Cinematic Adventures: Jurassic Park

by extremeenigma02

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Violence, Crossover, Death, Daring Do, Doctor Whooves, Twilight Sparkle, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash
Length: 76374

The Mane Six and Spike, along with Daring Do and Time Turner, venture with Alan Grant, Ellie Sadler, and Ian Malcom to Isla Nublar for an adventure 65 million years in the making.

When Daring Do comes to visit Ponyville, Rainbow Dash is beyond excited to be spending time with her idol. Meanwhile, Time Turner hopes to help Twilight make adjustments to the television teleported machine. Unfortunately, a technical miscalculation sends the Mane Six, Spike, Daring Do, and Time Turner to an island in the southern hemisphere of Earth known as Isla Nublar. Here they discover that the owner of a new amusement park, John Hammond, has been resurrecting dinosaurs and it is up to them to put a stop to it before someone ends up getting eaten.

It’s an adventure 65 million years and nine seasons in the making.

Published 2023-05-05 21:00:02 UTC
Last updated 2023-07-03 16:22:58 UTC

New Allies

Manos de Dios Amber Mine:
Dominican Republic

Hot and humid was the very air within the southern corner of the Earth, particularly in the Dominican Republic. Normally, this place is a great vacation spot for tourists. But one man had come all the way here for a completely different reason.

Donald Gennaro, an anxious lawyer, found himself balancing his weight upon a raft pulled toward land by two Dominicans. To say this man was very out of place would be a correct assertion. A man in his forties, in a city man’s idea of hiking clothes and a hundred-dollar haircut. As the lawyer was pulled ashore, one man along the hillside. Juan Rostagno, thirty-ish, Costa Rican, a smart-looking guy dressed in a safari outfit, smirked as he waited for him.

“Apuesto mil pesos a que se cae,” He spoke to one guy. (I bet a thousand pesos he falls)

“Hola, Juanito!” Donald waved.

As he got off the raft, Juanito approached and shook the lawyer’s hand as they both chuckled.

“Hola, Bienvenido,” Juanito replied. (Hello, welcome.)

The two men then start making their way up the path towards an active mining site. Tons of workers were extremely busy along this mine. The majority were overturning large rocks, using pickaxes to scrape and claw through rock walls, or tunneling their way further under the earth. One could imagine how they got anything done, with the work all done by hand, pick and shovel instead of dynamite and bulldozers.

“What’s this I hear at the airport?” Donald asked, following Juanito. “Hammond’s not even here?”

“He sends his apologies,” Juanito responded.

“You’re telling me that we’re facing a 20-million-dollar lawsuit from the family of that worker, and Hammond couldn’t even be bothered to see me?”

“He had to leave early,” Juanito explained. “He wants to be with his daughter, she’s getting a divorce.”

“Well, I understand and I’m sorry to hear that,” Donald responded. “But we’ve been advised to deal with this situation now. The insurance company--”

Donald found himself interrupted when his foot slipped on an uneven path of ground and Juanito helped him up.

“You okay?” Juanito asked him.

Donald merely brushed himself off and continued like nothing happened.

“The underwriters of the park feel the accident has raised some very serious safety questions about the park,” Donald explained further. “That makes the investors very, very anxious. I had to promise I would conduct a very thorough, on-site inspection.”

Juanito paused as a donkey brayed in the distance.

“Hammond hates inspections,” Juanito sighed. “They slow everything down.”

“Juanito, if they pull the funding, that’ll slow him down even more,” Donald warned seriously.

They soon found their conversation cut short when a miner hurried toward them and burst into their talk breathlessly.

“Jefe! Jefe! Encontramos otro mosquite, en el mismo sitio!” The miner spoke. (Boss! Boss! We’ve found another mosquito in the same place)

“Estas seguro?” Juanito asked. (Are you sure?)

“Si, venga!” The miner nodded, gesturing to follow. (Yes, come on!)

“A ver, muestrame,” Juanito encouraged. (Go on, show me.)

The worker and Juanito scrambled back deeper into the mine. Juanito called back over his shoulder toward Gennaro.

“It seems like it’s going to be a good day after all,” Juanito continued. “They found another one! C’mon.”

Donald struggled to keep up with the men as they made their way toward the mine. Suddenly, there was a shout as Donald banged his head on a low setting wooden beam.

“Watch your head!” Juanito warned.

Together they ventured into the dark, dripping cave, where at least a dozen workers are gathered in a tight circle, staring at something intently. Juanito fought his way toward the center of the group. One of the workers handed him something and the man examined it carefully. It’s a chuck of amber, a shiny yellow rock about the size of a half dollar and recently polished.

“If two experts… sign off on the island, the insurance guys will back off,” Donald said hopefully. “I’ve already got Ian Malcolm, but they think he’s too trendy. They want Alan Grant.”

“Grant?” Juanito chuckled. “Ha-ha, you’ll never get him out of Montana.

“Mas luz!” (Light. More light!)

“And why not?” Donald asked.

“Muchachos, echenme luz!” Juanito shouted in Spanish. (Guys, give me some light!)

The miners quickly tried shedding as much light as possible toward their boss, who now held a large chunk of hard amber and observed it closely.

“Why not?” Donald asked again.

“Because Grant’s like me… he’s a digger,” Juanito responded.

Juanito turned and held the amber up to the sunlight streaming through the mouth of the cave. With the light pouring through it, the amber was translucent, revealing something inside this strange stone - a huge mosquito, long dead, entombed within the stone.

“Hay gue lindo eres vas hacer a much gente feliz,” Juanito smiled. (Oh, you’re so beautiful. You will make a lot of people happy)

To some, looking toward the fully preserved body of a mosquito dead center in the hardened amber, this tiny blood sucking insect encased in ancient tree sap might not seem like a big deal. But for these men, however, finding this creature was everything.

<>

The Badlands:
Near Snakewater, Montana

The Badlands of Montana, within the United States, was so named for a very specific reason. The land’s completely barren and covered completely in desert sand. Temperatures could range anywhere from 140 degrees in the day to below freezing at night. This land was completely devoid of any form of life… mostly.

An artist’s camel hairbrush carefully swept away sand and rock to slowly reveal the dark curve of a fossil - a claw. A dentist’s pick gently lifted it from the place it had laid for millions of years. A group of diggers worked on a large skeleton, as a paleontologist worked on the claw laying in his hand.

These people are the only ones who were brave enough to come to these lands, currently busy with a huge project of epic proportions. Numerous archaeologists currently were amid a massive dig in the sands of this very desert. Many brushed off the numerous old bones they’d found while others were in the process of digging them out. Thus far, their search has proved fruitful as they’ve already dug up a good deal of full dinosaur skeletons. High upon a small nearby sand dune were the leading researchers of this excavation outlet: Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler.

Dr. Grant, a world-renowned paleontologist, was a rather handsome man (Perhaps in his mid-to-late thirties) with slick dirty blonde hair and piercing eyes. He wore a checkered red and dark brown flannel with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, khaki pants, and dark brown boots.

Dr. Sattler, a renowned paleobotanist, was a beautiful woman in her early thirties, very athletic looking, with blonde hair that came down to her shoulders. She wore a denim short-sleeved jacket that matched perfectly with her jeans, and a pair of faded boots. There’s an impatience about Ellie, as if nothing in life happened quite fast enough for her.

The two esteemed scientists sat upon the dune, overlooking the archaeological team continuing their work on the excavation process.

“You think we’ll finally get a good look today?” Alan asked.

“Only if they can get a good seismic shift in the Earth,” Ellie replied. “With the right trajectory and enough momentum, we should be able to get a clear image.”

This caused Grant to chuckle, earning a curious look from Ellie.

“What?” She asked him.

“Nothing, I just had a ridiculous thought,” Alan replied. “Can you imagine what it would be like to actually have seen one of these creatures alive in the flesh?”

“Well, hopefully it’s one that can’t eat me, but yes,” Ellie chuckled.

Both scientists laughed for a moment until they felt something very odd. Below their very feet, they could feel tremors on the Earth that made the ground vibrate. While these sorts of things weren’t uncommon during these sorts of excavation operations, this one seemed very… odd.

“Do you think they got the machine to work?” Alan asked curiously.

“Well, if they did, they sure didn’t bother to tell us,” Ellie answered.

Suddenly, they felt a strong wind drawing them to turn toward something that made their eyes widen in shock behind their sunglasses. From out of the desert sand, a swirling wormhole opened and from out of it came forth a barrage of strange creatures. These tiny creatures flew out of the ground and landed roughly along the steady plain.

Grant and Sattler slowly made their way down toward where the creatures landed. Upon closer examination, they could see that these creatures were all quadrupeds, except for the tall scaly looking one. They all appeared to come in an assortment of different colors.

“Sweet Celestia, what a landing,” One of them groaned.

The scientists paused in their tracks instantly. Were these creatures speaking? One by one, the creatures got back up allowing Alan and Ellie a better look. Many of them looked like small colorful horses with pastel-colored coats and manes. The other one seemed like a tall bipedal looking lizard with purple and green scales.

To say they were floored to see this would be an understatement.

<>

“Twilight…” Fluttershy spoke up, looking around. “Do you know where we are?”

“Hoo-wee! This ol’ sun’s bakin’ in mah head like a microwave,” Applejack shook her head. “Fluttershy’s right, Twi. Where in the name of Celestia did that TV send us this time?”

“I’ll check,” Twilight replied.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused greatly as light shined along her horn. Soon that very light expanded, scanning the area around them.

“Hmm… it appears we’re in the Badlands near Snakewater,” Twilight observed. “Somewhere in the state of Montana, in the country of the United States of America a.k.a. the ‘Land of the Free’.”

“’Land of the Free’, huh?” Daring Do pondered. “Huh… me likey!

“Me likey too, Daring!” Pinkie smiled. “And believe me, this wouldn’t be the first time in the states.”

“What do we do now?” Fluttershy asked.

“We’ll need to find someone who can help us,” Twilight explained. “Preferably someone who knows the layout of this land.”

“Uh… every pony?” Spike said, pointing forward. “You might want to look.”

“What is it, Spike?” Applejack asked.

The group turned ahead and saw Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler making their way slowly toward the group. Both scientists slowly reached up and removed their sunglasses, just so everyone could clearly see the shock and awe in their eyes.

“Um… Ellie?” Alan spoke up. “Is it me or am I seeing things?”

“No, Alan, I’m seeing it too,” Ellie squealed. “And they’re so cute!”

Ellie couldn’t help but draw herself toward them, hoping to touch them.

“Here horsey, here horsey, nice horsey. It’s okay, we won’t hurt you.”

“Excuse us, darlings,” Rarity spoke up. “We’re ‘ponies’, not ‘horses’… to be fair, it’s a very common mistake. But since you’re here, can you please help us?”

“What the hell?!” Alan exclaimed, shocked. “That thing just talked?!”

“This can’t be happening?” Ellie asked. “How can there by some colorful ponies and a lizard?”

“Dragon… dragon!” Spike corrected. “Not lizard… I don’t do the tongue thing.”

Spike’s tongue flickered slightly, but Spike just looked as if nothing happened.

“Dragon?” Ellie pondered. “Wait a minute! This must be some new species. That would explain why they are talking? Talking ponies… and a live dragon!”

“This is amazing!” Alan studied Rarity, much to her annoyance. “Look at this, Ellie. This one has some weird markings along her flank like diamonds. There are even some other markings along the other ponies. Must be some sort of mating pattern or whatever it can be.”

“Excuse me!!” Rarity exclaimed. “Is this how you treat a lady?! Because some of us find that very rude.”

“This can’t be real,” Ellie shook her head.

“Sorry, sugar cube,” Applejack shrugged. “But you and your friend ain’t dreamin’.”

“If you give us a few hours, I’ll explain everything,” Twilight offered.

To which the two humans nodded in unison.

<>

Several hours later…

Within that time, Twilight Sparkle had told them everything of how she and her friends, along with her younger half-brother, came from a magical land called Equestria, a place where ponies and other creatures lived together in harmony. She also informed them of the magic within their bodies, which left the duo in disbelief. At least until she gave a demonstration by lifting Applejack’s hat with a light emanating off her horn. She also explained that the marks along their flanks (Except for Spike) were cutie marks, each of which showcased the talent of one pony. Knowing this group wasn’t a threat, the duo decided to provide introductions for them to be better acquainted.

“Well, I guess introductions are in order then,” Alan declared. “I’m Doctor Alan Grant.”

“My name is Doctor Ellie Sattler,” Ellie introduced herself.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship,” Twilight tipped her head. “And there’s no need for the two of you to bow; I’m not the ruler of Equestria yet. For now, you can just call me Twilight. And these are my friends, along with my younger half-brother.”

“Howdy y’all!” Applejack greeted. “Ah’m Applejack, farm mare at the Sweet Apple Acres. The Apple family, me included, farm the best apple crops in Equestria as well as the best makers of apple related products. We’d know you’d like them.”

“I’m Fluttershy, animal caretaker of all creatures and animal whisperer,” Fluttershy introduced herself. “I’m also the owner of the Sweet Feather Sanctuary and member of the Ponytones, we’re a well-known acapella group in town.”

“Rarity’s the name and I’m the owner of Carousel Boutique, as well as Rarity for You and Canterlot Carousel,” Rarity explained. “I’m also a member of the Ponytones. I must say, Darlings, your outfits are divine!”

“Thanks,” Alan nodded.

“We try our best,” Ellie replied.

“HI! I’M PINKIE PIE!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. “I’M THE BAKER AT SUGARCUBE CORNER AS WELL AS PONYVILLE’S RESIDENT PARTY PLANNER THAT MAKES THE GREATEST, FUNNIEST, SILLIEST & FANCIEST PARTIES EVER IN EQUESTRIA!!!”

“… Yeah, sorry about Pinkie Pie,” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “She gets overexcited meeting new people.”

“Sup dudes, name’s Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow greeted casually. “I’m the fastest flier in Equestria and beyond, as well as a member of the Wonderbolts. You could say that makes me 20% cooler.”

“Heya! I’m Spike, the brave and glorious,” Spike introduced. “I’m also Twilight’s number 1 assistant.”

“The name’s Daring Do,” Daring tipped her hat. “Famed adventurer who explores the jungles of Equestria and beyond. I’m also a best-selling author under the pseudonym name, ‘A.K. Yearling’. But just Daring will be fine. So, you better not tell any pony of my real identity otherwise… I’m dead. Like seriously dead in the water. Understood

To which the humans nodded in unison, much to Daring’s approval.

“Good.”

“Name’s Time Turner,” Dr. Whooves introduced himself. “But folks call me Dr. Whooves. Brilliant scientist and inventor in Ponyville. Might we ask you what brings you two out here anyway?”

“That’s a good question!” Alan smirked. “You see, Ellie and I are paleontologists.”

“Paleo what now?” Rainbow squinted her brows.

“Paleontologists, Rainbow,” Dr. Whooves emphasized. “They’re scientists who study prehistoric life.”

“That’s right,” Ellie nodded. “In here, our country has lots of fossils of living things lying down in our land. The very sport where dinosaurs and others used to walk back then.”

“Hmm… you remind me of one of Sweetie Belle’s classmates, Petunia Paleo,” Rarity recalled. “The little filly has a knack of finding dinosaur bones in any place within Equestria.”

“Ah yes, now I remember!” Fluttershy realized.

“Remember what?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Before humans walked the Earth, dinosaurs and the like used to roam here,” Fluttershy explained. “I found a book during one of our previous travels and I was fascinated to learn the world wasn’t always like it is today. How it used to be a cluttered pile of continents until there was some explanatory theories on how dinosaurs died.”

“You’re right!” Time Turner nodded. “There have been theories like the Asteroid Theory or the Climate Change Theory on how they were extinct. But no pony, or anybody, really knows how all these creatures were wiped off of the face of the Earth.”

“And you’re really into all this paleontology, aren’t you?” Twilight asked the scientists.

“Correct! Look over there!” Alan pointed.

Twilight Sparkle turned toward where Alan was pointing, taking a glimpse of all the archaeologists at work.

“We’ve uncovered four skeletons alone…” Alan explained. “Such a small area, isn’t it… the same time horizon--”

“They died together?” Twilight asked.

“The taphonomy sure looks that way.”

“If they died together, they lived together,” Ellie explained. “That would suggest some kind of social order.”

“And that would suggest…?” Spike asked curiously.

“They hunted as a team,” Grant answered. “See that dismembered Tenontosaurus bone over there - that’s lunch. We’re just excavating another Velociraptor that we just found today, and we think its part of the pack that killed that dinosaur.

“The bigger question is: What killed our raptors in a lakebed, in a bunch like this? We’re attempting to come up with something that makes sense.”

“Maybe it was a drought,” Daring suggested. “It looks as though the lake was shrinking--

“That’s good,” Grant agreed. “That’s right! They died around a dried-up puddle! Without fighting each other. You’re good at observation.”

“Well, when you’ve been exploring old tombs and finding forgotten bodies like I have, you learn to guess what happened at the time they were alive.”

Just then, a voice shouted toward the group from the bottom of the hill.

“Dr. Grant! Dr. Sattler!” A volunteer called out. “We’re ready to try again!”

A sigh escaped Grant’s lips as he stretched out his back.

“I hate computers,” Grant muttered.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Ellie agreed.

Grant and Ellie were just about to walk toward the source of the voice when they suddenly stopped as a realization came to them.

“Hey! I have an idea!” Ellie thought, facing the Equestrians. “How would you like to join us in helping out in the field?”

“Us? Join the both of you?” Twilight pondered, as her eyes widened. “I mean, we’d hate to impose--”

“We need all the helping hands, or in this case hooves and claws, we can get,” Ellie insisted. “What do you say?”

Twilight Sparkle turned toward her friends and the whole lot nodded in agreement.

“Sure! We can help,” Twilight answered.

Soon the Equestrians tagged along with their new friends toward the dig site. As they walked, they were able to get a good look at the badlands. Exposed outcroppings of crumbling limestone stretched for miles in every direction, not a tree or a bush was in sight. It was here these paleontologists chose to find this velociraptor and work on the skeletal remains of which they found.

In the dig itself, the ground was checkered with excavations everywhere. There was a base camp with five or tix teepees, a flapping mess tent, a few cards, a flatbed truck with wrapped fossils loaded on it, and a mobile home. There are a dozen volunteers of all ages at work in various places around the dig. The volunteers are from all walks of life, dinosaur buffs. Three or four of them have children with them, and the kids raced around like in a giant sandbox.

“Why do they have to bring their kids?!” Grant muttered.

“Not into kids, is he?” Rainbow asked Ellie.

“He could hire his help,” Ellie replied. “But there’s four summers of work here, with the money for one. You say it’s a learning experience, sort of a vacation, and you get volunteers with kids.”

By the time they reached the remainder of the team, Allie and Ellie were requesting permission for their Equestrians friends to join them and offer their assistance. After looking cautiously toward the group, the accepted… provided the duo kept them well-behaved leading to the Equestrians to make a ‘Pinkie Promise’ not to get too rowdy.

Everyone, every pony included, was keeping themselves busy around the dig site. Little did they know, however, was that the duo (Along with the Equestrians) would be chosen for something very special. That this group would be the VIP Guests on a private tour to a place that will captivate their minds but place them directly into the heart of the danger zone.

Soon as the group got into the camp, many people couldn’t help but look at the ponies and Spike in complete bewilderment. Before anyone could start asking questions, Alan decided to jump in.

“Alright, I know what you’re all thinking,” He spoke their thoughts. “These creatures are strange and bizarre, but I can personally assure you they won’t harm anyone. For now, let’s focus on the task at hand.”

Soon he, along with Ellie and the Equestrians arrived toward where several volunteers were clustered around a computer terminal set upon a table in a small tent, its flaps lashed open.

“Ready to give it a shot, Jerry?” Grant asked a volunteer.

Fluttershy soon turned and noticed the machine near the tent.

“Miss Ellie… what are they doing with that?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Why don’t you watch the computer?” Ellie suggested. “And… you might want to cover your ears.”

Ellie quietly moved Fluttershy out of the way, while the remainder of the Equestrians followed suit. The volunteers were hard at work making the necessary preparations.

“Thumper ready?”

“Ready.”

“Fire.”

The volunteer through a switch on a machine that resembled a floor buffer. The whole thing hopped into the air as it drove a soft lead pellet into the earth with a tremendous force. There’s a dull thud, the earth seemed to vibrate, and all eyes turned toward the computer screen.

“If that doesn’t get a reading, who knows what will?” Dr. Whooves commented.

“Did it work?” Rarity asked.

“How long does it usually take?” Ellie asked.

“It should be immediate return,” The computer man replied. “You shoot the radar into the ground, and the bone bounces the image back…”

The man typed a few keys on the computer and the screen suddenly came to life, yellow contour lines tracing across it in three waves, soon revealing the image of a velociraptor skeleton on screen.

“This new program’s incredible!” The computer man stated. “A few more years of development and we won’t have to dig anymore!”

Grant looked toward him, and the Equestrians could see that his expression was positively wounded.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Alan joked.

“It’s a little distorted, but I don’t think it’s the computer,” The computer man commented, studying the picture.

“Look,” Ellie pointed at the screen. “Post-mortem contraction of the posterior neck ligaments. Velociraptor?”

“Yes. Good shape, too,” Alan nodded. “It’s five… six feet high. I’m guessing nine feet long. Look at the extraordinary--”

Grant pointed toward part of the skeleton, but when his finger touched the screen the computer *BEEPS* at him and the image flickered. He drew his hand back, as if it shocked him.

“What’d you do?” The computer man asked.

“He touched it!” Ellie said jokingly.

Grant touched the top hood of the computer experimentally. Again, the screen flickered.

“Looks like Dr. Grant isn’t machine compatible,” Twilight muttered to her friends.

“Hell, they’ve got it in for me,” Alan muttered.

The volunteer laughed and touched a different part of the screen, which brought the original image back. Grant continued but didn’t get as close.

“And look at the half-moon shaped bone in the wrists. No wonder these guys learned to fly.”

This statement caused a majority of the assembled group to laugh, much to Grant’s surprise.

“No, seriously!” Alan continued. “Show of hands. How many of you have read my book?”

Everyone stopped laughing and looked away. Ellie raised her hand supportively, along with the volunteer. Alan turned toward the Equestrians, but the way they looked at him said enough. A sigh escaped his lips.

“Great… well, maybe dinosaurs have more in common with present-day birds than they do with reptiles. Look at the pubic bone - it’s turned backwards, just like a bird. Look at the vertebrae - full of hollows and air sacs, just like a bird. Even the word raptor means ‘birds of prey’.”

“That doesn’t look very scary!”

Everyone drew their breath and stepped aside, revealing a kid standing alone.

“Boy-howdy, that kid’s a pistol…” Applejack muttered.

“More like a six-foot turkey,” The kid added critically.

Some folks got a laugh out of the statement, but the Equestrians faced Grant nervously. The man turned toward the kid, lowered his sunglasses, and stared at him like he just came from another planet.

“A turkey, huh?” Alan grinned, strolling toward the kid.

“Oh, no,” Ellie groaned. “Here we go…”

“What? What’s happening?” Spike asked, confused.

“Okay. Try to imagine yourself in the Cretaceous period,” Grant began. “You’d get your first look at this ‘six-foot turkey’ as you enter a clearing. But raptor, he knew you were there a long time ago. He moves like a bird; lightly, bobbing his head. And you keep still, because you think that maybe his visual acuity is based on movement, like a T-rex, and he’ll lose you if you don’t move.

“But no. Not Velociraptor. You stare at him, and he just stares right back. And that’s when the attack comes -- not from the front, no, from the side, from the other two raptors you didn’t even know were there.”

The Equestrians looked silently as Grant walked around the kid. Ellie merely rolled her eyes, knowing where this was going.

“Because Velociraptor’s a pack hunter, you see,” Grant continued. “He uses coordinated attack patterns, and he’s out in force today. And he slashes at you with this --”

Grant takes out the raptor claw he found, tucked away in his pocket. He held it in the front of the raptor’s three-toed foot. The boy’s eyes grew large with shock.”

“-- A six-inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the middle toe,” Grant explained. “They don’t bother to bite your jugular, like a lion, no, no. He slashes at you here, here--”

Grant pretended to slash the boy’s mid-torso, the thigh, around the groin region.

“Oh, Alan…” Ellie muttered disapprovingly.

“Oh… my…” Fluttershy whimpered worriedly.

“-- Or maybe across the belly, spilling your intestines,” Alan emphasized. “The point is, you’re alive when they start to eat you. Whole thing took about four seconds.”

The Equestrians couldn’t help but eye the kid, who was on the verge of tears.

“So, you know, try to show a little respect,” Grant suggested.

“Okay,” The boy whimpered, glassy-eyed.

And with that he walked back across the camp, returning to the skeleton. Ellie and the Equestrians hurried to catch up with him.

“You know, Mr. Grant, if you really wanted to scare the kid you could’ve just pulled a gun on him,” Daring Do suggested.

“I beg your pardon!” Rarity gasped horrified.

“What? Happens all the time in the field… me, I never get scared.”

“And that’s why I’m such a big fan of your books!” Rainbow Dash grinned widely.

“Don’t forget… I introduced you to those books,” Twilight reminded.

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Daring Do does make a valid point, Alan,” Ellie agreed.

“Yeah, I know,” Alan muttered. “Kids. You want to have one of those?”

“Well, I don’t want that kid. But a breed of child, Dr. Grant, could be intriguing! I mean, what’s so wrong with kids?”

“Oh, Ellie, look. They’re noisy, they’re messy, they’re sticky, they’re expensive.”

“Wow… spoken like a true cheapskate,” Spike shook his head.

“I’ll have you know Mr. Grant that while I agree with only two-thirds of that statement,” Pinkie rambled. “Rarity and I happen to be mothers ourselves and not all of it’s as bad as it seems.”

“They smell,” Grant added.

“Oh my god!” Ellie gasped. “They do not smell!”

“Some of them smell!”

“Oh, give me a break!”

“Babies smell!”

“Actually… Grant makes a fair point,” Rarity agreed reluctantly. “It’s never easy during those first few years.”

“Tell me about it,” Pinkie nodded. “When I was babysitting the Cake Twins when they were first born… whoo-wee! That was a doozy.”

“Alright, the one on the airplane had an accident,” Ellie admitted. “But usually babies don’t smell.”

“They know very little about the Jurassic Period,” Grant pointed out. “They know less about the Cretacious.”

“Anything else, you old fossil?” Rainbow smirked, shaking her head.

“Yeah, plenty,” Grant nodded. “Some of them can’t walk!”

“I’d be careful about what you say Mr. Grant,” Fluttershy advised patiently. “Even a few grown ponies back home aren’t able to walk on their own. But they manage to get around just fine.”

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, you two argue like you’re a married couple,” Pinkie Pie speculated. “You two ever dated outside of work.”

To which the two turned toward Pinkie Pie silently, not really answering the question. To which Pinkie Pie nodded in understanding then kept going.

“I don’t see what any pony’s complaining about,” Rainbow Dash remarked cockily. “I’m pretty sure I can handle being around kids.”

“Hon, treatin’ a filly like an honorary sister ain’t the same as raisin’ youngin’s,” Applejack pointed out. “They’re a mighty big responsibility.”

“Probably why Applejack was just a shy higher than you when the Cakes were scrambling about looking for foal-sitters even though I repeatedly volunteered in the first place,” Pinkie Pie recollected. “But fourth place isn’t a bad spot.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Rainbow crossed her hooves. “That doesn’t make me… HEY! Wait a minute! Now I can understand Fluttershy being the top pick for a foalsitter, and Rarity… well, back then I wouldn’t think she’d be interested in kids.”

“HEY!” Rarity frowned.

“So, who was number two?” Rainbow questioned.

To which all heads turned toward the princess herself, Twilight Sparkle. The pony merely glanced at the group and shrugged her wings with a sheepish smile and a light giggle. Rainbow Dash stared blankly at Twilight Sparkle, then shook it off.

“Anyways, you just wait A.J.,” Rainbow Dash challenged. “When the opportunity comes, I’ll prove I can be a great parent for children. Why, I’ll be parenting so hard, you may as well be calling me the ‘Iron Pony of Parenthood’. Now, that’s a title I can be proud of.”

“Ya know that ego of yours frustrates me so much… that ah love you just the same,” Applejack smiled. “Even if ya make me wanna strangle ya right now!”

“Oh yeah?”

Rainbow Dash playfully took off Applejack’s hat, who gasped then charged toward Rainbow Dash as they rolled about on the ground causing a slight dust storm. But soon their grunting and groans turned into laughter as they eventually rolled down the hill toward the very bottom. The Equestrians merely shook their heads at the scene as they saw their friends stop at the bottom. After the pair calmed down, their eyes met, their faces softened… and they started to lean in for a kiss.

All of a sudden, a strange wind started to whip up drawing the marefriend’s attention. Grant, Ellie, and the remainder of the ponies (Spike included) looked around in confusion. The wind started growing stronger, blowing dirt and sand everywhere, filling in everything they’d dug out, even blowing the protective canvasses off. Their ears flicked up as they heard a familiar roar, all eyes darted toward the sky and that’s when they saw it—

A huge helicopter, descending onto the camp.

“Great wickering stallions!” Dr. Whooves gasped.

“Girls, Spike, get down there and grab some canvasses!” Ellie ordered. “Cover anything that’s exposed!”

“You got it, Ellie!” Twilight nodded. “Come on, every pony!”

The ponies and Spike were already making their way down the hill, as Applejack and Rainbow Dash picked themselves up and bolted for the camp. Alan and Grant raced down the hill, shouting toward the volunteers and the pilot.

“Cover the site!” Ellie shouted.

“Cover up the dig!” Grant ordered.

“Tell them to shut down! Shut down!”

“Cut the machine!”

“Hurry! Cover it all up!” Applejack ordered. “Pull them canvasses over!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack had already arrived, helping the volunteers in their desperate attempt to protect the skeleton they’ve been excavating. By the time their friends joined in to help, Twilight Sparkle and Dr. Grant looked up toward the helicopter, the latter shaking his fist shouting for the pilot’s attention.

Down at the base camp, the pilot had already landed near the camp. By then, Grant and Twilight Sparkle raced toward the aircraft like Moses and his follower steaming. They tried to get the pilot’s attention, wildly ordering him to turn off the blades.

“JUST CUT IT WILL YA?” Grant yelled over the noise. “CUT IT OUT! SHUT-IT-DOWN!”

The pilot pointed timidly toward the mobile home across the camp.

“WHAT?!” Twilight shouted.

The pilot pointed rapidly and their heads finally turned toward his direction. Together, they raced toward the trailer, punching away a pair of jeans hanging up on a line. Whomever was responsible for interrupting their dig, somehow Twilight knew what Grant was intending. This man was about to give an intruder one-for, and she hoped to stop him before he did anything rash.

By the time they arrived at the trailer, Grant slapped the door open and stormed inside. As Twilight Sparkle followed him in, she only had a quick glimpse of the trailer’s interior which served as the dig’s office. Several long wooden tables were set up, every inch covered with bone specimens neatly laid out, tagged, and labeled.

Farther along are ceramic dishes and crocks, soaking other bones in acid and vinegar. There’s old dusty furniture at one end of the trailer, and a refrigerator. A man rooted around in the fridge, his back towards the man and pony. They could hear him grumbling about the contents, which appear to be mostly beer until…

“Ah hah!” The man declared.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?” Grant asked, confrontationally.

The man turned around as his fan fell across a bottle of expensive champagne in the back, popping the cork like a celebration (Luckily Grant avoided it). He’s a seventy-ish old man, sprightly as hell, with bright, shining eyes that say, ‘Follow me!’ and all dressed in white clothing, glasses, and a straw hat. Twilight was unsure what to make of it, but Grant was staring incredulously at the guilty-faced man holding his champagne bottle without an invitation.

“Hey, we were saving that!” Grant pointed out.

“For today, I guarantee it,” The man replied, in a Scottish accent.

“And who in God’s name do you think you are…?”

“John Hammond,” The man shook Grant’s hand. “And I am delighted to finally met you in person Dr. Grant.”

Grant was struck silent. He shook Hammond’s hand, staring dumbly. The old man noticed all the sand and dust on his hand and casually blew it off. Grant and Sparkle were silent as Hammond looked around the trailer approvingly, at the enormous amount of work the bones represented.

“Mr. – Hammond?” Grant broke the silence.

“I can see my fifty thousand a year has been well spent,” Hammond smile, facing Twilight. “And you… you must be Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

“W-W-W-Wait a minute,” Twilight Sparkle sputtered, surprised. “You… know who I am? Have we met?”

“Not till today, but I am in touch with a few associates who’ve told me so much about your exploits… and your friends. But if I hadn’t seen you for myself… well, I’d say this makes today extra special.”

Suddenly, the door slapped open again as Ellie stormed in, just as pissed off as Grant.

“Okay, who’s the jerk?” Ellie asked, steamed.

“Uh, this is our paleobotanist, Dr. Ellie…” Grant stammered.

“Sattler…” Ellie paused.

“Dr. Sattler. Ellie, this is Mr. Hammond… John Hammond.”

“Did I say jerk?” Ellie smiled sheepishly.

“Well, I’m to assume he’s responsible for disrupting that fascinating dig site,” Twilight pointed out. “No offense, Mr. Hammond sir.”

“I’m sorry for the dramatic entrance, but I’m in a hurry,” Hammond replied casually. “Will you have a wee bit of a drink now and then?”

“I’m not really much of a drinker,” Twilight admitted. “But I’m all for conversation; I do have lots of questions.”

Hammond began to walk into the kitchen, making himself at home. Ellie followed him trying to help, as Twilight helped Grant settle behind the table hearing him mutter ‘Hammond… Hammond…’. From what Twilight could see of this mysterious man, she noticed he walked with a slight limp and used a cane – either for balance or style, difficult to say or imagine.

“Come along then, we don’t want it to get warm,” Hammond rambled. “Come along, sit down! Sit down! I’ll just get a glass or two it’s a – No, no, no, no! I can manage it; I know my way around a kitchen.”

Ellie goes around towards Grant and Twilight. She grabs a bottle of water nearby. The three looked toward each other, really aback by this guy’s bravado, and sat down. Hammond dried the glasses that were used to hold several stones.

“Pardon me for interrupting Mr. Hammond,” Twilight spoke up. “But what are you doing here anyway?”

“Well now, I’ll get right to the point,” Hammond answered, facing the scientists. “I like you. Both of you. I can tell instantly with people; it’s a gift.

“I own an island. Off the coast of Costa Rica. I leased it from the government and spent the last five years setting up a kind of biological preserve. Really spectacular; spared no expense! It makes the one I had in Kenya look like a petting zoo—”

“You mean like an animal sanctuary that one of my friends run at home?” Twilight guessed.

“Miss Fluttershy? Well… almost,” Hammond grinned. “But there’s no doubt that sooner or later our attractions will drive the kids out of their minds.”

“And what are those?” Grant questioned.

“Small versions of adults, honey,” Ellie joked.

Grant gave Ellie a dirty look for the cheeky comment.

“I think he’s referring to those ‘attractions’,” Twilight spoke up. “How do they cater to the kids?”

“Not just kids, Miss Sparkle – for everyone,” Hammond emphasized. “We’re going to open next year, that is if the lawyers don’t kill me first! I don’t care for lawyers, do you?”

“Well, actually uh…” Twilight pondered.

“—Don’t really know any,” Alan & Ellie answered in unison.

“Well, I’m afraid I do,” Hammond sighed. “There’s a particular pebble in my shoe, represents my investors. Says they insist on outside opinions.”

“What kind of opinions?” Ellie Sattler asked.

“Well you’re kind, not to put too fine a point on it. I mean, let’s face it, in your particular field, you’re the top minds – and if I could just persuade you to sign off on the park – you know, maybe pan a wee testimonial – I could get back on schedule – schedule.”yh C

“Why would they care what we think?” Ellie questioned.

“What kind of park is it?” Grant added.

“Well, it’s right up your alley,” Hammond smiled, facing Twilight. “And you, being clever and all, have had your own share in your studies… am I right?”

While Hammond was handing Grant and Ellie their drinks, Twilight Sparkle looked around the trailer to determine what the old man was referring to. She had a guess what he was referring to but wasn’t quite sure.

“Well… there was this one incident at a museum when my friends and I visited a town called Coolsville,” Twilight admitted.

“And you would say it was a living attraction?” Hammond hinted.

“… not exactly…”

“Mm-hmm… I tell you what, why don’t the pair of you come on down for the weekend? I’d love to have the opinion of a paleobotanist as well! And you Miss Sparkle, I trust you didn’t come alone. I would be honored to have you and your friends come along to serve as a ‘test audience’ for my park.”

“Well, we would love to come if I can talk with my friends about it,” Twilight replied. “But I don’t know if that helicopter will fit everyone. I mean, we wouldn’t take up too much room and some of us can fly on our own, but…”

“Oh, no need to fret yourself, my dear,” Hammond smiled. “I’ll have suitable travel arrangements to compensate for your friends. I’ve got some jets standing by at Choteau.”

“No, I’m sorry, that wouldn’t be possible,” Grant shook his head. “We’ve just discovered a new skeleton, and –”

“I could compensate you by fully funding your dig,” Hammond offered, pouring himself a drink.

“And this is a very unusual time—” Grant pointed out.

“The timing is—” Ellie added.

“… for a further three years,” Hammond concluded.

Twilight Sparkle turned toward Grant and Sattler who were clearly taken aback by this offer. Three years of funding to support their dig was the biggest offer they’ve been granted, and this would benefit the work not just for themselves but for the scientific community. As for Twilight Sparkle, she was still curious as to how Hammond already knew about her and her friends and not once seemed nervous. It was as though he had been anticipating their arrival for some time.

Could that have been the reason they were sent here in the first place? To meet Mr. Hammond and visit some park connected to their new friends in some way? Twilight felt there was something else going on, but still… this does sound like a hard opportunity to pass up. At least it would give the group something to do for the weekend: Seeing the attractions, all the arrangements made, and not having to worry about villains for a while. If anything, they could use a relaxing vacation.

“Where’s the plane?” Twilight asked.

“Why don’t you bring the rest of your friends over?” Hammond suggested, smiling. “And all will be explained in due time.”

“Yes sir!”

Twilight Sparkle proceeded to race out of the trailer, as the three humans cheered the prospect of this trip. Grant and Sattler were so excited for this offer, they couldn’t help but hug each other like giddy school kids. All the while, Hammond looked on approvingly as he slowly sipped his cup as if knowing this would be the start of a very productive venture.

Welcome to Jurassic Park

While new and mysterious events were occurring for the Mane Six and Spike in Montana, a secret meeting was taking place down south in San Jose, Costa Rica. At a local outdoor restaurant, right amid San Jose, there was Dennis Nedry sitting at a table in front of the café eating breakfast. A man in his late thirties, portly-looking and wearing glasses, the big guy had a constant smile that could either be laughing with you or at you, give or take.

Nedry looks up and sees a man emerge from a taxi - Lewis Dodgson, fiftyish, dressed in a wine-red polo shirt, khakis, and a Panama hat. One look toward this man and he’d almost resemble too much like an American tourist. Dodgson clutched an attaché case close to him and scanned the café furtively. Nedry laughed, shook his head, and waved to him.

“Yo, Dodgson!” He called to the man.

Dodgson hurried over to the table to sit beside the chubby man, trying to look inconspicuous.

“You shouldn’t use my name,” He warned.

“Dodgson!” Nedry called out, pointing to the man. “Dodgson! We’ve got Dodgson here!”

Upon seeing no attention was acknowledged from calling out the man’s name, Nedry turned to look at Dodgson with a cocky grin.

“See, nobody cares,” He smirked, taking the man’s hat. “Nice hat. What are you trying to look like? A secret agent?”

Dodgson ignored that, not willing to sit through the chubby man’s humor. He quickly grabbed the large leather briefcase and slid it toward Nedry. The big man immediately turned giddy and excited once the briefcase was in his hands.

“Seven hundred and fifty,” He informed Nedry. “On delivery, fifty thousand more for each viable embryo. That’s one point five million, if you get all fifteen species off the island.”

“Oh, I’ll get ‘em all,” Nedry spoke with glee.

“Remember -- viable embryos,” Dodgson reminded. “They’re no use to us if they don’t survive.”

“How am I supposed to transport them?” Nedry asked.

Dodgson pulled out an ordinary can of shaving cream from a shoulder bag he carried and set it on the table. He then unscrewed the bottom revealing a secret compartment and a specialized holding device.

“The bottom screws open,” Dodgson informed.

“That’s great!” Nedry laughed excitedly. “Oh my God.”

“It’s cooled and compartmentalized inside.”

“You guys -- that’s great!”

“Customs can even check it if they want to!”

“Let me see!”

“Go on, press the top.”

Nedry proceeded to press the top of the can and real shaving cream came onto his hand. He grinned, impressed with the illusion. While Dodgson talked, Nedry looked around for somewhere to wipe the shaving cream and ended up dumping it on top of a nearby piece of pie sitting on another table.

Ugh, disgusting…

That man’s an absolute pig.

I’m all for pie with whipped cream on top, but that’s just too much.

“That’s enough coolant for thirty-six hours, the em--” Dodgson began.

“Oh-h-ho-ho -- No menthol?” Nedry interrupted.

“-- The embryos have to be back here in San Jose by then,” Dodgson finished.

“That’s up to your guy on the boat,” Nedry replied. “Seven o’clock tomorrow night, at the east dock. Make sure he got it right.”

“I was wondering, how are you planning to beat the security?” Dodgson asked.

“Oh, I’ve got an eighteen-minute window,” Nedry responded confidently. “Eighteen minutes, and your company catches up on ten years of research.”

At that moment, a waiter arrived and placed the check down on the table for the meal.

“Gracias, senor,” The waiter nodded.

Nedry looked at the bill on the table, then up at Dodgson, as if expecting him to cover the check.

“Don’t get cheap on me Dodgson,” Nedry continued.

Dodgson rolled his eyes and awkwardly picked up the check as he took out his wallet.

“That was Hammond’s mistake.”

<>

Meanwhile, back in the United States, the Equestrian crew were preparing for their journey to John Hammond’s Island, Isla Nublar. Gathered at the helicopter pad, John Hammond, Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, & the Equestrians waited for the helicopter scheduled to transport them to where the theme park was located. While they waited, a fortyish-year-old man walked towards them. A man whose height was six-feet, three-and-a-half tall, dressed all in black, with snakeskin boots and sunglasses. He soon spotted the others he assumed were picked to be Jurassic Park’s first guests.

“John Hammond?” The man questioned. “My name is Ian Malcolm.”

Malcom stuck his hand out and John Hammond gladly reciprocated.

“Ah, Ian. Good to see you, old chap!” Hammond greeted, warmly.

“Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Hammond,” Ian replied.

Alan and Ellie decided to introduce themselves as well.

“Dr. Alan Grant, Ian,” He greeted, pointed to Ellie. “And this is Dr. Ellie Sattler.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ellie smiled.

“A pleasure meeting you two,” Ian smiled. “So… where are the others you mentioned, Hammond?”

“Right over there, Dr. Malcolm,” Hammond gestured off the side.

Ian turned toward where Hammond gestured and, much like Alan and Ellie at first glance, was beyond shocked seeing a group of pastel-coated ponies… and a dragon.

“What the hell?!” He exclaimed in shock.

“Honestly darling, must you speak such uncouth language?” Rarity asked ashamed.

“Okay, I’m seeing some weird shit lately,” Ian muttered to himself.

“Dude, we can hear you,” Rainbow pointed out. “Seriously, the language. Not cool.”

Ian merely turned back toward John Hammond and the two scientists, trying to confirm if this was all some weird dream.

“Hey… Ellie, can you slap me?” Malcolm asked seriously. “I’m clearly seeing things.”

“Are you kidding?” Ellie asked jokingly.

“No, I’m quite serious,” Ian replied.

Ellie merely looked at the man as though he was crazy. But the silence didn’t last long when Pinkie Pie popped up in between, giggling to herself.

“Silly Ian,” Pinkie giggled. “You’re not dreaming; we’re real. If I wasn’t, could I do this?”

Pinkie suddenly reached out her hoof and prodded Ian Malcolm along the side a few times, causing the man to leap aside to avoid the pink party pony.

“This is not happening,” Ian muttered.

“Believe me, we were shocked after seeing them to be honest,” Alan nodded.

“But no need to worry,” Ellie assured. “Since we’ve met them, they’ve been nothing but nice.”

“It’s true, Dr. Malcolm,” Twilight added. “We’re not here to cause any harm; we merely wish to use the magic of friendship to spread peace.”

This really seemed to knock Ian back to reality, as he merely chuckled nervously.

“Okay, now I know you’re making that up,” He chuckled.

“Oh no, no jokes here,” Hammond assured. “Miss Sparkle, would you kindly give Mr. Malcolm a demonstration, please?”

Twilight merely nodded as she proceeded to light up her horn. Using the magic swelling within, she proceeded to levitate Alan’s hat in the air for a few seconds before carefully placing it back on his head. Alan seemed a slight freaked out upon the display, but quickly found his composure once again.

“Okay…” Ian said awkwardly. “So… anyhow… what are your names?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship,” Twilight replied. “But you can call me Twilight. I don’t really use the princess title very much.”

“Ah’m Applejack, farm mare at Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack tipped her hat. “Mighty nice tah meet ya partner.”

“I’m Fluttershy,” Fluttershy greeted softly. “Animal caretaker and whisperer of all creatures.”

“Rarity’s my name, darling,” Rarity bowed her head. “May I say that your black outfit makes you look divine yet mysterious. Though it could use a wash.”

“Thanks… I guess,” Ian replied, slightly insulted.

Just then, a large blast of confetti exploded right in Ian’s face and Pinkie popped out of the blast.

“Hi there, I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. “Full name Pinkamena Diane Pie. The bestest party pony in Equestria, except maybe for my husband Cheese Sandwich. I just love meeting new friends; would you like a cupcake?”

She reached into her mane and pulled out a tray of cupcakes, practically shoving them right into Ian’s hands. The man merely looked at her in complete bewilderment, as if trying to determine whether she was being friendly… or insane.

“You’ll get used to it,” Rainbow Dash stated. “Anyway, name’s Rainbow Dash. Fastest flier in all Equestria, and all around most majorly awesome mare ever!”

“I’m Spike,” Spike waved casually. “I’m a dragon and also the Savior of the Crystal Empire.”

“My name is Daring Do, but I go by my pseudonym A.K. Yearling,” Daring nodded. “But you can just call me Daring if you’d like.

She really needs to take it easy on saying her pseudonym name, I nearly burned out the last Neuralyzer.

“The name’s Time Turner my good sir,” Time Turner greeted. “Though lately I’ve been called ‘Dr. Hooves’. A bit odd if you ask me; I’m clearly not a doctor.”

After introductions were in order, Ian Malcolm slowly turned around for a moment trying to absorb this new development.

“Okay, Ian,” Malcolm told himself, calmly. “Stay calm… greet the magical ponies with the weird tattoos on their asses… and their dragon friend… and be friendly.”

He slowly turned back around, greeting them with a smile on his face.

“Very nice to meet you all,” Ian greeted awkwardly. “My name is Dr. Ian Malcolm, mathematician and Chaos Theorist.”

“Chaos Theorist?” Fluttershy asked in confusion.

“Sounds like something Discord would know about,” Spike added.

“Wait… I think I know what that is,” Twilight spoke up. “It’s a branch of math that deals with complex systems.”

“That’s right,” Ian nodded. “I’m a rather gifted one, I must say.”

“Eggheads…” Rainbow sighed with a shrug.

“So, where’s the helicopter?” Ian questioned.

“Worry not, Dr. Malcolm,” John assured. “It should be arriving momentarily. What with the new additions on this journey, I had to arrange bigger transport to accommodate us all.”

Sure enough, within moments, the group saw a large helicopter, ‘InGen Construction’ emblazed on the side, landing upon the pad. The pilot exited from his compartment and proceeded to open the passenger door. One by one, all the passengers entered one by one, and the helicopter took off.

As the helicopter skimmed low over the shimmering Pacific, the Equestrians and most of the passengers were huddled in the back of the chopper. One of the passengers whom the Equestrians hadn’t precisely met was Donald Gennaro, the lawyer from the amber mine. He was all dressed up in safari clothes, everything straight from Banana Republic. During the flight, Twilight caught up with Ian on where they came from while Ian informed her of everything, at least what she and her friends needed to know about him. Eventually, he turned his attention to Alan and Ellie, the latter of whom found it difficult to take his eyes off. He practically leaned over shouting amidst the engine whine.

“So, you two, um, uh dig up – dig up dinosaurs?” Ian asked awkwardly.

“Well…” Ellie chuckled.

“We try to!” Alan finished.

Malcolm laughed heartedly, finding this very amusing, as he grinned and chewed a piece of gum. This confused Grant immensely, to which Hammond looked positively annoyed.

“You’ll have to get used to Dr. Malcolm,” John spoke up. “He suffers from a deplorable excess of personality, especially for a mathematician.”

“Chaotician!” Ian corrected. “Chaotician, actually.”

To which Hammond merely snorted, not even bothering to cover his contempt for Malcolm.

“John doesn’t subscribe to chaos, particularly what I have to say about his little science project!”

“Codswallop Ian, you’ve never been able to sufficiently explain your concerns of yours about this island—”

“Oh, ho, John, John, I certainly have! Very clearly! Because of the behavior of the system in phase space!”

“A load, if I may say so, of fashionable number crunching,” Hammond waved off. “That’s all it is—”

Malcolm poksed at Hammond’s knee, surprising him and he slapped Malcolm’s hand away.

“Don’t, don’t! I do wish you wouldn’t do that,” John scolded.

“I’m going out on a limb and say those two really don’t get along,” Rainbow whispered to Applejack.

“Yer darn right,” Applejack whispered back. “And ponies get annoyed with us when we squabble.”

“Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant – you’ve heard of Chaos Theory?”

“No,” Sattler shook her head.

“No? Non-linear equations? Strange attractions?” Malcolm emphasized. “Dr. Sattler, I-I refuse to believe you aren’t familiar with the concept of attraction!”

Grant just rolled his eyes as Malcolm gave an oily grin. Ellie merely smiled, enjoying Grant’s jealousy. Hammond turned toward Gennaro, giving the lawyer a dirty look.

“Hm! I bring scientists – you bring a rock star.”

Donald Gennaro was at a complete loss for words, uncertain how to properly respond to that. But luckily, he didn’t have to, as Hammond looked out the windshield and clapped his hands excitedly.

“There it is!”

*Skip to 1:20*

All eyes turned ahead, and everyone could see it: Isla Nublar. A smallish subtropical island, completely ringed by thick clouds giving it that lush, mysterious feel. The pilot pulled up over a spot in the clouds and started to descend, fast.

“Bad wind sheers,” Hammond continued. “We have to drop pretty fast! Hold on, this can be a little thrilling!”

The helicopter dropped like a stone, jolting up and down for a minute, while some of the Equestrians clutched onto their seats tightly. While most of the passengers were worried, Hammond practically laughed with a ‘Yahoo!’ like an excited child on a car trip. The other passengers were quick to buckle up for safety. Gennaro with shaky fingers, Malcolm smooth and quickly, and Grant grabbing two ‘female’ pieces which aren’t mean to click together. To which Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked and merely chuckled, as if they were in on that joke.

Outside the windows, all the passengers could see cliff walls racing by, uncomfortably close. They bounced like hell, hitting winds up and down drafts. Only Pinkie Pie seemed excited as she listened to Hammond’s chit-chatter.

“So, you’re really going to put an airstrip here?” Pinkie smiled.

“On pilings, extending out into the ocean twelve thousand feet!” Hammond smiled. “Like La Guardia, only a lot safer! What do you think?”

“I’ve never heard of La Guardia, but I’ll bet this plan of yours sounds more ‘secure’.”

“Dr. Grant sir, I think you need that piece over here,” Twilight pointed out. “And that piece…”

“We’d have landed by the time he gets it right,” Spike leaned back lazily.

Grant doesn’t reward Spike’s remark with a response but settled for tying the two pieces together as a makeshift seatbelt. He gave Sattler and the Equestrians a smirk, then braced himself for the landing. Malcolm merely grinned as he kept chewing his stick of gum. The helicopter continued to descend, nearing the ground, as a luminous white cloud cross appeared below them. Soon, the landing pad shined through the Plexiglas bubble in the floor of the chopper.

The cross grew rapidly larger as the chopper plummeted, but a sudden updraft caught them, and they bounced skyward for a moment then dropped again, even faster, if possible, below landing on the helipad below with a hard *BUMP*. Eventually, the chopper finally landed with a complete stop.

One of the workers opened the door allowing the group to come out. John Hammond was the first to exit the helicopter, smiling proudly at his creation. Soon as the others disembarked, several large, open-top jeeps roared down the hilltop away from the landing cross as the helicopter engines whined back to life and the rotors started to spin again. Ellie, Grant, and Malcolm held tightly in the front jeep, with Hammond and Gennaro in the rear, leaving the Equestrians to choose the remainder. Each car had a driver instructed to take them to their destination.

Soon enough, with everyone (And every pony) in the jeeps, they drove off as the helicopter flew back into the sky. They pass through an enormous gate in a thirty-foot-high fence, which was sealed behind them by two park attendants. There are large electrical insulators on the fences, warning lights that strobe importantly and clear signs – ‘ELECTRIFIED FENCE! 10,000 VOLTS!’.

In the rear jeep, Gennaro and Hammond are talking, the former regarding the fences critically.

“So, the fifty miles of perimeter fence are in place?” Gennaro questioned.

“And the concrete moats, and the motion sensor tracing systems,” Hammond confirmed calmly. “Donald, dear boy, do try to relax and enjoy yourself.”

“Let’s get something straight, John. This is not a weekend excursion; this is a serious investigation of the stability of the island. Your investors, whom I represent, are deeply concerned. Forty-eight hours from now, if they’re not convinced, I’m not convinced. And I can shut you down, John.”

“In forty-eight hours, I’ll be accepting your apology,” Hammond smiled. “Now, if you’d kindly lean out of the way so I can see them.”

Hammond lightly shoved Gennaro aside for a clear view of Grant, Ellie, Malcolm… and any of the Equestrians driving ahead.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Hammond sighed contently.

The jeeps wound their way along a mountain road, driving further into the island. Ellie stared off to the right, fascinated by the thick tropical plant life around them. She tilted her head, as if sensing something wrong with this picture. She reached out and grabbed hold of a leafy branch as they drove by, tearing it from the tree.

In the rear jeep, Hammond had been watching Grant, giddy with anticipation at this point. He soon made a signal to his driver.

“All right, slow down and stop here,” Hammond said urgently. “Slow. Stop, stop, stop, stop!”

The driver of the rear jeep slowed down, then stopped. So does the front jeep and the others. Once they’d ceased moving, Daring Do took one look around and couldn’t help but admire the beauty surrounding her. It seemed to remind her of the tropical jungles she’d venture through back home. Daring took a deep breath and released a heavy, yet satisfied, sigh.

“Ahh! The perfect time for some exploring,” She smiled, stepping out of the jeep. “I’m just going to go for a quick stretch.”

“Hey! Wait up for me!” Rainbow called, scrambling out of the jeep.

Rainbow Dash quickly caught up to her idol and the two were soon walking and talking together. As they did, Applejack climbed out of the jeep herself unable to keep from watching Rainbow Dash and Daring Do. Normally, Applejack wasn’t a jealous mare. But ever since Daring Do came to town, she’s all Rainbow could think about. But she quickly pushed these thoughts from her mind, chucking it up to her thinking crazy as she followed behind them

“We better follow them, just in case,” Twilight informed the others.

“Yippee!” Pinkie cheered. “Adventure, here we come!”

The remainder of the Mane Six, including Time Turner, leapt out of the jeep to follow Daring Do and Rainbow Dash. Before coming out, Rarity faced Malcolm.

“Aren’t you coming, Dr. Malcolm?” She asked.

“Eh, you guys go ahead,” Ian shrugged. “I’ll just sit here and wait.”

“Suit yourself.”

The unicorn proceeded to walk ahead to catch up with the remainder of her friends.

“Now don’t go too far, alright?!” Hammond called out.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Hammond!” Twilight yelled back. “We won’t!”

The Mane Six, along with Spike, Daring Do, and Time Turner soon turned their sights to the plain field of Isla Nublar. Before their very eyes, there was a full glimpse of green grass and trees everywhere they turned.

“Everything’s so green here,” Spike pointed out.

“Ah’ll say,” Applejack nodded. “Reminds me of Appleloosa back in Equestria, except there ain’t no town… and no desert.”

“Fascinating!” Time Turner gasped in amazement. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful; the fauna’s definitely a wonder in that of itself.”

“Hmm… doesn’t it seem rather… quiet?” Rarity asked, looking around.

“I agree, but Mr. Hammond stopped here for a reason,” Fluttershy replied. “There must be something he wants us to see.”

“Like what, darling?”

“I’m not sure.”

While the Equestrians explored the plain field, Ellie sat in the front jeep observing the large leaf she snagged earlier in amazement. She raced her hand lightly over it.

“Alan – this shouldn’t be here,” Ellie spoke, staring at the leaf.

But Grant wasn’t paying attention. He was staring too, out the other side of the jeep. It began with a noise that propelled Alan to turn to the side of the jeep, twisting in his seat when the jeep came to a stop. He suddenly looked riveted and shocked, as if he couldn’t believe what he saw. He slowly stood up from his seat, as if to look closer. He moved to the top of the seat, practically on his tiptoes, removing his sunglasses.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Equestrians were still doing their own things while admiring the scenery.

“Let’s fly up for a better view of this place,” Daring informed Rainbow.

With that, Daring Do flapped her wings and hovered right off the ground toward the air.

“Wait for me!” Rainbow called after.

“Quickly, Rainbow Dash took off into the sky following her idol closely. Once they reached a certain high point, their eyes began to survey the surrounding area.

“This is awesome!” Rainbow smiled. “Normally whenever we go on these trips, we never just stop to admire it. We’re always so busy trying to prevent a monster from disrupting the peace or solving a friendship problem.”

As Rainbow Dash talked, Daring Do turned to the side and suddenly her eyes widened with complete shock.

“Personally, I think this would make a great location for one of your future stories,” Rainbow continued. “What do you think, Daring Do?

Only Rainbow noticed that Daring wasn’t really looking at her. But the rainbow-haired pony caught the shock in Daring Do’s eyes. Curious, she waved a hoof in front of her idol’s face attempting to snap out of it.

“Uh… Daring Do?” She spoke, waving. “What are you looking at?

Daring merely reached a hoof up and turned Rainbow’s head to the side she was staring at. The moment Rainbow saw what her idol was looking at, her eyes grew just as large as her own.

“Oh, pony-feathers…”

The remainder of the Mane Six, including Spike and Time Turner, looked toward their Pegasi friends from below seeing them hovering in shock.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out. “Are you okay?!”

“Looks like they’re staring at something their own eyes can’t believe,” Pinkie replied.

“But what could they possibly be looking at?” Rarity questioned.

The remainder of the group turned toward where Rainbow Dash and Daring Do were staring at, until their own expressions dropped into shock. As for Pinkie Pie, she was so stunned, her lower jaw literally dropped to the ground.

Meanwhile, back at the jeeps, Sattler was still focused on the huge leaf.

“Alan, this species of vermiform has been extinct since the Cretaceous period,” She spoke in amazement. “I mean this thing—”

Grant, never tearing his eyes away, reached over and grabbed Ellie’s head, turning it to face what caught his attention.

“What—”

The moment Ellie Sattler saw it, she dropped the leaf and went stone silent in shock. Cautiously, she stood up and removed her sunglasses just like Grant. What they were looking at right now could not possibly be real.

At first, they noticed that several of the tree trunks were leafless – just as thick as the other trees, only gray and bare. They raised their heads, looking up at the length of the trunk. They looked higher… and higher… and higher. But this was no tree trunk… it was a leg. Their jaws dropped, their heads fell all the way back, looking even higher above the tree line.

Spike released a long, sharp, ‘HAH!’ – a combination of a laugh and shout of joy. He pointed toward the thing and managed to put together his first words since its appearance:

“THAT’S A DINOSAUR!”

*Skip to 1:57*

Everyone and every pony were staring up in shock as the dinosaur towered over the trees chewing its branches. Technically, a brachiosaur, of the sauropod family, though humanity always called it brontosaurus for years. It crunched the branch in its mouth, some thirty-five feet up off the ground, at the end of its long, arching neck. It stared down at the people in the car with a pleasant, stupid gaze.

Grant and Sattler leapt out of the jeep, stepping closer as they eyed the sauropod in wonder. The rest of the group couldn’t believe they were gazing at a real-life dinosaur for the first time. Rainbow Dash and Daring still flew in midair as the Brachiosaurus walked past them. It was pretty light on its feet – a far cry from the sluggish, lumbering brutes a majority would have expected.

“Whoa…” Daring gasped in shock.

“Look at that…” Ellie said amazed.

“It’s… it’s a dinosaur!” Alan exclaimed, pointing at it.

“Uh-huh!” Ellie nodded.

“Great… wickering… stallions,” Time Turner said between breaths. “Is it just me, or is every pony else seeing this?”

“I can’t believe it…” Twilight smiled.

Hammond emerged from his jeep and came back to join them, passing the jeep Malcolm was still sitting in. Chuckling to himself, Hammond looked like a proud parent showing off his kid. Ian Malcolm and Donald Gennaro were both clearly awestruck by what they were seeing. Malcolm especially looked at Hammond, amazed, and with an expression that was a mixture of admiration and rapprochement.

“You did it,” Ian muttered in shock. “You crazy son of a bitch, you did it.”

Alan and Elie continued walking, following the Brachiosaur in amazement when Hammond joined alongside them.

“The movement!” Grant pointed out.

“The – agility,” Ellie added. “You’re right!”

In their amazement, Grant and Ellie spoke right over each other.

“Ellie, we can tear up the rule book on cold-bloodedness,” Alan stated, studying the dinosaur. “It doesn’t apply; they’re totally wrong! This is a warm-blooded creature. They’re totally wrong.”

“They were wrong, case closed,” Ellie agreed. “This thing doesn’t live in a swamp to support it’s body weight for God’s sake!”

“This thing’s got a… what, twenty-five, twenty-seven-foot neck?” Grant asked Hammond.

“The brachiosaur? Thirty,” Hammond corrected.

“Thirty feet…” Alan nodded.

The brachiosaur rose on its rear legs, proceeding to rip away several of the top branches for its leaves. It stood effortlessly on its hind legs, reaching for a particularly high branch above its head. It then dropped back down, shaking the ground around it. Gennaro, watching all of this, sort of faded into the background while the others reacted. He’s just staring, a look of absolute rapture on his face and suddenly found his previous doubts give way to rapture.

“We are going to make a fortune with this place,” He spoke, hushed.

“This can’t be real,” Twilight said in shock. “I feel like some pony needs to pinch me, but I don’t want to wake up from this dream.”

“You’re telling me it can push blood up a thirty-foot neck without a four-chambered heart and get around like that?!” Time Turner pointed out. “That’s a knockout punch for warm-bloodedness.”

“How fast are they?” Alan asked.

“Well, we’ve clocked the T-Rex at thirty-two miles an hour,” Hammond replied proudly.

Hearing what he just said, everyone turned to him with shock growing on their faces. How could such a thing even be possible?

“What did you say just now?” Rarity asked in disbelief.

“I said, T-Rex my dear,” Hammond replied, smiling.

“Oh my… you don’t mean that…”

“T – T-Rex?” Ellie stuttered in shock. “You said you’ve got a T-Rex?”

“Mm-hmm,” Hammond nodded.

“You’ve got a T-Rex?!” Pinkie’s eyes widened. “He’s got a T-Rex! A T-Rex! He said he’s—”

Applejack quickly covered Pinkie’s muzzle with one hoof.

“Yeah Pinkie, we done heard ya,” Applejack nodded.

Alan quickly walked over toward John, grabbing him by the shoulders, staring right into the old man’s eyes.

“Say again?” He said, almost begging.

“Oh, we have a T-Rex!” John chuckled.

By this point, Grant was completely overwhelmed. Feeling faint, he knelt over and sat down on the ground.

“Put your, put your head between your knees and breathe,” Ellie said, helping Alan.

The Mane Six, Spike, Daring Do, and Time Turner just stood and looked out into the valley as John Hammond walked in front of them and looked out.

“Dr. Grant, my dear Dr. Sattler, my little Equestrian friends… Welcome to Jurassic Park.”

Grant and Sattler both turned and looked at the view again. It’s a beautiful vista, reminiscent of an African plain. A whole herd of Brachiosaur crossed the plain in the distance, maybe a hundred in one quick glance alone. There was even a group of Parasaurolophus, drinking from the lake. The Mane Six, Spike, Daring Do and Time Turner were all amazed by the sight of all the dinosaurs.

“This… is… so… AWESOME!!!” Rainbow exclaimed excitedly.

“What a sight!” Time Turner laughed. “It’s a scientific impossibility and yet there it is, dinosaurs as far as my eyes can see.”

“It’s every pony’s dream come true,” Daring spoke tearfully.

“It’s so pretty… I could cry,” Fluttershy smiled.

“Ellie, they’re absolutely – they’re moving in herds,” Alan smiled. “They do move in herds!”

“We were right!” Ellie smiled.

As amazing as this sight was, Twilight couldn’t help but feel confused over how any of this was even possible.

“I don’t understand,” Twilight said. “Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. How in Celestia’s name did you manage to bring them back?”

“Yeah!” Alan nodded. “How did you do this?”

“I’ll show you,” Hammond smirked.

<>

Meanwhile, back in Equestria, a large group gathered at Discord’s Theatre as they watched the heroes of Equestria on another epic journey. Much like their heroes on screen, not a soul could believe their own eyes but there it was. Real live dinosaurs walking about the screen in majestic splendor.

“Actual living breathing dinosaurs,” Discord gasped in amazement. “You can’t possibly get more chaotic than that; they practically invented chaos. Huh… how come I’ve never thought of that?”

“It’s so beautiful,” Petunia Paleo spoke tearfully. “Oh, how I wish I was there too. It’s been my dream to see real living dinosaurs.”

“Let’s just hope they don’t run into any predators that could cause any harm,” Celestia voiced her concern.

“Sister, he just said they have a T-Rex,” Luna pointed out. “From what history has shown, it’s only the largest carnivore to ever walk the planet. Even the word rexmeans ‘king’ which makes the Tyrannosaur the ‘King of the Dinosaurs’ if you will.”

“Now that doesn’t sound like foreshadowing at all,” Storm Shield remarked sarcastically.

Just then, the theatre doors burst open, and everyone turned to see Mayor Mare racing into the theater. They could clearly see the concern written on her muzzle, as she gasped heavily for breath.

“Mayor Mare, what’s wrong?” Celestia asked.

“Your highness, you’re going to want to see this!” The mayor gasped.

Not bothering to spare a second though, Celestia and Luna leapt from their seats and followed the mayor outside the theatre. Everyone else followed closely behind as they walked outside to investigate what was going on. The sound of fast approaching hoof steps could be heard in the distance, and all turned to see why.

A garrison of Black Knights, all on horseback, galloped at a rapid pace towards Ponyville. Behind the garrison resembled a large black carriage pulled by large dark horses. The garrison and carriage soon charged through town until eventually coming to a halt just outside the theatre. In the process, the carriage also hit a large puddle sending water all over Petunia Paleo, the CMC, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Flurry Heart, and many fillies and colts.

“Hey, what’s the big idea?!” Apple Bloom yelled.

“Who do you think you are coming to our town unannounced?!” Sweetie added.

But no response came as a black knight leapt off his horse and quickly approached the carriage door. He proceeded to swing it open, revealing none other than the Evil Queen herself, Regina. There she stood, dressed in a wine-red riding coat with a high collar, dark leather pants, dark riding boots, and a feathered Cavalier hat.

The Queen stepped out of the carriage and looked down upon the sopping wet foals. Just one glance and she couldn’t help but smile with malicious intent in her eyes.

“Did my carriage splash you?” Regina asked mockingly.

“As a matter of fact—” Silver Spoon began.

“I don’t really care.”

The Queen then took one look around this tiny town.

“So… this is Ponyville?” Regina asked disgusted. “I must say, I thought it would be more… impressive. But where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. Regina Mills, Queen of the Enchanted Forest.”

“What brings you here?” Celestia asked seriously.

“What?” Regina chuckled. “No ‘Hello, won’t you please come in for some tea?’… I’d expect a princess such as you to show more decorum.”

“Your mocking doesn’t affect us!” Luna retorted. “You will answer my sister’s question, now!”

Regina soon turned her attention to Luna.

“Is this how they teach you to address a Queen?” She asked.

“You’re no Queen, not here,” Luna spoke defiantly. “My sister and I have ruled this land for a thousand years. As Princesses of the Sun and Moon, we refuse to permit one as threatening as you to disturb the peace.”

To which Regina merely laughed in response.

“Is that really what you do?” Regina laughed. “Sounds pathetic if you ask me. As for you being princesses, I’ve had my fair share of dealings with ‘your kind’. They fall under two categories: Those I kill… or those I imprison. Now, what category do ‘you’ fall under?”

“Enough!” Celestia said loudly. “You are unwelcome in these parts. Leave now and no harm will come to you.”

“Oh, but I have no intent of going anywhere,” Regina replied. “I’ve come all this way to this pitiful place because one of you stole something that belongs to me. I won’t leave until I get it back.”

“We’ve stolen nothing from you,” Luna spoke defiantly. “If you refuse to leave, we will be forced to use our magic and make you leave.”

Regina looked back and forth between the princesses and the other citizens of Ponyville. Just then, a wicked idea came to her head. A means of killing ‘two birds with one stone’…

“Well… I’ve tried to be nice… but looks like peaceful negotiations are over.”

Suddenly, she shot her hand out in a cupping motion toward the group of foals and the Cake Twins rose off the ground. They both pawed their necks, gagging as though they were choking. Every pony looked over in shock, gasping in horror.

“POUND CAKE! PUMPKIN CAKE!” Mrs. Cake screamed.

“Please put them down!” Mr. Cake begged.

“Release the foals now!” Celestia yelled, prepping her horn.

Seeing the sun princess light up her horn, Regina waved her free hand with a warning finger.

“Uh, uh, uh… I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” She warned. “Even if you blast me with magic, all I’d have to do is flick my wrist and snap their fragile little necks. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?”

Celestia and Luna both growled, staring daggers toward the Evil Queen. But their eyes shifted toward the Cake Twins, who were choking in Regina’s magical grasp. As much as they wanted to blast this invader to oblivion, they knew they couldn’t. Reluctantly, they diffused their magic.

“Alright, we won’t fight you,” Celestia surrendered. “Just let the twins go and you can be on your way.”

“As tempting an offer that is, it doesn’t benefit me at all,” Regina replied. “Now, here’s ‘my’ offer: Return what was stolen from me, and I’ll spare these two brats. I’ll give you until, let’s say… ‘sundown’ to bring it to me. I’ll be waiting for you at the edge of the forest. If by which time you don’t return what’s mine, or if you try to fight, you’ll still get them back… in far worse shape.”

The Evil Queen released a wicked laugh as she returned to her carriage with the floating twins struggling against the magic dragging them. The Black Knight shut the door and hopped back upon his horse. The garrison and the carriage soon charged out of Ponyville back towards the Everfree Forest. This left the entire group standing there, wondering what to do next. Mr. Cake tried consoling a hysterical Mrs. Cake. But with their twins captured and taken to Celestia knows where, things were getting dark very quickly.

<>

As the carriage rolled through the Everfree Forest, two figures watched from the shadows of the tall dark trees. With the carriage no longer in sight, the figures emerged into the light. One was an Earth pony with a mix of grey and dark gray fur, a slick and shiny dark mane and tail, brown eyes, yellowish-gold glasses, and a drama masks cutie mark.

The other was also an Earth pony, only with a light peach coat that transitioned to white around the hooves, a short but shaggy dirty blonde mane and coat, gray blue eyes, and a plume and parchment cutie mark.

The two ponies emerged from the shrubbery of the Everfree Forest, watching the carriage go by.

“I must admit Curtain Call,” The peach Earth pony spoke. “When I suggested we’d assume our ponysonas for this story, even I had no idea it would turn out like this.”

“You did so, Quill Cast,” Curtain Call remarked. “You’re the author; you know what’s going to happen before even I do. I just come along to enjoy the show.”

“I know, but I personally told Pinkie Pie that authors weren’t allowed to interfere. Now, authors can’t interfere, but as ponies anything goes.”

“Yeah whatever,” Curtain sighed. “The point now is we have a real problem. When this happens, it’s not really something I fuss about… but did we ‘really’ need to steal from her in the first place? Regina now has those cake twins in her possession.”

“As shocking as it may seem, you know why we did it,” Quill retorted. “Anyway, if we can recover the sheers, we can bring them back to her and she’ll return the twins unharmed… if she’s a woman of her word.”

“That doesn’t scream much confidence, but whatever works for me,” Curtain shrugged. “Where’d you put them?”

Quill dawned an awkward look on his face, trying to avoid eye contact with his friend. But Curtain Call leaned closer, staring down at him.

“Quill Cast… what did you do?” Curtain asked seriously.

“Well, uh—I—kind of—sort of—hid them on Isla Nublar?” Quill replied sheepishly.

Judging by the heavy frown on his face, the way his veins were exposed around his neck, Curtain Call looked as though he were about to scream for the whole world to hear. But then, he quickly took a deep, heavy breath while brushing back his mane.

“Why… did you hide them… there?” Curtain asked through gritted teeth.

“It was the safest place for them at the time,” Quill replied. “You know they’re in good hands. Last time we were there, we made sure John kept them secured along with our two little friends. He’d never let his associates down.”

“I still don’t trust him in possession of our raptors, especially ‘mine’,” Curtain voiced his concern. “But right now, we must get the sheers back at whatever cost. And under no circumstances must Twilight and her friends know about us… least not yet.”

“Works for me,” Quill nodded. “Shall we?”

Quill soon reached into his saddlebag around his back, pulling out a small silver magic bean. He hurled it deep into the forest and soon a swirling portal was open.

“Isla Nublar… here we come!” Curtain yelled with determination.

With that, the two mysterious ponies raced at full speed through the portal and into the unknown as it sealed behind them, leaving not a trace of its existence intact. What happens next? Only time could tell.

Creation Process

Back on Isla Nublar, near the East Dock, a strong wind picked up as a swirling vortex opened. Emerging through the portal were none other than Curtain Call and Quill Cast. The two stallions looked over their surroundings as the swirling portal sealed behind them. They noticed a dense foliage of jungle off in the distance and when they turned around, they spotted a large cargo ship docked along the port.

“This is Isla Nublar?” Curtain Call remarked. “I thought it’d be bigger.”

“Normally I’d reply with a witty comeback over what you said,” Quill Cast replied. “But right now, we’ve got business to attend to.”

“Thought we agreed to leave that kind of humor out of these stories,” Curtain argued.

“As authors that’s true,” Quill responded. “As ponies… it’s a whole different story.”

To which Curtain Call merely shook his head in frustration, trying to focus on the task at hand… or in this case, ‘hoof’.

“Where exactly did you leave the shears again?” He asked.

“I left it with them of course,” Quill answered.

“… Okay, maybe that wasn’t a bad idea.”

“Who better to watch after them than our raptors?” Quill asked. “We raised them since they hatched; they love and respect us.”

Quill reached into his saddlebag and procured a map layout of the entire island, of which his associate had given him. Unfolding it, the two stallions studied the wide range indicated on the map.

“Hammond told me that he keeps the raptors in the paddock,” Quill pointed out. “Which, according to the map, is situated on the west side of the island.”

“And how are we supposed to get there?” Curtain asked. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not human anymore. We haven’t the arm or leg power to drive a car. What? Are we supposed to ‘walk’ all the way there?”

“No, I was thinking we’d start with a light gallop,” Quill replied sarcastically. “Then we pick it up with a nice trot… and then we run like we’re in a race for our lives… literally! But please, if you have a better plan, we’d love to hear it.”

“Urgh… why couldn’t I have imagined my form as a Pegasus?!” Curtain groaned in frustration.

“You’re scared of flying.”

“No… I’m not afraid of ‘flying’, I’m terrified of crashing! Big difference!”

Before Curtain’s blood pressure can go any higher, he takes a deep breath and channels all that frustration out of him.

“Okay… fine. Been meaning to get my steps in anyway. Let’s get this over with--”

“I heard something over here.”

The sound of a new voice at close range made the two stallions snap their heads in one direction. Sure enough, the silhouette of a figure was heading their way. Quickly, the stallions leapt behind a large crate near the ship just as a man emerged to inspect the area. He wore khaki pants, an InGen jacket, and glasses over his eyes. This man was known as Miles Chadwick.

“What is it?” Another voice asked.

It was in that moment when a woman with dark red hair tied back in a bun appeared. She wore gray cargo pants with a knife strapped to her side, a dark-red tank top, black fingerless gloves, and matching boots. Her name was Nima Cruz.

“Must’ve been a bird or something,” Miles responded. “Don’t know what the hell’s on this island.”

“When exactly can we leave?” Nima asked impatiently. “I hate the tropics.”

“We’ll leave as soon as Nedry arrives with the embryos,” Miles responded. “Then we deliver them to Dodgson personally and get the biggest payday of our lives.”

They proceeded to walk away, just as Curtain Call and Quill Cast emerged from their hiding spots. Soon as the two humans were out of sight, both ponies faced each other and instantly they knew what each other was thinking.

“Who in Equestria are those two?” Quill asked curiously.

“Hopefully, no pony important,” Curtain spoke urgently. “We need to hurry!”

“No kidding!” Quill nodded. “If I know this place as well as I think I do, we’re rapidly approaching something we don’t want any part of. Come on!”

With that in mind, the two stallions raced off as fast as their legs could carry them. Onward they pressed forth toward the deepest, darkest jungle. In their minds, the sooner they arrive toward their destination, the sooner they could leave this place. Hopefully for them, this trip only gets better from here on out.

<>

The main compound of Jurassic Park was a large area with three main structures connected by walkways and surrounded by two impressive fences, the outer fence almost twenty feet high. Outside the fences, the jungle has been encouraged to grow naturally.

The largest building was the visitor’s center, the nerve center of the park. It stood several stories tall, its walls still skeletal, unfinished… in other words, a work in progress. There’s a huge glass rotunda in the very center. The second building resembled a private residence, a compound unto itself, with smoked windows and its own perimeter fence. The third structure isn’t really a building at all, but rather an impressive cage seen earlier, overgrown inside with thick jungle foliage. But the visitor’s center was where the jeeps would pull up front.

Two jeeps containing the Equestrians, Hammond, Grant, Sattler, Malcolm, and Gennaro pulled to a stop in front of the Jurassic Park Visitor’s center. As they jumped out of the vehicles, they noticed a big hole in the wall covered by a tarp. Everyone in the group, Hammond aside, gazed at the building with wonder.

“My oh my, what a lovely building!” Rarity admired. “I absolutely love the tropical style cheque.”

“Why thank you my dear,” Hammond smiled.

“Reminds me of Equestria,” Spike added.

“You’re right Spike,” Twilight agreed. “It actually does feel that way.”

As Hammond led the group up the stairs, talking as he went, two workers opened the large front doors with a smile and Hammond greeted them as they entered the center.

“G’day, g’day, g’day!” He greeted.

The lobby of the still-unfinished visitor’s center is a high-ceilinged place, and had to be to house its central feature, a large skeleton of a tyrannosaur attacking the bellowing sauropod. Hanging above the skeletons was a large banner that read:

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

As everyone and every pony entered the visitors center, they were surprised to see it looked bigger than it appeared on the outside. From where they stood, it had to have at least three different floors. They took note of the workmen in the basket of a Condor crane still assembling skeletons. A staircase climbed the far wall, to another wing.

“--Now, the most advanced amusement park in the world, incorporating all the latest technologies,” Hammond continued. “And I’m not talking just about rides, you know, everybody has rides. But we’ve made living biological attractions so astounding, that they’ll capture the imagination of the entire planet.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard this much egghead talk in all our previous adventures combined,” Rainbow whispered to Daring.

The two mares chuckled a bit, which earned Rainbow a nudge in the side courtesy of Applejack. Grant, meanwhile, stared at the dinosaur skeletons and just shook his head. Ellie caught his reaction.

“So, what are you thinking?” Ellie asked Alan.

“That we’re out of a job,” Alan replied.

“Don’t you mean ‘extinct’?” Malcolm said jokingly.

Several Equestrians groaned and shook their heads over the corny joke as they moved on ahead.

<>

Soon enough, Hammond had led them into a room that resembled a movie theater. Several seats with protective bars, like roller coaster chairs, sat in front of a screen.

“Why don’t you all sit down?” Hammond suggested. “Uh, Donald, sit down, sit down.”

Grant, Ellie, and Malcolm took their seats in the front row of the fifty-seat auditorium. Gennaro sat behind them, and the Equestrians pretty much sat wherever they felt like. Hammond walked toward the giant screen in front of them. Behind him, a huge image of himself beamed down at him from the giant television screen, ‘walking up’ to meet him.

“Here, here he comes,” Hammond spoke giddily. “Well, here I come, yes.”

“Hello, hello!” Screen Hammond greeted.

“Say hello, say hello!” Hammond said excitedly.

The others weakly replied with ‘Hellos’, while Malcolm waved half-heartedly. The only one who showed ‘any’ enthusiasm was Pinkie Pie waving her hoof rapidly toward Screen Hammond.

“Hiya Mr. Hammond!” Pinkie Pie greeted cheerily. “Dig those fancy threads!”

“Oh brother…” Rainbow shook her head.

“Hello, John!” Screen Hammond called out.

“Oh, yes, I’ve got lines,” Hammond fumbled.

Pulling out his three-by-five cards, Hammond scanned them to find his place. Screen Hammond continued without him.

“Well, fine, fine, I guess!” Screen Hammond continued. “But, uh, how did I get here?!”

“Uh, well, let me show you,” Hammond answered, finding his place. “First, I’ll need a drop of blood. Your blood!”

“Right.”

The screen-Hammond extended his fingers and the stage-Hammond reached out and miming poking it with a needle.

“Ooh! John, that hurt!” Screen Hammond spoke.

“Relax, John,” Stage Hammond assured. “It’s all part of the miracle of cloning!”

While the two Hammonds rattled on, the screen image split into two Hammonds, followed by four then eight, and so on, like a shampoo commercial. As they watched the Hammonds greeting each other, the Equestrians, along with Grant, Ellie, and Malcolm huddled together excitedly in the audience.

“Cloned from what?” Alan pondered. “Loy extraction has never recreated an intact DNA strand!”

“Not without massive sequence gaps!” Malcolm added.

“It does sound impossible to gather enough Paleo-DNA just to clone at least one species,” Twilight admitted.

“Paleo-DNA? From what source?” Ellie questioned. Where do you get 100-million-year-old dinosaur blood?”

“Shhh!” Gennaro shushed.

“You shush!” Rainbow remarked, frowning.

“Uh girls… what’s that?” Fluttershy pointed out.

The Equestrians and the other guests turned back toward the screen, as Screen-Hammond would soon be joined by another figure… a rather ‘animated’ figure. This animated swirl appearing from S. Hammond’s finger was a cartoon DNA strand, Mr. DNA by name. A happy-go-lucky double-helix strand of recombinant DNA jumping down onto the screen, popped over the shoulder opposite of Hammond’s direction, and tapped his shoulder before zipping to the other side.

“What? What?” Screen Hammond looked, seeing the strand. “Oh! Well! Mr. DNA! Where’d you come from?”

“From your blood!” Mr. DNA answered. “Just one drop of your blood contains billions of strands of DNA, the building blocks of life!”

By now, Mr. DNA has completely taken over the show, more so than a certain ‘klutzy draconequus’. This cartoon character was soon speaking to the audience from the screen.

“A DNA strand, like me, is a blueprint for building a living thing!” Mr. DNA continued. “And sometimes animals that went extinct millions of years ago, like dinosaurs, left their blueprints behind for us to find! We just had to know where to look!”

The screen image changed from animated to a nature-photography look. It’s an extreme close-up of a mosquito, its fangs sucked deep into some animal’s flesh, its body pulsing and engorging with blood it’s drinking.

“A hundred million years ago, there were mosquitos, just like today -- and just like today, they fed on the blood of animals. Even dinosaurs!”

The camera raced back to show the mosquito perched on top of a giant animated brachiosaur. Eventually, the image changed to another close-up, this one of a tree branch, its bark glistening with golden sap. Mr. DNA leapt onto the sap.

“Sometimes, after biting a dinosaur, the mosquito would land on a branch of a tree and get stuck in the sap!”

The engorged mosquito landed in the tree sap and got stuck. So did Mr. DNA, who tugged his legs yet remained stuck.

“WHOA!” Mr. DNA yelped.

Now the tree sap flowed over them, covering up Mr. DNA and the mosquito completely. Mr. DNA shouted from inside the tree sap.

“After a long time, the tree sap would get hard and become fossilized, just like a dinosaur bone, preserving the mosquito inside!” Mr. DNA continued.

A science laboratory came into view; the place buzzed with activity. Everywhere, there are piles of amber, tagged and labeled with scientists in white coats examining it under microscopes.

One scientist moved a complicated drill apparatus next to the chuck of amber with a fossilized mosquito inside and bore into the side of it. Mr. DNA escaped through the drill hole as the scientist moved the amber onto a microscope and peered through the eyepiece.

“This fossilized tree sap -- which we call amber waited millions of years, with the mosquito inside until Jurassic Park’s scientists came along!” Mr. DNA explained.

Through the microscope, the audience could see the greatly enlarged image of a mosquito through the lens.

“Using sophisticated techniques, they extract the preserved blood from the mosquito, and --”

A long needle was inserted through the amber, into the thorax of the mosquito, and makes an extraction.

“--Bingo! Dino DNA!”

This piece of information drew the whole group’s attention, some of them intrigued while others were a slight skeptical. Still, they watched as Mr. DNA leapt in front of DNA data raced by at headache speed. He held his head, dizzied by it, as data flew everywhere.

“A full DNA strand contains three billion genetic codes!” Mr. DNA explained. “If we looked at screens like these, once a second for eight hours a day, it’d take two years to look at the entire strand! It’s that long! And since it’s so old--”

Mr. DNA was suddenly dragged offscreen when he was caught by one of the flying data chunks. But soon he reappeared back on screen and kept talking.

“--it’s full of holes. Now, that’s where our geneticists take over!”

Scientists toiled in the genetics lab with two huge white towers at either side.

“Thinking machine supercomputers and gene sequencers break down the strand in minutes--” Mr. DNA began.

One scientist, in the back, had his arms encased in two long rubber tubes. He’s strapped into a bizarre apparatus, staring into a complex headpiece, and moving his arms gently, like Tai Chi movements.

“--and Virtual Reality displays show our geneticists the gaps in the DNA sequence! Since most animal DNA is ninety percent identical, we use the complete DNA of a frog--”

On the V.R. display was an actual DNA strand, except it had a big hole in the center, where the vital information was missing. Mr. DNA bounded into the frame, carrying a bunch of letters in one hand. He proceeded to place it in the gap and turned back against it, grunting as he shoved it into place.

“--to fill in the--holes and--complete--the--code!” Mr. DNA strained, finally getting it. “Phew! And now we can make a baby dinosaur!”

The scientists and the Equestrians looked at each other, not sure what to think.

“Yep… we’re definitely in the 90s,” Pinkie declared. “They just don’t make educational program like this nowadays.”

“This score is only temporary,” Hammond reassured. “It all has very dramatic music, of course--‘rum, pum, pum!’--a little march or something that hasn’t been written yet and then, of course, the tour moves on…”

Hammond clicked a button on a remote and the safety bars appeared out of nowhere and dropped over their seats, clicking into place.

“Fun, adventure… and solid steel restraints, Mr. Hammond?” Spike raised his brow.

“For your own safety!” Hammond replied.

The rows of seats moved out of the auditorium. Slowly they moved past a row of double-panned glass windows beneath a large sign that read, ‘GENETICS/FERTILIZATION/HATCHERY’. Inside, technicians worked through the microscopes like there was no tomorrow. In the back was a section entirely lit by blue ultraviolet light. Mr. DNA’s voice continued over a speaker in each seat.

“Well, looky-here!” Mr. DNA spoke, over PA. “Those hard-working cowpokes you see behind the glass--”

“Boy howdy, this place is busier than Sweet Apple Acres on Cider Season!” Applejack gawked.

“That must be the fertilization department where they place the dinosaur DNA,” Time Turner pointed out. “Which means, that must be the nursery where the scientists are planning to welcome the dinosaurs back to this world.”

“You mean… those eggs over there… will hatch tiny, baby dinosaurs?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened.

“If based on what we saw so far suggests anything else… I’d say yes.”

Meanwhile, Gennaro had a wonderous grin plastered on his face. There was no mistake that the lawyer was loving everything now.

“This is overwhelming, John,” Gennaro admired. “Are these characters auto-erotica?”

“Dude! Keep it in your pants, will ya?” Rainbow remarked.

“No, we have no animatronics here,” Hammond reassured. “These people are the real miracle workers of Jurassic Park.”

“--in unfertilized emu or ostrich eggs,” Mr. DNA continued. “And it’s no--”

By now, the scientists were growing frustrated, leaning forward, straining against the safety bars for a better look. But the cars kept going.

“Wait a minute!” Grant called out. “How do you interrupt the cellular mitosis?!?”

“Can’t we see the unfertilized eggs?” Sattler asked.

“Shortly, shortly,” Hammond reassured.

The cars, however, are already moving on to another set of windows, which give a glimpse into what resembles a control room.

“Now a whole team of genetic engineers goes to work on--” Mr. DNA continued.

Grant and Twilight strained to look back into the labs, but the cars moved past again, with no intent of slowing down.

“Mr. Hammond, can’t you stop these things?” Twilight asked anxiously.

“I’m sorry! It’s kind of a ride,” Hammond responded.

Malcolm looked over at Grant and placed his hands on the bars, soon the Equestrians and Sattler joined in one-by-one.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not keen on being restrained any longer,” Daring Do remarked.

“Right! Let’s get outta here!” Rainbow agreed.

“One, two, three!” Grant counted.

Together they teamed up on the safety bars. Applejack shoved her bars all the way back with one hoof and Rainbow did the same. Soon as their safety bars were up, they proceeded to get out of their seats and walked off toward the doors to the hatchery.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” Gennaro called out.

But it was too late. Ellie and several girls slipped out from under their safety bars and stomped right across Gennaro’s seat. Hammond, scoffing at their behavior, lifted the bars and walked after them.

“Can they do that?” Gennaro asked Hammond.

Soon, they reached the door to the hatchery. Grant tried to shove it open, but just thuds into it. He rattled the handle, but the door won’t budge as it’s on a security key-card system. Hammond stepped up and removed his glasses.

“Relax, Donald, relax,” Hammond spoke calmly. “We have scientists and visitors from a far away land. They ought to be curious.”

“What magic will it take to open these doors?” Spike scratched his head.

“That’s a retinal scanner, Spike,” Hammond answered.

Hammond stepped toward the code box and pushed various code numbers, before a light scanned the retinal in his eyes. In seconds, the door opened, and he stepped aside as the group eagerly climbed the stairs.

“Huh!” Spike nodded, impressed. “We should get one of those.”

<>

The hatchery was a vast, open room, bathed in infrared light. Long tables ran the length of the place, all covered with eggs, their pale outlines obscured by hissing low mist that’s all through the room. As Hammond led the group down into this corner of the laboratory, a voice came over the loudspeaker.

“A reminder; the boat for the mainland will be leaving at nineteen hundred hours. All personally be at the dock no later than eighteen forty-five. No exceptions.”

“Should we be concerned about that?” Spike asked.

“It’s just a precaution,” Hammond shrugged off. “It doesn’t concern us; come on in.”

Twilight Sparkle, meanwhile, was in her zone just looking at this place.

“EEEHH!! OH, MY FAUST!!! LOOK AT THIS PLACE!!!”

“Oh boy…” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “She’s doing it again…”

In an instant, the alicorn princess was zipping all over the lab. Even Pinkie Pie couldn’t keep up with her pace.

“THIS IS THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY I’VE EVER SEEN, YOU GUYS! IT’S LIKE ALL MY DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE; IT’S SO AMAZING!!!”

“And you guys always call ‘me’ the crazy one!” Pinkie remarked.

“Once again, there’s chaos in all of us,” Ian added.

“Great wickering stallions!” Time Turner gasped. “I’m absolutely stunned by what I’m seeing!”

“You would, Doc,” Daring replied.

“I beg your pardon, young lady!” Hammond shouted. “I’d much appreciate it if you’d control yourself; this is very sensitive equipment!”

Twilight Sparkle soon froze in place, fluttering back to her hooves in embarrassment.

“Sorry, Mr. Hammond. I’m just… so excited to be here!”

“I appreciate that,” Hammond smiled. “But please… mind your energy for the tour itself. Shall we?”

Hammond took off his hat and handed it to one of the technicians as another scientist came into view. Henry Wu, late twenties, Asian-American, wearing a white lab coat and working at a nearby table, making notes.

“G’day, Henry!” Hammond greeted.

“Oh, good day, sir,” Dr. Henry Wu replied.

“Who are you?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“This is Dr. Henry Wu, everyone,” Hammond introduced. “He’s one of the most brilliant minds here at Jurassic Park!”

“It’s so great to meet some of the scientists behind the scenes!” Twilight smiled, conjuring a notepad and pencil. “I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS; I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START!!!”

Meanwhile, Daring Do and Time Turner followed the human visitors over to an incubator machine, where a robotic claw turned over the eggs underneath the heat and strong light source.

“It’s turning the eggs,” Ellie commented.

“Now that’s clever,” Time Turner added.

Fluttershy then came over at the mere sight, gasping with excitement.

“Oh, my goodness!” Fluttershy smiled. “To think there are little baby dinosaurs inside those eggs!”

She soon noticed one of the eggs made strong movements - a robotic arm steadied the shell.

“Look! One’s about to hatch!”

Both the scientists and Equestrians joined her, as did Henry Wu.

“Ah, perfect timing!” Dr. Wu smiled, satisfied. “I’d hoped they’d hatch before I had to go to the boat.”

“Henry, Henry! Why didn’t you tell me?” Hammond chuckled, putting on a pair of plastic gloves. “You know I insist on being here when they’re born.”

“What’s going on every pony?” Rarity asked.

“A baby dinosaur is hatching! EEEH!” Fluttershy squealed.

“A baby dinosaur?!” Pinkie Pie gasped. “I must plan the birthday party fast!”

“Whoa now, Pinkie!” Applejack lassoed her eccentric friend. “Maybe it’d be best if ya save the party ‘till we leave the lab.”

“But I--”

“How ‘bout this: we’ll have the party the moment the tour’s over.”

“Okay! I can wait!”

Soon the egg began to crack, as the robot claw held it firmly in place. There was no mistaking it: a baby dinosaur was about to emerge.

“Come on,” Hammond encouraged. “Come on, little one.”

“Come on, you can do it,” Fluttershy added. “Just a little further.”

Soon, a bulging crack began to form as a little head became visible.

“Would you look at that, y’all!” Applejack stared.

“Incredible!” Twilight gasped.

“You’re doing very good,” Fluttershy continued. “You can do it, just push your way out, it’s just a shell.”

As the little baby became visible, so did the strands of blood that were covering it.

“Oh, God,” Ellie remarked.

“Push,” Hammond continued. “Come on. Come on. Come on then.”

Hammond reached down and carefully broke away the egg fragments that covered its head, helping the baby dinosaur out of its shell. The little dinosaur cooed at the sight of the two giant creatures staring down at it.

“There you are, there,” Hammond smiled. “They imprint on the first creature they come in contact with. That helps them to trust me. I’ve been present for the birth of every animal on this island. Just look at that.”

“What an adorable little creature,” Fluttershy cooed.

The little dinosaur settled its focus on the yellow Pegasus, cooing and clawing at the air in front of her. She moved her snout closer to its claws.

“Hello, little guy. My name’s Fluttershy.”

To her surprise, and to the shock of everyone else present, especially the scientists, the baby dinosaur leaned down and purred, softly nuzzling her soft fur.

“I don’t believe it,” Hammond stared.

“Did… did I do something… wrong, Mr. Hammond?” Fluttershy asked meekly. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright, my dear. It’s just that… well…”

“This has never happened before,” Dr. Wu spoke up.

“Whaddya mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“This is the first time a dinosaur has seen Mr. Hammond first but not imprinted on him.”

“That’s our Fluttershy,” She boasted.

“I… I didn’t mean to…,” Fluttershy shyly bowed.

The baby dino could sense her unease and all at once started to squirm and chirp, making such a big fuss.

“Oh, shh, shh, it’s alright,” Fluttershy spoke quietly.

Going to work, Fluttershy picked up the little dino from its egg. Softly and carefully, the yellow Pegasus proceeded to pet its head as it calmed. She soon quietly hummed a little lullaby. There was a calm silence, until Ian spoke up.

“Well, surely you haven’t imprinted on the ones that have bred in the wild?”

“Actually, they can’t breed in the wild,” Dr. Wu replied. “Population control is one of our security precautions here. There is no unauthorized breeding in Jurassic Park.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged a look, and somehow, they managed not to smile.

“Uh-huh…” Daring Do nodded, unconvinced. “How do you know they can’t breed?

“Well, that’s because all the animals in Jurassic Park are females. We’ve engineered them that way.”

The Equestrians, along with Alan and Ellie walked toward Fluttershy, their attention trained on the new dinosaur.

“Oh my God,” Ellie smiled. “Look at that.”

“Any pony got a tissue?” Spike spoke up. “I think my allergies are starting to kick in.”

“Right away,” Wu replied certainly. “Coming right up.”

“May I?” Alan requested.

“Oh, why yes you can, Dr. Grant, just be very gentle with her,” Fluttershy replied. “It’ll be alright, little one. Dr. Grant is a very nice man.”

Fluttershy handed the mewling dino into the large palm of Alan’s hand, who measured its body temp under the incubator’s heat light.

“Blood temperature seems like about high eighties, maybe,” Alan assumed.

“Wu?” Hammond double-checked.

“Ninety-one,” The scientist clarified.

Rainbow Dash picked up the large, broken half-shell for a close inspection. But the robotic arm snatched it back from her hooves and put it down.

“Hey!”

“Homeothermic?” Ellie asked. “It holds that temperature?”

“Yep,” Dr. Wu replied.

“Incredible!” Applejack gasped.

“But aren’t dinosaurs supposed to be… lizards?” Daring asked. “Shouldn’t they be like, cold-blooded or something?”

“Well, modern-day chickens are more closely related to dinosaurs than actual lizards,” Grant pointed out.

“Interesting…” Twilight nodded, heavily scribbling notes.

Ian Malcolm, meanwhile, was still cynically skeptical.

“But, uh, again, how do you know they’re all female? Does someone go out into the park and, uh -- lift up the dinosaur’s skirts?”

“Dr. Malcolm, please!” Rarity huffed.

“We control their chromosomes,” Dr. Wu explained. “It’s really not that difficult. All vertebrate embryos are inherently female anyway. They just require an extra hormone given at the right developmental stage to create a male, and we simply deny them that.”

“Deny them that?” Ellie echoed.

“Tha’… sounds mighty scary,” Applejack added.

“John, the kind of control you’re attempting here is, uh, it’s not possible,” Malcolm continued. “If there’s one thing that the history of evolution has taught us, it’s that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories and crashes through barriers. Painfully, maybe even… dangerously, but… uh well, there it is.”

The Equestrians listened to Malcolm, impressed with his statement. Grant, ignoring the others, spread the tiny animal out on the back of his hand and delicately ran his finger over its tail, counting the vertebrae. A look of puzzled recognition crossed his face.

“You’re implying that a group composed entirely of females will… breed?” Dr. Wu pressed.

“No, I’m simply saying that life -- finds a way,” Ian clarified.

“Could it still be possible?” Daring asked.

“Perhaps, if the circumstances were aligned correctly,” Time Turner replied.

“’You can’t control anything’,” Rainbow Dash pondered. “You know… I agree with that.”

Rainbow Dash walked toward Applejack, smiling at her, too warmly.

“You know A.J., I find it so exciting… a little terrifying, but exciting. That you can’t control life, but life always finds a way.”

“It will break through,” Applejack nodded.

“I get ah--”

“I know… it’s mighty excitin’.”

“And scary.”

“And scary.”

“When people try to control things it’s out of their power--”

“It ain’t natural.”

“Yeah… anti-natural.”

“Uh girls, if you’re going to get busy, could you save it for when we get to our rooms?” Daring Do interrupted.

“Oh! Sorry about that!” Rainbow Dash blushed sheepishly. “Didn’t mean for you to see that.”

To which, Applejack frowned at Daring Do with a huff toward the air. There was just something about Daring Do that rubbed the cowpony the wrong way, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it.

Grant, on the other hand, was still obsessed with the infant dinosaur, the whole time spent measuring and weighing it on a nearby lab bench. He stopped; a strange look spread across his face. He knew what this animal was -- but it just couldn’t be.

“What species is this?” Grant asked, dreading the answer.

“Uh -- it’s a Velociraptor,” Dr. Wu answered.

Grant, Ellie, and the Equestrians slowly turned. They looked at each other, then toward Hammond, astonished.

“You bred Raptors?” Grant emphasized, deathly still.

Dr. Wu nodded silently, and the whole group went silent. Alan carefully handed the little baby killer of nature back to the kind, sweet Fluttershy. He watched as she rocked the Raptor gently back and forth in her hooves, as if nothing they said was trouble. Apart from the mewing, there was a long silence as all eyes focused on the baby Velociraptor.

“Great wickering stallions,” Time Turner gaped.

And in all that time, Twilight Sparkle quickly wrote down what he said, thus completing her manuscript.

<>

A terrible shriek erupted as Grant and Twilight Sparkle charged across the compound, the fire burning in the man’s eyes. The Equestrians and the guests, especially Hammond, struggled to keep up.

“Dr. Grant! Twilight Sparkle!” Hammond called out. “Uh—we planned to show you the raptors later, after lunch.”

But Grant stopped abruptly next to the Velociraptor pen, the heavily fortified cage from earlier, with the San Quentin towers at one end. Twilight Sparkle skid to a halt beside Dr. Grant, who stood right up against the fence, eyes wide, dying for a glimpse. The others followed them toward the staff viewing area, a long walkway wrapped around the concrete structure. Hammond finally caught up, slightly out of breath.

“Dr. Grant… Twilight Sparkle… as I was saying, we’ve laid out lunch for you before you set out into the park. Our gourmet chef Alejandro—"

“What’re they doing?” Grant asked.

“And what are they going to do with that cow?” Twilight pointed out.

As they watched, a giant crane lowered something large down into the middle of the jungle foliage inside the pen. A cow, a very large one at best. But not just ‘any’ cow, a steer. The poor thing looked disconcerted as hell, helpless in its harness, flailing its legs in the air.

“Oh, feeding them,” Hammond replied casually.

“D-D-D-Did you say… feeding?” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Alejandro is preparing a delightful menu for us: A Chilean sea bass, I believe. Shall we?”

But rather than moving along, Grant and Twilight climbed up toward the viewing deck. The others followed, staring as the steer disappeared into the shroud of foliage. The line from the crane hung for a moment as the steer gave a loud ‘moo’ of fright. The jungle seemed to grow very quiet. All eyes stared toward the motionless crane line. It jerked suddenly, like a fishing pole getting a nibble. There’s a pause…

… and then a frenzy. Snarling noises took over, followed by horrible noises and the cow squealing in pain and terror. The line jerked every which way, the jungle plants and trees swayed and snapped from the frantic activity within. There was a cacophony of growling, of snapping, of wet crunches that meant the steer was literally being torn to pieces and it almost made it worse that the group couldn’t see anything of what’s going on. The scientists watched with interest, or, in the Equestrians’ case, disgust, but, in Fluttershy’s case, fear as she hugged Ellie who comforted her.

And then… all was quiet again. The line jerked a few times, then stopped. Slowly, the sound of the jungle started up again.

“Fascinating animals, fascinating,” Hammond broke the silence.

“Oh… my… Faust!” Rarity cringed.

“Give time, they’ll out draw the T-rex. Guarantee it.”

“I’d like to see them,” Daring Do offered. “Can we get closer?

Ellie placed a hand on her arm, just like calming an overexcited child.

“Ms. Daring, these aren’t bones anymore,” Ellie pointed out.

“We’re – still perfecting a viewing system,” Hammond added. “The raptors seem to be a bit resistant to integration into a park setting.”

“They should all be destroyed.”

They turned and looked toward the man who spoke from behind them. Robert Muldoon, the grim-faced man who was present at the accident in the beginning. A man in his forties, British. He joined them and removed his hat. For whenever Muldoon speaks, everyone listens to what he has to say.

“Robert!” Hammond laughed. “Robert Muldoon, my game warden from Kenya. A bit of an alarmist, I’m afraid, but he’s dealt with the raptors more than anyone.”

“Alan Grant,” Grant introduced himself. “What kind of metabolism do they have? What’s their growth rate?”

“They’re lethal at eight months,” Muldoon explained. “And I do mean lethal. I’ve hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move—”

“You’re saying they’re faster?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

“Fast for a biped?” Grant emphasized.

“Cheetah speed,” Muldoon answered. “Fifty, sixty miles per hour if they ever got out in the open – and they’re astonishing jumpers.”

“Whooey… that’ll be a long-time to lasso them doggies,” Applejack shook her head.

“Yes, yes, yes, that’s why we’re taking extremeprecautions,” Hammond assured, facing Ellie. “The ah, viewing area below us will have eight-inch tempered glass set in reinforced steel frames to—”

“Do they show intelligence?” Grant asked.

“And are they smart?” Twilight added. “With the brain cavity like theirs, we assumed—”

“They show extreme intelligence, even problem-solving intelligence,” Muldoon emphasized. “Especially the Big One.”

“How big are we talking about?” Pinkie asked curiously. “Metaphorically? Or ‘literally’?”

“Lemme put it to you this way little one,” Muldoon informed grimly. “We bred eight originally, but when ‘she’ came in, she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others… if not more. That one – when she looks at you, you can see she’s working things out. She’s the reason we have to feed ‘em like this. She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came.”

“But the fences are electrified though, right?” Ellie asked curiously.

“That’s right, but they never attack the same place twice,” Muldoon corrected. “They were testing the fences for weaknesses. Systematically. They remembered.”

“I know I’m probably going a bit off-topic here, but…” Spike spoke up. “You do seem to handle explaining these matters to talking creatures very well, Mr. Muldoon.”

“Compared to what I’ve seen… nothing surprises me anymore.”

Behind them, the crane whirred back to life, raising the cable back up out of the raptor pen. The guests turned and stared as the end portion of the cable became visible. The steer had been dragged completely away, the harness was destroyed, covered with blood, and nothing remained of the steer. Not even a tattered, bloody harness to find. The horrific sight caused Fluttershy to faint, as her friends rushed over to fan her.

“Yes, well… who’s hungry?” Hammond clapped his hands together.”

“After you, my dear,” Time Turner gestured to Daring Do.

“What a gentlecolt,” Daring Do nodded, walking ahead. “Coming Rainbow Dash?

“Be right there, Double D!” Dash called out, charging forward.

While her friends tried to bring Fluttershy back to life, Applejack turned toward the two Pegasi. Her eyes crossed with suspicion as she stared at the way those two were talking amongst themselves. Spike took notice of Applejack and approached her.

“Everything okay, A.J.?” Spike asked, concerned.

“I dunno Spike,” Applejack responded. “Somethin’ mighty fishy’s goin’ on round here. But I can’t put mah hoof on it.”

<>

By now, everyone and every pony ate lunch together at a long table in the visitor’s center restaurant. There was a large buffet table and two waiters to serve them. The room was darkened as Hammond showed slides of various scenes all around them. Hammond’s own recorded voice described the current and future features of the park while the slides flash artists’ renderings of all of them.

While the Chilean Sea Bass they were served looked remarkably delicious, most of the group couldn’t stomach a meal after the terrifying display of the raptors (Despite the fact they never saw the actual carnage). Most of the ponies, since they couldn’t eat meat, were given a tossed salad with some dressing of their choosing on the side.

As awkward as the meal was, Spike curiously poked and prodded the sea bass with a fork then carefully took a piece. He sniffed the fish for a moment then slowly drew the forkful into his mouth, chewing slowly to savor the flavor. Suddenly, Spike’s eyes lit up as the flavor of the spices and protein sparked a sensation in his tastebuds and he proceeded to eat his dish quickly. All the while, the real Hammond spoke with them.

“None of these attractions have been finished yet, of course,” Hammond explained, over the narration. “But the park will open with the basic tour that you’re about to take, and then other rides will come online after six to twelve months after that. Absolutely spectacular designs. Spared no expense.”

“I swear if I hear him mention, ‘Spared no expense’ one more time…” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Take it easy hon… he’s just excited,” Applejack reassured.

“I mean these ideas do sound like they’d be fun attractions,” Pinkie Pie admitted. “Like something out of an amusement park like, uh… ‘Universal Studios’!”

To which Pinkie Pie pulled out a pamphlet from her mane, which showed the ‘Universal Studios’ logo, then did a double take.

“Whoops, wrong park!”

Quickly tossing it aside, Pinkie dug deeper into her mane until she found the one that said ‘Islands of Adventure’ on it.

“Got it!” Pinkie Pie smiled.

But most of the ponies, except a preoccupied Spike, were busy studying all the passing slides. A few of them were a series of graphs dealing with profits, attendance, and other fiscal projections. Donald Gennaro, who had become increasingly friendly with Hammond, as giddy as a schoolboy, grinned from ear to ear.

“And we can charge anything we want!” Gennaro spoke up. “Two thousand a day, ten thousand a day – people will pay it! And then there’s the merchandising, which I personally—”

“Ten thousand dollars for a theme park?” Daring Do raised her brow.

“No offense Mr. Gennaro, but business and statistics-wise I could understand,” Time Turner jumped in. “But motive-wise… I don’t know if there’d be a ton of folk who could afford it.”

“Not to worry little ponies,” Hammond reassured. “This park was not built to cater only for the super-rich. Everyone in the world has the right to enjoy these animals.”

“Sure, they will, they will,” Gennaro nodded, kissing up. “I mean, we’ll have a – coupon day or something.”

“As long as there’s an all-you-can-eat coupon included, you can expect me in line first!” Pinkie Pie grinned.

Grant looked down toward the plate he was eating from. Sure enough, it was in the shape of the island itself. He looked at his drinking cup. It had a T-rex on it, with a splashy Jurassic Park logo. The other Equestrians could see a whole stack of folded amusement park-style maps on the table before them. Boldly, across the top it said, ‘Fly United to Jurassic Park!’.

“Certainly not very subtle on the promotional campaigns,” Rarity observed.

“—From combined revenue streams for all three parks should reach eight to nine billion dollars a year—” Hammond’s voice spoke over tape.

“They’re definitely speculating wildly on some of these figures,” Daring Do reviewed the stats.

“I for one have never been a rich pony myself,” Time Turner shrugged. “I hear it’s nice though. Miss Sparkle, you used to live in Canterlot, would you say it’s nice?”

“Well… I don’t like to brag about finances,” Twilight Sparkle admitted. “True, I live in a castle which mostly pays for itself. But I still prefer to work and earn whatever funds I need to support the housing and business with the school of friendship. I just try to conserve whatever I make and save it for only important matters.”

Ian Malcolm, who had been watching the screens with outright contempt, snorted, as if he’s finally had enough.

“Gee, the lack of humility before nature that’s being displayed here, uh, staggers me.”

All eyes turned and looked toward him. Even Spike’s eyes watched while he still scrapped the meat off his plate with a fork.

“Thank you, Dr. Malcolm,” Gennaro answered. “But I think things are a little bit different than both you and I have feared.”

“Yeah, I know. They’re uh, a lot worse.”

“With all due respect Mr. Gennaro, we were invited to evaluate the safety conditions of the park,” Twilight Sparkle spoke up. “This system that seems simple may be more complex than we ever imagined. Not to mention we have no idea how these animals in a zoo environment can adapt without behaving in an unpredictable fashion. I’m just saying there’s more to this going on than some on-site inspection and hardly any evaluation in the world can cover—”

“Now, wait a second now,” Gennaro interrupted. “We haven’t even seen the park yet. There’s no reason—”

“Donald, Donald, let them talk,” Hammond brushed off. “There’s no reason – I want to hear every viewpoint. I truly do.”

“Yeah, uh, don’t you see the danger, John, uh, inherent in what you’re doing here?” Malcolm questioned. “Genetic power’s the most awesome force this planet’s ever seen, but you wield it like a kid who’s found his dad’s gun.”

“And every McGruff the Crime Dog commercial will insist that’s a bad idea,” Pinkie added.

“It’s hardly appropriate to start hurling accusations—” Gennaro defended.

“Actually… I might have to agree with Mr. Malcolm,” Tim Turner interrupted. “The problem with scientific power, and I speak from experience, it’s whether you have the discipline to attain it or not. It’s one thing to read what others have done and take the next step. It’s another to realize you didn’t earn the knowledge yourself, ergo you don’t take responsibility for it. I’m sorry to say Mr. Hammond, that’s what we’re looking at.”

“You stood on the shoulders of geniuses, uh, to accomplish something as fast as you could,” Malcolm added. “And before you even knew it, you had, you’ve patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic box, and now *BANG* you’re selling it, you wanna sell it, well.”

“I don’t think you’re giving us our due credit,” Hammond responded. “Our scientists have done things which nobody has ever done before.”

“Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied over whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should,” Malcolm argued.

“One time, I tried to use science to create a pesticide in case the parasprites ever returned to Equestria, or even for twitter-mites,” Time Turner added. “Then I realized, it’s one thing to create the perfect pesticide, but that doesn’t tell me not to use it without considering the environmental effects. Magic and science can come together to make a reactor for the Weather Factory, but it can’t tell us not to build it.”

“You made a pesticide… to hurt living creatures?” Fluttershy spoke worriedly.

“It wasn’t going to ‘hurt’ the critters, just stun them,” Time Turner reassured. “But there’s no point to it, as I’ve ditched the project altogether.”

“But this is nature!” Hammond spoke up. “Why not give an extinct species a second chance?! I mean, ‘Condors’. Condors are on the verge of extinction—”

“No—” Malcolm groaned.

“No, no! If I was to create a flock of condors on this island, you wouldn’t have anything to say.”

“You want to bring back the dodo population too?” Rainbow asked sarcastically.

“No, hold on – listen, this isn’t some species that was obliterated by deforestation or, uh, the building of a dam,” Malcolm criticized. “Dinosaurs, uh, had their shot, and nature selected them for extinction.”

“I simply don’t understand this kind of Luddite attitude, especially from a scientist!” Hammond pointed out. “I mean, how can we stand in the light of discovery and not act?”

“Oh, what’s so great about discovery? It’s a violent, penetrative act that scars what it explores. What you call discovery, I call the rape of the natural world!”

“… I don’t know how to respond to that comment,” Rarity shuddered.

“Well, the question is—” Ellie spoke up. “How can you know anything about an extinct ecosystem? And therefore, how could you ever assume that you can control it? You have plants right here in this building, for example, that are poisonous. You picked them because they look pretty, but these are aggressive living things that have no idea what century they’re in and they will defend themselves. Violently, if necessary.”

Exasperated, Hammond turned to Twilight and Grant, the latter appearing shell-shocked.

“Miss Sparkle… Dr. Grant, if there’s one person here, or pony, who can appreciate what I’m trying to do…” Hammond spoke hopefully.

“Listen Mr. Hammond, I don’t want to have to speak for all of us, but I think we know what we’re thinking,” Twilight began, sighing heavily. “We appreciate what you’re trying to do; for kids to see living, breathing dinosaurs is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We ‘can’ make that a reality for your guests and everyone around the world… but ‘should’ we? I hate to say it but… personally I feel elated… and frightened at the same time.”

“The world has just changed so radically, and we’re all running to catch up,” Grant spoke quietly. “I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, but look—”

Grant leaned forward, showing sincere concern over his face over the reality thrown toward him.

“Dinosaurs and man – two species separated by sixty-five million years of evolution,” Grant emphasized. “Have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we have the faintest idea of what to expect?”

“I don’t believe it!” Hammond chuckled. “I don’t believe it! You’re meant to come down here and defend me against these characters, and the only one I’ve got on my side is the blood-sucking lawyer!?”

“Sorry Mr. Hammond…” Fluttershy apologized meekly.

“Don’t take it too personally, Mr. Gennaro,” Daring Do assured. “Not even the lawyers in Equestria get any respect for their work.

“… Thank you,” Gennaro responded deadpanned.

Just then, there was a licking sound that drew their attention. By now, Spike had just finished up his plate and proceeded to lick the plate clean with his slithery tongue. He carefully set the plate on the table with a sigh before brushing his mouth with a napkin.

“Are you going to eat that?” Spike asked the humans.

The three scientists merely just looked at Spike, and slowly slid their plates toward the dragon. Just then, one of the waiters whispered to Hammond.

“Well!” Hammond smiled. “They’re here.”

“Ah – they’re here,” Twilight nodded, with curiosity. “Who’s here?”

The Tour Begins

Hot… humid… the two words that best described Isla Nublar’s climate. The heart of its jungle was especially brutal. After all, it was a warm climate practically all year around the southern hemisphere. But in this case, it was essentially true on islands much like this. All this went through the minds of Curtain Call and Quill Cast, two Earth ponies trudging their way through the thick jungle. They had walked for what felt like hours, yet still they seemed to be getting nowhere.

“This weather’s unbearable!” Quill complained. “I don’t understand how you Floridians can stand it.”

“Well how come you don’t freeze to death every year in Minnesota?” Curtain shot back.

“… Fair point,” Quill nodded.

“I do agree on one thing… this weather is utterly ridiculous! Thought we’d at least be close to that bloody Raptor Paddock by now.”

“This jungle’s so thick it’s hard to tell where we’re going.”

*SNAP*

Just then, a snapped twig caused the two stallions to freeze in place like statues. Slowly, they turned their heads toward the direction the sound came from. Their eyes spotted a hint of rustling within the nearby dense foliage.

“What was that?” Quill asked.

“I have no idea,” Curtain responded. “Who knows how many creatures Hammond has on this island?”

In addition to the rustling, a low animalistic growl could be heard in the brush.

“It… was… the wind!” Curtain Call smiled widely.

“Yeah, it was the wind!” Quill nodded.

“The wind!”

“The wind’s making those noises… to us…”

“Are you buying this?”

“Nope!”

“Me neither!”

“RUN!!!” Quill yelled.

The two stallions took off at a full sprint, exploding into the jungle. Without daring to look back, they dodged and weaved their way through a series of fallen bark and other foliage. But despite the pace, however, the growling and rustling kept up with them, growing closer by the minute. Eventually, the two reached the end of the long stretch of jungle, only to find themselves trapped by a large rock wall.

“It’s a dead end!” Quill declared.

“Aw, buck! We are screwed!” Curtain spoke fearfully. “We’ll have to make a stand right here!”

Curtain Call and Quill Cast quickly turned around, as the former assumed a fighting stance standing on his hind legs while holding his front hooves like a fisticuff fighter. All the while, the growling grew ever closer. Both eyes of the stallions sealed with anticipation, expecting a painful death soon to befall them. And yet… it was incredibly odd that the rustling and growling stopped all together, as they felt something large and scaly pressing onto them. Slowly, the stallions opened their eyes toward a pair of large velociraptors staring right at them.

One was a large male with gray scales and a long white stripe going from its eye to its tail, sharp spines along the back of its head, and blood red eyes.

The other was a female with dark green scales that went all over her slightly smaller, yet slender frame and two bright yellow eyes.

Upon seeing the two raptors, both stallions immediately drew smiles on their faces, along with a much calmer demeanor.

“Blaze!” Quill yelled.

“Peppermint!” Curtain cheered.

The two stallions raced toward the raptors, Quill toward the male and Curtain racing toward the female. Both raptors gave soft purrs as they gently nuzzled their heads along the two stallions.

“My baby!” Curtain smiled, hugging Peppermint tightly. “Did those mean old humans hurt you? Did they scare you? It’s okay… I’m here…”

“Wait a minute! What are you doing here?” Quill asked Blaze. “We were just on our way to the Raptor Paddock to see you two.”

“We need that artifact we left you two to guard,” Curtain Call continued. “Any chance you can lead us to the paddock, girl?”

The two raptors stood to their full height and gave a few chitters in response. They started to work their way through the jungle and the two stallions quickly made their way after them.

“Least we have guides now,” Curtain sighed with relief. “I just hope we get that artifact back before Regina does something awful to those Cake Twins.”

“No worries, man,” Quill responded. “I’ve got someone working to get those twins back while we’re here.”

“Are you talking about… her?”

“You know it!” Quill nodded. “We can always count on my girl to get the job done.”

“As long as we don’t run into any more surprises while we’re here.”

<>

Back at the Visitor’s center, the group followed John Hammond out of the restaurant and back into the grand foyer. To say the least, many of them were still reeling after seeing nearly everything Jurassic Park had to offer so far. In just one day, they witnessed the creation process that brought dinosaurs back to life. Though many of them felt what John Hammond was conducting was quite unethical, they still felt a sense of magic about this place.

In that moment, they were climbing down the stairs passing the skeletons of the dinosaurs again.

“The thirteen of you are going to have a spot of company out in the park,” Hammond explained, mid-walk. “Spend a little time with our target audience; maybe they’ll help you get the spirit of this place.”

“Wut do ya mean by ‘target audience’?” Applejack asked, uncertainly.

“Grandpa!”

All heads turned toward the door of the center as two children bolted from the doorway with broad smiles. There was a boy, about nine to ten years old, and a girl of about twelve going on thirteen. These were Tim and Alexis ‘Lex’ Murphy, the grandchild of John Hammond himself. Speaking of whom, Hammond hurled his arms out expansively bellowing:

“KIDS!!”

The siblings quickly ran across the lobby, up the stairs, and into Hammond’s arms, tackling him over the steps with a hug.

“Wait! Careful with the old man!” John laughed.

“We miss you!” Lex told him.

“Thanks for the presents!” Tim thanked.

“We loved the presents! They were great!”

“Did you enjoy the helicopter?” John asked them.

“Yeah! It went down and we all went right up!” Lex said excitedly.

From the sidelines, Ellie watched with a smile on her face. Grant, on the other hand, looked on with a sense of dread.

“Look, Alan, your one weakness!” She whispered to Grant.

“I know, Ellie,” Alan grumbled. “Great…”

“Looks like he brought the grand offspring,” Ian joked.

“You said there were visitors from another world, grandpa?” Tim asked his grandfather.

“I did say that!” John nodded.

“I bet you were just joking!” Lex chuckled.

“Not at all,” John shook his head. “They’re right over there.”

He gestured toward the Mane Six, Spike, Daring Do, and Time Turner. The kids all looked toward the collection of ponies and the dragon with shocked eyes.

“What are those things?!” Lex exclaimed. “Are they harmless?”

The first to step up and respond was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself.

“Not to worry kids, we’re harmless,” Twilight reassured.

The Murphy siblings were still in shock. They were beyond words hearing actual words emerging from the purple pony… as if the wings on her back and horn on her head wasn’t unbelievable enough.

“I know, I know… you’re wondering where we come from and how we can talk,” Twilight continued. “It’s a long story. Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. But no need to bow, just call me Twilight.

“And these are my friends,” Twilight introduced the team, as they stepped up. “This is Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Spike, Daring Do, and Dr. Whooves.

“Mighty nice tah meet ya, sugar cubes,” Applejack greeted, with a hat tip.

“Good morning, children,” Fluttershy waved.

“Delightful to meet you, darlings,” Rarity bowed.

“HI THERE, MURPHY SIBLINGS!” Pinkie Pie greeted loudly. “I’M PINKIE PIE, BEST PARTY PLANNER AND ORGANIZED IN EQUESTRIA AND BAKER AS WELL AS WIFE AND MOTHER TO A YOUNG COLT, ALSO INCLUDING ME BEING A YOUNGER SISTER TO MY OLDER SISTERS AND BEING A DAUGHTER TO MY PARENTS WHO OWN A ROCK FARM! YOU HAVE PARTY NEEDS; I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU TWO!”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath and procured two business cards from her mane, casually handing them to the siblings.

“And that’s all I have to say about that,” Pinkie nodded.

“Forgive our friend, kiddos,” Rainbow assured. “She’s just very hyperactive.”

“It’s nice to meet you two,” Spike bowed his head.

“A pleasure!” Daring Do agreed.

“My real name is Time Turner,” Dr. Whooves corrected. “But all the lads back home call me Dr. Whooves… I still don’t get it.”

“This is so cool!” Tim smiled. “Talking ponies and a dragon!”

“And they’re real?” Lex gasped in disbelief.

“Of course, Lex!” John smiled. “And they’re magic too!”

“WHAT?!” Tim & Lex turned their heads in shock.

“Mrs. Rarity, would you kindly give them a demonstration?”

“Oh well, if you insist,” Rarity replied politely.

Taking a deep breath, Rarity calls forth upon the magic indicated by the glowing horn on her head. Concentrating deeply, she was able to lift a toolbox from a pair of construction workers on break and levitated the toolbox till they were at the level of the kids’ eyes.

“Wow!” Lex & Tim gasped.

“That’s so awesome!” Tim smiled, impressed. “I’m Timothy Murphy, but just call me Tim.”

“Alexis Murphy,” The girl introduced herself. “You can call me Lex.”

“Well, now that introductions are over, I’d say it’s time we get this tour going!” John declared. “Come along, everyone. No time to lose! Your rides should be here. Come along, no dillydallying.”

The kids eagerly followed their grandfather, who took the lead. The Equestrians eyed one another as they slowly followed Hammond out of the center with the three scientists and the lawyer not far behind.

<>

Two modified Ford Explorers leapt out of an underground garage just beneath the visitor’s center. They moved quietly, with a faint electronic HUM, and straddled a partially buried metal rail amid the road. The Jurassic Park logo was imprinted on both sides of the cars. They pulled off to a stop where the whole group was gathered.

Ellie was off to the side with Alexis, introducing herself warmly. Mr. Hammond was with Malcolm, Grant, and Gennaro. Of course, the moment the kids saw the cars arriving, they couldn’t help but want to get close.

“Now, kids, come away,” John called out. “Not too close to the cars.”

“My… aren’t they just lovely?” Rarity admired. “Aren’t they glorious?”

“I don’t know about any of that… but they look ‘awesome’!” Rainbow Dash smirked.

“These will be your transports for the afternoon,” Hammond informed.

“Mr. Hammond, where are the brakes?” Time Turner observed closely.

“Brakes? No, no brakes,” Hammond shook his head.

“No drivers?” Gennaro added.

“No. No drivers. They’re electric cars, they run on this track in the middle of the roadway here, and totally non-polluting, top of the line! Spared no expense.”

“Here he goes again,” Spike sighed.

Meanwhile, Time Turner entered one of the cars observing the details of the interior. Lex also came along and soon their attention was turned to a tiny screen near the driver’s side. Turner watched as Lex started fiddling with the screen, which started changing images with the push of a finger.

“What kind of technology is this?” Time Turner eyed.

“It’s an interactive CD-ROM!” Lex spoke excitedly. “Look, see -- you just touch the right part of the screen, and it talks about whatever you want.”

“Anything… I want?” Time Turner grinned widely.

Unable to help himself, Time Turner leaned in and proceeded to tap his hoof along the right side of the screen (But gently). Lex watched as he was flipping through images trying to find what he wanted.

“What’re you looking for, Dr. Whooves?” Lex asked curiously.

“I’m trying to see if this device can answer the question about the meaning of life,” Time Turner replied.

“Yeah… I don’t think that’s how it works,” Lex chuckled.

“Lex, you’re all right in there!” Hammond called out, facing Ellie & Grant. “Dr. Sattler, come along, my dear. Dr. Grant, you’ll ride in the second car. I can promise you you’ll have a real wonderful time.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” Daring Do nodded. “We’ll see you later then.

“I’m gonna ride with Dr. Sattler,” Malcolm spoke, too eagerly.

The man turned and walked toward Ellie. Grant merely frowned, not liking this one bit. Hammond turned and made his way toward the Visitor’s Center when Princess Twilight Sparkle approached him.

“You sure you won’t want to come?” Twilight asked curiously.

“As much as I’d love to dear, I just can’t,” Hammond answered. “I’ll be watching from back in control to make sure everything runs smoothly. Speaking of which, I do have ‘one’ favor to ask of you and your friends.”

“And what would that be Mr. Hammond?”

“Can you find it in your hearts to make sure the children are enjoying themselves?” Hammond requested. “Their parents are getting a divorce and they need the diversion.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that… but wouldn’t it be appropriate if the children were spending this time with you?”

“They wouldn’t really be enjoying themselves if they were cooped up in the control room all day. They came here to see the dinosaurs and I’d know they’d enjoy it. But not to worry, there’s still a whole weekend after today and I’ll make it up to them tomorrow.”

“Very well then,” Twilight Sparkle nodded understandingly. “Those kids will be in good hands… or hooves. We’ll make sure they have fun.”

“Excellent… then I shall leave you to it,” Hammond smiled, before walking away.

With arrangements set, Princess Twilight Sparkle worked her way down to rejoin her friends. Grant was just moving to follow when Tim cut him off. The boy stared at him, wide-eyed as he held a book in his hand.

“I read your book,” Tim said.

“Oh, yeah – that’s great,” Grant nodded.

Grant tried to head for the rear car, with Tim following along the way.

“Do you really think dinosaurs turned into birds?” Tim questioned. “And that’s where they went?”

“Well, uh, a few species – may have evolved, uh – along those lines – yeah,” Grant murmured, uncertainly.

With Tim right behind Grant, the older man kept moving, across the back seat of the car and out the other door. But Tim followed him every step of the way like an eager pup. Some of the Equestrians witnessing the boy trailing Grant found it both adorable and amusing.

“Because they sure don’t look like birds to me,” Tim replied. “I heard that there was this meteor, hit the Earth someplace down in Mexico, and made like this one-hundred-mile crater –”

“Listen, ahh—” Grant interrupted, trying to remember the name.

“Tim.”

“Tim, which car were you planning on --?”

“Whichever one you are.”

Daring Do chuckled as she leaned beside Rainbow Dash, nudging her with a mischievous look.

“Reminds you of some pony, Rainbow Dash?” Daring Do smirked.

“Aw, come on!” Rainbow Dash brushed off. “I wasn’t that bad.”

Seeing where this was going, Grant went for the front car again, opened the rear door, and held it for Tim, who climbed into the back seat, rattling on and on.

“Then I heard this thing in OMNI? About the meteor making all this heat that made a bunch of diamond dust. And that changed the weather and they died because of the weather? Then my teacher told me about this other book by a guy named Bakker. And he says…”

*SLAM*

Grant closed the door on Tim before the boy could finish. He turned and made for the rear vehicle – and bumped right into Lex.

“She said I should ride with you because it would be good for you,” Lex addressed Ellie.

Grant looked toward Ellie, not hiding the fact he was annoyed.

“She’s a deeply neurotic woman,” Grant muttered.

“The boat is now loading,” A man spoke via P.A. “Everyone must be on the dock for the 1900 departure.”

“Okay, so there’s fifteen of us and two cars—” Twilight Sparkle calculated. “Each vehicle can hold two-to-four passengers… children under ten will need an adult. The rest of us shouldn’t take too much room, so we can manage this. Rarity, you Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Daring can sit with the kids and the lawyer—"

“Actually, Twilight darling,” Rarity piped in. “I just saw Grant getting in the car with Dr. Sattler and Malcolm. Mr. Gennaro’s with the kids.”

“When Ellie said that Grant has issues with children, she wasn’t kidding,” Daring Do shook her head.

“A car ride with a lawyer… heh, sounds just about as fun as a rage pit with a police officer,” Rainbow remarked.

“Okay then… the four of you can ride with the kids and Mr. Gennaro,” Twilight corrected herself. “The rest of us will ride with the scientists.”

“Then that settles it,” Applejack nodded. “Come on every pony, move your caboose.”

<>

The Jurassic Park control room resembled a mission control for a space launch, with several computer terminals and dozens of video screens that displayed images of various dinosaurs, taken from all over the park. There’s a large glass map of the island at the front of the room which was lit up like a Christmas tree with various colored lights, each one with a number and identification code next to it. But the place was unfinished, with unattached cables, construction materials, and ladders scattered about.

The moon among the half dozen technicians present was chaotic as they rushed around with last-minute adjustments. Muldoon whisked in through the double doors. Hammond was right behind him. They go straight to the main console, where Ray Arnold, fortyish, a chronic worrier and chain-smoker, was seated.

“National Weather Service is tracking a tropical storm about seventy-five miles west of us,” Muldoon informed.

“Why didn’t I build in Orlando?” Hammond sighed, looking over Arnold’s shoulder.

“I’ll keep an eye on it,” Muldoon assured. “Maybe it’ll swing south like the last one.”

“Ray, start the tour program,” Hammond commanded, with a deep breath.

Ray proceeded to punch a button along the console.

“Hold onto your butts,” Arnold said, not exactly comforting.

The commands on the console activated the video feeds, including audio, showcasing all the passengers in their cars. Plenty of whom were chattering excitedly in anticipation of the tour to start.

“And why did they put the fiberglass thing?” Ellie spoke.

“I know, right?” Spike observed.

“You want to join the future, right?” Gennaro asked.

“God help us when the hands of engineers…” Ian muttered.

“You must be a real hit at parties, aren’t you?” Pinkie replied.

<>

With a loud *CHUNK*, the Explorers started forward along the electrical pathway. Taking the front car were Gennaro, Tim, Lex, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Daring Do. In the rear vehicle were Grant, Ellie, Malcolm, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Time Turner. As they drove off from the Visitor’s Center to the heart of the park, a recorded voice spoke through the vehicle systems.

“During your tour, the appropriate information will be automatically selected and displayed for you.”

“Look!” Tim pointed out.

He touched the area of the screen displaying the appropriate icon. By then, the vehicles were heading towards two enormous, primitive gates, with torches blazing on either side.

“Are we gonna hit that?” Lex asked concerned.

“Of course not,” Rarity assured uncertainly. “I hope.”

“Welcome to Jurassic Park,” The voice concluded.

As if on command, the two doors slowly opened permitting the vehicles to enter the park safely.

“What have they got in there, King Kong?” Malcolm remarked.

“Hmm… King Kong on this island…” Pinkie Pie pondered, in her car. “Nah! Wrong universe! But that’ll certainly be a fun adventure in our future episode.”

“Is she always this random?” Time Turner questioned Fluttershy.

“Yes…” Fluttershy answered quietly.

As the gates sealed behind them, the Explorer’s speakers in the ponies’ care blared with a fanfare of trumpets, and the interview video screen flashed ‘Welcome to Jurassic Park’. A familiar voice spoke over the speaker:

“You are now entering the lost world of the prehistoric past,” The voice began. “A world of creatures long gone from the face of the Earth, which you are privileged to see for the first time.”

<>

Back in the control room, Hammond watched the monitor. He could see his grandchildren were enjoying themselves. Thanks to a headset he wore, he was able to communicate with the passengers.

“By the way, the voice you’re now hearing is Richard Kiley,” Hammond called. “We spared no expense!”

“Ooh, Richard Kiley!” Pinkie’s eyes widened. “I hear he practically created the role of Don Quixote for that ‘Man of La Mancha’ show, was even the first to sing and record that ‘Impossible Dream’ song. Some even call him an indispensable actor… whatever that means.”

“Yes, Pinkie, sounds very distinguished,” Twilight nodded, looking out the window.

<>

Back in the park, the passengers could see the fences are retaining walls covered with greenery and growth, to heighten the illusion of moving through a jungle. Inside the front car, Gennaro couldn’t help but look around the area with a hint of concern.

“The accident took place in a restricted area,” Gennaro murmured to himself. “It would not have been available to the public access. So, how can the safety of the public be called into question?”

“Wut accident?” Applejack asked

By now, the cars approached the top of a low rise, where a break in the foliage gave them a view down a sloping field that was broken by a river. All the while, the tour voice of Richard Kiley continued.

“If you look to the right, you’ll see a herd of the first dinosaurs on our tour, called Dilophosaurus,” The voice instructed.

Upon hearing the name ‘Dilophosaurus’, Tim and Lex practically slammed up against the windows for a better look. The one half of the Equestrians looked over them with the minimal view that was left.

“The safety…” Gennaro kept talking. “That’s the problem I had to answer.”

“Shhh…” Lex hushed.

“Can’t see a thing with all this jungle,” Rainbow complained.

“What are we looking for again?” Rarity asked.

“Dilophosaurus,” Tim answered.

“Oh yes… Dilophosaurus…” Rairty nodded nervously. “Is it dangerous?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be an adventure without a little danger,” Daring Do replied.

In the rear car, Grant was studying his map when Ellie and Rainbow Dash, hearing the voice, reacted.

“Oh, Shit!” Ellie gasped excitedly.

“Dilophosaurus!” Grant added.

“About time!” Spike leaned in.

Grant, Malcolm, Ellie, and the Equestrians pressed against the windows. In the third vehicle, all the other ponies were doing just the same. Much like the other passengers, they could see just down by the riverbank there was a wide variety of beautiful plants as far as their eyes could see. Unfortunately… not a sign of a herd was in range. The tour voice continued anyway.

“One of the earliest carnivores, we now know as Dilophosaurus is actually poisonous, spitting its venom at its prey, causing blindness and paralysis, allowing the carnivore to eat at its leisure. This makes Dilophosaurus a beautiful, but deadly addition to Jurassic Park.”

Despite the corny scary music playing over the speaker, needless to say the mood amongst the passengers didn’t quite match.

“Hmm… I might have doubts about that,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “The Dilophosaurus I studied weren’t exactly known to spit venom.”

“Probably added that feature to make it more attractive than its real-life counterpart,” Time Turner suggested. “Though I’m curious to see how that works.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what I see… nothing,” Spike muttered.

“Alan, where?” Ellie asked.

Disappointed, Grant and the others sat back in their seats.

“Damn,” Grant muttered.

“Well, looks like we’re in for a long trip,” Applejack declared.

“Great. Wake me up when we see something interesting,” Rainbow closed her eyes.

The rainbow-haired Pegasus leaned her head along Applejack’s shoulder, while the Earth pony looked down with a smile. For a brief moment, she turned her head back to see if a dinosaur finally emerged… only to sigh upon seeing the very same sight before her. Along the road, the two cars moved on. As they rolled past, they had no idea that the headlights were on, even in the daytime.

<>

Back in Ponyville, chaos ran rampant ever since Regina had taken the two Cake Twins hostage. Apparently, following their kidnapping, Prince Blueblood had suddenly shown up and taken some form of search-and-rescue party in an effort to rescue the twins.

Wait a minute! When did ‘that’ happen?

It happened during one of Phantom’s Extra Cuts in the comment section (Only available on FimFiction). Don’t you remember anything?

Well, excuuuuse me! I’ve been busy having our pony forms doing something that may actually help. There’s a reason we left that pompous prince in a chimney after all.

… Fair point.

Anyway… back in the New Eden compound, Regina watched all the chaos unfolding through her magic mirror. An amused, wicked chuckle emanated off her. In an old cell just to her left, the two poor Cake Twins sat chained up and gagged as their eyes watched the Evil Queen fearfully.

“Once I finally have those shears back, the Order will be one step closer to ultimate victory!” Regina said to herself.

She turned her attention toward the locked-up Cake Twins, slowly stalking her way over. With a wave of her hand, the door magically opened by itself. She walked into the cell and knelt down toward their level.

“You two best hope they find them,” She spoke warningly. “If they don’t—well—let’s just say I hope you two are very good swimmers.”

The twins tried desperately to speak an objection, but the gags in their mouths made it very difficult to do so.

“Well… I suppose if you’re going to make a scene, may as well make some noise,” Regina rolled her eyes.

Using her magic, she made the gags disappear allowing the twins to consume a huge lungful of air.

“Please let us go!” Pumpkin cried. “We don’t know what was taken from you, but we didn’t do! I swear we didn’t take anything!”

“We just want to go back to mommy and daddy!” Pound blubbered. “Please let us go home!”

Regina merely smirked over their blubbering, using her magic to put the gags back on their mouths.

“Oh, I’ll let you go… once they find those shears,” She spoke wickedly.

With a wave of her hand, the cell door slowly closed and locked behind her as the Queen departed from the building. All alone in the cell, all the twins could do was cry and pray to Celestia that they’d be free of this dreadful prison. Unbeknownst to them, another figure entered the room under the cover of darkness through a nearby window. The figure quickly approached the cell, opening it as they entered the cell. Using her magic, the figure was able to release the twins from their shackles and remove their gags all at once. The twins, scared and shocked that someone else entered the cell, sat frozen with fear.

“W-W-Who are you?” Pound quivered.

Stepping into the light, the figure turned out to be a female Changeling of sorts. This Changeling had dark teal chitin, a long aquamarine mane tied back in a ponytail, buttermilk skin that transitioned into light purple around the neck with three jewels centrally located, green amazonite eyes, and two large antenna like prongs on her head along with a crown in her mane. She was undoubtedly a very beautiful changeling to say the very least.

“Don’t worry little ones,” She assured. “My name’s Atalanta, I’m here to help. Now, let’s get you two out of here.”

<>

Back in the control room, Ray Arnold watched his computer screen and the video monitors at the same time, keeping an eye on the cars as they moved through the park. Hammond hovered over his shoulder.

“Vehicle headlights are on and not responding,” Arnold informed. “Those shouldn’t be running off the car’s batteries.”

He sighed and reached for a clipboard hanging next to his chair, jotting this down.

“Item one fifty-one on today’s glitch list,” Arnold continued. “We have all the problems of a major theme park and a major zoo, and the computer’s not even on its feet yet.”

Hammond shook his head and turned to the technician to his right, who still had his back to them, watching a Costa Rican game show on one of his monitors and drinking a Jolt cola.

“Dennis, our lives are in your hands, and you have butterfingers?” Hammond asked, incredulous.

The technician turned around his chair and extended his arms in a Christ-like pose. Upon getting a look at him, a sinking feeling swells upon those who’ve seen him somewhere before… and they have. Dennis Nedry, the man who accepted a suitcase full of cash in San Jose.

“I am totally unappreciated in my time,” Nedry chuckled, sipping his soda. “You can run this whole park from this room, with minimal staff, for up to three days. You think that level of automation is easy? Or cheap? You know anybody who can network eight Connection Machines and debug two million lines of code for what I bid this job? Because I’d sure as hell like to see them try.”

“I’m sorry about your financial problems, I really am,” Hammond responded. “But they are your problems.”

“You’re right, John. You’re absolutely right. Everything’s my problem.”

“I will not get drawn into another financial debate with you, Dennis. I really will not.”

“There’s hardly been a debate at all.”

“I don’t blame people for their mistakes, but I do ask that they pay for them.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Nedry remarked sarcastically.

“Dennis – the headlights,” Arnold requested.

“Yeah, I’ll debug the tour program when they get back, okay?” Dennis answered, noting Arnold’s annoyance. “Okay?! It’ll eat a lot of computer cycles; we’ll lose part of the system for a while. There’s a finite amount of memory. We can’t use it for everything. Are you gonna compile for half an hour—”

Muldoon, who had been hovering near the video monitors as always, turned towards them, annoyed.

“Quiet, all of you!” Muldoon interrupted. “They’re approaching the Tyrannosaur paddock.”

<>

The two Explorers drove along a high ridge and stopped at the edge of the large, open plain that was separated from the road by a fifteen-foot fence, clearly marked with ‘DANGER!’ signs and an ominous-looking electrical post. Tim, Lex, Gennaro, and their Equestrian group pressed forward against the windows, wide-eyed, waiting for you-know-who.

In the rear car, the voice of the radio droned on, but Grant, Ellie, Malcolm, and their Equestrian friends were hardly listening anymore, all of whom were dying of anticipation. Rainbow Dash finally woke up from her nap and stared toward where everyone else was looking. All while the voice on the speaker droned on.

“The mighty tyrannosaurus arose late in dinosaur history,” Kiley’s voice explained. “Dinosaurs ruled the earth for a hundred and fifty million years, but it wasn’t until the last—”

“Ellie, can you turn that off please?” Twilight requested.

Ellie flipped a switch and they all sat in complete silence – except for Malcolm, who looked toward the ceiling, thinking aloud.

“God creates dinosaurs, God destroys dinosaurs, God creates man, Man destroys God, Man creates dinosaurs.”

“Dinosaurs… Eat man,” Sattler finished. “Women inherits the Eart.”

The group slowly turned toward Ellie, wide-eyed. Pinkie Pie soon patted Spike’s shoulder.

“I’m going to miss you buddy,” Pinkie told Spike.

“HEY!!!” Spike frowned in annoyance.

“HEE-HEE! Just kidding!”

After sharing some awkward stares toward Ellie for a moment, the group returned their attention to the paddock. However, there’s no sign of the tyrannosaurus. Just then, a beep indicated the intercom was turned on as Arnold’s voice contacted them.

“Hold on, we’ll try to temp the Rex now,” Arnold informed. “Keep watching the fence.”

Inside the paddock, there was a low humming sound. Out in the midst of the field, a small cage rose into view, lifted on hydraulics from underground. The cage bars slid down, leaving the cage’s occupant standing alone in the middle of the field. It’s a goat, one leg chained to a stake. It looked around, confused, and was bleating plaintively.

In the front car, Lex, Tim, and the ponies looked toward the goat with widely different reactions.

“What’s going to happen to the goat?” Lex asked.

“That beast is going to eat the goat?!” Rarity gasped, wide-eyed.

“Excellent!” Tim smiled.

“What’s the matter, kid, you never had lamb chops?” Gennaro asked Lex.

“I happen to be a vegetarian,” Lex answered matter-of-factly.

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, sugar cube,” Applejack assured.

“Hmm… what’s taking it so long?” Rainbow squinted.

“This is wrong…” Daring Do shook her head. “The T-Rex doesn’t want to be fed—

<>

“—he wants to hunt,” Grant continued. “You can’t just suppress sixty-five million years of gut instinct.”

“Aw… the poor little guy,” Fluttershy sighed, for the goat.

In the paddock, the goat stood waiting… and it waited… and waited… and waited. From the Explorers, fifteen faces watched expectantly. The goat tugged on its chain; it walked back and forth nervously. But other than the occasional bleating… not even a growl emerged from the trees behind the goat.

Within the rear car, Grant watched, his eyes glued, his breathing becoming a little more rapid. In the front car, Tim and Lex couldn’t tear their eyes away. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie gasped and tapped Twilight’s shoulder, pointing to some activity happening. Finally, the goat – laid down. To which, Twilight Sparkle rewarded Pinkie Pie with an annoyed glare and a slow head shake.

In the rear car, everyone sat back, disappointed again. Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration as she laid her chin atop her hoof huffing the air. To which Applejack and Daring Do looked on worriedly, as they turned toward each other… but no words were going to help this Pegasus. Eventually, the cars pulled forward with the T-Rex declared a no-show and the tour continued. As they leaned in their seats in disappointment, Malcolm looked into the intercom camera and voiced his opinion through the microphone.

“Now, eventually you do plan on having dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right?” Malcolm asked, exhaling the lens. “Hello? H-Hello? Yes?”

<>

In the control room, Hammond merely shook his head as Malcolm’s voice came through.

“I really hate that man,” Hammond eyed the monitor.

<>

As the ride continued, Grant got into his seat leaving Malcolm behind Ellie. He, along with the ponies, looked out the opposite window, while Malcolm rattled on to Ellie.

“You, see? The Tyrannosaur doesn’t obey any set patterns or park schedules,” Malcolm rambled. “The essence of chaos.”

“I’m still not clear on chaos,” Ellie admitted.

“We’ve had our share of chaos back home,” Time Turner spoke up. “But what does it mean to you?”

“It simply deals with unpredictability in complex systems,” Malcolm explained. “Its only principle is the Butterfly Effect. A butterfly can flap its wings in Peking, and in Central Park, you get rain instead of sunshine.”

Ellie, Pinkie Pie, and Spike gestured with her hand to show this information has gone right over their heads.

“Did I go too fast?” Malcolm chuckled. “I did a fly-by.”

“Yeah… understanding magic is one thing, but when it comes to chaos…” Twilight sighed. “Completely missed it.”

“I spend guys night with a Draconequus who thrives on causing chaos, there’s no explaining him,” Spike shook his head.

“Now, I think you’re being very unfair to Discord,” Fluttershy defended. “Yes, he can be mischievous and sometimes pulls pranks with no consideration. But he really is a sweet guy, he’s just as misunderstood as chaos.”

“Hmm… is that why you fantasize about your dream wedding with the big guy?” Pinkie smirked deviously.

“Why does every pony keep thinking that?” Fluttershy sighed. “We’re very good friends.”

“Give it time…”

Amidst all the talk, while looking out the opposite window, Grant saw movement at the far end of a field. He sat bolt upright, trying to get a better look. To which, this did not go unnoticed when Time Turner turned to him.

“What is it?” Turner asked curiously.

“Shh-shh-shh…” Grant shushed.

Keeping quiet, Time Turner peeked out the window hoping to see where Grant was looking. Meanwhile, Malcolm was looking for another example – until he pointed to a glass of water.

“Here. Give me your glass of water. We’ll perform an experiment.”

He dipped his hand into the glass of water. He took Ellie’s hand on his own.

“The car should be still, but that’s okay,” Malcolm rambled. “It’s just an example. Put your hand flat like a hieroglyphic. Now watch the way the drop of water falls on your hand. Which way will the drop roll? Over which finger?”

“Thumb, I’d say,” Ellie guessed.

Malcolm flicked his fingers, and a drop of water fell on the back of Ellie’s hand. Before the eyes of the Equestrians watching, the drop rolled off the back.

“Ah ha. Okay, freeze your hand,” Malcolm instructed. “Don’t move. I’ll do the same thing, start with the same place again. Which way now?”

“Wouldn’t it be the same way?” Spike shrugged.

Malcolm dropped the water again; the group eyed the process carefully… and they gasped.

“Great wickering stallions!” Time Turner gasped. “It changed.”

“Why?” Malcolm asked, like a teacher. “Because and here is the principle of tiny variations – the orientations of the hairs on your hand…”

“Alan, look at this,” Ellie gestured.

But Grant wasn’t quite paying attention to the demonstration. His eyes were still focused on what’s outside.

“… the amount of blood distending your vessels, imperfections in the skin –” Malcolm continued.

“’Imperfections in the skin’?” Fluttershy asked, confused.

“Oh, just microscopic… microscopic… that never repeat, and vastly affect the outcome. That’s… what?”

“Unpredictability,” Twilight Sparkle answered.

“And even if we haven’t seen it yet, I’m quite sure it’s going on in this park right now,” Malcolm concluded.

“Life does seem to feel a lot like that,” Spike replied, understandingly. “One moment I met this beautiful girl by chance, and suddenly the course of my own future seemed to change. Meeting Gabby… I find it dynamic – and exciting – least, I think I do.”

“Lemme guess… another dragon?” Malcolm guessed.

“Actually… no.”

Grant’s curiosity had finally gotten the best of him. There’s definitely something out in the field, and this scientist just had to see it. He jerked the door handle and opened his door a few inches. He looked outside towards freedom, then looked around to see if anybody was watching him. Just when the Equestrians turned to look, Grant hurled the door open and bolted out of the moving car.

“Dr. Grant?” Twilight called out. “Where’re you going?”

“There! Look at this. See? I’m right again,” Malcolm pointed out, satisfied. “No one could have predicted that Dr. Grant would jump out of a moving vehicle?”

“Alan?” Ellie called out.

She too jumped out and followed him into the field.

“Hey, wait up!” Pinkie Pie called out. “I want to go too!”

Pinkie Pie also leapt out of the car, bouncing toward the scientists and soon the other Equestrians were making their way out to join her.

“Pinkie, wait for us!” Twilight called out.

“And there’s another example,” Malcolm shrugged. “See? Here I am now by myself, um, uh, talking to myself – that’s Chaos Theory! What the hell am I doing here? I’m the only one who knows what’s going on…”

<>

In the front car, the remainder of the group could see their friends bolting out of their vehicle and out onto the field.

“Where in Equestria are they going?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

“I dunno hun,” Applejack answered. “But I reckon we oughtta find out.”

“Girls, weren’t we instructed to stay in the car…?” Rarity asked.

“Ah come on, where’s your spirit of adventure?” Daring Do smirked, opening the door. “I’d like to see too!

“Hey! Wait up!” Timmy called out, following.

“Timmy!” Lex shouted.

<>

Inside the control room, Hammond, Muldoon, and Arnold stared at the video monitor incredulously as everyone, and every pony, poured out of the cars and followed Grant down the hill. All the while, the cars rolled on slowly, empty, their doors hung open.

“Uh – Mr. Hammond –” Arnold pointed out.

“Stop the program!” Hammond ordered. “Stop the program!”

“There you are!” Muldoon groaned, irritated. “I told you how many times we needed locking mechanisms on the vehicle doors!”

Across the room, Dennis Nedry snuck a peek at the video monitor. It showed an image of the steel door, plainly marked – ‘EMBRYONIC COLD STORAGE. RESTRICTED!’ He turned toward another monitor, which was labeled ‘EAST DOCK’. The monitor showed a supply ship, moored at the dock. Its cargo was being uploaded and a large group of workers filed aboard. Nedry had something in the counter, where no one could see it: A can of shaving cream.

<>

Deep within the park, Grant, Ellie, Gennaro, the kids, and especially the Equestrians are out along the open field, heading towards a small stand of trees. For the first time, the sky started to darken rather early in the day which made Fluttershy, as she looked up, rather nervous. Tim dogged Grant’s footsteps, so excited he could hardly keep his feet on the ground.

“So, like I was saying, there’s this other book by a guy named Bakker?” Tim rambled. “And he said dinosaurs died of a bunch of diseases?”

“Guys, where are we going?” Rainbow called out.

“… He definitely didn’t say they turned into birds,” Tim continued.

“So, no pony is going to answer the question?” Rainbow called out. “No? Yes? Urgh… pony feathers…”

Poor Gennaro was scared as hell, even as he followed the others about. His head darted left and right as if expecting something terrible to happen at any moment.

“Uh – anybody else think we shouldn’t be out here?” Gennaro pointed out.

“And his book was a lot fatter than yours,” Tim remarked, using his hand to demonstrate. “Like this.”

“Really?” Grant replied dryly.

“Yours was fully illustrated,” Ellie assured.

“Sure! How can one possibly pay attention to a book with no pictures in it?” Pinkie Pie smiled.

“Pinkie Pie, there are many good books in the world ‘without’ pictures…” Twilight replied, annoyed.

“Anybody at all!” Gennaro called out. “Feel free to speak up.”

Suddenly, Lex stumbled, and Grant caught her hand, stopping her fall.

“You okay?” Grant asked.

To which Lex looked up at him and smiled. Grant smiled back, trying to recover his hand, only Lex held tight. He’s massively uncomfortable, and the Equestrians were quick to notice.

“Look at this! Wait, watch!” Tim beckoned for attention. “Come on, watch this!”

“All I can see is someone definitely has an admirer,” Twilight giggled, facing Spike. “Reminds you of any pony you know?”

“You make me sound like a baby…” Spike frowned.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Grant stopped suddenly.

“What is it, Dr. Grant?” Derring Do asked curiously.

For a moment, the entirety of the group had stopped in their tracks. Staring before them, a huge smile spread across the faces of both Tim and Grant. Twilight Sparkle looked toward where they were facing, and her eyes went wide with awe.

“No way…” Twilight Sparkle gasped.

“Everybody, wait here,” Grant instructed.

Grant proceeded to walk off ahead, leaving the group standing there for a moment. When the other Equestrians turned toward where Twilight was looking, they could barely contain their own excitement.

“To heck with this…” Daring Do remarked, charging ahead.

“Hey Daring, wait up!” Rainbow Dash followed hastily.

Seeing the two ponies charging ahead, Tim proceeded to follow as well.

“Tim!” Ellie beckoned.

“Hey, Timmy!” Lex reached out.

“Come back here, hun!” Applejack called out, sighing. “Come on, y’all. Better follow ‘em and make sure they don’t get hurt.”

“Right… not that there’s anything to be scared of,” Rarity chuckled nervously. “Well, come on then.”

Fearlessly, for the most part, Tim and the Equestrians followed behind Grant. They pushed their way through the tall grass before them. Eventually, as they reached the clearing, the whole group could see: A female Triceratops, a big one, lying on its side, blocking the light at the end of the path. It had an enormous, curved shell that flanked its head, two big horns over its eyes, and a third on the end of its nose. It didn’t move, it was just breathing, loud and raspy, blowing up little clouds of dust with every exhalation as she lay upon her side. Grant stood next to one of Jurassic Park’s veterinarians, Doctor Harding, almost in a gaze.

“Hello everybody,” Harding greeted. “Don’t be scared. Come on, it’s okay. Muldoon tranquilized her for me. She’s sick.”

“Oh… my…” Fluttershy gasped, in awe. “She’s beautiful…”

“Hi baby!” Ellie chuckled with excitement. “Hey baby girl. Hey.”

“As I live and breathe… a real-live Triceratops!” Time Turner gasped.

“Is it okay if we touch it?” Twilight Sparkle asked Harding.

“Sure,” Harding nodded.

Grant, along with Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, stood next to the animal and stroked its head. Ellie and the others moved forward toward the animal.

“She was always my favorite when I was a kid,” Grant spoke. “And now I see she’s the most beautiful thing I ever saw.”

“Shh… there, there…” Fluttershy gently stroked the Triceratops. “It’s okay…”

The two scientists knelt to their knees, checking the animal. Grant furrowed his brow, noticing something, all professional curiosity now. The animal’s tongue, dark purple, drooped limply from its mouth.

“Ellie, take a look at this,” Grant pointed out.

“Yeah, baby girl, it’s okay,” Ellie spoke softly.

Ellie scratched the tongue with her fingernail. A clear liquid leaked from the broken blisters.

“Micro vesicles,” Ellie observed. “That’s interesting.”

Grant, fascinated, wandered all the way around to the back of the animal. Harding joined Ellie and handed her his penlight.

“What are her symptoms?” Ellie questioned.

“Imbalance, disorientation, labored breathing,” Harding listed. “Seems to happen about every six weeks or so.”

“Six weeks?”

Ellie took the penlight from the veterinarian and shined its light into the animal’s eyes.

“Are there pupillary effects from the tranquilizer?” Ellie continued.

“Yes, mitotic,” Harding confirmed. “Pupils should be constricted.”

“These are dilated. Take a look.”

“They are?” Harding inspected. “I’ll be damned.”

“That’s pharmacological. From local plant life.”

She turned, studying the surrounding landscape. Her mind’s really at work, puzzling over each piece of foliage. She soon recognized a plant that stood out.

“Is this West Indian Lilac?” Ellie asked.

“Yes,” Harding nodded. “We know they’re toxic, but the animals don’t eat them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“What do you think, Miss Ellie?” Fluttershy asked worriedly. “She wouldn’t actually be eating this stuff, would she?”

“There’s only one way to be positive, Fluttershy,” Ellie confirmed. “I’ll have to see the dinosaur’s droppings.”

“You can’t miss them,” Harding pointed out.

By chance, Malcolm happened to be walking by when he overheard Ellie.

“Dino… droppings?” Malcolm repeated. “Droppings?”

“Mm-hmm…” Fluttershy nodded.

Ellie and Fluttershy, along with several of the Equestrians, walked down the clearing to study some of the samples. Along the way, Applejack was following closely when Daring Do came up from behind.

“Some trip, huh A.J.?” Daring Do replied. “One of the first Dinosaurs we’ve uncovered during our time on this island, and something’s clearly ailing her.

“It’s somethin’ all right,” Applejack nodded. “But I reckon we’ll have this straightened out.”

“Sure will. So… you and Rainbow Dash have been quite a couple now. How long have you been seeing each other?”

“Bout a couple months… give or take. We enjoy each other’s company.”

“Ah yes, Rainbow was very specific about that. She talks a lot about you. I just hope I’m not getting in the way.”

“Nah… no, of course not. I’m glad to see Rainbow Dash catchin’ up with one of her idols. She is yer biggest fan after all.”

“Heh-heh… yeah, I’ve noticed. She’s a good mare. A little head-strong and rash I’ll admit, but I learn to like her. Almost reminds me of myself when I was younger. And a mare who cares that much for any pony, you especially… those are good traits.”

“Mmm-hmm… there’s just one thing that I just can’t put my hoof on,” Applejack expressed, concerned.

“What do you mean?” Daring Do raised a brow curiously.

“Why would you go ‘bout mentionin’ your pseudonym if ya wanted to keep yer life as an adventurer and an author separate?”

“… Well… if I recall correctly, Caballeron ‘did’ try to write me off in a negative light not too long ago,” Daring Do replied casually. “And if I may add, it didn’t take long for him to discover how similar we are. Naturally, it wouldn’t have taken long for my readers to find out.

“It’s just… ya seemed mighty casual about it. Even Fluttershy told me how miserable you were when yer character was ruined, even if she wanted insight on the fella’s perspective.”

“… Maybe we ought to talk more about this ‘after’ the tour,” Daring Do offered. “We’ve got more important matters to worry about.

Ending the topic then and there, Daring Do walked ahead as Applejack looked on. While the Earth pony didn’t mean to press her too hard, something about Daring Do a.k.a. A.K. Yearling just felt ‘off’. For now, Applejack would let this go… but this mare knew they had much more to talk about. If not so much for her own sake… but for Rainbow Dash.

<>

Heavy activity was taking place within the control room. Hammond and Arnold had been watching the video monitors, displeased about something. Arnold looked toward one that gave them a view from the beach, looking out at the ocean. The clouds beyond are almost black, as a tropical storm began to build. Muldoon was on the phone, to confirm their suspicions.

“Yeah, I got that,” Muldoon confirmed, holding the phone aside. “The storm center hasn’t dissipated or changed course. We’ll have to cut the tour short, I’m afraid. We’ll pick it up again tomorrow where we left off.”

“Are you sure we have to?” Hammond asked, concerned.

“It’s not worth taking the chance, John,” Arnold shook his head.

“Sustained winds at 45 knots,” Muldoon spoke, into the phone.

“Tell them when they get back to the cars,” Hammond nodded.

“Ladies and gentlemen, last shuttle to the dock leaves in approximately five minutes,” Arnold announced, to the others. “Drop what you are doing and leave now.”

As Hammond pondered over the news, a growing frustration slowly brewed through the mostly calm old man. Unable to contain himself anymore, he slammed a fist onto the desk.

“Damn!”

Across the room, Nedry stared at his video monitor, watching the boat. He’s on the phone with the mate, whose images he can see on the monitor. The seas around the dock are much rougher now.

“We’re not well-berthed here without a storm barrier!” The mate called. “We may have to leave as soon as the last of the works are aboard.”

“No, no, you stick to the plan,” Nedry instructed, lowly. “You wait till they’re back from the tour.”

<>

The weather grew darker across the field, while the scientists and the Equestrians were grouped around an enormous spoor of triceratops excreta. It stood at least waist high, if not higher, covered with buzzing flies swarming about. Poor Rarity looked as though she were about to throw up, struggling so hard to hold one hoof over her mouth.

“That is one big pile of shit!” Ian remarked, removing his shades.

“I think I’m going to be sick!” Rarity groaned, turning green. “Sweet Celestia, I knew I shouldn’t have eaten lunch before this.”

“Yep…” Applejack nodded. “Just like Sweet Apple Acres back home.”

“It also smells like all those adventures in the darkest forests of Equestria,” Daring Do added. “Searching for lost temples, buried treasure… the remains of departed ancestors… anyway, where’re the others Rainbow?

“Alan’s keeping an eye on Ellie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike, & Dr. Whooves,” Rainbow confirmed. “They volunteered to collect some samples or something to figure out why that Triceratops has been so sick lately.”

“And the kids?”

“Back in the car.”

“How are you not disgusted by all this?!” Rarity exclaimed loudly. “It’s the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen.”

“When y’all work on a farm as long as I have, ya get used to the smell,” Applejack replied casually.

“Wild animals leave their little goodies any direction you walk,” Daring Do added. “It happens.

“Besides, Fluttershy’s done her share of cleaning around her cottage and sanctuary,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “Meanwhile, there’s Twilight and Spike with all their chemistry mumbo-jumbo, and Dr. Whooves with the science stuff—”

“I knew I should’ve stayed at the Visitor’s Center,” Rarity cringed, walking off.

“Is she always like this?” Ian asked Rainbow.

“Yep,” Rainbow answered. “She likes everything to smell nice and looking clean. Hates getting dirty… for ‘any’ reason.”

“It’s going to be one of those days, huh?” Ian asked deadpanned.

“Eeyup,” Applejack nodded.

“Great…”

Nearby, Ellie and her assistants had plastic gloves that reached toward their elbows. They had just withdrawn their hands and hooves from the midst of the dung.

“Hey ladies,” Ellie spoke to Twilight and Fluttershy. “Thanks for helping me out on this.”

“No problem, Ellie,” Fluttershy nodded. “We want to find out why the poor dear’s sick after all.”

“As the Princess of Friendship, we never leave a creature suffering no matter what illness they have,” Twilight added.

“And you sure you don’t find this disgusting?”

“My whole life living with animals in my cottage taught me to be more responsible for their messes,” Fluttershy chuckled. “Not to mention training them on where to go whenever that have ‘businesses to attend to.”

“Add to my experience working with dangerous chemicals for science, chemistry in this case, I’m used to this,” Twilight emphasized. “Unlike… some ponies I know.”

Twilight Sparkle slowly looked toward the side and saw Rarity puking unable to hold it in any longer. Twilight merely sighed, with a shake of her head, before returning to work.

“Can I ask you a question, Fluttershy?” Ellie asked Fluttershy.

“Ask away,” Fluttershy nodded.

“How’d you get your Cutie Mark?”

“Well, it’s a long story,” Fluttersyh began. “Rainbow challenged some bullies to a race, and I accidentally fell from the clouds and into this forest. I’d have died had a swarm of butterflies hadn’t cushioned my downfall and soon enough I realized I was able to communicate with the other animals. It was then I also realized I wanted to take care of all animals, big and small, thus earning my Cutie Mark as well as embracing my own destiny… all while my friend created her first Sonic Rainboom… but that’s another story.”

“Huh… to think you were a bullied filly and now a heroine in your own land. That’s something you don’t always get with that kind of luck.”

“Thanks, Ellie.”

“And you Twilight? How did you get yours?”

“Well, much like my friends, I was a filly when it happened,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “The day I witnessed my first Summer Sun Celebration, seeing Celestia raise the sun with my very own eyes, she became my second idol whom I admired and respected… next to Starswirl the Bearded of course. I was very serious with my studies, reading cover to cover till my parents decided to enroll me to the top school in Equestria.”

“What school might that be?”

“Why Princess Celestia’s own school of course. Celestia’s School of Gifted Unicorns.”

“Sounds like Harvard University.”

“You could say that…” Twilight nodded. “Anyways, I was happy to learn I’d be going to the princess’s school… if I passed a test. Not just ‘any’ test, oh no. A ‘magic’ test to determine the capabilities of my own magic.”

“Sort of like an entrance exam, only… harder?”

“Very hard,” Twilight emphasized. “All I had to do was hatch a dragon egg, which would eventually be Spike. But I was so nervous, with every pony looking at me, I nearly choked and almost gave up trying. Until—”

“The Sonic Rainboom?” Ellie guessed.

“Exactly! That very same Rainboom Rainbow Dash made, that caused my magic to finally hatch the egg… but also caused some uncontrollable transformations due to my… ‘stress’. Luckily, Celestia was there to help, and I was afraid I had made a foal of myself in front of my idol. But when she looked at me, she told me I was a very special pony with great magic… if I were able to control it.”

“How?”

“If I were to agree to be her personal assistant!” Twilight smiled.

“You’re kidding!” Ellie replied, surprised.

“Nope, totally serious,” Twilight chuckled. “Me, of all ponies, asked by our ruler of Equestria to be her personal assistant. Of course, I couldn’t refuse… least not without my parents’ approval. Add to the fact I had gained my Cutie Mark, and discovered my destiny through my love of magic, best day of my life if you ask me.”

“You family must’ve been very proud of you.”

“Not just my parents, but my older brother, Shining Armor, and my foalsitter back then, Princess Cadance.”

“You really are one lucky pony, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Thanks…” Twilight blushed in embarrassment. “Ahem, anyway… I-I-I don’t happen to see any lilacs anywhere.”

“Hmm… you’re right,” Ellie observed the samples. “There’s no trace of lilac berries. That’s so odd, though. All right, she’s suffering from Melia toxicity—”

“She’s definitely showing all the signs,” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Every six weeks—” Ellie thought aloud.

Ellie turned and walked out into the open field a few paces, thinking heavily. Malcolm eyed her, looking back toward the dung.

“She’s, uh – tenacious,” Malcolm expressed, for lack of better word.

“You have no idea,” Grant shook her head.

“You girls will remember to wash your hands, um, ‘hooves’ before you eat anything?”

“Of course, we are!” Twilight replied. “We’re not ‘animals’… well, you know what I mean?”

<>

Back in the control room, Dennis Nedry was busily and surreptitiously typing a series of commands into his console. On his screen, a cartoon hand wound up a cartoon clock, moving its second hand up to the twelve. The clock rotated around to face the screen. It had a large green dollar sign in the middle. A big word appeared on screen; an option surrounded by a forbidding red box. ‘EXECUTE’, it said.

<>

By this point, the skis are really foreboding now, a sense of urgency growing by the second. Pinkie Pie’s twitches soon became frequent, as if she were able to sense a ‘doozy’ of sorts. Meanwhile, while Ellie and Grant were studying the animal, from only a short distance away from the group, the ponies and Spike couldn’t help but think about this chain of events.

“You know girls, I’ve been thinking there’s something about the periodicity that doesn’t add up,” Time Turner confirmed.

“I know,” Twilight Sparkle scratched her head. “Triceratops was a constant browser, and constant browsers would be constantly sick.”

“But not just every six weeks,” Fluttershy pointed out. “I just wish I knew what was bothering her.”

“I know what you mean,” Spike nodded.

In the meantime, Daring Do was looking around like the trepid explorer that she was. Just then, her eyes caught a glimpse of some smooth rocks on the ground.

“What have we here?” Daring thought aloud, picking one up. “Hey guys, you might want to take a look at this. Do these look familiar?”

“What is it, Daring Do?” Rainbow eyed the rock closely.

“I’ve seen pictures of these in Grant’s fully illustrated book,” Daring confirmed. “The one Mr. Tim let me borrow.”

“I see…” Time Turner nodded. “So… what are they?”

Twilight Sparkle came over to check on the stones. A light went in her eyes, as she called out to Ellie.

“Hey Ellie! We found something!” Twilight called out.

Ellie, her attention received, approached Twilight Sparkle and her eyes gleamed too.

“Alan – gizzard stones!”

Grant turned just as Ellie hurled one of the stones which Grant caught. They look at each other in amazement. As before, when they get excited, they talk right over each other.

“That’s it, it explains the periodicity, the –” Grant explained rapidly.

“—the undigested state of the berries because it’s –” Ellie spoke over.

“—Unrelated to the feeding pattern—”

“What are they saying?” Tim asked the Equestrians.

“It’s simple, Tim,” Twilight explained. “Some animals like her, don’t have teeth—”

“—like birds—” Grant emphasized.

“—Yes, like birds. What happens is, and I’ve raised an owl myself, they swallow the stones and hold them in a muscular sack in their stomachs—”

“—which is called a gizzard,” Spike jumped in. “Gabby explained that to me. She said it helps them mash their food, but what happens after a while—”

“—the stones get smooth, every six weeks,” Grant butted in. “So the animal regurgitates them—”

“—barfed them up—” Rainbow simplified.

“—and swallows fresh ones.”

“So, when our Triceratops swallowed the stones, she swallowed the poison berries,” Daring Do confirmed.

“Great wickering stallions!” Time Turner gasped. “So, that’s what’s making her sick.”

“Very good observation, Dr. Whooves,” Fluttershy smiled in approval. “Now we just have to figure out how to treat her.”

Suddenly, thunder rumbled as the storm overhead was about to burst loose. Gennaro, scared of more than one thing now, put his foot down.

“Doctors, if you please – I have to insist we get moving.”

“All right, calm down,” Rainbow Dash brushed off. “It’s just a little storm.”

“A little?!” Rarity asked, appalled. “Sounds way bigger than a little storm. And I’d know from experience.”

“What does she mean?” Daring Do asked Rainbow Dash.

“It’s a very long story…” Dash replied.

“Oh, you know, if it’s alright, I’d like to stay with Doctor Harding and finish up with the Trike,” Ellie offered. “If you know…”

“Sure, I’m in a gas-powered jeep,” Harding confirmed. “I can drop her off at the Visitor’s Center before I make the boat with the others.”

“Great. Then I’ll catch up with you if you want to go on.”

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked worriedly. “That storm sounds awfully scary; maybe I should stay with you.”

“No, you go on with the others,” Ellie spoke politely. “I want to stay with her a little longer.”

“Okay, then,” Grant nodded, understandingly.

“We’ll meet you back at the Visitor’s Center as soon as possible,” Twilight Sparkle confirmed. “Come on, every pony. Let’s get out of here.”

There was a lightning flash now, with a tooth-rattling thunderclap right on its heels. Grant turned and followed the others, Lex right in his tracks. Ellie and Harding go back to the triceratops, which started to come back to life. As Grant reached the Explorer, he turned back for one last look at Ellie. He raised his hand to wave, but she turned the other way. Feeling silly, he dropped his hand and headed into the woods. But just as he did, Ellie turned and waved to him, but with his back turned, he missed it too.

In this way, they said goodbye…

Back at the cars, as the reflections of the groups approached, the first raindrops fell on the windshields of the tour vehicles. They’re big, fat drops, and they kick up little clouds of dust as they smack into the glass. There was no mistaking the circumstance, especially from one particular party pony who’d been shaking about:

“O-O-O-O-Ooooh boy…” Pinkie Pie shuddered. “I-I-I-I-It’s going to be some s-s-s-s-s-torm…”

<>

It was nearly dark now. The wind whipped up, and the trees swayed violently. Within the safety of the control room, Hammond and Ray Arnold stared at the video screens.

“I found a way to re-route through the program,” Arnold explained. “I’m turning the cars around in the rest area loop.”

“Rotten luck, this storm,” Hammond muttered. “Get my grandchildren on the radio, will you? I don’t want them to worry about a wee bit of rain.”

As Arnold reached for the hand microphone, tensions rose from across the room. Dennis Nedry, sweat forming along his upper lip now, stared at his own video monitor. The supply boat was still docked on the island shore, only now it was buffeted by heavy waves. Nerdy whispered sharply into the phone, arguing with the mate of the ship again, whom he can see on the video monitor.

“There’s nothing I can do!” The mate insisted. “If the captain says we gotta go, we gotta go!”

“No, no, listen to me!” Nedry whispered harshly. “You’ve got to give me this time. I did a test run on this thing, and it took me twenty minutes. I think I can push it to eighteen, but you gotta give me at least fifteen minutes. Just give me fifteen minutes.”

“No promises! No promises!”

“I’ll be there in ten!”

Without another word, the Mate hung up the phone and from the feed Nedry could see him making his way back toward the boat. If Dennis wasn’t nervous before, now his anxiety was further increasing. He realized, by this point, this was a now-or-never situation. If he was going to pull off this heist successfully, and get his money’s worth, he’d have to act now… or this whole scheme would have come down to nothing. He took a deep breath and realized what he needed to do…

T-Rex Breakout

A dark array of clouds filled the skies high over the island of Isla Nublar. The loud crash of thunder could be heard in the distance; the great storm was rolling in. The wind began to pick up, blowing erratically, the foliage around the island billowed madly against the wind. It wasn’t long until the rain finally began to fall in copious amounts that nearly flooded the jungle floor. It was practically utter bedlam that no one, pony or human, should get tangled in.

Two ponies, however, found themselves caught in the midst of the storm. They continued their trek through the jungle, alongside their raptors. Curtain Call and Quill Cast trudged through the watery mud as they followed Blaze and Peppermint. Thankfully, the two stallions were smart enough to anticipate these harsh conditions and brought umbrellas for this little voyage. It was as if they knew this would come before anyone else.

“The rain is really coming down hard!” Quill yelled over the billowing wind. “Haven’t seen anything this bad since the big flood in my town back in 2007!”

“You’re complaining?” Curtain shot back. “In Florida, we’re prime targets for hurricanes! Ever been in one of those?”

“Can’t say I have and glad of that.”

“How much farther till we get to the raptor paddock?”

“No idea! Hopefully not much longer!”

As the group walked on, they eventually stopped upon what appeared to be one of the large, electrified barriers that littered the island. The very sight of the giant electric fence made the stallions groan in annoyance.

“How are we supposed to pass that?” Quill complained.

“Maybe if we go around the barrier, we’ll find an entrance,” Curtain suggested.

“We have no time for that!” Quill argued. “I have confidence that Atalanta can break the twins out of Regina’s hold. I didn’t specify they can stay out of it.”

“Then what would you suggest?”

While the two were arguing back and forth with one another, the two raptors cocked their eyes at one another as though they were extremely annoyed. Peppermint nudged Blaze from behind him, and he took cautious steps toward the electrified fence. He stuck his claw out, touching the steel chain by an inch. Instead of receiving ten thousand volts of electricity through his body, however, all he could feel was the cold steel against his scales. Peppermint joined her fellow raptor toward the fence, nudging the steel material with her snout confirming that there was no power.

The raptors turned back and gave a screech toward the two stallions, who stopped arguing long enough to see them touching the fence. To say the pair were confused was an understatement.

“What the?” Quill spoke, confused. “I thought Hammond always kept these fences running.”

“Maybe they’re running tests or something,” Curtain speculated.

But for whatever reason, the fences were down. To which, this provided the group with an opportunity. Side by side, Peppermint and Blaze proceeded to squeeze their way through the fence. They turned back waiting for their keepers to join them. Both Curtain and Quill looked at each other for a moment, contemplating whether or not this was a good idea. Without question, the fences were off… but for who knows how long? However, as Quill pointed out, time was not on their side.

Deciding to risk it, the two stallions quickly made their way over and squeezed themselves through the fence. Once they were finally on the other side, albeit with a few scratches, the stallions followed their raptors, who took the lead into the jungle before them.

“That was the easiest break-in we’ve ever committed, wouldn’t you say?” Curtain asked his friend.

“No kidding!” Quill nodded. “But why was the fence off?”

“Either there’s someone on the inside who’s smart enough to shut down security… or the people working here are very dumb. But then, who’d be desperate enough to try and hack their way through InGen?”

<>

A few minutes earlier…

Back in the Visitor Center, John Hammond sat idly looking at the mosquito-contained amber attached to the head of his cane. Things certainly hadn’t gone according to plan, especially for his first preview of Jurassic Park. Two no-shows and a sick Triceratops was not what he hoped for. As he sat in thought, Ray Arnold was giving him the report from the vehicular tour.

“Visitor vehicles are returning to the garage,” Arnold informed him.

“So much for our first tour,” Hammond sighed dejected. “Two no-shows and one sick Triceratops.”

“It could have been worse, John… a lot worse.”

It was at that moment that Dennis Nedry stood up. As he walked toward the two, it was plain to see he was shaking in his shoes. Still, he was trying his best, and failing, not to look inconspicuous… to be as casual as possible.

“Anybody want a soda or something?” Nedry asked nervously. “I’m going up to the machine. I’d thought I’d get somebody something. I’ve had only sweets and I’m gonna get something salty…”

Hammond and Arnold merely shook their heads. Nedry started to leave, but turned back with an afterthought that was so rehearsed it’s almost obvious.

“Oh, I uh, finished de-bugging the phones. I was going to, uh, so I did. So, I debugged the phones. And I thought maybe I should tell you that the system is going to be, um… uh… compiling for eighteen to twenty minutes. So, some of the minor systems, they may go on or off for a while, but it’s nothing to worry about, it’s just a simple thing.”

Whether or not they were buying Nedry’s story, he knew he said enough. Seeing their attention locked on the tour, Dennis turned his attention to his computer’s mouse, and clicked the ‘EXECUTE’ button. A majority of the windows on the screen cleared away, and what remained was a one minute countdown. At the same time, he pressed the start button on his digital stopwatch he held in his hand. The digital clock on the screen started ticking down from sixty seconds, and a musical clock started to sound too -- something like the ‘Jeopardy’ theme’.

He started to leave -- but returned when he remembered the shaving cream can. He grabbed for it and began to leave, preparing for the next phase of the plan.

<>

Back on the park roads, night was completely fallen now, and the rain started pouring. A tropical storm had commenced, the rain fell in drenching sheets on the roofs and hoods of the Explorers, which were making their way slowly back to the visitor’s center. In the rear car, Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm sat along with Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Dr. Whooves, Spike, and Rainbow Dash. Grant stared out the window, lost in his thoughts. As for the Equestrians, while many of them weren’t keen on the idea of what Hammond hoped to do on this island, they were disappointed that they never truly got to see a dinosaur on this tour… save for one.

“I think I speak for all of us when I say this tour was super lame!” Rainbow remarked honestly. “When you advertise living dinosaurs on this trip, you’d think they’d have, oh I don’t know… actual dinosaurs! The ones we saw before the tour don’t even count.”

“I feel you little rainbow horse,” Malcolm replied.

“It’s Rainbow Dash… jerk,” Rainbow huffed, frustrated. “Should have ridden with Daring Do and A.J., but no…”

“I hate to admit it, but Rainbow’s right on this one,” Twilight admitted. “Kind of disappointing that we didn’t get to see any more dinosaurs.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” Time Turner nodded. “Just a mere few days ago, the very thought of resurrecting creatures long extinct felt like a scientific impossibility. I’m sitting here hoping to actually see the process with my own eyes, to truly see what else they had in store… guess I set my expectations too high.”

“Trust me Doc, with our rap sheet, it wouldn’t have ended well anyway,” Spike shrugged. “I speak from experience.”

“Hmm… I just hope Ellie will be okay,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Wish we could’ve done more for that Triceratops.”

“Every pony did the best they could Fluttershy,” Twilight assured calmly. “Ellie should be at the visitor center waiting for us to get back. Maybe we’ll have better luck tomorrow.”

While the group conversed, Dr. Grant decided to try talking to Dr. Malcolm.

“Do you have any kids?” Grant asked curiously.

“Me? Oh, hell yeah,” Malcolm nodded. “Three… I love ‘em; I love kids. Anything at all can and does happen.”

Malcolm took a flask from his jacket pocket and unscrewed the top. His expression started to darken.

“Same with wives, for that matter.”

“You’re married?” Grant asked, in shock.

“Occasionally,” Malcolm shrugged. “I’m always on the lookout for the future ex-Mrs. Malcolm.”

Grant turned to him in disbelief, which caused Malcolm to laugh slightly. Even the Equestrians could barely make out just what Malcolm was implying.

“So… are you married or… what?” Fluttershy asked, confused.

<>

Back at the center, Dennis waited outside the silver door marked ‘Embryonic Cold Storage’. He stared at the digital stopwatch carefully, as a security camera slowly turned to the door.

“Five… four… three… two… one…”

On cue, the door clicked open, and the security camera turned off just as it faced the door. With the security going dark, Dennis made his way inside.

<>

At the same time, Arnold was sitting back in the control room preparing to light a cigarette. All of a sudden, there was buzzing… then rhythmic beeping from his computer that got his attention. He stared toward his terminal, puzzled. On the screen, glowing red and blue lines blinked off, in succession.

“That’s odd,” He commented.

Hammond came from behind him, along with Robert Muldoon.

“What?” Hammond asked.

“The door security systems are shutting down,” Arnold pointed out.

“Well, Nedry said a few systems might go offline, didn’t he?” Hammond asked.

<>

In the cold storage, Dennis Nedry hurried in and flipped open the hatch on the bottom of the shaving cream can, revealing slotted compartments inside. He proceeded to open the two embryo freezers, revealing racks of dozens of embryos in thin glass slides. A sign said, ‘Viable embryos -- Handle with extreme care!’.

Nedry proceed to take the slides out of the freezers one by one, and only one of each kind. With each embryo, he took one and stuck it in the can. The few he collected were labeled -- ‘Stegosaurus’, ‘Apatosaurus’, ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’, etc. -- the biggest species that he considered valuable. Once he had enough embryos in the can, he put the can back together, sealed the embryo freezers, and began to leave.

<>

Grant, Malcolm, and their Equestrian passengers were still waiting in their car as they drove toward the visitor center. They didn’t notice, but the video screen in the middle of their front console suddenly went black. By now, Rainbow Dash leaned her head against the side window, deciding to sleep for the rest of the drive. Malcolm kept everyone else occupied with their conversation.

“By the way, Dr. Sattler -- she’s not like, uh, available, is she? --” Malcolm asked.

“Why?” Grant raised a brow.

Grant and the others looked toward Malcolm, wondering exactly where he was going with this subject. Malcolm took one look toward Grant, and by studying Grant’s face he could tell that he seemed sensitive about the subject. Whether he knew it or not, Malcolm suddenly pieced it together.

“Why? Oh, yeah, I’m sorry,” Malcolm apologized. “Are you two uh, -- you two are…?”

“Yeah,” Grant nodded.

“Well… we’re wishing you the best of luck,” Spike assured. “Whatever it is.”

Suddenly, the cars jerked to a sudden stop. The lights in the vehicles and along the road went out, plunging them into blackness. Grant jerked his hands away from the steering column, immediately assuming it was his fault.

“Hey, what’d I touch?!” Grant muttered.

“Uh, you didn’t touch anything,” Malcolm answered, looking around. “We stopped…”

It was then Rainbow Dash snorted herself away, looking around dazedly while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Are we there yet…?” Rainbow Dash yawned.

“I’m afraid not,” Twilight shook her head. “The car has stopped.”

“Wha--did Mr. Grant touch something? Seems to happen all the time.”

“It must be my fault,” Grant spoke up. “Machines hate me.”

“You’re serious about that belief that machines ‘hate’ you?” Dr. Whooves questioned.

“I know they hate me.”

“You want to talk about it?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“No.”

“Guys… I think we have bigger problems right now,” Spike stated the obvious.

“Spike’s right,” Twilight nodded, looking out the window. “Something’s wrong.”

<>

Back in the control room, things were growing worrisome. Indicators displayed the fences all over the park turning off. Ray Arnold stared at this terminal, aghast, as row upon row of colored lights crawled off his screen.

“Woah, woah, woah, what the hell, what the hell, what the hell…?”

“What now?” Hammond asked.

“Fences are failing, all over the park,” Arnold informed. “’A few minor systems’, he said!”

“Find Nedry!” Hammond ordered Muldoon, pissed. “Check the vending machines!”

<>

At that moment, a jeep splashed up to the giant gates leading into Jurassic Park. Dennis Nedry jumped out, trying vainly to use a raincoat to protect himself from the pouring rain. He hurried toward the control panel on the side of the cement supports, opening the panel box containing a lever that said, ‘Manual Override’. He flicked a switch and the gates clicked unlocked. He jumped back into the car and nosed into the gates, shoving them open far enough to drive through. He roared off into the park grounds, determined to get to the harbor and leave this island before someone caught on to his plan.

<>

Back in the control room, it was plain to see the monitors were failing. Nearly all the video monitors in the control room went out with a faint electronic zip. Tension in the room was turning up for the three men inside, especially one Muldoon who returned unable to find Nedry anywhere in the facility. Their only hope was to use Nedry’s terminal to get it all back on, hoping he’d de-bug it later.

Arnold pushed off on the floor, whizzing over to Nedry’s master terminal in his chair. With one stroke of his arm, he brushed all the loose junk off Nedry’s station - junk food, soda cans, torn out magazine pages - and tried to work with fixing the problems.

“God, look at this workstation!” Arnold complained. “What a complete slob!”

The ‘Jeopardy’-type music played a slight faster now. Muldoon stepped forward, growing alarmed.

“The raptor fences aren’t out, are they?” Muldoon asked.

Arnold typed a command on the workstation, checking the fences just to make sure.

“No, no, they’re still on,” Arnold confirmed.

“Why the hell would he turn the other ones off?” Hammond asked.

<>

Back in the park, the reason was fully revealed. A wire mesh fence stood with a very clear sign:

DANGER! ELECTRIFIED FENCE!
Door Cannot Be Opened
When Fence is Armed!

A hand reached out, grabbing the fence by the bare wire, flipped a latch, and shoved the door open. No sparks flew. Dennis Nedry ran from the fence back to his jeep, dropping it in gear, and tore off down the park road. The rain was absolutely flowing down now, the road rapidly turning to mud. In the jeep, Nedry could barely see through the windshield, even his glasses fogged up. He drove as fast as possible, checking his watch every few seconds.

He leaned forward, squinting to see through the windshield, wiping off the condensation with his free hand. A fork in the road suddenly rushed into view. He jumped on the breaks, but it was too late! The jeep careened into a signpost in the middle of the fork.

“Shit!” Nedry shouted.

He threw the door open and hurried to pick up the fallen sign, which read, ‘To East Dock’. He propped it up - the directional arrow swung hopelessly on a nail leaving the man unable to know which direction to go. He pointed to the left, then to the right, then angrily spun it clenching his jaws with a growl.

Soaked, Nedry stomped back to his car. Although he didn’t look too convinced, he dropped the car in gear and sped off to the left. He could only hope that the road before him would lead him straight to the docks or everything he had done would be all for naught.

<>

Back in the Control Center, Hammond still hovered over Arnold’s shoulder while he worked at Nedry’s terminal. Arnold muttered to himself as he tried one command after another.

“-- access main program -- access main security -- access main program grid…”

He punched several buttons, each time the computer flashed ‘Permission Denied’. Suddenly, the screen filled with a repeating message: ‘YOU DIDN’T SAY THE MAGIC WORD!’ and the computer buzzed. At that moment, an animated image of a cartoony Dennis Nedry appeared on the other monitor, waving his little finger disapprovingly.

“Ah, ah, ah! You didn’t say the magic word!” Computer Nedry mocked. “Ah, ah, ah! Ah, ah, ah!”

“PLEASE!!!” Arnold groaned, livid. “God damn it! I hate this hacker crap!”

“Call Nedry’s people in Cambridge,” Hammond instructed.

“-- Magic word! Ah, ah, ah!”

Arnold whisked across the floor in his chair and snatched up the nearest phone. He punched for an outside line… but realized something.

“The phones are out, too,” Arnold confirmed.

“… Where did the vehicles stop?” Hammond asked, with dread.

<>

BAA!!!

The rain continued to pour down during the tropical storm. The goat that was brought up from the underground earlier was still tethered in the same place, bleating in the cold, pouring rain. The two explorers sat still in the middle of the road right next to the T-Rex Paddock. A man’s form, Dr. Alan Grant’s, raced back from the front car to the rear car. Earlier, he went to check on Gennaro, the Murphy Siblings, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Daring Do hoping for some good news… but his worst fears were confirmed.

By the time he returned to the rear car, Grant was soaking wet as he closed the door behind him. Malcolm and the other Equestrians turned toward him.

“Well… what’s happened?” Spike asked, concerned.

“Their radio’s out too,” Grant informed. “Gennaro said to stay put.”

“I’m trying to figure this out,” Twilight voiced her concern. “Mr. Hammond said this was a state of the art system. How can it just shut down like that?”

“I admit it’s rather baffling,” Time Turner agreed.

“Are the kids okay?” Ian asked concerned.

“Well, I didn’t ask,” Alan replied. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

“Seriously dude?” Rainbow spoke in disbelief. “I know you’re not the biggest kid person. But at least understand they get frightened easily.”

“She’s right,” Ian nodded. “Kids get scared.”

“What’s to be scared about?” Alan asked. “It’s just a little hiccup in the power.”

“I didn’t say I was scared.”

“I didn’t say you were scared.”

“I know.”

“Fine.”

“I just hope they’ll be okay,” Twilight cut in. “We promised these kids a good time; not having them sit around with a storm outside.”

“I don’t think it’s the storm, Twi,” Spike voiced his uncertainty. “Something tells me this isn’t going to end well.”

Fluttershy quietly turned and looked out toward the driving rain, and the fence that stood between them and the tyrannosaur paddock. There was no doubt on her mind… Fluttershy was scared.

<>

In the front car, the rest of the Equestrian gang along with Gennaro, lex, and Tim looked out the window toward the pouring rain. The long time they spent waiting, they were already bored. The rain drummed on the roof monotonously. Pinkie Pie was upside down in her seat, pushing her legs up and swinging them down.

“Up and down, up and down!” Pinkie sang to herself.

“I can’t believe we invited Ian Malcolm…” Gennaro muttered. “How he’ll write a bunch of papers, go on Larry King Live, say we’re irresponsible --”

“Hot dang, that their rain’s sure comin’ down mighty hard,” Applejack commented. “If it drops any harder, we might have to build us an ark.”

To which, this caused Pinkie Pie to burst out laughing as she turned toward Applejack.

“Applejack, you silly filly you,” She giggled. “We won’t have to do anything like that for another season or two, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

The orange Earth pony merely glanced over at her eccentric party pony friend with great confusion.

“Wut in tarnation ya talkin’ bout Pinkie?” She asked.

“Oh, you know when we meet a guy named Bruce and then one named Evan and…”

Pinkie gasped and quickly covered her mouth her hooves, realizing what she had nearly done.

“Sorry, I’ve said too much already,” Pinkie apologized.

Applejack just shook her head before turning to look back out the window.

“Still mighty nice ah Dr. Grant tah come check on all of us.”

“I think Dr. Grant is really -- smart,” Lex spoke, a little dream.y

“Better him than me,” Rarity agreed. “This rain would do no wonders for my mane. Not to mention all the mud.”

“You always have mud baths back home at the spa silly!” Pinkie smiled at her friend.

“There’s a big difference between mineral mud baths and everyday dirty icky mud Pinkie dear,” Rarity responded. “When we get back, I’m giving you a hard lesson on sophistication.”

“Is Rarity usually like that?” Daring Do whispered to Applejack.

“Nah, she’s usually much worse,” A.J. whispered back.

“BOO!!!”

“AHHH!!!”

Suddenly, Tim Murphy popped out wearing what looked like a heavy-duty pair of night vision goggles, startling Lex, and Pinkie Pie.

“Hey! Where did you get those?” Donald asked.

“In the box under my seat,” Tim replied.

“Are they heavy?”

“Yeah.”

“Then they’re expensive,” Donald scolded. “Put ‘em back.”

“Aww come on, give the kid a break,” Applejack spoke up. “We’re stuck here till they get this up and runnin’ again. Kids bound tah get bored.”

“We could play games to pass the time,” Pinkie suggested. “Any pony up for some Ultimate Twister? Oh wait, no… no we need more room to play that. Well, how about Pin the Tail on the Pony? Wait, no, no, no… that would be awkward…”

Donald merely sighed, as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Tim, ignoring Donald, climbed into the back seat as Lex smacked him with her cap.

“Don’t scare me,” She growled.

As she put her cap back on, Tim looked out into the rain through the goggles, enjoying the view. Tim pushed a button on the side which instantly activated night vision mode. Staring out through the back window of the Explorer, he could see the other vehicle the others were inhabiting. The image was a bright fluorescent green.

“Whoa, cool!” He said amazed. “Night vision.”

“Good idea, Tim!” Pinkie smiled widely. “We can play ‘I Spy’! Okay, okay, okay! I’ll go first. Let’s see… I Spy with my little eye…”

“Fence…” Daring Do answered.

“Hey, you’re pretty good at this!”

<>

While Tim watched, the door of the rear explorer opened, and a hand reached out, holding an empty canteen out to catch some rainwater. Grant pulled the canteen back in, closed the door, and took a drink. He soon shared it with the three ponies and dragon while they were waiting in the car.

As time went by, Tim continued to stare out the back window with the goggles swinging his legs -- but suddenly, he stopped. He felt something… a heavy thumping.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

Pulling off the goggles, turning slowly back, he proceeded to move into the back seat with Lex, who was tapping her hat. But he wasn’t the only one, as the ears of the four Equestrians perked up too.

“Do you feel that?” Tim asked.

However, his question garnered no response from his sister.

“I reckon I hear something,” Applejack told Tim.

Tim leaned over to the front passenger seat and looked at the two plastic cups of water sitting in the recessed holes on the dashboard. As he watched, the water in the glass vibrated, making concentric circular ripples -- then it stopped -- and then it vibrated again. Rhythmically, like footsteps.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

“What in Equestria is going on out there?” Rarity asked.

“M-Maybe it’s the power trying to come back on,” Gennaro theorized.

But the Equestrians were not entirely convinced. Within seconds, the thumping was growing increasingly louder. All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie started shaking uncontrollably in the car.

“U-U-U-U-U-U-U-h o-o-o-oh…” She shook. “S-S-S-S-S-Something b-b-big i-i-i-s c-c-c-c-coming…”

“What is that?” Lex asked.

“What is what?” Gennaro looked back.

“That’s a Pinkie sense,” Rarity spoke nervously. “Whenever she shakes that badly, it usually means a real doozy is coming, which tells me this doesn’t bode well for us.”

Tim jumped into the back seat and put the goggles on again. He turned to look out the side window. He could see the area within the T-Rex exhibit, where the goat was tethered… or was. The chain was still there, swinging along the stake, but the goat itself was gone. All the other eyes looked toward the scene, their faces widened with fear and confusion.

“Where’s the goat?” Lex asked.

BANG!!!

Everyone gasped in surprise, and a scream cried out from the rear car as something hit the Plexiglass sunroof of the Explorer, hard. They looked up… to a bloody, disembodied goat leg.

“Oh, Faust… oh, Faust…” Rarity gasped, horrified.

Tim whipped around to look out the side window again. His mouth popped open, but no sound came out. Through the goggles, he spotted an animal claw, a huge one, gripping the cables of the ‘electrified’ fence. Tim whipped the goggles off and pressed forward against the window. All eyes looked up, up, then craned their heads back further, to look out the sunroof. Past the goat’s leg, they could see --

Tyrannosaurus Rex… standing maybe twenty-five feet high, forty feet long from nose to tail, with an enormous, boxlike head that must be five feet long by itself. The remains of the goat hung from the rex’s mouth. It tilted its head back and swallowed the animal in one big gulp. Its eyes soon looked toward the vehicles, and its passengers.

“Oh, Jesus!” Gennaro hyperventilated. “Oh, Jesus!”

Unable to speak, Gennaro’s hand clawed for the door handle, he shouldered it open, and took off, out of the car. Every pony else in the car looked on in shock, while Lex was having a panic attack.

“He left us… he left us!” Lex freaked out. “He left us alone!”

“Shh, shh, shh…” Applejack hushed. “Don’t panic… just stay seated… no pony move…”

“Tell that to the lawyer,” Derring Do replied.

<>

On the road, Gennaro ran away as fast as he could. He raced right past the second car and bolted toward a cement block outhouse twenty or thirty yards away. He reached it, ducked inside, and pulled the door after him -- but there’s no latch, just a round hole in the unfinished door. Gennaro backed into a stall, frantic. The whole bathroom began to shake all around him.

His actions didn’t go unnoticed, as Dr. Grant, Dr. Malcolm, and the remainder of the Equestrians had watched Donald race toward the bathroom. Fluttershy was breathing very heavily, as Rainbow hugged her gently, the former having witnessed the carnage with the T-Rex and the goat. Rainbow did her best to calm her close friend down, but even Dash started feeling nervous.

“Now where does he think he’s going?” Grant asked.

“When you’ve gotta go, you gotta go,” Malcolm replied.

Another sound drew their attention. All eyes turned the other way, out the passenger window. As they watched, the fence began to buckle, its post collapsing into itself, the wires snapping free.

“Guys…why aren’t the fences working?” Spike asked nervously.

Grant and Twilight Sparkle now turned and watched as, ahead of them, the ‘DANGER!’ sign smacked down on the hood of the first Explorer. The entire fence was coming down, the posts collapsing, the cables snapping as Rainbow Dash looked toward the front car.

“A.J….” Rainbow Dash gasped.

In the other car, the remaining passengers looked on in shock realizing the severity of the situation.

“Rainbow…” Applejack whispered.

“Dr. Grant?” Lex spoke worriedly.

Finally, the T-rex chewed its way through the barrier. They watched in horror as the T-rex stepped over the ruined barrier and into the middle of the park road. It stood there for a moment, swinging its head from one vehicle to the other. And then it gave a mighty roar which bellowed across the land.

“God, do I hate being right all the time,” Ian muttered.

“Great whickering stallions!” Dr. Whooves gasped. “Look at that! The ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’ in the flesh!”

“Not the best time to admire the scenery, Doc!” Spike muttered. “We have a situation here.”

The T-rex turned and strode quickly back towards them. It circled, slowly, bending over to look in at them through the window. Grant and Malcolm sat trembling in the front seat, while the Equestrians kept still in the back. They watched as the giant legs strode past their windows.

“Keep absolutely still,” Alan whispered harshly. “Its vision is based on movement.”

“You’re sure?!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“… Relatively.”

<>

Back in the second car, Lex rummer around in the back cargo area, looking for something, anything. Eventually, she pulled out a flashlight, which turned on. The front car lit up from within as Lex switched on the flashlight. The dinosaur raised its head. It turned slowly from the second car to the first, drawn by its light. Its mind made up, with intention of finding food, it strode over to the first vehicle… fast.

“Turn the light off… turn the light off…” Alan muttered.

“It’s Lex!” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “What does she think she’s doing?!”

“She’s setting herself and her brother as bait for the T. Rex!” Twilight Sparkle realized.

“Our friends!” Fluttershy reeled up.

<>

Tim and Lex could only stare out the windows as the T-rex reached their car and started to circle it.

“Turn the light off!” Tim begged.

“It’s coming this way!” Daring Do whispered, pointing out.

The rex strode around to the side of the car and peered down, from high above. Tim leapt into the front seat and pulled the driver’s door shut. Both kids are terrified, breathing heavily, unable to speak. The Equestrians were just as frightened as the beast stared toward them.

“Just go away!” Rarity hissed. “Please go away!”

“Rarity, hush!” Applejack shushed harshly.

The rex bent down and looked in through the front windshield, then the side window. Lex was eye to eye with the thing for a second, as she shined her light toward the creature making its pupils shrink. The dinosaur raised its head up, above the car, as everyone and every pony eyed each other.

Suddenly, the T-rex roared, causing the kids and the ponies to cover their ears. By the time it stopped, it leaned toward the car causing the group to shift to the other side as far from the beast as they could. Soon the Rex nudged the car a bit causing several of them to scream out of fear. Soon as the car went still, Tim and the others gathered by Lex frantically trying to turn the flashlight off.

“Hurry! Turn it off!” Tim cried out.

“I’m sorry -- I’m sorry --” Lex cried, panicking.

“Where’s the button?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m sorry --”

“Why’d you do this?” Daring Do asked. “You’re the one who turned it on--

“I don’t know! I’m sorry!”

The arguing between the siblings and the ponies caught the T-Rex’s attention. This didn’t go unnoticed as Pinkie Pie was well aware they were being watched. She eyed the beast as her shaking kept going.

“G-G-G-G-G-Guys…” Pinkie chattered, pointing rapidly.

The kids and the other ponies looked up, through the sunroof, as the head went higher, and higher, and higher. Then the rex turned, looked straight down at them through the sunroof, opened it mouth wide and -- disaster struck!

SMASH!!!

The thing’s head struck the plastic sunroof, knocking the whole frame right out of the roof of the car and down into the vehicle. The bubble fell down onto the passengers, trapping them, and the animal lunged down, through the hole, snapping at them as they screamed in unison. The Plexiglas was the only thing between the passengers and the massive jaws of the hungry carnivore. Protecting them while pinning them down to their seats. All the while, the T-rex pushed down, the glass groaned, crack lines racing across it, and parts of it threatening to break. Tim, whose feet were caught above him, pushed back, only an inch of glass between him and the dinosaur’s teeth. While they all screamed in ultimate fear, the T-Rex had only one thing on her mind: Good, and she’d get to them no matter what it took.

Back in the second car, Grant, Malcolm, and Twilight’s group could only watch in horror (Ian wiping off the mist inside the car window) as the dinosaur clawed at the side of the vehicle with one of its powerful thigh legs. It pushed, starting to tip the car over. Then she pushed the cart a second time and managed to topple the car upside down and caused the passengers inside the second car to fall over each other, screaming in fear.

“Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!” Fluttershy panicked.

“We gotta do something!” Rainbow insisted.

“What can we do?” Dr. Whooves asked.

“Anything! Our friends are in danger!” Twilight Sparkle pointed out.

Soon as the Explorer tilted, all the glass windows shattered, and the passengers were thrown to the side. The rex bent down, nudging the car with its head, rolling it around and sending the passengers tumbling.

The T-rex started to nudge the Explorer toward the barrier. Over the barrier was a gently terraced area at one side where the rex emerged from. But the car wasn’t next to that, it was next to a sharp precipice, representing a fifty or sixty foot drop. The car, upside down now, was pushed near the edge. The rex towered over the car. Like a dog, it put one foot on the chassis and tore at the undercarriage with its jaws. Biting at anything it can get a hold of and it ripped the rear axle free, tossing it aside. It bit into the tire, and it exploded, startling the animal… but only briefly. The T-rex proceeded to chew the tire, swinging all the passengers from side to side.

Seeing the danger, Grant looked around and climbed over the seat. He tore apart the back area, searching -- and finally found a metal case. He opened it and found the flares. He proceeded to grab one and moved quickly back to the driver’s seat and opened the door. Twilight and her group proceeded to grab some more, racing out to join Grant. Not one of them spotted Malcolm grabbing a flare too.

Tim, Lex, and the ponies were screaming with fear, while they were trapped inside the rapidly flattening car. As the frame continued to buckle, they crawled toward the open rear window, the car collapsing behind them. Mud and rainwater poured into what little space remained. Along with the siblings, a few of the ponies were bleeding and caked in mud. Tim was ahead, nearing the back window, when there was a ‘crunch’ and a seat came down, pinning him down. Applejack tried to use her leg muscles to push the seat off of Tim, but the weight of the beast standing atop their car made it harder.

The dinosaur backed up, dragging the Explorer, swinging it left and right. It seemed ready to fling it over the edge. Alan and Rainbow Dash were out of the car, each one holding a flare, which they pulled the top off of. Bright flames shot out the end of it as Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Spike & Dr. Whooves gathered before the T-rex.

“HEY!!!” Alan and Dash shouted, waving the flares.

“Hey stupid! Over here!” Rainbow Dash waved her free wing.

The other ponies in the downed vehicle peered from the back, watching as the T-rex turned to look at their saviors, roaring loudly. Alan and Rainbow Dash both waved their flares slowly, side-to-side, while the others followed suit. The T-rex followed their moving arms (And wings in the case of the Pegasi), the beast’s eyes were locked on the flare. Grant motioned toward the wall, which the heroes were quick to catch on to. They tossed the flares over the edge of the barrier (Rainbow Dash being the farthest) and the rex lunged after it --

Unclear with Grant’s plan, Malcom lit up his own flare inside the first vehicle and leapt out trying to scare up the T-rex’s attention with his own newly lit flare.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Ian shouted, waving at the animal.

Grant, the four ponies, and Spike saw him, horrified by what he was doing.

“IAN, FREEZE!!!” Alan & the ponies shouted, in unison.

“What’re you doing?!” Spike shouted.

“Get the kids!” Ian shouted.

“No, Mr. Malcolm!” Daring Do called out. “Get rid of the flare!

Malcolm inched back slowly, then took off, running for his life down the road and straight toward the cement block outhouse Gennaro went into earlier. The T-rex saw the movement, whirled about, and took off after Malcolm, fast.

“Get the kids!” Ian shouted, mid-run.

“Get rid of the flare!” Dr. Whooves cried out.

“Mr. Malcolm!!!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Twilight Sparkle and Spike fired beams of magic, and balls of flame respectively, toward the T-rex while Ian hurled the flare away… but it’s too late. Malcolm ran as fast as he could, approaching the outside just steps ahead of the T-rex but not far enough ahead. Without even slowing down, the rex leaned forward intending to snatch Malcolm in its jaws.

In the restroom, Gennaro cowered in a corner praying to the heavens.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the lord be with--”

All of a sudden, Gennaro could hear the heavy thumping of rushing footsteps and peering through the hole in the door, he could see the T-rex coming. Screaming, he slammed the door of the stall shut. Just as the T-rex exploded through the front of the building, flicking Malcolm into the air with its snout and sending chunks of cement flying in all directions inside. It’s just a nudge for the rex, but it sent Malcolm sailing right through a wooden portion of the wall, and through the building. Ian was soon knocked down and buried under the collapsing roof.

The remainder of the bathroom collapsed, even the stalls. Gennaro tried to protect himself from the falling junk but soon the poor lawyer was left exposed, seated on the toilet as he looked up toward the T-rex, which hovered over him. He was scared stiff, shivering in the cold rain and never taking its eyes off the monster.

“No! No! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

The T-rex snapped him up in her massive jaws, swinging him around to his death, devouring him bit by bit.

<>

Out on the road, Grant, the ponies, and Spike watched as the T-rex nosed around the rubble till it found something. They witnessed the beast lunging, and could hear Gennaro screaming, the sound piercing -- until it abruptly stopped. Too late to save the lawyer, and not knowing what became of Malcolm, they scrambled toward the toppled Explorer.

“Tim! Lex!” Grant called out.

“Applejack! Daring Do!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Are you okay?

“Dr. Grant! Ms. Sparkle!” Lex shouted. “Ms. Fluttershy! Dr. Whooves! Spike, help!”

Grant lay on the ground, looking inside, and saw Lex staring up at him, conscious, her face covered in mud. To say the rest of the Equestrians were worse for wear was an understatement.

“Rarity, are you okay?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “Can you move?”

“Do I look all right?” Rarity cried out. “Please, get me out of here!”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!” Dr. Whooves assured. “We got you!”

As the group helped the passengers out of the car, one by one, Tim was wincing in pain. His legs and feet were trapped by the seat of the vehicle.

“I’m stuck!” Tim cried out. “The seat’s got my feet.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you next!” Fluttershy assured.

“You’re alright, you’re okay,” Alan consoled Tim.

“Pinkie Pie’s knocked out,” Spike said, dragging her out. “Pinkie, wake up!”

“I don’t feel like farm work, Daddy…” Pinkie rambled, unconsciously. “Five more minutes…”

“Come on, darling!” Rarity pulled Pinkie. “Let’s get you out.”

The Equestrians and Lex were out, not unscathed but otherwise okay. Rainbow Dash wrapped her wings around Applejack and Daring Do, relieved that they were okay. But soon, Applejack and Daring Do had leaned back toward the car trying to find Tim.

“Tim? Tim?” Applejack called out.

Lex stared toward the distance and screamed. Derring Do and Grant whirled around, covering her mouth at the same time.

“Don’t move!” Alan instructed.

“She can’t see us if we don’t move,” Daring Do assured.

“Assuming the theory hasn’t been discredited,” Dr. Whooves spoke hopefully.

Lex looked at them like they were crazy but froze… and they waited.

BOOM!

A big T-rex footprint smacked down in front of them as the dinosaur approached the car again. It leaned down, right past them, and sniffed the car, ragged bits of flesh and clothing hung from its teeth. Not finding anything, the dinosaur swung its head away, snorting loudly through its nose blowing Alan, Applejack & Daring Do’s hats off (The two ponies quickly caught their hats in mid-air). The Rex walked to the back of the car, bending down. Alan, Lex, the ponies, and Spike stayed perfect still while its attention was away from them.

WHAP!!!

The car spun as it was pushed from behind by the Rex. Grant and the group were pushed in front of it, helpless before the beast. They scrambled around on their knees, trying to keep ahead of the car, which the rex now pushed even closer to the edge of the barrier. They crawled quickly, but the car moved faster, catching up on them.

Inside the car, Tim was wide awake and screaming his head off. He tried desperately to untangle himself from this precarious predicament. But even if he got out, with that beast outside, he’d still be in mortal danger. On the road, the T-rex loomed over Lex and Grant, along with the Equestrians (Minus the winged members), who are trapped between the car and the sixty foot drop.

The Rex bent down and spotted the boy. Tim tried to back away, furiously, but there’s almost no room to move in there. The rex opened its mouth wide and stretched its tongue into the car. Tim screamed as the tongue tried to wrap around him. Failing, it withdrew from the car.

On the road, the T-rex still tried to get to the humans and Equestrians, pushing the car, spinning on its roof. They scrambled about, trying to avoid being caught by the T-rex and crushed by the car.

“Timmy! Timmy!” Lex cried out.

“Tim!” Alan shouted.

“Applejack, get on my back!” Twilight Sparkle called out.

“Mr. Turner, hop on!” Daring Do shouted.

“You got it!” Dr. Whooves nodded quickly.

“Every pony, this way!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

The nonflying ponies climbed the backs of their winged friends just as the car almost crushed them against the barrier. They moved, as the rex continued moving the car towards the edge. Grant finally climbed onto the wall, with Lex following. The T-rex roared in frustration, bending down for one final lunge at the car. Seeing it coming, Grant grabbed one of the dangling fence cables on the other side of the barrier.

“Grab a hold of me!” Grant told Lex.

She wrapped her arm around his neck. Grant scrambled to the edge of the barrier and began to climb down.

“Timmy! Timmy!” Lex screamed.

The Equestrians looked down, noticing that the cable was slick with rain. All Grant could do was hang on as he and Lex slid rapidly down. Above them, the vehicle teetered over the edge, threatening to drop right on top of them if they didn’t hurry. Grant gasped, as Lex had unwittingly started to choke him as she held on for dear life.

“Lex! You’re choking me!” Grant gasped.

The car was groaning now, nearly over the edge. Hovering by the group, looking around frantically, Twilight Sparkle turned to the side and spotted some other cables, out of the line of the car’s impending drop.

“Lex, grab that wire!” Twilight instructed.

His feet scrambling along the concrete wall, Grant tried to swing over towards the closest wire for Lex to reach… only to fall short. His momentum carried them back the other way, but with a little push from Daring Do and Rainbow Dash during the second swing Lex managed to grab hold of the second cable.

“I got it!” Lex shouted.

The car fell past them, barely missing them along with the other ponies (And Spike) as it ‘crunched’ into the leafy top of a tree, resting on its roof some fifteen feet below them.

“Timmy!!!” Fluttershy cried out.

The T-rex stared down toward them, but the Equestrians were hovering safely out of reach while their surviving human friends cling onto the second cable for dear life. It roared once more, in a final fit of frustration as the Equestrians looked on. One thing was absolutely certain for our heroes: The dinosaurs are now on the loose and little did they know, it was all under the act of one man who cut off the power just to steal some embryos for another company.

<>

Back in the control room, John Hammond was pacing back and forth muttering to himself. To suggest this man was livid was an understatement. The only thought racing in his head right now was ‘I will kill Nedry… I will kill him’. All of a sudden, Hammond turned just as Muldoon burst through the door.

“Well?” Hammond asked anxiously.

“There’s no sign of him anywhere,” Muldoon shook his head.

All the while the game show music grew louder and faster now, driving the people inside far beyond ‘annoyed’.

“Ray will you please stop that music?!” Hammond shouted.

Ray Arnold’s cigarette practically burned his lips, down to almost nothing in his mouth. He hovered over Nedry’s computer terminal, which was a mass of incomprehensible commands that scrolled by quickly as he futilely examined each one of them. As Muldoon paced about, Ellie, who had arrived a few minutes earlier, stared at Arnold in amazement.

“Are we getting anywhere with these procedures of yours?” Ellie asked. “I mean, what’s hanging us up?”

“I ran a key check on every stroke Nedry entered today,” Arnold explained. “It’s all pretty standard stuff, until this one –

“What one?”

Ellie stood up to join Arnold at the computer. Arnold pointed to his computer screen, to a specific series of commands. The others crowded over his shoulder and stared at the screen together.

“’Keycheck/space -o keycheck off safety -o”,” Arnold continued. “He’s turning the safety systems off. He doesn’t want anybody to see what he’s about to do. Now, look at this next entry, it’s the kicker: ‘Wht.rbt.obj.’. Whatever it did, it did it all. But with Keycheck off, the computer didn’t file the keystrokes. So, the only way to find them now is to go through the computer’s lines of codes, one by one.”

“How many lines of code are there?” Ellie asked.

“Uh – about two million.”

“Two million – great.”

“Yeah.”

“Robert – I wonder if perhaps you would be good enough to take a gas jeep and bring back my grandchildren,” Hammond requested.

“Sure,” Muldoon nodded, walking away.

“I’m going with him,” Ellie volunteered.

Soon, Muldoon and Ellie head for the door. Hammond turned, staring out the windows at the front of the control room. He’s gone pale, and he’s sweating, wrapped up in a million thoughts. Hammond leaned on his cane, and for the first time he looked as though he was actually using it. Behind him, Ray Arnold’s voice called to him, but he didn’t hear it.

“John…” Arnold called out. “John!”

Hammond turned, finally hearing Arnold.

“I can’t get Jurassic Park back online without Dennis Nedry,” Arnold admitted.

<>

Later in the night, as the rain continued to pour down, a gas-powered jeep roared down another park road. Dennis Nedry drove the jeep as fast as he could under these treacherous conditions. He muttered to himself, shaking his head as he drove to where he hoped would be the East dock.

“Shoulda been there by now,” Nedry muttered, frustrated. “Shoulda been there—”

He hauled the jeep around a corner, splashing through the puddles, and looked down, checking his watch. When he looked back up, his eyes went wide. There’s a white wood guard rail fence, right in front of him. Panicking, Nedry stomped on the brakes as hard as he could. The jeep fishtailed, skidding out of control in the mud towards the fence. Nedry hauled the wheel hard to the side, trying to control the skid, but the jeep skidded off the road, going halfway over the muddied embankment.

Nedry dropped the car in reverse and hit the gas. The wheels spun, sending mud flying everywhere, but the jeep was stuck on a fallen tree. With nowhere to go, the vehicle was just digging into the air.

“God damn it!!!” Nedry grunted.

Nedry couldn’t believe his luck. Here he was so close to the biggest payday of his life, and he was going to be late. Frustrated, he stepped out of the jeep and looked around… when suddenly, he stopped.

“There’s the road!”

Sure enough, Nedry could see another park road, down the sloping embankment, just twenty feet below. There was a large sign alongside the road. Nedry leaned forward excitedly to get a better look. It read ‘TO EAST DOCK’. Stressed out and with little time left, he scrambled to the front of the jeep. He proceeded to crank the winch coil from the front end of the jeep.

“No problem. Winch this sucker off the thing…” Nedry mumbled to himself. “Tie it to a thing there – pull it down the thing – and pull it back up.”

While pulling the coil, Nedry lost his balance and slipped – falling back on his rear. He slid down the muddy embankment, across the road below. Pissed, he pushed himself to his knees and searched for his now missing glasses.

“My glasses!” Nedry muttered, exasperated. “I can afford more glasses!”

Dennis stood and grabbed the winch, approaching a sturdy-looking tree on the other side.

“Oh, jeez!” Nedry groaned, stubbing his toe.

From the distance, there was a soft hooting sound followed by some movement in the bushes. Nedry looked around for the source of both the sound and the movement… but he doesn’t find it.

He nervously checked his watch and went back to the winch, but faster.

“I got time! I can make it!” Nedry told himself. “You can do this Dennis; you can do this. No problem – pop this thing right down –”

Just as Nedry clenched the winch tightly around the tree, hooking itself to the cable, the hotting came again and Nedry turned… but again, nothing.

“Hello?” Nedry called out.

A figure ducked around the tree and popped out on the other side, hooting playfully. Nedry looked around one side of the tree – nothing. It popped up again on the other side, hooting again. Nedry looked, again… nothing… again. It seemed like a friendly game of hide-and-seek, but Nedry was starting to get rattled.

“That’s nice,” Nedry spoke nervously. “Gotta go. I’m getting out of here; c’mon Dennis, you can make it!”

With the winch secured, Dennis followed the cable across the road, back toward the embankment. He froze, as he felt something behind him. He turned around slowly and saw: A Dilophosaur. It stood only about four feet high, spotted like an owl, and had a brilliant colored crest that flanked its head. It didn’t look very dangerous; in fact, it’s kind of cute.

“Oh. Uh – nice boy,” Nedry stammered nervously, adjusting his coat. “NICE BOY! Nice dinosaur… thought you were one of your big brothers. You’re not so bad… you’re not so bad. Okay, run along! Go on! Go home!”

But the dilophosaur just stared at Nedry, tilting its head curiously.

“What do you want?” Nedry continued. “What do you want? You want food? Are you hungry? Look at me! I just fell down a hill, I’m soaking wet! I don’t have any food for you! I have no food on me! I have nothing on me! They’ll feed you! Go, boy… girl? Whatever.”

Seeing he wasn’t getting anywhere, Nedry looked around on the ground and found a nearby stick. He picked it up and started poking at the dilophosaurus.

“Play fetch? Play fetch?” He spoke as if talking to a dog. “Look stick. See stick! Yeah! Look, look! Stick! Look stick! STICK STUPID! Fetch the stick, boy!”

He threw the stick as far as he could. The dilophosaurus was getting into the spirit of the game, but not the object. Instead, it just looked at Nedry.

“Lame brain! What’s the matter with you?” Nedry spoke in frustration. “No wonder you’re extinct!”

He shooked his head, starting back towards the jeep.

“Walnut brain… extinct kangaroo…” Nedry muttered to himself. “Hope I run you over when I get back down—”

Nedry neared the top, approaching the jeep, when the dilophosaur suddenly hopped right toward him, starting him. Nedry nearly lost his balance and fell back, right on his rear. He looked back, seeing this dinosaur had no intent of leaving.

“I said… beat it!” Nedry shouted. “What are you do—”

Suddenly, the animal hissed loudly. Its bright colored fin around its neck flared wildly, two bulbous sacs on either side of its neck inflated. It reared its head back again – and it spat!

SPLAT!!!

A big glob of something wet smacked into the middle of Nedry’s chest. He reached down and touched the goo dribbling down his slicker.

“Disgusting!!!” Nedry muttered.

SPLAT!!!

Another glob of goo smacked into the highlight, inches from Nedry’s head. He stood up, a look of confusion across his face as he lifed his right hand toward the car door, the one he touched the spit with. As he got back on his feet, looking at it strangely, he turned briefly back toward the dinosaur.

POW!!!

“GEEHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!”

This time the goo hit Nedry smack in the face. He screamed and rubbed it away, frantically. Because it hurts… like hell. Nedry fell back, clawing his eyes, in excruciating pain. He pulled his hands away, starting to hyperventilate. He flailed his arms in front of him, blinking a mile a minute, but blinded. He staggered forward, trying to get into the jeep. He propped the door open but smacked his head on the door frame and collapsed.

The can of shaving cream flew out of Nedry’s jacket pocket – and tumbled into runoff water, down the muddy hillside. Nedry got to his feet again and staggered in the general direction of the jeep. He reached the open door and felt his way in, then slammed the door shut. For a moment, he thought he was safe…

Until he heard another hiss… from inside the jeep…

Nedry turned and the dilophosaur was right there, in the passenger seat. It hissed louder than before, its crest fanned angrily, vibrating, reaching a crescendo leaving Nedry with nowhere to go. And then…

The dilophosaur pounced, slamming Nedry back against the driver’s window, nearly shattering it. Nedry shrieked his death cries while the creature devoured him slowly, warranting his plan a total failure. Down below, rain and mud proceeded to wash over the Barbasol shaving cream can, burying it along with all the embryos never to be seen again by human eyes and none would ever know they were stolen.

Never Had Control

Back in the New Eden compound, an escape plan was in progress. The Cake Twins hid closely behind their new Changeling rescuer, Atalanta. When this whole adventure had begun, they were kidnapped by the Evil Queen, Regina, who imprisoned them in a cell within New Eden. Terrified beyond belief and worried they’d never see their family and loved ones again, to say they were both surprised (And relieved) when this mysterious changeling snuck in and broke them out was the understatement of epic proportions. Of course, breaking into New Eden was one thing. Getting out of there… now that was going to provide a challenge.

Slowly and quietly, Atalanta opened the door just a crack to look out. Her face turned side to side, keeping watch for any potential enemies in sight. Upon seeing no one there, she determined it was the perfect time to move out.

“Alright kids, we’re sneaking out of here nicely and smoothly,” She whispered to the Cakes. “Just stay behind me and whatever you do… don’t make a sound.”

The twins nodded their little heads simultaneously and Atalanta silently opened the door just enough to sneak through. They slunk together all throughout the prison and ducked toward the corner of a nearby building for cover. Poking her head from the corner, Atalanta noticed a group of four Eden’s Gate cultists, armed with machine guns, guarding the gate. She knew she needed a way to distract them, so her eyes scoured the region for anything to draw their attention.

It was then she noticed a bunch of barrels and proceeded to light her horn with her magic. The magic picked up one of the barrels and smashed it into the others. The cultists, hearing the disturbance, quickly raced to investigate. With the gate unguarded, Atalanta and the Cake Twins snuck through the gate, off the Eden’s Gate property, and they proceeded to climb their way down the mountain.

“We did it… we actually did it!” Pound Cake gasped amazed. “I don’t believe it; we’re out!”

“Thank you, Atalanta!” Pumpkin Cake thanked gratefully. “If it weren’t for you, we’d be goners.”

“No problem!” Atalanta replied, looking over her shoulder. “But we’re not in the clear just yet. If you ask me, sneaking out of there seemed… too easy.”

“And for good reason, my dear.”

The group gasped over the familiar voice of Queen Regina, who stood in the path before them. But she was not alone, for a large assembly of Black Knights stood behind her.

“I must admit, I expected you to break those brats out much sooner,” Regina spoke mockingly. “Then again, it was good you didn’t… you’d have died sooner.”

“Get behind me, kids!” Atalanta instructed the twins.

Both foals raced behind the large bug pony’s legs, hiding from the Evil Queen as Atalanta stared her down.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” She asked.

“An inside tip from someone who knows you better than you know yourself,” Regina smirked.

Stepping aside, the Evil Queen revealed none other than the Queen of Changelings, Chrysalis herself. The very sight of the former Changeling Queen made Atalanta’s eyes widen with shock… but quickly turn to anger.

“Well… well… well… isn’t this a surprise?” Chrysalis asked slowly. “Thorax may have been the one to turn my entire hoard against me, betraying me and abandoning the hive, but never have I expected of all Changelings to turn their back on me… would be my own daughter.”

“You left me no choice, mother!” Atalanta shot back. “I actually have a heart, which is more than you do! I wanted to spread love, not steal it. But I knew you’d never understand nor accept one of your own children for who they are. That’s why I left.”

To which Chrysalis merely released a wicked chuckle.

“All that talk proves what I’ve always known,” Chrysalis smirked. “You were weak! Too soft-minded to ever be the heir to ‘my’ throne! All it took was ‘one’ foolish romance with a pathetic wannabe writer… Quill Cast, was it? Such a disgrace to all pony kind.”

“He’s a better creature than you ever hoped to be!” Atalanta sneered back.

“ENOUGH!!!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “I’ve had it with this foolishness. It’s time I do what I should’ve done a longtime ago… end your miserable excuse of an existence!”

However, instead of showing intimidation, Atalanta merely spread a smirk across her face as she reached behind her back.

“Well then, I guess you’ll have to… catch us!” Atalanta shouted.

Grabbing something behind her, Atalanta chucked the object in front of the entire group before shielding the twins’ eyes and her own. All at once the object, a ‘flash bang’, exploded on impact and released a blinding radiance toward the group of guards and the pair of evil queens. The whole group yelped in pain, trying to rub the blindness out of their eyes.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Atalanta quickly scooped the twins into her arms, positioned them on her back, and raced off around the group down the mountain. Chrysalis’s eyes slowly opened, tears streaming down, as she angrily glared at the escapees as they made their way deep into the Everfree Forest. A snarl escaped her lips as her eyes turned dark.

“ATALANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

<>

Back on Isla Nublar, the rain had entirely stopped by now following the aftermath of the T-Rex breakout. Dr. Grant, Lex, and the Equestrians managed to traverse off the wall safely, down toward the bottom of the large barrier leading to the park road. They still couldn’t believe what events had just transpired: The system going dead, the T-Rex escaping its paddock, Gennaro getting eaten, and now here they were stuck at the bottom of the tour route with no idea what to do.

But like it or not, they were in the park now, surrounded by thick jungle foliage on all sides. A majority of the group looked beat up, Grant’s face was covered in blood. He bent over a little waterfall, splashing water on his face, rinsing the blood off, and attempting to bring himself to. Fortunately, his injury wasn’t bad, just a gash on his forehead. All the while, the Equestrians were still getting their bearings.

“Sweet Celestia, that was close!” Twilight gasped, exasperated.

“No kidding!” Rainbow agreed. “A few more seconds and we’d be digested.”

“Must you talk of such things darling?” Rarity cringed. “I’d prefer not to think of that right now.”

“Better tah hear her spout about it than tah actually have it happen to ya,” Applejack argued.

By this point, poor Lex was scared as hell. She stood behind the Equestrians, ramrod straight, her breath coming short, desperate gasps every second. Her eyes were wide, and she didn’t look as though she could move. Grant turned and looked up toward the tree the Explorer fell in. It’s stuck there, nose down in the thickest top branches. Suddenly, Lex’s gasps were getting louder drawing the Equestrians’ attention. There was no doubt about it: She’s terrified.

“Hey, come on, take it easy…” Daring Do gestured. “Don’t do… just… calm down.

Daring Do reached to touch her with one of her wings, but it’s awfully awkward. With her, it’s more of a pat on the head than anything strong or reassuring. She turned toward the Equestrians, uncertain what else to do. But Lex responds to the contact, hurling herself forward and throwing her arms tightly around the Pegasus. She clamps there, holding on for dear life, sobbing. Fluttershy slowly approached her side, shushing her gently.

“It’s okay, Lex…” Fluttershy reassured. “It’s going to be okay… the monster’s gone. Just take a deep breath… nice and easy, please.”

This seemed to quiet Lex slightly, as Grant came along.

“We can’t make too much noise,” Grant added firmly. “He’s going to hear us and come back.”

Lex burst out crying again, a wailing scream, nearly hysterical now. The Equestrians stared at Grant in annoyance, as he held onto the girl. Clearly, he had no idea what to do.

“Real subtle, Dr. Grant,” Rainbow Dash spoke, annoyed.

“Although, when we think about it… that’s the part that confuses me,” Time Turner spoke up. “If all the dinosaurs on this island are supposed to be girls, does that even include the T-Rex too? I mean after all… Rex does mean ‘King’… Spike, is there such a thing as a woman king?”

“Ember is the current Dragon Lord amongst all the other dragons if that helps,” Spike shrugged.

While they talked amongst themselves, Grant turned and looked around till his eyes were on the stuck Explorer.

“Timmy?! Timmy!” Grant shouted, whisper like.

A cracking sound drew every pony’s attention toward the tree again. The Explorer had fallen a few feet lower into the branches. Up till now, it was a miracle the branches could support the weight of the vehicle. But knowing it wouldn’t last long, Grant looked down toward Lex and the Equestrians, who gathered together along a rock.

“Timmy -- Timmy --” Lex stammered, terrified.

“Shhh -- I’m right here, Lex,” Grant assured. “Now, Lex. Listen. Lex, I’m right here. I’m going to look after you. I’m going to help your brother. I want you to stay here and wait for me, okay?”

“He left us! He left us!” Lex frantically screamed.

“But that’s not what I’m going to do, okay?” Grant spoke firmly.

Though Lex was still terrified, she nodded her head quickly.

“Good,” Grant nodded. “Girls, I need you and Spike to stay here and keep an eye on Lex while I go for Tim.”

“No way! We’re not letting you go up there by yourself,” Rainbow Dash argued.

“Well, you can’t all go.”

“Exactly!” Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Our more grounded friends should stay and keep an eye on Lex. Meanwhile, me, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Daring Do will fly up with you to help get Timmy.

“That’s a good idea, really it is,” Fluttershy murmured nervously. “But I was thinking maybe ‘I’ should stay with the others while you guys go. Who needs the extra hooves?”

“Fluttershy…” Applejack spoke firmly.

“Oh, okay…”

“Well come on, we’re already wasting enough time,” Spike ushered. “We need to get to the boy while we can.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Daring Do spoke.

With a nod of their heads, the rest followed Grant as the man climbed up the tree. Lex and the others scampered into the nearby culvert, a drainage pipe of sorts, in case any other dangerous dinosaurs were prowling. For a moment, it was quiet amongst the group as the ponies looked out for their friends. But then Daring slowly turned toward Lex, who was trying hard to stay calm.

“I know you weren’t talking about Gennaro, kid,” Daring Do spoke calmly.

Lex didn’t answer right away, nothing but a whimper escaped her lips.

“You want to talk about it?”

“I didn’t even want to be here…” Lex cried. “I only tagged along just so my brother and I could get away for a while and see dinosaurs… and all I get is… this!”

“Yes… this day turned out to be more of a mess than we imagined it would be,” Rarity nodded understandingly.

“Well… I’m sure your grandfather is really worried about you,” Pinkie Pie spoke hopefully.

“Right! That’s why you’re here instead of him,” Lex scoffed. “He’s no different from Dad. He couldn’t be bothered to keep his promise, just as grandpa couldn’t be bothered to come and get us himself. Meanwhile, Dad would rather have spent his time just screaming at mom. Why did he hate her more than he loves us?”

There was a long silence between the ponies, uncertain of how to respond to any of that. Eventually, Daring Do released a sigh breaking the silence.

“I can’t say I can relate to your predicament nor vouch for any pony,” Daring Do admitted honestly. “But sometimes… sometimes family isn’t as simple as that. It gets messy over time, and every pony’s got issues, especially dads. And sometimes they mess up -- well, all the time. That doesn’t mean they don’t care.

“If Grandpa cares, where is he?” Lex sniffed.

“He didn’t leave the island,” Applejack spoke up. “And we promised we’d look out for you until we get you back to him.”

“The girls do make a valid point,” Time Turner approached. “If I can offer some advice… try to cut your family some slack.”

“Parents may not always get it right, but… they’re trying,” Daring Do reassured, with a smile. “That’s more important than you think.

Lex looked at her for a moment, her expression starting to calm down. After a while, Daring Do proceeded to turn back toward the tree, performing a few stretches.

“Sit tight, this won’t take long,” Daring Do instructed.

With that said, Daring Do proceeded to flap her wings in the air and fly toward her winged friends. The rest looked on, circling Lex, keeping her comfortable as they waited for their friends to recover the trapped boy.

<>

Taking a deep breath, Grant grabbed hold of the first branch, and started his long climb. Twilight Sparkle and her other flying friends kept a close distance near Grant, to make sure he didn’t fall. Fortunately, it’s a good climbing tree, its branches thick and regularly spaced. Together, they ascended at a good pace. Soon they reached the car’s level, on the driver’s side five or six feet to one side of it.

To suggest that the car’s in rough shape would be an understatement. It’s much thinner than it used to be, its nose completely smashed in, the front wheels driven solidly into a thick branch. That’s the only thing holding it in place right now.

“Tim? Tim?” Grant called out.

“Can you hear us little buddy?” Rainbow Dash called out. “We’re coming up!”

It was around that time that Daring Do manage to get back with the others, checking up on Grant as he continued to climb.

“How are you holding up, Dr. Grant?” Daring Do asked curiously.

“I hate climbing,” Grant muttered. “I hate trees… way too high… God damn, tree!”

“Sounds all right to me,” Rainbow Dash shrugged.

Eventually, they all reached the car and peeked inside. Tim was huddled on the floor on the passenger side. Though his eyes were closed, they could tell he was frightened to the point he hugged his knees to his chest.

“Tim?” Twilight Sparkle called out.

Tim opened his eyes, looking at Grant and the Equestrians with a tearful and blood-streaked face.

“Hey… are you okay?” Spike asked, concerned.

“I threw up…” Tim answered weakly.

“That’s okay,” Grant nodded understandingly. “Listen, just give me your hand.”

Grant extended his hand, reaching out to him. But Tim doesn’t move.

“It’s okay, Tim,” Fluttershy promised. “We won’t tell anybody you threw up.”

“Flutters is right, these things happen,” Rainbow Dash assured. “But right now, we need to get you out of there.”

“Just give me your hand, okay?” Grant leaned in.

“We’ve got you,” Daring Do leaned in.

Eventually, Tim reached out toward Grant and Daring Do, though they were still about a foot apart. Grant grabbed hold of the steering wheel, to pull himself further in… and the wheel turned. Suddenly, Fluttershy thought she heard a squeaking sound and slowly turned to her side. Along the branch, the front wheel turned, losing a bit of their grip on the thick branch they’re resting on.

“Oh… my…” Fluttershy whispered fearfully.

Unaware of what was happening, Tim and Grant were just within hands reach.

“Here, we’ve got you,” Grant assured calmly. “Okay, that’s good. Over the rail.”

Eventually, Grant grabbed hold onto him, getting an arm securely around his waist.

“Don’t pull me too hard,” Tim panicked.

“Stand on the door, hang onto me,” Daring Do replied calmly.

They proceed to climb down, nice, and slowly. Eventually, they stopped along the branch as the other Equestrians hovered around the pair.

“There! See?” Daring Do sighed with relief. “That wasn’t so bad, right Tim?

“Yes, it is,” Tim responded.

“It’s just like coming out of a tree house,” Grant replied. “Did your dad ever build you one?”

“No.”

“Yeah, me too,” Grant sighed.

“Good work guys,” Twilight Sparkle called out. “Now, let’s get down from there… slowly.”

The two start to descend their way down the tree, as the Pegasi, alicorn, and dragon hovered together slowly.

“Okay… now, the main thing about climbing is never, never look down…” Daring Do emphasized. “And I mean never.

“Guys…” Fluttershy looked up, nervously.

“This is impossible,” Tim shook his head, second-guessing. “How am I going to do this? I can’t make it. This is… it’s about fifty feet!”

“That’s why we’re going to help you with your footing kid,” Rainbow Dash emphasized. “Just calm down… you’re in the hooves of one of the most awesome adventurers… besides me.”

“Rainbow…?” Fluttershy tapped Rainbow’s shoulder.

“Not now, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash brushed off.

“What if the car falls? What if the wheels fall?”

“Rainbow…!” Fluttershy tapped Rainbow frantically.

“Just a minute, Fluttershy!” Rainbow groaned, irritated. “Now Tim, it’s not going to—”

“RAINBOW DASH!!!” Fluttershy shouted.

“Okay, okay! What is it?!”

Suddenly, a groaning noise drew the group to look up toward the branch. The car was suddenly sagging in their direction. Before their eyes, the car began to shift dramatically towards them. It didn’t take long for the group to realize what was happening.

“Oh no…” Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Okay guys, go!” Daring Do shouted frantically. “NOW! NOW!!!

The humans started to climb down, as fast as they could, as the big branch supporting the car creaked, ready to give way any second.

“Faster guys! Faster!” Spike waved his arms.

And then the branch broke (Disintegrated really) and the car fell straight toward them. Grant and Tim let go of the branch they were on and fell, thudding into another branch a few feet down. Acting fast, Twilight Sparkle quickly used her magic to stop the car just before it smacked into the big branch their friends just vacated. She held the car as long as her magic could hold it, straining with effort, but then she felt something was off… her magic was starting to weaken, like it was losing its grip.

“GO! GO NOW!!!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Grant and Tim were half-climbing, half-falling down the tree now. They slipped along the resin-covered branches, just trying like hell to get out of the way. Seeing Twilight Sparkle in distress, Pegasi and Spike quickly raced to her aid. Spike and Fluttershy pushed the front of the car with all their might, while Rainbow Dash and Daring Do try to grab hold of the back… pulling and flapping their wings as hard as they could.

But try as they might, Twilight’s magic was starting to break and eventually she couldn’t hold the car any longer. Reacting fast, the others flew out of the way just as the car started to smash and crash through a network of thinner branches, heading right for them. It hits the open space and goes into free fall.

“DR. GRANT!!!” The Equestrians shouted.

Realizing they weren’t able to outrun the car to the bottom, Grant turned and put up his arms in defense – and the car stopped, slamming into a thick branch just above him. Grant looked up, eyeball to eyeball, with the front grill. But the new branch was starting to creak…

“Dr. Grant! Tim!”

The pair looked down and saw Applejack just down below the tree.

“This way! Hurry!” Applejack waved her hoof.

Grant and Tim basically fell down the rest of the tree, the car bashing its way behind them. The winged Equestrians, along with Spike, quickly descended about six or seven feet and landed on the ground and just managed to catch Tim and Grant before they hit the ground. With Grant grabbing onto Tim, they rolled to the side just as the car smashed into the Earth, nose first, standing upright that way.

“Whoa nelly!” Applejack gasped, wide-eyed.

Just as the Equestrians and their friends sighed with relief, a creaking noise made their faces drop. The damn thing was still heading for them… tipping over… now falling straight at them! With no way nor time to get out of the way, Twilight Sparkle, her winged friends, and Grant balled themselves on top of Tim trying to protect him and –

CRASH!!!

The jeep fell on top of them, much to Applejack’s horror and shock.

“NOOOOO!!!” Applejack screamed, shaking her head.

The remainder of the ponies (Minus Lex) raced to the scene the moment they heard a commotion.

“Great wickering stallions! What happened?!” Time Turner asked.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack raced ahead. “Twilight! Dr. Grant! Tim! Any pony, where are ya?”

“We’re okay, Applejack!” Twilight called out.

“Wut happened?”

“Well, Applejack… we’re back… in the car again,” Tim sighed, taking deep breaths.

Sure enough, much to the group’s relief, their friends were amazingly unhurt… if not confused. By sheer luck, they were indeed inside the jeep, saved by the sunroof hole.

“Well, at least we’re out of the tree,” Grant sighed.

“C’mon every pony, let’s help ‘em out,” Applejack gestured.

The remaining Equestrians proceeded to help the humans and their friends out of the wreckage of the car. One by one, their friends helped them out while making sure they were okay. As soon as Rainbow Dash climbed out, Applejack raced toward Rainbow and hugged her marefriend, which Rainbow returned.

“Thank Celestia yer all right,” Applejack sighed in relief.

“That… was… AWESOME!!!” Rainbow yelled, excitedly. “Man A.J., you should’ve seen it! The way Dr. Drant and Daring Do were climbing their way off that tree to save the kid before the car crashed down. I tell you when we get back this will make one hay of a book!

“Oh Rainbow…” Applejack shook her head, smiling.

“It already is a book, silly!” Pinkie Pie smiled playfully. “Jurassic Park was actually a book way before it was made into a major motion picture. I hear it’s actually way more graphic; I’m glad we’re doing the movie version. Because what fanfic writer would ever do the book version and try to steal from our audience?”

Rainbow Dash merely looked toward her pink party friend like she just uttered the absolute, most absurd sentence in the entire world. But otherwise, she decided to just let it go.

“Yeah Pinkie… that’d be crazy,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Now let’s get out of here!”

“What about Ian?” Fluttershy asked. “We can’t just leave him up there all alone. Not with those dinosaurs running around.”

“My guess is he’s probably chow by now,” Rainbow replied honestly.

“I don’t think so, Dash,” Daring Do replied. “When the T-Rex attacked, I saw him knocked into the restroom where he was covered in that thatch roof. I bet the Rex probably forgot about him and went after Gennaro.

“And to think he would’ve been better off as the public relations manager…” Pinkie Pie rambled, realizing. “Oh, no wait… he still would’ve died. Now Mr. Malcolm… oh no!”

“Some pony should go up and help the poor man,” Rarity butted in. “We can’t leave him to die from his injuries.”

“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking,” Grant proposed. “Twilight Sparkle, you, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Time Turner go back up and make sure Ian is alright. You try and find help while the rest of us find our own way out of the park.”

“Why don’t we just use Twilight’s magic to transport us all to the visitor’s center?” Spike pointed out. “That way we can all get back in no time.”

“Because something went wrong with my magic…” Twilight Sparkle responded. “I’m not sure why, but my magic went weak when I tried to hold that car. I think something’s blocking the magic and I don’t know what.”

“Then it looks like we’ll have to work our way through the park on our own,” Time Turner declared.

“But what if that T-Rex is still up there?” Fluttershy asked fearfully.

“I heard it stomping off, so I think we’re safe for now. As soon as we get Malcolm to the medical facility, we’ll come back for you.”

“See if you can determine how to get the power running,” Daring Do suggested. “First chance you get, call the rescue chopper. Tell them to get to the island as soon as possible.

“Okay, just stay safe,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “If we see anyone still on the island, we’ll tell them where you are.”

With that settled, Twilight Sparkle proceeded to fly her way back up the barrier while using whatever magic she had to grab her group up, hovering them in the air.

“Pity about Mr. Gennaro though…” Pinkie Pie sighed. “To think he’d be with us to the end as opposed to some Regis guy. There was also this Harding guy… but we can worry about that in the sequel.”

<>

Meanwhile, near the center of the island, Curtain Call and Quill Cast (Along with their raptors) hiked their way through the jungles of Isla Nublar. Much to their relief, the storm had died down with the winds decreasing significantly. After walking for what felt like hours, both stallions were feeling tired and groggy.

“This is so… slow…” Curtain Call groaned.

“No kidding…” Quill nodded in agreement. “Feels like we’ve walked around the entire perimeter of this island… twice!”

“I wanted us to jack a jeep or something useful back at the docks, but no…”

“I told you, Curtain…”

“’We don’t have hands to drive them anymore’,” Quill and Curtain spoke in unison.

“I know, I know!” Curtain Call groaned. “If we were in our original human forms, we wouldn’t have this problem. Heck, if ‘someone’ hadn’t decided to leave the shears in the park in the first place…”

“Don’t you pin this one on me!” Quill Cast threatened.

Suddenly, a screech from both of their raptors ceased their arguing long enough to draw their attention ahead once more. As they looked past the trees, the stallions could see a clearing. And just within a short distance, there it was… the Raptor paddock.

“THE PADDOCK!!!” Quill and Curtain praised, together.

“Oh, thank you… thank you…” Quill sighed with relief. “Come on, let’s hurry and get those shears. Then we must find a way back to Atalanta and the twins.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Curtain nodded.

The two stallions took off in a mad sprint towards the paddock and their raptors quickly took off after them. Since these raptors were known for being extremely fast, they raced past the stallions and climbed up the paddock. Just as the stallions finally arrived, they climbed along the side only to stop when they noticed something. A large gaping hole just along the barrier fencing. A great deal of alarm spread upon their faces, which upon looking at each other made them realize this meant one terrifying thing…

“Oh… buck!” Curtain cursed, under his breath. “The other raptors are loose!”

“Not good my friend,” Quill shook his head. “Peppermint! Blaze! You two keep a sharp eye open.”

Quill Cast and Curtain Call leapt into the foliage of the Raptor paddock, while Blaze and Peppermint stayed above the outskirts keeping a sharp watchful eye out for any other raptors deciding to come back. Meanwhile, deep within the paddock, Quill noticed a large triangular shaped rock that looked as though it had no business being there.

“Bingo!” Quill Cast smiled.

Quill quickly picked up the rock, smashing it against the paddock wall. The rock smashed into pieces, as it turned out to be a hollow fake. For hidden within the rock was a magnificent artifact so powerful it could actually separate the ties between an individual and their destiny.

“The Shears of Fate…” Curtain Call gasped.

Quill picked up the sheers with his hooves, gazing upon them with the same wonderment he first had upon seeing them way back when.

“To think what one could do with these,” Quill spoke to himself.

“I still don’t feel right giving them back to that wicked woman,” Curtain voiced his concern. “Are you sure we can trust her?”

“No… but the twins’ lives are at stake. We have no choice.”

Quickly, Quill placed the shears in his saddlebag. Picking himself back on his hooves, he turned toward his partner.

“I think it’s high time we get back and set things right,” Quill declared.

Just as Quill worked his way out of the paddock, Curtain Call stuck one hoof in front of him stopping the stallion in his tracks.

“What now?”

“Don’t you think we should be helping Twilight Sparkle and the others?” Curtain Call argued. “With that T-Rex out there, not to mention those raptors, they could get hurt.”

“You know why we can’t,” Quill responded. “Our priority is to get back and help Atalanta. Twilight and the others faced many dangerous and deadly adversaries in their other adventures without our help. I’m confident they’ll get out of this one just fine.”

Curtain wanted so badly to argue back but found himself unable to. Deep down, he felt compelled to stay behind and help the others while he was still here. But he knew they were needed elsewhere and there was no time to do both.

“Alright, let’s save the multiverse!” Curtain relented.

The two stallions finally escaped the paddock and reunited with their raptors. Quill soon reached into his saddlebag once more, drawing out a magic bean which he hurled into the clearing. Within a second, another swirling vortex opened its way to Equestria. Seeing their way out, the two stallions turned back toward their raptors.

“What do you say boy?” Quill asked Blaze. “Ready to kick some ass?”

“I’m not leaving without my baby girl,” Curtain told Peppermint.

Both raptors chirped toward their keepers, kneeling down to nuzzle against them. They stood for a moment as both stallions climbed onto the backs of their respected raptors like hitching a ride on a horse. With a ‘Yah!”, they charged ahead at full speed into the portal which sealed behind them.

<>

Meanwhile, Lex was still in the culvert, terrified, slowly banging her head against the wall as if trying to wake from a nightmare. Daring Do and Grant stood at the mouth of the culvert, carefully studying the rinky-dink map of the park he picked up during the slide show. The other Equestrians were with Tim just a few feet away.

The pair tried to get their bearings from the crude, cartoon-like drawing on the map, which was easier said than done. They looked up, picked a direction, and shoved the map in his pocket decisively before turning back toward Lex.

“Lex, you’re going to have to get out of there,” Grant insisted. “Hiding isn’t a rational solution; we have to improve our situation.”

But Lex doesn’t move. Daring Do pointed a feather toward Tim, who was gathered around the remaining Equestrians.

“Tim’s out here, see?” Daring Do gestured. “He’s okay. Now come out.

Still… nothing. So, Grant tried a new tact.

“’Course, you could just wait in there while we go back and get help,” Grant offered.

“Sounds like a plan,” Daring Do nodded in agreement.

“You’ll probably be safe enough on your own… all alone…”

“Hard to say… but maybe. I’d hate to be out here if that mean T-Rex shows up.”

“Liars!!!” Lex snapped. “You said you wouldn’t leave!”

“We’re trying to use psychology to get you out of the drain, you know!” Grant groaned in frustration.

But Lex just stared as though they were nuts. Daring Do sighed and shook her head at rant, as if saying ‘Nice try’. Looking back at Tim, Grant realized what he needed to do. So… he calmed his tone as he and Daring Do walk toward the culvert, sitting across from her.

“Alright, look… we’re just going to walk back home together,” Grant explained patiently.

“But we can’t go back the way we came,” Daring Do emphasized. “What we have is a free-range T-rex on the road. There are fences on either side. If we meet that monster between here and the lodge, we’d – have problems.

Lex covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore. Nevertheless, Grant and Daring Do continued.

“He’s probably staked out the road as a feeding ground, which means this whole paddock is empty,” Grant reassured. “It’s safe.”

“It’s… safe?” Lex repeated.

“Absolutely,” Daring Do nodded. “If’s safe, and that’s the way we’re going to go. What do you say?

“… Alright.”

Lex crawled her way out of the culvert, standing next to Grant and Daring Do.

“Good girl,” Daring Do nodded with approval. “Come on.

With a nod, they proceeded to rejoin their friends (Among them Tim). Together, they proceeded to make their way down the direction Grant indicated. The rest trailed behind him.

“Dr. Grant, are you sure we can get to the visitor’s center from here?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Might be kind of slow, but it can’t be more than three or four miles,” Grant replied. “I’d hoped the rex finished feeding by now, but let’s not kid ourselves.”

“Did you guys know that carnivores can eat up to 25% of its body weight in about one sitting?” Spike asked. “Hopefully that means the T-Rex is ready to move on to the main course by now—”

“SPIKE!!!”

Spike stopped in the middle of his sentence, as the Equestrians pointed back. Spike turned and realized why they were pointing. Both kids have now scampered all the way back into the culvert, terrified.

“Me and my big mouth…” Spike sighed.

<>

When the storm had officially passed over, Muldoon and Ellie raced down the park road in an open-topped jeep (Much like the one Nedry took earlier). They were dressed in raincoats and armed with flashlights. They didn’t speak to one another. They just stared ahead grimly, wondering what they were about to find.

“There they are!” Muldoon called out.

They rounded a corner and came upon the top of the hill, the T-Rex exhibit where the attack took place. The jeep skid to a stop, and they jumped out. The road was rutted, a muddy mess. The cement block house now a pile of rubble. The electric fences had been destroyed. To think a few hours ago, the others were in this vicinity when it happened. Ellie and Muldoon knew they needed to find them quickly or risk being killed. Wasting no time, they searched the grounds noting one of the Explorers was gone, the other standing untouched and both doors hung open.

“Oh, God! Where’s the other car?” Ellie asked. “Where’s the other car? Alan? Twilight? Applejack? Fluttershy? Daring? Spike?”

Ellie raced toward the Explorer, with Muldoon following behind.

“Dr. Grant?” Robert called out. “Princess Twilight? Kids? Anyone?”

“ALAN! TWILIGHT!”

“GRANT! SPARKLE! WHOOVES! ANYONE?!”

Ellie leaned into the Explorer and looked around. But nobody’s there. She and Muldoon walked towards the wreckage of the outhouse, calling out for a familiar voice. But they stopped when they stumbled upon a terrifying sight.

“I think this was Gennaro,” Robert inspected.

“I think this was too…” Ellie confirmed, finding the ‘other’ half.

Suddenly, the T-Rex’s roar drew them to look ahead with their flashlights pointing toward the source.

“I think it’s ahead of us,” Ellie confirmed.

“It could be anywhere,” Muldoon assumed, looking around. “With the fences out, it can wander in and out of any paddock it likes.”

A weak groaning sound emerged from somewhere in the wreckage of the restroom building. They rushed over toward it only to find… Ian Malcolm, lying on his back, semiconscious among the twisted wood and cement.

“It’s Malcolm!” Muldoon confirmed.

He shined his light along the length of Muldoon’s body. His shirt was stained with blood, but his right leg was even worse off. The right ankle bent outward at a strange angle from his leg, the trousers flattened, soaked with blood. Malcolm’s belt had been twisted around his thigh.

“He’s put a tourniquet on,” Ellie confirmed, leaning toward Ian. “Ian? Ian?!”

“Remind me to thank John for a lovely weekend,” Malcolm groaned, groggily.

“ELLIE! ROBERT, IS THAT YOU!”

“Pinkie?” Ellie looked around. “Where are you?!”

“Over here!” Pinkie Pie called out.

Sure enough, as Ellie shined her light over, Pinkie Pie emerged along with Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Time Turner. They were slightly muddied and bruised from the previous attack, but otherwise they were happy to see the pair.

“Thank Faust you’re here!” Rarity sighed with relief.

“Are you guys alright?” Ellie asked.

“Nothing a few years of therapy won’t fix,” Time Turner chuckled lightly.

“We need your help—” Twilight Sparkle began.

Suddenly, the T-Rex roared again from the distance causing very pony and everyone to look towards that direction. Worry was evident upon their faces, realizing it was closer now. Ellie and Muldoon looked at each other.

“Can we chance moving him?” Ellie asked fearfully.

“Please -- chance it,” Ian said urgently.

“Mrs. Pie, help me with this,” Robert requested.

“What can I do, Mr. Muldoon?” Pinkie asked.

“I need you to help me lift Mr. Malcolm onto the jeep.”

To which the pink party pony nodded and helped Muldoon lift Ian onto the jeep, laying him as carefully as possible along the back while Rarity, Twilight, and Dr. Hooves climbed inside.

“Where are the kids?” Malcolm murmured.

Ellie looked around, staring back toward the empty road. She’s on the verge of tears but fighting them back.

“I’ve seen a lot of animal attacks,” Muldoon spoke up. “People just disappear. No blood, no trace. That’s the way it happens.”

“No, Mr. Muldoon, that’s just it!” Time Turner interrupted. “Lex and Tim are okay! We’re eyewitnesses.”

Barely hearing them, Ellie walked toward the edge of the road, her eyes following the deep ruts the Explorer made when it went over the edge. Meanwhile, Muldoon was getting ready to leave.

“Ellie, come on!” Robert yelled.

“We need to go before the T-Rex makes it way back over here!” Twilight Sparkle insisted.

“Hold on!” Ellie responded.

All eyes turned back toward Ellie, as she looked over the exhibit and sure enough, she spotted something down below.

“The other car!” Ellie called out.

<>

Ellie and Muldoon’s flashlight, along with Twilight’s horn, beamed light along the base of the tree.

“Dr. Grant!” Muldoon called out.

“Alan!” Ellie cried tearfully.

They found the wrecked Explorer. Muldoon peered inside, looking for anything.

“Do you see anything?” Ellie asked nervously.

“I don’t know.”

The T-rex roared again; it was getting closer. Ellie nervously approached the other side of the car and peered in. She desperately searched for any sign of the others, mostly Grant.

“Alan?!”

“They’re not here,” Robert told her.

“We were told to stay with Ian and if any of you came along, we’d go to the Visitor’s Center with you,” Twilight explained. “Dr. Grant said to tell you they’d meet up with us. Look.”

Ellie shined her flashlight, along with Robert and Twilight Sparkle, toward some footprints (Along with hoofprints and claw marks) which indicated that the others survived and were heading to the exhibit.

“Thank God…” Ellie sighed.

“Now come on… let’s get back to the Visitor’s Center,” Twilight motioned.

<>

Back in the jeep, Ian, along with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Time Turner were resting. All of a sudden, they felt something strange. Ian looked toward one of the T-rex footprints in the road. It’s filled with water, which vibrates rhythmically. Malcolm’s eyes widened. He looked around, frantically.

“Uh – Anybody? Any… pony hear that?” Malcolm asked nervously. “You know what that is?”

“What is it, Darling?” Rarity asked timidly.

“It’s a – an impact tremor is what it is, it, uh – I’m fairly alarmed here!”

BOOM. BOOM.

Malcolm and the ponies stared, wide-eyed, at the rings in the water, which were getting bigger by the second.

“Great wickering stallions! Not again!” Time Turner moaned.

Meanwhile, Ellie, along with Muldoon and Twilight Sparkle, had just climbed over the embankment when they heard frantic shouts calling for them. They looked up as Ian beckoned them along with the others.

“Come on, we have to get out of here!” Ian shouted. “We have to go. Now. Now! Right now! Let’s go! Hey! Come on!”

The booming was growing louder now, and faster… much faster. Twilight Sparkle and the humans turned over their shoulders, realizing what’s coming.

“RUN!!!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Ellie and Muldoon climbed into the jeep, as Twilight Sparkle rejoined her friends. Muldoon climbed into the driver’s seat trying to start the engine. Just then, the tyrannosaur smashed out of the jungle foliage, bursting onto the road, and ran straight at them, moving at least thirty miles an hour.

“LET’S… GET… OUT OF HERE!!!” Pinkie screamed.

Muldoon fumbled for the keys, turned the jeep over, and slammed it into gear. He dropped the clutch, hit the gas, and teared out of there as the t-rex gave a mighty roar. The jeep started to drive away along with the three humans and four ponies. Unfortunately, the jeep was slow to work through the first few gears. Terrified, Ellie dared to look down, to the side view mirror, which told her ‘Objects Are Closer Than They Appear’. And sure enough, the T-Rex was gaining on the slowly accelerating jeep. The whole group stared back at the rex in terror, as Twilight and Rarity desperately fired beams toward the T-Rex trying to drive it back.

“Must go faster!” Ian called out. “Here it comes! Fifth gear! Fifth gear!”

“SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!!” Ellie screamed.

“HURRY UP, ROBERT!!!” Pinkie cried out. “SHE’S GAINING ON US!!!”

“I WANT MY MOTHER!!! I WANT MY FATHER!!!” Rarity bawled. “I WANT MY ERIK!!! I WANT MY GEMSTONE!!! I WANT MY SWEETIE BELLE!!! I WANNA GO HOME!!!”

“ME TOO!!!” Pinkie shouted. “I WANT MY PARENTS!!! MY SISTERS!!! I WANT MY CHEESY… AND LIL’ CHEESE!!!”

The roar of the T-rex had Ian backing off and accidentally shifted the gears to neutral, causing the jeep to slow down.

“Get off the stick!” Robert ordered. “Bloody move!”

But the guys were so distracted, they didn’t see the half-fallen tree branch right in front of them, blocking the path of the road. Luckily, Ellie spotted it first.

“LOOK OUT!!!” Ellie shouted.

“DOWN!!!” Robert ordered.

All heads ducked down just as the windshield struck the branch, shattering as the jeep flew ahead and picked up speed. The T-rex just smashed right through the branch, smashing it entirely. The ponies bounced around pretty badly, trying to stay on their feet. The engine raced, the T-rex closed in again – losing ground now, the dinosaur made a final lunge for the jeep and crunched into the right rear quarter panel as it gave an angry roar. Ellie, Pinkie & Rarity screamed in fear.

“FASTER, FASTER!!!” Time Turner shouted.

Fortunately, Muldoon slammed the stick back in gear and gunned it. The T-rex gave up, fading into the distance and roaring in defeat. They drove on in silence, scared out of their wits.

“Think they’ll have that on the tour?” Malcolm asked.

“Nope!” Twilight shook her head.

“Ridiculous…” Rarity agreed.

“Never…” Time Turner sighed.

“I think… I wet myself…” Pinkie muttered.

Rarity afterwards fainted due to the shock as the jeep made its way toward the Visitor’s Center. Though they managed to escape death for now, the danger was far from over. Now the group were separated, with Twilight’s group driving off into the night praying that Alan, the Murphy Siblings, and their friends were safe… for now.

<>

Meanwhile, Grant, along with Lex, Tim, and the remaining Equestrians made their way through Jurassic Park. Far in the distance, there’s another roar. Grant heard it but tried not to show it.

“Are you hearing this?” Lex asked nervously.

“I’m sure it’s… nothing,” Daring Do shook her head. “Didn’t hear anything.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “We’re totally fine.”

Another roar in the distance said otherwise. While they could keep on walking, they knew it was dangerous to keep traversing at night. So, they looked around for a safe place to hide. Grant looked up, toward the towering trees around them. Applejack turned to where Grant was staring and understood.

“I reckon you guys are mighty tired,” Applejack spoke up. “We ought to find someplace to rest—”

Another roar rung in their ears.

“Like about now,” Grant added. “C’mon! Hurry up! Like this tree.”

“Why are we hurrying if there’s nothing wrong?” Lex asked inquisitively.

“What if we fall?” Tim expressed concern.

“You want to spend the night on the ground with the dinosaurs running around?” Spike asked rhetorically.

“No…”

“Then come on up, Tim. It’ll be okay.”

Lex, Tim, and Grant climbed up the tallest tree they could find. Tim was behind, watching the other two, giving them a push up when they needed it. Applejack, unable to climb the tree, was assisted by both Rainbow Dash and Daring Do carrying her by each side.

“Oh, man!” Tim groaned unhappily. “I hate trees!”

“They don’t bother me,” Lex replied briskly.

“Oh, yeah, well, you weren’t in the last one.”

“Let’s not fuss about this, kids,” Fluttershy spoke quietly. “We’re almost there.”

Now, near the top of the tree, the three humans sit there, dangling their legs, looking out over the park. The four ponies and Spike joined along with them, the winged members hovering down to the branch while Applejack was placed gently between her marefriend and Daring Do. From where they sat, it’s an incredible view. With the full moon, they could see the details in all directions.

Most striking of all are dozens of sauropod heads, at the end of long necks, towering over the park.

“Hey, look at those Brontosauruses!” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Uh Dash, those are Brachiosauruses,” Tim corrected.

“What’s the difference?”

“Brontosauruses are smaller and longer, while Brachiosaurus are taller and heavier.”

“It’s okay to call them brontosaurs,” Grant assured. “It’s a great name; a romantic name. It means ‘thunder lizard’.

“’Thunder Lizard’ huh…” Spike nodded, interested. “I dig it!”

Grant found a solid web of branch and settled himself in it, leaning back against the trunk of the tree, with a little room on either side of him. Lex nestled up next to him on the branch. Grant was surprised but accepted it. Tim and the others climbed off to the side, to a nook in a branch of their own.

There was silence for a moment until they could hear the hotting of the animals as they called. It almost sounded musical.

“What are they doing?” Fluttershy asked, curious.

“They’re singing!” Grant answered, moving to a higher branch. “Of course, no one’s ever heard one from a dinosaur before, but – I could swear that sounds suspiciously to me like a mating call.”

“In an all-female environment?” Daring Do replied.

“Hey, even girls can share romantic interests with one another too,” Applejack pointed out.

“They definitely know what they want,” Rainbow Dash agreed, leaning beside Applejack.

“Although… I am mighty curious just the same.”

A smile of enchantment spread across Malcolm’s face. He hooted himself, loudly, trying to imitate one of the calls. Immediately, five or six of the heads turned in their direction and hooted back.

“No, no, sh, sh, shh!” Lex shushed frantically. ‘Don’t let the monsters come over here!”

“They’re not monsters, Lex,” Grant corrected. “They’re just animals.”

“Besides, these are herbivores,” Spike pointed out. “We saw one just like them when we first came here.”

“That means they only eat vegetables,” Tim smirked. “But for you I think they’d make an exception.”

“Tim, Tim, Tim…” Grant shook his head, disapprovingly.

“Oh, I hate the other kind,” Lex pouted.

“Well, the other kind… they just do what they do,” Fluttershy answered. “I know they’re pretty scary; I won’t argue with that. But it’s all part of the circle of life. The herbivores eat the plants, and the carnivores… well, you know.”

“I reckon it be best if we get some shut eye,” Applejack suggested. “That way we oughtta get an early start in the mornin’.”

Satisfied, the group prepared to settle in for the night. Grant shifted too, getting comfortable, but something in his pocket pinched him. He winced as he dug it out. It turned out to be the velociraptor claw he unearthed not long ago back in Montana… yesterday, actually. He looked at it, thinking a million thoughts, staring at this thing that used to be so priceless.

“What are you and Ellie gonna do now if you don’t have to pick up dinosaur bones anymore?” Lex asked curiously.

“Yeah… all these computers and modern conveniences,” Daring Do nodded, understanding. “Kind of takes the hard work away if we don’t have to do anything ourselves.

“Eeyup…” Applejack agreed.

“That’s going to suck,” Rainbow Dash sighed.

“I don’t know,” Alan admitted. “I guess we’ll just have to evolve too.”

“What do you call a blind dinosaur?” Tim asked.

“I don’t know. What do you call a blind dinosaur?”

“Do-you-think-he-saurus.”

To which Grant chuckled even some of the Equestrians couldn’t help but laugh.

“I got one,” Spike offered. “What do you call a blind dinosaur’s dog?”

“You got me Spike,” Grant smiled.

“Do-you-think-he-saurus Rex!”

Again, Grant laughed and some of the Equestrians were able to let loose over the fun gesture. Soon every pony, especially the kids and Spike were finally able to close their eyes. But after a moment, Lex and Fluttershy popped their eyes open again.

“What if the dinosaur comes back while we’re all asleep?” Lex asked nervously.

“I’ll stay awake,” Grant assured.

“All night, Mr. Grant?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“All night.”

Soon, the whole group fell asleep hoping for a peaceful night’s rest. But then Rainbow Dash peeped an eye open as Grant stared at the claw and let it slip toward the ground below. Before the claw hit the floor, Rainbow quickly ducked down and snatched the claw before flapping back toward the branch. With Grant already asleep, Rainbow approached Daring Do who nestled comfortably while using her hat as a pillow.

“Daring Do…” Rainbow tapped Daring’s shoulder.

“… Yeah?” Daring Do asked, opening an eye. “What you got?

“Grant was just about to throw this away but didn’t feel right to leave it here. If we ever do get back home, I’d like you to have this. As a souvenir from the park.”

“Ah, you didn’t have to. I couldn’t—”

“I want you to. Despite everything that’s happened, I admit this was more exciting than I thought it would be. And at least you won’t have to dive through temples or fight ancient Gods for this one.”

“Wow…” Daring Do gaped, impressed. “Thank you.

“Well… I gotta turn in,” Rainbow concluded, making herself comfortable. “See you in the morning.”

“Good night,” Daring Do spoke softly.

And so, Daring Do leaned back along the branch eyeing the claw in her hoof, as she settled under the night sky. Eventually, she put the claw in the pocket of her vest to keep it safe. Though every pony else was asleep, Applejack (Her back turned) had her eyes open listening in on the conversation. Some thoughts were on Applejack’s mind during that hour, all of which she hoped to have figured out by the morning. But for now, at least the worst was behind them.

<>

Later, Ellie, along with Twilight Sparkle and Time Turner, passed the Gallimimus Gift Shop featuring a whole assembly of toys and various collectables with the ‘Jurassic Park’ logo. They soon entered a darkened restaurant, the Cretaceous Café, following the source of the flickering light. A candle burned at a table just in the corner.

John Hammond sat at the table, alone. There’s a bucket of ice cream in the middle, and he’s eating a dish of it, staring down morosely. Ellie and the ponies drew up to the table and Hammond looked at them. His eyes were puffy, his hair messed up – for the first time seeing him, they could see the fire had diminished from his eyes.

“They were all melting,” Hammond said.

Twilight Sparkle and Time Turner nodded in understanding as they took their seats.

“Malcolm’s okay for now,” Ellie assured. “I gave him a shot of morphine.”

“Pinkie Pie and Rarity are settling in for the night,” Time Turner added. “It’s been such a rough trip.”

“I just hope the others will be okay…” Twilight sighed, staring at the distance. “Those kids… we promised to look out for them, but…”

“They’ll all be fine,” Hammond reassured softly. “Who better to get the children through Jurassic Park than a dinosaur expert and your friends?”

“I guess…” Twilight nodded. “I just wouldn’t know what to do if anything happened to them. It was all supposed to be just a relaxing vacation, looking at all the attractions, but… nothing ever seems to go as planned for us.”

There was another pause for a few seconds or more, until Hammond broke it again.

“You know the first… attraction I ever built when I came down from Scotland?” Hammond explained. “Was a Flea Circus, Petticoat Lane. Really quite wonderful. We had a wee trapeze, a roundabout – a merry-go – what you call it?”

“Carousel,” Twilight answered.

“A carousel – and a seesaw,” Hammond nodded, reminiscing. “They all moved, motorized of course, but people would swear they could see the fleas. ‘I see the fleas, mummy! Can’t you see the fleas?’. Clown fleas, high wire fleas, fleas on parade…”

While the old man trailed off, Ellie and the ponies looked on. They weren’t sure what state he was in, but they kept quiet as he rambled on.

“But with this place, I – I wanted to show them something that wasn’t an illusion, something that was real. Something they could… see and touch. An aim not devoid of merit.”

“But you can’t think through this one, John,” Ellie shook her head. “You have to feel it.”

“She’s right,” Twilight agreed with Ellie. “It’s not enough to devise something because you ‘think’ that’s what the public wants. It has to fulfill a need.”

“You’re right, you are absolutely right,” Hammond nodded. “Hiring Nedry was a mistake, that’s obvious. We’re overdependent on automation, I can see that now. Now, the next time, everything’s correctable.”

“Mr. Hammond…” Twilight groaned.

“Creation is an act of sheer will,” Hammond continued. “Next time, it’ll be flawless.

“John, John, you’re still building onto that Flea Circus,” Ellie argued. “It’s all an illusion.”

“And now you’re just adding onto it by what you’re doing on this island,” Time Turner emphasized.

“When we have control again, we –” Hammond began.

“Control?! You never had control! That’s the illusion!” Ellie snapped. “Now, I was overwhelmed by the power of this place. So, I made a mistake too. I didn’t have enough respect for that power, and it’s out now.”

“Look around, Hammond!” Twilight spread her arms, exasperated. “Our friends are trying their best to get here and you’re just sitting here trying to pick up the pieces! There’s nothing worth picking up!”

Twilight Sparkle started breathing heavily, the anxiety rising at an accelerated rate. Time Turner gently placed a hoof upon her shoulder, and she looked toward him. All he could give her was a reassuring demeanor to which Twilight sighed heavily as she leaned back against her chair, allowing the tears to fall gently down her face.

“The only thing that matters now are the people we love,” Ellie continued, calmly yet emotionally. “Alan, Lex, and Tim… Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Daring Do… even Spike… John, they’re out there, where people are dying.”

There was a long pause. For a moment Hammond avoided her gaze. But eventually, he did look up at her, and even the ponies could see that his face was different. After saying her piece, Ellie reached out and took a spoon out of one of the buckets of ice cream and licked it.

“It’s good…” Ellie nodded tearfully.

Then finally, the unhappy irony of what Hammond was about to say finally hit home.

“Spared no expense.”

<>

It was getting close to dawn, as the sun rose over Jurassic Park. The danger of the night before was overcome by the sheer beauty of the place – it truly felt like the Serengeti Plain. Over the edge of a great open field, a huge tree marked the border between the open area and the thick of the jungle.

Up in the tree, Grant, Tim, Lex, and the other Equestrians are asleep amongst the branches. Both kids now curled under Grant’s arms. A heavy shadow fell over eight of them, blocking out the sun entirely. Grant awoke, only a bit sleepy, as a brachiosaur’s head pushed into the tree branches, right up beside them. It hesitated there for a second, seemingly staring at them. Grant just watched as it opened its mouth very wide and chomped down on a branch over their heads.

The ponies, Spike, and the kids awoke with a start. Tim pointed, while Lex opened her mouth to scream… but nothing came out. Then—

“Go away!” Lex shrieked.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” Grant shushed quietly. “It’s a brachiosaur!”

“It’s a veggiesaurus, Lex,” Tim emphasized. “A veggisaurus!”

“Remember: They only eat plants,” Fluttershy reminded gently. “She’s not going to bite you.”

But Lex wasn’t taking any chances. She scrambled back, away from its mouth. Tim, Grant, and Spike came together on the branch, staring at the dinosaur in wonder as it ate its breakfast. Even Fluttershy was impressed as she examined the creature.

“She’s like a giraffe!” Fluttershy gaped, with a smile.

“Maybe it’s a very distant cousin,” Rainbow remarked.

As grant grabbed another branch, Tim scampered up, trying to get the brachiosaur’s attention.

“Come here, boy—”

“Girl…” The Equestrians corrected.

“I mean girl!” Tim smiled sheepishly.

He tried whistling, even imitating the Brachiosaur’s noise. But the beast seemed too preoccupied with its breakfast to pay any attention. Eventually, Grant moved forward and tried feeding the brachiosaur with the branch. The animal grabbed the end of the branch and started a tug-of-war with Grant. Tim and the Equestrians tried helping him – they really began having a good time with the brachiosaur.

“Come on, lil’ doggy!” Applejack smiled. “Give us a might good fight!”

HONK!

The brachiosaur made a loud honking noise, startling the group.

“Nice try!” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Bite all you want, but we’re not letting go!”

“It’s so strong!” Daring Do admired, then noticed something. “Hey! Look at its nose.

Tim reached out, petting the dinosaur’s head while it chewed. The dinosaur didn’t seem to mind, just chewing placidly.

“It looks like it has a cold,” Timmy pointed out. “Her nose is running.”

“Aw, the poor dear…” Fluttershy petted its head. “Sure, wish we had some medicine for her.”

“Nothing that some vitamins and nutrients can’t help,” Spike assured. “If these guys could care for themselves before mankind showed up, I think she’ll do just fine.”

“Can I touch it?” Lex offered, interested.

“Sure,” Grant nodded. “This is a seventy-seven ton animal. Just think of it as a big cow!”

Grant maneuvered closer. He reached out and grabbed hold of the thing’s lip with both hands and pulled it down, revealing the jaws at work.

“See… it has flat teeth,” Daring Do pointed out. “She’s just a beautiful big animal.

“I like cows,” Lex admitted.

“Well go ahead, give it a try. What have you got to lose?”

As the dinosaur’s head moved away from the group, Lex tentatively edged forward in the tree to the inspection.

“Come on, girl,” Lex reached out. “Come on up here, girl. Come on. Up here!”

Lex barely touched the thing on the tip of its nose – and it sneezed! It’s a vast explosion, and Lex fell back, dripping wet from head to toe.

“God bless you!” Tim called out, smiling.

Lex shuddered in disgust with all the snot around her, as Spike edged in close staring awkwardly.

“You kind of got a little bit on your—”

Lex slowly turned her head as Spike pointed with one claw, slowly dropping it down when he saw how infuriated she was. Deciding not to finish the sentence, Spike awkwardly edged away to rejoin the group as they proceeded to climb down the tree.

<>

Eventually, Grant and the others reached the ground and proceeded to depart from the tree they spent the night in. Lex, her shirt soaked, and face all wet, walked further ahead. To say she was embarrassed and ticked off was a ‘gross’ understatement.

“Yuck!” Lex muttered, brushing herself.

“Oh, great. Now she’ll never try anything new!” Tim remarked.

“Lemme guess, she’s going to complain about it and throw herself onto a fainting couch?” Rainbow asked jokingly.

“Kind of…” Tim continued. “She’ll sit in her room and never come out and play on her computer—”

HEY! I resemble that remark!

Buddy, buddy, buddy… calm down. It’s been a long day; let them do this on their own.

“I’m a hacker!” Lex argued, throwing snot at her brother.

“That’s what I said! You’re a nerd.” Tim remarked.

“Now that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy shook her head.

“Yeah, I am not a computer nerd!” Lex emphasized. “I prefer to be called a hacker!”

“There’s a difference?” Spike raised a brow.

“A big one.”

“Do humans even call each other hackers anymore?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

While the kids were bickering, with the Equestrians not far behind, they were oblivious of the fact that Grant had stopped just by a tree root trunk. He crouched along the ground just below the tree where he landed, staring at something in the palm of his hand.

“Oh God!” Grant gasped.

“What is it, Dr. Grant?” Daring Do turned back.

The group returned and looked over his shoulder, curious. They stare in amazement – at a whole clutch of dinosaur eggs! All hatched, now empty. Grant held one of the fragments, a large one – nearly half an egg.

“You know what this is?” Grant asked. “It’s a dinosaur egg. The dinosaurs are breeding.”

“No way!” Spike gasped.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gaped.

“But that’s impossible…” Daring Do pointed out. “That shouldn’t be happening.

“She’s right… my grandpa said all the dinosaurs were girls,” Tim agreed, holding the shell.

“Amphibian DNA…” Grant realized.

“What’s that?” Lex asked curiously.

“Oh, I remember!” Fluttershy recalled. “We learned about this from the visitor’s center! That’s how they completed the dinosaur DNA!”

“That’s right, they did,” Grant nodded. “On the tour – the film said they used frog DNA to fill in the gene sequence gaps. They mutated the dinosaur’s genetic code and blended it with that of frogs.

“Okay, we know the science behind it…” Daring Do nodded understandingly. “But there must be something else, isn’t there?

“There is indeed. Now, some West African frogs have been known to spontaneously change sex from male to female, in a single-sex environment. Malcolm was right.”

“You mean…” Spike realized.

“Yes, look.”

Before their very eyes, there was a trail of baby dinosaur footprints heading away from the nest. The truth of this very discovery was made abundantly clear as the Equestrians suddenly realized what Grant was implying.

“Life found a way…” They said in unison.

On the Run

Author's Note

So I was mistaken when I originally believed that there was only one chapter left. As it turns out, after editing there was so much still here that it all had to be broken down into two chapters. Anyway, here’s the second to last chapter.

On the Run

Back in Equestria, all hell was breaking loose. It was still dark, and Atalanta was racing through the Everfree Forest with the Cake Twins on her back. After successfully breaking them out of that cell in New Eden, they barely escaped a confrontation with Regina and worst of all her own mother, Chrysalis. Seeing her mother again, for the first time in so long, terrible memories came flooding back into the changeling’s head. She could still remember the last conversation she shared with her mother, one of which she’d rather forget…

<>

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times Atalanta!” Queen Chrysalis’s voice spoke. “If you are to be Queen one day, you must be willing to find food for your subjects no matter the cost.”

“Mother, I don’t want to ‘feed’ on love,” A young Atalanta replied. “I want to ‘spread’ love, share it with the world.”

“Please… you are a Changeling, my dear. Changelings do not spread love; we steal it. Sometimes you are more of a weakling than that Thorax.”

“If actually having a heart makes me weak, I’m glad to be! Just because your heart’s as black as coal doesn’t mean mine has to be!”

“Fine! If that’s how you feel, by all means… leave the hive for all I care! Spread your so-called ‘love’ across Equestria. But I warn you: If I ever see you again, I will show you no mercy! You are no family of mine.”

“The same can be said for me… Chrysalis.”

<>

Atalanta shook the voices out of her head, as she continued her trek across the forest.

“Are you okay, Atalanta?” Pound Cake asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” Atalanta responded.

“Are you sure?” Pumpkin Cake asked. “You seemed distracted.”

“I’ve just… I got a lot on my mind. Don’t worry about me. What’s important is keeping you two safe and returning to your family where you belong.”

“THERE THEY ARE!!!”

Atalanta turned her head quickly, spotting the Black Knights on horseback racing after her and the twins. Many of them drew out their swords while a few held their bows. Notching an arrow, they released the strings, sending them flying. Soon, Atalanta was dodging arrows as they zipped by her.

To ensure the safety of the twins, Atalanta placed a protective shield around the pair, who saw everything flash before them in seconds. Granted, she could’ve put the shield around ‘all’ of them, but her magic wasn’t very strong. Though her goal had always been to spread love, she was still a changeling. A changeling was only strong so long as she was able to absorb the amount of love necessary.

Suddenly, a Black Knight shot an arrow straight and true and it imbedded itself in Atalanta’s hind leg. Atalanta shouted in pain as her leg gave out and the Changeling tumbled to the ground. The Cake Twins flew off her back, screaming as they soared straight towards the ground. They braced themselves for impact but found their descent rapidly halted by a magical grip upon them. Looking up, they saw Regina and Chrysalis grinning wickedly toward them. The Black Knights had Atalanta surrounded, their weapons pointing at her.

“Thought you could escape us?” Regina smirked cockily. “You two aren’t going anywhere, not till I claim what’s mine.”

The Evil Queen looked towards the sky as she noticed the sun descending over the horizon. The day was meeting its inevitable end.

“Speaking of which… looks like time’s up,” She grinned. “How’s about the two of you making a little trip back to Ponyville? Hmm?”

The Cake Twins merely whimpered, covering their frightened eyes. They may still be kids, but they ‘knew’ what she was talking about.

“Splendid!” Regina smiled, facing Chrysalis. “I take it you have things under control, Chrysalis?”

“Indeed, I do…” Chrysalis nodded, staring at Atalanta. “I’ve been meaning to teach this miserable excuse for a changeling a lesson for a long time now.”

“Suit yourself.”

Within seconds, Regina and the Cake Twins vanished in a swirl of purple smoke. Chrysalis and the Black Knights were left behind, surrounding the now weakened and injured Atalanta. Atalanta tried to muster any magic remaining, but it was a fruitless endeavor. She used all her power to protect the twins… and she failed. All she could do was stare toward her mother, who looked down upon her wickedly.

“Mother… please don’t do this,” Atalanta begged. “I know somewhere within you there’s still a heart; you can still make things right!”

This statement merely made Chrysalis chuckle.

“Oh, sweet naïve Atalanta, you abandoned your family after all these years and only now you decide to call me ‘mother’?” Chrysalis mocked. “You always were weak. So desperate to see the good in every pony, even when it’s all for naught.”

“I know you weren’t always like this, mother!” Atalanta reasoned. “I know the reason you shut everyone out and locked your heart deep within. Losing a loved one is something that will drive any pony mad… even you.”

Chrysalis paused, as a genuine look of shock appeared for the first time in her life.

“How did you…?” Chrysalis gasped, frowning. “’Who’ told you these things? So help me if it was Thorax or even that brother of his—”

“None of my siblings told me!” Atalanta interrupted.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean they didn’t have to tell me anything; I found out.”

“You… knew?”

“Yes! Vengeance and committing evil won’t bring him back. You blame the ponies, especially Princess Celestia, but this path you’ve taken… mother, it won’t make your pain go away. You once were able to love, you still have a chance to love again.”

The words of her daughter really struck Chrysalis straight in the chest like a ton of bricks. The more they sank in, the more she could briefly recall the past… a thousand years ago… when she was a youngling… like Ata. How happy she once used to be, how much care she had for Equestria, the love she had for…

“NO!!!” Chrysalis screamed, tearfully. “NO! NO! NO!!! You know NOTHING of my suffering! You have a stallion to love and cherish! You have no idea the pain it feels to have the one you loved, everything you worked so hard for… ripped away from you! You can never understand… how I felt!”

Chrysalis charged her horn to the point dark magic started boiling over, sparking out of control.

“Now, I’m going to finish this once and for all! Starting with you… goodbye!”

Just as Chrysalis was about to rain down her dark magic upon Atalanta, the swirling portal opened up. Emerging from the other side, Curtain Call and Quill Cast rode through upon their raptors, Peppermint and Blaze. The raptors shrieked and growled loudly, causing the majority of the knights to leap back in shock. They stopped right in front of Atalanta, as Quill and Curtain leapt off and landed in front of the Changeling princess assuming the defensive position.

“Back off Chyrsalis!” Quill yelled.

“Nobody puts the baby changeling in a corner!” Curtain added.

To which Quill and Atalanta merely stared at Curtain Call awkwardly, with a ‘Seriously?’ expression.

“What? It sounded a lot better in my head!” Curtain shrugged.

“Well… this is a surprise,” Chrysalis smirked. “Little pony author come to save the day and the one he loves from the evil tyrant. How climatic and heroic… a shame this isn’t a fantasy like your little books! There’s no happy ending in this story.”

Chrysalis soon turned her attention toward all the knights.

“Seize them!” She ordered.

On command, the knights charged toward the group. Quill and Curtain merely looked at each other with smiles on their faces. They both faced their raptors, delivering the exact order.

“Rip them to pieces!” They both said.

In the blink of an eye, Blaze and Peppermint, claws at the ready, raced head on toward the garrison of knights. Those unfortunate to cross their path were torn to pieces, as the raptors hacked and slashed with their claws, slicing through their armor. Both stallions watched proudly as the raptors fought off the knights one-by-one. But they knew, even the raptors alone were not enough to defeat ‘all’ of them.

“Help Atalanta!” Curtain Call spoke determined. “This pony’s about to kick some ass!”

“It’s all you buddy,” Quill nodded.

Curtain Call galloped into the fray, delivering a massive buck toward a knight so powerful it sent him flying back and breaking through one of the smaller trees.

“Aww yeah, that’s how we do it in Manehatten!” Curtain boasted, then his face dropped. “Ooh…”

Curtain had no time to brag for long when more knights closed in and headed toward the raptors. Specifically, his eyes were on Peppermint, who snarled at the ready. And in that moment, Curtain’s burned red with rage.

“NO PONY… HURTS… MY… BABY!!!” Curtain yelled, deeply.

Running as fast as lightning, Curtain call raced off to aid the raptors… but mostly Peppermint. This remained Quill standing protective in front of Atalanta.

“I won’t let you hurt her, Chrysalis!” He spoke defiantly.

Chrysalis merely released an amused laugh, as she stared down at the stallion at her feet.

“And you think you’re going to stop me?” Chrysalis chuckled. “What good is your quill and parchment against my magic? You’re weak! A spineless, pathetic excuse of a pony… except, you’re not even a pony, are you? Either way, what hope could you possibly have to make you think you stand a chance against the Queen of Changelings?”

Quill looked toward Atalanta, who weakly tried to get back to her hooves. He cautiously reached out and helped her up. As he looked deeply into her magnificent eyes, he smiled lovingly. He turned back toward Chrysalis, this time a smile upon his face.

“You’ve already lost Chrysalis,” Curtain declared. “I already have one thing you could only ever dream of; I have the love of a wonderful Changeling princess.”

He spun around quickly, planting a kiss upon Atalanta’s muzzle. Her eyes widened with mild shock before she melted into the kiss itself. The two stayed in bliss, for a moment or two, as the power representing their love surrounded them. As a matter of fact, it was so powerful it generated a magical force all around them while Chrysalis stood in disbelief.

“No! Not again!” She yelled.

In an act reminiscent of Cadence and Shining Armor’s love that banished the Changelings those many years ago, the power of love from Atalanta and Quill was so strong it propelled Chrysalis and the Black Knights off into the skies above and possibly back towards New Eden.

“Team Rocket blasting off again!” Curtain yelled comically. “Ash Ketchum would be mighty proud.”

Eventually, Quill and Atalanta both pulled away from the kiss, staring into each other’s eyes for a moment. One could actually imagine tiny hearts floating around the pair.

“I take it you missed me?” Atalanta said jokingly.

“Always whenever we’re apart,” Quill responded, with a smile.

Suddenly, the sound of a cleared throat caused the two to turn toward Curtain Call, and the two raptors, standing there… staring at the love birds.

“Yeah hi, Curtain Call… editor here,” Curtain Call waved. “Sorry to interrupt a potential PG-13 moment here… but we do have a situation to fix? One that could ultimately save all of space and time?”

“Right!” Quill quickly nodded. “We must save the twins.”

“Regina’s taking them back to Ponyville,” Atalanta informed them.

“Then what are we standing around here for?” Curtain asked. “Let’s save them!”

Without a moment to waste, the two stallions, the changeling princess, and the two raptors charged through the Everfree toward Ponyville. Their only hope now was to band together, to save a pair of children, and return them to their families while still providing a future. And from the other side, another band of heroes were hard at work trying to set everything right…

<>

Back on Isla Nublar, the group from the Visitors Center were currently hiding out in a protective bunker. Unfortunately, the mood in the room was hopeless. Malcolm, his wounds bandaged, but in real pain, hung around with Ellie, Muldoon, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Time Turner. They were all hoping for some development while Ray Arnold was still at the computer terminal and looking like a complete mess. He doggedly sorted through the computer system’s line of code one… by one… by one. They just blipped by, reflected in his glasses. He turned and stared toward Hammond with absolute incredulity on his face.

“No, no, no, that’s crazy!” Arnold argued. “You’re out of your mind; he’s absolutely out of his mind—”

“Okay, I can’t be the only pony in the room who’s confused,” Twilight Sparkle said. “I feel like we’ve missed something very important.”

“Twilight’s right,” Ellie agreed. “What exactly does this mean?”

Hammond turned toward her, the twinkle back in his eye.

“We’re talking, my dears, about a calculated risk, which is the only option left to us,” Hammond explained. “We will never find the command Nedry used. He covered his tracks far too well, and I think it’s obvious he’s not coming back.”

“Nedry?” Time Turner asked, confused. “Never heard of him.”

“You mean that obese, messy, increasingly obnoxious computer scientist who was treated poorly… or just a miserable miser consumed by greed?” Pinkie Pie questioned.

Every pony looked toward Pinkie Pie; their faces riddled in confusion as the party pony eyed them side to side.

“Too soon?” Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I mean, it’s surprising there was a villain right under our noses and we didn’t even see it coming—"

“No… no, you’re only partly right,” Hammond admitted. “True, I found Nedry’s behavior deplorable, all he thought about was money and he didn’t have our best interest at heart. But… I don’t blame people for their mistakes; I ask them to take responsibility. And deep down, maybe he wouldn’t have resorted to any of this if how I treated him propelled him to do this…

“So… shutting down the system—”

“I will not do it!” Arnold shook his head. “You’ll have to get somebody else, because I will not.”

“—shutting down the system is the only way to guarantee wiping out everything he did,” Hammond insisted. “If I understand correctly, all the systems will come back on their original start-up modes, correct?”

“Theoretically, yes, but we’ve never shut down the whole system. It may not come back at all.”

“But would we get the phones back?” Ellie asked.

“Yeah, again, in theory, but—” Arnold insisted.

“What about the lysine contingency?” Muldoon thought, desperately. “We could put that into effect.”

“The lysine contingency?” Rarity asked. “What’s that?”

“It’s absolutely out of the question,” Hammond shook his head, WALKING AWAY.

“The lysine contingency – it’s intended to prevent the spread of animals in case they ever got off the island, but we could use it now,” Arnold explained. “Dr. Wu inserted a gene that makes a single faulty enzyme in protein metabolism. Animals can’t manufacture the amino acid lysine. Unless they’re continually supplied with lysine by us, they’ll go into a coma and die.”

“You mean – you’d kill an entire species to save yourselves?” Twilight Sparkle asked, shocked.

“You might as well raze the entire island with napalm just for declaring the dinosaurs hazardous why don’t you!” Pinkie Pie replied.

“How would you even cut off the lysine?” Time Turner asked.

“No trick to it,” Arnold shrugged. “Just stop running the program. Leaving them unattended.”

“How soon before they become comatose?” Malcolm spoke up.

“It would be totally painless – they’d just slip into unconsciousness, and they die.”

“And… how long before they slip into unconsciousness?” Twilight asked, dreading the response.

“About – seven days, more or less,” Arnold answered, uncertainly.

“Seven days?!” The Equestrians gasped in shock.

“Seven days?!” Ellie spoke exasperated. “Oh, great. Oh good – clever.”

“That’ll – it’d be a first,” Malcolm remarked. “Man, and dinosaur all die together. John’s plan.”

Finally, Hammond had lost his cool. He bellowed, summoning every ounce of authority at his command… and that’s quite a bit.

“PEOPLE ARE DYING!!!” Hammond spoke forcefully.

There was a moment in which no one dared speak, even the ponies looked at Hammond with stunned surprise. Eventually, Hammond regained himself.

“Will you please shut down the system?” Hammond asked calmly.

“Just try Mr. Arnold,” Rarity implored. “If not for yourself… at least for our friends who are still out there.”

Arnold swallowed as he got up to his feet.

“You asked for it—” Arnold warned.

With a heavy sigh, Arnold slowly walked across the room to a red metal box on the wall. He took a key from his belt, unlocked the door, and opened it. There was a row of four switches inside. He flipped them off, one by one, leaving only a single lever left. His hand hovered over it… and he flipped the lever.

“—and you got it,” Arnold concluded.

Every monitor, every terminal, every fluorescent light shut off plunging them into near darkness. They sat there in eerie stillness for a moment.

“How long will this take?” Twilight asked, hushed.

“’Bout thirty seconds,” Arnold answered.

They wait, in tense silence. Hammond adjusted the wilting silk handkerchief in his breast pocket. He noticed Malcolm, even some of the Equestrians, staring at him with eyes full of disapproval.

“I think perhaps I’ll just sit down,” Hammond declared, sighing. “I don’t suppose you think all that much of me now, do you?”

“No… you’re all right, John,” Time Turner assured. “Despite everything that’s happened, you’re an okay guy. That’s not going to change.”

“It’s just you don’t have intelligence,” Malcolm stated bluntly. “You have ‘thinktelligence’.”

“That’s not even a word!” Rarity remarked.

“Let me finish,” Malcolm continued. “You think narrowly, John, and call it ‘being focused’. You don’t see the consequences. You’re very good at solving problems, at getting answers – but you just don’t know the right questions.”

“Ian—” Ellie spoke up.

“Yes?” Malcolm looked at her.

“—shut up.”

“Yes,” Malcolm nodded, facing Hammond. “It’s not a criticism, by the way.”

“We know…” Twilight Sparkle nodded. “You’re just an honest man; Applejack would be proud of that… if she and the others ever get here.”

Finally, Arnold turned back toward the box. He flipped the row of safety switches back again, then hesitated by the main switch.

“Hold on to your butts,” Arnold said.

He threw it… and nothing happened. There’s a very long pause.

“Well… that was a dud,” Pinkie Pie pouted.

“Why didn’t it work?” Twilight Sparkle looked around.

“Uh—” Arnold struggled to answer.

“Do any of you ponies know how to handle a gun?” Malcolm asked.

“What kind of a question is that?!” Rarity gasped, horrified.

“Wait! What’s that?” Time Turner pointed.

Arnold, unable to understand any of this, raced to the main monitor toward where Time Turner was pointing.

“HAH!” Arnold chuckled joyously. “It’s okay! Look! See that?! Look!”

All eyes stared toward the monitor, which glowed with a faint amber light, the only mechanical thing in the room that’s on. The left hand corner of the screen displayed two words –

/system ready

And Arnold looked toward them, his face triumphant.

“It’s on! It worked!” Arnold continued.

“I guess that teaches us to always trust Grandpa!” Pinkie smiled, facing Hammond. “Is it okay if I call you Grandpa, Mr. Hammond?”

“You may call me anything you want,” Hammond assured, smiling warmly.

“Wait a minute?” Malcolm spoke up. “What do you mean ‘worked’? Everything is still off!”

“The shutdown must have tripped the circuit breakers,” Arnold surmised. “All we have to do is turn them back on, reboot a few systems in here – the phones, security doors, half a dozen others – but it worked! System ready!”

“But where are the breakers?” Time Turner asked. “This island’s so huge, they could be anywhere.”

“Out in the maintenance shed,” Arnold answered. “Other side of the compound. I’ll go out there. Three minutes, and I can have the power back on in the entire park.”

“Alone?” Twilight Sparkle questioned. “With all the dinosaurs running around, specifically the carnivores? Shouldn’t we go with you?”

“Not to worry Miss Sparkle,” Hammond assured. “Mr. Arnold knows what he’s doing. Just to be safe, I’d like to have everybody in the emergency bunker until Mr. Arnold returns, and the whole system is back on its feet again.”

Muldoon and Ellie proceeded to set a Gerry rigged stretcher which they set Malcom on. They prepared to carry it down a narrow path in the compound, with Hammond following behind. Before they left, the Equestrians turned toward Arnold who was preparing to leave.

“Three minutes…” Twilight emphasized. “If you’re not back in three minutes, we’re coming for you.”

“After everything what’s happened… what’s the worst that can happen to me?” Arnold replied, walking away.

“… I’ll give him another six years before we get back to that question,” Pinkie Pie spoke.

<>

Later that day, Grant, along with Tim, Lex, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Spike, and Daring Do cross through the park grounds, heading across a relatively open area. All the while, Daring Do and Grant consulted the map, their only means of direction.

“I’m tired, I’m hot, and I’m hungry,” Tim complained.

“When we get back, I’ll be eating peanuts till my gut explodes…” Rainbow Dash groaned.

“Grant… Daring… are ya sure we’re goin’ the right way?” Applejack called out.

“According to Grant’s map, the visitor’s center’s just about a mile beyond that rise,” Daring Do answered. “If we just keep—

Suddenly, an animal cry they heard earlier was getting closer now. Only this time it got louder, repeated by many more animals. Grant looked up from his map for a brief moment and his eyes went wide.

“What is that?” Grant gestured Tim. “Tim. Tim, can you tell me what they are?”

“They’re Gal… uh…” Tim tried to pronounce. “Uh… Galla… uh, Gallimimus.”

“Are… are those meat-eating?” Lex asked worriedly. “Meat-a-saurs?”

“I don’t think so,” Fluttershy shook her head. “They look friendly to me.”

“I know exactly what Twilight would think if she were here,” Rainbow replied.

She proceeded to adjust her mane in a style similar to Twilight and put on her best ‘egghead’ impression.

“According to my research…” Rainbow imitated, jokingly. “Gallimimus are based on ostriches, emphasized by their birdlike qualities.”

“Now Rainbow, Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t talk like that!” Applejack raised her brow. “Besides, it’s more like…”

Applejack cleared her throat, then did ‘her’ impression of Twilight Sparkle.

“The Gallimimus are the larest known ornithomimid, a fleet animal using its speed to escape predators and may have had good vision and intelligence comparable to ratite birds.”

“You sure you weren’t thinking of becoming an actress when you went to Manehatten as a filly?” Rainbow Dash smirked.

“Now hon, I’m not ‘that’ good of an actress.”

They looked toward the direction the sound was coming from. All eyes squinted as the animal cries are much louder now, accompanied by a low rumble. Grant and Daring Do took a step forward. As they watched, they could make out shapes in the distance. Gallimimus, dozens of them. All at once… they were amazed by the sight.

“Wow!” Daring Do admired, removing her hat. “I like the way they move!

“Yeah, look at the wheeling—” Grant pointed out. “The uniform direction change! Like a flock of birds evading a predator!”

“Guys… I think we better start running,” Spike suggested nervously.

“Why?” Fluttershy faced Spike.

“Because—they’re flocking this way,” Tim answered, backing away.

Sure enough, as Rainbow Dash flapped her wings into the air and her eyes squinted for a better lock… she figured it out.

“STAMPEDE!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

And that’s exactly what it was: A stampede of at least forty Gallimimus. Lex was ready to get out of there, bolting at the first chance. Grant, along with Tim, the ponies and Spike started running across the meadow, with the Gallimimus herd heading straight for them. They took off, across the meadow, toward the relative cover of the jungle. It’s a real footrace, but the herd was far faster, and Grant knew they weren’t going to make it at this pace. While their flying companions took to the sky, Rainbow spotted something ahead.

“Guys! Make for that giant root!” Rainbow Dash instructed.

They proceed to jump over a huge root network. There’s enough space to hide under. Grant and Applejack stopped the kids, shoving them underneath, then followed them. They covered their heads as the herd thundered over the roots. The flying Equestrians hovered over, watching chunks of everything fly everywhere while the herd plowed overhead. Their clawed feet struck the roots dangerously close to Grant and their friends, but otherwise they were unscathed.

Finally, the whole Gallimimus herd passed. Grant peered up, over the top root as the winged group landed beside them. They looked toward the trees, which the herd now ran alongside.

“Well, that could’ve been worse…” Spike sighed with relief.

Suddenly, they heard a roar, a very familiar roar—

“Oh, buck!” Rainbow Dash grimaced, turning pale.

The group whirled at the sound, but couldn’t place it, for it seemed to come from all around them. A roar emanated again from within the trees. Grant and the Equestrians scanned the trees, looking for a sign—and then it burst out, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, bursting ahead of the herd, cutting them off, throwing them into disarray, scattering them everywhere.

All eyes stared as the rex kicked into overdrive, running down one of the Gallimimus, and sunk its teeth into its neck. The T-rex makes the kill in a cloud of dust and debris. Tim and Grant half rose to their feet, staring in wonder. The Equestrians, with the exception of Daring Do, were utterly horrified.

“I wanna go – now!” Lex begged hushly.

But most of the group were transfixed, watching the T-rex eat.

“Watch how it eats!” Grant pointed out.

“Please!” Lex begged.

“Bet you’ll never look at birds the same way again!”

“Yes,” Tim nodded in fascination.

The T-rex paused in the middle of its meal and roared so greatly that the ground seemed to shake.

“Can we please go now?” Fluttershy squeaked, losing patience.

“Okay,” Grant nodded. “Keep low. Follow me.”

“Yeah… the less I see Rexy, the better,” Spike nodded rapidly.

Lex and Fluttershy turned and took off, running as fast as they could, across the open plain. Grant and the Equestrians tore themselves away and followed her… until only Tim remained, staring at the brutal massacre.

“Look at all its blood!” Tim gasped, fascinated.

“Come along, kiddo!” Daring Do spoke, grabbing Tim.

<>

Inside the bunker, Ellie paced impatiently as she came down the stairs.

“Something’s happened,” Ellie muttered. “Something went wrong.”

Muldoon, along with Twilight’s group, were pacing too. Among them Twilight Sparkle was the most nervous. Hammond and Malcolm are also crammed in the underground bunker. Malcolm laid on a table, while Hammond tried tending to his wounds. Hammond spoke, still feeling the obligation of the host.

“This is just a delay, that’s all this is,” Hammond assured. “All major theme parks have had delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked, nothing.”

“Yeah, but John, if the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists,” Malcolm remarked sarcastically.

“Pirates don’t ‘eat’ the tourists, silly!” Pinkie Pie replied, lightly giggling. “They’ll kill people sure, but they are not cannibals. Now the ‘kraken’ on the other hoof—”

“Pinkie… please!” Rarity groaned.

“Okay, I’ll stop…”

“I can’t wait anymore,” Ellie spoke up. “Something went wrong. I’m going to get the power back on.”

“You can’t just stroll down the road, you know,” Muldoon pointed out.

“Bob let’s not be too hasty,” Hammond spoke, checking his watch. “He’s only been gone…”

“Three minutes…” Twilight Sparkle interrupted. “If Arnold wasn’t back in three minutes, we’d go for him. I’m going with you, Ellie.”

“So am I!” Rarity stepped up.

“Okay,” Ellie nodded.

“I’ll go with you…” Pinkie Pie volunteered.

“Hold on! Hold on!” Muldoon cut in. “I don’t think every pony should go at once. We need one of you to stay here and keep an eye on everyone else.”

“And if our friends get to the visitor’s center, some pony has to be there while we get the power on!” Twilight added.

“I’ll stay with Hammond and Malcolm,” Time Turner volunteered. “I may not be a doctor, but I’ll make sure they’re okay.”

“Aw… but why don’t I help with the power?” Pinkie Pie pouted.

“Pinkie… Grant, our friends, and the kids could be at the center any minute now,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “If there’s any pony, I can put my trust on to be the responsible mare at this difficult time… I need only the best foal-sitter I know!”

“And… Mr. Hammond ‘did’ say there was still cake and ice cream at the restaurant…” Rarity emphasized.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes started to widen greatly, as a smile slowly spread upon her face.

“You mean… I get to be… responsible!” Pinkie Pie gleamed.

Wow… I thought it was the cake and ice cream that would get her…

Oh, come on… she’s not all about getting high on cotton candy.

Replacing her glee with fierce determination, Pinkie Pie quickly pulled a pink soldier’s helmet from her mane. She placed it atop her head, tightened the strap under her chin, and tapped the hard side to ensure it was stable.

“I accept this responsibility, understanding the consequences you’ve bestowed against me!” Pinkie Pie saluted.

With everything settled, every pony and everyone prepared for the long journey ahead. Muldoon opened a steel cabinet with a ‘CLANG!’, revealing an impressive array of weaponry inside. He removed a shotgun and what looked like a small rocket launcher. He shoved a shell into the barrel of the rocket launcher, which accepted it with a faint electronic sizzle. Hammond searched out the set of blueprints, getting them out of the file cabinet and spread them out on top of Malcolm almost crushing his leg. But when he looked at the prints, he was confused.

“’Secret Plan for Cheese Sandwich’s Anniversary Surprise’?” Hammond read.

“Oops, sorry that’s mine,” Pinkie Pie smiled sheepishly.

She took that blueprint off and replaced it with the ‘actual’ blueprints. She proceeded to tiptoe away as Hammond looked on, then looked back to the plans while clearing his throat. The rest of the group joined Hammond as they studied the blueprints.

“This isn’t like switching on the kitchen light,” Hammond explained. “But I think we can follow this and talk you through it.”

“You’ve got it, Mr. Hammond!” Twilight Sparkle nodded.

Ellie proceeded to grab some walkie-talkies from the shelf and shoved them in her belt.

“But you know, I should really be the one going,” Hammond offered.

“Mr. Hammond, we’re proud you’re taking responsibility for what happened in the park,” Pinkie Pie assured. “But unless you want to risk breaking your ankle down a hill and getting attacked by Compys, that we won’t even meet till the ‘Lost World’, I don’t think you should—”

“It’s not that,” Hammond shook his head.

“Then why?” Rarity raised her brow.

“Well, because you’re a—” Hammond pointed awkwardly. “I’m a… uh—”

It didn’t take long for the ‘ladies’ to figure out where Hammond was going. Even Ellie was annoyed.

“Really…?” Twilight Sparkle frowned, annoyed.

“Come on, let’s go,” Muldoon gestured.

“We’ll discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back,” Ellie backed towards the door. “You just talk us through this step by step. We’re on channel two.”

“Right,” Hammond nodded.

“You’re lucky you’re not as bad as Blueblood,” Rarity clarified. “I’m glad I decided not to marry him.”

“Good luck, girls!” Time Turner called out.

While the remaining Equestrians and their human companions made their way out of the bunker, Hammond proceeded to switch the walkie-talkie to channel two so they could keep in touch.

<>

Back in Equestria, the group consisting of Atalanta, Quill Cast, and Curtain Call finally burst deep through the Everfree forest. The stallions rode atop their raptors, with Atalanta holding onto Quill, the dinosaurs charging as fast as they could toward Ponyville. Now that they dealt with Chrysalis and the Black Knights, all they had to worry about was Regina… hopefully.

“I swear if we don’t save those children, I’m going to hate you guys forever!” Curtain Call muttered.

“You won’t have to, Mr. Call!” Atalanta assured. “We have the shears, and we still got a few hours of daylight left.”

“We probably should’ve made copies of these things, but we didn’t have the time,” Quill added. “But no worries… we’ve got everything handled.”

“… Then, why can’t I shake the feeling we’ve completely forgotten something?” Curtain wondered.

<>

Ellie, Muldoon, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie slowly stepped out of the bunker. The main compound felt different now – it belonged more to the jungle than to civilization. Muldoon has the big gun in his hands. Twilight Sparkle proceeded to hand Pinkie Pie a walkie-talkie.

“Okay Pinkie Pie, we’re on channel two,” Twilight Sparkle said. “If you see or hear anything from our friends, let us know.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie Pie saluted.

Pinkie Pie proceeded to lift her helmet and put the walkie-talkie inside as she bounced her way back to the visitor’s center.

“Stick to my heels,” Muldoon instructed the girls.

Soon they started down the path, moving as quickly as they could. Eventually, they emerged from one path and came upon a slightly more open area. The huge raptor pen stood silently, surrounded, and penetrated by jungle, looming over the heroes like a haunted house. Muldoon slowed down, the girls right beside them. They noticed a hole in the fence that surrounded the raptor pen. The metal was twisted, as if gnawed, the hole was large enough for an animal to slip through.

“Oh… my… Faust…” Rarity gasped, horrified.

“What happened?” Twilight Sparkle whispered.

“The shutdown must have turned off all the fences,” Muldoon studied the ground. “Goddamn it! Even Nedry knew better than to mess with the raptor fence.”

Muldoon squatted near the hole, looking at the ground. He saw three sets of footprints. He followed them with his eyes. They head off in different directions, but all in the jungle foliage on either side of them.

“Oh well, we tried!” Rarity turned to run.

“Stay…” Twilight said, stopping Rarity with her magic.

“Aww…”

“C’mon, this way,” Muldoon gestured.

The girls proceeded to follow Muldoon deep within the jungle. Eventually, they could just see the entrance to the Maintenance Shed up ahead.

“I can see the shed from here!” Ellie spoke. “We can make it if we run!”

But Muldoon walked slowly, as if he heard something.

“No… we can’t.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Because we’re being hunted,” Muldoon whispered. “From the bushes straight ahead.”

The girls turned, very slowly, toward the bushes. At first, they couldn’t see anything. But then there’s something very faint, like a shifting of the light, and a shadow seemed to move in the bush, rustling the leaves.

“Oh… no…” Rarity whimpered.

“It’s all right,” Muldoon assured.

“Like hell it is!” Ellie sighed.

“On one hand, we have magic and a gun…” Twilight pointed out. “But we’re dealing with an experienced hunter. It could attack us before we get a chance to strike.”

Muldoon raised his weapon slowly toward his shoulder.

“Run… towards the shed,” Muldoon whispered. “I’ve got her.”

“Are you mad!” Rarity freaked out. “You can’t possibly deal with that raptor yourself!”

“You girls need to get the power back on,” Muldoon spoke firmly, aiming his fun. “This is personal.”

Ellie and the girls back up, down the path, slowly. Muldoon followed behind them, keeping his gun trained in the bushes. The shadow in the bushes moved too, at an even pace with them.”

“Go! Now!” Muldoon ordered.

Ellie, startled, turned, and fell over a log. Twilight and Rarity quickly picked her up and together they ran towards the shed. Muldoon walked slowly into the bushes, prepared for the biggest hunt of his career.

The girls ran as fast as possible – a real broken sprint, hopping over branches, flying across the open area at top speed. Over a log – ‘SPLASH!’, Ellie hit a water puddle which splashed a bit of mud on Rarity. Rarity started taking heavy breaths as if about to scream, but Twilight pushed her forward. Ellie came toward another log obstacle, grabbed a tree, and swung over it while the ponies leapt over.

Once they were near the maintenance shed, there was no turning back. Eventually they reached the door, blasted through it, and slammed it behind them. They stood at the doorway of the maintenance shed, breathing hard from fear.

“Mr. Arnold?” Ellie called out. “Mr. Arnold?!”

Twilight Sparkle and Rarity proceeded to use their magic to light up the room, as Ellie brought out a flashlight. But even then, there was barely enough to light through the entire room and it was still pretty dark in there.

“I like how this adventure wasn’t scary enough already,” Rarity complained. “Let’s just turn off the lights!”

“Let’s just find Arnold and makes sure the power is up and running,” Twilight suggested.

“John, we’re in,” Ellie spoke through the radio.

“Great… good,” Hammond spoke, through the radio. “Okay – ahead of you should be a metal stairway. Go down it.”

The girls headed into the room, shining their lights ahead of them. Before them was a maze of pipes, ducts, and electrical work on both sides of them. They walked straight ahead from the bottom of the metal stairs.

“Okay, going down the stairs,” Ellie confirmed.

“Right. After about twenty or thirty feet, you’ll come to a T-junction,” Hammond instructed. “Take a left.”

“John, just have her follow the main cable –” Malcolm suggested.

“I understand how to read a schematic!”

“Ooh… I hope our friends are having better luck than we are,” Rarity hoped.

<>

Scrambling through the jungle, Grant, Tim, Lex, the ponies, and Spike emerged completely out of breath and exhausted. They arrived at the base of the big electrical fence that surrounded the main compound. Grant and Applejack looked up at the fence, estimating it was over twenty feet high.

“Boy howdy, that’s a mighty big climb,” Applejack observed.

“You guys think you can make it?” Grant asked the kids.

“Nope,” Tim shook his head.

“Way too high,” Lex added.

“According to the map, we have to go past this fence to get to the visitor’s center,” Daring Do pointed out.

Grant grabbed a stick and climbed up on the ledge. He looked toward the warning light on the fence. It’s out. He poked the wire with the stick. But no sparks.

“Well, I guess that means the power’s off,” Grant guessed.

“It looks safe?” Spike assumed.

“Be careful Grant,” Rainbow advised.

Still not trusting the fence, Grant tapped it with his foot. He moved in slowly and laid both hands on a cable and closed his fingers around it… Grant’s body shook! He screams. The kids scream! The ponies scream! Spike screams! They ALL scream… until Grant stopped, turned around slowly… and smiled wickedly.

“Sweet Celestia!” Daring Do sighed heavily.

“That’s not funny,” Lex replied, unamused.

“That was great!” Tim cracked up.

“Grant, you’re gonna give us a gosh-darned heart attack!” Applejack frowned.

“How are we even going to get over this?” Fluttershy wondered.

“You’re a Pegasus!” Rainbow groaned, flapping her wings.

“Oh… I forget sometimes.”

“Or maybe we could—” Grant pondered.

Grant tried to pull the powerlines apart to make room to crawl through. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t budge. Suddenly, far in the distance, the T-rex roared from behind them. Without a second’s delay, both kids leapt to their feet and started climbing. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do quickly pick up Applejack carrying her over the fence, while Spike kept his eye on the humans and toward the jungle in case ‘Rexy’ showed up.

Wait… why couldn’t they just fly the humans over the fence?

You want this movie to be shorter?

… Fine.

<>

Back in the Maintenance Shed, Ellie, Twilight, and Rarity turned a corner and found their lights shining against a wall.

“Damn it! Dead end!” Ellie groaned.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Hammond called out. “There should have been a right back there somewhere—”

“Ellie?! Girls?! Look above you—” Malcolm called out. “There should be a large bundle of cable and pipes all leading in the same direction!”

“Malcolm’s right,” Time Turner spoke aside. “Follow the cables; they’ll lead to the generator.”

Ellie and the girls looked up, finding a bunch of cables, which they proceeded to follow into a main corridor.

“Piping… okay… following the piping,” Ellie informed.

“Looks like they go back up the stairs and across the stairs… following the stairs,” Twilight Sparkle observed.

“Look for a metal grate and that’s it’s longest direction,” Hammond informed.

“Mr. Arnold?!” Rarity called out. “Not answering… not a good sign. Okay, we’re on the grating.

“Good Miss Rarity!” Time Turner informed. “Now keep going, eventually the table will terminate in a big, gray box.”

“Okay, we’re following the tubing,” Twilight spoke. “Going down a passageway. How long does this stuff go for?”

“I’m not worried about how far this goes,” Rarity replied, nervously. “I just don’t want to run into anything other than Arnold down here…”

<>

A hand took a firm grip on one of the tight fence cables. Another hand followed it, then a third. Grant, Tim, and Lex climbed over the fence, pulling themselves up by the tension wires, crawling right past a ‘DANGER!’ sign that told them this fence ought to be electrified.

“I bet I could climb over to the other side before you could even get to the top,” Lex offered teasingly.

“What would you give me?” Tim asked.

“Respect.”

“Come on, guys, it’s not a race,” Alan spoke up.

“Just wait till you guys are over this fence,” Rainbow replied.

“Easy for you!” Lex called out. “You have wings.”

“That’s besides the point…”

“Uh hon… do ya reckon I can be on the other side by now?” Applejack pointed out.

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do look down seeing they were hovering just over the other side of the fence already.

“Good idea!” The Pegasi duo nodded.

<>

Walking quickly, the three girls followed the tubing to the end of the corridor, where they saw just a box.

“Okay – we see the gray box,” Ellie confirmed, through the radio.

The girls go through a mesh gate and walk towards the gray box.

“’High Voltage’,” Rarity read. “Yep… this is the right place.”

<>

Back at the jungle, Grant and the Kids swung over the top of the fence and began climbing their way down. The ponies and Spike were waiting for them just on the other side, ready to catch them if anything goes wrong.

“Good. Here we go,” Grant spoke slowly. “Over the top. Take your time. Good. Come on. Find your footing. Find your footing.”

Grant and Lex continued to climb down the fence. Time was having some slight difficulty – just as he’s about to take another step, he lost his footing and almost fell… but regained control and hung on.

“Don’t fall… don’t fall…” Daring Do repeated. “Don’t fall…

“Daring Do! Telling him ‘Not to fall’ is stressing him out!” Spike argued. “Can’t you say something ‘positive’ like ‘You’re doing great’!?

“… But he might fall.”

“I KNOW!”

<>

“Now, girls, you can’t just throw the main switch by hand,” Hammond informed, off-screen. “You have to pump up the primer handle to give you a charge. It’s large, flat, and gray.”

“We see it!” Twilight responded.

“All right, here I go,” Ellie pumped herself.

Ellie proceeded to pump the gray handle, which was a sluggish process. Above it, after three or four tries, a small white indicator ‘CHINGS!’ over the ‘discharged’ to ‘charged’ Ellie slammed the gray lever back into position.

“Okay, charged,” Ellie declared.

“Right! Now, under the words ‘contact position’ there’s a round green button which says ‘push to close’—”

“Push to close…” Rarity read, shining over the button.

“Push it!”

Ellie proceeded to push the button. The ‘contact position’ light ‘CHINGS’ over to ‘closed’ and lights start to go on all over the panel.

“Did we… did we do it?” Twilight asked. “Turner, is the power back on yet?”

“Not exactly, Twilight…” Time Turner answered, reluctantly.

<>

Suddenly, by the time Grant and Lex dropped to the last few on the ground, an alarm started to go on. A warning light began to flash, coming back to life. The group’s eyes went wide as they quickly turned toward Tim. The boy was still far up – practically near the top, in fact, he had come to a complete stop.

“Guys… what’s going on?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.

“Oh no…” Daring Do realized. “The power’s coming back!

<>

Ellie and the ponies studied the column of twelve white indicator lights flashing on the control panel. Each was clearly labelled, one for a different area of the park.

“Now girls, the red buttons turn on the individual park systems,” Hammond instructed. “Switch them on.”

“You heard him Ellie,” Twilight nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”

As Ellie proceeded to punch the buttons, they lit up one-by-one. She slowly worked her way toward the end of the row… marked ‘Perimeter Fence’.

<>

“Get down now!” Lex called out.

“You’re gonna have to jump!” Alan called out.

“You crazy?! I’m not gonna jump!” Tim called back.

“Please Tim! Do what Dr. Grant says!” Fluttershy begged.

“Tim – you have to let go!” Daring Do shouted.

“The power’s coming on! Move down!” Rainbow shouted.

“I can’t!” Tim called out. “I’m scared!”

“I’ll count to three!” Alan instructed. “One, two, three!”

But poor Tim was terrified, frozen where he was.

“You’ve got to jump, Timmy!” Daring Do called out. “Before it’s too late!

“I’m afraid I’m gonna fall!”

“See? I said you should’ve said something positive!” Spike told Daring Do.

<>

Meanwhile, Ellie was still pushing buttons, now only half a dozen away from the one for the fence. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity counted the rows from five… to three…

<>

“I’m going up there!” Spike declared, flapping up.

“Spike, where ya goin’?!” Applejack called out. “Get back!”

“I’ve got to save Tim!”

Spike eventually flew toward Tim, carefully clutching his claws onto Tim’s shoulders. He could see the worry on his face.

“Listen to me, Tim,” Spike spoke calmly. “Listen to me. I know you’re afraid of heights.”

“I hate it up here,” Tim muttered.

“Look… you’re going to get electrified if you stay here. The power could come on any minute!”

“Shut up! You’re scaring me. Stop!”

“Shh, shh, shh… it’s okay. I’ve got you. We’re just going to get off this fence at the count of three. Just let go of the fence… and we’ll get down to the ground… slowly…”

Little did they know, the fence was humming. The power was about to awake any second. The screaming from their friends below didn’t help much.

“Okay, okay!” Tim confirmed. “I’m going to count to three.”

“Attaboy…” Spike nodded, sweating. “We’ll do it together.”

“One…” They counted in unison.

<>

Ellie finally pushed the button for the fences. It stopped flashing and lit up a brilliant white. Twilight and Rarity’s eyes widened with anticipation.

<>

“Two…”

With a low, loud frightening BUZZ – the fence came to life.

“AAAAHHHHHH!!!”

“SPIKE!!!” The girls shouted.

Cut off mid-sentence, Spike screamed as the surge raced through Tim and onto Spike. The ponies watched as the force propelled him high into the sky into the jungle below. Daring Do quickly flew up to catch Spike, only for Spike to land roughly and they fell through the trees. Tim was literally thrown from the fence, off of Spike’s grip. He slammed into Grant, and they fell to the ground. Lex and the other ponies raced toward them.

“TIMMY! TIMMY!” Lex cried.

“Tim, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked. “Is he okay?”

Unfortunately, the moment Grant placed a hand on Timmy’s chest, he noticed a larger problem.

“He’s not breathing.”

“Oh no… TIM!” Applejack gasped.

<>

Ellie, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity watched as the banks of fluorescent lights in the maintenance shed came on, one by one. The lights are going on in rows, coming closer and closer to the trio. Finally, her row came on.

“Girls, I think we’re back in business!” Ellie declared.

“Thank Celestia—”

Rarity never got to finished when a raptor’s head burst from behind the control panel! It slashed, taking a lunging sweep at the girls, who screamed in fear. But the raptor was stuck, tis feet and legs tangled in the maze of pipes on the floor. This was their first ‘good’ look at one of these things, and if it weren’t so terrifying, it truly was a thing of beauty. The biggest of the raptors, intensely muscled, coordinated as hell, a smoothly designed predator.

“OH MY GOD!!!” Ellie shouted.

The girls fell back into the pipes on the other side of the aisle. The raptor untangled itself from the pipes and gave chase, just as the girls slammed the mesh door closed. The raptor banged against the door, sending the girls falling back. Twilight and Rarity used their hinds legs to kick the door shut as the raptor continued to push himself (herself?) through the door. Thankfully, the girls were able to get the door closed and fell back onto one of the walls.

Suddenly, an arm fell onto Ellie’s shoulder sending the girls screaming… when they recognized it.

“Oh, Mr. Arnold,” Ellie sighed.

“Thank Celestia we found you here,” Rarity sighed with relief. “There’s a giant raptor back there and—”

They turned around, hoping to come face-to-face with the man. But instead, they realized Ellie was holding a disembodied arm. And when the ponies looked back, Rarity screamed seeing Ray Arnold, or what’s left of him, stuck in the tangle of pipes. Ellie moved away, his arm falling to the ground. Gasping with horror, Twilight saw Ellie moving right back near the mesh wall.

“ELLIE, GET AWAY!!!” Twilight shouted.

The raptor came at her again. Ellie took off running as fast as she could, and the ponies followed her back the way they came. The ponies raced over the dead arm and Arnold’s legs, never once looking back. Ellie continued running ahead, her headset dangling, the flashlight dragging behind her on its cord. They reached the stairs and hit them hard, flying up them (Or in Twilight’s case ‘literally).

They could feel the raptor right behind them, hearing the clicking and clanging as it scrambled up the stairs, but again they didn’t look back. They reached the top, threw open the door, hurled themselves outside – and SLAMMED the door behind them, just as the raptor’s head snarled at them from near the top of the stairs. They ran out of the fence and collapsed. While Ellie was hyperventilating, crying in horror, Rarity and Twilight did all they could not to lose their lunch.

“Can we please get off this island of horrors now?!” Rarity cried, tearfully.

“We have to get back to the Visitor’s Center!” Twilight said urgently.

Eventually, after a moment to catch their breath, they made a run for the center as fast as they could. The only one not among them was Robert, who they could only hope was fairing alright.

I mean he ‘survives’ in the book, so why wouldn’t he?

<>

Robert Muldoon crept slowly through the jungle foliage, tracking his prey. He ducked and walked through a hollow log, underneath a fallen tree, following the rustling sound ahead of him. He could see just a trace of the raptor’s gray flesh as it moved behind the bushes up ahead, camouflaged enough to deny him a decent shot.

Thinking he’s got a single moment; Muldoon extended the back handle of the gun and clicked it into place. He prepared to take aim. A snack slithered across a tree branch, past what resembled the large iris of a flower… only it blinked. It was very clear that it was the eye of the raptor. Muldoon, seeing it, raised his gun. Instead of running away again, the raptor rose slowly out of the brush, revealing itself to Muldoon, hissing at him.

The corners of Muldoon’s mouth twitched up into a smile. He drew a bead on the animal. His finger tensed along the trigger. Suddenly, his smile vanished, both eyes popped open, and a terrible thought swept across his face. His eyes flicked to the side seeing another raptor, right beside him, claws extended and ready to pounce.

“Clever girl…” Muldoon whispered.

With a roar, the raptor flashed out of nowhere and pounced on him. The gun fired, but wildly, and the raptor’s claw slashed through Muldoon’s midsection. Muldoon screamed and fell back, the raptor locked on top of him, tooth and claw hacking him to pieces. As the second raptor made the kill, the first raptor strode slowly forward, watching approvingly. Then it threw its head back and snarled.

Ooh… I forgot this is way different from the book.

You think?!

<>

The remaining Equestrians looked silently toward Tim, who was still unmoving. Grant was performing CPR, alternatively compressing Timmy’s chest fifteen times, quickly, and breathing into his mouth twice. Lex was on the cusp of freaking out, the very thought of losing her brother was making her cry. Even Fluttershy couldn’t keep herself in check, the thought of losing someone so precious.

They waited fifteen compressions… two deep breaths… nothing.

“C’mon, Tim…” Applejack whispered, choked up. “Wake up!”

“Tim!” Grant shouted.

Fifteen compressions… two deep breaths… nothing.

“No… no… that’s not fair!” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Tim, wake up! Please…”

Fifteen compresses—Tim gasped to life, coughing his lungs out but coming too. Grant, heavily relieved, hugged the boy against him like a father holding his son.

“Good boy, Tim,” Grant smiled. “Good boy.”

“Deep breaths buddy, deep breaths…” Rainbow spoke gently. “Are you okay?”

“Three!” Tim gasped.

The ponies released a laugh, mostly out of relief. It was lucky for them that their little friend was okay. Course, they could see his hands were burnt when the fence lit him up but nothing a few bandages and medication couldn’t fix. Then it occurred to them…

“Wait a second!” Rainbow Dash realized. “Where’s Daring Do and Spike?!

“Over here!”

All eyes turned toward the jungle as Daring Do emerged into view, dragging a dazed Spike. The green scales along his head went a little higher than usual but otherwise he seemed okay. He barely got to his feet looking toward the group as steam flew from his nostrils.

“Did you order the original recipe or extra crispy?” Spike gasped, releasing smoke.

Without waiting for an answer, Spike fell face first onto the dirt right before the stunned group.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy gasped.”

Daring and the Doctor

Author's Note

Thank you everyone for your patience with me over the last few weeks as I’ve been working through the recent events of my life. Thankfully, I’m feeling much better now and am ready to get back to writing.

Daring and the Doctor

High within the mountains of Equestria, not a trace of sunlight shined along the haven of New Eden. Only a barrage of clouds as black as night darkened the very sky overhead. Within this wicked little hamlet, members of the Dark Order once more convened within the chapel of Eden. Standing at the head of the table were its two leaders: The Dark One and the Benefactor. The two menacing figures gazed over their gathered followers. Though their faces could not be seen, it was clear there was evil intentions within their black hearts.

“Our progress, little as it might be, is coming along quite well,” The Benefactor announced. “However, it is not enough. If we are to have any chance at spreading our dominion across the Multiverse, we must redouble our efforts.”

“How exactly do you expect to do just that from where we are?” Adagio spoke up.

“She’s right,” Aria agreed. “We’ve been stuck in this rundown town for months, completely cut off from any and ‘all’ possible resources we could use!”

“Why are we even here anyway?” Zoe questioned. “Surely there’s somewhere else that could serve as base of operations for our order.”

Instead of providing any answers, however, the Benefactor merely gave a wave before the three Sirens. They tried to speak, to question the meaning of the Benefactor’s mysterious gesture… only to realize they couldn’t speak. It quickly dawned upon the trio that the Benefactor cast a spell of sorts, one that completely removed their voices. No matter how hard they tried to speak, no matter how rapidly they moved their lips, not a single sound emerged.

“Anyone else care to input?” The Benefactor challenged.

“I hate to admit it myself, but the Sirens make a valid point,” Chrysalis interjected. “We continue to stay the course we’re on now, we’ll never accomplish anything.”

The Benefactor desired nothing more than to blast the Changeling and the Sirens into oblivion for such insolence. However, even the Benefactor had to admit that these woman made valid points. They’ve been held in this crumbling ruin of a town ever since leaving that cave in the mountains. Needless to say, it was no stronghold that could strike fear in the hearts of their enemies. Nor did this town provide enough space to store any weapons nor conduct their dastardly deeds. Releasing a reluctant sigh, the Benefactor retracted their spell and returned the Sirens their voices.

“Overreact much?” Adagio mumbled under her breath.

“Very well, you’ve made your point,” The Benefactor admitted. “Perhaps the time has come for us to move our plans to a more appropriate location.”

Just then, the church doors swung violently as Regina Mills burst in. All eyes watched as the Evil Queen stalked toward the table. The whole order could see the anger burning within her eyes.

“Stupid, meddling, pathetic, walking glue factories!!!” She grumbled angrily.

“Gee wilickers lady, what’s got you in a bad mood?” Cozy Glow asked.

Regina slowly turned her head, and the diminutive filly trembled slightly before her menacing scowl.

“Something very important, something powerful of mine… is missing!” Regina snapped at her. “I assigned six of my best trained knights to watch over it. What do I find when I return? All my knights are unconscious, and someone stole what they were supposed to guard with their lives!”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t any of us,” Tirek crossed his arms.

“I know that you big red bumbling buffoon! No doubt it was one of those stupid ponies! That artifact is one of the most powerful relics in our disposal. I will personally rip out and crush every one of their hearts to get it back!”

Seeing the fire and determination in Regina’s face, the Benefactor seemed to contemplate from under their hood. They turned their shoulder toward the Dark One, who merely gave a single slow nod.

“Perhaps this is good for us,” The Benefactor spoke up.

“How the hell could this be a good thing?!” Regina asked.

“I mean this provides us an opportunity. To recover the artifact, gain us a new stronghold, and showcase our power over these ponies all at once.”

The Benefactor continued to lay out the plan they orchestrated in their head, as the remainder of the Order listened intently. More specifically, Regina paid close attention as she was to be the epicenter of this plan. Once the Benefactor finished laying out the plan, the Evil Queen smirked wickedly.

“Well… it seems it’s high time I paid these ponies a visit,” She spoke menacingly. “Looks like I’ll have to prepare my carriage for a little trip to this… Ponyville.”

<>

Bright and shining was the sun as it cascaded down upon another magnificent morning in the town of Ponyville. The residents of this cheery little town once more frolicked about, conducting their daily routines much like any other day. In the midst of the entire town stood the tall, glorious castle owned by the one and only Princess Twilight Sparkle. The entire crystalline outer layer shined like sparking diamonds under the shining sun.

Inside the castle, tucked away in her personal office, Princess Twilight Sparkle was hard at work on her daily duties as Princess of Equestria. With all the incredible yet dangerous journeys she and her other friends have been in as of late, it became difficult to balance being a ruler and an adventurer. However, she managed it rather well. Having recently returned from their previous adventure only a few short days ago, she found a little time to catch up with any important matters that required her attention.

“And… finished!” She smiled, signing the last of her documents. “I’m so glad I got to sign off on that new trade agreement with Saddle Arabia. I just hope they won’t mind if our mineral ships are a tad low at the moment. We’ll have to fix that.”

It was in that moment her office door opened, turning Twilight’s gaze toward none than her favorite personal assistant, Spike. As the teenage dragon entered, Twilight couldn’t help but permit the memories to flood in her mind. Specifically, the day she first hatched him from his egg. How can she ever forget that fateful day?

It was her entrance examination for Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. How she struggled miserably just to hatch one dragon egg and nearly failed. That is until in one moment, a Sonic Rainboom struck and caused her magic to go completely out of control. Such great power also made the egg crack its shell. She remembered what came out amidst the broken shells; a tiny baby dragon sucking the end of his tail. That memory made her heart swell just thinking about it…

“TWILIGHT!”

Twilight yelped and fell back from her chair over the sound of yelling. Slowly, she picked herself up off the ground, dusting herself as she faced Spike.

“Sorry to yell, but you just seemed so off into space,” Spike apologized.

“No, it’s alright, Spike,” Twilight assured him. “It’s not your fault. I was just… remembering.”

“What about?”

“The day you hatched.”

“Ah… yeah,” Spike nodded understandingly. “Sometimes I wish I could remember that day.”

“Trust me, you don’t,” Twilight giggled. “That day my magic went out of control, I ended up turning my parents into plants. The magic even made you grow at least fifty feet tall.”

“But I was still super cute, right?”

“The cutest.”

Twilight used her wings to fly up and ruffled the scales along her number one assistant’s head as they both laughed.

“So, what brings you here?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t you remember?” Spike responded. “You promised Dr. Hooves you’d meet with him at Discord’s Theatre.”

“Doctor… Hooves?” Twilight said confused.

“You know? Time Turner?” Spike clarified. “He made those flameless fireworks for Cranky and Matilda’s wedding?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Twilight remembered. “That was the day we fought the Bugbear and missed the wedding. Wait… since when have we called him ‘Dr. Hooves’?”

“I have no idea,” Spike answered honestly. “Pinkie started calling him that one day and the name stuck. She was going on about ‘fandoms’ this and ‘Bronies and Pegasisters’ that. Even said something about shipping between him and Derpy.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, having no idea what her assistant was talking about.

“I don’t know either,” Spike shrugged.

“Well either way, I ‘did’ promise to meet him at the theatre. I should probably get going.”

“Mind if I come too? I’ve got nothing going on today.”

“Not at all,” Twilight smiled. “I can use the company.”

The two emerged from the office and trotted through the many halls of the castle until eventually winding up in the foyer. There they spotted Cerise Hood, Ashlynn Ella, Madeline Hatter, and Briar Beauty, in their pony forms, talking amongst themselves. After meeting the girls during their latest adventure, discovering the horrible circumstances that had happened upon them, it was only fair that Twilight Sparkle offered them a place to stay in her castle. Since then, they’ve adapted to the pony life far better than expected.

“So apparently, a pedicure in this world is called a ‘hooficure’,” Briar explained to the girls. “I thought it seemed weird at first, but actually they’re totally spelltacular! Check out my hooves.”

She held up her recently polished hooves and before the eyes of her friends they sparkled like rubies.

“Wow, those are positively amazing!” Ashlyn admired. “I also have to say that the fashion here in Equestria is quite wonderful! Rarity’s shop is just filled with the most beautiful dresses I’ve ever seen!”

“Honestly, I’m more focused on all the sports here,” Cerise spoke up. “Apparently they play ‘buckball’, which is basically the pony version of ‘Bookball’. I thought about trying out for a team since I dominated back in Ever After High.”

“And Pinkie has been a super hat-tastic friend since we met!” Maddie smiled. “She can bake the most wonderful treats and pulls the most hilarious pranks.”

“Hello girls!” Twilight greeted, passing the group. “Any plans for today?”

“Not much really,” Briar answered. “We’re meeting with Apple and Raven when they come into town today.”

“That’s right, I nearly forgot that they and the princesses are stopping by,” Twilight remembered. “Well, I’ll let you girls carry on then. Spike and I are heading to town ourselves, to meet with Time Turner at the theatre. We’ll see you all later.”

The girls waved their goodbyes toward Twilight Sparkle and Spike, as the main doors of the castle paved way for the duo to depart. The doors sealed behind them as they began their trek across the town streets toward the theatre. As they walked, Spike decided to strike up a conversation concerning a rather pressing issue.

“Say Twilight, you ever notice that Maddie’s been acting strangely since we got home?” He asked.

“She is the Mad Hatter’s daughter, Spike,” Twilight pointed out. “From what we’re told about their world, I’m surprised she isn’t even stranger than what we’ve already seen.”

“Well yeah, ‘that’. But I mean she’s been acting strange in a way that doesn’t seem like her,” Spike pointed out. “She’s usually happy and cheerful all the time, but then she gets these moments where she’s sad and depressed. I’m worried about her.”

“Their entire world was basically burned to the ground from what they’ve told us,” Twilight added. “It doesn’t really surprise me all that much.”

“But the looks she has doesn’t seem like sadness of her world being gone, it’s like she’s carrying guilt about something… but what?”

Twilight thought over Spike’s words, trying to look back into her memories to see any merit to them. She could recall several times where she noticed Maddie sulking about the halls. Those days when she’d mumble something about ‘My fault…’ and ‘If they only knew’. Twilight admittedly hadn’t taken those words to heart, but now…

“Now that you mention it…”

“TWILIGHT!!!”

Both the pony princess and teenage dragon jumped over the loud yelling, turning their eyes toward none other than Rainbow Dash, the rainbow-maned Pegasus charging toward them at top velocity. The spitfire tomboy quickly skid to a halt just shy of crashing into the pair. Her eyes were wide as saucers, and the biggest smile was upon her face. The widest either of them had ever seen.

“Holy cow, Twilight! You’ll never believe this!” Rainbow said excitedly. “You’re never, ever, EVER going to believe this. Never! Guess what?!”

Twilight and Spike looked toward each other in confusion and shock as to why Rainbow Dash was so excited. Before they could question it further, however, the remainder of the Mane Six galloped their way alongside them. Twilight took notice that a few of them looked slightly disheveled and breathing heavily.

“There ya are, sugar cube!” Applejack said breathlessly. “Glad we finally done caught up to ya.”

“Now would you mind explaining why you ran us down?” Rarity asked, gesturing to her messy mane and coat. “Look what you did to my fabulous coat and mane! I spent all last night making it as pristine as could be. Now you messed it all up in mere seconds!”

Finally, Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and allowed herself a moment to calm down.

“Sorry about that guys, but I just couldn’t help myself,” She apologized. “I just learned the most awesome news ever!”

“And what would that be?” Fluttershy asked.

“Daring Do is coming to Ponyville!” Rainbow yelled excitedly.

“Seriously?!” Pinkie asked, smiling. “Wowie wow, wow! It’s been forever since I’ve seen her. Last time was when she wanted to retire, but only because she assumed she’d caused so much trouble in Somnambula. Then Rainbow Dash got captured, tied up in the pyramid, we’re leaping across the slime pit and…”

Once again, Twilight Sparkle encased Pinkie Pie in a magical bubble to keep them from hearing her long ranting. Nonetheless, every pony (Spike included) chuckled over their friend’s enthusiasm.

“That’s wonderful news, Rainbow,” Twilight smiled. “I’m glad your idol is coming to town. Did she specifically say why she’s coming?”

“That’s the coolest thing yet!” Rainbow added. “She wants to come here to see the magic television at Discord’s theatre. Apparently she’s heard all of our adventures and wants to see for herself.”

In a fashion completely unlike Rainbow Dash, the tomboy released a fangirlish squeal of excitement which for her was a very rare occurrence.

“Well ah fer one can’t wait till she gets here,” Applejack smirked. “It’s been too long since we last seen her.”

“I can’t wait to hear what she’s been up to all this time,” Spike spoke up. “No doubt she’s had her own series of amazing adventures.”

“You have no idea.”

A new voice entered the conversation propelling every pony to see none other than Daring Do herself walking toward them. The adventurous explorer pony looked just the same as she always did. Standing before them in her signature explorer polo, pent helmet, and the compass cutie mark upon her flank. The moment Rainbow’s eyes fell upon her idol, she immediately leapt up and gave an excited cry of excitement.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Daring Do!” She squealed, racing toward her. “You’re finally here! How have you been? Any new adventures to talk about? What about Dr. Caballeron? Have you found him yet? Give him a good punch just for me?

“Whoa, whoa, calm down Rainbow,” Daring spoke calmly. “One question at a time.”

“Sorry,” Rainbow apologized, with a blush. “It’s just been so long since we’ve seen you; I’m just so excited you’re here!”

“I can see that,” Daring chuckled. “To answer your questions: I’ve been staying busy. I’ve had plenty of new adventures to add for my new book. I haven’t found Caballeron yet, but I’m sure I will soon enough. But I haven’t come to talk to you of my adventures; I came to hear yours.”

Rainbow’s smile grew larger as the rest of her friends came alongside her.

“Well, you’re in luck,” Twilight told her. “I was just on my way to meet with Time Turner at Discord’s Theatre to work on the machine. If you’d like to come along, you can see it for yourself.”

“I’d like that very much,” Daring nodded.

“I’ll lead the way!” Rainbow yelled.

The excited tomboy quickly raced alongside her idol, placing a wing casually around her shoulder as they marched the path toward the theatre.

“But seriously, ‘any’ new adventures you want to talk about?” She asked again.

Daring Do merely smiled with a roll of her eyes over her friend’s excitement, as did the rest of the Mane Six and Spike. Nevertheless, they continued their way down the path towards Discord’s Theatre.

<>

Upon their arrival, Twilight Sparkle smiled at the sight of Time Turner standing before the front of the theatre doors. The scientific Earth pony stallion waved toward them as they approached.

“Ah good, glad to see you’ve arrived!” He greeted. “It’s quite nice seeing you all once again. And what’s this I see? Seems you’ve brought some company.”

Daring Do stepped up and extended her hoof toward the good doctor.

“It’s nice to meet you, Time Turner,” She greeted kindly.

To which the doctor reached out and shook her hoof in return.

“The pleasure’s all mine to meet the one and only Daring Do,” He replied. “It’s an honor to meet another hero.

“I’m no hero really,” Daring brushed off.

“Are you kidding?” Rainbow interrupted. “You’re as much a hero as the rest of us. The things you’ve done are nothing short of awesome and legendary.”

“Honestly Rainbow, I think you give me a little too much credit,” Daring chuckled.

“No way, you’re totally…”

The sound of someone clearing their throat stopped the two in their tracks as they turned back toward Time Turner.

“Forgive me for sounding impatient, ladies, but I’m quite excited to get a close look at this extraordinary machine,” Time Turner beckoned.

“Well, I won’t keep you waiting any longer,” Twilight responded. “Right this way.”

Using her magic, Twilight Sparkle unlocked the doors and pushed them open. Soon she led the rest of the group inside the theatre. Making their way toward the front, they passed along the stage and marched into the backstage area where they kept the television. The moment his eyes caught sight of the television, that was when Time Turner approached with admiration toward its splendor.

“Great wickering stallions!” He spoke in amazement. “It’s even more magnificent up close!”

Taking a closer inspection, Turner circled behind the television to study the remainder of the machine it was wired to.

“Ah, I see you’ve wired this device with an electromagnetic frequency converter to better calibrate the high level of proton generation,” He observed.

“That’s right,” Twilight nodded. “If I hadn’t, we’d be teleported to places at random. Thanks to this converter, we’re able to preselect the hyper-dynamic setting to better accommodate our travels.”

Hearing these two brainy ponies discussing these matters made Rainbow Dash drone off to sleep. That is until Applejack used her tail to deliver a quick hard swat along the flank.

“Ow!” She yelled, massaging her backside. “What the hay was that for?”

“Don’t be rude, hun!” She scolded quietly.

“You know all that egghead talk puts me to sleep,” Rainbow complained. “That doesn’t mean you have to slap me right in the flank. It’s sensitive.”

“Ya sure didn’t seem tah mind it when we did the same thing last night,” Applejack smirked.

Rainbow quickly shushed her marefriend with a hoof over her mouth, unable to hide her blush.

“No bringing up bedroom stuff around company!” She whispered, gesturing to Daring Do.

“Honestly, you two shouldn’t even be discussing it in public at all,” Rarity cringed.

As the group talked amongst themselves, Daring Do approached Time Turner to examine the television for herself.

“I can’t believe you stumbled upon this in the Everfree,” She said.

“I know what you mean,” Twilight agreed. “It seemed like a pretty random thing to just stumble upon. Though I’m developing a theory that it’s been left there intentionally for me to find it.”

As the two talked, all of a sudden, the television started to shake. Every pony stepped back as they watched the machine shake and rumble.

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked in confusion.

Soon the back of the device started to spark, blowing a couple gaskets within the teleportation machine.

“It appears the electromagnetic frequency generator is malfunctioning,” Time Turner observed nervously. “Prolonged use of the device has caused it to break down from the inside and now it appears to be causing fluctuations in time.”

“And that’s… bad?” Pinkie asked curiously.

“I’m assuming it is, Pinkie,” Fluttershy nodded nervously.

Suddenly, the machine opened up a swirling vortex channeling a force so great that it sucked every pony, and Spike, in its path. Helplessly they found themselves screaming and flailing about as they flew toward the device. Their screams grew, then faded as they slipped through the void heading Celestia only knows where…

… or when…

<>
Isla Nublar
120 miles west of Costa Rica…

Two pairs of eyes stared toward a restless night in the jungle. Both of them big, yellowish, distinctively inhuman. They sat hunched together staring raptly between metal slats, which turned out to be part of a large crate of sorts. How they got into this mess? Where had they come from? Who wanted them trapped in this manner? They couldn’t tell, but their eyes darted from side to side, alert as hell.

All they knew for certain were two things… they were taken someplace to what they could imagine was the middle of nowhere. The other matter being… they weren’t alone.

As their eyes peeked from the cage, their cage was surrounded by a group of strange creatures walking on two legs, wearing an extra layer of fur, and holding strange sticks. One of them, a grim-faced man, seemed to be in charge whether they were aware of it or not. One of the creatures approached this man, reading the look of concern on his face.

“Pense que solo triamos uno,” One creature said. (I thought we were only bringing in one.)

“They’re a special breed that come from associates of John Hammond,” The grim-faced man answered, in English. “I’m instructed to make sure they arrive at the park unharmed. See to it that their transfer is secured.”

The one creature spoke that strange language again as others proceeded toward the cage. The eyes darted around as they snarled toward the beings. Under shouts and orders from the grim-faced man, their cage was brought toward the doors as another man climbed up the ladder and slowly opened the doorway toward what appeared to be trees before them. But soon, they were prodded by the sticks and hissed when they felt a sting upon their back ends. They were forcibly pushed forward as they made their way toward what appeared to be jungle, only to find it covered by metal walls and fencing of sorts. By the time they were pushed through, the doors were slammed shut behind them followed by a buzzing sound.

Wherever they were… they were trapped in this strange place with seemingly hostile creatures. Only to find, within a matter of seconds, that they weren’t the only ones.

The jungle went silent for a second until a roar rose across the trees and brush, a sound so deafening. The trees shook as something very, very large plowed ahead toward a group of crewmen in blue suits and orange hardhats standing before the jungle entrance. All heads gathered as the little clearing snapped, turning their eyes toward the direction of the sound as something burst through the trees.

Among those armed with tasers and other means of defense was the grim-faced man, Robert Muldoon by name. But unlike the other workers, he was the only one armed with a shotgun and the only weapon made to kill if he needed to. He came prepared for something that was heading toward them, something very big… something dangerous. Eventually, what he and his crew were anticipating made its presence felt as the trees split apart forming a pathway to enter.

A crane-like bulldozer carried its scoop and pushed forward into the back end of the large metal container, shoving it across the jungle floor towards an impressive-looking fenced paddock that toward over an enclosed section of thick jungle. A guard tower stood at one end of this holding, like something out of San Quentin. The people were barking orders as the crane carried the metal container forward toward the back end.

“Everybody, heads up! Heads up!” One worker ordered. “Keep it clear! Stand back! Bring it forward. Come on! Slow it down!”

“Andale! Si! Cuidado! A ver, traiganla, traiganla! Vamos con la segunda!” (Hurry up! That’s it! Careful! Come on, bring her in, bring her in! Let’s do the second one now!)

“Confirmada la secunda!” (Second one confirmed!)

The metal container hit the floor with a great thud. A door slid open in the pen, making a space as big as the end of the crate. Nobody moved for a second, until the grim-faced man approached eyeing the container. Growling could be heard within, as another pair of eyes stared back toward the man.

“Okay, pushing team move in there!” Robert Muldoon ordered.

Workers shouted orders in Spanish, beckoning the loading team to move toward the cage.

“Empujen! Cuidado. Vamos, vamos!” (Push! Careful. Let’s go, go!)

“I want tasers on full charge!” Muldoon added.

The loading team reached to grab the cage; the movement agitated whatever was inside the cage. A terrifying shriek frightened them away, and the cage shook a bit as whatever inside growled and snapped for their hands.

“Alright, steady!” Muldoon continued. “Go on. Step back in there now. Don’t let her know you’re afraid!”

“Adelante, empujen! Empujen!” (Let’s go, push! Push!)

“And push!”

The workers reapproached the cage and began to push it into the paddock entrance slot. The crate thudded against the opening and a green light along the side of the pen lit up, an electronic buzz indicated contact was made once more.

From inside the secondary crate, the eyes could see through the other side – jungle foliage, men with rifles, searchlights shining against it. The view was herky-jerk as the crate slipped into position.

“We’re locked! Loading team, step away!” Muldoon ordered. “Gatekeeper!”

The Gatekeeper once again climbed to the very top of the cage. The creature within the cage looked up and snarled toward the man standing above him.

“Jophery, raise the gate!” Muldoon ordered.

The man, Jophery by name, grabbed for the gate and slowly began to raise it when all at once –

*ROAR!!!*

The creature suddenly shrieked from inside the crate, and rammed the back of the cage, shoving the metal container backward and knocked Jophery clear off the crate. Now everything happened at once. The worker landed with a thud upon the jungle floor, the crate jerked away from the mouth of the holding pen flash, an alarm buzzer sounded –

And a claw slashed out from inside the metal crate, sinking into the ankle of the worker, dragging Jophery toward the dark mouth between the crate and the pen. Jophery screamed and pawed the dirt, leaving long claw marks as he was rapidly dragged toward the crate. Muldoon shouted orders as he raced to grab hold of him.

“Block the opening! Don’t let her get out!”

“Somebody help him!” A worker shouted.

“Tasers get in there, Goddamn it!”

The two pair of eyes watched intensely as something was dragging the poor man so hard he momentarily slipped from the grim man’s grasp. But the man was able to catch him, struggling to pull him out as the worker was screaming in agony. Chaos erupted around the pen as the workers gathered toward the cage and pen, trying to come to the man’s aid.

“Work her back!” Muldoon shouted.

All the workers proceeded to taser the creature, firing their guns as the metal cage shook about. For whatever was in there, the creature was looking Muldoon straight in the eye. The efforts of these men seemed fruitless, even using a large beam or bar to pry this creature off Jophery proved ill-effective. Jophery groaned in Muldoon’s hands, as the latter tried desperately to hold onto whatever life remained.

“Shoot her! SHOOT HER!!!”

Amidst the wild arcs of currents from the stung gun flash, all the cracking happening around them, everything happened for the pair of creatures eyeing the bloody scene deep within their pen. Slowly, Jophery slipped away from the grim man’s hold, drawing his last agonizing breath as the creature pulled him away from the man’s grip. The gunfire kept thundering, but it was too little, too late…

The worker… was gone.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

Author's Note

Everyone please be sure to thank Mr. Drama for all his amazing work on these last two chapters.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

Finally, Grant, along with the kids, the ponies, and Spike reached the deserted visitor’s center. A large sign that said ‘When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth…’ drooped overhead. Grant now carried Tim, weakened and his hands wrapped in cloth but conscious.

“Hello?!” Grant yelled.

But answer there came none.

“Where is every pony?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“I reckon most of the staff left the port when that their storm came,” Applejack confirmed. “The others must be somewhere on this island.”

They were walking through the visitor’s center when a commotion made them stop. They drew their heads toward the doorway to the restaurant.

“I think there’s something behind that door…” Rainbow Dash whispered.

Nodding their heads slowly, Applejack and Derring Do followed Rainbow Dash, leaning cautiously toward the door. Spike and Fluttershy stayed with the kids, the latter shivering frightfully. Rainbow Dash slowly leaned her hoof along the door’s surface. Taking a deep breath, she made to open it…

“HI GUYS!” Pinkie greeted, opening the door.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

High pitch screamed went loose as Pinkie Pie was staring… at Rainbow Dash, who freaked out like a little girl. All eyes turned toward Rainbow Dash who stood at an awkward position looking from Pinkie Pie to her friends then back to Pinkie. The rainbow-haired Pegasus quickly adjusted her mane and cleared her throat.

“I almost bucked you in the face!” Rainbow hissed.

“… Kinky!” Pinkie smiled.

“NOT LIKE THAT!”

<>

Eventually, the group made it into the restaurant. Grant and Daring Do carefully set Tim on a chair at one of the tables. Lex and the other ponies sat across from him. Pinkie Pie proceeded to take out her radio and turned it on.

“Pink Diamond calling Purple Rain! Pink Diamond calling Purple Rain!” Pinkie spoke, in code. “Come in, Purple Rain! Over!”

But the walkie-talkie merely responded with static. Pinkie waited for a few seconds but got no response.

“Oh, guess she didn’t get the code,” Pinkie shrugged, trying again. “Pinkie to Twilight! Come in, Twilight! Grant and the others arrived safely! We’re waiting at the restaurant! Over!”

Again, only static. Pinkie Pie slapped the radio along the side. But all she got was status, even when changing the channels.

“I hope those things weren’t expensive…”

“I am gonna have to find the others and get ‘you’ to a doctor,” Grant told Tim. “Will you look after Tim, girls?”

“Yes…” Lex and Fluttershy answered, scared as hell.

“Spike, you should rest here with the others while Grant, Rainbow, and I look for the others,” Daring Do responded.

“Fine by me!” Spike sighed, leaning back. “I think I’ve had enough excitement today!”

“I oughta come too!” Applejack offered. “For safety!”

Daring Do and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, Rainbow Dash nodding with assurance.

“Fine with me,” Daring Do shrugged. “We’ll need the strongest ponies for this trip anyway.

Nodding in agreement, Grant took one look at Tim for a second.

“Your hair’s all standing up,” Grant chuckled.

He gently rearranged Tim’s hair, which was wild and all over the place. Tim looked up at him weakly, managing a smile to which Grant smiled back.

“Big Tim, the human piece of toast,” Grant joked.

Tim laughed and Grant paused for a second, as if debating something.

“Yes… I’m fine…” Spike interrupted. “No, really. It was no problem. I get barbecued all the time saving lives. Glad you thought of it.”

The group turned toward Spike, who leaned back casually along one of the empty chairs. But they let it slide for now.

“Thanks for trying to help my brother,” Lex answered quietly.

“I’ll take it,” Spike replied.

“Be back soon, guys,” Grant assured. “I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?” Pinkie called out.

But Grant left before he even made the gestures, to which Pinkie pouted a bit. As he went across the lobby of the visitor’s center to the outside, they could see his silhouette, moving through a translucent mural depicting dinosaurs in various natural settings. It was quiet for a second as the kids and Equestrians looked at each other. Tim and Spike go across the room, Pinkie Pie skipping behind, to an all-you-can-eat table on the other side loaded with all kinds of food.

“Boy, they sure were expecting us to come by,” Spike observed.

“Actually, it was all like this when Twilight got us back here,” Pinkie replied. “Didn’t want it to go to waste.”

“As long as it’s safe to eat… I’m hungry,” Fluttershy sighed.

“It sure is! And tasty too! Well, come on, every pony! Help yourselves!”

Quickly, the ponies, along with the kids and Spike proceeded to pile some food onto some plates and grabbed a few utensils. They proceeded to bring the food back to their table for a well-deserved meal.

<>

Outside, Grant and his Equestrian group crossed the path towards Hammond’s compound, their eyes darting side-to-side. They really had no idea where they needed to go nor if there were any other carnivores lurking about. All they knew was that they needed to stay close and try not to attract any unwanted attention. While Daring Do was keeping watch over Grant, Rainbow Dash slowly approached Applejack.

“A.J., can we talk for a moment?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Actually, I’ve been meanin’ to talk to yah too…” Applejack admitted.

The two ponies took a deep breath and…

“It’s about Daring Do…” They said in unison. “Wait what?

“Did… you want to go first?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“No, no. It’s fine!” Applejack chuckled nervously. “Wut did you want to say?”

“You’re not jealous that I’ve been spending some time with Daring Do, are you?

“Why does every pony use the ‘jealousy’ card with me?” Applejack groaned, annoyed. “I promise hon… I ain’t jealous of no pony. I’m jus’… mighty bit concerned, that’s all.”

“I just don’t want you to think Daring Do is taking your place or anything,” Rainbow Dash assured. “It’s just not every day a pony like me gets to have an adventure with their favorite idol. And that’s something considering Daring Do usually prefers working alone.”

“I know… that really shouldn’t bother me,” Applejack sighed. “It’s just… she seems so… perfect and you two have a lot in common. You’re cunning, fierce, determined… heck, Daring Do seems ‘way’ smarter than me. I mean… ya’ll practically look alike--

“A.J., A.J., A.J.,” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m going to stop you right there. There’s nothing between me and Daring Do… no way! She’s like an older sister I never had. She’ll go back to doing her temple runs flying solo or collaborating with that Doctor guy on another book. Meanwhile, I still have ‘you’. We go on adventures together every day, and you’re the only pony who makes me feel ‘awesome’… the only pony who can go hoof-to-hoof with me.

“You’re the only mare for me, Applejack. No pony is ever going to come between us.”

“Wow… I had it all wrong about ya,” Applejack smiled, tearfully. “You really do care about me.”

“Hey… they don’t call me the Element of Loyalty for the fancy title,” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Besides, it’s not like Daring Do’s entirely perfect. Don’t get me wrong, her books are ‘awesome’ and I always look forward to the next one. But she kind of threw out her pseudonym thing out of the blue and I’m thinking… ‘I thought she wanted to keep that secret’ or something.

“Yeah, that was confusing… wait!” Applejack paused, realizing. “You knew!”

“You knew?!” Rainbow Dash replied, stunned. “Wow… I mean I was going to talk to you about it first, but what with the dinosaurs rampaging—”

“Hold on!” Applejack paused, raising her ear. “Did ya’ll hear that?”

Sure enough, there was shouting trying to reach them from a distance. The two mares, including Grant and Daring Do, turned to the side… and saw Ellie, along with Twilight and Rarity, practically dragging themselves from the bunker. The ponies waved to them, shouting something faint.

Grant furrowed his brow, walking towards the trio. Ellie shouted louder; Grant walked faster. He’s closer now, and he could finally make out what she’s shouting.

“Run!” Ellie shouted.

Grant, along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, raced towards Ellie and their friends, with Daring Do hovering from behind. Grant raced towards Ellie, who ran into his arms. The ponies practically piled against each other, laughing hysterically as if they had been apart for a thousand years.

“Thank Celestia ya’ll are alright!” Applejack sighed with relief. “Where’s the Doc?”

“Whooves is with Malcolm and Hammond back at the bunker,” Rarity answered.

“What about the others?” Twilight asked, gasping in horror. “Where’re the kids?!”

<>

Back at their table, Lex and Fluttershy were digging in, munching on vegetables. While Fluttershy ate casually, Lex practically grabbed the food with two hands. Tim, along with Pinkie Pie and Spike, were enjoying their food too. Only most of their food was cakes and other sweets. Pinkie and Spike were practically eating like anime characters, while Tim took a spoonful of food and stuffed it into his mouth.

Lex was about to have a spoonful of lime Jell-O from one of the plastic dinosaur egg cups – but her hand froze halfway to her mouth. Tim, along with Pinkie and Spike, looked up seeing the expression on Lex’s face. Lex was staring over their shoulder, eyes wide, the Jell-O quivering in her shaky hands. But she’s not the only one… Fluttershy had a look of horror and her yellow fur slowly turned white.

“What’s wrong?” Spike asked.

Without saying a word, Fluttershy pointed rapidly with her hoof. Confused, Spike pointed over the shoulder his friend was pointing. Sure enough, there was a growling side just behind them where the mural was. Spike gulped nervously, as his face dropped.

“Parasaurolophus?” Spike asked weakly.

But Fluttershy only shook her head, trying so hard not to cry. Tim, Spike, and Pinkie slowly turned around. Behind them, one of the silhouettes on the mural was a raptor, in a hunting pose. While they stare, the silhouette of a real raptor moved out from behind it and crept forward, into the lobby of the visitor’s center. Pinkie Pie almost screamed but Spike quickly covered her mouth tightly, just in the nick of time.

<>

The kids, the ponies, and Spike quickly ducked into the kitchen, Lex pulling the shiny metal door shut as quietly as she could. It latched with a distinctive ‘click’, but there’s no lock. She raced to a panel of light switches and killed them all, plunging the room into semidarkness. She helped Tim down an aisle, while Spike followed Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. The kids hid at the end, behind a counter, breathing hard. The ponies and Spike hid behind another counter, the teen dragon trying to crouch as low as possible.

A raptor’s head popped into view, visible through the round window in the middle of the kitchen door. It just took a moment, its breath steaming against the window. Through the window, as the steam evaporated, the raptor could see a part of Tim not entirely hidden by the counter. In the kitchen, Tim and Lex remained frozen in fear as the raptor first sniffed the bottom of the door, then thumped its head against it. But the door didn’t budge… yet the Equestrians knew it was all a matter of time.

“This is way more stressful than going to the dentist!” Pinkie whimpered, quietly.

<>

Back in the bunker, John Hammond stood between Grant, Ellie, and the Equestrians in the bunker. The ponies watched as Grant racked the bolts on a ten gauge shotgun.

“It’s just the two raptors, right?” Grant asked the girls.

“We think so…” Twilight Sparkle guessed. “Muldoon went to see if he could get to ‘one’… but I don’t think he made it.”

“Great wickering stallions…” Time Turner gasped.

“What about the third one?” Daring Do asked. “Is it contained?

“Yes,” Ellie answered. “Unless they figured out how to open doors.”

“But that’s crazy…” Rainbow chuckled, anxiously. “Raptors aren’t ‘that’ smart… are they?”

“Wait a moment!” Applejack realized. “If there’s still two raptors on the loose, and if they knew where people were comin’ from, they’d follow the scent to know where the rest of us are. And if they’re not comin’ fur us…”

Applejack gasped upon realizing something.

“THEY WENT BACK FUR THE YOUNG’INS!!!”

<>

Outside the kitchen door, the raptor stared down at the door handle, cocking its head curiously. It snarled and bumped the door handle with its head, but that didn’t do anything. It reached out, toward the handle, with one clawed hand. Tim, Lex, and the Equestrians stared in shock as the door handle started to turn and the door opened.

“Timmy, what is it?” Fluttershy asked, quietly.

“It’s a Velociraptor…” Tim whispered back.

“It’s inside…” Lex gasped, silently.

“That’s… a velociraptor?” Spike spied.

“Well… good thing it’s just one and not the pack …” Pinkie Pie sighed with relief. “Wait… was that a hand?”

The first raptor stood in the doorway, drawing itself up to its full height, and looked around the kitchen. Then it proceeded to make some sort of signal, calling out for something. It was so horrible that the kids and their friends covered their ears. But that wasn’t even the worst part.

For soon, a second raptor joined it in the doorway. They moved into the room, brushing against each other. The first raptor snapped at the second, as if saying, ‘Keep your distance’.

“And… there it is…” Spike cringed.

“Kids… follow us!” Fluttershy gestured.

The raptors proceeded to split up, taking two different aisles. With the ponies and Spike taking the lead, Tim and Lex crawled away. It was difficult for Tim because he was awfully weak and it still hurt to move. Still, they crawled down the third aisle, around the other side of the counter from the raptors, moving in the opposite direction.

As the anxious group moved past the raptors, one of their tails smacked into some pots and pans, knocking them off the counter. They fell on top of them, but somehow they managed to keep quiet. They moved quickly as one of the raptors dipped down, searching through an open cabinet to inspect the racket. They managed to reach the end of the aisle and rounded a corner -- but Fluttershy and Tim fell behind. At some point, they accidentally brushed against some hanging kitchen utensils and froze.

The raptor’s head searched left and right while the pony and Tim held their breath. But finding nothing, the head reeled itself back through the hole. Just when they felt they were safe, a ladle clattered on the ground. Fluttershy whimpered, closing her eyes tightly as both raptors turned, confused by the strange metallic sound. One of the raptors jumped onto the counter, knocking more kitchen stuff to the floor. They moved, right toward their direction, heading right for the frightened pair.

Their friends tried to usher them to crawl toward them, but Tim and Fluttershy merely shook their heads too scared to try. The raptor on the floor sniffed the area, following the scent. It was just about to turn the corner toward where Tim and Fluttershy sat, the latter whimpering and leaned against Timmy preparing for the worst. Exposed, exhausted, it looked to be the end for the pair as the raptor got closer…

Suddenly, both raptors stopped when they heard a clicking sound and singing from the other end of the aisle.

Pinkie Pie (Sings):
Roll back the rock to the dawn of time
When the Earth was smokin’ and the lava flowed!

Sure enough, it was Pinkie Pie singing a jingle and Lex tapping a spoon on the floor to distract them. The raptor on the counter leapt down, starting cautiously toward Lex’s noise, leaving Tim and Fluttershy for now. Quickly, Pinkie Pie pointed to the nearest steel cabinet behind Lex, its sliding door open. They proceeded to crawl inside, silently.

From another hiding spot, Spike peeked over seeing one of the raptors eyeing the two girls, snarling, and revealing its teeth. While Lex and Pinkie squirmed together, they tried to pull the overhead door to the cabinet shut. The one raptor had just rounded and corner seeing their reflection on the shiny cabinet front. Lex and Pinkie tried frantically to lower the cabinet door, however…

“It’s stuck!” Pinkie hissed.

The raptor pounced, charging toward Lex and Pinkie Pie, smashing more stuff around with its tail. Lex kept tugging on the cover, to no avail, screaming in panic as the girls braced themselves--

THUD! Lex’s raptor crashed into a shiny surface bearing their reflection. As it turned out, it chased the wrong image and it sagged to the floor, semiconscious. Pinkie Pie and Lex proceeded to crawl out the steel cabinet, crawling away while the raptor was done.

Seeing the girls were safe, Tim and Fluttershy turned and saw a walk-in freezer in the far wall, the kind with a pin-locking handle. Tim and Fluttershy then looked at each other, the pony could tell what he was thinking… and she didn’t like where it was going. But they knew what needed to be done. Taking a few deep breaths, Fluttershy assumed the position, and summing what little strength they had left -- they made a break for the walk-in freezer. Poor Tim was limping, dragging himself, really moving like a wounded prey now, and -- Fluttershy wasn’t doing any better being she wasn’t the fastest pony.

The other raptor spotted them and pounced after them with a snarl. Tim’s raptor charged after them, just enough open floor space between them. Just when the raptor had caught up, Fluttershy and Tim reached the freezer, ripped the door open and fell inside. The floor was cold and slick, their feet going right out from under them. They sprawled across the floor, rolling out of the way -- and the raptor slipped and fell into the freezer too, right past them.

“Hurry, Tim!” Fluttershy shouted.

Soon as Fluttershy helped him up, Tim dragged himself to his feet and followed the timid Pegasus out of the freezer. The raptor made one last lunge, right on their heels, its mouth wide open -- but Pinkie Pie, and the ‘real’ Lex screamed slamming the door shut just as their friends were in the clear. The raptor’s head got caught for a second, struggling to push through. Then another shout emerged, as Spike flew toward the door and assumed a…

“FLYING KICK!!!” Spike shouted.

The maneuver sent the raptor retreating back, and the group got the door shut all the way. The raptor roared, screaming inside. But Lex merely jammed the pin through the handle, locking it in.

“If that doesn’t put that raptor to sleep, I’ll eat Twilight’s book!” Spike sighed, exhausted.

“Let’s get out of here!” Fluttershy cried out.

By then, the other raptor slowly recovered. Staggering to its feet, groggily smashing into stuff all over the kitchen. It just saw the Equestrians and the children taking off, Lex holding Tim again for support. Watching them take off, a look of evil intentions filled the raptor’s face.

<>

Tim, Lex, and their friends hurried across the restaurant, staring back over their shoulders in case the other raptor was coming. They suddenly crashed into Grant and Ellie, along with the remainder of the Equestrians.

“Are you guys, okay?” Time Turner asked.

“We just trapped one of those raptors in the ice box!” Spike gasped, breathing heavily.

“But the other one’s in there!” Fluttershy pointed back.

“Control room,” Ellie instructed.

Without a second thought, the group made their way out of the restaurant while Grant kept watch, his gun at the ready. As the group left the restaurant and prepared to run, Spike stopped and noticed the doorway leading outside the center. An idea suddenly dawned upon him. He first checked back on the group who were leaving without him, then back at the door. His face soon grew determined as he knew what he had to do.

<>

Unaware of Spike’s intent, Grant, Ellie, the kids, and the Equestrians raced down the second floor corridor toward the control room. But because Tim was still not in good shape, Grant carried Tim the rest of the way. The door to the control room smacked open and the entire group burst in. Ellie headed straight for Nedry’s computer terminal. Grant moved Tim to the side and raced back to the door to lock it.

“We can call for help?!” Lex asked hopefully.

“We’ve got to reboot the system first!” Ellie responded.

Ellie sat at the computer, studying the screen. It’s flashing to her, dominated by a maze-like grid. She studied it, confused. Grant and Twilight were at the door when they realized something.

“Oh, no!” Twilight stared horrified. “This is a problem…”

“The door locks--” Grant called out. “Ellie! Boot up the door locks!”

“Spike, I need you to--”

Twilight paused when she looked around, counting the number of heads in the room.

“Where’s Spike?!”

POW!!!

Something struck the door, hard, from the outside, knocking Twilight and Grant back. The kids and the other ponies screamed, as Grant hurled his back against it -- losing his gun in the process. Grant struggled to keep the door closed, as the raptor reached in trying to scratch him.

“ALAN!!!” The ponies screamed.

Turning quickly, Ellie leapt out of the chair and raced over to the door to help him. Thinking quickly, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Derring Do race to the door adding their combined weight against the door. The raptor snarled, snapping its jaws, ramming itself against the door. The group tried to prevent the beast from forcing its way into the control room. This was all the group could do to hold the door against the onslaught, but it bucked against them viciously.

“Ellie -- get back and boot up the door locks!” Grant grunted.

“You can’t hold it by yourself!” Ellie shouted back.

Over at the computer, Lex slid quickly into the command chair at Nedry’s terminal. She stared at the screen for a moment as the rest joined in.

“Great wickering stallions…” Time Turner gaped. “What is all this?”

“This is a Unix system,” Lex answered. “I know this. It’s the files for the whole park. It’s like a phone book -- it tells you everything.”

“You can hack your way through this, right?”

“If I can find the right file.”

“Great… how hard can that be?”

“Try to reach the gun!” Grant called.

Twilight Sparkle saw that their human companions and a majority of the Equestrians were preoccupied trying to keep the door shut. Acting quickly, Twilight Sparkle used her magic to levitate the gun off the ground and, while unfamiliar with the tool, attempted to aim it toward the raptor, whose head was barely visible in the window.

In the meantime, Lex’s fingers started flying over the keyboard. Tim and Fluttershy watched, amazed as the computer seemed to respond to Lex’s commands. The same could not be said for Twilight. Despite trying to aim the gun, she couldn’t get a clear shot. Not without risking the safety of the humans or her friends.

“Shoot her Twilight!” Daring Do called out. “Shoot her now!

“I can’t unless you move!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Tensions were running high as Lex tried to search the computer’s system, trying to find a single file amongst an entire network of data. The raptor was determined to push its way inside, opening the door just wide enough for its claws to clutch inside. Desperate, an idea quickly came to Daring Do who took out Grant’s claw that Rainbow gave her. Shouting, she proceeded to slash against the raptor’s fingers who squealed from the pain.

Scrolling across the system, Lex stumbled upon a set of files called ‘Physical Security’.

“This is it! This might be the right file!” Lex guessed.

But when she scrolled the mouse toward one of the links, it read ‘Chemical’.

“Oh no, this isn’t the right file.”

“C’mon, Lex!” Tim encouraged.

“You can do it, Lexie!” Pinkie cheered. “It’s got to be one of them.”

“What about ‘that’ menu?!” Time Turner pointed out.

Reaching another menu, Lex spotted a box on the screen that read ‘VISITOR’S CENTER’. She reached out and clicked the mouse. Soon, the system reboot was in effect activating all the devices. Every marker that said ‘unlocked’ in red letters shifted to ‘Secured’ in green.

“There it is, I got it!” Lex said excitedly.

“SHE GOT IT!!!” Fluttershy cheered loudly.

By the time Grant pushed the raptor back, the door latch panel buzzed as the humans and Equestrians put everything they had into it. Finally, the door latched shut, locking the raptor outside.

“We… DID IT!!!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Oh, thank Celestia!” Twilight sighed, dropping the gun.

All the Equestrians cheered and laughed hysterically, Rarity literally crying tears of joy. Applejack and Rainbow Dash embraced one another, the latter even reeling Daring Do in who accepted… albeit awkwardly. Pinkie Pie made for the window and proceeded to make faces toward the raptor, shaking her tail at its face while the raptor just sneered.

“What works?” Grant asked Lex.

“Phone security systems, everything works!” Lex declared, satisfied. “You ask for it, we got it!”

“Make the call, Dr. Grant!” Daring Do instructed. “We’re out of here!

<>

Hammond was checking up on Malcolm when the phone suddenly rang. The two looked at each other, wide-eyed. Hammond lunged for it.

“Grant?!”

“Mr. Hammond… the phones are working,” Grant answered.

“The children alright?” Hammond asked anxiously.

<>

Amidst the call, all the screens in the control room had come alive now. The data scrolled by at incredible speed as every remaining system in the park came back online. Ellie sat at the keyboard with Lex, figuring things out, while everyone else gathered together beside their human companions. Grant was on the phone, holding the rifle with his free hand.

“The children are fine,” Grant assured.

“Thank God,” Hammond sighed in relief.

“Call the mainland. Tell them to send the damn helicopters.”

Suddenly, Grant stopped in the middle of his sentence when the sound of glass breaking drew everyone and every pony to the side.

“THEY’RE COMING THROUGH THE GLASS!!!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

A few screams cut in, followed by three shots, and a horrible clunking as the phone dropped.

“Grant!” Hammond yelled into the phone. “GRANT!”

Grant’s rifle lay on the floor, smoking, several spent shells alongside it. The front window of the control room had three huge impact shatter patterns in the glass, where the gunshots hit. But not a trace of blood was found.

“He missed every shot…” Fluttershy panicked. “He missed every shot!”

“No time to panic!” Applejack yelled. “We gotta find another way out!”

“The crawl spaces!” Twilight Sparkle pointed up. “That’s our exit!”

Twilight Sparkle, and those able to fly, made their way into the open panel through the ceiling, working their way into the crawl space. Fortunately, the control room happened to have a ladder which Grant set up under the panel. The kids and the other Equestrians proceeded to climb up through the ceiling, while Ellie and Grant followed. Grant looked toward the front window, scared as hell--

*SHATTER*

Amidst a shower of glass, the raptor exploded into the control room. It landed on its feet on a workstation console, images from wall projectors falling across its head. Grant vaulted himself up into the ceiling and knocked aside the ladder with his feet. The raptor tilted its head curiously, looking up at the swaying ceiling.

Once in the crawl space, Grant, Ellie, the kids, and the Equestrians dashed across the ceiling panels, moving fast, but carefully, so as not to break through.

*SMASH*

The raptor’s head burst through a panel behind them, leaping up at them, snarling and snapping its jaws. It dropped down again, and they keep moving forward. But now it erupted through a panel in front of them. They scream, its teeth click just inches in front of Rarity --

“Get away from me, you brute!” Rarity shrieked.

Rarity shot the raptor in the face with one beam, sending it falling back to the floor of the control room. Grant looked around frantically before spotting an air duct a few yards away.

“Follow me!” Grant called out.

They moved for it, but the raptor’s head crashed through the ceiling again, this time right underneath Lex. She screamed as she was lifted up, atop its head, and pinned to the ceiling above.

“LEX!!!” The girls screamed.

Grant and Applejack smashed their boot/hooves respectively against the side of the raptor’s head. The raptor slammed at him, latching onto Grant’s boot for a second before the raptor’s own weight pulled it back down.

Lex nearly went down with the raptor, spinning into the hole in the ceiling, tumbling down. Fortunately, Grant and Applejack grabbed her by the collar at the last second, but Lex dangled there, above the raptor. The animal flipped over onto its feet and crouched to pounce just as man and pony summoned their strength and jerked Lex back into the ceiling. The raptor sprung, but it was too late. The trio scrambled over to the air duct, joining the others inside it.

The group crawled through the air duct as fast as they could, the thin metal booming and creasing around them. They reached a metal gate that showed daylight beneath. Grant reached out and pulled it up. Through the gate, they could see the lobby of the visitor’s center below. They’re directly above the skeletons of the dinosaurs, the T-rex, and the sauropod it was attacking. The unfinished skeletons are surrounded by scaffolding.

“Final stop! Visitor’s Center; main floor!” Pinkie Pie announced.

“Come on, every pony!” Twilight ushered.

Grant and the others climbed down from the air duct and onto a platform of the scaffolding that stood alongside the skeletons. They continued down to the second platform, then the third. Suddenly… a raptor stood along the side by the second floor railing belting toward its prey.

“Aw, come on!” Rainbow Dash groaned.

Unfortunately, it’s much too far to jump to the lobby floor. For the flying Equestrians that wasn’t an issue. Everyone else had to climb gingerly onto the nearest skeleton, the towering brachiosaur. They climbed down as fast as they could. Grant helped Tim down, Lex and Ellie followed. The other Equestrians weren’t far behind. Ellie went for the tail; Lex moved to the front. Grant landed on the main body in the middle with Tim. While the other Equestrians found a spot, the raptor watched their every movement.

Up in the ceiling, the skeleton’s anchor bolts groaned in the plaster, threatening to pull free. But for now, they held for as long as they could. All of a sudden, the raptor flew out and landed on the back of the middle section of the skeleton. *SNAP* It cracked apart with the weight, sending the sections spinning in all different directions.

Grant and Tim, along with Applejack and Time Turner, swirled on the middle section. All the flying Equestrians had taken off in the air, seeing the chaos unfold below their hooves. Tim began to slide down despite Grant’s efforts to hold onto him.

“Applejack, what do I do?!” Tim shouted.

Applejack looked around trying to consider what they should do. But then she looked toward the floor and suddenly she was reminded of a previous scenario. She knew what needed to be done.

“Let go,” Applejack spoke.

“Are you nuts?!” Tim cried out.

“No, I ain’t. I promise ya’ll be safe.”

“That’s not true.”

“Listen sugar cube, wut I’m sayin’ to you is the ‘honest’ truth. Let go… and ya’ll safe.”

“You’re going to want to do what she says, kid!” Rainbow Dash called out.

Applejack and Grant’s eyes met, the former’s darting to the side. Grant silently understood what was going on and assured Tim it was fine. Eventually, Tim lost his grip and fell to the ground right underneath the swinging, large middle section of the dinosaur skeleton. Just before Tim hit the ground, he landed on something soft and looked down. Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle had caught the boy making a careful landing on the floor.

“Rule number one: Never doubt Applejack,” Twilight Sparkle declared.

Meanwhile, Lex and Pinkie Pie spun on the front section. Lex slipped, trying to keep from falling as she hung by her legs. And somehow… Pinkie seemed to be having the time of her life.

All of a sudden, the anchor bolts in the ceiling rip free, zinging past them like bullets. The entire brachiosaur skeleton collapsed like a house of cards sending Ellie and Rarity to the ground. They covered themselves with their arms, trying to protect their heads from the shower of falling bones. Lex and Pinkie Pie fell, screaming as they landed on the ground with bones falling on top of them.

Grant, with Applejack and Time Turner in the middle section, looked up and saw the cable about to snap. They fall, with Rainbow Dash catching Applejack and Daring Do catching Time Turner. The large section of the skeleton came careening down, heading straight for Tim and Twilight Sparkle, who laid where they fell on the ground. It came smashing down… with just enough space for them to be safe.

The raptor tumbled to the floor in a cascade of splintering bone. It landed on its back a few yards away and staggered for a moment, the wind knocked out of it. Fluttershy merely hovered over the raptor for a moment, lightly tapped it on the side of the head, and it fell back as she awkwardly fluttered back to her friends.

Grant, landing in front of Tim and Twilight Sparkle, stood up and approached the pair who crawled their way out. Lex and Pinkie Pie stood up seeing the raptor regaining its footing and screamed. Rarity was helping Ellie when they noticed a shadow standing behind the visqueen and stopped dead in their tracks.

“Oh… no…” Rarity shuddered. “It’s her…”

The second raptor emerged from under the plastic and looked around. Grant got Tim and Twilight Sparkle out of the skeleton as the rest of the Equestrians joined together. They backed away from the raptor, approaching from the left side. They backed up toward a large rock in the midst of the room holding the other skeleton.

The raptors crouched in their pre-attack stance, the Equestrians and their companions found themselves caught in the middle of the two approaching raptors. They tried to back up, only to find nowhere else to go. There was no sugarcoating the intense scenario; they were literally backed in a corner.

“SPIKE, WHERE ARE YOU?!” Twilight Sparkle cried desperately.

Suddenly, just as the one raptor made a lunge for its prey…

“YEEHAW!!!”

The massive head of the Tyrannosaurus Rex descended from above. A set of six-foot jaws clamped down upon the raptor. Eighteen-inch teeth sank into its side, and the helpless animal howled in agony as it lifted up, up, up off the floor of the lobby.

“Ahh!!! It’s the T-Rex!” Pinkie Pie screamed.

“And… Spike riding it?!” Rainbow Dash paled.

Sure enough, Spike was atop of the T-rex, his legs wrapped around the neck like riding a rodeo bull. It smiled as he loomed toward his friends, waving one arm around in the air.

“Never fear, Spike and Rexy are here!” Spike gloated.

“Spike! You’re okay!” Twilight cheered.

Grant and the others looked up in stunned amazement. They stepped behind the rock for safety and looked to the right. The other raptor goes up in the air, twenty feet off the lobby floor, holding fast in the mouth of the Rex. It stood in the entrance to the lobby in front of the massive hole it ripped through the Visqueen wall. It shook its enormous head once, breaking the neck of the velociraptor, then dropped it, dead, to the floor at its feet.

The big one turned from the humans and lunged at the Rex’s side, leaping twelve feet into the air and rending the Rex’s flesh as it came down, slashing it open with its six-inch claw. In an instant, Spike lost his grip and dropped over the side, only to be caught in a gust courtesy of his adopted sister-figure’s hooves.

“I got you, Spike!” She panted.

“Thanks, Twi!” Spike smiled. “Now let’s get out of here, every pony! Rexy can handle herself from here on out!”

“I agree!” Alan nodded. “Let’s go!”

“Goodbye, Rexy!” Spike waved goodbye. “Thanks for the help!”

“I feel like we had some continuity issues in this part, but I’ll let it pass!” Pinkie Pie replied, hopping away.

“Spike ridin’ a freakin T-rex!” Rainbow Dash moaned. “Some dragons get all the luck!”

Grant, Ellie, the kids, and the Equestrians skirted the battle royal on the lobby floor and dashed for the door of the visitor’s center while the battle continued. By the time they emerged outside the visitor’s center, Hammond squealed the jeep to a halt in front of the steps. Malcolm was lying in the back. Grant and the others practically fell into the jeep.

“Every pony, get in!” Daring Do ordered.

“I always knew this trip was too good to be true,” Time Turner mumbled.

Alan raced toward the passenger side door, his attention toward Hammond.

“Mr. Hammond!” Alan began. “The princess and I, after careful consideration and coming to a consensus, have decided…”

“Not to endorse your park!” Twilight Sparkle concluded, regretfully.

“So have I,” Hammond replied.

The old man hit the gas and the jeep took off, dashing away from the Visitor’s Center as fast as possible.

Meanwhile, the skirmish continued between the fearsome beasts. The rex bellowed in pain as it turned on the raptor, eyes raging, and struck, just once, quickly, as fast as the head of a serpent. It caught the raptor by the thick back end, biting one of its enormous feet down, and tore. It practically ripped the last velociraptor in half. The rex whirled around - as it turned, its heavy tail counterbalanced, snapping the other way, sweeping across the lobby, and smashed right through the T-rex skeleton. The skeleton collapsed in an explosion of bones, falling to pieces around the living rex.

The rex stood majestically in the midst of the lobby, both skeletons swept away, snapping like matchsticks as they settled around the animal. The rex drew itself up to its full height -- and roared! The sound was deafening, the vibrations rattled the entire Visitor’s Center. The sign which dangled over the lobby by its one remaining wire finally fell, clattering to the floor at its feet, face up. Its message proven true that ‘Dinosaurs’ still ruled the Earth… forever.

<>

The helicopter rotors whirled to life as the chopper waited on the landing cross. The jeep roared up next to it. One by one, the passengers climbed aboard, their faces white from their ordeal. Ellie, along with Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Time Turner, Spike and Fluttershy helped the Murphy siblings inside the helicopter. Alan, with Twilight Sparkle, Applekjack, and Daring Do helped an injured Ian inside.

For a while, nobody spoke. Hammond took another look at his dream, for one last time, as the roar of the dinosaurs echoed in the distance. To think, he’d soon be leaving all this behind after all the hard work. A dream he carried for so long, so difficult to even say goodbye. He stared until Alan came over and grabbed his arm which caused Hammond to snap back into reality. He took him back into the helicopter, which finally took off. As they rose into the air, the Equestrians stared out the windows, looking down on the park as it spread out below.

Down at the park, Spike could see a familiar sight over a vast plain. The Tyrannosaur, still feeding on the remains of the dinosaurs it ran down and killed, looked up. Spike silently stared at acknowledgement toward the creature, and slowly waved goodbye out of respect even after all the trouble. The beast in turn threw its head back and roared, waving its little forelimbs at the strange thing. As the helicopter moved off, the T-rex just stared, silently, with huge, yellowing eyes. A moment of utter bewilderment for the rex, which felt almost… sad for her.

<>

Back in the helicopter, silence continued inside as the Equestrians looked around at the eerily quiet people on board. Eventually, Rainbow Dash tried to break the ice.

“Well… at least we’re all alive,” Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“Thankfully,” Applejack nodded in agreement.

“Honestly darling, after all these adventures, I’ll need at least a week of spa days to relax,” Rarity huffed in exhaustion. “Would it kill ‘any’ pony if the television sent us on a tropical vacation without something trying to kill us?”

“Don’t worry Rarity, that day will come eventually,” Pinkie Pie smiled. “After all, we’ll eventually wind up in a movie about a surfer in Hawaii. Now that’s going to be fun.”

Not even bothering to figure out what Pinkie Pie meant anymore, Rarity merely leaned her head against the window and watched the island disappear in the distance.

Hammond somberly looked at his mosquito amber cane, his eyes full. Malcolm just stared toward the distance, not even saying a word. The kids are in the back of the helicopter, with Grant. The kids were sleeping on his shoulders. Grant almost absently had his arms around both kids. Ellie and the Equestrians. looked at him. Both he and the kids seemed so natural, so obviously comfortable and trusting with each other. A scene that made them smile.

Just then, Alan, Ellie and the Equestrians looked out the window. The helicopter swept low over a huge flock of sea birds flying peacefully across the sea. As the chopper roared near, it kicked up the flock. Hundreds of birds sailed off in all directions, powerful and graceful. Grant looked at the birds and broke into a wide grin. The helicopter kept flying straight for the sun, hoping to reach the island where everyone would be treated for their injuries. Though saddened over the fact Hammond couldn’t bring happiness to ‘many’ people, causing so much harm due to Dennis’ greed on wanting the embryos for money, John knew that the best thing he could do… was let the dinosaurs have the island.

And that’s the way it should be…

Eventually, the helicopter landed at a helipad back in the United States. No sooner that it touched down on the ground and everyone hopped off did the portal back to Equestria opened once more.

“Well, looks like it’s time to go.” Twilight said to everyone.

“You’re leaving?” Lex asked.

“I’m afraid so Lex darling.” Rarity nodded. “We have families and friends to get back to in Equestria. Surely they all miss us terribly.”

Both kids quickly ran up to the group and knelt down to hug each member of the Equestrian team individually.

“We’re gonna miss you all.” Tim told them.

“We’ll miss you too kid.” Rainbow nodded.

Then the kids stepped back as Alan, Ellie, Ian, and Hammond stepped up to say their goodbyes.

“Well, needless to say, meeting all of you has certainly been…an interesting adventure.” Alan said honestly, the giving a smile. “But certainly one I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

“You’ve all really helped us realize that nothing is ever really impossible.” Ellie smiled.

“No kidding.” Ian chuckled. “I’m sure that I’ll think up some new chaos theories that’ll all involve you guys in some way.”

This caused the whole group to laugh.

“Ah’m sure ya will, Ian.” Applejack chuckled.

Then everyone turned their attention solely to Hammond.

“I really must thank you all as well.” He said. “I was so blinded by my ambitions that I never stopped to think of the consequences my actions could have. You’ve all helped me to realize this and I promise, I won’t be making this same mistake in the future.”

“Here’s hoping that holds true, Mr. Hammond.” Time Turner spoke up. “While this adventure has certainly been quite eye opening, it’s one I truly hope we don’t have to take again.”

“Agreed.” Hammond nodded.

With that in mind, the Equestrians all took one last look at the group and waved their goodbyes before they all turned right back around and stepped through the portal back to Equestria.

<>

Moments later, the portal opened back into Equestria. Twilight Sparkle and the entire group stepped just outside Discord’s theater. Soon as they emerged, and the portal closed behind them, every pony from the theater raced outside and embraced them with such joy.

“Thank Celestia you’re all okay!” Starlight Glimmer smiled relieved.

“Great wickering stallions, it’s good to be home!” Time Turner sighed in relief.

All of a sudden, Derpy Hooves raced up and wrapped her arms around the doctor. To say that the stallion was surprised was an understatement.

“I’m so glad you’re alright!” Derpy said joyfully. “I was so worried something would happen to you. I couldn’t stand to lose my friend and not even be able to say goodbye.”

Time Turner merely grabbed her arms and pulled her off, so he could stare into her eyes with a smile.

“Worry not my friend,” Turner assured. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“That was one of the most totally awesome things I’ve ever seen!” Petunia Paleo said excitedly. “Next time you guys have an adventure like this, you’ve got to take me along with you.”

To which Rainbow Dash merely chuckled as she ruffled the kid’s mane with one hoof.

“We’ll talk about it, kiddo,” She responded.

“What happened while we were away?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Where do we even begin?” Discord responded. “There was this Evil Queen kidnapping the Cake Twins, then some mysterious stallions some raptors and this Changeling princess showed up…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Spike interrupted. “Evil Queen? Mysterious stallions? A Changeling Princess? The Cake Twins kidnapped… I mean ‘foal’ napped? What ‘exactly’ happened?”

“It’s kind of a long story…” Mr. Cake answered.

<>

The Evil Queen cackled as she had the Cake Twins in her possession. Pumpkin and Pound Cake sat in a corner, shivering with fright and eyes widened with fear. In her hand, the Evil Queen procured a dagger, its blade gleaming under the last rays of sunlight.

“Time’s up little ones…” Regina declared. “Nothing personal, but I’ve never liked kids. Any last words before I put you down?”

Not expecting an answer, Regina merely raised the dagger at the read. The twins shut their eyes and cried, bracing themselves for the worst. Just as Regina had the dagger raised over her head, ready to slam the blade down upon them…

“Here!”

Regina’s moment was interrupted when a pair of shears were thrown directly at her feet. She looked down, seeing the golden blades embedded on the foot of grass inches from her. She looked up as the collective group of Quill Cast, Curtain Call, Atalanta, and their raptors stood within six feet from her.

“We don’t want this anymore,” Quill Cast declared.

Regina looked toward the group, then to the shears, then back toward the twins. Her eyes go from one to the other, as if contemplating what to do. Then a wicked smirk made its way to her face.

I don’t think we’re done here yet.” She said.

“What are you talking about?” Quill asked. “We brought you the shears like you wanted.”

“True, but there’s one more thing I want in exchange for these brats.” Regina replied. “You want two foals, well I want one more thing.”

“What else could you possibly want?” Curtain asked.

“A new home for me and my colleagues. Somewhere were we won’t be disturbed by the likes of you ponies.”

“You can’t possibly…”

“Either that or I slit the little ones necks right here and now. So what shall it be?”

Curtain and Quill both looked at the frightened faces of the poor little twins in the grasp of the Evil Queen. They thought this deal was over and done with, but now she’s asking for a new piece of land for the Dark Order. How were they possibly going to do that?

“Wait!”

The sound of a new voice entering the fray caused everyone to look up in time to see both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia descending down from the air.

“If a new piece of land is all you seek, perhaps we can arrange this.” Celestia told Regina. “Release the twins now and the former castle of my sister and I in the Everfree Forestwill be yours to do with as you see fit.”

“It is a ruin now but you can rebuild it if you wish and we do solemnly swear that no pony will trespass on your new land.” Luna added

Regina ran this offer through her mind and she couldn’t help but to admire the benefits. A castle would I certainly provide ample space for the entire order and provide necessary opportunities to grow their armies. Thought it may be a ruin, a few weeks and some dark magic could certainly build a strong fortress.

“I have your word?” Regina asked them.

“You have my word.” Celestia nodded.

“As well as mine.” Luna agreed.

With a sigh, knowing that a deal was a deal, Regina slipped the dagger back in the hilt and pulled the shears out from the grass. As she cleaned the grass off the blades, she briefly turned to the nervous twins.

“Do me a little favor, would you kids?” Regina asked, with a pause. “… GET OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!!!”

Screaming, the Cake Twins raced as fast as they could toward their saviors as Regina held the shears in her hands with a small smile of satisfaction. Taking a deep breath, she then turned toward the group.

“Don’t… ever… do that… again!” Regina growled.

“Deal,” Curtain Call responded simply.

<>

“Okay… it wasn’t exactly a long story,” Mrs. Cake admitted, holding her kids. “But boy let me tell you…”

As the crowd gathered around their heroes, explaining the chain of events that took place in their absence, Daring Do turned toward one direction in the distance. Her eyes caught sight of a figure disappearing deep into the Everfree Forest. When the Pegasus turned back, every pony else was completely distracted by the stories being told. Taking the opportunity, she slipped away from the group to follow the figure’s direction.

<>

Regina Mills strolled through the forest casually, looking down toward the Shears of Fate in her possession. How she relished the satisfaction of having these powerful ancient artifacts back in her hands. As she walked on, smirking in her victory, she came upon her carriage and the Black Knights guarding it.

“Were you successful in your endeavor, your majesty?” One knight asked.

“Was there ever any doubt?” Regina asked, presenting the sheers. “I could’ve done away with a murder or two, but I find it more entertaining to keep these feeble-minded ponies guessing. I say its high time we return and relocate everyone to our new home.”

“Not just yet.”

Regina spun around and her guards drew their weapons toward the source of the new voice. Before their eyes, Daring Do stepped out from behind a tree.

“A SPY!!!” One knight ordered. “KILL IT!!!”

The knights made to advance, but Regina held one hand and the knights stopped in their tracks. Regina smirked at the sight of the explorer pony standing before her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” She asked. “Let me guess: You’re trying to get these shears back? Well, this can end in one of two ways for you. Painful… or extremely painful. Either way, I win… you lose.”

But Daring Do merely waved her hoof and shook her head.

“Please… I have no interest in your trinkets,” She scoffed.

“… All right, who are you?” Regina asked, suspiciously. “What do you want?”

“To see you of course.”

“What… are you talking about?” Regina raised her brow, confused.

“You’re thinking far too small,” Daring Do explained. “Why waste your time on a pair of scissors when you could have the whole world bending their knees in submission? You’re slipping Regina; you’re not thinking like you used to.

Regina retained her confusion, yet an angry sneer threatened to form over the insult upon her.

“What would you know about my plans?!” She hissed. “How do you know my name?”

“Simple…” Daring Do replied, with a small grin.

A swirl of purple smoke engulfed the explorer pony. It was at that moment when the smoke cleared that a completely different figure appeared in the pony’s place. Standing before them was a middle-aged woman with dark auburn hair done up in an elaborate bouffant hairstyle. She wore a wine-red dress decorated with black trimmings, dark gloves on her hands, and a smile on her ruby red lips.

“I’ve known you all your life, dear.”

Regina reeled back in shock at this startling revelation. For this woman was none other than her own mother: Cora Mills.

“Mother!” She gasped, shocked. “That shouldn’t be possible; I banished you years ago. How did you find a way back?”

“Perseverance,” Cora responded simply. “Amazing what you can do when you’re as dedicated as me.”

“And the pony you were impersonating?” Regina asked.

“Dead,” Cora replied, brushing it off. “I killed that pony a long time ago. But I will give her credit, she put up more of a fight than I imagined. I’d almost say I was impressed; too bad I had to put her down.”

“And you’ve been posing as her ever since?”

“Obviously, there’s no way any of these ponies would listen to me,” Cora answered. “Everyone ‘loves’ a hero. Don’t you agree, Regina?”

At that moment, Regina’s facial expression shifted from shock to anger.

“You should’ve stayed banished!” Regina spat through gritted teeth.

But rather than return her daughter’s anger, Cora looked remorseful.

“Listen to me sweetheart, I know ‘why’ you banished me,” Cora told her. “I was a terrible mother; I have no excuses for that. I’ve made my mistakes, but I want to make it all up to you.”

“You… want to make it up to me?” Regina scoffed, laughing. “How the hell do you plan to do that? What you took from me is nothing you can possibly replace!”

“Regina, I understand what Daniel meant to you. I didn’t handle it as well as I should have--”

“YOU RIPPED HIS HEART OUT!!!” Regina screamed. “You had the nerve to crush it into ash in front of me!”

“I know, and I am truly sorry,” Cora apologized. “I can’t bring him back to you, but there is something I can give you right now. Something to prove just how serious I am about wanting to start over.”

Cora held out her hand and another swirl of purple smoke appeared and revealed a box. Cora held it out for her only daughter, who looked upon it with suspicion.

“What is this?” Regina questioned. “Another trap?”

“Just open it,” Cora implored.

Regina was very skeptical about all of this; she knew her mother better than anyone. Hesitantly, she took the box, readying herself for anything. But nothing could prepare her for what she was about to uncover. Opening the box, she saw a glowing red heart. Her eyes widened with shock as she looked toward her mother.

“Is this…?”

“My heart,” Cora nodded.

“I don’t understand,” Regina expressed confusion. “You took your heart out years ago, so it could never be used against you. Why give this to me?”

“Because I meant what I said when I want us to start over,” Cora explained. “Let me help you and together we can rule ‘all’ the worlds. I promise you will have your own personal world, to be whoever you want and love whoever you want. Should I fail on that promise, you can crush my heart the way I did to Daniel. It’s what I deserve.”

Regina couldn’t believe her own eyes or ears. Her entire life she thought her mother was cold and selfish, who only cared about power. Yet her she was, a regretful woman offering her own heart which she never did for anyone. Maybe she really did want to make things right after all. Closing the box slowly, Regina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“What do you have in mind?” She asked.

“Oh… I have a few ideas,” Cora smiled, wrapping an arm around her daughter. “I’ll explain on our way to our new home.”

Regina and Cora soon made their way into the carriage to embark on the journey back towards New Eden. It would seem that things had gotten far worse for our heroes.

Far… worse…

The End?”