"As much as he wanted to be immortal, he may have preferred death over this," Celestia said as she reached out with a hoof, stroking his neck as the green alicorn stared blankly at her. "I've just noticed," she added with a brittle casualness that didn't fool Erin for a second. "He doesn't have a cutie mark. I wonder if that was a conscious choice on his part, or a simple oversight? I guess I'll never know, now." 