Azrael vanished in front of Scootaloo, leaving the little pegasi with her mouth hang open, with no other words than those he said about the lack of interest of the subject they had spoken recently.
“Mistress Scootaloo, are you alright?” Spike, who had the common sense to be concerned of her well being, was behind who he considered the one he should listen and obey with all his intention.
“Y- yeah” Scootaloo, simply replied, turning around to face the two servants she had to take care.
Spike relaxed his arms and eased his expression of worry, looking at Scootaloo directly. “Is there anything you want, mistress?” he asked seeking to please her. Twilight perked her ears at the question and gazed at Scootaloo, as well, in case that her little mistress would require something from her.
The orange pegasi didn’t know what to do but she knew that her friends were in possible trouble and that she needed to save them and, possibly, stop the stallion.
“Spike, make a letter to princess Celestia, tell her that Twilight says to come here quickly” Scootaloo said the the little dragon, using the name of Twilight as an excuse to make the letter more urgent and legit.
“As you wish, my mistress” he replied as he rushed to obtain a parchment and quill to make the letter.
“And don’t call me mistress” added Scootaloo annoyed at the title she didn’t like to hear.
Scootaloo then glance to Twilight, who stood in her place waiting patiently for her orders, wondering if she has some information about this situation, “Twilight do you know something or anything about Obidientiam?” regarding of how much Twilight knew, Scootaloo would try and take the lavender alicorn to the chamber. If the door was still in Sweet Apple Acres.
Twilight pondered in her head to find an answer of the question and reached with a conclusion.
“I’m sorry, misstre- Scootaloo, but I don’t recall anypony with that name” replied Twilight with a low voice.
“Really!? does any of your many history books says anything about her?” Scootaloo insisted on the question.
Twilight rushed to the many bookshelves that contained historical events to seek for anything referring to the name and the relics that Scootaloo told her about the mare.
After several minutes Spike returned from the bedroom and smiled at the orange filly, “all done, Scootaloo” he exclaimed with a smile.
Scootaloo was relieved, with Celestia in her way to the library she could help the little filly to end this and save her friends from their possible danger.
Twilight returned with a defeated expression, after ruffling through all the possible books around her library.
“I’m sorry Scootaloo, but there is no information about a mare with such name,” confirmed the lavender alicorn. “It seems that this pony never existed from any part of the history or in any other reference” she added
The orange pegasi was truly confused and didn’t know what was she supposed to do at the moment. Her friends were in danger and she might be the only one to save them from whatever dark destiny that would befall upon them.
Scootaloo never felt this much pressure since the math test Cheerilee gave her last week.
She knew that Celestia was on her way and she could be of great help in this crucial situation about the relics and Azrael.
“Twilight do you know, at least, a pony named Azrael?” Asked the orange pegasi, not knowing what will she do now with so little information on the problem and how to deal with it.
Twilight, for her part, was about to give an answer but another voice beaten her to it.
“Where do you heard that name, little one?” Asked Celestia appearing from behind the two ponies
***
“Are you truly sure of the name you just spoke, little filly?” asked Luna looking at the little filly, making sure of that there was no confusion of the name she heard from Apple Bloom.
After the incident in the vault the lunar princess ordered for the lookout of anypony who seemed suspicious and that could carry with him a piece of the treasure from the vault.
Princess Luna then guided Apple Bloom and Applejack to a private room where they talked about what had happened the last day from the moment when they encountered the stallion to the part where he showed his true intentions.
the yellow filly then gave the lens to Luna for her to look at them and decided how dangerous they were.
Luna took hold of the peculiar object and analyzed them, with simple eyesight, trying to spot something out of place or to see if the materials of what is made could be relevant but she concluded that they were simple lens and that they held nothing special at simple glance.
So she decided to examine them further with her magic.
The lunar princess face contorted as she finished her analysis.
“These spectacles carry a powerful enchantment and truly dangerous as well,” she concluded placing them down to the table. “They are truly of his doing…” she added when images of her past flowed right in front of her eyes.
A time, in the past where the jealousy and anger against her sister clouded her mind, when she wanted to create her own kingdom, where she could have what she had longed for so long at the grasp of her hoof.
Loyal subjects.
Ponies that would serve her in the new castle, in her new kingdom under the reign of the night.
In her desperate need to surpass her sister, and to obtain ponies who could love her and obey her word, the dark alicorn sought to obtain one dangerous object, a simple flute that was offered to her from a unicorn stallion named Azrael.
A magical flute that could lure infant minds to follow the one who played it, guiding them where the music flow, Alluring them to where a bat pony, at the services of the the princess of the moon, awaited them to be guided to a new town that would become the first of many under the mantle of the night.
But an unfortunate event befallen on those who would be called loyal subjects as without any sense of perception or to distinguish the fact of inevitable danger they hd all encountered a tragic fate that the presumably one in charge to guide them only said.
"It wasn't my fault"
Apple Bloom looked at the alicorn, curiously, wondering what she could say and since the blue alicorn remained silent
“Of what, princess?” she asked, trying to wake the alicorn from her memories.
Luna returned from what long lost memory she had , returning her eyes to the dangerous object in the table and with sheer rage she destroyed the lens without hesitation, over and over again, until the relic was shattered. The remaining pieces turned into a red dust and evaporated through the air.
Apple Bloom coiled in fear of the actions of the princess, feeling that she might be in more trouble than she had thought she had. She wanted to beg for forgiveness and to plead that she didn’t end up in some severe punishment for her actions but somepony interrupted her words before they could be used in her defense.
“Ugh, wha- where am Ah?” asked Applejack rubbing her head and looking around the ostentatious room then towards princess Luna and, finally, her little sister. “What’s going on?”
Apple Bloom looked incredulous at her sister being freed from her hypnotic spell but she also felt relieved that Applejack was free from obeying everything she said.
“Big sis, your back to normal!!” the yellow filly hugged her sister not caring how much in trouble she was, since she could feel more happy to know that she, and her family, would never act like slaves by the horrible spell hey were cursed.
“Uuhm, can somepony explain me what in all tarnation is going on in here? I feel more confused than a mother hydra trying to recognize each head of her respective child” asked Applejack, confused by the sudden affection her little sister gave her and the stern look from the princess.
Princess Luna stood up from her seat and approached the two sisters, with a more calmed expression.
“Everything shall be explained on the way to Ponyville, once we reunite with our sister and Twilight to tell them about this matter” replied the moon princess, motioning the two earth ponies to follow her.
Applejack and her sister made no hesitation to follow the blue alicorn, although the little filly looked at the ground feeling that she still needed to explain her involvement of everything and to receive whatever punishment she will held.
the dark blue alicorn kept her face stoic but her eyes wandered from side to side thinking if her past mistake will return to bite her.
No matter what would be their consequences both, Apple Bloom and Luna, know that Azrael needed to be stopped.
***
Sweetie Bell rushed to where the crowd was reunited finding the ponies gathering in front of the elementary school of the town.
The crowd formed a circle around as they seemed silent and attentive of the pony they were watching. Sweetie, approaching to them she could now notice the brown filly with her hoof held high showing the shiny jewelry to those nearby.
“From now on you’ll be my slaves to take control of, okay?” commanded Babs Seed with a voice filled with authority and a hint of excitement to have more ponies at her command.
“Yes, mistress” echoed the ponies around the brown filly with a smile of obedience and adoration as they awaited for any kind of instruction they could receive at the moment.
“Alright servants, follow me!” ordered Babs as she began to take her march to the deeper part of the town, followed by a dozen of ponies behind her obediently.
Sweetie Bell gritted her teeth, watching the group walk past her made her anger arise. To think that Babs was taking control of the ponies of the town was something she didn’t like one bit.
The white filly had to rush to reach Babs to confront her directly and to impose her domain of the ponies, that she once had dreamed to have.
Babs, the other hoof, was happy to have slaves that followed her at every single place she go, that could obey every single command she gave, that adore her for everything she did and not being looked at some kind of hindrance that only caused problems. A change of scenery of sorts.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” shouted Sweetie Bell as she stood in front of Babs with her eyes glaring at her friend.
Babs stopped her advance and smiled friendly at the white unicorn. “well, I was going to the town hall and hypnotize the mayor, and others, to make them my slaves” explained the earth pony with ease as if was the most natural thing to do.
You can’t do that because they are going to be my slaves!” shouted Sweetie Bell angrily, stomping her hoof in the ground to make herself be clear.
Babs contorted her face in anger at Sweetie’s statement as she took her own step forward.
“What do you you mean your slaves!?” she asked with the same anger she recieved by her friend, “These were obtained by me and my hypnotic relic, so why don’t you go and be with yours!” she added showing the jewel from her hoof.
Babs was truly hunger to obtain as much slaves she wanted but she didn’t have the need to get those who her friends had in their possession, since they were all friends, she prefered to find others who could still be able to manipulate at her will.
“They all belong to me, Babs, so you better leave them to my control and command,” Sweetie Bell said in a low growl, lowering her head to point her head in a threatening position, as the group of Slaves from her side began to reunite with her.
Babs returned her glare with one of her own, while adopting the same posture the white filly took against her.
“Look 'ere, Sweetie, I am not going to back down on this and if a fight is what you are looking for,you certainly found it right here” she threatened back, ready to take on the menaces Sweetie had recently declared.
At the words that the two fillies exchanged the slaves from both sides noticed the tension that they had and decided to act in the aid of their respective mistress taking sides and ready to attack or defend with their own capabilities.
“It saddens me to see that this is happening all over again” a soft voice said those words causing the two little fillies to stop and turn to the source of origin.
Standing at the other side of the road was Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight, Spike and Scootaloo. All of them looking at the fillies with expressions between disappointment and horror but with the same thoughts that Celestia had spoken.
“How is it that two innocent fillies, like you two, ended up involving yourselves in this kind of mess?” asked Celestia as she then enlightened her horn to fire a field barrier that enveloped the two little fillies, containing them like a small prison.
“What is this? Let me go!” ordered Sweetie Bell, trying to break the bubble with her own hooves as the same way Babs tried.
At the claims and struggles of the two foals the entranced ponies from both, Sweetie Bell and Babs Seed, decided to stand before Celestia in order to protect their respective mistresses, ready to take action against the solar princess even if they knew that they could not be able to win against her but they still had to, since they all took priority for the pony's sake far above anything else.
“This needs to stop now, my little ponies, please refrain these innocent ones and release them from this dreadful curse” pleaded Celestia, looking at them with calm rather than anger and showing a face that could say that no punishment would be held against them if they are willing to cooperate.
Sweetie Bell and Babs glared at Celestia with a serious frown as if the royal princess had made a serious offense against the two of them.
“I won’t let go of any of my slaves!” shouted the white unicorn, giving another hit at the barrier that she was being held.
“So do I. They are mine to control and I will have much more of them!” added the brown earth pony stomping her hoof in the ground to emphasize what she exclaimed.
“Girls you can’t be serious about this. Can’t you see that you are being manipulated by Azrael and that only you two will be in more trouble!” shouted Scootaloo trying to convince both of them with what little of friendship they still had.
“Shut it Scoot’s, I won’t let go of my slaves just ‘cause you let yours go!” shouted back Babs, glaring at the orange pegasi, making her feel betrayed, as she diverted her eyes to the ground.
Noticing that words wouldn’t be able to reach to their hearts, Celestia took three steps forward in front of the group of ponies as she observed them carefully each and one of them. From the blank of their eyes to the beautiful accessory they held in their necks.
“You better release us princess or-” Sweetie Bell tried to threat the solar princess but her words had been cut off by a golden blast of magic that covered the entire place, blinding the ponies and forcing them to cover their eyes.
Twilight, Spike and Scootaloo recovered their vision and looked at the scene, noticing that the only thing that seemed different was that the group of ponies that seemed more as a confused crowd, rather than mindless drones, looking from their own surroundings or scratching their heads to recall what happened.
Sweetie Bell look at the ponies in front of her but she was still decided to make her move.
“Attack her now!” she shouted pointing her hoof at Celestia, knowing well that they would not hesitate and will obey to their fullest in to complete their task with eager and with the need to satisfy her wishes… But after ten seconds of silence, and lack of movement, she lowered her hoof when many pair of eyes looked at her with faces of confusion and incredulity.
“Babs! you got to order your slaves to-” Sweetie tried to tell to her friend to help her in this situation, that required all the help she needed, but she saw that Babs was as much confused as the ponies from outside their small bubble prison.
“Ugh, my head. I feel like I had lost an argument against the Friendship Express,” Babs groaned with her hoof on her head and eyes closed. “think I forgot something but I don’t remember what it was” she added still ignorant of the broken bracelet on the ground below her.
Sweetie Bell didn’t know what happened but she was sure who to blame for this ending.
“What have you done!?” asked, rather more demanding, Sweetie Bell glaring at Celestia herself dropping any act of innocence in her persona.
Celestia was surprised at the question since she thought that any of the ponies among them would react that way and that caused her to frown sadly towards her.
“I just used a small spell that can Enlighten the mind of those who fell from the curse of the infamous Obidentiam or rather be said Azrael” replied the solar princess taking a few steps at the two fillies.
those who still couldn't get a grasp of the situation can know when to stand aside to let their superior ruler walks past them to meet the two fillies encased in the bubble Babs took several steps back, while Sweetie Bell only took one, knowing that both were in big trouble, as she felt a pressure in those eyes Celestia that gazed upon them..
Sweetie Bell felt as if she had just lost everything she wanted, the obedient slaves, the attention of her words, the need of having things one could simply never obtain that easily. Her only option in hoof now was to call for sompony that would surely help her in this desperate time of need.
“Azrael!!!” the white little unicorn shouted, with the might of her longues, at the sky with despair.
Expecting for the marron unicorn to make his appearance, Sweetie looked at her surroundings to see him again. The same thing Celestia did but with a more predatory intent.
Twilight rushed to be near her friends as soon Sweetie shout the name out loud to protect them and to explain the situation while Scootaloo and Spike joined them.
Nothing.
Nothing occurred from the next minute, even when Twilight shouted to everypony to leave this place at once. Only the nine ponies involved most remained to keep an eye of the one that was mentioned to appear but they soon relaxed since nothing happened.
Sweetie Bell was now worried having to call out the name and to not receive an answer or an appearance from anywhere caused her to feel panic creep through her back and crawl to her neck.
Twilight walked towards Celestia, along with the others behind, to ask what will it be for these two little fillies but she couldn’t ask since the white alicorn placed her eyes towards the distance, eyes locked to the far extreme of the road where the silhouette of a pony made his way at them.
“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it, Celestia?” greeted Azrael with a grin formed in his face stopping his pace to be at a good distance between them.
“It has been a long time since I last have seen you, Azrael,” Celestia returned the gesture with a certain hint of hatred in her voice. “You seem to preserve well your body very well” she added, taking a few steps towards him, with each step an intention to be at the defensive.
“I appreciate your compliment,” replied Azrael bowing his head as he then tilted his head to one side. “The same thing can be said for you too” he then added with a mocked intention. “But you know very well that this curse is the reason I can’t age properly” he added with his eyes daggering towards the white alicorn.
Both ponies stared at each other, waiting for any kind of movement from their opponent, not even looking away for a second. Until a child voice called them with urgency.
“Azrael, please help me!” shouted Sweetie Bell, causing all eyes fall on her, pleading with urgency of assistance from the stallion as she tried to push over the golden barrier.
Azrael averted his eyes from Celestia to look at the filly, who still banged at the bubble, and relaxed his posture and grinned again. “I almost forgot why I came here for” he said and smiled at the little filly.
“I want to let you know,” the maroon stallion said with an eased expression as he smiled at the little filly once more “I didn’t came to save you Sweaty Ball. I came here to give you, Celestia, this. Since I won’t be needing it anymore, now that I got the final piece from the castle vault” said Azrael throwing the golden key with the black and white spiral as a decoration.
Celestia averted her eyes to see the key near on the ground of her hooves knowing what the key was but immediately returned to see the three horned stallion.
“Why are you giving me the key of the chamber, Azrael?” asked Celestia not certain to to think that it was the real one or that it could be a mere distraction and the fact that Azrael invaded the royal castle in Canterlot.
“I have made a great improvement with the relics, princess, and I need to give a new use of my special talent before I get too bored in this world of peace and calm,” explained Azrael as he began to focus his magic in the top of his horn. “Besides, you were truly desperate to find the place with all its relics inside, now the opportunity is in your hooves, since I have the newest release. Do whatever you want with them” with that he instantly turned around to leave.
Celestia prepared her horn to attack as the stallion gave him his back at her.
“Do you think I will let you leave just like that, you still have crimes to pay!” she shouted making a warning shot near the stallion.
“Princess, I may not be able to win a fight against you but you know that I won’t be easy to deal with.” he replied turning his head at her. “Besides in this small town the collateral damage would be immeasurable and that is something that you should, desperately, avoid.” With a grin he added the last part as he enlighten his his horn threateningly.
Celestia hated the fact that her little ponies are being threatened but what he said was true that she prefered to play it safe.
shimmering down her horn and rising her head, the white alicorn had to yield to the threats of the maroon stallion.
“Thought so” said Azrael as he used his teleportation spell to leave the place
Twilight rushed to be next to the princess, worried of her well being. “Princess are you alright?” she asked, a bit confused of the situation that had occurred.
“I’m fine, Twilight,” replied Celestia, taking a deep breath, as she retained the key in her magic and walked back towards the group of ponies that seemed confused of all the situation. “I will explain everything later first we need to- ” Celestia wanted to finish her words but the sight of her sister, Luna, along with Applejack and Applebloom appeared at her sight.
The three ponies reunited themselves with the group, Applebloom rushed to be with Scootaloo to know of the happenings of the morning until this moment.
“Celestia, what happened here? Does this has something to do with Azrael?” Luna inquired with curiosity watching every single detail from her elder sister’s face.
“Yes, this is from his doing, sister” Celestia explained briefly to Luna the events that she had known from her talk with Scootaloo. Luna listened closely to every word her sister has told.
“So he might do the same thing as in the past, right? give chaos and greed to many ponies in the kingdom and to provoke an inner battle in all Equestria over those dreadful relics?” asked Luna with shocked expression, as she saw the single nod from Celestia.
Both alicorns remained silent, remembering the events of the past that involved him the time when he corrupted the minds of ponies as he bestows them the power to take control over innocent ponies, until they gazed back to Sweetie Bell and Babs and walked towards them.
They both walked to be near them, once more, “both of you shall take a severe punishment for the manipulation of free will and the enslavery of the fair ponies of this town” reprimanded Luna with a piercing gaze towards the two fillies.
The two little fillies knew that they had no escape from their current predicament and that the gaze of the two princesses filled them in panic to tremble in fear. Sweetie Bell returned to act innocent as she tried her best to think in a way to avoid being punished.
“I was tricked, inframed. I never wanted to do anything like this!” she shouted, even when she had ranted for her slaves a few minutes before and that there was no use for her to act innocent now.
“Come sister, we need to reunite with the others and explain the unfortunate events with them to make ends with this” ordered Celestia, ignoring the ramblings of the little filly.
Luna gave one last glance at the two fillies and followed her sister towards the other elements, all still worried about the recent events.
Sweetie Bell gritted her teeth, fuming in rage, after being ignored by the two princess and leaving her with Babs at her side.
The brown filly , from her side, felt truly ashamed of being used as a marionette for a crazy stallion, for who knows what purpose, as she then felt that Sweetie Bell had some fault for insisting to continue on with something that went out of control so quickly that she couldn’t warn anypony from the danger. All thanks to her power crazed friend.
“Tell them that they will pay for this” Babs suggested casually, with a small smile in her lips since she planned something for the white unicorn.
The white unicorn was blinded in anger that she took advice of her friend and shouted with all her longues.
“You’ll will pay for this!” the words leaved her mouth and resounded through the entire place causing all the surprising eyes point at her, specially Rarity who felt more saddened about the sudden transition of her once beloved sister. “Thanks Babs, now they all think i’m crazy” she added giving a flat look to nopony in specific.