The Sunflower Interview
Timeline Note: This takes place two days before Thanksgiving, 2038.
Spoiler Note: This story contains spoilers for the entirety of Project: Sunflower
A light brown pony reclined on a cushy red sofa across from Susan Chang, internationally famous morning talk show host and self-made multimillionaire, and who was seated in a similarly plush red armchair. Against all normal expectations, the pony's auburn mane was delicately styled in ringlets that cascaded down the back of her neck. She was also wearing an emerald green dress, which seemed to be causing her some discomfort. Or, perhaps it was just the typical nervousness that most people feel when being interviewed by someone famous.
Susan spoke comfortingly to the pony, relayed a few last-minute bits of advice, and then faced a camera and began talking.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special show and a very special guest for you this morning. This is the one and only time I'm going to do a pre-recorded show, rather than a live one, but I think you'll agree that my guest today is worth it.
"You may know her as Sunflower, the pony who crossed the world, or you may know her as Erin Olsen, the brave young woman who explored a new world, and ended up finding the allies we needed to save our own. She's here today, and she's willing to tell us a little bit about what happened. Erin? Why don't you start?"
"Where would you like me to start?"
"Why not at the beginning, right before you became a pony?" Susan suggested.
"All right," Erin said. She thought for a moment, then turned to a camera as well and said, "Hi. My name is Erin Olsen, also known as Sunflower. And the first thing you need to know is, before I became a pony, my job was incredibly boring."
Susan laughed, and the pony smiled slightly.
"Boring? How could it be boring? You were part of a project to find other habitable worlds. That sounds pretty exciting to me!"
"Well, what you have to understand is that I was just an intern. My day was spent squinting at a screen and adjusting sensors, looking for the 'sweet spot' where an alternate world might be. We automated as much of that as we could, but the fine-tuning still had to be done by human hands. So, that's what I did. I looked at numbers and wavelengths for up to twelve hours a day, six days a week, and I never, ever got to see if any of the potential worlds I found even existed, or if they were just noise."
"Oh, I see. That does sound pretty dull."
"Honestly, you have no idea," Erin said with a nervous laugh. "That's why, when they asked for volunteers, I jumped at the chance."
"You'd rather be a pony than be bored?"
"Well, I didn't know what I was volunteering for, at first," Erin admitted. "They didn't tell us until they got me and the other volunteers into a separate room."
Susan seemed surprised by that statement. "Other volunteers? I thought you were the only one who 'went pony', for lack of a better term."
Erin nodded. "That's right. But they were being deliberately vague when asking for volunteers, so a few of us showed up. I'm the only one who agreed to go through with it, once they actually explained everything."
"I can't say I blame them," Susan said honestly. "To do what you did... Erin, that takes serious guts."
"I don't know about that," Erin replied, blushing. "It needed to be done. At the time, we knew we were going over, one way or another. We didn't have a choice, unless we found some other world at the last minute by some completely unexpected miracle. The ponies, they seemed a lot like us from the surveillance we'd seen. I had to make sure they were treated fairly by us, not just as animals."
"Do you think we really would have acted that way?"
Erin thought about that for a few seconds.
"I don't know," she said finally. "I'd like to think that we'd be careful. But there were also billions of us, not to mention pets and livestock. No matter what we'd done, or how careful we were, it would have been extremely disruptive to the ponies when we came over. It was obvious to me that diplomacy was the only way we could go that had any chance of a good outcome for all of us."
"Were you aware of the Earth-First protests going on at that time?"
"I knew about them from before I went through the gate," Erin replied. "They were targeting the Arks, then. They didn't even know about Harmonics. Which is good, because they might have tried to stop us. In the end, we got them exactly what they wanted."
"The Earth saved, and the Tide gone," Susan said, nodding. "So, now I have to ask: what's it like, being a pony?"
Erin laughed and waggled a hoof at her interviewer.
"It's actually not as different as you might think. I mean, I'm still 'me'. It was a pretty big adjustment when I first changed, though."
"I bet!"
"Yeah, it took a few days before I really felt confident walking and running around, and I was still pretty clumsy for a few weeks. And, getting used to doing things without hands was very hard. Though I should point out that I'm not really a 'proper' pony, not yet."
"What do you mean? And, 'not yet'?"
"Well, we didn't have any idea of what an actual, Equestrian pony was like. We could only make guesses based on what we saw in the videos. Hermann and his team at Ascent did the best they could, but I only look like an Equestrian pony. As for the 'not yet' comment, I'm planning on going back to Equestria and studying magic. And, for that, I may need to be made into an Equestrian pony."
"May need to be?" Susan repeated.
"Well, they're working on a way to use the anatomical data we have now to change humans just enough to be able to sense and manipulate a magical field," Erin explained. "So far, they're not sure if what they have will work. It may end up taking a lot of trial and error before they get it right, and since each trial would take a week or two and we only have one facility at the moment... Well, you can kind of see where this is going."
"I thought they were building other Ascent facilities around the world?" Susan asked.
"Oh, yes," Erin said. "A few of them are owned by the Committee, built using the leftover emergency funds. The rest are supposedly going to be built by private businesses licensing the tech. The Committee ones will be used on a 'greatest need first' model, like Mr. Thomson said in his speech. You know, little kids with terminal illnesses, and stuff like that."
"But you get to use one just to go back and forth between being a human and a pony?" Susan asked. Erin shifted uncomfortably on her sofa.
"It bothers me a little. But, yes. But the truth is, the one at the Harmonics lab is already outdated, even after the recent repairs. The new facilities are supposed to be much faster. Also, the Ascent lab at Harmonics is intended for 'official use only'. It really does bother me, because we could have already started using it to help people."
"What's the kind of official use would an Ascent lab would have?"
"Well, things like studying magic, first of all. That's why I'm allowed to use it to change into different types of ponies. Otherwise, it just sits there, unused."
"I see," Susan said. "Do you think you'll ever change back to human?"
"Yeah, I plan to. Just after Thanksgiving, actually."
"Oh, you're not staying a pony?"
"Not forever. I mean, I don't mind being a pony. It's actually kind of fun! But I've been wanting to reconnect with my humanity for a while, now. I've been a pony for a few months, and I want to turn back just so I can remember what it's like to have fingers and thumbs again."
The two of them both laughed at that. Susan brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Well, let's change the subject. Tell me about these friends of yours?"
"You mean my pony friends?" Erin asked.
"If you don't mind! We don't know a lot about them. They're hard to track down for interviews."
"Yeah, and they probably like it that way," Erin said sourly. She sighed. "Sorry. It's just... since it came out who I am, I can't go out in public without being mobbed by reporters. The trip out here from Colorado was a nightmare. That's probably why they're all staying in Equestria right now, even though they're all dying to come and see the Earth."
"That's too bad," Susan sympathized. "They are kind of famous, though. After saving the Earth, you know."
"They didn't do it alone," Erin pointed out. "They had the Princesses. And... Well, they had Malachite."
"He's the one who died?"
"Yes." Erin said quietly.
"I'm sorry. This is painful for you?"
"Yes. But not for the reasons you might think. Never mind. It's personal." There was an awkward pause. "I'm sorry. Could we cut that part out?"
"If you like," Susan said. "Let's talk about something else, then. What can you tell us about the others? Those friends of yours... what do the Equestrians call them? The Bearers?"
"Of the Elements of Harmony, yes," Erin said with a smile. "That's what really took the fight out of the Tide. Celestia going all 'power of the sun' on the little bit remaining was more or less just overkill."
"There is no such thing as 'overkill' on something like the Tide," Susan joked.
"Well, yeah. And, I'm definitely glad it's gone. As for my friends... well, I don't want to go into too many details, without their permission. But they're the greatest group of friends anyone could ever ask for, human or pony. When they talk about 'the Elements of Harmony', what they're really talking about are the virtues of friendship: Honesty, Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity, and Kindness. And, because this is Equestria we're talking about, Magic. Those six ponies represent those six virtues. And, according to what they've told me, the Elements are actually powered by the strength of their friendship."
"That sounds almost religious. I thought the Equestrians weren't religious?"
"Well, I don't know about that. Some seem to almost worship the Princesses. And I don't know what the griffons or the other sapient species there believe in. But I'm sure you've seen the footage. You've seen it in action. You know that something is real, there."
"That's true. That may explain why we've had some early reports of cults popping up around the Earth, centered around those six, or the Princesses."
"What?" Erin asked, looking alarmed. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Oh. Wow. They're not going to like that," Erin said worriedly. She turned and spoke directly to a camera. "Look... I'm sure it's flattering to them that you like them that much, but believe me, my friends would be mortified to find out they were receiving that kind of attention. And the Princesses... Okay, I'll grant you that they're amazing, but I don't think they'd like to be worshiped, either."
Susan laughed lightly. "Don't be too concerned. After all, there's still a Church of Elvis out there, and no one takes that too seriously. I'm sure this will run its course soon."
"I hope so," Erin said somberly. "Fluttershy would never come here, if she knew about that."
"Fluttershy, she's the pegasus?" Susan asked. "I mean, the yellow one, with the pink mane? We don't have many pictures of her."
"I'm surprised you have any," Erin said with a chuckle. "Her name is pretty descriptive. She's painfully shy, most of the time. But I have to say, don't mistake shyness for cowardice. Fluttershy is one of the bravest ponies I know, when it comes right down to it."
Susan nodded. "Anything else you can tell us about them?"
Erin considered that briefly. "No... No, not really. It's not fair for me to talk about them on national television, without their approval."
"Well, let them know that I, or anyone else, really, would be thrilled to interview any of them, any time they liked, would you?"
"Sure thing," Erin said with a grin.
"So, instead, how about we talk about Project Harmonics? There's a lot of mystery there, as well. The director is Maggie Hanson?"
"Henson," Erin corrected. "Yeah, she took over after Paul Velchiek was relieved."
"Wait, 'relieved'?" Susan asked, surprised. "I thought he stepped down."
"Who told you that?" Erin asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Well... it's what he's been saying the last couple of weeks on the talk show circuit. He's been going around, saying how he stepped down in order to talk to the press about Project Harmonics, and how 'his project' led to the Earth being saved."
Erin was obviously upset, now. "That... Oh, I don't believe that man!"
"That's... Not accurate, then?"
Erin hesitated, considering. When she spoke again, there was an edge to her voice. "You know, shortly after I woke up this morning, I was visited in my hotel room by a man in a very sharp suit, who showed me a badge indicating he was a Special Agent for the Committee. He 'suggested' to me that I avoid this topic, and I told him that I'd think about it. Well, I have thought about it, and I'd like to say, on the record: Agent Harris, I'll say whatever I like, and you can go get stuffed."
Susan laughed, though a little nervously. "So, Doctor Velchiek hasn't been entirely honest?"
"He didn't step down, if that's what you mean," Erin said with a hint of anger. "He was relieved of his position due to ethics violations. As far as it being 'his' project, well... he may have come up with the basic idea, but it was Maggie Henson and her team that made it work. They're the heroes, if you want someone to thank."
"Wait, wait. Ethics violations? Really? That's news to me! Can you tell us what happened?"
Erin frowned and looked away. She looked back a moment later, anger clear in her eyes.
"The first thing you need to understand was that being... well, a spy, basically, it didn't come easy to me. I made a mistake, a big one."
"What was that?"
"I started making friends."
"That was a mistake?"
"According to Paul Velchiek, yes. Or, rather, that I was getting attached to them. He didn't mind me using them as sources of information, though."
"What did he do, Erin?" Susan prompted, leaning forward. The pony sighed.
"You know about my implants? My cybernetics?"
"Yes, they were mentioned. Super senses and chemical analyzers, right?"
"Yes. But, in addition, there was a medical implant that dispensed various drugs to help me. Antibiotics, pain killers, things like that, for emergencies. Paul Velchiek changed the contents of that implant."
"Wow. Why would he do that?"
"The longer I stayed, the more I wanted to tell my friends what I was. It really bothered me, lying to them constantly."
"I can understand that."
"So, every time I started pushing to tell my friends, Paul would inject these drugs into my system to make me more compliant, to more easily convince me to keep my mouth shut."
Susan sat there in stunned silence.
"Oh, that bastard," she said eventually.
"Yeah," Erin said morosely. "Look, you need to understand something. While I was in Equestria, I was on my own. Cut off from humanity. There were times where I felt lonely, or outright scared, plenty of them. Paul Velchiek was my connection back to my world, to the rest of humanity. To have him do what he did..."
Erin trailed off.
"It felt like a major betrayal?" Susan suggested.
The pony nodded. "Yes. When Maggie told me what happened, I felt like I was going to throw up. Heck, I still do, when I think about it. That's not all, though."
"There's more?"
"Yeah. My body has, or rather had, something called the Override. That was originally designed to allow the scientists to recover me, in case of incapacitation or serious injury. Basically, they could use the Override to take control of me remotely, to get me to a gateway and home. Paul changed the programming on it, or had someone do it for him."
"How so?"
"Well, in the original specifications, I could ignore the Override, if I wanted to. He changed it so that I couldn't. He also changed it so that it would do specific things at certain times. Like, if I tried to tell my pony friends that I wasn't from their world, it would put me in a coma. Which is what actually ended up happening.
"Wow. So you tried to actually tell them?"
"Yes. After my cover was completely blown, I tried to come clean. Princess Celestia took one look at me and knew I wasn't one of her 'little ponies'. What was I supposed to do? I had to tell her!"
"And you fell into a coma?"
"Instantly, yes. The Princesses ended up having to do surgery to pull that implant out of me for me to wake up. They knew that I could be controlled with it, and they were worried that whoever was controlling me might decide to use me as a weapon, or just kill me outright."
"They actually thought we would do that?" Susan's surprise was obvious.
"Not so much that we would, but that we could, and they didn't want to take chances."
"Oh, wow."
"Yeah. I woke up in severe pain, after that. The main implant was in my head, but it was connected throughout my whole body. I was covered in bandages after that."
"And then you were free to talk to everyone, right?"
"Yes. And, I did. I got a lot of grief from the diplomatic staff for that, but I thought it was for the best. I think how things turned out shows that I was right."
Erin leaned back a little on the sofa, a satisfied grin on her face.
"But it was a risk to talk to them, right?" Susan asked. Erin frowned.
"Yes, I suppose it was," she said. "I could have really screwed things up. But I knew the ponies. They really aren't that much different than us, as people. And the Princesses were aware that something was coming into their world. They didn't know what it was, but they were worried. And they were getting ready to take action."
Susan leaned forward, eyes sparkling. None of this had been in the news, yet. "What action were the Princesses going to take?"
"They were working on a way to strengthen what they call the 'Veil', the border of their dimension. That would have stopped us from going over there at all. They were very close to implementing that before they found me."
Susan flopped back in her chair, her breath whooshing out.
"We could have all died from the Tide, if that had happened," she said. Erin nodded.
"Yeah. I mean, I didn't know what they were planning that until way after I was found out, but I did know that we had them worried. They were actively looking for anything that might have come through from other worlds. That's how I got found out, by Twilight Sparkle. She figured out I wasn't an Equestrian pony."
"Wow. So, it's really a good thing that you opened up when you did."
"Yeah. It's just too bad that I came clean far too late to save a good friendship with one of the mares I knew in town."
"Oh? Not one of the Bearers, then?"
"No. A nice mare named Meadowlark. She was one of the first ponies I'd met. She has the cutest little filly, Marigold. I told her what I was, and she hasn't wanted to talk to me since."
"That's too bad," Susan said, reaching over to lay a hand on Erin's shoulder. The pony smiled back at her.
"I can only hope she forgives me one day," Erin said. "Especially since I plan on moving to Ponyville."
"You do? Oh, for your studies in magic, right?"
"Yeah," Erin nodded. "I could, technically, live anywhere. But all my friends are there, so... yeah, Ponyville."
"What can you tell us about Ponyville?"
"It's... well, it's lovely. It really is. The houses look really old-fashioned, with thatched roofs and the like. There are bright colors everywhere and really friendly people wherever you go. Their technology is pretty far behind ours, though. Very little electricity, no internet at all... They just got a railway a year or so ago, I hear."
"Sounds picturesque," Susan said with a smile. "Hard to imagine 'no internet', though."
"The only place with internet is Canterlot Castle, right now," Erin said with a laugh. "And only then when the gate is open."
"Hmm. That must be hard to handle. I think I'd go crazy without being able to check in on my sites and statuses!"
"Yeah, it would have been hard for me, too. But all of that was pretty restricted as soon as I started working for Harmonics, so I got used to it before I went to Equestria."
"What about Zanibra? I hear that they've just started construction on the first city, there. What's that like?"
"I don't know," Erin admitted. "I've never been there. It's supposed to be a pretty desolate place right now, though."
"Really? That's where humanity was going to live, though."
"Oh, yes. And, Equestria is planning on helping us turn it into a nice place. Earth ponies to help grow the land, pegasi to help manage the weather and bring in more rains. It could be a paradise in ten years. But the reason the zebras are willing to sell it to us is because it's a desert, and almost nobody lives there now."
"Oh, wow. All the promotional materials seemed really nice. The documentaries."
"They were probably showing you Equestria, itself. Where ponies have lived for centuries. With how easily they can manipulate the weather and land, of course it was beautiful there!"
"So, the ponies were going to stick us out on a desert island somewhere?"
Erin blinked, frowning.
"No, they were going to put humanity somewhere we could be together and call our own, without disrupting any ponies or other creatures already established, make sure we had enough food and clean water, and send over work crews to help our own farmers get the land there capable of sustaining us all. Then they were going to keep going until Zanibra was as nice as Equestria. All of that out of the kindness of their hearts."
"Okay, okay," Susan said, holding her hands up. "I spoke rashly, sorry. I was just surprised. The promotional materials told us one thing, and you just told me another. It wasn't what I was expecting, and I meant no offense to the ponies."
"I understand. And I probably overreacted, too, sorry," Erin said. "But the promotional materials and documentaries didn't come from the ponies. I think... Well, it would have been about two years before anyone had to migrate from the Earth, if our estimates on the Tide's expansion were correct. That would have been plenty of time to get some basic infrastructure up, and get the land producing some vegetation. The pegasi could have upped the rainfall by more than enough in that time."
"Pegasus ponies can really control the weather?"
"Yup!" Erin said. "To an extent, at least. They can create winds or calm them, bring in clouds, make or stop the rain... It's incredible. When I first saw a pegasus manipulating a cloud with her bare hooves, it was amazing, it really was."
"It's so hard to believe." Susan said with a laugh. "Oh, I didn't mean I don't believe you..."
Erin chuckled at that. "Trust me, it was hard for me to believe, and I saw it."
"Do you think that would work over here? We have plenty of droughts of our own."
"You know, I don't know that any pony has ever tried. I know we don't have our own magical field on Earth, though."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. The ponies get weak, here, unless they wear these special magic-storing torcs.... um, a kind of necklace, basically. They can draw on that for their magic. But I can't help thinking that it would be dangerous for a pegasus to try that here. If she ran out of juice while pushing clouds around... that's a long way to fall without magic."
Susan shuddered. "I didn't think of that." She cleared her throat, and continued. "You mentioned the zebras earlier. We also know about griffons and I've heard there are minotaurs. Are they just like the myths and legends?"
"Well, I haven't met any zebras or minotaurs, but I have met a few griffons. Yeah, they do look like you'd expect them to look. And talking cows. They have talking cows, there."
"Wait, seriously? Cows?"
"Yeah. It's really not all that weirder than griffons and talking ponies, when you get down to it. Oh, and then there's Spike, who's a baby dragon. He's adorable, and a smart little guy. He's Twilight's assistant."
"A dragon. Really?"
"Yeah. And I... I guess you could say that I encountered a chimera, as well. It tried to eat me."
"Okay. Really? You're not making this up?"
"Not a word," Erin said, shuddering. "If Rainbow Dash hadn't shown up when she did, we wouldn't be having this interview."
"She saved you?"
"All of them did, working together. That's the thing about the ponies. There's really nothing they can't manage, working together."
"Maybe it's some kind of herd instinct."
"Maybe," Erin said with a laugh. "Or, maybe it's just that cooperation provides a greater survival strategy than selfishness. No, they took that chimera down, and made it look almost easy."
"That could be. It sure worked out for us!" Susan laughed, and then continued. "So, what's next for Erin Olsen? What are your big plans?"
"Well, for now I'm going to turn back to a human, like I said. I'm going to visit my family and my human friends. And then, like I said, I'm going back to Equestria to study magic. I'll get myself a cozy little place in Ponyville, and then I'll probably just settle down for a while."
"What about marriage? Kids? Or are you planning on going 'fully native' and having yourself a pony family?"
"What? No!" Erin blurted, blushing furiously. "No, sorry, no. I mean, the ponies are cute and all, but I'm not attracted to them. Still a regular human girl that way. As for marriage, sure. Maybe one day, when I've gotten this out of my system and they figure out how to make humans capable of using magic."
"You're how old, now? Twenty six? And you're planning on staying in Equestria for the foreseeable future, right?" Erin nodded. "You're not worried that you'll get too old to have kids, if you put it off too long?"
"Um, well. Not really. Why would I? I could study magic until I'm ninety, and still decide to have kids. After all, it's not like I'd ask them to turn me back into an old lady."
"Oh, wow. That's right!” Susan’s eyes widened. “I forgot about Ascent, didn't I?"
"Yeah. I can be any age, physically, that I want to be. And when enough offices open to meet the needs of all seven billion of us, then so can everyone else. I can decide to have kids whenever I want."
"That’s a pretty big change for the world,” Susan said, nodding. “I keep forgetting about how much can change, now, with Ascent. But what about overpopulation?"
"What about it?" Erin smiled in reply. "It's not going to happen. Harmonics is still running, and they're still looking for new worlds. There are bound to be other ones out there besides Equestria that can sustain human life. We just have to find them. And we have all the time we need, now."
"That's true, isn't it? Plus, I imagine some of us can settle in Equestria, still."
"Yeah. That's what Zanibra is for. Or, whatever we end up calling it, once we finish buying it from the Zebra nations."
"So," Susan said. "I suppose we should start wrapping up this interview soon. But I do have one last question."
"Okay, go ahead." Erin said, shifting slightly on her sofa.
"We're getting talk of inter-dimensional tourism starting up. Some folks from Equestria want to see the Earth. And, naturally, tons of humans want to see Equestria. Any advice for folks who encounter a pony?"
Erin considered the question for a few seconds.
"Yes," she said. "First of all, remember that they may look different than you, but they're still people. They're a lot like us, actually. If you see a pony on Earth, don't crowd them, don't harass them with questions. Just use your common sense. Think about what it would be like for you in that situation. Would you want a bunch of alien creatures to surround you, start shouting questions at you, maybe trying to touch you without your permission? Of course not."
"That all makes very good sense," Susan said, and Erin continued.
"For those going to Equestria, just be polite. You'll get a lot of attention, because you'll be unusual. Also, don't forget when you're there that you're representing the whole of the human race to a group of creatures that aren't very familiar with us at all. If you're rude, then the ponies you’re rude to may think all humans are rude as well. They don't have any other examples to go by, yet.
“Also, don't forget that ponies aren't the only intelligent creatures in Equestria. There are cows that can talk. I've met a few of them. There are also talking donkeys, zebras, griffons and the like. If you happen to see something, don't assume that it's not intelligent just because it doesn't look like you."
Erin laughed, then, and said, "One last thing? Make sure you find out what's in the food you're eating. Ponies actually make a lot of things with plants that humans might have a hard time eating. Like hay."
"Very good advice," Susan said, nodding. "Well, that's all the questions we have time for now. I want to thank you for time, Erin, and I'm sure we all look forward to hearing more about your adventures later on!"
"Thanks," Erin said with a smile. "It was great to be here."
The lights dimmed slightly, and the red light on the camera went out.
"Is that it?" Erin asked.
Susan smiled and stood up, stretching a little. "That's it," she confirmed.
Erin got up, did a little stretching of her own.
"Erin, I have one question I didn't want to ask with the cameras on. Can I ask it now?"
"Uh. Sure, okay."
"Would it be okay if I... if I got your autograph? For my daughter?"
"Wow," Erin said, eyes wide. Then she laughed. "Yeah. Sure thing! How does she want me to sign it, Erin or Sunflower?"
"Could it be both?"
Erin smiled. "Sure, I don't see why not."
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First chapter of Side Projects. The rest of the interview from Project: Sunflower.
It gives a little detail on what's been going on in the background (Paul Velchiek, for example) and serves to recap the series itself. I thought this might be a good place to start.
Next chapter titles are currently as follows but are subject to change:
Erin the Human
Down on the Farm
Red Apples
OH cool i have been waiting for this
edit: also FIRST!!
I kinda want to see the Mane Six get their hooves on Velchiek and show him what happens to anyone who messes with their friends.
Awesome
, tracking the hay out of this!
...
Should... should you really be revealing this rather large weakness of the ponies on a worldwide broadcast, Erin? There are still going to be earth-firster nutjobs and other creeps out there looking to cause problems.
...soryy.. I'm just excited!
Looking forward to reading this!
GLEEEEEEEEE!
I love the ending to your story and everything. But I have to admit whenever I'm reminded that the Ascent labs can turn back aging, I can only think of humankind spreading like some sort of unstoppable plague across the multi-verse.
Though I imagine another world war or two would probably 'thin the herd' a bit.
Edit: Also we need a story of a pony going human. Love turning the "Human goes to Equestria, becomes a pony," on it's head.
Good interview story! It will be good to hear outside characters (humans visiting Equestria, ponies visiting Earth) and how they end up interacting.
Excellent. I will track this.
This shall be featured. I declare it, and so it shall be.
Also, first? That never happens.
1442755 Eh, let's not demonize him too too much. He did wrong things but not for evil reasons. Much like Malachite.
Why do you keep posting your stories at midnight!? Where do you live?
Anyway, yay side stories. Time for some extra world building.
All of my yes......all of them. -favorite, liked, and will stalk this thing no matter where it goes....even into the bathroom- *w*
1442857 What he said.
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw631_130995806595.gif
Ha ha! upvoted and Favorited before i even read the chapter and you did not disappoint. Eagerly waiting for more!
All of my happiness overflows.
Dear Celestia, you write fast!
Crazy excited that you've already begun on the side projects, and I'm now watching you like a Stalkerloo. Be wary...
They reviewed their talk show choices well. Way to go, Harmonics Staff!
Speaking of the First Earth Group, I bet they're ecstatic that the world has been saved. Some of them are probably going to join programs to fix the damaged parts of the Earth. (There have been programs like that in the past such as the one for Mt. Saint Helens. You could look that up for a bit research on how to restore pieces of land.)
Ha ha ha, "relieved?" I'm surprised he's even allowed to go on Talk Shows considering that he should be in jail for violating a US Citizen's rights.
Since this is the future, I'm sure that the trend of cultural sensitivity has still been going on strong. (People tend to work together when there's one active and visible threat that goes against them all.) Remember, innercultural communication is important!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be watching this story just as much as I watched the first one.
1442872
Lyra is on staff at the Ascent office, so...
I will sit here and watch.
Please, don't stop on my account.
1443185 1443164
And so it came to pass Hoopy always found himself with a considerable amount of company anywhere he went.
The curse of a star.
Hehe. The last couple lines were good for a nice laugh.
1442796
This is about the same thing that I thought when I read that passage...! Just because the Tide is gone doesn't mean that sane security considerations are erased from the to-do list...!!
1442796 Well in her defense it isn't live but recorded, I'm sure the government of both Earth and Equestria would pick over it with a fine tooth comb to make sure some things are okay for being said.........so hopefully that big weakness bit is taken out. If not..........erm......well.......'In case of an emergency please put your head between your legs and...' "Kiss your bum goodbye."
1443685 You have a point, and she does have bad experiences with people trying to control what she says...
Great start to the side project.
Can't wait to read one of the stories that I have no clue what it's all about. 
1442796
It's not like it would remain a secret for very long. Two-way tourism is being planned, and visiting ponies would all have torcs. They'd talk about them and so would humans.
Also, the majority of the earth-first nutters have probably been mollified with the fact that Earth wasn't going to be abandoned to desolation.
1443844 I agree with everything you wrote except the last. If they were crazy enough to sabotage the Ark Ships then at least a few are going to stick around because they have nothing better to do.
Probably spout some nonsense about 'earth is for humans' and claim Malachite and Harmony were a hoax.
The hardest thing for a human being is to admit that not only were you wrong, but that what you have spent years of your life doing made no difference, had no meaning. Some people will kill rather than admit that, some people will refuse to move from their cabin on the side of an erupting volcano rather than bend - human determination is scary.
I'm not entirely sure on this. I'm sure there'd be a GRAND majority of humans who would MUCH rather stay on Earth rather than Equestria. I don't know. It's strongly likely that overpopulization will be a thing, even if there are multiple worlds that can be traveled to, although that would help a slight bit with the high population.
Edit: I forgot to mention, SIDE PROJECTS ALREADY WOO
!!!!!!
Having been a huge fan of the original, I have to say;
AWWW YES.
i.imgur.com/ViY7j.gif
Now for the decision, bed or fanfic...? Wait a sec, I have a smartphone!
1443877 Overpopulation is, largely, a relative sort of thing. If you think it's too crowded on Earth, you can go elsewhere. 'Elbow room' has always been one of the many reasons people have moved to the frontiers. It's also worth pointing out that pretty much everywhere as people get more affluent they have fewer kids.
1442872 Hopefully, yes. You make it sound like a bad thing, though.
Of course, if it's an infinite multi-verse, eventually you'll run across something that's rather less pleasant than Equestria.
1442755
I'm more up for Celestia getting her hooves on him, whether or not Erin was born in Equestria she has become one of Celestia's little ponies.
Wonderful start my friend
I'm not too concerned about overpopulation. Once you have nanotechnology on the level of Project Ascent, lots of things become possible. They've even gotten to experience the gray goo scenario to a certain extent, so the reflexes to be properly careful with it should already be developed.
Dawww that last question
Oh she's going to get in so much shit for mentioning that ethics violation. Seriously who the hell let her have an interview without a minder present to stop her?
Yay! Starring, tracking, and liking the heck out of this! Can't wait for more, and I'm glad that Erin asked for the whole Malachite bit to be cut. She doesn't need everybody on Earth knowing that she was taken over and completely controlled by the being that saved their world.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
I'm guessing from the upcoming chapter titles that Big Mac will feature in one of them? Poor guy getting the shock of his life that Sunflower was a human all along
I'll be following this with gusto.
Twenty six? Pfft. That's nothing. I know women who gave birth when they were forty. It's not that uncommon. And I would think the age range would be even more generous in the future. Something tells me that was just a "bait" question on Susan's part.
Oh, and the idea that overpopulation wouldn't happen?
I feel like just because we can find new worlds doesn't mean that we'd never run out of room... the idea of every human never actually dying of old age or sickness... that's actually kinda scary to me. I guess partly because I'm just thinking of our numbers growing, and growing, and growing, until we become an unstoppable tide and are able to take over any planet we so desire with no end to our numbers. Oh, and sense I feel like death is a natural part of life... well think about it, with the risk of death so greatly reduced what would that do to us? Personally I don't know... but it's a question that bears asking I think.
But on another note...
HAPPY PANDA!! An excellent short story! 
There was a mistake I find though. It was simply hitting the "enter" key in the middle of a sentence... this sentence. 
Otherwise I'd say you're good. 
"Yes. But not for the reasons you might think. Never mind. It's personal." There was an awkward pause. "I'm sorry. Could
we cut that part out?"
Well, the good part about you updating/the mods approving at midnight is that by now, when I had time to read, it was already in the featured box, so I didn't have to look far to find it! XD Thanks for the chapter! I was wondering if this wasn't going to be one of the first chapters you were going to do! :3
Always look forward to more of your stories. Looks good so far.
Ah... darn this series and story! I can't stop re-reading it! I have homework dammit!
Suggestion though... perhaps we could hear the rest of Maggies conversation with Erin after Dr. V got deposed? or perhaps how his tampering was discovered? Both exciting scenes. Heck, it'd also be interesting to see the staff going over Erins video data: The Mane six did get popular for a reason, and It'd be cool to see the staff's reaction to the troubles Sunflower gets into, be it awesome or hilarious, like the job search. heck, even thier reactions to the magic and the cloud stuff: Erin focused on it, so they sure saw a lot of it.
"Well, thinks like studying magic, first of all." You mean things
"You know that something real, there." How about "something's (something is) real"?
"After all, there's still a Church of Elvis out there, and no one take that too seriously." No one takes
"Even if I study magic until I'm ninety, when I decide to have kids, why wouldn't I have them turn be back into a human woman who is young enough still have children?" This sentence is a little unclear to me. Could you reword it?
"There are also talking donkeys, zebra, griffons and the like." Make zebras plural.
I suspect that Paul Velchiek will be ostrazied from polite company now.
1442872 Yes! I want a story where Lyra goes human, too! Kinda like in that other famous story Anthropology.
1444724 I don't think Erin is going to get in trouble, it's Mr. Velchiek who's going to get in trouble! Erin did nothing wrong, she was just telling the truth. And it was only suggested that she not talk about it. They had no right to prevent her from talking about it.
Lastly, can you tell us what the progress is with Project: Sunflower and its submission to Equestria Daily? Like, what they've said in feedback regarding its improvements? Or have you not resubmitted it yet? Please keep us updated on how that's going, too! Those prereaders...
YAY NEW STORY!!!!
1445521 She got told to stay quiet about it, she just did what she does whenever someone tells her not to do something, she ignores it
1445521
Thanks for the corrections! I'll get that fixed up as soon as I get home from work.
Regarding the EqD, I've got the first 4 chapters re-written, and I'm going to post them tonight or tomorrow night, and I'm combing through the rest this week. I plan on re-submitting at the end of the week
1446064 Oh man. Now I have to re-read those chapters to see what you changed! Or you could tell me, or summarize...
1446033 I think the wrongs Velchiek committed are worse than what Erin did just now. She won't get in trouble for talking about it, and Dr. Velchiek will.
1446064 OH COME ON! I just finished re-reading the whole story on Thursday!
This is going to be VERY useful for the story I am planning...