Foxtrot was stirred from her sleep by a low noise coming from another room. She lifted her yawning head upright and turned to look at the clock hanging on the wall. It was almost dawn.
The noise stirred a little louder from elsewhere in her cottage. Foxtrot sighed, she knew what it was. She rolled the covers off her and swivelled out of bed. Out of habit’ she treaded her hooves carefully to avoid making noise herself.
Slowly opening her bedroom door, Foxtrot made her way into the main room.
Like most of the cottages in Hoofly, the main room was the kitchen, living room and dining room combined into one. There were only four other rooms in the building. A fair sized bathroom, a small pantry and two bedrooms that sat on top of them
With the smell of yesterday's vegetable stew still hanging in the air, Foxtrot made her way through the dark up a couple of steps to the spare bedroom, gently tapping the door.
“Midnight’ are you ok,”
No reply came, just the same noises as before. She knew these noises, hearing them before at the hospital.
She slowly opened the door slowly and looked over at the bed, light up by the setting moon.Midnight was lying asleep in the bed but was not resting. The covers had been thrown off him by continuous fidgeting. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his eyes danced under their lids and his heavy breath betrayed the dream he was having.
“Oh dear,” Foxtrot whispered aloud. “You're still at that crash site’ even now.”
She stepped up to the bed and sat on its edge.
“Midnight,” -she placed on a hoof on his forehead when he didn’t awake- “Midnight!”
Midnight's eyes shot wide open, his breathing slowing to a gentle pace. after a second’ His eyes on focused on Foxtrots.
“Was I..”
“Dreaming, yes,” She finished for him. “The crash?”
Midnight rubbed his eyes and nodded’ wiping the cold sweat from his brow. “Did I wake you?”
“Yes,” She answered. “But it's almost dawn anyway.”
Midnight looked out the window, the moon was cresting the far horizon. He focused on a cluster of stars in the northern sky’ slowly fading away.
“There go the Sad Heights,” Midnight said unconsciously.
“Is that what you call them?” Foxtrot asked’ looking at what midnight was gazing at. “Those stars?”
“Not quite,” He answered. “They lay beyond them.”
Foxtrot cocked her head to one side, her long emerald mane falling loosely. He sensed what she was about to ask.
“In my homeland of Westhumberland’ which is basically a series of rocks in a bleak ocean,” Midnight rambled. “Centuries ago, they used to believe that when someone passes away, that their soul finds its way to place where they can watch over us. A place they called ’The Sad Heights’. It's no longer a commonly held belief.”
“Do you believe it,” Foxtrot asked.
Midnight did not answer at first’ clearly mulling over this question.
“I don’t know,” He replied eventually. “I really don’t know if I do or not. My mother certainly did, to the point where she was considered a little eccentric. She even convinced her father of this place but me, I don’t know.”
He looked down at his front right leg and the scar on it.
“I can’t help but think about them right now,” His voice went a little cold. “I managed to put a bubble around me but not around them, or even the….”
Midnight felt Foxtrot’s hoof on his forehead, turning his attention to her. Her impassioned eyes, staring deep into him.
“Never think that!” Foxtrot said firmly. “It was a miracle that you survived at all that day. You had no hope of saving anyone that day. So don’t think like that.”
“Ok,” Midnight said’ surprised at her vigour.
“Promise me!” Foxtrot particle demanded.
“I promise,” Came his reply.
Foxtrot removed her hoof from his forehead’ just releasing how aggressive she’d been.
“I’m sorry Midnight,” She slowly said. “I just can’t let you go down that path.”
"It's ok," He replied. "I'm a Westhumberlander, we always somehow survive."
Midnight offered a weak smile until the silence was broken by a cockerel’s call.
“And there's the dawn,” Said Foxtrot. “Well since were up’ let's get some breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us and if we use the early start well’ then I might be able to squeeze in a quick tour of Canterlot before heading to the castle.”
She shifted off the bed and trotted to the door. Once there’ she turned to face him.
“Coming?” She asked’ bearing a sweet smile.
Midnight studied her face for a second before smiling and nodding. Rolling off his bed’ he followed her out the room.