Latest Episode and Dark Magic...

An all-around solid episode this week. It seems it's being driven home for all characters that magic is not a toy, and it also further helped distinguish regular magic from the "dark" magic of the setting. Like with the Alicorn Amulet and the Mirror Pond, the book came with great power, but also twists and pushes to the extremes the personality of the users. Pinkie Pie generates countless insane caricatures of herself, the Alicorn Amulet pushes Trixie's bitterness and desire to be the best, to tyrannical levels (Many criticisms for that episode, but at least it's consistent on this issue) and the Inspiration spell twisted Rarity into a nutjob whose desires entirely center around spreading her vision of beauty, being praised, and holding onto that book.

Also, in each case, it was not easy actually putting down the magic; the Pinkie clones played follow-the-leader after the real one and kept using the Mirror Pond, the only one that can remove the Alicorn Amulet is the now, likely, insane user, and the book required the outside intervention of another.

It seems the most consistent aspect of "dark" magic in the setting is that it is the one in control, rather than the wielder. It's not so much what the magic does, as Twilight alluded to a spell that could have effectively brainwashed Discord into being good, in his reformation episode, and no one batted an eye. Dark magic seem to gain it's own momentum and eventually takes on a life of it's own. Both Trixie and Rarity were practically different ponies when wielding their respective bits of dark magic, and a similar case could be made for the Pinkie clones. Not unlike with Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon. Perhaps there's a common root for it all?

Just some thoughts spurred on by the latest episode. I think, I might make a regular deal out of this.