The Magic Compass is a magical item featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the fifth episode of the second season.
History
After the Curse
Captain Hook insists he only survived because he played dead. Fortunately, Emma isn’t buying his story and ties him to tree to get him to talk. After a bit of coaxing, Captain Hook relents and in exchange for not being left behind with the ogres, offers to point the way to another possible portal back to Storybrooke, with the Magic Compass. The only catch is that he gets to go through the portal with them when the time comes, suggesting that he’s more interested in his revenge on Rumplestiltskin than on who helps him get there. The final shot from the Enchanted Forest reveals a beanstalk stretching to the sky. ("The Doctor")
Emma Swan, Captain Hook, Mulan, Mary Margaret Blanchard, and Princess Aurora arrive at the beanstalk which is the entrance to the realm of the giants. Captain Hook tells the others that this beanstalk and giant are the last of their kind. Captain Hook tells them that they will have to climb the beanstalk to get the magic compass. The magic compass will guide them to Storybrooke. He said that Cora has the ashes from the Magic Wardrobe to open a portal ("The Crocodile") but she will also need the magic compass to find her way to their land. After getting the magic compass, they will then have to steal the magic wardrobe's ashes from Cora to return to Storybrooke. He reveals to the four women that he possesses a counterspell from Cora that was originally intended to allow him and Cora to climb the beanstalk. Now that he has chosen to align himself with Emma and company, he can take one of them up the beanstalk with him to get the compass. Aurora volunteers because she has no one left in the world, Mulan volunteers because she is the best warrior of the group, and Mary Margaret wants to go as Emma is too new to this world. But Emma overrules them, stating she must do this for Henry. After Mary Margaret cuts Captain Hook free from his bonds, he slaps a black cuff on Emma that glows gold briefly, and allows her to climb the beanstalk. Before she beings to climb, Emma takes Mulan aside, and asks her that if she and Captain Hook are not back in ten hours, will she cut down the beanstalk with her sword. Mulan agrees, and then gives Emma a concoction ofGround Poppy Dust in order to put the Giant to sleep. Emma and Captain Hook then begin their climb.
In the Giant's home on top of the beanstalk, Captain Hook and Emma wander through the place, Emma looking for the magical compass while Captain Hook seems to have more of an eye on the treasure all around him. Emma states for Captain Hook to pay attention and that she needs the compass. Captain Hook tucks a golden coin in his belt and then walks past Emma, stating all they need is right in front of them
Back in the Giant's lair, Emma and Captain Hook stumble across the skeleton of Jack the Giant Killer. All that remains is his bones, a few tattered bits of cloth, and a large sword with Jack's name inscribed on it. As Captain Hook prepares to search further, Emma grabs a hold of him to save him for tripping over a tripwire. Captain Hook takes this as a sign of affection from Emma, which she refutes immediately. The two then resume the search for the compass.
Emma believes she sees the compass on top of a golden bird cage. She asks Captain Hook to give her a boost, to which Captain Hook retorts he should be the one being boosted. He asks Emma to trust him. Emma remains silent for a few moments before they hear the sound of the Giant pounding up behind them. Roaring in fury, he storms towards them, and his movements loosen stones from the ceiling and seemingly crush Captain Hook beneath them.
The Giant lunges towards Emma and grabs her in his hand, and proceeds to being to squeeze the life out of her. Emma pleads with him that she needs the compass to get back to her son, but the Giant does not heed her. Almost out of breath, Emma bites the Giant's hand causing her to be dropped. Catching her breath, she runs away and grabs Jack's sword laying nearby. She cuts the rope holding a large iron trap and it falls on top of the Giant, seemingly trapping him. Menacing him with the poisoned sword, she demands the compass. The Giant reluctantly gives it to her, stating that she is going to kill him anyway and that all humans are alike. Emma states that they are not all alike and walks away. The Giant then breaks out of the trap and runs towards Emma. But rather than grab her again, he reveals a secret exit from his lair, saying that he owes Emma a favor for not killing him. Emma then states that the Giant actually owes her two favors since she could have killed him while he was unconscious. The Giant agrees. Emma then goes to Captain Hook, pulls him out from under the rocks and shows him the magical compass. Captain Hook reaches for it, but Emma tucks it back into her coat pocket. Then she clamps a manacle on Captain Hook, stating that she cannot fully trust him. She turns and leaves as Captain Hook roars at her for her to come back and free him.
On the ground, Mulan observes that it has been ten hours since Emma climbed the stalk. Reluctantly she unsheathes her sword and goes to work on the beanstalk, swinging her sword and shaking the beanstalk to its core. An enraged Mary Margaret lunges at Mulan and demands to know what she is doing. Mulan gasps out that it was Emma's wish for the beanstalk to be cut down if she was not back in ten hours. Emma then jumps to the ground with the compass in her hand. Aurora then asks about Captain Hook, to which Emma responds he is fine but that he is a bit held up. Mulan and Aurora make ready to break camp while Mary Margaret hugs her daughter close and scolds her for telling Mulan to cut down the beanstalk. ("Tallahassee")
Captain Hook, having just completed his climb down from the Beanstalk, is greeted by Cora, who asks for the compass. Hook explains that he does not possess it, and Cora responds that he's betrayed her. The captain tells her he always intended to bring it to her, and that he will retrieve it from Emma Swan and the two of them will travel to Storybrooke together. Cora responds by telling him she doesn't have time for his games, and leaves him, alone with no way to Storybrooke, and his taste for vengeance left unquinched.
Aurora is imprisoned in the cell beneath the former Haven. Cora comes in carrying a tray of stew. A stoic Aurora informs her that she will not be eating, as she is fearful that the food may be poisoned. Cora laughs and says that Aurora is more useful to her alive then dead, as she intends to trade Aurora for the magic compass. Aurora states that this is a bad idea, as she is a stranger to Mary Margaret and Emma and that the two of them want to get home, and will do anything to do so, including sacrificing her. Cora informs Aurora she may not know her companions as well as she thinks. Cora then tells Aurora that when the Wraith sucked the soul from Phillip, the soul was not in fact destroyed, but was sent to another world. Cora hints that if Aurora cooperates with her, she may be able to summon Phillip's soul back to Fairytale Land. Aurora does not believe her and rebukes her, standing up angrily and upsetting the tray of food. An angry Cora flings the "plucky" girl against the wall with her magic, knocking Aurora unconscious.
As the group is hacking their way through the forest with Mulan leading, a raven swoops onto Mary Margaret's shoulder. It communicates to her that if the magical compass is not given to Cora by sundown, then something will happen to Aurora. Immediately Mulan demands the compass from Emma, and when Emma does not give it freely moves to physically take it from her. Emma and Mary Margaret convince her to allow them till sundown to contact Henry and come up with a plan. If that does not work, then they will give the compass to Mulan so she can rescue Aurora.
Mary Margaret wakes up and scrambles to find some leftover poppy dust, stating that David is all alone in the dream world and she has to get back to him. Emma tries to comfort her, stating that they will be able to save and awaken David. Mary Margaret rounds on her, asking her how she is so sure of this. Emma states that she believes in the love that Mary Margaret and David have for each other. Mary Margaret smilingly acknowledges this, but the two then discover that Mulan has run off with the compass. The two of them go after Mulan, and an angry Mary Margaret nearly hits Mulan with an arrow, stating the next one will be between her shoulder blades. Mary Margaret tackles Mulan when she refuses to give her the compass, and nearly kills her before Aurora jumps in, revealing she has escaped from Cora's jail cell by way of Hook. ("Into the Deep")
Mulan finds the container that held the squid ink but it is empty. Aurora then throws a rock, causing the cell walls to fall down on them, caging them into the cell. Cora then appears and tells them that Aurora has been helping her, summoning the compass from Emma's hand. The group then questions Aurora for betraying them but Cora shows them the heart, telling them that she was under her control. Hook steps forward and tells Emma that he was the one to take the heart. Cora walks away with the compass in one hand and Aurora's heart in the other, on her way to find Storybrooke. Before they leave Emma asks Hook to stop and tells him that her son needs her. Hook laughs and tells her that she should have thought about that before she abandoned him on the beanstalk. Emma tells him that he would have done the same but Hook denies this. Then he shows Emma the magic bean that the giant kept and compares her to it; saying she too is dried up and useless. He then leaves with Cora.
Cora and Hook are guided by the compass to a dried up Lake Nostos. The lake can restore the magic of wardrobe ashes. Cora uses her magic to create a geyser, which shoots water up into the air refilling the lake. ("Queen of Hearts")
Trivia
- In Dinsney's movie "Pirates of the Caribean", a pirate had a compass that pointed the Heart's Desire.
Appearances
| Once Upon a Time: Season Two | ||||||||||
| "Broken": | "We Are Both": | "Lady of the Lake": | "The Crocodile": | "The Doctor": | "Tallahassee": | "Child of the Moon": | "Into the Deep": | "Queen of Hearts": | "The Cricket Game": | "The Outsider": |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Mentioned | Appears | Absent | Appears | Appears | Absent | Absent |
| "In the Name of the Brother": | "Tiny": | "Manhattan": | "The Queen Is Dead": | "The Miller's Daughter": | "Welcome to Storybrooke": | "Selfless, Brave and True": | "Lacey": | "The Evil Queen": | "Second Star to the Right": | "And Straight On 'Til Morning": |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |