Lady of the Lake

"Lady of the Lake" is the 25th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
Emma and Mary Margaret, with the aid of Mulan, Aurora and brave knight Lancelot, attempt to find a portal that will bring them back to Storybrooke, but a dark force threatens their safe return. Meanwhile, Henry tries to talk Jefferson into reuniting with his daughter, and, back in the fairytale land that was, on the eve of meeting Prince Charming's mother, King George poisons Snow White, and the only antidote lies within the waters of the Lady of the Lake.

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

Queen Regina uses magic to send out a fireball. Regina smiles happily at the appraoching purple mist. The purple mist engulfs Storybrooke and Charming and Snow embrace as it passes. Mr. Gold unleashes the purple mist and tells Belle that he's bringing magic to town. Regina tells the Charming family that magic is different there and Emma is sucked into the magic hat's portal, Snow White yells that she cannot lose her again before jumping in after her daughter. Henry asks Regina where Emma is and she tells him that she's gone. Henry stares at a photo of Emma amd Mary Margaret and Charming assures his grandson that he will always find them. Snow and Emma are taken prisoner by Mulan and Aurora and Snow rebels, she tells Emma to run but trips herself, Mulan orders that they be taken to "the pit". In the pit, Emma tries to awaken her mother when she is appraoched by none other than Regina's mother, Cora. Red and Charming are fighting a battle and Red asks who the army is, Charming tells her that it's King George who is riding a horse in armor, yelling, "Bring me his head!"

Teaser
Red Riding Hood is running speedily through the forest and into a tent where Charming, Snow and others resign, plotting battle. "We have to move camp, they're coming for us." Red tells them, "No! We can't run! We promised we'd take the kingdom back and we can't do that with our tails between out legs!... No offense." he tells them, apologizing for insulting Red, the werewolf. Red warns them that they cannot stay were they are because of the opposing side's new general, Snow asks who he is and Red explains that they say he strikes like a monster at the heart of the sea, you never see him coming and you never survive. "We'll see about that." Charming says, "How close is his army?" Snow asks, concerned. An arrow flies in and stabs the table. "I'd say pretty close." Charming notes. He nods at the others and he and two men draw their swords and go to attack George's army, "We should split up, divide them." Snow suggests, Charming agrees and sends Red off in one direction, his men in another, before pushing Snow away so he can fight. "Aren't you coming?" Snow asks, "He's after me, you have a better chance of escaping on your own." he explains, kissing her forehead. Charming tells his fiancee to meet him in two days time at "the cabin". "The cabin?! Where she is?" Snow asks, taken aback, wondering if he's sure, "We're engaged, I think it's about time you met my mother." he tells her before kissing her. A knight is seen riding up behind them, watching the pair, Charming tells his love to go and she obliges as the mysterious knight watches her leave.

Snow is running through the forest when the knight sticks out his arm, florring her and causing her to yelp out in shock. "What kind of general hides behind a mask?" she asks, before demanding to know who he really is. "The name's Lancelot." the knight tells her, removing his helmet. "Lancelot?... Of the roundtable?" Snow asks, "Not anymore." he tells her rather sternly before advancing on her quickly, she screams.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
Present Day

Mary Margaret/Snow White is lying unconscious in "the pit" with Cora leaning over her to check up on her, "You sure she's gonna be okay?" Emma asks, "Don't worry, she'll be fine." Cora assures her. "What is this place? Where are we?" Emma wonders, Cora explains that it's a little island that they're captors like to think of as a safe-haven, Emma asks what the haven is from, "The world's dangerous, what's left of it, anyway." Cora explains, "Well, they can't keep us down here, we didn't do anything wrong." Emma points out, "Neither did I." Cora states. Emma asks why Cora is down here and the latter explais that she's there because of something her daughter did, saying that she caused the Dark Curse that ravished the land. "Regina? You're Regina's mother?!" Emma cautiously asks, "Yes, but you have nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree." Cora assures the blonde. Cora notices that Emma's from over there, and asks how she got back, however, before Emma can answer, "Emma!... no." Snow says, coming to and standing up, recognizing Cora and dreading her. Cora tells Snow that she's so relieved she's alright but she ignores her, instead, she grabs her daughter and tells her something, "As bad as you think Regina is... this woman is worse." Snow warns her. "Oh, Snow." Cora says, Snow turns to face her but shields Emma from the vile woman, "Sweet Snow, please... believe me. Whatever she told you isn't true. I just wanna help you."Cora assures her. "Let's hear her out." Emma whispers to her mother, "Emma." Snow says, fiercley, "Okay, right now, we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options, and Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina." Emma points out, Cora asks who Henry is, "My son, I kind of share him with Regina, it's complicated." Emma says, Snow turns to Emma again, "Don't talk to her!" she exclaims. A voice soon yells and a climbing rope is dropped into the pit, "Our leader requests an audience!" the man says up at the small entrance to the pit.

Over in Storybrooke, Henry asks Charming what he thinks should be the first agenda for "Operation Scorpion", however, Charming merely asks what it is, "The code-name for our mission to find Emma and Snow." Henry explains as they cross the street, "Do you prefer 'Viper'? That was my second choice." he says. "Henry, listen, we need to talk..." Charming starts before Henry states that "Scorpion" is better, "It's... not that, it's..." he tries, Henry stops, "I'm not coming with you? But I thought we were gonna find Jefferson?" Henry reminds him, "...I already did." Charming says, "What?! Is he gonna help us?" Henry asks, excited. "No. No, Henry, he's not." Charming states, Henry asks why he wasn't told that Charming talked to him, Charming says that it was because he didn't want to disappoint him. "I know you wanna find your mom, but Jefferson can't help us." Charming tells him, saying that he needs to find a way to restore the hat, "So why can't I help you look?!" Henry asks, "Because you require magic, Henry, and magic a-" Charming starts, "Always comes with a price. I've read the book you know?" Henry finishes. "I'm sorry, but I really can't let you anywhere near this stuff, you really wann help me, you'll go to school where I'll you you'll be safe, okay?" he asks, Henry, sadly, nods, before hanging his head a running off to the school bus. Charming leaves and Henry sees this, at this point, he runs past the school bus doors and carries on down the sidewalk.

In the fairytale land that is, Snow and Emma are walking among the safe-haven, Snow asks why Emma refuses to listen to her and Emma argues that she just wanted a way to find them a way back home. "I could have handled her." Emma says. "Don't be so sure! I've lived here, Emma, I know this world, and its dangers." Snow says. "Wait here." the guard from the pit tells them before going to talk to others, Emma seems fed up. "Is that why you came to the portal? Because you thought I was helpless here?" Emma asks, "No. I came through to be with you." Snow assures her before noticing someone stepping out of the small building in the camp: Lancelot. "Lancelot?" she asks, "Snow?" he says, before the two run into a hug. "If I had known you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would've locked you away." he assures her, asking for her forgiveness, which she gives him. "Lancelot? Really?" Emma asks, "He's an old friend. We can trust him." Snow assures her daughter. Afar, Aurora is talking to Mulan, "Why is he embracing her? She's responsible for Phillip's death!" Aurora exclaims, "You're new here, Aurora. Phillip trusts Lancelot... so must we." Mulan tells her. "I want justice." Aurora says, "Tread carefully. It's dangerous to confuse vengeance with justice." Mulan warns her friend. "Do you understand me?" she asks, Aurora is silent, Mulan walks to face her, "Do you understand me?" she repeats herself. "...yes." Aurora tells her, Mulan walks away and Aurora stares at Mary Margaret and Emma talking to Lancelot, she then turns around and pulls a large dagger from a holster hidden by her shall, she stares at it, ready for revenge, before looking back to the newcomers.

Act II
TBA

Act III
TBA

Act IV
TBA

Act V
TBA

Act VI
TBA

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.

Trivia

 * Although credited, Emilie de Ravin (Belle) and Robert Carlyle (Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin) are absent from this episode.