The Past
A young Emma is ta a home for foster children. She reads a flyer for the local talent show She starts practicing for it and tapes herself singing. An older girl come in and mocks Emma, telling her that once Emma gets up on sage she'll realize that she's all alone like the rest of them. Once the girl leaves, Emma tosses the flyer in the garbage.
Now
Emma is looking at wedding dresses when Mary Margaret comes in tells her that Belle found Mary Margaret's wedding dress in the pawnshop. She asks if Emma would like to wear it for her wedding, and Emma assures her that she would. They hug and Mary Margaret says that she never thought they'd get a moment together.
The Enchanted Forest
Snow and Charming go to their chambers, and Charming tells Snow that she needs to rest for the sake of their daughter. Saying that she needs some air, Snow goes out on the balcony and wishes on a star for what they need to give Emma a chance for a happy ending. As she goes back inside, a star flares in the ceiling.
The next morning, a bluebird flies in and whistles, waking up snow. She starts to sing and then realizes that she's singing and can't speak normally. Charming bursts in, singing, and wonders what's going on. Snow sings that she made a wish upon a star and figures that the Evil Queen can't deal with the magic of love expressed through music. As they kiss, the handmaidens come in, make up the room, and dance with them
Now
Later, Mary Margaret brings the dress. Regina and Zelena look on as Emma holds it up…z and it turns black. The Black Fairy teleports in and reminds them that she and Emma are destined to fight. She suggests that Emma surrender now and spare them all a lot of trouble. Emma refuses, and the Fairy warns her that she's spent centuries colleting orphans just like Emma, and Emma is still a lonely child. She tells Emma to go to the clock tower so she knows what she's up again, and teleports away.
The women go to the clock tower and find all of the black fairy dust that the fairy has collected. They realize that the Fairy is going to separate them with another curse, and when the clock strikes 6 the dust will be removed... at the same time that Emma and Hook are marrying. Regina says that she and Zelena will figure out a way to disable it so that Emma can enjoy her wedding after the Evil Queen ruined Emma's parent's wedding.
The Enchanted Forest
In her castle, the Evil Queen consults her Mirror when she discovers that she can only sing. The Mirror sing-explains about Snow making a wish, and tells the Evil Queen that her curse might not succeed The various portals show the people across the kingdom singing. The Queen's guards come in and dance with her as she says that love's magic can't match hers. She teleports through the kingdom, telling her subjects that love doesn't stand a chance.
Now
On the Jolly Roger, Emma visits Hook and David and tells Hook what the Fairy is planning. She tells her husband-to-be that it's one battle she needs to win on her own, and she won't risk anyone else. Hook wonders why Emma came here, and Emma finally says goodbye in case she doesn't win. He asks to help, but Emma merely says that she loves him and leaves.
The Enchanted Forest
Snow and Charming go to the tavern and find Hook. They ask him to take them to the Queen so they can save their daughter, and Hook says that their money isn't worth anything to him. The pirates join in as Hook sings about how he treasures revenge on the Dark One. Snow interrupts to say that they have Rumplestiltskin in their dungeon, and they'll trade him for safe passage to the Queen.
Now
Hook goes to the pawnshop and tells Gold betrayed all of them. Gold insists that he did what he had to, to keep his family together. Hook shoots him with a dart tipped with Dreamshade, and points out that it almost killed Gold once before. Now it will knock out Gold long enough for Emma to defeat the Fairy. The Fairy teleports in and says that Gold isn't the only one looking out for his family.
At the sheriff's station, Emma is looking at photos from her past when Henry comes in and tells her that she's doing the right thing. He figures that he brought her to Storybrooke to fight the Final Battle, and Emma explains that she's looking at the photos to remind herself of who she's fighting for. Henry finds a tape player and plays a bit of young Emma recording herself. Emma shuts it off, hugs her son, and says that she still has a little time before the curse hits.
At the mausoleum, Regina and Zelena are unable to find a spell to stop the Fairy's curse. Regina finally realizes that the first curse stopped time, and if she can isolate that part of the spell then it will stop the curse from happening.
The Enchanted Forest
The Queen goes to the Charmings' dungeon and tells Rumplestiltskin about the singing wish. She explains that they're going to use it to stop Rumplestiltskin's curse, and tells him to sing about how to stop it. Rumplestiltskin is unaffected, and tells the Queen that he didn't choose her to cast the curse so she could complain to him at every sign of trouble. When the Queen insists that she's his best student, Rumplestiltskin tells her to prove it by fixing the wish.
In Oz, Zelena watches and figures that Rumplestiltskin has realized that he chose the wrong one. She sings about how Regina will feel the pain she suffered when Rumplestiltskin turned his back on her. Zelena flies through Oz and talks about how she will smile while her half-sister is crying, and wicked will win. She realizes that she'll give the Queen a gift to stop the Charmings, and then swoop in to tell Rumplestiltskin that she was the one who did it.
Now
Regina and Zelena show Mary Margaret and David the potion that they brewed to stop the curse. Gold teleports into the mausoleum and takes the potion, and wonders how it will work on people.
Emma goes to the mayor's office and finds the Fairy waiting for her. When Emma suggests that they start the Final Battle now, the Fairy agrees and explains teleports in Emma's frozen family and friends. She casts the tape recorder and says that Emma is weak without hope, and she used to sleep in the mines to such sounds. When Emma tries to use her magic, nothing happens and the Fairy tells her that she can't do it alone. Shocked, Emma runs out.
At the sheriff's station, Henry watches his mother tries and fails to summon her magic. Emma explains that the Fairy made her feel what it's like to be alone. Henry assures Emma that she's not alone, and Emma explains that the tape reminded her of a time when every time something big came along, she ran from it. Emma admits that she wasn't brave enough to keep Henry, and he tells her that things have changed. He assures his mother that Emma is still the Savior and can beat the Fairy. Emma figures that she can surrender, but Henry insists that it isn't how the book is supposed to end.
The Enchanted Forest
Snow and Charming arrive at the Queen's castle. She steps out ad summons a fireball, and the couple starts singing. They dodge the fireball and the Queen sings against them, but can't focus her fireballs. They finally capture her, but the Queen says that their spell will soon be broken and opens the casket with Zelena's potion. It takes everyone's songs from them, and the Queen easily disarms Charming with magic. She tells them to enjoy their time as a family and teleports them back to the castle.
Snow goes out on the balcony and Blue flies down to her and Charming. They realize that Blue granted the wish, and she tells them that the music is still inside them. However, the magic was meant for Emma With everyone's song in her heart, it will help Emma when she faces the Final Battle alone. Because of the songs, she will have in her heart, she won't be alone. Blue tells the couple that no one will remember the wish so that the songs will stay safe, and they'll have to hope the songs find their way to the surface when Emma needs them most.
Now
Henry looks at the empty pages at the end of the storybook and insists that there must be a different ending. A page with a picture falls on the floor. It shows Blue telling the Charmings about the songs in Emma hearts, and Henry realizes that Emma was never alone.
Emma returns to the mayor's office where the Fairy and Emma's frozen family are waiting. The Fairy accepts Emma's offer of her heart for her family, and Emma kisses the frozen Hook. When the Fairy takes Emma's heart, she discovers that she's unable to crush it. Henry comes in and plays the tape, and tells her that the music is her strength. Emma sings of being alone and then she learned of her family. The Fairy's magic has no effect on her, and she frees her family from the spell. Henry picks up Emma's heart and gives it to his mother, and the Fairy warns them that her curse is still coming and the Final Battle will be worse than they can imagine.
The Fairy teleports away and Emma tells her parents how she did it and that they were with her all along.
Later, Henry rings the rings to Hook. David and Mary Margaret bring Emma out, and Archie performs the ceremony. Hook says that Emma showed him a heart of love was the most precious treasure of all, and puts the ring on her finger. Emma stalks about Henry brought her to Storybrooke and helped her meet the rest of her family, and Hook is her true love. She puts the ring on his finger and Archie declares them husband and wife. They sing that they've found their happy beginning and the others join in.
Six o'clock arrives and the curse bursts out from the clock tower. Emma assures Hook that wherever they end up, they'll win.
Written by Gadfly on May 8, 2017