//------------------------------//
// Know Pain 
// Story: Azure Flame 
// by Silver Page 
//------------------------------//

	Blueblood walked down the long halls of the castle, smiling widely and with a spring in his step. Yesterday had been a good day. After the hospital visit, He had shown Rarity a number of his favorite spots in the Upper District of Canterlot. He had wanted to show her the Taco stand and the kind ponies of the Market Quarters, but he had resisted. Only Azure Flame had ever been there, and it would be “scandalous” if the Prince were to go down there with just a mare. Still, he’d had fun.
It was late in the afternoon, lunch having ended a while back. Blueblood had been forced to skip, however, as piles of paperwork had appeared in his In-box after both Galas, and he’d been forced to take some effort to finish. 
Now, though, he was heading to the Minor Dining Room to grab a late lunch. One of the Guards saluted him as he stepped past into the dining room, and he was momentarily taken aback as he saw his cousin Cadence chatting happily with Twilight and Rarity.
“I’m not interrupting, I hope?” He asked, the three mares looking up. They were seated at the table, the remains of a snacks scattered about its surface. 
“Not at all, Blue. I was just catching up with Twilight, and I invited Rarity along as well,” Cadence explained, the other two mares nodding in agreement.
“Alright then. I’m just going to grab a late lunch, don’t let me disrupt you,” Blueblood said, taking a seat. As he did, the door opened again, a familiar piebald Maid with a grey tea cup as a Cutie Mark walking in. 
“Good afternoon, Tea Spout, how are you?”
“Good, thank you. I was coming to take your order, but one of the Mail-ponies brought this over. They said it was for you, but you weren’t at the office.”
“I see…” Blueblood muttered, as the Piebald mare brought out a small wrapped package. It was round, like a ball, and the name of the sender brought a surprised smile to his face.
“What is it, Blue?” Cadence asked, looking over.
“A package from Bouncing Ball. It seems she sent me something.” With a burst of telekinesis, the prince pulled off the wrappings, revealing a beautiful orb carved from polished opal. Attached to it was a note, neatly folded and taped to the side of the orb.
Confused, Blueblood lifted the items, dropping the gem on the table while he opened the note. His eyes widened, and a low gasp escaped.
“Is everything alright, Blueblood?” Twilight asked, concerned. Anything he was about to say was interrupted by a burst of static, that seemed to come from opal orb.
“Testing, testing, can you hear me?” Blueblood stared at the gem on the table in front of him, unsure of what to feel. A voice had come from the small polished orb of opal, and the Prince blinked in shock. The note fell from his telekinetic grip, and the mares all saw that it was a blank sheet of paper with a symbol on it; a black phoenix with a wreath of fire. The maid gasped, and bolted out the door, calling out for some Guards.
“…I can hear you,” Blueblood uttered, stirring from his stunned revelry. 
“Good, it makes things so much easier this way. Look, or rather, listen, to what I’m about to say; ahem! I am currently standing in a room with a little filly. She’s utterly adorable by the way. I believe you know her. Bouncing Ball, correct?” The voice coming from the carved opal was deep and carried a hint of a growl, but also a strange double tone, as if two voices were talking at once.
“What the hell have you done with her?!” Blueblood roared, lunging at the gem, resisting an urge to smash it to pieces by a thin margin. Instead, he gripped it in his telekinesis and held it up to eye level. 
“I haven’t done anything. Not yet, at least. To prove it, here she is!” The sound of rustling cloth could be heard over the connection, and the squeaky voice of the young filly came out.
“Is, is it really you, Mr. Blueblood? Please, help me! I, I’m so scared!”
“Alright, that’s enough out of you,” the same growling voice interjected, and Bouncing let out a squeal of fear, before the same cloth sound came again.
“So, now that you know I have a hostage, I’m sure you won’t do anything reckless.”
“What the hay?! How could you foalnap a patient in critical condition?!” Rarity cried out, but was answered with a ‘tsking’ sound.
“Terribly sorry, but this is between me and Blueblood, ok? Try not to say much.”
“Why you…!”
“Rarity, please!” The seamstress looked over at Blueblood, and her stomach clenched as she saw the abject pain and anger in his face. 
“You have my full attention, whoever you are. Who are you, and what do you want?”
“You can call me Bane, little princeling. As for what I want, well, that’ll be revealed in due time.” As the orb had spoken, Shining Armor and a group of Solar Guards rushed in, having been alerted by Tea Spout earlier. Before he could ask what was happening, Blueblood held up a hoof for silence.
“First, I want to tell you that the filly’s parents are alive, but not conscious. So no worries there. However, I want you to also know that if any Royal Guards, from any branch, appear at the Hospital, I will not hesitate to dispose of my hostage.”
“Men, round up a strike team and prepare for possible hostage negotiation! I want squads to cordon off the entrances and exits to the Grand Heart Hospital, and make sure they’re secured. No one gets in or out without my knowledge!” Shining Armor ordered, moving out of what he hoped was ear-shot of the small communication crystal. The pony, or whatever, on the other end made no remakes to that, rather kept monologue to Blueblood.
“I know where you are right now, princeling, and it’s not where I want you to be. So, I want you to make your way to your room. There, you’ll see what I want from you.”
Everypony’s eyes shot open at that. Not just one, but three infiltrations into the palace in under a week?! Black Phoenix was making a mockery of their security, and Shining Armor did not like that at all.
As soon as he got the instructions, Blueblood galloped off to his room, a good floor and two halls from his current location. Twilight, Rarity, Cadance, and Shining rushed after him, to make sure nothing even worse happened while the Guards mobilized for a siege at the hospital. 
“You know, I think I’ll let Bouncing Ball talk. She seems to be bursting to say something.” Another rustle, and soon the filly’s voice appeared over the link.
“M, Mr. Blueblood, I, I don’t know if you can hear me, but the pony with me says I can talk so I will…” As the group ran, the gem still suspended in Blueblood’s aura, Bouncing kept on talking.
“I really had a lot of fun at the party you threw. I know it wasn’t like the real Grand Galloping Gala, but I think that one was better, because you were there, and all of your friends were really pretty, especially Miss Rarity.” The alabaster Unicorn gasped, and quickly bit back a sob as she followed behind the Prince. 
“I wanted to say thanks. I, I’m glad I got to have fun, even if it got scary at the end…” Blueblood gritted his teeth, determined to save her no matter what. He was only a hall away…
“I know I’m really sick, and even if they didn’t want me to know, I overheard some nurses talking one night, about how I might not have another year to live.”
There they were! His room! Blueblood broke into a grin, and rushed to the door, slamming his hooves onto it, throwing it open. His smile shattered, and the aura around the communication gem broke, and it fell to the floor. None of the others moved to pick it up, simply staring it disbelieving horror at what the open door revealed.
“So, I just wanted to say… thank you so much for a wonderful night, and making my last wish come true…”
As those final words were uttered, Blueblood let out a scream of pure pain, sorrow, and rage, tears mercifully clouding his vision. A sharp, mocking laugh pierced through the prince’s cries.
“Do you understand now what I want from you? I want you to suffer, to know that nothing and nopony you love is safe. Vandal has spoken, and the Dark Phoenix will burn all you know to ash. This entire conversation has merely been a prerecorded message, so understand that I know how you think, how you act, how you feel. Know that Bane comes from you, Blueblood, and there is nothing you can do about it. Know it, and suffer.” 
The gem fell silent, yet still no one did anything about it. The others all rushed to Blueblood’s side, who had curled up on the floor and was weeping. They didn’t know what to do, or how to comfort him. All they could do was hug him, and avoid looking at the small, bloody, pale green pelt nailed to the wall of Blueblood’s room with a tiny horn.