Somepony knocked on the door. It wouldn’t have been weird, if no other than Rainbow Dash had opened that same door at that moment.
“Hey Twi’, Spike.” the multicolor pegasus said without much enthusiasm.
“Rainbow Dash?” asked Twilight, almost shocked by the strange behavior of her friend. “What is happening, are you feeling okay?”
Understanding the others could see how she was feeling, Dash suddenly rose from her sad looking attitude and, smiling, replied:
“Yeah, everything is alright, no need to worry.”
“Nice joke.” said Spike, laughing. “You had me for a moment.”
And the dragon left the room, sort of ashamed to have been tricked in such a smart way, as he had never imagined somepony would do something that subtle to manipulate him. And, of course, completely oblivious to the fact that Rainbow Dash hadn’t been putting any trick whatsoever.
“Hum… Twilight?” the pegasus began, strangely hesitant.
“Yes, what is it?” replied the alicorn, understanding her friend was about to ask something important. “How can I help you?”
“It’s just… you know…” said Dash, conscious that there was no way for Twilight to know anything at that point, but saying those words anyway as any other have and will in the entire universe for some weird reason. “I need to go somewhere and I would really, really appreciate if you would accept to come with me!”
She had sort of closed her eyes while saying those last words and, for a mere second, she was looking like Fluttershy. Twilight thought that there were more similarities between the two pegasii than she had previously considered.
“No need to feel so doubtful about it. Of course I’ll come with you.” she replied. “Where are we going?”
But at that very moment, an unknown mare entered the room, followed by the guards who had tried to prevent her to enter in the first place.
“Well, you let that other mare pass, so why should I have to wait?” rhetorically asked the unknown mare.
The guards tried to explain that Rainbow Dash wasn’t just any mare, but they could have spoken about the history of the moon and sun and have obtained the same result.
“Your majesty!” suddenly said the unknown mare, noticing the princess’s presence. “I’m sorry to come in without any invitation, but I have to talk to you!”
Twilight made sign to the guards to wait and asked what the mare wanted.
“My name is Grace. Grace Full. I know that you will pass judgment on a case touching my daughter and I thought I had to tell you something of the utter importance on that case.”
“What is it?” asked Twilight, not sure where this was going.
“I happen to know that arsonist since my daughter has chosen him for some reason only those younglings really know and I’ve seen what a despicable creature he really is. Don’t be fooled by his smile or his innocent look. He has made my life and my daughter’s life a living hell since he has appeared. He is a violent, good for nothing and stinking beast that must be taken away from society, not only for my daughter’s good, but also to protect everypony else.”
Twilight wasn’t sure how to react to that, and instinctively looked at Rainbow Dash who simply had no idea what was going on and why that miss Full was speaking about such things.
“My daughter is stupid, I’ll give you that.” kept on saying Grace Full, as nopony had interrupted her. “But it’s a mother’s duty to protect her offspring from themselves. She should have never even talked to that monster. If she had only listened to me, none of that madness would have happened. But what has been done is done, so even if I was right, I shouldn’t look back and just make sure he will be locked into a dungeon where his place is.”
Twilight politely thanked the mare and the guards took the mother out of the room, under her protestation against their brutal, impolite way, and her grateful words to the princess that she was certain to have convinced of what had to be done.
“Who was that?” asked Rainbow Dash, who was feeling so grateful not to have to manage such weird ponies in her daily job.
“It’s…” began Twilight, not sure how she should explain it. “It’s nothing. I’ve got to decide if a pony should end up locked in jail or not… But let’s get back to you!” she said, happy to let all judicial problems behind her and change her mind with her friend. “Where is it you wanted to go?”
Rainbow Dash looked down and stayed silent for a few seconds.
“What is it?” asked Twilight, not certain if she had said something she shouldn’t have.
“The jail.” Dash said.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“It’s where I want you to accompany me.”
“What?” Twilight asked out of surprise.
“I received a letter today. They found some new evidences in my father’s case, they have reopened it and found him innocent, so he will be freed in a few hours.” Dash explained. “I don’t want him to be alone when he steps out of the walls. I want to be there. I owe him that much.”
She didn’t say that she was also feeling incredibly guilty for having never gone to talk with her father since he had been imprisoned, that she had decided he was a bad person because he had been judged so by the judicial system, because the justice had said so. She still hadn’t accepted the fact that she had decided, long ago, that she had no father anymore.
And now, all she knew was that she had to go there and just be there for him, even if she knew she couldn’t amend for the way she had treated him during all those years. She was feeling it was her duty to show him she hadn’t completely forgotten about him. Even if it meant having to be judged by him, and probably hated or despised.
It was one of those situations where one had done what seemed right only to discover it was wrong. One of those very commonplace situations where all there is left to do is ask for forgiveness, from all those who have been wronged, including the one who has wronged.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t even sad. She was just confused, lost between what she had been believing until then, and what she was believing now, lost in a world where she had to trust what she was told to think, without any way to be certain she was believing what was true.
And deep within, Rainbow Dash was just a child. A little simple innocent child that was very impatient, because she knew she would soon see her father again, and that was making her happy.