//------------------------------//
// Ocelli and his Camera 
// Story: Society as We Know It 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

The two changelings bumped each other's hooves as they laughed outside Sugarcube Corner; they were all under the night sky, with the lights from the houses and the other buildings protruding out to provide the streets with a homely night feel. There were also laughs coming from inside—and Pinkie Pie's laugh was the most distinct, the one that stood out. A pie flew out of one of the open windows, but a pegasus managed to catch it before it crashed on to the ground.
The two changelings walked outside, walking past the brightly lit buildings and the talking ponies.
"And, that's the end of the Ponyville tour!" Tripedal said. "We can leave Pinkie to be doing what she does best."
"Making other ponies happy," Ocelli completed. "And, changelings, too." He smiled as he held his camera with a hoof. "Tonight, what are we going to be taking pictures of? Landscapes? Portraits? We can pay some ponies to be with us for a few seconds to take the picture that's perfect!"
"Would anypony meet your critera, though?" Tripedal asked.
"It all depends on what the shot calls for," Ocelli said, adopting a haughty and confident tone as he raised a hoof. "It's subjective, really, but what I want to do is the best—subjectively speaking? Is that how you use 'subjective'?"
"How can you be the best subjectively?" Tripedal asked.
"Let's ignore all that," Ocelli said as he waved a hoof. "I have more than enough to make my wallets need wallets!"
"You don't have any wallets."
"Which is why I shall buy one!"
"But, you need a wallet to buy one."
"No, you just need bits."



The double doors opened.
"Twilight," Applejack hollered beside Fluttershy as they walked towards the sitting Twilight on her crystal chair in front of the crystal table, "let me just place it in the most simple o' terms: The griffons ar' OK."
Twilight grinned and placed her front hooves on her cheeks as the unicorn levitated a few books into the air. "Really?!" Then, she let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know!"
"And," Fluttershy continued, "they were getting better."
"What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, they were improving. Slightly."
"How?"
"They were somewhat nicer than before?"
Applejack stepped slightly in front of Fluttershy. "What she's trying to say is that the griffons are OK. Ah' already said that."
"Did you write it all down?" Twilight asked, smiling.
"Ah' wish we brought a camera so we wouldn't have to do all that writin'!" She stomped a hoof on to the stony floor.
"Urk! Spike just polished that!" Then, Twilight sighed. "Well, at least the griffons are doing good, becoming better friends."
"Uh, Twilight," Fluttershy uttered, "what if the griffons—"
"Might just be faking everything?"
Twilight's face became contorted at that. "I didn't think that would be a possibility."
"Well, it is."
Twilight gulped.
"But, it's just a possibility," Fluttershy added. "There's nothing to worry about, really."
"But, if it could happen," Twilight said, her breathing becoming faster, "then it might have happened!"
"Please don't tell us you're sending us back to Griffonstone, are you?"
"I'm not going to send you back!" Twilight yelled.
Applejack and Fluttershy stepped backwards from Twilight. "Uh, Twilight? Ah' think ya' should take some good night's sleep now."
Fluttershy nodded.
Twilight's hyperventilating then disappeared as she slumped on the table. "Alright, girls. I'll try to relax and to take it easy."
Then, the two ponies walked away.
"Goodbye, Twilight!" Applejack said. "I hope ya' get better!"



"Ah' didn't know Twilight was so caught up in her Princess work!" Applejack said as the walked towards the bright houses of Ponyville. "Ah' think Ah' should've noticed the moment we arrived."
"Now, let's just let Twilight relax," Fluttershy responded. "Tomorrow morning, she's going to be a better pony."
"Define 'better' when tomorrow, she's goin' to the Crystal Empire to do some kind of Princess conference or whatever they're holdin' in that fancy place! Twilight is a good pony, but she doesn't have to do all this kind of work. Ah' know that she's a Princess, but that's gettin' to her."
"And, how she manages to smile at all the ponies and all the other creatures when she goes out," Fluttershy said. "Even when she's not really happy, like that time when she was at Griffonstone herself but she wanted to go to the Daring Do convention."
Applejack sighed. "Ah' worry 'bout that mare."
Then, two changelings arrived and one of them took a picture of the two ponies.
"Hey!"
"Don't you worry, Applejack!" Ocelli said. "I'm here to take some pictures of you and Fluttershy!"
"Now, what's the meanin' of this?!" Applejack exclaimed. "Is this some kind of magic trick ya' got?!"
Fluttershy flittered a little backwards, covering her face with her hooves.
"Changelings would love to have a picture of the Elements of Harmony," Ocelli said. "You have a great base of fans over there in the Changeling Kingdom. Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, and Discord are the more popular ones these days, but you still have lots of changelings who would fly from the kingdom to Manehattan just to see you!"
"Uh, that's very nice," Fluttershy said, still covering her face, "but I...I don't want to have too many pictures right now."
"That's alright!" Ocelli said. "Tripedal!" He looked at his friend.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for accompanying me, OK?"
Tripedal gave his friend a quick hug.
"Alright, it's just like being the pony to be featured on the cover of a Daring Do book! I know that Rainbow Dash is an avid reader of the Daring Do series." He faced Tripedal. "That's correct, right?"
Tripedal nodded.
Applejack punched Ocelli on the face.
Ocelli fell to the ground. His camera clattered to the ground, rolling on the grass before it stopped. The changeling groaned as he massaged his face with a hoof.
"Ocelli!" Tripedal screamed as he rushed to his friend.
"That is for not respectin' boundaries!" Applejack said.
Applejack felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked back.
"Uh, Applejack?" Fluttershy said, hovering over the ground. "Aren't you going to regret that?"
"After all that we've been doin' today..." Then, her confident face of anger disappeared as her eyes trembled and a frown appeared. "OK, maybe that wasn't the best thing to do."
Meanwhile, Tripedal was pulling his friend up to the ground on his four hooves.
Applejack sighed. Then, she looked at the two changelings. She looked at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy nodded.
Applejack gulped. She faced the changelings. "Ah'm sorry for hurtin' ya."
"That's OK, Applejack!" Ocelli said. "I've never had that happen in my life before—getting hit by an Element of Harmony. I wasn't exactly specific, though."
"Exactly specific?" Fluttershy said.
"Nah, I'll explain it to you when I have the time," Ocelli said as he flapped his wings and took off to the sky with his friend.
The two ponies looked at the flying changelings in the night sky. "Now, those are weird changelins'."
"They're still enthusiastic about us, I guess," Fluttershy said. "I still remember when my brother brought a changeling to Ponyville and when we were in the market when that happened."
Applejack smiled. Then, she giggled. "Yeah. Ah' remember."