I literally teared up readin this…

@Starswirl
 
whereas starlight totally is the seventh element: the element of awesomitude.
 
 
@Stainless Steel
 

 
they did…
 

@Darth Sonic  
You know, that reminds me… What exactly is up with donkeys in the show? I mean, do they have a kingdom? Are they all just wanderers? Do they have something special about them like how zebras have alchemy and rituals? We’ve only seen like 2 across the entire show. (except for that one mule, but he barely counts) =/

@Darth Sonic  
@PonyPon  
@Masem  
Aye. Right this moment, it was up to Stygian to stand up for himself, but he didn’t.
 
And because he believed he didn’t have any qualities worth inside, he hatched a plan to get them from outside. First by copying what his friends had (apparently by stealing their artefacts, leading them to think he was going to steal their powers too) and then surrendering to something dark and evil.
 
Starswirl didn’t understand friendship, but he understood power. This part shows Stygian has the same flaw. He didn’t understand friendship either, or he could have articulated its worth. Only, where Starswirl knows he’s powerful, Stygian thinks he has nothing.
 
Actually pretty deep.

Egoist Starswirl has been the best writing decision on the show in quite some time.

I wonder how many people reading this have been in Stygian’s position, that of the fifth wheel?

@Frustration in Excelsis
 
More or less.
 
Shadow Play itself has Stygian confess that all he wanted was to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, but knew he lacked the power to do so.

@Dustcan
 
So essentially, the problem was the Stygian believed/realized that Starswirl was better at his job than he was?

@Frustration in Excelsis
 
Pretty much. Stygian’s only means of contributing to the group was to be the brains and de facto leader. But Starswirl more or less usurped both roles and could contribute more directly. This meant Stygian was effectively no longer needed, and he realized as much.

@Masem
 
I have to confess I’m not entirely sure what you’re getting at. Stygian built good self-confidence over his adventures thanks to his interactions with the Pillars, but as soon as Starswirl joined the group the latter’s presence caused Stygian’s self-confidence to instantly crumble?

@PonyPon  
Stygian lacked self-confidence. He was driven on his quest from necessity, because he had no idea what he could do besides recognize the threat before he was affected. What’s relatively good about this series is that the other Pillars all supported Stygian and seemed to be aware he lacked self-confidence, but as soon as Star Swirl, who seemed rather indifferent to anything but what he felt benefited his own good, Stygian felt he was immediately useless. And that’s something that (as this comic showed) is very difficult to have disproven to you by others.
 
There’s really a lot of good characterization here which will be curious how the fall from grace will happen.

What, was the last several comics’ worthy of hero-gathering adventures worth nothing to you?
 
That kind of tenacity is at least worth some praise, you dipstick.

@Frustration in Excelsis  

 
And more fittingly, with inferiority.

“… I FORMED the fucking Pillars, you show stealing jackass!”
 
“What do Donkeys have to do with any of this?”

I do think it’s worth noting that on the occasions that Stygian does have to make a place for himself in the group, he goes out of his way to shoot himself down.
 
Which doesn’t clean Starswirl of all blame, but… as I see it, it’s like Luna’s fall. Celestia is at fault for not doing anything to help her sister, but this does not mean that Luna isn’t responsible for what happened either. Both cases seem to have involved crippling spirals of depression, too.