The Land of Oz – Many Years Ago
Zelena sets out a cupcake with a single candle and looks back at her past when her mother sent her away. She doesn't know her birthday so she "celebrates" the day she was abandoned. Furious, Zelena insists that her mother gave away the wrong child and will soon see her mistake. A flying monkey arrives with the Scarecrow, and Zelena says that he's going to help her cast a time-travel spell. One of the ingredients is a symbol of wisdom like a brain, and Zelena prepares to remove it. Dorothy comes in and Zelena realizes that she's wearing the silver slippers. The girl explains that she had to return when she learned that Zelena had taken over Oz, and Zelena realizes that the Munchkins warned Dorothy. She refuses to let Scarecrow go, and Dorothy says that she has the love of the people. Toto jumps out of Dorothy's bag and pulls down the curtain on Zelena, and Dorothy runs out with Toto and the Scarecrow.
The Underworld
Hades walks down the street and considers the Storybook picture of himself and Zelena. The clock hand moves one minute, revealing that another soul has escaped the Underworld. Hades returns to his lair and Gold warns that creating a magic portal takes time. He wonders why Hades needs a portal, and Hades explains that he needs to bring someone to the Underworld live. Hades reminds Gold that he holds the contract on him, and says that he needs the portal directed to Storybrooke.
Storybrooke
Belle goes to the manor and check son the babies. Mother Superior comes in and Belle realizes that something is wrong. The real Mother Superior comes in and asks who the imposter is, and they realize that it's Zelena. Zelena transforms back and says that she's come for her baby.
The Underworld
Gold wonders what Hades wants with Zelena's child, and Hades refuses to give his reasons why. He tells Gold to cast the spell.
Storybrooke
Mother Superior threatens Zelena, who figures that they won't risk hurting the child. The building shakes and Zelena says that it isn't her. The portal opens and Belle grabs the baby before falling in. Zelena jumps in after her.
The Underworld
When nothing comes through the portal, Hades wonders where the baby is.
Belle and Zelena find themselves in the Underworld among the ruins of the mansion. Zelena realizes that she's twisted her ankle, and her magic doesn't work to fix it. Belle wonders where they are, and Zelena recognizes the red sky. She says that they're in the Underworld, and belle figures that Gold needs her help. Zelena says that they're there because her baby, and tells Belle to hand it over. Belle refuses and runs off as Zelena screams in frustration.
The Land of Oz
Zelena goes to the munchkin village and demands to know where the Scarecrow is. When one Munchkin, Bog, says that they don't know, Zelena vaporizes him. Before she can kill another Munchkin, Hades arrives and introduces himself. The Munchkins hide and Hades concedes that Zelena has panache. He has also heard that she's trying to time travel, and says that he's there because he believes she can succeed. Hades wants to help her and knows that Dorothy has the love of the people. He tells Zelena that no one loves her, but says that he can help Zelena defeat Dorothy. He refuses to explain why he needs a time travel spell, and Zelena teleports away, insisting that she doesn't need help.
The Underworld
David and Mary Margaret eat at the diner, and the Blind Witch serves them their regular meal. Mary Margaret tells David that they're "regulars" now in the Underworld, and wishes that Neal could help them. The Blind Witch says that there is a simple spell to let them communicate with Neal, and offers to help them in return for the breath of the living. It's valuable on the Underworld black market, and David agrees. She then tells them to go to the booth at the bus stop and tell the operator who they want to haunt.
At the loft, Harry tells the others that he doesn't remember writing the new pages of the Storybook. He insists that he's doing his best and tells them to back off, and goes upstairs to work. Zelena arrives and explains that she arrived there through a portal with her baby and Robin's... and she's in danger.
The Land of Oz
In her palace, Zelena finds Hades waiting for her. She tells him to go, and Hades insists that he can really help her. He figures that she's thinking about Regina and how she got everything while Zelena got nothing. Hades knows who she feels because he feels the same way toward Zeus. Zeus stopped Hades' heart, leaving him with anger and vengeance. Only the kiss of true love can restart his heart and become a fully-formed man, but no one is more hated than the Lord of the Underworld. Zelena knows what it's like for people to hate her, and Hades says that's why they have to join forces and find the ingredients. Hades knows where Scarecrow is, and asks Zelena to let him help her. If he travels back in time then he can assure his rule of Mount Olympus. Zelena concedes that Hades is almost as vindictive as she is.
The Underworld
Robin prepares to go out to find his daughter, sure that he can track anyone. Regina goes with him and Zelena follows them.
Belle goes to the Underbrooke library and Gold arrives via the elevator. She explains what happened and Gold explains that Hades forced him to bring the baby there. He says that he made a deal to save Bael by giving up his second-born child, and Belle is pregnant. Gold insists that he can use his power to fix things, and Belle realizes that he's the dark One again. He figures that Belle has shown him that he can love her and power, but warns that while he can be a better man, he can't be a different man. Even when he was a coward, he craved power. Now he has it and won't let it go, even for Belle. Gold tells her that he fell in love with her because he was a man and a beast, and neither exists without the other. Belle can't condone him being the Dark One again, but Gold says that she has to choose to. If she does then they can have family and happiness. Belle refuses to choose until Gold fixes everything, and Gold says that he'll do it.
David and Mary Margaret wait in the line for the booth and she wonders what she should say. One of the other waiters admits that he doesn't even know if the messages get through. The couple enters the booth and prepares to send their message.
As they go through the wood, Zelena wonders what they named her daughter. Robin tells her that he hasn't named their child because he has to know her first. Zelena points out that that he left their child to find a pirate, and Robin insists that it's important to set an example of heroism. Regina says that she used to be just like Zelena, and nobody cared about her because she didn't care about anyone. Her enemies became her family, and that's when she was happy. Zelena insists that she loves her daughter and continues on.
The Land of Oz
Hades and Zelena go to where Dorothy first landed in Oz. He digs out a bicycle and gets on, and invites Zelena to join him. She hesitates and Hades tells her to trust him. Hades is taken aback momentarily, and then they ride off through the forest. They finally fall over and Hades breaks Zelena falls. Laughing, she says that she wants to go again and asks how they will find Scarecrow. Hades says that if they enchant the bicycle then it will take them to Dorothy and Scarecrow.
The Underworld
Robin and Regina find Belle, and Robin takes his daughter. He thanks Belle for helping, and Zelena arrives and thanks her as well. Regina tells Belle that Zelena won't help anyone, and the baby starts crying. Zelena says that she doesn't have any magic and offers to help, and Robin reluctantly hands the baby over. He and the others watch as Zelena coos over her daughter. Zelena's fingers glow with magic, and she refuses to give the baby back. She blasts them and runs off with the child.
At the loft, Mary Margaret and David tell Emma and Hook that they don't know if Neal heard them. They say that they went through it for Emma, because she never heard them when she was on her own.
Zelena limps through the woods and realizes that it won't do. She promises her daughter that she'll find her a safe place, and finds a rash on her cheek. Zelena realizes that her magic did it and breaks into tears.
The Land of Oz
Zelena and Hades continue through the woods until the bicycle takes them to a cottage. Dorothy is outside by the fire, and Hades assures Zelena that Dorothy is no match for her. He says that Zelena is clever, witty, and beautiful. Before she can respond, Scarecrow comes out and Zelena confronts them. She freezes Dorothy with a spell and removes Scarecrow's brain, and Dorothy tells Zelena that she will never be afraid of her. Zelena wonders what happened to her in Kansas but says that she doesn't care. She doesn't want to kill Dorothy because she wants everyone to know that Dorothy can't protect them. Once they know Dorothy failed them, Dorothy will have nothing. Laughing, Zelena turns back only to discover that Hades is gone.
The Underworld
As night falls, Robin, Regina, and Belle go to the counterpart of Zelena's farm. They call that it isn't safe, and Zelena comes out and admits that she can't protect her child from Hades. She explains that Hades wants to use the baby for the time travel spell, because it's a symbol of innocence. Zelena tells Robin to take the baby because they can protect her and she can't. She begs Regina to save the child, and Regina promises that they'll do everything they can. Crying, Zelena says goodbye to her daughter, hands her to Robin, and goes inside.
Back at the loft, Robin says that he can't name the baby because Hades can do things with names. Hook and Regina both figure that Zelena was sincere, but Robin is taking her to the forest in case Zelena gives something away to Hades. Henry comes down and says that he produced more pages in his sleep. The pictures show baby Neal, and the story says that he heard the voices of his parents singing a lullaby to him. David and Mary Margaret realize that Neal heard them, and Mary Margaret says that it's time to take down Hades and return home.
Hades is standing in the street.
The Land of Oz
Zelena returns to the palace and finds Hades preparing a dinner to celebrate. He assures her that she was wonderful confronting Dorothy, and says that he's not going back to the Underworld. Zelena realizes that he found the true love that he needed, and Hades takes her hand and says that on the bicycle he felt something he hasn't felt on eons. His heart fluttered for a moment, and he truly believes that once they kiss, it will start again and he'll be free so that they can be together.
As they start to kiss, Zelena refuses. She figures that Hades is using her to free himself from the Underworld and take the time travel spell for himself... because that's what she would do. Zelena says that love is not enough, and Hades insists that he loves her. She says that no one could love her, and that if Hades did love her then he wouldn't take away her best chance for revenge. Zelena tells him to go back to the Underworld, and Hades says that she'll regret it before teleporting away.
The Underworld
Zelena confronts Hades and he says that he was looking for her. She vows to kill him if he touches her child, and Hades says that he would never hurt her. True loves endures and can't be broken, and he wanted to rescue Zelena's daughter from the heroes. Hades says that he recreated the Underworld as Storybrooke because he wanted to give Zelena what Regina had. He admits that things decay in the Underworld, but it's their decay. Hades says that he still chooses Zelena, and they'll have to go back and get her baby. Zelena refuses, admitting that she still can't trust him, and it's too much. She vows to get her daughter back on her own, and walks away. Hades says that Zelena's birthday was April 15, because he tortured it out of a miller's daughter. He took care of Cora as well for Zelena, and knows that Zelena doesn't need anyone. However, if she changes her mind then he'll be waiting for her.
Written by Gadfly on Apr 4, 2016