"They really did all that stuff to him," Rarity asked as she stroked Indoraptor's side.

"We're all sorry that happened to you. I still can't believe that anypony would sink that low and do something so vile," said Spike.

"Had I known about this, I would've hung them up by their hooves, taken away their magic and wings and whipped them until they bled to death," Discord said angrily.

"Now Discord, there's no way any of us could've known they were going to kidnap Indoraptor," said Fluttershy as she tried to keep him calm.

"Besides, we already gave them the beating they deserved," said Indominus.

Rainbow and Pinkie had spread the word to the others, but they wanted to give Indoraptor a few more days to recover from the incident. After five days of recovering, they were all in the castle giving Indoraptor the same kind of empathy he had shown all of them. The Mane Six were still in shock that there were any ponies in Equestria that saw Indoraptor as a mere source for hybrid children. Fluttershy was especially horrified after she heard the news and Discord and Angel spent an entire hour getting the thought out of her head. The girls had spent a good deal of the morning comforting the hybrid, and it made him feel much better. The raptors were keeping Viper preoccupied so the adults could deal with the issue that was on the dinosaur's mind. Indoraptor kept one of the blue roses from the bouquet close to him, and it made Marble smile warmly while she sat next to him.

"I can't understand why they would want to use him like that," said Spike as he and Discord were talking about what they'd heard from the others.

"It goes against so many laws of nature, and coming from me, that's saying something."

"Let's hope our girls never come across any stallions that try to use them that way," Spike said as he watched his daughter playing so carefree with her friends.

"Oh they should just try and think they can get close to my daughter," Discord said angrily. "If any stallions think they can use my daughter for a baby factory, I'll burn them to a crisp, take away their precious magic and slice off their-"

He was interrupted by a bucket of water being dumped on his head.

"Will you relax? Screwball's too young to be interested in stallions anyways," said Fluttershy as she put the bucket down.

"I'm sorry honey, but you can't blame me for being paranoid. What happened to Indoraptor is proof that there are ponies in Equestria that could see hybrids that way. You just never know, some stallion could come along and try to take advantage of our daughter."

"She's a smart girl, she can tell the difference between a gentlecolt and some sleazy jerk. Besides, if they did try to mess with her, she could always turn them inside out or mess with their heads so they'd never bother her again. She does take after you most of the time." Discord chuckled at how right his wife was and hugged her for calming him down.

"How are you doing since that traumatic experience, Indoraptor," asked Applejack.

"I can't get them out of my head. I woke up a few times in the night, thinking I was going to see them looming over me. But thanks to Marble's gift, it was easy for me to fall asleep again," Indoraptor said as he nuzzled her face. Pinkie could see the deep blush on her little sister's face, and it made her smile grow more.

"I've never seen Marble so happy before, I think she likes being around you, Indoraptor."

"You were very brave, darling. I can't imagine any other stallion would've endured and held out for help the way you did," said Rarity.

"But you don't have to worry about those filthy mares bothering you again," said Twilight. "We smashed them up real good, and your parents sent them flying off into Celestia-knows-where."

"Even though they're not in Ponyville anymore, I still have some questions on my mind." He turned towards his parents. "Mom, Dad, why didn't you guys tell me about this?"

"We didn't know how to tell you, Indoraptor," said Rainbow.

"I had planned on telling you in one more year, by then we thought you'd be old enough to understand. It wasn't something I could just tell you, I was worried it would destroy you."

"These things are never easy to talk about, and it's hard to know when it is a good time to discuss it," said Applejack.

"Wait....do all of you know?"

"We were at the hospital when you and Viper were born. We all found out together," said Twilight. Indoraptor just slumped his head down on the floor and Rainbow held his face up to hers.

"Please understand, son. We were devastated the moment we found out about it. When you were born, you seemed healthy and in good condition."

"You even nuzzled your mother after you saw how tired she was from giving birth," said Indominus.

"I do remember doing that, and you greeted me with a warm gesture in return. So when did this 'ailment' show up in me?"

"A little while after you were born, you collapsed in your father's hands," said Discord. "You were twitching and shaking all over, and you were even losing some of your scales."

"The doctors rushed you to the ER, and apparently the whole thing was causing you pain. When they were done, they told us you were unstable and that your body was falling apart," said Tyrannosaurus.

"But if that's true, then why am I not feeling pain right now, or losing anymore scales?"

"See, that's where things get interesting. Apparently some rogue ponies heard about your condition from somewhere, and decided to take the chance to take you out," said Rainbow.

"But your sister was looking out for you that night. With Screwball's help, she was able to call for help and alert us."

"That's my girl," Discord said as he glanced over at his daughter playing with Viper and Precious.

"Of course. I do remember attacking ponies I didn't recognize after they tried to take me away."

"Also after your sister blasted them to stop them from taking you," said Rainbow.

"We arrived moments later and put those scoundrels out of their misery. Then before we left, your sister did something so phenomenal that it helped extend your life." Indoraptor's eyes were wide with curiosity now.

"What? What did she do?"

"She gave you a small portion of her energy. Somehow it stabilized your condition, stopped the shaking and healed the missing scales. The next morning, we were informed that you were stable, but the condition is still present in your body," said Indominus.

"We were told that if Viper's energy holds out, you could live to about eleven years, maybe more," said Rainbow. Indoraptor dropped the rose he had been holding and stood up.

"Y-you mean I only get to live til I'm eleven years old, and then this ailment will kill me?" He turned around and faced his father. "Why didn't you try looking for some way to help get rid of it?"

"We did, son. We tried everything, but nopony knew how to handle a case like yours. The doctors didn't have any answers for how to cure you without messing up your body. I even tried consulting Ra about helping you, but he told me that his power wouldn't be able to cure you either. He said it might only give you another year at most, so I-"

Indoraptor bellowed a roar so loud that it silenced his father and caused an uneasy eerie quiet atmosphere to flood the castle. Viper, Screwball, Precious, Blue and her girls all turned in the direction of the roar. The beta raptor had a bad feeling something terrible was about to happen.

"What's going on," asked Echo.

"I'm afraid...Indoraptor can't handle the news about his fate," said Blue quietly.

"ENOUGH! What you're saying is there's no way I can be cured and I'm going to die!?"

"I'm sorry son, I wish I knew how to-"

"NO! You're not sorry! If you were then you would've found a way to cure me of this 'disease.'"

"Please Indoraptor, just calm down."

"No mom. If I'm really supposed to die so soon, then maybe I should've just let those mares have their way with me." Everypony gasped at Indoraptor's harsh words.

"Indoraptor! You can't mean that."

"Yes I do Twilight. I'm better off as a lifeless corpse than a worthless dying son."

"Relax Indoraptor, you're not thinking clearly," Applejack said trying to calm him down, but it was too late.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Indoraptor roared as he ran away from the Mane Six and went deep into the castle, stepping on the blue rose as he sprinted off. Indominus and Rainbow were paralyzed on the spot from what had just happened: Indoraptor had raised his voice and ran away from his parents. There had never been any arguments in the family, but Indominus knew that this was entirely his fault for keeping the truth hidden from his son for so long. Marble looked at the crushed rose and felt tears forming in her eyes. Twilight had to bow her head to hide the tears in her eyes, so nopony would see how upset she was.

"I'm sorry Marble, I know how much you wanted to make him happy," said Pinkie as she held her sister.

"Why did those mares have to tell him," Marble cried as she buried her face in her sister's chest. "They destroyed his life."

"What have we done? We've destroyed the happiness he had, and now he thinks he'll be better off dead. What kind of parents are we," Rainbow said as tears started to drop down her face.

"You did what you thought was right, Rainbow," Applejack said as she put a hoof over her friend's shoulder.

"Applejack, I kept a painful truth that could mentally destroy my son for six years, now he's just found out from a bunch of mares that only wanted him as a hybrid making factory. Nowhedoesn'tevenwanttobearoundusandI'msurethathe'll-"

The farm pony put a hoof to the pegasus's mouth to stop her frantic and distressed rambling.

"Take a deep breath, Rainbow. Breathe in slowly," Rainbow did as Applejack said, "now let it out nice and calm." Rainbow exhaled her breath at a slow and even pace. "Now listen carefully, both of you." Indominus walked over and the others gathered around her as well.

"What can we do to help him get through this, Applejack?" Indominus asked.

"Right now, it's best that you don't talk to him for a while." Rainbow was about to object when Applejack put a hoof up to keep her from rambling again. "Indoraptor has had a lot thrown on him in the last few days. He's finally been told the truth about his condition after being handled and used by those mares, now he needs time to process and come to terms with it. His mind is angry and confused, that's why he lashed out at you two. He believes that all mares will want to do to him what those four did, and now he thinks that his life is meaningless because of the ailment. But I can promise ya this, Rainbow, give him some time to himself and he will realize that it wasn't your fault."

"How long do we need to give him? I don't want to make Indoraptor feel like I'm neglecting him, I love him too much."

"You're not neglecting him, if you were then you wouldn't be so concerned for him. In situations like this, constantly trying to talk and reason with young ones will only make them more angry and want to distance themselves from their parents."

"You've been through moments like these before, Applejack?"

"'Course Ah have, Rarity. Applebloom and I have had our share of fights, it's natural for families to have arguments from time to time. You and Spike will likely have some kind of argument later on too."

"What!? But Spike and I have been together for years. We've never had to fight about anything."

"That's right, AJ. Though things have been a little difficult managing the shop and raising Precious, there hasn't been anything that's caused us to argue."

"It will happen eventually, Spike. Indominus and Rainbow didn't think there was anything that could cause an argument, and yet look at how Indoraptor responded."

The ponies, dinosaurs and hybrids all nodded in agreement, this was not a situation they could resolve overnight. It would take Indoraptor time to accept what was happening to him and what had been done to him, it was only a matter of how long he needed. Discord brought his girls close together.

"Fluttershy, if we get into any arguments-"

"WHEN we get into an argument."

"Right, WHEN we get into an argument, let's promise to not let it escalate into anything that could split us up, ok?"

"Oh Discord, no kind of argument could ever split us up. I don't want to lose you, you're too important to me and Screwball."

"Yeah daddy, I don't want you and mom to split up over a fight either," said Screwball. "I love having you both in my life."

"Mommy, promise me that you and daddy won't get into any bitter arguments?"

"Of course Precious, I love you and Spike too much to lose you over an argument. I couldn't imagine my life without either of you."

"Same goes for me, Rarity," Spike said as he held his wife and daughter. "You two are the fire rubies that I never want to lose, it would destroy me too."

"Aw Spike, that was adorable."

Viper walked over to her mom, and Rainbow held her close to keep herself from falling apart.

"Mom, am I going to lose my big brother?"

"Oh no, of course not honey," Rainbow said as she wiped away her tears. "He just needs time to think things through, just like Applejack said."

"You're not going to lose him, Viper," said Applejack as she hugged Rainbow Dash. "He cares about you too much, he knows that you saved his life when he was born. He won't let anypony hurt you, that's why he'll always be around."

"Thanks Applejack, I just don't want to lose him."

"None of us want to see him leave, sugarcube."

Tyrannosaurus nuzzled Indominus for some brotherly comfort, and for the first time in a long while, the hybrid was grateful that he hadn't been brought into Equestria by himself.

"Rexy, promise me that you and Scootaloo will do better than me in raising your kids when you have them?"

"Don't doubt yourself too much, brother. You and Rainbow have raised Scootaloo to be a confident mare compared to how she would've turned out. This is just a new experience that you have to handle. As for me and her, I'm not so sure that I'm going to be her stallion anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Indominus had never heard Tyrannosaurus doubt himself before. Scootaloo had been fond of both of them from the day she met them, she and Tyrannosaurus had even kissed at the Gala like Indominus had with Rainbow. So for the dinosaur to say he wasn't so sure about his future with her, was another pressing issue that needed to be handled.

"Haven't you noticed that she's been out a lot lately?"

"That's because she, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are helping other ponies figure out their true talents. It's part of their job as Cutie Mark Crusaders. Plus, she's not a little filly anymore. She's free to come and go as she pleases, it's all the freedom that her parents never gave her."

"Yeah I know about that, but lately she's been hanging out with this colt and his gang. He approached her one day and I saw him trying to make a move on her. Even though she told me not to worry, I could see in his eyes that he wanted her."

"Scootaloo's too smart to let some colt get inside her head, she can make him back off if he tries getting too close. Besides, you're forgetting something very important, brother, you helped save her life and had a claw in raising her. You're her personal guardian and there's no way she'll forget about the dinosaur that she loves."

"I hope you're right, Indominus, because I don't want to be right."

---

Indoraptor stayed hidden away within the castle, unable to come out and face his parents after what he had learned. The family had tried to look for him, but it was pointless. Between the camouflage and being able to hide his heat signature, his scent could've been anywhere and it would've been trying to find a needle that was painted to look like a haystack. It hurt his parents' hearts that he was hiding away from them, but they were truly powerless to help him through his ordeal. They had no way to comfort him or ease his worries now that the truth had been revealed, and it only racked Indominus's mind the more he dwelled on it. All he could do was go out and bring manticores into the castle and leave them out so his son could at least keep himself fed. Viper was hurting too because her bedroom felt so empty without her brother sleeping in the now vacant bed across from hers. It truly was a hard time for the family now that they were faced with a dilemma they couldn't handle and had no way to deal with it.

A few days afterwards, the family was struck with ordeals from all ends. Once again, Indominus found himself being summoned to Canterlot on behalf of yet another complaint from Neighsay. Viper got a really nasty bullying from Platinum and Emerald at the school, and it got her in serious trouble. Tyrannosaurus got to see for himself whether his suspicions about Rumble were true, and it got him in his first fight. Twas a sad and emotionally painful day for the dinosaurs and their kids.

Indominus dragged himself into the throne room with the raptor squad accompanying him. When he entered, he found Neighsay glaring angrily at him, but the hybrid was dealing with too much to even care what the unicorn had to say.

"What could you possibly have to complain about this time?"

"You and your kind have finally gone too far," Neighsay said bitterly. "I've heard how you and your wretched kind attacked ponies in cold blood!" Indominus's pupils shrank at Neighsay's words.

"Indominus, your reason has to be a really good one for those ponies to deserve something like this," said Celestia.

"You promised that you wouldn't shed anymore pony blood after Soarin's death," said Luna.

"So animal, what answer do you have for us?"

"My answer.....is that those ponies were RAPING MY SON!!!!!" The alicorns and unicorn were rendered silent at the dinosaur's bellowing answer.

"Wait....you mean....they took Indoraptor...and..."

"I'm afraid so, Luna," said Blue.

"When we found him, he was marked up and covered in their fluids," said Charlie.

"They deserved to be beaten and slashed up," said Delta.

"Yes, we did attack them and they deserved every ounce of it, but I did not kill them!"

"Oh Indominus, I didn't know that he was put through something so horrible," said Celestia. "How is he doing?"

"Well let's see, they told him the truth about his condition while they were using his body, we told him the whole truth a few days ago and know he's hiding in the castle and refuses to be seen by any of us. He thinks that his life is worthless now and believes he'd be better off in their grip or dead."

"You'd be better off if he did accept his fate, then there'd be one less burden for ponies to worry about."

The second those words left Neighsay's mouth, Indominus charged him and drove the unicorn into the wall with a single punch. Blue was upon him afterwards and pinned the arrogant unicorn to the wall, baring her teeth with her claws wrapped around his throat. Echo, Delta and Charlie were upon him a moment later as well, and Indominus loomed over the trapped unicorn.

"You can insult us til you die," said Blue.

"You can even insult us until the end of time," Delta added.

"But no one, and I mean no...one....SAYS MY SON WOULD BE BETTER OFF DEAD!!!!" Indominus took one of his claws and scratched Neighsay across the face so fast that he didn't even see it coming.

Luna and Celestia were shocked at how quickly Indominus had gotten enraged compared to the self control he had shown before. The dinosaurs drew back with a clear slash across Neighsay's face and blood flowing down it. As he wiped a hoof across his face and saw the blood on it, his glare seemed to be glowing red as he looked up at the dinosaurs.

"You'll pay for this, you beasts. Nopony hurts me and gets away with it!" Delta charged forward and headbutt Neighsay back into the wall.

"You caused this when you decided to insult someone in our family that we care about deeply," she said to him. "Remember, you're digging your grave with your own filthy mouth."

"I will get you back for this, animals. You'll see, I'll see to it that all of you rot in the dirt with all the victims you've taken!" Neighsay conjured up a portal behind him and slipped through it.

"Indominus, are you gonna be alright?"

"I don't know anymore, Luna. Fighting Black Death and Soarin was one thing, but now it's like all of us are getting bombarded with one problem after another. My son thinks he's better off dead, Neighsay is gonna be on the warpath soon once he gets enough support, and the worst part is, I still don't know how the hell he keeps on finding out about these things!"

Both princesses took their wings and stroked Indominus's face to try and soothe his frustration. He took deep breaths as the soft touch of the feathers ran across his scales.

"I didn't realize you'd been dealing with so much stress. Why don't you take some time and relax in your home for a while?"

"I'm not sure that will help, Celestia. Every time I walk through those halls I keep on hoping that Indoraptor will come out and talk to us again. Or worse, part of me thinks that I'll find his dead body in a room I never bothered to check. I just don't know what to do."

"You need to find some way to relax yourself. If you don't, then all this frustration will come out against somepony that doesn't deserve it. Was there anything you did while you and Rainbow were bonding to relax before you got married?"

"The Ponyville Spa! That was where we had our first date."

"Then why don't go there and take some time away from your duties so the spa patrons can loosen up your tense nerves and massage out your frustration? A little pampering goes a long way," said Celestia.

"Ok, I'll take your word for it, Celestia, and thanks for once again being patient with us and our anger."

"It's alright Indominus, and honestly, it's about time somepony shut Neighsay up for all the comments towards you and your brother and sisters."

"Though there is something we'd like to ask of you, Indominus."

"What would that be, Luna?"

"When Indoraptor has sorted out everything he's been dealt with, we'd like for you to bring him and Viper here for a visit."

"How would a visit to Canterlot help him out?"

"Because, we would like to show them everything they don't know about the Winged Dragon of Ra." For once, Indominus was glad to be surprised that there was more about the sun god that he wasn't aware of.

"You mean there's more about him?"

"Much more than what you know, and we think it could give Indoraptor the confidence boost he needs to not let the thought of the ailment claiming his life dominate him," said Celestia.

"When he decides to talk with us again, and after I tell him how sorry i am for keeping the secret from him, I'll gladly bring Indoraptor and Viper to Canterlot. But as you've said, I need to relax or I'll go crazy. Come on girls, we're taking a day at the spa."

"So long Indominus, and I hope that your future visits will be less stressful," said Luna as the dinosaurs left the throne room.

"Luna, we should keep an eye on Neighsay, and maybe see if we can find out where he's getting his information from."

"I agree, it's too much of a coincidence that he's known about all of the things that have happened to the dinosaurs. There's something very fishy going on behind our backs."

---

While Indominus and the raptors were unwinding over at the spa, Viper was close to having a day no filly at the school would forget. She and her friends were quietly having lunch like they usually did, none of them had much to talk about since Indoraptor's predicament. None of them had told Cozy Glow about what had happened because they didn't trust her enough to tell her such a dark and personal secret. Screwball kept herself entertained by twirling her apple in front of her and changing it into different kinds of fruits. Precious kept trying to cheer Viper up, because the poor hybrid wasn't the same without her brother around.

"He'll be back before you know it, Viper. It's just a little hard for him right now."

"But I hate not having him close by, Precious. I've never seen him so upset, and he won't even join us for hunts anymore. There are times where I'm starting to wonder if he's even inside the castle anymore."

"We know it's hard on you Vipey," said Screwball. "Aunt Rainbow Dash looked like she was going to burst into tears when she hugged you. Your family is taking it hard as well, but sadly there's not much you can do about it. He'll only show himself again when he's had enough time."

"Well well, trouble in paradise, freaks?" An all too familiar voice brought them out of their conversation as they saw Platinum and Emerald approaching again.

"Aren't you tired of trying this silly attempt at bullying, Platinum," said Cozy Glow. "Besides, we're not in the mood to put up with you."

"Oh...but we're in the perfect mood to deal with them. You can stay out of this and just watch the show." Viper didn't seem concerned as the pair stepped towards her, only annoyed that he insisted on trying to pick on her.

"Look, didn't you learn anything by now, Platinum? Your weak taunts won't work on me and you're not going to get any kind of reaction out of me."

"So why don't you two go play some game together, away from us," said Precious.

"What's wrong little monster, all upset because your brother got what he deserved?" Emerald's taunt caused something to stir inside Viper, something she hadn't experienced before.

"What...did you just say?" Viper's tone got really dark and it made Screwball and Precious take a step back.

"Seems I've struck a nerve in the overconfident hybrid, should we tell her what we've heard, Platinum," said Emerald.

"Oh yes, it'll really make our day to see her reaction. You see, halfling, a little bird told us about a certain problem that your so-called brother got himself into," said Platinum.

Viper's fur was beginning to bristle with anger and her friends could see that she was going to snap with how this was going.

"Calm down, Viper. It's not worth it, you know they're just trying to antagonize you," said Screwball.

"What's wrong, devil child? Are you jealous that you're not one of the mares that got to dominate that abomination?"

Now Screwball was gritting her teeth at the snide remark.

"If you know what's good for you Platinum, you'll shut that mouth of yours!"

"What happened to Indoraptor is none of your business anyway," said Precious. "Why do you care about what happened to him?"

"Because it means there are ponies out there who view you abominations the same way we do. Useless freaks of nature that are only good for show and don't deserve respect, or the right to live," said Emerald.

Viper and Screwball were seething with anger and about ready to go berserk, but Precious was the only one who hadn't been offended so badly by the bullies' words.

"Girls, it's not worth our time to deal with these two. They're only doing this to get back at us for taking away their little fan club of haters. If anything, I bet that they're the ones who are jealous. Jealous that they don't have the same kind of power and control anymore."

"Is that so, dragon spawn? Then how come her brother isn't here to bail her out of trouble now," Platinum taunted.

"Because he secretly wants those mares to continue to torment and dominate him, just like how you wish that a stallion would bother to notice you for once," said Emerald. The nerve had finally been struck with Precious, and now her eyes were starting to glow green with fury.

"You freaks can never survive, and after today, you won't even be allowed near this school ever again."

Platinum and Emerald kicked three soccer balls at the hybrids so fast that none of them had time to react with anger clouding their minds. All three of them were struck in the face and knocked over from the impacts.

"That's right, stay down in the dirt where you belong," said Platinum.

Viper was the first one to get up, and as she got back on her hooves, the very air around her seemed different. Her claws were scrapping at the ground in frustration and a deep beastly growling could be heard coming from her. When she turned to face the bullies, her eyes were razor blade thin and her teeth had suddenly gotten longer to where they were sticking out from under her lips.

"You have messed with me and insulted my family....for the last time," she said angrily.

"You think it's funny to toy with us and taunt us for kicks?" Precious said as she stood by Viper with her own claws scrapping at the ground too.

Platinum and Emerald had only just then realized that they'd pushed too far, but it was too late for them to take back any of it.

"Well, now it's finally time we toyed with you!" Screwball clapped her front hooves together, which caused lightning to rumble as Viper bellowed out a roar that was similar to Tyrannosaurus's.

Viper charged Platinum with such blinding speed that she seemed like a mere blur before she collided into him, and drove him into the dirt across the schoolyard. The other colts and fillies scampered out of the way as Viper clawed away at Platinum while Screwball and Precious were using Emerald as a punching bag. Screwball conjured up soccer balls and aimed them at Emerald's head. Precious sent each of them flying back into Emerald's face every time a soccer ball made contact, making it look like an extreme version of racket ball.

Viper was clawing at Platinum so much that she was actually drawing blood from him.

"Where's all that talk now? You were so eager to taunt us before, now that I have your blood on my claws you've chosen to shut up?" A sinister toothy grin grew on her face as she leaned towards his throat. "You're just a weak paper animal, spineless and too scared to save his own skin."

She plunged her teeth deep into his throat, picked the colt up and shook him in her mouth like a helpless prey. The hybrid pony then threw him across the schoolyard and flew after Platinum as he bounced along the ground. When he finally came to a stop, Viper drove a kick right into his stomach. She stood over the bleeding bully, blood sliding down her chin as she admired her handiwork. Platinum was holding his stomach from the pain Viper's attack had dealt, and he was actually starting to cry from all the times she had slashed him and bitten him.

She held up a front hoof to slash at him again when she felt it being grabbed by somepony. Viper turned her head to see Cheerilee's angry face staring back at her. The teacher had already stopped Precious and Screwball, who were standing silently behind her, worried for Viper.

"Viper stop this now!" Instead of stopping, Viper whipped her tail around and slapped Cheerilee's hooves to free hers.

Then everypony watched in shock as Viper started to increase in size until she was bigger than Cheerilee. She roared in the teacher's face, and cold sweat ran down Cheerilee's face as she stepped back nervously. Viper was beyond listening to any kind of reason, primal dinosaur instincts had taken over her mind, and seeing Cheerilee stepping back was a sign that she was prey. The hybrid got into a pouncing position and then charged towards Cheerilee. But she didn't even make it five steps before she was stopped when a creature bigger than her jumped in her path, only this time it wasn't Indominus.

Indoraptor towered over his sister and roared in her face. The sound of her brother's familiar roar got to Viper's mind and her rage started to subside as she looked into Indoraptor's concerned eyes.

"Brother? Is that you?"

"Yes Viper, but you need to stop this. You were about to attack Cheerilee, an innocent pony who's been looking out for you ever since these bullies started picking on you."

"But brother, they were insulting you and taunting us with what happened to you." Viper returned to her normal size as a look of depression came into Indoraptor's eyes.

"It doesn't matter what they say about me...because they're right. I'm not meant to be here and I can't protect you from yourself forever."

"Brother wait, don't leave us."

"I'm sorry Viper, I just wish I had been given a better chance than this." Indoraptor turned away and blended into the environment as he dove into the trees, leaving behind his bewildered sister.

Cheerilee's demeanor changed as she saw the look of horror on Viper's face.

"What did he mean when he said they were right?"

"Some ponies used him for mating against his will, and abused him."

"What!?" Viper only nodded in response. Cheerilee's head was abuzz with questions, but that would have to wait until Rainbow Dash arrived to explain the whole story.

---

"Those ponies did what to him!?" Filthy Rich and Cheerilee were beyond shock when Rainbow Dash told them about what Indoraptor had gone through.

"That's still no excuse for how those animals treated my daughter," said Emerald's mother. "They belong somewhere far from ponies so they can't cause anymore chaos.

"Are you saying our children belong in an asylum!?" Rarity said in anger.

"That's exactly what I-" Fluttershy and Rainbow interrupted her with a double slap across the face.

"How dare you talk about our daughters like that!"

"You insult them one more time, and I will personally go Worldbreaker on you and wherever you live. Then you won't have the high society life you've been clinging onto for so long."

"Everypony calm down! Violence isn't going to solve anything!" Cheerilee shouted.

The parents reluctantly agreed and after twenty more minutes, Emerald and her mom walked out the door in a miserable defeat. Filthy Rich kicked Platinum out the door after them and told him to go home to await a proper punishment, while he remained behind to hear the truth. After Rainbow, Fluttershy and Rarity explained what they'd seen on that horrible day, Cheerilee understood why Viper had lashed out so defensively.

"It's really that bad for him," asked Filthy Rich.

"I'm afraid so. We have no idea how to help him, and he won't even speak to us anymore."

"My deepest apologies, Viper. I didn't know your brother has been dealing with something so harsh, and at his age too," Filthy said sincerely. "I can promise you that my son's going to be stuck working himself to the bone until he learns from this. And I honestly hope that your son pulls through this, Miss Dash."

"We've been hoping that for years, Mr. Rich, and thank you," Rainbow said as he left the classroom.

"Now, to deal with the havoc you three caused today," Cheerilee said to the three hybrids, who looked ashamed of what they had done out of anger.

"While you girls were just looking out for each other and were defending Indoraptor's honor, you still attacked your fellow students, especially you, Viper," said Rainbow. Her daughter only hung her head in shame.

"What do you girls think a fair punishment should be, given the severity of the situation," Cheerilee asked the mothers. The three mares talked amongst themselves for a while and came to a unanimous decision.

"A week of grounding for each of them sounds appropriate," said Fluttershy.

"And if they let their emotions get in control again, it will increase the length of their grounding," said Rarity.

"Plus two weeks of detention. Consider this a light punishment," said Cheerilee.

Viper didn't say a word as everypony left the schoolhouse. Screwball and Precious could see that she'd been through too much for one day, and gave her a group hug before they left with their moms.

"You do know that your father is going to hear about this, right?"

"What does it matter? It's just another problem for him to worry about."

"Viper!"

"Come on Mom, you know I'm right. First Neighsay giving him a hard time, then Indoraptor gets abused by those mares, and now this! There's too much going on and I just want it to stop! Things were better before all this drama started, and I just want things to go back to the way they were."

Rainbow held Viper close as she cried into her chest.

"Believe me honey, I want all this to stop too. It hurts me to see Indominus so nervous and worried for Indoraptor, I can't get him to relax anymore. But I understand how he feels because I was the same way when the Wonderbolts nearly killed him."

"What? You nearly lost dad once?"

"Way before you were born. I'd like to tell you the whole story when Indoraptor comes back, but I can tell you this: Indominus managed to endure what they used on him and was able to survive through the ordeal and save both of our lives."

"He really did?"

"Absolutely. That's why I have hope that Indoraptor can survive this ordeal, because he's his father's son."

"I didn't say this earlier, but he was the one that stopped me from going crazy, mom."

"You mean...Indoraptor stopped you?"

"Yes, it's just like Aunt Applejack said. He still cares about me, about all of us."

"Then there is hope that he can be saved after all," Rainbow said before she and Viper continued on their way home.

---

On the other side of Ponyville, the Crusaders were hanging out with Rumble and his crew. They had just finished being at a scooter area, which brought back some nostalgia for the pegasus. Scootaloo was telling him about the same events that were on the family's minds. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were baffled that she would tell something personal to a pony she had only known for a short time.

"They really did that stuff to him?"

"Uh huh."

"I can't believe that anypony would stoop to something so hideous. What did your brother do to have something like that thrown on him?"

"All I know, Rumble, is that they wanted to use him for making hybrid children of their own," Scootaloo replied.

"Oh my Celestia! That's disgusting," Rumble said repulsed at Scootaloo's answer.

"We would never do anything like that," said one of Rumble's pals who was sticking by Applebloom.

"Ah'm sure ya wouldn't," Applebloom said sarcastically.

"Really, we're nothing like those sex-obsessed ponies." Rumble wrapped one of his front legs around Scootaloo's and she started to blush at the touch.

Hidden behind buildings in the distance, Tyrannosaurus was keeping an eye on Scootaloo for any signs that she might be falling for Rumble. The blush on her face was already a startling confirmation, and what happened next, made his heart stop.

"Honest. You're too kind a pony to have something like that thrown upon you, Scootaloo."

"Stop it Rumble I'm blushing," Scootaloo said in a cute voice.

"Then let me prove it to you." Rumble leaned in and kissed Scootaloo on the cheek. She blushed even harder at the kind gesture, but someone else took the gesture the wrong way.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!" Tyrannosaurus charged out from his spot and roared at the colts.

Rumble and his crew ran for their lives as T-Rex closed the distance on them. They were looking over their shoulders too much to gain much distance between him, and the dinosaur's jaws were snapping closer and closer to Rumble's flanks. Tyrannosaurus was just within range and about to bite down on the colts when something slammed into him from behind. He got back to his feet, and to his horror, found Scootaloo at her full size, transformed and defending Rumble.

"What do you think you're doing, T-Rex?"

"Getting him away from you, that colt is not your boyfriend."

"And you think that automatically makes you the only one I can hang out with?" Scootaloo's response struck a cord in Tyrannosaurus. "Hate to break it to you, Rexy, but there's more to life than just going out on hunts and killing manticores. When I'm with Rumble, I actually get to do things that I can't when I'm with you."

"I can't believe you're saying this."

"Well believe it, dinosaur, because ponies can change their minds about who they want to be with." Tyrannosaurus's gaze shifted to the colt that was hiding behind Scootaloo.

"You got inside her head. You'll regret making a move on her!"

Tyrannosaurus charged again, but Scootaloo blocked him and held him back. At her full size, she was big enough to not only hold T-Rex back, but even shove him back as well. Before he could get his bearings, Scootaloo rammed into him and sent the dinosaur skidding across the town. T-Rex didn't fight back because he couldn't bring himself to hurt the pony he cared about, and it was as painful for him as it was for the Crusaders to see Scootaloo attacking the dinosaur that had helped protect her so long ago. The last thing he saw before the fight ended, was Scootaloo charging him again and slashing him across the face.

Tyrannosaurus staggered away from her, unable to accept that she had lashed out at him. Scootaloo stood across from him, breathing heavily through grit teeth.

"I can choose who I want to be with, and if this is how you're going to be around other colts, then you are never going to be my stallion, because I'M NOT YOURS!"

Rexy felt his heart break for the first time in his life. Applebloom could see true pain in his eyes as he turned away from Scootaloo and walked away. The pegasus returned to her normal self and rejoined Rumble.

"What was all that about?"

"That was T-Rex thinking that I belonged solely to him and nopony else. But now he won't bother or threaten you anymore."

"That's a relief, so can I take you out for some dinner then, Scootaloo?"

"Yes, you most certainly can Rumble. You gonna join us, girls?"

"We'll catch you later, Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle.

"Uh huh, wouldn't wanna get in-between you and your new special somepony," said Applebloom as they walked away too.

"Geez, what's up with them?"

"Let's not worry about it right now, we've got a fine meal to catch."

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle waited until Scootaloo was out of sight.

"Ah can't believe she would attack Rexy like that."

"Rumble's gotten inside her head, now Scoots is infatuated with him. He's made her forget about the dinosaur that's loved her since the beginning of her drama."

"We've gotta do something about this before he takes Rexy's place and works his way towards living in the castle."

"Ah doubt he'll go that far, Sweetie Belle. But we can't let him get away with manipulating our Scootaloo."

---

That evening, Indoraptor could hear his parents arguing with Viper over what had happened at the schoolhouse. Apparently Indominus had been so tense from his meeting with Neighsay that the spa hadn't been able to take out all the stress. Now that he found out about another issue, it started to boil over in his head until his ear splitting roar echoed throughout the castle.

"ENOUGH WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS! First Neighsay can't stand us, then our son gets raped and told about his condition, now the school bullies have somehow found out about it and provoked our daughter into looking like a monster and attacking them! I can't stand this, what happened to the days when everything was peaceful!?"

Another roar was bellowed into the castle, but was interrupted by Rainbow blasting him against the wall.

"Indominus! You're getting out of control and now it seems that you also need time to think things through. So tonight, you're not going to set one foot in the bedroom or the gold room. You get to sleep on the couch tonight and hopefully in the morning you've had time to think things through in your head. But if you even try to get into the bedroom," she transformed into her Worldbreaker state. "I have the power to make you stop, and I will beat you back down onto the couch. Am I clear?"

Indominus begrudgingly sighed and accepted his punishment for getting out of line and losing his temper.

"Yes Rainbow." Indominus walked off to the living room and Rainbow stormed off to the bedroom, leaving Viper alone and upset.

Indoraptor saw her walk to her bedroom, crying and upset over all the fights that had happened in one day. He wanted to comfort her, but he had nothing to offer. He still had been unable to accept his fate or come to terms with it, and it would only make him feel worse being near her with nothing to say. But he saw that she wasn't going to be alone as Charlie walked into the bedroom after Viper.

"Are you going to be ok, Viper?"

"NO! Everyone's fighting all of a sudden and I hate it! Somepony spread the incident around and it's tearing mom and dad apart."

The young raptor climbed onto the bed and curled around the crying hybrid. She licked Viper's face gently and wiped away the tears.

"I don't know much about these things, Viper, but from what I've heard from Applejack, couples apparently do get into fights."

"You mean this is normal?"

"In a way, yes. From what I gathered, if couples don't have arguments or fights, then when they do have one it can be far worse and in some cases, split a family apart for good. But I wouldn't worry too much about your parents, they love each other too much to let an argument split them up."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because they've brought each other back from the dead before, all because they love one another so much."

"Really? What did they do?"

"Better to let Rainbow explain from her experience, but right now, you look tired and could really use some sleep."

"Will you stay with me tonight, Charlie? I don't want to be alone again."

"Of course, kiddo." Viper snuggled against the Charlie's scales until she was comfy and settled down for some much needed sleep with her raptor sister.

Indoraptor felt that he couldn't stay in the castle with how things were turning out, so he finally made the decision to leave his home and spare his parents the pain of waiting for the ailment to kill him. He wrote out a note for his family and left it attached to Viper's bedroom door, then crawled out one of the castle windows.

"They'll be better off without having a disappointment like me around."

"Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?" Indoraptor turned around and found Blue making her down the front of the castle.

"I can't stay here Blue, I'm just going to bring more problems that will drive them apart."

"Your condition is just one thing, I've been noticing that something else is going on around here. Neighsay and Viper's bullies finding out about what happened to you is no mere coincidence."

"What are you saying Blue?"

"I'm saying that somepony knows about everything and they're trying to spread all these tragedies around to keep your parents frustrated, distracted and confused."

"Divide and conquer?"

"Exactly. Who's spreading this info around knows what they're doing, and if you leave for good, then that'll give them more to work with. Do you really intend to disappear forever?"

"No, not forever. But I still haven't been able to accept the fact that I'm going to die before anyone else in this family. I just can't stay here and let my mind continue to dwell and put these thoughts in my brain."

"Then go. See if there's anything Equestria can do for you."

"You're not gonna try to convince me to stay?"

"I can't make the decision for you, Indoraptor. This is something you have to do on your own. Rainbow Dash has done it, Scootaloo has, even your father had to make decisions like this. But promise you won't go too far."

"I plan on sticking within the deeper parts of the Everfree Forest, maybe I'll find something there that can help me." Blue leaned towards him and the raptors nuzzled each other for a long while.

"Take care of yourself, brother."

"I will, and make sure that you look after Viper until I come back."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure she stays safe."

"Thank you, sister," Indoraptor said before he pulled away from Blue and ran towards the Everfree Forest.

Indoraptor continued to run until he reached a darker part of the Everfree Forest, an area that he had never hunted in before. It would be a nice quiet place to focus on his thoughts, as long as any animals didn't bother him. If they did, then they would end up as his next meal. He used his new radar sense to scout the dark area for a safe place to rest for the night, since everything was so new to him. As his new radar went over the area, it picked up something moving slowly in the branches.

Indoraptor locked onto where the moving shape was and found a rather small heat signature sitting still on a tree branch just in front of him. He could see the heat signature making slight adjustments on the branch, like it was going to make a move. Then, through his radar sense he saw the heat signature leap off the branch and head right for him. He ducked his head as something passed right over him and landed behind him.

He turned around and was getting ready to make an attack of his own, when he heard a shriek coming from the heat signature. It almost sounded like a ring mixed with some kind of call, but Indoraptor ignored it as he charged towards the heat signature. To his surprise, the shape leaped out of the way of his attack long before his claws ever got close enough. The hybrid dinosaur couldn't understand why he couldn't even touch this shape, it was somehow able to see his attacks before he even made them. He heard the shape hiss at him, to which he answered with his growls before it charged him again.

Using his radar sense again, Indoraptor saw the angle of the attack and where the shape was going to be. He took one step back and shifted his body to the side as the shape passed right by him. He prepared for another strike, but he was shocked to hear the shape speak to him in a tone that sounded like Aunt Pinkie Pie.

"You can use echolocation too? Oh my gosh! I never thought I'd meet another creature that can use it as good as me."

"Y-you can talk!?"

"Very well in fact. I'm more surprised that you can talk too." He could hear the shape moving around him like it was flying about.

"If I could see what you look like, I'd be less on edge."

As if on cue, streams of moonlight started to shine through the forest and Indoraptor got a good look at what had tried to pounce him. She was a pony, but a different breed of pony than what he'd seen before. Her ears were pointed like Viper's, Rainbow's and Scootaloo's, but not nearly as sharp. Her wings with nearly identical to Viper's, her coat was light grey and her mane and tail were navy blue and pale blue. She had a cutie mark that was a yellow cloud-covered moon with sound waves on it, and she had the most alluring amber eyes. Unlike Scorpion, this pony looked truly legit and like a real hybrid.

"Whoa." Both pony and dinosaur said at the same time.

"You look.."

"Monstrous? Evil?"

"I was gonna say powerful. I've never seen any creature like you before."

"Have you really never seen me before?"

"Nope. I never go outside of the forest, so it's rare to see a creature that's so unique like you around."

"Oh. Well, that's nice to hear. I'm Indoraptor, what's your name?"

"I'm Echo, and it's an honor to meet you, Indoraptor."

"Echo? That's odd, I have a sister named Echo too."

"Really?" Echo was right up in Indoraptor's face, smiling ear to ear. "Is she playful? What are her favorite things to do? Does she like mangoes?"

"Whoa, slow down Echo. She's a hunter like me and she helps me look after my sister, Viper."

"Sounds like quite the family. But if you have such a great family, what're you doing out here all alone?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just clues to the puzzle."

"Are you sure it's not just so you can have leverage over me so you can use me or abuse me?"

"What? Why would you ever think something like that?" Indoraptor turned away from Echo and she saw the uneasiness in his red eyes. "Did something like that happen to you?" He silently nodded back to her. She flew up to his face and gently held his face in her hooves. "I can tell you, Indoraptor, I would never do something like that. My brothers and sisters tell me I'm too pure to do something like that."

"You have brothers and sisters?"

"Uh huh. There are plenty of batponies that live in this part of the forest."

"You're part of an entire new race?"

"Yes. Have you been living in a cave?" Indoraptor and Echo chuckled at each other when they realized the irony of the situation. "I like you already, Indoraptor. You're more unique than any of my friends. Heeeey, since you're out here all by yourself, would you like to meet my kind?"

"Are you sure they'll be alright seeing someone like me, Echo?"

"You'll fit in just fine, Indoraptor. Come with me and you might just like getting to meet others like me. I bet even our leader would be delighted to meet you."

And with renewed hope in his heart, the hybrid dinosaur followed the bat pony to the strangest place he had ever seen.

---

Along the way to her home, Indoraptor learned that Echo's little pounce attack on him had only been for food and nothing personal. It turned out that she had a diet between drinking the blood of other animals and oddly, a sweet craving of fruits, specifically mangoes. After going through some thick trees, Indoraptor found himself at a clearing with dozens of bat ponies and their homes built in the trees and on the ground.

"Whoa," was all Indoraptor could say.

Compared to Scorpion's origin of her tail, Echo's talk about there being an entire race of bat ponies was one hundred percent fact. The other bat ponies turned in the direction of Indoraptor as he and Echo walked into the clearing.

"Evening everyone! Lookie who I found on my hunt."

"Who's this you've brought with you, Echo?" The bat ponies all suddenly bowed as a massive bat pony came down from the trees and started making her way towards the pair.

Her coat was a much darker shade of grey than most of the bat ponies in the area. Her mane and tail were light and dark purple and she wore a dark pearl-like necklace. But most peculiar was her cutie mark: It was the shape of a single black spider. Indoraptor could only imagine would her special talent was with a mark like that. Her very size and appearance were clear proof of her authority and status among her kind.

"I found him out in the forest, Web Weaver. He's far from home and out here all by himself. I couldn't just leave him out there for the Timberwolves."

"So you thought to bring him here? i see, how do you know we can trust him, Echo?"

"Because I never hunt ponies, your majesty." Indoraptor sank down to all fours to show his respect to her. "I only hunt animals like manticores, cockatrice and the many other animals that live in this forest."

Web Weaver stepped forward and her glowing amber eyes met the hybrid's.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Indoraptor."

"Indoraptor? As in Indominus Rex's son?"

"Yes. That is correct." Indoraptor could hear the bat ponies whispering amongst themselves excitedly. He even noticed that Web Weaver's demeanor had changed too.

"We've heard rumors about you, but I never imagined we'd get to meet the son of the King of Equestria. Please, stand Indoraptor."

The hybrid rose up to his full height and Web Weaver and Echo were in awe at how muscular and strong his body looked. Web Weaver walked forward and placed her hoof on Indoraptor's chest. As she traced her hoof across his chest, he saw her expressions change from calm and confident to concern and sympathy.

"Oh dear. You've been through so much recently. Hurt and betrayed, so twisted up inside."

"How can you tell?"

"Our leader has a special way of reading others," said Echo.

"I have been told a lot in the last few days," said Indoraptor. Web Weaver placed her hoof where she could feel Indoraptor's heartbeats.

"You're still full of love and a great deal of affection.....but fear has moved into your heart where trust should be. Are you really convinced that there is no future for you and that you're a burden to your family?"

"How can I be with them, knowing that I'll be gone before any of them? I....I haven't been able to accept what's going to happen to me."

"There are those who don't always get to live a long life, Indoraptor. But they learn to make the most of their time in this world, and do their best to make sure they are remembered when their time comes. In your case, you are welcome to stay with us for the time being, and in return, we will help you find closure with your situation."

The genuine sincerity in her eyes put Indoraptor at ease. She was more honest and truthful than Scorpion, Swoon Song, Fond Feather and Dear Darling had ever been. The hybrid felt he could truly trust these bat ponies to help him through the ordeal and come to terms with it.

"Thank you for you offer, Web Weaver, and I appreciate you willing to help me like this." She turned towards her fellow bat ponies.

"Attention everyone, Indominus Rex's son is going to be our guest for some time. He's had it rough these last few days, and we will do everything we can to help him through this. Treat him as you would each other, but no blood sucking. Help him feel accepted and now, let us welcome Indoraptor into our home!"

The bat ponies started shrieking and applauding in response to Web Weaver's announcement. Indoraptor felt touched to be receiving praise and applause from a new race of ponies, compared to how most ponies in Ponyville had shied away from him or hated him.

"Echo," the young bat pony turned in the direction of her leader. "Since you brought him here, Indoraptor will be your responsibility and your house guest."

"Oh goody!!"

"I know you tend to be more active than most, but I'd like you to be there to lift his spirits should he start to doubt himself."

"You can count on me, ma'am. I'm the best at cheering others up, I know I'll get him to smile and enjoy himself."

"I know you will," Web Weaver said as Echo flew over and hugged Indoraptor.

"This is gonna be great, I can't wait to show you around and show you all the fun you're gonna have, Ripper."

"Ripper? That's a weird name to give me."

"I think it suits you."

"Well, thanks Echo, and thanks for not running away or being afraid of me." Indoraptor gently nuzzled the grey bat pony in return.

"Aw shucks, it's what I do for those in need. Now come on, let's get the tour started."

So Echo started introducing Indoraptor to all her fellow bat ponies, and the hybrid got to spend the night meeting so many new faces while wondering what his time with them would be like.

---

Meanwhile, within his cold and frigid cave, Sombra was practicing his dark magic. During all the turmoil and drama the dinosaurs had been dealing with, the unicorn king had gotten the full might of his dark power back and was getting the feeling of using it again. He was tearing apart sculptures with dark tendrils and blasting them to pieces with magic blasts.

"Marvelous! I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have power. Now that my magic is back to its full strength, I can finally see what's happened in Equestria in my absence."

Sombra conjured a magical portal that allowed him to look into the past, and he was quite surprised when it showed
him the dinosaurs roaming about Equestria with Scootaloo and Rainbow. What he was looking at was a point in their lives
long after Indominus had decimated the Wonderbolts.

"Well now, this is most intriguing. Just who are these animals, and why isn't anypony afraid of them?" Sombra was dumbfounded that not one pony was running in fear with the dinosaurs walking through Ponyville so casually.

"Afternoon Indominus," said Pinkie Pie in the portal.

"Hi Pinkie."

"So, how're you enjoying life as the King of Equestria?"

"I gotta say, it's a lot different than what I'm used to, but I'm just glad that our girls are finally safe from any threats."

"And it's all thanks to you guys," said Rainbow Dash as she nuzzled against him.

"Aw, that's so sweet. A king and his queen being all lovey with one another."

"Not a word of this to anypony Pinkie, got it?"

"My lips are sealed," Pinkie said as the family continued through the town."

"KING!?" Sombra's furious roar of outrage echoed throughout the cave. He was beyond angry that Equestria had decided to make some no count creature king of Equestria, when he was the rightful ruler to the land. It was one thing for the Crystal Empire to have a ruler besides him, but a king that ruled the entire world was more than he could handle.

"There is no way I'm going to let some animal rule Equestria. If he thinks he can take a title that is more deserving for a ruler like me, then I'll show him what it means to take from the Unicorn King. But first, I must see how he and his kind were brought into Equestria in the first place."

Sombra went further back into the past through his portal, unknowingly skipping over Indominus's battle with the Wonderbolts, and the power he used to kill Soarin. The portal displayed Luna scrolling through the royal library, searching for some kind of spell.

"Come on, there's gotta be a spell in here that'll allow me to bring them here. I'm not going to leave Scootaloo in the hooves of those neglectful ponies."

"Luna, you've been looking through the library for days now," Celestia said as she entered the library. "Just what kind of spell are you even looking for?"

"I'll let you know when I find it, sister. But I can't stop now, if I don't find this spell, then I won't be able to keep my word. Now please, let me search in peace."

"Ok....but promise me you'll take it easy when you find what you're looking for."

"Yes, I promise I will," Luna said as she gave her sister a reassuring smile. Celestia left the library so Luna could keep searching.

A couple hours later and Luna found a darkened book full of spells tucked away in a corner of the library that nopony ever looked through. Sombra could see Luna's eyes widening in excitement as she ran through the book, and when she found the spell she was looking for, he zoomed the portal in on what she was looking at.

"The spell of dimensional travel," Sombra said to himself as he read the writing on the page.

"This is it! This is what I needed to bring them here!" Luna glanced out the window of the library and could see that the sun was getting close to setting, and it would be time for her to raise the moon. "Don't worry Scootaloo, tomorrow night I'll bring your new guardians here. Then you won't have to worry about those monsters for parents controlling your life anymore."

The portal pulled away from the scene and Sombra pondered over the info he had gained.

"So, they were brought here to look after some filly? Looks like they managed to accomplish more than just a little babysitting," he said bitterly. "But that's not important, what is important is seeing the kind of world that Luna took them from."

He fast-forwarded to where Luna was bringing the dinosaurs into Equestria. She flew out into the Everfree Forest, on the same night that Scootaloo had wandered into it after being distraught from her parents' cruel behavior. He watched her open the portal to the world that the dinosaurs belonged to, and he was startled by how different it was from Equestria. Foliage he had never seen before, strange creatures that walked on two legs, buildings of glass and structures that were brand new to him and a wide array of dinosaurs that seemed to be prisoners in their world. He could see Luna scanning through the area, until she came upon Indominus and Tyrannosaurus Rex, sleeping in confined enclosures.

"Boys, it's me." The dinosaurs perked up when they heard the alicorn's voice. Luna had created two portals so she could speak to both dinosaurs. "I've done it, this gap I've created will allow you both to leave this world behind and join Scootaloo in Equestria." The dinosaurs stood up and seemed to acknowledge Luna's words, and Indominus looked eager to leave his cage behind. "Step right through, boys. It's time for you to be part of Equestria."

The carnivores stepped through the portals in their enclosures, and found themselves stepping into Equestria as they exited the portals and took in the sight of their new world. Luna noticed that both dinosaurs had instantly picked up on a peculiar scent while they were surveying the forest. Both dinosaurs wandered off in the direction of the scent and Luna took to the skies to observe how they would do. Sombra observed Scootaloo's first encounter with the dinosaurs, how they easily destroyed a pack of Timberwolves, took on their roles as guardians and kept Scootaloo safe through the rest of the night. He closed the portal after the trio had fallen asleep in their cave.

"So that's how she did it, and she thought that those animals could look after a single pony?" Sombra cackled in laughter. "What a foolish princess you are, Luna. Counting on some brainless beasts to be protectors, when you should've let a true king lead the way. But you did do something useful: you've provided me the means by which I need to bring them down and proclaim myself as the rightful king!"

Sombra knew how to use the dimensional travel spell easily, but much like Luna, he too had some difficulty getting to the world that Indominus and Tyrannosaurus had come from. Once he found the same world that Luna had found in the portal, he decided to go back further to a time before Indominus was ever around. The world wasn't quite as civilized as the one Luna had shown, there weren't as many buildings, the world was decorated with much more greenery, but there were still dinosaurs. Sombra combed the entire island for just the right kind of dinosaurs that he could control and convince to fight for him, and that's when he stumbled upon a small, fenced enclosure.

It was a tight, electrified cage with a watch tower right next to it. Within the cage was thick greenery and ferns, hiding what was contained inside. The same two legged creatures Sombra had seen through Luna's dimensional gap were watching over the area, like they were expecting whatever was inside to burst out of the cage. Sombra picked up on some savage growls coming from within the cage, the sounds of angry, vicious animals that wanted out and one in particular, that wanted vengeance.

"This looks promising, think I'll pop in and see if they are willing to cooperate with my plans," Sombra said as he set the portal inside the cage and stepped through.

Once he was inside the greenery, he could hear rustling, the sounds of light footsteps and panting of the animals that were inside. But Sombra was well ahead of the prehistoric dinosaurs and had his magic activated, which turned his body intangible. Out of the thick foliage came three velociraptors, growling as they charged towards Sombra with their teeth bared. Sadly, their attacks passed right through Sombra without even phasing him, and the unicorn king just shook his head to disappointment.

"Such a primitive way of attacking your opponent," Sombra said as the raptors got back up. The leader of the pack glared at Sombra with a ferocity that would frighten any other foe. The unicorn's unwavering deadly gaze met hers, and they could see the fierceness and anger in each other's eyes. "You have spirit for a primal beast like yourself, and such spirit deserves to be put to much better use.

The lead raptor continued to growl and glare at Sombra, unsure of what the dark unicorn in front of her had in mind.

"You want nothing more than to get out of here, don't you? A strong creature like you deserves to have your freedom and above all, to be free of the ones that put you here to begin with."

All of the raptors turned and looked up at the watch tower at the two-legged creatures that were pacing back and forth looking for them. The growls between each of the raptors was a clear sign to Sombra that these animals were tired of being kept in a cage. They turned back towards Sombra, and their aggressive stances lessened.

"Just follow me through here, and you can have your freedom." Sombra stepped through the portal, and the three raptors followed him through the gap until they were back in Equestria.

Sombra immediately conjured a fire in the cave so the dinosaurs he brought wouldn't freeze to death. The raptors gathered around the fire and the two subordinates relaxed, while their leader still kept her eyes on the unicorn. He conjured up his magic again, and sent three streams down each of their throats. The lead raptor shook her head wildly to try and shake out whatever Sombra had put in her, and got ready to charge him again when he spoke up.

"Relax, I didn't do anything harmful. I merely gave you three the gift of speech, so that there's communication between us and that we can have an understanding."

"W-w-what...do you...want with us," said the lead raptor.

"I promised you freedom, and now you three no longer have to worry about being confined to that cage."

"But you've brought us out here in the cold, there's nothing to hunt out here."

"Oh relax, I can transport you three to parts of Equestria where you can hunt and eat to your heart's content." Sombra conjured up a portal of the Everfree Forest and showed the numerous animals that were roaming about. All three raptors walked towards the portal, drooling in anticipation at the sight of the delicious prey they could hunt.

"They look so tasty," said one of the subordinates.

"Yes, and you will get to hunt them, as long as you do as I say."

"We don't take orders from anyone!"

"Oh you should, because those that don't, have to learn the hard way!" Sombra summoned up dark tendrils and grabbed all three raptors by their throats. He held them all above the ground in front of him.

"HERE ME YOU ANIMALS, I AM KING SOMBRA! THE UNICORN KING AND RIGHTFUL RULER OF EQUESTRIA!" Waves of dark energy spread past the raptors and it sent chills down their spines. "You are going to help me bring down the beast that has taken the crown away for himself, and after he is dead, you can all go free and live within the forest to kill whatever you want. But if you disobey even the slightest request."

He drew the lead raptor right up to his face.

"I can kill all of you and erase your lives from existence. So if you betray me even once, I will annihilate you on the spot, and you will die a painful and grueling death. Do I make myself clear?"

The unicorn's dark and deep voice didn't seem to visibly affect the raptor, but she did seem to have an understanding of where she stood. She was smart enough to know that Sombra was immensely more powerful than herself, and after seeing how her attack just passed through him, she knew there was no way she or any of her pack mates could harm him.

"Yes Sombra, I know my place. We will help you."

"Good," Sombra said, rather surprised by her calm tone as he set her and her subordinates down. "Now, what did they call you in your world?"

"I was called The Big One several times, and we are called dinosaurs."

"Hmm, I think it's fitting for your stature."

"Now, who is this animal you want us to take down?"

"THIS is the animal that must be brought down," Sombra said as he conjured up an image of Indominus Rex.

The three raptors took a step back in surprise at the sight of the hybrid. They had never seen a dinosaur like him before.

"You want us to take this beast down? He'd destroy us even if we gave it our best," said the Big One. "We may be strong, but that monster is stronger than all of us. How do you expect us to kill that thing by ourselves?"

"Oh you won't be alone. You'll have help for this particular task, come follow me."

The unicorn led the raptors further into the cave, using his horn to light the way as everything got darker. The raptors walked alongside him to avoid getting consumed in the dark with no way back to the entrance. All they could see were blank icy walls and nothing else.

"What's down here," asked the Big One.

"You'll find out soon enough, and there it is."

The raptors looked ahead and they could barely make out the outline of a statue in the distance. As Sombra drew closer, the raptors saw that they were looking at the statue of a pony who seemed frozen in time. Sombra put a hoof to the statue and ran it down as he marveled at it.

"A thousand more years have passed, and I still haven't forgotten about you. I know that you've been trapped and imprisoned like this for so long, but no more. You shall be frozen and sealed away no longer, my dear. The time for you to be useful to me has finally arrived."

Next Chapter: Rescue Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 15 Minutes