Society as We Know It

by Comma Typer

Maud Pie's House

Tall trees were the norm in this forest, providing a patched shade to all that was underneath them. Rocks and bushes were strwen around. The sounds of the birds were interspersed in the air, creating that homely forest feeling, that warm forest feeling.

A lone changeling walked on the ground, using his camera to take pictures of the majestic and splendid forest with its trees, its rocks, its bushes, its wildlife—anything that would qualify for a good shot, a good photograph.

"This is lovely!" the changeling exclaimed. "They shall call me, 'Ocelli the Amazing at Taking Pictures!'" Then, his ecstatic smile disappeared. "I really should think of a better title to think for myself. If I cannot make myself sound good, then how will I convince others that I am amazing at taking pictures?"

Then, he glanced to the left. "Wait, what's that?"

He flew a little distance with quiet and stealth and hid behind a tree.

He peeked out.

A wooden mailbox standing upright in the forest.

"What is that doing here?" Ocelli asked himself. "Is this normally normal for forests like this?"

Then, he looked here and there. "Nopony is around to see this mailbox."

Then, Ocelli saw the set of rocks behind the mailbox. "Hm? More organized things in this forest? Must've been done by somepony—camping or maybe it's something else."

He tip-toed his way towards the mailbox and stepped on the rocks.

"Feels like a normal rock," Ocelli said. "Typical rocks."

Then, he looked ahead. There was one hole on the ground.

"Rocks leading towards this hole," the changeling said. "And, there was a mailbox back there. Well, there's only one way to know what is the meaning of all of this!"

He flew down the hole.

---

Maud Pie was reading a book on the table, sitting on a cozy cushion. Her face remained expressionless as each page was turned by her hoof. She blinked slowly every few seconds or so as her eyes followed the sentences of the book.

The sound of the rushing waterfalls was her background noise.

Then, a buzz.

Maud sat up.

The changeling entered. As he hovered over the floor, his mouth was wide open along with his eyes. He looked around, beholding the lush interior that held a bed, two cushions, a table, a book, several colorful lights and lanterns, and Maud. Then, he looked past that, looking at the waterfalls there along with the many, many gems and other forms rock that were in many colors, sprucing up the place with a unique glow that would never be outshone by anything else.

Then, the changeling looked at Maud.

She was looking at him with a blank and neutral expression.

"You must be Maud Pie, sister of Pinkie Pie!" the changeling said as he extended a hoof. "It is a great pleasure to meet you in this amazing home you have!"

"Hi," Maud said.

The changeling made a strange face and balked. "Uh, OK."

Maud shaked his hoof.

The changeling flinched. "Ow! That's a strong grip you got there! Must be because you're an Earth pony." He removed his hoof and examined it.

"So, as the ponies here talk, why are you here?" Maud asked.

"Uh, I just stumbled upon this place," the changeling said. He took out his camera and pressed a button and the camera flashed.

Maud's pupils were small for a second.

"Alright! This is going to look great when I print these out!"

"What will you do with the photos?" Maud asked, still in her emotionless-sounding tone.

"Show them to my friends," the changeling replied, "then sell them to those who aren't my close friends. That's what I do—take nice pictures of things and creatures and sell them! That's how I make money, by the way."

Maud looked at the changeling.

She blinked.

The changeling's enthusiastic smile went away. "Uh, aren't you gonna say something?"

"I've already said something," Maud said.

"Oh..."

The changeling looked around, now with a less enthusiastic face than before. He eyed the waterfall. "What about you accompany me towards the waterfall over there? Do you have a boat? I noticed you have a pier over—"

"I have no boats."

The changeling blinked. "Oh, alright! We can just stand by the pier and I can take a picture of you. Yes, the perfect picture in this underground place, this underground land of beauty and wonder and other things that I can use to describe!"

The changeling walked down the stairs with Maud.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you my name is Ocelli," the changeling said, pointing a hoof to himself. Then, he eyed the gems that lined the ground. "Ooh! You placed the gems here, too? My friends tell me that you're quite happy about rocks—that you even have rocks as your pusuit, your goal in life. Your destiny, if I may add."

"It is my destiny," Maud said. "It is also the thing I like."

"Pretty fitting for a pony who loves rocks," the changeling said. "Say, how many of your friends come by here to do the activities that ponies who love rocks do? Do you study them, do you meet here and research about rocks—where are your tools? That would be good!"

"I had to do it alone," Maud bluntly replied.

"Oh." The changeling's ardent expression departed from his face. "That's...sad."

Maud merely raised her head. "But, there's Starlight."

"Which means you now have friends and that you're not alone? Does Starlight like rocks, too?"

"Yes."

"What do you like that she likes?"

"Rocks."

"Uh, let me rephrase that."

"She likes rocks, I like rocks—my answer to your question was correct."

The changeling was shocked. "Like I said, let me rephrase that." He cleared his throat. "What does she like, besides rocks, that you also like?"

"Geological places like this."

The changeling sighed. "Alright, what does Starlight like, besides anything related to rocks, that you also like?"

"Almost anything can be related to rocks," Maud said. "My pet rock, Boulder, likes kites. I like kites. Starlight likes kites."

"How does a rock fly a kite, by the way?"

Maud stared at his face with that neutral expression of hers.

The changeling looked around nervously. Then, he moved his hoof on the grass. "Let's talk about the ground that's on our hooves, shall we? Heh-heh-heh-heh! Uh, completely nothing wrong, I'm not completely trying to dodge the possibility that you might be angry at me!" He grinned anxiously, his eyes trembling a little as Maud went on staring at him.

"I tie the kite to Boulder," Maud said.

"Oh."

The rushing of the waterfalls continued. The gems sparkled.

Hoofsteps.

"Oh, hi, Maud!" Starlight said, waving at her. She looked at the changeling. "And you brought a changeling to your house. That's wonderful!"

The changeling looked at the unicorn and smiled, walking towards her. "You must be Starlight!"

"We've met before, remember?" Starlight said. "Back when you organized that camera convention for changelings?"

"And when every changeling decided to tell me to reduce the prices of the cameras because they were too expensive?"

"What?"

"You left before that happened," Ocelli said.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Starlight said, adopting a pitying tone.

"Don't worry, I can recover!" He glanced at Maud who was walking up to him. "Actually, your friend, Maud, is quite the character!"

"Oh, and how do you say so?"

"Quite honest!" Ocelli replied.