A Storm's Lullaby Page 227 v1.1
Added 2022-11-10 13:50:54 +0000 UTCA note from the author regarding Luna's advice.
There were so many angles to tackle this difficult subject. But Lullaby's age puts a limit on more in-depth philosophical answers Luna could have provided and frankly no amount of “death makes life precious” would be comforting to a frightened 6-year-old. Giving empty promises was an obvious no, no, especially since Lullaby is aware of how precarious life is.
Instead, Luna has decided to encourage Lulu to keep sharing her fears with her parents and keep in mind that we can't let unlikely scenarios overshadow the joys of life. Time - and being able to open up about it - is likely to diminish the anxiety.
Princess Luna, over a thousand years old, is a unique pony to deliver speeches about life and death. She witnessed many passings and no matter how long one lives, this may never cease to be difficult. Talking to an older pony, she could draw on her experiences but in this particular situation, her knowledge of guiding fillies matters more. As she gives advice every night and can revisit dreams, she knows well what is likely to work and when.
Finally, there is the simple truth that ponies can’t forever ignore or simply forget about the fact that no matter how we feel about it, everything ends. 'Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink’, is how wise Zen master once put it. The best Lullaby can do, is to accept it the Timberwolf is there, but no longer see it as a constant threat.
But what do you think?
dSana x
Comments
That note was very insightful. You put a lot of thought into this and I agree with how you handled the situation. It feels like Luna gave Lulu some very good and realistic advices. :) Of course, in Equestria there’s always a chance of getting transformed into an immortal (or at least very long-living) Alicorn Princess because you discovered a receipt for a really good pudding. XD
NTG
2022-11-14 23:11:00 +0000 UTCit is sure that death is a difficult subject to approach in My Little pony. because there is no talk about it. especially to a 6-year-old girl, it's complicated. Thistle may have lost his father. Tempest is probably the pony who knows this subject the best and has probably lost so much more than all the ponies put together in a cruel or peaceful way. she probably already caused the death herself. as for the pony of Equestria, death can only come from accident, old age or illness. or may even come from mother nature with wild animals. I think that's the kind of death you see mostly over time most of the time.
Lux The Pegasus
2022-11-10 17:13:14 +0000 UTC
