Chapters Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
The Early Cretaceous Period
The sun was shining in a bright blue cloudless sky over a lush valley. The wind was whistling through the tall grasses in the grassy plains areas within the valley. The water-retaining plants and plentiful small ponds worked perfectly to keep the valley lush with all sorts of plant life. Large herds of herbivores always either nest in this valley or at the very least pass through on migration. Herds of sauropods, hadrosaurs, and ceratopsians were happy to graze upon the grasses of the plains. The forests of the valley provided hiding places, nesting sites, and refuge for those that were small enough to walk between the trees. The two mountains the valley was nestled between had tall cliffs that were good nesting sites for various species of pterosaurs.
Carnivores were attracted to the abundance of herbivores in this valley. Sure there were large theropods like Tyrannosaurus rex, but it was the smaller pack-hunters that really put the herbivores on edge. Since they were smaller and stealthier, they could sneak up on unsuspecting herbivores and attack without a sound. The herbivores had nightmares about these predators.
And it was a pack of such predators that was currently stalking a herd of hadrosaurs. This was a pack that was recently formed by those who were fresh out of the nest, themselves. These were Utahraptors, one of the largest of their family line. They had recently established a nest in one of the valley's forests. Their dark green feathers had a pattern of black stripes to act as camouflage in both the forests and the grasslands.
The alpha of this specific pack was a female named Vora. She was an alpha in terms of her raw strength and her personality. She had a scar over her left eye that she wore with honor after receiving it in a fight with another alpha from a rival pack. Vora took pride in her ability to be the alpha of her pack.
Females were the ones in charge in Utahraptor packs, with a single alpha female that is in charge of everything. Under her are her sisters, female offspring, or subordinate females that were ousted from other packs. And lastly, there were the males. The males were easily recognizable by their smaller size and black head crests. Females choose what males to mate with and once a female chooses a mate, it's for life. Normally, the entire pack would do the hunting, but during the nesting season when the females are preoccupied with guarding the eggs, the males go out and do the hunting. When the offspring grow up, they leave their old territory to find their own mates and territory and either start their own packs or join another pack. Vora's pack was made up of eight individuals, including herself. Her pack had three other females and four males. The females were all her sisters.
Currently, Vora and her pack were spread out around un unaware herd of hadrosaurs. Vora didn't know what species these particular ones were, but she didn't care. These ones were muscular, but their meat had just the right amount of fat that made it more flavorful and chewy. That fact alone made the effort of hunting them so worth it.
To her left, her younger sister Mara joined her side. She was the smallest of her sisters but she was the fastest and most agile of the pack. She had more optimism than most of the pack. Mara was also the most excited to join the pack on hunts for food.
"Is everyone in position?" Vora asked her little sister. Mara's tail twitched in excitement.
"Everyone's all set, big sis" Mala whispered excitedly.
"Good. Could you get Velt here for me before we fully begin?"
Mara gently nudged her big sister in her neck. "I'll go get him"
The younger female hurriedly stalked away to carry out her sister's orders. Vora panted in excitement.
Velt was Vora's mate. Like all other male Utahraptors, he had the characteristic crest of black head feathers that could flare upwards depending on how he's feeling. To Vora, Velt was everything she wanted in a mate: kind, soft-spoken, and devoted. Whenever Vora made a decision that could threaten the safety of the entire pack, Velt was always there to call her out on it. With a few loving nuzzles, she would rethink her decisions with Velt's input.
After a few more minutes of waiting, Velt joined his mate's side. Vora smiled upon seeing her desired male. Velt knelt by Vora's side and nuzzled her cheek. Vora returned the gesture of affection.
"Are you ready to do this?", she asked the male.
"I'll just try to keep you from making any reckless decisions" he replied.
"Our future offspring will be lucky to have such a smart and caring father"
Since they were both young adults, they haven't had a clutch of eggs yet. But the nesting season was right around the corner, which gave them both something to look forward to.
"Anyway, let us focus on the task at claw: figuring out which hadrosaur to focus our hunt on" Velt said.
And with that, the Utahraptors focused their full attention on looking for decent prey.
Most predators would target the old, young, injured, or sick individuals to catch. They're the easiest to catch. Vora and Velt stealthily stalked through the grass to look for any potential weakness in the herd. They were treading so carefully that the hadrosaurs were blissfully unaware of the pack's presence.
More minutes of searching later, Vora and Velt found the perfect target: an old bull hadrosaur. The old bull had a large gash going down it's right leg and was walking with a limp. He must have recently survived an encounter with a larger theropod. He wouldn't be able to run far or fast, and he'd be too weak to put up a big fight. He was absolutely perfect.
Vora gave a low-pitched cooing sound, signaling to the rest of the pack that they have found their chosen prey. Velt had the same eager expression on his face.
Her toe claws and fingers clenched and twitched in excitement. Her gaze was fixed on the helpless creature before her. She would prove that she was worthy of being alpha. She would provide for her pack.
Before the pack could do anything, though, something suddenly appeared in the sky and distracted both predators and prey.
There was a bright light in the sky that almost looked like a second sun. Only this orb of light was growing bigger and brighter. The hadrosaurs and Utahraptors were starting to get scared of this unnatural phenomenon before them.
Vora had to get her pack to safety. Screw the hunt! They would get another chance again. But right now, Vora had to get her pack to safety. She turned around to call out to her pack to run away.
Before she could call out to her pack, a sudden and strong feeling of drowsiness overcame her. Her body felt like it was immersed in warm water. Her head felt like it was filled with clouds. She felt herself becoming weaker and weaker with each passing second. She got so weak, her legs gave out from under her and sent her to the ground.
After a few more seconds, everything went black.
Vora opened up her eyes to blinding light. Not the unnatural light she remembered seeing before, this was thankfully normal sunlight. She could hear the buzzing of insects in her ears and could feel that see was lying on the top of a grassy hill.
Trying to regain her strength, she forced herself to stand up. As she looked around, she saw nothing familiar about her environment apart from the sun and bugs.
The trees didn't look like those in the forest her pack uses as a nest. She sniffed the air to try to recognize any scents in this area, but found none. She let out a call to try to find her packmates. There was no return call at all.
"Maybe if I look around, I could try to get my bearings" she said to herself.
Raising her head as high as she could, she looked around for anything that could potentially serve as some kind of marker for the rest of her pack to find. Soon enough, she found something that looked really bizarre.
There were really tall and flat-looking rocks in the distance. That was just weird enough that her pack might gravitate towards it to find each other. They could work out a game plan from there.
With a newfound sense of purpose in her heart, Vora set off towards the weird rocks. She would find her pack. She will find a way back home. It was her duty as the alpha.
Author's Note
I hope you all enjoy this first chapter. It was quite a lot of work.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
As Vora was racing through the forest, she had begun to notice just how different this place was. Mammals here were a lot larger and stranger-looking. There were no other dinosaurs in this forest. At all. No herbivores. No predatory theropods. The sky was devoid of the sight and sounds of pterosaurs. Not even the smallest of tree-dwelling Microraptors could be seen.
But Vora stopped running when she saw something that was truly bizarre. She saw a small feathered dinosaur perched in one of the trees ahead of her.
It was small with brown feathers on its back and red feathers on the breast. It didn't have a toothed mouth, but instead it had a toothless beak like a pterosaur. It looked similar to other feathered dinosaurs she had seen, but also vastly different to feathered dinosaurs. It looked at Vora with dark, dumb eyes. The feathered thing made a series of chirping sounds. After some time had passed, the feathered thing flew away.
"Well, that creature is certainly weird", Vora said to herself. She'll have to ask her pack about these creatures once she met with them again.
If she met up with her pack again. She had to get back to the task before her. She ran towards the giant flat rocks.
Since she had lowered herself closer to the ground and had been blessed with the Utahraptor physique, she could run at tremendous speed for long periods of time. This made her and her kind some of the most proficient carnivores ever known. It didn't take her long to reach the edge of the forest and finally beheld the bizarre rocks she saw from the hilltop.
And she thought she was starting to lose her mind once she saw the rocks up close. These were the weirdest rocks she had ever seen. She remembered seeing a rock in the shape of a T-rex's head, but that looked normal compared to these rocks.
They were certainly tall and square or rectangle-shaped. They were all brown or gray in color. The rocks were all arranged in some form of organized rows. There were all sorts of openings in the rocks, too. Paths were lining the spaces between the rocks, but these paths were lined with even smaller rocks. But amazingly, that wasn't the weirdest thing that Vora had seen when she arrived at this place. It was the creatures that were apparently living in the rocks.
These creatures were definitely mammals, that much Vora knew for sure. The mammals were colorful, with each one's colors being different. All the mammals she had ever seen were never this colorful. It was really alien for Vora to see mammals living in what she now guessed was their nests.
Vora noted that these mammals had some slight variations between them. Some of them had wings and others have feathered wings.
"What the feather are these mammals?", Vora asked herself.
A loud growling sound suddenly rang out from her stomach.
"Oh sauropod-crap! I haven't eaten in a whole day. Maybe I could eat these crazy-colored mammals. Unless the bright colors mean they're poisonous", she contemplated.
As she was trying to decide whether or not to eat the colorful mammals, something moved out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see that it was some form of small, furless mammal. It was small and pink in coloration with floppy ears and a flat nose. It was inside this barrier made of wood.
Vora sniffed at the creature to see if it was poisonous. She could tell if something was poisonous by scent. This pink thing didn't smell like poison at all. That, and the growling pit in her stomach was too bad to ignore. She walked over to the wood barrier and looked right over it at the pink thing.
The pink mammal itself didn't seem bothered by Vora's presence at all.
That's weird. It's like this thing has never experienced a predator before , she thought to herself. Maybe she could eat lots more of these things with no problem. And with the wooden barrier in place, they'd have nowhere to run to.
In one swift motion, Vora thrust her head downwards and snapped up the pink thing in her jaws. She snapped her jaws around it so tight that it was instantly killed. Her sharp teeth penetrated the thing's skin with ease. Blood splattered her tongue. Vora's eyes were wide with elation.
This tastes so good! This is the tastiest mammal I have ever eaten in my entire life! , she thought in happiness.
Tilting her head up, the pink thing slid down her throat with ease. In one fluid motion, her stomach was filled with food and satisfaction. Sadly, there were no other pink things behind the wood barrier. But at least her stomach was full.
She suddenly got the creepiest feeling that she was being watched. She slowly turned around to see one of the colorful mammals staring right at her.
I must look pretty terrifying to this thing, since I have the pink thing's blood on my jaws , she thought.
Vora was proven correct since the mammal let out an ear-piercing scream, startling the Utahraptor. Vora took off running past the thing without thinking. She had no pack with her at the moment, so she was simply trying to survive long enough to find her pack. She turned around one of the mammal's nests to get away from the screaming one.
But she instantly regretted this decision as she instantly came to face a larger group of these mammals. They all heard the other one screaming and instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. Of course they were all facing her.
The looks on their faces were mixed. Most of these mammals looked at her with a mix of shock and fear. Some were even looking at her with fascination. They must have never seen one of her kind before. After some more staring, the mammals all panicked and started running in any direction one could think of.
This was starting to really scare Vora. The mammals were making so much noise and were moving all over the place.
"This is crazy! I need to get away from this place! I have to find my pack and get out of here! I just want to go home!", she shouted to herself.
While looking for a path to get away from these mammals' nests, Vora noticed that some of them were actively trying to approaching her. These ones were different from the other ones. They all were carrying these long sticks with shiny pointy bits on the top. They all seemed to have some kind of yellow scales as if they were trying to pretend to be some kind of ankylosaur. These mammals all had these scowls on their faces and had fury in their eyes.
"I don't like the way those things are looking at me. I think they want to hurt me" she said to herself.
Before the armored mammals could get too close, she turned tail and ran. She tried to avoid running into any of the mammals but their disorganized running made it extremely difficult for her to get very far.
She eventually got away from the onslaught of colorful mammals. She tried to run back into the forest. Vora knew that she'd be safe once she'd be back in the forest.
But before she could make it to the forest, one of those sharp sticks the armored mammals used sailed over her head and embedded itself in one of the trees before her. Vora was so startled, she came to a complete stop and turned to see that the yellow armored mammals have somehow caught up with her and were pointing their sharp sticks at her.
Why are they trying to hurt me?! Is it because I ate the pink thing?! It didn't look like they were going to eat it! she thought. Maybe I can try to scare them away
Raising her head and ruffling her feathers, Vora put on a threat display. The armored mammals stopped advancing for a little bit, but they kept advancing after a moment's hesitation.
Why aren't they stopping? Am I not being threatening enough?
Vora decided to kick things up a notch by flexing her claws, baring her teeth, and hissing and shrieking at the oncoming threat. This time, the mammals stopped, backed away a few steps, and wouldn't get any closer to her. It was working! She could get away.
One of the mammals' horns began to light up with some glowing energy. A blast of what looked like fire flew over her head and hit the tree behind her.
Ha! It missed! she thought in mockery.
Before she knew it, Vora felt something heavy hit her back and her head. She fell to the ground like a rock. Vora couldn't believe it! The mammal with the weird horn made the branch fall on her!
Her head was swimming and her eyes were getting blurry. Twice in a short amount of time, she was forced into sleep by unnatural means. She could see the shapes of these horrible mammals getting closer. Not wanting them to get closer, she snarled and tried to snap at them, but she felt something tighten around her jaws to keep her from opening them again.
I really hate these mammals she thought before succumbing to sleep.
Author's Note
In case you all didn't catch on, the "pink thing" was a pig.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
At the Castle of Friendship
Fluttershy and her friends were all gathered at Twilight's Castle for a slumber party. Even Starlight and Trixie were there. Spike was milling about making sure they all had food and drink, being Twilight's number one assistant.
Trixie had wanted to show the girls a new magic trick she had been developing. The ponies and dragon all gathered around the makeshift stage Trixie had built so that she could carry on the performance in her own style. Trixie, with Starlight dressed as a classic magician's assistant, emerged from behind the tall curtain with a large empty glass booth, a giant tank of water, a straitjacket, and some steel chains. The friends could all predict how this was going to go. Trixie threw back her cape and witch hat and struck a dynamic pose.
"Ponies and dragon! Tonight, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall perform the extremely dangerous 'Drowning Asylum Cell Escape'!", Trixie exclaimed.
Trixie turned her attention to Starlight. "Starlight! If you could please put me in the straitjacket?"
Starlight used her magic to slip the straitjacket over her friend. Once the straitjacket was on, Starlight wrapped the jacket's sleeves around Trixie's waist and locked the sleeves together. After Trixie's forelegs were thoroughly restrained, Starlight wrapped a really long chain around Trixie and locked it in place with a padlock. Trixie tilted her head towards the glass booth and the water tank.
"Now, I will be placed within the glass booth! The booth will quickly fill up with water! I will attempt to get myself free of the straitjacket and chains and escape the booth!" the restrained Trixie exclaimed.
Starlight had to help Trixie into the booth. Once Trixie was firmly seated in the booth, Starlight turned on the water. As the tank was filling up with water, Spike belched out a message.
Spike read the parchment and tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.
"Fluttershy, you've got a letter from Treehugger", Spike said. Fluttershy had her attention focused on the stage magic trick.
"I'll read it later", she replied without even looking at Spike.
"I think you'll be really interested in what Treehugger has to say", Spike insisted.
"What's the letter about?"
"Apparently, a strange new animal has been captured just outside the city of Trottingham"
That sentence immediately got Fluttershy's attention. She took the letter and walked out of the room to read the letter in peace. Once the others were out of her earshot, she read the letter.
Dear Fluttershy,
I have news that you will find very interesting. An unknown new animal was found outside Trottingham. The poor dear was injured in the attempts to capture her. From the energy she was giving off, she is both scared and angry at the same time. Every time I try to treat her injuries, she just snaps at me. I could use your calming energy to help me help her.
Sincerely, Treehugger
P.S.- This is a new species of animal I've never seen before, so I'd like Twilight's brain to provide some insight as to how I can treat her
After reading the letter, Fluttershy was shocked to say the least. A new animal? One that was injured and refusing help? She would be on the first train to Trottingham immediately. She held the letter under her wing and went back into the room to inform Twilight of the letter.
The performance was already over by the time Fluttershy returned. The others were clapping their hooves at the performance. Trixie, soaking wet and free from the chains and straitjacket, was taking a bow with Starlight by her side.
Fluttershy walked up to Twilight.
"Twilight! I got a letter from Treehugger! She wants us to tend to an unknown animal that was captured and injured in Trottingham. She says that it's an animal no one's ever seen before" she relayed to Twilight.
Twilight's eyes and mouth widened. "An unknown animal?! Did she describe it?"
"No, she didn't. All she said was that the poor thing was injured during its capture and that it's snapping at everyone that comes near it", Fluttershy replied.
"I'd imagine the critter's not very happy being captured and injured by ponies", Applejack suggested.
"Apparently, Treehugger wants me and Twilight to go to Trottingham to tend to this animal and perhaps gain a better understanding of it" Fluttershy recounted from the letter.
"Me and Fluttershy will be on the next train to Trottingham tomorrow" Twilight said.
Rainbow Dash suddenly flew up to Twilight and Fluttershy. "Obviously, we're coming with you, too! I'd love to see this new animal Treehugger's found"
"I do hope the poor thing's not too injured", Rarity said in worry.
Rarity may be a fashion pony, but she did have a soft spot in her heart for animals. Her love for her cat Opal was proof of that.
"Okay! I guess we're all going to Trottingham", Twilight stated.
"I'd love to come with you all, but Trixie's got another show in the town square tomorrow and I have to assist with that", Starlight said.
"We will all go home and get ready to travel tomorrow!" Rarity said.
The Next Day
Twilight and the rest of their friends were all on the train on the way to the city of Trottingham. Fluttershy and Twilight were the most excited at the prospect of working with a new species of animal. The group of friends were all talking about what this new creature would look like.
"Maybe this critter's a predator", Applejack guessed. "If it was snapping at Treehugger whenever she got close, predator's the only thing that makes sense to me".
"Or maybe it's an herbivore. Herbivores can be just as dangerous as carnivores", Twilight suggested.
"I wonder what coloration it has. Perhaps it's colorful like a tropical bird", Rarity said.
"I think this thing is really fast if the reports we read were anything to go by", Rainbow put forth.
"Didn't Treehugger give you any description of what this creature looks like?" Twilight asked her animal-lover friend.
"Sadly, she didn't. I think she was more concerned with wanting me to help her treat the creature's injuries" Fluttershy responded.
"Either way, I can't wait to study this creature! If this truly is a new species, I intend to be the first one to truly study it!", Twilight cried out in glee.
The rest of her friends sighed with smiles on her faces. They were happy to see their scientist friend so happy. For now, they'll get some sleep. They had a big day waiting for them in Trottingham.
Trottingham
Treehugger was waiting for them at the train station upon their arrival. She hugged Fluttershy and smiled at the other friends with those same sleepy eyes. She smelled like mint and lavender, which worked to put others around her at ease.
"Heeeeeeey, Flutters. I'm glad you're here. I could really use your help with this poor creature", Treehugger said slowly.
"Did you try to use your sonic bliss technique?" Fluttershy asked.
"Of course I did. But she only seemed to get even more aggravated".
"Whoa! If that didn't work, she must really be desperate!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Well, lead us to where the creature is! If she's still injured, she needs our help!", Fluttershy ordered.
Treehugger led the group to where the injured animal was being kept.
Vora's POV
When Vora woke up, she was greeted by shooting pain in her back and her head. She tried to stand up on her feet, only to tumble back onto the ground when the pain shot up her back and head. She looked around to see that she was lying on a bed of hay in what looked like another forest.
"Where am I?", she asked herself.
Using her claws to drag herself forward, Vora dragged herself for what felt like miles until she came across a tall cliff wall. As she looked around and behind her, she noticed that the entire forest was surrounded by these stone walls.
Maybe this some kind of pit I was dragged into ?, she thought to herself.
As she tried to figure out how she got here, she came across the last things she remembered. She was trying to get away from those weird armored mammals with the pointy sticks. She remembered that one of them somehow blew fire at a tree branch. The branch fell on her.
Those horrible mammals! They're the reason why I'm stuck here! And if I'm stuck here, I can't search for my pack , she thought in anger.
As soon as she came to this infuriating realization, she heard and smelled a strangely sweet scent. She had never smelled something like that before. Was it some kind of flower native here?
The scent was coming from directly behind Vora. She turned around to see one of those awful colorful mammals that must've put her here. It was green in color and had top and tail fur that was bright red. She had this sleepy look in her eyes and was doing something creepy with her mouth. Her lips were somehow turned upwards.
"Hey there, sweetie", the thing said to her.
Vora was really angry at being called that. It's as if this inferior mammal thought it was her mate Velt. She couldn't abide by that.
Vora snarled and ruffled her feathers. It seemed like this monster wanted to get closer to her to do something to her. There was no way she was going to let this beast hurt her any more than she already was.
"It's okay. I'm just going to treat your wounds", it said.
There was no way Vora was going to believe that. The armored mammals captured her, hurt her, and put her in this pit to keep her from reaching the rest of her pack. How could these beasts be trustworthy?
The sleepy one was slowly approaching her with some kind of white fluffy thing in her foreleg.
I need to get this mammal away from me! I'll need to keep her away long enough for my wounds to heal on their own and then I can escape this pit , she thought.
As soon as the sleepy one was close enough, Vora shot her head forward and snapped at the mammal's foreleg. Unfortunately, the thing recoiled her leg before Vora could get her jaws around it.
"I see that you're full of negative energy from recent occurrences. Maybe you'll calm down with some sonic bliss", the mammal said.
What the feather did she just say ?, Vora thought.
The mammal started making some kind of sound. It was the most awful sound Vora had ever heard in her life. It sounded like a screaming ceratopsian in the moments before it gets killed by a theropod mixed with the mating call of a male Microraptor. Her ears were starting to hurt from this horrible sound.
Vora couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't take this form of sound torture anymore! Vora shrieked and cawed and barked frantically. That made the mammal stop making her noise.
"It seems I'll have to call my friend here", it said.
Now this thing was going to call its friends here? Vora would just destroy them if they get too close.
She would heal and get strong enough to get herself out of here so she could go find her pack. She should be able to do this much as an alpha.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
Vora's POV
Vora was hoping to be better after a few days. But instead, she began to feel worse and worse.
The first sign she got that something was wrong with her was when she was immediately woken up in the middle of night shaking from chills. Her body itself was burning while she was shivering as if she had no feathers. Her nose was runny and often clogged with something she couldn't even name. She began to become dizzy and tired at random times.
She was glad that she had a clean pond in her pit prison. Her illness made her thirsty all the time, so she hardly strayed far from the pond. Her tongue felt like the sand from the desert beyond the mountains of her valley.
Her wounds had become infected. When she looked at the injuries on her back, she could see that it had scabbed over and was leaking pus. There was a bad odor emanating from herself as well. The flesh around the injury was red and swollen.
She began to cough up phlegm after the first full day. The phlegm and mucus made it hard for her to breathe. Whenever she tried to sleep, she'd be instantly awoken by the feeling of suffocating on her own phlegm. It was terrifying to say the least.
When the sleepy-looking mammal attempted to feed her, she managed to gulp down a few meat scraps. She threw it up shortly afterwards. Vora tried to eat again, only to throw up after each attempt. Nowadays, she refused to eat at all.
Today, she could hardly walk. Whenever she stood up to walk, her legs would give out from under her and send her tumbling to the ground. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Her feathers drooped with sickness. Flies and other insects were beginning to congregate around her, ready to feast on her after she died.
This entire situation made Vora mad. She was an alpha of a successful Utahraptor pack, and she was about to succumb to infected injuries she should've been able to fight off. The colored mammals hurt her and threw her in some pit and kept her trapped. And now, insects were patiently waiting for her to die.
And to add insult to injury, she didn't know if her pack was dead or alive.
I wish I could at least see my pack again. I miss my sisters. I miss Velt. I wish he was here to wrap his claw around me and tell me that I'm going to be okay , she thought to herself.
Velt was the only member of her pack that she would allow to see her this weak. Her sisters saw her in her moments of weakness before, but there was something about her mate supporting her the way he does that made him extra special to her.
No! I can't allow myself to give in to this sickness! I'll get myself better and figure out how to escape! , she vowed in her mind.
With the Ponies
The group of friends arrived at one of Treehugger's animal sanctuaries near Trottingham. Fluttershy in particular was instantly impressed by the place.
The entire place was surrounded by a tall fence made of thick tree trunks with steel cables lining the gaps horizontally. The fence's only gap was a large wooden gate.
Once they entered the sanctuary, the group was instantly greeted by lush forest. Snaking through the forest was a wide dirt path. There were a few species of exotic birds and some deer grazing along the treeline.
"This place is simply gorgeous, darling!", Rarity exclaimed softly.
"Yeah, this whole place has several biomes created for different creatures. We have magical and normal creatures, herbivores and carnivores, you name it. This sanctuary was designed to cater to the needs of any creature you could imagine", Treehugger said to the group.
"Well, where is the injured new creature?" Fluttershy asked.
Treehugger suddenly wore a worried expression, which was a sight that was alien to the other ponies. They never thought the laid-back mare could ever worry about something. This must be really serious.
"Just follow me to the Quarantine Area", Treehugger instructed before trotting off down the path.
The others followed suit.
As the group walked through the sanctuary, they saw a great many different animals in many different simulated biomes. A pair of yetis resided in a snowy mountain biome with a baby in the female's arms. The female glared protectively at the group as they passed. The swamp biome housed a Swamp Serpent guarding her nest. A simulated plains biome was inhabited by a spotted hyena clan.
After a few more minutes of walking, the ponies finally reached the Quarantine Area. It was certainly a sight to behold. There were evenly-spaced pits arranged in several rows. In each of the pits, there were simulated biomes just like the rest of the sanctuary. The pits also had signs with numbers on them labeled one to fifty.
"What's with the pits?" Applejack asked Treehugger.
"The pits are to isolate the animals in the safest way possible without stressing them out. That way, I can work with them without them getting too agitated. There are tunnels connecting each of the pits together with a central operating room deep underground", Treehugger informed her.
"Which one is housing the injured creature?" Twilight asked.
"She's currently in Pit Fifteen" Treehugger replied before turning in the direction of the pit.
"How is her condition?" Fluttershy asked her.
"Not good. She's been getting worse and worse by the day. Right now, she can barely stand on her own two legs" Treehugger replied.
Soon enough, they finally arrived at Pit Fifteen. They peered down the pit and saw... nothing. There was no creature in the pit at all. The saw discarded feathers, bone fragments, patches of vomit, and claw marks on the trees and the walls of the pit. There were trees and a clear pond from which the creature could drink, but no other sign that the creature was still inside.
"She's probably hiding in the trees" Fluttershy thought.
"The entrance into the pit is just over here" Treehugger said pointing to the entrance on the right side of the pit.
"I suggest that only me and Fluttershy enter the pit. Since she's never warmed up to me, I think a larger group might make her more... aggressive" Treehugger said.
"Okay, but we'll all be ready to swoop in if something goes wrong" Rainbow assured two animal-lovers.
"I'll lasso the critter if things get too bad" Applejack chimed in producing a lasso.
"Do be careful darlings" Rarity said.
"Let's make this new creature happy!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Let's get her better" Twilight said.
Fluttershy and Treehugger descended down the stairs into the tunnel that led into Pit Fifteen. The two went down a short corridor and walked up to a large metal door. They opened the door and went inside the enclosure.
Upon entering the enclosure, the scent of sickness hit their noses like a punch to the face. Fluttershy tried her best to keep from gagging. If the scent was this bad, the poor creature was in worse shape than they thought.
Getting over the overpowering scent of sickness, Fluttershy and Treehugger made their way into the patch of trees.
It didn't take them very long to find the source of the smell.
Fluttershy was both amazed and sad at the same time. She had never seen a creature like this in her whole life. If she wasn't in the grip of infection, she'd certainly be beautiful to behold. But right now, she wasn't looking good.
Laying on a patch of vegetation before them was what looked like a mixture between a reptile and bird. Her neck, arms, back, tail, and upper thighs were covered in green feathers with black stripes. Her head was pointed with tooth-filled jaws and forward-facing eyes like a bird of prey. Her legs were powerfully muscled with one toe claw on each foot that was longer than the others. Her arms had three-fingered hands tipped with vicious claws. Her tail was long and covered with a lovely fan of feathers. Her infected injuries on her neck and back were oozing pus and were drawing the attention of flies.
Her bloodshot eyes were staring at them with hatred and mistrust. Her already labored breathing picked up in pace the moment she laid eyes on the pair of ponies before her. She flexed her claws and bared her teeth in a defensive snarl as they tried to get closer to her. As she snarled, she broke into a coughing fit that ended in her spitting out phlegm. Mucus started oozing faster from her nose due to the increase in activity.
"It's okay, girl. We're only here to help you" Treehugger tried to assure the defensive animal.
She only snarled louder in response. Treehugger looked at Fluttershy.
"Try talking to her, Flutters. See if you can talk to her and calm her down" she ordered.
Treehugger knew that Fluttershy could talk to animals so she had faith in Fluttershy's skills.
Fluttershy cleared her throat and took a step forward, only to have the injured creature shriek and snap at her. Fluttershy held a hoof up in submission.
"It's okay. It's okay. We're not here to hurt you. Look, your wounds are infected and we are trying to help you get better" Fluttershy assured her.
All that got was another snap from the creature's jaws.
Looks like I have no other choice. I have to use the Stare , Fluttershy thought to herself.
Fluttershy suddenly used her Stare on the aggressive animal. The Stare seemed to actually be affective on the animal. For a few seconds.
After a few seconds, the creature did what no other creature aside from Discord had done before: broken free of the Stare's thrall. The attempt at the Stare seemed to make the already-angry creature even angrier. In her weakened state, the animal launched herself forward and slashed Fluttershy right across her right cheek!
Fluttershy was flung backwards with three bleeding claw marks on her face.
"Fluttershy!" Treehugger called out in concern for her friend.
The animal started slowly approaching Fluttershy in a threatening manner. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl and her feathers were ruffled. Her claws were ready to rend Fluttershy to pieces.
Fluttershy stood back up and began to slowly backed away while keeping her eyes locked on the larger predator's eyes. She knew that if she tried to run or fly, it would activate the animal's predator response. Nothing triggers a hungry predator more than prey on the run.
After slowly backing away some more, she and the animal found themselves outside the tree patch and in full-view of her friends.
"Fluttershy! Are you okay?!" Rainbow asked in obvious concern.
"I'm okay! I can do this!" Fluttershy replied.
The eyes of her friends were now fully locked on the sick animal limping towards the bleeding Pegasus. Before the animal could attack Fluttershy, however, she started to sway from side-to-side before collapsing unconscious.
Treehugger went up and checked the animal's heart rate. She looked at Fluttershy with fear.
"We have to get her to the medical center now!" she cried out.
Author's Note
I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. I got the idea for this story and it's upcoming sequels from an awesome YouTuber named Alteori and her POV stories on YouTube. Please show her channel as much love as I do.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
With the Ponies-Three Days Later
Fluttershy and Treehugger were working frantically to attend to the unconscious animal laid out on the large table before them. Treehugger had put a tube down her throat to keep her breathing stable. The animal was lying on her stomach to allow Treehugger to clean and stitch up the wound on her back. The creature's sides were heaving with easier breathing since the tube got rid of all the phlegm blocking her airway.
There was an IV bag hanging from a metal pole to the side of the table on which the creature was currently sleeping. To help her immune system to fight off the infection, the creature was given a drip of a solution containing probiotic bacteria. She was given a decent dosage of antibiotics before she was given the probiotic solution.
It was amazing to see how quickly the creature responded to the treatment. Her fever had gone down, her wounds were cleaned and stitched, and she was starting to smell healthier, too. Her feathers no longer drooped but instead stood up in good health. Her nose no longer dripped with snot and her breathing was more and more stable.
Soon enough, the mysterious animal was in perfect health. However, she still remained asleep. This was understandable, since she had been fighting a nasty infection for days.
After the confirmation that the creature was indeed healthy and was placed back in the pit, Twilight was invited into the enclosure to study the creature in further detail.
Once inside the pit, the other friends were anxiously watching them from above. Fluttershy had received a scratch from the creature that would leave her with scars for the rest of her life.
Applejack, having seen the creature attempt to attack Fluttershy a few days earlier, had her lasso ready to rope the creature should she attempt another attack at Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie had her party cannon ready to blast confetti to confuse the creature just in case.
Rainbow Dash was circling the pit in the air to pull Twilight and Treehugger out.
Twilight, while having a healthy dose of trepidation at approaching a large predator, walked towards her with a smile on her face and with eyes like shiny dinner plates.
She walked towards Fluttershy and Treehugger with a pen and notebook to jot down notes on this creature.
"I'm so excited to be the first one to study this creature in detail!" Twilight exclaimed quietly as to not wake the still-sleeping animal.
"I'm glad that you're excited, Twilight, But we have to proceed with caution. Remember a few days ago? We have to be careful. Our friends are on standby in case something goes wrong" Fluttershy said to Twilight.
Twilight's only response was to nod. She held her pen and notebook in her magic and walked a few steps towards the creature to study her in greater detail.
She immediately began jotting down notes about the creatures anatomy.
"This creature is obviously a predator. Yet, she seems to have attributes of both a reptile and a bird. She's covered in feathers and has jaws filled with teeth. The big claws on her toes are most interesting. Maybe she uses them for holding onto prey. The claws on her hands might make her good at grappling. The long tail could be used for balance. Powerful legs could make good at running and jumping", Twilight noted.
As she was distracted by taking more notes, she didn't notice that the creature's eyes shot open and were now looking right at her.
Vora's POV
Vora woke up to find herself back in that cursed pit again. But this time, one of the mammals was in the pit with her. This one was purple and had both wings and a spiral horn jutting from her forehead. To Vora, it was downright unnatural.
She took the creature's lack of attention towards her to see that she didn't feel sick anymore. It was as if all that pain and suffering were nothing but a bad dream. Vora stood up and looked directly at the purple mammal in case it tried to attack her.
The purple mammal suddenly turned to look directly at her. The two locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity until Vora snarled at the cursed thing. The purple mammal jumped back and her horn suddenly glowed with a bizarre purple light.
Oh, heck no! I know what that means! No way am I letting them hurt me again! Vora thought angrily.
Vora turned to the trees in the pit and had an idea. She took off towards the tallest tree in the pit and scrambled up the trunk with her claws. Now that she was healthy, she could climb up the top of the tree. Once she reached the top, she lunged towards the edge of the pit and escaped it completely.
"Oh, feather yeah!" Vora shouted in victory.
The purple mammal flew out of the pit and hovered over Vora. Wasting no time, Vora took off running as fast as her legs could carry her. She reached her top speed in a matter of seconds. She ran towards the wooded area of the pit place to get as far away from these horrible mammals as she could.
Vora looked behind her to see a whole pack of mammals chasing after her. They wanted to hurt her some more, she knew it. Maybe they wanted to kill her and eat her. There was no way she was going to let them get her again. She saw the forest get closer and closer within her reach.
A blue winged mammal with a rainbow-colored mane and tail zoomed before her and landed in front of her. This creature gave Vora an impressed smirk.
"Whoa! Easy there, girl!" the blue one said. "You're pretty fast. I like you. But right now, you have to just settle down."
Vora's response to that was to snap her jaws at least an inch from her face. Vora took advantage of the creature's surprise to run past her and finally make into the forest. The best thing she could think of was to follow the dirt path she saw and make it out.
The blue winged wing caught up to her again and tackled her. She actually tackled her, sending them both tumbling along the ground. The blue thing tried to grapple with her, but she was unable to get a good grip on Vora. Vora twisted her head around and bit down hard on the blue thing's right flank. The blue mammal screamed bloody murder and thrashed to free herself from Vora's jaws.
Vora threw the blue mammal to the ground who was trying to drag herself away. The rest of its pack caught up with them by this point. Vora then had an idea.
Maybe I should do something to scare them , Vora thought.
She set one of her feet on the crawling blue mammal's back and flexed her toe claw in a threatening manner. She then glared at the other mammals in a way that said "don't try anything or your friend gets a claw in her back". To really sell her point, Vora lightly tapped her toe claw against the blue mammal's back. They seemed to back off. Well, most of them; the green one stepped forward with an oddly calm expression.
"It's okay, little child of nature," the green mammal said. "Your body is returned to its natural function and your aura is one of health and vigor. We'll let you go free, now. May your days be blissful and your nights be restful."
Vora was suspicious of what this green thing just said. She didn't trust these creatures a bit, but if they tried anything, she would kill them without remorse. Slowly, Vora took her foot off the blue mammal who quickly scrambled back to its friends. She turned on a dime and took off. Vora turned her head back and saw that the mammals were no longer following her.
Vora eventually made her way out of the forest and saw an expanse of land before her. Now that she was free of the horrible colorful mammals, she could focus on finding her pack. She had to get back to her friends, her siblings, and her mate. She would figure out what to do later once she found her pack. But one thing was for sure: she never wanted to interact with those stupid mammals again.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
With the Main 6
The tall grass wasn't easy for the ponies to navigate. All the friends knew was that they had to follow Twilight with her tracking spell.
"Twilight, I hate to ask this, but can we please go back home so that we can formulate a new plan?" Rarity asked. "Simply following them of hoof could take a long time."
"I agree with Rarity, Twilight," Applejack said. "At the speed that girl was going, she could anywhere by now."
Twilight turned off her magic and sighed. Applejack was right. An animal that fast could be anywhere for miles. And it wasn't like they had any equipment to help them contain the dinosaur once they found her.
"Alright! New plan, we head back to Ponyville and come with a plan for capture and containment," Twilight said. "We'll figure out what to do with her afterward."
"And just how are we gonna catch her? She's got claws and teeth!" Rainbow inquired.
"With a bit of bait and a good net," Applejack said. "Me and Big Mac have had to do that with predators threatening our livestock before."
"That still doesn't answer the question of, how do we even try to find her?" Rarity asked.
"Wait, doesn't Winona sometimes help you track predators?" Twilight asked.
"I see what you're implying and I like it," Applejack said.
"Okay, then. Let's get to planning," Twilight said.
The group was heading to the train station when Twilight's journal started to buzz. Pulling out the journal, she read the "text" from Sunset.
"Dear Twilight Sparkle,
If you do have a dinosaur showing up in Equestria, then I have something for you that might help. It's a comprehensive guide to all currently-known species of dinosaur, so it may help you out with your "visitor". I'll be waiting by the statue portal for you to come and get it.
Love, Sunset Shimmer ;)"
"Well, that sounds like it'll come in handy," Twilight said.
"What is it, darling?" Rarity asked.
"Sunset's got a whole book on dinosaurs that she wants to give me. It could clue us in on our missing friend," Twilight replied.
"So what do we do, now? Head back to the castle and get the book?" Fluttershy asked.
If they wanted to learn more about the animal they were dealing with, then they needed this book. Twilight fired up her horn and teleported the lot of them back to her castle before anyone could speak.
"Well, that answers that," Rainbow Dash said.
Twilight walked over to her homemade portal in her library and fired it up. After a few moments, Sunset Shimmer flew out of the portal with a large, thick book clutched under her foreleg. Sunset gave it to Twilight who seemed more than a little happy to obtain the book.
"Hey, Princess," Sunset said. "Got you that dinosaur book. It contains things like a list of species, theories, and even cladistics."
Princess Twilight practically threw herself at Sunset, wrapping her hooves around he and even kissing her on the cheek, much to the blushing shock of Sunset.
"Thank you so much, Sunset! This will definitely help!" Twilight said.
Flipping through the various species in the book, Twilight finally found the dinosaur that matched the size and appearance of the one they were currently dealing with. Twilight showed everyone the image on the page.
"We're dealing with a dinosaur called a 'Utahraptor'. A large dromaeosaur that was feared throughout its ecosystem as a powerful predator," Twilight said. "And now one is here in Equestria."
"But why is a dinosaur here in Equestria? Dinosaurs are supposed to be extinct. At least they are in the human world," Sunset asked.
Now that was the question on everyone's minds. It was really weird that animals that are supposed to be extinct began to crop up in Equestria. But that was a problem to figure out in the future. The bigger thing to focus on right now was finding the one that's currently here and figure out what to do from there.
"Well, we need to get back out there to find the animal and make sure they're safe," Twilight said. "Let's head out!"
Before they could get back to tracking the Utahraptor, Sunset raised a hoof. "Um, is it OK if I go with you? I really want to see a real live dinosaur."
"Sure. We could use more hooves to help us," Twilight replied. "Let's get going!"
One teleportation spell later, and the group was right back in the field where they were tracking the Utah. They'd make sure to find her before something bad could happen to her.
Vora and Velt
A day and a half. A day and a half, the pair have been running. The trail was getting warmer and warmer which meant that they were getting close to the rest of their pack. Vora and Velt finally stopped at the river to drink. Velt's stomach growled, earning a sigh from him.
"Vora, would it be okay if we stopped for a bit to hunt?" he asked. "We haven't eaten anything the whole day."
"I'm sorry, Velt, but we need to keep going. Every minute we waste is a minute the kidnappers take our pack further and further away from us," Vora said. "We have to get our pack back."
Velt knew it was impossible to get Vora to stop. Whenever she set her mind to something, she stuck to it until it was done. That's what made her such a successful hunter in the pack. Velt simply sighed and struggled to get to his feet.
"Alright, dear. Let's get our pack back," Velt said.
The pair took off at speed, stopping every now and then to track the scent. The kidnappers had apparently taken them down the river to a desert area. Sand and rocks stretched for miles in all directions. At least the scent kept them on track. The sand made it difficult for them to keep traction and they had to slow down their running speed. Vora made sure to claw those kidnappers nice and good for making them run on sand.
(That Night)
Vora could tolerate a lot of things but the baking sun and running on sand wasn't one on that list. Both Utahs were panting from the heat and the running, but the fact that the scent was growing stronger. Vora and Velt knew that the pack and their kidnappers had to be close. The scent led to a circle of rocks that jutted upwards out of the sand. Alongside the scents of their packmates, Vora could also smell the mammals that took them. Vora flexed her toe claws in anger.
"Are you ready, babe?" Vora said.
"I'm always ready," Velt said. "Let's get them out of here."
"You go around the left and I'll go to the right. We'll take these mammals by surprise and break the others free. A surprise attack will get them to scatter."
"Sounds good."
Vora and Velt split up and walked around the edges of the rocks and peeked in through the gaps. Gathered in the center were several mammals like the ones that Vora encountered while they were surrounded by what looked like weird boxes made of stone rods. And inside these boxes were Vora's packmates! Vora and Velt may not have eaten in nearly two days, but they would make sure to use their remaining strength to free the rest of the pack.
With a single leap, Vora and Velt both landed in the midst of the mammals and shrieked threateningly. The mammals screamed and scattered as expected and now were going to get weapons. Vora and Velt ran amongst them in the chaos to the boxes as the packmates saw their alpha.
"Big Sis! Is that you?!"
"It's Vora and Velt!"
"Please! Get us out of here!"
Vora and Velt bit down on the weird rods and pull them apart, but they didn't budge. No matter how had they pulled, they couldn't break the boxes apart. One of Vora's sisters looked at her with pleading eyes and a spoke in a quivering voice.
"Sis, please get us out of here. I don't want to stay here."
It broke Vora's heart to hear one of her sisters like this. She looked at her sister with eyes that screamed "heartbreak".
"Don't worry. I'm going to get you all out of here, I promise," Vora said.
A familiar scream called from behind Vora. She turned around to see that Velt had been wrapped up by some kind of vine web that the mammals carried. Vora left to get him free, but a rock was thrown at her leg. She felt something snap in her leg an she fell to the ground shrieking in pain. Some of the mammals approached her and kicked her across the jaw to knock her out.
"That'll teach it a lesson," one of the mammals said. "What do we do with them now, boss?"
A mammal wearing a tan vest walked forward and looked at Vora and then to Velt. "We only have one empty cage and we can't fit the two of them in it. Take the one in the net and leave this one here. The desert will take care of it for us."
"Sure, Dr. Caballeron," the mammal said.
Caballeron and his crew worked to round up the Utahs and left Vora there to die. As they left, a single tear left Vora's eye. One. Single. Tear.
Twilight and the Group
Good thing that they were now in the desert. It would make tracking the runaway dinosaur easier with visible footprints and the tracking spell Twilight was using. Rainbow and Fluttershy flew a fair distance ahead to scout for it. Meanwhile, Twilight and Sunset were looking at the prints on the ground.
"I thought you said you were looking for one dinosaur," Sunset said.
"We were, but now there are two sets of footprints," Twilight said. "A breeding pair, maybe?"
"Now that's a thought. More of these animals breeding. Could be something terrifying," Rarity said.
"If they have any babies, I could throw them a nesting party!" Pinkie said, ideas already swarming in her mind.
Applejack was now starting to look worried and wiped sweat from her forehead. "If those critters start breedin', then what do we do then?"
"Applejack has a point," Sunset said. "At first, we were dealing with one dinosaur, but now we're dealing with two. And if these dinosaurs are here, there could be more."
That was a possibility that Twilight hadn't considered until now. If this was possible, then she should expect to see even more dinosaurs at some point. And if that did happen then Twilight and the Princesses need to find a way to find them a place to live where they won't come into conflict with ponies. She'd have to find a way to handle that later. Right now, they had to find these two Utahraptors. Rainbow and Fluttershy came back with worried looks.
"Girls! We found the Utahraptor!" Fluttershy said.
"She's injured, so we need to hurry!" Rainbow said.
"Let's get going, girls!" Twilight called. "We need to help her!"
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
The Badlands - Vora
This couldn't have gotten any worse. Not only did she fail to free her pack from the mammals, but she lost her mate and was now lost in the desert with no water and no way she could hunt with her injured leg. Her dry mouth and growling stomach were becoming more and more unbearable. Vora was on the verge of tears and slammed her claws into the sand.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" she cried into the air. "I'll find you! I swear!"
As Vora continued limping forward, the sound of wings beating and footsteps behind her caused her to turn around instinctually. And her eyes widened in shock, which quickly changed into anger. More of those insufferable mammals were right behind her catching up on both ground and air. Vora snarled at the sight of them.
"Great! Even more of these stupid things to worry about!" Vora said to herself. "Maybe I can eat one of them to regain my strength."
Vora turned to face them and put on a display of a threat: puffing her feathers, flexing her claws, and pulling her lips back to reveal all of her teeth. She shrieked at them as soon as they caught up to her and even did a charge. Or, she attempted to charge only to land on her side. The cream-colored feathered one from the pit came up to her and actually put her wretched hooves on her. Vora snapped her head backwards and snapped at her with a loud shriek. The other mammal, the purple one with the horn and wings, used the weird light from her horn to hold her jaws shut. Vora struggled against the grip of the light, but it was no use.
The next thing Vora knew, the pain in her leg was quickly vanishing. It astonished her so much that she stopped struggling for a brief second to wrap her head around it. She saw that one of the mammals had poured some weird liquid on her leg. Then the creamy mammal walked forward and spoke in a soft voice.
"I know you're angry and scared, but I need you to understand that we're not here to hurt you. We're here to help you," the mammal said. "You're looking for someone, right?"
As much as Vora wanted to get far away from these weird mammals, they did heal her and she knew she wouldn't be able to save her pack without help. She simply nodded her head to respond to the mammal's question. The creamy mammal smiled.
"We can help you get your pack back. You can track them and we'll help you free them," the creamy one said. "We're going to let you go, but you need to promise not to snap at us. Okay?"
Vora glared at the creamy mammal for demanding anything of her but she nodded regardless. Vora's head was now free and she got to her feet. She flexed her claws and flared the feathers on her tail while glaring right at the mammals. There was a new one among them, an orange one with flaming red and yellow hair. The flaming one was staring at Vora with wide awestruck eyes. Vora couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at this as she was a peak specimen of her kind.
"I guess I don't have any other choice but to work with these mammals. Their strange powers and numbers could tip the scales in my favor and get my pack back ," Vora thought while eyeing the horned ones. "Besides, if push comes to shove, I can just kill the horned ones ."
Vora turned her head to the ground outside the ring of rock and sniffed the ground. Her pack and the kidnappers were mingled together strongly in the hot desert air. She should be able to track them easily enough in this crazy place with the other mammals as back up. She took off like a bullet. The mammals struggled to catch up to her, but the flying ones managed better then the others. The rainbow-haired one caught up to her enough to look her in the eye.
"Man! You guys are fast! I kinda wish I was a dinosaur, now!" she said. Vora snapped her jaws at her for space. The rainbow one pulled back with wide eyes.
"Okay, okay! Personal space! I see you!" she said.
Vora turned her head back and continued to run, stopping every now and then to catch the scent again or get a quick drink of water at the river. The sun's heat was beating down on her body relentlessly while the mammals were looking a bit worse for wear. She had to find her pack and her mate. She refused to fail them a third time.
With Velt
Velt was hungry and thirsty as well as in a bit of pain from being cooped up in a cage the entire time. He could hear the voices of the mammals outside the covered cages as they traveled. They kept mentioning going to a place called "Klugetown" somewhere in the southern territories of the Badlands to meet a client there. Velt could now hear whimpering sounds outside his cage and he recognized the voice as one of Vora's sisters, Hera.
"Hera! It's okay. Everything's going to be okay," Velt said. "Vora will get us out of here."
"But you both couldn't get us out last night and she got injured," Hera said with a quivering tone. "How is she going to help us now?"
"Your sister is strong. And she's determined. She found us, didn't she? She'll find us and save us, just have faith."
Hera didn't respond for a bit before she breathed a sigh. "Okay. I'll... I'll trust my sister."
Now all they needed to do was try to hold out and resist in any way they can until Vora found them. Velt was about to try to take a nap when he felt the wagon stop. Velt and the rest of the pack were now staring into the fading afternoon light of the sun and staring up at a weird creature wearing crazy metal garments and carrying weapons. The creature stared down at the pack with wide eyes before looking to their kidnappers.
"So you here to sell some unique specimens?" he asked the kidnappers.
"I am, indeed. I can tell these exotic beasts would sell for a hefty price," the head kidnapper replied. "Ever since Daring Do ruined my archaeological career, I've been looking for a change of pace."
"I see. In that case, welcome to Klugetown, Dr. Cabelleron," the creature said. "You may enter the city."
"So that's our kidnapper's name. Good to know ," Velt thought.
The kidnappers maneuvered the wagon through what Velt guessed was Klugetown. It was a weird nest for strange creatures, a lot of which looked like fish, mammals, and reptiles. There was even a tall brown one that looked like a cat with bright green eyes. It was crazy for Velt to think that life other than dinosaurs could rule a world. A curious crowd was now following the wagon after seeing the pack of Utahraptors. Some of the people got close to the wagon to get a better look only to be scared when the pack snapped and snarled at them, but they never went very far. Even the well-dressed cat was following them.
The wagon traveled through what looked like a hub where the inhabitants were trying to get others to take things like food, rugs, or shiny colorful rocks. The smells that Velt was picking up were exotic by every definition. The one his nose focused on the most was the smell of meat.
He and his pack hadn't eaten anything in nearly two days. The hollow pit that was his stomach growled like a T-rex with a toothache. He stuck his snout through the bars of the cage and sucked in the smell of meat as saliva dripped from his jaws. The cat thing looked at him for a bit before pulling out a bag of dried meat from his pocket.
"Hey, bug guy. You must be hungry, huh?" he asked Velt. Velt was too hungry to be distrusting so he nodded. The cat threw the bag of meat in the cage and Velt ate everything, even the bag. Next the cat went up to Cabelleron and spoke with a smooth voice.
"Pardon me, gentlemen, but where are you taking such lovely specimens?" he asked.
"We're taking them to the auction house's animal pens where they'll be sold tomorrow. If you're interested in buying them, then you'll have to wait till tomorrow at the auction," Cabelleron said.
"Oh, I'll be there, don't you worry," the cat said.
Velt looked back and saw the cat looking at them with a strange look. Something about the cat made Velt feel like freedom could come quicker for them they he thought.
A while later the wagon pulled into a large structure where there were lots of other crazy animals of all shapes, sizes, and colors of varying shades. All were kept in cages or pens where the smell of animal fur and excrement hit them like a tidal wave. One of the kidnappers turned to Cabelleron.
"Where do we put these things, boss?" he asked.
"We put them in the back where there will actually be space for these big beasts," Cabelleron replied.
The kidnappers pulled the cages to the back of the huge room where they now sat as the kidnappers admired them for a good while. Cabelleron smiled at them.
"Hope you have a fun night, pretty beasties," the wretch said. "Tomorrow, you'll bring us more money than we ever made stealing artifacts. Sleep tight. Someone will be by to feed you later."
These horrid creatures should count themselves lucky that the pack was in cages. Velt curled up on the metal floor of his cage after the kidnappers left. The rest of the pack settled in with defeated looks in their eyes. Apart from him and Hera, the others seemingly gave up hope. But he knew that help was coming for them. He could feel it in his bones that Vora would come for them. He knew he could trust his beloved mate. He just needed to keep up his faith.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
With Vora and the Main 6 and Sunset
Vora and her temporary mammal pack finally tracked the scent to the outer walls of Klugetown. The tall walls surrounded the city and large airships floated lazily in the air above. Vora knew her pack was being kept somewhere inside the city's walls but she would never be able to enter on her own. She was now slightly glad she had these mammals with her. Slightly.
"Wait. We've been here to Klugetown before and are celebrated heroes for taking down the Storm King," Rainbow Dash said. It was slightly painful having to learn their names. "Why can't we just go in and look for the pack freely?"
"These mammals are heroes? Suuuure ," Vora thought sarcastically. Sunset shook her head.
"Because this is a trading and commerce town beyond Equestria's borders. We can't just waltz in and demand to be given things, especially since he don't have any money on us," Sunset said. "We need to play this smart."
Rarity stepped forward with a proud smile on her face using her magic to open up her saddlebags. "I think this calls for a bit of theatricality, darlings. Good thing I always bring disguises just in case of a situation like this."
Vora and the mammals looked at her with raised eyebrows. Applejack tilted her head.
"Ya just carry around disguises every time we go on one of these adventures?" she asked.
"You never know when a disguise is needed, darling. Besides, do you have a better plan?" Rarity asked with a smirk.
"Alright I'll give ya that one," Applejack said.
"So what's the plan you got baking?" Pinkie asked.
Rarity lifted up lots of garments and hats from her bags and hovered them in the air while she explained her plan. The mammals would play the part of a party of kidnappers that had captured Vora and were eager to sell her at the market. If the pack was here then they would be taken somewhere to be held till the auction. As much as Vora hated the idea of pretending to be captured, she would do so for the sake of her pack. Fluttershy put a hoof on Vora's shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll find and free your pack as soon as we find them," Fluttershy said.
And so the mammals made their preparations. They dressed themselves up in their costumes and slid a loose rope around the neck of an uncomfortable Vora and led her towards the city gates where a couple of guards stood with armor and weapons. One guard raises his eyes at seeing Vora, a good sign to her.
"So these creatures have seen my pack. Good, now I know that they're here ," Vora thought. "Once I find them, their kidnappers are dead !"
The guard stopped the mammals at the gate and eyed Vora before speaking to Rarity. "State your name and business here in our town."
Rarity stepped forward and spoke in a fake accent that no one there could identify. Even the guard was unsure of how to make of it.
"Afternoon, my good man! My name is uh... Rare Tea," Rarity said to the eyerolls of her friends. "Me and my hearty band of miscreants have acquired a rather beautiful exotic specimen that we wish to sell on the market."
Vora chittered and fluffed up her feathers dramatically to show off her lovely feathers, The guard whistled as Rarity continued her lie.
"You see? No other beasty like this one, aye?" Rarity asked. "I know she'll fetch a hefty penny."
"Actually, this one won't be anything new," the guard said to Rarity's hidden smile. "In fact, some ponies brought a whole pack of them just this morning."
"Oh? That is certainly interesting," Rarity said. "Might we then be led to the market so we can sell this lovely one?"
The guard opened the city gates and pointed. "Go through Merchant's Row and you'll see the auction house just beyond it. The one with the tall domed building. You can't miss it. And you better hurry since the auction starts in 30 minutes."
Rarity tipped her tricorn hat. "Thank you kindly, sir. Have a good day!"
"You too, pretty lady," the guard said with a wink.
Vora and the mammals were now inside the city. She didn't like this at all. Vora could hardly smell her pack as it was muddled with the scents of the denizens of the city. As she walked with the mammals, she caught the eyes of the people in the market. Some of them tried to approach her only to lash out with jaws and claws.
"Please calm yourself. We're almost at the auction house," Twilight said.
A tall cat-like creature wearing a fancy coat and a hat passed by the group and stared at them with wide eyes. The mammals seemed to recognize this one, too.
"Capper!" Twilight said, giving him a hug. Capper hugged her back.
"Good to see you girls again," Capper said before looking to Vora. "I'm guessing y'all are trying to free the other lizard-birds some ponies took to the auction house?"
"You've seen them?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah. In fact, I wanna help y'all get them out of here," Capper said.
"Good. Let's go!" Twilight said.
Capper led them to the auction house and the area where animals were being kept. Some many cages and stables for all manner of creatures. Vora didn't like seeing the sad looks on their faces, but Fluttershy seemed to take it even harder. The rope was removed from Vora's neck and she clambered to the top of one of the empty cages.
"Please be here, please be here, please be here ," Vora thought. She tilted up her head and started to give off loud calls to let her pack know she was there.
"What is she doing?!" Capper whispered. "There could be guards nearby!"
"She's trying to find her pack. This is helping us," Sunset said.
"Besides, if there are guards here, we can handle it," Rainbow said, cracking her hooves.
A responding call in the distance alerted the group to the presence of the pack. Hopeful warmth spread from Vora's chest to her entire body. She took off running without stopping. Vora ran and weaved through the walls of cages until she got to the far end of the room and saw her pack held in cages. Velt saw her with tears in his eyes.
"Vora! I knew you'd find us!" he called to her. Vora ran to him and nuzzled him through the bars of the cage.
"Darling! I'm so happy I found you again! I love you all so much!" Vora said. She went from cage to cage nuzzling her sisters and the other males until the mammals finally caught up to them. The pack started to snarl and snap at them until Vora stood back.
"Everyone, calm down! These mammals are with me!" Vora called. "They're going to help us get you out of here."
"We can't trust them!" one of the males said. "They're the same species that trapped us here!"
"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have found you. Please, you don't have to trust them, but you should trust your alpha," Vora said. Velt nodded.
"I stand with you with they stand with you," Velt said.
Capper stepped forward and started to pick the locks of the cages using his claws. He goes from cage to cage freeing the Utahraptors and they all nuzzle each other lovingly and chittering as they're finally reunited. Vora looks to the mammals and looks directly at Fluttershy.
"Thank you. I guess... you mammals are alright," Vora said.
"You're welcome. Now let's get everyone out of here," Fluttershy said.
Dr. Cabelleron was eager for the auction to begin. After acquiring those reptilian bird creatures, he was set to make a small fortune off them. More money than he ever made stealing and selling old artifacts. And the best part was that his nemesis Daring Do wasn't there to stop him. Who would suspect him of switching from archaeology to animal trafficking? No one. And his business partner Merko was more than pleased to see such unique specimens to sell. The bad doctor stood amongst the sellers on the stage as the auction was about to begin with Merko by his side.
"I must say, doctor, I am eager to see how much folks would be willing to pay for those avian reptiles you brought," Merko said with a big smile.
"As am I. I have never seen creatures like them," Cabelleron said. "No one has."
"Actually, that may not be the case," Merko said much to the doctor's confusion. "My guys have been tracking sightings of more animals like those popping up across the world."
"Truly?"
"Yes. Some report large serpentine creatures in the ocean. Others have seen giant 'dragon-birds' flying around. And there are even sightings of huge herds of lizard-like animals near Buffalo Territory."
"Makes you wonder where these animals are coming from."
"Who cares? As long as we can find a way to profit from them appearing, then it doesn't matter. You catch them, I sell them, and we split the profits. That was our arrangement."
"If there are more of these beasts about, I'll make sure to get them."
"Good. Oh, the auction's about to start."
The auctioneer, a tall shark-like dude wearing a fine suit, steps up to the podium. He's about to announce the auction when a loud commotion comes from the animal room just behind them. Before Cabelleron and Merko could guess what was happening, an entire menagerie of animals burst forth from the huge double doors behind the stage and destroyed the stage sending the sellers flying. Merko's bodyguards picked up their boss and led him away from the stampede while Cabelleron scrambled to his hooves. As he stood up, he was greeted with several familiar faces.
The Utahraptor pack had now surrounded him. The one right in front of him was Vora, glaring at him with ruffled feathers. The doctor smiled weakly.
"Uh... I'm sorry?" he squeaked out.
Vora and her pack rushed Cabelleron all at once with their teeth and claws out. He didn't have a chance to scream. The mammals and Capper had to look away and plug their ears.
Ponyville
After commandeering an airship, the Elements transported the Utahraptor pack to the small town of Ponyville. The pack stepped out and the Elements were greeted by Princesses Celestia and Luna. The two princesses were in awe seeing dinosaurs for the first time. Twilight and Sunset hugged their dear teacher.
"Twilight. Sunset. I'm so happy to see you both saved these creatures," Celestia said with a smile.
"Indeed. I imagine this wasn't too difficult of a task?" Luna asked.
"Nothing we couldn't handle," Twilight said. "But what brings you both here?"
"It's about what we're going to do with these dinosaurs," Celestia said.
Vora and her pack prepared for something bad to happen. They bared their teeth and flashed their claws at the ponies, but the one called Celestia gave them a warm smile.
"You can relax. We found a place for them to live," Celestia said.
"What? Where is it?" Fluttershy asked.
"Some sailors have found a recently-formed continent made from the eruption of an underwater volcano," Luna replied. "It would be perfect the them and the others."
The whole group had their full attention on the princesses. A new continent forming and the mentioning of "others" gripped their attention like a T-rex's jaws.
"Others? There are more dinosaurs?" Pinkie asked. Luna nodded.
"It seems that sightings of dinosaurs have been cropping up all over Equestria in recent weeks," Luna said. "If this is true, then we need to find them and relocate them to the new continent."
"We could use some help to find them and help them," Celestia said. "After we help these Utahraptors."
The group looked to each other and smiled. Twilight stepped forward and smiled.
"You can count on us, Your Majesties," Twilight said. "We can handle this."
"I know you can, Twilight," Celestia said, turning to look at the Utahraptors. "Now, how about we help get these ones to their new home?"
Author's Note
For those who don't remember, Merko was that guy from the MLP movie that looks like a naked mole rat. I wanted to give him a bigger role in the series. Yes, this will be a series.
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
The Continent Sauria - 1 Month Later
It's been 1 month since the group dropped off the Utahraptor pack to their new home. A new continent they call "Sauria". It was made into a flourishing environment thanks to Unicorn magic cultivating plant life and making it able to support animal life, especially dinosaurs. The ponies had built a series of research stations on the main port where they were to drop off captured dinosaurs manned by scientists of varying fields and a whole security team. Fluttershy was there to help the dinosaurs adjust to their new environment and calm them down.
In the month since her adventure with the Utahraptor pack, she and her friends have been looking into sightings and encounters with different dinosaurs as well as keeping an eye on the ones they released into Sauria. As Fluttershy was walking near the fence meant to separate the dinosaurs from the ponies, she's greeted by some familiar faces.
Vora, Velt, and the rest of the pack walk out of the bushes and come up close to the fence. Fluttershy smiled at seeing them.
"Hello, Vora and Velt," she greeted warmly. "What brings you here?"
"I... never got a chance to thank you. Thank you for helping me save my pack," Vora said.
"We also wanted to thank you for taking us to our new home," Velt said. "You'll be happy to know our little ones love it here, too."
Fluttershy's ears pricked up in excitement. "Did you say... little ones?"
Vora and Velt looked at each other and then looked behind them. Vora spoke in a maternal way.
"Come on out. It's okay, you can come on out," Vora said.
From behind Vora and Velt came four little fuzzy babies. Each one squeaked and hopped over to their parents and looked right at Fluttershy. The Pegasus looked at the little babies lovingly before looking back up at Vora and Velt.
"Oh my goodness! Congratulations, you two," Fluttershy said.
"Thank you. We'll raise our children to be as strong as their mother and as loving and caring as their father," Velt said.
"And I'll make sure other dinosaurs are happy here, too," Fluttershy said. "You can count on me."
Merko's Private Airship
Merko was making himself quite busy. Ever since that disaster of an auction a month ago, Merko the Merchant had been trying everything he could to recoup his losses. He lost his business partner and most of his assets. Now he's had to scrape buy selling exotic animals. But the frustrating part was what everyone around the world had become obsessed with overnight: dinosaurs.
Ever since those beasts showed up, the Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle has been busying herself with taking them to some far off land they discovered. And they've been hindering his own efforts to capture and sell them. Something about declaring dinosaurs "protected species". No one's been paying top coin for his own wares and animals anymore. Merko ground his teeth and slammed his fists.
"Damn that hippy-dippy show horse!" Merko cursed. "I've been flying around for a whole month leading trapping parties and raids but nothing to show for it!"
He rubbed his temples and breathed out a calming breath. He wracked his brain for how he could be losing this much.
"Is it because they're better prepared? Is it that my men aren't adequate at hunting beasts like this?" Merko asked himself. Just as he continued to think about what else to do, one of his men opened the door to his quarters.
"Uh, boss? There's someone here who wants to talk to you," the thug said.
"Who is it?" Merko asked.
"A pony," the thug replied. Merko was surprised, but intrigued, too.
"Send them in," Merko said.
A cloaked pony entered the room and gave Merko a polite bow. The stallion spoke with a thick cultured accent and looked at Merko with bright amber eyes.
"Good evening, Merko. I hear you're having a spot of trouble with catching these 'dinosaur' beasts," the stallion said. "Not only have your men managed to let some get away, but you've been stopped and made to retreat by the Princess and her friends. I'm here to help you level the playing field."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Merko asked. "How can you help me make a difference?"
The stallion removed his cloak to reveal himself. He was a Pegasus, with a deep muddy-brown coat and a leafy green mane and tail. His face was covered by a Manticore skull he was wearing as a mask and his flanks bore the image of a crossbow pointed at a deer antler. He smiled wickedly at Merko.
"Because I'm somewhat good at hunting. Really good at hunting," the stallion said, extending a hoof at Merko. "You can call me Trap Skinner."
Equestria's Dinosaurs: The Utahraptor Pack
Vora's POV
Vora was so happy to be running through tall grass again. It had be far too long since she was able to even walk, let alone run. She always loved running at top speed. The wind rushing over her face in feathers felt great. The best part was that she was away from the mammals that had imprisoned her in that wretched pit. If she ever saw them again, she'd do anything she could to get away, even if that meant killing them.
She was so distracted with her sense of freedom that it took her a while to realize that she was hungry. Very hungry. She needed food and fast. What she wouldn't give for a hadrosaur or a young sauropod right now. If there were large animals here, that would be great, except for the fact that she needed her pack.
Speaking of which, a familiar-sounding barking call sounded in the distance. It was definitely a Utahraptor call, and one she recognized.
"Velt!" she said quietly.
Vora let out a returning bark. Velt gave out another bark to Vora's left. She took off in that direction until she came across an obvious game trail in the forest. As she approached the forest, a shape came running towards her. The shape came into the sunlight and took the form of her mate Velt. His black crest stood up in excitement at seeing Vora.
"Vora!" he shouted to her.
"Velt!" Vora shouted back.
The pair ran to each other and nuzzled their heads. Velt took a step back and looked Vora over.
"You look good! Where have you been?!" he asked.
"I was being held captive by some weird mammals! They hurt me and put me in some weird pit for days!" Vora replied. "I just escaped from them! What about you?"
"I woke up in a forest of some kind. I was with the others and I told them to search the forest for you," Velt replied. "It took some time, but here I am finding you."
Vora nuzzled Velt's neck with her snout. She could feel her mate trembling at her touch.
"I'm glad you found me. I was afraid I'd never see you again," Vora said.
"Me too. I love you, Vora," Velt said.
"I love you, too, Velt," Vora said. "How about we go look for the others?"
"Yeah, let's go! They'll be so happy to see you again!" Velt said. "I established a meeting spot for the pack in the woods."
The two Utahraptors took off into the forest as quickly as they could to Velt's meeting spot. Vora was so happy to be reunited with her mate, and she'll be more happy to have her mate and her pack back again.
*****
The Main 6
Fluttershy was tending to Rainbow Dash's injuries while Twilight was pacing. This animal was now free like Treehugger wanted, but she still wanted to learn more about this animal. It was a creature no one else in the land had ever seen before, so she wanted to study her more. Good thing she had an ace. Fluttershy completely wrapped up Rainbow's leg and wing when she turned to Twilight.
"What now, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
"I really wanted to learn more about that creature, so just in case she got out, I put a tracking spell on her," Twilight said.
"You want to actually look for her?!" Rainbow asked incredulously. "Look what she did to me!"
"I'm not planning on going after her unarmed," Twilight said. "I have defensive spells in case she tries to attack me."
"Why do you even want to go after her?" Rarity asked. "She's a beautiful but dangerous predator we're talking about."
"This is an unknown predatory species we're dealing with. It would be good if we learned as much as we could so we can prevent potential incidents," Twilight said. "In fact, I have an idea."
Twilight pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something down on it. Once she was done, she gave it to Spike.
"Spike, send this to the Princesses. Maybe they'll know something about her," Twilight ordered.
"Sure thing," Spike said.
Spike sent the letter to the Princesses as ordered. Next, Twilight pulled out her special journal to Sunset Shimmer in the human world. She eagerly wrote down something in the journal before putting it back in her saddlebag. All she had to do know was wait for their reply.
"In case thee Princesses don't know anything, maybe Sunset Shimmer will," Twilight said.
"You think we should go looking for your mystery predator now?" Applejack asked. "I got my lasso to back you up."
"I'd like to look for her immediately. I promise we'll exercise caution when we do find her," Twilight said.
"With all due respect, Twilight, I think I'm just going to head home," Rainbow said. "I'm not looking forward to dealing with teeth and claws again."
"Fine, Rainbow," Twilight said. "The rest of us will head out."
Twilight cast a teleportation spell on Rainbow Dash with the intention of sending her home.
Before the group could leave, however, Spike belched out a flame that formed into a letter. The Princesses had already sent a reply? That was good to see. Twilight read the letter.
-
Dear Twilight, my most faithful student,
I have looked over the description of the creature that you sent me and neither me nor Luna had ever come across a creature that matches your description. Perhaps this creature comes from a land beyond Equestria. Or perhaps it comes from a different world entirely. Our astronomers have been reporting bizarre astronomical activity for the past couple of days. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to think that this creature is an arrival from another world. If this is the case, I think it would be best for you to monitor this animal as well as take care of it.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia
-
"That's interesting," Twilight said before turning to the others. "Princess Celestia seems to think that this creature that this animal originates from another world."
The girls were all plenty shocked to hear something like that. If that's true, then they need to find this creature so they can try to send it home.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go find the animal!" Fluttershy said.
As the girls left to go look for the loose animal, Twilight's journal began to vibrate. Twilight pulled it out and read it as she walked along with the others.
-
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
The animal you described sounds a lot like a dinosaur. Dinosaurs were animals that used to exist in the human world but are now extinct. If there's a dinosaur in Equestria, then you're very lucky. This means you're very lucky to be harboring what may be an endangered species.
Sincerely, Sunset Shimmer
-
"Nice to know what we're dealing with, now," Twilight said aloud.
"What did Sunset say, darling?" Rarity asked.
"The animal we're looking for is called a 'dinosaur'," Twilight said. "Sunset says it's an animal from the human world that's supposed to be extinct."
The mere mention of the word "extinct" really got Fluttershy's attention. She grabbed Twilight's shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.
"They're supposed to be extinct?!" Fluttershy yelled. "Then we need to find her right away!"
Well, it was nice to see Fluttershy so motivated. The others followed Twilight as she used her tracking spell to locate the lost animal.
*****
Vora's POV
Vora followed Velt to the meeting spot. The spot itself was a treeless hill that rose above the entire forest, giving them a good vantage point to scan their surroundings. Velt let out a gathering call to gather the pack together. Vora and Velt waited for a return call, but there was nothing.
The only response they got was dead silence. All they heard was the wind and the sounds of animals in the forest, but not the familiar sounds of Utahraptors. Velt's expression hardened with worry.
"Something's not right," Velt said.
"I agree. Something's happened to them," Vora said. "Let's find out."
"Yeah, but let's stay together," Velt said. "It may be too dangerous to go about this alone."
"Okay, let's go!" Vora said.
The Utahraptor pair took off down the hill and began to look around the forest for their missing pack. Both of them were keeping their eyes and nostrils open for any sign of their packmates. They were heading east along the river when Vora spotted something in the muddy riverbank.
"Velt! Look!" Vora said.
"What did you find?" Velt asked.
"I found footprints! These look like Mara's footprints!" Vora said.
From the looks of it, the rest of the pack was with her. There were other footprints, too. These weren't made by any dinosaur or animal Velt recognized. However, something about them seemed familiar to Vora. After looking at them for a while, she realized just what those footprints belonged to.
The ground around them showed signs of a struggle, with claw marks and drag marks all around them. Vora tried her best to piece together the scenario in her mind, a strategy that worked well when hunting prey.
From what she was able to gather, the pack gathered along the river to drink. They were found by the mammals that held Vora prisoner and attacked them. The pack put up a fight and tried to run, but the mammals overpowered them. Next, the mammals dragged them towards the river. Fearing the worst, Vora sniffed the air around them.
She caught her pack's scent! They were still alive! They were traveling along with the mammals down the river somehow going with the current. Vora pointed her head towards the direction of the river's current.
"Our pack was taken!" Vora said. "They're still alive, but they're heading down the river. If we're going to find them, we'd better start following the river."
"Right, Vora. What are we going to do once we find their captors, though?" Velt asked.
Vora ruffled her feathers and curled back her lips in a fanged snarl.
"We teach them exactly what happens when they cross a Utahraptor!" she hissed. Velt smiled.
"I like you when you're threatening," Velt said.
"We can flirt after we find our pack. Let's move out!" Vora said with a smirk.
Vora and Velt shot off down the river in search of their pack. When they found them, they were going to make their captors pay for what they've done. Vora was officially sick of mammals, now.