//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 - Granny Pithecus Pt: 1 // Story: Ark: Friendship is Survival // by Pomp-Neigh //------------------------------// -INSTALLATION: THE ISLAND- The group continues to listen attentively, following the fearful exclamation of the unknown female voice in the distance.  “Who was that?!” Spike shouts. “It didn’t sound like anyone we know!” Suddenly, a monstrous roar mixed with gator-like hisses explodes afterward, causing several flyers that sat on nearby treelines to fly off in response. The source undoubtedly belongs to a ferocious predator as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, Vanellope, Spirit, and HLN-A turn to the direction these distant entities are, seemingly, located.  “T-that r-roar,” Fluttershy comments with dread. “W-was it a T-Tyrannosaurus?” “No…” Spirit responds, his features hardening, “But its’ size can match it.” The female voice from before still dumbfounds HLN-A as the AI states internally: -This can’t be! There simply can not be any other survivors on this island! Not after I-- “Come on!” Rainbow Dash exclaims, unknowingly cutting off the AI’s inner monologue, before turning to Fluttershy and Vanellope, “Stay here and finish that tame, Fluttershy!” She turns her attention to the Raptor, “You keep an eye on Flutters! Don’t let a bucking thing happen to her, got it?!” Vanellope chirps, and Fluttershy nods. “We’ll come to help you all as soon as we can!” The yellow pegasus roars out. After that exchange, the rest of the group kicks off into action as Spike takes to the air with a flap of his wings. Rainbow Dash is admittedly bummed by her inability to fly due to her right wing’s current state, but a robust set of steps approaches her from behind before Spirit uses his muzzle to sweep her up and send her aloft. The UNI-CRN catches the pegasus after she soars over his head, said pegasus now mounting the titanic equine as his muscles flex, his legs powering through the sand at high speeds. The wind created from the ‘train’ in motion causes Rainbow’s mane to flutter in the wind. “Woah, dude!” Rainbow exclaims in shock, albeit a bit flustered. “Don’t just throw me on your back like that!” She uses her left unharmed wing to cover her face, “Ugh, you have no idea how wrong this looks!” “Stow your shame; we must make haste,” Spirit responds while looking back to her over his left shoulder. He turns his gaze forward, “Your wing is injured. Therefore, your lack of speed would only hold us back.” “Hey!” She retorts with slight offense. “I can still run pretty fast on land!” “It could be worse, love!” HLN-A said, floating alongside Spirit’s form. “It could always be you being mounted by-” “Finish that sentence, and I’ll spear you!” Rainbow Dash threatens, glaring at the AI. “Hehe, sorry, mate!” The AI responds with a face sticking out a tongue present on their visor. Spike faceclaws to the commotion, and Spirit chuckles before taking on a stern expression. The stallion narrows his eyes before shouting: “Brace yourselves for combat! If I’m right, you’re about to be tested once again, survivors! And if we could hear that, the rest of your tribe should be on their way!” The few tribe members and their UNI-CRN ally reach a bend at the end of the beach. Were they to go any further, the group would need to swim across a body of water that attaches to the ocean and of a sizable depth no less. Creatures can be seen swimming in those depths, but the group paid them no attention as the female voice from before cries out: “Let me be! Ya dang discount long-snouted sailboat!”   The creature lets loose another roar. During this exchange, and from this new but closer distance, the group turns their gaze towards the direction they could find these entities.  “That way!” Spirit exclaims, stampeding towards their new route. HLN-A floating next to him with Spike still flying just above them. Rainbow Dash is still mounted on his back as she holds onto his mane with a forehoof to keep balance due to a lack of a saddle.  The group draws ever closer as titanic footsteps quake the landscape and large splashes of water fluctuate. As for the voice, they could also tell that it was of an older woman.    “‘Raaawr’ ‘n ‘hiss’ to you too! Yall don’ scare ol’ Granny Pithecus!” From the groups’ perspective, the nearby conflict continues to wage on as whatever entity this ‘Granny Pithecus’ is dealing with continues to thrash its’ girth, and as they traverse around a large boulder, the eyes of Rainbow Dash, HLN-A, and Spike widens in response to what they are seeing: “A Spinosaurus… I knew it,” Spirit comments with caution before narrowing his eyes in concentration. "It's a Lvl 34 Male. Not too difficult, but these survivors will need to stay sharp." HLN-A focuses their gaze on the giant ape wearing a hat akin to Applejack’s that stood on the large foundation, seemingly ignoring the Spino that tried to get at them.  “W-wait! The voice we’ve been hearing is coming from that Gigantopithecus?! But, that’s not possible! They can’t talk!” Rainbow Dash turns to the AI with a deadpan expression, “This from the robot who’s helping a tribe of talking ponies and a dragon…” “Sweet Celestia! I didn’t think we’d run into a giant predator like that!” Spike exclaims from above before flying forth hurriedly. “We’ve got to help them! I’ll try to get that thing’s attention!” Spirit steels himself before looking over his shoulder and back to Rainbow Dash, “Dismount me, Rainbow Dash. I must aid their efforts.” Rainbow nods before dismounting Spirit, her hooves digging into a combination of dirt, mud, and sand as she lands upon the earth. The UNI-CRN cracks his neck in anticipation but turns his gaze to HLN-A.   “The ‘talking Gigantopithecus’ is what I wanted to speak to you about, for you are responsible for that.” The UNI-CRN runs towards the conflict with those parting words and leaves behind a stupified AI. The way Spirit said his statement wasn’t anger or scolding the AI, but it did give a hint of holding HLN-A, or even Helena herself, accountable for something.  Rainbow Dash, having overheard this, approaches HLN-A with a thought. “Hey… you mentioned back at Sanctuary that you had a revelation to make to me and my friends. Does that have anything to do with what Spirit just said?”     “K-kind of, yes. I think I’m starting to piece things together, love, but right now isn’t the time for-” Rainbow cuts off HLN-A’s words with her left wing, bumping the AI with closed feathers that act as a clenched fist, “Spike is awesome, and I bet Spirit has a lot of things he could do on his own. They can handle that thing without us for a moment,” She narrows her eyes, “So start talking.” HLN-A blinks in response, shocked, “Wow, mate… I’m surprised you’re not joining them immediately.” Rainbow raises an eyebrow, “First off, my wing’s messed up, and pegasi aren’t really meant for combat on the ground. Second, I noticed the levels of my friends, and while I was unconscious, everyone else got to over level twenty. Meanwhile, I’m sitting at level seventeen, and my last level-up was after I killed that Kaprosuchus in the swamp. In other words, I’m the lowest level member of the tribe, and I’d just hold those two back,” She shoves a forehoof into the AI’s visor, “But don’t you dare tell anyone else I said that!” The nearby conflict startles them and draws their attention as the Spinosaurus roars out once more. It can be seen contending with both Spike and Spirit, all while the Gigantopithecus on the large boulder looked upon the duo in shock and awe. Rainbow Dash recovers from the startle and turns back to HLN-A, “Well? Are you going to say something?” The AI looks at the pegasus for a mere moment, just floating there with a neutral expression on its’ visor. Then, HLN-A sighs. “You ponies can be quite stubborn in your own way,” The AI chuckles, “Ok, then. I promised you that what I have to say isn’t something bad, not necessarily, and I intend to keep that promise,” The mechanical wonder starts to project a human figure donned in Tek Armor.  “It all traces back to your predecessor, the one whose footsteps you’re all following in. It was him who built Sanctuary with his own hands. A man who could be considered an entire army in one unified body… The Survivor.”