//------------------------------//
// Bk3/Ch4 Friend or Foe 
// Story: Love's Lost Decade 
// by Priceless911 
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Book 3/Chapter 4
Friend or Foe

Year 00, Month 11, Day 07

The air couldn’t have been thinner or more depressing as the five remaining climbers continued up the cliff with harnesses connecting each one to a single line. With Hotham Leading the climb, he could only look back as he called, “Ya’ll okay down there?”
Slowly climbing behind him they each replied in order, Angel first, “Yea, I’m good.”
Everest next, “I’m fine with picking up the pace a little.”
Kiloman next, “How far is the next ledge?”
Hotham looked up from his position as he saw it and replied, “About another hundred feet or so. How you holding up Zeil? Not bad for your first time eh?” 
Zeil nodded as he continued climbing, “I’m alright, keeping up as best as I can. After you try it yourself, it’s not as hard as it looks, though… that doesn’t make me any less nervous.”
Hotham smiled, “too right mate, just keep at it and we will be there in no time at all. Just… hang in there.
The group rolled their eyes as Everest spoke, “that was about as funny as the last three times you told it.”
Hotham replied, “Easy mate… just trying to lighten up the mood a bit.”

With that the group continued using the picks to climb up the steep cliff before arriving at the next ledge as they each climbed up then helped the rest onto the platform. After reaching the ledge the group sat down as Hotham went to work unhooking himself from their safety lines. As he put away the rope, Angel spoke, “Looks like we are making great time today. At this rate we may reach the summit early tomorrow.”
Hotham nodded, “If the weather stays fair, yes… but look there.”
The group looked off the cliff into the distance as they noticed storm clouds approaching in the distance. As they watched the impending snow storm, Zeil sighed, “Why can’t things just be simple for once?”
Angel replied, “That would make things too easy.”

Everest nodded as he added to the statement, “Even I want things to be easy from time, but… if I were to be honest, this mountain will prove helpful for my dream. Though… if the challenge means losing friends… then…”
Everypony’s expression became sad, as Hotham spoke up, “I think this break is over, let’s get ready to continue on our path. Looks like the trail is a simple slope so we can continue without climbing. Le-”
Before finishing his sentence, Hotham paused as he griped his head and grunted in annoyance. Seeing this Kiloman asked, “You alright friend?”
Hotham nodded, “I’m fine, just a headache. Nothing too severe. So… let’s keep going.”
As the group stood up and started back on their trail Zeil asked, “So Everest, do many ponies from your home town dream of climbing the Titan’s Citadel?”
Everest nodded, “I would think so… though…”
Zeil was confused with his uneasy expression, “Though?”
Everest sighed, “I wasn’t… very social in my home town. In fact… I didn’t have any friends there.”

Zeil was concerned, “Really? You seem like a friendly pony to me.”
Everest nodded, “I was… but… when they found out I was… you know, the way I am. They turned their back to me. You see, homosexuality still isn’t accepted everywhere yet. In some places it’s still taboo so…”
Zeil sighed, “Oh… I’m… I’m sorry. I knew that it wasn’t common, but to see that some are out casted for their feelings is, just cruel.”
Hotham nodded, “not much different from you’re kind.”
Zeil nodded, “true, but my kind are out casted for their actions that have harmed others. Ponies like Everest haven’t done anything to hurt anypony.”
Everest nodded as he replied, “it’s alright Zeil. Despite how unfair it is, there are some things in this world that we should just ignore.”
Zeil shook his head, “But there are others that should be pushed to change.”
Everest smiled, “Its fine, they may never accept me… but that won’t stop me. If they don’t like me then it will just hurt more when I become the first to reach the Titan’s Citadel.”
Kiloman smiled, “That’s the spirit friend, never give up on your dream.”

Hotham spoke as he looked ahead on the trail, “Bad news mates… look there.”
As they continued up the trail they found themselves stuck as the path ahead seemed to end at a long deep gorge. As the five looked into the deep crack in the earth, Hotham kicked a pebble into the dark void below as he heard the pebble bounce off the walls as he spoke, “Crikey… Seems to go on forever don’t it?”
Everest nodded, “it does… do we have anything to cross it with?”
Angel looked down the gorge, at one end, the gorge ended at the same cliff that they just finished climbing, and on the other side, there was a tall wall that stretched even higher onto the mountain, but was also parted by the deep crevice in front of them. Seeing the wall Angel spoke, “We can place an anchor on that wall and try making a single rope bridge to cross.”
Hotham gave her a concerned look as she backed up and removed her saddlebag, “A single rope would work, but we would need an anchor on both sides of the gorge… how wou-”
Before he could finish, Angel pulled a climbing pick from her saddlebag as she darted across the area strait towards the gorge before jumping into the air and opening her wings to glide to the other end.

Worried for her safety, Hotham watched as Angel reached the other side and buried the tip of her pick into the wall three feet below the top of the opposite side. Seeing the mare he cared for hanging from the cliff, Hotham called, “Angel! Are you alright?”
Angel started scaling the other side of the gorge as she replied, “I’m good! Your sweet, but you don’t need to worry about me!”
After Angel reached the cliff, she pulled herself onto level ground as Hotham called in irritation, “Don’t do that again! Or at least give me fair warnin’ first! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Angel smiled at his concern, “Oh calm down and throw me an anchor already!”
With that, Kiloman reached into her saddlebag as he pulled out an anchor and rope and tossed the anchor to the other side of the gorge. As Angel caught the anchor, she went to the wall on her side and hammered it into the stone as Everest did the same on his side before running a rope through and tossing the other end of the line to Angel on the opposite side.

Once both sides were set, Angel called as she tugged the rope to test its strength, “Alright we are ready on this end! Who’s first?”
Everest replied, “I am, I need to test the rope’s strength. If I can make it, the rest should since I am the heaviest of the group.”
Kiloman nodded, “Then go on… we’re right behind you friend.”
With that, Everest approached the anchor as he used the tight rope to lift himself up so that he could clip the harness on his chest to the rope. Once the harness was clipped, he released the rope to test its strength as the rope succeeded in suspending the large pony in the air over the ground. Seeing that it was strong enough to hold him, Everest preceded to horizontally climb the rope as doing so pulled him over the gorge and to the other side safely.
As soon as Everest made it to the other end, he waited till he was suspended over the ground before pulling himself slightly higher and unclipping his harness as he now was able to drop himself and land safely on the opposite side of the deep crevice in the earth. Now that Everest was across he called to the rest of the group, “Its safe! So who’s next?”
Hotham stepped forward as he replied, “no time like the present.”
With that Hotham took Angel’s saddlebag with him as he approached the anchor and mimicked Everest actions by lifting himself up, clipping the harness on his chest to the rope, then preceding to pull himself across with ease. As soon as Hotham reached the other end, he unclipped himself then handed Angel her saddlebag as the mare looked over and narrowed her eyes on Kiloman, “Kiloman, your next!”

When Angel said that, Zeil immediately recognized her tone as he paused. Something about it seemed familiar, not like it was a suggestion, but more like it was an order. In fact, he remembered that it was the exact tone she used with Pike the day before when she told him to climb up the rope right before his accident. Kiloman didn’t catch the tone, so he only nodded as he replied, “Sure thing friend.”
As Kiloman approached the rope and lifted himself up, Zeil immediately saw something as he spoke, “Kiloman wait!”
Pausing, Kiloman looked at Zeil as Angel’s expression across the gorge became annoyed. As Zeil approached Kiloman he looked closely at the harness as he saw something was out of place, “Look at the loop on your clip, isn’t that a crack in the metal?”
Kiloman looked down and saw that he was right. The harness on his chest was connected around both over and under his front hooves with a small clipping loop on the chest, but the loop on Kiloman’s chest had a small fracture right next to the lock. Meaning if Kiloman had tried to cross the gorge, it was likely the clip would have broken open and he would have fallen.

As soon as he saw the damage he spoke, “Oh… good catch… I need to replace this immediately.”
With that Kiloman took off his saddlebag and sat it down as he started searching through it to find the harness that Pike had worn the day before. As Kiloman searched his bag, he looked across the gorge at Angel who was still wearing her annoyed expression as Zeil started feeling suspicious. Did she know the clip was broken, and if so, why didn’t she tell anypony? And to make it worse, does that mean she knew the incident that took Pike’s life would happen before it killed him? With these thought in his head, Zeil started to feel a deep distrust in Angel as Kiloman finished replacing his clip before speaking, “We are fine now, Let us continue.”
Not knowing what was going on, Hotham called, “Is everything alright mate?”
Kiloman called back, “Its fine, Thanks to Zeil we managed to avoid a second disaster. I’m on the way now.”
With that Kiloman lifted himself in the air and clipped his new undamaged clip to the rope before preceding to cross the gorge.

Although Zeil felt the crisis was avoided, he still preceded to watch Kiloman’s actions closely as the confident earthpony glided across the gorge safely before reaching the other side. Once Kiloman was across, he unclipped himself as Hotham spoke “Alright Zeil your next, you know how to do it right?”
Zeil nodded as he replied, “I got it, thanks.”
Next Zeil lifted himself into the air and clipped himself to the rope just as the other climbers did before him. Then with his clip secured and locked, Zeil slowly started pulling himself out as he immediately felt the worry when he noticed he was now dangling over the seemingly bottomless gorge. Worried as he was, he still trusted his equipment enough to continue moving steadily across as he breathed a sigh of relief when he met the other side. As the released changeling unclipped himself and landed on stable ground, Hotham approached him and smiled, “Hey Zeil… Kiloman just filled us in on what you saw. Cheers for that mate. It’s a relive you caught it when ya did, any later and we would have lost another friend.”

Smiling Zeil replied, “Not a problem, I just wanted to make sure… we all make it to the summit.”
With that said, Zeil looked at angel as the mare gave him a distrusting look. Luckily no pony saw her stare as Hotham smiled, “Well good on ya. Thanks to this catch we can be sure to double check our equipment. For now let’s keep moving, but be sure to keep a lookout for other faults. I think bad equipment would be a poor way to go out here.”
With that the group started continuing on the path as Zeil trotted close to Angel as he whispered so the others wouldn’t hear, “What was that? Did you know Kiloman’s clip was damaged?”
Angel gave him an unconcerned expression as she replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about… but mark my words… don’t interfere any further.”

Zeil had never felt so confused, Angel had always seemed as if she had a big sister complex with the entire group, but now with both her tone, her words and the way she seemed to bait both Pike and Kiloman, Zeil couldn’t tell if she was a friend, or a foe. Zeil could only feel worried on how to precede with his new found distrust for the mare. Part of him was saying to call her out and announce her suspicious activity. But with her long term relationship with Hotham and his lack of evidence against her, he could only assume the group wouldn’t believe him and begin to distrust him instead. So, until he could find solid evidence that she couldn’t be trusted, Zeil could only keep silent as the group continued on their path up the mountain.

Later as the group continued, the snowstorm that was seen was now crossing over them as the snow began falling onto the five climbers as Hotham tried to see through the storm and spoke, “It’s no use… with this flurry making things hard to see we are likely to go traipsing off the next cliff. We need to set up camp, Everest, Kiloman, Zeil, You three set up a tent for the three of you, Angel and I will be in another. With this blizzard around us we can’t risk staying alone. It’s too cold and a waste of fuel for the heaters.” 
The group nodded as they found good places to set up their tents before fighting the wind to get them up. Once their tents were up the group wasted no time in getting settled inside the tent to keep warm from the cold wind that was howling outside. With the wind howling, and Angel in the other tent with Hotham, Zeil felt it safe to ask, “Hey can I ask you guys a question? How well do you know Angel?”

Confused with the unexpected question, Everest replied first, “Well, I was the first of us to meet her. It was about a year ago in fact. Hotham and Angel met me on the summit of Mount Gaulish in the Highlands with a few Shetland ponies climbing with them. On the travel back to the lodge, Hotham offered me the chance to travel to the next mountain with him. Since I was seeking mountains to train for the Titan’s Citadel, I thought it would be a good opportunity so I decided to go with them. That and they didn’t mind that I was… well you know.”
Zeil was confused, “so… Angel didn’t argue when you chose to go with them?”
Everest shook his head, “No, in fact she didn’t really have much to say on the matter… or… now that I think about it… I don’t recall her saying anything back then. Strange… I remember her there as plain as day… but… I don’t remember her saying anything, or… even introducing herself… maybe… Hotham did it? But… I can’t recall.”

Zeil was now more skeptic than ever, “So… you don’t remember her saying anything? Was she even there?”
Everest nodded, “She was… but for some reason… I don’t remember her saying anything.”
Kiloman replied, “That’s funny, I don’t recall her saying anything when I first met her too. It was actually Hotham that introduced us. We met near six months ago on a ship between Zebrica and the Hooviet Union.”
Zeil was confused, “So… you met her but… you don’t recall her speaking?”
Both Kiloman and Everest tried to think to themselves as they looked at each other and nodded as Kiloman replied, “I remember plenty of long conversations where we enjoyed each other’s company… but no matter how hard I try, I cannot recall a single word said. It’s like… faint memories of dreams.”
Zeil thought to himself as he replied, “Strange…”

Everest spoke next, “you look as if that means something… what’s on your mind Zeil?”
Zeil shook his head, “I can’t say for sure… but something about Angel and the way she acts seems… untrustworthy.”
Kiloman replied, “When one is hated by another, one usually tries to find either reason, reconciliation, or possibly, retaliation.”
Zeil shook his head, “it’s not that, trust me. If I held spite towards all who hated me then hatred would devour and consume me. It’s just… for some reason, I’m starting to feel like, Angel is somehow dangerous to be around.”
Everest replied, “Perhaps… it’s her distrust in you that is spurring this.”
After hearing this, Zeil could tell that his friends were starting to feel unsure about him so thinking it would be best to wait before accusing Angel of being bad, Zeil replied, “I don’t know… maybe it’s just the stress of the cold, Altitude, and losing Pike. Changelings don’t have many friends, and with all the hostility towards us, it’s hard trusting anypony who treats us with disgust.”

Kiloman replied, “Perhaps rest is all you need. We did do a lot of climbing today and the thin air will wear you out much faster than if we were at sea level.”
At that moment Hotham entered the tent then spoke, “Hey mates, how ya fairing over here?”
The three replied in order, first Kiloman, then Everest, then Zeil, “Bored.” “Tired.” “Cold.”
Hotham smiled, “Well I got some bad news mates. Looks like this storm won’t be letting up on us any time soon. I think we may have to rack out for now, but if it hasn’t let up by mornin’ we’ll have to continue through it.”
Zeil was concerned, “Can we? You said traveling through a blizzard can be dangerous.”
Hotham nodded, “I did, but running out of fuel for our burners will be worse. After cutting yesterday and today short, we burned more fuel then expected, so now… we may be low. We can’t say for sure how fare we are from the summit, and then there is the trip from the summit to the next inn. We don’t know if we have the supplies for the rest of the trip.”

Everest added, “We have the supplies to venture through a storm. But running out of other vital supplies would be fare worse.”
Zeil nodded, “Alright… if you say we’ll be fine, then I trust you.”
Hotham nodded, “then you blokes get some rest and we’ll see you in the mornin’.”
As Hotham started to leave, Zeil wanted to stop him and warn him about getting too close to Angel, but in fear of pushing another friend away, he decided to just keep quiet until he had more proof that she couldn’t be trusted. With that Hotham Left and went back to his tent as Zeil, Kiloman, and Everest pulled out their sleeping bags and went to sleep.

That night, Zeil saw another vision as he watched a mare fall from about ten feet before hitting the ground at the bottom of a deep cylindrical pit. After hitting the ground, the mare struggled to roll herself over as she took off her goggles to reveal her neon white face as blood rolled down from a cut she had gotten when she hit the ground. After that, the exhausted mare stood up and looked around her as she tried to speak through her shivering, “I… I have to keep going… the summit… is right up there… I have to get up there… I have to pro-”
Cutting her sentence short the mare started coughing into her mitten as her terrible cough caused her to lean against the wall of the hole as she took a few second to cough it out. After coughing for a few seconds, the mare stopped as she looked into her light grey mitt only to see it stained with blood. Knowing she couldn’t stop yet, the mare pulled a pair of climbing picks out of her Saddlebag as she used all the strength she had to embed one into the frozen wall of the pit.

One by one, the mare buried the tip of her picks into the wall and used them to climb up the wall of the pit, however as she climbed, her lungs started going back into a coughing fit as she tried all she could to hold onto her picks during the whole spasm. Unfortunately as she did, one pick slipped free of the wall as the combination of her coughing storm and gravity caused her to release the other as the mare fell from three quarters of the way up before hitting the ground back in the center of the pit, only this time after hitting the ground, the mare found that she had lost all strength she had left as the mare did the only thing she felt she could do. The mare huddled up in the fetal position and tried all she could to keep herself warm. Then with the assumption that all was lost for the poor soul, the vision faded as Zeil woke to find that it was now morning.

As Zeil sat up he felt a strange feeling run down his face, as he rubbed his eyes to find out that for some reason he was crying. Feeling confused, Zeil wiped away his tears as Hotham entered the tent and spoke, “Glad you’re up mate, everypony is out here for a little brekky so com- wait… you alright mate?”
Zeil finished wiping away his tears as he replied, “I’m fine, just… my eyes are a little sore this morning.”
Hotham nodded, “Alright, well on that note, be sure to wear your shaded goggles. We don’t need you to get snow blinded out here. The snows let up a bit but it’s still hard to see, so when we move out we will need to pace ourselves.”
Nodding in agreement, the two exited the tent and joined the rest of the crew for breakfast.

A few hours later, the group with their full cold weather gear and the wind in their face, pushed through the narrow side trail with steep hills on both sides, one leading down towards the trail on the right side that was too steep to go up, and another leading away from the trail on the left that if traveled would lead off a nearby cliff. Zeil noticed angel as she looked to the front of the group where Hotham was trotting, looked up the steep hill, then looked back as if she were waiting for something. Not trusting her behavior, Zeil continued watching her until she all of a sudden stopped trotting all together. Seeing this, Zeil paused as he spoke, “Angel… what is it?”
Although the thick jacket, scarf and goggles covered her face almost entirely, Zeil could see a hint of an indecisive look on her fact as the rest of the group heard him and stopped to look at Angel. Worried Hotham spoke, “Angel? What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
Angel started looking away as if she was trying to make a difficult decision, “I… um… well…”
As everypony’s attention was on Angel, Zeil started to feel suspicious, as he had the sudden instinct to look up the mountain where Angel was looking before and try to see through the white haze that the falling snow was making.

As he tried to see what she was looking for, Zeil started to notice a hint of a dark object heading their way. Trying to identify the object Zeil watched closely until he realized what it was as he quickly looked at the group and started to call, “HO…”
“LOOK OUT!!!”
Not expecting Angel’s warning, Zeil looked at Angel as she quickly pulled Hotham out of a rolling boulders path. As the boulder crashed onto the ground they were standing on, missing hotham by only a foot, the frozen Cliff started to crack as everypony quickly backed away as the crumbling trail started to shift with the steep hills around it. With the crumbling ground spreading, Everest started to feel the earth beneath his hooves starting to follow the rest as he quickly turned around to sprint to safety, however as he did the ground in front of him also started to crumble as he jumped for the nearest cliff only to have Angel catch his hoof. After catching his hoof Angel tried to pull him to safety however with Everest’s size being too much for the frail mare to handle, she was quickly pulled from the trail as she and Everest started sliding down the steep slope towards the cliff. Quickly reacting, Hotham rushed to the edge of the trail and caught her by her hind hooves. As Hotham also started to fall, Zeil quickly used his right front hoof to grab Hotham by his hind hoof as used his other to grab Kiloman’s hoof as Kiloman also pulled out a climbing pick and buried the blade into the ground as he used it as an anchor to save himself and the rest of his group who were now interlinked into a pony chain.

After Kiloman buried his pick into stable ground, the chain of ponies found themselves hanging from the steep slope with Everest and Angel at the bottom actually suspended from the cliff’s edge, Hotham on the edge of the steep slope, Zeil further up the slope, and Kiloman anchored on what remained of the trail. Hanging but able to hold themselves steady, Hotham called to Angel as he spoke, “Angel!... You alright? How’s your grip on Everest?”
Struggling through her words, Angel replied, “I… I can’t hold him… he’s too heavy…”
Hotham looked around as he replied, “Just hold tight… Who’s at the top? Kiloman is that you? How ya fairing mate?”
Kiloman struggled through his words too as he replied, “I could be more fortunate… I… I think I can pull you up… but… it won’t be fast.”
Hotham asked, “Hey Zeil… you wouldn’t happen to have a strong creature form for you to change into would ya? Somthin’ that could pull us up quickly?”
Zeil nodded as he replied, “Well… I do… but if I change it will force me to let go of you so… I’m not going to do that.”
Hotham Sighed, “Well it was worth askin’.”

As the rest of the group tried to decide a way out of this situation, Everest started to remember a few things as he looked at Angel and whispered, “Angel… my memories… they are back… and… you… are you a-”
Angel shushed him before replying, “Yes… what you remember now… is the truth.”
Everest’s expression became saddened as he replied, “I… I see… I… I won’t ever reach the Titan’s Citadel… will I?”
Angel shook her head as tears started to build in her eyes, “… No… you won’t.”
Everest sighed in disappointment as he asked, “Will… will it hurt?”
Angel shook her head, “I won’t let it…”
Everest smiled peacefully, “Thank you Angel… I’m happy to have such a merciful friend.”
Angel shook her head, “No… you don’t deserve a friend like me… are you ready?”
Everest nodded, “I am…”
With that Everest closed his eyes as Angel released one of his hooves and placed her hoof against Everest’s forehead.

At that moment, Zeil felt something that caused him to almost forget the danger they were in. With his changeling senses feeling the aura of the entire group, something strange happened. Everest’s aura had all of a sudden vanished. Worried Zeil looked down while expecting to see that Angel had dropped him but what he saw only confused him even more. Angel was still holding him below, but his body was completely limp. Worried Zeil called, “Everest! Are you okay!”
Before the large earthpony had the chance to respond Angel with only one hoof holding him called, “I… I can’t hold him anymore! I-” His hoof slipped free of hers, “NO!!!”
With that, Everest’s lifeless body fell from the cliff into the white haze below as Angel called, “NO EVEREST!!!”
The rest of the group looked in shock as Everest vanished into the endless white that the snowstorm was creating below. The rest of the group called “EVEREST!!!” but with no view of him beneath the haze, it proved useless as they all watched in worry knowing full and well, that it was already over.

With Everest’s weight now off the rest of the group, it was much easier for Kiloman and Zeil to pull the chain of climbers up onto the trail as they each made it back to stable ground. Knowing that Angel had something to do with it, Zeil glared at the mare as he started trotting to her just as she pulled herself back onto the ground. However before he could confront her with all his built up rage, Zeil paused when she removed her goggles showing her tear soaked face as she buried her muzzle into Hotham’s chest as she cried, “Everest!... I… I couldn’t save him… I… I wasn’t strong enough… I tried, I really did but… but… it’s all my fault… I’m the reason he is dead… I wasn’t strong enough to… to… I…” 
Hotham breathed deeply in exhaustion as he held her close and tried to comfort her, “I know ya did… but… it’s not your fault… it just happened… it couldn’t have been helped. And the world knows we tried.”

Zeil stood clueless, he was sure that Angel was souly responsible for this, and that she had simply dropped him without even trying to hold on. But with her tears falling and her expression apparent, he knew that her feelings shown were genuine, despite her continued ability to hid her emotions from his changeling senses. This… meant that she truly felt sad, guilt, and apologetic for what happened making it hard for Zeil to tell if she was truly responsible or not. Though he still wanted to say something on the subject, Zeil could only keep silent as Kiloman approached her and Hotham as he spoke, “Angel don’t be so hard on yourself. This wasn’t something that could have been predicted nor prevented. Everest may have lost his life along with Pike… but only when we choose to give up, have their death truly been in vein.”

As Zeil thought about his words, Hotham looked at his remaining friends as he held Angel close and spoke, “We’ve lost two friends now… but… that won’t stop me. I say we press on… We may have survived but… it was too close to call it luck. The summit is close… and… I can’t say I guarantee we will make it there then to the opposite side… but… I aim to at least make the peak. So… are you blokes still with me?”
Kiloman gave him an unconvinced look, but nodded as he looked at Zeil for his answer to the question. Seeing Kiloman’s answer, Zeil nodded, “Always…”
Hotham looked down at Angel who was still holding him close as he asked, “And you Angel? Will you finish this climb with me?”
Angel looked up at him then wiped away her tears as she nodded, “I will… but… if it becomes too dangerous… just turn back… I… I don’t want to lose you too.”

Hotham smiled as he looked back at the group and nodded, “I don’t plan on falling any time soon. We will make it to the summit together. Ain’t that right mates?”
Kiloman smiled as he nodded in agreement, and although Zeil nodded too, he couldn’t bring himself to smile since he still didn’t trust Angel. Although Hotham saw that he wasn’t smiling in agreement, he overlooked it since they did lose another friend as he looked to the damaged trail and spoke, “Well… the trail is damaged… but it’s still passable. So let’s continue.”
As he said that, Hotham Angel and Zeil started following as Kiloman stood on the edge of the steep slope as he looked into the haze below. Realizing their friend wasn’t following Hotham paused as he turned to Kiloman and spoke, “Kiloman? What’s up?”
Kiloman continued looking into the haze as Zeil approached him and spoke, “Kiloman?”

Kiloman smiled as he shook his head, “Everest… He won’t get to complete his dream now… Pike won’t see his family again…”
Zeil nodded, “I know… but if anything… we can finish this climb for them.”
Kiloman gave him a serious look, “Can we?...”
Realizing the hidden message in his expression, Zeil gave him a surprised look as Hotham spoke through his deep breathing, “C’mon mates… time is wastin’ and the snow is getting… thicker.”
Before Kiloman could reply, Zeil asked, “Hotham… are you alright? You’re breathing pretty deeply there.”
Hotham nodded as he spoke through his breathing, “I’m fine mate… just… a little winded.”
Kiloman shook his head, “No you’re not friend… You’re suffering from altitude sickness… its faint… but it’s there.”

Hotham smiled as he replied with a convincing tone, as he patted him on the shoulder “Come now mate… you know I’m… I’m fine… nothing a slower pace won’t cure. But the summit is close… and… I aim to reach it before dusk… so… are ya coming or not?”
Kiloman nodded as he replied, “For your health… I will.”
Smiling at the answer Hotham turned back to the trail and continued forward alongside Angel as Zeil and Kiloman followed closely behind. As the group pressed on, the steep slopes that traveled upwards along the side of the trail ended as the area ahead revealed only a smooth slope upwards. Looking around Hotham smiled and spoke through his breathing, “There… ya see… No cliffs in the distance… this means that the Summit is at the tip of this slope.”
Angel nodded, “Then we should slow our pace… You need to rest.”
Hotham shook his head, “Cheers for your concern, but I can rest at the summit. C’mon mates lets finish this.”

As Hotham started forward with Angel trotting by his side, however as Zeil and Kiloman started to follow, Zeil had a sudden flashback of the area as he recognized the surroundings from the visions he has had the past few nights. Knowing the risk, Zeil tried to step forward as he spoke, “Hotham! Watch your step. There is ice hid-”
Before he could finish his warning, Zeil noticed Angel giving him an angry look out the corner of his eye, but before anything else could be said, the hidden ice beneath Zeil’s hooves started cracking rapidly as the thin ice shattered under his weight as Zeil started to fall. Seeing the danger in time, Kiloman reach out, “ZEIL!!!”
Before he could fall too far, Kiloman was able to grab one of his front hooves as Zeil’s fall was suddenly stopped before his swinging slammed him against the wall of the deep pit. When he hit the wall of the pit, Kiloman’s hoof was slammed against a sharp shard of ice as the spike like ice cut deep into his arm as the earth pony cringed in pain.

As soon as Zeil realized he was saved, also started feeling blood rolling down his hoof as he looked at his savior and spoke, “Kiloman, your hurt.”
Kiloman replied, “Just a scratch friend…”
At that moment Hotham turned to the two as he called, “Zeil! Kiloman!”
Before he could step forward, Angel saw more ice on the ground cracking as she stopped him from running to the group, “Hotham wait! The ice!”
As Angel stopped him, Zeil started to see condensation starting to appear on the pit wall he was against as it slowly ran down creating a U shape around the ground Kiloman was standing on. Seeing this, Zeil knew what was about to happen as he looked up at Kiloman and spoke, “Kiloman… let me go…”
Kiloman shook his head, “I lost one friend today and two on this trip… I’m not losing another.”
Zeil replied, “You need to let me go… if you don’t y-”

At that moment, the ground that Kiloman was standing on shifted beneath his hooves as it quickly crumbled away as both Zeil and Kiloman fell into the pit. When both friends disappeared from his sight Hotham called, “ZEIL!!! KILOMAN!!!”
As Zeil and Kiloman fell into the pit, Zeil hit a few protruding stones on the sides of the pit before hitting the bottom twelve feet from where they fell. Although the ground Zeil hit was flat, Kiloman landed on the same stones that fell with them as he landed on his back grunting in pain. Trying not to succumb to the same fate, Hotham and Angel carefully made their way to the pit that their friend fell into as Hotham called, “Zeil! Kiloman!”
Zeil Picked himself up and rubbed his head as he called, “It’s okay Hotham! I’m fine an-” he looked at his closest companion, “Kiloman, you alright.”

Kiloman was breathing deeply in pain as he tried to disguise it in his response as he called to Hotham, “I… I’m fine too!... J-just a little beaten and bruised!”
Seeing him hide his pain, Zeil gave Kiloman a concerned look as Hotham replied, “You blokes need help?”
Zeil looked at the condensation building up around the walls of the pit as he looked around and tried to find another way, then as he saw that the pit they fell into actually led into a small cave Zeil called back, “Better not! The ground there is too weak. There is a cave down her that looks like it leads out somewhere. Just continue on and we will meet you at the summit!”
Hotham was concerned, “Are ya sure?”

Kiloman replied this time, “We got this!... just… go ahead and we will see you at the Summit!”
Zeil could still see Kiloman hiding his pain as Hotham replied, “Right then! I'll meet you blokes there. You two be careful!”
Before Hotham could leave Kiloman called, “Hey Angel!!!”
Angel looked down into the pit, “Yea? What is it?”
Kiloman replied, “Watch over Hotham!”
Angel nodded in agreement as both she and Hotham looked back onto their path as carefully started towards the summit. With the snowstorm picking up around them.

As the two left, Zeil stumbled through his soreness towards Kiloman as he saw the deep cut on his arm and spoke while pulling a rope from his saddlebag, “Kiloman… we need to stop the bleeding… I think the ice cut into an artery.”
Zeil started using the rope and a tent stake to make a tourniquet for Kiloman as the pain riddled Stallion replied, “I know… but… that’s not my concern.”
As Zeil tightened the tourniquet he asked, “What?... what are you talking about?”
Kiloman replied, “My friend… I can’t feel my hind hooves.”
Zeil felt as if his heart skipped a beat, “Wh-what?”
Kiloman repeated, “My hind hooves… I… I can’t feel them… I can’t… move them. I think… I think I’m…”
Zeil looked at his lifeless lower half as he realized how he landed as he replied, “Your spine… you landed on it and… I think you broke your back.”

Kiloman asked, “You… you wouldn’t have anything in your saddle bag to fix this… would you?”
Zeil shook his head, “no… I don’t. But… you’ll be fine… I'll get you out of here and we can fix this when we get to the inn on the other side of the mountain.”
Zeil took the numbing paste out of his bag before applying it to Kiloman’s forehead. Then he looked around to see a broken supply sled left behind as if it had fallen in and was never recovered. Acting quickly Zeil rushed to the sled as he removed the cargo and pulled it to Kiloman as he spoke, “Here, This should help… we’ll get you back on the trail and meet Hotham at the summit. This should be a piece of cake.”
Then he preceded to pick up the weak earth pony and moved him onto the sled as Kiloman chuckled, “Pike was right… you’re not the type to give it straight are you… that’s fine though… that’s why Hotham trusts you… why… we all trust you.”
As Zeil connected himself to the sled and started pulling Kiloman through the cave, he made his way down the tunnel as he replied, “Yea… but… Angel didn’t… and… I don’t trust her either… in fact… I think she is responsible for this somehow.”
Kiloman smiled as he replied, “Perhaps… but… if it’s any consolation… she does love Hotham… so… I think they will reach the summit.”
Zeil nodded, “I… I hope so.”

Kiloman smiled, “I wouldn’t have agreed to let them go ahead if I didn’t… but… either way… we won’t survive this… we were never meant to.”
Zeil asked, “Let’s not think like that… I’ve come too far to give up now. And I intend on getting you back with me.”
Kiloman nodded, “There it is… there is that selfless side of you that we all know… You might make it out… since… you weren’t part of our team at the start… but… as for Hotham and myself… we won’t.”
Zeil was confused, “What do you mean?”
Kiloman smiled as he looked at the ceiling of the cave as he replied, “Because the closer we get to the summit or our own death… the more we remember…”
Zeil asked, “Remember what?”
Kiloman replied while laying back on the sled and looking at the roof of the cave, “That Angel isn’t the mare we think she is… that we barely know her. After all, the day we actually met her… was the same day… we met you.”