A pony can choose to do many things in his or her life before he or she dies: he could be a farmer, bringing in produce and commerce to the kingdom, or she could be a rebel, fighting to further her cause. Death visits everypony, however: the farmer hopes to leave his farm in capable hooves before he passes, and the rebel hopes to have finished the fight for whatever cause she was fighting for before her time comes.

Sometimes, death likes to come calling early: the farmer taken before his prime provides no additional produce; and the rebel becomes a martyr, causing others to fight in her place.

Sometimes, rather than kill a pony, it is better to leave him or her broken.