//------------------------------// // Closure // Story: Jurassic Pony III // by mistercokehold8 //------------------------------// Celestia’s sun rose into the sky once more to bring light to all of Equestria. After the next morning every pony who had been exposed to the island has been cleared by medical, no foreign illnesses, and no life threatening injuries. Soarin has been put on leave, and so he's staying at Rainbow Dash's house just outside Ponyville. For the rest... Well sadly life is never normal for these ponies. When Twilight returns to her castle she finds her friends waiting for her, including Trixie who is giving the princess a very guilty expression. After Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy tackle the purple alicorn in a group hug Trixie steps forward with a sigh. "Princess Twilight... Are you alright?" "Good to see you too girls!" Twilight said, hugging her friends tightly. "I'm fine Trixie, and please, just call me Twilight." Trixie's face just gets sadder, and sadder until she had tears in her eyes. Then she hugs Twilight too, pressing her forehead into her shoulder while she sniffles, but naturally taking care not to stab her with her horn. "So, did we miss anything while we were gone?" Twilight asked. "Aside from Rarity just about having a stroke, not much," Applejack said. Trixie hugs the mare tighter. “I’m so sorry Twilight…” "It's not your fault Trixie." Twilight said, hugging her friend. "No Twilight I... You helped me turn my life around, and as far as I'm concerned you're practically family... My anger with Scorch made me forget that... I said such things, and almost lost you... just... just like... I'm so sorry..." "It's alright Trixie." Twilight said, hugging the mare. "Speaking of which, where is Scorch?" Trixie steps back to wipe her eyes with a hoof. "H-he's upstairs in your study..." "Have you.....talked to him at all?' Twilight asked. Trixie bites her lower lip. "I... thought about it….if he really cares about you then he might have a vague idea of how I feel about losing Crimson... No offense Twilight, but nopony short of somepony who lost their spouse can know how I feel... Losing the father of your foal... It's a far deeper hurt than losing a marefriend or coltfriend... I... I think I want to bury the hatchet... but... I don't know how to approach him about it... I'm scared I'll just get angry with him again, and say more hurtful things..." Twilight hugged Trixie once more, before quietly trotting up the stairs. Taking the first left down the hall, the mare walked into her private study room and was promptly engulfed in a hug by her coltfriend, and once more owner of InGen, Scorch Firefly. "You ok Twi?" The charcoal gray stallion asked, holding the mare close. "I'm fine." "The others?" "Banged up, Soarin especially, but fine." Twilight said, hugging Scorch close. Out the window a pink blur is zipping around town putting up fliers, and leaving many confused ponies. "Oh what is she up to now?" Twilight asked, levitating a flyer to her. Get ready for a Dino-Mite press conference!!! Pinkie Pie of Ponyville is primed to present the perfect truth to the press! Get your cameras, and notebooks because this time it's no-holes-barred disclosure! "Pinkie can't you just drop the whole thing....." Twilight groaned. Scorch eyeballed the flier. "Why is she acting like I'm hiding something?" The stallion asked. "Because folks feel like you are," Twilight said. "Remember how Blueblood tried to hush us up with disclosure agreements? Well word about those forms got out so this is Pinkie saying she'll tell everything, and answer any question....which reminds me, how may dinosaur types did you have in production? We saw several that weren't in the park." Scorch sighed. "The Spinosaurus and Pteradons?" He revealed. "Too dangerous for the first island. Before anything could be done about them the hurricane hit and Site B was abandoned." "Actually there might be more," Twilight said. "We saw a video camera showing the boat Pound Cake was gliding from after it got attacked out in the ocean, but there was too much fog to see what happened. The Spinosaurus was trapped in the center of the island until it smashed its way through the fence to get to us. Also there was Anklyosaurus, and we faced down a Ceratosaurus..." Scorch thought long and hard. "Life found a way I guess." "To make entirely new species in just a few years? Evolution takes centuries Scorch, and I'm not sure if you heard but there were some Pterodactyles trying to follow us to the mainland. We were lucky they didn't have the strength to fly that far, but it's only a matter of time..." Scorch looked long and hard at the mare before he sat down, holding his head in his front hooves. "Sometimes I wish I never built those islands.....they’ve nothing but trouble." Twilight gave him a sad look, and then sits beside him to lean into him. "You were following dream... Pinkie thought Jurassic Park would have worked if the security hadn't been tampered with..." Twilight looks off to the side, "She said you looking after the islands was showing that you're taking responsibility for it all." "Here's the thing Twi." Scorch said, looking the princess in the eyes. "Somepony made me an offer for Ingen and both islands...I want your opinion.' Twilight gapes at the stallion. "What? Who?" "The owner of the Masrani Corporation." Scorch said. "It was a secretary who got in touch with me." He explained. "I want your opinion. Should I sell InGen?" Twilight mulled it over for a few moments. "...I'll talk with my friends. We need to be sure that we know this pony's intentions with the dinosaurs. After all the last thing we need is for some pony to try using them as something other than a tourist attraction, and that madness breaking out on the mainland." "I'll bring it up next time we see them." Scorch said. "We might wanna get going before Pinkie breaks in after us." Making sure Twilight trotted out the door before him, the stallion made sure he had the small box on him. Pinkie is bouncing around the front of town hall, decorating it in pink ribbons with red balloons while singing her Smile song merrily to herself. The press and media were making themselves at home in the various seats that have been planted in front of the hall. Scorch was doing his best not to draw attention to himself. Pinkie bounces over to the podium, and taps the mic. "Hello-hello? Testing! When I saw 'Pinkie' you say 'Pie!' PINKIE!" "Pie," many of the amused reporters chant back to her. "Goodie goodie," Pinkie giggles. "Alrighty then! Thank you everypony for coming, and if you get hungry I made some cupcakes!" She points a hoof off to the side of the assembly where multiple flavors of cupcakes are assembled. "So now, I just got back from Isla Pegasus, and I got a lot to get off my chest. Who wants to go first?" "Is there any new species on the island?" A reporter asked. Twilight, Scorch and the various ponies who survived the islands or those who have been affected by them sat off to the side, trying to keep low profile and hoping Pinkie wouldn’t call on them. "Yeah there are a few we didn't see at the park," Pinkie said. "Like this really big Spinosaurus Egyptigus! It tore up our plane faster than you can tear newspaper, and just when we got away from it we ran into a T Rex! Then we ran back, Rexy fought with Toothy, and we were gone faster than you can say lickity-split! There were some Anklyosaurus too, but they were nicer. They slept under our tree hideout so the Raptors stayed away!" "Typical Pinkie," Applejack mutters to Twilight when the others join her as discretely as they can. "Mouth work'n a mile a minute." "What would you recommend be done with the island?" A reporter asked. Pinkie waves a hoof. "Personally I think somepony needs to take care of them. I mean, Toothy chased us almost to the coast cause she was so hungry. If the fences were still working, and the whole place hadn't just been abandoned then it could have been the neatest wildlife reserve ever instead of a death trap." "Have you spoken to the owner of the island about what to do with it?" A reporter asked. Scorch sighed. Pinkie shook her head. "Not yet, but I plan to! I mean the islands belong to him so it'd be pretty silly for me to try to do anything with anything that wasn't mine. But I know he feels really bad about everything since Jurassic Park, and to be honest it really wasn't his fault. Some mean-meanie-pants shut down the security so they could steal some of his research." "Pinkie if I can interrupt...." Scorch said, finally making himself known against his better judgement. Pinkie perked up. "Oh hey Scorch! Wanna come on up too?" The owner of the islands in question trotted forward to the microphone. "First off let me say, Pinkie I appreciate what you’re doing. Trying to raise awareness for the islands and yes, you are right by saying if security wasn’t messed with the island would've been successful. Here's the thing.....those islands were my dreams. Dreams that gotten ponies killed and have caused me nothing but grief, sleepless nights, and heartbreak I can never fix." Scorch eyeballed the audience in front of him, and found the mare and colt he was looking for. "I hoped common sense would win out and most would avoid Site B, but now it’s plain as day that's not gonna happen. I don't want to risk any more lives by setting up security or anything there. So...as of now I am announcing somepony has made the offer to buy InGen and both islands." Even Pinkie was struck speechless by this for a minute or two before one reporter steps forward. "Who is this buyer? Do you know anything about their intentions? And what are the chances you'll take them up on this offer?" "I don't know what they're intentions are....I don't care. I'm convinced the Masrani Corporation probably gonna read this the moment news breaks, so I'll finish my statement with this: You want Jurassic Park? My lawyers will be in touch with yours, but by all means……..take it." Scorch stepped away from the podium and began trotting through the crowd of media to the back of the crowd until he stopped right in front of Trixie and her colt. It was finally time for him to bury the hatchet. "I'm the last pony you want to speak to but no words or action can show how sorry I am." He said to the magician with tears in his eyes. Trixie shuts her eyes, and then jabs a hoof in his chest. She's silent for a minute before tapping her hoof against him. "...My husband believed in, and died for your dream... if I'm still mad at you for any reason... It's for giving up." Opening her eyes she says, "You, and your experts made these monsters, know them better than anypony. If you want to even /try/ to make this up to me... Then whatever they're planning for your creations, you make sure it's done properly. Am I understood?" Scorch didnt answer. Instead he threw his hoof around her, pulling her into a hug. Trixie hugged back on a reflex, her tears dripping into his coat. Twilight was trying to hold back tears herself, seeing two of the closest ponies she cared for finally embraced and forgive. Pinkie sniffles as she bounces over to Twilight, and hugs her too. Soon she's joined by Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash who had shown up just in time to see all the hugging start. Scorch finally broke the hug with Trixie. "Now if anypony needs me, and doesnt want to discuss Jurassic Park, I'll be at home." He trotted over next to Twilight. "My lady?" He said, holding out a forehoof. Twilight smiles, taking his hoof tenderly. Several hours would pass by and sure enough the evening news were running rampant with Scorch's announcement. The stallion in question was sitting around the table with Twilight and her closest friends. "Did I do the right thing?" "Well.... ain't nopony who can tell ya for sure," Applejack said somberly. "But what's done is done I suppose... All we can really for is hope for the best..." "I'll agree with you. Those islands are too much trouble." Rarity said. "Personally I still vote for burning them," Rainbow said flatly. "I'm all for leaving those islands abandoned." Fluttershy said. "Yeah because that worked so well," Rainbow retorted. "Either way, I can probably guess you six are done with dinosaurs for life?" Scorch asked. "Weeeeellllllll..." Pinkie rubs her front ankles together before withering under the firm looks of her friends. "What? A third island?!" Twilight asked, glaring at Pinkie and Scorch. The stallion held his hooves up. "Don't look at me." Pinkie blinked. "Is there a Site C? Neat! I mean there are five islands right?" "Two islands! That was it! I swear!" Scorch said. Pinkie smiled. "Okie dokie Loki! But my scars still tingle a bit so I don't think we're completely done with them." "Whatever happens, it's out of my hooves." Scorch said. "Check my pockets if you don’t believe me." He joked. Pinkie snickers at his attempt at humor. Rainbow yawned, looking at the setting sun. "Well guys, it's been a rough few days so I'm gonna call it early." She said. "Actually could you girls stick around for a few more moments?" Scorch asked. “I want you to be here for this.” "Sure, what can we do ya for?" Applejack tilted her head. "Well....how do I put this? When your love one goes off to an island filled with dinosaurs, you worry very much for their safety." Scorch said. "You wonder if they're alright, and if they'll even make it back. It makes you think about all the moments you had...." The stallion calmly pulled out the little black box he tucked away earlier, and placed it on the table. "It also makes you think of the moments you'll never get to have." Twilight's eyes steadily get wider while her jaw drops. "...Scorch... is that...?" The now former owner of Jurassic Park simply opened the box, revealing a ring that would make Spike's stomach grumble. "Twilight, you've helped me see the world when it seemed it absolute darkest. You've cared for me when I was at my most vulnerable. You've made me happier than I ever been.....and I want you to feel that happiness." Scorch used his magic to float the box to Twilight. The princess of friendship was struck speechless as she slowly turns her stare from Scorch to the box, and back. Scorch smiled before he trotted over, using his magic to slip the ring onto Twilight's horn. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you your highness....no matter how long or short it is." The stallion finally took the mare's hoof, and got down onto one knee. "Will you be my special somepony Twilight? Will you marry me?" Twilight is trembling ever so slightly as the full weight of this sinks in on her. Then she breaks into a wide, ready smile as she throws herself at him. Scorch happily put his hooves around her, holding her close. "I think these two want some alone time...." Rarity said to her friends, tears in her eyes on how romantic the sight was. Nodding the others file out of the room, drawing to a close this chapter of their lives.