[Well, this is unusual. The scroll comes on, revealing a middle-aged, stocky green stallion, with slicked back dark brown hair and a pencil mustache. He would seem tobe an otherwise normal pony - nothing outwardly odd or ominous. For those who deigned to go to the movie premiere, however, there is no doubt who this is.

This is Tom Shanks.

And he's beaming.]

Howdy, my friends! That's how Ponyville talks nowadays, right? Well, in any case, this is Tom Shanks, owner of Placeton and Quarterhorse Quarterly, with a special announcement! We're expanding again!

[Why does he look so happy. Why is he telling the off-worlders.]

And we've found the perfect place to do so. See, I've wanted to expand my business to the smaller towns, spread the truth and beauty I've come to find recently, but I just can't seem to do it without a significant presence. So, I've decided to buy up some lands that were in lien - don't worry yourselves about what that means, by the way - to make a brand new production lot right here in Ponyville!

[Waving his hoof, he moved aside, revealing a curtain. An unlucky assistant pulled it, revealing a large sign with a before and after picture. The after picture is a sprawling mecca of buildings, studios, and even a mini theme park clearly designed with Quest for Canterlot in mind. Its, for pony standards, impressive and advanced?

The before side?...looks...an awful lot like Satyagraha Farm.]

We'll have the legal niceties wrapped up by the end of the week. I've already put a bid on the place, and I believe I'll be able to bring my dream of truth to Ponyville at long last.

[A pleased, deep breath of contentment. Then he comes back to the scroll again, his voice flat as he stares.]

Oh, also, to the squatters on my land? You have a week to pack up and leave before I start razing. Nothing personal, just progress.

[Hey, guess what, it's Strong Bad.

Guess what else, he's wearing a black apron. And he's chilling in the kitchen, bowls and morsels laid before him. There's also a plate of cookies toward the edge of the table, all colors.]

You ever have those nights when you just need to get your hands dirty and make something? 'Cause I do. So I've made about three dozen cookies in the last two hours, and no way can I eat that much. I mean...I can, but I shudder to think of what my girth would begin to resemble.

So y'know what? For once, I'll give y'all something. No strings attached. Come on down to the shack and take it---and if you want to help me perfect these more exotic recipes, come on down.

Sleeping in the streets, honestly...

[Not quite new, Kafei is in fact no stranger to Equestria. That's why if anyone spots an unfamiliar tiny fox sulking about town and not freaking out, that's probably why. ...In fact, that's definitely why, he acts as though he never left at all! Instead he appears much more upset over the dirt that accumulated on his clothing thanks to waking up outside of all places, mumbling to himself under his breath. You know, he tries his hardest not to blackout, and then this happens? He can't even remember last night...

Which reminds him, he might as well make a quick scroll message. Kafei can't even bring himself to look into the thing, huffing and puffing his way along town.]

If I damaged any of your property, I apologize.

[...And that's it. That's all he says. Why he'd ever damage anyone's stuff to begin with will forever be a mystery, but apparently he felt it was important enough to bring up.]

[Who's this pony? His face certainly isn't familiar...at least, not without that trademark black mask. But the voice, lower and flatter than it's ever sounded, is definitely Strong Bad's. Yes, apparently that's him, but he won't even look at the scroll directly.]

Lemme make one thing crystal-clear: I never want to hear a word about friendship again. At least not where I'm concerned.

I'm nobody's friend. Been there, tried it...and ended up being the bad guy anyway, so I'm thinking life's trying to tell me to stick to what I know. We're all be much happier pony-people this way, and that's just how it's gonna have to be.

So, uh...I hate you. I guess.

[As fun as the Gala was, it did something for Kafei he never thought would be possible: Put things in perspective. The food, while very pretty and some of it absolutely delicious, had some...interesting ingredients to it. Namely flowers, grasses, hay, normal pony food. It was not something he could eat, and a part of him was very thankful for that, and yet there were people...people he knew weren't ponies before, eating them like it was no problem. Nothing wrong with that, in fact he was almost impressed.

...And then it made him think. A lot. If he were a pony, how long would it take him to start eating those sorts of things? Because right now? It sounded a lot easier than what his body craved. In other words, in desperation of trying to get some kind of protein, Kafei often found himself snapping at bugs. It was awful, demeaning...but would anyone else think so? So far he's been able to control himself just in time, but with the way he shows up on the scroll resting pathetically on one of his cushions and the way his stomach begins to growl, he almost wonders if he should stop caring.

He could, you know, hunt, but that takes a lot more effort... Rabbits are way too fast.]

How...how long does it take to adjust to eating strange things here? Did anyone else have a difficult time with this, because I think I'm going mad.

[He says that so casually. But no, really, how long did it take for others to stop depending on cakes, because that information is important. For science.]

[There's a Breezie visible in the scrolls, all tiny and blue and adorable with her little pixie cut and displeased expression. Her pout somewhat worsens when she takes a look around and realizes that she's been in this exact place a few times before--not nearly enough to know all the ins and outs, but enough to at least know where the hell she is.

Maybe it's not too surprising that she turned up here again, but she's never been a victim of involuntary shapeshifting until now.]

Okay, maybe this is just me, but is anyone else like, super wigged out that we're not given the opportunity to at least choose what we want to be? It's just "OH HEY THERE, WELCOME TO FANCY PONY WORLD, YOU WANNA BE SOMETHING NOT TINY? WELL, TOO BAD."

And I don't know how I feel about that. I mean, sure, I guess this is a thing that I can get used to eventually, but I still think I would have made the best dragon or something. I'd have been like "FEAR ME MORTALS, FOR YOUR WORLD SHALL BURN" or some other kind of intimidating nonsense, mostly I would've just sat on a bunch of gold...

Um.

...I heard from a very reputable source that you guys are having some kind of gala?

Maybe I'm just homesick, but knowing that this party is only a few weeks away, I've been wondering how strange it would be to attend in ...a mask.

[Because if there's one thing a party needs, it's a tiny fox in a mask.]

...I never thought I'd ever have to ask something like that, it's almost hard to imagine a large event without masks. You see, back in Clock Town we held a similar yearly Carnival and mask wearing was simply tradition. Seeing as I missed...ours, I thought it could be...fun...to make more masks with...others.

[He almost sounds hesitant, but it's Kafei so who's even surprised anymore.]

Unless it's too strange, of course, I wouldn't want to ruin your own traditions. ...And provided I even attend.

[A familiar green-haired pony is popping up on everyone's scrolls, looking very puzzled. It's obvious there will be an upcoming question.]

Lately, when I've been walking through town, I've heard ponies talking about a 'gala'? I was just... wondering what a gala was. Is it a party or a festival of sorts? And when is it?

[There's a smallish dragon on the scroll, looking very confused. Skyfire had slept through the whole mess after Tirek had been defeated, but it seemed he'd missed out on the return to 'normal' that everyone else had undergone.]

Um... I think I might have a... er... small problem...

[He tries to get up to move the scroll, and promptly steps on, and falls, over his own tail.]

Ow...

((Ooc: Backdated because I'm full of fail this month... @@ Also he'll be 'growing up' till about the end of May/back to full size by June 1st. So no 'quick fixes' please? XD))

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] )

[With everything that's happening in town lately, it wouldn't be difficult to miss a flash of rainbow light by town hall. With all the people coming in recently, it's easy to overlook it.

When it fades, however, there's a...Fluttershy. It's hard to tell which one at first, as she lay seemingly asleep at the hall steps. But then she shivers, and the dragonfly clip in her mane comes to view as she stirs.

It takes a moment, as though she's having trouble waking up, before her eyes blink open wearily, and she slowly lifts her head. As she does, her Digimon - looking very much like their regular Digimon selves - can be seen sleeping next to her.]

Wh...Wh-What happened...?

[Bertie knows he's not a fighter by this point. He's invited ponies from the village to come hide in his and Dante's cave, and there's a gaggle of them gathered around, some already gray-eyed and drained of their powers. What one of them has told him is something that needs to be shared, though. And it's something that he wants to take part in. It's already the afternoon and so many ponies are already affected. He's not sure how much longer Tirek's reign of terror will continue.]

Hullo, everypony! Bertie Wooster here. I know we've all been having an awfully rough go of it with that Tirek blighter bobbing about, hoovering up everyone's cutie marks and powers. But I know we're all fighting the good fight, as well. And there are three ponies who should be here with us to do that, powers or not.

I'm going to Tartarus to rescue the princesses. They've been down there for hours now and there are a frightful lot of fiends scurrying about in the place. If this villains escaped from there, I'm more than certain there's got to be a dreadful lot of trouble in Tartarus. Ms. Nana Granate is a pony who sort of... runs it. I think? She'll probably need our help, too.

There's something that she told us the last time Ms. Zecora, Dante, and I managed to get lost down there: The door to Tartarus appears where it's needed.

[He glances off-screen and motions. A pale blue Earth pony with a silver mane leans into the frame of view.]

Mr. Terry Cloth arrived at mine and Dante's cave just half an hour ago. He found the door to Tartarus in his home.

[Terry speaks up.]

Yeah... it's kind of, like, where my bathroom used to be. So, that's awkward.

[Bertie's earnest expression fills the scroll again as the other stallion leans back out.]

He's at 331 Clipclop Drive in Ponyville. I'll be meeting anypony who wants to help there in two hours. It's a lot of time, but we haven't got much before the whole town is drained. Be careful moving there and avoid that villain at all costs!

((OOC: The log post associated with this is located HERE.))

[Flare looks like she's had better days, honestly, her mane frazzled and the lack of sleep obvious in her features. She's in town square, lit faintly by the streetlights late at night. Her scroll is obviously put up somewhere so she can pace as she talks, needing to get this out.]

Alright, Ponyville. What I have to say to you today isn't in fear of the most recent unfathomable evil to cross our doorstep. We all know what to do in a situation like this. No matter what, we have to defend ourselves, and those we care for. I'd ask you all to refrain from using deadly force, try to negotiate if possible... but I trust your judgement in the heat of the moment.

No, I come to you today because I know how we've acted in the past year or so. I know the fears and worries eating at some of you right this very moment. I won't lie to you; the creature who we saw is powerful. Unnaturally so, if he could harm the princesses the way he did. We may not win this fight cleanly, but I assure you, I have full faith that we will drive this creature back. How well we do that... well, it depends on us.

All of us.

[At that, Flare sighs quietly, stopping in her tracks and speaking more firmly, definitively.]

That's not to say you should immediately dive for your superpowered trinkets or your ancient forbidden magics. Certainly, we have a fair share of ponies - and non-ponies - here who are well ahead of the rest when it comes to power, and their job is the most obvious; the job to confront our adversary head on.

But if you don't have those powers, or if you have them but can't trust your control over them? I urge you, please. Trust in those who do. All of us have roles we can fill. This is going to be a war, I assure you, so we'll need ponies assisting our medics, helping keep the wounded out of harm's way and on the road to recovery. We'll need fast, nimble runners to keep supply lines moving. Scholars, this is not an evil unknown to Equestria. I don't know his name, but he's been in my world's legends, so I'm sure there's something about him here in native books. We'll need you working to try to predict these movements, to find weaknesses that we can strike at.

Those of you who are able-bodied but unable to contribute to the fight on the front-lines? Group together and start warning others. Send out words to other towns as to what is going on here, lead those who cannot fight to safety. Otherwise, you can stay here alongside me - this town will be our base of commands, and we need to protect it with everything we've got.

Remember how we took on Nightmare Moon a year and a half ago, how ponies banded together for a united cause and brought her down, freed Twilight from that infernal possession. Remember the way that Cálice tore us apart by her slightest appearance, and left us unable to connect with each other, unable to form those bonds again, striking out at each other out of pain and fear. We can work together, and all play our part... but we have to try.

I assure you; each and every one of us is important here. Even those neighsayers who would rather turn tail and run, or who think this is another trick - don't be afraid of being yourself, of speaking against this! A regime that promotes peace and togetherness only works as long as there is opposition on the outside pointing out the flaws. Otherwise, the belief becomes a farce as the system corrupts itself from within. As twisted as it may seem... without conflict, we cannot have harmony. Without the occasional fight, ponies cannot truly be friends. We are all good people, and the only way for evil like this to triumph is for all of us to do nothing.

Just remember, alone we are but single souls, but together, we can achieve anything, stop anyone!

Are you with me? Are we with each other?

[And with that, Flare awaits, to see if others will speak up.]

Um...

[If Kafei was hesitant the last time he made a scroll message, then right now he's just a ball of nerves. That dragon thing got him laughed at, and then his last in-person meeting was...less than stellar. It's hard to trust people, okay? But right now he really doesn't have much of a choice.]

...I had planned on going to those mines once they opened, and now that the time has come, I'm in need of an...escort. I know I was told that the path would be safe, but at least in Termina, it's incredibly unwise to leave town unprepared. Really, I have no idea how this town gets away without having any guards...

Which means I find myself forced to reach out. I'm afraid I have nothing to pay anyone with, so I can understand if this sounds less than ideal. After all, I don't have to go...

[He begins to shrink back, the second-guessing commences; ABORT. ABORT.]

This was a bad idea, I apologize.

Yeah hey hi. So, I don't really have a horse in this idiot race but I've got a question for a bunch of you. You know. You guys who want to jump back into the monster that has us here to get your friend back?

Are you idiots?

...Okay. Maybe that's a bit harsh even if it's probably true! Cause you've got every right to want to tear this thing apart. I mean I sure want to. But hey let's consider something. So you get inside to find your friend.

Then what?

Let's say that you somehow don't find yourself in an environment you know nothing about, that this thing doesn't have several layers of terrifying defense you know nothing about, and that you aren't helpless before this thing. Assuming all that miraculously happens to be true and you do find her?

How do you know this thing hasn't done something to her? How do you know it hasn't done something to all of us for that matter, but specifically the person it got its hands on? How do you know, if you can get to her beyond all odds, the thing keeping us here didn't want you to find her?

I've seen this crap happen time after time after time, and I don't care what super duper powers or junk you think you have, going back into this thing is a terrible idea that at best is just going to end in you getting caught or at worst is going to make this dumb thing angry enough to decide it needs to punish all of us.

I'm not saying don't be angry or want to do something, just don't do something that can only get you killed because you're so pissed you decide you're not going to care what you do, just that you're going to do something. You can't win in this. Only chance you got is maybe appealing to it like whatever nerdlinger wrote that sappy note here a day or two ago. The thing doesn't seem to actively be trying to kill us, so maybe it'll listen to you trying to beg it. Maybe.

...I'm not saying don't miss her. I'm just saying that maybe if you're at a point where you want to get back something you lost so bad that you're that fixated on it, it...isn't really about the thing you lost. It's just about you. And if that's the reason you're going into this monster, that's a pretty terrible reason. I dunno why people were jumping into it in the first place, I'll be a nice guy and give the benefit of a doubt that it was for a good reason. So do you really wanna negate her good reason with a bad one?

You can't brute force something like this. No matter how hard you try. That's it. It'd be a good idea to learn that.

Jeez.

[The scroll opens on Crmsn looking down into it, it's flat on the ground and he's hovering over it. It's pretty obvious that he's barely given himself time to breath since getting back. There's also a rather...unclear focus in his eyes.]

Alright. Alright I just...I need a second here just...okay the-nngh...

[He winces a little and shakes his head roughly.]

Ugh...kay...I...okay...the dive into Calice. Right. We went in, we did our thing...J-A's team is still in there s'far as I know. Ya might have already seen, but we lost one on the way out...I just...I wanted to give this a day but...

[He lets out a deep exasperated breath.]

First things first...I know there's a lot of feelings going around...believe me I know what it's like. And...digital gods...'Shy was brave, and is a wonderful pony. She'd be the first to tell us it was okay though. She was shy, and meek, but she was strong enough to put our needs above hers and put herself in harms way so we would be okay. That was friendship. That was bravery, and kindness the likes of which any person here would be lucky to find in their lifetime. And I for one am going to pull myself off my sorry arse and not stop believing in her. One way or another we're going to get her back.

[He takes another breath and re-steadys himself.]

...Second. Regarding Calice...

[He mulls something over and shifts a little uncomfortably, then looks back to the scroll.]

I've given this a lot of thought, and I don't think Calice and Twilight are the same...I want to say entity. I think they're sharing the same body and I don't know which we keep speaking to, but I'd imagine Twilight's still in there fighting back for control. I think...I think the power in control is getting stronger, and it keeps having to exert more control to keep its hold on her. It's...it's theory right now, but that was not the same force we felt the last time we were in there, and it was not...it wasn't as...as...nngh...

[He eases back looking more frustrated than tired and rubs at his temple.]

Fracking...work dangit! I need you to think more and hurt less. Coherent! That's the word. It wasn't as coherent as it was last time. It was more disjointed...i-it was...

Look I know this might sound strange, and everything hurts right now, but this is what I need you guys to do. For...for our friends. Don't give up on them. Don't start thinking this is hopeless. They are not gone. Fluttershy...the Twilight of that world...bit every pony that's been taken. They need our bravery, for us to face forwards. Keep them in your hearts and believe in their strength. We will get them back. So please, for them. Don't lose heart.

[He nods to the scroll, a little more affirmative in his stance.]

We all hurt, but hurting isn't going to get them back to us...that's all I have to say right now. If you want more answers I'll try and answer anything I can over the scroll, if you want someone to yell at, you can find me at the Decanter soaking this headache in a hard cider.

Hi.

[A chocolate brown pegasus lays on the ground, wings splayed before her as her pitch black hair writhes in front of her towards the scroll. She smiles, though the visual is disorienting considering she's upside down.

Even more disorienting are her eyes, one red, one blue. Pure color, no pupils.]

If there is one thing I have to say has surprised me about this world, it has been your insistence on the power of friendship. Of love, of forgiveness, of kindness. And while I put no stock in it, it is true - such things have power. No one could deny that. Humans love, you ponies love, even demons love, as foreign as that must be to all of you. Friendship and love are as strong as spite, indeed, stronger still than it in some situations, perhaps.

But they have a fatal flaw. Let me illustrate.

Once upon a time, there were two friends. Demons, in fact, whose friendship spanned periods of time mortals could not comprehend.

[She waves a hoof in front of her, and the grass parts from the ground and floats in the air, curling together into two figures. One of them is like a starfish while the other looks fish like. The two grass figures twirl in the air, circling each other merrily.]

Despite the amount of time they two had spent together, waiting in the recesses of the Expanse, still through thousands of years they remained great friends. Where one went, so did the other. When they were not together, the other waited. And so came they faithful day when they were allowed to leave their home and come to the human world, the true world, though even then only in a sense. One friend said to the other -

[The two figures stop circling, the fish-like one waggling in the air a bit, as if to illustrate it talking.]

'Wait here. I go to gather us a banquet in honor of our arrival.' And so his friend said-

[And now the starfish waggles.]

'I will wait here until you return, no matter how long it takes.'

And so the one went to gather while the other waited. But the friend never returned. You see-

[And in a flash, the pegasus snatches the fish-like one out of the air with its mouth, the figure disappearing in a flash, small bits of grass hanging in the air and then falling as the pegasus chews.]

He was devoured, so to speak, by someone much greater than it. Had challenged someone much stronger. I have the honor of knowing who slew him, although that's another story. Is unimportant, for our tale right now. For his friend still waits for he who has passed on. And waits. And waits.

When they were together, they could be strong. But apart?

They are meager. Friendship, love, whatever you wish to call it, for all it's strength has a vital weakness. If two should become one, they fall apart. If two should even stay together still they fail.

[Smiling, the pegasus sits upright, hoof coming down onto the starfish grass figure and crushing it back into the ground.]

That is the cost in banking on a power that puts faith in others, instead of oneself. A power that is stronger than most others, yet can only be wielded by the vulnerable, the weak. To gain strength from others is a gamble; to expect it to change others who understand it not, a crisis.

The outcome that you describe as having happened into your "challenge" of our host is just as it should be. You expected that you could somehow reason with her in some fashion, it failed, as should be expected. One of you thought to protect the others and paid for it, as they deserved. What you thought to have power was powerless before true strength. This and other examples, anywhere, prove how meager any power you think you have from friendship, from love, is of any worth. Is anything, compared to the true strength one finds in oneself.

And yet

You creatures, you lowly creatures, still believe in it, even though its shown how meager and vulnerable a power it can be day by day.

Why?

Why choose something that's so flawed in protecting oneself, in providing oneself, when one could learn to stand on their own and know something that truly mattered?

[Private to Flare]

Let us continue our long ago talk on harmony. Let us return to it.

[It's still the voice that you'd recognize as 'Hikaru', but...calmer. The eager malice and cruelty that seemed to characterize her every other time she spoke are gone. The sense of superiority, the grating pride is still there, but that's par for the course for any of the body of voices that calls itself Lucifer.

Either way, it's a way the voice hasn't spoken before.]

Let us say that a band is thrown into disarray. They become disjointed from one another, out of tune.

And then someone from outside the band starts to play. Strong and coordinated and rhythmic, but obnoxious and insulting to the piece the others attempted. A challenge, let us say.

When they try to play again, do you think they'll be able to find harmony to challenge this insult? That the chaotic tune that had come from their disjunction might be able to pick itself back into something resembling a harmony? Something they might all play together?

Or will they fall into utter disarray, and just become so much noise?

What do you think? Or should we just watch?

[Applejack appears, but she's not really looking at the camera. She's holding her hat in her hoof, and her mane hangs over her eye. It's safer that way, because she's really about to lose control here.]

I know some of y'all are waiting to hear how it went, meeting her. Calice.

Well, we know a few things more about her, and we'll tell you what you want to know, but more important than that right now is...I failed a friend of mine. Two friends, counting Calice. Our words couldn't reach her, and she's more determined to fight us than ever.

Worse, Fluttershy---the one with the little digi-critters---she saved our hides, but Calice snagged her. She's trapped, and knowing what I know now....

I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.

[Unable to say another word for now, she closes the scroll, about ready to cry.]

Is on, Alpha! [Someone calls from out of the frame of the shot that shows a massive, St. Bernard-esque Diamond Dog sitting atop a stone and crystal throne. His collar is studded with intricate gem patterns, and his green and much less ratty than the ones that the average Diamond Dog might be seen in. He lifts his snout regally before speaking.]

I, Alpha, extend greetings from the Kingdom of the Diamond Dogs to all of Equestrian ponies. Many years we have lived beneath the lands, minded its gems, worked hard to tunnel and explore and build our culture. But maybe we stay too far from the sunlight. Is long time coming, but We have talked with the pony princesses, all pony princesses, and arrange for diplomacy. Dogs trade gems and goods, allowed to travel safe above ground, and ponieses are safe below where we call home.

I say thank you to all ponies for help with sleeping sickness. But thank you most to Luna, Captain Celestia, Wondrous Bolt, Littlepip, and Pyrrha. Will always be friends to Diamond Dogs and are welcome to call on Alpha at all times.

As ambassadog, I name Ruby. [He makes a come-hither motion and a grinning Irish setter-esque Diamond Dog appears. Her collar is, helpfully, studded with rubies for identification purposes.] If ponies come to mines and have questions or want things, Ruby gives directions and helps. All Dogs will help if they can, but some maybe are not enthusiastic like Ruby. [Ruby's tail is wagging as she waves.] It takes long time to build bridges over deep ravines. We will try, though. And hope that all is well. Ponieses have Dogs to call on as allies in fight against anyone, especially the one who makes Dogs disappear in rainbows.

[Ruby's enthusiastic waving halts along with her wagging tail. She droops a bit and Alpha seems very solemn.]

Good luck to all.


((OOC: Please see this post for more information on what's going on with the Diamond Dogs and Mines.))