OUAT/VD: The Truth Is Out There

Ch.25: Lady of the Lake

Cora and Katherine were still in the cave.

"What is this place?" she questioned.

"It's a little island our captors like to think of as their haven."

"From what?" Katherine inquired.

"The world's dangerous. What's left of it, anyway."

"Well, I don't know about you, but they can't keep me here. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Neither did I."

"Then why are you here?" she asked, suspicious.

"I'm here because of something my daughter did. The curse that ravished this land? She cast it," Cora explained.

"Regina," Katherine stated. "You're Regina's mother?"

"Yes, but you have nothing to fear from me," Cora assured her. "The apple fell very far from the tree. You're from over there, aren't you? How'd you get back?"

They were interrupted when Katherine was brought out of the pit, having been told that their leader wanted to see her, in which she found to be Lancelot.

After some talking, since she wanted to leave, he let her, but wanted her to let Mulan go with her for protection.

"No offense, but I can take care of myself. No matter the danger, I always survive."

With those words, he let her go, even though he didn't think it was safe for her to be going alone.

Back in Storybrooke, Henry found Jefferson at the docks, sitting on a bench, looking at a drawing someone had drawn. Probably his daughter.

"Jefferson, right? The Mad Hatter," Henry greeted, sitting next to him, and Jefferson folded the paper back up. "I need your help."

"I already told Charming. I can't do anything."

"I know, but there must be something we can do," Henry replied.

"I'm the wrong person to talk to, kid. That's just not my thing. Try your mother. Maybe she's got something in her vault somewhere."

"Vault? Her vault is here? In Storybrooke?" he asked.

"It's none of my business. Talk to her," Jefferson told him.

"What's that?" he questioned, seeing the paper that was still in his hand. When he asked that, Jefferson put it in his jacket. "Your daughter's looking for you, isn't she?"

"What do you know about it?"

"I read your story. I know how you two were separated. Why are you here? She's at school."

"I have to go home, kid," Jefferson said, getting to his feet.

"She probably wants to see you," Henry said, going to stand in front of him.

"Get out of my way."

"Why don't you want to find her?"

"Because I left her. She'll hate me."

"How do you know that?" Henry questioned.

"I was on my way. Fate reminded me that I shouldn't."

"You should. Anything is better than nothing. She'll spend her whole life wondering why you left her. Not knowing is the worst."

Later, Henry called Regina to have lunch with her at Granny's to get her out of the office. Then he found her vault and began looking for a way to be able to get Katherine out of the enchanted forest and back here, but then Charming found him after he was told by Regina that Henry stood her up. Then they left the vault.

Back at the enchanted forest, Katherine remembered what the book had said about a magical wardrobe so, even though there wasn't any magic or not enough of it, she went in search of Snow White and Prince Charming's castle, assuming it would be there. It was one of the ways she figured was her ticket back to Storybrooke.

After she found the castle after a couple of days, she went inside and found the wardrobe. Then she saw Lancelot come into the room. When Lancelot was admiring the wardrobe a little too much though, she knew he wasn't who he appeared to be.

"Who are you? You're not Lancelot. Anyone without magic wouldn't be so intrigued by a magical wardrobe."

Purple smoke billowed around Lancelot and his form changed to Cora.

"Clever girl," she said with a smile. "I just want to get to my daughter. Is that too much to ask?"

"Well, I'm quite smart. I know how to be one and even more than one, step ahead of the enemy. I also know what it's like to be a mother, though I wouldn't say I know what it's like to raise a child. What I do know is the difference between a good mother and a bad one. I've read Regina's story. I know what you've done. I'm not letting you through that wardrobe. Even if I have to stay here a little bit longer."

"You're too smart for your own good I see," she replied.

"You're not the first person to tell me that. Everyone I know outside of Storybrooke either hates me, doesn't even know I died, or want me dead, so I've been called worst."

They did a magical face off and she magically threw Cora across the room and then set the wardrobe on fire.

Cora stood and Katherine looked at her.

"We're not done," Cora said, before doing a disappearing act.