Luna frowned. "Well I think the court is about to become involved." She spread her wings and started into the sky after the Mayor. "Follow on the ground!"<br/><br/>The next fifteen minutes were a blur as she shadowed the Mayor outside the town limits, into the hills. The land was green and rolling, spotted with wildflowers and small streams. Luna paid little attention to the scenery until the flowers suddenly died and the grass turned brown and flaky. The stretch of dead land continued for miles around, surrounding a massive silo.<br/><br/>As the Mayor arrived, he scanned behind him and above him quickly. Luna dived behind a cloud just in time and so evaded him. Then he turned to the ponies who were lying around the base of the silo. Even from this distance, Luna could see that the ponies were groaning in pain and their faces had an unnatural greenish pall to them. She snuck closer, pushing the cloud along slowly, just in time to hear the Mayor.<br/><br/>"-you did good to tell me. Keep these ponies here out of sight. I'll think of something to tell the townsfolk and the princess. Remember, not a word to anypony until I say different! Can't have this getting out now."