Tread Lightly's Trigger Happy Journey

Chapters

The Third Wheel Joins
Revealing the Darkness before the Storm Ahead Begins
A Long trail towards the lands of Ice and Snow
Ominous Signs on the Way to Luna Bay
A Discovery No ONe Was Prepared For
Signs of Hope
Cave of Wonder and Terror
When your Past Must Die
Epilogue
It all starts in a City of Brick
A Night of Tension and a Half Revelation

The Third Wheel Joins

Tread Lightly trotted along with Messer Schmitt in her wake. He was rather quiet since they left the house after the vial had been detonated. Uncertainty about the recent turn of events, the eccentricities of his new boss, the wisdom of his professors, accepting this position. Just what was his teachers thinking directing him to this pony? Tread Lightly was moving with a spring in her step and seemed to be humming a tune; something that had a chorus of “The Magic Inside of You” at the end. Tread Lightly was just happy to have an assistant much less the possibility of completing her research. Messer however was growing gradually apprehensive as the looks and reactions of the ponies on the street began to wear upon the worries he had coming here.

Tread's thoughts swam with ideas of both fame and redemption. She was happy for once in a long while and seemed to be ignoring the few ponies on the street whom were steering well clear of her. Messer wanted them to be alone so he could ask about the stares as his apprehension grew. The two made their way through the streets till they came to a brick house with what appeared to be a 1 ton safe blown into the wall or molded into it. The back end of which was sticking out into the street while the front end was obviously inside. The mortar even seemed to be molded to keep it there.

There were several jewels scattered about the windows of this small shop. These gems were not of the usual type you would expect ponies to wear though. They appeared to have some sort of unnatural glow to them. Tread Lightly approached the safe poking out of the wall and gave a giggle with a soft blush, “I remember when I did that. I can't believe she just left it there.” The purple mare announced. Messer Schmitt stopped cold with an expression of utter shock upon his face as his eyes got wide and he started twitching a little.

Tread Lightly looked at him and smirked, “I managed to cause an explosion that perfectly wedged the safe into the wall. My friend owns the business, Morning Merigold. She had tried to carry the safe in with magic and ended up dropping it on her own leg. I was already there and well, I decided the best choice was to try to blow it off the floor or blow a hole in the floor. Instead the directed blast sent it right into the wall and wedged it there. She apparently just added some mortar to it and well, MM kept it there.” The blushing giggling mare explained as she sighed and turned the giggle into a full blown laugh.

Messer grinned a bit but didn't seem to find it terribly funny as he was starting to realize that Tread Lightly might be more than just a name. He finally let out a nervous sigh and made a clearing of his throat with a grunt as he tried to lighten the air and change the subject. “Shall we go inside? I mean it would only make sense for you to introduce me.”

Tread Lightly composed herself and lifted her head with a nod, “Yes, of course. Follow me.” She said and resumed their former stance to each other as she opened the door and entered the shop.

Inside there were no customers, just the clerk behind an oaken counter. The glasses cases were littered with gems of various colors. Each one had strange aura like glow to it that made it feel, powerful, unique, or otherwordly. As Tread Lightly approached the counter and there was an unspoken exchange between her and the unicorn behind it. Their glaces and almost imperceptible nod of heads apparently speaking volumes to each other but saying nothing to Messer. The unicorn in the shop was covered in green fur along her body with a long wavy yellow mane. Two distinct stripes in the mane were black from her head down to the tip, one off each side, with a third that ran her neck and spine to her tail along the wavy curly hairs. This single black stripe ran further into the bright sunflower yellow tail that flowed all the way to the ground. The green pointed horn turned as Tread Lightly approached and she smiled like she was seeing an old friend.

“Well well Tread Lightly, I would have thought after the safe incident and the thing with the gemstone magnet incident you wouldn't want to ever come back here.” The unicorn said with a smirk. The unicorn placed her hooves up onto the counter and giggled with a blush, “And who is your charming looking young stallion friend over there?” She asked rather sheepishly trying to cover up the flirting nature of the question.

“Morning Merigold, by the stars of the night, you know you can't scare me away especially with explosions, you know those attract me. Also as it turns out, gemstones sticking to me to the

point we had to cut my mane short had an unexpected benefit because it has been a nicer summer with less mane to deal with. Not to mention it made the head more bearable.” Tread Lightly said as she greeted her old friend, placing her hooves to meet the other mare's as they met each other's gaze. Messer made another awkward grunt to clear his throat and try to get their attention away from nostalgic memories.

Tread Lightly jolted back and got onto all four hooves again. “Oh, Morning Merigold this is Messer Schmitt. My new assistant; this one might stick.” The purple mare said winking at her friend as Merigold tossed her hair aside and gave a disgruntled sigh of disapproval.

“That is what you said about the last two. Alright we'll see how long he lasts.” Merigold teased at Tread Lightly. “You've only had ten before him.” She finished speaking and walked around her counter then extending her hoof. “So what adventure does she have you off on? Considering the packs.” The unicorn asked pointing out the obvious traveling packs upon the two of their backs.

Messer met her hoof and gave a deep bow answering he rose back up, “To recover iridium for her experimental replacement wing.”

Tread Lightly immediately slammed her hoof over his mouth before he could continue. His eyes popped open in surprise and his wings flew out from the sudden movement of the earth pony. He hadn't even caught her moving; she was just that fast to him. “No one is suppose to know about that!” She exclaimed as nervous sweat formed upon her brow and she stared at him and then at Merigold before staring back to Messer.

“Treaddddddddd.....explain.” Morning Merigold prodded as she tapped her hoof a few times waiting for a reply. She rolled the D for an extended period of time as if it wouldn't leave her tongue and like a school teacher scolding a pupil.

Tread Lightly hung her head and sighed, “Well if I was going to ask her then I suppose she is going to have to know.” Tread Lightly turned back to her friend. There was tension forming in the air. These two looked at each other like friends whom had been keeping a secret from each other they shouldn't have. This glance exchange was taking several uncomfortable minutes almost two full strokes of a watch before Tread Lightly spoke very softly.

“We are planning to go off and recover iridium to experiment with for my special project. Ya know the one that doesn't involve magnets or explosives.” Tread Lightly half explained while she waited to see the expression on Morning Merigold's face. The green mare trotted over past Messer, hitting his wing out of the way as she turned her open sign to close and locked the door.

“There no one will barge in now. Is this the special project you talked about? The replacement wing?” Merigold whispered to Tread as she leaned in knowingly. Going through her head was a sense of, I knew you could do this. She had been encouraging Tread Lightly to pursue something completely new outside of her normal fields.

“Yes,” Tread Lightly said hesitantly. “I got it to work and move, even generate lift now I just to have to get the pony to cybernetics interface down and the properties of iridium show promise. But I need more than just a small hoof-full of it.” After she finished speaking, Tread Lightly hung her head. She fully expected the answer to the next question to be no but right now she couldn't really take off without a unicorn to assist them. “And I know it's a bit much to ask, but I was going to-”

“Ask me to come with you?” Merigold interjected as she looked to Messer whom had been staring at the two of them. Messer's thoughts chewed on what exactly the nature of the relationship of these two were and how they were friends. With talk of accidents and property destruction seeming more common than sharing tea and small talk socializing. His brow was furrowed and his wings were partially still extended even with Merigold having swatted one out of the way earlier. Then the green mare looked back at Tread Lightly.

“I have a shop to run and customers come in quite often ya know?” The mare replied with a disappointed tone in her voice. She was wearing a heavy frown towards Tread like the mare thought the request was insulting to say the least. “I swear Tread what were you thinking?”

Tread Lightly winced as she heard the words and started to turn to leave, “The nerve of you coming in here and expecting me to NOT go with you!” Merigold said as a heavy slam of a bag upon the counter echoed off the glass. Tread Lightly perked up and turned around. There was a smile of pure relief on her face and she let out a happy squeal of delight.

“I told you I would get you back one day for that name of yours and how you introduce yourself with it. I think I just did.” Merigold said as she walked around and gave her friend a hug, actually wrapping her hooves around her and holding the pony for a moment. “I couldn't let the craziest earth pony in all of Equestria go off without at least some direct magical assistance.” She then turned to Messer and embraced him as well which caused he to blush and half heartedly returned the embrace. He was nervous about the physical contact as well as just how friendly this mare was and how she had teased on her friend.

“Get used to it Messer, we're going to poke fun at each other and pick into each other's little filly games because it helps us break the tension. Also I'm a hugger so guess what, you get hugged.” Merigold said into his ear where Tread couldn't hear her. Tread didn't make a move to listen in as she knew this was Merigold's way. Always whispering something to some pony or another with a hoof's breathe of volume just to make sure it was only meant for them.

Messer felt a bit special and slightly relieved as he finally gave in and gave the green mare a hug back with his blue sleeved legs. After a moment they released, “It’s good to meet you and I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied with a smile, before curiosity nagged at him. “How do I know when you two are actually upset or are just playing?”

Tread Lightly giggled, “Oh you’ll know when we are genuinely mad,” Tread Lightly giggled. “Now it's a long trip and we need to make it there and back before winter starts to be set out by the earth ponies and pegasi.” Tread Lightly said as she looked over her two companions. One with a face full of that friendliness she was used to. A warmth was there, it was hard to explain but when you looked into Morning Merigold's eyes you knew that she was going to sacrifice herself before she was willing to let her friends so much as prick their finger. Then she looked to Messer Schmitt, he looked rather daring and was larger than the two of them. His wings and chest held the strength of Youth, the same kind of youth and adventure she felt in graduate school herself. That sense of daring and setting out on untrotted lands filled her once more both from the adventure ahead and through looking upon this pegasus. The earth pony was indeed lucky today to have gained this assistant. She hoped he would last the full trip.

She turned around showing her flanks to them, a unicorn on her right, a pegasus on her left and slowly clopped up to the door, unlocking it. “Are you ready to get going?” She asked as Merigold was scribbling a note with her horn magic holding a pen. “Just let me get this note finished for Lady Lotus so she knows I'll be gone and she will have to mind the shop for a week or two. Of course with a bit of extra pay.” Marigold mused to no one in particular as she finished writing the letter to her shop keeper. “I can completely spare it hun so don't worry about that.” The unicorn explained and then slid the note beneath the cash register to be found the next morning. “Besides you will pay me back with a story for a life time to share when I finally decide to have some foals.” Marigold teased and grabbed her own back before heading to the door.

Outside they all three headed as three heavy chimes of the clock tower echoed through the city of Stalliongrad. It was 3pm on their first day together and they started out of the door towards an adventure that would forever change all three ponies.

Revealing the Darkness before the Storm Ahead Begins

Tread Lightly, Messer Schmitt, and Morning Merigold had started off and upon the horizon they could see a set of storm clouds brewing as they left the city of Stalliongrad. Messer and Merigold had been quiet giving Tread Lightly time to think and figure out exactly anything else they may need along way.

Messer had continued to see ponies parting or even crossing the street to avoid their group, something was up and he wanted to know what. His brow had furled with sweat and as they got a bit from the city, it came back to nag him. He wondered exactly why the street vendor had said what he did and why the city of Stalliongrad reacted to these two mares the way they did.

“Tread Lightly, why do the other ponies avoid you like that?” he asked rather nervously as one of his wings came up and scratched at the back of his head with the tip.

Tread Lightly slowed her pace and the other ponies followed suit as she paused for a bit. She seemed hesitant to say a word. Her expression darkened as she visibly tripped over her own hooves in her stride before coming to a complete stop and lowering her head unable to look either of them in the eye as they stopped beside her. She was deep in thought, recalling back to that tragic moment that had turned her from family oddity to black sheep of all of Equestia.

Morning Merigold paused and looked at her, “You didn't tell him? Are you serious?! She hired you as a lab assistant and didn't tell you exactly all the featured stigmas that came with it?” The mare stood up on her hide legs, one hoof on her flank hip as she growled a bit. “Tread Lightly! I swear to Luna's deepest nightmares! If you don't tell your assistants the why of how ponies treat you then you have to realize they will end up running away at a critical moment! We have to make sure this pegasus isn't going to be a total flake or this trip is off!” Merigold said and slammed her hooves back to the road, visibly kicking up dust as she did so and leaving a deep impression into the dirt.

Tread sighed and lowered her head as she felt utterly defeated at the prospect and sensing that she may lose her new assistant right now. Messer Schmitt looked at her like he had just stabbed someone in the chest and was now trying to explain it was an accident. He was horrified at both Merigold's reaction and Tread Lightly's sudden bout of despair. He thought at first they were playing between each other but there was no laughter or expected got ya moment. Tread then let out something that made his spine chill and realize this wasn't a joking matter. A single tear fell to the ground and darkened the road with a wet spot as soft sob from escaped the mare's lips.

The air around them felt thicker by the second, thick enough for someone to bite into and bite a piece of the air itself. Messer nervously rubbed a hoof against his opposite leg while Merigold seemed so stern she could crack a steel plate with her stare. She was clearly disappointed in Tread Lightly and wanted her to explain to Messer exactly the nature of her past.

“Well....my family are all unicorns. We couldn't figure out why I was born an earth pony, the closest earth pony relative I had was nearly 20 generations ago. This created a certain type of stigma around the house when you're the only one who can't use magic. You have to strive to be better than those who can use magic and science was the only way I could even compare to my siblings. I wanted to create a generator that could function without the use of fuel from a unicorn or some sort of burnable rock.

“I created the generator and my brother was going to compete with it. He volunteered because we wanted so much for my talent and my mind to shown in the lime light. I had to prove it would be more capable than a unicorn and therefore provide power access without the need for magic. Well, the experiment was flawed. I rigged it so that the more powerful electrical current would course through to the lights being powered and the less powerful one would be stopped and stored in a battery.” At this point Tread Lightly hesitates, she looks to see the stern glass shattering stare of Merigold still bearing down on her while Messer seems a bit more sympathetic and quite a bit intrigued. He is leaning in and seeming on edge for what happened next. Tread Lightly takes a moment to catch to breathe and steel herself against the pain of the memory that is flood through her now.

“The experiment was flawed as I said. I did not account for Taken Lightly's competitive nature. He overpowered the batteries and when they overloaded, the resulting electrical discharge left nothing but ash of my brother.” Tread Lightly paused and started to openly weep. “We h-heard his s-screams, his a..a-agonizing screams as every little bit of him was torn apart.....” Her tears fell to the dirt and begin to soak it like a spring morning shower. She feels the pain again as though it's happening right now. The mare can see the moment passing before her eyes and the many moments that coursed through her mind as she watched her brother die by her own hands.

Her brother, the one whom had supported her research in her family. The one who had held her up despite not being able to use magic naturally. Her inspiration all through her schooling. The late nights spent studying with him. The early mornings spent getting her up to get to an exam, a class, a presentation. All of this was flashing into her mind, filling her with dread for reliving that moment. The moment that he ceased to exist.

She was shaking visibly and tears flowed from her eyes as she looked up to Messer. She couldn't believe Merigold hadn't waited till they hit camp that night. She knew why, her friend was making sure that this Pegasus wouldn't flake out on her. And Merigold didn't want to waste the day of a trip and then just to turn around. Her friend was looking out for her, the only one that had stayed that day everyone accused her of murdering her own brother.

Messer stood there, unmoving. His own eyes had teared up a bit. He felt for her even if he couldn't imagine the pain she was going through. Then it occurred to him, if the cybernetic wing she wanted to test backfired in the same spectacular fashion; would he suffer a similar fate?

Tread Lightly continued to speak, “There was nothing of him left. It took over four and a half minutes for his screams to stop as he was atomized slowly. All they found was dust. TShere was a huge explosion of sparks from the generator and what sounded like the cry of a great bird. I can't explain the bird cry but what I know is that he was gone.” Her voice was now cold, without emotion. As though her mind had simply turned off her capacity to feel for the purposes of recount the events. She spoke like an electronic answering machine echoing back a statement made for someone else to hear.

Messer took a step forward and placed a hoof upon Tread Lightly's shoulder. He hesitated for a moment and then pulled her into a hug. The purple mare looked up in surprise and stared at Merigold wondering what had just happened. Morning Merigold's gaze softened and she let out a smile, the distinct vision of something that had clearly transpired that Tread was simply unaware of.

“It's okay. I know that if you lost someone that important to you and it was your fault; you wouldn't make the same mistakes again. Much less all new ones that could possibly cost you the life of another pony.” He whispered into her ear as Merigold closed up to them and placed a hoof over Tread's shoulder and another over Messer's.

“I knew it the moment I saw you! You're a cutie and a keeper! Tread if this one sticks around and you don't ask him out I will!” The bold green pony stated as she chuckled a bit and wiped the tears from the other mare's eyes. “Now that it is out of the way and he looks like he isn't running away; let's get moving. We need to find out a place to sleep tonight that isn't going to have us soaked to the bone.”

They slowly broke up the hugging and got onto their own hooves. Tread Lightly looked up at the weather pattern and then at Messer, “What do you think? How long do we have before the rain hits us?” She inquired. He spoke back after examining the clouds for a few moments, “Without flying up there to check, I'd say we have till nightfall.”

Tread Lightly smirked at him, “Then let's hope that prediction is correct.” She replied before breaking out into leading them on a brisk trot that was nearly a full blown run.

They had lost nearly an hour talking the sun was already starting to set as they trotted down the path at twice the speed. A new sense of friendship was starting to form between them. At least Tread Lightly had laid the worst of her past out in front of Messer and he hadn't fled in terror. She wondered what exactly he had experienced to make him willing to continue on this journey having heard how her last public experiment had gone. Much less that they were heading to a sparsely populated area with intent to recover a very rare rock.

“Messer, what made you come with us? You're young right? Still a graduate student? You could always choose another path. Yet you come with these two ponies whom are likely to lead you danger.” Tread Lightly asked as they moved at a blistering trot with the wind whipping around their ears and faces.

“Well, I wanted something different and you are most certainly different. All the other students went out to graduate professors in Cloudsdale or Canterlot. I honestly thought those two cities wouldn't provide me with something unique. Coming out here to you also had a mystery to it. The professors didn't even tell me your name. Just your cutie mark and what you looked like along with an address. I'm curious and my curiosity had to be sated.” He replied with a gleaming smile as though he was expecting her to be impressed.

Merigold laughed as she heard that, “Sounds like me when I set out to study gems of power. Though I think Tread Lightly has always been set on impressing people who were never going to be impressed with her, at least till recently. I can't believe she finished the wing.” The green mare said with a broad smile that look rather teasing towards the other purple and red maned mare.

Tread Lightly looked over her shoulder and gave a knowingly disappointed glare, “How often have I ever set out to create an invention and not followed it through?” She snapped back before sticking her tongue out cheekily. She was slightly irritated but knew this was Merigold getting into playing a game.

“Well....there was the time you tried to create a gem magnet and ended up covered in all my gems of power when you couldn't get it to turn off.” She said with a sheepish grin back at her friend.

“Oh I have to hear this.” Messer said with a broad laugh.

“You'll get the full story when we stop for the night. But remember I did finish that magnet and figure out how to turn it off!” Tread Lightly shot back at the yellow and black maned mare. She swished her tail and flicked her mane like she had won the argument, even through the shorter haired mane didn't really do much flicking.

This brought the conversation when they had first met Morning Merigold back to Messer Schmitt's mind when he saw the pink tips of the mane, “So did you get it dyed after they cut out all the gems?” he teased.

Tread Lightly let out a laugh as she realized that the pegasus had caught on to the exchange from earlier as well as to the game played between the mares. She turned her head around to the stallion and gave him the silliest look of goo goo eyes she could manage while in the near full run of a trot they were doing to make up for lost time. “Oh you know honey, get gems of power in your mane and next thing ya know, it's permanently a new more fetching color.” The whole point of the performance for Tread Lightly was to throw the stallion for a loop. In her mind that was the point of the game, first person to be caught off guard and actually not to have a retort was the one who lost, even if you were playing two versus one.

Messer wouldn't have batted an eye if not for the flirting gesture and the huge round seductive eyelash twirl that the purple mare had managed to make at him while they were running. He bit his lip and recoiled for a moment slowing his pace. That is when both the mares slowed down to meet him and burst into laughter. They were laughing so hard, they stopped after a few more steps and fell onto their sides to attempt to recover from the sudden exhaustion of their lungs.

They had been running long enough now for the sun to nearly be completely gone. The only reason they knew it wasn't was because they could see a bit of the rays through the cloud cover as lightning slammed in the distance. When the crack of the bolt struck a nearby tree, Merigold jumped back to her hooves with a start and shrieked like a school filly. Tread Lightly gave another chuckle and then slowly got back to her feet as the Unicorn came back to the ground and landed on all fours with her teeth chattering.

“You would think I would be the one to freak out at lightning strikes but no, Merigold here can't even stand the rumble of thunder.” Tread said with a teasing smile making sure to let it sink for a bit but the next lightning strike wouldn't let the moment pass. “Alright let's find a place to setup camp that will keep us dry.” Tread Lightly said as they spread out in the dying light. The roar of thunder and the clap of lightning was providing more light for them as they knew the rain wasn't far away.

Finally Tread Lightly located an out cropping near a hill. She moved to it and then started to gather rocks as the mare called her two companions over. She instructed them to gather up enough rocks to put at the floor of the outcropping.

Messer was puzzled by this, “Rocks? To sleep on?” he asked, having paused at the word rocks and looked rather confused.

Tread Lightly grinned, “Well it's dirt under there and we are in a for a downpour, trust me. This will be worth it.” She said as they gathered up enough rocks and hard debris to place and cover the bottom of the out cropping.

Merigold took out her pack and unfolded the blanket, then a couple of small pillows which required quite a bit of undoing themselves. Meanwhile, Tread Lightly took her pack apart and used what appeared to be a tent to fold around the outcropping and created a small tented house. With the rocks in place they were off the soft ground and out of any potential mud. Even if they were uncomfortable in places. There was enough room for the three ponies to spread out and relax in the mark shift tent as lightning strikes lit up the night sky.

They couldn't light a fire but they could share oats, an apple each, and a few carrots between each other. There wasn't a lot to talk about as the storm broke, the wind was deafening and the rain coming down was so heavy it felt like it might actually soak through the water proof tent. But it held. Tread Lightly had been sure to spike the tent to the outcropping as well as into the ground around the rock base they had created. This was almost as good as a makeshift straw house. With the hill's out cropping over their head, the tent around them and rocks under them; they actually could stay relatively dry. Meanwhile, the three ponies generated enough body heat inside the tent was warm despite the freezing rainstorm raging outside.

There was a crash as they finished eating that made Merigold jump and lit up the tent with the wave of lightning flash. A tree outside slammed into the ground, shaking all three ponies. Tread Lightly smiled reassuringly to try to calm Merigold down. She let out sigh and then tried to speak above the roar of the storm. “I know it's rough but we'll be fine in the tent. Let's get some rest, and I'll share the story of the gem magnet in the morning when we can hear each other.”

She was almost screaming to talk over the storm but the other ponies just nodded and they laid down for a long night of heavy weather and hearts full of worry from the raging hurricane outside.

A Long trail towards the lands of Ice and Snow

Tread Lightly awoke to discover the other two ponies were still sound asleep. She smiled as Messer snored a bit and Marigold unconsciously batted at his chin to make him quiet. Apparently they probably had been doing this routine in their sleep all night.

At least the sound of the outside was that of a calm fall day rather than heavy storm the three had been made to sleep under. While the other ponies slept Tread Lighty quietly got up and slipped to the edge of the tent. Even through the purple mare was an Earth Pony if one thing she had learned in avoiding other someponies, it was how to be quiet. She removed one of pitons from the ground and slipped out from under the tent with a bit of wiggling and a few moments of difficulty to get outside. Tread Light managed the feat without letting a draft in to wake Marigold or Messer. The mare took a few steps and sank into nearly an inch of clingy mud onto her hooves. She didn't mind getting dirty if her lab coat was any indication as she took in the altered surroundings.

The storm had left the surrounding trees a mess, the ground itself was soaked through and through. The limbs of trees are discharged haphazardly while the colors of fall served to make the scene all the most devastating rather than of serene beauty. Several of the giant oaks and pines had been split in half by lightning and burned through the core by the energy bolts. This left them dead and covered in Black Soot. The tree limbs now looking like some black dragon rather than a welcoming fall forest.

Tread Lightly had expected that if there was a storm this would happen. Stalliongrad was on the north-western border near the edge of Equestria. Therefore, pegasi did not keep to the weather in the most attentive way. The trio was only a day's flight by pegasus from Yakyakistan. She was thinking carefully of where to go from here. They could visit the yaks on the way to the north or they could skirt the Luna Bay to get to the northern lights. She thought long about this trying to determine which path would be best.

If they went to the Yakyakistani region, they would at least be able to buy supplies in case something happened and let the Yaks know of their trip. This also gave the possibility of meeting up with a Yakyakistani scientist. Yes those exist; was a thought that crossed Tread Lightly's mind as she had met two of them in her lifetime already. It would be interesting for Messer to meet a Yakyakistani snowcitist named Doctor Al Wehr. If they went to Luna Bay, the sights would be gorgeous for Messer and it had been a long time since she herself had seen the bay. They would also get the first views of the northern lights within only a days worth of walking. Luna Bay also left the possibility of meeting up with a few of the hermits around there to see what the current conditions north of the bay were.

Tread Lightly pondered and debated with herself as she examined the torn tree limbs and ruptured ground around her. The decision was before her and she knew that Marigold would be excited regardless of it. She picked up a piece of a shattered branch and started to examine it as potential firewood. Then she picked up another and a few more as her thoughts paraded around where to head from here.

Tread Lightly made her decision as she placed all the twigs and various pieces of soaking wet wood. How to light it now? It was wet which would make it significantly more difficult then just bashing some rocks together or lighting a match but if she... Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustle of some leaves and then a sudden eruption of debris. Tread Lightly yelped and jumped back as the debris landed around her. Marigold and Messer woke with a start and in unison yelped out, “Tread!?”

The purple mare looked around and smelled something awful, foul even. It took a few moments and then she realize exactly what it is was, methane. “I'm fine. There is apparently a methane deposit on the road to Yakyakistan that the storm has upset.” She replied as Marigold's head poked out of the bottom of the tent. The green furred mare almost looked comical with just her head poked from the bottom where Tread Lightly had exited. Tread could only imagine the indignant position she was in to achieve eye contact at that moment. It brought a blush and a giggle to her lips.

“Really? Well that sucks, how are we suppose to get to Yakyakistan if the ground might explode under us?” She asked as Tread Lightly walked away towards a slow stream of green gas coming out of the ground. She pulled out a glass bottle from her lab coat and held it upside down to the escaping methane. After a moment it started to let it pool inside the beaker and Tread sealed it once it was full.

“I guess we'll have to head by the Luna Bay instead. Maybe we will get to see Tincent Von Trapp.” Tread Lightly mused as the methane deposit had made up her mind for her. She walked back cautiously and took a deep inhale of the air near them. No smell of methane; which to her meant there was no chance that what she was about to do would result in fiery death. She lit a match and placed it against the tinder. The purple mare was working the match for several seconds to get the damp wood to spark and burn. she had gathered as she lit it and started to burn the kindling. Then she hurled the beaker at the gathered logs. With the sound of breaking glass and a roar of flame they burst into a small fire that was a disturbing green color to start and had the smell of a field of dung. Slowly the smell went away but the flash of the gas had solved her morning cooking fire issue; the wood was burning.

While Tread Lightly had been busy setting to cook something for breakfast, Messer Schmitt and Morning Marigold were busy taking down the tent and cleaning up themselves with a splash of water to the face. Marigold giggled as Messer looked confused at Tread Lightly while she managed to light the fire and explain where they were going. The burst of flame startled him and he staggered back, his wings flared out. He was never going to get used to a mare who kept making things blow up.

“Hey! Isn't that a waste of a perfectly good beaker?” He shouted as at that very moment, down the road there was another eruption of sound when another methane deposit erupted just over the horizon. He chattered his teeth a bit and looked around paranoid at what was going to happen next. The pegasus getting ready to take flight as he expected the ground underneath to go boom.

Tread smirked, “Would you rather have cold breakfast? Because I can sort that out too!” she asked as she skewered a set of corn on the cob with a medium sized stick and placed it over the fire with a set of pitons from the tent. Messer blinked for a few moments and thought about it. He began to space out into his thoughts and not pay attention to his surroundings. He would like a hot breakfast but how much did Tread Lightly spend in beakers? At this rate it must be an awful lot and how many did she bring in that lab coat? It didn't make the noise of glass hitting glass when she walked around. While he was considering this, he slowly relaxed and didn't realize how long he was lost in these thoughts as when his eyes and thoughts came back to ground level Tread Lightly and Marigold were eating roasted corn and laughing.

Morning Marigold looked over at him and blinked a few times, “Were you lost in thought the whole time we were cooking these? Come on get breakfast!...Have you ever seen Luna Bay?” she asked as she giggled having been lost in conversation with Tread for a while as they caught up about how life was between their last journey together at the beginning of spring and now this one at the onset of winter. Messer took his ear of corn into a hoof and started to nibble upon it. He was still deep inside his thoughts, wondering where they would go and what he was bound to see. His imagination danced wildly of moving through the northern lights and feeling their warmth as he flew. He had started to relax but the random rushes of adrenaline and sudden loud sounds hitting his senses were not at all keeping his nerves calm.

Tread Lightly looked at him and saw the weary expression on his face as well as the concern in his eyes as he was picking at his corn but not really fully eating. She and Marigold exchanged glances and walked over towards him. Almost in unison they placed a hoof onto his shoulders; one somewhat clean from watching it's steps and the other covered in mud, leaving a matting of his short fur in the wet dirt. He looked up and was broken away from his thoughts again; this time by a pair of hooves caressing his shoulders and reassuringly trying to calm his nerves.

“I know I can be unnerving to be around. That is why I scared off ten assistants this year alone. I don't know how to describe exactly why am I the way I am. I just know that things that often unnerve others give me clarity and clam. Adversity and problems don't frustrate me but rather encourage me to find the solution. If something is bothering you, you should talk to me about it or get Marigold here to make me knock it off.” Tread Lightly explained as she smiled at him and tried to be as friendly as possible.

Morning Marigold giggled and levitated a rock from their campsite before sending it at Tread Lightly's head which didn't do any real damage but smacked her head hard enough to be jarring. Tread yelped and moved her hoof to the back of her head. She held the spot where she had been hit and winced. As she rubbed, it was her turn to get mud on her and in the strands of her red hair, the pink tips now coated in brown sludge. She looked up at Marigold with a cautious smile. “See, I can completely get away with smacking the mad scientist if she is being too crazy.” Marigold said with a big broad smile like a gremlin who had just stolen all the gold.

Messer blinked a few times then started to chuckle before bursting out into laughter while Tread Lightly rubbed the back of her head a bit more and started to join in the laughter with the other two ponies.

They cleaned up the campsite and started to the North-West heading for Luna Bay. The trot was accompanied by mostly silence and the occasional question by Messer. Already the snow was starting to appear on the sides of the worn road. There were no animals nor any tracks as they moved and Tread was taking that into account. It seemed odd that this road had been in such disuse by both ponies and wild animals. There was something troubling to it to say the least.

“Messer have you ever seen Luna Bay?” Marigold asked since her earlier attempted at this question had been ignored. It was nearly noon when she finally asked again. He replied with a shake of his head. The orange stallion stopped a moment and moved a blue hoof up to his chin. He pondered what kind of place would be named after the princess of night.

Marigold smiled at him, “You are in for a real treat. Princess Luna is quite beautiful and to be honest the bay does her justice to be named after her. The water twinkles with brightness during the day and is always crystal clear. It seems that no bacteria can really grow in due to the cold. But at night is where it really shines. When the northern lights are out; it's beyond beautiful liking seeing a rainbow mirrored upon itself and then a veil of light as everything is covered in the colors of the northern lights.” Morning Marigold described as she was starry eyed and quite taken with the memory of the last time they had been there. “It's like your vision itself is through the light above rather than through the nighttime around.”

Messer started to speak when a crash of lightning slammed into the ground nearby. He was abruptly caught off guard as the flash hit their eyes and made even Tread Lightly's hair stand on end. He yelped out and instinctively took to the air to try to avoid any danger. As Marigold yelled out and immediately dove into the road with her face into the thin layer of mud as her hooves covered her head. Only after a few seconds did they all see that a tree had been torn in twain. Completely broken and burned down from core to the roots even. The mighty pine smelled of burned wood and fell apart, half of it hitting the ground on one side away from the trio. While the other half fell across the road with mighty crash that shook the ground Marigold and Tread stood upon.

Tread Lightly looked up and there were several clicks as she adjusted which lens were inside of each of her glasses. The monocles turned a deep hard to see through purple on her left eye and on her right it was a sickly green color. She examined the sky and made a motion for Messer to come up to her. He flew down and tried to relax his defenses a bit. To him this trip had been one sudden piece of insanity followed by adrenaline rush and then back to the insane. “Anything you've ever seen? There isn't a dark cloud in the sky? What does your pegasus senses tell you?” She asked.

Messer Schimtt looked around and realized that bolt of electrical energy should not have happened. He flew up into the clouds. The air got thinner and colder as he moved into the white puffy structures overhead. He took a long hard look around with his brown eyes. They were full of concern and all his senses were turned to bear to feel for anything that would show a sign of where the electrical shot had originated or if another one was coming. Something wasn't right here. There were no dark clouds, there was a sense of energy in the air through. It made no sense; lightning that strong shouldn't have happened. Actually no electrical bolts should have rained down at all. He sat up in the clouds, confused and bewildered slowly flapping his wings to descend gently back to the earth. There wasn't even the possibility with his pegasus magic that he could form another lightning strike. Not without gathering the required materials from at least several hundred meters away.

This perplexed the young pegasus. The rainstorm last night was far too much for him to handle in stopping. At the same time, it had completely left the area by morning without clouds in the sky or influence of pegisi. What was going on with the weather here?

Messer landed softly and looked at Tread Lightly then to Marigold. “That bolt shouldn't have happened. There was no reason for it. Weather wise that is a pure freak anomaly.” He explained after a few more moments of consideration and thinking upon it. Even his feathers were a standing on edge from the energy discharge. It felt more like a unicorn's magic had hit the tree than anything that would be natural.

“While it would be fascinating to stay and examine this, I feel we should continue on before another happens.” Tread Lightly said and then started to say something else when there was in the distance, the cry of what sounded like an eagle; only much much larger than such a hunting bird.

The purple mare was clearly jarred by the experience stopping dead in her tracks. Marigold placed a hoof upon her flank to reassure Tread. Tread Lightly just kept herself tense and looked in the direction of the sound expecting some grew beast to be flying overhead. Marigold steadied herself and let out a huff, “Stupid BIRD! Stop trying to make us jumpy!” She screamed out and threw a rock into the trees at nothing in particular. After a satisfying thump there was a scattering of birds, birds who had been perfectly silent moments before the electricity in the air had arrived as though they knew something was up and about to happen.

There was another shriek of a great raptor this time much closer.....

Ominous Signs on the Way to Luna Bay

The sinister shriek echoed through the devastated forest. Tread Lightly felt beads of sweat forming across her brow, the purple mare unsure what to do or how to proceed. Marigold had gotten up and bolted to the nearest rock formation putting it between herself and the direction of the powerful eagle shrieks. The forest itself had grown quiet. Even the breeze had stopped. The leaves didn't move, there was no insects chirping, no birds uttering a noise, or any animals that dared to move it seemed much less utter a sound.

Tread Lightly decided to take one step forward. She moved her hoof slowly, lifting it deliberatly and watching from the direction of the sound of what they all assumed to be a great beast. She moved agonizingly slowly. Messer Schmitt flapped his wings slowly, gliding down to the ground as he watched the step. He was prepared to dive right at Tread Lightly and tackler her. His muscles were tensed and he could feel the electricity in the air. It was almost palpable at his pegasi senses that told him any second now there would be a strike of pure energy into the ground. A strike that would pack a lethal amount of electricity if it built up any greater. Tread Lightly's hoof met the ground with a soft pat and a gentle dispersal of the dry surface dust as it sank into the wet earth below the surface of the road.

Nothing happened. The tension in the air remained and not a moment went by that the trio did not expect Tread Lightly to sudden collapse from a bolt of pure death raining from the sky. The purple mare steeled herself and snorted, she took another step. Then another, each one determined, each one deliberate; as though challenging a bull to charge. She narrowed her eyes and growled. This was what was expected to be seen just before two armies started to scream and charge towards each other. Yet step after step and nothing challenged her. Morning Marigold felt she could peek up and walked out from behind the rock.

“Tread, are you sure that is a good idea? Shouldn't we adhere to your namesake right now?” Marigold said, her lips trembling as she looked up to the sky to see if something was brewing. She felt a tingle inside her horn as magic coalesced. She looked down the road, then into the depths of the forest. Her teeth started to chatter and then stopped when her hoof forced them to. The tension could be tasted much less felt.

Yet the quiet continued. Tread Lightly turned her head and smirked, “If I obeyed my own namesake, we wouldn't have had half of the crazy adventures nor a quarter of my discoveries.” She stated rather boldly with her head turned. As she turned her head back, to meet Marigold's eyes and spoke the words; the tree tops exploded outward.

There was a deafening shriek that forced all three to cover their ears. Messer dove and tackled Tread Lightly away from the path as his instincts kicked in. He felt it just two seconds before the bolt of lightning had discharged. Messer looked up from where the two of them had landed, seeing a bolt of energy sunder the ground where Tread had been a second before, leaving a crater the size of a trader’s wagon behind.

Debris rained down as mud and dirt was thrown high into the air. The pieces of rock and dirt where charred black as night. While in others it had flash solidified into rock. Marigold's vision went pure white as she had been looking where Tread Lightly had been just seconds ago, the bolt of energy overloading her retinas for a moment. She tried to scream only for her voice to let out a near inaudible squeak. The green mare fled in terror completely blind. She almost instantly tumbled into a ditch on the side of the road and decided to just stay there taking cover.

Messer held onto Tread Lightly like he was holding something precious as they slammed into the ground beside the road. He clung to her as though she would float away if he loosened his grip at all. She took a moment to recover having had her air driven out by the rough dive bomb of the pegasus. With what little air she had left she looked up at the stallion on top of her. “Air.....Messer.....I...Need...Breathe...” She managed through his strangle hold. He looked down and blushed till his orange fur was looking much more red than orange.

“Sorry....” he said in a very meek voice and quickly bolted off of the mare to stood upright next to her. He quickly scanned the trees for threats or whatever had made the shriek.

The smell of burning dirt and gravel hit their noses and made each of their stomachs churn. It was worse than a cesspool and there was no way to describe what it smelled like except perhaps an outhouse on fire. They looked to the sky where the treeline had burst into splinters and saw nothing. Whatever had caused the shrieks and eruption of the trees had left. Marigold was hyperventilating rapidly. Lightning was the one scariest thing in all of Equestria to her. This was her worst nightmare come to life. Her uneasy legs gave out the moment she tried to stand. She shut her eyes tight, so tight that they looked like they may not even exist under her eyelids.

Tread Lightly ran forward to her as soon as she saw the collapse of her dearest and only friend. The purple mare moving at a speed that even Messer was stunned by. 'Earth Ponies were strong not fast right? How could she go so quickly?' He thought to himself and then realize that Marigold had hit the ground and followed suit arriving to her side only a few seconds after Tread Lightly. Tread did the one thing he would have never guessed would help a pony in trouble. She smacked Marigold across the face with a harsh hoof.

“Snap out of it! We're fine! Get yourself together girl!” She shouted at the top of her lungs as Marigold's hyperventilating came to a halt. She let out a breath, deeply inhaling before exhaling all her air from her lungs. She collected herself as Messer stared, his mouth agape in disbelief that someone had just slapped Marigold so hard that her jaw looked bruised and Tread Lightly acted like that was suppose to help. He was wincing as he expected shouting and yelling to follow.

Marigold however, slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry but had started to return. The mare's breathing relaxed and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She slowly turned her quivering lips and trembling features into a lighter smile. “I'm fine...thank you Tread.” She said in a very even, emotionless voice. Her mind starting to recover from the shock of what was a moment ago Tread Lightly being incinerated by a strike from the heavens.

Tread Lightly was focused upon the task at hand and she worried about her friend. It hadn't even dawned on her that without Messer's instincts, senses, and quick reactions; she would likely be dead now. She looked at her friend and rubbed the cheek where she had slapped her; it eased the pain of the bruise and made her reassured that Marigold was okay. Marigold looked at Tread Lightly as they stared into each other's eyes. Like two friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time and presumed the other had been lost the annuls of death.

The green mare with her shakingleaped forward, her entire body quivering from the tip of her horn to the side of her flank where her crystallized marigold cutie mark was. She burst into tears and clung to Tread Lightly tightly for support. The sobbing the only audible sound other than the breeze blowing by as the tension in the air seemed to flee and release with the bolt of energy dissipating.

Messer walked up to Tread Lightly and looked at her quizzically after a moment he spoke, “Why lightning?” he asked as he placed a hoof onto Marigold's back and gently pat her there to calm the mare and cause her to let out all the fear. He was doing his best to bring the near hysterical mare back to ground level.

“It's a long story Messer,” Tread Lightly started to explain over the sobbing, “But You'll have to let Marigold here share that one, when she is ready. In the mean time, let's try to get her calmed down and move on before whatever that was decides I wasn't threatening enough.” Tread Lightly replied. Her response got less full of emotion and more cold the longer she spoke, almost mechanical. Tread Lightly stroked her friend's mane and sighed as the sobbing slowed and the crying eased into the slow shredding of tears. The mare let out a breathe of relief and sighed, “I've got you little foal.” She whispered in Marigold's ear, like you would expect to a bigger sister.

Morning Marigold pulled back from Tread Lightly's shoulder and got down onto her own hooves. She wasn't shaky anymore and had managed to recover herself enough to stand. “I'll...be okay. You're right we should get a move on.” She said and took a step forward, moving cautiously to get away from the cart sized crater and march down the road, her pace increasing to a near full on gallop as other the ponies moved to catch up. This was easy for Messer because he simply flew ahead and land in front of Marigold. He looked at her sternly and made her come to a stop.

Tread Lightly caught up to the two of them and placed a hoof onto Marigold's flank, “It's okay, we can walk dear, we will make it just fine.” Tread Lightly said soothingly to her friend. Marigold took a breath and nodded. The three started to walk down the path, Tread Lightly deliberately pacing them slower than a trot to try to make Marigold relax.

As the lightning strike mark upon the road got out of their line of sight she looked to Messer, “Have you ever seen anything like that?” she asked him as she was curious now just how powerful that bolt had been to create the destruction it had made. By now they were far enough along that the forest here had managed to heal or not have been assaulted by the storm.

Messer Schmitt placed his hoof up to his chin and thought about it for a while. He wasn't sure himself how such a bolt of lightning should have formed. After a few moments he turned to Marigold and asked, “Did you sense anything magical in the air?” Messer said as he looked at Marigold whom was hanging her head to avoid eye contact.

She looked up and around, with an expression asking 'were you talking to me?' written all over her features. She thought back to that moment just before the electricity had reigned down a destructive roar of deadly intent and then it ran through her like a shock to her system, “Yes! I felt it. It wasn't Unicorn magic but definitely something magical was in the air,” she replied as her thoughts gathered. She was certain what she had felt in her rush of fear and flight instincts.

Tread Lightly paused mid stride as she heard this and turned her head, “Then let's keep putting distance between us and where we camped. Hopefully whatever it was, we're out of its territory and into Luna Bay by nightfall,” she declared. The trio agreed and picked up the pace. It was a grueling demanding pace that left them breathing hard as they made their way off the road and onto a path that looked like it needed more travelers to keep itself from being over run with vegetation. At spots only Tread Lightly could see the way forward and the other ponies had to just follow and assume she was going the right way.

Messer felt something ice cold and soaking wet plop down onto his head. He let out a yelp of surprise and then as he jumped he saw the ball of white fluff and dripping water cascade to the ground. The two mares turned and saw it was a clump of snow that fallen from a hidden nook in the trees above. Their shock quickly turned to laughter as they looked at him. Humor was needed for the trio to simply stop feeling like a bolt of death would fall from the sky at any second and made them realize that even in the face of near life ending experiences, they should remember to laugh.

Messer took a moment and looked at the two mares who had collapsed onto their backs and laughing as hard as they possibly could. He grinned, started to chuckle and then busted into laughter himself. If snow was falling from the trees they had made it much further north than he thought. It was also truly funny to him that a tree had just started and won a snowball fight in one shot.

Tread Lightly started to recover and through the trees saw something sparkle. It took a moment as she adjusted the lenses in her monocles, her eyes behind the new set were huge to ponies looking at her. She pushed the regular ones back in with a click and bolted forward, “Come on, hurry.” the mare called back to the two of them.

Messer and Marigold, finished laughing and rushed to catch up to their friend. Here as they broke through the tree line, each of their hooves hit piles of white fluff from the clouds. The snow crushed underneath and before them they saw the most beautiful sight of the entire day. Their eyes beheld was a snow covered beach and the rolling tides of Luna Bay.

A Discovery No ONe Was Prepared For

They had arrived in Luna Bay safely, the first bright sign of this trip. As Tread Lightly beamed at the fact she had found it, Marigold rolled in the show almost like she owned it. Her pack was discarded onto the ground as she enjoyed the feeling of the frozen water across her back. The sound of gently rolling waves echoed around them as their ears welcomed the salt water tides. Their eyes could see for over a mile, the rolling sands of Luna Bay covered in thick white flakes. There was a soft serenity to this place much to the relief of the trio. Nothing like what they had encountered this morning.

It was late evening as Tread Lightly looked overhead the setting sun was giving away to the cascade of green and indigo lights shooting lines across the sky. The northern lights had come out. She set down her pack and pulled out a heavy gray jacket. The furred cuffs on the end showed it had been made from sheep's wool on the inside with a puffed out collar. The purple mare smiled and thought, 'I've never been so happy to feel cold snow or see this place as I am right now.' as she turned around to Messer and Marigold.

Messer didn't need a coat, he was used to the cold from being at high altitude. He was currently wiping the remaining bits of snow from his mane and straightening out the slightly damp hair. Marigold got up from her play and took out a set of boots as well as her own coat. Hers was much more flashy than Tread Lightly's. A solid black exterior with stripes of blue to offset her bright yellow hair with it's own black stripes. It almost made the blacks blend in and the blue look apart of her skin if not for the emerald green fur showing from her neck up.

The three then took a moment to survey the lay of the land. To The North Tread Lightly's eyes she could see the mountains to their right covered in a layer of white powder. A thin line of trees no more than a few hundred meters separated them from the mountain range foothills. Before them the near endless unmolested beach of Luna Bay. No one came up this way during the winter unless they had a specific reason. It was so close to the season that if they delayed too long, they wouldn't make it back before it became too cold for their journey. Already it was just too cold to enjoy the waters of Luna Bay.

Messer looked up and went wide eyed. The clear skies gave him the most beautiful colors he'd ever seen. He was staring in awe at the most beautiful atmospheric phenomenon he'd ever witnessed. The brightness of the greens with the dull fade of the indigos mixed over his eyes, reflected back into the heavens. This was truly a site to be behold and one no should ever pass up. They echoed with a beauty that could touch a soul, kindle the imaginations with dreams of running along their shimmering trails or set a trouble heart to ease. There was something just calming about those lights to him. He couldn't put his finger on it and when he came to, he saw Tread Lightly and Morning Marigold looking at him with a sly grins upon their faces and knowing looks in their eyes.

“Just to see this was worth it wasn't it, Messer.” Marigold said with a tone that was a statement not a question.

Messer just nodded and Tread Lightly giggled, “I told you it would be worth it and we still have a way to go to recover the iridium. The lights will be shining upon us the whole time.” The purple mare explained and flicked her hair off her forehead for a moment with a flourish. She turned around and started towards the top of the next rise. She knew it wasn't far from Tincent Von Trapp's house. Well it was more mansion out in the middle of no where as opposed to house. She hoped he would be open to having some visitors late at night when they arrived. The three ponies made their way forward. It had already been a long hard pressed day but Tread Lightly knew exactly where they were now that she could see Luna Bay. It would only be another hour before they arrived and the freezing cold was starting to eat at their extremities.

Messer winced as the wind began to blow into his eyes. He hadn't expected it and turned his head at the salt in the air. “I'm gonna fly up and look ahead.” he called out to the others. Really he was hoping just to get above the salt wash and not deal with the stinging in his feathers. Moving straight up he flew above the chop of the tidal winds as the moon started to come up. Once he was there, he started to fly ahead and saw a large building with a wrought iron fence around it. A smile broadened over his lips as he flew closer to inspect the massive home he hoped to be sleeping in tonight. At the very least they should be warm and so far, Tread Lightly and Morning Marigold had been good if odd company to him. How bad could Tincent Von Trapp possibly be?

His eyes however were soon full of doubt and concern as he approached. The gates to the house had been broken in and many of the windows were blown out. The front door was clearly missing, completely rent from it's frame. He turned around and moved to land near Tread and Marigold. His facial features looked like he had bad news he didn't wanna say.

“Well out with it already, stop keeping us in suspense.” Marigold said with a no nonsense tone. She clearly didn't want him to sugar coat it.

“Marigold, the mansion looks broken into and trashed from the outside.” Messer said with a wince like he expected someone to hit him for bad news.

“WHAT!!!!!!” Marigold yelled and charged ahead at full speed. Her gallop was so hard that she was kicking up snow all the way to the sand of the beach. They still heard the rolling waves of the bay. This disturbed Marigold the most as always from Tincent's house there was music playing at all hours. Something was amiss. This whole trip seemed amiss to her. One bad omen after another had hit them since they started out. The trip north had never been this rough on them.

Tread Lightly took off after her and Messer took flight towards the mansion. He strayed behind through, getting a good areal view of the beach to see if there were any signs of what came this way. He was also checking for present dangers.

The two earth bound ponies arrived and ran straight in through the old black iron gate. The gate itself, was nearly three times their height and had been blown inward. As through a great force had impacted and sent the gateway off its hinges. The yard wasn't tended as the house sat just off the beach, where the grass and trees began to take hold. Here through, no one had plowed the snow and various weeds seemed to be sticking up through the fresh white powder. Furthermore the maroon mansion with its tall Gothic architecture looked abandoned and ransacked from the outside. The front door was in splinters with snow drifting into the welcome way. Several windows were broken while intact ones were at least cracked. The stained glass that had decorated the second floor was nothing but fractured rainbow shards scattered onto the yard and into the interior.

Tread Lightly and Morning Marigold stopped outside on the base of the steps as Messer Schimitt landed and looked at the two of them. They panted from the exertion of running and took in the scene. Tread Lightly was the first to charge in shouting, “Tincent! Tincent are you here?” Her voice echoed through silent halls. The heavy marble columns outside seemed to shake with her voice as only the gargoyles atop the roof heard the cry.

Marigold and Messer charged in after their friend both calling out to the pony that was suppose to be there, “Tincent!” Messer yelled unsure of what to add since he'd never met this pony. While Marigold yelled out, “Tincent Von Trapp! Where are you!” As more of a command to identify himself instead of a question.

The rooms were not much better than the outside. Doorways had been broken and enlarged for something bigger than a pony or a gryphon to cram their way in. Tables were in pieces, anything breakable seemed to cascaded over the ground shattered to fragments. There were scorch marks and then Tread Lightly let out a yell, “I found where he was!”

She was calling from the second floor and before her was a dried pool of deep sanguine. The other two ponies approached and didn't like what they saw but there was no body at the end of the pool. Nor was there any shredded clothing or pieces of flesh. There was only the dry pool of blood. Tread Lightly took a moment and examined the floor. There were a few clicks of her monocles before she stopped on one lens that was black as night. The reflection of a trail of blood that dripped onto the deep red carpet right out the door they came through the lens into her eyes. To the purple mare it glowed green and was immediately useful to spot with.This must have happened before the snow fall as there was no blood in the snow.

A further search of the house revealed nothing but what apparently was a very prolonged struggle. Tincent's research notes were gone but his wardrobe of Mare Dresses and Flashy over top garments was still here. 'He must have fled in a hurry, possibly wounded.' Tread Lightly thought to herself. The adrenaline of rushing in to help their friend had passed now and they were feeling the cold seep in around them. The ponies met up in the living room. It was one of a few rooms that didn't have its glass blown out.

It was well beyond sun down now, the cold outside had begun to set in. They gathered what firewood was available. Tread Lightly and Messer stacked it in silence into the fireplace. The stone works had a long deep scorch that ran from their base up into the wall where there was a spitting of the wooden barrier. It was as through the fire had leapt out and sought to burn towards the ceiling. Meanwhile Marigold had gone into the kitchen and looked to see what was left of it. She was hoping to break up their monotony of dried travel foods. After getting the fire started, the scientist and her student just stared at the flames. The house had been empty and Tincent, wasn't there. The signs all pointed to something or somepony having lost a lot blood. A struggle had obviously occurred, and this pony they was suppose to meet was long gone.

Messer Schmitt finally broke the silence with his pony companion, “He should be alright, whatever was bleeding got out and if it was him I don't think that is enough blood for a pony to die from.” His words were trying to cheer her up. She knew he was right but the mare didn't want to speak or correct him that her fellow scientist might never be seen again.

Marigold came in, her facial expression bright and let out a happy call, “Hey! I found cranberries and dragonfire fruits!” She placed the maroon berries onto the table whose legs were now in the fire and held onto the dozen or so heavy bright red prickley fruits, taking a bite out of one.

The other two ponies were startled by the outburst. They looked at Marigold with tension of fright who was munching loudly on the sweet sugar fruit before offering some of it to them. The red prickly pear shaped fruit oozed with juice and was perfectly ripe. Tread Lightly took it and wiped the protruding green bumps off before taking a bite. Messer did not and immediately regretted it. The prickly greens bumps were a defense against creatures eating it as they packed some of the hottest foulest tasting spice even to grace Equestria. He let out a a surprised yelp and dropped the fruit to the floor.

The two mares giggled at him, “Messer if you aren't a source of naive accidents I don't know what it is. Dragonfire fruit is called that for a reason. Its sweet inside but you have to get the prickles off it first.” Tread Lightly explained while Marigold handed him a mug with some cider from the ice box. He sipped at the ice cold cider nursing his tongue back to health from the spike of spice. Tread Lightly worked the prickles off another fruit and handed it to him. They sat and ate in silence. At least the kitchen had been intact and this room was now warm and comfortable. They didn't have a lot to talk about, all of them were concerned over the pony that was suppose to be here as their host.

Tread Lightly was concerned that she was down to a just the two friends in this room in her world. Marigold was worried more about Tincent's research and had wanted to know exactly what he had found out about the Northern Lights. She also wanted to know if he grabbed or who might have taken his research from him. Messer was more concerned about what had caused the destruction and where that pony or creature had gone afterward. Tread Lightly got up and walked towards the door, “I'm gonna go bar the door and do what I can to close off the rooms with broken windows. No sense in letting in the cold if we can avoid it.”

She took a short trot up to the door and looked around. There were pieces of furniture, door planks, screws, and nails scattered throughout the hallway. She recovered some nails from the destroyed furniture as well as a few legs and began to smack them in place with a rock. Slowly but surely, the purple furred mare formed a door that would fit the remains of the frame that led into the house from the outside. She took the time to get it into position and then tore apart pieces of the entryway rug. She used this fabric to seal the edges of the door against the cold. In a short twenty minutes, she had improvised a door and seals for it. Over the course of the next two hours, Tread Lightly did the only thing she knew to do through the pain she felt, work. By the end of that, the entirety of the ground floor had been sealed against the weather with improvised doors and boarded up windows from former pieces of furniture. It wasn't pretty work as a leg or a polished marble top stuck out of the makeshift weatherproofing but it was functional.

Messer came to have a look and noticed the house had gotten slightly warmer. He paused at the base of the stairs up to where they had found the blood stain. The three ponies gathered around him. They started to speak and were interrupted.

Outside there was a shriek, the same shriek they had heard from the morning right before a bolt of magical death had tried to take Tread Lightly's life. Their blood ran cold. Tread Lightly hadn't scared it off, it had been stalking them. The shriek echoed through the near empty mansion, and the three of them immediately retreated to the living room, closing the makeshift door behind them and barring with furniture in a haste that would make even Rainbow Dash look slow.

'Had the same creature beaten them here? How did it know where we were going? Did it do this?' were the thoughts coursing through Tread Lightly's mind. Marigold's too.

Messer was thinking more, 'What is this thing and why does it hate them so?' No creature he knew of in his studies would chase ponies this far outside of it's territory unless they had done something to it or taken something from it. Any way they looked at it, this was not going to be a very peaceful night.

Signs of Hope

Tread Lightly awoke feeling exhausted. Messer and Marigold were nowhere to be seen, leaving her alone in the dilapidated living room. Tread Lightly shifted up to her hooves and swallowed hard to try and get the cold dry air out of her throat. The purple mare was startled at the lack of her friends until the door opened.

She shifted to face the noise of the creaking hinges. Morning Marigold stood there and smirked, “Good morning sleepy head. Well, it's almost noon. We thought you should sleep in and wanted to make sure that bird was gone.” Marigold walked up to Tread and gave her a light hug. “Messer is outside patrolling from the air,” she explained and placed some grapes, a freshly thawed dragonfire fruit already de-pricked out for her friend. Tread Lightly picked up the fruit and took a bite quietly. She had fallen asleep on her watch and not wanted to wake the two of them; they had repaid the favor by letting her sleep in.

After a few uncomfortable moments and finishing the fruit in silence. Tread spoke up, “any plans on the next move? Other than turning back.” She asked as the purple mare looked to the green one. As tension started to build in the air between the two while Tread figured out what to say.

Marigold let out a laugh and a gave a gentle smirk, in her mind the only logic move was what Tread Lightly had already determined; move forward. She embraced her friend closer and gave a soft nuzzle of her cheek, “It is fine my dearest friend. I am prepared to see this one through and I know that look in your eyes. The decision is already made but you have still enough self doubt to ask for advice.” The green mare said, knowing the answer already.

Tread Lightly blinked a few times and sighed as she looked to her friend, then finally relented and gave a smile back. “You're right; we keep going,” she replied and adjusted her glasses. “We should figure out a plan to deal with that bird creature though. I just hope you can....”

Marigold placed a hoof over the pony's mouth and shook her head, “If you're there I will deal with the fear. Even if it means my worst nightmare incarnate.” Marigold stated and started towards the doorway.

Tread stared at her friend in disbelief. That she would face her fears was a statement of their friendship; especially for a scientific expedition that had started going south the moment they set out. She heard Marigold's voice through her thoughts as the other mare called out, “Messer! She's awake! Suggest we figure out how to get moving.” There was the sound of a distant landing pegasus and her two friends re-emerged into the tattered remains of the living room.

With the three of them gathered into the room, the air cleared up. It was like a breathe of relief had come about with them able to see each other all awake and unharmed. Tread Lightly gave them both a hug and looked her friends over. “So I know Marigold's answer but I want to hear yours as well. Should we continue or turn back? Because I want to go on.” The mare explained and looked to him for an answer.

Messer looked back and took his thoughts deep into consideration. He wondered where this could go and at the same time if it was truly something safe to continue to pursue. He weighed the possibilities and then his face steeled in thoughts.

Tread Lightly grew nervous. 'If he wants to turn back, then we go back. No questions asked. I won't pressure him. But I really hope....' Her thoughts were interrupted by Messer's speech.

“I'm in. We've gone over halfway and won't get another chance at this till the spring. No turning back and no I'm not going to second guess putting myself at risk. You promised me an adventure and that comes with the ups and downs. So where to from here?”

Tread Lighty's mouth dropped open and was remained slack for a few moments. She hadn't expected such an enthusiastic response from him. This student of hers was full of surprises and after she fixed her own jaw; she let out a sigh of relief. “We head into the woods past the beach and make for Mount Cracked Hoof. It's the closest deposit of Iridium and with any luck we can use the trees for cover from that bird creature.” The purple mare explained as her composure recovered.

Messer and Marigold looked at each other and exchanged glances. The two of them then looked at Tread and nodded in agreement. There was kind of a silent moment of decision and the three in unison started towards the door. The silence continued between the trio as they picked up their packs, now with the addition of dragonfruits from Tincent Von Trapp's kitchen and a new set of dried trail mix. Marigold had been busy while letting Tread Lightly sleep in.

Tread Lightly noted the heavier weight to her pack and smirked. They would at least be eating well; if this was their last meals. The air was crisp and full of salt from ocean. The bay teamed with sea gulls calls while the woods called with that of creatures preparing to hibernate. They walked towards the trees and the ominous feeling that haunted the previous days wasn't there.

Instead there was a cool breeze as the sights of fall and winter blended together here. Evergreen trees lightly powdered in snow alongside the leaf bare cousins with scattered colors of red, orange, and yellow at their roots. Beyond that, the massive Cracked Hoof Mountain loomed in the distance. The highest mountain on this side of the great Northern Divide. Not the highest in Equestria but still imposing. Its majesty bestowed upon those whom saw it while they would return its gaze with one of honor and respect. The trio had walked through the salt covered beach right up to the forest edge.

Tread Lightly smiled and listened to the sounds of the forest, relaxing and then looked to each of her companions and gave them a hug upon the shoulders. “We made it this far right?” she beamed and Messer nodded to her while Marigold smirked. This was the first time they had encountered something that filled them with genuine hope that this trip would go as planned. They took a step into the forest and it felt right, natural, and the worst was being put behind them.

The three walked in silence for a time, happy to just hear the animals of the forest preparing for winter and enjoy the sounds of the last fall insects dying off and preparing the way for the next generation in the spring. Tread Lightly's thoughts were not scientific but artistic for once. She observed the natural curves of the forest and how they formed shapes that together made something truly beautiful to behold. She kept clicking her glasses, trying to time it with the beetle's chirping so as not to interrupt the moment in order to see through to every spectrum available. Night Vision in the broken light, infra-red, five color base, seven color base, radioactive, everything her twin monocles could manage. Each set of lenses could paint an entirely different portrait and each one would have its own unique beauty of color and shape. Everyone of a new set of emotions to explore and new thoughts to provoke.

The purple mare was so distracted that she outright ran into a heavy branch with a hard smack and fell over. The other two ponies looking back to her and instead of rushing to check, both let out a giggle.

“Tread,” Marigold started through the laughter, “I get this forest is a sight for sore eyes but can we not have a sore head too?” the green mare said as she and Messer helped their companion to her feet. The laughter hadn't quite ended and Tread Lightly was blushing furiously as her attention and curiosity had gotten the best of her. Marigold was used to this and Messer was getting used to it now.

A scientist led by her interest rather than but one could call common sense. He wondered if perhaps one day he would follow in his new teacher's footsteps and become something like her. He thought it couldn't possibly be that bad to be Tread Lightly. In this moment away from her painful memories and away from the judgment of those in the city; it was like a perfect moment between friends. Nothing could describe the feeling of being out together on an adventure like this. One that is both exploration and discovery, along with the risks that helped make it all come together. This was what it meant, to have friends who were more than just people you hung out with. This was what having your best friends was like and none of the trio wanted that feeling to go away.

They shared a smile now, all three of them. Their hearts were light and hope had returned. The same enthusiasm they felt when they first set out from Marigold's shop was coursing into their veins.

The woods took nearly the entire remainder of daylight to transverse. They continued onward for what felt like hours determined to reach the mountain base before they took a rest. The sounds of the night started to echo outward. The last vestiges of fireflies whom hadn't died yet came forth and lit up their path. It felt odd at first to find a trail through here but so far they had taken the path less traveled; now was the time to tread forward where others had already blazed a trail for them.

The sounds of leaves crunching under their hooves and the dying sounds of fall started to fade as they neared the mountain base. Tread adjusted her lenses to look for traces of rare earth rocks. The glass she placed before her eyes lit up to everyone else in a sickly orange color as Tread slowed to a halt, the others stopping in her wake.

“What is she-” Messer started and was hushed by a hoof to his lips from Marigold.

“Her lenses can detect trace amounts of rare earths. This way she can find a outer vein of iridium we are looking for. That will hopefully lead us to a cave to rest the night and provide us with the metal we seek.” The green mare explained to him and he nodded to be quiet as his smile had faded and now he took on a series look to watch him internship mentor work.

Tread Lightly only took a few moments to identify the substance she was looking for through the lenses. She walked up and placed a hoof upon the vein and started to follow it. The two other ponies quickly trot after her. In the dim light of the waxing gibbous moon and flitting lightning bugs, Messer and Marigold could barely even see the ground, trusting completely in Tread Lightly. The ore was nearly invisible in the night sky, but shown like a pale orange trail through her glasses.

As the last of the fireflies drifted off, and the moon's pale light drew higher in the sky they came upon a cave. This massive opeing was ill-shaped. Its opening with several cracks and no uniform make up. Dust and broken off bits of mountain sat at its base. Heavy stalactites dotted the entrance of the cave itself.

Tread looked and saw the vein went inside. It grew larger as it went in. She looked to the other two with a confident smile across her lips and nodded her head towards the cave.

“This is the one.”

Messer pulled out a torch from his bag and handed it to Tread as they worked to light them, Marigold lit up her unicorn horn and it grew brighter than any torch. She was full of hope and confidence that it showed in her magical aura to the other ponies. The three of them, lights in hoof or a horn on their head, started into the cave. A cave that would lead them to a destiny and a revelation of fate that none of them were truly prepared for.

Cave of Wonder and Terror

The cave was completely dark to the three ponies except for their dim lights which seemed extremely dim for what you would expect from a pair of torches and a unicorn's horn. It was as if the dark was some crushing, looming presence that kept the light from intruding. The three ponies edged their way forward as the sound of a gentle rainfall outside echoed into the cave. They could see the line of deep black shimmer against the wall. The Iridium was here, this was the vein they were looking for.

Tread Lightly pressed on in. 'We can't just randomly hit the vein, I need to find a place where we can get a decent size piece of ore.' She thought to herself as they ventured in deeper. Just as she finished that thought Messer chimed up, “How are we going to get solid ore out of the walls?”

Tread didn't answer, she just pulled a pick head out of her pack and stopped to hammer it down onto the long stick she had brought. Once it was on, she added a cap to keep it there with a grin, “With this of course.” She said tossing him the pickaxe which he caught it with his muzzle. Tread giggled and smirked; 'Well at least he'll be quiet now while I look for the deposit instead of just a random point in the vein.'

The three edged deeper into the cave. The sound of raindrops gradually got quieter. The echo of their hooves was all they could manage to hear. The vein was getting thicker the deeper they went. At hard turn, the cave opened up into a massive chamber. They felt a yawning void stretching out around them. The paltry light of their torches and magic no longer able to illuminate the rocks above them or to either side. All three ponies stopped and gave an inhale as they stared in awe when they took the next step.

The torches seemed to hit some sort of crystal, and the unicorn horn's magic reflected and amplified it all. The room lit up like a royal ball room. Reflections and refractions dancing across them in a rainbow of colors. The magic in the air could be tasted even by those whom could not use it; they could physical taste the metallic tang of something truly special nearby being activated.

At the center of the room was a crystallized black hunk of a stalagmite. “Iridium.” Tread Lightly said and rushed forward towards the rock, dropping her torch. She quickly cycled her lenses once again and smiled as she used them to find the fault lines in it while the other two caught up, Marigold picking up her touch with a giggle.

“Slow down silly, that hunk of rock isn't going anywhere.” Marigold teased Tread playfully, before she started truly marveling at the cavern. “I have never seen anything like this! So many crystals, all of different magical qualities right here. It must have taken centuries for this cave to form like this or some major outside force doing it through magic.” Either way Marigold was staring in awe; knowing full well she would have to come back here and get some of these for her shop on a regular basis.

Messer rushed to catch up to Tread Lightly, and took the pick into his jaws tightly. Tread put up a hoof to stop him; as she leaned in and took out a piece of chalk. Her lenses had found the spot. She marked it and stepped back.

“Whenever you are ready Messer,” She said as she waited for the prize they had quested for. The stallion brought down the heavy pick and the heavy blow rang through the room. A chunk of rock the size of a pony head fell off and rolled over the ground. Tread trotted over and picked it up, the piece was extremely heavy for its size as she examined it. “That is one piece, we need a second one just in case I mess it up.” She said and Messer nodded before giving a second massive heavy strike. The sound of the pick echoed off the crystals as well as the wall in front of them.

A shriek echoed through the chamber that made their blood run like ice water. The shriek of the flying lightning creature that had terrorized them at the mansion. Tread Lightly turned to where they came in and saw nothing. The second shriek hit their ears and made all three wince in pain as they realized it came from above.

They looked up in the well illuminated chamber; above them leaning over the wall which the three realized now was a cliff, was the thunder bird creature. Electrical impulses coursed over it's body and it stared at the three. The solid harsh golden eyes full of hatred and anger staring a hole through Tread Lightly.

Marigold trembled and let out a silent scream as Messer dropped the pick next to the fresh chunk of iridium he had knocked off. There was no way to escape this creature from within here. The room lit up brighter now; like you were standing in a desert sun as the coursing of energy rolled out into the crystals around them. One of the lightning bolts slammed into the ground near them and the solid rock turned into crystal instantly. The raw power doing what should take centuries in the blink of an eye.

The bird did not attack them yet instead it stopped and moved its beak, speaking with a voice that can only be described as a storm letting lose raw fury. “YOU! Of all the ponies in this entire world! YOU! I can finally have what I desire and end of the pain you left me in!” The creature declared as it spread the massive wings. A ball of energy began to form in front of it and the eyes of the thunderbird flashed as power built up to be fired.

Marigold wasn't moving. She was paralyzed with fear. The living incarnation of something she was deeply and truly afraid of was standing above them, screaming in a voice that brought nothing but raw terror to her veins and made her blood run cold.

Tread Lightly bolted for the nearest point of cover she could locate as the charge unleashed. Marigold let her instinct take over and she fired at a nearby crystal that shattered in an explosion of magic. The bolt of energy did not strike her friend but instead refracted around the shattered pieces in air, electrifying them and making a loud twang with every single strike off a different piece of crystal till it finally lost enough charge to be contained by the fragments. Marigold turned back around and growled; “I don't care what she has done or who you are! But I am not letting you harm my friends! You may scare me completely to the point I can't move but you can't threaten Tread!” she snorted and slammed her hoof into the ground as her horn glowed. She slid her hoof over the ground in challenge.

Messer took flight as Thread got to cover and started to analyze the situation. She needed to figure out exactly how to combat this creature as Messer put on a brave face and flew to the ceiling. For now through the massive thunder creature ignored him and lanced another bolt at Tread Lightly who was still running for cover.

Tread Lightly ran for her life, her purple skin reflecting against the dimly lit cavern as the trail of electrical energy shot up from behind her. The hairs of her mane stood on end as the bolt closed towards her flanks. She tumbled awkwardly into cover behind a solid chunk of stalagmite which was briefly electrified from the lance of energy.

Messer Schmitt’s voice rang out from the skies like a thunderclap. “Up here you big ugly bird, come and pick on someone whom can fly.”

The massive creature covered in stone like feathers and arcing with bolts of lightning surged from its roost towards him. Electricity coursed out of its body out to the feather tips and left scorch marks and fresh crystal along the walls of the cavern. The beast tilted its head up straight up to meet the gaze of the pegasus as it flew, completely focused upon him instead of Tread and Marigold at his feet.

“You little gnat! I shall enjoy devouring you!” the bird declared in a screeching whine of fury. The massive eagle flew up at high speed launching another bolt of pure destruction out that seemed certain to hit the pegasus. Just before the energy impacted, a blast of deep green energy slammed into it from below. Marigold was working to cover Messer and now the Thunderbird was halfway between the two of them.

The larger flier looked down to see a unicorn, head to toe deep grass green, lit by her horn aimed right at the bird. Her yellow and black striped mane fluttered around her from the energy the mare had to gathered to fire again. She had to overcome this fear here and now or she would have to watch her friends' lives possibly end and it would be her fault. She tried to steady herself and steel her determination.

“Messer, keep flying, if we can distract it and keep it busy, we can hopefully find a way to deal with it.” Morning Marigold called out in a trembling voice.

Tread Lightly peeked up over her rock and adjusted her lenses; changing them to get a different set. Tread's mind was racing to find a solution, the purple mare desperately trying to figure out exactly what this creature was and how to deal with it. Also why it was so angry with her.

“Right Morning Marigold, working on it.” Tread Lightly called out to the unicorn whom fired another blast of magic directly at the electrified thunder bird. Tread had to figure something out quickly.

“Enough of this foolishess! I shall have you now!” it declared and lanced down in a full dive. Messer found himself out of position to intercept it. Even though he was smaller and faster. The bird creature that was nearly six times the size of any pony and it was outrunning him towards the unicorn. Marigold desperately fired blast after blast in hopes that some of her magic would stop it. Electrical energies shot back and countered each blast as the attacking giant eagle dove harder and faster.

Messer flapped his wing hoping to win race closing his eyes to pray to Celestia that he would make it. Just as he opened his eyes to see where he was in his dive; he watched Morning Marigold disappear into the maw of the massive bird and a sickening crunch echoed through the cavern. A bit of red blood oozed from the bird's beak between its teeth. His heart sank and Tread Lightly's eyes filled with tears as she screamed out, “NOOO!!” and charged.

When your Past Must Die

Hooves beat upon hardened stone as the purple earth pony charged across the cavern towards the mighty Thunderbird as blood oozed from its beak. There was a sudden rush in the air, something had changed that made the pony's gut wrench and then an impact. The impact of hooves repeated as Tread Lightly took out several of her flasks and threw them all at once. The explosion created a cloud of dust. Then she flew out threw the dust and slammed into the point upon the Thunderbird where its xiphoid should be with her entire body weight sinking into its chest.

There was a shriek of pain from the creature that was cut off as Morning Marigold's bloody body flew from the throat and made it choke; cut in several places and with a broken leg flew out of its maw and bounced off the ground twice before sliding to a stop. The Thunderbird staggered back as Tread landed and staggered to her knees a few feet away from Marigold. She slowly stood up and turned back to face the mighty lightning bird as it recovered. Messer arrested his dive and let out a sigh of relief.

The thunderbird laughed, something that sounded like a shrieking cackle that just reverberated and was less something you heard and more something you felt in your bones. “I thought you were going to make this easy on me. I have never tasted my own blood since I took this form. Now sister, shall we settle this finally?” It said as the creature turned to Tread Lightly.

Tread Lightly was caught off guard. 'Sister? WHAT!? What is he on........oh....no...how is this....possible...' the purple mare struggled to grasp. Her color drained from her face as her mind connected the dots and did the math to determine if it was even possible. Her facial expression changed to that of one full of mixed emotions. She wanted to express love, hatred, and remorse all at once as her voice trembled. “Brother.....is that you? Why...didn't you come to me?”

Messer's jaw was ajar as he heard the exchange. Marigold groaned, her eyes barely open. The tension in the room rose, to a level that could only be described as suffocation before a lightning strike was going to occur. Something had to break it; and no pony seemed to want to make that move for a solid uncomfortable few seconds. The Thunderbird's laughter slowly died down.

“You always said, 'Power corrupts and unlimited power corrupts unlimitedly.' If knowledge of me was power; then it would corrupt you.” The Thunderbird spoke pure hatred and absolute malice. “Instead, I embraced it! And now; I finally get to feel the symbol of my hatred before me. You will be crushed and I can move on to use this power for other desires,” The Thunderbird spoke; it's words full of hatred and malice. Any pony could taste the anger and vitriol coursing across the air with each breath.

“You....are my brother; this is what my experiment did to you?” she was still questioning it. Tread Lightly wanted affirmation. She needed this creature to say it out loud.

Messer flapped down to the ground slowly and knelt beside Marigold. He checked her pulse. It was still there but incredibly weak. She was breathing and her leg was shattered. He could tell other bone had cracked and likely there were more internal injuries. She had numerous lacerations across her back, neck, and head. Her face had the worst part, a long jagged cut running from horn down to her jaw. There was even a deep crack where the horn had deflected the jagged sharp tooth against it.

“Yes, I am what your brother became. There I said it. Are you satisfied? Your hooves turned me into the monster I am. And I embraced it. My love for you turned to pure hatred. And now, I finally will have my revenge.” The creature stated coldly, calmly but with as much venom in its words as if it had been a cobra biting down into the flesh of a mouse.

Tread Lightly shook her head trying to deny it but as she processed all of this; her mind was called back to her memory of the day her experiment lost her brother to her. An image range out in her mind, one from nightmares as she saw the spark of lightning that echoed through the chamber and it was like something just clicked. The purple mare in her memory could see through the explosion of lightning and hail of electrical discharge to make out the image of the thunderbird, much smaller than it was now. Then the shriek and it bolting off. This was her fault; she caused this. Her brother's current state of hatred and madness, Marigold's injuries, and now what might very well be their deaths. All of this raced through her mind and she would have been crippled if not for something that shattered the exchange between them.

A massive crack echoed through the chamber of crystals as Tread snapped back to reality. Messer Schmidt had enough of this and full on slammed his front hooves into the jaw of the Thunderbird creature while it was not looking at him. He left a visible black spot upon its yellow energy coursing hide as his hooves also looked a little burnt on the outside. The Thunderbird crashed to the ground as the weight of the pegasus fully set in and Messer hit the ground on his hooves, sliding across the flesh crystal to a stop. He looked up at the body of the Thunderbird as it got up and growled; “You little Whelp! How dare you!” it called out, and was interrupted by a small explosion that hit the lightning upon his neck eagle as Tread Lightly tossed one more of her test tubes at it.

The purple mare cursed under her breath, “Only two more of those left.” She decided she would have to find a way to make them count. The charred mark upon her brother's forehead and the black bruise under his chin showed he wasn't going to get off of this without injury as the mighty creature could taste a bit of blood from the Earth Pony kick to his chest come up into its throat.

The thunderbird growled as it staggered back to its clawed feet. Those claws screamed with the rending of stone through the room as it turned to the ponies with a deep guttural growl. “I'm going to truly enjoy your demise!”

The bird took flight and aimed itself right at Messer moving to full speed within seconds. There was a battlecry from both parties as they closed and then the impact. The sound of two sledge hammers impacting as both of Messer's hooves found their mark and slammed into the throat of the great bird. Simultaneously, there was a tearing sound, a gut wrecking sound of bone, sinew, and flesh being ripped as a cry of anguish shot up through the crystal chamber.

The Thunderbird hadn't been aiming to kill him, it wanted to maim. Its beak clasped around his wing and the mighty jaws ripped it clean off. The Thunderbird swallowed the pony wing down with a mighty gulp. Messer screamed out as blood flew from his yellow flank. He crashed to the ground and cascaded to a stop, a trail of blood smeared across the ground and the light of the crystals reflect against it.

The entire chamber turned over to a sanguine light. Tread Lightly focused upon the task at hand as the Thunderbird landed and turned to reveal one of its eyes was completely shut and bleeding from it's mouth, nose, and eyes from the internal injuries it had suffered. One of its eyes was closed from the hoof that had just slammed into it and likely would never be able to see again with how much blood for flowing out and sizzling off the electrical field of its flesh.

“Foolish Pony, you are delicious though.” it said, almost as though the damage to its eye was inconsequential. With Marigold and Messer disabled; the creature turned to Tread Lightly and gave a sinister grin. “Now that the after snacks are prepared, I can deal with you; dear sister. Finally rid of you and I can move on to grander things!” The Thunderbird cried out.

Tread Lightly looked up at the ceiling past the Thunderbird as it spoke. She saw a fissure but the Thunderbird wasn't in a position to take advantage. She dashed full on towards the fissure, opposite direction of her friends and parallel with the Thunderbird.

It looked at her perplexed, she wasn't running to her friends or the chamber exit. The creature let out a shriek and steadied itself. Only being able to see out of one eye required the creature to turn and face before moving to cut off Tread lightly. It took flight right along the ground at full speed towards the mare, stopping as she turned around to face him.

'Perfect' Tread Lightly thought and hurled her last two test tubes up towards the creature's head. They were hopeless throws as the thunderbird could see it coming even with just one eye. It easily dodged out of the way and stopped as it stood over Tread Lightly while she held her ground. Her lenses she hoped, were correct.

“That the best you got? That measly little throw? It will be a favor to put you out of your misery!” it mocked. The Thunderbird shrieked to the heavens as great lightning raptor raised up to strike and the explosions range out at the ceiling. The Thunderbird started to turn its head to look at what had been hit; 'No, it is just a distraction. Stirke now!' He could feel something upon his neck, the air changing for a brief moment and ignored it.

'It doesn't matter, that feeling means nothing. She is m!.?*' His thoughts were shattered as the ceiling itself came down upon him with rocks crushing into his back, wings, and legs like in avalanche. The mighty creature fell down like an accordion as bone and flesh audibly cracked and shattered in sickening crunches. The crashing noise of crystal and rock echoed with the sound of a smashing quarry and shattering glass as the Thunderbird was pinned and its electrical energy grounded. The sound of a few stray falling rocks hit as the creature tried to move and could feel its body broken and unable to lift the heavy load bearing down on it.

Tread Lightly walked towards him, tears in her eyes. “Why brother, why didn't you just come to me. We could of cured you,” She choked out through openly weeping. Tears linked her to the last of the electricity that wasn't grounded and it gave her a tingle. It wasn't enough to cause real damage but enough to make her flinch.

“I HATE YOU! You took my life from me because YOU MESSED UP! And you gave me all this power but NO PONY would ever take me back. I indulged in the power and I had you within my grasp! You stupid MARE! When I get out of here I'm going to kill you.” He threatened and shrieked, desperately trying to move and only resulting in his venomous words shooting drops of blood from his venom spewing beak onto Tread Lightly. The mare could see just how far he was gone now.

Tread looked over to her friends, Marigold's breathing was shallow but there. Messer was trying to stand but the sheer pain of his side kept him down upon his uninjured flank. She looked back to the creature and her face darkened. She had something inside her click.

Looking upon her friends she felt anguish of failures and a type of rage that Tread Lightly had never experience before. It was as though her love for her brother had turned completely to pure anger. She looked at what her brother had become and growled. The broken body an affront to anything she could have ever loved.

“Cute growl sis but we both know you've never had the guts to do something evil. You're a pony! Your kind always believes in redemption remember. There is nothing you are going to do, your threat is empty! I will win this eventually!” the thunderbird growled out. “My body will heal, I will rise up more powerful and find you! And when I do, nothing you can to do can stop me.”

Tread Lightly let tears roll down her cheeks as her own minor injures seemed to surge with drops of blood. Her adrenaline kicked in and she took a step forward. The mare looked down as she removed a scalpel, something she used for collecting samples.

“I know that you won't stop. And I know that you are too far gone. But you forget one thing. I am a pony whom has lost it all. And you just tried to take it all away again.” Her heavy breathing slowed and became silent. Her eyes grew cold and her resolve decided for her exactly the course of action the mare should take. “So I'm going to forgo everything the princesses have taught me about friendship and love and care and redemption. Because buck you, you bastard.” Her lab coat crumpled up as she knelt down to the wing, scalpel between her teeth. “You think I am incapable of evil?” she said. Outside there was shriek that could heard for miles. Blood would curdle at its sound. Tread Lightly covered herself in blood that day. The blood that used to be her brother and now was a monster. The blood of past that would never wash out of her labcoat or her memories.

Tread Lightly trotted over to her friends. Messer had dragged himself over to Marigold as the mare opened her eyes slowly. She could see more clearly than ever before. The air was thick with the stench of combat, death, and blood. The scent of burnt ozone clung to the air with the iron tang of crimson life liquid. Marigold smiled at Tread Lightly.

“Finally.....I finally got to see you shine and you made me face my fears....thank you.....” she said and started to close her eyes. Tread Lightly could see the wound upon her head and knew what she refused want to say. She took the hoof of her friend and held it tightly. There was a cough that brought Marigold back to full wakefulness for a few moments. “Thank you...my friend....I'll be waiting for you...with no....” She couldn't finish the sentence as her breath exhausted and her eyes glazed over. The smile upon the mare's face never went away, she just slowly laid onto her upon her best friend's shoulder as her organs shut down; her heart stopped and the blazing starlight of the center of a flower in spring bloom faded into the cold grey of endless winter.

Epilogue

There was the sound of an improvised wagon wheel that rolled along. Messer's eyes were in and out of focus. He was trying to wake up but the rain and heavy sheet on him; made him want to close his eyes again. He could barely make out the imagine of what appeared to be the bloody shape of a pony under a sheet. “Messer, Rest....don't die on me, just rest.” He heard Tread Lightly's voice and slowly the world around him went black.

“He's lost a lot of blood. Are you sure we should?” Came an unknown voice as Messer Schmitt was staring into a bright light near the ceiling.

“Shut up and get to work, get some blood in him. We're the same blood type. If we do this now there is a good chance it will work.” The voice of Tread ordered with a determination that felt like it could shatter someone's world.

“Alright fine, nurse Fairhooves, put him under we'll get to work.”

Messer slowly woke up and felt like he had been hit by a sledgehammer. His flanks ached and his spine was on fire. Tread Lightly was passed out next to him, holding his hoof against her chest. He felt like her grip would never let go, as though she had died and was holding on for dear life as her final action. Then he saw her chest rise and felt the blow of hot breath over his leg. He started to move and Tread Lightly slowly came awake.

“Tread? Where...what?” He started to say and Tread Lightly silenced him by placing her cheek upon his and giving a soft nuzzle.

“You need rest, I am glad you are awake. I just....I couldn't lose you.” She whispered to him.

Messer tried to spread his wings around her and she let out a hoof as she felt his wing hit her in the gut. The wing was faster and there was a metallic shine to it. Then the pegasus remembered what happened in the cave. “I thought...did you? Did you get it work? Where is Marigold?” He asked as his mind was fuzzy at everything past the point where the ceiling of crystal exploded.

Tread Lightly looked up at him tears in her eyes, “I..she....I couldn't save her. She was too far gone. I...I'm sorry...I'm sorry I got both of you into this and I understand if you never want to....” A hoof hit her in the mouth and kept her lips silent.

“Don't finish that sentence. I don't care if my wing does or does not work. I am here for you; I may be your student but I am your friend. Even till the grips of death, I will die with a smile knowing we will both see you on the other side." He explained with a soft sigh. "As much as we will miss Morning Marigold. I think she would like us to have happy lives till we see her again don't you?" He slowly stood up next to Tread Lightly who rose from her pallet on the floor. "Now let's go outside and try out this new wing if the doctor will let me get up. I think we'd all like to find out if her sacrifice was worth it."

It all starts in a City of Brick

Author's Note

Names of Locations, Characters, and places were invented by my subscribers on YouTube. While I do take responsibility for them; I find it odd how much they were into helping write this.

Note: THIS IS AWFUL! I hate myself so much for how poorly this turned out. Please go read my other stories and remember this is me just creeping back into writing.

It all starts in a City of Brick

Tread Lightly ran forward, her purple skin reflecting against the dimly lit cavern as the trail of electrical energy shot up from behind her. The hairs of her mane stood on end as the bolt closed towards her flanks. Fight or flight instinct had kicked in and this was full flight. She tumbled awkwardly into cover behind a solid chunk of black rock which was briefly electrified from the lance of energy. The mare breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted her lab coat at the brief reprieve. She was thankful the rock hadn't exploded from the coursing energy hitting it. Messer Schmitt’s voice rang out from the skies like a thunderclap. “Up here you big ugly bird, come and pick on someone whom can fly.”

The massive creature covered in stone like feathers and arcing with bolts of lightning surging from it's body out of the feather tips gazed to turn its attention away from the earth pony. The beast tilted its head up straight up to meet the gaze of the pegasus. Pure rage was upon it's face and a hunger that was undeniably that of a predator seeking it's prey.
“You little gnat! I shall enjoy devouring you!” The bird declared in a screeching whine of a voice. The massive eagle charged with electricity flew up at high speed launching another bolt of pure destruction out that seemed certain to hit the pegasus. Just before the energy jolt impacted, a blast of deep green energy slammed into it and cut it off from below.

“Messer, keep flying, if we can distract it and keep it busy, we can hopefully find a way to deal with it.” Morning Merigold called out as Tread Lightly was peeked up over her rock and adjusted her lenses; changing them to get a different set. This made her glasses allow her to see in different spectrums as Tread's mind was racing to find a solution, the purple mare desperately trying to figure out exactly what this creature was and how to deal with it. Merigold turned back to what was at hand, she had no idea if she could hold this creature at bay for very long but at least she could distract it off Messer long enough for him to gain the upper hand.

“Right, Morning Merigold, working on it.” Tread Lightly called out to the unicorn whom fired another blast of magic directly at the electrified thunder bird.

“Enough of this foolishness! I shall have you now!” it declared and lanced down in a full dive. Messer found himself out of position to intercept it. Even though he was smaller and faster, the bird creature was nearly six times the size of any pony and it was outrunning him towards the unicorn. Merigold desperately fired blast after blast in hopes that some of her magic would stop it. Electrical energies shot back and countered each blast as the attacking giant eagle dove harder and faster.

Messer flapped his wings so hard they ached from the effort. He hoping to win this race as he closed his eyes to pray to Celestia that he would make it. Just as he opened his eyes to see where he was in his dive; he watched Morning Merigold disappear into the maw of the massive bird and a sickening crunch echoed through the cavern, a bit of red blood oozing from the bird's beak between its teeth.

Messer Schmitt pranced along towards the city of Stalliongrad. His orange skin with blue sleeved legs reflected upon the river as he moved. For once he had elected to not use his wings but instead just enjoy the slower walk towards the city. The breeze picked up upon his red and white mane and even ruffled his feathered wings a bit. The colder weather to the north was already starting to set in while elsewhere it would still be the beautiful colors of fall. The one thing that was distorted about his reflection was his cutie mark, as it was black, in the symbol of a cross made of 4 pegasi wings with white lining. He was feeling hopeful that this position as "Lab Assistant" would be enough to impress the professors in Canterlot to give him his degree. Then again, they had only given him an address and not actually told him the name of the mare he was meeting. Which left Messer with a mixed bag of hopefulness and worry for the project he was going to sign up for.

Messer Schmitt had been informed that a scientist in Stalliongrad was expecting him in order to test a new invention. One that would require a pegasus in order to test. He hadn't been given any more information beyond an address on Ponissar Lane. As he approached the city edge, Messer adjusted his collared black necklace a bit and took in the sight of the old buildings. Many were made of brick and mortar as opposed to wood or pure stone, the dull red of the buildings reflected the attitude of the citizens; practical. He thought that this was one very drab looking city. The various structures were kept in clusters with the height the same for each block. The only unique building was a tall bell tower stood in the city center, standing over everything and as it tolled twice. 2 in the afternoon, Messer was ahead of his schedule in spite of taking his leisurely walk rather than flying the whole way. He smiled as the walk had relaxed him and prepared Messer to be much more calm than he had been initially setting out.

There weren't a lot of ponies on the streets even as he neared the market. They appeared to be busy and focused upon getting what and going to where they needed to be instead of sitting around socializing. He approached one of the vendors, a dark red pony with auburn colored mane and even a bit of a mustache separated from a very small beard under his chin. He looked older in years for an Earth Pony but not quite that of a grand parent. He was selling what appeared to be very large potatoes and hunks of firewood, freshly cut as it had not had time to properly dry out.

“H'ello thear stran-g'r,” he spoke out to Messer Schmitt in a deep thick accent as he adjusted his neck and longer legs, towering over Messer by a good shoulder and a half. “Vhat can I in-ter'est oou in ta'day?” The pegasus was not surprised by the friendliness but the accent did make him hard to understand. Messer took a moment to size him up before speaking to make sure the merchant wasn't going to try to sell him something immediately then he sighed. His thoughts were that this pony was friendly enough and at least he could get the directions from a local. Worst case, he'd have to buy a potato first right?

“I am looking for Ponissar Lane, I am here to meet up with a scientist that lives there.” The Pegasus replied. The words seemed to strike the older earth pony like a shot to the gut. His lips turned into a frown and he took a step closer to his stand and closer to Messer. He loomed in, his eyes narrowed and he appeared to take offense to the mention of Messer's destination.

“Thear 's only vone scien-tiist vhom lives thear, are oou shure?” The red earth pony replied, his skin even seemed to darken to the color of mud at the speaking of the possibility. Shadows seemed to lean in from nowhere. Messer gave a big gulp as he sat there and thought that maybe this was a bad idea. A chill ran down his spine when he saw the shadows adjust from out of no where. What had he gotten himself into, he wondered and nearly decided to leave then and there. Then a thought hit him from one of his professors, Professor Rod Iron, "No Pony's Merit should be decided by what others think of them. You should always judge for yourself first and by other pony's second."
This helped Messer make up his mind that he wasn't going to let rumors nor some other pony's opinion deter him. He would decide the merit of this scientist on his own. He puffed out his chest as though to show a steeling of his nerves and nodded in the affirmative to the red bearded earth pony.

“Vell, Krasnom Zangieffhooves vill tell oou. It is near ze bell tower, so trot thear and go vehin'd ze church and oou will find her laboratory thear.” He spoke and hung his head as though in shame whispering under his breath, “To ze disgrace of us all.”

Messer Schmitt was rather puzzled at the comment but thought that it couldn't possibly be as bad as it was described. He shrugged off the words and started towards the mighty cathedral, its heavy red, orange, and white bricks stacked seemingly as high as Canterlot castle. He didn't pass many ponies on the streets and each they seemed surprised that he was here. There were not a single pegasus on the streets and only two unicorns he counted in the city as he trotted along. This was rather strange to him, it put him in a feeling of unease. He knew this was an Earth Pony city, but even those at least had more variety than this. Was there a reason for the lack of pegasi and unicorns?

He came to the church and walked around it uneventfully. In the distance, he swore he heard an explosion but there was not any smoke, falling buildings, debris, or panic nearby so he dismissed the possibility. The worst part was the direction he heard it from, was where he was heading. His apprehensiveness grew and he felt the fur along his spine stand on end.

After a few more steps down the street, he found the address, like every building in Stalliongrad, it was red brick and unremarkable, save for the various scorch and burn marks on the building. The scorch marks didn't look like the building had burned but something was different and seemed out of place about this residence. Messer's worry grew a bit, was this still a good idea? Should he carry on and go with his professor's teachings? Should he go back and say the mare wasn't home or turned him down? All of these questions filtered through his head as he went up the stairs to the doorway.

“This isn't the place right?” he said to himself at the door. After building up the courage, he rapped upon the door twice with his hoof. The third time, hit air as the door opened on its on. It had been left ajar and his gentle hoof raps had been all that was needed to open it. He made his way in. The hallway was dark, the floor board were covered in dust, soot, and hoof marks. This place needed a good cleaning as even the side table was tumbled over and was missing a leg. Messer swore this place looked like it might have been set on fire or ransacked even. “Hello?” The confused pegasus called out as he went into the dark unlit halls of the house. There was a low amount of light coming from the trotway at the end of the hall as well as the sounds of activity. A hammer banging on something then a piece of metal dropping to the wooden floor with a bouncing jarring clang, almost as though it was made of a resonating metal.

“I'm here about the lab assistant job? Specifically requesting a pegasus?” He called out to no answer. His voice was unsteady. Part of him wanted there to be no answer so he could just leave. A few hoof beats past and then he heard a voice of a mare who seemed flustered.

“No that isn't right.....more tungsten in this mixture might do it but what do I do to make it volatile?” Came the mare's voice from down the hall. Messer hesitantly trotted his way towards and slowly pushed the door open to see inside. Just as he opened the door and his eyes adjusted to the light there was an explosion.

His senses were overwhelmed by the sudden shock wave that cascaded over him. Messer slammed his eyes closed and hammered his body to the floor. There was to be a brief moment where he firmly believed that he was about to die, but then the force wave never hit. After a few moments, he stood back up and opened his eyes slowly to see a red mane with pink tips near his face and he looked down slightly to see another pony in front of him.

Before him was a purple mare in a dirty scorched lab coat that ended at her mid drift. The mare had a red mane with pink along it's tips as well as a tail colored the same. Her mane was cut short and very straight upon the ends. A pair of glasses shaped with 8 distinct ovals were in front of her eyes but upon closer inspection they were monocles not glasses. Her cutie mark was the most peculiar part of her, A Green Tank firing a Science Beaker out of its cannon. The pony didn't speak but seemed to be looking him over.

“Hello...can I help you?” she asked, no accent unlike the other ponies in this city; this mare was apparently educated in the way she spoke.
“I umm....I'm here about the lab assistant job....was that an explosion?” Messer replied as he looked the smaller mare up and down seeing the pocket bulging with sealed containers of small cylinder beakers.

“Oh right, I was informed you were coming...I apologize for the sensory overload. Did they tell you anything about the job or myself?” The mare asked as she started toward him and circled his flank, he turned to face and she immediately placed her hoof upon his side to stop him. “No, I need to examine you to make sure you are right for the job. What is your name? And what did they tell you?” The mare asked.

“I'm Messer Schmitt, one of the best weather specialists in Equestia!” he said rather proudly. As he flexed his wings and his legs in order to show off a bit. “And all they told me was that I was expected to show up and assist you in your lab for a decent fee.” She continued her exam and there were a few clicks from her glasses. Her thoughts were of his characteristic muscles as well as how his wings looked like they would fit in place perfectly for her project. The mare was clearly lost in thought for a few moments before speaking.

“No need to show off. You look like you will do a fine job for what I have in mind. What is your rate?” She asked adjusting her glasses there was another click as she pushed one of the eight lenses on the right into the center and moved the existing one out, the new lens changed to a gold color as it was locked into place.

“I would like to say 20 bits a week and the name of whom I am working for.” The pegasus replied, in a manner that was obviously flirting with the mare. Messer hoped this might win her over a bit more and break the tension of him playing duck and cover a moment again.

“Tread Lightly.” The Mare replied, rather sternly as she stopped her visual exam. There appeared to be no amount of jest in her voice. Her facial features tensed up rather than relaxed. She appeared to be beyond serious about that matter.

The pegasus was taken aback and looked down embarrassed he had overstepped his bounds. Messer felt foolish that in less than 2 minutes he managed to make himself look like a coward and the flirting had gone over like an overweight pegasus trying to fly with a load of lead. “I didn't mean to offend. I just wanted to know your name and what kind of pony I would be working with.” He said trying to diffuse the situation with a nervous smile.

There was a brief pause as the tension built. Messer Schmitt's face contorted nervously and he debated about leaving wondering what he had just gotten himself into. Beads of sweat dotted his brow as the mare seemed to take an even sterner look to him. Furthermore, it was beyond him why she was so stand offish and he was beginning to understand just where all of this was going.

Suddenly the mare burst into laughter as she stamped her hoof a few times. “Tread Lightly is my name and you will do nicely as an assistant.” She replied and extended her hoof as the earth pony looked him over with renew eyes that were softer, friendly, and kinder than her demeanor before. Messer extended his hoof back and they shook.

“20 Bits a week is more than acceptable and for what I have need of you are a perfect pony specimen.” Tread Lightly stated, rather matter of factly. She seemed to have relaxed now and she had decided that Messer was okay in her book. There was a brief exchange of glances and a release of the hooves as Tread walked back towards her table where she had been working.

“Don't mind the explosions by the way, they clear my head and allow me to find solutions to my theories more easily. Now I suppose you want to know what you are doing here?” She asked as she started to pull a drawer open that was larger than a pony. She took out something and placed it upon her back. It was covered in a black sheet and appeared to be vaguely the size of his wings. With a harsh metallic clang it echoed through the lab as she set it onto the table. The sheet was discarded and it was indeed a purely metal wing with what appeared to be attachments and designs to place it upon the flank of a pegasus.

“I need to acquire the last piece for this and you're going to test it out. Well...test it out and make sure it works without of course being somepony in need of it.” Tread explained as she took out a wrench and began to loosen a bolt on the wing and examine it's internal workings.

“WOW! I mean...I'm not missing my wings so how does this work?” He asked as the pegasus looked over the intricate design. The metal appeared to be shaped with intent to create feathers made of gleaming steel as well as the flexibility required for flying as each one cascaded and moved like it was a real feather. Even as his hoof touched it and confirmed it was made of metal. Though the metal was not steel or anything he felt like he had touched before.

“Well this is designed for a pony whom has lost a wing. You haven't so while you don't make the perfect test subject, you can assist me in calibrating it for a real pegasus whom needs it, assuming one ever comes along. But if it works I suppose it would be most helpful in the event of trauma or accidents.” Tread stated as she examined the slightly larger pegasus.

Messer took a moment to think about what was going on, this type of technology was normally beyond even Alicorns and here it was built by an Earth pony of all things. He took a deep breath and smiled, “I'm in, what do we need?” He asked as his hoof traced the flexible cold feathers of the wing. It gave him chills down to the flanks and even the base of his tail to see such a marvel and then be able to touch it.

“We need to go recover some iridium. It has unique properties that will allow an interface between a pony's body and the cybernetics inside. Effectively this will allow them to merge enough with the artificial wing to keep the wing powered through their nervous system. As well as place it under the pegasus's control when it is attached. It only exists in the mountains to the north and even then only when the stars allow pieces of it to fall to Equestia through the northern lights.”

The pegasus stared at her blinking repeatedly as she walked past and started to wrap the cybernetic wing and place it back into the sheet then slowly placed it back into its drawer. Tread Lightly took great care to make sure to place the wing carefully away and then locked the drawer as she did so. Almost as though she were holding something sacred or holy in her hooves.

“You mean...we're going....well beyond the territory of ponies after some rock, that is rare and has to be refined and may not even work for what you want to do with it?” Messer Schmitt asked, as he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head rather puzzled. All he could do was just sit there and stare wondering if this purple mare was serious.

“Yes..I am perfectly aware of what I have just said and we are going to somewhere no pony has ever really explored properly and intend to recover a rock so rare it has only been documented in six locations in any quantity.” Tread Lightly replied as she looked at the pegasus. “You asked to be my lab assistant, don't back out now...surely you realize the possible break through in treatment of pegasi whom have lost a wing or had their ability to fly permanently damaged?”

Messer seemed to quiver, slowly building up and going faster and faster before he could no longer contain himself. “YES!!!!! I'm completely IN!” He screamed out at the top of his lungs with the last word so loud it cracked his voice. “I have always wanted to push the boundaries of what we know and I would completely be up to recover iridium for this!” He then leaped into the air and nearly smacked into ceiling the excitement. His heart was exhilarated and adrenaline flowing at the prospect of this scientific adventure.

His professor had been right, this Tread Lightly pony was going to lead him on adventures into the realm of science he had only dreamt of as a young colt in school.

Tread Lightly was surprised by this and let out a giggle as she blushed, “You're the first assistant to not run away when I explained the job...and the tenth one to apply for it. Not to mention the other assistants quit after just two weeks. We'll see how long you last, Messer.” She explained and started to gather a bag of supplies. As she got it onto her back, she took out her coin pouch. Then mare removed 20 bits and passed them to Messer, “You're first week's pay in advance, so you can't back out on me till we're at least a week out on this trip.” she said with a sly grin.

Messer took 10 of the bits and pushed the rest back, “I will only take ½ a week's pay in advance, otherwise I would feel like I was taking advantage of you.”

Tread Lightly blinked a few times and smiled warmly, “If you're that excited and that honest, then I hope I can keep you for some time. Now let me close up shop and we have to meet up with a friend before our adventure begins.” She explained as the mare walked over to get a set of keys and motioned him to follow as she moved to lock up the lab and head down the hallway towards the still open door. Just as she got outside, she tossed a small flask of blue liquid and there was a small detonation like a firecracker.

For Messer this was unnerving and made him jump towards the ceiling. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it just another firecracker going off. For Tread Lightly however, she closed her eyes and embraced the minor puff of the sparkling colorful explosive. Her senses were at first completely dulled by the experience. Then as they came back, the clarity of having been entirely cut off from sensory perception gave her thoughts clarity. And when the senses returned they seemed to return sharper and without the background noise of the house and city that had been there before. She let out sigh, “Just one for the road.”

A Night of Tension and a Half Revelation

The shriek rang out again. This time it was closer and the windows vibrated from the fury of it. Tread Lightly covered her ears in shock and Morning Marigold immediately ducked to be a storage cabinet which barely stood on its legs from the impact. Messer Schmitt “steeled himself but couldn’t keep his knees from betraying him. Lightning slammed into the ground right outside the house, shaking it like an explosion. The room lit up with a flash as the photonic burst shot inward. Tread Lightly had to cover her eyes, as the glasses amplified the light and left her disoriented with her thoughts muddled and jumbled for a brief time.

Marigold let out a blood chilling shrill of sheer terror. Messer took a few shaky steps back towards the kitchen and the fire behind him. He was the only one with a single coherent thought at the moment, 'Run'. The room went dead silent and no one moved. Marigold was frozen in fright, Tread slowly let her vision clear up from the stars and spots, and Messer wanted to take a step but couldn't bring himself to move. Then the next shriek hit, this time from much further away.

Tread Lightly walked forward and Messer reached out to stop her but she shifted away from him. Her curiosity was going to be satisfied. She got up to the window and peered through the large half oval.

Out in the distance was a large bird, flying over the water. Well bird isn't the right word, it lacked feathers. While in the shape of a bird, its wings appeared to be made of jagged yellow rock, coursing with electricity. “the body seemed to be covered in scales instead of feathers but perhaps that was because of the bolts of pure energy running over its form. The blue scale like feathers flashed with a bright white sparks as energy peaked in certain spots and discharged into the air around it. A massive beak, one large enough to swallow a pony whole jutted from its face and seemed to be able to express only one emotion, hatred.

The most striking thing however was its eyes. They stared right into Tread's. There was distinct of familiarity to the mare. There was no doubt that they changed to a look of pure hatred, glaring daggers at the purple mare whom looked back with scientific child like curiosity.

'Whose eyes are those...I know that look....that piece of.....' Tread Lightly suddenly stumbled back as a stark realization hit her. The purple mare fell onto her haunches and the dirt on the floor was disturbed by her impact. She was shaking and the thought that had crossed her mind was lost to a horror she wasn't even aware was there.

Marigold peaked out of her hiding spot and Messer rushed to Tread Lightly's side. The two of the them looked out the window. The creature whatever it was, wasn't recognizable beyond the vague shape of a bird flying over Luna Bay in the distance. A bolt of electricity arced off the bird creature's body and across the ocean. It took several seconds at it coursed its way towards them and burned a path of steam off the crystal clear waters. The destructive energy burned over the beach and cut right through the snow all the way up to the fence surrounding Von Trapp's house. It was so potent that it blew apart the wrought iron fencing. Blowing heavy iron into molten scrap. The super heated metal steamed off the snow it landed and cooled into wretched twisted forms.

Marigold leapt for cover as the electricity made its way towards them and the explosion of energy outside sounded like an artillery shell landing on top of them. There was a pause of clarity, a brief moment where everything in Tread Lightly's mind aligned and came together. 'I know that thing....but who?' Just before her mind connected the dots, she crashed back to reality when Messer tackled her to ground in order to avoid debris coming through the window. However the clattering against the glass and did give way to a crash. The cracked glass window survived and protected them from the debris.

The three rushed to the window and the creature was gone. Tread Lightly stared off over the horizon as the other two ponies looked at each other.

“Tread, what is it?” Marigold finally asked hesitantly.

“I....I....feel like I know that creature.” Tread Lightly replied. Her voice was unsure, not like her normal certain self. Whatever that experience had given it had resulted in Tread's demeanor being broken.

“Know it?! How?! No one has ever seen such a creature.” Messer demanded stomping his hoof as though he was furious that she might know something about this horror that dogged them.

“I just...I looked into its eyes and that is all I can say, I know that creature. Not what it is, but who. I just can't....recall.” Tread Lightly replied and was tapping her hoof.

Messer reached into Tread's pocket and pulled out a purple vial then hurled it against the wall. There was a brief loud pop like a firecracker going off. Marigold jumped and Tread blinked at him. He tossed another and Tread Lightly shook her head.

“Stop....if that was going to give it to me, the exploding of the fence would have done it. No this is something much deeper and odder,” the purple mare exclaimed. “It's something deeper than that, something I can't quite identify but it's there. I can feel it. Like a photo album or a painting,” she rationalized, trying to push the feeling down away from her gut. Her voice however betrayed her, as it cracked and clearly was full of some sort of undisclosed emotions.

Messer Schmitt stared at her for a long moment. His stallion eyes hard as stones and then he sighed, “I'll let it go. But if we get through this, I want an explanation,” he said turning to Marigold and helping her up to her hoofs. The ponies exchanged glances and let out a collective sigh of relief. A least the creature wasn't pushing its attack upon the battered mansion.

“I'll take first watch, you two get some sleep.” Tread Lightly said and walked over to the window, looking out to the sea. Her mind was clearly not entirely in the room with them. She was staring outward, working out exactly what she had experienced. 'Was it...once a pony? No that isn't possible? Is it? How do I know that creature. What about it makes it so familiar to me?' Her thoughts continued like that as Marigold and Messer cleaned up the mess that had been made in the frantic fright earlier. Then they laid down upon the mostly intact couch. Marigold and Messer laid across from each other first. Messer eventually nodded himself asleep against the couch and pass into the realm of dreams; he felt something heavy and warm which had a light soft mane of hair laying against his chest. He looked down and saw Marigold nuzzling into him and making sure to keep her horn away from his skin.

The pegasus smirked and pulled his wings forward, surrounding the mare and making her feel safer with a living blanket of feathers. Tread Lightly looked at the two of them and smirked, 'Cute...good to have good friends,' she thought as the purple mare resumed her vigil next to the battered window. The fire in the living room was starting to die while Tread Lightly listened to the waves hitting the shore and the occasional call of a seagull all that they could hear. Luna Bay did look beautiful at least and the shine of the radiant northern lights had returned.

'Do I turn back now or do we press on? We're already more than halfway there but there isn't any civilization beyond here. No safe havens. Well we can't call this a safe haven exactly, something attacked Tincent and left the Von Trapp mansion in shambles.' Tread Lightly thought while her two companions slept. There was a long pause as she turned to where the other two ponies were sleeping. It had been nearly 4 hours of continuous watching out over the oceans. 'No, we have sacrificed too much and we are too close. We continue on, that bird creature deserves some sort of inspection and scientific discovery. Also we know it's after us and so we know to anticipate it. I'm sure we can stay safe along the way. I'll ask Marigold to utilize some of her magic and hopefully it will be enough,' she surmised and walked over to her companions. Tread Lightly laid upon the floor beside the couch.

She let out a sigh and softly laid her head against the base of the cushions. She would sleep here, as their guard dog more than just Marigold and Messer's friend. She wanted to make sure if anything happened; she would be able to put herself between these two and whatever happened. Also Tread Lightly didn't have the heart to wake them and wanted them to sleep in at least for now.