Rumplestiltskin's Cell

The Dark Dungeon sometimes called Rumplestiltskin's Cell is an Enchanted Forest location on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the first episode of the first season.

It is the former prison of the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin.

Before the Curse
In order to escape a contract that requires her to give Rumplestiltskin her unborn child, Cinderella tricks him into signing a contract with a magic quill containing squid ink that freezes him and his powers. He is then placed in his dungeon. Before going there, Rumplestiltskin gathers his own jar of Squid Ink and takes it with him, storing it in his cell for later use. As they needed to know more about the Dark Curse, the jailer takes Snow White and Prince Charming to see Rumplestiltskin, warning her not to reveal her name. When they arrive at the cell, Rumplestiltskin knows immediately who they are, and the cloaks are pointless. He says that he can reassure them but it will cost them something in return.

Prince Charming refuses but Snow White insists and asks what he wants. Rumplestiltskin asks for the name of their child and Snow White agrees, and he tells them that they will all soon be imprisoned when time stops, imprisoned somewhere horrible where everything they love will be ripped from them.

When Snow White asks what can stop it, Rumplestiltskin says that her child is their only hope and they should get her to safety. On the child's 28th birthday, she will find them and the final battle will begin. Snow White and Prince Charming walk away and Rumplestiltskin demands the name of the child, saying that it is a girl. Prince Charming insists that it is a boy, but Rumplestiltskin says that Snow White knows the truth. She turns and tells Rumplestiltskin that the child's name is Emma. Rumplestiltskin is later in his cell when he realizes that the rat outside his cell is the Evil Queen. She transforms to her human form and tells him that the Dark Curse he gave her is not working. Rumplestiltskin says that Snow White and Prince Charming visited him, and that he told them that only their unborn child can stop the darkness. She asks what she did wrong, and Rumplestiltskin says that he will in return for a good life in her new life, and that she must heed his every request as long as he says "please." The Evil Queen notes that he will not remember anything if the curse succeeds, and agrees. He then tells her that she needs to sacrifice the heart of something precious. When she states she used the heart of her most prized steed, Rumplestiltskin hisses she needs more than just a horse's heart for the curse to work. The Evil Queen asks what will suffice, and he says the heart of what she loves most. When she says that what she loved most died because of Snow White, Rumplestiltskin says that there must be something else and tells her to consider how far she's willing to go. The Evil Queen says she'll go as far as it takes, and he tells her to stop wasting time and go kill it.

After the Curse
Mr. Gold tells Henry that he has to tell to Aurora that in order to defeat Cora and steal the compass from her they have to go to the Dark Dungeon and find the rests of the magical ink that can paralyze any magical being. Aurora, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Mulan then go to the Dark Dungeon to acquire the jar of ink, but Mulan finds the jar to be empty. Instead, they find the ink had been used on a piece of parchment with Emma's name written repeatedly. At that moment, Cora influences Aurora via her heart to throw a rock at the lever and slam the gate shut; trapping the four women inside. Cora and Hook appear and they steal the compass. When all seems lost, Mary Margaret remembers how Cora used magic with her spell book and blows the squid ink off of the page onto the cell bars. It forms a cloud and disintegrates the cell bars and they are able to escape. However, Aurora fears that as long as Cora has her heart she will be to dangerous so she asks to be tied up.

After Cora and Hook are defeated and Mary Margaret and Emma travel back to Storybrooke, Mulan returns with Aurora's heart and places it back inside her body. The two discuss bringing back Prince Phillip's soul, and they go off to do so.

Trivia

 * The dwarves created this prison.