A Treatise on Death in Ponies

by iamcommando13

Title, Preamble, and Introduction

A Treatise
On the Natural Phenomenon of Death in Ponies and other Living Creatures
Authored by Aristrotle of Northern Equestria
In this, the three hundred and fifty-seventh year of the rule of Princesses Celestia and Luna

Preamble

The work presented herewith is the culmination of a dozen years of research throughout Equestria and the surrounding territories. This project was commissioned by her Majesty Princess Luna “for the advancement of the eternal quest for knowledge” after her recognition of a significant void in the realm of pony studies.

At her Majesty's request, all researchers involved have sworn this work to secrecy “in the interest of the public” and have consented to the classification of this document as restricted.

The discoveries made in the course of this research project have been profound in their depth and insight. However, to even the wisest of readers, appropriate caution is necessary. Necessarily the truth is the greatest beauty to behold. Despite this, often it is accompanied by a certain sorrow and dread. Knowing this, the reader should be prepared for beautiful truths of this sort.

For there are some things that need not be known to all.

Introduction

In our present society of ponies, death is not even a passing thought. Its occurrence is so rare and its daily significance is so negligible that it is hardly defined in common terms. To the masses, therefore, death is regarded simply as a certain mysterious end, and opposite, to life. Beyond this gross ambiguity little is known, and no thought is given; in their blissful proceedings, most ponies have no curiosity for a subject of such irrelevance. The pony lifetime is long enough and the joys of every day life vast enough that to ponder death is thought of as a waste of time, when it is thought of at all.

Her Majesty's wisdom, however, recognizes that even eons are nothing to an eternity. Hence, it immediately becomes most relevant to our very self-knowledge that we understand the process of death so that if it is eternal, we will understand the greatest part of our existence. Even prior to this research undertaking, it was commonly held that from death there is generally no return to the original body. Therefore, the study of our deaths, eschatology, becomes the single most important pursuit of those able. For to know the inevitable end is to know how to make the journey.

It is with this in mind, then, that we have dedicated over a decade of our lives to the investigation of death as experienced by ponies and other creatures. The presentation of this document has been arranged with consideration for both the history of and present advances in our theories of death, so that for exhaustiveness, the study can be contained in its entirety within these pages.