After Indominus's confrontation with the Wonderbolts, it didn't take long for word to get around. All of Ponyville was abuzz with word from the spectators that had watched the whole thing unfold. They had witnessed Indominus attacking the Wonderbolts, but added that Soarin was the one who had provoked the dinosaur in the first place. A few lucky ponies had seen him set Rainbow Dash up and cause her to crash into everything that caused Indominus to act on instinct. As a result, every citizen in Ponyville had a strong distaste for the Wonderbolts, and wanted to see if Indominus was ok.
The hybrid dinosaur remained in the same spot for a whole week without budging, even to satisfy his hunger. The ponies that heard of the pain he had endured visited him to give their support and comfort to Indominus, but his heart was still hurt from what he had done to Rainbow. Despite the citizens and their fillies telling him not to lose hope in himself, Indominus couldn't shake away the memory of how he had viciously attacked his Dashie. Seeing the pony he loved so much being impaled by his claws was too painful to shake out of his head.
The Crusaders made sure to check on Indominus after they had helped a certain number of fillies for the day. Tyrannosaurus and the raptors made sure to bring plenty of meat to Indominus while Scootaloo tried to warm his heart.
"How are you doing, Indominus?"
"I've been better Scootaloo," Indominus said while devouring a Manticore. "Are things going ok at home?"
"Rainbow really misses you, she's always so sad at night because she can't hold you. We've been trying our best, but nothing can cheer her up for long."
"It's true Indominus," said Charlie. "She really wants you to come back."
"We all do brother, how much longer are you going to stay here?"
"Until I can forgive myself for the pain I've brought on her." Scootaloo and the other crusaders nuzzled against Indominus.
"Just don't make it too long, I miss having my dad around."
"You're not a monster in our eyes, Indominus," said Sweetie Belle.
"We've always considered ya a wonderful to be around, ever since Scootaloo introduced us to ya on that day against the Timberwolves," Applebloom added.
While Indominus may have been dealing with his pain more easily, Rainbow Dash did not have the same luck. She had lost both her dream of being a Wonderbolt, and the one dinosaur that she loved so much. Her heart had been devastated just as badly as Indominus', and there seemed to be no way to brighten her spirit. She had seen her personal heroes for what they truly were, and it had destroyed all her belief in them after they talked about killing Indominus.
Whenever she was seen around Ponyville, it looked like all the joy had been drained out of her face. Her friends did their best and tried everything they could think of to cheer her up, but Rainbow's broken heart couldn't be mended so easily. All she could think about was the broken look on Indominus's face after the confrontation, and the horrible words he had bellowed at her. It truly was a sad time for the pegasus who had found love that seemed impossible, only to have it taken away. The only comfort that gave her any kind of hope was from Scootaloo and the dinosaurs.
Every night Scootaloo and the dinosaurs did what they could to cheer Rainbow up.
"You've got to have faith Rainbow, Indominus will come back to you."
"No he won't Scootaloo, that fight destroyed him and now he wants nothing to do with me."
"Rainbow Dash, Indominus would never turn his back on you," said Tyrannosaurus. "I've known him for so long, and believe me when I say that he cares about you too much to just give up."
"It's true Rainbow," said Blue as she and her girls crawled onto the bed and laid beside Rainbow. "We've seen how much Indominus loves you, and how he would do anything for you."
"It's not your fault or his, those Wonderbolts brought him to that state," said Echo. "He never would've done all that if Soarin hadn't provoked him."
Delta added, "Don't ever blame yourself for what happened, it was beyond your control." Rainbow only laid her head down his depressed eyes. Seeing this, Scootaloo snuggled closer to her sister and the two siblings held each other.
"Tell me something Rainbow, why did you fight him in the first place?"
"Because, I only wanted to stop his rampage before he hurt himself or worse, got killed by his own power."
"See, you only did what you thought was right. In the end, you did save his life, again," said Charlie. "So please, just have faith in him. You two will be together again Rainbow, and until then, we'll be here for you like we promised."
The dinosaurs all nuzzled Rainbow Dash and it actually brought a smile and some laughs from her. Scootaloo looked at her sister from the family nuzzle.
"Feeling better Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah, I do feel better Scootaloo. Thanks you guys, I don't know what I'd do without you, or....him."
"Just remember Rainbow Dash," said Tyrannosaurus. "You will always be in our hearts, and especially Indominus's." With the love of her family surrounding her, Rainbow could handle her pain rather well too.
However, neither Rainbow or Indominus could've foreseen the event that would set in motion a whole new chain of events. A couple of nights after Indominus's week of remaining with his wounds, Soarin and the Wonderbolts were out on the runway, waiting for their next shipment of formula. With Celestia and her troops locking down their compound, they weren't allowed to leave after she and Luna had witnessed Indominus's fight with the Wonderbolts. All of their shows had been cancelled and the Wonderbolts were confined to their little island until the matter between them and Indominus was settled. Unfortunately, Celestia couldn't keep them receiving supplies, among them were enough formulas to indeed power an entire army of Wonderbolts. Most of Equestria still held them in high respect, so Celestia couldn't have them monitored by her troops.
A group of pegasi in white coats touched down on the runway with a handful of crates, Soarin and Spitfire approached with gleeful looks in their eyes.
"Is there enough for every Wonderbolt?"
"Yes, as you requested Spitfire, and plenty of spares in case you want to give more pegasi a fighting chance."
"Is the special formula that I requested in this batch?"
"Of course Soarin, here it is." One pegasus reached inside a crate, and pulled out a formula that was glowing with a sinister red color. The Wonderbolts looked upon the special bottle in awe and Soarin took it in his hooves to admire the glow. "But I have to warn you Soarin, taking this formula could be a big mistake."
"Why do you say that?"
"When we analyzed the skin sample you had given us, we found that the monster is composed of the DNA of multiple animals. We had to unravel the very nature of his DNA to make it compatible with the formula. But with the unknown possibilities of what this could do, there's no telling what could happen."
"In short," Soarin said flatly.
"The bottom line is, we're not sure what this could do to you Soarin. The mixture of the formula with that beast's DNA could make you into, an abomination." This caught the other Wonderbolts off guard.
"Soarin, just what are you planning to do," said Spitfire.
"I'm going to take this formula and destroy that beast with his own power."
"Are you crazy? That stuff could make you into a monster," said Fleetfoot.
"You might lose control and destroy everything, including us," said Misty Fly.
"That monster nearly killed us, and that golden power he used was so destructive. If this formula contains his DNA, then there's a chance that the power he used will be part of the mixture too. If so, then I'll use that same power to crush his soul once and for all!"
The Wonderbolts stood stunned at Soarin's declaration, he was willing to become a monster to beat Indominus. But after seeing how destructive the hybrid had been, Soarin was determined to use the best methods to take Indominus down.
"In that case, you better not waste a drop of that formula," said Spitfire.
"Which is why I'm going to save it for the right opportunity to take out that beast for what he did to our teammates, but first, I think I'll pay him a little visit tonight," Soarin said as he took one of the formulas from the crate and gulped it down. "Make sure those formulas get put somewhere safe, ok Boss?"
"You got it Soarin," Spitfire called out as Soarin began to grow in size and flew off towards where Indominus was.
Meanwhile, Indominus was sleeping soundly with the massive night blanket Luna had made for him. His wounds were healing slowly, but he was steadily getting his strength back. The dream he was having was a rather peaceful one, just chatting with Luna in a serene landscape to give him more reason to not give up. After she had given him his revenge against the Wonderbolts in a dream, Indominus had managed to quell most of his inner rage.
"I can't thank you enough for actually helping take the edge off my anger, Luna," said Indominus.
"I'm glad to help you Indominus, it's a shame I can't help your body heal faster."
"It'll get better in time, but I still don't have the heart to see Rainbow again."
"You can't stay away from her forever Indominus, she needs you in her life. Besides you still have Scootaloo to think about, and I'm sure she doesn't want to constantly worry about her father."
Indominus was thinking about what Luna said when suddenly a riff of dark energy appeared out of nowhere between them. The dream began to contort and turn into a chaotic landscape, and Luna was shocked to see what was happening. Indominus felt himself being dragged away from Luna as the dream got worse.
"Luna, what's going on!?"
"Something must be happening to you in the real world!! INDOMINUS!!!" Luna disappeared from view as Indominus was pulled into darkness.
He awoke to find his body being tossed across the land and skidding to a stop. Once Indominus got his bearings, he was surprised to see Soarin in the distance with a dark look in his eyes.
"A beast like you doesn't deserve luxury from the Princesses. I don't think you've suffered enough beast, and I doubt that you have the strength to stand against me."
Indominus struggled to stand back on his feet, his body slightly trembling from not being fully healed. He knew that he couldn't transform into the Immortal Phoenix again, or he would surely destroy himself. His body didn't even have the energy to transform into the Guardian state, so Indominus would have to rely on his own skills and strength.
"You really think that you can beat me in that pitiful state? Well let's find out!" Soarin charged towards the weakened dinosaur, and Indominus countered with a head uppercut.
The massive Wonderbolt was barely fazed by the blow as he charged back again and rammed Indominus from the side. Indominus was sent tumbling and before he knew it, Soarin nailed a fast punch across his face. The attack forced the hybrid back onto his feet and Indominus managed to keep himself from falling over by going on all fours. He was already panting from the attacks as he struggled to gather energy in his mouth. Soarin saw the attack and punched Indominus right in the gut before he could gather more power.
Indominus felt his body freeze from the attack and his heart ache when Soarin said a cold and cruel taunt.
"Rainbow would be better off if you had just died during that fight. Now I'm going to kill you here, and you'll be leaving her as a widow."
Angered at Soarin's cruel words, Indominus clamped his claws on Soarin's hide, holding the Wonderbolt in place. He gathered more energy in his mouth for another blast, at such a close range, Soarin would receive a great deal of damage from the attack. But as Indominus opened his mouth, blistering pain was sent throughout his body and only a small puff of energy came out. His body was too beaten and weak to fight. Soarin just laughed at the hybrid's failed attempt and delivered another punch to the gut, and followed up with a roundhouse kick to the head.
As Indominus came to a stop in the dirt, he could hear the Devil taunting him within his mind.
"You're too weak to beat even one Wonderbolt. You have only two choices: either let me take over or kill him with the Immortal Phoenix."
"No, I won't give in to you," Indominus said as he struggled to stand up.
"Admit it weak hybrid, you can't do anything without becoming a savage monster. Give into your rage and slaughter him."
"No!! NEVER!!!!" Indominus roared as loud as he could into the sky, defying the monster in his mind.
Soarin only took Indominus's roar as some insane attempt to look strong. He charged again, only this time Indominus actually caught his hooves and smacked him with his head. The blow only enraged Soarin and he came back at Indominus with faster blows, and the hybrid trying with all his vaunted strength to block each attack.
"I don't know where you keep getting this strength from, but I'm not going to have you make a fool out of me again!"
Soarin nailed a headbutt on Indominus and it briefly broke the dinosaur's concentration. With a small window of opportunity, Soarin began throwing as many punches as he could to Indominus's face. The hybrid couldn't react and respond to Soarin's attacks and was too battered to counterattack. Seeing that he finally had the upper hand, Soarin punched Indominus hard enough to smash him into the dirt.
"Time to put you out of your misery monster. I've enjoyed beating you for all the pain that you brought upon our team. I'll be sure to give your regards to Rainbow Crash, when I drag your dead body to her home."
Soarin was so caught up in himself that he failed to hear a set of wings flapping at a fast pace. The beats got louder as Soarin loomed over Indominus with a hoof hovering above the dinosaur's vulnerable neck. He was about to stomp on Indominus's throat when a loud and powerful voice bellowed out.
"GET YOUR FUCKING HOOVES OFF INDOMINUS YOU MANIACAL PSYCHO!!!" Soarin turned his head too late to see a giant pair of clawed feet slam into his face with enough force to send him flying away from Indominus.
Indominus looked up despite his head ringing from the relentless assault, and was shocked when he recognized the serpent-like neck, the jewel covered chest and the golden eyes staring down at him.
"S-Smaug....what are you doing here?"
"Just sit tight Indominus, let me handle this crazy pony and then I'll tend to your wounds." Indominus watched as Smaug walked forward and charged towards Soarin.
The Wonderbolt could barely get his bearings after Smaug's sneak attack and only just managed to dodge one of Smaug's punches. However, he didn't have time to block or evade the Dragon Lord's next blow which was strong enough to stun him.
"You have a lot of nerve to attack my most promising prodigy! Now I see why Indominus trashed your compound, you and your kind are nothing but bullies and lying dogs."
Being taunted by Indominus was bad enough, but being taunted by a dragon was more than Soarin could stand. In anger he barreled towards Smaug and dealt a punch to the chest, only to recoil in pain with puncture marks on his hoof.
"Not the sharpest tool in the box, are you?" Smaug clamped down behind Soarin's head and began shaking the Wonderbolt wildly in his jaws.
Soarin was caught at the perfect angle, he couldn't strike Smaug and his size played against him. He couldn't do anything to break out of the dragon's mouth. Smaug started flinging Soarin around then threw him into the sky and followed up with a torrent of fire that carried him deep into the night sky. By the time the flames ended, Soarin had collapsed on some clouds and was steaming from the blast, too thrashed to go back. He decided to wait until Smaug left and then he would decide if he wanted to finish Indominus off.
With the immediate threat gone, Smaug turned his attention to his weakened prodigy. Upon seeing the slightly healed marks on the hybrid's body, Smaug had a good idea of what had happened to Indominus.
"You used the Immortal Phoenix for too long this time Indominus. It's no wonder you couldn't fight back."
Indominus looked away from his mentor in shame, he knew that when Smaug heard the reason for those wounds, he would be disappointed in him. Smaug noticed the disheartened look in Indominus's eyes, and couldn't understand why.
"Indominus, what's wrong?"
"I did something horrible to earn those wounds Smaug, I lost control and.....I hurt her." Hearing Indominus's voice beginning to crack told Smaug that this was more serious than the last time.
"There Indominus, settle down. We'll set it right. First let me tend to your wounds." Smaug opened up one of his hands and laid down a massive handful of jewels.
Indominus watched as Smaug suddenly blew his flame upon the gems and melted them into a combined liquid.
"When gems are melted down, they can have healing properties. This will help your wounds heal more." Smaug took the melted mixture in his hands and began placing it on the most serious wounds.
Having the mixture on his open wounds stung a little, but Indominus instantly felt his body relaxing. Then he noticed Smaug sitting beside him and draping a wing over his body like a blanket. The dragon lord had the most concerned and sincere eyes staring down at the hybrid dinosaur.
"You're not angry with me?"
"Why would I be angry with you when I can see that you've been through so much recently? I'm here as a guardian for you Indominus, not a mentor. I'd like to know what happened to you and help make it better. Now please, tell me everything."
So Indominus began telling his guardian everything that happened to him over a week ago, and Smaug didn't utter a single word the whole time. He hung onto every word Indominus said, especially when Indominus mentioned the last thing he heard before losing himself to his rage was the Devil speaking to him.
"All I remember was that monster saying, "We'll destroy everything until there's nothing but a world of bleeding corpses. I'm your inevitable conclusion. I'm the ultimate you. I'M THE DEVIL!!" The next thing I know, I had attacked and hurt Rainbow Dash. I had intentionally attacked her and almost killed her. After that I couldn't be around her because I'm too destructive to be around."
Smaug was stunned by everything that he had heard, the situation was far worse than he had imagined. Indominus actually had a inner demon within his mind that thrived on the rage and power of the Immortal Phoenix, and was trying to seize control of the hybrid's body and soul.
"I'm so sorry that all of this happened to you Indominus. I've never once heard anything like this, and can you be certain this "Devil" is real?"
"Trust me Smaug, he's as real as the Immortal Phoenix is."
"This is beyond my knowledge and out of my hands Indominus. The way I see it, there is only one who can help you find the answers you're looking for. A dragon that was worshiped by all and was looked up to by every creature, not just dragons."
"What is he called?"
"The Winged Dragon of Ra." From how Smaug spoke the dragon's name, Indominus could tell there was power behind this dragon as if he was legendary. "I know the only way to contact him, since he left Equestria many years ago, and I can take you to him for the answers you seek."
"Alright Smaug, let's go." Despite his weakened body, Indominus managed to get back up on his legs. Smaug had to commend the hybrid for his perseverance and not giving up on himself.
The dragon lord began leading the hybrid dinosaur towards the forests, unaware that a certain somepony had overheard them, and was going to get a third guest to come along.
Back at the cloud home, Rainbow was having a tough night. In her dreams, she was witnessing Indominus being tormented by the Wonderbolts and beaten to death. She wanted to go and help him, but she found herself restrained by Spitfire and Fleetfoot, who had enough strength to hold Rainbow down.
"So much for your great husband. Now he'll die and drown in Tartarus, because of you Rainbow Crash."
Rainbow felt her eyes flooding over with tears as she watched the other Wonderbolts punch Indominus over and over in the face and spill blood. Hearing her husband crying out in agony and being helpless to save him filled Rainbow with so much grief. She could only lower her head in defeat as the torment continued.
"I'm so sorry Indominus." The dream would've continued like that, if it hadn't been intervened by a certain princess.
"THIS MADNESS ENDS NOW!!!" A blast erupted from the sky and began enveloping everything around Rainbow Dash.
Indominus and the Wonderbolts disappeared into the light, and in their place stood Luna, who walked towards Rainbow. She felt so relieved that all the torment she had been watching was just a dream.
"Luna, I-I thought he was going to die."
"Fear not Rainbow, Indominus is still alive. I've visited him a few times in the last week, and he is heart-broken without you."
"Why would he miss me when he gave up on our marriage and wants nothing to do with me," Rainbow said in a depressed tone as she recalled what Indominus had bellowed at her.
"Wants nothing to do with you? That's crazy, and not true. I've seen how much you love him and in turn, how much he absolutely adores you. Do you think the dance you two shared on your honeymoon meant nothing to him? He looked so at peace and in love holding you in his embrace."
"You saw us dancing on our first night?"
"I wanted to make the moment more special for you and him. What I mean is, I've seen how much Indominus cares for you and the distance he was willing to go to keep you safe. What I need to understand is what happened during that incident to make Indominus say all that to you."
Rainbow took a deep breath and then told Luna all the events she had seen from a first hand perspective.
"The Wonderbolts tried to attack me and Indominus intervened to stop them. They had somehow gotten a formula that made them bigger and strong enough to fight him, and in the midst of the conflict, Soarin punched me and it triggered the rage within Indominus. It caused him to violently transform into the Immortal Phoenix, kill three of the Wonderbolts, beat the rest of them into the dirt and cripple them on their own runway. He was going to kill all of them because his rage had gone out of control, and I had to stop him before he caused anymore damage, or died from his own power."
Luna held onto every detail and began comparing what she was hearing with what Indominus had told her before. She was slowly getting a picture of what had happened on the runway and how the battle between Rainbow and Indominus had gone. There was just one detail that Luna needed: how Indominus had hurt Rainbow in the first place.
"I was able to fight Indominus to a standstill, until Spitfire foolishly decided to watch the battle more closely. Indominus had her pinned and was going to kill her, and the only thing I could do was take the blow. I passed out after that attack, but the next thing I remember was Indominus looking so horrified at me and getting assaulted by the Wonderbolts. I trust you know what happened afterwards."
At last, Luna finally had a full picture of what had caused Indominus so much pain.
"His rage took over and made him think that you were one of the Wonderbolts. Once he realized what he had done to you, it brought back his awareness and he feels guilt and regret over hurting you. So the only way that he could make things right in his devastated mind, was to cut his bond with you so you wouldn't be hurt anymore."
"How can you be so sure Luna?"
"If you don't believe me Rainbow Dash, then let me show you what Indominus told me that very same night."
Luna pulled up a projection of the night she had stopped the Devil from attacking him, and she chose the moment where she had asked Indominus the important question. Rainbow could see the pain in Indominus's eyes as he gave his answer to Luna, but felt her heart lift when Indominus gave his reason too.
"Yes, I've wanted to kill them ever since I saw them harassing and bullying Rainbow Dash. However, I know how much Rainbow idolizes them, and I know she would never forgive me if I did carry that out." Seeing the hopeful look in Rainbow's eyes told Luna that she wanted to be near her husband again.
"Rainbow Dash, you must go to Indominus and make things right with him. You two love each other too much to let the Wonderbolts tear it apart. But you must hurry, he is heading to an unknown location with the dragon lord and you need to find him before they vanish."
Luna showed another projection with where Indominus was, and he was beginning to follow Smaug into the forest. Rainbow knew how to get that location and bid Luna farewell as the dream started fading. Luna called out one last piece of advice.
"Whatever happens Rainbow Dash, DON'T ABANDON INDOMINUS!!"
Rainbow awoke in her bed, startled at everything she had heard. She knew that Luna was right, and the only way for Indominus to forgive himself, was for them to rekindle their bond. She got up from the bed and it caused Scootaloo and T-Rex to slightly stir from their sleep.
"Rainbow? What's going on," Scootaloo asked in a sleepy, groggy voice.
"Shh, it's nothing to worry about Scootaloo. Just go back to sleep." Rainbow gently stroked Scootaloo's mane until she fell asleep again. Then she turned her attention to T-Rex. "Keep an eye on her until I come back, alright T-Rex?"
"I will Rainbow. You go and get Indominus back."
"H-How did you-"
"You don't have to be smart to know that your dream has to do with our brother. Go Rainbow, and get you husband back." Rainbow nuzzled Tyrannosaurus and grabbed an important object from her dresses before she took off out the window at top speed, heading for Indominus's location.
It took Rainbow only a matter of minutes to arrive at the spot Indominus had been for so long. As she scanned the area for any sign of Indominus, she spotted him and Smaug heading into a thick and dark forest. Rainbow dove after them and tried to gain as much ground as she could. She had touched down right when Indominus's tail disappeared inside the forest and ran in after him. Rainbow increased her size to match Indominus's pace and charged into the unknown after her husband.
"I'm not going to lose sight of you Indominus," Rainbow thought to herself as she ran to keep pace with the carnivores.
Smaug was leading Indominus through a long, strange path, and the hybrid had no idea where they were going. It was far different than anything he had run across in the Everfree Forest, the only traces of light were the small cracks of moonlight that managed to make their way through the trees. Rainbow was having a tough time keeping up with them, the strange path was so new to her that she feared one wrong step would get her lost in the forest. But she wasn't going to lose Indominus, and that determined desire to be with him allowed her to continue down the dark path.
Rainbow suddenly had to temporarily take flight to avoid alerting Indominus and Smaug of her presence as the carnivores came to a halt. She noticed ahead of them that there was brighter moonlight, indicating that they had reached the end of the forest. She gently touched down as she heard Smaug talk to Indominus.
"This is it Indominus, ahead of you is where you can contact and speak to the Winged Dragon of Ra. But I warn you, you mustn't have any evil in your heart. Ra doesn't take well to any selfish and wicked creatures that try with him. You must hold this dragon in the highest level of respect because if he deems you not worth his time, he could kill you. I've heard of unfortunate dragons that were disintegrated by Ra for even attempting to get smart and believe they were above Ra."
"I understand Smaug, I will hold this dragon in the best regards. All I want is to hope that he can tell me how to be rid of my rage and the Devil in my mind."
"Go out there and say that as if you were talking to him, and see if it impresses Ra enough to greet you."
Indominus walked out of the forest and was surprised to see an enormous shining lake in front of him. Not only that, but the environment was so distant from Ponyville, like nopony had ever set foot in the area for years. It was the perfect way to speak with a creature that had such high respect. The hybrid walked over to the lake and stared into the water, wondering what to say that would get Ra to appear. As he thought of what to say, Indominus thought about what he had done to Rainbow Dash and he did say one thing that tugged at her heart from within the trees.
"I wish that Rainbow could be here with me. I'd want her to know that I'm sorry for all that I've done. All I wanted was to keep her safe and in the process, I hurt and almost killed her. I'm so, so sorry Rainbow. I'm sorry for all the pain I brought on you."
Rainbow felt tears rolling down her face and slowly walked out of the forest towards Indominus. She couldn't just ignore him in such an emotional moment, and walked right past Smaug, who was too shocked to speak upon seeing that she had followed them the whole way. He didn't know what was going to happen with both Indominus and Rainbow there, he only hoped that the Winged Dragon wouldn't be angry with them if he appeared. Rainbow sat down beside her husband, who was still staring into the water and spoke to him.
"I, I heard you, and I'm sorry too."
"Dashie, you have nothing to be sorry about. This is my fault, simple as that. I'm the one who lost my mind and looked like a mindless monster in front of everyone."
"No, not to me you didn't. You only did what you thought was right. I'm sorry that you had to experience all that rage and pain because of the Wonderbolts. Had I known they were going to do all that I would've helped you a lot sooner. I'm also sorry that I couldn't stop your rage and take away your pain."
Indominus looked at Rainbow in shock, she was being completely honest with him and telling the absolute truth.
"Y-You really mean that?"
"Yes I do, and I have something to ask you." Indominus stared into Rainbow's eyes as she asked her question. "Indominus, do....do you still love me?"
Indominus felt his body and mind being overwhelmed as tears rolled down his face as he held Rainbow Dash close. The two lovers let the tears roll down their faces as they just held one another.
"Dashie, I've always loved you. I still love you no matter what. Not even a fight like ours could ever change that." As Indominus held Rainbow, their tears fell into the lake.
After their tears made contact with the water, strange things began happening around them. The sky started becoming darker with black clouds that were forming from out of nowhere. Smaug couldn't believe what was happening as golden streams of light pierced the clouds and illuminated the area. Indominus and Rainbow looked into the sky as a giant golden orb formed in the sky and began to glow. As the orb grew bigger, its light illuminated everything around the lovers, blinding them both. As Indominus tried to see through the blinding light, he saw a giant pair of red eyes staring at him and Rainbow.
From the sheer size of the red eyes, Indominus knew that the creature before them was definitely a grand beast. He noticed enormous golden wings forming along with the outline of a massive golden dragon. Rainbow and Indominus stood transfixed as the creature before them began to take shape. Then the dragon bellowed a thunderous roar that caused all the light to explode and disappear from view. When the lovers could see again, they were rendered breathless at the dragon that stood before them.
He easily towered over Indominus and Rainbow with a body that shined like blazing gold. His wings were even bigger than Smaug's and had the most unique design Indominus had ever seen. The dragon's whole body looked like a cross between a unique form of machinery and a divine dragon. There was no doubt who the great creature was that stood before the couple now. Rainbow and Indominus were face to face with the greatest and most powerful dragon in history: The Winged Dragon of Ra.
.
"You...you're the Winged Dragon of Ra, aren't you?" Indominus felt his whole body shudder when the dragon responded in a powerful and strong voice that had a godlike feeling behind it.
"Yes I am. It is so nice to finally meet you face to face, Indominus Rex." Their eyes shrunk at Ra's response, especially Smaug's. None of them thought that such a great dragon knew about Indominus.
"H-How do you know my name?"
"Princess Luna wasn't the only one to keep an eye on you and your family since you were brought into Equestria. I've seen the potential and power within you Indominus, especially when you first transformed into the Immortal Phoenix. I know because I was the one to create that power in the first place."
Ra bathed himself in golden fire and the lovers were stunned to see him transform into a giant flaming phoenix. Immediately Indominus felt the golden fire emerging from within his own body and watched as it covered him like it had a mind of its own. Once he had transformed completely, Rainbow could see the differences between them. Indominus almost looked exactly like Ra, except for the fact that Indominus was a dinosaur compared to Ra being a dragon. But there was no denying where Indominus had received his power from.
"Truly remarkable to see someone else have my power and being able to control over it. Only a select few can awaken this power, but not everyone can control it. You've done well to control this power so far, until a week ago when you lost control Indominus. You lost control of your rage and attacked the one pony you love most. What I want to know is, why did you lose control?" Ra transformed back to normal and so did Indominus, who proceeded to answer the dragon god's question.
"Seeing the Wonderbolts attacking her right in front of me was too much for me to handle. I, I gave into my rage and I listened to a demon that now dwells in my mind."
"What!?"
"It's true, using the Immortal Phoenix in that state of mind caused all the rage in my heart to manifest itself into a Devil that now wants to take control of me and destroy everything." Rainbow hugged Indominus softly after hearing the real reason behind his uncontrollable rampage.
"Oh Indominus, I can'r believe this is happening to you. I didn't realize you were dealing with that much rage and pain." Ra only admired the comforting moment before speaking.
"You've found yourself a true soulmate Indominus. She really is the Element of Loyalty." Rainbow felt herself blushing from Ra's compliment. Being praised by a god was a whole new level of awe. "She can even help you get through this ordeal, but only if you keep her close. Let her help you, and you can be free of the Devil that plagues your mind."
"But Ra, I gave into my rage before and hurt her. I don't know what'll happen if he takes over again."
"Good and evil will always be at war within you Indominus, but you can beat the demon inside yourself. You have to look past all your rage and focus on what truly matters. In the past, you've only used the Immortal Phoenix to destroy those that tried to hurt your family. You've always had Rainbow in your heart and that helped you control your rage. Use that as your weapon when you fight the Devil inside yourself. Once you've done that and beaten this monster, you will have the power to bring down the Wonderbolts once and for all."
"How can you be so sure Ra?"
"Because Rainbow Dash, your husband has the spirit to beat the evil in his heart. Look inside yourself Indominus, you are more than what you have become. You must conquer the Devil in your heart to master the Immortal Phoenix and beat the Wonderbolts."
"How can I possibly do that? He'll just take over and consume me."
"Remember who you are, you are a caring dinosaur and a guardian of Equestria. Remember, who you are," those were Ra's last words as the light enveloped his body and he disappeared from the area.
"I will Ra, I promise I will," Indominus bellowed out before the light faded and everything returned to normal.
Smaug walked out of the forest completely amazed. He had never seen Ra give such advice and wisdom to someone before.
"That was incredible Indominus, you and Rainbow are something else. Never have I seen Ra show that much compassion and concern for another."
"It's thanks to you Smaug, for bringing me here in the first place."
"Oh it's not just me Indominus, your girl had a huge hand in this as well." Smaug looked at Rainbow, who was blushing from the compliment. "You did the right thing to follow us Rainbow Dash, and if I'm not mistaken, I believe that there is still something you want to say to Indominus. So I'll leave you two for the night, just follow the path back and you'll get back to Ponyville easily." Smaug took off for the dragon lands, leaving the two lovers alone.
Now that he was finally alone with his girl, Indominus wasn't sure what to do. He still had some doubt in his heart on whether you would take him back.
"Rainbow, I'll always love you, but I bet that you don't want to stay near some monster like me."
"What are you talking about? I never once thought to leave you."
"You mean you don't hate me for what I did to you?"
"I could never hate someone who loves me so much and goes to such lengths for me. I only fought you because I wanted to save you from your anger," Rainbow said as she revealed Indominus's ring from under her wing and gently placed it back on his middle sickle claw. "You said that you would always love me with all your heart and soul, and I have never stopped loving you with all of mine."
Indominus felt his heart being lifted by Rainbow's kind words, but what she did next erased any doubt he had left.
"If I didn't love you Indominus, would I do this?"
The hybrid dinosaur was caught off guard as Rainbow surprised him with a hot kiss. Indominus slowly closed his eyes as he welcomed the bliss and love he had missed. As they kissed, a golden aura surged around them and it instantly healed all of Indominus's wounds, making him good as new. The lovers separated as the golden aura finished healing Indominus, and stared lovingly into each other's eyes.
"I will never leave you Indominus, so promise me that you won't think like that ever again, ok?"
"I promise Rainbow Dash," Indominus said happily as he and Rainbow snuggled together and nuzzled each other with their heads. "I'd really like to come back home, if that's ok with you."
"Of course Indominus, I've missed having you sleeping beside me," Rainbow said as they went back into the forest.
Now Indominus had an idea of how he could free himself of the Devil that lived inside him, and he had received true wisdom from the Winged Dragon of Ra. But most importantly, he and Rainbow Dash were together again. She loved him despite his destructive power and had sworn her complete loyalty to him. The conflict with the Wonderbolts was going to resume regardless, but with his family and his girl with him, Indominus could handle any challenge that came his way.