Lateral Movement

by Alzrius


340 - Calming Influence

“Cleansweep, honey, if you could just have your, er, ‘spirit animal’ move away from you, that would be best, alright?”

Sighing at the transparent anxiety in her mother’s voice, as well as the crowd that her hysterics had drawn, Cleansweep shook her head. “Mom, will you please calm down? There’s nothing to be afraid of. Tell her, Venin!” She gave the red-and-yellow serpent a hopeful look. Once her mom heard that Venin could talk – even if it was in that same weird “mind-to-mind” way Severance had – she’d realize that this wasn’t just an ordinary snake and maybe then she’d stop being so afr-

She can’t hear me, Cleansweep.

That hadn’t been the answer she’d expected. “Huh? How come?”

The Supreme Predator created me by drawing upon your own essence, explained Venin. Her power is a fundamental part of what I am, and it sustains our connection, allowing our hearts to communicate with each other. While our bond will resonate with those who likewise make use of her power, those who do not cannot perceive our discourse. The snake bobbed its head in what Cleansweep somehow knew was a sorrowful gesture. I’m sorry. I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear. I hope this doesn’t cause you distress.

Despite the discouraging news, Cleansweep couldn’t help but smile at Venin’s apology. The snake’s mental voice was soft-spoken and overflowing with gentleness, making it impossible for her to stay upset. “Aw, don’t worry about it,” she replied soothingly, reaching up to gently rub Venin’s scales. “We’ll just figure something else out.”

“Cleansweep!” A few feet away, Feather Duster was still having a nervous breakdown. “Sweetheart, please, get away from the snake!”

Stomping a hoof, Cleansweep flared her wings as she glared at her mother. “Mom, will you knock it off already?! You’re going to hurt her feelings!”

She was going to say more, but a sudden tickling inside her ear made her squeal with laughter, realizing a moment later that she was feeling Venin’s tongue darting over her skin. It only lasted for a few seconds, but when it ended Cleansweep was still giggling. You’re kind to worry about me, but I’m alright, Venin assured her. The rest of our nest will be here soon, but until they arrive, I don’t think yelling is the best way to calm your progenitor down, she noted softly.

Still snickering a little, Cleansweep nodded. “Alright. Point taken.” Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she took a moment to relax before looking at her mother again. “Mom, I need you to trust me, okay? Venin isn’t going to hurt me, or anypony else. She’s really nice.”

But she could already see that she wasn’t getting through to her. It was written all over her mother’s face, the way she was still wide-eyed and breathing quickly, her gaze darting back and forth between her and Venin. It was just like every time she’d gotten into trouble with Crunchy; even if it was just them getting a few bruises or scrapes her mother had always acted like she had narrowly escaped death, and it had always led to days of well-intentioned smothering that invariably drove her crazy. And she wonders why I keep hanging out with Crunchy all the time, she thought sourly, the calm that Venin had given her already crumbling. At least he knows how to have fun!

“Sweetheart, please! You have to let me protect you!” As if trying to physically make herself clear, Feather Duster held out a foreleg, almost sobbing now. “We already lost each other once when we were trying to get out of the city and now I can’t find your father anywhere; you’re all I have left! I can…” For some reason, her eyes darted toward the train station for a split-second. “I can bear whatever I have to, so long as you’re safe, but you can’t keep doing this! You can’t keep putting yourself in danger just for fun! One of these days your luck is going to run out and then…then you’ll…” She couldn’t finish, tears running down her cheeks as she collapsed, her strength leaving her as she put her hooves to her face and began to weep.

Taken aback by her mother’s outpouring, Cleansweep bit her lip, looking around self-consciously. Several ponies in the crowd noticed and looked away politely, while others appeared to decide that this was nothing more than a family drama, starting to leave and ushering others to do the same (save for a single mare who hung back, watching the proceedings through narrowed eyes). Murmurings of “poor mare” and “I know how she feels” floated out from the assembled ponies as the crowd began to break up, making Cleansweep wince.

This is my fault. Venin’s voice was thick with guilt, and Cleansweep felt the snake uncoil from around her middle, winding down one of her back legs until it reached the ground, slithering a few feet away from her. My presence here is causing her pain in her heart.

“No,” admitted Cleansweep, folding her ears back. “You didn’t do this. I did.” Pursing her lips, she thought back to what she and Venin had been discussing before her mother had woken up, about what role the Night Mare had recognized her for. “If I’m going to be a healer, then I need to start here, with my mom.” Her mind made up, Cleansweep gave Venin an apologetic look. “Do you mind hanging back for a minute?”

Of course not. Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right here.

“Thanks.” Knowing what she had to do, Cleansweep stepped forward slowly, until she was right in front of her mother. “Mom? Mom, I’m sorry.” Reached out, she gently touched a hoof to her mother’s head.

Looking up at the touch, Feather Duster’s eyes widened with relief, and she sprang up to pull her daughter into a bear hug. “My baby!” she cried. “Oh my precious, precious little girl! Are you alright? Did that thing bite you anywhere?” Lifting Cleansweep up bodily, she turned her over, inspecting her for puncture marks.

Frowning, Cleansweep flapped her wings hard, yanking herself out of her mother’s grasp before touching back down in front of her. “No, Mom. She didn’t. I told you, Venin won’t hurt me.”

Calmer now, Feather Duster wiped her eyes. “I know, sweetheart. But it’s still a wild animal. Just the thought-”

“Mom! Listen to me!” Cleansweep could feel her guilt evaporating. This was what always happened; her mother would go to pieces, she would try to calm her down, and doing so would require her to sit back and let her mother fret over her until it became unbearable. Not this time, Cleansweep vowed silently. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I never meant to worry you, and I hate seeing you so upset.” Stepping forward, she reached up and gently took her mother’s face in her hooves, forcing herself to smile. “But I need you to believe me when I tell you that I’m going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that, sweetheart,” whimpered Feather Duster.

“Yes I do,” insisted Cleansweep, filling her voice with conviction. “Did I ever get seriously hurt when I was playing with Crunchy? I don’t mean cuts and bruises, but hurt badly enough that I needed a doctor?”

Lifting her head from her daughter’s grasp, Feather Duster couldn’t help but look uncertain for a moment. “Well, no, but you could h-”

“And even when the city flooded and everything went crazy, I’ve been fine.” Hovering in mid-air, she turned upright and indicated her unblemished torso with her hooves. “See?” Dropping back down, she beamed at her mother. “Not so much as a scratch.”

“That doesn’t mean you won’t-”

“And now with Venin,” interrupted Cleansweep again. Glancing back at the snake, she tilted her head. Catching the signal, the red-and-yellow serpent slithered over to her, easily winding its way up her leg and around her torso, head leaning forward alongside her own. Feather Duster immediately recoiled, but Cleansweep didn’t let her get away, moving forward until she was barely an inch away from her mother. “See? She’s really friendly.”

“B-but-, but-”

“C’mon, just try patting her.” In demonstration, she rubbed Venin’s scales, giving her mother an encouraging look when nothing bad happened.

Hesitating, Feather Duster swallowed before slowly reaching forward, grimacing as her hoof barely brushed up against the serpent. But when several seconds passed and nothing happened, she slowly started to relax. “I…I guess she’s friendly…”

“There you go!” cheered Cleansweep, grinning toothily. “I knew you’d like her if you just gave her a chance!”

“I suppose I might have overreacted a little.”


After spending a minute patting her daughter’s pet snake, Feather Duster stepped back. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I know I worry over you more than I should, but sometimes I can’t help it. Your father was always-, has always loved trying new things, and you have that same spirit.” She winced internally at the slip, hoping her daughter hadn’t noticed. Unlike herself, Cleansweep was certain that her father, Tryout, had gotten out of the city and would be back very soon. “He got hurt plenty of times when he’d try some new stunt like typhoon waterskiing or blindfolded parkour or full-contact checkers.” The memories still made her blush a little. Tryout’s fearlessness, and his nonchalance about the injuries he sustained in pursuit of his next adrenaline rush, had always been what she’d found most attractive about him. But those same qualities in her daughter terrified her. “I just don’t want that to happen to you.”

The smile Cleansweep gave her then looked almost exactly like the one Tryout had always given her when she’d expressed worry, being warm, self-assured, and just a little bit cocky. “I know, but I’ll be okay. And I’m not just saying that either. Thanks to Venin, I have magic healing powers now.”

Feather Duster blinked. Tryout had never said that. “Magic healing powers?”

“Yup!” nodded Cleansweep, clearly thrilled by the prospect. “It’s not much now, but she says that I’ll get better at it with practice-”

“Then we should hurry up and get some, shouldn’t we?”

Cleansweep spun around at the familiar voice. “Crunchy!”

About twenty feet back from her, Fruit Crunch grinned, though whether it was because he was happy to see her or because of the large grey wolf perched right next to him was hard to tell. Nor was he alone. At his left stood Fiddlesticks, her baby brother asleep on her back and a large badger next to her. On his right was Feathercap, a large owl blinking at her from where it was perched on his back. And hovering in the air was Straightlace, an eagle sitting on one outstretched foreleg. “C’mon Dust Bunny! The new and improved Night Mare’s Knights are ready to go!”

“Woo hoo!” Punching a hoof in the air, Cleansweep gave her mother another broad smile. “That’s another reason you don’t have to worry about me, Mom. I’ve got really great friends!” Darting over, she planted a quick kiss on her mother’s cheek before turning and rushing toward the other foals. “You guys! Let me introduce you to Venin!”

Smiling a little as she watched her daughter run off to go play with her friends, Feather Duster couldn’t help but feel bittersweet about what had just happened. She’s growing up.

But her parental musing was cut short as she felt a hoof across her back. “If you’re quite finished with your sappy little display,” sneered a familiar voice, “you have work to do.”

Feather Duster tensed up in an instant. “M-Miss?!”

“You better have a good explanation for why you’re fooling around out here and not fawning over Lex,” frowned River Bank. Her eyes then traveled over her, her expression critical, before glancing at the horizon in consideration, eventually giving a perfunctory nod. “And you can give it while we go back to my manor and freshen you up. The way you look right now would send any stallion running for the hills. Honestly!”

Hanging her head, Feather Duster didn’t argue, remembering what she’d just said about being able to endure what she had to for the sake of her daughter. “Yes Miss…”


“So I’ll go first,” grinned Fruit Crunch as he led them in the direction of Severance. “This is Lyden,” he gestured to the wolf walking alongside him, “and he’s unbelievably awesome! He says that no one who doesn’t follow the Night Mare can overhear him when he talks, which he does with telepathy, and-”

You should tell them that my name means “pack leader,” noted Lyden. Also, we should make sure to learn everyone’s powers as quickly as possible so that we can begin coordination training. The sooner we do, the quicker we’ll be able to impress the High Alpha.

Cleansweep tilted her head. “Who?”

The Lord Sovereign, added Venin helpfully.

“They mean Lex,” volunteered Feathercap. “At least, I think they do. Ulespy calls him Grand Vizier, for some reason.”

Because he is the one who wields unparalleled temporal authority over this sphere of existence, as nominated by the Supreme Predator herself, answered the owl.

“Huh. Altaer calls him the First Convoker,” added Straightlace. “But he still calls the Night Mare the Supreme Predator.”

Rightly so, as it honors their status, added the eagle.

“That’s basically what Nemel said when I asked her,” added Fiddlesticks with a glance at the badger trundling next to her. “But she calls Lex ‘Exalted Primogenitor.’ It’s kind of a mouthful.”

Be that as it may, chuckled Nemel, he is the one who made it possible for us to exist in this world by bringing the Supreme Predator here. He deserves our respect.

“Which is why we’re going to work hard and show him that we can be useful,” finished Fruit Crunch as Severance came into view. “Now, let’s start by going over everypony’s powers.”