//------------------------------//
// Myth 
// Story: Ambition Undying 
// by Vivid Syntax 
//------------------------------//



In the Ponyville school playground on a sunny day, a blade of grass stopped its swaying. Unlike its sisters, it stood rigid and firm. Tiny speckles appeared along the midrib and leaves. They were indistinguishable at first, but they grew into transparent glowing droplets of crimson magic, as if the plant itself were bleeding. Soon, a thick aura covered the whole blade, and with a swift popping noise, the plant became undone from its roots and blew away on the breeze.

Onyx stared down at the remaining grass. He felt a pang at its color. It was so vibrant and alive, mocking him with its stark contrast to his own body. His grey coat and full, black mane piqued the interest of the other foals, but the ponies his age always found a reason to avoid him given enough time. Onyx wished he could straighten out his curved horn as easily as he had the blade of grass, and he wished even harder that he couldn't hear the grown-ups talking about him again.

"Well... d-during arts and crafts, the room grew cold all of a sudden." His teacher, Cheerilee, bit her lower lip. Her gaze fluttered between Princess Twilight Sparkle and the ground below, and her voice shook as if she were still trying to convince herself what had happened. "We were learning about the princesses and designing new crowns for them. Uh, you. I heard Autumn Sunrise scream, and when I turned around, she was surrounded by a sort of red..." She took a deep breath and muttered a quick apology. "I'm sorry. It's difficult to describe."

Twilight nodded as she took in her surroundings. On the surface, everything seemed normal, but the finer details roused her suspicion. Even on this bright summer day, no birds sang. An unseasonable chill lingered in the air, and she smelled the slightest hint of something rancid.

Looking down to the shorter mare, she put on her warmest smile and most jovial tone. "Cheerilee, I'm sure you've seen magic before. It can manifest in a number of different ways. What makes you think Onyx had something to do with it?"

Twilight looked at the grey colt sitting alone in the grass. He sat motionless, head hung low and with sunken shoulders. He was barely more than a large pebble in an abandoned field, slowly plucking the grass with his magic.

Cheerilee cleared her throat and straightened her back. Her voice became firmer. "He was… staring at her, and he didn't scream. Onyx has had issues making friends and playing nicely with the other ponies. He transferred this year when his parents moved from the Crystal Empire, and they say he's always had violent mood swings."

Twilight turned back to her. "Mood swings?"

"I don't understand why. His parents seem very loving and kind, and I see them being affectionate with him every day. He just… snaps sometimes."

"I'll talk to him. I'm sure he was just having a bad day."

Cheerilee bowed her head. "Thank you, Princess Twilight."

Twilight considered correcting Cheerilee's for using her formal title among friends, but instead, she merely accepted the schoolteacher's respect. Gracefully, she walked forward into the field, her long flowing mane billowing in the breeze. 

The colt faced away from her, and as she approached, she felt a tightness in her chest and a tingling in her horn. Her wings twitched, and she nearly stumbled as the air grew colder. Twilight's eyes widened as she recognized a familiar feeling. 'Dark magic,' she thought to herself.

A few step behind Onyx, Twilight halted her gait as softly as she could and recalled all the times her mother had comforted her. She tried to imitate that soothing voice. "Good afternoon, Onyx. How are you today?"

The grey colt didn't budge.

"It sounds like life's been pretty tough today. Anything you want to talk about?"

Onyx's voice was small and monotonous. "Everypony's angry at me. They don't like me."

Twilight's tone remained gentle. "Oh, that's not true, Onyx, but I'm sorry you feel that way." She circled around at sat in front of him, trying to minimize the difference in their sizes. "Why do you think they don't like you?"

"B-Because, th-they…" His tiny body heaved with sobs. Onyx sniffled and wiped his nose on his foreleg. "They… they a-always scream. And they're mean. And they tease me. And they don't share the crafts."

Twilight's stomach twisted in knots, and she felt a crackling in the air. A thin, nigh invisible mist began forming around them, tinting her vision red.

Twilight measured her breaths and refused to blink. If worse came to worst, she knew her alicorn magic would be more than enough to overpower this colt's blossoming abilities, but she hesitated to use them on such a young foal. 'Only as a last resort,' she promised herself. "Onyx," she said firmly. "You can't use your magic to hurt anypony like that."

Onyx began shaking, and a fog of red magic formed at the tip of his horn. He whispered, "I couldn't stop." The red energy dripped down his horn and onto the ground, staining both. "She deserved it."

"Onyx!" Twilight straightened her back. "That is not acceptable! Why would you say something like that?"

Onyx jerked his head towards Twilight. His eyes suddenly glowed a vibrant green, and dark smoke poured out of them. As the Princess gasped in horror, the grey colt spoke again, his voice rumbling and growing like an oncoming storm. "Because she wouldn't share the crystals."