The Northern Sky

by DashTillDawn

The Battle Lost

I sat over the now unmoving North, tears rolling down my face. Desperate, I tried to think of ways we could help him, of ways to do something. I refused to simply lie down and accept that I had lost somepony I cared about. I turned to Twilight.

"What do we do!"

"The hospital!" She offered.

We hoisted our friend into the air, and made a break for the Ponyville Medical Clinic. Though the trip should have taken a good ten minutes, we were there in two. It only took another three for the staff to wheel him into the operating room, and point us to the waiting room.

I thought back to the last time I was in a hospital waiting room. Funny enough, it was for the same stallion, only this time, we had a deeper reason behind waiting for him. We waited for news that never seemed to come. The sun went down, and still we waited. The sun rose, and friends came looking for us, hearing that we were back in town. They found us still sitting in that room.

The first pony to join us was Rainbow Dash. She had wanted to help Twilight with her landings today, but Spike told her that Twilight had left. After asking around town, she found her way here.

"Hey, Twi! What's up? You weren't home."

"A friend of our got hurt. We've been here all night." She explained. That was all it took from her friend. Dash left as fast as she came in. Twilight wondered why, but I hadn't even realized Rainbow Dash had been here. I was staring blindly at the wall, lost.

After some time, Dash came back, along with the other four. They came bearing flowers for the hurt friend, and food for us. Though they had no clue which of our friends was hurt, it didn't matter. If they were a friend of Twilight's, then they were a friend of theirs.

Rarity levitated a bag with various breakfast foods towards me, but I didn't even notice. Twilight had to do the talking for me.

"She's more broken up about this than I am. I can't even get her to acknowledge that I'm here. I'm worried about her."

This was enough to draw me from my thoughts, though I stayed only long enough to mutter one sentence.

"You're the reason we're here in the first place."

Twilight became hopeful that I would say more, but it quickly became evident that I would leave it at that. And now, Twilight had to explain what I meant.

"What's she talking about?" Applejack questioned.

"It's a long story." Twilight tried to give an excuse.

"Well it seems like we've got a long wait." Rainbow Dash stated.

---

One long story, and a dozen doughnuts later (Courtesy of Pinkie Pie), the five mares had been caught up on the scenario.

"Let me get this straight: Starlight had a crush on this North character, and now he might be dead? Worse yet, you're the reason he's in here right now?" Applejack summed up the whole story.

"I fear that she may have more than just a crush for North. Nopony behaves this way unless they truly care for somepony." Rarity added.

"Ouch." Rainbow Dash deadpanned.
Twilight could no longer contain her sobs.

"It's all my fault. I knew that Midnight wasn't the one doing this, but I went after him anyways."

That was when the doctor entered the room.

"We've managed to temporarily stabilize him, but only long enough to say goodbye." He spoke.

Any hope in the room died as the words hit us. Though I didn't perk up, nor give any sign of understanding, I had received his words. I had finally opened up to somepony, and now I would loose him. Twilight put a hoof on my shoulder in an attempt to console me.

"Don't touch me!"

"Starlight..." She tried.

"This is all your fault! You don't even deserve to see him!" I rose, and followed the doctor through the swinging doors. The other six loosely followed, being sure to give me space. Though nopony had noticed him, Midnight was in the waiting room too. He trailed our party to the back room.

North sat on a stretcher placed in the center of a white room. He heard me trotting up, and cracked his eyes open. I flashed a faint smile.

"Hey..."

"Don't do that." He told me.

"What?"

"Don't act like I'm going to be fine, because I know I'm not."

I thought I had already shed all of my tears, but more came to my eyes.

"Then you know I've came to say goodbye?" It wasn't a question. He nodded.

"Just don't be too hard on Twilight or yourself. It was my choice, and this is my fault, but I'm okay with that."

The rest of the party had lined up outside the room.

"Is Twilight here?" He asked.

"Out in the hall."

"Let her in."

Doing as I was told, I went into the hall, and pointed at Twilight. She was shocked that North still wanted to see her.

"North, I am so sorry. I didn't-"

"It's not your fault. I did this, and I need you two to understand that. This is my doing."

"I just wish there was something I could do to fix this." Twilight added.

"I might be able to help with that." Chimed Midnight, stepping through the doorway.

"You're the whole reason we got into this mess." Though I knew he had no choice, I still found it hard to forgive him.

"Yes, and for that I am sorry, but it wasn't really me. This is the real me, and I might know how to save him."

Twilight seemed suspicious, but I just shrugged.

"Guess it's worth a shot."

"Twilight, am I correct in assuming that North saved your life before you almost froze?" Midnight asked, leaving out that it was him who nearly froze her.

"Yes... why?"

"You still have a part of him, and since you no longer have hypothermia, you could give it back."

"How?" Twilight asked, starting to understand.

"North told me he focused on the cold he felt. I guess you would do the same." I offered.

"I'll try."

Twilight stood at the side of the stretcher, and closed her eyes. The room went silent, save for the heart monitor.

Beep, beep.

Though it was nowhere near as noticeable as when North had cast his spell, the room temperature started dropping.

Beep, beep.

Ice formed at the base of Twilight's hooves, as her horn began to glow an icy blue.

Beep, beep.

Twilight opened her eyes, and they were the same white as when she cast a difficult spell- the same white North's had been when he saved Twilight.

Beep, beep.

Twilight cast her spell, and the ice blue ball met North. The temperature rose, and the ice faded. Twilight looked to us, hoping to see if it worked.

Beeee...

The monitor alarm sounded.

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[DashTillDawn]

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Who else would I give the cliff hangers to? Not him, not yet...