Sombra waited patiently in his cave for the raptor pack to return. He had been confident in their aggressive strength and the trap he had set up to help them with his ambush. In the off-chance that things had gone wrong, he had given them an emergency escape in the form of a teleportation spell that would transport them back to the cave. Needless to say, he was rather perplexed to see them reappearing back in the cave, marked up with bleeding wounds and minus one member of their pack.

"What happened, Big One? You were supposed to lure Indominus to you and use my trap to kill him."

"Yeah....well things didn't go the way any of us thought they would, Sombra."

"We set up your little trap just like you said, but something else found us instead," said the last subordinate.

"Something besides Indominus? Are you sure it wasn't one of his family members?"

"Oh we're sure alright, this thing was different from the others," said the Big One. "He wasn't as big as Indominus, but he was stronger than all of us. He threw us all over the forest like play things, brought down trees just by ramming into them, and here's the real problem. We impaled him through one of those spikes you set up, and he just came back to life!"

"Excuse me!? That's impossible, if he was impaled then it should've killed him on the spot."

"We know what we saw! He picked himself back up, ripped the crystal out of his chest, and the wound actually healed itself."

"He even had reinforcements to help him. A raptor from his family and some kind of deformed pony," the subordinate added.

"What do you mean by 'deformed?'"

"She had claws, pointed ears, bat wings and even a tail like a dinosaur."

"Interesting. But that doesn't explain how you managed to survive, lost a member of your pack and why you lost the bait. If he had really been trying to kill you, my magic should've saved you."

"He let us go."

"Pardon me? Since when does a dinosaur ever show sympathy towards its opponents?"

"He said that your precious bait was important than killing us. But after he let us go, he turned around and destroyed my pack-mate with some kind of attack that killed her completely."

"There wasn't even a shred of her left," said the other raptor.

"So, it seems there are more dinosaurs wandering this world than I thought. Perhaps I need to step up my game, but first, let's get you two healed up."

Sombra put his horn to their scales and his magic began healing all the wounds that the raptors had sustained.

"By the way, what did he do with our bait?"

"We're not sure. We didn't see where he took her to after he killed our pack-mate."

"That's fine, I have ways of looking around Equestria. I'll find where he's taken her in no time."

"What's your next plan now?"

"First, Big One, how do you feel after this defeat?"

"Ticked off and I want another crack at him for what he did."

"That's what I was hoping to hear. Our next step will be to get some more 'resources' from that other world, and see about giving you girls an upgrade. Then you'll be ready for him and be strong enough to get your revenge."

"I like the sound of that."

---

Indominus and Rainbow were about to head off to bed, unaware of what had been going on just a few minutes ago in the forest. They had just started making their way upstairs when they heard the doors flying open and zipped back to the main hall.

"Viper Indominus Dash! What were you doing outside at this hour?"

"It's not my fault, mom."

"It's true, Rainbow. We were called outside by someone who's missed being here," said Blue.

"Oh really? Who would that be?"

"Me." Indoraptor stepped out from behind his sisters and his parents' attitudes changed the instant they saw him. Indominus and Rainbow were hugging him within seconds of seeing him.

"Why did you run away? You have no idea how much we've been missing you."

"I'm sorry I made you worry so much, mom. I needed to sort out a few things after all that you guys told me."

"I thought you could use the time to sort things out, and it looks like I was right," said Indominus. "By the way, how did your bat friends treat you?"

"How do you know about Echo, dad?"

"Echo? But she's asleep with Delta and Charlie."

"No, I mean, the bat pony whom I met in the forest, her name is also Echo. I'll explain everything in a minute, but first, there's something I found that you guys need to see."

"What would that be, son?" Rainbow asked.

"This."

Indominus and Rainbow stepped back as Indoraptor extended his arms to show the mare he had carried back from the forest. Their eyes were bulging as they took in all the unique details about her appearance.

"What happened to her?"

"Did you find her like this, son?"

"Yes dad, and she was surrounded by velociraptors."

"Different velociraptors," Blue added.

"But that's impossible," Indominus said in disbelief. "There can't be any dinosaurs in Equestria besides us.

"Oh we saw them, and fought them too. They weren't like my sisters, these raptors were bigger and all light brown compared to us," said Blue.

"You mean all three of you held your own against these new raptors, and beat them?"

"Yeah, but it was mostly Indoraptor who did all of the fighting. He handled all three of them by himself," said Viper.

"Oh now don't be so modest, Viper. You did pretty well yourself, even tore out a chunk of one of their stomachs," said Blue.

"My little girl is growing up so fast," Rainbow said as she nuzzled Viper.

"Dad, have you ever seen her before?"

"I can't say I have, son," Indominus said as he traced his claws over the metal limbs. "This is so peculiar. I've been around Equestria a lot and I've never come across this material before. I even met tons of ponies from so many locations, but it's like she was under our radar the entire time. But what's most amazing is how she could've ended up in this condition."

"I felt the same way the first time I saw her."

"You made a very wise decision to bring her here, son. Perhaps she knows something about why those raptors were after her, and more importantly, how she turned out like this."

"But first, she needs to rest. From the state she's in, it looks like she's been in a never ending war," said Rainbow.

"Indeed. Her body bears the scars of combat, but I'll bet she fought for the right reasons. In the meantime, you're right son. Blue."

"Yes Indominus?"

"Please help Indoraptor take our guest to a spare bedroom. We want to make her feel comfortable when she wakes up. Cause' if she's been under the radar for so long, chances are she's never seen a dinosaur before."

"Quite right. It could be a real shock, but we'll make the introductions easy. Come on, Indoraptor. Let's take her to her room."

Indoraptor decided to give her the bedroom that was right next to his and Viper's. He felt responsible for her safety since he was the one who had found and saved her from the Big One's pack. Blue pulled away the covers as Indoraptor gently set her down onto the bed.

"Why are you doing this for me," the mare asked with her eyes still closed.

"I just want to help you any way I can. I couldn't just leave you to be eaten by those raptors," Indoraptor said as he tucked her in.

"You're in a safe place now. In this castle, nopony can hurt you," Blue added.

"I've lived in a stable that was meant to protect everypony from radiation and mutated monsters. What makes this place safe?"

"Because you have the Guardians and the King of Equestria to look after you."

"King? Since when did Equestria get a king?"

"It'll be easier to explain everything in the morning. Right now, just rest and get a good night's sleep. You look like you need it," said Indoraptor.

"I know, I always look like a mechanical freak, and I'll try to rest."

Indoraptor and Blue turned away from the bed to give the mare time to sleep, when she called out and stopped him.

"In the morning, I'm kinda curious to see what you look like. You sound strong and your body felt tough and scaly. I'd like to see how you are in the morning."

"I can do that for you, I just hope you don't get frightened or disgusted by my appearance. Most ponies around here aren't too fond of me."

"We'll see about that. Now good night, and thanks."

"You're welcome," Indoraptor said as he closed the door to her room.

"I thought you had trouble being around other mares since that 'incident,' why can you talk so casually to her," Blue asked on their way back downstairs.

"It's different with her, Blue. When I saw her, i didn't feel afraid or angry. I felt sorry for her. Those metal things she has for legs, the metal spine and even the horn, they make my condition look like a meager issue. She's been through things I can't imagine, and if I'm going to die in five more years, then I at least want to make her life as good as it can get."

"That's very noble of you, Indoraptor. Did your bat friends teach you that?"

"Yes, yes they did, Blue. I owe them for helping me accept my condition," said Indoraptor.

Blue went off to her room as Indoraptor continued to make his way back to the main hall. His parents and Viper were still waiting for him.

"She's tucked in and sleeping now," he told them.

"That's good to hear, and I'd say it's time for us to do the same," said Rainbow.

"Ok mom, I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Now hold it, son," said Indominus. "Rainbow and I talked it over and we'd like you and Viper to spend the night with us tonight."

"We've missed having you around here, brother. It wasn't the same without you."

"It's true. I was worrying myself crazy and would've been a nervous wreck had your father not helped me calm down," said Rainbow. "We'd just like to have one night with you being close to us, so we can wake up knowing that this isn't a dream and that you're really back."

"It's alright, mom. I see your point, and you're right. I'm sorry if I scared you too much," Indoraptor said as he and Rainbow embraced each other. "But your bed isn't big enough for all of us."

"We're not using the master bedroom, son. You and Viper are gonna get to spend the night with us in the treasure room."

"Really? We get to sleep among all the gold and jewels," Viper asked excitedly.

"That was the idea, Viper," Rainbow said as she picked her eager little ball of energy.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Indoraptor took off towards the treasure room, with Viper and his parents in hot pursuit.

Rainbow beat them to the room and gave the hybrids their first look at all the spoils of the dinosaurs' time in Equestria. Beating Black Death was one thing, and stopping Soarin had earned quite an abundance too, but being crowned King of Equestria had cause the horde to grow with more jewels, gold, diamonds and bits than ever before. The young hybrids could see mountains of gold and other trinkets reaching towards the ceiling, and it left them in awe.

"That's right, kids. These are the rewards we received for all the times we saved Equestria. It's quite the sight, isn't it?"

"No kidding, it's enormous. I can see why you sleep in here sometimes," said Indoraptor.

"Now go on. Find some spots to get comfy," said Rainbow.

Indoraptor was the first to dive into the sea of treasure. He kept digging through the wealth until he found himself a comfy spot surrounded by all sorts of diamonds, and rested his head on a massive diamond that was partially submerged. Viper chose a spot across from him and nestled into the gold and bits until she was comfy. Rainbow went in-between the hybrids as Indominus pushed deep into the treasure, covering himself until only part of his face was showing. The family settled down amongst all the vast amounts of treasure until they were ready to fall asleep.

"Everybody comfortable?"

"Yes dad," Viper said she pulled a pile of bits over her body while hugging a red crystal.

"I love this," Indoraptor said with his head resting on the giant diamond.

"Glad you do, son. Now, goodnight everyone and sleep tight," Indominus said as he too pulled a pile over her exposed scales until he blended into the gold itself.

"Night Indoraptor, and we're really happy to have you back home," Rainbow said as she gave him a goodnight kiss before she nestled into the gold herself.

"Good to be home, mom," Indoraptor said before he drifted off to sleep too.

The hybrid had returned to his home and was reunited with his family once again.

---

Viper was the first one to wake up the following morning. She had to shake away the bits from her eyes to keep them from hurting. She didn't want to move from the comfort of the coins and gold blanketing her just yet, and glanced around the room to see where everyone else was sleeping. She knew that her father was still buried deep in the gold, and she could see her brother's head resting atop the massive diamond beneath him.

"I wonder how that pearl right there hasn't woken him up yet," Viper thought as she saw a shining pearl sitting close to Indoraptor's face. The radiant glow coming from it surely had to be enough to wake him up, but the hybrid was sleeping soundly without the slightest indication that it had disturbed his slumber.

A rustling of coins to her right snapped her head in that direction. A blue hoof was poking out of the gold and clawing away at it as Rainbow began to pull her way out of the treasure. She shook any loose coins stuck in her mane before stretching and wiping the sleep put of her eyes.

"Morning honey, how'd you enjoy your night in the gold?"

"Surprisingly comfy for being just gold and jewels. Did you and dad do this often?"

"Oh, we did this pleeenty of times. And I tell ya, every time was more warm and enjoyable thanks to him," Rainbow said in a dreamy, yet seductive voice.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you when you're older, honey. That's a subject you're too young to know about. Now, how about we see how our guest is doing?"

"Shouldn't we wake up brother and dad first?"

Rainbow glanced over at Indoraptor sleeping peacefully on his diamond, and she could see subtle movements within the cold, indicating Indominus was still sound asleep.

"Let's give them some more time. Indoraptor deserves a little more sleep, and Indominus likes to sleep a little more than this."

Rainbow flew above Indoraptor's head and gave him a little kiss before she and Viper left the treasure room.

On the way to the mare's room, they passed by Scootaloo who was looking a little tired herself.

"So, how are things going with you, Scootaloo?"

"I've had a lot on my mind lately, mom. I know I've hurt Rexy, and I said some things that I'm not proud of. I shouldn't have attacked him but....did you ever have other stallions on your mind before?"

"I can't say I have, Scootaloo. I know Soarin had a thing for me, but I never felt the same way about him. I wish I had an answer for you, but I'm not an expert on love like Rarity."

"Ugh, why does this have to be so complicated?"

"Are you saying that you're considering somepony other than Rexy?"

"Not exactly, I met this colt a while ago that just wanted to hang out with me and the Crusaders. I will admit it's been fun hanging out with him and his pals, getting to do things I couldn't do before between the hunts and the crusading. He never made any kind of moves on me, but after he gave me a kiss on the cheek, Rexy got all angry and defensive."

"Scootaloo, I'm no expert on stallions, but generally when a colt you've only just met does something like that, it means he's trying to win your affection. I would be careful around him."

"I know what I'm doing mom, and if he does mess with me or my friends," Scootaloo grew her claws and sharp teeth. "I have my own ways of making him back off."

"I'm just saying, keep an eye on his gestures when he's around you. I'm not gonna tell you what to do cause' you're a grown mare now, but that doesn't mean I can't be concerned." Rainbow put a hoof under Scootaloo's chin. "I'm still trying to be a better parent than Spoiled Rotten was to you."

"You've still been doing a far better job than she ever did, I've just got all this on my mind right now. I haven't forgotten about Rexy and all that he's done for me, but I have to find out if Rumble really has feelings for me. And Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for acting so distant, especially with Indoraptor missing."

Scootaloo embraced Rainbow in a hug and the cyan mare draped a wing around her neck.

"Well this might take your mind off of things for a while. Your brother came back last night."

"Really?"

"And he brought a special guest back with him," said Viper.

"Special? How special is this guest he brought back?" Scootaloo ruffled Viper's mane with a hoof.

"She's unlike any mare any of us have seen before. You have to see her to believe it for yourself."

"Oh, you're going to wake up our new guest?" Blue walked over to the trio of mares once she overheard where they were going.

"Yes Blue. We were thinking of giving her the grand tour," said Rainbow.

"Actually, you might want to start with introducing her to Indominus and Indoraptor."

"Wouldn't that scare her too much?"

"When we put her to bed last night, she said that she was interested in seeing what Indoraptor looked like for herself."

"She really said that," asked Viper. Blue nodded her head.

"I gotta get eyes on this girl for myself," said Scootaloo.

"I'll go inform Rexy and the girls, and we'll stay out of sight until after she's met Indominus," said Blue.

"Good idea, Blue. We don't want to frighten her away with meeting everyone all at once. Let's get moving girls."

"She's staying in the room next to Indoraptor and Viper's room."

"Thanks Blue, now we'll be off," said Rainbow as she, Viper and Scootaloo made their way towards the mare's room.

The strange mare was still asleep when she heard the door to her room opening. She slowly began opening her eyes for the first time in what felt like a thousand years, and as her vision cleared, she could see three mares standing by her bed.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Rainbow said as the mare fully opened her eyes.

She was again surprised when she got a good look at the mare's eyes. Her irises were a shade of bright red, but the scleras were yellow, something that nopony ever had. As the mare stood up, Scootaloo got to see what made her so special as she took in all the metal parts on her body.

"Whoa, you weren't kidding Rainbow. She's definitely unlike any pony I've ever seen."

"Yeah, I know. Take one look at this metal stuff and everybody starts calling you a freak," the mare said in disgust as she stood up.

"We never said that," Rainbow said in defense.

"It's just that we've never seen anypony like you before," Viper added.

The mare glanced down at the hybrid pony and she had a flashback of similar ponies she had fought before.

"Did you end up being part of Project Chimera too? I don't want to know what they fused you with."

"Fused? Project?"

Those words were baffling to Rainbow Dash, and for somepony to think that way about her daughter was unheard of. But she kept her composure and a level head, for she remembered that this pony had likely never seen or heard about the dinosaurs.

"First of all, Viper is not some project. She's my and Indominus Rex's daughter. Second, have you ever heard of dinosaurs before?"

"Dinosaurs? What are they, some kind of mutated or corrupted animals?"

"Oh my Celestia, this girl HAS been living under a rock all these years," Scootaloo thought to herself.

"Alright, it looks like introductions are gonna be necessary after all. But before things get off too much on the wrong hoof, how about we introduce ourselves? I'm Rainbow Dash, and these are my daughters, Scootaloo and Viper. What's your name?"

"I'm Blackjack, and forgive me if I sounded a little rude, but it's just that I've seen ponies similar to your daughter, only they were created and fused with other animals to be weapons."

"Indominus could relate very well with you," said Scootaloo. "He was made for the exact same purpose, but he's left all that behind and is living a peaceful life as king."

"You've mentioned him a lot, is he the king of this castle?"

"Oh he's more than that, he's the king of all of Equestria," said Rainbow Dash.

"What!? But I thought Princess Celestia and Luna were in charge of Equestria."

"It's a long story, Blackjack. I feel it would drag on too much in places and you'd probably get bored."

"Probably, Rainbow Dash. I had trouble staying awake during my education classes. But there is something I'd like to know, how did I get here? All I remember was being carried here by someone who was strong and scaly."

"That would be my brother, Indoraptor. He found you out in the forest and brought you here," said Viper.

"Is he similar to you?"

"Oh he's far different from me, and if I remember right, I believe something was mentioned about you wanting to see him?"

"Yeah, I couldn't see what he looked like last night, so I would like to see him since he brought me into your home."

"Gladly, Blackjack. Though I have to warn you, he and Indominus might be a little intimidating for you since you've never seen them before."

"Rainbow Dash, I've seen mutated scorpions, monsters, dragons and ponies fused with different kinds of animals before. Trust me, I can handle their appearances no matter what they look like."

"That's, surprising...but comforting all at once. Then we'll take you to see my husband and our son, and welcome to our home, Blackjack."

The two mares shook hooves, even though Rainbow was a little uneasy about shaking a metal hoof. But nevertheless, she and her daughters guided Blackjack through the castle to the treasure room. The other dinosaurs kept out of sight when they picked up on the heavy steps from Blackjack's legs. They chose to wait until after she met Indominus, then they could introduce themselves after she was used to their presence.

"This is quite a fancy castle you've got here."

"It was a gift to us for Hearth's Warming Eve, and it's been our new home ever since," said Scootaloo. She didn't want to sound like she was gloating about her father's accomplishments.

"It's where Indominus and I had some of our 'hottest' moments."

"Ooooohhh, was there tons of sweat and deep moaning involved?"

"All that and more, Blackjack. He knew how to tug and taste every part of me that got me moaning the whole night. It became so hot between us that we managed to light up the entire castle."

"Wow. Now that sounds like the orgasm to end all orgasms. I've had my fair share of moments before, but none of them were ever like what you described. I would kill for a chance to experience something that good."

"Maybe, you might get a chance one of these days. Anypony with the right motivation and just a hint of lust, can have moments similar to mine."

Scootaloo could see that Rainbow and Blackjack were already bonding over something that they had in common already. She found it funny how they were bonding over their moments of steamy love, explosions and intense pleasures, was what they enjoyed comparing amongst each other. Viper was confused about what they were discussing all the way to the treasure room, and when Blackjack stepped inside, her eyes were practically bulging from the sight of the vast amounts of wealth.

"I know, it's quite a massive sight, isn't it? You're actually the first pony outside of the family to actually see our treasure trove."

"There's enough treasure in here to tempt the whole Wasteland into trying to steal it."

"Wasteland?"

"The world that I grew up in, it wasn't pretty."

Before Rainbow could respond, they heard the rustling of coins in the treasure room. Scootaloo waited outside with the door open while Rainbow and Viper followed the nervous Blackjack into the hordes of gold. Blackjack could make out faint outlines of a massive body within the gold, and those outlines were slowly moving under the treasure. The unicorn was becoming incredibly nervous as she took in just how big Indominus really was, and Rainbow saw her freeze in place when Indominus reached up with one of his hands and clawed away the coins and jewels from one of his eyes.

Blackjack tried to hide herself amongst the gems as Indominus opened his eye and took in his environment. He shook his head until the coins were parted away from his jaws so he could speak without them falling into his mouth.

"Morning, Rainbow. How'd our guest sleep last night?"

"You can ask her yourself. She's in the treasure room with us, though she's a little intimidated by your size alone."

"'A little intimidated' is an understatement, Rainbow. Are you telling me that he's the King of Equestria, and the father of your daughters?" Blackjack said from within the pile of gems she was trying to hide behind.

Indominus's gaze wandered towards Blackjack, and he saw the frightened look in her yellow, red eyes.

"There's no need for you to be afraid of me. I can promise you that you won't be harmed here, this castle is a safe place that no one will ever touch." Indominus did his best to speak in a calm and easy tone, despite the volume of his voice. "What is your name, young one?"

"I-I'm B-Blackjack. A-and are you really the father of these mares?"

"Well, I'm Viper's biological father and Scootaloo's adoptive father. She asked me and Rainbow if we could be her parents after her old ones tried to have us killed and got their just desserts."

Blackjack looked over at Rainbow and Scootaloo, who both nodded in acknowledgement.

"There's no need for you to be shy, Blackjack. You won't be hurt here, especially since my son brought you here last night."

Blackjack slowly stepped out from the gems, still keeping her eyes trained on the hybrid dinosaur in case he tried anything.

"Your son? He's in here with you?"

"Why yes. We let him sleep in the treasure room with us since it was his first night back after being gone for over a week."

"From what I've been told, Indominus, it sounds like she's been really curious about Indoraptor. In fact, she told me that she really wanted to see what he looks like."

"I'll gladly let you see how my son is in all his hybrid glory. But first, I need to stretch my limbs. Sleeping inside gold is comfy, but doesn't let you move around much."

Indominus rose out of the treasure and as the coins and jewels fell away from his scales, Blackjack saw how big he truly was. The hybrid dinosaur's immense size and fierce appearance made the last dragon she killed look like a timid puppy by comparison. The muscles spread across his body were very imposing and worthy for a creature like him.

"Now I can see why you fell for him."

"Oh it wasn't the muscles that caught my eyes, Blackjack. It was his devoted and loyal heart through everything we faced as a family that won my affection," said Rainbow.

The hybrid bent down towards the giant diamond that was still occupied by his son.

"Son, wake up. Your guest is awake and here in the treasure room."

Indoraptor fluttered his eyes open and started to get his bearings. He saw his father was looking down upon him with a curious look in his eyes.

"Mmmm, morning dad. What did you say?"

"The pony you brought back with you, the one who you seemed so curious about, she's in here wanting to see you."

"Really?"

The black-scaled dinosaur rose up amidst the red jewels and diamonds and as his gaze drifted towards the entrance of the treasure room, his eyes locked with Blackjack's. The dinosaurs made their way down the mountains of treasure, and Indominus stopped on one of the last piles while his son got to finally talk with the mare he saved. The mare and dinosaur were taking in the full appearances of each other, amazed and perplexed at the sight of one another.

"You're the one who saved me last night?"

"Yes, I am. Glad to see that you're awake."

"Yeah, felt nice to wake up and not have guns pointed at my head. Viper wasn't kidding when she said you were really different from her. You're unlike anything I've ever seen before, but you definitely take after you father."

"I've been told. What's your name?"

"I'm Blackjack, and it's an honor to see you in person, Indoraptor."

"Glad you don't think I'm some monster, and it's an honor for me to welcome you into our home, Blackjack."

Rainbow and Indominus may not have been able to read the emotions of others, but they could tell that there was some kind of atmosphere going on between Blackjack and Indoraptor. It wasn't love, but some sort of positive atmosphere going on between them, and Indominus could swear he was seeing a true genuine smile forming on his son's face.

"So Blackjack, what do you think of my husband and our son," Rainbow asked.

"They both look very fierce and strong, but all of you are the most sincere and honest house guests I've ever met. In my life, I've had ponies point guns at my face, try to kill me or hunt me down for profits. You may look more terrifying than all of them, Indominus, but you're not as killing-crazy as they were."

"We aren't savages, Blackjack. We don't hunt ponies, we only go hunting in the Everfree Forest and eat the beasts that live within it," said Indominus.

"They're very filling for us, and always worth the hunt afterwards," said Indoraptor. "Speaking of which, care to join us for breakfast, Blackjack?"

"Are you gonna make me eat meat with all of you?" Blackjack asked nervously.

"What? We were thinking of making breakfast here in the castle so you could have a proper meal," said Scootaloo.

"We're not going to make you eat a manticore like some wild animal. No one in this castle is going to force something like that on you," said Rainbow.

"Phew, that's a relief to hear. Though if it's not too much to ask, could I have a few gems to go with my breakfast?"

"Gems?" Everybody was flabbergasted at the uniquely odd question. Rainbow knew that dragons horded and often ate gems, but she had never heard of a pony wanting to eat one.

"I know it sounds strange, but I have to eat them. I'm sure all of you have seen this metal stuff on me, well it requires me to eat metals and gems to keep it powered up."

"Are you saying that eating gems keeps you going?

"Yes Indominus, and if I don't eat them, I'll actually run out of power and they'll stop functioning."

"Not a problem, Blackjack. We can accommodate your requirements easily. In fact, I have a way of killing three birds with one stone. While the girls are preparing breakfast, Indoraptor can dig out some of the gems from the treasure horde, and I can take you on a tour of the castle and introduce you to the other members of the family."

"Are they dinosaurs too?"

"Uh huh. That won't be an issue for you, will it?"

"I think I can handle it, now that I've met you and your kids first."

"Alright then. Girls, we'll see you when breakfast is ready, and son, make sure to pick out some really good gems for our guest."

"Got it dad, but how about one for the tour first?"

Indoraptor picked up a bright red ruby and chucked it over to Blackjack. The unicorn caught it in her magic and amazed everyone as she took a bite out of the gem, chewed it up and swallowed it.

"How's it taste," asked Rainbow.

"Mmmm, rubies have a very fine fruity flavor to them. I think this can hold me over until breakfast. Thanks Indoraptor."

"You're welcome, Blackjack," Indoraptor said before he dove into the golden mounds and started searching for more gems to serve.

Indominus took Blackjack on a personal tour throughout the castle, where she got to see how expansive it was and meet the other dinosaurs. She wasn't afraid of Rexy or the raptors after meeting the hybrids, and they got to tell her about what their lives were like in Equestria. She was perplexed at how animals that hunted and ate meat could coexist so peacefully with ponies, and not have any disputes. They told her how there wouldn't be any trouble or meddlesome ponies bothering her, unless Neighsay decided to rear his head again.

"Has he really been bothering you since your reign started?"

"Oh he's been a thorn in our sides ever since, Blackjack," said Tyrannosaurus.

"He's always trying to find something to use against us," said Blue.

"But it always blows up in his face, and gets him slammed into a wall," said Delta. Blackjack chuckled at the remark.

"Aside from him being a pest, are there any questions you have for us?" Indominus asked.

"Am I going to be confined to this castle all the time? Will I be stuck here like a slave?"

"Of course not. The castle is your home now, but you are more than welcome to visit Ponyville and any place that's not too far away or too dangerous."

"No offense, Indominus, but the world I used to live in was always dangerous no matter where you went."

"Well, would you be alright wandering into the dragon lands by yourself?"

"Um, no?"

"There you have it. But I think the point my brother is try to make is, don't go anywhere where you would have to deal with unwanted trouble or danger," said Tyrannosaurus.

"You are by no means a prisoner, you're our guest and we want to make sure that your time here is how you'd want it," said Blue.

"Thanks, I really didn't expect an answer like that."

"Things are different now, Blackjack. There's not as much danger in the world, and even if there is any that comes your way, you wouldn't be facing it alone."

Blackjack was touched at the overwhelming support and trust the dinosaurs were giving her. Perhaps she could grow to like living with them after all.

---

Back in the frozen north, Sombra was busy searching through his portals for possible candidates to make the Big One and her remaining pack member stronger. He had gone through the world he took them from numerous times, trying to find dinosaurs to use for his experiment and possible recruits to make up for the dead raptor. His search led him to one dinosaur that he found fascinating on the same island, and two more on a neighboring island that were more fierce than the raptors. He had just decided on who he was going to take into Equestria, when the Big One and her pack mate returned in a teleportation with fresh blood on their faces.

"Enjoyed your hunt, girls?"

"Very much, Sombra," said the Big One. "Who knew that those cat creatures with the strange tails could taste so good."

"How's your search gone for this 'upgrade' you were talking about," said the other raptor.

"Funny you bring that up. I have actually found some suitable candidates that will help make you girls far stronger than you've ever been before."

Sombra reached into the portals with his shadow tendrils and pulled three dinosaurs into the cave. One had horns like a bull on his head, arms that were even shorter than T-Rex's, and his back was lined with the same osteoderms that Indominus had: the bull dinosaur, Carnotaurus.

The other two were bipedal predators with long, slender snouts. They had long, powerful arms like Indominus, but they both had a giant sail on their backs instead of spikes. Their teeth weren't bone crushers like Rexy or Indominus, they were rather hallow and meant for hooking onto flesh and ripping away at it. They were a pair of lethal hunters: Spinosaurus.

All three of the new dinosaurs were much bigger than the raptors, and Sombra just held them by the throats in the air.

"Listen to me, dinosaurs! Two of you are about to be part of a new breed of killing machines. Your combined strength and power will help us bring down that tyrant, Indominus Rex. Your contribution to my plans will pave the way towards a future of greatness." He turned towards the raptors. "Now which of you wants to be first in this experiment?"

"I'll be first," said the subordinate raptor.

She stepped forward and Sombra levitated her up while bringing the Carnotaur closer to her. He ignited his horn and shot magic at both dinosaurs, which made them gravitate towards each other. The Big One watched the dinosaurs roar out as their bodies were melding together and becoming one. Her pack mate was becoming part of the Carnotaur as the magic from Sombra's horn engulfed both dinosaurs. When the magic dissipated, a new dinosaur was standing where the subordinate raptor and the Carnotaur had been.

This dinosaur was similar to the Carnotaurus, only now it had long, slender, strong arms that had four claws on each hand. The new dinosaur had the same sickle claws as a raptor and was slightly bigger than the Carnotaurus had been.

"Velociraptor no more. Now you are, Carnoraptor!"

Carnoraptor looked at her reflection in the cave walls, and was stunned at how much she had changed. She still had the same mind of the subordinate raptor, but she now had all the raw brute force of the Carnotaurus in addition to her own.

"You've done wonders for me, Sombra. I could tear that animal to pieces and rip out his throat at the same time."

"That's what I like to hear. Now Big One, are you ready to follow your pack mate and become a better, stronger dinosaur?"

The Big One looked over how her subordinate had turned out, and glanced over at the hovering Spinosaurus trapped in Sombra's grip. If Sombra's magic could do something of that magnitude for her pack mate, then it would surely work wonders for her.

"Do it."

Sombra nodded his head, levitated the Big One up, brought one of the Spinosaurus over to her and began the process again. The Big One roared out in agony as she felt the melding process taking place for herself. It felt like the bones in her body were being pulled out of her skin and being thrown together into the mix with the Spinosaurus's own body. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire while her jaws were being torn open and split apart as the process continued. Sombra engulfed them with his magic just like he had done for the subordinate, and when all was said and done, the Big One emerged a changed and more sadistic raptor.

Her face looked like it had been mixed with the Spinosaurus, and some of the teeth were longer and more jagged than the others. She was also bigger than she had been before, but not as big as her subordinate, roughly around the same size as Indoraptor. The sail of the Spinosaurus had been shrunk down and was part of her back too. As she looked over her new appearance in the cave walls, the new raptor growled in such a dark manner that it sounded like she was laughing.
Her subordinate, the Carnoraptor joined in with her own demented growls, and Sombra turned back towards the remaining Spinosaurus. He slammed the creature down on the hard floor and glared into the dinosaur's eyes.

"So what's it going to be? Either you help us in my plans, or I restrain you and let them eat you alive?"

The Spinosaurus nodded his head in utter defeat and Sombra released his grip on the dinosaur. The unicorn king turned back towards his raptors, who were rejoicing in their newfound strength.

"Looks like we've got another recruit on our side, girls."

The hybrid raptors looked over at the submitted Spinosaurus and merely laughed at the creature's defeated expression. They seemed really pleased with their new bodies, and Sombra was also pleased that they weren't angry about the changes he had done to them.

"How do you two feel now?" The hybrids looked Sombra square in the eyes.

"Ready for Round 2."

Next Chapter: Love and Revival Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 5 Minutes