Trama

Mary Margaret, Emma, Mulan and Aurora try to prevent Cora and Hook from getting to Storybrooke, as flashbacks show Regina enlist the help of Hook to find and kill Cora.

28 years ago, Regina enlists the help of Hook to find and kill her mother, the Queen of Hearts, to stop her from traveling to the new world. Meanwhile, in the present, Emma, Snow, Mulan, and Aurora head to Rumpelstiltskin's old cell to retrieve the key to their return to Storybrooke.—Nadia Nassar

In the Past Fantasy World: Hook fights his way into the jail. He finds Belle and tells her her father's life is in danger and he needs to find the only weapon that can kill Rumpelstiltskin. She has no interest in killing him and knows nothing about the weapon. "Then I'm afraid I'm not here to rescue you," Hook says, knocking her out. He's about to finish her when Regina stops him. She will help him kill Rumpelstiltskin if he does something for her.

She invites him up for a drink. She tells him about her plans to enact a curse to take everyone to a far off land. It's a land without magic, so he won't need a magical weapon to kill Rumpelstiltskin. There's one person she doesn't want following her to the new land: her mother.

On present day Storybrooke: Regina Mills checks on David, but he's still under the curse and will be until Mary Margaret comes back and kisses him. They don't even know if David was able to pass the message about how to end Cora. Neither Gold or Regina know who will be coming through the portal, so Gold suggests they have to close it, even though that means whoever tries to come through will die. Gold says they have enough magic to close it together. If they stop Snow and Emma, Regina would be Henry's only mother. Regina doesn't want to, but he reminds her what a threat Cora poses if she makes it through.

In the present day Enchanted Forest: Emma, Snow, Mulan and Aurora go to Rumpelstiltskin's cell. Aurora finds a scroll with Emma's name written on it over and over.

In present day Storybrooke: Regina tells Henry she's going to go make sure Emma and Snow make it back safely. Henry thinks she really has changed. Gold and Regina visit the mine to get fairy dust.

In the Past Fantasy World: Regina enchants Hook's hook, allowing him to rip out just one heart: Cora's. He's supposed to rip out her heart and bring it back to Regina. She's sending Claude, a dead prison guard, with him. Cora is banished to a far off land, so using the Mad Hatter's hat, he'll go with Claude and bring Cora back. He's going to Wonderland. Hook is brought before the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland, it's Cora. He tries to grab her heart from her chest, but it's not there. So she grabs his and asks who sent him.

In the present day Enchanted Forest: Meanwhile, in Rumpelstiltskin's cell, Aurora eyes the compass that Cora and Hook need. Mulan finds an empty vial of ink. Aurora throws something to slam the gate shut, trapping them. Cora and Hook await on the other side and Cora snatches the compass from Emma. Cora reveals she was controlling Aurora using Aurora's heart. Emma begs Hook not to leave them there, but he still feels betrayed from being left at the top of the beanstalk.

In present day Storybrooke: Ruby comes running to the mine, Leroy shows her all the fairy dust is missing. Ruby and the dwarves run to tell Henry, who is reading fairytales to sleeping David. Henry realizes Regina lied to him.

In the present day Enchanted Forest: Emma, Snow, Aurora and Mulan are trapped in the cell. Snow is optimistic good will defeat evil. Emma thinks she was only able to break the curse because it was what Gold wanted. Cora and Hook travel to Lake Nostos, to return magic to the wardrobe ash. Cora brings water back to it by uncovering a geyser.

In the Past Wonderland: Cora lets Hook live, telling him it has to be his choice to help her, Regina will be able to tell if she's controlling him. She tells him he won't remember who he is in the new land, but with Cora's help, he'll remember it all so he can kill Gold. In return, he has to get Cora close to her daughter. "And then I'll rip her heart out," Cora says.

In the Past Fantasy World: Hook presents Regina with Cora's body. Regina reminds her she once said "love is weakness" and she loves Cora, but can't have any weakeness in the new land because of what she has to do.

When Regina leaves, Hook is surprised Cora didn't kill her.

Cora explains there's been a change of plans: the curse is coming and they have to protect themselves. As the curse spills over the land, Cora puts up a magic force field protecting her small corner of it. Cora tells Hook the curse will be broken in 28 years -- he'll be frozen until then. And after it's broken, that's when Regina will need her and they'll go to the new land. Hook can get his revenge and Cora will help Regina pick up the pieces.

In present day Storybrooke: Gold leads Regina to the wishing well in the woods, where he expects the portal to open.

In the present day Enchanted Forest: In the cell, Snow stares at the scroll with Emma written all over it. She remembers watching Cora practice spells in her spell book. Snow blows on the scroll and the ink floats into the air. Gold wrote the scroll in squid ink. The bars on the cell melt. Aurora tells them to tie her up, since she can't be trusted as long as Cora has her heart. Mulan does, promising to get her heart back.

At Lake Nostos, Hook dumps the ashes of the wardrobe into the water. It swirls as the portal begins to open.

Storybrooke Regina and Gold combine their magical powers to seal the portal shut. "It doesn't matter who comes through now, no one can survive this," Gold says.

Cora and Hook are about to go through the portal when Emma, Mulan and Snow arrive and knock the compass out of Cora's hands. Hook fights off Emma as Mulan takes on Cora. Cora disappears in a puff of magic, her satchel flying into the air. Hook snags it before it goes down the swirling portal. He gives Aurora's heart to Mulan, who gives Snow her sword to stop Cora's magic and runs off.

Hook knocks Emma on her back and is threatening her when she pulls the compass out from under her and gets up. She decks him. "Now let's go home," Emma says.

Storybrooke Ruby and Henry confront Emma and Gold in the woods. Regina explains she's trying to protect him from Cora, but Henry is sure that good will defeat evil.

Back by Lake Nostos, Emma and Snow are trying to run to the portal when Cora appears in front of them and throws them back. Cora is about to reach into Snow's chest to steal her heart when Emma steps in for her. "Oh you foolish girl, don't you know that love is weakness?" Cora asks, reaching into Emma's chest. She grabs onto Emma's heart and tries to pull it out, but it won't budge. "No, it's strength," Emma says, as Cora is blasted backwards.

Emma and Snow hold hands and jump into the portal.

In Storybrooke, Regina holds Henry back from the well. He's sure that Emma and Mary Margaret will come through. He reminds her she wanted to change and says this is how. "You want me to have faith in you, have faith in me," he says.

Regina puts her hands over the well and absorbs the power blocking the well. She's knocked to her feet and thinks she failed.

But Emma pops up, followed by Snow. Henry runs to them and there are hugs all around. Gold slinks off.

Henry tells them Regina saved them. Ruby takes Mary Margaret to wake David.

"Your mom's a piece of work, you know?" Emma tells Regina. "Indeed I do," she says.

Back at Gold's shop, Mary Margaret kisses David and he wakes up as the dwarves look on.

Emma seeks out Gold. She understands why he wanted to keep Cora on the other side. She knows that with her name written on the scroll in the magic ink, he could have gotten out of his cell at any time. He was exactly where he wanted to be. He created the curse, she thinks he made her what she is.

But he says that being the product of true love made her what she is. Emma tells him about Cora being blasted back by something when she tried to take her heart. He says it was magic, but not his.

Back in the cell, Mulan jams Aurora's heart back in her chest. She tells Mualn what Cora said about it being possible to save Phillip.

Back at Lake Nostos, Cora thinks they failed. But Hook shows her his petrified magic bean and reminds her the lake has regenerative powers.

In Present day Storybrooke: Henry thanks Regina for help, saying she has changed. Emma aks Henry if he wants dinner. "sure," says Henry, "See you later." He tells Regina. Emma, Henry, Mary Margret, David, Ruby, and the dwarves leave the shop to go to Granny's. They leave a crying Regina alone with Mr. Gold who says "Congratulations, you've reunited mother and son. Maybe one day they'll even invite you to dinner."

Off the coast of Storybrooke, a ship approaches, with Hook and Cora aboard.