//------------------------------//
// At the Gala (Part 4, Final) 
// Story: Azure Flame 
// by Silver Page 
//------------------------------//

	Blueblood nervously shifted from hoof to hoof, unnerved by Fleur’s surprisingly strict sound tone.
“Have you told her?” She inquired, the question seemingly innocent, but carrying hidden threats. 
“… No,” Blueblood muttered, looking down in shame. Fleur grunted, annoyed, but hadn’t expected anything different.
“Well, tonight’s the perfect time for that,” Fleur said, looking past Blueblood towards Rarity, who was happily chatting with the others. 
“But I can’t! I’m not ready!” Blueblood gulped, staring in fear at his ex-foalsitter. She looked at the stallion who, years before, had been a young colt, and sighed. 
“I know. But the longer you hide this from her, the deeper the wound when the truth comes out, and even if you are the one to reveal it, the pain might be too much. She will hate you, Blue, if you hurt her like this. And then you will hurt yourself. I don’t want to see you suffer ever again.”
As Fleur spoke to Blueblood, she could still see the events of the Gala 15 years ago. She could remember the smell of blood and gore and charred flesh, and the sight of the bloodied remains of Princess Golden Light. Above it all, she could still hear Blueblood crying for his mother.
Blueblood saw the haunted look in her eyes, and quickly went to her side, nuzzling her neck affectionately.
“Don’t cry, Fleur. It’s over. It’s not happening again,” the Prince whispered, and his words calmed the Prench Unicorn down.
“I still stand by my words of earlier, Blueblood. Tell the truth while you still have a chance of recovering the pieces,” she whispered in response, and the two separated after a quick hug.
“I will try,” Blueblood said unenthusiastically. 
“By the way, that lavender Unicorn has been following you all night, Blueblood. Do you know her?” 
Blueblood looked up, confused, and then remember about Twilight promising to keep an eye on the two of them during the Gala. He smiled slightly, and looked over in the direction Fleur was looking. Indeed, Twilight could be seen, stealing glances at Rarity and Blueblood whenever she could get away with it, though it seemed Fleur had noticed.
“Yes, that’s Twilight Sparkle, Aunt Celestia’s student.”
“Oh yes, I remember now! I saw her at the Garden Party last spring. Nice girl, but a little bit awkward with the whole dancing aspect,” Fleur said with a smile.
“She said she’d look after me and Rarity this evening, so I don’t go into Snob Mode and Rarity doesn’t try to punch somepony.” Fleur raised an eyebrow at that, but Blueblood chuckled.
“She seems stressed. A lot of the nobles have been less than kind to her tonight, and I suspect it hasn’t been easy keeping her cool.”
“Even though she kept calm all last year with you?” Fleur said, mostly joking, and he rolled his eyes.
“I suppose I’m overthinking it. But better safe than sorry.”
The two stood in comfortable silence for a while, glad to be in each other’s company for the first time in a while. As the time passed pleasantly, Fleur began to notice some odd behavior with Twilight. The pale pink Unicorn saw the way she looked at Rarity; as a friend who would do anything for her. But when Twilight looked at Blueblood, Fleur saw some things she hadn’t anticipated. She looked, dazed, embarrassed and… worried. Why would she be doing any of that? Dazed and embarrassed could mean anything… or something very specific. And worried was understandable, as she apparently knew about Snob Mode. But was it just that? 
Realization struck the ex-model like a lightning bolt.
“Blue, does Twilight Sparkle know about ‘you know who’?” Fleur asked in a low voice so not to be overheard. She expected him to deny it. Instead, she saw him grow pale again, and a few beads of sweat to appear as he shifted his gaze.
“So somepony other than me knows about Azure Flame? Did you tell her or what?” Fleur demanded, just a little bit jealous that he confided in somepony else and hurt that he hadn’t informed her. But also angry at the implications.
“She, um, heard me ranting a bit, and came to conclusion on her own. I did not tell her. On purpose…” Blueblood said, muttering that last part under his breath. 
Fleur took a deep breath and sighed heavily. She then turned to Blueblood and grabbed the sides of his head, pulling him close till their muzzles nearly touched and she stared fiercely into the prince’s terrified eyes.
“You are going to go over to Rarity. You are going to dance with her. Then, you are going to tell her the truth. All of it. Or Celestia help me, I will pick you up and spank you like the foal you are acting like. Am I understood?”
“Yes!” Blueblood squeaked in fear. She released him, and he hurried over to Rarity.
“…and then I tried the blue fabric, and wouldn’t you know, it fit the ensemble perfectly! Oh, hello, Prince Blueblood. Can I help you?” Rarity asked, looking away from a discussion about fashion to see Blueblood nervously standing beside her.
“Would you like to dance and maybe go out tomorrow?!” Blueblood blurted out, fear and anxiety getting the best of his mouth, so it all came out as a jumbled mess.
“I, um, I’d love to,” Rarity said, surprised yet flattered. Hoity and Fancy Pants gave Blueblood a wink, while Sapphire and Photo hooted for the couple. 
As Blueblood led Rarity to the dance floor, Fleur had made her way over to Twilight, unseen by the purple Unicorn. 
Meanwhile, Twilight watched the two, and she felt a small twinge of something go through her chest. Rubbing the spot absent mindedly, she didn’t notice Fleur de Lys till she was right next to her.
“So, you know,” She said in a whisper, causing Twilight to jump in surprise.
“Uh, what?”
“Let’s talk over here, dear,” Fleur said leading Twilight away from the group she’d been hanging off of.
“But, I, Rarity…”
“I’m sure Azure Flame can handle it,” Fleur said dismissively, and the younger Unicorn’s eyes went wide.
“How do you…?”
“Know about Blueblood’s secret? I’m the pony who helped him craft that persona. I helped him forge the personality Azure Flame into somepony Blueblood could use to protect himself. Now, let’s chat.” 
With a whimper of fear, Twilight followed Fleur off into the party.

On top of a slanted roof, the emaciated corpse-like form of Bane stared at the Canterlot palace. He was a ways off, as getting too close was dangerous, and breaking into the Gala was foolish beyond measure, even for a creature as powerful as him. The shadows and dark night sky hid him well, but he took no chances, and powerful spell to misdirect a pony’s gaze was upon him. 
Bane watched, amused and disgusted by the display before him. Nobles and fops, walking around with their noses held high, unworthy of breathing the air of everypony else…
Bane shook his head to clear the thoughts that were not his own from his head.
“Damn Vandal, even his hate for the Royalty permeates his own blood. It’s starting to affect me,” he grumbled. The deathless being hated being contracted to the elder Dragon, as the Silver One’s thoughts and feelings bled through into his own due to the bond between them. Still, without the contract and blood pact, Bane could not leave his crypt. To have fresh air on his body, to feel sun and moon light upon him… such luxuries were rare and he would take his time ruining Blueblood. He did not want to go back to that wretched prison so soon. So, he watched and waited, sharp eyes observing his target. 
‘What’s this?’ Bane thought to himself, his eyes lingering on a pale pink Unicorn talking with a younger purple one. Whoever they were, they knew Blueblood intimately and were having a very interesting conversation. 
Bane’s eyes widened as he read their lips, too far to actually hear their voices. He smiled. This was good information they had unwittingly revealed. Another persona? Fake identity? A love triangle? You normally didn’t get these ridiculous notions outside of a trash novel. 
And he knew just how to exploit them.