Author's Note

After publishing my short story "Big Mares Don't Need You" I got into a bit of back-and-forth about the world building with an interesting fellow. While I really didn't give the world of the story much thought when I wrote it, this guy was REALLY interested. Here I like to think of myself as a professional with a high degree of skill, but this guy was asking basic questions and I only had the dumbest answers to offer. So embarrassing. So I started to really think about it. How would the military/government deal with size-shifters? What are realistic counter-measures? I came up with two simple solutions. Here is one of them.

Dealing With Size-Shifters 1 (realism, dark)

Version: 1

Single Leaf lazed on the couch. His gentle snoozing filled the air. The earth pony dreamed of his next giant rampage. Maybe somewhere with wider streets. Yes. He mumbled something as he squirmed and adjusted himself to get more comfortable. It had been a good day of destruction and he certainly needed his rest now.

In the time it would have taken Leaf to blink he had been violently yanked off the couch, thrown to the floor, and a heavy weight snapped around his neck with a loud metallic clunk. The stallion was suddenly awake and wildly looking for his attacker.

But... the room was empty? He was the only one there.

Then they appeared. As though a cloth had been pulled down, the room was filled with ponies in S.W.A.T. uniforms. And a particularly large pony was sitting on Leaf's back with an angry scowl on his face.

"You have the right to keep your mouth shut!" the officer barked.

For a moment Leaf was speechless. Then he snorted. Then he laughed. "You're actually trying to arrest me?"

"If you cannot afford an attorney, then that's too bad for you," the presumed commander of the squad continued.

Leaf rolled his eyes. "Stupid little ponies," he grumbled. "You have five seconds to get off me and beg for mercy. I might even give you a few seconds head start before I start--" the rest of his mocking was cut off when a large hoof grabbed the back of his head and slammed his muzzle into the wooden floor below.

"You are charged with mass destruction of public and private property, mass murder, reckless--"

Leaf roared with rage. "That's it!!"

Then he began to grow. The rampage was going to start again and his first victims would be these idiot law ponies who dared to challenge a size-shifter! He would stomp them. And crush them. And eat them. He was a god and he would not be denied his right to do whatever the HELL he wanted!!

Leaf's expansion rapidly came to an end when an unbearable pressure squeezed his neck from all sides. The earth pony glanced down in confusion at why he suddenly couldn't breathe and was stunned to find a huge metal collar fastened around his throat. The thing was made of thick steel. If he'd been standing the weight alone would have pulled most ponies to the ground in seconds.

But Leaf was a size-shifter! He cracked the pavement when he walked. He ripped open busses like they were tin cans. This thing was a flimsy piece of wet tissue paper to him! So he tried to grow again and snap the worthless thing.

It didn't work.

His growth halted once more and he couldn't get any air. Pain radiated to his whole head from his neck and dark spots started to appear in his vision. He struggled and squirmed, but he couldn't even get his hooves free from the officers to grapple with the collar. He could only vaguely make out their words as unconsciousness threatened to take him.

"He's still trying to grow? He'll kill himself at this rate."

"The second lesson when dealing with size-shifters private, they're stupid."

"What's the first lesson?"

"They're as helpless as anypony else as long as they're small."