//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: Nineteen Moons 
// Story: When Snow Falls 
// by Prophet Of Doom 
//------------------------------//

     The huge double doors to a conference in Canterlot castle swung open in a grand, almost silent ark. Foxtrot now in uniform, walked through alongside Midnight Snow. The male alicorn gazed around the room. It was beautifully decorated with tapestries, chandeliers and stained glass windows. At the centre of the marble floor was a round table with padded seats. Already at the table was the princesses Celestia and Twilight, who stood up when they entered.
“Midnight Snow, Foxtrot, I’m so glad you came,” Celestia spoke
Foxtrot’ followed by Midnight, bowed respectfully as they rose.
“Princesses,” Foxtrot acknowledged, head bowed down.
“At ease Foxtrot,” Celestia reassured. “You may remove your helmet, There's no need to be formal, either of you”
The two nodded and Foxtrot removed her helmet, the magic seals breaking showing her true colours.
“Please’ take a seat,” Twilight invited.

Midnight and Foxtrot took to their seats, facing opposite the princesses. Once seated, the slight tension in the air was lifted.
“Well before anything else,” Celestia began. “How are you’ Midnight?”
“Surviving, somehow,” He smiled, deflecting with humour.
Celestia smiled, though she was wise enough to see through such humour. So she turned to Foxtrot.
“And everything settling down ok?”
“A couple of bumps,” Foxtrot answered honestly. “Nothing that can’t be fixed. With enough time.” 
Celestia nodded a little more satisfied with this answer and turned to Twilight. 
“I asked you to come here today, Midnight,” Twilight began. “Cause I wish to fill you in on the Crystal Mirror, the portal that brought you here.”
Midnight leant forward and listened intently.
“Every thirty moons, the mirror opens and creates a connection with a point at a school in your world called a Canterlot High. As I said before, the portals normally big enough for one pony to pass through at a time. We still don’t have an answer to how or why the mirror created a portal as big as it did. We can nothing on record of this ever happening before.”
Midnight and Foxtrot were silently listing to this mainly recapped information.
“The Mirror has been moved to an isolated location near the Crystal Empire, in case it goes crazy again.” Twilight continued. “However I do have reason to believe that the connection between our worlds may have been damaged, if not severed.”
“Severed!” Foxtrot exclaimed.
Twilight produced a Sunset’s journal’ and placed it on the table.
“This journal has allowed me to keep in contact with friends I have in your would, even when the mirror was closed,” She explained. “But ever since the portal you came through closed, I haven’t been able to get in contact with them.”

“It could still mean nothing,” Celestia interjected, feeling their guests concern growing. “But we have to wait and see if the portal opens on the next time it was scheduled to do so.”
“When is that?” Asked Foxtrot.
Twilight and Celestia exchanged a glance, that told Midnight that the answer was not a welcome one.
“Nineteen moons,” Twilight sighed.
Foxtrot held a hoof to her mouth, but Midnight's reaction was somewhat blank, not understanding this measurement of time.
“How long is a moon?” He asked’ but a part of him deep down did not want to know.
“Around thirty days,” Celestia answered.
Midnight slowly raised a hoof to his brow, as his mind quickly calculated the unwelcome figure.
“A year and a half,” He muttered to himself.
The other three went silent, allowing him to absorb the news. Eventually, Midnight looked up, still rubbing his brow.
“Are there any other ways to open the mirror, or travel to my world?” He asked in hope more than expectation.
“I used to be able to open the portal by transferring magic from this,” -Twilight tapped the journal with her hoof- “Into the mirror, but every time I tried to do it since after you arrived, the portal failed to open.”
“And we know of no other means to get to your world,” Celestia added,

Midnight did not acknowledge this, just continued to rub his brow.
“Midnight,” -Foxtrot placed a hoof on his shoulder- “Are you ok?”
Midnight got off this seat and started heading to the door.
“Sorry, I need a minute.”
“Take your time, Midnight,” Celestia reassured.
Midnight said nothing, just wandered across the room and through the door. Foxtrot watched him go before looking at Celestia as if to ask permission to go after him, a product of her military training.
Celestia gave her the nod she had been seeking, and Foxtrot went after him. The two princess were left alone in the now quiet room.
“Well that could have gone better,” Twilight said while tapping Sunsets journal.
“Telling a soul that he may never be able to go home was never gonna be an easy task,” Celestia coached. “But it is nothing compared to receiving such news.”
Twilight could imagine it. She recalled the feeling of dread that she felt when battering Sunset Shimmer At Canterlot High. Twilight conveyed this to her mentor.
Celestia rose from her seat and glided to the stained glass window.
“I’m not sure how I would have survived,” Twilight stated plainly.
“Oh I have no doubt you would have’ and so will be Midnight Snow,” -Celestia beckoned Twilight to the window- “Cause you have both have made something’ that will make such a situation better to bear.”

Celestia pointed to the courtyard below. There’ Midnight was sitting defeated on the floor’ had his eyes tightly clenched shut’ trying to keep a scream of sheer utter frustration from escaping himself. 
Twilight though could also see Foxtrot, cradling him in an embrace. Trying to console him from another slap to the face by fate.
And there it was’ the something they had both made. Bonds of friendship.