The Oldest World

Chapters

Chapter 1: Graywing
Chapter 2: Stone Heart
Chapter 3: Canyon of the Gliders

Chapter 1: Graywing

“I think it’s a good idea to get out and have a little campin’ trip, for once!” Drawled the vocally upbeat Applejack. “The last time I had a chance to get out and about like this was… well, when Rarity an’ Rainbow Dash here took that little trip with the young’ns on the mountain!” The girls trotted along through a distant trail in the woods, far from their usual route, as guided by the ever-prepared Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash spun around in the air, as the ponies who were grounded, including Fluttershy of course, proceeded on hoof. “Yeah,” Dash added, “That was great for some touchy-feely bonding and all, but it’ll be good to have a trip like this without having to filly-sit anyone.”

“I thought you liked spending time with Scootaloo?” Fluttershy questioned in a feebly curious voice. Dash rolled her eyes, and hovered above the reserved Pegasus. “Well, duh.” Dash explained. “ The kid’s got skill. Like me, but little! I’m just saying, it’s good to have just us older ponies, ya know? We can take care of ourselves with OUT keeping an eye on a handful of little rascals.” Rarity released a sound of agreement while nodding her head gracefully. “Especially little balls of energy like the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They’re lovely little fillies, when they’re not running amok.” She detailed, being sure to emphasize her love for the little ones, but noting their ability to be more than a little bit zealous.

Pinkie Pie pranced along the side of the group, bouncing with anticipation. Camping wasn’t exactly an exciting prospect, but when Twilight mentioned marshmallows over a campfire, the sugar-charged pony had sprung right into action, packing a bag of exclusively campfire related treats and snacks. “So, where exactly are we going, anyway? It’s been a long walk already!” The bouncing pink Earth Pony questioned, hinting at just a wee tone of boredom. Twilight smiled, shaking her head. “Oh, Pinkie. Camping is about enjoying nature, and getting out of the town. We should enjoy the walk as much as the destination!”

Pinkie’s expression rolled into something resembling contemplation, as Twilight continued. “I asked Princess Celestia what parts of the wilderness would be beautiful to visit, and be safe. The map is tucked away right now, but the place she suggested is apparently quite nice. Celestia said if we follow this trail, we’d find a small lake with some waterfalls near the inlet. We’ll know we’ve missed it and gone too far if we find a big canyon where the land gets all dry.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed at Twilight’s leanings towards a perfectly safe trip, while Fluttershy vehemently insisted that the safe way was the best option. This lead to a rather lengthy and colorful debate on adventuring versus quiet relaxation as a means of a vacation. The team was mostly divided, with Pinkie staying out of the conversation, as she was of the belief that as long as they had their marshmallows, nothing else really mattered. Applejack, on the other hand, joined with Dash, and admitted that the point of camping was ‘to rough it’, as Rarity would have it phrased.

“Twilight, you sure we don’t need that map out?” Applejack inquired, expressing a certain degree of skepticism. The group approached a clearing that overlooked a long and wide valley. The young princess smiled and nodded. “I would say we’re doing alright, wouldn’t you?” The ponies bounded towards the edge of the area, which overlooked the valley below. The cliff face was abrupt, but the face wasn’t so steep as to cause a significant degree of concern. They all expressed their amazement at the landscape in one way or another.

“This really was a lovely place to visit.” Rarity spoke. “And we’ve only just arrived!” The others agreed, while Fluttershy hung around by Twilight Sparkle. The Pegasus noticed her alicorn friend visibly pondering over something. “Is something wrong, Twilight?” A moment rested between the question and its answer, as Twilight stared out over the terrain. “Not really, Fluttershy. But I just don’t remember seeing any waterfalls or lakes or rivers. Do you?”

The six assembled together, realizing that they hadn’t noticed any of the landmarks they had been told about. Rainbow Dash was the first to attempt to make the situation into something better. “Well, we were looking for adventure, right?”
“Some of us, anyway.” Rarity replied coyly, toned with the slightest air of amusement.
“Right.” Dash finalized. “Anyway, the whole point was to get out somewhere new. So let’s just roll with it!”

“I gotta admit,” Applejack started, “Even I’m thinkin’ that it might not be the best idea. Even with a map, wouldn’t it be better to know where we are so we can get back out again?” The ponies seemed to unanimously agree with Applejack’s reason. Pinkie Pie suggested that the two had reasonable points, and that a compromise might be a prudent decision. Naturally, it fell back down to Twilight Sparkle.

“Well… those of us with wings could fly around and try to get an idea of the terrain before setting up a camp.” Twilight began. “At least for one night to see how it goes. What do you think, girls?” There was a short period of discussion, before the ponies finally agreed on the short-term plan. Fluttershy’s ears perked, and she leaned her head gently towards the tree line. “Do you hear that? I think there’s a stream somewhere nearby.” The gentle Pegasus explained.

“Ah ha! That must be the water, right?” Rainbow Dash answered. “No doubt about it! Let’s go!” Twilight shrugged, and had to admit that it might be a good idea. “Well, locating and identifying bodies of water are generally very sound methods of learning the lay of the land, as well as where you might be.” The alicorn contemplated. “I suppose it is a reasonable decision.”

Applejack and Dash took the lead, with Twilight just behind, as the six ponies began their trek towards the sound of rushing water, just now beginning to slowly rise in audibility. As the ponies continued, they passed a noticeable change in foliage, where the normally very evergreen forest in question that they had been traversing, now slowly, but steadily changed into a lush environment. The trees appeared to be a healthy mix of species, some of which even Twilight hadn’t been able to identify immediately.

The snapping of the smallest of twigs alerted Fluttershy, who jumped and released the tiniest of yelps. Landing in Pinkie’s hooves, she blushed and set herself down, as Pinkie just smiled, completely used to this sort of thing. “What was that?” Rarity asked nervously, feeling safe with her friends, but taking the noise into consideration in the wild environment they walked.

“I don’t know.” Fluttershy answered quietly. She peered deep into the grass, and noticed a small fern plant rustling just a hair every now and then. Applejack trotted beside her. The farm pony trusted Fluttershy’s unrivalled adept nature with animals, but had also dealt with her share of problem critters, and thus stood prepared for anything just in case.

The other ponies too had accumulated behind Fluttershy and AJ, peering over shoulders to get a glimpse from a safe distance at what Fluttershy was investigating. “I wonder if it’s a bunny? Oh! Or maybe a great big bug?!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. Fluttershy shushed the party pony, and returned her gaze to the fern. The rustling happened once more, before the presence made itself known.

“OH MY GOSH.” Fluttershy exclaimed, attempting to surpsess her volume, regardless of how gentle her sound would have been anyway. “It’s… so… PRECIOUS!” The girls squeezed closer, eyeing the animal. A small, feathered head protruded from the leaves of the fern. The smallest of claws stuck out from the ends of slender, feathered arms, and from below the wide leaf, little bird-like feet could be seen adjusting stance left and right. The little bird-like critter slowly wiggled its way through the gap in the leaves, standing before the equines.

At its tallest, it was no larger than a small raven, and it’s form was covered in a coat of deep blue feathers, which in turn had been peppered in a mixed pattern of deep red and vibrant yellow. A minute, pseudo-crest of smaller feathers rested upon its head in a subdued orange. “Fluttershy, what… what is it?” Twilight inquired. Even she hadn’t seen such a thing in their world before. It seemed familiar, yet not entirely typical.

Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at the thing, which jumped and crouched near Fluttershy’s silently steady frame. Peering its head from behind her front leg, it eyed Dash inquisitively. Speaking, Dash scoffed with a voice of confidence. “It’s a bird. Duh.” To which Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes. Rarity slowly stepped closer to Fluttershy, and tried to approach at a distance so as not to frighten it.

“Yes, we can see that, Rainbow. But what sort of bird is it? I don’t think I’ve seen feathers like this all on one adorable little creature, before!” Fluttershy attempted to interject quietly, as the group began postulating what the little one might have been. With one final “Excuse me.” at a volume loud enough to have been heard, Fluttershy explained her issue with the critter. She pointed out that the little animal resembled a bird in the extreme, but that there were a few discrepancies that suggested an almost reptilian physiology.

“Aha!” Twilight burst, the little animal now crawling up on Fluttershy’s wing, which she gently extended towards the ground. The critter snuggled up between Fluttershy’s wings on her back, and sat down. It took each of its own wings, one at a time, and began preening the feathers, as well as cleaning the tiny ‘thumb’ claws with care. “I think I know what it is!” Twilight continued.

The young alicorn scoured through her pack, and removed a book from it. Flipping through the pages, Twilight visibly compared the little one to images and paragraphs found within the binding. “Extradordinary!” She proclaimed. “This can’t be possible, though.” Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity stood expressionless, awaiting further detail as the young princess continued reading and comparing.

Dash and Applejack glanced at one another, offering similarly confused and borderline impatient expression. “Well? Are you going to tell us?” Dash spoke, breaking the silence. Applejack raised an eyebrow at Twilight in agreement, and continued watching the animal.

“It must be, but for one to be here isn’t just unlikely. It’s downright impossible!” Twilight stated. Applejack looked at the others, who were all equally confused. She approached Twilight and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “What’s impossible, Twilight?”
The purple pony looked Applejack in the eyes, followed by all looking to the critter. “It… It looks like an Archaeopteryx!”

Most of the group still looked uncertain. Pinkie, of course, was the first to speak. “Ooohhhh. An Archaeopteryx!” She glanced at the group, and seeing that they had no clue what was going on, Pinkie leaned in towards Twilight and spoke again. “Psst. What’s an Archaeopteryx?”

Twilight took a step forward, while Pinkie ever so slightly comically stumbled forward just a hair. “Girls, you don’t understand. If this animal is in any way related to an Archaeopteryx, it would have to be incredibly old!” Rarity and Rainbow Dash also stepped away from Fluttershy and the animal, and stood beside Twilight. “How old are we talkin’, here?” Dash asked first, while the fashionista follwed with an equally curious question. “Yes, is the little one dozens of years old? Hundreds, perhaps? Some manner of mystical bird?”

Twilight shook her head very seriously. “Not at all. What I mean is that the Archaeopteryx went extinct many, many millions of years ago. This… this shouldn’t be possible! How could one be here today?” The ponies looked nervously at the Archaeopteryx, which had now assumed a position between Fluttershy’s wings that looked unbelievably comfortable. Twilight thought about Spike, and how he used to be as a hatchling, and smiled.

“Honestly, everypony, from what I’ve read, Archaeopteryx was not the kind of creature that would be a threat to us. It likely would’ve eaten bugs, maybe other small things…” Fluttershy wasn’t paying much attention. She craned her neck to try and see what she could, though the angle made it difficult. “What’s your name, little one?” She asked the new friend. It made a gentle squawk that sounded reminiscent of a modern avian, but with a lessened chirp, and a bit more of a primitive trill. Regardless, the sound was unarguably adorable. “Okay then,” Fluttershy spoke gently with a smile. “Everpony, this is our new friend, Graywing.”

Chapter 2: Stone Heart

The group released a resounding ‘aww’ sound, which Rainbow Dash refuted having ever made afterward, naturally. Applejack walked around Fluttershy, both observing the resting Graywing, as well as reinforcing their purpose on the trip. Speaking up, the farm pony began to express her thoughts, “Well, I reckon we should be on our way. Ain’t no reason the little fella can’t join us, right? If he wanted to go, he could just fly on home, right?”

Twilight glanced around the immediate location in thought, and gave a short nod in response. “Well, I suppose so! After all, he does seem pretty friendly.” The six started their trek through the most clear route they could discern, heading down the slope of the mountain, and into a nearby valley. Rarity smiled at the little critter on Fluttershy’s back. “And quite cozy, as well!” She spoke, while little Graywing offered a gentle, cricket-like chirp.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy spoke in a hushed voice. “This little one must’ve had a long day!” Graywing nestled himself into a deeper curl upon the shoulders of Fluttershy’s wings, which the mild Pegasus thoughtfully curled into a resting position which would be suitable to the little one upon her back. Without noticing much, the light from above grew dim in such a minute amount as to be hardly noticeable without a frame of reference.

“Ooh, spooky!” Pinkie let out in her typical carefree musings. While Dash hovered around, eyes vigilant for adventure and new sights, Twilight, Applejack, and the others passed through a particularly thick tunnel of trees. “It does seem to be getting darker, doesn’t it? As long as we remember our way, we should be fine. It’s getting on, but if I’m correct, we should still have a while before it gets dark.”

Agreeing, the six plus friend trotted and flapped casually down the mountainside. Even Rarity had to admit, the air in this place was much more fresh and pure than most other places she’d visited. The abundance of flora and fauna seemed to produce an incredibly serene and rather primeval feeling atmosphere. Whether or not this was the intended destination, the rich and foreign foliage, coupled with the outstanding earthy formations and waterways created stunning, picturesque scenery.

As the elevation dropped, even by modest amounts, the ever studious Twilight took careful note of the appearance and locations of a wonderful array of lovely, vibrant flowers. Amongst the flowers rested a number of other similarly unknown vegetation. Mosses and lichens wrapped around boulders, stumps, and fallen trees. Old yet thriving green vines grasped at cliff edges and damp reaches of stone outcroppings. Beautiful, wide leaved ferns formed little, natural umbrellas for the smallest of life in the land.

“I must say,” Rarity expressed in wonder. “I would never have imagined that someplace as vivid and utterly stunning as this would be stumbled upon by mere chance! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I truly wish I had brought plenty of paper. I could sketch designs inspired by this place for years!” The ponies, to a less eloquent degree of phrasing, all expressed their agreement. Twilight, once again, answered first. “I have to agree, Rarity. I’m sure this area was just overlooked on the map somehow, but even I can’t imagine how. Surely this location has already been discovered.”

“If Daring Do’s taught me anything,” Rainbow spoke with confidence. “It’s that there’s all kinds of crazy places and ponies all over! And this kind of thing has epic adventure written all over it!” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow gently, while looking up to the excited sky-blue Pegasus. Speaking as mildly as she ever had, the gentle pony answered cautiously, “That’s what I’m worried about.” The girls had a brief laugh, with the shy pony herself of course, who offered a delicate smile. “I mean, it’s not that it wouldn’t necessarily be fun. I was just hoping for something a little more… tame.”

It did not take the ponies long to continue most of the way down the path towards the base of the only moderately steep cliff. As the elevation dropped, the trees spread a little more thinly, revealing much more of the realm they entered. The tree line expanded greatly, creating a sparsely spread entryway to a forest of strikingly tall wood. The ponies gathered and investigated the sound they heard earlier. The sound of running water, which remained present, had now become more apparent.

The rushing they heard was emanating from a gap in the mountainside. This would have been invisible to the ponies as they approached, as a buried crevice, and presumably at least a moderately sized cavern system, produced an underground river-way for the running water to pass through. The crystal clear water spouted out, forming what appeared to be a waterfall from nowhere. The earth below it had been carved out over many long years, with a small body of water below the fall. This, in turn, led to an outlet river running into the trees.

AJ eyed the water with caution. The caution was not for any living creature, however, but rather of the purity of the source. Rarity offered her own two cents about it, having an eye for purity. Once Twilight had agreed that the speed of the water and natural ground filtration was sufficient, they took a brief rest at the bank, wading and drinking the fresh, cool water. While the temperature of the land was not particularly hot, the cool water felt nice.

On Fluttershy’s back, little Graywing’s eyes opened, and his head perked up. Glancing around, the small creature stretched his wing-arms, yawned a toothy yawn at which Applejack and Rainbow Dash were taken aback by, and jumped to the water’s edge. Twilight shrugged, explaining that while the creature was bird-like, that it was not in fact a true bird. The little Archaeopteryx took in plenty of water, and darted around, following little bugs to and fro. While Fluttershy felt like protesting in some small way, she also knew that this was a different land, and that nature’s way had to be respected. Much in the same way that she had brought fish to a ferret family she was friends with.

Pinkie splashed around in the deeper part of the little pool by the waterfall, sending small shots of water towards Rainbow and the other ponies that stood in the water. The river portion which fed out was significantly deeper in the middle, as would be expected, but the banks sloped gently, allowing a viable wading area. “I like this place!” Pinkie shouted. “It’s so pretty! And fun!” The bubbly pony performed a casual backstroke towards her friends, who were now beginning to get back on land.

“I have to say, I’m lovin’ it here, too! Everythin’s so rich, and alive!” Applejack stated with curious amazement. “Kinda like the Everfree, but-“
“Less creepy?” Rainbow Dash bluntly finished for AJ.
“Er. Well… yeah.” The farm pony answered with equal immediacy.
Rarity and Twilight stood speaking with one another about the sun beginning to lower, while Fluttershy accompanied them nearby. Little Graywing glided over to his yellow Pegasus friend and clambered onto her back. This time, he wiggled his way onto her neck, and hung on in the way a baby monkey hangs on to it’s mother’s back.

Something was a little strange, however. Graywing’s eyes were moving frequently, and his small neck began to crane in various directions more often than he previous had done. With Pinkie being the last pony out of the river, Twilight took charge once again. “Alright, everypony! The sun’s starting to go down, so I think we’d better find somewhere safe to set up camp. What do you think?” As always, Applejack agreed with the simple, tried and true approach. Even for her love of adventure, Dash knew that it was the right course of action.

As they began to trek along the valley’s edge and into the sparse trees that formed the wide entrance to the forest, Fluttershy felt little Graywing’s finger claws tighten on her hide. It did not hurt her, for his reaction was not from terror, but rather seemingly of trepidation. “Oh, what is it little friend?” Fluttershy inquired to the small creature.
Graywing released a sound that by your average individual would be interpreted as a small sound of nervousness. His small, beak-like nose sniffed the air, before he tightened his head and neck along Fluttershy’s body. At this point, Graywing was mostly tucked into her flowing mane, with only notable portions of his wing-arms, tail, and head peeking out.

“That’s funny. I wonder what could be making him react this way.” Fluttershy mused to herself aloud. Rarity considered that perhaps the particular area they were entering was somewhere he hadn’t been yet. After all, first time visits can be intimidating for some ponies. Fluttershy wasn’t sure. She thought that the behavior was strangely familiar. Rainbow Dash dropped to her hooves on the earth. She had just made a pass above the canopy to check the sun’s motion. “We’ve got maybe two hours, give or take. With all these mountains, who knows when we’ll lose light.” She explained.

“We should see if there are any outcroppings we can set up under. It’s safer than a cave, since we don’t know the land.” Applejack suggested. The others agreed. No sooner had the words been spoken, than a sound erupted from somewhere in the audible vicinity. All the pony’s eyes widened. “What in the WORLD was THAT?” Rarity exclaimed dramatically. Fluttershy replied, feeling her friends instinct to check with her thoughts. “I… I don’t know. At least, I’ve never heard anything like it before!”

Twilight gathered her friends near the closest tree, keeping the group tight. “I don’t know ‘bout y’all, but it sounded big.” Applejack spoke first. Pinkie made herself busy with leaves and twigs, creating makeshift camouflage pieces cheerfully, as always. The sound they heard was certainly biological. The next sounds were not. It was very feint, but distinctly patterned. Footsteps from something large enough to be heard walking. Twilight took initiative, and spoke. “Rainbow, can you fly up above the trees and see if you can spot anything? I’ll stay here with the others.”

Dash gave a salute, as she was sometimes want to do, and darted up through a gap in the branches. She suddenly came back down with great speed, landing as gently as possible to avoid noise. “It’s… It’s…” The chromatic Pegasus stammered.
“It’s WHAT, darling?” Rarity questioned, tinted with just a sprinkle or urgency.
“It’s… it’s closer than we thought!” Dash finally managed to explain.

“What?” Fluttershy doubted. “Certainly something as big as that roar would make a much louder footstep, right?” The question sat in the minds of the ponies, but Rainbow knew what she saw. Or rather, she knew WHERE she saw, as the only thing visible was the motion of a number of branches being slowly rustled out of the way. Twilight answered Fluttershy’s thoughts, “Well, if it was large, but had footpads, then the cushioning of its feet would make it’s steps more quiet than a pony would think. When we look at the factors of the weight, plus impact dispersion, not to mention the physics applied to the terrain being stepped on…”

“Um. Twilight? No offense, but think we can save the physics for later, and worry about what we’re gonna do with that… thing?” Applejack implored. The others nodded silently in increasingly expedient agreement. Twilight sheepishly nodded. “You’re right. Sorry, girls. Now… where CAN we go? We don’t know the terrain, and we’re losing light!” No longer a roar, but a meager and throaty growl wound its way through the trees.

Suddenly, and impact upon leaves landed behind their tree. The sounds were not unfamiliar, however. A clatter of what sounded like hooves peppered the ground stealthily, and with tremendous speed, circled around behind them. The team turned to face it, and was astonished by what they saw. A pony. A male pony with a muscled, but lean frame stood before them. A brown vest made of a heavy fabric sat upon his shoulders, and a neckpiece that looked like it was fashioned from bone hung down like a chest plate over his sternum. Long, black hair with twin braids resting on each shoulder fell into place as the motion stopped. From atop a matte blue hide, and under the shadow of the lowered head, a pair of sienna brown eyes slowly looked up.

The voice that emerged was stoic, sturdy, and abrupt. “We must go. Quietly. Mother Ice Claw is hunting. I can take you to my home in the Canyon of the Gliders.” Rainbow stood in front of Twilight and the others, taking a protective stance as she was prone to doing. Even Applejack stepped behind Dash to form a semi-defensive wall, despite knowing that this was likely not a threat.
“And what is that supposed to mean, huh? We’re just supposed to trust some random guy who falls out of a tree in this weird place!” Dash exclaimed, looking to Twilight for her agreement or disapproval. Unfortunately, Twilight could only offer a confused expression. Even the Princess did not know what to make of the situation.

“You. Rainbow one. I can tell you’re a fighter and a protector. You want to keep your friends safe. That is good, but staying here would be a very foolish decision. I suggest you come with me.” The strange pony spoke. The confused ponies sat in silence for only mere seconds, when another gentle drum of large feet sounded in the nearby trees. Rainbow took the words to heart, accepting the superficial praise, but taking it with a grain of salt.

“Rainbow, I think given the circumstances, followin’ a local might be the best best.” Applejack whispered to her friends. Rainbow felt the same, of course. It simply wouldn’t be Rainbow Dash if she didn’t put up the best defense she could. After a glance between the quick-spirited Pegasus and herself, Twilight looked the new stranger in the eyes and offered a serious and short nod.

Just as curtly as Twilight’s motion of approval came, the new pony turned on a dime, and crouched low, following a specific path that created minimal footfall sound upon the ground. “Follow my lead, and Ice Claw should not be able to hear us. Please do not speak until we get past the thick trees with hanging vines.” He spoke, leading the ponies through a path of damp earth, moving towards the thicker portion of forest. “One thing,” Twilight whispered to their new acquaintance. “Who are you?”

The pony glanced over his shoulder, offering a brief reply. “I am Stone Heart.”

Chapter 3: Canyon of the Gliders

Some time of silent travel had taken the ponies through lush undergrowth, wrought with large, colorful flowers while yielded various vivid markings. Fluttershy found herself intrigued, but remembered their purpose with every glance from Rainbow or Applejack. The others, Pinkie Pie included, remained focused on their goal. The stranger, Stone Heart, insisted that they remain quiet and focused. It was clear that whatever threat they might be avoiding was far more serious than anything of mystical origin that they could simply defeat with persistence and friendship powers.

Within a matter of fifteen more minutes, the gathering of ponies reached what appeared to be the edge of the trees. Thick ropes of vines hung from tall arbor pillars, creating a veritable curtain of foliage. Stone Heart signaled for them to stop, allowing him a moment to pause and listen to the sounds of nature. “Good.” He spoke after a minute’s pause. “It does not sound like she heard us. Or smelled us. Let us go.”

Rainbow flapped her wings, lifting her up, before gliding and landing beside the strange pony, while Applejack joined Twilight on his right side. Speaking up, Rainbow inquired, “So, now that we’re not running… er… sneaking for our lives, tell us about this place. Just where ARE we anyway?” The stoic unicorn stopped at the vines, looked from Dash to each pony, and turned towards the treeline. “When.” He said, raising a hoof, and pulling the vines aside.

As the curtain of foliage was tugged aside, a wonderful and beautiful stretch of rolling hills was revealed to the ponies. Out in the fields were a number of large and strange herd animals. The occasional outcropping of trees, creating sun shading and soft shelter held a variety of creatures, both the herd animals they witnessed as well as other unknown beings. The ponies trotted out past the vines, staring onto the beautiful fields and hills. Twilight had suspicions, but she couldn’t find the right words.

Stone Heart could see the wonder and confusion both in their eyes. All the same, little Graywing leaped off of Fluttershy, uncovering himself from the burrow he made in her mane, and flew up into the sky just over their heads. The little one was clearly happy to be away from his perceived threat. Stone Heart smiled at the motion, impressed that a stranger had managed to befriend one of the prehistoric creatures so quickly. “Do you want to know what this place is?”

Twilight nodded. “I’d also like to know WHY this place is.” The Alicorn added with unabashed desire for understanding. The tribal pony again nodded, and looked out into the fields. “Do you see those animals, Princess?” Twilight nodded, before wondering how this stallion knew she was a princess. He continued, “Don’t feel confused. You are an Alicorn, and so you’re surely a Princess, right? Anyway, that’s not important. Those creatures are called Ankylosaurus. Your little friend who’s flying around up there is an Archaeopteryx. Ever heard those names?”

The ponies all looked between one another, confused, before Twilight spoke up. “I think so. There were a number of books in my library about old creatures that paleontologists call dinosaurs. I think Spike might have mentioned them once or twice. I guess he must have found them interesting.” Stone Heart maintained his stoic appearance, nodding to confirm her answer. He began leading the ponies out across the grassy field, being sure to maintain a safe distance from the herds and wandering herbivores.

“I was once one of those paleontologists, myself. Even though I came from a village in a more remote part of Equestria, my natural talents and interests brought me to Canterlot. From there, Starswirl-“
Twilight interrupted, excited at the name. “Wait, you knew Starswirl!? That would make you… ancient! Well, for a pony of course, but…” She realized that she had cut him off, and nervous offered a slightly embarrassed smile and quiet apology.
“No. I did not know him. This land is primeval, but I am not.” He explained. “But I did attend the classes of some who were students of his students. A number of unicorns and earth ponies that had taken an interest in prehistory were welcome to learn, whether conventionally or not.”

The ponies wandered through the fields, strolling through open space, and between distant herds of heavily armored quadruped creatures, each of whom held a massive, bony club at the ends of their tails. These were the Ankylosaurus that Stone Heart made spoken of. In the more distant stretch opposite the Ankylosaurs, a gathering of Triceratops were grazing and resting in the slowly fading light. “Most of us were interested in the practice of digging and uncovering the past, but others were more… hooves on about it. They preferred the idea of perfecting time spells to allow them to walk into the past itself.”

The ponies looked concerned at the idea of time travel being involved. “Are you sayin’ that somepony cast a spell to travel back to when these things were around, and y’all got stuck here? Are WE stuck here too?” Applejack asked, first naturally, but with growing worry. Stone Heart looked out upon the distant edge of the fields they walked in, and saw the beginnings of the canyons that opposed the mountains from which they had arrived. “No. Well, not exactly. Where I’m taking you, where my home is, will explain everything.”

The ponies approached the edge of the canyons, where Graywing glided back down to Fluttershy’s back. From high above, motion could be seen. Birdlike creatures gliding rarely from one cliff edge to another, Graywing gripped tightly to Fluttershy’s mane again, but Stone Heart reassured him. “Don’t worry, small one. Those are Pteranodons. They COULD eat you, but they wouldn’t like it. Probably. They only really eat the fish from the lake on the other end of this canyon.” Graywing loosened his grip a little, in moderate understanding of the strange unicorn’s intention, even if he didn’t know exactly what Stone Heart meant.

“Behold.” The bluntly spoken pony introduced. “Stonehaven. At least, that’s what my name for it is. It is one of the safest places in this primordial land. Even the raptors don’t come here often. My largest threat here is the Phorusrhacids. But this isn’t really they’re favorite area either, so I wouldn’t worry too much about them.” The canyon extended both upwards and down. While it’s sandy colored stone and dirt sank, creating the canyon floor, the walls and land around it extended upward at a gentle gradient, so that the access to the immediate paths was easy.

“And what’s a ‘forrus rakid’?” Pinkie asked, butchering the scientific name. The other ponies were taken aback, as Stone Heart, for the first time, smiled and gave a short laugh. “Phorusrhacid.” He reiterated. “The other ponies who were studying the prehistoric world gave them a much more… frightening nickname.” He added with a shudder. Pinkie and Rainbow were curious, and insisted he reveal the name. Applejack and Fluttershy were waiting together with Twilight as Stone Heart led them up a path which embedded itself into the cliff wall, inclining upwards towards a number of deep outcroppings inset into the canyon wall.

“Erm…” Stone Heart spoke quietly to himself. “They called it the Terror Bird.” Applejack, ever the cautious and steady one, inquired in response, “Any… er… any particular reason they call it that?” AJ offered a somewhat nervous smile to accompany her question. Stone Heart once again looked to each of them, and sighed. He didn’t want to lump so much on ponies new to this land. This ancient world was lethal to those who couldn’t handle it, and a sudden shock could easily throw anyone into a panic.

“Terror Birds… they, well…” He said, attempting to figure out an easy way to explain it to the newcomers. Rainbow, in her usual fashion, implored the survivor pony to spit it out. “They preyed upon… eohippus… and other small…” Stone Heart released a throat clearing, before saying his last words quickly. “Mammals.” The ponies’ eyes widened.

Carefully, Fluttershy inquired, “But we’re not in any danger here… right?” She asked, with Rarity giving a small nervous laugh in support. Stone Heart looked between Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight. “I don’t know if you’re aware,” He began. “But WE are small mammals. You must understand, my new friends, that everything here is a savage and giant ancestor to the world we knew.”

They finally reached the top of the winding cliff-edge trail, and approached a large and wide cave mouth. The cave was shallow, not extending deep at all, but providing a hole in the canyon deep enough to break the elements, and provide a very comfortable shelter. Inaccessible to most creatures that would be able to make use of it, the unicorn, Stone Heart, had placed a number of tools, primitive decorations, and other hoof made comforts. A few wind chimes made of wood hung around the mouth of the cave and cliff edge, serving as both a musical trinket, as well as a possible alarm for theoretical intrusions.

Before reaching the cave, there was a mild gap in the stone ground. The dirt gave way, while the rock continued. A nearly twenty foot gap in the stone extended downwards some sixty feet. On the ‘home’ side of the gap, on the cave’s side, a rope and wood plank bridge rested, tied to posts. The side the group entered on held only the posts. “Being a unicorn has its perks in survival.” He explained. The magic emanated from his horn, pulling the rope bridge across, and attaching it to the posts on their side. “Now, let us cross, so I can recover the bridge, and we can make camp for the night.” The ponies were more than glad to agree. Once across, the group dispersed, taking a keen interest in the various wood art that Stone Heart had carved to make his cave into a home. There was even a large, wooden flute that Stone Heart had carved.

He used his magic to recover the bridge, and stack it back on the cave side of the gap. “Ponies. Since I have been honest with you, I can now show you the source of this place.” He gathered the newcomers around the back of the cave, where he had a dedicated fire pit. Above the pit on the rock wall, which was lined with cave paintings he had made to accompany it, was a strange looking compass embedded in the stone. “One of the students of Starswirl’s students had been working on an enchantment for this compass. It was supposed to be a combination of a compass and a clock. She MEANT for it to be able to locate things from the prehistoric past and lead us to them, but when we came here, something went wrong. I’m not even sure what, honestly. Maybe it had to do with this place, or maybe her spell just wasn’t perfected yet. Either way, we ended up here. Same place, but a different time.”

“We?” Rarity asked. “But, if you were on an expedition, darling, then where are the others?” Stone Heart lowered his head and closed his eyes, before returning to his usual stone faced demeanor. “You mean where? Take your pick. Only myself and one other ended up in this time and place. I can only guess where and when the others are… and hope for the best.” He gazed upon the embedded artifact. “I’m afraid that this is useless now. I can’t feel any magic from it. I fear its enchantment was dispersed after the accident.” He sighed, and walked back to face the fire pit and the other ponies. “I always knew nopony should mess with time travel. That’s why I preferred digging. I’m just lucky that I’ve been able to adapt.

Stone Heart lowered his horn, and lit the wood that was sitting in the fire pit. There was a nearby stack that was quite large, as he had obviously been continually adding to his resources, and staying well stocked on supplies. Twilight spoke, “But if we just wandered in, how is that possible that you can’t find a way out?” Stone Heart smiled with concession for his fate. “I think it has to do with that compass. It’s the very center point of the entire primordial land. I’d guess that the enchantment she made brought a bubble of time here, instead of launching us to the past.”

“A bubble!” Twilight exclaimed. “That can help! If there’s a way in, then-“ There was a sudden silence. Stone Heart smiled in appreciation. “I’ve tried. I can’t seem to cross that barrier. Since the enchantment spell affected me, I believe that I’m bound to it. I fear the only way out for me, is to release the spell from the compass. But I do not know how to even begin something like that. IF the compass is still even able to be effected.”

Twilight smiled. “If there’s a time bubble brought here from a distant past time, then something is maintaining it, right?” Stone Heart raised his eyes, looking to the princess. Twilight continued, “What I’m saying is that if that compass brought the time anomaly here, then it’s pretty clear to me that the compass is maintaining that bubble. Otherwise the time line would have gone back to normal, right?” The other ponies nodded, understanding the basic ideas behind it, as the concept was quite simple at its core. “Princess… that’s genius. Why didn’t I think of that?” His deep voice relented. “There is much we should discuss, Princess. First, let’s eat and get some rest. Apparently we have all the time in the world, now.”