Magic use in Season 3 (spoilers etc)

[Lerian]

Specifically, the 'dark magic' used by Sombra, Celestia and Twilight in the dual episode.

A discussion of some possibilities, beliefs, headcanons and hopes for the (canon!) dark magic shown most recently.

In show the dark magic seems to be concerned mainly with mental manipulation. Domination, causing fear and despair etc rather than actual damage/physical harm. I can't remember the game or story but I remember seeing a similar attitude elsewhere. Harming someone with magic wasn't such a big thing, akin to and receiving the same punishments as using a weapon against someone. Using mental manipulation on someone was a whole lot worse, harsher punishments, automatic assumption of harmful intent and so on. *cough* want-it-need-it spell *cough*

Is dark magic intent based? Using your magic, for example to harm in self defence, would give it your own aura but acting with malicious/selfish intent would give it a darker aura and be considered 'dark magic'

Was it perhaps originally only known by Alicorns? Queen Luminosity was happily married to the good king, formerly Prince, Sombra as part of an alliance with the unicorn kingdom. Her subjects loved them unconditionally and worked for the betterment of the crystal kingdom, that love and hope filling the crystal heart and spilling over the land. She taught the magic of focussing that love to her husband and they ruled together. Sadly, king Sombra succumbed to the greed and gem hunger that afflicted so many of his unicorn kin and this corrupted the ability to focus unconditional 'giving' into the ability to dominate and take love/hope/joy. Queen Luminosity attempted to stop him but was unable or unwilling to harm her husband or use her magics in such a way. Perhaps she simply was not strong enough against his stolen power and king Sombra ruled until beaten by the sisters (and the elements of harmony?) Maybe Shining armour and Twilight need to be careful what they wish or ask for...

Perhaps 'Dark' magic is a name only and it is not the same as 'evil'. I.e. as a magic that can only be used to harm, there is no known way to use it in a positive way and it is considered 'dark' magic but it is accepted that the ruler, soldiers and specialists would have knowledge of it. It is however frowned upon and treated suspiciously if a 'civilian' knows how to do it (Akin to telling a blind date that you have a knife collection, not illegal but probably brings about a quick excuse to end the evening)?

[Bellosh]

For now, I operate under the assumption that the brand of magic Sombra used was of his own creation, and that almost nopony (good or evil) had the know-how to use Sombra's magic. None of the other villains seen in FiM so far have used this so-called 'dark magic', despite being malicious in their own right.

[TotalEcplise]

Well In my head cannon dark magic is like the dark side of the force. Assuming you have the emotions to fuel it you can utilize it (you probably have to have the will power to not abuse it to as well). FiM is making it seem like dark magic isn't just regular spells with malicious intent, but its own discipline. Similar to how black in M:TG can do most of what any other colour can do, but it's still it's own beast.

In M:TG black isn't evil just like the Dark side of the force isn't evil, they just require that you draw from and manage powerful, volatile emotions. Which is hard. It's basically like asking someone to open up a **** as wide as it can go, then immediately asking them to shut if off.

[Motion Paradox]

It may just be that they were imitating Sombra's spell, or at least Celestia's did and Twilight reversed engineered it from Celestia's demonstration.

But I think the Queen Luminosity was just the first Queen of the Crystal Ponies and not connected to Sombra at all, however she is an ancestor of Princess Cadance, as is either the Prince or Princess from the Hearts and Hooves day story. In fact if I had to point to any historic Pony that's been mentioned thus far as one who was in power before Sombra took over it would be the Hearts and Hooves day couple, think about it what better time to stage an uprising than when the two Ponies who could stop you are too busy looking into each other's eyes to notice you? Then part of this caused them to be separated for the hour needed to undo the effect of the love poison but by that point Sombra was too powerful for them to stop him alone so they went to Celestia and Luna who banished Sombra, but this also caused the Crystal Empire to disappear with him. Hearts and Hooves day was first celebrated in place of the Crystal Fair to keep the spirits of love and unity going in hte Crystal Empire's absence

Also Celestia's memory of event order becomes a bit fuzzy after an event happened a certain number of centuries ago, this happened over 1000 years ago, since Luna is clearly in the flashback it happened no less than 1002 years ago, anything after that is during the time she was on the moon....or we've already seen

[Lerian]

Hearts and Hooves day was first celebrated in place of the Crystal Fair to keep the spirits of love and unity going in hte Crystal Empire's absence

Very nice ideas! Especially the link to the existing love festival

EDIT:- Oooooooooh, headcanon timeline.

Time of Discord

Discord defeated but the sisters are weakened/new and don't take to ruling

Time of harmony, peace and love prospers as all races are happy to be free of Discord.

At some point in this period the sisters take to ruling a few lands/small area, aiding harmony as they embody all pony tribes.

'Minor'/individual acts of selfishness creep in, this is when the love poison incident happens.

Events in Motion paradox' post.

Without the inlfuence of the crystal kingdom more selfishness and paranoia creep in.

The build up to Hearths warmiing eve incidents, fighting and windigos. The sisters during this time are too weak or have too little influence to prevent it.

The end of Hearths warmimg eve story and the newly harmonious tribes join the smaller lands of the sisters to make Greater Equestria, adopting their flag.

And that's how (headcanon) Equestria was made!

[elsporko]

For now, I operate under the assumption that the brand of magic Sombra used was of his own creation, and that almost nopony (good or evil) had the know-how to use Sombra's magic. None of the other villains seen in FiM so far have used this so-called 'dark magic', despite being malicious in their own right.

Aside from Nightmare Moon none of the other villains where ponies, and if I remember right there was an outside force that changed Luna. That could be the difference. different species have different abilities. None so far have known how to use dark magic