LEROY (AKA Grumpy) and the DWARFS are hard at work in the STORYBROOKE MINES, still trying to find diamonds to grind into fairy dust, when a determined Leroy’s axe-strike sends him falling into a crevice. When DAVID, HENRY and MOTHER SUPERIOR (AKA The Blue Fairy) arrive at the mines they see what Leroy has literally fallen into… a small cavern whose ceiling glitters with DIAMONDS! Magic has brought them back, and everyone is excited to realize that, using the fairy dust to repair the remains of Jefferson’s hat, they finally have a chance to bring home Emma and Mary Margaret.
Afterward, at GRANNY’S DINER, David, the dwarfs and others celebrate. Nearby, RUBY is clearing plates when BILLY (who tells Ruby he was a mouse in Fairy Tale Land) asks her if she wants to get a drink later that night. Ruby is hesitant, and Belle steps in, telling Billy they had a girls’ night planned. Billy accepts this, waling off, and Belle asks Ruby why she doesn’t go out with him. Ruby says it’s complicated. Nearby, David finds Henry in a booth. Henry, trying to stay up because of his terrifying nightmares, is drinking coffee. David comforts Henry and tells him to maybe lay off the java. Henry walks off to get a hot cocoa, when District Attorney SPENCER (AKA King George) joins him at the table. Spencer gives David false congratulations, then threatens that soon the whole town will know what he knows; that David isn’t a Prince, he’s a shepherd who’s unfit to lead. David tells him the town disagrees, adding that he’s beaten him before and is ready to do it again.
###MORE###
In the basement of Granny’s, we find GRANNY, mask on, using a blow-torch to help turn their freezer into a cage to hold Ruby. David is confused; he thought Ruby learned to control her wolf form long ago. Ruby said she did, but this is the first full moon since the curse was broken, and she might be rusty. She can’t let anyone else get hurt. Understanding Ruby can’t find her red cloak in Storybrooke, David tries to tell her she’s not going to hurt anyone, but Ruby still demands to be locked up.
Jump to FAIRY TALE LAND, in the past (after the events of Ep. 115). Snow and Ruby are on the run through the forest. They are intercepted by a couple of the Queen’s Black Knights but Snow and Ruby quickly dispatch them, after which Snow discovers a WANTED poster of herself. Hiding out to avoid another round of Black Knights, Ruby discovers that her RED HOOD was torn during the fight. Snow tries to convince a terrified Ruby that it’s just a tear, but Ruby tells her they need to split up for the night. Snow agrees, though just for that night. After Ruby agrees to meet Snow by the stream the next morning, she leaves Snow and flees into the woods, someone watching her from the shadows as she does.
In STORYBROOKE the following morning, Granny goes downstairs to find that the makeshift cage door has been wrenched open, and Ruby is GONE! From the shock of this we join –
HENRY, in the BURNING ROOM we saw him in at the end of the last episode. It’s another terrifying nightmare, and he sees the FIGURE he saw last time, still unrecognizable. Regina awakens Henry from this nightmare, where he’s in bed at Emma and Mary Margaret’s apartment. Regina tells Henry that David had an emergency call and left her to watch Henry. But they’re both distracted when Henry winces from a BURN on his arm! From this startling realization, we go to –
-- the WOODS of STORYBROOKE, where Granny leads David to Ruby, who is sleeping near a tree. When awoken by David, Ruby freaks when she realizes she escaped her cage and ran fee. David tells her not to panic, they don’t have any evidence that anyone got hurt. Just then a call comes in for David, further worrying Ruby. David tells her that it’s nothing, someone just left their car double-parked in front of the cannery. He tells her she needs to relax, but we can tell from her face she’s still worried.
In FAIRY TALE LAND, in the past, we find Red sleeping, her CLOAK covering her. She wakes up, grateful that the cloak still worked. Red goes to nearby stream, setting her cloak aside as she washes her hands, when… a man races in and STEALS HER CLOAK! Red goes after him, seemingly losing him in the chase, only to find the man holding her cloak and a TORCH, threatening to burn it. Red implores him as he questions her why she needs it. The man knows that Red is a wolf. Red tackles the man, but he somehow gets the upper hand, pinning her. His eyes flash with a familiar yellow, and he reveals to Red that his name is QUINN, and that he knows a fellow Child of the Moon when he sees one. He lets her up, telling her that Red has never been taught to control her power, which is why she blacks out and (Red is floored) probably even hurt someone. He tells her, “I know how you feel. I’ve been there. But it doesn’t have to be this way.” Hopeful for a way to control her powers, Red eagerly follows Quinn.
Later in the FOREST of FTL, Quinn leads Ruby through a door to an UNDERGROUND LAIR, which Quinn explains used to be the grand hall of a castle before it sank underground. Red is amazed at this, and the small community of people living there, all of them like her and Quinn. Quinn tells Red that Anita is expecting her. Red asks who that is, and ANITA says, “That would be me” as she emerges from a nearby room. ANITA tells Quinn he did it, he finally found her. Red is confused, and then shocked when Anita tells her that she’s her MOTHER!
Back in Storybrooke, David drives up to the docks with Ruby and Granny to find Billy’s unattended tow-truck. Then they make a grisly discovery… Billy is nearby and has been killed: torn in two! Ruby freaks, totally sure that it was her as the wolf that did this.
Across town, in Emma and Mary Margaret’s apartment, Mr. Gold inspects Henry’s burns and explains to him and Regina that sleeping curses actually send the person being cursed to a netherworld where they reside until awoken. But sometimes after someone is awoken from the sleeping curse they still return to the netherworld when they sleep. While Gold can’t keep Henry from visiting the netherworld, he does give him an enchanted necklace that will allow him to control his actions while there. Once he’s in control, the fear will stop, and he can come and go as he pleases.
Back at the docks, a frantic Ruby argues with David about whether she (as the wolf) killed Billy. He tells her he knows her, and she wouldn’t do that. As a group of TOWNSPEOPLE gather nearby, David tells Ruby he’ll keep her safe. She tells him that it’s everyone else who needs to be protected from her. What’s worse, she’s going to turn into the wolf again that night.
Back in FAIRY TALE LAND, in the underground lair, Red is reeling from the discovery that Granny has been lying to her about her mother having been killed by hunters. Anita tells Red that Granny stole Red away from her because she didn’t want Red to know the truth about who she is. Anita rejects the idea that they are monsters, and blames humans for the perpetuation of that lie. Anita tells Red that what everyone there has come to realize is that she can’t suppress the wolf, but you can control it if she accepts it as a part of her. Red, eager to learn, is coerced by Anita into removing her RED SHAWL.
Back in STORYBROOKE, the JAIL CELL door swings closed. David locks Ruby in the jail cell, telling her she’ll be safe there until he finds the real culprit in Billy’s murder. From nearby, “You already have.” David sees Spencer has entered the Sheriff’s Office, and tells David that this “she-wolf” is clearly responsible. Spencer tells David that he slipped up; his emotions are clouding his judgment. Spencer tells him to hand over Ruby for the town’s judgment, but David refuses, telling him he’ll have to go through him to get to Ruby. Spencer: “I’ll look forward to that.”
In FAIRY TALE LAND, in the woods, we hear Anita’s guiding voice as Red has her first lucid experience as the wolf. As Anita said, once Red gives herself over, she finds that she’s in control, jumping over a wide gorge to meet up with her pack. Soon after, Red AWAKENS in the Underground Lair. Anita approaches her, asks her what she remembers. Red tells her she remembers everything, realizing joyfully that she doesn’t need to be afraid anymore.
Back in STORYBROOKE, Spencer, standing outside the chained-shut Sheriff’s Station, riles up a MOB that has gathered, many of them with guns. Spencer tells them they know who is responsible and where she is, and if their Prince won’t help them, then he will. He gestures to a man who uses large bolt cutters to cut the chain off the door, and the mob enters to find… RUBY IS GONE! Jump to –
The Storybrooke LIBRARY, where Ruby is preparing to get chained up while Granny watches on. David thanks BELLE for letting Ruby stay there; the Sheriff’s Station isn’t safe. Belle will do anything for her friend, but David realizes the only way they’ll get the mob to back down is to prove Ruby isn’t the murderer. He gets an idea, tells Granny he needs her help, and tells Belle to call them if the mob gets close before leaving Belle and a forlorn Ruby.
In Fairy Tale Land, in the Underground Lair, Quinn and Ruby are awoken by something, quickly taking cover as Quinn tells her it’s hunters. Entering the lair cautiously, we see it’s SNOW! Quinn grabs Snow by her throat, but Ruby calls out, telling him she’s not there to hurt them; she’s a friend. Anita enters, telling Quinn to let Snow go. After Snow is told that these seeming strangers are Red’s pack, Snow tells Red she was able to track her, and wouldn’t leave her behind, adding, “Why don’t we go find that cabin we talked about, okay?” Red looks to her mother and her pack, and Snow realizes that Red won’t go with her. Snow is sad at the loss, but happy for her friend being reunited with her family. The friends share a tearful goodbye. But the goodbye is cut short when an ARROW flies through the room and strikes Quinn in the chest! As he falls, Snow realizes that she was followed. The Queen’s Black Knights enter, but can barely voice a threat before Anita and the pack murder them all. But it’s too late to help Quinn. Red tells Anita that Quinn is dead.
Back in the LIBRARY in STORYBROOKE, Ruby tells Belle that she needs to leave; the moon will be rising soon. Belle says that as long as the chains hold, she’s staying. Like David, she doesn’t believe Ruby will hurt her or anyone else, adding that she’s “kind of an expert in rehabilitation.” Ruby seems convinced, until… she puts the handcuff connected to the chain on Belle’s wrist, chaining her. Ruby tells Belle that town is right, she’s a monster, and she has to be stopped from killing again. If the mob wants a wolf they’ll get one. If they kill her it’s no less than she deserves. With that, Ruby leaves a helpless Belle, and goes outside to meet her fate.
Meanwhile, on a STREET in STORYBROOKE, Granny leads David onward with her acute sense of smell. They come upon a car, jimmy open the trunk, and quickly find not only Ruby’s red cowl, but a bloody AXE used to kill Billy. David breaks the car window, checks the registration, and realizes that it was Spencer who intended to frame Ruby. It was all about trying to make David lose face and power in the town. Suddenly they hear a HOWL and realize Ruby is free. As they rush to stop the mob from killing her –
--We jump to FAIRY TALE LAND, in the Underground Lair. Quinn is laid to rest as Snow apologizes for accidentally bringing the Black Knights. But Anita is unsatisfied, saying that whether Snow intended to bring death doesn’t matter; it’s what humans always do. Anita orders the pack to tie Snow up, saying they’ll feast on a Princess. Red tries to stop her, but Anita threatens that she’s one of the pack now, and better start acting like it. She orders Red to kill Snow, but Red refuses. As Anita prepares to kill Snow herself, she is thrown aside by another wolf – Red in her wolf form. After this showdown, Snow throws Red’s cowl over her, changing her back to her human form. Red sees that her attack has mortally wounded her mother, and a tearful Red tries to apologize, which Anita rejects with her dying breath, saying that Red chose Snow. Red rejects this, saying that she chose herself, and she’s not a killer. From Red’s anguish we go to—
STORYBROOKE, in the street outside the Library, where Spencer leads the angry mob towards a HOWL, telling the crowd, “She’s close.” Spencer and the group spot Ruby in wolf form in an alley. As Spencer raises a pistol and approaches her, his hand is jolted and his shot sent into a nearby gas tank by a Crossbow Bolt shot by… GRANNY! She tells a shocked Spencer and the rest of the group that the next shot will go between his eyes. David joins the scene, trying to explain to the crowd that Spencer murdered Billy and tried to frame Ruby to get them to doubt David’s leadership. Ruby hasn’t hurt anyone, and to prove it, he slowly approaches Ruby with her cloak, reasoning with her until he quickly throws her cloak over her. She’s grateful. He saved her. He says he just reminded her of what she already knew. But the moment of happiness is quickly finished as David realizes Spencer has escaped in the melee. David and Ruby go after him.
A short while later, David and Ruby come upon Spencer at the BEACH, standing next to a fire. Ruby tells him he can’t hide from a wolf, but Spencer tells her he wasn’t trying to. After admitting to Billy’s murder, Spencer says he’s not trying to make a deal, he just wants to see David’s face when he realizes he’ll never see his wife and daughter again. With that, Spencer produces the charred remains of JEFFERSON’S HAT. David has been keeping it under lock and key because (with the aid of fairy dust) it’s his only hope of bringing home Mary Margaret and Emma. Before he can stop Spencer, he flings the remains of the hat into the fire. David watches in horror as the hat burns, then punches Spencer, pulling his gun, the urge to kill his nemesis overwhelms him. Ruby tells David not to do it, and heartbroken but still a hero, he lowers the gun.
In the FOREST of Fairy Tale Land, Red stands over her mother’s grave with Snow nearby. Red repeats the catechism her mother used when Quinn died, telling her mother goodbye. Snow knows Red is hurting, but Red tells Snow that Anita wanted her to let go of her human side, and Granny wanted her to stop being the wolf, but Snow was the only one who believed it was okay for her to be both. After this emotional realization, they leave together to find the cabin.
In STORYBROOKE, in Emma and Mary Margaret’s apartment, David and Ruby watch over a sleeping Henry, with David struggling to accept that he’ll need to tell Henry that he won’t see his mother or grandmother again. Ruby tells him she knows him, and he’ll find another way. And she’ll be there to help. Then Ruby tells David she’s going to do something she hasn’t done in a while. Now that he’s helped her regain control she going to use her last few hours of wolfstime to RUN. From David as he watches her go, we travel to –
--PRESENT DAY FAIRY TALE LAND. It’s night in the forest, where Snow sits on a hill, contemplating. Emma finds her tells her to come back to camp; Mulan has some ideas where Cora may be hiding. As the two walk through camp we find AURORA, sleeping. We enter her dreamscape to find she’s trapped in the same, terrifying burning room. This nightmare that we now know is much more than that. Through the flames, Aurora sees – HENRY, holding the pendant Gold gave him, until… Henry makes the FLAMES DISAPPEAR! He tells a shocked Aurora not to be afraid, but she – WAKES UP, calling out to Snow. Snow and Emma rush to her side, and Aurora tells them of her dream, and of the LITTLE BOY who was there, talking to her. Emma, stunned, asks Aurora what the boy said. Aurora tells them he said his name was Henry. And as Snow and Emma take this in, completely awestruck, we –
CUT TO BLACK.
Written by FreakZilla on Oct 17, 2014