Age Manipulation

Age Manipulation is a magical ability featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the "Selfless, Brave and True" of the Season 2.

One form of Age Manipulation is known as an Ageing Spell.

Description
Age Manipulation is the ability to accelerate or reverse the age of living beings. They may cause a person to instantly become geriatric or reverse back to an adolescent or age objects to dust.

Before First Curse
With the help of a magic bean, Malcolm comes to Neverland from the Enchanted Forest with his son, Rumplestiltskin. Having spent time in Neverland through dreams in his boyhood, he is horrified to discover flying is no longer possible for him since he is not a boy anymore. After being told by the island's only inhabitant, a Shadow, that grown-ups don't belong in Neverland, he becomes so desperate to regain youth that he is willing to abandon Rumplestiltskin. By severing familial ties with his son, Malcolm is transformed, in a burst of green light, into an adolescent boy. ("Think Lovely Thoughts")

After First Curse
In Storybrooke, August threatens Tamara with exposure of all she's done, and she mortally wounds him. August attempts to attempt to warn Emma, but he only musters the word "her" before passing away in his father's arms. However, since August was unselfish, brave and true, Mother Superior gives him another chance at life, reverting him to a seven-year-old Pinocchio. ("[[Selfless, Brave and True")

In order to save his loved ones, Mr. Gold stabs Peter Pan, as well as himself, with his dagger. On the brink of death, Pan melts away in darkened smoke as his old persona, Malcolm, takes his place, before both he and Mr. Gold fade out of existence. ("Going Home")

After Second Curse
To gain answers about the Author's whereabouts, Mr. Gold reverts Pinocchio into August with his dagger, hence returning his lost memories, so that he can torture him for information. ("Enter the Dragon")

After Third Curse
After turning Killian Jones into a Dark One and returning to Storybrooke, Emma plots to use Excalibur to channel both Killian's and her own darkness into Zelena and then cut her down, which will extinguish the darkness forever. However, she does not wish to harm Zelena's unborn child, and to avoid this, she uses an aging spell on some onion rings that she tricks Zelena into eating. As a result of the spell, Zelena's pregnancy is drastically sped up and she gives birth not long after. ("The Bear and the Bow", "Birth")

Later, Mr. Gold plots to use an aging spell to accelerate his wife Belle's pregnancy so that he can use the Shears of Destiny on their son, preventing him from hating his father. To show Belle his plan in hopes of scaring her back to him, he corners a nun in the Storybrooke power plant and ties her up before sprinkling some powder on her, turning her into an elderly woman and releasing her so she can return to the convent. He later finds Belle in the library and traps her in the elevator, with plans of on using the powder on her. However, Belle warns him that if he does so, he will lose her forever, and he is unwilling to take that risk. ("Changelings")

The Evil Queen, seeking revenge on Mr. Gold for taking advantage of her, steals his aging spell and adds it to Belle's chamomile tea at the diner, knowing that Belle will blame Mr. Gold and take their son away from him. Her pregnancy rapidly reaches full term as she panics before she is rushed to the convent, where she gives birth to her son. ("Changelings")

After Fourth Curse
After the Black Fairy cast a spell over Gideon's heart so that he would follow her orders even after her death, he battles Emma and stabs her with Hrunting. Immediately after that, because of Emma and Mr. Gold's sacrifices, the balance is restored and Gideon vanishes. He later reappears in the presence of his parents, Gold and Belle, having unaged all the years he spent in the Dark Realm.

Ways to Break the Spell

 * Magic can reverse the effects of age manipulation. ("Enter the Dragon", "Changelings")