I think that the characters and media involved is very much why such things are created. We are already emotionally invested in the MLP universe, and so it becomes a conduit for deeper, thought provoking works like this one. Even the show has loss involved in it. While not equal to the death of a character, the destruction of Twilight's home caused anguish throughout the brony world since it had been such a central point in the story and the place where so many of the show's most poignant scenes occurred. Its loss caused a number of us to pause, look around our own world and reflect on what truly mattered in our lives and what it would mean to lose our homes and all the things connected with it.