Merlin

ONCE UPON A TIME...

NO, NO, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO START.

YOU'LL THINK THIS IS A FAIRY TALE, AND IT ISN'T.

IT HAS ELEMENTS OF A FAIRY TALE--

DRAGONS, ELVES

GRIFFINS, FAIRIES AND SO ON--

AND IT HAS MAGIC.

NOW, IN MY DAY, MAGIC WAS MUCH MORE COMMONPLACE.

OH, WELL, ALL THINGS CHANGE.

THE ARROW OF TIME POINTS IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY.

SO... WHERE SHOULD I BEGIN?

FIRE!

WELL, IT'S OBVIOUS

I SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING...

LOOSE YOUR ARROWS!

...WITH THE TERRIBLE YEARS OF DARKNESS.

KING CONSTANT WAS THE FIRST CHRISTIAN KING OF ENGLAND.

KILL...

ALL THE PRISONERS.

NO MERCY.

NO TRAITORS.

LET THE WHOLE WORLD DIE...

IF I DIE.

VORTIGERN IS HERE!

Constant: TRAITORS.

VORTIGERN!

HE'S HAD ALL THE PRISONERS SLAUGHTERED!

Men: JUSTICE! JUSTICE!

I CURSE YOU ALL!

DEATH CAME SO EASILY THEN.

AND ONE TYRANT SMOOTHLY PASSED THE CROWN

TO ANOTHER...

EVEN WORSE.

CIVIL WAR TORE THE COUNTRY APART.

( men yelling and women screaming )

THEN THE SAXONS CAME.

CHRISTIAN CHURCHES WERE DESTROYED AND DEFILED.

SO WERE THE SACRED PLACES OF THE OLD PAGAN RELIGION.

MAB!

THE FOLLOWERS OF THE OLD WAYS CRIED OUT IN THEIR AGONY.

QUEEN MAB!

THERE WAS ONLY ONE BEING WHO COULD SAVE THEM...

AND SHE WOULD COME OUT OF THE LAND OF MAGIC.

: I GOT YOUR MESSAGE, SISTER.

: I'VE COME TO A GREAT DECISION.

OH...

I DON'T LIKE THE SOUND OF YOUR VOICE

WHEN YOU SAY THAT, SISTER.

I'M GOING TO CREATE A LEADER

FOR THE PEOPLE--

A POWERFUL WIZARD WHO WILL SAVE BRITAIN

AND BRING THE PEOPLE BACK TO US

AND THE OLD WAYS.

IT'LL BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU, MAB.

IT'LL DRAIN YOU OF WHAT POWER

YOU STILL HAVE.

IF I DON'T DO IT, WE'LL DIE.

IF PEOPLE STOP BELIEVING IN US, WE WON'T EXIST.

THE NEW RELIGION HAS ALREADY PUSHED US TO THE BRINK.

SOON WE'LL BE FORGOTTEN.

ALL THINGS CHANGE

SISTER.

IT'S SAD, BUT HEAVEN, HELL AND THE WORLD MOVE ON.

IT'S FATE.

I WON'T ACCEPT IT.

I'LL FIGHT.

WILL YOU HELP ME?

NO.

YOU FORGET-- I'M THE LADY OF THE LAKE.

I'M MADE OF WATER.

NOW EVERYTHING'S

FLOWING AWAY FROM US, AND I ACCEPT IT.

I'M SORRY, MY DEAR.

THEN I'LL DO IT MYSELF.

FRIK!

YOU HEARD THAT, FRIK?

YES, BUT I'M AFRAID, MADAM

THAT YOUR SISTER IS RATHER, SHALL WE SAY

INDECISIVE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING DECISIONS.

SHE NEVER REALLY GIVES YOU THE BACKING YOU DESERVE.

WE'RE ON OUR OWN.

WE'D BETTER GET STARTED.

WELL, DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD AT LEAST

WAIT A COUPLE OF DAYS TO BUILD UP YOUR STRENGTH?

NO TIME.

OUR WORLD IS DYING.

Mab: HE'S MAGNIFICENT!

NOW, I HAVE TO GIVE HIM... LIFE.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BOY.

PLEASE LOOK AFTER MY BABY.

I BEG YOU.

I BEG YOU.

IT'S ALL RIGHT, MY DEAR.

SWEAR IT.

I'M DYING.

I SWEAR.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILD.

LET ME SEE THE CHILD.

I NAME THIS CHILD "MERLIN."

WHILE YOU'RE MAKING GESTURES

SAVE THE MOTHER-- SHE'S DYING.

NO, SHE'S NOT.

SHE'S DEAD.

SLEEP EASY, CHILD.

MAY ANGELS FLY THEE HOME.

WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HER?

SHE'D SERVED HER PURPOSE.

"SERVED HER PURPOSE"?

YOU ARE SO COLD.

IF I WERE TO PUNCH YOU IN THE HEART

I'D BREAK MY FIST.

AND TO THINK I USED TO SERVE YOU...

IN THE OLD WAYS.

THEN YOU CHANGED.

YOU BECAME A CHRISTIAN.

WHO TOLD YOU THAT, HMM?

UH, UH...

THAT SNOOPING

SMILING BLATHERSKITE.

I FOLLOW MY OWN HEART.

THAT'S RELIGION ENOUGH FOR ME.

WHY DO YOU ALLOW HER TO TALK TO YOU LIKE THAT, MADAM?

BECAUSE SHE NEEDS ME, IDIOT.

WHY DO I NEED YOU, AMBROSIA?

TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CHILD.

I CAN TAKE CARE OF HIM.

Frik: WELL DONE, WELL DONE.

MILK OVER THERE.

YES, OOP...

WELL DONE.

OH... YES. THE MOSS THERE.

TRICKS.

YOU NEED MORE THAN TRICKS TO BRING UP A CHILD.

YOU NEED PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, LOVE...

MOST OF ALL, YOU NEED LOVE.

YOU USED TO HAVE THAT ONCE.

NO MORE.

SO... WHAT HAVE YOU DECIDED?

THE CHILD STAYS WITH YOU.

BUT REMEMBER-- HE'S ONLY HALF HUMAN.

HE BELONGS TO ME.

HE'S MY SON.

I WILL SEND FOR HIM WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.

AMBROSIA WAS LIKE A TIGER PROTECTING ME.

GET OUT OF THERE...

AND STAY OUT!

SHE WAS THE BRAVEST, KINDEST PERSON I EVER KNEW.

I CALLED HER AUNTIE A

BUT SHE WAS REALLY A MOTHER TO ME.

HAVE YOU NOTICED WHEN YOU'RE MISERABLE

TIME SEEMS TO SLOW TO A CRAWL?

ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY...

MY CHILDHOOD MUST HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY HAPPY

FOR IT WAS OVER

IN A FLASH.

PLEASE, EXCUSE THEIR RUDENESS.

WE'RE TRAVELING

TO LORD LAMBERT'S CASTLE

AND WE'VE LOST OUR WAY.

IT'S ABOUT A MILE.

TAKE THE RIGHT FORK

BUT DON'T TRY ANY SHORTCUTS.

IT'S DANGEROUS

AND YOU CAN GET LOST.

THANK YOU, SIR.

WHAT CAN WE OFFER YOU AS A REWARD?

A KISS.

DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO?

THIS IS THE LADY NIMUE.

LORD ARDENTE'S DAUGHTER.

SHE ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED

AND I TOLD THE TRUTH.

AND I THINK IT'S A FAIR PRICE.

MY NAME'S MERLIN.

MINE'S NIMUE...

AND I THINK YOU'RE A VERY RUDE YOUNG MAN.

I'LL NEVER

FORGET YOU, NIMUE.

WE'LL MEET AGAIN.

I CAN SEE IT.

I DON'T THINK SO, MASTER MERLIN.

Merlin: NIMUE.

COME ON, THIS WAY.

I'D WARNED NIMUE

NOT TO LEAVE THE PATH

BUT SHE WAS VERY HEADSTRONG, EVEN THEN.

WELL, I SUPPOSE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE.

SHE WENT OFF ON HER OWN.