A day has passed since Discord fell, and the resolve of this town has shown through with tremendous vitality and admiration. Buildings are on their way to being rebuilt. Those who have been injured are being treated. And the dead has found their final resting places. This town has been through so much, but its resolve to move forward has been nothing but strengthened. I could not think of a single other town with this kind of commitment to each other, it is truly something magical.

Miles hasn't woken up yet. He isn't unconscious, otherwise I would have been able to peer into his dream. He's... just, there. Some kind of internal conflict is waging on in that head of his and there isn't a single thing anypony could do to help. It pains me to see him this way, but a relief at the same time knowing he's alive at the least. That goes double for Celestia. Doctors say after a week of bed rest she should be back on her hooves, but that's if she stays in bed. At one point we had to physically restrain her to keep her in bed. She's determined to help in any possible way, something I've missed about her dearly. Putting the subjects before her own health, it was something I've always admired about her.

Over this time I've been keeping busy myself as well. With Celestia bed ridden, it's been up to me to make all of the executive decisions. I thanked the zebra ponies for aiding us in our time of need, sought to restore the Solar Guard to its rightful place, had to orchestrate all of the bots that had changed back to go home, check in with a doctor -secretly of course- and aid as many patients as possible. After a day straight of all of this, my doctor finally pulled me aside for a quick, private word.

"Is everything alright doctor? Am I still... you know?" I ask as we enter her office. The unicorn doctor shuts the door and goes to her seat behind the desk, her tired eyes scanning over some documents.

"Yes, everything should be fine-"

"Oh, thank you mother!"

"But I still want to be careful! No more strenuous activity! Be sure to get plenty of fluids and try to get a decent meal in as well. How far along are you again?" I think about it for a moment, trying to get the most accurate answer.

"It should be a little over four weeks now." I tell her, getting her to scribble a few notes down.

"Well, it's March, and with one month down, your baby should be arriving sometime in September then. Now, lets set up a schedule for future appointments. Have you alerted the doctor in the castle of this yet?"

"Well... no, but I've only known for two days now. That... and..."

"And?" She asks, far too tired to try and not sound annoyed.

"Well... I'm thinking of having the baby here, in Ponyville." I inform her, getting a shocked look from her.

"... here... in Ponyville?" She asks to clarify, to which I nod.

"I'm thinking about it still, and I would like to discuss it with Miles as well, but... we like it here." I say with a shrug, getting her to drop her clipboard.

"Princess Luna, with all due respect, Ponyville is no place for royalty to be... born! I mean, don't get me wrong, I love this town with all my heart. But, this is a future ruler of Equestria for pony sake! There hasn't been a birth in the Royal family outside the castle grounds... since you and your sister!" She says as she runs a hoof through her grey mane and tries to wrap her mind around the idea.

"Doctor Care, I understand that this is a little unorthodox, but I-"

"Unorthodox! That's an understatement!" She practically yells as she leans back and gawks at me. "The foal can't, or shouldn't, leave the hospital for at least a week! And that's assuming there aren't any complications! Do you have any idea what kind of frenzy the paparazzi would have if news about this leaked out!? We don't have the staff to keep those vultures out! I'm sorry, but... it's impossible." She concludes. I take a slow and even breath as I try to collect my thoughts about this.

I know that we wouldn't be able to leave right away, and that we wouldn't be able to go far with the foal. Miles's home is close, but open for prying eyes to steal peeks. The bots could help keep them back, but I don't want anything with weapons near my foal, especially that early. I'm sure the Royal family would have a field day with this as well. There's no telling what they'll come up with when I announce my being pregnant. Can't imagine what it would be if I try to have foal here.

"I... I guess you're right." I say, getting a relieved sigh from Doctor Care.

"Good, I'm sorry for being so blunt about that-"

"No, no, you were right to. You are a Doctor, it is your duty to attend to your patients medical needs first." I tell her formally as I stand. She stands as well and bows, though I can tell she doesn't know why she's bowing. "I'm going back to the medical ward to-"

"NO!" She yells, making me jump slightly. "I mean, no. You need your rest. Go check on your sister and husband while I make sure to send something to eat up there. Please Princess." She begs, making me sigh in defeat.

"Very well, I'll leave my ponies in your capable hooves. Doctor Intensive Care." I nod to her before turning and taking my leave.

The halls of the hospital are filled with injured ponies. The youngest and most extreme cases are being treated by professionals first, as by my decree, leaving the rest to either wait or have to settle for the volunteer aid. Alongside me, Twilight has been going non stop with her Med-gun and household supplies. I'll have to ask her why she had so many potions after this is all settled out, just out of curiosity. When I turn down a hall I have to stop from running into somepony.

"Beg your pardon your highness." The earth stallion mutters as he ties off a bandage on a light blue earth mare. He's tall and has orange hair that's covered in soot and ash. The mare winces from the added pressure being added to her leg, but fights to keep a calm face for her two foals.

"You're... the Cakes, if I'm not mistaken." I guess as I step closer to them. "What happened?" I ask as I look to the wounded pony. The stallion looks to me and my heart drops when I see that his right eyes has been bandaged up.

"Don't worry about me, doctors say I'll be able to keep it." He muses when he notices me reaction.

"Princess, could you help him!" The mare begs as she tries to turn to me.

"Be careful, honey bun!" The stallion scolds as he rests a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't strain yourself anymore than you need to. But... if you were willing, could you help my wife please?"

"Carrot!"

"She needs her strength for the foals! I can take the pain, she's a big softy!" I chuckle as they begin to argue over who should be healed first. I feel something small hug my leg in the midst of their bickering and find a pegasus foal hugging my leg. I smile down to the little one and sit down so I can pick him up. He smiles up to me and playfully hits at my chest. I can't help but smile down at him and wonder what my own foal will be like.

"Ahem." I snap back to their conversation and look up to them. They've both stopped bickering and are staring at me, smiling warmly. I blush as I look back down to the little colt in my hooves.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." I admit as I bring a hoof to his and toy with him a bit, poking at his tummy and nose. "And, I can heal both of you if you wish."

"So when are you expecting?" The mare asks, making me look to her in shock. "I have two of my own deary, and I know plenty of mares with their own. I know that look. Who's the lucky stallion?" She asks, making a question burst out from my mouth.

"Where's the other one then?" I immediately regret asking, and feel even worse when the sad looks come onto their faces.

"Our little Pumpkin Cake was injured during the run to Miles's house. She's receiving treatment in that room right now." The stallion, Carrot, informs me. I nod to him and offer his son back.

"I am sorry this happened to you-"

"Oh no deary, you're only sorry when it was your fault. This was all that monster Discords doing." The mare says with malice in her voice. I nod to her and begin to charge my horn. I've been doing this all day, so I feel a bit of strain hit me as I begin to heal the two of them.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask them as I continue to heal them.

"Of course, your highness." The mare says quickly, caught off guard by my question.

"Will you continue to raise your foals here in Ponyville?" My question catches them further off guard, but Carrot answers it as quickly.

"Of course, why would we leave?"

"Ponyville attracts a lot of unwanted attention, especially recently. It would seem that every week it is becoming less and less safe to live here, let alone bring a child up here. What is it about this place that keeps you here?" This time the mare answers first, much sooner than I would anticipate though.

"Dear, this is our home. I wish that the bad things wouldn't happen, but I still wouldn't trade Ponyville for Manehattan, Trottingham, or even Canterlot. The ponies here are nice, the business is constant, not to mention that despite the bad, it always ends well. Las Pegasus has been nearly wiped out, where's the good for those ponies? We've been attacked, had rampaging monsters, and even been literally turned upside down! But no matter what, we band together and rise up and meet the challenges head on." I finish up healing them just in time for the door to their right to open up, revealing a nurse in scrubs.

"Pumpkin Cake is fine now, we've treated her completely. All she needs now is her parents and some rest." She tells them before walking back inside. The mare smiles as she stands up and faces me.

"Good always triumphs in Ponyville, Princess Luna, always. Thanks you for helping us, but I need to see my baby girl now."

"Of course, and thank you. For telling me all of that, it helped." I tell her. They both bow to me before rushing inside the room. I make my way to Miles's and Celestia's room where I enter quietly as possible-

"Can you untie me already?" Celestia asks loudly. I roll my eyes as I close the door behind me, so much for trying to be quiet.

"I dunno, are you going to stay put?" I ask playfully as I walk over and check on Miles, nuzzling his cheek a bit.

"I need to pee." She deadpans. I think about it for a moment before levitating a bed pan over to her. She looks to the pan then back to me, waiting for me to say it's a joke.

...

...

...

"Oh fine," I say as I undo her magical restraints. "But just to the bathroom! I don't want to hear a single word of you doing anything more."

"Yes, mother." She drones as she scoots out of bed. I laugh a bit at that and begin to crawl into bed with Miles. As I try to get comfy against him, I find something squirming underneath me.

"Miles!?" I ask as I turn around and throw the sheets off.

"Not quite." I gawk at Trixie as she lays between me and my husband. An awkward silence fills the room as we stare at one another. After several minutes she finally starts to scoot out of the bed. "Um... can you scoot over a bit?" She asks as she tries to get around me.

"That depends on what you were doing in here with my husband." I say with a bit a venom in my voice as I continue to glare at her.

"Well... you see... there... weren't any other beds, so... I figured... um, just a bit please?" She asks as she tries to get around me on the bed.

"There are plenty of other beds with other stallions, why Miles's bed?" I ask a bit louder, make her back away from me.

"Um... maybe this isn't the be-WAH!" She shrieks as she fumbles over Miles. She falls back and grabs Miles in an attempt to stay up, but only manages to drag him down as well.

FLASH

I blink a bit when a bright flash comes from beneath the bed. Confused, I scoot over and peer over the bed. A silence fills the room as Miles sits back up and looks between the two of us. Nopony says anything as we stare at one another, trying to grasp what just happened.

"Luna," Miles mutters as he breaks the silence.

"Yes Miles."

"I was human back in the fight," he starts.

"Yes."

"And now I'm a pony again."

"That is correct."

"Hmm... big green with wings and pointy head thingy?"

"Eeyup."

"..."

"Are you going to-"

"SON OF A BITCH!" He yells as he tries to stand up, but fumbles over and falls back down. "OH COME ON! I HAVE TO RE-LEARN TO WALK!? FUCK!" He yells as he flops around on the ground. Trixie teleports to my side to avoid his flailing legs.

"Miles! Miles, calm down before you-"

SMACK

FLASH

Everything goes quiet again when he smacks his head against the bedpost and turns back into a human. Miles looks over himself and cracks a smile... then loses it when he realizes what just happened.

"I'm... going to need a helmet." He mutters as somepony opens the door behind us.

"Will somepony please tie the princess back up before she over exerts herself trying to heal everypony?" A doctor demands as some nurses usher in Celestia. Oh... things just can't go back to normal, can they.

After tending to ponies nonstop for over a day, the doctors demand that I take a break to rest. I assured them that I could keep going, but when they brought out every nurse and urged me to reconsider, I decided to listen to them. They are doctors after all. So I take my leave and begin to head home.

I strap my rifle to my back and toss my saddle bags on my hips as I leave the hospital. Much of Ponyville has been damaged, but luckily very few homes actually burned down. Just like after any disaster, many construction ponies have already started rebuilding and repairing homes and businesses. I'm glad that even in the worse of times, our friendships will shine through... oh! I should write that to Celestia... wait, do I still write to Celestia? I guess it wouldn't hurt to, and she might enjoy it as well.

I sigh in relief when I walk through the door to my home and drop all of my belongings. I'm glad I set those fire resistant charms back when I moved in-

THUD

I jump a little when a large duffle bag falls from the stairs.

"Sorry 'bout that!" Storm yells as he flies down, clad in armor. "Things a bit heavy-"

"Where are you going?" I ask as I step towards him. He drops to the ground and hoists the bag onto his back, grunting a bit from its weight.

"I'm going to start looking for Spike." He says matter of factly. "It's been a day now and we haven't seen tooth or scale of him. I'm going to start out with Mt. Skyscraper, then the Everfree, White Tail woods-"

"Storm, what if he comes home before you do? How would we get a hold of you then?" I ask as I step in his way.

"Just have Miles call me with the Spartan necklace. But every second I spend here is a second longer he might be in trouble. I can't just stand here and wait for answers, I'm going after him." He says before kissing me on the cheek and walking around me.

"Then I'm going with you!" I say before running back to my bags and start to put them back on, only to stop when Storm puts a hoof on my shoulder.

"Twilight, you know you can't."

"He's my son too, Storm!"

"Yeah, but I'm not carrying a foal with me, am I?" He says, getting me to stop and look back to him. He sighs before setting down the bag and coming over to me, wrapping me up in a tender hug. "Twilight, I don't want to risk what happened last time. That nearly destroyed us. Please, stay behind. If not for me, then for our foal."

"Beside, he won't be going alone." We jump a little when the new voice enters the room. We look back to see Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Soarin geared up for a long trip... well, in Rarity's case, she seems a little unprepared. Given how much she usually packs. "We're coming too." Soarin affirms.

"But-"

"No buts Twilight." Rarity says as she steps forward. "We all want Spike home as much as you do. This is no different than the time he ran off to join the dragon migration."

"But, what about your shops?" Storm asks.

"Sugarcube Corner burned down." Pinkie says... a little too happily. "So while the insurance ponies fix it up, why not go after one of my best buds?"

"Yes... buds." Rarity says, blushing a little. Storm and I look over to Soarin and wait for him to explain himself.

"Well... I doubt you guys know the dragon migration route. Not to mention I know plenty of caves and mountains along the way that are notorious for attracting dragons. Plus, having an ex-Wonderbolt couldn't hurt when chasing down a dragon."

"What about Rainbow?" I ask.

"Somepony needs to watch over Scootaloo... and to rest for... things. So, I'm going. Rainbow also told me to tell you that if you try to argue she will cite Spartan Codex on you, so deal with it." Soarin says, getting Storm and I to look to one another. I give him a weak smile before pulling him for another hug.

"Be safe and get our son back." I whisper into his ear.

"I will." He says quietly before breaking the hug. Rarity and Pinkie rush over and squeeze me in a group hug, thanks to Pinkie mainly. They all give me their reassurances of getting Spike back before they turn and leave.

Once the door shuts I try and collect my thoughts. I've never been on my own, usually Spike would be here by my side to help. I glance around the room and realize how empty it is without my boys, and how much I miss them already.

KNOCK KNOCK

I run to the door and throw it open, expecting it to be Storm, but nearly fall over when I see who it is.

"B-Blueblood!? What are you doing here?!" I ask in bewilderment as he stands at my door with a squad of unicorn guards behind him.

"Princess Twilight, as soon as I heard of the troubling news I came rushing over to assist." He says melodramatically as he ushers himself in.

"Please... come in." I deadpan as his guards take their place in my living room, along with somepony I don't know. He's a unicorn with a white coat, overly done light brown hair, blue eyes, and a cutie mark of a golden tea set.

"Is there anything you need? I know!" *clap clap* Gold Standard! Bring some tea!" Blueblood orders. His servant begins to run all over my home, grabbing a table, cushion, and table topping to the middle of the front room before running off to start making tea. I huff in annoyance and go off to get my own cushion, seeing how Blueblood has taken the only seat at the table. When I get back Blueblood is eyeing all of my tea ware, obviously unsettled by their rustic value.

"Why are you here Blueblood?" I ask as I take a seat across from him.

"As I said, as soon as I heard about all of the chaos in Ponyville I mobilized my personal guard and came here as quickly as possible." He says, holding his actions in high regard.

"Well, you can help with the rebuilding and healing ponies. But as for the actual fight, that's been dealt with already." I tell him as Gold Standard comes in and pours Blueblood a cup of tea. I roll my eyes as I take my kettle back and pour myself a cup.

"Is that so? Well then, that means we can move onto my- our next order of business." He says before taking a long, slow sip from his tea.

"And that would be?" I ask, growing impatient.

"Your moving to the castle of course." He says matter of factly. I nearly drop my cup when he says this. Did... did he say, move to the castle. "You seem shocked. You're a Princess of Equestria now, and as such it will be expected of you to reside in Canterlot-"

"But what about my friends! I don't want to leave Ponyville!" I practically yell. Blueblood simply takes another slow sip from his cup, ignoring my protest. I charge my horn and knock the cup from his hooves, spilling it on the ground. "What gives you the right to-"

"I am a Prince of Equestria!" He yells back as he stands up, dwarfing me with his own stature. "I have the right to speak to you as an equal, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! Keep in mind, Princess Twilight, that the Royal sister will always be held over the rest of us. The riff-raff peasants, your friends, me, you, all of us serve under the Royal sisters! So do not speak down to me! I have enough influential pull with the Canterlot Elite to have you demonized for the rest of your life, so don't you dare test me." He warns me as he pushes the table aside and gets in my face.

"Ahem." We both look over to see Miles in the doorway, leaning against the side. Blueblood steps away from me and glares at Miles. "So, Blueballs, nice to see you still haven't learned to treat the mares right." He says as he looks at the back of his hand.

"My liege." Blueblood says as he bows to Miles.

"Okay, who the fuck told him?" Miles asks aloud.

"I have many ears over all of Equestria, my King. It will be... a pleasure, to have you in the Castle-"

"Fuck that noise." Miles says as he walks in and stands before me. "Hey Twi, according to Celestia you and a few of the others made contact with the Unfamiliar while I was... out. I need-"

"My liege!" Blueblood yells as he jumps between the two of us. "A Royal meeting will be held tomorrow to introduce you to the-"

"Don't care. I need to go over all of the details with you guys and-"

"I'm afraid I must insist." Blueblood pushes, putting on a sly smile. "You see, if you refuse, I'll have to follow you around to assure your safety-"

"Don't worry, I'm sure there aren't any fanny bandits here that are willing to go after me." Miles retorts. I can't help but chuckle at the joke, though I'm not sure if Blueblood is gay or not. He does wear a lot of make up-

"I'm afraid that my orders still stand. I will be at your side until the meeting is complete, my liege." He says with another bow. Miles and I both roll our eyes at his reluctance. Leave it to Blueblood to snake his way around more important issues.

"I'll begin to make copies of what we found and have them ready for you as soon as possible." I tell Miles, getting a nod from him. "You go ahead and take care of this in the meantime."

"*sigh* do I have to?" Miles complains.

"Of course my liege, it wouldn't be a party without our King." Blueblood says with a chuckle.

PUNCH

"BLUEBLOOD!" Gold Standard yells as he runs to his unconscious body.

"Okay then, now-"

"You still have to go." I tell him.

"... your lips say go, but your eyes say-"

"I'll send a letter to Luna to let her know that you're going to the meeting tomorrow. Have fun, I'm going to bed now. Can you please take out the trash?" I ask as I head up the stairs, ready to crash for a few days.

Only eight more chapters until the Q/A, be sure to update your questions and post away. The Spartan Oc blog will also be closing soon, so if you have an oc, now is the time to post.

Brony on!