530 million years Ago

Cambrian Period

Place: Chengjang, China

Oxygen Content: 30% below Today

Hazards: World's First Super Predators

The girls and Spike finally exit the time tunnel were soaring through the air in a bubble that was still breathable.

And as they looked down. They saw a landscape of coastline of no life.

Where are we? Spike asked.

I don't know Spike, we could be anything right now! Twilight said.

The gang were confused of where they are, but what they didn't know is that this was their planet 530 million years ago. Of course nothing yet lives on land. But in the ocean, It's a different story.

Then the bubble took them down to the nearby ocean and when were in the water each have breathable bubble around their heads. And saw some jellyfish, after looking at them they dive down to the seabed. Life has already been evolving for millions of years at a slow and steady pace. The sea are full simple soft body creatures blindly drifting in the currents. Now however, in the coastal shallows below, evolution has stepped on the accelerator.

The group of 8 have finally swan near the seafloor in saw strange creatures that look like wood lice called trilobites.

What, are this creatures? Rainbow Dash said.

I don't know, I never seen anything like them. Fluttershy said.

Then a strange looking shrimp like creature appeared and grabbed one of the trilobites with It's arms and begins to feed. Predators have taken their first time. It was Anomalocaris, Earth's 1st super predator. As the Anomalocaris feeds on the trilobite, the groups looks at this strange creature.

That is one strange animal. Pinkie said.

Is it some kind of shrimp or something? Applejack.

It kinda looks like a Mantis Shrimp, but I don't know. Said Starlight.

As they continue to look at the creature, what they didn't know is that this 6 foot long monster owes his success to a monumental evolutionary landmark. Eyes. And Twilight notice his golf ball like eyes. They may look bizarre, but they're not unique. Many predators in the Cambrian seas have also evolved eyes, and so have their prey. The consequences have been explosive.

Then the Anomalocaris begins to swim off as the groups swims off to explore this water world.

Being able to see, and react to enemies has triggered an arms race between hunter and hunted. This battle continues today, and is a major force behind the variety of life. To combat being visible and vulnerable, 80% of creatures in these shallow seas have sturdy skeletons on the outside of their bodies. These armored animals are called Arthropods. In the future they'll give rise to insects and spiders. But in these crowded waters there's competition everywhere, and even the mighty Anomalocaris's defences are constantly put to the test.

As Twilight and the others continue to swim around, they notice 2 Anomalocaris challenging each other.

Oh, I got to see this! Rainbow said wanting to watch them duel.

So far, the two alien looking creatures did was swam around hitting each other, until finally one of them grabs the other and bends It's neck too far. and the loser swims off.

Rigid armor splits if bent too far, leaving the loser vulnerable. To a completely different threat.

The wounded Anomalocaris stops for moment as swarm of tiny creatures begin to surround him. The group went for a closer look, couldn't make out much of them due to their size. But what they didn't know that they were their greatest grandfathers.

This was Haikouichthys. He's the size of a human's thumbnail, but he's an evolutionary giant. He's the first ever fish. Their earliest known ancestor. He's unique because instead of having armor on the outside, he's tough inside. He's evolved a primitive backbone. He's the very first vertebrate. Forerunner of all future backboned animals from the Dinosar, to the elephant, to the whale, to us and them.

The gang watches as the school of Haikouichthys swarm around the Anomalocaris as they feed on his wound.

And their flexible backbone makes him more manoeuvrable than spineless Anomalocaris. They can scavenge flesh, and dart away unharmed.

The gang continues to watch the frenzy, and Rainbow Dash was surprise that something so small is attacking something so big. And the Anomalocaris swims off with a trail of fish trailing him.

Their tiny backboned ancestors have survived a sea of monsters, but there are still many more battles ahead. They must adapt or die.

Evolution takes over.

Then the group of 8 were then sucked into a time portal and closed soon after.

As millions of years pass, fish build on their basic design. The muscles around their backbone evolve into a powerful tail, and fins appear. They evolve a distant head. He may not look like you or I or them, but this odd fish is becoming the blueprint for ours and their bodies.

Next time they'll travel 80 million years to swim in the 7th deadliest sea of all time.