Winter’s Howl
Chapter 21: Cold and Lifeless
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Rainbow gave a firm kick to the Ponyville hospital doors, causing them to explode open as Snowstorm sprinted in, carrying Sea Mist on his back, breathing heavily. At the sudden commotion, the white mare standing behind the counter looked up, surveying the situation before her.
“Welcome to Ponyville hospital, is this an emergenc-“
“This is my father (pant) he’s been (pant) stabbed in the stomach. He needs immediate (wheeze) medical attention…”
The mare behind the counter now leapt to Snowstorm’s side, bringing with her a stretcher.
“Load him here.” She instructed, before wheeling him back into the hospital. The rest of the family followed suit, chasing after the gurney as several other medical ponies caught up to it, attaching various wires and hoses into Sea Mists unmoving body. The medical team took a sharp turn from the hall into a hospital room, and began attaching more wires, barking instructions at other’s to fetch medicine and other necessities. Snowstorm merely watched, terrified to move. There’s nothing I can do now…
Ponies began to wrap Sea Mist in a thick layer of gauze while pumping oxygen into his struggling lungs. After a brief struggle to stop the bleeding from his wound, Sea Mist was declared stable, but unconscious. There was nothing anypony could do now but wait and hope for his recovery.
The white mare approached the group, her light pink mane now wet from sweat. A concerned frown rested upon her face as she began to speak to the group of ponies before her, but was cut off by Scootaloo.
“He…He’s going to be ok…right nurse? He’ll….He’ll pull through…right?” Scootaloo was on the verge of tears, hope was all that kept her from bursting into sobs.
“We don’t know yet, dear. Your father lost a lot of blood, and sometimes, even when we stop blood from leaking out of ponies, it can leak into bad places inside of them, that’s called ‘internal bleeding’. We stopped him from losing anymore blood outside, but we can’t see what’s going on inside.” The nurse spoke with a cautious tone, trying to put everything in terms Scootaloo could understand. The nurse now turned to Snowstorm and Icicle, “I’m sorry we had to meet under such horrendous conditions. My name is Nurse Redhart, I’m Ponyville’s main doctor in situations like these. I’ll be taking care of Sea Mist, and seeing to it that he gets everything he needs.”
Snowstorm motioned for Nurse Redhart to follow him and his mother as they took a few steps form Scootaloo and Rainbow, who was doing her best to cheer up the small filly.
“You mentioned ‘internal bleeding’,” Snowstorm spoke in a grave whisper, “where? And how severe?”
The nurse sighed and spoke quietly to Snowstorm and his mother, “When the knife entered his body, it ruptured his intestines. While this is severe, ponies have enough surgical skill to fix it by cutting out the ruptured intestinal track and sewing the remaining pieces together. However, when the blade was twisted, it cut into the lower wall of his stomach, causing a tear. We did everything we could to fix his intestines, but very few ponies survive having their stomach torn, and unfortunately, we cannot sew stomach tissue. Sea Mist will survive for a short while, but the odds of him walking out of this hospital are…not good. All we can do now is wait, and hope that the tear wasn’t to severe that his body can’t repair it.”
Snowstorm let out a long breath, taking in everything he’d just heard. I’m no doctor…he thought to himself, but this doesn’t sound good.
“Are you saying there’s hope, doctor?” Icicle asked, pushing herself closer to the nurse.
Redheart bowed her head, sighing. “There’s always hope, but when he comes to…I suggest you say your goodbyes. It isn’t likely he’ll be around for very long.”
“I…I see…” Icicle stepped back, new tears forming in the corners of her already bloodshot eyes, “I…I think I need to use the restroom…I’ll be back in a moment.” With that Icicle trotted down the hall and entered the mare’s room, shutting the door behind her.
Snowstorm turned to Rainbow and Scootaloo in time to see Rainbow shaking her head back and forth, flailing her tongue wildly. Scootaloo gave a dead-pan stare in response.
“Hey guys…” he spoke with a gentle smile as he approached.
“What did the doctor say?” Rainbow had suddenly turned serious.
Snowstorm looked at Scootaloo, who returned his gaze, before looking back at Rainbow. He sighed, speaking solemnly, “Scootaloo, I think you have as much a right to know as anypony, so I’ll tell you what she told me, but keep it simple. Stormshadow’s knife cut up his guts pretty bad, including his stomach. They were able to fix a bunch, but they can’t fix his stomach. It could fix itself but it’s not very likely…” The words resonated through Snowstorm’s mind. Hearing them had little effect, but saying them himself made his brain truly process what was happening. He took a sharp breath in, fighting back tears, “the nurse said we might want to say goodbye when he wakes up…”
Scootaloo and Rainbow dropped, losing hope and their playful attitude. Scootaloo began to cry again, “I don’t want to lose him…he just started being there for me, and now…” Scootaloo’s words were lost in incomprehensible sobs.
Rainbow walked up to Snowstorm, sympathy in her eyes, “Are you ok? Do you need to go somewhere or anything?”
Snowstorm sniffled, wiping his face with a foreleg, “I…I’ll be alright…I want to be here when he wakes up though…”
“Alright, we can wait.”
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5 hours passed before nurse Redheart exited Sea Mist’s room in somber spirits. “The patient is awake now, if you’d like to see him.”
The group entered the hospital room, standing around the wired bed at its center. A soft, mechanical beep echoed throughout the room, mixing with the sounds of a machine pumping oxygen. Sea Mist lay on the bed, his eyes half closed and dull in color. He gave a small smile at the sight of his family entering his room. Snowstorm stood next to the hospital bed and raised a hoof to put in his father’s, gripping it firmly. He half-expected his father to return his signature grip and was surprised when he felt no strength.
“Hey there Snowstorm…” Sea Mist managed to wheeze, speaking through tubes.
“Hey Sea Mist…how you holding up?”
“I’ve been better,” Sea Mist turned to his wife, “hey honey…”
Icicle smiled, “What am I going to do with you, you big oaf? How could you be so thick headed?”
Sea Mist chuckled, “guess that’s just who I am…good to see you too, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo nodded at Sea Mist, but words escaped her. She didn’t know what to say. She’d never seen anypony in that condition before, kept alive with machinery.
Snowstorm crouched next to his father and spoke gently, “We talked to the doctors and they said you might get better, that there’s a chance you’ll-“
Sea Mist put a hoof up to stop Snowstorm, “I know what’s going on, and I know it doesn’t look pretty…”
“But there’s still-“
“Snowstorm, listen. I…I just wanted to tell you…I’m sorry…”
Snowstorm stood up, “Sorry?”
“I…I’m sorry for all of those times I didn’t play catch with you…I’m sorry for all those nights you had to make yourself dinner…I’m sorry for all those times I yelled…” Sea mist was struggling to create words.
“Sea Mist, you don’t have to explain…” Snowstorm began to cry, silver streaks running down his face.
“N-No, I do Snowstorm…I…I always wanted to be your dad…I…I have always loved you, son…” Sea Mist was also crying as he began to drift in and out of consciousness.
“I…I love you too dad…”
“Take care of them for me Snowstorm…I know you can…”
“B-but I need you…we all need you…” Snowstorm allowed his tears to flow freely as he tightened his grip on his father’s hoof.
“I know you can…” Sea Mists voice faded to breath as he slipped from consciousness and a long, electronic tone rang from the machine beside him.
The echoes of sobs were all that filled the quiet halls of the Ponyville hospital, as Luna’s moon cast a solemn shadow upon the town.
You killed him. You son of a bitch.
70087
I wouldn't be so angry if I had that tape recorder. Play it again, please?
why he have to die? well, i suppose it wouldn't earn its sad tag if he didn't, so i'm not really mad. awesome writing bro!
im sad now waaaaaaaa
Oh heeeeell no!
*Takes a shovel*
*beats Stormshadow's already dead body*
AAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!! *BF3 RANK UP*
Why did you kill him? You heartless bastard.
“Scootaloo, I think you have as much a right to know as anypony, so I’ll tell you what she told me, but keep it simple. Snowstorm’s knife cut up his guts pretty bad, including his stomach."
Shouldn't it be that damned Stormshadow's knife?
71059
Sigh, I'll play it again...
How many more small european nations do i need to fucking bomb in order to make the killing stop!
poor snowstorm....
i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n526/Mr-Ghast/Ponys/hiResSnowstormsad.png
Why does this make me cry, third time a story done it, second time this one has.
Now i need to give myself a paper cut so i have an excuse to why i was cring to my parents........
71086
dang it i forgot to make his ears droop.....
71076Thank you kind sir.
71083 As many as you have to!
71079
well.... there should be many causes that you are willing to die for but none you are willing to kill for
prediction scoots go's to prison for murder
71086
That's eerily similar to what I made on generalzoi
i think GLaDOS should take stormshadow's lifeless body, bring it back to life then kill him again....and again....and again......and again......
71094
What, your acting like I hacked your brain and stole information out of it.
i.imgur.com/XevRf.gif
nope.....not at all.....
71103
Like i said before, i had caffeine late at night, stayed up till 5 am and woke up at 9 am, 4 hours of sleep makes me do random stuff.
POTATO!
71103Please... the picture... make it stop....
awwww,
Another great chapter again, I cried at the end.
71139
never
LIVE DAMMIT*sniff*, LIVE!!!
Even dead Stormshadow ruined the lives of Snowstorm and his family. Time for the family to preform some corpse desecration. Burn in Hell MUTHERFUCKER!!! NO, we need Pale Hoof the pony grim reaper to bring his ass back to life so that we can kill him again and again and again and so on for many years.
If, he truly does die then this should be his grave.
Here Lies Sea Mist:
19XX-2011
Beloved husband, father, son and hero.
He died sacrificing himself for his family against a monster of true evil.
Peace Out.
CELESTIA-DAMMIT! I'D KILL SHADOWSTORM IF HE WASN'T ALREADY DEAD!
71097
Me: i have a tape recording from GLaDOS... she is sad as well but she cant kill him over and over.
GLaDOS: You wanna know why? Because I'm a potato! And potato's don't have resurrection capabilities. So unfortunately, I cannot kill that BITCH!.. What an outburst. wwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa- "Malfunction! Malfunction! Wet expulsions are coming from the eye stalks in the potato, and is becoming wet. Emotion malfunction!" Iwillkillthatmoronbutunfortunatelyicannotkill... that... BITCH!..... whatanoutburst. I hate in when i repeat everything...
Me: yyeeeaahhh... so now GLaDOS shares sad emotions like us, but no other emotions. but i agree with her, the bitch stormshadow should have missed when he stabbed sea mist, sea mist would be okay and *sniff* stormshadow would have died alone! *cries*
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
I don't get sad at sad moments
I rage at sad moments.
71145 And there went my sanity. Thanks
71097 "And once your gone I think i'll pick up a new hobby. Like raising the dead." I hope I got that line right
Manly tears have been shed...
To be honest I saw most of it coming, so I didn't really get that sad .... go read the "Spark" fic. get to the last chapter "To Be An Alicorn" and you'll see what it means to cry... My eyes still water just thinking about it.
Please do the funerals for both Sea Mist and Stormshadow.
As much as I hate Stormshadow, everyone deserves a proper burial. Even crazed killers.
"...wasn’t to sever that his body can’t repair it." -> severe.
"... losing hope and there playful attitude." -> their.
... *Mourns quietly*
71334
A funeral for Stormshadow, really?...It'll be like my grand ma's funeral. A funeral for someone that everyone hated. People only went to make sure she was dead. The eulogies were more like a roast than paying any respect. No, seriously, we all got drunk off are asses and partied like there was no tomorrow.-true story.
Stormshadow should be made into dog food and glue. Funerals and proper burials are for winners, not violent sociopaths.
A funeral for Sea Mist; ponies will actually show up to pay their respects. All leave deep heartfelt Eulogies and celebrate someone that made the world a better and safer place. There should be a 30 foot solid bronze statue dedicated to him.
hes not dead! at least not yet theres a slight chance unlikly but if the writer lets him live then he lives!
I have 2 coffins- 1 for Sea Mist, 1 for Storm Shadow.
Storm Shadow's coffin is an industrial meat grinder, and a flock of vultures
I have two words well actually its a name but whatever...Twilight Sparkle, telekineticlly holding tissue together or just regrowth spell.
...ouch...
sadface...
I don't see what's so sad about this. This story is the most predictable thing i have ever read EVER. i even predicted (somehow) the names of Snowstorm's mom (Icicle) and his father (Stormshadow). Anyways, did you steal the name storm shadow? cuz i helped write a fic that had the main character as a stallion named Storm Shadow, who (coincidentally?) fell in love with RD. sooooooo... stealing anyone?
73127
You do realize that Stormshadow is owned by Hasbro see the image below. He's a popular GI JOE villain.
3.bp.blogspot.com/_JTIzq6dRSb8/TNs0-7eGnjI/AAAAAAAAAzo/MPMbrWaGyu4/s1600/stormshadow1024.jpg
So, unless you were writing fanfics pre-1985 then shut up.
It's not the ending that's sad it' how it affects the characters that we've grown to like during these chapters. Watch Kurt Vonnegut's guide to writing a short story.(here)
Dude, most things in life are predictable, it doesn't make them any less great. Do you bitch about the sunset? Do you roll your eyes when you wake up in the morning? Do you complain the movie has a triumphant ending?
Sometimes the best things in life are the ones that you can see coming, because you know that their outcome makes life worth a damn.
*reads last word of chapter*
even though that was predicted... *glances where next chapter should be*
FUCK, NO MOAR CHAPTERS TO READ?!
Hey cain, some dick was stealing my account name with guest that was not me just to clear it up everybody!
oh and MEMES
Vegeta! How many views are there!
OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAND!
73127
Actually I developed the name Stormshadow because I wanted his name to display the "Storm" side of Snowstorm, likewise having icicle represent the "Snow" in his name. I wasn't even aware he was a GI Joe character. Also, regarding to it being predictable, I take it as a compliment you thought so, it means I did a good job with the foreshadowing, which is often difficult to grasp, while having major plot twists.
*In quiet, echoing voice* Nooooooooooooo...,,
71276 I just finished that today! And I ttly cired. Manly tears were shed. . . Shit, now I'm even more sad. This, AND that were, err, ARE both badass stories.
*sniff* I'M NOT CRYING! *sniff* It's liquid sadness. BWAAAHAHAHAAA!!!!!