Tempest Shadow stood before her parents with her eyes wide open and her mouth dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe that after all this time, she was seeing them again. However, the looks of disappointment on their faces meant that this would be no happy reunion.
"Mom! Dad!" Tempest gasped as she approached them. "Is it really you?! Look, I know you’re disappointed in me and…"
But, a raised hoof from Tempest's mother silenced her. "Fizzlepop," She sighed, approaching her youngest daughter with a look of disappointment registered clearly on her face. "You have shamed us greatly with your actions. We could have helped you, but instead you ran away. Why would you disgrace us like this?"
"Mom, dad, I…" Tempest cried, looking away from her parents in shame. "I…I couldn't live my life the way I did. Not after what happened."
"That's no excuse to run away from home and never return, Fizzlepop," Tempest's father scolded. "We would have loved you for who you are, but you threw that all away. It doesn't matter if you lost something physical, my child. All that matters is you are what you are, even if it's hard to accept. We knew it was going to be difficult after you lost your horn, and we were ready to help, but instead you ran away and we never saw you again until now."
Tempest turned back towards her parents with a shocked look on her face. However, she began to think back to when she’d managed to use her broken horn to create a light show during Songbird Serenade's concert. Twilight had told her that her horn was just as powerful as the pony who bears it. Had the princess really meant it? "Then, what can I do?” She asked.
“Razzle struck me and banished me from ever setting foot in our home again. I really don't blame her at all after all that I did, but the wound still stings."
"Don't worry about what Razzle did to you, Fizzlepop," Luna spoke up, walking over to Tempest's side. "Myself and the other princesses will handle her in time. It will not be an overnight change, it may takes months or even years for your sister to fully accept you again. But what you need to do is to…"
"-Atone for my actions?" Tempest interrupted, turning away to look at all the nightmares that ponies across Equestria were having thanks to her. "Twilight says that becoming her Royal Guard captain is the only way to do it."
"And she’s right about that," Luna advised. "Look at all these dreams, Fizzlepop. They are all nightmares that need to be turned back into dreams. The good deeds you will do as Princess Twilight's Royal Guard captain, will help to end these nightmares."
"It’s not too late, you can redeem still yourself, Fizzlepop," Her mother encouraged. "You can't change the past, but you can set up your future as a servant of Equestria's royalty. You’re more than what you have become, Fizzlepop."
"But how can I redeem myself if I'm not who I used to be?!" Fizzlepop demanded.
"Your parents, myself, and my fellow princesses see so much potential in you, and know that there is good inside of you. In time, you’ll see it too,” Luna advised, taking to the air. “Even though you committed heinous acts against Equestria, we don't have the heart to punish you severely."
Tempest took these words to heart and realized that there was no backing out now. She knew that she had been given a second chance by Twilight Sparkle, and she needed to take that second chance to heart. For her own sake, as well as for the sake of Equestria. "You're right," She sighed rather heavily. "If you say I have good inside me, then I should show it to all of Equestria. But, it's just that…"
"Go on, Fizzlepop." Luna encouraged.
"Will Razzle Fizzle ever forgive me for my actions?" Tempest asked with concern.
"That remains to be seen," Tempest's mother advised. "However, your father and I both hope that she will forgive you eventually. However, it’s not our place to say. That’s for her to decide on her own time."
Tempest felt a sense of reassurance, even if it wasn't complete the way she would have wanted it to be. "I promise you that I’ll make her proud," Tempest vowed. "I’ll make all of you proud, even if it won't be easy."
Soon, the dream came to an end, and Tempest awoke from her sleep knowing what needed to be done. She turned over towards the Friendship Festival Crown, sitting on her nightstand. "Well, at least I won't have to listen to the crown, even if I don't want to," Tempest thought as she climbed out of bed. "But, I know that I'm going to have to start accepting it for who it is eventually. And Razzle Fizzle, I hope you can one day forgive me."
Meanwhile, Twilight was greeted at the front door of her castle by her friends as they came over for a weekly breakfast. However, Twilight noticed the animosity that was developing between Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity concerning Tempest herself.
"Twilight, I..I know you want to forgive Tempest," Applejack spoke up, as they all ate breakfast. "But, part of me feels like I want to see her punished. I mean, she did…"
"I know it's hard for the three of you, believe me, it's been hard on all of us," Twilight spoke up. "But, do you really think that Tempest deserves to be severely punished? I mean, she's just a victim of Storm King's terror as much as anypony. And if we punish her to the extent she punished us, how does that make us any different than her?"
"Keep in mind that Tempest froze…" Rainbow Dash started to remind Twilight, but Starlight Glimmer interjected.
"We know what she did, Rainbow Dash. Believe me, Trixie and I spent three days in hiding from Tempest and those hulking monkeys." Starlight spoke up.
"All we are saying, sugarcube, is that Tempest does need to have some kind of punishment put against her,” Applejack explained. “Maybe serve a short sentence in Tartarus so she can think about her actions. Or somethin’ like that, somethin’ that’ll make her realize what she did was wrong and that she can’t do it again. That’s not too much to ask for, right?"
Twilight couldn't help but feel herself conflicted by the opinions of her friends. Yes, she knew that what Tempest did was wrong, but she knew deep down that Tempest didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. Part of her wanted to lash out at her friends like she did on the beach after they were banished from Seaquestria, but she couldn't bear herself to do that. Not after all they’d been through. "Look, I know why you want to see her punished," The princess sighed. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders weren’t the only ones treated so poorly. So many of our friends and families were subjected to cruelty, but many of they will only settle for blood. Is that really the price Tempest should pay for her actions?"
"But we don't want to settle for blood," Rarity cried, stamping her hoof down on the table. "We just want her to…"
"Out of the question!" interrupted Twilight, cutting Rarity off. "What Tempest needs is help and a little guidance, not a jail cell in Tartarus! She’s not like Tirek or the Storm King, she doesn’t deserve that! I'm sorry you don't like this idea, but it's the best I can do given the circumstances of the situation. If I turn her over for a trial, then they'll be screaming for blood! They don’t want justice, they only want revenge!"
As Twilight spoke, Tempest came down the stairs and could hear what was going on.
She put her head to the door and listened in on what was being said.
"Twilight, I know you’re sympathetic to Tempest, seeing as she told you about her past," Fluttershy spoke. "But, if she doesn't at least accept responsibility in the eyes of Equestria, then the cries will only grow louder. Let her at least plead guilty to the princesses and do some kind of sentence that will fit the crime, as well as help her redeem herself."
"I think Fluttershy has a point, sugarcube," added Applejack. "You do need to give your subjects what they want, Twilight. Even if it’s not what you want. You can’t think only about what’s best for Tempest, you need to think what’s best for all of Equestria."
Hearing this, Tempest realized that she needed to formally accept responsibility for her actions, so she took a deep breath and walked into the dining room.
"Tempest?!" Twilight gasped. "What are you doing here?!"
"Twilight," Tempest said firmly. "I overheard what you all have been saying, and you’re right, I need to be punished for what I did. It’s the only way anything’s going to get better. So I'm going to turn myself into the authorities."
Twilight sharply gasped and her mouth dropped open at this decision that had been made!