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// Chapter 9: The Sad Heights  
// Story: When Snow Falls 
// by Prophet Of Doom 
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     A small procession of ponies made their way towards White Apple Barn. With Twilight Sparkle at its head, it consisted of her mentor Princess Celestia, flanked by the royal guard Foxtrot and Nurse Redheart.
Between the two princesses was the bandaged form of Midnight Snow. When nurse Redheart finally caught up with him, she insisted that he return to the Ponyville hospital but it became clear that he no intention of complying, not at least until he came here.
White Apple barn had been requisitioned by the royal guard not long after they arrived in Ponyville. Guards had been posted as sentries all around the building and at the gate leading to it. 
Also at the gates, a small group of ponies had gathered, adding more bouquets to the growing sea of white flowers. Amongst them, Twilight sported a familiar orange earth pony.

“Applejack,” Twilight called.
“Oh, hey sugar cube,” She replied smiling but not her upbeat manner.
“Hows everything going?” -Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder-
“Not brilliantly’ I just finished the inspecting the orchid and a least a third of the trees are gone,” Applejack said, “But it could be a lot worse. The apples there had already been picked and we had only just finished it the day before.”
A cold chill ran down Twilight’s spine upon hearing this fact.
“I also got a letter from good old Braeburn this morning,” Applejack continued. “When he heard about what happened, he set aside several saplings and said he'll send them over when we’re ready for them.” 
Applejack then looked past Twilight at the procession she had been leading. After saluting Celestia, the two sentries allowed them passage through. Her eyes could not help but be drawn to Midnight Snow, whose eyes were devoured of emotion. 
“What about yourself’ sugar cube?” -She turned her eyes back to Twilight- “How are things your end?”
“Well, the mirror is still closed and shows no sign of reopening” Twilight answered.
“Any world from Sunset?” Applejack asked.
Twilight opened up her saddlebags with her magic and lifted out the journal barring Sunset’s cutie mark. She flipped it open to a bookmarked page to see it was blank.
“No and I journal seems to have lost its magic,” -Twilight lowered her voice down to a whisper- “I fear the connection between our worlds has been severed.”

Twilight looked other her shoulder to see Celestia and the others had reached the barn doors.
“I better go,” She said to Applejack.
“Stay strong sugar cube,” Applejack replied, knowing what awaited them inside.
Twilight trotted past the sentries at the gate and caught up with the group, as Celestia instructed the guards to open the barn doors. 
The doors were swung open with a loud creak and a waft of freezing air came out of the barn.
Twilight could see that a complex series of spells were being used to cover the walls and ceiling of the building in ice, making the interior incredibly cold.
However, the thing that grabbed everyponies attention was the rows and rows of motionless figures hidden under white sheets.

White Apple Barn had been converted into a makeshift morgue. The ponies grimaced at the sight before them, shifting uncomfortably on their hoofs, except one. Midnight Snow just stared off into the distance.
“Whenever you're ready, Midnight,” Celestia said softly.
Midnight took a breath and started walking between two of the rows, looking down at the covered bodies, unfeeling.
There were several other ponies were already present inside the morgue, all wearing hazard suits and face masks.
One such pony, a magenta coated unicorn, walked past Midnight and towards Celestia. Foxtrot stepped up and removed her helmet, breaking the uniform seal and stood to attention.
“Dr. Twinstar,” said Foxtrot, her breath frosting up.
The unicorn barely glanced at Foxtrot, before walking past her in a blatant snub and presenting herself to Celestia.
Celestia noted the snub, as well as Foxtrot’s twinge of disappointment across her face, but she did not bring it up. Now was not the time.
“Princess Celestia,” Twinstar said with a respectful bow and removing her face mask.
“Dr’ do you have a final count?” Celestia asked.
Twinstar nodded and hovered a clipboard in front of her.
“We’ve counted 59 bodies,” she said with no hint of emotion in her voice. “7 griffons, 2 diamond dogs, a minotaur, 19 earth ponies, 12 unicorns and 17 pegasi.” 
Celestia and Twilight stared at her with grim expressions. Midnight however, continued walking slowly between the rows, clearly looking for something.
“And also,” -Twinstar lowered the clipboard- “We found another alicorn”
The three mares eyes widen upon hearing this. Even Midnight stopped and looked back at Twinstar.
The Dr gestured with her clipboard to an assistant, who in turn moved over to a body just ahead of Midnight .
Midnight moved up to the spot, as the assistant lifted the white sheet covering the bodies face.

The alicorn was a beautiful mare with a coat of ice blue and a mane of black with golden tips.
Midnight stared down at the seemingly unblemished face of the alicorn, his face completely expressionless. She looked peaceful as if she could wake up at any time. He searched her features for something familiar.
“Do’ you know her’ Midnight?” Twilight asked’ saying her words gently.
Midnight did not answer, instead gently coaxing his magic to pick up the only thing that she was wearing, a chain and pendant.
The pendant suspended in the golden magic was made of silver and shaped like a half heart, cut jaggedly down the centre. On the underside was inscription’ “My Everything”.
“Where have I seen that before,” Twinstar remarked.
Midnight once again looked round at her, the loss of focus causing the pendant to fall from his magic.
With her horn glowing, Dr Twinstar lifted another sheet off the face of the pony laying right beside the ice blue alicorn.
It was the face of an earth pony, its coat and mane were the colour of obsidian with silver highlights, which almost hid the injuries that it had sustained. 
All eyes though were drawn to its neck, for here was another chain and silver pendant. It was the other half of the heart’ its inscription read “My World".
When seeing this, the last shreds of hope that Midnight Snow dared to cling onto evaporated. He slumped  back onto his rear and hanged his head low.
“Midnight…” Foxtrot said with concern in her voice.

Midnight lifted his head a little looking straight ahead and started speaking words he had known since he was a young child.
“Up in the far heavens, beyond where the northern stars that guide our way, is a place our elders have come to call ‘The Sad Heights’. Where does who have walked before us, gather to look back at our fair lands. They send us their silent words of blessings and curses on the northern winds," Midnight swallowed a lump in his throat, before looking back at the two ponies who lay lifeless before him. Tears now streaming from his golden eyes.
“Mother, Father, now together at The Sad Heights. Curse’ bless me with your silent words I pray,” -His voice started to tremble- “And let them guide me to the end of my days.”
With this’ the last of his emotional barriers fell and he wept uncontrollably at the heads of the two ponies who had once been his parents.