Ashes, Ashes

"Ashes, Ashes" is the second episode of Season One of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Greg Beeman. It is the second episode of the series overall, and premiered on October 16, 2011.

Synopsis
Daniel tries to get Ashley to her real prince, Thomas. Emma continues to spite Raina, as she tries to get Emma out of town. Caitlin begins to fall in love with Alan, although she recognizes it is not right. In flashbacks, we see Cinderella attends the ball after being told not to by her step-family.

Plot
Ashley and Alan awaken in bed as the former realizes it is almost time for school. Ashley gets dressed and kisses Alan goodbye as she leaves. Emma leaves the bed and breakfast and meets with Daniel as he is on his way to the bus stop. Daniel tells her that Ashley is actually Cinderella. Emma asks if that means that Alan is Prince Charming. Daniel tells her yes but Charming is Snow White's prince. Prince James is Cinderella's prince. Emma asks what Cinderella is doing with Snow's prince and Daniel says it is part of the Queen's curse. He tells Emma it is their next mission to get Ashley with Thomas, James' counterpart in this world.

In the Fairytale World, Cinderella does her step-sisters', Drizella and Anastasia, hair. She asks her step-mother, Lady Tremaine if she can go to the ball as well. Tremaine says that if Cinderella can do her week's worth of chores and find something to wear she can go. Cinderella lights up as she begins her chore list. Later on, Cinderella has finished everything and wears her mother's dress. Tremaine and her daughters laugh at her and tear her dress into pieces. Cinderella is in tears as she watches them leave. However, her Fairy Godmother appears and reveals she can help her go to the ball.

Daniel watches as Caitlin teaches his class about the importance of birds. Daniel is picked up by Raina who reveals she plans to switch Daniel to another class. Daniel begs her not to but Raina switches him into Ms. Lilyana Rose, Belle. Daniel slowly starts to realize all the teachers are princesses and princes, while the principal is the Fairy Godmother, Mrs. Karan. Emma fights Raina over the way she treats Daniel like he is not a normal kid. Raina says she is taking him into therapy sessions since he is intent that she is some Evil Queen that cast a curse. Emma and Daniel decide to meet while Raina is on her city council meetings for three hours. Daniel reveals that the curse made it so that all the princes and princesses are teachers. Emma asks if Thomas is a teacher. Daniel smiles and agrees.

Cinderella, now dressed in beautiful blue dress and glass slippers is brought to the ball in a carriage by horses and drivers, originally a pumpkin and mice. Cinderella makes it to the ball and dances with Prince James. However, Cinderella was told to get home by midnight or the spell wears off. Cinderella sees the clock strike five minutes before midnight and leaves the ball in a hurry, leaving one of her glass slippers. Cinderella barely makes it home in time as Tremaine and her daughters get home.

Daniel visits Ashley at the school while she is working late. She asks him what he needs and he tells her that she is Cinderella and that Thomas, another teacher, is her prince. Ashley tells Daniel that he needs to go home. Daniel says he is Raina's son. Ashley apologizes and offers him candy. Daniel tells her he hates his mother and would not tell her anything. Ashley thanks him but tells him she is far from Cinderella. Daniel asks who her family is. She tells him her father died so her step-mother and step-sisters made her their maid until she moved out. Daniel tells her that is Cinderella's story. Ashley leaves in a hurry. Daniel smiles.

Daniel tells Emma what he told Ashley and she tells him not to freak people out by what he is saying. Daniel gets a call from his mother saying she'll be home early to take him to his first therapy session. Daniel tells Emma to leave quickly as Raina gets home and picks him up. Prince James finds the slipper and decides to find out who fits the shoe and marry her, as she was the woman he danced with. James visits the home of everyone in the village before finding the Tremaine estate. He enters, causing Drizella and Anastasia to freak out.

Daniel meets Dr. Fletcher Woodman, his therepist. Fletcher tells him that everyone in this town is a real living person, not a fairytale character. Daniel tells him the people in the book were brought to the real world by a curse and they even look like their characters. Fletcher tells him those pictures cannot be evidence. Daniel is angry but Fletcher slowly begins to think it may be a way for Daniel to not feel lonely. Emma and Raina finally calmly talk about Daniel's book but they notice the clocktower has started working and moving again. Raina is confused but Daniel gets home and Raina forces Emma to leave their house.

In the morning, Emma finds Daniel on his way to the bus and asks him why the clock has started moving again. Daniel tells her that the curse forced time to stop but now that she is in town the curse has been weakened. Emma smiles and tells him she will go see Ashley. Prince James tries to fit the shoe on Drizella and Anastasia, but it does not fit on either. Tremaine tells the Prince that her other daughter is only a maid and did not go to the ball. James demands to see her and Cinderella is brought out. The shoe fits her and James tells Cinderella he will marry her. Cinderella says her goodbyes to her step-family before leaving with James.

Emma visits Ashley and finds out she was once engaged to Thomas, and now whenever anyone brings him up she gets worried. Emma says that Daniel is just lonely and this is his way of coping. Ashley says it is okay and Emma inspires her to go to her step-family and tell them what she thinks of them, something she was always scared to do before. Ashley goes to their house and her step-sisters, Ivy and Anastasia open the door. Their mother, Victoria Belfrey, one of the city council members, tells Ashley to leave or stay forever. Ashley tells them they are the worst family that a girl could ever have, but she still respects them and tells them she loves them. Victoria, Ivy, and Anastasia laugh and Ashley leaves.

Ashley walks home but runs into Thomas on the way. He apologizes for what he did to her years ago but Ashley says that somewhere in her heart she stills loves him. Thomas tells her it is the same with him. They kiss and Thomas drives them back to his house.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Caitlin Gunn
 * Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan
 * Dania Ramirez as Cinderella/Ashley Boyd
 * Josh Dallas as Alan Brendon
 * Andrew J. West as Prince James/Thomas Prince
 * Lana Parilla as Raina Adrianne
 * Jared S. Gilmore as Daniel Adrianne
 * Jamie Dornan (credit only)
 * Meghan Ory (credit only)
 * Emilie de Ravin as Lilyana Rose
 * Wes Brown (credit only)
 * Robert Carlyle (credit only)

Guest Starring

 * Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine/Victoria Belfrey
 * Jillian Fargey as the Fairy Godmother/Principal Karan
 * Adelaide Kane as Drizella/Ivy Belfrey
 * Sean Maguire as Fletcher Woodman
 * Emma Rigby as Anastasia/Anastasia Belfrey