Chapter One:
Twilight Sparkle
My eyes opened to the glare of the sun as I stirred awake. The sand beneath my hooves was a glittering white with many rocks and seashells that littered about the place. I had no memory of ever getting shipwrecked or even teleporting to this place.
“What happened? Where am I?” I looked around to see Applejack passed out on the beach as well, “AJ! AJ! Wake up!”
“What in tarnation? Twilight?” my friend rose up from the sand and rubbed her eyes, “Can’t a farm pony just get a little bit a sleep?”
“No! Look!”
AJ jumped up in surprise to find ourselves in parts unknown, “Well I’ll be, if it ain’t the darnest thing.”
“I swear I didn’t teleport us here! I don’t know what is going on,” I looked about my surroundings and noticed strange plump birds that hummed and honked, “What? Dodos? I thought these were extinct!”
“MY HAIR IS ALL SANDY WHHYYYY?” a whine that could have only come from Rarity cried out behind me as she was washed ashore, “Everything’s all wet and icky and ugggh!”
“Um… Twilight where are we?” Fluttershy came up behind Rarity to comfort her rather over dramatic entrance.
“I have no idea,” I scratched at my left arm and felt something off. I raised my hoof to my face and found a alien looking implant which caught me by surprise, “AHH! Look at your wrists!”
“What in the hay?” Applejack tried to bite at it, “Ah can’t get it off!”
“Oh! It’s so pretty! At least it’s the only thing fashionable about this island so far. Ick, all these feces covered dodos. But, aren’t they suppose to be extinct?” Rarity eyed at her implant before turning her attention to the birds, “Fluttershy, do be a dear and try to communicate with the birds and find out where we are.”
“Okay, hey there little guys. Um, do you know where we are?”
A few honks and cute hums later Fluttershy looked back at us with an answer.
“It says we’re on the ARK.”
“The what Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.
“The ARK, more specifically just a little bit east of the Red Obelisk…” Fluttershy looked behind her to see a massive metallic spire that stretched on into the sky and hovered over what seemed to be a pedestal or an arena of some sort. The top of the structure glowed a deep red from a diamond shaped sigil, “Oh my…”
“That is not normal…” AJ commented, “And where is Pinkie Pie and RD?”
“Right here!” Pinkie breached from out of the water with a massive crocodile she was riding on, “I brought Gummy!”
“Pinkie, what happened to Gummy?...” I asked in awe as she rode up on the shore with a forty foot version of her pet reptile.
“Oh, he became a sarcosuchus after we all got magically teleported to this island duh! Oh wait, that’s not exactly normal huh?”
“A sarco-what?”
“Sarcosuchus excubitor. It’s an extinct species of large crocodile. I read it in a book once,” I explained to AJ as Pinkie allowed Gummy to stride on right beside us, “I’m sensing a pattern here.”
“So where is Rainbow?” Applejack looked around and saw Dash sleeping on the top of a large palm tree, “Well I ain’t surprised about that. Let me just give her a good buck off there.”
Applejack dislodged Rainbow from the tree with one swift kick which sent her to the ground.
“What was that about AJ?!” the irate pegasus woke up and yelled at Applejack.
“Rainbow, we’re kind of in a situation here.”
“Wait, this isn’t Ponyville, where are we Twilight?”
“I have no idea but you can help us out by scouting beyond the ocean if you can,” I pointed out to sea to suggest an escape route away from the island.
“No sweat! I’ll take a look,” Rainbow took off at high speed and we all saw her slam into an invisible wall. I flew over to her and caught her mid fall, “What? It’s some kind of force field!”
I tried to buck it and impart my magic on it as well. Nothing worked as the hexagonal panels of the shield stood fast, “Oh no no no no… We’re trapped!”
We both flew back to shore with our friends as we rallied together.
“So how the hay are we gonna get off this island?” AJ started pace about as we sat by a campfire made by Pinkie. Gummy formed a wall around us using his large body and tail.
“I don’t know, something brought us here for a reason. Maybe the gems on our wrist might be able to provide some answers,” I looked at the gem like implant grafted onto my skin and looked into it. As I gazed at the center a hologram like image popped up before me, “Well, that’s unexpected.”
“Huh, it’s like a smartphone or something,” Rainbow took notice to the holographic screen that shot out of her implant.
“OH! It’s simply marvelous! Such a high tech and fashionable, if not invasive, device. I still love how it looks darling. Mine has such a pretty glow. Does it match my coat dears?”
“I think yours looks wonderful Rarity,” Fluttershy smiled in agreement.
“Ooh! I leveled up! Time to spend my Engrams!” Pinkie Pie fiddled around with her interface screen and started to select some strange items that popped up.
“Your what?” Rainbow looked at Pinkie as she sat next to Gummy’s eye.
“My Engrams! They teach me all sorts of fun toys to play around with in this island! I just learned the thach foundation, walls, doorframe, and the roof so we can have shelter for the night!”
“And how do you know how all of this works?” I looked at Pinkie who was obviously more attune to how this world worked, “And do you know why we are here?”
“Answer one: Pinkie Sense. Answer two: Iiiii dunno!” Pinkie giggled, “I’m as clueless as you are to why we’re here but at least Gummy came along for the ride! Who’s my big level five Sarco! Yes you are! Yes you are Gummy!”
“Hmph, well we need shelter to last the night so we should all gather as much wood and resources as we can carry and bring it back here so we can build this house.”
“Aw shucks Twilight, I’ve built dozens of barns over my life. I could probably-” AJ stopped mid sentence and sat wide eyed for a split second, “I FORGOT HOW TO BUILD A BARN!”
“Well duh, you have to learn the Engrams for all the wooden structures at level ten. I’m only at level five so all I can make is thatch. It’s better than nothing,” Pinkie paused, “And it’s odd too since I technically can’t ride Gummy until level 35. Oh well. I’ll stay here and guard the camp. You guys can go on.”
“Let’s split up to gather. AJ you’re with me. Fluttershy, Rainbow go and see if you can get us some food while AJ and I gather the wood and thatch.”
“Here, take these,” Pinkie handed us each a set of stone picks and axes she had made in advanced.
“And uh, I’ll stay here with Pinkie and Gummy. You know, for moral support,” Rarity insisted.
“Fine, let’s go Applejack.”
“At least I still know how to buck them trees,” AJ nodded as we trotted into the forest, “I don’t think I need these tools to get these down.”
With one swift buck to the palm tree AJ successfully kicked it over for us to harvest. Her skill in naturally processing the thatch and wood was still in her mental capacity. Even I forgot a few things as I was teleported to the island. Namely basic crafting skills needed to survive.
“There! Three trees down. Ah can keep going if ya want me to.”
“Uggh! You sure? This is heavy!”
“Uh, here let me take some of that load off ya,” AJ grabbed half of the stack on my back to lighten my load, “Still doing just fine!”
“Hm, I’ve seemed to have leveled up. What did Pinkie say I could do?” I looked at my implant and found glowing plus signs right next to my projected attributes. Health, Stamina, Oxygen, Food, Water, Weight, Melee Damage, Movement Speed, Fortitude, and Crafting Speed. The only stat that didn’t have the plus marking was the Torpor one, “So what happens if I?”
I clicked on the one that increased my carry weight and instantly the hologram changed to a list of things all greyed out, some more than others with black silhouettes on things I couldn’t learn at my current level. I spent some of my points towards learning how to craft a note.
“You okay there Twi?”
“Take a look at your implant and see what you can increase,” I suggested to Applejack as she brought up her hologram.
“Huh, well ain’t that something. I just put that into extra buckin’ power! Yeehaw!” AJ kicked down another tree without much effort as it slammed onto the forest floor. I chopped it up into logs and sticks and lifted some onto my back, this time I felt a little bit stronger as I carried just a little bit more than before. I gave the rest to AJ who had an abnormally high carry weight to begin with. Both our stomachs rumbled as our hard work gave us quite the hunger, “Well I think it’s about time for lunch. Come on Twi.”
We hurried back to camp and I could see the four others gathered back at the campfire. Rainbow was once again asleep on top of Gummy.
“Fluttershy, what did happen to Rainbow darling?”
“She was just fine a minute ago! We were out gathering berries when she ate all the black ones.”
“Well if she had read her implant she would have known those were Narcoberries,” Pinkie looked at the sleeping pegasus as she drooled on top of her pet sarco, “It even says when you read the description from your implant that those berries put you to sleep. She’ll be fine though. Hey! Do you have any white berries on you?”
“Yes why?”
“Here, hand those to me,” Pinkie got a whole bunch of white berries and stuffed them into Rainbow’s mouth to force feed her, “Open wide!”
“BLEH! PFFT! UGH!” Rainbow jumped awake as she her eyes became bloodshot like she had just overdosed on coffee, “Pinkie! I was enjoying that nap! Now my eyelids feel like they can’t shut and my mouth is dry.”
“Here, have some water,” Pinkie gave her what looked like a bladder from an animal freshly skinned, “Well don’t just sit there drink it before all those Stimberries make you all shriveled up like a raisin.”
Rainbow gulped it down to defuse all the caffeine in her system, “Thanks Pinkie. Oooooh! Uggh! My gut..”
“Oh and there’s oonnnne thing I forgot to mention about those Stimberries…”
“BATHROOM!” Rainbow dashed away and behind a bush to do about her business.
“They make you poop! Heheh!”
“What do I use to wipe?!” Rainbow shouted from behind the bush as Fluttershy flew over to hand her some leaves they had gathered while out picking berries.
We helped Pinkie build most of the hut as the rain started to fall. We all huddled together to discuss our situation.
“There has to be a reason why we’re here. Why else are all of us here together?”
“Maybe there’s a friendship problem on this island deary,” Rarity suggested, “While we may not be anywhere near Equestria this place does look like it could use some, well, culture.”
“Pinkie do you have any suggestions?” I looked over to the Pinkie as she rubbed Gummy’s snout stuck in the door.
“I’d guess the giant metal alien thingy might be a good shot but anyone of your suggestions might be valid here,” Pinkie shrugged.
“I guess that’s a start. It’s better than nothing. Hopefully this rain lets up so we can get over there,” I felt the drips of water leak through the thatch roofing and onto my mane and coat. I sighed as I started to rub my wrist and the implant grafted into it. The gemlike structure was a mystical device that was going to be essential to my survival in this land. As I thought to myself some of my memories faded as I tried to recall them. Though my scientific and magical knowledge was intact anything that had to do with building, making, or crafting anything was either fuzzy and somehow taken away. I looked up to ask the group, “What was the last thing you guys remember doing?”
“It was just like any other day Twi, we all went to bed yesterday night and now we’re here. I was just about to look forward to applebucking the new harvest for the market,” AJ grabbed a hoof full of berries and ate them as she finished.
“Same thing here Twilight, last thing I remember I was reading Daring Do and the Adventures of the Magic Bread before falling asleep and the next thing I knew I was up in a tree getting knocked down by AJ.”
“I have to agree with Rainbow, I’m kind of worried about the animals I have to take of. Although I sure don’t mind all these cute little dodos!” Fluttershy was cuddled up in a corner with a whole mass of dodos she had attracted with berries, “They sure do love these Mejoberries. These aren’t very tasty compared to the other red, blue, and yellow berries but it seems that the herbivores love them.”
“You know come to think of it these birds are rather adorable. I wonder if I can fashion their feathers into something pleasing to the eye… I’ve got it! I’ll design a new fashion lineup inspired by these prehistoric beasts! Such a good idea! What do you think?”
The dodo next to Rarity hummed as she picked it up. It laid an egg as it was lifted off the ground.
“That’s the fourth egg in half an hour,” Fluttershy observed, “These sure do make eggs a lot faster than my chickens.”
“I bet they’d make get omelets! Come to think of it I’d love to try eating some of these animals some time,” Rainbow wondered, “Well, obviously not you little dodos.”
I looked at Gummy who had devolved into his larger ancestor. I had wondered why we hadn’t as well to our purely herbivorous Equus ferus caballus ancestors. We still retained our Equus sapiens classification and intellect as well as our omnivorous diet. I found this quite strange. I kept this to myself and wrote it down for later. The rain finally stopped as we peered out of the hut.
“Looks like we’re clear guess we should go check out the obelisk,” everypony stepped out and onto the back of Gummy who floated in the river with Pinkie at the saddle.
“Well come on! Yip yip Gummy!” Pinkie whipped the reins as Gummy growled playfully.
We looked around and saw a vast multitude of dinosaurs all mixed together from all different periods in time. Triceratops mingled with parasaurs and dodos. Tiny raptor like dilos cooed on the shores as they hunted small monkeys and dodos. I even saw a few pteranodons flying about and scooping fish out of the water. Gummy snapped his jaws as we passed by a school of coelacanths to fill his mouth with fish. As we approached the delta that ended near the red obelisk I saw giant white birds up in the sky that looked like massive seagulls. We sailed into the opening of the lower part of the obelisk and I felt an uneasy feeling like we’re being watched.
“Twitchy twitch!” Pinkie started to twitch. We all knew something bad was about to happen.
It was only seconds after Pinkie started to twitch when we heard a gunshot nearby. There was a dart that hit Pinkie in the neck that caused her to spasm like she was being shocked by a bolt of electricity.
“Twilight!” Rainbow looked around as she pointed to a glint of metal on the top of the ridge. It was a sniper armed with a long rifle held in his hooves with his green coat that blended into the foliage along with his clothing covered in leaves and plant fibers, “I’ll get him!”
Rainbow flew up as she was hit by a flying bola that knocked her onto the shore. A pteranodon with a pony rider had managed to rope her in and grabbed her in its talons.
“TWILIGHT!”
“RAINBOW!” I shouted as she was carried away while we were surrounded by a circle of dolphin like creatures with crossbow wielding riders that ambushed us from below. They started to pelt Gummy with arrows as he roared and threw us off his back and into the water. The giant croc was knocked unconscious as we all fell into the water. The pony divers turned their crossbows to us and fired. An arrow hit my arm as I felt a tranquilizer flood my system and render me asleep.
Author's Note
...And then the Chinese Alpha Tribe burned their hut, killed their dodos, and took all their thatch with level 273 Wyverns downloaded from another server... ;_;
