Location: Old Desert Battlefield, outside of what used to be Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: Tuesday, June 8th, 2033
Time: 11:33am

Near the site of the old battlefield where the battle for Las Vegas was fought, a worn out figure stood. He was accompanied by a female, as well as a number of other Americans, and they all made their yearly pilgrimage out to this site so that they could pay their respects to the fallen and the missing.

"4 years since the Battle of Vegas, and less than 2 since WW6 finally came to an end. The war's over, but in the end, was it really worth it?"

One of those with the figure, a soldier, looked up at him. "Um, C-Colonel?"

"Yes Private?"

"If you don't mind my asking Sir, why do you and your wife always insist on coming out here to this God-forsaken hellscape on this day? Did you lose someone during the Battle of Las Vegas?"

The figure looked down at himself. He was missing his left arm, which had been replaced with a metal prosthetic. He had also lost his left eye, which had also been replaced with a prosthetic. His once blonde hair had been bleached white from radiation, and his body was covered with burns and scars. He was dressed in a faded, worn out military uniform of the US Marine Corps, with patches from Unit 5. He also looked over at his wife. She was pretty scarred up, but she still had all limbs intact.

Finally, he sighed. "Yes Private, I did. I lost my brother that day."

The Private was surprised. He had never even heard his colonel mention having any family who survived WW4.

"You....had a brother here? What unit was he with?"

"He was with the Railway Warfare Division. He was a captain assigned to the Battleship Express."

"The deadliest weapon ever to ride the rails! And the greatest unsolved mystery of the entire war."

"Yes, the disappearance of the Battleship Express, as well as Iron Glory, are very baffling indeed. If they had been destroyed, some parts of the train were built to withstand even a direct nuclear blast; we should have found something, but we never did."

"And, if you don't mind my asking Sir, what was your brother's name?"

The Colonel sighed. "His name............was Captain Leopard, and he was the train's 2nd Engineer."

While the private was still in a state of shock, the Colonel and his wife made their way over to a memorial that had been built next to the Vegas Memorial to honor those who had crewed both the Battleship Express and Iron Glory, as well as the soldiers of Battalion 4009, which was stationed on the train as well. The memorial itself was shaped like Big Boy 4009 and Iron Glory, and on walls next to them were the names of the crew.

"Captain Leopard, 2nd Engineer. Brother of Colonel Dren R. Campbell."

He traced his finger over it. Then he let his mind slip back to that day 4 years earlier.

Dren and I had never been close, and the fact that he was 3 years younger than me didn't help. (I was now 28, he was 25). WW4 changed all of that. While I was still fighting with the US Army, he became a freedom fighter, before eventually enlisting with the US Marines. Eventually, towards the end of the war, he was knocked unconscious during the Battle of Detroit, and went into a coma. He slept through the end of WW4, all of WW5, as well as the Futa's rise to power, and the first half of WW6, until he finally reawakened during the Second Cold War. He firmly believed his brother to be dead, just as I believed of him. However, he eventually began to learn otherwise.

Countless times he heard the stories of the Battleship Express, and the exploits of its crew. They were the flagship train of the RWD, and were the most well-known of all the US Forces. Eventually, just prior to the Battle of Vegas, Dren was tasked with leading the Marines and Night Stalkers to retake the Hoover Dam. Once this mission was successful, he was tasked with helping to hold the dam.

He also heard that I was being sent to Vegas. "Ok Bro, just get through this battle, and we'll finally meet up again. I promise."

Unfortunately though, that chance never came.

Location: Las Vegas Nevada
Date: June 8th, 2029
Time: 7:45am

The battle for Vegas began in full swing. In time, it seemed like the US forces were going to prevail. From his headquarters inside of the Hoover Dam, Dren watched on a digital map as the battle unfolded.

"Heh, give em' hell Boys!"

Suddenly though, the bombs began to fall as "Operation Fireball" was initiated. It was during the blasts that raged all around his HQ that Dren lost his arm, eye, and a lot of flesh as he tried to close an exterior steel blast door to protect others inside the Dam with him. His hair was also bleached almost white by the radiation following the blasts. He was found and dragged to safety deeper inside by other survivors of his unit inside the Dam, but the damage had already been done. He was one of only 35 survivors of his entire unit. All who had been outside the Dam when the bombs dropped were dead.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Battleship Express was supposed to have arrived to provide medical assistance for Army Unit 7, and we had said that we were making fast tracks to their location, but we'd never reached our destination.

"BATTLESHIP EXPRESS!!! WE NEED YOU OUT HERE!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!?!"

*Static*

"BATTLESHIP EXPRESS, PLEASE RESPOND, OVER!!!!"

*Static*

"Why won't they answer?!"

The general in charge of the US forces, General Charles Sumner, buried his face in his hands. "Perhaps.....because they cannot answer the radio anymore Sergeant Davis; just like how Nellis AFB just went dark. It's scary to think, my HQ was there, but I left it to be out here. Now I see that that decision may have just saved my life. But we have to get out of here, and to a shelter now, or we may yet join the fallen before our time!"

"Yes Sir!"

General Sumner and Sargent Davis both then sought shelter in the nearest fallout shelter alongside others from various US Military units, and waited for the radioactive sandstorms to pass them by.

On the Futa end of things, everyone in Vegas, Henderson, and the surrounding areas were believed to be lost as well. No replies came from the Empress, or any of her subordinates, so the few Futas who remained were forced to assume the worst.

Las Vegas, as well as most, if not all of the surrounding area, in addition to a number of sites in the rest of Nevada in and around Reno and Carson City, were all either pulverized, or partially buried by radioactive sandstorms. The entire area around Vegas would be radioactive for some time after all the radioactive dust/sandstorms ended. In fact, the explosive finale to the Battle of Vegas was so shocking that for the longest time afterwards, nothing happened. Both sides literally stood still from June 8th, all the way to August 12th! After that day though, WW6 was already a foregone conclusion. By early February of 2030, the Futas had been removed from the US, and less than 2 years later were eradicated from their final strongholds in Eastern Europe and Asia. Their entire race had been almost completely wiped from all of existence, never to be seen again.

The war was over, but the survivors knew that the scars from it would never heal. The most recent of the world orders had been toppled, and was replaced by the governments that existed before the rise of the Futas. Finally, the efforts dedicated to rebuilding infrastructure, and repopulating the Earth could begin. "Operation Undertail", as it came to be known went into effect with steady results. It was estimated that in about 10-15 years (2042-2047), world population would be over 3 billion again, approaching 3.5 billion.

The area around Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Nellis AFB, and the rest of southern Nevada really, once the fallout had been contained, became something of a holy site prior to them being rebuilt/refurbished. A number of memorials were built to honor those who had been killed in the fighting, and many visited them.

However, even with the war over, a number of mysteries still lingered. The greatest of these were the fates of the Battleship Express and Iron Glory. 5 years later, it was still an unsolved mystery.

Colonel Dren looked up from his flashback.

"Are.....you ok Babe?" Dren's wife Olivia asked him.

He looked at her. "I don't know Olivia. I just...........I want to know what happened to my brother! How does an entire gosh-damn train that size just straight up vanish?! IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN!!!! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!"

"As do I, Colonel Campbell." A voice behind them said quietly.

Dren turned, and standing behind him was another soldier and his crew. Dren recognized him as Commander Tim Curry. His younger brother was Major Don Curry, the man in charge of the Battleship Express. Like Dren and I, Tim and Don were bitter rivals, and they never seemed to get along.

"Hello Commander Curry."

"Colonel, Mrs."

"Commander."

"So I take it that you too have come to pay your respects to the fallen?"

Tim nodded slowly. "Yes. Even though my brother Don and I didn't really see eye to eye on anything, I had a great respect for him. He was a great man, and I'd give ANYTHING in the world to know what happened to him!"

"As would I Commander."

Tim then shook his head. "And I KNOW that you're gonna call me crazy for this, but I heard a rumor that MIGHT solve the mystery of what happened."

Dren looked at him. "Oh, and what's that?"

Tim sighed. "Well, according to some scientists, they believe that close by here, on the track that the Battleship Express was on during the battle, a set of lay-lines cross directly below the tracks. The theory goes that the nuclear strikes, as well as the storms that followed, energized the lay-lines, causing a MASSIVE field of energy to be created, and from this energy, a doorway to another dimension was opened. The Battleship Express then passed through, followed closely by Iron Glory. The door then shut behind them, sealing them inside of whatever dimension that they found themselves in."

"And......do you believe that this theory is true?"

"Well, what OTHER explanation is there that makes any sense as to how both trains just up and vanished without a trace?"

Dren sighed. "Well........I......don't know. I mean, Leopard DID always keep spouting nonsense about the 'Multiverse Theory', but I always insisted that he was crazy. I still don't know what to think, but yet..........I just know that SOMETHING happened, and I aim to find out what!"

"As do I Colonel. In the meantime though, would you be interested in seeing our train?"

Dren nodded slowly. "Yes, I've ALWAYS wanted to see the SECOND most infamous war train of all time!"

"Well then, right this way!"

Tim Curry then led the way back to his train.

When they arrived a few moments later, Dren beheld the engine of the infamous "Wabash Cannonball".

"Southern Pacific Daylight 4449, otherwise known as the 'Wabash Cannonball'!"

Tim nodded. "Yep! Finest passenger train in the world! Pulling 24 cars behind her, and ALL of them loaded with guns! We brought the hurt to the Futas first, and the history books will ALWAYS remember that!"

"Yeah, maybe. But I still think that the Battleship Express was a better train, followed closely by the 'Rail Dreadnought', pulled by Santa Fe 5000 and Union Pacific 9000. I mean, it WAS the original 'Battleship Train' after all!"

Tim shot him a glare. "Sure, MAYBE if you were talking about the best of the DREADNOUGHT type of train! Those trains were MADE to be like battleships! HOWEVER, in regards to the best in what could best be considered a light cruiser, there was the Wabash Cannonball!"

"Yeah, and didn't you STEAL this train from that museum in Portland, Oregon?" Olivia asked suspiciously.

Tim put a hand over his face. "NO!!!!! We did NOT steal this train! For the LAST TIME, we were the crew who MAINTAINED IT in Portland, Oregon! When the series of world wars started up, we moved the train to save it just before Portland was nuked in WW4! Then, once we saw a chance to fight back in the West against the Futas, we took that chance!"

Dren then looked up at Tim. "And, any chance of us getting to see the inside of the train? I'd love to say that I was able to do that!"

"Sure thing, follow me!" He then led the way to the train.

Once they reached it, Tim led the way into a car about 1/4th of the way into the train. It looked like it used to be a lounge coach, but now was full of tables, chairs, a few couches, beanbag chairs, and even a few TV's and game consoles! In fact the only thing that gave it away as a war train car was the fact that the windows were made of bullet proof glass, and had machine guns poking out of some of them.

"So, I'll take it that this is one of the break rooms?"

"Yes, although it was also used for storage from time to time. Nearly 100 of us lived on the train full-time, so we all needed a place to unwind somehow."

Dren then thought of something. "Also, one other question. I remember hearing that this train went missing during the Battle of Vegas, but was found later. What happened there?"

Tim thought for a second. "Well, we were trying to evacuate like everyone else was, although we took the opposite track that the Battleship Express and Iron Glory took. We also helped some members of the Army Unit 7 and Marine Core Unit 5 who were close to us, however, once the nukes began to fall, and the radioactive dust storms hit, we were not only blown right off of the rails, but we were also partially buried in sand! By the time that we were able to dig ourselves out, the dust had settled, along with the radiation, and thanks to our shielded radios, we were able to radio for help.

It took them nearly 3 days to dig out our train and get it back onto the tracks though, plus another month for repairs. During the repairs though, I heard that my brother was missing, as was the Battleship Express. And like you Colonel, I've NEVER found out what happened to him."

They all continued to talk about this for a while longer.

Meanwhile, further back in the train, a number of other people were talking. These good folks were also family members of Battleship Express crewmen.

Among them were Phil and Joseph Shepherd, the father and brother of Andy Shepherd, Mary Davis, the mother of Todd Davis, Gwen Owens, a cousin of Alex Barkley, and Amanda Lindsey, the sister of Fred Wilkins. They too were seeking answers for what had happened to their loved ones, and why no traces of them had ever been found.

"My Todd had such a bright future", Mary Davis was saying. "He LOVED animals, and was possibly looking into being a veterinarian!"

"Just like my son Andy, although with him, he designed clothes. He was the BEST would-be tailor I ever saw!"

"I've got a similar story. Sure, my cousin Alex WAS a pain sometimes, but he meant well, and he was the 2nd Fireman on the Battleship Express!"

The rest of the family members told similar stories. They loved their loved ones dearly, and now 4 years later, they were STILL missing without ANY trace!

Farther up in the train, Tim was showing Dren the cab of the Cannonball. In there currently was Primary Engineer Bill Blaze, and Primary Fireman Thomas Wilson.

"Wait, you guys don't have a brakeman?"

Bill nodded, but then he shook his head. "Well, we do, but he doesn't ride up in the cab; he rides in the first car behind the second tender. Also during the war there were 2 engine guardsmen up here with us, but ever since the war ended, we don't need them as much as we did before."

Dren nodded. "I can understand that. I mean, this train ain't no Big Boy, but it's from the same era, and it IS very impressive, ESPECIALLY considering how it's survived for as long as it has!"

Tim nodded proudly. "Yeah, she's a good old engine alright. She's pulled us through thick and thin, and she's been everywhere from Seattle to Norfolk! She's also been to Canada, and even Mexico when the war was close to there."

"And how many miles have you clocked up onto her?"

Bill scratched his head, before looking at the odometer. "Eh.....we've clocked up well over 2 million miles now, almost 2.5!"

"Wow. That's.....crazy! So many miles in so few years, but yet it really happened!"

Tim nodded. "Yeah. In a number of years from now, people may try to deny that what we did really happened, but yet as long as we keep the ball rolling and the evidence alive, there's no chance of that happening!"

"Yeah. And with the evidence alive, there'll be no way that people will be able to deny that it really happened!" Dren then thought of something. "And wait, wasn't this train one of the ones that carried aircraft, or am I thinking of a different train?"

"No, we carry aircraft. We have 2 helicopter gunships, as well as 2 A-10 Thunderbolts, and 2 A-10 Warthogs!"

Dren was impressed. "Wow, that's a LOT of firepower! But wait, aren't the Thunderbolts and the Warthogs the exact same plane?"

"Yes and no. Same basic design, but the Warthogs were given a few later model upgrades. Same plane, different name, a few different features. Nevertheless though, STILL the toughest plane of all time to kill!"

Tim and Dren then continued to talk about that for a while longer.

Dren then looked at his watch. "Hmm, after 12pm. It's almost getting close to the time to go home."

Tim looked over at him. "And where were you guys heading again?"

"Back to Kansas City."

"We're heading back that way as well. Wanna cross off, 'getting a chance to ride on the Wabash Cannonball' on your bucket list?"

Dren shrugged. "I'd be ok with that, but I don't know if Olivia would be. I'd have to ask her." Dren then grabbed his small radio. "Hey Olivia, are you there?"

"Here Babe, what is it?"

"Commander Tim wanted to know if we were interested in riding back to KC on this train, instead of the transit train that we used to get here. Do you wanna do that?"

"Sure! I've ALWAYS wanted to be on a war train!"

"Ok, I'll tell him that. Where are you gonna ride?"

"I'll just stay back here with the family members of the Battleship Express crew. Learning their stories is so fascinating. Where will you be?"

"I'll stay up here in the cab with Commander Tim, as well as Primary Engineer Bill Blaze, and Primary Fireman Thomas Wilson."

"Ok sounds good to me Babe!"

Tim then gave the orders for the train to be readied for its trip back to Kansas City.

It did take a while to secure everything, but once it all was, Bill blew the train's whistle, and then the mighty Wabash Cannonball was on the move again.

"Isn't there only one track out of here though Tim?" Dren asked once they were rolling.

Tim nodded. "Yeah. And that was the same track that the Battleship Express was on. In fact, I think that we're going the same direction that they were when they pulled into Vegas!"

"What, really?"

"Yeah. I know that it was this track, and they came at Vegas from the Northeast, which puts them on this track. Somewhere along here was where they were stationed to provide heavy firepower for those trying to storm the city, and then they and Iron Glory were spotted leaving to go help Army Unit 7, but they were never seen again."

"And you thought that it was a good idea to use this track, on the exact same day of the battle?"

Tim just laughed. "What's wrong? Are you paranoid?"

"No, but let's just say that when a train that size just up and vanishes, it makes me more than just a little bit wary!"

Tim just shook his head. "Sure, maybe I lost a brother, but I can GUARANTEE YOU that lightning does NOT strike in the same place twice, although right now, I DARE it too!"

"Just as I dare Fate to show us what happened to our family members, as well as the missing trains!" Both he and Tim laughed about tempting Fate like that.

Unfortunately for them though, Fate heard what they said, and told her sister, Life. Life then went to her father, the Universe, and asked him if she could teach those train crew a lesson. The Universe granted Life's request, and she and Fate decided to intervene on history once again.

While the day was somewhat overcast, suddenly, a large sandstorm began to blow up.

"Whoa! Where did that come from?!"

Bill sighed. "Don't worry about it Colonel Dren. These storms have been happening a lot since the nuclear attack. The ecosystem around here is STILL imbalanced, and will be for MANY years to come! We just have to keep rolling through it!"

"Are we just gonna head right through the sandstorm?"

"Yes. All we gotta do is head right where the tracks are laid out, and they go through the storm, so we will too. It won't be too big of a deal." Bill then kept the train moving through the sandstorm.

"Gosh. This sure brings back a LOT of memories." Tim muttered.

"Yeah, no kidding", Dren added. "Right now, we could even be repeating what happened to the Battleship Express."

Suddenly though, the train began to shudder EXTREMELY violently!

"WHOA!!!!!" Dren and Tim were both thrown off their feet, and Bill and Thomas were almost knocked out of their seats as well!

"Good gravy, what was THAT?!?!?!"

"Probably some debris from the storm! Wind like that has got to be throwing up a LOT of debris!"

Suddenly though, out on the tracks ahead of the train, a huge, swirling black mass appeared. Due to the intensity of the storm, none of those on the train noticed it in time.

"Hey! What's that up ahead?!"

"What's what Tom?" Bill asked.

"THAT!!!!" Thomas pointed to the black mass.

"I don't know! Whatever it is though, it's REALLY weird looking!"

"Bill, stop the train! Something's wrong!" Tim yelled.

"Right!" He then reached for the brake lever and began to pull it back, but all of a sudden, the lever leapt forwards in his hand!

"Hey, I said stop the train!"

"I'm trying to Tim; the controls ain't responding!"

"What?! What do you mean?!"

"I mean that I can't get none of them to work properly!"

Moments after this though, the train hit the black mass, and then once again, history repeated itself. The train began to lurch violently back and forth, and suddenly, there came a wild shower of sparks from the train's wheels, as well as a hideous grinding and screeching noise!

"GAAAHHHH!!!!! TIM, WE'RE COMING OFF THE RAILS!!!!!!!"

"BRACE, BRACE, BRACE!!!!!!!" Tim screamed through the radio to those on the rest of the train. Moments after this though, the entire train lurched forwards, and seemed to derail. All parts of the train seemed to be lifted up off of the rails, before being violently thrown back down again! All of those in the cab hit their heads, and then they all blacked out.

The Wabash Cannonball had been going full speed when she hit the portal, and now she was on her way. On her way to where you ask? Well, history decided that it wanted to repeat itself. Now the Wabash Cannonball, and all of those aboard her, went the way of the Battleship Express and Iron Glory.

They left Earth for the time being, and now would never be seen or heard from again, at least not for a VERY long time!

And, here's FINALLY Chapter 23! Sorry these have been taking so long to crank out, but between the final few weeks of school, my job, and home life, plus another side project that I'm working on, these chapters take a LOT longer to write than I think that they're going to!

But at any rate though, I lived up to my promise. Not only did I reintroduce the Wabash Cannonball, aka Southern Pacific Daylight 4449, but I also dropped the MASSIVE bombshells that not only does Leopard still have a brother who's still alive, but most of the other Battleship Express crew have at least one family member still alive as well!

The question is though, how will this pan out? How will the Humans and Equestrians react to the sudden arrival of the Wabash Cannonball? How will brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters, and even cousins react to seeing their missing loved one(s) alive and well in Equestria, and having started new lives for themselves? Will it pan out, of will it end up being bad? Well, stay tuned, and I'll tell you!

In the meantime though, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story, are always appreciated, and I'll see you all again in Chapter 24!

ScarFox out for now!