome evil and we must let them through.
He breaks from my grip and runs to the well. I stop him and ask what he is doing. He pleads with me to have faith that he is right. I finally listen to him and I stop the magic in the well. The green energy disappears. I fall to the ground. No one comes through the well and I tell him I am so sorry. Just then Emma and Mary do come through. I stare at Gold. We are both shocked. Henry tells Emma and Mary that it was me who saved them. Emma looks at me and tells me my mother is a real piece of work.
We go to Gold’s shop. This time the dwarfs surround a sleeping David. Mary grabs his face and kisses him. David wakes up and they kiss some more. Everyone is happy.
Emma speaks to Gold alone. She tells him they need to talk. He tries to apologize but she tells him it is not necessary. She questions him about why he wrote her name in the ink instead of freeing himself when he was in that cell. Gold simply tells her that he knew what she was and that she is the product of true love. She begins to tell him what happened with Cora being unable to rip her heart out. He smiles and tells her that was her magic.
Henry hugs me. He tells me I have really changed. The moment is broken when Emma and Gold return the group. Emma asks Henry to come eat with her. He runs from me to her and they leave along with everyone else. I stand there and feel the tears well up in my eyes. I am alone except for Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold mocks me and asks if I am happy I reunited the mother and the son.
Hook and Cora sail on the pirate ship.
They head to Storybrooke.
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