Rosa

by awf

Chapter 85: Punishment

Rosa wondered who could be knocking on her door that late in the afternoon. She had just been upstairs, pushing her bed around to get it out of the way of direct sunlight in the mornings. It hadn't been such a problem for most of the summer, mainly because she'd been up every day bright and early, but these days she liked to sleep in a little and the glare woke her up before she was ready. Rosa briefly wondered if she was getting lazy, but she shook her head at the thought. Sky Light needed her company throughout the day and so the only time she could study the books Princess Twilight had loaned her was in the evening. It made sense that she'd sleep in, especially since Sky Light had turned out to be somewhat of a late riser herself.

Shaking her head to clear it of stray thoughts, Rosa opened the front door. "Twilight?" She hadn't seen the youngest Princess too often since Fluttershy had moved out, so this visit was certainly a surprise.

She stepped in when Rosa moved out of the way and gave her a nervous grin. "Um, sorry for barging in unexpected," she said, "but- well. You see, it's about..."

The way she couldn't quite bring herself to say it filled Rosa with low-key dread. "Y-Yes?"

Twilight let out her breath and her ears folded down. "Can you and Sky Light come visit Cadence please?" she blurted out.

"What?!"

Twilight sat on her haunches, which reminded Rosa about being a courteous host. "Sorry. Let's go and sit down. Would you like some tea or coffee or something?"

Twilight flashed her a grateful smile as she stood up. "Coffee, please," she said.

Rosa gave her a nod as she went to the reading room. While she was fiddling with the stove and a pot of water, she heard the couch springs twang and then silence. It took the water a few minutes to boil, during which time Rosa went and stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the reading room. As she had predicted, Twilight was on the couch and looking her way with a slightly nervous tremor in her splayed ears.

"Why do you want us to go see that- Cadence?" Rosa asked, remembering just in time that she was Twilight's sister in law.

"Um, well. She's been asking. Princess Celestia said she could have visitors this month - well, other than me and her, so she asked to see you and Sky Light. Well, Sky Light in particular."

"Okay, but why?"

"She-" Twilight began, but fell silent with a faraway look in her eyes. "I don't- I don't know," she finally admitted.

Rosa heard the water boiling behind her, so she had to leave her guest and finish the coffee, which took all of five minutes. Then she hurriedly piled up the necessities on a tray and slipped it on her back. There was sugar, milk, two cups, anything else? It'd just have to do. She rejoined the alicorn and deftly transferred the tray to the aptly named coffee table. Before Rosa could start pouring, Twilight grabbed the pot in her magic and did it for her.

"Thanks. So, what should I tell Sky Light?"

Twilight didn't answer until she had stirred some sugar in her drink, then she took a sip to buy herself more time to think. Eventually she shrugged a little. "Maybe the truth? Look, it can't hurt to just go and talk with Cadence, can it?"

Rosa replayed their conversation back in her head and noticed that not once had Twilight used the honorific 'Princess' when she had mentioned her sister in law. Well, that in itself wouldn't be all that weird, Twilight being an alicorn herself, but she almost always used the term when mentioning Celestia or Luna.

Curious, but Rosa didn't bring it up. Instead, she finished making her own coffee, which Twilight had kindly poured for her. A lot of milk and a bit less sugar than the Princess was how Rosa liked it.

Then she took a sip. "When?" she asked, simply.

"Tomorrow morning," Twilight replied with a relieved smile. She was convinced they would go, Rosa guessed. Was she right? What would Sky say to it?

"Hold on, I'll go ask Sky."

The alicorn gave her a nod, then looked around for something to occupy herself with while she waited. As Rosa was walking out, she saw her magical glow envelop one of the books she had loaned her, and float it toward her. That probably gave Rosa several hours, if she needed them. A glance out the kitchen window showed her that the sun was about ready to set. That was okay, she wouldn't mind Twilight sleeping on the couch. She was no Fluttershy, but Rosa had spent enough time with all her friends to trust them completely. It took her a few moments to remember that she had done the laundry just the other day, so she should have extra sheets and blankets.

For now, however, she climbed the stairs and went to knock on Sky's door.

"Come in!" came a few seconds later.

Rosa did so, unable to keep a smile off her muzzle when she saw the pegasus sprawled on her back. She was starting to get quite large around the belly, which made her look a bit comical.

"Time for dinner already?" the mare asked.

"No, sorry. Listen, Twilight came. She, um, she wants us to go and visit Cadence tomorrow. Celestia is allowing her visitors now."

Sky stared at her and for once Rosa couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her ears automatically folded down. "I can tell her no. It's not a problem if you don't wanna."

"Yes," the other mare said. "I think I'd like to speak with... her."

Rosa didn't know what exactly to make of it. Maybe Sky just wanted to yell at Cadence or something. That would be perfectly alright in her book. The more troubling question was what Cadence wanted to tell Sky. She had asked for her specifically.

"Okay. If she starts going on about anything stupid, we just walk out, right?"

Sky Light nodded, but then raised up a leg to correct. "Not before I give that bitch a piece of my mind."

It was going to be a very interesting, possibly unpleasant morning. Rosa knew she would be up all night thinking about it. The realization made her groan a little.

"What? What did you think of?" Sky asked, voice tinged with concern.

"Nothing. I just realized I probably won't be able to sleep because of this."

The pegasus leaned over to give her a nice hug. "Don't let her do that to you," she murmured. "Wanna sleep here, with me? I need to hug a pillow anyway, so it might as well be you."

That brought Rosa back, in particular to her time with the Basilius family. Having a pegasus to cuddle did sound rather nice. "Actually... yes, please!" she answered enthusiastically, but then remembered her guest. "Hold on, I'll go tell Twilight she can take my bed."

As she slipped to the floor, Sky Light stood up. "I'll come with. I haven't seen Twilight in ages."

They made their way back to the reading room, where Twilight already had her nose buried in the book. It was weird. She must have read it already, but she still seemed completely absorbed in the text.

"Um," Rosa said and cleared her throat to get her attention. "It's getting kinda late. You can sleep here if you like, Twilight."

The alicorn blinked in surprise, having completely forgotten where she was and that anyone else existed. "Oh!" she said, glancing around to peer out the window. "I guess you're right, but it's not a problem. I'll just fly over to the Castle. Princess Celestia has a room set aside for me."

There it was. 'Princess Celestia'. Not 'Celestia', however well the two knew and liked each other.

"Well, it's no problem if you stay. I'm making lasagna - actually, I was just about to put it in the oven when you knocked. You can take my bed, too."

Rosa could swear the Princess drooled a bit before she got it under control. Her eyes widened a little. "L-Lasagna?" she asked. Rosa filed the information away in case she ever needed it later. She had found one of the Princess' favorites! Again Twilight looked out the window and licked her lips. "Actually, it is getting a bit late. Maybe I can stay. But I won't toss you out of your bed, the couch is fine."

Sky Light piped up as she made her way to the couch and hopped on. "You won't be. Rosa will be keeping me company tonight, so her bed is free."

The Princess looked from the pegasus to Rosa, then her ears folded down and she blushed. "Oh. OH! I hadn't- I didn't- you..." She stuttered to silence while Rosa looked at her in surprise, then continued: "I didn't realize you two were..." she finished, pointing a hoof between Rosa and Sky Light.

Realization dawned. "OH! NO, WE AREN'T!" Rosa inadvertently raised her voice. Sky Light just laughed her ass off while Rosa sputtered and tried to explain. "We're not together! Well, we're living together, but we're not... um, fillyfriends!" Feeling like something more was required, Rosa added: "I have a coltfriend! You met Paolo, right?!"

Twilight matched her shade of red and hurriedly nodded. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking!"

They both stared around the room while Sky Light wound down. She had to wipe away a tear with her fetlock. "Oh wow, that was great. Rosa is right, we're not together, Princess. I mean-" she gave Rosa an appraising look that threatened to make her cheeks burst into flame, "I wouldn't mind some of that, certainly, but Rosa has Paolo and that's also fine."

Rosa needed to get out of the room before she started a fire. "I'll go put the lasagna in the oven!" she squeaked and made her escape while Sky was still chuckling.

---

Rosa felt very uneasy walking down that particular staircase in the Canterlot castle. It felt cramped and dark and oppressive, even though it was actually quite wide and well lit. Probably this was because of what she knew was down that way: jail cells.

That was the word Rosa was using, even if 'dungeon' was trying to barge into her thoughts instead. Which was funny, because this place looked about the same as the rest of the castle. It helped a lot that Sky Light, Celestia and Twilight were with her. Even if Rosa could put all the preconceptions about dungeons aside, she didn't think she could have gone and faced Cadence on her own, even if she was behind bars.

"Just down here," Celestia announced as they reached a floor. There was a row of heavy-looking doors down one side of the corridor and a couple of guards stationed at a nearby table. The guards, who were both pegasi, jumped up and saluted with their wings.

Twilight looked imploringly up at Celestia, who gave her a slight nod and cleared her throat. "If you could give us some privacy, gentlecolts?"

The two didn't hesitate for even a second. "Yes, ma'am!" one of them said and they hurried the way Rosa and her group had come. She saw they left two cups of tea and a sandwich, all half-finished. The loyalty Celestia commanded in her ponies really was impressive.

"I will wait here," Celestia told Twilight and stopped near the guards' table. The younger Princess was clearly nervous about proceeding alone, but she swallowed a lump, nodded to herself and looks to Rosa. "Okay, let's go see her."

Rosa and Sky Light followed as quietly as they could manage, aware of their thundering heartbeats and trembling limbs. Rosa wondered why this was such a big deal. The answer arrived almost immediately: It was a big deal, because it was important to Sky Light. The pegasus had her fiercely determined expression on her muzzle, but Rosa could see the signs. Her hooves dragged just a little, her wings rustled uneasily, and her ears were folded down. She might be shaking a bit as well, but Rosa couldn't tell while she was walking.

It took them what felt like years to reach the cell door. There was a tiny, barred window at face height, but Rosa didn't see Cadence in it. Maybe she had changed her mind and didn't wish to speak with them after all? Twilight levitated a key from under her wing. She must have been gripping it there, Rosa thought. It entered the lock with the faintest of clicks and then turned with a loud clang. The door swung open and Rosa craned her neck to peer inside.

The cell was pretty much as she'd imagined it. A narrow cot, a chair with a table and a prisoner. It reminded her strongly of where she had been kept at the facility for the first few nights, except for the manacles. There was a big, strong-looking iron ring built into the far wall and a chain looped through it, binding all four of Cadence's hooves to the wall. There was also some kind of a contraption on her back, Rosa guessed to keep her wings bound. Finally, there was a shiny metal ring on her horn. Rosa hadn't thought about that, but it made sense. They couldn't have prisoners who could use their magic, or they would simply teleport out, or something. The only thing missing when Rosa mentally compared the cell to the one she was in, was the toilet. A surreptitious glance revealed a bucket in a corner behind the bed. Rosa made a mental note never to break the law so she didn't have to end up like this. It was horrid.

Cadence herself was... haggard. No other word would do her justice. She was filthy, her mane was a tangled, dirty mess and what Rosa could see of her wings was nothing short of abysmal. She blinked at the open door, squinting so she could see against the light. Clearly even an alicorn got no special treatment in the Canterlot jail. Celestia must have been really angry. The most striking thing Rosa saw were the clear traces of tears down Cadence's muzzle. Had she been crying? A cold, angry part of Rosa asked: 'Has she cried over what she has done, or over the conditions in her cell?'

Cadence seemed fixated on Twilight, but she managed to tear her eyes away to look at Rosa and Sky Light. She gave them the tiniest of smiles. "Thank you so much for coming to see me," she said, voice thick with relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her back.

"We're listening. What did you want to say?" Sky Light went straight to the point.

Cadence immediately folded her ears and lowered her gaze to the floor. "I guess," she murmured, "I guess I wanted to apologize."

That was encouraging, especially when Rosa spotted fresh tears in the alicorn's eyes. She wasn't too sure she could believe Cadence, so Rosa looked to Twilight to see what she was thinking. There was not much help. The younger Princess looked on the brink of weeping herself. Rosa remembered that they were related and had been friends for a long time. She flinched when Cadence suddenly looked at her, but the mare didn't say anything, so Rosa remained silent as well. This was between her and Sky Light. Rosa was just there for emotional support, if her friend should need it. Remembering that, Rosa took a step closer so her flank brushed lightly against Sky Light's.

"What you did was-" the pegasus began.

Cadence squeezed her eyes shut and interrupted before Sky could finish: "-monstrous. I know."

Finally Twilight spoke up: "Cadence, why did you do all those things?! It's not like you!"

The other Princess shrugged a little. "I'm- not sure. Maybe Earth changed me, or maybe it was because of Shining..." That name made her sniff, barely holding back a sob. Rosa remembered it was her late husband's name and couldn't help wincing a little in sympathy. "Or maybe the Elements didn't purge the shadow out of me, not completely," Cadence finished.

Mention of the Elements, which included her mother, made Rosa speak up: "What are you talking about? What shadow?"

Twilight looked at her with a calculating expression, but before she could decide what to tell her, Cadence groaned and said: "They deserve to know the truth, Twilight. It doesn't make what I did any better, but maybe it'll help them understand some of it."

Twilight hung her head and sighed. "I guess," she agreed, then looked at Cadence. "You tell them."

Rosa was barely aware of Sky's wing wrapping around her back as she pulled her closer. She gave her pegasus friend a grateful nuzzle in return.

"Well, you know we alicorns get certain... powers," Cadence said quietly. "Well, there's also danger in it. You know the story of Nightmare Moon, right?"

Both Rosa and Sky Light nodded. It was a well-known legend among equestrian ponies so they had heard it often, despite it having happened more than twenty years ago. Fluttershy had been there, too, and Rosa chest swelled a bit with pride.

"That is what can happen to us, if we are not careful. It has happened twice, so far. Nightmare Moon and..."

Twilight heaved a sad sigh in the momentary silence.

"And?" Rosa asked, thinking that Cadence might have trouble saying it.

"And me," she finished. Another sob escaped her and she sat on her haunches. Chains jingled as she wiped her muzzle as best she could with manacled legs.

Twilight murmured softly while they waited for the older alicorn to pull herself together. "When she found out Shining was dead, Cadence turned into 'Hate Heart'. She..."

"I went on a rampage," Cadence finished. "I went to the human world and- I'm not proud of what I did."

"That wasn't you!" Twilight said forcefully. "It wasn't Luna when it was Nightmare Moon and it wasn't you when it was Hate Heart!"

"So that's why the Elements went after her?" Rosa made a guess.

"Exactly," Cadence confirmed. "Only the Elements are powerful enough to purge that kind of shadow from an alicorn. The official story was that the Elements were being reunited on Earth. Fluttershy was over there at the time, so it was also partly a rescue mission. We - that is to say, Auntie - decided not to mention me to the general populace."

"W-Why?!" Rosa really didn't understand why they would lie about something like that.

Twilight answered that one: "Princess Celestia didn't want a panic. There was already a war and she didn't want the ponies thinking their leaders could just turn into monsters on top of everything else."

"Anyway, the Elements didn't work," Cadence added, "not fully, anyway."

"It worked with Luna! It should have worked with you as well!" Twilight burst out suddenly. She looked like she wanted to give Cadence a hug, but had been given specific instructions by Celestia.

"Yes, but maybe my pain simply went too deep."

Sky Light groaned a little. "Well, whatever your excuse, you sent Zephyr out to die!"

There was silence after that accusation. Cadence was the first to speak, her voice quiet and gentle and her eyes downcast. "I know. I'm sorry..."

"Sorry is not enough!" Sky spat and took a step closer. To Rosa's surprise, Cadence actually cringed away from Sky's anger. "I loved him and you sent him out and he died! Luna said it was a bad idea but you did it anyway!"

Tears were streaming freely down Sky's cheeks now, but she didn't seem to care. They dripped, spattering the floor, unheeded.

"I can't ever say how sorry I am-" Cadence began, but the pegasus was having none of it.

"Well, fuck you, Princess. I hope you rot in here forever!"

Before the manacled alicorn could respond, Sky twisted around and stomped out of the room. Both Rosa and Twilight watched her in shock.

"I s-should go after her," Rosa told Cadence.

The princess nodded, unable to look directly at her. "Please-" she whispered, "tell her I'm sorry." Rosa was on her way out, but she paused because Cadence hadn't stopped talking yet. "I'll be here for a long time. M-Maybe someday she can forgive- you can both forgive m-me."

She really did look miserable, disheveled as she was and in the middle of the cell's squalor. Rosa heaved a sigh and lowered her ears. "Maybe. I'll see what I can do, but don't count on it being fast. Zephyr was the love of her live."

"I know," Cadence almost wailed. "Believe me, I know!"

Rosa remembered her cutie mark and special talent. She probably did know, at that. "I'll go after her," she said by way of explanation and walked out of sight. She expected Twilight to talk some more with her friend, but she was right on her heels and closed the door behind herself. A moment later she locked it and returned the key under her wing.

Sky Light hadn't made it far. She was sobbing gently near the guards' table, with Celestia draping a wing across her back. Neither of them were talking, but Rosa was grateful for the Princess' silent support.

She walked up to her friend on her other side and threw a hoof around her withers. "She really does mean it, I think."

That was both to Sky and Celestia, who was the one that answered. "I know, but what Cadence did is-" The Princess paused, then shook her head. "Not unforgivable, but let us call it 'a long time in forgiving'. The fact she had done most of it to the people of Earth makes no difference. She will stay in that cell until I am fully convinced there is no more darkness in her."

"What will happen to the Crystal Empire?" Rosa asked, remembering her hasty lessons on geography.

Twilight joined the three of them, but didn't speak up, so it was Celestia who answered once more: "For now, it is being ruled by a Regent. In time, I expect, it will pass to Flurry Heart."

"So Cadence won't get it back?"

"I do not think so, at least not directly. Flurry might want her mother as an advisor, but I will make sure she is nothing more. Do not worry about that, Morning Dew. In time, Cadence will find her place again."

Rosa shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around the severity of the punishment. "Well, I don't want to be that pony, but she has lost her husband..."

Celestia pointed to the other Princess. "Twilight lost her brother, but she didn't turn to the Shadow for vengeance." The Princess sighed and lifted her wing from Sky Light's back so she could drape it on Rosa's. "I am also sorry. I believed Cadence fully healed after the Elements were used on her. Had I seen the signs, I would not have put her in charge on Earth."

"It's okay," Rosa told her, unable to be mad at the well-intentioned, if overworked ruler.

"Come, you can have breakfast with me and Luna today," Celestia offered. "I am making pancakes."

That finally got Sky Light to stir. She heaved a forlorn sigh, then stood up. "Thanks," she said quietly.

It would take more healing, but maybe, once Iris was born, the pegasus might forgive Cadence. Rosa felt that might be best for everyone. Keeping hatred and resentment in her heart probably wouldn't end well.

As they rose up from the dungeons up into the rest of the castle, Rosa couldn't help feeling like her spirit was lifting too. The place seemed a lot more airy and somehow brighter.

All of them were probably feeling it, Rosa suspected. Her thoughts were confirmed when Sky Light asked quietly: "What kind of pancakes?"

Comments

[BleuBlooms]

I liked this! I will say though, Cadance and forgiveness is a little icky for me...not to say that I am against it! I just you know maybe, because I have read (so many) fanfiction's especially (pony) that espouse the virtues of forgiveness that I can't just help but, give it a side eye.

I like forgiveness but, very few pony fic's (since, that's what I am reading I am using this as a example.) Really touch upon lasting harm in a way that is relatable to me. Case in point and the way it feel's so often in pony fic's:

Pony do thing -->punishment -->/= forgiveness. Or...

"You weren't you, Darling! You were that garish mare! Nightmare Moon/Hate Heart!"

:(

Maybe, you were...

But, what if I try a metaphor?

Imagine you were dealt a wound! A mortal wound that heal's over...time eventually but, there is pain...and it's chronic and it won't go away.

Pain in your heart. Pain in your mind. Pain in your body...that doesn't go away. Or, if you have a good day and you don't think about...it. Your wound. Or, the other thing's that come with your wound...(and there are other thing's.)

You have good day's.

You have bad day's.

And, it's like that for fourty year's (and, longer cause your still here and you want to live!)

Fourty year's, and that the pony that did this to you? Their dead! But, still your better and doing ok! But! The pain hurt's and you have nightmares that make your pain just as fresh as the day it happened...

I get it. This is a pony fic ,and people want to move on and they want to read about people moving from pain...that the pain can stop.

But...the truth is some pain never goes away and never heal's and not in the plithy saying "time heal's all wound's"

The saying should be "Time heal's most wound's and some only partially heal."

Sometimes...you just live with it.

I mean who want's to read a story about chronic trauma...right?