Bellosh

Late-night crunch time! On the morrow, Princess Cadence was set to catch a train to Itaily for a weeklong vacation with her husband. That meant she only had a couple hours to come up with content to fill her Dear Cady column with for the week she'd be gone. To make life difficult, this last letter turned out to be a real doozy. Something about personality changes and inadequate birthday gifts? Gaaaah... the love princess always dreaded reading the letters that came off as cryptic and vague; those left her with too little material to work with. As Cadence was pressed for time, she hastily wrote a reply as best she could. Maybe under different circumstances, she would have succeeded in connecting the dots together..... Dear Friend in Education: It's never easy to watch somepony we care for struggle with matters that give them distress. Without knowing the particulars of what your friend is currently going through or what happened during the party she attended, I would say to keep being available to your friend whenever she needs a pony to talk to. That being said, do not pressure her into taking about her problem because it may bring about the opposite result. Only your friend can decide when she feels ready to reach out for help. Love, Cady PS: It doesn't matter one bit what your friend's other pals thought of her birthday gift as long as the birthday mare herself enjoyed it.

Ah, the good ole' romantic relationship issue. Unsurprisingly, those letters were Cadence's favorites to reply back to... Dear Silver-Tongued Suitor, Personally, I have mixed feelings about the new surprise wedding trend making the rounds. On one hoof, I sympathize with the desire to not give the pony you love any more hassles to deal with on top of their day-to-day challenges. However, I am not sure if a surprise wedding is worth the cost of leaving your stallion with no say in how one of the most important days in his life turns out. Public proposals can be problematic enough for some; inflicting an entire wedding out of nowhere could potentially lead to even greater disaster if not well received. If you anticipate your partner getting upset in any way over not being able to arrange or schedule his own wedding, then DO NOT proceed with the plan under any circumstances whatsoever. The only situation where I would wholeheartedly recommend a surprise wedding is if your fiance is the sort of stallion who would suffer a health-threatening nervous breakdown worrying about their impending nuptials. Otherwise, as a marriage is all about a loving couple communicating and working together, I believe that one partner making all wedding preparations by themselves takes some of the magic out of what weddings are supposed to symbolize in the first place. In any case, I hope that you and your fiance each get the wedding of your dreams. As you know your special somepony best, I trust you will make the planning decisions that best reflect his wishes. Love, Cady

By the ancestors, how good it felt to Yù Yuè to feel the free air blow through her mane once more! These moments were far and few between, but each time the qilin mare's exhilaration managed to rekindle the flames of passion in her heart. Tonight was no exception. From her high vantage point, the Empress could gaze down at the Imperial Capital which she was its ultimate symbol. Currently, the imperial sovereign and her draconic counterpart were overflying Huangjing's Inner Ward. The situation down there was not all that much different from the Palace; small festive congregations here and there, but otherwise subdued and cordial. A short distance ahead was a sea of lights and noise... the Outer Ward and all its commoner population in the midst of celebration. On this final night of the First Moon, the Outer Ward was an absolute zoo both on the streets below and the skies above. Yuè could even spot a few younger Long gliding about in that airspace. "Àilóng, you mustn't ever fault anyone in my service for diligently performing their duties." Empress Yuè tried to calmly defend her chief servant's actions, but it was a pathetic half-attempt. She didn't even bother to disguise a sigh beforehand, very uncharacteristic of her. Honestly, the royal qilin would love few things more than dismissing the Chamberlain who's been a pain in a neck to many people around her. Yet Yuè feared that without a valid enough cause, such an action would be seen by other courtiers that their new empress intended to become a power-hungry monster like Tyrant King Faba of all. And of course, the Chamberlain himself would not appreciate losing face after he had tirelessly spearheaded Yuè's crash-course tutoring in the Art of Ruling in those bewildering first days of her reign. Yuè didn't even have to ask where Àilóng would want to celebrate the climatic lantern festival; she knew her dear Serpent King far too well. As the bustling Outer Ward drew closer, the qilin mare subconsciously clutched her dragon tighter as she anxiously questioned; "Are you absolutely sure we can discreetly navigate Huangjing's streets together with all these crowds?" It wasn't the possibility of being recognized that Yuè feared; most Long Guo citizens would only know their Empress through her emotionless Official Portrait, complete with shimmering Imperial Regalia. Rather, did Àilóng have a plan for spending the night with Yuè that didn't involve getting entangled in ground-level congestion? What if they got separated? And what if someone noticed how awfully familiar a mere qilin was around one of the Wise and Noble Long? Would Àilóng himself be recognized as the King of Longri-La and cause a general mayhem of reverence around him? So many things that could go wrong. Aiyaaaaaaaaa..... --------------- “Hmmmph,” the Chamberlain slammed his hooves on the balcony railing as he watched his monarch fly off into the night with the Serpent King; “The Elder Serpents will never respect the Empress if she allows them to summon her like a lowly PET!!!”

Huh, the House Dupone emblem. Princess Cadence hadn’t seen it in several years, not since the disappearance of the husband-and-wife team of retired REA officers that briefly made the rounds of Canterlot gossip. Hopefully their orphaned daughter was doing well for herself..... Dear Last Heir, There is nothing to be ashamed of about feelings of unfulfillment, even for ponies in your line of work. As much as we don't want to admit otherwise, no one single activity is capable of fulfilling all of our emotional needs. This is why I find it important to find hobbies outside of work. In my case, I happen to love singing! As for you, your hobby ought to be something that allows you to get your adrenaline pumping without conflicting with your core values. Just as a suggestion, have you ever considered moonlighting as an amateur wrestler? While those sorts of fighting sports are personally not my cup of tea, I have it on... "good authority", that the point of wrestling is not to beat opponents into utter submission, but to put on a good show for the fans. Maybe that is something to consider. I do not feel qualified to give advice on magic matters, but I recommend arranging a consultation with a licensed journeypony or master of the Equestrian Magic Guild. They will be glad to answer any questions you may have about magical artifacts! Love, Cady

A letter (and gifts) from Applejack? How splendid! Oh, and the letter included one of the things Princess Cadence loved most of all: a romantic mystery!!! If she were lazy, the alicorn would have written back to AJ with generic gift-choosing advice. But this was a friend from Ponyville that our princess was dealing with here. She needed to pour through this letter, figure out the identity of the mare AJ is attracted to, then use that knowledge to give the best suggestion possible..... *ONE WEEK LATER* After sleepless days of stringing together portraits with Ponyville town maps on pegboards, obsessive theorizing, and otherwise neglecting her royal and maternal duties, it took a magic tantrum from Flurry Heart to snap Cadence back to reality. The interiors of her palace chambers may have been in utter shambles, but the Princess of Love wouldn't let that stop her from finally doing the right thing and give Applajack the advice she needed a week ago... Dear A Friend In Love: There is no feeling quite like being in love with somepony. Believe me, I know. Sometimes, the emotions we have can overwhelm us to the point where we get caught in an indecision loop. Whether we are overanayalzing a special somepony's gestures or freaking out about what will happen if they discover our feelings, the end result is the same; nothing happens and true love never gets a chance to bloom. Any beautiful relationship lost due to hesitation is a great tragedy. Answering your actual question, it is never true that the ponies we're fond of the most have everything. For one thing, my gut feeling tells me the mare you love does not have a special somepony yet, or else the letter you would have written me would've been filled with angst about losing chances or whatnot. As it stands, this pony of yours might also be looking for a special somepony of her own. Or... maybe she already has found one, but is otherwise incapable of making the first move. Well, you will never know for sure unless you let her know of your feelings. So maybe the best present to buy for your mare's birthday is... nothing at all! Think of the things you like doing together. Plan something that's simple but sweet to show how much she means to you. I am going to be rooting for you that everything works out! Love, Cady

.....What was Àilóng THINKING??? What would Empress Yuè's courtiers say about her if she couldn't get to sleep as planned, and then either chose to either wake up without being refreshed enough to tackle her royal duties or simply sleep in. Oh, they'd quietly mumble to one another that Yuè was never prepared to sit on the Dragon Throne to begin with, silently agreeing that something needed to be done to undo the final error of the mare's father. Even if the Serpent King provided some valid reasoning, he just wasn't considering how things would develop in the long term. In Yuè's life, slip-ups were something she could ill afford. "I... don't know," the qilin mare hesitated, scrambling her hardest to gently let her dear Àilóng down; "It's not like I can-" "WONDERFUL NEWS, YOUR MAJESTY!" The overly giddy voice of the Palace Chamberlain could be heard from the other side of the door leading out of the bedchamber. "The Serpent King himself has been spotted overflying this very palace! EEEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEE!!!!!!" Yuè sighed a soft "Aiyaaa..." before solemnly whispering to her draconic counterpart; "This... is why it's reckless to soar around the Palace as you please." In no way did the Empress want her night to be ruined by what would come next. The Chamberlain prattled on; "I advise we act quickly least the King of the Wise and Noble Long believe we're disrespecting him! Give the word Empress, and we’ll rouse all those layabout servants and put them to work preparing a great banquet in the King’s honor!!!" Another groan and a facehoof from Empress Yuè. Not only was there no hope anymore of getting early sleep in, but she knew Àilóng well enough to know the torture he'd suffer from courtly etiquette in the most stuffiest and pompous form known in all known existence. Yuè also couldn't let her life-long friend bear the guilt of inadvertently ruining the final night of the First Moon for everyone in the Household staff. .....There was only one way out of this disaster, but Yuè needed to act now! "Quickly!" She quietly instructed Àilóng with unquestionable haste; "We must leave now!" Wasting no time, the qilin mare dashed to the balcony and climbed onto the serpent dragon's back when presented with the chance, making sure to keep her grip extra tight. Letting a tiny amount of her fillyhood self slip through her adult shell, Yuè commanded her airworthy mount; “Yip yip, Àilóng!” The oblivious chamberlain meanwhile waited for a response… "Your Majesty.....? ...Are you there.....?"

Once more, Princess Cadence found herself confronted with a letter of a family torn apart..... Dear Heart of Gold: I am sorry to hear about what happened between you and your family. While it is true that family differences are sometimes irreconcilable, it is always good to have faith that rifts can eventually be healed. That being said, the road to reconciliation will not be easy. Make no mistake; your family will be grappling with feelings of hurt and betrayal over your decision to leave home, and doubly so if they had no idea about your objections to the arranged marriage. When the time comes, be willing to ask for forgiveness for running away, but do not hesitate to also communicate why you left in the first place. Reconnecting with your estranged family should be handled delicately. It is best to first send a letter to them that states how you miss them and want to get back in touch. Take things slow and easy, and with time and luck, your family will understand the decisions you have made and will reaffirm their unconditional support you for. Love, Cady

Before Empress Yuè had a chance to take off her earrings and place them in a safe place when the familiar voice of a certain dragon startled her. "Oh my!!" the qilin mare gasped, one hoof concealing her wide open mouth as she turned to face the Serpent King. "À-Ailóng, what are you doing here!?" Didn't he know the proper protocols for visits to the Imperial Palace. It was always basic courtesy for the Palace servants to be informed in advance to make proper preparations. As that stern old Chamberlain reminded his empress on several occasions, the Wise and Noble Dragons won't ever regard Long Guo's sovereign rulers as true equals if the emperors failed to adequately prepare their own home to receive such distinguished visitors. Of course, Àilóng never did strike Yù Yuè as picky on details... but nobody else knew that. What sort of rumors and whispers would fly about with the Serpent King's unannounced appearance? How would this reflect on how others perceive the Dragon Throne? On a more immediately pressing level, the Empress was also concerned that she wouldn't be able to get to sleep as early as she needed. Yuè asked with caution; "Are you quite sure it's... wise to be here right now?"

OOC: Been months since my last RP post, so I may be a little rusty. Also, I will only reply to one letter today. The other one will be answered soon enough. ^_^ The Princess of Love wasn't proud to admit she required the services of a linguist in order to fully translate her latest latter, which came from a caribou bou who by the sounds of it was adopted into Clan Breen. Reading through the message, Mrs. Mi Amore Cadenza couldn't help but recall her mother in Itaily... or to be more precise, how she couldn't recall her at all. It wasn't like Cadence's mom had abandoned her newborn foal in the middle of the woods or anything like that, although the end result was virtually the same. Where was Cadence's mom for her daughter's coronation? Her graduation? Her wedding? The birth of her daughter? By Celestia, even Cadence's mother-in-law had been far more of a mommy to the mare than her birth mother ever was! ..... Mommy issues aside, Princess Cadence went to work on her reply to Calder... Dear Son of Breen: Although we all have the family we are born with, sometimes it is the family which we choose for ourselves that means the most to our hearts. By the sound of it, you have a loving relationship with the bull you have adopted as a father; a bull who gives constant reminders through his actions of the love he feels for you. The question though is whether you have been giving reminders of your own love. Grand gestures are not needed. Every once in a while, do something nice for your adopted father or offer to do an activity together. Show him with your deeds what he means to you. Always remember that these seemingly insignificant acts have the incredible power to nurture bonds of love — even if the acknowledgement of said love goes unspoken. As for your second issue, nobody should ever live in fear because of who they are. Every creature in this world is entitled to love and tolerance. Find those you can confide in and tell them of your issues. Harassment of any kind is never acceptable. Most importantly, stay true to yourself and never lose faith that one day you will find a special somebody who will cherish you for who you are. Love, Cady

I will be visiting relatives from 3/3 to 3/11. Don't expect me to post on the forums during that time.

The First Moon: that was the name the Long Sun gave to the very first lunar cycle of the year... the dawn of a New Year. For 15 days between the first new and full moons of the year, beings all across the Dragon Kingdom celebrated the First Moon with family gatherings, dumplings, firecrackers, pageants, and all other possible methods of expressing revelry. The venerable serpent dragons also celebrated these holidays, and so it was a common sight for the youth among their kind to fly down dance in the streets of Long Guo's cities along with the qilin and longma. While it was customary for many shops and establishments throughout the country, things were business as usual over at the Imperial Palace. From the windows of Empress Yuè's bedchambers, the sounds of festivities were but faint echoes from across the Forbidden Lake. Although the royal qilin had always marked the First Moon with the importance it deserved, it had been a long time since she had actually gone out on the streets to join in the partying; not since entering adolescence. Two weeks ago had been the closest Yuè had gotten to the action in many years... this time as Empress, standing on top of a lofty gatehouse overlooking the Imperial Square as to the cheers of thousands, she officially declared the First Moon to have arrived. ...That was typically the one time each year the average commoner could catch sight of their sovereign. Although tonight the First Moon would cultivate in a lantern festival that even the Palace servants partook in, Empress Yuè had more important plans. She had a very busy day scheduled tomorrow, but inconveniently the greatest and loudest fireworks were always reserved for the final night... this night. The Empress needed to wake extra early the following morning and so she wanted to get in bed right after supper, theoretically giving the mare plenty of time to fall dead asleep before the fireworks had a chance to boom and disrupt this process. A part of Yuè wished she could stay up longer to catch the show, but as empress, she was better than lamenting about such things. And so Yù Yuè, already undressed, was giving the twilight sky and rising full moon one final glance from her balcony before intending to retreat to her luxurious empress-sized bed....

Princess Cadence had a real dozy to reply to this time around. This latest predicament could have been lifted from the pages of a romance novel, or so the Love Princess thought once she had read most of the way through. ... .....Cadence meant no disrespect, but she erupted into a guffaw when she got to the "centuries-old fox yokai" part. With how most of the Distressed Guard's letter had until then been a straightforward recreation of a romantic story plot, that single yokai detail came out of left field so suddendly that the pink alicorn just couldn't behave herself. Of course, because Flurry Heart had been playing with baby toys next to her mother, she too joined in the laughter because babies liked to laugh. Right; let's get down to business. Part of Cadence's mind speculated that despite the Long Kong return address, the Distress Guard in reality served his kingdom's Empress in the Imperial Capital. It made sense really; Empress Yuè was perhaps the most eligible bachelorette in the entire world (besides of course Auntie Celestia, but that wasn't a line of thought Cady liked going down). She hadn't been on the Dragon Throne for that long, which fit some of the letter's details. A couple other details also wouldn't have made much sense if the Distressed Guard was just a lackey guarding some random Long Kong heiress. Now then, here were the major issues Cadence had to grapple with: 1. Assuming her speculation was correct, the Distressed Guard was a member of the infamous Imperial Watch, traditionally given the honor of protecting the Long Guo emperors. From what the Love Princess recollected from reading forbidden romance stories, the Imperial Watcher who falls for a palace maid or royal heiress was one of the oldest tropes out there. Cadence would have to be careful with her response, least somebody across the sea gets wise and causes the Guard to lose his job... or worse. 2. Cadence always wanted to be an optimist when it came to matters of the heart, but she couldn't deny the possibility that the mare who might be Empress Yuè... just plain ole' didn't have romantic feelings for her bodyguard. The alicorn reflected on the life experiences of herself and all her various friends; mares very rarely rejected romantic overtures from stallions (Buck Withers, anypony?) without first softening the blow. As far as such explanations went, "class and duty" objections wouldn't be far fetched at all for a Long Guo royal. Dear Guard in Distress: Before talking about crystal palaces, first make it through your first dance together. .....That is not actually a proverb, but it should be! Shining Armor, now my beloved husband, had to set me straight during our very first dance together at the Fall Formal Gala. We had not known each other for very long, but I was absolutely head over heels for the colt I already considered to be my very special somepony. As I blabbered about how he felt about crystal palaces, Shiny gently suggested that we finish our first dance before talking about palaces. If you ask my husband about the story of how we first met however, be prepared for an underdog tale of how an outcast colt beat all the odds to win the affections of the most popular filly in school. While that does make for an entertaining story that strokes his ego nowadays, Shining Armor never would have had a chance to begin with if I did not like him back to begin with. What the two of us shared with one another, even back then, was a mutual spark of attraction. No matter what the neighsayers in our social circles said, nothing would stop me from asking out the stallion of my dreams, and no jocks at school were going to stand between Shiny and his one true love. So now you wonder: what is the point of my story of teenage melodrama? You see, when two hearts wish to be together as one, the love created by that union will not be contained. Love breaks free, it expands to new territories and crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously. To put it succinctly: love will find a way. But for that love to find a way, first there must be that aforementioned spark between one and the other; a sort of chemistry if you will. Something that binds two hearts together. You can form powerful friendships just fine without kindling the fires of passion, and perhaps you can enjoy the pleasures of physical intimacy with nothing more than sparks of attraction, but true love can only exist if both conditions are met. I have known far too many ponies who think they deserve relationships with whoever they crush upon simply because they provide friendship, and likewise I've seen many ponies in relationships breaking up after realizing they barely have anything in common. Knowing the turmoil you are going through right now, my advice for you would be to first reflect on all those you hold dear in your life. Cherish the connections you have, but do not fall for the trap of putting anyone on a pedestal. At the end of the day, everyone — princesses, queens, and empresses included — are all equine, each of us with our own faults and follies. Be mindful of that, and figure out which relationships have you giving far more love than you are receiving back. If your current life situation makes it hard for you to maintain romantic relationships, maybe put love on the backburner for a little while as you focus instead on improving yourself. It may take time before you find that truly special somebody, but believe me, it will be worth the wait! One last thing: I would not worry about the mare you protect. Everyone in her position has jitters whenever they first start out. Celestia knows how nervous me and my sister-in-law initinally were after being crowned as princesses! What your charge needs is a chance to prove herself capable, and soon enough she will start feeling comfortable in her own skin. Of course, it will help her to have friends behind her back who unconditionally support her. Regardless of what may come, I hope that you remain one such friend of hers. Love, Cady