//------------------------------// // 140 - Sisterhooves Antisocial // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// Sonata was out of breath by the time she finished explaining the situation. She knew she’d spoken too quickly, her words jumbling together in a torrent of worry, but she hadn’t been able to help it. The gravity of the situation – that Lex might have inadvertently ruined all the progress he’d made – and the fact that they were going to march out in the next few minutes had left her too anxious to speak any slower. “So that’s why I need your help!” she finished. “I figured if anyone knows how to turn things around, it’s you!” Sitting across from her, Nosey blinked as she spent a moment parsing everything she’d been told. A moment later she bit her lip, shaking her head as a regretful look came over her face. “Sonata…I don’t think I can help.” “Oh come on!” Sonata’s voice was pure exasperation. “You’re, like, an ace reporter, right? You always said so! So how hard could this be?! Just report on the fact that Lex really does care super deeply about everybody-, everypony or whatever and get them to realize that!” Nosey stood up, turning in profile so that her cutie mark – a magnifying glass over a newspaper – was visible. “My special talent is uncovering and publicizing the news. That doesn’t apply here; there isn’t any sort of hidden bit of information that everypony needs to know about. This is just Lex being Lex and it frightening everyone.” “So you’re not going to help me?!” “No,” answered Nosey quickly, hearing the mixture of panic and indignation in her friend’s voice. “Of course I’ll do everything I can to help; I know that Lex has a good heart, even if he’s terrible about showing it. I just…I don’t think that there’s very much that I can do, at least not right now. After I go back, sure, but that’ll still take a while.” “But then what do-, wait,” Sonata stopped short as she processed what she’d just heard. “What do you mean ‘go back’? Go where?” An uncomfortable look crossed Nosey’s face, and she looked down for a moment, adjusting her glasses before giving a sigh and straightening up. Her uncomfortable expression changed to one of resolve as she met the other mare’s eyes. “Home. Back to Canterlot.” For a moment, Sonata just stared at her blankly. After several seconds she managed to bring herself to speak. “When?” Nosey licked her lips. “As soon as possible. After Lex gets through the blockade surrounding Vanhoover, we should be able to get to the train station. If it’s running I’ll take the next one back, and if it’s not then…I guess I’ll just wait until it is. Either way, it probably won’t be very long before I go.” After all, even if the rail line wasn’t running, she was sure that Lex would fix that in short order. It was too important to Vanhoover’s immediate future to neglect. You’re abandoning me? It was what Sonata wanted to say, but somehow she managed to clamp down on the thought before it left her mouth. For a long moment she was silent, struggling to get her thoughts in order, trying to deal with the thought of losing her new best friend even as she choked down an awful feeling of betrayal. How could you leave at such a critical moment? “But…what about all that stuff about how we were a gold mine of stories?” Nosey managed a small smile at that. “The term I used was ‘vending machine,’ but that’s still true. Everything that you and Lex do is front-page news.” “Then…!” Sitting back on her haunches, Nosey raised both forelegs and shook her head in a gesture of helplessness. “Sonata, I can’t just mail my stories in! I mean, I can for a little while, but eventually I have to actually go back.” When she’d been a cub reporter, Nosey had honestly thought that going into her office at the Chronicle didn’t matter very much so long as she turned in a good story. But time and experience had quickly shown her why that wasn’t true. Not being there meant that she couldn’t get in her editor’s face when he made changes to her articles that she didn’t agree with. It meant that she couldn’t look at the proofing copies before they went to press and raise all sorts of issues about what page her work had been placed on or what picture was accompanying it. Not to mention that if she didn’t go into the office she couldn’t get paid, since it was her paper’s policy not to pay the extra expenses involved with sending bank notes. And of course, if she didn’t go back she’d never be able to sit down and actually start writing her book about everything that had happened. Finding a working typewriter and some paper in Vanhoover right now was about as likely as finding a snowmare on a summer’s day, after all, and that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. Throw in how what had happened with that “Pillowcase” stallion had suddenly left her wanting to go see her folks, and Nosey felt absolutely sure of her decision. It was long past time for her to go home. “So that’s it, then? You’re just up and gone and we’ll never see you again?” “Wh-, no! No, you’ll absolutely see me again!” Nosey took a step forward, the hurt expression on Sonata’s face making her feel terrible. “Vending machine, remember? As soon as I finish everything back home I’ll definitely come right back.” She smiled as she reached out and put a hoof around Sonata’s shoulder. “And I know that when I do Lex will be rebuilding this town and everypony will be grateful that he’s here. You know how I know?” She pulled Sonata closer then, hugging her. “Because he’s got you here with him.” Sonata was tense for a long moment, then let out a breath and hugged Nosey back. “I’m, like, totes gonna miss you.” “I’m gonna miss you too. You’re my best friend.” Nosey felt her eyes tearing up, and blinked them back. This was hard enough without her getting weepy! Sonata hugged her tighter. “Best friends,” she agreed, similarly misty-eyed. The two separated a minute later, both rubbing their eyes, only to break into sniffling laughter as they realized that they were mimicking each other. “Look at us,” chuckled Nosey, “getting all worked up over nothing. I bet the train’s not even in any shape to make it here. It might be weeks before I go anywhere.” “We’ve, like, always had terrible luck with trains,” agreed Sonata. “You told me,” smiled Nosey, before nodding back towards where everypony else was. “We should get back. I’m sure we’ll leave any minute now.” Sonata gave her a go-ahead nod. “I’ll be right there.” Nosey trotted off a moment later, leaving Sonata alone to compose herself. Although she felt silly about how something as small as Nosey going home had almost made her cry, she still couldn’t help but feel stricken. Having a friend had been more pleasant than she’d expected, and she’d gotten used to having someone around – another girl, especially – that she could relax and hang out with. Worse, she wasn’t any closer to figuring out what to do about Lex’s failing public image. What else can go wrong? “She basically admitted that she’s not going to help you at all, you realize,” came a harsh whisper from behind her. I had to ask, she thought, rolling her eyes as she turned around to look at her sister, who was emerging from the dim light of one of the warehouse’s deeper recesses. “What do you want, Aria?” Resting her chin on a hoof, Aria gave her sister a sardonic grin. “That blonde mare you were getting all teary-eyed with can’t get everyone to adore your little boyfriend. But I can.” “Uh-huh,” replied Sonata flatly, clearly not expecting anything helpful. “And in exchange you want what, exactly?” Aria’s grin widened. “A night with him.” Sonata stiffened in outrage, her bored expression instantly becoming one of anger, and the sight made Aria’s day. Unable to help herself, she kept going. “I mean, after everything I’ve been through I deserve something nice, and with how you were moaning before he must be pretty skilled.” “You…” Sonata grit her teeth, feeling her cheeks heat up. She wanted so badly to rush forward and wipe that smirk off her sister’s face! But she knew if she did it would start a fight that would get worse before it ended, and that was the last thing she needed to deal with right now. But that didn’t mean she was going to just walk away either! Forcing herself to put on a haughty grin, she snorted. “He wouldn’t want to touch you, since to him you’re just some big ugly fish with a big ugly scar on her neck.” The words wiped the smirk off of Aria’s face, making it Sonata’s turn to feel a thrill of spiteful satisfaction. “He didn’t mention that when he was saying how pretty he thinks I am,” sneered Aria, but she knew it was a weak comeback. She’d already dangled that one in front of Sonata before, and the first rule of unpleasant surprises was that they were only useful the first time around. Sure enough, Sonata just waved a hoof dismissively. “Whatever you say, but at the end of the day Lex is totes a one-woman guy, so even if you could help out he wouldn’t-, hey, wait a minute…” Sonata’s eyes narrowed as the obvious question finally occurred to her. “How could you help anyway? You can’t even enchant anyone now with your voice all messed up!” Aria’s featured loosened. It was time to stop playing around and get down to business, which meant outlining what it was she really wanted. “I can’t when I’m like this. But if you can get your boy-toy to hurry up and turn me into a pony ASAP that won’t be a problem anymore.” “Are you kidding?” scoffed Sonata. “You really think I’m going to tell him to help you out? If I had my way, he’d toss you back in the ocean and forget all about you. Besides, even if he did change you into a pony, he doesn’t approve of us using our powers to make everyone think what we want them to.” One corner of Aria’s mouth turned up. “Who says he has to know?” Sonata frowned, this time in confusion. “Huh?” “Think about it,” explained Aria. “You don’t want to use magic to make everyone adore him since he told you not to, but if I used my magic on everyone…well, that’s hardly your fault now, is it?” She paused to let that sink in. “And besides, it’s not like I’d be enslaving all the ponies here or anything. I’d just make a suggestion here, use a little charm there, all just enough so that they look past his bad attitude and give his ideas a fair shake. He’d get the recognition he deserves, and you’d keep your hooves completely clean. Perfect, isn’t it?” It did sound perfect, which was enough to make Sonata frown. For some reason this sounded wrong, but she couldn’t figure out why. “I dunno…” “Come on,” insisted Aria, having to fight back the urge to berate her idiot sister, “this way everyone gets what they want. You get all these ponies admiring your boyfriend without you having to do anything immoral. He gets to feel like a big hero. I get my voice back. It’s win-win-win.” Sonata paused, then shook her head. Suddenly she knew why this was making her uncomfortable. “No. You never wanted to let me win at anything. There’s no way you’re suddenly being all helpful now unless it’s a chance for you to do something mean later on.” Without giving Aria a chance to reply, she immediately turned around and trotted away. That was a complete waste of time, she assured herself, not looking back. Totes not worth thinking about. Not even a teensy little bit. Pretty much. Aria didn’t bother following her. She didn’t have to. She’d known Sonata her entire life and could read her like a book, and right now she was absolutely sure that she was considering her offer. After all, what other choice did she have? With Lex being some sort of natural-born idiot when it came to other people, and Sonata just being an idiot period, Aria was sure that she’d be able to get what she wanted from them. And once she had her voice back…once she could use enchantments again, alongside the new magic she’d learned in the last few months… Then she’d be able to have some real fun.