Somewhere in Neverland

41. Lily

THE INFINITY FOREST - PAST

The Apprentice met the Sorcerer who asked, "What brings you here?"

"The Author... He has violated the rules," the Apprentice replied. "He has changed things. The savior... He made me channel her potential for darkness into Maleficent's child. There must be a way to undo it."

"I'm afraid not. What's done is done, my apprentice."

"But what now of the girls, their fates?"

"Remain entwined, as they always were and always shall be."

"Of course."

"Our concern now is the Author."

"I have taken care of that, master. Our mistake has been rectified. He is in the book, where he can no longer alter our world... Only record what happens."

"You must see to it there is no more damage. The Author must never be allowed to toy with fate again."

STORYBROOKE - PRESENT - CRUELLA'S FUNERAL

"I'll miss her," Isaac said. "Furs and all, I'll miss her. She was good to me... In her way. Made me who I am."

"Well, someone had to die at the savior's hands," Mr. Gold reasoned.

"Did they?"

"We won't have what we need to rewrite the book, to secure our happy endings, until Ms. Swan has completed her journey. The savior has taken the first step down a dark path. And we have to make sure she stays on it... For both our sakes."

Emma was watching Mr. Gold and the Author.

GRANNY'S DINER

"I'm going after Gold," Emma decided. "He made this happen. He needs to answer for it."

"Careful," Hook warned. "Don't go off half-cocked."

"Hook's right," David agreed. "He wants you angry."

"Yeah, well, I am angry," Emma said. "That doesn't mean he's gonna get what he's after. Do I wish I could change what I did to Cruella? Yes. But that's regret, not darkness. I think we've all done things we regret. Right now, we need to focus on one thing... How to keep Gold and the Author from causing any more damage."

Maleficent entered. "I might be able to help with that. It now appears we have a common foe... Rumpelstiltskin."

"He resurrected you," David commented.

"To help himself, not me. Cruella's death only confirmed that."

"Oh. Now you want to turn on him before he turns on you," Hook realized.

"I knew Gold couldn't keep the dragon on her leash for long," Regina stated.

"What do you want?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Nothing from you," Maleficent retorted. "But your daughter, I hear, has a talent for finding people."

"Yeah, I do. Who do you want found?" Emma questioned.

"My daughter."

"She's alive?" Mary Margaret said.

"Yes. She survived the journey to this land... The journey you sent her on. You want to prevent Rumpelstiltskin from achieving whatever he wants. What better way than leaving this town and helping me?"

"I'm not running away from Gold," Emma shot back.

"It's not running from him. It's hindering him."