//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: "It All Seems Like It Happened So Fast" // Story: The Redemption of Tempest Shadow // by twilightsparkle3562 //------------------------------// Tempest Shadow kept her eyes locked on the ceiling of Twilight's study, as Sweetheart prepared to take down notes of whatever the troubled pony would be speaking of. From a short distance away, Twilight continued to think of the perfect way for Tempest to start redeeming herself, however she knew that Tempest had to help herself. before Twilight could help her. "It all seems like it happened so fast," Tempest began, as Sweetheart listened intently. "One minute you throw your life at the feet of someone who promised to restore a piece of your life back. The next thing you know, you’re dealing with the consequences of that decision. All I ever wanted was to get my horn back, Sweetheart, no matter what it took." "We've only been together for a short time, Tempest," Sweetheart replied, looking down at her notes. "And already I can tell that you were obsessed to the point where you didn't even care about the well being of others. Why did you join forces with the Storm King, when you knew that you’d be dealing with the consequences of your actions eventually?" "All I cared about was getting back my horn, nothing else!” Tempst snapped! “Everything I might have ever cared about when it came to other ponies, was taken away when that Ursa Minor took everything away from me: My dreams, my friends, my family, you name it!" "Why would the Ursa Minor that took away your horn, take away your friends as well?" Sweetheart wondered, causing Tempest to break off looking at the ceiling and give the therapist a hard glare. "I'm only asking because you seem to blame the Ursa Minor and the Ursa Minor alone. Surely, there was somepony you could rely on other than the Storm King?" "There was nopony else," Tempest cried, her eyes welling up with tears. "When I lost my horn, everypony turned their backs on me at a time when I most needed a pony to lean on! What's more, I embarrassed my family and they shamed me! So I ran away from home! I wasn't going to take being made fun of for not having a horn! So I joined the Storm King! He promised me that he would restore my horn if I helped him conquer Equestria, and I accepted! At least, I would take out my frustration on the very home that I could no longer live in!" A hushed silence fell upon the study, but Twilight wasn't surprised. Tempest had seemed like the troubled sort of pony, and while still working under the Storm King, she’d laid bare her frustrations and belief that you can’t trust anyone. "There are ways to deal with such frustration, Tempest," Sweetheart sighed, adjusting her glasses a bit. "But what you did was not the right way. Now, I need you to ask yourself a question, Tempest. Had you not joined the Storm King, what would you have done to deal with your issues?" "I would have had nothing to turn to," Tempest bluntly answered. "When I lost my horn, I lost my life. I could have been something, Sweetheart. I dreamed of being accepted into Celestia's school for Gifted Unicorns. I could have been her personal protégé, could’ve been a princess and made a difference in the lives of my fellow ponies. But when I lost my horn, my life became meaningless until the Storm King arrived. He gave me a purpose, a test that if I passed, he promised I’d get all that I’d lost back." Sweetheart paused, and sighed heavily. "Tempest, that was no test he gave you. You were merely just a weapon for him to use against Equestria. A means to an end." "And I enjoyed every minute of it, don’t tell me I didn’t, or that I had no choice! Don't you see?!" Tempest shouted, rising to her feet. "I relished in seeing ponies caged up, or in chains, I relished in seeing ponies enslaved, I even relished in seeing the Princesses turned to stone! And do you know why?! Because I wanted Equestria to feel what I felt! I wanted Equestria to feel what it was like to lose something that you treasured, and that nopony turns to help you when you need it most! It made me feel…" Tempest then felt herself lose her emotional power and sat back down on the sofa as she weakly added. "…good." "But it didn't make you feel good, Tempest," Sweetheart remarked, mostly unfazed by Tempest's outburst. This sort of reaction was common in early therapy sessions. "It made you feel worse than it already did. Sometimes, actions have consequences, and what you did had the greatest amount of consequences. And now you’re aware that there are ponies who want you to pay for what you did." Tempest hung her head in shame. "They want me dead, and I don't blame them for it. In their eyes, I’m a war criminal, regardless of what Princess Twilight thinks." "That's because you hurt them both physically and emotionally, Tempest," Twilight spoke up, walking over from the other side of the study. "What Sweetheart is telling you is the truth, Tempest. You only made your situation worse by coming back to Canterlot and turning the lives of everypony upside down. What's more, you can't just cast a spell that will change everything for you. These things take time to heal.," As she spoke, Twilight continued to think of the idea that she had for Tempest still turning around in her brain. "Do you remember what Grubber was doing yesterday morning at breakfast?" She asked as she sat down next to Tempest on the sofa. "Of course I do," Tempest answered with a smile. "He was cooking us breakfast." "That's because myself and the other princesses gave him a second chance," Twilight told Tempest. "We only consider second chances to those whom we believe deserve a second chance. And you too qualify for said second chance." "But what will I do with that second chance?" Tempest asked. "You said that you always wanted to be a princess, didn't you?" Twilight began. "Y-yes…I did," Tempest stammered. "I did say that." With a smile on her face, Twilight then explained. "Well, you can't be a princess, Tempest. But there is a way you can achieve your dreams and atone for your actions. For some time, I’ve often thought about having a royal guard of my own, for the protection of not only myself and my friends, but for all of Ponyville as well." "Are you saying that I should…?" Tempest asked, hopefully Twilight nodded. "Yes, I am suggesting that you, Tempest Shadow, become the first captain of my royal guard." Tempest felt herself at a loss for words, as she contemplated what Twilight was telling her to do. Such an offer didn’t come often, it was likely one of those once in a lifetime deals. Should she accept it? Just then, there came the sound of loud knocking at the front doors of the castle, and the screams of the mob began to seep into the castle, as the crowd tried to break down the doors. "WE WANT TEMPEST SHADOW! WE WANT TEMPEST SHADOW! WE WANT TEMPEST SHADOW!" They demanded over and over again. "These ponies don't know when to quit," Starlight groaned, carefully charging up her horn. "What do we do now?" "I guess we're left with no choice," Twilight remarked as she went to the doors and activated a spell that froze all the ponies in place. "I didn't want to do that, but I had to do something to protect all of us," She sighed, and turned to Starlight. “Please remove them, but be gentle. We’re not trying to cause harm, we just want to keep them from doing something rash. Starlight nodded. “Got it, a few simple levitations should get them all to disperse.” And she set to work on picking up various members of the crowd, and lightly carrying them over the horizon (or as far she could take them without straining herself). Once the crowd had been taken care of, Twilight turned to Tempest. "This, is part of what royal guards do,” She explained. “They help to protect Equestria and make a difference in its defense. Now, I can’t force you to decide one way or another. But I just hope you end up making the right decision for yourself, Tempest. Think about it for a while."