Back in New Vegas, trouble was seemingly starting to simmer.

Ever since Demetria finished reading those diaries that once belonged to me, she'd never been quite the same. Like any grieving mother would, she took steps to make sure that her son was never forgotten. And when your "mom" was the Empress of the Futas, that can go a pretty long way! Stories would appear in the paper about my time living with her in Vegas, (nothing about WW6 after the Second Cold War though, that would be bad!) articles telling about my life and accomplishments would be in magazines, all of my uniforms were spots of interest on palace tours, and other pictures of me were added to various walls in the palace. Demetria was even considering giving me a statue, but she wasn't sure how other Futas would react to that.

All throughout this period though, some began to see Demetria's grieving as yet another sign of her weakness.

"Why do you keep mourning him Empress? It's been 5 years!"

"He's DEAD!!!!" Others railed. "Plus, he was a MALE! He helped MURDER Futas during the war! He does NOT deserved to be remembered like he was a good person! He was EVIL!!!!" And on and on it went.

More and more of the Futas were beginning to distrust Demetria, and think that the time was coming for a new Empress.

"But the only way that that would happen would be if there was a coup. Killing your Mom won't work because then Carla would become Empress, and if THAT happened there would be HUGE investigations, and possibly even purges!"

Stacy looked over at her wife as they lay in bed together. "Yeah, I know Jasmine. Carla really has become her old self again, and she would be a capable leader. That's why I fear her."

"Yeah, I don't like her the best either. Sure, we were all generals, but she had more battles to her name than we did. And while we did have more victories, she lost fewer troops and equipment, and could always make the best of a bad situation."

Stacy groaned. "That may be so, but my sister did NOT deserve to be a general! Sure, she might have retired now, but she should NEVER have been a general in the first place! She's a HERM, NOT a Futa!"

"Yeah, but it's called the 'Futa Empire', but your grandmother, Empress Boudica, was a Herm. She still called it the Futa Empire though! Plus, weren't there more Herms than actual Futas back then?"

Stacy sat up, and glared at who spoke. She saw Face standing beside her bed with a tray of food for her and Jasmine.

"Get out of here Face, I wasn't talking to you!"

Face winced a bit behind his mask. "Yes Mistress Stacy!" He then set the tray down on the table next to Stacy's bed. "Before I go though, do either of you need anything else?"

"Is there any more Dutch gouda cheese? I'd really like some."

"I believe so Mistress Jasmine. I'll go see!" Face then left the room.

Once they'd started eating, Jasmine looked over at Stacy. "I used to wonder why you kept that anorexic, mask-wearing, blue-haired runt around, but now I see why. What REAL Futa doesn't need a faithful, brain-dead male slave? And now that I'm your wife, he serves me hand and foot too!"

Stacy laughed a bit. "Yeah, that's the ONLY reason I've kept Face around at all. I needed someone else to take over from Rey once she became indisposed, and I did order him to get rid of the pigtails, as that was getting kinda old, but he does still wear his blue hair long. I might have him wear pigtails again in the future, but I haven't decided yet. At any rate though, yes, it's SO GREAT having him do everything for us!"

Both Futas then laughed, before they continued eating.

Jasmine then thought of something. "Hey Stacy?"

"Yeah?"

I might have asked you this before, but where did Rey go again? I haven't seen her in a long time."

Stacy sighed. "She's........working on a VERY important project for me. It requires her attention full-time, hence the reason that I had to replace her with Face as my personal assistant. I would tell you, but I don't want to get your hopes up until Rey's CERTAIN that it's going to work!"

"And how much longer will that be?"

"I don't know Jasmine. Rey's been at it for 5 years so far, and the project is finally nearing its end, but what neither of us know is how much longer it'll be. It all depends on...........no, I don't want to spoil it yet, so I'll just leave this conversation here."

Jasmine opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but then she just closed it again. She wanted to know more, but it was pointless to argue with Stacy, so she was just forced to let it go.

Also around this same time, another question was on everyone's mind, Futa and Herm alike. What really did lay beyond the boundaries of their Empire? Come to think of it, what even WERE the boundaries of their empire?

Demetria wanted to know the answer to this, so she sent out teams of surveyors to see how far they could go. She ordered them to look for large natural formations, such as rivers or mountains, and then mark them on a map. "That way, we can better understand just how much territory we need, because while having a kingdom where 'everything the light touches is our kingdom' is nice, it still needs boundaries!"

Teams of surveyors and scouts went out to see what they could find. While protected by groups of soldiers, they faithfully did what their Empress had commanded them to do. Far to the West, roughly 200 miles West of New Seattle, the westernmost city that the Futas currently had, was a wide range of large mountains. Upon sending back pictures to Demetria, she decided to call them the "Cloudy Peak Mountains", as the tops of many of their peaks seemed to be high above the clouds. Estimates put the mountains at nearly 16-18,000 feet tall, if not more, so they were quite formidable indeed! All around the foots of the mountains were forests of large pine trees, which Demetria called "The Great Pine Forests". Between New Seattle and the Great Pine Forests was a large space filled with hills, small mountains, streams, and a few wooded valleys. Demetria didn't have a name for this area, but some thought that it looked like some areas of Colorado, minus the Rocky Mountains.

To the North, past another forest of trees, roughly 85 miles North of the city of Pittsburgh, the scouts and surveyors discovered a large body of water. Upon conducting tests, they realized that the body of water was salty, and they soon realized that it had tides.

"You found an ocean?!" Demetria was very surprised.

"Yes, we did My Empress! It greatly resembles an ocean back on Earth, and the beach that we're standing on reminds us a lot of something from northern California!"

Demetria eagerly read every report as soon as it came back. The surveyors surveyed the ocean's coastline as far as the Cloudy Peak Mountains, and a long ways in the other direction. Some even got in a boat, and sailed out a few miles so that they could take some pictures of the whole coastline. The beaches that were found had white sand, and they, as well as the ocean, were teeming with life. Seagulls flew overhead, large quantities of muscles clung to rocks on the seabed, fish could be seen darting about, and a few crabs were spotted as well. Since the ocean was a bit cold, even for the Summertime, she called it the "New Atlantic".

To the South, the team of surveyors had the easiest job of all. They already knew that there was an ocean down there, as the city of Old San Francisco had already been built on the coast of it. They did discover a previously unknown mountain range to the Northwest of Old San Francisco, and Demetria called it the "Ocean Range". The ocean, which some had already been calling the "New Pacific" due to its being so similar to the Pacific Ocean, was finally given that official name by Demetria.

The city of Old San Francisco was known for its fine seafood exports, and crab, lobsters, shrimp, calamari, a wide range of fish, and even shark meat all came from the city's seafood businesses.

The Futa and Caribou Navies had also set up shop there, and the Treasure Island Naval Air Station soon sprang up, and grew to house nearly 5,000 personnel, 200 planes of various makes and models, (courtesy of the industrial cities of New Cleveland and Pittsburgh!) and even a small fleet of 22 warships, 2 tankers, and 2 supply ships. The Futas had taught the Caribou, Griffons, Minotaurs, Zebras and Dragons all about their modern technology, and helped them replicate it for use in the new Empire. For warships though, they only had 4 submarines (all diesel powered), 8 destroyers (these greatly resembled the old US Mitscher-Class Destroyers), 2 cruisers (bearing a strong resemblance to the US Oregon-City Class), 7 patrol boats, (all Caribou or Griffon) and even an aircraft carrier! Sure, it was small when compared to a Nimitz carrier, but the FES Boudica was a formidable ship capable of holding 80 planes. Work on what would become at least 2 battleships was also underway at the nearby shipyards. The FES Fearless BB-1, and the FES Conquer BB-2 greatly resembled the German Bismarck-Class Battleships.

These Fearless-Class battleships would be 810 feet long, 118 feet wide, and have a speed of 30 knots. For armament, they would have 8 16in guns arranged in 4 turrets, 12 5in guns, 12 2in guns, and a whole bevy of machine guns and other AA guns. They would also have the capability of launching missiles and torpedoes, have their guns be radar-guided, and even be equipped with the Futa's version of the modern AEGIS Combat System. The ships would be powered by 12 boilers, and have 8 engines, and 4 propellers. 2 rudders would help steer the ships, and their armor thickness was 12in at the belt, 4in at the deck, 13in on their main gun turrets, 5.5 on their conning towers, 4-12in on their bulkheads, and 2.5in on their bottoms. They would hopefully be quite formidable to any enemies, and be able to project Futa power at sea. The ships's constructions were nearing 45% complete, and were scheduled to be completed between 2038-2040.

Other shipbuilding programs were underway to build more destroyers and cruisers, develop nuclear reactors for the submarines and carriers, and build at least 3 more aircraft carriers. 2 new aircraft carrier keels had been laid down, and those ships were maybe 25% complete. The ships would be called the FES Demetria, and the FES Carla. The 4th ship, (name unknown but NOT the FES Stacy!) would be laid down once the Demetria and the Carla were complete. In spite of all this progress though, the goals of the Futa Navy remained unclear, as there were seemingly no others to challenge them. Why waste time and resources building up a huge navy that does little more than just sit there, sail around a bit, and act as a photo op? Some insisted that it was necessary in case they were discovered by hostile forces, (like the Equestrians and their Human allies as the Caribou claimed) while others wanted to relive the days of the original glorious Futa Navy before it was almost wholly wiped out during WW6.

Rumors also persisted that another class of warship was potentially going to be built. Some suspected that they were going to be battleships, while others thought that it was going to be a single ship capable of serving as a command ship/flagship for the Navy. No information about these ships existed in the public sphere, although the Navy Department did reveal that it was indeed going to be just one ship for the time being, and that yes, it was going to be a command ship/flagship. That got a lot of people's minds spinning. What kind of ship was this going to be? When was it going to be built, and when would it enter service? Most knew that it was going to be a battleship, but that was it. They all kept waiting though; waiting for any new information on the new ship.

Finally, the surveyors that were sent East had the most interesting time of all. East was where the Caribou and their allies had fled from, so they already had at least a vague idea of what they were going to find. They reached Comstock, which was the Easternmost city in the Futa Empire, and kept going. The trees thinned out as they went along, and the climate seemed to get hotter. All around them were fields of grass, indicating that they were in a prairie region. They were finding a few streams, but other than this, very few other natural features. Eventually, they came to a forest. The surveyors reported back that they'd found another forest, and their report was simply logged, as there didn't seem to be anything special about that particular forest, and plenty of other forests had already been found. However, at one point, the forest thinned out, and the surveyors found something very unusual.

"You found a WHAT?!"

"My Empress, we've found a railroad track in this forest! And by the looks of things, it's still in use! Just down the line a ways is a functioning signal, and the tops of the tracks have been worn shiny from regular use!" Suddenly though, the surveyor stopped. "Oh no."

"What? What's 'oh no'?"

"Train! There's a train coming! Everybody hide!" All of the surveyors and the soldiers with them quickly scurried into the forest on either side of the tracks, and waited for the train to pass. As it did so, they saw that it was a long passenger train. The engine was a streamlined steam engine, and had a black boiler with orange sides. The word "Daylight" was visible for a split second as the engine roared by. The rest of the cars were orange and red with black roofs, and at the very end of the train was an observation car. The Futas had managed to snap a few pictures of the train as it passed, and these were forwarded to Demetria.

When Demetria saw the pictures, her heart almost stopped. "No, there's NO WAY that this train could be here!"

"Which train is it Dem?" Minerva asked.

"If my eyes do not deceive me, the train in these pictures is none other than the Southern Pacific Daylight 4449! Or as it was commonly known throughout WW6, the Wabash Cannonball!"

"WHAT?!?!?!" Minerva looked over the pictures too. Sure enough, the engine and its coaches did indeed seem to be those of the famous Wabash Cannonball. "Well, they do seem to lack their military hardware, so either this is a different train....or....." Then Minerva stopped. The words "Southern Pacific" could be clearly seen on the sides of the coaches, and even on the engine's tender in some of the photos. And if that wasn't enough proof, in one shot, the numbers "4449" were visible on the engine's cab, as was the word "Daylight" on the sides of the engine's streamlining.

"Almost no doubt about it Dem. As impossible as this seems, this train may very well be the Wabash Cannonball!"

"But how?! How could it have survived Vegas, and then ended up here?! And where did all of its guns go?"

"Well, as for why it doesn't have military hardware, it's been 5 years since the Battle of Vegas back in 2029, and maybe there's no war here. Maybe it went back to just being an ordinary passenger train. As for how it survived Vegas and then ended up here, I'm afraid that I do not know. "

However, as strange as this was, a report was soon to come from the surveyors that would turn everything as they knew it on its head.

A few hours later, another report came from the Eastern surveying team.

"My Empress! You will NOT BELIEVE what we just found!"

Demetria picked up the radio on her desk. "What is it? What did you find?"

"We followed the railroad track South for about 70 miles. There was nothing but forests on both sides, until we came to a river at about 60 of those miles. There was a bridge there, but it wasn't wide enough for us to use it if a train came, so we crossed the river with the rafts that the soldiers brought, and after walking down the tracks for another 10 miles or so, we came to the top of a wooded hill, which is where we are now. However, we're looking down the hill, and you will NOT BELIEVE what we're looking at right now on the other side of the hill!"

"What? What are you looking at?"

"We're looking down at a HUGE sprawling city! And it looks eerily similar to Las Vegas!"

When Demetria, Minerva, and 2 advisers who were in Demetria's office at the time heard that, their jaws hit the floor!

"WHAT?!?!?!?! IT LOOKS LIKE LAS VEGAS?!?!?!"

"Yes! Hang on, we'll turn on the live video feed!" The leader of the surveyors then turned on the camera that she was holding, and pointed it towards the city.

Demetria turned on the video screen on her end, and Minerva and the 2 advisers looked at it too. When they saw what was below the surveying team, they truly had no words.

"I........I honestly have no words right now. Can you see who inhabits this city?"

"Yes, we can My Empress. They appear to be some kind of Equine-like creatures. They're all colors of the rainbow, stand on 2 legs, wear clothes, and some even have wings! We can also see what appear to be buses, transit trains, and streetcars!"

Demetria knew that it was time to consult with Danin, as he most likely would know what the surveyors were looking at, so she summoned him and Dothan to her office immediately. Once they were both seated, she explained to them the whole situation. Danin looked at the video footage, as well as a few pictures that the surveying team sent back of the city, and the railroad track.

He nodded. "Yes, I know what city that is. And I know what country it's located in too."

"Which city is it?"

"The city is called 'Las Pegasus'. It's the 4th largest city in the nation of Equestria. We've learned since that it's the Equestrian version of a city called 'Las Vegas', which we now know is where you all came from. We tried to take Las Pegasus during the Imperial War, but the Equestrians and their Human allies were able to stop us, and inflict casualties upon us that we never recovered from."

Dothan shivered a bit. He had been at Las Pegasus, and had very nearly lost his life when General Rodin's battlefield HQ was hit by an artillery barrage from the Black Leviathan. Rodin had pulled him and a few others to safety in a nearby foxhole, but others weren't so lucky.

Demetria was very surprised. "So there was Las Vegas, which we patterned New Vegas after, and now there's this 'Las Pegasus' too?! 3 cities almost all the same?! And what can you tell me about this rail line? Anything?"

Danin looked at the photos. "I believe that the Equestrians call the woods surrounding that line the ‘Whitetail Woods’, but aside from this though, I don't know anything else about it."

"And.........what else can you tell us about Equestria as a whole? Yes, I KNOW all about how they defeated you in the Imperial War, (which you may very well have deserved!) but what about them as a whole?"

Danin glared for a moment, but then he seemed to better compose himself. "Well, they're now the largest nation on Equus, and have the largest population. It's the nation of the Ponies, which are the creatures that you saw in Las Pegasus. There's Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasai, and I think that you can guess what each kind look like. The whole nation is ruled over by 2 diarch princesses; Princess Celestia, and her sister, Princess Luna. They rule from Canterlot Castle, located in the Equestrian Capital in Canterlot. The northern end of Equestria is composed of the Crystal Empire, ruled over by Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor. There's also a group of 6 heroes in the town of Ponyville, but they don't rule over anything. Equestria also has the largest military in the world now, as you're still gearing up, and the Zebra and Caribou Empires are no more. I'd dare say that you all would be the only threats to them right now."

Demetria sat back in her chair. She was very surprised at what Danin told her. "Wow. They sound like an incredible nation of quite incredible Ponies. And you mentioned that they have Human Allies?"

"Yes. It was because of THEM, AND their superior technology that we LOST the Imperial War! Their weapons outclassed ours, and their troops were better soldiers. They used tactics that we have yet to match, and often fought dirty. Worst of all though was when we found out that there were fewer than 2,000 of them! We never learned their exact numbers, but fewer than 2,000 Humans, their tech, and that.....that.......THING, killed us all!"

"Um, 'thing'?"

"Their war train! We called it the Black Leviathan, because that's damn well what it was! A big, black, f@#king monstrosity on f@#king rails! It brought death wherever it went, just like the Humans who crewed it! Harbingers of Death, all of them!"

"Can you describe this train?"

Danin was too angry, so Dothan took over the explanation. "It was the biggest train we'd ever seen. It was pulled by a HUGE black engine with a gray smokebox, a 4-8-8-4 wheel configuration, guns along the sides of its boiler, the numbers '4009' on its cab, and the words 'Union Pacific' on its tender. The rest of the train was composed of roughly 30 cars, all of which were armed to the teeth. Some cars were for their biggest guns, and others no doubt were for the crew, ammunition storage, and other supply storage."

When Demetria heard that, her face drained of all color. In a flash, she ripped open a few drawers in her desk, and began to rummage through them. Finally, she found the picture that she was looking for.

"Was this it?" She showed Dothan a side-profile picture of the Battleship Express.

"Yes! That's the Black Leviathan! You know about it?"

"This train is called the Battleship Express. It was the flagship train of the Railway Warfare Division, a sub-branch of the US Army. It led US soldiers to victory in WW6. We assumed that it was lost in the Battle of Vegas though! IT'S HERE ON EQUUS?!?!?!?!"

Dothan shook his head. "It WAS. During the last battle of the Imperial War, the Battle of Bryerton, while we escaped, the Humans tried to breach the city. However, we'd anticipated their arrival, and rigged the entire city to explode upon being breached, and to also detonate a large number of explosives hidden outside of the city. We saw the city explode far to the East as we fled by airship, and we knew that it had done its job. I've sent a few spies East since, and they confirmed that the train was destroyed, as were all aboard. We FINALLY put down the bane of our existence!"

Demetria was unaware that while Dothan was telling the truth about the city being rigged to blow, he was lying about the spies confirming the Battleship Express being destroyed. Dothan hoped that the train had been wiped out, but he never confirmed it, nor were any spies ever sent out to check. He kept telling himself this lie to make himself feel better, and now it was being passed through the Caribou ranks as fact. The city really had been rigged to blow though. We rigged it to blow without knowing that the Caribou had already done so, so when we blew up our explosives, the explosions proved to be so much more powerful than what we'd been expecting. (This was also the reason that debris were thrown so far away from the city, such as the rock that hit me in the helmet, and knocked me unconscious!)

Demetria was crestfallen. Here she was thinking that she'd FINALLY gotten a lead on finding me, only to learn that while I had been around 5 years ago, I and the rest of the Battleship Express and Battalion 4009 had been wiped out in a senseless attack. In her distressed state, Demetria didn't even consider the possibility that Dothan might have been lying or mistaken about it. She was too sad that I was now lost forever.

Later that evening, Demetria talked to Carla about her findings.

"Wait, so those surveyors found the edge of our empire, and the beginning of the Western edge of Equestria? And not only that, but they found ANOTHER Las Vegas?!"

"Yes, to both questions. Las Pegasus seems to be the westernmost city in Southern Equestria, and it looks eerily similar to our old Las Vegas." (Demetria didn't mention what Dothan told her about the Battleship Express. Carla didn't need to know about that).

"Wow. And so what does this mean going forwards?"

Demetria sighed. "I'm not fully sure yet Carla. I want to reach out to the Equestrians, but aside from what our surveying team found before they fell back, we know very little about Equestria at all. I don't fully trust what the Caribou and their allies tell us, as while it may be fact, it just as easily could be made up."

"So, what DO we know for sure? Anything?"

"Well, we know that Equestria is ruled over by 2 diarch princesses, as well as a lesser princess and a prince. Princess Celestia and her sister Princess Luna rule Equestria from their castle in Canterlot, which is the Equestrian capital. Then far to the north lies a kingdom called the Crystal Empire, ruled over by Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor. Danin also mentioned a group of 6 Pony heroes who live in the town of Ponyville, but he said that they weren't royalty."

"And what do you think is false?"

Demetria laughed a bit. "Well, the Caribou were trying to tell me that Princess Celestia has complete control of Equus's sun, while Princess Luna has control of the moon. What this means is that Celestia raises and lowers the sun every day, and Princess Luna raises and lowers the moon every night!"

Even Carla laughed. "What?! That's BEYOND Ridiculous! How can they control the sun and moon? That makes no sense!"

"But yet, why would they tell such an outrageous lie if they knew that it most likely wasn't going to be believed? Maybe there are some grains of truth, as remember Carla, Equus is a world as different from our own as it is similar. There is strong Magic here, and it runs through the entire planet. Perhaps this Magic even extends to heavenly bodies."

"Yeah. I know what you mean Mom. It was thanks to Equus's Magic that I seemingly healed up from my coma as fast as I did, and have remained healthy every since. I sure wish that we could see Equestria though. It sounds like such a beautiful land."

Demetria thought about that. "You know something Carla, that might actually be a pretty good idea. What if a small group of us went over there to see what we could see? You and I, as well as Leo, and perhaps 2 guards, all while under disguise, could go to Equestria for a day trip. We could look around a bit, see what there is to see, and possibly even see where these Humans are, as well as where they came from. Most likely they're Americans, but you can never be too sure."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea Mom. When do you think that we could do that?"

"I was aiming for this weekend. We could make it a Friday or a Saturday day trip."

In the end, Saturday would be busy for them, so they decided to go on a Friday. Friday, July 28th, 2034 to be exact.

Early in the morning on that day, Demetria chose the 2 guards that would be coming with her, Carla and Leo, and she also had a very important talk with Minerva about what she was going to do.

"Wait. Are you SURE that you want to do this Dem? It sounds EXTREMELY risky."

"Yes, I'm sure Mini. It's just a day trip, and Equestria is a peaceful land. However, no one is to know that we're going there, except for those who have been sworn to secrecy. Tension levels are rising around here, and I don't want word leaking out of this trip."

Minerva knew exactly what Demetria was referring to. For the past number of weeks since the meeting with all of the leaders of the Futas, Caribou, Zebras, Griffons and Minotaurs, when Demetria made it VERY clear that she didn't want war with Equestria, she began to feel like her rule was slowly becoming undermined. She felt that there were those out to get her throne, and replace her with someone who WOULD want war with Equestria.

"Well, if you're sure Dem. And am I in charge until you get back?"

"Yes. And it should just be for a day. You can handle that, right?"

Minerva nodded. "Yes, you can count on me Dem."

Demetria hugged her friend since childhood. "I know Mini." She then left to go get ready.

She was going to be wearing standard clothes, which meant jeans, a tank-top, walking shoes, and a small jacket. Carla wore her usual attire of jean shorts, a white t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Leo wore similar attire to his Mom, and the 2 guards were dressed in their Summer casual clothes too, although they also carried their weapons. Demetria and Carla also had their cameras, and one of the guards carried a backpack full of snacks and water bottles. The other guard also carried a backpack, but this one was full of Equestrian currency. (This came courtesy of the Caribou. Demetria expressed interest in Equestrian currency, and the Caribou gave her what they had in exchange for Boudicas, which was the Futa's system of currency). They had more than enough to cover their expenses, and it was Equestrian currency, so no one would ask any questions.

After eating breakfast, they were ready to leave. However, their plans didn't go unnoticed. Sombra knew what they were planning on doing, and he told Face, who in turn informed Stacy. When she heard about what her mom was planning, she was surprised.

"Wait, she, Carla and Leo are actually going to make a day trip to Equestria?"

Face nodded. "Yeah, that's what Sombra told me. And they're probably going to be leaving soon."

"Well, I suppose that I'd better be going with them. After all, one day I'll be in charge, and we'll need to know where to strike first!"

Jasmine, who was also present, nodded. "Yeah! We should all go."

Stacy shook her head. "No, we can't all go. As much as I want it to be that way, Equestria IS unexplored territory, and there always has to be at least one of us here to keep everything running smoothly. I'll go Jasmine, and you and Face keep everything on track here."

Jasmine shot her wife a concerned look. "Wait. Are you SURE that you want to do this Stacy? Shouldn't at least one of us come with you?"

Stacy shook her head. "No. Unfortunately, all 3 of us are still most likely wanted criminals, and I don't have enough potions to disguise us all. I have just enough for one person." (Stacy had started making potions so that her followers could spy on others unseen).

Jasmine talked to her a little bit longer, but she was unable to convince her to back down. So once she was dressed, Stacy used her potion that she'd made. After doing so, she went from a Neko Cat-Futa with black hair, cat-like ears, a cat tail, and one blue eye and one green eye, to a blue-eyed blonde girl with no visible ears and tail.

"Wow, looking good Babe!"

Stacy giggled a bit. "Glad that you like it Jazzi. Now then, I have to get going. I should be back sometime tonight." She then began to leave.

Jasmine hugged and kissed her before she did so, and she even hugged Face. Then she slipped away to follow her Mom, sister and nephew on their adventure.

Demetria, Carla, Leo and their guards took 3985 to Comstock, and from there they had to make the same journey that the surveying team had a week or so prior. A soldier was able to use an off-road vehicle to get Demetria and her party to the railroad tracks, and as carefully as they could so as to avoid being seen, they drove the 70 miles to the river. Then, when the soldier drove the off-road vehicle back towards Comstock, the 2 guards pulled out the inflatable raft that they brought, and once they, plus Demetria, Carla and Leo were in it, they paddled across the river close to the foot of the bridge until they reached the other side. Then it was a 10 mile hike to the hill that overlooked Las Pegasus.

One thing that Carla wondered was why none of them were wearing disguises.

"Well, because we don't need them. So few Americans outside of Leopard and a handful of military officers have ever seen us in person, and even then, that was over 5 years ago. We've aged some since then, AND we weren't Human-animal hybrids back then either! Now you're a Human-fox hybrid, and I'm a Human-cougar hybrid!"

Carla looked at her own fox ears and tail, as well as her mom's cougar, (aka mountain lion) ears and tail. She also looked at Leo's wolf ears and tail. "Yeah, you're right Mom. If anything, we should blend right in. After all, all of the other Humans in Equestria are hybrids according to the Caribou, so they most likely won't give us a second glance."

It was a long 10 mile walk though. Sure, it was through grassy fields, but 10 miles is a long way on foot. And unbeknownst to any of them, Stacy was close behind them. She'd been following them ever since Comstock, and had stowed away inside the off-road vehicle. She had her own raft to get across the river, and now she was following Demetria and Co to Las Pegasus. She too was pissed that she had to walk 10 miles, but there was nothing that she could do about it.

"Why do we have to walk 10 miles Mom?" Leo asked his mom as they walked.

"Because that's the only way to get to where we're going Leo. There aren't any roads here, or train tracks. And we can't use the off-road vehicle, as we're already pretty close to where we need to be. All we have to do is find a forest that's at the end of this grassy prairie, go through it, and to the top of a wooded hill. Then we go down the hill, and then we're where we're supposed to be."

"Which is where?"

"A land called Equestria. It's the closest thing to the New Futa Empire, and we're going to see what it looks like."

"Oh, ok." Leo was excited to get to go along, and really wasn't asking too many questions about much yet. He just accepted what his mom told him.

Eventually, a few hours later, they reached the forest that the surveyors described, and not too long after that, they found the wooded hill. And after walking to the top of the hill, they found themselves in the same spot that the surveyors had been.

"My word!" Demetria had a hand over her mouth. "It really IS Las Vegas, just in a different world!"

Carla and the 2 guards didn't know what to say either. What Demetria said really was true; it WAS Las Vegas, just built in a different world! Leo too was stunned, but since he'd never really seen the original Vegas, (He was only an infant when they evacuated) he didn't see the comparison. However, he did notice that it looked a lot like New Vegas.

"Hey, this city looks a lot like New Vegas Mom."

"That's because it almost is Sweetie. This city is called Las Pegasus, and it's the 4th largest city in all of Equestria!"

"Wow, really?"

Carla nodded. "Yeah! And where do we go now Mom?"

Demetria thought for a second. "Well, once we get down there, I think that we should see about finding a train station. Once we're there, we can sit down, and figure out what to do next. From Las Pegasus, we might be able to see more of Equestria by rail."

"Sure, sounds like a plan to me Mom, let's go!" And with that, they all started down the wooded hill towards Las Pegasus.

Behind them, Stacy was still hot on their heels. When she saw Las Pegasus, she too was stunned. "Damn, they weren't kidding. These f@#king Ponies really DID build their own Las Vegas out here!" She then started down the hill after her mom and her party.

For Demetria and her group, once they reached the road leading into the city itself, it was only another minute or so until they were in. As Demetria originally suspected, no one paid them any mind. Demetria, Carla and the 2 guards were shocked at the city's layout. True to what they previously believed, the city was indeed patterned after their beloved Las Vegas. Sure, some things were different, but a lot of it was eerily similar.

"It's almost like a strange case of Deja Vu!"

"Yeah, I know what you mean Carla. This whole city is almost just like the one we lived in. Just add in the cars and trucks, and Futas and Herms instead of Ponies, as well as a few other buildings and landmarks, and you have Las Vegas!"

As they walked, they all also began to notice signs, statues, and other monuments to the Battle of Las Pegasus that took place 5 years ago during what was called the "Imperial War".

"The Battle of Las Pegasus was fought in the nearby Palomino Desert, and it was a smashing Equestrian victory!" A tour guide was telling her group. "Thanks to our Human allies, we were able to break the backs of the Imperial Alliance, and ensure that the Caribou were NEVER strong enough to threaten Equestria ever again!"

"Wow, it sounds like the battle here was pretty fierce."

Demetria nodded. "It must have been Carla. I just saw a few aerial pictures of the Palomino Desert where the battle was fought on that kiosk over there, and there are still visible craters, and other impact holes. The Imperial War. I wonder where we can learn more about that WITHOUT any Caribou bias."

"I don't know Mom, I was kinda wondering the same thing."

They tried to learn more about the Battle of Las Pegasus, and perhaps a bit more about the Imperial War, but due to the throngs of Ponies everywhere, it was almost impossible. Eventually, they did make it to the Las Pegasus railway station, where they stopped to catch their breath, eat and drink a bit, and figure out what to do next. Demetria was looking at the nearby timetable.

"Hmm, I remember that Canterlot was the capital city of Equestria, and there's a train bound for Canterlot arriving here in about 10 minutes. What do you say that we all go to Canterlot?"

Carla shrugged. "Sure, why not? We might be able to learn a lot more about the Ponies, as well as Equestria in general. I mean, it seems like a pretty nice place so far."

The 2 guards agreed with Carla, so Demetria walked over to the ticket booth, and asked for 5 tickets to Canterlot. She purchased 4 adult and one child ticket with some of the Equestrian Bits that she had, and the Pony at the ticket booth didn't even blink when he looked at her, or the Bits that she gave him.

Once the train arrived, they all boarded it amid a throng of other Ponies, and a few Humans. In fact, one of the guards just missed accidentally stepping on a blonde girl. Demetria and Co then took their seats on the train, completely unaware that the blonde girl was actually Stacy in disguise. Once everypony was on board and settled, the train pulled out for Canterlot.

All during the trip there, Demetria and Carla marveled at the beauty of the landscape. They saw grassy fields, and beautiful valleys. A few streams flowed here and there, the sky was clear and blue, the sun was shining, and the temperature was hovering at about 90 degrees.

"Wow, the landscape here is so beautiful. It reminds me a bit of the American Midwest."

"Yeah, I agree Carla. It is very beautiful. Just look at those valleys and grassy fields. This is so beautiful, even when compared to the Undiscovered West where we live."

They also passed a few clusters of trees, and a few large hills. The train that they were on bypassed a town that some on the train identified as "Ponyville", and continued Eastbound to Canterlot.

When Canterlot came into view, Demetria had to blink a few times since she thought that she was dreaming, but she wasn't.

"Wait, is that city built into the side of a MOUNTAIN?!?!"

"Yes." The conductor, In Time, answered as he passed by. "Canterlot City is built into the side of Canterlot Mountain. Such a beautiful city."

"I'll bet that it is. Oh, and we're kinda new to this area, so what would you recommend that we see in Canterlot? Besides Canterlot Castle of course."

"Well, if I were you, I would stop in at the Equestrian Cavalry Museum. It's become quite a hot-spot for museum-goers since the army came back with all of those Caribou War-Beasts at the end of the Imperial War."

"Caribou War-Beasts?"

"Eh, they kinda look like large buffalo, but they also have tusks on the sides of their heads. Our military uses them now as mounts and pack animals, and they've found uses on farms as well."

Demetria nodded. "Oh, ok. Well, we'll have to be sure to stop by there today. It sounds amazing!"

"It is." In Time then looked at his watch. "And we should be pulling into Canterlot Station here in a few minutes." He then walked back up along the train, and Demetria looked out her window again at Canterlot City as they steamed up the mountain towards it.

Once the train pulled into Canterlot Station at about 2pm, Demetria, Carla, Leo and their 2 guards got off the train, and stood on the platform.

"So, where do we go from here Mom?"

"Well, I guess that we just look around, and see if we can't make our way towards the Equestrian Cavalry Museum. The train conductor said that it's a must-see."

"Ok, sounds good to me." They all kept walking.

As they walked, they kept seeing signs about the Imperial War, and about how Equestria won it. Demetria wanted to ask other Ponies about it, but she didn't want to arouse any suspicions. After all, since the war had been over for 5 years, and there were only a handful of Humans in Equestria, if she didn't know anything about the war, then that would arouse some suspicion. Sure, Demetria did have what the Caribou told her, but she believed that a lot of what the information was biased and inaccurate. She was hoping that the Equestrian Cavalry Museum could shed a bit more light on it.

All around them as they walked were the beautiful sights of Canterlot City. Most of the city's buildings were white, and the streets were very clean. It was a very bustling city, but yet it WAS the Equestrian capital, so that was to be expected!

"How'd they build this city right into the mountain Grandma Demetria?" Leo asked.

"A very good question Leo. I was wondering the same thing. I don't know, but what I can tell you is that the Ponies who did so must have REALLY known what they were doing!"

"Yeah!" Carla added. "To have been able to build a city of this size right into the side of a mountain; to make it sturdy, AND this beautiful, must have really been QUITE the feat for its time!"

"I agree."

Eventually, they did reach a spot where they could see Canterlot Castle only about a block away. The gates were closed, and there were armed and armored guards standing outside the gates, so it was clear that they weren't going to be getting in. However, that didn't stop them from taking pictures though. Both Demetria and Carla had been taking pictures since Las Pegasus, and now they were taking pictures of the wonders of Canterlot.

"Such a beautiful castle." One of the guards whispered.

"Yes, even more beautiful than the original Luxor was", Demetria agreed.

After this, using a map of the city, the group made their way over to the Equestrian Cavalry Museum. The museum was packed, and they were offering a ticket discount for whatever reason, but the crowd all around them was being too noisy for Demetria to hear why. The museum was a large building made of bricks, and its shape, at least in the front, reminded Demetria of an old-fashioned firehouse.

Once inside, the crowds were split into groups, and taken by guides through the museum. It wasn't the largest museum ever, but for what it was worth, there was a lot to see, spread out over 3 floors. The tour started at the top of the building, and worked its way down. It started with cavalry tools and equipment from the earliest days of Equestria, and worked its way towards the present. Leo quietly asked his mom why the Ponies didn't just use horses for mounts like Humans did, and Carla quietly explained back that it was because they were practically horses themselves! Anthropomorphic Ponies sure, but still Ponies!

There were armored chariots, carts of weapons, the armor worn by those in cavalry divisions, and even the weapons that the cavalry used in combat. There were swords, shields, spears, axes, clubs, flails, flintlocks, and even more modern guns by the time that they reached the ground floor, as well as simple tractors, and even bulldozers! Demetria and Co were surprised. Where did the Equestrians get guns and tractors from?

"The guns and other equipment from the Modern Era came courtesy of the Humans from America." The tour guide explained. "They showed us how to manufacture them, and they also taught us how to use them. Most of the weapons made their way into the hands of the regular Army, but some were still used by the cavalry divisions."

The highlight of the tour though were the pens inhabited by the Caribou War-Beasts. A small herd of 5 were kept in a stable and outdoor area at the museum, so as to let museum goers see them, and to demonstrate the beasts's prowess. 2 of the older females would even give rides, and these could be petted too. However, the highlight of this highlight was still Argus, the Alpha War-Beast mount that I'd taken from Carlon, and used in the Battle of Donneth.

Demetria and Carla were surprised when they saw the War-Beasts for the first time. The ones that they could see were grazing on hay from a manger, and they all had dark grayish-tan coats, dark brown manes, no tails, brown eyes, and tusk-like horns on the sides of their heads. They almost seemed to be buffalo, cows and bears all rolled into one.

"Gosh, what ARE those things?"

Demetria read a nearby sign. "These are the Caribou War-Beasts. They were taken from the Caribou city of Carlon at the end of the Imperial War, and were brought back to Equestria for study. Today, they serve the Equestrian military as mounts and pack animals, and farms as working animals as well."

"Wow, they're kinda ugly looking. But they sure do look strong though."

Before Carla could say anything else though, the crowd all around them suddenly seemed to be gathering at the fences surrounding the pens that the War-Beasts were in. A male museum worker then walked in with a War-Beast that seemed to be bigger than the others.

"And now, the moment that you've all been waiting for. I present to you, Argus! The Alpha War-Beast that was the mount of the Black Fox during the Battles of Carlon and Donneth. Or as he's better known, the mount of Captain........" The museum worker was then drowned out by the crowd screaming and cheering, so Demetria, Carla, Leo and their 2 guards were unable to hear what the worker, who seemed to be a stable hand, was saying. Carla hoisted Leo up onto her shoulders so that he could see better, and Leo watched in awe as the stable hand paraded Argus for the crowd.

"Now, Argus isn't quite the Alpha War-Beast that he used to be. He was already almost 10 years old when the Battle of Donneth happened, and he's now 16 years old. And while Caribou War-Beasts can easily live to be 30+ years old, 20 tends to be the end of their working life. Argus here has almost reached that. He's been retired from the military for a while now, and is now the star attraction of the Cavalry Museum here. Who wants to see him up close?"

The crowd surged forwards to form what seemed to be a clumsy line, but Demetria was having none of that. As quickly as she, Carla and the 2 guards could, they made a VERY hasty exit before they were trampled to death! Once they were out of the museum, they began to walk back towards the railroad station.

"Golly! What in the Goddess's name was THAT?!"

"I have no idea Carla. With the way that that crowd was acting, you'd think that they were handing out free concert tickets, or something along those lines, not showing off a Caribou War-Beast! And we never even got to hear who's mount he was due to that infernal crowd!"

"Yeah, or why everything was at a discounted price. It's almost like something important's going on."

"Yeah. But what? Maybe someone at the railroad station can tell us."

Yeah, hopefully they can."

When they all arrived back at the railway station, the time was almost 4pm. However, as they were contemplating what to do, they all heard a whistle, and the next train pulled in. However, Carla, who was the only one looking directly at it, let out a gasp of shock and surprise. The engine pulling the train was a Wild-West style 4-4-0 American steam locomotive with dark green paint, gold trim, a black smokestack, and the words "Union Pacific" were on the sides of the tender. The engine's number was "1", and on the side of its boiler, the words "Iron Glory" were visible.

Demetria turned around at Carla's gasp of surprise, and when she saw the engine, her jaw hit the ground! "Wait, IRON GLORY?!?!?!"

"There's no WAY that that could be the original Iron Glory! It was destroyed!" In her state of shock, Carla snapped a few pictures of the engine.

Demetria had to find out. She then quickly ran over to the station building. Luckily, there was no one in line at the ticket booth. Carla followed her with Leo still on her shoulders, and the 2 guards followed Carla.

"Excuse me?" She asked the stallion sitting in the booth.

"Oh, yes Ma'am?"

Please tell me. Is that engine right over there Iron Glory? The REAL Iron Glory? I HAVE to know!"

The ticket taker, a stallion named Everglade, looked towards the platform. "Yes Ma'am, that is indeed the one and only Iron Glory. Supply train to the Battleship Express, and a passenger and freight engine when she's needed. And she's needed today let me tell you!"

"THE BATTLESHIP EXPRESS?!?!?!" Carla yelled.

Everglade looked at her. "Yes Ma'am."

Demetria then spoke quickly. "And if you don't mind telling me, what IS going on around here? This whole place has been a madhouse, just like Las Pegasus was!"

Everglade looked at her confused. "Wait, you mean that you don't know?"

"I'm.....we're......not, really from around here."

Everglade chuckled a bit. "Oh, I see. Well, today is July 28th, and today is Armistice Day. Every July 28th, we celebrate the end of the Imperial War, and the defeat of the Caribou and Zebra Empires. It was all thanks to our Human Allies that we won that horrible war. Every year there's always a HUGE celebration all over Equestria, but the biggest celebration of all is down in Ponyville."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Gosh, you REALLY must not be from around here! Ponyville is home to the National Imperial War Museum. Since that museum is all about the Imperial War, there's always a huge picnic dinner down there, as well as special museum tours, interviews with veterans who fought, fireworks, and of course, the museum's star attractions."

"Which are?"

"Well, Iron Glory for one, Battle Glory is another, and they recently added the Wabash Cannonball to their roster too, but one thing in that museum stands out above all the rest. The star of the museum, the one and only Battleship Express!"

When Demetria heard that, she became as ecstatic as Carla was. "What?! The Battleship Express?! THE Battleship Express?!"

"Oh yes. THE Battleship Express, and of course, all of the men and women who served on her."

"Even.......Captain Leopard?" Demetria asked quietly.

"Of course! What would the Battleship Express be without one of its most famous soldiers?"

That was it. Demetria and Carla lost it.

"WHAT?!?!?! LEOPARD IS ALIVE?!?!?!"

"Of course he's alive! He's been living in Ponyville for the past 5 years!"

Demetria then turned back to Everglade. "And how much for 5 tickets to Ponyville?! We HAVE to get to the Imperial War Museum!"

"Well, for 4 adult tickets, and one child ticket, that would be 35 Bits."

Demetria paid, and then she and Carla, (still dragging Leo!) and of course the 2 guards raced for Iron Glory's train.

"He's alive Mom!" Carla practically screamed once they were on the train, "MY HUSBAND'S ALIVE!!!!!!"

"Wait, Dad's alive Mom?!"

"YES LEO, HE IS!!!!"

"And we're going to see him?!"

"YES!!!! For the first time ever, you're FINALLY going to get to meet your Dad!"

Even Demetria could barely contain her excitement. The last time that she ever heard from me was the night before the Battle of Vegas, just over 5 years prior. Now here she was on a train heading towards Ponyville, knowing that I was alive, and was most likely at the Imperial War Museum! (And surprisingly, no one on the train told Demetria, Carla, or Leo to quiet down. This was because everyone and everypony else on the train was heading for the Imperial War Museum too, and they were making just as much noise).

However, behind them on the train, the same blonde girl from Las Pegasus sat. She could not believe her ears. I was alive?! It was inconceivable!

"There's NO WAY that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still alive! He died back in Vegas in a nuclear hell!" However, knowing the danger that it could pose if I really was still alive, as well as the Battleship Express if it still existed, Stacy had to verify the truth for herself. She kept praying that it would end up being a bust, but yet she couldn't escape this nagging feeling that what she overheard Everglade telling Demetria and Carla truly was legit.

Earlier that same morning, I woke up when the sun began to stream through the windows of my shared bedroom. I opened my eyes, and I saw my wives snuggled close to me. Dash was on my right, Daring was on my left, and Spitfire was snuggled up with Dash on her right. I then rolled onto my back, and sighed contentedly. Soon though, I began to feel somepony nuzzle my arm gently.

"Hmm?" I looked over, and I saw that Dash was nuzzling my arm gently. "Oh, hey Dashie."

She looked up at me. "Hey Stud."

"What are you doing?"

She sighed. "Just nuzzling your arm a bit."

"Why?"

"Just checking out your tattoos again. The black wolf's head on top, your army serial number, '00401' below it, and the American flag below that." Dash then looked under the covers at my hips. "And your black paw-print Cutie-Mark tattoos too. And all of them are still just as clear as they were the day I saw them for the first time."

"Well, that was only about 5 years ago Dash. And if taken care of properly, a lot of tattoos can last for decades."

"And these are still just as clear now as they were then." Dash's ears then pricked up. "Oh, sounds like I need to go take care of Cara and Cassidy. Do you think that you can take care of the rest of our kids?"

I nodded. "Sure Dash."

She nodded, and then got up to take care of Cara and Cassidy. Just as she left though, Spitfire rolled over. She was groaning a bit, holding her 6 month pregnant belly.

"Morning Spitsy."

She glanced over at me. "Hey Stud. And before you ask, I feel like shit!" She then held her mouth a bit. "I've got to puke and pee!" She then raced for the bathroom. Moments later, I heard the sounds of her violently throwing up, as well as peeing.

I winced a bit. "Oh, poor Spitsy." I then rolled over to begin to nuzzle Daring. "Daring? Babe? Can you wake up please?"

She opened her eyes, and groaned a bit. "I'm awake, but I sure don't want to be!"

I sighed. "And you know what today is, right?"

"Yeah, today is Armistice Day. The 5th anniversary of the end of the Imperial War."

"Yeah, and that means that we get to spend the day at the Imperial War Museum."

Daring frowned a bit. "Yeah. The crowds are insane, people and Ponies are everywhere, and they're all screaming. Do we really have to do this Stud?"

I nodded. "Yes, we do Daring. Honoring the fallen, the missing, and those who are still with us is the duty of every red-blooded American patriot."

"And the duty of every red-blooded Equestrian patriot?"

I nodded. "Yes, that too. And we have to get up, as we have to take care of Misty, Skyler, Amber, and Midnight. We all have to eat breakfast, and then shower, get dressed, and head over to the museum for the day."

Daring sat up, and began to stretch a bit. "Yeah. So I'll take care of Amber and Midnight, and you take care of Misty and Skyler." She then put a hand over her face. "Remember the days when we DIDN'T have to take care of kids every morning, and had time for morning sex?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I can still remember. However, that won't be happening again until Cara and Cassidy are weaned, and then all of our kids are a bit older."

"It's been 5 years since we got married Stud, and 4 of those have been with our 'happy little accidents'. Can't we spend more time together?"

"Well, if that's how you feel about it, I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that by tonight all of our kids will be exhausted, and that should give us time alone. Plus, I can always get Dren to watch them if they're not!"

Daring's face lit up a bit. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan to me Stud. At any rate, let's get going."

"Yes, let's. Daring then got up, and I followed her moments later.

Once we'd all eaten breakfast, we all showered, and once Daring and Dash got their kids dressed, we adults got dressed too. Dash wore her usual T-shirt with jean shorts, and she had her mane in a ponytail. Daring wore a purple sun dress, her red glasses, and had her mane in a ponytail as well. Spitfire usually wore her Wonderbolt Academy Uniform for Armistice Day, but due to her pregnancy, it no longer fit. Instead, she had to wear a blue and yellow Wonderbolt maternity sun dress. However, she still had her mane slicked back into its usual form, and she had her goggles on her forehead as well.

As for me, I always wore my Battalion 4009 field uniform. I pulled on my dark blue tunic, darker blue sort of overalls, black boots, gray knee pads, elbow pads, chest armor, shin guards, back armor, codpiece and butt armor, and of course my gray German-style helmet with goggles. I also gave Aurora a bath, and helped her dry and brush her fur. Even Briana made herself presentable, which was rare for her. Then, once we were all ready, Dash put Cara and Cassidy into a carrying pack on her back, and while Spitfire held the hands of Misty and Skyler, Daring held the hands of Amber and Midnight, Briana held Aurora, and I held 3 large bags filled with everything that we were going to need for our kids for the day, we all took flight for the Imperial War Museum.

As we flew there, I took a moment to pause and reflect. 5 years ago, on July 28th, 2029, General Stuggs, General Rodin and Prince Dactyl all signed the surrender documents, thus bringing the Imperial War to a close. On that day, many Ponies celebrated in the streets that the terrible war was over. Celestia and Luna declared the day an official national holiday, and by the time the next Armistice Day happened the next year, the Imperial War Museum was opened. (And for a little while, nopony was sure what to call the holiday. Some suggested "Veteran's Day", or "Memorial Day", but we pointed out that these were already American holidays. It was eventually decided to call it "Armistice Day", since Veteran's Day was no longer called this).

Every July 28th, there was always a HUGE celebration all across Equestria. However, the biggest celebration of all was always at the Imperial War Museum. There was always a picnic dinner, live music was performed, speeches were given, and stories were told by war veterans; both to tell their own stories, and to honor their fallen comrades. Then, to top the night off there would always be a huge fireworks display. It was a big deal, and we of Battalion 4009 always spent the day at the Imperial War Museum, as we were the guests of honor.

My family and I arrived there at about noon, and I could see that a lot of people and Ponies were already arriving. Once we got up to the museum, since I was a Battalion 4009 soldier and I had my family with me, we were allowed into a side door that led straight into the Battleship Express Gallery. By the time we were inside, I could already see large crowds looking around, but yet everyone and everypony was calm and orderly. Dash, Daring, Spitfire and the kids went over to one of the tables that was set up for families to sit at, and they began to talk to other family members of Battalion 4009 soldiers.

While my wives and kids were occupied, I went over to where Don and Jim were gathering all of the Battleship Express crew together for a headcount. I looked around for Dren, but I didn't see him yet. Don and Jim went over our cues for those of us who would be giving speeches or telling stories, and we all made sure that we knew who was on when. The museum had already opened at noon, but the events didn't start happening until about 12:30.

As I was walking with Aurora over to the gallery dedicated to her, I saw Dren. "Hey Dren."

He looked up at me. "Hey Leopard. Taking Aurora to her gallery?"

I nodded. "Yeah. What are you up to?"

"Not too much. I'm just waiting for lunch to be served."

"They don't do lunch Dren, the picnic is for dinner."

I saw that his face fell. "Oh. Well, I guess that I'll just look around for a while with Olivia. I'll see you later."

"Bye Dren." He walked away to go find Olivia, and I kept walking with Aurora. I did look around for Briana, but I then remembered that she tended to stay out of sight. She hated the crowds, and it wasn't really about her, so she just stayed hidden most of the time.

The day started out normal enough, happy even. However, little did I suspect just how much my life, and a blast from the past, were about to collide.

At exactly 5:30pm, Iron Glory pulled into Ponyville Station. Demetria, Carla, Leo, and their 2 guards got off the train, but they stayed on the station platform until the crowds thinned out a bit. While they were waiting, Demetria grabbed a map from a nearby rack, and began to look it over.

"So, what do we do now Mom?"

"Well, we have to get to the Imperial War Museum. That's where Leopard is, and that's where we're going."

"And how far away is it?"

"Well, we're here at the train station, and the museum is about a mile away on the other side of town. We can walk there."

Carla nodded, and while she held Leo's hand, Demetria led the way with them and the 2 guards following her.

As they walked through the streets of Ponyville, all of them looked around them in awe. While the town was a bit small, it was rather bustling. However, it was a very orderly bustling. The center of the street was clear, and there weren't any ponies blocking doors or side streets either. Demetria did however notice that most of the buildings were painted white with pink trim. They had tile roofs, and they did look somewhat Medieval. However, they also seemed to have modern appliances.

"Wow, such a beautiful little town. No wonder Leopard settled down here."

"Yeah, no kidding Carla."

All around them as they walked, Ponies were hanging up banners of the Battleship Express, a few flags of the RWD, and of course, Equestrian and American flags. Demetria smiled when she saw the patriotism, however, she was a bit wary. Although she had been declared dead, not everyone spoke as kindly of her as I had. She was always on guard, as she was afraid of being recognized. She looked on a bit in fear whenever she saw a group of Battalion 4009 soldiers, or even a single soldier. However, at one point, a soldier accidentally bumped into her.

The soldier looked right up at her face. "Oh, excuse me Ma'am. I didn't see you there."

"Oh, it's not your fault. It's a busy street here."

"Yes Ma'am, it is." The soldier smiled, saluted, and then continued on his way. He hadn't recognized her.

"Well, even so, that was just an ordinary soldier. Very few, if any of them ever saw me, and don't know what I look like. It's the officers that I have to watch out for. THEY might recognize me!" She did keep her eyes open for officers, but she didn't see any. Carla kept telling her that no one was going to recognize her. All the same though, Demetria kept her guard up.

Eventually, Demetria and Co reached the Imperial War Museum. They all gasped a bit in surprise when they saw it for the first time. It was a large, 2 story structure that was sitting on a large tract of land. A few train tracks ran across the property, and connected to a nearby train mainline. The rest of the property was covered with grass, although there were a number of sidewalks and even a few trails. The building itself had large windows, and seemed to be beckoning to all those who saw it to enter and be amazed by what lay within.

Once they arrived, Demetria and Co began to walk down one of the sidewalks towards the museum entrance. However, as they looked towards the back of the museum property, Demetria suddenly saw what appeared to be a large flower garden. There was a wall at the back of the garden, and a statue at the center. Once Demetria learned from passersby that the museum admission was free that day, she decided to go over and see what the garden was all about. (Even on days when museum admission isn't free, the Memorial Garden always is).

Once she, Carla, Leo, and the 2 guards arrived, they were in awe. The flower garden, identified by signs as the Memorial Garden, was very beautiful, and there were even a few fountains as well. However, upon closer reading of the signs, they quickly realized that things were not as bright as they seemed. Each flower or flowering plant was for one soldier lost in combat, and each fountain represented 5 civilian deaths. The wall at the back of the garden had the names and ranks of all the soldiers who lost their lives in the war, both Human and Pony alike. Another part of the wall had the names and ranks of those who were still missing.

Just in front of this wall was a large bronze statue that depicted several Human and Pony soldiers racing into combat. In the center of the statue were 3 flags. One was the Equestrian flag, one was the American flag, and the last one was a flag to remember those who were still MIA. A plaque on the front of the statue commended the soldiers who had fought in the Battle of Ponyville, (which was what the statue represented) as well as all of the others who served in the military during the war; Human and Pony, deceased, alive, or still missing.

Once they were done looking, they all began to walk back towards the museum.

"Wow, so they honor their fallen and missing comrades like this. That's very noble of them."

Demetria agreed with her. "Yes, it is Carla. We did the same for our soldiers, though no one really remembers or cares anymore."

As they got close to the museum again, Demetria then noticed what appeared to be a small cemetery. A sign nearby told visitors that the cemetery was where the Americans who had fallen in the Imperial War were buried. Demetria and Co looked at the cemetery from the outside, but they didn't go in. Currently inside were other Humans and Ponies who seemed to be mourning, and were placing flowers on graves. They didn't want to intrude, so they just looked on from the sidewalk. Once they were done, they finally got to the museum's front doors.

Once they were inside, they were all in awe at how big the museum really was. The restrooms were to their left, the massive gift shop was to their right, and straight ahead was the front desk. All around them Humans and Ponies were milling about, and some were on a museum tour led by a tour guide. Demetria then stepped up to the front, where she, Carla, Leo and the 2 guards were given their tickets, and directed to a stairwell to the left that led upstairs. (Even though museum admission was free that day, the museum still gave out tickets).

They walked upstairs, and once they did, they found themselves in a number of galleries full of very detailed, and truly amazing displays. Carla had a map of the museum, and she told everyone that the upstairs portion was all about the Imperial War before the Americans got involved. The various displays all around them told them who King Danin and Overlord Zakia were, how they came to power, how the Zebra and Caribou Empires were formed, and of course, how the Imperial Alliance came to be. The displays also showed the 2 years of war before we intervened.

"Gosh, these were some pretty dark days. The Equestrians were fighting the 2 largest empires in all of Equus, and they were doing so by themselves!"

"A lot of this reminds me of how WW6 played out. The Americans fought the Futas, and even though they lost the first time, they didn't go down without a fight. Then they later came back and won."

"And when do the Ponies start winning Mom?" Leo asked.

"I don't know Leo. Hopefully soon. If I had to venture a guess, since we arrived on Equus on June 8th, 2029, I'd have to say that they arrived here too not long after, or perhaps even at the same time."

The last exhibit upstairs was a large 3D diorama map that showed the Equestrian lines at the darkest point in the war. The Caribou were threatening Las Pegasus, the Zebras had their sights on Appaloosa and Dodge City, and Baltimare and Ponyville were under threat too, as a large group of Caribou and Zebras had broken through the lines, and remained at large. However, after this map, they exited the gallery, and began to walk down another flight of stairs. As they did so, a voice gave a very important narration.

"With the Imperial War raging on, and the Equestrian forces suffering, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were at their wits end. They HAD to save their Pony subjects, and in their despair, they cried out to the Heavens, BEGGING them to send them the allies that they so desperately needed. Luckily, their prayers were answered, and their liberators came. The Humans from Earth came to aid the Ponies, and they came onboard the deadliest weapon ever to ride the rails. They came........on the Battleship Express!" This narration was quickly followed by the Battleship Express's signature whistle that sounded like a Banshee's scream.

Demetria was startled when she heard that whistle. "Whoa! I forgot about how scary that was!"

Carla jumped a bit at first too, but then she smiled. "Yeah, but remember Mom, it was SUPPOSED to be terrifying! Whenever you heard that terrifying whistle, that Banshee's scream, you KNEW that Death was upon you!"

"Well all the same, it's certainly a VERY interesting way to transition from one side of the museum to another!" They then walked into the first gallery that they came to.

Once they walked into the gallery, they quickly realized that it was all about the first contacts between the Americans and the Ponies, as well as their first battle against the enemy.

Another narration told guests, "At 5:25am, on June 8th, 2029, the Battleship Express rolled out of the Everfree Forest for the first time. As the Ponies would quickly discover, the train contained the allies that they were so desperately hoping for. Humanity was there to aide them in their fight against tyranny. And as the enemy would soon discover, the train contained their doom. Humanity was about to become the deadliest plague ever unleashed upon them!"

The exhibits and displays then told all about the fierce Battle of Ponyville, the Equus-shattering Battle of Las Pegasus, and the amazing turnaround at the Battles of Appaloosa and Dodge City. All 3 of these battles marked the turning point in the war. No longer would the Caribou and Zebras be running unchecked, but they were now fighting a defensive war.

Here though, the galleries split off. One side was dedicated to the war in the Zebra Empire, and the other was dedicated to the war in the Caribou Empire. Both galleries were interconnected, but since the Caribou side led to the Battleship Express directly, some went there first. However, because Demetria and Co wanted the full experience, they decided to start with the Zebra side.

They were all in for quite a surprise when they saw it. The war in the Zebra Empire was little more than a one-sided beatdown. We won every battle that we fought, and we drove the Zebras to the brink of extinction for their heinous actions. In various display cases were the armor and weapons of Zebra warriors and officers, maps of the battles, dioramas, pictures and video screens on the walls, and even life-sized battle scenes with mannequins! Demetria and Co learned all about the journey over the Macintosh Hills, the conquest of the Badlands, the Battle of Zandia, the Battle of Randeth, the Battle of Mardia, and of course, the obliteration of all towns and villages between the cities. They even saw the Battle of Zebrica.

"Wow. This flag here was taken from the top of the Imperial Palace in Zebrica, the capital of the Zebra Empire, and by our Leopard no less!"

"Well, based on what I've seen here Carla, I'm glad that the Zebras are just a footnote in history. They were a barbaric race, and they lived only to pillage, loot, enslave, and destroy. They met a swift end in Humanity's grasp!"

Carla smiled as she saw a picture of me sitting on the front of the Battleship Express with several Zebra hides and heads at my feet. "Heh, THAT'S the Leopard that I knew and loved!"

Demetria even pointed out that I might no longer look like a Human-wolf, as I'd apparently been given some kind of treatment following a near-death experience at the Battle of Zandia. Carla looked at the pictures that she was pointing to, and she saw that I now had dark gray Pony ears, and a black Pony mane and tail.

"Well, he doesn't look too much different than he did before. I think that he looks good."

"Yes, I agree Carla. He still looks like the Leopard that we knew and loved, and even if his appearance has changed a bit, I still love him."

"As do I Mom."

"And where is Dad Mom?"

"I'm.......I'm not quite sure Leo. However, if I had to guess, I'd say that he's wherever the Battleship Express is, or somewhere close by. We WILL find him though!"

Demetria winced a bit. "And what do we do then Carla? It's been 5 years, and our deaths were a near certainty. What happens if he's already remarried in that time-span?"

Carla froze. She then looked back at her Mom in surprise. "Why.......why would you say that Mom? Yes, I know that he married Lilly after me, but Lilly died during WW6."

"I'm just trying to prepare you for this Carla, as the chances are high that because he thought that you were dead, and with good cause, he possibly has remarried by now."

Carla turned away from her Mom. She knew that what she was saying was possibly the truth, but she didn't want to accept it.

At the very end of the Zebra gallery, there existed a large quantity of (display purpose!) nuclear shells, maps of the cities and areas targeted, and even the newsreel from when we fired the shells, and the aftermath of the explosions from our point of view.

"Whoa, they actually NUKED the rest of the Zebras after Zebrica?!"

"That's what it looks like Carla. The first nuclear detonation was when they wiped out Zandia as a test, and then it looks like they wanted to avoid more casualties than necessary to their own forces, so they just wiped the remaining Zebras out."

"Unlike whoever was behind 'Operation Fireball'. That was executed just to kill everyone, American and Futa alike."

"Yes. That was aimed at everyone, while this was only aimed at the enemy, and only the enemy died because of it."

As they exited this gallery, another narration was triggered. "And after the capture of Overlord Zakia, and the final fall of the Zebra Empire, the ball was in the Caribou's court. They could have surrendered to Equestria, they could have given up the hostages, but oh no, they just HAD to play hardball! The fighting in the Caribou Empire would be some of the toughest fighting of the entire war, but it had to be done for the sake of all Equestria!"

Demetria and Co then left the war in the Zebra Empire, and walked into the war in the Caribou Empire.

As they quickly discovered by looking at the displays in these galleries, the war in the Caribou Empire was a much tougher fight than the Zebra Empire had been. We still won every battle, but it wasn't quite a one sided beatdown. They learned that like the Zebras, the Caribou called our train the "Black Leviathan", and that they too greatly feared it.

Demetria and co learned the stories of the infiltration through Hell's Gate, the Battle of Mardia, the insane battle that raged for 250 miles in all directions before terminating with the huge climactic Battle of Dock Town, the attempted coup by Captain Gregor that ended up helping us, the fierce battle of Lake Town, and of course, the fierce run through the blizzard that was raging in the Highland Mountains.

Carla was looking at a few salvaged pieces of the Highland Trestle Bridge that were on display, as well as actual POV footage taken from the Battleship Express of the run up to the bridge, and then across it. "I can't imagine having to deal with a blizzard in the mountains, on top of trying to cross a trestle bridge that's on fire! I mean they just barely made it! Seconds after their caboose cleared the bridge, it went down into the ravine below!"

"A Higher Power was watching over them Carla. As Leopard would probably say, 'God was just watching over us Mom. He's pulled us through the tight spots before, and it's just Him doing so again'. Based on what I've seen from the rest of WW6, and now from the Imperial War, I'm highly inclined to agree."

However, once they reached the next exhibits, their jaws dropped in shock. They were now learning all about how after we crashed into the snow at the bottom of the Highland Mountains, the Caribou searched high and low for us, but never found us. We were then able to become the "Undead Harbingers", and 9 of us wiped out the town of Hilden. This was followed by us turning the rest of the Battleship Express into a "ghost train", and using it to terrorize the remaining Caribou until the Battles of Carlon and Danton.

"This has GOT to be the greatest psychological warfare tactic that I've EVER seen! The idea was groundbreaking in and of itself, but the fact that they were able to execute it as flawlessly as they did? Absolutely phenomenal!"

"I'll say Mom. And these 9 'Undead Harbinger' outfits that they wore during this time are terrifying even here in the light on display. Imagine seeing them at night on the battlefield!"

"Yeah, I'll bet that they REALLY scared the bad guys with them!" Leo added.

Carla laughed a bit. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that they did Leo. It says on this sign here that many Caribou were so scared of the 'Undead Harbingers', and the 'Ghost of the Black Leviathan' that they actually killed themselves!"

"What? They really killed themselves?"

"That's what it says here on this sign Leo."

Leo was quite surprised. He was surprised that so many Caribou killed themselves without realizing that we really WEREN'T undead, but were just fooling them into thinking that we were.

Some of the last exhibits covered the Battles of Carlon, Danton, and Donneth. It was here that they realized that I was the one who rode Argus into combat after taming him during the Battle of Carlon.

"Wait, LEOPARD was the one who tamed Argus?!"

"That's what it says here. And that's probably what we would have learned at that cavalry museum if the crowd wasn't so damn loud! 'Better known as the mount of Captain LEOPARD'! It all makes sense now!"

It was also here that Carla realized for the first time that in addition to Pony ears, a Pony tail, and the eyes of a Bat-Pony, I also had 2 large, black feathery wings on my back as well, and later pictures revealed that I could indeed fly with them too! (Most of the earlier pictures showed me from the front with my wings folded up, thus making them seemingly non-existent. Now Carla was learning otherwise!)

"Leopard has wings, and can actually FLY!"

Demetria looked at the pictures, and couldn't have been prouder. "Heh, THAT'S my Son! I always knew that he would earn his wings one day, but little did I suspect that he actually would in the literal sense!"

They also learned about my amazing rescue of Dash and Pinkie during the Battle of Donneth, as well as the rescue of Cole, Missy, Winston, and the rest of the harem slaves by Shining Armor and his team. Also at Donneth, General Stuggs and General Rodin were captured, as was Prince Dactyl. All 3 were held at Donneth under guard until we'd wiped out the final Caribou stronghold at the Battle of Bryerton.

"Huh, well I'll be. Dothan was actually telling the truth about Bryerton", Demetria murmured. "Unfortunately though, these signs are wrong. You guys didn't get King Danin, Dothan, and the others like you think that you did. They're still alive and well, unfortunately."

Carla also saw the signs that said that Danin and his band died at Bryerton, and she also saw the newsreel footage of our destruction of Bryerton with explosives. "Yeah, too bad that they didn't get them. Sure, they helped build our empire, but don't you constantly get this nagging feeling that they have traitorous thoughts? They keep looking at us like we owe them something."

Demetria nodded. "Yes, I get those same feelings too. However, I doubt that we should talk about this now. There's other Ponies and Humans here, and I do NOT want to sound like a lunatic, or have them start asking questions!"

Carla agreed with her, and they both quickly stopped talking about Danin and his surviving band, though both made a mental note to inform me immediately once they found me.

Unfortunately for them though, a blonde girl off to their left pretending to look at a diorama of the Battle of Donneth heard every word.

"No Mom and Carla, you will NOT be informing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named about ANYTHING! I won't let you!" Stacy then tried to follow them, planning to off both of them and the 2 guards, but unfortunately for her, she got bogged down in a hallway that was completely clogged up with a HUGE tour group! Demetria and Co got through just before the clog occurred.

Gosh f@#king DAMMIT!!!!" Stacy cursed to herself. "Why can't ANYTHING ever go my way?!" She kept trying to follow her mom, sister, nephew and the 2 guards.

Meanwhile, still unaware that Stacy had been following them, Demetria and Co were almost at the end of the museum's exhibits. However, the closer that they got to the Battleship Express Gallery, the more congested the corridors became.

"Goodness! This is a fire marshal's worst nightmare!"

"Yeah, no kidding Mom! It's like everyone and every Pony in all of Equus is trying to see the Battleship Express today!"

Eventually, they did manage to make it to the gallery next door, the "Aurora Gallery". Upon looking inside, they quickly realized that it seemed to be dedicated to a wolf of some kind.

"Wait, I know this wolf! This is Aurora! Leopard's companion, and combat dog!"

Demetria quickly realized that Carla was right. All over the walls of the gallery were pictures of Aurora, and I was in some of them with her. There were also videos of her playing on the walls as well, and in the center of the gallery was her famous combat armor in a glass case. Other displays around it displayed the suit's weapons and ammunition, and wandering around the gallery was the wolf herself!

Both Demetria and Carla were surprised that Aurora hadn't seemed to age much after 5 years, but then again, I had told them in the past that Aurora didn't age normally, and had a much longer lifespan that average dogs did, (similar to Radar). However, she was still huge, and her fur coat was still just as fluffy and gray as it had always been. Just as they were starting to try and move on though, Aurora turned around, and after spotting them began to walk towards them!

Demetria panicked, fearing that Aurora might recognize her and Carla. Aurora walked up to them, before sitting back on her haunches. "Hello there!" She said with a friendly smile.

Both Demetria and Carla recoiled ever so slightly. They'd forgotten that Aurora was able to talk!

"Um.....h-hello there. Are you Aurora?"

She nodded. "Yes, the one and only! Companion of Captain Leopard, first and last combat dog of the Nightingale Project. DG005 'Aurora', that's me!"

Leo was shocked. "Wait, you can talk?!"

Aurora laughed a bit. "Yes, I can! It's all thanks to the project at Fort Nightingale. They made me bigger, stronger, faster, more agile, have better reflexes and stronger senses, and of course, they gave me the ability to speak. I'll take it that you've never seen a talking dog before?"

Leo shook his head. "No, I haven't! My dog at home, Radar, can't talk. Well, she's kinda my dog. She used to belong to my dad until he went missing." (Carla had warned Leo NOT to tell anyone that I was his father, despite the MASSIVE temptation to do so!)

Aurora stared long and hard at Leo, as well as Carla and Demetria. "You know, you kinda seem familiar to me. Have I seen you before?"

"Yes, but it's been a long, LONG time Aurora. 5 years ago to be precise." Demetria and Carla began to make their way out of the gallery, with Carla pulling Leo with her. (The 2 guards didn't go inside the gallery).

Just as they made it out, it all clicked for Aurora. "No.......no. It.......It can't be! Demetria and Carla are dead! But yet........there was something WAY too familiar about them, and it seemed to stem from long ago." Aurora then froze. She remembered the letter that I'd found with the shotgun Dren gave me for Christmas. "Wait. If that was Demetria, and the ginger was Carla, then that means.......THE CHILD WITH HER WAS LEO!!!!!! I HAVE TO TELL MASTER!!!!!" Aurora tried to leave the gallery, but the crowds were too thick. Her radio was inside her suit, which was locked away behind glass, leaving her with no way to tell me about what she just saw!

"Blast! Well, I guess that Master's just going to have to find out on his own." Aurora's mind was working at a mile a minute. If that was Demetria, Carla, and Leo, how did they survive Las Vegas? How did they get there? And most importantly, why did they all have ears and tails? I never made any mention of Carla having fox ears and a fox tail, nor of Demetria having the ears and tail of a mountain lion. Where did they get them?

Once they were out of Aurora's gallery, Demetria and Co tried to get over to the Battleship Express's gallery, but the crowds were a solid mass of people and Ponies, and no one was moving.

"Blast! You know as well as I do that he's in there Carla!"

"Yeah, so what do we do Mom?"

Demetria thought for a second. "Well, we may have to split up. It's almost 6:15 now, and at 6:30, the speeches begin. They may have everyone and all of the Ponies either come inside of the gallery, or clear the way, as what's happening right now is a pretty serious fire hazard!"

"What do you mean by splitting up?"

“I mean that you take Leo and one of the guards and head to the gift shop for a bit, and wait there until the crowd thins out. Then I'll send the other guard to come and get you."

Carla nodded. "Ok Mom." She then took Leo and one of the guards through a side hallway back to the gift shop, while Demetria and the other guard went about trying to squeeze into the Battleship Express Gallery.

Demetria and her guard kept trying, but the crowd wouldn't budge, and they tended to push back when they tried to wriggle through.

"Hey! Wait your turn Missy!"

"Yeah, who do you think you are, Leopard's Mom?! Wait your turn like everypony else!"

Demetria growled a bit in frustration. "And when will that be? This crowd is NOT moving!"

"Yeah, I KNOW!!! MOVE YOUR ASSES UP THERE!!!!" Somepony screamed.

Suddenly though, several Battalion 4009 soldiers appeared, and began to direct traffic. They began to clear the huge traffic jam, got as many into the gallery as they could, and they kept the line moving.

"Come on everyone and everypony, you know better than this! This is a HUGE fire hazard!"

"Yeah! You can't be completely blocking up hallways like this! What if someone had a medical emergency?"

The crowds finally began to clear out. As it turned out, not all of them were even trying to get to the Battleship Express. Some were trying to get to the Memorial Garden, some were trying to get back to the gift shop, and some were even just trying to get to the bathrooms! In short order, the crowd was split up into who was going where, and once they were out of the crowd, they were FINALLY able to make their way to where they were going. Finally, Demetria and her guard made it into the Battleship Express Gallery.

Sure enough, in the middle of the gallery, standing tall and proud, was the one and only Battleship Express. The whole train was present, and a lot of people and Ponies were crowded all around it, trying to take pictures, and get a closer look. The whole train was surrounded by a fence, except for a set of stairs that seemingly led to the cab to let visitors look inside. There was space for 3 other trains, but they weren't present at the moment, due to them having to be used on the railroad to keep up with passenger service.

"Gosh, even after all this time, and having to fight through ANOTHER war, the Battleship Express still looks pretty good!"

"Yes, it certainly does, My Empress. And I guess that now we know what really happened to it after the Battle of Vegas. It survived, and was sent through a portal like we were. It wound up in Ponyville, where it and its crew helped the Ponies fight and win the Imperial War!"

"Yes, and even after all these years, it's still so amazing to see it up close." Demetria did walk over to the train, and while she did snap a few pictures of it, the crowds around it were still pretty thick. "Oh well, perhaps the crowds will thin out once it's time for the picnic dinner." She then noticed a number of tables, as well as rows of chairs on the far side of the gallery facing a podium, and there were people and Ponies gathering there. Demetria then realized that that was where the speeches were going to be given, and the stories told.

"Oh. Well, better get a seat, and save one for Carla, Leo and my other guard." She then quickly led the way to a row towards the back, where she saved seats for Carla, Leo and the other guard, while her guard went to inform Carla that it was time to come in.

While she was alone, Demetria glanced quickly around the huge gallery. She was trying to spot me in the crowd, but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. She knew that I was in there somewhere, but she didn't know where.

A few minutes later, her guard came back with Carla, Leo and the other guard. Carla was carrying 2 bags, so it was clear that she'd bought a few things at the gift shop. She quickly took her seat with Leo next to her mom, and the 2 guards sat one on Demetria's right, and the other on Carla's left. They all then waited to see what would happen next.

At exactly 6:30, more soldiers from Battalion 4009 were trying to get the crowd to quiet down, while an officer that Demetria recognized as being none other than Major Don Curry stepped up to the podium. After a quick mic check, and everyone and everypony was present, Don began.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, mares and stallions, colts, fillies, kids, people and Ponies of all ages. It's my pleasure and honor to welcome all of you to the 5th Armistice Day Celebration, and the 4th to take place right here at the National Imperial War Museum!"

The crowd began to clap and cheer, and then Don continued. "Anyway, I know that we have a lot to cover here, so I'll keep this brief. As I'm sure that you all know, we've gathered here today for a time of celebration. 5 years ago today, the final surrender documents were signed by the Caribou, thus bringing the Imperial War to a close." There was more cheering, but Don motioned for silence. "However! As all of you are also well aware, today is also a day of remembrance. Many brave Ponies and Humans gave the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Freedom, so let us not forget to remember them, as well of those who are still missing. Before we continue with our celebration, let us take a moment of silence to remember those who have fallen, and those who are still missing."

For a few moments, the entire gallery went almost dead silent. It was clear that everyone and everypony present took this seriously. After a few moments though, Don did continue.

"And in addition to the fallen, and the missing, let us not forget to honor those who served, and are still with us today. Veterans of Battalion 4009, which include the crew of the Battleship Express, and the members of the Equestrian Armed Forces who fought so bravely, and overcame the Imperial Alliance! Let their stories be told once again!"

Now the crowd really began to clap and cheer, and once Don stepped down from the podium, other soldiers began to come up and either give a small speech, or tell a story. Demetria and Carla kept waiting. Would I be one of the ones to step up to the podium at some point? And if so, what would I say?

Suddenly however, they got their answer. "And now, let me welcome to the mic a soldier that we all know and love; our very own, Captain Leopard!"

When they spotted me walking to the podium, Demetria and Carla were on their feet cheering the loudest, and Demetria remained standing so that she could film me. Carla also had her camera going, though she thought that she had a better angle while sitting.

Meanwhile, I stepped up to the podium. I cleared my throat, and then began to speak. "Hello everypony! I know that by now I don't need to introduce myself, but I'll do it anyway just in case. As you all know, I'm Captain Leopard. I'm the 3rd in command of the Battleship Express, and her 2nd Engineer, or the second of the 3 men who drive her. I'm also one of the original 6 men who created the Battleship Express, right alongside Jeff Coleson, Don Curry, Russ Thompson, Joe Dixon, and Frank Otis.

And now that I've gotten my introduction out of the way, I'd just like to say a few words. As you all know, I've served with Battalion 4009 for a long time. I've seen a lot of messed up stuff. However, I'm a soldier, always have been, always will be. My job is to protect the innocent, and stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves. When we arrived here back in 2029, the Imperial War was reaching its darkest days. The lines were threatening to collapse completely at any time, and there was no hope. However, we soon turned out to be the silver lining. In about 2 months time, not only did we roll back ALL of the enemy's advances, but the war was OVER! Done! Finished! Behind us forever! We won!" There was a lot of cheering, whistling, and clapping for me.

I smiled. "Yes, I appreciate your thanks. It was my great honor to have served you, just as I know that it was the honor of every man and woman of Battalion 4009 as well. We're still here to serve you, because even though the Caribou and the Zebras are gone, who knows when the next Hydra of an evil empire might rear its ugly head? Anything is possible these days, and I want you all to know right now that we will NEVER stop serving you all! We'll fight, and while we might not always win, we WILL be fighting to the finish line! Thank you."

I then seemed to think of something else. "Oh, and before I leave, I would also like to give a shout-out to my beautiful wife Rainbow Dash. Dash, it was you that I moved Heaven and Earth to help save when you were captured by the Zebras, and then handed over to the Caribou, and I NEVER gave up until you were safe in my arms again. I love you so much Babe!"

When Carla heard that, she was crushed. She remembered what her Mom told her, but yet she didn't want to believe that it was true. However, she wasn't crushed for long. She knew that even though I had remarried, I would be MORE than happy to see her again. Who knows, maybe I would even take her back. If only she knew the truth. (Dash and I agreed that she was my "only" wife. Everypony else knew that I was married to Spitfire and AK Yearling (Daring), but I never mentioned anything about it. That's why I didn't mention them in my speech).

I then started to leave the podium, but I again stopped. "And one final thing. While speaking in terms of loss, I would also like to mention my family. I've so rarely spoken of them, but aside from my brother Dren, my entire family, all of my friends, and everyone that I loved and cared about, including my first wife Ell and 2 infant children Max and Sierra, perished in WW4. I did remarry, and a lot of you from Battalion 4009 most likely remember my 3rd wife Lilly. Tragically, she too was killed, and she was 1 month pregnant when she died. And lastly, I would like to remember my 'adoptive family'. My 'Mom' Demetria, my 2nd wife Carla, and our son, Leo. All 3 of them tragically perished during the Battle of Vegas......"

Out in the crowd, Demetria and Carla could see that I was close to tears. "Mom? Carla? Wherever you are right now, just know that I still love you; I always have, and I always will. You meant the world to me. And Leo? You were the son that I never got to meet. You would be about 6 years old now if you were still alive, and I never knew that you were born until recently. Know that I......I still love you......" I put a hand over my face, seemingly wiping away tears. "And to anyone out there who's lost someone or somepony close to you, I do fully sympathize with you. I know what that feels like." I then left the podium, and disappeared into the crowd again.

Demetria and Carla were wholly stunned. They knew that I most likely still cared about them, but they never knew just how much I still cared until right then. It was so weird to hear me talk about them like they were dead, but yet they knew that I didn't know that they were still alive. Hopefully that would change very soon.

Once all of the speeches and stories were over, music began to play over the speakers, and we all began to sing the song that had become the unofficial anthem of the Equestrian Foreign Legion. It was a song that best described 2 sides working together to protect the nation that they loved so much.

During the song, myself, Alex and Todd slipped back to the front of the Battleship Express where we were doing some quick maintenance checks on the front of the engine's Plow-Catcher. We were still singing the song while we worked, little knowing that our "Small World" was about to get even smaller.

After the song ended, it was almost time for the picnic dinner to be ready. Some were starting to file outside to start lining up, while some continued to mill about for a little while longer. Demetria and Carla were still inside the gallery too, desperately looking for me. The 2 guards were milling about by the doors to make sure that I didn't leave without them knowing about it, while Demetria and Carla were searching the rest of the gallery. However, I was seemingly nowhere to be found.

"Oh, it's hopeless Leo! Where could your dad have gone?!"

"I....I don't know Mom. Hopefully he's still in here somewhere."

12 feet to their right, Alex, Todd and I were packing up our toolboxes. We were all done with our maintenance work, and were getting ready to put our tools back on the train, before meeting up with our wives and kids again for the picnic dinner. As we moved quickly through the small crowd on our way back to the 4th car from the engine, (our bunk car, and where we got our tools from) I accidentally bumped into someone. I saw that she was a woman with ginger hair, green eyes, a lot of freckles, had fox ears, a fox tail, and was dressed in jean shorts and a white t-shirt.

"Oh, excuse me Miss! I didn't see you there! I'm so sorry!" I then began to continue making my way through the crowd once again, all while still clutching my toolbox.

"Leopard? Leopard!" I heard a voice behind me call. I turned around, and I saw the ginger haired woman standing maybe 8 feet away. At first I thought that she was just another fan looking for an autograph or photo, but I suddenly had this very strange feeling that I'd seen this woman somewhere before. And not just seen her, I felt that I knew her, and knew her well. Then, once I looked into her soft green eyes, it all suddenly clicked.

I turned very pale. "...........Carla........." I mouthed in an almost breathless whisper. I was seeing the impossible right in front of my very eyes. Less than 8 feet in front of me was my long-lost second wife, and I somehow hadn't dropped my toolbox!

"Mom? Are you ok?" I heard a young boy ask. I then saw that Carla had a child with her. A boy of maybe 6 years of age with reddish-brown hair, gray wolf ears, a wolf tail, blue eyes, and dressed in casual clothes. Even though I'd never seen him before, I knew instantly who he was.

".......Leo....." I again mouthed in a breathless whisper.

"Hey Leopard? Are you ok?" Todd suddenly appeared beside me. "You look like you've seen a ghost." I then pointed, and when Todd saw what I was looking at, he did drop his toolbox, and his jaw hit the floor with it!

Unfortunately, before anyone could move, or even say anything else, there was suddenly a loud commotion coming from farther back along the Battleship Express. Torn between Life and Duty, I yelled for Carla to stay put, and I went to see what was wrong.

When I arrived close to the first set of railguns, I found a blonde girl attacking a sign close to the train for whatever reason.

"LIES!!!!" She was screaming as she tried to rip the sign right off the fence rail that it was attached to. "THIS SIGN IS ALL LIES!!!!"

By this point, I was close enough to see that the sign was one talking about how evil General Stacy and General Jasmine really were, and that this young woman was really upset for some reason. I also worriedly noticed that her violent outburst was making a LOT of people and Ponies nervous, and that some were beginning to make their way out of the gallery. It was a stampede just waiting to happen.

"Hey! Hey Miss!" I yelled at the blonde girl. She paid no attention to me. By this point, the sign had come loose, and I now REALLY began to fear for the safety of other guests. In one quick motion, I leaped forwards, grabbed her around her middle, pinned her arms to her sides, and tackled her to the floor. Then, moments later, I got back up, and while still holding onto her, I hauled her to her feet.

"Ugh! Crazy psychopath!" I then turned to her. "Now then, what's your problem Missy? Did you have too much to drink today?"

"That sign was lies!" She screamed again, pointing to the damaged sign. "I was just trying to get rid of it!"

"That sign is museum property! You have no right to destroy it! Now then, what's your name, and where are you from?"

At this exact moment though, things began to get VERY strange. As I held onto this girl, I had this strange feeling that I knew who she was too, and that she wasn't who she was pretending that she was. Suddenly, her form began to waver and shimmer. She went from a blonde girl with blue eyes, to a girl with black hair, one blue eye and one green eye, 2 black cat-like ears, a cat-like tail, and a few scars. She also still looked incredibly angry. (It was also at that exact moment that Stacy realized that her disguise potion had just worn off, and that the whole world could now see her as she really was!)

Suddenly in my head, it was like I was running through a computer database. My mind was reeling through everything on file, trying desperately to figure out who the girl in front of me was. Suddenly though, my brain found a match.

"Name: General Stacy Rikker.
Age: 25 (as of 2029)
Sex: Futa (formerly Herm)
Occupation: General in the Futa Army
Spouse(s): General Jasmine House
Additional notes: EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!!!! KILL ON SIGHT!!!!!"

Stacy and Jasmine were 2 of the only Futas in WW6 to EVER have "kill on sight" orders for them, as that's just how dangerous they really were.

My blood pressure shot through the roof. "STACY RIKKER?!?!?!" I yelled. "BUT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!!!!!"

Stacy then realized who I was. "YOU!!!!! No, YOU'RE supposed to be dead Leopard!!!!" Stacy then ripped herself free from my grip, grabbed the sign again, and this time fully ripped it off of its mounts, and threw it out into the nearby crowd before bolting the scene!

When that happened, the crowd panicked, and realizing that they were in danger, tried to flee from the Battleship Express Gallery in any way that they could! Stacy used the chaos to try and escape, but I was NOT about to let her get away again! She was now a dead Futa walking, and her ass was MINE!!!!!

In the panic, Stacy managed to make her way outside of the museum, but I was right behind her, raising hell the whole way!

"SOMEONE OR SOMEPONY STOP THAT FUTA!!!!! SHE'S GENERAL STACY!!!!!"

Most of those who saw the chase from the picnic area assumed that it was either a case of mistaken identity, or some kind of elaborate prank. However, once they saw that whoever I was chasing kept throwing things at me to try and slow me down, and wasn't screaming for help from bystanders, they finally began to realize that something was up. A lot weren't sure who she really was, but she'd damaged museum property, and jeopardized the lives of multiple museum guests, and she needed to be taken down before she could do any more damage!

I was hot on Stacy's heels the whole time she was running. She'd been the cause of so much unnecessary pain to the rest of the world, and there was evidence to suggest that she had been the one responsible for WW6. She HAD to be killed at all costs, or at the very least captured!

Surprisingly, neither of us said very much during the chase. Stacy was just trying to get away from me, as well as the others chasing her, and I was trying to capture her. Alas, I didn't have any weapons on me, but thankfully neither did she. Finally, at the very edge of the museum grounds close to the railroad tracks, Stacy stumbled a bit, and I saw my chance. In one swift motion, I leaped forwards, grabbed her right leg, wrapped my jaws around it, sank my teeth into it, and bit down with all of my might!

"EEEEEEEYYYYYYYEEEAAAAACCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Stacy screamed. Her scream sounded almost like the scream of an actual Banshee!

My teeth sank deep into her leg, causing several serious lacerations. I'd manage to bite down to the bones, and because of where I'd managed to bite her, I felt her kneecap split apart under the pressure! I thought that I had Stacy dead to rights now, but unfortunately, the force of the impact with the ground managed to cause me to lose my teeth's grip on her leg, and with a great heave, Stacy managed to shove me away from her. However, as she did so, blood splattered everywhere, and I heard what sounded like muscles tearing. I tried to get back up to finish the job, but the 7pm train was coming fast. I thought that Stacy was going to be hit, but she somehow managed to grab the train as it passed, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"THIS ISN'T OVER LEOPARD!!!!" She screamed as the train sped by. "I WILL BE BACK ONE DAY!!!! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIIIIIVVVVEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

I then kicked the ground in frustration. I had the chance to finish the job, but I was unable to finish it. Little did I suspect though that I had just dealt Stacy a blow that she would never recover from. She would be largely crippled for the rest of her life because of that bite to her right leg and kneecap, as well as her subsequent tearing away from me.

However, once my frustration died away, I remembered Carla and Leo. And where they were, Mom couldn't be too far behind! I then spread my wings, (the same wings that I apparently forgot that I had while chasing Stacy!) and rocketed back to the museum! Unfortunately, by the time that I got back, I was too late. I heard from Todd that Carla, as well as the young boy with her, and a 3rd woman with dark brown hair had bolted the museum for the train station. I knew that they were most likely headed there to catch the 7:10 train, and I PRAYED that I could head them off!

Unfortunately, I was again too late. I arrived there on the platform just in time to see their train pull away.

"NOO!!!!" I screamed. I ran to the end of the platform, but I never saw them. Railway safety laws prohibited me from chasing the train, so there was nothing that I could do. Even if I beat the train to the next station, I knew that Demetria, Carla and Leo would disappear sometime before that. I then sank to the platform, and began to cry.

After at least a few minutes, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Leopard?"

I looked up, and there stood Todd. "Oh Todd! They were here! They were RIGHT HERE!!!!"

"I know Leopard. Even if no one else believes you, just know that I do, because I was right there, and I saw them too."

"They're alive Todd! Somehow, some way, Demetria and Carla are still alive! THEY WERE RIGHT HERE IN PONYVILLE!!!!!"

"But....who was the child with Carla? You never had any kids with her."

"Yes, I actually did Todd. That child.....was my SON! I had a son with Carla that I never met! That was my son Leo!"

Todd just stood there in a state of absolute shock. He had no idea of what to say, or even what to do. He had an impossible time believing that everything that had just happened in the last 10 minutes or so was even real.

"Your......your son is alive........Wait. Leopard?"

"Yeah Todd?"

"What's......what's that blood on your uniform? And why's your mouth all bloody?"

I wiped my mouth, and then looked down at my uniform tunic. It was then that I realized that I still had Stacy's blood on me. "Todd, you'd never believe me in a million years, but since you're probably the only one who'll believe me, I'll tell you....."

And, that was Chapter 30.

Just like I promised, it was the HUGE finale to "Beyond the Express"! It had everything, cool warships, new discoveries, trains, museum visits, and of course, Carla, Demetria, Leo, their trip around Eequestria, including their trip to Ponyville, the Imperial War Museum, and seeing Leopard for the first time in 5 years! There was also a big chase, blood, and a VERY mangled leg for Stacy! Ponyville is in chaos because of this incident, but is it really all over yet? Could there still be more? The answer is, yes, yes there is. There still is the Epilogue to go, so please hold onto your seats for just a little bit longer.

The last few loose ends will be tied up, and something else will be explained. This little something, while it may seem really weird at first, will trigger something. What will it trigger you ask? Well, it's about to trigger the greatest adventure yet! I would say more, but that would be spoilers, so you'll just have to wait until the end of the Epilogue!

In the meantime, as always, Comments, questions, feedback, as well as spreading the word about this story are ALWAYS appreciated, I REALLY hope that you enjoyed this climactic finale, and I'll see you all one last time in the Epilogue!

ScarFox out for now!

(And please keep remembering Stacy's secretary Rey, as well as the secret project that she's working on for Stacy. It will become CRITICALLY important later!)