The picture on the scroll is endless, roiling white fog, accompanied by muffled shouts and the high, keen wailing of a frightened child.

"Sigilyph! Blow the steam away!"

There's a sound like a rushing wind, and the white fog is blown away in streamers, revealing the blue sky and shining sun overhead. A pony, her dark pink coat soaked and her mane plastered to her head and neck, wanders into view of the scroll.

"Oh, it was on, huh...um."

She grins sheepishly.

"So, uh...Etranger saw a frog, panicked, and vaporized about fifteen feet of the river with lava. It's all under control now, though! We, uh...we've got a lot of perfectly steamed whole fish here, if any of you are piscivores? I dunno. Haha. Kids, right?"

For once, Mako's normal garrulousness is stymied by how incredibly awkward this whole thing is.

[Zecora is standing in front of a table in her hut, on which several pots of various colors are stacked.]

Nightmare Night is almost here--
A holiday of games and fear.
To this end I ask you all
How will you meet the night's call?
Will your costume terrorize?
Or bring delight to a foal's eyes?
For either way I've a surprise:
A blend of nightlong fur dyes.
If your color needs a change
That is something I can arrange.
Though I must ask that you refrain
From using these to change your mane.
Brews for that are a different line
Which, I add, is coming along just fine.

If this has piqued your curiosity
Come visit with all velocity.
Otherwise, I will stop by
The market, to sell my dye.

[Harvey is, for whatever reason, dressed as a pirate today. He's sans the wig and fake facial hair, thankfully, but he does not look particularly happy about the rest of the changes. He immediately raises a hoof, as if to silence any comments, and then deliberately flicks the dashing feathered hat from his head, tossing it off-screen.

Two seconds later, the hat reappears on his head. Harvey immediately throws his hooves up in the air in frustration.]

Why?! Seriously, be this happenin' t' anyone else?

Ever since my arrival here, nearly five months ago, never did I expect the situation here to become quite as exciting as it is now. I had thought perhaps that this might be a land that truly seemed to know peace. It would appear my consideration of such was wrong, though I can't say I'm surprised. It would seem that event after event seems to just build upon one another.

I wonder. Do you think things would be more peaceful, would be calmer, if we were never here? Or do you think perhaps that our presence is simply another symptom of something more inevitable? That, underneath it's calm appearance, events such as these were merely bound to happen? That the ruptures we're only just beginning to see might have come whether we are here or not, and we're simply caught within it.

Regardless.

I'm curious. Has anyone actually taken stock of all those who are missing, let alone looked to see if there's a common factor between those who're missing?

I would hope those openly investigating have an idea as to where to start.

[The scroll's view is of a dark and mysterious hut, with creepy masks gazing down from the walls and flames licking the bottom of a cauldron filled to the brim with an ominous green liquid.]

[Having affixed the scroll to a place where it can project her image most easily, the zebra steps into its view, smiling.]

A 'hello' to those of you that I know
And a welcome for those whom that is not yet so.
I am Zecora. Everfree is my home.
A forest in which many of you love to roam.
That's unwise. A surprise could lead to your demise.
What some have seen with their eyes proves I tell no lies.
To help you avoid such a gruesome fate
I hereby offer to help educate.
I'll fill your heads with wisdom and advice
That will make your strolls here pleasant and quite nice.
I need no recompense, no service or coin.
A will to learn is all you need to join.

[The scroll starts up with Tails sitting in a field of flowers.

Yes, those kind of flowers. He's got dark circles and bags under his eyes as well.]

Does coffee exist here or is there something I can drink to get more energy?

[He moves a hoof to his neck and then moves his head slightly as if his neck was stiff. He winces slightly.]

Ugg. Last time I take a nap on a tiny cloud.

[Hey there, everyone! Here's someone who hasn't been on the network much; He seems to be working on painting the panel!]

Ok...and...done!

[...Wait. Why is Don's voice coming from behind the scroll. As Don's voice speaks, his body starts awkwardly trotting in several different directions, as if it were indecisive.]

Ok, now that I'm...done...nope, right, go right...turrrrrn around...Ok.

[And as Don's body turns, well...be prepared, Equestrians, as his head tilts around - finally - looks at the camera.

He has no face.

No.

Really.]

So, uh...I'm just wondering. Those who...might know something about equine medicine. Is it normal for your face to float away from the rest of your body while you sleep? Because...that happened. And...every time I try to get my body towards my face it...randomly starts floating towards another part of the room. I can...mostly control my body, but since it can't see where it's going...you can see where problems would start.

[There is a sheepish chucking at this. The body, meanwhile, is tilting its head and scratching its back with its back hind leg.]

If this is not normal, ah, just for the record, I am not allergic to penicillin. And...take your time getting here to check me out if you need to, I'm in my home and not...going to be going anywhere for...obvious reasons. And, uh, no pain. Just...this.

[At this, the horse body began to feel around for the scroll, in order to turn it off.]

Nope, wait, overeaching-

[Click.]

[The video opens up with the younger Luna, who's clearly at the castle as it can be seen. You may want to move away from the scroll as she's about to use the Canterlot voice or your ears are going to hurt a lot. She opens her wings and her eyes start glowing white as she speaks.]

MY FELLOW EQUESTRIANS!

Greetings, our name is Princess Luna, sister to Princess Celestia and ruler of the night. We are aware of the confusion tis will cause, but we can assure ye thy tis no jest. A creature of nightmare no longer, but instead a stranger of these lands much like thou. Together we may find a way back home, but in thy meantime, we only desire your love and admiration!

We assure ye that thou will have our protection in the night as your princess.


(OOC: She'll be replying in video unless otherwise stated.)

The text on the scroll starts with an uppercase English 'A', but rather than continue into a word or a sentence, it goes on to a 'B'. The actual words themselves seem to be written out in purple crayon, and whoever is doing this is apparently practicing their alphabet. As it goes on, the writing becomes more sloppy and hurried, as if the author is rapidly growing bored with their work. Once the writing is done, a crude sketch is doodled beneath it.

( Read more... )

...huh.

[Well. This is...fun. Sort of. Maybe. Not.

Honeycomb is admittedly frowny-faced, though maybe not for the obvious reasons. In fact, the minute she opens her mouth-]

Um, so I have a question. Um...apparently I'm not in Equestria but I am? And, uh...

[Hoof shuffle. And her wings flap--wait, are her wings actually buzzing?...They actually buzzing!]

Do you guys...know where I can find Langstride frames? Or, um, supplies where I can make them? Because I don't wanna miss out on the first nectar flow of the year...I was totally all ready back home, too...

[So either this girl is really oblivious, or really used to just waking up in random places. Or too concerned with her beekeeping to care.




Yeah, its the bees she's concerned about. Seriously, her wings even buzz like a bee's!]

[video]

[On the other end of the scroll is a very disgruntled-looking black dragon; he has a conspicuous scar over one eye, bright golden fur down his spine, and, most notably, no wings of any sort. Behind him is what appears to be a cave; it's simply the place he woke up. That's not all Zuko is irritated with, naturally.]

I want to know right now what's going on. I don't know what it's like for anyone here but I have important matters to address back home and being a dragon in a strange place isn't going to help!

[Par for the course, he was more put off my the inconvenience than by the multitude of other questions that waking up as a new species in a new place should raise.]

[visual]

[On the other side of the scroll there's a red-brown pegasus with a conspicuously gold mane and an even more conspicuous back-left bronze leg, looking rather disgruntled. Still, this is something he needs to do.]

My name is Gilgamesh, and I'm looking for a blacksmith or someone similar. My false leg is making it very hard to fly straight, so I'm looking to get proper weights for my other legs to act as balance, otherwise I run the risk of becoming permanently lopsided. I... need some help.

[He looks reluctant as he says it; this is the sort of thing he should be able to himself. Still... no thumbs, and no access to his lab. This is the best he can do under the circumstances.]

I also don't really know how to pay you, since I haven't managed to secure a proper job and thus regular income. I'm happy to trade labor for product.

While I wish to return home and reverse this unwelcome species transformation as much as anyone else, I shall not waste everypony's time by complaining right now. Better to focus on more immediate things. Is there anyone here who's seen another recent arrival answering to the name of Haruka? I would offer a physical description, but as it seems this rather odd change is universal, I fear I am less helpful than normal in that regard. Though I would not be surprised if she was a pegasus. It could account for why I have not found her yet.

I would also appreciate if someone more used to this whole... pony situation might be able to help me, as I am both an artist and a musician. While neither are my career, they are enjoyable hobbies to pursue in the mean time before I am able to return home, and both currently seem a little difficult due to the limitations of my current form. And yet there is evidence of both artistic and musical influences all around me here. Thus, I would appreciate instruction in how one is supposed to surmount the physical limitations.

 [Chopper has had some really rotten luck since he first arrived . For a world full of colorful equines, who knew the wild was so dangerous? That's the kind of forest the marines would send pirates to be executed in.  

After his ordeal, Chopper; still on all fours, followed Applejack to town. Now he's seen some strange things, but a town full of talking animals? That ranks pretty high...it's not number one, he's seen stranger things, but it's still pretty high, as far as he knows he's just on a different island, and can still reach his friends if he can find someone who can take him, even if he's tired as all hell.]

He...hello, does anyone have a ship or something I can ride on? I'd love to stay, really I would. But I really need to find the rest of my crew. 

Alright. Testing, testing, one two.

[The sound comes in first, distant and echoing. Looks like Robo's still trying to figure out the scrolls. You can't really blame the guy. Magic didn't exactly factor into most of his studies. It's not something you can get a degree in. There's some more indistinct rumbling and the sound of rustling paper before the video kicks in. Robo's got the scroll pinned to a tree with his hooves.]

That's the ticket. Okay, introduction time. In case any of you don't know me yet, the name's Atomic Robo. That's not my full name, mind you, but I've got other things on my agenda right now. I didn't open this call just to make small talk. Not really much to talk about, given the circumstances.

In any case, I have a proposition for you all. While Princess Celestia is, to my knowledge, working on a way to get us out of here as we speak, we need to prepare ourselves in the event that she doesn't come through. It's already been a few days and we haven't heard a word, progress-wise. It's about time we do something for ourselves. Therefore, I'd like to propose a meeting of the minds. Scholars, scientists, magicians, doesn't matter. As long as you're willing to lend ideas or resources, anypo... anybody's welcome. I know this might come off as a little premature, but I've had about enough standing around. It'll be something to occupy our spare time, at least. I know I've had plenty on my hands over here.

Or hooves, I guess. I seriously don't think I can handle the horse puns on top of everything else.

[He glances about for a second, then clears his throat.]

Also, if anybody's willing to offer me some shelter, that'd be great. I don't necessarily need to sleep, but I could do with a roof over my head.

[Hey, remember those scrolls everypony got yesterday? They come to life again, though this time you get the ever-so-pleasant image of a a salmon-pink hoof firmly prodding at the scroll combined with a frustrated, gruff feminine voice.]

Urgh... how am I supposed to get these bucking things working...

[The hoof prods a few more times, then the pony owning it lets out a sigh.]

Guess there's only one way to see if it works...

[The pony stands up, stretching out and looking down at the scroll, speaking up. There's no way to gauge her size, though she is a bit broader than most of the other ponies around.]

Oi! Newponies! I take it that someone around Ponyville has already filled you in on the specifics - what Equestria is, the fact that we don't have any idea how you got here or how to get you home. Hopefully by now you've learned how to walk on four hooves; if not, life's only gonna get harder on ya. There should be unicorns and pegasi willin' to teach you how to use your horns and wings, if nothin' else. Should come naturally enough with enough time, all of it.

ANYWAY. For those of you who didn't see me in that mess with you all, name's Flare Star. Freelance monster hunter, retired town guard. I notice it didn't take folks long to stick their noses where they shouldn't belong - I've heard rumors that an Ursa Minor got woken up, and there's been whispers of ponies wandering in all sorts of unsafe directions. If any of it's true, it's gotta stop.

I get it; a lot of you come from worlds different from this one. Where danger is a constant, not an exception. But the ponies in this world? They don't have any reason t'constantly fear for their lives. Don't give them one, don't muck up this world by fussin' with things you don't know about.

Look, what I'm saying is stay out of the forests south of Ponyville. The Everfree Forest is full of all sorts of nasty magic, and critters there can and will try to kill you, or worse. Stuff both bigger and more deadly than the dragon you woke up next to. If you decide to go in there anyway, you take your life in your own hooves, so if somethin' happens, for the love of Celestia DON'T DRAG IT OUT OF THE FOREST INTO TOWN WITH YOU, OR YOU'RE ENDANGERING A BUNCH OF INNOCENT PONIES.

If anyone's interested in learnin' self-defense as a pony, I can teach ya, but for now the best way to stay safe is to not go into dangerous areas. Th'trains travel between pretty much every town in Equestria, so there's no excuse for wanderin' off on your own outta ignorance.

I'm stationin' myself in a shack not too far from the edge of the forest to make sure no monsters get out of there, but I'd really rather not see any ponies headin' in there, either.

We clear?

[Sometime after the ponies wake up, scrolls and quills suddenly start raining from the sky. Don't worry, its not the ponypocalypse, its just a squadron of flying white ponies dropping them from above.

Once everyone receives one, the scrolls suddenly glow and come to life, its surface revealing the visage of a large white alicorn with rainbow hair and a golden crown, sitting on a large, velvet-upholstered throne. She has a calm, reassuring, regal smile on her face as she speaks, though those who know her better can see the light of worry and concern in her eyes.]

Good afternoon, newponies! I am Princess Celestia.

I've heard of your arrival in Ponyville and of some of the more interesting stories that have come from it. We're...not certain how this phenomenon has occurred, but we here at the royal castle will put our efforts into solving this mystery, and I hope you will help us out as we wish to help you out!

Rest assured, no harm will come to you. Nor, as some of you have worried, are we holding you against your will. On the contrary, you're free to move about Equestria as you please, be it through Ponyville, Los Pegasus or anywhere in between. I only request that you use the scrolls we have provided you to check in from time to time, so that we know where you might be when we figure out the solution to this current situation.

If you have any questions, you are free to ask them of me. If I am not available - and, I will admit, there are times when I can be quite busy - there are many other ponies willing to help you, including the other princesses of Equestria. We are all in this together, after all.

[And then she smiles a little more. Its a much more relaxed smile. The concern is still there, of course.]

But, in the meantime, I'd also like to get to know all of you! I always like to meet new people, after all. I hear we even have a dragon?