Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-32290371-20170614184556/@comment-25926288-20170614191558

Nah, sort of started on the wrong foot. Fiona says, "I practically invented dark magic."

Given her backstory, age, and the obvious fact that the Dark Ones existed around 300 years prior (Rumple's about 200, which equals the 500 years the DO existed), Fiona is more like the person who takes credit for innovating just because she can.

I think/theorize that no human could use innate/learned personal magic before she became Black Fairy. See here: http://onceuponatime.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:324088

So, Nimue and all the ones up to Zoso (DO during Fiona's human life) all used magic, but they were monstrous beings whose humanity was soon forgotten. Tigerlily says that she had the power of which no mere human could compare. It would seem that there were no magic users/ at least dark magic users at that time. The earliest DM user (possibly) is Fendrake the Healer and he is certainly younger or close to Rumple's age.