A scientifically brilliant but antisocial former student of Canterlot High seeks out Adagio Dazzle, now alone and down on life. He promises to restore her powers in return for help with a massive scientific breakthrough.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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How can a story that updates this often not be complete?
11185239
Two words; Pony novel.
Seriously, though, this baby's gonna hit 100k words easily.
Twilight's elucidating that there's good in Sunset isn't without merit, but that's not the issue at hand (or rather, at hoof). The issue is that Sunset's conclusively responsible for making Radian miserable for what sounds like at least a year or two, and was arguably a contributory factor in the death of his mother (though that one is far from certain, and is likewise somewhat mitigated by the fact that she couldn't possibly have known that).
To put it another way, Twilight is saying that Sunset's reformation alone warrants Radian's forgiveness, and while that particular stance might be common in Equestria, most people from contemporary Earth hold that a state of genuine remorse does not obviate being punished for wrongdoing. That Sunset feels bad about what she did isn't enough; she needs to pay a price for it, otherwise justice is being miscarried. You could argue that she approached Radian about trying to make it up to him, and he turned her down, but that was a ploy on his part to preserve his plan with Adagio; it's clear he still wants some sort of restitution from her. (And no, her helping out with the Sirens' gems doesn't count; that scenario was presented to her under the premise that the three Siren sisters were dying, which means she's morally obligated to help prevent that; doing so does not serve a dual purpose in also making up for her past misdeeds.)
Unfortunately, Equestria's idea of justice doesn't seem to take obligatory punishments into account if the wrongdoer is repentant, and while Twilight is talking a good game, I have to wonder if Radian will really be satisfied with that.
*Oh fancy!
Smolder and Ember? It's a very good day to be Radian.
11187269
I feel obligated to point out that the sirens did horrible things too. When people fight, bad things tend to happen.
We also have no idea how bad the conflicts between the Siren's victims could get, nor how long they could go on.
Have wars been started because of them? Have people fought themselves to extinction because of them? We don't know, and can only guess.
More to the point, neither cannon, nor this story, is clear on how severe or long lasting the effects of Siren Magic actually was.
Twilight (as the only one with historical research) seemed to think the school needed to be cured, which implies a more permanent affect.
Priotizing the safety and well being of other humans and ponies over the Sirens may seem like a harsh decision, but it's also perfectly within their rights to make.
Sunset Shimmer did a lot of awful things, and I don't necessarily expect Radian to forgive her. However, she's doing the best she can to be better.
More to the point, even if you do still believe she deserves additional punishment, on top of everything else she suffered, that really shouldn't be a factor with how she approaches Radian or the Sirens.
She shouldn't need to bend over backwards for people who don't have her's or anyone else's best interest in mind, just so she can soothe her guilt. Especially if it puts other people in danger.
11198484 The problem with this line of thinking is that it's presumptive; other than the instance at the beginning of Rainbow Rocks where we see them causing disharmony in a diner, the only wrongdoing we've seen the Sirens engage in was at CHS, and they were punished for doing so. Now, obviously, it's implied that the Sirens were around and doing bad things for a long time, but you can't punish someone for what they "probably" did, or even "likely" did; that's not concrete enough to indict someone over. Particulars are required.
Similarly, there's no one with standing to prosecute such an indictment. Radian is the wronged party with regard to Sunset, and has a legitimate grievance (i.e. the bullying), even if the issue of what happened to his mother is a much harder needle to thread regarding Sunset's culpability. The Sirens, by contrast, have no one who's been presented here as having been hurt by them (again, CHS students notwithstanding, since they had justice enacted by Twilight and co.). Ergo, with no specific misconduct to lay at their feet, and no one claiming that justice has been denied them, the Sirens can't really have anything held against them here.
And even if they could, that alleviates Radian's problem with Sunset not at all; she still wronged him, and that can't be obviated by saying "well what about your girlfriend?" The fact that Sunset wants to be better is likewise immaterial; remorse is an issue to be considered for sentencing, but Sunset Shimmer was never properly sentenced for her longstanding harassment and intimidation of her peers; her punishment was entirely related to her crimes against Equestria (i.e. misappropriating a powerful artifact and trying to use it against Equestria). It's not a question of "additional" punishment; she was never punished for her non-Equestria-related malfeasance to begin with.
Wow, he is having some second thoughts. Goes to show, it takes an otherwordly perspective to help you see the error of some ways.
11224452
The biggest problem that Ray brings with him is that he's got a good heart, but life's been pretty quick to slap him down. He's long since relied on his talents and that lingering dream of making something of himself (as instilled by his mom), and that he can do great things. That he's been able to act on those desires and gain companionship and love through Adagio and her sisters, while also bringing his inventions to fruition, has skewed him into becoming very protective of them, as well as their shared dislike of Sunset being galvanised. That he can't even respect Sunset like Adagio has learned to is pretty telling.
Of course, if someone with similar interests and abilities but a far more nuanced view on relationships, on top of championing friendship, comes into the picture, it only makes sense that Ray would become receptive. A place to belong and people who understand and like him is all he's craved through most of his life, and Twilight's not only offering understanding and knowledge in spades, but clearly has his wellbeing in mind.