//------------------------------//
// Immediate News 
// Story: Society as We Know It 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

A few weeks later

As the sun rose in the morning sky, doors and windows opened, ponies smiling and beholding the day.
The pony with a cap throwing bundles of newspapers at the front doors of houses was also smiling.
The clean streets of Ponyville was illuminated by the sunlight. Ponies walked out of their houses. Some stood, looking up to the blue sky.
The houses were also caught in the brightening of the town, especially the windows, reflecting the sunlight and providing a glowing gleam.
Several ponies picked up their newspapers; many walked out of their houses and into the open streets.
A stray cloud floated through the sky, covering the small patch of land that it was over. It moved slowly, silently, even with a calmness that was natural for a cloud close to the ground.
A few ponies gazed up towards the lonely cloud as it stood out all alone in the otherwise clear sky.
The cloud drifted its leisurely way over the streets of Ponyville. A few colts and a few fillies pointed to the cloud. A colt cried out, "Look, mom! There's only one cloud!"
His mom smiled at her child.
As the cloud continued its path, it passed by the Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie looked out from one of the windows.
The market, with its many stalls, began its lively hours as ponies took to their positions and places behind the stalls, preparing their wares and their products, transferring their produce from the sacks and the wagons onto the stalls. Some of those ponies looked up and saw the cloud drifting above them.
Rarity looked out from a window on her boutique. "This is quite unexpected," she said. Then, she went back to one of her shelves containing fabrics.
The cloud went on, passing by numerous houses and other buildings, catching the attention and the gazes of several ponies on the ground. Its shadow was clear, providing a natural shelter from the sunlight.
Then, it travelled its way towards the Castle of Friendship. The castle shined under the sunlight, even giving a glow that was exuberant yet simple because of the sunlight. Its size only made greater and more beautiful the glow of the castle.
The cloud then turned away from the castle and made its way back towards the center of Ponyville.



The dirt path was dotted with smooth rocks. It crested over a few hills laden with trees and occasional houses that were never so close to each other, placed apart.
The pony, carrying one bundle of newspaper, stood at the end of the path, culminating at the two steps of a house that seemed divided. The left side of the door was a simple brown and so was the rest of the house from there with appropriate, accompanying colors. The right side of the door was a garish purple and so was the rest of the house from there with appropriate, accompanying colors. The windows displayed musical symbols together with flower containers styled like the keys of a piano. The chimney of the house was no mere chimney—they were pipes similar to the ones found with organs.
Past the house, there was a wooden fence at the edge of the hill. In front of the house was a hedge in the shape of an eighth note.
A newspaper was thrown at the steps of the door.
The pony whistled and walked away.
And it was raining.
The pony looked up.
There was that lonely cloud, now gray. It was also pouring water on him.
The pony jumped away.
And the cloud followed.
He shielded himself with a stretched out hoof, though the rain just fell on the rest of his body, soaking his uniform. "At least I'm done with this morning of newspapers!"
He jumped again to somewhere else.
And the cloud followed him there, too.
He hid behind the eighth note hedge.
And the cloud soaked him and the hedge.
"What is with the weather today?!" The pony glanced here and there. "Where is a safe spot when you nee done?!"
He jumped towards the house, looking up towards the hay roof. "Octavia and DJ Pon-3 are probably OK with me trying to hide myself from a raincloud that seems to like me!" He placed a hoof on his chin. "Does it like me? Or does it dislike me?"
And the cloud was now above him.
The pony yelled as he ran away from the house and from the cloud as it quickly followed him.



Like the exterior of the house, the interior was also divided between two styles. On one side, there was the classical look of wooden floorboards, curtained windows, a graceful cushioned chair, and a wooden table. A warm color scheme was there, involving brown, hints of red and purple. A music stand stood on the floor in front of a large black piano. A jar of flowers was on top of the piano.
On the other side, there was the sleek look of metal floor tiles, open windows, and a stylish chair. On the wall hung two framed discs, vinyl ones. A few small spotlights hung along with a disco ball.
A white pony with slightly frazzled blue and cyan mane and tail, wearing purple shades, opened the door. She looked down at the newspaper in front of her. The mare grabbed it and closed the door.
She opened the newspaper.
"Are you invited to any gigs lately?" another mare asked. She was gray and was holding her cello. Her mane and her tail were dark gray. She wore a pink bowtie with a white collar.
The white mare shrugged.
"Are we invited to any gigs lately?" the gray mare asked.
The white mare nodded.
"Brilliant. Individually, we are greats within our individual fields, but, when we are together, we can create a wonderful hybrid of music that Equestria is only beginning to wake up to! I, Octavia, and you, DJ Pon-3, working together!" She laughed a little. "I cannot believe that it also all started with a crazy wedding." She eyed the newspaper. "Are you in the news?"
DJ Pon-3 nodded and hoofed out the newspaper to her.
Octavia grabbed it. "'Four Creatures Endowed with Pink Hearts of Courage.'" She pointed a hoof at the headline picture. "Looks like you're there."
The picture, indeed, displayed four creatures who had been endowed with medals that looked like pink hearts. Discord, Thorax, Trixie, and Starlight Glimmer were smiling towards the camera, proudly showing off their medals. The room itself was alive with festivity and celebration, the hall decorated with tall purple curtains, many balloons, plentiful ribbons and flowers, and the ponies and the changelings that filled up the room. They were all talking to each other, laughing with each other, smiling. In the background, at the station with large speakers and a shiny, sleek turntable, there was DJ Pon-3.
"They got rewarded," Octavia said. "Anything else about the party?"
DJ Pon-3 shrugged again.
"OK." She looked up towards the ceiling and then at DJ Pon-3. "What about we perform at gigs outside of Equestria?"
DJ Pon-3 lowered her shades and gave her a questioning look.
"Just imagine the event, the venue—instead of ponies, there will be changelings and dragons and griffons and yaks!"
The white mare placed back her shades.
"But, performing in the Dragon Lands would be quite dangerous. There are so many environmental hazards there. Yakyakistan is way too cold. Griffonstone is pretty far away, very distant. Not to mention also very dangerous—the height of the mountains there might be too much. And the Changeling Kingdom..."
She looked at her friend.
"It would be a great first gig outside of Equestria!"
DJ Pon-3 smiled.
"Well, do you agree?"
DJ Pon-3 just continued smiling.
"I'm just excited about it because...we'll bring our music to even more creatures, not just ponies!"
DJ Pon-3 continued smiling.
"Of course, we still have to pay the money for setting up the venues and letting them know about our concert."



"Rainbow Dash," Starlight Glimmer said, looking at the cloud as they stood on the street, surrounded by houses and establishments. "I know it's you."
And Rainbow Dash appeared from the cloud. "How did you know it was me?"
"Who else pranks ponies using clouds?"
Rainbow lowered the cloud down. "Well, it could be Twilight Sparkle! She can fly!"
Starlight giggled. "I don't think she's the type of pony who would descend into pranking others."
"You're speaking like pranking is bad."
"Well, isn't it bad?"
"Only if the ponies don't like being pranked." Rainbow punched the cloud and it was gone. She stood on the ground. "So, how do you feel now that you have a Pink Heart of Courage? Wait, where is your Pink Heart?"
"I placed it in my room back in the castle," Starlight replied. "I don't want to show off."
Rainbow snickered. "I heard Trixie's showing off her medal."
And Trixie arrived at the scene, wearing her Pink Heart of Courage. She was looking up rather haughtily. "How are you two doing?" She faced Starlight. "I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, and Discord and Thorax have finally decided on the place to celebrate your graduation! Most of the planning and deciding was done by me, but I'll give Discord and Thorax some of the credit they deserve." She smiled at her. "Wait, where's your Pink Heart of Courage?"
"Back in my room in the castle."
"Are you ashamed of saving Equestria?"
"She's just trying to be modest," Rainbow interrupted. "That's all."
Trixie laughed. "The arrogant, egotistic, boastful Rainbow Dash telling me that Starlight is modest."
Rainbow glared at her. "Well, the self-centered Trixie telling me that doesn't seem right!"
"Girls!" Starlight shouted.
And the two looked at her.
Starlight sighed. "That didn't escalate into a disastrous argument." She faced Trixie. "So, where have you decided to go?"
"We've all agreed to spend the rest of the day in Ponyville!"
Starlight looked confused. "I thought we were going out."
"After thinking about it," Trixie began, "we've thought about having a celebration that did not go too far away from where your friendships began. A trip to Las Pegasus or a changeling festival or a stay at Discord's house would be neat—but, seeing you and Twilight—" Her eyes became watery "—seeing you and Twilight hugging each other like that..."
"It's OK, Trixie," Starlight said. "I think I get what you want to say. So, where will we start?"
"What about you ask me for suggestions?" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I'm the one who's been living in Ponyville for far longer than you two!"



Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Spike stood in front of the Cutie Map. "I heard that Thorax is going to be arriving any moment now," Twilight said, "so, as long as everything happens according to plan, we'll be alright!"
"Ah' don't get why yer' so nervous 'bout a friend," Applejack said. "And, why did ya' call us here if Thorax was just goin' to visit you?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I think I have to agree with her. You're probably going to talk about handling a kingdom, and I have no experience in handling kingdoms."
"You can be here to..." Twilight placed a hoof on her chin. "You can be here to provide examples of good friends!"
"Then, why did ya' call just us?" Applejack complained. "Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie aren't even here!"
"I heard that they're quite busy," Twilight said.
"Rainbow's been busy prankin', Rarity has no big orders for today, and Pinkie can handle being away quite easily!"
"Wait, Rainbow's been pranking the whole time?"
The double doors opened.
Twilight smiled. "Thorax!" Then, she stopped smiling. "And Starlight? And Trixie? And Discord? And Rainbow Dash?!"
"I'm the one you're surprised about?!" Rainbow yelled.
"Sorry to barge in whatever you were talking about, Twilight," Thorax said. He looked at Fluttershy and Applejack. "Hi!"
The two ponies smiled at him.
Thorax looked at Spike. "You, too, Spike."
Spike smiled. He walked towards him. "At least you didn't forget me, buddy!"
"So, ready to talk about how to properly manage a kingdom?" Twilight asked happily. "We can continue the lessons today!"
"Uh, actually," Thorax replied, glancing at his friends, "I'm not here for that."
"What?!"
Fluttershy and Applejack looked at her, bewildered.
"We're here to celebrate Starlight's graduation." He smiled an awkward smile. "Even though it's probably a day late."
Twilight smiled, looking especially at Starlight. She walked closer towards her and her group of friends. "Starlight, you don't need to ask permission from me anymore."
"Uh, it's not about asking permission, Twilight," Starlight said.
"Oh?" Twilight had a surprised look on her face. "Then, what is it?"
"We're celebrating here in your castle!"
Twilight looked even more surprised, now astonished.
"Oops!" Starlight laughed nervously. "Did I mess with your scheudle for tidying up the castle?"
"You can always ask me," Discord said, snapping his claws and making a broom appear in front of him. "I can clean castles in mere seconds."
Thorax, Trixie, and Starlight Glimmer laughed at that. Even Fluttershy and Applejack giggled. Spike joined in the laughing, too. Only Twilight was left not laughing, instead still looking surprised and astonished.



Laughter resonated through the huge, spacious library room as the four creatures sat around the table—two ponies, one changeling, one draconequus. A few books were on the table, though none of the creatures were looking at them now.
"Thorax," Discord began, "how is the Changeling Kingdom so far?" He snapped his claw and a sofa appeared beside him.
Thorax gulped, though he kept and retained a smile on his face. "It's...quite OK. Nothing too fantastic or spectacular."
"What if I paid a visit there?"
He laughed nervously. "I'm n-not sure. The changelings would love to see a hero of the Changeling Kingdom visit. On the other hoof, I don't think they're ready to handle your tricks."
"Tricks?" Discord repeated. "They're not just mere tricks! I am capable of magical accomplishments that you have never seen or have never been witness to!"
"Which is why I'm really concerned if you did pay a visit."
Discord sat back down on his seat. "You're right."
"You could discipline yourself," Thorax added.
"Discipline?" Discord repeated.
"I get it, Discord," Starlight said. "You're the spirit of chaos, so discipline isn't something you would want."
"Isn't it quite obvious?"
"Thorax!" Trixie yelled.
And the others looked at her. She was raising a hoof towards the air.
"I have a better idea!"
The others leaned closer to her.
"What about we all pay a visit to the Changeling Kingdom next week?!" she declared.
And that declaration resonated throughout the library room.
Thorax laughed nervously again. "What if we're not ready? I mean, there's Discord—"
"Aww, who doesn't want a little disruption once in a while?" Discord asked as he snapped his claw and another sofa appeared beside him. "Soon, we'll have a sofa for each of us!"
And they looked at him and the sofas beside him.
"What?" Discord shrugged his claw and his paw. "The first sofa was to make a punchline. The second sofa was just because I wanted another sofa!"
Then, the double doors opened.
The four creatures looked towards the pony there.
"Sunburst?" Starlight said, surprised in tone.
The stallion unicorn nodded. His coat was gamboge, his mane was vermillion. He wore circular glasses and a dark blue coat or robe. He had a vermillion goatee.
"I didn't expect you to be here!" Starlight said.
She ran to him and they hugged.
"I thought it was just going to be between us, Starlight," Discord said.
"He was my friend from my childhood," Starlight began, looking at the rest of her friends at the table. "Looks like we've got some catching up." She looked back at Sunburst. "Why are you here, anyway? How did you know that we're celebrating my graduation?"
"Just wanted to spend time with my friend." Sunburst smiled. "Besides, even though I admire my job to the point that it isn't even a job at all, I do need friends." He looked at Starlight's friends. "And, this is the first time I'm meeting your friends at the same place and at the same moment!" Then, he whispered to Starlight, "You still need to explain to me how you became friends with Discord."
"I heard that!" Discord shouted.
Sunburst stepped back. "OK! I wouldn't want to annoy Discord."
And they all laughed.
And Discord snapped his claw and another sofa appeared.
Starlight and Sunburst walked towards the table. "Why not take a seat, Sunburst?" Starlight said.
"Heh-heh-heh-heh, thanks!" Sunburst then took a seat.
"I think you need introductions," Starlight said. "Here's Trixie—" She gestured a hoof towards Trixie who smiled at him "—here's Discord—" She gestured a hoof towards Discord who snapped his claw and another sofa appeared beside him "—and here's Thorax." Thorax waved a hoof at him.
Sunburst laughed nervously. "It's...nice to meet you all together. So, let's get into a conversation, shall we?" He looked at Thorax. "How's the Changeling Kingdom?"
Thorax groaned.