It was midday across the island; the weather was fair with the sun shining down a warm blanket that was only disturbed temporarily by puffy white clouds across the blue canvass. A gentle ocean baring wind from the west swept through the trees, buildings, and fields as life seemed to be in a state of total calm.
In one of the many fields north of the resort, Blue stood in a semi-crouch on top of one of the many hills that dotted the land. Her eyes closed as she breathed slow, shallow breaths as the wind and light provided a comfortable combination that allowed her to feel the world around her. It felt so much like a dream she felt that it was like the ones so much before that every time she would try to enjoy it would be whisked away. But this wasn't a dream. It was one in the making for the past year.
Year?
She mulled over the word. Yes, it was now a year since she woke up in that dark room after 2 long years of being alone. At the time she wouldn't think this was even possible, yet here she was. Living free with the entire island to call home. Where there was no risk of being killed by a predator or hunted down, going hungry every night or be out in the cold. To come home every night to her friends, sisters, and mate.
"Mama!" A tiny voice caught her attention. Opening her eyes just in time to see 3 little raptors come barreling towards her. Though their still-developing legs and their youthful speed meant that tripped and had to correct a lot as they came up the hill to her. All three of them seemingly looked like smaller version of herself when she was still fresh from the egg. When she and her sisters were still in the tiny room with Owen wearing the strange arm piece in teaching them.
The differences though were that they held a much higher level of darker colors than herself. One of them, dubbed Nightshade due to her dark colors, was a deep charcoal gray with her amber eyes and a similar blue streak that was just a few shades lighter than her scales that gave her the perfect chance to hide in anywhere that was near pitch black. The other two, Strike and Amber, both nearly identical with each other with stripes of combined blue and yellow that seem to reverse themselves for the other, were close behind but yet pausing to try to nip at the other's tail to gain the lead.
She crouched down and went just above their eye level, "Yes?"
"Uncle Owen is coming with treats!" Nightshade said bouncing up and down with joy. Nearly falling over until Blue caught her with her snout and help correct her.
"Alright then. Go on back to the others, I'll be there in a moment."
Without another word the 3 scattered back to the pack. Blue watched as they dashed through the grass to where all you could see is the disturbing trails from above and the occasional tumbles and cries of surprise. With a sigh and a smile, she looked back out across the land. Seeing a flock of pteranodons soars passed on their usual patrol to make sure any invaders don't try to get on their island.
Taking a deep breath she leaped back up and sprinted down the hill. Enjoying the wind blowing past and the soil under her feet as she headed towards one of the more gathering field; a place most common for the herds of the island to come together and simply relax and enjoy their time.
While it wasn't even a few minutes before they had left her, Blue could already hear her hatchlings ahead of her still making their way.
"Come on now." She said coming up beside them. "You got to focus on your target, know where it is, and feel the world move around you." She picked up her pace some to emphasize.
Feeling the confidence grow the others quickly began adopting posses of their own like hers. Feeling themselves fly them the grass and shrub as they weaved around a fallen tree to the other side. Once they broke out into the opening, Blue slowed her pace down to let them gain the lead as she examined her surroundings.
She remembered this field for the first day she left her home from waking up. The first day that like today saw Rexy moving around without anyone really fearing her as she patrolled and checked on all. And the first day she began to see the true impact that Alex had on everyone.
On top of one the main hills the fields held, Inda was resting in her natural form with her body forming a massive semi-circle with her tail coming around to almost close in the loop. Several hatchlings were everywhere on her mostly sliding down her massive tail or trying to nip at the end. Nearly 7 of them were in a circle around the tip of her tail as with one eye open she would wiggle it just above them, lower it, and see if they could react fast enough to catch it.
Resting just next to her head was 2 more, much larger hatchlings she called her own. Both roughly the size of a human teen pressed tightly against each other against their mother's neck.
Though in the circle resting against Inda's belly was where the others sat enjoying the sun over them. Resting in the middle in what was his new self, Alex had an arm draped over her sisters in a tight but snug embrace as they rested up against him in their human forms. Surrounding them that filled in the loop were at least two dozen more hatchlings from all four of them either laying out to soak up the sun or to annoy their siblings in either a game or just to rouse them.
In toll there had to be at least 48 of them split between them all plus Inda's 2. Their pack had literally exploded in size from just one nesting season and each and every one of them was growing nice and healthy with all the love five mothers and one proud father could give.
Upon hearing his beta running up to them, Alex slowly opened both eyes to see Blue's form coming up the hill with her head comically poking out from above Inda's tail as she looped around the small pockets of snoozing babies. With a bit of effort on his part due to being weighed down by the other girls, Alex slowly got a leg under him and pushed off the ground.
Though they were a little reluctant on letting their mate go, they knew there will be time for snuggling later. Getting up onto his feet with a little spring Alex stretched out his body feeling some pops here and there from sitting for so long as another set accompanied it.
Blue, now in human form, was a bit different than some time ago like the others all were. Her human features had smoothed out more and become more defined in where the human and raptor was shaped. Her head was overall smoother and slightly shorter with her tail now thinning out as it came up to her back. She stood much straighter as opposed to having a slight tilt from how her legs were but that was gradually changed.
As they both approached each other arms out to reach, she let out a soft smile that one could tell wasn't like a raptor trying to smile, but a genuine smile that any person would have to smile back for.
"So... I take it they found ya?" Alex asked watching as the trio that went to get their mother merged with the crowd.
"They're learning fast alright," Blue said as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Think they'll be ready to hunt?"
"Hey now." he said playfully. "We still don't know when they'll start changing. Then we can really start worrying."
Both chuckled as they stood there holding each other. While Alex's changes did come with some added bonuses (ones that all of them oh so greatly enjoyed) the fact that Blue was still taller meant that her snout still went over his should fairly easily. Though for a moment they stood locked together, they slowly began retracting as they stared into each other's eyes like being lost into a vortex.
Not another word was shared as they closed the gap. Though even with the perks of the mixtures and being part human (mostly human for one) two mouths would be an issue when it comes to kissing. But not in this situation or the many before and to come. Tilting her head just enough Blue felt her lips connect with him as they both let out a soft moan for the contact. Wrapping each other's arms around as they slowly pulled apart.
*BEEP, BEEP*
Then like an ax through dry wood, the mood was dropped somewhat but the sound of dozens of baby raptors suddenly perking up at the horn coming up to them made it all the more wholesome.
Coming up from one of the roads was a Jurrasic World Jeep Wrangler that was in better condition than most things on the island with the top off and boxes sticking out the back. Stopping roughly 20 yards out near the bottom of the hill the driver and passenger doors came open as Owen, dawning a pair of black cargo shorts and navy blue shirt came out with wide-open arms.
"Hey Kids! I got your-WOAH!" Like a stampede of tiny claws, every hatchling raced across the hill towards the vehicle as they climbed over the vehicle, through the windows, and up the tires as they scratched and clawed at the boxes.
One of them, deep green with a black underbelly that wrapped around their snout like a mask, was the first to manage to get one of the boxes open as 3 dived into the hole.
"OREOS!" another yelled out holding a pack of double stuff in their grasp like a warrior presenting their trophy. The action was enough to send everyone else into a frenzy as they began digging at the boxes for the treats like the little tornadoes they were.
Owen tried to calm them down and organize the insanity, but when it came to dealing with young kids, especially raptors, he knew that it was pointless once they become dead set on their prize.
"Looks like they still got some learning to do from their uncle." Another voice side coming out from around the vehicle.
Claire Dearing, after being explained to, shown, fallen unconscious from a heavy dose of alcohol, then shown again came out from around the front up to Owen's side. While the weather was warm she mostly dawn a pair of black paints with a green jacket and t-shirt with a stegosaur with its fins reading out D.P.G. Even though Owen felt that 'Uncle' wasn't really the best word to use since he would in a sense be their grandpa, no one really felt it was wise to go calling Rexy 'Grandma Rex' if they still valued their limbs.
She had come as part of the small group of humans that the island had allowed to come and stay (to some capacity) as the Dinosaur Protection Group that acted as their connection to the human world at large. Getting fresh supplies, more food and medicine, and protection all the while they didn't interfere with life. It was difficult at first, but in time they soon began to be welcomed among the island with the caretakers from before being welcomed as parts of the bigger family.
While they still operated out of the control center, Claire had opted to stay with Owen in his old bungalow where it was easy for them to take part in actives with Owen's apparent family.
"Hehe, yeah..." Owen chuckled with a smile. But as he watched on he felt himself twitch a little at the fact that all the years he's worked with his 4 girls is now gonna apply somewhat to nearly 50 of them.
But he had his girls taking up that job, so he wasn't worried that much.
Back on the hill the girls finally began to take note that their kids were on the verge of consuming all the treats before they could get a bite. Acting quickly they sprinted down to try to scavenge what they could.
Alex and Blue stayed where they were. With the latter pressed up against him with his arm around her. Their tails drifting together as they wrapped at least 3 times in a tight hold.
While she personally wanted to run down there and save a whole crate for herself (a weakness she guessed was passed on to her own kids) and take it somewhere secret, she knew that there will be more later and that just being next to her mate's warm body was enough to satisfy her.
She knew that, without even feeling it deep down, that everything she could ever ask for was finally here.
But far away in the mountain that gave birth to this spit of land in the ocean, deep down below the earth where the heat rises and the pressure builds, a rumble began to form. Like a monster preparing its roar for all to hear and bear witness to its awakening.
