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Queen of Hearts

“True life is lived when tiny changes occur.” ― Leo Tolstoy

 ** All photos posted here are chosen for a reason **


It's these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Regina is trying to change- trying to be a better mother and to break her cycle of anger and the want to control people and things. Everyone deserves a chance to make change. It seems as if Regina is going to have to face a very tough hurdle in her evolution, but she'll have to literally come face to face with it and confront it; just as she did when letting go of Daniel. With the inevitable arrival of Cora, will Regina stay strong with turning over a new leaf, or will she become weak and cave and give in to her old dirty angry magical habit?

Emma is changing as well. She is discovering she is more powerful than she realizes and that "magic" lives in her.  Sure, she is learning about "magic" and about her place and destiny in the universe. But more so, she's learning to heal from past choices and to learn what it is to be part of a dedicated and loving family.

Quit playin' games with my heart

This is all like a chess game.  A few key players are somewhat aware of that.

Could it be Rumple's way of bringing the family back together? Rumple is where he wants to be, and has been for a long while- all the players and pieces are in place. It seems his motive is to "play things" so he can find his long lost son, Bae. Rumple's quest has been going on for many years. He utilized the impending birth of Emma way before Regina's sleeping curse, to use as a sort of fail-safe for himself and his quest to find Bae (and whatever else he had up his sleeve). This of course, would also connect (only should Bae really be Henry's father) the members of Rumple's own extended family.

There's something that I can't ignore, and I don't even know if it's a bit of information worth holding on to, but, in the episode Desperate Souls Mr. Gold encounter with the original "Dark One" mentions the possibility that Bae isn't even Rumpelstiltskin son; calling him a "Bastard." Was that just the Dark One taunting Rumple or an allusion to something else, like maybe that Bae really isn't Rumple's blood son? If this is the case that would change some things in the game.

How was Cora's dark side born? It's a terrible cycle of anger, hate and control to go through and to pass down to other family members. How can this ugly and harmful cycle be broken?

Things to Note...Questions to Ask...

๑  "I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you"- Star Wars
๑  I know, I'm a dork. Mr. Gold's magic wand's transformation looks more like a Lightsaber. (Lightsaber crystals produce the blade)
๑  Cora knows everything; who is planning and doing things, how things work, she shape shifts/transforms how to travel, etc.  What if she's already been back and forth between lands, including Storybrooke?
๑  Emma felt that her role and part in this adventure is to Gold/Rumple's benefit.
๑  Rumple told Snow and Charming that Emma was the savior, but so did the Blue Fairy. And Cora is already privy to a savior's arrival in 28 years.
๑  I'm constantly wondering why Henry calls Emma Emma, and he calls Mary Margaret Mary Margaret, not Snow White or even Grandma. The other folks also haven't resorted to calling themselves and each other by their fairy tale monikers even though they supposedly remember who they are.
๑  Game/race. Chess. Pawn. Defeat. Win. Rules.
๑  Time
๑  Identity
๑   Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass- Queen of Hearts
๑   Peter Pan- Neverland
๑   Kneel- Neal/Neil
๑   The Queen of Hearts is aware of how the portal hat works.
๑   The Queen of Heart doesn't keep her heart where everyone else does. Hidden away.
๑   Ruby wears a shirt with an image of a leopard on it.
๑  Regina leaves a single red rose with "dead" Cora. She's also given a single red rose to the nurse that works in her secret underground mental ward.
๑   Change
๑   Death: Assassination, dispose, destroy, kill
๑   Dead, but not dead
๑   Sleep
๑   Wake up
๑   Lake Nostos is an old faithful friend, producing water when necessary
๑   Snow White/Mary Margaret can perform magic she learned by watching/sneaking into Cora's chambers and the from the Spell Book.
๑ Watch and learn.
๑ Gold/Rumple was wrong on a few counts in this episode.
๑ Cora creates a transparent dome over the island, making it a "snow globe" of sorts.
๑ Regina is capable of physically absorbing huge amounts of electrically charged particles; Electromagnetism.

Vocabulary and Research...

๑ The Queen of Hearts: is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. A foul-tempered monarch, who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense.  Her most famous line is "Off with their heads!" The Queen is referred to as a card from a pack of playing cards by Alice. She is the ruler of the lands, alongside the King of Hearts. She is often confused with the Red Queen from the sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, although the two are very different.

•   one of the four Queens in several playing card games 
•   1981 song by Juice Newton 
•   a song by Fucked Up from their 2011 album David Comes to Life 

๑  The Knave of Hearts

• Jack of Hearts in a deck of cards
• In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is on trial for his theft of the tarts

๑   Chess
 A chess variant: is a game related to, derived from or inspired by chess. Most of the pieces in chess variants (and chess problems) are borrowed from chess. The game goal and rules are also very similar. However, these variants include one or more fairy pieces which move differently than chess pieces.

• Alice Chess: played with two boards: a piece moved on one board passes "through the looking glass" onto the other board.
• Looking-Glass Chess: two separate games on two boards. A move on one board must be reflected 'through the looking-glass' on the second board. So a king is compelled to move multiple squares to reflect a queen's move.
• Reincarnation Chess: a captured piece can turn into a zombie, then reincarnate back into the game as a normal piece if captured again. 

๑ Old Faithful is a cone geyser located in Wyoming, in Yellowstone National Park

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈  Counter marks of 5 to keep track of days/time past
✈  Game/race. Chess. Pawn. Defeat. Win. Rules
✈  Task. Goal.
✈  Time
✈  Spiral
✈  Identity
✈  Pearl
✈  Make deals
✈  Ash
✈ The Project: The DHARMA Initiative Recruiting Project at Octagon Global Recruiting (ORG) Dharmawantsyou.com. Recruits are tested Online to see if you qualify to be part of the reconstituted Dharma Initiative.
✈  Boone accuses Shannon of being useless
✈ Charlie feels people think he's useless in The Moth
✈ Bring prisoners food:
In  He's Our You:  Sayid- "A 12 year old Ben Linus brought me a chicken salad sandwich. How do you think I'm doing?"
Other examples:
- Castaways bring prisoner Henry Gale food to his armory holding cell
- Juliet- brought prisoner Kate food to the rec room.
- Locke brings prisoner Ben food to his basement.
✈  The Other Woman: "Ben's exactly where he wants to be"
✈  The Moth:
     -Charlie to Jack- "I'm here to rescue you"
     - Charlie's hooded.
     - Locke skins the boar
✈  Change:
Everybody Hates Hugo: In Hurley's dream Jin tells him "Everything is going to change..."
Locke tells Hurley that "Change is good"
✈  Happily Ever After
✈  ...in Translation
✈  Live Together, Die Alone: Desmond claims the island is in a bloody snow globe.
✈ Desmond is believed to be the only person capable of physically absorbing huge amounts of electrically charged particles; Electromagnetism.


Enough of my rambling... Here's your episode recap! Enjoy!

The Evil Queen's (Steel) Palace:
A cloaked figure with a small pail makes way up a spiral staircase and is stopped by one of the Queen's guards. The cloaked figure claims food for the prisoner.  The guard tells him it's not mealtime, "Who are you? Identify yourself, slave!"  The cloaked figure fights off two guards and is revealed to be Captain Hook. He steals the keys from the unconscious guard.

Hook enters the Fairy Tale Land cell that houses Belle. {Note count marks on wall and large center decoration.} Belle assumes he's there to kill her.
Hook- "I'm not here to kill you, Love. I'm here to rescue you."
Belle- "Rescue? Who are you?"
Hook- "A friend."
As he frees her from her cuffs, he tells her that they haven't much time; and that her father is in danger.  "He's being attacked by the very same monster who stole you away from your family in the first place." {The Dark One.} Hook also shares the rumors of a magical weapon that has the power to kill him.
Belle is confused. Surely he can't be talking about the same man, Rumpelstiltskin,that she knows. She would like the chance to talk to Rumple. But persistent Hook tells that Belle's father's life hangs in the balance and he needs to know where that weapon is and where to find it. Belle doesn't know what he's talking about and she has no idea how to kill Rumplestiltskin.
Hook changes gears; apparently Belle isn't the person he needs to help further his quest. "You don't?"
Hook- "Then I'm afraid I'm not here to rescue you."  He smacks the pretty, yet useless Belle; knocking her out. As he's about to finish her off, his hook is magically pulled off him by Queen Regina.
Regina- "No. Not useless. She's a valuable chess piece."
Hook- "Do I look like I'm playing a game of chess?

Regina notes his lack of manners toward her Royal-ness. "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." Regina also notes his dedication and resourcefulness to his cause. "No one has ever been able to fight their way past my defenses before. She can't help you kill Rumpelstiltskin, Hook. But I can- If you do something for me. {She hooks him with his own hook, pulling him closer.} Care to join me for a drink?"

In Queen Regina's chambers, she pours a drink for hook. "Things are about to change in this world... radically. {Note vanity and many mirrors.} She has plans to enact a curse that will take everyone to a far-off land. This new realm can help Hook out because "It's a land without magic, where the Dark One will be stripped of his powers. There, you won't need any magical weapons to kill him. (Holding his hook under his chin) You can do it... with a mere flick of your wrist." Hook's interested.  Regina needs Hook to see to it that her mother doesn't follow her to this new land.
Hook doesn't seem to have an issue with this assassination task.

In Mr. Gold's shop: {Note obvious ticking clocks sounds.}
David continues to sleep while Regina watches over him.

Regina informs Mr. Gold/Rumple that there's no improvement in David yet. He needs True Love's Kiss and won't wake up until Mary Margaret comes back. Gold notes her optimism. "Until?"  He reminds her they're up against her mother. The only chance Emma and Snow have of defeating her is with the Squid Ink.; which is why he sent the message through David. Given the Prince's condition they don't know if that message was delivered.  Thus, they must take precautions and consider the possibility that when that portal opens "It won't be his family that comes through... It'll be Cora."
Regina is afraid, "And neither one of us wants that."
Gold feels they have to find where they're coming through and destroy that portal.
Regina- "But whoever came through would die."
Gold is aware and he's confident that between the two of them they can summon up enough magic to complete the task.  {Note the telescope, arrow globe, etc.}
Regina- "What if we're wrong? What if that portal opens up and it's not my mother? What if Mary Margaret and Emma do defeat Cora and go through it?"
Gold believes that in this world they call that a "win- win".  He explains, "If we stop Cora, you are protected by your mother's wrath. If, on the other hand, we stop Snow and Emma... well, you become the only mother in your son's life, now don't you? Look, magic is unpredictable in this world. If something unfortunate were to happen while you were attempting to help... (scoff) Henry could hardly blame you for that, could he?"  Gold looks hopeful that Regina would see his reasoning.
But Regina won't lie to Henry, as she's trying to be a better mother. Gold assures her she won't be able to be a better anything if Cora comes through; she will be a threat to everyone- "including your son." If Regina wants to truly be a good mother to Henry, she must protect him. "If you want to be better... prove it."

The lady adventurers arrive at Rumpelstiltskin's cell to search for the Squid Ink.  Snow states that she hasn't been there since before Regina's curse. "This is where he told us you were going to be the savior." It was prophesized.  Aurora claims the Squid Ink isn't there.  No one else could've taken it because he was kept in there alone.  Visitors were forbidden; He was too dangerous to allow any human contact.  Emma wonders how he kept from going crazy.  Aurora says he didn't. She discovers a scroll stuffed/hidden in a crack in the wall- a message for Emma. {Emma seems a bit- hypnotized}

Henry reads from the fairy tale book to sleeping David, just as Mary Margaret/Snow White did to coma patient, David.

"With one kiss, true love's power made everything right again. But this was not the end of their story... It was just the beginning."

Regina enters, "I think this time it will happen the other way around."  This is why she needs Henry to stay there and watch David for a little while as she and Mr. Gold prepare for Emma and Mary Margaret's return. "Coming through the portal won't be easy. We need to make sure everything's in place." Henry is surprised she's going to help them. Regina reminds Henry of her promise to do better- to be better. She's going to do everything in her power to see to it that they come home safely.
Henry- "Wow. You really have changed." This makes him smile.  Regina will be back as soon as she can.

Mr. Gold and Regina make their way through the Mines/tunnels to the glittery diamonds embedded in its ceilings. {Again, to me it reminds me of sparkling stars in the night sky.} Gold is glad Regina came to her senses. The (magic) in the diamonds should suit their purposes; feeling they need all of it. They're going to do this with a little help from a fairy. "Dead one. Believe me... no one mourns her."  He waves his now glowing purple-ish pink magic wand up toward the embedded diamonds; receiving power into the wand. {Changing color from pink to purple.}

Queen Regina enchants Hook's hook and clicks it into place on his left arm. This enchantment will enable Hook to rip out her (Cora's) heart. He's seen this done before.

The Queen warns that the enchantment will allow him to rip out only one heart; so he better make sure he does it right.  Hook curiously asks what "she" could've done to warrant such brutality.  But that's Regina's business. He's only to kill her and bring her body back to Regina. Hook feels that's easy enough. "When will I set forth on this murderous journey?"
Regina- "Immediately. But you won't be going alone."  She uncovers the body of Claude.
Hook doesn't immediately remember killing him in the cell block; he didn't recognize Claude without Hook's hook in his neck. "Forgive me, but isn't he a bit of dead weight?"
Regina- "I banished my mother to some far-off land some time ago. You're gonna need a portal to get to her. {She reveals the hat box/magic portal hat} The rules are simple... One goes in- One comes back, or in this case two in, two back. You'll arrive with Claude and return... with my mother."
Hook asks what far-off land he'll have the pleasure of visiting today.
Regina has the hat in hand and reveals "Wonderland."

Hook won't have to worry about finding Cora, as Cora will find him.

Prisoner Hook is commanded to "Kneel, before the Queen of Hearts." The Queen of Hearts uses the elephant trunk accoutrement to communicate with the Knave of Hearts. She asks, "Why has he come to Wonderland?"
Hook shares that he is in search of someone; in her native land she goes by "Cora."
The Queen comes out from hiding behind her mask and announces "In this land, she goes by Your Majesty. Leave us."

The Pirate gives his name; Hook. The Queen feels it's a clever nickname. Hook comes bearing gifts; a string of pearls, but the Queen is only interested in the hat/portal that brought him there. If she understands correctly, the same number that travels through returns. She sees Hook arrives with his dead traveling partner and wonders who he's to return with.
Hook- "You."  He plunges his hook into her chest to retrieve her heart, but nothing comes out. He's stunned.
The Queen- "I'm the Queen of Hearts. Do you really think I'd be so careless as to keep my heart where everyone else does? (She plunges her hand into Hook's chest) This is how it's done. Tell me who did this. Who sent you here to kill me? Who?"  In pain Hook discloses it was her daughter.
The Queen- "Regina? She... wants me dead? {She seems startled and gets angry} You're now going to tell me everything and do exactly what I want. Because when you hold a heart... you control it."

Cora's voice whispers- "You have the power."

Aurora looks over to Emma who is fervently looking over the scroll; and the compass sitting next to Emma.  The ladies are still looking for the ink that Gold told David would be in there.
Emma to Snow- "You were in a netherworld. Maybe something got lost in translation.

Mulan finds an empty vessel that once contained the ink in the cell. Aurora throws a rock at the mechanism that lowers the gate for the cell, trapping them inside. Cora and Hook are outside the cell and reveal Aurora's helping her.  Cora magically pulls the compass out of Emma's hand. Emma tries to get out, but Cora doesn't want her to waste her energy; Rumpelstiltskin couldn't escape from the cell either.  Cora also shares that Aurora was only doing what she was told; because Cora literally holds her heart. Hook admits being the one who took the heart and gave it to Cora as a gift.  Cora gives the heart a little squeeze and heads out, as Storybrooke awaits. Emma begs Hook not to do this, she fears for her son back in Storybrooke; Henry needs her.  Hook feels she should have considered that before he abandoned him on the beanstalk.
Emma- "You would have done the same."
Hook- "Actually, no."

He shows her a dried up magic bean that hangs on a (necklace) chain belonging to the Giant.  This is a souvenir of his conquest and a symbol of something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility, is now died up, dead- useless; much like Emma.
Hook claims the time for making deals is done; just as he's done... with her.

There's an emergency down in the mine. Ruby comes upon Leroy who has discovered all of the diamonds are gone.

Henry continues to read to sleeping Charming. "And yes, she was beyond hope, beyond saving. This was her end."
Ruby hurries in with the Dwarfs asking "Where are they?" They're looking for Regina and Gold.  They tell Henry that all the magic's been drained from the mines; they snuck in after their shift and stole it.  Leroy declares "Nobody steals from a Dwarf."  Except for the Queen and Rumpelstiltskin. Henry realizes if Regina and Gold aren't helping Emma and Mary Margaret, then his mom lied to him.  They need to find her and stop them and help Emma and Mary Margaret!

Emma tries in vein to break down the cell gate with her sword. Snow tells her not to bother because it was enchanted to hold Rumpelstiltskin; they don't have a chance.
Aurora claims this is her fault. Mulan claims it's her fault because she failed to protect Aurora. Emma believes it's her fault. As the savior she isn't doing much saving.   Snow {wearing her key necklace} tells Emma "We're going to win this fight, you know. Good always defeats evil."  Emma accuses her of sounding like Henry.  Snow guesses optimism runs in the family and Emma thinks it skipped a generation.
Snow- "You should know better than anybody. You broke the curse."
Emma- "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. 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."
Snow- "What are you talking about?"
Emma- "He told you I was the savior- It was his plan. 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 savior. I'm a name on a piece of paper." Emma shows Snow the scroll with her name all over it. I'm a pawn. That's exactly why we are in here... and Cora's on her way to Storybrooke."

Hook asks Cora "Where are we going?"  They're approaching dried up Lake Nostos.
Cora- "Lake Nostos. The legend says its waters hold the power to restore what was once lost. It'll return the magic to what remains of this wardrobe. And then... We'll be able to cross worlds." Cora magically produces a geyser. She asks Hook that after all they've been through, why does he still doubt her.

In Wonderland
The Queen of Hearts is face to face with Hook.  He's told her all he knows. "Now have some honor and kill me!"  Honor, for a pirate who snuck into her palace to assassinate her? She feels her daughter should have come and killed Cora herself.  Hook misunderstands Cora's not killing him {although he's in pain} out of character and for mercy, but Cora's agenda is that she demands his help. Apparently Regina knows Cora's methods better than anyone and would know if Cora was controlling Hook; so this has to be Hook's choice. Cora tells him she's the only one who can give him what he wants... "This curse, my daughter plans to enact... this new land she's taking everyone to... you won't remember who you are. So tell me Captain... How do you expect to kill someone when you can't even remember him? Well, if you do what I say, I'll make sure you not only kill him... but that you remember every single moment."  Cora wants Hook to get her close to her daughter- and then she'll rip her heart out.

28 YEARS AGO

Cora lays in the coffin as Regina mourns over her. Regina asks her hired assassin, Hook, if Cora put up a fight; Nothing Hook couldn't handle.  Regina would like a moment to say goodbye, alone.
Regina- "I'm sorry mother. Without you I never would have 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 weakness. {Regina cries and places a single red rose on Cora's chest.}Goodbye, mother."

Once Regina leaves the crypt/vault, we see Cora isn't dead and she didn't take the opportunity to kill her daughter. Cora tells Hook there's a change in plans.  They must protect themselves from Regina's approaching curse

Thunder rolls in.
Cora bangs her staff to the ground, sending a vibration which magically creates a transparent dome over fairy tale land-island, thus protecting her, Hook and whomever else...

Regina's approaching dark smoke curse rolls over the protective dome.

Hook asks Cora if it would've been easier to reconcile with Regina before her curse destroys the land. But Cora feels her daughter doesn't need her, 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 28 years they'll be a savior... and she'll break it."  Cora assures Hook he won't even notice the 28 year wait, as he'll be frozen; like all those in that corner of the land. But when the curse ends, they'll resume their quest. And when it does Regina truly will have lost everything and then she'll need Cora. "That's when we'll go to this new land. You'll get your revenge. And me, I'll... help her pick up the pieces."

28 YEARS LATER

Regina and Mr. Gold make their way through the forest to the portal. The portal is the well; where things once lost are returned to us. Gold feels this is where Cora's going to come through. He doubts it will be Mary Margaret who comes through.

Snow tells Emma they are going to get out of there. Emma wonders how, by staring at that scroll? It's not like it's going to magically open a door for them.  That gives Snow and idea.  Apparently as a little girl, Snow would sneak into Cora's chambers and watch her practice magic; using her spell book. Snow tells Emma to "watch."

Snow gently blows onto the paper and the ink/words float off of it and over to the cell gate, it creates an opening for them.
Snow- "Told ya. Good always wins."
Aurora wants to be tied up because she can't be trusted while Cora has her heart.  Mulan will get it back for her.  Aurora is tied up and the trio of ladies leaves.

Cora gives Hook the honor of pouring the ashes into the watering hole she created. The water swirls around and becomes the familiar swirling portal. {Like the portal hat.}
Cora- "Here we go. We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter."

At the well, Gold declares "It's time." Regina wonders what they're waiting for. Gold holds his magic wand to the sky and heavy dark clouds roll in, thunder and lightning approach. A lightning bolt hits the well, where now inside it swirls green with electricity/energy. Gold feels it doesn't matter who comes through now. "No one can survive that."

Cora will deliver Hook to Rumplestiltskin. She instructs Hook not to let go of the compass unless he wants to end up in someplace that isn't Storybrooke. As they're about to take the plunge an arrow is shot right into the compass, tossing it from their hands. It's the trio of ladies; they will take the portal home.  Cora tells Hook to find the compass while she takes care of the girls.  Cora throws fireballs at Mulan, while Emma sword fights with Hook and Snow tries to shoot Hook with arrows.  Cora magically disappears. The little pouch with Aurora's heart is just about to fall into the portal when Hook uses his hook to catch it.  This pirate bristles over a woman losing her heart, unless it's over him. {What a guy!} Mulan gives Snow her sword; as it deflects Cora's magic. Mulan will get Aurora her heart.   The softy, Hook, continues his sword fight with Emma; although he flirts. Cora whistles to get Snow's attention. Emma reveals to Hook she has the compass in hand as she knocks him out.
Emma- "Now, let's go home!"

Gold and Regina are still waiting at the well when Henry arrives with Ruby. Henry asks his mother "You're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, are you?"
Regina- "I'm helping you, Henry."
Henry wonders what she's talking about. Ruby feels their going to kill them/Emma and Mary Margaret; Gold magically tosses her back.  Regina tells Henry that they can't let Cora come through the portal because he has no idea what she would do to them.  Henry passionately feels Emma and Mary Margaret are going to defeat Cora and they're the ones that will come through.  Gold feels Regina's right, "It's gonna be Cora."
Henry- "No. It won't. Good always defeats evil. (Looks at Regina) You should know that more than anyone."
Regina- "What I know is that my mother will destroy everything I love. And that means you. And I can't let that happen."

Back at the Lake Nostos portal, Snow faces off with Cora. Emma tries to help, but Cora uses magic to fight. Snow gets a moment to ask Cora why she wants to go to Storybrooke.
Cora- "Because my daughter needs me. And now I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted... your heart. Goodbye, Snow."  As she swings to plunge her hand into Snow's chest, Emma pushes Snow out of the way and ends up in her place. Cora hand penetrates Emma's chest. "Oh you foolish girl. Don't you know love is weakness?"

 Cora is unable to pull out Emma's heart. Emma has a revelation! "No. It's strength." This magically blasts Cora far away from her.  Stunned Emma wonders what that was. It will be a great discussion when they get home. Snow and Emma hold on to the compass and jump into the swirling portal.

At the well the energy/electricity is still bouncing around while awaiting the arrival of the portal travelers.  Henry is freaking out, feeling his mother is going to kill them. "We have to turn it off!" He's adamant they're going to make it through; he knows 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."

Emotionally touched and teary eyed, Regina tries to physically intervene with the energy in the well. They don't think she helped... When in dramatic fashion, a hand reaches up from the well! Emma and Mary Margaret have returned!  There is much hugging for the reunited family.  Mr. Golds just quietly walks away.  Henry tells his family that she/Regina saved them. Emma thanks Regina.  Ruby hugs Snow and whisks her off to Charming so she can wake him.
Emma tells Regina that her mother is a piece of work; to which Regina is quite aware.
Regina- "Welcome back."
Emma, still hugging Henry, thanks her.

Back at Mr. Gold's shop, Mary Margaret arrives to find the 7 Dwarfs watching over sleeping Charming. Snow kisses her Prince, producing a wave of electricity and wakes him from his slumber.  Yay!
Charming- "You did it."
Snow- "Did you ever doubt I would?"
Charming- "No."  They passionately kiss. Regina lurks in the background.
Charming- "Though the burning red room did give me pause."  {More kissing!}

As Gold is putting away his magic wand in a wood box of other magic wands, Emma joins him to talk. Gold feels apologies are in order, but Emma they aren't and understands why he wanted to keep Cora out of there.
Gold- "Just remind me never to bet against you in the future, Miss Swan."
Emma- "It's not really a bet when the game is rigged, is it?"
He wonders what she is referring. Emma shares that she saw the scroll in his cell. "You wrote my name again, and again and again."
Gold just wanted to make sure it would stick. 
Emma- "The ink was there all the time. You could've gotten out."
Gold- "I was exactly where I wanted to be. You needed to find that, so all this could occur."
Emma- "You created the curse, Gold. You made me the savior. So everything I've ever done... it's exactly what you wanted me to do."
Gold- "I created the curse, Dearie. But I didn't make you. 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."
Emma- "So you don't know."
Gold- "Know what?"
Emma- "Cora... tried to rip my heart out- but she couldn't. She was blasted back by something inside me. By... By..."
Gold- "By magic. Whatever that was, I didn't do that- You did."

Mulan has never plunged a heart into someone's chest before, but she will do her best to replace Aurora's heart. Mission accomplished! Aurora shares something that Cora told her. "When a Wraith consumes a soul it's not trapped there forever. It can be reunited with its body."  The duo will try to save Philip.

Cora stares disappointed with their failure.
Hook- "Really, Cora. After all this time why do you still doubt me?"  He shows her the dried up bean on a chain.  Cora finds that bean to be petrified, useless. But Hook's now aware of the water's regenerative properties. "Perhaps it's time to do some gardening."  He

Back at Gold's shop Henry tells Regina he was right, "You really have changed. Thank you." They share a genuine hug.
Ruby suggests diner to them, her treat, over at Granny's. Emma's in as long as it isn't Chimera. They all leave- leaving Regina all alone. Gold enters and congratulates her on reuniting mother and son. "Maybe one day they'll even invite you for dinner."

The gang walks together to Granny's. Time on the Storybrooke Free Public Library- 5:10.

In the cloudy horizon a ship can be seen. Cora and Hook make way toward Storybrooke. {Cora has her now dried up single red rose in hand.}

Into the Deep

"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds." -Bob Marley,  Redemption Song

  ** All photos posted here are chosen for a reason **


Dream Weaver

I was particularly all fired up about this week's episode as it dealt with the dreaming mind- the many rooms, levels, realms and planes of consciousness. Waking up from a life spent in a deep sleep would truly be a gift for everyone.

It is interesting to see that Henry has not been though the "Sleeping Curse" yet has the ability to experience the "inferno room" trip while sleeping. {Henry did slip into the coma type sleep like David/Charming when he ate the turnover.} Perhaps there's more to his specialness than we're aware of.

Aurora and Snow may not be the only ones who have been through a sleeping curse. Charming/David was unconscious for 28 years in a "coma", and then upon waking he has amnesia. What makes his sleeping coma different than a sleeping curse?  In some weird way aren't all the residents of Storybrooke victims of a sort of Sleeping Curse?  I know, I know, it's a banishment curse that takes away memory, but I mean think about this... a bunch of people/fairy tale characters have been walking around in a haze going through the motions almost like zombies, not aging, with screwed up memories and stuck in a cursed town that keeps them oblivious. In a way they have been exempt from time and space. They are in another "realm"- and some are aware that they can travel to other realms.

We're learning a lot about many realms and worlds- worlds that press up against each other, connected, but we can't ignore that in Storybrooke we've seen what can be described as a layering effect.  Meaning, right underneath Storybrooke is bits and pieces of their world- Fairy Tale Land/The Enchanted Forest. We've even seen the woods of Storybrooke blend into the forest of Fairy Tale Land.  So again, it seems other realms or levels aren't really very far away from home- you just have to know how to access its doorways.

Henry's sleeping adventure is where his consciousness (some believe the soul) travels to a higher realm. It is a form of Astral Travel or Astral Projection. That means the astral body leaves the physical body to travel in the astral plane.  Astral projection/ travel, dreams, mediation, even an LSD trip, are forms of out-of-body experience.

Another important bit of info we get in this episode is that we see that these dream trips are used as a tool for these characters as a way to communicate and reach each other. There is a deep need to help and protect and to get the family back together.

Why doesn't Regina try to go into the Disco Inferno Room? Doesn't she know all the secrets of the universe? I guess not.

A familiar question comes up in my mind with this story, as it is one I asked many times while watching LOST- What does "dead" really mean?  Couldn't it simply mean someone/they isn't literally dead- just in different realms or levels? 

Is someone being misguided?

The FIRE ESCAPE

Does this Inferno Room have another way out? Perhaps there's an escape hatch or a... fire escape.  I saw a fire escape door in the sheriff's office.  Is that door simply a way out of that building in case of a fire? I sure hope so. But could it lead to or from some place special?

I have fun calling it the Disco Inferno Room, due to the floor looking like a familiar one from a club in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn {2001 Odyssey}, but that same grid floor's identity changes for me once Snow and Charming are on it; becoming a more of a Chess game board.

There's no place like home

I know a little bit about being lost, drifting in the dark... with no one to talk to, nothing to do except think of all the people that you love and how you'll never see them again- but I did see them again.  But that's a whole other tale completely!

All are on a journey and the journey itself is Home.

Emma: Em... The Wizard of Oz- Aunt Em (Emily) and the Emerald City.  Dorothy is indeed a child who is living on a farm with a sort of foster family in Kansas. There is love in that family. But remember that Aunt Em and Uncle Henry aren't the birth parents of Dorothy. They may be relatives, but they are substitutes for parents.

Emma wants to blame Regina for the things that have happened and the place she is currently in, but she needs to learn that whatever happened - happened; Just as Regina must learn. She can't change the past, and it's not worth time and energy placing blame.  She can only learn from experiences and choices of the past and let go of it.  Maybe Emma just needs to let herself and others off the hook.


Things to Note...Questions to Ask...

๑ Cora reanimates/resurrects the dead and/or sleeping. Dr. Whale reanimates his brother in The Doctor
๑ Hypnosis. Dream. Mediation
๑ Head {Decapitation: body separate from head}
๑ Zombies: dead yet un-dead. Body goes through the motions with no consciousness/self-awareness.
๑ Plucky
๑ Snow White understands black crow caws/speak
๑ Poppies (In The Wizard of Oz poppies put Dorothy and friends to sleep)
๑ Cora feels betrayed by Hook. Regina feels betrayed by little Snow about Daniel's death.
๑ Snow- "Nobody would have believed Henry's stories." Snow is the one who gave him the fairy tale book
๑ Emma feels Henry was lost in the dark (because of her)
๑ Why couldn't Mulan have patience to see if Snow's sleeping visit gave them any info on how to keep the compass and save Aurora, along with stopping Cora?
๑ Levels:  Sleep- room of mirrors- room of flames.
๑ When Henry puts the talisman over David's head it looks more like Henry is the Royalty and he's sending a knight out on a task or even rewarding him for his bravery with a medal.
๑ The talisman Henry gave David starts to glow. Much like the ring glowed the closer he got to Snow when looking for her. Both of these items are from Mr. Gold/Rumple


Vocabulary and Research...

๑ Into the Deep by Ken Grimwood
 - Into the Deep by Robert T Rogers: One Man's Story of How Tragedy Took His Family but Could Not Take His Faith
๑ "Rooms on Fire" is a song by Stevie Nicks. Released in May 1989, it was the first single to be taken from Nicks' fourth solo album, The Other Side of the Mirror.
-  Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead is a Grateful Dead triple live album released in 2004
-  Electric Ladyland is the third and final album of new material by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in October 1968 on Reprise Records.
๑ A quill pen is a writing implement made from a molted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird
- Quill- The spiny barbs of a porcupine
- Quill (satellite), a reconnaissance satellite program
- Quill drive, a mechanism to connect drive shafts together so they need not be oriented in the same direction;
- Quill stem- a bicycle part
- Quill: was a popular Northeast USA band that played extensively throughout New England and New York in the late 1960s and that gained national attention by performing at the original Woodstock Festival in 1969.  Genre- Psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz.

๑ In Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, birds have a far more prominent role on a proto-Neverland called the "Bird's Island". On the island, the various birds speak bird-language, described as being related to fairy language which can be understood by young humans, who used to be birds. The birds are responsible for bringing human babies into the Mainland, whose human parents send folded paper boats along the serpentine "with 'boy' or 'girl' and 'thin' or 'fat' (and so on) written", indicating to the official birds which species to send back to transform into human children, who are described as having an "itch on their backs where their wings used to be" and that their warbles are fairy/bird talk. A half-magical bird called the Neverbird, is also very prominently featured in the novel and play.

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈   "Say hello to my son."  Christian says this to Locke when moving the wheel/island in the episode The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham and This Place is Death
✈   Christian asks Jack "How are you here?" in The End
✈   Bore - boar (bear)
✈   Communication
✈   Time
✈   Life, death- rebirth
✈   Guiding. Guarding
✈   Locke and Kate know how to track
✈   He's our You shows us Sayid on a drug trip- freeing his mind.
✈   He's our You  "I don't want any part of this. If I see you (Ben) again, it will be extremely unpleasant for us both."
-    This Place is Death  Sayid says "I don't want any part of this. And if I see you (Jack) or him (Ben) again, it will be extremely unpleasant for all of us.
   - Click over to Karen's LOST Notebook- Data and Evidence to see the video footage of that dialogue:
✈  Namaste: Christian tells Sun I'm sorry but you have a bit of a journey ahead of you."
✈  Sundown 
✈  Whatever Happened Happened
✈  "Nothing's impossible."
✈ Locke learns via an alter state of consciousness that he has to bring the family back together in Further Instructions
✈  Arrow


Enough of my rambling... Here's your episode recap! Enjoy!

At the bottom of the bean stalk Cora waits for her dear Captain Hook to return from his adventure.  {Umbrella/parasol} She kindly asks him for the compass.  Hook explains mater grew complicated and the compass has eluded him for the moment.  Hook stole Cora's protection spell and climbed the bean stalk without her; she feels betrayed.  Hook insists he was going to bring it to her and that their agreement remains- they will go to Storybrooke together; and he'll get it/compass back.
Cora doesn't have time for his games.  "I've crossed through too many worlds to be brought short at the brink of success." He reveals Emma Swan is the one who bested him and assures it won't happen again. This amuses Cora. "You chose her... and the consequences of that decision."  Intrigued, Hook asks if she's going to kill him now.  "Go ahead. Try."   Smug Cora feels he's so brave.  She's not going to kill him, as she has something far more satisfying in mind. "I'm going to leave you here with your thirst for revenge unquenched- while I complete our journey without you."  Hook turns on the flirty charm, wanting to discuss this.
Cora- "You're pretty face buys you a lot... but not my time. It's too valuable."
Hook insists Cora needs him, but she laughs at such a notion.  She gave him a chance and now it's her turn to do this the right way. Hook lunges at her and Cora disappears into dark purple smoke.

Cora appears out of her dark purple smoke. She retrieves a heart from a vault-like stack of boxes/cases. She gently blows on one of the (Clear encased) hearts and it activates it and 7 of the other boxes; setting them aglow.  Cora steps outside with the heart and commands "RISE."  Her command raises, awakens the men who were lying (sleeping or dead) on the ground. These reanimated/resurrected men walk...

Emma just happens to have a photo of Henry which she shows to Aurora.  Aurora confirms Henry is the boy she saw in her dreams.  Emma feels that's impossible; as it was a dream. "How could you dream of my son?"  Snow suggests "Maybe it wasn't a dream.  That room... I've been there." She didn't say anything about it being "real" to terrified Aurora before and makes things worse.
Mulan- "A room in a dream is real?"
Snow- "The sleeping curse."  She feels it has to be because she and Aurora went through it.
Emma jumps in with "Henry's been through it because I wouldn't believe him." {WTF is she thinking?!}
Aurora wonders what else Snow lied about. But Snow wasn't lying; she was protecting her. Aurora shares with Emma that in the dream only said his name and then she woke up- it was over.  Snow assures scared Emma it's going to be okay; they have a way to get home.  Snow feels they don't have to attempt stealing the wardrobe ashes from Cora and committing suicide isn't necessary.  They can stop Cora with help from Rumpelstiltskin.
Emma- "Henry. We can talk to him. Now we can communicate."  She tells Princess Aurora "You're going back to sleep."

All of a sudden we see Aurora in the inferno room calling out for Henry.  She comes face to face with the boy. Henry asks "Who are you?"  Aurora lets him know she's with his mom and grandmother; they just want to come home and they need his help.

Henry bolts awake {also awaking Charming and Regina slowly wakes up} claiming they're alive!
Charming asks "Who? Who's alive?"
Henry is excited. "My mom and Snow!" Now Charming is excited too!  Henry shares that Aurora told him they have a way home but there's someone in their way- someone they need them to help them stop- Someone only Mr. Gold knows how to defeat.
Regina is curious. "Who?"  Henry replies "Your mother."

At the dinner Granny serves Belle and Rumple/Mr. Gold delicious hamburger platters. Granny claims they are indeed delicious and they didn't take any dark magic either (as she looks at Rumple). She also lets him know she charges extra for the pickles. Rumple tells Belle he has a complicated relationship with Granny; as he does with most people.  Belle admits it took her a little time to get to know him;and they will. Rumple tells Belle to try it with ketchup, "Condiments are this world's most powerful magic."
Regina enters needing to talk to Gold. This puts Granny in protection mode; needing everyone to get out as she'll need to close early. Regina assures Granny it's okay. "We're civil."
Gold- "For now. Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for 28 years."
Nervous Belle wants to excuse herself, but Gold wants her to stay; Whatever Regina has to say won't be a secret to her. "Whatever she wants, she won't get." Regina is there about the one thing that might unite them... Cora. "She's coming from our land- I need your help to stop her."
Gold- "But she was dead. You told me you saw the body."
Regina- "Apparently you taught her well. 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."
Gold- "For you. I can handle Cora."
But that's not how Cora tells the story. Gold knows he won in the end. Regina feels there's a big difference this time... this time there's someone Gold cares about; Belle. "This time you have a weakness."  Concerned Belle asks "Who is this woman?" Gold tells her it's someone she'll never meet. He asks Regina where she is now.
Regina- "With Them."

In the Forest anxious Emma asks how close they are. "Henry could already be waiting in that netherworld." Aurora clarifies she and Henry had a plan to meet back there in two hours.
Snow- "There. That looks like relatively safe high ground. We'll set up camp there. Aurora, you'll settle in and find Henry, get the information we need from Rumpelstiltskin. We do this fast- in and out, it's still dangerous out here."
Aurora's cloak gets caught on something, and while stuck Mulan notices the burns Aurora's hiding; they're not from the sun.  Aurora claims to have brushed against some poison leafs.
Mulan- "You said this netherworld is full of smoke and flames. Aurora, if that's where you were burned you should not return."
But Aurora feels she doesn't have much of a choice. Mulan knows Aurora's choosing to go in deeper and stay under longer to find this boy, but Mulan vowed to Prince Phillip to protect Aurora and not to help some strangers find a portal to another land. Aurora reminds Mulan that she was cursed to spend eternity in that horrible sleep. "The only reason I am 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 lays on the bed in the back of Mr. Gold's shop tightly holding the talisman he got from Rumple/Gold for dream journey. Regina brought him his blanket from his bedroom back home.  Henry confirms that Cora is pretty powerful. But Rumple/Gold knows she's not as powerful as he is; which Regina feels is debatable. Actually, that's not what Rumple knows.  

Charming asks the kid if he's sure he's okay to do this. {Note wheel}
Henry- "I was born to do this. I'm done reading about heroes- I wanna be one."
Charming- "Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire."
Henry feels he'll be okay. Rumple feels whatever Henry faces in there will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail." Henry again assures them he can do this.  Charming tells Rumple to get on with it and fast.

Rumple is very caring and gentle. He tells the boy to relax and soon he'll drift off. Henry asks "What do I tell them?"
Rumple- "Just listen to my bedtime story and all will be clear... {He puts his left hand on Henry's head} 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."
Henry- "That was you. They used Cinderella to trap you with the magic quill." {Rumple slowly waves his hand down Henry's face all the way down to his heart/chest, causing the boy to drift off. And note the looks that Regina and Charming give each other.}
Rumple- "Yes, indeed. The 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 the bottomless ocean. Impossible to find- unless you're a mermaid... or me. I happen to have a private supply. "{He waves his hand slowly in the opposite direction over Henry; from his heart up to his head} In my jail cell- that is where they will find it."

Mulan touches Aurora's sleeping head and gives Emma and Snow the nod that she's indeed asleep. Snow grabs Emma's hand, assuring her it will be okay and she'll see Henry again. "This will work."  They hear the sound of twigs snap in the forest, while Aurora battles the inferno raging in the netherworld room.  Henry can help them, but the intensity of the flames is much greater than it was before causing them to not be able to hear each other clearly.  Henry knows what they have to do to stop Cora. He yells the instructions to Aurora "You have to go to Rumpelstiltskin's cell..."  But Aurora only hears bits and pieces of the instructions due to the loud fire. As they continue to try and communicate through all of this chaos, it seems that  a distorted voice says something {"Aurora"}.  Aurora turns "Who is that?!"  Henry yells "Did you hear me?!"  Aurora didn't hear him and asks him to say it again. Again Aurora hears that muffled distorted voice and she asks Henry "Did you hear that?!"
Henry- "No! Aurora, what's going on?!"
Again the distorted voice says "Aurora!" And she is pulled upward in a spiral motion into cyclone-like dark smoke... Gone.

Mulan is shaking Aurora to wake up!  Aurora wakes up "No. Henry wasn't finished."
Mulan- "Time for that is finished."  Out of nowhere the ladies are attacked by Cora's walkers. The ladies put up a hell of a fight. {Except for Aurora who isn't a fighter.} During the fight Emma drops the compass but gets it back due to Snow's bad-assery with a bow and arrow. They don't know how to kill these things. Emma notices Mulan (and Aurora) isn't there and they decide to run from the unstoppable zombies.
In the forest Mulan tells Aurora to go while Mulan gets attacked. Mulan defeats her zombie attacker {decapitation} but sees that Aurora is not there.

As they're running Emma asks Snow if she's still in one piece. Snow says "Yeah. Pretty much."
Upset Mulan informs the two that "They took her. Aurora's gone."

Henry bolts awake; still tightly holding the talisman. He informs the anxious trio that he didn't get the chance to tell Aurora the instructions because something happened. "She got sucked outta there."  Something is wrong- Henry's hurt, his left arm is burned from the flames in the inferno room.

Aurora is cuffed, being held prisoner by Cora in a pit. {It looks like the Dwarf mine}  Friendly Cora thought Aurora might be hungry and brings her some stew to enjoy.
Aurora- "I enjoy anything that masks the bitter aftertaste of poison."  Amused Cora calls her Plucky.
Cora already knows Aurora isn't going to tell her anything and that's okay because she wasn't her target. Now she has something to trade for the compass.  "You might be more valuable than you know."
Aurora wonders "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?"  Cora divulges that she knows Aurora's new found companions. "Snow and her daughter just can't help themselves. No matter the personal stakes, they won't let an innocent die."
Nonchalant Aurora states "We shall see."  Cora asks what stakes she has in their cause. "It's not as though you'd travel back with them. (She sees Aurora's body language) Oh, what a sweet misguided notion. Did you really think you could have a life there, find another Prince? You've forgotten Philip already?"
Aurora- "Philip is in my heart every moment of every day. If there was anything I could do to bring him back I would!"
Cora- "Is that so? What if I told you that when a Wraith consumes a soul it merely travels to another realm. But that soul could be brought back to this world. Show me a little courtesy... and I may explain how."
Aurora kicks the food tray away and this pisses off Cora. Aurora isn't as stupid as Cora thinks nor her loyalties easily bought. "You could bring me a 100 meals and make me a 100 promises but I will never help you!"  Angry Cora magically tosses Plucky against the wall rendering her unconscious.
Cora instructs the black crow that is perched atop of a (gold) cage (with a hook) to "Tell them."

The crow lands on Snow White's right shoulder and delivers the message from Cora. {In crow caws} Snow understands and tells the ladies they have until sundown to bring her the compass and if they don't Cora will kill Aurora.

Mulan demands the compass from Emma. A compass isn't worth Aurora's life.  Snow feels they need a plan to get Aurora back and keep the compass.  Mulan vowed to protect Aurora and that promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done.  Mulan literally has a tug of war over the compass with Emma. They're like children!
Emma- "Hey! I climbed a beanstalk for that- you go get your own!"
Snow breaks it up and wants Mulan to give them a few hours to defeat Cora, if not then she can have the compass.  Mulan feels Snow can't hope to defeat her, "We no longer have access to the Dark One's assistance."  Snow tells her they do; as she's been under a sleeping curse and can go back to that netherworld.
Mulan- "The door to that place is closed, you said it yourself."
Snow feels there may be a way for her to go back into a deep slumber; one that can let her access it again. It's not another sleeping curse, she doesn't need one, "I've been under already. I need to go into a sleep where my natural defenses slip away. Where my mind stops protecting me."  She'll use Mulan's Sleeping Powder. "If I inhale it I will fall into a deep enough sleep that I should be able to do this."  Since the last of the powder was used on the Giant Snow wants her to make some more.
Mulan- "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."
Snow- "Can we make it by sundown?"  They'd have to hurry.

Mr. Gold/Rumple magically heals Henry's burned arm and explains this happens when you venture deeper into the netherworld instead of away there are risks- Someone {Mulan} 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 gonna need some time to recover before he can be sent back."  Charming and Regina are against sending Henry back.
Charming- "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again."
Gold/Rumple warns Charming to be careful with his tone. He understands Charming's concerned for the boy but he knows Cora. "Without our help Snow and Emma will soon be dead. And then... a true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke." {He looks right at Regina}  Regina wonders why they need to send Henry back to the fiery inferno- Aurora is gone and no one is there to receive their message. All of a sudden Charming has a revelation!  He feels Snow will be there, he knows she was there once before and she can go back. He's so sure of it that he'll be there waiting for her. He feels he faced Regina, so how bad could this netherworld be.
Gold/Rumple tells him it's not as simple as that. "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."  So Charming wants him to put him under one.  Gold feels if they do that there's a chance he might never waken up.
With stars in his eyes Charming knows he will. "When I see her, she'll kiss me and I'll be fine. Now put me under I've spent far too much time looking for my wife, it is time to bring her home!"

{Whispering} "Wake up. Wake up. Come on Sweetheart. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!"  Hook hurries sleepy Aurora to her feet.  He claims Cora has no idea he's there. "I know you're sleepy, isn't it obvious? I'm setting you free."  Aurora wonders if this is some sort of pirate ruse. Hook reveals that Cora's denying him passage to Storybrooke and his vengeance, and now he's going to deny her her wishes. "Starting with the compass. In pirate terms you might say I'm firing a shot across my enemies bow." Aurora is still suspicious, but Hook reveals he doesn't like being double-crossed; he tells her to go. Aurora thanks him. Hook does want one favor, "Give Em a message. Tell her the deal stands. If she provides me passage back to her realm I swear, I will help her find that dust that opens the portal."
Aurora- "Do you really want to assist us?"
Hook- "It hurts Cora and helps me, of course I do. Now go."  She leaves. But he seems up to something.

Mulan chops a path for her, Snow and Emma, through the moss covered trees. She tells the ladies "Once we crest this ridge we'll be near the woods of the dead. The last poppies in this realm have taken seed there."   Emma asks nervous Snow how bad this netherworld is "What's it like?"  Snow thinks before answering. "It's like you're um... lost, drifting in the dark... no one to talk to, nothing to do except think of all the people that you love and how you'll never see them again."
Emma is troubled. "Henry was lost in that dark too because of me." Snow wonders what she's talking about.
Emma- "He  tried so hard to convince me I was the savior."
Snow tells her to stop it. "Nobody would have believed Henry's stories."  But Emma feels "His mother should have."
Snow- "Okay. You wanna play the blame game? If I hadn't told Cora about Regina's true love, Cora never would have killed him, Regina wouldn't want revenge, the curse would never 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."   Emma asks if she thinks they're really going to make it back.
Snow- "If there's one thing your father taught me it's not to give up. Now... it's time for me to go back to sleep."
Emma feels it's Regina they should blame.

Regina is in Gold's back room of this shop concocting a funny smelling curse. She tells Henry it's not meant to be pleasant.
Henry- "So the potion's finished. Mr. Gold had everything you needed in his shop."
Regina is focused on her craft, "Yes. We're almost ready."  Henry gets a closer look at the stuff and guesses "This is how you do it- magic."  But Regina mentions there are many ways, "It's never easy."  She tells concerned Henry that she hasn't used magic except with Daniel and now; she's really been trying.  Henry feels it's okay. "At least you're using it to help people now."   After this curse, Regina won't use it again.
Henry, "I know."  He then asks "Will David be okay?"
Regina- "He'll be... asleep. And in there... he won't die. Gold's explaining everything to him right now."
Henry feels it should be him; still wanting to go in there {Without a curse} and still come back.  Regina assure him that although she and David have many differences, this they agree upon. They won't let Henry risk his safety- it's not worth it.
Henry- "It is to me. He won't wake up."
Regina- "Unless he succeeds. And if there's one thing I know about your grandparents... they always find each other."

The ladies come upon a beautiful poppy flower. Mulan will use her dagger to crush the seeds. "We're doing this the old fashioned way."

"What do you mean the old fashioned way?" David asks Gold/Rumple.  Gold explains to Mr. Nolan, that he's about to join a quite distinguished club. "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 spindle of a spinning wheel one falls under the spell. You're majesty, you did his wife, I'm sure you'd like the honors." Regina preps the spinning wheel needle with her pretty blue potion.  Henry wishes David good luck and hugs him. David assures Henry that it's gonna be alright. Henry asks "How do you know?"
David, "Well, how did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?"
Henry- "I believed in her."
David- "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."
Henry puts the talisman he's been wearing (from Gold/Rumple) over kneeling David's head to wear "This helps control the flames in the room. It'll keep you safe."  David will guard it with his life.

Mulan has the powder just about at the ready. Emma is building a relationship with the compass. Mulan feels it's difficult to say how long the effects will last; maybe an hour, maybe much less. Snow shouldn't need much time, as long as Henry is there when she is. Emma holds Snow's hand "I'll be right here. Say hi to my son for me."  Snow rests against a tree while Mulan blows the poppy powder at her so she can inhale it and drift off to sleep.

David {with a torch} is in a dark room that looks more like a hall of mirrors, calling out for Snow.

WHOOSH {Large Flames}

Snow is in the flaming room calling out for Henry. "Henry! Where are you?!" 

David, still it the dark room of mirrors is trying to find a way in. The talisman Henry gave him starts to glow. {Much like the ring glowed the closer he got to Snow when looking for her}  He removes it and uses it as a detection tool to find the way, and as he nears the source the talisman glows brighter and burns his hand. He drops it and realizes the floor is very hot. "The room." He uses the bottom of the torch to break through the reflective floor and he falls down into the room of flames.

David seems alone in the burning room. He picks up the necklace that is on the floor.

From across the board Snow sees Charming is across it.  They run to each other but are kept apart by flames. Snow doesn't understand "I ha...Henry should be here."  Charming explains he wouldn't let him go back "This is too dangerous."  Snow is happy Charming found her.
Charming claims "You found me. I knew you'd be here."  He shares that Gold has a way to stop Cora. "We have to stun her like we did with him." Snow recalls the Quill. Charming tells her it wasn't the quill, it was the ink; there's a jar of it in his cell, where they kept him. "Get it, stop her and come home."
Snow asks Charming {almost as if suspicious} "How are you here? There's no way for you to be here unless..."  Yep, he's in a sleeping curse.  Charming had to see her and it was worth it. He feels although he's now cursed, Snow will break the curse with true loves kiss.
He jumps forward to get to her and reach out to touch each other, but because they are in a netherworld they aren't really physically there- only their consciousnesses are present. {Note the flames have stopped}

Snow realizes "I'm waking up!"
Charming- "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."
Snow- "Yes. Will we always lose each other too, is that our fate?"
Charming- "No. I refuse to believe that. You need to have faith... in us."
Snow is crying "I'm waking up."
Confident Charming knows she can do this. "I love you."

Snow- "I love you."
WHOOSH   {Snow disappears}
Charming is left alone in the room that is once again aflame.

Henry is trying to get sleeping David to come back, but to no avail.  He's concerned and wonders if he should be in there that long.  Regina's sure it's fine "I imagine they're just catching up."  Regina and Gold share a look; they know David isn't waking up yet.

Snow wakes up under the tree. {Emma still holds her hand and she even looks like she may have napped.} Snow freaks and starts to look for more powder while telling Emma David is trapped in there.  "I have to get back!"  They realize true love's kiss is the only thing to wake him, but it won't work in there. Emma assures panicked Snow that they will get back. Emma now tells Snow to have faith.  Snow shares the information about the key to stopping Cora is in Rumple's jail cell. They shall go and get it. But Emma realizes the compass is now gone- and so is Mulan!

Mulan runs through the forest with the compass in hand.

Cora enters Aurora's cave-like cell {with the large bird cage} to find Aurora gone.
"Looking for someone?" Hook asks Cora.  Hook freed Aurora. Cora assumes he stuck around for the petty satisfaction of seeing her suffer. Although Hook thinks that a tempting motivation, it wasn't that.
Cora- "Well then, you must have a death wish." She magically tosses him up against the wall and removes his hook. "You know I have to kill you."  Hook feels she should try thanking him because he brought her a gift and wants her to open the surprise that's in his satchel. With that gift she will get everything she wants.

Snow fires a warning shot {Arrow} to stop Mulan. She found Mulan because Snow knows a thing or two about tracking. All they want is the compass.  Mulan makes like she's going to oblige but fights Snow instead- to which Snow tackles her and demands the compass and shares they learned how to overpower Cora.  Mulan is pissed this would involve another journey; just as she predicted there would be. She feels their best chance to save Aurora is to make that trade.  That's not going to happen! Snow reminds her that without that compass they can't get home.
Mulan- "Then I hope you're prepared to use that arrow."
As Snow's about to make her move Aurora yells "Stop!"  She demands Snow let Mulan go.  Concerned if she'd been followed, Aurora thinks Cora may know she's gone but she didn't see her escape.  Aurora shares that she didn't escape- He/Hook let her go because of Emma. "He said he wanted to prove to you that you should have trusted him. That if you trusted him you could've defeated Cora together. That the two of you could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe. 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."
Snow looks confused and suspicious.

We see that Cora is delivering Aurora's dialogue via her captured heart. Cora tells Hook "You know she won't trust you."
Hook feels she doesn't have to. All he needs is for her to believe that he was genuine in letting the girl go "Which I wager she does now. You're welcome.
Cora- "Impressive. You took a heart."
Hook- "Now you've a Princess."
Cora is pleased. "Indeed I do."
Hook- "Now, can we get on with the business of going to Storybrooke- together?"
Cora- "Why not? I hate to travel alone. All we need is the compass."
Hook- "Which will soon be delivered."

The compass is in Emma's hands. Snow leads the way to Rumple's cell.

We see Cora holding the Princesses heart.