Malcolm has other ideas, however, and he declares that he can never change from his old habits or be the father that Rumplestiltskin needs. Malcolm goes back down to his son to tell him the dust didn't work, to which Rumplestiltskin suggests they can find another place to live together. The dust has no effect, and he is further warned by a talking shadow that flying is impossible for him since adults don't belong in Neverland. Since Rumplestiltskin is afraid of heights, Malcolm journeys up alone to retrieve the dust and sprinkles some on himself. He and his son go to a tree containing pixie dust flowers. Horrified, Malcolm can't fathom why flying is now impossible until recalling pixie dust is necessary for it to work. He tries to show Rumplestiltskin the ability of flying that comes with the territory, but ends up falling flat on the ground. Once there, Malcolm is ecstatic to be back in a world where anything is possible with the power of belief. Malcolm remembers a place he used to visit in his childhood dreams called Neverland and this is exactly where they decide to go.
His son suggests they use a magic bean to start afresh elsewhere, and Malcolm suggests they go to Neverland. When Rumplestiltskin finds out, he calls out his father for being untrustworthy, which is why no one will hire him. Malcolm then leaves and continues to deceive unsuspecting bystanders with his card game. He urges his son to give the doll a name, as only this way it can be real and be a protector of sorts. Rumplestiltskin is scared of being without him, so Malcolm gives him a straw doll to accompany him in the meantime. Malcolm leaves his son with a pair of elderly wool spinners, with intentions of going to look for work. One day, a male customer realizes he's been cheated and beats up Malcolm before stealing all his money, which leaves Malcolm and Rumplestiltskin completely penniless. When his son is still young, Malcolm earns money by swindling people by enticing them to play a rigged card game. With great bitterness, he decides he has a fitting name to bestow on the infant: Rumplestiltskin. Taking the child into his arms, Malcolm laments about how his son was once supposed to be a source of happiness for him and Fiona, but now, he's the reason that Fiona is gone. Malcolm is saddened over the death of the woman he loved, while Tiger Lily tries to reassure him that he still has another love to live for, his son, and suggests he give the boy a name. They lie to him about Fiona being dead because of an accident in which she tried to protect her son, although the truth is Fiona was banished to another realm by the Blue Fairy after she severed her son's Savior ties with the Shears of Destiny. At home, Malcolm waits for Fiona's return, but instead the Blue Fairy and Tiger Lily return with his infant son. Fiona, desperate to ensure this doesn't come true, turns herself into a fairy and takes her son with her as she and Tiger Lily search for the great evil, who will reveal itself by bearing the mark of the crescent moon.
The Blue Fairy, along with the child's fairy godmother, Tiger Lily, come to deliver a prophecy about the boy's destiny to become the Savior and die fighting a great evil. During one dark winter, he is at her side as she gives birth to their son. (" Think Lovely Thoughts")Īs an adult, he meets and falls in love with Fiona. At one point, he harnesses the power to fly at will and learns about the pixie dust that grows in flowers atop a tree, which can give someone the ability to fly. As self-comfort over this hardship, Malcolm spends his nights telling himself to "think lovely thoughts", and in his sleep, he travels to a world called Neverland, where the power of belief can make anything a reality. When Malcolm is just a boy, his father sells him to a blacksmith, from whom he is forced to work for by slaving away in front of hot coals.