*There were a lot of things about the events lately that bugged Sollux. There were way too many people here, he was still stuck in crazy hoofbeastland, and now his lisp was back. Granted, he'd prefer his real body than the pony body, but he was really getting used to being able to talk like a normal person. At least he had fingers, but with his psionics it hadn't really made that much of a difference.
He was pretty sure it'd be a better idea just to hide the whole time, but there was something he hadn't been able to do since he got here and he wasm't going to miss his chance. Thus he can be found outside of town near dusk, hunting for...any sort of animal. Trolls weren't really picky, and at this point Sollux would take just about anything he could take.
Though he's most notably NOT looking for conversation, Sollux has never found that to stop anyone before.*

Listen up everyone, there is no need to panic. I assure you that those willing to lend a hoof in dealing with this most recent terror are organizing as we speak.  However, I know not everypony can or is willing to get involved in a conflict of this magnitude. Which brings me to the reason for this little announcement.

There are shelters open willing to take in anyone that wants a safe haven to wait this little conflict out. We shall provide food and blankets along with any other necessities that anyone may need. The shelters are located in the new dojo and in the town library.  Between the two shelters we should have plenty of room to house the entire population of Ponyville if we have to.

I am also looking for volunteers to help guard the shelters and escort anyone to them as needed. I know some might feel more comfortable if they had a bodyguard for the trip. And if you are worried about being turned away, don't be. I shall make sure everyone that wishes to get in gets in.

So, shelters for anyone wishing to stay out of the fighting and volunteers needed to protect and guard the shelters. I would ask that the volunteers have no plan on joining the main fight. If you do, then perhaps you should go talk to Twilight.

( [Filtered to Flare] )

[OOC: Juniper originally left a day after she arrived back in January. She's back, but with no memories of her previous visit.]

[She had been exploring the city for a little while, and while it was difficult to get used to walking on all fours, she was making decent progress. After introducing herself to a few passing ponies and a few other animals, she learned how to use the scrolls. So, everyone can now see one green pony with fairly brown hair and a yellow bow. Visual reference! She's trying her hardest to smile wide, but it's a little shaky.]

U-um, hello everyone. My name's Juniper Woods, and I'm new here. I... I'm not sure how I wound up here, but I'm aware I'm not the only one in that situation. But that's not the strangest thing... a couple of ponies recognize me and know my name, but I've never been here before... is there maybe another Juniper that lives here?

Regardless, it's nice to meet you all.

[You see a visual of Pinkie Pie who is actually working on something for once. She seems to be... doing homework? Scratching her head with a hoof, she reaches offscroll and picks up a carrot, biting into it.]

So if x plus y equals 42 then the meaning of life is...

[Rubbing her forehead, she eats the whole carrot as a lightbulb appears over her head. She ponders for a moment and then reaches up and switches it on, illuminating the scroll.] I got it! Wabbit Season!

So if I take the wabbit season by the state of reality bending, mix it with Star Trek and that means...!

[Pinkie clapped her hooves twice, and a giant cake appears in a poof of pink and confetti.] IT WORKS! IT WORKS! [INSERT MANIACAL CACKLING AS SHE SIMULTANEOUSLY RATTLES SHEET METAL AND PLAYS AN AUDIO TRACK OF THUNDER AS ANOTHER PINKIE FLIPS A SWITCH ON AND OFF SIMULATING LIGHTNING.]

[And then just on cue everything was back to normal.]

Hmm... that was cool. I wonder if Hime's figured out her powers yet...!

[And then Pinkie ate the cake whole.]

(As Twilight makes herself visible on the scroll, the first thing viewers might notice is her new outfit.)

...I know this is very unexpected and unplanned, but today's such a nice that I'm wondering if anyone wants to go spend the day at the Night Market? It's come along well the past few weeks and I'd really like to get a close look at it. From a non-supervisor's perspective, anyway. Clothing shops, restaurants, even the dojo! There's a little something for everyone, I'd say.

(Twilight rubs the back of her head, her foreleg sporting an interestingly designed gauntlet.)

...And no, I'm not trying to advertise it; I'm just...thinking it'd be fun to spend some time with friends. I'll be in the market, in case anyone's interested.

[She'll try to make this short and simple.]

So after more than enough invasions, hordes of dogs, an earthquake--look, you see where I'm going with this. I think it's about time I look into some armor. No offense, but organics are just too...soft for my liking. Hey, I tried, okay?

So this would be the part where you point me in the right direction. And for the record? I will be extremely judgmental. Don't take it personally, it's just that I'm looking for something in particular.

[Arcee then goes to close her scroll, only to stop last second to add something else.]

...Oh, and I guess to any of you who were helping me out before, Marty came back. So, uh...thanks...for, well...everything. I'm just gonna end this here before things get sappy.

[Hol Horse wasn't exactly the most happiest looking individual on this day. Partly because he was stuck in the body of a tiny horse. Again. Without having an answer for his current state of being, the once cowboy simply made his way toward the edge of town. He swayed from side to side as he walked, but it's nothing unusual when one's not normally a small talking pony.]

Psh, with any luck no one's gonna remember me.

[Which may or may not hold true! For those who remember this stick in the mud, maybe a familiar face or two would lighten his mood.]

'S embarassin'... Bah! Now what d' I do?

[For those who don't recall this one, don't worry... he's not all that bad. Coming to stop at the base of a tree, he finally takes that scroll of his and glares down at it. Without so much as another word, he simply pokes it a few times before lying down to face away from it. What a friendly guy.]

I'm glad everything got settled, but I'm sorry that I didn't help - I was trying to, but Lyra and I got kinda sidetracked with all the foods and such at Cloudsdale that we... kinda... forgot. Sorry! But, I'll do better next time! I promise!

On a good note, in a few weeks, it's Winter Wrap-Up! I enjoy that... even if I mess up every year. But, I'll do better this year, too!

...is there anything that's happened that's been interesting to you?

[Locked to OU!Rainbow Dash]

Um... you still upset about what happened last month?

[ At the very, very top of the building in the center of the town square, there is a railing around the top of the tower that no one should ever just hang out at. Pegasii could easily get up there, sure, but here was a Unicorn standing up there. At the very top of it, peering out over the railing. The very top of the building is visible before the scroll pans down to show Avispa's face. ]

[ Honestly, this entire situation feels a lot like deja vu and that's intentional. She remembers the last time she was here, almost like it was yesterday, and so she'd chosen to come to this exact spot to make her re-entrance. For now, she stares into the scroll silently, blinking once... twice... four times total before she speaks. ]

Oh, um, hello everyone! [ A glance up, then back down. ]

I'm Avispa, um, is this the same place? Is it still Equestria?

[ Whoops, seems like she's floating her scroll with awesome Unicorn powers, because she hops up onto the railing with startling ease and is definitely not holding the scroll herself. Very visible to others is her front left leg which is all metal, as is her face... which isn't looking at the scroll at all. She's looking off in the distance. ]

Maybe Sugarcube Corner still has cupcakes maybe, um...

[ Priorities. ]

[ Looks like she's not going to come back to finish this message she started. ]

[At first, there's only silence. Well, relative silence. If you listen closely, you could here a bit of awkward shuffling in the background, with the occasional distant mumble of "Where the heck did I put that thing?" coupled with a lengthy string of colorful and creative curses. Eventually, the background noise subsides. There's a sound of a needle hitting a record and...]

[Music. Well, for a certain value of the term, anyhow. The audio quality's fairly subpar, like somebody dragged the record player out of the trash, and the recording pops and skips in places where it probably shouldn't. As the song ends and the music fades away, a voice- raspy and lightly accented- cuts in.]

Gooood afternoon, Ponyville, this is the one and only DJ Pon-3 comin' at ya loud and proud from our own little patch'a heaven, our home away from home! It's three to the PM at the top'a the hour, a let me tell ya it is a scorcher out there today. Looks like the Big C's got it out for us today, eh listeners? But, lucky for all of you, we here at the studio are dedicated to providing you with quality entertainment. We're gonna be bringin' you the hits, all day, everyday, whether you like it or not!

So, if y'all got any request, shout-outs, call-outs, knock-outs, drop-outs, smoke-outs, workouts, or you just plain wanna make yourself heard, you go ahead and give us a holler. Remember, Ponyville, we're here for you.

Now, without further adue, this next track's from the Pony of Pop herself, Sapphire Shores, and in this humble DJ's opinion, it definitely stands out against her more recent work. Enjoy.

[Pinkie seems hesitant today, very unusually so for her, and she paws idly at the ground for a few seconds before speaking. This isn't something she normally does.]

So, uh...I was kinda thinking. Last time, when one of my friends died, we had a...you know, a goodbye party. To say goodbye, I mean. I guess it wasn't too much of a party really... [Except for the part where 90s Kid came back to life. But she waited this long, and she thinks by now it's not going to happen again.] But if you guys want, I'll set one up for Nemo. You don't have to do a thing, I'll take care of it all.

If you don't wanna, though, that's okay! We don't have to talk about it or anything.

[when AJ comes on the screen, she looks a little more subdued than usual]

Howdy there, everypony.

Uh. Ah don't wanna make light of all the things that've been happenin' around here lately, yanno? But Ah was wonderin' if anypony would like to help me put together a hoedown, or somethin'. [Pinkie Pie, she's looking at you] T'lift spirits?

[at that, she looks a bit sheepish. did that sound inconsiderate? things like murder don't. usually happen here, at least not that she knows of... AJ rubs her cheek with her hoof]

Yeah, so... Lemme know. Thanks.

[Utsusemimaru had intended to make his introduction to the network in as formal a manner as he could possibly manage, given that he was now a small gold winged horse and apparently stuck in some strange place where other people had been turned into small multicolored horses. He's made his way to a park where he can think for a little while on exactly what he wants to say to make his introduction.

He's come to a swing set, which looks like a good place to think...and he will try to sit down. While he's a tiny horse. With wings he's not used to and with four legs he's not used to. He has enough trouble with swing sets without these new sources of clumsiness. There's a yelp of alarm as he somehow becomes horrifically tangled in the swing within a matter of moments.

It is at this point that the video feed cuts on. There is a tiny owl-sized gold pteranodon poking at the scroll and squawking in alarm. Utsusemimaru has not noticed this, as he is hanging upside down from the swings with his back to his little friend and the scroll.]

Pteragordon! Pteragordon! I require some assistance!

[Hey there, fillies and colts! Its Celestia again, this time, back in her bedroom. Her scroll is positioned so those who see this and respond can tell she is hard at work. And also see her room, which is just as bright and golden as ever. Even the mirrors seem to glint gold on the edges at least from the scroll angle.

Anyhow, she isn't calling to make you all jealous of her kick-flank room. The old symbology book is on her desk.]

Well, it appears I've figured out what the symbol is. I almost feel rather silly not remembering it, but the last I saw it was a long time ago.

[At this, she holds up a picture she drew herself.]

This is a symbol of a legendary alicorn in the old Unicorn Kingdom, who was said to be friend to all living creatures, especially children and the downtrodden. The very first alicorn at the beginning of time, in fact, and also said to be the last alicorn at the end of time. She was supposedly a beautiful, all white filly with long, dark, shiny hair. We called her the Pale Pony. That's what the P is for. Its her banner.

[Paper down.]

Back when I was a filly, when there was a sick pony in a household, the family would carve one of these symbols and affix it to their house. This was the means of communicating to the Pale Pony that she was to bring a pony to one of her domains. She'd come up with a sled made of sparkling gems and adorned with her banner, I was told, and would shoot across the sky to her kingdom. Then, she'd place ponies to where they were supposed to go. Good ponies went to Sunnyside, where children were given candy and adults didn't have to work. Bad ponies would go to Downpour, where it always rained and made everything soggy. That's what the arrows symbolize.

[A pause. A small, sad smile flashes across her face, before it disappears.]

Of course, I wanted to go there, not realizing the deeper implications. But only because of the candy. I had such a sweet tooth as a child!

[What do you mean "had"-]

Ah! That being said, my ponies, what have you found? And...well, have any of you gone into the basement? As I've said, it can be quite dangerous, so please, if you decide to take such a risk, make sure you're prepared. I will be disappointed if I found any of you disappeared because you fed the zombies pudding on accident!

[ Typically when an image of a pony flickered to life and there was nothing to see but open sky: said pony was probably a pegasus flying in the air above all the rooftops. This, here, now, was not the case. Meet Avispa Kusbir, a newly-arrived Unicorn, who has somehow managed to get to the top railing-enclosed spot atop the Town Hall. Just below the point at the top, that's exactly where she's standing... wearing a monster skull on her head. Thankfully she remembers to push it up with a hoof so her face isn't hidden behind the helmet-like skull, but she looks awfully confused. ]

This place is really really really really weird!

[ For one, it's just a peaceful little place! For two, she's not questioning why she's a hoofbeast... pony... four-legged creature... or why she now only has a single horn in the middle of her head instead of two on the sides. She could go on thinking about the weird, ignoring that others might think her wearing a skull was weird. ]

But, are there maybe a lot of puzzles? Um, puzzles, maybe hidden all around, maybe, yes? Because that would be really really really really absolutely wonderful, I think!

[ Oh, right, wait, hold on, that was the third thing. She didn't see anyone she knew, so this had to be some kind of solo-session she needed to take on. She could beat it, absolutely! After she solved the puzzle floating right beside her, of course, which had only just floated into view. Apparently she'd been solving it in midair all along. But, oh, she'd nearly forgotten...! ]

Oh, um, and I'm Avispa, I am, yes!

[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?