Tallahassee

"Poppies... Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleeeeep. Now they'll sleeeeep." - The Wicked Witch; The Wizard of Oz

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

Somehow I must make plans to expand my postcard collection by paying a visit to Storybrooke and bordering Fantasy Land/the Enchanted Forest and all Royal, grand and glorious castles belonging to our beloved characters.


Gonna keep on tryin' til I reach the highest ground

A seed is an encased plant embryo; beans are seeds. The seeds are planted, watered, warmed by the sun and nurtured to grow. Well, there's a lot of that happening in our fairy tale. We're witnessing newly planted seeds being nurtured and grown. During this process Emma has a lot a lot to learn, but they're all learning some very important stuff.  Emotional fear has made Emma and a few other residents put up protective fences to keep out bad things, people and experiences.  But we do see a very brave Emma where Henry, family and home is concerned. She is willing to tackle obstacles for the greater good.

Magic cuffs will aid in the journey upward to the Giant's treasure and the much needed enchanted compass. Emma and her friends not only need the compass to help open the portal and get them back home to their families, but Emma also needs direction and help with her moral compass.  Emma is turning her life around and may be doing a bit of soul cleansing too.  The challenges and testing tasks she's enduring on this adventure are changing her on many levels; heart, mind and her higher consciousness included.

Only fools are enslaved by time and space
Consciousness connecting:

The "dreaming" clue comes up again in this episode. Now, of course we can chalk it up to the metaphor of the story, but we can also apply it to the literal with the sleeping curse. 
We see the characters are trying to use "magic portals" to travel, cross borders and boundaries, but could it be something a little bit deeper?  Last week I touched on the residents sleeping and perhaps dreaming the same dream; or at least reaching some level of dream/altered state together.  I believe we may be seeing some traveling to another world without really going far from home or even leaving home at all, just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Those girls' out of this world adventures happened via their consciousness; while asleep/altered state and their minds were free to go anywhere they can imagine.

In "this place", this free state of consciousness, we can create a wondrous world with interesting characters, we can replay real life events and face fears, we can learn and we can rewrite our story- and even become a hero.  So, these portals, rooms, doorways and pathways can be (consciousness) frequencies/vibrations rather than literal locations- nonetheless they are gateways to our higher consciousness, intelligence- self.

Just like LOST the goal is to go home.

Narnia is another world not very far from home.

This week we get some back "story" of Emma from 11 years ago in Portland, Oregon. She looks innocent; wears glasses, skirts and a black leather jacket, but is indeed a car thief and a con. She breaks into the already occupied yellow bug/beetle car we see her drive today.

I'd like to do a little Flash of my own...
Last season in the episode Desperate Souls we see Henry and Emma read an article about herself and her time of her incarceration and birth behind bars. Some of the details of that article are not the information we got in tonight's episode. So, now the question must be asked... which version, if any, is correct? The reason I ask is because in Desperate Souls, Henry asks her if the article is a lie and Emma says "No." But she also bizarrely tells him to throw the paper out and get their news from something more reliable, like the Internet. She also admits the records were supposed to be sealed.

We got another Storybrooke newspaper article where we learned of a version of Emma being found as an infant on the side of the road, but August presents a different version of those events. So, are the Storybrooke articles simply not the complete truth and written by Sydney and Regina just to tell tales of their own and keep control of everyone?  Can we bank on the Flashbacks we see as the truth finally revealed or are we being conned?

Whatever story you think you know is most certainly wrong   
Perspective:

Mentioning storytellers... The always dressed in black, August W. Booth appears out of nowhere claiming to be Emma's guardian angel (of sorts).  But I gotta tell ya, I don't know if we can believe everything we've heard from August since we met him; other than maybe he's Pinocchio and the puppet son of Geppetto.  August may have meant to be a good boy, brave, truthful and unselfish, but is he? He talks a hypnotically convincing game and really wants Emma, Neal and the people of Storybrooke to "believe."   Since we've met him we've seen him try to con Mr. Gold so he can gain access to the Dark One's dagger and we saw him fiddle with Henry's storybook.  August may be trying to be a good boy but something still feels like he may be using people for his own motives and gain. Remember, he even admits that he's weak to temptation.  August said to Neal that money's not what she needs, not for what's ahead. So, did he put the cash away for her or take the cash for himself?  No cash ended up in the envelope for Emma, plus, if August is the one who mailed her the car key why mail it all the way from fuckin' Phuket? Did he get that distracted that he got all the way there and remembered "Oh, yeah, I gotta mail this car key to little destiny bound Emma back in Phoenix."  Who knows, maybe he's working for someone.
Who is using and/or conning who?

Note that August, Neal and Emma go to great lengths to convince people of their grift- their story.

Snow tells Aurora that Charming would light a candle to capture the nightmares, while when Charming lights the candle for Henry and his nightmare he tells him it's to keep the nightmares away. 


Whatever you think I am, I'm not

Hook tells Emma a tale of how evil Giants grew the beans, but rather than using them for good they used them to plunder all the lands, and that Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil Giants. The beans were destroyed by the Giants as they died; if they couldn't have their magic then nobody could.  Sadly the caged in Giant has a different version of the events of how they/the humans massacred them and destroyed their beans. These events left him angry and all alone- without family.  This is what Emma has been dealing with in her own existence.


The bottom line is although we may spend our whole lives trying to outwardly find the treasure, who we really are and what our purpose is- but that treasure and the power we seek is already right inside of us.


Here's a little song I want to share.  It's the Swans performing "Can't Find My Way Home" written by Steve Winwood. Enjoy this little musical interlude.

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

๑ Eye. Eyes
๑ 8, 23
๑ Life. Death. Birth/Rebirth
๑ August, Neal and Hook flirt with Emma
๑ Victor. Victors. Victory.
๑ TIME
๑ The Giant wears red slippers
๑ Magic cuffs. Magic compass. Magic portal beans. Magic portal.
๑ Sleep. Drugs. Side effects
๑ TRAIN Station
๑ Caged. Cuffed. Imprisoned. Jail
๑ Compass
๑ Map
๑ Alice
๑ Neverland
๑ August and Neal have offered to take Emma for a "drink"
๑ Neal doesn't outright admit he stole the yellow beetle; he has keys for it.
๑ Dreamcatcher
๑ Watch. Guard
๑ Drunk. Rum/liquor
๑ Time. Sundial. Sundown
๑ Watch
๑ Tattoo. Marked 
๑ Pregnancy- birth
๑ The Stranger
๑ Neal was born March 23 1977
๑ Aurora and Henry's recount of their shared dream states mostly the same details, except Aurora says she is trapped, Henry doesn't say that
๑ Mulan owns the most powerful blade in all the realms
๑ Neal was a janitor at a high-end jewelry place in Phoenix and Emma's in a minimum security place in Phoenix
๑ August said he'd send Neal a postcard when Emma was free- Neal gets a postcard from Storybrooke stating "Broken"

Vocabulary and Research...

๑ Rumor has it actor Michael Raymond-James Has the word 'Ohana' (which is Hawaiian for family) tattooed over his heart.   
๑ Neal Leon Cassady (February 8, 1926 – February 4, 1968) was a major figure of the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. He served as the model for the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road. Cassady lived briefly with The Grateful Dead and is immortalized in "The Other One" section of their song "That's it for the Other One" as the bus driver "Cowboy Neal."
  - A second Grateful Dead song, "Cassidy," by John Perry Barlow, might seem to be a misspelling of Cassady's name; in fact the song primarily celebrates the 1970 birth of baby girl Cassidy Law into the Grateful Dead family, though the lyrics also include references to Neal Cassady himself. A N.Y. City-based folk duo, Aztec Two Step, in their 1972 debut album memorialized Cassady in the song "The Persecution & Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On the Road)."
๑ Eugene: A Greek name meaning Noble, well born.
๑ Fence: a dealer in the purchase and sale of stolen property; a middleman between thief and buyer
- Slitherlink (also known as Fences, Takegaki, Loop the Loop, Loopy, Ouroboros, Suriza and Dotty Dilemma) is a logic puzzle
 - Fences:  a 1983 play by American playwright August Wilson. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson's ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle.
๑ Poppies: in The Wizard of Oz the wicked witch puts a sleep spell on the poppy field so Dorothy and friends can fall asleep.
- Poppies have long been used as a symbol of sleep, peace, and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of the common blood-red color of the red poppy in particular. In Greek and Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead. Poppies used as emblems on tombstones symbolize eternal sleep. A second interpretation of poppies in Classical mythology is that the bright scarlet color signifies a promise of resurrection after death - Ancient Egyptian doctors would have their patients eat seeds from a poppy to relieve pain. Poppy seeds contain both morphine and codeine.
๑ Jack and the Beanstalk is an English folktale. The tale is closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant-Killer, and is known under a number of versions. Benjamin Tabart's moralized version of 1807 is the first appearance in print, but "Felix Summerly" (Henry Cole) popularized it in The Home Treasury (1842), and Joseph Jacobs rewrote it in English Fairy Tales (1890) In the classic version of the tale, the giant is unnamed, but many plays based on the story name him as Blunderbore; a giant of that name also appears in Jack the Giant Killer.
๑ "Sundial" a song Cosmic Egg is the second studio album by Australian rock band Wolfmother
๑ The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses" is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BC and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum.
๑ Neverland- Never Never Land: A place where its residents refuse to grow up. The novel explains that the Neverlands are found in the minds of children, and that although each is "always more or less an island" and they have a family resemblance, they are not the same from one child to the next. It also says that a map of a child's mind would resemble a map of Neverland, with no boundaries at all. In J.M. Barrie's play and novel, most of the adventures in the stories take place in the Neverwood, where the Lost Boys hunt and fight the pirates and redskins, and build the Wendy house. It is also the location of the Home Underground, where Peter and the Boys reside.
๑ Salem:
 - Tamil Nadu, a city in India
- A real algebraic integer
 - An indie Florida emo-punk rock band formed in Gainsville
Love it or Leave Me- EP 2003

• "Smoke and Mirrors" 
•  "Cancel the Sun"
•  "Confession"
•  "Aphrodite's Tears" 
•  "Brighton by the Sea"
•  "Amphetamine Crush"

 ✔ Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale

✈  Tallahassee. Criminal/con Kate and Sawyer have been there. Locke's dad is the man from Tallahassee.
✈  Portland Oregon- Headquarters for Mittleos Bioscience Mittelos Laboratories: Science camp. Uses Herarat Aviation
✈  Phuket
✈ Canada: Ethan Rom and Nathan claim to be from there. In Tabula Rasa Kate tells Ray Mullen she's from there; we also get Kate's mug shot
✈  Eye
✈  4
✈ Jack
    - Jack always felt like he was going to fail
✈  Janitor
✈ Drunk
✈ Tattoo. Marked 
✈ Enter 7 7
✈ Case
✈ Cassidy
✈ Apollo Bars
✈ STATIONS: Swan. Lamp post- Train
✈ Time
✈ Jin has to deliver a watch for Mr. Paik.
✈ Sleep. Unconscious. Dreams.
✈ Side effects
✈ Cave
✈ Security system
✈ Camaro
✈ Game
✈ Candle
✈ Mobisode number 1 is titled  The Watch
✈ Not in Portland  
   - Juliet cares for sick sister Rachel in "Miami, Florida" where  "Everything's on the beach."
✈ Further Instructions   Hitchhiker Eddy lies to the cop about Locke (the driver) being his uncle, as to avoid a ticket.  Locke has Charlie stand guard while he visits the sweat lodge. Eddy mentions granola.
-The DHARMA Initiative packages granola bars
- Walkabout Randy eats a granola bar.
✈ Abandoned
✈ Pregnancy test
- I Do- pregnancy test
- The Whole Truth
✈ Born to Run  -Kate commandeers a just vacated motel room
✈ In Greatest Hits Charlie says to Claire "So, first plane crash?" He can always spot the newbies.

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

Hook leads the ladies to the stalk they must climb and get past the Giant before they can retrieve the enchanted compass they need for their trip back to Storybrooke.  The stalk is a little freakier than Emma remembers from the story.  It reminds Mulan of death.
The student Emma asks "If these beans create... portals... why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?"  Hook explains "Because there aren't any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong."   Emma recalls "There was a guy named Jack and a cow and something about evil Giants with a treasure and a golden goose- or harp."
Hook- "Sounds like a lovely tale. But the truth's a little more gruesome. The Giant's
grew the beans, but rather than using them for good they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil Giants. The beans were destroyed by the Giants as they died; if they couldn't have their magic then nobody could. It's really very bad form."
Emma wonders "Evil Giants, who made magic portal beans. Why someone just doesn't go up grow some more?"  Hook tells of one Giant that survived; the strongest and most terrible of them all, and that's who they have to get past to retrieve the magic compass from the rest of the treasure. The compass will guide them to their land. "Cora has the means to open the portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it- steal the ashes from her and we're on our way."
Of course the ladies wonder if he's using them to get the compass for Cora. Hook assures the four that they're far safer company.  All he needs is a ride back and he'll swear allegiance to whomever gets him there first. He did fail to mention that the Giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders. But conveniently he's come prepared with a counter-spell from Cora; a pair of magic cuffs. Cora was to accompany him. He playfully encourages the ladies to fight out who will take her place and wear the other cuff for the journey upward. 

PORTLAND, OREGON 11 YEARS AGO
In an alley:
Eyeglass, skirt and black leather jacket wearing Emma breaks into a yellow VW Beetle; using a screwdriver and (looks like) a rock to pop the ignition.

A green hooded passenger pops up in the backseat. "Impressive. But really, you could've just asked me for the keys."

The unconcerned passenger tells Emma its fine. "Just drive." He introduces himself as Neal Cassidy. Emma doesn't want to tell him her name.  Neal doesn't need it to have her arrested when the robbery is in progress.  Emma ends up revealing she is Emma Swan. Neal thinks that's a good name.

Emma- "So, do you just live in here or are you just waiting for the car to be stolen?"
Neal smiles "Why don't I tell you over drinks."  Emma takes her eyes of the road to question him, and he tells her "Hey, eyes on the road" as she blows by a STOP sign.  Emma isn't having drinks with him because he might be a pervert.
Neal- "I might be a pervert. But you're definitely a car thief."
Emma- "I said I was sorry."
Neal- "You didn't, actually."
A cop car pulls them over.  Flustered Neal feels "That's why I said eyes on the road."  From the back seat quick thinking Neal tells Emma "Screwdriver" which she promptly removes and he replaces with the key.

The officer asks Emma for the license and registration, but Neal interjects, defusing the situation before it even begins. He tells the officer that this is actually his car and he's teaching his girlfriend how to drive stick. The officer feels she's got a lot to learn.  Neal knows, but you know - women.
Officer- "All right, I hear you. It's a warning... this time." Neal thanks the officer and hops in the front seat. Emma wonders if Neal's a misogynist.
Neal- "You're welcome. Oh, go. We got lucky."
Confused Emma- "We? This isn't your car either, is it?"
Neal- "Hmm?"
Emma- "I stole a stolen car?"  Neal doesn't answer that remark, he only smiles slyly and flirts and says "Now, how 'bout that drink?"  They drive off.

Back at the beanstalk Mulan feels she should go up to retrieve the compass because she's best equipped to go; as she's been in many battles/wars. Each woman has a reason for going up, but it's Emma who is going "And I'm not gonna fail."   After all, this is about Emma and Snow getting back to their loved ones.
Snow- "You're new here."
Emma- "It's about getting back to Henry. I don't care what I have to face. You're not gonna argue with me?"  It wouldn't do any good anyway.  Emma asks Mulan if she's got anything in that bag that will help her with a Giant. Mulan replies "A hook?"
Privately, Mulan gives Emma a small white sack filled with powder made from poppies that he has to inhale. Emma also trusts Mulan with the task of cutting down the beanstalk with her "strongest blade in all the realms" sword if she's not back in 10 hours; and she's to keep going and get Snow  home.
Hook hurries the ladies along. "In this world we're a slave to time and ours is running out. In other words- Tick Tock."   Emma's going. Hook was hoping it would be her. He has her place her right hand on his right shoulder and place the magical cuff on her right wrist. This will enable her to climb, but warns her of other dangers. "Thankfully you've got me to protect you."
Hook is given his hook back because he can't climb one handed. {But he is climbing one handed.} Emma warns him "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second."
Hook- "I would despair if you did."
The duo begin their ascent.

High up in the atmosphere climbing up the stalk, Hook tries to get Emma to open up about her life. He jokes about never forgetting your first beanstalk. He finds Emma's silence a challenge. Emma says "I'm concentrating."
Hook- "No, you're afraid. Afraid to talk- to reveal yourself. Trust me. Things will run a lot smoother if you do."
Emma-"Used to people not trusting you."
Hook- "Ah, the pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book."
Emma- "Am I?"
Hook- "Quite. Let's see, you volunteered to come up here because you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."
Emma- "That's not perception, that's eavesdropping."
Hook- "You don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned."
Emma- "Was I?"
Hook- "Like I said... open book."
Emma- "How would you know that?"
Hook- "Spent many years in Neverland, home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes... The look you get when you've been left alone."
Emma- "Yeah, well, my land aint Neverland."
Hook- "But an orphan's an orphan. Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? You ever even been in love?"
Emma- "No. I have never been in love."

Neal and "pregnant" Emma enter a convenience store where Neal tells his Sweetie to get whatever she wants while he gets directions.   The clerk asks Neal "How ya been?" Neal says "I've been better."  He opens up a map on the counter to get directions because he and his wife are really lost. "I'm trying to get to Eugene. I think we've been going the wrong way. Could you show me what's going on here? Where are we, first of all?"  The clerk will help after Neal buys the map. Neal puts cash down on the map. Meanwhile Emma checks out the Mexi-wrap and passes by some bottled orange/citrus drinks.

The clerk shows Neal his problem (on the map) is he's "waaay up here", while not paying attention Neal's focus is on stealing gift cards, two Apollo Bars and a key chain. The clerk says he has to take 5 all the way south towards Salem. A patron enters and instantly sees the duo is stealing from the store and tries to get the clerks attention, but to no avail.  Seeing this, on cue, Emma thinks it's time and gets "labor pains", claiming it hurts really bad!
Happy Neal "He's ready!"  Tells her/baby to "Breathe." And the duo hurry out of the store.  The patron tells the clerk they were stealing.

Running outside Neal states "The little guy saved us!" {Who are they talking about here, really?}
Emma- "He sure did! The miracle of birth!"  She removes the fake "pregnancy belly" and tosses the haul to Neal.  He got her a key chain. It a circle with a swan in the center. She likes it and they kiss.

They hang out in the parking lot of the motel waiting a family to vacate a room so that they commandeer it. They'll have 20 minutes until housekeeping.

In the room Neal asks if she wants to shower first.  Emma finds a Native American Dreamcatcher left by the Granola family. She knows it's supposed to keep all the nightmares out and only let the good dreams in to protect your home.
Neal- "It's flypaper for nightmares?"  Neal decides they should keep it, but Emma wonders where they'd be able to hang it- "in the car?"

Neal realizes that's not much of a home and maybe it's time they get a real place. They've been on the road long enough, maybe it's time to retire the Bonnie and Clyde act. He thinks it's time- together.  Silly Emma wonders "Like where, Neverland?"  Neal's serious, they can do this. He presents Emma with a map tray of the United States, tells her to close her eyes and point. Whatever spot she picks is their home.

The winner is Tallahassee. Emma wonders if Tallahassee is near a beach. Neal- "Yeah, it's Florida, everything's near a beach."   Neal makes it clear that he really wants Emma.

Mulan makes a sundial to keep the time and mark watches- take turns sleeping. They should try to rest because they'll most likely have to walk through the night again.  Snow offers to take first shift and Aurora will stay up with her, as she doesn't really sleep. Snow asks her when was the last time she slept.  The sleeping curse has fucked with Aurora. The one time she did sleep she had horrible nightmares.
Snow- "It's a side effect. The same thing happened to me."  She goes on to explain she had them for months. Then Charming (her husband) used to wake her when she cried out and light a candle. He said it would capture the nightmares. He'd watch over her as she fell back asleep.  It sounds like the Dude lives up to his name.  Snow encourages Aurora to sleep and she'll watch over her; she'll be safe. Aurora thanks her. Snow is obviously concerned about Emma and her current task.

Emma and Hook arrive at the Giant's residence high in the night starry sky. There are skeletons all around. This is where the final battle was.  Emma cut her left hand and Hook tenderly tends to it; using Rum to painfully sterilize the wound.  Emma assumes he's being a gentleman, which Hook is, but it's because Giants can smell blood.  Knowing they don't have time to wait for the Giant to fall asleep, they plan to use the poppy powder Mulan gave them.  They have to sneak past the sleeping Giant in his cave to where the treasures are- "Where the compass lies." Oh, and then they run like hell.
Emma notices Hook's "Milah" heart tattoo and surmises Gold/Rumple took her from Hook along with his hand. This is why he wants to kill him.  Hook feels "For someone who's never been in love, you're quite perceptive aren't you?"  Emma admits "Maybe I was... once."

Playfully hiding behind a tree, young Emma presents jelly doughnuts to troubled looking Neal. Neal found a wanted posted hanging on the wall at the Post Office.

He tells the story about when he was a janitor in Phoenix at a high end jewelry place. The manager was a drunk who'd forget to lock the case of expensive watches. Neal resisted twice, but the third time this guy was just asking to get took. So he grabbed a couple of cases of watches and hopped on a train to Portland. The store's got insurance.  He stashed them in a locker in the train station; they're still there. "That's hardly stealing."  He didn't get away clean. The manager may have been drunk but the security cameras are stone sober. The heat hasn't died down, so Tallahassee's out. Neal's gotta go to Canada alone. He doesn't want her to get caught with him. "You think crossing the border is easy?"  Emma suggests fake I.D.'s and Passports. Neal's concerned that costs money and they have a stolen car. Emma suggests they make it legit: take a VIN # off of another car. She also suggests she go get the watches out of the locker, as no one is looking for her. "We can fence them and then we can have the money..." They could do and go where ever they want. "We could change our identities and go to Tallahassee."
Neal- "You wanna steal the watches to help me get away with stealing the watches?"
Yep!
Neal can't let her risk everything. But Emma says "I love you."  Neal replies, "I love you too."
Emma knows she can do it.

Emma is perched atop of one of the stone/terracotta Warriors outside the doorway of the Giant's dwelling.  The Giant comes out and Hook {the worst human around} grabs his attention so Emma can get the Giant to inhale the powder.  The Giant crashes to the ground- out cold- sound asleep.

Hook doesn't mean to upset her, but he feels they make quite the team.
Emma- "Let's go steal a compass."

Mulan looks troubled as she sees how much time has passed. Aurora is having a nightmare. Snow wakes her "It was just a dream."  Upset Aurora tells Snow "It was the same as last time. I was in this room- this, this red room... it was ...bright- blood red curtains, there were no windows and no doors, so it didn't make sense. I couldn't get in or out- I was trapped. The curtains, they were on fire... it was horrible. I was hunched in a corner and I looked over into the other corner... and the shadows, there was someone else there. I just see his eyes- he was looking right at me."
Snow- "It's over now. These nightmares... they will fade away. I promise." Although she didn't really look too sure about that. Snow will sit with her until she falls back asleep. "Who else do I have to take care of?"

Emma and Hook walk through a grand hall that houses countless treasures. Hook is interested in coins.  Emma rushes him along because they have no clue how long magic knockout powder lasts. Hook leads the way. "Come. Everything we need is right in front of us."

Emma is at the TRAIN STATION with the key to retrieve the stolen watches. {Train 643 with stops at Cleveland, D.C. and Seattle now boarding on track...} She notes two officers nearby, takes the bag from the locker and smiles as she walks out.

Emma asks Hook "(They) kill all the Giant housekeepers too? Where are we gonna find a compass in this mess?"
Hook- "By looking. Start searching."  He wonders how much treasure they can carry down the beanstalk; in addition to the compass of course.  They come upon the skeleton of Jack, the Giant killer.
Emma saves Hook from backing up into a trip wire (trap); quite a security system. Hook wants to flirt with her. Emma insists they just find the compass and go home.

Neal is excited when Emma returns to the yellow Beetle with the watches. Emma thought there would be more, but Neal informs her of the prices of $20,000.  Emma's excited for Tallahassee. Neal's gonna go meet the fence and he'll meet her with the money.  The parking structure near the tracks- 9 PM sharp. And just so there are no mix-ups, he gives her one of the watches. He gives her a kiss and says "Tallahassee, baby. We're almost home."
Emma- "Home."

As Neal walks down the dark street he is followed by a man. He runs into an alley being run down- He runs across the hood and top of a light color Camaro and tries to get away over a chain link fence, but is taken down by the man. Neal assumes he's someone else. "You got the wrong guy, officer! I wasn't even J-walking!"
August- "It's not like that. You wanna protect Emma? Come with me."
Neal yells "How do you know Emma?!"
August- "The name's August and it's a long story, but trust me, you wanna hear it."
Neal gives him two minutes to talk. "Who are you?"
August- "Think of me as Emma's guardian angel."
If that's the case then Neal feels August has been doing a pretty crap job.  August claims to have been looking for her for the past two years and has finally found her and she's robbing convenience stores with some deadbeat. "Tell me again who's doing the crap job."  Neal feels he's the best thing that ever happened to Emma. "Two years. Where were you the rest of her life?"
August- "I'm not perfect. This world (?) full of temptations. Turns out I'm not that great at saying no. I'm not built that way. But I'm here now."
Neal- "Who are you?"
August- "We were in the same home as kids, and I thought she'd be safe inside the system, but now that she's out... Back then I promised I would take care of her."
Neal- "Well, we promised to take care of each other."
August sees that Neal loves her, and that's good. "That means you have to do right by her."  That's what Neal is trying to do
August- "Then leave her."
Neal- "Never."
August- "She has a destiny. And you- this life, you're gonna keep her from it. Okay... You believe in magic?"
Neal- "I take it you do."
August- "So will you. Trust me. I'm gonna show you something. Something that's gonna make you look at everything differently. When you see what I have in here you're gonna listen. You're gonna believe every word I say"  They walk over to August's motorcycle where he has a wood case strapped to the back. {Note Tiki torches}
Neal- "Yeah, right."
August opens the lid of the case and lets Neal peek inside.  August has Neal's attention.

August- "There's a curse... and it needs to be broken. Emma... is the key. I was tasked with keeping her on track and you, my friend... just got caught in the crossfire. Now I'm gonna tell you a story and at the end of it you're gonna have to make a decision.  Will you do the right thing... or not. So... Are... You ready?"

Emma smiles as she leans with her back against the wall looking at the watch. She uses her flip phone to make a call. The number is out of service and she feels the message she hears is an error.  Unless he set her up. An officer pulls a gun on her "Possession of stolen goods."  He tells her that her boy left her holding. He's sorry to tell her but "Your boy took off. Probably in Canada by now. He called in a tip- told us to take a look at the surveillance footage at the Train Station. Gimme the watch. Now!"  Emma gives him the watch. He asks "You know your rights?"  Yeah, she does.
The officer- "Good girl. Turn around. Where's the rest of the watches?"
Shocked Emma- "Gone. They're not coming back."

Emma- "So, it's just in here somewhere."
Hook- "Allegedly."
Hook asks her for a boost and Emma assumes he's out to pocket something. He wants her/darling to try something new, "Its called trust."
Emma- "We do it side by side and fast. Who knows how long before the..."  Just then the place shakes and items rattle from the approaching awake Giant.
Hook- "Someone's up."  Hook advises Emma to get under something, but she doesn't.  The ceiling comes crashing down due to the intense anger and heavy footsteps of the Giant. Hook ends up under that debris.  The loud Giant scoops up Emma.

VANCOUVER, CANADA  
2 Months Later

Down by the water August meets up with Neal.

August- "It's been a while. Where'd ya go?"
Neal, still driving the yellow Beetle {Different license plate} tells him "Tried to lose myself... didn't work. I want to talk to you about Emma."
August- "I hope you're not trying to reach out."
Neal- "I just feel like, if I knew she was okay- I could move on. Is she?"
August- "She will be. She got 11 months."
This upsets Neal. "That should be me! I should be doing that time."
August- "No. We went over this. It's good."  It's a minimum security place in Phoenix, and no, he's not going to tell Neal which one. {How fucking many could there be?!} "She'll get out of there and she'll be fine. You keep your promise and steer clear and she can have a good life. She can do what she's supposed to do."
Neal feels if he can't be there for her he wants August to promise that he will be. August promises. Neal needs August to do something for him. He was able to fence the watches which gave him the huge wad of cash he hands over to August. "Don't judge, I'm giving it all to her and the car. I got a clean VIN number for it so it's legit. I just... I feel like I'm there with her, ya know?"
August- "Money's not what she needs- not for what's ahead."
Neal insists- "Can't ya see that she gets it?"
August- "Sure."  He takes the stack and suspiciously looks around.
Neal- "And one more thing... If anything changes and she does her job- this insanity ends... and she's free..."
August- "I'll send you a postcard."  August takes off right away.

The Giant holds Emma tightly in his fist. "You're a thief and you poisoned me. So yeah, I'm pretty sure you're exactly what I think."
Emma struggles. "No. Look, you have a compass- I need it!"
The Giant doesn't care what she needs. He squeezes harder and it shortens her breath.
Emma- "No, For my son! To save my son! Don't... don't you have a family?!"
The Giant- "No! Because humans killed them all."  He squeezes really, really hard and Emma bites him; she falls down onto his red slipper.  He takes off after her. Emma jumps over the trip wire and grabs Jack's sword to cut the wire and trapping the Giant under it.

With his one eye watching Emma, she threatens him with {Jack's} the sword she assumes has been dipped in poison.
Emma- " You have a compass. I need it."  It doesn't matter to the Giant as he assumes she's going to kill him anyway. "Go ahead. Kill me."
Emma- "You don't know me.
The Giant- "I know your kind. They massacred us and destroyed our beans."
Emma- "I heard it the other way.
The Giant- "It's because the victors get to tell the story."  Emma again threatens him with the sword.
The Giant tells her to stop and slips her the compass. "See. I'm not the bad guy."  Now with compass in hand she thinks that maybe he's telling the truth; but it doesn't really matter. "Are there any more of you?"
The Giant- "No. I'm alone."   Emma sees something and asks if it's a bean. "Can this make a portal."
The Giant- "Not anymore. It was destroyed like the rest of em. I wear it as a reminder- a reminder that you're all killers." Emma again taunts him with the sword and tells him "You're wrong." And she walks away.  The trapped Giant breaks out and shows Emma the way out; via a (mouse) hole in the wall. "Because you could've killed me... and you didn't. You get one favor now go before I change my mind."
Emma- "Actually, I get two favors. Well, the way I see it I could've killed you twice. The poison and when you were knocked out. I didn't."
The Giant- "What do you want?"

 

Emma rescues Hook. He wants to see the compass. It's more beautiful than he imaged. Emma is careful to not let him have it, so she pockets it.  Hook offers her his hand and she takes it. "Come let's go."  But Emma cuffs him with a golden cuff.  He's confused wondering why, "Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"
Emma- "I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I'm sorry."
Hook is pissed! "I got you here! I got you the compass!"
Emma- "I got the compass."
Hook- "You just gonna leave me here to die., Now that beast eat me- crush my bones."
Emma- "He's not a beast. And  you're not gonna die. I just need a head start- that's all." She leaves.
Hook calls out "SWAN!"

Mulan sees her sundial timer is just about up on time.  Aurora sleeps on Snow's lap. Mulan takes off to the stalk to being cutting it down; as per instructions of Emma. Snow and Aurora stop her; not wanting Emma to be left to die.  Mulan feels Emma may already be dead. Mulan strikes the stalk and it sends a vibration all the way up it. Snow literally tackles Mulan!  Mulan insists it was her daughter's wish. Snow doesn't care what she says "You do not put my daughter in danger!"
Emma jumps off the stalk "Stop!"  Snow runs to her. "You okay?"
Emma- "Two earth quakes and a jump from a beanstalk I think my brain's still rattling around a little."   Mulan was just carrying out her orders.
She shows the ladies she has the compass and lets them know Hook's detained; they have 10 hours before he starts following them. She has a friends looking after him until then.  Snow makes it clear to Emma "We go back together! That is the only way. Do you understand?!"  Emma understands and they hug. They head off to get the dust from Cora... and go home.

MINIMUM SECURITY CORRECTIONS FACILITY Phoenix, Arizona 
11 Years Ago

Emma sits quietly on her cot; eye glasses in her left hand.
"Swan, you got mail."  The corrections officer, Loretta, delivers her mail {yellow envelope} from Phuket. The rules indicate she has to open the mail in front of Emma. She shows Emma the Swan key chain and automatically knows they are car keys. "Hope you got the car it goes with." There's nothing else- no letter.

Loretta is sorry. "But good news. You get a car when you get out... And a baby. Congratulations."  Loretta locks her in.

Henry is sound asleep. He bolts awake from a nightmare.  Charming runs to his aid. "It's over."  He lights a candle to help; explaining the candle keeps away the nightmares.  Charming has Henry tell him about the dream.
Henry- "I, I was in this room... and ... and it was red. And there was no doors, no windows. And these curtains... and they were on fire.  And I was in this corner and, and, and it was looking out/up, there was someone else there.... she was staring at me through the flames, th, then I woke up."
Charming tells Henry not to worry "It was just a bad dream."

Dreamy

"If you can dream it, you can do it"- Walt Disney

Dreams and the Dreamer
FLASHBACK: to my childhood, where I'd literally sit for hours on end dreaming about a wonderful life somewhere else, imagining a future where the dreams I dreamed would come true.  Even as a young child I knew there was more to the world than what I was experiencing in our tiny city apartment.  Here I am, an adult, still dreaming. The heart wants what the heart wants. Maybe I suffer from a lifelong bout of Wishful Thinking. We're very protective of the things and ideas that belong to us.  So, how and when does one know it's time to let a dream go?

From a distance one can look at the beauty and wonder the world has to offer and long to be a part of it, or one can stop being a bystander and go out and truly live life and make things happen and dreams a reality.  Yet again, therein lies the Fate and Destiny debate.  Do things really transpire strictly due to hard work and determination and money, or is it that some things are just meant to be.  Of course this would also mean that some things aren't meant to be, or simply seem like a hopeless situation.  In any event, should we believe the Universe plays a role in our lives too; putting everything in order making it seem like miracles and magic are involved.

On the surface this week's episode is an inspiring tale of being a dreamer and having dreams you feel you're born with and meant to fulfill.  But look deeper and we see much more.  Leroy and Astrid's paths cross in Storybrooke.  They both have their own paths to walk and individual dreams and goals, but it may be that their paths were meant to cross only for a short time (or a long time), to show each other the light and to act as a conduit to help themselves and others find their way.  Their "connecting" serves a purpose- to give each other hope and encouragement, show love and compassion, and give each other motivation that anything is possible.  Leroy and Astrid and all the people of Storybrooke and Fairy Tale land, including Dwarfs, are capable of love and achieving dreams. They just have to wake up and find their light and in turn light the way for others.

Initially I was sad to hear that the happy and productive Dwarfs don't fall in love, marry, have children, etc. But that didn't mean they really can't.  By evidence of Dreamy all it took was a little magic. The Dwarfs are told and believe they're built a certain way and hatched for a specific purpose; to live a happy but perpetual and familiar life deep down in the mines working with each other.  They may have a wonderful purpose but they are sheltered.  Yet they are contributors to giving light and making magic; they bring joy to themselves and to everyone, that's what makes them happy.  There is more to life.  Shouldn't they have all of life's experiences too? We know the Dwarfs feel sad and loss when Snow White is cursed and the Dwarfs assume she is dead and put her in the glass coffin, so they do feel emotions and empathy.

Everything in the universe is connected. The people we meet and connect with, whether it's for a moment or a lifetime play a role in the story our own life is writing. In a sense, our stories write themselves. Even though there are "spells and curses" on ONCE and in real life, I'd like to believe that there are also many stars to be wished upon. We have a choice in which to put our belief in.

Which came first...the chicken or the egg?
I must address the issue of hatching dwarf, Dreamy, knowing he saw a beautiful woman before he hatched from the egg in the mine.  Sure, it was the fairy dust that "accidentally" spilled from Nova's bag and fell "specifically" upon his egg, but how and when did he see her?  Another line of dialogue that I can't ignore is the remark by Astrid when she comments about Leroy's great boat- "I can't even remember the last time I was on it".  

"Whoever you think I am, I'm not"
Bossy tells Dreamy "The ax never lies".  When Dreamy wanted Doc to take a look at him when he wasn't feeling like himself, Bossy tells him "You gonna trust a dwarf that got his medical degree from a pickax?"  So, apparently the name or title you are given isn't a true representation of the real you- the whole you. No one is one dimensional, we are multi faceted. Keep in mind that one goes through many changes and/or rebirths on the journey.  

There is evidence of guiding, teaching and learning going on, not only in Storybrooke, but also in Fairy Tale Land.  Again, this makes it seem as if the realms are not really disconnected.  I get many of the same feelings about ONCE as I did while watching LOST -that the journey we see them on is an adventurous journey to enlightenment; awakening, birth, death and rebirth.  We witness the "ready to be born Dreamy" hatch- well, literally punch his way out of the egg and appear filled with wonder and a knowing about beauty, love and dreams.  He asks questions and wants more out of life.  He learns many things over "a year's time".  This special Dwarf in some ways has more clarity than his Dwarf brethren.  Then there's a transformation as the deep painful "Grumpy" emotion is brought to the surface of Dreamy's being, and also the changes Leroy goes through in Storybrooke. All of those changes are a necessary part of the journey.

In this episode Mary Margaret and Leroy do good deeds to help others.  Granted, Leroy took drastic measures to sell the candles, but it was for the greater good.  Doing good deeds is an important step, as it helps cleans their own Karma.  We also see them punishing themselves, which of course they have the power to stop doing.

By the way, Mary Margaret has always reminded me of a Nun; with her short hair and the way she dresses.  Are we sure she's not really Sister Mary Margaret?  Nonetheless, the role she has right now and the things she must experience are there to help her face her true north and find who she truly is.  I do believe all of the things they experience in both realms, the tests and trials are there to help them grow and find their way.

Emma's ridiculous superpower of knowing when people are lying is for the fuckin' birds!  Does she know Sidney and Regina are lying to her and she's just not saying anything about it?  Is Emma lying to herself? She needs to gain some real clarity about things. She has a lot to learn and a lot to face.

Dreams Are Made in the Atmosphere
Re-imagining your world- it's still just a dream...so, is it literally a dream?  I'm going to ask the same question I asked during my time on the "Island" - how is this adventure actually happening?  What is real and what isn't?  I've made no secret about my notes for ONCE being seen from the perspective of (not only a LOST fan) but also a student of LOST.  There is a relationship between both stories.  I also feel as I did with LOST that there is an altered state of consciousness - altered reality involved with this current colorful adventure.  And with all of the visuals to the "celestial" it seems just as in LOST there is a Cosmic-collective consciousness aspect to this journey.  Also LOST-like: Realms and Flashes blur and crossover, there are "time and space" issues, and of course we have unequivocal connections to the "Island and DHARMA.

LOST was very metaphoric in its storytelling and so is ONCE.
Let's think about this-
When Leroy tells Mary Margaret "...You got your reasons for being here, I got mine!"  It feels like they choose to be "there",  like there's an option not to be "there".   Of course they chose to volunteer selling the candles, but could they be people who volunteered to join in on this learning adventure or is Leroy's comment about being in an "emotional place".  Could these people have paid to go on a Destiny Destination adventure without even leaving their homes, or is it via the same technique the DHARMA Initiative uses- or all of the above?

This beautiful fairy tale shares a goal with LOST- find who you truly are, to leave, and to go home.

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

Things to Note...Questions to Ask...
๑ Dream. Dreaming. Mind. Head.
๑ Awakening. Birth/Beginning. Late/death. Rebirth/New beginning. Karma
๑ Candle booth- August W. Booth
๑ Purpose in life- Destiny
๑ ID. Identity- No identity
๑ All of the Numbers were represented in this episode
๑ Dreamy/Grumpy is part of a team of 8 brothers; first to be hatched 
๑ Mr. Gold doesn't like Nuns/teachers.  I guess Rumpelstiltskin doesn't like fairies
๑ Well: AKA Mine
๑ Mine: something that belongs to me 
๑ Miner - Minor
๑ Transform- Coal into diamonds- diamonds into fairy dust
๑ Diamonds
๑ Polaroid pictures 
๑ This world. Your world.
๑ Game. Team
๑ A Nun (aka Sister) is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life
๑ Nun- Teacher. Learn. School
๑ The conveyor belt machine has familiar sounding {"Island"} sounds.

Vocabulary and Research....
๑ Dreamy is a 1960 album by Sarah Vaughn
๑ Dreams:
- Hope, belief in a positive outcome
- Wish, hope or desire for something
- Goal, something one wishes to accomplish
Dreams- An experience during sleep. Successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is self-aware. Dreams can make a creative thought occur to the person or give a sense of inspiration
- Gilgamesh reported his recurring dreams to his goddess-mother Ninsun
๑ Dreaming- a term used in indigenous Australian cosmology and spirituality
๑ Cosmic consciousness is the idea that the universe exists as an interconnected network of consciousness, with each conscious being linked to every other. Sometimes this is conceived as forming a collective consciousness. The idea bears similarity to the ancient Buddhist concept of Indra's net, Teilhard de Chardin's conception of the noosphere, Hegel's Absolute idealism, Satori in Zen. The use psychedelics such as LSD and Psilocybin mushrooms have asserted that they have had direct experience of the cosmic consciousness.
๑ Firefly- They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey.   These larvae emit light and are often called "glowworms".  In America, "glow worm" also refers to the related Phengodidae. In many species, both male and female fireflies have the ability to fly, but in some species, females are flightless. Firefly systematics, as with many insects, are in a constant state of flux.
๑"100,000 Fireflies" is a song and the debut single by American Indie pop band The Magnetic Fields, featuring on their 1991 debut studio album Distant Plastic Trees.

✔  Golden LOST Thread Woven into the Tapestry of this Tale 
★ Dream. Dreaming.
★ Awakening. Birth/Beginning. Late/death. Rebirth/New beginning. Karma
★ ID. Identity- No Identity
★ 4. 8. 15. 16. 23. 42
★ Being watched
★ Scale-Balance
★ Swan. Hatch. Arrow. Station. Wheel. Sydney
★ Well
★ Ax
★ Nuns. Sister.
★ Candle. Light. Lantern. Lighthouse
★ Time. Pace- Charlie Pace
★ Egg- yolk
★ Chicken- Chicken Coop- Sayid: He's our You
★ Watch
★ Diamonds
★ Volunteers
★ Game. Team
★ Brothers
★ Custodial services- janitor-work man
★ School. Learning. Teach/teacher
★ Hero
★ Star- Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket 
★ Polaroid pictures
★ "Don't tell me what I can't do"
★ "Whatever you think I am, I'm not." 
★ "It doesn't matter who we were. It only matters who we are."- A Tale of Two Cities
★ The Substitute- Locke was a gym teacher. Dave: game in the Santa Rosa gym.
The Beginning of the End: Hurley and Jack play HORSE in the Santa Rosa gym
★ Sundown
★ Special
★ Mr. Eko- Nuns. Woman selling Virgin Mary Statues filled with heroin stashed inside of them in Nigeria
★ The Black Rock was a slave ship filled with slaves and mining equipment; Magnus Hanso was the Captain
★ Desmond- boat, sailing.  Kelvin fix up Desmond's crashed boat
★ The Candidate- Locke tells Jack about his father (Anthony Cooper) being his first official passenger when he got his private pilot's license.  This episode is also about punishing yourself.
★ The Long Con- Sawyer to Charlie "Man, I thought these people hated me, but I gotta hand it to you... Stealing a baby, trying to drown it, now that's a new low."
★ White Rabbit- Sawyer to Boone- "Taking my place at the top of everyone's most hated list. Sucks, don't it?"


Enough of my rambling...Here is your episode recap! Enjoy!

Up in the atmosphere in the white puffy clouds sits the Blue Fairy.  Nova clumsily flies over carrying a sack of fairy dust. The Blue Fairy warns her to be careful as fairy dust is the most precious substance in all the land. "Its magic is what powers the world. This is the year's supply. We must be cautious- because next year you'll be doing this alone."   Nova didn't think she'd be still picking up dust next year; she thought she'd be a fairy godmother by then.  This amuses the Blue Fairy. "Oh, Nova...you really are a dreamer."  She tells Nova that her journey is just beginning and asks her if she can make it home from the mines with all the dust safe.  Looking a little panicked Nova nods 'yes'.  They both take flight, but Nova doesn't realize she's spilling fairy dust from her bag onto the Earth below.

The fairy dust makes its way down deep into the mines and lands on a specific egg. Dwarf eggs are awaiting their birth; literally to hatch from an egg.  Watchy listens in on the early (but ready) hatching egg with his stethoscope.  Bossy notes that this unit isn't scheduled to hatch until sundown.  Nonetheless he must be eager to get out before the rest of his brothers.  A smiling bald and bearded dwarf punches his way out of the egg and is welcomed into the world.  The happy new dwarf looks around in wonder and awe.

At Granny's
Leroy cracks open his egg and eats.  Walter/Sleepy and  Mr. Clark/Sneezy ask Leroy to scoot over a seat so they can sit together, but Leroy doesn't move; he rudely tells them if they want that seat they'd need to drag their sorry asses out of bed a little earlier.   Leroy loses his appetite when Mr. Clark sneezes in the direction of the egg/food whilst telling Leroy he's a real ray of sunshine- as usual. Disgusted Leroy gives them the seat.

Mary Margaret enters the diner, clears her throat to get everyone's attention and makes her announcement/speech.  "I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, but I just wanted to remind everyone that a very special occasion is upon us... Miners Day.  As always the nuns of Storybrooke are hoping that everyone will get involved and will help sell their exquisite candles.  All we need are a few energetic volunteers. So, who wants to join me?"
Everyone ignores her and goes back to their breakfast; whispering to each other.  Mary Margaret asks approaching Leroy if he wants to volunteer, but he tells "sister" he wants to leave and she's blocking the door.  Mary tries to get him to volunteer but Leroy feels "Oh, yeah, right.  Quite a team we'd make. Town Harlot. Town Drunk. The one person in this town that people like less me... is you. If you're coming to me- you're screwed."  Mary is hurt, but knows there's some truth to that.

Emma joins  Mary Margaret on her walk from Granny's.  Emma inquires about Miners Day and wonders why Mary is beating herself up over it.  Mary explains its an annual holiday celebrating an old tradition. "The Nuns used to make candles and trade them with the miners for coal."  They used it as a fund-raiser. Emma's puzzled by the use of coal as opposed to lobster; as they're in Maine.  The obviously dejected Mary Margaret tells Emma its an amazing party and everyone loves it.  She also reveals she had 10 volunteers last week and they all dropped out; because of the thing with her and David- a few told her so.  Mary Margaret has never been a home wrecker before.  {They walk by a shop window decorated with Christmas season North Pole} Emma feels it will blow over; Mary Margaret made a mistake with David but feels she doesn't have to do charity to try to win people's heart's back.  Desperate Mary feels she has to do something and this is the best she can do. "Love ruined my life."
Duty calls, so Emma heads down to take care of things; she encourages Mary Margaret to "Hang in there. And if there's anything I can do to help- I will."  Mary knows and thanks her.

Astrid (Nova) is sparkling up the MINERS DAY sign with fake snowy flakes.  Some slips out of her hand and lands on passerby Leroy.  Leroy looks up to see where it came from and smiles when he sees Astrid atop of the ladder.  She apologizes. "I was so busy trying to get the lights to work that I didn't realize I was about to knock it off the ladder."

Leroy takes a look at the lights for her and sees the problem is she is overloading the transformers.  He warns her if she kept messing around with these lights the whole thing could have blown up on her.  He fixes the problem and Astrid considers him her hero.
Leroy- "I'm nobody's hero, sister."
Astrid- "Oh, you can just call me Astrid."
Leroy- "I call everybody 'sister'. I'm Leroy"  He lights the lights.  Astrid asks if he's an electrician.  Leroy admits to being in the custodial services game."   He feels it's not wonderful.  He really wanted to do was sail; he even bought a boat, a real clunker. He was going to fix it up and sail around the world and say goodbye to this hellhole. He apologizes to the sister for that comment.
Astrid- "It's okay. You know, someone once told me... you can do anything as long as you can dream it."
Leroy- "You really think so?"
Astrid- "Sure! Look how easily you fixed those lights. I bet you can do anything."   She dusts some more of the flakes off of his face and heads back to the volunteer center.  They both are happy.

Emma takes Polaroid pictures of Kathryn Nolan's abandoned car; found on the side of the road with the engine running, no one around, by a gym teacher.
Sidney comes by with his camera to take a look and do some freelance reporting.  Kathryn Nolan is M.I.A.

Sidney- "Kathryn Nolan- Whose husband very publicly left her?  I mean, the story writes itself.  If I get a scoop like that, the Daily Mirror would have no choice than to take me back."
Emma tells Tiger to calm down, as he doesn't work for Regina anymore.  Emma runs down that Kathryn got accepted into law school in Boston.  Maybe after David dumped her she decided to leave town- car broke down and she hitched the rest of the way.  That's what she'd do if she decided to run away from her problems.  They open the trunk and discover Kathryn's suitcase. {Note box with arrow point up.}  Emma feels it's time to pull Kathryn's phone records to find out who she spoke to last.   Sidney suggests Emma not go through the sheriff's office because it would take days; instead he has a contact at the phone company and can get it in a couple of hours.  David drives up and Emma has to break the news to him. Sidney asks, "You think he doesn't know?"   Emma's about to find out.

The playful and happy Dwarf's are being fitted and prepared for their purpose. Bossy trims the early hatched dwarf's beard and informs him that he's getting cleaned up.  The early hatched dwarf is very inquisitive.
The early hatched dwarf- "What am I?"
Bossy- "You're a Dwarf."
The early hatched dwarf- "What am I doing?"
Bossy- "Being cleaned."
The early hatched dwarf- "Who is the woman I saw?"
Bossy is taken aback- "What woman?
The early hatched dwarf- "The one I saw before I hatched. She was beautiful, I wanna see her again."
Bossy- "Ha! You must be dreaming. There are no female dwarfs.  Dwarfs don't fall in love.  Dwarfs don't get married. And Dwarfs don't have children. Why do you think you were hatched from an egg?"
The early hatched dwarf- "Then what do we do?"
Bossy- "We work."
The early hatched dwarf- "And we like it?"
Bossy- "We love it! We even whistle while we do it. We mine the diamonds that get crushed into dust that give light to the world.  You and your seven brethren will bring joy to yourselves and to everyone. Come on- this is your team. These are your brothers.  Everyone grab an ax,  it will give you your Dwarf name"
Stealthy is the first to be named; then Happy, Doc, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful and Dopey. 
The early hatched dwarf grabs his ax and the name Dreamy appears on it.  Bossy tells Dreamy that the ax never lies.
Bossy-"Okay, folks, grab a lantern and move out. Today is the first day of the rest of your lives. Welcome to the mines!"
All of the Dwarfs whistle Heigh-Ho and head out.

Whistling Heigh-Ho while entering the classroom is Leroy.  He asks Mary Margaret where to sign up because he wants to volunteer to sell candles.  Mary reminds him that he made it very clear this morning at Granny's that he didn't want to.

Leroy- "Well...Maybe I saw the light. I mean, maybe somebody showed it to me.  What difference does it make, sister, it looks like you can use all the help you can get."
Mary Margaret admits to needing help manning the candle booth so she runs down some rules for him:
No swearing, No drinking- and I get to call all the shots."

Leroy overhears Astrid's conversation with another teacher/Sister about her ordering the wrong amount of Helium. She ordered 12 dozen instead of just 12; there are no refunds. This is a concern as they needed that money for the rent and they know "how he feels about us".  The teacher/Sister tells Sister Astrid to fix this.

Leroy asks Astrid what's the problem. Astrid feels she's an idiot because they get a stipend that she spent on Helium and now they can't pay the rent that is due next week. They won't get another stipend until next month. The only income they'll have until then is from the candles.
Astrid says they'd have to sell 1,000 candles; but last year only sold 42.  Leroy suggests she ask the landlord to cut her a break.  Astrid reveals Mr. Gold doesn't offer much leeway and if they miss a payment, they're out and would be reassigned and have to leave Storybrooke.  Motivated Leroy tells her she won't. "You know why  you only sold 42 candles last year?  Because you didn't have me. This year we're gonna sell all of them."  Mary Margaret overhears him.  Astrid is relieved and again calls Leroy her hero.

David closes the driver side door of Kathryn's car and asks, "She's just gone?"   Emma feels he doesn't really know anything; and she's trying to find out.  David mentions the last time he spoke to Kathryn was yesterday afternoon.
Emma- "Okay, look, I know there has been lies and deceit and I'm really not judging you, but... Is that the truth?"
David- "Yes, I haven't spoken to her since we... I ended things. Then I came home yesterday and all her things were gone and I assumed she was going to Boston that's what she told me. Am I a suspect or something?"
Since Emma knows when people are telling the truth and she feels David is, he's not a suspect. Kathryn hasn't been gone 24 hours and isn't even technically missing. But if she is, "Trust me. I will find her."

Regina prints out Kathryn's phone records and calls Sidney to let him know she has the records he wanted; she thinks he'll find them quite helpful.

Dreamy shovels coal and diamond chunks onto the conveyor belt as we watch it go through the familiar sounding {"Island"} machine, with its metal gears grinding and metal wheels turning- and is finally transformed into fairy dust.  Nova is standing next to her bag waiting for it to be filled.  Once her bag is filled she tried to close the spigot but it's stuck and she calls out for help.  Dreamy comes to her rescue!
Dreamy recognizes her! "It's you!"
Nova- "Do we know each other?"
Dreamy-"You're the woman I saw in my dreams... right before I hatched last year."
Nova- "You're one?!"
Dreamy-"I know, I look young for my age."
Nova inadvertently placed the bag on a dumbwaiter; the watch it get lifted up and carried away- headed for the furnace. In truly heroic form, Dreamy uses his pickax to grab hold of the bag-o-dust and saves it from the fire!  Nova feels she's an idiot. "All I ever wanted was to be a fairy godmother. That was my dream, but I can't even pick up fairy dust alone. I'm so clumsy."
Dreamy doesn't think that and feels she would make a great fairy godmother. "I believe you can do anything you want- as long as you can dream it."
They Introduce themselves as Nova and Dreamy.  Nova shares that as fairies, "We get to spend very little time in your world. I was thinking about making a stop on my way back.  Have you ever been to see the fireflies?"
Dreamy barely ever gets out of the mines.  Nova heard it's beautiful; they come out just after sunset on Firefly Hill.  She hints to going to see them tonight, but Dreamy just tells her to have a good time and walks away.  Nova thanks her hero and leaves. They're both smiling.

In Storybrooke
Mary Margaret is barking for people to buy their MINERS DAY CANDLES HERE; handmade by Storybrooke's very own nuns!  "Light your way to a good cause."   It's not working, so Leroy suggests they should pack it up; if the customers won't go to them, then they'll go to the customers, door to door. {Note all of the wires and the boxes labeled THIS END UP with an arrow pointing up}  Mary's concerned "If they hate us here, what makes you think they'll like us in their homes?"  That's Leroy's angle, "Exactly. They'll pay us just to leave."
Sidney is having fun playing ring toss onto the bottles when Emma heads over to ask him what the hell he's doing.  Registration was this morning at Kathryn's school in Boston and she didn't show up.  It looks like something did happen.  Frantic Mary Margaret asks Emma her fashion opinion regarding what looks more sympathetic; scarf on or no scarf.  Emma suggests scarf and Leroy hurries Mary Margaret because they're on a schedule.
Sidney wonders why Emma didn't say anything. "You're looking for a suspect, someone with a motive,  pixie cut over there's got one a mile high."  Emma feels Mary Margaret didn't do anything; trust her, she knows her. "Just get me those phone records."  {Note Honey cart- Winnie the Pooh}

Leroy and Mary Margaret have doors of every color closed on them. Sadly no candles are sold.

In the tavern the dwarfs are laughing, goofing off and enjoying each other's company while Dreamy sits alone.  Bossy asks distant Dreamy what's the matter "You barely touched your food."
Dreamy- "I don't know.  I can't eat. I can't sleep. I don't feel at all like myself. Maybe I should have Doc take a look at me."
Bossy- "You gonna trust a dwarf that got his medical degree from a pick ax? I wouldn't worry about it. Dwarf's don't get sick. Must be in your head."
Belle- "It's not in his head it's in his heart. You're in love."
Bossy- "That's impossible. Dwarf's can't fall in love."
Belle- "Trust me. I know love and... you're in it."
Dreamy- "What's it like?!"
Belle- "It's the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world.  Love is hope, it fuels our dreams. And if you're in it...you need to enjoy it. Because love doesn't always last forever."
Dreamy- "But if love's so great then why do I feel so bad right now?"
Belle- "You need to be with the person you love."
Dreamy- "Yeah, but, how do I know she feels the same way?  All she talked about was going to see some fireflies not loving me."
Belle- "But, what did she tell you about these fireflies?"
Dreamy- "That she was going to see them up on the hilltop tonight- that she heard they were the most beautiful sight in all the land."
Belle- "(giggle) She wasn't telling you about the fireflies. She was inviting you go be with her."
Dreamy- "You think so?"
Belle- "I had my heart broken enough... to know someone is reaching out.  Now go find your love! Find your hope. Find your dreams."

Back in the classroom Mary Marget urges Leroy to give the bad news to clumsy Sister Astrid about not selling the candles.  But Leroy doesn't want to disappoint her. "You Nuns are gonna be real busy making candles.  'Cause me and Mary Margaret just sold them all.  You're not losing the convent. You're not going anywhere!"   Excited Astrid hugs Leroy and Mary Margaret is stunned.

Mary Margaret is freaking out that they don't have $5,000 for the candles Leroy claimed to have sold.
Leroy assures her he has a plan. "Just give me till the end of the day. I'll figure something out."  Mary Margaret asks why this is so important to him.  Leroy looks over at happy Astrid and informs Mary Margaret that the Nuns are gonna have to leave. Mary is shocked and understands that Leroy likes Astrid the Nun. "Could you possibly pick anyone less available?"
Leroy- "Says the girl who went after a married guy! At the end of the day you're no better than I am. You got your reasons for being here- I got mine, and when I say I'm gonna get that $5,000, I'm gonna get that $5,000!"  He heads out.

Dreamy runs through the dark forest to the hilltop. Nova was afraid he wasn't going to show up and he thought he was too late.
Nova- "Well, you did cut it pretty close."
They look out to the village and naive but curious Dreamy comments "Wow! Look at all those lights! Are those the fireflies?"  These are the light of the village and beyond that are the lights of the Kingdom.  Dreamy thinks Nova's seen a lot of this world, but Nova sadly has only observed from a distance. "Flying over the world and being a part of it aren't exactly the same thing." 
Dreamy- "Well, at least you've seen the world. Me, I live in the mines underground. All I ever see is diamonds and dirt and dwarfs. You know, we could see it together.   Get a boat- sail all over, explore everything the world has to offer."
Just then the fireflies appear.  Nova kisses Dreamy and decides they should do it. Tomorrow night after she drops off the dust they'll meet back there and run off together and see the world.  Dreamy reaches out for her hand, "Sounds like a dream come true".

Leroy is trying to persuade Mr. Gold to purchase his fixer-up boat for $5,000.  Mr. Gold thinks 3,000.  Leroy specifically needs five to help out a friend.  He offers Mr. Gold the boat in exchange for forgiving the Nuns one month's rent.  Gold would get the boat and the Nuns would pay him eventually; it's a good deal, he gets everything. Leroy thinks this rich guy could afford to give them time to make up one month's.  Mr. Gold agrees that he can- but he won't, as they have a "fairly specific rental agreement. If they miss a payment I'm within my rights to evict.... And quite honestly, it's gonna be a great relief to be rid of such distasteful tenants."   Leroy is shocked Mr. Gold doesn't like Nuns. "Who doesn't like Nuns?"  Mr. Gold has his reasons, "And they're mine. Let's just say I have a long complicated history with them and leave it at that."   Mr. Gold walks away leaving Leroy frustrated.  Leroy heads below deck.

Astrid shows up with a pie to thank Leroy for all his help. Mary Margaret told her she might find him down there.  Excited Astrid loves the boat, "I can't even remember the last time I was on it."  {Wait...What?!}   Leroy tries to hide all the unsold candles, but are seen by Astrid.  He comes clean and also admits he lied because he didn't want to let her down.  "I'm sorry, Astrid. I guess you believed in the wrong guy."   Disappointed Astrid walks away.

Emma's investigating Kathryn's disappearing act when Sidney gives her the phone records.  The records include an 8 minute call she made to David within an hour of the accident.  Emma feels that's not possible. Sidney suggests David is lying. Emma, "No. I know when someone is lying and David..."
Sidney- "It's right here on paper, Emma. Phone records don't lie, people do.  And our friends David does it better than most. Don't beat yourself up over this, You're not the only person David fooled."

Mary Margaret is drowning her sorrows at Granny's when Leroy sits next to her and orders whatever she's having.  Mary Margaret asks "Well...Did you get it?"
Leroy removes his hat and replies "What do you think?"   Upset Mary Margaret says he's right, "I was dreaming if I thought that the town harlot and the town drunk can accomplish anything."
Leroy- "Yeah. Just dreamin'"

Dreamy takes his bag and sneaks away from his sleeping dwarf friends.  He is stopped by Stealthy. "You know if you wanted to sneak out you should have come to me."  The rest of the dwarfs wake up.  They ask where he's going and question his leaving without even saying goodbye.  Dreamy reveals he's going to be with Nova because they're in love and they're going to see the world together.   Stealthy doesn't understand as they all thought they were supposed to live their lives in the mines.  Dreamy thought so too. "But things change when you fall in love. Suddenly anything seems possible."  Sneezy suggests he take his pickax with him; it might come in handy.  But Dreamy doesn't need it anymore.  All the dwarfs except for Stealthy hug Dreamy goodbye.

Bossy catches up to Dreaming in the forest telling him he can't do this. "You can't go to her."  He explains Dreamy has a responsibility to mine the diamonds they make into fairy dust.
Dreamy- "But I love her."
Bossy-"You're a dwarf, Dreamy. We're not capable of love. It's not how we're made."
Dreamy- "What if I'm different? What if you're wrong?"
The Blue Fairy appears "Bossy's not wrong, young one. What you feel...it's just a dream."  
Dreamy- "Who are you?"
The Blue Fairy- "I'm Nova's teacher. And if the two of you run away together it will not end well. Nova will lose her wings. But if you return to the mines and if you allow Nova to become the fairy that she was meant to be, the two of you will bring untold joy to the whole world.  Nova can be a great fairy- if you let her. The choice is yours."
Dreamy closes his eyes for a moment; thinking.

Mary Margaret is looking kinda buzzed {4 glasses}. She hopes Leroy understands that a relationship with Sister Astrid could never happen.
Leroy- "Yeah. Yeah. My whole life people made it their business to tell me what I can't do. She was the first person that said I could so anything... who believed in me. I didn't want to disappoint her."
Mary Margaret "But there are consequences to following through when the world tells you not to. I mean, look at me. I am a pariah in this town"
Leroy asks about her good memories. "Didn't you have moments with him that you love? Do you regret them?"  Mary Margaret doesn't regret them.
Leroy- "Isn't that what life's about? Holding on to your good memories. All I wanted was a moment with Astrid. One moment to give me hope that any dream's possible. You've had all that Mary Margaret, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy it.  Because I haven't."
Mary Margaret- "Well, if I had the dream I' sorry to say it wasn't worth it."
Leroy has a revelation "And sitting here drinking won't end this pain."
Mary Margaret- "What will?
Leroy- "I can only think of one thing."  He downs his drink and heads out.

Back at the Miners Day celebration Leroy is atop of a building with a pickax.  Panicked Mary Margaret emerges from the roof hatch and tells him not to jump.  Leroy's not gonna jump; he could hit someone and do a lot of damage; he's solidly built.  He's up there to get his moment!  He advises Mary Margaret to duck and takes a swing at the electrical box, knocking out all of the power.  "I'm selling candles, sister."

Nova waits on the hilltop for Dreamy. {Note the light of a lighthouse in the distance.}  He arrives to find Nova very excited; she has to show him something.  But Dreamy needs to talk. Nova shhh's him and magically makes a looking glass/telescope appear out of fairy dust in the palm of her hand. "Take a look."   Dreamy sees the amazing sailboat in the harbor. It has everything they need to explore- supplies, maps of all the Kingdoms and a sturdy sail.  Sad Dreamy tells Nova that he can't go with her.  Nova asks about their life together- their dream.  But Dreamy shares he is a Dwarf that belongs in the mines and she belongs with the other fairies- and that's never gonna change.
Nova- "Dreamy, you control what changes in your life. Never let yourself forget... your special."
Dreamy wonders why; what makes them different than any other dwarf or fairy out there. Nova feels it's their love that does that.  Dreamy doesn't think its love, he thinks it's a dream that they need to put away. Nova doesn't want to put it away.
Dreamy- "I'm not your dream, Nova.  Your dream is to be a fairy godmother and you could still be that."
Nova realizes he talked to the Blue Fairy.  He tells her it doesn't matter. What matters is he can't stand in the way of her happiness.  Nova insists he is her happiness and she loves him.  "Don't you love me?"  Dreamy cries "I'm a dwarf. I can't love".

Bossy tells the dwarfs to pick up the pace. "We're making magic here!"   Dreamy returns and asks for his ax. Bossy hands him the ax and the boys welcome him back. Dreamy claims there's no place he'd rather be. "Hi-Ho"   He swings his ax 10 times into the rock but it doesn't work; and the ax breaks. Bossy hands him another ax and the name GRUMPY appears on it.

Leroy and Mary Margaret sell out every candle and raise the $5,000.  Mary Margaret encourages Leroy to go over and tell Astrid the good news and have his moment.
Astrid is thrilled "You made it happen".   They look around at how beautiful the gathering is with everyone and their lit candles; looking very much like fireflies.
Leroy- "Listen, that boat of mine, I'm gonna fix it up... and, well...maybe you can be my first passenger.
Astrid would like that.  So, that's what they'll do.

Emma is looking through Kathryn's phone records when Regina comes in asking about her missing friend, Kathryn and not the black out. {Emma's office has electricity.}  Emma admits to finding something but not yet knowing what it means.  She won't divulge the information at this point of the investigation.  Regina "If you're covering for someone, if you're not doing your job, Sheriff Swan, I'll find someone who will."

Mary Margaret makes a SOLD OUT! sign and blows out her candle and heads out.  The word TRAMP is still quite visible on her vehicle. She and her unlit candle head back into the celebration where she is met by Granny who graciously lights her candle from her own candle.

David sees teary eyed Mary Margaret from a distance.
Emma needs to talk to David. She informs him she didn't get a hold of Kathryn and that she needs him to go to the Sheriff's Station with her.  Everyone, including Mary Margaret, watch as David is put in the backseat of the Sheriff car.