CMC Scootaloo 
"[@genervt":](/1698153#comment_7468026
[bq="genervt"]) "
> [@CMC Scootaloo":](/1698153#comment_7467898
)
> Even then it was reckless and irresponsible but not malicious.
> Dusty was convinced that the stunt would have worked.[/bq]
Was she? She admitted to Scootaloo that it is dangerous "a little". And the whole point of her stunt team is risking their lives and performing with the possibility that they die for the sake of the ultimate thrill.
That alone makes clear that she knew there is a possibility that Scootaloo dies during that stunt.
But she also admitted that the stunt has never been tested before, which proves by implication that she had no idea if it will work the intended way, or not. That adds just more evidence for it that she wasn't sure if Scootaloo will come out of that stunt unharmed.
The verdict for this is definitely that she knew there was a risk of Scootaloo getting severely injured, of ending up even more disabled than she already is or even of Scootaloo dying as a consequence of that stunt.
Then there is the fact that she knew that Scootaloo is flightless and that she, unlike herself, Rolling Thunder or Short Fuse, wouldn't be able to fly away and save her life if the stunt goes wrong because of that, but that she let her do it anyway. While the above is already bad enough, that she let a flightless filly perform that stunt, makes her intentions even more questionable.
Lastly, Scootaloo changed her mind when she realized just how dangerous it was, but Lightning Dust did not let her go and even bullied her into going through with it. That shines an even more bad light on her, bullying a filly into submission.
And, prior to all of that, we already saw that she has learned zero from her mistake at the academy and instead, even made being reckless a profession by founding a stunt team. She even prided herself on it that she ignores "everything the Wonderbolts ever taught them about safety".
I think I can see your point about believing in something good in Lightning Dust. After what she did at the Wonderbolts Academy, I didn't like her for obvious reasons, but I thought she can learn from this and if she would have, I would have given her a chance to prove herself.
But this is a belief that sunk nearly completely after she willingly endangered all of Equestria by joining forces with Radiant Hope and King Sombra to get revenge on Rainbow Dash. Which is unrelated to being reckless, but still showed that she, least up until this point, hadn't learned anything.
And now, with the things she did now, the things I listed above..... I have lost the last belief she could better herself.
Don't get me wrong. Despite my judgement of Lightning Dust here, I am someone who is very much for forgiveness, more than most people are. Starlight Glimmer did horrible things when she went through her emotional trauma, but I don't hold any grudge against her despite nearly wiping out Equestria, the place I love so much, forever, because she stopped in the last moment and started working on it that her traumatic experiences can't cause her to do the same things again.
I am willing to forgive everyone, no matter what horrible things they did, as long as they stop doing these things and help to undo the damage they caused. I am even that much forgiving, that I would forgive a rapist if they regret their horrible actions and if they devote their life to do everything they can to help their rape victim(s) to overcome the experience and feel better and to undo as much damage as it is in their power and make life for their victim(s) as easy as they can.
I also forgave Diamond Tiara, despite that I hated her more than I ever hated anyone before and said a few times that I genuinely want to see her dead for the extreme things she did, because she decided to change and because I could personally relate to the abuse she suffered from her mother.
But since Lightning Dust showed that she has not only not learned from what she did wrong, but also that she openly revels in being a reckless mare who endangers others for her own gain, my last remaining belief in her has died.
There are people who enjoy being bad/evil and who never change because of that. Which is rare for Equestria, most ponies who live in it learn from mistakes they made and strive to be better because Equestria's society is a higher and more progressed one than humanity's, but Equestria still has its exceptions from this rule.
With what we've seen from Lightning Dust here, it's pretty clear she is one of those exceptions, I fear.
I also know how it is to love a pony very much, I have several ponies/creatures I love like that, and that love can make blind. And there are a few ponies who I would still stick to and try to help become better ponies if they would do certain horrible things to others, ponies who I would still believe in to be able to become truly good, just like you do with Lightning Dust.
But, as I said, there are also some ponies who never change. And Lightning Dust didn't show one sign of redeemable quality during these events, only signs of stubbornness and of ignoring the lesson life tried to teach her.
It's als important to know when something is a fruitless endeavor.
I don't know if we will ever see Lightning Dust again and IF Season 9 is the last one, chances are high that we aren't. Her return into the show in this episode was already completely unexpected.
But if we should see her again, be it in Season 9 or (hopefully) in a future season beyond that number or at least in the official comics, you shouldn't hold your hopes up too high. Doing that would probably just result in more disappointment for you.
I think, at this point, it is better for Lightning Dust fans to let her go. It looks like she is one of those irredeemable villains/antagonists.
Scootaloo Fanclub Member
[bq="genervt"]
> [@CMC Scootaloo
> Even then it was reckless and irresponsible but not malicious.
> Dusty was convinced that the stunt would have worked.
Was she? She admitted to Scootaloo that it is dangerous "a little". And the whole point of her stunt team is risking their lives and performing with the possibility that they die for the sake of the ultimate thrill.
That alone makes clear that she knew there is a possibility that Scootaloo dies during that stunt.
But she also admitted that the stunt has never been tested before, which proves by implication that she had no idea if it will work the intended way, or not. That adds just more evidence for it that she wasn't sure if Scootaloo will come out of that stunt unharmed.
The verdict for this is definitely that she knew there was a risk of Scootaloo getting severely injured, of ending up even more disabled than she already is or even of Scootaloo dying as a consequence of that stunt.
Then there is the fact that she knew that Scootaloo is flightless and that she, unlike herself, Rolling Thunder or Short Fuse, wouldn't be able to fly away and save her life if the stunt goes wrong because of that, but that she let her do it anyway. While the above is already bad enough, that she let a flightless filly perform that stunt, makes her intentions even more questionable.
Lastly, Scootaloo changed her mind when she realized just how dangerous it was, but Lightning Dust did not let her go and even bullied her into going through with it. That shines an even more bad light on her, bullying a filly into submission.
And, prior to all of that, we already saw that she has learned zero from her mistake at the academy and instead, even made being reckless a profession by founding a stunt team. She even prided herself on it that she ignores "everything the Wonderbolts ever taught them about safety".
I think I can see your point about believing in something good in Lightning Dust. After what she did at the Wonderbolts Academy, I didn't like her for obvious reasons, but I thought she can learn from this and if she would have, I would have given her a chance to prove herself.
But this is a belief that sunk nearly completely after she willingly endangered all of Equestria by joining forces with Radiant Hope and King Sombra to get revenge on Rainbow Dash. Which is unrelated to being reckless, but still showed that she, least up until this point, hadn't learned anything.
And now, with the things she did now, the things I listed above..... I have lost the last belief she could better herself.
Don't get me wrong. Despite my judgement of Lightning Dust here, I am someone who is very much for forgiveness, more than most people are. Starlight Glimmer did horrible things when she went through her emotional trauma, but I don't hold any grudge against her despite nearly wiping out Equestria, the place I love so much, forever, because she stopped in the last moment and started working on it that her traumatic experiences can't cause her to do the same things again.
I am willing to forgive everyone, no matter what horrible things they did, as long as they stop doing these things and help to undo the damage they caused. I am even that much forgiving, that I would forgive a rapist if they regret their horrible actions and if they devote their life to do everything they can to help their rape victim(s) to overcome the experience and feel better and to undo as much damage as it is in their power and make life for their victim(s) as easy as they can.
I also forgave Diamond Tiara, despite that I hated her more than I ever hated anyone before and said a few times that I genuinely want to see her dead for the extreme things she did, because she decided to change and because I could personally relate to the abuse she suffered from her mother.
But since Lightning Dust showed that she has not only not learned from what she did wrong, but also that she openly revels in being a reckless mare who endangers others for her own gain, my last remaining belief in her has died.
There are people who enjoy being bad/evil and who never change because of that. Which is rare for Equestria, most ponies who live in it learn from mistakes they made and strive to be better because Equestria's society is a higher and more progressed one than humanity's, but Equestria still has its exceptions from this rule.
With what we've seen from Lightning Dust here, it's pretty clear she is one of those exceptions, I fear.
I also know how it is to love a pony very much, I have several ponies/creatures I love like that, and that love can make blind. And there are a few ponies who I would still stick to and try to help become better ponies if they would do certain horrible things to others, ponies who I would still believe in to be able to become truly good, just like you do with Lightning Dust.
But, as I said, there are also some ponies who never change. And Lightning Dust didn't show one sign of redeemable quality during these events, only signs of stubbornness and of ignoring the lesson life tried to teach her.
It's als important to know when something is a fruitless endeavor.
I don't know if we will ever see Lightning Dust again and IF Season 9 is the last one, chances are high that we aren't. Her return into the show in this episode was already completely unexpected.
But if we should see her again, be it in Season 9 or (hopefully) in a future season beyond that number or at least in the official comics, you shouldn't hold your hopes up too high. Doing that would probably just result in more disappointment for you.
I think, at this point, it is better for Lightning Dust fans to let her go. It looks like she is one of those irredeemable villains/antagonists.