17 - Tyrannosaurus Rex
The stillness and inky blackness of the night had seemingly drawn on forever, but when suddenly the baby Tyrannosaur began to fidget and honk Ludlow’s heart began to beat faster and harder. Finally, after being cramped away in the uncomfortable, cold, wet high-hide for far too long, he was able to appropriately showcase the work of InGen to people – nay, investors – who appreciated what they were seeing. And, quite frankly, it was about time too. He had grown weary of the hammering rain, Tembo’s outright awkward aura, and the Griffon’s overly intense presence. But none of that mattered as soon as the Tyrannosaur chick sprung into action.
Excitedly Ludlow drew his gaze away from the clearing below, just for a moment, to gauge the reaction of his company. It was much as he’d anticipated; both Griffons were glued to the baby Rex beneath them and Tembo was giving nothing away whatsoever. But Ludlow was a businessman, a man of intuition – he could feel the charged atmosphere in the high-hide.
From the gloom there then came an eerie moan, echoing across the treeline so very loudly. Ludlow knew she was close but there was something in the animal’s call that put him at a much higher level of anticipation. Never mind the fact that he’d seen this very creature before, never mind the fact that his own family’s business created the damned thing; an approaching adult Tyrannosaurs was still an adult Tyrannosaurus. Her call was distant, but it was clear, clear enough to electrify the surroundings and send the already agitated juvenile into a fit of honking and crying. Ludlow watched as the chick began excitedly jerking and thrashing what little mass it had against its restraints.
“Mother is on her way,” Tembo whispered, readying his rifle.
Such a statement was obvious to all those present and yet Tembo still felt he’d made an impact by voicing it. Uneasy tension weighed heavily upon him – he was lucky to have sedated the mother Tyrannosaurus when ushering Dodgson and his crew about but he knew that lady luck seldom offered second chances. Should anything not go to plan he and the entourage would be in great danger indeed. And who knew what the introduction of this secret new predator would bring – for a moment the works of Ian Malcolm and Chaos Theory crossed his mind. But he guffawed, regaining his focus. A wandering mind in the wilds is how hunters get killed.
Conversation was now non-existent, all four conscious figures analysing each sound and movement. The clouds hung low and the night felt close but through it the occasional moan and rumble would echo and ring out. It also seemed to those present that the distant treeline would bristle here and there but the wind had all but died – likely this movement betrayed something else moving through the brush.
Suddenly – and after an uneasily long period of inactivity – a loud trumpet was heard very close by, the sound of creaking trees and brushing foliage echoing across the night. It was very apparent to everyone that the mother Rex had arrived.
“There,” Tembo mouthed as he gestured with his head. All eyes followed, and sure enough, some twenty five feet below were falling palms and heavy footsteps. And then, tentatively, she pushed her way out of the treeline: the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Ludlow found himself unable to think quite straight for a moment, all professional and conscious thought escaping him. Beneath him stood the most famed alpha predator to have ever existed – nothing short of a breathtaking sight. Something primitive in his brain took over, disabling cognitive thought, but just for a moment. And when he found himself able to snap out of this bizarre trance he assumed control once again, turning to see the Griffon’s reactions. He was more than pleasantly surprised to see Tsar Gavrel’s wide eyes, unblinking, hawkishly focussed onto the massive carnivore. Clearly the Tyrannosaurus had the same effect on Griffonkind as she did on humankind. He smiled to himself as he noticed Gavrel’s beak hanging ever so slightly open.
With a low rumble – one that shook the entire clearing and the high-hide – the mother Rex gingerly took a single step forward, tearing its own sight away from her young and quickly looking around at the jungle. It was evident that she had picked up on something else nearby – something which made the massive animal quite nervous.
Grigorii was transfixed by the proximity to the enormous predator. The night was dark, that much was true, but they were so close that he could discern her thick scaly hide, he could see the rows of teeth in the powerful, massive jaws; he could see her yellow eyes, darting to and fro, but always coming to focus on her own offspring. Truly, she was a magnificent creature. Her presence was nothing short of commanding and the more he stared the more he lost himself in her. It was like he was back on Ludlow’s yacht, observing her through the binoculars. Only this time, there were no binoculars; she was so close he could almost have touched her. “She is beautiful,” Grigorii whispered as he and the others watched the adult slowly strain her neck forward, sniffing the surroundings. Then – suddenly, and entirely unexpectedly – she took another single step forward, swung her enormous head upward, and bellowed.
Even the Tsar had to place his foreclaws over his ears.
As the deafening roar subsided the four souls in the high-hide came to their senses once more, observing silently as the adult Rex now purposefully strode towards her offspring. The chick had been whipped into a frenzy and the mother seemed to be following suit; with concerned cries and moans she shuffled around the trees to which her baby had been strapped. Her massive head swung close to her chick, scrabbling delicately at the straps around the baby’s form, but it was to no avail - her head was too big and not precise enough to be of any use. She could only whimper and cry herself, the desperate sounds spooking the four onlookers.
This uncomfortable dance seemed to go on for an eternity and Tembo felt a faraway pang of pity. This was no way for a mighty creature like a Tyrannosaur to behave. He was sure he wasn’t the only one feeling why this awful show needed to go on for quite so long, but he understood why nobody voiced concern of any sort – no doubt they were as absorbed as he was.
Without warning and after an indeterminate length of time the jungle erupted from the northwest; a huge black shape exploded forward with an almighty howl. Uncharacteristically Tembo was greatly startled but very quickly took control of himself; he noted the other three were equally as unprepared for this new creature. By the time he had regained his senses – unconsciously still gripping his rifle tighter than before – he noted the mother Rex had turned to face this new threat almost as quickly as it had appeared. He squinted struggling to focus in the aftermath of this massive commotion, but as the Tyrannosaurus roared so very loudly she quickly lowered her head and forced her mass forward, connecting with the other enormous creature. In another frenzied moment it became difficult to work out quite what was going on as trees crashed and massive animals grunted, the high-hide itself shaking and vibrating, but finally came a moment of respite as the black shape stumbled awkwardly into the centre of the clearing. At that point Tembo could see it as it hissed deeply, gnashing its toothy snout and flexing its oversized foreclaws.
“Vo eemya Gospoda,” Gavrel said breathlessly, breaking the silence of the party. “Spinosaurus.”
“Yes,” Ludlow replied simply. Neither could say anything more.
Another moment passed in which Tembo felt like time had dilated: it seemed that the Spinosaur stood menacingly in the clearing for almost too long. But his hunter’s instinct told him the moment had been all but fleeting. His heart – already pounding with some fervour – tripped up on itself somewhat as a primordial scream erupted from the Spinosaurus; he quickly caught his breath as the Tyrannosaurus howled in defiance. And with that, with hardly any time for anyone to quite process the scale of what was about to occur, the two apex predators smashed violently into one another.
* * * *
The ride was rough and frustratingly slow for Fluttershy in the battered SUV, but progress was being made nonetheless. She could sense the mother Rex’s presence pulsing within her, ebbing and flowing, wrenching at her very core as she tried to weather the storm of the magical spikes. Despite this Fluttershy could tell they were closing in. Occasionally the Tyrannosaur’s distressed calls echoed out, though honing in on the sounds required enormous effort. Indeed, simply focussing on anything else other than the petulant barking from the front of the jeep was difficult enough. With a snort Fluttershy clamped her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to drown out Thorne, Levine and Malcolm, engaged in a heated debate. Distantly she picked up on some inane squawking about chaos theory and the odd curse here and there but she focussed hard, forcing the real-world madness out of her mind and trying to tune in on the Rex’s magical signature. On top of that her thumping headache, powerful nausea and the straining SUV engine whipped up an overwhelming cacophony. But she powered through; despite the mammoth – and physically distressing – task of manipulating Earth’s magical field, Fluttershy found herself driven by instinct to locate the distraught parent.
A sudden spike of pain made her wince; she steadied herself and took a breath. As she doubled down the world melted away – she could just about feel Harding’s hand gently rubbing her back – but her magical eye sharpened and found what it was looking for.
“We’re close now,” she all but whispered. “Go left more.”
With a reassuring hoof Twilight acknowledged the instruction. She gave Fluttershy a smile and then smacked Levine’s shoulder, eliciting a yelp – but, more importantly – his undivided attention. The squawking of the academics ceased and Twilight cleared her throat.
“You might have heard Fluttershy ask us to head left a little more,” she hummed. “Perhaps we ought to listen to her.” With that, she turned her attention away from the now much more subdued academics, and back to Fluttershy and Harding. “They’re really beginning to frustrate me,” she mouthed at the others as she huffed, her eyes closing.
She finally allowed herself to gaze out of the window at the lashing rain, doing what she could to hold her nerve. Sometimes, she was able to forget that they were powering headlong through the night on an island hundreds of miles from anywhere, in pursuit of an eight ton ancient apex predator and any number of industrial criminals. Now, however, was not one of those times.
She took a deep, steadying breath as the SUV pushed onwards.
* * * *
The once-silent clearing had erupted into a frenzied chaos, a sight which left the Tsar near-drooling at the beak. His gaze, firmly locked on the savagery below, did not flinch nor move for any outside input, especially that of Ludlow. He drank in the death struggle that saw the two giants snarling and thrashing against one another. He watched transfixed as the physically more massive Spinosaurus swung its elongated arms wildly, making contact with the broad throat of the Tyrannosaurus. He saw how, in return, the Rex did not falter in its astonishingly aggressive counter, heaving its own dense mass forward and using its neck as a springboard for its wide, crushing jaws. He flinched as he heard bone splinter and crack when the mother Rex snapped her gape shut, clamping down just behind the Spinosaurus’ head and he bristled as she swung her bulk violently, forcing the larger predator to the ground with a mighty thud. As the Tyrannosaurus held the Spinosaur down with a powerful hind leg, she let out a blood-curdling thunder and Tsar Gavrel found his features warping into a smile.
This was the blood sport of blood sports, and he loved it.
He then noticed Grigorii had leaned in towards him. “Whichever beast survives, we take it,” he whispered, to which the Tsar agreed with him. Wordlessly Grigorii unfurled his foreclaw, revealing to the Tsar three tanquiliser darts – these were the remainder of Tembo’s clip that he had taken whilst waiting in the high-hide. Gavrel nodded in acknowledgment of Grigorii’s actions and intentions as he directed their focus back to the beasts.
It seemed that the Spinosaurus was not going to win out. The massive clamp of the mother’s jaws on its neck had mortally weakened it, and although it had forced itself free from beneath the Rex’s foot it was struggling to rise to full height.
“You see that?” came Tembo’s voice as the two predators took respite, sizing one another up. “That, Your Highness, is the effect of eight thousand pounds of bite force. No amount of flesh or bone can possibly withstand it.”
“I see, I see,” Tsar Gavrel hummed in response. “But the larger creature fights with absolute conviction.”
“And the Tyrannosaurus Rex fights with desperation. She’s defending her young. Either way—”
The short back-and-forth was interrupted by the two carnivores, having collected themselves, screaming at the same time, a horrible cacophony echoing for miles around. Once again, and almost as if their struggle had just begun, the two beasts connected, arms scrabbling at jaws and teeth scratching and slicing at flesh. This bout seemed more ferocious and vicious than the last, huge hind legs straining to push tens of tons of muscular bulk to and fro. The gloom had lifted somewhat and in the occasional moments of respite when the moon would break through the low cloud, the observers could easily make out the carnivores’ eyes pulled wide open, hot rage splayed across their enormous features. When the moon slipped back behind the clouds vision was limited once more, but the sounds of the fight were so intensely loud. The shrieking and bellowing from both animals told a story all of itself, and the noises of some twenty tons of mass shunting and crashing around below was enough to keep all four occupants of the high-hide speechless.
* * * *
“Stop here,” Malcolm said forcefully. “Doc, we’re on foot the rest of the way. If Ludlow is just up ahead, I don’t want them to know we’re here. And – and two very powerful headlights might be a giveaway.”
The SUV came to an abrupt stop much to the dismay of the others inside. Bodies and equipment were jostled about and a chorus of groans came from the passengers. “Fine,” Thorne grumbled, switching the vehicle off and grabbing a flashlight hastily. He then turned to the others. “Gear up, and get out. We stick together, we look after each other, and we stay safe.” He paused, mumbling something mindlessly under his breath. “Okay. Fluttershy, which way to Mommy and Baby?”
Wordlessly Fluttershy raised a hoof, her eyes – still very much clamped shut – not meeting Thorne’s. In an instant she had burst through the SUV’s back door, Twilight in immediate pursuit; the sound of Fluttershy vomiting could just be heard over the jungle’s ambience.
“Jesus,” Thorne uttered. “She’s done well to get us here... Still. We ain’t done yet.” He exited the jeep.
Levine hummed in agreement as he approached the two ponies, kneeling down to their level. “Are you sure you want to do this, Fluttershy?” He appeared genuinely concerned for once, a powerful compassion drowning out his petulant, impish qualities. “If you need time to regain your strength we understand.”
“N-no,” came her response, somewhat unsteady but curt. “I need to do this.” She sighed and looked up at Levine, stunning him with a fierce determination. “I’ve felt their connection, those T-Rexes, and I need to help them to ease their pain.” She drew a breath, gathering herself.
“Truly commendable,” Levine replied with a half-smile. “You’re a powerful Equestrian, Fluttershy.”
She smiled. “Thank you—”
Abruptly her smile fell; Levine and Twilight immediately noticed this. Before either could voice concern, Fluttershy spoke. “Something’s going on,” she uttered quietly. Her eyes drew wide. “The mother is – fighting –”
It was then that an unusually loud roar echoed across the treetops; the group fell silent.
“No,” Malcolm breathed.
Breaking the stunned silence Twilight had helped Flutterhsy to her hooves and began to trot into the dense shrubs. “We need to go, now,” she announced to the others. “Celestia knows what we’re about to find, but we need to do something!” Satisfied that the humans were ready to move, she pressed on, a supporting hoof over Fluttershy’s withers.
Malcolm remained next to the jeep, stock-still. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow; his knuckles turned white as he gripped his flashlight much too hard. He saw the others forge ahead but Harding had turned and now she was approaching him. He observed her returning, her features concerned and doting, but he wasn’t really seeing anything. His vision blurred at the edges; his heart began to work in overtime.
“Ian...”
“I – They –” He faltered and stumbled over his own words, before drawing a haggard breath through his nose. “This is totally different to earlier.”
From the clearing ahead came a number of barks and roars.
Harding placed a hand on his arm, her touch going some distance to ease the panic she saw before her. Slowly she slid her hand down to his; her fingers worked his own, loosening his grip on the flashlight. “I know,” she offered slowly. “But you’ve made it this far. You can do this.”
“I – I wasn’t – we were in the RV. Here... we’re at ground zero.” He paused, Harding’s hand comfortingly squeezing his own. His flashlight had dropped to the ground at some point. “I’ve been face-to-face with a territorial Tyrannosaurus before. They – they haven’t. They don’t know. They don’t know...”
Malcolm was brought warmly back to reality with a kiss from Harding, who – having picked up the fallen flashlight – squeezed his hand once more and began to lead him into the undergrowth. “As long as we’re together, you’ll be okay,” she offered softly. “Remember, you can do this. I mean that.”
“Stay with me,” he croaked. “I’m going to need you.”
“Of course.”
The pair remained in silence, hand-in-hand, as they pushed through the jungle in pursuit of the others. The eerie barks of the mother Rex and the blood-curdling shrieks of something continued to echo all around – neither Harding nor Malcolm were at ease, but the comfort of having one another went some way to instil confidence to carry on. The moans and rumbles grew louder; their grip on each other grew tighter. They focussed solely on one another, doing what little they could to dull the terror of marching headfirst into frighteningly close proximity of a furious Tyrannosaurus—
“There you are,” came Thorne’s agitated voice, bringing the pair back to reality. “I thought we’d lost you for a moment.” He paused. “So... There’s a development in this whole thing.”
“I don’t think I like what that will mean,” Malcolm hissed. “What exactly are you—”
“Just come on,” Thorne hissed in return, near-dragging the pair. It didn’t take them long before reuniting with the main group; all were crouched behind a fallen tree under cover of some dense ferns.
Hearing their arrival Levine turned, holding a finger up to his closed mouth before gesturing with his head. Malcolm and Harding followed his gaze – now focussed past the treeline and into what appeared to be a wide, open marshy space – and froze.
The rain had stopped and the skies had cleared just enough to allow the moon to break through, illuminating the dark jungle in a chilling silver glow. It was just enough light to silhouette the enormous mother Tyrannosaurus Rex against the trees as she paced slowly, meaningfully, in a circle around something piled up on the ground. If Malcolm and the others weren’t currently able to see her they’d certainly have heard her; regularly she lowered her head and sniffed loudly at whatever it was that lay crumpled. Intermittently she would rumble and groan, occasionally she would bark but the most common sound she let out was a mournful cry – coupling this lament with quick glances out to the far side of the clearing. Malcolm strained in the darkness but he was able to follow the mother’s gaze and pick out the baby Tyrannosaur, strapped down against a tree. Strange, he thought briefly before a particularly loud snarl from the Rex tore him from his thoughts and blinded him with fear.
The sight of the Tyrannosaurus being so close terrified him, and yet Malcolm found himself unable to look away. Slowly and deliberately he moved from behind the group to the very front, crouching alongside Fluttershy and Twilight immediately behind the fallen tree. He had done so without thinking about it and his new proximity to the beast sent only more chills down his spine. “They are horrifying, terrifying monsters,” he whispered near-silently. “They are manufactured; simply clones, and not real animals. And yet...” he trailed off, taking a steadying breath. “This T-Rex is displaying all the tell-tale signs of a creature with heart; an animal so concerned for its family that she marched halfway across this infernal island just to protect her chick. Wouldn’t you agree, Fluttershy?”
“I would,” she whispered.
“Good. Well – ah – with that in mind...” He trailed off once more, gesturing at the heaped pile in the centre of the clearing – “what is that? It’s another dinosaur, correct? Have you, uhh, felt whatever that is? Does the Rex know, can you see it?”
“I – Doctor Malcolm – I don’t know.” Fluttershy sighed. “I can’t see what they see, but I can feel what they feel. To a point, I mean...”
“You said the Rex was fighting, no?”
“She was...” Fluttershy stared into the clearing, the Tyrannosaurus taking a moment next to the mysterious heap. It was only then that she noticed just how bruised the enormous creature was: a large open wound existed just behind her skull, numerous smaller scratches and puncture wounds dotted across the front of her snout and along her torso. “My word, she was.... But she’s very hurt, and very tired, the poor thing.” She turned to look searchingly at Malcolm. “I don’t know what she was fighting, but she’s defeated it at great cost to herself. And I know she’s put herself on the line for the baby and I can feel that she’s ready to do it again.”
Levine interrupted; he’d been listening intently from behind. “You said ‘ready to do it again’...” He trailed off, motioning with his hand.
Silently Fluttershy nodded, pursing her lips. There’s something else going on here. Immediately she closed her eyes and stiffened; the others knew she was once again trying to feel the Rex’s instinct. There was a moment’s silence before she yelped once, quietly – and with that, her eyes drew wide open.
“Another dinosaur is nearby,” she blurted quickly; hushed. “That’s why she’s still not trying to free the baby. Something else is here, and it’s frightening enough to panic the mother and put her in a state of anger.” Her tense stare moved from Malcolm to Twilight to Levine and the others, eyes darting to and fro. “She isn’t safe, the baby isn’t safe, and we – oh, my – we’re not safe.”
There was a silence that felt as if it lasted forever before Twilight finally spoke. “We need to wait and see what it is,” she said quietly, voicing the resignation that everypony else felt. “There’s nothing we can do until this other dinosaur shows up...”
“We could distract the mother and set the baby free—”
“You’d be killed instantly,” Fluttershy blurted out, feeling her mane bristle at the thought. “I’m sorry Doctor Thorne, but there’s no way she’d let you get close to her chick. Any distraction from us wouldn’t be enough to combat her natural instinct.”
Malcolm heaved a heavy sigh. Slowly, the dawning realisation that Hammond’s genetically engineered monsters were much more in-line with nature than he’d first thought was sinking in. To display monsters in a zoo was one thing; to observe them left to their own accord in the wild was another thing entirely. Instinct was a powerful force; for Fluttershy to feel it so strongly told him that the InGen team had done a frighteningly good job. What should have been bioengineered monsters were quickly – very quickly – evolving into animals with the ability to adapt and survive. Life finds a way, indeed—
A sudden and very loud cry from the mother Rex ripped Malcolm from his thoughts; in an instant he found himself sheltering behind a sturdy nearby tree-trunk. He hurriedly scanned the immediate area and was relieved to see everyone else safe and equally hidden. He watched as Fluttershy slowly raised her head above the log behind which she had covered, looking back to the clearing with a panicked but curious gaze. Instinct drove Malcolm to do the same – clutching the tree tightly he leaned round slowly, being met with the image of the mother Rex snarling viciously at the treeline nearby. He saw that she had moved away from her mysterious previous kill, displaying no signs of interest in it whatsoever. No, now he could see all too clearly that whatever else lurked nearby was about to make an appearance, and everyone – everything, to that end – knew it.
“It’s coming,” Fluttershy mouthed, panic written across her features.
In the near distance, trees could be heard felling; the jungle was being disturbed. “Stay hidden,” came Harding’s voice just as the mother Rex emitted a ferocious bark, rising to an impressive and intimidating height. The sounds grew ever more intense; as the trees cracked and foliage brushed in increasing proximity the Tyrannosaurus hissed and snapped her jaws. Her intimidating display grew in ferocity; she stamped powerfully at the ground and loudly barked. The group remained in cover, but the sounds alone carried enough presence to instill a powerful fear.
And then – despite the incredibly ferocious display from the Rex – it appeared, much too close for comfort. Fluttershy was the first to spot it and she physically repressed gasping as it came into view. From the marshy jungle nearby, and moving far too quietly for something of its size a colossal Spinosaurus emerged. She watched in horror as it came to a stop just before the clearing, its own gaze straight ahead – the two massive carnivores were definitely sizing one another up. Paralyzed by fear she stared numbly at it, stunned by the sheer mass it exhibited. Its sail was tall and flush with colour; its haunches were muscular; its jaws gnarled and terrifying. All in all, this beast struck some deep, irrational chord within her: of all the dinosaurs this was the one that she thought mostly resembled a dragon. Had magical drive to help the Rex parent not been so strong, instinct to screech and flee would have easily taken over.
The mother is going to need our help, for sure...
Dealing with fear the only way he really knew how, Levine was muttering under his breath to himself. “Elongated hind limbs... Incorrect body posture... Seemingly aggressive nature... Not the Spinosaurus modern palaeontology knows... Christ...” He let himself trail off before his mumblings became a fully-fledged panic. Very quickly he too came to the same conclusion as Fluttershy: this monster was too massive and appeared much too powerful for even a fully-grown, territorial parent Tyrannosaurus to effectively kill. If they were to save the Rex chick they would also need to save the mother; they would need to breach protocol and again interfere in the ecosystem once more.
Breaking the incredibly tense stare-down the Spinosaurus screamed. The group shielded their ears and stayed very much out of sight. The sound of the mother Rex bellowing in kind could just be heard over the brushing of ferns and the thud of heavy steps: in an instant, the two alpha predators collided and their struggle began.
* * * *
“Good God,” Tembo uttered. “There are two of them.”
“This one is huge,” Gavrel offered in kind. “How old is it?”
“I cannot tell you exactly,” Ludlow said quickly. “She’s only existed for about six months but we’ve been able to expedite growth rates – we wanted to push these creatures quickly into the fray. I think the relative age is some twenty years old. What surprises me, though” – he was cut off as the Rex clamped its jaws around one of the Spinosaurus’ legs and swung its head violently – “...what surprises me is that this one has appeared at all.”
“In what respect?” The Tsar took an interest in Ludlow’s words this time. His head was turned slightly, gaze flickering intently between the two beasts and the man who had overseen their creation.
“Our Spinosaurs are very solitary animals,” he began, his own gaze trained straight at the predators. “Very solitary and incredibly territorial. Both of our specimens had kept their distance from one another for the longest time, and the only instances where they had come together before now was to – well – to attack each other.” He nodded slowly. “This new, six-month old specimen was a replacement for a previous example; she was killed by the Spinosaur that succumbed to the Rex.”
“I would not have imagined the fierce Tyrannosaurus could have downed your most aggressive creatures.”
“Nor me, but this ecosystem is not an entirely natural one. Left to their own devices Rexes and Spinosaurs wouldn’t have crossed paths. The island is big enough for segregation. But we have interfered, and all the better for it: the three specimens you have seen tonight are three of the most ferocious creatures we have. Just as we had planned.” Ludlow trailed off, the fighting below entering a bizarre deadlock: the Rex had her jaws firmly secured around a forearm of the Spinosaur but it had locked its own maw on the small of the Tyrannosaur’s back, the two masses shuffling slowly to and fro, the only sounds reduced to snarling and grunting. The previous thunders from each animal had subsided.
“These do not resemble any Spinosaur reconstructions I’ve ever seen,” Tembo implored after a prolonged silence, focus very much on the giants beneath him. “Peter, what was your goal with these animals?”
“To create star attractions,” he uttered.
Neither Tembo nor Ludlow noticed Gavrel’s wry smile forming. Star attractions, indeed.
* * * *
“Over there,” Thorne pointed from the treeline’s edge. “You guys see that? Like a... shack, or something...” He ushered focus away from the carnivores as best he could.
“I can’t see it,” Levine replied indignantly. “Where are you looking?!”
“There.” Harding guided Levine’s gaze. “Jack’s right, there’s a treehouse — Oh, my... Ian, is that – Peter Ludlow?”
Malcolm quickly observed the high-hide. “Oh, ah – sure – sure is. That’s him alright. Looks like Tembo’s there, too.”
Levine cracked. “Why is he here?! What is it with this place?”
“Like I’ve been saying. Chaos Theory—”
“I dunno,” Thorne interrupted curtly, “but I’m going to get him.” Immediately Thorne had risen, clutching one of the spare flare guns from the SUV. “You guys go and rescue that chick. I’ll get this guy and maybe we’ll give him what he deserves for dino-baiting.”
“Be safe, Mister Thorne,” Fluttershy offered quickly. She noticed that nopony else made a move to insist he stick with the group. “Fire the flare if you get into trouble.”
“Same to you. Sarah, you have that flare gun?”
“Sure do.”
“Good. Then we move,” and with that Thorne slipped into the trees, heading for the high-hide.
A moment of inactivity came to pass but was broken by Levine: indecisively he opted to shadow Thorne. Mumbling something about ‘safety in numbers’, he offered a parting look to the team before slipping away into the jungle, following the direction Thorne had taken.
“So – that’s – that’s it?! We just go and get the baby?” Malcolm was flustered and edgy; Harding did her best to keep him on the level. But before he could comment further, his eyes locked with Fluttershy’s – just for a fleeting moment – and in that moment Malcolm could see the desperation written into her features. Big empathetic eyes implored him to do what was right, and silently he resigned himself to what was about to happen. He was going to do it, too. With that he nodded once, watching as Fluttershy and Twilight skirted around the side of the clearing. Here goes, Malcolm thought to himself and went to take a stride forward but he was spun, his gaze now met with that of Harding’s.
“You’ve got this, Ian.”
He smiled meekly before closing his eyes and drawing a great breath through his nose. Clutching Harding’s hand, he turned, and he ran from the trees.
* * * *
“Your Highness,” Grigorii said with an air of urgency, dragging the blood-drunk Tsar from the struggling giants below him. “Look there. Ponies.”
Gavrel followed Grigorii’s foreclaw and immediately he saw them; there was Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy of the Elements of Harmony. His demeanour changed in an instant. “How are they here?!” With a snarl the Tsar turned to the humans, any prior interest in the dinosaurs having all but vanished. “Gentlemen, there are ponies here, I assume you see them. This is very bad news. We cannot be seen here by them. We leave, and we leave now. I have seen enough of the predators – and am very impressed – but we will do business at a later date.”
Ludlow started. “Of course, Your Highness – but – the dinosaurs beneath us–”
“There is no time like the present, sir,” Grigorii countered. “You do not understand the implications of ponies seeing us dealing with you, least of all these ponies.”
“The Elements of Harmony,” Tembo said as he clocked the two ponies scurrying across the clearing.
“Yes, exactly. Celestia’s elites. I know we have spoken before of the power wielded by Celestia and the Equestrians. If we are spotted here, working alongside you, the international fallout will be unthinkable.”
“Of course,” Ludlow replied. “Then we shall leave. If you’d follow me I shall take you to the geothermal power station... There’s an old prototype Matter Transporter there – we used it in the early days to quickly travel between the mainland and the islands. It should still function. I can get you there, and get you home. Nobody will know of your presence.”
“Good. Then less talk and more travel.” Gavrel looked to Tembo, nearest to the ladder and watched as he wordlessly descended to the ground. Satisfied, the Tsar took one final, long look at the giants and he bristled with ecstasy as the Spinosaurus slammed the Rex onto the jungle floor with a sickening crack.
We will do well from this business venture.
Meeting the others at the foot of the ladder Ludlow directed them away from the massive carnivores and down a very, very narrow track. He gestured for Tembo to lead and so they pressed on, sounds of the great struggle echoing from behind but getting ever more distant. Tembo’s focus was forward, Grigorii’s was backward; he was hiding in the treeline, ready to pounce should trouble arise.
After only a short distance the group stopped as Tembo had an arm raised. Sensing the others behind him he took a step forward, rifle trained into the brush. “I see you there, come out of the trees,” he called. Very slowly a burly, bearded man emerged from the jungle, a pistol of his own aimed back at them.
“Got two questions and I want them answered.” Thorne was resolute. “Firstly, what are you—” he nodded to Ludlow – “doing here, and secondly, what the fuck is that thing?”
“You do not speak to me so poorly,” Gavrel hissed, visibly startling Thorne. “I am the Emperor of All Griffons and you will address me as such.” He rustled his wings, knowing the intimidation factor was on his side.
“I see you can talk,” Thorne said, gathering his composure. He smirked. “Your Highness.”
“Revolting.”
“Now, gentlemen.” Tembo took another step forward, noting Thorne priming the pistol. It was time to defuse this odd situation. “We don’t want any sudden decisions to be made here. It would surely be suicidal to attempt anything rash now, Mister...?”
“None of your god damned business who I am,” Thorne spat. “I’m here for Ludlow.”
“That won’t be happening, mysterious interloper.”
“I don’t take orders from an InGen lapdog.” He snorted. “I do what I want and I’m taking Ludlow to beat seven shades of shit into him. Yeah, I’m talking to you, big guy. You see that Rex back there?” Thorne gestured towards the clearing. “That Rex ate my best friend and ruined my best work. I’m done with this shithole, and I’m taking Ludlow with me. You hear?”
Without warning Thorne was knocked to the ground, struck by a hefty weight travelling at some speed. As composure returned to him he went to stand but found all of his limbs pinned down by something much stronger than him; he looked up to see the face of a much stockier Griffon staring right back at him. Gnarled features and an intensely grim stare met his own and in any other circumstance he might have been frightened, but Thorne had seen and experienced too much to be perturbed. “You don’t scare me.”
A flash of hot rage danced across the Griffon’s features, and silently it threw its head forward, connecting with Thorne’s skull and knocking him out cold. Satisfied his work was done, Grigorii picked up the unconscious Thorne and slung him over his shoulder. “We press on,” he said simply, and the group continued into the night.
****
A flare gun rang out, and Malcolm watched the flare arc away from him and towards the monsters. He glanced over in shock to Harding – noting her hand had once again quickly grabbed his and was clinging on a little too tight – and back to the dinosaurs, watching in horror as the flare struck the underbelly of the Spinosaur. It was enough for the massive predator to falter and screech, its grip loosening on the Rex.
Malcolm glanced back at Harding. “Sarah?!”
“What else could we have done?”
“I – I – I don’t know, but that?”
“Ian!”
Jumping backward Harding and Malcolm were lucky to avoid a trunk-like hind leg crash down before them, three toes splayed wide and digging into the Earth. The pair kept crawling and fumbling backward, away from the danger and towards the treeline but their gaze never once deviated from the horror before them: the mother Rex had taken advantage of this distraction and clamped her jaws tightly around the under-throat of the Spinosaur. Finally the pair reached the trees but were not free from danger yet. They watched with dumbstruck terror as the Rex pressed the advantage, forcing the massive Spinosaurus back towards them and away from the clearing. Scrabbling furiously away Harding and Malcolm rolled over a downed log, narrowly avoiding the bulk of both creatures as they smashed through the ferns. They lay low against the log and gripped one another tightly, praying that the struggle would end soon, and with a gurgled roar so deafeningly loud and so frighteningly close they felt both animals moving away and into the clearing.
“I’m scared, Sarah.”
“Me too.”
****
Fluttershy raced out into the clearing sensing that Twilight was with her, but she had no idea quite how they would handle things when they got to the chick. A wild spike of magical intensity erupted inside her and she yelped, stumbling only slightly, but she fought through it and pushed on. Glancing to her left she saw the two enormous dinosaurs struggling and shuffling, locked on to one another, and in a brief moment Fluttershy thought she saw the Rex eyeball her. But she didn’t stop to find out. Galloping across the marshy forest floor she and Twilight finally reached the squirming, panicked chick and with immediacy the duo began to heave and yank at the straps holding it down.
“Here,” Twilight said as she grabbed a loose stone and began to chisel away at the straps. “Calm the baby, I’ll set it free.”
Fluttershy nodded, her attention turning to the chick. “There there, sweetie, it’ll be alright.” With each word that she spoke her head throbbed and her body felt increasingly stressed. This was the most she’d interacted with the baby Tyrannosaur and evidently doing so was a massive drain on her physical, mental, and magical abilities. “Come on now, we’ve got you.” Determinedly she pushed through; Fluttershy stroked the back of the small chick’s head and it hooted. “There there...”
“Got it!” Twilight cast the first strap aside, digging away at the second with renewed vigour.
Fluttershy smiled, feeling an odd serenity as she looked into the tiny eyes of the delicate creature. In an instant the chaos of the outside world dropped away and it was just her, the Tyrannosaur chick, and an eternal void. The chick had let her in. The magical connection between them was strong, so strong – Fluttershy surmised that it outdid anything she’d felt since arriving on Isla Sorna if not planet Earth. The wildlife in Africa, the Triceratops herd, the parent Rexes; all of these magical connections paled in intensity and clarity to this one. With a renewed vigour and confidence, she spoke out. “Mother’s fighting for you and so are we, little one. So stay strong for us, and we’ll get you home. I promise.”
The baby purred and Fluttershy felt a great warmth spreading within her. Her chest felt fit to burst as the inky blackness surrounding her began to distort and swirl, small magical trails seeming to reach out from her and towards the chick. But the whole experience was extremely heady and magically charged that it was difficult to focus. Back home, connecting with her charges and wildlife was second nature – it came so easily and organically; using magic to communicate and empathise was no more difficult than going for a walk or having a conversation. Here on Earth, the great levels of focus and effort required were amplified that much more. But she’d done it, and she could feel it: she’d gotten through to the baby Rex.
“...uttershy...”
“...Fluttershy...?!”
Twilight’s nervous call and a ten-ton thud brought her screaming back to reality. Face-to-face with the chick she recalled her situation, panic taking hold again and she span around just in time to see the mother Rex pinning the Spinosaur to the ground. A massive foot pressed down on top of bulk and enormous jaws crushed the throat. Fluttershy was speechless; there was nothing to say as the Rex finished the job with one last bone-crushing bite. And then, where before a cacophony of barks and grunts and howls and crunches had been, there was but silence.
With dumbstruck awe she watched the Tyrannosaur release her grip and take an uneasy step back, surveying the Spinosaur corpses before her. Fluttershy felt the desperate, prehistoric magical energy all but leave her, releasing its grip on the deep recesses of her head and her spirit, and for the first time since making the connection with the Tyrannosaurus she felt much, much better. No longer did anger and fear chip away at her brain; no longer did powerful nausea and blinding headaches threaten her wellbeing. Finally Fluttershy could feel free – and to know that the mother Rex before her felt this too was more than a relief. Had she found herself in less frightening circumstances she might have cried, but to let her guard down now would be the death of her and Fluttershy knew this. It was incredibly rewarding to see the mother Rex in danger no longer but the job was not done: She had yet to reunite the mother and child. And Fluttershy was keenly aware that she and Twilight currently stood between them both.
The mother Rex had also noticed this. Though she didn’t move immediately her massive head swung towards the ponies, tiny yellow eyes looking back at them. Fluttershy watched on helplessly as this strange stare seemed to go on for too long, and in that moment she felt as if some sort of communication was passing between them. But the magical connection had all but faded. Intuition told her the mother Rex recognised their efforts but survival instinct told her she was being perceived as nothing more than a threat to her young.
The chick began to hoot excitedly, spurring eight tons of maternal dinosaur to march towards Fluttershy and she and Twilight were frozen, locked in place. Despite sensing the fatigue of the mother Rex she was still alarmed at how quickly the massive animal covered ground, closing in on them frighteningly fast, until finally she was upon them. She daren’t look away, she could hardly breathe: her chest was tight and her heart beating ever so quickly.
Distantly Fluttershy felt Twilight grab her by the hoof.
The mother Tyrannosaur was so close that she could smell and feel its breath. From twelve feet above her those beady yellow eyes remained glued to her, and as the enormous head moved slowly towards them she realised just how dry her own mouth was. Terror held her in position and instinct prepared her for the worst but something older and more arcane suddenly spurred from within, and she was compelled to speak.
“We mean no harm,” Fluttershy offered so delicately. “We come as friends.”
In that heady moment the mother Rex seemed to have paused, but then with a twitch of her own features and a primordial rumble she appeared to feed back. Fluttershy was unable to comprehend the message she was receiving but the magic within her suggested they were not yet at risk.
The chick honked again, eliciting a deafening moan from the great animal before them. The volume and physical force behind the call of the Rex was so powerful that it could only serve to frighten; Fluttershy clammed up immediately and where once stood a maternal dinosaur stood – a dragon –
FWOOSH
...
...
...
In a purple flash Twilight and Fluttershy reappeared in the treeline near Malcolm and Harding, visibly startled by the sudden arrival of the ponies. Fluttershy hit the ground hard and her head was spinning but she could hear the two humans running to their aid. Distantly, the sounds of Twilight spilling her guts completed the picture but from where she was laying none of that mattered: through the jungle she could just see the mother and baby Rexes finally reunited, muzzle on muzzle. Truly she was free of the desperate magic of the Rexes, and as stars danced across her vision she smiled weakly.
“You’re okay Fluttershy,” Malcolm said, his panting voice detached and far away. “I’ve got you.”
“We did it Doctor Malcolm.” She was weak.
“Stay still and don’t speak, conserve your energy. You’re – you’re safe now.”
Fluttershy lay her head down again, gently succumbing to the exhaustion and the stars. As her vision faded she watched the mother delicately scooping the chick into her mouth – the baby honking and hooting all the way – and, with one final tentative glance around, push her way back into the jungle and away from the godforsaken clearing.
With all but a weak smile Fluttershy let the darkness take her, and she passed out.
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Great chapter!
10197713
Thanks very much! Appreciate yo having a read. :)
10198273
You’re welcome!
These bad guys are going to regret kidnapping Thorne...
The odds weren't with the mommy T-rex, but these 2 spinosaurus shouldn't have come between her and her hatchling. Good to see Fluttershy free from her torments.
10198300
Thank you! Yeah, all will be revealed. Appreciate you following the story so far. :)
10198682
Clearly this story is not for you. Credit for having a go and sticking it out - but this is something I'm doing in my spare time in between the rest of my actual life. One wonders if leaving hot-headed comments on a site entirely based on fiction requires a re-think. Thanks anyway, and enjoy the fics you do go on to read.
Damn!
This was amazing stuff, I loved reading every moment of this chapter! 
Definitely hooked for the next chapter - especially when they realize that Thorne's missing...
10211339
Much appreciated! And thank you for weighing in again - nice to see some returning names :)
Next chapter is well underway - lots of drama to unfold but in a different way to this (very dramatic!) chapter... Watch this space!
Hope you're keeping safe. :)
10212559
No problem! I've enjoyed this story a lot, and am happy to return to it. ^_^
And I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for the future.
I'm doing all right as can be, really. Best that I suppose anyone can say about this whole crazy situation.