//------------------------------// // A Generous Reveal // Story: The Mark of the Soul // by Comicizzum //------------------------------// It had been a long, sleepless night and, for once, Fluttershy did not get out of bed in the morning. She lay there, the conversation with Discord replaying over and over in her head like a broken record. His parting words, however, had captured her attention most.  “I can’t have you forever,” he had said.  It was around midnight that she was struck by a sudden revelation that broke her heart and opened her eyes to understanding.  Discord would never die. But she would. “How could I have been so stupid?” she groaned, flopping over and burying her face in her pillow.  She was an idiot. Here she was, a mortal, attempting to tether the immortal Spirit of Chaos! How insufferably selfish could she be? And how could she have overlooked that single most important detail?  And that led to so many other silent questions. Had he been in love with a mortal before? Had the pain of losing them sealed him off from further pursuers of love? Did she even want to know if he had a past love? Or several for that matter? Or was he immune to love? No, he’d already said he cared for her. But was that the same as love?  Fluttershy groaned.  Somewhere below her, Angel sat on the floor. She was ignoring him and his constant hopping. She knew he was hungry but she also knew he was fully capable of finding food without her if he really wanted it. She also knew she was neglecting her animals but, as with Angel, they were animals, perfectly capable of scavenging on their own. Angel’s paw swatted at her covers. “Angel, I love you but I really need some space right now. Please, go away,” she whispered miserably, curling further in on herself and closing her eyes. A few tears fell and she sniffled.  She heard the soft thump of his footfalls hesitate at the door before heading for the landing. Part of her wished he would have denied her request and stayed but another was glad he was gone.  “I’m so confused,” she mumbled. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t go back to Cadence. She’ll just say to keep pursuing my love. But I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do anymore. How can I ask Discord to love me when one day I’m bound to leave him behind? I can’t do that to him. He asked me if we could just remain friends but I don’t think I can do that. We’ve already made physical advances towards each other. Maybe that's all he wants? Should we just keep doing what we’ve been doing and label it as 'just being friends'? But that would be a lie because I would secretly be feeling it was something more. Oh, what am I supposed to do?” Lunch time came and went and still Fluttershy remained confined to her bed. She’d cried, she’d thought, she’d cried some more, and was still just as lost as she was all night. She was on the verge of tears again when someone knocked on her door. She had half a mind not to answer when a second knock sounded throughout the house, accompanied by a voice. “Fluttershy? Darling, are you there?” Fluttershy gasped and sat up. She’d forgotten all about her spa day with Rarity! Throwing off the covers, she flew down the stairs as quickly as she could, thrusting the door open. “Fluttershy, are you al-GAHHHH!” Rarity reeled backwards. She rushed forward and grabbed the pegasus by the withers. “My poor dear, what in Celestia's name happened to you? Your mane! It’s positively ghastly! And you look like you haven’t slept a wink!” Fluttershy rubbed her hoof against her leg and looked behind the pink mess that was her hair. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I completely forgot to meet you at the spa. I’m sorry you had to come all this way…” “Forget about the spa, darling!” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. “Tell me who he is so I can destroy him!” Fluttershy blinked. “Huh?” The dainty unicorn trotted past her into the cottage before turning around. “Oh please, dear, don’t hide it from me. Puffy eyes, messy mane, withering soul. You’re suffering from genuine heartbreak!” She then paused, her eyes widening as she internalized the facts. “Fluttershy!" she gasped. "You didn’t tell me you had a special somepony!” Fluttershy’s heart clenched as she closed the cottage door and mumbled towards the floor, “Because I don’t.” “Pardon?” “I don’t!” she cried. Her eyes were so full of tears that Rarity was a blur. “I don’t have a special s-somepony, Rarity! And I don’t think I ever will!” The white unicorn studied her a moment before magicking a handkerchief. Fluttershy took it and wiped at her puffy eyes, her friend placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Would you like to talk about it?” Fluttershy was unsure but Cadence had suggested leaning on her friends. Out of all the girls, Rarity might be the best pony to start with; her generosity tended to result in compassion. “I confessed my feelings to somepony,” she admitted, “But it wasn’t well received. It’s not going to work between us.” “Did he say that?” Rarity asked, surprisingly gentle instead of demanding. “He did,” Fluttershy replied, “But after thinking about it, I agree with him. There are too many obstacles.” Her eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Rarity, why does it hurt so much?” Rarity pulled her into a hug and allowed her to stain her coat as she sobbed. The unicorn patted her back several times, simply being there; the exact kind of friend Fluttershy presently needed.  After a while, they pulled away and Rarity gently guided her over to the couch.  “Relationships are difficult things,” she muttered. “Many think I’m an expert but I honestly struggle just as much as the next mare when actually facing somepony I like. I’ve had my heart broken so many times I’ve almost asked for my Soul Mark just to put an end to it all!” “Soul Mark?” Fluttershy questioned.  Rarity’s eyes widened. “Oh, darling, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it?” She shook her head.  Rarity frowned in thought. “I suppose that’s not much of a surprise. It isn’t a common pony practice anymore. Back in the days of ancient Equestria, before Celestia and Luna's rule, receiving one’s Soul Mark was part of pony culture. When a mare or stallion reached the age of adulthood, they would seek out soothsayers who would use their magic to connect soulmates together. The Cutie Mark belonging to your soulmate would appear on the back of your right ear.” “Why the ear?” Fluttershy wondered. Rarity shrugged. “Some say it's meant to symbolize how the heart whispers when you find your true love. Anyway, the practice was mostly done away with because of the dangers it presented.” “Dangers?” Fluttershy cried in fear and confusion. “What could be dangerous about finding your soulmate?” “The magic of binding souls made it so the only pony you could fall in love with was your soulmate,” Rarity replied. “That doesn’t sound so bad.” “At first you wouldn’t think so,” she agreed, nodding her head, “but some ponies would search for their soulmate only to find they had tragically passed on. Others had defied culture and married another defector, causing a huge amount of drama for the courts. Who was to say which was right? Forcing someone to receive their Soul Mark to be with their soulmate when they were already married to somepony they chose to love? Or allowing the chosen lovers to continue while the pony with the Soul Mark remained bound by unbreakable magic, witnessing from afar the one they were meant to be with living with somepony else?” “That sounds horrible,” Fluttershy muttered with a shiver.  “Indeed, darling,” Rarity muttered. “There were quite a few scandals back in the day! I’ve read about some of them in romantic history books. To keep the peace, once her reign began, Celestia heavily discouraged the Soul Mark ritual and eventually it fell out of practice. There are still some who choose to have it done, though. Mrs. Cake, for example.” The yellow pegasus gasped in disbelief. “Mrs. Cake?” Rarity nodded, leaning forward excitedly. “She used to be known as Chiffon Swirl but after she got her Soul Mark, she changed her name to Mrs. Cake.” Fluttershy’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t know that!” “Not many do,” the unicorn consoled. “The only reason I found out was because I happened to see Mr. Cake’s Cutie Mark on the back of her ear when she was trying to get batter out of her mane. I asked and she happily told me the story.” “Who did she go to to get it?” Fluttershy asked.  “A zebra living in Saddle Arabia,” Rarity answered before slightly narrowing her eyes. “Wait, Fluttershy, surely you’re not… are you?” The pegasus didn’t answer.  If what Rarity said was true, receiving a Soul Mark would put an end to her selfish pursual of Discord. She could move on with her life and he wouldn’t have to worry about catering to her feelings anymore. While it was obvious he held deep affection for her, she was sure it would eventually die once she was gone and Discord moved on in his immortality. He wouldn’t have to mourn her with a hole in his heart forever.  “Fluttershy?” Rarity questioned again. “Huh?” “You’re not seriously considering getting your Soul Mark, are you?” Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. "Maybe.” “But, darling, you’re so young! And you’re one of the most sought after mares in Ponyville! Don’t think I don’t know about all those cards you throw away every Hearts and Hooves Day.” Fluttershy blushed. “You know about that?” Rarity scoffed. “Of course I know! I confess, I tend to go a little green with jealousy when my friends have more admirers than I that particular day. Forgive me, dear?” Fluttershy giggled. “Of course. No hard feelings. I’m not interested in any of those stallions anyway.” “Something I cannot fully understand,” she sighed, before returning to her initial inquiry. “But, darling, there are plenty of other stallions in Equestria to pick from. Why bind yourself to one specifically? Besides, I thought…Oh, nevermind, it’s not right of me to pry. "I just feel you might be making a hasty decision. Getting a Soul Mark is not the same as choosing what dress to wear to the Grand Galloping Gala - and that's a hard choice to make! This is the rest of your love life we’re talking about!” Fluttershy frowned. “And that’s why I’m considering it.” Rarity’s eyebrows drew together. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.” The pegasus shook her head, unwilling to elaborate. “I’m sorry, Rarity. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Would it be okay if we postponed our spa day for another time?” The unicorn studied her silently before nodding. “Alright… If you’re sure?” “I am,” Fluttershy said firmly. “Thank you for coming all this way.” The visit now concluded, Rarity headed for the door. Once there, she turned back to look at her dear friend.  “Fluttershy?” she said hesitantly. “Yes?” “Please Pinkie Promise me you’ll give this a good deal of thought before making any kind of decision.” Fluttershy smiled. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”         Rarity nodded in apparent satisfaction, her lips pulled down in silent worry as she left.  Fluttershy walked back to her green couch and sat upon it, thinking of all the times she and Discord had cuddled in that very spot. Her eyes once again filled with tears.  “I have to let him go," she whispered brokenly. "This may be the only way to do it.”