In the aftermath of us guys from the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company acquiring C&O 1601 from the Henry Ford Museum through the SP Railroad, we brought her to be used by us on the Equestrian Railroad. As I've said previously, everypony was sad to see 4449 go, as not only was she the engine who helped win the Last Zebra War, but she was so iconic. No other engine could top her speed and style, and she was immediately recognizable thanks to her orange and yellow with a black boiler pint scheme, with her coaches having the same paint scheme. They knew that the SP Railroad had to get her back to end their PR nightmare, though they were thankful that she was on a rotation with 1601, and that they would see her again at times.

Some Ponies marveled when they saw 1601 for the first time once she was fully restored, and due to her paint scheme, and her impressive size when compared to 4449, Ponies started calling her "The Green Giant". None of them had ever seen a 2-6-6-6 steam locomotive before, but others weren't so sure if they liked her.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. 4449 was the best engine that the Equestrian Railroad ever had. How can this engine POSSIBLY be better?!" Somepony asked.

I sighed. "I never said that it was better. Sure, 4449 was and is a lot faster than 1601, but 1601 has a LOT more power than 4449 does, not to mention a larger amount of tractive effort. 1601 will be able to haul a LOT more freight in a single trip than 4449 could, though she can also haul passengers."

"Really? 1601 can haul passengers?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's what she was built for actually. She was made to haul passengers, and her being able to haul heavy freight is just a bonus."

"So......does this mean that 1601 will be hauling freight, AND passengers?"

"Yes. For the first time, the train from the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company will be hauling both passengers and freight in a mixed-traffic train! More freight and passengers can now be hauled in less time than before, which will result in greater profits for the railroad."

"Wow. One engine that can do all of that. Sure, some of us might need a little bit more convincing, but we're willing to have an open mind about it."

"That's the spirit! I know that 1601 will NOT disappoint, nor will she let any of you down!"

"I certainly hope not Captain."

I winced ever so much. Ever since the Last Zebra War, many Ponies still called me "Captain". I kept trying to tell them that I was retired from the US Marines, and retired from the Resistance, but they kept saying that "Once a captain, always a captain, unless you get promoted that is!" I sighed, and I just learned to live with it. It was a former title of mine, and I guess that if I'm going to be bearing that title for life, I might as well make the most of it!

Sure enough, 1601 did NOT disappoint. Thanks to her, and the mixed-traffic trains that were 3 times longer, and 4, sometimes 5 times heavier than what 4449 could handle, the profits of the Equestrian Railroad, and the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, were growing by leaps and bounds. We were back on the regular freight and passenger circuit, and more and more Ponies were riding our trains, and shipping their freight by us than ever before. Sure enough, just like we planned originally, we had to build more freight depots in other major cities and towns.

Before too long, our first sister-freight depot opened in Manehattan. This was followed closely by other depots in Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Canterlot, Ponyville, Van Hoover, Tall Tale, and our latest depot had just opened up in Appaloosa. One more depot was being built in Dodge City, but it was a ways off from being completed.

And just like we planned before, Evan and Night Glider helped set up the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company Freight Depot in Canterlot, Braeburn and Zuri helped build the one in Appaloosa, and Spike and Ruby helped set up the one in Ponyville. It was a great time for the DFASC, but yet, it was also a sad one. Out of the original 6 of us, only myself, Jake, Frank, and Jon remained. Evan and Night Glider left the company, and now lived in Canterlot, and Rick and Amethyst, though they still lived in the Crystal Empire, left the company too. For the rest, Frank, Jon and Jake moved to Ponyville with their pregnant wives, and of course, Gilda and I still lived in the Crystal Empire. However, even though we were a ways apart now, the 4 of us, plus a number of new employees that we had to hire, still proudly worked for the DFASC, and would continue to do so for many years to come.

"I still wish that Evan and Rick were still with us." Frank sighed sadly.

"Yeah, me too Frank." Jon agreed. "It's just not the same without them. I mean yes, their replacements are nice, but they're just not them."

I agreed with both of them. "Yeah. Glowing Chalice is a great conductor, just as Rocky Snow is a great fireman, but they'll never be able to replace Rick and Evan, but I don't expect them to. No one can ever replace Rick and Evan."

"And they might not be working with us at the DFASC, but we still get to see them all the time. They just found jobs elsewhere."

"Yeah, you're right Jake. We'll be ok here at DFASC. The company is growing by leaps and bounds, Ponies are now REALLY fond of 1601, and some will be sad to see her go when we rotate her out with 4449 here in a few months."

"Yeah, and it's the strangest thing. One minute Ponies are BEGGING us to bring 4449 back, and the next they don't want to see 1601 go! It doesn't make sense!"

We all laughed a Frank's statement. It was true, as even though both 4449 and 1601 were on rotation every 4 months or so, Ponies were sad to see the current engine go, and be replaced by the incoming engine. And while it might be upsetting for the Ponies, at least it kept the American media off the Southern Pacific's case for once! With the engines on rotation, there was always a steam engine on the SP Railroad; sometimes it was 4449, and sometimes it was 1601. Sometimes the engines were on display, and sometimes they were out on the mainline. Not too many people asked the questions that they did before, though that wasn't going to last very long. Soon, the "Curse of Sherman Hill" was going to strike again, though this time, it would hit the biggest rival of the SP Railroad where it hurt the most..........

Early in the morning, on March 5th, 2028, Jake and I were taking 1601 back to Cheyenne, where we would pick up 4449, and return with her to Equestria. It was cold that day in March, and the weather was deteriorating as well. There was some snow on the ground, though it seemed that that soon would soon be gone thanks to the rain.

"Damn, the weather's going down the drain fast!"

"Yeah, no kidding Jake. I'm REALLY starting to get some serious deja-vu from this!"

"Me too. It's just like the day we wound up in Equestria, though it was late in the afternoon for us, and in August of 2022, I might add!"

"All the same, it's feeling a little bit creepy, so let's just get this over with, and go back home!"

"Yeah, let's!" We continued on our way.

Once we reached Cheyenne, we put 1601 on her designated siding, and walked over to where 4449 was waiting for us. It felt good to be at her controls once again, and we knew that the good Ponies of Equestria would be glad to have her back too. Once we hooked her up to her line of coaches, I blew the whistle, and 4449 began to pull out of the yard. However, once we were close to the edge of it, we had to stop at a signal. When we did, I looked to my right, and I saw a sight that I never thought that I would see.

"Hey Jake, look! There's Madam Queen!"

"What?" Jake came over to my side, and sure enough, there she was. Sitting on an outbound track in the freight yard, with a HUGE freight train behind her, was none other than Santa Fe 5000, aka Madam Queen! She was steaming nicely, her black paint was all shiny, and her 2-10-4 wheel configuration was visible.

"Wow! Santa Fe 5000, and in all of her post-restoration glory! The engine that put the SP Railway to shame when she was brought back to life. I've heard about her, but I NEVER thought that I would see a 2-10-4 Texas-Type up and running in my lifetime!"

"Neither did I Jake. Oh, and look! There's the new crew!" I pointed close to the engine, where 4 men in railroad work clothes stood. 2 of them were wearing overalls, plaid shirts, work boots, gloves, and engineer's hats, while another was wearing jeans, a plaid shirt, gloves, work boots, and a Santa Fe railroad ballcap, and the 4th was wearing the blue uniform of a railroad conductor, complete with dark blue jacket, dark blue pants, white button-up shirt, black tie, black shoes, a conductor's hat, and what appeared to be a pocket watch.

"Wow. There they are alright. Her engineer, fireman, brakeman, and conductor. Why does a freight train need a conductor again?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Probably because those long freight trains have to have multiple brakemen. Though why have a conductor instead of another brakeman is quite beyond me! Maybe they sometimes work on the passenger circuit like we do."

"Maybe, and what are their names again?"

I thought for a second. "Well, her engineer is a man named Leo Connor, her fireman is named Jake Patton, her brakeman is Frank Casey, and her conductor is Tom Cohen."

"Jake and Frank. It's kinda funny that they share the same names as Frank and I do, though my last name is Blythe, and Frank's last name is Sinatra. But it's strange that Jake's last name is Patton, and my first name is Patton!"

"And if your real name is Patton Blythe, why are you called 'Jake' again?"

"My middle name is Jacob. I've been called 'Jake' for years."

"Oh, ok. I guess that that makes sense." At that exact moment, the signal turned green, and I began to move 4449 forwards again. As we went by, I blew 4449's whistle in hello to Madam Queen, and I saw Leo scramble up to the cab to give a whistle in reply.

All too soon, we were away from the freight yard, and through the portal back to Equestria, little knowing about the drama that was about to unfold behind us. Little did we suspect, we were some of the last Humans to have ever seen Madam Queen while she was still on Earth. History of engines disappearing was about to repeat itself, and the "Curse of Sherman Hill" was about to rear its ugly head once again, or at least, that's what everyone thought..........

As the years went by for those of us who belonged to Wolf Pack Battalion, not to mention their wives, things settled into a peaceful calm.

For Rick and Amethyst, life couldn't have been more perfect. Rick was sad when he retired from the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, as were the rest of us, but he was getting older, and felt that it was time to move on. He and Amethyst still lived in the Crystal Empire, still in the house that they moved into soon after Amethyst learned that she was pregnant, and we got to see them all the time.

While Amethyst continued her job as a maternity nurse at the hospital there in the Crystal Empire, Rick gave his old career a second life. At the high school there in the Crystal Empire, he got a job as a chemistry teacher. This is what he'd done for a few semesters after leaving the Marines, though before he started working with 4449. Just like back home, Rick was a VERY popular and well-loved teacher, and many Ponies were VERY eagerly waiting to take his chemistry classes!

Oddly enough, Rick couldn't figure out why he was so popular. He saw himself as a bit of a boring teacher, but quite obviously his students didn't see that at all. Rick was very pleased at their enthusiasm, and many of his students earned high marks in his class. Oh sure, he still joked that he was being payed to show kids how to play with fire and dangerous chemicals while also teaching them advanced mathematics, (THIS is why I couldn't take chemistry when I was in high school. It SEEMED like great fun, but in reality, it was nothing more than a math class masquerading as a science class! I HATED math just as much as I sucked at it!) but his students kept coming back day after day to learn more. Rick was always pleased to hear when one of his students who graduated went on to become a scientist, engineer, or something along those lines, or even that they went on to do "ordinary" jobs. While he may have enjoyed playing with fire and dangerous chemicals, at the end of the day, it was the success of his students that really mattered to him.

And in late 2026, Amethyst sent a nurse from the hospital to inform Rick that she'd just went into labor. Rick rushed to her side, and in less than an hour, she'd brought their daughter Drizzle Belle into the world. Neither of them could believe it. Here they were in their early 40's, and now they had a daughter! As she was nursing from her mother, Rick looked over his new daughter.

Drizzle was a unique blend of both of her parents, and she had light skin with turquoise colored wolf fur, brown hair, brown eyes, and furry Pony hooves with a gray horn.

"Aww, she's a Unicorn like you are Rick. And she has your hair and eyes too, not to mention some of the wolf fur!"

Rick was trying to keep from crying. "Yes........yes she does Amy. She's so perfect!"

"Yes, she absolutely is."

Soon after this, Rick called Chester, Jimmy and Garrett, and told them that they were a grandpa, and uncles respectively. They were so happy for Rick and Amethyst when they heard the news, and they promised to come to Equestria as soon as possible to see their new granddaughter/niece.

For Jake and Roseluck, it was still business as usual. Jake never left the DFASC, and he continued to be a fireman on both 4449, and 1601. He loved what he did, and often said so.

"Yeah, I had a choice to leave the company, but why would I? It's one of the coolest jobs out there to be the fireman on 4449, and 1601. Sure, it might be hard work shoveling all of that coal, but at the end of the day, it's totally worth it. I do my job for the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, and will continue to do so until I have to retire due to my age!"

The rest of us who stayed on, as well as the new staff agreed with him, and we all planned on long careers with the DFASC. However, even though he stayed on, it was a bit of an adjustment for Jake and Roseluck. They both moved out of the Crystal Empire, and they moved back to Ponyville. That's where Roseluck had her family's flower shop, (which was tended to by her sisters Lilly and Daisy while she was living at the freight depot) and she was now returning to run it again. Jake, while still a fireman, also helped Frank, Jon, Spike, Ruby and others establish the DFASC Freight Depot there in Ponyville. Soon, once that new depot was up and running, Jake continued to work hard, though this time it was because his wife was about to give birth.

In late 2026, at about 5am, Roseluck went into labor, and Jake got her to the hospital. While she was giving birth, he was on the phone with his parents, sister, and grandpa.

"Yeah Mom, Rosie's doing just fine. She's not in too much pain, and so far there haven't been any complications."

"That's so great Jake." Debbie told him.

"And are your triplets born yet?" Betty asked. "I REALLY want to be an auntie!"

Jake laughed a bit. "They're coming now Sis." Jake then had to put down the phone for a bit, as the first of his kids were coming into the world.

Oliver was born first, followed closely by his brother Silver Night, and then their sister Harmony. Oliver had Ivory white skin with pale yellow wolf fur, two different eye colors (blue and green), brown hair, Pony hooves, and gray pony wings, Silver Night had ivory white skin with dark gray pony fur, blue eyes, light red hair, and Human feet, and Harmony had ivory white skin with bright yellow pony fur, light green eyes, dark red hair, and Pony hooves.

"Wow", Jake whispered when he saw his kids for the first time. "I heard from Scar and Rick that they would probably be born with a mixture of fur and skin, but now to actually see it...............It just makes them look so.............so........"

"So much like both of their parents?"

"Yeah, exactly Rosie. They look so adorable." He then got to hold his sons for the first time, while Roseluck held Harmony. Both Oliver and Silver snugged close to their dad, and were soon asleep in his arms.

"Scar and Rick were right; kids like this are perfect."

"Yes, they certainly are."

When he was able, Jake got back on the phone with his family, and told them that Oliver, Silver and Harmony had been born without issue over the course of about an hour. They were all SO glad for that, and they couldn't WAIT to see their new grandchildren/great-grandchildren/niece and nephews, just as Jake and Roseluck couldn't wait to show them to their families.

For Frank and Lyra, they too quickly settled into their new lives. Both of them moved back to Ponyville once they were married, and while Frank was a brakeman on both 4449 and 1601, and helped work at the DFASC Freight Depot in Ponyville when required, Lyra had her own job. She taught colts and fillies how to play the lyre, which was her special talent. She loved her job so much, just as she loved playing the lyre. She would often play while at home, both to keep herself calm, and to keep her foals calm. She had twins, but both of her sons were VERY lively!

"You ok Babe?" Frank asked her when he got home one day.

Lyra looked up at him. "Pregnancy is a BITCH Frank! I'm SO GLAD that I only have another 2 weeks at the most until I give birth! THE KICKING IS GETTING INSANE!!!!"

Frank nodded. "Yeah, I can imagine Babe!"

Sure enough, 2 weeks after this, in the mid afternoon, Lyra was in her back garden, getting ready to bring her sons James and Thunder into the world. Unlike the others, she decided on a home-birth in her garden, with the aid of a midwife. Frank supported her decision, and he too was very eager for Lyra to give birth. Using some of the same techniques that she learned from Gilda, and her other friends, Lyra began to push her twins out, aided by her both her midwife Bundle Joy, and of course Frank. In less than an hour, James and Thunder were brought into the world.

After they were cleaned up, had their umbilical cords cut, and were nursing from Lyra, Frank looked at his new sons. James had tannish-white skin with some light mint-green Pony fur, green eyes, brownish-red hair, and Human feet. His brother Thunder had tannish-white skin with dark gray wolf fur, yellow eyes, brown hair, Pony hooves, and a dark chocolate-colored horn.

Frank looked over them, but unlike the rest of us, he honestly had no words to describe what he was feeling, and neither did Lyra. Both of them looked at their sons in quiet shock, unable to believe that they had conceived children so perfect. Finally though, Lyra was able to say something.

She leaned down, and gently kissed her sons on the tops of their heads, causing them to gently coo. "The books never said that motherhood would feel so satisfying." She whispered softly. "I feel like the proudest mom in all of Equestria right now."

"I can agree with you there Babe." Frank said softly. "And I can't wait for Joel and Grandpa Dakota to see them either!"

"Neither can I frank."

Sure enough, when the time came a few weeks later, Joel was dying to meet his nephews, just as Dakota REALLY wanted to see his 2 great-grandsons.

"Aww, they're so cute." Joel cooed when he saw them for the first time.

"I agree Joel. I couldn't have asked for more perfect great-grandsons." He then looked at Frank. "I'm SO proud of you Frank!" He then hugged him.

Frank hugged him back. "I know Grandpa. And I'm so glad that you got to live to see this. I just wish that Mom and Dad, and Grandma too, could see this."

Dakota nodded sadly. "So do I Frank, but like Ben's Mom and Grandpa, I know that they're looking down from Heaven too, and couldn't be prouder."

"I know Grandpa. And I REALLY hope that they like what they see!"

"Me too Frank."

James then burped a bit, followed by Thunder a few seconds later, causing all of them to laugh.

For Evan and Night Glider, when he left the DFASC, and was replaced by Rocky Snow, he and Night Glider moved to Canterlot. This served 2 purposes. The first, and possibly the most important, at least at first, was helping to establish the DFASC Freight Depot there in Canterlot, as well as oversee it in the early days of its existence. This was easy enough for them, and they also bought a house nearby, which was also close to Evan's other place of employment. Yes, once he no longer had to oversee the freight depot, Evan returned full-time to his other job, blacksmithing. Yes, you read that right, Evan became a blacksmith. None of us still working at the DFASC, or Rick, could believe it at first, but once we saw Evan's work, we were amazed.

"Whoa. Evan, your work is amazing!"

He laughed a bit. "Thanks Scar. I'm glad that you think it's amazing."

"And what do you do Evan?" Rick asked him. "Is there anything in particular that you specialize in?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I primarily work in making and repairing metal tools, metal wagon parts, and even horseshoes, and I occasionally get a few other repair requests too, ranging from household items, to even a few small locomotive parts from the Friendship Express Engines!"

"That's.........that's a lot of work Evan!"

"Yeah, it is sometimes Jon. I do have assistants though, so I'm not working alone, but still, it can be QUITE a long workday at times!"

Rick, Jon and I then watched him work for a little while longer, before we had to go back to work ourselves, but we promised to come back by as soon as we could. And come back by again we would.

Maybe 2 months after this, the rest of us as DFASC, Rick and Amethyst, and Evan's family, got word that Night Glider had given birth to her and Evan's twins, and we all came as fast as we could, or as soon as we'd gotten off work!

When we arrived at their house, Night Glider was sitting in bed, holding her twin son and daughter, Golden Crescent and Gleaming Pearl. Golden Crescent had white skin with gray pony fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, Pony hooves, and gray Pony wings, while Gleaming Pearl had white skin with dark blue wolf fur, light blonde hair, sapphire-colored eyes, and Human feet.

The rest of us guys hung back a bit, though Hank and Lilian went right up to the bed, and were talking to Night Glider, as well as Evan, who was sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"What do you think of them Mom and Hank? Are they perfect enough for you?"

Lilian gave him a strange look. "No Evan, they are NOT perfect. Far from it! How could you have done this?"

Evan and Night Glider looked up at Lilian in alarm. What had they done wrong? Even Hank looked weirded out, though before he could say anything, Evan beat him to it.

"Done what Mom?"

"Created twins that are so far BEYOND perfect!"

Evan blinked, but then he, Night Glider, and Hank all laughed a bit when they realized that Lilian was only screwing with them in a way that only a mother could.

"Wow, you really got me there Mom."

"Yeah, you got me too Mrs......eh, Mom. Do you want to hold them?"

Lilian nodded. "Of course!"

Night Glider then handed her Golden Crescent, while Hank held Gleaming Pearl.

"So beautiful. I never thought that my niece would be part Human, part Pony, AND part wolf! Same with my nephew!"

"And up until 4 years ago Hank, neither did I!"

Hank laughed a bit, and Lilian continued cooing over both Golden, and Gleaming.

For Jon and Derpy, while they did move to Ponyville, Derpy was able to open her own muffin bakery, while Jon helped Frank and Jake with the DFASC Freight Depot there in Ponyville, as well as still being a brakeman on both 1601, and 4449 whenever he was needed. He loved his job on the railroad, and often said so.

"I've been working on the railroad since I left the Marines, and I've been working with 4449 and 1601 for that entire time, not to mention the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, and I love what I do, so why not keep doing it until I get too old to do it anymore?" This seemed like sound logic, and it was something that we all could agree with.

However, at this same time, Derpy was getting closer and closer to her due date. Jon began to worry for her a bit, even though she assured him that she was fine.

"Jon, I'm fine. I'm just close to the end of my pregnancy, is all."

"I know, but I still worry for you Babe. It's just part of my job as your husband; I'm supposed to worry for you!"

Derpy laughed a bit, but she knew that Jon was right. She worried for him, so it was only natural that he worry for her too.

She then held him as close to her as her 9 month pregnant-with-triplets belly would allow. "I know, and I love you for it Jon."

He hugged her back. "Mmm, I love you too Derpy."

A few weeks after this though, Jon's family got word that Derpy had given birth a few hours prior, and they all immediately made weekend plans to come down and see them.

By the time that they arrived, Derpy and her triplets were home from the hospital, though Derpy was in bed resting while nursing her triplets, as taking care of them was quite exhausting! All of them were very proud of Jon though, and said so.

"You did it Jon. You and Derpy just successfully managed to make kids that are even cuter than you, Peyton, and Bertha were!"

Jon laughed a bit. "Really Mom? Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"I agree with your Mom Jon, though I'm still a bit surprised at them having a mixture of skin and fur."

Jon sighed. "Yeah, and that's a common trait among the offspring of a Human-wolf and a mare. It just happens that way." Jon then looked over at Peyton and Bertha. "And what do you guys think? You've been awfully quiet over there."

Both of his younger twin siblings were looking at their 3 nephews. Jon Jr. had dark white skin with gray wolf fur, light blue eyes, red auburn hair, Human feet, and a gray horn. His brother Billy Hooves had dark white skin with light gray Pony fur, blonde hair, yellow eyes, Human feet, and gray wings, and his other brother Graystone had dark white skin with dark gray wolf fur, strawberry-blonde hair, blue eyes, Pony hooves, and dark gray wings.

Peyton finally said something. "I'm just.......I don't even know what to say Jon."

"I do." Bertha suddenly put in. "They look so much like you and Derpy. I know that they're gonna be a LOT of fun to play with as they grow up!" To prove her point, she began to make faces at her 3 nephews, causing them all to start laughing. Their laughter began to cause the others to start laughing, even Ethan and Muriel.

"I must say Derpy, your sons, our great-grandsons, are so amazing."

Derpy blushed a bit. "Eh, thanks Grandma Muriel. I'm glad that you like them."

"I know that they're grow up to be strong and healthy........eh.......boys I guess, one day, right Jon?"

"Yeah, that's right Grandpa! They'll grow up to be as strong as their father, and have some of their mother's good looks too!"

This caused Derpy to blush a bit, as well as the others to laugh a bit as well. They all agreed with Jon though, and were so glad that they how had grandchildren/great-grandchildren/nephews.

And me? How did Gilda and I fare? Well, you know most of the basics, but there's more to add. In April of 2026, I was FINALLY able to take Gilda's hand in marriage, and our twins Glacier and Daylight were finally in wedlock. Gilda and Gabby were even able to convince Grandpa Gruff to come to the wedding, and once he saw his granddaughter, he hugged her.

"For what it's worth Gilda, I'm so proud of you. You've done well for yourself", He looked at his grandson and granddaughter, "And you've done well with your kids too. I mean, they look just downright bizarre, and they ain't Griffons, but they're yours, and they're my grandchildren, so I think that they'll do."

Gilda sighed. She knew that that was her Grandpa's way of saying that he liked Glacier and Daylight, and she hugged him back. "Thanks Grandpa."

For her wedding present, Grandpa Gruff gave Gilda and I an old photo album. It had been in the family for a long time, and it not only had pictures of Gilda and Gabby as they were growing up, but it also had pictures of their parents, Gavin and Mary. Gilda was SO grateful to her Grandpa for giving her the album, and so were Gabby and I, since we wanted to know more about their parents too.

About 2 years after the wedding, in 2028, Gilda gave birth to another set of twins; our daughters Aubrey and Emerald. Aubrey looked almost exactly like her mom. She had eagle talons for hands, lion paws and a lion's tail, a brown lion's lower body, Griffon wings, the works. The only things she didn't have were a Griffon's head, and a beak. She had a Human's head, though she had feathery white hair with gray highlights. She also lacked her mom's yellow eyes, and instead had my blue ones. Her sister Emerald though was interesting, because she was 50/50 exactly. She had wolf ears, Human hands, a Griffon's lower body, a Human's upper body black Pegasus wings, a wolf tail, yellow eyes, and a Human's head, though with the same white feathery-hair with gray highlights that her sister had.

About a year after this, Gilda gave birth to our 5th and final child, a son named Blitz, who looked almost exactly like me. He had wolf ears, Human hands, a Human's body, my brown hair, blue eyes and a black wolf's tail. The only things that he didn't have were my wing colors, (they were a brown-black mix instead of pure black).

I already knew that my Dad was proud of me from the time he met Daylight and Glacier, but once he was surrounded by all 5 of his grandkids; 3 granddaughters, and 2 grandsons, he told me what he really thought.

"5 grandkids, and all of them part Human, part wolf, part eagle, and part lion. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I EVER think that I would have grandkids like this, or that my son would be a Human-wolf, and my daughter in law would be a Griffon!"

"And.......that's a good thing, right?"

He gave me a strange look. "Of COURSE it's a good thing! I mean, it might not be conventional, but you certainly won't hear me complaining! I have you back, and now I have grandkids too, not to mention a daughter in law, so what more could a dad like me want?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, not too much I guess."

"Exactly!"

"Well, I didn't see this coming either, but if I had to do it all over again, I STILL don't think that I could pick any other male than my Stud here! I mean yes, he DID knock me up during the Last Zebra War, and he IS a bit of a pain sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way!" She then pulled me close to her, and kissed me.

I hugged her back, and returned her kiss. "Mmm, thanks Gilda. It wouldn't have been the same without you by my side every step of the way."

Gilda nodded, and then we hugged for a little while longer.

On the other end of the spectrum, one can't forget to talk about Braeburn and Zuri, Big Mac and Zena, Shining and Cadence, and Spike and Ruby after the war ended.

For Braeburn, once the war ended, and Zuri was released from Equestrian custody, she was screened, and by her request, backed up by myself, (since I captured her) and Braeburn himself, (since she was being released into his care) she was allowed to remain in Equestria.

Since Braeburn already lived in Appaloosa, Zuri sure didn't have too far to go to move in with him! She moved into his house just outside of town, where he ran a small apple farm.

"Wow, I remember you talking about your small farm Brae, but I never thought that I'd ever get to see it in person."

"Neither did I Zuri, but what do ya think of it?"

She sighed. "It's so beautiful. I NEVER would have expected to see a farm in the middle of the desert, let alone one as nice as this!"

Braeburn blushed a bit. "Aww shucks Zuri, I don't know what to say, aside from I'm glad that you like it!"

Zuri then giggled a bit, and Braeburn then began to give her a tour of his farm.

Not too long after this, the 2 of them were married, and Braeburn also found himself with another job; helping to first build, and then run the DFASC Freight Depot that was being put in Appaloosa. The depot was in a very good place, since a LOT of apple products were being exported from Appaloosa, and since it was in the middle of a desert, a lot of supplies were always coming in, both for the town, and neighboring Dodge City.

"Phew! I never knew that runnin' a freight depot was such hard work!" He told Zuri at dinner one night. "I used to think that the guys who ran the original DFASC Depot up in the Crystal Empire had it easy, but now I see how wrong I was!"

Zuri giggled a bit. "Scar tried to tell you Brae, but you thought that you had it all figured out, didn'tcha?"

Braeburn took off his hat, wiped some sweat off his forehead, and then put his hat back on. "Well, I sure owe Scar an apology, I can tell ya that! I see now that it's hard enough work just runnin' a depot, but up there, they both ran a depot, AND the trains that hauled the freight! Sure, maybe Scar's the only one still living up in the Crystal Empire who works at the freight depot there, but the others still work on the trains in and out of the DFASC System!"

"Yep, they sure do Brae!"

After being married for about a year, both Braeburn and Zuri tried for a foal, though it was very hard for them, due to the imbalance of chromosomes between Ponies and Zebras. It took Gilda and I almost a hundred times of having sex each time we had a baby, and the same also applied to the other guys and their wives. Eventually, they learned that Zuri was unable to have a foal, and while they were devastated for a while, they then realized that they could adopt.

"That's it Zuri! We'll adopt a foal from somewhere!"

"Yeah, that's a great idea Braeburn!"

After looking for a long time, they finally adopted a young colt from an orphanage in Manehattan named Sand Dust. He was a 4 year old Earth Pony colt with tan fur, and orange mane and tail, and yellow eyes. Both Zuri and Braeburn fell in love with him and in instant, and he loved them back just as much.

"He's perfect Brae. And he looks just like you in a way!"

Braeburn nodded. "Yeah, he really does Zuri. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that he and I were related!"

Zuri laughed at this a bit, and both she and Braeburn continued to watch Sand Dust as he played under the apple tree that the 3 of them were sitting under. He was the perfect son for them, and he made both of his parents so proud as he grew up, and eventually came to work for the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, just like a number of the kids of the rest of us active and former employees would too.

For Zuri's sister Zena, it was a bit of a similar story. Once she was released from the Appaloosa Jail, while her sister Zuri stayed in Appaloosa with Braeburn, Zena moved West with Big Mac. She too was going to be allowed to stay in Equestria under Big Mac's care, and he was taking her home with him to Sweet Apple Acres.

Her arrival there caused a bit of a stir, both among Ponyville residents, and of course among the other members of the Apple Family living on Sweet Apple Acres, chiefly Granny Smith. She often glared at Zena with great suspicion, and even Applejack wasn't sure what to make of her at first either.

"Why did you have to fall for her Big Mac? Why couldn't you have fallen for a mare like Fluttershy, Cheerilee, Marble Pie, or even Sugar Belle? Why did you have to fall for a Zebra, ESPECIALLY after the war?"

Big Mac sighed. "Ah don't expect ya to understand it Sis, heck Ah can barely even understand it myself. It just sorta......clicked.....Ah guess. Plus, Zena ain't like the others. Yes, she did help them spread the drugs in the water, but it wasn't her choice; she was forced to do it. Plus, if she really was evil, do ya really think that Jake would have let her live when he captured her at the Zebra Embassy? Or Braeburn and the others there in Appaloosa if they thought that she was a spy? She ain't bad Sis, she's quite the opposite."

Now it was Applejack's turn to sigh. She trusted her brother's judgement, and if there really WAS something wrong with Zena, she no doubt would have been killed already. She tried to get along with her, and sure enough, it turned out to be a LOT easier than she thought. Zena wasn't the most talkative Zebra ever, but she was a fast learner, and under the direction of Granny Smith, soon learned to bake apple pies, and other Apple treats.

"Land sakes Girl! If you baked them pies any better, I'd swear that ya were really an Apple instead of a Zebra!"

Zena giggled a bit. "Thanks Granny Smith! I mean, I did learn from the best pie baker in all of Equestria after all. I ain't never seen a Pony, never mind any Zebras, bake any pies as well as you can."

Granny smiled a bit. "Well, thanks for the complement Dearie. And I'm sorry that I was suspicious of ya when ya first arrived here. But yet, given what happened here to the farm, and what happened to us during the war, can ya really blame me?"

Zena shook her head. "No Ma'am. I heard about what happened to you and your granddaughters, never mind what happened to Big Mac, and I sympathize with you completely. You had every right to be suspicious of me, and I'm just glad that I was able to live up to your expectations."

"So am I Zena. And yes, if you were wonderin', ya do have my permission to marry Big Mac if ya want to."

Zena's face lit up, and then she hugged Granny. "Thank you Granny."

Granny hugged her back. "Yer welcome Dearie."

A few months after this, Zena and Big Mac were married, and unlike her sister, Zena was able to give birth, though like the rest of us, it took MANY tries for her to get pregnant. She learned that she was pregnant with twins, and in the Summer of 2029, she finally gave birth to a son and a daughter, whom she and Big Mac named Primrose and Jonagold.

All of us who were able came out to see them, as we all wondered what the offspring of a Zebra and a Pony, (often referred to as a "Zony") actually looked like. When we arrived, since it had been about a week since Zena had given birth, she was gently rocking her 2 foals in their cradle, while Big Mac sat next to her. When it was my turn, I looked over the side of the cradle, and I saw with my own eyes what a Zony looked like.

Jonagold had black and white stripes, with blonde hair and green colored eyes, while Primrose also had black and white stripes with blonde hair, though unlike her brother, she had Zena's blue eyes. Both of them looked a lot like their mother, but at the same time, they clearly had some of their father in them too.

"Wow, so that's what a Zony looks like? They're so cute."

Zena looked up at me. "I'm glad that you think so Scar. You and Jake are responsible for them after all. It was the 2 of you that spared my sister and I, instead of just killing us."

I nodded, though Jake spoke up. "Well, for what it's worth Zena, you're welcome. Yes, I DID want to kill you and your sister Zuri, but looking back, I'm glad that Scar convinced me not to. I see now that it was the right choice."

"Yes, yes it was."

We all then continued to watch Primrose and Jonagold a little while longer, wondering what the future had in store for them.

Way up to the North in the Crystal Empire, Rick and I, as well as our families, weren't the only ones still living there who'd served in the war, or had been a victim of it. Yes, my best friend and comrade Shining Armor, as well as his wife Princess Cadence, were still the Prince and Princess of the Crystal Empire; had been since the defeat of King Sombra, and were once again now that the war was over.

As we sometimes did when not working, Shining and I took a walk close to the outskirts of the Empire. We would always talk about this and that, though more often than not, our conversations would turn to the Last Zebra War, and more importantly, how vital the contributions of us Humans really were.

"If you hadn't been there Bro, I can't even begin to IMAGINE what would have happened to us! Here we were, being wholly duped by the Zebras; us stallions were getting sick, and the Zebras were sleeping with our female family members, and it seemed like they were going to win. However, they overlooked one little detail; 6 retired US Marines from Wolf-Pack Battalion, who later met up with the Appaloosa Resistance, and the Trottingham Group, turned them back into the Armed Forces of Equestria, and from one end of Equestria to the other drove the Zebras into oblivion! You saved us all, and we're still here today because of it!"

I nodded slowly, but I also shook my head. "Well, yes and no Shining. Yes, we were a key part, but it wasn't all us. God plucked us away from Earth, and deposited us in Equestria at just the right time to be the wrench in the Zebras's gears. He gave us the power to overcome our enemies, and he used us as the means to punish the Zebras for their sins. But seeing what Equestria could have become under them, I'm MORE than glad that God put us here to intervene."

Shining agreed with me. "So am I Bro. He put you here, made you immune to the Zebras's poisons, prevented you from being taken away on the Night of Fear, led you to Appaloosa, and then kept helping you throughout the rest of the war. Heck, I still remember my time in the Quarantine Camp in the Smoky Mountains. As I was lying there chained to that bed, I thought, 'Well, this is it. Scar and the others warned us, but we didn't listen to them. Now the Zebras are taking over, and there's no one left who can stop them.' I kept praying to the Heavens that somepony would come to save us, and sure enough, one night I hear someone urgently whisper my name. After looking around, I eventually look down at the floor, and low and behold, there you are looking right back up at me. My prayers had been answered!"

I laughed a bit. Yes, that night had been no laughing matter, but yet it was a little bit funny when I remembered that it took my almost 3 minutes to get Shining's attention, and then another few minutes for him to realize that whoever was talking to him was doing so from under the left side of his bed. Eventually, he FINALLY looked down, and saw me for the first time since the Night of Fear. His prayers had been answered, and he was soon to be a free stallion.

"I was just doing my job Shining. Ever since you got taken away, I made it my mission to find you, as well as the other stallions, and then hep get you to safety. Yes, it did take a while, but we got the job done. And we did a great job, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh absolutely. The Last Zebra War was the finest hour for those who defended Equestria............once they'd gotten back on their hooves again at any rate!"

Shining laughed a bit, and we continued to talk about this for a little while longer.

Eventually, I was truck by a thought. "Oh Shining, I was going to ask you, how have Flurry and Crescendo been doing?"

He smiled a bit. "They're doing just great Scar. Flurry's teaching herself how to crawl now, and Crescendo will soon be following her."

Now it was my turn to smile. I loved getting to see Crescendo Wave and Flurry Heart, and since Gilda and I were their godparents, and we lived not too far away, this happened somewhat frequently. We'd let the 2 of them play with Glacier, Daylight, Aubrey, Emerald, and Blitz, and the 7 of them really enjoyed it.

I then thought back to the day that I'd seen them for the first time. I'd been close at hand when Cadence gave birth, though I'd been waiting outside of her and Shining's room while it happened. When Shining said that I could come in and see the foals, I saw them nursing from Cadence. I could see that Flurry was an Alicorn foal with whitish fur with a pink hue, a slightly curly blue and purple mane and tail, a slightly large pair of feathery wings, a horn that was the same color as her fur, and light blue eyes. Her brother Crescendo was an Alicorn foal with white fur, a light blue and gold mane and tail, and Shining's blue eyes. Since both of their parents were royalty, both Flurry and Crescendo were also royalty upon their birth, and it always made me look on in wonder whenever I realized that one day one of my godchildren would be sitting on the throne of the Crystal Empire with their spouse! (Neither parent had decided yet who would get the throne when they were old enough, and both of them agreed to start sorting it out when Flurry and Crescendo were teenagers).

"That's great news Shining. We'll also have to arrange another play-date for them with my kids here before too long as well. Oh, and how's Cadence doing?"

"She's doing well. I still thank Twilight every chance I get for that amnesia potion that she gave to Cadence to make her forget what Zed did to her during the war. She's done so much better since then."

I nodded. "I'm glad. I was getting worried there for a while."

"So was I Bro. But now we don't have to really worry anymore. Zed's rotting in Hell, and Cadence is no longer forced to remember what he did to her. She and I can finally move on, at least to a large degree."

"Yeah, you finally can."

We spent maybe another 30 minutes talking, but eventually we did have to get back to the Crystal Castle. Shining had to help take care of his kids, and I had my Little Rascals to take care of too!

And last but not least, one cannot forget to talk about Spike, Ruby, and the rest of Gem-Biter Pack, and what happened to them after the war.

After the victory parades were over, Ruby and the rest of the Diamond Dogs of Gem-Biter Pack applied for Equestrian Citizenship. They didn't want to return to the filthy, worn-out caves in the Smoky Mountains where they came from, (or rather, were forced to flee when the war started. Some Diamond Dogs sided with the Zebras, and they were killed by Ruby and her other pack members before they fled into hiding, just prior to them coming to Equestria, and being found by Braeburn and his troops) and instead wanted to settle within the borders of Equestria. Thanks to their contributions to the war effort, their request was granted, and they were not only allowed to stay, but were also granted Equestrian Citizenship. Elated by this, Ruby and the rest of her pack quickly began to look for a place to settle.

"This is it guys!" Ruby told her pack. "We've done our job for the Equestrians, now we gotta settle in this post-war world!"

The other Dogs cheered, and they helped their leader, as well as their new co-leader; none other than Spike the Dragon, find a new place to live. Eventually, after looking around for a fair while, the Diamond Dogs were eventually able to secure a tract of land located in the hills outside of Ponyville. The hills were wooded, but the Diamond Dogs didn't mind at all, due to them wanting to dig caves under the hills anyway. They all got to work as fast as they possibly could, and within a few weeks, already had tunnels and caves large enough to live in! The rest of those in the Ponyville area were surprised at the speed of the Diamond Dogs, but then again, they had already demonstrated their skill with tunnels during the Last Zebra War, when they tunneled underneath Ponyville from the Everfree Forest, and all the way up Canterlot Mountain to Canterlot Castle.

At the same time that the Diamond Dogs were digging their tunnels, Spike and Ruby were building their own house in those same hills. The house was made of both lumber and rocks, and it looked like a cross between a cabin, and a hillside condo. It was 3 stories tall, and the basement opened out into a tunnel that led into the Diamond Dog caves. This way Ruby could help her pack dig, and still go home at the end of the day. It was a comfortable house, and Spike was pretty proud of it.

"It was all thanks to Twilight that the blueprints were created, but it was thanks to my wife Ruby, and the rest of the Gem-Biters that we were able to turn it into a reality. I'm really going to love living here, and I know that it's going to be a great place to raise our family too. I don't know when that will be, but I hope that it's soon."

Around this same time, construction also began on the DFASC Freight Depot there in Ponyville. Spike and a number of the Diamond Dogs helped Jake, Frank, Jon and others build it, and when it was all complete, while Jake, Frank and Jon went back to their duties on the railroad with helping to run the trains on the mainline, (4449 and 1601) Spike and the Diamond Dogs helped run the depot. They loaded and unloaded all of the heavy freight, kept inventory lists, did maintenance around the depot, and helped keep everything running smoothly. Spike was no longer Twilight's assistant, but it was his time with her that helped him greatly.

"Twilight taught me so much during my life with her. While I may no longer be her assistant, I'll never forget my time with her, and I'm glad that I still live so close to Ponyville, so that I'll still be able to see her all the time. Thanks for teaching me all about math, and everything else that I would one day use to help run the DFASC Freight Depot here in Ponyville. I love you Twilight!"

On the flipside, Ruby and a number of other Diamond Dogs worked for their own construction company in Ponyville. They worked primarily in digging and building building foundations, as well as any landscaping projects, planting trees, and they also worked on the demolition end of things too. It was a pretty great business for them, and Ponyville greatly benefited from it. At this same time, the remainder of the Diamond Dogs who didn't work with either Ruby or Spike kept digging in the tunnels underneath the hills, working as miners.

Eventually however, Ruby and Spike began to talk about creating a family of their own. Both of them already knew right off the bat what an incredibly daunting task that it was going to be. Like the rest of us guys who were with mares, it was going to take MANY tries, and possibly even more for them, due to the extreme incompatibility of their species. (But then again, wasn't I the same way with Gilda? I don't know. Hybrids mating with hybrids is an unexplored science in and of itself, but purebreds of 2 different species? That too leaves a lot unexplored. I don't know; it's still being debated to this day, but that's besides the point). Eventually, after many tries, (Spike said that it was in excess of 200, though he never gave an exact number) Ruby FINALLY got pregnant! Neither of them could believe it; a Dragon male had just gotten a female Diamond Dog pregnant!

"This............I don't even know what to say to this!" Ruby mumbled through the paw-like hand that was slammed over her mouth as she looked at her positive pregnancy test.

"Neither........neither do I Ruby. I heard from Scar that it took a lot of tries for him and Gilda to have a baby, and then they got it by accident the first time. We tried on purpose, and even though it took MANY tries, don't you think that it was worth it?"

Ruby nodded. "Oh absolutely Spike. We have to protect our legacy somehow, and through a healthy pup.......or whatever you call a baby Dragon, is the perfect way to do that! Now the only question is........what the hell is growing inside of me, and what's it gonna look like when it comes out?!"

Spike could only shrug. He had honestly no idea. Gilda had asked the same questions when she was pregnant the first time, and what she and I got were babies that were part Human, part wolf, part eagle, and part lion. Thanks to rough estimates, Spike and Ruby knew that their baby, (or maybe twins if they were lucky) would be a hybrid of a Dragon and a Diamond Dog, though they knew nothing more than this. Eventually, ultrasounds confirmed that they were only having one baby, that it was going to be a boy, and that it was seemingly going to be half mammal, and half reptile.

"Geez, NOT what I was expecting at all!"

"Yeah, I can agree with you there Ruby, I didn't see this coming either! But yet, somehow I feel that we should have expected as much. We are 2 COMPLETELY different species after all!"

Ruby agreed with him, and she really began to wonder what their son would look like when he was born, since he was half mammal, and half reptile.

As it turns out, I was on a visit to Ponyville when Ruby went into labor. I was with Spike at the DFASC Freight Depot when one of the Diamond Dogs came running to tell Spike that Ruby was in labor. When the 2 of us arrived at Spike and Ruby's house, she was in her and Spike's bed, being tended to by 2 Diamond Dog midwives. (Yes, Diamond Dogs do indeed have midwives, and they also have their own kinda-sorta physicians! Who knew?) Spike went to Ruby's side, while I took a seat across the room, and waited to see what would happen next.

About an hour and a half later, I heard small cries, and I looked up and realized that Ruby had finished giving birth to the first Dragon-Diamond Dog baby in Equestrian history! After standing up again, I walked over to see what their son looked like. I was in for a real shock. Spike and Ruby's son had the upper body of a Dragon with purple scales, as well as the lower body of a Diamond Dog. This was in addition to having the sharp teeth of his mom, the green eyes of his dad, and a Diamond Dog tail with Dragon spines on it.

"Wow", I said softly. "Is this what the others felt like when they saw Daylight and Glacier for the first time?" I didn't know what else to say. I was well and truly speechless.

"Yeah, I think that it might be." Spike agreed with me. "Though unlike you, I have no idea what to call our son. I mean, I know what his name is, but I don't know what his species would be."

"What is his name?"

Ruby answered that one. His name is Eragon. Eragon Citrine."

I was impressed. "Wow, that's a pretty strong name, but then again, little Eragon here seems like a pretty strong son."

"Dragon-Dog." Spike said suddenly.

"Huh?" I looked over at him.

"Dragon-Dog! That's what Eragon is. A Diamond Dog-Dragon hybrid, or Dragon-Dog for short."

Ruby nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes! I like it. Good thinking Babe!"

"Thanks Ruby."

"Yeah", I agreed. "That's a great name for a whole new species. Great thinking Spike!"

"Thanks Scar." He then looked at his son. "And I heard from Twilight that baby Dragons can sometime burp fire. She said that I did it at times when I was a baby Dragon, (and sometimes still do!) but I wonder if he can."

"Yeah, I wonder too."

At that exact moment though, Eragon suddenly coughed a bit, before belching a little blast of fire!

"Whoa!" Ruby had to jerk her head to the right to avoid the little blast, though thankfully it quickly dissipated.

I looked on in surprise. "Huh. Well, I guess that that answers that!"

Spike nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess that it does. Eragon can burp fire!"

"That's both cool, and REALLY worrying at the same time!"

"Yeah", Ruby agreed. "We'll have to be REALLY careful with this!"

In response to that, Eragon burped again, though this time it was just an ordinary burp. Nevertheless, it still got a bit of a giggle out of him, and his giggling got the rest of us to laugh too. It also made if official. Eragon was the best baby Dragon-Dog, even if he was the first and only as of right then!

One night, in 2032, 8 years after the end of the Last Zebra War, Gilda and I were lying in our bed. All of our kids were now 4-7 years old, and they all had their own rooms now too, meaning that Gilda and I no longer had to have one of their cradles in our room. Yes, we did still have "nighttime visitors" every now and again, but on most nights, once our kids were in bed, they tended to stay asleep until the next morning. It was because of this fact that on some nights, Gilda and I would sleep nude, and while we'd sometimes have sex, other times we'd just lie there and cuddle. We'd been married for 5 years now, but I NEVER got tired of having Gilda close to me.

As we were lying there, and cuddling in the nude, Gilda suddenly turned to look at me. "Mmm, hey Scar?"

"Yeah Babe?"

"Do you remember how it was when we first met? Before the war?"

I looked at her. "Of course I do. You were being paid that one day to make a grocery delivery to the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company Freight Depot, and I was the one you gave the groceries to. We got to talking while Rick sorted through the groceries, and that's how we became friends. Our relationship developed from their, until you were my girlfriend by the time the Zebras came."

"Yeah, and then we fought the war, f@#ked throughout, you knocked me up just before the Raid on Canterlot, then we survived the war, and had our beautiful twins Glacier and Daylight. It certainly was NOT a conventional relationship, but if you could do it all over again, would you have done anything differently?"

I really had to think about that one. Finally though, I had my answer. "Well Babe, I might have been a little bit more careful about where I jizzed, (as well as WHEN I jizzed!) when we had sex, but yet, I really can't think of anything else I could do differently. And even if I did do anything differently, I don't know if I'd WANT to do anything differently! I mean look at what it did for us. Aside from having to deal with an unplanned pregnancy during wartime, you still got me, we got married, you got to meet my Dad, you got to see my old hometown, and we now have 5 beautiful Lycan-Griffs to call our own. I'm still working with the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company driving both 4449, and 1601 when they're here in Equestria, and we still have each other to grow old with, and lose our minds with."

Gilda giggled a bit. "Yeah, just like we always wanted. I'm not sure WHY things had to happen the way that they did, but in the end, I don't think that I could have had it any other way!" She then leaned in close, and kissed me. "I love you Stud!"

I held her close, and kissed her back. "Mmm, I love you too Gilda, now, and for always. You're mine to the end, and if ANYONE, EVER tries to take you away from me, they'll get EXACTLY what the Zebras got!"

"Just as I'll f@#k up ANY female who even so much as looks at you the wrong way Stud! You're MINE, and mine ALONE!"

I couldn't help but laugh a bit. A major war, 5 kids, and aging 5 years had done little to nothing to dampen the fire that Gilda had in her that I loved so much. She was still the same lovable, Tsundere-Griffon that I had fallen in love with, and I knew that she would stay that way for a LONG time to come. Gilda then snuggled close to me, and after kissing me one last time, she fell asleep in my warm embrace.

I then rested my chin on top of her head. I then sighed, and smiled softly. "Well, once I left Wolf-Pack behind for a job with the railroad, I NEVER thought that my life would take a twist in a direction like this! But then again, God took us away from Earth, and dropped us in the right place, at the exact right time to prevent a massive catastrophe. Along the way, we all also found love, and helped to rebuild our new world, on top of seeing our families again, not to mention our jobs with the Daylight Freight and Shipping Company, or different jobs for those who left. We have our wives, kids, jobs, friends, and whole lives ahead of it. It might not be the easiest thing ever, but yet, I wouldn't have it any other way!"

I then drifted off to sleep, knowing that a great future lay ahead for all of us, as well as our kids. It might not have been the most normal life ever, but it sure was the best one that any of us ever had!

THE END

Author's Note

And, that was the Epilogue. Wasn't that quite the finale for the New Timeline? This time around, EVERYTHING was all wrapped up nicely, and everyone got a good and proper ending, unlike in the previous Old Timeline, where it was just a quick glance at what happened after the war.

And now, with the conclusion of the Epilogue, the New Timeline is complete, the overhaul of "Fear from the Rails" is complete, and so's everything else in between! It's ALL complete! The story FINALLY has the ending that it deserves, as well as a whole new timeline to go with it!

I really hope that you enjoyed this New Timeline Epilogue. It took me quite some time to finish up, but now that it has been, I hope that you all enjoyed it. Alas, our journey with the New Timeline has come to an end, as has "Fear from the Rails", but don't worry. My next stories will be coming VERY soon! You'll all hear about them as soon as I mention them in a blog post, which will be in the next few days. I have 2 short stories that are almost ready to be released, as well as news about the upcoming sequel to "Tracks Backwards", "Tale of 2 Big Boys. This story may have come to an end, but the train keeps chugging on!

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 very soon!

ScarFox out for now!