Society as We Know It

by Comma Typer


Responses

The mirror stopped glowing.
Twilight looked at the two changelings. On her face was an expression of anger, disappointment, and wrath. Her eyes were arched, narrowed meanly.
The two changelings shuddered, sometimes taking a step back. What went out of their mouths weren't coherent words but were fearful mumblings.
And Trixie was also scared.
"Didn't I tell you that the mirror is not a door you can use anytime you want?!" Twilight shouted at them.
And that shout echoed through the library room.
"We can explain," Upbeat said. "This has a really good explanation! I'm sure you'll be OK and not angry when you hear our explanation!"
"What good explanation could you possibly have?!" Twilight yelled. "Didn't you know that you could've upset the balance of our worlds and caused whatever magical problem that would've taken lots of time and effort to solve?!"
"What about you solve it with friendship?" Novate Spruce suggested politely, smiling even.
"Friendship also keeps problems from actually happening!" Twilight countered, raising her voice. She paced the room. She faced Trixie. "And, you, Trixie! I thought you said that you would take care of the changelings and that they wouldn't go into any trouble!"
"Well, that doesn't mean restricting them from doing anything fun and exciting," Trixie replied, "so I gave them an activity."
"You mean you allowed them to enter another dimension?! You call that just fun and exciting?! You could've just consulted me about what books would cater to the changelings!"
"You went away before I could ask that."
Twilight groaned. "Your fun and exciting activity could've caused some kind of trouble that would endanger at least one of our worlds, if not both!"
"I only gave them five minutes," Trixie said.
"Five minutes is too much time for anypony who just wants to visit! What if they bring in magic from here? How would the inhabitants of the other dimension react if they knew about magic?!"
"That it's awesome?" Trixie replied. "Besides, if I went there and showcased my magic, the magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie, then they would be very entertained." She smiled. "And you could thank me."
"This isn't trivial, Trixie!"
And Twilight breathed quickly, eyeing the changelings and Trixie who were staring at her, watching her.
Then, she breathed slowly, inhaling and exhaling while closing her eyes.
She extended a hoof.
She opend her eyes.
"OK, I'm calm now." She faced Trixie. "Do you have anything to say?"
Trixie looked at her nervously. "Uh, probably not." She smiled nervously.
Twilight faced the changelings. "OK, I need to know how much you know and saw about the other dimension and how much they saw you. Do you understand?"
The two changelings nodded, still shuddering.
"Now, did you walk far?" Twilight asked. "I'm sure you could walk there since I've placed a spell there to facilitate anypony new to the other dimension, although I don't know how long the spell will last."
"We just, uh, stayed around the front area of the big building," Novate Spruce said, fearful of Twilight.
"Did you see many students? Like, more than ten?"
"I think it was less than ten," Upbeat answered.
"So, did you introduce yourselves to Sunset Shimmer and her friends? If so, how long did you talk and chat with them?"
"They were strange friends," Novate Spruce said. "They look...just like you and your friends!"
"I know about that already! What I want to know is how long you talked and chatted with them!"
"Some of them were excited about us," Upbeat replied.
Twilight groaned. "Look, the fate of Equestria and that other dimension could be on the line, could be in danger because of you! I'm trying to make sure that it's not in danger! Just please help me out!"
The two changelings nodded.
"Good!" She looked around. "Looks, like nopony else has entered yet."
And the double doors opened and Rainbow Dash flew in, holding a book. "Hey, Twilight! I was just going to borrow—oh." She looked at the changelings and Trixie. "Hi?" She faced Twilight. "What are they doing here?" She looked at the mirror. "And why is the magical mirror here, too? Did Sunset Shimmer write to you? Is there any trouble in that other dimension?" She smiled. "Can I go there?!"
"No!" Twilight shouted. "This is a serious situation!"
"Twilight," Rainbow said, "you don't have to solve whatever problem is there alone or just with Spike!"
"That's not the problem, Rainbow!"
Then, Twilight closed her eyes. Then, she opened her eyes. She looked at Rainbow. "Rainbow, the problem is that these two changelings just went to the other dimension without me overseeing the process. Whatever trouble and whatever problems they could have caused, I'm trying my best to make sure that the consequences will be minimized."
Rainbow smiled and flew towards the changelings. "You went there before I did? You have to tell me all about it!"
"Rainbow!"
She looked at Twilight, smiled nervously, and stepped back.
Twilight sighed. "If you're going to leave now, please don't tell anypony yet about this. I don't want everypony to be clamoring for a five minute trip to another dimension!"
Rainbow saluted. "You have my word!" She looked at the changelings. "But, I still want to know your stories!" Then, she flew towards one of the tables and opened her book.
Twilight faced the changelings. "OK, back to the question. How long did you talk and chat with Sunset Shimmer and our friends? How many words? Did they ask you personal questions? Did they ask you what it's like to live in Equestria?"
The two changelings looked at each other nervously. Then, they looked at Twilight.
Upbeat raised his hoof. "They asked almost everything about us."
Twilight groaned, placing a hoof on her face, frowning. "That means more information to keep a secret from others," Twilight said, worry and exasparation in her voice. "Could they tell it to the other students of Canterlot High School? Probably. However, I'm just not sure if they could manage to keep a secret this world-changing! Most of the inhabitants of that dimension have never seen magic at all! What's going to happen if they see magic?!"
"They're going to astounded?" Novate Spruce replied.
"That's not the point!" Twilight said. "Anyway, just remember that going to that other dimension is not to be treated lightly! It's something serious!"
The two changelings nodded.
"And, have you ever thought about the consequences for you and the rest of your fellow changelings?"
The two changelings leaned closer.
"I know that you're all good and nice and you don't want to steal love from us, and my friends do believe that you're a changed group of creatures now. But, what about the rest of the ponies?"
"I trust them," Trixie said.
"I know you trust them, Trixie," Twilight said. She faced the changelings. "However, not all ponies are going to believe that the evil creatures that attacked Equestria twice are now good. I know it's been several months, but trust is not that easy to build. And, if ponies all over Equestria get word of this, that a few changelings almost brought Equestria and another dimension to a catacylsmic catastrophe or some other kind of problem, then that would hurt their trust. They would just think that it's a covert, subtle operation to undermine Equestria."
Upbeat teared up. Novate Spruce kept looking at Twilight with normal eyes.
"And, I know you admire Thorax as your king, but what would this do to Thorax's image among ponies and the rest of Equestria and the rest of the kingdoms around Equestria? They might think that it's a secret operation ordered by Thorax himself, trying to smile in front of the cameras while secretly thinking of ways to destroy Equestria. You don't believe that, do you?"
The two changelings kept looking at Twilight.
"I think that's a 'No.'"
Upbeat raised his hoof. "Does this mean we can go now?"
"Really, Upbeat?" Twilight said. "Do you really think I'm done lecturing with you?"
Upbeat lowered his hoof, frowning.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Should've expected that statement from Twilight."
Twilight glared at her.
"I didn't say anything about you!" Trixie yelled. Then, she trotted a few steps away.
Twilight went back to looking at the changelings. "Well, Trixie may have a point."
The changelings smiled, shuddering less.
"However," Twilight went on, "just don't go around causing a big trouble. We're completely OK with you, but a lot of other ponies...may not exactly be OK with it."
"Does that mean you're done?" Rainbow asked from her seat.
Twilight giggled. "I thought you couldn't get bored of reading the same Daring Do book a dozen times."
"Daring Do?" Novate Spruce brought up a Daring Do book from his bag.
Rainbow beamed and flew straight to him, her face glowing with delight and excitement. "You like Daring Do, too?!"
Twilight sighed and smiled. "At least that ended well." She looked at Trixie who was sitting at another table.


As the two changelings flew about Ponyville, they saw the ponies there as they socialized, bonded with each other, spending time together while enjoying it all. A few ponies looked away from the changelings, but most took a glance at them. Some even smiled wider at the sight of them.
"Did you think that other dimension was awesome?!" Upbeat yelled at his friend. "Not only that, we've had a Twilight Sparkle in that other world, even though Twilight Sparkle didn't actually go through the portal." He gasped. "Does this mean that the Twilight Sparkle we saw in that dimension wasn't the same Twilight Sparkle we have here? And she's just a student? And, we also saw the Elements of Harmony in that dimension. Does this mean that the Elements of Harmony there aren't the same Elements of Harmony here? What if we they meet each other?!"
Novate Spruce sighed.
"What's the matter, Novate?" Upbeat asked, concerned. "Is there something going on?"
"I know that the world we went to was cool and different and awesome."
"Well, yes, it was!"
"It's just, I don't want to bring a bad word upon us changelings."
They turned at an intersection.
"What about it?" Upbeat said. "We're the first ever changelings to step into another dimension, another world?! Thorax is going to give us a medal for that one!"
"I don't think he's going to give us a medal, Upbeat. I think he's probably going to punish us. Probably going to give us extra work time."
"Lighten up!" Upbeat nudged him. "Thorax is a laidback, cool guy! Remember when he decided to buy a bucket of popcorn all for himself yesterday?"
"How does that show that he's laidback and cool?"
"Uh, because popcorn is something cool to eat?"
Novate Spruce smiled. "OK, then how is eating popcorn laidback? Is it relaxing? I don't see what's laidback or relaxing about eating popcorn." He glared at his friend. "Unless you're trying to get me off the topic."
"I'm just trying to say that Thorax is going to be alright about us and our travels." Upbeat stretched his front hooves. "It's not that much to worry about, Novate."
"Well, it is if Thorax does punish us. He is our king, after all."
"A laidback and cool king," Upbeat retorted.
They turned again at another intersection.
"Not so laidback and cool that he's not going to punish a single changeling," Novate answered. "Don't you remember what Twilight said? Did you pay any anttention at all?"
"Of course, I did!"
"Then, why are you telling me that it's going to be alright when word is going to get out about it? That we just went into another dimension without the proper instructions, without Twilight to watch us and to help us. Trixie was the one who activated the magical mirror, but I don't think you should blame her."
"She was a nice pony."
"A nice pony that could still cause trouble," Novate Spruce said. On his face was a frown. "Although, at least we did make her happy."
And a pony scooted by with a scooter.
She looked up.
She stopped the scooter.
"Changelings!" Scootaloo said. "I didn't know you were visiting!"
The two changelings stopped and landed themselves on the ground. Upbeat looked around quickly, seeing the nice, homely buildings around them.
"Uh, you're...Scootaloo, right?" Novate asked. "The Scootaloo of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?"
"The one and only!" Scootaloo smiled and took off her helmet. "What are you doing here? It's not like there's an event or anything going in Ponyville."
Upbeat looked at the filly. "Did you say that you're Scootaloo?!"
She looked frustrated. "Uh, yeah. Didn't I say my name already?"
"What about we tell you about our wonderful adventure to—"
Novate Spruce blocked his friend's mouth with a hoof. "Our adventure to Princess Twilight Sparkle's Castle of Friendship?" He smiled nervously at the filly.
"Don't you just fly your way to the entrance?" Scootaloo asked.
Novate placed a hoof on his chin. "Uh, yeah! That's the entire story of our wonderful adventure to Princess Twilight Sparkle's Castle of Friendship!"
"That's not what I was going to tell Scootaloo about!" Upbeat yelled.
"Huh?" Scootaloo said.
"Of course we were going to tell her that!" Novate said. "We don't want to tell her a boring story about how we went to some other place."
"Isn't just flying to the entrance of a castle not that interesting?" Scootaloo asked. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"
Novate extended a hoof, blocking Upbeat. He faced Scootaloo. "We visited Ponyville to go to the Castle of Friendship. We had a tour there, and our guide was Princess Twilight Sparkle. It was a great tour. We went to the room with the Cutie Map where the Elements of Harmony go and meet and discuss friendship problems before they sometimes go and tackle a friendship problem outside of Ponyville, we went to the balcony where we saw the wonderful scenery, we went to Twilight's room where we saw her pictures with her friends, and we went to the library where we saw her many books and we even saw Trixie there."
"And did you know what Trixie helped us accomplish?!" Upbeat shouted.
Scootaloo smiled. "What? Did you help with her magic tricks?!"
Novate glared at Upbeat.
Upbeat shyed away from him.
Novate looked at Scootaloo. "Yeah! We helped with her magic tricks. I think the better way to phrase that is that she helped us accomplish some magic tricks of our own. Without unicorn magic, of course, since we're not unicorns, but simple magic tricks. I don't think it's that great to talk about, anyway."
"Trixie didn't teach us that!" Upbeat complained.
"Huh?" Scootaloo said. "OK, something weird is going on here! One of you must be lying!" She pointed a hoof at them.
And, two fillies were running up towards Scootaloo.
Upbeat looked at them and smiled. "Novate! It's the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
Novate gulped. "And, sisters of two of the Elements of Harmony, sisters of two close friends to Princess Twilight Sparkle. This isn't looking good."
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stopped right beside Scootaloo. The two waved happily at the changelings. "Hi, there!" Apple Bloom said. "How ya' doin'?"
Novate looked at Upbeat. "Don't you understand the situation, Upbeat?" he whispered. "If Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle know that we just travelled to another dimension, they're probably going to tell their sisters, and they're probably going to go to Twilight to talk about it!"
"Relax, Novate!" Upbeat whispered back. "I'm sure they can keep a secret."
"For how long until they accidentally or, worse, intentionally reveal the secret?!"
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Sweetie Belle asked.
The two changelings looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"I'm not sure what they're talking about," Scootaloo said, irritated. "It doesn't sound normal to me." She looked at the changelings. "Now, are you trying to hide something?"
Novate gulped again. He looked at Upbeat.
Upbeat was smiling.
"Don't tell it!" Novate whispered.