The Field of Pure Disappointmentby Knight ObrienChaptersWhoWhyWhatWhoI awoke in a strange, serene place; a place which was exponentially different than the place I last remembered being. Although, strangely, I could not actually remember where I had actually been before being here. As I struggled to concentrate my focus onto the past, distant memories came into shape. I recalled a strapping young unicorn stallion wandering the lands of his birth to collect the many vague and ultimately boring myths of what became of the pathetic species known as "ponies" after their inconsequential and meaningless deaths. I chuckled internally a bit upon this remembrance, and considered how, ironically, I had died while compiling the information. The perceived end of my existence as a pony came when I learned of a zebra residing in the Everfree Forest near Ponyville. I had understood immediately that acquiring zebra mythos for my research would literally be the most interesting thing I had done since deciding to do this quest, so I abandoned my trip to the den of iniquity known as Appleoosa and made my way to the outskirts of the forest. My arrival was unnoticed by the townsfolk, which I preferred, as I knew that vast numbers of insolents would greatly desire to slay me and claim my ultimately disappointing life's work for their own. It was fortunate that I inferenced upon my arrival to the forest entrance that so few people probably entered this danger filled land of death, that there should only be one path through the whole place; which would most indefinitely lead me directly to the residence of the zebra mystic. I trotted down this path for a time, silently awing in how not threatening the place looked to me. Honestly, that fact alone surprised me, and that wasn't even counting my surprise when I reached a fork in the road. I could not understand why there was a fork in this path, or even that enough foalish ponies traveled through here to create a single path to begin with. While I attempted to comprehend how this had actually happened, I can no doubt assume a ravenous beast noticed I was lost in thought, and I was thus easy prey. I recall a twig breaking behind me, and then turning to see an entire mass of twigs in the shape of a wolf staring hungrily at my honestly disgusting flesh. Nevertheless, I vaguely recall having the courage to begin saying, "Well, seems that I am the foalish one in this situa-." After that, I can only assume I was mauled to death, which is not necessarily bad. In fact, I strongly hope and believe that my wretched consciousness will one day dissipate into a purely silent void of nonexistence in which I can ponder the true meaning of insanity forever. Unfortunately, it seems that the void I have been drawn into is not a real void at all, and is actually a field of sorts. Also, I still feel as though I am something, so I feel as though this is an appropriate time to panic. WhyI am gravely disappointed in this mare's judgement, and that is not counting the fact that she could be partaking of some apples instead of my new existence. I just don't understand why somepony would go out of their way to walk to a field miles away from civilization and not bring any food with them. Granted, for this insolent blue-coated unicorn to be mercilessly devouring me, then I must be some of the highest quality grass around. "Perhaps I am in the top percentage of grass," I thought to myself for weeks after she had abandoned chewing me to newfound death. Nevertheless, I am glad that she only needed to consume a fraction of my grassness before she decided she could leave, as I have no idea what would have happened had my entire being been eaten. Despite myself not truly knowing what would have happened, my consciousness perceived a slight change within itself. I felt myself being divided between two forms of existence. One of those being grass, and the other a more familiar being. It was then that I realized that I myself am my consciousness, simply watching over the life of my physical existence; and that my attention was now divided between my corpse feeding patch of grass and a newborn foal. My excitement over the chance to return to existing as a horse consumed my thoughts entirely, and I realized that my new horse body had squealed in joy. My tuft of grass was glad to realize that it had helped bring new life into the world, but I then realized that it had become nutrient deprived. It seemed that my corpse had finally been completely drained by the grass I had once known as my existence, and now the grass would soon wilt and die. Weeks passed, and my grassness slowly faded away, while my foalness grew slowly and steadily. After a time, my consciousness began to reform itself into a single entity over my newfound existence as a horse. The only issue with this is that I can't remember if I had actually been grass, or if it had all been a figment of my now childish imagination. WhatNow that I have conveniently used the separation of these chapters to get out of describing my panic and thus avoiding artificially extending the length of this story with unnecessary phrasing and word choice, lets describe my "unique" situation, Although, to be honest, this situation is not realistically unique at all. To sum it all up, I appear to have revived from the dead as a small tuft of grass. I never actually expected those ponies who said that reincarnation was a thing meant it so literally. I mean, I expected there to be some sort of continuation after my demise, but not that I would be given the chance to start over as an entirely new entity. However, if I have been reborn in this manner, it means that all life on this world does the same. All the ponies I had met on my journey could have been ponies I had met in other lives before this one, and that the beast which ripped my worthless hide to shreds could have once been a horse like me. Although I suppose that statement is no longer accurate, as I am no longer a horse, I am grass. Strangely, I seem to know of my surroundings without actually possessing the ability to see. I understand I am in a field of grass and flowers, yet I have no way of knowing if this is actually the case. My now grass-based consciousness comprehends that I am grass, yet it cannot fathom what it truly means to be grass. Although, it is at this point that I remember that grass absorbs nutrient through its roots. and that if my consciousness is now a part of this tuft of grass, then it must be feeding off of my corpse. The knowledge of my grave's location does not surprise me in the least, as it is the fate I had asked my husk to receive in my will, which was conveniently on my pony at all times. However, if somepony read my will to fulfill my last request, than my corpse must have been discovered. Therefore, somepony must have come upon my corpse like this hungry looking mare has come upon me now. ... ... ... Wait.
WhoI awoke in a strange, serene place; a place which was exponentially different than the place I last remembered being. Although, strangely, I could not actually remember where I had actually been before being here. As I struggled to concentrate my focus onto the past, distant memories came into shape. I recalled a strapping young unicorn stallion wandering the lands of his birth to collect the many vague and ultimately boring myths of what became of the pathetic species known as "ponies" after their inconsequential and meaningless deaths. I chuckled internally a bit upon this remembrance, and considered how, ironically, I had died while compiling the information. The perceived end of my existence as a pony came when I learned of a zebra residing in the Everfree Forest near Ponyville. I had understood immediately that acquiring zebra mythos for my research would literally be the most interesting thing I had done since deciding to do this quest, so I abandoned my trip to the den of iniquity known as Appleoosa and made my way to the outskirts of the forest. My arrival was unnoticed by the townsfolk, which I preferred, as I knew that vast numbers of insolents would greatly desire to slay me and claim my ultimately disappointing life's work for their own. It was fortunate that I inferenced upon my arrival to the forest entrance that so few people probably entered this danger filled land of death, that there should only be one path through the whole place; which would most indefinitely lead me directly to the residence of the zebra mystic. I trotted down this path for a time, silently awing in how not threatening the place looked to me. Honestly, that fact alone surprised me, and that wasn't even counting my surprise when I reached a fork in the road. I could not understand why there was a fork in this path, or even that enough foalish ponies traveled through here to create a single path to begin with. While I attempted to comprehend how this had actually happened, I can no doubt assume a ravenous beast noticed I was lost in thought, and I was thus easy prey. I recall a twig breaking behind me, and then turning to see an entire mass of twigs in the shape of a wolf staring hungrily at my honestly disgusting flesh. Nevertheless, I vaguely recall having the courage to begin saying, "Well, seems that I am the foalish one in this situa-." After that, I can only assume I was mauled to death, which is not necessarily bad. In fact, I strongly hope and believe that my wretched consciousness will one day dissipate into a purely silent void of nonexistence in which I can ponder the true meaning of insanity forever. Unfortunately, it seems that the void I have been drawn into is not a real void at all, and is actually a field of sorts. Also, I still feel as though I am something, so I feel as though this is an appropriate time to panic.
WhyI am gravely disappointed in this mare's judgement, and that is not counting the fact that she could be partaking of some apples instead of my new existence. I just don't understand why somepony would go out of their way to walk to a field miles away from civilization and not bring any food with them. Granted, for this insolent blue-coated unicorn to be mercilessly devouring me, then I must be some of the highest quality grass around. "Perhaps I am in the top percentage of grass," I thought to myself for weeks after she had abandoned chewing me to newfound death. Nevertheless, I am glad that she only needed to consume a fraction of my grassness before she decided she could leave, as I have no idea what would have happened had my entire being been eaten. Despite myself not truly knowing what would have happened, my consciousness perceived a slight change within itself. I felt myself being divided between two forms of existence. One of those being grass, and the other a more familiar being. It was then that I realized that I myself am my consciousness, simply watching over the life of my physical existence; and that my attention was now divided between my corpse feeding patch of grass and a newborn foal. My excitement over the chance to return to existing as a horse consumed my thoughts entirely, and I realized that my new horse body had squealed in joy. My tuft of grass was glad to realize that it had helped bring new life into the world, but I then realized that it had become nutrient deprived. It seemed that my corpse had finally been completely drained by the grass I had once known as my existence, and now the grass would soon wilt and die. Weeks passed, and my grassness slowly faded away, while my foalness grew slowly and steadily. After a time, my consciousness began to reform itself into a single entity over my newfound existence as a horse. The only issue with this is that I can't remember if I had actually been grass, or if it had all been a figment of my now childish imagination.
WhatNow that I have conveniently used the separation of these chapters to get out of describing my panic and thus avoiding artificially extending the length of this story with unnecessary phrasing and word choice, lets describe my "unique" situation, Although, to be honest, this situation is not realistically unique at all. To sum it all up, I appear to have revived from the dead as a small tuft of grass. I never actually expected those ponies who said that reincarnation was a thing meant it so literally. I mean, I expected there to be some sort of continuation after my demise, but not that I would be given the chance to start over as an entirely new entity. However, if I have been reborn in this manner, it means that all life on this world does the same. All the ponies I had met on my journey could have been ponies I had met in other lives before this one, and that the beast which ripped my worthless hide to shreds could have once been a horse like me. Although I suppose that statement is no longer accurate, as I am no longer a horse, I am grass. Strangely, I seem to know of my surroundings without actually possessing the ability to see. I understand I am in a field of grass and flowers, yet I have no way of knowing if this is actually the case. My now grass-based consciousness comprehends that I am grass, yet it cannot fathom what it truly means to be grass. Although, it is at this point that I remember that grass absorbs nutrient through its roots. and that if my consciousness is now a part of this tuft of grass, then it must be feeding off of my corpse. The knowledge of my grave's location does not surprise me in the least, as it is the fate I had asked my husk to receive in my will, which was conveniently on my pony at all times. However, if somepony read my will to fulfill my last request, than my corpse must have been discovered. Therefore, somepony must have come upon my corpse like this hungry looking mare has come upon me now. ... ... ... Wait.
