A blustering cloud of sand followed the red pickup truck as it traversed through the desert wasteland, heading towards an old run down garage in the desert. Lassie sat in the driver seat, window down as she hung her head out to catch the breeze, slobber drooling out from her lips.

Twilight sat in the passenger seat, holding a voice recorder as she sighed to herself from the goofy nature of the dog. Between the two sat her still young foal. Getting back to her previous task, Twilight began speaking again. “Gosh,” she said into the speaker. “It'll be... years before you can even understand these... and even then, up until this point it's mostly just been a way for me to come to terms that he's really gone this time... and isn't coming back,” Twilight said into the microphone piece as Lassie slowed down and wheeled the truck in front of one of the pumps.

A bipedal cat morph walked over and Lassie spoke to her. “Llénelo, por favor?”

“I speak English. We go over this every time you're here,” the cat woman said irritably.

“I know... but I like to practice,” Lassie laughed, making the cat roll her eyes as she got to pumping diesel into the duel tanks of the old diesel pickup truck. Lassie got out to greet Flim and Flam who had come out to chat with her.

Twilight brushed her mane to one side as she watched them, then looked to her daughter before speaking into the microphone, watching again as Lassie spoke to Flim and Flam. “If only you could've seen the world before your father came. You'd understand the difference he's made in so many pony's lives... gosh it was so different back then...”

Lassie leaned against one of the unused pumps as she laughed. “Yeah I know. Who woulda thought you'd give the bandit a job after all the times she robbed you though, am I right?” She chuckled. Flim chuckled as he nodded.

“Yes, but then we figured... why not just give her a job. She'd get paid and nopony would rob us!” both the brothers chimed in unison as they began to sing and dance. Twilight looked over the distant horizon...

Chrysalis giggled lovingly as she knelt her front end down, nose to nose with her dog as the two wagged their tails in unison. “Who's a good puppy?!” she asked joyfully to the full grown dog. “Yes! Yes you are a good puppy, and momma Chrysie loves you!” she chimed, the dog going wild from hearing those words, running in circles, panting wildly. Chrysie stood up with a smile on her face...

Luna side stepped before flipping backwards, landing perfectly on the mat in her personal dojo. The sword swung accurately and precisely as she swung the sword at nothingness, merely perfecting her combat form. The blade sliced through the air gracefully as the princess wielded it with perfected finesse, the sword that had been returned to her by close friend some time ago...

Alfred stood quietly and silently in the doorway, hoof motionless, resting just inches away from the door. He swallowed hard. Lassie had suggested that, since the estate was hardly ever used, he should retire from being their butler. After all, he was acquisitioned to the estate by the mobsters of Manehatten who had been annihilated later on by Derreck. With nopony to call boss, she had offered him freedom and proposed he go find his family whom were in Prance.

Taking in a deep inhale, he knocked four times before his whole body froze. There was no going back now. 'Do they even still care about m-' Alfred's thoughts were cut short as the door swung open and a middle-aged stallion answered.

“H-hello?” the stallion asked in a thick Prance accent. Alfred just stood there. It had been over a decade since he last spoke to his son, let alone seen him. The pause ended as the realization hit the son. “D... DAD?!” he asked, tears welting up in both their eyes as they embraced in a hug...

Echo sat in her chair, inside her tiny little home. The home itself was situated in a woodland area, far away from civilization. As she sat by her lonesome, she ran her hoof through her infant's mane, rocking it in her forelegs as she cooed a quiet melody to the baby. “One day, my sweet child... when you are older, I will teach you the things your fathers taught me. You will know both the light... and the dark”...

Nightshade set her now empty glass on the counter of the clubhouse. Her second in command slammed his drink down. “I still can't believe you'd just let him go, after everything he did to us,” he grumbled.

“Shut up Stratus. I owed him... Charger...” she looked to the other stallion of the group “Anything you wanna say about the issue?” she asked, the stallion gulping and shaking his head.

“Uh-no boss! Not a word,” he stammered, the mare smiling. “Well, actually...” he trailed off, Nightshade giving him a glare. “Well you see... there's this job I found, might payoff pretty well. There's this... this thing...” he trailed off.

“What kinda thing?” Nightshade asked, the others in the group listening in as Charger spoke.

“Well, see here's the thing. This thing... it's a, well it's a thing like the guy you were defending, except it's a she... and 'she' has quite the offer...

The stallion kept the cloak's hood over his brow, hiding his features from sight as he turned yet another corner of the city streets, continuing along at a modest, unsuspecting pace. Stopping at an intersection before looking both ways, he continued across the street and around another corner.

Just as he reached midway of the city block, a payphone began to ring nearby. Not paying it any mind, he continued on for another city block, but the payphone on that section of sidewalk began to ring as well, this time catching his attention. Picking up his pace, he took a right turn and continued on his way, another phone ringing.

Something didn't feel right to the stallion and he slipped down a back alley, behind some buildings and onto another street. As he walked along he stopped dead in his tracks, another phone ringing just ahead. A pitted feeling came about in his stomach as he swallowed deeply. No matter how long he stood there looking at the phone, it just kept ringing... and ringing... and ringing... and-

He broke the tension and yanked the phone off the receiver, just to make it stop ringing. His heart was pounding. Raising the phone to his ear, he stood in silence. “H-hello?” he asked in panic.

“Mr. T?” A voice came from the other end of the line.

“Y-yes?” he replied cautiously, heart pounding in his chest.

“We've met before, though not formally. I can assure you though, that this time will be far different...” the voice seemed to just trail off. There was a long pause as the stallion's heart continued to pound in his chest. Just then, he noticed something off. There was nopony around. Not a single pony, gryphon, donkey... nobody. A chill ran down his spine.

“Who... who is thi-” he began to speak into the phone but was cut off by an agonizing pain that went through his hindleg. “GAH! NYAGH!” He screamed as he fell to the concrete sidewalk, a gunshot echoing in the distance as blood began to pour out of the wound now present in his hindleg.

Screaming for help, he then noticed the dire, near impossible, circumstance he was in. How was it that nopony was on the street this time of the day, that nopony was around to hear the gunshot or his cries for help. A large, winged shadow flew across the sidewalk, making him swallow in panic as he painfully began dragging himself up a set of stairs.

Not far off, he heard the hoof steps of a pony drawing closer... and closer...

They stopped just beside him, and the long barrel of an old Russian scoped rifle rolled him over onto his back. “Hello Tristan. My name is Celestia... Princess Celestia.” The look on Tristan's face was one of pure terror and fear. “I think we need to have a little talk”...

Twilight paused for a moment before chuckling to herself, still looking out to the distance. “But... I guess... even with all that's changed... the more things change, the more they stay the same”...

Applejack gave one mighty buck to the trunk of the tree, shaking loose all the apples into perfectly placed baskets below. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she looked to her elder brother whom was now collecting the baskets of apples he had bucked off his tree.

“Well big bruther. Ah think this'll be the best season yet,” Applejack chimed, the big red stallion nodding in return.

“Eeyup,” he replied back, managing to perfectly balance all his baskets atop his back. In the distance of the pasture field, Scootaloo, Applebloom, Sweetiebelle and Spike all ran along together joyfully, laughing all the while...

Fluttershy placed a wonderfully made salad on the table in front of her most beloved animal friend. Looking at it curiously, the rabbit quickly opened wide to take a bite. “Oh but Angel... I might have... uhm, well... I didn't have the spices to make the ranch sauce the way you like it so it might taste a bit different...” the shy little pegasus meekly squeaked out.

The rabbit's mouth closed as he sat back, with the most plain of expressions. “I... I hope that's okay... with you...” the pegasus said meekly. Raising his left paw up over his shoulder, he smacked the food to the floor and crossed his front legs. “Oh... okay, you're right. I'll go get those ingredients right away for you,” she squeaked before rushing off...

In Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie blazed away, order after order quickly rushed out in what seemed like a blur of pink. Zipping back to the counter, she left out a relieved sigh as she took a seat. “Wow Pinkie... that was quick,” Mr. Cake mentioned as he stepped towards her. “Ready for the next order?” he asked and the pink bubbly mare simply giggled.

“I'm already done them all!” she cheered in an accomplished tone. Mr. Cake blinked in a disbelieving way before shaking it off.

“Oh... okay, well I have some deliveries for-” he was cut off by the ecstatic mare.

“This afternoon? I already did them,” she informed, the stallion taken aback by her response.

“Y-you did?” he asked and she nodded hurriedly.

“Yeah. I found them pinned to your cork board under 'TO-DO'-” she cut herself short as her hindleg began to twitch and front leg began to tap against the floor, mane vibrating. “Huh...” Pinkine mentioned, Mr. Cake giving her a curious look.

“What is it?” Mr. Cake asked curiously.

“I feel like someone is reading something about me... no, not about me... about somepony... a story... an ending... and they feel... a lot of feelings,” she told him. “Nevermind, feeling's gone”...

Rainbow Dash zoomed through the canyon, nearly picking up mach speed as she made incredible maneuvers. Nearing the end of the canyon, she pulled up and shot into the sky, a brilliant flash of light erupting across the sky as she pulled off her signature move.

Hovering back down to the ground, she trotted over to Tank, whom had a stopwatch laced over his neck. “How... was that?” Dash panted, taking a look at the watch and hitting the pause button, the tortoise too slow to manage pressing the button on and off. “AWWWW YEAH TANK! Look at that, beat my record!” Dash chimed, showing him the stop watch that read 9.89 seconds...

Rarity took a step back from her latest fashion dress, pouting her lip. “Nonono, this simply will not do. It just doesn't have... it, do you know what I mean Opal?” she asked her cat, whom looked to her with a purely bland expression. “Oh you're right darling, I know just what it needs!” she exclaimed, running over to a trunk and rummaging through some things. Finally finding what she was looking for, she affixed the purple box to the back hind of the dress with a smile.

“There... marvelous darling, simply marvelous”...

Derpy rushed through the streets, shoving assortments of mail into pony's mailboxes as she zoomed along. Zipping up to one mailbox, she was met with the grizzled old face of a donkey. “Oh hey Mr. Doodle, here's your mail from this week!” she chimed cheerfully, taking his hoof and placing a wad of mail on it then quickly zooming off.

“HEY WAIT!” He screamed out to her. “THIS ISN'T EVEN MY MAIL!”...

Daring zoomed under the large hurtling object, sticking her tongue out at her rival. “NAH-NAH-NUH-NAH-NAH, YOU CAN'T GET ME!” She teased the brute as he pulled a small tree from the ground, about twenty feet in height,a foot thick at the trunk, and hurtled it at Daring. Yet again however, the mare zipped around the thrown object but this time zoomed down and snatched the artifact from the beast's satchel.

“Missed me, missed me, now yah gotta kiss me!” she laughed wildly, before sticking her tongue out at him and promptly taking off into the sky.

“This isn't over Daring Do!” Ahuizotl screamed. “NEXT TIME DARING, NEXT TIME!”...

Nurse Redheart trotted along the hallways of the hospital, stopping for a moment to speak with one of the doctors. “Oh, doctor. I was wondering if you might be able to go over some things with me? Requisitions and such for patients in the hospital,” she asked, the doctor nodding and taking a moment to look over the clipboard list.

As he went over it, he spotted a cardboard box shuffle a bit across the floor. “!” he gasped, making Nurse Redheart jolt back. “Doctor, are you-” she was cut off as he brushed past her and stormed over to the box.

“I knew I'd find you, you-” he cut himself off as he kicked the box, the empty box itself tumbling away. “GUH!” he gasped in disbelief, having been almost certain there was a certain somebody in the box. "Huh... must've been nothing."

“Doctor... is everything... okay?” Nurse Redheart asked worriedly, wondering about the doctor's outburst.

“Nuh... nothing, everything's fine”...

A lone dark furred pony crouched before a certain headstone in the small burial ground. Rain dribbled down, the dark clouds loomed overhead. The rain washed down off the brim of his cowpony hat, and off the black oilskin duster he wore.

A sad, longing expression went across his face as he set down the bouquet of roses. For a moment, he looked over to his own burial spot. The rifle that had once marked the location was now gone, having been given to Princess Celestia herself for what she called, a formal meet and greet.

Looking back to the headstone of his friend, he wiped the water clean from the markings his friend had left. “I hope so... and when you do... I'll be waiting for you. But until we meet again, goodbye... old friend...” he said as he stood up, tipping the brow of his cowpony hat in respect with his front hoof.

His wife stepped up beside him, being the same height as her husband, as she cradled their son in one of her front legs. With the rain still coming down, the duo slowly walked away from the lonely cemetery. On the headstone read...

“AQUI!” came a voice just as the flash of a camera went of, startling Twilight and having Lassie turn to look over her shoulder. Lassie had been leaning on the passenger side mirror, watching Twilight daydream.

A young bipedal cat morph ran over and began speaking. “Eres muy hermosa y odio pedirte cinco bits Ecuestres para el nuevo juego de mesa que quiero comprar. Si no compra la foto, tendré que gastar mi ahorros para comprarle a mi madre una nueva película para cámara,” the cat boy said. Twilight looked to him with a puzzled expression. Knowing it was Spanish but having missed a few words with how startled she was and how quickly he spoke.

His mother, the gas attendant, came over and Twilight looked to her. “What did he just say?” the Alicorn asked in a curious way.

“He said 'you are very beautiful and I hate to ask you for five Equestrian Bits for the new board game I want to buy. If you don't buy the photo, I'll have to spend my savings to buy my mother new camera film',” the cat woman informed her. Before Twilight could speak however, Lassie merely chuckled.

“Good hustle kid... cuatro,” she replied, offering the cat boy a few bits. The child nodded, taking the money and handing Lassie the photo. “Damn... I look sexy as buck in this photo,” Lassie said, smirking before looking to Twilight. “Here, you should hang onto this... then one day when we're both old wrinkle bags, you can prove to your daughter that we were both MILFs at one point,” she teased, Twilight giving her a sour look.

Lassie merely laughed it off. “Oh relax, I bought it for sentimental purposes,” Lassie laughed, handing over the photo before walking around to the other side of the truck and getting in. Starting the truck and putting it into gear, the trio departed towards the distant horizon, Celestia's setting sun now casting an orange haze over the world.

“Where was I?” Twilight spoke into the microphone as she looked to Lassie, then to her daughter, and finally to the setting sun. “Your father... should I tell you everything about him or not... gosh a pony could go crazy just thinking about it... and in the short time we had together, we loved a lifetime's worth... so I guess I will tell you... he deserves that much,” she said into the microphone.

Lassie lowered a set of aviator sunglasses onto her face as she leaned back, left front leg on the windowcill of the truck door, the other steering. Twilight looked back out to the sunset before opening Evan's journal and began reading.

“How do you start a story? Something I probably should've thought about before I tried this but I'll just wing it, how's that sound?...”

Author's Notes:

You know, looking back on this, there were so many things I wanted to put in, things that changed over the course of writing it. Wow, so glad I finally came back, I've been wanting to finish this for so long. Anywho,

One final cheers from the character of Evan/Burdy before I move on to my next story