For the next few hours the rain would continue to fall until the clouds began to split apart along with the rise of Celestia's golden sun. The ponies had decided to camp out under the safety of the trees, unable to sleep through the night. Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow had decided to scout ahead while the Cakes sat close together.
"So... Fire," Rainbow deadpans. "After all this, Big Nose was afraid of fire the whole time?"
"Duh," Pinkie says with a roll of her eyes. "Who isn't afraid of fire?" Rainbow stretches her sprained wing from the night before tenderly.
"Don't suppose you know any spells to start a fire, huh Twilight?"
"If I did I've probably would’ve burnt down the jungle." Twilight said.
"So what's to stop that fire we left back there from doing that? And really, who the hay would care if this island burned to the ground?" Rainbow crosses her forelegs over her chest while sitting.
"It was raining." Twilight said like it was obvious.
"Okay, but again, would it really be for bad to just let this place burn?"
"No. It wouldn’t be in the slightest." Twilight admitted.
"Okay, but again, would it really be for bad to just let this place burn?" Pinkie sighed.
"Even Fluttershy thinks so...?"
"That's up for debate." Twilight said, turning back to make sure they didn’t lose the Cakes. The family was sitting calmly together, Pound sitting close to his mother as Mr. Cake thought back on past experiences they had together.
“You remember when we went fishing last summer?” The baker asked his family fondly. “And I was trying to put the boat in and the trailer sank? And then the tow truck came and tried to pull it out, but it got dragged in?” Pound and his mother quietly laughed at the memory. “The truck driver threatened to knock your my lights out, so I said I was an important business pony and he believed me?”
“Yeah.” Pound said fondly.
“That was a fun day.” Mr. Cake said, glancing to see if the three mares wandered off. Twilight and friends were still within shouting distance of the family. Pinkie had started to bounce again.
"So Twilight, I've been thinking..."
"Go on...." Twilight said, curious where this was going.
"Well... I think it's a good thing they're being left alone here. I mean they didn't exactly ask to be made. So when we get back we need to set up some kind of plan to reinforce security around here. Maybe Scorch is making a show of taking responsibility for these creatures? They're kind his kids after all."
"He had hoped common sense would out, and nopony would bother to come here." Twilight admitted.
"Yeah," Rainbow said unamused. "Like every thrill-seeker, and geek that froths at the mouth over anything few million years old." She gave Twilight a flat look. "Pinkie has a point here Twilight, the dinosaurs need better containment." Pinkie peeked around the trees.
"If only those fences hadn't been messed with then Jurassic Park would have been a huge hit…"
"What can be done to keep ponies off? You can't station anypony out here!" Twilight argued.
"Maybe, maybe not," Pinkie reasoned. "I mean Twilight knows pretty much every species of dinosaur, and we all have the experience to take the threat seriously right? Who's to say we couldn't turn this island into a wildlife reserve, complete with electric fences, tracking devices, the whole shebang!" Twilight scoffed.
"Good luck trying to get a tracker on half these dinosaurs." She said, picturing how difficult that task would be.
"Well I guess if anyone could figure out how to do it it'd be Pinkie" Rainbow said. "Seriously, we're talking a pony who runs about as fast as I fly, and has enough energy that if you strapped her to a treadmill she could power the old Jurassic Park, and still have power leftover for Manehatten. And remember the Party Cave? I don't doubt she could organize it."
"Yippie!!!" Pinkie bounced high in the air before screeching to a stop over all their heads. "Hold up... Anypony else hear waves?" Twilight and Rainbow listened intently.
"That is the ocean!" Returning quickly to retrieve the Cakes, the group quickly moved forward through the brush and into a small clearing in the jungle. The ocean was just beyond the trees, when out of nowhere a Raptor pounced right in front of them, bringing the group to a stop. From behind them and off to the sides more Raptors appeared, hissing and the group.
"They want the eggs....." Twilight said quietly. "Otherwise we be dead already."
"Party Cannon?" Pinkie glanced back at Twilight before eyeing the raptor to their right. "I got one shot, but it could clear our way to the beach."
"If they don't pounce us first," Rainbow Dash objected, dropping into a battle stance while she glares at a male behind them. On the other side of the group one of the females of the Raptor pack struts into the clearing with her head held high and hissing menacingly at them. Twilight watched the Raptor, trying to figure its thoughts.
"Everypony get down.....she's challenging us." As a group they lower themselves to their bellies, the raptors act as a ring of silent sentries around them as the female approaches. She looks the group over, and then fixes her eyes on Mrs. Cake. She sniffs at her, nudging her with her nose. "She thinks you took the eggs." Twilight said.
"Get behind me." Mr. Cake attempted to put himself between this wife and the dinosaur, only for the Raptor to screech at the baker. Shaking he retreats while the female turns her attention back to Mrs. Cake. It nudges her harder with her nose before screeching at her, flexing her claws.
"Give.......me......the eggs....." Mrs. Cake said through clenched teeth. Twilight slowly lowered her saddle bag onto the ground, opening the top, finally pulling out Soarin's bag. The moment the princess unzipped the back the Raptors began barking and screeching at the sight of their eggs. Twilight carefully used her magic to float the eggs out, passing them over to the baker, before she noticed something inside the bag.
Soarin had packed the Raptor Call that the student had given them days ago.
Ever so carefully Mrs. Cake takes the eggs in her hooves, and extends them out towards the mother Raptor as gently as she can. Twilight picks up the call, and decides to play a bluff, blowing into the call. The pack around them jerks in surprise with startled squeals, then start taking more aggressive stances.
"No, no, call for help." Mr. Cake says quietly.
Focusing Twilight tries to blow in quick rapid bursts, and it makes a sound akin to the barking squawk of the Raptor SOS. The pack start exchanging glances, wondering if they've been outflanked. The alpha female chitters at her pack mates to calm them, then looks up thoughtfully with her head cocked to the side as if listening. Then she hoots something to the rest of the pack, and one by one they start dashing into the forest. The alpha bends down, carefully taking one egg in her teeth before meeting Twilight's eye.
Then she takes off into the forest, closely followed by a male carrying the second egg in his mouth.
".........did that just happen?" Twilight asked. The ponies sat there in silence, in disbelief that they just got that close to Raptors and lived to tell the tale. Pinkie looked like she was ready to go crazy with laughter when Mr. Cake perked his ears. They had finally heard what the Raptors heard.
"That's a helicopter!" The baker said, eyes going wide in shock. They scramble to their hooves, and dash out the treeline to the beach. Once there Twilight sees a stallion standing on the beach, dressed down in full armor attire.
“Shining Armor?” Twilight asked quietly and clearly confused.
“Twilight?” Shining Armor called through a megaphone. “Princess Twilight?”
All the ponies go rigid, and charge down the beach shouting in unison at the top of their lungs.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! THAT IS A VERY BAD IDEA!!!!!!!"
They stop however when they see the force Shining Armor brought with him. Several amphibious troop carriers drive up onto the beach dropping off dozens of ponies in gold armor, some are even Crystal Ponies. Above are Pegasus ponies diving out of helicopters to run an airborne perimeter, each wearing the distinctly familiar hue of blue on their uniforms. Pound stared in amazement.
"Whoa... We have to thank her now! She sent the Royal Guard, and the Wonderbolts!" Twilight smirked and began chuckling.
"Bless your heart Trixie....." The group happily trotted forward, several guards meeting them halfway to examine and see if they were alright. The stallion in charge hugged Twilight close, relieved his sister was safe and sound. One by one the group was loaded onto a large helicopter when a guard pulled Twilight off to the side.
"Your majesty, we found a pony. Is he with you?" He asked.
"What?" Twilight asked, very confused. The guard simply pointed into the helicopter. The mare shared a confused looked with her friends. The only other ponies that came with them were eaten, necks snapped or....was it possible? The princess climbed into the helicopter and to her utter amazement found a certain Wonderbolt being tended to by various doctors, an oxygen mask placed firmly on his muzzle.
"Hey.....you guys made it...." Soarin croaked, smiling weakly while covered head to hoof with blood covered bandages. Rainbow finally got to Twilight’s side, tears of happiness forming in the cyan mares eyes.
“Yeah….thanks to you Soarin.” Twilight said.
“Captain on deck!” A guard shouted. The princess looked at the ponies snapped to attention as Spitfire dropped down in the helicopter, in Wonderbolt attire. The only pony who didn’t snap to attention was Rainbow Dash, but given the situation the issue was forgiven.
"Might wanna remind your coltfriend that he has wings, not fins Rainbow.” Spitfire said to her solider. “We found him half drowned, and pretty banged up. He'll live though, medics say he needs to take it easy for a few weeks." Rainbow saluted with tears in her eyes.
"Yes mam." Despite being weak, Soarin was able to hug the cyan mare.
"Princess Twilight, we need to go now." The pilot said. Twilight gave the island one long final look.
“Take off.” One by one the ponies buckled into place as the helicopter took to the air. The Cakes sat quietly next to Twilight and Pinkie, Rainbow Dash not leaving Soarin's side.
"What in the world is that?!" The pilot called out. Pound looked out the window.
"Princess Twilight! Look!" Twilight looked out the window to see the Pteradon's from much earlier flying right past the ponies and out into the open world. "Where do you think they're going?"
"I don't know." Twilight answered honestly. "Probably to look for new nesting grounds. It's a whole new world for them."
"...They need to be contained," Rainbow said. "If we can't kill them then they have to be contained. Just look what those things did to Soarin, what if they land near a school or something? You want those things nesting in the Everfree Forest?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Twilight said, at the moment wanting nothing to do with dinosaurs. She then turned back to the pilot. "Take us home."