Having been granted rulership over the city of Vanhoover, and confessed their feelings for each other, Lex Legis and Sonata Dusk have started a new life together. But the challenges of rulership, and a relationship, are more than they bargained for.
“…and that’s when you two showed up,” finished Sonata grumpily.
Princess Celestia nodded, needing a moment to digest what she’d just been told. There had been complaints about Silhouette before – mostly from other members of the Royal Guard, who had earned his wrath for not being sufficiently reverential toward her sister – but as far as she knew he’d never done anything that had actually endangered somepony else. That he’d go so far now, even after being told that disrupting Lex’s spell could place ponies in harm’s way, was disturbing.
But she’d need to trust that her sister would recognize that and take care of it on her own. Right now, she had other concerns that needed to be attended to, the first of which was calming the pony in front of her. “Sonata, please allow me to apologize for Silhouette’s actions. While he may be devoted to my sister, he’s still a member of the Royal Guard, and I thought he would conduct himself better than that.”
Sonata paused at that, looking at her as if trying to determine if she was being serious or not. A moment later she let out a sigh, apparently convinced that her apology was genuine. “Thanks...but if you really don’t want any more trouble, you’ll get him outta here, pronto.”
Celestia tilted her head at that. “I’m certain that Luna will explain to him why he was in the wrong, and I’ll make sure to speak to the other guards about why they shouldn’t blindly follow orders, even from a superior officer. There won’t be another incident like that again while we’re here.”
“No no no, you don’t get it.” Sonata gestured back at where her boyfriend was still chanting at the glowing form of her sister. “After what that jerk pulled, Lex is totes going to turn him inside out. Trying to hurt other ponies is the fastest way to set him off, especially when one of those ponies is me.” The corners of her lips turned upward at that, either pleased at the thought of Lex being enraged at someone trying to harm her, or at the thought of Silhouette getting what was coming to him. Possibly both.
Celestia licked her lips at that. Sonata’s warning was disheartening, but not entirely surprising. More than that, though, it led into the next thing they needed to talk about. “Sonata, do you remember what my sister and I said back in Canterlot, when we expressed concern about sending Lex Legis here to Vanhoover?”
“Huh?” Sonata looked almost comically confused by the sudden change in topic. “When you said what about what now?”
“Back in Canterlot,” pressed Celestia. “We were negotiating ending Lex’s hostility towards us in exchange for his governing a city. There was a point of concern that Luna and I had. Do you recall it?”
“I guess…gimme a sec…” Celestia did just that, patiently waiting as Sonata tried with visible effort to think back that far. After several seconds of furrowing her brow and tapping a hoof to her head as though trying to physically jar the memories loose, Sonata looked up at her uncertainly. “It was something about his horn, right? You guys were worried because it used to belong to whatshisname…King Bad Guy.”
“King Sombra, yes,” answered Celestia with a gentle smile. The expression hid the mild feeling of relief going through her, now sure that the mare she was talking to wasn’t possessed by the monster that Mihr had warned them about. But that didn’t mean that the threat wasn’t still there, which meant that the next point was to steer the conversation in that direction without giving too much away. “We were concerned because a unicorn’s horn is the focus of their magic. To graft the horn of such an evil pony onto himself, we were worried about what that might do to Lex.”
Sonata’s look of confusion persisted for a moment, before her eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, you mean like in one of those horror movies? Like, the one where the guy loses his leg and has to have the doctor sew a new one on, but it turns out to be the leg of a guy who kicked puppies, and so now the new guy with his leg goes around kicking puppies too?!” Horrified, Sonata looked back toward Lex, clearly afraid that he was about to go on a puppy-kicking rampage. “We have to get that thing off him! No one adores a guy who does stuff like that!” She turned back to Celestia, wild-eyed. “Quick! How did that movie end?! I only heard about it from Adagio, and I can’t remember how the rest of it went!”
“That wasn’t quite what we were afraid Lex would do if some fragment of King Sombra’s spirit were to take possession of him,” noted Celestia, fighting down the urge to giggle.
“Wait, possessed? You mean that’s how that works?” Rather oddly, the thought seemed to calm Sonata down. Letting out a sigh, she held a hoof to her chest, trying to calm her beating heart. “Geez, don’t scare me like that.”
That was enough to make Celestia’s eyes widen just a little, intrigued. “What do you mean?”
Now looking much more relaxed, Sonata waved a hoof back at Lex again. “Trust me, when it comes to monsters that possess ponies, Lex totes stomps all over them. Just a little while ago, there was this creature that-, oops!” Her eyes suddenly widening, Sonata held a hoof over her mouth for several seconds. “I forgot, that’s supposed to be a secret!”
Certain that she this was related to what they’d come here to investigate, Celestia took a step closer to Sonata. “It’s alright, you can tell me.”
But the other mare shook her head, still keeping a hoof in front of her mouth. “I can’t! Lex’d be super mad at me! He said that we needed to keep it a secret until things here weren’t so bad so it wouldn’t make everypony panic when he told them!”
Celestia paused for a fraction of a second, an idea forming in her mind. “Well, now that my sister and I are here, things aren’t so bad anymore.”
“…they aren’t?”
“Not at all.” Celestia shook her head before giving Sonata a reassuring smile. “We came here because we were worried, and wanted to do whatever we could to help.” That was true, even if she was leaving out a few pertinent details. “So you see, it’s alright if you tell me about what happened with that creature a little while ago.”
“I dunno…” Sonata bit her lip. “I mean, I don’t want to rub starch in any wounds, but Lex doesn’t really like you guys very much.”
“How about this: I promise that I won’t repeat what you say to anypony else except Luna. That way, there’s no chance that a panic will be caused.”
“I…” Wavering, Sonata glanced back at Lex again, then back at her. “Alright, but only because Kara hasn’t been talking to me lately!”
Not knowing who that was, Celestia simply nodded, smiling warmly. “I understand.”
“Okay, you see my friend Nosey over there? A little while ago, she was possessed by this monster named Cereal…” Over the next several minutes, Sonata relayed everything Lex and Nosey had told her about the monster that had possessed her best friend, and how it had managed to fool them for almost an entire day before Lex had realized what was happening and dragged it out of her, killing it after a brutal battle. “And now Nosey’s all freaked out all the time and clinging to Lex twenty-four-seven even though she knows he’s my boyfriend and I know it’s not really her fault and I feel bad that I keep getting upset about that but Aria keeps saying all three of us should be his girlfriends now,” she finished in a rush.
Celestia’s eyes were wider now, momentarily struggling to process everything she’d just been told. “That’s astonishing...”
“I know, right?! Just because we’ve all been sleeping together, and had a couple of nights where Lex was touching the three of us all over, doesn’t make Nosey and Aria official girlfriends!” Huffing, she lifted a foreleg and looked around for a moment before putting it back down, scowling. “Never a rock to kick when you need one,” she muttered, before sitting.
Celestia barely heard her. “And Lex did that all by himself?”
“Pretty much,” shrugged Sonata. “I mean, we were there, but he was the one who told us to hold still and stay quiet. Then he got started with the petting, and we-”
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant,” interrupted Celestia, giving her a rather uncomfortable smile. “I mean, Lex defeated that monster completely on his own?”
“Oh, yeah. I mean, I wasn’t there or anything, but that’s what he and Nosey said. Besides, it’s not like he had Severance with him.”
Celestia tilted her head at yet another unfamiliar name. “Who?”
“Lex’s magic scythe thingy,” answered Sonata casually. “He’s around here somewhere. Lex has him on guard duty, I think…are you okay?”
Having gone rigid at the cursory reference to the other major threat that she’d come here to confront, Celestia forced herself to relax. “I’m sorry. You said that Lex has a magic scythe?”
“Uh-huh. His name’s Severance. He’s a pretty cool guy, and he’s helped us out of a jam a bunch of times now. I mean, he wasn’t able to save Cloudbank and her friends when Cereal bumped them off, and he and Lex got into a fight about that, but they’ve totes buried the hammer since then. You want me to go and introduce you?”
For a moment Celestia almost said yes, but caught herself. The item Sonata was describing was clearly the same one that Mihr had told them about, but the easy way she was referring to it – talking about it like it was a reliable friend rather than an engine of devastation – was causing her cognitive dissonance. I need more information, she decided.
Since Lex and Sonata had left Canterlot, Celestia had received only bits and pieces of information about their activities. First had been the article in Line’s newspaper of him using disturbingly powerful magic – including what had to be the dark magic of King Sombra – to slay a dragon outside of Tall Tale. Then there had been the report from Luna about the mare who’d written that article having such a terrifying dream. Now Lex had apparently destroyed the monster that had tormented Nosey, while at the same time becoming friends with the dark artifact that had attacked Mihr’s realm. Viewed together, it all painted an incomprehensible picture; a series of contrasts that made it even harder for her to know what to make of Lex Legis. Fortunately, there was somepony here who could hopefully offer her some greater insight…
Smiling politely, Celestia shook her head. “Actually, I have a better idea. I just realized that I haven’t heard about all of the adventures that you and Lex have had since I last saw you. Since his spell is apparently going to take a few hours, would you mind telling me-”
“Princess Celestia!”
The interruption made both of the turn their heads, following the voice to where a middle-aged earth mare was trotting up to them. Her fuchsia coat was dirty, and her two-toned indigo and cornflower blue mane and tail looked like they were in need of brushing, but the smile on her face gleamed almost as brightly as the river of gold that made up the cutie mark on her flanks. “Princess Celestia!” she beamed, as if she were greeting an old friend. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see you again!”
Marching right up to the princess, she gave a deep bow, holding it for only a moment before standing up again. “You probably don’t remember me. River Bank, of the Bank family. We run the financial institutions here in Vanhoover.” Not pausing for breath, she threw the barest glance at Sonata before turning her attention back to the princess. “I was hoping I could borrow a moment of your time.”
“Hang on,” interjected Sonata. “She and I were gonna-”
But River cut her off with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Yes, yes, you'll have a chance for that later. But right now...”
River's grin took on a sharper edge as she spoke next. “I'd like to talk to you about the current state of Vanhoover under Lex Legis's leadership.”
Sonata spills the beans to Celestia about Lex's fight with Xiriel, and about Severance! Has she made things better or worse?
Or will it matter, with River reentering the picture?
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The horror of breakfast television.
Ah, I was wondering when River would try to reverse her fortune though I am curious at how she learned of the Princesses' arrival so early from her home. Then again, the location of her manor was never explicitly stated... or she had been on her way to attempt to bargain with Lex before she spotted the guards. And it seems she hasn't learned her lesson yet.
And no, I'm not talking about becoming more humble or less of a snob. Equestria may be a land of harmony, but it ain't one of miracles... well, unless it involves Twilight and her friends or the Student 6 in Chancellor Neighsay's case.
I'm talking about her dismissing Sonata again. Sonata had tried to be nice and even warned River about being too uppity with Lex. And yet here she is trying to get Celestia to remove Lex from the chessboard while Sonata, the mare who has knowledge of Lex's good deeds which would overshadow any dark deeds Lex might have done(I'm assuming Sonata only recounted the events surrounding Silhouette's arrival). Well, that and the fact she was there when River tried to take the money needed to help everyone so I'm waiting for everything to blow up in her face again.
Then again, being a businessmare, River probably knows how to sell a product's pros while downplaying it's cons so she's likely just as capable of doing the reverse with Lex's actions, especially the curse Lex placed on her. And if she had gathered some information from those she viewed as below her station, she'd have more instances of Lex's negative actions to use in her case against him.
SONUFABITCH
ALSO WHAT THE HELL, celestia is a manipulator
9336990 I dunno that she is a business mare, she was just maried to a business pony, but she's shown precious little skill at managing even her own staff up to this point. I think she's hopelessly over her head and about to dig herself in even deeper. She's used to having power from a social position that she still doesn't realize just isn't there anymore, because she still can't grasp just how bad things were while she was gone.
9336999
Considering Celestia, with Sonata's help, managed to talk Lex down from ruling the entirety of Equestria to a single town, not to mention her actions in the show, that's pretty much a given.
Though in the context of this story, she has a hooves off approach to any scheme(if we can even call them that) she has (ie: Letting Lex, an unknown unicorn who openly declared the intent to take over the country, to govern an entire city) just like their method of ruling which leaves many things to chance.
9337151
To be fair, she did manage to bring the Banks family back from the brink of bankruptcy, which in itself isn't that difficult if she keeps a tight leash on Mounte Bank and his harebrained schemes and investments. However, she did turn the Banks' fortune around and made them into one of the most influential families in Vanhoover so she should at least have some modicum of business sense in her.
Given Celestia is trying to find out what happened from Sonata, River interupting like that, its like she beleives herself to be a Pearl among Swine.
When in fact, she is a Gobstopper.
yep the princess show up to clam the goods after the heavy lifting is done.
and river best shut her mouth before she ends up looking more stupid.
Sonata, you are wonderful as ever. Celestia is smart to gather intel before confronting Severance. I am very curious to see how she reacts to River. If River is smart, she'll try and get a ride back to Canterlot with Celestia.
9336900 Luckily, Nosey helped with the battle by throwing Lex Xiriel's lucky charms. They were a grrreat help!
9336990 River's return does seem ominous, doesn't it? At this point, she seems to have shaken off the depression that had gripped her when we last saw her, or at least she's able to set it aside for whatever it is she's about to attempt. And given that she took pains to try and sideline Sonata, it certainly doesn't look like she's up to any good. Still, maybe she's had a change of heart...?
That said, if she's not, then she's in a perfect position to cause Lex some serious hardship. Even if things don't degenerate into a fight, the princesses have the ability to make Lex's life very hard. Even if we assume that they can't make a dent in whatever local popularity Lex has gained, they can certainly turn the rest of Equestria against him if they play up things like his cursing other ponies. (The fact that he did that for crimes they committed certainly wouldn't help very much; from what we've seen of Equestrian justice, it eschews punishment in favor of reconciliation.) It's certainly possible that River is trying to set herself up as some sort of victim and/or hero for bringing the darker sides of Lex's rule to Celestia's attention, either in hopes of getting her curse removed or receiving a reward, or both. Could this be her ticket into Canterlot's high society? If so, she might be able to get that aging spell she wanted, or perhaps a high-level engagement for Piggy.
I suspect we'll find out what she's angling for very soon...
9336999 This isn't so much manipulation as it was simply steering a conversation in the direction she wanted it to go. True, she was a tad duplicitous with Sonata, but that strikes me as being somewhat in line with what we see of her in the show. In A Royal Problem, for instance, we see that one of Celestia's duties is dealing with influential ponies to help resolve disputes and quell fears. This strikes me as indicating that she has some ability to manage a meeting, almost certainly in a gentle manner.
That, and I'm certain that she picked up on how Sonata was the sort of girl who'd say something like "I'm absolutely not going to tell you that the password is 'raspberries,' so stop asking!"
9337151
9337168 As noted, River has been the driving force behind her family's financial success, turning their failing fortunes around all on her own after she married into the Bank family. She understands finance, and has at least some ability to take the lessons she's learned from that discipline into other areas of her life...sometimes when she'd be better off not doing so.
Her ill-conceived confrontation with Lex and getting herself cursed was because the situation in Vanhoover was completely beyond her (and most ponies') ability to fully comprehend. Atrocities don't happen in Equestria; even when disasters strike, everypony pulls together, sings a song, and overcomes. At the worst, the princesses or other heroes show up and save the day. Monsters don't roam the streets, entire cities aren't rendered uninhabitable, and dead bodies don't pile up. River simply couldn't conceive of something so horrific happening, and tried to act like the normal rules still applied. For that offense, Lex punished her in a way that was perfectly tailored to hit her where it hurt.
But now she looks like she's ready to pick herself up and try again...
9337189 Maybe, but the thing about gobstoppers is that they're everlasting. Will we be able to say the same about River when she pulls off whatever her latest scheme is?
9337310 Certainly that's what Sonata is thinking right now (for the most part). But with Lex still tied up for the next few hours, what will happen in the meantime?
9338968 Celestia might not know the expression, but she understands that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Or at least, that fools rush toward an artifact that slaughtered legions of angels. What's bringing her up short is that Sonata appears to be proving that untrue, at least in this case.
As for River...well, we'll just have to wait and see.