Long Distance Soulmates

Chapters

Soul Mark
Introductions
Seeking Advice

Soul Mark

As the door to Prince Blueblood’s chambers opened up before him, Blueblood was finally able to breathe a long sigh of relief, now free from yet another night of torment. Kicking the door closed behind him, Blueblood grabbed at his bowtie and practically tore it off, tossing it and his collar across the room to land in a heap on the floor. While certainly an unbecoming act of a noble pony like himself, in the comfort of his private room in the castle he found he couldn’t bring himself to care, finally allowed a moment to himself after what felt like hours of ponies practically throwing themselves at him, all with poorly veiled sycophantic desires fueling their words and actions.

True, there were those who honestly desired to talk to him without any ulterior motive behind it, but ponies such as those had proven to be few and far between amongst the ranks of ponies typically in attendance at such gatherings. Just fending off yet another mare with dreams of using his title to fulfill some fillyhood fantasy had been exhausting enough, even after donning his usual persona of a jerkish narcissist that had proven effective at keeping such mares at bay.

Now Blueblood wasn’t exactly a saint by any means, and he knew this fact more than anyone else and had learned to use certain aspects of his personality to his advantage time and time again, but very few ponies ever got to see the “real” Blueblood, and he was thankful for that. So long as word continued to spread about how much of a boorish stallion he was in person it would help keep the number of mares seeking to use him to gain prosperity to a minimum.

And yet, despite his sheer and utter contempt for such parties, he still found himself going even still despite the grief it caused him. Why did he continue to subject himself to something he very much hated? Some sense of noble responsibility maybe? An opportunity to gain a semblance of influence among the noble class? Maybe a chance to laugh at just how far he could push some mares before they ended up storming off in a huff?

His favorite moment still was the time he had used that Rarity mare as a pony shield against an oncoming cake during the Grand Galloping Gala years ago. For a moment he had actually considered dropping the act and apologizing to the poor mare, but her resulting outburst had left him mentally struggling to maintain his facade at all as the gala had descended into chaos and he had retreated to his chambers to laugh himself to tears.

Even still, that wasn’t the reason Blueblood found himself going to these parties again and again. No, he knew the real reason why he continued to subject himself to such torment.

Walking up to his mirror, Blueblood eyes were drawn not to himself, but down to a small blemish running along his neck, one normally hidden by his attire. As if someone had taken a quill to his coat, a line of script marred his pristine white coat and could not be removed as much as his Cutie Mark could. Maybe even more if the rumors of a town of ponies who had ridden themselves of their Cutie Marks was to be believed...

This was his Soul Mark, a rare magical mark he had been born with that predicted the very first words his soulmate –the one pony who would complete and better his life better than anyone else– would say to him. He had long committed the words to memory, but still his eyes ran along the words as he read them once more.

You watch it, ya dweeb!

Blueblood scowled at the phrase he had been cursed to bear, thankfully that only he and his destined soulmate could even read those words without it appearing as utter gibberish. This was the reason he still attended such parties, out of some foolish dream of one day possibly hearing those same words spoken to him, and yet to no avail.

Despite the palpable contempt within the words, Blueblood had thought he had deduced the circumstances behind them. An unexpected collision between two ponies was the most likely scenario, possibly caused by not watching where they were going. In his more inexperienced youth, Blueblood had even gone so far as to artificially cause such collisions, but every attempt had been an utter failure. Very few ponies had proven either brave or foolish enough to talk to him in such a manner thanks to his noble status, with most mumbling a quick apology before going on their way, and none of those who had seen fit to chew him out had ever called him a “dweeb”.

And so, Blueblood had largely resigned himself to his fate, coming to terms with the idea that he would go his whole life without ever finding his soulmate. From the stories and accounts he had read involving those bearing Soul Marks through the ages, just as many ponies lived fulfilling and happy lives without ever finding their soulmate as those that did, leading scholars to theorize that the existence of a Soul Mark did not prophesy a foregone conclusion, but merely hinted towards a possible future that could occur.

And yet, Blueblood had been unable to fully snuff out that small flame of hope that still burned in his heart, fed by the romanticized idea of Soul Marks that still persisted among the populous that one day, when he least expected it, he would encounter his soulmate and the pair of them would go off to live happy lives together like something out of a fairytale.

Blueblood just snorted at the lingering idea. “Fairytales aren’t real…” he muttered to himself as he turned away from the mirror and trotted off for his private bathroom with the intent of taking a shower, hopefully washing away the memories of yet another wasted night in the process.

***

Stepping out of the tailor’s shop, Blueblood adjusted his collar one last time as he set off down the street. He had a lunch date with a few of his socialite associates and it wouldn’t do for him to look anything other than his best. He could already picture the articles practically writing themselves, desperately grasping onto any shred of gossip to draw in viewers at the cost of his reputation. Such was the life of a noble pony like himself in the eyes of the common folk, always waiting for him to trip up in even the smallest way and prove that he was no better than them.

However, noble pony or not, he had no more control over the fickle hand of time than any other pony, a fact that caused a spike of fear to shoot through his heart as he caught a glimpse of a clock through a nearby store window. His refitting had taken for longer than he had originally planned, and now he only had minutes before his scheduled appointment with his associates, and it would do him no favors to arrive even a minute late!

Breaking out into a gallop, Blueblood made haste through the streets, not caring as he rushed past other ponies going about their business as well. A few of them threw harsh words in his direction, but Blueblood had long grown immune to the biting insults of other ponies and barely slowed in his race to reach the high-class restaurant the gathering had been scheduled to occur at.

However, as Blueblood rounded one last corner that would have put him on a direct course for the restaurant, something barreled into him with such force that he was knocked clean off his hooves and sent tumbling across the street. Stars filled Blueblood’s vision as his senses slowly returned to him, along with a new throbbing pain in his side. Groaning, Blueblood slowly picked himself back up and settled back onto his hooves, giving one last shake of his head to dispel the last bits of haze clouding his head. Once he could see straight again, Blueblood craned his head to check himself for any injuries and gasped in horror at what he saw.

He was filthy! His previously immaculate coat had become covered in dirt and dust from the tumble he had taken, and his brand new collar was now horribly askew and slightly torn in several places. I can’t show up to the restaurant looking like this! They’ll laugh me out of Canterlot for sure! Grinding his teeth together as rage flowed through him, Blueblood shot a glare over at the pony who had carelessly barreled into him.

He was surprised then to learn that said pony… wasn’t a pony at all, but a griffon, one that too was slowly picking themself back up from where they had been lying sprawled out following their collision with Blueblood. Any griffon in Canterlot was an odd sight indeed, as most griffons were content to simply remain in their own nation of Griffonstone and rarely, if ever visited Equestrian cities, especially not Canterlot.

Blueblood cared little about their species, however, as the fact still remained that this griffon had still committed the grave sin of ruining both his ensemble and his upcoming meeting, his rage bubbling up inside him and becoming words as he harshly spat out, “Watch where you’re going, you filthy buzzard!”

Registering Blueblood’s insult, the griffon shook their head once before glaring back at the prince. Growling through their beak, the griffon rose up onto their back legs, now towering over Blueblood and eclipsing him with their shadow. Puffing out their chest, the griffon snarled at him and yelled back, “You watch it, ya dweeb!”

At that moment, time itself seemed to stand still for Blueblood. Birds remained suspended in mid-flight in total silence, while onlookers stood like living statues around him. Even the sound of his own heartbeat seemed to vanish in that one instance, the only sound audible to him being the repeating sound of the griffon’s voice.

You watch it, ya dweeb.

You... Watch... It... Ya... Dweeb.

Over and over again those five words repeated themselves in Blueblood’s head, five words that perfectly matched a set of five words that he had seen on his coat every time he had spared even a glance into a mirror, five words he had never expected to hear directed towards him.

The first words said to him… by his soulmate.

All at once timed seemed to reassert itself, a deafening cacophony of sounds crashing into Blueblood as he struggled to process this new startling realization. He felt his legs shake beneath him as they threatened to collapse out from under him entirely, and yet Blueblood somehow managed to draw up enough willpower to keep himself standing, if for the moment. The burning rage he had felt but seconds before had fled him completely, replaced instead by a cold shock that chilled him to his very core.

During all this, his gaze remained locked on the griffon still towering over him, a female judging by her voice. Her coat was a light shade of brown, the feathers on her wings a slightly darker brown than her coat. In contrast, the plumage around her neck and face were a bright white with small highlights of light purple around her yellow eyes, with tips of purple at the end of several of her head feathers.

“What… what did you say?” Blueblood finally managed to say as he continued to stare wide-eyed at griffoness before him.

“What, you deaf or just plain stupid?” The griffon harshly replied back, likely assuming that the stallion’s sudden wide-eyed look was due to having encountered a fierce predator like herself. “I said, ‘You watch it, ya dweeb!’”

There it was again. Five simple words that meant nothing by themselves, but together… “You… You’re…”

“I’m what?” The griffoness snarled back, now both angry and confused at what this pony’s deal was. “Spit it out already!”

His voice suddenly deserting him, Blueblood reached up and ripped off his ruined collar, letting it flop down at his hooves unceremoniously.

The griffon’s eyes drifted downward slightly as their gaze fell to the Soul Mark now visible across the prince’s neck. Now it was her turn to look shocked beyond belief as she read the words imprinted onto the stallion’s coat again and again. Most shockingly of all was the realization that she could actually read them.

“No… No… You… You can’t be…” Taking a fearful step back, the griffoness now looked less like an imposing predator and more like a scared fledgling on the first day of flight school. With terror reflected back in her eyes, she hastily scooped up a bag she had dropped earlier and took off into the sky.

“Wait!” Blueblood cried out, but the words had barely left his lips before the griffon was little more than a rapidly diminishing dot in the distance. Watching her as she fled from the scene, Blueblood stood frozen in the middle of the street as a whirlwind of conflicting emotions waged within him.

“Prince Blueblood, there you are!” Fancy Pants called out as he strolled up to the still shell-shock prince. “My word, you look positively dreadful! What happened?”

Blueblood barely registered that Fancy Pants was even addressing him at all as a million thoughts ran through his mind at once. It had actually happened… the words that had been imprinted on his coat since birth had finally been uttered. He had always assumed that they would come from a pony, he never imagined that a griffon could… Could she really be…

One thing became unmistakably clear to him then and there: if he let her go now without so much as even learning her name, he might never get this chance to find out ever again.

“Blueblood, are you alright?” Fancy Pants asked, now concerned that the prince hadn’t so much as even acknowledged his presence. “You seem a tad bit– Hey!” Fancy Pants was taken by surprise when Blueblood suddenly took off running. “Where are you going?” He called out after the prince, but received nothing in response.

To Prince Blueblood, only one thing mattered in all of Equestria to him: he had to catch up to her. He just had to find her again in order to learn for himself if she really was his…

… His soulmate.

Introductions

Why here? Why now? Why… Why him?

These questions and many more swirled around in Gilda’s head as she flew above the city with no idea where she was going. She shouldn’t have even been in Canterlot in the first place, but Gabby had come down with a cold and had pleaded with her to make a small delivery in her stead. Gilda had initially refused, of course, wanting nothing to do with the snobbish ponies that tended to call the pony city home, but Gabby had persisted until she had finally relented just to shut Gabby up.

It should have been an easy task too. Just fly to Canterlot, drop off the stupid package, and fly back to Griffonstone in time for lunch. But it seemed fate had other plans for her instead, and if there was one thing Gilda hated almost as much as she did snobbish ponies it was feeling like she didn’t have a choice in how her life went, like she was little more than a puppet being dragged along by the strings of “destiny” or “fate” or whatever else you wanted to call it.

Like in the case of the Soul Mark wrapping around her right wrist, appropriate since Gilda often likened it to a shackle that she had been cursed with ever since it had first appeared. She scowled as her eyes drifted to the line of script magically branded across her wrist:

Watch where you’re going, ya filthy buzzard!

Her scowl only grew as she read the words. This was supposed to lead her to her soulmate? The one being alive who would fill her life with endless joy and make her feel truly complete? Gilda had to resist the urge to retch at the utter sappiness of such a thing, like something out of a corny fairy tale. Gilda had long ago become disillusioned by the very idea of ever finding her soulmate, and she thought she’d been perfectly fine with that.

Until today, when those magical words had finally been directed towards her, and by a pony no less! If anygriff from Griffonstone caught wind that her supposed soulmate was a pony, she’d never hear the end of it! She should just cut her losses and hightail it back to Griffonstone. Gabby could find another griffon to make the delivery for her, just so Gilda never had a reason to step foot in Canterlot ever again.

So… why hadn’t she then?

Why was she still circling around the city and not halfway to Griffonstone like she should have been? Part of it was she knew she didn’t want to disappoint Gabby by flaking on her like that, especially while the younger griffon was currently sick in bed. Gabby was such a peppy griffon that even the idea of making her sad caused a ball of guilt to build up in Gilda’s gut.

“Stupid Gabby…” With a resigned sigh, Gilda finally stopped gliding aimlessly and directed herself towards her original intended destination, having already worked out a route in her head after several minutes spent examining a map of the city. Arriving at the store, she practically kicked the door open as she stomped inside, likely scaring several patrons as she made a beeline for the front desk.

“Hey, what’s the big id–” The unicorn mare behind the counter was cut off as Gilda forcefully shoved the package into her face.

“Here’s your package, take it already.”

“Where’s–”

“Sick. I’m her replacement for today,” Gilda replied as she pulled out a clipboard with an attached form and slid it across the counter. “Just sign this so I can go home already.”

With a huff, the mare scribbled her signature onto the form, which Gilda swiftly snatched away and stuffed back in her bag. With her task finally done, she stormed out of the shop and slammed the door closed behind her.

“There, that’s done. Now I can finally get out of this pla–” Gilda froze in place, a choked squawk escaping her beak as her eyes locked onto something nearby. Across the street was a newsstand selling papers and various tabloid magazines that were likely full of sensationalist garbage, but one in particular drew her eye. Or rather the familiar-looking pony splashed across the cover.

Practically bolting across the street, she snatched the magazine off its rack and stared wide-eyed at it for several moments. She might not have gotten the greatest look at him at the time, but there was no mistaking that white coat and blonde mane paired with that snooty look on his face. This was him, the pony who had run out in front of her before she could swerve to avoid him.

The pony that had called her a “filthy buzzard”.

The pony… who also had a Soul Mark that she could read.

Her eyes drifted upwards towards the headline for the main story, which read, “An EXCLUSIVE interview with Prince Blueblood! The elusive and much sought-after bachelor reveals all!”

A prince, huh? Gilda thought with a roll of her eyes. Well, that just makes things soooo much better… Flipping to the indicted page, she began to skim through the article in question, a small photo of Prince Blueblood once more confirming that he was indeed the same pony she had barreled into before.

“Hey!” A sudden harsh voice prompted Gilda to glance up from the tabloid, noticing that the stallion running the newsstand was glaring at her. “This here ain’t a library! You wanna read that so badly, you gotta pay for it first!”

On any other day Gilda would have probably responded with her usual biting sarcasm, but today she simply stormed over to him and slapped a couple of bits from her bag down onto the counter. When the stallion didn’t offer any further complaints, Gilda went right back to reading through the interview about the pony that fate had apparently chosen for her.

Most of it was useless to her, just chock full of inane questions about things like fashion, the “trials and tribulations” of living as a royal pony in Canterlot, and other such nonsense that wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on, but Gilda was still able to catch a few brief glimpses of the kind of pony this Blueblood was through his words alone.

Such as that while he was the kind of elitist snob one would imagine a royal to be, Gilda had to admit that he definitely had a spine to him, a rare trait among the ponies she had met in her life. When the topic of his love life had popped up, Gilda could almost feel his utter contempt bleeding through the words as he quickly shut the interviewer down not once, but twice when she tried to push him for more information, even going as far as threatening to end the interview then and there if they didn’t move onto another subject entirely.

Dude’s got nerves, I’ll give him that much, Gilda begrudgingly admitted as she finished reading through the interview before rolling up the magazine and stuffing it into her bag. Doesn’t help me figure out what I’m supposed to do about all this…

Again, the idea of just up and leaving the city without so much as looking back popped into her head, but there was still something holding her back, a certain curiosity about the whole thing. Despite believing that she would never cross paths with her supposed soulmate in her lifetime, now that that moment was upon her, there was still a small part of Gilda that couldn’t help but wonder how this would all play out in the end. Would they fall madly in love, become simply friends, or would the whole thing blow up in her face and prove once and for all that the very notion of soulmates was, as Dash might say, “a load of horseapples”?

Well… Gilda thought as she stuffed the magazine into her bags, … I know one way to find out. Spreading her wings, Gilda launched herself into the air as her eyes scanned the crowds of ponies below, searching for one pony in particular.

***

Blueblood panted heavily as he struggled to take another step. It felt like he had run across half the city by now and yet so far he’d had zero luck in locating that griffon, having lost sight of her almost immediately after she had flown off. And yet still he pushed onward, not letting this potentially once in a lifetime chance slip away from him.

He’d never be able to sleep soundly again if he didn’t at least get the chance to learn her name!

“Maybe… a moment’s… rest… would help…” he gasped between breaths as he trotted up to a nearby bench and pulled himself up onto it to catch his breath. At some point in his search he had ended up in one of Canterlot’s National Parks, though this one was mostly deserted at this time of day, something Blueblood was thankful for as it allowed him a moment to be with his thoughts in peace.

Running a hoof along the spot on his coat where his Soul Mark was, he could swear it felt almost warm to the touch, as if also trying to seek out its potential companion Soul Mark now that the two had finally found each other.

Now able to catch his breath, Blueblood took a moment to consider his possible options. Perhaps he could offer a public reward to anypony who could tell him where to find this mysterious griffon, or maybe even hire a private investigator to track her down for him? He certainly had the money to fund such an endeavor, that was for certain.

But then what? What would he do when he did find her? Ask her for her name, definitely, but he suddenly realized that he had yet to formulate any sort of plan as to what exactly he would do after that. Despite his moniker as “Canterlot’s Most Elusive Bachelor”, he had far more experience in stopping potential meetings than actually initiating them himself.

Sighing, he rested his head in his hooves as he lay across the park bench, listening to the ambient park sounds around him as he continued to ruminate on where he should go from there. It’s not like she’s just going to drop right out of the sky in front of me, right?

So deep in thought was he that Blueblood didn’t notice as a large shadow passed over him and something dropped down nearby until a voice suddenly shouted, “Found you!”

Blueblood’s ears perked up at the familiar voice, snapping his head up to stare wide-eyed at the very griffon he had just spent the last while looking for now standing there waiting for him. “It… It’s you!” Hopping down from the bench, he felt his Soul Mark practically buzzing with excitement. “You’re the griffon from before.”

“Yep…” The griffon replied with an annoyed sigh as she raised her right arm so Blueblood could see, and more importantly read, the Soul Mark written across her wrist. “That’s me alright…”

Blueblood was monetarily unsure how to respond to that, as it seemed that she was less thrilled about their meeting as he was. Suddenly realizing he had been staring at her in silence for some time now, he coughed into his hoof to try and break the tension. “Ahem! Well, I do suppose introductions are in order! I’m—”

“Prince Blueblood, right?” The griffon cut in, smirking at the prince’s surprised expression as she fished the tabloid magazine out of her bag and held it up. “Saw your mug plastered across the front of this magazine, so it wasn’t hard to put two and two together, really.”

“...Oh.”

“Gotta say though, you’ve got some guts for a pony. Even I could tell that you pretty much told that reporter where they could stuff it in not so many words.”

Blueblood scowled as he thought back to that accursed interview. “I prefer to keep my private life as far away from the papers as possible, and I detest those who attempt to pry into that privacy, thank you very much.”

“Oh, on that we agree with, bub. I’d call them vultures, but I’ve encountered actual vultures that were far less interested in sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Blueblood actually chuckled at the griffon’s comment. “That is an apt way of putting it, I suppose.”

Silence once more settled between the pair as they stared at one another, both waiting on the other to respond in some manner. After several agonizing moments, the griffon stared down at her talons as she idly traced a circle on the ground. “Sooo… what now? Are we supposed to like… kiss or something?”

“Ex–Excuse me!?” Blueblood’s face turned bright red as a blush dominated his face. “It–It’s a little early for that! We’ve barely just met!”

“Oh… right…” The griffon muttered, now blushing as well as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

As his blush slowly subsided, Blueblood racked his brain for some way to try and salvage this moment. All he needed was a little time to think...

Time to think… that’s it!

“Would you like to join me for dinner later?” Blueblood blurted out before he could stop himself, causing the griffon to glance up at him.

“... What?”

“It doesn’t have to be tonight, it can be at a later date if you wish,” Blueblood continued, words practically tumbling out of his mouth as he now committed fully to his plan. “I simply wish to get to know you better in a more… suitable environment, at a more suitable time.”

The griffon quirked an eyebrow. “Like… like a date?”

Suddenly looking very much like a school colt trying to ask out his first crush, Blueblood began to stutter, “N-no… er, yes… I mean… maybe? It’ll be my treat, if that concerns you…”

The prospect of a free meal seemed to catch the griffon’s attention, as she mewed slightly as she tapped a talon against her chin in thought. “Sure, why not?” she replied after a moment while shrugging her shoulders. “I need to head back to Griffonstone pretty soon, but I guess I could come back in a few days to take you up on that offer of yours.”

“Sounds like we have a deal, then. I suggest then that we meet back here three days from now just before nightfall. How does that sound?”

“Works for me. I guess…” The griffon hesitated for a moment before replying, “... I guess this means I’ll see you later, then?”

“I… I suppose so?” Blueblood responded, sounding just as unsure as the griffon did.

“Cool, I’m gonna bounce then. See ya!”

As the griffon spread her wings to take flight, Blueblood was struck with a stark realization, swiftly shouting out, “Wait!”

“Huh?” The griffon stumbled in her take-off slightly, glaring over at Blueblood with mild annoyance. “What now?”

“You never told me your name!”

The griffon blinked slightly as she realized he was right. “Gilda. The name’s Gilda, got it?” With that, she spread her wings again and launched herself into the air, soon gliding away from the park as she quickly

“Gilda…” Blueblood repeated the name to himself as he watched the griffon—No, Gilda— as he watched Gilda slowly disappear from sight. A smile spread across Blueblood’s face as he realized that, while there were still more than a few unknowns floating around regarding what came next, he had at least succeeded in learning his soulmate’s name.

“There you are!”

“Hmm?” Turning slightly, Blueblood spotted Fancy Pants running up to him, seemingly just as out of breath as he had been moments before. “Fancy Pants? What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, my boy!” Fancy Pants replied as he came to a screeching halt next to the prince, briefly muttering under his breath something about “aerobic classes with Fleur…” before turning his attention fully towards his fellow unicorn. “The way you raced off so suddenly like you did gave me quite the fright, I feared the worst! And… my word, have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?”

Levitating up a mirror for Blueblood to finally get a look at himself, he paled at the face that stared back at him. If you didn’t know any better, you could easily be forgiven for mistaking him for some sort of rough and tumble transient that had wandered into Canterlot one day after being on the road for too long as opposed to the Noble pony he really was. “It… It’s been a bit of a day, I suppose…” Was all Blueblood could think to say in the face of his less than sightly state.

“I would certainly say so! Whatever reason could you possibly have had for running off like that?”

“Well…” Blueblood paused for a moment, weighing the potential consequences of informing Fancy Pants about his run-in with his potential soul mate. While the stallion’s trustworthiness could not be questioned, there was still the potential for some less trustworthy ponies letting the news slip before he had even gotten the chance to get to know Gilda better. Her earlier comment about vultures came to mind as he considered what the media would do if they caught wind of this before then...

As the gears in his head continued to turn, Blueblood turned his attention back towards Fancy Pants. “Fancy Pants, you and I have been friends for many years now, is that not correct?”

Fancy Pants blinked slightly as he processed the strange question. “Why would you even ask such a thing? We’ve been friends since we were mere colts running through the streets of Canterlot like a pair of hooligans!”

“Then you know that if I promise to tell you all about what transpired today only when I am good and ready to reveal it to you, that I will remain true to my word?”

Fancy Pants first appeared disappointed at the prospect of being kept in the dark for even a moment, though he made no immediate effort to try and argue with the prince’s logic. “... You swear that you’ll eventually tell me everything?”

“On my honor as a Noble pony of Canterlot, I do.”

That seemed enough to placate Fancy Pants, if for the moment. “I understand, but you must know that I can’t very well be left with nothing. Would it be too much to ask for the smallest of hints to keep from going mad with curiosity?”

“... Very well,” Blueblood responded after a moment, raising a hoof to touch his Soul Mark once more. “You are familiar with my Soul Mark, yes?”

“I am, but I don’t see what—” Fancy Pants grew silent as his brain slowly began connecting the dots, his face breaking out into an excited smile. “You don’t mean to say…!”

Blueblood smiled back as he raised a hoof to his lips and whispered, “Shhh…”

“Fantastic!” Fancy Pants was practically buzzing with excitement. “Say no more, you can count on me to keep this under wraps for the time being! If there is anything I can do to help you in this endeavor, simply ask and I will do my best to assist!”

“Since you mentioned it, I was hoping I could ask you for a small favor…”

***

Pacing back and forth in his chambers, Blueblood seemed determined to wear a groove into the floor as he thought long and hard about the day’s events. His frantic race through the city in such a disheveled state would no doubt be all over the front page by tomorrow morning, so he needed to work up a plan in order to do some damage control lest he become a laughing stock among his peers, but that was largely a secondary concern at the moment as he considered how to progress following his meeting with Gilda.

“Gilda…” Again Blueblood repeated her name to himself, as if he was still trying to get a feel for it. He couldn’t deny that a very small part of him was appalled by the idea that his intended soulmate had turned out to be a griffon of all things, an unfortunate result of his upbringing that made him feel utterly disgusted with himself. Squishing that detestable thought down as deep as he possibly could, Blueblood continued to pace back and forth as he went over the details of their dat— their second meeting again and again.

He had already, with Fancy Pant’s assistance, reserved a private booth to be prepared for them in three day’s time, which had bought him some time to consider his options. The initial excitement at finally having found his soulmate had mostly worn off by now, to be replaced instead by a growing ball of worry in the pit of his stomach.

What would they talk about? Would they even have anything in common? Did she at least have the knowledge of proper etiquette so she wouldn’t make a fool of the both of them? What would he wear so he looked proper, but not like he was trying too hard?

And, of course, the million-bit question… did he even want to pursue some kind of relationship with Gilda in the future?

Groaning, Blueblood flopped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, as if hoping for some sort of sign to appear that would reveal to him all the answers. But the ceiling cared none for his worries, and no sign magically appeared no matter how long he stared.

“I need advice…” Blueblood finally admitted to himself, but the problem was that the list of ponies he could talk about something like this without it turning into a media fiasco was a very, very short list. He had promised Fancy Pants he would tell him everything eventually, but now didn’t feel like the time to dump all this onto him, especially after the help Fancy Pants had already done in reserving a venue for his meeting with Gilda.

He briefly considered asking one of his aunts for advice, but he didn’t want to bother either princess with something as silly as his potential love life when they had far more important matters to deal with running the kingdom.

Burying his face into one of his pillows, Blueblood groaned again as resisted the urge to kick something in anger. Things would be so much easier if he knew somepony with experience in something like this, somepony who could give him advice on matters relating to Soul Marks and potential soulmat—

Blueblood’s head shot up from the pillow as the solution to all his problems chose that moment to come to him, a solution so obvious in hindsight that he felt stupid for not considering it sooner. Scrambling out of his bed with such haste he barely avoided tripping over his linens and face-planting onto the floor, Blueblood galloped over to his writing desk, his magic already pulling out a fresh scroll and inkwell before he had even come to a stop before the desk.

However, just as he was about to put quill to paper, Blueblood found himself given pause about penning such a letter like this. It has been some time since we last corresponded with one another, what with both of us kept busy by our respective duties and responsibilities. Would she be offended that I seek to reconnect only now that I wish to ask for her assistance? Maybe I shouldn’t—

Shaking his head, Blueblood quickly dispelled such thoughts from his mind. If she was still anything like the mare that he remembered fondly from his youth, then he knew for certain that she wouldn’t mind if he came to her seeking advice and guidance in a field he knew her to be potentially the foremost expert in. With his mind firmly made up, Blueblood pressed his quill against the scroll and began to write.

Dear Princess Mi Amore Cadenza…

Seeking Advice

Dear Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. I know it has been some time since I last wrote to you like this, and for that I am truly sorry. I pray you can find it in your heart to forgive me for this lapse in judgement on my part, especially now that I am writing to you for such selfish reasons as these.

I will not mince words: I humbly ask for your advice and guidance, as I can think of no one more knowledgeable when it comes to matters pertaining to the heart. As I’m sure you are aware, I have been gifted with a Soul Mark near the base of my neck, one that has caused me no small amount of grief over the years. I had long assumed that I would be just another in the many who go their whole life without ever finding another with a Soul Mark that paired with their own, and I had thought that I had made my peace with that knowledge.

Until today, that is. For today I encountered another who has a Soul Mark similar to mine, one that is as visible and legible to me as my very own. Though our initial meeting began on a rather rocky start, we have both agreed to sit down for a meal three days from now in an attempt to better acquaint ourselves with one another. And yet I fear that I will undoubtedly work myself into an unpresentable mess from anxiety alone before that day comes, which is why I now seek your expertise.

Please, if you could find even a few moments of your valuable time to respond to this letter and aid me in this endeavor, I will forever be in your debt.

Sincerely, Prince Blueblood

“I know that look.”

Cadence glanced up from the letter and looked at Shining Armor from across the kitchen table. “What look?”

Shining Armor chuckled as he fed a spoonful of food to Flurry Heart, the rambunctious alicorn foal deciding to behave this morning while Shining made whooshing sounds with the spoon held in his magic. “The ‘Somepony has a love-related problem I can meddle in’ look.”

“I don’t meddle!” Cadence pouted as she set the letter aside and crossed her hooves in front of her. “I offer guidance to those in need who are seeking to find their true love while inspiring them with the confidence to take the first step for themselves.”

“Uh-huh… So soon we forget the–”

“That was ONE TIME!” Cadence replied with a blush across her face as she practically lunged out of her seat, her hooves braced against the table as her wings shot out to their full length at her sides.

Shining chuckled as he finished feeding Flurry the rest of her breakfast. “I know, I’m just teasing.” After carefully wiping any stray globs of food from Flurry’s coat with a wet cloth, he carried over the used bowl and spoon to the sink to be cleaned later. “Who’s the letter from, anyway?” he asked as he picked up the letter in his magic and skimmed through it, his eyebrows raising slightly as he got to the signature. “The prince? Huh… I wouldn’t have pictured him as the kind of pony to have love troubles…”

“Blueblood doesn’t like to show this side of him, especially to the public,” Cadence remarked as she tucked her wings back in and settled down into her seat. “He’s very particular about his privacy.”

Shining glanced up from the letter. “And you know this because…?”

“Because we got to know each other after I came to Canterlot to study under Celestia.” A wistful look overcame Cadence as she thought back to those earlier days. “We used to be so close, but as both of us started to take on more and more responsibilities we just sort of… drifted apart. I was actually surprised when I received a letter from him after so long.” Sighing, Cadence took the letter from Shining and quickly skimmed through it again. “This sounds urgent too, so I probably should write a response before he… What?” Cadence eyed Shining suspiciously as his grin suddenly returned in full force.

“Oh, now you have to help him with his little problem. Better yet, why don’t you take a few days off and travel to Canterlot so you can offer him your services in person?”

“Wha-What?” Cadence sputtered. “I can’t just up and leave on such short notice! What about the Crystal Empire? And Flurry Heart?”

“The Empire will survive without you for a few days,” Shining Armor was quick to counter. “This might actually give the counselors something to do for a change, plus don’t forget I’ll be here to help them if need be. As for Flurry Heart, I think she and I could use some father-daughter bonding time for a change, don’t you think?” Lifting Flurry Heart out of her highchair, he held her up in his hooves. “How about it, Flurry? You up for spending some time together with daddy?”

“Dada! Dada!” Flurry Heart cooed happily.

“But…”

“Besides…” Shining cut in before Cadence could try and argue further. “... I don’t think just sending him a letter will solve everything, cause the way I see it it’s not just a love problem anymore. It’s also a friendship problem.”

Cadence’s mouth flopped open and closed like a fish’s as Shining’s words sunk in. “... I hate that you’re right…”
“Aww, I love you too,” Shining replied as he walked up and kissed Cadence on the cheek, bringing a small smile to the alicorn’s face. “Besides, a few days away from the stress of the Empire will do you some good. Think about it like a little vacation, one where you get to help a pair of potential lovebirds in need of love advice. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Cadence chuckled a little. “Well, when you put it that way… how could I possibly refuse?” A small hint of worry still bothered her as she asked, “You sure you’ll be alright while I’m gone?”

“Positive. Now you should get packed if you wanna make it to Canterlot before nightfall.”

Nodding her head as she stood up, Cadence spared a quick moment to kiss to the forehead for both Shining and Flurry before she set off to get packed. Shining’s right, some time off will be good for me. Plus I can already imagine Blueblood’s face when I show up at his doorstep…

***

Blueblood sighed as he laid across his bed, staring up at the ceiling with disinterest. A full day had passed since he had sent his letter off to The Crystal Empire, and he had yet to even learn if the letter had arrived at its destination safely, let alone if Princess Cadence had seen it fit to respond to his desperate pleadings for advice on what to do about his upcoming date with Gilda.

His mind drifted back to days long passed when he was but a colt and Princess Cadence had first arrived at the castle as a newly ascended alicorn. He remembered how despite her lack of experience in her new abilities and responsibilities, she had still radiated a very calm and pleasant demeanor that made others instantly feel more comfortable being around her. She had been one of the first ponies he had been truly able to call a friend, and he felt ashamed that their friendship had been allowed to grow stagnant after all these years.

To seek to reconnect only when I am in desperate need of her help… I would not be surprised if she thinks of me as a selfish fool, and in truth I would not blame her. I was so concerned with my own status that I never even considered that we could still be friends after all despite her much higher standing.

Blueblood sighed as he rolled over onto his side. “Sometimes I hate being a prince…”

Knock, Knock.

Blueblood’s ears perked up slightly at the sound of light knocking against his chamber door. “Probably just a castle maid…” he muttered to himself as he remained in bed. He was in no mood for guests right now, so hopefully whoever it was would probably go away if he just ignored them.

So it was that he continued to ignore them when they knocked a second, then a third time against his door, each one being a slight bit more forceful than the last. After the third knock, there was a prolonged silence, long enough that Blueblood assumed that whoever it was had finally given up and-

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!

Growling, Blueblood leapt out of bed and trotted across the room and up to the door, a fierce retort already forming on the tip of his tongue as he angrily threw the door open. “Wha--” Before he could so much as get the first word out though, he froze in place at the unexpected sight of the alicorn standing before him, a huge smile on her face. “Pr-Princess Cadence?!”

“Blueblood!” Cadence’s smile never once left her face as she embraced the very surprised Blueblood in a hug. “It’s been too long!”

As Cadence pulled away from him, Blueblood shook his head to try and collect some of his scattered wits. “Wha… What are you doing here?”

Cadence tittered. “I’m here because you asked for my advice, remember?” Putting on a mock pout, Cadence added, “Aren’t you glad to see me again?”

“N-No, of course I am! It’s just… you didn’t have to come all this way just for me. What about your duties back in the Crystal Empire?”

“My husband made a pretty convincing argument that he could handle everything in my place while I’m gone. The only thing I have to worry about right now is making sure you’re not a nervous wreck for your first date with your Soulmate.”

“Shhh! Quiet!” Blueblood whispered as he quickly glanced around, like he was expecting some ferocious beast to suddenly leap out from around the corner. “Come inside, quick! You never know who might be listening…” Waiting as Cadence trotted into his room, Blueblood spared one last look to make absolutely sure the coast was clear before stepping back inside and locking the door closed behind him.

“I see your choice in furnishings hasn’t changed that much over the years,” Cadence said as she admired the room, which was pretty modest-looking when compared to some of the more opulent rooms Royals preferred to stay in. “It’s still as quaint and inviting now as it was back then.”

“Thank you, I try my best, princess.”

“Please, just Cadence is more than fine. I’m not here on any sort of royal business on behalf of the Crystal Empire after all, I’m here to help you with your little romance problem, remember?” Cadence giggled as Blueblood blushed slightly upon hearing the word “romance”. Trotting over to the nearby table, Cadence removed her saddlebags and set them down nearby before pulling a cushion over and sitting down. “Come, we have much to discuss and catch up on.”

As Blueblood trotted over and took a seat opposite her, Cadence pulled out a small, pink notebook from her saddlebags, idly twirling a pencil in her magic as she flipped to a new page. “Now, let’s start with the easy questions first,” she began as the pencil began to dance in her magical grasp. “For starters, what is this Soulmate of yours name?”

“Gilda. Her name is Gilda.”

“Gilda…” Cadence repeated, sounding out the name for herself. “Quite an interesting name. Sounds almost Griffonian…”

“It should, seeing as she is a griffon, after all.”

“Oh… That must have been quite the surprise for you.” Crossing her hooves in front of her, Cadence didn’t really want to ask her next question, but she had to know for sure. “And does the fact that she’s a griffon bother you at all?”

“Of course not!” Blueblood shouted, slamming a hoof against the table and glaring at Cadence with visible disgust on his face. “The fact that she’s a griffon doesn’t matter! Why would you even ask that!?”

“Forgive me, but I had to be sure you hadn’t picked up some of his ideas since we last spoke.”

Blueblood huffed, grinding his teeth together. The very mention of him was causing Blueblood to see red. “No, thankfully I’ve managed to keep myself from following too closely in his hoofsteps.”

“That’s a relief to hear. Moving on, tell me how you and Gilda first met. And please, spare no details.”

“Very well,” Blueblood said as he made himself comfortable. “I had just finished up an appointment at my preferred tailor’s shop minutes before and was on my way to a lunch event when I realized that at some point I had lost track of the time and was running later than was socially acceptable. Incidentally, if you have the time while in Canterlot, I highly recommend making a trip to Trim Fit’s shop for a fitting. That stallion is a genius when it comes to his craft.”

Cadence jotted down a quick reminder in her book before nodding for Blueblood to continue.

“Upon realizing that I was running very low on time, I picked up the pace and made haste towards the chosen restaurant. As I rounded the last corner and caught sight of my destination, I was unexpectedly knocked off my hooves by something slamming into me. I’m sure you can figure out what, or rather who that something was.”

“Oh dear… Were you both alright?”

“A bit rattled and much dustier than before, but otherwise unharmed. Gladly I am not as frail as I was as a colt, so it was only a moment or two before I was able to find my footing once more.” Blueblood paused for a moment. “Looking back on it, I recall that Gilda also seemed none the worse for wear afterwards, but now I can’t be sure… I must remember to ask her next time I see her.”

Genuine concern, that’s a good sign... Cadence noted in her little book. “What happened next?”

“Well… I admit I was a bit enraged upon realizing that not only was I still late for my get-together, but that the outfit I had just spent valuable time and money getting cleaned up was now ruined. I was so enraged that I said the very first thing to Gilda that came to mind.”

“Which was…?”

Blueblood hung his head in shame as he replied, “I yelled for her to watch where she was going and… and then I called her a ‘filthy buzzard’.”

Cadence’s mouth hung open in shock for a moment, her magical grasp on her pencil sputtering slightly. “... You’re joking…”

“Wish I could say I was, but I would be lying then. I’m not surprised Gilda responded the way she did after that.”

“What did she do?”

Blueblood raised his head and smiled. “She called me a ‘dweeb’ in return.”

“A… a dweeb?” Cadence sputtered out before her eyes widened as the pieces clicked together in her mind. “Is that… is that what your Soul Mark says?”

Nodding his head, Blueblood placed a hoof against the Soul Mark on his neck. “‘You watch it, ya dweeb’ to be exact. The moment I heard those exact words, I felt like I’d been knocked over a second time. I forgot all about my ruined clothes and even making it to my get-together on time as I realized that this griffon could very well be my prophesied Soulmate. Needing to know for sure, I showed my Soul Mark to her to see if she could read it too, and though I did confirm that she could, her reaction was… not what I expected it to be.”

“I imagine she was just as shocked as you were?” Cadence guessed. “That’s quite a common reaction upon meeting your Soulmate for the first time.”

“That she was, so much so that she took to the sky right then and there and fled the area. Fearing that I might never get this chance again, I immediately gave chase after her, but it wasn’t long before I lost sight of her entirely. Regardless, I continued to search the city in a desperate attempt to find her, not caring that I still looked ragged from my earlier tumble.” Blueblood winced before running a hoof down his face. “I’m still doing damage control for that…”

“I assume you found her again though, otherwise we might be having a very different conversation right now.”

“She found me, actually. After exhausting myself running all over the city, I stopped for a moment to take a breather on a park bench. I had but a few moments to rest before she miraculously flew overhead and landed right in front of me. Our next meeting was a bit more… uhhh…”

“Awkward?”

“... For lack of a better word, yes. Neither one of us really seemed to know how to broach the matter of our Soul Marks, so I attempted to introduce myself to her. I was quite surprised then to learn that she already knew who I was.”

“Oooh!” Cadence’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement. “Was she a secret admirer?”

“Hardly. She’d just happened to come across a magazine advertising a recent interview I did, one with a very prominent picture of me on the front to try and draw in readers.”

“Oh…” Cadence pouted as her previous excitement was so quickly dashed, quickly crossing out several lines of notes in her book.

“Sorry that it’s not quite as ‘glamorous’ as you imagined,” Blueblood said with a chuckle. “We actually did share a little moment involving our shared distaste for certain ‘less reputable’ members of the media, but it was only for a moment before the accursed awkward silence returned. I guess neither one of us had really had time to fully process what was happening, so in a panic I threw out the idea of us having dinner together at a later date to get better acquainted, and she agreed to it. Which leads us to now, where I am still just as frazzled about seeing her again as I was then.”

“Which is exactly why I’m here,” Cadence remarked as she scanned through her notes again, the beginnings of several possible plans already forming in her mind.

Blueblood could feel his anxiety rising as over a minute passed with little more than an occasional “Hmmm…” from Cadence. “W-Well? What do you think? Is there anything you can do to ensure I don’t make a complete fool of myself in front of Gilda?”

With a smile, Cadence flipped her notebook closed. “It might not be easy, but I’m confident I can keep your little get-together with Gilda from turning into a complete fiasco.”

Blueblood breathed a sigh of relief, feeling more relaxed than he had in days. “Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

“However…” In the blink of an eye, Cadence’s whole demeanor switched from jovial to serious as she locked eyes with Blueblood. “There’s one more thing I need to know first, and that is what you intend for your relationship with Gilda to become.”

“I… I don’t follow…”

“While the idea of Soulmates falling in love is often seen as the inevitable outcome nowadays,” Cadence explained, “in reality, the very idea of Soulmates is much more complicated. Finding your Soulmate doesn’t automatically mean you’ll both fall madly in love, only that the two of you have the potential to better each other's lives. While this can eventually lead to romantic feelings arising, that is but one role that a Soulmate can fulfill. There have been just as many tales of Soulmates who end up in purely platonic relationships while still becoming best friends who would gladly go through Tartarus and back for one another without a second thought, confidants who can trust the other to never betray their secrets, perhaps even rivals who drive one another to be the absolute best they can possibly be through the spirit of competition.

“So I will ask again… What do you intend for you and Gilda to inevitably become? Will you only be satisfied if wedding bells are evident in your future, or would you be more fulfilled in simply being the best of friends?”

Blueblood was visibly taken aback, opening and closing his mouth for several moments as he tried to formulate an answer. “I… I don’t know. I hadn’t given the idea anything more than a brief thought. I just assumed that Soulmates were destined to fall in love eventually. I… I never thought that I actually had a choice in the matter…”

“There’s always a choice,” Cadence replied, reaching across the table and placing her hoof reassuringly on Blueblood’s. “I’m not expecting you to come up with an answer now, or even to forgo the idea of a relationship entirely, just that it’s something you should discuss with Gilda eventually. If at some point you both learn that you would be better off as friends rather than lovers, there is no shame in doing what’s best for the both of you.”

Blueblood was silent for a moment as he took all this in. “I… I’ll be sure to remember that. Thank you, Prin-, I mean... Cadence.” A smile slowly began to form on Blueblood’s face, but it vanished just as quickly as Blueblood hung his head in shame. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed talking with you until now. Oh, now I feel even more foolish for going so long without even attempting to get in touch with you…”

Cadence sighed. “I carry much of the blame for not reaching out to you when I had the chance as well. Still… no reason we can’t pick up where we left off, right? What would you say to reminiscing over tea and biscuits while I help make sure you make a good impression with Gilda?”

Perking up slightly, Blueblood’s smile quickly returned. “That sounds like a grand idea. As the saying goes, ‘No time like the present', right?”

And so, an old friendship that had been thought lost to time had been rekindled anew. Meanwhile, miles away in Griffonstone, a similarly anxious griffon was getting some advice of her own from a very unlikely source...