Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

13 - In the End All Things Betray You

Frozen by Lex’s unexpected appearance and subsequent scream of fury, both Fireflower and Sonata could only gape in shock. This allowed Lex to immediately spring into action, turning his head to the flaming sphere that Fireflower had conjured and rattling off a quick chant and making several sharp gestures. Instantly, the ball of flames winked out of existence.

Not stopping, Lex hissed a series of arcane syllables as he gesticulated again, this time towards Fireflower. The result was much like the spell of Fireflower’s that he had just dispelled, being a five-foot globe of energy. But where Fireflower’s had been composed of flames, Lex’s was composed of electricity…and there were three of them, crackling softly as they floated in midair.

It took only a hate-filled thought to send them hurtling towards Fireflower, who shrieked and began dodging for his life. Lex vaguely heard Sonata yelling something, but at the moment he was too enraged to care. This thing had tried to hurt his mate; it needed to die, and it needed to die immediately!

Scared out of his mind, Fireflower threw himself backwards as two of the lightning balls crashed into where he’d just been, rolling over as the third one impacted right next to him. The terror that came over his mind was familiar, having experienced it just a few days ago when another creature of overwhelming power had attacked him. Just like then, any thought of fighting back was drowned under the horrifying realization that he was going to die unless he got out of there.

His form shimmered as he ran for his life, and in an instant the yellow-coated stallion was replaced by a bulbous spider with yellow and white markings. Stumbling due to his missing spinneret, he nevertheless began to scuttle up a tree, hoping that the increased cover of the canopy would let him dodge death for a few moments longer.

Sonata yelled at Lex again, pleading for him to snap out of it, but for the second time he acted like he couldn’t hear her. In desperation she raced forward, intent on tackling him before he could make good on his threat to kill poor Fireflower. But just as she was about to barrel into him his body dissolved into churning blackness, and she passed through his now-immaterial form to go tumbling head over hooves through the dirt.

Barely noticing that he had changed into shadows, much less what was going on around him, Lex’s green-and-purple eyes – the only parts of him that were still visible in the roiling mass of darkness that he’d become – were still trained directly on where Fireflower was trying to get away. “You will not escape!” he roared, his rage burning hotter with every moment that that thing avoided death. How dare it try to save itself?! How DARE it think that it had any right to live after what it had done?!

Lex spat another spell, and Fireflower’s body shuddered as a profound lethargy sank into his limbs, slowing him to a crawl even as he desperately tried to ascend the tree further. The balls of lightning came soaring in, and he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to get away. Whimpering, Fireflower did the only thing he could and relaxed his limbs completely, letting himself fall.

In the fraction of a second after he began to fall, all three electrical spheres hit the tree where he’d just been, causing a hideous buzzing sound as chips of wood flew in all directions. An instant later, he impacted the ground, the sudden pain leaving him stunned. It dimly occurred to him that he wouldn’t be able to dodge again…that he was about to die.

Lex was thinking the exact same thing, and mentally directed the spheres to-

“STOP IT!”

Sonata’s scream was enhanced and directed thanks to her magic, increasing its volume while centering it all on Lex alone. To everyone else, her cry was completely inaudible, but to him it was loud enough that, had he been corporeal at that moment, his ears would have bled. As it was, the pain her spell had caused him managed to accomplish her primary objective, which was to grab his attention. The lightning spheres ceased their descent as he stopped focusing on them, drifting to a halt in midair less than ten feet from Fireflower’s prone form.

“Sonata, what are you doing?!” Lex’s voice was thick with tension and confusion as he returned to solid form.

“What am I doing?!” she shrieked. “What are you doing?! You’re going to kill him!”

“Of course I am!” Lex retorted hotly. “He tried to hurt you!”

“What?!” Sonata’s eyes widened in a mixture of anger, horror, and confusion. “No, he didn’t!”

“He attacked you with a spell!” Lex insisted. “A ball of fire! I saw it, and I heard you cry out!”

“He was showing me his magic! I asked him to do it, and I was cheering because I thought it looked cool! No one was being attacked!” That he had a reason for what he’d done didn’t make Sonata feel better at all.

“But…” Lex trailed off as her words sank in. Could that have been the case? He had been so sure…

“Apologize to him!”

“What?” Lex shook his head, not in denial but to try and focus on what she was saying, having trouble keeping up with her while he was still trying to reevaluate the data that had led him to his initial conclusions. He needed to figure out how the reality of the situation could have been so different from what he’d thought it was. “To who?”

“To Fireflower!” Sonata stamped a hoof, getting angrier by the minute. He’d been a complete jerk to her last night, had almost killed Fireflower this morning over a total misunderstanding, and now he was still refusing to acknowledge him as a person?! This went beyond just being arrogant or prickly; it was completely inexcusable! She grabbed Lex’s ear in her mouth and, ignoring his squawk of surprise, dragged him over to where Fireflower – now back in his pony form – was starting to right himself with a pained groan. “You tell him you’re sorry this instant!”

Lex was still thinking back over the last few minutes, and a shudder ran through him as he started to realize that Sonata’s version of events was holding up to his mental scrutiny. If she was right – and the more he thought about it, the more it looked like she was – then his initial conclusion as to what had been going on had not only been incorrect, but wildly so. If that was the case, then it meant that he had tried to kill a being that was, even considering his race, most likely a member of the moral community. That was an act that, regardless of the circumstances, could not be justified; beings worthy of moral consideration, which included not only all members of noble species such as ponies and griffons, but also exceptional members of lesser species, had a right to life that was utterly inviolable.

It was because of that that Lex refused to consider, even for a moment, apologizing for his actions. To do so would mean acknowledging that he had severely abrogated the moral framework to which he held himself. Having lost, at one time or another, his home, his magic, and even his entire world, that rigorous code of conduct was the one thing that had never been taken from him. To admit that he’d transgressed it would mean that the only remaining thing that had been a constant in his life, the one permanency that had been his last source of strength and comfort in the face of so many things that he found frighteningly incomprehensible, could be taken away from him too.

To apologize would mean admitting that the sense of security he felt from understanding something, truly understanding it in a way that left no room for ambiguity or mistakes in interpretation, could not be found in anything, not even in his own actions. It would mean that the one thing he had left to believe in was a lie, and that thought was enough to terrify Lex to the bottom of his soul.

To apologize would mean admitting that he’d been wrong.

“No,” he said firmly, looking Sonata dead in the eye. “I made the best decision I had with the data that was available to me at the time. I can’t be faulted for having insufficient facts in a situation that demanded split-second decision-making.”

His denial, delivered calmly, was enough to shatter Sonata’s anger, and instead a look of shock mixed with horror slowly spread across her face. “Y-you can’t be serious. Lex, you tried to kill him.” Lex’s only response was to look at her in silent passivity, and for the first time Sonata could remember she suddenly felt afraid of him. To do something so awful and not even be willing to say that he was sorry he’d done it…that wasn't just being awkward or having a temper.

It was completely monstrous.

Slowly, she backed away from him, making sure not to take her eyes off of him for even a second. He moved as if to approach her, and she held out a hoof warningly, a look of controlled fear spreading across her face. Tensely, she moved to Fireflower’s side, bending down to help him get up. “Are you alright?” Even when she spoke, she didn’t take her eyes off of Lex, whose stoic expression was beginning to dissolve into perplexity.

“Y-yeah…” shakily getting to his feet, Fireflower let Sonata usher him behind her, moving with her as they kept backing away from Lex.

“Sonata, what are you doing?” He started to take a step towards her, and her reaction was immediate.

“Stay back!” Her voice was sharp. “We’re leaving, that’s what we’re doing.”

“No…” Lex's denial wasn’t towards her stated intentions, but rather was that this situation was happening at all. “Don’t do this.” He didn’t even hear the pleading tone in his voice, his mind racing desperately to try and figure out some way to stop this. He had figured out how to rationalize his previous actions within the context of his moral code, surely he could figure out how to make her want to stay with him!

Still backing away from him, Sonata was unmoved. “We’re going back. Don’t try to follow us.” She hoped that he’d heed her warning; she had no idea what she’d do if he did come after them. Behind her, Fireflower was still trembling, obviously severely unnerved by what had just happened.

Lex tried to think, tried to find some way to change how this situation – the situation he’d dreaded ever since he’d realized he’d had feelings for Sonata – was unfolding. But the only thing that came to him was a rising tide of panic and upset, as though he were falling off a cliff in slow motion, watching as the deadly impact grew ever closer.

“Don’t go…” his voice was too soft, and it didn’t carry across the ever-widening distance between himself and her. She kept backing away, and a few moments later she was obscured by the underbrush. The whole time she never took her eyes off of him, her expression unreadable to his gaze.

…and then she was gone, with only the echo of his whimper to signify that his entire world had just ended.

Author's Note:

“In the end all things betray you.
Honor. Ideals. Heroism.
Allies. Comrades. Lovers.
Your eyes. Your limbs. Your heart.
And in the end, you betray yourself.
And that is the greatest betrayal of all.”

Comments

[Spiritus Arcane]

Well Lex, your bull headedness finally cost you something you considered important. Have fun.

[Alzrius]

6631396 It's tragic what happened, but there's really no way to say that he didn't bring this on himself.

[Apeman81]

So Lex finally faces a situation where no one ,even he can, see he can see he is obviously wrong in ,this case in the worst possible way, and he still can't admit it? Look at the cost of Hubris ye Mighty and despair!

[terrycloth]

I don't suppose we can hope this will help him learn why other people are irritatingly slow and tentative about their actions by his standards?

[Alzrius]

6631501 Lex is nothing if not arrogant, but I suspect that despair is indeed the price he'll pay for this.

[Alzrius]

6631521 Hope springs eternal, no matter how thin it may be.

[albedoequals1]

It was because of that that Lex refused to consider, even for a moment, apologizing for his actions.

I'm done.

Lex's supposed intelligence is worthless without self-control. He has made no progress since he was first introduced in ADS. In fact, his temper seems to have gotten worse. All of his knowledge is either a thousand years out of date, or focused on becoming more powerful, and he gets resentful whenever someone tries to teach him anything new.

There's no point in reading a story if I can't get invested in the characters. Even an anti-hero needs to be somewhat relatable. Lex may eventually apologize, but at this point, I don't want him to. I like Sonata, and if she comes back, it's just going to be so that Lex can continue to misuse her. Sonata would be better off with almost any other guy, but she'll keep giving Lex another chance anyway.

You are an excellent writer. Your vocabulary and quality control are both stellar. I'm sure you have a clever plot all planned out, but in the end, the only thing that matters is the characters, and reading about Lex makes me want him to die.

[Alzrius]

6632140

I'm done.

My first down-vote!

All kidding aside, I'm sorry to see you go. Although we agree on virtually nothing, I do still regard your comments and insights highly. I value smart people who disagree with me.

Lex's supposed intelligence is worthless without self-control.

I don't entirely agree (and for that matter, "self-control" wouldn't be the term I'd have used, though I can understand what you're going for). His intelligence isn't "worthless" without an accompanying degree of maturity/acumen - something demonstrated when he was able to learn so much just by seeing some wrecked train tracks - but when dealing with people, then that level of intelligence does become unhelpful...in fact, it becomes a weakness rather than a strength. This has always been Lex's single greatest foible.

He has made no progress since he was first introduced in ADS.

This is an understandable charge, and deserves to be looked at further.

The reason that Lex hasn't made any progress since his introduction, in terms of being able to relate to others, isn't entirely a fair one. His nascent love affair with Sonata at the end of The Apple Falls Far From the Tree was a step forward for him; prior to that, he hadn't ever taken anyone's feelings into account, let alone been willing to modify his aims and goals in response to their advice. He has made progress, even if this chapter seemed to reverse most of it.

Having said that, it's worth noting that - in terms of his place in the stories he's been part of so far - Lex simply hasn't had very much time to make progress. In A Dangerous Sparkle he doesn't even appear until the last fourth of the story, and while he does eat up a large share of the screen-time then (being that he was written by a collaborating writer, namely yours truly), he's still just one member of an ensemble cast, and there's only so much room for him to have his own personal character arc.

This is similarly the case in The Apple Falls Far From the Tree, where he doesn't show up again until we're just past the two-thirds mark for the story. Once again he's made into a supporting character, behind Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders (albeit, again, a large one due to my having a relatively free hand to write his scenes). So thus, there's only so much room for him to grow - as I noted above, he does, since we get to see him developing the romance that he and Sonata had hinted at previously. It's not a coincidence that one of his last scenes was the two of them sharing their first kiss.

This time around, Lex is finally the star of his own story, literally. He doesn't need to share the metaphorical air-time with anyone else, and we can finally start getting into his character more deeply. But to that end, we're barely over a dozen chapters in, so there's only so much that can be done in that period of time.

In other words, while it might seem like Lex has had a lot of exposition already, and has yet to change or grow at all, I don't think that's really the case. He's managed to change a fair amount when you consider how much time in the spotlight he's really had.

More germane (at least to me) is that growth is something that comes from facing adversity, be it internal or external, and learning something from it. In order for that to happen, you first have to be confronted by said adversity, and sometimes you'll lose out when that initially happens, all before you can start to change for the better. That's what's happening in this chapter; Lex has just been confronted by the consequences of stubbornly refusing to admit that he's ever wrong, regardless of what he does. Whether or not he'll use this to change is unknown at this point, but this is the sort of circumstances where he'll at least have a reason to try.

Change doesn't happen without any impetus for it.

In fact, his temper seems to have gotten worse.

I'm not sure I agree, but if so I chalk this one up to his having more screen-time, and (at least for this chapter) his impression that he has a lot to lose, so it needs to be defended all the more vigorously.

All of his knowledge is either a thousand years out of date, or focused on becoming more powerful, and he gets resentful whenever someone tries to teach him anything new.

Other than current events (of which he has some incomplete updates for), there's really no impact to his knowledge being from a thousand years ago. That said, he is very goal-focused, since changing who he is and how he approaches the world isn't something that's easily done for him...or for anyone, I think. He does get resentful very easily, but that's because he hears criticism too easily and takes it too harshly. Again, these are his flaws as a character, and they are a major part of what defines him.

There's no point in reading a story if I can't get invested in the characters. Even an anti-hero needs to be somewhat relatable. Lex may eventually apologize, but at this point, I don't want him to.

It's a shame that you don't feel able to become invested in the story's main character, but I can understand that. There have been a lot of stories that I've read/watched/listened to where I didn't care for the main character (or some other element of it) either, so that's not something I can hold against you. I don't think there is a story that appeals to everyone.

That said, I do think that Lex is relatable, though I recognize that this is a personal opinion. There's a reason why this story opened where the last one ended, and showed that Lex does have a better side to him, and that Sonata is (so far) the only pony who can bring it out of him.

What happened in this chapter is arguably Lex at his worst, but that's not the sum total of who he is (even if he thinks otherwise).

I like Sonata, and if she comes back, it's just going to be so that Lex can continue to misuse her. Sonata would be better off with almost any other guy, but she'll keep giving Lex another chance anyway.

To be fair, these are your predictions for how things will go. How the story unfolds hasn't been written yet.

You are an excellent writer. Your vocabulary and quality control are both stellar.

Aww, thanks!

I'm sure you have a clever plot all planned out, but in the end, the only thing that matters is the characters, and reading about Lex makes me want him to die.

Er, yes...all planned out...

More seriously though, what I have is a broad outline that covers the major plot points, and then I fill in the details as the story approaches them. This has already been the longest piece of fiction I've ever written, and I'm absolutely fascinated by what I've learned so far while doing so. One of those things is that, when writing this way, sometimes how the story goes can surprise even me (albeit a few days before I start writing the specifics). I'm thrilled to hear that you think I'm doing so well otherwise, even if you don't like the story's protagonist.

That said, while I wouldn't say that the characters are the "only" thing that matters, they are an issue of central importance. So if you can't bring yourself to relate to Lex, I can understand that, and I respect it. I also can't help but be amused to note the parallel that, just as Sonata left him when he showed her the worst side of himself, at least one reader is also.

Take care, and I hope you change your mind and come back and keep reading at some point in the future!

[albedoequals1]

6632700 You are the only person I've seen that upvotes criticism.

What happened in this chapter is arguably Lex at his worst, but that's not the sum total of who he is (even if he thinks otherwise).

Although Lex's treatment of Sonata and Fireflower was the last straw, the most telling event was actually when he originally spared the aranea in chapter 9:

The plea stopped Lex cold. Although it hadn’t actually used the word, its pleading still constituted asking for mercy, and in Lex’s rigorously-defined set of morals mercy had to be shown whenever it was asked for, regardless of the circumstances or the nature of whoever, or whatever, asked for it.

Lex didn't feel any pity or compassion. The enemy said the magic words that Lex had read about in a book somewhere. He didn't want to be merciful; he was just motivated to pretend by his image of himself as a moral person. Then for the rest of the story afterwards, he hated the creature that he spared. He is lying to himself, and a villain who thinks he's a saint is harder to turn aside than a pure villain.

[Alzrius]

6632909

You are the only person I've seen that upvotes criticism.

As amusing as it would be, I can't take credit for that; the person who up-voted your comment wasn't me.

Although Lex's treatment of Sonata and Fireflower was the last straw, the most telling event was actually when he originally spared the aranea in chapter 9:

[...]

Lex didn't feel any pity or compassion. The enemy said the magic words that Lex had read about in a book somewhere. He didn't want to be merciful; he was just motivated to pretend by his image of himself as a moral person. Then for the rest of the story afterwards, he hated the creature that he spared. He is lying to himself, and a villain who thinks he's a saint is harder to turn aside than a pure villain.

You've inadvertently stumbled onto one of the original character traits I had in mind when I came up with Lex as a character, which was to explore the question of whether or not good deeds are still "good" if done deliberately but without any kind regard for the person you're helping...especially when compared to someone who has a great deal of kind regard for someone, but does not act on it. Personally, I have a strong opinion on this already:

One day Dr. Heart heard a knock at his office door. Going to answer it, he was greeted by a poor man who was begging for money to help feed his family. Listening to the man's struggles with trying to make sure his children didn't go hungry, Dr. Heart couldn't help but weep, and hugged the poor fellow before giving him the $10 in his wallet.

The man, thanking Dr. Heart profusely, then moved on to the next office, which belonged to Dr. Deed. When Dr. Deed came to the door, the man again explained that he was trying to raise money to feed his family. Dr. Deed, who kept glancing at his watch during the man's story, finally cut him off. Curtly telling the poor man that he should go get a job, he nevertheless pulled out his checkbook and scrawled a quick check for $100, giving it to the man before slamming the door in his face.

Which doctor performed the greater act of kindess?

...to me, the answer is very clearly Dr. Deed. Why? Because, while Dr. Heart may have had more sympathy, that sympathy does not help the poor man feed his family - the money does that, and in that regard Dr. Deed was far and away more generous. Even if that generosity was borne out of irritation, it was still an action with far greater impact; $100 will go a much longer way towards easing the pains of a hungry family than $10 will. Doing good in the world requires action, and to the people you help, your motivation for undertaking that action is secondary to the fact that you're willing to help them at all. I won't say that sympathy and intentions don't matter, of course, but at the end of the day those emotions alone won't feed the hungry, house the destitute, or help those in need.

Lex, of course, is Dr. Deed. He feels no kind intentions towards Fireflower, but nevertheless he has a strict moral code that he rigidly adheres to, and that includes the provision that if something has the sentience to ask for mercy and the wherewithal to do so, then mercy must be granted to it. Those who realize the value of their lives and beg to keep them must be honored in that regard. That's not "pretending" to do anything, nor is it villainous - quite the contrary, sticking to what you think you should do, even when you don't want to, is laudable.

The irony here is that this flies right in the face of the central tenet of Equestria, which is that warm feelings alone will usually carry the day. Lex disagrees with that on a fundamental basis; to him, it's righteous actions that change the world, regardless of the feelings behind them.

[albedoequals1]

6633036 In the isolated case, Dr. Deed did a better thing. However, if Dr. Deed meets the poor man again and tries to murder him, his previous deed doesn't count for much, does it? Bad people can do good things, but it doesn't make them good. The poor man is glad to have the $100, but the story isn't about the poor man, it's about Dr. Deed.

Dr. Deed did a good thing, but without any basis in his personality, there is no reason to expect him to do good things in other circumstances. Dr. Heart, on the other hand, is being driven to do good by his personality. He will look for other opportunities to do good and may feel guilty later for giving so little this time. Even though he did less good this time, there is more reason to expect him to do good in the future.

In other words, good deeds are good, regardless of who did it or why, but they do not demonstrate virtue in a character unless they are sincere.

[Alzrius]

6633135

In the isolated case, Dr. Deed did a better thing. However, if Dr. Deed meets the poor man again and tries to murder him, his previous deed doesn't count for much, does it?

Your phrasing seems to suggest that you think that the answer to this is an open-and-shut "no." I'm not certain I agree with that.

That's because that idea presumes that a person is only as good as their worst moment, and I'm not at all sure that's a point of view that I agree with. I'm not inclined to state that a single instance, or action, is enough to completely summarize who someone is or how they should be treated, let alone deciding which moment should qualify for such criteria. Treating a person's worth by judging their life as a sort of "moral chain" (e.g. the same way a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a person is only as good as their worst moment) tends to devalue the overall nature of good deeds.

That said, the counterargument made above is less important (to me) than the fact that I think your premise is faulty. "Murder" is a term that's thrown around far too easily when passing judgment on Lex's attempt to kill Fireflower. Given that Lex had an honest belief that the life of his loved one was in imminent danger, there's a strong case to be made that this means that the requisite malice aforethought that defines the nature of murder isn't present. Lex didn't just decide "I think I'll kill this guy now," but rather had a reasonable belief that the killing was necessary to prevent harm to others. Moreover, once he was made aware that this was not the case, he ceased his attempts.

The problem wasn't his actions, in other words. The problem was in his response to finding out he'd been mistaken.

Bad people can do good things, but it doesn't make them good.

Given that you haven't laid out the criteria for what does make them good, then it's very easy to refute this assertion simply by saying "yes, it does."

The poor man is glad to have the $100, but the story isn't about the poor man, it's about Dr. Deed.

Yeah, but I'm not sure how that's relevant to your assertion that Lex doesn't have moral virtue (or at least, I think that's your assertion).

Dr. Deed did a good thing, but without any basis in his personality, there is no reason to expect him to do good things in other circumstances.

Presuming that the character in the parable is an analogy for Lex (which he was) then we know this isn't true. His good deeds have a basis in his personality: namely, that he has a rigid moral code that defines how one is supposed to act when coming into contact with those who need help, regardless of how he feels about them personally. That's because his moral code is an aspect of his personality...after all, he thought it up, decided to adopt it, and continues to voluntarily adhere to it.

Dr. Heart, on the other hand, is being driven to do good by his personality. He will look for other opportunities to do good and may feel guilty later for giving so little this time. Even though he did less good this time, there is more reason to expect him to do good in the future.

How is there "more" reason than there is with Dr. Deed? In the parable, both gave money, but the person who cared less still gave more. Dr. Heart made a show of sympathizing with the poor man's plight, but in the end that only translated into so much action, which I believe is the part that really counts. Ultimately, while he may not have liked it, Dr. Deed was more willing to sacrifice for the sake of others, which to me suggests that there's more reason for him to do good in the future than with his softhearted counterpart.

In other words, good deeds are good, regardless of who did it or why, but they do not demonstrate virtue in a character unless they are sincere.

Even if we leave aside the self-contradictory nature of your statement here (e.g. "regardless of [...] why" runs directly counter to "unless they are sincere") I don't believe this to be true, and I don't believe you've demonstrated this to be true. Doing good deeds do demonstrate virtue in a character, regardless of "sincerity." This is for two reasons:

The first is that there's no definition for what constitutes being "sincere," though you seem to be using it to mean "motivated by sympathy or empathy for the person you're helping." Even then, I disagree, since this would seem to suggest that ones' intentions play a critical role in determining the moral character of a person, rather than the actions they undertake. Obviously, the optimal goal is to have both good intentions and perform good actions, but I don't believe that these two things warrant equal consideration. Giving someone $100 to feed their family, even if done rudely, is still far and away more virtuous than giving them $10 and a hug.

The second reason I look askance on the idea of "good deeds need sincerity to be virtuous" is because sincerity is impossible to judge. Obviously, this is more true for the real world than for a work of fiction where an omniscient narrator can simply say what a character's innermost thoughts and feelings are, but the fact remains that there has never been - and, I suspect, never will be - any reliable, objective means of determining the sincerity of another's actions. That's entirely an act of trust, or to put it another way, faith in that person. To hold that moral virtue hinges upon something that is impossible to judge is simply to admit that morality isn't something that can be reliably assigned at all. I suppose there's an interesting argument to be made in favor of that, but it's not a very useful one when trying to figure out how what to think of someone's character.

[David Silver]

Look, I'm sorry, but no refunds. We don't accept responsibility if you let your siren out of your sight and the manufacturer accepts no liability, especially in cases of neglect, abuse, or, uh, 'Being a big poopy head'. Sorry, sir. That's what she wrote, sir.

[Alzrius]

6633907 That and there's currently no other models to trade her in for anyway.

[Apeman81]

6633135 I'd say I'd disagree with you that Lex hasn't had any character development. In my opinion he has, though it has been subtle and been limited to his relationship to Sonata. Also Lex strikes me as somepony who has a really severe case of Asperger's syndrome, diminished empathy, extreme prejudices, and a bad case of Hubris. Yay, he'd make a great protagonist in a Greek Drama!

[David Silver]

6634673 Sorry, high demand and limited supply.

[TGAPM]

This chapter clinched it for me. Amazing character development. Lex is now a character I care about and in some ways I feel like an idiot for not surmising that his rigidity is due to his insecurities and history. You gave us a look into his tragic flaws with clarity and a deep understanding of human, or should I say pony nature. Demanding an apology is just as intractable as not being able to give one. You are wasted in fanfiction. Write a novel, PLEASE!!!!!!!

[ushio]

So as much as I like Sonata I hope she doesn't show up again, she really deserves better than to have to deal with an abuser like Lex.

I'm going to continue reading this but at this point only to hope that Lex fucks up so hard in Vanhoover that the princesses have to come and fix his mess because I can't imagine anything he would hate more.

[Alzrius]

10643608 Lex isn't the nicest of guys, but there's a reason that Sonata was attracted to him in the first place, and why he responded. As for what happens when he gets to Vanhoover, well...first he has to make it there.