What is Flurry Heart's destiny? (Hearts and Hooves Edition)

[ManaMinori 4,146]

While many peg Flurry as the "princess of merchandising", I have to wonder- is she really? Or is there reason why we have a 5th alicorn princess, and WHY she was BORN an alicorn.

 

First, before answering that, I would like to take a look at the other alicorn princesses. Starting with Flurry Heart's mother, Princess Cadence, princess of love.

Cadence can easily be seen as the Princess of Love, but in Greek, which is heavily portrayed in the series, many words for "love" exist. Cadence can be seen most related to "Eros", romantic love.

 

Moving on to Twilight, the princess of friendship; her bond with her friends translates into "philia", or a platonic love between friends. Philia is a type of love that is felt among friends who’ve endured hard times together- a “dispassionate virtuous love” that is free from the intensity of sexual attraction. It often involves the feelings of loyalty among friends, camaraderie among team mates, and the sense of sacrifice for your pack.

 

But what of the original two princesses, Sunbutt, princess of the sun, and Luna, Princess of the moon, you might ask? How do these two possibly represent love in any way?

 

Well, while Luna might be princess of the moon, she also represents the type of love known as "storge".Storge is a natural form of affection that often flows between parents and their children, and children for their parents.

 

Storge love can even be found among childhood friends that is later shared as adults. But although storge is a powerful form of love, it can also become an obstacle on our spiritual paths, especially when our family or friends don’t align with or support our journey. This is best seen in Luna when she becomes bitter at the fact that ponies don't cherish her gift of night, like they do with Sunbutt's day. And furthermore in the time one-on-one time she takes mentoring young ponies, much like a loving parent would their offspring.

 

Last but not least, Sunbutt, princess of the sun best represents the type of love known as "agape", or possibly, "pragma".

 

Pragma is a love that has aged, matured and developed over time. It is beyond the physical, it has transcended the casual, and it is a unique harmony that has formed over time.

 

You can find pragma in married couples who’ve been together for a long time, or in friendships that have endured for decades. Unfortunately pragma is a type of love that is not easily found. We spend so much time and energy trying to find love and so little time in learning how to maintain it. Unlike the other types of love, pragma is the result of effort on both sides. It’s the love between people who’ve learned to make compromises, have demonstrated patience and tolerance to make the relationship work.

 

On the other hoof, she could also embody agape, which is the highest and most radical type of love according to the Greeks- it is a selfless, unconditional love. Agape is what some call spiritual love. It is an unconditional love, bigger than ourselves, a boundless compassion, an infinite empathy. It is what the Buddhists describe as “mettā” or “universal loving kindness.” It is the purest form of love that is free from desires and expectations, and loves regardless of the flaws and shortcomings of others.

 

"OK, Muffin. You have my attention" you might be thinking. "But what the bloody buck does all this have to do with Princess Flurry, princess of Pampers and merchandising?!"

 

Well, my befuddled bronies, the time has come for me to tell you. This new alicorn is far from a ploy for marketing. Oh no! In fact, clues from the series itself put Flurry Heart as the future princess of "playfulness"! Or, in Greek, yet another form of love- "Ludus".

 

Although ludus has a bit of the erotic eros in it (much like Flurry Heart was a product of Cadance), it is much more than that. The Greeks thought of ludus as a playful form of love, for example, the affection between young lovers.

 

Ludus is that feeling we have when we go through the early stages of falling in love with someone, e.g. the fluttering heart, flirting, teasing, and feelings of euphoria. Playfulness in love is an essential ingredient that is often lost in long-term relationships. Yet playfulness is one of the secrets to keeping the childlike innocence of your love alive, interesting and exciting.

 

We see that even as a baby, Flurry Heart is EXTREMELY playful. On top of that, her first clearly seen emotional attachment is to Pinkie Pie, an equally playful pony- and she cries when pulled away from her.

 

But what do you guys think? Is Flurry the future princess of "playfulness", born for a time when Equestria would need her abilities in the distant future? Or is she merely a marketing tool whipped up in M.A.Larson's alicorn generator?

[Marimo 555]

I think whatever destiny she's set to have, it's not something the audience needs to learn. Most regular ponies don't even get their cutie marks until they're already in school, and in the case of Celestia and Luna they were adult mares and still cutie markless and lacking a special thing to govern until sometime after they were made Princesses of Equestria. Meanwhile Flurry Heart is still only a baby.

 

Though if Cadance, not being a natural born alicorn, doesn't get the long lifespan that Celestia and Luna do, I could see Flurry Heart getting love or some variant of it like you mentioned so that she can eventually take over for when her mom becomes old enough to retire.

Edited February 9, 2017 by Marimo

[cmarston1 5,960]

I just kinda assumed that her special talent would involve weather and she would protect her home from the artic north.

[Steve Piranha 29,451]

Maybe founding and  an academy to make common mares to alicorns to fight evil ? Got that idea from M.A Larson's Pennyroyal Academy  :-P

[BlueBrony 388]

I enjoy your analysis on the forms of love and the alicorns . It is truly an intriguing theory. I wonder if flurry heart's destiny is even more ambitious, since she is the only known natural born alicorn. perhaps she will one day become the "queen"

[Valeska 184]

I really hope her role will be important, because otherwise she doesn't deserve to be an alicorn. And who doesn't adore those adorable wings

[sweetolebob18 728]

So, you see Flurry as Pinkie's successor to The Element of Laughter?

That makes Spike future Loyalty

and Sweetie Belle (perhaps) future Kindness, giving us half the next generation.

 

Plus, of course, Flurry is Heir Apparent to the throne of The Crystal Empire

[ManaMinori 4,146]

So, you see Flurry as Pinkie's successor to The Element of Laughter?

That makes Spike future Loyalty

and Sweetie Belle (perhaps) future Kindness, giving us half the next generation.

 

Plus, of course, Flurry is Heir Apparent to the throne of The Crystal Empire

why does everypony need to be successor to the elements?

[sweetolebob18 728]

why does everypony need to be successor to the elements?

 

Well, because The Elements seem to be guardians of the Kingdom (The 1st 4 seasons more than the  last 2), so there is interest. 

 

As to Flurryheart, it's tough to say.  She is the heir, but how long will Cadance last? Queen Elizabeth II isn't an alicorn (& thus unaging?) but Prince Charles III is about the age most people retire & HE still hasn't been crowned.

 

So, Flurryheart will presumably be crowned someday -but perhaps not someday soon.