After that night in Canterlot, I thought that Dren was well on his way to earning back my respect. He seemed to finally get that he was a jerk, and he wanted to mend his ways. Unfortunately, an event happened not too long after that forever shattered this view.

A little later that June, Bill Blaze, the engineer of SP Daylight 4449, aka the Wabash Cannonball, was about to take the train out on what could have been his final run before his retirement. After the run, the train was going to be handed over to those of us who took care of the Big Boy, so that it could be used for freight and passenger services on the Equestrian Railroad. Bill's 'final run' so to speak was viewed by some to be a cause to celebrate the best engineer that they ever had, even though Bill was just taking a backseat so that he could be with his wife Barb more, and not actually fully retiring.

Among those who were on the train that day were not only Dren, but also Tim Curry, and other Wabash crew and soldiers. Bill was driving, Thomas Wilson was the fireman, and 4449 was only pulling 5 cars; a baggage car, 2 passenger coaches, an open-air gondola, and a caboose. The run was going to be from Ponyville to Manehattan, and then back again. The trip there went fine, it was what happened on the trip back that was forever remembered as a terrible tragedy, and made me angry with Dren once again.

"Man, I forgot how boring train travel can be", Dren was saying. "I don't know how you guys could do it for as long as you did."

Tim laughed a bit. "Well, remember, we WERE in an active war-zone, so that REALLY kept us on our toes!"

"Yeah, but even my brother Leopard was a crew-member of the Battleship Express from November 2026-June 8th, 2029, and then again from June 9th, 2029, up until the train's unofficial retirement on August 1st 2029. I don't know how he puts up with it now, especially these days with them just running small freight trains, and excursion passenger service. It's SO boring!"

Tim then smirked a bit. "Well, wanna help liven things up a bit?"

Dren looked at him curiously. "What does that mean Tim?"

"Well, since this IS Bill's last run, at least for a while, shouldn't we do something that would ensure that people and Ponies remember it for a LONG time to come?"

Dren thought about that for a minute. Finally, he said, "Well, what did you have in mind Tim?"

"That's the funny thing Dren. You do know what 'mooning' is, right?"

"Wait, 'mooning'? As in 'pulling your pants down, and showing people your ass'?"

"Yeah, that."

"Yeah, why? What does that have to do with this run? Are you gonna moon somebody?"

Tim started laughing a bit. "Yeah, that's the plan anyway! The truth is, Bill's gonna pull the Cannonball through Ponyville, past Ponyville Station, and then through the rest of town before reaching the railyards once again. What we're gonna do when we reach town is head up to the gondola, and then moon ALL of Ponyville! I know that THAT'S gonna make this a run nobody's EVER gonna forget! So are you in on this Dren, or what?"

Dren had to really think about that. It sure did sound fun, plus nobody would be hurt, or really even humiliated. It would just be them mooning some Ponies. I mean, it's not like any of them hadn't seen an ass before, right?

He looked back up at Tim. "How much farther until we reach Ponyville?"

Tim looked at his watch. "Eh, we should be coming up on it within the hour."

Dren nodded. "And I'm in. Hopefully I'll even be able to moon LEOPARD if he's around!"

Tim laughed. "Yeah, maybe you will!" The 2 of them, plus the others who wanted to be a part of the mooning all then climbed up to the gondola, and waited for the train to reach Ponyville.

Once it was in sight, Tim turned to the others who were with him, about 15 guys in total.

"Ok guys, this is it! In about 3 minutes now, we're gonna be heading through Ponyville. Once we reach the outskirts of town, we drop our pants, and keep mooning all the way to the railyard!"

"We got it Tim!"

They were coming up on Ponyville fast; just a few more minutes until their big moment. Once they were coming up to the town, Bill blew the whistle up in the cab, and once the guys involved were in place on both sides of the gondola, they pulled down their pants, and the massive mooning began.

For those who saw it, most were thoroughly disgusted. NEVER had they EVER seen a group of Humans stoop to those kinds of vulgar lows, and they were largely booed as they rolled through town.

When they passed Ponyville Station, the station master got on the radio with Bill.

"My FAUST Bill! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!?!?!"

Bill was confused. "What's wrong Coal Fire? What's going on?"

"You mean you don't know?!"

"No, I don't know. What's going on?!"

"You've got a car full of guys in the back MOONING other Ponies!"

"WHAT?!?!?!" Bill then turned around and looked out of the cab window towards the rear of the train, as did Thomas. They then saw what the other guys were doing.

"Thank you for informing me Coal Fire. I WILL be dealing with this as they are NOT supposed to be doing that!" Bill then flipped frequencies, and got on the intercom system. "HEY!!! ALL OF YOU MOONING PULL YOUR F@#KING PANTS UP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!! THAT'S DISGUSTING!!!! NOBODY WANTS TO SEE THAT, AND YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT YOU ALL WILL BE FINED FOR PUBLIC INDECENCY!!!!"

Unfortunately though, things were about to get a LOT worse. Because Bill and Thomas had turned around to yell at those who were mooning, they missed a red signal, and the Daylight accidentally got switched off onto the wrong track. They were heading back outside of Ponyville, but up ahead of them was a railway bridge that spanned the river outside of Ponyville that was under repair! The bridge was in the process of being replaced with a new one, and the tracks were closed until work on the bridge was finished. However, they were sometimes open to allow trains to bring in supplies. A train had just finished delivering supplies when the Daylight rolled into town, but the tracks hadn't been switched back yet! Bill missed the red signal, and now he was sending the Daylight down that track at almost 30mph towards a bridge that didn't even fully span the river anymore!

Suddenly though, Thomas looked ahead again and saw the construction zone.

"OH GOD!!! BILL LOOK!!!!!"

"What?" Then he turned around and saw the unfinished new bridge. "OH GOD!!!! SHIT!!!!" He then shut off steam, and SLAMMED on the brakes!

He then blew the Daylight's whistle, desperately trying to warn the Ponies who were working on the bridge of the incoming danger. They saw the Daylight coming, and they all scrambled to get out of the way.

"BOYS BRACE YOURSELVES BACK THERE!!!!" Bill screamed. He and Thomas then braced themselves for the impact, and prayed.

Moments later, the Daylight hit what was then the end of the bridge, smashed through the barricade that was there, crashed off the end of the bridge, and fell roughly 8 feet to the river below. The streamlined cowcatcher hit the water first, followed by the rest of the engine and its tender, and they plowed into the mud at the bottom of the river. The baggage car behind the tender was still halfway on the bridge, but it was tilted up at a steep angle. The remaining 3 cars, including the gondola, were still on the bridge.

Luckily for everyone involved, the river was only a little more than 10 feet deep where the bridge was, so not only didn't the Daylight sink out of sight, but it would also be able to be salvaged. Neither Bill nor Thomas were seriously hurt, and were able to scramble up onto the top of the tender moments before the train hit the water going less than 10mph. They did have to wait to be rescued, as they were unable to climb up onto the baggage car, but luckily help was on the scene in moments.

However, now EVERYONE involved had to face the Equestrian Railway Safety Board, (ERSB), so that they could figure out what happened and why, and slap those guilty, (if applicable) with penalties.

Within an hour after the derailment, (it wasn't really an "accident", as there were only minor injuries, and no real damage) the back 3 cars were pulled away, and a salvage crane put the baggage car back onto the tracks. However, the real dilemma was on how to get the Daylight and her tender out of the river. This involved 2 floating cranes, as well as a team of Unicorns before both were lifted out of the river, and placed on the tracks on the other side. Once they were there, they were towed back to the railyard so that they could be examined by the ERSB. Overall, aside from the water, and some damage to the engine's streamlining by the impact with the riverbed, there was very little damage done.

Once they were back at the railyard, Bill and Thomas were sitting in an office in the workshop behind the Imperial War Museum being interrogated by ERSB Agents.

"In your honest opinion Mr. Blaze, why did this accident happen?"

Bill sighed. "In all honesty, it was a series of unfortunate circumstances, coupled with poor timing."

"And how did the accident occur?"

Bill then told the full story of the run, his being informed about the mooning by the Ponyville station master, his turning back to yell at them, his missing of the signal, Thomas yelling to him about the construction site ahead, his slamming on the brakes, and ending with his and Thomas's escape from the cab, and their being on the tender when the engine hit the water.

"So you blame those who were mooning?"

"Not entirely. Yes, what they were doing was gross and indecent, but they didn't do anything that would cause an accident. I don't think that any one person is to blame for this. Though I do have to ask, why was that track set so that a train could head down it if the bridge was still under repair?"

"That's what we want to know as well. That line should have been closed, and the points set against it. However, we have reason to believe that a train had just finished delivering supplies to the bridge, and your train arrived moments after it cleared the switch. The red signal was on until the tracks were switched back, but you missed the signal Mr. Blaze."

Bill sighed. "Well, at any rate, I'm just glad that no lives were lost today. This accident easily could have been fatal, but by the grace of God, it wasn't. No real damage was done either, though the blame has to fall somewhere I suppose."

The ERSB agents then left Bill and Thomas to put together other notes of their findings. The damage to the bridge itself was also minimal, the train was entirely salvaged, no lives were lost, injuries were minor, and construction work was almost ready to begin again once the ERSB concluded its investigation, and no one person or groups of people were wholly responsible for the accident, but yes, the blame did have to fall somewhere.

Those who were mooning were arrested, and charged with public indecency, and reckless endangerment. They didn't have to go to prison, but they did have to pay a fine, and perform 100 hours of community service. Bill and Thomas were given a slap on the wrist for minor negligence, as was the Ponyville station master for not immediately switching the tracks back once the supply train had cleared the switch. Construction work did indeed begin the next day, as did the community service for the 15 mooners.

Don and I were disgusted and angered beyond belief at the actions of Tim, Dren and the others.

"My GOD Dren!!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!"

"I'm.....sorry Leopard. I wasn't thinking."

"Yeah, no shit Sherlock! Your public indecency led to an accident that EASILY could have turned fatal! And I was just beginning to think that you were well on your way to earning back my respect too!"

"And the same with you Tim. You're 34 years old. You KNOW that what you did was stupid, gross, and not to mention ILLEGAL! You never CEASE to sicken and disgust me!"

Both Tim and Dren were visibly upset. Dren did feel genuine disgust at himself for going along with Tim's idiocy, though Tim was more sorry for the actual accident than the crime that he committed. I knew that Dren was back to square 1 for earning my respect back, and it would take a LOT more than just roasting Blueblood to do it this time!

By the end of June, the repairs to the Daylight were fully complete, and she was running regular passenger services. She and her 11 orange and red coaches plus one baggage car were so recognizable that the train was given the nickname "Flaming Fireball". Because she'd been reconfigured to burn coal due to a shortage of oil, 4449 could just refuel at the same hoppers and water towers that Big Boy 4009, Iron Glory and Battle Glory used.

I was talking to Dash about the Daylight one day while she was lying on a cushioned chair on one of our balconies. She was lying nude, and I was gently massaging my pregnant wife.

"So what do you think about the Daylight Dashie?"

"Eh, it's actually a pretty awesome train. How fast can it actually go? I mean, it IS streamlined just like the Crystal Express, so I would imagine that it could go pretty fast!"

I looked up at her. "Before I answer that Dash, I have to know something. Why did you tell Dren that you were 4 months along, when in reality you're only 2 months, and that you're having a colt and a filly, when in reality it's twin fillies?" I then gently began to rub and caress her slightly swollen belly.

She gave me a look. "Uh, duh, cuz your brother's a jerk, and I wanted to make it seem a little bit more impressive than it really was!"

"And how many kids did you want again Dash? Isn't 4 gonna be enough? I mean, we already have Misty and Skyler, and Daring's got Amber and Midnight, so won't that be enough?"

Dash seemed to genuinely be thinking about that. "Eh, I'll see. I MIGHT stop at 4 kids, but I'll just see when we get there. It's enough for now, as our kids WILL be 4 next year, and I'll have my hands full taking care of these 2 beautiful fillies right here!" She rubbed her belly to emphasize her point. "You SURE seem to have a knack for not only making twins Stud, but also fillies too! When are you ever gonna give Sky a brother?"

I sighed. "I don't know. Maybe whenever Spitsy's ready for me to give her a baby."

Dash just rolled her eyes a bit. "All I know is that Spitsy had BETTER be ready soon, or that mare ain't gonna have kids at all! I mean she's what, 29 now? What's it gonna take for her to want to get knocked up?"

I gave her a look. "Dash, it's not so easy for her. She's the CAPTAIN of the Wonderbolts for Pony's sake! If she got pregnant, who would take her place while she was on maternity leave? She's just not ready yet."

"Probably Soarin if I had to guess, or maybe Fleetfoot. But anyway, are you FINALLY gonna answer my question now?"

"Oh yeah, right; how fast the Daylight can go. Well, in truth, she has a design speed that can meet or exceed 110mph! Some reports said that she could reach speeds in excess of 120mph, though this has never been proven. However, she DID regularly hit triple digit speeds in regular passenger service, so she could really move when she had to!"

When Dash heard that, her jaw was on the ground! "Stud, no train in Equestrian HISTORY has EVER exceeded 100mph! The Crystal Express, belonging to Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, has come the closest, but yet she never exceeded 95mph. If the Daylight really CAN go that fast, then she EASILY could hold a Guinneigh World Record!"

"Wait, no train has ever hit 100mph?"

"No! Like I just said, if the Daylight really could go that fast, then she EASILY could hold a Guinneigh World Record!"

I was stunned when I heard that. Having a train that could hold a new record for speed? That sounded pretty cool!

"I'll.....have to talk to somepony about that. If we could use the Daylight for speedy passenger service, then that might help draw more business in for trains. And if that happened, then maybe we could one day try for a speed record."

"It might be easier than you think Stud. All you gotta do is see if you could get either Celestia or Luna, or even both of them, to authorize a speed test. Then you could run the Daylight to her top speed, and see how fast that is. If it really CAN break a world record, then that MIGHT convince them to authorize another test for the history books!"

"And with a train that would hold a world record, Ponies would keep paying to travel on her, and she would continue to pay for herself with regular passenger service. Now I've DEFINITELY gotta talk to somepony about this! I'll talk to Don about it tomorrow, as he's the guy who oversees our railroad operations. In the meantime though, I've got a pregnant wifey to spoil rotten with my affections!" I then got back to smothering Dash with my love.

Dash smirked and giggled. "Wow, it's so nice to see you've accepted your place in worshiping your wives Stud!"

I shot her a glare. "Don't push it Dash. I could EASILY leave you hanging!"

"Just as I could EASILY give you another black eye for angering a pregnant mare!"

"Dash, why do you always test me like this? Do you want the love or not? Because if not, as Wally Franks would say, 'I'm outta here!'"

That quickly, I found myself with both of Dash's hands around my throat. She was also glaring daggers at me. "I get the love or your windpipe dies!"

I decided to take my life into my own hands. "Well, if you killed me, who would love you then? Plus, when a mare asks for love from her husband NICELY, when is she ever refused?"

Dash then used her most potent weapon, her Sad Puppy-Dog Eyes. "Pwease Stud? PWEASE give your wifey your wuv! She REALLY needs it!"

I relented. "Ok FINE! JUST STOP WITH THAT FACE ALREADY!" Dash then let go of me, and I got right back to massaging her.

"Heh, works every time!" She smirked to herself.

The next day, I did indeed get a chance to talk to Don about what I'd been talking to Dash about, but needless to say, he was less than thrilled.

"And you think that all of this is a good idea why?"

"Think about it for a second Don. We use the Daylight to haul speedy passenger trains, while at this same time, we plan on doing first a speed trial, and then possibly a world record attempt. Dash told me first, and then Twilight confirmed that no engine in Equestrian history has EVER topped 100mph! The Crystal Express has come the closest, but even then, it's only hit about 95mph. And if the Daylight holds a world record, AND can keep up a speedy and reliable passenger service, then she continues to pay for herself just like she did back on Earth during her heyday! I know that we have the engine that can do it Don. Can't we at least consider this?"

Don sighed. "Well, while all of this does sound cool Leopard, there are other implications to think about here. One is are Equestrian rails even strong enough to hold an engine going that fast, another is what will Bill, Thomas, and the other Wabashers who were NOT involved with the 'mooning incident' think about this, and most importantly, what would the Princesses think about this?"

Don did raise some pretty good points. "Well, to answer your first point, if the Crystal Express has already gone almost that fast, and it's just as large, if not slightly larger than the Daylight, then I think that it might be alright. And the answers to both points 2 and 3 would be to ask them. We can ask Bill and Thomas since they're here in Ponyville, and I know that Twilight could send a letter to Celestia and Luna about this as well."

Don sighed. "And to be perfectly honest Leopard, I NEED some wholesome action around here! Twilight's driving me up the WALL with her pregnancy, and she's got another 4 months before she gives birth to our son Dusk. I NEED more fun in my life than work, and dealing with shenanigans like what happened the other day!"

I agreed, and while Don went to find his wife so that he could ask her about sending a letter to the Princesses, I went to go find the Daylight engine crew.

Long story short, Bill and Thomas didn't see anything wrong with us using the Daylight like she was meant to be used, and Celestia and Luna were not only open to the idea, but they REALLY wanted to see if 4449 could indeed break an Equestrian rail speed record. The date of the primary speed test was set for July 1st, which was about 4 days away.

On that morning, while the Daylight was being readied for her run, local Ponyville denizens, news reporters, and rail enthusiasts from all over Equestria flocked to Ponyville, as well as the sections of the line where the Daylight was going to go by. EVERYPONY wanted to see if she could indeed set or break a new speed record, and really just how fast she could go.

The trial run would be from Ponyville, to Las Pegasus, all the way up to the Crystal Empire, and then back again. The track that we would be using would be all clear, so we wouldn't have to stop for anything. The Daylight would be pulling her 11 coaches, including passenger cars, dining cars, a dome car, and an observation car, as well as a baggage car, and a caboose that had been modified to have a separate series of speedometers in it, as well as recording equipment that could track 4449's speed throughout the entire trip. Though the train would be empty for this run, this was still a total of 14 cars. Don also decided that I would be driving the Daylight, Alex would be my fireman, and Todd would be our brakeman. The only other Ponies coming with us would be 2 technicians to monitor the instruments in the caboose.

As we were standing by the engine, our wives and kids were gathered all around us.

"Please be careful out there Todd. I NEED you to come home to me tonight!"

Todd hugged his shy wife. "Don't worry Fluttershy, we'll be just fine out there! Plus, I have you, as well as you two to come home to tonight as well!" He then hugged his 2 daughters, Windy and Lilly.

"Have fun out there Daddy!"

"Yeah. I bet that your run will be really fun!"

"I hope so too girls. Wish me luck!" He then began to climb up into the Daylight's cab.

Alex was being hugged by Applejack, Alex Jr, and his new daughter, 1 year old Bailey.

"I sure wish that you were coming along Babe. It ain't gonna be as fun without you!"

"So do I Alex. But this is your time to shine, so git on out there and break that record!"

"Yeah, break the record Daddy!" Alex Jr told his father. Bailey seemed to agree with her brother, but all she could say was gibberish.

"I will guys, and we'll have a LOT of fun doing so!" He then climbed up into the cab as well.

Last of all, I was being hugged by Dash, Spitfire, Daring, as well as my kids; Amber, Midnight, Misty and Skyler.

"You be careful out there Stud!" Dash was telling me. "I do NOT want to be left a pregnant widow!"

"And Dash and I don't want to be left single moms either Stud!" Daring added

"You won't be Girls. NOTHING is gonna go wrong!"

Amber and Midnight hugged my legs. "Break that record Daddy. You show the Crystal Express who's the FASTEST train in all of Equestria!"

"Yeah, I can't WAIT to see the looks on their faces when you beat them!"

"We'll do our best girls. However, even if we DO break their old record, we'll STILL have to do it again under more scrutiny from the good folks over at Guinneigh World Records."

I then said goodbye to my family, and climbed up into the cab as well.

At this same time, Don, Celestia and Luna were talking to the press.

"Princess Celestia, what IS the current speed record for the Equestrian Railroad, and which train holds it?'

"The current speed record is 95mph, and it's held by the Crystal Express, the private train of my niece Princess Cadence, and her husband Shining Armor. Rumors persist that the train has reached 100mph in the past, though this has never been proven."

"Princesses! Is it true that the Crystal Express is out on the line right now?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, that is true. The train is still out there on a return trip to the Crystal Empire, though whether or not she'll meet the Daylight is still unknown."

"Major Don, what IS the Daylight's top speed?"

"Well, according to the design records, the engine has a design speed of 110mph, though some sources indicate that the engine could reach speeds of or exceeding 120mph, though whether or not she has actually done this remains unclear. What IS known is that she has indeed reached triple digit speeds, and regularly did so in excursion passenger service."

"And if the train does indeed reach 100mph, or even higher, will it hold the Guinneigh World Record for the fastest locomotive of all time?"

Princess Luna answered that question. "Yes, yes it will. Even though the locomotive itself is not Equestrian-made, it has met the required standards, and will indeed hold a new world record."

The list of questions went on and on and on.

At the very back of the train, Iron Glory was helping to push the last of the Daylight's coaches into place so that they could be coupled into the train. The plan was to also have Iron Glory push the Daylight out of the railyard, before braking to a stop not too long after, and the Daylight would start her run.

"Leopard, we're almost done hooking up all of the coaches back here. We just need to attach a few more air hoses."

"Ok, roger that Daryl. And just to be sure, your front coupler is indeed disengaged, correct?"

Iron Glory's brakeman went to check it. The knuckle was closed, but the handle was down, seemingly indicating that it was disengaged.

"Affirmative, we're disengaged Leopard!" In reality though, no, they weren't. The lever looked like it was down, and it was, but with the coupling of the Equestrian caboose, the levers were backwards. Instead of pulling them DOWN to disengage the coupling, you pushed them UP! The brakeman didn't know this, but in his defense, he was relatively new, and had only worked with the Earth engines. Now Iron Glory was locked onto the train, and if nothing was done soon, she was going to be taken on a ride that could reach or exceed 100mph!

I then radioed Don. "Don, is everypony clear out there?"

"Roger that Leopard. Everypony's clear of the train, and you're good to go out here!"

"Ok, roger that, let me just check with Dispatch." I then flipped frequencies. "Railway Dispatch, Railway Dispatch, this is SP Daylight 4449 ready to pull out of the Old Railyard in Ponyville for our speed test. Are we clear to proceed, over?"

"SP Daylight, this is Railway Dispatch. You are cleared to proceed. The tracks are all clea ahead of you, though please be advised that the Crystal Express is out and about as well, and you could meet them on the parallel tracks between Van Hoover and the Crystal Empire. They'll be out of your way on the other track, but you could still pass them!"

"We'll have to see about that Dispatch! Anyway, this is SP Daylight signing off for now. We'll check in when we need to." I the blew the Daylight's whistle, and after easing the throttle forwards, we began to pull out towards the edge of the Railyard.

At the back of the train, Daryl Meers, and his fireman Fred Barrett were in Iron Glory's cab. The time was getting close for them to disengage from 4449's train, but when they reached the railyard's end, Daryl engaged the brakes, but to his surprise, Iron Glory didn't disengage from the train!

"What the......?" Daryl switched off the brakes, and then reapplied them. Sure enough, the same thing happened! "Uh oh Fred, this ain't good!"

"What's wrong Daryl? Why are we still moving?"

"I can't disengage from the train, and I can't do it because the coupling's still attached!"

"WHAT?! I thought that Brandon unlocked it!"

"I thought that he did too, but maybe he was mistaken!"

"Well, what do we do?!"

Daryl took a deep breath. "Well, first of all, we don't panic. Second of all, we're in the cab of a dark-colored, American 4-4-0 locomotive from 1862, attached to the back of a train being pulled by SP Daylight 4449 as she's going for a speed record attempt. Iron Glory was given a full overhaul about 2 years ago now, and is still pretty sound. I vote that we simply radio Leopard, and inform him of the situation." He started to reach for his radio.

Fred grabbed his hand. "No Daryl, don't do that! If you do that, then they're gonna abort the run! There's nobody in the caboose up ahead of us except fer those 2 techs monitoring the instruments. If we stay back here, then we could EASILY become a part of history!"

Daryl was conflicted. On the one hand, he did indeed want to become a part of history, but yet on the other hand, he was taking a serious risk. Iron Glory was NOT made for high-speeds, and could EASILY start coming apart if anything went wrong! But yet, he and Fred had been her engineer and fireman for years, and knew their American 4-4-0 better than anyone. They decided in the end to take the risk, and be ready to bail out if anything went wrong. They then sat back on their seats in the cab, and waited to see what would happen next.

Up in 4449, none of us were aware that Iron Glory was still behind us. Once we were out on the open line, I really began to open up the throttle, and Alex kept stoking up the fire in the firebox.

"Whoa! This thing accelerates WAY faster than the Big Boy!"

I nodded. "Yeah, and that's because she's smaller, lighter, and streamlined Alex! We're already up to about 40, and that's gonna change here before too long! Once we're past Las Pegasus, most of the track is straight, and on flat ground. We're REALLY gonna hit it then!"

"I hope so Leopard!"

By the time that we reached Las Pegasus, we were going almost 65mph. Many Ponies waved to us as we passed, and I blew the whistle as we all waved back. Then, once we hit the flat ground, I opened the throttle to the limit, and while I monitored everything, Todd began to help Alex shovel in coal.

From 65, we hit 70, and kept climbing.

"Don, this is 4449. We're now registering speeds of almost 80mph! We STILL haven't pushed this old girl to her limit, and we're still going!"

"That's great Leopard! We're watching the live feed on the screen here at the small theater in the Imperial War Museum, and the Pegasus ponies with the cameras have you in frame. You're doing great so far, but still be careful!"

"We will Don, and I'm glad that you're all watching us there. We'll keep it up out here, and give you all a show that you won't soon forget!"

"Roger that Leopard!"

After signing off, I then noticed that the speedometer was closing in on 90mph. "Don, we're getting close to 90mph. Is the camera showing the speedometer running?"

"Yes, it's running Leopard. We can see it just fine. You're only about 6mph off the mark now."

"Roger that Don." I then kept it running.

"Come on Stud, come on!" Dash said quietly. "I KNOW that you can do this!"

The needle of the speedometer seemed to be hovering at 95 for a while, but then it hit 96, and kept climbing. Before we knew it, we had just done what had previously been said to be impossible.

"100MPH!!!! EVERYPONY!!!!! WE'VE JUST HIT 100MPH!!!! WE'VE JUST BROKEN THE RECORD!!!!"

The crowd at the Imperial War Museum was going wild, as were others who were watching the live feed elsewhere. The Press Ponies were telling their audiences that we had just broken the old railroad speed record, and were now going to see just how fast the Daylight could go.

I kept calling out the major numbers as they happened. "105mph! Now 107mph! Closing in on 110!"

From the back of the train, Daryl and Fred had heard everything. "Holy cow Daryl, we've just topped 107mph! We're almost to 110mph!"

"And Iron Glory's still holding together! I mean, we're not having to do much work, but her axles, wheels, and driving rods are all holding together!"

Not too long after this, 4449 hit 110mph, and seemed to top out there, at least for the time being. All around us, Ponies watched in shock since they had NEVER seen a train go so fast before! The Daylight rocketed past them in a blur of orange, red and black, and little did we suspect that we were soon going to meet up with the train that we'd been hearing so much about!

Up ahead of us on a parallel track ran the Crystal Express. Currently on board were Princess Cadence, Prince Shining Armor, as well as a number of tourists who were on an excursion trip. None of them had any idea that we were racing along behind them, and were soon going to pass them.

A tour guide was currently talking. "And once again folks, I would just like to thank you for riding on the FASTEST train in all of Equestria! We're right now whizzing at 90mph, and NOTHING on the rails is going faster than us!"

"Not even that orange and red train beside us?" A young colt asked.

"What orange and red train beside us?" The tour guide looked, as did some of the other passengers.

At that exact moment, the Daylight rocketed past them going 113mph! Those onboard watched in dumbfounded shock as a train not only passed them, but was going WAY faster than they were!

As a joke as we went by, I got on my radio to them. "Hi everypony on the Crystal Express! Bye everypony on the Crystal Express!" I then blew the whistle as we raced ahead of them.

None of the Ponies on the Crystal Express could BELIEVE what they had just seen! The engineer of the Crystal Express radioed back that the Daylight had easily topped 100mph, and was STILL going!

"Well", Shining mused to his wife, "I guess that we DON'T have the fastest train in all of Equestria anymore!"

Cadence was still in shock. "No, I guess that we don't!"

Soon, we reached the Crystal Empire, and were on our way home again. We were still cooking at over 110mph, and we were hoping that we could make it back to Ponyville without running out of coal!

Back in Ponyville, Don and the others were still cheering about the Daylight's record-breaking run. Not only had we broken the record for fastest locomotive, but if we could reach Ponyville again, we would also hold the record for the fastest run from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire, the fastest trip from the Crystal Empire to Ponyville, the fastest round trip from Ponyville to the Crystal Empire and back again, and the longest time to have held a steam engine at speed! However, in the midst of the celebration, Joe Dixon, the Primary Engineer of the Battleship Express, suddenly noticed something.

"Huh, what the?! DON!"

"What is it Joe?"

"Look at the back of the Daylight's train! Isn't that Iron Glory?!"

"What?" Don and others looked at what Joe had been pointing to, and sure enough, it was indeed Iron Glory behind the train!

"Good night! What the hell are they doing?!" Don then grabbed his radio. "SP Daylight, SP Daylight, this is Major Don, please respond!"

"Daylight here Don. What's going on?"

"Well Leopard, it seems that Fred and Daryl have stowed away on your little speed test here. They're still coupled to the back of the train!"

"WHAT?!" I looked back as we rounded a bend, and sure enough, Iron Glory was still back there! I then got on the radio with Iron Glory. "What in the world are you guys still doing back there Daryl?!"

"Our coupling didn't disengage like Brandon thought that it did! We got drug along for the ride!"

"And why didn't you say anything?!"

"We wanted to be a part of history Leopard! History isn't made by those who sit on their asses, it's made by those who are willing to take risks! Plus, we were taking EVERY safety precaution, AND we were ready to intervene if anything went wrong!"

I was able to accept this answer, but Don pretty much yelled at Daryl and Fred the whole way back to Ponyville.

Once we were back, Iron Glory was uncoupled from the train, and IMMEDIATELY taken over to the workshop behind the museum so that she could be evaluated. Much to the engineers's shock, the engine itself showed very little signs of wear from its adventure in triple digit speeds! Don would have punished Daryl and Fred, but the media loved them! They were viewed as a part of history now, as they too had been a part of a record breaking run. They were put on probation, but considering how they could have been punished, it was a mere slap on the wrist.

Yes, we knew that we'd just help make history, but for the actual record attempt, we were going to have to repeat the feat. We knew that this was going to be doable, as we'd already done it once. The date for the World Record attempt was set for July 4th, just 3 days later.

It was going to be a little bit more complicated than what we originally anticipated. Sure, we were there for the record attempt, but the Crystal Express was there in Ponyville as well. Its crew were EXTREMELY upset at having been made to look like idiots in front of tourists, and they wanted revenge! Long story short, they challenged us to a race around Equestria, and announced that they too were going for a world record attempt!

Driving the Crystal Express was none other than Speed Demon, one of the most famous engineers in Euqestria, and his fireman, Fire Burner, was one of the most legendary fireman in Equestria as well! We knew that they were gonna be tough to beat. The Daylight was going to be hauling the same train she was the previous time, although this time a few more passengers were coming along as well. They were going to verify all of the record attempts, and had to be present. The Crystal Express was pulling only 8 cars compared to the Daylight's 14, but we knew that we could still win. They too would have Ponies verify their record attempts.

The 2 trains were sitting on parallel tracks outside of Ponyville Station. Huge crowds turned out for the event, and EVERYPONY was cheering. Some were cheering for the Daylight, while others were cheering for the Crystal Express. Since it was a holiday, (At least for us Americans!) the rail lines were shut down for the day so that the "Race of the Century" could take place.

"This is it everypony! The legendary Crystal Express will be racing the Wabash Cannonball, or as it's also known, SP Daylight 4449, both for the title of fastest train in all of Equestria, AND for other record attempts as well! Both of these trains are crewed by some of the best that there is, so it's TRULY going to be the 'Race of the Century'!"

Speed and Fire looked at Alex and I just before we climbed into the cabs of our train. "Hey, may the best stallions win!"

We then shook their hands. "The same to you guys. You're gonna be some pretty great competition, so make it count!"

"We will!" We all then climbed into the cabs.

They only had to fit a GWR Official on the cab with them, but Alex and I had to have Todd, AND A GWR Official! It was pretty tight, but we were able to do it.

Once we were all ready, Spitfire appeared in the sky just ahead of the 2 trains. She was wearing her full Wonderbolt jumpsuit, and she was holding the button that would trigger the signal lights above our respective tracks to turn green when the race began. We were all incredibly nervous, but yet we of the Daylight had confidence in our engine.

"Are you boys ready to begin?"

"Oh yes we are Captain Spitfire!" Speed told her.

"We're ready over here Babe!"

"Ok, good. Now, I think that you all know the rules here, so I'm not gonna repeat them. Just the parts about no cheating, no falsifying records, no hitting anything on the tracks, and above all, have fun, and let's see about breaking some World Records!"

The crowds then cheered, and then Spitfire looked to Don, who was acting as the race's color commentator. "Yep, I'm ready here Captain Spitfire!"

"Ok boys, 10 seconds!"

The crowd then finished the countdown. "9......8......7.....6......5......4......3......2....1......GO!!!!!!" Spitfire then pushed her button, and the signal lights above us went from red, to yellow, and then they finally hit green, and we went tearing off the starting line! The Race of the Century was now underway!

At first, things weren't off to the fastest start. Our circuit would take us from Ponyville, to Las Pegasus, to Van Hoover, to the Crystal Empire, to Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Dodge City, Appaloosa, and then finally back to Ponyville. Canterlot would be the only major city that we were going to bypass, and even then, that was only because it was in the middle of Equestria, and there was only one track there. Our trains wouldn't be able to use it to race.

One we were out of Ponyville though, we were still neck and neck most of the way to Las Pegasus. The Daylight kept trying to gain speed, but the Crystal Express stayed right with us. At times, Speed and Fire would send obscene gestures our way, and since he was on that side, Alex would send a few of his own right back, and I would join him as well. Both sides were pretty upset that we couldn't outpace the other! The GWR Officials on both sides kept telling us to be more sportsman-like, but we weren't listening too much. Suddenly though, the Crystal Express began to pull ahead of us!

"Ha ha! We're in the lead now fire! We're holding steady at about 75mph!"

I shook my head. "Not for long! Todd, help Alex shovel coal! I'll watch the gauges like I did last time!"

"Right!" Todd then began to help Alex shovel, and I worked the engine controls. The GWR Official was rather impressed at our teamwork, and it payed off. Soon, we passed they Crystal Express, and from that point onward, it was a losing battle for them.

We soon hit 95, and then 100mph, and we kept the speed up. Speed Demon was able to get the Crystal Express up to 100mph, but that was as fast as they could go. We knew this, and we held steady at about 105, and I planned to do this until the final leg of the trip, and THEN I would see how fast we could really go. Our speedometer went up to 130, and I was going to see just how close we could get to that.

Back in Ponyville, even Dren and his wife Olivia were watching the race. Dren was one of the many cheering for the Daylight, and for once, he actually wanted his brother to win. "Come on Leopard, I KNOW that you can do this! The Daylight can go so much faster than the Crystal Express, so PLEASE win this one!"

I had every plan of doing just this, and I was now putting my plan into action.

Once we were past Manehattan, Alex and Todd kept shoveling in the coal, while I kept the engine moving forwards. From 105, we reached 110, then 113, 115, and finally, by the time we reached Baltimare, the Crystal Express was trailing MILES behind us, and we were screaming along at almost 118mph!

"Golly! NEVER, in my ENTIRE career as a GWR Official did I EVER think that I'd see the day that a train went faster than the Crystal Express! Not to mention that you've set a new railroad speed record!"

I half-turned back to the official. "It's not over yet! I'm gonna see just how high we can push the bar, and if I'm right, we might even top 125mph before we reach Ponyville again!" Just as I said this, I saw the speedometer top 120mph.

By the time we left Dodge City and Appaloosa in a cloud of dust, we had managed to hit 124mph, and on the final home-stretch, just before we had to start braking for Ponyville, we hit 126mph! For those that don't know, only one other steam locomotive has ever been confirmed to have gone this fast, and that engine is the Mallard; a British steam locomotive that still holds the world record for fastest steam locomotive of all time. We had just equaled Mallard's record, though only for a few seconds. We then had to start slowing down, and a little while later, we passed over the Ghastly Gorge Bridge, went past the Everfree Forest, and then steamed back into Ponyville Station. We had won the race hands-down, and it was another good 15 minutes before the Crystal Express pulled into the station again!

Once they were back in, the crowds were cheering for the Daylight, though Speed and Fire did congratulate us.

"You guys were AMAZING out there! It was anypony's race there for a while, but you deserved to win today. You truly did have the better engine, and it was an honor to have raced against you."

We shook their hands. "Just as it was our honor to have raced against you!"

The GWR officials then disembarked from the trains, and went to go look at all of the data that had been recorded, and see if any world records had been broken.

Once they returned, the lead official addressed the crowd.

"Good afternoon Mares and Gentlecolts, and now comes the moment that I'msureE that you've ALL been waiting for! Let it be said that this day, July 4th, 2033, the train known as SP Daylight 4449 has broken the all-time railroad speed record with an Equus-shattering 126mph run! In addition to this, the crew also hold the record for the fastest round-trip around Equestria, the fastest run from Manehattan to Baltimare, the fastest run from the Crystal Empire to Ponyville, and the longest time to have held a steam locomotive at speed! They will be featured in the 2034 edition of Guinneigh World Records, and even though it is not a world record, they have also won the most intense, and amazing railroad race in MANY years! The crew of the SP Daylight 4449, Captain Leopard: engineer, Alex Barkley: Fireman, and Todd Davis: Brakeman, were some of the most amazing stallions that we've EVER had the privilege of working with, and I hope to continue to see the Daylight around Equestria in regular passenger service!"

When the crowds all around us heard that, they went WILD! There was SO MUCH cheering, whistling, screeching, etc. Alex, Todd, and I were now considered national heroes, and we now also held several Guinneigh World Records, the most impressive of which was driving the fastest steam locomotive of all time during her record-breaking 126mph run! We were glad to have done our jobs, and while it was nice to have our names in the history books, we WERE kinda waiting for all of the publicity to die down though! It was getting crazy to be followed by fans all of the time again, and we were REALLY hoping that it would all end soon! It would take the rest of the summer, but yes, it would indeed end soon.

That September, I celebrated my 28th birthday, and on November 3rd, at 5:45pm, Twilight brought her and Don's first child, their son Dusk, into the world. He had purple fur, blue eyes, and a purple mane and tail that was streaked with brown. He also had wings like Don did, and unlike most of the other babies, he sure did cry a lot, at least at first. After the first few weeks, little Dusk did finally calm down, and was quite happy and content. The rest of that Fall passed quickly enough, Winter was setting in, and Hearthswarming, aka Christmas, would soon be upon us!

That Winter, the Winter of 2033-34, was a rather cold one. The snows fell frequently, and there was always a blanket of snow on the ground. Dash, Spitfire, Daring and I all debated on whether or not we were going to allow Dren and Olivia to spend Hearthswarming with us.

"So what do you think guys? Do you think that they've earned it?"

Dash shrugged. "I dunno Stud. I WANT to give them a chance, but it's still hard to forget all of the nasty things that they said about us."

"I agree". Daring added. "Olivia's insults really did bite, and she has yet to show any real regret for saying them. I mean sure, she's TRIED to make it up to those that she insulted, but she hasn't apologized for what she said yet."

"I don't know what to think Stud. Like Dash, I WANT to give them another chance, but I don't know. However, it IS Hearthswarming, so shouldn't we at least try to give them a chance?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I GUESS that we could give them one more chance. Dren's been doing a lot to redeem himself since that incident earlier this Summer, so I guess that we can have them here for Christmas. I mean, I kinda do want to have my brother back in my life again, as he's the ONLY family that I have left, but he has GOT to stop screwing up like he's been doing!"

My wives all agreed to this, and I then went to go and find Dren, and tell him that he was free to spend Christmas/Hearthswarming with us.

It was December 15th when I told Dren that he and Olivia could stay with us for the Holidays, and they were both very happy for that.

"I really appreciate you doing this for us Leopard. I mean, I KNOW that I've screwed up a lot, but still, thank you SO MUCH for letting us spend Christmas with you guys!"

I nodded. "Well, you're welcome Dren. Now then, while Olivia helps Dash, Spitfire and 'Feathers', as well as the kids with the Christmas tree and the interior decorating, wanna help me, Briana and Aurora with the outside lights?"

"Sure, I guess." He then began to help me.

For Dren and Aurora, helping Briana and I with the lights was a rather nerve-wracking experience! I mean, it's one thing to be up on a tall ladder, but imagine being up on a tall ladder...........roughly a half-mile up in the sky! Dren didn't have vertigo, but yet he was nervous.

"Just for the record Leopard, how many lights are you gonna be putting up?"

"Eh, I was thinking about pulling a 'Clark Griswold' this year. I'm gonna 'Christmas Vacation' this sucker up, and then turn everything on at the very end!"

"And, are you SURE that these lights are all gonna work? And what about blowing out the power, or something? Come to think of it, how do you guys even have power up here?!"

I sighed. "In chronological order, yes, I'm SURE that they're all gonna work, as we've been testing them BEFORE we bring them up here! And don't worry, there's some heavy-duty circuit breakers in the basement that'll help prevent an overload. And how do we have power? Well, it's pretty complicated to explain. We're on the Ponyville grid, but yet we also have solar panels as well. It's a mixture of Magic and technology, and I would explain it, but I can barely even understand it myself!"

Dren just shook his head, and continued to help me put the lights up on the house.

In total, it took us nearly 3 days of solid work! Aurora would drag out the lights, Briana would plug them in and test them, before flying them up to Dren and I, who would then attach them to the house. All of the lights were bright white, and even I'd lost count of how many we'd put up!

Meanwhile inside the house, Olivia was helping Dash, Daring Spitfire, and my kids with the Christmas tree, and other interior decorations. All during it, Dash kept rubbing her 8 and a half month swollen belly. She would be a mom to infant foals within a month, though she was glad that the foals would be coming AFTER the New Year, as she REALLY wanted to spend one last Hearthswarming with just Misty and Skyler!

Dash and Daring were decorating the tree, and Spitfire was helping Olivia with some mantelpiece decorations. Amber and Midnight were helping their mom Daring by handing her and their Auntie Dash ornaments, while Misty and Skyler helped their Auntie Spitfire.

Olivia turned to Spitfire. "He's married to all 3 of you, isn't he?" She suddenly asked.

Spitfire shot her a look. "What's it to you? I'm not gonna answer that question, but ONLY because it's none of your business!"

"I knew it! You're not Dash's 'old roommate', just as 'Feathers' isn't Dash's 'cousin'! Right whatever-your-real-name-is?" She looked over at Daring.

Daring shot her a glare. "My name is AK Yearling. Some informally call me 'Amy Yearling'. YOU can call me Mrs. Yearling!"

"Oh, so YOU'RE the one who writes all of the Daring Do books! And I will admit, those books are pretty cool. My husband Dren thinks that they're stupid, but I don't! My all-time favorite was 'Daring Do and the Lunar Shrine of Romance'. Your work with that one was PHENOMENAL!"

"Well, thanks, I guess. And I'm glad that you liked it; that book was my last one before I got pregnant with these 2 little bundles of joy right here!" She pointed to Amber and Midnight. "Since then, I've been a full-time mom, AND a professional writer, but having them around has also given me some new inspiration for stories. 'Daring Do's Great Misadventure' was loosely based on the early days of me being a mom, and my next book, 'Daring Do and the Standalone Steamer', will be based on Stud's record-breaking run that he, Alex and Todd made with SP Daylight 4449 earlier this Summer."

Olivia sighed. "And for what it's worth, I'm....sorry for what I said when I first arrived here. I was SO foolish to have just been throwing insults around, and I REALLY hope that you, Dash, Spitfire and your husband Leopard can forgive me Mrs. Yearling. I do want to be a part of my nieces's and nephew's lives, so it's time that I started acting like it!"

Daring, Dash and Spitfire all looked at each other. They could tell that Olivia was being serious, but yet they were still just so shocked that she was actually asking for their forgiveness!

Daring looked at her. "Well, on behalf of the others, I would like to welcome you into our family Olivia." She then hugged her.

Olivia hugged her back. "Thanks Mrs. Yearling. And I can kinda see why Leopard married all of you. You're all REALLY hot!"

Daring laughed a bit. "Oh, and you can just call me 'Amy' Olivia."

Dash then smirked a bit. "Oh, and Stud didn't just marry us because he wanted to Olivia.....well......he did marry me cuz he wanted to......but for Spitfire and.........Amy though, he was kinda roped into a legal binding agreement that had no loopholes! It's a long story, but it's one that I'm willing to tell if you want to hear it!"

Olivia nodded, and then Dash began to tell that story.

By December 18th, Dren and I, as well as Briana and Aurora, were all done with the lights. All 4 of us were out on our cloudy front lawn, (Dren had been given a potion from Twilight enabling him to walk on clouds) while I was hooking up the final electrical connections. Once everything was good, at about 10pm, I held the 2 primary plugs in my hands.

"And now, the AMAZING 'Clark Griswold-style' Christmas lights!" I then pushed the 2 ends together. To my slight shock and surprise though, nothing happened. "What? Oh COME ON!" I then shook the plugs trying to get them to work, but still nothing happened.

"Oh great, now what Master?"

I sighed. "I don't know Aurora." I then looked at Dren. "You up for helping me check all of the bulbs?"

Dren looked at his watch. "Oh jeez, look at the time, it's WAY past my bedtime! I have homework to do, gotta shower, spend time with Olivia, do some chores, feed the hog......bye!" He then raced back inside of the house. Briana followed him in.

Aurora walked over to me. "I'll stay with you Master. Plus, it could just be an electrical problem. We should check all of the cords first."

I nodded, and then we both did so. Sure enough, we couldn't find anything wrong with the cords. We then began to check the lights, but yet, we STILL couldn't find anything wrong!

4 days later, on December 22nd, we were STILL going at it, and we hadn't given up yet. Finally, Dash had enough of seeing her beloved husband struggle, so she put on her favorite leopard spots pajamas, put on her slippers, wrapped a robe around herself, put on some earmuffs, and went out to see me. I was holding the 2 plugs again, and Aurora was sitting beside me.

"Stud?"

I looked at her. "Yeah Babe?"

"Aren't you guys gonna come in yet? It's almost Midnight! You've been out here for nearly 4 days!"

"Just as soon as we get it working Dash! I think that we have it now though!" I then pushed the 2 plugs together. Sadly, nothing happened. "I don't understand it Dashie! We've checked EVERYTHING! We've checked the cords, we've checked the bulbs, WHAT DID WE F@#KING MISS?!?!?!?!"

"Did.......you check the box in the basement Stud? There could be something wrong there."

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. That's the last place to check." I then handed her the 2 plugs. "Here, hold these like this, and keep them together. I'm gonna go check the circuit box. Maybe Dren jacked with something." I then left Aurora and Dash while I went to go check the basement box.

Once I was down there, I tried to flip the wall switch. To my growing frustration, nothing happened. "Great, what ELSE electrical doesn't work around here?!" I then grabbed a flashlight, and went down to the circuit box. I then realized that the basement had no power. I didn't think that this would affect the lights, since I plugged them in outside, but I then looked closer, and found that a switch was turned off.

"Huh. That's weird. Better fix that." I then flipped the switch to "On", and once the basement's lights were on, I began to check the rest of the box.

However, unknown to me, that switch was the cause of the light's not working. As soon as I flipped the switch, ALL of the hundreds of thousands of lights that Dren and I had put up on the house suddenly came on! When Dash and Aurora saw it, their jaws hit the ground!

"Stud!"

"Master! The lights are on!"

In their room in the house, Dren and Olivia had been just about to have sex, but then the lights outside came on!

"Ogh!"

"Oh, my eyes!"

The lights were so bright, and there were so many of them that EVERYPONY in Ponyville and the ENTIRE surrounding area saw them!

Back in the basement, I yelled back up the stairs, "Hey Dashie, I think I know what's wrong!" Even though I knew that she wasn't going to be able to hear me.

However, there was another problem. Due to the INSANE amounts of power that the lights were using, the power supply of not only Ponyville, but the ENTIRE surrounding area was being drained, as the main power plant in Ponyville couldn’t keep up with the demand! The lights were going out everywhere, leaving our house the only one with power!

Out at the Hoofer Dam, the main hydroelectric dam in Equestria, and the one that supplied additional power to Ponyville when required, alarms were suddenly blaring!

"Oh shoot! We've got a MASSIVE power loss in Ponyville, and the surrounding area Everypony! Quick, get those auxiliary turbines running NOW!!! Get the power grid over there back online!"

"Yes Sir!" Switches were flipped, and the dam's auxiliary turbines were soon running at maximum capacity. Soon, all of the power was turned back on, though those at the dam were REALLY wondering what was causing the massive power drain.

Back at the house, Dash was so shocked that she accidentally pulled the 2 power plugs apart. The lights went out, and the area became dark once again. Upstairs, Dren and Olivia were stumbling around blindly in the dark, and they kept knocking things over! Dash and Aurora then went to go see about finding me, though just as they were leaving, I was returning. They paused on the porch, and saw me grab the 2 power cords. I then put them together, and the lights came on once again.

My face lit up when that happened. "DASHIE!!!! AURORA!!!! I FIXED IT!!!!!" Dash and Aurora came running back out to me, and I then shouted up at the house. "HEY DARING, SPITFIRE, DREN, EVERYPONY!!!! COME OUT AND LOOK AT THE LIGHTS!!!! HA HA!!!!"

"What's going on out there Spitsy?"

"I dunno Daring, but we'd better go see!" They both began to get their cold-weather clothes on.

At this same time, Dren tripped and fell down the stairs, and landed in front of them! He looked dazed.

"What's wrong with you, are you f@#kin' drunk?" Spitfire asked him. Dren didn't answer, and seemed to be stumbling outside.

Unseen by the rest of us, he fell off my porch, and into the cloudy bushes where he accidentally pulled out one of the plugs for the lights! The lights went out AGAIN, only this time just as EVERYPONY inside the house was coming out to see the lights!

"What's all the shouting about Stud?" Spitfire asked.

"What the?!" NO!!!! COME ON YOU F@#KING THING, F@#KING WORK!!!" I then began to hit the cords, completely baffled by them not working!

Dash looked up at the others. "I swear you guys, Stud JUST had the lights working!"

Meanwhile, in the cloudy bushes, Dren began to sit up. He then realized that he'd fallen onto a cord, and that the cord had come unplugged. He then saw me basically having a temper tantrum, and he laughed a bit. Eventually though, he did do the right thing, and just as I brought the cords together once again, he plugged the cord back in! The lights came on yet again, and THIS TIME they were going to STAY ON!

Once I had my whole family out on the front cloud lawn looking up at the lights with me, my wives were in shock, as were my kids, to say nothing of Olivia and Briana! Dren then came out of the cloudy bushes, and walked over to us. "Sorry about that Bro, I accidentally tripped over a plug. I fixed it though!"

"Yeah, just as I fixed the turned off switch in the basement. But in any case, what do you all think of the lights?"

"It's AMAZING Stud!"

"Yeah, what Spitfire said!"

"We agree Daddy!"

"Great one Leopard. I've NEVER seen a light show like this before!" Briana added.

I then looked at my brother. "Thanks for helping me out with this Bro. We did it, even though I was the one who got it working!"

"Eh, you're welcome Leopard. What's a brother for?"

We all then decided that it was getting too cold, and it WAS way past Midnight, and I did NOT want to keep everypony up with Christmas lights that could be seen from space, so I turned the lights off for the time being, and we all went back inside. Once we were, with DELCI's help, I quickly brought up the famous scene from "Christmas Vacation" that almost seemed to repeat itself in real life, and played it on our TV screen.

The next day, I got some major inquiries from the Ponyville Power and Light Company about the HUGE power drain that they were able to detect came from our house. I told them that it was just my Christmas lights, and they in turn slapped me with a HUGE electrical bill, and when I saw how much last night cost, I legit fainted! Luckily, I was able to pay the bill, but yet I was warned by others to NEVER turn on my Christmas lights again without giving the Power Company a MAJOR heads up first!

All too soon, Christmas Day was upon us. I got up early, and lit up a fire in the living room fireplace so that the room would be a little bit warmer. I then closed up the fireplace, and went back to bed with my wives for a little while longer. However, by about 8am, our kids were jumping on us, DEMANDING that we all head downstairs so that they could open their gifts! We soon relented, and after pulling on our pajamas, slippers, and robes, we all went downstairs.

Dren and Olivia, as well as Aurora and Briana met us there a few minutes later, and while I practically fell asleep sitting on the couch, my kids attacked the presents under the tree.

I was dozing a bit, at least until Spitfire scooped up Dash, and dropped her in my lap! "Here's my present for you Stud!"

"Ough! Gee, thanks a lot Spits!" I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome Stud!" And she's holding our REAL present for you just in case you wanted it!"

I looked, and sure enough, Dash was holding a gift in her hands. I took it from her, and when I opened it, I saw that it was a framed painting of our entire family.

"Wow Dash, thanks! And thanks to you too Spits. This is amazing!"

"Glad that you like it Stud. I had it commissioned a while back, but Dash and I decided to save it until this Hearthswarming for you."

"Again, thank you so much!"

Daring then gave me her gift. It was a set of tools that I'd said that I REALLY needed for my work on the train. My old ones were REALLY starting to get worn out, but now I didn't have to worry about it anymore!

"Thanks Babe! This is what I REALLY needed!"

Daring rubbed her nose against mine, before giving me a tender kiss. "Yeah, I know Stud. Hence the reason I got you this tool set!"

For our kids, I gave them all all-access tour tickets to the Imperial War Museum. These tickets got not only the full guided tour of the museum, but also a full tour of the Battleship Express and Iron Glory, the war cars of the Wabash Cannonball, AND a special behind the scenes tour of the storage basement where more relics were housed. My kids had been asking and asking me for those tickets, so I finally caved in, and with help from my wives, we gave them those tickets!

"Thanks Daddy! Now we'll FINALLY be able to see EVERYTHING at the War Museum!"

I hugged them all. "Yeah, I know guys. And you're all now 4 years old, so you're to the age where you might enjoy it more now." they hugged me again, and then went to see their Uncle Dren and Aunt Olivia.

Once they were gone, I lay back on the couch again, and while Dash sat just in front of my legs, Daring sat next to her, and Spitfire lay with her back on my chest. I was holding her close to me, and she was nuzzling me gently. Also, due to Daring sitting in front of us, I reached down into Spitfire's pajamas, and began to gently rub and finger her slit.

"Ngh, Stud, not here! Our kids, not to mention your BROTHER, are right here in the room! Wait until later!"

I smirked a bit. "Why do you think that Daring and Dashie are sitting in front of us Spitsy? Plus, you KNOW that you love it!"

Spitfire nipped my neck a bit. "No fair Stud! You KNOW that I love it, and the risk just makes it that much more fun!"

I gave her a gentle kiss. "Yeah, I know Spitsy. And I love the fire in you. That's one of the reasons that I fell for you back then. And how about this; I'll stop fingering you now, and I'll have my brother and Olivia watch the kids while you, Dash, Daring and I slip upstairs for some 'private time'. Sound good?"

She gave me a kiss back. "Stud, that sounds AMAZING!" I then pulled my hands out of her pants, and after we both licked it clean, Spitfire gave me one final kiss, before she rolled over, snuggled into my chest, and seemingly fell asleep.

Eventually, I gave Dren my gift. I handed him a box wrapped in purple paper.

"I hope that you like it Dren. It took me a VERY long time to actually track these things down!"

He opened the box, and low and behold, the box had several old piano books in it. They were worn, old and faded, but they were still there.

He looked up at me with a look of shock. "Bro......how did you........Wha.....?! HOW DID YOU FIND THESE?!"

I smirked a bit. "Well, remember how just prior to WW4, we built that underground vault in our backyard?"

"Yeah."

"Well, just before Mom and Dad left when Henry was killed, I saved whatever I could, and hid it down there. Sure, the vault was lost to time when the nuclear apocalypse happened, but I still was able to locate it when the Battleship Express passed through Kansas City. I found the ruins of our old neighborhood, and after searching for nearly 9 hours, I FINALLY found the vault! Everything inside was still there, though faded a bit with age. I gathered these up, and decided to hold onto them just in case I ever ran into you again. Sure, your death was unconfirmed, but I was pretty sure that you were dead. Anyway though, I held onto them, and now I give them back you you."

Dren just shook his head. "All these years, and somehow, I've never forgotten how to play piano. However, now I have all of my old piano books, so maybe I can sharpen up on my skills again."

I nodded. "Yeah, maybe you can."

Dren then reached behind him for something that I couldn't quite see. "In the meantime though, here's my gift to you." He handed me a long box.

I began to unwrap it.

"You're gonna FLIP when you see what this thing is. Trust me, you would NEVER BELIEVE the INSANE, MADDENING LENGTHS that I had to go to to track this thing down! However, it WAS a part of your legacy, so now I give it back to you. Enjoy!"

I finished opening the box, and when I opened the lid and saw what Dren had brought back to me, I slammed my hands over my mouth. "No........no! It.....CAN'T BE!!!! THIS THING WAS LOST FOREVER WHEN VEGAS FELL!!!!!"

"Eh, that's what others thought too, but if this thing is indeed genuine, no it didn't!"

"What is it Stud?" Dash asked.

I showed her. Inside the box, wrapped in a sheet, was a Remington Model 870 12 gauge shotgun. It had a wooden stock, and a wooden pump handle, and it did seem to be somewhat old. It was in remarkable condition though, even though it also showed signs of use and age.

"What is it Stud? It just looks like an old shotgun to me. What's so special about it?"

I turned to her, as well as my kids, Daring, Spitfire and Olivia. "This shotgun was the gun used by none other than the 'Vegas Shotgun-Slinger'! For those of you who have never heard of him, he was a cloaked and masked entity who, along with his partner, 'Foxy', assaulted several MREA precincts and bases of operations over a 3 month period. Together, they killed many Futas, and induced mass-panic, but in spite of the massive man-hunts, neither of them were ever caught, or even identified."

Dash looked at me. "Wait, YOU were the 'Vegas Shotgun-Slinger'?"

I nodded. "Yep, guilty as charged. And 'Foxy' was actually my 'big sister' Carla!"

"WHAT?!?!?!" Everyone in the room except for Dren was shocked. "What.....how.....why?!"

I sighed. "Well, I WOULD tell you the story, but yet like most others that take place during my time in Vegas, it's NOT kid friendly, and I really don't feel too comfortable telling it."

"Aww." Midnight, Amber, Skyler, and Misty all looked sad.

"Well, I guess I could tell you all a condensed, dumbed-down version. Would you guys like that?"

Amber nodded. "Yes Daddy!"

"Ok, well, here goes. I got this nickname after our assault on Precinct 13, and continued to be called by it until our attack on the CICI Building. Starting from the beginning though, Mamma Demetria was getting sick and tired of other Futas who were trying to usurp her rule, so she decided to put together a stealth-ops team to take care of the problem. Carla and I were the 2 founding members, though others loyal to Demetria joined later. Basically, our missions were to hit areas that the bad Futas used, and wipe them out. In the process, we'd cause mass-panic, and hopefully turn the public against the MREA, which at the time was more corrupt than a force for good.

Anyway, one night, Carla and I were out for a night on the Strip, when all of a sudden, we saw an opportunity to commit a strike. We decided to knock out a few power generators, though after we did so, we then realized that those generators were what powered the nearby MREA Headquarters, and the CICI Building."

"What does 'CICI' stand for Daddy?" Midnight asked.

"'CICI' stands for Counter-Intelligence, Counter-Insurgency. Their entire job was to find 'terrorists', and keep the Futa Empire safe. In reality, they used their resources to hurt the enemies of the Futa Bureaucracy, (aka the REALLY bad Futas who hated Demetria) which was pretty much EVERYONE! They were evil, and they HAD to be stopped! However, when those generators went out, the HQ and CICI went on backup power. Carla and I then saw a chance to make a REAL difference in the Second Cold War, so once we geared up, masked up, and got ready, we kicked in the doors of the HQ, and went to town! Here's where I gotta cut out a LOT of stuff though. Basically, we killed, and they died."

"And where did the shotgun come from?" Dash asked.

"Well, at one point during our first mission in Precinct 13, Carla and I were cornered in a hallway. Carla then grabbed a shotgun from a nearby gun-safe, tossed it to me, and in a panic, I worked the pump faster than I even thought was possible, and dropped 9 Futas in less than 5 seconds before having to reload!

Again, I have to cut a LOT of stuff out of the story, but Carla and I escaped the precinct, it blew up because of a gas leak we caused, and then we disappeared into the night. In the aftermath of that night, as well as our attack on CICI, it was completely destroyed, and because of that, although it wasn't realized until MUCH later, WW6 was an easier win for the American forces. Without counter-intelligence forces, groups like the Wabash Cannonball were able to exist, and guys like we Battleship Express crew were able to escape from Kansas, and get back to the US. The Futas were unable to deal with mass insurgencies, and it was all thanks to the Shotgun-Slinger and Foxy. And more recently, my skills with a shotgun were put to use during the Battle of Zandia, hence the reason I was able to down General Tarrath with 3 shots from my military shotgun, even though I'd already been hit with the poison, and was falling to the ground!"

"What happened to the shotgun after that night Stud?" Spitfire asked.

"Well, it was put on a shelf in the Imperial Palace, and I don't know what happened to it after I was sold to Sam's ranch in Kansas after the coup. I always assumed that it was lost when Vegas fell, but now......I'm not so sure." I then looked up at Dren. "How did you ever even find this anyway?"

Dren laughed once. "Well, funny story. I knew that you were the 'Shotgun-Slinger' thanks to reading your reports on it, and I made it my mission to try and find the legendary shotgun. Sure, there were PLENTY of them around, with everyone claiming that they were indeed the original, but they'd always been proven to be fake. My quest took me all over the US, and I'd rather not talk about the details, but I finally ended up in a gun shop in Idaho.

The owner of the store contacted me, and quietly told me that he'd been given the original shotgun, and invited me to come and take a look at it. I went, fully knowing that it wasn't going to be the real gun. However, when I arrived at the store, the owner did indeed show me the gun, as well as some research that he'd done, and even a letter that came with the gun from Empress Demetria meant for you Leopard."

I was stunned. "Wait, there was a letter from Demetria with the gun? And come to think of it, how'd this guy get the shotgun anyway?"

"Well, I asked him, and he told me that he got it from a dealer, who'd been given it by Demetria herself. Apparently she wanted the shotgun to find its way back to you Bro, and no, I never opened the letter. I'm also REALLY hoping that the shotgun is indeed legit, as although I didn't have to pay money for it, (given that I AM your brother!) and he wanted the gun to go to our family, I don't want to have been ripped off!"

I began to examine the shotgun. I knew each and every one of its features, and even a few little modifications that I'd given it and never told anyone about, just in case I had to identify the real one later. Soon, I found what I was looking for. Underneath the stock, I found a small plate with the letters "L.B." engraved on it. "Leopard Boudica", I said quietly. I also saw that the plate was held in with 3 screws, and when I removed the plate, I found "Carla+Leo" engraved onto the stock. I'd NEVER told ANYONE other than Carla about these features, so there's no way that anyone else could have known about them. No doubt about it now, this really WAS my legendary shotgun!

"That guy was right Dren, this really IS my legendary shotgun! It is indeed genuine!"

"What?! Are you sure?!"

"Positive! It's got a few tiny features that I added later and NEVER told ANYONE other than Carla about. This is indeed the shotgun of the legendary 'Vegas Shotgun-Slinger'!"

While the rest of the others were either cheering, or still in shock and awe, I asked Dren about the letter. "Where's the letter Dren?"

"It's in the bottom of the box. Like I said, I never opened it, and neither did anyone else. No one knows for sure what's in it."

I dug around in the box again, and sure enough, I pulled out the letter. It was in a white envelope that had faded a bit with age. The envelope said simply, "To My Dearest Leopard." The top left corner contained the return address, which matched that of the Luxor in Vegas.

I tore open the envelope, and pulled out a letter. It was written in pen, and the date on the letter was May 5th, 2029, just a week shy of the beginning of our invasion of Nevada. (We were still in Utah at this time.) I then began to read the letter to myself.

"My Dearest Leopard,

I know that it has been a while since you last heard from me. However, with you closing in, I'm now taking the time to write this letter to you. I know that we'll be together again soon, but the time has come for me to reveal a few things to you. First of all, your famous shotgun is indeed still in existence, and is included with this letter. Don't worry, I've had it shipped away from Vegas, and it will find its way to a gun shop in Idaho where it shall remain until claimed by you, or a member of your family." The letter then gave the address of the gun shop, as well as a few coded phrases to tell the owner.

"However, that is not the meat of why I need to write to you, my Dear. The truth is, for the past 2 years, I have been lying to you. About nothing bad, I promise you, but I HAD to do it to protect HER. Leopard, your wife Carla is indeed still alive! She survived the Battle of Austin, Texas, though she was sent into a coma. She's been in and out of a coma for the past 2 years, but she does seem to be doing better. Her mind still longs for her beloved husband, and I know that you 2 will be together again soon. Like I said before though, I HAD to lie to you to protect her. Stacy and others still want her dead, but as long as she remains 'in a coma', she should be safe. Yes, she will be on the train with us once we evacuate Vegas, and you'll be reunited with Carla. However, this is not the full reason I wrote to you, as there is one more thing that I have to tell you, and it's CRITICALLY IMPORTANT!!!!"

"What?" I wondered. "What did you have to tell me Mom? And why did you wait until just then?" I kept reading, and what I read rattled me to my core and beyond.

"Leopard, Carla never told you, did she? I know that she was going to after Austin, Texas, but she was sent into her coma before she could. She told you that she was going to, right? Well, I will now reveal to you what she was going to tell you. My sweet Son, Carla was pregnant! Yes, you read that right! Your seed finally settled in her womb, and became a baby! However, that's not all. All while she was in a coma, we never knew if your child was going to live or die. In fact, we never even knew the gender until it was born. However, Carla carried your child to full term, and about a year ago gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy! Yes, Carla has just become the first confirmed case of a Herm giving birth to a male EVER! He has her hair, and DEFINITELY has your eyes! He's so beautiful, and I couldn't have been more happy to FINALLY become a grandma, just as Carla was beside herself at becoming a mother! Carla also INSISTED that he be named Leo after you, so now his name is Leo(pard) Ocelot Boudica. The next time you see Carla Leopard, she will be holding your beautiful son in her arms, and together you two will FINALLY be a happy family!

And yes, I KNOW that there's a fairly large chance that you won't find this letter until AFTER we meet again after Vegas, but I felt the urge to write it anyway. I can't explain why, but I felt like I needed to for some reason. Anyway, I KNOW that what you must have just read was a MASSIVE shock to you, but I have to tell you now in this letter, and I'll tell you again when I see you again Leopard. Again, I NEVER meant to hurt you by lying, but Carla and Leo HAD to be protected, and while it may have not been right, I did what I felt I had to do. I hope that you can forgive me Leopard.

In the meantime though, I hope that you're doing well, and I'll see you again soon!

Love,
Mom"

When I finished reading the letter, all I could so was break down crying. For 5 years I believed that Carla had been killed at Austin, Texas, and now I suddenly learn that not only did she survive, but she was also pregnant, AND gave birth to a son; OUR son?! All of that, only to die in the nuclear hell that Vegas became?! My mind couldn't even faintly BEGIN to come to terms with everything that I had just read in that letter, and I ran upstairs to our bedroom, and continued to cry my eyes out.

Dash, Spitfire and Daring all wondered what I'd been reading about, but when they read the letter, and realized what it meant, they too began to cry softly for me. Dash and Spitfire went upstairs to comfort me, while Daring remained behind with Dren, Olivia and the other kids.

Dren was looking worried. "Did......I do something....wrong?"

Daring shook her head. "No Dren, you didn't do something wrong, but that letter just revealed something to Leopard that he was NOT prepared to handle."

"What?"

Daring walked over to him, and in his ear, she whispered, "Carla, the Herm who he always said he was attracted to; not only was he apparently MARRIED to her, but she also gave birth to their SON as well! Leopard never knew that she was alive, or even pregnant, and now it makes it that much worse now that she's gone forever."

When Dren heard what Daring told him, all he could do was stare in absolute shock. He had NO IDEA that Carla and I had been married, and it raised SO MANY more questions than answers. When had we been married? How long had we been married? When was our son Leo conceived? When was he born? And most importantly, what REALLY happened to Demetria, Carla and Leo in the aftermath of Vegas? Were the really dead, or were they still alive? Nobody on Earth seemed to know, and we had no answers either.

"I......once had a nephew......" Dren muttered. "But does he live......or did he die?" He had absolutely no answers at all.

And, that was Chapter 26. Longest chapter I've ever written, but yet, it kinda had to be with all of the information I packed into it! From incidents of mooning, to train speed records, to train races, to Dren spending Hearths Warming with his brother's family, to the HUGE bombshell at the end. I mean sure, I DID mention it in the first chapter, but yet, I bet that most of you forgot about Leo by now, didn't you? Well, don't fret, he's coming back soon!

Also, yes, for those interested in the "Vegas Shotgun-Slinger", as well as his partner in crime "Foxy", their story will be told in Chapter 29. For Leo, Carla, and Demetria, they will have their own special Chapter, Chapter 28. Yes, the Futas will FINALLY be back in Chapter 28, and boy howdy will THAT be one amazing chapter! There's only 4 more chapters, plus the epilogue left in "Beyond the Express", so it's getting down to the end. It's been a wild ride, but on no, DO NOT let go of your seats, cuz this ride is NOT over yet! The finale will be EXPLOSIVE, so don't you dare miss it!

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 27!

ScarFox out for now!