So I see all of us have seen that announcement, and while I have been looking a few things up, I had some questions.

What type of zoning laws does Equestria use? Is that land under agricultural? Has Shanks thought about what he'll have to do too apply changes to that zoning structure? Entertainment and Residential usually follow very different rules and switching between them can be a nightmare...  Of course, he might not even plan to do what he's said, but only to buy the land and not even use it to rub salt in the wound. Even when you're a dominant power in place, bylaws can be difficult.

Speaking of which, there was something off about how he worded his announcement, but maybe that's just me. He's worded it like a straight to TV children's live action movie villain. Has he played a character like that?

[[ooc: Gaignun used to run a space colony, he has flashbacks about red tape.]]

[You see a Pinkie slouched over the kitchen counter, as she works her computer which mysteriously has kept running all this time. Dont' ask, it's Pinkie. You hear the "plink plink plink" of things falling and the occasional combo, as she drinks from a giant mug that reads "Kiss me I'm Amish".

Pinkie looks exhausted, her hair matted and frizzled from sleep with bags under her eyes as she continues to work the computer.]

UUUUUGH why did I stay up till 2, this was a mistake...!

[Taking another pull from the coffee, she worked the mouse feverishly for a moment before sighing.]

Match 3 games, you are the devil, and I hope you burn in fire! [A pause] No that's a lie. I can't say that, it's actually untrue. I love match 3 games!

[And she hugs her computer before plinking noises continue. Addicted much? At this, Pinkie turns to the "camera" and states] Don't get addicted to match 3. Seriously.

Hello everypony, I have just enough time in my schedule to announce that the summer Full Moon is upon us. A blue moon is scheduled for the 31st of this month, and if you wish to share your moon cakes with one another then now is the time.

The moon cake festival was an old tradition back in my own Equestria, as a marker for the mid-summer to leap into fall. Thus being said, I will be raising a Blue Moon that night in honor of that tradition.

Moon cake recipes for those who are not aware, will be listed under the following locations with fliers handed out. And I hope you will all take time to make some for your friends and loved ones.

Hey everypony, I'm just in the middle of setting up for fireworks tonight. Why? Because I think we need it! There'll be picnic food and when sundown hits I'll be lighting the place up!

Come join us, there's going to be punch and stuff.

Oh I almost forgot, it's being held behind Sugarcube Corner in the field there.

I'm going to go meet my producers for a while but I must have gotten into the Poison Joke extract or something cause I'm a stallion right now.

So which tie?

[And she holds up a striped tie or a patterned one.]

[It's early evening at Saori's household kitchen when the scroll starts. The first face to show up belonged to an orange tabby cat. He blinked and was about to paw at the scroll but his ears pick up a noise and he turned around. Unaware of the recording scroll, Saori had her back turned. Instead she was focused on a calendar and another scroll floating in mid-air. A pen scribbled something on the scroll but hastily crossed it out. She let out a huff and shook her head.]

It's June already, huh? This isn't good. I should've had everything planned and ingredients ordered a while ago but...I think I've finally hit a slump. Maybe macarons would be a good idea this year. It'll be June 15th soon enough.

[She lets out a sigh but manages to put on a small smile.]

Still, to think I'd be turning 100. Now that's a milestone I'd never thought I'd reach and yet that's still young for someone like me.

[While Saori kept thinking out loud, Mana meowed. She turned around and went over to the cat. Maybe what she needed was a break. It was only after a side glance did she notice the scroll next to him. She went slackjaw in horror.]

Gah! How...How long was this thing on?!

[It's early evening when the scrolls come on, showing the small-ish pegasus. He looks... well, troubled would probably be the best description. Like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and found it too heavy.]

I've... um. I've got a question, for anyone that might be able to help.

[He doesn't look too confident about that idea, though. He sighs softly, fiddling for a moment with the ground, not quite looking at the scroll.]

I was wondering if any of you have heard of, ah... "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder"? And know anything more about it other than "it's pretty much what it sounds like."

[A shrug.] I've already tried researching around here, and haven't had any luck. So... any help that anyone can give me would be really, really appreciated.

..Thanks. [And then the feed cuts out.]

So it looks like my ass has actually stayed stuck here for a full year, which I guess is kind of damn near amazing because you'd think the thing keeping us here would have gotten tired of my ass by now. But hey tell you what: because I'm in such a damn good mood, let's celebrate. You come to my farm today and if you're able to tell me an accurate fact about apples, I'll give you something nice. P.S. what I'm giving you is gonna be some kick ass apple shit.

Other than that know I've been asking for a lot of help lately but I gotta ask for a little more. So this Gala thing...what the hell is the business for this shit? Like, fanciest dance I was ever at was prom, but I suspect spiking the punch with Jack Daniels and cough syrup and necking in the janitor's closet is probably gonna get my ass thrown out of there a shitton quicker than it did at prom. I mean hell, I'm usually up for raising a ruckus but, you know. Kind of like to just have a nice time for once.

Already got a dress worked on and on the way, just need to know if there's anything else I need to avoid aside from how it's bad manners to flip tables over or punch a waiter or something.

So I hear they're holding the Gala again this year, it should be interesting considering how everyone's luck has been displaying itself.  So, who all is going? Do you think we'll catch a nice break?

Anyways, honestly I just wanted to check in with everyone after all that, there's some I haven't heard from in a while.

[Someone may or may  not be slacking off a little bit at Saori's tea house]

[Oh look, it's a little dumb dragon in a big dumb hardhat, a set of blueprints rolled up under his arm.]

So yeah I get that the last several weeks - hey, lets call it, the last month - has sucked pretty bad, but you know what doesn't suck really bad?

Video games~

See, since there's a lot of dumb, empty land around the place, we're taking some of that dumb empty land outside town and making it awesome by putting an arcade there. It should be up and running by this time next month, but hey since this place is lame and not like there's much else to do...

You can come and test some of the machines my boys and I made so far. You know. Get a chance to play a few games for free. I'm a pretty nice guy, so I think I can spare that for you, cause you'll be coming back when it opens in proper next month.

Though if you're gonna send a few bits my way, hey, I don't mind.

So, hey. I've got a question, now that th'world is back to what passes for "normal" 'round here.

What do you do if it turns out that you've been livin' a lie all your life? Not, like, in the Mayfield sense, but... what if you thought you were a hero and you turned out to only be hurtin' people, or...

[Flare goes quiet, and glances away.]

...or what if you believed you were cursed, only t'find out it was all in your head, and you were only holdin' yourself back? What do you do when you find that sorta thing out?

( [Private to Zetta] )

A little while back, somepony posted this , and I figured that some followup was needed. This isn't them, but the object of affection to to speak and I just wanted to say....

Thank you.

Thank you everyone for what you said to them. It helped more than any of you can ever imagine. It gave the both of us courage to talk it through and decide on what to do.

And yes, we decided to give it a shot. Again...thank you everypony.

[Doc appears on the scroll very casually. He's trying to play chess with a rather fluffy puppy, a Yorkie with a bow in her hair.]

Yes, yes, Miss Curie, excellent work! Now some positive reinforcement for your training---have at it!

[He tosses her a treat, which she catches expertly. He smiles---then stares wide-eyed at the glowing scroll.}

I've activated this blasted scroll too early again. My apologies for the mundane display, but I was hoping to address everyone this morning, so I hope it won't trouble you if I continue. I've been discussing the matter with my current companion, but as she is a canine and I have yet to invent a speech translator, as you can imagine our conversations haven't been as illuminating as I would hope.

[He scribbles a note to himself on a nearby paper. Looks like he'll be trying to invent that translator---and he's smiling when he looks back, sounding as casual as he can.]

I've lived a relatively long life, and as we all have, I've made mistakes. And lately, as I'm prone to do, I've been pondering a rather pointless hypothetical scenario: if you had the opportunity to alter your past, would you take that risk?

[Nozomi's been a little listless since this all started and she's opted to write her thoughts down on something. That something, unknowingly, is her scroll.]

Hope. I feel that we have lost that feeling. That we are so used to Calice's actions that, when we lose a friend, it's not the hope that they'll come back someday, but the hope that Calice will show mercy and send them back, on purpose or on accident. We've already lost to her in anything meaningful that way.

We fear her, even if we don't realize it. We fear her and what she can do. What we fear, we hate. And what we hate, we want to prove we're better. We drew weapons from our homes in order to protect ourselves from her.

We can't hate Calice. We can't fear her. She needs us as much as we need each other. She's hurt and wounded.... well, maybe not wounded, but just hurt. And yet...

We need to understand her. We need the patience to find a way to help her. Once we do, we can push forward and never give up, and we can't give that up for a second.

Knowledge. Tranquility. Effer Effir Effervescence. Passion.

Karen. Komachi. Urara. Rin.

Nozomi.

Hope.

My name means 'hope'. I need to help them. I want to help them. I want to help her.

...Calice. I want to help Calice. If I can help Calice, I can help anyone. If I can give her hope, I can give anyone hope.

That's what I want to do.

I want to be everyone's hope. Starting with Calice.

[Audio]

Oh, darn, I'm out of room on here... wait, what is this...? AHHH! I WROTE THIS ON MY SCROLL!

[HEY GUYS GUESS WHO IT IS

ITS BEEN AWHILE SINCE SHE'S BEEN ON THE SCROLLS! And she looks a little bit excited, too.]

Hey, guys? I know things have been kind of...not great lately...so...

[The changeling queen looks around at her bees, who nod.]

...I've got some great news! There's this production company in Neighpon called Hachimitsu - HAMI - a-and...and they want to make a sci fi film starring me and my bees! As good guys!

[Throwing her hooves up excitedly.]

ON THE MOON!!

[Flail flail]

AND they'll donate some of the gross to the welcome fund!!

[Flaaaaaaaaail]

Can you believe it!? This is a good thing for everypony! They're going to start shooting in a month and release it in the summer if everything goes well, so...I'm hoping it goes well!

So it would seem the sleeping crisis is over. I'm glad that mess has gotten sorted out; it got in the way of my announcement. I wish I could have done this sooner, but there is not changing that now.

[She sounds serious. Could it be bad news?]

I'm sure you all remember the fun times you had during Hearts and Hooves Day, especially a select group of you who were 'encouraged' to go out and have a date.

[Nope, not bad news, nor anything serious.]

I do hope you all enjoyed it. It took me a while to set that all up. In the end, however, I feel things turned out far better than I had expected. I had intended it as simply a veiled way for you to make a new friend, but some groups may have gotten a little more out of it~. I could not be more pleased, and I look forward to both your thanks and your angry letters.

Ah, and Tails? Reimi? I am terribly sorry for the incident with the cloud. I overestimated the strength of the enchantment; had it lasted a half-hour longer it would have put you down on the ground before wearing off.

[A dingy and darkly dressed earth pony in Town Square appears on your magic scroll, his deep frown and narrowed gaze greeting you...not so cheerfully. It might be a bit intimidating to some. Hearing the scroll chatter with activity almost like a cell phone, he attempts to communicate with it...or whoever it's connected to.]

I just wanna know one th--!

[Said dingy dressed pony does a face plant as his scroll bounces against the ground beside him, though it captures the spill perfectly.]

Goddamn it...

[Shinjiro slowly climbs back on all four hooves and carefully inches back towards the scroll. A bunch of birds start tweeting...are they laughing at him? He frowns and shoots a glare at them, but decides it's not worth it to pursue the issue further. They'll just get another laugh out of his misfortune.]

Is this the first stop on the itinerary, or is this it?

[Because if it is the last 'stop', it's...not what he was expecting.]

[Hey there everyone. It's been a while since Surprise really used her scroll that much but here she is coming at ya, a small pair of goggles over her eyes like some weird, mad scientist.]

So, you know, this is the first time I really had any kind of interest in Hearts and Hooves Day since, man. I dunno. Maybe fourth grade or something? I had a crush on this weird kid who sat a few rows behind me, you know, the kind of kid who used to eat paste, and I made him this big, elaborate paper heart with glitter and shiny marker and everything.

I. Uh. I'm pretty sure he ate it.

So hey you know, man, kind of saying I'm pretty new to trying to, you know. Be sweet on someone! Or give gifts to someone! So I was thinking what's a romantic thing to get a guy you've known for a while. And then I had it.

Tesla coils.

Check this out.

[The white pegasus moves the scroll to position it so that it gives a view of three large Tesla coils, set up in a triangular pattern. As the pegasus switches the coils on, electricity sparks and curls between the pillars. Eventually, the electricity begins to stabilize, to form a pattern that results in a large heart shape with the word "ON" in the middle of it.]

It's, uh...it's supposed to say Don but I think I need to calibrate it a bit more. I mean I still have a few days, man, I'm golden.

Oh. I also knitted him a scarf and sweater since it can get cold in his lab, especially right now.

[And she pushes a purple scarf and sweater combo forward for a moment.

And then pauses.]

Do you think that's too much?

[One big fluffy dog lies in front of his scroll, his big dog eyes appearing a tad lost, like they're searching for something.]

It is good to see the people of this world returning to themselves. I know losing control is not a good thing to live through...

[He shifts, letting his head rest on one paw.]

I am sorry I was not as much help as I could have been...I honestly do not remember where I have been...it does not matter.

[The diamond dog didn't come here just to make small talk anyhow.]

But I must be true...I did not call only for this. I have a question...how does one forget? How does one forget someone you know you cannot see?

I don't know the answer myself. Maybe someone knows it...