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.
Willow’s casual suggestion sent shockwaves throughout the room.
“Now that’s colder than an ice cube in a blizzard!” exclaimed Applejack angrily, leaping to her hooves and stalking toward Willow until she was right in the purrsian’s face, blocking her path to the door. “Lex saved your life more than once back on Everglow, and now the first thing outta your mouth is that we should end his?!”
But Willow didn’t look the slightest bit phased by the orange mare’s anger. “You asked me for my opinion, and I gave it to you. If you want to stop Lex Legis, then he needs to die. It’s as simple as that.”
“Darling, you can’t be serious,” laughed Rarity uncomfortably. “I mean, this Lex character sounds absolutely beastly, but surely that’s going too far.”
“I’m not so sure,” interjected Shining Armor, his expression grave. “After what Princess Celestia and Cozy said, it’s clear that he’s a threat to Equestria. If we want to keep him from hurting anypony else, Willow might have the right idea.”
That statement earned Shining Armor a horrified look from Twilight. “This isn’t some monster we’re talking about here, Shining Armor! Lex Legis might not know very much about friendship, but he’s still a pony! A pony I know! A pony I went out on a date with once!”
“I know, Twily, and that’s what scares me!” Shining Armor’s expression was a mixture of fear and frustration. “What if you’d come back from that date with an awful curse of your own?! Or worse, what if you hadn’t come back at all?! If I lost someone else…”
Cadance put a hoof over Shining Armor’s then, whispering something to him that made him close his eyes and let out a slow breath. For her part, Twilight’s ears flattened, looking confused. “‘Someone else’…?”
“Lex wouldn’t do that.” Aisle couldn’t be quiet anymore, giving Shining Armor an apologetic look. “I’m sorry if I’m speaking out of turn, but I don’t believe Lex would do that. In fact, I know it for sure.” He gave Cozy the same look of apology then. “I’ve said it before, but I just can’t believe that someone who would risk their life for strangers can really be bad.” He glanced around self-consciously, before sinking back into his seat, giving Cozy a tentative smile. “Please don’t be mad at me for that.”
Cozy’s smile was small, but genuine. “I’m not.”
But the romantic moment was ruined as Line Byline’s voice interrupted them. “You say you know it for sure that Lex Legis wouldn't do something so monstrous,” he asked pointedly. “But Princess Celestia told us how he murdered that Royal Guardpony, Silhouette.”
Aisle bit his lip, not sure what to say to that. “I…I don’t know-”
“It wouldn’t surprise me.” Soft Mane crossed her arms over her chest, frowning bitterly. “Lex hates anyone who’s different from him. It was probably just a matter of time before he started treating other ponies that way.”
“Sweetheart,” murmured Grass Patch sadly, reaching a hoof up to rub her daughter’s back gently.
“Um, I’m sorry for interrupting,” stammered Fluttershy, despite the fact that no one else had been talking. “But do we know for sure that Lex Legis is a pony? I mean, when Manehattan caught fire during the elemental bleeds, there were…there were c-creatures there that…that looked like ponies, but…but also did t-terrible things…” She couldn’t finish, shuddering and taking deep breaths.
Rarity winced at that, remembering how one of those monsters had briefly captured the gentle mare and sadistically tortured her before being defeated. “Darling, I’m sure this isn’t like that. Twilight and Applejack must have verified that Lex is a pony just like us.” She finished with a questioning look toward her friends.
Twilight nodded quickly. “We did, and he is. Equestria’s planar-”
“No, he’s not.” Princess Luna’s voice was soft, but it cut through the commotion as she shook her head. “Lex Legis might be a pony, but he isn’t like us.” She looked at Twilight then, her expression carefully composed. “Neither was King Sombra, and no one shed tears when the Crystal Heart destroyed him after you helped retrieve it. There are some villains who cannot be redeemed.”
Spike blinked. “Wait, King Sombra was destroyed?” He looked at Twilight, confused. “You told me he was dispelled into the ether.”
His comment made Twilight cringe, Rarity grimace, Fluttershy wince, Applejack sigh, and Soft Mane roll her eyes. Across the room, Cadance giggled a tiny bit, knowing that her sister-in-law had been trying to protect Spike’s innocence. Grass Patch seemed to sense that too, leaning down to whisper to the little dragon. “Focus on the big picture, Spike. Girls like bad boys who don’t get preoccupied over little details. ”
Spike blinked at that, glancing up at where Soft Mane was pretending she hadn’t heard anything, before smiling and giving Grass Patch a sage nod. “Bad boys who don’t sweat the small stuff, huh? I mean, I don’t wanna brag or anything, but that does describe me. Just the other day, I realized I misfiled one of Twilight’s checklists, and I still haven’t gotten around to fixing it.”
A shudder ran through Twilight at that, but she forced herself to let it go…for now. “Luna, I understand that Lex has done something horrible to you, but listen to what you’re saying! You yourself were a pony who lost their way, but Princess Celestia never gave up on you, which is why my friends and I were able to change you back into who you really are! That same compassion just might be the key to solving everything now! If our magic can’t break Lex’s curse, then maybe our best hope is to convince Lex himself to undo it, but he can’t do that if he’s dead!”
“You may very well be right, Twilight,” admitted Princess Celestia. “But everything that we’ve heard here, both from those who believe in Lex and those who do not, suggest that he’s someone who never changes his mind once it’s made up.”
From where she was still barring Willow’s path to the door, Applejack frowned. “Beggin’ your pardon, Your Highness, but that don’t mean it ain’t worth tryin’. It’s like that there stallion said,” she nodded at Aisle. “Somepony who goes so far outta their way to help others can’t be all bad, even if some of the people he’s helped ain’t exactly grateful for it.”
But Willow ignored the barb, instead fixing Applejack with a steely glare. “Your princess said that I don’t have to be here if I don’t wish to be, so I’m going to tell you one last time: get out of my way, or-”
“Or what?” huffed Applejack. “You’ll kill me?”
“Or I’ll be late for my train,” answered Willow evenly.
“Actually,” came the voice of Line Byline, “the next train to Ponyville won’t leave for almost an hour.” When the purrsian and the mare glanced at him, he nodded pointedly at the pocketwatch in his hoof before putting it away. “Fifty-six minutes, to be exact. You tend to memorize the train schedule pretty fast when you work in the news, since quite a bit of it revolves around who’s coming and who’s going.” He gave Willow an even look then. “Of course, if you’re in that much of a hurry you could always charter an airship, but those are expensive even if you give them plenty of advance notice. And I wouldn’t recommend trying to make the journey on wing, since it’s a long way.”
“Applejack, please. This isn’t helping.” Cadance’s words were without reproach, and that was what made the apple farmer huff and slink back to her seat, though not without giving Willow one final glare. “Thank you,” smiled Cadance, before turning her attention back to the purrsian. “Willow, since there’s no need for you to rush, could you tell us more about why you think we should use such a…permanent, solution with regard to Lex?”
Willow paused for a long moment before sighing, turning around and looking at Cadance. “My son, Sunflower, never knew his father. He left me when he found out I was pregnant, and that I wouldn’t sell our child into slavery.”
Cadance’s eyes widened, and hers weren’t the only ones; everyone in the room looked sickened by what they’d just heard. “Y-your people-”
“Yes,” answered Willow simply. “And after I made it clear I wouldn’t do such a thing, he decided that the financial burden of raising a child would impose on his dreams of forming a business empire, and wouldn’t be conducive to attracting more wives, so he abandoned me.”
“Wait, ‘more’ wives?” blinked Spike, before glancing between Soft Mane and Rarity. “As in, more than one?”
“Don’t. Sweat. The details,” growled Soft Mane dangerously.
“Er, r-right,” gulped Spike.
Looking distinctly uncomfortable, Cadance cleared her throat. “Willow, I’m sorry for what you went through, but what does that have to do-”
“He admires Lex.” For the first time, Willow's mask of indifference slipped, allowing a flicker of concern to leak through. “I never dated anyone else after Sunflower was born, so he’s never had someone to look up to-”
“He has you,” interrupted Twilight. “The mother who always put him first, even now.”
But rather than looking flattered by the compliment, Willow waved a wing dismissively. “He’s never had someone male to look up to. A boy needs his father, and if he doesn’t have one, then he finds someone else he can idolize like one.”
“And for Sunflower, that someone is Lex?” asked Princess Celestia.
Willow nodded. “As Applejack said, the first time we met him, he saved my life when our train crashed. Sunflower saw him lead me back with the other survivors he’d rescued, and Lex didn’t stop there. He took charge of the situation, using his magic to create food and shelter and tend to everyone’s wounds, even fighting off local predators when they came to investigate the crash.” She shook her head, remembering. “It all made a powerful impression on Sunflower. He didn’t see someone with a bad personality and a need to control everything. He saw someone who was brave and strong and fearsome, without being cruel or greedy. That we met Lex again, and the way he saved us a second time by calling on a goddess, of all things, cemented Sunflower’s awe.” A rueful look crossed her features then, and she glanced at Line. “He’s cut out and framed that article from your newspaper. It’s hanging on the wall in his room.” She rolled her eyes. “Now he’s saying he wants to learn magic. He claims it’s because Sweetie Belle is studying how to cast spells, but I know the real reason why.”
Twilight couldn’t have looked more confused. “But why would you want us to kill Lex if your son admires him so much?”
Willow scowled at her. “Because Equestria is a paradise! Because I’ve never seen Sunflower as happy as he is now! He smiles and laughs more in one day here than he did in a week back on Everglow. He can go outside and play with his friends without me needing to worry that he’ll be attacked by a monster or touched by some pervert or grabbed by a slaver looking to make some quick cash. When he gets into trouble here, no one tries to hit him or take his money or throw him in jail. His biggest worry now is figuring out what to do for the school talent show. And this is the society that Lex thinks is being mismanaged so badly that he needs to conquer it for everyone’s own good.”
She seemed to deflate then, finally padding back over to her chair and sinking into it. “I’ve known bad people all of my life. They don’t just prey on others, they enjoy it. Lex Legis doesn’t do that, he doesn’t like how asserting himself over others makes him feel…but he doesn’t seem to like anything else, either. He doesn’t just want to be in charge, he needs it, and he won’t stop until he is. And if anyone gets in his way, well…” She waved a paw at Luna. “He’s not a bad person, but he’s not a good one either, and I’m worried about what will happen to Equestria if he takes control of it. I’m afraid that it won’t be the same place it is now, where my son can grow up safe and happy.”
She scanned the room then, silently asking if anyone else had any questions. When no one said anything, she let out a slow breath. “So yes, I think you should kill him before it comes to that.”
Willow's suggestion causes an uproar, ending only when she explains her reasoning for wanting Lex dead.
Has her story swayed everyone's opinion?
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Fear of the unknown, fear of what it may do to you and your own. And the resulting desire to destroy it before it has a chance to cause any harm.
While Lex isn't a complete unknown, whatever knowledge they have on him is terrifying to say the least. While it isn't enough to convince everyone that killing him is the best option, Willow's reasons behind her opinion is understandable and partially correct in the sense that there would be changes should Lex take over though they're not the ones she fears.
Suffice to say, his impersonable nature is coming to bite him once more though the potential backlash from it is getting ridiculous.
A conqueror
Is all they see.
They don't know him as others do,
Us; you and me.
Lex Legis is, without a doubt
lacking in tact.
Fear of society's ways
Has caused him that.
But what shall happen
Alzrius knows.
But we do not, it brings us woes
And now the poem, shall come to a close.
Unfortunately, as much as I'd like for Lex to have his shot at governing his cities, Willow does have a point. Given Lex's views on non-ponies and pony hybrids, any nation ruled by him, at best case, would be great for ponies...and treat the others like crap, maybe especially the hybrids. I mean, Lex's disdain for non-ponies is big enough that he has to keep himself in denial about Sonata and Aria's siren origins to be able to allow himself to have feelings for them, and we've seen his attitude towards non-ponies he doesn't care about...
Also nice for Aisle to finally speak up, so we have at least one less biased voice that was actually at Vanhoover. Now if AJ would speak up about Severance, but not sure if testifying about its personality corrpting properties would help or hinder Lex's case overall.
10010377
If Lex had his ways, he'd bar any non-ponies from entering Equestria and deport any that currently reside there or treat them as second class citizens at best but that's just his views and I doubt his girls will allow such things come due to their past and even if he does get away with it, he can't exactly change everyone's views on non-ponies.
As for Applejack not speaking up about her brief connection to Severance and its mind-altering effects, I can't fault her for not speaking up yet due to the guilt of willfully sending a couple of defenseless children into a dangerous dimension as punishment. As much as a monster everyone is making Lex out to be, that act, even if it was under the influence of a magical scythe is even more monstrous.
Still, even if she did, having everyone believe that Lex is under Severance's sway is a moot point since the scythe is already gone so any atempt to negotiate under such assumptions is going to be messy to say the least when Lex tells them that the scythe is gone and he's evidently still unchanged and unrepentant for his actions(not that he'll admit it even if he was)
You can only have perfection in stagnation? That what Lex is aiming for is just as Equestria is now, but pushed over the cliff, perfection in freefall. But there is a rather disruptive stop rapidly approaching?
Kill Him right good luck with even trying that and thinking you will walk way.
hum wonder if i can corner the market on body bags.
try ti Kill Lex and he will return the favor.
10010253 As much as she can come off as cold, and even mercenary (largely due to the influence of her environment growing up), Willow cares very deeply about her son. To live in a place like Equestria, which is a perfect place for a child to grow up, is more than she hoped she could ever give him. So it makes sense that she'd be worried about keeping it...especially since her son apparently admires the pony who's made his intent to change Equestria very clear.
Now, that doesn't mean that Lex will necessarily make it worse; quite the opposite, he's intent on instituting changes that he's sure will make the place even better. But it's quite clear that Willow doesn't want to take the risk. She might appreciate what Lex has done for her, but she's made it very clear that when it comes to her son's welfare, she'd be comfortable with Lex losing his life rather than accepting even a chance that Sunflower might not be able to keep living the way he is now.
The irony, which I suspect someone will mention to her sooner rather than later, is that what she's suggesting (i.e. killing Lex) is at odds with the very values that she's glad Sunflower can grow up experiencing.
10010264 Hopefully those woes won't be around much longer, as future chapters come out!
But yes, this is why Lex's lack of tact is such a major problem. In a society that doesn't systematize its government, personal connections take on outsized importance where running things is concerned. If the local rulers are absolute monarchs, upsetting them can have major consequences. Case in point, de-alicorning Luna.
10010377 It's important to note that the manner in which Lex's supremacist views manifest themselves. Other than his absolute prohibition on killing ponies, there hasn't been much practical impact to it; remember, in the previous story (The Apple Falls Far From the Tree), Lex was fine with Willow and Sunflower coming to Equestria, and even offered them some gems to help finance them starting new lives there.
That's because he didn't start from a place of valuing ponies more than other races; he ended up there after observing how ponies have built the most prosperous civilizations, advanced moral values the furthest, and generally created societies that are better than those of everywhere else. The buffalo have no proper civilization to speak of (it's questionable if they've even adopted literacy). The yaks are thuggish isolationists. The griffons are venal and divided. The dragons combine the worst of all of those qualities. The changelings are nothing more than parasites. And while Everglow is a world under far more threat than Equestria, the ponies have created the most stable civilization there too.
That's where his disdain for other races comes from; taken as a whole, they simply seem to lack the potential that ponies have. However, he also recognizes that individuals can transcend whatever limits keep their people from collectively equaling the ponies' greatness. Hence his notation several chapters back about how certain exceptional members of races that aren't part of the moral community can attain personhood on their own. That makes it questionable if he'd introduce any actual discrimination into the laws he'd implement; you don't need to actively protect an inherent greatness that's already outshining every other race, at least not unless there's some sort of major threat at the societal level or worse.
10010515 I doubt Lex would see it that way, if I'm understanding you correctly. The major issue as he sees it is that Equestria hasn't achieved perfection, or anything else of note for a millenium. The only perfection it's attained is perfection at stagnation.
10010706 That's the practical part of the meeting, which they haven't gotten to yet...and might not at all. While the "kill him" idea seems to be gaining weight, it's far from carrying the day, as Twilight and several others have demonstrated.