Chapter 43 - Betrayal And Doubt
"Harry, I thought we already had this settled," Sarah said in a plaintive voice.
"No, Sarah, you're misunderstanding me," said Harold. "It's not what you're thinking."
Sarah gave her husband a wary look. "This isn't about guilt over leaving your father?"
"It's not that at all."
Sarah let out a small sigh, her eyes uncertain.
"Please, listen to me," Harold said in a softer voice. "You had the same dream I did."
"I did, too," said Jenny.
"From what I'm overhearing, everypony did," said James.
"I don't deny that it was very profound," said Sarah. "And it made me see some of my life choices in a different light but--"
"That's exactly what's happened to me," Harold said.
Sarah wanted to believe her husband was sincere. For all her focus on her own career, she had assumed that Harold had turned to IT as a career because he had wanted it. Having heard indirectly from Bob the night before that it had simply been expedient was a revelation.
"But you got out of farming by your own choice," said Sarah. "At least that's what I had thought."
"No, what I had done was leave an overbearing father," said Harold in a low voice. "I just didn't want to admit that."
"But why?"
Harold lowered his head, his ears drooping slightly. "I was everything to him, Sarah, especially after my mother died when I was six. I didn't want to confront him about what I really thought. It was better for him to think that I wanted a career change."
Sarah tilted her head. "But you didn't see a future in farming. That's what you told him." Sarah took a step towards him. "That's what you told me."
Harold raised his head and looked Sarah in the eye. "I was lying. Not just to you and my father, but to myself."
"And now you want to go back to your father's farm?" Sarah asked in a slightly quavering voice.
"No, of course not. This isn't about the past, it's about the future."
James' father Ken stepped forward. Behind him, a pegasus mare with a lemon-yellow coat and dark green mane stood with an uncertain look in her blue eyes and her tail tucked between her rear legs. "That's the sense I got from my dream, too," said Ken. "Don't look behind, just look ahead."
"Sarah, we can't keep living in this shelter being fed by our caretakers," said Harold. "We're going to have to fend for ourselves. How is my IT experience going to help there?"
Sarah thought back to her discussion with the white mare in her dream, when she struggled with resolving the lessons of her vision with her life goals. Wasn't Harold simply doing the same thing? For as much as she loved him, she sometimes thought there was still so much about him she didn't know.
"If you hadn't left your father's farm, we never would've met," said Sarah.
Harold smiled. "I know. That's why I want to stop regretting that decision."
"So tell me straight this time. Tell me the absolute truth. Do you really think you'd actually like farming as a career?"
"As a career, no," said Harold. "Because I want to -- and because I really feel like I can do it and enjoy it -- yes."
Sarah blinked in confusion. "I'm not sure I understand the difference."
"It's hard for me to explain. It's like how you pursued your theories because it was what you wanted to do despite how much trouble it caused. To be blunt, Sarah, it wasn't doing your career any good."
Sarah could not find fault with that statement. While she certainly hoped that the revelations Twilight had laid out about Earth's past would help her recover her fortunes, she was no longer looking at in light of the accolades she might receive or the fame she might earn. She just wanted to follow her passion.
"Mom, is money even going to matter anymore?" Jenny asked.
"I don't think it will," said Ken. He chortled. "So maybe I don't have to worry about making this month's mortgage payment."
Sarah only then realized how distant her financial woes had become in the past few days. Now that the immediate crisis was over, she had trouble summoning up the effort to worry about them anymore. Perhaps she was already starting to look towards the future rather than the past.
Yet she still had to hear from another family member. "Bob, you've been quiet. Surely you have an opinion on this?"
Several sets of eyes turned to Bob, and more than one with some sympathy. Bob stood balanced on his rear hooves, his horn having fully emerged. His stooped over posture reminded the others of the discomfort of that final day before it was done. "I didn't have the same dream you all did."
Jenny's eyes widened. "You didn't?"
"Maybe because he's not a full pony yet?" James suggested.
"So I didn't feel qualified to give an opinion on it," said Bob.
"Vision or not, I feel like I have a clearer direction," said Harold. "I can only imagine what Laura is thinking about all this."
"I really want to see her, Harry," said Sarah, her eyes glistening. "They shouldn't be keeping us from her anymore."
It pained her to no end that she could not tell her own husband her worries about Laura's association with Sunny. While she struggled to find what was so bad about being a pony now, she still didn't know what Sunny's motivations or intentions were beyond their transformation. Even assuming that Sunny had somehow given them this shared dream, it seemed an inherently positive message. What possible "evil" intent did Sunny have in mind? That unanswered question made her shiver.
Harold frowned. "Yeah, I don't get it either why they're not allowing us to reunite with her."
Sarah's eyes flicked to the side. She refused to outright lie to Harold by stating that she didn't know either, not after Harold had just taken pains to confess his own lies, even if they were more a self-deception.
"I keep hearing rumors that they're going to let us go soon," said Ken.
"I think they're just waiting for stragglers like me," said Bob. "Sorry I'm holding everything up."
"Don't be," said Harold. "We can be patient a little longer, but it still doesn't mean they can't transfer Laura here."
"She didn't want to be taken from her friends," said Sarah.
"If they are letting everypony go, it would only be for a day or so. Or we could go to her." Harold glanced at the others around him and said in a lower voice, "I don't want to leave the friends I just made, either, but family has to come first."
"Speaking of making friends," said Ken as he stepped to the side and turned partially towards the yellow pegasus mare. "My wife has something she wants to say to you."
Jenny glanced at the pegasus, her eyes widening slightly, and she cast an inquisitive look at James. James just smiled.
Sarah sensed Harold bristle a bit, and his ears did draw back briefly before slowly relenting. The mare -- James' mother Margaret -- stepped forward. "I, uh, just wanted to apologize," she said in a contrite voice. Her eyes flicked to Jenny for a moment. "For my behavior when I called you to complain about your daughter. I'm sorry."
Harold stepped forward. "It's fine, Margaret. Mistakes were made all around."
"Maggie," she said with a small smile. "You can call me Maggie."
Kevin arrived to see Laura hovering before some of the technicians. "But what happened to her?" she demanded in a voice of rising agitation.
"We told you, Miss Tanner," said one. "Miss Sommers is ill and we decided to move her out of the shelter to avoid infecting others."
"But why won't you tell me any more than that? What's wrong with her?"
"We're not sure yet, which is why we need to observe her more closely."
"Can I see her?" Laura asked.
"Again, she may be infectious."
Laura frowned. "This is ridiculous! She was perfectly healthy this morning. All she had was some digestive issues."
"Ma'am, sometimes illnesses are like that," said another of the technicians. "They can come on suddenly."
"Is she at least okay?"
"We can't comment on her condition at this time."
"Oh, come on!" Laura cried.
As Kevin looked on, another pegasus mare with a tri-colored mane touched a hoof to Laura's shoulder. "Laura, I know you're worried about your friend, but there's nothing we can do."
Kevin recognized the voice. She was another one of his patients, Emma Franklin.
Laura sighed, her ears drooping. She turned in the air to face Emma. "This doesn't make any sense. Why is everypony being so secretive? I thought we were finally getting through to them that they needed to be more open with us!"
Kevin had pledged to himself that he would lie as little as possible to Laura, but now he wondered if he would be able to come through on that promise. He was under no sort of secrecy rules concerning Sunset, yet he didn't want to shatter Laura's new-found confidence. While he would very much like to see her human again, he couldn't deny that the transformation had at least some positive effects on her.
"Laura?" he finally called out.
Laura whirled around. "Doctor Conner!"
He gave her a small smile as she flew over to him. "It's good to see you again."
Laura smiled. "Same here. It's nice to meet you when there's not a big crisis going on."
"Yes, I've been told that you've become more comfortable with your transformation."
"I'm just so glad it's over," said Laura. "Not knowing what or who I was had started to get to me. Things are a little more clear now."
Kevin nodded. "I'm sorry I ..." He trailed off. He had almost said "I'm sorry I couldn't stop this" but that mattered not to those in the end state. It would only make his own feelings about it worse. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. I'm making the rounds to all my patients to see how they're getting along."
"Doctor Conner, maybe you can help me," said Laura. She swept a fore-hoof towards the technicians. "My friend Sunny went to the bathroom and never came back. They keep telling me she's sick, but they won't tell me with what. Maybe if you talk to them, you can get them to tell me."
Kevin hesitated, his expression somber.
Laura's eyes widened, and she drew back. "Oh, no, is she really badly ill?!"
"It's not that, Laura," said Kevin. "There are special circumstances. She's alive and well, but ... unconscious at the moment."
Laura raised a hoof to her muzzle, and she heard a gasp behind her as Emma and a white-coated pegasus flew up. "Laura, I'm so sorry about your friend!" said the latter.
And that one would be Joan Kendrick. Realizing just how many of his patients were here was a sobering thought for Kevin. "For reasons I can't disclose right now, she has to remain sedated."
Laura's eyes glistened. "If she regains consciousness, can I see her? Please? I just want her to know that somepony cares. She helped me so much when I was going through a really bad time."
Kevin gave her a wan smile. "I know, which is why this is so difficult for me to tell you. We don't quite know what's going to happen yet, but you can be assured she's being watched very carefully."
Laura nodded. "Thank you for telling me. I guess ... I guess I looked to her like a second mother. I mean, don't let my real mother know I said that, but--"
"I'm going to arrange for you to be reunited with your family."
Laura hesitated and gave the others a forlorn look.
"Laura, we can do without you for a while," said Emma.
"Yes, go tell your mother what you're able to do now," said Joan. "I think she'll be proud of you."
Laura slowly smiled and nodded. She turned back to Kevin. "Yes, please, I'd like to see my family again."
Kevin's smile became more natural. "Then I'll arrange it."
"Thank you." She turned back to her friends. "Come on, I had more ideas about cloud management that I wanted to talk to you about. Let's gather the other pegasi, too."
As they flew off, Kevin couldn't help but feel proud of Laura, almost like a parent would. He and his deceased wife had never had any kids, and even if he remarried someday, he doubted he could stand the rigors of raising a child at his age.
"Hey, Kevin," came a voice to the side.
Kevin turned his head and looked down. "Hello, Fred."
"So, tell me," said Fred in a soft voice. "They take her down?"
Kevin sighed. "Yes."
"Good. I'll say this for her. She really knew how to put on a show. Never would've known it was her."
Kevin looked off into the distance at Laura and said nothing.
"Want my advice?" Fred said. "I think somepony should tell her the truth."
"I can't make that call, Fred," said Kevin. "I can't judge whether she can handle it or not."
Fred gave Kevin a sharp look. "Bullshit. Laura's not some delicate flower. She can take it. Yeah, it will be hard on her, but she's stronger than you think."
"It's not my place to tell her," said Kevin. "I think that burden has to fall to her family."
Fred's eyes widened. "They're in on this?"
"Mrs. Tanner is," said Kevin. "I don't know if she's told the rest of the family."
"Then she's the right one to break it to her. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. If anypony understands what it's like to live a lie for far too long, it's me."
"I'm arranging for the Tanner family to reunite," said Kevin. "I'll make sure Mrs. Tanner is told what happened, and she can decide what to do."
Sarah tried not to be nervous as she, Harold, and Jenny were shepherded out of the auditorium and into one of the classrooms, but strong emotions altered even her scent enough for Harold to detect.
"Sarah, what's going on?" Harold said.
"I'm hoping we'll find out soon," said Sarah in a distant voice.
"You know something that I don't."
"We're going to be reunited with Laura, Harry, isn't that enough?"
"Then why not just send her into the shelter?" said Harold. "What's with all this cloak and dagger?"
"I bet this has something to do with that FBI guy who talked to you that day we arrived," Jenny said, her voice a mix of curiosity and trepidation.
Sarah couldn't lie to her family anymore, not when everything about her exposed her feelings to everypony around her. Perhaps the inability to hide things from her family would help keep her grounded more. "All right, yes, it does. I just wasn't at liberty to discuss the matter."
Harold raised an eyebrow. "Not at liberty to discuss? When it has to do with our daughter?"
"Harry, please, just be patient a little longer. You don't understand how much it upset me to keep things from you."
The technicians guiding them reached a classroom with two FBI agents stationed in the hall, one of whom opened the door for them. Sarah tensed when she saw Anthony Heller.
He looked at Sarah and said, "Doctor Tanner?"
"Yes, that's me," Sarah said. She gestured with a hoof. "This is Harold, my husband, and Jenny, my younger daughter. I'm really hoping whatever you have to tell me, they can hear as well."
"Then can," said Anthony. "We have her, Doctor Tanner. Sunset Shimmer is in custody and your daughter Laura is perfectly safe."
Sarah let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
"Who's Sunset Shimmer?" Harold asked.
"Laura's safe?" Jenny asked in confusion. "Why was she in danger in the first place?"
Sarah turned to her family. "I'm truly sorry I couldn't tell you."
"Mr. Tanner, you can be proud of your wife," said Anthony. "She understood the need for secrecy despite--"
"Just tell me what the hell is going on," Harold demanded.
"Sunset Shimmer is the person behind the transformations," said Anthony.
Jenny's eyes suddenly widened.
"Okay, and?" Harold said.
"While you may find your current condition no longer strange, Sunset is still a bioterrorist," said Anthony. "You knew her by her alias, Sadie Sommers."
Jenny flinched.
"Sadie is a bioterrorist," Harold deadpanned. "Seriously?"
Sarah stepped up to him. "I don't quite understand everything about this either, Harry, but you can't deny the trouble she caused this family, even if we're past that."
"She was the Fae Queen all along," Jenny murmured.
Sarah sighed. "Jenny, not now, please."
Jenny blinked. "Huh? Oh, um, sorry. Never mind."
"So let me get this straight," said Harold. "Laura was associating with a supposed criminal all this time, and nopony bothered to tell her?"
"We couldn't risk Sunset knowing we were on to her, Mr. Tanner," said Anthony. "I can't divulge all the details now, but we were contacted by entities who were aware of Sunset's actions and wished to assist us in stopping her."
"Harry, it's over now," said Sarah. "Laura is safe. That's all I care about."
"I've spoken with your physician," said Anthony. "He recommends you tell your daughter the truth."
Sarah nodded. "We should, yes. Can we finally see her now?"
Anthony stood. "I'll go tell the others to bring her in. You can take as long as you wish to speak with her, then let the technicians in the hallway know when you're ready to return to the shelter."
"Thank you."
Anthony nodded and headed out.
Harold watched him go before saying to Sarah. "Was he the one who interrogated you?"
"Yes," Sarah said in a low voice.
"I wish you had told me that before now so I could've given him a piece of my mind for drawing a gun on you."
"He did what??" Jenny cried.
"That's precisely why I didn't tell you," said Sarah. "And, please, Jenny, calm down. It was a misunderstanding. You saw how cordial he was acting now. At the time he had no idea what was going on or who was behind it."
Harold turned to Jenny. "What was that you said before about the Fae Queen?"
Jenny scraped a fore-hoof against the floor. "Uh, nothing."
"Jenny, you can tell us," Harold said softly.
"Yes, you can," said Sarah. "I silenced you earlier only because I wanted to focus on the matter of your sister. Everything we talked about concerning your fantasies the other day still holds. You don't have to be afraid to discuss them anymore."
"Really, it's nothing," said Jenny. "I don't think it's any secret that I had a character I called the Fae Queen who was using magic to change her subjects. I just ..." She trailed off for a moment. "I saw her in a dream I had recently, and she really didn't look anything like Sunny did."
Sarah tilted her head. "The dream you had this morning?"
"Yeah, that one."
Before Sarah could reply, a soft knock sounded at the door, and Kevin's face appeared as it opened. He smiled as he said, "I believe I have someone here who wants to see you."
Sarah uttered a small gasp as her eyes fell on the yellow-furred, orange-haired pegasus filly who stepped into the room. "L-Laura?"
A huge smile stretched across Laura's muzzle, and Sarah's mouth dropped open when her daughter flew across the distance and drew Sarah into a tight hug, wings still holding Laura aloft. "Oh, God, Mom, I missed you," Laura said in a quavering voice. She drew back and added, "I missed all of you!"
Harold and Jenny hugged her in turn, Jenny most ardently of all. When Jenny drew back and saw Laura still hovering, she smirked and said, "You ever actually, you know, land?"
Laura glanced down in bemusement and laughed. "I guess I'm getting so used to flying that I just don't think about it anymore."
Harold grinned. "Pay no attention to her, Laura, you fly as much as you want. You've got wings, after all."
Laura looked at her mother. "And you've got a horn! Have you been using it?"
Sarah smiled faintly. "Yes, I have. I'm starting to get the hang of it."
"She doesn't drop stuff nearly as much anymore," said Jenny.
Laura looked around. "Where's Bob?"
"His transformation is not quite finished," said Sarah. "He has trouble getting around right now."
"I hope it's not for much longer. I felt really awkward that last night." She looked at Sarah's face. "Is something the matter?"
Sarah hesitated before she said in a more somber voice. "I have something I need to tell you, but I want to ask you a question first, and I want you to tell me the truth."
Laura gave her a quizzical look. "Um, sure, why wouldn't I?"
"Your friend Sunny," said Sarah in a slightly quavering voice. "Did she ... has she been talking to you at all?"
"Oh, yes, all the time," Laura said. "She's really been encouraging me, which is why I was so upset when she was taken away. I still don't understand what happened."
Sarah felt a vague sense of disappointment. She had heard nothing to confirm Sunny was some sort of evil monster. What was wrong with encouraging a young pegasus who was using her wings for the first time? If Sarah had been there, she likely would have been just as supportive. "She never told you anything, well, out of place? Anything that was bad?"
Laura settled on her hooves and folded her wings. "Of course not. What's going on, Mom? Why are you asking all these things?"
Sarah took a deep breath. "Laura, Sunny's been arrested."
Laura's pupils shrank, and she recoiled, drawing her ears back. "What?? Why?!"
"For starting this transformation in the first place."
Laura stared. "That doesn't make sense. She was changing along with everypony else. She didn't know what was behind it, either."
"She lied to you, Laura."
Laura's eyes shimmered. "No, that's not right."
"I'm sorry," said Kevin. "But it's true."
Laura flinched, as if forgetting Kevin was still there. She looked at her mother and frowned. "No, this is stupid. Sunny is no criminal."
"She's changing humans into ponies against their will," Sarah said.
"Mom, I know we didn't ask for this, but--"
"And no matter what we feel about it now, she shouldn't have done that, and she shouldn't have lied to you."
Laura's lower lip quivered. "Wh-why are you saying this?!"
Sarah stepped closer to her. "You have to know the truth."
Laura swallowed hard. "This ... I ... s-so ... so what?!"
Sarah could only stare at her daughter.
"So what if she changed us? What if this was for the better?"
Sarah had no reply for Laura, and one look at Harold's face confirmed that he had no greater wisdom than she. How could she stand there and tell Laura that she was wrong when in many ways, she was clearly right? "The end result doesn't matter," Sarah said, though her voice lacked conviction.
"Why the hell not?!" Laura cried. "Do you know what my friends and I did the other day? We created a cloud and made it rain! Indoors!"
Sarah stared. "You really ... but ..."
"We can control the weather! For years I felt like I had almost no control over my life, and now I can make it rain. I wish this happened to me a long time ago!"
Sarah wanted to take back everything and pretend it was just a big mistake. She was so proud of her daughter for finally finding something she really wanted to do and for taking the first steps in becoming an independent and successful mare. All she ever wanted was the best for her children. Why should this be any different?
Ponies always forgive. That was what the mare in her dream had told her. Yet it wasn't up to her to forgive. What she thought about it didn't matter. Sunset had committed a crime, even if it was one Sarah had trouble understanding. She didn't want her daughter admiring a criminal, but she couldn't make that decision for Laura.
"I'm sorry I made you upset," said Sarah. "I'm not about to tell you to stop what you're doing. I can't do that any more than you can just stop being who and what you are."
"I'm just struggling to understand this," Laura said. "She was so encouraging, so helpful, and now you're telling me it was just part of some sort of evil scheme? Did she care about me at all?"
"I was told that Sunny would never harm you," said Sarah. "And this was from somepony who knows her very well. But I can't stop being your mother. I worried about you and had to make sure you were safe. You also deserved the truth."
"If I may," said Kevin. "I have also been in contact with the pony who knows Sunset best. I suspect she considers Sunset more badly misguided than outright evil. Sunset may have genuinely cared for your well-being, Laura."
"May have," Laura said in a flat voice. "But you don't know."
"Nopony can," said Harold. "But it doesn't matter. You don't need her, you have us."
Sarah's eyes glistened. "Laura, honey, I am so very proud of you. We've already heard about some of the things you did, and not just your weather skills."
Laura slowly nodded. "I just don't want everything that I've done to be a big lie. I've made more friends than I've ever had in my whole life. I have a whole new talent now that I really want to explore further."
"Laura?" Jenny asked in a tentative voice.
Laura turned her head. "Yes?"
Jenny stepped up to her. "Can you really control the weather already?"
"I can't exactly stop a storm in its tracks," said Laura softly. "But maybe someday."
"You don't have to do that for me."
"I'm sorry?"
"You didn't do anything wrong when I was five," said Jenny. "It wasn't your fault. You don't have to make up for it."
Sarah was almost in tears. Now she had two daughters she was proud of.
Laura's eyes glistened, and she hugged Jenny tightly. "Maybe that's what it started out as, but I'm trying hard to move on. I really am doing this for myself."
"Then it doesn't matter that Sunny lied to you," said Sarah. "It doesn't take away from anything you've done."
Laura broke off the hug and turned to her mother. "I know, but it still hurts. I might not have tried any of the things I did if it hadn't been for her. I might have just stayed in my shell."
"Then perhaps she did some good after all, but there's still her greater crime to consider. Despite the outcome, she caused this family and many others a lot of grief."
"I know, but I can't quite wrap my head around it yet. I need time to think on it." Laura glanced at Kevin. "And I really hope I can see Sunny one more time. I want to hear her side of it. I want to know why she felt she had to lie."
"That may be a tall order," Kevin said. "But if this crisis has taught me anything, it's that nothing is impossible."
Laura smiled faintly before turning back to her family. "Let's go back into the shelter, please. I want to meet all your new friends."
Sarah smiled. "And you're okay with that?"
"Yes, I am." said Laura firmly. "It was silly of me to avoid making friends because I thought I would lose them when we moved away. If anything, we're all going to have to come together. That's why I can hardly wait until they release us all."
Sarah could understand better why Laura had such trouble seeing Sunset in a bad light. Laura had gained everything Sarah had ever wanted for her: friends, confidence, and above all, happiness.
"Let's head back." said Sarah. "And then you can tell us all the details about what you and your friends did."
"Yeah, I want to hear about the indoor rain shower!" Jenny said.
Laura giggled. "I'd be happy to."
"I'll let them know that you're ready to head back," said Kevin.
Sarah turned to him. "Doctor Conner? Could you come back with us?"
"I do have other duties to get back to, but I could visit for a short while. May I ask what the occasion is?"
"Heather wants to to talk to you."
When Kevin had first received the call from Heather that had effectively been a good-bye, all he had wanted to do was see her again. Now he wasn't as sure.
When he had entered Laura's shelter, he had managed to remain more detached. Seeing a sea of colorful ponies where humans once were had been less of a shock as he had stayed at the periphery, both physically and emotionally. Now he had to wade deep into it.
Being a stranger among a nascent pony society was impossible, and not just because this shelter held a large concentration of his former patients. They were just inherently more friendly, many stopping to say hello or wave a fore-hoof -- or sometimes a wing -- in his direction. He admitted to not recognizing many of them unless they spoke and he recalled the voice, but even then it was hard; his brain was still wired to recognize human faces.
Thus he took shameless advantage of the fact that Heather was one of the unique "crystal ponies." There was no mistaking the light-green-furred, cyan-maned mare as every hair on her body sparkled, made even more dramatic by the shaft of sunlight from the skylights that lay across part of her barrel and haunches.
Seeing Heather completely transformed hit him harder than seeing the Tanners. She had taken the gamble that all medical practitioners do and lost: that she would not contract whatever ailment her patient had. He almost thought it wasn't fair that he should be spared and she wasn't.
Kevin had also discovered that it was near impossible to find a pony alone, and Heather was no exception. She spoke with a unicorn mare with a bright magenta mane and tail, her fur a dusky red. Her barrel was swollen in pregnancy.
Heather and the unicorn turned towards Kevin as he approached. The unicorn smiled and stepped up first. "Doctor Conner! It's good to see you again."
Kevin finally put the hair color to the voice, and he forced a weak smile. "Hello, Carol. I trust you're doing well?"
"That's what they tell me, anyway. I certainly feel better than I did when I last saw you."
Carol had been the pregnant woman who had come to see him the week before when her OB/GNY was out of town. "You were worried about the upcoming birth."
"I'm a lot more calm about it now," said Carol. "They took imaging of me recently. As far as they can tell, I'm going to have a perfectly healthy unicorn foal. He apparently changed right along with me, and I didn't really have anything to worry about."
Kevin could understand a bit better now why many scientists were embroiled in a sometimes heated debate as to whether or not the mind alterations were considered "brainwashing." He hadn't wanted to see it that way, but he was looking through his admittedly biased perspective of wanting to see his patients happy and healthy.
Former patients. He had to keep reminding himself of that.
He glanced at Heather. She was smiling as well, but whether because she was inherently happier now or because Carol was happy, he couldn't tell. "I'm glad to hear things are working out for you, Carol. I wish you only the best."
Heather finally spoke. "Carol, I'd like to talk to Kevin for a bit."
"Of course," said Carol. "Please, come join my husband and I when you're done. His sister would love to meet you."
Heather's smile widened, and she nodded. After Carol headed off, she turned to Kevin and hesitated, her smile fading slightly in the awkward pause. "Kevin, I, uh, wanted to apologize."
Kevin took a moment to force his mind to associate the small pony standing before him with his assistant who had graced his office for so long. "You don't need to, Heather," he said in a soft voice.
"No, I do. I rejected our friendship. You deserve more than that."
"Your feelings were conflicted at the time."
Heather averted her eyes for a moment. "I guess they were. I'm still feeling like the odd pony out. I feel like I should know what I can do, but I'm not sure."
Before she had sequestered herself with Starlight in Sunset's home to work on the artifacts and the portal, Twilight had mentioned something about finding a means to mass-cast the counterspell, and that it involved the crystal ponies. After seeing for himself just how accepting the Tanner family had been of their transformation, would they even want to help with such an endeavor? "Heather, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," said Heather. "You know you always can."
"Do you want to go back to what you were doing before this happened?"
"If you mean, do I want to help my fellow ponies, certainly," said Heather without hesitation. "I'm just not sure how I'm going to do that quite yet."
"What about other humans?"
Heather gave him a nonplussed look. "I don't understand."
Kevin felt guilty for grilling Heather like this. She had likely just wanted to rekindle their long-standing friendship, and now he felt like he was interrogating her. He needed to pull back. "Never mind that for now," said Kevin in a softer voice. "Heather, despite that phone call, I never stopped being your friend, but sometimes part of being a friend is knowing when someone needs their own space."
Heather slowly smiled. "I appreciate that, Kevin, but I'm over that now. I know things might never be quite the same again. I doubt I'll ever be able to help you reopen that office, but that doesn't mean we have to go our separate ways."
Kevin wanted to believe that, but where their relationship had centered largely around their shared profession, he was not sure what they had in common anymore. They weren't even the same species. "When did your transformation complete?"
"This morning," said Heather. "Sarah Tanner was a huge help to me yesterday when I could barely do anything for myself."
Kevin smiled more naturally. "The Tanners are good people."
Heather stepped closer to Kevin. "So what was that you said about helping other humans? What was that all about?"
"Maybe this isn't the best time for--"
"No, out with it. I know you too well, Kevin. You have something on your mind."
Kevin hesitated. "There's a possibility that we may have figured out a way to stop those who are still fully human from transforming."
"They figured out a cure?"
"Yes, but they may need ponies like you to help distribute it."
Heather's eyes widened, but she had no immediate response.
"How do you feel about that?" Kevin asked.
Heather glanced to the side. "I'm not sure."
"Do you want to prevent this from spreading?"
Heather hesitated before looking back at Kevin. "If it looks like I'm struggling with this, it's only because of a vision we all had."
"I'm aware of it," said Kevin.
"So now I'm asking myself, wasn't it my purpose to help others be healthy? Wouldn't contributing to the well-being of my fellow ponies do that?"
"But what of those still human?"
"That's what I'm having trouble with," Heather said. "On the one hoof, we were all better off after the transformation finished. Many of us can do things we never could before. On the other, I never had any thoughts about forcing other humans to change. I remember that people were upset over it when it was happening when no one knew where this was really going."
"Heather, it's been confirmed that this was a biological attack."
Heather's ears drew back and her pupils shrank.
"This was intentionally done to you," said Kevin. "Perhaps the end result was not the same had this been anthrax or ebola, but it was still done against your will."
Heather hesitated a long moment. "Then was the vision a complete lie?"
"From what I understand, it has its merits," said Kevin. "Certainly ponies have to come together for their own benefit. We did as humans, just perhaps not as enthusiastically. But did anything in the vision mention spreading this to others?"
"No, nothing like that at all," said Heather. "It only spoke of ponies, not humans."
"Then I think you're free to decide for yourself."
"The vision didn't dictate to me, Kevin," said Heather firmly. "But it did speak to me, and the fact that all of us had it implied it had some importance. It made sense. I can't help but want to see others have a chance at a good life. At the same time, forcing humans to be like us is not right. In fact, I'd even say that would go against the vision. It's unkind and dishonest."
Kevin smiled. "So you would be willing to help?"
"Yes, I would," said Heather. "But I also need to see to the needs of my own community as well."
"I wouldn't dream of telling you otherwise," said Kevin.
"Just tell me what I need to do."
"I don't have those details yet," Kevin said. "But I'll let you know when I do."
Heather nodded. "Kevin? I, um ... could you come down here, please?"
Kevin was unsure what Heather meant until she gestured with a hoof. He crouched down so he could be at eye-level with her. Before he could speak, she threw her fore-legs around him and pulled him into a hug.
Kevin's face was plunged into her mane, and he was again taken by how soft pony hair was. He breathed in her scent, a bit heady but nothing like the strong odor of native equines. He wanted to embrace her in return but was unsure of where he could safely squeeze her. All it took was the strength of her own hug to remind him that she was an earth pony first and foremost, and anything he could do was a drop in the bucket by comparison. He wrapped his arms around her neck and barrel.
"We had a great run together, Kevin," said Heather in a slightly choked voice. "Maybe this will be a way we can keep working together."
Kevin closed his eyes and hugged her tighter. "I'm looking forward to it as always."
When Laura first started to recount her exploits in the other shelter, she had stood on her hooves, but that didn't last long. As she grew more excited, she leaped into the air and punctuated her account with brief aerial acrobatics.
Laura didn't want to admit that this was also a pep talk to herself. Hearing the truth about Sunny had threatened to shatter some of the self-confidence she had gained. She had to convince herself that Sunny had only been a catalyst, that she had it in herself to do these things.
"I have to admit, Laura, creating that cloud was a bit of a bold move," said Sarah.
While Laura heard the pride in her mother's voice, she also heard the undertone of admonishment. "It wasn't just me that wanted to do it, Mom. We had a lot more support, and not just from Sunny."
"Oh, I wasn't referring to her," said Sarah.
Laura wanted to believe that, just like she wanted to believe that her mother was telling her the truth about Sunny. Not that she believed Sarah would lie to her, but what if somepony had lied to Sarah? She desperately wanted to talk to Sunny again, just to hear it from her.
"Honestly, I'm beginning to think you take more after your father than me," Sarah added with a small smile.
"Huh?" Harold said.
Sarah glanced at him. "What Laura did sounds exactly like something you might do if you had wings."
"Do you also have a sense for the weather?" Bob asked.
Laura looked over to him and tried not to wince. His state reminded her all too much of that final awkward night before she woke up as a full pegasus pony. He sat on his bedroll as he could no longer stand properly. Everything below the waist was almost fully equine, and his horn had fully emerged.
"Yes, I do," said Laura. "I didn't understand at first what all those sensations were until Emma, Joan, and I started creating that cloud, and then it all fell into place. I can sense things like pressure and humidity."
"So you can predict the weather, too?" Harold asked.
Jenny snorted. "Who needs to predict it when she can make the weather?"
Laura giggled and smiled. Ever since their reunion, Jenny had been her most enthusiastic supporter. She hoped it wasn't just because her cloud-making feat was the sort of throw-caution-to-the-wind move that was worthy of Jenny herself. She instead wanted to think that they had somehow wound back the clock, and now they again enjoyed the relationship that they once had as foals. "Thanks, Jenny. It's more like predicting weather trends, Dad. I can't tell you for sure that it will rain or snow tomorrow, but I can say this month will be warmer and drier than the weather forecast is claiming."
"Unless you decide to change it," said Jenny.
Sarah draped a fore-leg over Jenny's barrel. "Honey, she can't go indiscriminately changing the weather."
"Who said anything about indiscriminate?" said Jenny. "You heard Dad, he wants to go back to farming."
Laura tilted her head. "What's this?"
Harold rubbed a hoof through his mane. "It's just something I've been thinking about."
"Because of the vision we all had?"
"That's part of it, yeah."
"And you can't do that if it's going to be too dry, right?" Jenny asked.
"Well, yeah," said Harold. "But I can't ask Laura to--"
"You don't have to ask!" Laura cried. "My pegasus friends and I would love to help! Dad, I'm dying to see what we can do. You can't imagine how badly I want the open skies. When they brought me here, I really hoped they would let me fly. Instead, they stuffed me in a stupid paramedic van. I'm getting tired of being treated like a patient. There's nothing wrong with me anymore. There's nothing wrong with any of us. Er ..." She glanced at Bob and blushed faintly. "What I mean is--"
Bob smiled faintly and shook his head. "It's fine, Laura." He glanced at the others. "I did want to talk to you about something."
"Sure, go ahead."
"It's kind of personal."
"Is everything okay?" Harold asked in concern.
"It's fine, Dad, but I do want to talk to her alone."
Laura smiled. This was the first time she had heard Bob openly call Harold "Dad."
This is what she struggled with most of all. If what Sunny had done was supposed to be so bad, why did so much turn out for the better? Her family had not been this close in years.
"Let's go talk to Carol," said Sarah. "She's expecting her first foal, and she and her husband wanted to talk to us about how we raised our children."
"Uh, you do realize those were human children and not pony children at the time, right?" Harold said.
Sarah smirked. "It's called 'moral support,' Harry. Come on."
"I'll go see if I can find James," said Jenny before she cantered off.
Laura settled on her hooves and folded her wings. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"When you were in the state I am now," said Bob. "What were you thinking?"
"That I wanted it to be over."
"But was that it?"
Laura considered. "I had a long conversation with my friends. We all wanted to know what we could really do. I was sure that my wings would work, and then when Sunny showed us ... um ... well, never mind that. Point is, the next morning, I started flying and my unicorn friend Kelly was moving stuff with her horn."
"I want to use my horn," said Bob. "I think I've already figured out how, but all I can do right now is throw sparks."
Laura remembered how fluidly Sunny had used her own horn even before she was completely transformed. She was the only one who had managed it; the other unicorns-to-be who tried it couldn't do it until the next morning when they were fully pony. Proof of Sunny's deception, perhaps, but she couldn't forget how Sunny had used her power specifically to help Laura contact her mother. Hardly the act of an evil monster.
"You'll be able to use it by tomorrow I'm sure," said Laura with a smile.
"It's not what I expected," said Bob. "It's not just willing stuff to happen. I can sense it has rules and structure. Even the simple levitation that the other unicorns are doing, it's like a little program already wired in my head."
"See, now you know how I felt," said Laura excitedly. "I felt like I could do all these things and just needed to get past the weird in-between state."
"I want to get past it, too, but I promised myself to ask you something before I do. Do you miss being human?"
Laura thought back to her impassioned conversation with her mother earlier. She had said she wished this had happened to her a long time ago. "I remember what it was like to be human, but I don't want to go back to it."
"What if you could have everything that you do now?" asked Bob. "What then?"
Laura found it easy to dismiss the question. She was a pony, so why bother speculating otherwise? Yet she didn't want to hurt Bob's feelings, and he never brought up anything unless there was a point to it, even if she didn't see it right away. "I'm not sure. I guess I'm not as concerned with the body I have as I am about whether I'm happy or not."
"I want to feel that way. I think I can, I just still have something that's telling me I shouldn't. I want to ignore it. It would be easy to ignore, in fact."
If her mother had not handed her the bombshell that was Sunny's deception, she would have fallen back on the shared vision, but was that just part of Sunny's plan? Should it even matter considering the vision was positive? It wasn't like Sunny had called upon ponykind to fall to their knees in worship of her, or to turn against the remaining humans.
"I don't know what to tell you, Bob, I'm sorry," said Laura. "All I can say is, nopony can stop what's happening to you, so maybe you just need to make the best of it."
Bob was quiet for a long moment. "I'm still going to try to remember things as they were. I'm going to try to remember the things that I used to be able to do, things that I liked to do."
Laura smiled faintly. In a way, she envied Bob. While perhaps his relationship with his biological mother was strained, he at least had things he could do he was proud of. All Laura could point to was some vague goal of being more responsible without really understanding what that meant.
She couldn't let this cause her any doubt. She had an exciting future ahead of her, and she had to concentrate on that. Nothing else mattered.
"It will work out, I'm sure of it," Laura said softly.
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Laura needs to meet Twilight stat! Sunset did a number on poor Laura and she doesn't realize it yet. Hopefully They can stop the spread of the contagion and find a way to integrate the transformed into society. I feel though Sunset put her bias into the spell and the transformed will be a major problem going forward.
Now with Sunset subdued, it's time to deal with the fallout of the ETS. The patients' recounting of how they can just break off from human society without any second thoughts is still scary to see. Reading how Carol was thrilled about her child being a foal when she was freaking out before, and how Heather had to be reminded about humans when talking to Kevin, it just goes to show how deep the mind alteration really goes. Out of the possible millions of ETS cases, Fred and Bob are the only ones who are having doubts, and Bob's having them because he hasn't fully transformed yet!
This sets up the delightful conflict for the next chapter: force the cure on everyone affected (if possible), or only apply it to those still not fully transformed. I am expecting riots to occur if the former is decided.
We have the evidence here that theres going to be a sharp divide between species if its not addressed soon, all thanks once again to Sunset Shimmers meddling
You've been building up to their inevitable release for so long now I think I'm going to explode.
I want to see how they all do when there's nothing but the horizon in front of them!
Just keep writing my friend
Seems as if they managed to convince Sunset she at least went too far with the pony instinct before subduing her. If nothing else she may be willing to help dial back the instincts but she is going to be difficult to get full cooperation from. She is likely going to stand firm that they don't change ponies back to human or at least give them the choice to stay ponies as the sticking point for any bit of cooperation from her.
And the ponies (at least the Tanners) are finally getting presented with the facts about their forced transformation and how they have been influenced. While they still seem firmly committed to being ponies they at least seem to question whether the idea of a pony society as given to them in Sunset's vision is really a good thing. Sarah in particular seems to be a vocal opponent while even Laura seems to be deeply shaken by the recent revelations given to her. It will be interesting to see how Laura goes forward after this point with how shaken she is and how she will explain to others and deal with their reactions. I am hopeful considering that ponies including Laura before she realized what Sunset had done were at least considering what Fred was saying. They are capable of questioning the situation even if it is hard and having the truth revealed goes a long way in making them have doubts.
I think that the governments of the world are going to start making moves as well. With Sunset down they are likely going to start arguing amomst themselves about the merits of keeping transformed as ponies knowing from the Equestrians' dialogue that their capabilities in space travel and colonization are unlikely to ever bear fruit without magic. And they will be debating the merits of developing a techno-magical society. It may be that they will be the ones who push for something along the lines of Sunset's vision for Earth one that Sunset's plans would not have produced as they stood. They talk about what she could have done had she given choice and I think that the humans of Earth are likely much more open to considering what those possibilities are now. The US will have a higher percentage of ponies than the rest of the world and there are likely a lot of governments now who would love to capture Sunset and have her "manufacture" a pony population for them. They were focused to this point but I think between two hundred different nations with almost all of them now wondering how much more powerful the US might become now with millions of magic users that there is going to be some seriously divided opinions about ponies and the fate of the transformed, the transforming, and stopping ETS.
Maybe they should display the fight ( about arrest Sunset ) to Laura .
Jesus. She knew Sadie for all of like six days. We call these people predators for a reason, folks.
This is really starting to drive a wedge into the fact that the transformed people aren't actually ponies -- not really. They're minions; too carefully crafted, too heavily modified for pliance, and too conditioned. After the vision, we got exactly one pony -- with prior knowledge and a deeply personal grudge against the perpetrator spanning most of his adult life -- who so much as questioned it. Even the ones who were told it was implanted by a frigging bioterrorist (including the one who saw through it entirely while it was happening!) still wanted to take it at face value with this super uncanny desperation. Put a real Equestrian in front of them and you'd have a deeply creeped out Equestrian. This is some Branch Davidian nonsense.
Twilight brought up that Luna's dream guidance isn't typically thought of by Equestrians as brainwashing, and I think she's right but making a false equivalence. First and most obviously, the elaborate scaffolding of Sunset's brainwashing isn't there. But second, Luna doesn't offer schmaltzy pseudo-religious paradisaical visions; she makes confrontations. She forces the dreamer to confront themselves and reconcile their own fears rather than Inception her own ideas in their heads. She'll offer comfort and advice, but it's fundamentally about bringing out what was already there rather than supplanting it.
Much as I hate to say it, if they come up with a reverse transformation, they'd pretty much need to force it. That would seriously be the most ethical thing to do because they're not in an adequate state to make life-changing decisions. The brainwashing is just too deep. Even Fred seems reluctant to go back, which makes zero people in the whole town who've shown any desire whatsoever to turn back; asking them might as well just be asking Sunset herself. Put them back in their old clear-thinking mind, and if they really still want to be ponies, put a third spell on them to do that properly.
I hope at some point Sunset will meet Derpy again.
She was her first victim and should be part of a potential trial.
I had my reservations about her. Once again, you have one upped yourself in making her wholly unrepentant. And further exploded her ego. l couldn't believe it at first.
Four things:
1. Even at this point, the rest wanted to see the end result, and even knowing about Fred, were just as eager. Robert, who knows, has his own reservations. Levitation is something he clearly is curious about, but he would be just as happy if he could do it as a human, and I imagine he will be more like Fred, in that he won't like the forced TF aspect of it, and would be changed back if he could. At this point, being ponies seemed something the others were all legitimately eager for, unlike Rob here.
2. The old tech vs magic thing again, huh? It's true most of it is because we need to improve our lives, but some of it is to stoke our ego. With all of our basic needs met, we don't have much need for more. Still, most people aren't ever content. Perhaps curiosity about obsolete tools and machines as museum pieces and antiques will be a thing, perhaps the pragmatism of old ways will prevail in some ways. (Amish). But for the most part, I see the masses abandoning technological growth, as it's not needed anymore. Even with our fetish for labor saving junk, these new instincts are like nothing any of us have ever seen before. Pegasi need to constantly hover in midair without rest is not like any bird in reality, all of which need to rest. Not to mention birds need thermals, the invisible pillars of heat that rise from the ground, especially sun on concrete to stay aloft without burning themselves out to complete exhaustion. They spend more time gliding, standing, and laying than they do in active flight, most of them. Pegasi not only seem designed to to hover for hours on end without rest, they do so without need for thermals. This is a bigger leap than anything we've seen IRL.
3. I want to feel sympathy for her, as she is insane, and incapable of grasping how crazy she is, and is SS. If it were some other, I would. But this is clearly another mare in SS's coat. This further cements how this is only Sunset Shimmer in name, and having a similar coat, but she's not the mare from those other three tales I love so much. Glad they got her. She would have gotten herself killed, what with these self sufficient machines taking everything over, and logically wiping them out. And a civilization that actively hates magic? What a polar opposite! If not for translation, they could not have had evidence enough to arrest her for this, but speaking Equestrian would have at least betrayed she wasn't who she said. That would pique FBI's curiosity.
4. I have mentioned three other stories frequently when posting comments here, but I really think all three of them have in some way or another influenced this one. In fact, it may have been stated at one point they all had their role in it. To be frank, I see parallels in the players.
(A) Doctor Connor is very similar to Jacob. Both are pragmatic and want to preserve life, but neither of them are fanatical about it to the point they'd save a ruthless killer who is totally unrepentant and will stop at nothing to kill them all. Yet they both will not let innocent ponies, or ones who are truly sorry bleed to death at the side of the road if they see it, even if they did not put them there. And they aren't pro life to a fault. The will accept that some patients want to be childless, and will encourage them to make their informed decisions. Unlike that other surgeon who will never accept death as a natural and inevitable end of life, but a bastard who must not win, ever. And gets involved in harems, and forbids birth control of any type, and would likely force an unwilling mare to pregnancy. And endanger their whole group by saving a mass murderer who then tried to finish the job when he made his full recovery, yet the goody two shoe surgeon kept trying to prevent his peers from killing him when it was clearly the only way, and saved him again when in critical condition. Connor and Jacob aren't that stupid, nor unconditionally life obsessed. Jacob didn't even start in medicine, but came into it by his forced experiences, grew the passion and talent.
(B) Laura and Lauren Harris. Both accept this thing mere minutes after the fact, and actively would reject any attempt to reverse the TF. Not quite as much that one, but she takes to flight awfully quick, and wouldn't give that up. Yet that universe is one in which even in human shape, she'd still have wings on her back anyway. Laura wants full weather control, and is never going to give it up, mind control or no.
(C) Fred and WL. Neither of them were pleased with being deceived, nor forcefully TF'd. Both would love to be human again, especially WL, who didn't get her mind screwed with, and is still the same person she always was, if somewhat wiser. Fred's mind raping would have left him insane, were it not for the inside knowledge of it. WL from PAP is the most actively vocal and displeased at losing her home and family forever, and eagerly starts anew in their memory and honor. I imagine Fred would do the same in her situation. Glad he's not in it. Both have a tough exterior, but are total softies underneath. And both are/were part of a strong father/daughter relationship. Fred loves his daughter, and she was the only person he felt he knew and trusted, and spent more time around than he needed. WL is very open and blatant with her new friends that she misses her father beyond all else. They did almost everything together, including home maintenance, home improvement, small projects, local trips and outings, you name it. She loved her father beyond all else, and wasn't appreciated by anyone else. Plus, she had dreams that were encouraged by her father, which would then be broken dreams, a career that would never see the light of day. I think Fred's relationship with his daughter is like WL's with her dad. And both are very outspoken, and do not hold back. Only they luckily still have each other. No broken dreams here, yet. (PS, if you hadn't guessed, WL is my favorite LOPE: PAP char. I sympathize with her the most, as she doesn't hide her displeasure, and has what I think the most common response to having everything you ever knew stripped away forever.)
(D) Robert and Sky. Both intensely detest their parents, and want away from them.
(E) Anthony, and that main guy from LOPE: PAP. I forget his name, but both are into their careers to a fault, he to the point he has no personal life, almost certainly an Aspie. The main chick from that story actually notes his openness about the fact he has never driven, cooked, nor dated in his life. She calls him out and says he's a loser for being so narrowly focused on his career. That guy (What was his name?) eventually did get around to marriage thanks to the vanishing, otherwise he'd have lived and died alone. Anthony seems the type so into his job, he likely forfeits any chance to have outside obligations. And both are about as conceited about it, too.
(F) Maybe I stretch this, but Sarah reminds me of the big "A". Desire for knowledge, and to know the truth, and put all else on the shelf to find it? That is "A"'s defining trait. And get permanently warped by the "AHA!" moment, the reveal. I imagine she will probably not like the full truth, but want it anyway.
(G) Jennifer and Michelle, the tag along sister who follows her older sibling around, and needs to be led by him/her. But we spend more time with Jennifer, so she has more to be talked about.
(H) This one is a hypothesis. I imagine there are artificial beings here. They'll be introduced, and I imagine they will be like Chance: created with a specific purpose in mind, and utterly dedicated to it.
As a final note, crossing the dimensional barrier would restore the shapes of the afflicted to normal in one of those tales, only those with wings would still have them either way. The same is not true here, and is likely much more permanent and irreversible. As much as I compare and contrast with those three tales, I love this for what it's worth.
Laura is absolutely right Sunset is not an evil monster she is a classic example of a Well-Intentioned Extremist and her plan fits the phrase "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." in fact considering Laura's trouble seeing Sunset in a bad light and the fact that just about every aspect of her life has improved due to Sunsets actions when she learns that Sunset did what she did with pure and noble intentions and if Laura genuinely comes to believe that Sunset is remorseful for lying to her and for all the trouble she caused there is a very good chance that Laura would forgive her and be an advocate for giving her friend mercy.
I just realized the Government is going to have one hell of a time finding an impartial jury for Sunset's trial after all just about every American has some kind of personal connection to ETS and have some kind of opinion on it.
Again just break Sunset's horn and then return her to Equestria that would a perfect punishment for her as her Special Talent is magic and it is exactly what makes her dangerous as without magic she will no longer be a threat even if the Princesses let her go free as she would have no means of returning to Earth or continue her plans in any way and she would be forced to live a life without magic which would be absolute torcher to a pony like her.
8299666
Not to mention the fact that forcing the transformation back on those who don't desire it makes those who want to do it just as bad as Sunset and I doubt Twilight would be willing to force it on anyone, also the cure only works on those who have yet to start transforming.
8299775
I think you're ignoring the very real consequences of tens of millions of citizens being removed from the work force across the country. There is a non-zero chance of economic collapse before any benefits from ponies could be seen.
8299952
There is not a chance in hell the earth governments will ever let Sunset leave. She's more likely to be tried and executed then released back to Equestria. I also don't see them breaking her horn since that's the definition of cruel and unusual punishments. With her cutie mark gone, she doesn't have the ability to resist incarceration by the humans anymore, no need to shatter her horn.
I'm sure you've seen this way too much on the intertrons, Laura, and the actual truth of the statement is much more nuanced. Nevertheless, it bears repeating: even Hitler loved dogs.
8299666
Since they have Sunset in custody and they seem to have at least convinced her that she has gone dangerously overboard on the ramping of instinct and defeated her own goals as a result. To tone down the instincts so ponies can make more informed decisions they likely need to have Sunset's assistance since she designed the transformation spell and seemed to have some idea about what she might do to turn those instincts down. Going to be a very sticky situation trying to secure that help not only because Sunset will be difficult to get cooperation from but it will be really divided opinion on whether she should be allowed to help by others.
8299995
yes but Starlight needs to keep her Cutie Mark contained consistently any slip and it goes right back, also giving her the death penalty will likely result in riots from ponies will likely want to decide Sunset's punishment for themselves, also where the hell will you ever find an impartial jury for the trial? There is also the fact that as a land whose Criminal Justice System seems primarily based on rehabilitation death might be seen as a cruel and unusual punishment in fact the only bad guy so far to die was King Sombra and he died in battle not as part of any sort of punishment, so it is entirely possible that should Equestria as a whole learn that one of them was executed by a foreign government it would not endear them to Earth and would in fact cause a diplomatic nightmare and for all we know breaking a horn might actually be a perfectly acceptable though extremely severe punishment in Equestria so Twilight could suggest it as a very real possibility besides everyone gets what they want the humans will know that Sunset is punished severely, Twilight gets all the time in the world to try and reform her aunt and the new ponies would likely be content that a pony was the one who suggested Sunset's punishment, in fact the only one who doesn't win is Sunset who will be forced to live a life without magic and likely will be looked at with contempt by her fellow ponies for what she did, there have been studies that show that public shaming can be one of the most effective punishments especially in very social societies like Equestria.
8299995
I am actually more worried that governments will try to secure Sunset for themselves. Some to try to execute her but others to try to use her. The full scope of her plan has been revealed to all the governments since they were listening in and though her plan doesn't work as it stood with society advancing in technology and magic there are going to be governments that are going to be very interested in seeing if they can make it work.
And while the infrastructure of countries are definitely going to be taking a hit but not all to the same degree as infection rates are very different between nations so some infrastructures are going to be relatively undamaged. US is going to take a serious hit but most other nations not so much. And any hit to the infrastructure can be repaired with unicorns available. They have a workforce they just have to figure out how to use that workforce. Biggest thing is if they can actually convince ponies to help.
8300013
Yeah and Laura despite her goals and methods Sunset has come to see you as the daughter she never had.
Well good luck Twillight, talking them out of their brainwashing is not going to be easy.
8300092
You're right about the governments trying to cajole more weapons/secrets out of Sunset rather than worrying about whatever "justice" the people want meted out to her. The people who did the most horrific experimentations or worked on the war machine of Hitler (biological/chemical weapons testing in Manchuria by the Japanese, death-camp labor used by van Braun, etc.) were embraced and protected by the U.S. government.
On a side note, although it's a consequentialist position rather than one based on intent, what if the pony magic detection of Devourers coupled human technology to destroy them is the only way the Earth would have survived the Devourers?
8300202
It does seem to be the only way to have them survive. The devourers seem to be alerted to the existence of the world even if it will take them a long time to reach the planet (thousands of years perhaps) so they are coming. Humans are going to be developing magic on their own but it is highly questionable if they will develop it far enough on their own to be able to detect the devourers before they are upon them. It might not be the same level of meal for the devourers if they come on the partially magically developed humans in a few thousand years but given they are described as essentially robots I don't think they really will distinguish between a lot of magic and a little bit of magic as reason to destroy all life on the planet. Essentially if the ponies aren't there the planet is doomed because they won't know the things are coming and if the technology doesn't continue to be developed or at least maintained they are doomed because they won't have any way of fighting them even if they can spot them.
Well, Sunset is now neutralized(such shame really) and capture, but some how I don't think it is anywhere nears the end of the story especially for the Devourer think and I don't think it will come in the form that we expect really. It's nice to see that the FBI agent are now believe that Twilight was really there to help them and not there to subvert their efforts to save humanity. I would wonder if the numerous governments will refuse the status of the transformed into sub human and enslave them to better control there weather and crop production and not to mention all the possibilities with magic that could bring to them. I sort of agree that the transformed might indoctrination might have been too strong to the point it might drown innovation but also that the ensuing and the possibility that it the changes happened too fast that society couldn't adapt itself fast enough to the new equine needs and can't use all the old tools that they use to use anymore.
For the Devourer story, I don't think that we can't believe everything she says, as we only have her word to telly on, and might have her own plans in agenda in the works and we don't know if . If anything, I think she might be a devourer herself and is manipulating Star in convincing Twilight to allow her to go to Equestria to feed off its magic. Sunset Shimmer's manufactured prophesy is the latest a perfect example that higher beings are manipulating the masses to her her own ends. I wonder if in the end of the story the only way to save everyone is would go pony all the way.
to be honest the last 2 chapter just has so much to think about I really don't know how to post a comment.
I will just say I love the hole story.
8300089
Victims don't have any legal rights, the transformed will have zero say over whats going to happen to Sunset. And it doesn't matter if horn breaking is an acceptable punishment in Equestria, if she's tried in the US there would be zero chances of something like that happening. It'd be like amputating a persons leg as an acceptable punishment.
We also see that Twilight is pragmatic enough to realize that the humans want to punish Sunset and knows that they have a right to do it, it's why she was angsting about possibly having to kidnap Sunset back across the portal. Do you think Celestia is going to risk relationships with this brand new species of people who one of her subjects wronged? They might ask that they not seek the death penalty, but I doubt she's going to try and fight for Sunset.
8300092
What could any government get from Sunset that they would both want and couldn't get from Twilight? She's already been making it clear that she would help transform people who actually wanted to transform. Sunset will be kryptonite as soon as what she's done comes out, do you think any government in the world would want to be seen as harboring her?
And I think you're underestimating just how bad an impact several million people suddenly stop working would be. How do you think magic is going to fix the effect of those people being functionally dead in the context of the mind boggingly complicated modern economic system. How's a pegasus or earth pony going to do IT work or perform surgeries? Or work in factories that were designed with humans in mind? Are all the earth ponies going to go into agriculture? Because that's just going to leave most of them impoverished given the US already produces more food than it'll ever need. It'll just cause food prices to plummet and then you'll have human farmers out of a job as well.
Ponies could be a boon - in limited numbers. If a sizeable portion of the people infected aren't able to go back to being human, there is going to be chaos unlike anything people have seen. Honestly, this happening in the US is the worst possible place. The economic chaos is just going to spread like a plague from the country.
8300385
It has been said that as far as the President is concerned the transformed have full legal rights as American citizens and it doesn't matter whether or not they have rights millions of very powerful magical ponies suddenly rioting will be an absolute disaster something the government has to take into account, which is why the government using a method of punishment suggested by Twilight should leave the transformed content that a pony came up with the punishment. Also again where the hell are you going to find an impartial jury for something of this scale?
8300465
actually its more like 5 years in the future and while it is not impossible it is highly unlikely.
If the vision was based on an image of Celestia, then it seems that Celestia will probably have to make a personal appearance to get the transformed people to cooperate if things break down, as it just might do.
8300420
You misunderstand, I meant that the opinions of the transformed people on Sunset's sentencing is unimportant because victims of crimes have no right to dictate whether a person is punished or not and what that punishment is. That power is solely within the purview of the state, citizenship doesn't matter.
And given what we know of pony mentality, I highly doubt they would be responsible for any kind of destructive rioting. And even if they did riot, it's in the governments best interest to ignore them and proceed to trial as normal. Because the second the government seeds power to mob rule, it's only a few steps away from anarchy at that point. If ponies are going to be part of the United States, it's in the governments best interest of the government to re-establish its authority as soon as possible. In this case, that means making sure that the rule of law is enforced.
8300622
It's also in the government's best interest not to antagonize a significant and powerful minority group (or even a majority considering that 200 million is 2/3 of the U.S. population and most of them are in the U.S.) as proven throughout history, also the new ponies don't see themselves as victims and would not take to kindly to being treated as such and would likely want to have it be an internal matter as they would likely feel that as those affected by what Sunset did they should be the ones to decide what should happen to her. Is that how the American Justice System works? No. Is it what the new ponies want to happen? in all likelihood yes. And again with just about everyone in the U.S. having been affected by Sunset in some personal way where the hell will the government even find an impartial judge or jury? Not a single person has managed to supply an answer to that question.
8300385
The world isn't just the USA and most he rest of the world is not looking at the same numbers. Yes the USA is going to be hit hard, extremely hard. The numbers they were estimating they said was up to 25% of the population. That is extremely devastating and it will cause problems with many services. The USA however is largely a service economy and the loss of use of keyboards by 25% of the population would be a huge blow to such an economy. Enough to cause economic disaster. But it is one that can be recovered from in a few years especially since fixing that problem would be a priority and one with a clear straightforward solution even if time consuming. The fact that they would have to dedicate so much time and effort to rebuilding infrastructure actually could offset some of economic impact as that means a ton of jobs. Unemployment should hit 0% quickly and the ponies would not be completely useless as they can still be used as trainers even if not unicorns as they can be used as trainers for workers that they would doubtlessly be pulling off the street (if you can convince the ponies to help). Infrastructure building is usually an economic boon long term and signs point to them already making plans to go into full scale rebuilding if need be. Other nations again would not be as severely impacted and wouldn't suffer as much
I just realized the next update is on the 29th the day I will be leaving for Vegas for my 21st birthday so I will likely be reading the new chapters at 30,000 ft.
8300644
Again, you're basically suggesting the government roll over for mob rule at that point. How can anyone have faith in the government at that point if its been shown that if you get a large enough mob, you can run them down. You're crazy if you think the government would willingly let a minority of people hold them hostage. If the ponies riot, they're more likely to just get dispersed then get what they want. And you have your numbers wrong, its 50 to 200 million world wide, the President stated it'd be at most a quarter of the American population. So an extremely large minority but still a minority.
Jeeze, that's like suggesting mexicans or asians living in the US should only be judged other groups of mexicans or asians.
8300645
This isn't the 1930's anymore. We don't have the luxury of using infrastructure as a stimulus. And even back then, it wasn't really the infrastructure spending that pulled the country out of the Great Depression.
The knock on effects of the world seeing potentially a quarter of the US population down for the count is going to make 2008 look like a vacation. The US is as close to the center of the world economy as you can get, instability in it is going to be felt hard world wide. What happens in China when US companies stop buying their products because they don't have the workers to do anything with them? Or the US stops exporting food for a year or two? Or the US, the largest oil refining country in the world, has to lower its output
That's ignoring the effects it'd have on the currency and financial market, which is where the worst of the damage will be. Countries will be dumping their US currency in droves because suddenly the US doesn't look as secure as it used to. The US bonds and dollars are going to plummet in value, taking all those countries that use it as a reserve with it.
Can the US recover? Maybe. Probably even guaranteed if the majority of the ETS victims can get returned to normal. If they can't though, its going to be a terrible decade or two before the economies can get thrown back on track and the benefits of ponydom can actually be felt.
8300032
Sunset hasn't been convinced of anything except that there's one more obstacle in the way of her all-pony paradise. If you were listening to the conversation here, she wasn't even bothering to claim that it was for anyone's protection anymore, only that it was an "improvement" for those poor ex-humans.
8300202
They would've already survived without interference. The Devourers would've just moved on without giving human-Earth a second glance, as they've presumably already done more than once in our planet's hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Now that Sunset's blundered them onto the radar, yes, cooperation would be the only way to stop them.
8300645
That's...not how economics work. Recessions go global when they happen in a world superpower, and the ill effects of recessions (wage stagnation, etc) tend to stick around for years, long after the actual recession has ended. The US 2008 recession peaked almost 9 years ago and is technically over, but our labor force is still feeling it because the jobs that came back were all really low wage and the recovery was limited to one or two sectors (most are still thousands of jobs short). Even if the virus was contained to the US, the economic fallout would impoverish people worldwide for decades because so much of the international market would just fall apart. Think of how many international companies have major parts of their backbone in California or New York alone.
Let's put it this way. The Brexit vote -- just the vote, before anything actually even happened -- caused a huge downturn in the British economy just by a loss of confidence. This in turn caused layoffs in US companies (including the one I work at) that had large amounts of business in England and anticipated lower profit margins in the near future. Now think of that, but instead of an impending trade crisis for England because idiots don't like foreigners, you have a significant percentage of the entire US population dropping out from under the current labor market altogether and becoming subsistence farmers because Space Pony Jesus told them to in a dream.
You want more? Sunset's trying to push a largely agrarian ponydise -- but that's not possible without a hell of a revolution. Almost nobody in the US actually owns land anymore, and even home ownership is at an all-time low. Most of that is so mechanized that there's little need for pony labor to begin with. Even in the best case of an eventual recovery, Sunset's vision could only be supported with a labor force so deliberately inefficient that they'd be completely unable to compete with anyone not playing along. The only viable case is -- again -- a complete extermination of humanity and the entire planet of ponies to be mind-raped so hard into collectivism that most of the population is effectively in the Dark Ages and competition never emerges. I guess we finally found one subject Sunset isn't a runaway prodigy in: human economics
Also 0% unemployment is a bad thing because it also means market stagnation and nobody looking for advancement. There's a reason we have a target unemployment rate.
8300644
*Maybe* that's what they'll want, but the cracks we're already seeing in the Tanners indicate pretty strongly that lots of ponies will not feel that way at all. And that's just among the ponies who know "Sadie". Those who don't aren't likely to have any particular attachment to her. And in the end, it won't matter one iota. The justice system will still do its thing regardless of the popular opinion among any particular group. And that's a good thing, because mob rule and justice are pretty much exact opposites.
Plenty of people are completely disconnected from popular media and have no idea what's going on in general. I go through bouts of that myself. Finding the jury would take time, but they'd manage it. There's your answer.
8300842
Actually I think the math is wrong it's been said that there would be over 50 million in the U.S. alone but doing the math but 25% of the U.S. population is less then half that number (20,087,500 based on the 2015 estimate) and I highly doubt the American population will more then double in 5 years, also there are around 2.5 million law enforcement AND enlisted military service men and women in the U.S. combined and in all likelihood that number has shrunk big time due to Sunset's spell, I'm not saying that the government would just willingly give into mob rule I'm saying they might not have a choice should the ponies as a whole decide to revolt as the ponies not only have numbers on their side but are either superstrong, possess telekinesis as a baseline ability or can fly and CONTROL THE WEATHER there would not be much the government can do without using lethal force on their own citizens which would be a very quick way to lose Twilight's support which they desperately need.
8300842
A decade or more perhaps of recovery is certainly possible. But the US would lilely come out stronger afterwards. There will be many new industries and products as a result. Basically any product from silverware to transportation to homes has to now be designed with either humans, ponies, or both in mind. And when designing for ponies they have to consider different products for each of the pony types as the different types have different needs. That is a huge amount of production and products entering the market and if techno-magical devices are introduced as well could spark another period of rapid tech development which sparks the creation of whole new job fields. Another great recession perhaps full on depression would occur but coming out of it tje USA would be unquestionably the top power in the world by far.
8300846
Again where the hell is the government going to find an impartial judge or jury for something on this scale?
8300921
This wouldn't be "the" government. As this is an international attack, Sunset would go to an international tribunal. Those don't really have juries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court
8300937
Didn't the U.S. never ratify the Rome Statute and has been known for being hostel to the court in the past like under the second Bush? which means that they do not have to turn Sunset over to the international authorities and could handle it as a domestic matter without violating any signed or ratified treaty.
8300013
Again, that is what makes Sunset so scary. She sees her crimes as some kind of means to improve people, and can behave like a normal person.
8300846
You forgot the "magical awakening" that occured already. The numbers of humans with the mutation are still small but in generations that number will spread. Humans were already on that road to doom after that last explore team came to Earth and made unauthorized contact. Damage had already been done and based on Star Singers vision the devourers are on their way no matter what and will likely be completely indiscriminate with destroying all life on a planet that sparked any magic.
The USA has had many recessions and depressions in the last 100 years and has immerged out stronger each time and in this cade they would have a firm foundation to build economically from. Yes stuff will go to crap but it will recover stronger after a decade or if it takes two then two. The government is already prepping for it and you can bet every major industry out there is already brainstorming long term goals and plans on how to keep afloat until those plans can come to fruition.
Sunset does realize she went to far even if she hasn't admitted her plans were inherently wrong. The last thing she said before Starlight started her attack was an admission her plan had a serious flaw she overlooked with the ponies giving up technology in the future as a result of her meddling. It means she is now at least considering how to salvage a solution to the problem and Star Singer kind of rubbed her muzzle in the fact this could be because of the overdrive instinct. D
Sunset may never admit the plan itself a mistake but she will admit to aspects of it being a mistake. She may be beaten and still unrepentant but she is definitely shaken by the idea she might have just doomed the planet's existence down the line.
8300962
Right, forgot about the awakening from the original contacts. That said, Triss describes civilizations like her own that evolved and grew up on magic, and still lasted long enough to attain sentience and form society (something that takes a really, really long time). So one would expect human magic would advance far enough for humans to notice it in themselves before a bunch of Devourers light years away, and it wouldn't have taken long for that to get integrated into technology. If they're vulnerable to conventional weaponry, there's a good chance human-Earth, left alone, with subtle late-blooming magic showing up long after heavy tech is in place and able to integrate it quickly, would've been in the best position the galaxy's ever seen to deal with them. And Sunset's interference signal blew that, probably by centuries. Hell, Triss may have been banking on us before Sunset broke everything.
The US has had many recessions and depressions, yes. Most of them still have dramatic lingering effects even today -- widespread regional poverty, organized crime, disadvantaged minorities, very poor inner-city enclaves, industrial ghettoization, screwed up legislation, a generation of poor schooling and education, etc. Most of them, we've only "emerged stronger" from by very specific measures that don't always indicate widespread prosperity. The recovery from 2008 was almost entirely in the tippy-top brackets, and the main populace has seen little to no improvement -- and it's getting worse even as our GDP keeps going up, because it turns out that if a million people lose a dollar and one Wal-Mart exec makes a million and one, that's "stronger".
And none of those recessions have been remotely on the scale of 200+ million people worldwide, mostly in the largest markets in the world, just falling out of the labor force over the course of a single month to go play real-life Farmville on a psychically implanted impulse. That would wreck the world to a degree human civilization has never seen before.
8300980
Given past civilizations track records going back billions of years it stands to reason that the humans were as good as dead. All indication is they wouldn't be looking for them nor have any reason to be looking for them. Plus the devourers have always wiped out civilizations save whatever civilization Triss came from at a point those civilizations were not as magically advanced as Equestria meaning they get to them pretty early on in their magical development. At this stage the damage is done and requires both advanced magic to detect them and advanced technology to destroy them and if one is lacking Earth is good as dead. Blame can be placed however anyone wants but bottom line Earth is now in a position where not having the ponies is basically suicide though not having the humans too is as well. It has to have both or it is dead unless they decide to do even more medfling with humans to speed up that magical evolution but think there has been enough meddling as it stands and no telling how that would even play out.
Best bet is securing the current pony population's security and existence and stopping ETS from spreading further while finding a way to tone down pony instinct to where ponies can work side by side with humans. Changing the ponies all back is not an option that works with long term survival for the planet in mind. And Equestria has the best interest in Earth not falling either because those devourers could stumble through the random portals that form up and Equestria and its universe would be doomed. Nor can Equestria count on just permanently magically supporting the Earth in alliance as who knows what circumstances might arise that could jeopardize or end that over centuries. Earth is the back door into their universe and they need a permanent safeguard solution on Earth to guard that door even if that door gets forgotten.
Sunset had a vision of Earth advancing in tech and magic and ironically no matter how misguided she was in her methods or intentions that is the only way Earth and by extention Equestria survives. Her plan as it stood and her ways of doing things would not have produced that but they might be able to make that happen trying to clean up the fallout of her actions. It would go much smoother doing that if they can convince her to help undo the hyper instincts since she knows more about her own spell's workings than anyone else.
The short term impacts of her actions may cause trouble for decades but undoing everything will mean the end for sure and in the big picture some economic collapse and chaos for the time being is a small price to pay for survival. This isn't a case of right and wrong this is a case of what must be done and just trying to do it as best you can given the circumstances. Sunset was wrong but her actions can be turned to some long term positive outcome if they give the Earth a method to survive what is to come.
8300846
You didn't clarify whose "interference." Humanity, presumably due to the original pony contact of centuries before, was already developing magic, albeit slowly. Sunset's intervention accelerated the access/use of magic, at least within the transformed. The Devourers may already have been on the way due to the nascent magic among the humans before Sunset's arrival; we have limited details about the threshold of magic detection/speed of travel/etc of the Devourers at this point. The Devourers would have only ignored it because there was not magic present until recent times (also life has been around ~3.5-4 billion years, your Phanerozoic bias is showing). Without the chain of events set into motion by Sunset and the knowledge of the specific threat from Starsinger, humanity would have been sitting ducks for the Devourers. Twilight's angst about the early explorers potentially dooming the earth by introduction of magic (we don't know how, or if they intended to, modify humans to use magic, but they did) is well founded.
8300954
The US may voluntarily play ball anyway, given the scale of what she did. The President as depicted in this story doesn't seem the Bush Jr. type, so it's likely.
If they didn't, the US sometimes tries terrorists in state criminal court, but since 9/11 it often goes to a federal military tribunal (which also doesn't have a jury). In a lot of cases which one happens is by convenience or presence of sensitive information, but they'd probably push for the latter here just knowing the jury selection would be a mess with half the country rather angry and the other half brainwashed to hell and back.
Also note that with Twilight's help, they're likely to be able to back-trace Sunset's identification and prove she's not a legal US citizen, which strips her of a lot of additional criminal defense rights.
8301156
OK you have a point though there is the possibility that the new ponies would want to be the ones to decide Sunset's fate and after running the numbers assuming that there is only going to be 50 million ponies in the U.S. they would still outnumber the combined forces of both the police and the military around 20 to 1 and that figure is likely even worse considering the number of policemen/women and servicemen/women who have likely been transformed and considering pony magic if the new ponies decided to revolt there is not much the government can do to stop them without using lethal force on their own citizens which would quickly get Twilight to refuse to help them any further something they CAN'T afford to happen.
8300980
We have also lost large amounts of people in short periods of time before in modern times. About 100 years ago in fact over the course of one decade we lost over 100 million worldwide between war and pandemic which is a far more staggering figure considering we had less than a quarter of the total world population we have today back then. And that is just the official totals since record keeping of rural areas was still fairly poor in many places so the totals may have been much higher and from both pandemic and war these were spike totals far above the normal but on a high estimate we lost ten percent of the worlds population. Societies a hundred years ago were much more dependent on manual labor so these were huge hits. The pandemics that raged killed primarily people mainly of working age of their late teens through thirties. We still see some lingering impacts of that but a lot of positives did grow from those losses as well and we likely would not have advanced as far as we have today without those events. They were terrible events and they were on a scale never seen before in modern times but we came back.
8300645
Those are some very naive assumptions. Both Dyroxium and Waypoint have pointed out why that is, and I'd like to add to their points that a 0% unemployment rate is impossible to achieve in most capitalist economies, including the US. Ignoring minors, students and people who are not interested in working, the capitalistic nature of the employment markets seeks lower employment costs per company/business, in order to maximize profits. This leads to lower wages (which often force people out of their jobs) or straight to lay offs.
Capitalists will say that the number of companies allows for more employment opportunities, but keep in mind that all of the companies are actively striving to improve output and efficiency while minimizing costs. Usually job opportunities are only available at new companies or ones that are expanding significantly. Stable or slow-growing companies usually don't offer much in employment opportunity, due to the reasons stated above.
What about the self-employed? Well, unless people go for easy freelance type of jobs, like journalism or arts, setting up a business by yourself is very difficult and rife with risks that can easily lead to catastrophic failure which can often be far worse than losing your job at a company. Yes, there are a number of successful self-employed that make a good living, but these are the exception. For every successful small business, there are dozens if not hundreds of failed ones.
The only real way to realistically achieve the 0% unemployment rate you need to have a Marxist Communist Economy, where everything is controlled by the state: including picking jobs for people. This, needless to say, brings its own share of problems and while it could be accepted by the ETS victims, it would definitely not fly with the American people, likely resulting in a secession from the US and a formation of a pony-only nation, or violence.
8301282
) is that it tracks only those actively looking for a job. People who have given up looking are not generally counted. That's why in the last few years when we've had surges of new job openings, unemployment actually went up as people re-entered the labor force. Having a rather large contingent of Americans as ponies would completely screw with the current economic models (as several readers have correctly pointed out).
Interesting thing about the unemployment rate (and apologies if it was already mentioned, keeping up with the comments is a challenge
That's not to be taken as any sort of hint as to the final outcome of the story, mind you
8300918
The projected population of the US is around 325 million according to www.census.gov.
Some other figures from this site give the approximate breakdown in percentages in terms of race and ethnicity:
White: 73.6%
Black/African American: 12.6%
Hispanic/Latino: 17.1%
Asian: 5.1%
Native American/Alaskan Native: 1.7%
This is just to give some idea of the scale of the figures that were presented in the recent chapters.
8301339
Of course, I know that the unemployment rate involves working-age people who are actively seeking employment, I just clarified it for Halira who didn't seem to understand the basics of economics.
But yeah, I'm mostly certain that the story will delve into the economic fallout in the US if the worst comes to happen. Hope it doesn't and that everyone is brought back to their senses, but I'm still worried that there are many that are far too gone.
8301282
This is not a typical capitalistic situation. In this pony scenario you are removing an enormous amount of the workforce but at the same time increasing demand for workers
Unemployment rate reflects population looking for jobs who are not currently employed. The ponies in this situation most likely would be removed from most of the workforce but would still be consumers the demand for workers would increase due to the need to redo just about everything in infrastructure and produce new products. Those circumstances would cause there to be more jobs looking for workers than workers looking for jobs by a large margin effectively creating a zero unemployment rate where importing workers from other nations becomes needed. The biggest part of the economic crisis is there are not enough workers looking for jobs that need filling so yes this would create a zero unemployment rate.
I never question that an economic crisis would happen but I point out that in this case it is more a growing pain for what will eventually become a much larger and more diverse economy after the crisis has passed.