Friends Forever 26 Prince Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood · 5:23pm Mar 17th, 2016
Interesting, IDW comics FF: They don't apologize for Blue Blood's flaws, and Celestia is fully aware of them when she gives SA Blue Blood as a replacement for Cadence on a important trade agreement to the Yaks. (they could have made Cadence look pregnant at least). Since something happens that needs all four Alicorn's attention.
Blueblood makes some typical Blueblood comments, remarks how the place doesn't have as many servants as and back home, and, "OH! Servants who can double as mirrors!" (the crystal guards). And remarks about how cooler the throne is than back home and Celly should consider upgrading, and that Sombra for being evil incarnate he sure had good taste, and Blueblood accidentally breaks one of the crystals on it.
First we see SA struggling through the harsh snow on his own, while Blueblood enjoys a ride with a hot fire and the book SA gave him on Yaks dos and don'ts that Twilight gave SA too. SA not interested in being carried around by other ponies, but here we see that Blue Blood IS polite to the hired help (shocker!).
Ironically Blueblood makes a suggestion they be friends sine they're effectively the only princes in Equestria, but SA isn't interested.
We get a hint on how things will go, when an exhausted SA makes a remark about the Yaks being out in the boonies, and Blue Blood without missing a beat turns it around into a compliment that the Yaks enjoy.
This goes double when Blue Blood himself makes a trip up and verbal back pedals in a way you don't even realize he's back pedaling!
Also, we see a picture of a weather gremlin in the Yak's palace, implying that they're the ones the Yaks have a contract with over their weather.
Twilight suggested SA give the formal Yak greeting when meeting Prince Rutherford... big mistake, since it involving giving your name and your tribe, SA at Twilight's suggest uses the name of their father... but Rutherford is NOT impressed by this imitation since ponies aren't divided up like that, and so takes it as an insult. And BLUEBLOOD has to talk Rutherford into calming down, and stop SA from digging himself in deeper.
SA doesn't want the spoiled entitled twit (and the comic doesn't pretend he isn't) to ruin the negotiations and tells Blue Blood to go enjoy himself....
And SA ends up having to promise crystal corns to the yaks for free just to avoid a war after
1) wearing a Yak style headdress of his own...
2) Makes Rutherford's favorite food... badly.
3) Beats the Yaks at their own national sport.
4) And the trade agreement is set up in a style that the Yaks don't care for.
Finally SA has Blue Blood go at it, figuring her can't make things worse.
Blue Blood proceeds to:
1) Butter up Rutherford's friends by giving them free mini-party canons. (Hear good things about you when not around.)
2) Remember the name of everyone present. (Make everyone think you care even if you don't.)
3) Give food that's from Griffonstone, so when Rutherford doesn't care for the taste, no one is insulted and they can laugh about how bad it is.
4) Doesn't start negotiations until Rutherford is having a hoofaicure (at Blue Blood's suggestion) so he can't just walk away (or smash).
AND he tells Rutherford in a way that appeals to his vanity that smashing everything can't be good for his hooves.
And tells Rutherford finally how, since the crystal corn is such a nice gift, and sine the Yaks are so generous themselves, of course they'd like to return the gift with their lovely sour potatoes. This works like a charm.
Blueblood actually ACCEPTS walking back, since their transport is filled with gifts (most of them to Princess Cadence), and says it's okay since it's all down hill anyway.
SA tell Celly in a letter that he now knows what Twilight meant when she doesn't realizes she's in one of Celly's lessons.
In other words, SA was the deadweight while Blue Blood was the one who had to save the negotiation from disaster. What a twist. And it's completely justified as Blue Blood is the one with EXPERIENCE and this is SA's first try.
This is a good comic for both SA and Blue Blood. Blue Blood is still a classist. But he's shown to have an actual personality and isn't dead-weight.
This story does not redeem Blueblood, nor does it call out his behavior towards Rarity, and nor does it try to pretend Blueblood isn't spoiled or see the world through social standing colored glasses... but it also shows he does have a function in the universe other than ruining Rarity's dreams of meeting Mr. Right. And that yes, he actually knows how to do something useful.
Nice callback to Party Pooped. Blueblood was perfect for this mission because he's brutally honest. The Yaks made it clear back then that they hate fakes.
Ooh, this sounds like an interesting issue, can't wait for it to appear here in England!
In all fairness, he did.
Considering what Twilight probably told him and what he's probably observed... But he has a point, they're the only Equestrian Princes.
Impressive.
Interesting.
First time I've seen lovely and sour in one setence.
OK, this I gotta nitpick, it's Blueblood, one word, yet you keep spelling it Blue Blood despite having spelled it right at first. Also, dead weight. 2 words.
Huh.
This was my favorite portrayal of Blueblood.
I loved this comic, especially the page that was Blueblood's "guide." It seems Blueblood is smart enough to be polite to servants when they are his own servants, and they are carrying him and deciding whether or not to spit in his food. Between the fussiness, the social maneuvering, and the generosity (if Blueblood instead of Shining Armor was the one who knew the carriage was full of presents for Cadance, then it seems like he was the one who bought them), Blueblood seems very much to be a stallion version of a certain mare we know so well.
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In a way, this is a reconstruction of Blueblood. Yes he's a spoiled brat, but at the same time he knows how to turn on the charm. And it has been what, four years since we last saw him besides a cameo?
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Blueblood's latest appearance in the show was a cameo in "Equestria Games", just before the Season 4 finale... So, yeah, it's been awhile.
3813429 And it justifies his cutie mark.