//------------------------------//
// Phase I, Day: Honor, Duty, And Family 
// Story: Decretum 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Phase I, Day: Honor, Duty, And Family
~BlackRoseRaven


An Excerpt from Magic Vs. Reality: Origins And Common Misconceptions

A popular notion and metaphor among romantics is the idea of 'soulmates;' that two ponies are specifically 'meant' to be together, that they 'complete' each other when they join in a relationship. This idea has been treated with everything from contempt to zealous faith, but more than one idea of modern Equestrian 'soulmates' has its roots in not fantasy, but actual magical fact.
Long, long ago, before Equestria was united, before the baronies had even been established, both warlords and mage kings maintained their positions of power by binding loyal warriors and guardians to their will. It is said that this practice is based upon the behavior of Ginnungagap entities, who are known for their mental and magical manipulations. The reasoning behind this is easy enough to see: it provided a means to exert influence and control over their closest soldiers, ensuring their fealty.
These binding rituals could be as simple as a one-way mental link, often through a worn object, allowing a monarch to send direct 'messages' to the mind of his guardians, or in rare and notorious cases, the creation of deathless soldiers whose very souls were tied to the spirit of their leader, who could not be killed unless their master was destroyed and who would obey his every wish and command. This latter necromancy was exceedingly rare, however: not only because of the cruelty and preparations required for such an intense and advanced magical ritual, but because the cost was said to extend well beyond the threshold of mortal life. A famous example of this comes from the Song of Melinda, where in the moments before her death after her powers over her servants have been broken, her Nightmare thralls turn on her and drag her to a place that is quote: 'deeper than Helheim and darker than night, full of violence, strife, and vengeful blight.'
But it is thought that similarly, both necromancy and binding practices led to the notion of 'soulmates.' It has been noted that in old legend and romance tales, there have been several accounts of warriors and mages who have soulbound themselves to a person they were loyal to, and in rare instances, connected their souls to one-another, presumably to be able to share information and work smoothly in tandem together even in the most extreme circumstances, or perhaps as a gesture of loyalty to form alliances between families, even entire clans and tribes. The last point, specifically, we find evolving towards the concept of 'romantic love' and 'soulmates;' those willing to marry their souls together as well as their bodies.
There have been recorded instances throughout history where, often by unpleasant means, two ponies fused their souls into one linked energy, while maintaining two physical bodies and two physical minds. There are ancient legends, some thought to follow the saga of even the ill-fated noble who designed a love poison instead of a love potion, of one person trying to forcibly merge their soul with another. However beautiful the romantic notion, it is only a fantasy that decrees two souls being merged into one mean that two sentient, living people will automatically be capable of overcoming all adversities together in a romantic life without any sort of conflict. Binding of souls means that thoughts, emotions, and in some instances of extreme bonding, even physical wounds are shared between two people: it does not automatically make for perfect understanding, nor a life without conflict. This is further emphasized by the fact that there are several factual accounts of binding rituals where people have killed themselves simply to escape the control of and 'connection' with another.
That is not to say all accounts of soul-binding end in tragedy: there are rare stories of those who have adjusted to being forcibly connected to another, although rarely in more ways than simply a mental link often created by mischievous demons. There are even accounts of deeper links and connections existing that have thrived instead of collapsed into ruin, and other forms of 'soulmates,' although this researcher remains skeptical until such evidence presents itself that it is possible for two ponies to share one mind and not destroy each other.
For the most part, however, binding magic of this level and intensity has been lost after being outlawed well over a thousand years ago by the Barons of early Equestria. It is said that the cult faction known as 'Blood Seers' still practice enslavement and binding magic, but as the existence of Blood Seers is questionable to begin with, there is precious little factual evidence to support these claims. Most entity-to-entity bindings these days are a result of magical accident and error instead of purposeful, and most stories and facts about binding rituals come from ancient documents and are learned about second-hoof from other species.
There are very few modern-day stories of 'soulmates,' apart from the romantic notion. This is likely due to our growing understanding of magical concepts and psychology. After all, few ponies would prosper from being bound to another, quite literally until death-do-us-part...