"Embrace the shadows..."
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A Royal Problem
- In-universe example: Starlight's nightmare. She's so terrified that she's messed everything up and driven the sisters apart again that she dreams of being attacked by Nightmare Moon. And when Celestia tries to help Starlight the dream world spawns Daybreaker, a corrupted evil version of Celestia.Daybreaker: [to Nightmare Moon] I never should've banished you to the moon! I should've destroyed you!
- Daybreaker possesses some extremely terrifying fire power (literally), not at all helped by her intense hatred for her sister and how power-hungry she is. She attempts to burn Nightmare Moon with her breath, a cinder of which ends up on the platform Starlight is standing on and nearly engulfs her when it consumes the platform. Then her eyes become pure red as she basically becomes a living sun, with flames visibly appearing around Celestia's magic barrier as Daybreaker attempts to roast them alive. Finally she knocks Nightmare Moon down and the scene shifts to the princesses' throne room, and as she utters a crazed petrifying laugh, Daybreaker sits on the throne and turns the nearby supports into pillars of fire with clear intention of establishing a regime governed by blaze. With how scarily powerful and destructive she is, the fact it's all just a dream is a good thing - given that it's evident Daybreaker's rule would bring upon a world of fire if she ever came to be, Nightmare Moon's reign in never-ending night would've certainly been preferable.
- Another in-universe example: there's Luna's bad dream, consisting of fillies sadly taunting her smile, and her trying to apologize to them whilst her teeth are falling out. Anyone who's ever had the teeth-falling-out nightmare can relate to Luna's bad dream.
Fame and Misfortune
- During her "stress-sewing", Rarity flashes a joyless smile, via Jump Scare. It doesn't help that her mascara runs down her face from so much crying, giving her a crazy appearance. If ever there was a Lesson-Zero-Rarity, look no further...
Campfire Tales
- The fly-ders. Basically a frightening combo of flies and spiders. They travel in huge swarms, are capable of webbing up a full sized pony to prevent their escape, and they bite. A lot. The only thing one can do is run from them. Even Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash don't try anything to fight them off after their initial attempts prove inadequate, instead taking cover in a cave. Oh, and unlike real-life spiders who may occasionally bite large mammals to defend themselves, these nasties actually feed on ponies if they get the opportunity and run out of easier food.Rainbow Dash: What do they want now!?
Applejack: Well, like it or not, we're food too.
Sweetie Belle: And I have the bites to prove it!
A Health of Information
- At first glance, Swamp Fever is akin to your typical fever with fantastical symptoms. Orange spots on the body? Coughing bubbles? Sneezing lightning? All of these aren't that scary and are in fact somewhat comical... but then the final symptom is revealed to be the host of the disease turning into a tree that drops the same kind of flower that induces Swamp Fever. You heard that right; if you're hit with Swamp Fever and are not cured, you're going to slowly transform into a plant on top of feeling dreadfully sick. And one that strikes its victims with the same disease, while at it. Just imagine that happening to you.
- Worse yet, Swamp Fever works the same way the fungi cordyceps works on ants: it infects one of them, who begins exhibit strange symptoms. If prolonged, the victim will transform into a tiny cordyceps tree that will infect the rest of the colony, especially if they're too close.
- Even worse, the episode shows that the only cure was unknown for a very long time, meaning that the victims were pretty much hopeless. And by the time the cure is found, it's not just hard to find but also very dangerous to obtain, as it's produced by Shock and Awe insects that No-Sell most magical attacks, and, arguably, the spells that might be able to affect them would also damage the cure. By the time the badly battered healers finally obtain the cure, it's very possible the victims would have turned into trees already.
- Also, there is a possibility that the victims of swamp fever who could not be cured could still have self-awareness in their tree form. If this is the case, had Zecora, Fluttershy, Meadowbrook’s mother, her village, and possibly the Doctor not been cured before the final stage of Swamp Fever reached, they could’ve been turned into trees and remained that way for the rest of their lives while being aware of it.
Shadow Play
- The Pony of Shadow's goal. It doesn't want an eternal night, a world ruled by chaos or fear, every last bit of magical energy, it doesn't even want to rule over Equestria. What it wants is complete darkness. It wants to return everything to the shadows and leave no shred of light behind, with no one capable of remembering anything else.
- We get a look at what the Sirens are capable of at their full, unrestrained power: one song and a village breaks out in a violent brawl. Further more, the Sirens are capable of breathing a Breath Weapon powerful enough to vaporize rock. Thank goodness Flash Magnus has a magic shield. Their singing also doesn't spare children. The episode does its best to depict the brawl in the most cartoony, slapstick possible way to lessen the blow, but it doesn't change the fact that foals get as agressive as adult ponies, and those adults don't hesitate attacking the youngsters either.
- Stygian's transformation into the Pony of Shadows in a flashback. He throws open the castle doors with his head down, then raises his head to glare at the Pillars. Shadows grow from the corners of his eyes to give him Black Eyes of Evil, then the same shadows flow out of his eyes and wrap around him, transforming him in a burst of dark light.
