16 - Tipping The Scales
The rain had finally let up as Thorne found himself hovering aimlessly alongside the SUV. He was some distance from the others and in this solitude – with only the sounds of distant creatures and nearby buzzing insects audible – he was able to do a great deal of thinking. Or, at least, he was able to try and think. His head was far from clear and his patience had been tested to its breaking point; this alongside the ever-present threat of something springing a predatory ambush made short work of his mental capacity. Indeed, Thorne knew he was in a bad way and the horrible, horrible evening felt like a watershed moment for his time on Isla Sorna but for all the wrong reasons. He could deny it no longer: he had broken down and had nothing more to give. His resolve, his trademark thick skin and rough edges, had been worn away to the point that he could hardly think straight. In any other circumstance he’d power through and look for the positives but he simply couldn’t do it, not now. There were no positives. He was stuck on the infernal hellhole with a team that seemed to make up its purpose as it went along. He had barely any technology, hardly any defences, and now, no trusted colleagues. Truly these were hard times, and Thorne felt its weight in full. He was so very exhausted and his brain was mired in replaying the events of the night in his head, a vicious, self-sustaining cycle which did him no good whatsoever. Over and over again he watched the team bringing Dodgson back to the trailer – something which he’d made very clear would spell disaster – and over and over again he watched as the Tyrannosaurs followed Dodgson and ripped the trailer apart. He was proven right in that instance but so wished he hadn’t have been. He’d told Malcolm this in no uncertain terms; hell, he had been critical of most of Levine’s crackpot ideas too. And the ponies...
Thorne sighed heavily.
He couldn’t work them out; less so could he work out everyone’s apparent blind faith in their abilities and judgment calls. Thorne was no fool - he knew exactly how prestigious and important they were, not simply to their own kind but to all humanity. But these were hardly regular circumstances. So far as he could tell, they were just as equal as himself or anyone else marooned on Isla Sorna. No amount of prestige or magical whatnot counted for anything anymore. This island made sure of that. The situation had become one of survival and only sensible, thought-out steps would allow them to achieve this. Not compassion, nor the ‘magic of friendship’, or anything of the sort. It only clouded clear judgment and Thorne couldn’t allow that to happen. And yet, he was still following the team in their dangerous, frankly unnecessary, endeavours.
But now, thanks to going along with the popular vote, Thorne had watched two people die.
Fuck, he cursed. Eddie, I’m sorry...
Thorne blinked once, twice, actively fighting his own mind. He could feel it beginning to unravel, getting foggy and directionless – certainly the last thing he needed in this situation. But as mentally weak as he had become Thorne automatically found himself fighting the complete shut-down. He was broken but he was intuitive and inherently forceful. He would not succumb to this; he was a man of action, always moving forward and working. That would get him through, he thought. And he certainly was not about to lose his head over all this. The situation he found himself in did not – could not – allow for overwhelming grief or emotional collapse; that time would surely come when he was safe at home. Only then could he truly begin the process of grieving. And so, fending off a total mental breakdown, Thorne leant heavily against the truck and focussed on his breathing. He did not cry, nor scream or curse. Instead, he remained very still, thinking of Eddie and thinking of home.
Slowly Thorne found himself grounded once again; with this he pushed aside any thoughts of Eddie and sprung to work, readying the jeep. Everything looked in order and the vehicle’s limited systems seemed to be sound and working. At least something is still functioning. He scoffed. Unlike ourselves. For all his worth, Thorne was unable to fathom why everyone agreed that their next move would be to pursue the giant Tyrannosaurs. They all knew how dangerous and downright terrifying two pissed-off, territorial Rexes could be. And yet, still, everyone opted to interfere with the whole mess. It seemed nothing short of preposterous to Thorne, especially as the team comprised of Ian Malcolm, the sensible realist who knew the dangers of overexposure to these creatures better than anyone, and Levine, himself insistent that nobody break the barrier between observation and interference. It left him truly baffled and indeed, the only conclusion he was able to draw was a simple one: The Equestrians are brainwashing us. He knew the others would call him mad for thinking such a thing, but he could see no other reason why everyone would choose such a dangerous path of action given the circumstances. Thorne wasn’t entirely sure if Fluttershy and Twilight had planned to manipulate everyone else’s minds, or whether it was just a by-product of their magical prowess, but the more he thought about it the more he found himself believing that they had done something to everyone here.
Thorne found himself replaying Fluttershy’s outburst in his head. She had been a quiet, generally quite reserved type since he’d met her - sure, she was evidently very intelligent and knew a whole lot about animals. But of all those present she had been the most insistent they all go on a suicide march towards the Rexes - to the point of having a temper tantrum over it. It was infantile, really; Thorne really couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t listen to actual reason. Thorne understood that he had made his point quite aggressively but he was tired and emotionally spent beyond all belief, and in light of this he thought everyone else would understand his frustration. But hindsight was truly very clear; he could perhaps have persuaded everyone not to pursue the Rexes in a much less apoplectic manner, but despite this he knew his core point rung loud and true and why Fluttershy wouldn’t even entertain the notion made little sense to him.
What made even less sense to him was the fact that her outburst seemed to have worked. Immediately after she shouted him down, Thorne felt nothing inside: no fire towards the absurdity of the plan unravelling before him, no anger at everyone, nothing. No, Fluttershy had roared at him with wide, unblinking eyes, and it seemed to have affected his own fierce resolve. Whether she had sucked all of the negative energy out of him – or brainwashed me – or something else, he wasn’t sure - he mused that he’d likely never know for certain. But he didn’t much care right now because it really wasn’t important. He could think about any potential mind-games later. All Thorne knew for certain was that he could not change the events of the past and his immediate future belonged to the team and not himself.
Not that I’m happy about that, at all –
“You say something?”
Thorne jolted; it wasn’t often he allowed himself to be caught off-guard but Harding had crept up on him without a word, and worryingly quietly. If he couldn’t hear her approaching, who knows what else he couldn’t hear coming...
“Uh, sorry. Been a little distracted.”
“I can see that.” Harding moved alongside him, sitting down and leaning against the SUV. “I get that you’re struggling, Jack.”
“You’re goddamn right I am.” He slumped down alongside Harding. “None of this makes any sense to me anymore and I don’t know what we’re doing here.”
Harding nodded slowly. “We’re surviving, and the only way we can do that is together—”
“So everyone keeps saying,” Thorne spat, immediately wincing at the tone of his own voice. “Ach, I’m sorry Sarah. I shouldn’t be taking this out on you. Or the Equestrians, really.” He massaged his temples once, twice. “Yeah. We are surviving, but just. And following the most dangerous residents of this shithole seems like we’re signing our own death warrant. Look at the night we’ve had...” He trailed off, feeling Harding’s hand distantly on his shoulder.
“Stay with us, Jack. You got this. We got this.”
“You don’t need to win me over... I’ve already accepted my fate. We’re following those Tyrannosaurs and I can’t change that. Clearly it’s fucking with Fluttershy’s head and Twilight is gonna defend her best friend ‘til the end. As she should. But all we’d have to do is just – just – leave the place, and it’d be all right.”
“Would it? Surely we know too much. This is gonna chase us for the rest of our days if we leave now. And we’re part of a select group of very, very few people who are in a position to bring stability back to this ecosystem.”
Thorne snorted. “You’ve been dating Ian for far too long, you’re starting to sound like him. I’ve heard that self-righteous morality before.”
“Good one. Glad to see your sense of humour is intact.” Harding smirked. “But you know I’m right.”
“I don’t think you are, actually. I could leave right now and leave this behind me, no problem. That’d be fine by me. Return back to my old life in Montana, sounds great.” He looked up at Harding, holding her eyes. “I don’t need this in my life, Sarah, and things would be immeasurably better if I left now.” He sighed. “But I can’t exactly just leave right now, so I do need you guys. Shit, after seeing what went down with Eddie... We don’t survive these jungles on our own. So I’m part of this crazy mission even if I don’t want to be.” Thorne paused, taking a long swig from his hipflask. “Listen,” he began again, wiping his mouth and slipping the flask away. “I do not agree with what we’re about to do and I certainly do not agree with the motives. For the record, I’m not sure I particularly agree with the ponies being here at all, and I don’t think I like them much either. I dunno. I’m just not sold on ‘em. But right now that doesn’t matter, because I can’t change the fact that we’re all stuck here whether we like it or not. So I will deal with it all. For now.”
“I can’t convince you to come round on the girls at all,” Harding offered more as a statement than a question. “But all I can offer is support, Jack. We’ve all got your back, and we will get off this island. Together.”
Thorne stood uneasily, taking another swig from the hipflask. “I hope you’re right,” he said, with one final look-around. Finally he stepped aboard the SUV. “I’m done talking though, Sarah. I just wanna get things moving. The more action we take, the closer we become to finding a way out of here. So shall we get this circus on the road, or what?”
“Sounds good to me.” Harding smiled. “I’ll round up the others; hold tight for a sec.”
With that, Harding made the short journey to the clearing where the team were waiting. She moved determinedly through the dense undergrowth more on autopilot than anything; her own thoughts were very much elsewhere. She thought of Ian, himself struggling to come to terms with the impending expedition. She thought of Fluttershy and Twilight, barely propping one another up in this horrific, frightening alien landscape. How the past week’s events must have sullied their opinion of Earth, and how this whole mess would affect them in the long-term. Harding thought of Thorne; truly a broken man at this point. His closest friend lost to the Rexes, his infallible resolve shattered by that of the ponies and the island. She thought briefly of herself – so very frightened but even more exhausted. Keeping up a strong front for the others – specifically Ian and Fluttershy – was a real test of her mettle, but inherently Harding felt that it was the right thing to do. Her immediate focus was very much on the others, to ensure everyone and everypony kept their head above the water.
Harding stopped just behind a large tree as she felt her head spin briefly. Even she had to admit to herself that all of this was a bit too much. As she steadied herself she cast aside thoughts of panic and unease; they had made it this far and she steadfastly believed in the strength of the team. She knew that they would pull through. But Christ if it wasn’t exhausting...
]Summoning her wits Harding pressed on, shortly finding the others. She was met with a reasonably idyllic sight; Fluttershy seemed to have regained her strength and was laying chatting fairly animatedly to Levine, occasionally stopping to collect herself. She’s clearly still struggling with the Rexes. Twilight and Malcolm were quietly discussing something academic, but the important thing is that they seemed a lot brighter than before. Quickly she caught Malcolm’s eye and he faltered mid-rhythm with Twilight, excusing himself and standing gently.
“Sarah...” He pulled her into a hug. “Is Jack okay?”
“No,” she replied quietly. “He’s not. But he will be alright. Just be patient with him and give him space, mkay?”
“Sure.” They untangled from one another. “So, uhh, is he coming here, or...?”
“He’s ready to go, actually, we should go find him soon.” Harding looked over to Fluttershy, who had herself – along with Levine – turned attention to the hushed discussion. “Hey, ‘Shy. How you feeling?” Harding moved over, kneeling by her head.
“Oh, um... Better. Thank you.” Fluttershy was meek, one eye covered by her mane. “Is Mister Thorne alright? I really shouted at him...”
“You certainly did!” Levine blurted with a smirk.
“Richard, please.” Harding sighed. “Sorry, Flutters. Well... yeah, you unloaded on him for sure. But he needed to be told.” She paused, glancing back at Malcolm. “Jack’s in a bad way and needs his space right now. But he’s agreed to help us and look for the Tyrannosaurus chick, which is good. So long as we’re together – that’s what’s important right now. He’ll drive the SUV where we need it, but we’d better be fairly gentle with him.”
“Of course.” Fluttershy looked up, locking eyes with Harding after a pause. “I feel like he resents Twilight and I, and I’m not sure I like that.”
Harding was taken aback slightly; Fluttershy had been far more forward than she was anticipating. On top of that she was, to some degree, right – Thorne was beginning to begrudge having her and Twilight around. But now was hardly the time to bring that up as far as she could see; rather, diplomacy would need to win out. “He resents being here more than anything.” Without thinking she placed a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder, speaking softly. “We’ll figure the rest out later, but right now we need to focus. Is that okay with you?”
Fluttershy nodded quietly. “I think so. Yes, um, maybe we should just press on for now.” Instinct told her to press for more information about what Thorne had said – she knew there was something Harding wasn’t telling her – but she could see that the situation called for the team to keep moving. Personal issues could be ironed out later, and she made a mental note to catch Thorne at a more peaceful time. Attempting to summon her inner focus, Fluttershy offered a half-grin; her warmth was genuine but she was still mentally very hazy indeed. “It was me that demanded we go and help the parents, after all. I can still feel some sort of connection to them too, so we should probably make use of that...”
“Good to see you smiling,” Malcolm offered from behind them. Uneasily he lowered himself to his haunches, now level with the two ponies and Harding. “And yeah, you’re – you’re right, you did push for us to do something about the kidnapping of the baby. As I think about it, we’ve all acted on a kidnapping before so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t again.” He smirked as he glanced at Levine. “So, ah, as much as I can’t believe I’m about to say this, shall we follow two enormous carnivores into the wild and see what we can do about their chick?”
Surprisingly it was Levine who was the first to take action. He stood – wincing slightly as he put pressure on his leg – but moved with intent, announcing to the others that he too was ready. As he gathered up his things everyone else moved to collect themselves – everypony apart from Fluttershy, herself not quite as mentally sharp and present as the others. She held position on the ground, laying fairly steadily but staring off into the dark treeline before her, thoughts dancing idly between the rift between Thorne and herself, and the abject horror of the night they had just experienced.
Fluttershy went to sigh as she sensed the others moving around but no audible noise escaped her; she had little energy left to offer. It had been so, so long since her ability and constitution had been tested to these extremes – images of Tirek appeared in her mind, and she winced – but she’d pulled through that, and she knew she could pull through this too, with the support of her friends. It was this Twilight-inspired train of thought that brought her back to reality. She smiled to herself as she felt somepony looking at her; with a turn of her head she could see Twilight trotting over. She chuckled lightly as Twilight wordlessly winked at her, gesturing with her head to move. With that Fluttershy stood, musing that her dear friend’s magic was stronger than anypony here could ever quite imagine, and she joined her best friend in the short trot to the SUV.
“I thought you could use a moment to think,” Twilight said finally, breaking the peaceful quiet.
“Thank you.” Fluttershy smiled. “I was just thinking about how hard this all is, but how we’re going to be alright.”
“I think so, too.” Twilight paused for a moment, trailing off into silence once more. The gentle brushing of foliage and distant calls of dinosaurs was soothing and she allowed herself to forget just what everypony was about to undergo. This snapshot in time was a world away from the serious low points of their experience so far; she thought it strange how one relatively small island could offer such beauty and such terror at the same time. A quick cold chill ran down her spine and Twilight opted to focus on the beauty of Isla Sorna as much as she could.
“So, Fluttershy...” Levine’s voice came from ahead of the two ponies – louder than either of them would have liked – and they both pricked up as he addressed them. “What exactly can you feel from the Rexes? I understand you might still feel delicate but I figure we ought to know what to expect.”
“No, you are right...It’s only faint, but it is there. Richard, I don’t know what we can expect but all I do know right now is that they’re both very desperate to see their chick, and that they’re both very determined to make it happen.” Fluttershy was quick to respond.
“Right.” Levine nodded slowly as the group approached the SUV. Fluttershy hadn’t exactly told him anything he didn’t already suspect and placing the team’s entire expectations upon her shoulders seemed a little risky; despite this he pressed on with characteristic faith. “If and when you feel anything more please do keep us informed and we’ll do all that we can to help you. Now, you know I’d rather not get involved with these animals but Ludlow and Dodgson have crossed so many lines with everything here that we really don’t have a choice. Moreover, I’m not about to see any of these creatures abused at their hands and so you have my full support.” He smiled warmly at Fluttershy, glancing back between her and Twilight. “Both of you.”
“Thank you, that’s very kind.” It was about all Fluttershy could manage – Levine was making her inherently uneasy in light of the circumstances, but she noticed he seemed to be satisfied with her response. As the others boarded the SUV and made light chatter she paused, turning to Twilight quickly. “I have a feeling that this is going to be particularly challenging and hardly anything like looking after Angel Bunny. Twilight, I’m going to need your support here. More than anypony right now.”
“You’ve got this, Fluttershy.” Twilight pulled her into a quick embrace. “Of course it’s gonna be hard, but you’re exactly the pony for the job. And we’ve got each other, and the support of our friends here.” Briefly she held Fluttershy’s gaze; in that moment the pair communicated both a steely resolve and a deep underlying fear. “We’ll be okay.”
“You’re right... Thank you.”
“Ladies, I – ah – hate to interrupt, but could we perhaps make tracks? I’m anxious to get underway.”
“Of course, Doctor Malcolm.” Twilight hopped in, offering a helping hoof as Fluttershy joined her in the back. The SUV was overcrowded and it was tight with so many bodies inside, but Twilight was able to zone out for a moment; she briefly made out Levine and Thorne discussing heading back to the wrecked RV to work out where to go from there, but their voices were so distant. As she felt the SUV pull away, she glanced over at Fluttershy – herself wide-eyed and vacant, clearly trying to focus on the magical connection she’d made – and satisfied that she all seemed alright, Twilight closed her eyes.
She was too exhausted to mull over the growing divide between Thorne and the group; she could give no energy to thinking about the absolute danger in which she was headed. No, in that moment, all she could do was close her eyes, and rest.
* * * *
Twilight awoke with a start as the SUV lurched aggressively forward. She had no idea quite how long she’d been out but that realisation in itself – on top of the shock of waking so suddenly – added to the adrenaline that had begun to pump around her system. Instinctively she looked around wide-eyed, ensuring that everypony was there and safe. Thankfully all seemed in order and she felt her shoulders loosen. Okay. We’re all here...
“Twilight...” Fluttershy’s voice emanated so very quietly from beside her; she turned to look and through the dark night she could see the strain on Fluttershy’s features. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah – are you okay? What’s happening?”
“I – the Rexes –” Fluttershy paused and Twilight could only watch on as she clamped her eyes shut, hissing as she gripped the seat in front of her. “Something’s going on and I can feel it all, and it’s so horrible.” Slowly Fluttershy was able to steady herself enough to speak.
“Is there anything I can do, or...?”
Wordlessly Fluttershy shook her head, glassy eyes betraying more than a hint of pain.
“I’m here if you need me.”
“Yeah.” With a deep breath Fluttershy found what little strength she could and called forward. “They’re further to the north. Head north.”
“Gotcha,” came Levine’s voice from the front. “You heard her, Jack.”
“Mmhmm.” With little more than an acknowledging grunt Thorne followed the instruction; the SUV turned down into a narrow track. The shrubbery was particularly dense and the going became quite slow indeed.
Fluttershy, more than anypony onboard, keenly felt the struggle that the team were undergoing as progress was halted. She stared emptily into the dark night as the sodden ferns lashed against the windows. It’s almost as if the forest itself wants us to stay away from the dinosaurs. But as soon as this Malcolm-like thought occurred to her, the incessant nausea and splitting headache struck again immediately and sharply, soon removing any doubt that had begun to take hold. But this attack was different. As her vision blurred and colours danced across her field of view, Fluttershy expected panic but it did not come. Instead a deep-set primal rage had established itself within her – a vicious rage and desperation to fight replaced any prior sense of fear. Indeed, she didn’t know what was happening, but she knew that something was happening with both the Rex adults.
The SUV suddenly skidded; Thorne wrestled the wheel and found purchase in grip. With a lurch the jeep moved forward and Fluttershy winced as the ever-present headache was made immeasurably worse by the motion.
“Tough goin’,” came Thorne’s flat comment from the front.
“No kidding.” Levine huffed, betraying his frustrations as he turned back to everyone. “Hang in there, all. Fluttershy, are we closing in, or...?” Immediately it was apparent that Fluttershy was in no fit state to talk and he excused himself as Twilight nodded on her behalf.
Silence befell the group as Thorne wrestled the SUV along the narrow track. Not a soul said a word; there was little need for communication at this point. All present knew that they had to simply keep following the track, head on due course, unless Fluttershy made it clear they needed to change heading. But that never came – a long silence hung over them all as the jeep forced its way along the track.]
What seemed like a lifetime passed until finally the vehicle burst out onto a wider track and immediately Fluttershy recognised the area. She could barely see in the dim moonlight – the cloud cover, though thick, would intermittently break – but there was something about this track that was familiar. She gazed idly at the treeline and then it hit her: this was the Triceratops track from a few days ago. The destroyed shrubbery, the stripped-bark trees...
A thought occurred to her in that moment; one which she did not share with the group but feared might be a reality. The desperation she felt the Rexes exhibiting, the primal rage, the something else occurring...
“Follow the track left, and fast,” she uttered. She winced again as a magical spike hit her but Fluttershy could feel the SUV turning and a new feeling: that of Twilight’s wide eyes staring at her own. She looked up and sensed Twilight’s concern. “Something’s happened with the Triceratops,” she said oh so quietly as she watched Twilight’s features sharpen. “I don’t know what, though.”
It did not take long for the group to discover the truth as the SUV slid quickly to a halt. “Shit,” came Levine’s voice from the front of the vehicle as he stared agape into the gloom and all eyes followed suit: there, lying in the middle of the track and illuminated by the jeep’s headlights was the body of one of the Rexes and all the hallmarks of a most intense struggle.
For a moment there was no movement or speech as all parties sat, utterly dumbfounded by what lay before them. One of two alpha predators, its territory surely the most sizeable of all creatures on the island, brought down by something. It was certainly a great deal for all to process and eventually it was Harding who made the first move as she slipped wordlessly outside, followed immediately by Levine and Fluttershy herself. Malcolm offered a meek resistance to leaving the jeep but shortly followed suit.
“This is fresh,” Harding said emptily as she moved closer to the Rex. “This guy’s been killed very recently.”
“Yeah.” Levine pointed to its neck. “See that? Massive puncture wound. Gotta be—”
“Triceratops,” Fluttershy blurted. She was stood some ways back from the others and they turned as she approached slowly, her eyes not once leaving the body of the Rex. “Twilight and I were here a few days ago and we met the Triceratops herd. There were some big ones but the matriarch would have been the only one big enough to do – this...” She trailed off, fighting her chaotic senses inside as she felt Twilight approach. “But I don’t know why she’d feel the need to actually kill the Rex. They shouldn’t even have crossed paths.” Wordlessly Fluttershy placed a hoof on the hide of the animal and a powerful sensation ran through her – for a moment it was almost too much to bear but it left as quickly as it came. In that following moment of odd serenity she could feel two certainties: firstly that the mother Rex was a little hurt but still alive and determined, if not more desperate than before. Secondly she could feel the presence of the baby Rex, now stronger than before – she surmised this must be due to the mother Rex having pushed through the boundary of the Triceratops herd.
Immediately after these two certainties were revealed to her the emotional weight of seeing the dead bull Rex hit her in full, and she sat so quietly alongside the body of the animal. She wanted to howl to the heavens and curse this awful island for creating an ecosystem that was evidently slowly killing itself, but she was too tired of crying, and too empty to scream. Instead she sat with wide, hollow eyes casting their sorrow across the massive form.
Twilight finally broke the silence. “Fluttershy—”
“They should never have even seen one another,” came her curt response as she quickly locked eyes with Twilight. “Their territories were on opposite ends of the island. This should never have happened.”
Slowly Malcolm crouched alongside, his own gaze focussed on the Tyrannosaur. He could see the Equestrians acknowledge his arrival. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “These two families should never have come across one another.” He sighed. “What you’re seeing here, before you right now, is absolute proof of chaos theory. The scales in this ecosystem – delicately balanced at the edge of chaos – have been tipped by the introduction of humans and Equestrians. And, thanks to that, this creature has been killed.” Malcolm sighed again, hands gesturing widely and betraying more than a hint of frustration. “Needlessly killed.” He trailed off, a heavy pause weighing on the group.
Fluttershy was acutely aware of the others behind her, slowly moving towards the downed animal and examining the clearing before them. She too could feel the empathy emanating powerfully from Twilight and the concern from Malcolm but above all else came a new sensory signature: that of the Triceratops youngster and the matriarch. For all of a moment they flared up inside her, coursing above the instinctual rage of the Tyrannosaur mother and her own growing despondency to shine clearly and brightly. She could sense the young herbivore, alive – frightened, but alive – and the matriarch herself, now worse for wear but also still alive. This fleeting magical connection went some way to settling her mind but as quickly as it was there it was gone – the silence of reality almost deafening as Fluttershy came round. For a moment she stared dumbfounded at the massive corpse before quickly getting to her hooves once more. She went to head back to the SUV but held herself before committing, attracting Twilight’s attention. “They’re okay, y’know.”
“Who?”
“The Triceratops herd. I was scared that the baby would have been hurt but he’s okay. And his mother, too. I felt it.”
“Well that’s something.” Twilight smiled, but even she could feel how small it must have looked. “We’d better continue,” she continued, eyes locked with Fluttershy as she received a wordless nod. “Ian, Sarah, Richard... we’d like to press on.”
“A wise move,” Levine said simply. “Much though I’d love to learn about the familial nature of a Triceratops herd following the loss of one of their own... I feel that we have rather more pressing issues at hand.” Levine slung his sack back into the SUV, helping the others in.
With one last glance back at the enormous Tyrannosaur corpse as the jeep pulled away, Levine sat quietly, a growing unease building within him.
Who knows what we’re about to find.
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*Sees new chapter*
*John Williams' Jungle Drums Intensifies*
Why would you deliberately have the characters make stupid decisions?
Holy crap! I know you've made big changes from the source material already but FAUST DAMN!!!
Another great chapter!
There's a friendship problem to fix here, but it will have to wait for the situation is getting more complicated...
9826819
This in particular, no less? ;)
(I should add that the soundtrack to the first film and TLW have been on repeat whilst writing!)
9827009
Thanks for commenting. Yeah, outwardly the decision to go after the Rex family is (of course!) not at all a sensible one. But in their current situation there's a number of factors that contribute to their choice:
1) Fluttershy's innate magical connection to animals (dinosaurs, genetic re-creation of dinosaurs, or otherwise) is so powerfully strong that it dictates her life choices (to a point, of course). But she is the Element of Kindness, and the way that magic works in this universe (not sure if you've been following this story since the word go, but the previous chapter or the one before goes into the nature of magic in a little more detail) means that it affects the ponies quite profoundly and quite physically. I won't explain why Fluttershy seems to have made a magical connection to the Tyrannosaurs (I feel that the story makes this clear enough) but her instinct and Element is driving her to look after and help all animals in as kind a way as possible.
2) Twilight's closest friend in this situation is Fluttershy - whilst she does enjoy Malcolm and Harding's company, Fluttershy is one of her best friends and also the only other pony in the group. Added to that, they are both Elements of Harmony, so from this point of view Twilight is going to support Fluttershy in any and all ways, particularly given that they're in a completely alien landscape so far from home. They find strength from their friendship and will do whatever it takes to see one another happy - and if not happy (because I'm not sure I'd be happy stuck on a dinosaur island in a place lightyears away from home!), then comfortable.
3) Regarding the humans in the group: They're all stuck on Isla Sorna too, and each and every one of them wants to go home. They now have no obvious way to get home thanks to the destruction of the RV and no way to contact their ferry out of the island, and the only known constant to them is that InGen are still here and doing something. Perhaps InGen might offer a way out? That's currently unknown, but what is known is that in order to find InGen - and any method of escape that they might have kicking around - they need to follow the baby Rex. What have they got to lose at this point? They're marooned with no options - perhaps this might offer one.
Either way! You're still right, hunting down a family of Tyrannosaurs is never smart. ;) Thanks for reading!
9827020
Rather different, yes! I really wanted to avoid simply re-telling the already established story - I think this universe and the mashup of both these character bases allows for a really quite interesting story to be told.
9827606
Thanks for checking in. :) Yes indeed, time will tell as to the resolving of the group's issues, but like you say they've a rather more pressing issue. ;)
9827822
Yes, the jungle drums! Though I do consider the first film better than the second, I find TLW's score to be superior to Jurassic Park's
9827822
I will say it again, this story sadly keeps going under the radar and easily deserves 10 times its current number of thumbs up!
9827839
I think this film's (Dante's Peak) theme quite fits certain scenes of this fanfic, as well.
9827839
Oh yeah. The first film is streets ahead of TLW - despite my massive love for Jeff Goldblum! - but the score in TLW certainly does a lot for me!
9827849
Thank you, that's really very kind. :) Simply happy to be seeing this through; the fact that anyone enjoys this is a bonus! :D
Well - not sure when the next chapter will be about, could be some time. I've got it mapped but only partially written - gonna be working on it soon.
Excellent work as always! Though I weep for the Papa rex...
I was about to leave a dislike for the blatant misanthropy and OOC racist Twilight in the prologue, but then I decided to give it a chance and browse it a little.
I actually liked it, I'll just assume that whenever she wrote that letter she had a concussion or something.
9899365
Thanks for sticking with! I understand how the prologue is a big turn-off for many potential readers but all will be revealed in due course. Next chapter should be up before the year is through. :)
9912980
Hi, what's up?
10113451
Hey! Apologies foe the radio silence. Life has been nothing short of a whirlwind over winter! Personal life events really ramped up and I recently got a promotion at my job; all good stuff but I have had zero time to commit to The Lost Ponies. It never left my radar and I apologise for not updating you all sooner!
However the next chapter is well underway :) I find myself now with a bit more time to commit to this story; I can't comment when the next instalment will surface but it's in the pipeline. About 2000 words down so far.
Hope you're keeping safe and healthy!
10138314
Thank you for giving news, and don't worry, real life comes first... especially these days.
Take all the time you need and stay safe.