One week after the end of the war, now called the Last Zebra War, there was a HUGE celebration all across Equestria to properly celebrate the victory.

On March 1st, the same day as the Battle of Canterlot, General Bania, the highest ranking Zebra to survive the war, signed the final surrender documents. He was subsequently put on trial with other Zebra soldiers and prisoners who needed to be tried, and while he did escape execution, he was doomed to spend the rest of his life in a prison mine, with no chance of parole until he was too old and feeble to hurt anypony anymore.

Also on March 1st, Princesses Celestia and Luna agreed that every March 1st was now VE (Victory in Equestria) Day, and was now a national holiday. Every year on March 1st, Ponies would gather together to remember the war, and most importantly, the 6 Human Marines, and those of the Appaloosa Resistance, and the Trottingham Group who fought back, and broke the backs of the Zebras, therefore enabling the Equestrians to declare war on the Zebras, and drive them to oblivion! However, on that first year, while there were PLENTY of celebrations on March 1st, the biggest celebration of all took place on March 8th, one week after the war ended.

On that day, which was declared a holiday, there was a HUGE victory parade in Canterlot. All 6 of us Marines were guests of honor, as were our marefriends, Gilda, and those of the Appaloosa Resistance, and the Trottingham group. Shining and Cadence were present, as were the Mane 6, Spike and Ruby, and even Braeburn and Zuri, and Big Mac and Zena! Shining, Cadence, and the Mane 6 were with the Princesses, but Spike, Braeburn, Big Mac, Ruby, Zuri and Zena were all riding in the parade with us Marines and Resistance Groups! They’d all done their part too, and were now being honored as such.

All around the parade, and even in the rest of Equestria, Ponies were cheering, clapping, whistling, eating, drinking, kissing and hugging their loved ones, and just all around having a REALLY great time. Everypony was enjoying themselves, as well as thanking the Resistance Groups for never giving up, and the 6 Human Marines from Wolf Pack Battalion who had ignited the fire that led to the war to expel the Zebras. We Humans started it all, and once we united with the Appaloosa Resistance, and the Trottingham Group, we were able to raid the Zebra’s prison camp in the Smoky Mountains, and liberate the stallions there. Then, with that army, we took back the Crystal Empire, and the areas and cities around it, before moving South. It was all thanks to us for igniting the fire, and we were still in a bit of shock. We had just helped to save the world, and we all had a hard time believing that it was real!

At the end of the day, Princess Celestia gave a speech to all of those gathered in Canterlot for the victory celebration, and the speech was also being broadcasted to the rest of Equestria via radio.

“My subjects, fellow Ponies, and all others, this is a time of GREAT celebration! We have just defeated the Zebras, and are at the end of the longest, and hardest-fought war in Equestrian history! We won, and we made the Zebras PAY for what they tried to do to us!”

The crowds all started cheering, but then Celestia motioned for silence.

“HOWEVER! NONE of this would have been possible if it hadn’t been for a band of 6 Humans, former US Marines with the famous Wolf Pack Battalion, who were working at their freight depot for their Daylight Freight and Shipping Company. They were left behind when the Zebras took over, and locked up all of the stallion in those prison camps. They were immune to the Zebra’s virus, and the Zebras intended to use them as slave labor. However, before they could, the Humans and their marefriends fled to the desert, where they linked up with the Appaloosa Resistance, and then the Trottingham Group. Together, these groups then attacked and liberated the Zebra’s main prison camp in the Smoky Mountains, before attacking and liberating the Crystal Empire, Van Hoover, and other settlements in Northern Equestria. They then fought for and took back Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Baltimare, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and then finally Ponyville and Canterlot. They won every battle that they fought, and their numbers got larger all the time with more Ponies that they liberated. They won the war, and its to them that we owe the greatest thanks! At this time, I would like to call Rick Dennis, Frank Sinatra, Jake Blythe, Evan Young, Jon Meers, and Ben Anderson, as well as their marefriends to the stage now!”

The Ponies all cheered again as we were all walking to the front, but Celestia still had a few more things to say.

“And of course, let us not forget our allies in this war. Thanks to the efforts of the Ponies to take back their homeland, and the Zebra’s arrogance, the Griffon Kingdom, the Dragon Lands, and a pack of Diamond Dogs all came to the aide of the Equestrians, and helped them drive off the Zebras. While they may have helped Equestria, they also did this for their own homelands, for if Equestria had fallen completely, their nations would have been next. I would also like to extend my thanks to Captain Ruby of the Gem-Biter Pack. It was thanks to her and her Diamond Dogs that the Equestrian Armed forces were able to get underneath Ponyville and Canterlot, rescue myself and Luna, and of course pour in and liberate both Ponyville and Canterlot. And of course, let us not forget the actions of Ponies such as Braeburn and Big Mac. They helped lead soldiers under Shining Armor and Captain Anderson, as well as Spike the Dragon, who also led soldiers. And who could forget the actions of Zebra defectors Zuri and Zena? It was thanks to them that those in the Appaloosa Resistance were able to crack the Zebra's virus, and develop not only a cure, but also a vaccine for it! I would also like to call all of them up to the stage too!”

They all began to come up, and there was more cheering. Once they joined us up on the stage, all of us were given medals and other decorations for our service. Captain Ruby was also given the 20 sacks of gems that she and her pack had been promised for their service, and for that she was as happy as she could be! The rest of us were also congratulating each other on our victory, and how by the grace of God, we’d liberated Equestria from the Zebras, and had almost wholly wiped them out; at least the Zebras who’d come to Equestria, and then not fled back to Zebrica. It was certainly a moment to savor, and it would last for the rest of our lives.

A few days later, back in the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor decided to visit all of us at the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company. He was wondering how we were doing, as well as how well we were holding up.

When he arrived, he found all of us sitting around our main card table, having a meeting. I looked up when I saw him. “Oh, hey Shining. What’s up?”

“Well, I just wanted to stop by, and see how all of you were doing.”

“Oh, well that was nice of you. And for what it’s worth, all of us seem to be doing ok, at least for now.”

“And what’s this meeting about, if I may ask.”

Rick looked over at him. “We’re discussing the future of the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company. The truth is, I wanted to step back from the company, and possibly see about becoming a teacher again.”

“And I wanted to leave too.” Evan confessed. “Night Glider and I were planning on moving to Canterlot, where I wanted to learn the trade of blacksmithing.”

I then turned back to Shining. “And we were also discussing the possibility of possibly establishing daughter-freight depots in Van Hoover, Manehattan, Rainbow Falls, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Appaloosa, Ponyville, and Canterlot.”

He cocked his head a bit. “So, some of you want to leave, the rest of you want to stay, and you’re talking about hiring new employees to replace them, as well as expanding the company, and hiring more employees for these new locations?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it anyway. So far, Evan backs the depot in Canterlot, Spike backs the one in Ponyville, and Braeburn agreed to back the one in Appaloosa.”

“What do you mean by ‘back’?”

I blinked once. “Oh. I mean agree to help oversee its construction. Financial backing will hopefully come the city governments.”

“Oh, ok. That makes sense.”

“Yeah.”

As Shining and I were still talking though, Jon said something that would chance the course of our entire conversation.

He was talking to Derpy. “I REALLY wish that you could meet my family Derpy”, He was saying, “I know that they would LOVE you!”

“I wish that I could see my family again too”, Evan admitted. “And I think that the rest of us do too.”

Shining then heard what they’d been talking about. “Wait, you guys want to see your families again?”

Jon looked at him like he was crazy. “Yes, of COURSE we want to see our families again!”

“I......I didn’t even know that you guys HAD families! I mean yes, I assumed that you did, but you never talked about them until now!”

I then looked at him. “So, do you want to hear about our families?”

He nodded. “Of course I do! I’ve got plenty of time to listen.”

We all agreed to talk about it, and once we were ready, we talked about our families for the first time with someone other than each other, and our marefriends.

Rick went first. “Well, I don’t have a very large family, but I do love them all very much. Still around today is my 72 year old dad Chester, my 48 year old brother Jimmy, and my 36 year old younger brother Garrett. We all lived outside of Corpus Christi, Texas, and my dad was SO proud when I joined the Marines! My brother Jimmy was a bit jealous, but my other brother Garrett loved it. He was ALWAYS asking me for stories of my time in the Marines when I was home. Sure, I couldn’t tell him everything, but he did like what I told him. He’d wanted to join the military, but was unable to due to a heart murmur.

After I retired from the Marines, and became a part of 4449’s crew, my family was once again very proud of me. Jimmy loved trains, as did my Dad. Sure, I was just a conductor, but SOMEBODY had to do it! And I know that they were all devastated when I went missing. I hope that they’re still doing ok.”

We all agreed to this, and then Evan went next.

“Well, my family list is even shorter than that. Still alive today is my 55 year old mom Lillian, and my big brother Hank, who's 3 years older than me. We all lived in Buffalo, New York, and had a nice life. My brother used to be with the Coast Guard, and that’s what inspired me to join the Service. I decided to try and become a US Marine, and low and behold, I did! My mom and brother were SO proud of me, and they were always so happy when I was home to visit. When I became a fireman on 4449, my Mom was proud of me once again. Sure, I was working in Oregon, which was on the other side of the US from Buffalo, but she was still so happy for me. I also imagine that she was heartbroken when I went missing. My brother Hank was most likely really upset too.

Next it was Jake’s turn. “My family hails from Tucson, Arizona. There was me, my 55 year old dad Martin, my 58 year old mom Debbie, my 75 year old Grandpa Jeremiah, and my 38 year old big sister Betty. My grandpa served in the Vietnam War, and always wowed me as a kid with the stories of his service. And I don’t know if I ever told you this, but my dad works for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base just outside of Tucson, home to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center.”

I looked at him. “Wait, Davis-Monthan? Your dad works at the Boneyard?!”

Jake nodded. “Oh yes! He works at the Boneyard!”

“Um, what’s the 'Boneyard'?” Shining asked.

Jake explained. “Oh, the Boneyard is a HUGE aircraft graveyard in the desert outside of Tucson, home to aircraft retired from the US Military over the past 50 years. They’re stored there, restored there, and some are gutted and scrapped there. It covers thousands of acres, and is the largest aircraft boneyard in the world. Many billions of dollars worth of planes and parts are there, and while some planes with fly again, most will not. It’s a very eerie, yet also VERY surreal place.” Jake then went on to explain more about the Boneyard.

When he finished his explanation, Shining’s jaw was on the ground! “Wow.....that......that’s so amazing Jake! Too bad we didn’t have some planes from the Boneyard here during the war with the Zebras. Then we might have ended the war sooner! I can’t imagine that many aircraft in one place, and if all of them took flight again, they could whip all of the air forces on Earth? That’s REALLY incredible!”

“Yes, it is. It was thanks to my dad’s work with the Air Force that inspired me to go for the Marines. And once it was over, and I was retired, and a fireman on 4449, my family was still proud of me. I also know that they miss me something awful.”

Once we’d gotten over our shock of Jake’s dad working at the Boneyard, it was Frank’s turn.

“Well, there’s not a whole lot to say about my family. It was just me, my 78 year old grandpa Dakota, and my 17 year old little brother Joel, all living in my Grandpa’s house outside of Helena, Montana. My Grandpa served a tour in the Vietnam War, and I’m pretty sure that it was because of this that he discouraged me from joining the military. However, it was my lifelong dream to do so, and when I became a Marine, I’ll never forget what he told me.

‘Frank my boy, you’ll NEVER know how proud I am of you! Wear that uniform with pride, for you’re now one of the Few, and the Proud!’

I hugged him. ‘Thanks Grandpa!’ My brother Joel was proud of me too, but not quite as much as Grandpa Dakota was. And when I signed on as a part of 4449’s crew, THEN Joel was interested a lot, as he was really fond of trains too! He’d loved them ever since he was little, and was ALWAYS begging for me to tell him stories from my time with 4449. I don’t know what happened after I disappeared, but I KNOW that they were devastated, and were desperately seeking answers for why I disappeared.”

Jon went next. “Well, I do have a bit of a story to tell, so I guess I’d better start talking. My family hails from Clifton Forge, Virginia, and I still have my 49 year old mom Lindsey, my 49 year old dad Brad, my 73 year old grandpa Ethan, my 69 year old grandma Muriel, and my younger twin brother and sister Peyton and Bertha, who're both 22.”

We all looked at him in shock. Up until then, we had no idea that so many members of his family were still alive!

“Whoa, that’s a REALLY big family Jon!”

“Yeah, it kinda is Frank. My Grandpa served in the Marines under Reagan, and that’s what inspired me to try for the Marines too. However, my Mom, Grandma, and my younger siblings were against it. They didn’t want to lose me, and I could understand their point. However, both my Dad and my Grandpa supported me, and in the end, I decided to go for it. They were all there for my Marine graduation ceremony, and they were ALL cheering for me. Of course, they were all terrified every time I went overseas, but each and every time I came back ok. They all breathed a sigh of relief when I retired from the Marines, and joined 4449’s crew, but then imagine their shock and surprise when I vanished with the train. I survived actual war, simply to vanish into thin air with a train!” He then put his hand over his face, and began to cry a bit. Derpy tried to comfort him.

I then sighed, and took my turn. “Well, my story is the shortest of all. I came from Dayton, Ohio, and all I have left is my dad, 52 year old Air Force Brigadier General Stan Anderson. He’s the only member of my family still alive. I never had any siblings, and growing up, at least until I was 7, I had my mom Maggie, and my Grandpa Thomas. My Grandpa used to wow me with stories of his time in the Army in WW2. Did you guys know that he was one of the few people who survived Omaha Beach on D-Day?”

When I said that, the others were SHOCKED!

“WHAT?! He was on Omaha Beach?!”

“And he survived?!”

I smiled. “Yes! And he survived the war, and retired as a Major.” I then frowned again. I never got to meet my Grandma though, as she died of cancer before I was born. As I said, I never had any siblings, and my Mom died in a car accident when I was just 7. After this, my Dad left the Air Force as a Colonel, and he and Grandpa Thomas helped raise me. I was SO sad when my Mom died, as was my Dad. Still to this day, on our left arms, we have tattoos in her memory.” I then pulled up my left sleeve, revealing a tattoo of white angel wings, with the words, “In Loving Memory. I Miss You Mom” just below it in gold letters. “My Dad’s tattoo is almost identical, though his says ‘In Loving Memory. I Miss You Maggie’.”

The others looked at me with both shock and sadness. They’d never really heard me talk about my Mom before. They knew that she was dead, but they never knew that she’d died in a car accident, or that I’d only been 7.

“That must have been so hard for you, growing up without your Mom.”

I nodded. “It was Jon. I don’t really want to talk about it anymore. It’s really painful. However, it was thanks to my Grandpa, and my Dad that I decided to join the military. I wanted to join the Air Force like my Dad, but I was told that I was better suited for the Marines. My Dad was SO proud of me! Sadly, by this point my Grandpa Thomas had passed away, but I know that he and my Mom were looking down from Heaven, and were VERY proud of me! And once I was in the Marines, my Dad returned to the Air Force, and was reinstated. He was eventually promoted to Brigadier General, and last I heard, he’s in charge of Wright-Patterson AFB outside of Dayton!”

“Your Dad’s in charge of Wright-Patterson?”

“Yeah, he is Rick. At least, he was as of 2 years ago. I’d assume that he still is though. God only knows what he was feeling when he heard that I went missing though. Everyone else in his family was dead, and now his son was missing. I’ve prayed every day since we came here that my Dad made it through, and didn’t kill himself, and I can only PRAY that he’s still alive! I want to see my Dad again!” I then began to cry, and Gilda held me while I did so.

Shining them looked at the other 4 who weren’t crying. “So, after hearing your stories, I can tell that all of you REALLY want to see your families again, or at the very least, let them know that you’re still alive.”

All of us looked at Shining, and nodded.

“And I think I know of somepony who can help!”

“You......you do?” I asked him.

“Yeah. My little sister Twilight! She’s knows SO MUCH about so many things, and I’d be willing to bet MONEY that she could help you guys!”

I thought about that. If Twilight could help us, then maybe we could build a device that would enable us to be able to communicate with Earth. And if we did that, then maybe we would be able to contact someone in America, and try to get them to patch us through to our families!

I went over and hugged Shining. “Bro, you’re a genius!”

He hugged me back. “Yeah, I know Scar. And is that why you see me as a brother? Because you never had any growing up?”

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s most of the reason."

"Well, I never had any brothers growing up either, so I can understand where you're coming from! That's why I see you as a brother too."

I smiled, and then asked, "And when do you think that you could get in touch with Twilight?”

“I can send her a letter right now.” He then began to write down a letter. Once he was done, he used his Magic to deliver it directly to Twilight, and we all waited to see what she would say.

A while later, Shining got a letter back.

"What's it say Bro?" I asked him.

"It says that she would be MORE than happy to help you guys! It's the least that she can do for you all saving her...........yada yada yada............you're her heroes who enabled the rest of the Ponies to fight back........you get the idea. The short of it is, 'Yes, of COURSE I'll help you guys! I have a few ideas for what we can do to build it, and we can start tomorrow! I'll be up there in the Crystal Empire early tomorrow afternoon, and we can go from there. Thanks for saving Equestria from the Zebras!'"

We ALL laughed a bit at that. Even during the 2 years before the war began, we ALL knew how Shining's sister Twilight was. She had OCD, wanted to learn EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING, AND she tended to ramble a LOT! Once she had an idea in her head, she was going to see it through to the end. However, Twilight was a very sweet mare, and her heart was in the right place, not to mention she was the Princess of Friendship, AND one of the 6 Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, so she was ok in our books!

Sure enough, the next afternoon, Twilight came to the Crystal Empire. When she arrived, she saw the 6 of us, our marefriends, and Shining all gathered around our main table.

She looked at all of us. "So, you guys want to get in contact with your families again?" She asked gently.

I spoke up after I nodded. "Yeah, that's the gist of it Twilight. For a little over 2 years now, we've been wholly out of contact with them. The last time that they heard from us was just before we took 4449 out on her maintenance run, and then we disappeared. We've been missing without a trace ever since, and our families are most likely DEVASTATED! We HAVE to let them know that we're ok!"

Twilight then took a seat at the table, and began to write on a notepad that she brought with her. "Hmm, inter-dimensional communication. It would be easier than actual inter-dimensional travel, and if you could pinpoint a signal, then we might be able to connect with it. Where would such a signal be? Anypony know?"

The others had their ideas, but then I gave mine. "We need to connect to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. That's where my Dad works, as he's in charge of the entire base! If we can contact Wright-Patterson, then maybe my Dad can alert the rest of the families to the situation!"

"And if he does that, then our families get summoned to Wright-Patterson........" Frank added.

"And then we get to talk to them again!" Jon finished.

"Great idea Scar!"

I nodded. "Thanks Jake." I then turned to Twilight. "And.......how exactly do we even go about performing inter-dimensional communications?"

Twilight's facial expression shifted a bit. "Well, that's the problem Captain Anderson, it's NOT going to be easy. Such a thing has never truly been successfully done before, but if you ask me, what we need to build is a large set of radio equipment. If we had that, as well as find a way to power it successfully, (as it will take a MASSIVE amount of energy to get a signal back to Earth!) then we might stand a real chance at contacting your Dad at Wright-Patterson AFB."

All of us were surprised. We needed radio equipment, and a way to power it, in order for it to do something that had NEVER been done before? Only one of us even was an engineer (Evan), but even then, he was better with computers than radios.

"So........how do we do this Princess Twilight?" Rick asked.

"You can just call me Twilight Rick. But I think that our work will have to be done in 3 stages. Stage 1, we build the radio equipment, as well as all of the necessary hardware components. Stage 2, we figure out a way to power the equipment. And Stage 3, we turn it on, and calibrate it to intercept signals from Earth, particularity those from Wright-Patterson AFB."

Rick nodded. "Yes, that does make sense Twilight. And when do you think that we can start with Stage 1?"

Twilight looked at her notes. "As soon as we've completed the plans for the final design. This may only take a day or so, and then we can get to work."

We all agreed to this, and then got to work on helping Twilight finish her final design for the inter-dimensional radio.

About a day or so later, we had the final design. Right off the bat, I KNEW that this machine was going to be a f@#king beast! It was seemingly going to be taking up almost an entire room, with said room being 20' by 10', contained within the basement of the Crystal Castle. Contained within the room was all of the radio equipment that we were going to need, which was a LOT, as well as a central control console, where everything was going to be controlled from, and where the main speakers, tuning dials, headsets, and microphone were, as well as other radio controls.

The good news was, radio equipment was easy to find. There was a lot of it in Equestria, and it was easy enough to find the high-quality radio-news equipment that we were going to need, as well as powerful communications-radio communication equipment. The only real challenge was having to repair/revamp some of it, as some of it was outdated, or missing parts and wires. All 6 of us guys were working on it, as were our marefriends, Twilight, and other Ponies who knew how the equipment worked, and knew how to repair it.

Against the room's far wall, we were setting up the central control table. This is where all of the radio equipment would be controlled from, and where the main microphone would be. It would be from here that at least one of us would attempt to contact Wright-Patterson AFB.

One night about 2 weeks later, Gilda and I were lying in our bed in the freight depot. She was holding me, and I was holding her close.

"How are you holding up Babe?" I asked her.

She looked up at me. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you ARE almost 1 month pregnant now."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm FINE! I still feel perfectly normal." She then jerked away from me, and rolled over. "Dumbass". I heard her add under her breath.

I then reached around, and gently spooned with her as I held her around her middle. "I only ask because I love you Gilda. You're gonna be my wife, and the mother of our babies, so I kinda HAVE to care!"

I heard Gilda faintly snicker, before rolling over to face me. She then rubbed my face a bit, before leaning in to kiss me. "No matter what Stud, I just CAN'T hate you, no matter how hard I try! I love you just as much as you love me, and you'll be there for me during my before-marriage pregnancy. I can tell you that not very other male Griffons would do that!"

I laughed a bit. "Well, I'm NOT another male Griffon, am I?"

"No, you're SO much better!" Gilda then kissed me, and after we cuddled for a while longer, we both fell asleep.

The work on the radio continued for almost another month. After the whole set was assembled, the REAL challenge began; figuring out how the heck we were going to power all of it, since combined, the equipment was going to need enough power to be able to power almost half of Ponyville!

"How are we gonna do this?!" Rick asked Twilight.

She was looking over her notes. "Well......." She said slowly. "This equipment is WAY too powerful to hook up to a conventional power grid, so that's a no-go! However, there are a number of special crystals that are capable of producing energy, and they can be found in the Crystal Mountains surrounding the Crystal Empire."

"Crystals capable of producing power? You know, that might actually work, provided of course that these Crystals can provide power for a long period of time."

Twilight nodded. "They actually can. Before the Last Zebra War, a series of experiments were performed with these types of Crystals with the sole purpose of seeing how many it would take to power a city, or at least part of one. During the trials, the Downtown District of Manehattan was powered by a series of Crystals for nearly a week, and even when the trial ended, the crystals STILL had power left to spare!"

Rick, as well as Evan, Jon and I, who were present when Twilight said this, were wholly shocked!

"What?! They powered all of Manehattan's Downtown District for a week?!"

"And with power to spare?!"

"How is that even possible?!"

Twilight smiled a bit. "Well, answering your questions in order Rick, Jon, and Evan, yes, they really did power the Downtown District of Manehattan for a week, and with power to spare! And it's possible because the crystals are........." Twilight then went off onto a HUGE scientific lecture about how the crystals produced power, and could sustain that power, almost like a self-recharging battery. Unfortunately however, none of us, not even Rick, who had a degree in chemistry, had ANY idea what she was talking about!

".......So in conclusion, that's how the crystals work! Does that make sense?"

I blinked twice. "Um.........yeah, sure. It all makes sense! Now the question becomes, how many do we need for our radio equipment?"

Twilight looked at her notes again. "Well, since it took 50 crystals to power Manehattan's Downtown District, and this equipment, while smaller than that, still needs a LOT of energy, I'd say that we're looking at needing between 25-30 crystals for powering the radio."

"And.....how hard are these crystals to find?"

"Eh, not too hard, but the trick is finding the bigger ones, since those seem to self-sustain power production better."

We all agreed to this, and Twilight then informed Shining and Cadence, who in turn sent out an order to one of the mines in the Crystal Mountains that 30 large Power Crystals were needed at the Crystal Castle ASAP. The order was filled the next day, and while Rick, Evan and Frank, as well as Twilight and a few other technicians were hooking them up to the generators that were going to be the radio's power supply, Jon, Jake, Shining and and I were at the VERY top of the Crystal Castle, installing the radio's main antenna.

Jake and I, since we were Human-Pegasai and could fly, did most of the work while Shining directed us from a balcony maybe 30 feet below, and Jon would send us up the tools that we needed via a pulley lift system that we Jerry-rigged.

"At least there's no wind today." I muttered as I was bolting the antenna in place.

"Yeah, no kidding Scar. If there was, then it would be MUCH harder to install the antenna! And at least it's a long, slender pole with its own lightning rod, AND doesn't interfere with the Crystal Empire's flag on the flagpole up here!"

"Yeah. It blends right in with the flagpole, AND it has its own lightning rod, which should help prevent the antenna from getting struck by lightning! And now that's it fully installed, now all we have to do is hook up the cables, and run them down to the basement where the main radio is, and hook them up there too."

"And then we're ready to turn everything on?"

I nodded. "Yes, but then we have to test everything. Remember, this IS the VERY FIRST attempt at a radio project of this size in Equestrian history, not to mention the largest radio ever built, so EVERYTHING has to be tested first!"

Jake agreed, and once Jon handed us up the cables, we attached them to the antenna, and then began to run them down the entire length of the castle until we reached the ground, and then after slipping them through a specially-drilled hole, we slipped them down to the basement, where Rick, Frank and Evan attached them to the radio's main control station. Less than an hour after this, the radio setup was FINALLY complete, and then the main testing could begin.

From start to finish, the entire construction of the radio took almost a month. Finally, on April 8th, 2025, we were FINALLY ready to test everything, and if the tests were successful, the radio would then be turned on to full power, and a signal would be sent from the Crystal Empire, through the Space-Time Barrier/across the Multiverse, and on to Wright-Patterson AFB just outside of Dayton, Ohio.

As we were all gathered in the middle of the room, I looked around at the rest of my 5 Marine buddies, their marefriends, Gilda, Shining, Cadence, and Twilight, as well as a few other technicians. I then looked over all of the radio equipment.

"Alright, let's check everything. We can't let anything slip through the cracks, or it's all gonna fail, so let's get this right!"

"Got that right Bro!" Shining agreed. He then ordered the technicians to start checking over everything, while Twilight and Evan checked the work behind them.

Meanwhile, I was sitting at the main control table with Gilda, and we'd turned on the controls just enough to begin to receive static. I was beginning to input the frequency that was used by Wright-Patterson AFB, while Gilda was watching what I was doing.

"So, what are you trying to do Babe?"

"I'm just trying to input the frequency that WPAFB uses. I won't know for sure if I've gotten it until we've turned everything on for real, but I'm just setting it up for now." I then continued to move the knobs, dials, and various switches, as well as push a few buttons. "There. That's all I can do until we give the rest of the radio equipment full power. That's when we'll know for sure if I'm right."

I then looked behind me. "How's it looking back there Twilight?"

"Eh, it should only be another hour or so Ben."

I nodded, but yet cocked my head a bit. I'd been called "Scar" for so long that it always felt weird for me to be called by my real first name.

Eventually though, it was time to turn everything on. "Everything looks ok Princess Twilight." One of the technicians reported. "Everything seems to be sound, and you can now begin the startup procedure."

Twilight nodded. "Excellent." She then looked at the others in the room. Each of the 5 Marines and their marefriends were close to one of the 5 out of 6 main sections of radio equipment to monitor them, while Shining and Cadence monitored the 6th. Gilda and I were at the main control table, and the technicians were on standby just in case anything went wrong.

"Ok, is everypony ready?"

"We're ready Twily!"

"Amethyst and I are ready!"

"Derpy and I are ready!"

Night Glider and I are ready!"

"Frank and I are ready!"

Frank gave Lyra a look, as HE wanted to sound off, but he just shook his head.

"Jake and I are ready!" Roseluck added.

"And Gilda and I are ready too." I finished.

Twilight nodded. "Ok then, begin powering-up procedures. Shining, you and Cadence go first." Shining then began to turn his section on.

"Holding steady so far Twily!"

"Rick, now you and Amethyst!" Rick then began to do so.

"Holding steady."

"Jon and Derpy, your turn."

"Right!" Jon then began to flip the switches.

"Holding steady Princess Twilight!"

"Frank, Lyra, your turn."

"Ok, on it!" They both began to flip the switches.

"Evan, Night Glider, go!"

"On it Princess Twilight!" Night Glider chirped.

"Ok, good. And lastly, Jake and Roseluck!"

"On it!" They then flipped the switches, and now the ENTIRE set of radio equipment was powered up, and sending their signals to the main control station. So far, everything was holding steady.

"Ok, Ben, Gilda, it's all on you. Turn the main control station on fully!"

"Roger that Twilight!" Gilda then helped me flip everything on.

Then, with a great humming, and a few flashes of orange, yellow, and amber lights behind the control gauges, as well as some beeping, and sounds of static, the entire radio came to life! We were all about to start cheering, but then something went wrong.

"Oh shit! Twilight! We've got a fire over here!" Evan reported.

"What?! A FIRE?!" She turned around just in time to see Evan using a fire extinguisher on his section of radio equipment. Something inside of it had caught fire, and had been burning. She then looked at the rest of us. "TURN EVERYTHING OFF!!!!!"

"RIGHT!!!!" We all agreed in unison. We all then shut everything down, while Twilight and a few of the technicians came over to help Evan fully put out the fire.

Once it was out, the section was examined, and it was found that a few wires had gotten crossed. At lower power, nothing was wrong, but at full power, a small short quickly became a full-blown electrical fire! Luckily, Evan's quick actions saved the section, and maybe 2 hours later, once the proper repairs had been made, it was time to try again.

This time, there was no sparks, or electrical fires. Once full-power had been achieved, I once again flipped on the main control station. Then, after waiting a few minutes, all stations reported that everything was holding steady.

"Ok, here's goes nothing." I then picked up a headset, and put it on. (It came from 4449, so it fit over my Human ears just fine!) I then reached forwards, and after pulling the radio microphone a bit closer to me, I turned it on. Then, after checking everything one last time, with help from Gilda, I finished inputting the frequency for Wright-Patterson AFB, and once everything was ready, I began to broadcast the signal.

"Attention, attention. This is Captain Ben Anderson, of US Marine Battalion Hearthstone! I'm attempting to contact General Stan Anderson of Wright Patterson AFB. Does anyone copy? Over." There was only static for the time being, but it was quiet static, meaning that my messages were indeed going somewhere. I kept repeating my request, hoping desperately for a reply.

Meanwhile, across the vastness of the Multiverse, back on Planet Earth, within the United States, outside of Dayton, Ohio, Wright-Patterson AFB was standing tall and proud. Planes were still taking off and landing, various aircraft experiments were being done, and presumably, the Government was still experimenting with Alien spacecraft too! All was quiet at the base, just like it always was. Suddenly however, the base's communications center began to pick up a strange signal.

"Um, Sir?" The on-duty technician who picked up the signal alerted his superior.

His superior, Lt. Charles Lassen, looked over. "What'cha got Ensign?"

"I'm picking up a strange signal Sir."

Lassen came over. "What kind of a signal?"

"It's.....almost like an old radio signal. It's coming over on one of the old frequencies, and it keeps repeating itself."

"And......what is it? Is it in code?"

"No Sir, it's very faint......but.....it almost sounds like a voice!"

"What?" Lassen then picked up a headset. He then began to listen to what the ensign, Mike Henderson, was listening to. Sure enough, there did seem to be a voice talking, but he wasn't able to make out what it was saying. "Ensign, is there any way to amplify this? We need to see what this voice is saying."

Henderson nodded. "I'll try Sir." He then began to try and boost the incoming signal.

"Anything?"

"Not yet Sir. I'll try to........" Suddenly though, from over the radio, a voice came through crystal clear!

"Attention, attention. This is Captain Ben Anderson, of US Marine Battalion Hearthstone! I'm attempting to contact General Stan Anderson of Wright Patterson AFB. Does anyone copy? Over." Maybe 10 seconds later, the voice repeated itself. "Attention, attention. This is Captain Ben Anderson, of US Marine Battalion Hearthstone! I'm attempting to contact General Stan Anderson of Wright Patterson AFB. Does anyone copy? Over."

Both Lassen and Henderson looked at each other. Neither of them could tell where the signal was coming from, but Henderson decided to reply.

"Unknown transmitter, unknown transmitter, this is Ensign Michael Henderson, at Wright-Patterson AFB. I have picked up your transmission. Please acknowledge, over."

There was a pause. Then, the voice spoke again. "Wait. Ensign Michael Henderson, of Wright-Patterson AFB?! I acknowledge, over!"

"Yes, this is Ensign Michael Henderson. Please identify yourself, over."

"This is Captain Ben Anderson, of US Marine Battalion Hearthstone! I HAVE to reach General Stan Anderson! Can you patch me through?"

Lassen then spoke up. "Listen whoever this is, I don't care who you THINK that you are, but if you were legit, you would NOT be contacting us over some obsolete radio frequency! If you do not properly identify yourself, further communications will be blocked, and you WILL be reported to the authorities!"

"I already told you! I'm Captain Ben Anderson of US Marine Battalion Hearthstone! AKA Wolf Pack Battalion! I HAVE to reach General Stan Anderson!"

"There's no such thing as 'Wolf Pack Battalion'! It's just a myth! I'm done with this bullshit, and am blocking you."

"BY THE LIGHT OF THE CRYSTAL DAWN!!!!" The voice suddenly screamed.

"That means nothing. See you in Federal Prison!" He then made the move to block the frequency.

However, a nearby major, Major Fred Bannister, heard what the voice over the radio had just screamed. He looked over at Lassen. "What did that voice just say Lassen? What's going on over there?"

"Nothing Sir. It's just some punk trying to masquerade as a US Marine Captain over an obsolete radio frequency. I'm about to block him, and alert the FBI."

Bannister walked over. "Hold on just a second Lassen." He then picked up a headset too. "Unknown contact, this is Major Fred Bannister at Wright-Patterson AFB, please repeat your last phrase, over."

"By the light of the Crystal Dawn!" The voice repeated.

The Major's face then became serious. He then asked a VERY serious question. "At what point does the sun shine darkest?"

After a moment of silence, the voice spoke again. "It shines darkest in the blue desert at dawn!"

"*Unknown contact, please identify yourself, over!*" The Major asked in Wolf-Speak, which was the wolf-language used by all of Wolf-Pack Battalion. (For he was once one of us, before he retired, and joined the Air Force).

"*Major, this is Captain Ben Anderson of Wolf Pack Battalion, serial number 04014! You HAVE to get me in contact with General Stan Anderson!*"

Bannister then looked over at Lassen with a mixture of shock and fear. "Lassen, patch this guy over to the General, ASAP!!!! He is indeed who he claims that he is, and must speak to General Anderson immediately!"

Lassen and Henderson were shocked. "But Sir..........what?!"

"Who is he Sir? And what did you ask him? What was that language? Aand what did he say back?"

The Major narrowed his eyes. "Lieutenant, the answers to those questions are FAR above your pay-grade! All you need to know is that you have 30 seconds to patch Captain Anderson of US Marine Battalion Hearthstone over to General Stan Anderson, or you WILL be court-marshaled! DO you understand Lieutenant Lassen?! And the same goes for you too Ensign Henderson!"

Both of them saluted. "Sir, yes Sir!"

"On it now Sir!" Both of them then patched my radio transmission over to the office of General Stan Anderson, the man in charge of Wright-Patterson AFB.

When my radio call received a reply, all of us in the basement radio room were BESIDE OURSELVES!!!!! We had just completed the very first inter-dimensional radio transmission in Equus's history! Unfortunately however, things began to go wrong. It soon became clear to the others that whoever I was talking too wasn't buying my story.

I looked over my shoulder. "They're not buying it guys! They said that I'm a fraud, and that if I really WAS a US Marine officer, then I would have contacted them over the proper channels!"

"Blast!" I heard the others curse.

"Oh no!"

"What?" Rick asked.

"Lt. Lassen just said that if I don't properly identify myself, the frequency will be blocked, and I WILL be reported to the federal authorities!"

The others were shocked, angry, and deeply saddened, all at once!

"NO!!!!" Frank yelled.

"THEY CAN'T DO THAT!!!!" Jon added.

I tried one last time to tell them who I really was. Alas, I still wasn't believed. "HE'S GONNA BLOCK THE FREQUENCY!!!!"

Rick then had an idea. "SCAR!!!! GIVE HIM THE CODE PHRASE!!!!!"

"RIGHT!!!! BY THE LIGHT OF THE CRYSTAL DAWN!!!!" I then screamed into the radio's microphone. I then waited for a moment.

"Did he buy it?" Evan asked nervously.

"NO!!! HE'S STILL BLOCKING US!!!! WAIT!!!!!"

"What?" Gilda asked.

"I just heard another voice. Another officer's telling Lassen not to block me! Hold on." I then went silent for a moment.

The others were all holding their breath, praying by ALL that they held dear that whoever I was speaking to would give me a chance to prove who I really was.

"It shines darkest in the blue desert at dawn!" I suddenly almost yelled.

"What does that mean?" Derpy asked Jon.

"That's one of our code-phrases that we used to use in Wolf Pack. It's how we identified ourselves to our superiors. If Scar just said that, then that means an ex-Wolf Pack officer just asked him 'At which point does the sun shine darkest?' to which he replied, 'It shines darkest in the blue desert at dawn'."

The others in the room then heard me say something in Wolf-Speak, before jumping up out of my seat! "YES!!!! YES!!!! YES!!!!!"

"What's going on Scar?" Evan asked.

"The guy I was just talking to was Major Fred Bannister! He was a former Wolf Pack Battalion officer! HE'S PATCHING US THROUGH TO MY DAD!!!!"

When the others heard that, they were ALL celebrating. There was screaming, shouting, cheering, hugging, kissing, whistling, and all manor of other celebratory noises! Thankfully, Twilight was able to use a soundproofing spell, so no one outside of our basement radio room heard us!

I then turned back to the radio, and waited to hear what would happen when my Dad picked up.

Meanwhile, inside of his office at Wright-Patterson, 52 year old Brigadier General Stanley "Stan" Anderson was a tired man. At one time, he had a loving wife, a proud father, and a happy son, but he lost them all. His wife Maggie died in a car accident when his son was only 7, and 12 years later, his father Thomas also passed away at age 99. Then, a little more than 2 years earlier, his son Ben had vanished without a trace while driving 4449. The whole train, and 5 other crew had gone missing, and hadn't been heard from since. No traces of anything had ever been found, and it was as if the whole train and those on it had simply vanished from existence.

Stan was EXTREMELY upset when his son went missing, and he cried for a long time. Every day since, he kept PRAYING that his son would turn up, but he still remained missing. However, on that day, April 8th, 2025, that was all about to change.

Suddenly, the intercom on his desk buzzed. "General Anderson?"

"Yes?"

"This is Major Fred Bannister in Communications. I've got a radio transmission coming to you now that you HAVE to hear! It's PRIORITY LEVEL 1!!!!"

Stan was surprised. In all of his time with the Air Force, he'd almost NEVER gotten a transmission that was Priority Level 1.

"What's going on Major?"

"It's nothing serious Major, except to you personally."

Still confused, Stan ordered the transmission patched through to his office. A few moments later, the radio in his office came to life.

"Hello? I'm calling for General Stan Anderson!"

Stan picked up the microphone on his end. "This is General Stan Anderson, go ahead."

There was a slight pause on the other end. "Um.....D-Dad........It's me. It's Ben. I.........I'm ok. We're ALL ok!"

When Stan heard that voice, the voice of his SON, the son who had been missing for just over 2 years without a trace, he almost had a heart attack! "B-B-BEN?! Son?! IS THAT REALLY YOU?!?!"

"Yes! It's me Dad! I'm right here! I'm fine! I'm fine, and so are Rick, Evan, Frank, Jon and Jake, not to mention SP Daylight 4449! We're ALL ok!"

"And........just for verification purposes, what tattoos do we both have on our left arms, and who's it for?"

"Dad, we both have a pair of golden wings, and they're to remind us of Mom. Underneath my wings, it says, 'In Loving Memory, I Miss You Mom', and under your's, it says, 'In Loving Memory, I Miss You Maggie'. And if that's not enough for you, I also have the American flag on my chest with the words, "Never Forgotten" below it in honor of Grandpa Thomas!"

There was silence for a moment. Finally, Stand said, "Ben! It REALLY IS YOU!!!!! My Boy! You're not dead!"

"No! I'm alive and well! And so are the others, and our train!"

"Where are you right now?! Tell me EVERYTHING that's happened in the past 2 years! Spare NO details! PLEASE, I HAVE TO KNOW!!!!"

"Ok, here goes Dad." I then explained everything. From the lightning creating the portal on top of Sherman Hill, to our arrival in the Crystal Empire, and by default Equestria, to our creation of the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, to the Zebras coming, our suspicions of them, things getting worse, Gill's death, the Night of Fear, our survival, our finding the Appaloosa Resistance, the liberation of the Smoky Mountains Quarantine Camp, the Battle in the Crystal Empire, the liberation of the rest of Equestria, the total annihilation of the Zebras, the war's aftermath, the celebrations, and of course, our FINALLY succeeding in building the radio to communicate back to Earth. And of course, I told my Dad all about Gilda, though I neglected to mention that she was pregnant.

When I finally finished my explanation nearly an hour later, for the longest time, there was only silence from my Dad's end.

"Um.....Dad? You still there?"

Finally, he said something. "........You mean to tell me that not only did the 6 wind up in another world, but you started your own freight company, all of you helped save Equestria from the Zebras, and you also found a girlfriend, and she's a GRIFFON?!"

"Yeah, that's the gist of it Dad! It's been a REALLY busy past 2 years!"

I then heard my dad chuckle a bit. "THAT'S my Boy!"

I then laughed a bit. "Thanks Dad! Oh, and do you want to talk to Gilda? She's right here with me."

"Yes, and then I want to talk to the other 5 who are with you. I HAVE to know how to contact their families right away! They're no doubt sick to death with worry just like I was, and once I know where to find them, I'll summon them all to Wright-Patterson so that they can talk to them!"

"Ok sounds like a plan to me Dad!" I then handed off the mic and headset to Gilda.

"Hello, this is Gilda."

"Miss Gilda, this is General Stan Anderson. I'm Ben's dad."

"Wow, it's nice to finally be able to meet you Sir. And I must tell you, your son is AMAZING! He's been the BEST boyfriend I could have EVER hoped for, and he's SO good to me! He protected me all throughout the Last Zebra War, and he's promised to love and take care of me for the rest of my life!"

"Well, that DEFINITELY sounds like my Son alright! And I still can't believe that I'm talking to a Griffon right now! Here on Earth, you're nothing more than beasts of legend!"

Gilda smirked a bit. "Just as I can't believe that I'm talking to the dad of my boyfriend!"

My Dad and Gilda talked for a little while longer, before my Dad then talked to Rick, Jake, Frank, Evan and Jon, and from them learned where each of their families lived. He then agreed to contact each of their families, and summon them immediately to Wright-Patterson on the Air Force's dollar so that they could talk to their sons/brothers/grandsons/other male family members. He then told us that he was going to call back once he'd contacted the families, and I said that we would be waiting. The transmission then ceased for the time being, and we were all still so shocked that our plan to contact my Dad had worked!

With the information given to him by Rick, Evan, Jake, Frank and Jon, he contacted their families in Corpus Christi, Texas, Buffalo, New York, Tuscon, Arizona, Helena, Montana, and Clifton Forge, Virginia.

One can only imagine the shock of the families when they realized that an officer from the Air Force was trying to contact them. Some picked up, while others let the call go to voicemail. However, those who did that learned that the officer identified himself as General Stan Anderson, the father of Ben Anderson, a coworker to their missing male family member. He said that he had new information regarding them, and THEN they called General Anderson back!

Rick's dad Chester was one of the ones who picked up the first time. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this the family of Rick Dennis?"

"Yes, this is his father Chester. Who am I speaking to?"

"My name is General Stan Anderson, US Air Force. My son Ben served with Rick onboard SP Daylight 4449. I have new information regarding your son."

".......Which is.....?"

"Your son Rick is still alive! I just heard from him through my son Ben! They're alive, as are the others!"

"WHAT?!?!?!" Chester screamed, drawing the attention of Rick's younger brother Garrett. "Yes! We're on our way to Wright-Patterson right now!" He then hung up the phone.

"What is it Dad?" Garret asked.

"We HAVE to go to Wright-Patterson AFB immediately! Call Jimmy, and tell him to meet us at the airport!"

"What? Why?"

"THEY FOUND RICK!!!!! HE'S STILL ALIVE!!!!"

"WHAT?!?!?!"

"YES!!!"

Garrett then called Jimmy, who agreed to meet them at the airport.

When my Dad called Evan's house in Buffalo, New York, there was no answer the first time. However, a little while later, Evan's big brother called back. When he heard the news about Evan, he IMMEDIATELY called his mother at her quilting club!

"Mom! The Air Force just found Evan! He's alive and well!"

"WHAT?!?!?! EVAN'S ALIVE?!?!?!"

"YES!!!! General Stan Anderson at Wright-Patterson AFB said that he has Evan on the radio there!"

Lillian did ask why Evan was at Wright-Patterson, and Hank then explained a bit more about what my Dad had told him about us being transported to another dimension. When she heard that, her mind was made up. "Hank, pack for us for the next 3 days! I'm coming home, and then we're going to the airport to catch the next flight to Dayton!"

"Right away Mom!" He then went to go pack.

Down in Tuscon, my Dad was able to get through to Jake's dad Martin at the Boneyard. When he heard about Jake, he IMMEDIATELY called his wife at home, and she in turn called Betty and Jake's Grandpa Jeremiah.

"WHAT?!?!?! THEY FOUND JAKE?!?!?!"

"Yes! Your Dad just got off the phone with General Stan Anderson at Wright-Patterson AFB! He said that his son Ben contacted him, and that he, Jake and the others were launched into another dimension! They've got them on the radio at Wright-Patterson, which is where we HAVE to go now!"

"Right!!!" Betty then began to pack, while Debbie packed for herself and Jeremiah. Martin handled his own packing, and they were all soon on their way to Dayton on an Air Force plane.

In Helena, Montana, the phone rang, but eventually, Frank's grandpa Dakota picked up. "Hello? Who am I speaking too?"

When he heard what my Dad had to say, Dakota almost dropped the phone! "W.....w-what?! FRANK'S ALIVE?!?!?!"

"Yes Sir, he is! He's alive and well, and he's eagerly waiting to talk to you, and his little brother Joel!"

"Right! Let me just go grab Joel, and we're on our way!" He then hung up the phone, and after packing for himself and Joel, he drove immediately to where Joel was having high school baseball practice. He got there just in time for practice to end, and once it was, he ran up to Joel.

"Joel!"

"Grandpa! You made it just in time to pick me up!"

"Never mind that Joel! They found him! THE AIR FORCE JUST FOUND FRANK!!!! HE'S ALIVE!!!!!"

When Joel heard that, he dropped his bag with all of his baseball gear in it! "WHAT?! THEY FOUND FRANK?!?!"

"YES!!!! He got blasted into some other dimension with the rest of his crew and the Daylight, but he's alive and waiting to talk to us via radio!"

Once Joel had gotten over himself, he jumped into his Grandpa's truck, and the 2 of them raced for the airport in Helena.

Finally, in Clifton Forge, Virginia, my Dad's call reached Jon's house. No one answered the first time, until Jon's mom Lindsey saw the answering machine light flash. She then pushed the button, and my Dad's voice was heard. When Lindsey heard that, she immediately called back, and when she heard what my Dad told her about Jon, to say that she was beside herself was an understatement! She then called Peyton and Bertha at their college, and she told them to contact their grandparents, while she called Jon's dad Brad.

"JON'S STILL ALIVE?!?!?!"

"Yes, the Air Force found him Brad! According to General Stan Anderson, the dad of Jon's coworker Ben Anderson, SP Daylight 4449 and her crew were blasted into another dimension, but they've managed to contact Wright-Patterson AFB! WE HAVE TO GO THERE NOW!!!!"

"Right!" Brad then left work early, and Peyton and Bertha left school early to pick up Grandpa Ethan and Grandma Muriel. Once they were all together, they all drove to the nearest airport, and took off for Dayton.

The next day, April 9th, all of the families were met at the airport in Dayton by Air Force officials, and were being taken by car to Wright-Patterson, where they were going to meet my Dad, and then finally get to talk to their missing family member.

As they were driving out to Wright-Patterson, the families got to know each other a bit better. Yes, they had met before one time soon after they learned that Rick, Jake, Frank, Evan, Jon and I were missing, and they had kept in contact a bit since then, but it had been a while since they'd last contacted each other. None of them knew what to expect when they arrived at the base, but they knew that they were soon going to get to talk to their missing family member again.

When they arrived, security waved them through the main gate, and when the small convoy of vehicles arrived at the main base, the families got out of the vehicles, and were ushered inside. Once inside, they were subjected to a bit more rigorous security, but of course, they were clean, and once the security officials were satisfied, the 17 family members were led to a communications room.

Once they arrived, and the door was locked behind them, they saw that the only other person in the room was an Air Force officer with dark hair, brown eyes, and wearing a blue officer's uniform, with the insignia of a Brigadier General. They quickly realized that he must be General Stan Anderson.

"Greetings, family members of Rick, Evan, Jake Frank, and Jon. It's such an honor to FINALLY be able to see all of you again! No doubt you all got my calls, and came at once. Yes, I told you that you were all going to be able to talk to your missing family member, and today you're going to get to do that, and one better. Last night they were able to rig up a video screen, so now you'll all be able to see them, in addition to talk to them!"

"And where are they now?" Rick's dad Chester asked.

"They're on the line now, waiting for the signal to turn on the video screen on this end. The call is over the radio, but we've been able to convert it more or less into a Skype call on this end. Now then, if all of you could kindly take your seats that have been provided, we can get this show on the road!"

The families all did so, and took their seats in front of a video screen on a far wall. Stan then sat at a console, and put on a headset.

"Can you hear me Ben?"

"Yep, I can hear you Dad. Are all of the families here yet?"

"Yep, they're all here, and waiting anxiously. Is everything good on your end?"

"It looks like it. The radio is still working fine, and the video screen looks good too. How's everything on your end?"

"Everything's fine here. Are you ready to turn the screen on?"

"Roger that! Can we turn it on now?"

"Yes. You can turn it on now, and add the audio."

"Ok, here goes nothing!" Suddenly, the screen in front of the families began to turn on. At first, it was only black, but then a hand removed what looked like a lens-cap, and the figure of a male appeared. He had brown hair and blue eyes, and was dressed in the standard field uniform of a US Marine. Behind him the families could see a lot of radio equipment, as well as a few other figures milling about.

"Ok, can you all see and hear me?"

"Yep, we can see you and hear you Ben!"

"Ok good!" I then looked out at the families. "Hi everyone!"

"Hello Captain Anderson!"

"And no doubt you've all came to see your family members, so let's get right down to that. You're up first Rick!" I then stepped back, and Rick took my place.

When he stepped up, Chester, Garrett, and Jimmy all got up, and came up close to the screen. Rick looked almost the same as he had before, though he had a few more scars, his brown, graying hair was a bit grayer still, but his brown eyes were still the same. However, to his family's surprise, they saw that Rick had 2 gray wolf ears on top of his head, as well as a gray horn smack dab in the middle of his forehead!

At this same time, Rick was also looking at his family. His Dad Chester had white hair with blue eyes, Jimmy had brown hair with graying streaks and blue eyes, and Garrett had black hair and blue eyes.

Chester spoke first. "Rick! My Son, you're still alive!"

"Yeah, I'm ok Dad! I mean, we all got sent to another dimension, not to mention having to fight a MAJOR war, but I'm ok!"

"What's on your forehead Rick?" Jimmy asked. "And are those wolf ears?

"Well Jimmy, you're probably NOT going to believe this, but thanks to the portal that sent us to Equestria, I got wolf ears and a wolf's tail, as well as the horn of a Unicorn! I can use Magic to pick things up!"

"Really Rick?" Garrett asked.

Rick then used his Magic to pick up a coffee mug that was sitting on the control table. "See? Nothing too it! But enough about me, I'm just SO HAPPY to see you guys again!"

"So are we Rick." Chester told him. "It's been a LONG 2 years without you!"

Rick then remembered something. "Oh, and Dad, Jimmy, Garrett, there's someone else that I want you to meet." Rick then pulled Amethyst close to him. "This is is Amethyst, she's my girlfriend." His family saw a Crystal Pony with light turquoise fur, amber colored eyes, and a curly pink mane and tail. She was also wearing a nurse's uniform.

Amethyst looked up at the screen. "So great to FINALLY be able to see all of you! You're exactly as Rick described you!"

"Nice to meet you too Amethyst." (All of the families had been briefed by Stan over the phone on what they should expect. Stan told them that Equestria was inhabited by bipedal, equine-like beings called Ponies, and to not be too surprised to see one!)

Once they were done talking, (during which Rick explained the Last Zebra War, much to his family's shock!) Rick looked behind him. "You're next Evan!"

"Right!" He then stepped up to the table, while his mom and older brother stepped up on their end. Evan looked at them. His mom Lillian had short blonde hair and green eyes, while his brother Hank had blonde hair and brown eyes. Evan himself meanwhile was wearing his Marine field uniform, and he looked almost unchanged with his blonde hair and blue eyes, though like Rick, he too had 2 gray wolf ears.

"Mom! Hank!"

"Evan! You're ok!"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine Mom. Despite everything that's happened, I'm ok!"

"You look the same Little Bro, aside from the wolf ears. You don't have a horn like Rick does!"

Evan shook his head. "Not quite Hank. I might LOOK the same, but I'm what they call a 'Human-Earth Pony', which means that I have super-Human strength! I can pick up VERY heavy objects, and move them like they weigh nothing! And I would show you, but alas, there's nothing heavy in this room that I can pick up safely!"

"Well, in any case, it's just nice to know that you're ok! Oh, and do you have a girlfriend like Rick?"

Evan nodded. "Well, we call them 'marefriends' around here, but yes, I do!" At this moment, a bluish-blur raced up next to him. Hank and Lillian saw that she was a mare with dark blue fur, blue eyes, a white mane and tail, and was wearing sweatpants, and a workout shirt.

She waved to them. "Hello, my name is Night Glider. It's nice to meet you Hank and Lillian."

Lillian nodded. "Yes, and it's nice to meet you too Night Glider. Have you and Evan been together long?"

"Well, we've been together for about 2 years now. He kept me safe all during the Last Zebra War, and I'm hoping that we can get married soon."

"Well, you seem like a nice mare, and it would be an honor to have you as a Daughter in Law!"

Night Glider giggled a bit, and then she and Evan talked with Lillian and Hank for a while longer.

Eventually, Evan looked behind him. "Jake, Roseluck, your turn!" He and Night Glider then stepped back, and they stepped up, as did the rest of Jake's family.

Jake then looked over his family. His dad Martin had brown hair with small hints of white and brown eyes, while his mom Debbie had blonde hair with small hints of white and blue eyes, his grandpa Jeremiah had pure white hair and green eyes, and his older sister Betty had thick curly brown hair and blue eyes.

When his family saw Jake though, he seemed normal enough. He still had light brown hair, as well as one green eye, and one brown eye, and was wearing his Marine field uniform, but to his family's shock, he too had 2 gray wolf ears and a wolf tail, AND he had 2 black feathery WINGS on his back! Standing next to him was a mare with tan fur, green eyes, and a pink and red mane and tail. She was also wearing a green dress.

"Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Sis!"

"Jake! And you have wolf parts, wings, and a marefriend!"

Jake laughed a bit. "Yeah, that's the gist of it Mom! I have a wolf tail, wolf ears, black feathery wings that I can fly with", He then took flight, and hovered a bit to prove his point, "And this is Roseluck!" He placed a hand on Roseluck's shoulder. "We've been together for about 2 years now."

Debbie and Betty looked at Roseluck. "Well, it's nice to meet you Miss Roseluck."

"Likewise Mrs. Blythe."

"And what's this I heard 'bout some war you fought Jake?" his Grandpa asked.

Jake then explained the Last Zebra War in a nutshell.

Grandpa Jeremiah smirked. "Heh, THAT'S my Grandson! I would have done the same thing!"

"Yeah, I know that you would have Grandpa!" Jake then turned to his Dad. "And how are things at the Boneyard Dad?"

"Just like they always are Jake. Planes to preserve, planes to gut, parts to ship off somewhere, planes to restore, planes to sell, and of course, planes to wholly scrap. It's just the usual out at Davis-Monthan!"

Jake laughed a bit, and then he and his family got to talk for a while longer, and his family got to know Roseluck a lot better too.

Eventually though, Jake remembered that Frank and Jon were still waiting to see their families, so he knew that he had to cut the chat short. He said goodbye to his family, they said goodbye to him and Roseluck, and then Jake looked behind him. "Come on Frank! Joel and your Grandpa Dakota are waiting!"

"Coming Jake!" Frank then walked up, as did Joel, and Grandpa Dakota.

When they saw him, both of them looked Frank over. His brownish-red hair and green eyes were the same, as was his Marine field uniform, though he too had the wolf ears and tail, though he seemed to lack wings or a horn. Frank meanwhile saw that Grandpa Dakota was still bald and had green eyes, and that Joel still had his short thick brown hair and green eyes.

Dakota spoke first. "You've done me proud once again Frank my Boy! You did your part to help save the world from a foreign invader!"

Frank saluted. "I just did what I had to do Grandpa. Those Zebras wanted to invade and conquer Equestria, and the boys and I weren't gonna let them! We just did what we had to do, what ANY US Marine would have done!"

"I like your wolf ears Frank!" Joel told him. "They look kinda cool! But you don't have wings or a horn?"

Frank shook his head. "Nope, sorry Joel. But before I tell you what I DO have, how's baseball been?"

"Oh, it's been great! A bit sad since you weren't there like you sometimes were, but we still won quite a few games!"

"That's good to hear Joel. And like Evan, I've got super-Human strength! I can pick things up..........like my marefriend Lyra over here!" Frank then ducked off camera for a moment, and when he came back, he was holding a mint-green Unicorn mare with yellow eyes, and a whitish-light blue mane and tail. She was wearing jean-shorts, and a yellow shirt. She hugged Frank happily.

"Hello Joel, hello Grandpa Dakota! As Frank just said, my name is Lyra, and I'm his marefriend! We've been together for about 2 years now!"

Joel looked at her in surprise. "Whoa! You're a Unicorn!"

"Yep, I sure am! And you look just as nice as Frank described you as Joel!"

The 4 of them continued to talk for a little while longer.

Finally though, it was down to just Jon. Frank looked behind him. "It's down to you Jon! Bring it home with Derpy!"

"You got it Frank!" Jon then walked up to the screen to see his family, with Derpy right behind him.

Like all of his other comrades, his family saw that Jon also had the wolf ears and a tail, as well as his Marine field uniform, and his usual auburn hair and blue eyes, but to their surprise, like Rick, Jon also had a gray horn on his forehead! Jon also looked his family over. His dad Brad had blonde hair and blue eyes, his mom Lindsey had long curly auburn red hair and green eyes, his grandpa Ethan had thin white hair and green eyes, his grandma Muriel had thin curly white hair and brown eyes, and of course, his younger brother and sister were identical twins. Peyton had curly blonde hair and green eyes, while Bertha had wild, short blonde hair and green eyes

Jon spoke first. "Well, it's nice to know that you all still look the same 2 years later! I wish that I could say the same for me!"

"Eh, you don't look THAT different Bro." Peyton told him.

"Yeah!" Bertha added. "You still look like the same old big brother who left to join the Marines, and then came back to join 4449's crew."

"Well, that's nice to know." He then looked at his Grandpa and Grandma. "And both of you still look great too. How have you been Grandpa and Grandma?"

"Well, we've been doin' as well as we older folks can!" Muriel told him.

"Yeah. And did ya kick those Zebra's asses? I'll bet that you REALLY made 'em cry, didn't ya?"

Jon laughed. "Yep, we sure did Grandpa! We made them wish that they'd NEVER messed with Equestria while it was under our watch!"

Jon then turned to his mom and dad. "And how's everything been back in Clifton Forge? C&O 614 still on display, or did they FINALLY find someone who was willing to restore her?"

Brad spoke first. "Nope, 614 is still on display. No restoration yet."

"Darn it."

"And everything has been ok back home. We've REALLY missed you though Jon. It hasn't been easy since you went missing, and we all prayed each and every day that you would come home to us safely."

"I'll bet that you guys did. I prayed every day that I would get to see you all again too. I guess that all of our prayers have FINALLY been answered!"

"Yes, yes they have!"

Lindsey then noticed who was standing next to Jon. She saw that she was a mare with gray fur, a blonde mane and tail, and yellow eyes. She was wearing a white tank top, and blue shorts.

"And is this your marefriend Jon?"

Jon nodded. "Oh yes. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Peyton and Bertha, I'd like you to meet Derpy. She's the mare I kept safe during the Last Zebra War!"

Derpy blushed a lot. "H-hi! It's so......so nice to finally be able to meet all of you. Jon's talked SO much about you, and you all sounded so nice!"

"Aww, she's so cute Jon!" Bertha cooed.

"Sis!" Jon groaned.

"What? She's right Jon." Lindsey agreed. "Derpy is really cute!"

"You treat that girl right or I'll tan your hide Boy!" Muriel suddenly yelled.

"Don't worry Grandma, I WILL!!!"

"Good. She's too good of a girl to lose!"

All of them continued talking for a while longer. Derpy was SO glad that she got to meet Jon's family, just as Jon was glad to see his family again, and they were glad to get to meet him and Derpy.

Once they were all done, I then sat back down at the control table. "Well, I guess that that's it."

"No, no it's not Ben." My Dad informed me, "I haven't gotten to see you and Gilda yet!"

"Oh, right." Suddenly though, from my right, Gilda came rolling in on an office chair. She was wearing her favorite gray tank top, as well as ripped jean shorts. (Her tank top was too big on purpose, so as to be better able to hide her pregnancy better. We both agreed to just surprise my Dad once our baby was born).

"Hello!" Gilda chirped once she was at my side.

I then stood up. I too was wearing my Marine field uniform, and my brown hair and blue eyes looked the same, though like Jake, I too had black feathery wings, and gray wolf ears and a tail. I saw that my dad was wearing his usual blue Air Force officer's uniform, and that his brown hair was still whitening. His brown eyes still looked the same though.

"It's SO good to see you again Dad, as well as hear you."

"Yeah, I know Ben. You still look pretty good, all things considered!"

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I feel about the same, but still a bit tired after the Last Zebra War. I'm sure that you understand."

My Dad laughed a bit. "Yeah, I do!" He then looked at Gilda. "And you must be Gilda."

She nodded. "Yep. Gilda the Griffon. Girlfriend to your son Ben, and the love of his life, and I right?" She turned to me.

"Absolutely Babe!"

She then kissed me on the nose to the best of her ability. "And it's nice to finally be able to meet the man who fathered such an amazing son. Scar.......eh, Ben.....told me all about you, and how much of an amazing dad that you were."

Stan nodded. "Yes, I'm sure that he did. It's not every day that one is a general in the Air Force, and has a son who was a captain in the Marines, who then retired to help operate 4449, and then got whisked away to another dimension, and had to help fight a war there, but I'm SO proud of my son!" He then looked at me. "Just as I know that your mom Maggie and your Grandpa Thomas are looking down from Heaven, and couldn't be prouder either!"

"Yeah, I know Dad." I then had a sudden thought. "Oh, and speaking of 4449, did you contact the Southern Pacific Railroad? I'm sure that they're PISSED about 4449 going missing!"

"Oh yes, they FLIPPED when you guys went missing! Losing 4449 was a MASSIVE public relations nightmare for them, ESPECIALLY considering how the Santa Fe Railroad is trying to restore a steam engine of their own."

"They are?"

"Yeah. They reacquired Santa Fe 5000, aka Madam Queen, the famous 2-10-4 Texas-Type almost 3 years ago back in 2022, and are almost done restoring her to operating condition. It's been a HUGE blow for the SP to lose 4449, ESPECIALLY in the way that they did!"

"Yeah, I can imagine! Too bad we don't have a portal of our own. That way you could come see us, we could come see you, and the SP Railroad could maybe get 4449 back, and end this public relations nightmare!"

My Dad then thought about what I had just said. "Ben..........that's.......that's actually a REALLY great idea! Sure, it might seem a little bit far-fetched, but if you guys were able to build radio equipment that was capable of reaching us, how hard would it be to build an actual portal? Is that even a feasible idea?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I'd have to ask Twilight, the little sister of my best friend Shining Armor. She'd know a LOT more about that than me!" I then went to ask Shining to send a letter to Twilight. Maybe 5 minutes later, a reply came.

"Well, Twilight said that it MIGHT be possible, but it would take up to another year to research, develop and test such a device. It MIGHT be possible, but don't cross your fingers, or anything."

I talked about this with my dad for a little while longer, as well as coming up with a system that would enable us to communicate better, without having to rely on the radio. In the end, my dad was able to secure 6 old fax-machines, get them modified, and once they were hooked up, they ran on a secured modem to Wright-Patterson, before being transferred over to Equestria, and then coming to one of 6 identical fax machines on our end, where the person who was being called would pick up. It worked like a secured phone line, but pictures and documents could also be sent back and forth. It was known as the "Fax Express", and it was the latest thing in secure, inter-dimensional communications!

Then, once the "Fax Express" became fully operational, and the call was over, it was time to start looking into possibly building a portal, as well as what that was even going to entail.

In the midst of the technology for the portal being researched and developed, I was still trying to help Gilda through her pregnancy. As it progressed, her symptoms began to hit her hard. She was sick a lot, she kept throwing up, she had to pee a lot, she had the really weird pregnancy cravings, her ankles felt like rubber, she was tired a lot, and her mood swings hit her hard too. She could be loving one minute, and a Tasmanian-Devil the next!

"Ugh, Dweeb?!"

"Yeah Babe?"

"Where the f@#k's all the fudge ice cream?!"

"Check behind the meat in the freezer. I just bought some more yesterday."

"Oh, here it is! And where are those BLT sandwiches with cheese and mustard that I asked for?"

"They're coming as soon as I make them Babe!"

"Well hurry up! Pregnant females wait for NO ONE!"

"Yeah, I know, so I'm hurrying!"

Eventually, by about 3 months, (May, 2025) Gilda went in for her maternity checkup. She had a visible baby-bump, and she glared daggers at any Pony or other creature who stared at her! Once it was her turn, I went back with her. Once she was on the exam table, the nurse helping her, (none other than Amethyst!) began to look her over.

After Gilda took her shirt off, Amethyst checked her heart rate, breathing rate, and the heart and breathing rates of our baby. She then began to gently poke around a bit, just to make sure that everything was ok.

"Well, everything looks ok so far Gilda. Your pregnancy's progressing quite nicely. Now it's time for the ultrasound."

"And is today the day that we might figure out what kind of creature is inside of me?"

Amethyst nodded. "Yes, I'm pretty sure that today's the day. I should also be able to tell the gender of your baby too." She then took the special gel, and after putting it onto Gilda's tummy, she began to move the ultrasound monitor over her belly.

"Oh my!" Amethyst said after a few minutes.

"What?" I asked.

"Gilda, you don't just have one baby, you have twins!"

"WHAT?!?!" Gilda almost sat bolt-upright on the exam table.

"Yes, you have twins. And here's what I can tell you about them, One of them is a male, and the other is female. Both of them have wings like you, though they both seem to lack beaks. The female seems to have a bit more in common with Gilda, while the male has a bit more in common with you Ben."

Gilda and I both looked at each other. Sure we both knew that our baby was going to be a 4-way hybrid, (lion, eagle, wolf, Human), but we NEVER expected to be having twins, nor that they were going to be looking like that!

"And......any way to tell fur colors, or if they'll have any flesh like I do?" I asked.

Amethyst shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not Ben. You'll have to wait until they're born for that."

A little while after this, Amethyst finished looking over Gilda, and after declaring both her and her babies to be healthy, she and I went back to the freight Depot. (I was still in the process of buying us a house in the Crystal Empire, so we still lived at the freight depot).

"Well, that was..........a little bit surprising to say the least!" I said quietly.

"This is ALL your fault Dweeb!" Gilda told me angrily. "ALL YOUR FAULT!!!! You should have worn a condom!"

"Well YOU didn't use birth control, so touche! Plus, we're hybrids of VASTLY different species! How the hell is any of this even possible?!"

"WHY THE F@#K ARE YOU ASKING ME?!?!?!"

"Because I don't f@#king know!"

Gilda and I argued about this the whole way back to the freight depot.

When the kicking began at 4 months though, that's when Gilda REALLY began to lose it! Her mood swings became even worse, and she even swung at me a number of times! Whenever she did this, I tried to dodge her blows, though I never retaliated. I knew that it was just the pregnancy talking, not her, so I never hit back.

However, on July 4th, 2025, on a picnic to celebrate Independence Day, aka the 4th of July, (Yes, the Ponies did celebrate some American holidays too!) as the fireworks were going on, I took Gilda by the hand, got down on my knee, and proposed to her.

"Gilda, will you marry me?"

She gave me a weird look. "Um....duh! You knocked me up, so what other choice do I have? Plus, I ALREADY said that I love you, and want to be with you forever!" She then took the ring, and placed it on her finger. "Wow, this is a really nice ring Stud!"

I then stood up again. "Well, I'm glad that you like it Gilda."

She then grabbed me by the collar. I looked into her yellow eyes, but all I saw was playful love in them. "C'mere Soldier-Boy!" Then then pulled me close, and kissed me deeply.

I kissed her back, and the others around us either cheered for me, "aawwed" for Gilda, or helped us both out by filming the ordeal.

Not too long after this, I finally managed to secure us a house in the Crystal Empire. It was a nice big house, and it was also pretty close to the freight depot, so the commute wasn't going to be an issue! Gilda loved her new house, and said that it was going to be great to raise our kids in. However, she wasn't quite as thrilled as who was going to be sharing it with us.

Yes, Gilda's little sister Gabby now lived with us too. In keeping with an earlier promise that I made to her, now that the war was over, and everything had settled down, I invited Gabby to live with us. She was such a sweet and lively girl of 15, and was such a joy to be around. And she was ALSO thrilled that she was about to become an aunt!

"Eee! This is SO exciting Sis! I'm gonna be an Auntie!" She then kneeled in front of her sister, and placed her soft gray feathery head against Gilda's now 5 month pregnant belly.

Gilda sighed, but all she did was place one of her hands against her sister's head. "It's good to see you again Sis. I was starting to miss you."

Gabby then stood up, and hugged her big sister. "Yeah, I missed you too Gilda. I was so scared when the war broke out, and I'm glad that you're safe."

"So am I Gabby. I'm just glad that the war didn't spread out to the Griffon Kingdom. I mean, yes the Griffons sent troops, but you were never threatened by the Zebras."

"All thanks to my Brother in Law Scar, and the rest of the 'Marine 6'!"

"Wait. The what now?"

"The Marine 6. That's what some folks call the 6 Human Marines."

Gilda nodded. "Oh, ok."

Gilda and her sister then talked for a little while longer.

As time went on, Gilda continued to get more and more angry that I'd gotten her pregnant. By 7 months, her belly was VERY swollen, her bellybutton was popping out, very few of her clothes fit her anymore, the kicking was getting insane, she was moody almost constantly, her ankles felt like rubber, her breasts were getting very swollen with milk, she was tired a lot, and she was still eating a LOT of weird foods. Gabby took care of Gilda while I was working, and I took care of her when I came home.

We all knew that Gilda's due date, based on the date of conception, would be in late November of that same year, 2025. However, while the mother was a Tasmanian-Devil most of the time, the babies seemed to be developing very nicely. Gilda had a pretty easy pregnancy in Griffon terms, and she even admitted this sometimes.

"From what I heard from Grandpa Gruff, my Mom's pregnancy to Gabby and I was pretty rough. Yes, we were born 12 years or so apart, but both times were pretty hard for her. I haven't had any complications like she did."

"Which is good Babe."

Gilda stretched out on the couch a bit. "Yeah, and while our twins will be born out of wedlock, we'll get married once I've recovered from my pregnancy."

I nodded. "Sure. We can plan for the wedding next Spring or Summer or so. Once we've seen my Dad again."

Gilda laughed a bit. We were still going to keep my Dad in the dark about Gilda's pregnancy until she gave birth, and then he got to meet his grandchildren once Gilda and I stepped through the portal! (Provided of course that it eventually did come into existence one day!)

"And what are we going to name them again Gilda?"

Gilda sighed. "We're going to name our daughter Glacier, and our son Daylight. And yes, he'll be named 'Daylight' after your train, just like you wanted, and I promised my mom that if I ever had any kids, I'd name my firstborn daughter 'Glacier'."

I thought about that. "Glacier and Daylight. Those are nice names."

"Yeah. Nice names, for the LAST kids that I EVER have! I an't doing this again!"

I laughed a bit, but it was more of a "keep your angry pregnant wife happy" laugh!

In those last 2 months or so, with help from Gabby, Gilda and I began to set up a sort of nursery in our new house. We got a cradle, changing table, a rocking chair, diapers, bottles, (no formula though, Gilda INSISTED on only her milk for our twins!), clothes (Gabby helped a lot here!) and even a few toys that belonged to Gilda and Gabby when they were Griffon chicks/cubs! (Both of these terms are used interchangeably).

Once we were all done, we looked over our handiwork. Daylight and Glacier's nursery looked AMAZING, and I knew that they were going to be so happy to live there once they were born.

"We sure did a great job with this, eh Gilda?"

"Yeah, all thanks to you and Gabby. Reminds me of the nursery at my old house when Gabby was a cub."

"I think that it's so pretty!" Gabby was saying. "I REALLY hope that your kids, my niece and nephew, love it!"

I turned to her. "Me too Gabby."

Also during this time, Gilda read some books on childbirth, and she thought that she was an expert by the end of it. However, on November 16th, 2025, she was proven otherwise.

I was just getting off work in the evening, and I was walking back home with Shining, Jake and Rick. We were all laughing about something, when all of a sudden, Gabby came running out of the house towards us!

"SCAR!!!!!"

I looked up in alarm. "Huh? What is it Gabby?"

She pointed back towards the house. "It's Gilda! IT'S TIME!!!!"

All 4 of us froze when we heard that. Gilda had just gone into labor, and it was time to get her to the hospital!

"Right!" I then began to run after Gabby. I looked back at the other guys. "You 3, on me!"

"Coming Bro!"

"Yes Sir!"

"On it Scar!" All 3 of them followed me inside.

Once we were there, I confirmed that Gilda was indeed in labor. "Shining, Rick! Help me get Gilda to the hospital!"

"Right!" Both of them then helped me carry Gilda downstairs, and off to the hospital.

"What about me Scar?" Jake called after me.

"Jake, you and Gabby gather what we'll need once we're there! She'll show you what to grab!"

"Ok, got it!"

"And run back to the freight depot and tell the others if they're still there!" I yelled just within earshot.

Jake and Gabby then grabbed diapers, a few bottles, a blanket, a camera, and a few other essential items, and while Gabby ran to the hospital, Jake ran back to the freight depot.

When he arrived, Frank, Evan and Jon were still there, as were Lyra, Derpy, Roseluck, and Night Glider. (Amethyst was on duty at the hospital).

Frank looked up when he came in. "Whoa! Jake! Where's the fire?"

Jake pointed behind him. "Scar told me to come and tell you all. Gilda just went into labor!"

They all froze where they were. "What? Gilda's in labor?!"

"Yeah Frank! He, Shining, and Rick are getting her to the hospital, and he told me to come and tell you guys!"

"And does he want us there now, or not?"

"I don't know Jon, he didn't say. However, if you ask me, I'd say that we go, and we can wait in the waiting room until he comes and gets us."

The others agreed to this.

"Ok, sure."

"Let's go then!"

Evan and Night Glider then left, followed by Jon and Derpy, and then Frank and Lyra.

Jake looked at Roseluck. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Both of them then ran after the rest.

When we arrived at the Crystal Hospital, one of the on-duty nurses alerted Amethyst, since she was Gilda's maternity doctor, and we all quickly got Gilda to a room. Rick then stayed behind to wait for the others, but Shining and Gabby followed us to the delivery room.

Once we arrived, Gilda lay back on the bed, I sat next to her, and Shining sat with Gabby close by. Soon, Amethyst and another maternity nurse came in. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was about 8:27pm.

"How are you holding up Gilda?" Amethyst asked her once she came in.

"It hurts!" Gilda almost yelled.

"Shall I administer some epidural?" The nurse asked her.

"F@#k your epidural! And f@#k you too!"

The nurse recoiled, and Shining quietly explained to her that Griffon childbirth, since it involved birthing a creature of 2 vastly different species, was oftentimes painful, and usually involved a LOT of profanity! He then put up a sound-proofing spell, so as to protect the ears of others!

I then tried to calm Gilda down. "Babe, please. We can work through this. You're making this SO much harder than it needs to be! If you would just......"

Gilda then grabbed me by the neck. "YOU!!!! YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU F@#KING CUNT!!!! YOU F@#KING SON OF A BITCH!!!!"

I was trying to pry Gilda's hand loose. "Gilda, PLEASE! Gabby does NOT need to hear this!"

"F@#k Gabby! And F@#K YOU TOO!!!!"

I finally got a good grip on her fingers. "Gilda, we're BOTH responsible for this! We had sex, now we deal with the consequences!"

All while this was going on, Amethyst was working close to Gilda's vagina, getting ready to help ease out the first baby when it came. She knew that Gilda's water had already broken, and that her next contraction was due VERY soon!

"As I was TRYING to tell you earlier Gilda, you're making this SO much harder than it needs to be by fighting the pain! If you'll just move with the contractions, it won't be NEARLY as bad!"

"And how the f@#k do you know that?!"

"My Mom did it with me! My Dad told me the story when I was older!"

Gilda was maybe about to say something, but then another contraction hit her. "EEEAAAHHHH!!!! YOU ARE NEVER TOUCHING ME AGAIN AFTER THIS!!!!!! WE'RE THROUGH!!!!!!! We're.........." Gilda then met her next few contractions head on, and pushed with all of her might. "We're..........." She was almost crying now. "Done!!!!" She kept pushing, sometimes screaming, sometimes crying, but she kept pushing.

"I'M NEVER HAVING KIDS AGAIN!!!! THE BOOKS NEVER SAID THAT IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS!!!!!! F@#K ME!!!!!!" She then started crying again.

Suddenly though, at that exact second, both of us suddenly became aware of loud crying coming from close by. Both of us looked, and to our shock and surprise, Gilda had just given birth! Her anger towards me, as well as her constant screaming, had helped dull some of the pain, and her pushing with each contraction had helped ease our babies along. Before she knew it, Gilda had just become a mother!

"Congratulations Gilda! You're a mother now!"

"It's a boy, and a girl!" The nurse added.

Soon, Amethyst and the nurse had them both cleaned up, cut their umbilical cords, and after wrapping them up, handed them both up to Gilda. When she saw them, her Griffon maternity instincts kicked in, and after nuzzling them both in an effort to get them to stop crying, she opened up her hospital gown, and after guiding them to her breasts, soon felt them both gently begin to nurse from her.

Once both of them were nursing, I leaned in a bit closer, and began to look my new son and daughter over. I saw Daylight first. To my slight shock, I saw that he had the body of a Human, the lower arms and hands of a Human, the head of a Human, no beak, my dark brown hair, Gilda's yellow eyes, my black wolf ears, Gilda's brown wings, and the lower body, legs and paws of a wolf, though his tail was a lion's tail, just like Gilda's.

I then looked over at Glacier. Unlike her brother, she looked a bit more like her Mom. She had a lion's body, the lower arms and taloned hands of a Griffon, and a lion's lower body, legs, and paws. However, Glacier had a Human's head, no beak, my blue eyes, my black wings, (though they were a Griffon's wings), and for hair, she had the same white feathers that Gilda did. I also noticed that Glacier also had a wolf's tail, instead of Gilda's lion tail.

Gilda was trying to keep from crying as she held them. Sure, it was clear that they were hybrids of 4 different species, but they were her son and daughter, and planned or not, she loved them so much.

"They're.......so........so beautiful!" She whispered.

By this point, both Gabby and Shining had wandered over, as they too wanted to see what Gilda had just given birth to. Shining had no words for when he saw Daylight and Glacier for the first time. He didn't want to accidentally say anything offensive, but he didn't know what to say. Neither did Gabby for the first few minutes either. Her niece and nephew were the first of their kind, and she had no idea of what to say!

I glanced at the clock. The time was now 9:27. Based on what Amethyst said when I asked her, Daylight was born first at 9:14, and Glacier followed him at 9:20. I was about to say something, but then Gilda beat me to it.

She grabbed my neck again, but this time, she pulled me close to her, and kissed me deeply. "Oh Stud, I love you SOOOOO much! More than you can POSSIBLY imagine! I know that I've screamed at you a lot these days, and I've been such a pain, but you've stuck with me, and for that, I love you even more! I want us to be together forever. And look at what we just made!" She gestured with one of her wings to Daylight and Glacier.

"Yes, they're so.....so perfect!"

"Yes, yes they are!"

I then looked at my fiance. "I love you Gilda!" I then leaned in close, and kissed her.

"I love you too Stud. And now, after seeing Daylight and Glacier, I just MIGHT be open to the idea of having kids again in the future!"

I was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, but ONLY because these 2 are so perfect!"

"What ARE they though Sis?" Gabby asked her. "I mean, they have parts from a Human, a wolf, an eagle, AND a lion in them!"

"Well......they're a 'griff' of some kind, that much I can tell you Gabby."

I thought for a second. "Hmm, how about 'Lycan-Griff'? 'Lycan' covers Human and wolf, and 'Griff' can cover eagle and lion."

Gilda thought about that. "Lycan-Griff. It's pretty unusual, but yet, it DOES describe our twins pretty good, so yeah, that'll work!"

"I like it too!" Gabby agreed.

I then glanced over at Shining. "And what do you think Bro? You've been awfully quiet over there."

Shining shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know what to say right now Bro. I'm just happy that you're a father now, and that your twins were born without issue. And do you want me to go tell the others?"

I then remembered Rick and Jake in the waiting room, as well as their marefriends.

"Yeah, you can go tell the others. Tell them that everything's ok, Daylight and Glacier were born at 9:14 and 9:20 respectively, and that they're both perfectly healthy for Lycan-Griffs."

"Ok, I'll do that." He then went to go tell the others.

When he did, they all breathed a sigh of relief that everything had gone smoothly. Gilda had given birth to the first Lycan-Griffs in Equestrian history, one was a boy and one was a girl, and both of them were perfectly healthy. They were allowed back to see Gilda and I, as well as the twins, but only 2 at a time. All who saw them marveled at Daylight and Glacier, for none had ever seen such creatures before!

When she heard the news, Twilight came to the Crystal Empire as fast as she could to see Daylight and Glacier too. She arrived the next day, and even though they'd been moved to cradles in a room with all of the other babies (foals) at the time, she still saw them through the window.

"Part Human, part wolf, part lion, and part eagle! Or rather, half Griffon, and half Human-wolf! They're so incredible! What did you and Gilda decide to call Daylight and Glacier?"

I smiled. "Yeah, they really are amazing, aren't they? Gilda and I decided to call them 'Lycan-Griffs', as it describes what they are the best."

"Yeah, it sure does, doesn't it? I'm so happy for you and Gilda. I know that you'll make great parents, just as Gabby will make an amazing aunt!"

I sighed. "Well, I know that Gabby will make a great aunt, I'm just REALLY hoping that Gilda and I make great parents. Neither of us really have any experience with it, but the good news is that we'll have our friends close by us every step of the way, and I know that that will help us out a lot!"

"Yes, yes it will!"

We both then continued to watch Daylight and Glacier as they lay in their cradles.

Soon after this though, I heard from both Rick and Jon that both Amethyst and Derpy were now pregnant too! Rick was shocked, since he was now 44 years old, and was almost CERTAIN that he was too old to be a father!

"How is this possible Babe?!" He asked Amethyst when he heard the news.

She just shrugged. "I don't know Babe, but I'm SO happy, aren't you?"

"More than you can POSSIBLY imagine! I've ALWAYS wanted to be a dad!" He then hugged Amethyst.

"This is SO amazing Derpy! We're gonna be parents!" Jon hugged his now-fiance once he heard the news.

"Yeah, I know Jon! I'm SO excited! I've ALWAYS wanted to be a mother, and now I'm FINALLY gonna get to do that!"

Jon sighed. "Following in the footsteps of Ben and Gilda, and now Rick and Amethyst too!"

Derpy agreed with him. "Yeah, we are. Now 3 out of the 6 of you guys are either parents, of you will be soon. I wonder who will be next; Jake and Roseluck, Evan and Night Glider, or Frank and Lyra."

"Yeah, I wonder too Babe. Just like I also wonder if we'll ever be able to get that portal working so that we can FINALLY be able to go home."

Derpy nodded, and she continued to hug her fiance for a while longer, both of them wondering what was going to happen next.

Author's Note

Whew! And that was Chapter 6 Part 1!

Yes, I KNOW that it was REALLY long, but yet, it kinda had to be, considering how much information I had to pack into it! There was SO MUCH that happened in this chapter, wasn't there? First the 6 Humans talk about their families, then the build a radio to talk to their families, then Ben's Dad tells the other families that they're still alive, and they all come to Wright-Patterson AFB to talk to them. Then they make plans to possibly build a portal to allow the Humans to go home, and the families to come visit, then Gilda wraps up her pregnancy, and Daylight and Glacier are born! Then to top it all off, Amethyst and Derpy learn that they're going to be mothers too, just as Rick and Jon learn that they're gonna be fathers! And this was just Part 1!

Be sure to stay tuned for Part 2! What's going to happen with that portal? Will it ever be built, and if so, will it work? Will the Humans be able to go home, and the families come to visit them in Equestria? How will Stan react to finding out that he's now a grandpa? When will Lyra, Roseluck, and Night Glider announce their pregnancies? Will The Southern Pacific ever get 4449 back? And how have Spike and Ruby, Braeburn and Zuri, and Big Mac and Zena been fairing since the war ended? Well, you all know the drill, stay tuned, and I'll tell you!

In the meantime, as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story are always appreciated, and I'll see you all again in Chapter 6 Part 2!

ScarFox out for now!

Also, I'd like to give a VERY special shout-out to my good friend "Terry the Human". If you like this New Timeline in "Fear From the Rails", then you have him to thank for convincing me to overhaul the story, end the polyamory in it, and create this new timeline. You also have him to thank for helping me to create ALL of the families of the 6 Human Marines, plus what they look like, the descriptions of the other 5 Marines, and what Daylight and Glacier look like, among other things! (I'll let you know what these are in both Chapter 6 Part 2, and the Epilogue!)

But thank you again Terry for helping me make this New Timeline for "Fear From the Rails" possible. I REALLY Appreciate it!