Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

851 - Beyond Mortality

Did you enjoy your dalliance with that conceited slattern?

The voice made Solvei wince. Simply comprehending the words was a painful exercise, as though maintaining that level of awareness was a greater burden than she could bear. But she had no choice in the matter, the voice being powerful enough that it demanded her attention whether or not she wanted to give it.

I’m given to understand that you compelled her to grant me a blessing, came a second voice, and though it had less weight behind it than the first, it felt far more personal somehow. If you disapprove of my activities with her, then perhaps you shouldn’t have given her justification for meddling with me so brazenly.

The first voice gave a dark chuckle at that. Better that her meddling should be brazen than hidden. And that she should be invested in your success instead of working against you.

Invested in my success? sneered the familiar voice. All she wants is for me to avenge her wounded pride.

By undertaking a task that you were already resolved to perform. Tawdry though it might have been, the insight she granted you is not without value in that regard.

An alliance of convenience-

Is still an alliance. To have others willingly offer you their strength – be it magic, armaments, skills, secrets, or whatever else they have to give – is the nature of leadership. And leadership is simply another word for power over others. Do not disregard that strength simply because it was given for reasons other than abject submission to your will.

...

Cultivate those tools, my champion. You’re going to need them, now more than ever.

What does that mean?

Solvei’s consciousness had recovered to the point where she could identify the speakers now, recognizing that Master was speaking to the Night Mare. But everything else – even forming a coherent reaction to what she was hearing – was currently beyond her. All she could do was let their voices roll across her mind.

You have reached a new level of existence. The fusion of aristeia and divinity, fragmentary though they were, was sufficient to grant you much more than a mere undying body. The result is that every part of you has been enhanced. Cognition, senses, magic, and so much else now transcend mortal limits by far.

Then...!

No. Your sense of exclusion has always been the source of your ambition. You’ve known that even before you made a holy pilgrimage to my realm. Do you truly believe that I would take your greatest strength from you?

For a moment, Solvei sensed intense bitterness from her master. But as quickly as she felt it, the emotion vanished, replaced by frustrated acceptance. So be it then. That’s unchanged, but the rest of me has become...what?

That earned another dark chuckle from the goddess, but this time it was deeper, as though she were pleased by the question. There is a name for beings that are more than mortal, but less than gods. Undying, they command strength sufficient to influence the course of not just worlds, but entire planes of existence. Archangels, infernal nobles, elder fey, ascended dragons, and other such cosmic beings count them as peers and rivals. The strongest among them are powerful enough that even gods cannot dismiss their significance.

Although her master made no response, Solvei could feel his anticipation, waiting to hear what the goddess said next.

He wasn’t made to wait long.

They’re called titans, revealed the Night Mare. And you’re one of them now. Which means that you cannot afford to dismiss any advantage of which you find yourself in possession. Not when you’ll soon come to the notice of powers that would have overlooked you before.

A titan? I’ve become a titan?

Only in terms of your personal capabilities. Everything else you possess, save for the weapon that I consecrated, will need to be raised to commensurate status if they’re to be of any use to you.

In that case, I want more from you.

More? From me? A low, dangerous growl came from the goddess then. I have already granted you boons beyond measure, elevating you to a status beyond mortal comprehension, and now you dare to declare yourself unsatisfied?

You’re the one who praised my ambition, replied Lex, his voice completely without fear. And if I’m to be a titan while also serving as your champion, then I want divine spells commensurate to the power I wield. Not the weak healing spells and minor wards you’ve granted me up until now.

This time the Night Mare’s laughter was louder, and thick with approval. Done. Your new state of being makes you far more compatible with that type of magic anyway. Is there anything else you feel deserving of?

Yes. I want to be released from my vow.

Your vow? Ah, I had almost forgotten about that pledge I demanded of you, that you would renounce all formal romantic ties.

Her voice thick with bemusement, the goddess didn’t wait to make her decision. You know, I think I will free you from that obligation. As I said, you’ll need to cultivate alliances going forward, so you might as well make as much use of that doxy’s blessing as you can. Perhaps you could start with those servants of yours, assuming their minds haven’t completely collapsed from the feedback of what you’ve gone through.

Solvei felt a rush of surprise, followed by dread, from her master then. Immediately afterward there was a tugging sensation-

---

-and then she found herself in the embrace of a titan.

It was like she’d been swept up in a force of nature. Only the Night Mare’s presence had been more oppressive. Even then, that had at least been limited to the overwhelming fear of an unstoppable predator having caught sight of her.

Now, everything was going haywire. Her sense of balance was completely gone, like she’d been caught in an avalanche and didn’t know which way was up. Breathing was impossible, as if the very air had become too thick to fit in her throat. She could feel her muscles spasming of their own accord, as though she’d been struck by lightning.

It was enough that Solvei could feel herself slipping away completely, unable to withstand the crushing pressure-

Then, with a murmur of something from Lex, it was suddenly gone.

The absence of anguish was so abrupt that it was almost nauseating. Gasping, Solvei couldn’t suppress a cry as she sat up, breaking free of Lex’s grasp as she fought to regain control of herself. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Nenet, the sphinx looking like she was in the same state as she sank into a crouch, head in her hands as she breathed deeply.

It felt like a long time before her equilibrium started to come back, though Solvei was sure that it couldn’t have been more than a few hundred heartbeats. Finally, with one last shudder, she managed to raise her eyes to Lex.

Outwardly, at least, he seemed unchanged. Although the Night Mare had dubbed him to be a titan, he hadn’t gained any height, nor had his musculature increased. No additional horns grew from his head, nor was his fur adorned with any strange marking that she could see around the edges of his clothes. He didn’t even have the wings that Drafty had said that the rulers of his homeland were known for.

But that didn’t mean that his newfound powers weren’t extremely conspicuous.

The aura that he exuded was so intense that it was almost visible to the naked eye. In fact, there was no “almost” about it; as he moved, Solvei could see a slight afterimage trailing behind him, as though the entire world was struggling to make way for his passage.

Nor was the effect limited to what she could take in visually. His every step had a sense of impact to it now, to the point where she could have sworn she felt minor shockwaves against her skin each time he touched the ground, the effect leaving her feeling slightly dizzy. Though that might have been magnified by how quiet everything suddenly seemed, as though sound itself was afraid of drawing his attention.

The overall effect was to make him more intimidating than Hvitdod had ever been.

In that moment Solvei knew that the Night Mare had been right: “titan” was the only way to describe Lex now.

“M-Master,” she gulped, her voice sounding simultaneously strangled and yet hideously loud, as though she’d spoken at full volume in a room full of sleeping people. “What...what happened? I was-, Nenet and I were talking, and all of a sudden...”

“I reintegrated my spine into my body,” explained Lex, and despite the fact that he hadn’t raised his voice Solvei had to fight down the urge to wince. “While I survived the process, Adagio’s spells failed immediately thereafter, and the godsblood she’d placed in my vertebrae inundated me.” A thin smile crossed his lips then, and the sight almost made Solvei faint. “Before I overwhelmed it.”

“And you...became a titan?” croaked Nenet, looking like she was about to throw up. “I heard a voice say that, just now...”

“That was the Night Mare,” answered Lex, quickly giving them a brief overview of the spiritual battle he’d fought, and how the goddess had reacted to his victory by using that trace of divinity – and the last lingering fragments of aristeia in Hvitdod’s bones – to elevate him to his new, immortal state. “Though I still need to ascertain what I’m capable of now.”

Just the thought of him testing out his powers was enough to make Solvei whimper, her ears folding down. “I don’t think I could take that. Not when everything you do is so...intense.”

“What she said,” echoed Nenet.

Lex grimaced slightly. “What you’re feeling right now is the lingering effects of my overcoming the godsblood. Our connection means that some of what I experienced during the battle was transferred to the both of you. It’s placed stress on your souls, and is making you hypersensitive to my presence.”

“Does that mean this will wear off soon?” moaned Solvei.

“It should, once you grow accustomed to the aristeia I’ve given you.”

Nenet made a choking sound. “You...what?”

“The two of you each have a piece of my soul within you,” Lex reminded them. “In order to help you better adjust to my new mode of existence, I modified that connection so that the fragment you possess has power proportional to what I’ve become.”

“Is that why it felt like I was dying before, and now it just feels like I’m going to pass out?” muttered Solvei, trying to wrap her head around everything she was being told.

Lex nodded. “The adjustment was enough to ameliorate the worst of what you were feeling, and the rest should fade as your souls recover.” He paused then, and when he spoke again there was a subdued tone in his voice. “I regret that you had to go through that...in fact, I regret a great deal about how I’ve treated you both recently.”

That was enough to make Nenet look up, still wobbling slightly. “M-Master...?”

Her utterance was enough to earn Lex’s attention, and he walked over to her slowly. “Nenet, you did an excellent job with recovering my spine. The task was dangerous in the extreme, and had no margin for error, and yet you managed to succeed beyond my expectations. I should have told you how admirable your actions were, rather than berating you for something you couldn’t possibly have known.”

Despite how sick she looked, Nenet managed a weak smile. “Really?”

“Yes. Which is why I want you to have this.”

Nenet’s eyes widened as he held out a bracelet with three rings dangling from chains. “B-But that’s Adagio’s! How did you get it?!”

Lex shook his head. “I didn’t. You did.”

Nenet’s confusion was almost palpable. “I did?”

“When you fought her off right before I teleported you back, Belligerence’s barbs got tangled in the bracelet’s chains, and that was enough to bring it back with you. It was because of this ring” – he tapped the rightmost ring, a band of white gold with an emerald set on it – “that I was able to regenerate my spine, making my elevation to being a titan possible. So it’s only right that you wear it now.”

Looking awed, Nenet fumbled for the bracelet, pawing at it for a moment as she slipped it onto her left hand. “I...I don’t know what to say...thank you so much, Master!”

Managing a smile, Lex gave her a small nod, before turning to Solvei.

“Solvei-”

“She told me.”

Lex stopped in place, cocking his head to one side. “What?”

“Nenet told me,” repeated Solvei. “About Kara’s blessing. About how you feel about me. All of it.”

Lex’s expression darkened then, and behind him Nenet quailed, but Solvei plunged ahead before either of them could react. “I’m glad she did. I know you feel guilty, because you think my feelings aren’t real...” – taking a deep breath, she forced herself to say the next part before she lost her nerve – “but I don’t care! They’re real to me!”

“Solvei-”

“And besides, I don’t think gods can make things happen if they’re fake! I know I don’t know much about them, just the little bit that I learned back when I was studying with the Keeper, but if a god does something related to their ‘divine portfolio,’ I think it’s called, then doesn’t that mean that it’s real? I mean, love goddesses are supposed to make people fall in love, right? So maybe it’s not fake; maybe it’s just the difference between a tree that grows in the wild and a tree that grows because someone plants it and nurtures it!”

“Solvei-”

“And I know that you have Thermal Draft!” She was aware that she was babbling, and that she probably embarrassing herself, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “And that you still have feelings for Adagio’s sisters! And that’s fine! I don’t want to keep you all to myself! I don’t mind that Nenet’s here either, or even if you wanted to add more servants like Nisha! But I can’t stand the thought of you hating yourself because you think my feelings are something you did wrong! They’re not! I’m not unhappy that I l-, that I lo-, that...”

Taking a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes shut. “That I love you so much!”

Swallowing, she kept going. “And that’s why I don’t want you to feel guilty about me anymore! I like how this feels! I like that I get to be with the one I love all the time, and that we have such a close connection! I like-”

She was cut off as Lex gently put a single talon against her muzzle. “Solvei.”

Swallowing, she opened her eyes, trembling for reasons that had nothing to do with how strong his presence had become. “Y-y-yes?”

“I love you too.”

This time, when he embraced her, it didn’t feel smothering.

Instead, it was like she was exactly where she belonged.

“I want you to have this,” he murmured after several moments, taking his circlet off of his head and placing it on hers. “It will let you see into the magical spectrum, and has a small reservoir of magical energy that replenishes each day. I know that’s not very helpful, since your cryomancy can be used without limit-”

“No.” Sniffling a little, Solvei smiled up at him. “It’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect.”

Smiling, Lex nodded once before letting her go. Taking a step back, he looked between the two of them. “We’ll talk more later, but right now it’s imperative that we prepare to confront Adagio again, before she tries to run away or counterattack.”

“Can she do that?” Solvei sent a questioning glance Nenet’s way. “I thought she’s out of spells now, and she doesn’t have anyone else to fight for her, right?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s the case,” answered Nenet, stressing the second word. “But it’s not like she told me everything. It’s possible she has some sort of backup plan I don’t know about. Or even caches of magic items and spell components-, oops!” Clasping her hands over her mouth, Nenet gave Lex a wide-eyed look. “Master, I’m sorry! We forgot to get those diamonds you wanted us to excavate!”

But Lex only snorted at her worry. “I’m not concerned about those right now. Besides, the only one that I cared about was a particular crystal which had an unusual magical structure.”

Turning, he glanced at a nearby crack in the ground, eyes narrowing as his horn lit up. “It should be fairly easy to extract it now...”

Solvei cocked a brow. “I thought telekinesis needed line of sight to work.”

“And it’s only proportional to physical strength, right?” added Nenet.

“You’re both correct,” answered Lex. “But I’m curious if those limits still apply to me now that I’m a titan-”

He didn’t have a chance to finish as the ground tore itself open.

Solvei yelped in fright, Nenet giving a shriek as she flapped her wings, barely managing to catch Solvei before pulling her into the air as beneath them, the entire floor of the chasm exploded in a shower of stones, the ground heaving as a massive fissure opened up...

And a massive vein of diamond-studded rock – which had to weigh a hundred tons or more – floated upward, held aloft in Lex’s telekinetic aura.

And the pony-turned-titan could only stare at the huge chunk of earth that he’d ripped free from the ground with telekinesis alone, his eyes wide.

“...apparently not.”

Author's Note:

With their bond reaffirmed and new powers, Lex, Solvei, and Nenet start preparing for their confrontation with Adagio!

What new abilities have they gained? Will they be enough to overcome the last of the Siren sisters?

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Dwarves verses Seagulls.

Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine.

Lex better watch out for Adagio sweet talking Viking Gods now, they could end up leaving him Thor?

[Alzrius]

11644632 As someone who giggles whenever I hear a "dad" joke, I'll give those three Fluttershys.

[TheAbsoluteRadiance]

I was expecting Lex to turn Alicorn but nop. It looks like it’s not in his fate.

[Not so New Brony]

Okay...that's one hell of a power boost. Even if his outward appearance apparently remains unchanged, the effects of his, reconstruction...pseudo-ascension(?) is very apparent.

If he could do that much with just telekinesis, then I wonder if it's affected his magic too though with the Night Mare granting him more powerful spells that's compatible with his new status as a titan does spell trouble for his enemies.

Of course, as the Night Mare warned him, he's now on the radar of vastly more powerful beings now so I doubt he'll have a smooth journey anytime soon. On the bright side, his relationships with his companions seem to be stable now and given his power and presence, I think Akna might be able to convert her people to the Night Mare if she plays her cards right.

[Alzrius]

11644739 There were several reasons why Lex didn't turn into an alicorn, with the major one being that alicorns (as I see them) are symbols of Harmony. Now obviously, that idea has never been canonized, but it's notable that in Friendship is Magic, all of the alicorns we see are beings that protect and promote that particular concept/force. Even the evil alicorns we see were previously good beings who were corrupted (i.e. Nightmare Moon), or were ordinary ponies who "hijacked" the process of alicorn ascension (i.e. Cozy Glow, with the massive influx of Grogar's magic). While Opaline throws a bit of a monkey wrench into that idea (since to hear her tell it, she was bitterly jealous of Celestia and Luna since they were foals), I'd say the jury is still out on her, at least until we get some more details.

"But wait!" you say, "what about the goddesses of Everglow? Aren't almost all of them alicorns? The Night Mare herself is one, and she's evil!" Yes, she is, but gods are existences beyond that of any mortal, including alicorns (who, in comparison to what gods in the d20 System can do, are nowhere near as powerful), and so can present themselves as whatever they want. The Night Mare, for instance, looks like an alicorn because it's her way of spiting her rival, the Moon Princess, whose divine portfolio she's vying for; as such, it's no surprise that in Everglow's Age of Ashes, she takes on a different form. Kara looks like an alicorn, but she has some history of reinventing herself (what with her being the goddess of shapechangers, among other things).

All of which is to say that Lex was never going to be an alicorn, because it was predicated on an affinity for an ideal that he's long since rejected. Moreover, his merging with that aurumvorax diluted his nature as a pony enough that it's questionable whether or not the massive infusion of power would have "naturally" made him become an alicorn the way Cozy Glow did, though that's a moot point with the Night Mare having been the one to direct and apply the influx of divinity and aristeia anyway. She was less concerned with form and more with function, particularly since she (like Lex himself) places little emphasis on his being a symbol based around an ideal that she doesn't respect.

All of which is to say that Lex hasn't become an alicorn because he not only doesn't need to be one, but doesn't want to be as well. Instead, he's become something far, far greater.

[Alzrius]

11645043

Okay...that's one hell of a power boost.

You have no idea. Seriously. I make character sheets for all of the characters in this story, and I've been tweaking the stats for this power-up of Lex's for a while now. It's insane how much power he's gained; I should really post his updated stats soon. It's a huge listing, though, as there's basically no aspect to him which hasn't been boosted into the stratosphere.

...which suggests that the Night Mare's warning about the sorts of beings he'll face now is quite the harbinger of things to come.