Andy. Engine Guardsmen Andrew Shepherd. Andy had one of the most important jobs on the entire train. His job was to help protect the crew of the engine, as well as the engine itself. He and Fred were the 2 engine guardsmen for Secondary Crew, and their job was to protect myself, Alex, and Todd while we drove the Big Boy.

Andy had been with the train starting from the Battle of Des Moines, when one of the previous guardsmen was killed. It always unnerved him that he'd been promoted to replace a dead man, but it was war, so it was his duty. He was also glad to be with his life-long friend again; 2nd Fireman Alex Barkley.

He and Alex had been friends since they were just getting into middle school back in Minnesota. Once they got older, they both talked about joining the military.

"Eh, I dunno Andy. It would take something VERY major for me to join the military, but you can join if you want to!"

All while the 2 of them were still thinking about what to do, just after they got out of high school, WW3 began. THAT was major enough for both of them to join the military!

From WW3, they were together in WW4 as well, but then towards the end, they got separated. Eventually, when the Futas came to power, Alex was sold off to a Futa mistress, although Andy managed to survive on his own in the wilderness in what became Futa-held territory before making it back to the US. Eventually, he joined the RWD, and was assigned to Battalion 4009 as a soldier. Then to his delight, he was able to meet up with Alex again!

"ALEX!!!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!"

"ANDY!?!?!?!? IS THAT REALLY YOU!?!?!?!" The two of them couldn't have been more happy to see each other again, and since they were both a part of Secondary Crew, they were always together in the cab with myself, Todd, and Fred when we were on duty.

All throughout the course of WW6, Andy and Fred were the engine guardsmen who kept Alex, Todd and I safe while we did our work. With their own guns, as well as the forward cannons located alongside the engine's boiler, and the AA gun and 2 machine guns on the roof, they both easily became the bane of any Futas who tried to attack the train.

"I'll do my job so that you do your job Captain Leopard. Fred and I'll be here to keep you, Alex and Todd safe!"

I knew that he would too, as I'd seen Andy in action many times. "I know Andy, and I and the rest of us of Secondary Crew are grateful to you and Fred. Without you guys, we might have been killed a LONG time ago!"

"Eh, you're welcome Captain Leopard. Now then, let's continue on our road to Vegas, shall we?"

I nodded. "Yes, let's!"

Once we arrived in Euqestria though, Fred and Andy were both hurt. Not too bad, although they were knocked down from the roof of the car that they'd been on, and fell into the 1st dining car, or the 5th car from the engine. Both of them had helped to beat back the Wonderbolts when they tried to board the train close to the front, and they'd also been among those who exited the train when it came to a stop outside of Ponyville station, ready to do battle with the Futas that they believed had been attacking us.

When they did though, they, as well as the others, got the biggest shock of their lives! Not only were there no Futas to be seen anywhere, but they were surrounded by bipedal, multicolored, equine-like beings! Once they learned that the "Ponies", as they learned that the creatures were called were not hostile, Fred went back to secure his post while Andy tried to see if he could get a chance to talk to some of the Ponies.

What most people don't remember about Andy though, or maybe they just don't know, was that he was the only one of us who married an Element Bearer who actually didn't meet his future wife before the war ended! Yes, you read that right, Andy didn't meet Rarity until AFTER the Imperial War ended!

Eventually though, Andy learned about what the Zebras and the Caribou were trying to do to the Ponies.

"That's.......terrible! That sounds just like what the Futas were trying to do to us!" He was itching for a fight with those monstrosities.

He didn't have too long to wait though. Not too long after our meeting with the Princesses of the land, the train came under attack! Myself and 13 others were able to hold the line and drive back the invaders, but we all knew that they were going to be back.

Later that same night, Andy was manning a gun on the roof of the train, when all of a sudden, he spotted a series of bright flashes in the sky.

"Huh? What are those flashes?" Just then though, all of the train's alarms began to blare. General Quarters was sounded, and everyone and everypony were racing to their battle stations!

"Oh shit, IT'S THE ENEMY!!!! THEY'RE BACK!!!!!" He then manned his machine gun, and prepared to repel the enemy.

During the entire 4, almost 5 hours that the Battle of Ponyville lasted, Andy never left the train. He did shift his position a few times, but he always manned a gun on the train.

He was up on the roof, when all of a sudden he heard Jim shout up to him. "ANDY, WATCH OUT!!! THERE'S A BUNCH OF ZEBRAS HEADING YOUR WAY, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO THE 2nd RAILGUNS!!! STOP THEM DEAD!!!!"

"Roger that Jim!" Andy then manned a machine gun, and got ready to deal out some death.

Sure enough, the enemy was coming right for him! A number of Zebras suddenly burst out of a roof hatch on the car just behind where Andy was, and while they were trying to make their way up farther along the train, he gunned them down!

"Woo hoo!!!!! Enemies down Jim! I got 'em all!"

"Great shots Andy, and great timing too! If you hadn't been up there, then they would have made it farther up into the train!"

"Eh, thanks Jim! Now then, let's keep fighting this battle!"

"Roger that!"

Everyone and everypony kept going.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Ponyville, we of the Battleship Express declared war on the Imperial Alliance, and vowed to NEVER AGAIN let them gain a foothold in Equestria!

"Ponyville was your high-water mark!" Don warned them. "Now, you will PAY for what you tried to do to Equestria!"

We meant every word of of what we said. The Zebras and Caribou thought that we were bluffing; they shouldn't have.

As I said later, "We're Humans. We don't play nice, we don't fight fair, if we have weapons we'll use them, and if you become our enemy, we will pursue you until the ends of the Earth! We will find you, and when we do, we will ANNIHILATE YOU!!! You will NEVER live to rue the day that you became an enemy of Humanity! And for those of us who have fought through as many wars as we have, we will be the last thing that you ever see!"

Our enemies were going to have to find out the hard way just what we meant about what we said, and they would begin to find out when the Battle of Las Pegasus went down.

For our enemies, Las Pegasus was a shit-show. They got ANNIHILATED by our weapons! We did take losses, but the battle was far more devastating for our enemies. Never again would the Caribou be strong enough to threaten Equestria again. We broke their backs, and from that point onward they would be fighting a defensive war.

For the Zebras on the other hand, they still had offensive capabilities. Once Zakia broke away from the Imperial Alliance, he swore that the Zebras would emerge victorious. Originally, the plan was for the Imperial Alliance to lay siege to the city of Baltimare, but Zakia didn't want to do that. Instead, he sent forces under General Tarrath to attack and capture Appaloosa and Dodge City before preparing for a drive North.

The Battle of Appaloosa was one of the darkest days of the war. More Equestrians died in that battle than ANY other battle fought on Equestrian soil. For the Zebras efforts, although they were able to burn down Appaloosa, as well as lay siege to Dodge City, we showed up to stop them.

With Humans and Ponies working side by side, we wiped out the Zebras, and drove them back to the Macintosh Hills, before tearing the hills apart with our artillery! Fewer than 4,000 Zebras and their allies managed to survive the battle.

As King Danin said to Zakia later, "Congratulations! I've NEVER seen someone lose THAT MANY soldiers in a campaign for two tiny, worthless desert towns! BRAVO!"

For their credit though, the Zebras achieved their greatest victory; the same victory that would ultimately lead to their (aside from a handful of prisoners) total extinction; the capture of 4 of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

However, the Zebras overlooked a few small details. 3 out of 4 of those mares had Human-Wolf, now Human-Pony coltfriends, and 2 of those were high-ranking officers. ALL of them were CQC masters, and when they learned that their marefriends had been taken by the Zebras, their anger knew no boundaries!

For Andy, even though he didn't have a personal connection with any of the Element Bearers like myself, Don, Alex, and even Dan and Todd did, he did feel the anger that the rest of us felt.

"They CANNOT be allowed to get away with this! They MUST be punished for their sins!"

And punished they were. Like the rest of us, Andy was also involved with most, if not all of the campaigns in the Zebra Empire.

"I was a soldier before I was an engine guardsmen. I KNOW how to do this! Let's just get in there, and get the job done so that we can go home!" Andy secretly missed Earth a lot. Unlike most of the rest of us, he actually had a few family members left. His dad and one of his brothers were still alive, and for all he knew, he had been declared dead.

"I want to go home so badly", he muttered to himself, "I had the BEST job in the world before the wars began. I made one of the FINEST clothing lines in the world! Now it's gone, all gone. If only there was a way to bring it back......."

2 days later, not too long after the reconstruction of Appaloosa began, the time had come for us to move beyond the Macintosh Hills, and into the Zebra Empire.

From the Badlands, to the 3 forts inside of it, Andy was right there with all of those of us who stormed them. He was injured by a glancing hit to his shoulder, but the wound was minor.

Once the conquest of the Badlands was complete, we then moved on to the rest of the Zebra Empire. Our first target was the series of villages that surrounded the city of Bandia, which also housed the chemical plant. Although Andy was not one of those assigned to attacking the chemical plant, he was one of the ones who helped damage the chemical pipes that led to the surrounding towns so that they would be destroyed as well.

Once the town, as well as the surrounding areas were destroyed, it was time for one of the most critical battles in the Zebra Empire; Zandia.

For Andy, he was assigned to my group as we went for Zandia. He was even there when the doors to Tarrath's office were blasted in, although he didn't go inside. He did however provide cover for those who were transporting the wounded back to the train, including myself.

Andy was assigned to guard duty while my procedure to become a Human-Bat-Pony was underway, but once I was done with that, he told me that he really didn't notice any difference.

"You still look pretty much the same to me Leopard. Maybe you have a few new features, but overall you still look the same."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, thanks Andy. Your powers of observation know no boundaries!"

He then left me be while I took the time to recover, before returning to duty.

After this day, aside from a few other battles, came the final battle in the Zebra Empire; Zebrica itself.

Andy's role was much like the rest of us; get to the palace, and save the hostages, all while wreaking as much havoc as we possibly could. No Zebras could be allowed to escape, and those that weren't killed, (which was almost all of them!) were captured. Zebrica fell, Zakia was captured, but yet only half of the hostages were rescued. Twilight, Applejack, and Dan were safe, but Cole, Dash and Pinkie, had been sent to the Caribou Empire.

"So, what do we do now?" Andy asked Fred.

Fred sighed. "Most likely, we'll be heading into the Caribou Empire next. Don and Leopard tried to reason with Danin, the leader of the Caribou, but he refused to listen. I don't know when we'll be pulling out, but I do know that it will be soon."

It was sooner than Andy expected. After taking a day to nuke the rest of the Zebra Empire, we then backtracked back through the Zebra Empire again, and from there we headed on over to the Caribou Empire.

All throughout this campaign, Andy was a front and center witness to ALL of the major battles. To the breaching of Hell's Gate, to the Battle of Marrow, to the MASSIVE drive to Dock Town, to the battle there, to our trip to Lake Town, to Rendale, Hilden, Carlon, Donneth, and even Bryerton. The only real battle that he missed was Danton, but that was due to his being in Carlon.

"The battles against the Caribou were much harder than those against the Zebras", He said later. "The Caribou were MUCH more disciplined, were better armed, and all around better soldiers. They did have their weaknesses, and we were able to exploit these, but I can say with a fair amount of certainty that we lost more men fighting against the Caribou than we did against the Zebras. I'm glad that it's all over now, and that the only place that I have to fight these monsters is in my head."

And indeed, Andy's statements seemed to ring true with the rest of us as well. Aside from the Futas, and maybe those from the Black World Order, the Caribou were the toughest opponents that we'd ever faced. According to Celestia, the Caribou were the strongest military force in all of Equus, with the Zebras and Equestrians being tied for second place. The Zebras fell, and the Caribou were toppled with them.

The fiercest battles of all were the battles for Carlon, Danton, and Donneth. By the time that we got there, the Caribou were almost suicidal, and were throwing literally EVERYTHING that they had at us! It was a scary time, but it was one that had to be fought and won.

Eventually, the battles were over, and it was time for all of us to head back home again. From Bryerton, we returned to Donneth, and from there to Zandia, Appaloosa, until we finally managed to reach Ponyville once again. When we arrived, the crowds all cheered for us, although Andy, like most of the others, had no family or friends waiting for him, so he remained on the train until the crowds had died down. He was also one of the many train crew who stayed with the train once it had been moved to the Old Railyards.

"I still can't believe that we won Fred. It still just seems so.......weird, that we're now living in a world without war."

Fred looked past his marefriend, Lyra, as she sat on his lap. He kept having to look past her so that he could continue his conversation with Andy. Lyra was SO HAPPY to have her Human-coltfriend back, but it was getting annoying for Fred.

"Yeah, I know what you mean Andy, and......Lyra! Will you stop that?! I'm TRYING to have a conversation here!" Lyra kept kissing and licking Fred's neck.

She giggled. "Sorry Babe! I'm just SO happy to have you back!"

Fred groaned. He thought back to the day that they arrived in Ponyville for the first time. "That was the day that I met Lyra, as well as her friend, Bon Bon. Lyra seemed to like me instantly, and wanted me to be her coltfriend. Being a 27 year old single male, I didn't see any problems with starting a relationship with her, but MAYBE I should have thought this through a little bit better!" He kept trying to push Lyra off of him, or to at least get her to stop being such a pain, but he couldn't pry her loose!

Finally, he just gave up. "Yeah, I know what you mean Andy. Not having to be on high alert at all times, actually being able to enjoy life for a change, and just.........actually being given the chance to start over again; a chance that I didn't think that we would ever get again."

"Yeah......it's so.....weird. It's a new world now Fred, and we just have to learn how to move with it. I know that we'll get there, but I think that it will take a while."

Andy was right about this. It would take a while, a LONG while, and there would be a lot of pain and heartaches along the way.

Over the course of the next couple of days, Andy was one of many who helped out with the construction of the Imperial War Museum. Up until the night of the ball, our efforts were focused on the foundation. Once it was time for the ball though, all of us went to get ready.

Once he was ready though, Andy did feel a bit sad because he didn't have a date for the ball. ALL of the rest of those from Secondary Crew did, as did a number of others on the train as well. He felt left out.

"Um, excuse me Sergeant Shepherd, but I was wondering, would you be interested in being my date for the Victory Ball?"

Andy turned around, and there standing behind him was a Unicorn mare with white fur, blue eyes, a curled, purple mane and tail, and one of the most beautiful dresses that he had ever seen.

"Oh, h-hello Miss Rarity. And, did you just ask me to be your date for the ball?"

She nodded. "Yes I did Darling. Twilight and the rest of my friends have dates, but I got left out. I DO NOT want to have to deal with that, (forgive my language!) bastard 'Prince' Blueblood! I was also informed that you didn't have a date either, so would you be interested in going with me?"

To say that Andy was surprised would have been an understatement; he was shocked! In truth, Rarity was his Pony-waifu, and from what he could tell, they were both interested in designing clothing.

He nodded slowly. "Certainly. If you would allow it, then yes, I'll be your date for the ball!"

Rarity squealed a bit in delight. "Perfect! Oh THANK YOU Darling! You don't know how much this means to me!"

Andy shrugged. "Eh, don't mention it. It's my job to serve."

Soon though, it was time to leave, and the Battleship Express pulled out for Canterlot.

On the way there, Andy did get a chance to talk to Rarity a bit.

"So, you're the up-and-coming fashionista that everypony's always talking about?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, fashion is my PASSION! Ever since I was a young filly, I've always been interested in fashion, and designing my own clothes. My shop in Ponyville, the Carousel Boutique, has become so famous that I've also opened shops in Canterlot, and even Manehattan! Can you believe it Darling? Plus, your uniforms are so STYLISH!" Rarity was feeling the sleeves of Andy's uniform.

"I'll simply HAVE to create a new line of styles from this now that the war is over, and I don't have to make clothes for the soldiers anymore! I also see now that a line of utility clothing can be made from the patterns of your standard field uniforms, and even your Big Boy locomotive can serve as inspiration as well! Oh, but do forgive me Darling, for I have rambled a bit. Now then, what is your passion?"

Andy sighed. "Well, as hard as it may be to believe, designing clothes is also my passion. I went to a special school to learn how to be a tailor, and that taught me a LOT about making clothes! I was only into men's clothes though, and my specialty was utility work clothes, suits, and military uniforms. My home-base store, "Pants N' Stitches", became an absolute sensation. Tell me Miss Rarity, how much can suits for men cost?"

"Oh, they tend to be DREADFULLY expensive Darling!"

Andy smirked. "Well, what if I told you that my store could make a full custom-made suit, complete with shirt, tie, jacket, cuff links, pants, socks, shoes, and a belt, that was FAR better than ANY other available suit, for $100 plus tax, and that also included a lifetime warranty?"

Rarity looked at him like he was insane. "That's absolutely MAD Darling!!!! It's IMPOSSIBLE!"

Andy smirked. "Heh, that's what EVERYONE ELSE said too! They said that I would NEVER turn a profit! Well, guess who showed them! I also could make pants that were pretty darn near IMPOSSIBLE to rip no matter how hard you tried, and a number of other items in men's clothing as well."

Rarity was intrigued. "But, what happened Darling? It sounds like your business was a resounding success!"

"It was, up until the end of WW3 anyway. My business was destroyed in WW4, and all throughout WW4 and WW5, I helped by making uniforms, and other clothing-related items for the military. By WW6 though, I could stand it no longer; I HAD to help fight! Long story short, I was drafted into the RWD, and eventually I got placed in Battalion 4009. Eventually, I was promoted to engine-guardsman to replace someone who was killed. I've been in that position ever since."

Rarity was shocked. Andy, like so many others, talked about the wars, as well as replacing someone who was killed, with almost no emotions at all. "It's like it's just another day in their life", She thought. "Some die, and others come forwards to replace them while those who are still alive move on like it's normal!"

"Yes, it's a horrible cycle", Andy said softly, seemingly sensing her thoughts, "But what can one really do about it in wartime?"

Rarity opened her mouth like she was going to answer, but instead she just closed it, and instead focused on the ball ahead.

For Rarity and Andy, just like the rest of us, the ball went very well. Thanks to Andy's death-glare, Blueblood kept his distance, although unlike the situation involving myself, Dash, and of course Zephyr, it didn't come to blows.

"You're SO much better than him Andrew Darling!" Rarity told him as they danced.

Andy blushed a bit. "Eh, you can just call me Andy Miss Rarity. Everypony else does."

She nodded. "Of course Darling. Also, after thinking it over a bit more, how interested would you be in possibly trying to restart your clothing business?"

"I've been interested in doing THAT since my store got burned down! I would LOVE the chance to try again!"

"Well, I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm Darling. The truth is, I've always specialized in clothing for mares, but yet there is also a large market for stallion's clothing as well. Maybe if we pooled our talents, we could really capture at least a corner of the clothing market! I mean, I already have my boutique here in Ponyville, and I could get you the supplies that you needed, so maybe........we could be business partners?"

Andy was shocked. Here he was being offered a chance to restart the business that he loved more than anything else in the world, and he was well and truly flabbergasted! He didn't know what to say!

"Golly........for once in my life......I honestly don't know what to say!"

"But, you will you accept my proposal, right Darling?" She held out her hand.

Andy sighed, but then he reached out his own hand, and shook Rarity's. "You have yourself a deal Miss Rarity. Maybe with your help, Pants N' Stitches can rise again from the ashes!"

They both agreed to help each other, and soon were drawing up plans for their new business idea.

For the next few months, while the museum was being built, Andy was hard at work in the Carousel Boutique. Wearing gray dress pants with a notebook in the back pocket, black dress shoes, a white dress shirt that was somewhat wrinkled and had the sleeves rolled up as well as the top 2 buttons undone, an untied red bowtie, a tailor's tape around his neck when he wasn't using it, and black glasses, not to mentioned slightly messy red hair and a pencil in his mouth, Andy was busy measuring stallions for their new suits and other clothes in the section of the boutique that Rarity had set aside for Pants N' Stitches.

Once he'd created his first designer suits, as well as a line of work clothes, he pitched them in Canterlot where they were met with resounding applause.

"Sensational!" One of the designers raved. "I've never seen such a young stallion with such talent at designing clothes!"

"He's amazing! Not only is all of his work custom-made, but he makes it all himself! From start to finish, it's all him!"

"And all of it for stallions too! I sure wish that there were more stores like Pants N' Stitches, and more tailors/clothing designers like Andy Shepherd in the world!"

Through it all, Andy remained as humble as he could. "It's not all about me though", He told the press, "I'm just an ordinary guy, who happens to have a talent in tailoring and designing clothes. I just put my skills to work in the public sphere, and this was the result!"

And between him and Rarity, business soared.

Over time though, although they started out as just business partners and close friends, their relationship began to become more intimate. Anypony could tell by the way that they carried themselves around each other; the way that they looked at the other when they thought that the other wasn't looking, and the way that they seemed to complete each other, that others could tell that they were in love.

"I'm happy for you Andy." Don told him. "She seems to be the perfect mare for you, and together I know that the two of you will be VERY happy!"

Andy laughed a bit. "Heh, yeah. I can imagine us growing old together. Sitting in rocking chairs by a fireplace, her knitting, and myself sewing, still doing what we love."

"Are, you going to propose to her soon?"

Andy nodded. "Yeah, but I'm going to wait until the Winter-clothing season begins, as we're both still a little bit tied up right now!"

After talking with Don for a little while longer though, Andy had to get back to work at the boutique.

One night though, in mid-January, the time had come. Andy wanted Alex and I present when he proposed to Rarity, so we, as well as our spouses, complied. I once again filmed the whole ordeal.

Rarity was sitting at her sewing machine, while Andy was trying to put the finishing touches on a suit that he was working on. Dash, Spitfire and I were sitting on a couch close by, while Alex and Applejack sat in a chair next to us.

"Hey Rarity?"

"Yes Darling?"

"Can.....you maybe come over here for a second? I've kinda goofed something up, and I want your advice on how to fix it."

Rarity looked up from her sewing machine. "Certainly Darling!" She walked over, and Andy was holding what looked to be a flap on the jacket of the suit up with his hand.

"Um, I don't see anything wrong with it Darling. It just looks like you didn't finish the stitching."

Andy then let go of the flap, and a small black box with a small bow became visible.

"Wait, what's that Darling?" Rarity had an idea, but her mind wouldn't let her believe that it was so.

Andy picked up the box. "Rarity, ever since I got to know you better on the train, as well as during the ball, I knew that there was something special about you. You helped me restart my old clothing business from the ground up, and because of that, the business was a resounding success.

However, during that time, I began to see something more in you. I saw you as more than a friend, but I didn't know if you felt the same way about me. Now that I know though, I guess that I just have one more thing to say." Andy then got down on his knee, and after opening the box, revealing an engagement ring, he took Rarity by her hand. "Rarity, will you marry me?"

When Rarity saw that the love of her life was proposing to her, all she could do was, like all of the rest of the Mane 6 did when their (Human) coltfriends proposed to them, put her hands over her mouth and blush. Eventually though, she did hug Andy.

"Yes." She said softly. "Of course I will Darling! You mean the WORLD to me, and I couldn't BEAR to live without you!"

Andy hugged her back, and once he was standing up again, Rarity pulled him in close and kissed him.

"Well, looks like the last of my group of close friends will be married here before too long." Dash whispered softly.

I nodded. "Yeah. Dan's already proposed to Pinkie, and she said yes, so yeah, now that Rarity is engaged, it'll be a race to see who gets married next. I mean, you and I went first, then Spits and I, then Alex and Applejack, Don and Twilight are planning on a Spring wedding, as are Todd and Fluttershy. Dan and Pinkie want a Summer wedding, so I wonder what Andy and Rarity will pick."

"Yeah, I kinda wonder too". Spitfire said softly, before resting her head on my shoulder.

I held my 2 wives close. "I love both of you so much, you guys know that right?"

They both looked at each other, before both of them kissed one of my cheeks.

"Yeah, we know Stud", Dash whispered.

"Yeah, you tell us both every day!"

"Well, I just love both of you guys that much!"

They both giggled a bit. "Yeah, and we both love you too Stud!"

We all then got back to watching the scene in front of us play out.

Sure enough, when Spring began to turn into Summer, the invitations for the wedding went out. The date was set for May 12th, 2030, and it was going to be held in the park close to the boutique. Andy decided that Alex was going to be his best man, while Rarity wanted her assistant, Sassy Saddles, to be her Mare of Honor.

For Andy's bachelor's party, we managed to nab him while he was leaving Pants N' Stitches one night, and we dragged him off to Iron Glory. Once the train was underway, we revealed to him that we were just on an excursion trip, complete with a barbecue, and even some (mild) alcohol and karaoke! (We would have done this with the Battleship Express, but alas, at the time the Big Boy was down for boiler and firebox work. Iron Glory was the only other train that we had).

"This.......this was great you guys. Even though you DID kidnap me, I think that I can forgive you for it!"

We all laughed a bit, and congratulated Andy on winning Rarity's heart, as well as his success in his clothing business.

Eventually though, the day of the wedding arrived. May 12th proved to be overcast, but yet the Pegasai managed to keep the rain at bay. Wedding setup was complete, and the wedding parties were getting ready. This was a bit unusual for Rarity, as for all of her other friends, it was HER who helped them into their dresses, but now Sassy was the one helping her into her dress.

"This still just feels so.......unusual. I feel like I should be helping the bride with her dress, but yet this time I AM the bride!"

Sassy giggled a bit. "Yes, but you are certainly a beautiful one Rarity!"

And indeed she was. Her white dress was lined with purple trim, as well as a few purple bows. Once everything was ready, Rarity pulled her veil over her face. "How do I look?"

"Absolutely stunning!"

The rest of her friends agreed. Rarity looked over them all. "Well, today I'll join most of the rest of you. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight, and Fluttershy are all married, and Pinkie is engaged, and today I join you who are married to become a married mare!"

"And we're all SUPER DUPER happy for you too Rarity!" Pinkie cheered.

Rarity hugged all of them. "I'll never find friends like you again even if I keep looking for a million years! Thank your for being here with me!"

"You're welcome Rarity!"

Suddenly though, the music began to pipe up.

"Ok, that's our cue to get into position! Let's go!"

They all then went to their pre-wedding positions.

For Andy, getting ready was a matter of getting into his formal uniform, complete with the rest of us helping him.

"So, are you ready for this Andy?" Alex asked him.

"As ready as I'll ever be Alex."

"Well, I can tell you right now that you have NOTHING to worry about! My wedding, as well as Leopard's weddings, Todd's wedding, and Don's wedding all went off without a hitch, so why would yours be any different?"

"I don't think that it would be!"

Once we were all ready though, it was time for the transfer ceremony. As per the usual, Don performed it.

"Name please."

"Andy Shepherd."

"Name of your beloved?"

"Rarity."

"And you do love her, do you not?"

"Yes Sir! More than anything!"

"And you vow to love her to your dying day, no matter what?"

"Yes Sir."

"Ok then, hand please." Andy then gave Don his hand, and after his finger was pricked, he added his bloody fingerprint to the growing list of names.

Once this was over, it was time for the ceremony to begin.

By this time, all of the guests had taken their seats, and Father Charles stepped up to the arbor at the front of where the wedding was to take place. Then the ceremony began.

First, the groom walked in, accompanied by his groomsmen, Alex as his Best Man, and of course, the usual soldier escort. Once the soldiers had taken their potions along the aisle, Andy joined Father Charles at the front of the arbor, with Alex behind him, and the rest of us beside him.

Then the music changed, and when the bride walked in, as always, everpony stopped and stared at her. Her dress was so beautiful, and she carried herself with such grace. She was followed by Sassy as her Mare of Honor, and the rest of her bridesmaids. As always, the CMC's were the flower girls, and for this wedding, Todd was picked to be the ring bearer. Once Rarity reached the front, she joined her Beloved in front of Father Charles, and after turning to face him, she took his hands gently into her own.

Father Charles then cleared his throat. "Now then, we have all gathered here today to celebrate 2 more lives about to become one. Are both of you two ready to begin?"

"Yes Sir, we are!"

"I'm ready Father Charles."

He nodded slowly. "Ok then. Please bring up the rings Todd." Todd then brought them. Father Charles then turned to Andy. "Do you, Andrew Shepherd, take this mare, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, through the good times, and the bad, to love until the end of time, no matter what?"

Andy nodded, before slipping his ring onto Rarity's finger. "I do! I take you Rarity, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, through the good times, and the bad, to love until the end of time, no matter what!"

Father Charles then turned to Rarity. "And do you, Miss Rarity, take this Man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, through the good times, and the bad, to love until the end of time, no matter what?"

Rarity nodded, and with tears in her eyes, she slipped her ring onto Andy's finger. "Yes, I do! I take you Darling, to be my lawfully wedded husband! To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, through the good times, and the bad, to love until the end of time, no matter what!"

Father Charles then turned to the crowd. "Now then, do any of you have any objections to this union? If so, speak now, or forever hold your peace!"

Everyone and everypony looked like they were ready to start cheering, but there were no objections.

"Nobody? Ok then, by the power vested in me as presider over this wedding union, I pronounce you both husband and mare! You can kiss the bride Andy!"

Andy then gently lifted up Rarity's veil before kissing her. We all then cheered loudly for the new married couple.

Once the cake was complete, it was time for the couple's first dance. Since Andy was a HUGE Billy Joel fan, and he loved Rarity deeply, he picked out this song for her.

Once they were done dancing, the rest of us got in on the act as well. Eventually though, it was time for them to leave on their honeymoon. They'd picked the Waldhoof Astoria Hotel in Canterlot, and their carriage was waiting to take them to the train station. Just before they left though, they had to toss out the bouquet and the garter.

"Everypony ready?" Rarity asked.

"Oh yes!"

"Well heads up, here it comes!" Rarity then tossed it, and it ended up getting caught by her little sister Sweetie Belle.

"Wow, thanks Sis!"

"You're welcome Sweetie! And good catch!"

Andy then tossed out the Garter, and it ended up getting caught by Fred, who in another few weeks would be going down the aisle with his own marefriend-turned-fiance, Lyra.

Once we all finished attaching the recycled mannequin and sewing machine parts to the back of the carriage, the happy couple raced away for the train to Canterlot.

Dan sighed as he watched them go. "Man, I sure wish that that was ME right now!"

Cole walked over to him. "I know Dan, although very soon, it WILL be! Just hang in there a bit longer, you'll make it!"

Dan knew that his friend was right. In a few short weeks, it would be him, and Pinkie Pie. In the meantime though, he continued to wave as the carriage pulled away.

Ok guys, I KNOW what I said last time about NOT taking this long for a new chapter, and I PROFUSELY apologize! My schedule has remained unchanged for almost 3 weeks now, and I don't have the time that I need in the evenings to sit down and write out a full chapter in one go.

HOWEVER, this will change. Now, I have this chapter out, and the next 3, 12-13.5, will be all about Leopard, Rainbow Dash, and Spitfire, as well as their wedding nights. All 3 of these chapters should be out in a fairly short span of time, NOT the 2 weeks that it required for this chapter!

Anyway though, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and now, all of the Element Bearers but Rainbow Dash are married, so now, all that's left is her wedding, to Leopard. I hope that all of you are as excited as I am for that chapter, and It WILL be out soon!

Meanwhile, as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story, are always appreciated, and I'll see you all in Chapter 12!

ScarFox out for now!