Tyrants Path

Applejack jumped to the side, the Tarbosaurus' jaws snapping just inches near her face. She skipped backwards, cursing under her breath as Twilight flashed her horn, dragging the earth pony back as its jaws snapped where she was again, narrowly missing her.

The theropod roared angrily, the noise shaking their very bones as it walked after them. "THA ONE TIME YA FORGET YA DANG ROPE!" Applejack yelled to herself, Twilight giving a squeak as it bit behind them.

"Do you think right now is the best-" She ducked down as she heard the sheering of metal, a lamp being tossed where she was a moment ago, smashing into the ground and careening into a shop. An angry roar followed and Twilight dared to look back, continuing, "is the best time to berate yourself?"

"Well, I might not get 'nother chance ta do so!" Applejack slid into Twilight, pushing them both into an alley. The creature smashed into the side of one of the buildings and roared in anger, trying to follow them. It snapped its jaws as it got stuck between the buildings, its arms held at its sides, glaring down at them.

He glared at them, a nictitating membrane sliding across his eyes, making Applejack shiver. "That is just plain creepy."

"Spike does the same thing."

The Tarbosaurus moved its head between the two, staring them down, before slowly back up and pulling itself out of the alleyway, rumbling loudly. It then roared at them, before backing away and walking to the right, its tail slapping the aide of a building, smashing a window in.

"He just walked away?" Twilight asked herself, slowly moving forward. She scrambled back when a small tree slammed into the alleyway.

"This thing is relentless!" Applejack gritted out as she backed up into a fence, the branches of the tree pushing closer to them.

"Tool use without hands! That is amazing!" Twilight squeaked out, before the tree was pushed further, cornering them.

"Uh, Twi...could ya stop studying this thing and GET US OUTTA HERE?!"

"Oh...right." Twilights horn lit up, the predators round pupils growing in size as it was curious, before the two mares were blipped out of view.

The Tarbosaurus walked back, giving a confused rumble, dropping the tree from its jaws. His prey was here, but now it wasn't? This world confused him so much. He was about to continue the search when Spike rounded the corner, catching the multiton predators eyes.

Spike stopped, his eyes turning to pinpricks as he watched the Tarbosaurus turn its head his direction. It rumbled to him, slowly walking forward, twitching its head to and fro. Spike just stood still as the tyrannosaurid approached, sniffing the air.

However, the primal part of Spikes brain stop sending the run signal, the drake calming a bit as the Tarbosaurus took another step towards him. The Tarbosaurus raised its head, showing off its bright red throat and gular pouch, giving off an ultrasonic boom.

A sign of kinship, perhaps? Or maybe it was trying to communicate with him? Spike backed up, making the Tarbosaurus lower its head, cocking its head curiously. Spike mirrored the movement, before the Tarbosaurus' membranes slid across its eyes, making Spike do the same.

It took another step when Rarity, Pinkie, and Dash rounded the corner, making the feathers on its neck puff out, a threatening hiss echoing out from its throat. Spike held his arm out, the Tarbosaurus' head flicking back to Spike, rumbling louder than before.

"Nopony. Move. A muscle. I saw this in a movie once, it's eyesight based on movement." Pinkie Pie mumbled out. That was when it walked forward and roared at them, making Pinkie Pies mane fly into Rainbow Dashes face, the athlete sputtering loudly. "Of course, not everything on TV is true...RUN!"

Twilight rubbed her head as she saw the others run from the beast, it roaring in anger, chasing after them. She turned to Applejack and sighed, speaking, "I don't know how to distract this thing without one of us being hurt."

"Well...we've seen that thing in action...any weaknesses so far?" Applejack asked Twilight, who was currently resting her chin in her hoof.

"Well, we know its strengths. Jaws strong enough to crush metal. Insane eyesight. Sense of smell far better than anything I have ever seen. It is smart too, bulky..."

"I said weaknesses, not strengths, Twi!"

"Well...it has tiny arms? It isn't really fast...well, we can outrun it for awhile, it seems to be an endurance predator...it doesn't...IT DOESN'T HAVE MAGIC!" Twilight gasped and smiled, turning to Applejack, "Did you notice how it reacted when it saw my magic!"

"Well, there was a tree in mah face, I didn't get a good look at it." Applejack said, giving Twilight a deadpan look.

"I have an idea! We can distract it until Fluttershy gets here!"

"How?"

"Simple! I use magic!"

Spike panted as he grasped his thighs, his wings tucked against his back. Of course, he could FLY out of danger, but that would have left the others to the Tarbosaurus' clutches. That was something he refused to do.

"So, any ideas?" Rainbow Dash asked, before glancing at the alleyway entrance, the Tarbosaurus' body silhouetted in the light of the alleyway. Pinkie raised her hoof, making Dash roll her eyes, saying, "On that does not involve a surprise party?" Pinkie hoof lowered and she scratched her chin, humming loudly, giving a glance at the Tarbosaurus, currently at the mouth of the alleyway.

He was sitting there, staring into the alleyway, watching them like a hawk. Seeing them turn to him made the tyrannosaurid glare at them, rumbling as a challenge. When they turned back, he only huffed out of his snout, lifting his head a bit and looking at the walls of the alleyway they had scampered into. He could just smash throu the buildings, but he could injure itself doing so, and he couldn't afford an injury right now.

"Well, perhaps we could...I don't know...distract it?" Spike offered, making the group turn to him. "It doesn't have magic, could just use magic to levitate something and catch its attention, sneak out and regroup with Twilight?"

Rarity's horn lit up for a moment, making the Tarbosaurus stare at her, its eyes widening. Spike watched curiously, before it gave a surprised hiss and looked out of their vision. It backed up, giving a confused roar at the object, a few rocks in blue hues and a lamp float towards the Tarbosaurus, pushing it back, making the tyrannosaurid give a fearful hiss. The group scampered out of the alleyway, ignoring the tyrants roars, whipping his tail around a bit as the floating objects drew closer and closer. Of course, when they flung themselves at the creature, it reared back, preparing to take the hit...only for the objects to bounce uselessly off of its face and chest.

A bead of silence. Then a roar of anger.

The Tarbosaurus was ready to give charge, the group scrambling for cover again. He roared and put his big foot in front of the alley, cornering them, his jaws opening as he delivered an angry rumble. Spike put his arms over the mares, stepping in front and giving a growl of his own, the Tarbosaurus taken back.

The hatchling was protecting the mammals? And staring down HIM? A small swell of something grew from the Tarbosaurus' chest. Was it...respect? Respect, yes. However, the mammals stepped into his domain and tried to take HIS kills, they needed to be punished.

A bright light shone behind the Tarbosaurus, making it look up. Its round pupils grew in size, seeing a bright, purple light arching over the sky. The Tarbosaurus gave a throaty rumble of curiosity, walking towards the light like a moth drawn to the flame.

"Twilight?" Spike called out, the alicorn mare using her magic to have a light arc through the air. The Tarbosaurus gave a curious rumble, before it looked at Twilight, seeing her horn alight.

She then moved her head back and forth, her horn growing brighter, the tyrannosaurs head following her horn. She then shot a light down the road, the Tarbosaurus walking after it, giving a curious rumble as it followed.

"See, I told you it would work!" Twilight exclaimed, the Tarbosaurus cocking its head like a curious puppy. She squeaked when Pinkie slammed into her with a hug.

"TWILIGHT! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!"

"Pinkie, darling, perhaps we should wait until after we make sure the area is safe before we celebrate?"

"Twi, do you know what that thing is?" Rainbow Dash asked, standing next to Applejack, the farm pony giving her a soft kiss on the cheek, the rainbow maned mare giving a bright blush.

"Where is Fluttershy, is she alright?" Spike asked, the group crowding around her. They stopped when the massive carnivore roared as the light dimmed, though he was still chasing it, his eyes tracking its every move.

"Girls, Spike, we have a plan."