Chapters The Wants of Undead Emotion
I woke to a loud chattering. Chitter chatter chitter chatter. It was rapid and shook my body. I had no idea where I was, it was dark, trees were around me, and there was a small path directly in front of me. I looked around some more, but no other attributes of the area around me peeked my interest. Just trees.
I began to wander down the dimly illuminated path, the chattering still ringing about all around me. Something about my movement felt wrong. It felt light, but slow, as if I had no muscles. I decided to look down, and saw nothing but a bare, skeletal chest. I jumped in the air and screamed, frightened by the sight. I now became more aware of myself, and more aware of where the loud chattering was coming from. My jaws clattered together being held by weak magic, the rest of my body shook weakly as well, like there was a small earthquake occurring.
It took me quite a long moment to grasp my new-found body. I was able to spy on the local resident who lived in a cottage not far from the tree line. She (Or what I assumed was a she) stood on four legs, while I stood on two, she had a very large, rounded head, while mine was more ovular, more importantly, I had these little strips that moved at the end of my palms, and she didn't. After making these comparisons, I noticed another thing. She had flesh. She wasn't bare-boned like I was, she was covered in bright yellow furry flesh, with a picture on her butt that looked like winged bugs. I was able to calm my chattering to avoid being heard, but she still glanced toward my location every while or so.
I finally worked up the courage to step out of the bushes to speak to her. My chattering now becoming loud and obvious, I stepped out and stared at her as she turned quickly. She let out a shriek of fear as she looked at my bony complexion. I tried to speak and calm her, but all that came out was a sharp, loud hiss. I became angry at myself, and my facial expression changed to angry (at least as much as someone without a face could change their expression) and she screamed even louder. I reached out to try and pat her back and she released these long, yellow things covered in feathers, and lifted into the air, racing off faster than I could travel. I hung my head, ashamed of myself for scaring off what could have been a potential friend.
I stepped back into the tree line, my chattering body shaking. I felt something wash over me, it hurt. Not like my body, but it hurt me in a way that was hard to explain. It made me feel bad, made me want to scream out just like that little yellow creature did. I had no idea how to explain it, for my thought pattern was still too new. So I just called it the 'bad stuff,' the stuff that made my chest feel heavy.
I stopped once more is a heard voices speak from the place where I had just been. I brought my chattering down now, and peered back through the bushes with curiosity. I saw the little yellow creature, with her feathered appendages flapping in the air, keeping her hovering in place. I watched and listened intently.
"I-it came out of the trees!" Spoke the yellow creature in a soft tone. I could somehow comprehend what they were saying.
"Well, whatever it is, it certainly wasn't a pony, just look at the tracks it left!" Exclaimed a purple thing, looking a lot like the yellow one but, no weird things on it's sides, just a long, sharp nub that poked out of it's hair like a sore thumb. I began to get all clammy as they followed the imprints my steps left on the dirt. My strange feeling caused me to start chattering. The yellow one flew backwards.
"That's it! That's the noise it makes!!" It exclaimed.
"Okay, then it's close!" It shouted. She drew nearer and nearer to my bush. I had to do something drastic. I rose up out of the bush and stared at the creature. She backed away, looking up at me. "W-wow!" It shouted. "F-fluttershy, you didn't say it looked like that!"
"I was too scared to look at it completely!" She covered her eyes after glancing at me.
I tried very hard to force a word out. By the time I did, it was very hissy and hard to comprehend, but it was a word... "HHhHHhhhi" was all I could manage, I doubt that's what it sounded like to them, because they both ran off as fast as they could.... well... one did, the other hovered away.
I hurried back into the forest, feeling yet another strange feeling. I felt as though I could scream into the sky, or hurt something. I had no idea what was making me feel like that but it was happening. It made me feel connected with having flesh..... and organs... but I was still a cold, magic held being, that couldn't talk to anyone. I felt that 'bad stuff' feeling wash over me again, and I chatter walked back into the forest. I continued down the path, my steps leaving a light trail from the poor creatures small house to where I was. Or where I was headed, for the most part.
As I continued to sorrowfully walk, I spotted a small light out in the darkness. I liked the lgiht, for whatever reason, it made my bones feel warm and alive instead of cold and dead. As I got closer to the light something began to take shape, I couldn't tell what it was, but it had a familiar shape. I continued approaching, and it slowed it's pace. I soon realized that the light was NOT the large yellow ball I had seen, but more of a small flame in a glass jar. I peered at the creature that was carrying it, this one looked like the other things I had seen, but with no extra body parts and striped all over it's skin.
When I approached it with my loud chattering self and stepped into the field of light it did not run off, but more examined me with a curious gaze that seemed to look past my outer appearance. Which is an awkward phrase considering i'm nothing on the inside either. I stepped closer, reaching out to it. The small creature stood firm as I touched it's muzzle, getting a feel of the flesh. It wasn't mushy, but it was fuzzy, sort of, and felt nice. I pulled my arm away and continued to stare, chattering appallingly loud.
"You are not like the others of your kin." Began the creature. "You are deep in the soul, with no hunger for skin. Follow me, skeleton, to my cottage, do come in. I'll want to look at you in better light, allow me to examine."
There was something about the creatures voice and the way it spoke that made me feel safe, so I complied with the orders to follow the exotic animal before me.
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Within a few minutes I was inside a brightly lit small house. It was deep in the forest, and surrounded by brush, making it hard to spot. As the striped thing examined me by talking into a round metal pot. I wasn't sure how that was studying me, but hey, it's better than it having to take me apart... at last, it turned and spoke.
"Yes it is true, you are unique, you look scary, but are harmless and weak." It spoke, looking at my chattering body, I looked at it. Maybe it could help me make some friends.
Discovery, With a Tad of Raw Anger
Over a course of several days the 'zebra' taught me many things, she told me who I encountered on the edge of the forest, what I was and where I came from, yet talked to me very blatantly as if I had no brain. Even though I..... technically REALLY had no brain, I was strangely able to remember everything that was said. Anyways, she taught me things (or really told me things and expected me to forget them) and explained things, but had nothing for those strange feely things I got when the 'ponies' ran away from me. Well, even without that discovery, she put something called a 'collar' around my bony neck and started to guide me through the dark forest.
I walked with this newfound zebra friend nearly to the entrance of the forest before we were stopped by a bunch of ponies who had.... less than desirable looks on their faces. I began to chatter, getting that queasy feel again, not able to control my chattering, I examined the group, recognizing the yellow one with funny feathered appendages and the purple one with the strange nub on it's head. The rest were a white one, with a similar nub to the purple one's, a blue one, with the same.... feathered limbs, and then two more, a pink and orange one, neither had any extra limbs.
"T-that's the thing!" The yellow one, whom from Zecora I heard was 'Fluttershy,' exclaimed.
"That's no thing" began Zecora. "This is a skeleton, they breed in the zebra lands, far to the west.... however, this one behaves differently from the rest, while his brethren feed from flesh and hate, he seems free of the want to feed, or at least on us.... he has no need."
The blue one quickly hovered forward into my face. "That doesn't mean it's not evil and doesn't WANT to scare the crap out of us!!" She shouted, this made my queasy feeling get worse, and my body began to chatter uncontrollably, causing her to back off back to her friends.
"Do not scare such a brainless creature.... and haven't you learned your lesson about judging someone by their features?" Asked Zecora, pointing toward herself, and the ponied just sort of stood there, dumbfounded on what to say.
Wait a second..... did that zebra just call me brainless? I turned to the zebra, a new feeling boiling in my head, I felt by bones go from cold to hot as I stares at her. Apparently my facial expression DID change because she stared back and backed off a little. Thoughts began to run through me head. How DARE she say I was brainless! I've understood EVERYTHING she said to me and she still treats me like i'm stupid! My bones began to chatter fiercely, and I hissed lowly at here, she took the collar of of me and looked up at me.
"Excuse me, did I offend you? I do not understand, what did I do?" She asked, before she realized that i've understood everything she's told me. She nodded and apologized. "Now, you six" she began, turning to the ponies again. "This creature is very tempermental, a few wrong words and it could go.... She spun her hoof around her head and moved it around like she was crazy. I guess that made a little sense.... I man... I did just get extremely angry at being called brainless..... but I had a fair point there... but what happened next is what really made me angry.
"Ah don't care what that thing does! It can't just go around scarin' ponies fer no good reason! Thers nothin' else it could do as an occupation? Or is it required to brainlessly roam?" Asked the orange one. There it was..... 'brainless...' I stepped forward quickly, my bones chattering in frustration as I glared down at the little orange pony. I hissed and she backed away, then guess who worked up the guts to step up? The white one, who tapped my shin and caused me to turn to her.
"Darling, do you really think hissing at a lady is the proper thing to do? I mean, you may be brainless, but could you at least be p-" I interrupted her by covering her mouth, and picking her up by her front hooves, I stares with my black eye sockets into hers, and when I removed my hand, she screamed horridly. I dropped her and looked to her friends, each of which, would not step forward. I stepped quickly at them, hissing with my hands up, and they all scrambled off. That's right... they ran.... 'brainless' if I could spit I would.
I turned back to the zebra, still feeling very boiled, and threw a stick at her. This was at least enough to make her leave me alone. Good....... wait.... was it so good? Didn't I just screw up my chances of ever getting a friend? As I began to feel normal again, I questioned everything I had done. With questions along the lines of things like why did I do that? Was this all over a word? I spoiled my only chance to make friends! Even if they thought I was stupid! I felt that same boiling feeling rising up again, and decided to calm myself before I went berserk on the bushes...
I abandoned my stationary position and started walking to the forest entrance. If I had any shot at making friends the least I could do was apologize. By the time I made it to the entrance the six were discussing what I assumed was me, so I hid and listened.
"Ah just don't know how it blew up like that, all we were sayin' is that it shouldn't scare the ponies!"
"Well, maybe it had to do with the word it uhh.... interrupted me on." Stated the white unicorn.
"What, yah mean 'brainless?' It's just a harmless word!" Replied the orange one.
"Applejack" interrupted the purple unicorn. "Don't you get pretty mad when ponies call you a stupid hillbilly?" She popped the question at her friend, which caused her to clam up, she stopped speaking. "Exactly, everyone gets mad when they're insulted, especially a creature that doesn't know what emotions are."
Huh.... so that feeling was called "Mad," made sense. It fit the description. I listened onward.
"Well, that doesn't mean it had permission to be such a big meanie!" Exclaimed the pink one in..... i'm not sure if it was a good emotion or the mad one... it was hard to tell. She continued speaking. "He hissed t us and scared Rarity! Is that any way to treat someone you just met?"
"Well, Pinkie, you've got a good point." Replied that unicorn. "But if I had just strolled into town and called you an annoying party pony would you like me very much for that first impression??"
"Well...... no.... it would make even ME upset..."
I decided this is where I would intervene. I stepped out of the bushes, my chattering becoming louder and louder as the queasy feeling built up. They all knew I was here, and they all turned to face my loudly clattering bare boned body. I knew I couldn't speak so I waved in the stupidest way possible.
No response from the group, save for the light blue pegasus. Thanks to the zebra knowledge, I could at least tell what RACE they are. "What was your big idea trying to eat Rarity?" She shoved a hoof into my rib cage, my chattering got much worse. I wasn't trying to eat her.... the thought of that made my non-exsistant stomach queasy.
"Rainbow Dash, please!" Said the orange regular pony. "Look at him! He's shakin' like ah leaf! You wanna make it's anxiety any worse, I'll bet it's tryna apologize, and you're gonna shoo it away."
I watched as a small argument took place between the two, before the purple unicorn stepped between them. "YOU TWO! STOOOOOP!!!" She screamed, and they shut up, their faces blushing. "The least we need after having encountered something like this!" She pointed to me. "Is you two arguing like bafoons!"
"So..." began the white unicorn, Rarity. "What do we do with it?"
"We take it back to the library and study it." Came the response of the purple unicorn. She grabbed my skeletal hand with a hoof and led me to the direction of a large tree.
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Shortly after my arrival at the tree house there followed several hours of magic, introductions, and stranger feelings. The weirdest was the feeling of the purple magic the unicorn did. It made me feel like I was going to explode. Not like in emotion, but physically just KABLOOIE!
I pictured that in my head. It wasn't very pleasant.
"Well then we wont replace it." Spoke the light blue pegasus who was named Rainbow Dash. "But what do we do with it?"
"We keep him and help him along, Rainbow. He's clearly lonely, we need to help him make some friends."
That felt good, the pony folk were going to help me make friends? Oh I could jump for JOY! That is...... if I could do it without scaring the crap out of the six occupants of the room.
So the little purple unicorn had an excellent and cunning idea. So cunning, in fact, that you could pin a tail on it and call it a fox.... (She's been teaching me wordplay as well... not really directly, but i've been listening.) She would use some of her fancy horn magic to make my outer appearance that of one of her kind. She kept it simple, I was a dark blue earth pony. No biggie, now she could help me find some friends, remove the spell, and if they had liked me they wouldn't care that I was... well an evil flesh eating horror movie massacre monster. Or at least that's how Zecora described my brothers in her lands. She also described..... well...... let's call it "Stupidity" because it was so ridiculous what she showed me. It's apparently some part of my culture.
I can recall exactly as she acted it out. It was something her folk called the "Skeleton dance" it was some hocus pocus that they did after feasting on the flesh of someone. Which I knew I would never do, because one, i'm not stupid, despite my lack of any internal organs, including a brain, and two, I don't eat ponies. Anyways, with the completion of her spell I looked down at myself, the look of flesh and hooves was already very different.... and made me a bit hungry. I quickly suppressed that hunger and resumed listening to miss purple Twilight.
"Okay, Bare Bones (A nickname they had given me) your only job here is to not talk, we'll just tell them that uhh..... yes, what your tongue was cut out during a horrible construction accident!" She exclaimed, as if that were the best idea the smartest ponies in Equestria themselves couldn't have made.
"Really, a construction accident?" Scoffed Rainbow Dash. "Why not something cooler? Like he bit his tongue off in a freak stunt when he landed on a large, sharp pit of-"
"Hold on jus' a darn second, Rainbow, that wont make a bit of sense! Why not something more leisure, like he jus' ain't the talkin' type.... like Big Mac."
"Or!" Claimed Pinkie. "Maybe he was eating something so delicious that he bit down so hard he bit his tongue right off!!"
I let out a loud and screechy hiss, and they all silenced, pointed at Applejack and nodded at her. I DIDN'T need a mile long story for the reason I couldn't talk! How are these six EVEN friends? I gave my annoyance some time to calm down before I was ready. This whole "Walking on four legs" thing was hard to get used to, but not that difficult after a while. When I was ready, Twilight led me to a local shop, one that Pinkie apparently thought was great for meeting ponies. Sugar Cube Corner.
Shortly after my arrival there, Twilight took me to the clerks, whom she called Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Two names that I felt sounded familiar to me, but were still completely foreign.
"What- did you say his name was, Twilight?" Asked Mr. Cake.
"Bare Bones. No, guys, he isn't a hoodlum, he's a good one, despite the name."
"O-okay... i'll trust you on this one, so, Mr. Bare Bones. What.... do you do for an occupation?" He asked me. I looked toward Twilight for help. "He's unemployed at the moment, and he...... can't really speak."
"Oh! Can't speak?" Asked Ms. Cake "poor dear, what happened?"
"Well.... uhh.... he......"
I quickly opened my mouth, showing that there was not a tongue inside, and they seemed revolted by it. Well, lady, you asked "How" and I showed you.
Twilight nudged my hard, and I looked over to her, shrugging. I guess that was the wrong way to make a friend. "Lets try some new things." She told me, shoving me on front of two mares, who look surprisingly alike.
"Aloe, Lotus, this is Bare Bones, he's new in town." One of the look alikes waved at me shyly, and the other hugged me. I heard a familiar sound start up, silently at first. chitter chatter no... no no no no no! it got louder. Chitter chatter chitter chatter. Oh... crap.... that hug made me really nervous, I felt my body shaking more and more CHITTER CHATTER CHITTER CHATTER CHITTER CHATTER CHITTER CHATTER. no!
I quickly ran off, the loud chattering of my body too much to handle as the spell faded away, revealing my skeletal tall, circus freak from, to the public, of Ponyville, of which ran away in horror. I tried to stop them by running after them, this only scared them further. Why did I have to be so unappealing? I hung my head and began to walk to the forest.
