Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24589671-20141027013232/@comment-24674051-20141027142844

I think there were a couple of points to the backstory.

The first is revealed in the Converstaion between Regina and Emma and the end. In Emma's relationship with Lily, they had promised to be friends, but when Emma found out that Lily had lied to her, she gave up and turned her back on Lily, which is a summary of a lot of her relationships. With Regina, She admitted that She was not trying to assuage her guilt, she just wanted a friend, someone that she would NOT turn her back on. (Which, by the way, I think really got to Regina as Well.  loved the intereaction of #SwanQueen.)

The second is speculative, but as others have said, I don't think that we have seen the last of Lily. I think this was a really unique way of introducing yet another character that we will see more of later. And my instincts are screaming another magic using female type if/when she ever shows up in storybrooke. Whether Villian or Hero remains to be seen, though obviously Emma remembers Lily, so I am hopeful for another protagonist type.

Of course, the big reveal at the end of Auntie Vanilla was also woven into this, but I don't think that was the whole point, just one small piece.