It was horrible, it was terrifying, and it wouldn't end.

"N-no, GET BACK!!! GET AWAY FROM HER!!!! DASH, NOOOOO!!!!"

Then, I woke up screaming. "GWAAAAAHHH!!!!!!" I was sweating profusely, and I was almost white from sheer fear. My hands were also shaking beyond belief.

"Oh, thank God, it was just a dream!!!"

Next to me, Dash suddenly sat bolt-upright in bed. "Stud, what is it, what's wrong?" Then she reached over, and turned on the lamp next to my bed. When she did, she could only stare in absolute shock.

Where next to her had been her handsome Stud, now was a frightened, terrified, sweaty, shaken, trembling, close to tears, Human-Bat-Pony hybrid.

"Oh Dash, thank God you're still here!!!" I then held her tightly, and broke down crying.

It was then that the full realization of what had just happened hit Dash squarely in the face. She then wrapped her arms and wings around me, and hugged back.

"Shh, it's ok Stud, it was just a nightmare. It wasn't real. I'm right here, hugging you. I'm safe Stud, nothing's going to happen. I have you to protect me."

"Dash, it was AWFUL!!!!"

"Do you, want to talk about it Stud?" Glancing over at the clock, Dash saw that it was almost 3am.

I didn't answer right away. I just kept hugging my marefriend; the same marefriend that I had risked everything to save from 2 evil dictators.

"Or, you can just keep hugging me Stud, and I can comfort you. I really don't mind either way, as you very clearly need support right now, and I'm here to provide it."

I sighed a bit. "T-th-thanks Dash", I said softly, "I knew that I made the right choice when I chose you. You're as loyal as any."

"Well, I kinda AM the Element of Loyalty, so wouldn't it make sense?"

"Yeah, I guess that it kinda would." By this point, I let go of Dash, although I did sit facing her on the bed, holding her hands in my own. (And yes, we're both still naked from earlier. Nothing sexual though, just some casual nudity.)

"Do you, want to talk about it Stud?"

I shook my head. "No! It's enough to say that this time around, I didn't make it to you in time....." I trailed off. "I need to use the bathroom." I then got up shakily, and went over to my bathroom.

While I was gone, Dash sat on m bed, trying to figure out how to help me calm down, as I was still close to the breaking point. She'd heard from others about the nightmares that oftentimes resulted from PTSD, but up until that moment, she'd never realized just how bad they could be.

"Poor Stud", She said softly. "Poor, poor Stud." Suddenly though, she got an idea of how to help me relax.

When I returned from the bathroom a few moments later, Dash was sitting on the edge of my bed with something behind her back.

"What's that Dash?"

She pulled out my hairbrush. "I know that this may be a bit, eh sudden, but um....c-can I brush your mane for you?"

I nodded slowly. "Sure, if you want to." I then went over to the bed, and sat down on the edge of it. Dash sat directly behind me, and began to brush my mane slowly.

"This.....is actually pretty sweet of you Dash", I said softly, "I really needed this."

Dash kissed my neck gently. "I know Stud. And it's my job, as your marefriend-soon-to-be-wife, to help you out."

"Which I don't even deserve. No seriously Dash, I do NOT deserve you! 2 of my other wives I was only married to for less than a year, and then there was Carla....." I suddenly broke off.

"Wait, two of your other wives?! I thought that you only married Lilly!"

I sighed. "I really DO NOT like talking about this, but before Lilly, I was married to a girl named Ell. We were married for almost a year, and we had 2 kids. None of them survived WW4. Then, along came Carla. We were married for less than a day, before......"I stopped. "I....REALLY, do not like to talk about her, at all! It's just......too painful. Then came my 3rd wife, Lilly. We were.....married the night before the Battleship Express left for war, and less than a year later, she was gone."

Dash had heard the story about Lilly's death, and how tragic it was for me. She could see that I was about to break down crying from being reminded that I was a widower 3-times over, so she quickly changed the subject.

"I'm.....really sorry to hear about that Stud. However, to change the subject, did you know that you're eyes glow in the dark?"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah. When you woke up screaming, at first, all I could see were 2 glowing blue eyes in the dim lighting in here. Is...that a Bat-Pony thing?"

I nodded. "It'd have to be."

"Also, can you scree like a Bat-pony? And if you bit me, would I turn into a Bat-Pony too?"

I nodded. "Yes, I can scree, although, it IS 3am, so I don't think that I should do that right now. Also, I don't think so. However, I did kinda nip you a bunch on your neck while we had sex, so I certainly hope not!"

Dash then felt her neck. Sure enough, there were a number of nips. "Wow, so you like to bite during sex. Must be a Bat-Pony thing. Also, your wings are still shaped like the wings of a Pegasus instead Bat-Pony, and why are they still feathered?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I was wondering the same thing myself. Maybe it's because of the 45% Bat-Pony genetics, instead of 50%, but I don't know. And neither does anyone else for that matter."

Dash then kissed the back of my neck gently. "Well, even though you are now almost half Bat-pony, I still love you just the same. Hopefully, our kids will inherit some of your looks as well."

I nodded. "Well, according to Twilight, that's actually a pretty high possibility. According to her, when the day comes when Humans and Mares start having kids together, it could easily begin the next stages in our evolution. She said more, but I honestly had no clue what the heck she was talking about!"

Dash laughed. "Yeah, well, that's typical Twilight for you! She's always been an egghead. She loves her books, and is ready at a moment's notice to offer information about literally ANYTHING! Except for you Humans though, she still can't wrap her egghead head around you guys, but then again, none of us really can. You're the 'Impossible Species', nobody can really understand you guys. At least, not yet."

By this point, Dash had finished brushing my hair/mane, as well as my tail, and then, she went to work on my wings. I even felt her begin to gently suck on them!

"H-hey! What are you, d-doing?"

She giggled a bit. "I'm just helping you preen your wings Stud. It's always easier when you let a partner do it."

I nodded. "Sure Dash, just be gentle; my wings are VERY sensitive!"

She smirked. "Yeah, I know Stud. All Peagsai are wing-sensitive. It's just one of our sweet-spots."

Dash then poked my wings in a certain spot. "N-nyah!" I yelped a bit. My wings also shot out to their fullest extent.

Dash had to cover her mouth to keep from having a giggle-fit. "Bwah, ha, ha, ha! I KNEW IT!!!! You ARE sensitive there, which means that you are at least part Pegasus! And your reaction? PRICELESS!!!!"

I hit her playfully in the shoulder. "H-hey stop it you dork, it's not funny!" I pouted a bit.

Dash just wrapped her arms around me, and continued to nuzzle me gently. "Aww, you don't mean that, you Big Goof!"

I just growled a bit in response. I knew that Dash was just messing with me, but I didn't want her to think that I was going soft. "Yeah, I kinda DO mean that Dash, it's just.....well, it'c-complicated."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know Stud. Although, now that I'm done preening your wings, do you.....um, w-want a back massage?"

I nodded slowly. "Sure, if it would make you feel any better." I then lay down on the bed, with my head on my pillow. Dash then sat on by lower back, and began to rub me gently.

"Wow, you really do have leopard spots! The skin on your back is fleshy, and they stand out as black splotches of fur. Is that why you were called 'Leopard'?"

I nodded. "Yep, the very same reason. Back during Project Sterling, the amount of fur that I was supposed to have was jacked up, and I ended up with splotches of black fur on my back. Back then, I was still called 'Scar', due to the large scar near my left eye. However, during the Second Cold War, my adoptive Mom, Demetria, renamed me 'Leopard', as the fur pattern resemble the spots of an Amur Leopard, and I've stuck with that name ever since."

Dash nodded. "Yeah, I guess that that makes sense." She kept rubbing my back and arms. "Wow, you have some nice muscles Stud, must be from all of those world wars. Heh, with you by my side, Zephyr will NEVER bother me again!"

"Hmm? Who's Zephyr? You mean Fluttershy's brother?"

"Um, yeah, pretty much. He just would not leave me alone! Soarin finally chased him away from Wonderbolt Academy, but he's still a bit of a pain."

I shrugged. "Well, if I ever catch him bothering you, he wouldn't be walking away from my confronting him; he'd be leaving on a stretcher!"

Dash shrugged. "Meh, I don't really care, just as long as he leaves me alone! You're my husband-to-be, so he'll just have to find another mare!" Dash then continued her massage.

Eventually, she did press her breasts into my back, causing me to purr. "Mmm, wow, for a tough, no-nonsense soldier like you Stud, you sure are a softie!"

"Nyah, it's all because of you, you Dork!" I muttered.

Dash giggled a bit. "Yeah, I know. And I'm glad that we're together Stud. We're just so perfect. Our chemistry really matches up well, and I see a long life for us together. Just think, by the end of the summer, I'll be Mrs. Rainbow Dash, wife of Captain Leopard!"

"Nyah!" I said in response.

"What does that noise even mean Stud?"

I sighed. "It's a noise of pleasure. 'Nyah' is just our way of showing happy, relaxed contentment."

"So, you're really happy, relaxed, and content around me?"

I purred in response. "Nyah!"

Dash giggled. "Well then, 'Nyah' to you too Stud!"

I just sighed in response. Eventually, Dash reached over, and turned off the lights. Then, after pulling the covers back over us, She wrapped her arms around me again, and just continued to lie there on my back.

"Goodnight Stud", She whispered gently, "I love you, and I'll never let you go. You proved your love to me, so now I'll be your loyal wife until death do us part."

"Goodnight Dash. And I love you too, more than you can possibly imagine. You were there for me in my hour of greatest need, and I tore 2 empires apart to save you, and I'll do the same again if I have to. You're my whole world now."

Dash kissed my neck gently. "I know Stud. Now then, just sleep, and if any more nightmares happen, I'll just be right here to help you through them."

I purred gently in response, and with the soft sounds of Dash sleeping on top of me, I then fell asleep again as well.

All throughout that night, Stuggs was still working to convince Rodin to sign the surrender terms. Stuggs was sitting next to Rodin's bed in the makeshift hospital, looking down at his old friend. Rodin's arms were tied to the bed with restraints, and even Stuggs himself was in a straight jacket.

"Why won't you do it Rodin?"

"Because, what's keeping them from just killing us when they're done with us? Even if we sign, we'll still be spending the rest of our lives behind bars! What's the point in that? If I continue holding out, maybe they'll just flat out kill me."

Stuggs sighed. "They won't do that Rodin. They could have killed us already, and I don't think that it's as bad as you think. If you ask me, we'll be spending time behind bars to do penance for our crimes of not going AGAINST what Danin told us, and ending this war sooner. Plus, if they even let Dactyl live, I know that they'll let us live as well. Just sign it Rodin, and be done with it. I can't live with this anymore, I want to make things right again!"

Rodin sighed. He then looked down at his legs. Thanks to surgery, he was able to move them again, albeit very weakly. He still wasn't able to walk, but most likely, he owed his life to the Humans. Plus, what Stuggs had said earlier really got to him. Danin really HAD left them both to die while he ran to save his own sorry ass. Now he was dead, and that left him, Dactyl, and Stuggs, as the highest ranking Caribou left.

"I know that you're right Stuggs. I just.....wish that we could talk to Dactyl about this, to see what he would say."

"You.....can" A weak voice next to Rodin said.

Rodin turned his head, and to his shock, Dactyl was lying in the bed next to him! Even though the light was dim, Rodin could see that Dactyl was in pretty bad shape. His entire torso was covered in bandages and stitches, and his arms were restrained as well.

"My Prince! So you do indeed still live."

"Yeah....for now at least. I'm not out of the woods yet, but I'm well on my way. And, as the current leader of the Caribou, I order you, General Rodin, to sign the terms of surrender. Stuggs is going to do it, as am I. We've suffered enough because of this war, and I for one do NOT want to suffer anymore!"

Rodin sighed. He knew what was right, and he knew that Danin hated him. He also wanted to hurt Danin even more for what he had done. Finally, he said, "Yeah, I can see you guy's points. Even though we'll still be in serious trouble, I'll sign the surrender terms."

"You will?" Stuggs asked.

Rodin nodded. "Yes. When the sun rises today, we will sign the terms of surrender to Equestria."

They all talked about this for a while longer, until the sun began to rise.

Sure enough, the next morning, Saturday, July 28th, 2029, myself, Don, Jim, and all of the other officers who had signed the war declaration were summoned to the room where Stuggs, Rodin, and Dactyl were, while Dash, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, Cole, Dan, Missy, and others waited close by. The Princesses were also present via video call, and the whole affair was also being filmed for live broadcast.

"So, you wish to surrender?" Celestia asked them.

Dactyl nodded. "Yes, Princess Celestia, we do. My people have suffered enough because of this war. I do not want them to have to suffer anymore. I will sign the surrender document, as will General Stuggs, and General Rodin."

Celestia nodded slowly. "Yes, and thank you, Prince Dactyl. You have done your people a great service."

"Well, for what it's worth Princesses, you're welcome."

Celestia, Luna, and Cadence all then signed the surrender document. Celestia then teleported it to us. The first to sign it were the Human officers.

"Today, this war finally ends," I said softly as I signed the document.

Then, after we were done, Don took the document over to the 3 Caribou. "Just sign it in the 3 places on the bottom, and then we can be done with this."

Dactyl read the document. "For the complete, and total surrender of the Caribou Empire to the Land of Equestria, as also witnessed by the Humans from Earth." He then looked over at the princesses. "And if I may ask, what will happen to us after we've surrendered, Princess Celestia?"

"You will be held in Donneth under 24 hour guard until your injuries have healed. Then, you and others who have been captured and are of high-value will be taken to Equestria, where you will stand trial. The courts will decide your fates, however, since you have been cooperating with us, maybe the courts will be slightly more lenient on you."

Dactyl sighed. "Even if it means my own death, my people shouldn't have to suffer because of our own idiocy." Dactyl them signed the document. He then handed it to Stuggs, who signed it, and in turn, handed it to Rodin.

Rodin sighed. "May the courts have mercy upon us, for Death will have none." He muttered as he signed.

Once the document was signed, it was taken so that copies of it could be made.

Celestia then turned to the camera. "So there you have it. Let it be known that this day, Saturday, July 28th, 2029, after fighting for 3 years, the Imperial War is finally over! We have prevailed, thanks to the Humans, and their amazing war train! It was their fighting spirit, that helped us carry the day, as we could not have done it without them! They are heroes! Now, we can finally rebuild what we've lost, and move past this war, and into a time of peace!"

All across Equestria, celebrations were breaking out in the streets. Fireworks went off, there was loud cheering, whistling, and shouts of victory. The horrid Imperial War was finally over, and the Caribou Empire, as well as the Zebra Empire, were no more. Equestria had been saved, and they owed it all to 216 Humans, a Human battalion, their war train, and their supply train. They had given them the ability to fight back, and to put the enemy to flight. They had shown them that their enemies were NOT invincible, and could be killed. They had given them hope, and that hope helped them win the war.

Back in Donneth, the time had come for us to finally begin our trek home. After we left the hospital, and began to walk back to the train, DELCI decided to play another tape to show the mood that we were all feeling.

https://m.

Don chuckled a bit. "Yeah, thanks for that DELCI, I think that you just captured the mood that we're all feeling right now!"

"You're welcome Boss!"

As I was walking, Aurora was trotting by my side, and Dash was holding my hand. I then thought of something.

"Hey Dash?"

"Yeah Stud?"

"I just thought of something. One day, Aurora and Tank will be living under the same roof. How do you think that that will go down?"

Aurora paused. "Huh? Who's Tank?"

Dash looked at her. "Oh, Tank is my pet tortoise. And to answer your question Stud, I think that it might work, assuming of course that Aurora didn't try to EAT him!" She glared at Aurora.

Aurora looked deeply offended. "What, EAT my Master's wife's pet? NEVER!!! Plus, tortoises taste NASTY!!! I tried to eat one once, and it almost killed me!"

"She's telling the truth Dash; that was a scary day. I honestly thought that Aurora was going to die. Turns out, the tortoise was poisoned with radiation. Aurora did live, but the scars are still there."

Aurora then rolled over, revealing the traces of where the stitches used to be.

Dash looked sad. "Wow, so it seems that your pets went through just as much trauma as you guys, if not more in some cases."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. A lot of pets were rescued from the battlefield. Others were brought here by their respective soldiers, and still others, like Aurora, came to us, and were adopted. It's a real zoo on that train!"

Dash giggled a bit. "Yeah, I could bet Stud!"

We all then returned to the train.

It was decided that Joe would drive until we reached the Zebra Empire again, then I would take over until Appaloosa. Then, we would flip a coin for who got to drive the train to Ponyville. The plan was to reach Appaloosa on Monday night, and then head back to Ponyville on Tuesday.

All of us were extremely shocked at how weird it felt to not have to be on guard at all times. How we could move the train in broad daylight, and not have to worry about enemy patrols.

"It just feels so weird Dash, I've never seen this before. It's just been war, after war, after war for us, and now? Peace, victory, and most of all, long-term silence. It's well and truly bizarre."

"Yeah, I know how that feels Stud. For the past 3 years, with the Imperial War always raging, we always had to be on guard. Now though, the war is over, and we all have to adjust to life without it."

I already knew that it was going to be hard, but what nothing could prepare me for, was how hard it was actually going to be.

That night, we all reached Zebrica. We were met with cheers, as well as congratulations on our victory.

The next morning, which was Sunday, Father Charles performed his usual Sunday service for any who wanted to attend. I always attended when I could, so I attended that service as well. To my surprise though, Father Charles's sermon was all about pride, its dangers, and the values of humility.

"We must all take care Brothers and Sisters. As we have been shown in the past, we are NOT invincible! We can be destroyed just as easily as we destroyed our enemies. None of this victory was because of us. God granted us victory, and used us as tools to remove the Caribou and Zebras from power. We must all take the time to thank him for sparing our lives, as well as prayers for those who are no longer with us."

There was also a small memorial service for those who had fallen. In total, 489 Humans, and 1,679 Ponies were dead, and 91 Humans and 117 Ponies were still missing. They were all brave souls, every single one of them. They had given the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of Freedom, and for us, the names of the Human dead were added to the Memorial Wall, located in the same car as the PCC. Here were the names of all of the Battleship Express crew, and Battalion 4009 soldiers who had lost their lives in WW6, and now we added the 489 names from the Imperial War. It was a truly sad state of affairs.

Once the service was over, the trip to Appaloosa began. All of us from Secondary Crew were in the cab, and we were joined by Dash, as well as Applejack. Dash sat behind me, and Applejack sat behind Alex.

"Golly, there's so many controls here! How do y'all know what to do?"

I laughed. "We owe it all to Jim. He trained every single member of the train's crew. We owe it all to him."

"What's our current speed Stud?"

I looked over at my speedometer. "We're holding a steady 45mph Dash."

"And how fast can this train go?"

I shrugged. "Eh, according to the design blueprints, Big Boys can go 80mph, however, this was never tested. Fastest we've ever gone was maybe 70, and even then, it was only for a brief time."

Dash thought about that. "80mph. According to Shining Armor, the Crystal Express can go 96mph, and that's the fastest train in all of Equestria!"

"Well, if you're implying that we should race, I don't think that that's a good idea. Big Boys were made for hauling, not speed. What's the heaviest train ever pulled by an engine here in Equestria?"

Dash thought about that. "Um.....if I remember correctly from what Twilight told me, it was MAYBE a half-mile long."

"Heh, Big Boys can pull a 3 mile long train, up a 2% mountain grade, with EASE! According to the designers, on flat ground, a single Big Boy could pull a 5 mile long train fully-loaded with freight!"

Applejack shook her head. "Ah still cannot believe that one single engine can do that Sugarcube. It just don't make any sense!"

I shrugged. "I could see where you would be confused Applejack, but yet, at the same time, that was another thing that was never tested about the Big Boy. Like her speed, that was just theoretical, and never tested."

"Oh."

It was then though, that Dash asked a question. "Hey Stud?"

"Yeah Dash?"

"Um, would it be possible for me to um......actually drive the Big Boy?"

I paused. "Wait, did you say, 'drive the Big Boy'?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'd like to say that I was at the controls of the largest steam locomotive of all time!"

I sat back in my seat. "Um, I don't know if we're allowed to do that Dash. I mean, I'd let you, but I don't know how Don would feel about that." I then turned to Alex and Todd. "What do you guys think?"

Todd shrugged. "Eh, I won't tell if you won't."

"And neither will I."

I turned to Dash. "So, you REALLY want to do this?"

"Are you kidding me Stud, OF COURSE I'm sure!"

I nodded. "Ok, just checking. Come over here, and I'll show you what to do. It's actually fairly simple."

She came over, and I showed her the controls. "All of the controls needed by the engineer are here on the right side. All controls on the left are for the fireman. This lever here is the throttle. This one here is the directional control, these are the brakes, that's the speedometer, those are pressure gauges, the cord above your head is the bell, and the lever here, is the whistle. Do you think that you've got all of that?"

Todd was also filming all of this, so that we'd always remember this moment.

Dash nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Stud!" I got up, and she sat down on the engineer's seat. "Oh, and you'll need these, just so that you don't burn your hands; these controls can get hot sometimes!" I handed her my gloves.

"Thanks Stud!"

"And you'll need this too." I took off my engineer's cap, and put it on Dash's head.

She then put left hand on the throttle, and leaned her right arm on the windowsill. "*Squee* So awesome!"

"Hey Alex?"

"Yeah Leopard?"

"Let go of the controls on your side for a second."

"Um, ok...." He did so.

"Now let it be known that today, Sunday, July 29th, 2029, Rainbow Dash becomes the first mare ever to drive the largest steam locomotive of all time! It's all you right now Dash, you're driving this beast all by yourself!"

Dash then blew the whistle to signify her making history.

"Hey, can Ah be the first mare fireman on this Big Boy?"

Alex turned to her. "Sure thing AJ!" He then got up, and Applejack sat down, and he showed her the controls. He also gave her his cap and gloves.

"So, am Ah doin' this right Alex?"

He nodded. "Yep, you sure are AJ! It's easier to be the fireman than it is to be the engineer."

All of us were having a blast. At least, we were, until the radio suddenly came to life.

"Major Don to Big Boy, come in Big Boy!"

Todd picked up the radio. "Big Boy here Major, what's going on?"

"What's going on? Tell Leopard and Alex to get their marefriends away from the controls, NOW!!!! They do NOT have the authorization to do that!"

"What....?! How did you...."

"Never mind how I know, just get them away, NOW!!!!"

"Oh shoot!" Dash then got up from the engineer's seat, and I took over from her, just as Alex took over from Applejack.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Dash then hugged me from behind. "Thanks Stud, you're the greatest!"

"You're welcome Dash, and congratulations on making history!"

"Mmm, thanks Stud!"

"The whistle!"

"What Todd?"

Todd looked up at me. "When Dash blew the whistle, THAT'S how the Major knew! The whistle wasn't supposed to be blown until we got close to a populated area! Either that, or DELCI snitched on us! She does have cameras up here you know!"

I knew that Todd was right. Dash did too. We talked about this, as well as driving the Big Boy, for a while longer.

That night, we stopped close to the ruins of Zandia. The Zebra Empire was larger in size than the Caribou Empire, and took longer to get around.

By the next morning, we set out for Appaloosa. It was to be the second to last leg of our trip. Once again, I was driving, although this time, Dash and Applejack weren't with us. They were back with Twilight and Pinkie, most likely catching up on things.

That night, we arrived in Appaloosa. This was by far the biggest 'Welcome Home!' that we'd ever gotten.

"Well, looky who we have here! It's the winners of the Imperial War!"

"How have y'all been doin?"

"We've missed you guys!"

"Yeah, just as all of us have missed YOU GUYS as well!"

We all partied in Appaloosa that night. Their apple pie and cider were incredible. I also had the interesting pleasure to be introduced to Braeburn. (Or as we called him, "The Gayest Pony who ever Gayed"!) He seemed to be VERY pleased to meet all of us, although our marefriends had to work overtime to keep him at bay!

"Y'all get away from them Braeburn!" Applejack ordered, "These guys are OURS!"

"Yeah!" Dash added. "Leave them be!"

"Aww, shucks. Well, are there any cute guys left on this train?"

"Um, maybe", Somebody finally said, "But we're not gay!"

"Aww...."

Eventually, Braeburn did disappear, which made some of us think that he found somebody on the train who was willing to have sex with him. We never found out who it was, although Braeburn said later that he had a new boyfriend. Don said that he would get to the bottom of the whole affair, but, due to a shortage of time, he just let it go.

Also that night, we had one final chat with the princesses.

"So, what time do you all think that you'll arrive back in Ponyville?"

Don shrugged. "It all depends on how fast we can get out of here. I'm hoping to be there before noon, but it's anyone's guess right now."

"Well, just know that we'll be there at the station waiting for you by about 9am, so just radio us when you get close."

"Roger that Princess Celestia."

"And the crowds have already started to gather in Ponyville. Crowd control will be my number 1 concern, as your safety is of the utmost importance. Don't worry Major, my soldiers WILL keep the crowds in check!"

"Thank you Princess, and we'll contact you again when we make it to within 30 miles of Ponyville."

"Ok, and goodnight Don, Leopard, and Jim, and everyone and everypony else."

"Goodnight Princess!"

I also had one final conversation with Spitfire.

"So, when will you guys be pulling into Ponyville?"

I shrugged. "Hopefully before Noon Spits, but I'm not sure yet. Where will you guys be?"

"We'll be on a cloud platform overlooking the station. I'll be looking for you Stud!"

"As will I Spitsy, however, you might want to wait until the crowds have thinned out, as it'll be a mad-house at the train station for a long time!"

She laughed. "Yeah, most likely! Anyway, goodnight Stud, and I guess that I'll see you tomorrow sometime. Oh, and tell Dash that I said hi!"

"Ok, Goodnight Spitsy, and yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. And ok, I will!"

I then terminated the call, and with Dash by my side, I went to sleep.

The next morning, we all slept a little bit later than usual. By 8 o'clock, we were all ready to go. Unfortunately though, there was a problem. About 2 miles outside of Appaloosa was a stalled train. The train was the Morning Express, which ran from Las Pegasus, through Appaloosa, Ponyville, Canterlot, The Crystal Empire, Manehattan, Phillydelphia, before finally terminating in Baltimare. The engine stalled out, and the whole train was literally stranded. The train was also blocking the tracks, and there was no way around it.

"And how heavy is the load?" Don asked the stationmaster in Appaloosa.

"Well, 8 coaches, maybe 3/4 full. No rail traffic can pass until that train is out of the way."

"And, how far does it have to go?"

"It's final destination is Baltimare, but if they could even make it to Ponyville, then maybe the engine could be repaired, or a new train could be found. It's not doing anypony any good just sitting there."

Don thought about that. "Well", He said at last, "I bet that we could push the train to Ponyville."

"Wait, YOU?! But doesn't your train's front have those metal spikes on it? Wouldn't that just derail the train?"

Don shook his head. "Yeah, it would be a problem, however, in the middle of the front cow-catcher, there is a front knuckle coupling. Even if the train's couplings aren't compatible, it'll still be better than nothing."

The stationmaster agreed to that, and using a radio, radioed the train to tell them that we were coming. Joe won the coin toss, so he was the one who got to drive the train back to Ponyville. Dash and I were in the SCC, just looking out of the windows.

Eventually, after saying our goodbyes to the good Ponies of Appaloosa, we set out for Ponyville.

Sure enough, about 2 miles outside of Appaloosa, we found the train. Gently, Joe pulled the engine up close to the caboose, and using tools, Jim and a few other technicians pulled out the front coupling. Unfortunately, the train's couplings were incompatible, but nevertheless, after Jerry-rigging the coupling's together, we were able to push them.

"Ready whenever you are Big Boy!" The train's engineer radioed to Joe.

"Roger that, moving out!"

Then, with a whistle, and a small heave, the Battleship Express began to move forwards again. Don radioed ahead to Ponyville to inform them of the stalled Express, and that we were pushing it. They told him that they would have a slot in the train yards open for it when it arrived.

Faster, and faster the Big Boy went. Joe had permission to highball it, and he was taking full advantage of the opportunity. From 20, he went up to 40, then 50, 60, and all the way up to 65mph!

The engineer of the other train was shocked. "Wowzers! I never even knew that a train could go this fast!"

Joe laughed. "Well, you've never seen a Big Boy in action, have you?"

The passengers were equally impressed. "We're making amazing time! We've already made up for the time that we've lost, and we should be in Ponyville by 11am at the latest, almost right on time!"

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, everypony who was anypony was crowding around the train station, just waiting to catch a glimpse of the Battleship Express when it pulled in. The crowds were enormous. The station platform itself was declared "off limits", to everypony, except for the Princesses, family members, Fluttershy and Rarity, and any other VIP's. The Wonderbolts were also present, and waiting on a cloud platform just above the station.

News cameras were rolling, Ponies were taking pictures, and there were microphones for radio broadcasts as well. Everypony wanted to know how much longer it would be until we showed up.

Celestia addressed the crowd. "According to Major Don, their train should be arriving at close to 11am. They had to make a quick stop to help push the Morning Express towards us. They'll be here just as fast as they can."

High above the station, Spitfire was anxiously awaiting any news as well. "Do you see them yet Soarin?"

"Nope, not yet. And why are you so anxious anyway? Is it because of Rainbow Dash?"

Spitfire nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm still worried for her. I'm just glad that she's ok."

"Oh, and is that the ONLY reason?" Blaze smirked, "Or is it because you have the hots for Captain Leopard?"

Spitfire turned to her. "S-shut up! That's not the reason!" Spitfire was blushing, indicating that she was lying.

"Come on Captain, I know that you're lying! Come on, he's a stud! Don't be scared to admit it!"

Spitfire said nothing. The other Wonderbolts were about to tease Spitfire further, but before they had the chance though, way off in the distance, a whistle was heard.

"Wait, was that it?"

Soarin looked. "Um yep, I think so! I see a massive black cloud of smoke, and it seems to be coming right this way, so yeah, I think that they're coming!"

The rest of the crowd began to go wild, and jostled around for the best positions to see what was going to happen next.

Soon, from off in the distance, a loud chugging sound was heard. Then, in addition to the cloud of smoke, the front of the express that our train was pushing was spotted.

"They're coming! The Battleship Express is coming!"

Once we were close, we blew our whistle. Its eerie, Banshee-like scream sounded in the midday air. Then, with a mighty rumble, and a cloud of smoke and steam, the Battleship Express pulled back into Ponyville station, the exact same station from where it had left from nearly a month prior. Now, the train was carrying those returning from the battlefield, those who had fought and won the Imperial War.

For the longest time though, once the train had pulled in, nobody got off. Another engine did come to take the Morning Express away, but still no sign of movement from the Battleship Express.

"Hey, what's going on? Where is everypony?!"

Eventually though, once the engine released a massive cloud of steam, the doors at various points opened, and the train's crew began to disembark.

Once they did though, the roar of the crowd was deafening. There was cheering, whistling, shouting, and even screaming in some cases. The Royal Guards assigned to protecting the platform had to work double-time to keep the metal barricades used to keep the crowds back in place.

Eventually, Don, Shining, Jim, and myself, stepped off the train. Don, Shining, and I went over to the Princesses.

We bowed slightly when we saw them. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, I can now say with confidence that Equestria is now perfectly safe, and will not be bothered by a foreign threat, for a long, LONG time!"

Celestia smiled. "Thank you Major, Captain, and General. You've done Equestria a great service with your skills at warfare."

I looked at her. "Thank you Princess, it was my honor to have served this great nation." (By this point, it was just Don and I, as Shining was too busy sharing a few sweet moments with Cadence.)

"And we are very grateful that you have, Captain Leopard."

Also by this point, the families were all crowding around, trying to find their loved one.

First to find each other were Twilight and her parents.

"TWILIGHT!!!!"

"MOM, DAD, SPIKE!!!!!" She raced over to hug them. Don was standing close by as well.

"We're so glad that you're safe Dear!"

"As am I mom. And you have the Humans to thank for that! If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now!"

Nightlight and Velvet looked at Don. "Thank you, Major Curry. You've saved out daughter!"

Dan saluted. "You can just call me Don, Ma'am. And it was my honor to have helped save your daughter." They all hugged him as well.

Next up was Pinkie and her family.

"Mom! Dad! Maud! Marble! Limestone!"

"PINKIE!!!!" They all hugged their daughter and sister.

Her dad then turned to Dan. "So, you are Private Daniel Lewis who has saved our daughter?"

Dan saluted. "Yes, but you can just call me Dan, Sir."

"Yes, Dan, and let me say again, thank you, for risking your life to save our daughter. We owe you our greatest thanks."

Dan saluted. "It was nothing Sir, just another day of me doing my job. I did what I had to do, nothing more, nothing less."

"And we still thank you for it." Her mom added.

Pinkie then pulled all of them into a group hug. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!" She cheered.

Next of course, came Applejack, Alex, and the rest of the Apple Family.

"SIS!!!" Applebloom cried. She ran over and hugged her big sister.

"APPLEBLOOM!!!" She hugged back.

Granny Smith and Big Mac were close behind her.

"Applejack!"

"Hi Granny!"

"Hey Sis!"

"Big Mac!" She hugged her family.

Applebloom then turned to Alex. "So yer the Human who saved mah big sis? Wow, thank you Lt. Barkley!"

Alex shook his head. "Actually, you can just call me Alex, Applebloom. And you're welcome."

"Yes, thank you Mr. Alex, for saving my granddaughter. You've done us a mighty fine service!"

Alex saluted. "I was just doing my Job Ma'am. Plus, I made a promise to you all that I would bring Applejack home, or die trying. I meant every word of that."

"And we thank you for it Alex." Big Mac added. "Applejack means the world to us."

"I could have guessed as much Big Mac. Nothing better than a tightly-knit family!"

They all cheered to that, and hugged each other.

Last, but certainly not least, it was my turn. With Dash by my side, I was about to meet my future in-laws.

"DASHIE!!!!" A mare's voice cried. Suddenly, a mare that looked like an older version of Rainbow Dash wrapped her into a tight hug. She was followed by a stallion with a rainbow mane, and a stubbly beard.

"Mom, Dad!"

"Oh, we're so glad that you're safe Sweetie! We would never forgive ourselves if we lost you!"

Dash was so glad to be with her parents again. "Yeah, but the real hero here, was Leopard over there. He risked everything to save me, and stopped at nothing until he got me back."

That did it, her parents were on my in an instant. I suddenly felt like the life was getting squeezed out of me. My rib cage was cracking, and I was rapidly running out of air! I tried to push them off of me, but it was impossible. Their grip was simply too much.

As I slowly succumbed to death, I saw the headlines flash before my eyes. "Famous Human Captain dies at Ponyville Station!" "Human Survives Imperial War, Only to Die from a Hug!"

"Please God, don't let me die now! It DOES NOT end like this! Please, HELP ME!!!" I was now at Death's door. I was seconds away from dying of suffocation.

Suddenly, just before I went into the light, I heard a voice yell, "MOM, DAD, LET GO OF HIM RIGHT NOW!!!! HIS FACE IS TURNING PURPLE, HE CAN'T BREATHE!!!"

In an instant, I fell away from the light, and I felt the grip on me suddenly die away. I then collapsed onto the platform, gasping for air! I ripped off my Kitsune mask so that I could breathe a lot better, and for the longest time, I just lay there, trying desperately to maintain consciousness.

"Oh gosh, STUD!!! ARE YOU OK!?!?!?!"

"Oxygen......thin!!!" I muttered. The color was starting to return to my face, but I was still extremely shaken up.

Dash then gently pulled me back to my feet. "Oh gosh Stud, I'm so, so sorry about that!" She began to hug me. I hugged her back.

"Aww, you two make such a cute couple!" Her mom took a picture of us hugging.

Her dad then looked at me. "And we're terribly sorry for nearly killing you Captain. We just got a little, excited, is all."

I looked over at them. "Well, apologies accepted. And please just call me Leopard."

"Oh, and is that you're real name?"

"No, but it's the name that I've grown so used to, so please just call me Leopard."

They nodded. "Sure thing Leopard. I mean, we are soon to be family after all."

I glanced at Dash, and she gave me a "Just roll with it Stud, I know that it's embarrassing!" look.

I shrugged, and we talked with her parents for a little bit longer.

After a bit, Celestia made an announcement. "Attention Everypony! Can I have your attention please?"

Everypony then quieted down, and they all turned to see what their Princess had to say.

"Ok, now that I have everypony's attention, I would like to say that, I really appreciate all of you coming down here to show your support for our soldiers, both Pony, and Human. Also, since the war has been won, and the terms of surrender have been signed, then it is my pleasure to announce that this Saturday, August 4th, will be the Victory Ball in Canterlot to celebrate the winning of the war! Tickets are on sale now, and you are all invited!"

While the crowd cheered, Celestia then turned to Don. "And I would hope Major, that you, and your crew, would be able to come to the ball. If you did, then you would be honored guests. I would also hope that you would bring your train with you as well."

Don looked over at her. "Well Princess, I would have to say that, it would be our genuine pleasure to attend this ball, and I can tell the rest of you that if you enjoyed this celebration, as well as getting good looks at our train, then I can say that, you will be seeing it again in Canterlot on Saturday!"

The crowd then cheered again, and while some of the crew began to mingle with the crowd, standing for photos, signing autographs, and the like, as well as allowing a select few ponies to get close to the train, the rest of us stood around, talking to our marefriends, as well as their parents.

For a brief time, I was able to get away from Rainbow Dash's parents, and near the side of the station, I leaned a hand against the wall, and took a quick breather.

"Hey Stud, did you forget to say Hi to me?" A voice behind me asked.

That voice. I knew that voice. Slowly, I turned around, and there, leaning against the station wall behind me, was her! Her flame-colored mane was slicked back, and she was wearing her Wonderbolt Jumpsuit. Although she had her goggles on her forehead, the hood and face part of her jumpsuit was hanging down her back.

"So, we meet at last, Captain Leopard."

"Captain Spitfire!"

She sauntered up to me, and pulled me into a hug. "Yeah it's nice to finally meet you too Stud. And you're a lot cuter in person that you were on the video calls!"

I didn't know what to say to that. Here I was, face to face with my other waifu, and I was almost frozen in place!

"I......don't even know what to say right now! I can't believe that I finally got to meet my other waifu!" ("Yeah BRILLIANT move genius! Now she'll think that you're a stalker, BRAVO!!!")

Spitfire merely giggled though. "Huh, your other waifu huh? Well, I think that I can live with that!"

It was like this that Dash found us a few moments later. "Oh, there you are Stud! Oh, and Hey Spits. I see that you've met Leopard."

She nodded. "Yeah, and it's SO good to see you again Dash!" She hugged her. "And yeah, he's really hot for a guy!"

I blushed, but didn't say anything.

Dash smirked. "Oh, you think that he's hot now, just wait til you see what he's like in bed!"

Spitfire licked her lips. "Oh, I can't WAIT to see what that'll be like!"

Once again, I was still completely speechless. I didn't know what to say, as my brain had crashed. Luckily though, I didn't have to say anything at all.

Dash just wrapped her arm around mine. "So, shall we go back to the others now Stud?" She asked.

"Uh, huh." I finally managed to say. "That sounds good."

Spitfire then held my other hand, and the 3 of us walked back to the others. All seemed right with the world for a change. The Imperial War was over, and the Caribou and Zebra Empires were no more. We had all made it back to Ponyville safely, our marefriends were safe, and there was still talk of marriage in the air. Equestria was all out of enemies, or at least, we THOUGHT that it was. While everything seems like it's right with the world though, things can suddenly take an unexpected twist........

Author's Note

And, there is was, Chapter 28. Don't go just yet though, as even though this was the last chapter, there's still the Epilogue to go! Our adventure may be over, but with Humans, wherever we go, trouble always seems to follow. All may indeed be right with the world, but how long will this peace last? What if another Hydra rears its ugly heads? What do we do then? Also, what does the future hold for all of us? Well, as always, stay tuned, and I'll tell you!

The epilogue will kick-start a whole new adventure for us Battleship Express crew, and spawn a sequel, so stay tuned for that!

And, as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story, are always appreciated, and I'll see you all one last time in the Epilogue!

ScarFox out for now!