Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-25361971-20150128004028/@comment-24674051-20150326133721

Here's a thought. I recall one of the Early BTS pics showed Robin and family walking in NYC, looking up, and seeing something that alarms them. (I think Roland was even pointing at it). We're getting Young Emma and Lily's father in "Best Laid Plans", and then the Pre-finale sequence of "Lily" and "Mother".

What if what they see in NYC is nothing other than a "Random" Dragon appearing. Robin, knowing who Maleficent is (as seen in Wonderland, he's definitly familiar with her background), combined with probably knowing that Mal is in Storybrooke (I am assuming that Regina gets a message to him after Emma locates him, and he will probably be easy to locate), he just assumes that Mal is roaming NYC in Dragon form, which is why he heads back to Storybrooke. However, the dragon is NOT Maleficent, but her child (and we eventually get the reveal that it is Lily 2 weeks later).