TW: On-Screen Hanging
Proceed with Caution!!!!
Twilight sat in her train seat on the way to Canterlot for the trial the next day. She stared out of the window sorrowfully as her thoughts wandered to Tempest.
I love you. I'm so sorry. Goodbye, my newfound love, Twilight thought, her eyes welling up with tears.
Between contemplation and the train's smooth ride on the tracks, Twilight was eventually lulled to sleep. She opened her eyes to pitch black. The sound of a crowd of ponies catches Twilight's attention. She turned around to see hundreds of ponies gathered around a raised surface with a noose. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were on the surface. A hooded purple pony was led up onto the surface as the crowd jeered and shouted in anger.
Wait, Twilight gasped as she recognized the figure, that's-
Tempest was de-hooded by the guards that led her to the scaffold. The crowd cheered as she was led up to the noose.
No! Twilight tried to run up to the scaffold so she could save her, but her hooves were paralyzed. Her whole body was stuck in fear.
Tempest looked Twilight dead in the eye from her place on the scaffold. Her eyes were hardened with betrayal as tears ran down her cheeks. Twilight couldn't hold her gaze for long. Her own eyes filled with tears at the sight of the pony she found to be the most special pony in the world.
"Tempest Shadow has done many wrong things in the past," Celestia snarled at the broken horned unicorn in disgust. "She can't be redeemed, so her sentence won't be taken lightly. We've all decided that Tempest's sentence for killing multiple ponies' lives, hunting down my student for three days, and taking part in the Storm King's scheme of taking Equestria's magic will be death by hanging."
NO!!
Twilight tried to move once more with no avail.
"NO!" She screamed while trying to get her mentor's attention, "Celestia, don't do it! Please!"
No pony heard the alicorn.
Twilight watched as the guards tied the noose around Tempest's neck. Dread rose in her stomach as tears flowed down her face.
"STOP!"
Celestia pulled the lever. Tempest's body hung as the trapdoor was opened from underneath the criminal. An eerie silence followed.
"No......NO!! TEMPEST!" Twilight reached a hoof out to the fading image, her scream of disbelief, sorrow, and terror echoed in the darkness. She sank to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Her newfound love was dead.
Twilight was left in pitch black again, her mane draped over her face and muzzle, wings sprawled out beside her, tears falling like a waterfall to the floor.
A voice echoed behind the distraught princess. "You'll hand her over for us to deal with!"
Slowly, Twilight turned her head to look behind her. There they were; the ponies that confronted her, Spike, and Tempest in the market. Tempest appeared right in front of her sight as she appeared to faze through Twilight. Without looking back, she walked to the mob of ponies.
Twilight tried to run this time and found herself able to. She galloped up to the pony who had spoken.
"No, please spare her!" Twilight begged, "She didn't do anything wrong! Stop! Please!" She looked behind the pony as she saw Tempest disappear into the crowd.
The pony scowled, "She has to pay for what she did to Equestria!"
"Enough!"
A bright light appeared suddenly on Twilight's left. She shielded her eyes as the image in front of her was swept away. Princess Luna appeared, along with her Dream Realm. She gracefully landed along her starry path, wings unfurled.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes. "Why are you here? Am I dreaming? Oh, please tell me I'm dreaming!"
Luna rested a wing across Twilight's side. "I assure you, Twilight, that what you experienced tonight was a nightmare."
Twilight teared up and laid down in relief. "Oh, thank goodness!" Tempest was still alive!
"Has something been troubling you?" Luna lifted Twilight's head with her hoof.
Twilight sighed. "I'm so worried about tomorrow.... about....." she took a couple deep breaths. "about what I'll have to do with.....T-Tempest."
"Have you decided on what to do, yet?" Luna questioned.
"No," Twilight admitted, "But I can't do anything bad to her....I just can't! I have the choice of giving her a ......." Her throat tightened, "d-death sentence and handing her over to the public. And, as Princess, I have to do what they say." Her eyes welled up with tears once more.
Luna embraced Twilight as she sobbed. The moment was short lived, however, as the Princess of the night once again lifted Twilight's head so she made eye contact.
"As Princess, Twilight," Luna explained, "You listen to your subject's suggestions and retaliations. Then you, and only you, get the final say. You don't have to do what the public tells you to. You're never going to be able to please everypony. They may not like your final decision, but those who are reasonable and respect you will know to let the issue go." Luna let go of Twilight's face as she took in the older Princess' advice.
"So you're saying that I don't have to do what the public asks?" Twilight asked.
"Indeed." Luna nodded in response.
The Princess of Friendship chuckled and put a hoof to her forehead. "Well, now I feel stupid. I've been worrying over something that I shouldn't have worried over." Twilight groaned, "And that's what my friends were trying to tell me this whole time. I guess I owe them an apology, huh?" She smiled sheepishly.
"Yeah, you do." Luna smiled, "Do you know what to do now?"
Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. Tempest may deserve a harsh punishment by law for her crimes, but the ponies, and Tempest, considered the purple mare, need to see that she was misguided, broken, and worthy of kindness. She smiled at the realization that she wouldn't lose the pony that she cared about most of all, after all. "I think I've got an idea."
Luna returned the smile. "Good. You truly have a special place in your heart for her. I can tell." She smirked as Twilight's checks turned red.
Twilight rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "Yeah, I guess."
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." Luna winked.
"Thank you, Princess Luna." Twilight bowed.
"Anytime." Luna nodded her head in respect. As Twilight stood back up, she continued, "Now, I must go. There are other dreams that need to be tended to."
"Of course." Twilight acknowledged, "Bye!" She waved a hoof at Luna, who flew off to another part of her Dream Realm. Suddenly, there was a bright spark, and Twilight was jolted awake by the sound of the train's whistle. As the train slowed, Twilight looked out at the landscape of Canterlot.
YOU ARE READING
Strings of Fate
Sonstiges(Formerly known as Tempest's Bride) Tempest Shadow is finally back from spreading the word about the Storm King's defeat. Her arrival in Ponyville has everyone frightened and angered, except for Twilight and her friends. After staying with Twilight...
