The morning after the Hearth's Warming Eve party showed the foyer littered with streamers, empty plates and gift wrap everywhere. Everypony inside the castle was still sound asleep, courtesy of Discord providing enough rooms for all of them to stay. Some of the guests had left later in the night, but the Wonderbolts and Rainbow's parents had all been given rooms to stay the night, instead of flying out in the cold. Within the numerous bedrooms, there were still plenty of ponies that were still sleeping peacefully, like the three main couples. Tyrannosaurus was sleeping in his room with Scootaloo snuggled close to him, and began to stir from his slumber.
He opened his eyes slowly to see the sleeping orange filly so close to him. All the time they had spent together since he and Indominus had been brought to Equestria, and last night he got the chance to show her more of how he felt. The Rex leaned in and nuzzled Scootaloo gently then licked her face. Scootaloo stirred from her sleep thanks to the dinosaur's touch and woke up to T-Rex nuzzling her.
"Morning T-Rex, did you have fun last night?"
"Sure did Scootaloo, especially that moment when the mistletoe was hanging over us. Does that happen all the time?"
"Not really, it only happens during Hearth's Warming Eve. But the few times it does happen are always the best, including ours."
"That kiss felt really nice Scootaloo, and it was great to be so close to you for the holiday."
"I've noticed, you never left my side last night and wanted to sleep by me, even though we sleep together all the time at home."
"I know, but this time felt different. I got to show how much you mean to me and nopony judged me for it."
"I understand, because I know what you think about me. It's hard waiting for me to be older Tyrannosaurus, but I appreciate your patience and waiting for me. Though in case you have any doubt, I want you to know that I still love you for taking care of me since the beginning." She kissed T-Rex lightly on the nose and he purred softly. "You and Indominus are still my guardians, but you get to be something more than that."
"I appreciate you accepting me as I am, and actually want to be with me when you're older."
"You saved my life, why would I not want a guardian dinosaur in my life?"
"Yeah, and speaking of my brother, how do you think his night with Rainbow went?"
"Judging by all the noise and the different smells coming from their bedroom, I'd say they were having a lot of fun."
"How about we go see how they're doing?"
"Why not, and it'd be nice to hear Rainbow dish about some of the details. Alright T-Rex let's get moving," Scootaloo said as they got up from their bed and worked their way towards the master bedroom.
When they got to the foyer, Scootaloo noticed the platinum badges and the changed uniform. She flew over and checked out the changes the Wonderbolts had made to it, and she liked how it reflected Indominus's guardian look.
"They did a good job on the uniform and putting Indominus into it."
"They sure did T-Rex. Rainbow looked so happy last night when they apologized and gave these to her. That was the first time I've seen her and Spitfire on good terms and hugging each other nonetheless."
"Considering how Soarin manipulated her all this time, it must've been one heck of a relief when Rainbow forgave her."
"Let's bring these up to them so Rainbow doesn't lose them." Scootaloo hung the uniform over T-Rex's neck and held the badges in her hooves as they went up the staircase.
When they got to the bedroom, Scootaloo turned the knob slightly and T-Rex nudged the door open with his nose. They peaked inside to see the lovers sleeping on their huge comforter and back to normal. Indominus had both a wing and his arms draped over Rainbow and holding her close to him. T-Rex noticed how very similar they were sleeping compared to how he and Scootaloo were that close to each other when they woke up.
"I guess I'm following in my brother's footsteps more closely than I thought," T-Rex whispered.
"Why do you say that?"
"Look at how they're sleeping and think to how we were when you woke up." Scootaloo thought back to a few minutes ago when she and T-Rex had been that close.
"I see what you mean, and they've got quite the room."
"They sure do, and they deserve it. Both of them have put up with too much bull to not deserve something this great. Let's see if we can't wake them up a bit."
T-Rex and Scootaloo tried sneaking their way into the room, with T-Rex's echoing footsteps it was rather hard to do. Scootaloo flew over to where Rainbow was sleeping while T-Rex went to his brother. He was about to nudge him when he saw Indominus moving slightly, and he could hear the hybrid talking in his sleep.
"R-Rainbow......that tickles. I know you want me but not in front of Ponyville."
"What kind of dream is he having?"
"Your curiosity got the better of you, didn't it?" Scootaloo jumped back at hearing Rainbow talk while she was facing Indominus. The hybrid opened his eyes after Rainbow stopped licking his neck and retracted his wing and arm so she could move. Rainbow rolled onto her side to face Scootaloo, who was getting back up and heading back towards them. "Sorry I spooked you like that Scootaloo, I was just teasing Indominus a little."
"It's ok, I guess last night was really fun for you huh?"
"Oh Scootaloo, it was the best night I'd ever spent with him. That fire I lit inside him was burning during our WorldBreaker moment."
"You're one to talk, my daring girl. I had you squealing and begging for more before we even became our WorldBreaker selves." Indominus stretched before sitting up and turning to face Tyrannosaurus. "Did you enjoy getting to be so close and show Scootaloo how much you love her, brother?"
"Yes I did Indominus, and it felt nice. I only wish it could've lasted longer."
"Don't worry about it brother, you get to sleep next to her every night and there'll be more moments like these. Trust me, you'll have plenty of chances to love Scootaloo, just like she will." Indominus reached towards the bowl of fritters waiting by the bed, grabbed a few and chucked them into his mouth.
"So I take it you liked sleeping so close to him, huh squirt," Rainbow said as Scootaloo crawled onto her stomach.
"I always love getting to be so close to T-Rex, and kissing him under the mistletoe was very nice too." Rainbow could see a little blush forming on her sister's face.
"Aw you're blushing Scootaloo, there's no denying that you loved that moment with him. But don't forget kiddo, I've already given him permission to be with you and my blessing. So once you're old enough, you'll have a great relationship just like me and your father."
"I think we're a lot closer than you think," Rainbow spit out a piece of an apple she had been eating.
"Wait a minute. Have you two already-"
"Whoa Rainbow Dash, it's nothing like that. T-Rex was just saying we're closer because we were sleeping together the same way you and Indominus were. That's all it was, nothing else."
"Oooh, thank you for clarifying that one, Scootaloo. I was about to think you two had already taken it to the next level."
"No I wouldn't do that to her," T-Rex said as he walked around the comforter and stood by Scootaloo. "I care about her too much to do something like that when she's this young. I would never do that to her."
"I know you wouldn't T-Rex, because I'd have to use my WorldBreaker form to teach you a hard lesson if you did. But you don't have to worry, I trust you since you and Indominus have looked after her for so many months. That's why I'm positive you'll make a great stallion for her."
"Thanks Rainbow Dash."
"You're welcome squirt. Now how's about we chill in the hot tub for a while."
"You have a hot tub in here?"
"Sure do, thankfully the water drained and cleaned itself out after we had our fun last night," Rainbow said as Scootaloo got off her so she could stretch her legs.
"Oh before I forget, we came up here so you guys wouldn't forget these." Scootaloo handed Rainbow her new uniform and platinum badge, then went over to Indominus to give him his.
"Thank you kindly Scootaloo. I still can't believe that I'm back on the team, and as a permanent member."
"Now you'll never have to worry about losing your dream again," said T-Rex.
"True that, and it's all because this scaly lug was so concerned for me and did all this just to make me happy."
"I can't help myself when it comes to you Rainbow. You just, do things to me."
"Like making you roar and beg for pleasure. But let's save that talk for later, right now we've got a warm soak to enjoy."
They placed their platinum badges by the bowls of fritters and apples, and Rainbow hung the uniform up on the mirror. She finished the apple she had been eating and they made their way down the set of stairs to the hot tub.
Tyrannosaurus and Indominus slid in first and felt their bodies unwind in the warm water. Scootaloo and Rainbow followed in after them and swam to their respective dinosaurs. The four of them relaxed in the hot tub for twenty minutes before Discord appeared at the entrance, only to shut the door in front of him.
"Please tell me you're decent in there." Indominus and Rainbow laughed at his scared remark.
"Relax Discord, we're not doing that right now, we're completely decent."
"Besides, do you think we'd really by doing that if Scootaloo was in the room with us?"
"That is a valid point," Discord said as he opened the door again and saw Scootaloo and T-Rex in the hot tub with them. "So, the rexes and their girls relaxing in a hot tub together. Wow, this is more strange than chaotic."
"But we are enjoying all the work you put into this room for us, Discord." The Lord of Chaos took note of the comforter sheets being half covered in various liquids.
"Yes, I can see that you have." He put the phoenix dress on a hanger and hung it over the changing mirrors. "I'll make sure this room has a decent sized closet for all your outfits, since I was considering letting you keep this room and the castle to yourselves."
"You mean it? This castle can be ours," Rainbow said excitedly.
"Why not? Indominus will be crowned King of Equestria in about a weeks time, and he'll need a castle of his own to watch over Equestria. Do you really think that when the ponies want to speak with him, that they're all gonna fit inside your cloud home, Rainbow Dash?"
"No, I don't think they would."
"Nothing against your home Rainbow Dash, it was quite spacious and nice when I was healing Indominus. I just think that he'll need something worthy of his new stature. Also, given how much you two have been enjoying this pimped out room, it's only fair that your family has a place big enough for all of you."
"That's very generous of you Discord," said Scootaloo.
"You're quite welcome Scootaloo, though I suppose that would be Rarity's influence. Never mind, I'll let you enjoy your soak and let the others know that you'll be a while."
Discord turned to leave the room, and as he started to walk away, Rainbow noticed Indominus seemed to be concentrating on something.
"Uh Indominus, what are you doing?"
"Just seeing if I can still do it."
"Do what?" Rainbow's attention was brought back to the door when she heard Discord stuttering in pain from being shocked.
Discord was right in the door way of the bedroom, and what looked like a red electric field was shocking him and keeping him from leaving. When he collapsed on the ground, Indominus was laughing at what happened while T-Rex, Scootaloo and Rainbow all looked confused.
"Yes, I knew I could still do it."
"Ugh. What the.....what in the world did you do Indominus," Discord said after getting up from the shock and eyeing the laughing hybrid dinosaur. Indominus was still laughing at what happened, but stopped long enough to explain.
"Ok, ok. I'll explain that, Discord. Do you remember when me and Rainbow fired those dragon and phoenix blasts that separated Soarin from that mutated state of his?"
"Uh huh."
"Well that was possible because of your chaos power."
"But how Indominus? I don't ever recall Discord giving you his chaos."
"I have to agree with Rainbow Dash on this one, pal. I know I used my chaos to heal your body from the wounds that the Immortal Phoenix caused, but I can't remember any instance where I gave part of my power to you."
"I think it was during the time when you were fighting the Devil and trying to heal my body at the same time."
"That is true, I did have to summon more of my power than I usually had to. That was not an easy task, the Devil gave me a real hard time that night."
"Well somehow while you were pouring so much power into trying to heal me, my body must've absorbed part of it and made it part of my own. That's why that dragon blast was able to separate Soarin, and why I was able to make that electric shock on the doorway. I couldn't help myself, and I'm sorry if it hurt you but your reaction was so funny."
"When you say it like that Indominus, it is a little funny," said Rainbow.
"Well my friend, there might be a chaotic side in you after all. One of these days, we'll have to get some practice in so I can see what that intelligent mind of your can concoct."
"Will do Discord," Indominus said before Discord decided to teleport himself out.
"Do you think he teleported out because he wasn't sure if that door was still 'wired,'" said Scootaloo.
"I do believe that I managed to get into his head a little, Scootaloo. Now he's not so sure of himself or his surroundings whenever I'm around."
"Always the clever one, aren't you Indominus?"
"Only when I have to be, brother."
"Hey T-Rex, how about we get out and go see if everypony's awake yet? My hooves are starting to feel like raisins."
"I'm with you Scootaloo, are you two coming with us?"
"Nah, we'll stay here for a little longer, Tyrannosaurus. We like to enjoy these moments of relaxation."
"Then you'll need it cause you'll be performing with the Wonderbolts real soon," T-Rex said as he and Scootaloo got out of the hot tub and left the room. A little while after they had left the room, Indominus turned towards Rainbow with a bedroom look in his eyes. She was returning his gaze with the same look.
"You were trying to get me aroused in bed, weren't you?"
"Am I becoming that predictable?"
"Nope, I'm just able to read you more easily after all the time we spent together. So Rainbow, do you have it in you for another round in the hot tub?"
"You know I do," Rainbow said as she positioned herself at the end of the tub, shaking her flank back and forth in the water. "You know you want this all the time."
"It's such a pity that I do, and I can't even fight it," Indominus said as he mounted Rainbow. "Is your body ready?"
"It's always ready for you," Rainbow said before Indominus started thrusting inside her.
In the foyer the others were waking up and gathering. Spike was telling Twilight about everything Rarity had done with him, even the little gift she had given him. The alicorn was shocked when she heard what Rarity and Spike had done, but didn't react negatively because she knew it was going to happen at one point. The raptor squad was congratulating the dragon on taking his first step into adulthood, just like Indominus had done over a year ago with Rainbow.
"Well done Spike," said Blue.
"How'd you like it," said Delta.
"There aren't words to describe the beauty of that moment."
"Was it really as amazing as you'd thought it would be, Spike?"
"I felt like I was dreaming, Twilight. I'd never felt so amazing and happy at the same time. It was by far, the best night I'd ever spent with Rarity." The unicorn had a blush on her face as Twilight looked over at her.
"Were you gentle with him Rarity?"
"I was gentle with him, Twilight. I didn't want to rush it or make him uncomfortable, so I took my time so he could enjoy it more."
"Thanks for being so good with him, and for making his Hearth's Warming Eve so memorable."
"I don't think it could've been any more memorable, Twilight," said Spike as he and Rarity gave loving gazes at each other. "I didn't imagine that our first Hearth's Warming Eve could be...so.....wonderful."
"I'm glad that you loved it so much Spike and that you wanted me to be you marefriend."
"Blue, how has all this love and fluff not gotten to you by now?"
"Easy Charlie, after seeing Indominus and Rainbow together so many times, you get used to it and don't let it into your head."
"Aw, first Indominus and Rainbow are a loving couple, now Spike and Rarity are giving sweet talk to each other," said Pinkie as she hung onto Charlie's neck.
"It also helps when Pinkie's around to distract you and not think about it."
"So when are you and Fluttershy gonna start talking like that, Discord?"
"I don't do mushy talk, Pinkie Pie. Having Fluttershy around is enough for me, and the feeling of her kisses is a lovely bonus."
"You felt like pudding when I kissed you last night, Discord. I could hear those star butterflies flying over our heads."
"My chaos reacts on its own when something really incredible happens to me."
"Sounds like everypony had an amazin' night," said Applejack. "Ah wonda how the Wonderbolts spent their night after hearin Rainbow and Indominus havin' their 'fun' last night."
"I'll tell you this much AJ, Spitfire was about as scarred as Discord when her head came out of the bubble.
"Oh don't you dare remind me of that, Tyrannosaurus. I don't need that(shutters), horrible image showing up in my head again. Since I'm immortal, it won't leave my brain for centuries."
"Don't worry Discord, I'll distract you if it does happen."
"Oh, are you teasing me Fluttershy?"
"I don't know, you tell me," Fluttershy said while giving Discord a mischievous look.
"Looks like our daughter isn't the only one finding love in the world," said Windy.
"Last night was the happiest I'd ever seen her," said Bow. "Indominus is a real gem to have gone and done all that for her, and he got her back with the Wonderbolts."
"I'm still grateful that he chose to give us a second chance," Spitfire said as she and her fellow Wonderbolts walked into the room.
"How'd you sleep, Wonderbolts," Scootaloo asked.
"Best nights sleep we've had in such a long time, kid," said Fleetfoot.
"It was perfect seeing Rainbow's ecstatic reaction to being back on the team," said Surprise.
"I've a feeling Indominus will keep her from showing off too much," said Misty Fly.
"She won't show off, he's taught her a lot about self-control."
"Like last night," said High Winds.
"That was just her way of showing him her thanks and gratitude," said Spitfire. "Just be glad none of you saw what she did to him."
"Oh no," the Wonderbolts said in unison.
"Trust me, it's not something you want to see or hear about." Spitfire glanced over at Windy and Bow and walked over to them. "Nothing against your daughter."
"It's ok Spitfire, what happened between them is not something that needs to be discussed with fillies in the room," Windy said after glancing at the CMC.
"Speaking of your daughter, where is she?"
"Since she didn't come downstairs, I'm assuming she's still upstairs with Indominus."
"Still? What could they be doing up there?" Tyrannosaurus and Blue took one whiff of the air.
"Are you sure you want to know, Spitfire?"
"Oh no, don't tell me."
"I think so," said Blue. Spitfire put a hoof to her head and shook in disbelief.
"Believe it Spitfire, we told you that you're gonna have to get used to them being 'close' with each other," said T-Rex.
"Well, let's hope that they're gonna be done soon. I need her to practice our routine."
"What routine boss? We still can't perform," said Lightning Strike.
"That reminds me, I forgot to let you Wonderbolts know that Celestia and Luna saw your apology to Rainbow Dash last night. If you have any doubts, then here's what she had to say."
Discord tore a hole open in reality that opened up to Canterlot, Celestia was waiting for it. She stood in her throne room, a little sleepy from her own party but awake enough to give the Wonderbolts her word.
"It's true Wonderbolts, Discord showed me everything from last night and I saw your apologies to Rainbow Dash. As for Indominus, Luna informed me of what you told her, Spitfire. I'm glad to hear that you finally made peace with him and asked him to help with the gifts. I was surprised that you asked her to duplicate the badge he helped you make, but I loved it when I heard the reason for it."
"Yes, and I gave the badge to him last night. Indominus and Rainbow are members of the Wonderbolts."
"The looks on their faces told me all I needed to know, and I can safely say that you pegasi can perform in Equestria again." The Wonderbolts cheered for joy and flew all about the room.
"Oh Rainbow's gonna love to hear this," said Blue while watching the pegasi fly about the room. She hadn't ever seen them so happy, in fact it was her first time seeing them show such happiness.
"Tell me Spitfire, does five days sound like enough time for you and your team to have a routine nailed in time?"
"Five days will be plenty of time, Princess. I'll have Rainbow and Indominus notified and make sure they get it nailed by then."
"I know they will. Luna has faith in them and so do I. Good to see that you didn't take Indominus's act of kindness for granted and chose the better option."
"He showed us how wrong we were and spared our lives, we're not stupid enough to take that for granted. Not like Soarin," said Surprise.
"Me and Luna will attend this performance as well to see your first performance in a while and how you'll include Indominus in the routine. I look forward to the show Wonderbolts," Celestia said before Discord closed up the rip in reality.
"There, are you convinced now?"
"Yes and I'll go let Rainbow Dash know," Spitfire said as she sped up towards the master bedroom.
"Oh Ah do hope that Rainbow and Indominus are decent and not doing who-knows-what, like that time on the cruise," said Applejack.
Spitfire got to the door and was about to enter when she heard noise coming from inside.
"Indominus, you're making the water w-warmer than usual."
"Don't pretend you don't love it Rainbow. It's because I'm warming you up so much."
"O-o yeah, and y-you're getting c-close to releasing it again. Do it big boy." What followed was Indominus thrusting inside Rainbow again, and the moans and roars sinking into Spitfire's ears. Her eyes were shrinking as she recalled what she had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing Rainbow do to Indominus last night. The combined sound of Rainbow screaming and Indominus roaring after the release drilled deep into her brain.
"Rainbow Dash! I can't believe.....you?" Spitfire burst into the room, but lost what she was going to say when she saw Indominus and Rainbow Dash relaxing in the hot tub.
"What Spitfire? Did you expect to see us like we were last night?"
"N-no, I was coming up here to let you lovebirds know that Princess Celestia has given us the ok to perform again."
"That's wonderful news Spitfire."
"Yeah, and you two are going to be in it as well. This'll be a chance to make up for how Soarin screwed up your only performance last time Rainbow. It'll also be Indominus's first chance to fly with us and learn our routine."
"I'm a fast learner Spitfire, it won't take me long to have your routine memorized."
"I hope so Indominus, because we'll be performing again in five days." Rainbow and Indominus glanced at each other for a moment.
"Five days is all we need, Spitfire."
"It won't take that long to have the routine nailed, I can promise you that."
"Good. Now how about you two head downstairs so the others can see you're still alive?"
"Whatever you say," Rainbow said as she and Indominus started to climb out of the hot tub. When they finally got out of the water, Spitfire had to cover her eyes.
"Good lord! Do you two stay 'connected' like that all the time?"
"No, you're just the unlucky soul that happened to catch us like this," Indominus said as they walked up the stairs to get a pair of towels sitting on the comforter.
"You're not the first one to see us this way. Applejack got to see this during the cruise too, and it scarred her brain." Rainbow planted herself in place as Indominus disengaged himself from her. Spitfire didn't uncover her eyes until they gave her the word.
"Well it's in my brain now too. Will you two promise to keep that private if you decide to do it in the compound?"
"Hey we don't go about doing this everywhere we go Spitfire," Indominus said as he dried Rainbow off.
"He's right. We're not going to do this in front of the rest of the Wonderbolts, mam," Rainbow said while she rubbed her towel against Indominus's scales. "It's just something we like to do in the comfort of our own home."
"Good, now please tell me you two are decent."
"It's ok, you can look now." Spitfire opened her eyes and was glad that Indominus and Rainbow weren't one anymore.
"It's going to be strange getting used to all this, but I'm still glad to have you back on our team. I never wanted to drive you away Rainbow Dash, you're the best flyer we've ever had."
"I know Spitfire, all of us said things that we didn't mean. But we shouldn't dwell on that, it's all in the past."
"I dwelled on my anger and past for too long, and look what that did to me. We have to move past that, Spitfire, and not let it have any influence on our lives."
"That's rather deep Indominus."
"I owe that to a god who helped me get to this point, but that's for another time. Let's head downstairs."
"Agreed," Rainbow said as she and her hybrid stud followed Spitfire downstairs.
Everyone was happy to see that Indominus and Rainbow were awake and not sleeping the day away. The lovers decided not to let any of them know what they had been doing upstairs or what Spitfire's reaction had been. Scootaloo was overjoyed to find out that Indominus was going to be partaking in his first show with the Wonderbolts alongside Rainbow Dash. Tyrannosaurus and the raptors didn't have to worry about this show, because there wouldn't be any sabotage or rouge Wonderbolts trying to get back at them. The next day would be Indominus's first taste of practicing with the Wonderbolts and seeing how well they worked together as a team.
Rainbow and Indominus arrived at the Wonderbolt compound the next day, ready to practice the routine Spitfire had in mind. Indominus had his platinum badge placed on the right side of his chest and Rainbow was admiring her new uniform in a mirror.
"This looks very nice, and the red spikes make it look even more awesome," Rainbow said as she looked over her new outfit.
"Glad you like it so much, now you'll get to fly in it," said Spitfire as she walked into the room. "Now I know it's been a long time since we've done this, but things are still the same as they were before, Rainbow. You're gonna need to keep up with us, and this time Soarin isn't around to mess you up. So I don't want to see you lagging behind or not flying in sync with the rest of the Bolts."
"I understand Spitfire."
"Good, as for you Indominus, this will be your first time flying with us. Given your immense size, you'll have to remain smaller to avoid us colliding into you."
"I'll go by what you have in mind first, Spitfire. If I have any suggestions for the routine, am I allowed to mention them?"
"Of course, as long as it's not too extreme like that lightning cloud fiasco from last time. If the Bolts are up for trying what you have in mind, then we can give it a go. But first, let's practice how I have the routine set up."
"Alright, you're the captain."
"Come on you two, let's get this practice underway."
"Yes mam," Rainbow said before she and Indominus followed Spitfire onto the field.
The routine was fairly similar to the one Rainbow had practiced before all the drama had started. Since he had already watched the routine once, Indominus had it memorized and knew what the Wonderbolts were go to do next. Even with his decreased size, Indominus was still too big to fit within the formation. He had to fly above the Wonderbolts, but was able to match them as they climbed and gained speed. From her cloud perch, Spitfire could see Indominus and Rainbow keeping pace with the others and not falling behind.
"Nicely done, lovebirds. Keep it up!"
When the maneuvering part of the routine came up, the Wonderbolts widened their routine so Indominus could have a crack at it. Incredibly, Indominus was able to weave his body perfectly in sync with the Wonderbolts without hitting any of them. Spitfire couldn't believe he was flying on par with them, twisting and turning his body in ways to keep his large wings from colliding with them. Rainbow was also surprised that Indominus was doing so well while she was swerving with Fleetfoot. As the maneuvering ended and the Wonderbolts paired up again, Indominus found himself pairing up with Rainbow and flying in the middle of the formation.
"Let's make some thunder, Wonderbolts," Fleetfoot called out at the head of the formation.
"I was born to make thunder," Rainbow called back. "Let's do this Indominus."
"You got it Rainbow," Indominus said as they dove towards the runway.
The hybrid kept his tail angled slightly down so the Wonderbolts behind him could still see what was ahead of them. When the Wonderbolts got close enough to the runway, they pulled up at the last second, creating shockwaves on the ground as they pulled skyward. Indominus strained against the pull of gravity and the force from the dive, but he still managed to pull up in sync with Rainbow and keep up with the others. Spitfire had a proud look on her face as the hybrid dinosaur split off with the Wonderbolts and they began crossing each other. Indominus crossed over and under Wonderbolts, turning with grace and agility as he dove with three of the Bolts while Rainbow and the others dove parallel to them. The speed built in his dive meant Indominus didn't have to flap his wings when all of the Wonderbolts pulled into a climb and went skyward until they reached the top of their climb and rolled onto their backs, similar to the Sun Salutation routine.
Indominus's tail went directly in-between two Wonderbolts as he and the others headed back towards the runway and touched down.
"That was amazing team, all of you did very well. Especially you two, lovebirds."
"Is that our new nickname now, Spitfire?"
"What else would I use? You two stick together like a pair of lovebirds in spring."
"I guess it's ok, compared to the last one I had."
"You don't have to worry about that nickname being mentioned anymore, Rainbow. We all promised Indominus we would never call you that nickname again. Plus, you were great out there. Your practice this time around was incredible and looked like it was supposed to. You and Indominus did very well, and I'm surprised that you guys let him into the formation."
"Some of us were curious to see how he would do flying with us," said High Winds.
"He's definitely got the heart of a Wonderbolt," said Fleetfoot.
"Even being courteous to align his tail so we could still see," said Misty Fly.
"That was not bad at all Indominus, do you have any problems with the first run through or the routine itself?"
"Actually Spitfire, I have an idea that could make the performance better for everyone." Indominus pulled all the Wonderbolts in close and began discussing how they could change and improve the routine.
"Hmm, sounds interesting," said Spitfire.
"Then I could give my power to you and make you all as big as me."
"Really now," said Lightning Strike.
"All of you could practice flying around my body, and when I make all of you big, then we do the routine like we normally would."
"Ah, that's gonna take some practice to get down. But that's what we have these five days for."
"Is there anything else you have in mind, Indominus," Rainbow asked slyly.
"A finale that will make the crowd go wild and love all of you Wonderbolts in the end."
"What is this 'finale' you have in mind," said Spitfire.
"All you have to do Spitfire, is say "Rainbow, Indominus, take the lead!" Then you'll see what I'm talking about. We can run through it a few times so you see what I mean."
"All of this sounds interesting Indominus, but it won't get anypony or put them in danger, will it?"
"Oh no, I can assure you that nopony will get hurt from this. It's just meant to be a good show."
"Ok. I'm glad that you ran all this by me first, rather than trying it without my acknowledgement," said Spitfire.
"He's not that reckless Spitfire, Indominus is better than that," said Rainbow.
"I know Dash, I know. Now let's give Indominus's addition a try. Go! Go! Go!" The Wonderbolts all took off from the runway and went back into practicing the routine.
For the rest of the day, the Wonderbolts practiced their routine and the one Indominus had recommended. Rainbow loved every minute of the experience, and was flying all over the sky with great speed and agility. She and Indominus played off of each other's strengths, and stayed in trail with each Wonderbolt that they got paired with or crossed over in the routine. Indominus's training under Rainbow's tutelage was paying off handsomely with how well he was doing, and Spitfire knew she had found a Wonderbolt that could fill the role Soarin had abandoned. When the practice was finally over, the Wonderbolts brought Indominus into the shower room to loosen his muscles.
They massaged his wings and worked out any kinks or tense nerves that he might've gotten from pushing himself so much.
"You and Indominus really rocked it today, Rainbow," said High Winds.
"Thanks, and it felt so good to be flying with you guys again."
"I know we've said it so many times but, we really are sorry about what Soarin convinced us to do," said Fleetfoot.
"It's alright, I've put it behind me and so has Indominus. We've forgiven you ponies and that's all that matters. Also I love how the spikes on my uniform didn't break off."
"Lightning Streak did his job well," said Spitfire while working on Indominus's right wing. "He made those spikes durable enough to handle going at high speeds, so they'll never get torn off. By the way, did you enjoy how we included your addition into our routine, Indominus?"
"Yes I am, Spitfire. You think it'll blow everypony at the performance away?"
"With the additions you and Rainbow Dash have made, it might be our best performance yet. Though don't try to push yourself too hard before that day comes, we don't want you to strain your wings too much before the show."
"I got it, and I have to say, you Wonderbolts are pretty good at giving massages."
"It helps out any teammates that look tense or have tightened nerves. So every Wonderbolt can fly at their best. Speaking of which, why don't you give Rainbow Dash one?"
"Ok." Indominus moved so Rainbow could soak in the shower and then took one wing in his hands and began massaging it gently.
The Wonderbolts were stunned at how Rainbow looked so relaxed and at peace with Indominus barely putting any kind of pressure on her wings. When he moved to her shoulders, Rainbow's tongue was hanging out and her breathing had deepened. Spitfire couldn't believe how there didn't seem to be an ounce of stress in Rainbow's body after Indominus was done. When Rainbow walked out of the shower to dry herself off, Spitfire wanted to see if she could get the same results from Indominus, and sure enough she did. The Wonderbolt captain was bent over in bliss as Indominus massaged her shoulders and tended to her wings. None of the Wonderbolts had ever seen their leader look so relaxed and completely at ease before, some of them thought Indominus had the hands of a god.
"W-wow. Where did you learn to be that good at massages, Indominus?"
"My friends showed me how to do it before our honeymoon. They told me it would come in handy for pleasing Rainbow Dash and making her happy. I used it during our first morning to really put pleasure in her, and she was as relaxed back then as she is now."
"Don't go showing that around too much Indominus, or some of the Bolts might want you to do it to them."
"No can do, I reserve that privilege only for Rainbow and no one else."
"Fair enough, now let's get you dried off."
The rest of the day went by slowly once all the practicing was over. The Wonderbolts were more like comrades than enemies to Indominus, and he liked how they were treating Rainbow so well. They did tease each other every once in a while but Indominus had learned to become used to that and not let it get to him. Since he and Rainbow did so well on their first day, neither of them had to stay behind to clean up the compound. Spitfire wished them both good night before they took off and headed for home. When they arrived, Scootaloo saw that Rainbow looked so happy to be back with her idols while Indominus looked more tired from flying so much.
"You'll get used to that, Indominus. The first day can be one of the toughest if you're not used to flying at that kind of speed like I am."
"Maybe, but I'm getting there."
"How did your practice go Rainbow?"
"I loved it Scoots. I felt so alive getting to fly with them again, and this time there weren't any mess ups. Indominus did pretty good himself, so good in fact that he impressed Spitfire on his first day, like I did back at the Wonderbolt Academy."
"It must've worn him out a lot, I mean look at him. He looks so sleepy and exhausted."
"The routine did have a hoof in that, but it also has to do with the Wonderbolts massaging his wings after the workout. Right now he's worn out and relaxed at the same time."
"We left you some dinner outside brother," said T-Rex. "Blue, give me a hand so he doesn't fall over on the way down."
The Rex and raptor helped Indominus down below the clouddominium where three Manticore bodies were waiting for him. Indominus savagely devoured the three bodies after all the energy he had spent and flew back into the cloud home with a full stomach. While Rainbow and Scootaloo were having dinner, Indominus was relaxing on the couch with T-Rex and the raptors. They were asking how his time with his former enemies had gone and he told them how it had been a fun experience getting to fly and bond with them. After all the training and flying, Rainbow wanted to make sure Indominus got plenty of sleep so he would be ready for the four other days. The moment the hybrid dinosaur hit the sheets, he was out like a light. Rainbow giggled at how easily Indominus had fallen asleep, considering the amount of flying and strain he had taken was something he wasn't used to. It was no wonder he was so exhausted after one day of flying with the Wonderbolts.
"You'd think that with all the flying he did against the Wonderbolts and Soarin, he'd be able to handle flying with them for one day," said Scootaloo.
"That's not entirely true Scootaloo. Back then, Indominus was in his WorldBreaker state and he wasn't holding those speeds for long periods. He did short bursts of intense high speed against them, and he didn't hold those speeds for a long period of time. The routine involves maintaining a high speed and maneuvering in sync with all the Wonderbolts, that's something he's never handled before, Scootaloo."
"He must've had to use a lot endurance to last this long," said T-Rex.
"For a dinosaur, keeping a speed around what Rainbow Dash can do for long periods of time would be tough on our bodies, Scootaloo. All that twisting and turning must've taken a lot of energy to keep up."
"So let's let him get his rest, he'll need it because after the routine is over, his coronation will happen five days afterwards." The family climbed into the bed and Rainbow wrapped her hooves around the sleeping hybrid dinosaur.
The four remaining days before the performance built up Indominus's endurance for flying at high speeds. The more he practiced, the easier it became for the hybrid dinosaur. Spitfire and Rainbow noticed his maneuvering getting better, more sharp and agile, even able to match Rainbow in her Mach five agility. The Wonderbolt captain was getting anxious to perform with Indominus and Rainbow as she flew with and watched them practice the improved routine. Every time they practiced, Spitfire could see Indominus becoming more fast and agile like the pegasus that had taught him about flying in the first place. The day that they had been hoping for was upon them before they knew it, and the Wonderbolts would have the chance to redeem themselves for what they had put Indominus and Rainbow through.
While the Wonderbolts had been training themselves for their first show in months, Celestia and Luna had been using the five days to gather crowds for the performance. The several ponies at the Princesses Hearth's Warming Eve party had heard the Wonderbolts' apologies to Rainbow and Luna told them all about the apologies they had given Indominus as well. So naturally, many of them wanted to see the Wonderbolts fly again, and the citizens of Ponyville wanted to see them flying with their new recruits. By the time the day of the performance had arrived, it was by far the largest gathering for a Wonderbolt show. The Princesses had chosen the very same location where Soarin had tried to hurt Rainbow during her first performance, seeing it to be fitting that their show would be where their lives were almost ended by Indominus.
Rainbow had even invited her parents to come watch the show, Windy and Bow were by Scootaloo in the stands with the Mane Five, Spike, T-Rex and the raptors. Incredibly, Discord and his monster crew had decided to come and see Indominus perform, even though the thought of watching pegasi flying seemed unbearably boring to him.
"I can't believe this is happening, we get to watch our daughter perform as a Wonderbolt," said Windy.
"This is the biggest moment of her life," said Bow. "After all that drama and having her dream taken away, Indominus gave her the chance to fly with her idols again."
"You know she hasn't given me any hints about what the routine will be like," said Scootaloo. "She insisted that it be kept a secret until showtime."
"I hope that this show has at least some form of chaos in it," said Discord. "I've seen pegasi flying plenty of times in all the time I've spent in Equestria. This show can't be that much different."
"Who knows Discord, because they have a hybrid dinosaur on their team for the first time," said Fluttershy. "Indominus is going to make this show interesting no matter what."
"I'll believe that when I see it, Fluttershy." Celestia and Luna flew over to where Twilight and the others were seated, accompanied by a couple pegasus guards.
"Hello everypony, are you looking forward to this show too?"
"I know Scootaloo and Rainbow's parents can't wait to see her perform," Twilight said while glancing back at the ecstatic looks on their faces.
"Though some of us are more excited than others," Rarity said while looking over at a bored Discord.
"Pardon me if a Wonderbolt show isn't my cup of chocolate milk, Rarity."
"Oh just wait Discord," said Luna. "Indominus is sure to surprise you whether you know it or not." All of them heard the voice of an announcer pony and the crowds grew silent.
"Welcome everypony, it's been a long time since we've had one of these but it's great to be back. Before we begin, I'd like to give a big thanks to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna for making this possible." The crowds applauded the Princesses, who had slight blushes from the praise. "I know a lot of you have strong opinions about them, but they were victims just like our Guardians. Soarin tricked them, drove them to try and kill our Guardians, but our Guardians chose to spare them and give them another chance. So let's give them all a round of applause for the return of the best flyers and their new additions."
The sound of rumbling thunder could be heard in the distance, and it made Scootaloo, Windy and Bow even more excited as they scanned the skies for any sign of her.
"Give it up for the return of Equestria's premiere flyers, the Wonderbolts!"
From in the distance, the Wonderbolts came speeding in with storm cloud trails behind them. Windy, Bow and Scootaloo could make out Rainbow with the red markings and spikes on her uniform. As the Wonderbolts went into the air, a loud roar thundered across the area and a giant shadow passed over the crowds.
"Well how do you like that, we have a new addition to the show. Joining the Wonderbolts today is one of our Guardians, and our future king of Equestria, Indominus Rex!"
Indominus emerged from the same area the Wonderbolts had come from and flew up after them. He caught up quickly and was flying parallel to the pegasi as the ponies beneath them watched in eager excitement.
"Ready Wonderbolts?"
"Let's make it a show to remember, Indominus," said Spitfire as they initiated their routine.
Indominus shrunk himself down to his smaller size and the Wonderbolts left a gap in their formation for him to fly alongside Rainbow Dash. The Wonderbolts followed Spitfire and Fleetfoot who were at the head of the formation and dove towards the crowds, speeding in front of them at high speed. Windy and Bow were cheering wildly at seeing their daughter and her husband flying in perfect sync with the others. The Wonderbolts started crossing over each other in the formation just like in practice, and Indominus's agility and endurance were good enough to handle it more easily now.
"Go Go Rainbow," Scootaloo cheered as the Wonderbolts started into a climb.
"Still doesn't seem that exciting to me," said Discord.
"Oh you hush your chaotic mouth," said Applejack.
The Wonderbolts stopped at a high enough altitude, then went into a deep dive. The Princesses watched as Rainbow gave Indominus a subtle hint with her hoof and he slid into the back of the formation and fell behind. As the Wonderbolts neared the ground, they pulled up in pairs at the last moment, creating shock waves as they pulled up at a sharp angle. Luna and Celestia had to hover to avoid the shock waves as Indominus was the last to pull up with a rather big wave from his body barely scrapping the ground. Then Indominus did something unexpected, he fired a blast of energy up at the Wonderbolts, and it exploded in a cloud of golden smoke.
Everypony was starting to get nervous as they watched Indominus fly up and go back to his normal size, covering the cloud. Their nervousness turned into greater excitement when they saw all the Wonderbolts emerge from the cloud, now as big as the hybrid dinosaur. They began the next part of the routine by crossing flight paths with each other, passing over and under their teammates bodies, and Indominus gave Rainbow a quick hoofbump as they passed each other.
"Ok, that was pretty neat," said Discord.
"Go get em Rainbow," Windy cheered.
"You got this Wonderbolts, knock em dead," Bow called out over the roar of the giant pegasi passing each other.
The Wonderbolts split into two groups of four with Indominus, Spitfire, Surprise and Lightning Strike. While the other pair consisted of Rainbow, High Winds, Fleetfoot and Misty Fly. The two groups crossed each other, then pulled into separate climbs going towards the sun. Each group stopped flapping their wings in perfect synchronization, stood suspended in the air for a brief moment, then rolled onto their backs.
"That's part of the Sun Salutation routine," Celestia said as both groups dove for the ground again.
Ponies were watching with baited breath as Indominus and the Wonderbolts got closer to the ground, before they unfurled their wings and pulled out of the dive. The two groups gathered in the sky, and then everypony heard Spitfire give out a command.
"Rainbow, Indominus, take the lead." The lovers took the lead of the Wonderbolts and they all pulled into another climb into the sky.
Scootaloo could see the gold patterns starting to form on Indominus and Rainbow's wings turning gold as they continued to go skyward. Then the whole crowd heard them shouting out what sounded like an attack.
"Immortal."
"Phoenix."
"Dragon."
"FIRE!!!" A massive eruption of golden energy erupted from them and surrounded all of the Wonderbolts.
Nopony could see what was going on, but Discord was actually started to get excited. He had heard that name only one other time, and he hoped that they were doing what he thought was happening. Out from the eruption came a giant golden dragon and a massive golden phoenix made of pure energy and fire. Both of the golden beasts went into the air until their backs were against the sun, then they roared across the area while spreading their wings. The crowds could see the outlines of several bodies within the golden beasts, and realized it was the Wonderbolts. They were all inside the energy-created animals and were flying with Rainbow and Indominus's attack as the dragon and phoenix dove back towards the stands.
"Now THAT is awesome," said Discord as he stared excitedly at the golden creatures while his monster pals were cheering.
"That's our brother, he found a way to include his best move into the performance," said T-Rex.
"The crowds are really loving it, even Celestia and Luna can't contain themselves," said Twilight.
Both Princesses were cheering as the golden dragon passed by them and the golden phoenix pulled up into a climb right in front of their faces. The Wonderbolts inside each creature were still flapping their wings to give the golden entities more speed as they spiraled around each other. Rainbow and Indominus were at the heads of the dragon and phoenix as they circled each other with their heads close to one another. The phoenix and dragon bellowed one more roar across the area before they dove towards the ground for the last time. The golden dragon started circling its body around the phoenix and the two giant creatures exploded into a blinding light.
The crowd could barely make out the eight bodies that came out of the light and touched down on the ground. When the light dimmed, all of the Wonderbolts and Indominus had done superhero style landings with their heads down and glancing up at the crowds. Every pony in the area erupted in thunderous applause, cheering wildly and flailing their hooves in excitement. Luna and Celestia were doing the same thing, which was uncommon to see the Princesses expressing themselves so wildly. The show had been far more than they expected, and way more exciting than any other.
Discord was up and cheering wildly too, which was surprising for Twilight and the others since they hadn't expected him to be so wowed by the performance. Tyrannosaurus, the monsters and the raptor squad were all roaring for Indominus and his stellar performance. Windy, Bow and Scootaloo were all ecstatic and cheering Rainbow for how amazing she, Indominus and the entire team had been. The Wonderbolts themselves were astounded by all the cheers and praise, it felt great to have been forgiven and to be accepted again. All of the ponies cheering for them and the show they had put on was proof that they were welcome in Equestria's eyes again. Yet in all the celebration, in all the hubbub of noise and excitement, there were two figures who stood silent and still, side by side and nuzzling each other.
Spitfire and her teammates turned to the nuzzling couple, knowing that the performance they had done wouldn't have been possible without them. Indominus broke away from the nuzzling long enough for Rainbow to get some well deserved praise from her idols.
"That was amazing Rainbow," said Fleetfoot.
"Thanks."
"You really had it rolling today," said Lightning Strike as he gave her a hoofbump.
"That was some superb flying out there Rainbow," said High Winds.
"Thank you guys."
"Hey Dash, there's a hole on the side of your uniform," Surprise said teasingly.
"There is?" Rainbow checked her sides, but realized her teammates were just having fun with her. "Ya got me, very funny." The other Wonderbolts parted away so Spitfire could give her approval to Rainbow Dash.
"You've got a lot of stuff Rainbow, and that was what I had hoped the first routine would be like. You have way more spirit and talent in you than Soarin ever did."
"Thanks Spitfire, that means a lot coming from you." They pulled each other into a hug, and Rainbow felt so happy and relieved to be back with her idols.
"I want you to know Rainbow, that nickname doesn't take away how much of an amazing flyer you are. No matter what anyone says, you'll always be Rainbow Dash to me." Rainbow felt her eyes watering up, because those were the exact words Indominus had used when the drama had started.
indominus stood over them, and Spitfire gave him a wink as Rainbow sobbed happily while in the hug. He leaned in and nuzzled the Wonderbolt for taking Rainbow Dash back onto her team and keeping her promise to not call her that nickname.
"You know Rainbow, if it weren't for you and Indominus, we wouldn't be performing again," Spitfire said while Indominus was nuzzling her.
"You would've found a way to redeem yourself Spitfire."
"Actually, I wouldn't. If you had been killed by Soarin, I would have no way to redeem myself or any of us. Your blood would've been on our hooves, and I wouldn't be able to live with that kind of guilt. Your persistence and Indominus's act of gratitude helped bring the Wonderbolts back, and I can't thank you enough for that." Rainbow pulled back and looked into her idol's eyes.
"You already have. You let me back on the team, gave me these incredible gifts and allowed Indominus to fly with us. You've thanked me enough already and made my dream come true, it's plenty for me."
"That kind of heart will inspire future generations of Wonderbolts, and will help you go far. Now how about you go and get some praise from your superfans over there? Something tells me they have a lot to say," Spitfire said as she gestured over to Rainbow's friends and her proud parents.
Rainbow Dash flew over to them and was instantly pulled into a hug by her mom and dad.
"Darling you were fantastic," said Rarity.
"That was the kind of performance Ah knew ya could pull off," said Applejack.
"How's it feel to live your dream, Rainbow,"asked Twilight.
"It's perfect Twilight, that's the best word I can use to describe it."
"Getting to fly with your idols and your husband, how could it not be a dream come true," said Bow.
"That part at the end with the golden creatures, was that your idea," Scootaloo asked while hugging Rainbow as well.
"No Scootaloo, that was all Indominus. Back when he gave me that small portion of his power against Soarin, I still have the knowledge of how to do my own version of it, which was the golden phoenix. He wanted to include it in the performance, and having the Wonderbolts inside each of them made it complete like he thought. Now Equestria loves the Wonderbolts again,"
"and you get to fly with them as a permanent member. We're really proud of you honey," said Windy.
"I know Mom, and this moment is where it fits the most. I have everything I've ever wanted. I have a terrific family, an amazing daughter, and a husband who will defy death just to make me happy. I don't know how it could get any better."
"Well you do have Indominus's coronation in five days, then you'll be his queen," said Pinkie.
"Are you really going to be queen of Equestria," asked Fluttershy.
"No no, nothing like that. It's just a title that I get to have, Indominus will be Equestria's true king and I don't have what it takes to be a queen. I'll just be by his side when he needs me."
"Either way, it'll still be one last big moment in your life," Twilight said as Rainbow took in the love from her parents and Scootaloo.
While Rainbow was enjoying time with her family, the Princesses were congratulating the Wonderbolts on their performance.
I think it's safe to say that you'll be getting to perform all across Equestria again, Wonderbolts," said Celestia. They were overjoyed to hear the good news.
"That golden creature portion was simply incredible. Did you come up with that yourselves," asked Luna.
"No, the credit for that goes to Indominus," said Fleetfoot. "He was the one who suggested we put it into the routine, and he was right when he said it would blow away the audience."
"That he was, I've never seen ponies be this ecstatic over a show before. Even Discord loved it, and that's really saying something. I'm glad that you put the effort into reconciling with him Spitfire, it was a very sweet thing to do."
"After what you showed me about his past, I had to do something for him," Spitfire said as she looked back at the hybrid dinosaur who was getting thanks from her teammates. "He is a rather sensitive creature, but you were right about his heart. It helped us patch things up with him and make things right with Rainbow Dash."
"Yeah, you sure made her day with that improved uniform and those badges," said Celestia. "Since you did all of that for her, would you and your fellow Wonderbolts be interested in attending Indominus's coronation?"
"Coronation?" The surprise in Spitfire's voice caused her teammates to turn toward her, they thought they had misheard Celestia when she talked about Indominus having a coronation.
"Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm going to be King of Equestria in five more days."
"It was suggested to us by the Winged Dragon of Ra, and after all that Indominus did for Equestria and sparing your lives, he has more than earned this title," said Celestia.
"Wow, that's a very impressive accomplishment Indominus," said Spitfire.
"I did have some great teachers that gave me the wisdom and confidence in myself to do it. I even asked Rainbow to be my queen."
"What!?"
"Now before you jump the gun Spitfire, Rainbow will only have the title," Luna said, trying to keep a situation from happening. "She won't have to worry about watching over Equestria, that responsibility will belong to Indominus only. Which means she will still get to fly with you and your teammates, but it just means she'll have to be Indominus when serious matters come up. That shouldn't be too much of a hassle for you, should it?"
Spitfire glanced over at Rainbow, who was chatting with her friends and having a good time.
"No, it won't be a hassle. For all that she's had to go through, I can make an exception to this. Plus, she's far more important to you, Indominus."
"When she wants to fly with you, it won't depend by me. I'll let her do what she wants and I won't tell her what to do. My girl will have the freedom to fly with you when she wants."
"Thanks."
"So Spitfire, is that a yes or a no?"
"What do you say Wonderbolts? Up for seeing Indominus become King of Equestria and Rainbow be his queen?"
"Sounds interesting," said High Winds.
"We're up for it," said Surprise.
"Count us in," said Fleetfoot.
"I'll say that you can count us in as guests," said Spitfire.
"Splendid, and I won't tell Rainbow until the day comes so you can surprise her," said Celestia.
The rest of the afternoon was spent signing autographs and being swarmed by the ponies that loved them again. It was refreshing for the Wonderbolts to be accepted again and for the ponies to love having them around, compared to being pelted with garbage. Indominus signed a few autographs, but mostly wanted to be around his friends and his family so he could finally hear what they thought of his performance. Discord admitted that he had been wrong to judge the show so early, and simply loved how Indominus had made it look so chaotic and spectacular at the same time. Once the crowds had diminished, the Wonderbolts finally had time to themselves and had lunch with the Family of a Lifetime.
Since they had gotten to know Indominus so well, Spitfire thought it was only fair that the Wonderbolts get to know the rest of his family. They all agreed to put aside a day to spend with the dinosaurs and Scootaloo, and swap with Spitfire the next day. It warmed Twilight's heart to see Rainbow, Scootaloo and the dinosaurs bonding with the very ponies that had once tried to kill them.
"Are ya alright, Twilight? Ya seem rather quiet."
"It's just nostalgia, Applejack. To think, months ago the Wonderbolts were trying to kill Indominus and then go after his family. Now all of them are bonding as if that ordeal never even existed. It's so crazy how things have turned out so well after there was so much blood and death."
"That's all in the past darling, Indominus is not a killing machine anymore," said Rarity. "He's a devoted husband, a caring father and an inspiration to so many ponies now that he'll be crowned king soon."
"I know he'll make a great king."
"Really? I've never heard you admit anything like that, Discord," said Fluttershy.
"Why are ya sayin' that now of all times?"
"I've been part of the deeper side of this journey of his. I've seen his inner demons and helped him through it when he couldn't do it himself. I even watched that hybrid spare his enemies instead of giving into his instincts and shedding their blood. Compared to how he was before he came here, Indominus has changed into a much better dinosaur. He has all the wisdom and guidance he needs to be a great king for all of Equestria."
"I'm so telling Princess Celestia that you got all sentimental about Indominus."
"Oh great, now I'm never gonna be able to live this down. There goes my chaotic streak, just stick a fork in me now, I'm done." Fluttershy giggled at Discord's exaggerated response while a fork was sticking out of him.
That night Rainbow and Indominus decided to treat themselves to some special time in their gold room. After they put Scootaloo to bed and kissed her goodnight, they retreated to the room full of gold bits and had an amazing night. Indominus was in complete paradise as Rainbow licked away at his scales and brushed his face with her wings. The noise cancelling bubble vibrated from the volume of Indominus's roar when he and Rainbow finished their love-making to each other. Rainbow traced her wings along his muscular chest, gazing into his eyes, just like she had on their honeymoon.
"Have I told you that you're the best around, Indominus?"
"Why am I the best around, Rainbow?"
"Because you took on all the drama, all the pain and still managed to get me back with the Wonderbolts. Today's performance was mostly thanks to you, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to fly with them again."
"I was just doing what I could to make you happy, because you've told me how getting to be one of them was your life's dream. I was just trying to make your dream come true when Soarin decided to step all over it."
"Well you did a fantastic job, and I couldn't be happier to have such a devoted and caring hybrid in my life," Rainbow said as she kissed his chest.
"Besides, I'm not the best, I'm the strongest one there is. You're the best for staying with me through all the rage, the Devil trying to take over, and for saving my life," Indominus said as he reached up and licked her face.
"That's proof why you and I are such a good couple."
"We're too good together," Indominus finished for her.
"You're gonna be a great King of Equestria big boy, all the ponies will give you the respect you've never had as a child."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rainbow."
"Modest I am. Now relax my future king, we've had a big day and I still get to soothe you to sleep." Indominus fell asleep with Rainbow kissing him under the neck, and she soon fell asleep with her hooves wrapped around his neck.
Over the course of the five days leading up to the hybrid's coronation, his friends did lots of organizing and preparation. Luna and Celestia were preparing Indominus's regal attire for the ceremony and Discord was making adjustments to the balcony and the area where all the ponies would see their new king. He expanded the walkway portion under the balcony for hundreds of ponies that he heard were going to be attending, and created several floating islands for some special guests that would be making an appearance: Smaug and his dragon followers. Twilight and Spike had flown over to the dragon lands and personally invited Smaug and some of his dragons to attend the coronation. None of them, especially Smaug, could pass up the chance to watch Indominus become a true king and they happily agreed. Fluttershy was filling the Wonderbolts in on the details, and telling them what time they needed to be at Canterlot so they could surprise Rainbow Dash.
During those five days, the Wonderbolts spent an afternoon with Scootaloo, T-Rex and the raptor squad, hunting in the Everfree Forest. While chasing a group of Manticores, the Wonderbolts saw how fast the dinosaurs were on foot and found it tough keeping up with them while dodging all the foliage gettin in their way. Scootaloo was managed to keep up with T-Rex on foot thanks to her giant size, and was enjoying the thrill of being on the hunt with him.
"Do you always hunt like this," Surprise called out while trying not to lose sight of the dinosaurs.
"This is a way of life for us, Wonderbolts," said Blue.
"It molds us into the fierce and tough predators we are meant to be," said T-Rex.
As they got closer to the fleeing Manticores, Echo noticed that Scootaloo was beginning to change slightly. Her claws were growing and her teeth were becoming sharper. It was the same change they had seen Rainbow go through on the cruise, and as Scootaloo pulled ahead of the raptors with T-Rex by her side, they knew what was going to happen. Scootaloo and Rexy closed in on the closest Manticore and dug into his neck with their jaws. After they killed the beast, the raptors leaped over them and tackled the remaining Manticores, killing them with dust obscuring the sight from the Wonderbolts, who were more shocked that Scootaloo had helped kill the animal in the first place.
Scootaloo herself was shocked when she realized what she had done, but Tyrannosaurus told her it wasn't something she had to worry about. Rainbow had already gone through the same thing, it was just the predator instinct waking up inside her, and her body wanting to try meat for the first time. Thankfully, T-Rex didn't make Scootaloo eat the Manticore. Instead, he licked the blood off her face and told her she did very good on her first hunt. The dinosaurs were courteous enough to have their backs turned to the Wonderbolts so they wouldn't have to watch the feeding frenzy. While the Wonderbolts were spending their afternoon the dinosaur way, Indominus was spending his afternoon with Rainbow and Spitfire, the Wonderbolt way.
The three of them were making good use of the giant obstacle course and Indominus was still making it look easy. Spitfire and Rainbow were trying to follow his example and they were able to keep up with the hybrid's impressive agility and speed. When they were finished, Spitfire took them to a sea of clouds where they could fly without restraint and cut loose. The pegasi were cheering while enjoying their flight and Indominus was flying in-between them whenever they were close enough.
"Well you sure ain't no newbie," Spitfire said to Indominus.
"Not today Spitfire, I'm at the top of my game," said Rainbow.
"Same goes for me ladies," said Indominus.
"Alright lovebirds, let's see what you've got."
The trio went all over the sky doing crazy turns, speeding through clouds and going into high climbs. Rainbow effortlessly matched her move for move, and Indominus kept pace with both of them. They flew up and stood suspended in the air before they rolled over and dove for the sea of clouds.
"Don't think you can hide any secrets from me, hybrid. I know all your tricks." Indominus and Rainbow gave Spitfire sly smiles as they dove into the clouds.
When they emerged underneath them, Indominus was nowhere to be seen. Spitfire scanned the sky while Rainbow was just staring confidently next to her, smiling at something.
"Where'd you go Indominus? Don't tell me you chickened out at the las-" Indominus roared at Spitfire's face, causing her to scream so loud and high pitched that Rainbow was having laughing fits as the hybrid revealed himself. He had camouflaged his skin when they entered the clouds, and had fooled Spitfire into thinking he had vanished. He and Rainbow shared a hoofbump as they dove back towards the runway.
"Ha! Not all of my tricks, rookie," Indominus said playfully as Spitfire sped up to catch up with them. That was the kind of fun the Family of a Lifetime and the Wonderbolts shared with each other as the days led up to Indominus's coronation.
Five days later, the time for Indominus to become King of Equestria had come. Ponies had started arriving in the early hours of the morning, with the sky beginning to show the colors of the sun coming up behind the horizon. The guards were letting them into the castle and guiding them to the expanded walkway garden Discord had made just for the occasion. The dragons were also arriving too, and were surprised to see the massive floating islands Discord had conjured up for them.
"So Discord, you had all these islands made just for us," Smaug asked after the Lord of Chaos greeted him.
"Twilight thought you and your boys could use something other than standing on a walkway for this. Are you eager for this day?"
"Sure am, I never thought I'd get to see Indominus beat his anger and become king of all of Equestria. Speaking of the hybrid, where is he?"
"He's in the castle getting ready. He'll be down in a while, just keep an eye on the doors for when the Princesses give the announcement.
Several ponies were watching the balcony doors and waiting for the sun to rise. When the sun would peak over the mountains, it would be the start of a new year in Equestria. Celestia was keeping the sun hidden until Indominus walked through the doors and the ponies saw him in his regal attire. Once that moment would happen, Indominus would officially be crowned King of Equestria. Inside the castle in the upstairs rooms, Rainbow and Indominus were getting prepped and ready for the biggest moment of the dinosaur's life. Unicorns were tending to them and placing the gold regal attire on the dinosaur, and when they were done, Indominus looked like a proud warrior. He had even donned his WorldBreaker form for the occasion, and the staff were amazed by how he looked.
"You look stunning, Indominus," said one of the unicorns.
"You're gonna make a massive impression on everypony in the crowd," Rainbow said as she and Indominus walked down the staircase that led to the main room where the balcony was.
Her friends and their sisters were waiting in the room with the other dinosaurs, Luna and Celestia, who were still keeping the moon raised and the sun hidden behind the mountains. Each of them were talking amongst themselves while Twilight and Spike were talking with Celestia.
"Do you think he's ready for this, Princess Celestia?"
"I have faith in him, Twilight. Luna has faith in him, Ra put his utmost trust in the hybrid. Indominus wouldn't be getting this title if Ra didn't think he was worth it."
"But we've learned to never doubt a god, and Ra gave him the guidance to get through his own pain and anger," said Luna.
"He'll know what to do, Twilight. He has all of us and his own mentors to turn to for advice," said Spike.
"You're absolutely right Spike," said Rarity.
"It's gonna be the first time that we have a dinosaur as our king, and after this is over, I'll throw him the biggest party ever," said Pinkie.
"Our brother knows what he's doing. He'll handle Equestria with the best of care," said T-Rex.
"Ah can't wait to see what Rainbow and Indominus look like," said Applejack.
"I bet they'll look amazin' no matter what," said Applebloom.
"You don't have to wait girls, here they come," said Scootaloo. The ponies all directed their eyes to the staircase to see Rainbow walking down in the phoenix dress Rarity had made for her. She was even sporting the platinum badge and the Arkenstone ring, showing her loyalty to both the Wonderbolts and her husband.
"Hey girls, wha-" Rainbow stopped when she saw the Wonderbolts standing amongst her friends. She walked down the staircase, caught completely by surprise that they were attending.
"I asked them to attend as a surprise for you," said Celestia. "Thought you and your family could have the best of both worlds for this day."
"You look wonderful, Rainbow Dash," said Spitfire as she took in the full beauty of the dress Rainbow had.
"Thanks Spitfire, and thanks for attending my husband's coronation."
"He's part of the Wonderbolts just like you are. How could we not be here to wish him luck in his new life?"
"You look simply amazing," said Sweetie Belle.
"Well I owe it to your sister for making this dress for me. Rarity you've outdone yourself with this one."
"Don't mention it darling," Rarity replied.
"It really means a lot having all of you here, it's gonna mean the world to Indominus," Rainbow as she hugged her friends.
"Speaking of dad, where is he," Scootaloo asked.
"Just look at the staircase." The ponies looked up and were wowed by the sight of Indominus in his WorldBreaker form, decked out in gold, regal armor and attire to suit his big day.
"Indominus, you look like a grand ruler," said Fluttershy as Indominus walked towards his friends and family.
"Are you ready for this day, brother," said Charlie.
"I'm....not too sure of myself."
"Why not Indominus? You have all that you need to look after Equestria," said Luna.
"It's just, all these ponies are going to look up to me. I'm not sure if I'm meant for this, since I've never been called anything but a monster."
"Those days are over Indominus," said Spitfire. "You're more than that, and you are not a monster."
"We've seen your kind heart and mighty strength first hoof," said Pinkie. "You're a blast to hang out with and everypony watched you pull Equestria together and save our world."
"If you ever have any doubts in yourself, we're always around to help you," said Rainbow as she placed a hoof to Indominus's face.
"Because that's what family does," said Tyrannosaurus.
"It's also what friends do," said Twilight.
"Thanks everyone, though what will I do without anymore fighting going on? All my life I've been going from one fight to the next, killing everything that stood in my way. Now that I don't have to kill everything anymore, I'm not sure what exactly to do with this title."
"That's why we're here to take that journey with you Indominus. You're not going into this alone," Rainbow said as she gave Indominus a soft kiss.
Celestia and Luna walked over to the group, meaning that it was finally time for the coronation to begin.
"Indominus, it's time. Everypony is waiting to meet their new king."
Twilight, her friends, the Wonderbolts, CMC, dinosaurs and Discord, who had materialized inside with his monster pals, all stood alongside each other. They waited as the Princesses walked through the doors and got the attention of all the ponies and dragons present.
"Greetings everypony and the many dragons that were able to make it, courtesy of the Dragon Lord."
"We're honored to be here, Princesses," said Smaug.
"As many of you know, we are gathered here today to celebrate a truly rare and momentous occasion. Our Guardians have done many things since they were brought here."
"The most memorable achievement was how they took care of a young filly and became her new family," said Luna.
"Along the way they befriended so many ponies, even Discord, who is now good friends with Indominus Rex. This hybrid came from a world where he was meant to be only a weapon, but here in Equestria he has become so much more and done many extraordinary things. Such as making friends with the Dragon Lord, literally pulling Equestria together, and receiving wisdom from the very first god of the sun, the Winged Dragon of Ra himself," said Celestia.
"All of this is proof that Indominus is ready to take the next step in his life and take a place among the great rulers of Equestria," said Luna.
The doors began to part and the sun was finally starting to come up over the horizon. Rainbow took Indominus's hand as she led him towards the open doors and the crowds that awaited him.
"You got this," said Pinkie.
"We're so proud of ya," said Applejack.
As the doors opened completely, Celestia and Luna gave the final word.
"Ponies and dragons, please give a big welcome for the very first time to our new king, Indominus Rex."
Indominus stepped through the doors as the sun rose over the mountains, signaling the dawn of the new year and the beginning of his time as king. His eyes went wide as he caught sight of all the ponies that had come out to honor his big day, he even spotted Windy and Bow waving flags and wearing shirts with his and Rainbow's names on them. Smaug and the dragons were roaring in congrats, and his friends and family followed him out onto the balcony with him.
"See Indominus? This is where you truly belong. With the ponies that praise you, your friends, your family, your queen, and one day," Rainbow took Indominus's hand and placed it one her stomach, "with your child."
Indominus looked out over the crowds and decided to greet his new kingdom with a bang. He stepped forward and bellowed a monstrous roar across Equestria. The ponies cheered him on and Smaug and his dragons roared with the new king. Tyrannosaurus, Blue, Delta, Echo and Charlie all stood beside their hybrid brother and roared with him. Rainbow and Scootaloo joined in the roaring chorus and even Discord and his monster pals got in on the roars. Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Celestia, Luna, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle all watched them roar in sync with each other, marking the beginning of Indominus's rule as king. As the roars ended, they saw a pair of red eyes watching them from the sun and a stream of golden fire came down to Indominus.
As the fire twirled around him and his family, they all heard a familiar voice.
"Well done, King of Equestria."
"Thank you for guiding me on this journey, Ra."
"May the ancient ones preserve you for all time, King Indominus Rex."
And so began Indominus's rule over Equestria, as a loyal husband, a devoted father, and the first hybrid dinosaur to ever be worthy of being crowned king.