As the sun slowly approached sunset, Echo could hardly contain her excitement. This was her chance to finally pay Indoraptor a visit and see if her feelings for him were in fact genuine. While the rest of her kind had been sleeping the day away, she'd only been asleep for a few hours because of her eagerness to see him again. She'd been bounding all around her home like a giddy filly waking up on Hearth's Warming Eve. Her giddy shrieks and squeals did manage to wake up one bat pony, despite her best attempts at trying to be quiet.

Web Weaver had been woken up by Echo's shrieks of excitement, and sleepily walked over to her window to see the eager bat bouncing around the inside of her house. She glanced around to see if anyone else was being woken up by the bat's excitement, and was grateful that none of them had woken up yet.

"How that bat has this much energy and from only a little sleep I'll never know." Web Weaver groggily said to herself as she flew over to Echo's home.

Web Weaver opened the door and was nearly knocked off the ledge by Echo bounding out the door at blurring speed. She ducked her head just in time as Echo zoomed over the top of her and came wheeling around once she realized she wasn't in her house and out in the open air. As Echo flew back to her house, she caught her leader's tired and slightly agitated stare.

"Oops, heh heh heh. Guess I've gotten a little carried away." Echo said as she touched down on the ledge.

"A little? Oh dear child, 'a little carried away' is a huge understatement. I could hear you clear over at my house, which need I point out is higher up than yours."

Echo's face turned red with embarrassment as she realized just how noisy her hyperactive energy had been.

"I get that you want to see him so badly, but you're gonna wake up everyone if you keep this going."

"I can't help it, Web Weaver. This'll be my first time venturing out of the forest, and I get to see Indoraptor's home. It's too exciting for me to sit still!"

Web Weaver just smiled and shook her head in amusement.

"Oh you are such a hopeless love-struck pony, Echo. But you're also our little ball of energy that never seems to end."

She glanced up at the sky and noticed the sun was starting to drop behind the mountains, turning the sky a lovely shade of red.

"Looks like you might not have to wait too much longer. How about you kill some extra time by going out and getting a little snack?"

"A snack? But you've always told me to have my absolute fill so that none of us would be doing any morning hunts out of hunger."

"I know, but this way you might be able to convince him to go on a hunt with you, just like he did when he was under our care. Just an idea for you to think about." Web Weaver said slyly.

"Oh my gosh! Web Weaver you're a genius!" Echo said as she hugged her leader around her neck.

"I know, I try. Now go and see if you can't expend some of that extra energy hunting some manticores."

"Yes ma'am, and I promise I'll do my best to avoid being seen and get back before the sun comes up."

"I know you will, Echo. You're always a bat pony of your word, now go and have a good time."

Echo bolted off the ledge and made a beeline for the heart of the forest. Web Weaver chuckled in amusement, wondering to herself if it was even possible for Echo to burn off all the energy she still had.

It seemed that the energy of an overeager bat pony didn't have a reasonable limit. Echo had managed to speed blitz two unfortunate manticores until their legs had given out and broke under them while running. The poor creatures didn't have a chance as Echo drained them of every ounce of blood, fueled by her eagerness to see Indoraptor again. Though she did have one issue in making that happen: she had no idea where Indoraptor lived. But luck was giving her a helping hand with her goal for the night. As she sucked the last drop of blood from her kills, she picked up on a scent that was unmistakable: the scent of Indoraptor and his family.

"Ripper! He's close. I can follow him back to his home once he's done feasting. I only hope that none of them pick up on my scent."

Echo took off into the trees and followed Indoraptor's scent to where he was in the forest.

She kept herself hidden within the foliage as she navigated in the direction the scent was leading her. It got stronger as she went further into the forest, but oddly it was getting too strong. Like the scent was heading right for her. Suddenly Echo heard the sound of trees being crushed, knocked down and shoved aside accompanied by a powerful rumbling that was similar to roaring thunder. She barely had time to fly over to another tree before Indominus and Tyrannosaurus came charging through the forest, hot on the tails of a pack of scared manticores. Echo was completely amazed at their incredible size and bulk as they smashed the surrounding trees that stood in their way.

The raptor squad was right behind them with Rainbow and Scootaloo, and at the head of the pack, Echo spotted Indoraptor leading the group with Viper and Blackjack on either side of him. A blush formed on Echo's cheeks as she watched Indoraptor lead the pack with power in each stride.

"You sure you can keep up with us, Blackjack?" Rainbow called out.

"These legs don't tire, Rainbow, and Indominus made sure I had plenty of gems when we got back from Canterlot. Just try me." Blackjack said as she, Indoraptor and Viper selected a target.

Echo tried her best to keep up with them as the dinosaurs ran down the manticores and tore them to bloody shreds. She had to keep on flying between trees as the rexes continued to demolish them in their hunt. When she thought she finally had a spot to watch from, Indominus ran ahead of one manticore and spun around so fast to catch it in his jaws that his tail knocked down the tree Echo was hiding in. The surprise move nearly caught Echo off-guard, but she was able to bolt into another tree before her current hiding spot crumbled. Her next spot was far out of the reach of the dinosaurs and it finally gave Echo the chance to see them in action.

Indominus's bared jaws stopped the fleeing manticores dead in their tracks, a tragic mistake as the family closed in from behind. The four raptors pounced on two, Rexy and Scootaloo closed their jaws around another and ground it down into the dirt. Rainbow pounced on the closest manticore that was turning around to meet her, and sank her teeth into its neck. She tore out a chunk of its throat before Indominus crushed its head in his jaws, blood and fur escaping out from the gaps in his teeth. That only left Blackjack, Viper and Indoraptor to end the last manticore in the pack.

Indoraptor slowed down so Blackjack could advance ahead of him as the last manticore tried to take off in a desperate attempt to escape. She fired a telekinetic bullet at the front right leg, and the manticore screamed out in pain as blood exploded from the wound. She advanced towards the wounded beast and nailed it across the face with a savage punch. Echo could see the manticore had been brutally stunned from the force of the attack, leaving it in a dazed state of mind before Indoraptor lunged at it and raked the creature with his claws.

The manticore had no chance as Indoraptor ruthlessly overpowered him, and it only got worse with Viper clenching down on the creature's neck. Both hybrids drew tons of blood from the poor animal before they crunched its neck and ended its life.

"You're still as strong as ever, Indoraptor." Echo whispered from her perch as the dinosaurs began their feast.

She silently watched them devour the manticores from her perch, and her curiosity and wonder kept going from one fascinating subject to another. Whether it was marveling at how massive, powerful and impressive his family looked in her eyes, to Blackjack's unique additions and especially to Viper. Echo just loved the innocence the hybrid filly had despite how she was eating manticore flesh alongside her brother. The only one who wasn't partaking in the feast was Blackjack, who had too many bad experiences of eating flesh before.

"When I get the chance later, I've gotta ask him about that pony. I've never seen anypony quite as unique as her, but if I had to guess, I'd say she's his house guest." Echo thought to herself as she continued to watch them eat in peace.

"That was a nice shot you pulled during the hunt, Blackjack," Viper said after swallowing a mouthful.

"Thanks Viper, but my bullet spell isn't anything special."

"Oh I don't know about that. It worked wonders when those hybrids attacked." Indoraptor said.

"Just how effective are we talking, son?" Indominus asked.

"You should've seen it, dad. She fired those spells several times at those wretched beasts and each one drilled deep into their scales. I thought for sure one of them would've broken bone, like what it did to the manticore."

"Sounds like a powerful spell to me," said Rainbow.

"Not to mention that you were able to keep pace with us, despite those metal legs weighing you down so much." Blue added.

"With a little more practice, you might become skilled hunters like us," said Rexy.

"Really? You all think I could become as good as you?"

"We've never doubted our potential in each other, Blackjack. It helped us beat every foe we've had to face since coming here," said Indominus.

"Like Black Death, Scootaloo's parents, the dragons and their gauntlet, even our first hydra." Tyrannosaurus mentioned.

"Wow. Now those are some madly impressive kills," said Indoraptor.

"Do you think we could have kills like those someday, dad?" Viper asked.

"You mean taking on every animal in the Everfree Forest and killing them for food?"

Viper nodded her head in excitement.

"I'm not so sure you could handle everything this forest has to offer."

"Why not dad? We've fought timberwolves, manticores and I even killed my first cragadile," said Indoraptor.

"While those are impressive kills Indoraptor, there are some animals only your father and his brother were able to take down." Rainbow said.

"She's right. In our time here, we've come across many different animals. Timberwolves make up for their lack in strength with numbers. Hydras use their sheer size and bulk to overwhelm or eat anything they see. Cragadiles rely on ambush tactics much like we do, and manticores are the easiest prey we've ever eaten. But the one animal you have to watch out for above all others, is the chimera."

"What's a chimera, Tyrannosaurus?" Blackjack asked.

"Yeah, I don't recall ever seeing anything like that during any of our hunts," said Delta.

"Actually yes you have. Applejack told us about her experience dealing with that creature when it tried to eat her sister." Tyrannosaurus replied.

"Oh yeah. That was one of her better stories," said Charlie.

"You mean Applebloom nearly became chimera chow?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yes Scootaloo, but Applejack knew exactly how to deal with that creature in such a way that she rendered it helpless." Rexy said.

"To answer your question Blackjack, from what Applejack told us about it, the chimera is one of this world's true hybrids. She described it as an animal that has front legs and head of a tiger, followed by a goat's head and hind legs, and ends with a snake tail. I've never seen it personally, because it only lives in one area. The Flame Geyser Swamp that lies on the far outskirts of the Everfree Forest."

The whole family was drawn in as Indominus and Tyrannosaurus retold everything Applejack had told them about the chimera. Even Echo was tuned into the conversation with her powerful sense of hearing.

"Do you know how the chimera survives?" Indominus asked.

Everypony shook their heads slowly in unison while they continued eating.

"By preying on an animal's vulnerabilities. The chimera is too clever to hunt down its prey like we do, instead it lulls its prey into a false sense of security. Baiting them to come further into its domain where it can corner them without escaping." Tyrannosaurus said.

"Each of the three heads has its own personality and they use them so well from what Applejack described. They calm their prey, get it to let its guard just once, and do you know what happens when their victim succumbs to the soft allure or tries to escape?"

"What happens dad?" Viper asked.

"The chimera pounces and makes its kill, either with its numerous sets of jaws or by the erupting flames of the swamp."

"All because the prey was willing to trust something it had never encountered before." Tyrannosaurus finished.

Rainbow glanced up at the sky while stretching her wings and noticed the sun had set and everything was getting darker. She wanted to try and divert from the rather dark subject that her hybrid was telling their kids.

"I'd say it's about time to head home, Indominus. We don't want to be out here in the forest for too long."

"Agreed Rainbow, even though I'm sure Indoraptor could hold his own out here. We don't need some animals we've never seen before getting the drop on him or Viper."

Taking the last bites of their dinner, the family finished their meals and made their way back towards the castle. This was just the opportunity Echo had been waiting for. She leaped from her perch and glided on the wind so she could avoid being heard or picked up by any of them. She only flapped her wings when she needed to get to another perch to leap from and maintain her stealthy approach. As the forest grew thinner, Echo stopped at the last line of trees and got her first good look at the dinosaurs' home.

"Did you two really have to tell them something like that? They don't need to have thoughts about this chimera attacking them while they're hunting." Rainbow whispered.

"Rainbow, you're overreacting again." Indominus said.

"If such a scenario were to happen, the chimera would more likely be frighten of them," said Tyrannosaurus.

"Besides, they've already held their own against hybrid raptors that were more ruthless and scary than any animal we've ever encountered. Our kids could handle the chimera, and more importantly, they could outsmart it too." Indominus said with complete faith.

"They did inherit some of your traits too, like your confidence."

"Well....ok. But next time, don't go around telling them about dangerous animals like that. We don't need to give them any ideas."

"Alright Rainbow, next time I'll let you tell them about Daring Do and her adventures."

"Really?"

"Sure. It's only fair that you tell them about your personal hero after I told them about a hybrid animal."

Rexy stepped aside as Rainbow grew to Indominus's size, put her right forehoof under his jaw, pulled him in and gave him a subtle lick on his cheek with nopony noticing.

"You're too kind for your own good, Indominus. I may have to pleasure you tonight after everypony heads off to bed," Rainbow said in a teasing voice.

Echo covered her mouth with her forehooves to keep her squeals from being heard as Indominus breathed a content sigh as Rainbow walked past him, swaying her tail back and forth. She knew that Rainbow was tempting him and promising him some really hot love afterwards. It took her a couple of minutes to calm herself and relax her mind from wandering to thoughts about what Rainbow was going to do to Indominus.

"He's so lucky to have parents like them. I imagine his roars will be going around the house when they have their special fun tonight," Echo thought to herself with giddy excitement as she continued following them.

When they finally breached the last layer of the forest, Echo's eyes went wide at the size of their castle. She knew that Indoraptor had to have a nice home if his father was the King of Equestria, but she never would've guessed that they had such a massive and impressive home. She waited until the family had gone inside the castle before she finally came down from the trees.

"Wow......just wow. I never would've thought that he lived in a flippin' CASTLE!! It makes our home look so tiny next to this. How am I gonna find which room Indoraptor stays in in such a big place?"

She flew over to the castle to begin her search as night fell upon Equestria. Scaling the enormous castle was more than Echo had bargain for, and found exploring the numerous rooms through the windows to be quite exhausting. She paused when she got to Blackjack's room and found her eating gems.

"Does everypony around here eat jewels?" Echo asked as she watched Blackjack bite off a chunk of a blue ruby. Her eyes again wandered over the numerous metal parts on Blackjack's body.

"Though she looks a lot different from Indoraptor's mom, and she was actually eating with the dinosaurs. This is really confusing, I hope Indoraptor can clear this little conundrum up for me."

She went on her way searching several more windows, wondering if she was ever going to spot him when a dark figure on the other side of a window she was about to pass caught her attention. Echo pulled back away from it when it dawned on her that it was Indoraptor who was on the other side of the window. She carefully peaked back around to avoid being spotted, and sure enough, it was Indoraptor who was followed by his sister. The little bat could feel her heart beating fast in her chest as she felt so close to him with only a window separating them.

"You were really savage when you beat down that manticore, brother." Viper said as she got into bed.

"Well you had a claw in killing him, Viper. Nothing I ever kill gets finished without you helping deliver the fatal crunch to the neck."

"That's what sisters are for. Although, Blackjack also played a part when she shot a hole through its leg. You gotta admit, she's pretty good for a pony that never hunted in her life."

"Oh I imagine she's had to kill plenty of things in the past to be that precise with her aim. You don't shoot a target as small as a leg that well without having tons of practice in the field."

Indoraptor settled down on his bed and used his tail to turn out the lights.

"You think I'll ever be able to really make her happy, Viper?"

"Why would you think that? After what you've done for her these last few weeks, you still think it's not enough?"

"I'm just not sure, Viper. She does look happy whenever she's with us, but I can't help but think she's hiding some kind of trauma that she doesn't want any of us to know about."

"She'll tell you eventually, she just needs to know that she can trust you completely. You're the first one to show her true kindness and devotion, I'm sure she'll open up to you."

"I hope before my time runs out. I don't have all the time in the world like she does," Indoraptor said as he laid down and rested his head on his pillow.

"Don't say something like that, brother. You're gonna be around for a long time, I know you will."

"Wishful thinking, Viper. I'll need all I can get for that to happen."

Indoraptor closed his eyes and nestled against his pillow. Viper covered her face with her blankets and silently cried into them to avoid being heard by her brother. Echo couldn't believe that the whole situation was still weighing on him, despite how he had come to terms with it. She had to bide her time until Viper had fallen asleep before she could make her move. She slid open the window so silently that there wasn't a single creak as she made her way into their room.

The batpony had to tread like she was walking on pins and needles to avoid making any noise. After what felt like an eternity of sneaking, she was at Indoraptor's bed and looking down on his body while he slept. Seeing his relaxed face reminded her of all the days he had spent in her home and how she had loved looking after him. Echo found her hoof reaching forward like some part of her wanted to touch him just to be sure she wasn't imagining being in his room.

"Took you long enough to get in here."

Echo froze immediately, unsure and terrified all at once at hearing the words spoken so calmly. Her eyes darted around the room, hoping that the words had come from somewhere. They fell upon Indoraptor's jaws and one of his eyes opened before he spoke again.

"I was wondering when you were going to walk in. Did you enjoy our hunt?"

Echo screamed and flew back in surprise, slamming into Viper's bed and waking her up. She opened her eyes in a daze and only saw Echo's outline pressed against her bed. She was about to panic and screech when Indoraptor stood up from his bed.

"It's alright Viper, she's a friend of mine."

"W-Wait, you know her?"

"Of course I do, she's the one that took me in and looked after me during those weeks I spent away from home."

Viper settled down a little as Echo stepped back and allowed her body to be bathed in the moonlight. The little hybrid took in her full features and found that she looked more cute than scary. She slowly stepped forward, jumped down from her bed and looked up at Echo.

"You're the one who took care of my brother?"

"Yes I am. I'm Echo, and you must be Indoraptor's little sister."

"I'm Viper."

She reached out a hoof nervously and Echo gladly took it and shook her hoof happily.

"You're quite the cute little hybrid, and you have such lovely eyes."

"Thanks, I have my mom and dad to thank for all my great features. But I have to ask, why did you come here and sneak into our room?"

"I was hoping I could get to see your brother again, and maybe...spend some time with him. I missed seeing him since he left my forest." Echo said as a small blush formed on her cheeks.

"So, you followed us all the way from the forest, just to see me?"

Indoraptor pressed his nose against Echo's neck and her blush got bigger from his soft touch. Viper noticed how gentle her brother was being with the batpony, much like how he was so gentle whenever Blackjack was concerned.

"Well well brother, it seems that you've got all kinds of ponies wanting to be around you. But unlike those mares that did those 'things' to you, Blackjack and Echo are ponies that you really like having around."

"Is that her name? Blackjack?"

"Yep. I rescued her that night I left to investigate that scent I picked up. She was ambushed by a group of rogue raptors and after we stopped them, I brought her back-"

"Indoraptor. I don't mean to cut you off, but maybe we should take this somewhere where mom and dad won't hear us?"

"Good point Viper, and I know the perfect place."

Indoraptor crawled out his bedroom window and started scaling the wall of the castle with Viper and Echo flying after him. He led them to the same spot on the roof where he had taken Blackjack and had his little moment of bonding with her. When they touched down, Echo was amazed at how clear the sky was and how many stars she could see compared to her forest.

"What do you think Echo?"

"It's very peaceful up here. I can see why you'd pick a place like this."

"It's where I go when I need some solitude. Nobody ever comes up here after me unless they really want to talk."

"Now before we get back to talking about Blackjack, how did you know I was going to be here or that you knew it was me that got into your room?"

"You forget, Echo. My thermal senses can pick up your heat signature faster than you think. I picked up traces of it during the hunt, but I could easily see your signature scaling our castle in the dark. I even said some stuff to see if it would make you more anxious."

"Wait a minute. So, everything you just said about wanting wishful thinking and all that stuff, was to get her attention?" Viper asked to which her brother glanced at her with a subtle stare in his eyes. "You sneaky devil, I thought you were being serious."

"My kind helped him come to terms with it, Viper. We helped him see that there's still plenty he can do with the time he has, and to not let that sickness burden him his entire life."

"It's true Viper." Indoraptor added.

"Wow, you were definitely the right ones to look after him."

"Indeed we were. Now, back to what you were saying about Blackjack."

So Indoraptor resumed his tale of all that had happened since Blackjack had become their house guest. From her rough first day in Ponyville, helping Viper deal with her school bullies and especially her effort in protecting Rarity's family from the deadly hybrids. He made good on his word to keep what they had learned about Ra a secret, but it didn't really matter because Echo was perfectly happy just being near Indoraptor again. Viper was able to easily see the content smile and peaceful stare in her eyes when she looked at him. Even more surprising was how close she kept trying to get towards Indoraptor by inching her body closer to his.

"So what do you think Echo? Quite the eventful life, isn't it?"

"I'll say it is. You've really been keeping yourself busy since you left the forest. It's also really sweet that you've been looking after Blackjack like this and trying to make her feel welcome. Though I guess this means you've probably forgotten about me or replaced me with her."

Indoraptor couldn't believe that he was hearing this. It was one thing for him to look down upon himself, but to hear Echo, the most energetic pony he'd ever met say that he had replaced her with somepony else was utterly taboo. He took one finger, tenderly put it under her chin and turned her head til they were looking each other in the eyes.

"Why would I want to replace the pony who befriended me, took me in when I was at my lowest point and helped me accept what I am? I care deeply about you, Echo, as well as Blackjack, Marble Pie and Twilight. Each of you have shown me kindness, concern and devotion most ponies in this world would never give to hybrids like me or Viper. I could never replace or even think of forgetting about you, not when you helped me find peace with myself."

"Really?" Echo asked as happy tears ran down her cheeks.

Indoraptor nodded once and Echo was off the roof and hugging him around the neck in an instant. He gently held her in his arms and Viper was squealing at the adorable sight.

"That's so cute, brother. You and Echo look so adorable together."

"She's a great pony to be around, Viper. During those weeks that I got to be her housemate, she always made everything so fun." He gently stroked her mane as he spoke.

"Are you trying to put me into an adorabetes coma, Indoraptor? Cause' you're getting really close." Echo said.

"Nope, just reminding you of how much you mean and matter to me. Also, don't ever think I'd replace you with anypony again."

"I won't, and I have something to tell you too."

"Sure, but you don't mind if my sister gets to hear it too, do you?"

"Mmm, nah. She can hear it if she wants to."

"Alright Viper, get in here too."

Indoraptor opened one of his arms and Viper zipped over so quickly that Echo didn't have time to react before she found herself being hugged by the hybrid filly. Viper nuzzled against her fur and Echo couldn't help but be touched at the little filly's warm embrace. She had only expected to see Indoraptor again, and now she was being hugged by him and his sister and told that she did matter to him.

"My brother talked about you a lot when he came back, Echo."

"Did he now? What did he say about me?"

"That you are a very kind batpony that he was lucky enough to stay with. That you taught him how to be a more lethal hunter and accepting his condition, things I'm sure you've heard before."

"I sure have, and I'm glad the buzz is good."

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell me, Echo?"

She motioned with her hoof for him to lean closer, so Indoraptor craned his head down so he could listen. Echo held her hooves to his face and spoke softly to him.

"I hope that one day....I can be more than a friend to you."

Then she surprised Indoraptor by doing what she had been waiting for the chance to have: she pressed her lips to his cheek in a deep yet soft kiss. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears while her lips seemed to revel in the smooth touch of Indoraptor's scales. Viper had bug eyes and was squealing like it was her birthday at seeing the dumbstruck look on her brother's face. His hug on them loosened and his arms went limp as Echo pulled away from her kiss.

"What'd you think of that kiss, brother? Are you speechless and need a minute?" Viper teased at the perplexed look on his face.

Echo was giggling and blushing at how surprised Indoraptor was after getting a simple kiss from her. He seemed to be stuck in a daze caused by a stunning form of bliss before he shook his head to clear his brain.

"W-What was that for?"

"For caring about me and saying all those kind things. If you didn't have these teeth at the front of your mouth, I would've given you a full on kiss."

"It still did a number on him. I've never seen Indoraptor so stunned before." Viper said.

"Glad to know that it worked and I'm also glad I got to meet you, Viper. You're a very nice hybrid."

"You as well Echo, you're just as exciting and sweet as Indoraptor said."

"Thanks, now I have to get back home right away."

"Do you really have to leave, Echo?" Indoraptor asked.

"I wish I could stay longer, Ripper, but I need to get back before the sun rises and you two need to get some sleep or else your parents will start wondering what you were doing."

"Wow, she makes a very good point."

"Indeed she does. Well, it was good to see you again Echo. Though before you go, can I do something for you?"

"Sure, what do you-"

Indoraptor cut her off as he brought his tongue to her cheek and gently licked Echo. She had a delighted grin on her face as she and Indoraptor nuzzled each other one more time.

"Take care of yourself until we meet up again."

"You know I will, big boy," Echo said before she took off from the roof and waved goodbye to the hybrids.

As he watched Echo fly off and disappear into the trees, Indoraptor had to ask his sister one simple question.

"Viper, do you think it's possible of a raptor to have more than one mate?"

"I haven't got a clue on what to tell you, brother. All I know is you have a crush on Blackjack, and now Echo has a crush on you. You're gonna have to tread very carefully if you don't want to lose either of these mares."

"Well I hope I have some kind of answer, cause' this is more dizzying than trying to keep up with Screwball's everyday life.

"Wow, you've really got it bad, brother," Viper said as she flew back to their bedroom window.

"Tell me about it. I think I might be in trouble," Indoraptor said as he followed after her.

---

Web Weaver stood lookout for signs of Echo while also keeping an eye on the sky for signs of daytime. She knew that it was right to give Echo the time to see if her feelings for Indoraptor were genuine, but she had to remember about her promise to be back before the sun rose. But she didn't have to wait too long as she caught sight of Echo flying back into the forest, seemingly lost in a daze. Web Weaver watched her twirl through the air like she was dancing on flower petals as she touched down in front of her.

"So, how did it go?"

"Oh Web Weaver. I've never been so happy in my life. Indoraptor's more caring than I thought."

"Did you tell him how you felt?"

"Even better. I kissed him."

"Really? How did he take it?"

"He was stunned and went a little limp on me. His scales felt so soft and smooth on my lips when I kissed him."

"I never thought that a little kiss would freeze him solid like that."

"Oh not enough apparently. He licked me on the face before I left to come back home." Echo sighed softly as she put her hoof to her cheek to remember what Indoraptor's touch felt like.

"Oh you happy little bat, I don't even need to hear your answer to know how you feel about him now."

"How can ya tell?" Echo asked.

"It's written all over your face, Echo. You're so in love with him."

"Teehee." Echo covered her mouth with her hooves as she giggled and blushed at the word.

"Go get some rest you giddy little munchkin, and you'll get to dream about him too." Web Weaver said as she noogied Echo's head.

The batpony fluttered off towards her house humming a happy tune to herself as her giddy energy was noticed by her friends.

"Aw, young love. Treasure it Echo, but don't get too caught up in it. Cause your crush is still living on borrowed time, and I don't want your heart to be too broken when he passes."

---

Days went by since Echo's visit and with that passing came some pleasant surprises for Sombra's army. Business at the post office was running normally as usual. Derpy was working her regular shift, sorting out mail, dropping off packages to ponies waiting in line and picking up parcels for deliveries. She still kept the letter that Neighsay had given her to give to his pen pal in a special spot where she would always remember it. She remembered what this particular pony looked like since she had dropped off letters meant for Neighsay before.

She was sorting out letters in the back of the building when she heard the front doors open. She hurried out to see who had entered the building and her eyes lit up when she saw the pony she had been expecting to see.

"Oh! I've been waiting for you. Neighsay wanted to make sure you got this letter from him."

Cozy Glow was standing in the entrance of the post office and a massive grin spread on her face when she heard the good news.

"Really?"

"Uh huh. When I dropped by to deliver his mail, he was insistent that you get this letter. It seemed pretty urgent from how he sounded."

"Do you have it with you?" Cozy Glow asked as she walked into the building.

Derpy disappeared into the back of the building and returned a minute later with Neighsay's letter in her hooves. Cozy took the letter and opened it with glee. She became more eager as she read through the letter, trying to contain the excitement that was apparent through her hooves shaking.

"To my dear pen pal,

The valuable information you've provided has done wonders in my quest to rid Equestria of those dinosaurs. Despite the minor hiccups in the plan, what you gave me was so spot on accurate that it has caught my attention. We have to meet face to face so that I can bring you in on the plans with my benefactor. He was so impressed by your keen knowledge and intelligence that he would like to meet you as well. He believes that you can help us with these incredible plans and be the inside source to take them down when they least expect it.

I may not know where you live exactly, but I know that you must reside in Ponyville somewhere. I will be at the Ponyville train station in two days, I would like for you to be there so that we can meet and so you can meet the one pony with the power to bring those animals down once and for all.

Sincerely, Chancellor Neighsay

P.S. Next time, don't call this pony named "Blackjack" any rude names. My benefactor and his shadow minions don't take too well to that kind of talk."

Cozy Glow had the biggest smile on her face after she finished reading the letter. She could hardly believe that Chancellor Neighsay wanted to meet her in person, and above all, introduce her to somepony that could bring down Indominus and his kind. It was a golden opportunity that she simply couldn't pass up.

"Is there anything else you need, miss Glow?"

"Oh no this is everything I need. Thank you very much miss Do, and please have this tip for doing such a good job of getting this letter to me."

Cozy handed Derpy a hoofful of bits as she flew out of the post office in delight.

"Wow, my mother was wrong. I am in the right kind of business."

Other ponies started coming into the post office, but right as a stallion walked up to the desk, Derpy pulled out a "Be Back Later" sign.

"Time for lunch." She said before disappearing from the desk, leaving a bunch of ponies to wait their turn.

---

While Cozy Glow was rejoicing about the opportunity that was waiting for her, Neighsay's benefactor was off taking care of his own important matter. In the dark depths of Tartarus, a three headed dog paced back and forth in front of a cage held in the center of the dark domain. Inside the cage, with revenge being the only thing keeping him sane, stood the centaur that had once tried to take Equestrian magic and failed in the end: Lord Tirek. For several years he had been trapped in Tartarus, drained of his once great power and now a mere shriveled old shell of the creature he once was. All that burned through his mind was exacting his revenge on all of ponykind and stealing their precious magic so he could be strong again.

During his endless time in Tartarus, nothing eventful ever seemed to happen for Tirek. With Cerberus being his constant guard, there wasn't much for him to see or do. Then he saw dark tendrils and black smoke slowly crawling up from around his prison. Cerberus's heads kept darting back and forth to see where the dark presence was coming from.

"What's this?" Tirek asked. He hadn't seen such dark and deadly power before in his life.

A dark laugh and a calm deep voice answered him.

"Oh what a pitiful shame. To think that you were once a powerful force of destruction, now you've been reduced to an old shadow of your former self. My how it's such a shame to see the mighty fall so low."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, Lord Tirek? I'm here to strike a deal with you." Sombra said as his shadows circled around Tirek's cage. "But first."

The shadows and tendrils went straight for Cerberus, enveloping the three headed dog and pinning him against the walls in a binding veil of dark energy. The shadows that had been circling Tirek dissipated into the air, revealing Sombra standing in front of the cage.

"King Sombra? You're alive!? But I heard that you had been killed by the Crystal Heart."

"Clearly the tales of my demise were greatly exaggerated. As you can see I am very much alive and have retained all of my dark powers. But I'm not here to gloat about myself, I'm here to make a deal with you, Lord Tirek."

"Why would I be interested in any deal you have to make, King Sombra? All you care about is taking back the Crystal Empire, and I have no interest in doing your dirty work just so you can have your precious kingdom."

"This isn't about the empire, Tirek. In the time you've been stuck here, the world outside of Tartarus has changed and received some very unwelcome creatures that have become guardians and now the King of Equestria."

"What? But who could ever become high and powerful enough to take the throne away from the Princesses?"

"Not take, given. These beasts were handed the throne and their own seats of power on a silver platter. Celestia and Luna practically gift wrapped Equestria for them, and now they watch over it, killing anything that tries to threaten their precious peace."

Sombra conjured up a portal in front of Tirek and showed him everything he had observed and looked over since his return. Tirek was fascinated by the dinosaurs' immense feats of raw strength and his yellow eyes shimmered at the sight of their impressive power in action. Seeing how they vaporized Black Death as a family nearly had him drooling with how much power they had used during that fight. When he was shown Indominus fighting as the Immortal Phoenix, then his face lit up.

"Who is that magnificently powerful beast?"

"That would be Indominus Rex. The animal that Celestia and Luna decided to make as Equestria's King."

"The Princesses....made this animal....their king? Is that an attempt at trying to be humorous?"

"I don't joke on serious matters like this, Tirek. That animal has taken on armies of dragons, beasts and mutated ponies. His power is not something to be overlooked."

"In that case, it does look so delicious. That golden flame radiating from his body looks like an all-you-can-devour buffet. I could feast on that animal for hours if I got the chance."

"That's part of my deal, Tirek."

"What?"

"Yes. I'm currently assembling an army full of the mightiest, most cunning and deadliest creatures in Equestria to take down those animals. Your intellect and brute force would definitely be most welcome, and be extremely helpful with our plans of attack. Join us and your might could help take down that beast and his entire family."

"Suppose I do agree to be part of this little plan of yours, what do I get in return, Sombra?"

"Once he is brought down and made my prisoner, you would get to feast on all the delicious power that your demonic heart desires."

Tirek licked his lips at the prospect of absorbing all the power he'd seen coming from Indominus Rex.

"So be it, Sombra. You've manage to arouse my curiosity and whet my appetite at the same time. Consider me to be part of your army."

"Wonderful," said Sombra.

"So what do you need of me now?"

"What I need from you, is to wait a while longer in here."

"You bring me into your army and you want me to stay in here?"

"You didn't let me finish. I will be back to take you out of here, and when I return I will have some of that monster's power for you to try. So that you can be stronger than you've ever been before."

"Ah, now that'll be something worth waiting for. Fine, I'll wait for you to be back, Sombra. But you had better keep your word on this deal."

"I'm a king of my word, Lord Tirek. I never go back on anything I say, and I am more than capable of seizing part of Indominus Rex's power."

Sombra conjured a dark shadow hand and it reached inside the cage for Tirek to shake. The centaur took the dark hand and shook it, sealing the deal between him and the king of shadows. Sombra conjured another portal and left Tirek a little piece of advice before he stepped through.

"Oh Tirek, don't think that you can plan anything behind my back once you're brought in. I've been in Equestria far longer than you and I'm a great deal smarter than most ponies. Should you even think of turning on me at any point in my plan, you will be sorry."

After King Sombra disappeared through the portal, the dark magic he'd been using to restrain Cerberus disappeared and the dog collapsed.

"Oh we'll see which of us is smarter, King Sombra. I'm not nearly as dense as you think, and it''ll be interesting to see which of us is stronger after I get the power you've promised me."

---

Cozy Glow was overcome with anxiousness as she waited at the train station for Neighsay to show up. During the last two days all she'd been able to think about was who Neighsay's benefactor could be, and what brilliant plans he had for her and the dinosaurs. It had been exceedingly hard for her to keep something like this a secret from Viper, Precious and Screwball, the last thing she needed was for one of them to find out and sneak word to the dinosaurs that she was responsible for the attacks. If word got out, they would hunt her down without question and kill her. So she had to put on an act around them so they wouldn't get suspicious of what awaited her.

The train pulled into the station and ponies started piling out of the carts. Cozy scanned the crowds for any sign of Neighsay, though it didn't take long for her to spot his tall figure standing above the other ponies. He too was scanning the station for signs of the pony that had sent him the info for the attacks. Needless to say he was pretty surprised when he found a small filly flying above the crowds and making her way towards him.

"Chancellor Neighsay! I gotta tell you it's an honor to finally meet you in person."

"I'm sure it is, little filly. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to meet somepony here."

"Are you saying that you're looking for your 'pen-pal?'" That caused Neighsay to stop and take another look at Cozy Glow.

"How do you-"

"I was there at the boutique when your hybrid dinosaurs tried to kill Viper and Precious. If her darn brother and his pony friend hadn't shown up and stopped them your attack would've been a success."

"You're my pen-pal?"

"The one and only. My name is Cozy Glow, and I've been wanting those animals gone just as badly as you do."

"Forgive me, Cozy Glow. I was expecting to see somepony a little bigger meeting me here. But now that I'm seeing you for the first time, I can see how you'd be able to get such info on the dinosaurs. Nopony would ever suspect that somepony so tiny would be capable of making such devious plans."

"I've been told that I'm pretty smart for my age."

"My benefactor is going to love hearing what you can bring to our operation." Neighsay said as he shook Cozy Glow's hoof.

"Just who is this benefactor you've been in contact with?"

"Somepony who is incredibly smart, has a great deal of power and who you'll think is a legend."

"Oooohhh, I love the sound of that. Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Neighsay followed the eager filly back into the train before it departed on its way back to Canterlot.

When they arrived at Neighsay's place, Cozy was still as anxious as ever. During the train ride she and Neighsay had formed a small bond over their hate of the dinosaurs. He had more to tell after his experiences with them before the kids were born and even after they had been brought into Equestria. Cozy had talked about how she'd tricked Viper, Screwball and Precious into letting her into their group. None of them even had the slightest idea that she had been plotting against them the whole time. Neighsay had found her devious side to be very appealing, and he was anxious to see the look on her face when she met Sombra.

"So where's your benefactor?"

"He'll be here soon. He told me he'd be here around this time and I promised him I'd have you here to meet him."

A dark portal appeared in Neighsay's living room and the anxiousness in Cozy Glow was replaced with fear.

"W-What's this Neighsay?"

"What I told you about, Cozy Glow. This is my benefactor."

Sombra's dark laugh echoed through the room as he appeared before the two ponies. Cozy Glow's eyes became humongous as she beheld the king that stood before her. Neighsay was amused at the reaction he had expected from her witnessing Sombra's return.

"No way! A-Are you...?"

"Yes child. I am...King Sombra."

"B-B-But I thought you had been killed. I heard how you died at the Crystal Empire."

"I almost was, but enough of me survived to recreate my body in its entirety. So....I take it you're the one who supplied us with the info that helped us set up our first trap for those hybrids?"

"Y-Yes I am, King Sombra. Cozy Glow's my name, and may I say that it is such an honor to meet the pony who ruled for a thousand years."

"Ah, I see that you've heard of my reign before."

"Why yes. I heard tales of your rule over the Crystal Empire, and Neighsay said you were legendary. He was by no means wrong, you are a true legend among ponies."

"Good to see that my reputation still precedes me, and that Neighsay is spreading good word about me."

"I wouldn't speak against the pony who can bring down the dinosaurs and it'll help our army grow."

"Army?"

"Yes, Cozy Glow. You'll be a splendid addition to my army and together all of us will be the downfall of Indominus Rex, his precious wife, children and all of the dinosaurs, once and for all."

The three ponies laughed together in dark harmony, ready to begin their plans and assaults against the hybrid king.

Next Chapter: Recreation Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 30 Minutes