Lost Girl

"Lost Girl" is the 46th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
While Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Regina and Hook continue their search for Henry in Neverland, Peter Pan appears before a startled Emma and offers her a map that will reveal her son's whereabouts... but the only way to make the map appear is for Emma to stop denying who she really is and come to grips with her true feelings about her identity. In the meantime, Mr. Gold receives some unexpected advice from a friend that could lead him to understand his life's journey while in Neverland. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, when the Evil Queen presents Snow White with an offer to live her life with Charming in peace - with the caveat that she give up her claim to the throne - Charming makes it his mission to ensure that Snow doesn't take the offer.

Plot
"Previously on Once Upon a Time..."

The Jolly Roger sets sail for Neverland, approaching a magic bean portal in the sea beside Storybrooke. On Neverland, Felix throws Rumple a straw doll and comments that it's funny how the things we haven't seen in years still have the ability to make us cry; Gold cries. Felix also tells the Dark One that if he's there for Henry, then he will not survive. Rumple replies by threatening Felix, stating that the real question is how many of Pan's followers he takes down with him.

Teaser
On the island of Neverland, Mr. Gold, still in his Dark One attire, conjures a fire ball in his hand and throws it at the compilation of logs and rocks at his feet; a campfire ensues. He stares through the flames at the blank wall of rock opposite him before approaching it properly, allowing his shadow to be fully cast upon it. With a few simple arm gestures and a flick of Rumple's wrist, the shadow freezes, and he draws his magical dagger from within his leather-clad robes. Looking down at his feet on the ground, Gold bends over and begins cutting around his feet with the dagger, causing a purple glow to emanate as he cuts. It's apparently a painful process, but Gold does the same to his other foot, and when he stands up straight again, his shadow on the rock flies upwards on its own accord. Rumple flips the dagger in his hand so that the handle is now facing his shadow and he tells his new creation that it knows what to do; "Hide it where no one can find it... not even me." And with that, Rumplestiltskin's shadow takes the magical dagger and flies away with it. ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
A sword chops down some leaves in Neverland's jungle and we see that David is cutting a path for himself with a lantern in his non-sword-wielding hand. Behind him is Hook, who merely uses his namesake feature to gently push aside the island's vegetation, and the pirate comments that the ridge is just fifty paces up ahead. As Regina and Emma (who's also carrying a lantern) emerge behind him, the latter asks if he really thinks they'll be able to see Pan's hideout, at which Hook replies that they should be able to see everything, including where Henry is currently being kept. Mary Margaret brings up the rear of the group, as Regina angrily points out that she could have just "poofed" them up there in an instant, meaning that there was no need for the long hike. The gang continues to walk and Hook asks the former Queen if she has any idea what's "up here", or anywhere for that matter. He explains that there are danger all about and that only he can guide them past said things. Emma agrees with Hook based on the fact that he's lived in Neverland before; if he says hiking's the best way, then they should all listen. Mary Margaret catches up with her daughter and offers her a canteen full of water, saying that she needs to stay hydrated, to which Emma replies, "Thanks, Mary Margaret," and drinks. Snow points out that "Mary Margaret" is a bit formal and suggests that Emma call her "mom" if she wants, reminding her that she's done it before.

The blonde, who appears practically taken aback, points out that that was when they were about to die (see "And Straight on 'Til Morning"), and a clearly saddened Mary Margaret assures Emma that she gets it. Emma continues forward, and after a pause, so does Snow. Meanwhile, back at the front of the group, Charming is still chopping down the plants in their path and moves forward to swipe at a thorn bush, at which Hook grabs the prince's arm and protests profusely. David, annoyed, assures the pirate that he can handle a couple of thorns, but Hook explains that the plant is Dreamshade; "It's not the thorns you need to worry about, it's the poison they inject you with." And with that, we see that the thorns are in fact dripping with a thick, black venom. The captain goes on to explain that this plant is the source of the toxins he used on the Dark One (see "The Queen is Dead"/"The Miller's Daughter"). When Emma asks, Hook confirms that it is indeed the poison that almost killed Gold but that that was a more concentrated version; in it's natural form, the Dreamshade poison shall ensue a death that is much slower and far more painful. Hook suggests that they go in the direction right of the plant, but David, not liking to take orders from a pirate, states firmly that they'll be going in the opposite direction, before leading the way himself.

Regina and Mary Margaret follow on from the prince, and Hook tells Emma that her father's a distrustful fellow, to which she replies that David's just not used to working with the bad guys. The pirate assures her that he is not a bad guy and Emma points out that Pan isn't supposed to be one either. As the two of them begin to follow on from the others, Hook asks the blonde what could have possibly given her that idea, and she replies with, "Every story I ever heard as a child." The two of them avoid the Dreamshade as they move past it whilst Hook assures Emma that the stories got it wrong and that Pan is the most treacherous villain he's ever faced. He then stops her and asks what he was like in these stories of hers; "Other than a villain. Handsome, I gather." "If wax mustaches and perms are your thing," Emma says jokingly, and as she goes forward, Hook judges from her tone that perms are bad. "Up here!" Charming yells, and we are shown he and Mary Margaret standing on a cliff edge beside Regina, looking out over the whole of Neverland. Emma ad Hook join them, but the latter is unable to point out Pan's lair. Regina says that all she sees is jungle, at which Hook points out it's a dark jungle, using hi mouth to extract his telescope as he does so.

Through said telescope, Hook looks out over the vast jungle and comments that it's grown somewhat since he last step foot in it. "So this nature hike was for nothing..." Regina unhappily declares. David chimes in, saying that while Hook may have led them astray, they're in a good position to start combing the jungle. Hook then explains to the prince that a dark jungle is the last place they'll want to step foot - they'll need to go around it, and for that, they'll need their strength; he suggests that they set up camp. Regina is furious by the prospect of sleeping whilst her son is out there suffering, but Hook argues that they'll have to if they want to live long enough to actually save her son. The pirate and Queen then go set up camp, and David puts away his sword before joining them. Mary Margaret is then left with Emma and asks if she's okay; Emma says that Regina's right and Henry's out there somewhere, but Snow argues that Hook is right too and they have to survive if they're going to get him. "I know," Emma utters, "I just hope we're not too late..." "After everything your father and I have been through, if there's one thing we've learned: it is never too late."

In the fairytale land that was, Prince Charming is riding a horse along a lakeside, anxious to find his slumbering princess. The camera moves in on him, his cloak fluttering behind him, and we are then shown the seven dwarfs gathered around Snow White's glass coffin. They turn when they see Charming arrive, and the prince is devastated to see his true love in such a way, believing her to be dead. He approaches the coffin and stares at Snow's sleeping face through the glass layer, before ordering the dwarfs to open it. The dwarfs do as the prince commands and remove the coffin's lid, revealing the sleeping beauty inside, and Charming kneels down before Snow, kissing her on the mouth. As the kiss ensues, a burst of true love emanates from the couple, spreading out across the entire land, and Snow is brought to a conscious state (see "Pilot").

Inside the Evil Queen's Dark Palace, one of her knights is seen to be carrying the Magic Mirror in his arms, running to find Regina as the aforementioned mirror screams for the knight to be careful. "If you drop me," the Mirror exclaims, "I'll make sure you have fourteen years bad luck!" And the knight continues to run. Meanwhile, in her palace's garden, Queen Regina is seen to be picking a ripe, red apple from the tree in front of her, before being alerted by the voice of her Magic Mirror. He addresses her as "your majesty" and she turns to see him being carried by her knight, reminding him that she told him never to disturb her when she's out there. The Mirror assures his mistress that that he hasn't disturbed her yet; "Just wait until you see this." And with that, the former Genie's face vanishes from the glass and Regina is shown the scene of Prince Charming strolling alongside a lake with a conscious Snow White on his arm (see "A Land Without Magic"). The Queen is furious that the prince woke Snow, and as the Mirror shows her Charming proposing to the princess, he tells Regina that true love's kiss apparently can break any curse. When Sow accepts the proposal and kisses her prince, the Mirror comments that that will be one hell of a wedding and that there won't be a dry eye in the entire realm, but the Queen orders him to be quiet, intent on watching her nemesis' conversation. Snow tells Charming that they're going to take back the kingdom, but Regina leans in towards her mirror and states, "We'll see about that."

Later and elsewhere in the Enchanted Forest, Snow White is standing atop a wagon in front of several gathered villagers; Charming and the dwarfs are at her side. She states that the Evil Queen murdered her father and put her under a sleeping curse, but she is not the only one Regina has made suffer. The villagers nod and speak in general agreement with their princess, and Snow goes on to exclaim that the Queen has terrorized them for far too long and that the kingdom doesn't belong to her, it belongs to them. The villagers cheer in agreement for these two statements, but when Snow asks who is willing to stand beside her and fight for what's rightfully theirs, all of them fall immediately silent. "Quite the courageous army you're building," Regina sarcastically notes from behind the crowd, causing the frightened villagers to disperse and hide behind whatever objects are near; this leaves the path clear between the Queen and Snow. The lattes tells Regina that the villagers may be afraid of her, but "we" (referring to herself, Charming and the seven dwarfs) are not. The Queen wonders why, suggesting that it's because she and the shepherd broke her little sleeping curse. Charming and Snow both draw their swords, but Regina merely raises her hand and Charming is magically tied up in multiple ropes around his torso, causing him to drop his sword in the process.

Regina continues, telling Snow that, luckily for her, she didn't come there to fight, but to offer her a deal - "Consider it an engagement present." The prince struggles from within his bounds and orders Snow not to listen to the Queen, but Regina again merely raises her hand and a rope is shoved in Charming's mouth, preventing speech. She mockingly asks her stepdaughter if she's "really gonna marry that", but Snow merely asks Regina what she wants. Now able to continue, the Queen tells Snow that she wants her to give up her claim to the throne; "If you declare me the rightful ruler to this land, I will let you, the dwarfs and your so-called prince escape back to the sheep farm he once called home." Snow realizes that this would mean living in exile, at which Regina points out that she's tried to kill her and she's tried to curse her but none of it's worked, then she realized that she was going about it all wrong: Snow needs to be alive and awake so that she can spend all her days knowing that Regina has taken everything that was supposed to be hers.

Charming struggles again from under the ropes binding him but the Queen ignores him, ordering Snow to get down on her knees and swear on her father's grave that this kingdom belongs to Regina. "And if I don't?" Snow wonders, to which Regina replies that someone will pay the price. She then extends her arm to the side and magically causes a female peasant to fly out of her hiding place and into the air, strangling her in the process. As the villager chokes at Regina's hand, her feet dangling above the ground, Snow decides to take a run at the Queen with her sword and swipes at her, ordering her to stop. However, the Queen vanishes in an array of purple smoke which causes both Snow to fall on her face and the strangled villager to fall to the ground, still alive. Charming's ropes drop from around his torso and he pulls the other from out of his mouth before rushing over to help the villager to her feet. His fiancée asks if she's okay and Charming answers positively. Suddenly, Regina returns, bringing more magical smoke with her, and assures Snow that next time she won't be. "You have until sundown tomorrow to give me the throne," Regina states to a shocked and mud-covered Snow, "And for everyday that you defy me, I will kill one of your loyal subjects. Stop denying who you are, Snow White. You may have been a princess, but you will never be a queen."

Back in Neverland, Regina is sleeping on a camp bed set up on the jungle floor as Snow and Charming sleep a few feet away from her in the same conditions. Near to them is Emma, who is tossing and turning as the sounds of crying children is heard. She awakes with a start and removes her blanket, quickly taking Baelfire's sword from out of its sheath and getting to her feet. She looks over to her parents and tells them to wake up, however, the two of them remain asleep and Emma is forced to scout the jungle on her own, the crying still audible in the background. It gets louder the further she moves away from the campsite, and as she moves forward, a voice is heard behind her - "You hear that too?" Frightened, Emma quickly turns around to see Peter Pan casually leaning against a tree. He asks if she's Emma but doesn't wait for an answer, instead questioning why Mary Margaret, David and the others can't hear the crying. The blonde, not recognizing the boy, asks who he is, at which is nonchalantly introduces himself as Peter Pan. At this, Emma immediately runs at the boy, pinning him up against a tree with her sword at his throat. She asks where Henry is but Pan merely happily comments that she's got "fire", which he likes, and Emma repeats the question. Pan assures her that Henry's still alive if that's what she's worried about, and she asks where the hell he took him. The boy tells Emma that her son is a very special boy and Emma says she knows, but that that doesn't answer her question: "What do you want with him?"

Pan replies that he appeared before Emma to see who he's up against and admits that he's not disappointed, the blonde asks if this is the part where he says she'll never see Henry again, but Pan answers negatively, saying that he's going to help her find him. Emma is suspicious and doesn't say anything in response, leading Pan to continue by explaining he'll give her a map. Contemplating this, Emma takes a step back and allows Pan to retrieve a piece of parchment from an inside pocket which he assures her is a map that will lead her straight to her son. Emma, who's still got her sword pointed at the boy, asks if this is some sort of trap, but Peter merely laughs, saying that he may not be the most well-behaved boy on the island but he always keeps his promises. After he again assures her that the path to finding Henry is on the parchment, Emma lowers her sword and questions why he's giving it to her. Pan explains that it's not about finding Henry, but how she finds him; "And, Emma, you're the only one who can." After pause, the blonde takes the map from Pan and looks at it, annoyed to see that it's blank. This leads Pan to tell her that she will only be able to read that map once she stops denying who she really is, and the sound of children crying gets louder as Emma focuses her attention on the blank parchment. When she looks up again, Pan is gone, and Emma is left standing alone in the jungle, confused.

Act II
Back at the campsite, Emma is seen sitting opposite a rock on top of which the blank map that Pan gave her is resting. As she contemplates it, Regina paces and Hook, who's sitting atop another rock, comments that Pan so likes his games. Regina asks the pirate to what game he's referring, insisting that there's nothing on the map, however, Hook assures her that if Pan said there's a map on the parchment then there is. Emma skeptically says that they'll be able to read it when she stops denying who she really is, whatever that means, and Regina asks how they know Pan won't just use it to lead them straight into a trap. "Because he doesn't need to," says Hook, "This whole island's his bloody trap!" As the pirate stands up, Mary Margaret and David are seen returning together; they tell Emma that there's no sign of Pan anywhere and ask if there's been any luck with the map. Regina tells the couple not to hold their breath and Emma wonders what that's supposed to mean, at which the former Queen explains that Pan is tricking them as every second spent looking at the parchment is another second that they're not looking for Henry.

Emma asks if Regina has a better idea and she replies with, "Magic." This appears to worry Snow and Charming, and Regina approaches the map saying that if there's a lock on there she'll find it. Emma quickly moves the map away from her and states that Pan said it had to be her; Hook agrees with the blonde as he believes that breaking Pan's rules would be unwise. David says that, sadly, he agrees with the pirate, and Hook comments that he's winning the prince over, he can feel it. Mary Margaret adds that Regina's magic doesn't exactly have a gentle touch and David adds further that using it on the map might blow up in all their faces. "That's a risk I'm willing to take," Regina says with hostility, but Emma disagrees, standing up and clutching the map. She says that if she's the one who has to figure out this thing then she needs to do what Pan said, but Regina appears skeptical. Snow assures her stepmother that Emma shall achieve this feat before approaching her saddened daughter and telling her not to give up as if Pan's playing a game, she can win.

"We can't win, we have to leave the kingdom!" Snow White tells the seven dwarfs at their campsite in the Enchanted Forest of long ago. Charming, who's sat around a circular table with Snow and the dwarfs, asks his fiancée how she can even be considering giving into Regina, pointing out that the Queen will continue terrorizing the land with or without Snow gone. He asks who will protect the people then, but Snow points out that she wasn't able to protect them earlier that day; she couldn't even help that poor girl. She then tells Charming not to kid himself as she knows Regina won't stop with the peasants and will soon start to come after the people who are closest to her. Grumpy assures the princess that he and the dwarfs will stand by her side no matter what, and Happy adds even if it means their deaths. "Which it probably will..." Sneezy adds in a worried tone, causing the other dwarfs to stare at him. Charming begs Snow not to let the Queen get into her head but Snow says that Regina has a point, that she is no queen and no leader, but a mere girl who lost her parents, ran away into the woods and became abandoned.

"You're Snow White!" Charming reminds her, but Snow admits that the truth is she doesn't even who that is, and she knows what she doesn't want to be: alone. Her fiancé assures her that that's never going to happen and Snow says he's right, taking a look around the table and stating that if she takes the Queen's offer they can all live together, in exile, but at least they'll be alive. She says that they should leave tomorrow before vacating the table, and as Charming tries to go after her, he is stopped by Grumpy, who asks why the prince suddenly cares so much about saving Snow's kingdom. Charming wonders what the dwarf means and Grumpy replies that if he has true love then it shouldn't matter whether they live in a castle or on a farm. Realizing what he means, the prince asks the dwarfs if they think he's in this for Snow's crown, and Grumpy points out that he's the one who said it. Charming assures them that he understands but begs for their trust that he wants what's best for Snow; Grumpy says that Snow may love the prince but that his chiseled chin isn't fooling them - "We got our eyes on you." "Are you dwarfs with me or against me?" Charming asks, and Sneezy states that Grumpy was pretty clear. They then apologize to the prince, telling him that Snow's already made up her mind so if he's looking to change it he's going to have to do it without their help. The dwarfs disperse and leave Charming alone to think, during which time he utters that he'll find another way. In the library of the Dark Castle, Rumplestiltskin is seen to be spinning at the wheel, turning straw into gold with magic. "You again?! Didn't I just help you wake your princess?" he asks, in address to Prince Charming, who says he needs his help once more. He reminds Rumple that, long ago, he made Snow remember who she was when a spell blinded her (see "Heart of Darkness") and he needs him to do it again. Rumple appears confused.

Present-day Rumplestiltskin is seen to be sitting on a rock in front of a campfire in Neverland, staring down at the straw doll in his hands. He hears a noise in the nearby bushes and stands up cautiously, setting the doll down on the adjacent rock as he does so. The noise is heard again and so Rumple approaches the bushes, asking who's there. The noise is then heard behind him and he turns, demanding that, whoever it is, this person show themselves. As he inspects the rock where his shadow was earlier formed, a hand is seen to be suddenly grabbing the straw doll from the rock before running through the jungle with it. "Thank doesn't belong to you, dearie," Rumple utters, before chasing the cloaked thief. It doesn't take him long to catch up to the thief, and when he does, he turns them around and pulls down their hood, revealing that it is in fact his true love Belle. He utters her name, but Belle merely smiles.

Trivia

 * The title card of this episode features the sword that was encased in the stone.
 * Although credited, Michael Raymond-James (Neal Cassidy/Baelfire) and Jared S. Gilmore (Henry Mills) are absent from this episode.

Production

 * The title of this episode was revealed by executive producer/co-creator Adam Horowitz, via his Twitter account, on August 4, 2013, along with a photograph of the script's cover.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.