Once_upon_a_time_1x19 -

Gold realizes the truth when August attempts to use the dagger to command him. Because there is no magic in Storybrooke, the dagger is useless—a fact the real Baelfire would have known, as he intentionally sought a world without magic. August confesses he is actually looking for a magical cure for a fatal illness.

In the Enchanted Forest, Baelfire makes a deal with his father, Rumplestiltskin , to give up his dark powers. The Blue Fairy provides a magic bean to transport them to a land without magic. However, Rumplestiltskin lets go of his son’s hand at the last second, allowing Baelfire to fall through the portal alone while he remains behind, consumed by fear of losing his power. Once_upon_a_time_1x19

While debunked as Baelfire, clues like the wooden donkey carving and his leg pain point toward his true identity as Pinocchio, which is fully explored in the following episode. Gold realizes the truth when August attempts to