Something was trying to wake me up. I knew, because somepony was calling my name. I wasn’t entirely sure, seeing as I was too busy being incredibly comfortable to notice. I was wrapped in my sleeping bag like a caterpillar in a cocoon, all of my legs and both of my wings tucked closely against my body. It was warm and snuggly, and I really had no intention to leave that little slice of heaven. Thankfully, whatever was trying to wake me had given up.
I felt something press against my back, wrapping itself around me. My alarm bells should have started ringing by then, but for some reason it made my already comfortable situation even more amazing. A warm breeze blew over my ear, causing it to twitch slightly, before I felt something press against it. Something wet. It was a weird sensation, but not altogether unpleasant. I smiled slightly while a soft murmur escaped my lips.
“Wow, you actually enjoyed that,” a soft voice spoke. It was low, seductive and definitely female. In fact, it sounded almost like…
My eyes shot open as I struggled with all my might to disentangle myself from my sleeping bag. When I finally somewhat succeeded, I came face to face with a pair of amethyst eyes that obviously belonged to the culprit. I decided to inquire about the recent developments.
“Cloud Kicker, what in the bloody hay was that?!”
She replied by rolling off of my stretcher and laughing loudly. I brought my hoof up to my ear and started to rub to get rid of the wetness that her tongue left there, before giving her my best glare.
“T-That was…priceless!,” Cloud Kicker managed to stammer between fits of laughter. “Y-you were all like…’murrr…’”
“That wasn’t funny.” I puckered my lips instinctively. A frown appeared on my face as I pouted. This proved to be a mistake, as Cloud Kicker needed only one look before she burst into another fit of laughter.
“Oh my Celestia, that face…Priceless!”
I brought a hoof to my face to rub my eyes as I realized my error. Sighing, I removed myself from my sleeping bag and stepped out of the tent that was my home away from home. Behind me, Cloud Kicker managed to get back to her hooves, following me out.
“Oh, come on Blossomforth, I had to wake you up somehow.”
I could hear Cloud Kicker was having trouble keeping the laughter out of her voice. To my endless frustration, her laugh was infectious, and I had to struggle to keep a grin from spreading on my face. I had to show her that I wasn’t pleased.
“Ha!” Cloud Kicker pumped her hoof in victory. “You’re grinning, I knew it.”
Damn it.
“You liked it more than you’re letting on.” She waggled her eyebrows at me, before swatting my flank with her tail, causing me to let out a surprised yelp.
“Cloud Kicker!” Damn, my voice was far squeakier than I intended it to be. Judging by the way Cloud Kicker’s cheeks were puffing up, she noticed it as well.
“Come on, let’s go get some coffee.” She walked towards one of the larger tents nearby, beckoning me to follow her. Ever since we became friends, Cloud Kicker has had a penchant for putting me in embarrassing situations. The worst part was that I didn’t really mind. Quite the opposite, actually. It felt like something familiar and welcome. It has sort of been ‘our thing’ over the years, and it brought me a sense of safety and comfort. Celestia forbid she ever finds out I enjoy it when she gets me flustered for a laugh.
I sighed, taking a moment to look at my surroundings. Our expedition was made up of about twenty ponies, all of them pegasi. Small to medium sized tents were scattered here and there, with a larger command tent in the middle. There were a few pine trees that surrounded us, but we were starting to get close to the tree line. After that there would be little vegetation beyond grass and prickly shrubs.
When Cloud Kicker told me she wanted to climb Wingbreaker Mountain I thought she was crazy. In fact, I still think she’s crazy. It was to be expected, though. The Kicker family has always been obsessed with mountains, the higher the better. If it has a summit, it has probably had a Kicker on top at one point or another. They were pioneers, as well as inventors and innovators when it came to gear and techniques. Most importantly of all, they were stubborn.
Cloud Kicker’s father was the first to attempt to reach the summit. He set a record, but he lost one of his legs to frostbite in the process. Cloud Kicker herself was convinced that she could continue the legacy of her family. She was younger and stronger than her father had been at the time, and she now had access to knowledge and technology that would give her a significant advantage over her father.
Due to their nature, pegasi were better suited for mountaineering than the other pony races. While they didn’t possess the natural strength and stamina of an earth pony, their bodies were naturally acclimatized to high altitudes, enabling them to breathe easily where an earth pony would be gasping for air.
Wingbreaker Mountain had its name for a reason, however. As a child I thought that pegasi could go anywhere. We had wings, we could fly. It was only after becoming best friends with Cloud Kicker that I found out how wrong I was. Her family made it their life’s goal to go where their wings would not avail them. Using one’s wings is very strenuous, and requires a great amount of oxygen. When you reach a certain altitude, the air becomes so thin that mere yards of flight will leave you exhausted. The summit of Wingbreaker Mountain went far beyond that point. Cloudsdale hovered at a comfortable height of two kilometers. The thinning trees told me that we were at least twice as high, and we weren’t even halfway up the mountain.
When I tried to talk Cloud Kicker out of the idea, she got angry. She thought I didn’t trust her. That kinda stung. It really wasn’t that I didn’t trust her, I was just worried sick about her safety. Despite her tendency to goof and joke around, Cloud Kicker was very careful and meticulous when it came to her mountain expeditions, so I realized she wouldn’t take something like this lightly. However, she’s also headstrong, which can be a very dangerous character trait. Was it wrong of me to be afraid for my best friend in the whole world? I had no idea how sensitive she was about the matter, and we had a fight. We both said some harsh words that we ended up regretting. I could see the fire in her eyes when she told me that she was meant to do this, and that she wouldn’t be kept from her ultimate dream.
We didn’t speak for a few days after that. We both needed some time to cool down, do some introspection. I came to a few conclusions in that period. Most prominently that Cloud Kicker meant more to me than I realized before. I missed her, even when I was still feeling angry with her. I didn’t last a week before I sought her out to apologize. I think it wouldn’t have been beneath me to beg for forgiveness at that point. To my surprise, she apologized first. It was rather heartwarming, actually, hearing her confess that she realized I was only trying to look out for her safety and that she missed me. It was one of those rare moments where the flirtatious joker made room for the more tender Cloud Kicker that was underneath.
I also found out that I might be absolutely crazy when I told her that I wanted to join her. I realized that I wasn’t going to dissuade Cloud Kicker from climbing the mountain. Frankly, I didn’t really want to anymore. I had seen the passion in her eyes. This was her dream, her purpose. If she was going up there, I wanted to be there with her. I wanted to be there for her. I don’t know if I have ever seen her that enthusiastic about anything before or since that moment.
After two years of planning, preparing and training, three days ago we were finally ready to depart from our homes in Ponyville. With our wings, we were able to fly from the base of the mountain to the point where we were then in just a day. It was going to get more difficult from this point onward. Already I felt the effects of the thinner air, losing my breath far sooner than I would have further down the mountain. I was snapped from my thoughts when Cloud Kicker called out to me.
“Blossom! What’s keeping you? Your coffee is getting cold!” She was standing in the entrance of the command tent, a steaming mug in her hoof and beckoning with her head. The moment I entered, a mug was pressed into my hooves. “Drink up, sunshine.”
“Should we really be drinking stimulants during this trip?,” I asked skeptically.
Cloud Kicker waved her hoof dismissively. “At this altitude we’ll be alright, as long as we don’t overdo it. I know how much you like your morning coffee, so enjoy it while you can.”
“Celestia knows you get grumpy without it,” came a voice belonging to a mint green, yellow-maned stallion named Dewdrop.
“I don’t get grumpy,” I grumbled before taking a sip from my mug. It wasn’t a perfect mug, but it was good. At least, as good as it would get with the equipment we had. Cloud Kicker always knew exactly how I liked it. She was right, after all, I do like my morning coffee.
Okay, fine. I love my morning coffee.
“So what’s the plan for today, boss?,” asked a dark blue mare named Blueberry Cloud.
Cloud Kicker walked over to a table in the middle of the tent where a map was spread out. She took out a green drawing-pin and pinned it somewhere on the map. “We are currently here. You will probably have noticed there are far fewer trees around here. After today, we’re going to leave the trees behind entirely, which means we’ll need to be meticulous when pitching our tents. Mother nature won’t protect us from the wind anymore.” A red drawing-pin was placed a little further on the map. “This will be today’s first milestone. We’ll be going there by wing. After this point, we’ll be going on hoof.”
Dewdrop groaned, earning a laugh from Blueberry Cloud. “Seriously, Drops, why did you even join this expedition?”
“Hey, just because I like mountains doesn’t mean I enjoy the way there!”
“Oh, please! You’re the last one to worry about the road there. You can just breathe the air in your head when you-.”
“Guys! Focus!” Cloud Kicker spoke in a loud and firm tone of voice she only used when she really wanted to get something done. It was compelling, inspiring and intimidating all at the same time. It was nothing like her usual demeanor. Everypony knew that Cloud Kicker loved to prank and goof around. She was particularly notorious for her aptitude for innuendo. Dewdrop and Blueberry Cloud had become silent, and I found myself sitting up a little straighter, though a smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
“Alright,” Cloud Kicker continued, “we have an hour to break camp and depart. Once we reach this point…” Cloud Kicker emphasized by tapping the map at the red marker, “a search party will look for a small, flat piece of land in this area,” she pressed another pin into the map, “that will serve as a good place for a campsite. Clear?”
“Clear!”
“Good. Now get to it.” Cloud Kicker turned to Dewdrop with a smirk. She booped him on the forehead, before turning to leave the tent. “Airhead.”
*****
The camp was packed up swiftly and meticulously. With only ten minutes of delay, our group was up in the air and making our way towards the next destination. As the air got thinner and thinner, I found myself focusing more and more on my breathing technique. I barely had the opportunity to enjoy the landscape. After an hour of flight we stopped briefly at a stream. The water was ice-cold, but fresh and delicious. There were no trees anywhere. The only signs of vegetation I could see were patches of grass and the occasional thorny bush. We were getting pretty close to the patches of snow further up the mountain.
I felt something hit me in the back of the head, making me yelp in surprise. I looked down to find an energy bar next to my hooves, and a smirking Cloud Kicker.
“Eat up,” she told me while taking a bite out of her own bar. I tore the wrapper with my teeth and dug in. Eating the bar made me aware of how hungry I really was. Usually those things just taste like cardboard, but at that moment it was the best thing I had ever put into my mouth.
“Ow faw awe we cowe?” I asked between a mouthful of cereal and raisins, earning me a raised eyebrow from Cloud Kicker. I rolled my eyes and swallowed quickly before restating my question. “How far have we come?” I took another hungry bite of my food.
“Oh, not even halfway,” she replied. I looked at her incredulously. I was sure we had been flying for several hours at least. Cloud Kicker attended me to the fact that I had gone slack jawed by pressing my mouth closed with her hoof.
“Thanks for the offer, but I already had one.” She gave me a wink before sitting down next to me. My witty response consisted of a bright blush and embarrassing stammering, making Cloud Kicker roar with laughter.
“’S not funny…,” I managed to reply after swallowing my food.
“Yes it is. Especially when you pout like that.”
“I don’t-…” I was pouting. Damn it, Cloud Kicker. I forced my face into a neutral expression before facing her again.
“Flying is difficult up here, especially while carrying our equipment. We need to pace ourselves and make use of favourable winds,” she said, probably realizing what I had been wondering. “We’ll be able to fly up for a little while longer before we need to continue on hoof. It’s going to be truly difficult from that point onwards.”
“If only going where no mare had gone before would be easy, huh?” I smiled at her.
“Where’s the fun in that?,” she answered with a chuckle.
“That’s a Kicker answer if I ever heard one.” I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether I should ask the next question. “What about…what about your dad?”
“What about him?” There was no malice in Cloud Kicker´s voice, but it still made me wince a little, like I was treading somewhere I shouldn´t. The accident that cost Cloud’s father his leg was an emotional wound for the family that never did quite seem to heal.
“Well…I guess he wishes he could have been here.”
Cloud Kicker smirked at that. “He’s been here, remember? He got pretty far before he had to quit because of…you know.” She grimaced a bit in discomfort. “I love dad. Really, I do. We were all devastated by the accident. I think the rest of us took it harder than dad did himself.” She sighed deeply. There was a moment of silence as she struggled with her words. “But…I’m kind of glad he’s not here.” I gave her a surprised look, to which she shrugged. “Probably would’ve kicked my flank for taking a break.”
“And that’s the only reason?” I winced slightly, hoping that didn’t come off as accusatory. The answer I got threw me for a loop, though. Cloud Kicker’s father had taken her on trips to the mountains since before I met her, and we were friends at the age of ten.
Cloud Kicker chuckled before rubbing her mane with a sigh. “I want to do this on my own. Prove that I can do this on my own. I mean, I’ve always sort of stood in the shadow of my family’s achievements. I joined plenty of my dad’s expeditions, but…They were just that. My dad’s expeditions. This one? This one’s mine, and it’s to the highest damn peak in all of Equestria.” She rose her head to look at the jagged tip that was the summit of Wingbreaker Mountain. “I’m living the dream, Blossom.”
We simply sat in silence for a while. I looked at Cloud Kicker while she stared towards her goal. Her eyes were narrowed, but a smirk played on her lips. I understood her. In fact, I felt a tingling of an even deeper respect in the bowels of my mind that made me glad I joined her on this. She wasn´t mindlessly pursuing the family legacy, this was something she did for herself. This was her dream.
I wondered what she was thinking at that moment, especially after that revelation. Perhaps she was trying to imagine what it would look like, standing so high above everypony and everything. She was probably mentally preparing herself for the journey, trying to figure the obstacles we were going to have to overcome in her mind’s eye. Or maybe she was thinking something deeper, something philosophical like how this experience would probably change her life. Change all our lives.
“Yanno, when you look at that patch of snow at just the right angle, it looks just like your cutiemark.”
Or maybe she was just being Cloud Kicker.
*****
Cloud Kicker wasn’t lying when she said we were only just getting to the difficult part. We were only able to fly a little while longer before we had to continue on hoof. I’m pretty sure that Cloud Kicker could have flown further up the mountain, and I was pretty confident about my own chances if I really pushed myself. However, we were carrying luggage, and some of the less experienced ponies simply couldn’t keep up by wing any longer.
As planned, Cloud Kicker sent out a team to scout ahead for a good location. To give them the full advantage of their wings, their luggage was distributed amongst the rest of us. I volunteered to take some of the heavier gear, but Cloud Kicker was adamant that she carry the heaviest load herself. When I tried to talk her out of that, I got another hooffull of Kicker stubbornness. I swear, being headstrong with a heart as big as hers is going to get herself in trouble someday. Still, arguing would only be counterproductive, so I was carrying a slightly less heavy load. I didn’t mind so much. After all, it allowed me to look around a bit.
Even though all I could see was stone, I was still amazed. The jagged rocks came in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Patches of snow decorated the boulders here and there, giving them an almost ethereal appearance. The place felt, and probably was, untouched. Unsullied. I couldn’t help but grin at the fact that I was in a place many ponies would never get to see. A place that was fascinating, beautiful in a grotesque sort of way.
As our journey progressed, we ran into more and more resistance. The air, of course, was getting even thinner, which sapped the energy of everypony in the company. Even when we were resting, we were still lightly panting, never really able to catch our breaths. Even more troublesome was the fact that it was getting increasingly difficult to find a path. Nature doesn’t usually care about easy travelling routes for ponies, especially when it comes to places we weren’t exactly built to travel in the first place. When we came to parts that were simply impassable by hoof we had to—quite literally—wing it, which was exhausting for all of us.
I was really relieved when I saw the scouting party rejoin the main group. They had found a suitable campsite that wasn’t far from where we were walking. Good thing too. I was exhausted, and I could see that everypony else wasn’t faring much better. Despite Cloud Kicker’s determined look, I saw the toll the trip had taken on her. I figured that somewhere deep down she was probably regretting she insisted on carrying the heaviest load.
When we finally neared the campsite the sun was already pretty low. We weren’t going to have to have much daylight left, which meant that we needed to swiftly prepare the campsite or fumble in the dark with limited sources of light. While setting up camp quickly usually wasn’t a problem, constantly being out of breath didn’t exactly help the situation.
I was the first to finish my tent, so I decided to get started on a fire. Just in time too, as the sun had almost set. With the light that remained to us I managed to find the special logs of wood that would allow us to start a campfire at this altitude. Aside from the fact that the distinct lack of trees would make gathering wood impossible, the lack of oxygen in the air would mean that we wouldn’t have been able to start a regular fire anyway. We used special logs filled with a highly inflammatory, long-lasting paste, igniting them with a special lighter. In essence, it was little more than a huge candle. It didn’t give off an incredible amount of warmth, not enough to really make a warm meal on, but it was comfortable. The entire group simply sat around, huddled close together for comfort while wrapped in thick blankets, constantly panting like we just came back from a run. We munched on the raw ingredients. After all, we were herbivores. We didn’t care if it was tasteless.
Blueberry Cloud sat to my left. She was actively engaged in gossiping with a grey and white mare called Silverspeed. I like my juicy gossip just as well as any other mare, but right now I couldn’t care less. Could have had to do something with the fact that Cloud Kicker, who was sat to my right, was far more interesting to me at that moment. She was quiet, which was becoming an increasingly less rare occurrence throughout the expedition. It was nice to see her contemplative side come out every once in a while. Besides, she was smiling. Whatever was on her mind couldn’t be too troubling.
“Like what you see?,” she said with a smirk as her eye caught mine. I turned my head away with a blush, letting out a grumble in reply. She chuckled, before leaning against me a little more. “You’re just too easy, Blossom.”
Seriously, Cloud Kicker should be having a cutiemark in ‘Blossomforth teasing’. She and I had been friends for ages, and this was just one in a list of many times she managed to get me flustered. I felt something else too, though. A comfort, a sense of satisfaction as we sat there, peering at the fire with my best friend.
“It’s a bit nippy…” A stallion’s voice broke me from my thoughts. A few ponies in the group groaned.
“Consarnit, Dewdrop, y’all don’t have t’remind us,” another stallion spoke up, a strong southern twang in his voice. I recalled he came from Appleloosa.
“Hey, I’m trying to make conversation. Besides, it’s just stating a fact,” Dewdrop defended.
“More like stating the obvious,” Blueberry Cloud retorted, “they should make you a captain for it.” Laughter erupted from the group.
“Seriously, Dewdrop,” Cloud Kicker began, “talking about it will only make it worse. Just think warm thoughts. Just look at the flame and pretend you’re sitting next to the fireplace on Hearth’s Warming Eve.”
Dewdrop snorted. “Easy for you to say, snuggled up nice and warm to your gal-pal.”
Cloud Kicker suddenly burst into laughter. “It’s called having friends. Maybe you should polish that abrasive personality of yours and try it.”
“I’d rather have a stiff drink.” The stallion’s replies were little more than sullen muttering at this point. “Would do the trick just as well, I reckon.”
Cloud Kicker gave him a mock glare. “Don’t make me come over there and clock you upside the head, because I will.”
“Seriously, what would the harm have been?”
At that, my friend’s mock glare turned into a serious frown. “I’m going to assume that’s a joke and that I didn’t bring a total moron onto my expedition.”
Dewdrop fell silent at that. He continued to stare at the fire with a morose expression. He shivered every once in a while. I’m pretty sure they were just theatrics. Whatever the case, they worked, and Dewdrop ended up with more than he bargained for.
“Ah, dangit. Scooch over.” The Appleloosan stallion trotted over and sat right next to Dewdrop, wrapping his forelegs around him. “Now, don’t y’all like this? If y’all are nice enough I might even give ya a kiss.” He grinned evilly as Dewdrop tried to escape from the clutches of the stallion holding him, which caused the group to burst into laughter. I turned my head to Cloud Kicker, who looked at me from the corner of her eyes. She winked, before resting her head against my shoulder. That moment felt right. It felt just, just right.
*****
I had strange dreams that night. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, since most of it wasn’t scary. I was in a room with a group of ponies. I knew they had faces, but I couldn’t see them, or recognize them exactly. One of them started shouting something unintelligible, closely followed by another. And another. Before I knew, the entire room was shouting words I couldn’t understand. That’s when it got a little scary. I saw Cloud Kicker, and she started yelling at the top of her lungs. I could hear her words.
“Idiot! Celestia damn it, you stupid moron.” The words were harsh, spoken in that tone of voice that Cloud Kicker used when she needed to make sure everypony knew she meant business. I woke up with a start, but the voice didn’t stop. None of the voices stopped. I began to recognize them as the other members of the expedition.
“Blossom! Blossom, wake up!” Cloud Kicker’s voice cut through the din like a knife through butter. I bolted upright immediately. My throat was a little sore due to the cold, but I yelled out anyway.
“Cloud Kicker? What’s going on?”
“I need some of your heatbags, right now! Quickly!”
I was a little confused. Heatbags were small rubbery pouches with a mixture of chemicals inside. If you cracked the capsule inside underhoof, the chemicals inside would mix, creating a reaction that would generate heat. They were a last resort for when you have very little body warmth before entering your sleeping bag. I started searching my luggage. Thankfully, Cloud Kicker attended all of us that it was crucial that our equipment was organized in a case of emergency, so I knew exactly where to look.
“Blossomforth, now!,” Cloud Kicker’s voice sounded with increased urgency.
“I found them!” Taking the heatbags in my muzzle, I hurried out of the tent to find the entire camp in an uproar. The entire group was standing in a circle, surrounding something I couldn’t see. Cloud Kicker beckoned me with a hoof.
“Quickly, crack the bags and stuff them inside.” She commanded. Somewhere in the back of my mind I figured that Cloud Kicker probably would have made an innuendo out of that if the situation hadn’t been so dire. When I found out what she meant, I couldn’t help but be startled. Dewdrops was wrapped in two sleeping bags, several of the heatbags already stuffed inside. He was shivering, badly, a painful grimace on his face. In the faint light of the early morning sun, I could make out that his coat looked a little more blue. It must have been due to the skin underneath. He was severely undercooled.
“What happened?!,” I asked, rather loudly I have to admit, as I stuffed the heatbags into Dewdrop’s sleeping bag. Cloud Kicker tossed a canteen next to my hooves. I gave her a confused look, until the smell hit my nose. I frowned, leaning closer to get a better scent. Alcohol. Strong alcohol.
“Sweet Apple Reserve. The moron probably drank half of the canteen last night.” Cloud Kicker’s voice reflected her grim expression. “I should have known better. I shouldn’t have brought him.”
“Cloud Kicker, this wasn’t your fault, you couldn’t have-.” She interrupted my sentence before I could finish.
“I should have known, Blossomforth. I should know the ponies that I bring on this expedition. Bringing him was a mistake, a huge mistake. One that might cost him his life, and me the expedition.”
“Cloud Kicker, please, just-.” Once again I was interrupted. I tried to catch her eye, but she seemed to actively avoid looking at me. It devastated me for some reason. I saw the sadness in her eyes, the pain of what she perceived as her failure. I wanted to comfort her, but it was clear that she wasn’t going to let me.
“Silverspeed,” she called. The silver mare stepped forward. “Pick another pony and prepare the stretcher. Take whatever you believe you’ll need most for a descent. You’ll be able to use your wings to glide down the mountain and get him to a hospital, hopefully in time.” To her credit, Silverspeed didn’t hesitate for a moment. A second volunteer presented himself swiftly enough, and before long Dewdrop was strapped to the stretcher and flown downhill by the two ponies.
Cloud Kicker sat and watched them for a while. I approached her, placing a hoof around her shoulders.
“Please talk to me…,” I whispered. Though she didn’t speak, she finally turned her eyes towards me. I saw a few things in those amethyst orbs. Sadness and fear were prominent. Anger as well. I suspected that the anger was directed at herself.
“Cloud Kicker, it…it wasn’t your fault, okay? There was nothing you could-.”
“Blossom, please…Stop.”
I frowned. “You’re hurting. I don’t want to see you hurt.” To my relief, that got a smile from her.
“Getting hurt is part of the game when you live a life like this.”
“Not like this. You’re beating yourself up over something that wasn’t your responsibility.”
Cloud Kicker shook her head. “He became my responsibility the moment I took him onto the expedition. I should have seen his flaws, I should have been aware of what he would do.”
“Cloud…” Seems I was once again banging my head against the impenetrable wall that was the Kicker stubbornness.
“I’ll be fine. I just need a moment to process all of this.” She gave me a smile. It wasn’t entirely genuine, but it comforted me nonetheless. “Hey. You hear me? I’ll be fine. Promise.”
With a sigh, I yielded. “Fine.” I wasn’t quite ready to get up and go, so I held onto Cloud Kicker a little while longer.
“We’re going to have to redistribute the equipment.” Cloud Kicker looked at me as she spoke. “Hope you don’t mind sharing a bunk. We’ll probably have to leave a tent or two behind.”
I gave her a smile. “Nah. I don’t mind.” Frankly, that was an understatement. Sharing a tent with Cloud Kicker made me giddy like a little filly who just got that beautiful new doll she’s had her eye on for ages. I guessed that it was nostalgia of some sorts. I had had sleepovers with Cloud Kicker before, when we were little. Of course I would be enthusiastic.
“Well. Let’s get to it.” Cloud Kicker broke away from the embrace, making me feel a momentary pang of loss. She stretched her limbs, before turning to the campsite. “Alright! You all have an hour to pack up the camp while I figure out a new distribution of the load! Up and at them, ponies!”
*****
Thankfully, that day’s trip was uneventful. All of it simply passed me in a blur as I had to focus on my breathing to keep enough oxygen in my lungs. Before I truly realized what was happening night had fallen and I was lying in my tent. Though we had built a fire to keep warm, nopony seemed to feel the need to really socialize. It wasn’t odd that people would be anxious. The basecamp as it was now would be the last one we’d set up. We were on the final stretch to the summit.
Though I was absolutely exhausted, I couldn’t seem to get to sleep. Thoughts and worries raced through my head, most of them involving Cloud Kicker. I sat up slightly and turned my head to look at Cloud Kicker, who was snoozing quietly right next to me. The tents we used for sleeping really weren’t exactly meant for more than one pony, so Cloud Kicker was pressed up to me quite close. I didn’t mind. In fact, I kind of liked having her close like that. She looked so serene as she lay there sleeping. I couldn’t help but smile, and if my hooves weren’t buried in my sleeping bag I probably wouldn’t have been able to resist the urge to stroke her mane. Some distant part of my mind told me that it was creepy to look at ones friend when she’s sleeping, but I quickly pushed the thought away. I didn’t care.
Suddenly she opened her eyes. With a smirk she turned her amethyst orbs to look at me. “Like what you see?”
“What’s not to like?” I blushed. I’m not quite sure what possessed me to say what I did. I figured it’d be the height or my exhaustion, perhaps a combination of both. Heck, if it really made me this smooth I’d never sleep again.
Cloud Kicker looked surprised as well, an amused grin on her face. “Nice comeback, Blossom.”
“I don’t understand how you can even sleep.”
She chuckled. “As you can see, I can’t. What, are you worried that I’ll be too calm and collected?”
“Very funny, Cloud Kicker.” I put my head back down, rolling on my back to stare at the ceiling of the tent. From my peripheral vision I could see that Cloud Kicker sat up slightly, her eyes still on me.
“What’s on your mind?,” she asked quietly.
I hesitated. “It’s not important, don’t worry.”
Cloud Kicker got up completely, still wrapped in her sleeping bag, looking me in the eyes. “You know you can always talk to me, right? Even if you don’t think it’s important, it’s…well, you’re important to me.” I wasn’t sure whether my eyes were playing tricks on me, because I couldn’t recall the last time I saw Cloud Kicker blush. The confession caused a pleasant warmth to spread through my chest.
“I guess…I guess I just want to know how you’re doing, Cloudy.” It was an intimate nickname, and one I hadn’t used in a while at that. She didn’t seem the least bit taken aback though, so I continued. “We’re almost to the end, and…well…”
“We’re almost where my father failed?” Her tone was sympathetic, and she gave me a reassuring smile. I looked at her apologetically.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s a sensitive subject. I’m just…worried, you know? I mean, It’s not that I don’t think you can do it, on the contrary. It’s just…I don’t even know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
Cloud Kicker gave my cheek an affectionate nuzzle. “I understand. Trust me, I’ve thought about it myself. But I have an ace up my sleeve that my father didn’t.”
“What’s that?”
She smiled. “You. I’m glad you’re here, Blossom. It makes this whole expedition bearable. In fact, I don’t think I could have done it without you.” She lay down again, pressing herself against me. Meanwhile, my heart was racing and my body was turning into putty. “I don’t know if I show my appreciation enough, but…well. Tomorrow we’ll reach the summit. You and me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Cloud Kicker fell asleep after that. Really asleep. I gave a forehead an affectionate nuzzle, before whispering. “You and me…”
*****
White. All I could see was white. Thick, shapeless flakes of snow cascaded from the dark clouds overhead. The wind was even worse, blowing so hard it felt like it was trying to cut through our limbs. Despite the multiple layers of thick wool I was wearing I couldn’t stop shivering.
“Where in Tartaros did it come from?!,” Cloud Kicker yelled at the top of her lungs just to make herself heard over the wind.
“I don’t know!,” Blueberry Cloud replied with equal force in her voice, “This place is like the Everfree, pegasi don’t control the weather here!”
“Then we’ll just have to wait until the storm dies down!”
“Cloud Kicker, look at the sky! This could go on for hours! By the time this blows over you might not have enough daylight left to make the trip!”
Cloud Kicker frowned at that, bringing a hoof to her chin in thought. “Then we wait for tomorrow!”
“There won’t be a tomorrow! We can’t start a fire like this, and we don’t have enough heatbags to last us the night because of Dewdrop! We can’t do this! We have to go back!”
Cloud Kicker scowled. “No! We can do this! I can do this!”
“Damn it, Cloud Kicker, your father would’ve turned back! He had more favorable conditions than you, and he didn’t make it! Please, we have to go back!”
“Don’t bring my father into this!,” Cloud Kicker snapped. “It’s just a bit of weather, we can make it!”
I made my way towards Cloud Kicker. “Cloudy, please! Blueberry Cloud is right, this is too dangerous. We have to go back!” I placed my hand on her shoulder, only for her to slap it away. She glared me, and for a moment I was terrified.
“Damn it, Blossom, not you too! I told you, I can do this! I will do this!” She put an extra cloak around her body before strapping on a pair of saddlebags with equipment. “I’m going up that peak, with or without you.” And with that, she turned and began to walk. Blueberry Cloud glared.
“Fine then! Die out there! I won’t let you take the rest of us with you!” She rubbed her eyes with a hoof. “Everypony! Start breaking camp, except for the command tent! We can wait for six hours and still make it to a settlement before nightfall. If she hasn’t changed her mind and turned back before then, there’s nothing more we can do.”
Her words struck me like a hammer. Cloud Kicker was going to die, alone on this mountain. The rest of the crew seemed sullen, but were starting to get into motion to pack their things. My vision was beginning to blur, tears streaming down my cheeks as I broke into sobs.
“No!,” I screamed, “Cloud Kicker! No!”
“Blossomforth, listen to me!” Blueberry Cloud placed her hooves on my shoulders. “She made her choice, we can’t stop her! All we can do is wait!”
Cloud Kicker was already turning into a spot, rapidly fading in the distance, vision made even poorer by the ongoing blizzard that was raging around us. Images started to flash before my eyes. I saw me and Cloud Kicker climbing the hills as little fillies. I remembered the sleepovers, where we laid our sleeping bags in the back of the yard and peered at the stars together while she regaled her dreams of mountains. I recalled the conversation from the previous night, where she told me we’d reach the top together. And then I heard her voice, her last words repeated.
“With or without you.”
I don’t think I can put into words how much those four words hurt me at that moment. It was agony. I began to realize what Cloud Kicker meant to me, and that I couldn’t sit here while she was going up there alone. Her last words were hurtful, but…she was hurting. She was hurting bad. She was living her dream, and just as we stood on the threshold it was ripped from us. I knew her decision was irrational. In fact, her decision was plain wrong. But I couldn’t let her make it alone. I wanted to be there with her, needed to be there. It was only then that I truly realized how far my feelings for Cloud Kicker went. It burned like a flame, and the longer I watched her receding form, the more it hurt. There was only one thing for it. I wrapped another cloak around my form and strapped on my saddlebags. Blueberry Cloud’s protests were lost on me as I stepped out of the camp and started to make my way to the summit.
It took a while before I was able to discern Cloud Kicker’s shape through the storm. She had quite the gain on me, I was going to have to push it if I were to catch up. I called out her name, several times. She didn’t respond. Because I refused to believe she’d ignore me, I reasoned that she hadn’t heard me over the wind. Though she was moving fast, I noticed that I was starting to gain on her. When I was able to discern her features I called again with all the strength in my lungs, leaving me panting and exhausted. Yelling at the top of your lungs when the air is as thin as on top of that bloody mountain is like running a marathon and going for seconds.
“Cloud Kicker!”
Finally, she turned around and saw me. She yelled back. “I’m not going back, Blossom! Don´t try to convince me!”
“Please wait! Please!”
“No, Blossom! Go back! I won’t let you talk me out of this!” Finally, she seemed to notice my face, and her expression lost all determination. I figured that by that point I was looking like quite the sobbing mess.
“You don’t understand! I don’t want to stop you, I want to come with you!” It seemed that my words made an impact, because she fell silent. “You said we were going to do this together!,” I continued, “that you couldn’t have done this without me! I want to be there with you, Cloud Kicker! I want to live your dream with you!” In retrospect, that line was so cheesy that I had probably given Cloud Kicker ammunition for the rest of our lives. That is, assuming that we were going to make it out of there. When she didn’t reply I dropped my head, tears flowing from my eyes. It was biting cold on my cheeks, but I hardly felt it anymore. I didn’t care.
I felt a hoof under my chin, lifting my head to look into Cloud Kicker’s eyes. Her eyes were red as well, tears streaming from her cheeks that I swore were almost visibly cooling.
“You’re right,” she said, “I can’t do this without you.” I felt her pulling me back on my legs, causing her to pant heavily from the effort. “Come on, we have a long way to go.”
It was a death march. My body was in absolute agony as my limbs felt like razorblades were scraping every inch of flesh from my bones. There was a burning in my lungs as I desperately worked them to get enough oxygen as we plowed along, sometimes holding onto each other for dear life. In my mind, I was at peace, though. I was aware that there was a very big possibility that we weren’t going to survive, even if we got to the summit. I was alright with that. I had made peace with that possibility, because I wouldn’t go alone. I would be with Cloud Kicker as she fulfilled her ultimate dream. I was happy.
That feeling didn’t last long however, as Cloud Kicker suddenly collapsed. I shook her, desperately trying to get her to stand up again.
“Cloud Kicker! Cloudy, get up! We’re almost there!” It wasn’t a lie. Even through the snow I could see the summit in the distance. “Please,” I yelled, “we have to keep moving!”
Cloud Kicker responded by mumbling something I couldn’t hear. Her body started to convulse as if she was trying to throw up. I tried to shake her again, but this time there was no response. No movement. My heart sank. Desperately I started looking around, and managed to discover an alcove that seemed to offer some protection from the ongoing snow. With the last of my strength I hoisted Cloud Kicker onto my back and made my way.
I arrived completely out of breath. I collapsed, and as I looked at Cloud Kicker I noticed that I was suffering from a severe case of vertigo. I panted heavily, but felt like I was being choked. Not enough oxygen came into my body to truly sustain me. I felt nauseous, and began to realize that I was probably suffering from altitude sickness. Judging from the way Cloud Kicker convulsed, she was too.
This was the end.
Cloud Kicker was sobbing. I moved a little closer to her as she spoke. “I’m so sorry Blossom. I’m s-so sorry.”
I raised a hoof to stroke her face, which proved to be annoyingly difficult to accomplish in my current condition. “No, Cloudy. Don’t be.”
“B-Blossom, we…we’re not going to make it. I should’ve known better, and now we’re going to die. You’re going to die because of me.” Cloud Kicker was a sobbing wreck at this point, bawling her eyes out as she stared at me. I shushed her, tears beginning to stream from my eyes.
“No. I chose to follow you, and I have nowhere else I would rather be right now.”
“T-this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t left…”
“You had to. W-we both had to. You wouldn’t have been you if you had given up.” I sniffed, trying to compose myself. I had difficulty getting my thoughts together, or even properly finish a sentence without getting out of breath for that matter. “I’m okay with this, Cloudy. I don’t want to be anywhere else. And, before we pass away, I want you to know…” I closed my eyes and leaned my muzzle towards hers. It wasn’t a long kiss, and since my lips were already numb I didn’t feel anything in a physical sense. In my mind, though, I saw fireworks.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Cloud Kicker was smiling. Not just with her mouth, but with her eyes. Despite everything, she was genuinely happy at this moment. She reached up to wrap her forelegs around my withers and pull me in for another kiss. It lasted longer, this time, and though our lips were still numb I knew that it was even better than last time.
“I love you too.”
I curled up to her, then, and closed my eyes. I didn’t even feel the cold anymore. In fact, I felt rather good. I imagined that I could feel Cloud Kicker’s heartbeat as I held her, and that she could feel mine. In that moment, we were one. It’s quite strange how love can come to be. Sometimes it takes a romantic dinner and a movie. Sometimes it takes a meaningful gift. Sometimes it just manifest, and you know it’s just right. And sometimes you have to climb the tallest mountain in Equestria.
It hadn’t exactly grown overnight, though. I realized that I had always loved Cloud Kicker. Maybe like family at first, but over time it became something more passionate. It were the little things that did it, really. Her smile, her eyes. The way she talked, and even the way she teased me. Deep down, they made me wish for something more. I guess that, without realizing it, I was living my dream as well. I had conquered my own personal Wingbreaker Mountain, where wings won’t avail you. It was a comforting thought as I felt the world slip away.
Except, I didn’t die. I woke up. Slowly, my eyes started to flutter open, desperately trying to get used to the light. Once I was able to see somewhat clearly I noticed I was in a sparsely decorated room. Ugly green curtains hung in front of the windows, and sheets in the same color covered my bed. It took me a good look at the array of medical equipment to actually realize that I was in the hospital. A unicorn nurse walked into the room, carrying a clipboard in her magical aura.
“H-how…where am I?” I tried to speak, but it sounded more like an angry bullfrog. Nevertheless, it got the nurse’s attention, her eyes widening as she looked at me. She hurried to the hallway to call to her colleagues.
“Patient eleven-forty-three has woken up!” She turned back to me, putting the clipboard aside. “How are you feeling, dear?”
“M’fine…,” I mumbled. My mind was still a little foggy. “I’m…pretty thirsty.”
The nurse nodded and filled a glass with water, before levitating it to me. Eagerly I gulped down the contents, welcoming the relief to my parched throat. After a brief moment a doctor hurried through the door, making notes on a clipboard.
“Good morning. I’m doctor Monitor. I’m just going to ask a few questions, and I imagine you’ll have a few of your own.”
“W-what happened? How did I get here? Where’s Cloud Kicker?!” I felt my panic rise as I started to recall the events up until this moment. The doctor placed a hoof on my shoulder, making a shushing noise.
“Please, miss Blossomforth, you need to remain calm. Your friend is fine, and she’s already awake. I’ll answer your other questions in a minute. Now, I’ll just-.” I didn’t hear the rest. I felt a rush of calm and relief upon hearing that Cloud Kicker was alive. Only partly conscious, I answered the doctor’s questions. When he was done, all of my previous questions had made way for just one.”
“I want to see Cloud Kicker.” Okay, fine. It wasn’t exactly a question, more of a demand. I just really, really wanted to see Cloud Kicker.
“I’m sorry, miss,” the doctor began, “but you both need your rest. I promise that you can see each other later.
That, most definitely, wasn’t the answer I was looking for. However, just I was about to make that explicitly clear to the doctor I heard a voice from the doorway.
“To Tartaros with that.”
I couldn’t help the horseapple-eating grin that formed on my face as I heard that voice. Cloud Kicker was standing in the doorway with a half-angry, half-amused expression, made almost comical by the fact that she was clothed in a hospital gown and wired to an infuse.
She rushed into my room, her eyes on me the entire time. “Hey, Blossom.”
“Cloudy!,” was the only thing that I could get out of my throat at the time. Again, this was probably going to be used as ammunition at one point or another. I’m pretty sure Cloud Kicker would have started a fight with the nurse that was trying to block her way if the doctor hadn’t consented. He brought his hoof to his face to rub at his eyes.
“Fine. I suppose it can’t hurt. Don’t overdo it, the both of you still need your rest.” With that, both he and the nurse exited the room, leaving me alone with Cloud Kicker.
We simply gazed into each other’s eyes for a while. I think the both of us just needed a moment for our brains to catch up with the reality of the situation. After a bit, I stuck out my hoof. No words needed to be said as she stepped towards the bed and pressed her muzzle against mine in a kiss.
Now, the kiss on top of the mountain wasn’t bad. Not at all. However, it didn’t even come close to that one. It felt absolutely amazing. I was floating, losing myself in the kiss. It seemed to last forever as our mouths opened and our tongues danced. Slowly, we parted. Cloud Kicker was grinning, a bright blush on her cheeks. I’m pretty sure I just looked bashful. I moved a little to the side in my bed to make room, before patting the space beside me. Cloud Kicker climbed up, two of her legs draped over me as she gazed into my eyes.
“What happened?,” I asked.
She sighed slightly, rolling her eyes. “Griffins. They…they made it to the top. It seemed that they were using some kind of oxygen tanks. It was all over the news. So were we, actually, though for quite a different reason. They found us and apparently managed to get us to a hospital right on time.”
“I-I’m sorry, Cloudy.”
She smiled at me, pecking me on my nose. “Don’t be. I’m just…I’m just glad you’re alright.”
“How long have we been out?,” I asked, a little ashamed, “I wasn’t really paying attention when the doctor explained.”
Cloud Kicker chuckled. “A few days. You longer than me. They told me it’s a miracle we woke up at all, and without any real damage.” She smiled briefly. When she next spoke, her tone was quite different. Bashful, almost. “Did you…mean what you said? On the mountain?”
I smiled, bringing up my hoof to stroke Cloud Kicker’s mane. “Every word.” She responded by pressing her muzzle to mine in another kiss. When she broke away she lay down on the bed. She tightened her grip around me and nuzzled my withers.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We simply lay in silence, reveling in each other’s company. For a while, we were just happy to be together.
“You know, I have a few other dreams we could live together.” Cloud Kicker waggled her eyebrows, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Damn it, Cloud Kicker. Freezing to death on top of a mountain and you just had to remember that.
I swear, even if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to marry that mare.
The End
