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The episode begins with a flashback of the Snow Queen and her two sisters flying a kite together as children. A man comes out from behind a tree and tries to kidnap the youngest sister – Elsa and Anna’s mother. Trying to defend her sister, the Snow Queen uses her power for the first time and accidently freezes a tree branch, causing it to fall on the man’s head. She is immediately ashamed of her powers and thinks of herself as a monster, but her sisters tell her she isn’t and promise to help her understand what she can do. They make a pact that they will always be there for each other, exchanging ribbons pulled from the kite.

Back in Storybrooke, the Snow Queen enters the clock tower and gazes into her magic mirror.

Regina is going through things in her vault when Robin walks in. She tells him that he needs to stay away from her and save his wife. She says that seeing him and knowing that his heart is conflicted is torture to her. He tells her that he can’t fall back in love with his wife with Regina in his life, but doesn’t want her to not be in his life either. She tells him to forget about her and leaves.

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Emma and Elsa look at a spell that Belle found to disable the Snow Queen’s power. When she’s powerless, they hope to finally get answers about her plan and where Anna is. The spell involves lighting a special candle and then blowing it at the person they want to disable. Emma tests it on Elsa, but it doesn’t work. They agree to try again later because Emma told Mary Margaret she’d babysit.

Emma walks in on a playgroup of mothers and babies in Storybrooke. As she talks to Cinderella, Aurora, and Mary Margaret, Emma accidently boils the milk in a baby bottle in her hand. Emma says she’s just revved up from practicing her magic for the Snow Queen, but Mary Margaret looks hesitant to hand Neal over to her. But she doesn’t have to because David calls to tell Emma that the Snow Queen is in the clock tower.

When they find the Snow Queen, Emma uses the candle and is able to disable the Snow Queen’s power, but the Snow Queen seems to accept defeat a little too willingly.

In a flashback, the Snow Queen and her two sisters are teenagers. The two girls are getting ready for their father’s birthday party while the Snow Queen watches because she is not going. They ask her how long she plans on hiding and she says she’ll hide as long as she’s still “afflicted.” She says she’s thinking of what’s best for them and doesn’t want to ruin the evening for them. Later in the evening, the Snow Queen watches the party from above, snow particles surrounding her as she gets upset.

Back in Storybrooke, Emma and Elsa begin questioning the Snow Queen. Elsa asks about Anna’s whereabouts but the Snow Queen says that Anna put Elsa in the urn so she shouldn’t care about finding her. Elsa gets upset and Emma asks her to leave so they can get answers. When they are alone, the Snow Queen tells Emma that she’s proud of her and says she’s grateful for getting to know Emma when she was a child. Emma shrugs her off and tells her that they’re not friends, but the Snow Queen counters that they’re family. The Snow Queen says that Emma will soon realize that everything she’s said is true and let her go.

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Regina is flipping through the storybook, looking at all the happy couples, when Henry walks in asking for help getting ready to work at Rumpelstiltskin’s shop. She helps him tie his tie and then he asks her what’s wrong, having noticed that she was looking through the book with her “scary face” on. When he asks about Robin, she said she’s moving on. She wants to be ready when true love comes around again, so her number one priority is Operation Mongoose – finding the author of the book.

Emma hands the Snow Queen a glass of water and begins demanding answers. Emma says they know who she is, what she’s planning and what she wants with Emma and Elsa, but Emma also wants to know why the Snow Queen has been tracking her for so long. The Snow Queen says she was protecting her but Emma doesn’t understand why the Snow Queen would erase her memories. The Snow Queen says that every family has their “ups and downs,” but Emma counters that she has a family – that spans 3 generations and 400 years. The Snow Queen swears that – by her standards for family – Elsa and she are Emma’s family because they’re the only ones with power like hers. She says that Emma’s family may love her, but they also fear her. Emma swears they love her for who she is and the Snow Queen merely says that she also thought that once.

Back in Arendelle, the Snow Queen’s sisters return from the party to find her packing. She plans to leave to give her sisters the normal lives that they deserve. The sisters refuse to let her go and the youngest sister says she knows somebody who might be able to help. This person is – of course – Rumpelstiltskin.

David, Hook and Elsa are looking at the mirror when Belle comes up and stops them, saying the mirror will make them see the worst in themselves. Belle then looks in the mirror and says it’s not the real one. David quickly puts together that the Snow Queen brought the fake mirror to the tower because she wanted to be caught. By the time they reach the station, the Snow Queen has frozen the doors shut, trapping her and Emma inside.

Robin is throwing darts in Granny’s when Will Scarlet walks in, sees Robin and turns to leave. Robin stops him and makes him have a drink with him. He is still angry with Will for nearly getting all the Merry Men killed for the woman he loved. Robin asks where the woman is now and Will is silent. Understanding how he feels, Robin apologizes.

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He then begins telling Will the story of how he met Marian, which Will says he has already heard many times. Robin stole a horse from Marian’s family and Marian begged for him to give it back because her family was poor. He decided to give the horse back and give them his horse. From then on, he decided he would only steal from the rich and give to the poor. He credits Marian with making him the man he is and says he needs to remember that. Will said that he once asked Marian how she gave up everything to be with an outlaw like Robin. She said that there was good in Robin and when there’s good in someone, you don’t give up on them, especially when they don’t see it. She told him that you have to fight for true every day when you find it. Robin asks Will if he still believes that after everything he’s done for love and Will says that when you find someone you love enough to ruin your entire life, it’s always worth it.

Meanwhile in Rumpelstiltskin’s shop, Henry sweeps the floor, but asks his grandfather if he can learn something more magical. He is given furniture polish – a potion that can turn something old into something new. David, Hook, Elsa and Belle come in at that moment to ask for his help unfreezing the Sheriff’s Station. He agrees and but as they leave, Hook accuses him of having history with the Snow Queen because he has managed to stay calm the entire time she’s been in town. Rumpelstiltskin reveals nothing and they leave the shop.

The Snow Queen and her sisters visit Rumpelstiltskin and ask him for help controlling her powers. Being who he is, Rumpelstiltskin doesn’t understand why anyone would want to limit their power, but gives her some white gloves and a warning that true love is free, but magic always comes with a price. He also gives her the urn as an extra precaution. He says that if she feels out of control, she just has to take off the top and can trap herself inside. In exchange, he wants the ribbons off each of their wrists. The sisters hesitate but the Snow Queen insists that she needs what he’s offering and gives him the ribbons.

Emma and the Snow Queen’s conversation continues with her trying to turn Emma against her family. She says her parents used her to break the curse and are still using her powers. She warns that they love Emma now, but one mistake could turn Emma and her powers in their worst nightmare. Continuing to push, she says Emma’s parents are probably thankful that their new baby is normal. Emma gets angry and accidently blows a hole through the wall of the room. The Snow Queen commends her use of her power and then leaves behind a panicked Emma.

When Emma steps out of the station, everyone comes to make sure she’s okay. She tells them to stay away because she can’t control her magic. Hook tries to get closer and Emma’s power causes a light pole to fall and hit David. Mary Margaret chastises Emma, immediately apologizing after, but Emma is already running away. The Snow Queen watches with pride from around a corner.  

Back in Arendelle, a duke who is courting the middle sister approaches the Snow Queen and tries to kiss her instead. She pushes him away with her magic and when the sister walks up, he tries to tell her that the Snow Queen kissed him. The sister doesn’t believe him for a second and refuses to see him again. He says that he plans to tell everyone about the Snow Queen’s powers, calling her a monster who needs to be locked up. The Snow Queen starts to use her power, but her sister steps in front of the duke and is frozen instead. The duke runs away as the Snow Queen watches her sister’s frozen body crumple to pieces.  

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Regina continues to work in her vault when Robin comes in again. He tells her about how he has always stolen from the rich to give to the poor and lived by a moral code. She asks him why he’s there and he says it’s because today is not one of those days and kisses her.

David, Hook and Elsa return home to tell Mary Margaret that they haven’t found Emma. Elsa says she can relate to what Emma is feeling because she has also felt like her family and friends feared her. Mary Margaret tells David that they failed because Emma looked to them and only saw their fear.

Meanwhile, Emma sits alone in her car, looking out over Storybrooke, and the Snow Queen looks triumphantly into her real magic mirror.

Back in Arendelle, the Snow Queen’s other sister – Elsa’s mother – finds her kneeling over their sister’s body. She realizes what has happened and looks horrified. The Snow Queen begs for her sister’s mercy, but she calls her a monster and backs away. She sees the urn from Rumpelstiltskin and opens it, sucking the Snow Queen inside. She then goes to the rock trolls and asks for a potion to make the entire kingdom forget about her two sisters, which he agrees to but gives the standard warning that all magic comes with a price.

The Snow Queen comes to Rumpelstiltskin’s shop, ready to finally make a deal with him. She wants her ribbons back, but he tells her that she doesn’t have anything he wants anymore. She says she knows what he needs to separate his power from the dagger. She offers him this because she knows that he wants to be able to leave Storybrooke without losing his power. She says he wants what all villains want: everything. He shows her the ribbons, but asks why she is being so generous. She said that he can do what he wants with the rest of the world, but she wants Storybrooke. He agrees to their deal, but she must tell him what he needs first. She whispers it in his ear and he says he will do it with “great pleasure.”

Catch “Once Upon a Time” Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.

Reach Staff Reporter Alex Reed here.