Azure Flame

by Silver Page

Benefits of the Blood

“Nothing! How in the name of all the Gods can we still be turning up empty-hooved?!” Creepy snarled, smashing a hoof irritably into the couch.
The trio was hanging out in their hotel room, Slim and Azure just as annoyed as their Donkey friend. It had been two weeks since they’d arrived in Prance, and since then, they had had no luck in finding information. The Ponies of Prance were jovial and talkative when it came to weaseling bits out of tourists, but as soon as Azure tried to get anything about Black Phoenix, or even corrupt nobility, out of them, they clammed up and refused to talk. They’d been run out of more stores and taverns than Azure had thought possible in just a week. And by now, the entire underworld of Prance knew of them, and was actively trying to hinder them, places with ties to the Mafia outright waving weapons in their face.

Oddly though, none of the criminals had tried to out-right attack them. A few even seemed scared of them, underneath their bluster and posturing.

“Trying to get them to open up now would do more harm than good,” Azure lamented, lying on his stomach upon his bed.

“So, is it time to move on?” Slim asked, a bit hopefully. Prance was a city designed for Unicorns, and as such there were few buildings that could accommodate his bulk. He’d spent most of his stay standing outside on the streets, like a giant, grumpy bouncer.

“Not quite.” Azure stood up, and walked over to his suitcase.

“But we’ve tried everything! We tried talking to shop-keepers and business owners in the Tourist Ring, we’ve tried market places for the year-round citizens, and we’ve tried Bars and taverns in the Outer Ring! Tartarus, we even went into the Catacombs!” Creepy cried, Shady nodding in agreement.

“I know, I was there,” Azure dead-panned. “But that’s just it. We tried to go to the bottom first, when it seems we should have gone from the top.”

“What are you getting at? We investigate the Nobles? That’s an even worse plan! I don’t know how it works in Equestria, but here, the Nobility, and those who are of equivalent standing and rank, have almost absolute control and authority! And if we poke this hornets’ nest, we’re going to get messed up!” Creepy exclaimed, an almost pleading tone in his voice.

Azure Flame and Slim exchanged a glance with each other. They’d never heard this tone coming from their companion before, and the touch of desperation hinted at something far deeper; personal experience, perhaps.

“Well, that may be true, Creepy, but what do Nobles respect?” Azure asked, flipping open his suitcase and rifling through his luggage.

“Money? Power? Fame?” Slim offered, counting off on his fingers.

“Indeed, all that, but beyond even those aspects, they respect Bloodlines. And what Bloodline is more respected than that of the Princesses of Equestria?”

“…I don’t think dressing up as a female Alicorn will work,” Creepy admitted. “You don’t have the legs for that.” Azure snorted in response.

“I don’t need to,” He admitted. He took off his cloak and his glasses, folding them up and putting them away, before pulling out a fancy suit-and-tie outfit.

“…No way,” Creepy muttered, staring in shock at the Cutie Mark now revealed on Azure’s flank.

“What? What is it?” Slim asked, looking between the two with confusion.

“Slim, Creepy, I’m sorry to admit, but I’ve lied to you,” the blonde Unicorn admitted, as he got into his fancy clothes. With a flourish of magic, his mane was smoothed back, and a bow-tie appeared around his neck. He turned to his comrades, no, his friends, with a sad smile. “I was hoping I could hide this for a bit longer, and carry this out without relying on my status.”

“My real name is Prince Blueblood DeMarco Regitas, member of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Equestria, and Head of the Canterlot General Affairs Office.”
Creepy and Slim’s jaws hit the floor at the same time, the latter starting to hyperventilate as he realized he’d been rescued by a living relative of the Sun and Moon Goddesses.

Minotaurs were not particularly pious, but during the War of Undeath, Princess Luna had personally lead the defense of Knossos during the Siege of Towers, aiding the Minotaurs in driving back the zombies and skeletons of Grogar’s army who’d built massive siege towers and weapons out of their own undead bodies. Afterwards, she’d helped rebuild their ruined city, alongside her sister Celestia. The two were highly respected, and more than a few towns and cities in Toro had a shrine to commemorate the Alicorns for their actions.

Creepy had a similar reaction, perhaps a tad more intense, for many Donkeys of Gaeum had an almost fanatical reverence for the Alicorns who’d saved them from Grogar and near genocide. In fact, many lands had such a reaction to the Alicorn Princesses of Equestria. If not for their direct intervention, Grogar the Necromancer would have destroyed Gaeum and beyond, and many of the descendants of the survivors kept that respect and devotion alive. Some even going as far as founding religious doctrines around the Princesses.

And to realize that they’d spent months alongside a member of the Royal Family, albeit a distant relative, was enough to cause them to stare off into the distance blankly.

Blueblood frowned at their display, raising an eyebrow at Slim as a bit of drool started to drip from his slack-jawed face.

Before coming to Gaeum, he’d of course heard of its citizens treating his Aunts as deities. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence even in Equestria, though Celestia had done her best to repress it at home over the past thousand years. With Aunt Luna’s return, it’d of course started up again with a passion, but due to his isolation in the castle, Blueblood had never actually seen such a thing in person.

Honestly, it was freaking him out.

With a sigh, Blueblood stomped his hooves loudly on the floor, making a good loud thump despite the carpet. It snapped the two out of their stupor, and they looked at each other and the Unicorn sheepishly.

“I know you have some questions, and I know you might feel betrayed I kept this from you, but this was a last resort. I’m here in secret, and I don’t want everypo-I mean everyone to know. Hay, I don’t want to be treated differently by you two.” He looked at the pair hopefully. After a moment, Slim cleared his throat.

“As shocked as I am, I understand the need for going incognito...”

“Me two,” Creepy chimed in.

“And I’d like to say, this doesn’t change much. You’re still you, even if you wore a different set of clothes and name,” Slim continued with a quick frown at the ex-mafia Donkey for interrupting him.

“Same. You’ve done a lot of good here, for me and the city of Bitaly. And you’re on a quest to bring down a great evil, one I’ve been afraid to tackle on my own for years. Like the big lunk said, this doesn’t change our respect towards you.”

“Friends, Azzy?” Slim asked, holding out his hand. Blueblood place his hoof into the open palm, wiping some moisture from his eyes.

“Friends, Slim,” the Prince grinned.

“Then let’s get this investigation started properly, good sir,” Creepy said in a faux-Posh accent, earning a chuckle from the others.

“Yes. Lets.”

Comments

[SageBrony07]

Nice chapter. Thanks for the update. I guess now Blue really has True friends. Good luck with the next chapter.

[Frankie2]

This outta be interesting. Prince Blueblood is going to take over where Azure Flame failed. BTW, when are we going to get our next update on how others are doing in Equestria during his absence?

[Silver Page]

5508658
The next Equestria update will be in a few chapters, after I resolve the arc in Prance. Expect it in four or so. Also, I've decided to go with getting chapters out on the 15th of every month, and if I have the time, a second one on the 30th. I will mention this in the next chapter update for all to see.