So.

First week at Canterlot Academy... where exactly in the dumb school spectrum is "incredibly hot nerd girl" anyhow? Because that's what the "Mean girls" labeled me as. I already got a couple of date offers.

This is totally what I needed on my first week of high school: Classism.

I'm going to be bucking trees for a while to simmer my rage on being called babe for the first time.

[Hey, guys! It's Minako, scribbling on some paper. She's snickering to herself as she does, before addressing the scroll.]

Ok, everypony! As we know, there's a film festival coming up in a few weeks, and we're being asked to submit our own films for it. Thankfully, I've started writing the script for my film! Viola!

[She turns over the title page to reveal the name of the movie: EARTH VS. SOUP RELOADED.]

Now, this is a sequel to something Pinkie and me did on the Satellite of Love, so we'll be reprising our roles of the irradiated California Counterpo Cornucopia Vegetable Jubilee and Sweet Marie, respectively. BUT! We need some more actors for the following work in progress roles: Cyber-Dude, Cream o' Potato, Hillbilly Harry House, Cynthia Helen Alexandria Snotnose V, and...the Applewood sign. Among others. The script's a work in progress.

Soooo, I'll be holding auditions for these parts this weekend! We're gonna try and start shooting next week so we can wrap up just in time for the film festival! I look forward to seeing some of you guys try out for what is going to be an awesome movie experience!

[With that, she waves, and turns off the scroll.]

...Huh. You ever get that feeling like you've been gone for a few days for absolutely no reason?

Yeah, me neither.

Anyway, I guess I should start looking for more people to join up with good ol' Team Dandy. Preferably anyone who can kick ass. You know, like a sexy girl ninja. In fact, if you're a sexy girl ninja you got no reason ignoring me, baby.

Men and cats need not apply. ...Except Science Side, he gets a free pass.

[Gee, Dandy, you're so thoughtful. Never mind that he won't even explain why he's looking for people to begin with.]

W-well, it looks like all the paperwork is set, Princess-

I told you, I'm not the princess. You needn't bother with the title.

Yes, Your Ma- I mean, ah, C-Ccel-Ce-C-

...You may use "Captain" if it will make you feel any better.

Of course, ah, Captain. Your order for building materials is being processed and will arrive sometime this weekend at your new property here in Ponyville. All that remains is pay-

[WHUMP.]


...That will cover it. Enjoy your new home in Ponyville, Captain.

Thank you. It has been a pleasure doing business.

[There is the sound of hoofsteps as Celestia leaves wherever she is, followed by the shuffling of papers and the scroll switching to visual.]

Oh, it was already on. Convenient. So, who would like to go furniture shopping with me? I hear a new NEIGHKEA has opened up in Fillydelphia; it might be fun to check out.

I may also need some assistance in building. You would be paid for your efforts.

Hey. Yeah, it's Flare again, likely here t'shove her hoof in her mouth.

Just wanted to say that I was wrong. Back after the Equestrian Games, when the Pale Pony first showed up, I was at the head of th'mob screamin' for blood. I was wrong. Th'princesses and Zetta may have had a crappy execution, but their idea was sound.

I don't know if we should be callin' this a war. It still is, I guess, but this ain't somethin' we're gonna win with military maneuvers and underground resistances. This ain't Les Neighserables. This is a twisted, broken pony who's keepin' us here in this world... this world that has a really bad habit of fixin' broken ponies.

But we aren't gonna win by bein' unfeelin' soldiers. That's what she wants. I know, the way we were goin' after the fact was wrong, and the way we were goin' after the princesses' little stunt. But think about when we actually took her on. What we did. What worked, what didn't.

A harmony's when you've got a bunch of instruments workin' together to create a single piece of music. When you've got a bunch of musicians thinkin' it's more important to be soloists, you just got a lot of noise.

I don't think we need t'hide the right plan from the Pale Pony, because I don't think she understands it even if we spell it out. We gotta be sharper than her. That's the only way we'll see this through.

Thank you for your time, and again: I'm sorry that I set this thing off int' people thinkin' we need to fight anger with more anger, hate with more hate.

( [Private to Lucifer] )

( [Action, all around Ponyville] )

Hello! If any of you ponies could spare a moment to help me with something it would be much appreciated.

I have been attending lessons at the local school, and Miss Cherilee has asked us to talk to other ponies about their cutie marks. These are the questions.

[They appear in writing under his visual message.]

1. What does your cutie mark look like?
2. How or when did you receive your cutie mark?
3. What does your cutie mark represent?

[Pippin blinks then slowly frowns a little]

I also must write about my own experience since I have a mark. Honestly though, I am not sure what it truly means. It's a bird, but I have no special talents relating to birds. Can you help me? I would like to find an answer to this, not only for my work, but so I can tell a certain filly she can no longer compare me to a "blank flank."

[He moves the scroll to make sure his mark is captured in the visual.]

*Allen's sitting in his impeccibly clean room in the Commune (seriously, you'd think he had OCD it's that neat) with a cup of coffee in one hoof and a strange object sitting on his desk.*

I actually have two things to talk about today, but I'm going to go ahead and start off with the less serious one. I know I can't be the only one here who brought in technology that doesn't run off of magic, so I thought I'd share my solution for keeping it running without access to electrical sockets.

*Here he picks up the object from his desk with telekinisis and shows it to the scroll.*

This is a magic to electricity converter. It takes the magic that powers the local appliences and turns it into electrical current that can be used by human technology. It even has adjustable output and the plug changes shape to fit what you're trying to charge, so you can use it for different kinds of machines. I don't think it's quite suited for mass production yet, but I doubt it really needs to be. I'm not sure I can afford to just give them away, but I'm willing to sell them at-cost if anyone needs one.

*He puts the charger down and takes a long drink of his coffee. When he sets that down as well, his expression is more serious.*

And...now for the more uncomfortable topic. I got a good look at the statue ponies with an ability of mine during that battle, and I confirmed that each one of them has a soul in it. Their natures, or their Arcana, as my Persona translates it, were either obscured or suppressed, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that they're people being forced to do Calice's bidding, maybe even fight their friends, and I want to find a way to free them. Even if it's just transferring their souls to a different body that Calice can't control, that's still better than being used as weapons against the people you love, right?

But I can't get any information from the fragments left over from that fight. As far as I can tell, the statue ponies are just gypsum alabaster that's been animated by a trapped soul, and it's ordinary rock again once the soul leaves. So anyone who encounters a statue pony and has any experience with magic, try to see if you can make sense of what's binding the souls to them.

And there was someone who was planning on creating a statue in the hopes that one of Calice's victims might be able to slip free to possess it and talk to us, right? I think I need to talk to you on that. If it works and we're lucky, it might give us what we need to help the people she's absorbed.