'OUAT' Season 5 Might Need Lily More Than Ever

Since we've got several long months before Once Upon A Time Season 5 kicks off, that gives us plenty of time to kick back and ruminate on everything that happened in Season 4 and how it'll shape what's coming next. Clearly Emma's turn from Savior to Dark one is the prime focus, but there's another aspect of life in Storybrooke that deserves more of our attention, because I think it will have a profound effect the events of next season in one way or another: Lily's arrival. Emma brought her back in order to reunite her with her mother, Maleficent, and Lily is now set on finding her dragon dad. But there's got to be more to her storyline than that, right?

After all, Lily and Emma are connected in ways neither of them ever could have known as fellow foster kids in their earlier years. Now that the truth about Snow White and Prince Charming's terrible act of condemning Lily to a life of darkness to spare Emma is public, that connection is going to become more important than ever — especially since Emma's hero status is up in the air now that she's gone darker than Lily ever could have done. Maybe Lily will team up with Regina and the rest of the gang to restore Emma to her former self, but before that, there are a few things we need to know about Lily herself.

Who IS Lily's Father?

We know that Maleficent is Lily's mother, but even Mal doesn't know who Lily's father is, since apparently "it's a dragon thing", so it's anyone's guess as to her parentage on that side. Given Lily's pointed mention of her quest to find her father during the season finale, I think he might end up being someone pretty important. Could it be... Merlin?

Why Did The Apprentice Tell Lily The Truth?

When Emma pushed Lily away for the final time, she had nowhere else to turn. Then, while riding a bus, the Apprentice turns up to tell Lily everything about her history and the world she came from. Why on earth did he do that? I'm assuming partially out of guilt, given that he felt forced into bowing to Snow and Charming's will in the first place. But seriously, does he not realize how reckless that was?

Furthermore, Why Did Lily Believe Him?

If some random old man came up to you on a bus and told you that you're actually from a fairy tale land and the daughter of a dragon, would you believe them? No, you'd probably immediately get up and escape as quickly as possible. But Lily clearly believed the Apprentice — maybe because she had nothing else to believe in.

What Has Lily Been Doing All These Years?

Sure, we know Lily's been living under an assumed name and working at some dingy cafe, but we also know she's aware of her history, as evidenced by the detailed map on her wall. So what was she doing? Lying in wait until something big happened? How did she react after finding out her true identity? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Why Didn't Lily Ever Go Looking For Storybrooke?

OK, so we know Storybrooke is under a number of spells and not just any old person could go waltzing in. But it HAS happened — remember August? Neal? It wasn't impossible, and given how much information she had, she COULD have found where the town begins, even if she didn't immediately know how to get in. So why didn't she?

Is Lily Really Dropping Her Grudge Against Snow White & Prince Charming?

At Maleficent's behest, Lily agreed to concentrate on her relationship with her mother and stay for a while. But her feelings against Snow and Charming, while quelled at the moment, aren't likely to just disappear, right? How she's going to get back at them at anyone's guess.

What Does The Curse Against Lily Really Mean?

We know that what happened to Lily means that her whole life is a series of unfortunate events, but how far does that curse actually extend, and does it preclude her from ever having her own happy ending? I don't know, but I'd sure like to find out.

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