//------------------------------//
// Seeds of Evil 
// Story: Ponykind: From Birth to the Modern Age 
// by Slag 
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A great deal of hypotheses surround the origins of creatures actually capable of utilizing magic. Now that we have some geological records, however, the most popular one is the belief that all magic-using species are descended from ponies in some way. Even if that is not true, evidence does point to ponies being the first of modern magic-users by a long margin, and most of the other beings who can now use magic came into existence around the time pony civilization started to advance at a rapid pace.

The windigos, being barely creatures and more malevolent spirits embodied in nearly pure magical energy, have no geological record, but records of their existence only stem back to early-mid pony civilization, as writing started to become prevalent. The windigos also share their appearance with ponies in a few ways, which suggests a familiarity with the pony form (though some argue that this may have merely been a case of a parasite trying to make itself more familiar with its prey). Philosophers speculate that the windigos may have been negative feelings, anywhere from resentment to hatred, given form by powerful magic, and equualogists agree somewhat. However, the scientists believe that the creation of the windigos may have been at least partially intentional, sapient curses meant to ruin the days of their victims.

Either way, the windigos began to grow in number, and their hunger for the energy of negative pony emotions grew as well. They began to farm the pony masses, encouraging as much anger and resentment as possible, and slowly laying the seeds for the near-schism of pony society. Racism and xenophobia began to emerge in the greater populace, and soon the three races began to part ways, with the pegasi claiming homes in the clouds and the unicorns heading a short way south, creating a city that would eventually become Manehattan. They were still forced to trade services between each other, though, as the earth ponies now depended on advanced unicorn tools and pegasus weather control to maintain their high-yield farms and the other two races needed the food from those farms. The windigos, lusting for yet more of their emotional food and ignorant of the eventual consequences, prepared the final spell to create as much bitterness as possible between the three nations.