It happened in the blink of an eye.
One moment, Ponyville was bustling with ponies going about their daily lives.
The next, they were gone.
"So", the human version of Pinkie Pie asked with her usual irrepressible cheerfulness, "have you ever had anything unusual happen to you while you're in the middle of a sentence?"
It was late afternoon, and the cluster of friends were sitting around the Pie family's dining room table. Sunset Shimmer put down her mug of coffee, blowing on it before replying.
"No, I don't recall that ever-"
And then it happened.
One moment, Sunset was there. The next, she wasn't.
The friends gaped at the spot where Sunset had sat just moments before. Pinkie Pie broke the silence.
"SHE'S GONE!!!"
"Ah can see that Pinkie, but where in tarnation did she go?" demanded Applejack.
"Kidnapped by horrific m-monsters?" Fluttershy suggested with a quaver in her voice.
"Aliens? Atlanteans? Quantum physics?" Rainbow Dash suggested.
"This is dreadful! Simply dreadful!" declared Rarity, her expression one of shock and horror. "Whatever are we going to do?"
Applejack stood. "Ah think that we should call the police."
"Why? They're never going to believe that Sunset simply vanished into thin air", Rainbow stated.
"And what if they learn about the portal?" Fluttershy added. Everyone shuddered at the thought of the consequences that would ensue, as humans looking for an easy profit invaded the pony world.
"So, does anyone have any ideas about what to do?" Rarity asked.
"Go to the portal?" suggested Pinkie.
As no one else had any better ideas, they adopted Pinkie's suggestion, getting into the Pie family van and driving out to Canterlot High.
Madagascar, 70 million years ago
Rarity opened her eyes slowly. She groaned, then slowly got to her feet.
<Where am I?>
Strangely enough, this attempt at speech failed to vocalize.
She saw a nearby stream, and she walked over, noting with surprise as she did so that her normal elegant gait had been replaced with a lumbering stride.
Rarity looked into the water.
And screamed.
The face that stared back at her was elongated, on the end of a long neck. Turning her head around in panic, she saw that she had four massive legs, with a long, reptilian tail. She was still pale white in coloration, but there was no sign of hair. Instead, there were a number of armored scutes imbedded in her skin, with a grouping of three that were diamond-shaped and pale blue in color on her rear thigh.
<What's happened to me??!!> she thought in desperation.
Alabama, 77 million years ago
<Applejack...>
The sound of a voice echoed through Applejack's mind. She slept on, ignoring the sound.
<Applejack... Applejack, wake up!!>
Applejack started to stir, her subconsciousness recognizing the voice as Applebloom's.
<APPLEJACK!!!>
Applejack bolted awake, scrambling to her feet. <What in the...> Her voice trailed off, even as a corner of her mind noted that she hadn't been speaking at all.
Standing in front of her was a strange creature. It stood on two legs, with a long tail counterbalancing the torso and head. But the even stranger thing was that it was a soft yellow color, matching the color of Applebloom's coat.
The creature tilted its head slightly. Although there was no motion of its jaws, Applebloom's voice sounded once again in her mind, sounding scared.
<Applejack, one moment ah was talking with Scoots and Sweetie, and the next thing ah know, ah'm here and we're like this!!!> The creature turned its head, bobbing it at itself.
Applejack lowered her head, noting that her muzzle appeared to be the same shape as the one on the thing that was Applebloom.
She opened her jaws and unleashed a roar of frustration that echoed over the beach.
Portugal, 145 million years ago
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes.
And stared in shock.
Laying on the ground in a circular formation around her were three sleeping creatures, with long necks and tails. But they were colored different shades, and had what seemed to be cutie marks on them. One appeared to be her mother, and another was her friend Twinkleshine.
Twilight turned her head, and saw with a rising sense of panic that she too was one of the creatures, her skin a lavender shade and her cutie mark emblazoned on her flank.
The cry that unleashed itself from her throat awakened the surrounding former ponies. Then, moments later, new cries of panic and alarm echoed over the landscape.
Colorado, 153 million years ago
Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes.
And instantly wished that she hadn't.
In front of her were a number of two-legged creatures, with long tails and heads full of nasty sharp teeth. They were approaching swiftly, their feet pounding against the dry ground.
Sunset rose to her feet, noting in surprise as she did so that they seemed to be much smaller than her.
At this point, Sunset's mind flashed over a number of facts that she had learned during her life in the human world.
Those must be Allosaurus, or one of the other large therapod species from the Morrison Formation, she thought. Which means that I must be a-
Her thoughts were interrupted by the onslaught of the pack of Allosaurus. They had anticipated a relatively easy kill. Thwarted in this, they surrounded her, and an assault began from all quarters.
Sunset turned, her large tail muscles accelerating the thin, bony end faster than the speed of sound, causing a miniature sonic boom. It whip-lashed an Allosaurus into a nearby tree which screamed in pain, a welt forming on its lower torso and its back being gouged by the rough bark. An allosaur leaped upwards, its mouth tearing a strip of flesh off her front flank, while its arm claws left long marks on the upper part of her left front leg. Another bit at her right rear leg, her retaliatory kick hitting nothing but air, as it was there and gone in a flash. A third ran and launched itself onto her torso, gripping on with its powerful front and rear claws, inflicting long, shallow wounds on her spinal region with its mouth.
Sunset reared upwards onto her hid limbs, sending the allosaur tumbling off of her side. She turned, and came down with crushing force, nailing the unlucky Allosaurus, who'd taken a moment too long in rising to its feet. Her weight pulverized its ribcage, killing it instantly.
The pack reformed, warily looking at Sunset. She cracked her tail menacingly.
The allosaurs retreated, their initial assumption that Sunset was a sick and weakened sauropod due to her orange coloring and apparent signs of bleeding dispelled by her tenacious defense. They did not go far, however, regrouping only a mile downwind. They were willing to wait and see whether the strangely-colored sauropod would weaken from the numerous wounds that had been inflicted on it.