Stygian

Stygian was a Unicorn Stallion and founder of the Pillars of Equestria.

Stygian
Friendship is Magic character
Biographical information
Species	Pony  • Unicorn
Gender	Male
Nationality	Equestrian
Home	Unnamed village
Relationships
Affiliation	Pillars of Equestria

History

Ally and enemy of legends

During the Age of Heroes, Stygian witnessed the Dazzlings, a trio of Sirens, using their powers to sow discord among the Ponies of a coastal village. Lacking both physical strength and magical ability, Stygian could not confront them himself, and so gathered six heroic ponies. With the aid of his knowledge and tactical planning, the heroes-Starswirl the Bearded, Mistmane, Flash Magnus, Somnambula, Rockhoof, and Mage Meadowbrook-succeeded in banishing the villains from [[Equestria]. However, Stygian was forced to look on as the team he had assembled were celebrated, while he was ignored.

Tired of standing on the sidelines while his friends fought, Stygian took the Pillars' signature artifacts to Ponhenge in hopes of creating copies of them that he could wield alongside his friends. Unfortunately, the other Pillars came to believe that he had been trying to steal their powers for himself, and cast him out. Deeply hurt, Stygian traveled to the Hollow Shades, and encounter the darkness within the Well of Shade. Embracing it, he became the Pony of Shadows, and attacked his former friends at the Castle of Two Sisters. Later, the Pillars used a spell to summon him to Ponhenge, and then cast another to seal themselves and him in limbo to prevent him from casting Equestria into eternal darkness.

Figure of myth

After his fall to darkness, the Pony of Shadows was considered an "old ponies tale" that was feared as much as it was mocked. Nonetheless, Stygian left behind a legacy of terror as even ponies like Applejack feared his name.

Sunburst, Twilight Sparkle, and their friends eventually learned what had become of the Pillars, and revered their spell to bring them back to Equestria. Unfortunately, this action brought Stygian back as well, still determined to conquer Equestria, and he destroyed the journal and Ponhenge to prevent his banishment. He then fled to the Well of Shade, only for the Pillars and Mane Six to find him with the aid of the Cutie Map and attempt to banish him using the Elements of Harmony. Twilight and her student, Starlight Glimmer, were able to converse with Stygian, who explained his intentions of long ago and his reasons for turning against the other Pillars.

The heroes then worked together to free him from the darkness, which was drawn back into limbo without Stygian. Starswirl apologized to Stygian for his judgement of him, and the Pillars were reconciled to their old friend. Stygian adjusted fairly well to life in the modern world, writing a series of best-selling novels including Me and My Shadow. He would later attend Twilight's coronation as Queen of Equestria, sitting at a table with the Pillars.

Personality

Stygian is a kind pony, willing to expend great effort on behalf of others. Unfortunately, he was also deeply dissatisfied with his inability to contribute directly in a crisis. This led him to the well-intentioned but poorly considered theft of the Relics of the Pillars. When his friends, misunderstanding his intentions and not seeking to understand his reasoning, cast him out, he was left in deep despair. This in turn left him susceptible to the temptation of the Darkness and eager to accept its offer to supply everything that he had lacked.

In the thrall of the darkness, Stygian sought to infect all of Equestria with the misery his rejection by the Pillars had brought upon him. He also condemned his former allies, believing that they had turned against him out of selfishness, and saw the Darkness as a friend to be guarded from harm. In truth, however, Stygian longed to forgive and be forgiven by his old associates, though he could not escape the Darkness' grip by himself. After his friends, old and new, rescued him, Stygian proved willing to let the past be forgotten.

Abilities

Like other Unicorns, Stygian possesses some basic Magical ability, most notably the ability to move objects through telekinesis. However, like Sunburst, he doesn't seem to have been capable of performing very powerful magic, and was thus unable to contribute to the Pillars' combat missions.