The Redemption of Tempest Shadow

by twilightsparkle3562

Chapter 20: "Facing the Princesses"

Twilight Sparkle, still coming to terms with Tempest surrendering herself so willingly, laid down on the sofa in her study, looking up at the crystallized ceiling and wondering what was going to happen next. It had only been a few hours, but to her, it seemed like an eternity.

"Sugarcube?" Applejack called, breaking Twilight's self induced trance. "You doin’ all right, hon?"

"Oh, uh, sure Applejack," Twilight stammered, sniffling slightly. Her voice was still wracked with pain, as she turned to see her friends and Spike standing in the doorway. "I'm…fine, to say the least. Sorry I'm acting like this, but I really didn't want to…"

"…keep Tempest protected?" Rarity interrupted. "Twilight, we know you want to support Tempest, or Fizzlepop, or whatever her name is, but she does need to accept some kind of responsibility for her actions. What she did was wrong and that's all there is to it. We only wish to see justice, we’re not like the angry mobs in Ponyville and Canterlot."

"I agree with Rarity," Rainbow Dash added. "Tempest isn't like Nightmare Moon, Trixie, Discord, or even Starlight Glimmer. She came into Canterlot and turned all of our lives upside down, not to mention…"

"That's enough!" Twilight cried in protest. "Yes, I know she wants to accept responsibility for her actions, but…I'm just afraid that she'll pay with her life. I don't want that to happen, because the ponies who are crying for her blood are no different that the Storm King's forces. What will killing Tempest solve?!"

"It’s because they’re angry, like all of us are, sugarcube,” Applejack explained. “But we want justice, not revenge. You do have a point about the fact that you're afraid Tempest will die. But you really think the princess will just let anyone lay their hooves on Tempest?"

Twilight reluctantly knew that her friends were right. They wanted justice, not revenge. However, she also had to remember that she was a princess and a princess was responsible for upholding the laws of her nation.

"What you need to do, is take all that has been done up to this point with a grain of salt," Spike suggested. "You have sympathy for Tempest, she's as much a victim as a war criminal, but she’s a war criminal nonetheless."

"Perhaps maybe you could just have Tempest perform amounts of community service in addition to her royal guard training," Rainbow Dash commented. "And wherever she goes, Tempest could be under protection from any ponies who want her dead."

Twilight took in what Rainbow Dash said and then proceeded to walk over to the door of her study, her mind in deep thought. "Well, I'll take that into consideration, Rainbow Dash," She sighed, as she turned to face her friends. "But, I'm not the only princess who’s going to be responsible for passing judgment on her, you know. But I’m not going to be responsible for sending Tempest to her death, just because everypony wants her dead. All of Equestria needs to show, that we’re better than the likes of the Storm King, that we don’t kill those oppose her." With those words, Twilight walked out of the study and left her friends alone to absorb what had just been spoken.

"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked.

"We just wait and see, I guess," Rainbow sighed. "I can understand Twilight's problem, but Tempest is a war criminal in the eyes of the law, even if she was working for the Storm King. Just because we don’t want her dead, doesn’t mean we can’t demand justice."

"Nevertheless," Rarity remarked. "We need to be there for Twilight, and show her that indeed we’re not like those angry mobs. So if any one of you wants to join me in supporting our friend, follow me."

---

Back in the dungeons, Tempest heard a knock at the door of her cell and realized the time had come for her to be brought forth for judgment.

"Tempest Shadow?" A guard spoke .

"Yes?" Tempest asked, though she knew what was to happen.

"It's time. Come with me." The guard instructed.

Tempest knew that there was no turning back now, as the guards led her out of her cell and out of the dungeons. As she was being led, Tempest was beginning to think back to that moment, that moment when she’d tried to get Twilight to "Open Up Her Eyes" and see the world from where she stood. Only this time, it was herself that needed to open up her eyes, not Twilight. See the world as Equestria saw it.

Soon, Tempest was greeted by a group of guardsponies, who silently watched Tempest walk through the halls of Canterlot Castle. "I'm sorry," She whispered to them in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry for everything."

But, the guards said nothing and simply watched Tempest being led. In a moment, they approached the throne room (the very same room where Tempest had brought Twilight to the Storm King). Then, suddenly, she was led away.

"If you’re thinking that you’re going to be be judged in the throne room," A guard told her. "Then you are mistaken. The princesses want to judge you in a private setting for security reasons."

Tempest could only sigh with relief upon hearing this, however she was still fearful of what was to come, as she was led to a small room down the hall from the throne room, and the doors opened to reveal Equestria's four princesses sitting around a table, with Twilight's friends standing in the background.

"Bring her forward," Celestia ordered, and the guards did as they were told. "Now, shut the door, and do not come in until I say so."

"Yes, your highnesses." The guards obeyed without question.

Once the guards shut the door, Tempest looked up at the princesses with a deep, worried expression in her face.

"Fizzlepop Berrytwist," Celestia sighed, looking down at some papers in front of her. "Or Tempest Shadow, if you prefer. You wish to plead guilty to your crimes of war against Equestria, do you not?"

"Yes," Tempest answered. "I know that there’s no excuse for what I did. But, I’m ready for whatever punishment you think is fair."

"We've been thinking about it a lot," Luna commented. "And all of us can agree that the true mastermind of the events of recent, was the Storm King, and he has already paid with his life. We also do not have the hearts to sentence you to death. Because if we did, then we would only be making the situation worse, and not better."

"Tempest, I have been trying to help you atone for your actions," Twilight spoke, confessing to the other princesses. "But, what I’ve been doing is the wrong way to approach the situation. I've been overprotective of you, and that is something that I need to stop doing."

Tempest took in another deep sigh as she waited for her sentence to be carried out.

"To this end," Celestia informed the prisoner. "You are hereby sentenced to perform extensive community service with protection, in addition to being trained as Princess Twilight's captain of the royal guard."

With those words, just like that, it was over…Tempest was handed her sentence and she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing her heart out in relief and awaited perhaps the next step in her redemption. But a nagging question lingered at the back of her mind: How would the citizens of Equestria react to the verdict?

Comments

[XFangHeartX]

Well, I'm glad execution isn't an option. :)

[CJWar25]

At least there is a chance for redemption that's what I'm glad for

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Seems like a suitable punishment for Tempest.

[twilightsparkle3562]

8585729 Tempest doesn't deserve an execution. The Storm King did.

[Texus]

8584232

[Texus]

Twilight, we know you want to support Tempest, or Fizzlepop, or whatever her name is, but she does need to accept some kind of responsibility for her actions. What she did was wrong and that's all there is to it. We only wish to see justice, we’re not like the angry mobs in Ponyville and Canterlot."

I think she already did that.

"Perhaps maybe you could just have Tempest perform amounts of community service in addition to her royal guard training," Rainbow Dash commented. "And wherever she goes, Tempest could be under protection from any ponies who want her dead."

ohhhhhhh man it was practically mentioned that she would do something similar do that.

"Well, I'll take that into consideration, Rainbow Dash,"

why is that suddenly not that what they already wanted to do?

"But, what I’ve been doing is the wrong way to approach the situation. I've been overprotective of you, and that is something that I need to stop doing."

still not buying it. To me it still looks like something changed her mind magically and everyone is turning a blind eye on other possibilities.

"To this end," Celestia informed the prisoner. "You are hereby sentenced to perform extensive community service with protection, in addition to being trained as Princess Twilight's captain of the royal guard."

You are hereby sentenced to do exactly what you had planned to do with Twilight, but now we will call it community service and tell it the ponies in Eqiestria too. I hope you enjoyed your "one night" experience in our deluxe prison camp.

[SuperPinkBrony12]

8586050 The difference is, this is an official sentence now, coupled with an admission of guilt. At least for some, that should satisfy the claims that Tempest hasn't repented and isn't sorry.

[Texus]

8587942
Well I guess I agree with at least the official part, the difference being that now everyone knows about it, not sure if that change my opinion much, because I think I actually said that already in a different way.

They can't make everyone happy I think and as much as we have a slightly different opinion the Ponies in the story are probably going to have them too so some are going to be never statisfied I guess.

I'm sorry if I should just have repeated myself but it's not my time of the day anymore or how the saying goes.
edit: that and that late I'm not sure if I understand your comment to 100% (I still have to translate if for myself)

[SilverDiamond]

but I really didn't want to…"

"…keep Tempest protected?"

I'm sorry? Did I read that right? Twilight does NOT want Tempest to be safe? Unless this is grammatical error or something - this is just stupid.

[Jam5022]

Twilight took in what Rainbow Dash said and then proceeded to walk over to the door of her study, her mind in deep thought. "Well, I'll take that into consideration, Rainbow Dash," She sighed, as she turned to face her friends. "But, I'm not the only princess who’s going to be responsible for passing judgment on her, you know. But I’m not going to be responsible for sending Tempest to her death, just because everypony wants her dead. All of Equestria needs to show, that we’re better than the likes of the Storm King, that we don’t kill those oppose her." With those words, Twilight walked out of the study and left her friends alone to absorb what had just been spoken.

You forgot “who”