• 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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511 - Father and Daughter

“You did what?!”

Tryout grinned at his daughter’s shocked expression, holding up the signed sheet of paper. “That’s right! I got an autograph from the Rainbow Dash! Not to mention a few of her best pieces of advice at being an awesome flyer.” His smile turned cocky then, chest puffing out. “Of course, I gave her a few recommendations of my own. Wing exercises, balance practice, that sort of thing. We were basically trading tips the entire way back here.” From the way Cleansweep was still staring at him, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging open, he knew it was absolutely blowing her mind that her dad was friends with a celebrity. “In fact, she may still be hanging out in a certain nearby parlor room if somepony wants an autograph of her own,” he teased.

“She’s here?!” Cleansweep croaked, still looking like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You brought Rainbow Dash here?!”

“What can I say? We’re buddies now,” chuckled Tryout, playing it cool even though he was inwardly beaming at how excited his little girl was. This was even better than that time he’d gotten an exploding cake for her birthday party! “And not just her either, she’s also here with her friends, including a certain purple alicorn princess,” he added slyly.

Out of his peripheral vision, Tryout could see Feather Duster look at him sharply from across the room, straightening up from where she had just finished tucking the baby she’d been cradling into bed next to a slumbering filly. Like the rest of their daughter’s friends, the sleeping filly had a few bandages around her, the dressings a testament to the intensity of whatever roughhousing they’d been doing, as was how soundly they were all sleeping now. Tryout was almost sorry he’d missed whatever they’d been up to.

Of course, his wife hadn’t shared his attitude about foals being foals, fussing over Cleansweep and the others endlessly, huffing at him whenever he’d tried to get her to calm down. In fact, judging from the way her lips were pursed, she was upset with him about something again now. That wasn’t too unusual though; Feather was a real doll, but she was always getting worked up over nothing, no matter how much he tried to tell her not to sweat the small stuff. Thankfully, Cleansweep takes after me in that regard.

Case in point, their daughter was already leaping into the air, her little wings flapping faster than a hummingbird’s. “W-we have to do something!” she gasped. “We have to keep them away from Lex!”

Tryout rolled his eyes. Okay, maybe she’d inherited a little of her mother’s chronic anxiety.

“Don’t you worry, kiddo,” he soothed, reaching up to tousle Cleansweep’s mane. “After the trouncing that Rainbow Dash told me she gave him, I doubt that sourpuss your mom works for will try to pick a fight with her again. You should ask her to tell you about how she thrashed him. It was epic!”

“Tryout,” murmured Feather, a warning tone in her voice.

Holding out his forehooves in a placating gesture, Tryout laughed. “I know, I know. Violence is never the answer.” He leaned closer to his daughter then, lowering his voice to a stage-whisper. “This time, violence was the question. And Rainbow Dash’s answer was ‘yes please!’”

“Dad!”

Hearing the strained tone in his daughter’s voice, Tryout straightened up, knowing she was getting impatient to go see the superstars that were only a few rooms away. “Alright, alright. You run along and go meet the bigwigs, just don’t pester them too much; they’ve had a long trip here. And don’t worry about your friends missing out while you have all the fun. Once they wake up, your mom and I will send them right after you. Now shoo!”

For a moment Cleansweep hesitated, doubtlessly wondering if it was really alright for her to go meet some of the most famous ponies in Equestria while her friends caught some Z’s. But just when Tryout was about to reassure her that it was fine, she seemed to come to some sort of decision, and zipped out the door so fast she was almost a blur. The sight made Tryout chuckle some more, his heart filled with joy at being able to do something nice for his little girl.

At least until a second later, when Feather Duster uttered the words he’d learned to dread over the course of their marriage. “Tryout, we need to talk.”


Feather Duster bit her lip, screwing up every bit of courage she could muster as she flew through the mazelike hallways of the manor.

Even knowing where she was going, it took her a few minutes to find her destination. Although she’d lived in River Bank’s manor for over two weeks now, the parlor at the southern end of the first floor wasn’t a place she’d frequented in that time. But after making only one wrong turn, she found herself in front of the correct door, muffled voices audible from the other side of it.

For a moment she hesitated, her determination faltering as a wave of nervous tension suddenly washed over her, suddenly very aware of how she was doing this all on her own. “Stop it!” she whispered to herself, hating how cowardly she felt at that moment. Crunchy didn’t hesitate when he protected me from Starlight Glimmer’s attack! Lex didn’t back down when he took her on all by himself! Taking a deep breath, she glared at the door, knowing that her enemies were right behind it, no doubt plotting to finish what Rainbow Dash had started. But that wasn’t going to happen on her watch! I’m a member of the Night Mare’s Knights! One of Lex’s students! This time, I’m going to be the one who protects everypony else!

Then, before she lost her nerve, Cleansweep charged forward, knocking the door open and flying into the parlor at full speed.

The six mares inside – along with a foal-sized lizard and some creature that looked like a pony from the waist down and a…something from the waist up – all froze, staring at her in surprise exactly the way Cleansweep had hoped they would.

Knowing that she had to strike before any of them had a chance to react, Cleansweep accelerated. Despite having charged in blind, she’d gambled that there’d be at least one target sitting somewhere in front of the door, and she’d been right. Slamming into the unicorn mare with the white coat and purple mane and tail – Rarity, she knew – the two of them immediately went tumbling, the wooden chair the older mare had been sitting in falling backwards as the two of them hit the ground in a heap.

Where is it where is it where is it?! Cleansweep screamed silently as she fumbled her hooves at the other mare’s neck, looking for the famous piece of jewelry that should have been there, desperate to snatch it and run away before the ponies around her could react.

But there was no Element of Harmony to be found.

Panicking, Cleansweep twisted her head every which way as she struggled to extricate herself from the flailing mare, the shouts erupting from everyone around her making it clear that she only had a few seconds left to carry out her plan. But no matter where she looked, she couldn’t spot anyone wearing one of the famous magical ornaments that she’d seen them sporting in pictures, despite how sure she’d been that they’d have them out and ready to use against Lex. Why?! Why aren’t they wearing them?!

Cleansweep hadn’t been sure if Rainbow Dash had been wearing her Element when she’d ambushed Lex. The speed of the attack, combined with how unexpected it had been and the fact that two doctors had already been tending to her and Fruit Crunch at the time, had made it impossible to be absolutely certain, particularly since she hadn’t been concerned about how the brutal pegasus had been dressed at the time. It had only been a few minutes ago, when her dad had let it slip that Princess Twilight and her friends were also here, that Cleansweep had felt certain that her memory was playing tricks on her. Rainbow Dash must have been wearing her Element, and now that the rest of her team had caught up to her, they were going to friendship-blast Lex into oblivion!

So she’d come up with a spur-of-the-moment plan. She was pretty sure she’d heard somewhere that all six Elements needed to be together to work, which meant that if she could grab one of them and hide it somewhere, Lex would be safe…or at least, safer than he would have been otherwise. Except nopony was wearing them after all so where were they?!

Their bags, realized Cleansweep a second later, her eyes falling on some luggage in the corner of the room. They have to be in their bags!

Righting herself at last, Cleansweep leaped off of Rarity (whose breath exploded from her lungs as she was used as a springboard) and rushed toward the suitcases piled on the other side of the room. With no time to search through them, her only option was to grab one at random and take off with it. The Night Mare willing, it’d be one that had one of the Elements in it, otherwise-

Her thoughts and her forward motion were both abruptly cut off as a lasso suddenly shot out and coiled around her middle, keeping her from reaching the luggage. “Whoa there, little filly!” came a husky voice from directly behind her. “Slow down a mite!”

Somehow managing to swallow the fear that was suddenly threatening to devour her alive, Cleansweep flapped her wings harder, trying to break free. But all she accomplished was to make her wings ache, feeling herself being dragged backward a second later.

“Ooh! Is she giving out surprise hugs?!” cheered a hyper-sounding voice to her left, causing Cleansweep to look over and see a pink earth mare – belatedly recognizing her as Pinkie Pie – grinning and hopping in place as she looked at Cleansweep. “I want one next!” she declared, leaping at the filly with her forelegs outstretched.

Thinking only to avoid getting caught, Cleansweep flew in the other direction with a yelp, curving in a wide arc thanks to the rope still holding her. Belatedly it occurred to her that she could fly around the pony who’d lassoed her – Applejack, she confirmed with a glance – and tie her up in her own rope. But that would still leave her caught in the loop at the end of it, and-

“Hey!” yelled Rainbow Dash, suddenly appearing directly in Cleansweep’s path with an angry look on her face. “What’s the big idea, just barging in and tackling my friend like that?!”

You’re one to talk! But Cleansweep didn’t have a chance to vocalize the thought, dropping down and doubling back in an effort to avoid Rainbow Dash-

Only for the rope to get tangled in the legs of the room’s central table as she went low, immediately causing Cleansweep to veer off-course. Unable to compensate for the sudden change in direction, she found herself bound to one of the table’s thick wooden supports a second later, the ropes refusing to budge no matter how much she struggled. In fact, they seemed to be getting tighter, winding around her belly, chest, and neck in a way that made it hard to breathe…

But the lack of air persisted for only a moment. A second later the ropes were outlined in a deep pink aura, unwinding from around her as though alive. As a rush of air filled her lungs, Cleansweep belatedly registered that same aura picking her up as well, holding her steady – but also firmly – and lifting her into the air, in front of the worried gaze of Equestria’s youngest princess. “Are you alright?”

“L-lemme go!” coughed Cleansweep, trying to wriggle out of Princess Twilight’s telekinesis.

To her mild surprise, the alicorn complied with her demand, sitting her down on a nearby couch and letting her aura fade away. “Is that better?” she asked, smiling gently.

For a moment, Cleansweep was tempted to make another rush for the bags in the corner, but with Princess Twilight between her and them, along with Applejack on her other side – her lasso already retrieved and coiled if she needed to use it again – she knew she’d never make it. I failed, she realized with a sinking feeling, watching as the little lizard and the half-pony thing helped Rarity up, Pinkie Pie bouncing around the room to give a scowling Rainbow Dash a sudden hug from behind. I’ll never be able to make off with one of the Elements now!

The thought made her bite her lip. After everything Lex and Crunchy and everyone else had done to protect everypony, she hadn’t been able to do anything! Worse, she’d gotten herself captured! Feeling her eyes starting to water, she grit her teeth, refusing to cry in front of her enemies.

“It’s okay,” came a soft voice, causing Cleansweep to look over as a pegasus mare – one who had yellow fur like her own, except not as vivid, and a pink mane and tail – whom she realized had to be Fluttershy, climbed out from behind the couch, giving her a gentle smile. “I hope I’m not being rude by saying this, but you look very scared. Is there something we can do to make you feel better?”

“Does it hurt anywhere?” asked Applejack, moving closer. “That was quite a tumble you took.”

“She’s not the only one,” coughed Rarity, shooting Cleansweep an upset look as the two non-ponies righted her chair and helped her sit back down.

“Aw, I bet Soft Mane can fix that right up,” replied the lizard, causing Cleansweep to frown. Hadn’t the stories about Princess Twilight mentioned that she had some sort of talking reptile? “That goes for you too,” he added before she could keep thinking about it, looking right at Cleansweep as he spoke. “If it hurts anywhere, just say the word and she can take care of it.”

He concluded by pointing a thumb at the half-pony, who nodded. “I have some healing magic, so if you-”

“I don’t want your help!” snapped Cleansweep. “You stay away from me!”

“Geez, she’s just trying to be nice,” huffed Rainbow Dash, crossing her forelegs over her chest as she hovered in the air, having managed to extricate herself from Pinkie’s hug. “You could learn a thing or two from her, you know. You practically knocked Rarity into next week and you still haven’t said you’re sorry.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” growled Cleansweep, giving the pegasus a dark look.

Rainbow frowned, more in confusion than irritation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Rainbow Dash, calm down,” admonished Twilight gently. “I think Fluttershy’s right, she’s just really scared.” Turning her attention back to Cleansweep, the alicorn knelt down so that she was at eye-level with the filly. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle. I don’t know what’s wrong, but if there’s something you’re afraid of, I bet my friends and I can help.”

A round of nods followed, though Fluttershy’s was a bit more hesitant. “It’s not, um, something really frightening is it? Like some sort of horrible monster, or…” She glanced at the open door that Cleansweep had flown in through, her eyes widening in realization. “Is it that pony who lives here, Lex Legis? Are you running away from him?”

That was the last straw. “You don’t get to say that about Lex!” shrieked Cleansweep, jumping up as she flared her tiny wings out as wide as she could. “He’s the nicest, most caring pony in all of Equestria! He’s the reason that Vanhoover’s doing as well as it is right now! It’s thanks to him that we’re building new houses and everyone can buy food and feel safe when they sleep at night! He’s paid ponies to work jobs and got Tall Tale to send us supplies and saved us from all sorts of horrible monsters! He saved me and my best friend from that evil pony just this morning! And instead of showing up to thank him for taking such good care of us, she” – her hoof thrust out to point at Rainbow Dash accusingly – “tried to kill him, and now the rest of you are here to help her do it! Well guess what?”

She faltered as she tried to think of the most intimidating thing she could say, only to come up blank, reaching for the first thing that came to mind. “You're…you’re gonna have to go through me first! And a lot of other really tough ponies too! And…and…and we’re not scared because even if you kill us, Lex will bring us all back to life!”

Twilight’s eyebrows shot upward. “Back to life?” she echoed, her voice incredulous.

“That’s right!” Seizing on how shocked her foe looked, Cleansweep pressed the point, having overheard those two mares who had attacked Starlight Glimmer with a cloud talking about that after the doctors had brought them all back. “He brought a bunch of ponies back to life with the Night Mare’s magic just this morning, even though they were lost in the city weeks ago! So there’s nothing you can do to scare us! We’ll stop you, even if-”

“Is everything alright?”

The voice caused everyone to look at the doorway, seeing Trotsworth standing there. When no answer came in response to his question, he gave a polite bow. “I do apologize for interrupting,” he said, as though he’d just intruded on a friendly game of billiards rather than a shrieking tirade. “Miss Cleansweep, your mother has asked that you come see her at your earliest convenience. She’s awaiting you in the medical wing.”

It took Cleansweep a moment to realize what she was being told. Licking her lips, she glanced at the ponies surrounding her, and took a slow step toward the old butler. When no one moved to stop her, she broke into a run, rushing over and giving the elderly stallion a hug once she’d crossed the threshold, knowing that he’d rescued her as surely as Lex had. For his part, Trotsworth smiled as he put a hoof on her back. “There now, it’s quite alright,” he murmured soothingly. “You’d best run along. You don’t want to keep your mother waiting.”

Nodding, she took off down the hallway, wings fluttering as she sped away from the scene of her disastrous failure. But as she departed, she caught Trotsworth’s voice as he spoke again.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid that, in conjunction with Master Legis’s medical staff and several interested parties, Miss Dusk has elected not to avail herself of your offer to assist with his recovery.”

“She doesn’t want our help?” came Twilight’s disbelieving voice a second later.

“I’m afraid not,” was Trotsworth’s answer, his voice as unflappable as ever. “Furthermore, in accordance with her wishes, as well as those of Miss Bank, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you and your party to leave immediately.”

Author's Note:

After a disastrous attempt to steal one of the Elements of Harmony, Cleansweep is saved by Trotsworth, who informs Twilight of Sonata's decision not to let Soft Mane heal Lex!

Will the Mane Six take that lying down?

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