An AU Idea Involving Cutie Marks - The Cursed Marks

[Aria Rayne 3]

So, I've had this idea for an AU in which this whole world is based off the idea where cutie marks are no longer something to be celebrated and sought after. They do not represent a pony's special talent, nor do they represent anything remarkable about a pony. In fact, it's quite the opposite. These are now known as cursed marks, and they're a symbol of gloom and doom in this AU. They usually represent the struggles a pony will face in life, or how they will die.

 

In this AU, when a pony gets their cursed mark, it's usually a day of mourning for that pony. They will go on to resent that day of the year, and spend it inside all day, even being excused from their own work. This usually leads to bad work ethics, and a lot of jobs go on to be very poorly done, and or take forever to be completed. The world in this AU isn't as advanced as it would be.

 

If a filly/colt gets their cursed mark early on in their younger years, it's usually due to a traumatic event [long term life struggles], or it's a bad sign they will die early as a child. Other fillies/colts would avoid them in fear of them too getting their cursed mark. This leads to the young filly/colt becoming depressed and lonely, which often leads to them growing up bitter and alone.

 

I like to think, in this AU, Celestia and Luna are not here. They do not look over the whole of Equestria. No, instead ponies worship one goddess that brought them into existence: Goddess Foster [AKA Fausticorn] The idea is that there was a religion long ago in this AU that said this alicorn above all else created Equestria, and every alicorn after her was a deity who carried out her tasks of shaping the pony world. However, since all of these alicorns have come to pass, all pony kind can do is worship the one who brought them here in the first place.

 

On the flip side of this religious coin, though, are cults that absolutely despise other ponies who worship her. They blame Goddess Foster for bringing them into an existence of pain and suffering, living day to day nervous if whether or not this will be their last.

 

It's very much so still a work in progress, but I'm curious as to what others think!