Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20151109132112/@comment-24674051-20151109212730

I think that magic in general is like anything, it has 2 sides. LIght and Dark. At it's most basic level, it can be used for both good (light) and evil(darkness). So, assuming there was magic before Merlin drank from the Grail, then both kinds exist. ANd given general human nature, the dark magic is going to be much more prevalent than light.

Now, Mierlin and Nimue are opposite sides of the same thing, which is magic AND immortality. Merlin had his one apprentice, and trained him how to use magic as a tool for good. and the Dark One trained dark magicians over the years (of which we have seen Cora, Zelena, and Regina). It's also interesting to note that, prior to the Grail, neither Nimue nor Merlin were able to perform magic, but afterwards, they were natural masters of magic. Emma seems to be the first person to obtain the immortality provided by the Dark One "curse" that was already imbued with magic from another source.

So, I don't see Merlin and Nimue as the Birth of Light and Dark magic, but maybe the pinnacle of Light and Dark Magic.