Loyalties

by GJT_Productions

Ground Vectors

"Good, now relax... let the negative emotions and fears float away, only positive thoughts... the thoughts must be positive for the protection to work..."

"I don't like having to keep my eyes closed."

"Diamond, we need to set an example for what the rest of the crowd should be doing!"

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The filly Diamond Tiara, with her family and best friend Silver Spoon beside her, truly did want to obey what her mom was saying, but the nagging worry inside her amplified innate curiousity. She struggled keeping her eyes closed, and she could tell Silver Spoon beside her was having the same problem. In retrospect, Diamond Tiara should've listened to that nagging worry, but a combination of pride and the overwhelming fear of her mother's disapproval at the time motivated her to shove that concern down harshly.

"Now Chancellor Neighsay will accompany Chiton into the crowd to administer the treatment. As previously stated in the question and answer session, there should be no side effects if you follow the procedure Neighsay will lead you through." Mr. Mule explains from the stage.

Diamond can hear hoofsteps, presumably those of Neighsay and Chiton, coming down the steps at the side of the stage and starting towards her. At the same time, an overwhelming blast of lavender scent fills her nostrils - her face grimaces in displeasure, but with her mother beside her she dare not make a sound. The hoofsteps stop at what she guesses is the end of her row, and she then hears Neighsay's voice: "Inhale slowly... hold it for five... long exhale..."

During the long exhale, Diamond thought she heard quiet slurping or lip smacking noises, but dismissed it, believing it came from somepony behind her in the crowd. Neighsay's voice starts speaking again: "Good, you are clean of any potential contagion. I will place a mint on your tongue to counter the dry mouth you may have at the moment. Keep your eyes closed until you get word from Mr. Mule to open them."

A moment later there is a shuffling of hooves, and Neighsay's voice starts again: "Inhale slowly... hold it for five... long exhale..."; it quickly becomes obvious to Diamond that this is some kind of ritual treatment that the crowd would be subjected to, although from the earth pony or unicorn traditions she couldn't tell. Again she hears the slurping or lip smacking noises during the long exhale, and again she dismisses it.

"Good, you are clean of any potential contagion. I will place a mint on your tongue to counter the dry mouth you may have at the moment. Keep your eyes closed until you get word from Mr. Mule to open them." Chancellor Neighsay is heard saying again, and again quickly followed by the shuffling of hooves.

The "ritual" is repeated several times as Neighsay and Chiton edge closer in the front aisle toward where Diamond Tiara is sitting, and as the exact same sequence of events is repeated several times over the nagging seed of doubt creeps in again. With them right next to her now, she dares briefly to peek one eye open.

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She immediately regrets that decision as a fast pulsing light appears, bright enough in the relative darkness of the forum to make her wince silently again. With the lavender smell still overwhelming her nostrils, Diamond Tiara is temporarily placed into a sensory disorientation, but the sense of a unicorn's magic "grasping" her prompts her eyes to open again.

The flashing light she had just seen was coming from Chancellor Neighsay's horn (doubtless some kind of spell he was using at the moment). The blinking is hypnotic, and despite the magic "grasp" her sense of consciousness is temporarily disrupted. In her state, she simply follows the orders she is given: "Inhale slowly... hold it for five... long exhale..."

During the long exhale, Diamond feels something getting pulled out of her, as if her breath had left temporarily following a sucker punch. She nearly chokes on it, but whatever it was is gone before she can make any kind of gag reflex. Instead, Neighsay's magic gently pushes down on her eyelids, closing her eyes again as the slurping and lip smacking noises are heard right next to her.

A bit of terror spikes in Diamond Tiara, but it quickly fades as Neighsay speaks again: "Good, you are clean of any potential contagion. I will place a mint on your tongue to counter the dry mouth you may have at the moment. Keep your eyes closed until you get word from Mr. Mule to open them."

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The tingle of mint flavor on her tongue jolts Diamond Tiara back out of her dazed, confused state, and the terror spikes again. She can't resist opening her eyes again, but the constant hypnotic flashing from Neighsay's horn makes it impossible to see what is happening as he and Chiton move onto Silver Spoon and then her parents. The nagging sense of something not being right she forcefully shoves down again - for as long as her mother's attitudes had a hold on her mind, she could never be honest about what she was experiencing...

Comments

[new55]

That was creepy.