Once Upon A Time S04E14 Recap: Enter the Dragon

Regina is back to being bad, or atleast pretending to be. She heads into Granny's diner to see her old frenemy Maleficent. The dragon is back from the ashes and Regina is ready to take the dragon on, but Maleficent isn't interested in getting revenge, she has much bigger fish to fry. Regina claims that she's been playing nice because she had no choice but she's ready to get back to her all too bad roots. Maleficent sees it as a ploy, but offers her a drink to prove her badness.

Past, Regina is upset over yet another accolade for Snow. Rumpelstiltskin mocks Regina, she taught her to ride and now Snow reaps the benefits. Regina is tired of watching Snow grow up, getting everything that she wanted. Rumpelstiltskin's lessons have gotten her nowhere, and she's tired of it. He tells her not to throw stones, and what Maleficent did by taking her time. Regina sees it as yet another stall, and tells her that if she thinks that she can rush things maybe she should go to Maleficent herself. He transports her to the eternally burning tree, and Regina takes up his offer and heads to the castle.

Emma hears about Regina's plan, and doesn't like it in the least. But Regina is suppose to check in which brings little comfort since she's missed her time window.

Regina sits in the cars with the other Queens of Darkness. Regina tries to find out how Cruella and Ursula managed to resurrect Maleficent. The girls don't exactly trust her yet, so they're not spilling the beans. Instead Maleficent looks to test her. She parks on the tracks, where a speeding train is rushing towards them. Whoever saves them first loses. The train barrels towards them, and just shy of impact Regina uses her magic to transport them to safety. Maleficent pays up, and wonders if Regina has gotten soft. Regina claims she's just rusty, and suggests that they go out and get into some real trouble.

Henry looks for more clues to the Author's identity from the page that appeared to him. Belle checks on him to see if he found anything. He's sure the door in the picture has something to do with it, he just has to figure out what.

Hook has found little at Granny's besides some empty liquor bottles and an angry Granny. The Queens are gone, and so is Regina. Emma is even more worried.

Snow and David are out looking for Regina too. Snow is starting to think that maybe this isn't a good idea. Does Snow ever have good ideas? She spots a burned out car next to the river, its one of the sheriff cars. Regina comes out of nowhere. The burned out car was Maleficent's idea of a good time. She needs to go back in, since she was able to find out little about the powerful thing that the three were hiding. The night did establish trust through, so while she had to seek out Maleficent the night before, now she thinks Maleficent will come to her.

Past. Regina sought out Maleficent then too. Armed with little more than a book and a plea, Regina confesses that she's been studying magic, and wishes for her to teach her more. A disembodied voice, Maleficent tells her to light the fire. Regina worries over the task, but does it all the same. Maleficent saunters out, clearly drunk. She hasn't had a decent fire in ages. She's less than what she was, all because of a briar rose and a kiss. Regina thinks that Maleficent just needs to remember what she was. Maleficent is ill tempered, sending her and her insinuations away.

The ladies return to the cabin. Gold is surprised to hear that they were out with Regina. He ensures that they didn't tell her where they were hiding, or that the thing that they were hiding was him. The girls wonder if Regina will truly help. Gold isn't sure. Regina went dark with heart break, and she's just had her heart broken again, so its possible. Everyone will need to choose a side in the upcoming war they're about to start, Regina included.

Past. Regina walks away from Maleficent's castle when she's happened upon by a man offering to take her to the next kingdom. He tells her that Briar Rose's daughter is going to be married. Regina takes this news back to Maleficent, who doesn't know why Regina would care so much. If someone as powerful as Maleficent can't get their revenge, then Regina never would. Maleficent sees a kindred soul in Regina, she too lost someone close to her, and the girl responsible still lives. Maleficent tells her to give up, to find another hobby. Regina sees the wedding as a reason to get up, to become a dragon once more. Maleficent reveals that she can't turn into a dragon anymore, she lost that fire. Regina thinks that they should work to get that fire back.

In Regina's tomb, she works to clean up. Maleficent apologizes for not staying to clean up. Regina thinks that Maleficent needed the beauty sleep more than she did. Last night was fun, but the morning after hang over, not so much. Maleficent offers her some aspirins, she needs her sharp. Maleficent reveals to her that they too are looking for the author, that Gold spilled the beans in New York. Regina tells her that they won't get any closer to finding the author than she has, but Maleficent thinks she needs better allies. Maleficent won't show her whole hand, but she has something she wants Regina to do.

Regina meets with Team Hero. She asked for a covert meeting, but didn't expect the Charmings, Emma and Hook. Evil has a plan, and Regina means to stick it out. She reveals that Evil is looking for the author too, but not just for happy endings. They want an entire shift of power, for Evil to triumph, and for everyone else's happy endings to be destroyed. Emma wants to go undercover with Regina, and she's not negotiating. She's all in for Operation Mongoose, and to protect Regina however she can.

Cruella's car rolls down the street, as Regina waits with Emma watching closeby and the doors open. No one is inside. Maleficent sneaks up on Regina, telling her that its just them tonight.

Belle offers the Knave a bite of delicious chocolate cake. She tells him its to die for. Hook drops in on the pair, and Will asks to take it outside, rather than fighting in front of the lady. Hook isn't there for Will, but for Belle. Alone, Hook reveals Regina's intel. They're powerful witches who are seeking more power. Hook thinks that they're after the dark one's power, for themselves or to control him. Hook suggests that they move the dagger from its hiding place, and there's no one better to bury treasure than him.

Emma continues to track Regina. Regina and Maleficent arrive at Marco's house. Regina notes that the thing of power couldn't possibly be in his house, but Maleficent tells her it is, his son Pinocchio. Regina has already gone this route, trying to gleam information from August, but when he was turned back into a boy he lost all his memories. Maleficent wonders if Cruella wasn't right, that Regina has gone soft. Regina has spent too much time around heroes, she's forgotten who she is. Maleficent taunts her, if she wants to prove herself, she will steal the little boy.

Past. Maleficent doesn't care that there is still a tree that burns from her dragon fire. Regina sees its as her spark, she just needs to reclaim it. Maleficent redresses in all her glory, and goes out to the tree. She sucks in the fire, but she's not sure that she's back. King Stephen rides in with his men, threatening Maleficent, telling her that if she intends to try to stop Aurora's happiness as she did with Briar Rose's he will put an end to her. Maleficent doesn't appreciate his threats, and tries to transform into a dragon, but finds that she cannot.

August works hard in Marco's workshop on a rocking horse, which looks to be a perfect work when Regina arrives. Marcos asks if everything is alright. With a wave of her hand, Regina puts them both to sleep. Regina is reluctant to complete the next step. Emma sneaks in. She felt Regina casting the sleeping spell, and her gut told her something was wrong. Emma wants to pull the plug on the mission. Regina is sure that the Queens will get the boy regardless, at least this way she can keep them from harming him. The Villains have taken a page from the Hero handbook, and are working together. Its time the Heroes broke some rules. Emma doesn't like it, but she agrees. Regina can move forward with the plan, but Emma doesn't like what she sees, she's going in after her. Regina emerges with August in her arms, and Maleficent welcomes her back.

Past. Stephen bound both Regina and Maleficent to take them back with him. Regina works on burning her ropes. She refuses to go out this way. Maleficent warns that there are too many of them, and Regina admits its true, but she has to try. Regina burns her way through the ropes and tosses a fireball at the soldiers. She's out of magic, not strong enough to conjure more. Maleficent watches Regina, and decides to take action too. She transforms into a giant dragon. The beast is back.

Emma looks at her tracker, and realizes that Regina has ditched her phone and gone rogue. Emma finds Regina's phone with a simple message of “I got this.”

Past. Aurora prepares for her wedding when Maleficent surprises her. Her father told her that he would protect her, but he failed. She considered killing Briar Rose, and King Stephen, but that wouldn't cause enough pain. Aurora knows that her mother defeated Maleficent, and thinks she can too with her true love. But Maleficent has a plan, and she has her own special curse in mind for Prince Phillip. She pricks Aurora's finger, sending the princess into slumber. Regina feels inspired by Maleficent's wickedness. Maleficent gives Regina some of the credit, for reminding her who she is.

Belle and Hook go to retrieve the dagger. She asks if he knows where he plans to hide it. He does, but thinks its best if she doesn't know where. He tells her that she won't see him again until the deed is done. Belle goes to hand over the dagger and hesitates. She has a nagging feeling that Gold is already in town. The dagger is her only protection against him. Hook suggests that she use the dagger. If he is there, he has no choice but to come and face her. Belle calls out to him with the dagger in hand, and Gold doesn't appear. Finding that she's wrong, she hands over the dagger to Hook, who isn't really Hook at all. The dark one has possession of his dagger once more.

Gold pays his shop a visit, under the guise of Hook once more. Belle tends to her rose. He tells her that the dagger is safe once more, and he swears her into secrecy by a pirates oath. They cannot tell anyone about what they did. Hook spots the rose, its a gift from Will. He asks if its serious. She's not sure what it is. It's new, and nice. She's not sure she can ever get over Will, but for now Will makes her smile. Belle asks what the beef is between Hook and Will, and all Hook will reveal is that he took something that he cared for. Hook leaves, and spies Belle through the window gushing on the phone with her pretty rose.

Past. Rumpelstiltskin is curious how Regina was able to return so soon. She rode on the back of a dragon. Rumpelstiltskin was sure that she lost the power. She didn't lose it, but forgot how to use it. Maleficent showed her that she already had a good teacher, and that death may be too simple, too nice. She will take the time she needs to learn, and then she will get her own happy ending, she will get her revenge.

Maleficent takes Regina out to Gold's cabin. The Queens needed a hideout, and the hovel became available. Regina realizes that their dark magic isn't an object but a person. Gold exposes himself, dagger and all. There was no way he was staying banished long. He learned a lot about himself, sometimes the teacher needs to learn from the student, and sometimes you need to fall very far before you see the light. He's finally realized the same truth Regina knew, they need the author for their happy endings. Regina asks what he intends to do with the boy, and Gold tells her to step aside. He doesn't plan to make the young Pinocchio remember anything, it won't work. Torturing the elder August though, that is another story. With a wave of his dagger, August returns, and Gold prepares to begin.