[Zecora's voice is a little bit raspy and more that a little weak, making up for that by volume.]

If you wish to buy a brew,
I fear I will disappoint you.
I do not think it is too bold
To tell you I have a nasty cold --

[To prove the point, albeit unintentionally, Zecora interrupts her own rhyming to cough away from the scrolls.]

This is my own fault
For I came under assault
By this disease
When I was too at ease
Traveling into the past
Where the germs could at last
Overwhelm my defenses
With their viral offenses.

But I will not shirk.
I will come back to work.
Just in a bit
When I can manage to sit.

[Sniffling, the zebra rolls up the scroll.]

[A. Visual]

[Well here's a face that hasn't been on the scrolls much recently; you'd be forgiven for assuming she disappeared, given that the only sign she was still around was the tangible lack of Harvey Finevoice losing his damn mind. She seems to be mostly unchanged, though, aside from a bit of tiredness around her eyes and her hair being more than a little nappy.]

Hey. Someone mind telling me what I missed over the last month or so? I got the latest tabloid trash, but past that and the wedding, something is bound to have gone wrong in that time frame.

[There's a long pause as the pegasus tries to remember what she was originally going to add, but after a minute she seems to get it, looking aside awkwardly.]

And... hey. Anyone know how to take care of birds? There's... uh... one around here that got in real bad shape because of the bad winter we had, and then the whole thing with Tirek, and... [Cough.] ...look, what I'm saying is that it doesn't have the feathers left to fly any more, and I was trying to find out if there was any way to help it heal faster. Not magic or something silly like taping the feathers back on, but... I dunno.

Anything.

[And just as awkwardly, Flare shuts off the scroll.]

[B. Action - Ponyville streets/Night Market, daytime]

[Some time after her post, the pegasus is skulking through town with a singular destination in mind - a cart that she's seen set up in the Night Market. That wouldn't be too out of place, except it's the very end of spring - temperatures are getting higher, the sun is getting brighter... and Flare is huddled up in a thick, full-body cloak. She had to give credit where it was due - Nephenee's Hearth's Warming giff was indispensable. She might be drawing a bit of attention, though, in her desire to avoid it.]

[Zecora doesn't exactly make a lot of fanfare about this invitation, merely popping open her scroll as the thought occurs to her to address the draconequus.]

If you are not busy
Would you agree to go with me
To the Gala dance?
This would be a chance
For me to attend
Together with a friend.
I ought to go
Just once, you know
For the experience.
I think that's sense.
And if it is boring
I will not be left snoring
If I have a date
With liveliness so great.

[Today's view is not Zecora's hut, but her stall in the Night Market, with the fresh addition of a small wood-burning stove. On it sits a pair of teakettles, with an arrangement of herbs and tea balls nearby.]

The way things are, I had best remind
All of you that you can find
A spot of tea and sympathy
If you seek either and need a breather.

[Seriously, ponies; she's glad to help, but she won't come hunt you down to do it. Advice only works when it is asked for, not given.]

[The scroll turns on, showing Feena's apartment. The earth pony finally comes into view, walking on two legs with her arms full of all kinds of stuff. A canteen, some food, her whip, among other important necessities. She places the items into a knapsack and her eyes glance up briefly at her scroll, before her eyes widen in shock.]

Oh! [She reaches over and picks up the scroll, smiling sheepishly.] Darn thing... Sorry, everyone, I didn't even know that it was on. But now that it is...

[Well, she might as well ask now, since she was meaning to anyway. She points a hoof over at her knapsack.]

If you haven't guessed already, I'm going on a trip. Into the Everfree, to be exact. I know it's dangerous, but... I was wondering if anyone wanted to accompany me?

[Oh look, it's Zecora, whose hut has taken on a distinctly Nightmare Before Christmas aesthetic thanks to a few Hearth's Warming decorations being mixed in with her masks, cauldrons, and supplies. But Zecora herself looks sinister and ominous in the green light of a bubbling brew, and deeply serious indeed.]

I believe the time has come
To give you all a message from
A sinsiter place to us:
The depths of Tartarus.

For those of you who heard the story
That Celestia in all her glory
Told to us of the Pale Pony,
This may clear up uncertainty.

The Pale Pony -- the true one,
Not she who captured us for fun,
But the true figure of which legends speak
Is somepony we ought to seek.

For her existence may indeed be fact.
This new knowledge that we have lacked
May explain many mysteries
Littered throughout our histories.

She may be the one who hid the Tree
Which bore the Elements of Harmony.
So she may not be quite on our side
But against one foe, we may be allied.

Keep this in mind and seek more clues.
This fight is one we must not lose.

[Hey, everypony, its Princess Celestia! She looks quiet, almost solemn, as she sits by her fireplace.]

Hello.

Recently, it came to my attention that there is...another secret, so to speak, that I must indulge to you all. However, this revelation was one that the existence of which was unknown to me, my sister, or the other princesses of this world.

[She looks down at this.]

During Discord's recent prank during Nightmare Night, several of us were switched with normal ponies. When they did, they found themselves at the mercy of a voice. A voice that constantly spoke to them, sounding like us, encouraging them to do...things. Where this voice comes from, we don't know. None of us even knew this voice existed, until now.

[Closing her eyes.]

I realize this might be important information, so I apologize for delaying in reporting this. It wasn't intentional on my part to do so - I wanted to confirm and see if this was just in myself and Luna, or if Princess Cadance and Princess Twilight Sparkle also had this problem. While I couldn't confirm Cadance realizing it, I would like to speak with whoever switched with Princess Twilight Sparkle about this.

Again, I apologize for the delay on this. And also...

[A little smile plays on her face.]

I hope you all are having a lovely time with the Maze Trotter. Has anyone gotten to the end?

Good evening, everypony. I hope you are all well.

[Reimi is sitting behind an unfinished ikebana piece, and seems to be working as she speaks. There's also several pieces behind her.]

I have been hearing of a festival known as Nightmare Night, and hear it is not unlike Halloween. Unfortunately, I do not know much of that festival, as it is not common in the area where I am from. Would someone be so kind as to explain such to me?

[Frowning as the flower she just placed doesn't match what she wished, she uses her magic to put it to the side, a hoof to her chin.]

On another note, I seem to have made a slight surplus of pieces at some point, so I would like to sell them off, but I seem to have hit a snag in my work: I cannot find a good flower or plant to serve as a centerpiece for this one around here....However, I have heard that the Everfree has some plants of unusual coloring, but that it also has some that..well, cause undesirable effects. I do not wish to bring harm upon myself or a customer, so...could somepony help in in this regard?

[Zecora is looking particularly ominous today, her hut dark save for the mysterious blue glow from her cauldron, which throws her muzzle into sharp relief and makes her eyes gleam a baleful blank yellow beneath her hood.]

If you have known the Pale Pony's touch
I have a request, if it's not too much.
If you have died, or are now dead
Hasten to me, before the chance has fled!
If you know anything about the rainbow embrace
Or what might be the case in the Pale Pony's place
Then help me stop her consumption of souls.
For that is now my first and foremost of goals.

[Zecora looks deadly serious as she activates the scroll, a frown on her face and her usually warm tone solemn and almost hesitant.]

Strange things are at hoof in this land
And even I do not understand
The changes that keep taking place
But you may be a saving grace.
I need to know more of that story
Of the other me in all her glory.

[The ominous purple figure that appears on the scrolls looks to be in Zecora's hut. Clearly some horrible monster has invaded and kicked her out!]

I do not really mind this new thing that's transpired
But can somepony explain why I am expired?!

[That's right, Zecora is mildly disturbed by being a GHOST for some reason.]

Well, to judge, she came from the sky, and now, Jou Shan Aleflower is up in a tree, more than a few dozen feet off the ground. Sadly, this was not how she'd expected to arrive anywhere. Much less...where she was now. It didn't look like anywhere she'd been in Azeroth...

"Come on, Jou. You climbed higher trees as a cub...then again, I had paws," she groused, taking a look at the hooves that now ended her feet. "Not a zhevra's hooves!"

Still, grousing was not about to get her down, and her dangling was drawing something of a crowd.

"Put your belly in it, girl!" she encouraged herself, before with some straining and grunting, Jou Shan got herself up and balanced on the branch she had landed on.

Now, to try to get down...preferably in one piece!

For those who seek the Gala's joy
If dressing up should quite annoy
Then perhaps may I suggest
That a zebra's wares might serve you best?

[Zecora sweeps a hoof back to show several vials and jars that sit on the shelves of her stall in the Night Market.]

Not fancy by any degree
You will nevertheless see
A glossy coat or radiant mane
Or perhaps a tint will be your gain.
Natural and safe, guaranteed
A mild boon if you are in need.

It has been long since I sent you all a missive. I was deep in study, and pray you all your pardon.

Behind this cut is... a credo, I feel I should remind myself. If you are not inclined to pray, you need not join me.

( This I beleive... )

It is good to be back in communication. I have much to catch up on.

May anyone recommend a tavern or restaurant? I confess I have neglected my meals.

[The scroll flickers to life and a small orange and white mouse peers into it. He bobs his head, curious, whiskers twitching before he finally speaks.]

I ah... I've never seen anything like this before. But it must be some sort of communication.

[He clears his throat as he leans his head inward, a nice close up of his black nose and whiskers.]

Hello, my name is Rung. I'm part of the Lost Light, a ship of Cybertronians. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of the ship. I need to return to my duties onboard it.

[A pause and he leans back to look down at himself. A small mouse, with orange and white fur, and a small blue dot on the center of his chest. His nose twitches, whiskers flinching.]

And if anyone could explain as to why my... holoform is now that of an unfamiliar organic, that would be greatly appreciated. I can't seem to return to my normal form. And this form is rather smaller than what I'm used to.

None the less, thank you for listening.

[From the Night Market, the zebra addresses the scroll in solemn tones. No chance for imagery and visual trickery today, not when the scrolls portray it so poorly. This would be better addressed in person, but for that there is little time or opportunity.]

A tale passed down through countless years
Now needs to reach your willing ears.
Listen, my friends, for I shall tell
A story that is a lesson as well.

In ancient times before any you know
Thousand of years, perhaps ten thousands ago
Before the term 'country' was even coined
The lands we know were all together joined.
Unlike modern times, where division is the norm
The land was not divided by type or by form.
On any day you'd meet any manner of creature
And so common was this, you'd find it no strange feature.

Then, as now, the pegasi
Controlled the weather with swift wing and keen eye.

The day then came when a great earthquake
Caused the land to shatter, to smash and to break!
The various pieces of earth shifted
And slowly but surely, separately they drifted.

At first this was no great tragedy.
Wings and a will could cross the small seas.
But day after day and year after year
They separated, going to far from near.
With pegasi no longer able to fly
Across the great expanses of sky
The weather in other lands grew quite unstable,
Uncontrolled as it was, for none others were able.
The pegasi tried
(That cannot be denied)
But the distance from their kin
Wore them out, did them in.

So the pegasi scholars sought to devise
A better solution to tame the skies.
The answer came from the wise, twisted brain
Of a pegasus, legend tells, named Windward Rain.
This ingenious mare had two pony comrades
Who helped her, inadvertently, with one of their fads.
Crazy Eights, a unicorn, had used her power
On the gems Emerald Miner, the earth pony, could shower
Upon her, thanks to the riches of her mines.
These gems could hold spellcraft, in runes or in lines!
Even pegasi or earth ponies could then cast that small spell.
The idea is clear, but still I shall tell
That Windward Rain took this thought
Back to the scholars, and not
Without tireless effort
(And perhaps a little sport)
Did they at last create
Three gems they deemed great!

They gave two of the three
To Griffaltar, to be
A symbol of faith and trust
To the griffons, who must
Now use its power to tend
The weather, where their friend
Pegasi weren't present
And help keep it pleasant.

The third, I add as a matter of course
Went to the zebras, whose magical force
Could draw out the spell
As equally well.

I trust you will find this tale helps keep you abreast
Of the history behind events of local interest.

[Look, it's a zebra! Zecora has unrolled a scroll in her home as a thought occurred to her -- an important one, since a cauldron in the back is belching thick green clouds of something she isn't paying attention to.]

Newponies and old alike
A thought strikes me that I dislike.
A curiosity I present to those
Trapped by changelings. This question I pose
Concerns your health and how you fare
In the days since the invasion scare.
Is anypony feeling unwell
In unusual ways, if you can tell?

[Hey, everyone, say hello to a bedsheet hanging over the side of a bed. Oh wait, its just that somepony is under the bed! And that somepony is Honeycomb. And she doesn't seem to want to come out for some reason. Also, not to give her location away, she might be hiding under one of the beds in the commune]

Um...everypony, I have a super important question.

So...suppose there's a really...complicated thing going on with a friend of mine. Uh. One of my bees. Armand. Yeah.

[At this, a bee comes from under the covers, a part of it twitching. Wait no, its waving rather shyly.]

So, uh, Armand has something very, very important to tell somepony. Actually, a lot of someponies.

[ Cue some bees wearing pony costumes. The scroll zooms in on the action and it is clear that the bees are the ones actually holding and controlling the scroll. Aw, look, there's even a Celestia one.]

There's a problem with...well, the pony in question doesn't like Armand due to, uh, issues with bees. Like...generations of hostility and misunderstandings on both sides level of issues. And if Armand tries to approach the pony directly he could get in a looooooot of trouble because he's a bee. Like. Um. Eternal banishment levels of trouble.

[Cue the Celestia-dressed bee bringing out a very tiny paper bag how do bees even get anything that size and places it on Armand the bee's head. After a moment, Armand tosses it off, clearly not amused because what happened to the box they'd agreed on for this demonstration--]

And, uh, suppose it turned out Armand was pretending the whole time to be, um...a butterfly friend. So everypony was all "Hey Armand the butterfly, how are you!"

[At this, the bee looks behind him towards under the bed, looks back at the bees, then back under the bed. Shaking its head, it slips under for a few moments before coming back out in an admittedly fabulous purple-based butterfly getup. Complete with make up.]

But he wasn't really a butterfly even though he ended up with friends from it. And then somepony did stuff and another somepony might have found out about the fact Armand might not have been a butterfly but now they're taken away by the bad rainbows and also Armand might have takenlotsofpicturesofeveryponywhennoponywaslooking without their permission.

[That last part being spoken incredibly fast.]

So, um, Armand feels very ashamed about it but he doesn't know what to do. So, um, any suggestions for Armand would be...super helpful? And Armand would enjoy it too.

[And indeed, as the scroll is closed, Armand actually is enjoying strutting around like a preening peacock. What? He was a fabulous butterbee.]

[Hey there citizens of Equestria, one small blue-orange dragon holding a briefcase experimentally taps the scroll as he looks into it. Sure, given all the changes he should be traumatized, right?

But in reality Brainstorm looks more intrigued than anything else. Tap, tap, tap--mash face into scroll before pulling out.]

Hmm, pretty sophisticated communication technology--at least I think it is. That or it's one of those suggestion devices and I'm talking to a piece of parchment like a lunatic!

[Regardless he seems to be talking to himself, like no one could see this. He's used to talking to himself.]

Hmmm so one of two things has happened: a) my AU bomb must have been set off by Swerve and now I believe myself to be an organic in a high-saturated world or b) I am actually in an alternate universe with way too many colors...

Well I guess I'll find out in the next two seconds if my neural processors don't overload and explode from my module!

[Pause.

Ok, he can rule out the bomb.]

B it is.

[God, being an organic's so strange. Don't mind if he sets down his briefcase and tugs at his tail. Note to self: see if he can remove it later.]

Guess I'll have to adjust to being organic--like first off, I seem to be expelling and drawing a gas through my mouth. Ok, so how can I make that stop...maybe if I...

[Immediately Brainstorm covers his mouth and nose. In a matter of minutes he begins to turn blue, falling over. Moments later he appears onscreen, eyebrow quirked.]

...appears I'm addicted to this gas. I should seek an organic doctor.

......anyone getting this?