@KennyC  
I’m glad somebody remembers :D
 

@KennyC  
her name is amethyst star, but she was called sparkler before that.
 

 

how long was that, about 10 minutes?
 
she was in canterlot right before twilight left.

@Mr grump  
I think you won. A lot of his statements seemed pretty ridiculous. If what Rainbow Dash did afterwards wasn’t “standing up to” Spitfire, then what the heck is “standing up to” Spitfire?
 
A lot also depends on how things are structured. Some places may put you in trouble for following stupid orders, some may put you in trouble for not following them, no matter how stupid they are. It’s all circumstantial, and ultimately somewhat arbitrary on Spitfire’s judgement, and the judgement of a small group.
 
Lightning Dust did a good job of upsetting her peers, though - You don’t want to look like a psychopath to your jurers, and she certainly did.
 
Also, Rainbow warned Spitfire about Lightning Dust before the incident, and Spitfire brushed it off and told Rainbow to obey Lightning Dust. So, yeah, more credit to RD.

@redweasel  
That’s her name? That one pony who was the most organized pony in ponyville before twilight showed up

@KennyC
 
who, sparkler?
 

@redweasel  
What’s that ponys name again?

@Holofan4life
 
sunset who?
 

@Tragiclady  

 
I would honestly argue that Sunset Shimmer’s redemption took place over the course of a couple movies.

@Mr grump  
Well when ever I don’t care when I just want her back

@KennyC  
If she’s gonna come back the season 6 finale would be the time to do it.

I wish she’d comeback

@Cirrus Light  
the… the gallows? what? I just meant prison!
 
anyway… the show finally caved and showed a… picture that might be her, or at least has her colors
 
no idea if it’s a poster admiring her, or if it’s public enemy #1. I’m sort of thinking the latter isn’t very likely though.
 
@kztxl7
 
really, nobody cares that lightning dust whipped up a tornado and almost destroyed rainbow dash’s friends, otherwise they’d have to hate rainbow dash too. the reason everyone hates lightning dust is because she was a total dick about it afterwards.
 
and people rarely even consider that perhaps an unauthorized balloon entering a military airspace unannounced might not have been the smartest thing to do in the first place.

@Psyga315
 

You guys forget that the Wonderbolts are a living contradiction to the Element of Loyalty. They don’t care who’s irresponsible in the tornado incident.
 
Spitfire rewarded Rainbow Dash for betraying Lightning Dust, but disguised it as her sticking up for her friends to hide the true purpose.

@kztxl7  
Agree to disagree then, I’m going to bed and typing on tablets cramps my fingers.  
I’ll let others decide who won this little debate of ours, if they feel so inclined as to comment on it.
 
Good night.

@Mr grump  
Rainbow Dash didn’t really “redeem” herself nor did she “stand up” to Spitfire.
 
Of course Spitfire encouraged people to be like Lightning. She showed drive and and the best flying ability. That’s what you want in the elites. She did not however tell people to do stupid and reckless things outside of their abilities.
 
That’s where common sense in the reset of the recruits should play in.
 
Rainbow Dash did not stand up to Spitfire. She bottled up the problem and then exploded in a bitch fit rather than speak up about the behavior she was uncomfortable about. That’s her fault. It would have been standing up to Spitfire had she spoke to Spitfire earlier and she proceed to blow off Rainbow Dash, but that didn’t happen now did it?
 
RD sat around, watched a problem grow in her face, assisted in the problem, didn’t speak up about it until too late and only “fixed” it when it blew up. Doesn’t sound like someone who should take the lead.

@kztxl7  
Lighting saw what her actions wrought and felt no guilt at all. She did not redeem herself for her reckless behaviour. Rainbow saw what following lightning’s example could lead to and redeemed herself through actions and standing up to spitfire. Spitfire, by the way encouraged this behaviour in the recruits and told dash to be like lightning and follow her lead despite Rainbows misgivings. what was she gonna do? punish dash for doing what she told her to do? perhaps spit fire should have stepped down as well. Accidents happen in training but dash showed she had learned from her mistake while lightning did not. That’s why one was promoted and the other was demoted.
 
I’m not gonna speculate on whether the other 5 were allowed to be there because the show never stated one way or the other. Since it was just an obstacle course I’m gonna guess that anyone could stop to watch considering there was no security watching the perimeter but no one was expecting non pegasi to show up.

@Mr grump  
Lightning being the leader doesn’t not remove Rainbow Dash’s fault in the fact that she CHOSE to make that tornado alongside her. She had the option to say no and if brought up on it she could explain herself to Spitfire on why she refused.
 
Burning down a house and then going to play martyr doesn’t make it better than you burned down the house. If Lightning deserved consequences for that, then so did Rainbow Dash. It was both of their faults it happened in the first place. That and some girls who should have never been there unannounced in the first place.

@kztxl7  
Lightning was the leader. Rainbow was told to be more like lightning and follow her lead. when the accident happened, who sprang into action and saved lives and who did nothing? who threatened to quit the wonderbolts if things didn’t change and who tried to brush off the incident?
 
rainbow was promoted because she showed leadership potential and heroism. Lightning was demoted because she was a reckless jerkass and a bad leader.
 
that’s all there is to it. lightning is not a woobie and she suffered the appropriate consequences while rainbow was elevated because she was a better fit for the position.

@Mr grump  
It’s funny you talk about “consequences for her actions” because two things:
 
First, Rainbow Dash’s friends most likely shouldn’t have been their in the first place at least without giving advance notice. I highly doubt the Wonderbolt’s airspace isn’t private/restricted.
 
Second, Rainbow Dash chose to make that tornado alongside Lightning Dust. No force or heavy coercion was used. Which means Rainbow Dash should suffer the same consequences.

You will get your chance Dusty. You are best Pony after all :)

@Tragiclady  
Man zuko had such a good character arc. even at his worst he was still sympathetic. He was a soldier, a prince and had serious daddy issues. who wouldn’t be a little messed up in his position?
 
He genuinely suffered for his redemption and was not given a free pass by anyone except his uncle. (and even he was close to giving up on him at one point)

@Tragiclady  
MLP characters and settings… with Avatar’s quality of story.
 
Holy freaking crap this would be amazing.
 
Few things match that final battle in-between Zuko and his sister. Few things, ever, if anything…
 
 
@redweasel  
>Escorted off by guards  
>Never seen again  
>Implications
 
Lol, ok, obviously that’s not what happened but… It’s not impossible! Xp (And then part 2 >>1243298 )

@Mr grump  
well, that and escorted off by the cops
 
and never seen again.
 

I can’t remember the last time I saw a character “earn” a redemption or a happy ending.
 
Oh wait! Avatar: The Last Airbender. While I’m sure the show has flaws (that I never looked for) Prince Zuko took an agonizingly long time to do a lot of soul searching, try to change for the better, and join the “good guys” team. Even then they regarded him with suspicion until he took each of them on a side quest to prove he isn’t a jerk, and to help with with stuff that was bothering them. Except for Toph.
 
After all of that, he became a much more likeable person by the end of the series.
 
And that’s the only time I remember a redemption taking more than a few episodes or movies to get all the way though it D:
 
Man, it sure would have been nice if we could have gotten something like that for MLP characters trying to turn over a new leaf.