It doesn’t need to be logical. None of this is logical. All they have to say is that Nealfire is off far far far away (heck even in a different realm like Wonderland because, again, PLOT) where he doesn’t hear the news of Snowing until later and during his journey home, Emma and Regina leave and the WishWorld is now inaccessible because PLOT. It’s not like it really matters. The WishWorld is going last a few episodes, probably.
MRJ has never said no to them. When they needed Neal, they got him.
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"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"