Nimue (episode)

"Nimue" is the 95th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
In Camelot, Merlin spearheads a mission to reunite the dagger with Excalibur so that he can use it to save Emma from the darkness threatening her soul; as such, with Zelena in tow, the others sneak into Arthur's castle to steal the broken sword. Meanwhile, the Sorcerer brings the darkened savior on a journey to confront his ancient nemesis and retrieve the sacred spark he'll need to reforge the sword. Both parties are tested, but one suffers a blow that could derail the entire operation. In further flashbacks, young Merlin finds purpose after he is blessed with magic and immortality, but everything changes for him when he falls in love with a young refugee named Nimue, for their romance starts a chain of events that affects every one of our present day heroes.

Plot
"Previously on Once Upon a Time..."

Merlin confronts the first Dark One, accusing it of destroying the first woman he ever loved. Emma uses her magic to free Merlin from the tree. She is later heard saying that Arthur knows that Merlin is free and is really not happy about it, as is shown when Arthur draws his sword at the Sorcerer, accusing him of having ruined his life. Merlin tells the King that they both know that broken sword can't hurt him. The Dark Swan stares at Excalibur down in her cave. Arthur explains that the complete sword has great power and can destroy all light magic. Mr. Gold pulls the sword from the stone for Emma. Hook deduces that Emma's plan is to snuff out the light forever. Emma is confronted by a vision of Rumplestiltskin and asks what he is; the vision explains that Rumple is but one of many Dark Ones, all of which are inside of her. The Dark Swan makes herself known to the people of Storybrooke. She is next seen walking down a tunnel, nearing a captive Merida. A magical recording of Merlin reveals that there is only one person who can help defeat the Dark One now: her name is Nimue.

Teaser
We are treated to an establishing shot of Emma's new Storybrooke home at nighttime before the Dark Swan herself is seen entering the underground cave that lies beneath, Excalibur in one hand and the dagger in the other. She lays the latter down on the stone from whence came the former, then staring at the broken sword in her hand before growing distracted by one of Rumplestiltskin's signature giggles. Indeed, the darkness' manifestation is sitting behind her and compliments the magnificence of Excalibur's two halves, proceeding to extend this appreciation to the idea that they soon may be reunited. He asks the newest Dark One if she's aware of what they represent, to which she replies, "Power." However, Rumple stands up and approaches as he corrects her in saying that it's much more than that: it's history. "Excalibur's promise was born eons ago," he explains, "And now it's time for that promise to be fulfilled." Again, Emma stares down at the broken sword in her hand, considering what she's just been told. 1000 Years Before the Age of Arthur

The sun beats heavily down on some desert wastelands in what is presumably the fairytale land that was. Two men are soon seen running from over a hill of sand, clearly struggling to survive within this bleak terrain, and one of these men we see is a young Merlin, prior to his acquisition of sorcery. The other man, Adda, seems paranoid that they're being chased by something, but his traveling companion assures him not to worry, proceeding to spot a literal glimmer of hope on the horizon while the former collapses to the ground. He forces Adda to look at the distant sparkle, saying that there it is again, but Adda seems sure that it's a mirage and that there's no water there. Merlin, however, would rather find out for sure than lie there and die, beckoning his friend to come with him. The two of them are next seen approaching the source of the glimmer, shocked beyond belief to discover that, resting atop a stone, a silver, biblically-adorned cup awaits them. It contains much-needed water, and Adda is immediately convinced that it's a gift from the Gods.

Merlin, on the other hand, doesn't believe that they're worth the Gods' notice, and so Adda comments that they could do worse before walking up to the cup by himself and taking hold with both hands, ready to lift it up and drink. However, his hands become frozen to the metal by magic and he begins to scream; it isn't long before the magical container reduces him to dust in a large array of gray smoke, to Merlin's revulsion. "Well then," the future Sorcerer challenges the Gods, "To drink or die..." He stares up at the sky, begging their permission before he drops to his knees. With both hands and a lot of caution, he too grabs the cup... and nothing happens. He is relieved, thanking the deities above and finally quenching his near-fatal thirst with a very large sip. When his hand touches down on the desert sand, it suddenly becomes fertile, and grass can be seen growing instantaneously. It spreads across all the land, and he comes to realize that, thanks to this holy grail, he has magic. It isn't long before he's staring out at the forest that will one day be Camelot - Merlin's tower and all - and he stands up looks down at the few blades of grass left in his palm with utter bewilderment, and gratefulness. ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
Through the blinds of a diner window, we see Emma sitting outside in the woods of the Enchanted Forest, sewing together a new dreamcatcher to add to her already bountiful collection. The one watching her is Hook, who soon abandons his spying to join the other heroes in talking to Merlin. David is in the middle of asking the powerful magician if he can really do it - "it", he iterates, being the putting together of the Dark One's dagger and Arthur's sword to recreate the original Excalibur - and Merlin says that he hopes so. Mary Margaret wants to clarify that it can then be used to save Emma, but the Sorcerer merely says "perhaps", garnering an eye roll from Zelena before he goes on to say that he needs two things. These include the magical means to unite the two blades, which he should gather on his and Emma's upcoming quest, and, from them, he needs... "The two blades," Regina finishes for him, leading Robin to point out that they're pretty much in open warfare with Camelot and that getting the sword from Arthur won't be easy. Hook wonders if Merlin has any hints on how they're going to go about it, seeing as how he can see the future, but he replies that the future isn't exact and that there are many paths. "Of course there are!" Hook exclaims, "You're willing to send us behind enemy lines but, when it comes to specifics, everything's a little fuzzy, init?!" Charming calms the pirate, assuring him that Merlin's helping Emma, but Hook questions this, pointing out that she's sitting outside right now making things to pull memories out of people's heads because that's what she does now instead of sleeping; he's not quite seeing the helping. Merlin understands, for he knows what it's like to lose someone you love to the Dark One. All he can ask from all of them is that they bring him that sword and that they have patience with Emma; "Her kind of power, for good or evil... it is a weight on the soul. And love is a great help, if you can find it." 500 Years Earlier

Merlin shines a light from his hand over an old woman who needs help; when the process is complete, he assures her that she's healed, and the young man with her shows his gratitude to the great Sorcerer, who says that they're both very welcome. They walk away and we see that they're in a small village; Merlin's young apprentice tells his master that he thinks that's it for the day, before noticing a beautiful woman who walks past. He says that he didn't see her and offers to get her to leave, but Merlin simply wonders what she wants. The boy seems surprised that Merlin doesn't know, because he always knows, but he's soon told to head back and check on the brooms. The beautiful woman, meanwhile, is approached by the village's famed magical healer, and she seems surprised that he's Merlin. He points out that not all wizards have long white beards, then encouraging her to tell him what brings her there, and she explains that she was in her garden in her village when a masked man named Vortigan rode in; being aware of his reputation for ransacking towns and burning them to the ground, she fled on foot to the woods and, when she looked back from the hillside, everything was in flames. He had killed everyone. Merlin offers his condolences, wanting to be able to help her, and she reveals that she seeks revenge.

She retrieves something from her bag, saying that they were all she had on her when she ran, and tells the Sorcerer that they're seeds from the middlemist flower, which only prosper around her village. When Vortigan scorched the earth he could have killed them forever, and so her best revenge would be for them to live on to spite him, and Merlin says that they will plant them there. She thanks him as he leads the way to the nearest vacant flowerpot, and she comments that if they survive then at least something other than her will live on. She drops the seeds into the soil and lets her intention be known that she plans to pass through again in Spring to see them start to bloom; however, Merlin wonders why she should have to wait and waves his hand over the pot. The seeds germinate suddenly under the effects of his magic and, soon enough, fully-grown middlemist flowers are sitting in the pot. The woman is astounded, bending down to sniff one of her beloved pink roses. Merlin crouches down beside her and points out that if she stays close then she can come and see them any time. "You see the future," she points out in turn, "Do I do that?" But he reveals that with her, for some reason, he has no idea... but he hopes so. He asks her name and she tells him it's Nimue. "Nimue..." he repeats soothingly.

Emma is putting together yet another dreamcatcher outside Granny's Diner when Merlin approaches. Due to her distracted nature, he is made to say her name twice before she responds and, once he has her attention, he sits on the log beside her and reveals that there is a way to make Excalibur whole again, asking if she will come with him that day so that they can get what they need, adding that it's not far. She wonders what it is and he tells her it's a spark from mankind's original fire: the Flame of Prometheus. Its heat forged Excalibur, and that's what they'll need to put it back together. He asks again if she'll come with him to collect it, assuring that they'll be back by nightfall, but she merely replies by pointing out that he looks dire and asking what's wrong. The Sorcerer says that, when they get there, they will need to deal with the first Dark One. Emma asks if he means the one who wore the mask and killed the woman he loved (see "Dreamcatcher") and Merlin confirms it, going on to say that this is not a trivial task.

The current Dark One recounts that she was seeing Rumplestiltskin like a voice in her head; she just got rid of him (see "The Broken Kingdom"), as is why she's weary that Merlin wants her to let another one in. "Yes," he says, "And not just any one. This is the first Dark One; the original. The one from whom all the evil that followed was born." Emma is blank for a moment, before asking if they will win. Merlin tells her that he sees two paths for their journey; on one she resists the darkness and they succeed, but on the other she succumbs to the darkness and he does not return because he dies. This shocks the blonde but the Sorcerer informs her that even immortality has exceptions and the Dark One does have the power to kill him. Emma points out that they won't even really be there, until she comes to realize that he means her. "If I die, it means that you lost you're battle, and the darkness stained your soul. Everything and everyone you know will be at the mercy of the most powerful Dark One ever: yourself. No pressure." But there is pressure, and the darkened savior is greatly perturbed.

Act II
Emma puts a cork into a now full canteen of water for her journey, and Hook, who walks past Granny in order to approach his girlfriend, wants to clarify that she'll be back by nightfall. She confirms this, saying that she and Merlin will go and get this "spark thing; and then I'm working my way back to you, babe." Hook tells her that he knows that she's quoting something and she tells him in turn that she loves that he never knows what it is. Back to the main point of the discussion, she says that with a bit of luck they'll put Excalibur together that very night and then "bam" no more darkness. The pirate warns her to be careful and they share a kiss, with him proceeding to take a ring attached to a chain from around his neck and hand it to her. She seems weary at first but he tells her to calm down because he's not proposing; he reminds her that he's a survivor and cites this ring as the reason why. Placing it into her open palm, he explains that he's had it for many years and it's the reason he's alive - or could be, anyway - and Emma is touched. She points out that she can't die today because she's immortal now, but he makes clear as he seals the ring within her grip that the Dark One is immortal and Emma isn't, requesting that she bring her home to him. He adds that, at the very least, the ring is a reminder that she's got a piercing-eyed, smoldering pirate there who loves her and she smiles, kissing him again. "Thank you. And I love you, too," she replies, and he smiles also before walking away, leaving her to put the ring around her own neck with the provided chain. She caresses it for a brief moment before looking up and seeing Merlin, who announces that it's time. They exchange a meaningful look. Years Earlier

The middlemist flowers have prospered greatly, and yet Merlin appears sad as he looks at them. Nimue, with a basket full of pink petals, approaches and asks jokingly if this is some sort of new magic - frowning the plants into growing faster - but he sighs in response, saying that he's just thinking. "There's a man I'm considering helping. He's tired; spent his life tending to others and now he just wants to marry the woman he loves and grow old by her side, but there's an obstacle." Sensing that her love is talking about himself, Nimue good-naturedly jibes that he sounds awful. Merlin stands up at this, looking distressed, but she just smiles, telling him that if she can teach him nothing else then it would be to laugh at himself. She adds that if he wants to propose then he should go ahead, eliciting a smile and a kiss from her magical lover. She then requests that he tell her about this obstacle and, as the two of them go to take a seat, Merlin explains that he didn't always have magic; he knows Nimue knows this already, but knows also that she is unaware of how it happened, and so he reveals that it was a gift he received after finding the holy grail. Nimue is shocked to hear this, finding it amazing, and he reveals further that he drank from it and it gave him magic... but it also gave him eternal life; it's been five hundred years since he drank from the grail. If he doesn't age then he doesn't die, so if he were to marry Nimue then he would have to watch as she left him behind. He finishes by saying that he would rather share a life with her until the end than go on without her.

"If you still had the grail..." she starts, but he quickly lets slip that he does, adding that it's at the bottom of the chest in the main room of the tower. She grows astounded that the holy grail is in her living room before telling her soon-to-be-fiancé that the answer to his problem is obvious: let her drink from it and they can live forever together. He apologizes and tells her that he's already seen the cost of immortality; he then takes a middlemost flower and puts it back down again as he lectures that life is made of little moments, precious as diamonds, but, if there were an endless sea of diamonds, they'd all be worthless and as common as sand. He does have another solution, however, if she'll accept it. He proposes that they take the grail and they remake it into a sword, and such a blade could cut away his magic and immortality and then they could return to the village and live normal lives together. Nimue questions if he would really give up so much, and he responds by picking the leaves off of a middlemost stem, fashioning it into a ring. He then places it onto his true love's appropriate finger and uses his magic to turn it to gold. She kisses him, touched, and announces that she doesn't want this moment to get lost in an endless sea of time. He nods, saying that he's made the preparations, and the two of them head off joyously as it's revealed that a cloaked man in a golden mask - Vortigan - had been eavesdropping on them the entire time.

A map of Arthur's castle has been drawn up in Granny's Diner and, with all our heroes crowded around it, Mary Margaret asks what the plan is. David suggests taking the King by surprise and going in through the front gate, at which Zelena, who's lying on her back atop the diner's counter, slaps her forehead. Hook points out to the prince that Arthur's men will be on high alert, suggesting instead that they create a diversion at the drawbridge and proceed to climb a wall inside. Zelena rolls her eyes, sitting up as her sister asks the pirate if he's forgetting that she's got magic and can therefore just poof into Arthur's bedroom. The Wicked Witch audibly scoffs at this, unable to actually speak, and they all turn to her. Regina angrily demands to know what it is, but the pregnant villainess uses arm gestures to remind the former Queen that she's got no voice. "Well if you're going to make a scene you might as well make noise," Regina finally decides, waving her arm and returning the witch's ability to speak; Zelena takes a sigh of relief and thanks her sister, commenting that she loves to hear a sensible person talk, and hops off the counter.

Regina orders her to spit it out and Zelena tells them all, "I'm thinking going on the front: suicide. Diversion: Arthur hides the sword; you need it on him. And you could poof right in front of the blade. Oopsie! You need to sneak in so quietly no one knows you're there." Charming wonders how ("Hang-glider? Ooh, giant slingshot?!") and Zelena says that if "Sir Castic" would let her speak he'd know that she wasn't idle during those days in there playing a mute handmaiden at Regina's side - she was plotting an escape. Regina says she knew it and her sister continues in saying that she found a way out, and if she knows a way out then she knows a way in. "You're going to help us?" Regina questions, and Zelena tells her, "Of course, because you're going to help me." She gestures the anti-magic cuff that remains on her wrist after having been slapped on by Regina before she was brought to Camelot as she iterates that she wants her magic back, and the former Queen seems to be actually considering it.

Zelena is next seen leading the heroes to an abandoned tunnel just outside the castle, revealing that it leads to the courtyard. Hook wonders why she didn't escape through it if it's so good, at which she tells him to observe the massive metal grate that's in the way; "See, without magic, I'm a delicate thing." David surmises that it seems to go in the right direction and that so far the Wicked Witch's information is good. She thanks the prince, then pointing out that she's done her part and now they can do theirs by removing the cuff. Regina points out in turn that, for all they know, this tunnel leads to the guards' quarters; if they make it out safe with the sword then maybe they can talk about taking off the enchanted bracelet. The former Queen asks Mary Margaret how she feels about guard duty and she says that she'd be delighted, sarcastically telling Zelena that they'll chat and share pregnancy tips, which leads the witch to complain that this is worse than being in her cell. "Alright, everyone," Regina announces, using her magic to evaporate the metal grate, "Let's get this sword." The heroes draw their weapons as they head back into the heart of Camelot.

Up in Merlin's tower, Arthur lays down the broken sword as he searches through one of the Sorcerer's spell books, concocting something out of the magical ingredients that surround him while Guinevere watches. She says that these are powerful ingredients and that she hopes he knows what he's doing, and he replies that they need something to protect themselves because these people dropped from the sky and then turned on them and freed their prisoners. He concludes that they won't stop until they've taken everything from him, throwing some ground mixture into a bowl before dropping the contents of said bowl into a nearby steaming cauldron. He summons the guards and two enter; their King tells them that infidels are on their way and that they're to summon the reserves and get every man on the parapet and patrolling every hall; "And you, give me your help," he orders. One guard steps forward and Arthur clears the table. He takes the guard's helmet and lays it down, explaining to his wife that the ladle and the cauldron have special protection spells while this helmet and their "friends" do not. He takes a ladle full of the steaming mixture and pours it onto the helmet, causing it to melt down into a bubbling puddle of nothing. Guinevere is shocked and appalled while Arthur orders the guards to throw the acidic potion on any stranger they see and then bring him what's left of them. They take the steaming cauldron as the King tells his wife that there'll be nothing but teeth and bones. "This is war now."

Act III
An engraved stone is zoomed in upon which tells us that Emma and Merlin have just entered the village of Oxleigh as the former is talking about how she was seeing Rumplestiltskin in her head and that he told her he'd only be with her until she embraced her dark powers. As such, she's recently been thinking that not seeing him lately is actually a bad thing, leading Merlin to question if she has embraced her powers. She hesitates, finally admitting that she's done some dark things recently. This captures the Sorcerer's attention and he listens as she goes on to inform him that she hurt her son (see "Dreamcatcher") and that, if she digs deep down, the darkness is winning. "But there's hope, right? You wouldn't be bothering to get this spark if there wasn't still hope!" she needs answering, and Merlin confirms that there indeed is hope; "And it's up there." He gestures a steep hill with his eyes and Emma comments that it's "a whole lot of 'up'", but Merlin assures her that they can make it. The question is: will he come down? Emma looks nervous as she prepares to follow him upward. Years Earlier In Oxleigh of the past - where the engraved stone is a full and un-buried post - bones are seen amidst the rubble as Merlin and Nimue make their way through, the former with a flaming torch in tow to light the way. Nimue tells him that this was her village, her home, and says to look what's become of it. She spots a man's skeleton lying against a knocked-down brick wall and appears angry as she continues advancing through, eventually discovering the place where her house used to be. However, she then changes her mind, saying that perhaps it was the next spot over; it's so different now that it's clouding her memory of what was. Placing the torch into the ground, Merlin assures his love that sometimes the sole survivor of a tragedy can feel guilty, but she assures him in turn that she doesn't: she feels angry. "This shouldn't be the way. That those who cannot take are taken. If I had magic like yours; if I had a million lifetimes to hand out power to those who need it..." She begins to talk about striking down those who take but Merlin shushes her, placing his hands on her face in a comforting manner as he reminds her that it's been decided what they will do.

She submits and gets drawn into a loving, tearful hug. The Sorcerer then tells her to look at what litters the street: cups. Nimue says that it looks like every house had brought out their cups for Vortigan, leading them both to realize that he was questing for the holy grail and burning down each hiding place. Merlin grows wary, requesting that his fiancée check that the grail is secure in the bag for he's never brought it out of the tower before and she does just that while he goes to perform a protection spell. She holds the grail in her hands while her empowered lover casts his magic, seeing through a vision that Vortigan is not far from where they are. He announces that the masked annihilator is over the horizon, the way they came, and quickly grabs his torch and tells Nimue to hurry. She points out that Vortigan is just a man and that Merlin could kill him with just one magical word, but Merlin explains that if he uses magic to kill then darkness will take root inside of him and nothing - nothing - is worth risking that. Nimue is speechless and Merlin tells her to come. She gives a cursory glance to behind them before hurriedly following the grave Sorcerer. Our heroes are seen coming out the other end of the tunnel in the present, weapons bared, but Hook tells the others to get back due to the heavy amount of guard activity just beyond. They spot the steaming cauldron from earlier being carried by a group of four guards, and Robin supposes that the violent-looking potion is for them. Regina has a feeling that they don't want to find out and, when the guards are finally gone, Hook suggests that they keep moving. Stepping out from the tunnel entrance, Robin comments that he feels like he's waiting for the ax to fall; Regina, meanwhile, comes to admit that Zelena hasn't screwed them over... yet. David and his sword bring up the rear as they continue to make their way through the castle. Speaking of Zelena, she and Mary Margaret continue to wait outside the tunnel's other end. The former is crouched with her hands tied behind her back and looking depressed while her convoluted step-niece stands guard, commenting that maybe the Wicked Witch should stick to the shade because the sun will be a problem for her now that she's not green. Zelena just weeps loudly and Mary Margaret rolls her eyes, being forced to listen as the villainess exclaims that she was finally trying to do something to help but nobody believes her. Snow stoically replies that it's the hormones talking but Zelena refutes it, exclaiming further that Regina's always the winner while she's always the loser; "And she's gonna take my baby!" The invokes a genuine reaction from Mary Margaret, who slowly approaches the crying witch. She begins to worry that her prisoner is in pain; however, when she gets close enough, a violent reaction ensues as Zelena uses her legs to kick the princess to the ground, knocking her out. "Well now that you've shut up!" she yells as she gets to her feet, her hands no longer tied. She uses the rope to tie up Snow instead, commenting as she does so, "There's no rest for the wicked."

Trivia

 * The title card of this episode features a wealthy growth of middlemist flowers.
 * Although credited, Emilie de Ravin (Belle Gold/Belle) and Jared S. Gilmore (Henry Mills) are absent from the episode.
 * The caption in the episode which read "200 Years Earlier" was in fact meant to say "500 Years Earlier", as was confirmed by Adam Horowitz via his Twitter account. Adam Horowitz tweet #1.. The corrected version can be found in the recap above.

Production

 * The title of this episode was officially confirmed by executive producer/co-creator Adam Horowitz, via his Twitter account, on September 15, 2015.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.