//------------------------------//
// Never Had Control 
// Story: Cinematic Adventures: Jurassic Park 
// by extremeenigma02 
//------------------------------//

Back in the New Eden compound, an escape plan was in progress. The Cake Twins hid closely behind their new Changeling rescuer, Atalanta. When this whole adventure had begun, they were kidnapped by the Evil Queen, Regina, who imprisoned them in a cell within New Eden. Terrified beyond belief and worried they’d never see their family and loved ones again, to say they were both surprised (And relieved) when this mysterious changeling snuck in and broke them out was the understatement of epic proportions. Of course, breaking into New Eden was one thing. Getting out of there… now that was going to provide a challenge.

Slowly and quietly, Atalanta opened the door just a crack to look out. Her face turned side to side, keeping watch for any potential enemies in sight. Upon seeing no one there, she determined it was the perfect time to move out.

“Alright kids, we’re sneaking out of here nicely and smoothly,” She whispered to the Cakes. “Just stay behind me and whatever you do… don’t make a sound.”

The twins nodded their little heads simultaneously and Atalanta silently opened the door just enough to sneak through. They slunk together all throughout the prison and ducked toward the corner of a nearby building for cover. Poking her head from the corner, Atalanta noticed a group of four Eden’s Gate cultists, armed with machine guns, guarding the gate. She knew she needed a way to distract them, so her eyes scoured the region for anything to draw their attention.

It was then she noticed a bunch of barrels and proceeded to light her horn with her magic. The magic picked up one of the barrels and smashed it into the others. The cultists, hearing the disturbance, quickly raced to investigate. With the gate unguarded, Atalanta and the Cake Twins snuck through the gate, off the Eden’s Gate property, and they proceeded to climb their way down the mountain.

“We did it… we actually did it!” Pound Cake gasped amazed. “I don’t believe it; we’re out!”

“Thank you, Atalanta!” Pumpkin Cake thanked gratefully. “If it weren’t for you, we’d be goners.”

“No problem!” Atalanta replied, looking over her shoulder. “But we’re not in the clear just yet. If you ask me, sneaking out of there seemed… too easy.”

“And for good reason, my dear.”

The group gasped over the familiar voice of Queen Regina, who stood in the path before them. But she was not alone, for a large assembly of Black Knights stood behind her.

“I must admit, I expected you to break those brats out much sooner,” Regina spoke mockingly. “Then again, it was good you didn’t… you’d have died sooner.”

“Get behind me, kids!” Atalanta instructed the twins.

Both foals raced behind the large bug pony’s legs, hiding from the Evil Queen as Atalanta stared her down.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” She asked.

“An inside tip from someone who knows you better than you know yourself,” Regina smirked.

Stepping aside, the Evil Queen revealed none other than the Queen of Changelings, Chrysalis herself. The very sight of the former Changeling Queen made Atalanta’s eyes widen with shock… but quickly turn to anger.

“Well… well… well… isn’t this a surprise?” Chrysalis asked slowly. “Thorax may have been the one to turn my entire hoard against me, betraying me and abandoning the hive, but never have I expected of all Changelings to turn their back on me… would be my own daughter.”

“You left me no choice, mother!” Atalanta shot back. “I actually have a heart, which is more than you do! I wanted to spread love, not steal it. But I knew you’d never understand nor accept one of your own children for who they are. That’s why I left.”

To which Chrysalis merely released a wicked chuckle.

“All that talk proves what I’ve always known,” Chrysalis smirked. “You were weak! Too soft-minded to ever be the heir to ‘my’ throne! All it took was ‘one’ foolish romance with a pathetic wannabe writer… Quill Cast, was it? Such a disgrace to all pony kind.”

“He’s a better creature than you ever hoped to be!” Atalanta sneered back.

“ENOUGH!!!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “I’ve had it with this foolishness. It’s time I do what I should’ve done a longtime ago… end your miserable excuse of an existence!”

However, instead of showing intimidation, Atalanta merely spread a smirk across her face as she reached behind her back.

“Well then, I guess you’ll have to… catch us!” Atalanta shouted.

Grabbing something behind her, Atalanta chucked the object in front of the entire group before shielding the twins’ eyes and her own. All at once the object, a ‘flash bang’, exploded on impact and released a blinding radiance toward the group of guards and the pair of evil queens. The whole group yelped in pain, trying to rub the blindness out of their eyes.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Atalanta quickly scooped the twins into her arms, positioned them on her back, and raced off around the group down the mountain. Chrysalis’s eyes slowly opened, tears streaming down, as she angrily glared at the escapees as they made their way deep into the Everfree Forest. A snarl escaped her lips as her eyes turned dark.

“ATALANTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

<> 

Back on Isla Nublar, the rain had entirely stopped by now following the aftermath of the T-Rex breakout. Dr. Grant, Lex, and the Equestrians managed to traverse off the wall safely, down toward the bottom of the large barrier leading to the park road. They still couldn’t believe what events had just transpired: The system going dead, the T-Rex escaping its paddock, Gennaro getting eaten, and now here they were stuck at the bottom of the tour route with no idea what to do.

But like it or not, they were in the park now, surrounded by thick jungle foliage on all sides. A majority of the group looked beat up, Grant’s face was covered in blood. He bent over a little waterfall, splashing water on his face, rinsing the blood off, and attempting to bring himself to. Fortunately, his injury wasn’t bad, just a gash on his forehead. All the while, the Equestrians were still getting their bearings. 

“Sweet Celestia, that was close!” Twilight gasped, exasperated.

“No kidding!” Rainbow agreed. “A few more seconds and we’d be digested.”

“Must you talk of such things darling?” Rarity cringed. “I’d prefer not to think of that right now.”

“Better tah hear her spout about it than tah actually have it happen to ya,” Applejack argued.

By this point, poor Lex was scared as hell. She stood behind the Equestrians, ramrod straight, her breath coming short, desperate gasps every second. Her eyes were wide, and she didn’t look as though she could move. Grant turned and looked up toward the tree the Explorer fell in. It’s stuck there, nose down in the thickest top branches. Suddenly, Lex’s gasps were getting louder drawing the Equestrians’ attention. There was no doubt about it: She’s terrified.

“Hey, come on, take it easy…” Daring Do gestured. “Don’t do… just… calm down.

Daring Do reached to touch her with one of her wings, but it’s awfully awkward. With her, it’s more of a pat on the head than anything strong or reassuring. She turned toward the Equestrians, uncertain what else to do. But Lex responds to the contact, hurling herself forward and throwing her arms tightly around the Pegasus. She clamps there, holding on for dear life, sobbing. Fluttershy slowly approached her side, shushing her gently.

“It’s okay, Lex…” Fluttershy reassured. “It’s going to be okay… the monster’s gone. Just take a deep breath… nice and easy, please.”

This seemed to quiet Lex slightly, as Grant came along.

“We can’t make too much noise,” Grant added firmly. “He’s going to hear us and come back.”

Lex burst out crying again, a wailing scream, nearly hysterical now. The Equestrians stared at Grant in annoyance, as he held onto the girl. Clearly, he had no idea what to do.

“Real subtle, Dr. Grant,” Rainbow Dash spoke, annoyed.

“Although, when we think about it… that’s the part that confuses me,” Time Turner spoke up. “If all the dinosaurs on this island are supposed to be girls, does that even include the T-Rex too? I mean after all… Rex does mean ‘King’… Spike, is there such a thing as a woman king?”

“Ember is the current Dragon Lord amongst all the other dragons if that helps,” Spike shrugged. 

While they talked amongst themselves, Grant turned and looked around till his eyes were on the stuck Explorer.

“Timmy?! Timmy!” Grant shouted, whisper like.

A cracking sound drew every pony’s attention toward the tree again. The Explorer had fallen a few feet lower into the branches. Up till now, it was a miracle the branches could support the weight of the vehicle. But knowing it wouldn’t last long, Grant looked down toward Lex and the Equestrians, who gathered together along a rock.

“Timmy -- Timmy --” Lex stammered, terrified.

“Shhh -- I’m right here, Lex,” Grant assured. “Now, Lex. Listen. Lex, I’m right here. I’m going to look after you. I’m going to help your brother. I want you to stay here and wait for me, okay?”

“He left us! He left us!” Lex frantically screamed.

“But that’s not what I’m going to do, okay?” Grant spoke firmly.

Though Lex was still terrified, she nodded her head quickly.

“Good,” Grant nodded. “Girls, I need you and Spike to stay here and keep an eye on Lex while I go for Tim.”

“No way! We’re not letting you go up there by yourself,” Rainbow Dash argued.

“Well, you can’t all go.”

“Exactly!” Twilight Sparkle nodded. “Our more grounded friends should stay and keep an eye on Lex. Meanwhile, me, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Daring Do will fly up with you to help get Timmy.

“That’s a good idea, really it is,” Fluttershy murmured nervously. “But I was thinking maybe ‘I’ should stay with the others while you guys go. Who needs the extra hooves?”

“Fluttershy…” Applejack spoke firmly.

“Oh, okay…”

“Well come on, we’re already wasting enough time,” Spike ushered. “We need to get to the boy while we can.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Daring Do spoke.

With a nod of their heads, the rest followed Grant as the man climbed up the tree. Lex and the others scampered into the nearby culvert, a drainage pipe of sorts, in case any other dangerous dinosaurs were prowling. For a moment, it was quiet amongst the group as the ponies looked out for their friends. But then Daring slowly turned toward Lex, who was trying hard to stay calm.

“I know you weren’t talking about Gennaro, kid,” Daring Do spoke calmly.

Lex didn’t answer right away, nothing but a whimper escaped her lips.

“You want to talk about it?”

“I didn’t even want to be here…” Lex cried. “I only tagged along just so my brother and I could get away for a while and see dinosaurs… and all I get is… this!”

“Yes… this day turned out to be more of a mess than we imagined it would be,” Rarity nodded understandingly.

“Well… I’m sure your grandfather is really worried about you,” Pinkie Pie spoke hopefully.

“Right! That’s why you’re here instead of him,” Lex scoffed. “He’s no different from Dad. He couldn’t be bothered to keep his promise, just as grandpa couldn’t be bothered to come and get us himself. Meanwhile, Dad would rather have spent his time just screaming at mom. Why did he hate her more than he loves us?”

There was a long silence between the ponies, uncertain of how to respond to any of that. Eventually, Daring Do released a sigh breaking the silence.

“I can’t say I can relate to your predicament nor vouch for any pony,” Daring Do admitted honestly. “But sometimes… sometimes family isn’t as simple as that. It gets messy over time, and every pony’s got issues, especially dads. And sometimes they mess up -- well, all the time. That doesn’t mean they don’t care.

“If Grandpa cares, where is he?” Lex sniffed.

“He didn’t leave the island,” Applejack spoke up. “And we promised we’d look out for you until we get you back to him.”

“The girls do make a valid point,” Time Turner approached. “If I can offer some advice… try to cut your family some slack.”

“Parents may not always get it right, but… they’re trying,” Daring Do reassured, with a smile. “That’s more important than you think.

Lex looked at her for a moment, her expression starting to calm down. After a while, Daring Do proceeded to turn back toward the tree, performing a few stretches.

“Sit tight, this won’t take long,” Daring Do instructed.

With that said, Daring Do proceeded to flap her wings in the air and fly toward her winged friends. The rest looked on, circling Lex, keeping her comfortable as they waited for their friends to recover the trapped boy.

<> 

Taking a deep breath, Grant grabbed hold of the first branch, and started his long climb. Twilight Sparkle and her other flying friends kept a close distance near Grant, to make sure he didn’t fall. Fortunately, it’s a good climbing tree, its branches thick and regularly spaced. Together, they ascended at a good pace. Soon they reached the car’s level, on the driver’s side five or six feet to one side of it. 

To suggest that the car’s in rough shape would be an understatement. It’s much thinner than it used to be, its nose completely smashed in, the front wheels driven solidly into a thick branch. That’s the only thing holding it in place right now.

“Tim? Tim?” Grant called out.

“Can you hear us little buddy?” Rainbow Dash called out. “We’re coming up!”

It was around that time that Daring Do manage to get back with the others, checking up on Grant as he continued to climb.

“How are you holding up, Dr. Grant?” Daring Do asked curiously.

“I hate climbing,” Grant muttered. “I hate trees… way too high… God damn, tree!”

“Sounds all right to me,” Rainbow Dash shrugged.

Eventually, they all reached the car and peeked inside. Tim was huddled on the floor on the passenger side. Though his eyes were closed, they could tell he was frightened to the point he hugged his knees to his chest.

“Tim?” Twilight Sparkle called out.

Tim opened his eyes, looking at Grant and the Equestrians with a tearful and blood-streaked face.

“Hey… are you okay?” Spike asked, concerned.

“I threw up…” Tim answered weakly.

“That’s okay,” Grant nodded understandingly. “Listen, just give me your hand.”

Grant extended his hand, reaching out to him. But Tim doesn’t move.

“It’s okay, Tim,” Fluttershy promised. “We won’t tell anybody you threw up.”

“Flutters is right, these things happen,” Rainbow Dash assured. “But right now, we need to get you out of there.”

“Just give me your hand, okay?” Grant leaned in.

“We’ve got you,” Daring Do leaned in.

Eventually, Tim reached out toward Grant and Daring Do, though they were still about a foot apart. Grant grabbed hold of the steering wheel, to pull himself further in… and the wheel turned. Suddenly, Fluttershy thought she heard a squeaking sound and slowly turned to her side. Along the branch, the front wheel turned, losing a bit of their grip on the thick branch they’re resting on.

“Oh… my…” Fluttershy whispered fearfully.

Unaware of what was happening, Tim and Grant were just within hands reach.

“Here, we’ve got you,” Grant assured calmly. “Okay, that’s good. Over the rail.”

Eventually, Grant grabbed hold onto him, getting an arm securely around his waist.

“Don’t pull me too hard,” Tim panicked.

“Stand on the door, hang onto me,” Daring Do replied calmly.

They proceed to climb down, nice, and slowly. Eventually, they stopped along the branch as the other Equestrians hovered around the pair.

“There! See?” Daring Do sighed with relief. “That wasn’t so bad, right Tim?

“Yes, it is,” Tim responded.

“It’s just like coming out of a tree house,” Grant replied. “Did your dad ever build you one?”

“No.”

“Yeah, me too,” Grant sighed.

“Good work guys,” Twilight Sparkle called out. “Now, let’s get down from there… slowly.”

The two start to descend their way down the tree, as the Pegasi, alicorn, and dragon hovered together slowly. 

“Okay… now, the main thing about climbing is never, never look down…” Daring Do emphasized. “And I mean never.

“Guys…” Fluttershy looked up, nervously.

“This is impossible,” Tim shook his head, second-guessing. “How am I going to do this? I can’t make it. This is… it’s about fifty feet!”

“That’s why we’re going to help you with your footing kid,” Rainbow Dash emphasized. “Just calm down… you’re in the hooves of one of the most awesome adventurers… besides me.”

“Rainbow…?” Fluttershy tapped Rainbow’s shoulder.

“Not now, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash brushed off. 

“What if the car falls? What if the wheels fall?”

“Rainbow…!” Fluttershy tapped Rainbow frantically.

“Just a minute, Fluttershy!” Rainbow groaned, irritated. “Now Tim, it’s not going to—”

“RAINBOW DASH!!!” Fluttershy shouted.

“Okay, okay! What is it?!”

Suddenly, a groaning noise drew the group to look up toward the branch. The car was suddenly sagging in their direction. Before their eyes, the car began to shift dramatically towards them. It didn’t take long for the group to realize what was happening.

“Oh no…” Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Okay guys, go!” Daring Do shouted frantically. “NOW! NOW!!!

The humans started to climb down, as fast as they could, as the big branch supporting the car creaked, ready to give way any second.

“Faster guys! Faster!” Spike waved his arms.

And then the branch broke (Disintegrated really) and the car fell straight toward them. Grant and Tim let go of the branch they were on and fell, thudding into another branch a few feet down. Acting fast, Twilight Sparkle quickly used her magic to stop the car just before it smacked into the big branch their friends just vacated. She held the car as long as her magic could hold it, straining with effort, but then she felt something was off… her magic was starting to weaken, like it was losing its grip.

“GO! GO NOW!!!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Grant and Tim were half-climbing, half-falling down the tree now. They slipped along the resin-covered branches, just trying like hell to get out of the way. Seeing Twilight Sparkle in distress, Pegasi and Spike quickly raced to her aid. Spike and Fluttershy pushed the front of the car with all their might, while Rainbow Dash and Daring Do try to grab hold of the back… pulling and flapping their wings as hard as they could.

But try as they might, Twilight’s magic was starting to break and eventually she couldn’t hold the car any longer. Reacting fast, the others flew out of the way just as the car started to smash and crash through a network of thinner branches, heading right for them. It hits the open space and goes into free fall.

“DR. GRANT!!!” The Equestrians shouted.

Realizing they weren’t able to outrun the car to the bottom, Grant turned and put up his arms in defense – and the car stopped, slamming into a thick branch just above him. Grant looked up, eyeball to eyeball, with the front grill. But the new branch was starting to creak…

“Dr. Grant! Tim!”

The pair looked down and saw Applejack just down below the tree.

“This way! Hurry!” Applejack waved her hoof.

Grant and Tim basically fell down the rest of the tree, the car bashing its way behind them. The winged Equestrians, along with Spike, quickly descended about six or seven feet and landed on the ground and just managed to catch Tim and Grant before they hit the ground. With Grant grabbing onto Tim, they rolled to the side just as the car smashed into the Earth, nose first, standing upright that way.

“Whoa nelly!” Applejack gasped, wide-eyed.

Just as the Equestrians and their friends sighed with relief, a creaking noise made their faces drop. The damn thing was still heading for them… tipping over… now falling straight at them! With no way nor time to get out of the way, Twilight Sparkle, her winged friends, and Grant balled themselves on top of Tim trying to protect him and –

CRASH!!!

The jeep fell on top of them, much to Applejack’s horror and shock.

“NOOOOO!!!” Applejack screamed, shaking her head.

The remainder of the ponies (Minus Lex) raced to the scene the moment they heard a commotion.

“Great wickering stallions! What happened?!” Time Turner asked.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack raced ahead. “Twilight! Dr. Grant! Tim! Any pony, where are ya?”

“We’re okay, Applejack!” Twilight called out. 

“Wut happened?”

“Well, Applejack… we’re back… in the car again,” Tim sighed, taking deep breaths.

Sure enough, much to the group’s relief, their friends were amazingly unhurt… if not confused. By sheer luck, they were indeed inside the jeep, saved by the sunroof hole.

“Well, at least we’re out of the tree,” Grant sighed.

“C’mon every pony, let’s help ‘em out,” Applejack gestured.

The remaining Equestrians proceeded to help the humans and their friends out of the wreckage of the car. One by one, their friends helped them out while making sure they were okay. As soon as Rainbow Dash climbed out, Applejack raced toward Rainbow and hugged her marefriend, which Rainbow returned.

“Thank Celestia yer all right,” Applejack sighed in relief. 

“That… was… AWESOME!!!” Rainbow yelled, excitedly. “Man A.J., you should’ve seen it! The way Dr. Drant and Daring Do were climbing their way off that tree to save the kid before the car crashed down. I tell you when we get back this will make one hay of a book!

“Oh Rainbow…” Applejack shook her head, smiling.

“It already is a book, silly!” Pinkie Pie smiled playfully. “Jurassic Park was actually a book way before it was made into a major motion picture. I hear it’s actually way more graphic; I’m glad we’re doing the movie version. Because what fanfic writer would ever do the book version and try to steal from our audience?”

Rainbow Dash merely looked toward her pink party friend like she just uttered the absolute, most absurd sentence in the entire world. But otherwise, she decided to just let it go.

“Yeah Pinkie… that’d be crazy,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Now let’s get out of here!”

“What about Ian?” Fluttershy asked. “We can’t just leave him up there all alone. Not with those dinosaurs running around.”

“My guess is he’s probably chow by now,” Rainbow replied honestly.

“I don’t think so, Dash,” Daring Do replied. “When the T-Rex attacked, I saw him knocked into the restroom where he was covered in that thatch roof. I bet the Rex probably forgot about him and went after Gennaro.

“And to think he would’ve been better off as the public relations manager…” Pinkie Pie rambled, realizing. “Oh, no wait… he still would’ve died. Now Mr. Malcolm… oh no!”

“Some pony should go up and help the poor man,” Rarity butted in. “We can’t leave him to die from his injuries.”

“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking,” Grant proposed. “Twilight Sparkle, you, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Time Turner go back up and make sure Ian is alright. You try and find help while the rest of us find our own way out of the park.”

“Why don’t we just use Twilight’s magic to transport us all to the visitor’s center?” Spike pointed out. “That way we can all get back in no time.”

“Because something went wrong with my magic…” Twilight Sparkle responded. “I’m not sure why, but my magic went weak when I tried to hold that car. I think something’s blocking the magic and I don’t know what.”

“Then it looks like we’ll have to work our way through the park on our own,” Time Turner declared. 

“But what if that T-Rex is still up there?” Fluttershy asked fearfully.

“I heard it stomping off, so I think we’re safe for now. As soon as we get Malcolm to the medical facility, we’ll come back for you.”

“See if you can determine how to get the power running,” Daring Do suggested. “First chance you get, call the rescue chopper. Tell them to get to the island as soon as possible.

“Okay, just stay safe,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “If we see anyone still on the island, we’ll tell them where you are.”

With that settled, Twilight Sparkle proceeded to fly her way back up the barrier while using whatever magic she had to grab her group up, hovering them in the air.

“Pity about Mr. Gennaro though…” Pinkie Pie sighed. “To think he’d be with us to the end as opposed to some Regis guy. There was also this Harding guy… but we can worry about that in the sequel.”

<> 

Meanwhile, near the center of the island, Curtain Call and Quill Cast (Along with their raptors) hiked their way through the jungles of Isla Nublar. Much to their relief, the storm had died down with the winds decreasing significantly. After walking for what felt like hours, both stallions were feeling tired and groggy.

“This is so… slow…” Curtain Call groaned.

“No kidding…” Quill nodded in agreement. “Feels like we’ve walked around the entire perimeter of this island… twice!”

“I wanted us to jack a jeep or something useful back at the docks, but no…”

“I told you, Curtain…”

“’We don’t have hands to drive them anymore’,” Quill and Curtain spoke in unison.

“I know, I know!” Curtain Call groaned. “If we were in our original human forms, we wouldn’t have this problem. Heck, if ‘someone’ hadn’t decided to leave the shears in the park in the first place…”

“Don’t you pin this one on me!” Quill Cast threatened.

Suddenly, a screech from both of their raptors ceased their arguing long enough to draw their attention ahead once more. As they looked past the trees, the stallions could see a clearing. And just within a short distance, there it was… the Raptor paddock. 

“THE PADDOCK!!!” Quill and Curtain praised, together.

“Oh, thank you… thank you…” Quill sighed with relief. “Come on, let’s hurry and get those shears. Then we must find a way back to Atalanta and the twins.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Curtain nodded. 

The two stallions took off in a mad sprint towards the paddock and their raptors quickly took off after them. Since these raptors were known for being extremely fast, they raced past the stallions and climbed up the paddock. Just as the stallions finally arrived, they climbed along the side only to stop when they noticed something. A large gaping hole just along the barrier fencing. A great deal of alarm spread upon their faces, which upon looking at each other made them realize this meant one terrifying thing…

“Oh… buck!” Curtain cursed, under his breath. “The other raptors are loose!”

“Not good my friend,” Quill shook his head. “Peppermint! Blaze! You two keep a sharp eye open.”

Quill Cast and Curtain Call leapt into the foliage of the Raptor paddock, while Blaze and Peppermint stayed above the outskirts keeping a sharp watchful eye out for any other raptors deciding to come back. Meanwhile, deep within the paddock, Quill noticed a large triangular shaped rock that looked as though it had no business being there.

“Bingo!” Quill Cast smiled. 

Quill quickly picked up the rock, smashing it against the paddock wall. The rock smashed into pieces, as it turned out to be a hollow fake. For hidden within the rock was a magnificent artifact so powerful it could actually separate the ties between an individual and their destiny.

“The Shears of Fate…” Curtain Call gasped.



Quill picked up the sheers with his hooves, gazing upon them with the same wonderment he first had upon seeing them way back when.

“To think what one could do with these,” Quill spoke to himself. 

“I still don’t feel right giving them back to that wicked woman,” Curtain voiced his concern. “Are you sure we can trust her?”

“No… but the twins’ lives are at stake. We have no choice.”

Quickly, Quill placed the shears in his saddlebag. Picking himself back on his hooves, he turned toward his partner.

“I think it’s high time we get back and set things right,” Quill declared.

Just as Quill worked his way out of the paddock, Curtain Call stuck one hoof in front of him stopping the stallion in his tracks.

“What now?”

“Don’t you think we should be helping Twilight Sparkle and the others?” Curtain Call argued. “With that T-Rex out there, not to mention those raptors, they could get hurt.”

“You know why we can’t,” Quill responded. “Our priority is to get back and help Atalanta. Twilight and the others faced many dangerous and deadly adversaries in their other adventures without our help. I’m confident they’ll get out of this one just fine.”

Curtain wanted so badly to argue back but found himself unable to. Deep down, he felt compelled to stay behind and help the others while he was still here. But he knew they were needed elsewhere and there was no time to do both.

“Alright, let’s save the multiverse!” Curtain relented.

The two stallions finally escaped the paddock and reunited with their raptors. Quill soon reached into his saddlebag once more, drawing out a magic bean which he hurled into the clearing. Within a second, another swirling vortex opened its way to Equestria. Seeing their way out, the two stallions turned back toward their raptors.

“What do you say boy?” Quill asked Blaze. “Ready to kick some ass?”

“I’m not leaving without my baby girl,” Curtain told Peppermint.

Both raptors chirped toward their keepers, kneeling down to nuzzle against them. They stood for a moment as both stallions climbed onto the backs of their respected raptors like hitching a ride on a horse. With a ‘Yah!”, they charged ahead at full speed into the portal which sealed behind them.

<> 

Meanwhile, Lex was still in the culvert, terrified, slowly banging her head against the wall as if trying to wake from a nightmare. Daring Do and Grant stood at the mouth of the culvert, carefully studying the rinky-dink map of the park he picked up during the slide show. The other Equestrians were with Tim just a few feet away.

The pair tried to get their bearings from the crude, cartoon-like drawing on the map, which was easier said than done. They looked up, picked a direction, and shoved the map in his pocket decisively before turning back toward Lex.

“Lex, you’re going to have to get out of there,” Grant insisted. “Hiding isn’t a rational solution; we have to improve our situation.”

But Lex doesn’t move. Daring Do pointed a feather toward Tim, who was gathered around the remaining Equestrians.

“Tim’s out here, see?” Daring Do gestured. “He’s okay. Now come out.

Still… nothing. So, Grant tried a new tact.

“’Course, you could just wait in there while we go back and get help,” Grant offered.

“Sounds like a plan,” Daring Do nodded in agreement.

“You’ll probably be safe enough on your own… all alone…”

“Hard to say… but maybe. I’d hate to be out here if that mean T-Rex shows up.”

“Liars!!!” Lex snapped. “You said you wouldn’t leave!”

“We’re trying to use psychology to get you out of the drain, you know!” Grant groaned in frustration.

But Lex just stared as though they were nuts. Daring Do sighed and shook her head at rant, as if saying ‘Nice try’. Looking back at Tim, Grant realized what he needed to do. So… he calmed his tone as he and Daring Do walk toward the culvert, sitting across from her.

“Alright, look… we’re just going to walk back home together,” Grant explained patiently. 

“But we can’t go back the way we came,” Daring Do emphasized. “What we have is a free-range T-rex on the road. There are fences on either side. If we meet that monster between here and the lodge, we’d – have problems.

Lex covered her ears, not wanting to hear anymore. Nevertheless, Grant and Daring Do continued.

“He’s probably staked out the road as a feeding ground, which means this whole paddock is empty,” Grant reassured. “It’s safe.”

“It’s… safe?” Lex repeated.

“Absolutely,” Daring Do nodded. “If’s safe, and that’s the way we’re going to go. What do you say?

“… Alright.”

Lex crawled her way out of the culvert, standing next to Grant and Daring Do.

“Good girl,” Daring Do nodded with approval. “Come on.

With a nod, they proceeded to rejoin their friends (Among them Tim). Together, they proceeded to make their way down the direction Grant indicated. The rest trailed behind him.

“Dr. Grant, are you sure we can get to the visitor’s center from here?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“Might be kind of slow, but it can’t be more than three or four miles,” Grant replied. “I’d hoped the rex finished feeding by now, but let’s not kid ourselves.”

“Did you guys know that carnivores can eat up to 25% of its body weight in about one sitting?” Spike asked. “Hopefully that means the T-Rex is ready to move on to the main course by now—”

“SPIKE!!!”

Spike stopped in the middle of his sentence, as the Equestrians pointed back. Spike turned and realized why they were pointing. Both kids have now scampered all the way back into the culvert, terrified.

“Me and my big mouth…” Spike sighed.

<> 

When the storm had officially passed over, Muldoon and Ellie raced down the park road in an open-topped jeep (Much like the one Nedry took earlier). They were dressed in raincoats and armed with flashlights. They didn’t speak to one another. They just stared ahead grimly, wondering what they were about to find.

“There they are!” Muldoon called out. 

They rounded a corner and came upon the top of the hill, the T-Rex exhibit where the attack took place. The jeep skid to a stop, and they jumped out. The road was rutted, a muddy mess. The cement block house now a pile of rubble. The electric fences had been destroyed. To think a few hours ago, the others were in this vicinity when it happened. Ellie and Muldoon knew they needed to find them quickly or risk being killed. Wasting no time, they searched the grounds noting one of the Explorers was gone, the other standing untouched and both doors hung open.

“Oh, God! Where’s the other car?” Ellie asked. “Where’s the other car? Alan? Twilight? Applejack? Fluttershy? Daring? Spike?”

Ellie raced toward the Explorer, with Muldoon following behind.

“Dr. Grant?” Robert called out. “Princess Twilight? Kids? Anyone?”

“ALAN! TWILIGHT!”

“GRANT! SPARKLE! WHOOVES! ANYONE?!”

Ellie leaned into the Explorer and looked around. But nobody’s there. She and Muldoon walked towards the wreckage of the outhouse, calling out for a familiar voice. But they stopped when they stumbled upon a terrifying sight.

“I think this was Gennaro,” Robert inspected.

“I think this was too…” Ellie confirmed, finding the ‘other’ half.

Suddenly, the T-Rex’s roar drew them to look ahead with their flashlights pointing toward the source.

“I think it’s ahead of us,” Ellie confirmed.

“It could be anywhere,” Muldoon assumed, looking around. “With the fences out, it can wander in and out of any paddock it likes.”

A weak groaning sound emerged from somewhere in the wreckage of the restroom building. They rushed over toward it only to find… Ian Malcolm, lying on his back, semiconscious among the twisted wood and cement.

“It’s Malcolm!” Muldoon confirmed.

He shined his light along the length of Muldoon’s body. His shirt was stained with blood, but his right leg was even worse off. The right ankle bent outward at a strange angle from his leg, the trousers flattened, soaked with blood. Malcolm’s belt had been twisted around his thigh.

“He’s put a tourniquet on,” Ellie confirmed, leaning toward Ian. “Ian? Ian?!”

“Remind me to thank John for a lovely weekend,” Malcolm groaned, groggily.

“ELLIE! ROBERT, IS THAT YOU!”

“Pinkie?” Ellie looked around. “Where are you?!”

“Over here!” Pinkie Pie called out.

Sure enough, as Ellie shined her light over, Pinkie Pie emerged along with Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Time Turner. They were slightly muddied and bruised from the previous attack, but otherwise they were happy to see the pair.

“Thank Faust you’re here!” Rarity sighed with relief. 

“Are you guys alright?” Ellie asked.

“Nothing a few years of therapy won’t fix,” Time Turner chuckled lightly.

“We need your help—” Twilight Sparkle began.

Suddenly, the T-Rex roared again from the distance causing very pony and everyone to look towards that direction. Worry was evident upon their faces, realizing it was closer now. Ellie and Muldoon looked at each other.

“Can we chance moving him?” Ellie asked fearfully.

“Please -- chance it,” Ian said urgently. 

“Mrs. Pie, help me with this,” Robert requested.

“What can I do, Mr. Muldoon?” Pinkie asked.

“I need you to help me lift Mr. Malcolm onto the jeep.”

To which the pink party pony nodded and helped Muldoon lift Ian onto the jeep, laying him as carefully as possible along the back while Rarity, Twilight, and Dr. Hooves climbed inside.

“Where are the kids?” Malcolm murmured.

Ellie looked around, staring back toward the empty road. She’s on the verge of tears but fighting them back.

“I’ve seen a lot of animal attacks,” Muldoon spoke up. “People just disappear. No blood, no trace. That’s the way it happens.”

“No, Mr. Muldoon, that’s just it!” Time Turner interrupted. “Lex and Tim are okay! We’re eyewitnesses.”

Barely hearing them, Ellie walked toward the edge of the road, her eyes following the deep ruts the Explorer made when it went over the edge. Meanwhile, Muldoon was getting ready to leave.

“Ellie, come on!” Robert yelled.

“We need to go before the T-Rex makes it way back over here!” Twilight Sparkle insisted.

“Hold on!” Ellie responded.

All eyes turned back toward Ellie, as she looked over the exhibit and sure enough, she spotted something down below.

“The other car!” Ellie called out.

<> 

Ellie and Muldoon’s flashlight, along with Twilight’s horn, beamed light along the base of the tree.

“Dr. Grant!” Muldoon called out.

“Alan!” Ellie cried tearfully.

They found the wrecked Explorer. Muldoon peered inside, looking for anything.

“Do you see anything?” Ellie asked nervously.

“I don’t know.”

The T-rex roared again; it was getting closer. Ellie nervously approached the other side of the car and peered in. She desperately searched for any sign of the others, mostly Grant.

“Alan?!”

“They’re not here,” Robert told her.

“We were told to stay with Ian and if any of you came along, we’d go to the Visitor’s Center with you,” Twilight explained. “Dr. Grant said to tell you they’d meet up with us. Look.”

Ellie shined her flashlight, along with Robert and Twilight Sparkle, toward some footprints (Along with hoofprints and claw marks) which indicated that the others survived and were heading to the exhibit.

“Thank God…” Ellie sighed.

“Now come on… let’s get back to the Visitor’s Center,” Twilight motioned.

<> 

Back in the jeep, Ian, along with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Time Turner were resting. All of a sudden, they felt something strange. Ian looked toward one of the T-rex footprints in the road. It’s filled with water, which vibrates rhythmically. Malcolm’s eyes widened. He looked around, frantically.

“Uh – Anybody? Any… pony hear that?” Malcolm asked nervously. “You know what that is?”

“What is it, Darling?” Rarity asked timidly.

“It’s a – an impact tremor is what it is, it, uh – I’m fairly alarmed here!”

BOOM. BOOM.

Malcolm and the ponies stared, wide-eyed, at the rings in the water, which were getting bigger by the second. 

“Great wickering stallions! Not again!” Time Turner moaned.

Meanwhile, Ellie, along with Muldoon and Twilight Sparkle, had just climbed over the embankment when they heard frantic shouts calling for them. They looked up as Ian beckoned them along with the others.

“Come on, we have to get out of here!” Ian shouted. “We have to go. Now. Now! Right now! Let’s go! Hey! Come on!”

The booming was growing louder now, and faster… much faster. Twilight Sparkle and the humans turned over their shoulders, realizing what’s coming.

“RUN!!!” Twilight Sparkle shouted.

Ellie and Muldoon climbed into the jeep, as Twilight Sparkle rejoined her friends. Muldoon climbed into the driver’s seat trying to start the engine. Just then, the tyrannosaur smashed out of the jungle foliage, bursting onto the road, and ran straight at them, moving at least thirty miles an hour.

“LET’S… GET… OUT OF HERE!!!” Pinkie screamed.

Muldoon fumbled for the keys, turned the jeep over, and slammed it into gear. He dropped the clutch, hit the gas, and teared out of there as the t-rex gave a mighty roar. The jeep started to drive away along with the three humans and four ponies. Unfortunately, the jeep was slow to work through the first few gears. Terrified, Ellie dared to look down, to the side view mirror, which told her ‘Objects Are Closer Than They Appear’. And sure enough, the T-Rex was gaining on the slowly accelerating jeep. The whole group stared back at the rex in terror, as Twilight and Rarity desperately fired beams toward the T-Rex trying to drive it back.

“Must go faster!” Ian called out. “Here it comes! Fifth gear! Fifth gear!”

“SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!!” Ellie screamed.

“HURRY UP, ROBERT!!!” Pinkie cried out. “SHE’S GAINING ON US!!!”

“I WANT MY MOTHER!!! I WANT MY FATHER!!!” Rarity bawled. “I WANT MY ERIK!!! I WANT MY GEMSTONE!!! I WANT MY SWEETIE BELLE!!! I WANNA GO HOME!!!”

“ME TOO!!!” Pinkie shouted. “I WANT MY PARENTS!!! MY SISTERS!!! I WANT MY CHEESY… AND LIL’ CHEESE!!!”

The roar of the T-rex had Ian backing off and accidentally shifted the gears to neutral, causing the jeep to slow down.

“Get off the stick!” Robert ordered. “Bloody move!”

But the guys were so distracted, they didn’t see the half-fallen tree branch right in front of them, blocking the path of the road. Luckily, Ellie spotted it first.

“LOOK OUT!!!” Ellie shouted.

“DOWN!!!” Robert ordered.

All heads ducked down just as the windshield struck the branch, shattering as the jeep flew ahead and picked up speed. The T-rex just smashed right through the branch, smashing it entirely. The ponies bounced around pretty badly, trying to stay on their feet. The engine raced, the T-rex closed in again – losing ground now, the dinosaur made a final lunge for the jeep and crunched into the right rear quarter panel as it gave an angry roar. Ellie, Pinkie & Rarity screamed in fear.

“FASTER, FASTER!!!” Time Turner shouted.

Fortunately, Muldoon slammed the stick back in gear and gunned it. The T-rex gave up, fading into the distance and roaring in defeat. They drove on in silence, scared out of their wits.

“Think they’ll have that on the tour?” Malcolm asked.

“Nope!” Twilight shook her head.

“Ridiculous…” Rarity agreed.

“Never…” Time Turner sighed.

“I think… I wet myself…” Pinkie muttered.

Rarity afterwards fainted due to the shock as the jeep made its way toward the Visitor’s Center. Though they managed to escape death for now, the danger was far from over. Now the group were separated, with Twilight’s group driving off into the night praying that Alan, the Murphy Siblings, and their friends were safe… for now.

<> 

Meanwhile, Grant, along with Lex, Tim, and the remaining Equestrians made their way through Jurassic Park. Far in the distance, there’s another roar. Grant heard it but tried not to show it.

“Are you hearing this?” Lex asked nervously.

“I’m sure it’s… nothing,” Daring Do shook her head. “Didn’t hear anything.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “We’re totally fine.”

Another roar in the distance said otherwise. While they could keep on walking, they knew it was dangerous to keep traversing at night. So, they looked around for a safe place to hide. Grant looked up, toward the towering trees around them. Applejack turned to where Grant was staring and understood.

“I reckon you guys are mighty tired,” Applejack spoke up. “We ought to find someplace to rest—”

Another roar rung in their ears.

“Like about now,” Grant added. “C’mon! Hurry up! Like this tree.”

“Why are we hurrying if there’s nothing wrong?” Lex asked inquisitively. 

“What if we fall?” Tim expressed concern. 

“You want to spend the night on the ground with the dinosaurs running around?” Spike asked rhetorically.

“No…”

“Then come on up, Tim. It’ll be okay.”

Lex, Tim, and Grant climbed up the tallest tree they could find. Tim was behind, watching the other two, giving them a push up when they needed it. Applejack, unable to climb the tree, was assisted by both Rainbow Dash and Daring Do carrying her by each side.

“Oh, man!” Tim groaned unhappily. “I hate trees!”

“They don’t bother me,” Lex replied briskly.

“Oh, yeah, well, you weren’t in the last one.”

“Let’s not fuss about this, kids,” Fluttershy spoke quietly. “We’re almost there.”

Now, near the top of the tree, the three humans sit there, dangling their legs, looking out over the park. The four ponies and Spike joined along with them, the winged members hovering down to the branch while Applejack was placed gently between her marefriend and Daring Do. From where they sat, it’s an incredible view. With the full moon, they could see the details in all directions.

Most striking of all are dozens of sauropod heads, at the end of long necks, towering over the park.

“Hey, look at those Brontosauruses!” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Uh Dash, those are Brachiosauruses,” Tim corrected.

“What’s the difference?”

“Brontosauruses are smaller and longer, while Brachiosaurus are taller and heavier.” 

“It’s okay to call them brontosaurs,” Grant assured. “It’s a great name; a romantic name. It means ‘thunder lizard’.

“’Thunder Lizard’ huh…” Spike nodded, interested. “I dig it!”

Grant found a solid web of branch and settled himself in it, leaning back against the trunk of the tree, with a little room on either side of him. Lex nestled up next to him on the branch. Grant was surprised but accepted it. Tim and the others climbed off to the side, to a nook in a branch of their own. 

There was silence for a moment until they could hear the hotting of the animals as they called. It almost sounded musical.

“What are they doing?” Fluttershy asked, curious. 

“They’re singing!” Grant answered, moving to a higher branch. “Of course, no one’s ever heard one from a dinosaur before, but – I could swear that sounds suspiciously to me like a mating call.”

“In an all-female environment?” Daring Do replied.

“Hey, even girls can share romantic interests with one another too,” Applejack pointed out. 

“They definitely know what they want,” Rainbow Dash agreed, leaning beside Applejack. 

“Although… I am mighty curious just the same.”

A smile of enchantment spread across Malcolm’s face. He hooted himself, loudly, trying to imitate one of the calls. Immediately, five or six of the heads turned in their direction and hooted back.

“No, no, sh, sh, shh!” Lex shushed frantically. ‘Don’t let the monsters come over here!”

“They’re not monsters, Lex,” Grant corrected. “They’re just animals.”

“Besides, these are herbivores,” Spike pointed out. “We saw one just like them when we first came here.”

“That means they only eat vegetables,” Tim smirked. “But for you I think they’d make an exception.”

“Tim, Tim, Tim…” Grant shook his head, disapprovingly.

“Oh, I hate the other kind,” Lex pouted.

“Well, the other kind… they just do what they do,” Fluttershy answered. “I know they’re pretty scary; I won’t argue with that. But it’s all part of the circle of life. The herbivores eat the plants, and the carnivores… well, you know.”

“I reckon it be best if we get some shut eye,” Applejack suggested. “That way we oughtta get an early start in the mornin’.”

Satisfied, the group prepared to settle in for the night. Grant shifted too, getting comfortable, but something in his pocket pinched him. He winced as he dug it out. It turned out to be the velociraptor claw he unearthed not long ago back in Montana… yesterday, actually. He looked at it, thinking a million thoughts, staring at this thing that used to be so priceless.

“What are you and Ellie gonna do now if you don’t have to pick up dinosaur bones anymore?” Lex asked curiously.

“Yeah… all these computers and modern conveniences,” Daring Do nodded, understanding. “Kind of takes the hard work away if we don’t have to do anything ourselves.

“Eeyup…” Applejack agreed.

“That’s going to suck,” Rainbow Dash sighed.

“I don’t know,” Alan admitted. “I guess we’ll just have to evolve too.”

“What do you call a blind dinosaur?” Tim asked.

“I don’t know. What do you call a blind dinosaur?”

“Do-you-think-he-saurus.”

To which Grant chuckled even some of the Equestrians couldn’t help but laugh.

“I got one,” Spike offered. “What do you call a blind dinosaur’s dog?”

“You got me Spike,” Grant smiled.

“Do-you-think-he-saurus Rex!”

Again, Grant laughed and some of the Equestrians were able to let loose over the fun gesture. Soon every pony, especially the kids and Spike were finally able to close their eyes. But after a moment, Lex and Fluttershy popped their eyes open again.

“What if the dinosaur comes back while we’re all asleep?” Lex asked nervously.

“I’ll stay awake,” Grant assured.

“All night, Mr. Grant?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“All night.”

Soon, the whole group fell asleep hoping for a peaceful night’s rest. But then Rainbow Dash peeped an eye open as Grant stared at the claw and let it slip toward the ground below. Before the claw hit the floor, Rainbow quickly ducked down and snatched the claw before flapping back toward the branch. With Grant already asleep, Rainbow approached Daring Do who nestled comfortably while using her hat as a pillow.

“Daring Do…” Rainbow tapped Daring’s shoulder.

“… Yeah?” Daring Do asked, opening an eye. “What you got?

“Grant was just about to throw this away but didn’t feel right to leave it here. If we ever do get back home, I’d like you to have this. As a souvenir from the park.”

“Ah, you didn’t have to. I couldn’t—”

“I want you to. Despite everything that’s happened, I admit this was more exciting than I thought it would be. And at least you won’t have to dive through temples or fight ancient Gods for this one.”

“Wow…” Daring Do gaped, impressed. “Thank you.

“Well… I gotta turn in,” Rainbow concluded, making herself comfortable. “See you in the morning.”

“Good night,” Daring Do spoke softly.

And so, Daring Do leaned back along the branch eyeing the claw in her hoof, as she settled under the night sky. Eventually, she put the claw in the pocket of her vest to keep it safe. Though every pony else was asleep, Applejack (Her back turned) had her eyes open listening in on the conversation. Some thoughts were on Applejack’s mind during that hour, all of which she hoped to have figured out by the morning. But for now, at least the worst was behind them.

<> 

Later, Ellie, along with Twilight Sparkle and Time Turner, passed the Gallimimus Gift Shop featuring a whole assembly of toys and various collectables with the ‘Jurassic Park’ logo. They soon entered a darkened restaurant, the Cretaceous Café, following the source of the flickering light. A candle burned at a table just in the corner.

John Hammond sat at the table, alone. There’s a bucket of ice cream in the middle, and he’s eating a dish of it, staring down morosely. Ellie and the ponies drew up to the table and Hammond looked at them. His eyes were puffy, his hair messed up – for the first time seeing him, they could see the fire had diminished from his eyes.

“They were all melting,” Hammond said.

Twilight Sparkle and Time Turner nodded in understanding as they took their seats.

“Malcolm’s okay for now,” Ellie assured. “I gave him a shot of morphine.”

“Pinkie Pie and Rarity are settling in for the night,” Time Turner added. “It’s been such a rough trip.”

“I just hope the others will be okay…” Twilight sighed, staring at the distance. “Those kids… we promised to look out for them, but…”

“They’ll all be fine,” Hammond reassured softly. “Who better to get the children through Jurassic Park than a dinosaur expert and your friends?”

“I guess…” Twilight nodded. “I just wouldn’t know what to do if anything happened to them. It was all supposed to be just a relaxing vacation, looking at all the attractions, but… nothing ever seems to go as planned for us.”

There was another pause for a few seconds or more, until Hammond broke it again.

“You know the first… attraction I ever built when I came down from Scotland?” Hammond explained. “Was a Flea Circus, Petticoat Lane. Really quite wonderful. We had a wee trapeze, a roundabout – a merry-go – what you call it?”

“Carousel,” Twilight answered.

“A carousel – and a seesaw,” Hammond nodded, reminiscing. “They all moved, motorized of course, but people would swear they could see the fleas. ‘I see the fleas, mummy! Can’t you see the fleas?’. Clown fleas, high wire fleas, fleas on parade…”

While the old man trailed off, Ellie and the ponies looked on. They weren’t sure what state he was in, but they kept quiet as he rambled on.

“But with this place, I – I wanted to show them something that wasn’t an illusion, something that was real. Something they could… see and touch. An aim not devoid of merit.”

“But you can’t think through this one, John,” Ellie shook her head. “You have to feel it.”

“She’s right,” Twilight agreed with Ellie. “It’s not enough to devise something because you ‘think’ that’s what the public wants. It has to fulfill a need.”

“You’re right, you are absolutely right,” Hammond nodded. “Hiring Nedry was a mistake, that’s obvious. We’re overdependent on automation, I can see that now. Now, the next time, everything’s correctable.”

“Mr. Hammond…” Twilight groaned.

“Creation is an act of sheer will,” Hammond continued. “Next time, it’ll be flawless.

“John, John, you’re still building onto that Flea Circus,” Ellie argued. “It’s all an illusion.”

“And now you’re just adding onto it by what you’re doing on this island,” Time Turner emphasized.

“When we have control again, we –” Hammond began.

“Control?! You never had control! That’s the illusion!” Ellie snapped. “Now, I was overwhelmed by the power of this place. So, I made a mistake too. I didn’t have enough respect for that power, and it’s out now.” 

“Look around, Hammond!” Twilight spread her arms, exasperated. “Our friends are trying their best to get here and you’re just sitting here trying to pick up the pieces! There’s nothing worth picking up!” 

Twilight Sparkle started breathing heavily, the anxiety rising at an accelerated rate. Time Turner gently placed a hoof upon her shoulder, and she looked toward him. All he could give her was a reassuring demeanor to which Twilight sighed heavily as she leaned back against her chair, allowing the tears to fall gently down her face.

“The only thing that matters now are the people we love,” Ellie continued, calmly yet emotionally. “Alan, Lex, and Tim… Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Daring Do… even Spike… John, they’re out there, where people are dying.”

There was a long pause. For a moment Hammond avoided her gaze. But eventually, he did look up at her, and even the ponies could see that his face was different. After saying her piece, Ellie reached out and took a spoon out of one of the buckets of ice cream and licked it.

“It’s good…” Ellie nodded tearfully.

Then finally, the unhappy irony of what Hammond was about to say finally hit home.

“Spared no expense.”

<> 

It was getting close to dawn, as the sun rose over Jurassic Park. The danger of the night before was overcome by the sheer beauty of the place – it truly felt like the Serengeti Plain. Over the edge of a great open field, a huge tree marked the border between the open area and the thick of the jungle.

Up in the tree, Grant, Tim, Lex, and the other Equestrians are asleep amongst the branches. Both kids now curled under Grant’s arms. A heavy shadow fell over eight of them, blocking out the sun entirely. Grant awoke, only a bit sleepy, as a brachiosaur’s head pushed into the tree branches, right up beside them. It hesitated there for a second, seemingly staring at them. Grant just watched as it opened its mouth very wide and chomped down on a branch over their heads.

The ponies, Spike, and the kids awoke with a start. Tim pointed, while Lex opened her mouth to scream… but nothing came out. Then—

“Go away!” Lex shrieked.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” Grant shushed quietly. “It’s a brachiosaur!”

“It’s a veggiesaurus, Lex,” Tim emphasized. “A veggisaurus!”

“Remember: They only eat plants,” Fluttershy reminded gently. “She’s not going to bite you.”

But Lex wasn’t taking any chances. She scrambled back, away from its mouth. Tim, Grant, and Spike came together on the branch, staring at the dinosaur in wonder as it ate its breakfast. Even Fluttershy was impressed as she examined the creature.

“She’s like a giraffe!” Fluttershy gaped, with a smile.

“Maybe it’s a very distant cousin,” Rainbow remarked.

As grant grabbed another branch, Tim scampered up, trying to get the brachiosaur’s attention.

“Come here, boy—” 

“Girl…” The Equestrians corrected.

“I mean girl!” Tim smiled sheepishly.

He tried whistling, even imitating the Brachiosaur’s noise. But the beast seemed too preoccupied with its breakfast to pay any attention. Eventually, Grant moved forward and tried feeding the brachiosaur with the branch. The animal grabbed the end of the branch and started a tug-of-war with Grant. Tim and the Equestrians tried helping him – they really began having a good time with the brachiosaur. 

“Come on, lil’ doggy!” Applejack smiled. “Give us a might good fight!”

HONK!

The brachiosaur made a loud honking noise, startling the group.

“Nice try!” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Bite all you want, but we’re not letting go!”

“It’s so strong!” Daring Do admired, then noticed something. “Hey! Look at its nose.

Tim reached out, petting the dinosaur’s head while it chewed. The dinosaur didn’t seem to mind, just chewing placidly.

“It looks like it has a cold,” Timmy pointed out. “Her nose is running.”

“Aw, the poor dear…” Fluttershy petted its head. “Sure, wish we had some medicine for her.”

“Nothing that some vitamins and nutrients can’t help,” Spike assured. “If these guys could care for themselves before mankind showed up, I think she’ll do just fine.”

“Can I touch it?” Lex offered, interested.

“Sure,” Grant nodded. “This is a seventy-seven ton animal. Just think of it as a big cow!”

Grant maneuvered closer. He reached out and grabbed hold of the thing’s lip with both hands and pulled it down, revealing the jaws at work.

“See… it has flat teeth,” Daring Do pointed out. “She’s just a beautiful big animal.

“I like cows,” Lex admitted.

“Well go ahead, give it a try. What have you got to lose?”

As the dinosaur’s head moved away from the group, Lex tentatively edged forward in the tree to the inspection.

“Come on, girl,” Lex reached out. “Come on up here, girl. Come on. Up here!”

Lex barely touched the thing on the tip of its nose – and it sneezed! It’s a vast explosion, and Lex fell back, dripping wet from head to toe.

“God bless you!” Tim called out, smiling.

Lex shuddered in disgust with all the snot around her, as Spike edged in close staring awkwardly.

“You kind of got a little bit on your—” 

Lex slowly turned her head as Spike pointed with one claw, slowly dropping it down when he saw how infuriated she was. Deciding not to finish the sentence, Spike awkwardly edged away to rejoin the group as they proceeded to climb down the tree.

<> 

Eventually, Grant and the others reached the ground and proceeded to depart from the tree they spent the night in. Lex, her shirt soaked, and face all wet, walked further ahead. To say she was embarrassed and ticked off was a ‘gross’ understatement.

“Yuck!” Lex muttered, brushing herself.

“Oh, great. Now she’ll never try anything new!” Tim remarked.

“Lemme guess, she’s going to complain about it and throw herself onto a fainting couch?” Rainbow asked jokingly.

“Kind of…” Tim continued. “She’ll sit in her room and never come out and play on her computer—”

HEY! I resemble that remark!

Buddy, buddy, buddy… calm down. It’s been a long day; let them do this on their own.

“I’m a hacker!” Lex argued, throwing snot at her brother.

“That’s what I said! You’re a nerd.” Tim remarked.

“Now that’s not very nice,” Fluttershy shook her head.

“Yeah, I am not a computer nerd!” Lex emphasized. “I prefer to be called a hacker!”

“There’s a difference?” Spike raised a brow.

“A big one.”

“Do humans even call each other hackers anymore?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

While the kids were bickering, with the Equestrians not far behind, they were oblivious of the fact that Grant had stopped just by a tree root trunk. He crouched along the ground just below the tree where he landed, staring at something in the palm of his hand.

“Oh God!” Grant gasped.

“What is it, Dr. Grant?” Daring Do turned back.

The group returned and looked over his shoulder, curious. They stare in amazement – at a whole clutch of dinosaur eggs! All hatched, now empty. Grant held one of the fragments, a large one – nearly half an egg. 

“You know what this is?” Grant asked. “It’s a dinosaur egg. The dinosaurs are breeding.”

“No way!” Spike gasped.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gaped.

“But that’s impossible…” Daring Do pointed out. “That shouldn’t be happening.

“She’s right… my grandpa said all the dinosaurs were girls,” Tim agreed, holding the shell.

“Amphibian DNA…” Grant realized.

“What’s that?” Lex asked curiously.

“Oh, I remember!” Fluttershy recalled. “We learned about this from the visitor’s center! That’s how they completed the dinosaur DNA!”

“That’s right, they did,” Grant nodded. “On the tour – the film said they used frog DNA to fill in the gene sequence gaps. They mutated the dinosaur’s genetic code and blended it with that of frogs.

“Okay, we know the science behind it…” Daring Do nodded understandingly. “But there must be something else, isn’t there?

“There is indeed. Now, some West African frogs have been known to spontaneously change sex from male to female, in a single-sex environment. Malcolm was right.”

“You mean…” Spike realized.

“Yes, look.”

Before their very eyes, there was a trail of baby dinosaur footprints heading away from the nest. The truth of this very discovery was made abundantly clear as the Equestrians suddenly realized what Grant was implying.

“Life found a way…” They said in unison.