“Well, I was born a unicorn… But Mom didn’t want a unicorn. So she broke my horn. Then everyday for a year she’d shave it down to my skull. It never grew back. When all my friends had cutiemarks… I wanted mine too. But because of Mom I’d never fulfil my destiny, so I drew on a zero every morning, just so nopony knew my secret. The truth is my mother was an earth pony. The stallion she was with when I was born was a pegasus. My real father was his step-brother. Mom didn’t want anypony to know her MISTAKE.”
 
Zilch’s back story as told to Swirls for the first time.