Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-23906605-20130930233425/@comment-4839682-20130930234033

Hook and Cora have never been to Storybrooke. They can't think of a place they've never been. It also would have been extra insurance.

As for MM and Emma, they didn't know how portals work, they would have wanted the compass not only to stop Cora, but also likely because they probably thought it was needful.