Society as We Know It

by Comma Typer

Individual

In the throne room, high up above the rest of the kingdom, sitting at the top of the changeling tower and citadel, King Thorax stood at the middle. Around him there were four big, heavily armored changelings. The landscape around them was lit by the morning sky and its sun; their wings glistened and glowed a little, and their eyes, too.

Outside, the many changelings that walked on the ground and soared in the air twinkled, giving a collective shine to the shining kingdom of civilization in the middle of the dry desert wastelands.

"Look Out, Neon Guard, Picketer, and Royal Escort."

The four stood tall again and saluted their king. "Hail, King Thorax!"

Thorax sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to say that all the time!"

The four did not say anything. They only stood and looked upon their king.

"Can you remind me why I need changelings to protect me when I can go to Canterlot myself?"

"Well, you're a king," Look Out began. "And...kings and queens, princes and princesses are usually known for being the leaders of kingdoms and empires, and being a leader of a kingdom or an empire or both gives you lots of power and if someone thinks that you're doing a bad job or if they just want the power of being the leader of the kingdom or the empire or both, then they'll try to get you off that throne..." He faced Thorax again, wearing a face of nervousness and uncertainty. "Isn't that right?"

"I know that," Thorax replied. "It was a rhetorical question."

"Oh, yeah...heh-heh..." Look Out slowly walked back to his position.

The other three guards glanced at him.

"So, am I ready?" Thorax asked.

"Yes, King Thorax," all four guards shouted together.

"Then, let's fly!"

They flew off to the sky.

---

The white and yellow structures shone in their brilliance. The waterfall, with its tall, towering mountain, flowed its way into a river crossed by a simple rock bridge which led to the shining, bright gates of Canterlot. The sounds of the chatters and the talks and the discussions of the ponies there were heard along with the occasional stately carriage that carried a stately passenger.

Then, there was the sound of buzzes.

The ponies outside turned away from their friends and their discussions and looked at the sky.

Glimmering in the sunlight, there was the king of the Changeling Kingdom himself, surrounded and protected by four armored changelings. They landed in front of the gate. Several ponies backed away, making space for the changeling arrivals.

"Hmph! The gaudy king of that awful kingdom!" somepony whispered.

"Shhh!" another pony whispered back. "Do you want him to punch you?"

Thorax smiled at the many ponies there. "Hi! It's nice to meet you all again! How's your day?"

The four guards stood there and looked around, sporting faces that showed no emotion.

A few ponies trembled. One pony raised his hoof and said, "I just showed my wife the dress that I bought as a gift!"

"That's wonderful, uh..." Thorax pointed a shy hoof at the well-suited pony. "What's your name?"

"Jet Set!" he said. He looked at his wife, showing a face of disdain at her husband. He whispered to her, "I'm trying to be smart about it, Upper Crust!"

Picketer sighed. "Aren't you worried you might be late for the appointment with the Princess?"

Thorax turned to him. "We won't have the appointment for about two hours, so let's have fun while it lasts. Also, place some smiles on those faces!"

The guards then immediately smiled.

---

The library contained halls and more halls decorated with red carpets and some banners.

Behind the wide and tall doors, there was a wide room of white, marble floors and walls and ceiling. The bookshelves were filled with books, some of them overflowing. Many books were new and shiny, many more were old and dusty.

The few shielded pony guards that were there eyed the changelings as they walked between the tall bookshelves.

"May I ask where's the history section so I can see some pony history?" Thorax asked one of the pony guards.

The guard looked around anxiously. "Uh, you're here."

"Oh. Sorry!" He grinned.

The guard then walked away.

"Are we allowed to read?" Royal Escort asked, touching one of the books.

"Yes! Remember we asked Princess Celestia for permission? As long as we're careful!"

Royal Escort then moved his hoof away from the book, shivering.

"Although if you don't want to get a book...that's fine." Thorax gazed at all the books in the bookshelves. "But, wouldn't it be great if we could relate to them more by reading about them and their history and their culture?"

"That's a good first step," Neon Guard said.

"What about this book about changelings?" Picketer asked.

Thorax stopped smiling. He looked at Picketer. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'What about this book about changelings?'" He held out a book. It wasn't dusty.

Thorax took one step back. "Oh...um...we could defintely read about it to see how they see us!"

"'The History of the Evil Changelings Since Their Discovery by Ponies.'"

"How they thought of us before!" Thorax said.

Then, he grabbed the book from Picketer's hooves.

Thorax opened the book.

Neon Guard tapped on Thorax's shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

Thorax placed a hoof on the pages in front of him.

"'The History of the Evil Changelings Since Their Discovery By Ponies. Edited and updated in this twentieth edition to include the most recent changeling attack: The Changeling Attack At the Canterlot Wedding.'"

The changeling guards winced a little.

Look Out placed a hoof on the book. "You know, you don't have to read the book at all, King Thorax. It's just going to make you sad and upset about our past."

"Our history," Thorax replied. Then, he sighed. He turned a page.

"'Twentieth Edition Notes:

"'It has often been thought that, with so much information about the changelings that have been added in the previous edition, the ninteenth edition would be the last and definitive version of this book. As I have stated in the Ninteenth Edition Notes, it would only take a drastic change or an influx of new and unprecedented information about the changelings to prompt me to gather the old and the new writers of the book to edit and update it one last time.

"'Sadly, we got our drastic change in the form of the latest changeling attack and it wasn't a minor one. Their attack at the Canterlot Wedding of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor was one of the closest to a total changeling victory over ponies. Queen Chrysalis herself managed to capture our Princess Celestia, which is no small feat in and of itself, considering that our Princess Celestia controls the sun and has much magical power that can only be matched by few. To realize that Queen Chrysalis is among those few should strike terror into the hearts of all ponies, but it should also strengthen and further our resolve to keep defending ourselves and to keep fighting against the changelings until they are either destroyed or until they are at a peace that favors ponies and punishes the changelings, most especially Queen Chrysalis, for their actions.'"

Thorax stopped reading. The book was still open.

A few pony guards were now in front of him. "Uh, that's outdated, right?" one of them asked.

---

Dozens of months ago

In the middle of the wastelands, there was the changeling hive in its tall and hideous form. The changelings in their black chitin and with their blue-green eyes stood tall and in many ordered numbers in front of the tallest of them all.

Her crooked horn stood tall amidst her long blue yet broken hair. Her wings were also broken, having many holes.

Many more changelings flew in proper squares and rectangles, all wearing the same black chitin, all having the same blue-green eyes, all having black horns, all having the same white, sharp fangs. The buzzes were numerous, resounding out into the wastelands the loud, echoing sound of a collective of changelings hovering above the ground.

The armied groups covered much of the land, bringing a light cloud of dust to float over them.

"Fellow changelings!"

And the changelings looked upon her.

She flew to a height above all of them.

"We've already planned this for a long time. For weeks, we've prepared for this day! I know that your hunger is never-ending, but after this is all done, then that will hunger will end!"

Amidst the many buzzes, the changelings cheered and hissed in support of their leader.

"Right now, the ponies are preparing themselves for a royal wedding in Canterlot, the capital of Equestria itself! Although it is known that Equestria has more love than every other place we've visited and probably will ever visit, this is now the time to strike!" She faced the mountains distant, backdropped by an orange sky. "Out there, a lucky stallion is engaged with the Princess of Love herself! He would then fall into our trap! He would love me instead! And, with all the love of the other ponies there, increased by the mood of the wedding, the love that you shall get plus the love that I will generously share to you from that Shining Armor—"

The changelings cheered and hissed again, now with the stomping of hooves for those on the ground.

More dust was in the air.

"I can hear and feel your hunger!" she bellowed and echoed. "It's only a matter of time before you can all feast upon the love that will satisfy your starvations!"

Once again, the changelings made noises. Some of them reached out their hooves towards their queen.

One changeling among the many saw his fellows shouting, cheering, hissing, jumping, and flying. "Looks like everyone's liking the idea of taking love out of a wedding," he said. He faced the ground with a drooped head.

He got pushed. "What are you doing, Thorax? You're supposed to show your adoration for our leader!"

"Yeah...right, Blue Alarm," he replied.

"Hmph." Then, the changeling went back to looking and applauding the queen.

---

Days later

Thorax hovered in the same place.

Changelings were everywhere.

The buildings had them. The sky had them. The ground had them. Even on the roofs, they were there.

The buzzes were there.

The hisses were heard.

Ponies were running away. There were screams.

Several houses and stores now had holes in them.

Debris was there on the streets.

Lots of ponies were tied up.

Others were cornered.

On the changelings' faces, there was only anger. There was, on their faces, the smirk of victory.

The crowd, the army of changelings surrounded the six mares.

And, they fought.

With punches, kicks, and magic, they beat up many changelings.

Thorax kept looking at the ponies there.

"That...friendship..." he managed to speak out. "It's...not the friendship that I-I've seen before..."

The changelings went on and flew around him.

The ponies kept on fighting.

"Such...genuine...care."

They stopped.

There were even more changelings, filling the area.

They approached the ponies.

The ponies did not retaliate.

"I cannot just...steal..." Thorax coughed. "It's...something...a love..."

The changelings grabbed all six of them.

"...friendship..."

They were taken away.

"...that I just need...to...get..."

The ponies were taken past the door. The hallway was large and there was another large double door at the end.

The changelings closed the door.

"...and share."

He stared at that door.

"What're you doing, Thorax?!" a changeling yelled from the ground.

"I-I'm just resting here!" he shouted back, still hovering in that same place.

---

Back in the present day

Thorax muttered and whimpered quietly beneath his breath.

He whispered something.

Then, he shakily turned a few pages.

"You're not alright, King Thorax," Look Out said. "This is not like you. You need some water?"

Thorax shook his head.

"Water to destroy the book you're reading, I mean."

"Hey!" the pony guards yelled in unison.

Thorax choked. "'Changelings—the evil, ferocious, merciless creatures from the Badlands of the South—'"

Neon Guard closed the book in front of him. It slammed.

The pony guards glared at him. Then, they turned their heads down, the wrath in their expressions gone.

In this room in the library, there was not much of a sound. There were only the sound of hoofsteps which echoed through the hallways and between the bookshelves. Even among the quietness, there was the muffled voice that spoke once in a while either from the changeling or from the ponies.

---

Thorax and his guards were walking on the stony streets of Canterlot.

The king took a good look of the ponies that passed by and were being passed by.

There was a couple of ponies sitting at a quaint little table. Teacups were levitated and then placed down as they chatted and laughed. Their clothes—fancy and formal.

There were a few ponies trotting about, rushing to somewhere someplace. Something like desperation was in their faces as they ran. Then, they went out of sight.

A big stallion pulled the elegant carraige he was roped to. He always faced forward and never back at the carriage nor back at the passenger who sat there, clothed with a grand robe and dress and chapeau, facing up with eyes closed.

There was that smell of various foods as they passed the several restaurants. A smoky, vegetable smell wafted out from one establishment; a sweet and homely fragrance drifted out of another. Ponies carried boxes as they went out of that other establishment. A few ponies from the restaurant with the smoky smell burped quite loudly.

Neon Guard and Look Out stifled a laugh.

There was the loud thud of a few windows closing as they walked on.

Some ponies gave the changelings a mean look and a mean face at them.

Picketer growled.

"Stay calm," Thorax said. "We don't want to cause anything bad in this place; no trouble, Picketer."

Picketer stayed calm and quiet as he walked on with the rest of the guards in sync.

Thorax looked at the ponies moving on the sidewalk.

Different coats, different manes, different clothes, different styles, different cutie marks, different sizes, different accents, different personalities, different first impressions were on display on the road.

Thorax turned around, still walking forward as he did so.

A pony was dancing around and miming, not saying anything as the mare did so. Her audience laughed at her tricks and her talent.

Thorax looked at his guards.

All were walking together, in sync, in unison. Their armor was pretty much the same.

---

Thorax stood on the balcony. Railguards walled the balcony as they placed into sight a grand view of Canterlot and its natural surroundings. The mountains and the waterfall, the plains and the hills, the river and the bridge, all the many ponies and their collective yet individual noise rising up from the streets and the buildings.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about, King Thorax?" a royal voice asked.

Thorax turned around and bowed down to Princess Celestia. "Uh, sorry, Princess. I was just admiring the view from up here." Then, he went back up.

Celestia nodded. Her multi-colored, rainbow-like mane flowed in the air. "You seem as if you want to talk about something deep and close to you."

Thorax glanced away from her. "Not really that close, Princess." He glanced back at her. "It's just...your ponies, your citizens are...how do I say this?"

"Different from yours?"

"Yeah."

"In what way, Thorax?"

The king walked back and forth on the clean white floor, surrounded with majestic walls of purple, pink, and white; the ceiling was high up, providing a sense and a feeling of royalty in the room. "We've been the changelings we've been for so long. We always followed one leader and always followed her in everything. It was all about getting love and planning the next stage, the next phase, of our plan to get even more love. When we finally got free, we realized that...there wasn't much to want."

Celestia arched an eyebrow at him as he kept pacing around.

"Our hunger for love is now gone. Now that we share it, we're almost constantly satisfied. But, that's what we've wanted, the only thing we've wanted." He sighed and faced down. "How am I supposed to say it to you, Princess Celestia?"

"There's nothing wrong about feeling wrong even when you're a king, Thorax." She stepped closer to him. "I know what you're trying to say. Since getting love was pretty much the only thing you've wanted, you're having a hard time wanting anything else. Not you, maybe, but your changelings."

"Well, it's not just that."

Celestia arched an eyebrow again. "What do you mean?"

He walked towards the balcony.

The cool wind breezed through.

"We changelings are very much alike. Your ponies are so different. Even just the six heroines of Equestria—Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie—they're so different from each other. So unique. That's just six ponies. What about the rest of your ponies? We have ponies playing saxophones sitting beside ponies whose talent is in painting walls sitting beside ponies who are experts in writing books! They're all happy in being different!"

He paused.

"But, look at us changelings. I see several groups who just go together as if they're one, single changeling. I try to promote the kind of...differences thing that your ponies have and a lot of them still don't get it or just don't want it. Whenever they try to make some kind of art, it seems like a copy of a book's example with just a few changes here and there!" He groaned.

Celestia looked at him. She smiled and chuckled.

Thorax looked up. "What's so funny, Princess?"

"It's alright to let the changelings be the changelings they are. They are going to have a hard time being like ponies because they aren't ponies, of course."

He took a few steps towards the Princess. "A-are you sure about that?"

She nodded again. "I'm sure, Thorax. Just give them time to be themselves and to do what's good and not what's evil. You can keep them on the right track. You cannot make them adopt pony culture and customs single-hoofedly overnight."

"Well, that sounds very helpful, Princess Celestia."

She looked down at the bowing changeling.

---

Thorax and his guards walked into the eatery.

The stallion with a white and red uniform opened his eyes wide at the sight of the approaching king and his escort.

Everypony else gasped and stopped eating their donuts.

"A king is going to have snacks at a donut shop?!" one pony exclaimed.

There were a few grumbles and murmurs.

Then, Thorax was in front of the counter.

"So, uh, what does a donut taste like?"

Joe, behind the counter, stood there with his mouth wide open. He closed his mouth. "Uh, it's an honor to serve you, your Highness."

The guards around him looked around.

The ponies that ate in front of their tables watched the changelings.

Joe chuckled nervously and scratched his mane. "What do you want here?"

Thorax noted the donuts and the bagels on display behind the glass. "What would you recommend?"