Iridescent Plant

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter first
Chapter second
Chapter third
Chapter fourth
Chapter fifth
Chapter sixth
Chapter seventh
Epigraph

Prologue

Even from a distance I could tell what was wrong with him. Only acute laminitis could produce that crouching posture and as I moved nearer I could see that all four feet were probably affected because the pony had his hind feet right under his body in a desperate attempt to take his full weight on his heels.

James Herriot, "It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet"

* * *

Crusaders sat in the headquarters arguing about what unusual they can try else to get their marks. Scootaloo proposed:

"Let's fly to the Sun! Princess Luna was on moon and we will be first who get to the Sun!"

"It's hot," said Apple Bloom.

"But we'll fly at night!" vigorously exclaimed Scootaloo.

"But how we'll fly?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Only you can fly."

"I cannot fly for a long," said Scootaloo. "We'll get frying machine!"

"Flying?" repeated Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah," agreed Scootaloo. "We can learn much new and became great peoners!"

"I think it shall be another fail," Apple Bloom said gloomily. She worried about Ms. Cheerilee. She was absent for two days and somepony said that she's ill. Many young ponies were provided to themselves where they pranked citizens of Ponyville and not always safely.

"Let's go for a walk," said Apple Bloom. "Sister says it's useful for thinking. Poincare invented this."

"Which of them?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"They have been multiple?" asked Apple Bloom surprisingly. "She hadn't told."

Scootaloo jumped up and grab her scooter:

"Let's run through town! It will be fun!"

Apple Bloom shook her head.

"Fuff! We'll again walk smack into something. Let's walk into orchard. At least there will not be young children, who haven't such important mission."

Scootaloo took scooter anyway, but didn't ride and Crusaders walk alongside under apple trees sedately like grown ponies.

"Well, can you invent something?" asked Sweetie Belle after a few minutes.

Scootaloo waved her mane and Apple Bloom muttered through her teeth: "I… am trying…"

Suddenly there was a loud crackle. Through the crown of the nearest apple fallen something breaking branches. Pile of twigs and foliage fades, and fillies saw that it was someone.

It was pinto pony with blue eyes. He tried to stand up on shaky legs.

"Please help…" he gasped hoarsely. His wings hung powerlessly, cutie mark didn't seen – it was covered with ugly scars.

"Oh, who are you?!" yelled Apple Bloom.

"I ran… from Iridescent plant," pegasus stopped his attempts to get up. "You must warn every pony! Contamination will begin soon! Rainbows are dangerous!"

"You… ran?!" marveled Sweetie Belle.

"Yes. They're near! You must tell every pony! On Iridescent plant…"

An explosion thundered. Pegasus shattered into smallest pieces that were showered Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Chapter first

All pegasi must die!

* * *

Fillies stood stunned trying to understand what happened when two pegasi landed before them. They were dressed in gray robes and had backpacks. Their cutie marks looked like Rainbow Dash's, but rainbow was closed by grill.

One of them began to quietly speak by radio, and second targeted children some sinister device. At this moment on bloody fragments laid under site near a tree landed Rainbow Dash.

"Emden, quickly check presence of components in the remains," said she by steel voice.

Pegasus gave up talking and took from backpack strange stick with a disk on its end. He momentarily forgot about fillies and started go round from epicenter, checking every square inch.

"Rainbow, we must get 'em!" begun second pegasus.

"No. I must notify princess."

"Don't you understand? They'll tell about it!" said pegasus desperately.

"Don't you know, blockhead, – they're leading children characters! We can be not simply deprived bonuses we may be closed at all!" shouted Dash.

"Rainbow…" said Scootaloo with shaky voice. "What happened?"

"Damn," whispered that. "You've seen too much. And I think, it will be not too bad, if I tell you that experimental device passed the test." Rainbow grimaced looking on blood. "Let's go. I should wash you. Grilljoe! Clean up here."

Second pegasus nodded grimly.

"If we meet anypony, tell you got dirty in cherry juice," taught Rainbow on the way to the river. "Much more better, if nopony will see you. Generally, on the plant there is dangerous biological manufacture. Somepony may became insane, and work is so dangerous that we can't let them live. Before accident… well… before it was nothing like that! But now we began exploitation of the new safety device. That's it. I think you need disinfection. Just in case. That pony was… from chemical lab. I don't know what else was on him."

Fillies walked silently beside Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle trembled, Scootaloo forgot her scooter. Apple Bloom looked better, but suddenly tears flowed from her eyes.

"What are you doing there?" asked she with sniffling. Looking at her two other girls began crying too.

"We… emm… producing rainbows!" said Rainbow Dash.

"I knew it!" squeaked Sweetie Belle. She almost lost her voice from shock. "Remember Tiara told – on plant adult pegasi kills foals?! And I didn't trust her!!!"

"Silent!" snapped Dash. "Nopony killed. Well… almost. It was an accident! Believe me, it's much better if… if… contamination begin, yeah, that's it!"

"Contamination?" said Scootaloo. "That pegasus… He said about contamination too."

Rainbow sighed with relief.

They came to the river.

"Quick wash yourselves!" commanded Rainbow Dash.

Blood was already dry, so they spent more quarter of hour when all traces of "industrial accident" were cleaned up.

"Oh, fillies, what I shall do with you?.." said Rainbow Dash sadly. "How can I save that which not destroyed already?" whispered she for herself.

Behind the bushes on the other side suddenly jumped Fluttershy and ran to Rainbow.

"Dashie, we have a problem! Oh, hello, girls," Fluttershy paused awkwardly.

"Ahem. What happened?" said Rainbow Dash.

"Butterflies! They flew away! Problems with cooling. Eighth and half of the seventh container! This is terrible!"

"Butterflies?" said Scootaloo. "Trifle!"

Apple Bloom only sighed.

"What to do? You said production stability depends on the supply!" Fluttershy tilted her head. "I let you down. This is very bad."

"Quiet," Rainbow Dash thought quickly. "Perhaps we should tell everything to this small wrigglers. You see, they have seen as a new device worked."

Fluttershy lay on the ground in the shock and covered head with her hooves.

Rainbow stamped her foot in irritation. "That's enough! Get it together! I must notify Celestia about the incident, and you may do the perfect introductory tour. These fillies are too important. They're special," Rainbow smirked.

Fluttershy looked at her from under her mane with huge eyes.

"With raw do so," continued Dash, "use backup containers. Test will be hot, since on a cold testing was not enough time. Do it, I sailed," and waving tail Rainbow Dash sped into the sky, almost at once developing ultrainbow speed.

"I've never seen before that she can fly so fast!" whispered Sweetie Belle to Scootaloo.

"Yeah, and without a boom!" nodded she.

Fluttershy rose up. It was evident that she was still very upset. "Rainbow did not say what… is going to do with you?" she asked nervously.

"Gosh, I bet she wants to dismember us and make a rainbow!" squeaked Sweetie Belle.

"O-o-oh, well, it's unlikely, girls" Fluttershy laughed nervously. "It didn't come yet. Although…" she sighed heavily.

"That Grillbar wanted to dismember us!" said Apple Bloom. "And Dash forbade him!"

"Grilljoe," mechanically corrected Scootaloo. "I think we should tell everyone what happened."

"Girls, girls, wait!" Fluttershy soared in excitement. "Let me first show you the earth stage of production. You'll see, there is nothing scary!"

"Give the word," said Sweetie Belle.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye!" vowed Fluttershy. "I'll die if something bad happens to you."

* * *

Cutie Mark Crusaders walked across the meadow.

"Now we are on the roof of the first container," enthusiastically told Fluttershy. "It's full, and because it's in reserve, workers will fly for it now."

"Filled? What?" Sweetie Belle asked incredulously.

"Filled with butterflies, of course! Now I'll show you." Fluttershy soared and began singing. Many butterflies flew to her from the flowers. "Enough." She went to the stump on the edge of the meadow, and open a cover of it. Then she began to fly in circles when something buzzed inside stump. The butterflies caught up by air flow tucked inside.

"Previously, there was no protection, and one day I was sucked." Fluttershy blushed. "So I sat there to the evening, until Rainbow Dash flew. Enough." She slammed the lid of the "stump", then grabbed one of the roots by teeth and pulled up. "Technical hatch. Now see." Fluttershy dug under the roots and took the glass vessel. "Cyclone," she explained. Many butterflies flitted inside it. "Generally, they are usually gathering a lot, and they can not fly. Then we cool them and lulls. They can be stored for two weeks! I could not invent it, it's Rainbow and prof."

"Prof?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Accidentally not the Angel of Death? Who make horrific experiments on twins! He wanted to kidnap Cake's kids!"

"Not for toffy!" said Fluttershy. "He had not engaged in such anymore. It's difficult time, we all need to focus on one theme, and he comes up how to increase production." She put the vessel back under the "stump". "Let's step aside. Now container will be picked up." Indeed, there was a noise in the trees soon.

"Is it a pegasi?" asked Scootaloo.

"Not only. You'll see. The container is very big!"

Over the tree crowns huge aerostat floated majestically. Apple Bloom gasped when the earth started to slip away from her feet. Fluttershy pulled her to the edge of the clearing. Moved turf opened perfectly flat metal surface.

"The drive is disconnected," said Fluttershy. "It disconnects automatically when the roof moves. Now pegasi will secure the load, take it and put in a hole an empty container. Careful! Do not fall."

Four pegasi flew with cables and hooks to fasten edges of the container. The huge steel box slid on rails up when the aerostat began his ascent. After some time the second flew and started lowering the empty container. At this time he was handled by eight pegasi because sometimes gusts of wind strongly skewed the empty box. Gently hitting corner guides, pegasi flew aside. Fluttershy went up to him and began to utter:

"Ensure that containers are cleaned better! Old cargo residues dramatically reduce storage life!"

Pegasus chief nodded, then pegasi unhooked four corners, and all of them flew together with the aerostat. Fluttershy landed before pals. Turf slowly crept to the top of the container.

"Two containers in a day take to the plant, and there produce a rainbow from butterflies! You see, that's okay!" Fluttershy sweetly smiled to Sweetie Belle.

"Anyway, one pegasus died right before our eyes!" objected Apple Bloom. "This is terrible! Why you could not simply isolate him?"

"As far as I know, there not enough staff" said Fluttershy sadly. "If insert safety device into every pony on plant and threatened 'em with death when someone issue a secret, you can greatly reduce the guard and transfer free pony to production. I do not know the details."

"And you have that device too?" said Scootaloo.

"Me? No, of course, I'm not involved in the production!" Fluttershy shook her head.

"And what if you tell anyone something, which is why was killed pegasus?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"I… I… I cannot tell! Because if my work will known, everepony will condemn me!"

"But if it will save Ponyville from the threat, it would be the right thing to do!" advancing Apple Bloom.

"No!" firmly corresponded Fluttershy. "It will be worse. If everypony will know about the price we pay for a delicate balance, everything will collapse instantly! And then it all will not care who to blame. Everypony will die."

"Come on, girls," said Sweetie Belle. "She's stubborn. We'll know all by ourselves."

"Don't dare to tell anyone anything!" cried Fluttershy following.

"Don't worry, we will not tell," remarked Scootaloo. "At first we'll find out everything! And then we'll decide what to tell. Maybe we shall become detectives!"

"What do you suggest?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"They take second container at the evening. Backup, remember? The first backup, then the second – it will be next. We penetrate the plant and will see everything with our own eyes!"

"It's necessary to prepare," said Apple Bloom. "It can be very dangerous."

"That's all right," said Sweetie Belle. "In the worst case we'll be dissected."

Chapter second

White skull shines from inside of helmet in the darkness; sun goes down on east and touches cold corpses with its biam.

poem of Edward Grigorievich Shlyapnikov

* * *

It was five minutes to eight, when they met at the side of glade. Apple Bloom was gloomier than usual.

"What's with you?" Scootaloo asked her in a whisper.

"I've visited my brother. It turns out, he and Ms. Cheerilee are in infection ward. I think we poisoned them!"

"Poisoned?! Again?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "What?"

"I suspect rainbow," said Apple Bloom. "They've got ill on the next day after Hearts and Hooves. When I walked back, I have seen gray robed pegasi near of the bottom of the new rainbow."

"We must tell about it to medics!"

"Wait," Scootaloo stopped her. "Before it we should find out what the real reason they've got ill. It will be much more useful."

"Let's go," said Sweetie Belle. "From the eastern side. Sun will blind them."

On the edge of a meadow stood Fluttershy in the evening beams that gave her skin sinister hue. She looked how rolling turf coating of the container uncovered it. Crusaders crept to the opposite side of the container and prepared belts. Whir of screws increased and above the trees shown aerostat. Four pegasi with ropes in their mouths rushed down and hitched edges of the container. Huge iron box smoothly slid up in the guides. When the edge of the container closed Cutie Mark Crusaders from Fluttershy, they jumped forward and clung of the ledges on the side. Then they rapidly fasten safety belts. Wind roared in the ears.

Shouting over it Scootaloo said: "It seems we have seen from the second balloon!"

Friends did not answer, only wider opened frightened eyes. But the wind made them blink again.

"Oh, please, please, if only we had not caught!" whispered Sweetie Belle.

Just after eighteen minutes aerostat lowering went ashore to the air terminal of Iridescent plant. It froze swaying slightly on the two rails. Fillies unhooked and jumped off while the container moved to the receiving gate. Most of all they now feared that pegasi will disengage the cables, but apparently it wasn't needed: an empty container still had to take. Surprisingly nopony was nearby. Crusaders quickly darted beyond the distal edge of the box. Terminal was located on the west side of the plant, so fillies hid in the deepening twilight. At the gates freight pegasi quarreling of, technicians drove the ladder to the gondola.

"They aren't all pegasi?" surprised Scootaloo, peeking from the corner.

But from the cabin flew two pilots. In hooves they kept some devices that are attached to the ladder. From the gondola began to slide and fall in a heap at the bottom round boxes, empty judging by the sound. It was clear that this will take a lot of time.

"Let's go from the other hand," said Apple Bloom.

Three friends quickly ran sixty-five feet to the edge of the container, which already pushes the gate. Buzzed some mechanisms, chains rang, cargo pegasi cuss out monotonously. Right door was ajar.

"Wait until they turn away," said Apple Bloom.

"Yeah," Sweetie Belle nodded. "What are they doing here?.."

They peered from the corner. Just at that moment something happened with the chain drum at the opposite edge of the steel box, and three cargo pegasi sluggish swearing turn the motor off and began to unravel the chain. Trinity quickly rushed to the door to the receiving sector. Suddenly one of the movers looked.

"What the… Discord's pants!.." On his whoop looked the other two pegasi, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders have already disappeared behind the door.

Approaching the intercom cargo told to a post:

"Notify the Director Rainbow that three offenders entered the sector through the acceptance of a cargo terminal is the first westerner."

"What the offenders?"

"Like children."

"Do not follow them. Continue with your job."

"Okay, boss."

Behind the door was a small tambour. Crusaders ran it and frozen next to the door.

Sweetie Belle pushed Scootaloo: "Good they have steel floors here, or you would save all you one."

"It's because they have huge loads. Next could be worse."

Friends looked out the door. Steel cover of clouds continued. Across the hall stretched rubber sheet conveyor, and the edges were located granaries cones. Close to the surface of the conveyor hung steel cargo separators.

"Let's see," Sweetie Belle said quietly.

"Just hide out somewhere," said Apple Bloom. "It seems we have been spotted."

Cutie Mark Crusaders ran along the conveyor looking for shelter. Right were located some zinced cabinets that hummed softly. Over there were drawn lightning and horse skull and crossbones. Finally after the farthest closet revealed inconspicuous door. Scootaloo took it and sighed with relief: the door was open. Behind it was an unlit corridor. Quickly ran to the end, Scootaloo saw symmetrical flight of stairs. Above it hung a pointer that through the window in the door was not visible. The door was open. Returning to friends Scootaloo reported that she had seen.

"There should be a research center," shared her thoughts Sweetie Belle.

"Surely there they make sinister experiments!" said Apple Bloom.

Crusaders lurked behind a closet. Sweetie Belle leaned against to the wall at the first time, but felt her trembling decided to stay away – who knows. There was a buzzing. In the opposite wall was the balcony, the doors flew open, and a few pegasi in gray came out. One of the pegasus clearly had multi-hued hair and commanded others.

"Yes this is Rainbow!" whispered Scootaloo.

"Exactly," agreed Apple Bloom.

"I wonder what's she doing here?.." said Sweetie Belle.

Rainbow Dash walked along the balcony.

"Well then, no interruptions! Watch for the slightest accumulation infringements. Now hoarders contain material for two hours, so that we have time to fix errors. Do not waste it!"

Dash flew up; flown room, glancing at the receivers drives, and retired to one of the doors on the balcony.

"Damn!" said Scootaloo wiping the sweat. "I thought she'd see us!"

From the opposite end came a creak, and the huge gates rose up, showing the container wall. On the sides of the conveyor were made borders, apparently to protect the goods from scattering at the beginning. One of the pegasi flew to the container and checked something.

"Fixing of the pusher is in order! Open!" he shouted and rushed to the switch.

Conveyor shuddered and moved. Container sidewall moved upward, and out of it really rained butterflies. From where the girls sat butterflies seemed like multicolored confetti of Pinkie Pie. Stream poured onto a conveyor unabated for a moment. Pegasus began to fly over the receivers, watching closely at the lights. Everywhere green light was on. Separators cut the stream and sent it to the granary cones.

"Eighteenth stall!" controller shouted from the balcony.

Orange light next to the number 18 blinked anxiously. One of the pegasi in the hall flew to the receiver and clicked something. Turbine howled and after a moment later green lightened.

Chapter third

"Ewww! It’s disgusting!"
"Nope. You don’t need toilet paper also."

Eugene Jbond Vasilchenko, "Twilight's growing up"

* * *

"Here we have seen everything," Sweetie Belle whispered, even whispering was not necessarily: the pipeline and the rustle of the butterflies muffled any sounds. "Let's see what a stall it is."

Friends nodded and slipped out into the corridor. Looking out and making sure that the staircase is unoccupied, Cutie Mark Crusaders cautiously came out and looked at the pointer over the stairs. There were four arrows:
Left down – "Stable of 1 western terminal."
Right down – "Stable of 2 western terminal."
Left up – "Laboratory".
Right up – "The Office."

"Come to the left," offered Apple Bloom. "There surely everything works. But be careful! The staff also will be there."

They ran two spans and saw the wide double doors on both sides of the site.

"Thank Celestia!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed and pointed to the windows in the doors. "We can try not to meddle inside, if there is also glass."

"I do not know how Celestia thank," said Scootaloo doubtfully. "Rainbow was going to tell her about us. Maybe she came back from her long ago."

Cutie Mark Crusaders passed on steel floor to the stalls of the first terminal. Looking inside through a dark glass, they haven't firstly figured out what was going on under the conveyor. Then they saw transparent vessels, dangling and filled with butterflies and twined frostiness tubes. In the hall steel floor was laid only in the middle, in all other places were regular clouds. Anyone except pony wasn't in stalls.

"No, I will not go there," said Sweetie Belle. "I can see everything from here."

On the edges the hall was divided into narrow pens with metal grid. In pens were placed pegasi, or sometimes earth pony tied with belts in the side walls.

"What being done to them?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Looks like… on force-feeding!" Sweetie Belle was horrified. "But why? Then they, got weight thrown into a meat grinder and make a rainbow?.."

Before each of the pens were hang television, unreachable for ponies. On the TV was some capital news. Flashed Celestia Luna, and then came a respectable emcee in the suit. Pony in stalls seemed disoriented. To their croups were connected pipes.

"Come from here," said Scootaloo grimacing. "Horrid place."

They went back to the stairs and saw another pointer: the down arrow and the words "Concentrate rectification."

"We need to check," Sweetie Belle showed the arrow.

They ran down to the factory basement and saw a huge hall, laden with giant cisterns. On the ceiling continues pipes, some had the labels "pure blue", "concentrate", "1000‰".

"Look!" showed Sweetie Belle. "What a great barrel!"

On the east side behind the ladder was seen giant base metal pail. Blue lettering on it was written strange word «DeLaval». On the edge could see some devices with arrows.

“Apparently here treated rainbow," said Apple Bloom and accidentally pulled her leg off the bottom stair. Nearly falling, she jumped back with a shudder.

"At least, it is clear why most in the stalls are pegasi," said Scootaloo. "They really need alive."

"Come on, check the lab," said Sweetie Belle.

They quickly went upstairs. On the floor of the conveyor they lingered.

"Very strange," Sweetie Belle said quietly. "As if no one is here."

"Maybe they go home at the evening?" Apple Bloom asked doubtfully.

Friends moved up on the right span. They heard footsteps on the left and darted up and tried to hide behind the railing. On the left span walked down a pegasus in a white robe. He groaned and tried tuneless whistle. He did not turn his head, and Crusaders did not notice that he squinted eye on them. Later, pegasus threw back his head, whistled and went to the left of the conveyor.

Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly went upstairs and saw the broad white glowing door under the sign "Laboratory". On the opposite side was a small single door marked "Office and the Directorate".

Without saying a word girls went to the lab. As below, there was a robust steel floor. Only a few lamps poorly lit tables with microscopes, tomographs, distillers, spectrometers. Of course, our little pony had no idea what kind of devices are on the table, but in this they aren't really interested.

"I'll look for documents," said Sweetie Belle, and ran to the tables without instruments. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom walked slowly, looking at the apparatus. Suddenly all the lights were lit, and there was an unkind laugh.

"Gotcha, kiddies!"

Trinity turned, startled.

At the entrance to the laboratory stood wrinkled pale unicorn in a white robe.

"Dr. Zephyr!" Sweetie Belle screamed at the office table.

"Yes, fillies, it's me," hopefully smiling, said Doc, known to most ponies under the nickname the Angel of Death. "Do not be afraid, I will not cut you to pieces," unicorn predatory licked his lips. "I want to talk to you. And then let you go. Of course, if you do not want to participate in my experiments."

Sweetie Belle suddenly ran to the Doc. He did nothing, looking surprised to young unicorn. In just a few yards from the old colt her horn glowing, there was a clap, and Sweetie Belle found herself upside down a few feet to the right. She collapsed with a crash into the trash.

"It is necessary to be more careful for the first time," with an imaginary compassion shook his head Zephyr. "You could fall into the basket with glass… with toxic chemicals… or even infection. At this time, you're in luck. Still, do not understand how most children survive childhood…"

"Show your nipple, geezer!" Scootaloo exclaimed, running up to the unicorn. "Let's see how much life of you left!"

She flew up into the air and aimed hind legs to the head of the Doc. But before it reached two feet, she hung helplessly in the air.

"Oh-oh-oh, just like Rainbow in youth," clucked his tongue Zephyr. "In the battle with the unicorn the suddenness is essential!" And he threw Scootaloo back.

Sweetie Belle scrambled out of the garbage and discerned mark of Zephyr. It was a microscope on some background of blurred colored spots, more looked like birthmarks.

And then in the forehead of professor came heaviest steel dewar. Apple Bloom took aim and threw a glass flask, then a box with glass slides, scalpel, reference book… there weren't more convenient things to throw around, and she ran to another table. With a growl and swearing Zephyr appeared in front of her, Apple Bloom smashed into bony chest of the old colt and flew back. Angel of Death loomed over her, frown threateningly.

"Girls, run!" Shouted Apple Bloom and tried to kick Doc, but he immobilized her as Scootaloo before.

"Hush! You seem to want to know what's going on here? So listen, and don't wave your hooves."

Apple Bloom curled up in a ball, her friend came closer.

"Actually, Rainbow told only follow you, but I'm too curious," professor smiled. "Besides, I do not want you here pitched much." He shook his head. "If I left you alone, imagine what a rout would be here!"

"You'll… dismember us?" With the concealed fear asked Sweetie Belle.

"Phew, as usual!" winced Zephyr. "Rustic rumors! There would have to come up with something new. For example, zebras composed about me, that at night I grow a wings and fangs and fly to them to drink the blood of foals. Well, crap, I tell you! I tried once, and did not like. Although, maybe it's because the blood was poisoned. Why are you looking so? Snake bit, and he needed me alive. Well, let's talk about why you came?"

"You are feeding ponies to dismember them!" desperately shouted Sweetie Belle to the professor.

"A mistake again. And why should I dismember them? To make meat pies? Interesting idea… uh-uh… no."

"You make a rainbow from killed pegasi," said Scootaloo.

Zephyr laughed. Laughter was unexpected – almost not evil and a little tired.

"You've probably heard plenty of horror stories about how the factory grind ponies into mincemeat and make a rainbow? And of course, pegasi of which make the stuffing should be defenseless young foals! You know how to count something?" Zephyr knocked hoof on Scootaloo forehead. "Clearly, you have been taught, but have not learned anything. Roughly speaking, one-third of the population Equestria are a pegasi. In fact, 29.8%, but it does not matter. Total number of all pegasi is 43,816 (at this morning), the natural growth rate is 2.43 per thousand ponies per month, a total of 106 whole winged ponies per month (now we have started to use not only pegasi) and rainbow made 3264 dekalitres per day ie about 98,000 decaliters per month. Hence, there should be no Huge Mincer, but Huge Squeezer! From single pony we need to squeeze 923 dekalitres of rainbow! Almost 56.5 barrels! Just imagine! No, there is only one way to draw population growth to increase production – use pony in production as the generating force itself, not as a raw material!"

Professor paused and took a breath.

"How do they make a rainbow?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Very simple. Here, of course, not managed without demonic technologies from the underworld, but the fact that we are by nature adapted to this. Have you tasted a rainbow?"

"No…"

"Doesn't matter. If you stupid kids fress a rainbow, you'll be very funny fart with butterflies. And we just invert the process! Poor bastards, sometimes I even feel sorry for them."

Suddenly the phone rang in a pocket of Zephyr. There were heard the ominous chords and lyrics:

Now a rainbow's tale isn't quite as nice,
As the story we knew of sugar and spice.
But a rainbow's easy once you get to know it
With the help of the magic of a Pegasus device…

Zephyr telekinetically took out his phone, pressed the answer and put the phone to his ear.

"Yes. Yes, they're here. No, they here wanted to make a rout, and I had to bring them to heel. Of course intact! This I'll have a bump on my forehead. All right. Now I finish the lecture and send them to you. And tell small with wings to stop use expressions whose meaning she does not know! Better use nozzle instead of nipple!"

Prof put the phone away and turned to Cutie Mark Crusaders:

"So, recently climate stability was broken. We were looking for ways to improve the efficiency of the plant. First, we tried to increase the extraction of the rainbow. To this were added impurities to butterflies. But it did not give the desired effect. There is some progress, but work for years, and time leaking as an acid from the broken bulb. Then we tried to chemically increase the effectiveness of rainbow. There are good results, but, again, the potential for improvement – a maximum of 15%, less than one-sixth, and the climate deteriorates too quickly. I'm not talking about a department for the production of clouds, which had to be completely redone by the destruction of the clouds. So now we are stopped on increasing of producing staff. Put new sensors of the extraction of the rainbow in the arsehole, hooked them up to the central nervous system, now anyone who tries to tell you about stall feeding, smashed to pieces! Haha!"

Fillies flinched.

"You might be glad to know that we have reduced the guard by half and that half put into stalls. In some ways, the harsh justice. Security here is not particularly bill and coo with producers."

"No, we aren't glad!" said Apple Bloom.

"Why there is a TVs in the stalls?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Well, it's simple. If you'll just do only yum-yum and po-po, very soon you will go mad, and performance will fall dramatically. Simple calculation and common sense. By the way, every week Celestia writes a new appeal to our employees. She is now under tremendous pressure of… evil forces." Zephyr grinned. "What do you think – the real evil is me? It's not so simple. Go to the Rainbow Dash. Last door on the left side in the offices. And I need to clean up." Doc turned and began to restore order.

"So what?.. You will not torment us?" Appleblom asked incredulously.

"Why?" asked Doc, looking at her. "I always have someone to torture; I just do not have time. Although you would be my pleasure to torment!" Zephyr grinned and Apple Bloom recoiled.

Slowly retreating fillies moved toward the exit.

Chapter fourth

"Mm. Yeah, like that," she whispered, "Like you stepped out of a dream. A really good one." She leaned back a bit, looking in his eyes, then glanced down at his decidedly not-pony-shaped body. "Maybe a little bit of a weird dream, but still a good one."

AnonPony, "Xenophilia"

* * *

"I can not believe that in all of it implicated Rainbow Dash!" with voice seething of rage said Scootaloo. "I thought she is cool, not a fool! What made her change so much?"

"Maybe she was such from the beginning," said Sweetie Belle. "How do you know?.."

"She always seemed normal and constantly napped in the clouds," corrected Apple Bloom. "Only the last two months she was hardly to be seen."

"Oh!" Sweetie Belle stopped abruptly in front of the door to the Directorate. "I think I can guess!"

"What…" began Scootaloo, but Sweetie Belle continued with wide eyes:

"She fell in love!"

"Well, this is really too much!" objected Apple Bloom. "In who? Zephyr? You've seen that freak!"

"Not him! But there's something unclean! Exactly telling to you!"

Sweetie Belle grabbed her friends by the neck and quickly whispered:

"I accidentally passed by the library and accidentally heard Twilight spoke to Dash. I would never would eavesdrop, but Twilight said that the love between a pony and hellish creatures is impossible!"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom opened their mouths.

"And then?"

"And then she just said that Dashie should break up with her boyfriend if she doesn’t want the worst. It seemed to me less interesting, but she said something about disastrously changing weather at the border and various disasters and threats from the underworld… it was almost two months ago."

Sweetie Belle released her friends.

"Or maybe she possessed by daemon?" said Apple Bloom.

"I do not know. But it sounded as if they meet separately. And they even were kissing!

"Pshaw!" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Be careful. Maybe she was fully gone crazy."

"Wait, but she knew that we are here from the beginning!" said Scootaloo. "Isn't probably better to slip away while we are alive? Nothing good will come if we just perish, and otherwise we at least tell the truth about the plant!"

"And how are you going to go down?" Apple Bloom asked skeptically. "If they know we're here, all the exits blocked. You can try, but it is unlikely. In Cloudsdale we can do nothing: only you can walk on clouds, and there certainly is full of agents of Dash. Besides Fluttershy to the ears in all this shit, and Twilight also surely aware. Even if we go down and try to tell anypony about the plant, they would say that we just went crazy, and all. Nopony seen pegasi in gray, Miss Cheerilee and my brother got sick from what is unknown, in all involved factory workers, and they in no way admit. They all care about their skin."

"Well, what do you suggest?" said Sweetie Belle. "Humbly walk into the jaws of timberwolf and hope that he will not much to chew?"

"We know on what they are ready," said Apple Bloom, "but they do not know what we are capable of. And then, they were not going to kill us. Anyway, for now."

"Continue," asked Scootaloo.

"I think Rainbow quite realize what she was doing. Otherwise she would not have a factory director. Such growth – and in just two months!"

"And I think that she was a fool to go mad!" interrupted Sweetie Belle.

"Unlikely," said Scootaloo. "Well, or she is a very deep schizophrenic."

"Okay, let me tell!" Apple Bloom raised her voice. "I have so many thoughts that I'm afraid to forget!"

Friends nodded.

"So, if she is something to tell, we must keep in mind the goal: what all of them need? Why do they need so much rainbow? Why Zephyr said that department for assembling clouds altered to destroy it? What is the role played in all of this Twilight and Celestia? Need to find out as much as possible, maybe it still is useful. Scootaloo," continued Apple Bloom, "Rainbow have with you a more intimate relationship. You can try to play on it. Sweetie, don't be afraid. We're going to the right thing, and even if Rainbow Dash finally gone mad, there are things that must be done, because we can't stand aside when so many ponies suffer!"

Scootaloo looked around absolutely empty hall.

"In any case, it would not hurt to know where she hides her pony. If all goes worse than you think."

"On this point I have something, just do not know will it work or not," said Sweetie Belle. "I got somehow into one book of Twilight…"

"Are you sure?" asked Apple Bloom. "What if something terrible happened?"

"It was in the tutorial for beginners," Sweetie waved her hoof. "Nothing dangerous in this spell is not assumed."

She focused; her horn momentarily blinding burst, and then Sweetie Belle sank to the floor at his feet tucked in suddenly.

"How is it?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Oh, something is not what I expected," said Sweetie Belle quietly. "Look: on this floor in a laboratory are three unicorns, one of them, obviously, professor, the other two – assistants. Low level. Zephyr Mengele – the magician midrange and high-level manipulator, experimental scientist. In office are four pegasi and three unicorns. Three pegasi and unicorns are soldiers, trained high, fast, strong, enduring, the fourth seems – Rainbow Dash. She is something unimaginable! Speed exceeds the limit, she is very hardy, and she also has some thread runs… I do not understand where. She seems to be faster than any alicorn if they will not teleport. She is chief here and may prohibit anything, she invents all sorts of terrible things. On the other floors only prisoners – more than five hundred – and technicians of medium and low levels." Sweetie Belle rested. "I think I did something wrong. The book has been said that the spell lets you know whether anyone nearby. But I easily recognized not external characteristics at all!"

"Maybe Zephyr or someone else helped you that you scared?" asked Scootaloo.

"We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we are not afraid of anything!" said Apple Bloom. "Whoever she was, we'll show her! Remember what I said?"

Friends nodded.

"Then let’s go!"

"Wait a second," stopped Scootaloo. "Don't you see anything strange?"

"Strange?" Apple Bloom repeated. "Actually, I find that everything is strange!"

"Yes," agreed Sweetie Belle. "Everything that happens is an outrage!"

"I'm not talking about that," said Scootaloo, "but what happens to us. Have you ever used magic?"

"Honestly, never. Only telekinesis."

"And you?" Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom. "You've never told such complicated things! And in general, what kind of conversation – "there are things that must be done"? Is not that a paraphrase of "the end justifies the means"?"

"No way!" Apple Bloom indignant. "And in general, I was not talking about this! What 'bout you? You too did not know these words! We really went crazy: I build some ingenious plans, Sweetie Belle uses magic like a princess, and what can you do?"

Scootaloo looked at herself.

"I… do not know. And I don't like it! So you say sensible things, but I'm still scared."

"Apple Bloom was right," said Sweetie Belle. "And you too. Something changes us, but if we can help the prisoners, we should do it!"

Apple Bloom raised her hoof:

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, onwards!"

Her friends hit in her hoof and turned to the door to the office.

Chapter fifth

I tire of all this and presently will become irritable.

David Eddings, "Queen of Sorcery"

* * *

The girls walked along the dark corridor. At the end of it just one bulb was lit.

"Where are this pegasi and unicorns?" Scootaloo whispered.

Sweetie Belle silently shook her head toward the right door, past which they had just passed. Scootaloo looked at the door, but not seen the light. Absolutely.

"Who will start?" said Apple Bloom.

"Why do not you," Sweetie Belle replied. "I'd rather hear. And Loo let wait for the right moment."

They stopped in front of the last door. There was a nameplate: "Creative Director Rainbow Dash".

"Creative, damn it!" Scootaloo whispered and pushed open the door.

Rainbow Dash stood near the window. Hour and a half ago sun went down, and now the sky was filled with huge juicy stars.

"How long are you," Dash said, without turning around. "I tired of waiting."

"Meat for your grinder?" blurted Apple Bloom immediately.

"I think we have already clarified this question," said Rainbow, after all turning to the Crusaders.

"We haven't clarified nothing," continued Apple Bloom. "We saw only fattening of unfortunate captives, and the premises where you shredding clouds – and not only – stay abroad of our attention."

"How interesting you say," said Dash. "As if you aren't schoolgirl."

“What do you mean?"

"Something change you, and you'd better stop. Will be worse."

"So you aren't guilty in it?"

"Of course not! I don't need crazy, especially the key characters."

"What the "key characters"?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Are you planning a performance where we get fed to the beasts of the Everfree Forest?"

"What a fantasy!" Rainbow chuckled nervously. "Actually, I'm going to give you Twilight after you look everything. Now you know enough."

"So it's Twilight engaged in murders?" Scootaloo horrified.

"It's easy to unicorn to dismember!" assented Sweetie Belle.

Rainbow Dash sighed heavily:

"She is not engaged in no murders. She's engaged in the collection and processing of information, and replaces princesses in routine matters."

"After all, why are you allowed us to remain at liberty to investigate?" asked Apple Bloom. "You wanted to mock a little longer?"

"Celestia forbid!" Rainbow flapped her wings. "I was not going to mock at anypony. I just didn't have enough time for you. Now everything was settled, and it appeared. Not much, of course, as I would like. Fluttershy have big problem with her accident at all. I had to allocate her two guards from the smartest to take care for her little animals… and Tank."

"Not Emden and Grillbar, by chance?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Grilljoe," whispered Scootaloo.

"Nope," Rainbow Dash chuckled. "These are just not very smart. Rather than grab and drag Spotty until he exploded, these jackasses waited for him to die. Then they said they were afraid to suffer. You greatly suffered physically?.."

"Uhhhh… no," said Scootaloo. "But anyway murder is awful!"

"There are things more horrible," Rainbow Dash said adamantly.

"What could be more horrible?!" asked Sweetie Belle.

"For example, the death of all. As an option," said Dash. "That's why I had to endure your clumsy attempts find out crux of the matter. You are more important than you think."

"I hope," said Sweetie Belle. "Don't want to be cut to pieces."

"Can you explain why we are so important?" asked Apple Bloom. "And why Spotty was not so important?"

"It's simple," sighed Rainbow Dash. "Spotty was just a background pony. If he disappears, no one will pay attention. And if you disappear, I'm afraid all Equestria will also disappear."

"Look!" Sweetie Belle pushed Apple Bloom.

"Exactly," she nodded. "So, if something happens to us… and you do not want… then we can make squeal you for a little," Apple Bloom chuckled gloatingly.

"You're trying to scare hedgehog with bare flank!" Dash waved away. "You do not want to suffer and the worst of it will be up to you."

"Maybe we say Celestia, that you was tormented us?" came from the other side Apple Bloom.

"Much as you want," shrugged Rainbow. "Do you think you would be left unattended? Here everything is dotted with cameras, and record storage sector sealed. I thought of it too."

"In this case, we have no choice but to kill you!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

"If you'll be stupid, I just detain you until you come to senses. Until the new series with you we have enough time. I knew every step you take. And do not think you can oppose me something. Your knees even buckled before this conversation."

"You followed us everywhere?" asked Apple Bloom and winked to Sweetie Belle. Till Rainbow did not know about the new capabilities of Sweetie, it could be useful.

"Sure. Not personally, I did not have time for this – while reassign storages, informed Celestia about incident, sent technicians to repair – you could spread panic a hundred times. So after you watched some unicorns from the Canterlot guard."

Apple Bloom pushed Scootaloo:

"Come on, ask her about the daemon."

She nodded and stepped forward.

"Or maybe not only you watched for everything? Maybe we know that you fell in love with the demonic brat and even… kissed him?"

Rainbow Dash first paled, then blushed a little. She gave a quick glance to the right, where there was glassed cupboard.

"I do not think you could watch me. More likely you're just put your noses into other ponies' business and overheard my conversation with Twilight Sparkle."

Apple Bloom nodded to her friends then went to the cupboard and looked inside.

"To the best and most awesome flyer of Equestria and to all the ponies with love from Lirein Faust." Ha. All the ponies? Kinda guy you found for yourself, Dasnie! Apparently, he's not as faithful as you! And looks like a monkey."

Rainbow became breathless.

Two other fillies also went to the closet.

Sweetie Belle looked closer to the picture:

"So this is your… boyfriend? Wow. Indeed like a monkey."

"Yes, and you're no better. You even look like blue ghoul, not as lively pony," said Apple Bloom.

"Pretty pale," Scootaloo opened the cupboard and touched the image.

"Do not touch," Rainbow said angrily. "It's not your business at all."

"Come on!" said Apple Bloom. "It's because of him you brutalized?"

"I am not brutalized!" snapped Dash.

"Looks like you now brutalized," as derisively as she could said Scootaloo. "Have you done some nasty things? Told him about the secrets of the pony to ingratiate himself?"

Rainbow suddenly calmed down.

"I am loyal to princesses and Equestria," she said coldly. "All your completely baseless allegations will not change anything. And do not meddle in my personal life. Which no longer exists," the voice of Rainbow Dash froze.

"Oh! So you cheated him?" grinned Apple Bloom.

Dash said nothing. Scootaloo pushed Apple Bloom with shoulder and said:

"It's not you cheated him, right? It's he who swapped you for someone healthier… and cute?" She tried to grin as wide as possible.

"Do not talk such about the creator of Equestria!" Rainbow became angry again.

"In Equestria there is no creator except princesses," Apple Bloom intervened. "Everyone knows that."

"Really?" said Dash. "You're not as smart as the words you are saying."

"So he told you that he created Equestria to get into your soul? Typical behavior for a demon," confidently said Apple Bloom.

"But I still do not understand why he needed you?" said Scootaloo. "Ugly, stupid, and even a traitor! Perhaps it is necessary to tell Celestia about it. I thought we were friends, and you're ready to immure us, but no one would have learned that even the demonic monkey did not want to have a deal with you!"

"Enough!" snapped Rainbow. "I'll personally remove you from the show! No one will ever see you!"

"Catch me first, Rainbow Crash," amazingly calm retorted Scootaloo and ran out the door.

Rainbow was rushed for Scootaloo, but then just as quickly returned to the table and pressed the red button.

"Two pegasi and unicorn – in my office – quick!" she commanded abruptly.

Just after two seconds on the doorstep arose three soldiers of Canterlot guard.

"These two – to the aerostat. Deliver to the Secretary Twilight. Don't enter in conversations," Dash snapped and disappeared behind the door, flying over the soldiers.

Chapter sixth

Author's Note

On darkpony.ru they said to author "will not fly". But she flies!

Chapter sixth

Step out of the vehicle slowly! You're under arrest!

Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit

* * *

Scootaloo almost ran corridor in two seconds when light flashed. Closing her eyes in surprise, she pushed open the door and ran out into the hall. So far there was no one heard. Heaven knows, which could delay the Rainbow (Scootaloo hoped not friends because it was too dangerous), but Loo knew it was not for long. When Rainbow Dash was enraged, nothing could stop her.

There was not much of a choice where to go: Scootaloo jumped into the span and tried to slow down with wings. She knew that it would be foolish to run back to where she was not, but it was a chance. It was to hardly expect of her. And she remembered that the technical floor with pipes and the tank went much further to the east after the stairs. In a few jumps reach floor with stalls, Scootaloo met first opponents. It was pegasi all in the same gray robes. In hooves they kept some tools, but she did not want to find out its purpose. Also, one of the guards shot. Scootaloo rushed down, and the shot went much sideways.

Two jumps, a few steps, two more jump. Scootaloo fell on the cloudy floor and sprained her foot. Fortunately, she successfully rolled and hurt nothing. She immediately rushed behind the ladder – she did not want to get unknown charge into the croup. Then begins the darker clouds. Scootaloo remembered conversations with one pegasus which said that some types of dark ominous clouds much denser than white. Apparently, so here was put a huge metal barrel. It was mounted on a thick girders, going into the walls.

Running past fractionator Scootaloo noticed what it huge: more than eight yards in diameter. On the sides of the tank departed various tubes were attached to some dials with arrows. For a moment, little pegasus wondered disable this mechanism, but she immediately threw it – there was no time. Voices of guards already heard very close.

"They fly, and I run, that's the point," thought Scootaloo.

Suddenly she heard a thunderous voice of Rainbow Dash from above:

"Scootaloo! Stop now! We'll catch you anyway!"

Filly ducked for a moment, but then realized that it was only a broadcast. If Rainbow Dash was here, she would have rushed at her silently. Scootaloo cheered and quickened. She decided to help herself with wings – on the clouds this should facilitate acceleration. Scootaloo spread its small wings and began waving them evenly, throwing back the air. She didn't try to fly, because she thought it's a waste of effort, but it became easier to run.

In the wings snapped something, and little pegasus felt like they are not as obedient. Looking back, she was amazed: her wings become bigger! They stretched out to the sides and became wider.

"Huh, maybe I can fly away from these scoundrels!" she thought. Scootaloo start to flap their wings, trying to fly, and really, her hooves pulled away from the floor. Not at each step she touched the clouds. Little pegasus scooped up more air and flapped their wings. The flight lasted! She did it! She wanted to scream with joy, but the moment was a little inopportune, so Scootaloo just became harder to flap her wings to add speed.

Began dense weave of pipes, small horizontal tanks, some valves, shutters, at one point even hung a rusty chain. Diligently circling obstacles Scootaloo heard back flapped pursuers. They were closer than she wanted, but farther than that it was necessary for them to get her with their weapons. Nevertheless several unsuccessful shots banged.

Overflights last interlocking tubes, Scootaloo braked sharply: in front of her was a wall of black clouds. Looking around, she saw a wide door with the inscription on them "Engine Division". She rushed to the door, but it was locked. Scootaloo almost howled in despair, but then jumped back and struggled yanked to the door. Hitting it with all four hooves, she flew to the gloomy corridor. She heard a whistle with pierced something on the floor and the wall behind her – it means that the guards are nearby.

To the right corridor opened into a dark space filled with the hum of invisible mechanisms. Scootaloo slowed down and cautious flew up most fear stumble on something. There was a little lighter. There were twinkling lights ahead and she could see some openwork cylindrical construction, which was better lit from a large bright hole in the ceiling.

Behind came the sound of wings and a voice Rainbow Dash:

"Catch her! And turn on the light!"

Hearing this terrible voice, yet somehow amplified with echo from all sides, Scootaloo shuddered and ran forward. She did not know where to go, but she thought that she might try to escape through the hole in the ceiling. But a grill… huge armature cylinder, the intervals between the bars are too narrow to even little filly slipped. But at the side – or it seemed to her? – monotonic order of alternation of armatures was broken. Approaching closer, Scootaloo saw that part of latticed wall size three yards on three was hung on hinges. She tried to open it, then noticed the latch. Throwing it off Scootaloo opened grille and whisked inside at the time when the blue pegasus hooves hit into the tube bars. Now she had to get up.

Rapidly flapping wings Scootaloo thought that everything is going surprisingly well. It was a miracle that she is still alive. Maybe she should have thought before rush forward, but there was no time to think. If she began to think she would be dead.

Light flashed, illuminating the dark cloud hall filled with turbines, transmissions, fuel tanks.

"Stop you piffling parody of a parody!" cried Rainbow Dash.

But Scootaloo was not listening to her. She had to get out from the plant and tell about everything. From top went gentle flow of cool air. Rising to half Scootaloo heard the buzz below. She turned her head and saw that deep down rotates something. Pegasus paused for a moment to figure out and realized that it was a giant blade of two propellers rotating in the opposite direction. Blades spinned faster and faster, the air flow from the top grown stronger, and the light fade. Looking up, Scootaloo saw gloomy clouds faster and faster looming to her.

Again there was a deafening voice Rainbow Dash:

"Emergency stop! Pony is in the cloud extractor!!!"

There was a rattle at the bottom and the blades froze and the air flow stopped. And then Scootaloo had an idea. She folded her wings and rushed down. When she passed by Dash, Rainbow muttered:

"Beast!"

* * *

Accompanied by pegasi girls went into the corridor. Unicorn walked behind.

Now corridor was brightly lit, and at the next right door was a nameplate "Executive Director Dr. Zephyr Mengele."

"Maybe try magic?" whispered Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle shook her head.

"I'm not sure that it will work," she said quietly.

"Hush!" shouted one of the pegasi.

"It was you told to keep silent, back off!" said Apple Bloom loudly and immediately received a slap by wing of second pegasus. "Grrrr!" she was angry, but stopped talk.

They went out into the hall and walked the familiar path to the terminals.

"The second terminal," said the unicorn. "The aerostat should be already refilled."

They have passed same corridor to the conveyor, past it and continue. Conveyor was tidy – perhaps before the next loading attendants removed the remains of butterflies.

Going through the tambour, the girls saw the aerostat and two sullen pilots.

"It is necessary to take this small fry. Order of the Director Rainbow."

"Get into," said one of them and soared to the cabin.

Apple Bloom walked to the gangway, but the guard said:

"No time for this."

He grabbed the girl and lifted her to the cabin. Second pegasus said to unicorn:

"Darnbolt, insure!"

He grabbed Sweetie Belle and not very gently pushed her into the cab. A moment later, the cabin lit up with flash, and Darnbolt went into a tail periodically looking at the girls.

Second pilot disconnected ladder and pulled it aside. He flew into the cabin and went to the control panel.

"Move it, and quickly," said guard pegasus. "To Ponyville library."

"Oh," said the first pilot, turning on engines.

Aerostat smoothly slid on runners and a few seconds later disappeared into the night.

The flight was short. Pilots quietly discussing something and clicked tumblers.

"Lowering," said the first. "Reverse."

Motors were silent for a moment and roared again. Half a minute later the pilot shut the engine off.

"The lowering will take about three minutes," added a second pilot.

"No time," said Darnbolt. "Open the hatch."

"You will… throw us out?!" Apple Bloom frightened and plopped down on the croup.

"No way! And you run away? Oh, no."

Two pegasi picked up two girls and flew into the night.

Beneath flash blinked again, illuminating lush crown of the tree and the entrance to the library. Pegasi came down to a waiting unicorn. He turned to the door and knocked politely.

"Come in!" came a shout from behind the door.

Darnbolt opened the door and invite gestured.

Girls uncertainly have passed in a brightly lit hall. Unicorn came after them.

"I'll now," Twilight's voice came from the pile of scrolls. "Oh, there is a blockage. Move over, okay?" and Twilight teleported next to guests.

The girls were amazed with her look: seemed as if unicorn did not sleep for several days, got into hurricane and poured over herself some inkwells.

"I have a few minutes; I was just going to take a break. What's the matter?"

Unicorn cleared his throat and said: "These two offenders with a third little girl penetrated the Iridescent Plant. We were told to deliver them to you."

"Third?.. Scootaloo?.." asked Twilight.

"I don't know her name, orange pegasus."

"So… and what, in fact, the case? They broke something?"

"All I know – there was an order not to interfere with offenders while they explore the plant premises. Third violator escaped from the director Rainbow's office, and she chased after her."

"What a terror! So, girls, tell everything and quickly." Twilight looked at the unicorn. "Will you stay?"

"Actually, what to do with them further – this is, how I understood, at your discretion, but we would prefer that they do not run away."

"Well, if you can pass carefully, you can find tea, do not remember where that is, but the important documents I have now on one table, so if you have something to move – not a big deal." Twilight looked at fillies and frowned. "Come on."

Darnbolt waved his hoof to the pegasi, they came in and locked the door.

"Hurry, tell me what you've done again!" told Twilight, made her way to her place behind the table.

"We didn't done nothing!" said Apple Bloom with a call. "Confess, as you involved yourself in everything, lilac hornbill!"

"Lilac… hornbill?.." repeated Twilight. "Are you all right with your head?"

"Yes, AB, what are you?" surprized Sweetie. "She is unicorn, not a hornbill!"

"Well, it worked with the Rainbow," she waved. "Maybe it will help now."

"Stop it!" pushed her Sweetie Belle. "We don't need her to chase you! Maybe we'll talk normally."

"Well," agreed Apple Bloom. "Then this: in the morning we saw death of the pegasus. In his death certainly guilty Rainbow Dash. And Fluttershy is also involved in this. Now answer how are you and princess Celestia involved in this!"

"Oh, goodness!" exclaimed Twilight. "So what's the point! Who else saw the death of pegasus?"

"Two more accomplices," said Sweetie Belle. "Guard pegasi. They wanted to dismember us! And if you're going to do this, it will not work!" – Her horn glowed softly.

"Yeah," muttered Twilight. "What's wrong with you two? Can not be that the death of pegasus so much affect you!"

"Not enough for you?" Apple Bloom asked sternly. "We were flooded with blood and covered with remains from head to hoof! Besides, he was not bad! He wanted to warn about the contamination!"

"Contamination? Ugh hell, I told them!.." Twilight turned away from friends and began to dig in the papers on a nearby table. "Yeah! That's it. Water supply. Yes. It is. Well done girls!" she smiled over her shoulder. "Spike! Spike!!!"

From somewhere in the bowels of the paper mountains crept the dragon. He looked no better than Twilight.

"Immediately send a note to the princess." Twilight quickly wrote few words and threw a piece of paper to Spike. He grabbed it, ran to the window, belched fire and then fell back to sleep.

"So, contamination is real?" asked Apple Bloom. "What's disease with my brother?"

"I have no idea," said Twilight. "What about him?"

"Well, remember when we took your book about Day of Hearts and Hooves?"

"Oh, it's when I went for groceries… yes, I remember."

"Well, we tried to make a love potion…"

"Thy mot…" Twilight barely restrained and stomped her foot. "So what? Big Mac… and who was the second victim?.. They have lost their minds?"

"No, it's okay," said Sweetie Belle, "we were able to hold them separately an hour and they came back to normal."

"More or less," interjected Apple Bloom. "And the next day they get sick. They are now in the infection ward."

* * *

Fearing bump into the blades, Scootaloo began to maneuver through her wings. Successfully flying between the blades, where there was barely enough space, Scootaloo continued decline, which was trying to slow down a bit so as not to bump into anything protruding from the tube walls. Air temperature increased. Within the walls of steel pipe located small holes, from where proceeded dense stream of cold air.

Little pegasus heard something hit metal at the the top.

"Come back now, worthless girl!" came the cry of Rainbow Dash.

"Thanks, but no," thought Scootaloo. "I want to live some more."

Rapidly descending, she almost crashed on the grate. Lucky that she descended with hooves forward. New obstacle was firm and immobile. Deep down under the grate Scootaloo could see small clouds, dimly lit moon. Under the clouds darkened land. She unbearably wanted to throw down, but she had to find another way.

Rising above Scootaloo found in the walls of the pipe holes large enough. From some of them went dry hot air, into the other it left. Fearing a new fan, Loo decided to move upstream. Hot air burned skin, was hard to breathe. She thoroughly sweated until waded dozen and a half yards along the rusty pipe. Ahead there was nothing in sight. Finally she got to the turn, which was a little lit. After the turning pipe hole pale loomed.

Fearing attract attention, Scootaloo moved almost crawling. The silence was broken only by the steady hum in the distance and the faint rustle of feathers and hooves on the tube walls. With close to the door, she peered cautiously. Turns out, she crawled to a low rectangular space over which pretty quickly spun blowing fan. There were white blocks suspended on iron rods which occupied significant place, nopony behind the fan could not be seen.

Carefully placing the hoof on the floor, Scootaloo walked to the nearest block and touched it. It was soft and moist and slightly more reminiscent of a paper napkin. Suddenly, from behind the fan sounded a short siren. "Change of dryers," said a voice. There was a clang at the side. Glancing in the direction little pegasus saw a hatch opening in the wall, and hanging blocks began to move into it. With some difficulties flied up to the bars, she became convinced that there is no escape. Then Scootaloo decided and grabbed the nearest slow-moving unit. It turned out that it readily pierces the "napkin". That was enough to hold tight until the unit shuddered cornering. Apparently, this was the unit, which was mentioned by the voice of the invisible pony.

From top was heard clop.

"Stop the replacement now!" came a loud voice of Rainbow Dash.

"What's the matter, ma'am?' heard puzzled voice of someone.

"Intruder in the extractor! Output shut, she could go only in dryers, or even worse, in the catchers! If you do not stop replacement, she will grinded now!"

"Damn!" exclaimed the second voice. Moving into the darkness Scootaloo heard someone quickly ran from the fan.

For some time moving in darkness, she reached the place where the dryer blocks fell into the gap. When she was about to jump off the block on which she hung, it jerked and froze. Looking down, Loo saw rotating drums with jagged remains of a white substance on them. She went down to the steel base, poked her head into the hole and made sure that it is impossible to climb further – unless you turn into bloody forcemeat. Then she decided to move forward.

There was not enough space to flap her wings, so as she could she tore through the absorber and climbed on the opposite side, from head to toe smeared with paper (or whatever it was). Gathered, Scootaloo jumped forward and slid across the floor, pulled up. Ahead was an empty frame unit with folded lower beam. Next darkness thickened so that Scootaloo regretted that she is not Sweetie – that could light her horn. Very cautiously moving forward, after a few steps she turned her into a block of dry paper. To the limit of straining your eyes, she saw that the unit supports holder, sticking out of the floor. Then Loo decided – turned and kicked block.

Better she wouldn't do it – paper snapped asunder and flew out of the frame like a cork, and Scootaloo fell by surprise and heavily scratched knees to support. But the way was clear. Doubtful advantage, but still more to go was nowhere. Ahead there was a roar and clang, and a rectangular box lit from above.

"Well let's climb?" said someone.

"It is necessary," sighed the other. "She will not rest until all will be checked. Look! It seems that due to stop replacement manipulator was broken again.

"Exact. We'll repair all night."

"O merciful Luna! Help!" prayed Scootaloo. She gathered into a fist and crept closer, while one of the ponies climbed down the hatch.

On the forehead technician had a flashlight, and at the moment it beam in the other direction.

"Well, let's see…" said pegasus, turning to Scootaloo.

And she stabbed. Scootaloo did not know how hard you have to beat to deny consciousness adult pony, but she definitely tired to ceremony, so she put in the punch all forces. Crackled, pegasus flew backward and heavily flopped back on the floor. He made no sound.

Fearing raise the alarm, Loo rushed to the hole, but the second technician stuck his head in.

"Hey, dude, you what? Fall again?" perplexedly asked he.

Next strike of Scootaloo came this pegasus into nape. She was afraid to miss her hind legs, so she used right hoof. Kick came much weaker, but everything turned out just fine: the second pegasus also lost consciousness and began slowly sliding into the hatch. When he fell, Scootaloo yanked off his flashlight, turned it off and put it on.

After a moment, her eyes appeared over the edge of the hatch. She saw a high room, the ceiling of which was lost in the darkness. On the floor were painted track, she realized, following the pipes, where moved blocks of dehumidifier. Quickly looking around Scootaloo made sure that nopony is nearby yet. She jumped out and slammed the door. Unfortunately, she did not realize how close it, but it wasn't so important: they had finally found a way out.

She walked between the tall metal columns that ran up. Strayed a bit, she noticed a few ponies standing at the open hatch. One of them was commanded:

"Check faster! We need to find violator and launch dissector! Already fifteen minutes of inactivity! Oh, and we'll get beans from the Atmosphere if we'll not manage!"

"Let director Rainbow swears with him," grumbled one of the technicians. Apparently, it was a foreman, because the chief did not argue with him, pursed his lips and said:

"Check everything! Faster! Do not be afraid to call help."

Pegasus chief turned around and left. "I wonder where is Rainbow Dash?" thought Scootaloo. Least of all now she wanted to meet with crazy pegasus, but the idea that Dash can now torment her friends, was even worse. If Rainbow will threaten her friends, demanding that Scootaloo surrendered, she will fulfill all her requirements.

"So, I have to stop her from distraction," murmured Scootaloo.

Going round the workers away, she appreciated about where everything is. Pipe, which supplies cloud, located in the eastern side of the hall and was closed. Apparently, it maintained a special mode to the water at the outlet could not condense into new clouds. Further to the east – Scootaloo could not believe her luck! – was located a very wide window in a half of wall, behind which waited the night. Approaching it, Scootaloo convinced that the window can not be opened. That means she needed to break it. She would not want to break it with hooves, because she certainly cuts herself.

Coming in from the hall, little pegasus did not find anything heavy that could help her. Only in one place, three technicians were busy with some kind of system. Beside them stood a toolbox. Take it without attracting attention was impossible. "Stop," thought Scootaloo. "This is just what I need!"

She turned on the flashlight and walked quietly to the technicians. At first, they did not pay any attention to her, but when she drove one of them into the forehead, and then grabbed the heavy box, not noticing her became difficult. By the way, she turned out that got hit pegasus was female. "It happens," thought Scootaloo, rushing to the window. From rear swept elite curses. Good swinging, Scootaloo threw toolbox in the window and laid the steep turn. At this moment no one was nearby, but judging by the cries, she soon had to be surrounded. Therefore, waiting for the glass fell, Loo rushed to the hole and folded wings. "Let's hope no one gets hurt at the bottom," she thought, and took off into the night.

* * *

Twilight looked up from his papers and turned to the girls:

"Don't you mind if I work, as we speak? Have something to shortchange, the princess waiting for the report." She looked toward the guards at the door. "Apparently, guys do not want tea, but you can still search. So Apple Bloom, what happened to your brother?"

"I think he was poisoned by rainbow, which we added in the love potion," she said. "Since it was the day before yesterday, the infection has already begun. And soon there will be new victims. Since the treatment has yet been found, there will be a lot of deaths."

"Ha." Twilight distracted from the report. "You're talking interesting."

"Same as Rainbow said," replied Apple Bloom. "It will not stop us. Answer how you involved in all of this!"

"Wait five minutes, I'll finish," said Twilight, hastily writing something on parchment.

Indeed, after three and a half minutes, she finished and went to Spike and not very politely poked him in the ribs. Dragon snorted, opened one eye and jumped. Grabbing a new letter, he immediately sent it and fell back to the scrolls.

Twilight turned to Apple Bloom:

"Well, let's start the lecture."

Chapter seventh

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Epigraph

A boy who remembers his father who rode a horse, who rode it well and treated it well, will know that the relation can be satisfactory and will be satisfied. He will be all the more indignant at the ill-treatment of horses because he knows how they ought to be treated; but he will see nothing but what is normal in a man riding on a horse. He will not listen to the great modern philosopher who explains to him that the horse ought to be riding on the man. He will not pursue the pessimist fancy of Swift and say that men must be despised as monkeys and horses worshipped as gods.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, "The Everlasting Man"

Author's Note

Sorry, I forgot place it. :D