“What shall we do with her?”
Celestia’s question echoed throughout the throne room. They’d been in there for only a short while, and only now had one of them uttered what everypony else had been thinking.
“Well...” Luna cleared her throat and licked her lips, her ears flicking back. “I think she should be punished. You have no idea the stress that I have endured, for the number of ponies having nightmares caused by her army have become so many I can’t get to them all... Just the thought of leaving helpless ponies to their worst fears...” Her upper lip trembled as she fought back a snarl, only calming down when Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. “She led an army into our capital, turned us to stone, and enslaved our citizens. I have no doubt they would have conquered the rest of our lands as well if Twilight and her friends had not escaped her capture.”
Twilight squirmed in her seat, her gaze flicking back and forth between Cadence and Luna. She’d barely been able to sleep these last few nights, for dreadful and terrifying nightmares had incessantly plagued her dreams. She took a sip of tea, hoping to prolong her inevitable inclusion, for she feared that saying the wrong thing could turn them against her. Everyone in the room was aware of what had happened between Tempest and her at the party a few nights ago. In spite of all that Tempest had done, Twilight had offered friendship to their former invader, something that Tempest had accepted with tear-filled eyes. She hadn’t seen her since, and no amount of asking around revealed her whereabouts, only finding out that Tempest was still within the city.
Somewhere.
Twilight took another sip of tea, her heart pounding in her chest. The clatter of her teacup hitting the saucer jerked everyone out of their thoughts. “S-Sorry,” Twilight muttered, her cheeks turning a rosy pink as she stared at the center of the table.
Cadence let out a deep sigh. “Shiny told me he wants the death penalty for her... He couldn’t bear the thought of having to raise Flurry Heart without me...” A shiver ran down her back, making the tips of her wings tremble. “I’ve never seen him so angry before, not even when... Chrysalis invaded. I disagree with him, though, about the death penalty. Even though Tempest Shadow turned us to stone, she was doing it for a good reason. I... I can’t imagine living without my horn.”
“You’d invade another land with a military at your back just for a chance to get your horn back?” Luna scoffed. Cadence wilted on her cushion, her gaze slipping to the floor in shame. “I must say I agree with Shining Armor. What she did was unforgivable!” Luna struck the table with her right hoof, making everypony but Celestia jump in their seats. “Tempest Shadow presents the greatest threat to Equestria, and I...” Twilight cleared her throat, making her pause. “Yes, Twilight?” She sat back down, though her face still bore a look of anger.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Presented,” she said. Her voice was low and calm, though it was filled with restraint.
“What... What do you mean?” Luna’s eyebrows furrowed. Her ears flicked up, her eyes locked with Twilight’s.
“She presented a threat to Equestria, but that threat has been dealt with,” Twilight said. “While you were still incapacitated, and right when my friends and I were about to fail when it mattered most, Tempest sacrificed herself for us. The Storm King had thrown one of those magical balls that were used to immobilize you at us. We were all huddled together; there was no time to move.” A tear formed in the corner of her eye.
“And yet you prevailed,” Celestia said. “Just like I knew you would.”
“No.” Twilight’s word rang throughout the room. Such a simple phrase, yet one so powerful. Several moments passed in silence before she once more found the courage to speak, her eyes pointedly avoiding her fellow princesses. “All was lost... I was powerless to do anything to save myself and my friends,” she whispered, her voice hollow and devoid of emotion. “But then Tempest sacrificed herself for us. All of us,” she said, looking at each of them in turn.
Only Luna looked away.
“So what do you think we should do with her, Twilight?” Celestia asked again, taking a sip from her teacup as her gaze settled upon her.
“I... I don’t know,” she replied, looking up into the eyes of her former mentor. “I think the death penalty is too much. I saw a glimmer of a good pony in her eyes after the Storm King, um... passed away. I don’t think she’s as evil as we’re making her out to be anymore, but...” Twilight’s shoulders slumped as her throat went dry. “I didn’t like being put in a cage against my will...”
Celestia nodded. “That I can understand. I am sure it was very traumatizing. For what it is worth, I am sorry you and your friends had to undergo such an ordeal.”
“Thank you,” Twilight muttered. “As for what I think we should do with her, I’m open to ideas.” She saw Luna open her mouth. “Besides the death penalty,” she hissed, making Luna roll her eyes with a huff.
Cadence ruffled her feathers. “I agree. We’ve never had to sentence anypony to death in the history of Equestria, and I don’t want to start now. I am certain that–”
Luna jumped up and slammed her front hooves on the table, making it tilt towards her. “Cadence, Tempest Shadow tried to take our home from us! She wanted to take our lives and put us on display as if we were nothing more than trophies! Why do you think she shouldn’t be punished?!”
“I-I do!” Cadence said, taken aback by Luna’s sudden outburst. “I just don’t think it needs to be that harsh! I want justice, not vengeance. Do you really wish to be known as the first princess to sentence another to death? Do you?!” she asked, glaring at her from the other side of the table. “Because I don’t!” She crossed her forelegs as she stared daggers at Luna.
Twilight trembled, her voice long lost. The death sentence... nopony deserves such a thing. Starlight didn’t, Discord didn’t, and Sunset didn’t... Celestia cleared her throat, attracting her attention.
“I think it would be best if we take a short reprieve and let cooler heads prevail. All of us have endured so much. We shall reconvene in an hour or so.” She drained the rest of her teacup, looking down upon it with a remorseful gaze before she looked at them. “I wish to speak with each of you in private.”
Twilight sealed herself in the only place in Canterlot that she felt secure: her old tower. She was sitting on the highest balcony with her forelegs placed on the railing, gazing down upon the city as she observed everypony resume their normal lives, though her vision had long since glazed over. Equestria looked as majestic as it ever did, but that did little to calm her. With her friends back home, she had nopony to confide with. A light breeze ruffled her feathers, sending a small shiver down the back of her neck. It had been well over an hour since she had left the meeting, and worry gnawed at her mind with each passing minute. Drying tears matted the fur on her cheeks as the mere thought of Tempest being sentenced to death kept coming to the forefront of her mind. She couldn’t help but feel she owed her something, for without her, she surely would have been turned to stone and likely put on display as an ornament in the Storm King’s throne room along with her fellow princesses.
But even more, she thought back to the moment when she was caged up and at Tempest’s mercy. She thought about the song she sang to her, that she should grow up and face the hard truth that she couldn’t trust anyone and that all that mattered was power. Her whole body writhed in disgust at this memory, for she believed with all her heart that true friendship wasn’t a fantasy. Tempest was truly evil in that moment; but now, the horseshoe was on the other hoof, and Twilight was the one among the mighty.
She would not abuse Tempest’s trust, and she would not abuse the power she now held over her.
“Ahem.” It wasn’t a question nor a statement, though she knew that her mentor had something to say. Wondering for just a moment how Celestia got past the magically-sealed doors, Twilight let out a deep, long sigh and turned around. She set her solemn gaze on her mentor, searching for anything that would give her insight to her thoughts.
“Come, Twilight,” Celestia said.
Twilight nodded.
Although her mind was full of questions, she held her tongue as they walked back into the castle. Celestia didn’t utter a single word as they made their way back towards the throne room, making the pit in her stomach grow wider. Twilight turned to push open the heavy doors, but Celestia’s wing blocked her path. She peeked up at Celestia, her mouth feeling as dry as the sand in the badlands as her old mentor nodded down the hallway. “Tempest?” Twilight whispered, her words so faint she barely heard herself utter them.
“Yes.” Celestia placed a wing on her back and guided her away from the throne room. “There is something of great importance I wish to speak to you about concerning Tempest Shadow, for there is a heavy burden I believe I must place on your shoulders,” she said.
Are we really going to sentence her to death? Twilight thought, her eyes wide in fear. Her ears flicked back as her head hung low, almost touching the floor. I... I can’t do this... she thought, shaking her head. She froze, unable to take another step. Celestia’s wing slipped up her neck, then crested her head.
“What is the matter, Twilight?” Celestia asked.
Twilight’s legs trembled, almost as if she’d just ran a marathon. All of her strength faded away, whisked away by her fears. It was like she was facing Tirek again, opposing the combined strength of all the four alicorns. The overpowering helplessness weighed down her knotted tongue and dried her throat. But in a fleeting moment, the shadow of hope in Tempest’s face crossed her mind’s eye, and then the deepest conviction of what she knew was fair thrust emboldened words from her lungs. “I-I won’t let... you h-hurt her...” she uttered, speaking between each deep, shuddering breath.
“Hm?”
Twilight’s head whipped up as fresh tears formed in the corners of her eyes yet again. “I will not be a part of this!” she screamed. Twilight blinked the tears from her eyes, then spread her forelegs wide and firmly planted them on the floor as she huffed. She hated opposing the pony she held most dear, but she was unable to control her emotions, especially after all that had happened. Her chest heaved up and down as she waited for her to speak, though she feared what she might hear.
Part of her did not want to hear what Celestia had to say.
Celestia’s eyebrows furrowed. “I... I have no intention of hurting her! In fact, you play a pivotal role in my plan.” She walked back to her, wrapped both of her wings over Twilight’s trembling back, then pulled her into a warm embrace. “There is no need to worry, Twilight. I give you my word as a princess, and your friend, that Tempest Shadow will not be harmed.”
Twilight relaxed, but only slightly. “Then why are we not going back into the throne room to meet with Cadence and Luna? It’s been over an hour!”
“I decided that we all do not need to meet again, little one,” Celestia said, sitting down in front of her. “We all decided that she deserves punishment, and I agree to an extent. After speaking with Tempest privately these past few days, I–”
“Wait, you know where she is?” Twilight gasped.
Celestia nodded once. “She has been in one of the many spare bedrooms in my tower. I thought it best that she be kept away from the general populace of Canterlot for her own personal safety.”
“I guess that makes sense. But why wouldn’t anypony tell me where she was? You have no idea how worried I was. We had spent a little bit of time chatting at the celebration, and then she vanished after I went to get us drinks!”
“I apologize for that. I wanted to have some one-on-one time with her,” Celestia replied. “As did Luna.”
Twilight winced. “I can only imagine how that went.”
“Luna was still... upset at what had happened, yes, but she was well within reason.” She cleared her throat as she folded her wings back to her side. “So back to the point at hoof. Would you like to see her?” Celestia took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.
“Of course I do!” Twilight said, letting Celestia resume walking. She trotted back up to her former mentor’s side, her mind full of questions.
Celestia glanced down at her as they rounded the corner, almost at their destination. She licked her lips, fluffed her wings, then stopped in front of Tempest’s room. “You may leave us, guards,” she quietly said. They each nodded once, then turned and trotted away.
Twilight’s heart steadied again in reverence. Though the door before them, with its golden knob and white, cedar frame, was so tangible, the moment itself seemed surreal, the object of all her agony so tauntingly close. “Is this where...”
“Yes.”
“So...” Twilight cocked her head to the side.
Celestia sighed, her head drooping as she stared deep into Twilight’s eyes. “I know this is a lot to ask of you, my dearest friend, but unless you are willing to take this enormous challenge upon your shoulders... I would have no other course than to lock Tempest away in the dungeons for the remainder of her life.”
“W-What do you mean, Princess?” Twilight asked, her tone full of uncertainty.
“I fear that you know what I am about to ask of you, and that you have already made up your mind, but...” Celestia let out a deep, long sigh. “I wish for you to reform Tempest Shadow.”
Good start! Interesting take on Luna, I wonder where that's gonna go.
DO IT, CAUSE I ALREADY SHIP IT
of course they think only they had the right for that, not sure if they count as the main princesses in the comic or if they are supposed to be equal more or less, but since Twilight played a major role she should have been able to see her too.
I'm not really thinking there would be a need to do anything anymore, maybe just teaching her some stuff she maybe doesn't know because she probably went right aways into army life and can't really get along normally with people.
I hope this isn'T a "let's fix her personality" story. I hate it if they change the personality of humans, villains or any oc just because they don'T take the full "harmony road", if you know what I mean.
I would like to see her keeping some of her pride and stuff like that, but I think I will see what you have planned first, it can be nice that way even if I hope you don'T make an angle out of her.
Yeah... Nopony, uh ?
iambrony.steeph.tp-radio.de/mlp/gif/tumblr_mfywnzbyBR1rj4ht7o6_500.gif
Thank you for this story, TempestLight instantly became one of my favorite ships after I saw the movie !
8524568
Haha, Sombra is a good point, though nothing shows that he actually died. If i remember correctly, he was nothing more than a ghost or a spirit. He got his body back, but I'm not sure if he still had a connection to being a spirit; the transformation probably wasn't completed all the way. It's like a program, where you first download it (where Sombra just got his body back), but then you have to install it, and in Sombra's case, that installation failed.
In Sombra's case, he very easily could have been killed, but in regards to this story, he wasn't sentenced to death.
8524584
First off, this is extremely well written. I'm very curious to see how it plays out.
As for Sombra, assuming you take the comics as even vaguely canon, he survives being exploded, and gets a lot of development thereafter.
I was expecting Celestia to come up with something other than reformation to be honest. She already has had a change of heart, what else is there to reform exactly? But otherwise a great start. I'll be following this one eagerly.
I find it kind of weird for Luna to be so lacking in self-awareness as to be calling for Tempest's death, given her own history of, well, trying to murder her own sister and possibly end all life on the planet, and then being forgiven.
8524556
As the senior royals, it was certainly their right. Twilight has protected Equestria for less than five years. Celestia has protected Equestria for well over a thousand. With as often as 'thousand years' gets tossed around I've come to believe this fandom doesn't realize just how long a time that is. 'Equal' or not, Twilight and Cadence could not possibly be Celestia and Luna's equals as rulers, regardless of station. Not yet, if they turn out to be immortal, and never if they have a normal mortal lifespan. (Sadly, many authors forget this, or don't know how to portray someone ancient and wise appropriately, especially if Twilight's the focus of the story - in which case she always ends up right and the infinitely more experienced princesses get shame-faced and have to 'learn a lesson'.)
As for 'fixing personality', a society based on harmony (in the societal and magically-required sense) full of the disaffected and rebellious would only cause social decay and an eventual descent into chaos. From what we've seen of outside Equestria's borders in the series and the movie, everywhere without ponies as the harmony-dominant force is a squalid shit-hole that only starts getting better the closer they become to the ponies - such as the dragons, griffons, changelings.
8525192
Yeah, I downvoted for that reason. The lack of self-awareness in this story is debilitating, and Twilight acting like she's got a brain parasite of love before she's even had a second meeting with Tempest doesn't help.
8525192
yes this is the second time I have seen it in a tempest fic and it makes no sense considering HER history. honestly author rewrite this and you will have me back.
Ok right away... Death penalty!? What the buck.
Shining probably would lock her up forever or something.... Death penalty... last thing I want read in MLP story's.
Not even a warning... :[
Uncalled dark. Right out disturbing!
Then Discord and Glimmer should be hanged? Trixie get some wiping? Changelings... Better not get started.
I hope you get that in MLP people ain't as cruel and unforgiving as us!? Something I really love about them...
Might reconsider to make a fat red warning at least on the story!?
Like "out of character" or "contains cruel language"<.<
So much about the expected romance...
Can't say I expect fitting dialog anymore.
Was excited and happy at first, now can't continue a single word. What a shame :(
8524568
So not just me thinks that overdoing it!?
Good.
Unnecessary dark from out of nowhere!
8525192
While I agree with you, there is also this to consider: Luna was the only one who was turned to stone while in mid air, and would have crashed to the ground if not for Twilight. We all saw how well that ended for the Storm King when he fell. An argument could be made that Luna's hostility is a reaction caused by her nearly sharing that fate.
Again, I don't disagree with you, just playing Devil's advocate to the argument.
Good on you Twilight. It really shows how far she's come in life since episode 1. If this situation had come up back then, I would have questioned if she would have made the right choice or just blindly followed an order from Celestia. But you (The Author) have really managed to show how far she's developed over the seasons as a character, to the point where an open act of defiance against not only Celestia, but Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor as well, feels in character so long as she's standing up for what she thinks is right.
Well that character assassination of Luna was kind of random and did nothing to serve the story
Otherwise, pretty nice start. I always assumed these "reform or imprison" ultimatums had happened in the past, but interesting to see a direct take on it and the little conflict it causes between Twilight and Celestia.
I feel like ‘reform’ is an overused word in this regard, but that’s just what I think.
Kind of hypocritical of you to demand the death penalty, Luna. Did YOU suffer any punishment once you got home? (Or does her thousand-year banishment count?)
Luna is really the last pony who should be demanding retributive justice here. Then again, perhaps she's projecting lingering guilt.
8524568
Though, that was less a deliberate death sentence and more "falling in battle."
8525515
Considering they have a special prison only for insanely dangerous monsters and immortal "national-level threat" super-villains, I sorta doubt the death penalty is even a thing in Equestria.
I enjoyed everything up till the recess. I think I see what you were trying to do with Luna being fanon hot headed and cadence thinking of her family. But everything after that just kinda collapsed the story for me.
I'm a sad person. I'm checking this page every day to see if there's a new addition XD
Wait, what? But Cadence was born a pegasus... I mean I guess she could get attached to having one once she learned how to use it, but she's uniquely qualified amongst all the horned-ponies to imagine life without one.
Bonus points for spelling Cadence right. I refuse to use Cadance except to refuse it.
Makes up for the points lost for making Luna a bloodthirsty vengeancehound. Srsly, Nightmare Moon tried to drown the world in ice and darkness, with no sun to warm and nourish the land. I'd say that's an order of magnitude worse than mere conquest. World-ending tends to be tough to come back from.
But she was forgiven, once she wasn't trying to do that anymore. That's one of the key things about Equestria that has us all in love with the place: no matter what you've done, tried to do, or wanted to do, if you really want to be better, Equestrians will say, "Okie-dokie, lokie!" and give you a chance.
8535346
What are you on about? It's Cadance.
http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Cadance
In all official media.
lemonygem.com.au/assets/alt_1/7076.jpg
i.ytimg.com/vi/wmm93Jf4hJo/maxresdefault.jpg
Is this a fanon preference that denies the canon, similar to some people who still maintain that Vinyl Scratch's eyes are red instead of fuchsia? Is that why I keep reading fics where her name is spelled incorrectly?
8551104
Cadence's name has been spelled both ways in the credits for each episode that she shows up in; the link you shared shows that. I prefer to use Cadence, as Cadance just feels weird to me. The fandom is divided on this issue, but it's really not a big deal.
This is looking great already. Heck, might even be as good, or better, than the Scoots stories. It’ll be awesome to read, either way.
*cough*discord*cough*starlight*cough*reformed reality changing villains*coughcough*
Oh Gee Luna. She imprisoned you, your sister, and niece and enslaved the populace. That is so much more terrible than that one pony who would have ended all life in the world with Night Eternal due to the plummeting temperatures, food unable to grow, ect. My memory is foggy, could you please remind me WHO was responsible for that, my dear Princess of the Night?
8582754
Or the draconquess who would have turne Equestria into a chaotic madland or the girl who would have invaded with a demon zombie army, the point is Tempest has hardly done more than any other villain could or would have given the chance.
I don't like how Luna is portrayed thus far. Given that she screwed up so badly that she had to be imprisoned in the moon for one-thousand years, she'd be more sympathetic. Not to mention, Starlight's crimes were probably worse the Tempest's, and she didn't even do jail time.
Translation: Celestia is hooking Twilight up with Tempest.
8582754
Which kind of surprises me that there aren't more stories with the Equestrian populace demanding the execution of Luna. Especially given how they've reacted toward dangers, perceived dangers, and things unknown to them.