• Published 4th Jan 2017
  • 2,902 Views, 70 Comments

Society as We Know It - Comma Typer



While the Changeling Kingdom is being rebuilt under the rule of King Thorax, many changelings are finding it hard to fit in to their new lives. So, some of them take off to travel Equestria on their free days.

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Library

Blue Alarm gazed and stared at the shelves in front of him.

The wall-wide bookshelves, just like before, stretched out to a faraway end. The books were numerous, plenty, many. Dusty books, clean and shiny books, others in between. Most of them had one color on their sides besides the text on them, while a few had multiple colors. In one neat, glaring and prominent spot in the bookshelf, there was a row of books all roped by a dark green ribbon.

"Heh-heh-heh," Twilight laughed. "If you want to get the next book in the series, all you need to do is just ask me!" She posted a wide grin on her face.

There was nopony else around.

"I think I've had too many Daring Do books for a while," Blue Alarm said, showing a little exhaustion in his tone.

"I understand, Blue Alarm."

She levitated a book from a shelf.

"What about this one? 'Slumber 101!'" Twilight smiled even more as the book's cover came into view.

"I don't plan to have a slumber party or anything like that."

Twilight stopped smiling and her ears drooped. "OK, then."

She levitated another book from another shelf.

"What about this book?" She gestured to it as it floated in front of Blue Alarm. "'Principles of Magic!'"

"I'm not a unicorn."

Twilight groaned. "What do you want, then? If you're here in the library of the Castle of Friendship, why don't you want a book?"

"Not the kind of books you'd might like," Blue Alarm asked.

"But, I've liked and read every single one of these books! At least two times!"

"Wow."

Twilight gave Blue Alarm a look and paced around the carpeted purple floor.

"A book about changelings, then, Princess?"

Twilight stopped walking. She screeched. "Are you sure you want to read a book about changelings?" Twilight turned around to see Blue Alarm. "Maybe what you wanted was a book made by changelings."

"I see that there's no books made by any one of us in this library. Or at the Canterlot library for that matter. I checked that place two weeks ago."

Twilight rubbed her chin. An uneasy smile was on her face. "Well, I've got one book about your kind, Blue Alarm." She levitated yet another book. Then, it stopped moving and just floated in mid-air.

Blue Alarm noticed it.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Blue Alarm?"

"What's wrong?"

Twilight sighed. "Just read the title. You'll see why."

She levitated the book towards his face.

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

Twilight gave him a slow and solemn nod. "Are you that bored?"

"Neon Guard is on guard duty protecting Thorax, Humerus and Red Noise are in Manehattan watching another play performed by the Method Mares, and Solver is in his room making up possible reasons about why ponykind is, in his words, 'an evil kind that displays evil not in the obvious form of conquest, but in the subtle form of diplomacy.'"

Twilight frowned. "What about your home? I'm sure that, despite the reconstruction and rebuilding going in the Changeling Kingdom, there must be some things you can do there."

"Like talk?"

Twilight stared at him with a blank stare. "Uh, yes. Talk. You know, like almost everypony in Equestria does from time to time?"

Blue Alarm grabbed the book that was still floating in front of him. "Talk about what? Besides my friends and Thorax himself, the changelings don't talk about many topics. Sooner or later, I get bored."

The two then walked towards one of the wooden tables.

"OK. What about, a place for entertainment? Do you have a theater, yet? It's been some time since I've checked the status of the Changeling Kingdom." She smiled at him again.

The two then stood beside each other in front of the table.

"No theater."

"Ooh! A library!" She rushed towards Blue Alarm. "You have a library, right?!"

"All of the books there are borrowed copies from the official library in Canterlot. They're probably in here, and they're probably not the books I want for now."

Blue Alarm placed the book on the table.

"What about...music?"

"Music's also borrowed from ponies. I'd probably hear the same thing if I keep travelling Equestria."

Twilight rubbed her chin again. "Sports?"

"We're working on that."

The alicorn looked at the book again. She placed a hoof on the cover. "You know, reading this book is probably not the best use of your time." She chuckled a nervous chuckle. "You wouldn't want to see how horribly you were depicted here."

Blue Alarm eyed Twilight.

"Trust me. I've read it a few times before."

The changeling scratched his head, still looking at Twilight.

She nervously tapped her front hooves together. "Uh, I mean, before you got reformed and all!" She showed another nervous grin. "Just trust me! It's not a good thing to read since you're a changeling, especially now that it's out of date and all!"

"'Twentieth Edition,'" he read.

"It's an old book!" she exclaimed. "It's been edited and re-edited a couple of times!"

"What's been edited and re-edited a couple of times, Twilight?" a voice said.

Starlight Glimmer appeared at the double doors.

"Oh, uh, this old and enriching book here, heh-heh-heh-heh!" She glanced at Blue Alarm.

The changeling had an annoyed face.

"A changeling in the library?" She walked towards the two. "I remember the last time a changeling was here."

Twilight gave Starlight a look of disapproval. "Yeah, I remember the last time you played chess with somepony and it ended up causing a mess in the library."

Starlight laughed it off with a hoof. "You know I won't get over-enthusiastic about it again, right?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. She looked at Blue Alarm. "I guess you didn't formally introduce yourself to my student the last time you saw her." She gestured towards the light pink pony. "She's—"

"Starlight Glimmer, I know," Blue Alarm. "I don't need to be toured around like I'm not sure about what Equestria is."

Twilight balked a little. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm sorry about that!" She grinned again.

"Wait, is that the book you said you're not allowed to show to changelings?" Starlight Glimmer asked.

Twilight sighed. "I tried to show him that he wasn't supposed to read it. He was bored."

"I don't think that's a good enough excuse, Twilight," Starlight said, showing off a smirk at her.

"I did actually say those words," Blue Alarm quipped.

Starlight gawked at him. "You can't be that bored to read something that derides you and your friends, can you?"

Blue Alarm sighed. "Maybe." He turned towards Twilight. "Do you have any more of your friends that might be visiting the library in the next few seconds or so?"

A few hoofsteps echoed from the hallway.

"Um..." She shrugged and grinned at him.

Rainbow Dash flew through the double doors. "I'm ready to read 'Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny' for the twelfth time!" She was huffing in excited tiredness.

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Really?"


"So, Blue Alarm!" Rainbow said while she and the rest of them stood around the table.

Then, she grabbed Twilight and leaned towards her ear. She whispered, "What do I say to a changeling when I try to be friends with him?"

"Just be natural, Rainbow," Twilight whispered back.

Starlight and Blue Alarm looked at each other then back at the two other ponies there.

Rainbow focused on the changeling. She placed a shoulder on the table, resting her head on her raised hoof. "Blue Alarm, how's your day?"

He shifted his eyes left and right. "That doesn't sound natural."

She glared at him. "How did you know our whispered conversation?!"

"Changeling ears." He pointed a hoof at his light blue ears. "Very sensitive to sound."

"Another question, Blue Alarm—what about...a story about your life?!"

Blue Alarm stared at Rainbow. "What did you ask me?"

Twilight nudged Rainbow, having another uneasy look on her face. "That's something we shouldn't be talking about now."

"Why not? I told him my story about my life!"

"Sounded more like a novel because you took an hour to tell it to us that time," Blue Alarm said.

"Well, do you want to spend some time with us as friends?" She budged towards the changeling. "An hour talking with us would do wonders for your friendships and ours!"

He held out his hooves. "I know that friendship is magic and all good and nice, but...please let me take my time." He laughed a little. "Besides, you wouldn't want to hear my life story. Your stories aren't perfect, but they're so happy and cheery and bright compared to a typical changeling's."

Twilight gave Rainbow a mean look. "Don't force it, Rainbow Dash."

She sighed.


The bright lights radiated their glow onto the sleeping changeling.

The sound of wheels rolling and the engine going went on. Yet, the changeling still slept.

The small green and purple dragon walked past licking a lollipop. He turned his head around.

Blue Alarm was sleeping still, lying on the cushioned seats.

Spike took a look outside.

The night was dark and the stars shone in their places while the moon shone in even greater brilliance.

The grass rolled in the moonlight. So did the trees, the mountains, and the rest of the scenery as the train moved past them.

Spike hopped up and sat beside the changeling.

He licked the lollipop again.

"What flavor?"

"Ahh!"

Spike fumbled as he grabbed the lollipop by the stick. His teeth were shaking as he eyed the lollipop that was almost gone.

"Sorry about that," he said under the groans. "I'm just...trying to..."

"Sleep. I know." He looked at the changeling. "What brought you back in Ponyville? And why are you leaving so late, anyway?"

"You wouldn't like it—books." He smiled despite his sleepy condition.

The dragon sighed. "Being with Twilight long enough to see her become a Princess, that's one of the few things that never changes with her. And I'm OK with it!"

Blue Alarm sat up on the seat and yawned, stretching his front hooves. "What brought you here so late at night?"

"It turns out that Twilight gave me a day-off starting tonight, so I'm headed for...well..." Spike tapped his head. "To be honest, I...wasn't sure about where I was going."

"This train's headed for Dodge Junction. I'm going home through there."

Spike lightened up. "Oh, I see! That makes sense."

Then the two didn't talk.

Spike went on licking the lollipop.

Blue Alarm gazed out the window.


The desert town was quiet and almost silent. The sheriff and a few guards wearing hats patrolled the area.

The buildings were closed, the lights were off save for a few flashlights and a few gaslights.

The sheriff waved at Spike as he walked on under the night with Blue Alarm.


"Thanks again for letting me go with you!" Spike then moved his smile away. "But, I didn't expect to go this far away from Ponyville." He clattered his teeth again. "Oh, no! What if Twilight makes an Equestria-wide search for me if she finds out I'm not in Ponyville?!"

Blue Alarm laughed as they walked on the dirt path amidst the moonlit place. "They're going to be alright."

The two walked alone on that path. The moon was above them along with its stars.

Ahead, there was the spire, the tower of the Changeling Kingdom. There were lights that soared to the air.


There was a knock on the door. A rapid knock. A fast knock.

Rarity hastily opened the door. "What is it, Twilight?" She yawned. "You had to wake me up in my sleep!"

Twilight gasped and heaved. "Where's Spike?!"

"I thought he was with you! Or, probably sleeping in the castle at this hour."

"Well, I gave him the day-off tonight, and now he's gone! I've asked almost everypony in town about his whereabouts, but all of them don't know where he went or where he is!" Her heaving went faster and heavier.

"Now, calm down, Twilight! He probably took a walk off in the night like some ponies do—"

"Maybe right off to the Everfree Forest!"

Rarity shoved a hoof away. "Spike may be young, but he isn't too young to not know that the Everfree Forest is a dangerous place to go to alone!" She looked behind her—the mirrors and the mannequins and the fabrics and the stairs beckoned her to sleep back at her bed. She yawned again. "Just sleep, Twilight. I'm sure that this predicament will be over by the time you awake."

Twilight kept on heaving and huffing fast.

Rarity grabbed Twilight. "Breathe slowly! Inhale and exhale, Twilight!"


Spike gasped for air as he finally was at the final floor.

Blue Alarm picked him up. "Come on. Not much further to go."

They walked on the rocky floor. Spike's breathing was loud and sounded through the open room.

The landscape of the land around the kingdom was seen from this height. Much of it was dark and shone gleams of the moonlight. The chatters and the talks and the activities of the changelings back on the ground was still heard.

The two continued walking.

Blue Alarm peered at a big changeling standing near the ledge.

"Uh, King Thorax, there's a visitor. A visitor you'd probably know and care about."

Throax looked at him.

"Spike!"

Spike's eyes went wide open. "Thorax!"

The two shouted and ran across the wide, stony room under the soft light.

They hugged each other.

"Spike, it's been a long time since I've seen you!"

"Even a few months seems very long without meeting you, Thorax!"

They kept on hugging. There were laughs and silent cries.

Blue Alarm looked upon them from afar though it wasn't that far away from them.

The two stopped hugging.

"Guess what, Thorax? I'm going to be spending my day-off here in your kingdom!" He closed his eyes and placed his claws on his torso. "How cool will that be? To make up for the lost time."

Thorax giggled. "Yeah! It's going to be great catching up with each other. I have lots of stories and other things to tell you ever since I became king—" He rubbed and scratched his head "—although I didn't want to be king in the first place."

"Come on!" Spike replied. "You're going to be known as the first good king to the changelings. Aren't you proud of that?"

Thorax nodded. "I guess that's something to be proud of." He yawned. "Well, I'm going to sleep soon. Aren't you going to sleep also? It's pretty late."

Spike glanced at Blue Alarm. "Yeah, I think I'll sleep...maybe soon." He grinned.

"You better sleep now, so you won't get tired and grumpy in the morning when we get to see each other again here!" He laughed. "Yes! Finally! Some time with some old friends! Or, old friend." Thorax chuckled.

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