//------------------------------//
// The Rest of the Day 
// Story: Society as We Know It 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

In the barren wastelands, there were almost no plants. The plants that were there were dry, yellow with almost no green. The craggy rocks and stones were many, making the ground rough and uneven. There were no rivers, no waterfalls, no lakes—no source of water was to be found in this place.
And yet, the noise of a thriving city, a thriving kingdom, blasted continuously to the uninhabited ground around it, showing to all who looked upon it that, yes, living things can live here, a society can be built here, a culture can be established here, a history can be written and written again on this lifeless location in Equestria. The tall spire that was the kingdom's center rose to the sky, a beacon of civilization in the lands of hostility and heat, a testament of life to a lifeless desert, a monument of friendship where it once stood as a statue of evil and deception.
In and out flew changelings of various colors and sizes, talking to each other with voices of happiness, many smiling, some wearing blank faces, others sad, a few angry—the emotions of a normal society. Sacks and bags and containers of fabric and metal were flown in, being carried by stronger changelings on their backs and with their hooves as they transported it to safer warehouses that stood tall with huge walls and a huge roof.
And, like all the buildings there, the warehouses had the changing holes of changeling architecture. Some were already expanding or contracting. The entrances and exits today wouldn't be the entrances and exits tomorrow.
The walls slowly changed, one side growing taller and another shrinking. Despite the chaos, the changelings walked and flew on without looking at these things—they went in and they went out without minding.
Many lots of barren ground remained, surrounded by rocky and cemented roads. However, on these lots, already there were scaffolds and frameworks of a house or store. Changelings wearing hard hats and bright construction uniforms were flying around, carrying buckets of paints and metal tools. The sounds of smacks and power tools filled the air along with the chatter of many changelings as they passed by the lots.
On the open field of grass, a few changelings played—or rather, they tried to play.
One changeling was holding a softball.
"I've been reading a lot about buckball," the changeling said to the several in front of him. "I think I finally got it!"
"So, what do we need?" a female changeling asked.
"We need two buckets. Or baskets, I'm not sure. Made out of wood." He placed a hoof on his head, scratching his head.
"Three members per team, right?" another changeling asked.
"Yeah, yeah!" the first changeling said, nodding his head fast. "That's the number we're supposed to be looking for!" Looking fast at some other changeling, he asked him, "Do you remember the rules?"
"What?! I thought you were supposed to remember the rules!"
The changeling held the softball with both of his front hooves. "I think we have a rulebook somewhere. I ordered one from Ponyville the other day. They're supposed to be coming here, now."
The other changeling shot a glance at him. "I don't think we need a rulebook. I also read a lot about buckball, and unlike you, I watched some ponies play buckball last week—the Appleoosa team was playing so great!"
The first changeling smiled and arched his eyes at him. "So, what are the first few rules of buckball?"
"Uh..." The changeling tapped his chin with a hoof.
"Hah!" He pointed at him. "You really didn't watch ponies play buckball, did you?!"
"Come on, come on, I give up!" The changeling held up his hooves. "OK, I didn't watch ponies play buckball, but that's OK!"
The rest of the changelings there faced him. "Why do you think it's OK? Every changeling here wants to watch at least one buckball game!"
"Like you said, you read a lot about buckball, didn't you?"
The changeling holding the softball looked away, grumbling. "I know a lot about buckball!"
"Then, what's the first few rules of buckball?"
There was silence as he looked away from the small crowd.



Inside one of the warehouses, the green lights above shone their soft light onto the floor below. Tall shelves and stacks of boxes and unorganized items of different kinds—canned foods, bars of steel and gold and silver and other precious metals, electric appliances—gave the room a sense of grandness. To the ceilings the shelves and stacks went, towering above the many changelings that were moving in things and moving out other things, creating either a harmony or a cacophony of buzzes as they flew.
In the warehouse and through an open hole, a few changelings dropped a sack to the floor. Several pillows spilled to the floor.
"Hey, what's this?" one of the changelings asked.
"They said it's something called a 'pillow,'" another changeling replied.
"Well, it doesn't look edible or anything of the sort."
The other changeling chuckled. "I'll try."
He grabbed one of the pillows and took a bite.
"Anything?"
He hoofed the pillow away. "It doesn't taste like food, so it's not food."
"But, if it's not food, then what is it?" The changeling grabbed another pillow and examined it, turning it around. "Does it have any wires inside?" He shook the pillow. No sound. "I guess there's no wires."
"Wires don't make a sound!"
He grabbed the pillow from the first changeling. "At least we know it's not a metal!"
"What about we ask the leader of the warehouse?"
The other changeling looked at him. "That's a good idea."



Between the tall shelves they flew. Passing by many boxes and sacks, they flew by other changelings en route to their items or already carrying other items.
Flying over all the changelings below was a green changeling wearing a yellow visor. His face was stiff, eyeing all that flew and carried.
Amidst all the sounds of buzzes, there was a sound coming closer and becoming louder.
He turned his way to the sound.
Two changelings were flying to him. One was holding a pillow on his hoof.
"What is it now?" the visored changeling asked.
"Uh, Major Novelty, we found this thing in our sack." The changeling held out a hoof with the pillow. "What's this?"
"It's a pillow." Major Novelty kept looking at the pillow. "It's for sleeping."
"So, what do you do with a pillow?"
Major Novelty sighed. "You place your head on it when you lie down to sleep. It's that simple."
"So, we bought tons of pillows?"
"Ordered tons of pillows. We need to keep every changeling here happy by sleeping well."
"But we've slept for centuries without pillows and we've slept really fine with the beds we have."
Major Novelty laughed. "That's only because that was the only bed we've known. The ponies' beds—now that's something to sleep on!"
"But I don't like soft beds."
"Hmph." Major Novelty glared at the two changelings. "Then, that's your problem. Deal with it. Now place these pillows in the living department. OK?"
The two changelings saluted. "OK, sir!" they shouted.
Then, they flew away, the pillow still held with a hoof.



The sun was now an orange-yellow in the yellow sky. It was still a good distance away from being covered by the mountains, but it was indeed sunset. The yellow rays of the sun beamed to the shining city, the shining Changeling Kingdom.
The eyes of the changelings glistened in the sunlight, the reflections sparkling as they flew about and as many settled down on chairs and tables both inside and outside and as the smells of different food wafted through the air from the buildings and from the various sacks being emptied in a few places.
At the foot of the spire, the tower that towered above the Changeling Kingdom, a few more food sacks were being emptied. Out of the sacks were bottles of water and fruit juice, cans with vibrant labels and pictures of food on them with the names of famous brands, and cardboard and plastic containers waiting to be opened—they were labeled with pieces of taped paper saying "Hayburger," "Sandwich," and other kinds of food.
The food and drinks, already organized on the tables with more being carried to them, were in front of long lines of changelings, noisy as they talked to each other. Outside the line, more changelings went in and went out the tower, some going from the line and straight inside as they carried their food.
Neon Guard, followed by the rest of his friends, was next.
Behind the table was a pale blue changeling pushing cans of food and bottles of drinks into a bag. His eyes were half-open.
"Prime Mover, how are you this day?" Neon Guard asked, smiling as he held out a hoof to the changeling in front of him.
"Eh." He gave the bag to Neon Guard and smiled, also. "It's not the worst day, at least. Now, move so the next ones in line can get their dinner quickly."
"So, no chat?"
Prime Mover frowned at him. "Just move or else. We can always talk later."
"Alright, then."
Neon Guard looked at him, still smiling.
"Just move, Neon Guard."
Then, the four changelings flew away.



Inside the great tower, among the many spacious rooms and halls that were never the same everyday, the four changelings, Neon Guard carrying the bag of dinner with his mouth, flew on.
Changelings everywhere were walking and hovering up and down the stairs, going in and going out their rooms through the holes. Amidst the many buzzes of wings, a few snores were already standing out as the four changelings passed by the rooms.
Music of different instruments and of different kinds were heard, dialogues between many different changelings occurred. Several were animated in their talk—they moved their hooves around, making many gestures with them. Others just talked. Some observed and watched a few changelings who were doing something to catch every changelings' attention—some were playing instruments, others were standing on wooden soapboaxes proclaiming to their audience about something, and still others were just going around selling whatever was on their hooves. Bits were passed around and exchanged and given. The sound of coins rattling adorned the sounds of the tower inside. Mixed with the music, the speeches, the talks, and the buzzes of the changelings' wings, the tower was even more noisy than the Changeling Kingdom outside. All this was done under the green lights above them.



The room today had rock bunker beds on the walls. They had pillows.
"Wait, we didn't order any pillows," Red Noise said as they entered their room.
The light turned on.
A single carpet laid there on the floor. One shelf with several books were stacked neatly. A couple of pictures rested on a small table—pictures of Blue Alarm, Red Noise, Humerus, and Neon Guard smiling and grinning. Besides the beds and the light, those were the only things inside.
Neon Guard threw the bag onto the floor.
"Pillows!" Humerus shouted. Then he rushed to the pillows.
"It's not time to sleep, yet," Neon Guard said as he picked up the bag. He threw a can and a bottle at Humerus who was already lying on the bed and gracing the pillow.
Humerus frowned. "The pillow isn't what I thought it was. I thought it would be hard like granite." Then, with a hoof, he threw it out the door.
Blue Alarm looked out the room. A changeling drifted by. The pillow went on, falling. "You're going to hurt someone with that pillow."
"Or at least annoy someone with a pillow that somehow fell from the ceiling," Red Noise added, glaring at Humerus.
Humerus grinned. "I'll just open the can."
He took a bite of the can.
There was a pop.
"Tomato soup and beans!" he yelled. "I can't believe I'm going to have tomato soup and beans for the first time in my life!"
"Everything you ate yesterday and today was the first thing you've tasted in your life, Humerus," Red Noise said, walking to the bag and grabbing his own food and drink.
"Which means that yesterday and today were the best days of my life, guys!" Then, he gulped down the tomato soup and beans. He burped. Then, he threw the can right back to the bag. "OK, can we go and watch Princess Luna raise the moon now? I feel so great from the new food!"
"You haven't even tried that...thing in the bottle." Neon Guard eyed the bottle that Humerus was holding. "What's that, anyway?"
Humerus glanced at it. "It's a bottle of cold apple cider!"
The three changelings turned to see the bottle.
The bottle was plastic. The label was a simple image of a red apple with a green leaf sticking out of it on an orange background. The apple cider inside—it was orange-yellow and had many bubbles inside.
"From Sweet Apple Acres?" Blue Alarm asked.
"Let me check!" Humerus turned the bottle around. "'From Sweet Apple Acres, made with care.'" He grinned.
Red Noise looked at the bag. "Wait, is there any apple cider for us?" He rushed to the bag.
Humerus quickly opened the bottle and gulped down the apple cider. Then, he threw the bottle at the bag.
"Watch where you throw that!" Red Noise shouted.
"It's good!" Humerus yelled. "It's good, it's great, it's fantastic, it's wonderful!" He flew to the air. "It tastes like apples!"
"Because it's apple cider," Neon Guard said as he opened his own can with a bite.
"We need more of that cider and fast!" Humerus flew out of the room. Then, he flew back in. "Maybe not now! I want to see Princess Luna raise the moon first!"
Neon Guard sighed. "Let's finish our dinner first. Blue Alarm and Red Noise haven't even started yet."
Blue Alarm walked to the bag and took a can and a bottle for himself. Then, he walked to the room's hole.
Outside, the bustling movements of the changelings continued on. More music played, more speeches were made, more things were bought in exchange for bits.
"We really fit well," Blue Alarm whispered as he looked out to the society in front of him. Although it was now crowded, this part of the tower was still buzzing with smiles and laughters and chats—all by changelings.



A horde of changelings was flying in unison, hovering in the air. The collective sound of many wings flapping resounded through the barren landscape around them, lit by the sun that shone an orange-yellow light to the ground below. Several lights were already on below, giving off a green glow to the kingdom.
Then, the sun went down. Now, it was hidden by the mountains in the distance.
The sky was no longer bright with a blue or even an orange color.
The shadows grew longer. Then, the shadows were everywhere.
Above, there was a very dark purple. Stars appeared.
More lights turned on.
Then, at the other side of the sky, a full moon rose.
"Woah..." That was all that went out of Humerus's mouth as he stared at the moon.
"Come on, Humerus," Red Noise yelled as he flew up. "It's time to report to King Thorax about the letter. We're late."
Humerus hovered there for a second. Then, he followed Red Noise and the others in flight.
The horde dispersed, making for a beautiful sight of changelings going here and there, in all directions. Under the light of the moon, the hard carapaces of the changelings glimmered. On the ground, the Changeling Kingdom and its buildings glowed a green glow of soft light against the vast darkness of the wasteland around it. The chatter continued on under the night sky along with the buzzing of changeling wings.



The throne room had a low ceiling, though the scenery of the kingdom's surroundings were still seen through the wide spaces. A grand lightpiece was hanging from the ceiling. A gem-encrusted throne stood at the center of the circular room but no one was sitting there. King Thorax was just sitting on the floor, gazing off anxiously at the mountains far off. He sighed.
Then, some changelings flew up from below and landed in the room. They kneeled down far away from their king, closing their eyes as they did so.
"You don't have to say 'Hail, King Thorax,' if you were about to do that," Thorax said. He flew towards the changelings still kneeling. "You can stand up now—that's way too much respect, already." He chuckled a little.
The changelings stood up and opened their eyes. 
Red Noise held out the letter. "King Thorax—"
"You can just call me Thorax, guys."
"Thorax, we have received your letter telling us about some unexpected things. We're now here to deal with those things."
The four changelings stood silent, watching their king in front of them. He smiled a little and glanced at the side. "Uh, about that—"
"What about it?" Red Noise asked.
"Yes, Thorax, what about?" Neon Guard said.
"Did you really think it was that urgent, guys?"
"Well, you did say that some unexpected things happened while we were gone, so we thought maybe there was a problem—maybe someone got hurt."
"No one got hurt while you were gone," Thorax said. He made a smile. "I'm sorry to make you think that it was an emergency—then again, you didn't go to me the moment you've arrived here..." He rubbed his chin with his hoof. He looked down to the floor and sighed. "Why do I always have to stay in this room a lot of the time I'm here in this kingdom?"
Humerus raised his hoof. "Is that what you wanted us to talk about?" He smiled. "We can help you manage the kingdom!"
"That's not what I meant!" Thorax shouted. He covered his mouth. "Sorry!"
The four changelings kneeled down again.
"No, you don't need to kneel down whenever I say 'Sorry!'"
The four changelings stood up again.
Thorax sighed once more. "Let's get to the point—it's not a physical problem we can fix in a matter of minutes, guys. It's something deeper."
Humerus raised his hoof. "Is it related to the Crystalling? Are we attending it?"
Thorax glared at him. "We're not going there, yet. Besides, we still have a stigma with the Crystal Ponies, you know...with Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and all."
The changelings stood silent under the ceiling's soft light and the moon's hushed gleam.
"I thought they were alright with you," Humerus said. His eyes were watering. There was a sniff.
"They are alright with me and all of us. The Crystal Empire's guards are alright with it, as well. It's everypony else in the empire that I'm worried about." He looked off to the wasteland. "The Crystal Ponies know what Chrysalis did to Cadance and Shining. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Neon Guard arched his eyes. "So, what is it, Thorax?"
"Well..." Thorax shifted his eyes to the side. "It's about us changelings."
"We're the problem?" Blue Alarm asked.
Thorax sighed. "Let me explain."
He took a deep breath.
"We're not that cultured."
Blue Alarm cocked his head to the side. "That's it, Thorax?"
"It's simple, but it isn't easy, Blue Alarm." He moved his head towards the edge of the room. "Come with me."
Thorax walked towards the outside. The four changelings followed him.
Then, they stood there, half of their front hooves hanging over the air, the ground and the streets and the lights and the many, many changelings below. They gazed at the brightly lit kingdom which still produced the sounds of many changelings flying.
"What's wrong, Thorax?" Humerus asked, looking at him. "I don't see anything wrong with the Changeling Kingdom."
"On the outside, there's nothing wrong, Humerus." Thorax looked at down at the landscape. "We just need some more supplies and bits from the rest of Equestria and we'll be a self-sustaining kingdom in a short time. However, that's only for keeping the kingdom alive. What about making the kingdom a living place, not just existing here?" He paused. "I mean, look—when I went to Canterlot, I saw that everything looked really fancy and elegant there. I thought that it was like that because, well, it was the capital of Equestria and the seat of the two Princesses. However, I then went inside the buildings and saw that the ponies had something we don't—a culture." He paused again, looking at each of the changelings for a few seconds before looking at the next one. Then, he gazed at the lights above. "What do ponies have that we don't? Books, music, art, games, literature, theater, other things a culture must have. The books, music, art, games, literature, and theater we do have is all borrowed from the ponies—none of it is ours, none of it was made by changelings." He sighed and took a hoof to his head.
Blue Alarm patted Thorax on the back.
The others recoiled a little. "Blue Alarm? Are you sure?" Neon Guard said.
"Like I said before, guys, I don't like having to follow all those royalty manners. I didn't even want to be king in the first place, and yet, here I am." Thorax smiled. "At least I can try my best to lead you all, but..."
He looked back at the night sky and its landscape.
They stared at him. Not a word was said for a while.
"But, what?" Red Noise finally asked.
Neon Guard turned around. "Just think about it: Equestria has ponies, griffons, breezies, dragons, diamond dogs, a few that maybe I've forgotten, and changelings. Who's the odd one out? Don't even answer that one—we changelings stand out because we don't have a culture. Even diamond dogs have some traditions and some songs. Changelings?" He sighed again, looking away. "The changelings must stand out somehow. I don't want us to be remembered as evil savages who have no taste at all but just somehow survive anyway. I want changelings to be known so we can have changeling artists, changeling philosophers, changeling writers, changeling playwrights, changeling celebrities and popstars even!" He hovered off the ground. There was a cheery smile on his face. "That would be great for the Changeling Kingdom, wouldn't it, guys?"
The four changelings looked at him awkwardly.
"Come on, it's alright to express your joy even if you're the king of a kingdom!" Then, he flew around the room, laughing.
They laughed, too, and went off the ground.
"But, getting back to the point—" Thorax went down to the ground.
The others went back down as well.
"Getting back to the point, it's not something I want just you guys to do. It's something I want everyone to join in."
"What if there's a group that doesn't want culture?" Blue Alarm asked.
Thorax waved a hoof. "I only think a few of us wouldn't want to be proud that we'll make pieces of culture on our own. Who wouldn't want to see a changeling book or hear a changeling song or smell and eat changeling cuisine?"
Humerus loudly licked his lips.
The changelings laughed.
"So, that's it?" Neon Guard asked.
"We'll start within the week. Oh, I almost forgot!" He faced the four changelings. "How was your break at Canterlot?"
"Great food!" Humerus yelled, showing off a grin. "Great water! Great drinks! Great hotels! Great Princesses! Great ponies! Great Wonderbolts! Great Ponyville! Great Element of Harmony! Great everything! Even the chess game with Starlight Glimmer was great!"
Thorax eyed Humerus. "You guys met Starlight Glimmer? Wait, you went to Ponyville?"
"All Pinkie's fault," Red Noise said.
"Let me guess—party."
"How did you know, Thorax?"
"Let's say a pink mare wrote a letter to me." Thorax smiled.
Humerus grinned.
"But, there are others wanting to meet me here and I don't want them to see me as rude or anything."
"We understand, Thorax," Neon Guard said.
Then, they bowed down to their king.
"I already said you don't need to do that all the time."
"But it's alright!" Humerus said. "We like bowing down to you! You're kind and all!"
Thorax glanced and looked left and right and back at the changelings bowing down to him. "Uh, thanks, guys, for calling me kind." He grinned. "It's nice to know that I'm actually kind."
Then, the four changelings flew off into the night sky.
Thorax looked around him. The room was circular and the throne was in its place. The light was still there. He travelled outside and went flew to the ground below.
Greeted with the hails of "Hail, King Thorax!" by many voices, he nodded here and there at the dozens of changelings that smiled at him, their eyes and their wings gleaming under both the moonlight and the kingdom's green lights. As he flew across the streets and across the field of grass, he eyed the building in front of him. He went inside.
The interior of the building was cold but not too cold—none of the changelings there were shivering. A few changelings were behind the counter. Shelves of yellow paint, matching the yellow and orange floors and walls, carried canned foods, bottled drinks, wrapped sweets and other items. A few bundles of newspapers laid on a white table, with a humble sign proclaiming to any changeling that came inside that the price for one newspaper was one bit. Seated at the simple yellow tables were changelings talking and eating and laughing. They were all under a bright green and yellow lights.
The cashier changelings bowed down. "Hail, King Thorax!" They said in unison.
"Hail, King Thorax!" the rest of the changelings exclaimed.
"It's great and it's an honor to have you come in the Changeling Convenience Store!"
Thorax smiled again.