My Little Pony: The Land Before Time

by Jongoji245

It's Always Been That Way

A few years pass and the Apple Family's usual stomping grounds have begun to be affected. After a few days worth of traveling, the herd of Three horns stop and browse at any available food. While ceratopsians as a whole have strong enough jaw strength to cut off a person's hand, eating twigs and branches is tough to shear for Apple Bloom and her cousins.

"Granny," - Apple Bloom picked up the dropped branches - "is this all there is to eat?"

"Oh," - Granny Smith groaned as she looked at the barren trees and shrubs - "Ah'm awful sorry, sugar cube. The land's been changin'."

Applying all her might, Apple Bloom crushed the twigs with a loud snap before repeating the process.

"Apple Bloom!" - Applejack beckoned her attention - "Quickly come here!"

Apple Bloom followed her sister to the location of a small, fruitless apple tree, though it did have one remaining difference.

"Look, up there," Applejack pointed her brow horns to an apple blossom hanging weakly from the tree which she then picked off with her beak.

"An apple blossom!" Apple Bloom chirped as the blossom fell to the barren ground. She played it for a moment, even giving it a lick.

Applejack and Big Mac looked at each other and chuckled before the herd continued on.

"Canterlot Crater has more food than ya can ever eat" - Granny Smith continued - "and all the fresh cool water that you could ever drink."

"Yowza," - Babs added - "when do we get there."

"Celestia must pass over us each day and we must follow it to where it touches the ground, lil' cos." Apple Fritter answered.

Apple Bloom paused, tossing the apple blossom onto her head, "Have y'all seen the Crater?"

"Nope." Big Mac answered.

"Then, how do ya know it's really there?"

Applejack stopped and turned around, "Somethings you see with your eyes, others you see with your heart."

Apple Bloom cocked her head, "What'd ya mean by that?"

Braeburn nudged his little cousin, "You'll understand, sugar cube. You will."

Though not understanding what they meant, Apple Bloom licked her beak before flicking the blossom up in the air and taking a big chomp. Before she could swallow, the calf heard laughter a distance away and began walking away.

"Apple Bloom, don't wander too far." said Applejack.

Shuffling through some bushes, Apple Bloom found another herd of ceratopsians. In this case, though, it was a herd of Styracosaurus. One of the calves, Diamond Tiara showed off her strength as she chased a bombardier beetle, bashing through rocks in the process. With a grin, Diamond raised a paw to squish the bug when it sprayed a steaming hot purple fluid onto her snout. As it buzzed away, Diamond shook off the juice when she heard a laugh. Turning her one-horned snout, she found Apple Bloom laughing her butt off.

"What are you laughing at?!"

Apple Bloom looked back at Diamond, stopping her laugh when she noticed the single-horned dinosaur scraping the ground. Since ceratopsians have been famed for their feats of strength, Apple Bloom took this chance to practice her skills. After revealing herself and accepting with a scratch of the ground, the two youngsters charged at each other. But before they could collide, Diamond's mother, Spoiled Rich, skidded to a halt between them. Though having one long nose horn and a short frill, the crown of horns around said frill was just enough to intimidate Apple Bloom as Spoiled lowered her head.

"Come Diamond," Spoiled Rich ordered before glaring at Apple Bloom "Crown Heads never play with Threehorns."

After Diamond Tiara gave out a raspberry before her mother growled at the young Chasmosaurus. Apple Bloom shuffled back when Diamond jumped out into the opening.

"Crown Heads never play with Threehorns!" Diamond repeated.

Both Spoiled Rich and Big Mac grabbed their youngest herd members, giving each other a glare before turning around. Being hung by her tail, Apple Bloom thought of what the adult Styracosaurus meant

"Threehorn?" Apple Bloom pondered before she curled herself up "Big Mac, what's a three horn?"

Placing her on the ground, Big Mac answered, "That's us."

"Oh," Apple Bloom continued to walk with her herd "Well, why couldn't Ah play with that Crown Head? We could've had fun."

"Well, we usually keep to our own kind." Jonagold answered "The Three Horns, the Spiketails, the Swimmers, the Fiers. We never do anything together."

"Why?"

"Well, because we're different." Granny Smith added, "It's always been that way."

"Well, why?"

Applejack chuckled, "Well don't worry so much, Sugarcube. When we reach the Crater there are many many Threehorns for you and your cousins to play with."

Red June, one of AB's similar aged cousins, groaned, "Ah wish we were there now."

"Well it's a long way yet, but we'll get there." Big Mac finished.

---

The herd walked a great distance until they reached a more green patch of land for which to browse. Apple Bloom and her cousins played around, kicking a small pinecone. Babs, being slightly stronger butted the plant a good distance into some bushes.

"Ah got it!" Said Apple Bloom as she chased the cone.

"Apple Bloom, wait!" Babs beckoned.

Too far to hear the warning, Apple Bloom continued to chase the pine cone. So focused on the plant that she wasn't aware of another dinosaur she would soon bump into. Tumbling down a hill, Apple Bloom came into contact with a creature she never seen. His small head rested on a long neck for his body with a long tail to match. The Long Neck stared at his smaller stranger.

"Hello." -Cosgrove noticed Apple Bloom backing away slowly - "What are you doing?"

"Three horns don't talk to..." Apple Bloom looked up "Whatever you are. You're not gonna tease me are you?"

Cosgrove cocked his head, "Now why would I do that?"

"Apple Bloom!" - Apple Crumble beckoned as she and the rest of the rest of the cousins ran up to Apple Bloom, spying the unusual creature.

"Siblings?" Asked Cosgrove

Babs shook out of her stupor and bridged herself between her cousin and the Long Neck.

"Nah! We're her cousins, pencil neck!"

Cosgrove furrowed his brows, "You got a problem?"

Babs and Cosgrove stared each other down, slowly increasing the volume of their growls.

"Hey," Apple Bloom piped up "why don't you play with us?"

Taking a deep breath, the two dinosaurs calmed down.

"Okay, cuz," Babs turned to Apple Bloom "what game do we play."

"Why not let him decide?" Red June asked, turning to the young Alamosaurus.

"How about The Lone Dinosaur?" Cosgrove suggested

"And how do we play?" Apple Bloom asked

"Well, the Sharptooth chases the leaf eaters around before they are saved by the Lone Dinosaur."

The herd of young Chasmosaurs looked at each other before Babs turned to the Long Neck.

"And who's the Sharptooth?" - Cosgrove stared at her long enough for Babs to take notice, her cousins even further cementing the suggestion. Babs furrowed her brow - "Rawr!!"

Immediately Babs chased her cousins around the wilderness, with Cosgrove following nearby. She cornered them to a mud wall.

"Grrrr!!!" Babs growled.

"Oh please," - Apple Crumble begged - "don't eat us!"

"Never fear," - Cosgrove called from high above them with a deep voice - "the Lone Dinosaur is-"

Getting too close to the edge, the log broke under his weight. The children below screamed as the Longneck fell. Midway to the ground Cosgrove was snatched by an unusual creature. At best it appeared to be a six-meter tall goose with one-meter claws. After being lowered to the ground, Cosgrove turned around.

"Thank you, Big-" - Cosgrove noticed the Therizinosaur's stern expression and curled back - "Hooves..."

"Cosgrove," - Big Hooves questioned - "how much has Scorpan told you-?"

"Apple Bloom!" - Applejack interrupted as she and Big Mac found their herd members and the strangers - "Who is this? Have ya'll been picking on our young 'uns?"

"No, Applejack, we were" Apple Bloom piped up just before the rest of Cosgrove's herd showed up.

This herd is an unusual one. Rather than being just one species, there were more ranging from Edmontosaurus, a family of Therizinosaurus, Dryosaurus, to even small theropods but no adult sauropods. Scorpan, a Shantungosaurus , stepped forward.

"Greetings, travelers, I am Scorpan." - the large Duckbill announced - "Is there a matriarch in your herd or am I looking at her?"

"You have no business with-"

"What Applejack meant was" - Granny Smith stepped forward - "I am the matriarch of the Apple Family."

With a quick nod, Scorpan bellowed to his herd. The mixed-species group marched and scattered about for a place to rest.

"Come on," - Cosgrove called - "I want you to meet some of my friends."

Going to a more secure site, Cosgrove lead the Apple Saplings to his herd mates. With so many children, it was difficult who could be introduced.

Cosgrove pointed to a Compsognathus, "Guys, this is Pipsqueak."

Pip took a bow, "Charmed."

Cosgrove then pointed to a young Ornithocherus and Quetzalcoatlus.

"Zipper and Featherweight," -The two pterosaurs waved their wing fingers before Cosgrove pointed to a couple Einiosaurus', one of whom is taller and somewhat lanky, "Snips and Snails," and to a young Edmontonia and Chirostenotes, "Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo," He then finally pointed to a younger, pie-bald Therizinosaurus - "and Chelsey."

Apple Crumble took notice of a young Parksosaurus sniffing her before jumping around like a happy dog.

"Well look at that," - Chelsey remarked - "usually Dapplewood doesn't warm up to strangers so fast."

Babs, noticing something off on Chelsey's back, said, "Yowza, what a big zit!"

"A good mud bath can clear that right up!" Red June added.

"Excuse me?!" Indigo Blue, a Troodon, revealed herself, her large eyes startling the young Threehorn.

Cosgrove chuckled, "Sorry, Hidden Runners can always be startled easily."

Indigo Blue growled as Apple Bloom met with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"So why are y'all in a mixed herd?" Apple Bloom asked.

"For protection." Sweetie Belle answered.

"Many of us were on our own until Scorpan showed up." Scootaloo added.

Apple Bloom turned to Cosgrove, "Does anyone know who Cosgrove is?"

"We don't know," - Sweetie Belle added - "Night Dancer's his mom, but we haven't found any stragglers like him."

Ms. Cheerilee approached the group of children, "Get some sleep. We may have a long journey ahead of us."

The children began lying down when a screech is heard. The young Threehorns looked to find a pack of ten Velociraptors squabbling with each other. Their leader, Chrysalis glared at them.

Diver, a Lurdosaurus, noticed their expressions and answered, "Consider yourselves lucky, that's all that's following us."

---

The following night, Luna illuminated the barren valley as the adults of the mixed herd and the Apple Family conversed with each other.

"Have you found any other fertile places where you came from?" Granny Smith asked.

"My herd has traveled far and wide and everywhere we have seen changes." Scorpan answered.

The Apples gasped and conversed with each other, while from afar Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Cosgrove watched.

"Keep your voices down," - Loopty Hoop requested - "the children are sleeping."

"Does that include Canterlot Crater?" Applejack asked.

Scorpan rose in the supposed direction of the Crater, "Before now, there has been no need to go there. But I could say that our land was once like yours, then rain poured for weeks without end. The land became wet and soggy, strange creatures began making their home on what was once dry land and even made their homes in our sources of food. We had no choice but to leave."

"And what do you propose?" Granny Smith asked of the massive Duck Bill.

"Seeing as we are all heading the same direction, I wish to welcome you all to my herd." - Scorpan returned to being on all fours - "After all, there is safety in numbers."

Apple Bloom watched as Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Applejack looked at each other before nodding.

"Do you accept my offer?"

"We'd be honored." Big Mac answered.

"Then at first light, we leave for Canterlot Crater together." Scorpan finished.

Her face beaming, Apple Bloom leaped up and down with joy, awakening her cousins and new herd mates. A new chapter of her journey began.

Comments

[QueenChrysalisForever]

Heh I love how you made Chrysalis and her changelings into Velociraptors. :P I am intrigued. *continues to read*

[HB_DS2013]

I just realized that Apple Bloom is new Littlefoot and Diamond is new Cerah... or whatever her name is.