Rarity's boutique was bustling with more noise and happy fillies than it was when Sweetie Belle was still a filly. The hybrids and their pegasus friend were having a fun time playing games and playing around, but nothing that was going to get Rarity riled up. Screwball and Viper knew better than to let their 'at home habits' run wild in somepony else's house, and Precious had given them subtle warnings to make sure they did well to remember it. They did however, make things more fun in their own way with Screwball's powers and Viper's playful habits.

Screwy would conjure things like flying fruits, raining cheese wheels or pies on legs. Viper and Precious would have so much joy chasing the animated foods around the room until they caught them and got to feast. Cozy Glow was a little unsure about the idea of chasing animated food, and sometimes got splattered with pie filling when the girls took huge bites. But that wasn't to say she didn't enjoy the experience, the kind of bonding the ponies were having was just more unusual than she was used to.

It was all harmless fun and the girls didn't let the messes get anywhere near Rarity's dresses. Precious had a firsthand experience of the explosion she faced when she singed just the tail end of one dress. Normally, Rarity wouldn't be able to tolerate so much rambunctious noise in one night. But the fashion mare knew that the hybrid trio were just happy to finally be out of detention and done with their punishments, so she could tolerate some noisy fillies for a night. Even Spike was impressed by her immense amounts of tolerance.

"I'm surprised, Rarity. I thought you couldn't stand loud noises like this. Don't they normally keep you from working on your designs?"

"Tonight's an exception Spike. I don't have any dresses that need to be made or delivered, and the girls have earned this," Rarity said as she watched the girls playing around so carefree and excited. "Besides, little Viper needs some more girl time after what she's had to go through with Indoraptor running off and Neighsay's pestering."

"Yeah, I can see your point. This is their first real break from problems in what seems like a long time."

The sleepover even gave Sweetie Belle a chance to join in and catch up on how her little sister had been doing since the bullying fiasco. She'd been hearing all sorts of rumors around how the bullying had actually been stopped, and needed her own break from the Rumble issue.

"How's school been treating you since those bullies got told off, little sis," Sweetie Belle asked while Viper was chasing a rogue flying swiss cheese wheel around the living room.

"It's finally calmed down and nopony's bothering us anymore. It's finally become the normal school life I'd hoped for since our first day. Oh! Hey Viper! Send a slice of that wheel on over here!"

"You got it girl!"

Viper leaped towards the cheese wheel, then tucked herself into a ball and started spinning rapidly in the air. The rapid spins combined with the spikes on her tail and back acted like a meat slicer, cutting through the wheel and turning it into perfect slices for everypony. Spike saw the slices heading his way and flew into the kitchen, returning later with slices of bread.

"Who wants grilled cheese?"

Everypony raised their hooves and Spike tossed out the bread slices which the girls used to collect the falling cheeses. Rarity levitated the sandwiches in her magic and Spike motioned for Precious to come over and help him.

"Now remember what I told you Precious."

"Keep my flame stable and don't get too crazy."

"That's my girl. Now let's serve everypony up some tasty sandwiches."

Spike and Precious shot up two controlled streams of green flames underneath the sandwiches. The unicorn hybrid had improved on keeping her flame under control as she and her father walked back and forth under the sandwiches, cooking them all for an even amount of time. But as she walked under the last sandwich, Precious felt a bubble erupt in her stomach and she belched out too much fire. The sandwich that was unfortunate enough to receive the flames was cooked all over and reminded Sweetie Belle of her attempts at making breakfast years ago.

"Well, there goes that sandwich," Precious said as she grabbed the rather burned food in her own magic.

"It's not as bad as you think, Precious," Sweetie Belle said as she grabbed the sandwich in her magic and examined it. "It looks better than when I tried to make breakfast for the family when I was a filly."

"Oh I remember well what that was like. Though I was out of line for being so rude and not giving your cooking a chance," said Rarity. "I still can't believe I got so mad over something so simple."

"That's in the past Rarity. I've improved my skills since then," Sweetie Belle said as she took a bite out of the sandwich. "Mmmmm, smoked cheddar. Nice."

"I can't say I've had a claw in helping her with that. My cooking wasn't any better back then either."

"Wait. You mean it dad? You weren't great at cooking either?"

"Oh honey. Me not being a great cook is an understatement. I ruined so many pies, muffins and cakes with my attempts, it's a wonder Rarity was even able to stomach that horrible excuse for a pie I made."

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings Spike. You were so young back then and full of innocence. I didn't have the heart to say that."

"But I've changed over the years. I've grown more, you finally gave me a chance and now we have a loving family. I wouldn't have it any other way." Spike pulled Rarity close into a warm hug.

"Neither would I, my dragon stud," Rarity said as she nuzzled against his scales.

Everypony else was chowing on their grilled cheeses while watching the two lovebirds have their little moment.

"Do all of your families have moments like this?" Cozy Glow asked.

"My dad always gets this tender when he and mom get so close," said Screwball. "He whispers a bunch of sweet nothings to her and then scoops her up in his arms and disappears into the bedroom. I'm glad he takes it somewhere where I don't have to hear everything that goes on."

"My mom and dad seem to have many different versions of this nearly every night. From what I know, they've been through enough ordeals that they have these moments every night to remind each other that they won't be separated again," said Viper. "I'd really like to know the full story about what they went through before me and big brother were born."

"Wow. You all are pretty lucky to have families that care so much, especially you Viper. After what you're parents have had to deal with, it's amazing that they're holding themselves together."

"My family doesn't break so easily, Cozy Glow. It would take an extremely powerful enemy to even come close to doing that, but nopony's been crazy enough to try and take on my dad since he was made king."

"I'm just saying, you never know what may be waiting around the corner."

---

Neighsay was taking peaks inside the boutique windows at the laughter and fun everypony was having.

"I can't believe they're actually having fun with those 'things.' Those hybrids are going to be the death of ponykind before we know it. But tonight, Equestria will see their young lives snuffed out before they ever get the chance."

He pulled away from the boutique and found a darkened alley to conceal himself within across the street. He tapped the pendant around his neck once, and a minute later, the dark portal materialized next to him. Sombra stepped through with Spinoraptor and Carnoraptor on either side of him. Neighsay went bug-eyed and stumbled back a few feet.

"Y-You have hybrids too!?"

"There's an old saying, Neighsay. You've gotta fight fire with fire to win sometimes. These hybrids are going to help us rid Equestria of a house full of children and one of the Elements."

"So you'd better show us some respect, got it?" Carnoraptor said as he got real close to Neighsay's face.

"I-I get the point," Neighsay said while trying to sound calm in front of a mouth of sharp teeth.

Spinoraptor chuckled at the unicorn's terrified reaction.

"Now Neighsay, I assume you've managed to find Rarity's home since you summoned us here?"

"Yes Sombra. It's right across the street."

Sombra's body turned into mist as he floated across the street and looked into the window to see for himself. He caught sight of the hybrids playing with one another, and was very intrigued by their appearances. It didn't take him long to realize who Viper's father was, the difference between her and Precious made it really obvious.

"Such a shame to see her life cut so short. With her potential, she could've been valuable to me," Sombra thought to himself as he floated back into the alley and returned to normal.

"Have you seen them?"

"Yes Spinoraptor. They're all inside and completely oblivious to what we have planned. Your pen pal's information was indeed accurate, Neighsay."

"Thank you Sombra, I'll relay that when I'm putting together my letter. So what's next?"

"First thing we need to know is what exactly we're dealing with. What kind of ponies are they?"

"The purple one is a hybrid of a unicorn and a dragon. The pink earth pony is the offspring of the Element of Kindness and Discord, which makes her a major threat with powers that unpredictable. But the last one is the abomination that the so-called King created when he impregnated the Element of Loyalty. There's no telling what that creature is capable of doing with her father's wretched DNA."

"So one has dragon's breath and unicorn magic. The other has the powers of chaos at her disposal and finally we have a hybrid with the same destructive potential as the dinosaurs. Sounds like it'll be a simple matter taking care of them."

Neighsay was rather surprised at how calm Sombra sounded. He didn't sound distressed, nervous, concerned or unsure about going up against the hybrid trio. In fact he sounded....very confident. So confident to the point where he didn't think the plan he and Neighsay had concocted would fail.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing Sombra? These are hybrids we're talking about."

"I'm aware of that, and I've also been around for over a thousand years Neighsay. It doesn't take much to frighten a child into being afraid of even the simplest of things. Once things get set in motion, we'll have all of those ponies and that dragon in our clutches."

"So is this where the next step comes into place?"

"The next step is that you watch the show from a safe distance, keep your eyes on the boutique and wait for everypony to be consumed and killed by my hybrids and a blazing inferno."

"An inferno? Call me crazy Sombra, but the pegasi will simply put it out before any kind of fire could manage to engulf that house."

"Just watch Neighsay, you'll see that it's wise to not underestimate me."

Neighsay created his own portal and stepped through it, leaving Sombra to organize his little plan for the hybrids. He teleported himself to a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville, conjured up a pair of binoculars and kept them trained on where the boutique was. He could still see Sombra and his hybrids in the dark alley he had just left. The dark unicorn was casting magic on the dinosaurs, most likely to help them with the task they were about to be given.

"What's this for?"

"This is to help you two with walking through that house, without breaking through the floors with one step."

The magic around the hybrids faded and they were ready to begin the mission.

"Now listen carefully hybrids. You two are to wait until everypony in that house is sound asleep, sneak inside WITHOUT waking any of them up, and kill all of them. If any of those hybrids are alerted to your presence, it could be problematic taking them down. That's why I want these kills to be silent and stealthy. I expect the two of you to walk out of this with blood on your teeth and claws, and not with anymore deaths against us."

"But what if somepony tries to stop us?"

"I'll have that covered. Once they go to sleep, I'll have crystal shields set up to keep anypony that tries to interfere out of our way. Also, if by some miracle they do wake up and try to escape from the top floor, I will have a magic trigger set up to engulf the entire house in flames and keep them trapped."

"But those flames won't kill us, will they?"

"Oh certainly not Spinoraptor. The magic I've cast on you two will keep your bodies shielded from the flames while you slaughter them. But I expect you two to win this time. There'll be no interruptions, no surprise attacks to stop you and above all, no dinosaurs to get in your way and kill your pack. So I don't want to have you two come back and tell me that you failed to kill somepony tonight. Am I clear?"

"Crystal clear Sombra. We don't intend to come back empty-clawed," said Spinoraptor.

"Killing them will be a much more simple matter if we're this prepared," said Carnoraptor.

"Good. Now we wait until they fall asleep. Then the killing spree can begin."

---

As the night winded down, everypony in the boutique started getting tired and were ready to retire for the night. The girls all got to share the same bedroom and Sweetie Belle didn't mind the extra company. She had been hoping to get at least one chance to ask Viper about how things were going between Scootaloo and Rexy back at the castle. After the display and flight he'd done with Scootaloo, she had to know what was going on inside that pony's head. Cozy Glow, Precious and Screwball were the first ones to fall asleep and Sweetie Belle saw her chance before Viper passed out.

"Psst. Hey Viper, you still awake?"

"Uh huh. I was about to fall asleep," Viper said sleepily. She turned her body until she was looking up at Sweetie Belle laying on her bed. "What is it Sweetie Belle?"

"I was just wondering how things have been going at your house. I mean, how Scootaloo's been doing and how Indoraptor's been handling things since he brought Blackjack into the house."

"Oh. Well, things have been....for a lack of a better word...kinda uneasy between Scootaloo and Rexy. They're not as close as I remember them being. I don't know what's going on in her head, but this thing she might have for Rumble is still lingering."

"Funny you say that, because Rexy tagged along today and performed a flight show with her. I believe he was trying to show her that she's still important to him, and it made Rumble very jealous."

"Was he spitting mad?"

"You could hear it in his voice while he was trying to keep his cool. Rexy completely upstaged him in front of his goons and earned some affection from Scootaloo in the end."

"There may be hope for them yet. As for my brother, he's changed since Blackjack came into his life. I've seen Indoraptor be protective and sympathetic to a lot of ponies, but with her, it's like he's devoted to making her happy."

"From what I saw after the breakfast, that looked like more than simple devotion. Indoraptor looked like he was going to shed tears of his own from how happy he was."

"Are you saying...?"

"It could be, Viper. It could be that your brother is developing a crush on Blackjack."

Viper had to cover her mouth to muffle her squeals and avoid waking up the girls.

"Oh I hope so, Sweetie Belle. I'd love to see my brother so happy for once and have Blackjack loving him in return, he's had more than his fair share of hardships."

"I understand Viper. But we can talk about it some more in the morning, don't want to risk waking up Rarity. She can be a real monster when she doesn't get her beauty sleep."

"I get what you mean. My mom can get that way too. Well, goodnight Sweetie Belle...and thanks for the chat," Viper said as she yawned and stretched her legs before collapsing into her pillow.

"You're welcome, and sweet dreams Viper." Sweetie Belle crawled back into her covers and eventually fell into slumber herself.

---

Outside the boutique, the hybrids had been waiting anxiously for the opportunity. Once Sombra saw that Viper and Sweetie Belle had fallen asleep at last, he knew that the chance to strike had finally presented itself.

"Alright you two, it's time."

"Let's do this." Carnoraptor said as Sombra used his magic to unlock the door from the inside and removed the bell that was dangling over the door from the inside.

"Now go in there and cause plenty of havoc."

Sombra opened the door and the two hybrids slinked inside. He got to work setting up his spells inside the house as he turned his body into smoke and slithered through the interior. After making sure that nopony was stirring, he teleported outside and set up his spells in case somepony saw the blaze that was going to erupt no matter what. Once his traps were set, the unicorn king teleported back to his crystal domain to await the sight of his hybrid dinosaurs covered in the blood of ponies.

"Is everything set, your highness?" Sheer Cold asked.

"Yes, and now we wait for them to return with blood on their claws. Everypony will think that Indominus's little family has gone wild and decided to satisfy their appetites with some pony flesh. They'll turn on them, the princesses will be forced to chain them up and strip that hybrid of his title. Then, while everypony's deciding what to do with them, we step in and take Equestria as our own."

"Brilliant Sombra, as expected from a brilliant king such as yourself," said Spoiled Rotten.

"Now now, flattery won't get you everywhere in life. Second, we have to wait for my hybrids to return before we can proceed. Let's hope those creatures can pull this off without any mishaps."

"But why would that happen if you've prepared everything so nothing can go wrong," said Soarin.

"If there's one thing this world has taught me, it's that surprises always come when you least expect them, and often in the most explosive of ways."

---

Carnoraptor and Spinoraptor walked as quietly as they could, surprised that their footsteps weren't making any loud noise. Sombra's magic had done wonders in keeping them silent and undetectable. They searched thoroughly to be sure that they didn't miss a body or somepony managed to hide themselves. Carnoraptor went through the back of the boutique and laid waste to Rarity's dresses and designs. Spinoraptor couldn't pick up any scents of any hidden ponies and Carnoraptor confirmed that they hadn't missed anything after returning with torn fabrics on his claws. With nothing on the ground floor to kill, the hybrids worked their way up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

Spinoraptor saw that there were multiple doors on the top floor, any one of them could lead to the sleeping victims. Carnoraptor sniffed the air and picked up tons of smells coming from two of the doors.

"You smell that?" She whispered.

Spinoraptor smelled the air too, and centered on the room that had multiple scents coming from it.

"Yeah. Smells like all the girls are in the room right in front of us."

"But what about the other doors?"

Spinoraptor took another smell and her body stiffened slightly.

"Unicorn and dragon. Tough but tasty."

"Which would you prefer?" Carnoraptor asked.

"I'll take care of the little brats. You take out the mom and her dragon husband. But remember, we have to be stealthy about this."

"I know, we promised Sombra. Now let's make him proud."

The hybrids split away from each other and went to the rooms they were targeting. Spinoraptor opened her door slightly and found the sleeping bodies of the fillies and Sweetie Belle in the darkness. Carnoraptor found the delicious sight of Rarity and Spike together in the master bedroom, knowing that one swift bite would be all it would take to end their lives. Both dinosaurs slinked their way into the rooms and picked their first victims. Spinoraptor loomed over Viper's body, her claws twitching in eagerness. Carnoraptor loomed over Spike's body, his throat perfectly exposed with Rarity snuggled against him.

"Just a little taste, and it'll be all over," the dinosaurs said before they lunged forward to strike.

---

Back at the castle, Indoraptor was having a tough time falling asleep. His nightmares of being lusted after and nearly abused again by Swoon Song, Dear Darling, Fond Feather and Scorpion hadn't really left him. Despite what Echo, Web Weaver and the bat ponies had taught him he never felt truly safe knowing they were still out in Equestria somewhere. Plus with Viper being over at her sleepover, there was an unusual emptiness in his bedroom that wasn't very comforting. So he decided to wander through the castle to calm his stressed nerves.

While he was walking through the corridors, Indoraptor swore he heard heavier footsteps close by. He picked up on the familiar scent and had just recognized who it belonged to, when she came around the corner and then ducked back around it.

"Blackjack? Is that you?"

"Indoraptor?" Blackjack said as she poked her head out from behind the corner. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. But to answer your question, more of my nightmares."

"Oh. I get what that's like. I used to have ones about ponies standing over me and trying to kill me. But then I wake up and realize it's actually happening to me."

"Whoa. That's no way to wake up after some decent shut-eye."

"You think that's crazy? I haven't really been able to sleep. Ever since I had 'this' done to me, my body doesn't actually need sleep anymore."

"Oh, that's gotta be painful to deal with. Well.....since neither of us can sleep at the moment, up for talking about some of your experiences?"

"Only if you share some of yours."

"Done." Indoraptor bumped his fist against Blackjack's metal forehoof. "In fact, I know the perfect place where we can talk and not have to worry about waking anyone up."

Indoraptor had Blackjack climb onto his back, which was odd and kind of unsettling for her when she realized he went out through his bedroom window, up the wall of the castle and onto the same part of the roof where Indominus had given them their first lesson about being rulers of Equestria.

"What are we doing up here?"

"It's one of the few places in this castle where you can find peace and solitude without anyone interrupting it. It's also the same place where dad told me and Viper about our importance to Equestria and our roles as guardians."

"Don't you ever get tired of hearing about all that stuff?"

"Not really, it's actually nice knowing that we do have a purpose in Equestria. Even if most ponies around here only see us as abominations."

"I don't think you're an abomination. Neither you or Viper."

"Really? You mean that?"

"I do, because believe me when I say this Indoraptor, I've seen and met hybrids that were far more vicious than you could ever be."

"Oh you haven't seen vicious Blackjack. Make me angry enough or go after somepony I care about and you'll see real savagery."

"Then I'll be looking forward to seeing you in action. It makes life more exciting."

"Good to know I have one way of arousing your curiosity."

Indoraptor and Blackjack spent some quality time on the roof playing off each other's clever comebacks. Blackjack told the dinosaur about what some of her adventures were like, such as killing a monstrous scorpion with its own pincers. Blowing open a dragon's skull with a grenade launcher, or killing a bunch of stallions that had strength enhanced drugs with nothing but her bare hooves and horn. The hybrid was fascinated by all the feats Blackjack had been able to pull off before she got her metal upgrades. It showed him that even a pony with strong enough determination and willpower could have the potential to rival a dinosaur.

But what amazed him was the amount of regret she had for killing some of her more unfortunate victims. Like a cyberstallion that raided her home and killed most of the residents, or a stallion that had the powers of a cockatrice and almost killed her friends. Blackjack spoke like she was honoring the memories of her defeated enemies.

"I don't get it, Blackjack. They were all trying to kill you, why would you ever feel sorry for them?"

"Because Indoraptor, I found out through some memory orbs they'd left behind about what they'd gone through during the war. Those ponies were victims of the destruction and casualties that war brings upon ponykind. They were deemed dead, only to be taken away and made into weapons of war. Deus had his life ruined by a crazy mare that went on to run her own pack of manticores, and Gorgon was supposed to die a hero's death. He got made into a monster and his only purpose was to fight and kill zebras. They never had the chance to pass on and rest in peace like they wanted, that's why I felt sorry for them."

"Wow. I didn't think you could ever feel sympathy for someone that's tried to kill you." Indoraptor said, stunned at by the lessons Blackjack was unintentionally teaching him.

"They were just puppets working for some greater lunatic. But know this Indoraptor, at some point in your life, there'll be an enemy you'll have to fight for stakes you can't imagine. When all is said and done and the fight is over, you'll have learned a great deal about them to the point where even you will feel sorry for them."

"Then for my sake, I hope it's an enemy that forces me to bring out my best. Don't tell anyone this, but part of me has always wanted a challenge that can push the limits of what I can do."

"Just don't be as reckless and crazy as I was. It got me into all sorts of trouble, and even caused this to happen to me." Blackjack said while gesturing to the metal parts on her body.

It pained the hybrid to hear Blackjack talk about her metal attachments like they were a curse. He still didn't have the heart to ask her about how she got them, her reaction to just being touched by a stallion was evidence that Blackjack had inner issues that she wasn't quite ready to talk about. But he respected her too much to pry into her personal issues, and couldn't quite understand why he felt so warm inside from just looking at her.

"Blackjack?"

"Yes Indoraptor?" Blackjack turned to look him in the eyes.

The red glow from her eyes was so mesmerizing against the night sky. Combined with the moonlight shining down on her body, Blackjack appeared more radiant and stunning than anypony Indoraptor had met. He was finding it a touch hard to keep his body composed.

"I...I want you to know that if there was a way to give you back your legs, I would look for it." The expression he got from her was a mix of sorrow and hope.

"That's sweet of you to say Indoraptor, but there's no fix for something like this. No amount of magic or power could make me as I was again. I'm stuck as a pony who can't tell is she's half pony and half cyborg, or more cyborg than she is pony."

"Well for what it's worth, I think you're a pretty pony. Uh-I mean a pretty amazing pony."

Blackjack raised an eyebrow at Indoraptor's sudden compliment.

"Did I hear that right? You think I'm pretty?"

The hybrid dinosaur couldn't find a proper response once he realized he had dug himself into a corner. Blackjack got up and walked towards him.

"Look... Indoraptor... I'm not the kind of mare you want in your life. I'm still dealing with issues that not even your father could handle. I've literally gone through hell and back with more blood on my hooves than one pony should have in their lifetime. You've seen what I nearly did to a stallion for trying to hit on me. The smart thing is for us to just stay housemates. I do appreciate you bringing me here and wanting to give me a better chance, but your time and energy could be spent on somepony better than me. I'm nothing but trouble."

"You think you're trouble? Blackjack, I can't even go through town without somepony thinking I'm going to kill them. My family is being hounded by a stupid chancellor who thinks all of us are better off dead than living with ponies."

Indoraptor was up and standing at his full height. A trigger had been pulled in his brain and now he was spilling his inner pain. If he couldn't get Blackjack to see that she was worth the effort, then she could at least know the worst of what he'd been dealing with.

"My sister got bullied at school just for her appearance. I found out I'm born with a disease that will KILL ME WHEN I'M ELEVEN YEARS OLD!!"

"Wha?"

"Yes! I know it's hard to believe, but I found out the hard way. I found out when I was tricked, drugged, kidnapped and raped by a bunch of mares who wanted nothing more than to use me as a mating source for their own hybrid children. I felt what it was like to have my body ravaged and used by them, and they would've killed me afterwards had my parents not saved me. You think you're really that much trouble to everypony!? I'm a damn liability that'll be dead in the next four years and there's nothing that can help me! I wasn't meant to live here Blackjack, I was meant to be dead!"

Indoraptor stood quivering in front of Blackjack, breathing heavily from releasing his inner turmoil. He thought that Web Weaver and Echo's lessons would make talking about his predicament easier, but it was still just as painful as when he first found out the truth. He turned away from her as he felt emotional pain swelling up inside him and tears started to run down his face. He was certain that he looked like a whimpering fool in front of her, but it was his turn to be surprised when Blackjack walked up to him and gently brought his face down to her level.

"That's not true. If you were meant to be dead then I wouldn't have gotten to meet you. I would still be stuck in that forest and at the mercy of whatever found me if you weren't here. You have a home and a family that loves you, I've already lost both of mine. I can understand your pain Indoraptor, because I've lived through it and lost everypony I ever cared about. So believe me when I say that you're not a liability. You're a great dinosaur who deserves a good life."

Blackjack nuzzled her face against Indoraptor's as her own tears started running down her cheeks. He placed his arm over her body and nuzzled her back in return. The pair of them stayed as they were for a while, letting their emotional pains run out of their heads. They didn't utter any words and remained side by side as their emotions seeped out. Once they had calmed down and had gathered their emotions, Indoraptor wiped the remaining tears away from his eyes. As he did, he picked up an unusual scent that didn't smell right.

"What is it Indoraptor? What do you smell?"

He paused and sniffed the air really hard. This time the scent was stronger, almost like something was being cooked.

"Something's not right. It smells like something's on..."

His voice trailed off as he spotted a glowing light in the center of Ponyville. He focused his vision on the source and heart rate started racing as he spotted where the glow was coming from and saw the billowing cloud of smoke.

"No. NO! VIPER!!"

"What's happening Indoraptor?"

"Rarity's boutique. I think it's on fire!"

"How can you be sure?"

"I've been through Ponyville enough times to know where that house is located! Viper's in trouble and so are Screwball, Rarity and her family. We've got to help them!"

Blackjack climbed onto Indoraptor's back and hung on for dear life as he started running down the side of the castle. Once he was close enough to the ground he jumped the rest of the distance and took off as fast as he could run. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he tried to reach the boutique. The closer he and Blackjack got the brighter the glow seemed to become. As he ran through town and rounded a corner, he skidded to a halt at the sight of the boutique.

The house looked like it was engulfed in a raging inferno and dark crystals were surrounding it. The formed a barrier that was too high for anypony to fly through or Indoraptor to jump over. Earth ponies and unicorns were attacking the crystals but they held strong preventing anypony from getting inside. Overhead, pegasi were trying to get rain clouds in to douse the flames, but dark tendrils kept shooting out from the inferno destroying the clouds and swatting the ponies away like flies.

Blackjack jumped off Indoraptor's back as he charged headfirst against the crystals, breaking off chunks and causing cracks to spread around the barrier. He slammed his fists against the barricade but it seemed to be repairing itself against his attacks. Blackjack joined him and smashed her metal hooves against the crystals. Her attacks also drew cracks but they started fading too. It didn't matter how much effort and strength they put into their strikes, the crystal barrier wasn't giving any ground or showing any signs of wear.

He tried leaping onto the barrier but his claws couldn't get any traction on the smooth surface. Indoraptor desperately tried to punch a hole into the crystals to gain some kind of ground, and managed to punch out a chunk big enough to hold onto. He clawed away while everypony that had tried to get through could only watch as they hybrid dinosaur tore out more chunks of the barrier. He stopped when he heard Viper's screams from inside the boutique, and he caught a glimpse through one of the windows that haunted him.

From what he could see through the visible window, there was some kind of hybrid dinosaur with a long snout and a small sail on its back holding Precious and Screwball in its clutches. It tore its foot claws away from something on the ground and bent over. When the hybrid stood back up, hanging in its jaws and bleeding from claw marks on her chest, was Viper. The strange dinosaur looked directly out the window and into Indoraptor's eyes. A wicked smile spread across its face as it tossed Viper across the room and then the hole Indoraptor had created started to close.

He tried to keep it open with more slashes but the barrier produced a strong force that pushed him off it and onto his back. It did the same thing with Blackjack and pushed her back til she was alongside Indoraptor. The hybrid dinosaur got back to his feet staring angrily at the barrier that seemed to be mocking him and the sound of Viper's screams kept ringing in his ears.

"No. I can't let it end like this. I won't let her be taken away." Indoraptor said through grit teeth.

Blackjack noticed that Indoraptor's eyes were beginning to glow white hot. The ground around him was starting to rumble.

"Indoraptor? What's happening to you?"

He didn't seem to hear her as his anger continued to rise and the rumbling became louder. Then everything was drowned out by a loud piercing roar from Indoraptor. A roar so strong it sent gusts of wind everywhere, bending over trees and threatening to tear other houses apart.

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER!!!"

In the climax of his fury a massive blast of raw power erupted from Indoraptor's mouth and headed straight for the barrier. The blast collided with the crystals and the gems instantly started giving way under the immense power. Blackjack saw that if he kept on focusing his power dead ahead he would end up taking out the entire boutique with a blast that intense.

"Indoraptor! Arch it up!"

The hybrid did seem to hear her that time for he angled his jaws upward and the blast raked its way through the crystals, blasting apart the barrier and taking off the roof of the boutique. Now the crystal defense was in ruins and the glow faded from Indoraptor's eyes. He shook his head to clear his mind and saw what had become of the barrier.

"Did I do that?" Blackjack looked at him flabbergasted.

"Are you joking about this? You just destroyed that barrier with a blast stronger than any magic I've seen and you don't remember doing it? Well we can ponder over that later, right now you've created a way for us to get inside. So let's get moving!"

The cybermare and hybrid dinosaur ran through the ruins of the barrier and right into the heart of the inferno.

---

Inside the blazing boutique Carnoraptor and Spinoraptor were interrupted by the enormous blast that had destroyed the roof. They had never seen an attack powerful enough to obliterate the entire roof. It had distracted them long enough for Viper to get back on her hooves and ram Spinoraptor in the chest. The attack caught her off guard, made the hybrid drop Precious and Screwball and sent her slamming into the wall. They scrambled back onto their hooves and went to Viper's side. They couldn't escape with the magic and flames still surrounding the boutique, and even with the roof destroyed they could still see the tendrils dancing about overhead.

"I don't know what that was, but it was only a minor distraction, little ones." Spinoraptor said as she got back up from the attack. "No one can get in here, and no one is coming to save any of you. Just look at how your parents have turned out."

Carnoraptor emerged from the bedroom with Spike and Rarity in her claws and Sweetie Belle in her mouth.

The dragon had deep bite and claw marks across his body and throat. He had managed to get the hybrid off of him before the bite force from Carnoraptor's earlier sneak attack could crush his throat. Spike had put up a good fight to the best of his strength, but the hybrid dinosaur's newfound muscle and improved body had him overpowered and had managed to lay waste to him. Rarity's magic had done nothing but annoy the hybrid or only slow her down a little. Poor Sweetie Belle had been too frightened by Spinoraptor's ambush and had wound up being driven right into the raptor's grasp. All of them were unconscious in the hybrid's claws and teeth as she carried them across the charred floor. Carnoraptor threw their bodies towards the children, leaving Precious scared for her family's safety.

"There's no way out for you hybrids. Either the fire consumes you, or we kill you." Carnoraptor said as she and Spinoraptor towered over Viper and Screwball.

"Viper. If there was ever a time for someone in your family to save us, now is the time!"

"I'm not sure they can help us, Screwy." Viper said while coughing from the building smoke. "They're all asleep and I'm not sure if that explosion was enough to wake them up."

"Any last words before we eat you?" Spinoraptor said.

"We've got some!"

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THEM!!"

The hybrids turned around at the loud voices and Spinoraptor was rammed by Indoraptor so hard that she was slammed into the wall and her sail went through and got stuck. Carnoraptor was punched squarely in the face by Blackjack, who took advantage of her metal hooves and used them to pick the hybrid up and throw her across the room and back into the master bedroom.

"Viper get behind me!" Indoraptor called out as Spinoraptor started to pry herself free.

"We have to be careful Indoraptor! Too much more of this and the whole building will come down on us!" Blackjack called out as she squared off against Carnoraptor who was clawing her way back out of the bedroom.

Blackjack charged the hybrid raptor and the two of them began a furious fight of claws vs metal hooves. Spinoraptor tore herself free from the wall and ran towards Indoraptor. He met the raptor head-on and they dove into a frenzy of slashing claws and snapping jaws. They went through a series of attacks and strikes, each one trying to gain an upper hand, but none of it worked. Spinoraptor was driven to kill the fillies with extreme ferocity and Indoraptor was doing his best to protect them while trying to match the newer hybrid's moves. But he found that he couldn't overpower this hybrid the same way he had overcome the Big One. Spinoraptor sunk her claws into Indoraptor's back, picked him up and threw him against the wall.

Indoraptor was shaken from being lifted so easily and thrown like a rock.

"How's that for raw strength? I'm not as easy for you to fight like I was last time."

"Last time? But I've never fought you." Indoraptor said as he got up and started circling around the hybrid as she circled around him.

"Oh but you did, when you killed my pack mate and nearly left us for dead."

There was only one encounter Indoraptor remembered having where he had killed another dinosaur.

"You're the Big One?"

"That's right, the hybrid isn't as dumb as he looks." Spinoraptor said as she laughed. "Now I'm bigger, stronger and more of a hybrid than you'll ever be."

She sprinted forward and pinned Indoraptor against the burning wall. He tried to free himself but Spinoraptor still had plenty of strength left to hold Indoraptor firmly by the arms and restrain him. Her teeth curled into a nasty snarl as she clenched her jaws down on Indoraptor's throat. The hybrid roared in agony as he struggled against Spinoraptor's strength, even slashing at her underbelly with his sickle claws. She merely placed one foot on his stomach and sank her own sickle claw deep into his flesh.

Indoraptor screeched in agony as blood trickled down his neck from the bites and his stomach from the massive claw embedded in it. His keratin armor was breaking under the pressure from Spinoraptor's bite force and with his arms pinned and body pierced he was in a tight spot. As she continued to pin and bleed him dry, Spinoraptor felt a terrible pain in her shoulder. She was forced to release her grip on Indoraptor's neck and turned around to see Viper biting into her shoulder. The hybrid pony's attack hadn't gotten Spinoraptor to get off her brother, but she got her attention.

"Dad, big sis, come on. You two have to be alright, Indoraptor and Viper need your help," Precious said as she shook her father trying to wake him up.

"Aunt Rarity we need you to wake up. I don't know how long this place can hold together," Screwball said while trying to get Rarity to wake up.

The smoke was becoming more heavy and suffocating inside the burning boutique. Spike managed to wake up despite his injuries and was able to pick himself up, but couldn't stand up completely. His body was still raked over with the claw marks from Carnoraptor. He saw Spinoraptor snapping at Viper as she slashed at the dinosaur's body. Indoraptor's head hung over from the bite he'd been dealt. His neck needed time for the keratin to heal and patch up the wounds.

"What's happening?"

"Viper's trying to get that thing off of Indoraptor. Blackjack's handling the other one in the bedroom, but I don't know how she's doing." Viper said over the loud roars of the hybrids.

As if on cue, the answer to Viper's question could be heard being pounded away from inside the bedroom.

Carnoraptor was having a more difficult time fighting her opponent and receiving more pain than giving. Blackjack was able to hold her own against the hybrid and her metal limbs provided more strength against her tougher opponent. While they did weigh her down she was able to dodge Carnoraptor's slashes and slide underneath her to deal painful punches to the gut. The hybrid raptor felt like every punch or kick was going right to her ribs, and every bite she made against Blackjack only hurt more when the teeth made contact against the metal limbs.

Blackjack punched the hybrid squarely in the jaws and sent her colliding against the wall.

"Come on, is that all you've got? I've fought hybrids who are far more deadly than you!" Blackjack yelled as she rammed Carnoraptor dead-on with her metal horn.

The horn pierced right into the dinosaur's chest and Blackjack blasted her back out into the hallway. Spinoraptor stopped her attempts at trying to get Viper when she saw Carnoraptor rolling back across the floor and stopping next to her.

"She did that? By herself?" Spike said in surprise at how Blackjack had managed to do by herself what he and Rarity couldn't.

"Ugh...Spike...what happened?"

"Whe....where are we...and what's with all the smoke?"

"Mom? Sweetie Belle? Oh thank goodness you're alright." Precious said as she and Screwball helped them up.

"Oh no! My precious boutique! All the gowns and the dresses! All of my designs, they're ruined!" Rarity said in horror at the sight of her burning home.

"We'll worry about the designs later honey. For now keep your head down so we don't suffocate from the smoke."

"And let them handle those animals, they know what they're doing!" Sweetie Belle said as she kept her head low to avoid the majority of the smoke.

Blackjack's eyes wandered over the scene in front of her, and then she spotted Indoraptor slumped over with Spinoraptor pinning him to the wall. Her eyes shrunk to the size of push pins as she grit her teeth and started igniting her horn. Viper was still clinging to the hybrid's shoulder when she noticed the deadly glare in Blackjack's eyes.

"If you want to keep living, you better let him go. NOW!"

"And what'll you do if we don't?" Viper jumped off Spinoraptor's shoulder as Blackjack growled in anger and fired a unique form of magic at the hybrid.

From everypony's perspective it looked like the magic aura on Blackjack's horn had been shot off and was heading straight for Spinoraptor. It struck the hybrid in the shoulder with surprising force and began digging into the dinosaur's hide, causing her to finally release her hold on Indoraptor. Spinoraptor staggered away from Viper and Indoraptor as the magic attack kept eating away at her scales. Carnoraptor started standing up but she doubled back over when Blackjack charged ahead and put another magic spell in her chest. Indoraptor opened his eyes at the sound of the pained roars coming from the opposing raptors and saw Blackjack's handy work first hand.

He watched the spell dig into Carnoraptor and the blood and muscle spurting out from the attack. As the hybrid fell over, Blackjack ran up her body towards Spinoraptor and crushed Carnoraptor's face under her metal hooves. She jumped off and nailed Spinoraptor across the face so hard that teeth were sent flying over the room. But the unicorn didn't let up, fueled by raging adrenaline she continued to lay into Spinoraptor with more metal punches. The sheer weight and force of the attacks were keeping the hybrid from retaliating and were forcing her back against the wall again.

Indoraptor couldn't believe how strong Blackjack was and how mangled the raptor was becoming with every strike. He was seeing her incredible strength with his own eyes, and she was overwhelming a hybrid that had been able to outmatch him in strength. Once Spinoraptor was smashed into the wall again she seized the hybrid by the throat and started to strangle her. The dinosaur dug her claws into Blackjack's back and tore away at her hide, but everypony was in for an unexpected shock. The claw marks were actually healing and closing up near the same rate as Indoraptor's scales.

"Not so easy to beat a cyborg, is it?" Blackjack said as she tightened her grip on Spinoraptor's throat.

"Blackjack behind you!" Viper called out.

She turned around and saw Carnoraptor rushing in mouth agape ready to bite down on her head. But in one swift motion Blackjack sent the hybrid's world spinning with one back hand across the jaws. The raptor stumbled away from her and was pounced on by Indoraptor and Viper, digging their claws into her back and restraining the dinosaur.

"Take care of em Blackjack. Make them pay." Indoraptor called out.

"You got it."

Blackjack grabbed Spinoraptor's body and jammed it back into the wall until the sail was jutting out once again. She backed up as the hybrid dinosaur tried to break free of her confinement. Another piercing blast from Blackjack stopped the hybrid's attempts and left her at the mercy of the mare's next attack. Blackjack charged straight towards the trapped hybrid, and everypony watched in unbelievable shock as Blackjack plowed into Spinoraptor, smashed her clean through the wall and tumbled out the building to the street below.

"No way she just did that." Screwball said while still trying to comprehend what Blackjack had done.

Indoraptor and Viper threw Carnoraptor back across the room. The floors were beginning to creak even louder than the sound of the burning building as the hybrid stood back up.

"Looks like you're just about out of time. If I don't kill you or these flames, then the house collapsing on you will."

"Not on your life scale-head!"

Carnoraptor was rooted to the spot as Discord materialized behind her and dug his eagle claw deep into the hybrid's neck. His lion paw had conjured restraints to keep him from attacking.

"Dad! What're you doing here?"

"I could hear Indoraptor's roars all the way from my dimension, and we're getting you girls out of here."

"We?" Viper asked.

"Now boys!"

What sounded like an enormous flurry of gale force winds came from outside and the flames were being pulled away from the house. As the fire left the building, the air became more fresh and easier for everypony to breathe. The girls were able to breathe regularly at last and helped Rarity stand up at last. Once the last of the flames were sucked out of the hole Blackjack had created, two loud gulps could be heard from outside.

"You and your partner are going to regret coming after our children." Discord said angrily as he ran his eagle claw down Carnoraptor's neck.

He then seized the hybrid in both paw and claw and threw him right out of the same hole his partner had left. Indoraptor could make out an enormous clawed hand grabbing the dinosaur, but his attention was brought to a more pressing matter. The inside of the house was rumbling like crazy and the walls were shaking violently.

"Wh-what's going on Discord?" Spike asked.

"The building is unstable. It's taken too much from the flames and all the fighting. Now it's going to fall apart, quick! Everycreature get around me."

Spike grabbed his wife and daughters, Screwball floated over to her father and Indoraptor and Viper ran towards Discord as the rumbling became louder. The Lord of Chaos snapped his fingers and teleported all of them out of the house just as the entire structure collapsed. Back on solid ground and free of the smoke, Indoraptor could finally see what had happened to take away the fire. Blackjack was relaxing comfortably by the raptors who were licking off the dust and smoke from her hide and mane. Indominus and Tyrannosaurus Rex had small trails of smoke emitting from their mouths from swallowing the flames. Indominus had both hybrids held in his claws and was ready to get answers out of them. Rainbow and Fluttershy flew over and embraced their kids, grateful to see that they were still alive. Spike was embracing his girls too, happy that his entire family had managed to survive such a horrible catastrophe.

"Are you guys alright?"

"We're alright mom, thanks to Discord for saving us." Indoraptor said.

"Aw shucks I didn't do much. You and Blackjack were the real heroes for going into that inferno to save their lives." Discord said as he held Screwball and Fluttershy.

"I couldn't let my sister be hurt. She's family, she's blood." Indoraptor said as he ruffled her mane.

"Wait a minute! We're forgetting someone." Precious said in a horrible realization.

"What do you me-" Screwball trailed off as the she also realized that they were shy one head.

"Where's Cozy Glow?" Viper asked when she looked around and didn't see her.

"She was in that bedroom when we fell asleep. You don't think she was still hiding in that house somewhere when it collapsed?" Sweetie Belle said in horror.

"Girls, is that you?"

The girls perked up when they heard the voice and saw Cozy Glow stepping out from behind a building.

"Cozy Glow!? How in the wide world of Equestria did you manage to get out of that fire?" Viper asked after seeing that the young pegasus didn't have a single burn or hint of flame on her.

"That beast with the horns knocked me through the wall when he was attacking you girls. Then crystals started forming around the house so I flew off and kept myself hidden behind a house before the fire started."

"Well they aren't gonna be a problem now. I'm getting answers out of these hybrids, one way or another." Indominus said as he slammed both raptors into the ground. "Now start talking."

"What makes you think we're gonna talk to you?" Spinoraptor said.

"You will, or we're gonna start breaking bones." Tyrannosaurus said as his jaws loomed over the hybrid.

"Sorry. But you're not our master and you don't own us."

"Especially when we promised not to come back until we spilled pony blood, and there's so much blood for us to have." Carnoraptor said in defiance as he glanced around at the ponies that were watching the exchange.

"Like we're gonna let you two get within ten feet of anypony in our home." Indominus said as he tightened his grip on Carnoraptor and glared into her eyes. "And exactly how did you even plan on getting to them when you're trapped?"

"Like this!"

Carnoraptor began increasing her size rapidly and Indominus's grip over the hybrid was loosening. Seeing that the dinosaurs were distracted by the hybrid's growth, Spinoraptor seized the moment and sank her claws deep into Indominus's hand. The surprise attack forced the dinosaur's hand away and Carnoraptor took advantage of the moment by sinking all of her claws into Indominus's chest and summoning tremendous strength to throw the hybrid off of her. Tyrannosaurus rushed in jaws open trying to crush Carnoraptor, but the hybrid ducked her head and drove her claws into Rexy's side and held him in place. The tyrant lizard struggled to free himself, but the lack of bigger forearms and Carnoraptor's superior muscle kept him from advancing.

"GO!!!" Carnoraptor roared out.

Spinoraptor got back on her feet and made a beeline for the nearest ponies she could get to. She spotted a light green unicorn and a beige colored earth pony that were a little closer to the action than the other ponies that were now running for their lives. She barreled through the mothers and their kids, throwing Rainbow and Fluttershy off guard and into the dirt.

"Discord do something! Stop that animal before it kills somepony."

"Oh I would Rainbow, but it looks like your kids are already ahead of me." Discord said as he helped Fluttershy back up.

Rainbow saw that Indoraptor and Viper had taken off in hot pursuit of Spinoraptor. The deranged hybrid was closing the gap between her and her intend victims who were struggling to gain more ground.

"Come on Lyra, we can't let that thing get us."

"I'm trying Bon Bon, but i-" Lyra was cut off as she felt her back legs getting pulled out from underneath her.

Spinoraptor towered over Lyra with her massive arms pinning the mare in place and a sickle claw placed over her chest.

"You'll do just fine for making our master happy."

The hybrid leaned in with her jaws drooling at Lyra's neck, but Spinoraptor froze when she felt strong teeth dig into her neck. She managed to shift her gaze behind her and saw Indoraptor biting her and lifting her body up. He sank his claws into her shoulders and pulled back, yanking Spinoraptor off Lyra and exposing her chest. Then Viper charged in and leaped at the exposed chest ramming the hybrid dinosaur head-on. Indoraptor released his grip in sync with Viper's attack and Spinoraptor was sent falling back. Viper increased her size til she was as big as her brother and she and Indoraptor stood between the opposing hybrid and Lyra.

Spinoraptor squared off against the hybrids, making growls that sounded like laughs.

"You both know that you'll die trying to fight me. I've already shown I'm stronger than either of you back in that fire. So what makes you think you can stop me from killing her?"

"Our parents taught us to always protect the ponies of Equestria. They are the reason why our family has been allowed to live here." Viper said boldly.

"They may not look up to us or respect us in the same way they respect our parents. Some have even tried to make us into outcasts or use us for their own personal gain. But their safety comes first and we will do whatever it takes to protect them." Indoraptor said.

"If you want to kill them, you'll have to get past us to do it." Viper said before she and Indoraptor roared in defiance at Spinoraptor.

"How touching, but then last words usually are. You want to die so badly, then so be it!"

Spinoraptor rushed both hybrids and Indoraptor met her head on with their claws locking and Viper attacking her sides. The bigger hybrid didn't even seem fazed by Viper's bites while locked in her struggle with Indoraptor, who was trying his best to slash and bite against his tougher opponent. Spinoraptor may not have had the same long arms as Indoraptor, but her bites were strong enough to draw blood and she knew where to bite. She kept on aiming for the neck since it was the most vulnerable spot on Indoraptor's neck and slashed at his chest. Once she locked onto his throat, Indoraptor couldn't bite back and could only claw at Spinoraptor.

Viper's claws weren't as thick as her brother's and didn't cut deep enough to draw blood from Spinoraptor. Even with all the injuries she had taken from Blackjack, Spinoraptor still had enough strength to hold them off. As Viper leaped onto her side and bit down on Spinoraptor's scales hard enough that she could see blood starting to come up, that was enough to get the hybrid's attention. She clenched and tightened her grip on Indoraptor then threw him to the ground before turning sharply around, grabbing Viper by her tail and flinging her into the dirt as well.

The ponies could only look on in horror as Spinoraptor lunged and snapped at Viper as she did her best to fight back while her brother clutched his throat to catch his breath. With every lunch and bite that missed, Viper had a chance to slash at the hybrid's face or bite into it. While they did hurt whenever she got her attacks in, Viper's bites and slashes didn't have the striking power of any member in her family. Since she hadn't spent as much time fighting and developing her fighting skills as any of her family members, the pony hybrid didn't have anywhere close to the same raw strength and brute force to severely hurt the bigger hybrid. But her advantage of being more agile and nimble helped her maneuver around Spinoraptor's attacks.

Spinoraptor swung with her claws, but they didn't come close to even slicing Viper. Instead of dodging out of the way, she dove underneath the hybrid and plunged her teeth into the hybrid's underbelly. Spinoraptor roared in pain as Viper scratched away at the stomach while blood rolled down her face as she bit deeper into the flesh.

"Go Viper! Let em have it!" Rainbow cheered out as she watched her daughter tear away at the hybrid's body.

Spinoraptor had no way of getting at the pony that had managed to get herself in a position where she couldn't be touched, except for one weapon. The hybrid suddenly collapsed onto her side taking Viper along with the sheer motion of her body. Laying on her side actually exposed Viper to the raptor's sickle claws, and with one slash from the right foot across the stomach made her release her grip. Spinoraptor was still bleeding from the bites and clawed marks on her stomach as she got back up and slashed Viper with her claws and pinned her to the ground with one foot. As she raised her sickle claw to impale the pony, the raptor felt a horrible pain digging into her left shoulder.

She turned around and found Blackjack's spell digging into her shoulder and the unicorn running in. This time, the hybrid was ready for Blackjack's plan of attack and ran to meet her. With nothing to jump off of, Blackjack had to do stand on her back legs to get more height for the attack. But when she got close enough the hybrid suddenly turned and smacked her with its tail. She got hit with the tip of the tail and it only managed to stun her, but it also left her vulnerable and wide open to Spinoraptor's teeth.

The dinosaur seized Blackjack by the throat in her jaws, picked her body up and threw her, metal limbs and all, like a rag doll over the street until she stopped near the spot where some of the ponies were still watching.

"I've had enough of you, metal freak!" Spinoraptor yelled in frustration.

She roared savagely as she sprinted towards Blackjack, oblivious to the threat that had seen the attack and was very angry. As Spinoraptor closed in on Blackjack, Indoraptor suddenly appeared in front of her and collided with the charging hybrid. He held her off with his longer arms while Spinoraptor flailed her smaller arms and snapped at the neck.

"You're not gonna kill her!"

"Oh? What is she to you? Something you want to kill yourself? A pitiful playmate? Or could she be your excuse for a mate?"

"What?" The brief pause was all Spinoraptor needed to make another bite.

She went for the same spot that she had managed to bite and this time tried to crush the hybrid's windpipe. He felt his body getting pushed back as Spinoraptor started to inch her way closer to Blackjack, who was having trouble getting up. It hadn't occurred to either of them, but Blackjack had failed to realize that she hadn't consumed any gems to replenish her energy supply to keep her body going. Viper was still down and holding her stomach from the deep slashes caused by Spinoraptor. Seeing the damage caused to his sister and the pony he had saved caused something deep to stir from inside Indoraptor.

Spinoraptor felt the scales she was biting were getting hotter and she saw small traces of flames were starting to emit from the hybrid's body. Then the hybrid's body suddenly tensed and she found that she couldn't budge him any further. The small traces of flames became bigger and were actually more golden than the fire of the inferno. Viper, Blackjack and the ponies of Ponyville looked on in shock and awe as Indoraptor bellowed a furious roar and a torrent of golden fire erupted from his body, sending Spinoraptor tumbling backwards. When the raptor regained her footing, she was met with a sight she had never imagined she'd see in her life.

Indoraptor's body was emitting torrents of golden flames and he had changed in a similar fashion to how Indominus looked when he transformed. Fiery red mist was emitting from his eyes and gold markings covered his body. The row of spikes along his back also became golden and grew longer. But strangely, there was no pair of wings for him. Within the golden flames he was nearly the spitting image of his father. Everypony looked at the transformed hybrid in speechless wonder. This was Indoraptor's first taste of the power his father had passed down to him: the power of the Worldbreaker.

His golden fire washed over Viper's body and she watched as the cut on her stomach closed up and was healed almost immediately. She caught sight of her brother's new look and had eyes as big and round as sand dollars.

"Brother...is that really you?"

Indoraptor turned at the sound of her voice, his glowing red eyes were a little scary to Viper, but not enough to make her completely afraid of him.

"Rise up and fight, sister."

Viper heeded her brother's words and stood alongside him. They stood shoulder to shoulder against Spinoraptor who was having a hard time understanding how Indoraptor had managed to transform himself. Spinoraptor charged at them again, but only got a couple of steps forward before she was stopped dead in her tracks by Indoraptor. The hybrid had closed the distance between himself and his opponent in only a few seconds, and had punched her so hard that his fist went right into her chest. The impaled hybrid coughed up a mouthful of blood before Indoraptor followed up with a punch that sent her flying back towards her partner.

Carnoraptor had been busy keeping Indominus, the raptors and Tyrannosaurus preoccupied so they couldn't interfere. Rainbow hadn't joined in because she knew they could end the fight whenever they wanted. The rexes were merely humoring Carnoraptor while Indominus's children got their chance to protect the citizens of Ponyville for once. When they heard Spinoraptor land in a bleeding heap behind them, all the dinosaurs got a glimpse at Indoraptor's transformation. Indominus couldn't believe that Indoraptor had managed to transform, he thought that the ailment would've caused problems for the Immortal Worldbreaker.

Spinoraptor tried to get back on her feet, but Blue pounced on her and her girls followed suite. Before long, Spinoraptor was covered from head to toe in raptor claw marks and pinned down by all members of the raptor squad. Seeing the sorry state that her partner had been put it, Carnoraptor charged for the brother and sister.

"Remember Viper, you have the power to stop her."

"But brother, I can't transform like you."

"Don't focus on me, focus on the power you have. Focus on the ponies we're fighting for, and let that be your weapon."

"Ha! You can't stop me! I'll devour you along with every pony in this town!" Carnoraptor roared out.

Viper tried to focus on all the ponies she cared about, everypony that was her friend and lover her. Her mother, her big sister, her raptor siblings, her friends, even Blackjack. Indoraptor watched as her fur bristled, her wings flared and her mane began to flow like the wind. She looked Carnoraptor right in the eye and bellowed a powerful roar, which was followed by an enormous red blast of pure energy erupting from her mouth.

The blast hit Carnoraptor square in the chest and the dinosaur was halted and being pushed back from the incredible force. The energy burned her scales as it washed over her and Viper started walking toward her.

"WAHOO!!! THAT'S MY GIRL! YOU GOT EM VIPER!!" Rainbow cheered ecstatically at the wondrous sight.

Viper continued to hose Carnoraptor down with her blast until the energy stopped pouring out of her mouth. Then she and her brother charged ahead with the hybrid still singed, leaped into the air and nailed her right in the chest. Small shock waves could be seen rippling across Carnoraptor's body as she stumbled backwards. Before she could get her bearing back, she felt powerful teeth grabbing her by the neck. Tyrannosaurus had taken advantage of the moment and launched a sneak attack as payback.

He threw her behind him where Carnoraptor was greeted with a very unpleasant surprise. Indominus had gone Worldbreaker and was descending on her from the sky. He slammed both of his fists into her head, bringing Carnoraptor crashing to the ground. The fight had been taken out of both raptors, they had lost and failed their mission. Indominus pinned Carnoraptor by the face while Rainbow and Rexy loomed over Spinoraptor as the raptors bared their teeth at the trapped hybrid.

"Now as I was saying before, start talking hybrids!" Indominus said as glowing eyes bore down on the trapped hybrid.

"You don't have the strength to free yourselves anymore. So make it easy on yourselves and we might let you live." Rainbow added.

"Or you could make it worse for yourselves and I can subject you to my style of torture." Discord said as he appeared next to Rainbow, conjured up a javelin and pointed it above Spinoraptor's eyes.

"We're not telling you anything even if you have beaten us."

"You'll have to tear us apart before we tell you anything about what our master has planned." Carnoraptor said.

"So be it." Indominus said as his hands became covered in golden flames. "When you get to Hell, tell Soarin I said hi."

Indominus raised his fists and brought them down again to crush the hybrid's head. But before his fists could reach Carnoraptor, she and Spinoraptor disappeared in a burst of dark magic and there was not a trace of them left. Indominus stared angrily at the spot where the dinosaur had been held by his claws. He had gotten so close to having a possible answer about who was attacking his family and it had managed to slip away from him. Frustration lingered in his mind as he changed back to normal.

"Great. Now there's more going on behind my back that I have to worry about."

"It's alright honey, the important thing is that we stopped those hybrids and our kids are safe." Rainbow said as she stroked Indominus's face.

"Speaking of your kids, it looks like they're in for a pleasant welcome after all this." Discord said as he gestured back to Indoraptor and Viper.

Indominus glanced over at them and noticed that the Worldbreaker flames were vanishing. It seemed rather odd because Indoraptor should've been able to transform back at will after awakening it. Instead he looked confused and perplexed, like if everything had happened in the blink of an eye and he had missed it.

"Looks like tomorrow'll be the best time to take care of Celestia's request." Indominus said as he walked towards his kids.

"Viper, what just happened?"

"You're kidding right? You just mopped the floor with that hybrid and got me to use a power I didn't even know I had."

"No. I'm sorry Viper, I really don't know what happened. The last thing I remember was getting bitten by that hybrid, I got really angry from what she said about Blackjack, then everything went black on me."

"You did more than just stop that animal."

Lyra and Bon Bon were walking towards the hybrids and carrying Blackjack with one hoof around their necks. The citizens of Ponyville were joining them and from where he stood, Indominus could tell that his children were going to be very happy.

"You saved us, you put your lives on the line for us even though not every pony here approves of you." Bon Bon said.

"Even after what those mares did to you. How can you be so protective of us when ponies used you?" Lyra said.

"Well, I've met some friends that have helped me see that I can't hold onto grudges or burdens forever. I was taught to be a guardian and to put others before myself. That's why I had to protect you girls. I can't let an experience I have to live with, keep me from doing what I know is right."

Blackjack felt immensely touched by Indoraptor's words. Viper saw her getting emotional and brought up the elephant in the town.

"By the way Blackjack, why aren't you standing on your own?"

"Oh, funny thing about that. I kinda...forgot to have any gems before we left the castle."

"So you forgot to keep yourself fueled?" Blackjack grinned nervously.

"Then would you like to hold the pony you care so much about?" Lyra teased.

Indoraptor didn't even try to hide it since he had already spilled part of what he felt to her earlier. So he gladly accepted Blackjack with open arms and held her close. Blackjack gently ran her hoof across the area where the puncture wounds had been on his neck.

"Keratin really does wonders for you." Blackjack said.

"You know it does." Indoraptor whispered.

"Also, you looked just like your father when he stopped Soarin from destroying Equestria." Lyra added.

"Did I really?"

"Yes you did son. You looked exactly like this." Indominus said as he appeared behind his children.

Indominus transformed in front of everypony and the transformation left Viper and Indoraptor speechless.

"This is what you became during your fight with those hybrids. Once you learn how to keep this form and master it, then you'll be able to protect Equestria in the same way your mother and I do."

"That looks unbearably cool." Blackjack said.

"Glad you like the look, Blackjack." Indominus said as he changed back.

Everypony began walking up to Indoraptor and Viper and thanking them for saving their lives. Some were even kind enough to playfully ruffle Viper's mane or pet Indoraptor's face. It was much more welcoming than the cold treatment they had gotten years ago.

"Now that's a beautiful sight. Seeing my kids getting praised rather than being treated like outcasts." Rainbow said as she watched the wonderful scene.

"Well I'm glad you have a reason to be happy Rainbow, but we've lost our home! Those monsters destroyed my boutique and totaled all of my designs and dresses!"

"Oh Rarity. You should know the old saying."

"What old saying, Discord?"

"Don't get mad, get glad!"

With a snap of his fingers, Discord took away the remains of the crystals and restored the boutique to its former glory. Rarity was so ecstatic she sprinted over and hugged him around the chest.

"Oh Thank you thank you thank you thank you Discord! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Heh heh, you're very welcome Rarity." Discord said as he gently patted her mane.

"How about once everypony's done thanking Indoraptor and Viper, we get everypony back inside and get some sleep?"

"I could certainly go for that, Spike." Rexy said.

"Us too." Blue and her girls added in response.

From the hillside where he'd been watching the fiasco unfold as instructed, Neighsay put down his binoculars with a heavy sigh.

"This is even more problematic than I thought. Oh boy, Sombra's not gonna like what those hybrids have to tell him. Something tell's me they're in for a serious beating after this failure."

Neighsay conjured up a portal and turned his back on the disappointment he had witnessed. A blood bath had been foiled and now the citizens of Ponyville looked up to the hybrids even more after what they'd done. He stepped through the portal that led him back home as he wondered what Sombra's reaction would be to his minions failing to carry out their promise.

---

"Do you really think they'll manage to carry out this task you gave them? Sheer Cold asked.

"Of course they will! I set up that trap so well it would take a genius with extreme foresight to know about the inferno." Sombra replied. "You aren't having any doubts about my plans, are you?"

"Oh no. Nothing to disrespect you King Sombra, but we had Black Death under our control and he couldn't even overwhelm a pack of dinosaurs. He was killed by them and turned to dust. What makes you think that these hybrids can even manage to avoid getting themselves killed." Spoiled Rotten said.

Sombra turned his body into trails of dark smoke and appeared in front of Scootaloo's DNA doners.

"The difference between your methods and mine is that you didn't control him completely. You never broke him, convinced him that he needed you. I've got both hybrids convinced that they can do nothing in this world without me. If it wasn't for my magic, none of the them would be able to go out and hunt to build up their strength. I have the power to keep them in line, and I can easily do the same to you ponies as well."

Sombra's horn crackled with dark magic and tons of black clawed arms came up from around him. They seized Sheer Cold and Spoiled Rotten's wings and grabbed both pegasi by the throat too. The Spinosaurus cowered over in a corner of the cave, his spirit already nearly broken by Sombra and Soarin tormenting him.

"I could control your bodies and make you two into my personal puppets. So, do either of you have any more doubts about my methods?"

"N-no Sombra."

"We don't doubt you. You're one of the most legendary ponies in existence." Spoiled Rotten said while trying not to sound scared of the dark hands surrounding her body.

"Good."

Sombra released his hold on the pegasi and the dark hands all dissipated into the air. He could see the fear in their eyes as they backed away from him without any comebacks.

"Let that be a reminder to all of you in case anyone ever tries to doubt my powers and my methods again."

A moment later, the all too familiar sound of his magic teleporting and two bodies collapsing on the ground caught his attention. Sombra looked down upon his beaten hybrids and was appalled to see their bodies covered in claw marks and bleeding.

"I thought I told you two to not leave without killing something first! What is your alibi this time, fools?"

"You're seriously blaming us for this?" Carnoraptor said as she struggled to her feet. "YOU were the one who said nothing would interfere this time. YOU said it would be an easy kill. What YOU didn't tell us was that your precious bait was there helping those animals fight us!!"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the caverns. There was no immediate response from King Sombra, he seemed to be frozen in place from what the hybrid had said.

"What did you say?" He responded in a deep and deadly voice.

"You heard me...that pony you had trapped in stone. The same one you used to try and lure Indominus Rex to us. She was helping those animals and she came close to killing us."

"She threw me across the rooms and would've fractured my back if I had landed on my sail. Half of these marks were caused by her magic." Spinoraptor said weakly.

Sombra looked over Spinoraptor's body and examined the injuries that weren't caused by claws and teeth. The gaping holes in the raptor's hide that dug deep could only be the work of the one spell he had seen with such simple yet effective force. The glaring hole in her chest that Indoraptor had left was even more concerning.

"The telekinetic bullet, Blackjack's most effective spell. One of her only spells, but a very dangerous one if used properly. You two are really lucky you weren't shot in the heart or in the head. That spell can end your life if it's shot in either of those areas with enough power behind it." Sombra said as he enveloped both dinosaurs with his magic to heal their wounds.

"And you taught that pony a spell this dangerous?"

"I didn't teach her. It was a spell she had figured out on her own. She has yet to fully perfect it, but in her hooves it's a spell you'd do well to avoid from now on."

"If you had known she had this kind of power, then what was the point of bringing her back? She's working with Indominus and his family, and nearly killed us. The smart thing that you should've done instead of using her as bait was to kill her so she wouldn't become a danger to your plans." Carnoraptor said in anger at how Sombra wasn't even concerned with how things had turned out.

But that tugged at the wrong nerve, because Sombra stopped healing the hybrids and fired a dark blast at Carnoraptor. The dinosaur slammed into the crystal wall and soon found herself being choked by black tendrils that wrapped around her neck and dragged her back towards the unicorn king. His eyes were glowing green in white hot anger with dark electricity surging around him.

"You. Will. NEVER! Talk that way about Blackjack in front of me. I brought her back to aid in my plans for taking over Equestria, and I can certainly remind her of the real reason she was freed. But if I hear you talking that way about her again, you will find it very hard to hunt and kill without your claws, hybrid!"

Spinoraptor didn't dare utter a word at how serious Sombra had become.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes S-Sombra."

"Good. Now go and lick the rest of your wounds." Sombra said before tossing Carnoraptor aside like a rag doll. "We'll strategize again after I've had some time to think."

He turned his body into streams of shadows and disappeared into the deeper regions of the caverns, leaving his troops to process how defensively their leader had reacted.

Sombra didn't stop until he was sure that he was far enough that nopony would hear him. He conjured up an image of Blackjack and paced back and forth in front of it.

"Blackjack. Why would she side with them? I don't understand how she could choose to side with a bunch of dinosaurs."

As he spoke, Sombra's intense gaze seemed to soften and his red eyes started to change into a bright shade of green.

"I took her in and looked after her, I protected that pony from the dangers in her world. She promised that she would help me when the time came, and she is not going to break that promise!"

The green in his eyes faded and the fiery red returned in force.

"I've already lost one pony that I ever cared about, and I'm not about to let her suffer the same fate. If Blackjack thinks those dinosaurs can be a loving family, then she'll need a reminder of where her loyalty lies and see just how dangerous living with a bunch of predators can really be."

The image erupted in green fire as Sombra stormed out of the darkness and back towards his minions.

Next Chapter: History Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 51 Minutes