More Stygian Au/Rewrite Art!
(Part two of the lore/info - kind of rough, but hopefully it all makes sense!)
The Pony of Shadows:
After being cast out by Starswirl, Stygian runs off into the woods. He stays alone in old the castle ruins where heβd run off to in order to study his forbidden magic.
He spends months by himself, just going through the motions, his loneliness and betrayal weighing heavily on him. He practices blood magic to try and distract himself, but despite his proficiency, it gives him little joy. It just reminds him that after finally finding a way to help the pillars, to have his own magic, his friends, no his family, cast him out without a second thought.
While out wandering in the forest to gather some supplies, it begins to rain, quickly becoming a violent storm. Stygian quickly takes shelter in a small cave where he plans to wait out the storm.
Hours pass by, and just as sleep is about to set in, he hears a sound. Bolting upright, he looks around and finds only rock and shadow.
But the shadow doesnβt look quite right. It warps and swirls, eventually taking the shape of a pony. It stands still, looking him over. Heβs a mess, clearly exhausted and depressed from months of isolation.
The shadow approaches him, extending its hoof towards him, and offers him something. It offers to help hold his pain, his sadness, not to entirely to take away the burden, but to share in his hurt. Alone and struggling, Stygian accepts, the shadow and him becoming one. (The Shadow will be further explained further down).
The first drawing is of his dormant form. He wanders the forest like a lost spirit, occasionally emitting quiet, haunting cries. This form represents his sadness and stasis. Itβs a painful, mournful peace. (This form is the same size as Stygian)
The second drawing is what other ponies refer to as the Pony of Shadows. It is his rage and anger at being cast away, at being dismissed and discarded. It is much taller than the average pony (around the size the pony of shadows is in the show, if not bigger).
The first time he becomes the pony of shadows is also the day heβs imprisoned. He spends years alone in the woods, until heβs found by some ponies who stumble upon him by pure mistake. They believe heβs a ghost or monster, judging by his haunting weeping and odd appearance.
The pillars are notified and eventually come to investigate. They find him and despite his shadowy appearance, they recognize him quickly. Starswirl assumes it is the blood magic that has corrupted him and decides he must be sealed away (the wizard never considers that this may be the result of Stygianβs exile).
When Stygian sees the pillars (ESPECIALLY Starswirl), heβs filled with an explosive anger. This anger feeds into the shadow, and he quickly becomes the much larger pony of shadows. (Almost like a self defence mechanism mixed with a long overdue outburst).
After a long fought battle, the pillars seal him away, at the cost of putting themselves in a stasis.
The Shadow:
The shadow is neither evil nor good. The outcome is bad here, but the shadow itself doesnβt purposefully cause this. It is an entity that feeds on pain, sadness, and anger. It is both a literal being, as well as a representation of the decent of Stygianβs mental health as he relies on an unhealthy coping mechanism.
The shadow gives him power and becomes aggressive only to protect him. It holds his pain with him and makes him feel less lonely, so Stygian quickly becomes dependent. He could force the shadow out at any time, but he feels he has no one else and the shadow is the only thing that allows him any peace. The shadow is his only listener, his only friend.
