An open inquiry, to whomever may be able to help:

I want someone to explain, clearly and concisely, what magic is and how it works. I've asked local ponies and none of them can give me a satisfactory answer.

What is it about unicorns and our horns in particular that allows us to perform magic with greater scope and efficiency? Does the horn act as a conducting rod for a specific type of energy or element not present in other places across the multiverse? If so, has this energy been studied or isolated in any way? You would think a world built on the use of it would have a greater understanding of the underlying scientific principles.

As we all know, magic is merely science that has not been studied closely enough yet to be comprehensible to all people regardless of intelligence. Thus, I propose the formation of a group dedicated to better understanding 'magic' not as a force which needs no explanation and is simply used with no thought for how it works but as a phenomena with a perfectly reasonable and presumably discoverable explanation grounded on facts. Any and all interested, please respond promptly.

[The scroll is written in clear, concise penmanship, black ink. The signature at the bottom reads 'Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, Tyrant of Europa'.]

[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?