The Pony of Shadows - The Darkness the World can't be rid of

Welp, finally getting around to do this ramble I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while. I’m sad to see the concept of the Pony of Shadows, Stygian included, didn’t get as much love and attention as I had hoped for after that season seven final.

Either way, I have some rambling to offer about it based on my own thoughts and observations. So, let’s go!

Warning, looooong wall of text below.

For starters, what I liked about the whole arc of Shadow Play was, that not only was the Pillars introduced throughout the season as fairytales and legends to provide Equestria more diversity and history beyond just Starswirl and the Two Sisters. But the Pony of Shadows was brought back after its mention in the Castle Mane-ia episode back in season 4. I just like tiny tie ins like that.

Obviously, the original mention of the Pony of Shadows was nothing like how the creature turned out in season seven.

AJ: “When Nightmare Moon was banished, not every bit of her dark magic went with her. Granny used to say; when night falls on the castle, that magic takes the form of The Pony of Shadows!”
RD: “You mean, like a ghost?”
AJ: “Noopony knoooows.”
- Season 4, episode 3, Castle Mane-ia

Of course that alluded to the Darkness’ origin being that it came from Nightmare Moon. But as we learned in Shadow Play, the Pony of Shadows was defeated even before Nightmare Moon ever became a thing.

So I like to think the fact is in fact reverse. But this first mention and how it historically clashes with what we later get, is easily excused. It had become nothing but a legend. And ponies are quite excellent at being forgetful of facts and ponies, no matter the timeframe, unless provided active reminders. Princess Luna was pretty much forgotten, while Nightmare Moon was remembered by an annual holiday, heck her image was imprinted on the moon for all to see. For the longest time, Nightmare Moon was the one villain still actively remembered by the ponies after a thousand years. So it makes sense the original stories of the Shadow would be forgotten or mixed up with the one baddy the ponies did remember. Nightmare Moon was THE Nightmare, and it would be easy to think of her as source of all darkness and evil.

Looking at the time table so far, the Pony of Shadows would be one of the earliest villains so far known to threaten Equestria. The only ones earlier would be Tirek and the Sirens, as we know Starswirl was present for their defeat, where of the Pony of Shadows’ defeat lead to the disappearance of Starswirl and the other Pillars. And villains after that was defeated by the Elements, which first grew into being after the Pillars were gone.

Oh yeah, and the Windigoes dating back the furthest, even before Equestria was founded.

Villains defeated by different means of Friendship than the rainbow cannon of tolerance later used to solve everything. At least this is the time table for FiM on its own, not taking in the other past villains and heroes of early generations, even though Tirek originates from G1.

So, the Pony of Shadow predates Nightmare Moon, despite the mixed up legends later told. But even before that, it had an older presence. The Shadow. Or the Darkness. It was refereed as that in Shadow Play, as focus moved from returning the Pillars to deal with the monster now freed from Limbo once more.

The Darkness existed before Stygian found it. It was an old force used to make himself stronger, it didn’t come out of nowhere.

Which leads to a question of mine. What IS Hollow Shades.

Hollow Shades, a forgotten realm

For the longest time, it was just a spot on the official Equestrian map made for the fans to gaze lovingly at

Some mountains between this town and Canterlot. Seemingly even connected to the rest of Equestria by train. A dark forest community by the looks of it, bright lanterns to lighten up the dark woods chosen for this mysterious settlement.

A lot of fans have had fun imagining what this place was like. A popular headcanon among fans being it’s a place for the mysterious Bat Ponies yet to be seen again since the Luna Eclipsed episode back in season 2.

But what the show gives us in season seven was quite different from our imagined ideas based on what little we had

No lush forests to hide from the light in, but a dead wasteland where the sky is red from the dessert dust in the air and a red moon only provides a darker shade covering the town.

This is indeed quite different. It is dead, no trains connecting it to the rest of Equestria. Sunburst mentioning several times of how little he has read about this place and how everything they face there was never mentioned in what he had read.

Although I’m still confused by Applejack’s mention of a potential branch of the Apple family being in that area, considering how dead and forgotten it appears.

Ruins of old stone buildings with straw roofs. A design often used for olden time ponies homes. More specifically, earth ponies. But this is just a very shallow look on the place, who says it was even ponies who ever lived there? Although the spot placed in a, seemingly, natural spot of darkness, it could still been a former capital for the elusive bat ponies.

BUT what truly caught me in my pondering about all this, was what our heroes found below these ruins.

One of the oldest villains in Equestria. Pictured very much in a style of temple. Was this a place of worship? Or a place to keep the Darkness at bay? It definitely was far more than any of the other past villains had left behind.

“Welcome to the Realm of Shade!” the Pony of Shadows greets the heroes with as he waves his hoof at their surroundings. Starswirl said earlier the Pony of Shadow would need to seek out natural spots of darkness to drain power from and make himself stronger. Running out of options in modern Equestria, he went to Hollow Shades.

He went home.

Symbiotic Darkness

A Hollow Shade. A shadow covering over a city hiding below itself a temple, forgotten by time and who ever built it. A place he calls a Realm, a place the Darkness hid for who knows how long until Stygian found it.

“The Darkness spoke to me of a power beyond any I could imagine. And I listened. The Shadow and I became one. Soon all of the realm will be the same. Then all ponies will feel the despair I did when you cast me out!”
- The Pony of Shadows/Stygian

Why did the Darkness need Stygian?

The Pillars first learned of this dark force once Stygian returned to them with the power within him as it began taking over. Was this mysterious temple already abandoned when Stygian found it? Why else would the Darkness attach itself to him, if this place was still active? If it was worshiped, it wouldn’t need a random nobody. If the place was to keep it at bay, who would let Stygian get in deep enough to find the Darkness? Why would he even go there?

Unless it was already a forgotten legend and all he knew was that it held a lost force he hoped to obtain and use to prove himself.

Where Nightmare Moon was a physical change of Princess Luna’s appearance, Stygian and the Pony of Shadow is a different symbiosis.

Stygian’s physical form wasn’t changed. He was still looking like himself as he always did. The Pony of Shadows was a form wrapped AROUND him. Even though when Twilight ventured inside the dark form to face Stygian directly, we see him change to look more like the Pony of Shadow, physically we still see him as himself as he is pulled out of the dark mass.

If the Darkness had a form on its own, why team up with a puny pony?

Because the Darkness needed an anchor. It is formless, all the power in the world yet unable to wield it without a host. Something it keeps within its dark form, to shape itself around. A heart? A lifeforce to drain? An imaginative mind to find out HOW to bend its powers?

Whatever it was, the symbiosis was strong. When Twilight and Co. was pulling at Stygian to free him from the Darkness, the Pony of Shadows was howling, like it was a painful experience.

It was quite strongly attached to Stygian. Maybe not in same physical way as the corruption that created Nightmare Moon and changed her body physically. But Stygian and the Darkness where tightly knit together mentally and would make statements fitting each of them when talking.

Stygian never wanted to plunge the realm into darkness. That was the Shadow. But the Shadow always made sure to mention the despair it felt through Stygian, from being betrayed by the Pillars. Each their goals. Darkness to all of the land. Revenge and recognition.

“Instead of sharing and letting me help, my friends threw me out. So I became stronger than any of them. The Darkness welcomed me when nopony would. Now I will do what I must to protect it!”
- Stygian

Twilight tells him directly that the Shadow isn’t who HE is. The way he thinks have been twisted by what the Shadow needs and feeds on. Stygian only ever wanted to be a hero, to do more than just study and look for tactics the others could use to save the day. Because in the end he was always left forgotten. But he wanted to be a hero who saved the day. He never said it was fair to let everypony else suffer for what he suffered. That was the Darkness speaking.

Same was the Darkness when Stygian claims he must protect it, as he talked to Twilight. His form changing as the Darkness takes over his mind to not let the Princess of Friendship get through to him.

“I want to believe you. But the Darkness will not be stopped!”
- Stygian

A bit of a contradiction to what Twilight tells the others outside the Darkness’ form.

“The Shadow won’t let go of him! He wants to stop but can’t do it alone!”
- Twilight Sparkle.

Stygian said he would protect the Shadow and help it. Twilight says that’s the Shadow talking, and they all need to pull together to free him from its influence. A process that seemed to hurt the Shadow far more than it hurt Stygian.

And once the Shadow was defeated once more, again sent off into Limbo to be left in a state of stasis where time doesn’t pass, we even see a change of Hollow Shades.

The moon’s light grows stronger, the red sky parts. The town no longer stuck in the shade of the looming rock.

How much did the Shadow influence Hollow Shades? Was it a recent change the heroes walked into, once the Shadow had reclaimed his old temple? After all, we saw in plenty that the Pony of Shadow could summon dark, heavy clouds to cover the sky and shield him from the light. We saw same clouds vanish as soon he left the scene. We knew he couldn’t go to the other spots of the map where the Pillars expected to find him, because those places had turned from dead wastes into lively places filled with ponies and light.

Was Hollow Shades picked as his final stand because it was the last spot not yet ‘spoiled’ by ponies? Probably, most likely. And could that be, because his influence still hang over the place? AJ thought her clan had roots there too, but that turned out not to fit the pictures. Apples can grow their farms anywhere, even in the dessert of Appleloosa, but not in Hollow Shades.

Never One Shadow

The Pony of Shadow itself might been banished for eternity now. But don’t forget what influence it proved to have after it was gone to Limbo the first time.

Nightmare Moon very might been the result of just a tiny bit of the Shadow finding a listening ear for it to corrupt.

After all, it went for Stygian in his moment of despair and wish to prove himself. Alone, forgotten, cast out. A burning desire to prove everypony wrong and show them his worth.

A lonely princess feeling overshadowed by her older sister, forgotten by those who rather worship the day and ignore the night.

Ponies in moments of weakness, where power is promised to them and the ability to prove others wrong. Twisting one’s mind through jealousy, rage and envy until the reasonable thought is forgotten.

Where the outcome ends up to plunge the world into eternal darkness.

Don’t forget the ending gag of the Castle Mane-ia episode in season 4.

Obvious same kind of fakeout gag like with Fluttershy’s fangs in Bats! in the same season as well. And I also hear it’s explained to be Tirek in his cloak looming around while gathering his power. Which could fit better as his eyes can glow yellow, while the Shadow’s eyes glow white. Although even in his weakened state, that was a missed opportunity to handle the heroes of Equestria when they started to get separated. He could have taken them on one by one.

Still, I like the idea of this connecting to the Pony of Shadows. Something stuck around to leave ponies to believe that something of Nightmare Moon was left behind. While potentially it was something part of the original Shadow.

After all, Granny told of this Pony of Shadows lurking around the old castle long before Tirek’s escape from Tartarus.

Weak, alone, needing a host to carry on its mission. So much power but unable to wield it, for whatever reason, without a vessel, an anchor, a heart or a lifeforce. Something to help it take form.

What Does It Want

What IS the Shadow, what is its goal? Why attach itself to ponies in moments of weakness?

It seems to feed off of their despair and twists their minds to let it take over in promise of power in return.

As much as the Pony of Shadow insisted that once it made the world turn completely dark, it would in turn ensure everypony would share Stygian’s despair and know how he felt.

But something it said talks against that promise.

“Don’t fret. Once I extinguish the light and hope of the miserable world - you won’t remember any of this.”
- The Pony of Shadow

The Shadow wishes for it all to be one with it. Mind and soul. The way it pulls lights to itself to kill it, the way it speaks of spreading its influence. How it’s illustrated always in a wasteland without life. “The Shadow and I became one. Soon all of the realm will be the same,” Stygian revealed. He thought it would make ponies feel how he felt and understand him.

But the Shadow specifically says “you won’t remember any of this” to Twilight at their first meeting.

“The realm shall embrace the darkness, as I did so long ago.”
- The Pony of Shadows/Stygian

Even the moon couldn’t light up Hollow Shades when the place was under the Shadow’s influence. When it said to plunge the realm into darkness, it meant completely.

It said it wished to rid THIS world, THIS realm of light and hope.

What is the Shadow? What does it want? Where did it come from? Why?

Many questions left unanswered.

It’s among the reasons why I really liked the concept with this Pony of Shadows. It felt like the precursor to Nightmare Moon, although banished to Limbo it had still influence left in Equestria to act in its absence.

As long there is light, you can’t be without shadows. There’ll always be shadows somewhere, no matter how might you light something up. Sure, you can come any and all shadows completely from one room, but that room would have to be empty for that. And outside it would be quite dark.

The Shadow is part of the balance ponies are slowly trying to destroy. Destroying all darkness and evil, even bringing order to chaos, they are shifting the natural balance of things. Why they never be truly rid of it.

Even banished, the Shadow still remains in Equestria. Bits and pieces of it. Sucked in to fill those holes still there, where light can’t reach.

It is the Darkness to the Light. Light so eagerly showering all of Equestria, even night has its light, beauty and life. The light that represents existence and hope to those ponies.

Where the complete Darkness will contradict what Light stands for. And erase everything. “You won’t remember any of this.” Because there will be nothing. Light is equal Hope. Equal Life. Was is the opposite to that?

As mentioned above, the Shadow was illustrated in a dead wasteland in the depictions of it, contrasting what the Pillars stood for, what they protected.

BUT that’s just my thoughts on it.

Thanks for reading through all that, if you managed to make it this far in my ramble.

You’re welcome to share your thoughts on the subject with me. I love to think too deeply into a kids cartoon about magically multi coloured horses.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[ZackWhitefang]

I remember reading back in the day a fic about Nightmare Moon's change being due to an external force, not just the corruption of her mind. So I'm all in with the idea that the Shadow was the same corruption affected both by Stygian and Luna!

Perhaps Luna's physical change was due to the symbiosis being amped up by alicorn magic? Being more eagerly accepted? Seems plausible~

While Stygian wanted recognition and acceptance, Luna wanted her night to be just as loved as the day. An idea which can be easily corrupted into "eternal night and darkness" therefore leading to a stronger connection with the Shadow.

What is certain is that while the Pony of Shadows might be trapped in Limbo for all eternity, the Shadow (or at least wisps of it) may still lurk around Equestria's dark corners. Could it be a natural phenomena like the Windigos? Maybe~

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk UwU

[Ravenpuff]

5509108
Very good thoughts on that, yes. I definitely See Luna's transformation being an effect of the Darkness' influence amped up by her own nature as an alicorn with the nature of how magic works.
There differences lying in that Stygian had the whole thing, Luna was corrupted by a fraction left behind.
And I really dig the potential that thought gives, in wondering how much more of the Darkness was left behind as little wisps searching for hosts.