For a few days after we all got back from our honeymoon, everything was calm and peaceful. Soon though, Fall began to turn into Winter.

In mid-November, just before the American Holiday of Thanksgiving, the snows began to fall. They weren't too bad, and lasted for a day or so, leaving a few inches on the ground. Thanksgiving passed, but then on November 27th, 2029, orders suddenly came down from Canterlot.

Don called all of us from Battalion 4009 together, where onboard the Battleship Express, Celestia and Luna had a new job for all of us.

"Major Don, Captain Leopard, Jim, and others from the Battleship Express and Battalion 4009, it is a pleasure to see all of you again!"

"Likewise Princesses!" Don said warmly. "Now then, what was it that you had to tell us? Something about another job?"

Celestia nodded slowly. "Yes, I have another job for all of you. Before the hard snows of Winter set in, myself, Princess Luna, as well as ambassadors from the Griffon Kingdom, have decided that the time is right to bring the war prisoners that have been kept in Zebrica and Donneth to Canterlot, so that the war trials can begin."

When Celestia said that, we were all shocked. Sure, we knew that the trials were going to be held eventually, but we didn't think that they would begin before the year was out.

"And, what do you want us to do, Princess?" Don asked her.

Celestia turned to him. "I want you and your crew to go to both Zebrica, and Donneth, get the prisoners, and bring them to Canterlot. Troops, as well as any additional trains that you might need will be sent with you to supply you with whatever you need." When Celestia said that, the full scope of our mission was realized. We would be going to fetch the prisoners, and bring them back to Equestria to stand trial. We would also have to protect them, as there still could be a few Caribou and Zebra holdouts out there that would just LOVE a chance to liberate their leaders and fellow soldiers!

Don saluted. "As you wish Princesses, it shall be done! When do you want us to leave?"

"As soon as possible Major. You HAVE to get them back here before the Winter sets in!"

"Give us 5 days to prepare, 2 to reach Zebrica, 3 more to Donneth, and then 2-3 more to get back here, for a total of 14-15 days. By December 8th or 9th, we should be back, and the prisoners will be ready to stand trial. Give or take a few days for any weather delays."

Celestia nodded. "Yes, and I shall inform the others that the trials are to begin soon, as they'll need time to prepare. In the meantime though, godspeed, my faithful soldiers!"

"Thank you Princesses, we won't let you down!"

After Celestia and Luna left, we all began to prepare not only the Battleship Express, but also Iron Glory for the long journeys ahead of them.

Sure enough, on November 29th, we were all ready to go. With sunshine, and 45 degrees on the thermometer, we were ready. Iron Glory, as well as 2 other trains would be hauling prisoners, while a few would be held on the Battleship Express, which would also be protecting the other trains. We weren't expecting trouble, but in our experience, NOTHING was beyond the realm of possibility!

We decided that any officers would be put on Iron Glory, while the other prisoners would be on the other 2 trains, and any with medical needs, (i.e. General Rodin) would be onboard the Battleship Express.

Eventually, by about 10am, we were ready to leave. Our wives, fiances, and friends came to see us off.

"Goodbye Stud, PLEASE come back to me safely!"

"I will Dash! You can count on me! All we have to do is get there, grab the prisoners, and get them to Canterlot for trial. Nothing more, nothing less. The war is over, so we're not expecting any trouble."

Dash hugged me, as did Spitfire. "Yeah, we know Stud, but still, something could happen, and if it did, it would be DEVASTATING!!!!"

"Yeah, I know guys, but don't worry. We've done MUCH WORSE than a prisoner transfer before, and we're professionals! We KNOW what we're doing, and it should only take 2 weeks at the most to get the job done. Then I'll be home, and THEN we can get to work on building onto our house, ok?"

Dash sighed. "Yeah, that sounds nice Stud! Just call us when you get the chance, ok?"

I kissed them. "Sure Girls, and give Daring a kiss goodbye for me, will ya?" (Daring had to stay behind, as AK Yearling really wouldn't have any business being near the Battleship Express at that time.)

They both kissed me again. "Yeah, we will Stud, and take care!"

I kissed them back, before climbing up into the Big Boy's cab. "Will do Girls! Bye for now! And I'll be bringing Argus back when I come back!" I then blew the whistle, and once I'd gotten the signal from Don, I began to move the Battleship Express away from the partially completed museum, out of the Old Railyard, and back onto the main line. Behind us came Iron Glory, as well as the other two trains, their crews, and more soldiers.

Once we were out of sight, Spitfire turned to Dash. "Um, who, or what is Argus?"

Dash smirked. "Oh, Argus was the Caribou War Beast that Stud rode during the battles of Carlon and Donneth. He was riding him when he burst into the throne room to save me, and I even got a chance to ride him out of Donneth once Stud had Pinkie and I safe! Princess Celestia wanted her scientists to be able to study the Caribou's War Beasts so that they could hopefully be bred here in Equestria for pack work, as well as riding."

Spitfire nodded. "Ok, well that makes sense. And that sounds pretty interesting. I'll be interested to see these War Beasts once they've been brought back here."

After talking about this for a few minutes longer, both of them went to get ready, before heading off to Wonderbolt Academy for the Winter Training Season.

For the most part, the trip to get the prisoners was REALLY boring. Our first stop was Zebrica, where we were going to pick up the few Zebra prisoners that we'd captured. In total, only 873 Zebras had been captured, and of these, 711 were female. The rest were soldiers, a few officers, and of course, Zakia himself. Zakia had recovered somewhat from being our sex-slave, but according to the latest reports, he still looked pretty girly.

When we arrived in Zebrica, our trains all pulled into the designated sidings. While the prisoners were being transferred to the train, some of us looked around the city. It looked pretty different than when we last saw it. For starters, there were no Zebras, only Ponies, and even a few Griffons and Donkeys here and there. Most of the damage had been repaired, and the city modernized. No longer was it called "Zebrica", but instead it was called "Cheyenne", after Cheyenne, Wyoming, the home base of the Big Boy locomotives while they were in operation.

All of us were on hand with weapons while the prisoners were being loaded up. All of them had been clothed enough for decency, although their hands and arms were tied to their sides. And while most of them went quietly, a few did not.

"You get your filthy Human hands off of me!" a Zebra soldier screamed. He was then restrained by a few soldiers. "Hey! Get your hands off of my dick!"

"If you would stop fighting us, I wouldn't HAVE to touch your dick!" The Zebra was then taken to the train, where he was placed in a section for troublemakers.

Iron Glory, as well as the other 2 trains, had been modified to carry prisoners. The windows of the cars were still there, but they now had metal bars over them, as well as barred doors leading to the main prison area. There were also 2 toilets per car, as well as metal benches, and blankets on the floor for sleeping on. Food would be brought 3 times a day for meals, and the Zebras were told that they would be arriving in Canterlot soon. (Males and females were also kept in separate cars.)

For the troublemakers though, they were placed in boxcars, which pretty much functioned as isolation cells. They were cold, dark, somewhat dirty, and the food was terrible. It was a bad place, but yet if they hadn't been fighting with those transporting them, then they wouldn't have been in there!

When the time came, Zakia was also moved back to the car that had functioned as his cell during the war.

"Come on Jazzie, your old cell's waiting for you!"

"Ugh, fine! Let's just get this over with!"

I looked him over as we walked by. His mane was still kind of long, but he no longer wore makeup. He still had breasts, although they were a lot smaller than before. His voice also sounded more normal, although it was still slightly high-pitched. He was also wearing a loincloth, which did cover his private areas well enough.

Once he was inside, he was locked in, and just like before, was placed under 24/7 guard until we reached Canterlot.

"Just wait Jazzie!" I told him as I walked back to the cab. "In 2 days or so, you'll have Daisy, Puzzle, and Kylie back in there with you! It'll be just like old times. Won't that be fun?"

Zakia sighed. "Yeah, woo hoo, I can't wait."

"Good. Now then, once you're all settled in, we can head over to Donneth."

Once we were ready, the trains pulled out again, this time, bound for Donneth.

Donneth was to be a 2-step mission. First of all, we had to get the Caribou, as well as a few Griffons back to Canterlot for trial, and we also had to secure the War Beasts that we were sent to retrieve, and bring them back as well. It was a 3 day journey there, and we hoped that it would be uneventful.

For the most part, we were right. The trip through the ex-Caribou Empire was marred only by a nasty thunderstorm late one night. The trains did rock a bit, and a few leaks in the cars had to be plugged, but overall we made it through. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was 53 degrees when we finally made it to Donneth.

When we pulled in, we were once again directed to a siding. As we looked around Donneth though, in addition to the Ponies, we also saw some Caribou, both male and female as well. All were properly clothed, and there were no collars to be seen anywhere. The males were helping to rebuild the city, and while some females were helping them, others could be seen doing laundry, cooking, running errands, and tending to Caribou calves. All in all, Donneth looked like a fairly normal city. There were a number of soldiers about, as well as officials from Canterlot, but these were simply to ensure that the Caribou Empire was dead, and would STAY dead!

Soon, it was time to gather the prisoners, and take them to the trains. There were a lot of them this time; mostly soldiers, but there were a few officers as well. The 4 most important of them all were General Stuggs, General Rodin, Prince Dactyl, and Colonel Bruno, the Griffon's commanding officer.

I also heard that Governor Price, the Caribou who had surrendered Bindleton, was doing well in his city under Equestrian jurisdiction, and since he was not guilty of any crimes, would not be standing trial. I was also able to meet Winston, the Caribou who had helped to care for and somewhat protect Private Cole, Pinkie and Dash while they were held hostage.

"It's so nice to finally meet the young Caribou who saved one of my soldiers, as well as a close friend, and my wife while they were in captivity."

"Your...wife?"

I nodded. "Yes. Since the war ended, I have married Rainbow Dash."

Winston nodded slowly. "Yes, I could have expected as much. Rainbow Dash was a good mare. She took what was thrown at her well, and I admired her courage. She was so convinced that you were coming to save her, and deep down, I knew that she was right. In the meantime though, what's going to happen to me?"

I sighed. "Well, like the rest, you'll be brought back for trial, but this is only because you were involved with keeping the slaves. Since you proved to be a help, most likely you'll only receive a light sentence, if that."

Winston nodded, before quietly allowing himself to be escorted to one of the trains.

The most interesting transfers were those of Stuggs, Rodin, Dactyl, and Bruno. Stuggs and Bruno were simply tied, Dactyl was still in a wheelchair, and Rodin had somewhat regained the use of his legs, although he still needed crutches. Stuggs and Bruno were loaded onto Iron Glory, while Rodin and Dactyl were placed in a medical car on the Battleship Express. They were restrained, but yet their injuries could be monitored.

None of them looked very happy, but yet they knew that they only had themselves to blame for their own actions. They had every opportunity to surrender before the Battle of Donneth, but yet they didn't take that chance. Now they were going to pay the price for their actions. Most likely, they weren't going to die, but yet lengthy prison sentences seemed to be absolutely imminent.

The last 3 transfers were Zakia's former "roommates". "Daisy", "Puzzle" and "Kylie" were former slave hunters, or soldiers found guilty of torturing POW's. They were given transformation potions very much like Zakia was, and turned largely female.

All of them seemed to be VERY happy to see us, and they came along without a fuss. They were placed with Zakia again, and this time, they were clothed enough for decency, and settled in for their journey. What was to be done with them was still unclear, as although they were guilty of war crimes, their minds were completely broken. They were pretty empty-headed, but were still capable of learning, and performing simple tasks. The original plan was to hand them over to be placed in a mental institution, but yet we felt that that was wrong.

"So then, what do we do with them?" Jim asked.

"Don shrugged. "It's not up to us to decide. It's up to the Higher-Ups. We just have to get them there, and then they'll decide what to do with them."

Jim sighed, before closing them into their car with Zakia.

The Griffons were a different matter. Some of them would appear to be cooperative, and then they would try to attack. Others, primarily females, (there were a few Griffon females serving within the military) tried to use their cute charm, good looks, and seductive skills to try and get out of being sent to trial.

They were met with mixed results. Some had to be wrestled to the ground, restrained, and then thrown into isolation, while others were given a few sexual favors, (which Don, Jim, and other officers, including myself STRICTLY forbade!) before being placed onto a train.

Once they were all loaded up, Don called us all together for a meeting. He then proceeded to RIP into those who had failed!

"I've been watching this transfer operation, and I must say, if it weren't for good officers such as Captain Leopard, myself, Jim, and others, most of you would probably be DEAD!!!! What is WRONG with you people?!?!?! SEXUAL FAVORS for enemy POW'S?!?!?! MY GOD!!!!! Don't you know that some of them were CONFIRMED to have STD'S?!?!?!"

(Don was not joking about what he'd said. While some of the Griffon prisoners were being evaluated, some of them were indeed found to be infected with STD's, as well as a number of other nasty things such as Feather Flu. And now our crew could EASILY be infected with something serious!)

"Now none of us will be going ANYWHERE until FULL medical evaluations have been performed on EVERYONE and EVERYPONY, and those infected with anything are QUARANTINED!!!!!!" (This was maybe a slight exaggeration, as it had been shown that Humans, and even Human-Pony hybrids, were immune to things like Feather Flu. But yet we were STILL at risk of STD'S.)

Among the soldiers, many were quick to point fingers at those who had been witnessed giving sexual favors to Griffons, but Don still ordered EVERYPONY to be evaluated!

Long story short, myself, Alex, Todd, Fred and Andy, were clean, as were Don, Jim, and the majority of the others. However, 11 members of Battalion 4009, and 7 Equestrian soldiers were found to be infected. Don radioed back to Canterlot to inform them of the situation, and the reply came to remain there until the infected crew could be treated.

Don did point out that there really were no known cures for STD's, and in response was teleported a crate full of vials of various cures. "Use them as the vials instruct", Celestia told him. "The cures WILL be painful, but yet it's the only way to keep them from living the rest of their lives in misery, and most likely dying young!"

"Will do Princess Celestia, Major Don out." Don then looked to Jim. "Hey Jim?"

"Yeah Don?"

"Do you ever feel like you're talking, but all everyone else hears is just white noise?"

Jim nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know the feeling Don."

"Yeah. In the meantime though, let's just get these cures handed out, and THEN get back to Canterlot!"

Jim nodded, and then went to help the medical staff with the cures.

Long story short, it was another 4 days before it was safe enough for us to leave for Equestria again, though all of the ones who had been cured were still kept in the isolation ward of the medical car on the Battleship Express just in case.

Finally, there were just a few more things to take care of. There was trial evidence to secure, as well as figuring out how we were going to get a herd of 12 War Beasts, including Argus, back to Equestria! In the end, they were loaded into purpose built stock-cars that were part of Iron Glory's train, and once they were finally secured, we began the long journey home.

Once again, extremely boring, and on December 13th, we pulled into the station in Canterlot. First to be taken care of were all of the prisoners that were going to be standing trial, as well as Zakia, "Daisy" "Puzzle", and "Kylie", who were going to be evaluated. The entire district from the train station to Canterlot Castle was completely shut down for the transfer, and the area surrounding it was also fogged in so that nopony would be able to see it.

First the Zebras, then the Caribou, Griffons, Caribou leaders, (Stuggs, Rodin, Dactyl), and lastly, the 4 "Crisis Cases", as they've come to be known, (Zakia, Daisy, Puzzle and Kylie.) Most of these were sent straight to the Canterlot Dungeons prior to the trials beginning, while Rodin, Stuggs, his nephew Winston, and Dactyl were placed in a different section of the dungeon that was a bit more posh, and so that Rodin and Dactyl's wounds could be tended to, but so that they could all still be watched. The "Crisis Cases" were sent to the dungeon's medical facilities.

Surprisingly, Zakia was evaluated, and despite physical appearances, was actually found to be mentally competent enough to stand trial! A death sentence was seemingly imminent for him though, as he STILL showed little to no regrets for his actions.

The Canterlot Trials as they came to be known, were slated to begin in early 2030.

When they did, they were broken down into stages; Zebra, Caribou, and Griffons. Griffon ambassadors were also present, and from what those who witnessed them said later, the trials greatly resembled the Nuremberg Trials following WW2. I never really got to see them, as I wasn't allowed in the courtroom, but then again, not too many Ponies were. Heck, even Don and Jim only got to see parts of the trial!

But for what it was worth though, even though the trials lasted most of the Winter, Justice was served. Stuggs, Rodin, and Dactyl were found guilty of war crimes, although because they surrendered, encouraged others to surrender, and showed great remorse for what happened, they were only given lengthy prison sentences. Stuggs received 15 years, while Dactyl and Rodin got 20. Other Caribou spent lengthy sentences in labor camps, farms, and mines back in the Caribou Empire, while the worst of the worst were sent to the gallows where they were hanged for their crimes.

For the Zebras though, they were an interesting case. Since most of those captured were female, they weren't executed, but DID spend lengthy stretches in jail, as well as being put to work in areas that they could be worked. The few Zebra males who were on trial and avoided the gallows suffered much the same fate.

For Zakia, his fate was the worst of all. After being publicly beaten, he was taken away to have done to him what he did to those he held as slaves. Eventually, his sufferings were ended by a firing squad. Like Tarrath though, his body was preserved so that it could be put on display.

Last of all came Bruno, and the rest of the Griffons. These cases were different, as instead of being tried by Equestrian Courts, they were tried in Griffon Courts. Bruno just barely managed to escape the death penalty, although he was sentence to life in a prison mine. The rest either suffered a similar fate, or were executed. There were however, a few exceptions. In a trade deal with Equestria, a few of the former female warriors were handed over to Canterlot Castle so that they could work off their sentences as servants. Grateful to be alive, as well as avoiding hard labor in a prison mine, the Griffon servants went about their duties without much complaint.

The final fates of the "Crisis Cases", are still somewhat unclear. Since their minds were considered completely broken, they were no longer a danger, but yet they couldn't be left unsupervised. Still to this day, they reside in a plush room at St. Marley's Asylum. Some of us from the Battleship Express still visit them, and we offer what encouragement that we can. They did learn to knit and sew, so they are earning their keep, and those who work at the mental hospital say that the 3 "girls" are such joys to have around. They described a lot of their actions as "adorable, carefree, and child-like", and Daisy, Puzzle and Kylie always love it when we come and visit them.

Once the Battleship Express was back at the Railyard, I decided to return home. After flying for a ways, I reached it, and after opening the front door, I walked inside. "Dash, Spitsy, Daring, I'm back! Where are you guys?"

"I'm in the living room Stud!" I heard a voice call.

I entered the living room, and when I did, I saw one of the cutest sights I'd ever seen. Daring was lying on the couch, and all she seemed to be wearing was one of my T-shirts, and it was way too big for her! Her mane was also in a ponytail, and was hanging down one of her shoulders. She was lying on her stomach, and was gently kicking her legs back and forth. I could also see that she was wearing her red glasses, and seemed to be writing out her latest book.

She looked over when she saw me. "Stud!" She held out her arms, and I came over and hugged her. "I REALLY missed you!"

"Hmm, not as much as I missed YOU! But where's Dash and Spitfire?"

"Hmm? Oh, they had to go back to the Wonderbolt Academy. It's just me here right now." She then noticed me staring at her. "What?"

I smirked. "Why do you have to be so cute Daring?"

I saw her blush. "For the last time Stud, I'M NOT CUTE!!!!! I just....wear my mane like this because it's practical! And my clothes were in the washing machine, so I borrowed on of your shirts! B-but I'm not cute! B-baka!" She then took off her glasses, and set them on the coffee table next to her.

I hugged her again. "Like me before you Daring, you can deny it all you want, but one day you'll admit that you're cute. If Dash could get me to break, then one day I'll get you to!"

Daring then rolled her eyes, before hitting me playfully. "Grr! Sometimes I just don't know what to DO with you Stud! I mean, we've only been married for about 2 months now, but I just can't DEAL with you half the time, you Big Goof!" She then grabbed me, and gently pulled me onto the couch with her, before holding me close.

"Nap time?" I asked her quietly.

"Yep. Nap time, and another trip to Dreamland!" (Daring and I often took afternoon naps together. Dash and Spitfire thought that it was cute, but "in reality", all we were trying to do was go to the Dream Realm so that we could have adventures together.

We both then got comfortable, before falling asleep in each other's warm embrace.

Sometime later, Dash and Spitfire got home.

"We're home Daring!" Dash called. There was no answer.

"Huh." Spitfire looked at her watch. "Well, maybe she's taking her afternoon nap."

Dash shrugged. "Eh, maybe so." She then looked into the living room. "Ohhhh!"

"What?"

Dash pointed to the couch. "Well, looks like Stud's home, and he's with Daring on the couch!"

"Are they.....'napping' again?"

She was blushing, and trying to keep from giggling. "Come see for yourself!"

Spitfire did, and to her quiet amusement, Daring and I were lying on the couch. Both of us seemed to be gently blushing, and we moved a bit, and kept mumbling, and Daring would occasionally giggle a bit as well.

"Aww, this is so ADORABLE! Do you.....think that they're off on another adventure?"

Dash bit her lower lip. "Oh, you KNOW it Spitsy!" She then took a picture of us, before placing it in an album. "So cute. Adventurers in the streets, dreamers in the sheets!"

(Even before I started napping with her, I learned that Daring was an INCREDIBLY active dreamer! She could go on for hours, mumbling, moving around, even giggling from time to time. Author, adventurer, active dreamer, "sister", wife. Not too much of a better combination than that!)

About a week after I got back from helping bring the prisoners to Equestria, the time had come to finalize the blueprints for the expansions to Dash's house. Eventually, we all came to the conclusion that once complete, Dash's house would be slightly larger than 3 times it's current size, and would be more than capable of handling 3 mares, myself, Aurora, Tank and any foals that we would have as well. In short, the walls on the left side of the house, (left from facing the front door from the inside) would be broken down, and a number of new additions were be added. Like the rest of the original house, the additions would be 3 stories tall.

Also on the blueprints was something called the "Grand Atrium", that would be located in the center of the new additions to the house up on the second of the 3 floors. This space was very large, but yet what I didn't tell Dash was that I simply fabricated that section to keep her from seeing the surprise that I had in store for her.

For a while, I'd always heard Dash talking about wanting her own pool, but yet never being able to afford one. Now I had plans to build her an indoor, full-sized swimming pool, complete with a waterfall, hot tub, and even a sauna! All of this I was keeping a secret not only from Dash, but also Daring, and even Spitfire. I was planning on giving this whole area to Dash as a birthday present, since her birthday was in February, and it was now December.

Soon, the construction on the museum went on hiatus for the season, and once we had selected a contractor and a construction crew, it was time to start breaking ground, or in this case, clouds!

Work began the day after Christmas, (or Hearth's Warming), and was scheduled to take about 3 months or so. Since a number of walls were broken through to begin the expansion, the 4 of us were mostly confined to just a few rooms of the house. We also helped where we could, and I learned a LOT about cloud house construction!

After the walls were down, it was time to start laying the new foundations. This was done by bringing all of the necessary clouds into place, and then cementing them together. Next came the frames for the new walls. There was so much going on, and I really had no clue what anything was, but yet most of the construction crew told me to stop asking them so many questions!

"We're TRYING to get the job done here Captain Leopard, so PLEASE stop asking so many darn questions!"

I sighed. "Well, I'm sorry. I was just trying to figure out how a cloud house was built. And now that I'm experiencing it first hand, I STILL don't really know anything about it! But at any rate though, I'll leave you to it." I then walked back inside Dash's house.

Beginning in January though, the weather REALLY stopped cooperating. Even though it was Pegasai-controlled, SOMEPONY decided that there should be a TON of snowstorms that Winter! For days on end construction would be postponed, but due to the walls in parts of the house being down and covered only by tarps, Dash's house was FREEZING!!!! In fact, it got so bad that we had to vacate to Dash's parent's house! (I also had to smuggle Daring into their house in a suitcase, but I REALLY don't want to talk about that one!)

FINALLY, towards the middle of January, construction was able to get underway again. Soon, everything was coming together. The new areas were fully enclosed, which meant that no heat was escaping, and that we could move back into the original sections of the house. Although once Dash saw the "Grand Atrium" on the blueprints she began to ask me about it.

"What's the 'Grand Atrium' Stud?"

I thought fast. "Oh, it's.....eh, just what it sounds like. I wanted some open space to display some of my other war relics."

"Huh. It looks more like a ballroom to me from what I'm seeing here, but if you say so Stud."

The hardest part of it all was building the pool area without Dash, Spitfire, or Daring knowing about it. The pool construction was happening right alongside the rest of the house's construction, but yet the "Grand Atrium", located in the center of the new additions of the house on the second floor, was still in constant danger of being exposed.

I gave the pool contractors the blueprints for what I wanted, but yet there were weather delays, delays on supplies, and the job taking longer than it was supposed to. In the end though, the job did get done, and I watched it come together with great pride.

The pool was in the center of the room, and there were stairs leading into it. It was 120 feet long, and 40 feet wide. The depth ran from 3 feet, all the way to 12 feet! It was also fully heated, and filtered. On the 2 longest walls in the pool room were a series of large, high-up windows to allow in light, as well as allow ventilation in the Summer. The room's high ceiling had a series of skylights, and the walls were made of white tile. The pool deck was seemingly made of marble, but yet was actually cleverly disguised concrete. The hot tub was up a small flight of stairs at the far end of the pool room, and over its edge flowed a waterfall right into the pool! The sauna was tucked away on the other side of the room from the hot tub, and there was not only a diving board, but also a high-dive! It was also all indoors, so it could be used in all seasons. Also present were closets for storage, towel racks, a bathroom, a small bar for drinks, a refrigerator, and of course, a number of pool toys!

On the last day of construction, as the pool and hot tub were being filled and heated, myself and the foreman who oversaw the work looked over everything one more time before it was completed.

"I still CANNOT believe that this has just become a reality! Previously it was just a dream of my wife, and now, (even though this whole venture has REALLY set me back!) it's all real! You Ponies did some AMAZING work!"

The foreman nodded. "Well, I'm glad that you're happy Captain Leopard, and it was my HONOR for myself and my team to have built this for you! As I'm sure that you do as well, I REALLY hope that you're wife likes it as well!"

"As do I. And how much longer until everything's ready?"

"Eh, it should only be about another 2 hours or so."

I looked at my watch. "Ok, so it's now 3:23, I need to meet Dash, Spits, Daring, and her parents at the restaurant for her birthday at 6, and then we all come back here sometime before 8 for the BIG reveal!"

I then thanked the foreman again, and continued to watch the final stages of everything coming together.

Eventually, I had to get ready to leave. Dash wanted to eat at her favorite restaurant in Ponyville, and we were all going to celebrate her birthday there. Everything about the pool area was ready, and the rest of the house construction was almost 80% complete as well.

I'd told her parents all about what I was planning, and they agreed to help me make it a surprise. Once I arrived at the restaurant, I found that it was quite packed all around. Aside from Dash, her parents, Spitfire, and Daring (AK Yearling), Twilight and the rest of her friends were there as well. It was QUITE the full house in our corner of the restaurant!

There was a lot of chatter, Dash was given her gifts, and we all ate the cake provided by Pinkie Pie.

"Where's YOUR present for Dash?" Spitfire whispered to me.

"It's back at the house. I wanted to save it for last, as it well and truly is beyond ANYTHING I've ever done for a birthday before!" Spitfire gave me a worried look. "Oh don't worry, not only is it NOT dangerous, but it's something that we'll ALL be able to enjoy for YEARS to come!"

"And does it have anything to do with the "Grand Atrium?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. You'll just have to find out!"

Spitfire then turned to Daring, but she didn't have any answers either. "Whatever he's been working on in that area was something VERY secretive! He never told ANY of us what it was!"

They all continued to wonder all the way back to Dash's house.

Once we were back inside, I took Dash by the hand, and with her parents and Spitfire filming, and with Daring and the rest of the Mane 6, and even a few Battleship Express crew (they all took Twilight's balloon to get up to Dash's house) followed along behind. As we walked towards the new area, Aurora suddenly came trotting up to me holding a manila envelope in her mouth.

"Oh, thanks Aurora!" I took it from her.

"You're welcome Master!"

I then handed the envelope to Dash once we were outside of the locked blue door that led into the "Grand Atrium".

"Dash, this is your present. I really hope that you like it!"

She took the envelope. On the front it said, "Happy Birthday Dash!", and after opening it, she found a square object wrapped in tissue paper, as well as a black key.

"Stud, what did you do?"

I smirked. "Open the thing in the tissue paper, and then take the key, open the door to the 'Grand Atrium', and find out!"

She looked at my curiously. But then she took the object, and unwrapped it. It was white, and square. It looked like a small sign, but it was seemingly blank. "Um, what is this?"

"Dash, you're holding the sign backwards. Flip it over!"

She did so, and when she did, she slammed a hand over her mouth.

"Dashie's Pool Rules:
1. Have Fun.
2. No Eating in Pool
3. No Lifeguard on Duty
4. No Sex Except in Designated Areas, (And When no Minors are Present!)
5. No Running
6. Only Dive in Diving Area
7. Aurora and Tank Welcome, (Other Pets by Appointment Only!)
8. No Horseplay
9. Pick up After Yourself
10. Swimsuits ARE Optional!"

Dash then looked back up at me. I was grinning, as was Aurora, and Dash's parents were filming, but everypony else looked like they were going to faint!

"Stud......you didn't!"

"Why don't you take that key, unlock the door, and find out what I did?"

Slowly, Dash took the key, and inserted it into the door's lock. She then turned it until it clicked, and once the door was unlocked, she turned the knob, and opened the door inwards.

When she saw the entire indoor pool room that I had built just for her, all she could do was slam her hands over her mouth, hug me, and start crying. I held her while she did so.

Spitfire and Daring saw it next.

"Holy.....!!!!"

"How did you even BUILD THIS without us knowing about it Stud?!"

I smirked. "Well Spitsy, on the blueprints I just called it the "Grand Atrium". Also the walls were built first, and had clouds covering the windows to hide the interior. The door leading to the hallway to here was kept locked at all times due to "dust, flooring work, and heavy painting". They built this entire place in just under 2 months.

Plus, your Mom Spitsy, as well as Dash's parents, were in on this one. They helped me hide this secret from you guys. Remember all those times that they 'needed help', or 'wanted to spend time with you'? Well, that was to get you away so that the pool construction wouldn't be discovered! And now with the rest of the house construction almost complete, it's enough to say that all this hard work has FINALLY paid off!"

Spitfire just shook her head. "I KNEW that there was something funny about the work being done on this room, but I just didn't know what! Now I see that it was something more amazing than I could have ever imagined!"

"Yeah!" Daring added. Then she whispered, "And is it REALLY clothing-optional Stud?"

"Well", I whispered back, "After our experiences in Las Pegasus, you tell me!"

Daring hugged me, as did Spitfire. Also, Dash FINALLY got around to telling me what she thought.

"S-Stud, this place......is AWESOME!!!!! It's even BETTER than what I was picturing in my head when I wanted a pool! T-thank you! This must have cost you a fortune!"

I hugged her. "Shh, it doesn't matter what it cost Dash. What matters is that I built it for you, and Daring and Spitfire can use it as well. And I'm glad that you like your present."

"And when are you gonna try it out Dashie?" Her dad asked.

Dash looked at me, and smirked. "Oh, just as soon as strip down to my fur, and get Stud to strip too, before joining me for the inaugural jump from the high-dive!"

"Wait, what?!" Before I could really say anything else though, Dash had already put her plan into action.

After stripping to her bare fur, and getting me to strip as well, skipping the built-in ladder, Dash then flew up to the high-dive platform, dragging me behind her.

We were both naked, and that really wouldn't have been a problem, except for the fact that Dash's parents, Twilight and the rest of her friends, not to mention Don, Alex, Todd and Andy were present as well! Now Dash and I were standing on top of a high dive platform, about to make the first jump into our brand-new pool, as bare as the day we were born, all while being observed, and filmed!

"You ready Stud?"

"If we were alone with just Daring, Spitfire, and MAYBE Aurora, I would say yes. But now, no!"

Dash shrugged. "Eh, well, we're doing this anyway." She then looked towards her dad. "You guys ready down there?"

"Yep! We're ready! Jump when you're ready!"

We were about to become the first in our new pool, but we almost got beaten to it!

"PSYCH!!!!" Alex broke away from the group and tried to jump in, only to be grabbed by Twilight using her Magic!

"Oh no you don't Alex! This is NOT your pool! you did NOT pay for it, and you will NOT be jumping into it first!"

Don then glared at Andy, who was often Alex's partner in crime. "You gonna be stupid too?"

Andy shook his head. "No. Plus, I don't even know how to swim! I used to, but I've kinda forgotten!"

Don nodded, although he remained looking away from the high dive, as did Andy.

Eventually, Dash and I were ready.

"Great catch down there Twi! You stopped him cold!"

"You're welcome Dash!"

Dash then turned to me. "Ok Stud. 10.....9......8.......7......6.......5.....4.....3....2....1....JUMP!!!!!"

Then, still holding each other's hands, we made the 20 foot plunge into our new pool. (Neither us us knew how to dive, so we just went feet first!)

When her hooves and my paws hit the water, we immediately felt the warm sensation of water on fur and skin. Moments later the rest of us went into the water. After being fully submerged, we both returned to the surface.

"Wow! That was fun!"

"Yeah!" Dash agreed, "And this pool is AWESOME!!!!"

"How was it?" Spitfire asked.

I turned to her. "Well, how about you and anypony else who wants to come on in and find out? There's PLENTY of room!"

Then, with a loud cheer, Spitfire and Daring also stripped naked, and jumped in after us. Twilight let go of Alex, and after he stripped to his boxers he jumped in too.

For the rest of those present, Dash's parents changed into their swimsuits, Todd stripped down to his shorts, and the rest of the Mane 6 either stripped bare, stripped down to their underwear, or changed into a swimsuit before jumping in. The only ones who didn't swim were Don, (He didn't want to) Andy, (He couldn't swim) and Rarity (She didn't want to get her mane wet!)

For a long time afterwards, we all splashed around, swam, chatted, and enjoyed all of the new amenities that my gift to Dash had to offer. EVERYPONY enjoyed themselves, and once the last of the guests had left, and it was just myself, Dash, Spitfire, Daring and Dash's parents, we all relaxed in the hot tub.

"I still CANNOT believe that this is in my house! It feels like we're in a resort or something, but NO! This is MY HOUSE!!!!!"

I laughed a bit. "Yeah, I know what you mean Dashie! And I'm still SO glad that you like my present!"

"As do I!" Spitfire added.

"Same here!" Agreed Daring.

"Just as we agree with you as well Miss Yearling. What our Son in Law gave our daughter is truly an amazing gift!" (Dash's parents were still in the dark about Daring's true identity, as well as her relationship with me. All they knew was that she was AK Yearling, and that she was a close friend of Dash's. Also, Dash's parents were the only ones NOT naked right then!)

"Well, I'm glad that you all like it! So much time and effort went into its creation, so I'm glad that you like it!"

Dash sat in my lap, and kissed me gently. "Stud, I'll NEVER find another husband and friend like you, even if I looked for a hundred-million years. You're TRULY one of a kind, MY one of a kind!"

I blushed a bit. "Aww, shucks Dashie, I don't know what to say!"

"Well then don't say anything, just hug and kiss me you Big Goof!"

I sighed happily before taking Dash up on her offer.

We all stayed there for a while longer, before taking our showers, and with Dash's parents in one guest room, Yearling in another, (she later slipped back to be with Dash, Spitfire and I!) and Dash, Spitfire and I in Dash's room, (joined later by Daring) we all fell asleep, dreaming of what the future would bring.

Whew! Another chapter finally complete! So now, the fates of the Caribou, Zebras, and Griffons who fought against Equestria in the Imperial War have been decided, the new additions to Dash's house have been built, AND Leopard gave Dash a pool for her birthday, a POOL!!!! How can things get much better than this? Well, they can't.....can they?

What will happen next? When will Daring take Leopard on that adventure that she was always talking about? When will the Wabash Cannonball make its promised physical appearance? And what have the Futas been up to lately? Well, you all know the drill, stay tuned, and I'll tell you!

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 18!

ScarFox out for now!