Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) and learned from him how to control her own powerful magic. Her storyline revolves around her efforts to create a time-travel spell that will allow her to go back and prevent the birth of Snow White's mother, Ava, who informed Prince Leopold (Cora's fiancé) that Cora was with child to sabotage Cora's attempts to infiltrate the royal family (before she can ruin Zelena's life), and thus Zelena would be raised as royalty. But despite Zelena's efforts to create the deadly time portal Emma Swan (supposedly the only wielder of light magic powerful enough to oppose her) her plans are halted when the Evil Queen masters light magic in time to oppose her (although her time-travel spell is completed, it takes effect after her presumed death, transporting Emma and Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) back to before the original curse was cast). She was later thought to have been killed by Rumplestiltskin. It was later discovered that Zelena's soul actually went back in time, where she managed to revive herself and assumed Maid Marian's (Christie Laing) place after killing her in the past and taking her appearance; to allow the heroes to take her back to the present, where she poses as Marian without Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) knowing. This way, she can resume making Regina Mills suffer by complicating her romantic relationship with the believed widower Robin. Zelena also copies the other villains' idea to try to force the Author to write them happy lives at the expense of the heroes. Zelena swaps out the Elixir of the Wounded Heart and when Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin) is dying, saves his life with it, but only after he agrees to drop his grudge against her and begins helping her. Regina is informed of this by Rumplestiltskin himself and rushes to New York with Emma. Upon arriving there with Lily, Emma and Regina confront Robin Hood. Even though Robin Hood is now aware of what happened to Maid Marian, he couldn't leave Zelena because she is pregnant. Zelena is taken back to Storybrooke and locked in the hospital basement's asylum. Regina almost has the Author write Zelena and the pregnancy out of existence and memory. Regina changes her mind after she realizes it is something their mother would do, and she can choose to be happy with Robin and the rest of her family, raising the baby herself after the birth.