Chapters The tropical islands of the Five Deaths have hardly changed over the course of four years. They are widely avoided by locals, and after the incident in Manehatten with InGen many within the scientific community are hesitant to send any expeditions to these islands even though only two hold the prehistoric monstrosities. Hardly anypony would dare take the risk of getting close. There were stories of those who would get to close, never to be seen again.
However there are a few brave ponies that would dare get close to these islands. Thrill-seekers are so eager to see these beasts they'll risk getting close to the islands. At least that is the impression given by the speed boat off the coast of Isla Pegasus. The captain of this illegal adventure peered up into the sky through a pair of binoculars, making sure they weren't being followed. Being caught anywhere near this island was worth about five to ten in prison, and a hefty amount of fines. Everything at the moment seemed calm. On deck an earth pony stallion was strapping himself and a young colt into safety harnesses.
"Make sure you get us close," the earth pony calls over the motor. "I'll give you something extra if you make it a good trip!"
"Don't worry. I'll take you close. But not too close." The captain said, smoking a cigar. "But not too close, don't wanna be eaten!" The earth pony put a small camcorder around his neck as he finished the last strap on the colt.
"Holding up?" He asked over the motor. The young pegasus look up at him with a wide smile.
"Yeah!" The captain clipped the line that ran from a large reel attached to the back of the boat to their harness.
"We're set!" The stallion with the colt hanging from him stepped to the edge of the boat. The driver steers the boat a bit closer to the island......a little too close for the comfort of some...
"On three!" The earth pony called out. One........Two.......Three!" Grabbing the ring found on the harness with his jaw, he yanked out the metal ring, unfolding the para glider behind them and yanking the pair of ponies into the air. The long parachute arcs over them while the rope strapped to them quickly unwinds from a winch in the floor of the speedboat. Both ponies glide gracefully hundreds of feet above the water as they let out a scream of excitement at the top of their lungs while the captain laughed at their mirth.
After letting the line on the winch out far enough, the captain locked it into place before returning to the wheel. The stallion on the end of the line rubbed the colts head.
"Scared?" He called over the wind.
"Nuh-uh! This is great!" The stallion laughs as he raises his camera to survey the island. Both ponies in the air and the ponies down below in the boat look out at the island in anticipation. "Do you see anything yet?" The colt asked.
"Nnnnoooope not yet," The stallion replied as he observed the island trees critically from the screen of the camcorder. Despite the view from high above nothing was appearing in the treeline.
Meanwhile down at sea level the boat is headed right for a fog bank. The captain has a brief discussion with his partner on the boat, both failing to hear large splashing come from the water to the right. Coming to an agreement the captain turns the boat a bit to the left as the fog bank completely obscures the seafaring craft from the temporary fliers it's hauling. As the two looked down upon the island they felt a hard sudden tug on the line.
"What was that?" The colt asked as the line began tugging over and over, shaking the two violently. "What's happening?"
"I don't know." The Stallion said as he takes the hoof controls hanging to either side of him in case he needs to take evasive action. The colt groaned uncomfortably as the line shook violently. The two looked down the line to see what gag the captain was trying to pull. After several moments the shaking stopped and the fog finally lifted, but to their horror the cover to the boat was shredded and covered in blood, with the captain and his partner nowhere to be seen.
“What happened to them?” The colt asked, now scared.
“I have no idea.” The stallion answered. Both ponies slowly looked up ahead. Since there was no longer a captain to operate the boat it was speeding ahead, directly in the path of a land bar. The bar was too far from shore to swim if they crashed, if the ocean didnt sweep them away when they fall from the sky.
"We're gonna crash!" The colt panics as he fumbles with the clip holding the rope. "We're gonna crash!!!"
"No we're not!" The stallion said as he struggled to take the clip from the panicking colt. "Let go of the rope!" Down below the boat crashed into the first set of rocks, taking into the air.
"We're gonna crash!!!" Fear was beginning to sink in as the stallion finally got the clip undone.
"Here we go!" A strong gust of wind carried the two higher into the air as the boat finally plowed into the larger rocks, before stopping in its tracks. Now freed the two airborne ponies glide to the only place they have a hope of survival......to the island of Isla Pegasus, and the horrors that waited with in.
“It’s gonna be alright bud.” The stallion said to the colt as they drifted through the wind towards the island.
In the four years that have passed Ponyville hasn't changed much at all. It still remained the sleepy little village it always was, in fact the most change would have to have been its six most famous residents. Despite no longer being ousted as liars about an island filled with dinosaurs, Twilight Sparkles, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash hardly spoke of the subject. They mostly spoke of it if the subject just happened to come up. For the southern mare, the meek pegasus and the fashion unicorn, they wanted absolutely nothing to do with dinosaurs for the rest of their lives.
But today wasn't a day about that. Today was about a nice simple meal the six were planning later that evening to celebrate Rainbow's promotion to active duty within the Wonderbolts. Naturally whenever any sort "celebration" is going on within Ponyville you can expect a certain pink pony with a passion for parties to be involved, and today is no exception. Pinkie Pie is bouncing off the walls to get this party prepared, quite literally in fact.
She ricochets between the walls in the halls of Twilight's castle leaving blue, and yellow streamers in her wake in a lightning bolt pattern. After that she reloads the confetti cannons hidden around the castle with party favors of rainbow coloring. Satisfied with the basics she bounces her way over to the banquet hall with a grin. Once there she whips out her party cannon, and loads a custom round for this party.
With a loud bang, and a squee she fired it off, instantly changing the decor. Across the long table goes a Wonderbolt blue tablecloth with a big rainbow colored lightning bolt going from end to end. From the ceiling hang rainbow streamers arranged in two large rings to resemble the Sonic Rainboom, and around the room float massive balloons a little bigger than ponies showing pictures of clouds.Sighing to herself, Pinkie turned to her friends.
"I wanted to use real clouds too, but they wouldn't pack into the party cannon... Oh well!" She perks up, and starts zipping back and forth to the kitchen to bring in lots, and lots of sweets to eat. It just isn't a party without cake! Despite knowing the party pony for so many years now, Princess Twilight Sparkles still would never know how in the world Pinkie could set all of this up in the span of a few hours.
"There's the biggest mystery in life girls." Twilight said to her closest friends.
"It's Pinkie Pie darling, don't question it," Rarity advises.
"You'll hurt head just thinking about it." Applejack said as she finished unloading the last crate of Rainbow's favorite drink in all of Equestria, Apple Cider. Pinkie zips up to AJ.
"Hey, did you get those pies I ordered? After Soarin had that one at the Gala all those years ago the rest of the Wonderbolts have been dying or a piece of apple pie, along with some shippers on FiMfiction!"
"All set and ready for eatin'!" Applejack said with a salute. Pinkie puts a hoof to her belly.
"Oooo, speaking of which I got butterflies in my tummy! That means my Pinkie Sense is telling me somepony's very special somepony has just arrived!" Twilight trotted to the door and peered out.
"You called it Pinkie! They're here!" The castle doors open as the Wonderbolts fly in. Led by Spitfire, Fleetfoot and dozens of Pegasi file in dressed in Wonderbolt flight suits. Above them hovers Soarin looking for the guest of honor to the party.
"Getting held up with her flight suit?" Twilight asked Rarity, who was tasked with stalling the cyan mare for as long as possible.
Rarity smiles deviously, "Oh yes, you see I made her quite a few custom outfits... All of which are either a bit too small, or large. She insisted she had to attend in her new outfit which had to fit just right..." Fluttershy finally trotted into the room.
"Ummm, word finally got out...." She said, being tasked with trying to keep the press out. Twilight sighed.
"Bound to happen. Rarity, go give Rainbow her fight suit. I think we're all set." Nodding Rarity adjusts the wrapped bundle on her back, and trots off to go find Rainbow Dash. Pinkie meanwhile watches the procession of pegasus ponies, before muttering to Applejack.
"I hope you made enough pie..."
"Made enough to feed all of Canterlot." Applejack said. "Say Twilight, where's Firefly? Figure he might've been here seeing how close you to are." The southern mare teased her close friend.
"Scorch said he couldn't make it because of.....you know what." Twilight said, trying to remain professional about her relationship with the stallion that has caused her friends nothing but unintentional grief. Pinkie bounced over to her.
"Is he alright? He wasn't doing so hot the last time we saw him since... Well, Blueblood." She glances at Applejack with a sheepish grin. Applejack didn’t make a comment. She hardly ever spoke of that night.
"I figured he needed someone to nurse him back to health....and well he's charming." Twilight admitted. Pinkie pats her shoulder,
"Well I'm sure it'll work out... You know, apart from all the press drama around a princess being all lovey-dovey with the stallion most everypony considers solely responsible for the biggest disaster to ever happen in Equestria since Tirek, or Sombra, or Nightmare Moon, or Chrysalis, or maybe all of them put together on a regiment of steroids! by the way have you ever noticed that Tirek sounds a lot like T Rex?”
“I actually heard from Fluttershy that her friend Tree Hugger managed to get every species of dinosaur on those islands on the endangered species list so now it's illegal to hunt them, and so far nopony has been stupid enough to try to capture them since word got out that's what Blueblood has been trying to do. I've even heard from Luna while planning her 2,576th birthday that Celestia has lost a lot of favor with the nobles because of him. Oh look who it is!"
Pinkie finally pauses for breath as she waves to the only non-pegasus ponies she invited to the party, them being a certain blue mare with a silver mane, and her colt. Even without the star spangled purple cape, and wizard hat it's easy to recognize her. Twilight noticed Trixie walking into the room.
"She's the other reason he didnt want to be here." She whispered quietly to her friends. Twilight remembered the last time Trixie and Scorch were in the same room. Not pretty.
"That colt must be Crimson's son," Pinkie notes.
The colt in question is a deep blue color, and looks old enough he should be getting his Cutie Mark any day now. He has his father's ice blue eyes, and double colored mane. In this case his mane, and tail are back with streaks of his mother's silver.
"Looks just like his father." Fluttershy noted. Twilight was ready to go over and strike up a conversation when she saw Rarity being followed by Rainbow Dash, who looked highly annoyed.
"Oh come now Rainbow Dash, it was all in harmless fun," Rarity soothes. "I thought you liked practical jokes."
"You had me try on over a hundred flight suits when there was this one already for me!" Rainbow said as she walked in through the door, before going wide eyes.
"Attention!" Spitfire called. One by one the Wonderbolt pegasi lined up and snapped into a salute. Rainbow herself saluted as Spitfire and Soarin stepped forward.
"At ease Rainbow." Spitfire said returning the salute. "Enjoy yourself." From beside Spitfire Soarin shoots his cyan marefriend a wink, "Congrats Dashie, let me be the first to officially welcome you to the Wonderbolts."
Rainbow's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "Well I did learn from the best." She said before hugging Soarin.
"Hey! What are we supposed to be?" Pinkie said.
'Oh come here girls." Rainbow said as her closest friends put her in the middle of a group hug. Then Rainbow feels someone tugging softly at her tail. It's Trixie's kid, having ducked away from his mother at a buffet table to come meet the guest of honor. The cyan mare turned to see who wanted her attention.
"Hey there squirt! What can I help you with?" He smiles as he holds up an autograph board with his magic, and smiles up at her.
"You're a hero right? Can I have your autograph?"
"No problem!" Rainbow took a marker and signed the board happily, unaware who this colt belonged to. Fluttershy quietly returned froma quick trip outside and whispered something to Twilight.
"They want in that badly?" She asked. Fluttershy nodded. "It seems the press have few questions for our newest Wonderbolt."
"Shooting Star." Trixie called. The colt looks over, and with a wave goodbye at Rainbow Dash he gallops back to his mother.
Applejack sighs, "Well RD it looks like you get your time in the spotlight... Just remember if that ask any questions about... you know what, just say 'No Comment.' Alright?"
"Crystal." Rainbow responded before taking her seat at the head of the main table. Fluttershy opened the door allowing the press to flow in. Twilight and the other slowly joined her at the table as cameras began flashing and questions were being shouted.
"Can we do this in a organized matter please?" Twilight asked after amplifying her voice. The press finally began to quiet down. "Good, now if you have a question just calmly raise your hoof and Rainbow Dash or any qualified pony up here will answer." As soon as she said that every reporter raised a hoof. Twilight sighed, knowing what they were wanting. Rainbow took over.
"Ok, does anypony have a question that doesn’t relate to Jurassic Park?" A little under half the hooves go down.
"Or the incident in Manehatten," Rarity chips in, leaving only a few Reporters with their hooves in the air.
"Much better." Rainbow said, before selecting a hoof towards the front.
"Is it true that you are in fact in a relationship with one of the Wonderbolt current members?"
"The answer to that is yes." Rainbow said, putting a hoof on Soarin's, and then she picked another hoof.
"Would you ever consider going to the second island?" Twilight frowned deeply. The technically never said don’t ask anything about Site B. Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I? I mean since I'm a Wonderbolt now if there was a rescue mission then yeah, otherwise no."
"Can I take over for a second?" Twilight asked. Rainbow let her have the floor. "Thank you, the answer to that question is no, and let me be perfectly clear on this point." The princess said. "Dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago. What's left of them is fossilized in stone the actual scientists spend years to undercover. What Scorch Firefly and InGen created are theme park monsters. Nothing more, nothing less." Twilight said, finishing her rant.
"Princess Twilight," one reporter says. "Records show before your ascension to a Princess you were quite the studious mare, and still are to this day. Are you saying you would really pass up any chance to go to Isla Pegasus, and study the animals in person? Surely an Alicorn would be powerful enough to protect herself from some overgrown lizards." Twilight put on a firm smile.
"No force on this planet or any other can get me or any of my friends to step hoof on that island."
"Yet you don't have any issue with an active romance with the stallion behind these 'theme park monsters' as you put it," a reporter mare says as she puts notes down in a notepad.
"Hey! That's out of line!" Rainbow said as Twilight made a face before turning to her friends.
"I'll excuse myself." She said before standing. Suddenly there were several flashes of light with the whizzing of fireworks, frightening most of the reporters away. When the smoke clears a very put-out looking Trixie extinguishes her horn, and takes a seat at the end of the table with her son.
"Oh I'm sorry," she says sarcastically. "I was attempting to power that spell for the guest of honor's enjoyment, however it seems i set it off prematurely. It seems even the Great, and Powerful Trixie can make mistakes." She fixes the rest of the reporters with a flat look who quickly take the hint to beat it.
"Thank you for that Trixie." Twilight said. Trixie closes her eyes with a firm sigh.
"You're welcome Princess Twilight... Just to be clear I might not approve of your choice of... partner... but I understand nopony can tell you who to love." She deliberately focuses on levitating a plate of vegetable over to serve some to herself, and Shooting Star. Twilight looked sympathetic.
"Trixie if there is anything Scorch and I can do." Trixie gives Twilight a hard look.
"My husband gave his life for your sake Twilight... died a hero protecting you from the monsters your colt-friend made. So long as you make sure Scorch Firefly is doing all he can to fix his mistakes with Jurassic park then that's all I could ask." With that statement Twilight could only looked down at the table. Trixie looked down as well, "I'm not trying to make you feel guilty Twilight... But you need to understand what Crimson Wrath meant to me... I was just a traveling performer when we met, now thanks to him I'm a famous storyteller, and a mother. I'm not sure I can ever forgive Scorch for taking him away from his family."
"He didnt mean to alright!" Twilight snapped.
"Ok girls lets tone it down a notch." Applejack said, trying to keep the situation calm.
"Yeah, it's a party," Pinkie says as she bounces over.
Trixie stood from her seat, "Maybe coming here was a bad idea. I promised myself to try to put...that... behind me. For Star's sake at least..." Shooting Star pouted.
"Do we really have to go mommy? This party looks cool!" Twilight didnt say anything. By now her little spat was gonna be all over tabloids in the morning.
Night would come and go as the sun rose on the junkyard located several miles outside Ponyville. Throughout the years the site would fill with discarded cars and other vehicles, even the rare aircraft was left here to rot in the sun. At the moment one unicorn is using a can of spray-paint on a mostly intact plane to put eyes on the windows, and a cartoonish mouth of sharpened teeth across the nose. Once done he tosses the can into the plane, and gallops over to his partner who is armed with a massive caliber rifle.
"What do we have today Bravo?" One of the ponies asked.
"Anti-aircraft projectile." Bravo said, aiming down the scope of the rifle. Inside an old military air transport a third pony makes his way down from the cockpit as a satellite phone rings a merry little jingle.
"Tango." The pony greeted as he answered the phone.
"Hello Tango, its Carrot Cake. I was calling in to see how everything was going."
"Yes sure, we're good to go here." Tango said to his client. "Matter of fact I can lock things down once you drop the payment." Tango walked out of the plan and over to his partners. "That's right, two of the best ponies I could find." Tango said. "No sir I haven’t worked with them personally, but believe me they were highly recommended."
The last pony of the three, Lima, aimed down the scope before pulling the trigger, sending the projectile into the target plane, causing it to explode. Tango looked at the smoldering plane with a smirk. "Not to worry sir...everything’s fine. It’s gonna be a walk in the park.”
Rainbow's first official task as a Wonderbolt was to escort the Princess of Friendship as she judged various upcoming projects at the college in Canterlot.
"Least it gets us some alone time." Rainbow said to Soarin, who was invited along.
"Yeah," Soarin says with a smile, though the cyan mare knew him well enough to know it's slightly forced.
"You two lovebirds dont go wandering off." Twilight said. "We're almost done for the day, just one last project to review. Then we can talk about those budget issues." Soarin nodded, before kissing Rainbow on the cheek as he moves up to flank Twilight. The three ponies finally came to the last booth, where the pony in question was doing something with a computer and a 3d printer.
"Ah Princess Twilight! Great to meet you." The student said as the printer went to work.
"What can you tell me about your project?"
"I have made a breakthrough about Raptor fossils!"
"At least it’s just the bones." Rainbow muttered.
"I feed in the scan data from the raptor skull, than the computer breaks it into thousands of slices which this thing prints, one layer on top of the other. It's the future of paleontology." Soarin looked it over.
"So.... basically a 3D printer for dinosaur bones?"
"That, and much more." The student said as the machine finished. The student opened the printer and pulled out his project. "I give to you, a Velociraptor's resonating chamber." As much as she wanted nothing to do with dinosaurs, Twilight was rather impressed. "Listen to this."
The student took the end of the chamber, and started blowing air into. Right before the ponies came the exact sound a raptor would make. Twilight's eyes grew wide at the sound. That horrid howling shriek freezes their hearts in place, even Soarin who never had the displeasure of meeting a raptor takes a step back while his mane stands on end. The student had wide smirk as he held the chamber out for Twilight to examine.
"This is.....incredible. It really is." The mare admitted. Even Rainbow had to get a good look it.
"Dead on that’s what it is."
"I totally want one." Soarin grinned. "Imagine Spitfire when I suddenly use that next Nightmare Night."
"Take it, please." The student said happily. Twilight wrote down her final opinion and handed it in to the one in charge.
"Ok, that's all taken care of." Twilight said, fiddling with the raptor chamber.
"Please don't blow that thing again." Rainbow said quietly. Twilight passed it over to Soarin so he could look it over.
"Now, I know I promised an update about the budget situation." The mare said. "But my hooves are tied."
"What do you mean your hooves are tied?" Rainbow asked, not liking the answer.
"I'm the Princess of Friendship, and on the bottom of the totem pole. I’m not in charge of funding for the Wonderbolts or the library for that matter."
"Oh man" Soarin groaned. "So what are we supposed to do? After Blueblood the nobles are being a lot stingier with their Bits. There's been so many budget cuts lately throughout the government because of it the Wonderbolts program might get shut down..." Before Twilight could answer the sounds of somepony trotting up the hall reached her ears.
"Excuse me? Princess Twilight?" A stallion asked. Twilight turned a found an orange stallion in a business suit and sun glasses looking at her. "Carrot Cake, nice to see you again."
"Mr. Cake?" Twilight asked. It’s been many years since she's seen the baker. He really seems a lot less... average... His mane is neatly combed, and he wears a rather nice suit of candy color hues. Laughing a bit he extends a hoof.
"Well you can call me that, or you can just call me Carrot, Your Majesty. I heard there was some rather... troubling funding issues with the Wonderbolts program, and the efforts to restore the Ponyville Library are still about as stubborn as a boulder in a mud pit, am I right?"
"You have a point there." Twilight admitted. He puts a hoof to his chest.
"Well the baking business has been very generous to my family so now I am CEO of Cakes Enterprises. We're actually doing rather well catering for some very important ponies. But..."
He gave Twilight a small sly smile, "My anniversary with my wife is coming up, and I wanted to surprise her with something special. So if you would be willing to help me with a favor I have in mind then I'm willing to generously compensate you." Twilight had to think about this.
"I've been traveling, maybe some-"
"She'll be there." Soarin answered.
"Oh terrific! That's the spirit!" Mr. Cake said happily. "Why don't you two come along with her?" He offered to the two members of the Wonderbolts. Rainbow Dash blinked.
"Um... Why?"
"Well partially for the pleasure of your company, and the other part for added security," Mister Cake replies. "I'm glad you've decided to come, we'll meet at the airport... Are you free tomorrow?"
"I am now." Twilight said with a straight face, while also sending a glare at Soarin. The stallion however does not look the least it sorry as Mister Cake scribbles out the takeoff location on a note, gives it to Twilight, and trots off.
"Think about it Twilight! Our budget problems might be over!" Rainbow said enthusiastically.
"Hopefully it is." The princess said, before bidding her friends farewell for the evening.
The next morning Mister and Missus Cake are waiting by the airplane dressed for a safari while they wait for their guests. Twilight, sleepy as she was, trotted into the airport followed by Soarin and Rainbow, and Pinkie Pie, who insisted on coming along too.
"I'm sooooooo super excited you could come," Pinkie rambles as she bounces with them. "I mean we never get to go on super fancy stuff like this anymore, and not to mention it'll be good for all of us. No worry though, if all goes well we shouldn't even have to get out of the plane!"
"What do you mean get out of the plane?" Rainbow asked, as if Pinkie knew something they didnt.
Pinkie stops bouncing, and tilts her head. "You don't know? Wow, how could you not know they asked Twilight to be the tour guide for an airborne tour of Isla Pegasus? La la-la la-la~!" Pinkie sings to herself as she prances up the steps into the plane. Twilight had to clean her ear out before turning to the Cakes.
"Please tell me she didn’t say what I thought she said." Mister Cake furrows his eyebrows.
"I could have sworn I mentioned it yesterday..."
"You didn't....." Twilight said.
"Let me explain. First off let me say as a dinosaur enthusiasts, me and Cup Cake have always wanted to see this island up close for ourselves." Carrot explained.
"It is truly, what's the word? Inspiring." Mrs. Cake explained.
"Now, for our wedding anniversary this year we wanted to do something really special, something..."
"...once-in-a-lifetime."
"And so we've arranged for a private airplane to take us flying over Isla Pegasus, and as Pinkie Pie said, we want you to be our guide." Mr. Cake explained.
"And rest assured we're leaving nothing to chance," Mrs. Cake added.
"That's right." Mister Cake agreed. "Our security is a trio of skill mercenaries with hundreds of combat flights under their belts. Not to mention two Wonderbolts, and the Element of Magic herself! But like Pinkie said we shouldn't need any of that because we shouldn't even need to get out of the plane."
"That's a very nice offer, Mr. Cake, but I'm afraid I'm much too busy. If you like I can refer you to a number of highly qualified..."
No, no, see your majesty, you're the best. You've seen these animals in the flesh. No pony else has come close to you." Mr. Cake said. Rainbow let out a cough to show she was right there. "Sorry Rainbow."
"I'm flattered, but we've taken this little adventure tour before." Twilight said, motioning to her and Rainbow. "And with the air restrictions they've imposed after the incident in Manehatten, you can't fly low enough to see anything of interest."
"You see, that's just the thing." Mrs. Cake said happily. "Carrot and I have special permission to fly low.
"And naturally if it's a question of money I can write all sorts of numbers on your check Your Highness," Mister Cake finished. "So tell me... What's it going to take?" Twilight looked at the blank check in the stallions hoof before glancing at Rainbow and Soarin. That was all the motivation she was gonna need.
The private jet plane soars over the open tropical ocean in the middle of early afternoon. Inside the passengers are rather comfortable, particularly the two Wonderbolts.
"Hey beautiful!" Soarin raises a rather fancy looking camera to snap a picture as his call draws the attention of Rainbow Dash. Smiling he unscrews the long lenses scope, and opens a battered looking single strap bag with two compartments inside for each half of his camera setup.
"Even with what you make in the Wonderbolt couldn’t you afford a better bag?" Twilight asked curiously.
He laughs quietly as he zips it shut. "No way, this bag is lucky…"
"Lucky how?" Rainbow asked.
"Couple years ago some buddies and I went gliding off these cliffs. Updraft sent me right into the side. BOOM!" Soarin said, clapping his hooves together.
“Wow that does sound lucky.” Twilight said. Nodding he rubs the bag fondly,
"This strap alone saved my life. Caught onto a branch while I was falling..." Pinkie Pie is seated behind him jamming out to some music in her headphones,
"~I had a pegasister way back in school! Her and me, me and her, together we were so cool! We were like two hairs in a tale, I even got a trip up to Cloudsdale! In the carriage my mind was beating like a crescendo, then they started chucking ponies out the window~!" Twilight could only chuckle at the party pony before she turned to Soarin.
"Remember, you're the one who got us into this." The princess teased. "So it’s a good thing you guys came, cause I had no intention of being alone with these ponies." Twilight then leaned back into her seat. "Wake me when we get there." Soarin salutes before looking back at Pinkie.
"I know that beat... The remix of Fly Like Me by the Wasteland Wailers right? I heard they got Vinyl Scratch to help them out, and a guest singer called Nowacking..."
For what felt like several hours Twilight slept on peacefully until a rumble in the plane woke her. Turning to ask what was wrong, she was shocked to find out she was now completely alone as the plane began to fall out of the sky. When she looked into the seat opposite of her, she gasped in terror at the sight of a Velociraptor staring right at her.
"Twilight...." It hissed.
"Twilight!" Pinkie pokes her with a hoof, making her jump awake. "Wakey wakey! We're almost there!"
"What's wrong? Look like you just seen a ghost." Rainbow asked, noting how nervous Twilight looked.
"Nothing, nothing." The mare insisted as the island finally came into focus. Up in the cockpit Bravo and Tango were recieving a message from the radio.
"Unidentified aircraft approaching Isla Pegasus, this is Coltsa Rico approach. You are flying in restricted airspace. Immediately turn to the coordinates two-zero-zero. I repeat redirect to..." The pilots switched off the radio, ignoring the voice all together. Soarin frowns at that, sharing a look with Rainbow Dash. The plane finally left the ocean side, flying fully over the dense green island. The passengers looked out the window as they arrived over a vast green field, before what they were looking for finally came into view. Hundreds of feet below we're the famous residents of Isla Pegasus.
"I'd forgotten." Even Twilight had to smile at the sight of various herbivores below them, mostly Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurs and various others. Mr Cake reaches across the aisle to hold his wife's hoof.
"We did it honey... we did it."
"Lima! Call up if you see anything!" Tango called to his partner in the back.
"Nah, thought I keep it to myself." The mercenary joked. Pinkie presses her nose to a window.
"Oh look! Galimimasus-eses-eses-eses!'
"Mrs. Cake if you look out here you'll see-"
"Mr. Cake we have a landing strip up ahead, want us to put her down?" Bravo called.
"No! I want to circle the whole island first." Mr. Cake insisted as Twilight frowned, thinking she heard that wrong.
"What do you mean? You can't land!"
"Now hold on I can explain-" Mister Cake starts, but is soon drowned out as everypony starts talking at once. With a sigh the merc in the back calmly steps into the aisle ready to take action.
"You can't land on this island!" Twilight shouted, rising up out of her seat.
"Princess please sit down!" Mister Cake also rises, and tries to persuade Twilight back into her seat. He cringes when a dull force collides with the back of Twilight's head, making her world go black.
Twilight's head throbbed slightly as she finally awoke, finding herself lying on the floor.
"You alright Twilight?" Rainbow asked, herself, Soarin and Pinkie looking down onto the princess.
"Please tell me we didn’t land."
"Pound?! Rock?!" The megaphone enhanced shout makes them all glance through a window.
"…I think they're looking for somepony." Soarin said. Twilight pulled herself up, stepping outside where she found Mr. Cake looking into the jungle, the three mercs arming themselves and Mrs. Cake shouting into a megaphone.
"Pound?! Rock?!" Mrs. Cake shouted loudly. Mister Cake notices Twilight stepping out of the plane, and hurries over.
"Your highness, please let me explain, that was not in accordance with my wishes at all!"
"Who hit me?" Twilight asked calmly, knowing full fact what the consequences were for hitting a princess. Mister Cake looked around before pointing to the merc with the large rifle.
"Um... That would be Lima." He looks back up at Twilight, "Look Princess they know what they're doing, they're setting up a perimeter to make this area safe, they're professionals I swear!"
"Look, you don’t understand, there's no such thing as safe on this island!" Twilight insisted. We have to get back on that plane! And would you tell your wife to stop making all that noise that is a very very bad idea!"
"Serious, she's gonna wake up everything on the island." Rainbow said, actually nervous. Mr. Cake finally tried calling his wife.
"Pound!!! Rock!!!"
"Cup! Princess Twilight said that's a bad idea!" Mr. Cake called.
"What?!" Mrs. Cake shouted through the megaphone, not quite hearing her husband.
"She said, it’s a bad idea!" The mare with the megaphone turned to them.
"What's a bad idea?" She shouted confused.
*ROAAAAARRRRR*
As if on cue a thunderous roar shook the island, and the ponies standing on it to the core. Soarin stares at the forest.
"What was that, a T-Rex?"
"No," Twilight says as a few gunshots sound off. "That sounded bigger..." Two of the mercs come back out in a rush. "We have to leave," Tango shouts. "We have to leave now!" He tries to hurry Mrs. Cake back to the plane while Soarin pulls Pinkie into the aircraft.
'What? What's going on?" Mr. Cake asked.
"Get! On! The! Plane!" Tango shouted at Bravo rushed into the plane and into the cockpit.
"What about the other guy?" Rainbow asked as they were being hurried up the steps.
"Lima's a professional! He can handle himself!" Tango said as another roar rang out, followed by more gunshots. The escape is momentarily paused from how close that sounded, and then made all the more frantic as the ponies scramble into the plane. Tango quickly pulled the door to the plane shut as the plane began to circle back, pointing up the runway.
"Carrot, we can’t!"
"It's ok, we'll just circle the island." Mr. Cake reassured as Tango pulled himself into the cockpit. Helping Bravo buckle into the seat, the two mercs pushed forward on the throttle, moving the plane forward with increasing speed. In the jungle the last mercenary Lima was galloping as fast as his legs could carry him, running from unseen force. This was made difficult by the gash in his leg.
"Heeeyyyy!!! Stooooooooop!!!"
"What's he doing," Mister Cake frowns as he looks out the front of the cockpit.
"That's Lima," Twilight shouts. Lima looked ready to wet himself, sobbing quietly as the plane kept going.
"Stop...."
"Come on, get out of the way!" Bravo said through clenched teeth from his seat. "You know I can’t stop this plane!" Lima sobs, and then looks sideways, screaming a death comes for him in a monstrosity of teeth, and several tons of prehistoric muscle. "Sweet Celestia!!!" Bravo shouted as the plane finally lifted up into the air, and clipped the flank of the monster in front of them, covering the windshield in red, while snapping the left propeller off cleanly. The plane began beeping as it took a nose dive. "FUEL CUT OFF!"
"WE'RE GOING DOWN!" Tango shouted as the plane plowed right into the thick jungle. As the plane continue to move forward, the passengers were rocked wildly as the landing gear, right wing and tail were snapped off before the plane finally came sliding to a stop. Twilight rubbed her head, having slammed into the seat in front of her.
"Everypony all right?" She groaned.
"We're ok up here." Tango groaned. Pinkie slowly pokes her head over the seat, moaning.
"I haven't been on a trip like this since the Yaks came to visit..."
"Mayday mayday mayday." Tango said into the radio.
"Who has the satellite phone?" Bravo asked. Mr. Cake reached into his seat and tossed it to the merc.
"I got nothing, the radios gone." Tango said. In the back of the plane Twilight was trying to push the door open.
"Soarin, Rainbow, give me a hoof here." They join her in trying to force the door open. Meanwhile Pinkie looks behind her as her scars from the T-Rex attack start to burn, and her tail starts twitching a little. Due to the tree they could only force the door open so far. Twilight got an eye full of how far off the ground they were.
"Ok so we haven’t landed yet." She reported. Up front the pilots were struggling with the phone when the plane shook.
"What was that?" Mr. Cake asked. Suddenly Mrs. Cake starts screaming as a beady eye stares in through the cockpit, but dips out of view before anypony notices. Pinkie's tail is visibly twitching now, and with gasp she grabs onto a seat, "Everypony hold on!!!"
"Why?" Rainbow asked as the plane began to shake violently and dip forward.
"What's going on?!" Tango shouted as Bravo put the phone in his pocket. The passengers had to grab on to the seats to keep themselves from falling forward. The two mercenaries began screaming as the whole cockpit was ripped away and tossed off to the side, leaving the two exposed. Unbuckling themselves from their seats they began scrambling into the plane as a large head poked into view, shoving its snout after them, biting down on one of Bravo's back legs. The pony let out an agonizing scream, reaching out for help.
"Help me!!!!"
"Grab him!" Twilight screamed, the group reaching out to grap the pony as the beast yanked Bravo out of the plane and into the air. The monster shakes him around in its crocodilian snout before tossing him a short distance. Bravo realizes he's free, and quickly tries to crawl away to no avail. The monster pins him down under a foot, quickly rips his head off with its teeth. Then raising its head it roars in triumph.
The roar is so loud that it shakes everything around it, including the plane which now that all its passengers are gathered in the back starts to tilt backwards. Huddled together, the ponies screamed as the plane slid backwards and out of the tree before colliding with the ground. The structure stood vertical for a moment before toppling over with a crash, shaking the ponies up. Before they could attempt an escape, a large foot stomped right by them before with a sudden force the plane began rolling over and over, bouncing the ponies along for the ride.
Spilling end over end and colliding with each other, the ponies screamed until the plane came to a halt by crashing into a tree. Mrs. Cake just happened to land in a seat as the others groaned on the floor. Looking out the window, the mare saw the dinosaur marching towards them, roaring as it did. Screaming, she attempted to make a run for it, only for Rainbow and Twilight to grab her.
"Mrs. Cake come back! It's not safe!" Twilight warned.
"Cup!" Mr. Cake shouted, jumping out of the plane after her, only to see the dinosaur on top of the group, so he jumped back into the plane for safety. The three mares returned to the somewhat safety of the plane as the beast took hold of the plane and rolled it back over, spilling the group again.
Suddenly pressing a foot down on it pops the windows inside one by one with its sheer weight in under a minute with the harsh squeal of protesting metal. Then it thrusts its snout into the plane through the side trying to grab one of them.
Twilight found herself on the other side of the hole it created. When the creature stood back up, the mare motioned for Mrs. Cake to quickly crawled over as the creature forced its snout in again. When it stood up Mr. Cake threw himself over, followed by Rainbow, Soarin, Pinkie then finally Tango.
“Follow me! This way!” Twilight shouted to the group as they made a mad dash out of the plane and into the jungle.
The monster is now clearly visible to them standing taller than two semi trucks stacked on one another, and easily ninety meters long it sports a long snout of cone shaped teeth, muscular forearms with claws like meat hooks, and a large sail across its back. The bipedal goliath of a carnivore also gets a good look at them as well, and snarls as it gives chase. The ponies make it to a clearing several seconds before the monster, and Twilight points where some large trees are thickest.
"In here!" Twilight shouted, pointing at the trees. When the monster emerges she throws up a magical barrier while she retreats, but the beast slams through it like a wrecking ball through rice paper. Twilight quickly retreats into the trees with the others, diving between two thick trunks. This beast barely avoids catching her before the tree holds it back by the chest. Struggling it tries to force its way through, and when it finds it cannot it roars after them in fury.
The ponies retreated through the thicket of the brush, trying to put as much distance between them at the dinosaur as possible. Panting for the air, the group finally came to a stop. Now covered in fresh cuts and bruises, the calmness of the hot air around was almost soothing. Twilight noted how quiet it was.
"Ok....ok I think we lost it." She said, pushing of brush aside and staring straight at a dead bloody carcass in front of them. "It's ok its dead." Twilight said. As if the situation couldnt get any worst at that moment the creature eating off the carcass reared its large head. Right in front of the group stood the king of the dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. "Nopony. Move. A. Muscle." Twilight said as the Rex roared at the group.
"REXY!!!" Pinkie leaps into the air with her hind legs spinning out like Sonic the Hedgehog. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"
The group seems to deem this the more sensible option because they turn, running back the way they came. Twilight is almost left behind until she gallops after them. The T Rex chases after them, not at all against the extra helpings.
The ponies book it, but stop as they find themselves staring up at the monster that ripped their plane apart. It must have found another way into the woods to track them. However once the massive carnivores spot one another territorial instincts kick in, the ponies all but forgotten. The new predator snarls, and hisses menacingly at the T Rex who responds with deep roar.
Twilight dives between two fallen logs, and turns over with a scream at the T Rex's foot comes down on her. By sheer luck she avoids being crushed as the logs to either side of her take the weight.
And then the battle begins. The T Rex strikes first, darting in, grabbing his opponent by the neck with his jaws, and slamming the larger monster into the ground. It nearly knocks it off its feet, but the massive as of yet unidentifed carnivore manages to muscle its way upright. Stubbornly the T Rex refuses to let go, leading the beast around as it knocks over a few trees with its tail, and nearly crushing the fleeing ponies.
Then the larger predator lashes out with its claws, shocking the T Rex into releasing it. Then when the T Rex boldly charges back in to grab it again its opponent dodges sideways, and sharply turns its head to grab the Rex by the throat.
Twilight is trying her hardest to keep herself together as she crawls away from the scuffle between the logs. Looking over her shoulder she sees the T Rex in big trouble, and hurries along.
The larger dinosaur grabs the top of the Rex with its arms as the king of dinosaurs roars in defiance. A roar that is brutally cut off as the victor forces the Rex to bow, and audibly breaks its neck with a sickening crack.
Twilight has just caught up with the ponies when the corpse of the T Rex lams down right behind her. She hurries faster as the monster that had pursued them hovers over the corpse with a satisfied snarl. It decides to let the small herd of pones go for now as it rears its head with a roar of triumph. This will be enough meat to last it a while.
The moment the group of ponies were able to stop and take a breather, Twilight promptly struck Mr. Cake across the face, sending the stallion stumbling backwards into a thicket of vines.
"Nononono! Please stop! Please!" Mrs. Cake said, putting herself in front of her husband.
"I think it’s time you do some explaining Mr. Cake." Twilight said as Rainbow and Soaring held her back. Carrot sighed as he rubs his face.
"...Remember our son Pound Cake? For his birthday we agreed to let him go paragliding, and we didn't hear back from him for weeks. When we tracked the company who took him out we found out they took him here... We called everyone, even the government. The Equestrian embassy, that's our Equestrian embassy, told us we should 'accept the inevitable!' Can you believe that?!" Rainbow frowned.
"You mean you let your child go paragliding on his own?"
"No!" Mr. Cake barked.
"He wasn't alone, he was with a family friend named Rock Steady." Mrs. Cake explained. Rainbow looks off to the side at the oddly quiet Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie...?" Pinkie stiffened and let out a yelp.
"YES?!"
"Pinkie did you know about this?!" Pinkie takes a step back, and then looks down as her hair deflates.
"...Yeah...When they told me I just remembered how I used to foalsit for them, and when I agreed to help they made me Pinkie Promise not to tell you..." She sounds so heartbroken as she gives her friends the best sad pair of puppy eyes she can muster while she whimpers on the ground. Twilight didnt have it in her to be angry at Pinkie. Instead she turned back to the Cakes.
"Ok so why bring us?"
"He said we needed an expert." Mr. Cake said, motioning to Tango.
"Yes." Tango agreed. "But I did not tell you to ponynap anyone!"
"Mr. Cake, we've have never been have this island." Twilight said, motioning to herself, Rainbow and Pinkie.
"Sure you have," Mister Cake insists. "We’ve seen all the reports and heard the stories Pinkie had to say!
"That was Isla Zebra, Smarty Pants." Rainbow corrects. "This is Isla Pegasus, Site B." Tango looks perplexed.
"You mean there are two islands with dinosaurs on them?"
"Would you stay out of this?!" Mr. Cake said to the mercenary. Twilight was trying to piece together a plan.
"Ok so how long have they been missing?"
"About 8 weeks now." Mr. Cake said. Twilight sighed, before turning to her friend.
"Soarin, Pinkie, Rainbow, we head back to the plan and try to salvage what we can. Then we head for the coast."
"Your majesty, we aren't leaving this island without our son." Mr. Cake said firmly.
"Then by all means look for him!" Twilight said, clearly not in a good mood. "Or you can stay with us as long as you can keep up." She paused and looked the group in the eyes. "Either way......none of us are probably getting off this island alive." She said grimly, helping Pinkie back onto her hooves before she began to march in the direction of the plane. The two Wonderbolts shared a look before following after her, the party pony in tow. Mr. Cake turned to Tango.
“So….what do we do?”
“We search for your son.” The merc answered, before looking at the departing ponies. “In the direction they're going.” The Cakes share a look, and soon follow after with Tango bringing up the rear.
After quick walk through the hot jungles, and the large dinosaur from earlier nowhere to be found, the group of survivors came across the wreckage of the plane, and began the progress of salvaging what the can.
"Think anything made it?" Rainbow asked seriously, looking at what remained.
"Hope so." Twilight said, beginning to dig through the wreckage. “Soarin, you know a thing or two about dinosaurs, what would you classify it?” The princess asked, digging through the wreckage.
“Well…..it’s a super predator.” The Wonderbolt admitted. “Suchimimus, that snout." Twilight thought about it.
“Too small.”
“Baryonyx?”
“Not with that sail.” To their surprise, Pinkie would have the answer.
"Spinosaurus Egyptigus," Pinkie says as she bounces up with a tooth in the forward curl of her mane. "Late Cretaceous period! Said to be the largest meat eater to ever walk on land! Although it's supposed to feed on fish, poor thing must be starving since I don't remember Scorch ever making prehistoric fishies."
"Yeah, I'm really broken up," Rainbow said sarcastically. "But how do you know that anyways Pinkie?"
"Twilight isn't the only one that likes to read Dashie," Pinkie said with a pout. Tango groaned
"Great... Something that big probably needs lots of food daily to get by. But with no big fish it'll probably go after anything it can get on land. I bet as soon as it's done with that T Rex it'll start hunting us again."
"Probably gives us a day or two," Twilight says. "I mean conical teeth were meant for holding prey, not shredding it. That's probably why it has such large claws, to carve into the prey to make chunks it can swallow. That'll take time, especially if it has to fight off other predators."
"Was Spinosaurus on the list of dinosaurs InGen made?" Soarin asked Twilight.
"No it wasnt, and that just makes me think what else was that stallion up to." The princess muttered, thinking back to her coltfriend at home. She turned an noticed Mr. Cake struggling to put his saddlebag on. She then turned skeptically to the Wonderbolt members. "Went on adventures eh?" She asked them quietly, not buying the bakers story one bit.
“Mr. Cake what’s the highest mountain you climbed?” Soarin asked.
“K-2.”
“Did you set basecamp at twenty five or thirty thousand feet?” Mr. Cake had to think about it.
“Thirty thousand, we were pretty close to the top.”
“No you were about a thousand feet above it.” Soarin revealed. Carrot knew he was caught.
“There is no Cake Enterprise is there?” Twilight asked.
“……no. It’s still the same bakery in Ponyville.” The baker revealed.
“So I doubt you got permission to be here to?”
“…..no I didn’t get permission.”
“Great, just great.” Twilight said, putting her sattlebag on. “Here we are in the worst place in the world, and we aren’t being paid, and nopony knows we’re here.”
“Twilight let’s say Pound Cake is really out here. Dashie did say nothing short of a rescue mission would get her here." Soarin said. Pinkie pops up beside Twilight.
"Yeah! Plus the Cakes really do have a nice company that is really kicking off with some of the best sweets anypiony could ask for! It's not a beneficiary from the Princesses, but it's still a generous donation to the Wonderbolts, and Library. Plus think of all the good press..." She leans towards Twilight, and blinks a few times. "Site B was a research facility right? They bred the dinos here before shipping them to Jurassic park. A facility means buildings, buildings means ponies, ponies means ponies need to know their way around the island..."
"Yeah, maybe there's a map," Soarin chipped in. "Hold on a sec..." he flies up over the trees to get a look around. When he returns he nods, "I saw a building, it's a ways off, but it looks important enough i bet there's a map of the island. I also saw this big fence further out so once we get past that we shouldn't have to worry about the big dinosaurs anymore."
"Oh they don't gotta be big to be trouble," Rainbow says with a shudder.
"Hopefully its still there." Twilight said. "Grab anything important and let's get hoofing it." The Wonderbolts snap a salute before zipping around the crash site to look for anything of use. "Anything else you need to tell us?" Twilight asked Mr. Cake. The baker shook his head.
“That’s it! I swear.”
"Better be." Twilight said as Soarin and Rainbow put everything salvageable in a pile.
"Everything we could find." Rainbow said, not impressed with the pile.
"We'll make it work." Pinkie pulls a safari hat from nowhere, and puts it on.
"Okay, let's get moving before Toothy finds us again."
The supplies were split among the survivors before they began their trek through the jungle. "Everypony try to keep quiet, this is dangerous territory." Twilight said.
"Pound!" Mrs. Cake shouted.
"What did the princess just say?" Mr. Cake said annoyed.
"Maybe we should split up; we could cover twice as more ground."
"And maybe we'll just get eaten faster that way," Mister Cake snaps.
"Ask the princess then." Mrs. Cake muttered.
"Why hire an expert if we're not gonna use their advice!"
"The princess isn't looking for Pound, she's looking for the coast" Mrs. Cake argued.
"Fine! Scream! Then when whatever that was attacks you, dont come crying to me!"
"...You're pathetic" Mrs Cake mutters through her teeth.
"What was that?" Mr. Cake barked.
"Nothing!"
"What did you say?!" Tango rolled his eyes.
"If we split up, I’m going with you guys." He said to Soarin.
For what had to be an hour the group walked until something stood out in front of them: a para sail tangled in the trees. The Cakes rushed forward, making sure it was real.
"Pound!"
"Pound!"
"Guys!" Twilight said, getting them to quiet down. "Look, the chances are remote of them being in the area." Searching through the weeds for any clues, Mr. Cake pulled up a small life jacket.
"Colt size." He said.
"Hey guys?" Tango called out, lifting a camera out of the grass. Pinkie bounces over to mess with it.
“Awwww, dead battery..."
"I got an idea," Soarin says a he fishes through his bag, and pulls out a flashlight, and unscrewing the top. Putting the batteries into the camera, the group was able to watch the last video inside the camera.
"See anything yet?" One voice asked.
"Noooooooo, not yet!" The other responded. The video jumped forward showing the two ponies crashing through the treetop. "Ok I'm gonna unclip you. One......two......three...." A colt fell to the ground below. "You alright?"
"The camera's still on." Pound said before the video ended. Mr. Cake had to hold his wife close.
"He's alive you hear me?" Twilight meanwhile looked at the sail.
"Could either of you fly that?"
"Maybe....long as it isn’t torn." Soarin said.
"Well let’s take it with us. Could be useful to signal somepony over head." Pinkie gives the sail a hearty tug, and a branch cracks, sending a mostly rotted earth pony skeleton in the harness swinging right into Mrs. Cake. The mare began screaming bloody murder, thrashing around wildly and getting tangled with the skeleton as they others tried to pull her free.
"GET HIM OFF ME!!!!!" After struggling to pull her free, the others finally separated the two. Now free, Mrs. Cake galloped off in the direction off to the left.
"Get her back Mr. Cake." Twilight said, pointing after her.
"Cup! Wait!" Carrot said, galloping off after his wife. Twilight and Rainbow pulled the skeleton down, the mares covering their noses from the stench. Mister Cake catches his wife after a few seconds.
"Cup, Cup! Look... Look I'm sorry about Rock Solid..."
"It's not that....it's Pound!" Mrs. Cake sobbed. "He's out there all alone!"
"I know, I know."
"Our baby is out here all by himself."
"Listen to me." Mr. Cake said firmly. "We're gonna find him. I promise." He said holding his wife close. Mrs. Cake continued to sob, that is until she noticed something behind her husband.
"Carrot....
Twilight and the others were in the process of rolling up the sail when Mr. Cake called out.
"Princess Twilight? You might wanna come look at this!" Twilight, and Rainbow Dash head over to see what has them so worked up... A nest of eggs. Looking off to the side Twilight sees another, and another. This many nests together could only be the work of one creature.
"Raptor." she says in a voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes go to another nest, and then up to Soarin who i hovering nearby as he rolls the sail into its backpack. He looks down at the nest, and then up at Twilight with wide eyes.
Pinkie kneels down by one nest, "Awwww, Twilight remember when we saw a baby raptor in the park? I was so tiny, and squeaky, and-"
"And you had a broken leg in a jeep while we had a pack of them after our flanks," Rainbow says. "We better make like eggs, and beat it before mamas show up."
"This way." Twilight said, hurrying off to the east, the others following close behind.
"Pound's alright you hear me?" Mr. Cake said to his wife. "He's a smart kid, remember what it was like to ground him?" Twilight made a quick head count to make sure they were all here. Somepony was missing from the group.
"Where's Soarin?" She asked. Hurry back in the direction they came from, twilight and Rainbow bumped into the stallion.
"What are you doing?!" Rainbow asked her colt friend.
"I was taking photos of the nest."
"Well don't do that." Twilight said, relieved he was alright. "If we lose you its just us and the tourist." Soarin rolls his eyes, and nuzzles Rainbow before trotting after the tourists in question.
The group once more kept walking until they reached the edge of a hill overlooking a valley.
"There's your building." Twilight said.
"Anypony think Pound's in there? I bet my bottom bit!" Mr. Cake said hurry downhill. Twilight shared a look with her friends, before shrugging.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's the four seasons." Tango said as they all carefully climbed downhill. Rainbow looks over their shoulder.
"I got a bad feeling about this... Raptors didn't have a problem following us indoors back on Isla Zebra, and they got the home advantage here..."
"What's your Pinkie sense saying?" Twilight asked, actually resorting to the Pinkie Sense as they approached the compound. Pinkie shuts her eyes with a frown.
"…My scars are burning a little, but they have been since we landed. I'll let you know if it gets worse, clear skies as far as I can see for the moment." The compound had seen better day, now in absolute ruins. Rusted vehicles scattered about the grounds, broken glass lay everywhere, and clear signs of dinosaurs had been here were a plenty. Leading the group, Twilight quietly walked into the main building, right through the shattered doors.
"Pound!" Mr. Cake called, his voice echoing the halls, spooking the ponies.
"Carrot!" Mrs. Cake hissed. Rainbow too gets up in his face with an annoyed look before fluttering around the room with Soarin.
"Hey....." Mr. Cake's eyes fell upon a phone sitting on the reception desk. Mrs. Cake trotted over, figuring the group had nothing to lose, lifted the phone to her ear. To the surprise of nopony, it didnt work.
"Worth a shot." She said, placing the phone down. They trot further into the building, nopony noticing a darting shadow in the far side of the room.
At a turn in the hallway they come across a pair of vending machines. Mr. Cake stopped by one, and fishes around in a pocket.
"Anypony got any Bits? I swear I had some before-" He's interrupted abruptly when Soarin bucks the glass of the other machine apart. Then he gathers bags of chips from it before headed to the others. Mr. Cake grins as he turns, bucks, and promptly falls on his face since the screen on his machine had been plastic instead of glass.
The group trotted down the hall, putting food in their bellies for the first time in hours and down a pair of stairs, coming to an abandoned lab.
"This is inviting." Rainbow muttered as the group check out the room, looking at all the broken incubator with the broken eggs inside. Mrs. Cake was a little disturbed at the sight.
"So this is how you make dinosaurs?"
"No." Twilight answered simply. "This is how you play God." Soarin takes some photos of tanks with half-formed dead creatures floating in the tanks, wires attached to them. Mrs. Cake walks down the row looking into one by one. She stops when she finds one full of fluid, and instead of the half born creature she sees the head of an adult Velociraptor. Curious she steps closer to get a better look... wait... did its eye just twitch to focus on her?
Before she could react the Raptor head lunged out from behind the tank, snapping and hissing at the mare. Mrs. Cake began screaming as the ponies looked to see what was up. Her husband pulled her away from the tank as the group made a dash for it down the tunnel hallway, with the Raptor breaking out from its spot, and beginning to chase after them. They gallop deeper into the facility to some holding pen cages, and turn a corner... into a dead end.
"This way! This way! This way!" Mr. Cake yelled, running down another hall as the Raptor's roar echoed the halls. The group galloped until they came to a gate that the baker tried forcing open. "It's lock!" Turning to go back in the direction they came from, the Raptor came skidding to a halt at the end of the hall.
"This way!" The group unknowingly split up, with Rainbow, Twilight, Tango and Mr. Cake running down one hall, Soarin, Pinkie and Mrs. Cake running down the other. the Raptor chose to chase after the later. The three ran into a holding cage getting the door shut as the Raptor rammed into it. Despite the combined strength of the three, the Raptor easily pushed the gate open, trapping the three in the corner with only the gate between them and the Raptor.
"Hey over here!!!!!" Tango yelled trying to get the Raptors attention. Rainbow and Twilight joined in as he Raptor snapped and hissed at the ponies in front of it, before stopping and to the horror of the three, calmly looked up. At the top of the gate there was enough room for it to simply climb over. The raptor then puts both its legs onto the chain link of the cage, and unwittingly sacrifices its sure footing. Mrs. Cake is the first to notice this.
"Puuuuush!" Their sudden retaliation catches the raptor by surprise, and they quickly turn the tables, trapping the raptor in a corner outside the cage, and locking the door in place by sliding the deadbolt through more of the wire mesh. Twilight opens the cage she had locked herself in with her friends, and as one they bolt down the way they came.
Twilight stops when the raptor starts shaking the door frantically, making a noise she never heard from a raptor before. A deep chirping noise that echoes in the building. But a primal part of Twilight's brain can pick out the desperation in that sound.
"Sweet Celestia," she whispered. "He's calling for help..."
"Come on," Pinkie urged as she yanks Twilight by the tail. That cry for help continues as the raptor carefully climbs its way to freedom, but by then the ponies have escaped into the trees.
Their pursuer jumps out of the building, and starts spitting out a loud hooting call that echoes through the forest. Not that far away the call is heard by the pack, and another brilliantly colored male chirps to a plain brown female questioningly. She replies with a growl in her nose, looking thoughtful, and bares her teeth.
The group of ponies ran as fast as they could, the calls of the Raptors multiplying all around them. They ran until they arrived at a clearing that was filled to the brim with a herd grazing Hadrosaurs.
"Into the herd!" Twilight shouted to the others. The calls of the Raptors had spooked the herd causing them to stampede. As the ponies dash in two raptors dart out of the forest at top speed. Soarin takes flight, not realizing he dropped his camera bag in the process. Twilight notices however, and slings it over her shoulder as she gallops.
The ponies had to be quick in order to avoid the Raptors, and to avoid getting trampled by the Hadrosaurs. Tango threw his pack off as he was knocked over, flipping in the grass. Twilight risked peeking back at the advancing Raptors.
"Into the trees!" The princess shouted. Her companions take that literally, the pegasi each taking one of the Cakes before flying up into the treetops.
The group now split, Tango was falling behind until he ran into the brush. Before he could attempt to climb he heard a hiss come from in front of him.
In the treetop Soarin and Mr. Cake heard the scream.
"Tango..."
On the ground the merc pony was trying to crawl away as a Raptor pressed its foot on the ponies spine, piercing him with its famous claw. Tango once more yelled out in agony as the pack looked at each other, planning something.
Pinkie climbed her way up into the safety of the trees with the help of Rainbow Dash.
"Where is everypony?" Rainbow asked.
"Mr. Cake!" Pinkie called out.
"We're alright Pinkie!"
"Is Twilight with you?" Rainbow asked. The mare in question was running through the brush at that very moment, actually following the raptors. Up in the trees the group finally regrouped, and climbed over until they saw Tango lying on the ground.
"Tango?" Mrs. Cake called. Soarin shook his head.
"He's dead." However against all odds Tango raised a hoof.
"No he's not!" Mrs. Cake said trying to climb down. Soarin stiffened.
"Mrs Cake wait!"
"Well we gotta help him," Mr. Cake reasons. Suddenly a branch snaps under Mrs Cake's weight, and only dumb luck helps her stop her fall by hooking her hind legs around a branch. At that moment to male raptors dash out from cover, and start leaping up in an attempt to bite her, and drag her down to her demise.
"Hold on!" Carrot shouted. The baker and Soarin quickly climbed down to pulled Mrs. Cake up as the Raptors continued to leap up. Once the shock wore off, the ponies realized how much danger they were in.
"They set a trap.....they actually set a trap." Soarin said.
"Bad!" Pinkie scowls at the raptors as she pulls off her safari hat, and bounces it off the head of one of the raptors. In the brush Twilight carefully peeked out, watching the Raptors make noises and hisses.
"What are you two saying?" She said quietly. "What are you looking for?" From somewhere another Raptor called out. Two the underneath the ponies began to walk off, until one stopped at Tango. Taking the pony's head within its jaws, the Raptor twisted his neck with a sickening pop. Mrs. Cake had to look away.
Pinkie looks like she's going to be sick, "...I'm gonna lose my cupcakes..."
In the meanwhile Twilight was still somewhere on the ground. It was calmly quiet around her as she peeked over a log to see if any Raptors were around her. It seemed the Raptors had left. Taking a deep breath, Twilight stood up to make a run for the trees, only to find a Raptor snarling right at her.
Twilight scrambled backwards as the Raptor jumped onto the fallen log. Before the mare could run to safety more Raptors appeared in every direction. They had her trapped.
"No...." She said horrified.
Another hissing noise reaches her ears as somepony throws a Tear Gas grenade into the small area where she stands. Then another, and another. The raptors balk, and squawk before taking off in all directions. The gas makes Twilight cough heavily as a small pegasus pony swoops through wearing gas mask, yanking her free of the cloud by her mane. Once they're out of the cloud the pony flies off deeper into the forest.
"Wa-wait!" Twilight coughed, galloping after the pegasus. The little pony flew until it arrived at what appeared to be a swamp. In the middle was a water truck turned onto its side. Opening the metal door, the pony let Twilight climb in, before climbing down himself, lighting a lantern so it wasnt dark.
"Thanks a lot Pound." Twilight coughed. The colt removed his gas mask, looking at the princess confused.
"You know who I am?"
"Yeah." Another round of coughs. "Your parents are here looking for you."
"…Together?" He looks at her in disbelief.
"Yeah." Twilight coughed.
"That's not good....they haven’t been doing so good together lately." Pound said, sitting on his makeshift bed.
"You'd be surprise what Ponies do when at they have to." Twilight coughed. The colt took a good long look at the mare.
"You're Princess Twilight Sparkles. What are you doing here?"
"Your parents.....kinda invited me along." Twilight said, before coughing again. Pound passed over one of the last few cans of food he had. It would help with the coughing the mare was suffering from. Pound sat back on his bed after pulling out some candy bars.
"You into dinosaurs?"
"Use to. Before they tried to eat me." Twilight said.
"When InGen cleared out they left a lot of stuff behind." Pound said.
"Any weapons?"
"No, and I just used the last gas grenades."
"I appreciate that by the way." Twilight said, before looking into a vial of yellow liquid.
"Careful with that," Pound says with a bit of a disgusted smirk. "That's T Rex. Scares away some of the smaller ones, but it attracts one really big one with a finon its back." The princess had a feeling what that dinosaur was. She also had a feeling what was in the bottle
".....this is T Rex... pee?" Twilight gingerly sets the bottle down as Pound nods. "How did you...? Never mind, I don't wanna know."
"Desert?" Pound asked, holding up a candy bar.
"Sure." The bar was tossed through the air, Twilight catching it happily. "Pound, I’m gonna be honest. I'm amazed you were able to make it eight weeks alone out here." Pound stopped eating.
"Is that all its been?" Twilight nods, and Pound frowned "…Feels like it's been longer..."
"Well, your alive thats all that matters." Twilight noted. "Thanks to you thats one thing we have in common." Twilight said. Pound smirked before freezing.
"Listen... Compys!" Jumping to his hooves he shuts the hatch to the truck. The moment the hatch slammed shut the squeaks and chirps of the dangerous little dinos came hopping by. The little monstrosities however don't seem to notice they were cut off from a big meal as they are far too interested in snapping up mosquitoes by the creek bed.
Night was slowly beginning to fall on the island. While the mare and the colt took safety in the water truck, up the in tree tops the others were getting highly concerned when Twilight never appeared after being chased into the trees by the Raptors, especially Twilight's friends.
"Twilight!!!" Rainbow called loudly, throwing the be quiet rule out the window. "Twilight!!!!" Pinkie bounces nimbly between treetops with a pout.
"Dashie are you loco in to coco? You wanna let Toothy know we're here?"
"Do you not even care Twilight might be dead right now?!" Rainbow snapped at her friend.
"Oh course I care, but this is Twilight we're talking about RD, she can handle herself. Right now we gotta worry about us, and surviving the night. Stick to the plan!” Rainbow took a glance at the sky.
"Nightfall....we'll camp here for the night." She told the others, knowing it would be downright suicide to go off into the park at night. "Never thought I would relive all of this again." The cyan mare muttered as she found a spot to lie back on.
"Except I don't think any of us are gonna find a Brontosaurus stopping by for breakfast." Soarin said from a branch above, smiling as he recalls the story Rainbow told him once. Pinkie bounces off to make a hammock out of some vines, curling into it with a goofy grin. Rainbow casually looked down from her branch.
"No, but they'll do." She said, pointing to a small group of Ankylosaurs walking by, unaware of the ponies above them. Pinkie looked over.
"Ooo, stay away from those. Terrible eyesight with hair-trigger tempers. Those clubs on their tails would one-shot an elephant!"
"No matter how this turns out, it wasnt your fault alright?" Mr. Cake said to his wife quietly. The mare was laying back, staring at the night sky. "Pound's always been a strong willed pony. Always." Mr. Cake then set up one of their remaining lanterns on a bright enough setting so as not to disturb the creatures below. "Then you throw someone like Rock Steady into the mix...well...."
"Well what?"
"Well I’m saying it’s not your fault." Mrs. Cake sighed softly.
"You know... If you had been with him he'd be totally safe. You drive five miles under the speed limit Carrot... I totaled three wagons in three years..."
'Well, not three. the last one wasnt totaled." Mr. Cake corrected. "I just said that so we could get a bigger wagon." The mare looked fondly at her husband.
"I'm so sorry you have to be here." The two sat in silence for several moments, taking in their surroundings.
"I'm not." Mr. Cake said quietly, before finding a cozy spot, and drifting off to sleep.
The night passed peacefully, the Ankylosaurs below rising with the morning sun. Their presence had dissuaded any predators from coming.
Pinkie led the way through the trees, scouting ahead in typical Pinkie Pie fashion by popping up in places she shouldn't by all laws of physics. Deeming the way ahead is clear she waves for the other ponies to follow her with a wave of her hoof. The Cake felt safer climbing down and following the mare from the ground. Rainbow glided next to them in order to keep them safe.
"We follow the plan; make our way to the coast." The mare said.
"Not gonna look for Twilight?" Soarin asked from above.
"It was her plan. So if she's alive, that’s where she’s going." Rainbow reasoned.
“I agree.” Mr. Cake said.
“What about Pound?”
“Pound’s a smart pony. He must figure all the big dinosaurs are at the center of the island. Right?” The baker asked. Soarin and Rainbow shared a brief look.
“Sure.”
At the water truck the hatch opened wide enough for a pair of eyes to peek out into the wilderness. At first glance, nothing seemed to be moving out in the thick jungle. Giving the all clear, Pound opened the hatch all the way, before climbing onto the crate he moved. Twilight packed a few items into her saddlebag before climbing out as well. They hopped across a few crates, and over the creek. Twilight raises an eyebrow to Pound.
"Can you fly yet?"
"For a short distance. Nothing too far or high.”
"So much for looking for the others by air then.” Twilight sighed. Carefully making their way through the jungle, the two ponies came to a cliff overlooking a large canyon. At the bottom of the canyon ran a river all the way out to the ocean. The princess pulled out the bincoulars she got earlier and viewed down.
“Well, we’re in luck. There’s a boat down by the shore.”
“Rescue boats?” Pound asked curiously, taking a look for himself.
“No, just something they left behind.” Twilight said as the two ventured back out into the brush. “So how much of the island have you explored?”
“I tend to stay close to the compound. Figured if anypony came looking for me, they start there.
“We need to make our way to the coast. That was the plan.” Twilight revealed
“You sure? Closer you get to water, the bigger things get.” Pound warned. “What do we do when we get there anyway?”
“……one step at a time.” Twilight said, not thinking that far yet. Pound looked disappointed, before he perked his ears.
"Listen..."Twilight froze in fear, but there wasn’t anything to fear.”That's my dad's satellite phone!" Pound made a mad dash into the jungle, Twilight following close behind.
"How do you know that?!" Twilight said running after the colt.
"Cake's Bakery in Ponyville!” Pound panted as he ran. “Mom! Dad!" The colt shouted, his voice echoing off into the wilderness.
Deeper inside the jungle the group was making ground towards the coast, just having crossed the creek. There had been no sign of Twilight, or the Raptors for that matter.
"Hope she's ok. Don’t wanna explain to Celestia why Equestria is short one princess." Rainbow said. Mr. Cake opened his mouth to respond when he heard something. Stopping his and his wife's tracks, they listened intently until they heard the faintest call.
"Mom! Dad!"
"Pound!"
“Pound!” Mr. Cake called. "Guys this way!" He shouted, changing the course of the group, him and his wife charging off full speed in the direction of their son.
“Mom! Dad!” They heard their son shout. The group ran, calling to each other at the top of their lungs as they went through the morning fog as they arrived into a large clearing.
“Pound!”
“Mom! Dad!” Seeing each other made the ponies put more speed into their running, not even caring that a large fence separated the two groups. Arrive at the fence; Pound threw his hooves through it, being hugged lovingly by his two parents. Pinkie would do the same thing for Twilight, relieved her friend was safe and sound. Rainbow was grinning ear to ear.
“I knew it!” I knew it!” Mr. Cake said happily.
"Boy are we glad to see you." Rainbow said, getting a turn to hug Twilight. Soarin noticed the bag hanging around the Princess's neck.
"Hey you got my bag!"
"Yeah, lucky strap." Twilight joked.
"Want me to carry it?" The Wonderbolt asked.
"Gotta find a way over first." Looking at the top of the fence, the rusted giant spikes didn’t look too welcoming. She could probably levitate Pound over it before flying over herself. Or maybe teleport them to the other side. While she thinks Mr. Cake asked,
"How did you find us?"
"That phone," Pound says with a wide smile. "That stupid jingle from the bakery, I heard it!"
"My phone?" Mr. Cake asked confused.
"Yeah the satellite phone!"
"Where is it?"
"Last time I had it was on the plane when I....."
“What?” Mrs. Cake asked concerned. It was slowly dawning on the group something was seriously.
"I gave it to Bravo. He must've had it.....when......" At that moment the jingle from the phone began playing, but nopony had it on them. There was only one creature on the whole island that had it now. Slowly turning, Twilight found the Spinosaurus standing calmly on the edge of the jungle, staring down at the group, growling loudly. The jingle of the phone was coming from its stomach.
The princess let out a nervous laugh before looking at Pound.
"Run."
The monster roars as it bears down on them, forcing Twilight and Pound to run as fast as their hooves can carry them On the other side the other are charging around the outside of the fence to follow the chase a the Spinosaurus just barely avoids chomping Twilight. Then by luck they find a hole in the fence large enough to dive into the arms of the other group, the spinosaurus just missing them by sear inches.
Panting heavily Twilight watched as the Spinosaurus back off, roaring in frustration. The Cake family group hugs while Pinkie hugs Twilight and Rainbow at once. Soarin touch down smirking and eyeing his bag on Twilight's shoulder.
The moment of peace is quickly shattered, as a large portion of the fence as the Spinosaurus slams right through it, snarling at them. Quickly regrouping, the ponies broke into a mad dash in the direction of the only building in the area. Making through the door with only seconds to spare, Soaring and Mr. Cake slammed it shut before quickly using all the heavy duty locks in hopes that it’ll keep the door shut. From the outside the ponies could hear the large dinosaur repeatedly slam into the door, but somehow the building was more stable than the fence. Roaring, the Spinosaurus finally gave up, stomping back off into the jungle.
"So much for your fence eh?" Twilight panted to Soarin as the Cakes happily reunited.
"Twilight, you wanna give me the bag?" Soarin asked casually.
"It’s ok Soarin I got it." The mare said, having no issue holding the bag. Twilight trotted over to the broken window and looked out into the lake
"Please give me the bag Twilight." The mare turned to answer Soarin, but found a dark serious look at the stallion's face. It wasn’t a request he gave her, it was an order. "It's not safe." Rainbow was confused by her coltfriendss sudden mood change. Twilight glanced down at the bag, before she began to slowly undo the zipper. Soarin made no attempt to stop her. The contents inside the bag made Twilight's blood run cold.
"Raptor eggs......." The princess stared at the Wonderbolt in disbelief. "Did you steal Raptor eggs?" Even Rainbow Dash was looking at her colt friend in shock and disbelief. "Now it all makes sense." Everything was falling into place. The Raptors didn’t attack them for food....they wanted what was rightfully theirs.
"I figured they be worth a fortune." Soarin said, actually trying to justify his actions. "Be able to fund everything we came here for. It was a stupid decision but you gotta believe me I did it with the best intentions!" The stallion pleaded. Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, until she got the look from Twilight. The mare trotted forward, standing muzzle to muzzle with Soarin.
"The best....intentions?" Twilight was beyond furious. "Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions!" Twilight looked at Rainbow, who couldn’t bring herself to look at the two. "You know what? As far as I’m concerned.....you're no better than the pony that built this place."
"Your coltfriend!?" The question had slipped out before he could stop himself, but Soarin instantly regretted those words. If Twilight could strip the stallion of his duties as a Wonderbolt she would've done it right there and then. Instead she only looked at Rainbow, then trotted over to the broken window to get rid of the dangerous items. Dangling the bag out the window and over the lake the building sat on, she paused. Then to the amazement of the others, she calmly zipped the bag and placed it within her saddle bag.
"What are you doing? Those things are after use because of those!" Mr. Cake said.
"Those things know we have the eggs. I get rid of them, they'll just keep coming. "Twilight reasoned.
"What if they catch us with them?" Twilight looked at the baker.
"What if they catch us WITHOUT them?" She asked. Not giving Soarin a look, the princess trotted over to the metal stairs. "There's a boat on the river. We just gotta climb down." Twilight said, trotting down the metal stairs. Soarin watched her remorsefully as she led the others down, bowing his head in shame. The stairs spiral downward to some suspended platforms hugging the side of the cliff face. Most of the area around them is invisible due to a heavy cloud of fog.
"Spooky." Pinkie noted. The sounds of their hooves on metal echoed out. Twilight eyeballed the bridge going out, decided against it. The stairs leading down looked like the better idea. However the moment she pressed one hoof down on the steps, the whole stairway gave out. If Mr. Cake didn’t grab her when he did, Twilight might not be breathing.
Listening, it was a good few seconds before they heard the crash. The baker let out a impressed whistle.
"You alright?" He asked Twilight.
"Yeah." Rainbow looked around.
"…Best nopony tries to fly in this fog. It'd be too easy to get lost, and separated again." Soarin had finally trotted down the stairs and rejoined the group. Twilight glared at him as she trotted back to the bridge she passed up earlier. Taking a few steps onto it, she felt the rumble, nervous it might give way.
"Let's take this one at a time shall we?" She asked, before taking careful steps into the dense fog. Calmly keeping close to the rail, the mare was happy to reach the other end. "Ok come on over! One at a time!" The others heard her voice echo. Mrs. Cake turned to Pound.
"Ok Pound, I'm gonna leave you for just a minute ok? Then you're gonna be right behind me."
"Mom, I spent eight weeks in a water truck alone. I can go the next two minutes without you." Pound said with a smirk. Mrs. Cake had to hold it in on how much her little boy has grown. Turning, the mare ventured off over the bridge. On the other side Twilight was taking a quick peek around. Something felt.....off about their surroundings. Trotting quietly, Mrs. Cake finally made it to the other side as well.
"Okay Pound, come on!"
"It's ok we're right behind you." Mr. Cake said, seeing his son venture out onto the bridge. On the other side Twilight was still examining the scene, finding a weird flaky material on the rails. Crumbling it off, she took a curious sniff and froze.
"Where have I smelled this before?" She asked herself quietly. Pound was carefully crossing when the rail began to shake, as if somepony was walking across.
"Mom?" He asked curiously, seeing the shape of a figure in the fog. Twilight finally returned to Mrs. Cake, taking a good long look through the fog. She finally saw it, her eyes going wide in shock.
"Dear Celestia...."
"What? What is it?" Mrs. Cake asked confused.
"It's a bird cage..."
"…For what?" The baker asked nervously Out on the bridge Pound sees something walking towards him on all fours... something big... and something certainly not his mom…
"Dad!!!" Pound said, running for his life in the direction he came from. On both sides of the bridge the ponies heard the terrified screams and came running. But before anypony could reach the colt a large creature with a massive wingspan came flying in, snatching the young pegasus up.
"Pound!!!" Mrs. Cake screamed as the two groups came together, quickly running off in the direction of the dinosaur that took Pound. "I can’t see him! I can’t see him!" Mrs. Cake shouted. The creature flew with the struggling colt before hovering over a nest of sorts.
"No!! Nooooo!" Pound was dropped off onto a spot where the chicks of the nest began hopping around and squeaking at the sight of food. Pound threw a skull he found at the chicks, before jumping from the ledges in an attempt to get away.
On the walk way Soarin found himself as a set of stairs going up to a broken railing. The wonderbolt stopped with a thoughtful look before turning to look at Twilight over his shoulder. His expression turned to one of determination as he clicks the harness of the parachute closed over his chest, and then bolts up some stairs with his wings flared. Twilight realized what the Wonderbolt was gonna attempt.
"Soarin….dont!" She shouted, running after him. "Soarin stop! Don't Soarin!" Giving her one last apologetic look, the stallion jumped onto the ledge, leaping off as Twilight made a grab for him. "SOARIN!!!" The Wonderbolt flared his wings, catching an updraft that lifted him into the air, and off into the direction of Pound.
"Somepony tell me what is that thing?!" Rainbow asked as she ran after the Cakes, trying to find some route to Pound.
“Pteranodon!” Pinkie answered. "Again, was NOT on Scorch's list!" On the platforms Pound ran until he tripped over his hooves in panic. Seizing their chance, the Pteranodon chicks leaped all over the colt, biting and pecking him. Soarin found the nest out in the distance.
"Pound! Hold on!" He called, zooming by. Pound cried out as he starts hopping pillars of stone, the chicks jumping after him, and tackling him. They rip into his clothes, Pound managing to gain some distance by shedding his coat. Soarin had turned his direction, quickly zooming off towards the colt. "Jump!!!" The Wonderbolt called. Pound was able to shake the chicks loose, jumping back towards the nest until he leaped off the last pillar and into the passing hooves of Soarin. "Hold on tight!!!” The Wonderbolt said over the wind.
Mr. Cake was desperately trying to make his way up towards Cake, until the walkway he was running on came to a dead end. Mrs. Cake and the three other mares were able to catch up. Before they could figure out their next step an adult Pteranodon squawked loudly as it dropped in front of them, unable to make it onto the walk way due to its size. Flailing the group backed away, trying to head back the way they came. The airborne monster flies past them to an opening in the canopy, and then lands on top of it. A pipe gives way under one of its massive wings, falling right in front of its prey. Getting back to its claws it stalks slowly towards them.
With a gulp Pinkie whips out her Party Canon from off-screen.
"Don't make me use this!" She really hopes it doesn't, she's only got one shot for it on her. The flying dinosaur squawked at the ponies. Rainbow quickly ran forward and gave it a good kick, only making it angrier. Backing slowly to the edge the ponies had absolutely nowhere to run, but with the combine weight of the Pteranodon the section of walkway they were standing on gave way, sending the five screaming ponies splashing down to the water below.
As they bobbed in the water the dinosaur splashed down next to them, but before it could strike the walkway came crashing down on top of the creature, sending it to a watery grave. Not believing their luck, Twilight had to group start swimming to shore.
Up in the air Pound clung to Soarin as the Wonderbolt looked for the others. The colt made the mistake of turning back.
"Soarin!!!!" Flying faster than the stallion could go came three adult Pteranodon, one landing a swipe at Soarin's wings. The wonderbolt yelled out, the colt slipping from his grip, but thankfully landing in the water below. Luckily Soarin had come prepared, pulling open the chute. However he hadn't taken in how narrow the canyon got, and ends up tatting caught on a rock face. As the adults flew around their caught prey, Soarin tried to yank himself free from the cliff face, but was firmly stuck. Pound was able to swim to shore as his parents called out for him.
"Pound!" The soggy Mrs. Cake called.
"There he is! He's across the river!" The colt shouted, pointing to the dangling stallion.
"Get him out of here!" Mr. Cake to his wife as she and Pinkie ran for the colt. Twilight, Rainbow and Mr. Cake started running back for Soarin.
"Come on Pound we gotta go!"
"What about Soarin?!" The Wonderbolt in question decided to unbuckle himself from the sail, plummeting to the water below. Seeing Twilight and company running towards him, he attempted to make a break for it, only to get picked up by an adult Pteranodon. The dinosaur was unable to keep its grip, letting the stallion fall back into the water.
"Hold on Soarin!!!" Twilight shouted as the three ponies finally hit water. Soarin gets to his hooves as another Pteranodon swooping in to attack him from the front. Rainbow Dash tried racing as fast as she could to him, but Twilight and Mr. Cake had no choice but to hold her back as Soarin began screaming.
“GET AWAY!” He yelled at the three, tears forming in the cyan mares eyes as her friends held her back. Another adult pecked hard at the stallion, forcing him back into the water. “GET AWAY!" Soarin began screaming as two adults began pecking hard in attempts to drown the pony, all the while with Soarin being swept away by the river. The water had begun to run red. It was too little too late to do anything, but before any of the ponies could grieve, the last of the adults Pteranodon, perched on a rock, calmly turned its head and stared directly at the three.
"Uh-oh..." The princess muttered. The three ponies slowly began to retreat before making a break for it. Pound, Pinkie and Mrs. Cake had finally came to the large gate, using all their might to lift up the rusted lock holding it shut. The three forced their way through the second door, Mrs. Cake looking back to see where the others were.
"Shut it!!!" Twilight called as the Pterodactyl loomed directly behind the three ponies. Pinkie and Cup forced the door closed, sealing the latch as the three ponies dove from their spot on land into the water below, swimming under the cage. As the three broke the surface the dinosaur fought against the cage wildly, angry its prey got away.
"Come on!" Mrs. Cake called as she and Pinkie helped Pound into the boat. The soggy ponies quickly rejoined the three, however not a single one of them would notice the latch coming undone. Twilight cast one look behind them as the fog lifts off the dome shaped cage that stretches from the bank to the cliff top. Each of the ponies who can still stand take up a pole, and start pushing the boat down the river.
Under the current of the water the boat slowly drifted down the river. After struggling with the engine, Mr. Cake was finally able to get it up and running. The group was one step closer to getting off the island, yet nopony felt like celebrating.
"Got enough fuel to make it to the coast." The baker said. "Build a fire....or something to signal over head when we get there." Pound looked on as Twilight, Rainbow and Pinkie sat at the end of the boat in silence.
"Are they ok?" He asked his mom quietly.
"They just need some alone time sweetie." Mrs. Cake said softly. Wanting to do something Pound quietly trotted over to the three.
"....I'm sorry about Soarin." Rainbow Dash visibly tensed up at the sound of his name, grinding a forehoof into the deck of the ship. Twilight looked out into the murky river. Even Pinkie had deflated at the loss of Soarin.
"....you know the last thing I told him was?" Twilight asked Pound quietly. "I told him he was no better than the pony who built this place. I.....I didn’t mean it." The princess admitted. "I was angry.....
"And you really meant that as an insult?" Rainbow asked bitterly without looking to her friend.
"......no." Twilight said, looking at the floor.
"Really? Cause you looked like you wanted to rip him a new one when he mentioned Scorch..." Rainbow glared at her reflection in the water. "Admit it Twilight... For at least a second there you hated him." Twilight chose not to say anything.....even though Rainbow was right. Rainbow closed her eyes. "...Why...?"
"What?" Twilight asked, not liking this conversation.
"Why did any of this have to happen? You could’ve blasted the Spino thing when we landed, why didn't you try it on those bird things?! Why did Pound have to get stranded on this island?! Why did your colt friend have to use a second island for dinosaurs?! WHY, WHY, WHY?!" Rainbow finally broke down into tears. Twilight knew anything she did wouldnt make her feel better, but that didnt stop Pinkie from pulling the cyan mare into a hug. The cyan mare hugged Pinkie hard enough to make her squeak like a dog toy, sobbing into her shoulder. Pound looked at the two with a sad look before turning to Twilight.
"Is she gonna be alright?" He asked quietly.
"Give her time." Twilight muttered. The boat continued down river quietly, nopony standing on it making a sound. After a while Rainbow had finally let all the tears out. Now she just wanted to be alone.
"You know..." Twilight said quietly to Pound and Pinkie. "I have a theory that there are two kinds of ponies. Those who want to be astronomers and those who want to be astronauts." Pound Cake frowned in confusion, sitting in front of Twilight as he listens intently. "It's like this: I never understood why anypony would want to go into space. It's so dangerous. You do one thing wrong and you're dead. The astronomer, somepony like me get to study these amazing things from a place of complete safety. And truthfully, everything you really need to learn, you can learn it from the ground." Twilight explained to the colt.
"But then you never get to go in space." Pound said.
"Exactly. The difference between imagining how things might be and seeing how they really are. To be able to touch them....." Pinkie suddenly bounced high in the air, looking far off where the trees flanking the river end on one side.
"Omigosh! Looklooklooklooklook!!!"
"What?" Twilight turned to see what was getting the party pony so worked up. As the boat made its way around the bend, the ponies drifted through an amazing sight. With the setting creating a majestic glow, the valley in front of them was filled to the brim with large herbivore dinosaurs. The herds of Ankylosaurs, Corythosaurs and Brachiosaurs drank from the river, watching the ponies curiously as they floated by.
Mr. Cake slowed down the engine so they could get a longer look at the dinosaurs. Even Rainbow turns to stare back at them, remembering the wonder that had filled her the first time she had seen such creatures. Several of the towering Brachios step closer to loom over the ponies, staring down at them in equal wonder.
"You know something Princess," Pound says with a smile. "…Soarin was right."
Rainbow wipes her eyes, and turns her gaze to the side to look at Twilight. Then slowly she walked over, putting her hooves around the princess for a hug. Twilight's eye began to water up as she put her hooves around the cyan mare.
The sun was completely out of the sky just short while later. Clouds were beginning to roll in overhead, signifying a chance of rain later in the evening. The ponies in the boat were keeping an eye out for anything that might come out of the jungle. Coming up to a cluster of tree's Twilight heard an all too familiar jingle.
"Everypony quiet." She said to the others. Mr. Cake killed the engine as so to make less noise. The high pitch jingled grew louder, and as the boat drifted around the bend.....
They saw not the Spinosaurus, but the piles of dinosaur dung it left. The jingle was coming from one of the piles.
"Find it before it stops!" Mr. Cake said as he, Twilight, Mrs. Cake and Pinkie jumped off the boat, all having the same idea. With a flick of her tail Pinkie flings rubber hoof gloves to them all, and then whips out a metal detector as she starts running it over the piles, listening carefully to her headphones. Twilight and the Cakes couldnt wait for Pinkie to find the phone. Putting on the rubber gloves, the three began the unsettling task of digging through the piles of dung. It was next to impossible to ignore the smell as the ponies pulled out various remains including a broken pair of glasses, a leg bone and a jaw bone before Twilight finally struck pay dirt.
"I got it!" Twilight said, pulling out the ringing phone. "Hello? Hello?!" The princess said, answering the phone.
"You too can own a time share in beautiful Guadalajara. Enjoy a meal in one of our four star restaurants, explore our coral reefs, or just walk on the beach..." Twilight hung up on the recorded call, turning off the phone as well.
"Aaaiiiiiiieeeeeeee!!!!!!!" Pinkie suddenly leaps back to the others while Pound began shouting.
"Look out!" From out of the jungle came stomped the horned dinosaur known as a Carnotaur. Twilight and the Cakes froze as the red dinosaur growled at the ponies. However before it attempted to do anything it bent down and got a good sniff from the ponies. It wont eat anything covered in poop.
Groaning, the Carnotaur stood up and walked back into the jungle. Twilight looked at the ponies hooves, getting a good smell herself.
"After tonight.....we dont speak of this to any pony....." She said, trying not to get sick.
"Agreed," Rainbow groaned.
The ponies took their time to wash off their hooves before climbing back onto the boat. The structure floated back down the river as the clouds above head began to crackling with thunder and lightning as the rain poured down around the group, soaking them to the bone once more. Mister Cake has to raise his voice over the thunder and rain so Twilight can hear him.
"It looks like it has enough power for one call, make it count. But whatever you do don't call the embassy, they won't do a thing!" Twilight began thinking on who she would call.
"Any ideas?" She asked Pinkie and Rainbow Dash.
"Next time we go on a trip anywhere make sure Spike is with us?" Rainbow raises an eyebrow. "I mean you know the princesses hate using phones, and the ponies they hired to answer phones for them would probably brush it under the rug." Pinkie bounced twice.
"How about Trixie? I bet she'll get somepony to meet us at the coast! No way she'd let anypony get eaten by dinosaurs!" Twilight tucked the phone away. Rainbow hovered up into the air.
"Maybe I should scout ahead, see just how safe the coast is, and if there's any good shelter."
"I don't think that's a good idea in this weather Rainbow." Twilight said as another thunder crash rang out.
"Pssh," Rainbow waved a dismissive hoof. "Please Twi, I train in this kind of weather. Be careful while I'm gone!" Then she bolts skywards, leaving a rainbow vapor trail in her wake. Before Twilight could try to call the pegasus back, Pound began calling to the group.
"Hey guys! Come look at this!" Twilight, Pinkie and the colt's parents trotted to the back of the boat as the rain fell around them. Looking in the water the group saw a school of fish swimming away quickly.
"Bonitas." Twilight explained.
"Something must've spooked them." Pound said.
"Get the engines going Mr. Cake." The mare said, pulling out the phone. She knew who to use her phone call on. "Come on....come on.....pick up...." Twilight muttered as she heard the dial tone. Mr. Cake went back to trying to get the engine to work.
The phone of Carousel Boutique started to ring, but the only one to here is the young foal Shooting Star. His mother was outside discussing new aesthetics for Trixie's new mobie home, which is actually a rather cozy bus with its own hired driver. The little unicorn picks up the phone, and puts up to his ear.
"Hello?" That wasn’t who Twilight was expecting to pick up.
"Shooting Star?" She shouted confused over the bad weather. "Take the phone to Rarity or your mother! Tell them it’s Twilight!"
"Okay," he says, and starts trotting off. He's distracted however by the television set up in Rarity’s waiting room. The commercial break finally ended his favorite show the Power Ponies came back on. So he sat in front of the television to watch it, completely forgetting the phone in his hoof.
"Star? Shooting Star are you taking the phone to mommy?" Twilight gulped, knowing now that their fate now rests in the hooves of a colt barely old enough to start school. Mr. Cake tried again to get the engine running. As Twilight tried getting the colts attention on the phone, not a single pony noticed the large sail slowly breaching the water, moving its way through the boat.
"Shooting Star?" Twilight ask as the boat lurched forward, something large ramming into it. The ponies went spilling onto the floor as the dinosaur that's been chasing them, the Spinosaurus, reared its large head out of the water, roaring loudly into the night. "Oh give me a break!!!!" Twilight screamed, not happy with how their lucks been holding out.
The ponies scrambled as the large dinosaur completely shattered the small room Mr. Cake was using to steer the boat. Pinkie pulls Mrs. Cake and Pound Cake into a cage that had been secured to the deck of the ship.
"Quick! Everypony!" The Spinosaurus brought it claws down as Twilight and Mr. Cake threw themselves into the cage. While trying to pull the door shut, Twilight watched as the phone slipped out of her hoof, sliding down the deck. She tried to reach out for it with her magic, but with the weather pouring down on her with a looming monster overhead she can't focus. The Spinosaurus pressed down on the end of the boat, slowly tilting it into the air, causing the cage the ponies seek refuge in to go sliding back and forth, the phone along with it. Growling, the beast zoned in onto the cage, taking hold of it with its massive claws. The loudest sounds filling their ears are the screams of Pinkie, the thunder, and the roaring of the large predator.
In Ponyville Shooting Star looked down at the phone in his hooves, remembering he was supposed to give it to his mother. And so he trotted out to give it to her. Trixie had just finished with Rarity, her son coming with the wireless phone.
"Mommy, the princess is on the phone looking for you!"
"Is she now?" Trixie takes the phone in her magic, putting Shooting Star on her back. "Hello? Twilight?" She frowns at the lack of answer, noted the line had disconnected. Rolling her eyes she dials the number on the readout, calling Twilight right back.
On the boat the Spinosaurus had punctured the fuel tank, spilling fuel onto the boat. As the cage slid back and forth the phone began to ring.
"The phone! Get the phone!" Twilight shouted. The ponies reached out of the cage for the phone, which slid just out of their reach. The weight of the large dinosaur shifted the phone back towards them....just as the Spinosaurus yanked the cage off the boat and into the water. "Trixie! Trixie I need you to listen to me!"
"Twilight? Are you on a cell phone? It's hard to hear you." Trixie said.
"THE RIVER!!!" Twilight screamed into the phone as the cage began to sink into the water. "SITE B!!!! THE RIVER!!!!" The cage fully sank into the water, taking the mare down with it.
Trixie looked perplexed and nervous as the rapid dull beeping fills her ear. She turned when Rarity returns seconds later.
"Oh there you are, I just got a call from Twilight, she sounded... frantic... does 'Site B' mean anything to you?"
Shooting Star starts chasing Rarity's cat Opal around the boutique shouting, "Rawr rawr rawr!!!" Rarity's heart dropped at the mention of Site B.
"Start making calls!!!"
The ponies in the cage struggled for air as the Spinosaurus kept turning the cage in an attempt to get the beings inside it.
"YyyyyyeeeeeeeeeaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
A familiar battle cry fills the air, punctuated by the sound of a loud blast, and a wave of rainbow in wide ring lighting up the sky above. Seconds later Rainbow Dash slammed into the side of the brute at high speeds. This did nothing more that tick the dinosaur off. Turning, the Spinosaurus began snapping and swatting at Rainbow Dash.
Yelping she bobs, and swirled around the lumbering brute like a fly, far too noble to be hit. But it does give the others time without the Spinosaurus attacking the cage. The door to the cage fell open, Mr. Cake taking a fall out. The large dinosaur was getting annoyed with the mare buzzing around her. Roaring loudly, the Spinosaurus was able to land a lucky swipe with his tail. Rainbow Dash spiraled out of the air, crash landing into the bank of the river where she is mostly hidden under mud.
During the commotion of the tumbling cage underwater, Mr. Cake was able to swim to the surface while the others struggled. Now rid of Rainbow Dash, the Spinosaurus turned its attention to the cage, turning it back over with the open door out of the water. The baker knew he had to something, so he started swimming to the abandoned crane just off the shore.
The carnivore reached in with its large claws, trying to hook anything. The ponies inside scream, especially Mrs. Cake when one of those meat-hook claws slices into her thigh. Throwing caution to the wind, Mr. Cake braced the stormy weather as he climbed his way atop of the construction vehicle.
"Hey! Heeeeey!!!!" The baker shouted at the top of his lungs, waving his front hooves, trying to get the Spinosaurus attention. The creature roared, letting go of Mrs. Cake, and turning its attention to the single pony just above its head. "That's right! Up here!!!!" While the dinosaur was distracted, Twilight was able to help the remaining ponies in the cage out and into the water, diving in after them.
On shore Pinkie quickly dug a dazed and confused Rainbow Dash from the mud.
"You alright?!" Rainbow Dash looked thoroughly dazed.
"Did anypony get the number of that sky wagon...?" The Spinosaurus roared loudly, ramming its head into the crane, shaking it violently enough to cause the stallion to lose his footing, slipping off, just barely able to catch himself.
Twilight lifted the flare gun to see if it was loaded. She only had one shot at this. Aiming the small gun, she fired the flare that bounced harmlessly off the large dinosaur, before landing in the fuel soaked water. Immediately the oil ignites, creating an inferno under the great monster. For the first time it displays fear. Crying out it backed off, and climbs onto the bank before charging away in the forest, smashing the base of the crane with its tail as it goes. Mr. Cake screamed out as the crane snapped, sending him into the flaming water below.
"Carrot!!!" Mrs. Cake screamed, Twilight and Pinkie having to hold her and Pound back as the fire raged. Rainbow Dash regained her senses, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Slowly she bowed her head, and stared sadly at the ground.
"DAD!!!!!" Pound's voice echoed out into the stormy night. The fire burned on, the ponies standing there in disbelief. Twilight had to turn away, taking comfort with Pinkie and Rainbow.
"Carrot you jerk!!!!" Mrs. Cake sobbed at the fire. "You can't leave me like this!!!!"
".....I'm not going anywhere." All the ponies turned to see Mr. Cake standing on the edge of the beach, unharmed, alive and looking really confused at his family.
"Dad!!!" Pound threw his front hooves around his father, followed by Mrs. Cake hugging her husband tightly. Twilight let out a sigh of relief, thankful they didnt lose another pony. Rainbow and Pinkie smiled with tears in their eyes. The both of them walk up to either side of Twilight, nuzzling her softly.
"Let's get out of here guys." Twilight said to everypony present as the rain continued to fall around them.
For the next few hours the rain would continue to fall until the clouds began to split apart along with the rise of Celestia's golden sun. The ponies had decided to camp out under the safety of the trees, unable to sleep through the night. Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow had decided to scout ahead while the Cakes sat close together.
"So... Fire," Rainbow deadpans. "After all this, Big Nose was afraid of fire the whole time?"
"Duh," Pinkie says with a roll of her eyes. "Who isn't afraid of fire?" Rainbow stretches her sprained wing from the night before tenderly.
"Don't suppose you know any spells to start a fire, huh Twilight?"
"If I did I've probably would’ve burnt down the jungle." Twilight said.
"So what's to stop that fire we left back there from doing that? And really, who the hay would care if this island burned to the ground?" Rainbow crosses her forelegs over her chest while sitting.
"It was raining." Twilight said like it was obvious.
"Okay, but again, would it really be for bad to just let this place burn?"
"No. It wouldn’t be in the slightest." Twilight admitted.
"Okay, but again, would it really be for bad to just let this place burn?" Pinkie sighed.
"Even Fluttershy thinks so...?"
"That's up for debate." Twilight said, turning back to make sure they didn’t lose the Cakes. The family was sitting calmly together, Pound sitting close to his mother as Mr. Cake thought back on past experiences they had together.
“You remember when we went fishing last summer?” The baker asked his family fondly. “And I was trying to put the boat in and the trailer sank? And then the tow truck came and tried to pull it out, but it got dragged in?” Pound and his mother quietly laughed at the memory. “The truck driver threatened to knock your my lights out, so I said I was an important business pony and he believed me?”
“Yeah.” Pound said fondly.
“That was a fun day.” Mr. Cake said, glancing to see if the three mares wandered off. Twilight and friends were still within shouting distance of the family. Pinkie had started to bounce again.
"So Twilight, I've been thinking..."
"Go on...." Twilight said, curious where this was going.
"Well... I think it's a good thing they're being left alone here. I mean they didn't exactly ask to be made. So when we get back we need to set up some kind of plan to reinforce security around here. Maybe Scorch is making a show of taking responsibility for these creatures? They're kind his kids after all."
"He had hoped common sense would out, and nopony would bother to come here." Twilight admitted.
"Yeah," Rainbow said unamused. "Like every thrill-seeker, and geek that froths at the mouth over anything few million years old." She gave Twilight a flat look. "Pinkie has a point here Twilight, the dinosaurs need better containment." Pinkie peeked around the trees.
"If only those fences hadn't been messed with then Jurassic Park would have been a huge hit…"
"What can be done to keep ponies off? You can't station anypony out here!" Twilight argued.
"Maybe, maybe not," Pinkie reasoned. "I mean Twilight knows pretty much every species of dinosaur, and we all have the experience to take the threat seriously right? Who's to say we couldn't turn this island into a wildlife reserve, complete with electric fences, tracking devices, the whole shebang!" Twilight scoffed.
"Good luck trying to get a tracker on half these dinosaurs." She said, picturing how difficult that task would be.
"Well I guess if anyone could figure out how to do it it'd be Pinkie" Rainbow said. "Seriously, we're talking a pony who runs about as fast as I fly, and has enough energy that if you strapped her to a treadmill she could power the old Jurassic Park, and still have power leftover for Manehatten. And remember the Party Cave? I don't doubt she could organize it."
"Yippie!!!" Pinkie bounced high in the air before screeching to a stop over all their heads. "Hold up... Anypony else hear waves?" Twilight and Rainbow listened intently.
"That is the ocean!" Returning quickly to retrieve the Cakes, the group quickly moved forward through the brush and into a small clearing in the jungle. The ocean was just beyond the trees, when out of nowhere a Raptor pounced right in front of them, bringing the group to a stop. From behind them and off to the sides more Raptors appeared, hissing and the group.
"They want the eggs....." Twilight said quietly. "Otherwise we be dead already."
"Party Cannon?" Pinkie glanced back at Twilight before eyeing the raptor to their right. "I got one shot, but it could clear our way to the beach."
"If they don't pounce us first," Rainbow Dash objected, dropping into a battle stance while she glares at a male behind them. On the other side of the group one of the females of the Raptor pack struts into the clearing with her head held high and hissing menacingly at them. Twilight watched the Raptor, trying to figure its thoughts.
"Everypony get down.....she's challenging us." As a group they lower themselves to their bellies, the raptors act as a ring of silent sentries around them as the female approaches. She looks the group over, and then fixes her eyes on Mrs. Cake. She sniffs at her, nudging her with her nose. "She thinks you took the eggs." Twilight said.
"Get behind me." Mr. Cake attempted to put himself between this wife and the dinosaur, only for the Raptor to screech at the baker. Shaking he retreats while the female turns her attention back to Mrs. Cake. It nudges her harder with her nose before screeching at her, flexing her claws.
"Give.......me......the eggs....." Mrs. Cake said through clenched teeth. Twilight slowly lowered her saddle bag onto the ground, opening the top, finally pulling out Soarin's bag. The moment the princess unzipped the back the Raptors began barking and screeching at the sight of their eggs. Twilight carefully used her magic to float the eggs out, passing them over to the baker, before she noticed something inside the bag.
Soarin had packed the Raptor Call that the student had given them days ago.
Ever so carefully Mrs. Cake takes the eggs in her hooves, and extends them out towards the mother Raptor as gently as she can. Twilight picks up the call, and decides to play a bluff, blowing into the call. The pack around them jerks in surprise with startled squeals, then start taking more aggressive stances.
"No, no, call for help." Mr. Cake says quietly.
Focusing Twilight tries to blow in quick rapid bursts, and it makes a sound akin to the barking squawk of the Raptor SOS. The pack start exchanging glances, wondering if they've been outflanked. The alpha female chitters at her pack mates to calm them, then looks up thoughtfully with her head cocked to the side as if listening. Then she hoots something to the rest of the pack, and one by one they start dashing into the forest. The alpha bends down, carefully taking one egg in her teeth before meeting Twilight's eye.
Then she takes off into the forest, closely followed by a male carrying the second egg in his mouth.
".........did that just happen?" Twilight asked. The ponies sat there in silence, in disbelief that they just got that close to Raptors and lived to tell the tale. Pinkie looked like she was ready to go crazy with laughter when Mr. Cake perked his ears. They had finally heard what the Raptors heard.
"That's a helicopter!" The baker said, eyes going wide in shock. They scramble to their hooves, and dash out the treeline to the beach. Once there Twilight sees a stallion standing on the beach, dressed down in full armor attire.
“Shining Armor?” Twilight asked quietly and clearly confused.
“Twilight?” Shining Armor called through a megaphone. “Princess Twilight?”
All the ponies go rigid, and charge down the beach shouting in unison at the top of their lungs.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! THAT IS A VERY BAD IDEA!!!!!!!"
They stop however when they see the force Shining Armor brought with him. Several amphibious troop carriers drive up onto the beach dropping off dozens of ponies in gold armor, some are even Crystal Ponies. Above are Pegasus ponies diving out of helicopters to run an airborne perimeter, each wearing the distinctly familiar hue of blue on their uniforms. Pound stared in amazement.
"Whoa... We have to thank her now! She sent the Royal Guard, and the Wonderbolts!" Twilight smirked and began chuckling.
"Bless your heart Trixie....." The group happily trotted forward, several guards meeting them halfway to examine and see if they were alright. The stallion in charge hugged Twilight close, relieved his sister was safe and sound. One by one the group was loaded onto a large helicopter when a guard pulled Twilight off to the side.
"Your majesty, we found a pony. Is he with you?" He asked.
"What?" Twilight asked, very confused. The guard simply pointed into the helicopter. The mare shared a confused looked with her friends. The only other ponies that came with them were eaten, necks snapped or....was it possible? The princess climbed into the helicopter and to her utter amazement found a certain Wonderbolt being tended to by various doctors, an oxygen mask placed firmly on his muzzle.
"Hey.....you guys made it...." Soarin croaked, smiling weakly while covered head to hoof with blood covered bandages. Rainbow finally got to Twilight’s side, tears of happiness forming in the cyan mares eyes.
“Yeah….thanks to you Soarin.” Twilight said.
“Captain on deck!” A guard shouted. The princess looked at the ponies snapped to attention as Spitfire dropped down in the helicopter, in Wonderbolt attire. The only pony who didn’t snap to attention was Rainbow Dash, but given the situation the issue was forgiven.
"Might wanna remind your coltfriend that he has wings, not fins Rainbow.” Spitfire said to her solider. “We found him half drowned, and pretty banged up. He'll live though, medics say he needs to take it easy for a few weeks." Rainbow saluted with tears in her eyes.
"Yes mam." Despite being weak, Soarin was able to hug the cyan mare.
"Princess Twilight, we need to go now." The pilot said. Twilight gave the island one long final look.
“Take off.” One by one the ponies buckled into place as the helicopter took to the air. The Cakes sat quietly next to Twilight and Pinkie, Rainbow Dash not leaving Soarin's side.
"What in the world is that?!" The pilot called out. Pound looked out the window.
"Princess Twilight! Look!" Twilight looked out the window to see the Pteradon's from much earlier flying right past the ponies and out into the open world. "Where do you think they're going?"
"I don't know." Twilight answered honestly. "Probably to look for new nesting grounds. It's a whole new world for them."
"...They need to be contained," Rainbow said. "If we can't kill them then they have to be contained. Just look what those things did to Soarin, what if they land near a school or something? You want those things nesting in the Everfree Forest?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Twilight said, at the moment wanting nothing to do with dinosaurs. She then turned back to the pilot. "Take us home."
Closure
Celestia’s sun rose into the sky once more to bring light to all of Equestria. After the next morning every pony who had been exposed to the island has been cleared by medical, no foreign illnesses, and no life threatening injuries. Soarin has been put on leave, and so he's staying at Rainbow Dash's house just outside Ponyville. For the rest... Well sadly life is never normal for these ponies.
When Twilight returns to her castle she finds her friends waiting for her, including Trixie who is giving the princess a very guilty expression. After Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy tackle the purple alicorn in a group hug Trixie steps forward with a sigh.
"Princess Twilight... Are you alright?"
"Good to see you too girls!" Twilight said, hugging her friends tightly. "I'm fine Trixie, and please, just call me Twilight." Trixie's face just gets sadder, and sadder until she had tears in her eyes. Then she hugs Twilight too, pressing her forehead into her shoulder while she sniffles, but naturally taking care not to stab her with her horn.
"So, did we miss anything while we were gone?" Twilight asked.
"Aside from Rarity just about having a stroke, not much," Applejack said. Trixie hugs the mare tighter.
“I’m so sorry Twilight…”
"It's not your fault Trixie." Twilight said, hugging her friend.
"No Twilight I... You helped me turn my life around, and as far as I'm concerned you're practically family... My anger with Scorch made me forget that... I said such things, and almost lost you... just... just like... I'm so sorry..."
"It's alright Trixie." Twilight said, hugging the mare. "Speaking of which, where is Scorch?" Trixie steps back to wipe her eyes with a hoof.
"H-he's upstairs in your study..."
"Have you.....talked to him at all?' Twilight asked. Trixie bites her lower lip.
"I... thought about it….if he really cares about you then he might have a vague idea of how I feel about losing Crimson... No offense Twilight, but nopony short of somepony who lost their spouse can know how I feel... Losing the father of your foal... It's a far deeper hurt than losing a marefriend or coltfriend... I... I think I want to bury the hatchet... but... I don't know how to approach him about it... I'm scared I'll just get angry with him again, and say more hurtful things..."
Twilight hugged Trixie once more, before quietly trotting up the stairs. Taking the first left down the hall, the mare walked into her private study room and was promptly engulfed in a hug by her coltfriend, and once more owner of InGen, Scorch Firefly.
"You ok Twi?" The charcoal gray stallion asked, holding the mare close.
"I'm fine."
"The others?"
"Banged up, Soarin especially, but fine." Twilight said, hugging Scorch close. Out the window a pink blur is zipping around town putting up fliers, and leaving many confused ponies.
"Oh what is she up to now?" Twilight asked, levitating a flyer to her.
Get ready for a Dino-Mite press conference!!! Pinkie Pie of Ponyville is primed to present the perfect truth to the press! Get your cameras, and notebooks because this time it's no-holes-barred disclosure!
"Pinkie can't you just drop the whole thing....." Twilight groaned. Scorch eyeballed the flier.
"Why is she acting like I'm hiding something?" The stallion asked.
"Because folks feel like you are," Twilight said. "Remember how Blueblood tried to hush us up with disclosure agreements? Well word about those forms got out so this is Pinkie saying she'll tell everything, and answer any question....which reminds me, how may dinosaur types did you have in production? We saw several that weren't in the park." Scorch sighed.
"The Spinosaurus and Pteradons?" He revealed. "Too dangerous for the first island. Before anything could be done about them the hurricane hit and Site B was abandoned."
"Actually there might be more," Twilight said. "We saw a video camera showing the boat Pound Cake was gliding from after it got attacked out in the ocean, but there was too much fog to see what happened. The Spinosaurus was trapped in the center of the island until it smashed its way through the fence to get to us. Also there was Anklyosaurus, and we faced down a Ceratosaurus..." Scorch thought long and hard.
"Life found a way I guess."
"To make entirely new species in just a few years? Evolution takes centuries Scorch, and I'm not sure if you heard but there were some Pterodactyles trying to follow us to the mainland. We were lucky they didn't have the strength to fly that far, but it's only a matter of time..." Scorch looked long and hard at the mare before he sat down, holding his head in his front hooves.
"Sometimes I wish I never built those islands.....they’ve nothing but trouble." Twilight gave him a sad look, and then sits beside him to lean into him.
"You were following dream... Pinkie thought Jurassic Park would have worked if the security hadn't been tampered with..." Twilight looks off to the side, "She said you looking after the islands was showing that you're taking responsibility for it all."
"Here's the thing Twi." Scorch said, looking the princess in the eyes. "Somepony made me an offer for Ingen and both islands...I want your opinion.' Twilight gapes at the stallion.
"What? Who?"
"The owner of the Masrani Corporation." Scorch said. "It was a secretary who got in touch with me." He explained. "I want your opinion. Should I sell InGen?" Twilight mulled it over for a few moments.
"...I'll talk with my friends. We need to be sure that we know this pony's intentions with the dinosaurs. After all the last thing we need is for some pony to try using them as something other than a tourist attraction, and that madness breaking out on the mainland."
Pinkie is bouncing around the front of town hall, decorating it in pink ribbons with red balloons while singing her Smile song merrily to herself. The press and media were making themselves at home in the various seats that have been planted in front of the hall. Scorch was doing his best not to draw attention to himself. Pinkie bounces over to the podium, and taps the mic.
"Hello-hello? Testing! When I saw 'Pinkie' you say 'Pie!' PINKIE!"
"Pie," many of the amused reporters chant back to her.
"Goodie goodie," Pinkie giggles. "Alrighty then! Thank you everypony for coming, and if you get hungry I made some cupcakes!" She points a hoof off to the side of the assembly where multiple flavors of cupcakes are assembled. "So now, I just got back from Isla Pegasus, and I got a lot to get off my chest. Who wants to go first?"
"Is there any new species on the island?" A reporter asked. Twilight, Scorch and the various ponies who survived the islands or those who have been affected by them sat off to the side, trying to keep low profile and hoping Pinkie wouldn’t call on them.
"Yeah there are a few we didn't see at the park," Pinkie said. "Like this really big Spinosaurus Egyptigus! It tore up our plane faster than you can tear newspaper, and just when we got away from it we ran into a T Rex! Then we ran back, Rexy fought with Toothy, and we were gone faster than you can say lickity-split! There were some Anklyosaurus too, but they were nicer. They slept under our tree hideout so the Raptors stayed away!"
"Typical Pinkie," Applejack mutters to Twilight when the others join her as discretely as they can. "Mouth work'n a mile a minute."
"What would you recommend be done with the island?" A reporter asked. Pinkie waves a hoof.
"Personally I think somepony needs to take care of them. I mean, Toothy chased us almost to the coast cause she was so hungry. If the fences were still working, and the whole place hadn't just been abandoned then it could have been the neatest wildlife reserve ever instead of a death trap."
"Have you spoken to the owner of the island about what to do with it?" A reporter asked. Scorch sighed. Pinkie shook her head.
"Pinkie if I can interrupt...." Scorch said, finally making himself known against his better judgement. Pinkie perked up.
"Oh hey Scorch! Wanna come on up too?" The owner of the islands in question trotted forward to the microphone.
"First off let me say, Pinkie I appreciate what you’re doing. Trying to raise awareness for the islands and yes, you are right by saying if security wasn’t messed with the island would've been successful. Here's the thing.....those islands were my dreams. Dreams that gotten ponies killed and have caused me nothing but grief, sleepless nights, and heartbreak I can never fix." Scorch eyeballed the audience in front of him, and found the mare and colt he was looking for.
"I hoped common sense would win out and most would avoid Site B, but now it’s plain as day that's not gonna happen. I don't want to risk any more lives by setting up security or anything there. So...as of now I am announcing somepony has made the offer to buy InGen and both islands." Even Pinkie was struck speechless by this for a minute or two before one reporter steps forward.
"Who is this buyer? Do you know anything about their intentions? And what are the chances you'll take them up on this offer?"
"I don't know what they're intentions are....I don't care. I'm convinced the Masrani Corporation probably gonna read this the moment news breaks, so I'll finish my statement with this: You want Jurassic Park? My lawyers will be in touch with yours, but by all means……..take it." Scorch stepped away from the podium and began trotting through the crowd of media to the back of the crowd until he stopped right in front of Trixie and her colt. It was finally time for him to bury the hatchet.
"I'm the last pony you want to speak to but no words or action can show how sorry I am." He said to the magician with tears in his eyes. Trixie shuts her eyes, and then jabs a hoof in his chest. She's silent for a minute before tapping her hoof against him.
"...My husband believed in, and died for your dream... if I'm still mad at you for any reason... It's for giving up." Opening her eyes she says, "You, and your experts made these monsters, know them better than anypony. If you want to even /try/ to make this up to me... Then whatever they're planning for your creations, you make sure it's done properly. Am I understood?" Scorch didnt answer. Instead he threw his hoof around her, pulling her into a hug. Trixie hugged back on a reflex, her tears dripping into his coat. Twilight was trying to hold back tears herself, seeing two of the closest ponies she cared for finally embraced and forgive.
Pinkie sniffles as she bounces over to Twilight, and hugs her too. Soon she's joined by Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash who had shown up just in time to see all the hugging start. Scorch finally broke the hug with Trixie.
"Now if anypony needs me, and doesnt want to discuss Jurassic Park, I'll be at home." He trotted over next to Twilight. "My lady?" He said, holding out a forehoof. Twilight smiles, taking his hoof tenderly.
Several hours would pass by and sure enough the evening news were running rampant with Scorch's announcement. The stallion in question was sitting around the table with Twilight and her closest friends.
"Did I do the right thing?"
"Well.... ain't nopony who can tell ya for sure," Applejack said somberly. "But what's done is done I suppose... All we can really for is hope for the best..."
"I'll agree with you. Those islands are too much trouble." Rarity said.
"Personally I still vote for burning them," Rainbow said flatly.
"I'm all for leaving those islands abandoned." Fluttershy said.
"Yeah because that worked so well," Rainbow retorted.
"Either way, I can probably guess you six are done with dinosaurs for life?" Scorch asked.
"Weeeeellllllll..." Pinkie rubs her front ankles together before withering under the firm looks of her friends.
"What? A third island?!" Twilight asked, glaring at Pinkie and Scorch. The stallion held his hooves up.
"Don't look at me." Pinkie blinked.
"Is there a Site C? Neat! I mean there are five islands right?"
"Two islands! That was it! I swear!" Scorch said. Pinkie smiled.
"Okie dokie Loki! But my scars still tingle a bit so I don't think we're completely done with them."
"Whatever happens, it's out of my hooves." Scorch said. "Check my pockets if you don’t believe me." He joked. Pinkie snickers at his attempt at humor. Rainbow yawned, looking at the setting sun.
"Well guys, it's been a rough few days so I'm gonna call it early." She said.
"Actually could you girls stick around for a few more moments?" Scorch asked. “I want you to be here for this.”
"Sure, what can we do ya for?" Applejack tilted her head.
"Well....how do I put this? When your love one goes off to an island filled with dinosaurs, you worry very much for their safety." Scorch said. "You wonder if they're alright, and if they'll even make it back. It makes you think about all the moments you had...." The stallion calmly pulled out the little black box he tucked away earlier, and placed it on the table. "It also makes you think of the moments you'll never get to have." Twilight's eyes steadily get wider while her jaw drops.
"...Scorch... is that...?"
The now former owner of Jurassic Park simply opened the box, revealing a ring that would make Spike's stomach grumble.
"Twilight, you've helped me see the world when it seemed it absolute darkest. You've cared for me when I was at my most vulnerable. You've made me happier than I ever been.....and I want you to feel that happiness." Scorch used his magic to float the box to Twilight. The princess of friendship was struck speechless as she slowly turns her stare from Scorch to the box, and back. Scorch smiled before he trotted over, using his magic to slip the ring onto Twilight's horn.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you your highness....no matter how long or short it is." The stallion finally took the mare's hoof, and got down onto one knee. "Will you be my special somepony Twilight? Will you marry me?" Twilight is trembling ever so slightly as the full weight of this sinks in on her. Then she breaks into a wide, ready smile as she throws herself at him. Scorch happily put his hooves around her, holding her close.
"I think these two want some alone time...." Rarity said to her friends, tears in her eyes on how romantic the sight was. Nodding the others file out of the room, drawing to a close this chapter of their lives.
