Author's notes: Next arc starts here. I hope it's a good one for you guys.

18th Autumn's Apex

After the storms that had hit over the past few days, the pegasi at Cloudsdale seemed to let up. Sweet Apple Acres didn't need much rain for a while now, and everyone was glad that the sun was back out. Rainbow Dash was especially happy about catching up on her naps.

Meanwhile, I was sat with Lyra on our usual bench in the park. Lyra was practicing with her lyre, and I had a day off from the farm and decided to join her. She was completely in the zone with her music; her eyes were shut, and she rested her head against me as her lyre floated next to her, the strings wrapped in gold and plucking seemingly at their own accord. I simply listened to the music with not a care in the world.

The blissful moment was destroyed however, when I heard the flapping of wings, and looked up to see a certain grey mailmare. Derpy descended from a nearby cloud, carrying her saddlebags with a postal hat on her head.

"Oh, morning Derpy," I said, "What can we do for you?"

"I've got a letter for you!" she said enthusiastically. She pulled an envelope from her saddlebag and handed it to me before flying off as gave her thanks. Lyra watched as I pulled the seal off and read through the letter. As my eyes descended down the page, my face fell, and she picked up on this.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's from my CO at Canterlot," I said with a sigh, "They want me to report there three days from now. We're going on tour."

Lyra's ears folded, "How long for?"

I read through the letter again, "Three months. We're going up to the northern border, close to the Griffin Kingdom."

"Oh, I suppose that's ok then," she said, and visibly relaxed, "Griffins and ponies are on good terms at the moment."

"If that's the case, it'll probably be a peacekeeping tour," I said, folding the letter and putting it in my pocket, "Shadow would probably have got one too. I'll have to go see him about this."

"Alright love," Lyra said, giving me a peck on the cheek, "If I'm not here when you get back, I'll be at home or in the market."

I gave her a kiss as I stood up and made my way to Fluttershy's cottage. I knew Shadow would be there; it was where he always was if he wasn't in town or out running. If he wasn't there, all I had to do was wait until he got back. Luckily, that wasn't the case. I knocked on the door, and it opened to reveal the dark grey pegasus standing in the doorway.

"Hey Shadow," he gave me a nod, and I pulled out the letter.

"So you got one too, huh?" he gestured at the table behind him, where a small piece of paper lay, "Let's go for a walk."

Without waiting for an answer, he shut the door behind him and walked past me down the path. I narrowed my eyes as I followed him. Something wasn't right, he wasn't usually this unresponsive.

"How's Fluttershy taking it?" I asked.

"As good as somepony like her can, I guess," he replied, "She's ok about it, but she's worried. I don't blame her, I am going to be about two hundred miles away for three months. What about Lyra?"

I shrugged, "She's worried too. But she says that griffins and ponies are friends, so by the sounds of it we'll just be there for peacekeeping."

"Don't be too sure," Shadow said, "Diamond Dogs live on the border. It's them that worry me and Fluttershy."

I knew about Diamond Dogs. Bipedal canines with a low intelligence, but fierce determination. They had become villains in the eyes of Equestria because of their tendency for slave trafficking. Hopefully they wouldn't bother us, but with the new information from Shadow, my gut was telling me otherwise.

I noticed Shadow had trotted ahead, staring at the floor, and jogged to catch up with him, "Alright Shadow, what's wrong?"

He looked up at me, "I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do. You're being different today. Something's bothering you, and we both know it."

He held the stare a few seconds longer, before sighing, "I'm worried about Fluttershy."

"Naturally. But I'm getting the feeling that there's more to it."

He sighed, and sat down against a tree, "Fluttershy and I... we went further with our relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... she loves caring for animals, and she's always wanted one of her own to care for."

I stopped as my mind came up with a theory, and I had to sit down next to him, "Shadow... are you saying...?"

He stared into my eyes, "Dutch, we took the leap. She's pregnant."

I tried to search for the right words, before giving up and saying, "That's amazing. Congratulations! When did it happen?"

"About seven days ago," Shadow said, his previously serious expression replaced with both embarrassment and pride, "She took a while to come out and ask me, but she said dreamed of having a foal since she was a filly. Five days ago they confirmed it at the hospital. I've never seen her happier. We still need to announce it to the others, but she's actually looking forward to it; she's not nervous at all!"

I patted him on the back, "That's just fantastic! Have you decided any names yet?"

"We've got a few on a list, but we don't know if it's a colt or a filly yet," he said, "We're going to be planning to add more while I'm away, and come to a decision. This also means I'm going to have to plan a wedding too. It's too late to do now, so I'm going to propose to her when we get back."

I simply grinned. Two of my friends were becoming parents! "I can understand why you were how you were earlier then. Having a child and planning a wedding is a lot for one mind."

His face fell again, "It's not just that. Three months can be longer than it sounds, especially for a pony in my position. A lot can happen in that time, even..."

I put an arm around his shoulder and smiled reassuringly, "Hey, come on now. We've been through thick and thin together. We can handle this. We'll just go out there, do our job, and go home. Simple."

He nodded, and stood up again, "I hope you're right."

We carried on down the path to town, until I heard a whooshing noise overhead, looking up to see Rainbow Dash heading in my direction. We jogged forward to intercept her, and met halfway.

"Hey Dutch, I need to talk to you about something," she said, glancing at Shadow.

Shadow seemed to get the message, "I'm going into town. I'll see you later."

"Good, we'll need to meet up two days from now to organise equipment."

Shadow nodded, and carried on down the path, while Rainbow took off towards a treeline. I followed her, keeping pace as we glided over the trees.

She led me over to the lake that she had crash-landed in when we first met, sitting down by the shore. I followed her, and lay down in the grass with my hands behind my head.

"Nice day," I casually remarked, "Fancy a dip in the pond?"

"You've obviously never seen me swimming," Dash said, "It involves a lot of flailing and splashing with the occasional bout of... sinking."

I sat up, "The one and only Rainbow Dash, and she can't swim?"

"...No," she admitted, "With so much awesomeness, I guess there wasn't enough room for swimming."

"Ok, so that's a 'no' to the dip," I concluded, falling onto my back again, "I suppose I'd just have to jump in and save your flank again."

"Well, it is a flank worth saving, right?"

Her cocky grin had returned, and I said, "At the risk of inflating your ego further, yes."

We shared a laugh, before falling into a silence. It seemed that Rainbow Dash was trying to say something, but her normally confident attitude was replaced by an unusual nervousness.

"Sooo..." she started, "How are you doing?"

"Good."

"And how is it between you and Lyra?"

"We're fine," I said, not sure where she was going with this.

"Good, good."

I eyed her suspiciously, "I assume you wanted to talk to me for more than just a checkup on my relationship."

She narrowed her eyes at me, "Ugh, fine."

She thought for a second before speaking, "Listen, you and Lyra are together, and from what I can see, it's going well. I was just wondering if you had any advice for others looking for that kind of thing."

"Oh, is there someone you've got your eye on?"

"Maybe."

"And you want me to be your matchmaker?" I grinned.

"Don't think of it like that!" She exclaimed, "I'd ask Shadow, but you've been here longer than he has."

"Fine fine." I said, "So who's the lucky stallion?"

"Uh, stallion... right." she said, shifting her gaze, and my eyes widened.

"Oh! Is it a mare?"

"As a matter of fact, yes!" she said, suddenly becoming defensive, "You got a problem with that?"

I held up my hands, "Calm down Dash. I'm friends with Sarah, so you know I don't. Before I start, what do you see in this mare?"

Dash seemed to calm down, "Well, I haven't known her for very long, but she's a bit like me. You know, tough, not a softie like Rarity."

I thought for a second, "Well, in the way of advice, I can't tell you much. Just the cheesy stuff everybody says, like 'Be yourself' and all that jazz."

"And what if that mare says no?"

I shrugged, "Then you can put your worries to rest. What I do know is that if you don't ask her, the answer is automatically 'no'. Lyra and I told each other, and I couldn't be happier now that we're together."

"So how am I supposed to tell her?"

"Take her on a fancy dinner, give her chocolate and flowers, I don't know. I'm sure Twilight has a book or something that can help you."

She raised an eyebrow at me, "Can you see me walking into the library and getting a book on relationships? It would totally cramp my style. Twilight watches the book 24/7 too, so I can't steal one."

I gave her a sly smile, "That shouldn't stop someone like you, should it?"

She opened her mouth to respond, paused, then said, "I guess not."

"That's more like it," I nudged her shoulder, "Now, I'm going to the library to talk with Twilight. If you still want a book, I suggest you do it now while she's going to be distracted."

Without waiting for an answer, I got up and returned to town, leaving Rainbow to make a decision for herself. My reason for going to the library was strictly personal. If I was about to go on tour, I wanted to see my family again before I shipped out. After everything that had happened, I also wanted to let them know I was ok. The library was empty as I entered, with only Twilight doing her daily studying.

"Good afternoon Dutch. Is there something you needed?"

"Hey Twilight, is there a way to see my family without using up too much of your time?"

She put a hoof to her chin, "I can leave you to go to your world alone, and have you return automatically after a certain time. I can take you down to the basement so you can see them in private too."

"That sounds great Twi, lead the way."

We started walking toward the stairs to the basement, but movement caught my eye. Looking over, I saw Rainbow sneaking in through a window, and mentally laughed. Twilight hadn't seen her, and I simply walked into the basement with her while Rainbow searched for what she needed.

"As you'll be on you own, I'm afraid I can only give about thirty minutes maximum," Twilight said as I sat down on a small sofa and got comfortable.

"That's ok," I said, "Thanks for doing this."

She giggled, "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't let you see your family?"

She ignited her horn, letting me fall into the sleep that accompanied me visiting my old world. Sure enough, shapes started appearing, taking forms and becoming a familiar sight. I looked over the driveway I had appeared in. No one else was with me, and I became worried as to how I would reveal myself to them.

Walking up to the house and opening the door answered that question however, as my dog started barking at me, her tail going like mad. I rubbed her head as I entered the kitchen, and heard voices coming from the living room.

"Go on, go on, keep running! YES!"

I headed across the hall, and saw the TV before I saw my family. They were watching the Six Nations Rugby tournament, and England had just scored a try.

Dad saw me immediately as I entered the room, and stood up to wrap his arms around me, ignoring my wings as I hugged him back. Before Dad had even released me, Chris came over and hugged me too.

"Hey guys," I said, "How's everything going in the land of the living?"

"Couldn't be better," Dad said, "I'm back at work, our accounts are slowly filling back up, and England is winning the Six Nations!" he sighed, "It's a shame you couldn't be here to see it."

I put my hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about me. I'm here now, and I'm happy for you."

We sat down on the sofa while the rugby kept going, but none of us were paying attention.

"I've got about 25 minutes before I have to go back." I told them, "If there's anything you want to ask, go ahead."

"How are the rest of your friends," Chris asked, "How are... Twilight and Lyra, was it?"

"Twilight's doing fine," I said, "And Lyra's my girlfriend now."

"What?" Chris and Dad said in unison, before Chris added, "But... aren't they unicorns?"

"Well, yeah, but in every other aspect they're just like humans. Some of them can be a bit more naive at times, but if you closed your eyes and listened to them, you wouldn't think they were ponies."

"I suppose I can't argue with that. Well done all the same," Chris said, and Dad spoke next.

"Chris told me you joined the army in that world," he said, "At first I was worried, but now I'm curious. How is it going?"

"Great," I said, "I joined as an officer, like you wanted me to be, and now I'm a captain." Chris gasped, and I continued, "I'm also going on tour in a few days too, so there's that to look forward to."

"Any idea what it's going to be like?" Chris asked.

"By the sounds of it, hot and sandy. Now that I put it like that, it sounds a lot like Afghanistan."

"You'll be careful, won't you?"

I smiled, "Definitely."

We continued to watch the rugby until full time. England had won by 23 points, and I was glad that my family was enjoying life again. When Dad opened his mouth to speak again, I thought it would be words of happiness. I was wrong.

"Doug, we need to discuss something with you," he brow had furrowed, and this brought concern to my mind.

"What is it?"

"Me and Chris... oh, how do I put this?" He asked rhetorically, "We think it's best if you stop visiting us."

"What?" I almost shouted while standing up, "Why?"

Dad remained seated, but kept his cool, "So that we can all move on. You helped us get back on our feet by telling us to enjoy our lives. If you keep coming back, you'll only get caught up in the past, and we want you to have a good life too."

I could feel the tears welling up already, "But I'll never see you again."

Chris managed a weak smile, "It's a miracle that you're seeing us now."

"...I guess so."

Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, and for a moment, it felt like my form shifted. I had a feeling I was running out of time.

"The twenty years I had you were some of the best I've ever had," he said, "I'm proud of you Doug. Do this for us, and for your mother."

I sat in silence for a while - I didn't know how long - trying to tell myself to do this. I knew it was the right thing to do, but another part of my mind told me to say no, that I shouldn't give up on them. But then again, I wasn't giving up. They simply wanted me to move on, in the same way I had wanted them to all that time ago. I sighed. it had only been eight months, but I could barely remember my old life.

Deep down, I knew this day would come. I would have to leave them behind as I grew up in my new world. Part of me had already accepted that, but the rest of me hadn't expected it to hurt this much.

I knew what to do, and slowly, I nodded my head, the tears flowing freely, "Alright. I know it's the right thing to do, but that doesn't make it any easier."

"We know it doesn't," Chris said, "But we still love you, and we always will."

Both of them stood up and pulled me into a hug. I held them for all I was worth, until their arms passed through me, and they let go as my body became faint.

"Goodbye," I said, my voice shaking from my sobbing, "I'll never forget you two."

"Likewise," said Dad, "Take care, and know that we'll be with you here." He placed his hand on his chest, before fading away.

Waking back up in the library basement, my face felt damp. I wiped my cheek, and found I had been crying while I was gone. With a heavy sigh, I lifted myself up and climbed the stairs.

As I emerged into the main lobby, Twilight said, "Good to see you again. Lyra stopped by while you were out, she said she'd be at her house if you wanted to see her."

I nodded, still staring at the floor, "Thanks Twi. I'll go and see her now."

"Dutch, are you ok?" Twilight asked, "Your eyes are red."

"I'm fine," I answered, though it was clear I wasn't, "Thanks again for letting me see my family."

Twilight didn't pry further, and I walked out of the library. A flash of colour caught my eye, and I looked into the sky to see Rainbow Dash holding a book in her hooves, before saluting me and flying off. I managed a weak smile, At least you got what you wanted.

I didn't interact with anyone else as I reached Lyra's house. I knocked on the door, and she opened it, letting me in. Silently, I knelt down and hugged her, before she realised something was wrong.

"Dutch, you look like you've been crying," she said, "Did something happen?"

I sat down against the wall and proceeded to tell her what I had done. As I told her what my family's final request was, she held a hoof to her mouth in a silent gasp. When I finished, she didn't say anything. She simply pulled me into a hug, kissing my cheek.

"It's what they wanted Dutch," she whispered, "They were proud of you, and you should be proud of them."

I looked into her eyes. Seeing the gold of her irises seemed to cheer me up, if only a little, and I rested my forehead against hers. I felt her horn glow, and a warmth spread through my body. She gave me a smile, which I managed to return before kissing her.