After the element bearers managed to free the Pillars from limbo, all they had to do now was find Stygian, and all would be right. The problem is that they do not know where their former friend was hiding or if he was alive. Starswirl hadn’t seen his former friend since he banished the other Pillars, so with nothing to go on, the element bearers and the Pillars ventured into the far reaches of Equestria, hoping to help their friend.
Based on the idea ALoneWolf had in his take on my own story of Dictators Of Ponyville.—Side Chapter: Dreams
The cover art is from Shido-Tara on Deviantart.
Chapters (10)
Was Spike there too?
The picture is of Stygian transforming into the Pony of Shadows, right?
11648427
Yes.
11648419
Yes
11648985
Ok
The moment when they finally know that Stygian, and Pony of Shadows are the very same pony. Pinkie Pie should give the courtesy to tell them "I Told You So" speech.
"Not real"!? And this is coming from somebody that has seen, faced, and even fought a "myth" once before?
( Nightmare Moon, and Discord. )
And seriously frustrate you have face many villains/adversaries in the past. And you're already fought a villain that also deals with shadow, a certain Dark Crystal King!!??
I agree!
Now that I think about it, isn't Stygian basically Spike's Pillar counterpart?
11650283
Yeah, when I began the writing of this fic, I realised that as well. I actually have a story for the future in the inspiration of this!
11650286
Cool
11650286
Will that particular future story be entirely different with your Spike Dorcha that has a similar presence with Spike corrupted by Pony of Shadows?
11652863
How would pony of shadows control him when he's in limbo?
11652870
Then what was that black or was it red crystal that turned Spike into the Dark Overlord that he is?
Considering there is a death and tragedy tag of all places. Oh boy.
11652882
That's a great question and also a good reason—I planned to anyways—rewrite the story.
11652888
Does Twilight and her friends still be OOC jerks, thus causing Spike to be a dark overlord?
But is he going to be possessed/corrupted again like the first one or would he be fully in control with his actions this time?
11652892
I would say that I want the main six to be neutral—unsure of what to believe. I intend on having Spike be fully aware of what he's doing.
Personally, I think that you should keep it for a long while.
Considering the fact that after the Pony of Shadows, is a very certain Storm King and his Pony Commander.
Edit: Done.
I get it with your guilt. But I don't want this to end up having Stockholm Syndrome forming up in your thoughts.
( Best example is from James Bond's The World is Not Enough.
Hmm, nevermind then. Since it seems Starswirl, and possibly the rest of the Pillars want to atone like this.
Well DUH!
I understand your annoyance too.
For such a "Smart" Pony, Twilight doesn't have common sense when she really needs it.
Called it!
Exactly!
How can he even get a army/military, or even make a kingdom/civilization for himself?
It's not like you can just get all that out of thin-air, like in a Civilization game.
But if they do something pure evil, like genocide or even killing families and kids/babies mercilessly for example, I want you to re-think this.
The death and violence tags are there for a reason.
Hopefully, the Mane 6 and the Pillars make sure Spike doesn't end up like Stygian because he's starting to get irritated.
11663726
This story is totally separate from the "Dark Overlord Spike" Storyline from long ago.
Besides, it's far too early to assume Spike will just join the Pony of Shadows out of nowhere?
11663729
I just hope they can make Spike feel better, that's all I'm saying.
11663729
11663764
He won’t join Stygian. Thanks for reading!
I highly doubt he even has those. Considering that he will be a typical Overlord/Dark Tyrant in his hidden dark kingdom. Even if he does have those kinds of ponies, they won't live for long if they says the wrong thing.
Don't say or even think things like that, unless you want to provoke Murphy.
11671985
I thought you would say; “Don’t say things like that unless you want to provoke the author”
Wow! Just WOW! I have never thought to see Starswirl of all ponies actually defending dark magic itself/dark magic users of all things.
Magic is just magic. It's always the user themselves that either wants to use it for good or evil. The world is morally grey, not black-and-white.
I actually like this AU Starswirl than the actual canon one.
Is it kind of messed up that because this Starswirl suffers immortality instead, that he becomes a way "better" character, than his own canon counterpart?
As Transformers WFC Skywarp would say; Tighten your logic circuits, would you, [Insert name here]? It can't be THAT bad.
Jokes and references aside. Does she really has a tendency to invoke Murphy's law?
Knew that a reference/mentioned of the Storm King will eventually show up.
Speaking about that rather glaring issue in either canon or in this story by now;
Isn't it really weird that after all these years. Neither Celestia, Luna ( Once she's free. ), OR NOT even that Deus Ex Machina device ( The Cutie Map ) didn't summoned in the Mane Six to deal with the obvious tyrant/potential threat right next door to their own kingdom before it's too late!?
There inaction to stop the Storm King prematurely caused the movie events to happen in the first place.
They did it with Starlight. Why didn't it happen to help with Tempest Shadow or something like that?
( Speaking of Starlight, where is she? Is she not reformed as of yet? )
Also, if Novo was "longtime friends" with Celestia? Then why didn't Celestia herself get her message for help against the Storm King!?
And whatever happened to the Hippogriffs/Seaponies in this alternate timeline anyway?
He is friends with Capper? And Capper actually is a successful businessman in this story? Awesome for him.
Wishful day dreaming. I highly doubt this story will end "happily" without severe consequences.
Welp, welp, WELP!
Guess that probably answer the question of the death tag. Stygian didn't pull any punches, and without remorse.
While, the Storm King is well deserved. Tempest Shadow being killed also was "mixed".
Then again it was rather freaking stupid of her to take on an entire freaking army by herself!?
She should have surrendered, and actually begged to joined the Shadow Pony's side when she had the chance.
Who knows, she could have probably have a new horn since the Shadow Pony obviously has vast magic powers.
Plus it is just me, or does the Shadow Ponies own military would probably be reminiscent of Wolfenstein's Super Nazi Empire from the MachineGame's dark alternate timeline reboot?
( Old Blood, New Order, New Colossus, and Cyberpilot/Youngblood. )
Would be insane to see if the Kingdom of Darkness have robotic/mechanical monstrosities, super soldiers/cyborgs, superior weapons/vehicles ahead of its time.
11674984
This takes place after the defeat of Tirek so Starlight hasn't been introduced yet.
11675211
Will you talk about what I said about Tempest Shadow, and that I referenced Wolfenstein?
11681064
What do you mean? I read the comment but I'm not sure what you're asking.
11681083
This specifically;
You're so naive.
Soldiers ( Specifically from the bad/evil/tyrannical empires
and governments. ) actually do this mess up all the damn time!
Aww. Too bad they don't have antique guns.
Don't you remember that he is literally turned to a being of Pure Shadows/Darkness for the last thousand years, and all of that evil jazz.
What do you frickin expect? Him still being a "pacifist" after all that pain/betrayal/rage/hatred he experienced?
Now, a lot of innocent ponies and different creatures are also being suffered because of all of you six's greatest mistake over a stupid misunderstanding.
Technically speaking, Storm King was just a bastard overall. He eventually had it coming.
While his Storm Army are just battle casualties. While Tempest Shadow being killed too is a bit mixed.
She could be a good loyal asset to the Shadow Pony/Stygian if he actually fix her horn.
Also, he killed more than one creature. His body count is now possibly OVER the hundreds to the thousands, or even tens of thousands by this point in the last 1,000 plus thirty years.
11681091
She could have begged, I'll admit but I decided to still have her loyal to Storm King.
I have yet to decide to what I want to do with Stygians' kingdom.
11681440
Her "loyalty" doesn't mean squat in the first place. Because we all know the Storm King doesn't care about her in the end. A means to a end.
Sadly, she didn't know about this important fact before it's too late. And it costed her life.
She could be a good candidate to the Shadow Pony/Stygian military. Just as long she actually gets a new horn. But that's just wishful thinking by now, unless you retcon.
11681138
It isn’t nativity. It is anguish and failure to understand the logic behind the soldiers. Besides, he had just lost his friend and wasn’t in the right state of mind.
11671985
Agreed, Murphy is always watching or in this case listening.