Iridescent Plant

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.