CRYPTID PARK

by SYNTH4

Chapters

Prologue: A Mysterious Creature
Chapter 1: Lawsuits and Apple Farms
Chapter 2: Backstabs and Proposals
Chapter 3: The Journey
Chapter 4: Welcome To Cryptid Park

Prologue: A Mysterious Creature

CRYPTID PARK

Prologue: A Mysterious Creature

Location: Classified
Time: 7:00 PM
Year: 2,500th Year of Celestia’s Reign

***

At certain points in a pony’s life, one must question the acts that they have done.

Were they for the best? Did they have the right intentions? And most importantly: what was gained from them?

But in reality, there are very few that question their actions. Let alone the consequences that come from those actions. To them, the mistakes of the past is something that should be forgotten about. Ones we should never look back at, as to never repeat the mistakes.

However, that sometimes is what makes the problem. We become so focused at looking towards the future, we forget the mistakes of the past. And because of that, we never learn from those mistakes. But it is always important to look back at the past, and to be inspired because of it.

Unfortunately, that inspiration can lead to terrible things.

***

“Mommy, where are we going?”

The little filly looked around at the beautiful beach around her. Waves slowly splashed onto the shoreline, spraying her with water. The hoofprints behind her washed away as the water slid over them, only for her to make new ones in the drying sand.

Farther out, the sun was slowly setting over the horizon. The glow reflected off the ocean and into the filly’s face. She quickly looked away, blinking her eyes a few times to get them back to normal.

The mare in front of her giggled as she looked down at her daughter. “Not to anywhere specific honey. Sometimes it’s not the location, it’s about the land you see when you travel there. You’ll understand that when you get older.”

The filly sighed, and looked away from the ocean. The jungle across from it produced a mixture of different noises. There was screeching from animals, and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

She didn’t understand why her parents had insisted on stopping here. They were supposed to be spending the weekend on their private boat, like they had planned. But then her dad had seen this island in the distance, and he just had to check it out. Then he decided to sail along the coast, while mom dragged her onto shore to walk along the beach.

The filly wasn’t that excited about walking along some beach on some strange island. She was more interested on sunbathing and enjoying the ocean breeze on her face; both of which she could do on the boat.

“This place is so boring mom. Can we please go back to the boat?”

The mare sighed, giving her eyes a slight roll. “You know Glider, I think you’re going to have a very boring life. You only do what doesn’t involve seeing the beauty of other things. So why don’t you go take a walk by the jungle. You’re bound to see some interesting animals,” said the mare, and she walked down towards the water.

Glider huffed and walked towards the edge of the jungle. The thick trees blocked any sunlight from making it’s way through, so the area beyond was very dark. “Better keep close to the beach,” she said.

She looked back at her mom, who was splashing her hooves around in the water. “I don’t see what her problem is. So what if I don’t like nature; it doesn’t mean she should force it on me. If she wants me to like it, show me something interesting.”

“BBBBUUUUZZZZ.”

Glider’s ears perked up at the sound of the buzzing. She looked back into the jungle, and saw a small blue light not too far in. “Hello, is somepony their?” But the only reply was the buzzing sound.

Glider thought about calling to her mom, but then she started thinking. “Bugs make buzzing noises, so maybe that’s all it is.” She watched the blue light get closer and closer to her spot.

Soon the light reached the border, as well as the culprit of it. A very small blue bug buzzed a few feet from her. It stared at her with an unreadable expression. Blue light sparked all around it, lighting up the still darkened parts of the forest. It also had a round bluish-gray body, large purple eyes, short black claws, and fibrous wings.

“What in the name of Celestia are you?” She had read about bugs at school, but never about ones like this. She’d never heard about ones that had lightning shaped stingers that glowed in the dark.

The bug flew closer to her and landed on the bridge of her nose. But the moment it did, she got a nasty shock. “OUCH” she screamed, swatting the bug off her nose. It fell to the ground with a smack. “That stupid bug shocked me. How can you do that?” she asked the bug.

But the bug didn’t reply. Instead, it flew up off the ground and back into the forest. “Well good riddance. Stupid bug, stupid nature,” said Glider. She turned around to head back towards the beach.

But then, she heard the sound of buzzing again. But this time, there was more of it. Turning around, Glider’s eyes widened in shock. A large swarm of those bugs were flying through the forest….right at her.

“Uh, good bugs….nice bugs,” she said, slowly backing away from the forest. But the bugs kept on coming, and soon they started flying around Glider. “Mom….MOM!” she screamed.

The bugs started digging their stingers into her, causing sparks of electricity to flow into her. “OUCH!” she screamed with each sting. The bugs continued to swarm, and let loose a relentless stream of stings. “MOM, HELP!” she screamed.

Her mother heard the screaming and looked towards the forest. She gasped in horror as she saw her daughter getting swarmed by the horde of bugs. She ran quickly up towards the scene, smacking away the bugs to get to her daughter. “Don’t worry Honey, it’s going to be okay.” She grabbed her daughter and quickly ran down the beach, away from the swarm of lightening bugs.

Author's Note

Special thanks to DwarvishPony for reviewing the chapter for me.

I hope you all like my MLP take on Jurassic Park. :scootangel:

Chapter 1: Lawsuits and Apple Farms

CRYPTID PARK

Chapter 1: Lawsuits and Apple Farms

The noise and bustle of the city was enough to drive ponies crazy. Carts and taxis filled the streets, and stretched the patience of those caught in the middle of it. But that’s what comes with living in Manehattan.

However, things were turning out worse for others.

In the center of the city, near the large central park, sat a very tall skyscraper. The outside was pitch black, and the ground floor was just as bare as the road. The only thing in front of it was a large sign. It had two lights on the bottom, which lit up the words written on it: GenMag.

A few ponies is business suits were either walking around the area, of reading notes on some benches. Ponies walking along the sidewalks usually gave the building a quick look, before looking away and moving on.

But just then, the two large doors at the front of the building swung open. Two ponies, one in a white suit and the other in a blue suit, walked out. The one in the white suit was dark grey, had a styled purple mane, and a briefcase cutie mark. The one in the blue suit was light brown, had a dark black mane, and a mallet cutie mark. They were talking quietly to each other.

“Four million bit lawsuit from the family, as well as the emotional and physical damages to boot,” said the white suited pony. “And with the bits needed to keep them quiet, we’re facing some major debt.

The pony in the blue suite sighed. “How could security let this even happen? Not only did they allow an unauthorized ship to enter the surrounding area, but two ponies were able to get onto the island and come in contact with the animals.”

The two stopped at the edge of the street. The pony in the blue suite held out a hoof, and soon a taxi pulled up to the curve. “Manehattan Train Station,” he said as he a the other pony climbed into the carriage. The driver nodded, then pulled back onto the road and headed towards the train station.

“Getting back to topic in hoof, we seem to have an even bigger problem than lawsuits. The recent incident has caused the investors to question the safety of the island. I’ve tried to sway them otherwise, but they have good reasons. But eventually I was able to keep them from backing out...on the condition I conduct a thorough inspection and examination of the island. And if they see that the park is not within safety parameters, then we can forget our funding,” said the blue suited pony.

The two held onto their seats as the taxi turned a corner at high speeds. “And who exactly are you planning on getting to inspect the island?”

“I’ve already acquired a mare who has a history of cages and strict rules. Her names Trixie; an illusionist who has been held in some pretty secure prisons in her life.”

The white suited pony raised an eyebrow questionably. “You hired a criminal to inspect and island full of creatures?”

The blue suited pony shook his head. “She’s not a real criminal. She just….gets into scrapes sometimes. Plus I’ve read her resume, and she’s apparently had some experience dealing with animals before. It said she once protected an entire village from a swarm of bees.”

“I judge ponies on their actions, not their words. But is she the only one who’s going to be inspecting?”

The blue suited pony sighed, keeping his eyes on the floor. “When I told Hooves who I picked, he wasn’t too thrilled. ‘We need ponies who have experience in what we are doing.’ I tried talking some sense into him, but he wouldn’t go for it. He wants Fluttershy.”

The white suited pony rolled his eyes. “That mare? He’ll be lucky to even get her out of Ponyville. She may be good with animals, but she’s more scared than a cat in front of a mouse.”

“I tried explaining that to him, but he’s dead set on getting her approval. It just got worse when he said he had another pony he wanted to get approval from too. He wouldn’t even tell me who it was.”

“Sometimes I wonder if that stallion is right in the head. Not even telling us who he’s pinning the success of this operation on?”

The taxi pulled up to the side of the road. To the right of it sat the Manehattan Train Station. Ponies from all across Equestria walked in and out of the large building. The white suited pony jumped out.

“Well we’ll just have to deal with this as it goes. I’ll be in contact in a few days; hopefully this’ll all be over by then. I want a full report once the inspection is complete,” he said.

“Don’t worry, this’ll all work out fine. We’ll get them on the island, show them around, get their approval, and we’ll be back on track. Take it easy now,” said the blue suited pony.

“You do the same,” said the white suited pony, and he turned to walk into the station.

“Are you getting out or not?” asked the Taxi driver.

The white suited pony looked at the driver, but then tossed him another small sack of bits. “I need to go to Manehattan Luxury Apartments. As fast as you can please.”

The taxi driver nodded his head, then ran back into the streets towards the apartments.

***

THUNK!

The sound of hooves colliding with the trunk of a tree spread throughout the entire orchard. The apples that hung on the branches broke off and fell neatly into baskets at the base.

The pony doing the bucking stepped back from the tree, wiping some sweat from her forehead. The pony was a nice sized orange earth pony mare with a blond mane, a cowboy hat, and three apples as her cutie mark.

The mare lifted the baskets onto her back, before walking over to a cart filled with similar baskets. After loading them on, she attached herself to the front and began walking towards a large red barn not too far away.

As she walked, she looked around at the many apple trees that surrounded her. They seemed to have a certain shine to them, and the apples all looked round, red, and juicy. And seeing the same thing over acres and acres of land, it just made the mare smile.

But she soon reached the barn, and unlatched herself from the cart. “Another batch of apples, another hard day's work,” she said. The mare walked behind the car and began unloading the baskets of apples.

“Looks like a big haul Applejack,” said a voice.

Applejack looked towards the barn, and saw a large red earth pony with a blond mane and a split open apple cutie mark. He looked into the cart and smiled at all the baskets. “You’ve been busy.”

“Had to Big Mac,” said Applejack as she walked towards the barn. “Our main job now is getting as many apples out as we can. If they rot, we’ll lose money.”

Big Mac gave his eyes a slight roll. “If you can remember, we’re already losing money.”

Applejack set down the baskets and sighed sadly. “Yeah, I remember Big Mac.” She still had trouble believing that their apples, once very popular, weren’t selling very well this year. Even cider season hadn’t been as popular as it normally had.

Big Mac walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Why don’t you go inside; take a break. I’ll unload the baskets.”

“....thanks Big Mac,” she said, and then slowly walked over to a small door. Pushing it open, she found herself in a fairly big kitchen. The stove was on, cooking something that had a delicious aroma flow through the room. Applejack took in a deep breath.

“Oh wee, that smells good. What’s cooking?” she asked as she approached the stove. But as she lifted her hoof up to the pot, something smacked it away. “Ouch!” she screamed, gently rubbing her hoof.

“No hoofs on the pot until it’s ready!”

Applejack looked over at the attacker next to her. “Did you really have to hit me so hard Granny?”

Granny placed her spoon into the pot, then gave Applejack a stern look. “Knowing you have the appetite of a full grown stallion, I’m not taking any chances.”

“Still,” said Applejack “Is there anything in here that I can eat?” She knew she could have taken an apple from the cart on her way here. But she didn’t feel like the plain taste of apples at the moment.

Granny pointed a hoof at the pot. “You can eat that….in ten minutes.”

Applejack groaned, but decided not to argue. Instead she sat down in a chair and laid her head on the table. “So is Apple Bloom home from school yet?” she asked.

“Haven’t seen her, so I guess not,” said Granny, who had the wooden spoon held in her mouth.

Applejack wanted to say more, but was interrupted as the outside door opened. A small yellow filly with a red mane tied with a bow walked inside, carrying a small letter in her mouth.

“Bout time you got home pint-sized,” said Granny, giving Apple Bloom’s mane a rub. “What took you so long?”

Apple Bloom spit the letter onto her hoof. “I ran into this pony on my way up the road. He asked me if I was going here, and when I said yes, he asked me to give this letter to Applejack.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow “and what did this pony look like?” If some strange pony was stopping her sister and asking her to take things to the farm, then it could be bad.

“He wore a white suite, and had that sort of ‘Big City’ feel to him. He definitely didn’t like all the dirt that was getting on him,” said Apple Bloom. She walked to the table and placed the letter in front of Applejack.

“A city pony delivering a letter to us, and right when our farm is struggling. I don’t like the sound of that,” said Granny. She gave the letter a look like it was a pile of rotten apples.

Applejack looked at the letter, not sure weather to open it or throw it away. If it was something about the farm, there was little they could do. But, if it was something else….well she couldn’t think about any other options. She thought for a moment before picking up the letter and ripping open the side.

She pulled out the paper and unrolled it onto the table. It wasn’t very long, but had some of the nicest handwriting she had ever seen. She began to read through it.

Dear Miss Applejack,

This letter is being sent by GenMag Industries; leading organization in the fields of Genetics and Magic. We have a business proposal we would like to discuss with you as soon as possible.

If you are interested, please report to Sugarcube Corner at 11 PM tomorrow. One of our staff members will go over the details with you then.

signed,

GenMag Industries.

When Applejack finished reading the letter, she looked over at the two. “Well, what did it say?” asked Apple Bloom.

“It….says that some company called GenMag wants to talk to me about a business proposal. They want me to meet with them tomorrow at Sugarcube Corner to discuss the details,” said Applejack.

“What kind of business proposal?” asked Granny. She didn’t sound too happy about the whole thing.

Applejack looked over the letter once more. “It doesn’t say, just that he’ll explain everything when we meet.”

The whole room was silent for a few moments. Normally the Apples didn’t like business proposals. The last time they had considered one, they had almost lost their farm. So safe to say, they were worried about this one.

Apple Bloom looked up at her sister, keeping her face as neutral as she could. “So what are you going to do?”

Applejack gently rubbed her chin as she thought it over. Normally she would have said no, but now with their recent financial troubles, they had to think about the good of the farm. She looked over at her sister and Granny.

“I’m going to go talk with this pony. I’ll see what he’s proposing, and only then will I make a decision.”

Apple Bloom smiled at Applejack, but Granny still didn’t look very happy. “I just hope you know what you’re doing dearie,” she said before going back to the pot on the stove.

Applejack looked towards an open window, and the acres of apple trees she could see beyond it.

“Yeah….so do I.”

Chapter 2: Backstabs and Proposals

CHAPTER 2: Backstabs and Proposals

The next day couldn’t have come faster for the Apple family.

The morning was a particularly salient one; the thoughts of GenMag’s coming meeting with Applejack was still fresh on their minds. This meeting could be a make or break situation for their farm, and the tensions was beginning to affect all of them. Even the lively breakfast had become a silent congregation of chewing and drinking.

Applejack thought about the proposal more than anypony. After a lot of discussions (and a little screaming) the family decided that Applejack should be the one to handle the proposal. The thought weighed heavily on her mind: It was going to be her decision that decided what would happen later today. But after sleeping on it for a while, she was beginning to think this was a bad idea.

She didn’t know what this pony had at his disposal, or what he was even wanting to do with the Apples. It was already strange that a company that dealt with Genetics and Magic would be interested in working with farmers.

What were they expecting them to provide: Apples for their cafeteria?

But all the same, Applejack didn’t really have anything to lose by going to this meeting. It was her choice; so she could decide what happened. If the representative didn’t like it, then he could kiss her flank.

So half an hour before the scheduled meeting time, Applejack set off from the farm and into town.

Ponies of every race were out and about on the warm and crisp spring day. Foals chased each other with a ball in between them, while couples strode around town checking out the different vendors.

Applejack ignored these sights and instead kept her focus on the building that she was fast approaching. It looked like a giant gingerbread house; with frosted windows, graham cracker roofs, and even a giant cupcake on top of it. Ponies entered with bags of bits and left it with bags of treats instead.

Applejack made her way towards the building and through the front door, squeezing between two ponies coming out the other side. “Sorry, she mumbled as she worked her way in.

The inside was just as colorful as the outside, with displays of candies and tarts stationed all around the room. Tables were spread out in different places, while the counter sat in the top left corner.

“So, where exactly am I supposed to meet this pony?” She looked around the room; hoping to find somepony dressed in formal business attire. But just as she began looking, a mare walked up to her.

“Hello Applejack; I have your table all set up for you.”

The mare in question was a blue earth pony with a pink frosted mane and three cupcakes as her cutie mark. She smiled warmly; the same way a mother would smile at her foal.

Applejack raised an eyebrow questionably. “Oh, hello Mrs. Cake. What do you mean about my table?”

Mrs. Cake smiled and motioned for Applejack to follow her. The two set off through the sea of tables and pony chatter. Applejack, still confused as to what was going on, began to scan the room again. Ponies of all different size, age, color, and race were present; but none that looked like they worked for a major company.

The two mares finally arrived at a table tucked into a small corner of the shop. Three cups of steaming hot chocolate were placed on it, and a bowl of assorted sweets sat in the middle. But what caught Applejack’s eye was the pony that was sitting there.

It was a yellow pegasus mare with a pink mane and three butterflies are her cutie mark. Her mane hung down over her right eye, blocking it from view. She had been looking down at her coco, but had raised her head and looked at the two mares as they approached.

“One more to add to your table Fluttershy. If there’s anything else that you need, don’t hesitate to ask,” said Mrs. Cake. She did a very slight bow, then turned and trotted off towards the kitchens.

Applejack watched her disappear before turning to look over at the yellow pegasus. “So...mind telling me what you’re doing here Fluttershy,” she asked as she took a seat across from the mare.

Fluttershy brushed the hair away from her eye, but didn’t make eye contact. Applejack expected this kind of behavior; Fluttershy was known for being a very nervous and easily scared pony. This also made her a rather nervous pony around others, even those that she knew well.

Thankfully, Fluttershy wasn’t a wreck around the animals that she looked after. In fact, she was so good with animals that she even operated the biggest animal shelter in all of Equestria. Even though most animal shelters aren’t big anyway, it was still surprising how many she was able to fit into there.

“Well….somepony sent me a letter about a possible business proposal that they wanted to talk to me about. They said that I should meet them here at this time today to discuss the details,” the pegasus finally responded.

Applejack raised an eyebrow questionably. “Really? Cause somepony sent me a letter saying the exact same thing?” She was beginning to think that something was up; two ponies getting letters to meet them here to talk about business proposals. It all seemed like someone thought the two mares had something both of them had.

Fluttershy slightly glanced up at the earth mare. Her eyes shimmered with both confusion and interest. “But why would somepony want to talk to both of us about business? We have different businesses, so maybe he has another agenda he needs to complete.” For once, the shy pegasus was starting to look concerned about the whole situation.

Applejack was beginning to think the exact same thing. But before the thoughts could properly form, the two became aware of the sound of approaching hooves. However, they didn’t see anypony walking towards their table.

But soon, the sound stopped, and was replaced by the sound of a carriage door opening. Applejack looked at Fluttershy, “I have a feeling our host has arrived.”

And not a moment later, a pony happily walked through the front door. It was a light brown earth pony stallion with a chestnut brown mane. His cutie mark consisted of an hourglass, and he wore a nice blue tie around his throat. A big smile was plastered on his face, and he seemed to radiate “whimsical” from his very essence.

Before the two could even begin to think about this colt, another pony came in behind him. It was a female Earth pony with a pale yellow coat, raspberry mane with light raspberry streaks, chartreuse green eyes, and a cutie mark of a rose. She had a clipboard clutched in her hooves and a pen in between her teeth.

The stallion walked up to the counter; ringing the bell a few times to get Mrs. Cake’s attention. When the mare finally looked back at him, she smiled warmly at him; which he gladly returned. She walked around the counter, waved a hoof in their direction, and lead the two ponies over to the two mares.

As they approached, the stallion’s face lit up with even greater joy than before. The sides of his mouth went so far up they were only a fracture from the bottom of his eyes. His glowing teeth were so bright you could cook a pie with them.

“I can’t believe it, I really can’t believe it! For a while, I wasn’t sure you two would even show up. But seeing you two here, well, I’m just as happy as a foal on his birthday,” said the stallion as he reached the table. The mare behind him kept her eyes on the clipboard, occasionally scribbling something down.

“I do hope the table is to your liking sir,” said Mrs. Cake with a warm smile. “I’ll bring out your meal in a few minutes.” She looked over at the clipboard mare with an uneasy smile. “Will, uh, you be needing anything mam?”

The mare looked up, giving Mrs. Cake a dead glance. “Water’s fine,” she said before returning her attention to the flat piece of wood. Mrs. Cake nodded her head slowly before heading back towards the kitchen.

The stallion took his seat at the table, while the mare took to standing behind him. He smiled at the two mares, who were looking just as confused as a foal in an office building. “Sorry for keeping you two waiting. You would not believe the traffic we faced from here to Manehattan.”

The two mares continued to look confused, but that didn’t seem to bother the pony. He kept on smiling as he said, “but enough with that. We all know why we're here, so why not get the old meet and greet started so we can discuss the details?”

Somehow, even in their confused state, the two mares were able to give a slight nod. “Excellent,” said the stallion with a huge booming voice. A few ponies at other tables gave them strange looks before getting back to their sweets.

The mare continued staring at her clipboard, though she occasionally spared a glance at the other two before continuing to write things down. The stallion cleared his throat before addressing the mares.

“So before I say anything, I want to know if either of you two know who I am.”

Applejack scratched the back of her mane uncomfortably. So far, this wasn’t going out at all how she’d pictured it going. This pony didn’t seem like the kind that would work for a major company, let alone be a representative for it. But she didn’t want to sit there like an idiot, so she did her best to not sound too stupid.

“Uh, sorry, I don’t know who you are. But I’m willing to guess you work for GenMag, right?” she replied.

The stallion chuckled. “Well I suppose that’s one way to put it. I am associated with GenMag, but I’m not just some normal worker or representative.”

The two mare looked at each other, then back at the stallion. Surprisingly, Fluttershy was the one to speak up. “Uh, so, then what are you?” She lowered her head a little, keeping her right eye covered by her hair. “That is, if you don’t mind telling us.”

The stallion smiled again, but this time it was formed into one of a cunning smirk. “I don’t mind telling you at all.” He paused impressively. The two mares waited in anticipation, while the red maned mare just looked unimpressed.

“My name is Dr. John David Hooves; founder and CEO of GenMag industries.”

Bothy mare’s mouths dropped so much you could run a cart through them.

Applejack was utterly speechless; the head of a major corporation was sitting down with them like he was just a normal pony! But what was even stranger was that he didn’t look or act like the CEO of a company. He didn’t wear a suit; just a tie. His way to speaking wasn’t proper, and he was sipping hot chocolate instead of coffee or tea.

Both mares were eventually able to wind their mouths up, but Applejack still didn’t know what to say. He may act strange, but she now had a certain sense to act as nice as she could to this stallion.

Hooves looked at the two of them with a soft smile, though it looked like he was holding back a big laugh. “I’ll say, your reactions were very similar to most ponies who find out who I am.” He slowly shook his head, making his chestnut mane wave back and forth. “After that, it’s all the same procedure. Talking nicely, looking at me like I’m the new Celestia, even a little groveling once in awhile. But you two haven’t started acting like fools, so I’d say kudos to you.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow questionably, finally getting her brains back in order. “I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but why in the hay would the CEO of a company come to talk to two normal ponies?”

Hooves smiled and gave the ponies a slight wiggle of his hoof. “Ah, now that’s just the thing. You two see yourselves as just ordinary.”

“Which we are,” thought Applejack.

“But what you don’t see, that I do, is that everypony is special in their own way. I’m not just talking about cutie marks, I’m talking about things that make them above the ones that are just like the ponies around you,” he said with a wave of his arm.

Fluttershy smiled, moving her mane out of her eye. Applejack had personally only seen Fluttershy smile once or twice; all the other times she was timidly frowning. Seeing a side of her that didn’t make you wonder about her fears was a real treat for her.

“So, um, what makes me and Applejack different from other ponies?” asked Fluttershy with a small smile.

The mare behind hooves whispered something in his ear. He shook his head slowly and waved her off. Turning back to them, he gave them a swave business smile. “Well that’s exactly why I called you both here today. You see, I own an island; off the coast of Manehattan. I bought it from the Equestrian Monarchy and have been spending the last eight years building a….how you say….biological preserve.”

At the mention of “biological preserve”, Fluttershy perked up and looked like she was ready to burst….well, for her standards anyway. “Oh, a preserve. A place where animals can live happily with protection from the modern world?”

Hooves tapped his chin, thinking his response over carefully. “You could say that. It’s a little different than the ones you're familiar with, but I assure you that it will be just as astounding as any preserve on this planet.”

“So what does this have to do with us?” asked Applejack. “I can understand wanting to talk to Fluttershy about this, but how does an island full of animals relate to an apple farmer?”

Hooves let out a slight chuckle. “Well Miss Applejack, the answer to that lies within your family history.” When he only got a confused look in response, Hooves went on explaining. “You see, the Apple family have lived near the Everfree Forest ever since you first settled here, am I correct?”

Applejack nodded in agreement, knowing that piece of history was known by pretty much anybody who knew the Apples.

“And as you know, the Everfree Forest has been the home to some very rare and dare I might add dangerous creatures in its long history. So much so that the Apples have dealt with a few of them in their time when they come to feast on your apples.”

“Well, yeah. We get the occasional wolf or bear come to eat our apples. But it’s nothing too serious; nothing we can’t handle.”

“And that’s my point,” said Hooves, baning his hoof down on the table so fast his cup of cocoa flew up into the air. “Your family has the experience of working with animals that want to eat something. There are animals like that on my island as well, and I need somepony who can think like them. That’s why I wanted to talk to you Miss Applejack.”

Hooves turned his attention to Fluttershy, who had been sitting by silently while the two had talked. “But then there’s you; Miss Fluttershy.” He said her name with such emotion that the mare was blushing like an embarrassed foal. “The mare that’s made it her life’s goal to help any animal that she can. No matter what the size, no matter what the challenge; you find a way to help them!”

Fluttershy looked away from Hooves, trying not to make her obvious blush even more noticeable. “Oh, well, I try to do my best. I don’t always get things done, but…”

“NONSENSE,” screamed Hooves. Ponies around the sweet shop all turned in their direction; even a few ponies were looking at them from the doorway. “You give animals the care and attention they need. Neh, the ones they deserve! That has given you a vast knowledge of them the likes of which you don’t even realize. That’s why I wanted to talk to YOU; because you are more animal sazy than anypony in Equestria!”

The two mares were once again at a loss for words. Not because of what Hooves had said, but because of how he said it. His voice just screamed with the passion and determination that rarely anypony sees in anypony else in today’s world. But then there was his eyes; dark blue eyes that had the greatest hint of a fire burning within them like a the raging flames of Tartarus.

Hooves’ expression slacked slightly, and his high demeanor began to sink down with it. “Oh, I’m sorry about that….outburst. It’s just that this park is really important to me, and I’m positive it’s going to astound ponies and foals alike across the world.”

Applejack frowned slightly. “I can understand caring about something you’ve worked hard to build up. I feel the same way about my farm.”

“I, uh, feel that way about my shelter too,” said Fluttershy, whose voice now seemed to have a new wave of confidence added to it.

“But that makes me wonder,” continued Applejack, “what’s an animal park got to do with us? Why is it important that you needed to talk with us personally?”

If Hooves had looked sad before, that was nothing to what he looked like now. His smile had done a complete 180, forming into a frown that sank down to his lower jaw. The fire that sparkled in his eyes now looked like a small withering coal in a cold fireplace. Even the pony behind him (who still hadn’t introduced herself) looked a little downcast.

“Ah, yes, the reason. Well you see a few days ago a family on a private boat was able to find their way onto the island. They unfortunately came in contact with the animals, and they barely escaped with minor injuries.”

“Oh my,” said Fluttershy, her mane once again coming down over her eye.

“You’d think that would be bad enough, but lady luck wasn’t done beating me up yet.” Hooves slowly shook his head, “The incident caused our backers to question the safety of the island, and insisted that I get outside opinion to confirm that everything is running smoothly. One of my lawyers has already secured a pony to join the trip, but I knew I needed ponies who had the experience needed to handle these animals.”

Applejack nodded her head, understanding what his point was. “That’s why you wanted to talk to us; you want us to inspect your island.”

Hooves nodded sadly, but his expression seemed to perk up slightly. “That’s correct. If I can get you two to sign off on the park, then I can get back on schedule.” Hooves gave his hoof a wave, which seemed to put a smile back on his face. “Of course, you two would be compensated for your work. It’d be enough to run both your operations for the next three years.”

At that knowledge, Applejack’s brain went into full overdrive. Three years might just be what they need to get out of the stupor they had found themselves in. If anything, the public might even get their taste for apples back again.

But then, her brain began to think of everything that wasn’t right about this situation. Hooves was asking them to go to an island full of animals that could hurt others, and possibly cause some real damage. Not to mention that fact that they still had no idea what kind of animals the stallion had filled the place with.

Applejack looked over at Fluttershy, who had the same look of deep thought. With a sigh, the mare turned back to Hooves. “Well Hooves, I really want to go through with this deal. But I’m still not sure this is all worth it; even for a three year payment.”

“Um, I agree,” said Fluttershy, who kept her head facing down.

The two expected Hooves to be mad; to think that they were too selfish and not caring about others. But instead, the stallion gave the two a very smug smile. “You do drive a hard bargain ladies.” He put his hooves together, giving them the same look but with a slight right eyebrow raise. “Say I sweeten the deal. I’m thinking a Fluttershy Animal Shelter built on the island, where guests can adopt abandoned animals that need a loving home.”

Fluttershy’s shyness bolted away in a frenzy, leaving the mare behind with the biggest grin she had ever worn. “Really, a shelter that’s in a good location. One where every animal is treated with care and comfort, and giving to ponies who will love them?”

“Of course, whatever you want it to be.” He turned his attention to the apple farmer. “As for you Miss Applejack, I’ve heard great tell about how delicious your Apple Cider and Desserts are. What if we made a deal that you could supplies apples, cider, and desserts for the dining halls? That would keep you in constant buisness for years to come.”

Now it was Applejack’s turn to fill with joy….but she kept it inside. The Apples had always sold their apples to the citizens of ponyville. But now, they had the opportunity to work with a company that would feed them to ponies all across Equestria. It would not only get them money, but also allow for free advertisement. More ponies would enjoy their apples, and maybe want to buy some of their own. That would lead to a big surge in their sales.

Applejack turned to Fluttershy, who looked back at her with a face still frozen with glee. Hooves smiled warmly, “So, do we have a deal?”

Applejack looked at Hooves with a warm smile. “Where do we sign?”

“EXCELLENT!” screamed Hooves, holding his hoof up just in time to catch his cup of Cocoa. The mares were to happy to even wonder where it had been this whole time.

“This is a big day ladies; the day that everything changes.”

The three raised their glasses in a toast, confident that what Hooves had said was nothing but accurate.

***

The hustle and bustle of Manehattan was a constant 24 hour cycle. There wasn’t a time in the city where the streets weren’t crowded or ponies lined the sidewalks. Shops sung with the fresh morning commuters and a distant wave of tourist passing through. [centerBut while others were enjoying the sights and sounds, one pony was keeping his eyes forward.

A dark red unicorn with a pocket watch cutie mark was casually walking down the sidewalk. He wore a black suit, sunglasses, and a large black fedora. A pair of saddle-bags were slung over his flanks, and a slight jingle could be heard emanating from one of them.

He turned a street corner and found himself near the harbor promenade. Shops lined the long pier that stretched out into the dark blue waters of Manehattan Harbor. The pony walked down the steps and headed towards the far end of the pier; ignoring the souvenir shops and ice cream stands. His focus was on a large restaurant situated at the end of the dock.

The building was shaped like a large lobster, who was holding two large Hay Burgers in his claws while wearing a very cheerful smile. Ponies sat out on tables and benches as they ate through their assortments of buns and fries. The pony rolled his eyes at the sight, though nobody would tell with the blackness of his sunglasses.

The stallion walked past the chattering families over to a small table at the edge of the dock. Sitting at the table, levitating a menu before her, was a white unicorn mare. Her red mane with purple highlights flowed down her neck, glimmering with the sunshine reflecting off her yellowish grey coat. A pair of glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, which she occasionally pushed up when they began to fall off. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon and three stars.

As the stallion approached, the mare looked over at him. Her uninterested facial expression changed into a knowing smirk. “Well, glad to see you actually showed up Pocket Watch. I was beginning to think you’d back out of our deal.”

The stallion pulled out a chair and took his seat. “You shouldn’t use my name when we’re meeting out in public Moon Dancer.” He sounded unenthusiastic, which fit with his black suit, glasses, and hat.

Moon Dancer smiled, turning her head towards the groups of ponies around them. “Pocket Watch, Pocket Watch. I got Pocket Watch here!” she shouted. But the ponies either didn’t hear her, or just kept eating their meals. “See, nopony cares,” she said as she looked back at him.

Pocket Watch huffed, clearly not happy with the mare’s playful attitude. But the anger quickly drained from his face, and was once again cool and uncaring. His horn glowed, and one of his two saddlebags floated up onto the table. “As we agreed; 750,000 bits as an advance. When the jobs done, 50,000 more for each viable embryo. That’s 1.5 million bits when this is all over.”

Moon Dancer pulled the bag towards her, opened it, and looked down at the many bits that filled the inside. Her smirk stretched all the way up to her eyes, with her focused solely on the bits. “Excellent, our deal can now begin,” she said, using her own magic to put the bag on the ground next to her.

“Remember, we need viable embryos. There no use to us if they don’t survive. And I won’t be hesitant to take back your payment if that’s the case.”

Moon Dancer rolled her eyes. “Yes, I heard you the first time Watch. But you still haven’t telled me how I’m supposed to get the embryos off the island. I think they’ll notice if I’m carrying around a giant cooling trunk.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve covered that,” said Pocket Watch. His horn glowed again, but this time he pulled up his other saddlebag. He placed it on the table and opened the first flap. Using his magic again, he pulled out a small mare’s makeup bag. “This is how.”

Moon Dancer looked at the makeup bag with a raised eyebrow. “Uh, I already have something like that. And I don’t think the embryos will survive in something so….uncool.”

Pocket Watch smiled. “Oh, this is just the cover. The real system is inside.” He opened the bag, with looked rather plain on the inside. However, he used his magic to literally pull the velvet lining out of it. What lay behind the velvet was rows of small slots lining the sides. The bottom was a small metal rectangle with a small vent at the end of it.

“You place the embryos in the slots, and the system at the bottom will keep them cold for up to 24 hours. Just keep that cover on until you grab them, and nobody will notice the difference between it and a regular bag.”

Moon Dancer took the bag in her hooves, giving it a good look over. “Wow….that's actually really impressive.” Her face became serious as looked back at Pocket Watch. “Just make sure my contact’s on the east dock by 7 o’clock two days from now.”

Pocket Watch nodded. “How are you planning to get them out of the labs?”

Moon Dancer smiled smugly as she put the bag next to her payment. “I’ve been working out a plan for the last few months. It’s foolproof, and should take no more than 20 minutes. After that, your company will catch up on 10 years of research.” She narrowed her eyes cautiously. “And I can assume that my new position at the company will be rewarded as well?”

“Oh, of course,” said Pocket Watch. “We’ll be honored to have somepony with your knowledge working for BioSpell Inc. As we’ve always said; we need ponies with brains, not brans.”

Moon Dancer looked down at the two bags sitting beside her. One job, and she would get more money than Hooves had ever promised her. One job, and he’d learn that you don’t mess with ponies like her. Ones that know ponies who would pay top dollar for what he was doing. Ones that had the technology to steal what was most valuable to him.

The thought made her even more happy than a foal on Hearth's Warming Eve.

“Then I’d say it’s time for some espionage.”

Chapter 3: The Journey

“But why can’t you tell me where you’re going?”

Applejack sighed as Apple Bloom went on another rant about the trip she was about to undertake. The constant questioning had started the moment she’d gotten back from her meeting with Hooves. Everyone wanted to know what was discussed and what exactly had they come to an agreement on.

Remembering that she’d agreed not to reveal anything until allowed to, Applejack simply stated that they’d come to an agreement that would not only get them more money, but also a possible deal to supply apples to a big attraction. Granny and Big Mac seemed pleased by the information, but Apple Bloom had insisted on learning more.

While she managed to ignore the question for half an hour, Applejack was eventually won over by the constant asking. Still remembering the agreement, she told the family that she’d be taking a weekend trip to take care of their part of the agreement. “I’ll be taking a tour of one of GenMag’s facilities. They got some things there that eat apples, so I’ll just be deciding from there how much we need to provide.”

But of course, this still wasn’t enough for Apple Bloom. She continued to ask questions about the facility, and of course if there was anything that she could do to help. Applejack was almost to her breaking point when the doorbell rang. Taking the opportunity to get away, Applejack rushed to the front door. When she pulled it open, she saw a small pegasus filly standing patiently on the doorstep. She had a purple mane and two saddlebags over her flanks.

“Hey Applejack,” said the filly, “is Apple Bloom home?”

Smiling, Applejack replied “of course she is Scootaloo. I’ll call her down.” She turned to call out for the filly, but Scootaloo put a hoof on her.

“You don’t need to do that. I just wanted to know since she said we’d be making Cider the whole weekend, and I didn’t want her to be joking,” said the filly as she moved past Applejack and into the kitchen.

The mare looked down at the filly with a look of confusion. “Wait a minute, are you spending the weekend?”

“Yeah, Apple Bloom and I arranged it last week. Since Sweetie Belle's busy and my parents are one a trip, we thought it’d be a good idea to spend some time together; just the two of us.”

Applejack smiled. She thought it was nice that her sister and her friend were going to be spending time together. She’d lost touch with RaRa during their childhood, and things hadn’t turned out well. But thankfully, this also meant that Apple Bloom would stop harassing her about the trip she was taking.

And not a moment later, Apple Bloom walked into the kitchen. Her face lit up with joy at the sight of the small pegasus. “Scoots, glad to see you could make it,” she said as she ran over and embraced the filly, who gladly returned the hug.

“Hay Yeah! Why would I miss the chance to make cider and spend time with my friend?”

The two smiled and filed into a fit of laughter. Applejack smiled at the sight, but that soon faded when the grandstallion clock rang 4 PM. “Esh, it’s getting late.” She turned to the two mares. “I have some packing to do, so try not to bother me or burn down the house while I’m upstairs.” She turned away from the two and headed towards the stairs.

Scootaloo turned to her friend. “What’s Applejack packing for?”

“A company called GenMag wants us to be a part of some business proposal that’ll hopefully get us out of this Apple-Funk we’ve found ourselves in,” replied Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo looked puzzled at the response. “GenMag? What would a company like that want to do with an apple farm? They’ve got nothing to do with food distribution or growth.”

“How in the hay do you know that?” asked Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo shrugged. “Sometimes I look up companies when I’m bored. I’ve got to have backup plans if the Wonderbolts don’t work out.”

Apple Bloom was a little surprised about this, but she didn’t linger too long on it. “You still didn’t tell me why Applejack is packing,” said Scootaloo.

“The CEO of the company wants her to check out one of their “facilities” before the deal is put through. Thing is she doesn’t want to tell me what kind of facility it is.”

“WOW, that’s cool,” said Scootaloo. “She’ll probably see a lot of cool stuff while she’s there.”

Apple Bloom raised a questionable eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Scootaloo smiled. “GenMag specializes in genetic modification and spell fusion. They probably have some hybrid animals or ones that have new features like wings or two tails.”

“Gee,” said Apple Bloom, “that would be something. Sis is lucky she gets to go there; I’d give my favorite bow to go and see something like that.”

Scootaloo nodded in agreement...but then stopped and widened her eyes. Her blank face soon turned into one of snickering glee. “Who's to say that we can’t?”

Apple Bloom looked at her friend questionably. “What do you mean?”

Scootaloo smiled even bigger. “Who says that we can’t go with Applejack to see all the cool creatures they probably have there?”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure she’ll give as a million reasons on why we can’t go with her. The ‘who’ you are referring to happens to be my sister.”

Scootaloo laughed slightly as she put a leg around Apple Bloom. “My dear sweet Apple Bloom; you don’t know how wrong you are.” She turned her head to look directly into the Apple’s eyes. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. All we have to do is find a way to go with her without knowing we’re there.”

Apple Bloom stared at Scoot for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “And just how do we do a thing like that?”

“Oh, you leave that to me,” said Scootaloo.

***

After spending the rest of the day packing and thinking, Applejack felt that she was ready for the trip ahead of her. All the supplies she would need for a weekend trip had been packed into her suitcase, and she’d made sure to pack a few meals in the fridge for the rest of the family.

When the next day finally arrived, Applejack brought her suitcase downstairs. The rest of the family was up to, wanting to wish her a good trip. However, she saw that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Apple Bloom? Can’t she at least wake up so that I can say goodbye to her?”

Granny Smith shook her head. “Filly said her and Scoots had a full day planned, and didn’t want to waste a moment of it. Though she did wish you to be safe on your trip.”

Applejack sighed; she’d hoped to say goodbye to her sister in person. She’d been so insistent on learning about the trip earlier, but now she wasn’t even here for when it started. A sliver to suspicion crept into Applejack’s skull, but it soon disappeared when the front doorbell rang.

Applejack ran over to answer it, and found a smartly dressed earth pony standing on the doormat. His smile brightened the room thanks to his pure white teeth, and his eyes were solely focused on the mare in front of him.

“Good day Miss Applejack. My name is Lead Foot, and I shall be your chauffeur today. Do you have everything packed and ready for your weekend excursion?”

The rest of the Apples were a little taken back by the stallion’s helpfulness. However, Applejack was much more used to it. She’d had to deal with Hooves after all, and if you could get through him there wasn’t a pony you couldn’t.

“I’ll bring everything out, just let me say goodbye to my family,” replied Applejack.

“Say no more, I’ll be getting the carriage ready for you,” and with that, he strode away towards the farm gates. Applejack looked out after him, and almost dropped her jaw at the sight he was heading to. Parked next to the gates was the most fancy carriage she had ever seen.

Four golden wheels were attached to a golden frame, which held a glossy black carriage with golden furnishings and lamps. In the center of the door sat the insignia for GenMag, which helped it to stand out as a company vehicle. The chauffeur walked inside the carriage, and the distinct sound of a vacuum could be heard from the inside.

Applejack turned back to her two family members, who seemed just as mesmerized by the carriage. “Well, I guess this is goodbye. I packed a few meals in the fridge, so you should be good for the weekend. Oh, and make sure Apple Bloom gets home at a decent time; I don’t want her out late.”

Big Mac rolled his eyes, and Granny sniffed indignantly. “I’ll have you know that we Apples can take care of ourselves. I was your age once, and I remember how to cook my own meals.” But then she hung her head down slightly. “But really, thanks dear for this. I hope you and that CEO come to an agreement that will help our farm.”

“EEYUP,” said Big Mac with a smile.

Applejack walked up to the two and embraced them in a big hug. The two gladly returned it, both with smiles plastered onto their faces. When they separated, Applejack turned and grabbed the handle of her suitcase between her teeth.

“Well, I’m heading out,” she said, and walked outside towards the carriage. She placed her suitcase down near the rear and walked towards the open door. Lead Foot walked out and gracefully bowed to her.

“Welcome aboard Miss Applejack. Everything inside is for your enjoyment, and I do hope the cushion arrangements are comfortable.”

Applejack smiled. “Thank you very much Lead Foot. By the way, where do I put my luggage?”

Lead Foot waved his hoof. “Oh don’t you worry Miss Applejack, I’ll take care of it. You go on inside and make yourself comfortable.”

Not seeing anything wrong with a stallion wanting to do his job, Applejack walked into the carriage. Lead Foot walked towards the rear of the carriage. Applejack’s suitcase was still there...but there was also a large brown trunk. It didn’t have any locks on it, but the lid looked securely tight around it. “Mare do usually carry a lot of clothes,” thought Lead Foot. He lifted the suitcase into the holding rack, then worked on the trunk.

Once everything was loaded, Lead Foot walked to the front of the coach and strapped himself into the harness. “Were off Miss Applejack,” he called before pulling the carriage out of the farm and onto the dirt track towards Ponyville.

But while they were heading towards town, things were happening in the carriage luggage rack. The top of the trunk opened slightly, and the faces of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked out at the shrinking Apple Farm.

“See, I told you this would work,” said Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom looked nervously over at her. “I just have a really bad feeling about this. I mean, what if my sister finds out?”

Scootaloo waved her hoof at the filly. “Don’t worry about it; if she does, then I’ll take full blame for it. Besides, she won’t find out if we stick to sneaking around.” She looked at the small book she had brought with her. “And remember, it’s just two days. We can stay in the room she gets when it’s too dangerous to move around.”

Apple Bloom rubbed her leg nervously, thinking about the amount of trouble she would be in if Applejack did find out. The last time she’d done something dangerous, she’d been forced to repaint the entire barn; both inside and outside. But this...this was a thousand times worse. And if she thought that painting was bad, she could only think about what her sister would do if she found out about this.

But the thoughts left her head as she felt the carriage slow down. Peeking out the small space between the trunk and the lid, she saw that they had stopped in front of a small house. It almost looked like a large tree, but it had windows and doors cut into it. A small creek ran across the front lawn, which was spanned by a small wooden bridge.

Lead Foot unhooked himself from the carriage and walked towards the small house. He gently tapped on the door and waited. A moment passed by before the door opened. Fluttershy stood in the doorway with a small suitcase next to her. But what drew Lead Foot’s attention was the small rabbit on top of the mare’s head. He had his arms crossed, and was giving the stallion a vicious glare.

“Oh, hello. Are you the one who will be taking us to the island?” asked Fluttershy.

Lead Foot gave his head a quick shake before giving the mare a big smile. “Yes Miss Fluttershy, but to be more precise I will only be taking you to meet Mr. Hooves. From there, the three of you will travel to the island.”

“Oh, alright then.” The mare reached to pick up her suitcase, but Lead Foot waved a hoof in defence.

“Please, allow me to carry your luggage mam,” he said. The rabbit glared down at him even harder, now putting his arms on his hips.

Thankfully, Fluttershy smiled and stepped back. “Oh, that’s very kind of you. It’ll give me time to say goodbye.” She picked the rabbit off her head and held him in front of her. “Now be a good boy angel. Make sure the others don’t fight and that everyone gets to bed on time. Tree Hugger will be here tomorrow to help watch you all.”

The rabbit nodded his head, and the mare gave him a little nuzzle with her nose. “That’s my good Angel.” She placed him down on the ground, and he promptly sped back into the house.

Fluttershy and Lead Foot walked back to the carriage. The stallion moved towards the back and tossed the suitcase onto the luggage rack. It hit the top of the chest, sending it straight into the two fillies’ heads.

Apple Bloom opened her mouth to yell, but it was quickly plugged up by Scootaloo’s hoof. “Quiet,” she whispered. Even though she had tears forming in her eyes, she nodded her head in understanding.

Lead Foot walked to the front of the carriage and strapped himself into the harness. Fluttershy walked into the carriage and found Applejack sitting comfortably on one of the cushions. “Good to see you again Fluttershy,” she said as the mare took a seat across from her.

“It’s good to see you to Applejack.” The mare looked around the carriage, taking in the whole scene of luxury and style. “I still can’t believe that ponies like us are being treated with such high regard.”

Applejack smiled as she took a sip of Hard Apple Cider. “Yeah, makes you wonder why Hooves wants this park to work so badly, and just how much our opinion matters.”

The two soon began talks about Hooves, the luxury, and even some personal matters. Lead Foot took the group out of ponyville and was soon charging across the landscape towards Manehattan.

***

Arriving a few hours later, Lead Foot was soon amongst the hustle and bustle of the Manehattan roadways. Applejack and Fluttershy looked out at the large buildings that dwarfed the small ponies around them.

“Geez, they sure do make these buildings reach up to the sky,” said Applejack. It had been years since she had last gone to Manehattan. She’d only stayed there for one week before the call to home was strong enough to bring her back. Ever since, her view on the city was somewhat mixed.

Lead Foot made a right turn onto a long road. No carriages or ponies ran along it, and there were only blank building entrances along the sides. When they reached the end of the street, they found themselves at the entrance to a very large runway. It sat beside the sea, and was surrounded by a large iron gate.

A small security box stood on the other side, from which a white unicorn walked out. Lead Foot flashed him a security badge, to which the pony nodded. He used his magic to open the gates and let the carriage pass through. Lead Foot pulled the carriage around a corner and towards the end of the runway.

When they reached the end, Lead Foot unhooked himself and ran to open the carriage door. He gave a small bow as Applejack and Fluttershy stepped down from the carriage. “It has been a pleasure being your chauffeur mams,” he said politely.

Applejack waved a hoof at him. “Oh shucks, you’re being too polite. But in all honestly, you were a fantastic chauffeur Lead Foot. I do hope I see you again,” she said.

Fluttershy agreed, but decided to take more time in thanking the stallion for his service. He blushed as he told her his thanks, then proceeded to unload the two mare’s baggage. It was at this time that both mares caught sight of the large trunk sitting in between their suitcases.

“Is Fluttershy bringing a high tech animal observing kit?” thought Applejack.

“Does Applejack really have that many hats?” thought Fluttershy.

The two decided to forget about their thoughts and instead turned to walk towards the runway. Sitting at the end of it was another carriage. It was similar to the one they’d just used, but this one was longer and painted blue. Not only that, but instead of two earth ponies at the front, there were two pegasus’ in light grey uniforms. Each wore a pair of goggles and a slick aviator cap.

The two turned their attention towards the carriage stairs, where they a familiar sight met their eyes. Hooves stood at the bottom of the stairs; his eyes fixated on the mares approaching him. The mare that he’d been with yesterday was standing behind him. But unlike last time when she’d looked emotionless; this time she looked almost joyful. Her mouth was formed into a very wide closed smile.

“Welcome ladies, to the beginning of a brighter future for all of us,” he said as the two stopped before him. “Now that you two are here, we can finally get this show on the road.”

The two nodded, but still had their eyes shifting from Hooves to the mare behind him. But it looked like the stallion saw this, as he motioned for the mare to come forward. “I don’t believe you three met properly yesterday. Applejack, Fluttershy, this is my dear assistant Miss Roseluck.”

The mare bowed slightly. “A pleasure to properly meet you two. I’m sorry if my cold attitude put you off yesterday. I always want to remain calm and collected when Mr. Hooves is having business meetings.”

Hooves laughed and put a leg around the mare. He was laughing so hard he didn’t notice the mare’s cheeks starting to turn red. “Oh, that’s Roseluck for you; calm and uncaring when she should be happy and go-lucky. But I will say, she is one taturus of an assistant.” He let go of the mare, and her face started to turn back to normal.

“Well then, since we’re all here, let’s get boarded so we can head to the island,” said Hooves. He walked up the stairs with Roseluck following close behind him. Lead Foot had just finished loading the two mares luggage. He gave them a bow before heading back to the black carriage.

Applejack and Fluttershy followed Hooves up the stairs and into the carriage. The upholstery was gleaming white, and the floor was covered in a succulent white rug. A small island sat in the middle, which contained a small cooler and rack for glasses. Windows sat along the walls, offering a majestic view of the outside.

But the appearance wasn’t the only thing that caught the mare’s eyes. At the end of the carriage sat two ponies; a mare and a stallion. The stallion was light brown with a dark black mane and a mallet cutie mark. He wore a dark blue suit and tie, and was currently looking through some papers. When the two mares walked in, he gave them a quick glance before returning to his papers.

The other pony was a Brilliant azure unicorn mare with a pale cornflower mane with a very pale cerulean strip running through it. Her cutie mark consisted of a wand over the image or a moon. She was leaning back in her seat; watching the two mares with interest.

“Well, it seems we’re all here. I’ll inform our pilots that we can take off. Better find your seats,” said Hooves to the others. Roseluck took a seat on the right side, while Hooves leaned his head out the open door. “We’re all set,” he called.

Putting his head back in, he hit a button on the wall. The door to the carriage raised off the ground and slid into place. Hooves walked over and took a seat next to Roseluck, who gave her boss a warm smile.

Applejack and Fluttershy took their seats across from Hooves. Not a moment after they sat down, they felt the carriage lurch forward. Looking out the window, Applejack saw that the scenery outside was speeding by. And a few seconds later, the carriage tilted up and pulled away from the ground. The city of Manehattan soon grew smaller and smaller against the clear blue ocean.

“It should take us half an hour to reach the island, so sit back and relax until we land,” said Hooves. He grabbed a book from the seat next to him and began to read. Roseluck reached towards the island and pulled a gardening magazine out of it. She soon had her nose buried in an article about soil.

Applejack didn’t know what she could do at this point. Her only options were take a nap or try and start a conversation. Talking with Fluttershy wouldn’t be a problem, but it would be a little weird for only the two of them to be talking. She wondered it maybe the other two ponies would want to talk….and that’s when she realized the blue unicorn was still looking at them.

Her eyes had the look of seeing right through them. Her curious looking face didn’t make things any better. But this wasn’t going to deter Applejack, so she decided to face her.

“Is there something wrong sugar cube?” she asked.

The mare blinked and turned her head fully towards them. Her eyes squinted as her mouth turned into a frown. “...You're an apple farmer aren’t you?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “What gave it away; the accent or the three apples on my flank?”

“Both,” replied the mare. “I’ve worked with farmers before, and you all have the same feel to you. Hard work, sweat, and a feeling of “out of placeness” when in the presence of luxury.”

Applejack glared at the mare; she definitely had a higher feeling about herself. She’d seen it on a lot of big city ponies, but this mare didn’t seem to be from the city. She had a more “countryside” feel to her, which made her attitude all the more confusing.

Hooves must have felt the tension between them, because he cleared his throat to get their attention. “Well it would seem that we haven’t introduced ourselves. Why don’t we go around and tell everypony who we are?”

The mare huffed, but then gave a smirk. “I am THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! Master of spells and doer of the impossible.” She waited a moment; likely hoping to see them “ooh” and “ahh”. But when they remained silent, she growled and took to staring out the window.

Hooves let out a small chuckle. “Nice to see that you found a real expert Barrister. Now I know my choices won’t match up to yours.”

The stallion in the blue suit rolled his eyes; clearly he was not amused by Hooves’ jokes. “You say that now Hooves, but you just wait until this little trip is over. Trixie will be the one who will either make or break this park of yours. Her opinion will influence mine; the final nail in the coffin.”

Hooves grinned and looked back at Applejack and Fluttershy. “Mr. Barrister is the lawyer that represents my investors. He’ll be accompanying us on our tour; but he’ll still be restricted to the same rules as the rest of you.”

Barrister rolled his again before going back to his sheets of paper. The tension in the carriage seemed to escalate because of the talks, with everyone having a more dreary look on their faces.

Applejack was beginning to feel uncomfortable; she didn’t like it when things went tense. Wanting to get out of it, she decided now was as good a time as any to take a nap. “I’m gonna sleep until we get to the island. Wake me up before we land,” she said to Fluttershy. She laid down, laid her hat over her eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note

I was going to make this chapter longer, but I thought there was already a lot in it. The next chapter is when the real fun begins.

Chapter 4: Welcome To Cryptid Park

Chapter 4: Welcome to Cryptid Park

“....Applejack, wake up!”

Applejack stirred as Fluttershy slowly shook the mare awake. Sleep was still in her head as she slowly rose up from her seat. The others were either talking or looking at her; which was a little strange.

“Uh….how close are we?”

“Almost there actually,” said Hooves. “We should be able to see the island in a few seconds.”

Now fully awake, Applejack looked out the window. The endless views of ocean met her eyes once again. But then, she looked to the right. “Oh….wow!”

Hooves looked out the window too, and smiled. “Ah, there it is.”

In front of the carriage was a large island. Cliffs and beaches surrounded the coastline, while large jungles spread inland. High mountains could be seen farther away, making the island look even bigger.

“That’s it,” said Hooves, “Isla Nublar.”

Fluttershy, Rose, and the others looked out at the island. They all looked surprised at the sheer size of it.

“Wow….just how many animals do you have on here?” asked Trixie.

“More than I can count,” said Hooves. “But I’ll save any more information for when we see them.”

The rest of the ponies were left wondering why they needed to see the animals before getting more information. But they remained silent as the carriage flew over the jungle and through the mountain pass.

Soon, the mountains gave way to a large opens space surrounded by more mountains. A small waterfall was flowing down one side, towards a small lake at the bottom. But as the pegasus’ flew into the opening, they began flying down towards a large runway near the lake.

“Woah,” said Applejack, hurriedly clinging to her seat.

“Sorry about this,” said Hooves. “Air pressure is a little low here, so we have to land almost immediately. But don’t worry, our pilots are experts at this.”

But next to him, Roseluck was quickly attaching her seatbelt. Seeing this, the others began to buckle up too. Hooves, not seeing a problem, kept his seatbelt off.

“Please be over soon….please be over soon,” said Fluttershy, who also had her eyes closed tight.

Applejack looked out the window, just as the carriage made contact with the ground. It rolled onward for a few feet before finally coming to a stop.

“There,” said Hooves, hopping out of his seat. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“Tell that to Fluttershy,” said Applejack to herself. The yellow mare was shaking like a dog, and was still holding tightly to her seat. “Come on sugarcube. Time to get off.”

As Applejack helped unhook Fluttershy, Hooves walked to the door and pushed it open. Roseluck followed behind him as he walked down the stairs and onto the paved runway. He took a deep breath, taking in all the smells of the island around him.

“Oh, it’s good to be back.”

He looked back at the doorway, seeing Applejack, a shaken Fluttershy, Trixie, and Mr. Barrister walk out. They all looked around, amazed by the sights around them.

“Well everyone, we’ve arrived in one piece.”

“Yes,” replied Trixie. “But where exactly is this “preserve” I was told about. Don’t tell me this is it?”

“Not exactly,” said Rose, “it’s more further inland.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “So are we going to be hoofing it there? Or do you have another carriage for us?”

Hooves and Roseluck looked at each other, before each letting out a small chuckle. The four guests looked at each other, not know what they were laughing about.

“Oh, there’ll be no walking to the “preserve”,” said Hooves. “For you see, this is where the technology of the past meets the technology of the future.”

He turned around and began walking towards a small dirt road next to the runway. Roseluck followed behind him. “Come, you’ll all want to see this.”

Trixie and Mr. Barrister looked at each other questionably before following the two. Applejack looked at Fluttershy, who looked just as confused.

“You have any clue what he’s talking about?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No….sorry.”

“It’s fine,” replied Applejack as she followed the others. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

The six ponies began walking towards the dirt road….but soon they heard a noise. It sounded like a deep rumble, and it was coming from the roadway.

“What’s that,” asked Fluttershy, who was close to shaking again.

Hooves, who was now standing by the road, turned around and smiled at the group. “That, my friends, is our ride.”

Before the group could respond, the thing responsible for the rumbling moved into view. It looked like a cart...but it had a long front and rubber wheels. The passenger compartment had cream colored upholstery, and the outside was painted grey and red. On the side of the doors was a circle with a weird looking creature on it. There were words below it that said CRYPTID PARK. A pony sat in the front left side, holding onto a small wheel.

“Well,” said Hooves, “what do you think?”

Applejack tilted her head, trying to get a nack for what it even was. But no matter what, she couldn’t think of anything.

“Uh...what is it?”

Hooves rolled his eyes, but still smiled. “It’s a self propelled cart. Or, as those in the lab like to call it, an Automobile.”

Mr. Barrister walked up to the machine, looking over it with a keen eye of interest.

“And just when were you planning on telling me about this?”

“We thought it best to keep the technology secret for now,” said Rose. “Until such time as the “preserve” was open.”

The rest of the group began walking towards the machine, looking over the many bits and pieces of it. Applejack kicked one of the tires, feeling the rubber it was made of.

“So, uh, are we all going to squeeze into this?”

“Of course not,” said Hooves. “Some of us will be in this one, and the others will be in that one.”

The group looked behind the automobile, and saw another one pulling up behind it. It came to a stop, and the driver waved a hoof at Hooves.

“Good,” said Hooves. “Come along everyone, we have animals to see.”

***

“This is bizarre,” thought Applejack as she watched the scenery fly by her. She was sitting in the back seat of the first automobile, with Trixie sitting to her right, and Fluttershy in the front passenger seat.

Hooves, Roseluck, and Mr. Barrister were in the machine behind them. They’d set off a few minutes ago, and already she could see a lot of differences from a normal cart or coach.

“It’s a lot faster,” she said to the driver.

“They can go up to 95 MPH,” he replied. “But because of the terran, we can’t take them above 60.”

“Are they dangerous to the animals that live here?” asked Fluttershy.

“Not unless they run in front of the auto. But that rarely happens here. We drive them away from the animal’s main nesting areas.”

Fluttershy sighed in relief. Applejack rolled her eyes; she should have know Fluttershy would have been more concerned about the animals and not what this machine could do.

But soon, the auto turned a corner, and was faced by a large gate. It was made of large irons poles, which had crisscrossing beams in between them. A purple aura surrounded them, and a large gated entrance sat before them.

“What in the name of Celestia is this?” asked Trixie.

“It’s, uh, one of the main gates to the area. We don’t want the animals going where personnel arrive. So we built this so they don’t come this way.”

“Oh, do they hurt that animals?” asked Fluttershy.

The driver didn’t respond, he just pulled up to the gate and turned to one of the guards stationed at the entrance. He nodded before turning to a control panel and pushing some buttons. The gates made a clanking sound before opening.

Slowly, the driver moved the auto through the opening and out the other side. The auto behind them followed suit, and the two continued on their way. The pony at the controls reset the functions and watched as the gates closed and the autos headed down the pathway.

Mr. Barrister, who was looking over some papers, looked back at Hooves. “The full 50 miles of security fencing is in place?”

“And the concrete moats, and the crystal-relay tracking systems,” replied Hooves with a smile. “But really Barrister, try to enjoy yourself. After all, where do you think this place gets it’s name?”

Mr. Barrister rolled his eyes. “Let’s get something straight Hooves; this is NOT a weekend excursion. This is a serious investigation into the stability of the island. The board wants answers, and I plan on finding them. In 48 hours if they’re not happy, I’m not happy. I’ll shut you down Hooves.”

But the stallion wasn’t fazed, as he let out a small chuckle, which Roseluck copied. “In 48 hours, I’LL be accepting YOUR apology.”

The two autos rolled along a cliff-side for a few minutes before entering a cluster of trees. The path wound through the cluster until it started running along a small river.

But when the autos started rolling next to it, a strange high-pitched noise moved through the air. Hooves smiled stood up in his seat. “Slow down,” he called, “they’ll want to see this!”

The two drivers slowed the autos down to a crawl, while the passengers looked around in confusion. Applejack turned around; looking back at Hooves and Rose.

“Hey Hooves, why are we slowing down?”

But Hooves didn’t need to answer. A second later, the cry rang out again. The ponies looked towards the river, and noticed a large colorful object moving below it’s surface. It slithered along like a snake, and moved so quickly it had disappeared down stream a second later.

“What in the name of Celestia was that?” asked Trixie.

“Something amazing,” called Hooves. “Speed up gentlecolts: let’s try and catch up!”

The drivers nodded, and soon the autos were zooming down the pathway. The river and trees flew past until they were replaced by a large open field. The river split away from the path, and the autos moved further into the field.

“Okay, stop here,” called Hooves. “This is the perfect spot!”

The two autos came to a slow stop, and Hooves hopped out of the back. Rose followed suite, and the two walked towards the Applejack and the others.

“Why have we stopped Hooves,” asked Applejack. She hopped out of the auto and looked around the field. “And what was that thing we saw in the river?”

“What that was will be revealed in time,” said Hooves. “For now, I’d pay more attention to the friend that’s sitting on your hat”.

Applejack looked confused, so she pulled her hat off her head and looked at the top. She gasped, because sitting on it was something she had never seen before.

It was a small round bug looking thing. It had a blue body, four small legs, and large transparent wings. It looked up at Applejack with large eyes, and hummed slightly and smiled.

“What in the hay is this,” asked Applejack.

Fluttershy flew out of the auto and over to the confused mare. She took a look at the creature, and instantly gasped.

“Oh my gosh….that’s a Parasprite!”

“A what,” asked Trixie as she walked towards the group.

“A parasprite,” said Fluttershy. She held out her hoof, and the parasprite flew from AJ’s hat and onto it. “I thought they were extinct!”

Hooves chuckled. “Oh they were….until we fixed that”.

Before the group could respond, they heard a noise coming from some nearby tall grass. The group turned to see what the noise was. Soon, something emerged from the grass; stopping a few feet from the group.

It was a creature: one with four legs, three horns, sharp teeth, and a long spiky tail. It’s eyes looked over the ponies cautiously, but soon it began to move closer to the group.

“What the hay is THAT thing?” asked Applejack.

“Oh my goodness; that’s a Slingtail,” said Fluttershy. She placed the parasprite in her mane and walked over to the creature. Instantly, she began to pet it. The creature let out a small growl and leaned into the pet; clearly enjoying it.

“How on earth is this possible,” asked Fluttershy. “The last Slingtail lived thousands of years ago”.

“Forget that,” said Trixie. “I want some answers Hooves!”

The mare trotted over to Hooves and looked him dead in the eyes. “Why is it that two extinct species are on this island. Why haven’t you told us anything about this preserve….actually, I can shorten this to one question. WHAT IS THIS PLACE!?”

Hooves, not looking worried or angry, chuckled slightly. “Alright, I’ll tell you”. He stepped around Trixie and walked towards the Slingtail, which he promptly started to pet as well.

“This place isn’t exactly a preserve….it’s more like an amusement park. But unlike most parks, our attractions are actually living. And when I say that, I mean real living CRYPTIDS!”

“Cryptids,” said Applejack. “But didn’t most cryptids live, like, thousands of years ago? Heck, I don’t even think Celestia was around when the last one died”.

“Indeed they did,” replied Hooves. “But we’ve found a way to bring them back to life. And it’s not just these two: we have Jackalopes, fruit bats, dragons….”

“DRAGONS!”

Everyone turned to Fluttershy, who was no longer petting the Slingtail. Instead, she was shaking like she was in the middle of a blizzard. “Did….did you say Dragon?”

“That is correct,” replied Hooves.

Fluttershy tried to form words, but she was only able to let out small noises instead. Applejack walked over to her and tried to calm her down, while Hooves just laughed.

“Applejack, Trixie, and my dear Fluttershy: Welcome To Cryptid Park!”

Hooves looked away from the group and out towards the open field. Because in the distance, by the river, he could see more Slingtails and Parasprites drinking and going about their lives.

Applejack, after making sure Fluttershy was okay, walked up next to Hooves. She watched the cryptids for a second before turning to him. “How did you do this,” she asked.

Hooves smiled. “I’ll show you”.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

By the way, if you like this story, check out some of my other popular ones: Like Pure Imagination and A Robot's Lament. I would love your feedback on them too.