Trot of the Dead!

Prologue: Awakening

--Several moons before this story had began. Celestia, in all of her glory, lay sick in her bed. Her regal and comfy bed bluffed with softness radiating off of it. Surrounding her around the bed is her younger sister Princess Luna, her adopted niece Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or Cadance and former student Princess Twilight Sparkle. They had all gathered after Celestia had collapsed for the fifth time this week.

After going through several check ups, and numerous attempts to cure her; none the less, all failing to help Celestia. Her life was slowly fleeing away from her.

“What could have caused this to happen?” Twilight questioned and puzzled sadly. “I mean, because she had seemed fine. What do you think will happen to her?” Twilight holding back her tears, trying to be strong in front of her old teacher.

“Alas, my sister has been feeling a little downed in the past few days,” Luna answered unable to hide her concern.

An hour had gone by, with talk about Celestia's condition, before the last few remaining bits of her life ready to leave her possibly for good; and with her energy, oh so very small, she knew it was going to be the end. Knowing this, she had one last thing to say, to teach. “While Luna was trapped in the moon... I sto-stopped... an ancient e-evil…" Celestia strained herself talking. "Or sealed it… I have spent... years... keeping the seal cl-closed... but…" Her breathing had become more erratic. "With-out me... it will open… You mus…” With that Celestia's life, and final word’s came to an end, never finished, left as they were unending.

The next day the princess', and their friend’s left to search for the seal that Celestia had briefly told them about, but whether they found it or not is unknown; because none of them have returned or have been spotted. Well enough about that dubious extra stuff, and on to more... promising things, my story.--

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It hasn't been easy; being a grown stallion, and still not possessing a cutie mark. As a cutie mark signifies(dictates?) what a pony is going to be talented in, making them special from all others, and that they get it by the time they reach the adult stage of life or earlier. It is however rare for a pony not to have said cutie mark by the time they have grown. Through a couple means; either it was never found or it was removed. As for me I just didn't get my cutie mark, and well I’m not sure that I ever will.

When one is a foal they get teased(bullied) if they don’t have a cutie mark, it gets worse when you grow up and still don’t have one. Little colts and fillies calling names and taunting. Picking thoroughly on all those that stand out, in this case the blank flanks. The children, who are 'unlucky' in not getting a cutie mark get teased relentlessly, it gets worse however to those small few who are grown with a flank that is blank.

My normal night includes lying curled up in a ball like shape and crying myself to sleep. Other ponies look down on me, when I ask for help with the bullying. They say that because I am grown; I can look after myself, and resolve it all by myself. I think that they are wrong though; as I've tried my hardest and it still goes on. My hardest must clearly not be good enough then. Right?

Being a Blank Flank with no real talent in anything, and being disowned. Not having any means to get Bits or Jewels. Which makes having a way to get food through normal means nearly impossible. I've had to resort to stealing and most(all) of the time I get caught and busted. In all of its sense I’m an incompetent pony, who without support couldn't make it through the day. I've been taken to pony prison several times, and let go not long after... for some reason.

If you were wondering. I sleep outside and often with animals... if they let me. No pony has taken me in for any night since coming to this town, I think. It is quite often cold, and any night could be my last. That doesn't even cover the food issue of mine... I’m sorry. I didn't mean to go on complaining about my problems.

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“Ahem!” On to the story part. It was a cold late Autumn night when I was jostled awake by a cute little bear. It was who I was staying warm with, as it was sleeping soundly not noticing me. I hadn't much time to think much of it, but it took off running in the direction of town. The town was a nifty little place with far more riches than other towns that I have been too. It was called um… huh… Oh!… Cup-in-sink… no. Oh that’s right Conyville!… No that wasn't it, um Pony… Ville, that was it Ponyville.

“Wait. Why was that bear running toward town? Why was it awake? Um, I better just follow it, I've got a bad feeling about staying here.” I was talking to myself. Get used to it. I do it a lot, when I am alone, I like to think it keeps me sane. I’m taking residence near the All-open woods, no um… hmm, ah Everfree Forest!

I heard some hooves pressing the ground, by the sound of it, rather roughly. It must be some pony in trouble, but should I check it out? Yes... or... maybe not. I started off toward the town, with a slight guilt for not checking out what had been going on. But none the less, I’m following the bear.

When I got to the outskirts of town a couple of things came to my attention. Firstly would be that several ponies were running around in an atrocious manner. Secondly was a thing that will probably haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. A pony with it’s flesh decaying was ripping out bloody chunks from a seemingly newly dead pony. I'm no expert though. What was it doing with those chunks? Well it kind of looks like it is eating them, but it might not be. I am, after all, a good distance away from the scene.

That "pony," the one with the decaying flesh, has little white worm creatures crawling and burrowing their way through it. An eye was missing, and I could see an intestine hanging out of a relatively large gash in its side. All the while it was just chewing, and tearing chunks out of the dead pony. Flies buzzed cheerily around it occasionally landing on its bloody extremities.

Realizing that I shouldn't stay out here, I started to take off further into the town. I just had to find that bear. It should be able to keep me safe.

A pony frantically running by in a panic bumped into my right side, and with all my might, I wasn't able to stay up. I slammed into the ground, probably bruising, while getting covered in some of the brownish-grey dirt. Slowly, but carefully, getting back up I took a look behind me only to notice that the dead pony that had been getting eaten has somehow gotten back up. It was walking toward another pony that wasn't;... eaten, dead, killed, maimed, caressed... semantics really.

Now. I know that I should get a move on. Before I managed to get going, however, a green-ish colored unicorn with a broken and bloodied horn ran by me in a full gallop. I noticed that even though her eyes were closed, there are still tears streaming down past her muzzle. She was running from the area that I had come into town from… a sinking feeling flooded into my stomach. That was when I realized. That, that might have happened... because I hadn't helped. Audibly gulping, I tried to put that out of my mind, which was proving extremely difficult.

Before I fully came back to reality, something ominous could be felt nearing me. In the direction of the ominous feeling one of those... things were trotting right at me. It was a Pegasus pony with its wings fully stretched out. Could that be why it is moving faster than the others that I have seen thus far?

Running as fast as I could in the other direction I was heading back toward the forest. Before I made it, shockingly, a group of those things came walking out in a limping manner. I hastily skid to a stop; as fast as I could muster, before heading straight toward the trotting one. Using my head will be a little new for me.

My head smashed into the side of the trotting Pegasus's head, and it went toppling down. I did too, benevolently, I was more left hooved. “Get up you!” I yelled as encouragement. Encouragement would be all I could muster, because I should be pissing myself, or defecating in my trousers... if I had any.

I saw a normal pony entering a home and figured that I would try my luck. I hurriedly stood, and before I was fully upright. I bolted straight for the door. When I got near the door a Unicorn filly, with a light purple coat, used her magic to slam it shut with a thud. I couldn't stop in time, and came crashing into the door. “Thud! Bang!” Shaking my, now, aching head I was hoping that the aching pain would go away.

I was trapped out here, alone with those things. The feeling of dread and sorrow; also… sadness? now beginning to creep into me. As the Pegasus pony, along with the group of limping ponies, were steadily growing closer. Frantically bashing my hoof onto the door. “Please, open the door. I’m not one of them… If it’s alright…” I pleaded loudly, except at the end, when I pictured them looking, staring, at me I shied away, vocally that is of course.

“Go away. How do we know you aren't one of them?” A mare’s voice hollered back. I felt baffled and scared for my life. How is it that I can convince them I’m not a ‘Dead Walker?’ I hadn't thought of that, yet.

“You’re right, I can’t convince you. I’ll just wait to die.” Yelling back my reply, knowing that it was useless. I sat down, my sorrow, dread and fear gone or rather replaced. Replaced with something far stronger and deeper and… scarier. I simply sat there, waiting in the darkness of depression. “I give up, guess I’ll just die here shortly,” I muttered sadly to myself.

The door swung open; I was grabbed, and pulled in swiftly, without warning. “Smash!” The door was slammed closed, so hard it could have broke. “So you are normal, that’s a relief!” A mare chimed. She was a chocolate-ish colored Earth Pony. “What’s your name!?” She hyped, still fearful in subtle tone though.

“M-my name?” Brashly with the stammering, I gave a terrible reply.

She gave a medium warm smile. “That is right! My name is Tattered Hoof! The filly here is my sister Fally Hoof!”

“Well... My name is… ham ma na ma.” Breaking away near the end, it wasn't much better than the time I replied before. “Um… my name is E-Ever… Ever Last.” I managed to get that out, before collapsing from the rapidly growing aches pulsating throughout my entire head. Blackness enveloped my vision and fear swept in, while still feeling the crushing effects of the depression ever prodding at my mind. Everything then just went away, away into the darkness.