The barbed wire encircling his left foreleg was growing tighter.
At first Lex had thought he was imagining it. After all, he still hurt all over from how badly he’d overextended himself in cursing Luna. But as he’d studied the resurrection spell stored within the ruby that the Night Mare had given him, the sense of constriction around his leg had slowly increased. It hadn’t reached the point of pain yet, the wire not having contracted enough for the barbs to pierce his skin, but as he begrudgingly turned his face away from the ruby and examined his leg, Lex could see that the wire had indeed clenched ever so slightly harder than normal.
Rather than being alarmed, Lex’s first reaction was to feel irritated at the Night Mare’s warning. Because he had no doubt that it was a warning. As unskilled as he was at understanding the motivations of others, the goddess’s intent was nevertheless clear to him now: the longer he waited to placate her, the tighter the wire would grow.
There was no clock in the station lobby, and Celestia’s manipulating the sun to cover her retreat made him wary of using the angle of the light shining in the windows as a means of measuring time. But Lex could still estimate how long it had been since he’d spoken to the Night Mare in his dream. For the wire to have tightened as much as it had since then... About thirty hours, he decided. If he hadn’t made a public sacrifice to the Night Mare by then, the wire would reach a point of contraction sufficient to cut his leg off completely.
The underlying message was obvious: he could either choose what he forfeited to the goddess, or she would take his leg in payment.
The thought made Lex’s lip curl, acrimony for the Night Mare filling his mind. He was sorely tempted to simply allow her to cut his leg off, simply to make it clear that he couldn’t be bullied – the fact that the last few hours would be agonizing bothered him not at all; he had gone through several instances of intense pain, and had no doubt that he could handle such a thing again – but he felt certain that if it came to that, the goddess wouldn’t stop there. She had made it clear, during their most recent encounter, that she was on the brink of giving up on him altogether. If he spurned her again, Lex had little doubt that she would, at the very least, completely withdraw her favor from him. In all likelihood, she’d also make good on her threat of killing him immediately.
Neither option was acceptable to Lex. While he’d still be able to walk with only three legs – and even cast spells, since the gestures needed for his thaumaturgical magic only required a single hoof to make – the loss of divine patronage would put him at a disadvantage in the future. Worse than merely losing access to the smattering of divine spells that the Night Mare was already granting him or the power to command certain creatures, he’d be in no position to exert any influence, let alone control, over the spread of religions that would inevitably make their way to Equestria now that Everglow’s deities knew of this world’s existence. Even less desirable was how he’d have no protection against the depredations of those other gods; as bad as it was to have the Night Mare’s threats hanging over his head, Lex knew that no other god would dare act against him directly so long as he had her backing, lest doing so start a war. Without that he was completely exposed, since he knew he couldn’t hope to fight a god…not with his current level of power.
And that was the better option. If the Night Mare did decide to simply strike him down, then all would be lost. Not only would his life be over, but Equestria would at best remain stagnant under the irresponsible “guidance” of those feckless alicorns, and at worst would soon fall to ruin now that it had come to the attention of various gods and monsters from other realms.
Which meant that he needed to make a sacrifice to the goddess. But of what? “Something valuable to you, something you’ll miss” had been the Night Mare’s demand, but Lex had to admit he was hard-pressed to think of something that met those criteria. He valued his intellect, certainly, but giving up even a fraction of that was completely out of the question. His mental acuity was a fundamental part of his identity, and changing that was utterly anathema to him. Even if that wasn’t true, compromising his intelligence would cripple his ability to lead, and he doubted the Night Mare would want him to give up something that would enable him to continue making good on his promises.
His horn then? He placed high value on the dark magic it granted him, and since it was something he’d gained only recently it wasn’t as though his sense of self depended on it. But no, that was unacceptable as a sacrifice as well. With Severance having been banished, Lex knew his ability to use thaumaturgical magic was crippled, meaning that he’d need to rely on his horn’s dark magic even more. Losing it would leave him near-totally incapacitated insofar as magical ability went, and that would render him unable to face the next threat to his rule. Given that he’d just been congratulating himself on how his defeat of the Royal Sisters established his monopoly over the use of force that was necessary for a government to sustain itself, losing his horn was also completely out of the question.
“Then what else of mine do you want, you impatient nag?” murmured Lex as he looked at the barbed wire around his leg. The question wasn’t an idle one, since he wasn’t in the habit of talking out loud to himself. Rather, he’d been genuinely asking the Night Mare, since he had no doubt that she was aware of his actions. But despite her eagerness for a sacrifice from him she was apparently unwilling to be more specific about what she wanted, since no response came that he was aware of.
At least, not from the Night Mare. Nosey, however, began to stir at the sound of his voice. “Mmm…” she groaned, her eyes fluttering open. “Lex? Did something happen?”
Sighing, Lex telekinetically put the ruby he’d been studying back in his saddlebag, knowing that he’d have little chance to study it between now and tomorrow night. “No,” he murmured as he did. “Go back to sleep.”
But Nosey sat up, yawning as she telekinetically lifted her glasses to rub a hoof over her eyes. “How long was I out?” she muttered groggily. “Did you get any rest?”
“I’m fine-”
“This again?” interrupted Nosey with a groan, letting her glasses fall back down onto her muzzle as she frowned at him, still bleary-eyed. “You remember what happened the last time you said you were fine? You tried to get up, and I had to tackle you to stop you from hurting yourself, and you, er…” The last of her sleepiness disappeared as she suddenly flushed.
Nor was she the only one, as Lex recalled the kiss that they’d shared – no, the kiss that he’d given her – after she’d pulled him back down. Even now, the memory of it sent a flutter through him, though he fought to keep it from showing. But at the same time, he felt a surge of excitement, wanting to share that moment with her again. Despite that, he still found himself hesitating. Although Sonata had dropped her objection to bringing Aria and Nosey into their relationship, that didn’t make broaching the subject any less awkward for him. “Nosey-”
“Lex-” began Nosey at the same time.
An awkward silence fell as each of them quieted down, waiting for the other to speak.
For Lex, the lull in their conversation was acutely uncomfortable. He hated feeling so uncertain, knowing that there was a proper combination of words and/or actions that would make this encounter proceed the way he wanted it to, but having no idea what it was. Maybe it would be better to let her begin, he thought uneasily. But that didn’t sit well with him either; passivity was unbecoming of somepony who wanted to lead, and he’d decided earlier that he needed to be more decisive with the girls. At the same time, if she just gave him some indication of what she was thinking…
“You go first,” murmured Nosey shyly, still red-faced and looking down, as though she suddenly found the bench they were lying on fascinating.
So much for that, then. “Alright,” replied Lex, trying to remain calm despite how quickly his thoughts were flowing, trying to figure out what to say to her. “I…” Knowing he was out of time, Lex reached for the topic related to his feelings for Nosey that he felt most certain of. “I’m aware that…I never expressed my regret for not having done a better job protecting you.”
“Protecting me?” For a moment she looked mystified. Then she winced, her ears folding back. “Oh. From Xiriel.”
For his part, Lex felt encouraged by how easily she was able to say the devil’s name. Not too long ago that would have sent her to pieces. “I know that you suffered horribly during your captivity, and I wanted to make it clear that, as the pony in charge of securing everyone’s safety, I take full responsibility for that.”
“…as the pony in charge of everyone’s safety?” echoed Nosey faintly, a crestfallen expression on her face. Lex had just enough time to feel confused before Nosey seemed to rally, giving him a smile that seemed oddly pained, as though she were forcing the expression onto her face. “No, it was my fault. I’m the one who snuck in to see Block Party all by myself.”
Lex frowned at that. “That doesn’t mean-”
“I don’t want to talk about this.” Standing up, Nosey climbed down from the bench, sighing before she turned to look at him. “I appreciate what you’re saying, but it’s really fine.” She smiled again, but Lex knew the expression was a mere shadow of her usual grin. “You rescued me, the same way you would have done for anypony that was in trouble, right?”
Lex blinked, finding it odd that she would seek confirmation for that. “Of course.”
“Right. Right…” Her smile wavered for a moment, but then she fixed it back into place. “Well, don’t worry about it anymore, okay? I don’t blame you for what happened. All I feel is grateful for your help.” She turned away before he could formulate a reply, heading toward the door. “I’m going to go make sure everything’s alright with everypony else.”
Lex watched her go with a sinking feeling, certain now that his attempt to initiate another intimate moment with her had been a failure. Watching her leave, he replayed the conversation in his mind, paying particular attention to her responses. There had to be some sort of clue there, some hint as to why things had turned out like this.
“No, it was my fault. I’m the one who snuck in to see Block Party all by myself.”
“I appreciate what you’re saying, but it’s really fine.”
“All I feel is grateful for your help.”
That last one sounded oddly familiar, and it took him a moment to figure out why. Cross-referencing Nosey’s feelings with what had happened during the fight with Xiriel brought to mind something from during the fight. Something that the devil, rather than Nosey, had said.
“This one has feelings for you, you know,” cooed the epicene voice of the central head. “She let it slip when I was extracting information from her. She used to think of you as nothing but a way to advance her career, but now you’re so much more to her. Does that mean nothing to you?”
“It means something to me.” Lex groaned the words as he stood up, forcing them past his lips as his body protested being made to move. “It means a great deal to me!”
“Lex?” Not understanding what she was hearing, Nosey turned back around, her eyes widening as she saw him getting to his hooves. “What are you doing?!” In the blink of an eye, she was by his side again. “Lay back down!”
But Lex wouldn’t be deterred, giving her a determined look. “Xiriel said that you have feelings for me,” he declared, daring her to deny it.
Nosey went rigid in response. “Y-you remember that?”
She slapped a hoof over her mouth an instant later, but it was too late. The look of mortification that crossed her face then was total, and she turned to run, but Lex grabbed hold of her before she could. In his condition, however, there was nothing he could do but overburden her, and the two of them went tumbling to the ground in a heap. Groaning at the rough landing, Lex couldn’t help but note that at least things were proceeding in a more positive direction now; the last time he’d kissed Nosey had been preceded by a fall just like this one.
Nosey didn’t seem to recognize that herself, however, already scrambling to get up. Although his muscles were screaming at him, Lex managed to keep her pinned down. “Nosey, stop!”
“Lemme go!” she yelled, looking on the verge of tears for some unfathomable reason.
He could already feel his grip on her slipping, and Lex knew that he had seconds before she escaped. Not wanting her to go, he said the first thing that came to mind. “I have feelings for you too!”
Nosey’s struggles stopped immediately. “Wh-what?”
“I have feelings for you too,” he repeated. “Romantic ones,” he added, just to be sure.
Once again blushing bright red through her coat, Nosey couldn’t meet his eyes. “What…what about all that stuff about rescuing me because you’re in charge of everypony’s safety, and you would have done it for anyone, and all that?”
“That’s all true,” admitted Lex. “But when I was fighting Xiriel…when I was losing the battle, and I heard you scream, I realized…” He trailed off then, suddenly feeling embarrassed. What if he was saying the wrong thing again?
But Nosey didn’t seem to think so, looking up at him. “Realized what?”
“…nothing,” he murmured, starting to pull away from her. He had to reevaluate this properly, he couldn’t just-
“Lex!” Now it was Nosey who refused to let him go, wrapping her legs around him. “Realized what?”
Hesitating for just a moment, Lex plunged ahead. “I realized how much I cared about you. I thought it was friendship, but…” Again he couldn’t go on, feelings of awkwardness and self-consciousness making him suddenly unable to speak.
Nosey, however, seemed captivated. “But…?”
Not knowing how to put into words how he felt, Lex could only fall back on the moment that had passed between them earlier, and brought his lips down to Nosey’s.
He felt her tense under him and then suddenly relax, her eyes closing as a low moan came from her throat, and all of a sudden his hesitation was gone. Just like before, everything suddenly felt perfect, his indecision evaporating to be replaced by absolute certitude that this was right. When the kiss ended a few seconds later, Lex had no trouble saying what he was feeling. “But now I know that it’s more than that,” he murmured.
“Lex…” Nosey’s voice was just as heated as his own, looking up at him rapturously.
“I care about you deeply,” he continued. “Having you here with me is one of the most important things in my life. Being with you is more valuable to me than anyth-”
“Something valuable to you, something you’ll miss” had been the Night Mare’s demand.
“No,” whispered Lex, his eyes widening in horror. “No no no!”
“Lex?” called Nosey, a worried tone in her voice. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
But he didn’t answer her, too overwhelmed by what he’d just realized.
All of a sudden he knew exactly what the Night Mare wanted him to sacrifice.
So I imagine now Lex is wishing he had signed up with a less evil divine being.
One only wonders what he will do and what cost it will have for his soul and mental well being.
9795196 Well, figuring out how to make do in tough situations has been a staple of his so far. But I'd say he has his work cut out for him this time.
ok this would be a easy answer fro me but i am not Lex.
or the author.
9795218 Do tell. I'm always interested to hear what my readers think.
9795230
the Night Mare can kiss the dark part of my white plot.
take the leg that is the easy way to be rid of that dang wire.
"We must make sacrifices!" is significantly less noble if you're saying it with a dagger held over your hapless victim.
Just realised. One thing he will sorely miss and yet shuldve have little effect on his progression.
What do most males put ahead of their life?
Family.
And the ability to make it.
To lose something the moment you realize how precious it is to you is quite the emotional rollercoaster for anyone to experience but with Lex, it's amplified to the extreme.
I guess we were sort of right when it came to sacrificing a loved one but we were too focused on Sonata to even consider Nosey or Aria. While sacrificing likely brings up the image of death, it doesn't necessarily mean Lex needs to kill Nosey or any of his loved ones. He could cut all ties with them, and drive them away and given how broken up he was at the idea of losing Sonata, this is likely just as painful for him if not more so.
He's certainly in quite the pickle and no amount of magic or planning can help
Hmm. I kinda feel like I called it, but maybe not. Does Lex think just his relationship with Nosey will do, or will he have to sacrifice his relationship with all 3 mares?
Tricky. I feel like the Night Mare would not say a potential romantic relationship with Nosey counts for a significant sacrifice, same with Aria. There's no relationship there yet to sacrifice.
On the other hand, if Lex sacrifices his relationship with Sonata, and she leaves, that's going to hugely impact his rule and effectiveness (though Lex does tend to periodically forget just how central Sonata's diplomacy is.
Sad to say, but I think I know what he needs to do: Sacrifice only Sonata's relationship, and have Nosey and Aria stick around so they can take Sonata's role as his spokesponies.
9795260 Well, remember that Lex realized that it wouldn't stop with just his leg.
9795418 The word for sacrificing someone else without their knowledge and consent is "murder," to be sure. But does the Night Mare want him to sacrifice other ponies, or his relationship with them? Because Lex would certainly never do the former, but the latter...well...that would require some thought.
9795425 Well, Lex has made it plain that he has no intention of getting rid of anything that would impinge on his sense of self, and you can bet that qualifies!
9795927 Lex would outright refuse to kill another pony, no matter what the cost. A central tenet of his philosophy toward life is that both the ends and the means are important, and compromising one to secure the other is a failure. Since he holds that pony life is of immeasurable value, and was willing to risk his own even to save a pony that he hated (that is, Luna), it's fairly easy to say that he would never, ever kill Nosey or any of the other girls he's involved with. But as you noted, that doesn't have to be the sacrifice that's being invoked.
We know that Lex can, in terms of his personal disposition, continue onward even after breaking up with someone he cares about. He was still able to go to Tall Tale and make plans to fight the dragon there even after Sonata left him, way back near the beginning of the story. So he could, presumably, do the same thing if he had to let go of his relationship(s) now. But it would absolutely tear his heart out, and I suspect would have some bad effects for his ability to govern as well, since he quite clearly needs the girls to help him connect to the people he wants to help.
He had a little over a day to figure out a solution, but this time it's hard to see a way out.
9796068 An interesting interpretation, though you have to wonder just how much Lex will be willing to try and hedge his bets like that. Remember, he's already reviewed the cost of failure here, and it won't stop at just his leg, but will also at best result in his being stripped of the power the Night Mare gave him. At worst, it will mean instant death (and his afterlife probably won't be too grand either). So trying to get around what he's just considered based on a technicality might not be the best move.
In a way, this is the flipside to the usual idea of "insanely detailed contracts" that we so often see among non-good Lawful types. Rather than spelling out the requirements in exacting detail, this goes the opposite way, giving virtually no guidance on what's expected. This actually works against Lex, since he's the sort who would do very well if he had to deal with a long contract of "legalese" that needed to be figured out. By making a vague statement of what she wants, the Night Mare has essentially left Lex flailing wildly for a clear response, and gives him no real room to object if the Night Mare deems his sacrifice insufficient, since he has little room to argue her decision (due to her being able to back it up with force, something he lionizes in a governing authority). Of course, she does want him to succeed (in her name, of course), so she probably won't go out of her way to put the screws to him; she wants to teach him a lesson, rather than find an excuse to kill him.
So how will Lex get out of this one, I wonder?
This makes me wonder, if Lex had been... less himself? with the Night Mare before, would she be more lenient now?
9797878 There's no way to be sure, but it's certainly not an implausible idea. I would imagine that Lex telling the Night Mare, in so many words, "you need me more than I need you, so shut up and stay in your lane," wasn't exactly something she appreciated. She might be the goddess of self-reliance, but while she appreciates fearlessness in mortal ponies, that doesn't mean she likes it when they all but spit in her face.
Of course, the current situation is merely the culmination of how much Lex has consistently put her interests at the bottom of his to-do list. I suspect that the Night Mare wouldn't have gone this far is Lex had showed more (or really, any) motivation with spreading her worship among the populace. So far, the extremely small number of times he's mentioned her have been for more practical purposes (e.g. telling Cloudbank that she can pray for a healing spell for Thermal Draft, or distracting Luna while he prepares to strike her down), and other than that he's basically treated her as "something to do later."
That, more than anything, is likely what upset the Night Mare.