Greetings fans of all things that are dark and macabre, I would like to propose both an idea that I want to write and make it a dark themed story here, as well as an interesting thought experiment.

We have enountered many different types of villlains within the MLP FiM series. Some had valid reasons to do what they did, despite of how many suffered under their appearance.

Chrysalis wanted nothing more than to feed her kind, despite the fact that she went about it the wrong way.

King Sombra was driven mad by the calling within his blood, forcing him to betray his only friend and enslave all those within the Crystal Kingdom in order to set free his kind.

Nightmare Moon was born out of the jealousy, spite and anger Luna felt towards her sister, mainly because no one seemed to appreciate her night.

Tirek wanted to absorb all the magic of Equestria and rule with an iron hand, mainly because of the upbringing he had and the fact that he felt that his own brother betrayed him by siding with the ponies instead with his own flesh and blood.

I won’t count Discord because no one actually suffered while he reigned. He has, after all, a no killing policy.

I would like to propose a different approach to making a villain (or a group of villains) that will do the most horrible thing any villain has ever thought in doing. Proving those who labeled the villain as such, wrong.

There will be no bloodshed, no killing no evil nor villainous acts done, because that’s not what the villain wants.

Instead of conquering all of Equestria, destroying the five Princesses (Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Cadence, Flurry), enslaving all life yaddah yaddah yaddah, the villain has only one goal and one goal only.

To create a utopian society in which those have willingly submitted themselves into the guidance the villain offers.

However, just like any monkey wrench thrower out there, there will be an interesting factor that, as far as I know (please correct me if I’m wrong) no one has used so far.

The inhabitants of this utopian society are none other than the Umbra Ponies, King Sombras kind.

If anyone has an idea on how to make such a thing possible, or is willing to help in the making of this story, please, write down the idea(s) you have.

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If you want to roll with making a "villain" who wants to create an utopia, my first question is, what would it look like?

To be honest, Equestria is almost pretty close to it.
The next question would be why would we consider this char as a villain?
Would they just be an annoying do gooder?

If you're not an Umbra pony, can you still go to the utopia?

Oh, it might help to explain what an Umbra pony is so more folks can help out.

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Regarding how the utopia would be, the villain will create a place where your dreams and aspirations in life aren’t mere fantasy, but a reality.

All those who were dealt a poor hand in life, will be able to live anew in a place where they won’t know hunger, disease nor misfortune for the rest of their natural lives.

Regarding as to why the character in question is a villain. What I have in mind for the introductory chapter, is that all ponies (among other races) who are poor, terminally ill, malformed, orphaned, etc, will just go poof and disappear. No trace of what happened, who is responsible nor where did they all went. It’s like they all just disappeared without leaving a trace.

Regarding the do gooder part, that would depend entirely on who you’re asking, but the general idea is quite far away from such a character.

Regarding the Umbra pony part. No, there is a good reason as to why the “villain” wants to release all the Umbra ponies, but it isn’t related on being part of the utopian society the “villain” has in mind.

Regarding what an Umbra pony is. Unlike the rest of Equestria, regarding the fact that they have the “white/positive” spectrum of magic (making them good hearted, kind, gentle and with good will), the Umbra ponies are their polar opposite. The magic they wield comes from their negative emotions (aka dark/black magic). As to what happened to the Umbra ponies. When any magic caster allows “evil” (any negative emotion really) enter and consume their heart, they will lose their mind (be it slowly or quickly, makes little difference at the very end).

All of the Umbra ponies trapped under the Crystal Kingdom are quite insane and mentally unstable, not because that’s their nature, but because they were driven mad by the magic that they decided to use.

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I can't give advice on the story, but I can point out a similar situation and you can see if it has any ideas you can incorporate. In the cartoon "Spider-man" season 5 episode 11, there's several super heroes and villains transported to a hellish planet. Doc Ock, Doctor Doom, Red Skull and another one who's not important are basically given so many years to do with their countries what they want. We see that Doc Ock, Red Skull and the other one basically have totalitarian landscapes. Meanwhile when we do get to Doctor Doom, his home is a utopia. It's shown that all of the dreadful things he's done were to make the world a better place. Possibly relevant?

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That helps me a lot, if I may be honest. Thank you/

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This sounds an awful lot like communism...

Can he go about it in a totalitarian way, only to have his utopia crash and burn like every other one in real life? That would not only be topical, but also a good read (IMO).

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Regarding the communism part. It is very different from what communism is/was.

What the villain has in mind, regarding the utopian society the villain wants to build/make is quite simple in its design.

It’s not about making everything they produce belong to everyone, but to give it to those who actually need it the most (medical drugs to those who are very ill, food and water to those who are starving or suffering from dehydration, books and education to those who are illiterate etc).

The main focus of the utopian society that the villain has in mind is “if I, alongside all those who heed my call, create a small piece of paradise in which each and every single inhabitant of my...., no, our kingdom, is capable of handling all aspects that make up our kingdom, we shall be prepared to handle any and all situation that our enemies or life decides to throw at us”.

The point, or should I say essence of this utopian society is that, each and every single inhabitant (regardless of race and gender) has the same education, knowledge and experience to handle all the most basic things that make up a society.

All those who heed the call of this villain, who at the very beginning of the story made thousands upon thousands disappear without a trace, will now be able to gain two things in exchange for their loyalty to the villain.

The first will be access to a benign form of black magic, that won’t twist and transform their personalities into that of deranged lunatics (access to dark magic without suffering from the consequences of black magic)

The second thing will be to have access to what can/could be called a hive mind type of thinking. In which the knowledge of one individual (should the individual in question be willing, that is) will be shared amongst all those who want that information. Making it extremely easy for the knowledge and information of one individual living in this utopian society, to be shared amongst the others (who are also willing to have said information/knowledge).

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medical drugs to those who are very ill, food and water to those who are starving or suffering from dehydration, books and education to those who are illiterate

From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Classic communist slogan is all I'm sayin'. I still like the collapsing utopia idea better, but it's your idea.

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To create a utopian society in which those have willingly submitted themselves into the guidance the villain offers.

This reminds me of a certain villain.

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I agree with the fact that the utopian society the villain wants to make looks identical to what communism stands for. In order to make things different, I have thought about it very hard and came up with an interesting solution.

The way the utopian society that the villain wants to make, literally spins around merit and capability. The harder and the better you work, the better your life becomes. The longer and the more fervently you work, the more likely it is that you (the citizen) will be able to climb up the socioeconomical ladder and have a more important job.

The entire concept is simple. The more you’re willing to sacrifice your time and energy while also maintaining a strict schedule and work properly while giving it your all, you will be able to have better living conditions.

Those who are at the bottom only have a two room house with water, a bed and a shower. And the only food available for them to eat is the easiest thing to gain, wheat.

And just like any other society, they do have their own type of currency. Mind you, the value of their currency is the same than that of the Equestrian societies.

The currency they have are black coins that have two insignias on it. One that represents the villain (the most respected citizen of the utopian society) and the other one represents their utopian kingdom (where they will now live and die)

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Regarding the town Starlight Glimmer controlled. The villain has little interest in both deceit and trickery, for the main goal of the villain is too use the pillars of Equestrian society as his rallying cry. He wants to use the same pillars that make up Equestrian society to convince all those who heed the call that the villain uses and leave their homes in order to become a citizen of the utopia the villain wants to make.

However, the villain will be extremely clear as in what happens if you decide to leave your home and move out. Once they leave and become a citizen of the utopia that the villain has in mind, they are in for life.

That doesn’t mean that they literally can’t leave, the villain has little interest in enslaving others, they will just have little reason to leave.

6438829 I still don't see how that differs from what Starlight Glimmer did. The only deceit and trickery she did was that she didn't remove her magic. If she did that, she couldn't 'help' any other pony with the '=' cutie mark. Everything else is exactly the same as you describe it.

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Let me put it this way.

Have you ever taken for granted things in life?

The conformity of your home.
The food that you consume whenever you’re hungry.
The health that you have, as you can move and walk without help.
The education you have, that allows you to understand and see things better.

How many people actually have those things in life?

How far are they willing to go, and what are they willing to sacrifice for such “common pleasures” that many people take for granted each day.

What the villain is offering to those who are unfortunate, those who have lost everything when disease/tragedy or misfortune showed its face, is a new chance in life.

To live a life where they can be what they’ve always wanted to be, as those chains of poverty, sickness and deformity are broken.

A life where everyone is equal in the eyes of life, where the very heavens are the limit to who they can be in their lives.

Where the crippled can finally walk once again.
Where the deformed can finally be proud of how they look.
Where the starved can finally go to sleep with a full stomach.
Where the sick can finally enjoy the warmth of the sun.
Where the deaf can finally hear the music of life.
Where the blind can finally see the wonders that the world has to offer.

Starlight Glimmer only offered a false sense of equality, since she removed that which made them special, making them a jack of all trades but ace of none.

What this villain is offering is a chance to make your dreams, that which you hold most dear in your heart, a reality. Where the entire world and the seemless possibilities that the river of life has will not deter nor hinder you as you manage to finally make your deepest and most cherished dream and hope a reality.

They will fall over and over again, for such is the nature of failure and making accidents in life, but villain allow the light of their hope to become faint.

The villain will not berate them when they fail, which they will. The villain will give them a helping hand whenever they need it and they are willing to accept it. The villain will try to become a beacon of hope as well as a beacon for a better future for all those who heed the call.

6438920 That does sound interesting.

Why do you keep calling the leader villain, though?

6438931
I haven’t fleshed out as to who exactly will the “villain” be.

Not because I haven’t given it thought, this idea has been in my mind for almost three years, but because the last thing I want is to make it obvious who the villain is.

6438935 I get that, but what makes you perceive the pony as a bad guy and not a good guy?

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Two things that I need to clarify.

First, the “villain” in question isn’t a pony. For a lack of a better term/word, the “villain” in question is a parasite.

Second, the moment the “villain” manages to escape Tartarus, thousands upon thousands of living and sentient beings disappear all over the world.

From the old and decrepit to the young and abandoned and all points in between.

6439014 But they all go willingly, right? What does the parasite take from their victims?

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That’s the thing though. Adults can give consent to what is going on (not because children can’t, but because they have a bette grasp of life...per se).

Regarding the what the “villain” is. The villain requires a willing host in order move around, otherwise it can’t, just like any parasite.

Regarding what the parasite takes (or in this case, feeds off) are negative emotions. Please note that this parasite doesn’t create negative emotions in order to feed, like the Dazzlings. The parasite literally consumes those negative emotions others presently have. Those emotions aren’t gone permanently, for others can feel them over and over again, since the parasite doesn’t feed from the chemistry of the brain.

The angrier, sadder, envious etc other beings are, the more “food” the parasite can feed out off. It won’t grow stronger nor more powerful, the parasite is just taking that which makes up its body.

The more it feeds the bigger it grows while maintaining the same amount of power.

There is one big particularity regarding the parasite in question.

While the main host holds within his or her body the “villain” in question, the influence the parasitic entity has isn’t limited to only one host.

The parasite latches, quite strongly, at anyone who: allows the parasite to enter their body and that is willing to become an extension of the main host.

I will go into more detail about this right now.

The main host, whoever that might be, knows everything about those who allowed the parasite to enter their bodies, everything they see, feel, sense, smell and hear, is also known by the main host of the parasite.

All secondary hosts have their own free will, they can do as they please, as long they don’t betray one another.

There are very obvious signs as to who carries the parasite within their body, and this is especially easy to tell when anyone encounters the main host.

1) All color from the fur and scales turns into a vantablack color (aka, the darkest color/substance in existence so far). The only exception are the color of their eyes, which remain the same prior to having the parasitic entity within their bodies.

2) The temperature around them is always quite colder than the surrounding area, except if the room is/was cold to begin with.

3) The eyes of all those with the parasite emanate purple smoke from their eyes and breath.

4) The sclera of their eyes are green.

Regarding the traits that only the main host has.

1) The host can’t stand to be in direct contact with sunlight, not because the parasite is weak to the rays of the sun, but because the body of the host will suffer from hyperthermia (increased body temperature).

2) The host can’t be injured by any physical means, not because they don’t do actual damage, but because the main body of the parasite will heal any and all wounds, even life threatening ones (like a broken neck).

3) The host can’t be injured by anyone who has experienced any negative emotions, not because the parasite will nullify the damage (note: it can’t), but because the parasite within the host will influence those negative emotions and prevent any conscious attack from happening.

4) The main weakness that the parasite has is: convince the main host that it doesn’t need the parasite any longer, this will force the parasite to leave the body and become exposed. Note: by doing so, that which makes up the body of the parasite will start to leave and spread all over (for those who haven’t picked up what the parasite is made out of, I will explain that in the next point).

5) The body of this magical parasite is made entirely out of two things: black magic and negative emotions. The reason the parasite needs a host is so that its body won’t expand and engulf and propagate violence, hatred, mistrust, jealousy, envy and violence. In other words, the main host is what’s keeping the unfortunate side effects of the parasites main body contained.

6439055 Wow, you've really thought this out in detail. All you need now is a plot.

6439144
That’s what I need help with, if I may be honest

6439213 The benevolent millennial rule of the Princess has not been kind to the parasite that feeds on turmoil. Only a mass gathering of desperate ponies could rejuvenate the eternal magical leach.
Thus far it has been almost impossible for the parasite to move around unnoticed. But his new host is adapt with teleportation. Getting to ponies becomes a breeze.
The rule of Celestia has not quenched the desires in ponies. They still yearn in silence. But the parasite knew how to turn the silence into a scream.
But enemies are bound to arise from the disruption of the routine. Preparations must be made. A system established.
First, however, recruitment must be kicked into a full swing. There's strength in numbers.

6439256
That’s more of a introductory speech/paragraph of the story itself.

What I need is a way to start the story and introduce all the characters in a way that looks and feels natural, something I’m having a very hard time if I may be honest.

6439278 The sun is set. It's time to move. The current host has served me well for decades, but now it's time to move on. 'Tis a risky business, but it has to be done. Nothing lasts forever. Well, except for me, and even that on an assumption of finding a new host in time.
When I had lay, hidden in the bushes, I overheard of a pony gone missing. The magic school student. After an incident with a fellow student, she was kicked off the academy. Nopony has seen her since, but I could smell her. There was a dense turmoil in the air, coming from the Everfree Forest. Tracking her down wouldn't be a problem. Convincing her to let go of her current life might, but I had a speech prepared just for such an occasion. This might just be my lucky day.

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If anyone wants to read what I have in mind for the story (as well as answering your questions, doubts plus hearing to all of the suggestions given) send me a private message and I will be more than glad to do so.

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I’m already starting to write the story, now that I have everything I need in order to make it not only believable but an interesting story as well, since you were the only ones who were curious enough to stick around and show interest with my idea, I’d like to hear (or in this case, read) what your opinions are on how the story goes as well as what you think I should fix.

Thank you all for your previous support on this important matter at hand (important to me, that is).