“Are you sure, Twilight?” Celestia asked, a gut feeling making itself known. Either that or indigestion.
“I’ve got it all planned out, Tia. Don’t worry!” Twilight’s horn flashed, and the pair vanished.
Birds scattered as a flash of purple light dumped two alicorns out next to a tree. A massive creature stomping behind them caused both alicorns to look around warily. After a moment, the stomping travelled away.
“Twilight?” Celestia asked.
Twilight’s right wing tapped Celestia while her left moved to her lips and she shushed the elder alicorn.
Nodding, Celestia crouched lower and whispered into Twilight’s ear, “We’re in the right location?”
“Yes,” came her soft reply. “Now, to set up our picnic.”
“Why did you pick here of all places?” Celestia took a good look at the clearing. A beautiful little pond sat where a stream from further up the hills in the distance dumped out. Absolutely massive trees, most of their trunks larger around than even some homes, littered the area and provided plenty of shade while little bushes gathered where the sun still shone. Further down, the pond flowed off into a small valley, with quite the view of a forest below and the mountains beyond.
“You can thank Fluttershy for this.”
Celestia quirked an eyebrow and prompted Twilight to continue.
“Actually, thank the pony who called herself the Evil Enchanter and hexed Fluttershy,” Twilight explained. “She sent Fluttershy to right around this area, and when Discord and I arrived to save her…”
A small caw preceded a pterodactyl the size of a kitten landing next to Twilight. The little flyer nuzzled right up against her before settling down for a nap. Twilight laid down and curled around it. Celestia’s heart leapt to her mouth at the sight.
Twilight covered the pterodactyl with a wing. “We managed to save this little one after hiding from a few predators. They’d taken his mom--he was so tiny and defenseless, we had to. He’s taken a liking to us, and I thought… maybe if I brought you here and showed you, we could bring him with us, back to Ponyville?”
Celestia was stunned. “I… you want to bring a pterodactyl, from the ancient past, to modern-day Equestria?” Celestia sounded the logic out loud. Her voice was even, but still had a questioning inflection.
Twilight prepared herself for a denial, tears already gathering at the corners of her eyes. She looked down at the little sleeping dinosaur in her wing.
A wing made its way to Twilight’s chin, forcing her to look Celestia in the eyes. “I feel like you’ve been abusing travelling to this time because you’re as attached to him as he clearly is to you…” said Celestia. A tear fell from Twilight’s eye. “But,” Celestia continued. “I am willing to make an exception.” Twilight’s ears perked. “Just.” Celestia’s wing removed itself from her chin. “This.” It moved to her right eye, clearing the tears. “Once.” The wing moved and cleared her other eye. Celestia nuzzled against Twilight’s cheek.
Smiling now, Twilight replied, “Thanks, Tia. I know Fluttershy and I will take care of him.”
“Twilight, if he does grow up a danger to my little ponies…” Celestia spoke seriously, “I want you to know this. I will not hesitate to defend them if it comes down to that.”
“I know, Tia.” Twilight looked down to the pterodactyl once more, sleeping comfortably.
“I will admit, he is adorable,” Celestia cooed, muzzle poking under Twilight’s wing. She accidentally bumped up against one of his wings, nudging him slightly.
It had the effect of waking the young pterodactyl up. Small little eyes opened and he uncurled to stretch, yawning cutely. Tapping against Twilight a couple times, the wing moved away and he climbed all the way up Twilight’s side. His eyes set on Celestia and watched her mane wave, wiggling slightly along with her moving hair. After a moment, he lost focus and fell over onto his side with a squeak.
Both ponies giggled as he sat back up and lost himself looking at Celestia’s mane again.
After an hour, the little pterodactyl had a small fish and settled down for another nap. “Whenever you’re ready, Twilight, we can head home.”
Twilight nodded and all three, pony and dinosaur, vanished, just as quickly as they came.