No redemption.

by zman123

help from Celestia (Fluttershy pov)

April 31

I forgot the last time I had flown this quickly or for this long. My wings felt as if they would snap under the pressure. But somehow I still manged to keep going. I knew the one pony who could sort this mess out, the one pony who could save Lightning from the punishment she didn't deserve. The one pony who could have helped me with several of my problems but never did.

Leaves blow off the trees as I continue speeding forward, concerned about speed and nothing else. The world was a blur to me as I sped towards Canterlot, forgetting that I had been berated my whole life for being a terrible flyer. But today, I flew like I had been flying my whole life long.

I began to tire. and I felt for sure I was about to collapse from exhaustion. But then I thought of Lightning Dust being dragged back to jail, and being whipped and tortured every day, probably for the rest of her life. I thought of Lightning's tears when she realised she would never get a chance to apologise to Twilight and the others, and my feelings of fatigue dissipated almost as swiftly as they had come.

If Starlight and Sunset, two ponies who once held terrible grudges against Twilight Sparkle for petty reasons deserved second chances and were able despite all they had done to become dependable friends whose intervention had saved us several times, then Lightning Dust too deserved that chance. Especially since Lightning Dust held no grudge or ill will to begin with and her actions were simply a result of an unfortunate accident she could have done nothing to predict.

It was hypocritical not to give Lightning a chance, especially after she had confessed everything to me. If anything, Lightning could just as easily have been the element of loyalty as Dash.

I breath a sigh of relief as Canterlot, the capital city where princess Celestia lived and ruled from. I land and take several deep breaths, surprised I had covered such distance in a short amount of time. A Wonderbolt elite may have been able to do it with great effort, but not a weak willed introvert whose flying skills were so poor she had to live away from the other Pegasi, and who usually forgot she even had wings in the first place.

I rush for the palace, not wanting to waste time. As I had sadly expected, several guards were standing by the palace gate, their golden armour gleaming brightly even in the dimming afternoon sky. They point their spears at me and order me to stop.

"I have an urgent message for Princess Celestia" I protest, as confidently as I could. There was no time to lose.

"The princess is not seeing visitors at present" was the cold reply "So please. Leave."

"It's urgent" I repeat. This was not the time for following orders. Lightning's life was on the line.

"I said. You cannot. Now go!" they reply bluntly.

I think once more of Lightning been locked back into a cold, dark cell, never to see freedom again. Then I think of Dash standing outside Lightning's cell, laughing maniacally, making fun of Lightning's misery. And my fear, turns to anger. Anger that Twilight, Dash and even Celestia were all hypocrites and how Sunset and Starlight as good friends as they were, were still hypocrites for not giving Lightning the second chance they were given themselves.

"I said its urgent!" I yell. "My best friends life is at stake and you just tell me to leave her to die?"

"You have no business with the princess. We cannot let strangers like you in without you having some important reason"

"I'm not a stranger. I'm Princess Twilight's friend Fluttershy."

"Never heard of you."

"I'm Twilight's friend. I have a right to go and see Celestia. Princess Celestia said so."

The guard was clearly tired. "No. Just no" he said. "If you were some pony important then we would know. Now leave. Leave or it'll be all the worst for you."

The words assertive and shy did not go together well in a sentence. But when I thought once more of Lightning Dust, I managed with a great effort to stand my ground, and shake my head.

"I said now." shouted the guard. "Go now!"

"What's going on here." came a soft, melodious voice I recognised at once as Celestia.

It was like a voice from the heavens. I allowed myself a moment to doubt whether or not this was really happening or whether this was just my imagination. Celestia was actually intervening when it mattered. She was actually going to be present when I needed her the most and most of all, not leave everything to her subjects for once. She was actually going to help in the way I needed to be helped.

If ever I had said a good prayer. If ever I had done a good thing worth recompense. If ever I had made another pony's life better with my actions to the extent where they would thank me, this would be the reward I would have asked for. Celestia actually intervening when she was needed.

Celestia seemed to materialise as she appeared before me and the guards, who immediately bowed upon seeing her.

"What is happening" inquired the alicorn princess.

"You're majesty. This intruder demands to see you. She claims she is one of Princess Twilight's friend, despite none of us being familiar with her. She claims her name is Fluttershy. We told her to leave in peace but alas, she would not go. She insists upon seeing you." replied the guard.

I looked desparately at Celestia, hoping that she would have at least some degree of sympathy for me after all I had done for her. Hoping that for once, she would not turn a blind eye to her faithful subjects when they needed her.

But it appeared Celestia understood the situation well enough, as she looked sympathetically at me and nodded. "Very well" she said, turning to the guards once more "Let her into my castle and we will hear what she has to say. It must be urgent."

The guards looked at me with a look of pure hatred and disgust before very reluctantly ushering me to follow them as they led me through the gates of the castle, and through the spacious hallways.

I remembered the time Celestia refused to believe Twilight or me when Twilight correctly suspected the fake Cadence back at Shining armor and Cadence's wedding.

I remembered the time Celestia sent only Twilight and us to deal with a large, ferocious dragon when she could easily have dealt with it herself.

I remembered how Celestia had left the Cutie mark Crusaders to be bullied and left at the mercy of the once horrible and cruel Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, though I too had sadly done the same . How Celestia left Dash to bully and torment me to his delight. How she ignored her own sister so cruelly and arrogantly that her sister eventually turned on her.

These were my thoughts as Celestia led me into a large spacious room which looked like it could have been used for important meetings and sat me down on a large, comfortable chair lined with velvet cushion.

After Celestia had sat down herself, and dismissed the guards, she turned to me and asked the reason for my panic.
I was at first fearful, but Celestia was patient.

And so I told her the story of Lightning Dust. From the cruel mistreatment she suffered as a filly, to the hardships she endured trying to make something out of herself in a desperate attempt to please her father, to the incident which she took the entire blame for despite not all of it being her fault.

"I don't see what I can do..." replied Celestia.

Those words, drove me to madness. And my hatred of Celestia which was only beginning to fade, came back in all its fullness.

"Celestia" I protested, slamming my hoof onto the table "How can you just say that? How can you be so uncaring? That's what you've said several times to me and my friends."

"I don't understand..."

"You never do anything Celestia. You never do anything even though you could do everything. You think you're above every pony else Celestia just because, because I don't know. But if you really cared about your subjects Celestia, you would help them when they needed you. You'd care what they had to say. But you don't. Especially not me or Twilight. You have no concern about what we have to say. You have no concern about us. All you care about is that we do your dirty work for you and you don't have to pay us a bit. We risk our lives and fight tooth and nail every day to make you happy Celestia, me and your faithful student Twilight. But you never do anything to thank us."

I was furious now.

"You think you matter more than every pony else" I yelled "Do you never learn? That's why Princess Luna abandoned you. She abandoned you because she felt you didn't care. Because you refused to listen to her or take her best interests to heart. All of what nightmare moon did could have been prevented if you had just listened Celestia. But you never listen to any pony. You didn't listen to Twilight when the changelings invaded. You never do anything Celestia. And let me guess, the fact that you're never around when there's a crisis, but only when everything's fine and smooth is just a coincidence. No."

"But you don't understand" Celestia replied, clearly upset by my statements. "There's nothing I can do."

"No you listen to me Celestia. Lightning Dust is going to spend the rest of her life in prison being beaten down by ruthless bullies unless you help her. A good pony with good intentions is going to be punished in a way she doesn't deserve."

"What do you mean?"

"Rainbow Dash helped her make the tornado and she got off free. So why should Lightning Dust get punished then? Why should ponies like Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer get a second chance despite the fact they did even more wrong than Lightning Dust. Why? They did what they for selfish reasons. Lightning Dust did what she did because of an accident which she had no idea would happen. That she could have done nothing to prevent. So why should Lightning Dust not get another chance?"

"She's right" came a soft, frail voice I recognised at once as Princess Luna, Celestia's sister.

"The way you are choosing to handle the situation does seem a tad hypocritical sister" said Princess Luna, stepping across the threshold. "After all, from the way Fluttershy described the situation, it does appear that Rainbow Dash as Lightning Dust's partner did at least have some part in the wrong."

Celestia said nothing but looked down.

"I beg you to reconsider dear Sister" said Princess Luna. "Maybe you should try giving Lightning Dust a chance like you did with me. Please dear sister, you're not going to turn a blind eye to all this."

Celestia considered. A long, tense silence ensued.

Then at last in a urgent, yet sovereign voice she quickly rose and cried. "Get me a pen and some paper. Your friend doesn't have much time."

And I smiled. For the first time in a long time, Celestia was actually helping.
For the first time in a long time, justice would be enacted.

Comments

[Fire Seeker12]

Finally! Some justice.

[zalla661]

7925592
For Dusty!!!

[spyrofan354]

These are times I wonder wtf celesta is doing