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There's More To Rumple & Zelena's Story On 'OUAT'

The next episode of Once Upon A Time will see the return of two legendary characters — Robin Hood and the Wicked Witch of the West. On Sunday's episode "Heart of Gold," Zelena and Rumplestiltskin will cross paths on Once Upon A Time yet again. The last time we saw the green lady, she was stabbed to near-death by Rumplestiltskin. Her energy was then zapped into a portal. Has Zelena returned for revenge? Has Zelena been disguising herself as Marian this whole time as some fans are speculating? That would take a lot of tricky logistics, even for a show that includes magic and dragons. According to a sneak peek, this is unlikely. The Wicked Witch's scenes seem to take place in flashbacks.

In the past, Rumplestiltskin gives Robin Hood a task and, according to the official ABC press release, "Robin Hood learns what it means to be an honorable thief." These two have crossed paths in the Enchanted Forest once before, when Robin Hood tried to rob the Dark One's mansion. What Rumplestiltskin wants this time is called "The Elixir of the Wounded Heart" from Zelena's vault. He offers the thief golden straw as payment. Watch the scene below.

Is anyone else getting a Tin Man and/or Scarecrow vibe from this? Many characters on Once Upon A Time have multiple fairytale identities. Could Robin Hood or the Dark One himself be one of Dorothy's famed companions? The heart, courage, and brains motifs were used by the Wicked Witch to complete her time travel curse. However, there are many aspects of Oz lore that OUAT didn't touch upon in Season 3. It would be cool to see those worlds collide again. Also, what does Rumplestiltskin want with this elixir in the first place? Whose wounded heart does he want to mend, his own? Perhaps that of Belle or Baelfire? Surely not Regina's, right? The Dark Curse depends upon her broken heart and most of the flashbacks in the back half of the season have dealt with the days leading up to the spell that started it all.

My guess is that this somehow ties back to Maleficent and her daughter. We still don't know how the baby was conceived. She may be part magical reptile, but considering the show's focus on family connections, I think we'll eventually see that Lily has another fairy tale parent .

I have a hunch that Robin Hood will take pity on Zelena's past. Remember how she was abandoned by Cora out of shame and then raised by an abusive man who shunned her magic? As a father and "honorable thief," Robin will sympathize and might have trouble completing his task. Or, perhaps it is too late and he is haunted by what he did. Zelena could appear in Marian's form as part of a nightmare.

I would actually prefer that the Wicked Witch stay in flashbacks. Zelena's green jealousy just brings back Cora feelings, and it's time to move on from that. Can you imagine what would happen if Zelena brought all of that baggage back into Storybrooke? The post-Robin Hood Regina is doing so well, and that would completely ruin all of her progress.

Still, I'm looking forward to seeing more of Rebecca Mader's take on the classic villainess, especially in this "Queens of Darkness" heavy arc. Can I get a "ding dong"?

Images: ABC (2)