This is the chapter where the big reveal will come into play. For those that recognize the character in question, I got permission to include her in this story. How do you think she'll influence this story?

Indoraptor followed the scent of his prey through the dark forest, closing in on his soon-to-be latest meal. He found where the scent was leading him, and found an unaware manticore under a patch of moonlight. Drool slid down the dinosaur's jaws at the mere thought of sinking his teeth into the tasty flesh. Indoraptor readied himself for the attack, and after making sure that he hadn't been spotted, he charged forward and lunged for the manticore. As he got within range of the beast, Indoraptor saw the manticore fade away and it stopped him mid-charge. He looked around for any sign of the manticore, but there was no indication it had even been there.

"Look who it is, a lost dinosaur all by himself."

"And with no one to save him this time."

Indoraptor turned around wildly, trying to see where the voices were coming from. They were voices that he recognized all too well. The patch of moonlight expanded away to reveal ponies walking towards him, and his eyes shrunk at who they were. Fond Feather, Dear Darling, and Swoon Song were calmly walking towards Indoraptor, with not so much as a single scratch on their bodies.

"No....that's impossible! I saw my dad beat you three so hard you were marked all over. How you survive that!?"

"Don't you know, sex slave? It takes more than a simple beating to keep us down," said Swoon Song.

"Besides, we're not finished with you yet," said Fond Feather.

"We got such a massive dose of your fluids last time, and it was so addictive that we want more of it," said Dear Darling.

"What makes you think I'm going to give you the chance?" Indoraptor charged towards the mares, but felt his legs being pulled and tugged by a magic force. It caused him to fall forward in front of the mares.

"Oh how scary. That's sure to send us running for our lives," said Dear Darling.

"You're no hunter, and certainly not a good one," Swoon Song said as she and her girls kicked Indoraptor in the face and sent him backwards.

The dinosaur rolled backwards until he felt a force standing him up against his will. He tried to fight against the force, but it was too much for him to overcome. It positioned him until he was down on all fours and his tail end was facing up. Swoon Song positioned herself behind him and his eyes caught something coiling around his neck until the she sharp end of the tail was pointing right at his veins. Scorpion appeared alongside him as the remaining mares took up their places on his body. The hybrid saw that it was Scorpion's magic holding him in place and her deadly stare made his blood go cold.

"You'll never be free of us, we're going to keep coming back until we get what we want. You were ours from the moment we paralyzed you, and you'll continue to remain our slave until you've outlived your usefulness. Now be a good boy and submit to your mistresses!"

Swoon Song inserted herself into him, Dear Darling and Fond Feather dug into his sides and Scorpion plunged her tail deep into his neck. Indoraptor roared out in agony as the mares had their way with him once again.

The dinosaur awoke in a startled haze, looking about rapidly to try and remember where he was. He found himself in the comfort of a house with shades drawn tight over the windows to keep the sunlight out. His breathing slowed down and relaxed as he remembered that he was staying with the bat ponies, and it occurred to him that he had disturbed his host's beauty sleep as he found Echo on the floor, rubbing her head from falling off the ceiling.

"Ouch. Indoraptor, what was that about?"

"Sorry Echo, I just had a bad dream."

Although his breathing had slowed, Echo could see how thin his pupils still were. She flew up to the bed and checked him over, and Indoraptor rested his head against her chest. Echo was a little taken aback, but gently stroked his face.

"Was it about those mares?"

"How could you tell?"

"I could hear you saying their names in your sleep. What were they doing?"

"They were cornering me and about to do....horrible things to me."

"It's alright, Indoraptor, you're safe here with us. Those mares can't hurt you anymore."

From the comforting words Echo was giving him, Indoraptor thought he could hear his mom saying these kind of things to him when he was hurt. He pulled back and licked her face, which brought plenty of giggles from the tired bat pony.

"How'd you get so good at this, Echo?"

"I've had lots of experience cheering up bat ponies who've had similar situations or been depressed and upset. They've always called me the upbeat and cheerful little bat of energy. No matter who had a problem, I was always able to cheer them up." A heavy yawn from Echo told Indoraptor that she was supposed to still be sleeping.

"Sorry. I forgot that you're supposed to be asleep. I'll go out and hunt for a while, is there anything you want?"

"Mangoes."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Mangoes you silly dinosaur. They're my favorite fruit and they're really juicy. I love getting to bite and sink my teeth into them." Indoraptor couldn't help but chuckle at her innocent love for fruits.

"Alright Echo, I'll see if I can get you some mangoes while I'm out." The bat pony squealed eagerly and Indoraptor suddenly found his face being hugged by her and nuzzling against him. "Heh heh, ok ok, you're welcome Echo," Indoraptor said as he stroked her mane.

"Sorry Ripper, I can't help myself sometimes."

"It's fine Echo, I trust you since you and your kind have accepted me."

Indoraptor left the house as Echo curled back up on the ceiling and went back to sleep. The hybrid leaped out of the tree Echo's home was in and stretched his limbs to work out the tired muscles. The sun had only just risen and he figured it would soon be time for his parents to wake up.

"I can only imagine what their reaction will be when they realize I'm gone." The hybrid made his way into the forest in search of some breakfast while the bat ponies continued to sleep.

Over in the castle, Indominus was up after a tough night's sleep with his mind still wrecked over everything that had been put upon his family. He decided to give Rainbow some more time to sleep after their argument last night and decided to check on Viper instead. When he got to her door, he spotted a note attached to it.

"Dear mom and dad, I'm sorry that I've been such a burden to both of you. I know that I don't deserve to live in Equestria, and trouble seems to follow me wherever I go. So, even though it's hard for me to do this, I've decided to leave the castle and spare everyone the pain of having to watch me die when the time comes. Don't bother trying to find me, I can conceal myself just as easily as you, dad, and I don't want anymore pain to be brought upon you all for something that might end up being my fault. Tell Viper and Scootaloo that I'm truly sorry, sorry that I didn't get to be a better brother to them and a son you two deserve.

Indoraptor"

Indominus just stood there at his daughter's bedroom door with the note shaking in his hands. Indoraptor thought that everything that had happened to them was his fault, and he had decided the only way he thought it would end, was to run away from home. In an attempt to keep his mind from exploding with fear and panic over what could be happening to his son, Indominus flew out of the castle and took to the roof. He knew Indoraptor's scent very well, so rather than try to spot him with his thermal vision, he tried to see if he could smell where Indoraptor had been, or if he was close by,

He concentrated hard on his sense of smell, and he was able to pick up faint traces of his son's whereabouts within the forests. Knowing that his son was still within reach of his home, calmed down Indominus's nerve-wracked brain, but he also picked up the unusual faint scent of the bat ponies as well.

"Well now, this is interesting. I don't remember smelling anything like this before. And judging by how many different scents there are, I'd say Indoraptor has found himself in good company. I only hope these new creatures are able to do for him what I couldn't do," Indominus thought to himself as he went back inside the castle.

Rainbow hadn't slept much either. The massive skull shaped bed felt so empty and cold without her husband's scaly body to snuggle against. The ordeal hadn't been any easier on her too, in addition to finding out about her daughter going berserk, she now had to wonder if Spitfire was trying to sway Indominus away from her, and how Scootaloo was turning out. Indominus may have been too caught up in all the problems to notice, but Rainbow could tell that there was a big change in Scootaloo, and one that she knew wasn't good.

Rainbow had seen how Tyrannosaurus had walked into the castle last night by himself, looking defeated and with Scootaloo's claw marks on his face. When she had asked him about what happened, he simply told her that Scootaloo had found someone more to her liking, and walked off into another room on his own. She had tried talking to Scootaloo about the issue, but the pegasus merely dismissed it, saying she didn't need to be watched by an old jealous lizard. Hearing her call Tyrannosaurus that tore through Rainbow's mind with so many questions. Unfortunately, her husband's ordeals had put them aside and with everything building all at once, she felt she had no choice but to give him some time away so they could both process things.

Sadly it hadn't done anything but make them more upset and nothing really got resolved. As Rainbow laid there on the bed with her thoughts wallowing in her mind, Indominus came bursting in through the door, which startled her out of the bed.

"Indominus, what did I tell you last night?"

"Indoraptor's gone."

"I told you not to- wait.....WHAT!?" Indominus handed her the note and as she read it, Rainbow's expression only got worse. "We have to do something! We have to get out there and find him!"

Rainbow was making a beeline for the door when Indominus stopped her and held her in place.

"What are you doing Indominus? Our son's out there by himself, thinking he's the source of our problems and at the mercy of any creature that happens to find him."

"There's nothing we can do, Rainbow. You know as well as I do that finding him is impossible. Between hiding his heat signature and his mastery of the camouflage, he's invisible to all of us."

"Then why aren't you worried too, Indominus? You're acting like you don't care." Indominus just held Rainbow close as she seemed on the verge of losing it.

"I was worried the first time I read the note too, Rainbow, I know how you feel. But before I lost my mind, I checked to see if I could pick up on his scent."

"And....did you find it?"

"I was able to pick up traces of it in the forests, but I also picked up some different scents that I've never smelled before."

"What did they smell like?"

"It smelled sort of like ponies and...bats?"

"Bats? The last time we ever encountered a pony who was part bat was when Fluttershy had the craving portion of vampire fruit bats put in her. Are you saying that there are ponies out there that are part bat, and they've found our son?"

"That's what it seems like, but still, I wouldn't be too concerned."

"I still don't understand how you can be so calm with the danger our son could be in."

"You're forgetting, Rainbow. Indoraptor is stronger than most of the creatures out there in the forests, if these strange ponies try to mess with him, he could always kill them. I didn't pick up any blood so clearly he hasn't killed any of them, though if their scent is mixed in with his so much, then clearly he's sticking around them for a reason. All we can do is hope that they can help him realize that he does belong here, and that he'll come back home afterwards."

"But Indominus, I don't want to just give up and abandon him."

"This is not abandonment, Rainbow. It's like Applejack told us, there's nothing we can do until he overcomes this. Right now he has possible help that can make that happen, and we have to trust in them. The castle will always be his home, and we'll be waiting for when he decides to come back."

Rainbow embraced Indominus in a much needed hug and the couple just held each other in silence. For the first time in a long while, the lovers finally had a true moment of peace.

"I've missed hearing the poetic side of you, my stud. And I'm sorry for how I acted last night, I was out of line."

"We were both out of line, Rainbow, and I'm sorry for letting my temper get the better of me."

Rainbow leaned in and pressed her lips against his. No matter how many times he got kissed by her, it always felt just like the first time when they kissed on their first date all those years ago.

"You're forgiven, and.....can we spend a little time together before everyone wakes up and we tell them about this?"

"Of course, Rainbow."

Indominus climbed into the bed and let Rainbow snuggle up against his scales. He felt her nose and calm breath against his neck as he nuzzled into her mane. They slowly closed their eyes as they fell into a calm slumber while being held in each other's arms and forehooves.

A couple hours later, Indominus and Rainbow were more rested and telling the family members about the note. Blue was the only one who wasn't impacted by the announcement, for she had seen the hybrid before he took off and knew he would eventually return. Viper was terribly upset that he would leave without telling her, and was hugging her big sister for support. Scootaloo was shaken by her big brother's message, and after finding out how hurt he had been, she shared a rather guilty look with T-Rex. She could see where she had scratched his face now that the wound had healed and turned into scars.

She knew that she had hurt him badly, but she didn't have the heart to talk with him about her feelings towards Rumble.

"I'm sorry," was all Scootaloo could mouth at T-Rex.

"I know," Tyrannosaurus mouthed in response.

"Are we never going to see him again, dad?"

"No Viper, he'll come back in his own time. Right now, all I know is that he's in good company with a different breed of ponies who are supposedly looking after him."

"We just have to be strong and keep an eye out for any sign of him if he feels he's ready to come back home," said Rainbow.

"We'll keep a lookout for him, Rainbow," said Delta.

"Just remember, we can't force him to do anything if we do find him," said Indominus. "He has to come back to us of his own free will, otherwise he might change his mind and decide to run off again."

"We wouldn't force him to do anything regardless," said Blue.

"We'll be ready to welcome Indoraptor back when he's ready to return," said Echo.

"Good. Now if you guys will excuse me, I've gotta meet my friends for a day of bonding and tell them about all this. I wonder how Twilight is gonna take this."

Wonderbolt training was finished for the season, so this was Rainbow's time to relax and unwind. Her friends had arranged to meet her at the spa to help make up for how Indoraptor's day of comforting had gone south so quickly. Twilight was very upset when Rainbow told them the news, and Pinkie told her she understood what her friend was going through. Marble had been more upset since seeing Indoraptor's horrified reaction to finding out the truth, and especially how he had trampled on one of the roses she had given him.

"Has she really been that upset?" Applejack asked.

"Uh huh. She's so heartbroken that she doesn't even smile anymore. Seeing Indoraptor so upset really broke her heart after she tried to cheer him up."

"We're all sorry that you've had to deal with this, darling," said Rarity.

"Indominus has been doing his best to keep me from worrying, and I trust his word, and yours, Applejack," Rainbow said as she laid back on one of the lounge chairs. "Wherever Indoraptor is, I hope he's alright."

"He's your son, Rainbow. He's got Indominus's strengths, but he also has your stubborn and witty intelligence," said Spike as he lounged in the bath with his wife.

"Thanks Spike," Rainbow said humbly.

"I'm sure Indoraptor is doing fine out there," said Applejack. "Heck if Indominus and Tyrannosaurus could survive out there on their own before living with you, then he can do the same."

"This should help you too, Twilight," said Fluttershy. The alicorn snapped out of her sad daze as she turned towards Fluttershy. "You shouldn't be so worried for him either. He'll come back in time, but you can't be wallowing about it until then."

"Fluttershy's right, darling. You haven't been yourself lately, ever since the 'incident.'"

"Tell me Twilight, do you have feelings for Indoraptor?"

"Wha...why would you think that?"

"I can tell by the blush on your face. I should know because Scootaloo said I had one the day after I met Indominus."

"It's just a school pony crush, nothing more. I've been a little mesmerized ever since he was able to speak," said Twilight.

"I can't blame you on that, his voice is more deep and powerful than Indominus's. Though I'm surprised that you've had a little crush on my son."

"I'm still surprised myself, Rainbow. I didn't expect to have a crush for anypony, let alone a hybrid dinosaur."

"Everypony has their own preferences, darling," said Rarity.

"We've all fallen in love with lovers that nopony would ever expect us to have," said Fluttershy.

"Thanks girls, I'm so glad we've remained friends for so long."

"We're stuck together like glue, Twilight. We'll always be there for one another."

Twilight pulled Rainbow's chair closer to her and they embraced each other in a hug. The girls awed at the touching sight as their emotional wounds began to heal.

Indoraptor was gulping down the tasty organs of his latest manticore kill. Unlike the nightmare he had woken up from, he was completely aware of his surroundings and knew that there was no creature that would dare try to mess with him. As he tore away at the meat and crunched the bones, Indoraptor couldn't help but feel like a part of him was missing from the simple picture. Without his family partaking in the hunt and the feast with him, it didn't feel the same. After swallowing the last remains of the manticore, the dinosaur made his way deeper into the forest.

The sun was still rather high and the bat ponies wouldn't be awake for hours, so Indoraptor chose to relax at a special spot they had showed him during his first night. It was a stream that ran deep enough for the bat ponies to bathe in and if they were lucky, catch some of the fish that swam through it. For Indoraptor, it served a much different and more useful purpose. He laid himself down next to the stream, submerged his face in the water up to his nostrils and opened his jaws in the flowing water. His head created a gap in the flowing stream for the fish that swam through to stop, scrape and nibble away all the leftover meat from his kill that was stuck in his teeth. Indoraptor didn't bother trying to catch the fish, because he knew they were just too alert and swift to be easily caught. So this trade off was a better option: the fish got extra treats on their way down the stream, and Indoraptor got his teeth cleaned and prepped for his next meal.

The peace was soothing for his tired mind, and being hidden away in the forest where no animals could find him, he didn't have to worry about being caught off-guard and attacked.

"I wonder what Marble and the others have been up to," Indoraptor said as he ran his claws through the cooling water. "She looked pretty sad when mom and dad told me the truth, I wish I could speak to her, but I can't risk getting spotted. If anypony in town saw me, they'd run off to tell dad and he'd try to take me back when I'm still not ready yet."

Then a thought occurred to Indoraptor: he didn't have to worry about being seen.

"Of course! My camouflage! That's how I can see her....and get help with getting Echo her mangoes!" Indoraptor took off from the stream and made a beeline towards Ponyville.

The streets were bustling with ponies, and with so many faces wandering about, just one of them spotting him would be enough to give him away. Indoraptor cloaked himself until his skin was matching the streets of Ponyville and cautiously, he made his way out of the forest and into the streets. He stuck close to the buildings to avoid bumping into anypony and giving away his position. Walking on all fours without making a sound, he worked his way towards Sugarcube Corner, in hopes that he would find Marble inside. When he reached the decorated home, he peaked inside the window and found Marble all by herself.

She was sitting at the checkout stand with reddened eyes and a pure look of depression across her face. She looked like she had been crying her eyes out for days, and Pinkie hadn't been able to cheer her up in the least.

"Oh Marble, I didn't know you would be hurt this much." Indoraptor thought as he watched a tear slowly drop from her eyes and onto the desk.

He knocked on the door to get her attention, and Marble was startled out of her depressed daze. She slowly got up and trotted over to the door, but she was perplexed when she opened it and didn't see anypony standing on the other side. Then she heard a voice calling to her.

"Marble, could you come around back for a moment? I'd like to have a word with you."

"W-who said that?"

"Just follow the sound of my voice. Trust me, you'll like this."

The earth pony nervously followed the voice around Sugarcube Corner and towards the back of the building. She found nopony waiting for her when she got there, but was about to explode in panic when she felt a hand covering her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

"Now listen. You have to keep quiet when I show myself to you, I don't want anypony to know that I'm back just yet. Understand?"

"Mmhmm," Marble said behind her muffled mouth.

Slowly the camouflage parted away until Indoraptor was standing before Marble in the living flesh. She struggled really hard to keep her happiness from going to Pinkie levels of crazy as she ran over and hugged him.

"Indoraptor, why did you run off? When Rainbow Dash told us this morning, I thought you weren't going to ever come back."

"I needed time to sort things out, Marble. I've had a lot on my mind, but it has nothing to do with you. I could never be angry with the pony who tried to cheer me up after what I've been through, and I'm sorry that I stepped on the rose. I bet they've all wilted by now."

"Wait right here, Indoraptor." Marble dashed back into the house and when she returned, she was holding another bouquet of blue roses in her right forehoof. "I got another bouquet ready just in case you decided to come back."

"Marble, you really are one of the kindest ponies I've ever met."

Indoraptor nuzzled her face and just like she had before, Marble's face blushed bright red from the affection. It lifted his spirits to see her smiling again, and being so happy to just be close to him.

"Listen Marble, I have a favor I need to ask of you, if you don't mind, that is."

"What kind of favor?"

"I met a friend the other night who's helping me deal with what's on my mind. She asked me to pick up some mangoes for her, apparently she really likes them. Do you think you could help me out with getting some to take to her?"

"Sure, as long as you bring me up to speed about where you've been staying."

"Of course, as long as you don't tell anypony where I am. I'm still not ready to go back yet, but I think a week might be enough to help me come to terms with my 'condition.'"

"No problem," Marble said as placed the bouquet in Indoraptor's hands, nuzzled him back and went off to one of the corner shops to get some mangoes.

Indoraptor spent the time looking over the roses and marveling at the beauty they still held. Even after not seeing them for so long, they still looked just as amazing and lovely as the first time Marble had given them to him. He only had to wait a few minutes before Marble returned with a bag full of mangoes.

"Do you think your friend will like these?"

"Oh I'm sure Echo will be head over heels for these."

"Echo? But isn't that the name of one of your raptor sisters?"

"She's a bat pony, Marble. I met her last night in the forest. Oh, but can we continue this conversation inside? Call me suspicious, but some of the walls have eyes."

"Certainly."

Marble brought Indoraptor into Sugarcube Corner and offered the hybrid some good old fashioned fritters and treats. After getting the taste for the treats he loved back, the pair went upstairs and got comfy in Pinkie's room. Indoraptor told Marble about getting to meet Echo and her kind last night, learning about what his new radar sense really was, and above all, being accepted into their home.

"So they're really letting you stay with them?"

"Yes. Web Weaver has promised me that she and her fellow bat ponies will do what they can to help me accept what's happening to my body."

"That's really nice of them, and it's a good thing they didn't try to eat you."

"Like they could've if they tried. Besides, they'd heard rumors about my family over the years, and it was like a dream come true for them to meet me. I honestly never expected to have that much praise in one night."

"And Echo has been good with you?"

"She's such a kind-hearted bat. If she were to meet your sister, the two of them would bond in no time. She's got this uplifting spirit, like there's nothing in Equestria that could ever make her upset. But she's never given me a gift like you have, you're the only one who's done that," Indoraptor said so he wouldn't make Marble feel like she didn't matter to him. The warm smile still hadn't left her face since she saw him.

"What's it been like living with bat ponies?"

"A little tough to get used to their way of living. They're active at night and asleep during the day. It must've been hard for Echo to be awake in the day when I had that nightmare about those mares."

"But they can't come back, Indominus did a really hard number on them."

"I know he did, and I love that he showed them who's boss. Speaking of which, how are they doing?"

"Rainbow's been worrying about you, and Indominus has tried to ease her worries. He's been telling her that you'll be alright and that they'll keep the doors open for you when you decide to come back."

"You mean, he's not going to try and drag me back if he sees me?"

"He said that you needed to sort through this one on your own, without anyone trying to tell you what to do. He trusts in you and believes that you will overcome having to live with the condition. That's why he's not going to force you to come back, he wants you to return when you've come to terms with all this."

"Wow. He really has that much faith in me, and won't force me back?"

"That's right." Indoraptor was about to respond when they both heard Pinkie Pie come in through the door.

"Marble! I'm back from the spa!"

"Uh oh. That's my cue to get going. I'll see you later, Marble."

"Yeah, later. It was still nice seeing you again, Indoraptor." The hybrid was about to climb out of the bedroom window, when he turned around and licked Marble on the cheek.

"I almost forgot to thank you."

"For what," Marble said with her cheeks turning red.

"For caring about me so much." He started to turn away again, but Marble pulled him in once more and gave the dinosaur a kiss on the side of his face.

"You're welcome. Now get going and tell Echo I said hi."

"Will do, Marble," Indoraptor said before he camouflaged himself and went out the window with the bouquet and the mangoes tucked under an arm.

A moment later, Pinkie came upstairs and found Marble staring out the window at where Indoraptor had disappeared back into the forest.

"Whatcha looking at sister? What's out there that could be..?" Pinkie noticed how Marble was smiling with a few tears rolling down her face. "Marble, why are you smiling?"

"It's a secret, sister." Marble turned away from the window and walked downstairs, leaving Pinkie perplexed and confused.

Indoraptor spent the rest of the day relaxing in the forest, and admiring his new bouquet of roses. He considered himself very lucky to have somepony like Marble that cared enough to help him out and remained so fond of him after his outburst. He realized that she was also somepony he could depend on if things ever got bad again. Marble was forever going to be a part of his life, and she wasn't going to abandon Indoraptor anytime soon.

When the sun was beginning to set, Indoraptor made his way back towards the bat ponies. They were beginning to wake up and many of them were already roaming about to welcome Indoraptor back into their home. Echo was flying down from her house when she spotted Indoraptor and landed in front of him.

"How was your day, Ripper?"

"Nice and peaceful, Echo, and a friend of mine helped me get these for you." He handed her the bag of mangoes and Echo shrieked in giddy excitement.

She tore open the bag and chowed down on a whole mango. Indoraptor chuckled at how excited she was over a piece of fruit, but it was just a part of her he had come to appreciate.

"I see you've found out about Echo's guilty pleasure," said Web Weaver as she walked over to the hybrid dinosaur. She noticed the bouquet in his hands. "Seems you have a special someone in your life, Indoraptor."

"Oh these? They're from a friend back in Ponyville that comforted me after my 'incident.' She helped me get the mangoes and had these waiting for me in case I decided to come back."

"So you paid her a visit today," asked Echo.

"Uh huh. I brought her up to speed on everything, and she told me that my family is letting me come back at my own free will."

"I never believed that Indominus would even think of forcing his son to come back home when he wasn't ready. So now it's our turn to help you make the next step. Tonight, we shall begin your training in perfecting echolocation, and throughout this week, I'll pass on my teachings to you about the importance and value of life, as I have for so many of my kind," said Web Weaver.

"You're gonna love using echolocation, Indoraptor," said Echo as she swallowed another mango. "And we have the perfect method to teach you."

"How are you going to do that?"

"By having you hunt with us," said Web Weaver. "We'll show you how to use it properly, and then you'll put that teaching into practice when you join us on our hunt tonight."

"Excellent! When do I start?"

Indoraptor wished that Equestria could know about all the effort and hours where a group of bat ponies took a lost, confused hybrid dinosaur and taught him life lessons and hunting methods he never knew existed. It turned out that the way for Indoraptor to use echolocation resided in his jaws. Web Weaver and Echo showed him how they would either screech or click their tongues to use echolocation. Indoraptor told them how he had used low growls which somehow caused the same kind of vibrations that were used in echolocation. Echo and Web Weaver tested his theory when they hid inside the trees and told Indoraptor to rely on using echolocation to find them.

He had to close his eyes and focus on the low growls that had produced the radar effect the first time. Just like before, the rumbles in his growls created the sound waves that bounced off his surroundings and painted a picture of the environment in his head. The bat ponies watched as Indoraptor climbed the trees which Echo and Web Weaver were hiding in, and found them easily. They were quite impressed that his method had worked despite being different than theirs. Then came the hunt, and with it came learning more about his body than Indoraptor had expected.

The bat ponies stuck to the trees when they hunted and showed Indoraptor how to distribute his weight so he could move along the branches without breaking them or making a sound. The group used their echolocation to find their prey in the darkness of the forest, and found an abundance of manticores oblivious to the fanged threats from above. Web Weaver had Indoraptor hang back so he could observe another use of their echolocation, one that had him baffled. He watched her dive on a pair of manticores, clicking her tongue the whole way to guide her attack until she bit into the neck of one. The second manticore charged for her and Indoraptor was about to call out and warn her, but then she pulled off an amazing trick that blew his mind.

Echo hadn't taken her eyes off of the manticore she had bit, and just by clicking her tongue alone, she dove underneath the animal and dodged its attack, without even having to see it. Web Weaver pounced on the second manticore before it had the chance to turn around and attack again. Her large fangs drew up great deals of blood from the manticore, and the creature passed out from the lack of blood. They both flew up to Indoraptor with blood streaming down their necks, while the others carried on with their feeding.

"H-how did you do that, Echo? You didn't even look at him, how did you know where he was going to attack you from?"

"That's a very useful perk echolocation has to offer," said Web Weaver. "It does more than just help us spot prey. Given the right circumstances it can even save our lives."

"If you use it when facing off against an opponent, it can allow you to see how far away your attacker is, how big the attack is, and especially, shows you where the attack is going to be before it even happens," said Echo.

"That's incredible," said Indoraptor.

"I know. Pretty amazing what a simple ability can do for you without the need for grand powers. Let's see if we can find you some targets to practice with." Web Weaver clicked her tongue and a moment later, she got her answer. "You're in luck Indoraptor, there are two manticores in that direction. We'll corral the others so we can watch you in action."

After a few more minutes of having their fill of blood, the whole group was waiting in the trees while Indoraptor stuck to the ground this time. Web Weaver was impressed at how he kept his claws above the ground to avoid making noise, and Echo loved how the camouflage helped him practically blend into the shadows. He got ready to pounce, and right when one of the manticores turned its back to him, Indoraptor leaped forward and crushed its neck with a single bite. The other manticore staggered away as Indoraptor dropped the limp body and roared at the creature, deliberately antagonizing him to try and attack. The beast took the bait and roared back, Indoraptor made his low rumbles as the beast pawed at the ground and charged towards him.

It was like echolocation was letting Indoraptor see a slow motion preview of where the manticore was aiming. His radar sense showed him the animal leaping off the ground and throwing its claws forward to scratch and tear him apart. He turned his body sideways and watched as the manticore flew harmlessly past him, completely missing its mark. Enraged, the manticore charged again, swiping its paws at Indoraptor, but the echolocation proved to be too effective. Then hybrid dinosaur could see every swipe coming before the manticore could even swing its arm, making it seem like the animal was too slow or Indoraptor was too quick and agile. The bat ponies clapped their hooves in applause as Indoraptor lunged at the manticore and pinned it.

The animal made one last attempt to fight back and clamped down on Indoraptor's shoulder. The dinosaur growled in frustration and crunched down on the manticore's neck in response. The beast's eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp, with his teeth stuck in Indoraptor's shoulder.

"Indoraptor! Are you alright," Echo asked as the hybrid pulled the manticore's jaws free from his shoulder.

They were all expecting bleeding wounds to be drilled into the shoulder, but the bat ponies and Indoraptor himself were surprised to see that there was no blood at all, just four small indents of where the fangs had been. Then Indoraptor watched in amazement as the indents pushed themselves back out and the skin was good as new, like there had been no indication he had even been bitten. Now it was time for all of the bat ponies to be surprised.

"How did you do that?"

"He bit hard enough to get to bones, and it didn't even cause a break."

"That was astounding."

"That was quite an impressive feat, Indoraptor. How did you know your body could absorb attacks?"

"I didn't, Echo. I had no idea I COULD do this. Gonna have to add this to the list of experiments Twilight will have to do so I can get some solid answers."

"Well that definitely makes for the most fascinating hunt we've ever been on, what do you say, bats?" The others shrieked happily in response, and it left Indoraptor feeling rather proud of his latest accomplishments.

"Not to mention how well you used echolocation against that manticore. We've had trouble dodging opponents that attack that fast, but you could read his attacks so well. Not once did he even lay a claw on you," said Echo.

"Well I couldn't have done that on my own. I had some great teachers to show me how."

"Aw, thanks," Echo said as she blushed pink at the compliment. The others waited until Indoraptor was finished with his double manticore dinner before they made their way back home.

Outside of using echolocation, Indoraptor learned some important lessons on life that did in fact help him accept his condition. Web Weaver gave teachings on life to every bat pony in the forest each night, saying how life has to be lived within the time that nature allows, and that every life is important, which meant a lot to Indoraptor. It was two days after his echolocation kills, that he learned those important lessons.

"So, even though I'm not going to outlive my parents, my life still has value in this world?"

"Of course Indoraptor. No one is ever going to have the same lifespan as everyone else. Some creatures are meant to be in this world longer than others. Take those manticores you took down a few nights ago, they could've lived longer, but instead they were brought down by you and had their lives cut short. Every creature must live their life to the fullest, so that when the time comes for them to say goodbye, they can pass on knowing that they did all that they could for this world."

"But my condition, was I born with it because I was meant to die young?"

"No no, Indoraptor. Some things may happen that are beyond our control, but that doesn't mean they have control over us and decide what our fate should be? You've said that you were born with a disease that will end your life by the time you are eleven years old. Do you think that means you should just wallow in it and wait for it to claim you?"

"I.....I don't know, Web Weaver. I've had that question nagging me from the beginning, and I've never been able to find an answer that would allow me to move past it."

"Here's what you should do, Indoraptor," Web Weaver put a hoof under Indoraptor's chin and brought his head up until he was looking into her eyes. "What you should do, is make the most of the life you have and make an impression on Equestria that will ensure they always remember you. Don't let this condition have priority over your life and keep you from the things you love doing. Live your life to the full extent that you have, and make sure you are remembered for all the good you'll do for your home."

"Do you get what she's trying to tell you, Indoraptor," asked Echo.

"I think so. What you're saying is, I can't let this condition hold me back. I need to keep living my life the way I did before I found out about this, and before my time comes, do something memorable for Equestria like my father did?"

"Exactly! You see Indoraptor, you are on the right path to getting past this. Whenever those thoughts get back inside your head, just remember these lessons and you won't be afraid of death or the ailment when your time comes."

It would take him a while, but the hybrid dinosaur was making progress thanks to Web Weaver's teachings, and Echo's encouragement and support. Every day while he was out hunting, he thought back to her lessons and it helped settle his troubled mind for once. He was slowly accepting that he wouldn't live as long as his brother and sisters, but it didn't matter as long as he made his time worthwhile. The nightmares continued to appear during a few days, but Echo was always there to perk him back up and chase away the lingering memories. Then at the end of the week, came an encounter that would solidify Indoraptor's resolution to live his life in the best way possible.

It was a peaceful night, having returned from a successful hunt with the bat ponies, Indoraptor was mingling with Echo and her friends, Jasmine and Speck.

"You're quite an amazing hunter, Indoraptor," said Speck.

"With your skills in echolocation and bringing down prey so easily, I'll bet you could take on any creature in the forest," said Jasmine.

"Nah. I may be good, but I'm not the best around. My father and his brother Rexy took down a Hydra during their first few days here."

"A hydra!? Now that is a truly impressive feat, something that is worthy of praise among other predators," said Echo. "We've heard that hydras are impossible to bring down."

"My father would beg to differ. He's taken down opponents that tried to tear Equestria apart. I've always idolized him for all that he and mom have...." Indoraptor trailed off when he thought he heard a distinct roar in the distance.

"What's wrong Ripper?"

"I thought I heard something, Echo. I need to see if I can pick it up more clearly."

He climbed into the trees and strained to see if he could pick up the sound. It was faint, but there was no denying what Indoraptor was hearing: it was the roars of a pack of velociraptors, very angry velociraptors. But something about the roars didn't seem right, for one thing, none of them sounded anything like Blue, Charlie, Echo or Delta. These sounded like completely different raptors, which should've been impossible since Blue and her squad were the only raptors in Equestria. Whatever was going on, Indoraptor knew he had to see it for himself. When he was back on the ground, Indoraptor had to tell the unfortunate news.

"What's going on, Ripper?"

"I'm not too sure if I'm right, Echo, but it sounds like there are other velociraptors out there besides my sisters."

"Really? But how can that be?"

"I don't know, but I need to see if they're a threat to my family or not."

"Does this mean that you're leaving?"

"I'm sorry Echo, I've really enjoyed being here and appreciated everything you and your kind have done for me. But my place is with my family, and after I find out what's up with these new dinosaurs, I think I'll be ready to face my parents."

He saw Echo's cheerful attitude was starting to fade at the reality that he couldn't stay with them after tonight. But Indoraptor did have something for her, he went back into her house and brought out the bouquet of roses Marble had given him. He took one out and placed it in Echo's hair.

"I want you to have one of these roses, as my way of thanking you for taking care of me." She tackled into him with a hug in return and the hybrid gently wrapped his arms around her.

"Does this mean I won't get to see you anymore?"

"No, I couldn't forget you so easily. Now that I know my way here, i can always pay you guys a visit before I turn in for the night. You won't lose me, Echo, I'll make sure of that."

"Thank you Indoraptor," Echo said as she gently licked his neck before letting him go.

Web Weaver met Indoraptor at the entrance to the bat pony domain before he took off.

"It's been a real honor having you with us, Indoraptor."

"I can't thank you enough for helping me through this, Web Weaver. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for helping me finally come to terms with what I'm dealing with."

"May you live the life you deserve, and remember what I've taught you. Just remember those lessons and you'll be fine."

"I will, and make sure that Echo isn't too upset while I'm away."

"You told her you would visit, you've already made it so she won't be too upset. Now go, and have a peaceful night."

Indoraptor and Web shared one hug before he took off into the forest, heading for the direction of the raptor calls.

"We'll see you again, great hybrid."

Indoraptor sped through the forest at incredible speeds, getting closer and closer to the source of the raptor calls. His sense of smell, thermal vision and echolocation all guided him in one direction, and once the heat signatures were close enough, he slowed down and decided to see what was happening. He placed the bouquet behind a tree, and crept forward on all fours to blend in with the grass. He could make out the bodies of three velociraptors, and being bathed in the moonlight, he could tell right away that they were not part of his family.

Their bodies were all a light shade of brown and one of them, presumably the leader, was bigger than her packmates and certainly bigger than Blue. They all seemed to be towering over the body of what looked like a downed pony, who wasn't responding. The hybrid made the choice of testing the new raptors to see how they would react to his presence, and see if he could alert any of his family as well. He stood up to his full height and called out to the three raptors. They all turned their heads towards the direction of his voice, and once they spotted Indoraptor, their attitudes became more aggressive.

They bared their teeth and started growling at Indoraptor, but the hybrid wasn't fazed in the least. He already knew that he was bigger, stronger, and had more skills and abilities than any of the raptors in front of him. In response to their growls, he casually started walking towards them. The Big One growled at the approaching hybrid, but Indoraptor just took her growl like a passing bug and continued to advance towards them. As clouds passed over the moonlit sky, Indoraptor blended in with the darkness once more and seemed to be turning invisible to the raptors, but when the clouds passed, they were startled to see that he had vanished.

The three raptors started looking all over the area, trying to see where the massive black hybrid had disappeared to. With a massive body like his, there was no way he could just disappear on them. But that's what had happened, and all three dinosaurs were unaware that Indoraptor was preparing a sneak attack on them. Out from a group of trees next to them, Indoraptor rammed all three raptors with the force of a charging bull. They were sent careening across the forest, smacking into trees and tumbling along the ground. The sneak attack also gave Indoraptor time to check out the pony they had been towering over, but when he caught sight of her, something unusual stirred inside him.

The pony he was looking at was unlike anything he had ever seen before, she surpassed Echo, Scorpion and any other mare in quite possibly Equestria. She was a white mare with a red and black mane and tail. Her cutie mark was two oddly shaped pictures with the faces of what looked like royalty on them. But what struck Indoraptor as so unusual about this mare, was that half her body seemed to be made of metal. Her legs seemed to be made entirely of some kind of metal, which was spread along her spinal cord and the underside of her stomach. Even her horn was made of the same material, like her original horn had been taken off and replaced with a metal one. This pony had Indoraptor perplexed and curious at the same time.

He didn't know if the metal limbs were real or just a new kind of armor, but as he ran his claws along them and touched her fur, the truth was revealed. They were indeed her legs, because they were pressed in and attached to her body. Indoraptor had never felt a greater deal of empathy towards any pony before, and as the raptors came back at him, he knew that he had to get her away from the area, no matter what. Using his echolocation to see their attacks coming at him, Indoraptor grabbed two of them by their necks and one in his jaws. He threw the two subordinates into the trees and shook the Big One in his jaws before he slammed her into a tree and then rammed her body, causing the tree to break and topple over.

One of the subordinates recovered and pounced on Indoraptor while he was preoccupied with their leader. The smaller raptor could maneuver around the larger hybrid's body, but he managed to grab her by the tail and threw the raptor to the ground. However, he didn't get two steps in before the other subordinate charged him and bought enough time for the down raptor to recover and join the assault too. The Big One recovered from the pounding headache Indoraptor had dealt her when she saw something appearing out of the ground behind the hybrid. It was a giant dark crystal spike, ending in a sharpened deadly point. The raptor grinned sadistically as she looked from Indoraptor to the spike and got an idea.

While her subordinates were keeping Indoraptor busy, she lined up the perfect shot for an ambush attack. Indoraptor was continually thrashing his body to try and shake the raptors off, but they remained on him despite not drawing blood. The hybrid took one step to the right and it put him directly in the path of the spike, in which the Big One charged and plowed right into him. The force of her momentum drove Indoraptor forward, and he was unable to stop himself as his body went through the dark spike and was impaled.

The dinosaur croaked out weakly and then slumped over with the crystal sticking out of his back.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" Viper lunged out from the bushes and clamped down on the back of one of the subordinates.

She slashed and clawed at the raptor, wanting to spill blood for what happened to her brother. Her claws dug deep into the velociraptor and the inexperienced dinosaur wasn't able to touch the agile little hybrid. The Big One moved in to yank Viper off her subordinate's back, but she was ambushed and tackled by Blue. The beta raptor may not have been as big as the Big One, but she had more power and strength on her side. Blue shoved the Big One away as Viper tore away a chunk of flesh from the other raptor's neck and the dinosaur stumbled back. The pair faced off against the three raptors as they looked over Indoraptor's body.

"You'll pay for what you did to him," Blue growled at the raptors.

"We didn't do this, he brought it on himself when he attacked us," said the Big One.

"Y-you can talk too?"

"Far better than you can, little halfling. Now, time to finish the job."

The Big One crouched and was about to leap towards Blue and Viper when suddenly, she felt something pull her leg out from underneath and it sent her into the dirt. She looked around to see what had tripped her up, when she saw Indoraptor's tail coiled around her leg. The Big One tried to shake the tail loose, but it stayed firmly wrapped around her leg. Then to everyone's surprise, the tail swung in the opposite direction and threw the raptor off until she skidded to a stop.

Viper's eyes grew to the size of sand dollars as she saw Indoraptor's body moving and starting to get up. He gripped the crystal with both hands and with incredible force, tore himself away from it with the upper part still lodged in his body. He then turned towards the Big One, who had recovered from the sneak attack and was now staring jaw agape at the hybrid with the crystal still in his body. Then Indoraptor grabbed the crystal with one hand, and in one quick tug, pulled the whole thing out of his body, roaring angrily from the pain that followed.

Blue and Viper were at a loss for words at how Indoraptor was still standing after being impaled, but their minds were really blown as something incredible took place. The hole in his back where the crystal had been was closing up and healing. The Big One saw the hole in his chest healing as well, and in a matter of seconds, both wounds had been completely healed with no signs they had even been there.

"H-how did you do that? You're supposed to be dead," the Big One said in horrified shock.

"You think you're surprised? So am I. But I can tell you this, I'm not ready to die just yet." Indoraptor calmly made his way toward the Big One, who was afraid for the first time in her life. "And since you won't listen to me, I'll have to break you!"

Indoraptor grabbed the Big One before she could react and threw her into a tree. Then he rammed into her and the force of his attack sent the tree tumbling down. The strange mare started to stir and was barely able to open one of her eyes as she saw Indoraptor tear into the Big One with unrelenting ferocity. His claws dug deep into her flesh and with every slash he sent her blood across the forest floor. The raptor was helpless to defend herself as Indoraptor tore through her hide, grabbed her by the back in his jaws and threw her body across the floor.

Her subordinates charged the hybrid, but Blue and Viper cut them off with their own attacks. Viper couldn't be touched as she slashed at the new raptor's underside and tore out another chunk of flesh. Blue's experience from all the hunting and battles she had been in were more than a match for an inexperienced raptor, and the subordinate was easily overwhelmed by her strength. Blue raked the subordinate with her claws and tore away at her throat, and the raptor was unable to fight back after only a few minutes. She shoved the subordinate over by the Big One, who was struggling to get back on her feet.

Viper had clawed and marked up her opponent that the raptor was starting to lose focus and becoming disoriented. Indoraptor took advantage of the beaten raptor's situation, and sunk his claws into both sides of its neck.

"That;s right, know your place and know who is your better," Indoraptor said as he dragged his claws down the raptor's neck, blood flowing over his hands before he tore them away.

The raptor was stunned from the attack and the rapid amount of blood loss. She stumbled over the body of the other subordinate raptor and the three of them were now shadows of the dinosaurs they once were as Indoraptor, Blue and Viper towered over them. Indoraptor grabbed the Big One by the throat and brought her right up to his face.

"The only reason I'm not killing you girls right now, is because she is more important and needs to be tended to. But I'll leave you with this warning. This forest is our domain, you and your girls are not welcome where we hunt. If I catch even a single scent that you've set foot in here, I can and will find you, and tear out your throat and make you watch until you die. Got it?"

The Big One angrily nodded her head in response, furious that she had been thrashed by a newcomer and was being told off by said newcomer. The raptors picked themselves up as they painfully walked away from the hybrid and his sisters. The Big One turned back and barked furiously at Indoraptor.

"You haven't seen the last of us. Next time we find you, we'll do more than just kill her, we'll go after that little halfling too."

Anger swelled within Indoraptor at the threat aimed at Viper, and she saw something building in her brother's mouth. Blue noticed it too and saw streams of red energy leaking out of his jaws, and a moment later, Indoraptor fired a powerful blast of red energy at one of the subordinate raptors. The weakened velociraptor had no time to react as the blast enveloped her and disintegrated her body, right in front of the Big One's eyes. The force of the explosion sent the remaining raptors ricocheting off into the forest, and Indoraptor roared in defiance at their costly threat.

Now that the danger had been dealt with, Indoraptor could finally return to the task at hand. He had Viper carry the bouquet of roses while he finally got the chance to get a decent look at the pony those raptors had been looming over. Remarkably, she didn't have a single scratch on her body despite how easy of a target she had been.

"What could have done this to her," asked Blue.

"I don't know, I've never seen a pony with these things before," Indoraptor said as he placed a hand on the part of her leg where the fur and metal met.

"Brother, are you ok? You don't seem like yourself," asked Viper.

"I...I'm not sure, Viper. I guess I feel really sorry for her. I mean, can you imagine what she must've gone through to have her limbs and horn replaced like this? No one deserves to have anything like this."

"So what are you going to do then," asked Blue.

"I can't leave her like this. We should bring her back to the castle and let her rest up. I hope she'll feel better in the morning."

He carefully scooped up the mare into his arms, who felt rather heavy with all the metal stuff attached to her, and began his way back to the castle with his sisters.

"If you're going to kill me....just do it now and get it over with," the mare croaked. "I've been through enough shit already."

"I'm not going to kill you, we're just taking you to our home so you can rest up."

"Why would you waste your time on somepony like me?"

"Because...I never turn my back on those who need help. Plus, I think you could use some peaceful sleep. You look like you've been through a war."

"Oh trust me, you don't know the half of it."