Chapters Chapter 1: Something has arrived…
Author's Note
It is recommended that you read this with a High Contrast Dark or Ultra Darkformatting setting so as to better experience the artworks and typography.
Tittle Artwork by - JetXPegasus JetXPegasus
Chapter 1: Something has arrived…
One of the reasons it is so difficult to break a connection to something or someone you have imprinted on is that after you imprint, it seeds into your mind and goes from working memory to stored, hard-wired memory from which it is much more difficult to sever that attachment.
—> Mark Goulston
The morning sun’s rays seeped through the windows of his bedroom and landed on a gray-coated stallion earth pony’s face, waking him from a fitful sleep. He groaned as he rolled over in bed to escape the harsh light, but then remembered that he had a date with his mare-friend the day before (he still got nervous whenever he said that word) and sat up, rubbing the crust from his eyes. He pulled a t-shirt over his head as he walked out into the hallway, which had dark wooden floors and pale green walls decorated with paintings that were far too big for the space. It was cozy though, and he loved it.
He passed the bathroom, where a large mirror hung over a sink, and he glanced at himself critically, wondering if his shirt would look good with or without his shades. His mane had been growing out lately – down his back. He decided to keep wearing his shades most of the time (it wasn’t exactly a fashion statement), but he figured he should probably take them off once in a while just so ponies could see what was actually going on behind those tinted lenses, so maybe they’d like that. Maybe he could ask his mare-friend about it today, she seemed nice enough. But right now he needed to get out of the house.
He stepped outside and let himself inhale the fresh air, enjoying the smell of damp leaves that clung to the grassy hills faraway, and the sweet scent of flowers in bloom. He took a deep breath as the breeze caressed his cheeks. He closed his eyes and smiled as the cool air brushed against his coat. He looked around. Fillies and colts on their way to school. Salesponies in the market. Shopkeepers bustling by to deliver their wares to eager customers. Mares walking their foals past on the dirt road. All the sights and smells of an ordinary day filled with life, not unlike any other morning on the farm. The only thing missing was…
“Hiya!~ How are you?!” A familiar voice called to him.
He turned to see a brown-coated mare earth-pony waving to him, a bright smile plastered on her face. She wore a long blue skirt that flowed loosely around her hooves. Her mane was long and tied into two pigtails on the back of her head, held together with tiny black ribbon. Her eyes glowed brightly behind her glasses, framed by golden hoop earrings, and she stood proudly while giving him a wide smile, revealing a mouth full of beautiful white teeth.
The gray earth pony smiled and walked over to his mare-friend.
Somewhere through this peaceful ordinary day faraway from Ponyville, at a clear field of grass a lavender unicorn stood at the center of a canopy. Her eyes were closed shut as her horn was lit with a brilliant light that shone from its tip. The energy from this spell created an aura of pure purity that surrounded the said horn. Her mane swayed gently in the wind.
Twilight Sparkle struggled to cast the spell from her horn. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach and she knew that there would be a great backlash when it came to her next attempt if she gets it wrong - but she was determined to do this right, no matter what. The magic needed to be precise, to hold slowly, so she didn’t make mistakes or overdoing things.
The warm rays of the sun were filtering through the canopy above her and her horn glowed with bright colors as the power coursed through its veins. It felt more like being on fire than anything else, though. Twilight wondered how long this spell was going to take, but she trusted that she wouldn't have to wait too much longer. It was almost finished.
Birds chirped from all over the field in harmony, some tweeting happily and others making raucous calls, but all of them singing the same song. Twilight smiled at their joyfulness, knowing full well that they weren't the only ones feeling this joy.
Fluttershy sat comfortably on a picnic mat, drinking lemonade that Spike made for her and everypony else that were there. Rainbow Dash was at her side, eating a plateful of delicious looking pancakes while talking about her recent read of Daring Do. Applejack was beside Pinkie Pie, who was chatting animatedly with Rarity. Spike, while handing each of the girls their lemonade, watched Twilight closely with a curious look on his face.
While focusing, Twilight distracted herself with thoughts of her childhood: the journey she had on her way into a unicorn filly, she studied magic on her own and wanted to attend Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. At the entrance exam, she had to use magic to hatch Spike's egg, but she was unable to cast a spell. A moment after she gave up, Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom startled her and caused her magic to go out of control. Princess Celestia witnessed Twilight's magical abilities and made Twilight her personal protégé.
At the time she was more interested in books than friends. Even now to this day after Twilight made friends with the best of ponies she ever met, she continues to read and consult books. Each book she read her mind was imbued with new knowledge and became very knowledgeable about Equestria's history.
One certain history that Twilight learned, however, was something she favored very much. This particular one, though, was not about the Equestrian Royal rulers, but rather about ancient animals that lived long ago. Animals that once roam the earth along with pony-kind even before ponies came into existence:
The Dinosaurs.
These stories of past prehistoric animals fascinated her because she always wondered how they all went extinct. What were they like when they were alive? How did they evolve? Were those days any worse for ponies during that time?
Twilight gasped, taking in a huge breath of air as the light from her horn dimmed, and the magic she'd been holding dissolved. The magic faded away and Twilight was left with nothing more than small pebbles. Bullets of sweat ran down the sides of her neck in the air and she took a few seconds just to regain her composure.
“Are you alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “You seemed really tired. I'm sorry if I interrupted you.”
Twilight waved her off, wiping the sweat off her brow with her right hoof. "Oh! No, I wasn't concentrating. Actually, I dozed off a bit that’s all,” Twilight assured Fluttershy. “But I think I’m getting close though, I just need to try again and concentrate.” She sighed. “Hopefully it’ll work this time.”
“What kind of spell y’all trying to cast Twilight?” Applejack inquired.
Spike sat down next to Pinkie Pie. With a sandwich in hand. “She’s trying to cast a teleportation spell.”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Teleportation spell? But doesn’t she know how to do that already?”
Spike shook his head. “Oh no, that kind of spell is merely used to dodge objects or to get behind some-pony,” he said, waving his hand casually. “This one is a special treat. This spell could allow any pony to travel to any part of the world or checkpoint and return within the blink of an eye. We’ve already marked a spot to where she wants to go, which is why she needs to concentrate in order to find it and transport herself there.”
Applejack nodded, digesting Spike’s words. “Ah’m guessin’ she still hasn’t mastered that spell, huh?”
Spike said, “Nope, not quite yet,” and glanced at Twilight, smiling kindly. “But she’s getting there. It’s just gonna take time.”
“Oooo!” Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly. “What if she teleports into a world filled with cupcakes and chocolate fudge?! Or maybe a world of walking talking candies! You’d think they would like parties there,” she giggled.
Twilight laughed, shaking her head. “Pinkie, I’m pretty sure that those kinds of worlds don’t exist. Besides…” she paused briefly and felt a tingling sensation from her nose. The tension of her muscles slowly built up from her chest as pressure built up to her nose releasing said pressure out from her nostrils.
She jumped whilst sneezing and at the same time, the light in her horn grew brighter than ever and everyone that was watching her were left taken aback when their world was instantly engulfed in blinding white. The blinding light cleared and Fluttershy gasped, throwing her hooves up to her mouth. Everyone else gasped as well when they found the lavender unicorn nowhere in sight.
Darkness was all she could see. Her hair floated around her face; she couldn’t move any of her limbs here. The world was quiet. Everything was still. And yet, the last of her oxygen left her mouth and flew past her face. Her lungs began to burn. She wanted to get out of whatever limbo she was stuck in. Her eyes began to water. All she could hear was her own head rocking back and forth, banging against the invisible wall surrounding her body. It hurt. It hurt so bad. The pain was overwhelming. She couldn’t breathe. She wanted to cry, scream, plead for help, but no sound would escape her throat. She could barely move.
She knocked the back of her head on a hard surface and her eyes blinked when she heard something crack. Something was definitely broken. The noise continued and she kept bashing her head against what must have been the unseen barrier. The spot she hit got progressively softer as she banged on it again.
A small light pierced through the crack in the layer of darkness. A tiny speck of yellow illuminated the pitch black space inside her round-shape prison and it made everything look slightly better. It felt a lot less suffocating with that small speck of light illuminating her small trapped prison. With little energy her body could muster, Twilight let out a small moan and banged her head against the soft surface repeatedly until said surface exploded.
She fell on her back on something soft. Her eyes shot open, flinching slightly as they were assaulted by a bright sunlight that poured into her vision. The sun felt like daggers piercing through her head. Twilight sat up slowly on her rump, coughing out an overtone taste from her mouth. Her head throbbed intensely. Her body felt sore. So sore.
It takes her a while for her head to stop pounding. The light blinded her for a moment until her vision adjusted and she blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. It helped a lot. She looked around. She was sitting on top of twigs and fibers that were intertwined together in a circular form. From both sides, two large eggs were laid. And she burst out of one of ‘em!
Twilight’s nostrils flexed in disgust at the smell of gunk from the egg she came out of all over her. She tried hard to keep her gag reflex under control, swallowing hard as she looked at the other egg lying on the nest. Twilight looked up at the clear honey-colored sky above, then at the nest she sat upon.
Turning to her right, she found herself in a small field surrounded by mountains that extended upwards towards the sky. Behind the big hills far away from her, a forest stretched across a valley, looking like a dense patch of jungle that extended to the horizon. Small silhouettes of birds could be seen flying overhead.
Her eyes blinked, she was confused. Where in the world is she? Where are her friends?
Somewhere behind the two hills there was a powerful thump. The ground shook causing Twilight to jerk her head up and her ears perked up. Fully alarmed she scanned her surroundings finding none but grass, pebbles and bushes. Her eyes darted from tree to tree unsuccessfully finding the source. She heard it again, hearing it clearly this time. The forthcoming thud drew nearer as her head jerked around staring straight at the top of the hill.
Twilight’s eyes widened as she felt her heart leapt to her throat and somehow got out a quiet gasp. Climbing up over the hill Twilight saw the bulky heads of two giant behemoths starting their way towards her. Each step quaking the ground with dominance. The duo appeared to be quite robust and muscular. The said duo shared few traits and differences of their appearances.
Both shared identical dull reptilian eyes that stared deep into Twilight’s soul and the behemoths each protruded black and white feathers that ended in sharp points. The feathers covered their backs, wrapped around their throats like a mane, and created a sharp crest on the back of their skulls. The one on the right had dark brown leather with a yellow underbelly, and its partner's skin was green leather but darkened like the other while also sharing a yellow underbelly. Twilight choked back vile when she was struck by a wave of stench thick with decay, rot, and spilled blood. With each huffing snort from the two giants, Twilight slowly took a step back without thinking.
The two giants stopped before reaching their nest. Twilight stared at them with wide eyes in shock. A terrifying realization dawned on her. These behemoths… She knows what they are. Tyrannosaurus Rex. Or T-Rex for short measure. Gripped by silent terror, Twilight saw the father rex to her right took one step towards her, lowering its head to push its snout towards her ever so slowly.
A scream rose in Twilight’s throat but she bit down on her tongue, preventing it from coming out. Fearful and terrified she backed up, her legs shaking slightly as the rex inched closer. She recoiled as the creature sniffed her, nostrils flexed open and closed from the bulbous ends of its snout. Twilight could feel her heart hammering through her rib-cage. She felt paralyzed. The rex lifted its head and a deep growl rumbled in its chest, reverberating through her entire body. It was too close. Too close for her liking. She could feel it.
All it’ll take is for it to open its jaws wide and crush her skull between it! Which leaves her puzzled as to why it hasn’t done that yet? Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, racing as her breathing became labored.
The mother rex to the left took a step towards Twilight. It’s left scaled three-toe talon feet dug into the dirt, giving off another deafening rumble. The sound seemed to echo in every direction. The creature pushes its snout towards Twilight. Its breath smelled rancid. It sniffed her once more, sending shivers down her spine. It's hot breath hit her, feeling her stomach flipping uncontrollably.
As if her body was on a mind of its own, Twilight whirled her body around and bolted in the opposite direction, running and dodging trees as best as she could. Behind her she heard a loud, bellow followed by heavy footfalls. The two behemoths were after her. She could hear the powerful thumps and stomping of their heavy talons leaving deep impressions in the dirt below her. She ran faster, desperate to lose the Tyrannosauruses.
Twilight’s heart was pounding as she tried her best to run, she constantly felt her hooves about to slip from the shaking ground and she panted like crazy, rushing air to her lungs.
She was thoughtless in her instinctual flight. Through said flight Twilight knew that there was no fighting or hiding, running was her only option. Twilight was lost in the forest now veering far away from where the nest had been. She was intoxicated with her adrenaline which heightened her senses. Every rustle she heard sent her heart racing even faster as her eyes darted around. Twisting around trees and vines, tripping on roots, sliding across the dirt, she did everything she could to stay away from these vicious beasts who chased her.
Twilight had never run so hard in her life, not since she escaped a trio of snakes that chased her out of a small cave. That memory scared her for days. But this was worse than anything that snake could do. Twilight finally glanced over her shoulder and saw the two behemoths weaving downhill in a serpentine pattern.
Twilight’s pupils shrunk to slits. She couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing; it wasn’t possible. She couldn’t believe her eyes. There was no way these two creatures could be real, and yet there they were, chasing her down, closing in fast. She had seen these things millions of times through one of Spike’s comic books, the movies she watched with her family, and children’s books. But not like this. Never alive, never in real life.
Twilight turned away from the two behemoths and continued to dash away. She lit up her horn and sprinted faster. Trees whipped past her, leaves flew from the force of her passing and branches whipped her face mercilessly. Her breathing was labored. Her hooves were screaming at her to slow down. She needed to catch her breath.
She kept running. One thought plagued her head: they were gaining on her. They would catch her in seconds. Her legs moved quicker and she picked up speed. The light in her horn began glowing as a faint lavender aura surrounded her. It pulsated faintly, lighting up her horn in an intense purple glow. She was nearing the end of her endurance. She couldn't run any further.
‘Please work.’ Twilight begged internally as she slowed down a little.
Twilight didn’t dare look back. She knew they were gaining on her. She closed her eyes and felt her breathing quicken and the sweat beads forming on her forehead dripping down. Her muscles burned in agony. Her muscles screamed, begging for relief, yet she couldn't give it to herself.
The light brightened up from her horn until it filled her entire body. All at once her world exploded in blinding light.
Twilight’s eyes shot open, blinking rapidly to see that she was no longer in the forest, nor was she prey to the behemoths chasing her.
She was in a grassy open field.
She raised her head, looking about, seeing nothing but grass surrounding her, nothing but trees standing tall on both sides of her. The sunlight glistened off of their polished leaves like diamonds. Twilight stood, trying to get her bearings.
“I did it… I’m back.” She breathed, smiling brightly, “I made it.”
Her joy was short-lived when a sudden powerful thump caused a tremor beneath her hooves. She snapped over her shoulder and her ears pinned behind her head when she spotted the green mother rex lumbering towards her. In spite of her pain and fear, she forced herself to stand straighter. This beast was huge, towering over her, and the massive animal surprisingly didn’t look angry.
Twilight felt the ground shake as she turned her gaze forward finding the father rex standing before her. The two behemoths stared down at her, seemingly unperturbed, though they did stop advancing.
A deep growl rumbled in the male behemoth’s chest. The sound was intimidating enough to make Twilight shrink backwards slightly, though it went unnoticed by the two Tyrannosauruses, whose attention remained fixed solely on her. A low growl echoed forth from their throats as they stepped a little closer.
With trembling lips, Twilight swallowed thickly. She was paralyzed, unable to move. A whimper choked in her throat before she whispered a simple word inaudible to any-pony else, “Help me!”
She closed her eyes tightly shut awaiting the dreadful fate that was closing in on her. However, none of those gruesome scenarios occurred. After being silent for a good minute, Twilight finally dared to peek at them. What she found was something entirely unexpected. The two behemoths remained motionless, staring right into her eyes, but still showing no sign of aggression.
It wasn't until the father rex lowered its head and nuzzled its snout against Twilight’s cheek with gentle care. Twilight froze, taken aback. The mother rex took her turn and carefully nuzzled her snout against Twilight. Twilight blinked several times, stunned, unable to react to their actions. She had expected that they would eat her. She had expected to see a ferocious prehistoric predator of immense size devour her whole and spit her bits of her flesh back at its mate as a snack.
What Twilight had not expected was for these two beasts to be so… docile. To be so loving. The only thing she could do was stare blankly into their eyes and try to comprehend what was happening. She was completely and utterly stunned as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.
This didn’t go unnoticed by the mother rex. The mother rex raised her tail and wiped some of Twilight's tears from under her eye, before pulling away from her gently. Twilight was shocked to see a unicorn-like horn protruding from the end of the mother rex’s tail. She had never seen such a sight before. No, she’d never seen any other type of Tyrannosaur have such a unique trait. How peculiar…
A terrible realization dawned on her. She Unintentionally dragged the two behemoths out from the past and into her present timeline.
Immediately she lit up her horn. Vanishing in a magenta flash and reappearing an instant later inside her library. She felt a smile spread across her face as she recognized them. Spike, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity gathered around her. Twilight looked at them, they looked happy but also worried.
“Twilight,” Spike gasped, relieved to see her. He looked her up and down. She was covered in dirt, and sweat. Her mane was ruffled and disheveled. She looked exhausted. “Where did you go? We were worried sick!”
Twilight gave him a weak smile, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Before she could say anything, however, a flash of green light erupted outside the window and then a thump shook the library.
“What the hay was that?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she walked over to peer outside the window. Everypony and Spike watched as Rainbow’s face went pale.
“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked with concern. She didn’t respond. She seemed frozen in place, staring wide eyed out at the window.
Fluttershy walked over to her. Raising a hoof towards her shoulder but stopped when her eyes rolled to the window to the direction Rainbow was looking. She gasped, her body going rigid. She stumbled backwards, crashing into Pinkie Pie who immediately placed her hooves on her best friend's shoulders.
“Whoa, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Pinkie Pie questioned worriedly. Fluttershy shook violently, and she could only point her hoof at the window in response. She looked panicked; her mouth opened and closed without saying anything.
The girls and the baby drake gathered towards the window with Twilight following behind them. All except Twilight stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable sight before them.
Two giant behemoths stood outside the golden oak library. The father rex growled softly as smoke billowed from its nose. It gave a snort, as both it and the mother swiveled their heads around, looking for the pony that had just vanished from their sight. The mother stepped forward carefully, examining the buildings and areas on the street.
Spike was the first one to break the silence. “Some-pony please tell me that I’m not seeing what I THINK I’m seeing…right?”
Nobody said a word. Not even Twilight. She could not tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her. The mother rex walked slowly, sniffing the air intently. She paused, taking in the scents around her. Twilight knew it was only a matter of time before the two predators find her.
“A Dinosaur..?” Fluttershy whispered with terror. She hid behind her mane and squeezed her eyes. “But I thought they were gone?”
“Who cares?!” Rainbow Dash shouted exasperatedly, pointing at a hoof at the Tyrannosaur duo. “Let’s warn Princess Celestia before those things decide to eat ponies for lunch!”
Twilight closed her eyes, shaking her head. “No. Those creatures aren’t gonna leave here.”
Applejack frowned. “What do you mean Twilight?”
“Well, when I sneezed, I accidentally transported myself into what I believed to be the cretaceous period. All while I broke myself out of an egg,” Twilight explained. Rainbow Dash blinked twice in confusion before her eyes widened comically.
“So that’s where the smells coming from. No wonder you smell so bad!”
Twilight ignored her and carried on talking. “When I woke up, I discovered that I was in a nest. That’s when those two arrived.” Her eyes darted to the two behemoths outside then darted back to her friends. “When they arrived, I was the only one there; I had this gunk from the egg I was in all over me, I believe that those creatures must’ve picked up on that scent and imprinted on me. Kinda like a baby with a parent.”
Rainbow Dash raised a brow. “Wait a minute…you mean to tell me that you think.” She points her hoof at the lavender unicorn, then at the window before returning it to said unicorn. “They think, you’re their baby?” She laughed incredulously.
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you,” Twilight replied, annoyed. She glanced back out the window once more, watching the two beasts closely. They continued to search the area, ignoring a few ponies screaming and fillies staring in awe. She wondered if they were even aware of what was going on.
“Well, how else would it explain why they didn’t eat her Rainbow?” Spike questioned, shrugging his shoulders innocently. “But there’s another big elephant in the room here: How did they get here?” He pointed out with a frown.
Twilight sighed. “I think they got dragged into the spell when I tried to come back here.”
Applejack turned to the window. Her eyes narrowed as her expression hardened. “And now they’re roaming about in Ponyville.”
Fluttershy turned her gaze towards the window. Raising a hoof below her lip, she pondered for a moment before turning her attention back to Twilight. “What are we gonna do about them?” She asked.
Rarity nodded. “That’s just what I was thinking. I don’t know about you girls, but I don’t like the idea of some monster roaming around freely.”
“Well…” Twilight tried to formulate a plan, only for her thoughts to be cut off suddenly by a long low growl that struck everyone in the room dumbfounded.
All of them turned their gaze towards the window. Their hearts nearly jumped out of their chests. The two behemoths were staring at them - specifically at Twilight. Their cold, calculated reptilian eyes locked onto hers in unison. Their powerful chest chugged with each breath like some kind of mechanical engine.
Twilight gulped and attempted to speak again, “Uhhh...you let me worry about that…” She stammered awkwardly. The behemoths continued to watch her intently. Twilight swallowed nervously, wondering how In Equestria she’s gonna explain this to Princess Celestia.
Chapter 2: Uncharted Territory
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 3: Hunted in the Everfree
The world consisted of predators and prey. You were either hunting or running.
—> Charlene Weir
Through the dark night, the Everfree teamed with life. Hidden owls called to one another across a vast meadow of moss and fallen leaves, their cries carrying on the breeze. The sky above was black, as the last light of day faded beneath the canopy. In its wake, a thousand stars twinkled in all their glittering glory. The slithering stream of the river gurgled by in the darkness. A gentle wind blew over the meadow, rustling the tall grasses and whispering among the fallen trees, but none disturbed the sleeping forest.
Crickets chirped and frogs croaked quietly, but no other sound stirred throughout the night. No pony hoof-steps crunched through the brittle grasses or leaves. The only sounds were those of the wildlife living within this forest, which had grown accustomed to being alone. Even the owl who was perched high in the branches of an ancient oak seemed to be asleep.
Then came the footsteps. They echoed off the tree trunks, coming from somewhere in the middle distance. The sound of many hooves stamping down the ground filled the clearing. A group of twelve changelings rode into sight, their hooves clomping over the fallen logs that made up the floor of the meadow.
They were heading south along the river, away from where their checkpoint lay. Leading said group of twelve changelings was a young male changeling named Nastus, whose eyes glowed like parakeet green in the darkness. It was Nastus who was responsible for leading the changelings south, for he and along with his platoon were assigned with the same mission that his friend, Gormlaith, was assigned with.
Unfortunately they were not making any progress in finding whatever it is that their queen demanded them to find. They'd been traveling for hours without so much as seeing a single thing worth looking at, except a few deer that wandered near them with their nose down. Nastus looked around. The Everfree forest was untamed and primordial – full of wild animals that could pose a threat. Nastus wanted nothing more than to leave, even though they were supposed to remain here until their task was complete. He knew that he would get nowhere by arguing against their orders.
Another male changeling following behind Nastus was scanning the shadows for any sign of a phantom, be it a Cockatrice or Cragadile. Another male changeling behind the other darted his cyan eyes from left to right, keeping a keen eye out for any movement in the foliage of nearby trees.
The twelfth changeling at the far back of the group was the most seasoned in their search of the Everfree Forest – he'd seen a great deal and he knew well what to look for. His name was Lythya, which meant "hurry." Lythya was amazed with the diversity of the forest's inhabitants. Many of the creatures were rare and exotic beyond belief and some were almost mythical. The forest was so big that the only time when anyone had ever heard of something was when there was news of one. But that didn't stop Lythya from wanting to see everything. He'd even tried to go on a small exploration party once, but was caught by his father before he could make it too far.
He also seemed to be the only changeling in this group to be unaffected by fear. Who was obviously too naive to realize how dangerous the forest was, but Lythya, with a mind like a hawk watching for any prey, saw danger in anything that moved. He knew better than to let his guards down. He kept an eagle's eye on everyone and everything. Lythya would never allow himself to repeat any mistakes that he'd made before, for he had learned very early on in his youth that nothing was more important than survival. It took many years and hard work to gain his current status.
Lythya continued to scan the forest for any potential danger. His gaze settled on something in the distance. A lone sleeping owl hooted softly from atop an old tree. The owl watched the forest silently. Its pale silver feathers reflected the moonlight and glittered like polished glass. It sat perfectly still on its branch, as if posing for a portrait. Lythya smiled. A portrait. That's what this owl was good at.
Lythya turned back to face forward, his smile disappearing. He’d been distracted by said sleeping owl that he failed to notice a perceptible shift in the atmosphere. The Everfeee forest was silent. Lythya’s heart fluttered with alarm. Had he missed it? He searched around the area. Nothing. The buzzing insects, the groaning frogs, the hooting owls, and even the crickets had gone quiet.
Lythya looked forward again and saw that Nastus and even the other changelings had slowed down as well upon noticing the silence. Two tall changelings looked around cautiously. Neither of them spoke but instead continued to watch carefully in all directions for any possible dangers that might lie ahead of them. Three changelings stared into the treetops. One changeling’s nostrils flared, his eyes narrowing.
A soft breeze stirred the trees around them. Nastus raised his hoof and made a circular motion for the others to get closer. They gathered around Nastus and he led the way. The group slipped deeper into the woods. Lythya, being closest to the back of the pack, remained alert. His heart raced in anticipation of danger. He scanned the forest with caution. He couldn’t sense anything. He wondered what could cause said forest to be so quiet.
The sudden entombing silence unnerved him. It was as if the forest was holding its breath. He shivered slightly in the chill wind.
“There,” Nastus said suddenly, pointing into a tree. “We will stop here, a five minute break should suffice.” He dismounted and began walking toward the center of the meadow.
Several others followed suit, including the rest of the changelings. Nastus walked past each one and stopped beside a tall ash tree. He reached for a large rock next to the tree and sat on the edge.
“Hey Nastus,” said a male changeling next to Lythya. “How far do we have to go to look for this artifact thingy?”
“Yeah, we’ve been walking for hours. There’s nothing out here. Maybe we should go back and wait for Gormlaith to return.”
Another male changeling bristled, sitting themselves next to their buddy.
Nastus turned his gaze toward them. “Until we find it, we’re not leaving this place. But if we’re lucky, if Gormlaith finds it before we do, we’ll leave here sooner rather than later. Until then, we stay put. Understand?”
“Crystal!” All the changelings replied in unison.
“Good. We can take a short break while we’re waiting. If Gormlaith shows up with the artifact before us that’s when we go.”
All twelve changelings broke into smaller groups, chatting amongst themselves about the strange occurrences they’d encountered while travelling.
“I’m gonna go pee.” Lythya walked off and headed for the bushes just outside the circle.
Nastus turned his head at him. “Don’t wander off too far Lythya.”
Lythya nodded and ducked between two thick brambles. He dodged through some bushes and emerged into an eerie swampland that stretched across the forest. Thick roots stuck out from the soil in every direction, resembling enormous black snakes coiled up and stretching out from the earth.
Lythya glanced behind him. “This should be far enough.” He stepped close to two bushes on either side of him, hoping they were far enough to hide him from view. As he stood there, waiting patiently to relieve himself, his nose was suddenly assaulted by a strong ammonia scent. He coughed and sneezed violently.
His stomach churned uncomfortably, and he quickly retched. What is that unbearable smell?! Lythya quickly threw a hoof over his nose and mouth. The foul stench invaded his nostrils, making him gag. He shook vigorously, his body trembling in disgust. His eyes burned with unshed tears.
“Goodness gracious, what is that horrible smell?” Lythya’s eyes widened as he looked around, trying to pinpoint where the terrible odor was coming from. He felt like he was choking. His body began to burn. Sweat poured off him. He almost stumbled backwards, away from the hideous scent, his feet dragging helplessly on the ground.
With his hoof still over his nose, he slowly strides forward towards said ammonia. The deeper he ventured into the woods the more overpowering the smell became.
As Lythya neared the source of the odor, a sickening feeling spread over him as he realized just how close he was approaching the source: the smell was coming from behind a shrub near his path. Lythya squinted, trying to peer through the leaves of the shrubbery in hopes of finding out what was causing such a powerful odor in the middle of the forest. He took slow steady steps towards the shrub and peered around the bush.
Lythya blinked, shocked at what he saw.
A large amount of twigs and fibers were intertwined together in a circular form. Vegetation was constructed around the twig structure, forming a massive web of tangled vines and branches. In the center lay two round large eggs; their eggshells glistened brightly in the moonlight. The two eggs glowed softly.
Lythya’s jaw dropped. Realization dawned on him: he was standing before a nest. Lythya stepped around the bush and crouched down to examine the eggs. The urge to pee and the unbearable smell long forgotten, Lythya focused on examining the eggs closely. This nest looked recent...so recently that the dirt covering the entire nest was still fresh.
Lythya’s nose was now so accustomed to the horrible smelling smell that he barely noticed that he had started sweating profusely.
His breath caught in his throat. They were big—bigger than his head. Each egg looked like an oversized watermelon. He touched one. To his surprise, it was cold to the touch. His hoof lightly traced the smooth surface. He picked it up and held it in his hoof. It was surprisingly light. He was amazed at the size of it. The nest was huge! He examined the egg again, studying it closely. It definitely wasn't a normal watermelon, for it was far larger than the regular ones.
As Lythya stared in awe at the egg, he didn’t notice movement in the nearby foliage. He failed to hear the shrubs crushing underfoot that accompanied the movement, neither did he spot the bulky form that could briefly be seen brushing against the shadows within the bushes.
“There you are!”
Lythya jumped and spun around, startled by the sound of Nastus’s voice. He was walking up to him.
Nastus’s expression darkened as he gazed at the egg in Lythya’s hoof. His eyes narrowed and his face hardened.
“What have I told you about wandering off too far?”
“Uh…not to do that, I guess. Sorry. I forgot.” Lythya looked down sheepishly at the egg in his hoof. A wave of relief washed over him.
Nastus motioned his hoof at the egg. “Well, put that egg back where you found it and come on. I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”
Lythya stood. He looked back towards the nest with an odd expression on his face. “I’ve never seen a nest like this before.” He glanced back at Nastus. “What do you think this nest is?”
Nastus studied the nest, studying the small opening on its sides. “I don’t know nor do I want to know. Let’s just hope whatever it is that lives inside isn’t dangerous.” Nastus rolled his body around. “Now come on, I wanna be far away from it and back in the safety of the meadow before Gormlaith gets back.”
Lythya carefully placed the egg back into the center of the nest. He followed after Nastus, glancing back at the shrubs where the nest rested. His heart fluttered uneasily. The Everfree was still silent. He couldn’t even see the animals that normally roamed these grounds. Where could they be?
Lythya’s eyes blinked, his ears flattening against his head. “What was that sound?”
Nastus froze and cocked his head. “The wind. Come on, let’s get out of here and keep moving.”
“No, no, I’m serious. What was that sound? I thought I heard something.”
Nastus stared at Lythya in confusion. “What did you hear? You’re sure that it ain’t the wind?”
Lythya shook his head. “No, I heard something else.”
“Then what was it?”
Lythya looked around again, looking for anything unusual. But found nothing. Just as he decided that all was quiet once more, he heard it again, but this time his ear pricked slightly and his senses tingled ever so slightly. He shivered with excitement and fear as he realized the source of the noise. It came from their right. A few seconds later, the unmistakable sound of shrubs crushing came again from that direction.
Lythya snapped his head towards the sounds, and immediately backed up, his muscles tightening, his eyes shot wide.
Something was standing motionless from just beyond the standard trees. Their bright orange eyes staring back at him coldly. Lythya’s heart thundered wildly inside his chest. The eyes were fifteen feet from the ground! And although the creature was invisible to his sight, the fact that he could not clearly make out its features only made its presence that much stronger.
The silhouette of the behemoth stood motionlessly, silently staring straight ahead, as if it was frozen solid. Another pair of eyes blinked open next to the behemoth, both pairs glowing brightly and stared at the changeling duo coldly.
Lythya and Nastus could only stare back at the strange sight without breathing or moving. For several tense moments neither spoke a word, as the only sounds that filled the air were those coming from their lungs. The tension mounted higher as the behemoth to the left crept one step closer to them, its eyes fixed on the frightened deer couple. Its eyes grew brighter, the glow of its orbs becoming visible for mere fractions of a second.
A scream rose in Lythya’s throat but he smothered it behind his hoof. “Nastus, what are they?” Lythya whispered quietly.
Nastus looked over at the beast. His pupils dilated. He swallowed nervously, then looked away from the beast and met Lythya’s gaze. He licked his lips and gulped audibly.
“I don’t know.” He replied, his tone shaken.
“What do we do?” whispered Lythya frantically.
Nastus grabbed hold of Lythya’s arm tightly. “Stay calm,” he breathed. He looked at the dark looming figure from afar. “On the count of three, we’re gonna make for the trees.”
Lythya nodded.
“One…two…three.” Nastus released Lythya's arm as the pair’s wings spread wide, their bodies taking flight in the blink of an eye.
They flew through the air dodging trees. Their wings beat strongly creating gusts of wind that whipped against the pair’s bodies, throwing dust into their faces, forcing them to wipe the particles from their eyes. After several seconds their wings slowed and began to flap feebly as they hovered a foot above the ground.
Lythya looked over his shoulder as he flew, trying to catch a glimpse if the monsters are chasing them. Only to blink in astonishment, seeing that the two behemoths were gone. Lythya and Nastus stopped and cautiously turned their heads slowly towards the place they saw them last.
“Where’d they go?” said Lythya. His voice cracked.
Nastus turned his gaze at him. “I don’t know,” he replied, his voice trembling. He swallowed hard. “Okay, we head back, gather the others and head back to colony. So let’s just—“
A terrifying high pitch cry erupted from behind them. Said cry echoed through the woods and the sound seemed to shake everything to the core. The duo immediately beat their wings and took flight. They headed forward and quickly flew through the forest. They sped past trees in an effort to reach where they heard the cry.
Nastus and Lythya stopped next to a tree. Their hearts raced, racing to match each other’s frantic breaths. The pair stared ahead. Their breath caught in their throats as they saw their fellow changeling drone on the ground.
The drone’s eyes widened, terror gripping him, he tried to desperately crawl away but then a wide three-toe foot planted firmly on the drone’s back. The movement was delicate but then came accompanied with a high pitch scream. The changeling drone had more time to scream in pain before the silhouette of a large snout lowered into view, Jaws wide as they latched onto the drone’s body. With a sickening clamp of their jaws, blood sprayed into the air and the shrieking drone fell limply to the ground, twitching as it lay still. The corpse of the drone was picked up and every changeling watched as the behemoth swallowed the drone whole. The drone’s eyes rolled into the back of its head as it ceased struggling and died.
Nastus and Lythya was paralyzed. They stared in silence as the behemoth turned it’s head at the eleven changelings staring at the beast with terror. They watched as the behemoth walked over to them, a deep low rumbling growl rising from deep within its chest.
All eleven changelings beat their wings, lifting themselves in the air. One drone in the middle was engulfed in green flames before reappearing in the form of a dragon. Inhaling all the fire he held up inside his belly it shot a hot torrent of flames out his mouth engulfing its target. Every second he increases the power of his flames ensuring that there'll be nothing left of that beast. He kept this up for a few minutes before jerking his head back giving a snort, shooting out a large part of the smoke into the air, as it sat there gazing at the flames.
Nastus and Lythya felt that they had done it. But then a wide bellowing maw shot out from the flames, causing the dragon to be engulfed in green flames once more and come back as a changeling out of fear. He didn’t have time to scream before being crushed by the jaws of the behemoth. Bones crunching, blood splattering everywhere as the beast devoured his victim. All ten remaining changelings screamed simultaneously as one.
Lythya’s glared wide eyed. Horror coursed through his veins. He clutched his chest with both of his hands as panic took over his entire system. He watched in horror at what had happened before his very eyes. The behemoth stepped out of the ashes. Unschathed, uninjured, and no sign of any burnt on it.
The tenth changeling drone was suddenly shrouded in dark green magical aura before being jerked away from his buddies and shooting past the trees and into the darkness. His screams gave way to silence. Stepping out of the darkness, another behemoth slowly strides into view. Its chest chugged powerfully with each breath that filled its lungs. Each step left an impression on the earth as it approached the pack of terrified changelings.
“Scatter!” Nastus flew to the air. Staring intently at the nine changelings left. “They can’t get all of us if we split up. Come on!”
Nastus rolled his body around and soars past the trees, with the nine remaining changelings following suit.
Lythya tried to follow but was stopped by the much bigger behemoth. Its bright orange calculating eyes stared coldly back at him. From behind it, the behemoth’s partner stomped past the trees. Heading towards where Nastus and the others flew off. Lythya just barely dodge the jaws as it snapped at him.
He spun around and beat his wings furiously flying upwards as the behemoth chased after him. A huge amount of energy flowed into his legs from his wings before they started beating faster and faster, propelling him further away from the behemoth. It followed him closely, never stopping even when he started turning and changing direction.
Lythya continued to fly straight, trying to lose the monster. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His heart thudded violently in his chest, as though wanting to jump out of his ribcage, leaving him gasping heavily for breath. Sweat poured from his brow and trickled down the side of his face, sliding down his neck.
Lythya shoots through a large bush and falls face-first into something wrapping around him. His limbs flail about wildly. He struggled and shrieked while trying to move.
“Hey, hey! it’s okay, you’re safe.” The voice spoke.
Lythya looked up in recognition and blinked at the two familiar figures. Staring down at him with concern were both Throax and Thorix—two brothers who shared a look of worry. All the while the Behemoth’s footfalls grew nearer and nearer to them. His face paled as he slowly looked over his shoulder.
It was coming…
Lythya quickly grabbed their hooves, half-dragging them halfway inside a cave when they all heard branch snapping, and shrubs crushing. All followed with a powerful thump.
“Hey! What’s goi-” Thorix tried to ask only for Lythya to quickly shove a hoof into his mouth. Then, using his free hoof, raised it up to his own lips in a shushing motion. His eyes widened and he nodded slowly to Thorix and Thorax, internally praying for them to be quiet.
With careful movement, Lythya pulled his hoof away. Looking around the side of the cave and caught his breath when he saw the behemoth stepping out from the corner of a tree. Its dull reptilian eyes darted about, lifting its bloodied snout and sniffing the air. Bits of moonlight painted down on Its darkened green leather skin.
Each methodic footstep reverberated loudly throughout the forest, shaking the rocks beneath their feet. Lythya, Thorax and Throax watched whilst being gripped by terror. When the creature finally came to a halt, it scanned its surroundings. Its long tail swayed behind It, exhaling once and swiveled its heads around.
It was then that Lythya realized what was happening the behemoth had lost him. So its trying to search to where he had flew off.
His heart began to race and sweat dripped down his forehead, stinging his eyesight from the moisture. He closed his eyes to block out the tears forming.
Lythya watched as the behemoth lowered its head and inhaled deeply, sending its nose deep into the soil beneath its feet. Its nostrils flared and it turned to its right, striding into the depths of the forest. Lythya watched silently as the behemoth moved through the woods as agile as a bird. As quickly as it had appeared, it had vanished into the darkness.
The footsteps gave way to silence. After a few minutes the Everfree returned to life. The three changelings listened to nocturnal animals—familiar animals and the trio exhaled.
The trio stepped out of the cave and looked around. All four of them stared at each other as confusion set in.
“Where did it go?” Thorix questioned.
“I don’t know. But whatever it is it’s gone now.” Lythya said, feeling a bit more reassured than he should have been under these circumstances. He took a glance over at Thorax and saw his eyes remained fixed to where the behemoth had vanished.
“I never seen anything like it before…” Thorax mumbled quietly, his voice trembling lightly.
“Neither have I.” Throrix responded.
“That thing was so big, and fast...” Lythya sighed, rubbing a hoof across the back of his neck. “It had already eaten one of our guys back at our second checkpoint.”
Thorax’s gaze shifted towards them. “Eaten?” He asked, his voice shaking slightly.
Lythya nodded. “Yeah. There were two of them in total. The other one chased after Nastus and the few remaining drones but I don’t know if there alive or…”
“Who’s alive?”
The three changelings turned at the sound of the newcomer’s voice. They all let out a sigh of relief seeing who it was.
Gormlaith approached them from the mouth of the cave. Holding a covered cloth sack in one hoof he walked towards them. Gormlaith stood in front of them. Turning his gaze on each of the trio.
“What’s wrong with you three? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Gormlaith inquired. “Did something happen?”
“Gormlaith!”
The four changelings lifted their heads to see Nastus and a group of seven changelings following behind him in the air. They all landed near them, their wings folded behind them. Their faces were pale, eyes blazing with fear and their chest rose rapidly as they heaved for air.
“Wha…What the buck was that?!” One of the changelings cried. “That monster was out to get us. Did any of you see where it went?”
“Hay if I know,” the changeling drone next to him answered.
“It looked like a giant lizard if you ask me!” Another changeling chimed in.
“Nobody asked you.” Another of them muttered. He cleared his throat.
Nastus lifted his head, narrowing his eyes at Gormlaith. “Gormlaith, please tell me that you found what we’ve been looking for?”
Gormlaith nodded. “Yes. It was hard but I was able to retrieve the artifact. We should probably make haste and head back to the colony.”
“Good. Then we leave…now.” Nastus stated sternly.
Gormlaith’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Hold on. Why are all of you so alarmed? What in the stars happened that’s got all of you so worked up?”
Before any of them could respond, an ear shattering bellow echoed somewhere in the far off forest. Said bellow was returned by a faraway call similar in nature that made all of them flinch. All of them instantly turned their gazes in the direction of the source of the roar.
Each changeling feeling as though the world froze for a moment, their blood ran cold to the sudden distant roar. Their eyes widened as they stared into the forest, not daring to take their gaze off.
Whatever had attacked them tonight…was not of this world.
Do you remember the first time you saw a dinosaur? First time you see them, it's like... a miracle. You read about them in books, you see the bones in museums but you don't really... believe it. They're like myths. And then you see... the first one alive.
—> Claire Dearing
It has only been one day since Twilight unintentionally brought the two Tyrannosaurs into the modern world. The two behemoths spend most of their time in the Everfree forest, already adapting to their new environment. As if the Everfree forest wasn’t scary enough with the modern inhabitants living there, adding the two prehistoric tyrants to the mix was enough to make Twilight feel even more uneasy than she already was.
Even now when Twilight tried to sleep last night, she awoke in a cold sweat, hearing far away from the outskirts of Ponyville a roar like blasting napalm. Even from two-hundred feet away from the forest the sound was so forceful that Twilight had to take several deep breaths before she was able to go back to bed.
Twilight brought her hoof up to her chest and exhaled. She was glad to stars that neither of the two Tyrannosaurs hadn’t attacked any pony. She knew that both of them were extremely intelligent creatures, but it was still quite alarming to see either of them out in public with ponies around. It made Twilight wonder what they thought about ponies.
The sun was just rising when Twilight arrived at the mouth of the Everfree forest, the early morning sunlight casting long shadows on the trees and ground below. Her ears twitched as she looked left and right, but all she could hear was the sounds of the forest birds calling to each other and a faint breeze rustling through the bushes. Her eyes darted to the ground and she felt a chill run down her spine. Giant three-toed footprints filled the space between where she stood and the entrance to the Everfree forest. There was no doubt in Twilight’s mind that these had come from an adult Tyrannosaurus. And while she was sure that the adults would have left some tracks behind them, the huge size of this dinosaur’s tracks alone conjured fear into Twilight’s heart.
With a shaky hoof Twilight pushed past one of the giant footprints to enter the forest. It loomed over her, like the dark clouds hovering in the sky. She cautiously stepped into its mouth, submerging herself into the claustrophobic undergrowth. Every step she took was accompanied by a soft crunching noise, as though the leaves beneath her hooves were breaking apart. She kept walking further into the jungle until she was completely enveloped, the canopy blocking out the rays of the sun as she advanced deeper into the forest.
Nocturnal animals such as the bats or snakes that lurked around the forest during twilight were not a welcome sight to Twilight. If anything, the snakes gave her chills. Seeing said snakes brought back a pained memory of how she was chased away from a cave by three snakes during winter-wrap up. To this day that memory still haunts Twilight every once in a while. Twilight shuddered at the memory, her mind quickly switching off from the memories of being chased by snakes to the thoughts of where she might find the Tyrannosaur duo.
Her head twitched from side to side, scanning the shadows for any sign of a phantom. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t see any of the Everfree’s animals, the presence of one of them was enough to spook her. As she continued forward she distracted herself with thoughts of what she already learned about the T. rex and its history of research.
The first Tyrannosaur tooth was found by her great-great grandfather ten-thousand years ago. She read in her grandfather’s book that the T. rex became the most widely recognized dinosaur species in popular culture. It is the only dinosaur that is commonly known to the general public by its full scientific name. He even wrote in the book that a name like 'T. rex' is just irresistible to the tongue.
Twilight halted for a moment. He wasn’t wrong, of course. If somepony were to ask any filly who was the king of the tyrant lizards, all of them would give the same answer. No one else would be able to say something better than “the T rex”.
Twilight remembered the first time she and her friends trotted into a Museum. A Museum of Natural Equestrian History. They were winding their way through the displays, taking everything in. They had moved slowly and purposefully through the museum, Twilight in particular absorbing what information she could. For all six of them, it had been a truly insightful day.
Then they reached the fourth floor of the building. They moved through some more displays until finally, presented before them in great numbers, were skeletons. All six of the Elements had gasped as they slowly entered the hall filled with the remains, displayed in different poses. The first thing that hit them all was the sheer size of the skeletons.
Immediately the six friends immersed themselves in these creatures – the dinosaurs – and spent hours in the four skeleton halls, learning what they could.
It was in one of those halls that they were introduced to the great graceful sauropods which would herd together and graze, much like enormous cows. They learned about the Triceratops which would challenge each other for mating rights and dominance with their impressive horns and frills.
They learned about the vicious killers. The Deinonychus, which would hunt in packs and use their speed to their advantage. The Tyrannosaurus rex, which loomed above most other predators and likely could crush anything with its bite.
Truly, these animals were astounding. The six of them each enjoyed studying these skeletons that day. However, only her friend Fluttershy would return to the natural history museum with her. Spending hours talking about what these creatures might have looked like and how they might have behaved.
If there was one thing they both agreed on at the time, it is that they were each thankful animals like this did not exist in the modern day Equestria. Twilight would have smiled at this statement if she hadn’t been reminded of what she brought back with her in modern day Equestria.
Twilight sighed. What was she going to do? She still hasn’t found a safe way to send them back without messing around time itself. It was a tricky problem. One which was going to require much more thinking before she came to any kind of solution. Another issue that tugged Twilight’s strings was whether or not she should inform Princess Celestia of the situation. If Twilight were to do this, then maybe the Princess could conjure up another way to transport the two dinosaurs back to their respective timeline.
But then again, if she doesn’t tell the Princess and tries to figure out how to do it on her own… how? Twilight groaned as she brought a hoof up to massage her forehead and closed her eyes. Twilight needed a plan, and quick. But what would help her solve this dilemma?
A deep exhale pulled Twilight out of her thoughts. She slowly lifted her head and saw the gargantuan, reptilian feet gripping the earth with black talons. Her eyes crawled up the muscular legs, up to the massive heaving chest and short arms with two-fingered claws, to the thick musculature of the neck. Even in the shade of trees Twilight could clearly see the animal’s majestic mane.
Twilight looked higher and she saw the behemoth’s head twenty feet in the air. The rectangular jaws were closed shut. The nostrils on the end of its snout flared open with a rumbling snort, and its beady black eyes stared into Twilight’s own.
The mother Tyrannosaurus rex tilted its head slightly, a deep rumbling growl emanating from its throat as it did. A shiver went down Twilight's spine, but not one of fear. Instead, a warm glow filled the pit of her stomach. This was a good thing. It meant the creature wasn't hostile. Not even a little bit.
“Uh…hi.” Twilight tried not to let her voice tremble too much. Even though the two Tyrannosaurs imprinted on her when she hatched, it was still scary knowing they could easily snap her in half with their jaws if they wanted to.
The mother T. rex lowered its head and nuzzled its snout against Twilight’s cheek with gentle, loving care. Twilight relaxed into the contact, allowing the intense hot breath of the behemoth to wash over her. She choked back bile. Then, to her surprise, she felt the behemoth’s snout bumped her flank, pushing her forward a few steps.
Twilight blinked in bewilderment and yelped when the behemoth pushed against her once more. Twilight took another hesitant step. This time she started forward with the mother Tyrannosaurus following closely behind. Twilight now found herself walking between the muscular legs of the mother T. rex. The behemoth brought its head back up twenty feet in the air. Its chest heaved up and down in a steady rhythm, a low rumble sounding through its body. Twilight was startled.
Is it leading her somewhere?
Twigs and shrubs were crushed beneath the mother Tyrannosaur’s weight while leaving impressions in the dirt beneath the animal’s immense, three-toed feet. Twilight watched carefully as the behemoth took slow strides forward. Each footstep was carefully placed, as if it were well aware of the trail it was on.
The sharp stench of acid singed Twilight’s nostrils. She grimaced and took a step back, right hoof covering her nose. Said stench smelled like uric acid; something one would instantly sniff out from a bird cage. With her hoof still over her nose, Twilight slowly trots forward. The stench became overpowering the deeper she went.
She and the mother T. rex turned a corner and Twilight stopped when she finally found the source: the uric smell was coming from behind a shrub. She peered around the bush and shockingly blinked at what she saw.
A large amount of twigs and fibers were intertwined together in a circular form. Vegetation was constructed around the twig structure, forming a massive web of tangled vines and branches. In the center lay two round large eggs; their eggshells glistened brightly in the sunlight. The same two eggs she saw yesterday in the prehistoric era.
The mother Tyrannosaurus lowered its snout and bumped Twilight’s flank. Twilight let out a little yelp of surprise and subconsciously jumped and landed in the center of the nest on her rump. She looked around and found herself on said nest, sitting in between the two eggs. The mother T. rex exhaled, flaring its nostrils. The behemoth twisted its torso and walked around the nest before slowly sitting down.
The behemoth stared at the darkness of the forest. The mother Tyrannosaurus’s head twitches to the chirps of birds nearby. Twilight blinked, a sudden realization dawned on her. The father T. rex wasn’t around. Now that she thinks about it, she hadn’t seen the father Tyrannosaur since its mate silently showed up to greet Twilight.
Somewhere In the far off forest, there was a powerful thump, and the ground shook.
To the left Twilight turned her head to the direction of said thump. A second thump sounded through the air, like a tree had fallen, and the ground shook again. The footsteps were like a giant mallet, making it rumble and shake, successfully more powerful with each impact. Twilight didn’t have to connect the dots to know the owner of those footsteps. Twilight slowly lifted her head in time to see the farther Tyrannosaurus emerged from behind the shrub. Twilight’s eyes grew large and caught her breath when she recognized a Cockatrice’s leg in the behemoth’s jaws.
The behemoth’s dull eyes roll across the nest. Twilight met the eyes of the father T. rex and watched as it took one step towards her and nuzzled her cheek gently. The giant animal’s hot breath washed over her. She once again choked back a lump of bile that flipped and climbed its way up her throat.
Something shifted to her left and Twilight whipped her head to see the egg shaking. She snapped to her right and saw that the other egg was shaking as well.
“No way…is it really happening?” Twilight asked under her breath.
Twilight heard a faint scratching sound, like claws scraping shells, followed by a chirp.
Twilight never took her eyes off the egg as it continued to shake. Said egg’s left side suddenly expanded and cracked slightly creating a spiderweb line at its side. After a few seconds it expanded again until the egg’s left side exploded, sending bits of broken shell all over the nest. The same action was repeated from the other egg, forming spider web lines in the middle. Gripped by curiosity, Twilight walked around the egg and peaked inside. All she saw within the egg was a black blur.
It was then that a pair of yellow eyes blinked open in the egg’s dark void and stared back at Twilight’s own. She gasped in surprise and stepped away in time when the roof of the egg cracked open. Revealing the head of a baby T. rex looking up. The baby lowered its head and looked around, surveying its surroundings until it met the eyes of its parents. The baby leaned its head forward, followed by an adorable little chirp that made Twilight’s heart skip a beat. The mother and father T. rex returned said chirp with a bark before the mother leaned in slowly, nuzzling her snout above the baby’s head.
The baby turned its gaze towards Twilight, cocking its head at her and chirped. Twilight felt a cold chill run down her spine upon seeing the baby’s snout filled with needle-like teeth. The baby’s body was covered in dark crimson leather, with the black stripes of a tiger covering both its back and flank. Its eyes were bright and intelligent, very bird-like.
Twilight looked to her right and saw the other baby rex was surprisingly out of its shell. Its three-toed talons gripped for purchase, thin legs wobbled as it tried to stand only to comically fall on its belly with a chirp. Its body was covered in basil green leather, sharing the same black tiger-like stripes covering both its back and flank like its sibling.
A terrible realization dawned on her.
Equestria has four Tyrannosaurs now.
Author's Note
It was bad enough of a handful for Equestria to have two mighty behemoths in the modern world. But now we another batch that have hatched from their eggs. This spell’s potential disaster that will slowly flower if Twilight doesn’t think fast. What do you all think? How will Twilight be able to keep the two Tyrannosaurs at bay? Let me know and I will see you all at the next chapter!
Chapter 5: Never Far Away
Stare at the dark too long, and you will eventually see what isn’t there.
—> Unkown
Three small figures made their way out of town. The sun had just risen, and the air was brisk but warm. Ponyville, one of the small towns of Equestria, was a peaceful and harmonized place where ponies lived peacefully and lived together by the magic of friendship. On this day the trio were starting their way towards a forbidden area, one they were told to never venture. But since their older siblings weren’t around to watch them, This gave the Cutie Mark Crusaders the perfect opportunity to successfully sneak out of town and into said forbidden place.
“Uh, why the heck are we going in here?” Scootaloo asked as they entered the Everfree outskirts.
“Well, y'all remember Winona’s favorite ball?” Applebloom reminded her two friends, both of which nodded. “Well, while ah was in the middle of playing fetch with her, ah kinda bucked the ball too hard and it flew all over the Everfree. So that’s why we’re here.” She finished, pointing at the Everfree forest.
“But doesn’t she have more balls?” Sweetie Belle wondered aloud. “Surely she still has some of those few balls to play with, right?”
“Well, yeah she does. But that one ball was her most favorite. Ah couldn’t just replace it.” Applebloom explained.
The three continued onward until they reached the edge of the Everfree forest. They found an isolated clearing, a dirt path stretched long and far. The ground was covered with a thick layer of grass, and trees lining the edges. There were several bushes on either side of the path, with leaves as soft as silk.
Applebloom led the way into the forest, the other two following close behind. As she walked, she noticed the flowers blooming from every side. It was like walking through a field full of colorful daisies, all growing together and swaying gently in the breeze.
The forest had become too quiet. The only three inhabitants seemed to be the three of them as they made their way into the entrance, following the path along the swamp, past more trees, quickly approaching a new spacious area.
The air had felt thick between them. None of them had spoken since they had started walking. The only sounds they heard were their hoofsteps and the occasional breeze that seemed to blow through the leaves above.
Finally, Sweetie Belle broke the silence. “So, how close are we?” She asked, turning to her shoulder towards Applebloom.
“We should be just about… here…” Applebloom said, gesturing to the left of her. The path suddenly widened, allowing for more space to walk on. “It’s this way.”
They followed the path up a hill. The path narrowed considerably, making for difficult climbing. Each step took its toll. The three soon came to rest near a large stone. A single flower grew in front of it, surrounded by vines with a few branches reaching toward the sky. All that could be seen from the top of the hill was a cliff, and the view below.
Scootaloo looked down and gasped. The sight before them filled her with awe. Below them stretched a vast valley of tall trees and sparkling streams. In the distance lay a round yellow ball, bobbing lazily against the surface of a lake.
“There it is!” Applebloom cheered. “That’s Winona’s ball we’ve been looking for. Come on girls!” She encouraged, motioning forward. She jumped off to the first cliffside branch and climbed down carefully, leaving a trail of hoof-steps for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to follow. One hoof at a time they continued to climb down, careful not to slip and fall.
Eventually they reached the bottom and Applebloom scanned the area cautiously, eyes darting around for any sign of danger. When nothing showed, she relaxed. “Looks clear.” She smiled, turning to face the others. She pointed at the lake. “Alright, we should be able to get in and out without getting wet.”
The three of them start their way closer. The water of the pond seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. The sun hung directly overhead, casting a warm orange glow across the water.
After walking for some time the trio arrived at the lake itself. Sweetie Belle’s eyes darted to the ball floating on the lake’s surface. Her horn lights up slightly as she stared at the ball, levitating it in the air with her magic. Subconsciously she motions the ball towards her and brings it down gently onto the grassy shore.
Applebloom reaches for the ball and takes it into her hoof. Swiftly she zips open the pocket of her saddlebag and puts said ball inside. Then she closes the bag once again and throws a strap over her back.
“Alright, now let’s get on outta here before mah sister finds out where we are!” Applebloom laughs as she starts towards the path leading back to the hilltop. She beckons for her friends to follow, and the three make their way up the hill. Once they reach the crest of the hill, the trio turns to their right and starts moving slowly towards the Everfree Forest.
Sweetie Belle stayed close to Applebloom, staring ahead into the dark forest. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, her ears flicked back. She looks over at Applebloom who continues walking. After a moment, Sweetie Belle follows suit, her gaze also scanning the darkness. Progressively, feeling takes over her. Something’s wrong. A deep uneasiness begins to settle in Sweetie Belle's stomach. She turns behind her and scans the area with her eyes, trying to find anything that might give her an indication of what she's sensing. However, nothing is visible beyond the trees. She continues walking.
After another minute or so, Sweetie Belle notices something move to her left. Instantly, she snaps her head in that direction. Nothing. Yet again Sweetie Belle tries to scan the area, but she can’t seem to locate whatever it was that startled her. Sweat drips down her forehead. What if she really did see something? She looks away from the darkening trees and stares down the mountain path. She hopes that there was nothing there. With a shaky breath she looks back at the woods, searching desperately for a shadow.
Suddenly she feels a tap to her shoulder. Turning around, almost jumping back when she sees Applebloom and Scootaloo next to her and watching her with confusion written all over her face.
“Y’all alright Sweetie Belle?” Applebloom asks, placing a hand on Sweetie Belle's arm reassuringly.
“Yeah, you seem a bit on edge. Is everything alright?” Scootaloo asks, a bit concerned.
Sweetie Belle inhales deeply and then exhales slowly, composing herself. “Yes, I'm fine! Just… lost in thought for a second, sorry.” She chuckled nervously.
“Well hey, ah guess we're lucky we got here fast then huh?” Applebloom commented, her gaze now set on her hooves as she kicked a pebble on the ground. She then lifts her head up, smiling sheepishly. “Anyways, let's get goin'.” With that, she began to trot forward once again.
Before anyone could protest Sweetie Belle hurried after her. Her eyes remain glued to her surroundings, her mind racing with all that has happened that day.
She shakes her head slightly, focusing on keeping her balance. “No reason to get distracted.” She muttered, forcing herself to stop thinking about whatever strange feeling she had just experienced. She needed to keep moving. She needs to…
Sweetie Belle was abruptly brought out of her thoughts when she saw that Applebloom and Scootaloo had halted in their steps. They both seemed frozen, gazing silently into the distance.
“What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked, raising an eyebrow at them questioningly.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense. Applebloom and Scootaloo didn't respond. Slowly they both turned their heads to stare blankly at her, their wide eyes seeming to fill with terror. Both of them were shaking. Their breathing rapid. Their faces pale.
Sweetie Belle immediately became nervous. She slowly trotted towards the two until she stood by Applebloom’s side. She glanced at both Applebloom and Scootaloo, who hadn’t moved a muscle. Their pupils had dilated as big as saucers. They were staring ahead blankly, completely silent. Slowly, Sweetie Belle turned her head to the direction the frozen duo were staring and immediately froze in place.
Two beings were standing in close proximity to them. The shadows cast by the surrounding trees completely obscured their bodies. The creatures were of the same size as turkeys, but taller than a filly, with straight tails and muscular limbs. The creature on the right was covered in dark crimson leather, with black stripes resembling those of a tiger covering both its back and flank. Its neck was adorned with downy feathers, forming a mane and creating a crest at the back of its skull. Small two-fingered arms protruded from each side of its body.
The same was true for the creature next to it. The other creature was also draped in downy feathers, and its body was covered in basil green leather, sharing the same black tiger-like stripes covering both its back and flank.
The crusader’s bodies shook in fear. The trio were dumbstruck; unable to speak or process the sight of the creatures standing ten feet away from them. They stood unmoving, barely even breathing. For a moment, no one dared to make a sound. None more so than Sweetie Belle.
Right now, all she wanted to do was run away with her friends and never look back. She could keep running until she was out of the forest, out of her mind. She was overwhelmed by panic; so much so that she could feel beads of sweat forming on her brow. Her breaths grew shallow, her chest tightening with every new intake of air. She felt like crying, her heart racing so hard she thought her ribs would break. She was terrified, yet paralyzed; unable to move. It took every ounce of strength within her not to scream.
Applebloom was just as terrified as her friends. Not just by seeing the creatures but upon recognizing them instantly by their three-toed feet, short arms, triangular jaws, and boxy heads:
Tyrannosaurs. Two living, breathing, baby Tyrannosaurs.
Thoughts began to appear in overdrive.
How are these dinosaurs here? What are these dinosaurs doing in the Everfree? Is this the reason why mah sister told me not to come out here? How fast are they? Do they eat ponies?
What should ah do?
A low, resonant growl interrupted Applebloom's thoughts. At the same time, the trio gradually raised their heads and observed the gargantuan, reptilian feet that clutched the earth with black talons. Applebloom's gaze ascended the muscular legs, up to the massive heaving chest and short arms with two-fingered claws, and finally to the thick musculature of the neck. Even in the shade of trees, Applebloom could distinctly perceive the animal's majestic mane.
Applebloom gazed upwards and noticed the colossal creature's head towering twenty feet above. Its rectangular jaws opened and closed, savoring the air, while its razor-sharp teeth dripped with blood. The nostrils located at the end of its snout flared open with a rumbling snort, and its small, black eyes peered into Applebloom's own.
The mother Tyrannosaurus Rex growled and took a step forward.
