Once the dust settled from the ground dropping I had Camo and Dust Devil carry Big Mac out while I held onto Shadow. The poor kid is still shaking from her experience, but we'll be out of here soon. I launch through the air and follow after the others, landing near the group.

"Big brother! Miles, ya made it. We weren't sure iffin.. uh, whos that?" Applejack asks as we walk onto solid ground.

"This is Shadow. She's going to be staying with me for a bit until we can figure out a living situation for her." I say, getting worried looks from everyone.

"Uh... I dunno Miles. Have you ever taken care of a foal before? It's not exactly easy." Rainbow says as she rubs the back her neck.

"Really Rainbow? You're going to judge my parenting skills?" I ask, getting her to look away. "Look, I know what it takes to raise a child. I volunteered at an orphanage plenty of time to know what to expect..."

"But did you clear it with your wife?" Luna asks as she walk up to us from the street. Well... shit.

"I have to do this..."

"There are organizations built for this Miles. I don't think..."

"Ego occidi cui sola familia. Mihi sponsor est." I say, getting her to step back.

"Est quod verum?" She asks, to which I nod. "*sigh* alright. Just... we'll talk some more about this later."

"Of course." I say as I walk over to her, getting confused looks. "Hey Shadow, meet my wife." I whisper into her ear. She peers out from my neck for a second before looking back away.

"I... I don't like meeting new ponies." She says as she tightens her hold on me.

"Are you sure? She's really pretty." I coax, getting her to loosen up a bit. She looks over to Luna and turns back to me, looking scared.

"Miles!" She whispers loudly as she taps my shoulder. "Miles, she's an alicorn."

"I know." I whisper back.

"Only Princesses are alicorns Miles." She whispers as she hazardously looks back to Luna. She offers her a smile, only to have Shadow hide her face from her.

"Well, not technically. But she is one..."

"I'm Princess Luna, Celestias little sister." Luna tries as she steps towards us.

"Cele... are you royalty?" She asks me, getting me to laugh... wait a minute.

"If he'd even acknowledge it." Luna scoffs. I just smile as I look back to the others. Most seem content with this, but I can see a few worried looks.

"Lets head home already." I say, getting cheers from everyone. "Sound good Shadow?" I ask her as we all start to walk towards my jeep. She nods her head before letting out a long yawn. "Go ahead and go to sleep. We've got a bit of a drive to do."

"OK." She says as she lays her head back on my shoulder. I look over to Luna and shrug my shoulders to her.

"Im 'non certus esse." She says quietly.

"Nolite solliciti. Omnia fore bysso." I assure her.

"What are ya'll talking about?" Applejack asks.

"Stuff." I say as I look over to her. She just rolls her eyes and continues on.

"Hoc unum facitis nostra non?" She asks. I take a deep breath as I look over to her. "Me paenitet quidem, sed ... suus 'non extiterunt." She says as she looks down.

"Fringilla non fieret, scio. Hoc est magis tunc nobis sententia. Hoc est pro ea." She lets out another long sigh before leaning her head against me. I take my free hand and lay it against her neck, stroking her lightly.

"Uh... I take it yer keeping the foal." Applejack says from behind. I just chuckle as I continue on.

We make it to the jeep and begin to pack up, after I raise it from the ground. Luna gives me a kiss on the cheek before we take off, saying that we'll talk more at home. Shadow went asleep during the walk here, so I lay her on the passenger seat and buckle her in. I understand everyones' concerns, but what would they have me do? I'm now responsible for her.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

I watch from the city line as the human and the others leave. Camo looks back to me and gives a signal, so I turn back and begin to run down the streets. Luckily its night time, so there aren't many ponies out here. I make it to the flower shop and bare straight in, scaring the mare behind the counter.

"Sir, the shop is closed...."

"Black orchids are wilting." I say, getting her to drop the act.

"Are you...."

"Just shut up and let me in already!" I bark at her. She reaches down and pulls a lever, opening the tunnel entrance. I charge down the passageway until I reach the doors to the meeting hall. I pause for a second and collect myself before knocking on the door. After a few minutes of waiting the door slowly opens and I walk to the center light.

"What news do you bring us." Asks one of the figures on the dark.

"Camo Flash has been accepted to the Spartan squad..."

"Excellent."

"...as will True Will." The room falls silent after I say this. I feel a slight tingle go down my spine as I feel them stare me down.

"I'm sorry, could you say that again." Says a different voice.

"True Will has been offered to join the Spartan regiment. I don't know if he's accepted, but the offer is on the table."

"Leave us." I bow before walking out, trying my best to hear what they say as I go.

"... we trust him?"

"... have to."

".... a message to..."

The door shuts before I could hear anything else. I walk out to the front and stand at attention.

"What's the news?" He asks.

"Camo has been accepted sir!" I say as he walks around me.

"Good."

"And so has True Will." I say, making him stop. He walks back out to face me as he lowers his sunglasses.

"True Will has made it?"

"He's been offered at least sir."

"...*sigh* well, lets remind him who he belongs to then." He says as he walks to the door behind me. "Oh, and make sure to take care of those guards before you return to your post."

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

Once we finally make it back to Ponyville everyone starts to go home, Twilight nearly sprinting down the road. I wave to Big Mac as he carries a sleeping Applejack and Fluttershy away. Rarity and Pinkie both walk off together, both seeming eager to get home as well... well, it is three in the morning.

"Can the rest of you wait up real quick? I need to tell you all something." I ask quietly as I lift Shadow out of the car. They all look around before slowly walking to my home. I open the door..."

"BARK BARK BARK!" Lupus and Hati come barreling out of the door, nearly knocking me and Shadow over. I glance back to them and shake my head as I walk inside. I make motions to the others to wait as I take Shadow to her new room, the one across from mine. I walk in and lay her down, tucking her in as gently as possible.

"Mmhmm... Miles?" She asks as she wakes up slightly.

"Don't worry. You're in your new room. Just go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning, OK?" I say as I brush her main out of her face.

"OK. Thank you Miles... you're *yawn* ... a good pony." She says before falling back to sleep. I take a deep breath before standing up and leaving the room. I glance back to her as I shut the door quietly.

"It's a good feeling huh?" Rainbow says from the stairs. "I get it all the time from Scoot. Trust me, it only gets better."

"Yeah... anyway. Lets head down to the others. I have big news." I say as I walk past her. When we make it to the living room, I have Rainbow join the others

"What's this all about? This is valuable sleeping time you know." Dust Devil says as she continues to nod in and out. I ignore her questions as I go to the kitchen and pull out the Spartan logo necklace. I walk over and reveal the necklace, getting confused looks from all of them.

"Uh... what are...."

"You are all eligible to take Spartan training." I say bluntly, getting shocked looks from Dust Devil and Rainbow Dash. "I've seen all of your fighting prowess and recognize your character to be that of a Spartan. If you so choose, you may take the training regiment. I will start it up sometime within the next week, so think about this. I will push you to your limits, break you, try to kill you. But, I will also turn you into the greatest fighting force for good. You will become a beacon of light in times of dark, and the ray of hope to those without. When I call, you will have one day to make it here. If you don't make it, then you lose out. Think long and hard about this." I say as I give the necklace to Camo. "Sorry, but you three need to share for now..."

"Hold on one second." Rainbow says as she shakes her head. "You really think I can be a Spartan?"

"I think you could be one of the best." I say, getting her expression to soften. "You are a perfect example of the kind of character we look for in a recruit. You try to do whats right because its right. At the drop of a hat you put your own life at risk to save others. You're an adept fighter, though a bit rash, and I believe you can do this, do you?" She looks away from me as she starts to think about it. I take the necklace and toss it over to True Will, having him catch it with his magic.

"Are you sure..."

"Yes. You two were nominated, so I have to take their word on it, but I've seen Dust Devils character in action. I believe you can be a damn good Spartan. It's up to you three." They all look to each other, silently questioning each other over their choice. "You have some time to think about this. It won't be for a few days, so go and think deeply about this."

"We'll do that. Take care Miles." True Will says as he walks off, lost in thought.

"I'll be there, you can count on that." Camo says as he walks off confidently.

"Sleeeeeeeep." Dust Devil drags out as she drops her head and walks out.

"Miles.... I..."

"Don't think about it right now." I say to Rainbow. "Go home, sleep, take Scootaloo out for the day, and think about it. This will change your life, be sure you're ready for something like this." She nods to me as she walks away, looking deeply troubled.

I sigh in relief as I make my way back up the stairs, ready to go to...

"Miles." Luna says as she sits on the edge of my bed. I groan a bit as I walk over and drop onto the bed.

"Sleep." I mumble into the sheets.

"Sorry, but... we need to talk about this." She says as she lies next to me, nuzzling my head a bit. I roll over and take her in my arms, getting her to snuggle up against me. Tonight, is going to be a long night.

"Whats on your mind?"

"Well... it's about Shadow..."

"You already know..."

"No, I accept that you're going to watch over her now. I completely support that. It's... well... how do I word this correctly?"

"Just ask."

"Well, did you... check her for spiders?" She asks nervously.

"They were trying to infest her when I rescued her. That was evidence..."

"But that could of been a ruse. What if they only did that so you would rescue her and take them out of the mine? We need to check her over to make sure she..."

CREAK

We both look over to the door to see Shadow standing there, stifling tears as she looks down.

"Everything alright kido?" I ask as I sit up.

"...*sniff*..."

"What happened?"

"I... I wet the bed." She says as her tears start to roll down her face. I stand up and walk over to her, kneeling before her as I put my hands on her shoulders.

"Shh... its alright."

"No its not. I'm suppose to be a big pony, and I wet the bed. I woke up again and I thought I saw a spider and... it scared me..."

"And that's fine. After what you went through I understand perfectly..."

"Please don't be mad. I'll clean the sheets tomorrow, I promise..."

"Hey, no one is mad at you. Don't worry about the sheet either, we'll deal with them tomorrow. Lets just go to sleep and get this day over with." I say as I rub her back a bit. She nods and begins to walk away when I pick her up and bring her over to my bed.

"But... what if I..."

"You won't." I say as I lay her down on the on the bed. Luna stands up and eyes her a bit as I tuck her in. "If any spiders try to get you in here, I'll stomp them out for you, OK?" She looks between the two of us nervously before nodding, pulling the sheets closer to herself. Luna nudges me a bit and motions to the closet, so I follow after her.

"Miles, I need to get going now, but promise me you'll check her for spiders. I have a bad feeling about..."

"I will." I say as I start pulling my armor off. Luna waits for me to finish before giving me a hug.

"You're going to have to read her body over with magic and check for any other living organisms, do you know how?" She whispers into my ear.

"I know how." I say as drape my arms over her shoulders. "Ego amare te."

"Ego amare te magis."

"Ego amare te maxime." I say before giving her a soft kiss on the lips. I begin to pull back, only to have her push back in for another kiss. I just put my hand behind her ear and return the love.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

When home comes into view I pick up the pace, glad to finally be home. When I reach the door I slow down and begin to make a mental check list of what I need to do. I need to wake Storm up right away and beg for forgiveness, hug Spike, and to... to...

"What in Equestria happened here?" I ask aloud as I look around my destroyed home. Books lie everywhere, on the floor, on the stairs, everywhere except the shelves. The walls are covered in slashes, scorch marks and large dents. As I walk through the books I can see several of them and been completely destroyed. Most seems to have been burnt while several have been cut to shreds...

SLUUUUUURP

I look over to the kitchen to see Storm and Spike sitting there, eating cereal. As if there's nothing wrong in here.

SLUUUUUURP

"What happened here!?" I ask, getting both of their attention.

"TWILIGHT!" They yell as they run over and tackle me in a hug. They both start rambling on about who knows what as Spike lifts the two of us up.

"What happened here?" I ask as I teleport out their arms.

"Well... I sort of..."

"We had a little..."

"No! It was my..."

"I did the most damage..."

"No way! I did..."

"BOYS!" I yell, getting their attention. Spike sets Storm down and waits patiently. I look around the room some more before looking back to them. "*sigh* we'll get cleaning tomorrow. I could really use a bowl of cereal right now." I say as I walk over to the kitchen. As they stand there, dumbstruck, I pour myself a bowl and take a bite. "Are you joining me or not?" I ask with a mouthful.

"Aren't you mad?" Spike asks as he hesitantly walks over to the table and takes a seat.

"Well... a little. But I missed my boys more." I say as I take another bite and smile to Spike. He smiles back as he begins to eat his cereal. I look over to Storm and pat the chair next to me, getting him to smile as he walks over. "So, who want to tell me what happened?" I ask as Storm takes his seat.

"Well..."

"I'll tell her."

"No Spike. I'll tell her. It'll...."

"You're always telling me how to be a stallion, well here's my chance to be one. I'm telling her." Spike says, getting Storm to back off. "Well, when you were leaving for Miles's place a few days ago, you forgot a quill. I know how you get when you forget stuff so I went after you and... I found you talking with Miles..."

"OK." I say as I put my spoon down and turn towards him. I really have no idea where he's going with this, but I have a bad feeling about this.

"Well... I heard you say that you weren't meant to be a mother and... well... I thought you meant me." He looks down and begins to twiddle with his spoon, trying his hardest not to look me in the eyes. I reach over too him and place my hoof on his claw, getting him to look to me.

"Spike, I didn't mean anything about you. I was... in a bad mind set, and I'm sorry. I will always love you as my son, no matter what. Don't you ever forget that." He drops out of his chair and pulls me in for another hug. "Could you ever forgive me Spike?"

"I already did... Mom." He says as he tightens his squeeze on me. I ignore the added pressure and return the hug, still feeling horrible.

"Then... he came home." Storm adds, making Spike shutter.

"What happened when you came home?" I ask as we let go of each other.

"Well... I was mad and... started.... um... fuming."

"Fuming? Fuming how?" I ask nervously.

"Uh... I was ranting about how you lied to me and other mean things about you when Storm found me. He started to... tell me to do things or to stop talking poorly about you and... well... uhmm..."

"We got into a damn good fight." Storm finishes.

"You were fighting!" I yell as I look between the guilty and prideful idiots."That's why my books were destroyed!?"

"Well.... fire tends to do that." Spike says as he begins to shrink away.

"And a wind sword indoors isn't a very good idea sometimes." Storm adds. "Luckily we got the house looking good on the outside yesterday..."

"Yesterday? What about the other days?" I ask as I look between the two of them.

"Well... the first day I tried to run away, but Storm out flew me. Then I tried to break out of the house, but he would always drag me back. Then we just started fighting...."

"And I would always win." Storm finishes proudly. "The entire time I would remind him how much he means to us and how hurt we would be if he left. It slowly chiseled away at him until he finally broke down. After that, we made up and started fixing the place up."

I lean over and whisper to Storm, "How bad was it?"

"He not much of a fighter. I can tell..."

"The house."

"Oh... well... lets just say we had a duplex for awhile." I lean back and try to process this in a sensible, level headed manner.

"Twilight..."

"*sigh* buck it." I say as I get up. "Lets just go to bed. You two already made up, that's all I care about at the moment." They both look to each other before laughing. I watch them for a few seconds before laughing myself. It's good to be home.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

I wave goodbye to Dust, Camo and Will before flying up to my house. Scootaloo is probably asleep at the Apples, so I'll just get her tomorrow morning. I get to my door and get inside quickly, getting chills from the northern winds. Winters quickly approaching, this'll probably mean more weather duties...

"Hello?" I look down the hall and gawk for a second. "Rainbow, you're back!"

"SOARIN!" I yell as I run into his hooves for a hug. "I missed you so much, but what are you doing here? Don't you have to..."

"The Wonderbolts can wait. Once I heard you left I used this chance to get to know Scootaloo better." He says as he pulls back to look me in the eyes.

"And... how did it go?" I ask nervously.

"She's great." He says simply. I lunge forward for another hug at the great news...

"Whats going on.... MOM!" I look over only to get tackled by Scootaloo. I twist around and hold onto her tightly, nuzzling her neck to make her giggle. "When did you get back? Was it dangerous? Did you save anypony? Were there any of those creepy food creatures there? What...."

"Whoa, slow down there squirt." Soarin says as he wraps his arms around me from behind. "Lets let her take a rest before we bombard her with questions, K?"

"Aw." She pouts as she gives me her puppy dog eyes.

"Well.... I guess one story couldn't hurt."

"YES!" She exclaims as she flutters out of my hooves and heads to the kitchen table. I try to move, but Soarin keeps me in place, nuzzling the back of my mane softly. "Soarin! Quit holding up the story!" We both laugh as he lifts me up and carries me over to the table.

"Well then, lets hear it." Soarin says as he takes a seat next to Scootaloo.

"Well... this is basically how I, the one and only Rainbow Dash, earned her way to be a Spartan." I gloat as I lean back in my seat.

"Spartan? You mean like Miles, Storm, and Big Mac?" Scootaloo asks.

"Eeyup."

"WHOA! Way to go Dash! Are you going to do it? They could use all the super heroes they can get and..."

"Slow down squirt. I don't know if I'm going to do it yet. But I was offered. Let me tell you what I did to earn it." Scootaloo bobs her head in excitement while Soarin just gives me a troubled look."There I was, back to back with Miles; surrounded by dozens of insane over powered humans trying to suck out our souls..."

"Whoa..."

"Yeah... whoa."

"Was I scared? Of course not. Miles jumped through their earthen barricade and pulled three of them off, but one decided to try to take me on. So I lifted my rifle and...." I pause for dramatic effect, "PEWPEWPEWPEWPEW-KERBOOOM!" I yell as I jump into the air. "He collides with me and explodes from my gun fire. When I woke up, I was hurt, bad."

"*gasp* did somepony save you?"

"Yeah... how hurt?"

"Bad. I started to crawl my way to a building in the distance. I saw some dark energy there and figured it way the others. After about how know how long I decided to try and fly there. I passed out just as Camo flash came to my rescue. You know what happened next?" I ask as I take my seat and lean in.

"What?" Scootaloo asks in a whisper as she leans in.

"I... got... SHOT!" I yell as I slam my hoof on the table.

"NO WAY! What happened!?"

"You what!?"

"Hehe, maybe next time kido. Its way past your bed time, c'mon. Lets go." I say as I stand up.

"Aw... but..."

"No buts, we'll talk more tomorrow." I say as I wait for her to get up. With a heavy sigh she jumps down and marches to her room. I walk in and take a looks around the mess; just how it was before.

"Do I have to go to school tomorrow? What if I 'got sick' and we hanged out all day? Soarin to?" I pick her up and lay her down, tucking her in as I think about it.

"I would love nothing more then that, but school is important. We can hang out afterwards, OK?"

"*sigh* fine."

"Sweet dreams squirt." I say as I nuzzle her a bit on the forehead.

"Night Mom."

.................................................................................................................................................................................................

"Huh! What?" I look around the dark room when the sound of something opening the door wakes me up. I look over and hear something big stepping into the room.

"Miles!" I whisper loudly. "Miles, there's a monster in the room." I look over to see him completely asleep.

"*sniff...sniff*" What ever came into the room is now taking big sniffs of the area. It's probably trying to find me, what should I do? I look back to Miles before the sniffing scares me again, making me hide under his arm.

"Miles!" I shout/whisper. "What is..."

"*pant pant*".

"Oh... it's just a dog." I sigh in relief as the dog jumps onto the bed and begins sniffing around. "Here doggy doggy." I say as I reach out for it. I feel the fluffy fur under my hoof and begin to pet it, getting it to pant some more.

"Alright doggy, it's time to go to bed." I say as I get up to go back to my spot. Instead the dog just goes to my pillow and spins in a circle five kajillion times before dropping down.

"Hey, that's my spot." I whine, only to get a sigh in response. Well... now where will I sleep?

Next Chapter: Chapter 141 Meeting New Ponies Estimated time remaining: 52 Hours, 45 Minutes