• Published 2nd Nov 2015
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Lateral Movement - Alzrius



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.

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213 - Receiving Confirmation

It was several minutes before Nosey was able to calm down.

Lex couldn’t suppress a feeling of relief as her sobbing ceased and her shuddering breaths became slower and steadier. He had spent the last few minutes silently trying to figure out what words or actions would best alleviate her suffering, to no avail. Embracing her certainly hadn’t seemed to help, given how heavily she’d been weeping, but he hadn’t dared try anything else; making her condition worse was something to be avoided at all costs. So he’d stayed silent, holding Nosey close as she’d broken down, hoping that she’d recover from whatever she was going through even as he grew more concerned with every minute that went by. But the worst of it seems to be over now, he hoped. If not, he had no idea what to do...

Nosey took several slow breaths then, and Lex felt her grip on him loosen, releasing his own in turn. She didn’t make eye contact with him as she backed up a few steps, turning around and telekinetically lifting her glasses so she could wipe her eyes again. It was only then, having cobbled together the barest facsimile of composure, that she turned back around and offered him a shaky smile. “Thanks.”

Lex opened his mouth to inquire as to what precisely she was thanking him for – repairing her glasses, in all likelihood – but what came out was, “Are you still experiencing any pain or discomfort?”

She shook her head lightly, eyes closing as though the gesture was tiring. “No, I’m…I’m okay…” She trailed off as her eyes opened, and Lex saw them focus past him, to where he knew Xiriel’s shape was still burned into the ground. The fragile smile fell away from her face then. “Listen…we can go back now, right?” There was a pleading note in her voice, as though desperate for him to say yes.

The question struck Lex as rather odd. Nosey had never, in all the time he’d known her, asked him for permission to go anywhere. Whether it was inviting herself into his and Sonata’s hotel room back at Tall Tale, his office in city hall there, or even onto their ship when they’d left for Vanhoover, she had simply presumed that she could go wherever he wanted, becoming almost indignant when he’d objected. That she was seeking his authorization to return to the camp now, and was apparently waiting to receive it, wasn’t like her. Of course, neither was her bursting into tears the way that she had. But that was at least a contextually-appropriate response to what had happened to her. This deferential attitude couldn’t be attributed to the same cause…but what other cause was there?

“…Lex?”

“Hm? Ah, yes.” Drawn from his musings by Nosey’s inquiry, Lex brushed those thoughts away, irritated at himself. This was no time to get drawn into a thought-experiment regarding social dynamics; Nosey was still injured, and needed treatment as soon as possible. “We’re leaving,” he declared, moving before the last syllable had passed his lips. Nosey immediately fell in beside him, not even trying to hide her relief as they started back toward the camp.

It had taken several minutes for them to make their way out here, but it took Lex only a few steps to know that it would take them longer to go back. Just the effort of walking at anything that remotely resembled a brisk pace was enough to make his muscles ache, and he was keenly aware of the fact that he hadn’t finished recuperating before he’d fought Xiriel. Despite the totality of his wounds having been transferred to the belier, Lex knew that making a full recovery would take some time now, particularly with the amount of blood he’d lost. But that was no excuse not to accomplish what he could in the meantime…and right now, there was information that he needed…

“Nosey, what happened to Cloudbank and the others?”

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her stop in mid-stride, going rigid at the question, and he halted as well. For a moment he worried that it would push her into another breakdown, but that was a risk that he had to take. Although Xiriel had been consistent in saying that it had killed the ponies Lex had sent into Vanhoover – a claim that was upsettingly congruous with what the ghouls had said – that didn’t mean anything definitive. The belier had been cruel and deceptive in the extreme, and so couldn’t be taken at its word. But Nosey could be, so maybe…just maybe…

But whatever hope he had was dashed a moment later as Nosey bit her lip, looking down. “I’m sorry, Lex. Xi-…” A shudder went through her as she tried to say the belier’s name, and she gave a sudden start, one hoof flying up to her mouth as though she were about to throw up. It took her a few seconds to slowly lower her hoof to the ground, taking slow breaths. “It killed them.”

Lex didn’t answer, trying to swallow the sudden wave of bitterness that broke over him then. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t already accepted the likelihood of what he’d just been told, so he knew there was no reason for Nosey’s confirming it to make him feel worse. But somehow it did anyway, and Lex spoke his next question through gritted teeth. “How?”

Nosey needed a few seconds to steady herself before she answered. “Just like it said.” Her voice had returned to the emotionless murmur she’d had just before he’d fixed her glasses and made her cry, looking at the ground. “It used that spell, or whatever it was. The one that it said ‘overwhelms the spirit.’ It was just like that…it said something in some language I didn’t know, and I felt it use its magic…” she shuddered before continuing, “and then they all just…they fell over and didn’t move. They weren’t breathing…” Her voice broke then, and she suddenly lifted her head. “Lex, I’m so sorry! This is all my fault! I-”

“No!” snapped Lex angrily, whipping his head around to look at her. “Do not apologize!” All of a sudden, her misplaced guilt infuriated him. “I do not want to hear any assumption of culpability on your part!”

“But if I hadn’t tried to interview Block Party…” she moaned miserably.

“I said NO!” roared Lex, his anger flaring even higher. Just putting that much force into his words sent a wave of dizziness through him, but at the moment he didn’t care. “What kind of crippling stupidity are you afflicted with that you think your actions had any tangible impact on everything that’s happened?!” He stalked toward Nosey then, his lips pulled back in a snarl. “That thing had powers that surpassed my own! It could possess living ponies and move between dimensions at will! You yourself said that it could teleport and create illusions! And you think that it needed you, Nosey Newsy, in order to accomplish its goals?!” She was wide-eyed and gaping as Lex got right in her face, completely taken aback by his ranting. For his part, Lex’s eyes were blazing green and purple, small black crystals sprouting up around him even though his dark magic was expended. “It’s a failure of logic of obscene proportions to suggest that creature’s plans would have been curtailed if you hadn’t gone there! It’s insanity to suggest that there’s any transference of accountability between it and you! How could you possibly fail so completely at basic reasoning that you think any of this is your fault?! Xiriel is to blame for what happened! Not you! WHY CAN’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!”

His last shout hung in the air, leaving his throat raw and aching. Nosey was staring at him with a look of complete shock, and Lex back glared at her as he watched her slowly recover her wits, daring her to say a word in disagreement. No matter that she’d been traumatized, no matter that he’d doubtlessly violated some inane social decorums, what she’d been saying had been fallacious to the point of being offensive, and couldn’t be allowed to go unchallenged.

“…okay.”

Lex blinked, hackles still raised as he tried to figure out what sort of counterargument she was making, prepared to tear it to shreds. “‘Okay’?” he echoed.

She nodded, the corners of her lips turning up in a small smile. It was different from the shaky one she’d given him a few minutes ago, and it took him a moment to understand why: it was more like how she usually smiled. The intensity was far less than her typical grin, but it was recognizably the same expression. “Okay.”

She walked right by him then, heading back toward the camp, and the lack of any other reaction left Lex so nonplussed that he needed a moment to catch up. Fortunately, she wasn’t moving so fast that he wasn’t able to close the distance between them, moving alongside her with a frown. This also wasn’t like Nosey; while he’d never lost his temper with her quite that badly, they’d had plenty of arguments, and she never backed down so easily as she just had, let alone with a smile. This…passivity was very unlike her, to the point where it was starting to unnerve him.

That feeling skyrocketed a moment later when he felt her press her side against his.

“Nosey?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice as he looked at her, by now having no idea what was going on.

“My hoof is numb,” she murmured in explanation, not facing him. He caught sight of her glancing at him out of her periphery, but as soon as they made eye contact she looked away.

“Ah…” That made sense. She’d mentioned that before, after all, and if it was affecting her ability to walk, then it was logical for her to lean against him for support. I should have realized that, he castigated himself, rather than being concerned with that nonsense she was spouting. But the thought lacked conviction. The very idea that she could blame herself for what had happened to the others…

That reminded him of something else, and, mentally preparing himself for more odd behavior from her, Lex gave voice to the question. “What about Severance?”

Nosey gave a sigh, shaking her head. “I don’t know. It just…got rid of it, somehow.”

Lex frowned, not sure what to make of that. “Explain.”

Again, her eyes flickered over to him before looking straight ahead once more. “After it…dealt with everypony else, Severance attacked it.” She shook her head then. “It made me teleport away, a few blocks down the street, and Severance came after us. Then I felt that monster use some kind of magic, and the next time Severance got close I reached out and touched it…and then it was just gone. Vanished completely.”

Lex was silent as he considered that. From what Nosey had described, Xiriel had either destroyed Severance, or transported it somewhere else. But while the former possibility was unlikely – it seemed implausible that an artifact-weapon forged by the Night Mare could be so easily destroyed, and Xiriel hadn’t used any sort of one-touch destruction power during their fight – the latter possibility wasn’t much better. With no way of knowing where Severance had been sent to, and with no easy way to replenish his strongest magic in the meantime, locating and retrieving the scythe would prove to be a difficult task indeed. Moreover, it was a task that would have to wait; his people’s welfare came first. I’ll just have to deal with it in the meantime, he knew, forcing himself to embrace the thought stoically despite knowing that losing Severance was a major blow to his magical strength.

Nosey seemed to sense his thoughts, nudging him slightly. “C’mon…we’re almost there.”

Lex nodded wordlessly, and together the two of them made their way back toward the camp.

Author's Note:

Nosey tells Lex what happened to the others, while he assures her – in his usual way – that she's not to blame for what happened.

Will Lex be able to retrieve Severance? Or is it gone for good?

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