Once: Pilot Script

Act 3

ACT THREE

INT. CASTLE - WAR ROOM - FAIRY TALE LAND

CLOSE ON a wood table. A FIST slams down. It shudders.

CHARMING (O.S.)
I say we fight!

REVEAL a WAR ROOM and Charming's council: KNIGHTS. DWARVES. JIMINY CRICKET. GEPPETTO with a REAL little boy, PINOCCHIO. A KNITTING and scared GRANNY is comforted by RED RIDING HOOD. Snow, now with an EIGHT MONTHS pregnant belly. It's TENSE.

CRICKET
Fighting is a bad idea. Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything.

CHARMING
And how many wars has a clear conscience won? We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse.

DOC
Maybe we should slow down. Can we even trust Rumplestiltskin?

CHARMING
I sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan. It's going to happen. We have to do something.

SNOW
There's no point. The future is written.

CHARMING
No. I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose --

SNOW
...Maybe it can.

25.

CHARMING
Not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child. She is the savior. If we protect her, we can win.

SNOW
But how?

And then the DOOR FLIES OPEN. In walk FOUR KNIGHTS HAULING a LARGE TREE TRUNK. They plop it on the ground.

CHARMING
What the hell is this?

ETHEREAL FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
Our only hope of saving that child.

And now in floats THE BLUE FAIRY. She hovers over the trunk.

GRUMPY
A tree? Our fate rests on a tree? Let's get back to the fighting thing.

BLUE FAIRY
The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse. Geppetto, can you build such a thing?

GEPPETTO
(Italian accent)
Me and my boy can do it.

He lovingly pats Pinocchio on the back. The fairy nods.

BLUE FAIRY
This will work. You all must have faith.

Charming looks from her to Snow. Squeezes her hand. He believes it. And this moment of relief is interrupted by --

BLUE FAIRY
There is, however, a catch.

SILENCE. Isn't there always? All eyes turn to the Fairy.

26.

BLUE FAIRY
The enchantment is indeed powerful. But all power has its limits and this tree can protect only ONE.

Charming and Snow look at one another. The implication is sinking in just as the Blue Fairy explains --

BLUE FAIRY
A choice must be made.

FUCK. The implication hits. Snow can't bear this and looks out the window, into the WOODS, which now DISSOLVE TO --

EXT. STORYBROOKE - NIGHT

THE WOODS. Emma drives out and into the nearly deserted town square of Storybrooke. A proud town that has seen better days. Passing shops, restaurants, a clock tower. This place is its own world. And right now, it's after midnight and pretty much shut down. IN THE CAR. Emma looks at Henry.

EMMA
Okay, Kid. How about an address?

HENRY
115 South Not-Telling-You Street.

Emma's jaw tightens. She quickly pulls the car over. Faces Henry. Collects herself. This is HARD. DEEP BREATH --