//------------------------------// // Enthralled by new jewelry // Story: The relics of Obedientiam // by Furious Thestral //------------------------------// The two fillies, Applebloom and Scootaloo, were inside the clubhouse, made for their crusading meetings and now for their even more secret meetings. “why are they taking so long? they should arrive here hours ago” complained Scootaloo, burying her face in her hooves. “Scootaloo, they are coming here,” assured Apple Bloom, placing a hoof in the little pegasi head, “they said that they will come here” the little filly then added, smiling to calm her friend, but no avail. Scootaloo was nervous and scared, trotting back and forth, on what happened the last day. “Calm down Scootaloo, ye’r anxiety makes me nervous as well” Apple Bloom tried to stop the movements of her friend. “I just can’t calm myself,” replied Scootaloo stopping in front of her friend and dropping her body to the floor, “I’m too nervous of Rainbow Dash’s health. I haven’t seen her since the incident” looking to her left avoiding eye contact to her yellow friend. Memories from the past resurface, as she tried to not tell anypony how they manage to free the cyan pegasi from her insides. After a while the door of the clubhouse was fully open letting the entrance of the two little fillies. “What took you so long, girls?” asked Scootaloo exasperated, glaring at the two fillies, who trotted to sat next to each filly to complete the circle. “It was because I wanted to get rid of the enchantment on my sister” replied Babs, presenting the lamp in front of the circle. “and why would yah do that?” asked Apple Bloom, tilting her head in confusion, “there is no problem with y’er sister, right?” added the yellow filly now worried for her cousin. “Na’h, but she’s pretty lame and she sometimes doesn’t do exactly what I tell her, she literally makes things more difficult than it’s supposed to be” responded Babs blowing her mane in frustration. Sweetie Bell remained silent with a smirk in her face that was noticed by the three little fillies. “Uh, Sweetie why are you smiling?” asked the orange pegasi concerned of the looks of her white friend. Sweetie Bell snapped from her thoughts shaking her head looking to the one who made the question, “huh? oh nothing, I was just remembering what happened yesterday that’s all” she replied with her always warm and good smile. “What could be so happy about yesterday that could make you smile like that?” Scootaloo made the question as her anger raised up for she thought that the event of her and Rainbow Dash was something to laugh about. Before the white filly could answer a knock in the door of the clubhouse startled the four fillies to change their expressions, for who knows who could be at the other side. “Come in” answered Applebloom not moving from her place. At the opening of the door appeared Twilight with a smile, wearing what appeared to be a crown, of silver with a blue gem. She stared at the little fillies for a few seconds before speaking. “Oh crusaders, I’m glad that you’re here, please follow me” she said, not wasting a second longer, she exited the club house. “Wait where are we going?” asked Scootaloo, from her place, following the princess. The other crusaders ran, behind of Scootaloo. Twilight didn’t respond as she continued to her destination passing by the apples and leading them more and more into the orchard. “Twilight, where are we going!?” shouted Sweetie Bell. Twilight continued to ignore the question, continuing with her trotting. Applebloom ran to be in front of the lavender pony. “Now listen here Twilight, we ain’t moving until ya’h tell us where are ya’h taking us” the little filly stomp the ground meaning that she was serious. Twilight stopped and locked her eyes in Applebloom’s after seconds of silence Twilight began to speak. “We are heading to the chamber” replied Twilight, without any expression in her face as she then tried to continue her way, passing next to the yellow filly. “But why the hurry?” now asked Babs as she tried to keep Twilight’s pace, the crusaders at least were alleviated that they were heading to the chamber to have news about the two sisters and that Twilight was in their control to help them. “He told me to bring you to the chamber of one thousand relics, and that’s what I’m doing” she replied as she then stopped, arriving, at the other end of the orchard. Twilight summoned the key to open the door and after a few seconds the entrance appeared from thin air. The five ponies passed by to the stoned hallway to the golden spiral door. Inside the chamber there were five ponies inside, the crusaders took a look at the ponies and see that they were Azrael, their respective sisters and Fluttershy. The little fillies ran to embrace their big sisters in a hug but the older mares couldn’t respond to their affection as they seemed to be unresponsive. That still didn’t stop the little fillies. “Is she okay?” asked Scootaloo, looking at Rainbow worried of her sister's condition. “Hello to you too,” Azrael said, with a smile, “she is fine, I only keep her in submission to avoid her awareness and the memory of the event” said the male unicorn messing with the mane of the cyan pegasi. Scootaloo felt a pinch in her chest at the idea that Rainbow could remember what happened in Fluttershy’s cottage. Apple Bloom glanced at Applejack, the orange earth pony staring blankly, “say, why is Applejack here?” asked the little earth pony confused. “Well you see, I needed to take Rainbow Dash here. So I used your sister, last night, to bring her. Who knows what would happened if somepony would end up lurking in the cottage, and they find us” explained Azrael, approaching to the yellow filly “Oh, ah get it” replied Apple Bloom understanding the possible case scenario. Sweetie Bell took a long look at her big sister while she formulated her own thoughts. “Uhm, Azrael?” asked the white filly, keeping her eyes on her sister. “What is it, Sweetie Bell?” the red unicorn turned his attention to the little unicorn, who was fidgeting in the ground with one hoof. trying to impose something in the stallion. “Can I have other type of hypno relic?” she then asked, begging with her eyes wide open. Scootaloo and Applebloom were surprised by the request of their friend to think that she wanted another relic from the unknown pony. “Sweetie Bell! why would you want another one?” Scootaloo asked, surprised about the need of her friend. “Can she really have another?” asked now Apple Bloom looking at Azrael in confusion. Scootaloo then turned her glare from the white filly to the yellow one. Azrael chuckle at the questions of the fillies in front of her, “well, to begin, that was one of the reasons that I brought you all here,” he said, leading his hoof to point out all the relics in their place, “or do you wish to keep the ones you have?” he then asked pointing the relic the had Scootaloo in her neck. “yeah, I’m tired of carrying this thing through all the town” said Babs leaning closer leaving the lamp in the ground. “Me too!” replied Apple Bloom leaning the box of incense. “So do I” said Sweetie Bell dropping as well her relic taking advantage now that her friends were joining her. Azarael levitated the relics to relocate them to their to their respective places, “go then, and choose the relic that you wish” with a smile he encouraged the little fillies. Running all over the place, the fillies were looking, again, for a good relic to use. ______________________________________________ Babs, excited went looking high and low for a better relic. A jar filled with what it seemed red, bubbling, liquid and inside of it was a tiny white worm wiggling all over. This caught the attention of the brown filly, as she moved forward, Approaching slowly to have a closer look. “This little inmortal here is called Schädling,” said Azrael, startling the filly, “it’s a small parasite that you need consume and lay eggs inside you body and with it you may control the ponies around you” he explained, keeping an eye in the jar. “Why would anypony would want to consume this... thing?” asked Babs not even daring to touch the jar, with the creature inside. “So that it can spread those eggs to anypony you want, that is why it’s known as a parasite” answered Azrael with an evil sneer. Babs remained silent for a moment thinking in the description that Azrael gave her. “What will happened to the pony and his targets of choice?” was the question that she regretted to make. “No obvious changes will happened to the pony that will consume this little fellow here, except that little green parasites will come out of his cavities at will of the host, to infect the target designated of course,” said Azrael taking the jar with his bare hooves leaning it closer to his face, “as for the the ponies that consume the green ones… well they didn’t mind at all because they were busy obeying” Azrael added, with a small laugh, explaining subtly the effects of the bizarre relic. “I don’t think I would like to have that... thing in me” stated Babs moving away of the jar. Keeping an eye in other better relics, for the brown filly to use, she encountered a golden bracelet with a jade encrusted in it. Taking it, with her hooves, to have a better look, Babs noticed a small glow of blue in the center of the gem. “this one seems useful” Babs said as she placed the bracelet in her right foreleg, it fitted perfectly. “Good choice, small and beautiful, the embrace is a powerful object that will fill the mind of the victim to accept their voice and command,” explained the stallion arriving from behind the little filly, “all you need to do is to make the pony look at the jewel for a moment and with that, his mind will be all yours” he added, placing his hoof at her left shoulder. “I think I might like this one” said Babs rubbing the gem to make it shine. “Have fun” said Azrael as he watched her go to the center of the chamber where the other five entranced mares were. ___________________________________________________________________________ Apple Bloom kept an eye for one object as she was considering that this could be the one she needed. “So you decided but you don’t know what it does?” asked Azrael approaching the filly from the front. “It seems that way” replied the yellow filly, looking at all angles of the relic. they were a pair of steampunk spectacles. “They are called, in your language, the power of the king,” began Azrael placing them in the filly’s face, “all you need to do is, keep an eye contact and give them a command. You can be as specific as you want, the target won’t stop until he finish his order and he will not remember what he or she did but they can notice that time has passed” ended explaining Azrael. “So basically they are fer one use at a time?” asked Apple Bloom looking all over the place with the glasses to see if they won’t make her dizzy. “you can manipulatethem as much as you can, only when they maintain eye contact at the first order,” replied the unicorn, “once they completed their task they are no longer under the influence of the glasses and they won’t be able to be mesmerized by them anymore” he finished his explanation as he took a look for other relic that could be more appealing for the filly. “Ah think Ah’m going to have these” said the filly smiling. “Are you sure? there are other relics that could be of more use” asked Azrael in offer to have a better choice. “Nah Ah’m better with these,” declined Apple Bloom waving her hoof in amiss, “Besides, they say that I would look cute in glasses” she added with a smile drawn over her face. “Very well then, I’ll just go over to Sweetie to see what she wants” said Azrael taking his leave. “Wait,” shouted Apple Bloom with her hoof held high to stop the stallion. “I was wondering what kind of payment you wanted us to make, ‘cause me and mah friends don’t have much money to pay all this” she asked curious for what Azrael wanted that day. Azrael returned a few steps to met the little filly’s eyes. “It’s not money that I want,” he began as he lowered his body at the height of Apple Bloom. “you see there was really nothing that I needed from you three” replied Azrael with his grin. Apple Bloom was taken aback, for she remembered that the stallion wanted something when they were at Sugar Cube Corner. Apple Bloom decided to push further but a crashing sound interrupted her, Azrael snarled, looking for the origin of the noise, as he disappeared in a flash. ___________________________________________________________________________ Sweetie Bell was looking one after another the relics as she threw them away to find one more suitable for her. “Do you want some help with the selection?” asked Azrael reappearing from behind the white filly. “I need a relic that won’t make my sister go all crazy!” shouted Sweetie Bell picking another object. Azrael enlighten his horn to levitate the relic from Sweetie’s hooves, to avoid the filly to throw it. “that is going to be a problem here, for many of them can cause insanity, if they are not handled with care” warned the stallion as he placed the relic in his place. “Then could I use one to keep Rarity under my orders? that way she won’t go that much of crazy” asked the little white filly, scrunching her face. Azrael trotted to another bunch of relics as he selected one in specific. “This one could be useful to you,” said the red stallion, giving Sweetie Bell a collar, ”this one is the restraint of the mind”. Sweetie Bell took a look at the object, it seemed as an normal black leather collar. “And will this be safe for my sister’s sanity?” asked the little filly glancing at the stallion. “It’s purpose is to maintain total obedience without questioning, so that way the user can avoid the contradictions of morality” explained Azrael. Sweetie Bell retained the object in her hoof, as she returned her eyes to Azrael. “This thing would call attention of others, when my sister uses it” complained the little filly leaning her hoof with the collar to the stallion. “Don’t worry about such detail,” said Azrael returning Sweetie’s hoof to her. “The collar can change to any neckwear to avoid any curious eye” he explained, turning around to be with the other mares and fillies in the center of the chamber. ___________________________________________________________ Scootaloo remained in the same place she was when the other three fillies scattered to their own search of their new relics. Struggling in her mind to think of what could be the reactions of her friends of her decision. They always made everything together specially their crusade for their marks. To think that she did not want to continue was as bad as saying that she didn’t want to be friends with them. “So, you wish to change your relic as well?” the voice from behind the small pegasi made her yelp in surprise, turning around to see Azrael and her friends. “I, well, uhm,” Scootaloo couldn’t find the words to say at the group as they approached even closer. “Yeah Scoots, you shouldn’t remain with that necklace” said Sweetie Bell approaching closer to encourage her winged friend, “Let’s go help you find a nice one for you” she added, nodding to the others to be together. Scootaloo took a look to her idol, noticing her void eyes lack of expression and feeling. She began to debate to reconsider her options, Scootaloo didn’t enjoy that much having Rainbow as a slave, Of course she enjoyed the stories she told and the sky acrobacies she displayed for her. but she knew that all was somehow forced and weren’t made because she wanted but because she was ordered to do them. “We can find some cool relic for you, this way” said Sweetie pulling Scootaloo’s hoof to said direction. Scootaloo pulled away her hoof, surprising the white filly and her other friends. “I- I don’t want to continue with this” said the orange pegasi a bit worried of the reaction of her friends. “What do ya’h mean Scoots?” asked Apple Bloom walking to be near her friend. “It's just that... I don’t enjoy being with Rainbow Dash this way anymore,” replied Scootaloo keeping her eyes on her big sister. “She doesn’t have that cocky grin, and she can’t tell me how awesome she is” explained the orange pegasi with tears building up in her eyes. Scootaloo took a look to her friends a bit bothered to do this alone. “Don’t you think that this is too much, to take control of our friends and family like this?” asked Scootaloo looking from one to another of the fillies, “Is it right for us to abuse of them in this way?” she asked once more looking for some expression of remorsement. She didn’t see any. “Look Scootaloo, It might look like that but it’s, in some way, a payback for the way Rarity treats me” explained Sweetie Bell with a serious expression in her face. “Every time that she sends me to do something I notice very well her face expresses that she believes that I might screw things up or that when I do something, anything, near her dresses I might damage them in some way” she bursted out in anger, making her friend step back a little. “Ah, as well, have been always tired when ma’h sister forces me to do the chores and help her in the orchard,” joined Apple Bloom from the left of the unicorn, “I can barely manage time for the crusading and for myself!” complained the yellow earth filly. “So am I,” said Babs exhaling, walking forward to be near the orange pegasi. “Even when my sister protects me from my bullies, she makes me pay for her services and that is pissing me off” added Babs showing the anger in her eyes. Scootaloo watched all her friend in disbelief. To think that those three who she, Scootaloo, always had some envy about their relationship with their siblings. She never knew that they had those thoughts inside their heads, it was something unnatural, but still something that a filly like her wouldn’t understand. Scootaloo hung her head defeated and a bit betrayed for the decision of her friends and hers as well. Trotting towards the stallion, Scootaloo, gave him the pendant. “I’m sorry girls but I don’t want to be part of this anymore,” she said, avoiding to spill her tears, “if it makes you feel better I won’t tell anypony” the little pegasi added, avoiding eye contact to her friends. Azrael frowned as he received the relic, in his hoof, and watched the orange pegasi trotting to be with Rainbow Dash. “Uhm, Azrael, she won’t remember what happened, right?” asked Scootaloo looking at her idol. Azrael smile, once more, as he took hold of the lamia pendant, looking at the little Scootaloo. “She will only have memories of a good time with Fluttershy and you,” he assured. “Twilight please take Scootaloo back to her home” ordered Azrael to the alicorn princess. “As you wish, Azrael” replied Twilight, trotting to be next to the little filly. Apple Bloom tried to convince her pegasi friend to reconsider but she was held by Babs, shaking her head that her decision was made and she wasn’t going to back down. Sweetie Bell remained in her place her eyes still in Scootaloo. “Take care girls and see you at the clubhouse, to tell me how it goes” said Scootaloo, with a weak smile as she and Twilight teleported away. Sweetie Bell was the first to move, walking towards her big sister. Without hesitation or doubt she placed the collar in Rarity’s neck and from instant reaction the neckpiece transformed into a light blue necklace with three diamonds resembling her cutie mark. Rarity’s distant gaze shifted to one place to another as he then focused to her little sister. “Sweetie Bell, what is this place? And why are my friends here?” asked the fashionista confused. Sweetie Bell was a bit nervous as she look towards Azrael. the stallion nodded his head to the filly to encourage her to tell her something. “Uhm, it’s not that important to know the answer, does it sis?” replied the filly, nervous of how would Rarity would reply. Rarity blinked a few times after hearing the words of her little sister and smiled at her with calm. “You’re right, it doesn’t seem that important,” The fashionista smiled at her little sister, as if she was the voice of reason. Apple Bloom, with confidence, trotted towards Applejack. Adjusting her glasses she focused in making eye contact with the orange mare. “Applejack, from now on you will obey everything I say” ordered the yellow filly. After those words were mentioned the lens glowed in red. Applejack’s eyes glowed, as well, as she recovered consciousness from her trance, “It will be as you say, Apple Bloom” said the farm pony smiling at her little sister. “I guess it’s my turn now” Babs took a few steps to meet the two pegasi that stood in their place together. Pointing the jewel at the two mares, at same time, the bracelet shimmered in blue with a spiraling glimmer from the gem. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy felt the effects of the gem in their own eyes as bkue sparkles glimmered inside their respective eyes. Taking a deep breath, Babs made her command, “okay you two, from now on, you will do everything I tell you to do” she ordered with a stern voice and without hesitation. The two pegasi mares regained focus of their previous trance and bowed in front of Babs. “We will do as you command” replied in unison, eager to obey all order they are instructed. Babs turned around feeling two pairs of eye glaring at her, “what? is it wrong to have these two as slaves?” asked the brown filly feeling like she had crossed a line about picking the sister of their friend. “It’s just that, you have two and we only one” explained Sweetie Bell expressing her envy. Apple Bloom was flabbergasted, Thinking for a second that was it fine to let Babs take the two pegasi for herself or that if Sweetie was ranting about the number of ponies to take control. Apple Bloom was about to say something when Azrael made his way to be in the middle of the fillies. “Girls, there is no need to argue about a meaningless thing. You can take all the ponies you wish to have in control, for your own fun and entertainment” the maroon stallion explained looking at the little fillies as he walked to the door that was open. “You really mean it?” asked Sweetie Bell with a big smile and her eyes expectantly. “Of course,” assured Azrael, with a grin of his own. “Just remember to keep this in low profile so that no problems will happen” he added as he continued to walk to the door. Apple Bloom still had a question in her mind and she wished an answer. “Mister Azrael, what is what you want from us, for having all this?” the yellow filly pointed to the relics and to their submissive pony friends. She had to know why a total stranger would give so much power to somepony if he didn’t want anything in exchange. Azrael stopped at the door frame turning around to meet the little fillies and the mares behind them. His smile still in place as he considered his next words. “Oh girls, you are already paying me, with the use of the relics here,” he replied, with a smirk upon his face. “You see, this was the work of a lifetime for a mare all these objects and relics that can manipulate, alter, modify, etcetera, etcetera. They were being forgotten and disappear in the rivers of time and I wanted to make them return to be used one more time” he explained, receiving confused looks from the fillies and some odd ones from the mares. “But ya’h can easily-” Applebloom wanted to interject with a point but she was cut off by the hoof of the stallion held high, “I know that I can spread them through all Equestria to make everypony in each town have one and to do whatever they want with them but then things would go out of hoof when who knows how many ponies while make a line to dethrone Celestia and Luna to be queen or king of the land, while the other half would just go to random places foalnapping ponies through every single town and that is not even the worst part” explained Azrael, smiling at the idea. The little fillies paled upon the thought and the possible catastrophe of the outcome. “Anyway, I better take my leave. Don’t worry for the door to the outside, it will leave you all to the same place when you came here” the stallion then continued his march through the corridor and disappearing in the darkness. After a long awkward silence Babs was the one who took a few steps to the door to be in front to the other two fillies. “I’m not going to lie. That was the most disturbed thing I ever heard in my life” confessed the brown earth pony showing her face of disgust. “I agree with ya’h, cousin” replied Apple Bloom, feeling uncomfortable with the sudden answer and for Scootaloo’s leave. Sweetie Bell smiled to her two friends and and placed a hoof in Apple Bloom’s shoulder. “Come on girls, would you believe that we would go and dethrone Celestia, just like that?” joked the white unicorn. Applebloom and Babs chuckled on the impossible idea of doing such task and decided to return home with their servants.