> Prehistoric Equestria > by Dinosaur12 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Earthquake That Rocked Equestria (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was just another day in Equestria. Celestia's sun shined its light across Equestria's horizon, friendship was as strong as ever, the birds were singing, and the ground was shaking. Wait, that doesn't sound right. The ground beneath Ponyville shaked violently, causing many houses to lean from side to side. Everyone in the town panicked and ran to find shelter. Caught in middle of this was the Mane 6 and their dragon companion, Spike. The group helped other ponies get to safety, all the while they themselves were trying to stay safe from falling debris. After the earthquake finally stopped and the ground stopped shaking, Twilight checked on her friends to make sure they were and okay before the rest of her friends joined her in the search for injured ponies. Thankfully, nopony was hurt. Meanwhile, in the Everfree Forest While the Everfree Forest had been shaken around by the earthquake, it still stood strong. However, the violent shaking had caused the ground to cave in. One hole formed some sort of massive tunnel. Nearby, a lone, blue parasprite fluttered near a fallen tree. It then took a huge bite out of the leafy twig before suddenly hearing a loud shriek. It shrugged it off and continued to chew its food. Suddenly, a small, winged creature soared out of the hole and landed on top of the small insect, devouring it in one bite. This creature was an Anurognathus. Anurognathus was a small pterosaur from the Late Jurassic in Germany. Its name means "Ammon's tailess jaw." These pterosaurs fed primarily on insects. It had a wingspan of 14-20 inches, weighed 40 grams, and was 9 centimeters long. Its fossils were found in 1922 and described by Ludwig Döderlein. The Anurognathus continued to munch on the Parasprite until something suddenly leapt on top of it, trapping the poor pterosaur. It then plunged its toeclaw into the Anurognathus, killing it instantly. "What? There's a 'violence' tag for a reason." the creature said, breaking the fourth wall. The creature was none other than Deinonychus! A rather talkative one for that matter. Deinonychus was a medium-sized raptor that lived in western North America during the Early Cretaceous. It uses its slender tail to balance itself while hunting or running. In addition, to using balance to run down prey, Deinonychus, like other raptors, also used the toeclaws on both of its feet to kill its prey. This dinosaur was 2.5 meters and weighed 45-68 kg. Deinonychus was also a very smart creature, able to do complex movements when chasing prey. This raptor preyed on different types of herbivorous dinosaurs like Tenontosaurus. This dinosaur was found and named by John Ostrom in 1969. It also helped reignite the connection between birds dinosaurs. "Hey! "This Deinonychus" is called Razor!" Oh. Okay? Razor looked at his surroundings and scratched his head. "What is this place?" he said, confused. "And why can I talk about this all of a sudden?" While he did wonder about this for a while, he was too distracted by a noise coming from the Everfree Forest. "Welp! No time to think about this mind-blowing discovery! There's stuff to eat!" Razor hurried into the Everfree Forest, ready to hunt. In another part the Everfree Forest, another large hole similar to the one Razor emerged from had been formed. Small footprints led out of the hole and into the deeper parts of the forest. This trail led to a young dinosaur calling out for its mother. This was a young Edmontosaurus. Edmontosaurus was a large herbivorous dinosaur that was part of the hadrosaur family. It lived during the Late Cretaceous in western North America and specifically in Alberta, Canada where its fossils were found. They were found and named by Lawrence Lambe in 1917. When full-grown, Edmontosaurus was 13 meters and weighed 3,400 kilograms. These hadrosaurs fed on tough pine needles, pinecones, and twigs. Like other hadrosaurs, Edmontosaurus was able to walk either bipedal or quadrupedal. The young Edmontosaurus, named Junior by his mother, continued to call out for his mom. Ever since the earthquake, he had been separated from his mother when parts of the roof from where ever he and the other prehistoric creatures came from started to cave in. Luckily, he had survived but lost his mother in the process. He had looked all over but couldn't find her anywhere. Junior then stumbled upon the tunnel that led to the surface. Junior had heard old stories from his mother about when they and the other dinosaurs roamed the surface world until one day a catastrophic event occurred causing many of the dinosaurs to retreat underground. Since then, they had been living underground for thousands of years, unknown to the creatures living on the surface. Junior finally gave up on his search, stopping to eat some plants. He then stumbled upon a red, juicy berry hanging onto a thin branch. He licked his beak and slowly approached delicious fruit. But before he could eat it, the berry was swiftly picked off by a pair of furry, white paws. These paws belonged to a special rabbit, known by a special pink-maned, yellow pegasus as Angel. Angel quickly bit into the berry not noticing the young Edmontosaurus. "Hey! That was mine!" Junior exclaimed. Junior suddenly clamped his paws on his mouth. "I can speak!" Angel taking advantage of the distraction plucked the berry off the bush and darted away. "Wait! Come back!" Junior said, chasing after the bunny. Despite Angel's swift movements, Junior kept up with him. Eventually, the two ran out of the forest and into a clearing. Junior kept on pursuing the rabbit, still holding the berry in his paws. Angel ran as fast as his legs could carry him until he found his escape: a cozy, little cottage on the top of a hill. He grinned and ran faster. Junior was almost able to catch Angel but before he was able to grab him, the rabbit jumped through the front door that was open a ajar. Angel peeped out of the door and blew a raspberry at Junior and waved his arms in the air in a mocking manner. Junior huffed at the rabbit and went on to look around the strange structure to find some food to eat. The chase had made him really hungry. He continued to rummage around until happened upon a large garden. Junior grinned and sniffed the ground, taking in all the new smells entering his nose. He quickly gobbled almost all of the vegetables growing in the garden. He was only stopped by a sudden gasp behind him. Junior slowly turned around, a half-eaten carrot hanging in his mouth. What stood before him was a Angel's owner, a yellow-coated pegasus called Fluttershy. The two stared at each other for what felt like hours until Junior quickly ran away. "Wait!" Fluttershy yelled to Junior. She quickly chased after Junior who was now running into the Everfree Forest. > Through the Forest (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few years ago.. A younger Junior was following a butterfly as it flew through the air. The beautiful sight fascinated the Edmontosaurus. Finally, the winged insect rested on a flower, all the while Junior watched it. Unfortunately, this peace would not last long. From the bushes, a predator stalked the Edmontosaurus. This was a Majungasaurus. Majungasaurus was a medium-sized dinosaur that lived in Madagascar during the Late Cretaceous. This dinosaur was also known to have indisputable evidence that it committed cannibalism. The first Majungasaurus remains were found by Charles Depéret in 1896. Its name means "Mahajanga lizard". Majungasaurus was 18-23 feet long and weighed 1,650-2,430 pounds. It fed off of herbivorous dinosaurs like Rapetosaurus and as said before, other Majungasauruses. The Majungasaurus charged out of the bushes and was about swallow Junior whole but Junior's mother, Tulip, got between her baby and the predator. Junior ran behind his mother's leg and hugged it tightly. The Majungasaurus tried to get to Junior but Tulip kept shoving the carnivore to side. Finally, the Majungasaurus had enough and snapped at Tulip. The two dinosaurs roared at each other before charging. As the Majungasaurus rushed towards Tulip, the Edmontosaurus cleverly sidestepped. With the Majungasaurus disoriented, Tulip bit into the carnivore's neck, causing blood to leak out. The Majungasaurus roared in agony as Tulip's beak dug deep into its flesh. Eventually, the carnivore was able to wiggle out of the Edmontosaurus' grasp. It roared at Tulip before retreating back into the forest. Tulip bellowed back in response. "Phew, that was so close." Tulip sighing. "Yeah, that's what ya get, you jerk!" Junior yelled, running in front of his mother before he accidently tripped over. Tulip rolled her eyes and smiled at the display. She went over and pulled him back up. "Junior, are you alright, dear?" Tulip asked, brushing the dirt off him. "I'm alright, Mom." Junior said. "That's good." Tulip said, before getting serious. "Junior, what have I told about wandering off like that! Just imagine what would've happened if I wasn't here!" Tulip exclaimed. "I know, I know! I'm sorry, Mom! It's just-I really wanna get out there, ya know." Tulip sighed but smiled and patted Junior on the head. "It's alright, Junior. I'm just really glad that you're alright. I just don't want to lose you. Like your dad." Hid dad. Junior had only a few memories of his dad before he passed. Tulip hugged Junior tightly, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I love you, Junior." Junior hugged his mother back. "I love you too, Mom." "Mom?" Junior said, slowly waking up. After running through the forest for quite awhile, he had stopped by a tree to rest and had accidentally fell asleep. By the time he woke up, it was already the middle of the night. Junior, despite not knowing where the way back to the underground was or where his mother was, he proceeded to walk through the forest. Despite the ominous noises coming from the shadows, the night was actually quite peaceful. All was peaceful until Junior heard some distant noises echoing throughout the forest. Junior ignored this at first but between two trees, he spotted several pairs of emerald green eyes staring directly at him but when he blinked, they were gone. Slowly getting nervous, Junior began to run through the forest, believing something was chasing him. And he was right. "Hello? Baby animal?" Fluttershy called out into the shadowy forest. Despite searching across the Everfree Forest for several hours, she couldn't find the creature she found rummaging through her garden. Although she didn't know what the creature was, she could tell that it was very young and possibly needed her help. Suddenly, she could hear distant howling in the distance. Fluttershy's eyes widened and her lips started to quiver. "Timberwolves" Fluttershy said, nervously. Junior kept on running away from the wooden animals chasing after him. He didn't know what those things were but they definitely didn't look friendly. Junior kept on looking back that he didn't notice the giant root sticking out of the ground. He tripped over, landing on his back. Before he could get back up, the wooden creatures had already caught up to him. Junior tried to escape but he was quickly pinned down. The timberwolf was about to clamp its jaws on the young Edmontosaurus, until a small rock was thrown at its head. It looked up, snarling at whatever or whoever threw the rock at it. A few feet away stood Fluttershy, eyes widening. "Umm, sorry?" Fluttershy said, nervously smiling. The other timberwolf started to run toward Fluttershy, getting between her and any escape. "Sweet Celestia..." Fluttershy In order to help out, Junior bit down on the timberwolf's paw, causing it to release its grasp. Junior ran towards the timberwolves surrounding the pony and bit down into the second wolf's leg causing it to squeal in pain. It tried to kick Junior off, but he kept holding on tight. The timberwolf that held Junior down before he escaped tried to help the timberwolf that Junior was currently holding on to. It tried snapping at him but accidentally bit down the timberwolf's leg. The timberwolf snapped its jaws angrily at the other timberwolf, allowing Junior and Fluttershy to escape. The two kept on running until they reached the field that led to Fluttershy's cottage. "That was too close." Fluttershy panted. "Are you alright, little one?" "Yeah, I'm okay." Junior replied. Fluttershy immediately fell to the floor when she heard Junior speaking. "Dear Celestia! You can talk!" Fluttershy gasped. "Obviously. Why would you think I couldn't?" Junior explained, rolling his eyes. "That's...so fascinating!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "How are able to talk? What exactly are you? Are you native to the Everfree Forest?" "Whoa, whoa! Easy, miss." Junior said, feeling overwhelmed by the yellow creature bombarding him with questions. "One at a time." "Well, one question I do have is where did you come from?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh, I came from underground." Junior explained. Fluttershy then tilted her head in confusion. "Underground? But how could something as big as you come from underground? Also, how could you live down there? There's nothing but dirt and stone." "What are you talking about? That's not right. There's a whole world down there." Junior explained. "Hmm, interesting. I need to tell Twilight about this." Fluttershy said to herself. "Umm, excuse me, but what is a "Twilight?" Junior asked. "Oh, right. Umm? Sorry, what's your name again, little one?" Fluttershy asked. "Junior." "Well, I think I have a friend you might wanna meet." Meanwhile, in the underground... A lone Edmontosaurus was walking along the tree line. Ever since the earthquake, this Edmontosaurus had been separated for their child. Despite their herd telling them that their child was probably gone forever and even leaving them behind, they didn't give up. Tears started roll down their face, starting to believe that they would never find their son. "Oh, my poor Junior." Tulip cried. > The Underground (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy was walking nervously toward the Castle of Friendship, her friend Twilight's home. After defeating Tirek in an epic battle, as Rainbow Dash would say, Twilight's crystal castle had appeared from beneath the ground and rested in the center of Ponyville. "Whoa, is that where your friend lives, Miss Fluttershy?" Junior asks. "It looks amazing!" "It is very nice, Junior. It's probably best though to stay hidden until we reach the castle. We don't want anypony to find out what you really are." Fluttershy said in a quiet voice. "Hi, Fluttershy!" Carrot Top said, catching the pegasus by surprise. "Eek! Oh, um, sorry! You just startled me, Carrot Top." Fluttershy said, catching her breath. As Fluttershy calmed down, Junior peeked through his disquise to catch a glimpse of who Fluttershy was talking to. Carrot Top was a light yellow-coated pony with an orange mane and tail. Her cutie mark, as the ponies called them according to Fluttershy, was a set of three carrots. Carrot Top then noticed Junior peeking out from his disguise, prompting the Edmontosaurus to hide himself once again. "Oh, who's this little fellow?" Carrot Top asked. "He's, umm, my nephew." Fluttershy said, sweat dripping from her forehead and nervously smiling. "Oh, so you're brother finally found someone." Carrot Top asked. "Uh-huh, and he's sent over his son to spend some time with his aunt." Fluttershy nervously chuckled. To prove this, she pulled her 'nephew' in for a hug, a very awkward hug to be honest. Fluttershy was very nervous about this since this was the first time she ever lied to someone. "Would the little one like a carrot? Its on the house." Carrot Top said, cheerfully. "Umm, sure." Junior said, quietly. "Aww, are you a little shy, sweetheart? You're just..like...your aunt." Carrot Top said, but notices Junior's Edmontosaurus reptilian paw reaching for a carrot. Before the carrot salespony could say anything else, Fluttershy quickly pulled Junior into the castle. "Huh, weird." Carrot Top said and went on with her day. "Alright, I just need to concentrate and all be able to perform this spell." Twilight said, calmly. She finished reading the steps on the scroll and got herself ready. Twilight got into the position needed for the spell and began meditate. As she did this, her horn began to glow with magenta-colored magic. The spell was almost complete but before she could finish it, Fluttershy burst through the door. This caught Twilight by surprise, causing her to lose focus and all her magic to go away. "Sweet Celestia, Fluttershy! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Twilight exclaimed. "O-Oh! S-Sorry, Twilight. I can come back another time if you want." Fluttershy said, nervously. Junior, under his cloak, nudged Fluttershy forward. "Oh, actually, we need to talk right now. It's something important." "Alright, Fluttershy. What is it?" Twilight asked. Twilight then noticed Junior hiding behind Fluttershy. "Uh, well.." Fluttershy started to say and then slowly revealed Junior from his cloak. "Wha-That's a-Oh, Celestia, I don't feel so good." Twilight said, before she passed out. "Uh oh." Junior said. Suddenly, Spike, Twilight's dragon assistant and little brother, walked through the entrance carrying some groceries. "Hey, Twilight! I got the stuff you asked fooooooorrrrrrrrrrr...WHAT THE TARTARUS IS GOING ON?!" Spike exclaimed. After waking Twilight up and calming Spike and her down, Junior and Fluttershy explained the situation to them. "Wait, but how is this possible? Edmontosauruses and other dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago! How are you here, talking to us?!" Twilight exclaimed. "Well, my mom told me a long time ago that when this supposed "extinction" happened, some of the surviving dinosaurs were able to find escape underground through a cave." Junior explained. "Fascinating." Twilight replied. "That's kind of the reason I took Junior with me to see you, Twilight." Fluttershy said. "We need your help." "What do you need help with it?" Twilight asked. "Remember that earthquake a few days ago?" Fluttershy asked. "Yes." "And how the dinosaurs could possibly be living right under our hooves?" Fluttershy asked. "Yeah, Junior just said that." "Well, that earthquake caused some huge sinkholes to open up in the ground which is how Junior's here. Unfortunately though, Junior got separated from his mother in process." Fluttershy said. "Can you come with us to help find Junior's mother? If that's okay?" Twilight thought for a moment, worrying both Fluttershy and Junior. Finally, Twilight replied. "Alright, Fluttershy. We'll help Junior get back to his mom, I promise." Twilight said. Fluttershy grinned and Junior went to hug to Twilight. Although she was caught off guard, Twilight hugged the little Edmontosaurus back. "Although, we are gonna need some help." "Wait, from who?" Junior asked. "From the other Elements of Harmony, of course." After gathering all of their friends and explaining the situation to them, the Mane 6 all set out for the large hole that led Junior to Ponyville. It took a while but eventually, they found it. "Here it is." Junior said, pointing a huge, dark cavern that led to the underground world. "I do have to warn you, ladies. There might be some really dangerous stuff down there so be careful." "Don't worry, kid. We're the ponies that took down Tirek!" Rainbow Dash bragged, strutting a heroic pose. "Oh, boy, here we go. We're going into unknown territory, Rainbow, we don't know what could be down there." Applejack said. Rainbow rolled her eyes and sighed. "Relax, AJ! It's just a couple of bipedal lizards, what's the worse that can happen?" Rainbow Dash retorted. "Applejack's right, Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "I've read some books about dinosaurs and they are not some dumb animals." "Whatever you say, egghead." Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. "Let's get this over with!" "Okay, girls. We're about to head where nopony has gone before." Twilight said. "Let's approach this in a calm, smart-" "Geromino!" The whole group turned just in time to see Rainbow Dash jumping into the abyss. "Wait, Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed. "Wahoo!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, following after Rainbow Dash. "Well, you heard the mares, yeehaw!" Applejack exclaimed, diving into the hole. "I really hope this doesn't mess up my mane." Rarity said, nervously before jumping in. "Let's get you back to your mom, Junior." Fluttershy said. Junior nodded excitedly to this. They both jumped into the hole leaving Twilight by herself. "Why do I even bother?" Twilight sighed. She carefully dived into the hole to follow her friends. The 6 mares, plus Junior, kept on falling deeper and deeper. Fluttershy and Rarity screamed in terror while Pinkie just laughed the whole way. Eventually though, they started to see the ground slowly approaching them. Spotting this, Twilight used her magic to pull all her friends together and form a magic forcefield to protect them from the impact. The ball landed onto the ground with a thud, leaving a huge crater. Luckily, no one was hurt. "Woohoo! Again, again!" Pinkie exclaimed. "No, never again!" Rarity exclaimed. "Whoa nelly, that was a heavy fal-WHOA!" Applejack began to say before being taken aback by the beauty that surrounded the ponies. All the ponies stared in awe at the environment that surrounded them. A large, glistening, lake stretched a great distance. A few trees and ferns decorated the otherwise sandy and earthy ground. A gushing waterfall poured gallons of water from atop a rocky cliff. Fluttershy was especially astonished at not only the flora but also the fauna that called the lake their home. Large sauropods called Brachiosaurus took in huge gulps of water as they lowered their heads for a drink. Gathered alongside them were some Gallimimuses and Camptosauruses. Because of their large size, the sauropods offered these small herbivores protection from hungry predators. As the ponies continued to take in the beauty, Junior heard something in nearby forest. It was tough to see but he could make out two yellow eyes staring directly at the group. Junior tried to alert the ponies but they were too distracted. "Uh, ladies? I think we have a problem." Junior whispered to the Mane 6. They were about to ask what the it was but their questions were soon answered. From the treeline, a two-horned carnivorous dinosaur stomped out, its sharp, pointy teeth laid bare. This was a Carnotaurus. > Into the Unknown (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever wonder what would happen if the Mane 6 battled a Carnotaurus? No? Just me. The Carnotaurus roared ferociously at the ponies and their dinosaur friend. It lowered and charged straight towards them, its horns pointed straight at the ponies. Luckily, they were quick on their hooves and jumped out of the way. Twilight blasted a beam at the Carnotaurus. It was a direct hit. The Carnotaurus roared furiously and stomped towards Twilight. She quickly casted a magical shield around herself, Junior and the rest of the Mane 6. The Carnotaurus tried to ram and bite through the shield but it couldn'tbreak through. The mares breathed a sigh of relief before trying to come up with a plan. Carnotaurus was a ferocious predator that roamed Argentina and Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous. Its name means "meat-eating bull" likely due to its two horns that protruded from the top of its head. The first fossils of this dinosaur were found by José Bonaparte in 1985. Carnotaurus measured up to 9 meters long, grew up to 3 meters tall, and weighed up to 4000 pounds. Carnotaurus' horns weren't only for show but also to spar with other Carnotaurus'. Its horns were their only special trait but paleontologists suggest that Carnotaurus was probably on of the fastest predators during its time. Carnotaurus preyed on many herbivores that it found in its habitat, mostly large herbivores such as sauropods. The Carnotaurus kept on bashing itself against the magical barrier and it wouldn't be long before it finally burst through. "What the hay is that thing?!" Applejack exclaimed. "That's a Carnotaurus, the meat-eating bull." Junior explained. As he said this, the Carnotaurus kept biting on the shield causing it to crack a little. "M-Meat-eating?" Fluttershy whimpered. Twilight was struggling to keep the shield from collapsing. "I don't know how long I can hold this." Twilight grunted. "You won't have to." Rainbow exclaimed, stretching her wings before zooming out of the shield. "Wait, Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed. "There she goes again." Applejack said, rolling her eyes. Rainbow flew towards the Carnotaurus and punched it straight on its snout. The carnivore roared in pain and snapped at the pegasus, but Rainbow was too quick. Rainbow went in for a second punch, this time aiming for its ribs. She took a third strike, a fourth, a fifth but the Carnotaurus was slowly starting to catch on. When Rainbow went in for another strike, aiming for thelegs, the Carnotaurus caught Rainbow by the tail. It tossed Rainbow up into the air and opened its mouth wide to swallow the pegasus whole. But before Rainbow even landed in the dinosaur's jaws, a lasso yanked her away. Feeling nothing in its jaws, the Carnotaurus looked down and saw all of the Mane 6 holding defensive stances. "Alright, so I guess scaley here is tougher than he looks." Rainbow said, crossing her hooves. "Uh-huh. And?" Applejack said, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks, AJ." Rainbow sighed. The Carnotaurus roared at the ponies immediately snapping everybody back into focus. "Heh, why don't you and I take this guy, AJ." Rainbow said, smirking. "I thought you'd never ask." Applejack said, nodding her head. The two ponies charged at the Carnotaurus, the rest of their friend close behind. The Carnotaurus roared and stomped towards them. It tried to chomp on Applejack, but the mare was able to quickly slide underneath the dinosaur. Confused, the Carnotaurus looked up but was promptly hit straight in the head by Rainbow Dash. "Over here, scaley!" Rainbow taunted. The dinosaur roared and tried snapping at Rainbow but she was too far up. Suddenly a lasso landed on one of the Carnotaurus' horns causing it to be yanked over to the right. "No! Over here, ya overgrown varmint!" Applejack yelled. Despite Applejack's small size compared to the Carnotaurus, she was still able to keep a hold of the large dinosaur. As the Carnotaurus turned to Applejack, he was suddenly struck in the back by a magic beam coming from Twilight Sparkle's horn. It tried to chomp at Twilight, but was struck again by a beam, this time near his stomach. "Get away from her, you brute!" Rarity shouted, shooting another blast at the Carnotaurus' head to get its attention. The Carnotaurus roared and charged at Rarity. Before the dinosaur reached her, Pinkie popped out of nowhere wearing a bull figher outfit and a red cloth. The Carnotaurus stopped immediately, almost hypnotized by the red fabric. He immediately switched his attention to Pinkies and charged right at her. "Toro! Toro!" Pinkie taunted. This just angered the Carnotaurus even more, its head literally turning red with anger. Just as the Carnotaurus was about to charge into her, Pinkie calmly slid to the right while the Carnotaurus continued charging right into a tree. As the Carnotaurus got his horns out of the trunk of the tree, he could've sworn he saw little pterosaurs flying in circles around his head. He immediately shook his head and turned to see the Mane 6 once again taking their defensive stances. The Carnotaurus turned to look at them and snarled. "Way to go, girls!" Junior exclaimed, before quickly covering his mouth by his paws. The ponies and the Carnotaurus turned to look at the young Edmontosaurus. The Carnotaurus turned back to look at the ponies...before dashing towards Junior! If it wasn't able to eat these small, colorful mammals, then a young Edmontosaurus would have to do. "Ahh! What do we do?!" Pinkie exclaimed. Suddenly, Fluttershy put on a determined face and soared through the air, trying to get to Junior before the Carnotaurus. As the Carnotaurus was about reach Junior, Fluttershy flew right between the Carnotaurus and Junior. The Carnotaurus roared furiously and tried to chomp at Fluttershy but the pegasus was quick. "ENOUGH!" Fluttershy shouted, unleashing her ultimate power: The Stare! The Carnotaurus growled at Fluttershy but soon felt paralysed by some sort of feeling. He felt ashamed. The Carnotaurus tried to look the other way but all this did was intensify the Stare. "How dare you attack this poor, young, defenseless animal. You should feel ashamed of yourself." Fluttershy stated, never taking her eyes off the Carnotaurus. "I wouldn't exactly say I'm "defenseless" Junior said, only to earn a look from Fluttershy that said, "Now is not the time." The Edmontosaurus quickly went back to being silent with an embarrassed smile on his face. Unfortunately, all the noise had attracted a rather hungry visitor. A huge snout popped out of the water followed by a pair of eyes. Suddenly Fluttershy saw the mysterious creature striding through the water. The distraction caused her stare to wear off on the Carnotaurus and it went back into aggressive mode. "Miss Fluttershy, watch out!" Junior shouted from the ground. Fluttershy looked back just in time to see the Carnotaurus about to bite down on her. She was narrowly able to avoid the dino's jaws and landed on the ground next to Junior. "Get behind me, Junior!" Fluttershy said, covering the Edmontosaurus with her wings. The Carnotaurus stomped towards, jaws open wide, while Fluttershy held her little dinosaur friend tightly. In what appeared to be his final moments, Junior wished he had been able to say goodbye to his mother one last time. Just as the Carnotaurus lunged at the two, out from the water lunged a large, prehistoric alligator called Deinosuchus. The crocodilian chomped down on the Carnotaurus' neck with so much force that it was able to pull it to the ground. As Fluttershy and Junior opened their eyes, the Carnotaurus thrashed around to get out of the Deinosuchus' jaws but the alligator had a firm grip on its neck. The Deinosuchus forcibly pulled the Carnotaurus to the left. Then, with all its strength, tore the head of the Carnotaurus straight off and swallowed it whole. The ponies and Edmontosaurus stood there in silence, shocked at what just happened. Until, Rainbow said out loud the one thing that going through all their heads right now. "What the actual f- > Night Terrors (edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Deinosuchus began to tear off chunks of meat from the body of the Carnotaurus, causing blood to pour into the water and turn it red. Rarity usually white face turned a sickly green. "I going to be sick.." Rarity gagged. "What in the hay is that?!" Applejack exclaimed. "That was a Deinosuchus." Junior explained. "A Deino-what?" Applejack exclaimed. Deinosuchus wasn't a dinosaur but instead a prehistoric alligator. Unlike most crocodilians today, Deinosuchus was huge, like really huge, capable of eating the dinosaurs that lived alongside it. It was 8-10 meters long and weighed 2.5 to 5 metric tons. It lived in western North America, specifically in Montana and northern Mexico where it would prey on herbivorous dinosaurs, large fish, and other aquatic animals that it hunted in freshwater lakes and rivers. The first Deinosuchus' fossils were found by the geologist, Ebenezer Emmons in 1858. Its name means, "terrible crocodile." While the ponies were getting their bearings, the Deinosuchus took notice of them and spoke to them, surprising the ponies. "Hey, this my meal. Get your own!" the Deinosuchus yelled. "What th-Gross! We prefer plants, thank you very much!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Except for Pinkie. She's pretty much just addicted to sugar." "I wouldn't call it an addiction, Dashie." Pinkie said, guzzling down a jar of sugar she pulled from out of nowhere. The Deinosuchus shrugged at the group and went back to eating the Carnotaurus' body. When the Deinosuchus went back to eating, Twilight quickly noticed something off about the group. "Hold on! One, two, three, four, five, and counting Junior, six. Where's Spike?!" Spike dragged himself across the forest floor, panting like a dog. "Twilight! I got your note! Next time you want to go on an adventure, don't leave without me!" Spike shouted, raising his arms into the air before collapsing back on the ground in exhaustion. Earlier that day, Twilight had sent Spike out to gather some stuff for the castle but when Spike got back, Twilight was gone. A single note told him where she and the rest of the Mane 6 were. And he was not happy about where it was. One thing he took away from all this: never skip leg day. As Spike stood back up, he almost tripped into the massive hole in the ground that he, for whatever reason, hadn't noticed before. "Huh. Was that always there?" Spike asked himself. As the young dragon went around the hole he noticed a few pair of hoofprints in the ground. "I guess Twilight and the rest of her friends jumped into the hole. No big deal, I just have to jump down this long..dark..mysterious tunnel." Spike gulped. "Alright, you can do this, Spike. Just jump down the hole and find your friends." Yet as Spike continued to stare down the hole, his anxiousness only increased. He continued to stare until he heard some rustling. Spike turned around and but saw nothing in the forest. But as he looked closer, he spotted something furry or feathery sneakily moving through the treeline. "Hello? Somepony or somecreature there?" Spike called out but to no response. He looked into the bushes again and could've sworn he saw two yellow eyes staring at him. "I don't mean you any trouble. I'm just gonna go now, okay?" Spike said, raising his arms in the air. Again, no response so Spike went ahead and went back the way he came. Despite not seeing anyone, Spike was unaware that something was watching him with its teeth laid bare in a malicious grin. Junior and the Mane 6 were busy trekking through the dense forest. To pass the time, Pinkie decided to play a game of "I Spy." "I spy with my little eye, something..purple." Pinkie said. "Umm, is it Princess Twilight?" Junior asked. "Correct!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Hey, kid. Not that there's anything wrong with walking through the forest but where exactly are we going?" Rainbow asked, becoming bored from the long trek. "Well, the last time I saw her before the earthquake was our herd's nesting spot." Junior said. " "Great, and where is this 'Valley'?" Rainbow asked. "Just beyond this jungle." Junior said. "Great." Rainbow said, sarcastically. Applejack shot her a glare, but Rainbow just rolled her eyes. "What? You can't tell me that this isn't boring right." "Well, why don't you just fly on up ahead and wait for us there?" Applejack said, deadpanned. "That wouldn't be very loyal of me, now would it?" Rainbow said, smirking. "I'm bored but I'm not just gonna leave you all to fend for yourselves." AJ shook her head and smiled to herself. Rainbow might be annoying sometimes but she was a really good friend. I wish I had friends like that, Junior said in his head. He did try and make friends with some of the members of his herd but most of them were either really young or didn't want to be friends with him. As the group continued to walk through the forest, the "sky" was becoming darker. "Is it just me? Or did it get darker all of a sudden?" Rarity asked. Everypony took a look around and realized that Rarity was right. "We've got to build a shelter. Who knows what could be lurking around here?" Twilight said. The ponies and Junior agreed and started to get to work. The girls worked hard into the night and finally they were done. It 10 feet tall, wooden shack. They all lit a campfire right in the middle to keep themselves warm. While it wasn't the most enchanting of places, it would have to do for now. For their beds, the ponies gathered up some low-hanging leaves and set them on the ground. Although Junior said he would just sleep on the dirt ground, the girls ignored him and made a little bed for him too. They all agreed to keep watch and switch every hour. The girls agreed and they were all off to sleep with Applejack offering be the first watch. The night was silent and calm, the only sounds be made were the crackling of the fire and the soft sounds made by some nighttime creep-crawlies. Also, Dash's loud snoring. Applejack kept on watching through the windows of the shack, keeping an eye out for any movement coming from the bushes. Applejack then heard something, only to find that it was Junior shifting around in his makeshift bed. Applejack slowly approached the young dinosaur. It seemed like Junior was having a nightmare. She remembered something she used to do with Applebloom back when she was a baby. She slowly caressed Junior's back and sung him a little lullaby. As Applejack sang, Junior started calm down and smiled a little. Applejack continued to stroke Junior's back until she heard something coming from outside. When she peered out the window, Applejack saw nothing until she saw a pair of pure white eyeballs staring directly at her. Soon, more eyeballs began to appear until there was nearly 17 white eyes looking into the shack. Suddenly, the shadowy creatures from which these eyes belonged to began walk out of the bushes and approach the shack. Without warning, the creatures started sprint towards the open entrance. Applejack quickly dashed for two slabs of wood and held them tightly against the entrance. The dinosaurs clawed and screeched, trying to get through. This of course, woke up the ponies. "Huh, is it morning already?" Rainbow asked. "This is really interrupting my beauty slee-WHAT IN EQUESTRIA?!" Rarity exclaimed. Junior and the rest of ponies woke up to the sight of Applejack barricading the entrance and some reptilian creatures trying to get in. "There's no time to explain girls, just start barricading the windows!" Applejack shouted, struggling to keep the dinos out. Immediately, Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow started barricading the windows while Fluttershy and Twilight helped Applejack keep the dinosaurs from getting through the entrance. Junior tried to think of a way to help his pony friends. "Junior, watch out!" Fluttershy exclaimed. Unbeknownst to Junior, one of the creatures had snuck through one of the windows and was about to attack. Luckily, Junior jumped out of the way, causing the creature to screech in anger. Fluttershy immediately rushed to Junior's side. The creature slowly approached the two, the light from the fire revealing it. The dinosaur was sleek and thin, showing that it was agile. It had a red pattern that stretched from its underbelly to its lower jaw. Its gray skin was decorated with black dots, a three black stripes, and a black feathery covering on its tail, back, and head. The creature's jaws were lined with narrow, pointed teeth and its eyes, if you could call them eyes, were nothing more than pure white spheres. This was a ferocious dinosaur to be sure, one Junior knew too well about: A Troodon. > Escape to Safety > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Troodon screeched at Fluttershy and Junior but before it could attack, Twilight shot it away with a beam shot from her horn. The beam burned the Troodon's skin. The dinosaur screeched in anguish and switched its attention to Twilight. "Uh oh.." Twilight muttered. "Not so fast!" Rainbow exclaimed, tackling the Troodon. The two tumbled around until Rainbow finally got a good grip on its neck. The Troodon snapped its jaws at Rainbow, trying to get a bite on her. "Quickly, Rainbow! Out the window!" Rarity exclaimed. Rainbow nodded, ran up to the window, and threw the Troodon out the window. The Troodon screeched at the top of its lungs as it crashed into the bushes. "And it's outta here!" Pinkie exclaimed, now wearing a baseball cap and glove all of a sudden. Unfortunately, the ponies victory was short-lived as the Troodon pack finally burst through the barricades. Twilight shot magic beams at the Troodons, knocking many of them out. "Quickly, girls! To the roof!" Twilight shouted. The Mane 6 and Junior all started to run for the stairs. Unfortunately, Fluttershy lagged behind and one of the Troodon's quickly got a hold of her. "Hey! I got the yellow one!" The Troodon said, biting down on Fluttershy's back hooves. The pegasus screamed in pain. The ponies turned around to stare in horror as their fallen friend was slowly getting dragged off. But before the Troodon could get any farther, Junior tackled it away. Junior then quickly tossed a limp Fluttershy onto his back and dashed for the stairs. "Nevermind. I don't got her." The Troodon said. The other members of his pack all groaned and facepalmed themselves. The ponies and Junior all finally made it to the top of the shack. Junior slowly placed Fluttershy down so they could get a better look at the bite. "Miss Fluttershy, are you alright?" Junior exclaimed. "Come on, Flutters, wake up!" Rainbow exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. Finally, Fluttershy's eyes started to open again. "W-What h-happened?" The Mane 6 breathed a sigh of relief. "We almost thought we lost you, Flutters!" Rainbow exclaimed. "We would've if it weren't for Junior." Rarity said. Junior blushed at the remark and scratched his head. They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of scratching on the walls. When the group looked over, to their horror, some of the Troodons were trying to scale the wall. "Do these things ever give up!" Rainbow exclaimed. "They're Troodons." Twilight explained. "They're some of the smartest when it comes to dinosaurs." Twilight was right. Troodon was a small, nimble, possibly omnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous Period in North America. Its name means "wounding tooth" and was found by Joseph Leidy in 1856. A full-grown Troodon was stood at a height of 3 feet, measured up to 2 meters, and weighed 110 Ibs. Troodon was smart enough to coordinately work in packs and was able to run at 30-40 mph. They are thought to be omnivorous so they would both eat plants and animals. "Oh, cool. So there's an egghead equivalent of a dinosaur. They're just like you, Twilight!" Rainbow giggled, earning a unamused look from Twilight. "Uh, girls, they're getting closer." Applejack said. "Twilight, dear, now would probably be a good time to teleport us away from here." Rarity said, nervously backing away from the edges of the shack. "Already working on it." Twilight said. The alicorn focused all her strength on teleporting all her friends and slowly, magical light began to spark from her horn. Finally, in a flash of light, all the ponies, and Junior, had all been teleported out of there. "Phew, that was a doozie." Pinkie exclaimed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "You can say that again, Pinkie." Applejack said. "Phew, that was a doo-" "Not literally." Applejack said, shaking her head and facepalming herself. "Pinkie, what are we gonna do with ya?" The group continued walking with Junior lagging behind, looking down at the ground. Fluttershy took notice of this and went to check on the young hadrosaur. "Are you alright, Junior?" Fluttershy asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah. It's just...nevermind." Junior said. "You can talk to me." Fluttershy said, putting her hoof on Junior's shoulder. Junior finally looked up at the pegasus and sighed. "It's just that..remember how I told you guys about how me and my mom got separated when that earthquake hit." "Yeah." "Well, I didn't tell you the whole story." Junior said. "The reason why we were caught up in that earthquake was because my mom was trying to catch me." "Why was she trying to do that?" Fluttershy asked. "She and I had a huge fight with each other." Junior said, then chuckled a little. "Funny thing is, I don't even know what triggered the fight, maybe it was me just being rebellious." As Junior continued speaking, tears began to well up in his eyes. "I-I told her that I hated her! That I didn't ever want to see her again." Junior exclaimed. "Now, she could be dead because of me!" At that moment, Fluttershy pulled Junior in and hugged him, her fur soaking up the dinosaur's tears. "It's my fault we got separated. It's all my fault. She probably hates me." Junior whimpered. "It's not your fault, Junior. From what you've told us, your mother loved you very much. I just know that she's alive and when you see her again, you'll both give each other the biggest hug." Fluttershy said, comforting Junior. "Are you sure?" Junior asked. "I'm sure of it." Fluttershy said, affirmatively. The two caught up with the rest of the group and they soon all stopped to get some much needed sleep. In the distance, a sad, bellowing sound could be heard. This came from the full-grown female Edmontosaurus from before, calling out in search of its baby. It had been several days since her baby had gone missing and while the rest of her herd had given up, the mother's determination never faltered. "Don't worry, Junior. I won't give up." > A New Day, A New Danger: Part 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Junior slowly awoke to the smell of something delicious. His amber eyes saw something being cooked on a rusty pan by Applejack while the rest of the girls were sitting on some logs enjoying their breakfast. "Morning, Junior." Applejack greeting the young Edmontosaurus. "Ya hungry?" Junior nodded and Applejack handed him a toasted flower sandwich which he happily ate. After the talk he had with Fluttershy last night, Junior felt more determined than ever to see his mom again, which didn't go unnoticed my the ponies, specifically a pink party pony. "What's got you so excited, little buddy?" Pinkie asked. "I'm just really excited to finally find my mom." Junior said. "I just know that beyond this forest, my mom will be there." "I hope so because I simply cannot stand walking through this forest for who knows how long!" Rarity exclaimed. "I mean just look at my precious hooves." Rarity raised up her hooves, which were all muddy and tattered. Everypony simply smiled and rolled their eyes at their fashionista friend. "I really need a spa treatment when we get back home." After finishing up their breakfast and putting out the fire, the group once again trekked through the forest. Unlike last night, the ponies and their dinosaur companion didn't encounter any dinosaurs except for some small dinosaurs like a Sinosauropteryx and a pair of Homalocephale foraging for food. Eventually though, the Mane 6 reached a clearing a with several nests and broken eggshells laid around. "This is it! This was my herd's nesting site!" Junior exclaimed. "Aww, look at the little eggy-weggies!" Pinkie said, making puppy eyes at the melon-sized, broken eggs. Twilight looked around, noticing that there no other Edmontosauruses around. "Hey, Junior. How come there aren't any Edmontosauruses around here." Twilight asked. "That is kind of weird. I thought my herd would still be here looking for me" Junior said, somberly. "I'm sure they are, sugarcube. Maybe we're just not looking hard enough." Applejack said, comforting Junior. "Everypony spread out! Let's see if we find Junior's herd!" The rest of the mares nodded in agreement and went searching for the rest of the Junior's herd. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Junior searched on the eastside while Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie searched the westside. As the group continued to search, Junior's belief in his mom and his herd staying to search for him was starting to seem slim. Perhaps his fight with his mother just drove her away. Maybe he truly ruined their relationship. Or worse, maybe she was...dead. All because of him. Junior sat down on the ground and started to remember the fight he had with his mother. A few days earlier... Junior was running through the bushes, his mother chasing after him. "Junior, please calm down." His mother, Tulip yelled. "No! Get away from me!" Junior angrily shouted. Eventually though, Tulip caught up with him. To the average pony, this sounded like two dinosaurs angrily bellowing at each other. "Junior, sweetie, please. Just settle down. We can talk this ou-" Tulip said, trying hold Junior's arm, only to be swatted away. "Shut up, Mom! Why are you always like this?!" Junior shouted. "Why do have so many rules?!" "I just want to keep you safe." Tulip said. "Well, I can take care of myself, I don't need you!" Junior shouted. Those words pierced Tulip's heart, her eyes beginning to well up. Junior, meanwhile, shook his head angrily. "I-I need some space right now. Okay?" Junior said, starting to head in another direction. "Junior, wait!" Tulip tried to say. Suddenly, the ground began to violently shake. Junior and Tulip struggled to keep their balance. "W-What's going on?!" Junior yelled. "EARTHQUAKE!!" Tulip shouted. The two Edmontosauruses immediately started to run. Behind them, dozens of other species of dinosaurs were running every which way. Tulip looked back to check on Junior to make sure he was still following her. As looked back, she saw something at the top of the eye. Was it just her or was the cave ceiling getting closer to them? She was right! Large chunks of rock were falling down, straight towards them! Tulip opened her mouth to warn Junior but it was too late. A giant rock fell down, sending the two Edmontosauruses flying. When Junior landed, he was knocked unconscious. It would be a few hours before he would finally wake up again and even more before he could see his mother again. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he revisited the memory. He deep in his thoughts when someone tapped him in the shoulder. More accurately, "somepony." "Are you alright, Junior?" Fluttershy asked. "Not really. Just thinking about my mom." Junior said. "It'll be alright." Fluttershy said, trying to comfort the dinosaur to no avail. "I don't think it will be though." Junior somberly. Fluttershy hugged Junior tightly as Junior proceeded to weep. While Fluttershy was comforting Junior, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were searching around the nesting site. "Found anything yet, Pinkie?" Rainbow hollered. "Nope. Nothing yet!" Pinkie replied. As Pinkie continued hop across the ground, she suddenly tripped on something and yelped in surprise. Rainbow quickly flew to her pink friend's aid who was lying face-down. "Pinkie, you alright?" Rainbow exclaimed. "Whoa, that was a doozy!" Pinkie said, her blue pupils spinning in a circle. As Rainbow helped her up, Pinkie noticed a bunch of amber-colored eggs, forming a sort of spiral. "Hey, Dashie! Look at these eggs!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Whoa, those don't like Edmontosaurus eggs." Rainbow said, taking noticed of the egg's slimmer structure and different color. "Yeah, that looks kind of weird." Pinkie said, bouncing up and down repeatedly at a high speed. "Whoa! Pinkie was that your Pinkie Sense?" Rainbow asked. "Yup, and it sounds like it's gonna be real big doozy!" Pinkie exclaimed, jittering. "Considering where we are right now, I really am not looking forward to whatever this doozy is gonna be." Rainbow said, looking around nervously. But as she looked around, she realized there were more than just one nest of these eggs. Whatever was laying these eggs had clearly made this its territory. Suddenly, a large growl came from the shrubbery. Rainbow's and Pinkie's eyes darted to the forest. From the treeline, popped a tall, sleek dinosaur with sharp claws and even sharper teeth. One of its toes was raised, revealing a sharpened claw ready to tear the ponies to shreds. The animal that stood before them was none other than a Utahraptor. But this Utahraptor wasn't alone. From the bushes, three more popped out. One of them had yellow and black stripes running across it's body, the second one had tiger stripes across its body and emerald eyes with slit pupils like a cat, and the third was completely grey except for a blue streak that ran from its head to its tail. "Well, there's your doozy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. > A New Day, A New Danger: Part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Utahraptors snarled at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. The two mares were slowly backing away as the pack got closer and closer. Suddenly, the leader of the Utahraptor pack, called Regina by her packmates, lunged at them. But, when the dust cleared from the attack, she saw the ponies were gone. When the pack looked up, they were shocked to find the mares floating in the air like the native pterosaurs. Rainbow was struggling to hold Pinkie up while the party pony jumped up and down like a child. "Pinkie! Stop tugging on my hooves or you're gonna tear them off!" Rainbow shouted. "Oops, sorry!" Pinkie said, nervously chuckling. The Utahraptors were shaken out of their daze and snarled at the ponies. The leader of the pack jumped up and snapped at Pinkie Pie's hooves. "Yikes! Get us out of here, Rainbow!" Pinkie said, jumping and clinging to Rainbow's chest. "On it!" Rainbow said, her body straining from Pinkie's weight. Rainbow zoomed away at high speeds, leaving the Utahraptor pack in the dust, literally. Regina snarled and called her pack to follow them. The pair continued flying until they finally saw the rest of their friends in the distance. The two crashed into the dirt causing the rest if the Mane 6 to come to their aid. "Oh, dear! Rainbow, Pinkie, what happened to you both?!" Rarity exclaimed. "Eggs..feathery lizards...coming for us!" Rainbow panted. "Slow down, RD! You're not making any sense." Applejack said, shaking Rainbow by her shoulders. "We need to get out of here now!" Pinkie yelled, pushing Rainbow out of the way. "Wait, wha-Pinkie, what exactly do you mean?" Applejack asked. Suddenly, in the far distance, something was quickly approaching. More accurately, a whole pack of something. The Utahraptor pack were speeding towards the ponies, their teeth laid bare. "Oh, that's why." Applejack replied. "W-What are they?" Fluttershy asked, trembling with fear. "Utahraptors. It looks like they made the nesting site their hunting ground." Twilight said. "Everypony, split up!" With that the command, everyone scattered into the forest. The Utahraptors followed right behind them. Rarity used her magic to teleport herself up into a tree. When she looked to the left, she saw Applejack and Pinkie hiding in the other tree. "Hi, Rarity!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Pinkie!" Applejack exclaimed, raising her hoof to her mouth. Pinkie literally zipped her mouth close with a zipper and nodded her head, knowingly. On the ground, the mares spotted two Utahraptors, Blue and another called Ripper. The two raptors communicated with each other using certain growls and grunts before darting off into the forest. The ponies breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the predators dart off. Twilight galloped past bushes and shrubs until she approached a clearing. She slowed down to catch her breath until she heard something running towards her. She ducked just in time to avoid the sharp claws of one of the Utahraptors, this one named Blaze. She had a mix of emotions going through her at that moment: fear and fascination. She was afraid because, you know, this thing was going trying to kill her and her friends but she was also fascinated by the Utahraptor's distinct yellow-and-black pattern. This was definitely something she'd have to record in her journal later on. If she were to survive of course. Blaze leaned back and pounced at Twilight but the alicorn was able to shoot a magic beam at the raptor, sending it flying into the bushes. Before Blaze could get back up again, a voice called to her from the top of the tree. Twilight instantly recognized the voice as that of Rainbow Dash. "Psst! Twilight! Hide up here!" Rainbow Dash whispered quietly, but loud enough for the alicorn to hear. Twilight spread her wings and flew into the forest's canopy to hide with her friend. As the raptor finally got back up, the two mares were shocked to discover that the raptor was now speaking. "By Faust's name, what the devil is going on now?" Blaze asked. Suddenly, he covered his mouth in shock. "Sweet biscuits! I'm talking! What is this witchcraft?!" The two mares continued to stare as the raptor's ranting, prompting Rainbow to giggle at the creature's accent. Blaze sniffed for the ponies' scent but found nothing and sped away. "Twilight, I know this kinda sounds like a bad question to ask right now but how come some of these dinosaurs can talk now?" Rainbow asked. "I mean one minute, that Utahraptor was snarling and growling at us but now he's speaking like one of those rich ponies from Canterlot." Twilight tapped her chin before she replied. "I don't know for sure but I do have a theory. These dinosaurs come from an Equus predating magic and harmony. Perhaps, now that there's a huge hole in this "lost world", Equestrian magic is seeping through and causing huge changes to these dinosaurs' biology." Twilight explained. "Yeah, definitely seems like the type of egghead theory you'd come up with." Rainbow said, amusingly. Twilight just stared at her pegasus friend with a deadpanned look. Fluttershy and Junior hid behind a fallen tree , trying to keep as quiet as possible. Outside of their hiding spot, a hungry Regina was sniffing the air. She had tracked down the scent of two creatures nearby and was trying to track it down. Fluttershy made a "shush" sign to Junior before she took a peek behind the tree. She sneakily looked around for the raptor but she wasn't there. She sighed in relief and crawled back to Junior. "No one's there anymore. We're safe, Junior." Fluttershy said. The two sighed in relief again until something splashed on the ground. When the two looked down, they saw a tiny puddle of water had formed on the ground. Though it didn't look like water, more like...saliva. Suddenly, another drop of saliva fell on the ground. Then another. Another. And another. Fluttershy and Junior looked at each other nervously and slowly turned their heads upwards. As they looked up, they weren't met with the forest's canopy but instead the snarling, saliva-drenched mouth of Regina the Utahraptor. "Run?" Junior asked. "Run." Fluttershy replied, looking at Junior. The two jumped out of the way and started to run just as Regina leaped down and screeched at the pair. As the pair ran through the forest, they could hear the raptors calling out to each other in the distance. The two finally stopped to catch their breath. "Where are they?" Junior said looking around. "Just stay close, Junior. We'll be al-What are you looking at?" Fluttershy said. Junior, trembling like there was an earthquake, slowly pointed to the bushes. Confused, Fluttershy turned around and was met face to face with the snarling snout of Blaze the Utahraptor. The raptor immediately pounced onto the yellow pegasus, their claws digging into Fluttershy's flesh. The pegasus winced in pain but the Utahraptor didn't let up. Before it could harm her any further, Junior knocked Blaze away with a smack of his tail. "Get off her!" Junior growled. He helped Fluttershy back and she gave him a thankful nod. "Thank you, Junior. Now, let's get out of here." Fluttershy said. Junior nodded and the two were about to move on when suddenly, Regina came rushing out of the bushes. They tried to go another way but the other pack members joined Regina and cornered the pair. Blaze, who was getting back up, growled at the two. "Sorry, but there's no getting out of this one, you ruffians!" Blaze said, pulling out a monocle from out of nowhere. The raptors snarled at the pair, back them against a huge stone wall. "I don't think we'll be getting out of this one, Junior. I'm just sorry we weren't able to reunite you with your mother like we promised." Fluttershy said, looking at the Edmontosaurus. "It's alright, at least you tried which is way more than most other dinosaurs or creatures would do." Junior said, smiling at Fluttershy. "Thanks, anyway." The two smiled at each other but were interrupted when one of the Utahraptors, Blue, pounced up, ready to tear the pair apart. Fluttershy and Junior braced for the impact...but felt nothing. When they opened their eyes, they stood in shock at the sight before them. Blue had been knocked to the ground and standing between them and the raptors was a fully-grown Edmontosaurus. "Don't you dare lay a claw on my baby!" Junior instantly recognized that voice. "Mom?" > A New Day, A New Danger: Part 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tulip and Blue stared each other down, fury in their eyes. Behind Tulip, Fluttershy and Junior held each other tightly. Blue screeched and sped towards Fluttershy and Junior but was picked up and thrown away by Tulip's massive beak. The raptor pack hissed at Tulip and sped towards her. Tulip reared up on her hind legs and kicked her front legs up in the air. Regina and Blaze jumped onto Tulip's sides. Tulip bellowed in pain as the Utahraptors' claws dug into her flesh. Junior shook himself out of his daze and looked to Fluttershy. "We have to help her, Miss Fluttershy! She's outnumbered!" Junior exclaimed. Fluttershy looked to Junior and nodded in agreement. Despite her fear, she wasn't going to let those raptors kill Junior's mother. A recovering Blue stood up and snarled at Tulip. While the rest of her packmates were distracting the Edmontosaurus, Blue sneaking towards Tulip, ready to pounce. Before she got any further though, Fluttershy tackled Blue to the ground and pushed her down. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Trying to attack this mother and son!" Fluttershy exclaimed, with anger. Blue snapped at Fluttershy it response who was able to dodge the attack. "You asked for it!" Fluttershy shouted. In a few seconds, Fluttershy activated her most powerful ability: The Stare! Blue ceased her growling and immediately looked upon the pegasus before her. She tried to look away but Fluttershy's eyes had almost hypnotized her. Meanwhile, Blaze was clinged onto Tulip's flesh, causing the Edmontosaurus to roar in anguish. "If I must say, this will be quite delicious!" Blaze said, licking his lips. Before he could bite down into Tulip, he was suddenly yanked by his tail. It was Junior! After a few tugs by the tail, Junior yanked Blaze off of his mother. He then tossed the Utahraptor onto the ground and bit down on Blaze's right arm, prompting him to screech in pain. Junior once again threw Blaze to the side before going to deal with the other raptors. Ripper taking notice of this jumped off Tulip and sped towards the young dinosaur, while Regina kept Tulip distracted. As Fluttershy kept Blue hypnotized with her Stare, she saw Ripper slowly closing in on Junior. "Junior, watch out!" Fluttershy yelled out. Junior quickly turned around and saw Ripper ready to pounce on him. Luckily, Junior ducked out of the way just as Ripper leapt into the air. Blaze wasn't so lucky. Just as Blaze was getting back up, he was knocked to the ground by the weight of Ripper landing on him. The two Utahraptors snapped and growled at each other before they launched into a full wrestling match. Fluttershy softly smiled knowing that Junior was safe but that was short lived. When she turned back to Blue, she was met with the snarling face of the Utahraptor. Luckily, Fluttershy rolled out of the way before Blue could even bite her. She backed her way right into Junior causing the two to fall over. Tulip looked to the side, seeing the pair in danger. She immediately shook Regina off her and rushed to protect the odd creature and her son. She lost her son once. She wasn't gonna lose him again. Before the raptors could get any closer, Tulip rushed ahead of them. The pack snarled at Tulip and Tulip grunted right back at them. "Stay behind me." Tulip told Fluttershy and Junior. "Wait, mom-" "Junior, stay behind me." Tulip asserted. Junior nodded reluctantly and took a step back. With the two now protected, Tulip turned back to face the raptors. Ready to protect her son. Or die trying. The Utahraptors growled at Tulip, slowly creeping towards her. Some of the raptors snarled at Tulip yet she didn't show any fear. She stood her ground and grunted at the raptors. Suddenly, all of the pack sprinted towards Tulip, ready to rip and tear her apart. Regina made the first attack, lunging and slashing into Tulip's side. On Tulip's left side, Ripper dealt his own attack. causing blood to draw from Tulip's flesh. The Edmontosaurus roared in pain and tried to shake the Utahraptors off her but they were holding on tight. Blue sprinted towards Tulip, but Tulip was able to swat her away with her tail. Unfortunately, this distracted Tulip from Blaze who was rushing straight towards her. Blaze jumped onto Tulip's face, piercing her skin with his claws. Tulip roared out in pain and tried to throw the Utahraptor off her. Seeing that the Utahraptors were starting to get the upper hand on Tulip, Fluttershy swallowed her fear and flew into the battle. She was able to tackle Blaze to the ground and held him in place with her Stare. Blue, seeing the vulnerable pegasus, rushed towards Fluttershy. Before Blue could even reach her though, Tulip grabbed the Utahraptor by her tail and threw her off to the side. "Now, you go think about what you did." Fluttershy said, getting off of Blaze. "Y-Yes, ma'am!" Blaze said, nodding his feverishly. He then proceeded to flee back into the forest, most likely to cry in shame. Regina roared in annoyance as Blaze fled, giving Tulip the chance to throw the Utah raptor off her. She then grabbed Ripper by the tail and threw him off as well. Despite this though, the Utahraptor pack kept coming back for more. Fluttershy and Tulip did their best to defend each other and Junior, each dealing their own blows on the Utahraptors. Fluttershy used her Stare to distract the raptors and knocked them off of Tulip when they tried to jump onto the Edmontosaurus. Tulip bucked the raptors away and kept them at a safe distance with her large tail. Unfortunately though, the pack was resilient. Blue was able bite onto Fluttershy's hoof and pull her to the ground. Before the pegasus could get back up again, Blue was able to pin Fluttershy down with her clawed feet. Before Blue could kill her though, Tulip came stomping in and tossed the raptor aside. This, though, left her open to an attack from the sides. Regina leapt onto Tulip and slashed hard into her neck, causing the Edmontosaurus to roar in pain. Junior immediately tried to run towards his mother but was cut off by Ripper. Ripper roared at Junior but he showed no fear. He charged right into the Utahraptor and hit him in the private area. Ripper roared in pain, hopping around before falling over and curling himself into a ball. With With Ripper down, Junior tried to get to his mother but was grabbed by Blue. The Utahraptor yanked Junior away and forcibly slid him across the dirt. Tulip roared, seeing her son in danger, but this only caused Regina's claws to dig deeper into Tulip's flesh. Ripper and Blue jumped on both sides of Tulip, slashing into the Edmontosaurus with their sharp claws. Tulip tried her best to try and get the raptors off her but all this did was tire her out. Soon, Tulip, completely exhausted and covered with wounds, collapsed to the ground. The Utahraptors leapt off of Tulip and slowly approached her, ready to feast. Before they could get any closer, Fluttershy and Junior got in their way. "Get away from her!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Stay away from my mother!" Junior yelled. The Utahraptors snarled at the pair. They were determined to get their meal. Regina started to run straight for Fluttershy and Junior but the pair held their ground. Suddenly, a beam of lavender magic shot out from the trees, blasting Regina away. Fluttershy and Junior turned to where this beam had come from. From out of the trees came the Mane 6 with Twilight leading the group. Twilight and Rarity shot magic beams at the Utahraptors, causing them to retreat. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Applejack rushed over to Fluttershy and Junior. "You guys all alright?" Applejack asked. "Girls, thank goodness you came!" Fluttershy exclaimed, rushing over and hugging the two mares tightly. "Easy, Flutters, easy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "We're glad to see you too but could you let us breathe for a second." "Oh, sorry." Fluttershy said, blushing. "How did you find us? "We heard some roaring and screeching coming from over here." Applejack said. The farm pony then noticed the wounded Tulip, panting heavily on the ground. "Who's that?" Applejack asked. "Oh, right. Girls, this is Junior's mother and right now she really needs our help." Fluttershy explained, rushing over to Tulip. The whole group rushed towards Tulip to tend to her wounds. Luckily, the Utahraptors missed the vital organs and Tulip just needed time and rest for her wounds to heal. Of course, first, they had to be patched up. It just so happened that Rarity had brought her sewing kit with her. "You never no when a fashion emergency is going to happen." Rarity told the group. Rarity tied a string of thread around her sewing needle and was able to close up Tulip's open wounds. With the help of both Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Twilight, Tulip was able to get back on her feet. And Junior could not be happier. The young Edmontosaurus rushed to his mother and both embraced each other, tears falling from their eyes. "It was cutest thing ever, Spike!" Pinkie squealed. All of the Mane 6 were gathered within Twilight's castle and seated in their respective seats. On the far end of the Cutie Map was Spike, mouth extended wide in shock. Finally, Spike spoke. So. You're telling me. That you all fell into an undiscovered world full of living dinosaurs. Had to fight for your lives against Troodons and raptors. And reunited an Edmontosaurus with his long lost mother. All the mares nodded in agreement. "WITHOUT ME!" Spike yelled, catching the whole group off guard. "Unbelievable." With that said, the dragon stomped off to his room with his hands up in the air, frustrated. The group just stared at each other with wide eyes before bursting into laughter. "Well, I gotta say, that was one heck of an adventure." Applejack said. "Yes. A little too much adventure for me though." Rarity said. "If anyone needs me, I'll be at the spa." "I'll write a letter to Princess Celestia." Twilight said, yawning a little. "Right after a quick nap." And that was that. Each member of the Mane 6 departed from the castle as the Celestia's Sun was starting to set on Equestria's horizon. All the mares headed home, except for Rarity who was heading over for a quick mud bath and a hoof manicure. As for Fluttershy, she trotted back to her cottage. When she opened the door, she was immediately welcomed by all of her animals hugging her tightly. "I missed you all too." Fluttershy giggled. After feeding all the animals and putting them to sleep, Fluttershy headed to her bedroom to enjoy some much-needed rest. While she slept, she couldn't help but think about Junior. While she was sad to have to say goodbye to him, she knew that he had to stay where he belonged. With his mother. In his home. With that thought, the pegasus drifted off to sleep. But, deep in the Everfree forest, something was awake. That something was heading for Ponyville. It wasn't a Timberwolf or an Ursa Minor. It was something far more prehistoric. While the Mane 6 may have concluded this adventure in the Underground, there were many more to come.