Takes place shortly after Twilight has learned she is pregnant early on in the events of The Soldier and The Unexpected.

The Commander has just had her world rocked by the news of her pregnancy. Not sure what she is going to do now that her future is uncertain she turns to the only ponies who were always there for her and speaks to them not as The Commander, but as Twilight Sparkle.

Commander Twilight Sparkle sighed as she left the dining room of Golden Oaks Library with Chrysalis and a very excited Spike. “Don't worry Twilight, I’ll take care of cleaning and sorting the Library so you don't have to strain yourself.” the young drake said.

“Spike I am fully capable of helping, I’m not stuck in bed.” Twilight said chuckling.

“Twilight you are carrying a foal!” Spike said as if she wasn't aware of this fact. “You shouldn't be over exerting yourself at all.”

“Yes Spike but my magic--”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything!” he said puffing out his chest. “you can count on me. Just worry about taking care of yourself.”

Twilight sighed as it was clear the young dragon would hear no argument on the matter, so Twilight smiled too. “Thanks Spike, remind me to get you and extra large gem later.” she said.

The dragon had been saying this and arguing about Twilight doing anything at all since the alicorn told him about her pregnancy after dinner last night. She had to admit she was proud of him for being willing to take on so much extra work just to help her even if it wasn't needed right now.

“Don't worry about it Twilight, you don't need to give me anything for doing this, just you having a healthy foal is all that important.” Spike said. “It's about time too, I was wondering when you two finally would.”

Twilight blinked. “What do you mea--” She was cut off by a pony coming in the front door with a book held in his magic and Spike rushing off to help them. Twilight sighed again, she would ask later about it

She looked at the queen of the changelings when she started chuckling and Twilight arched a brow. “What? It's cute how much he cares about you, you should be proud.” Chrysalis said.

Twilight sighed once more. ‘I am.” she said as she looked over at the dragon as he helped the stallion find another hook “He’s a good kid.”

“That he is, and I think it reflects on you as someone who helped raise him.”

“Maybe, but I didn't really raise him, my parents and Celestia helped, I was just...there for most of his early life.”

“Yes but who was he always around to see and learn from? Who was it that made sure he was cared for? And who is it he lives with and is willing to take on more responsibility for?”

Twilight didn't have an answer to that in steady she sighed once more. Her thoughts were all warring with each other. On one hoof she wanted to believe Chrysalis, but on the other Spike was raised before her trip and she became what she is now and she was terrified of that somehow being part of her foal or her doing something horrible to them.

“I’m….going to take a walk around town, get some fresh air.” She said.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Chrysalis as looking at her with a bit of concern.

“No, you should probably return to duty, I did sort of call you here suddenly and I’m sure you were busy.”

“Ok...if you need me just call.” she said and Twilight nodded before she put on her mirrored sure glasses and headed for the door.

She walked out the door and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, then she began to walk. At this hour ponies and changelings were just starting to wake up so she effectively had the streets to herself. She was glad for that as she didn't really want to deal with anyone right now.

The alicorn walked through the streets of Ponyville with no clear destination in mind, she was simply walking. Eventually she found herself outside an old gate and she looked beyond it at the stones.

She sighed as she entered. Making her way past the many other stones she eventually reached the five she was looking for and took off her sunglasses. “Hey girls….been a while hasn't it?” she said to the gravestones.

She sat before the five stones marking where her friends rested. Each stone represented achieve of the ponies she remembered perfectly.

Applejack’s was very simple, just her name, cutie mark and the year of her birth and death, nothing fact to it, it served it's purpose and that's all it needed to.

While next to that rested Fluttershy. Her grave was simple but did have a bit of flare to it, mostly the carvings of animals and trees on it and the words “Sometimes all you need is Kindness.” under the years. She noticed a flower resting before the grave indicated either Discord or the worker at the Fluttershy Animal Refuge had been here.

Pinkie Pie's was what she had expected, a rainbow of color, glitter, streamers, confetti and many other things that made it look like someone mugged a party factory, she still wondered how the balloons kept floating and never losing their buoyancy.

Rarity was a pillar of design and elegance with every curve of the statue of the pony who rested beneath it that of Rarity wearing the last dress she ever designed before her passing, and yet there was a simplicity to the text used for her name, cutie mark and dates, they were slight curved text but nothing more, Rarity may have sometimes forgotten her small town roots but she always remembered them after a while. The quote under it always made Twilight smile. “Always follow your passion but never forget those who are important to you.”

And then there was Dash’s, in life her and Applejack’s had been in near constant competition but in death she competed with Rarity as the pegasus’ grave showed the pegasus in her Wonderbolt uniform mid sonic rainboom, clouds spreading behind her and large latter's marking her name with smaller the dates, even her cutie mark was colored and like Rarity she had a quote. Always follow your dream!

Twilight smiled at them all but it slowly fell as she looked at the space in the miid, the area that had been set for her. She shifted her wings, least when time was going to kill her.

“So...big news girls...I’m pregnant.” she said smiling. “yup, that's right. I’m going to be a mother…..and I am absolutely terrified out of my mind.” she said and started to pace. “I mean, I can drop into a warzone and not even flinch and yet this terrifies me to the point of wanting to run.”

“I mean...I’m not fit to be a mother, not with what I am and what if the foal turns out to be a mini me? I can control myself but they won't be able to. What if the next great threat to Equestria is my own kid? But if I am forced to choose between protecting Equestria or my own kid….I don't know which I'd choose...girls….I’m scared…”

She stopped pacing and looked at the gravestones. “I wish you were all here….you would all help me figure out what to do.” she started to pace. “You always helped me know what the right thing was and kept me from slipping more, but now you are all gone and I know my morals are all shot to hell.”

“i mean Chrysalis is going to help...by the way she's the father I suppose...however that works.” she said and stopped pacing before sitting on her haunches and sighing as she looked down. “Everything was going to plan, Equestria was safe, Chrysalis was set to take control of the army, and I was ready to die, get to see you girls one last time and then be dragged off to hell to spend eternity paying for my crimes.” she opened her wings. “and then I got these and that plan went out the window as I became immortal.”

She looked at the grave tearing starting to run own her face. “I mean...why me? why give someone like me immortality? What have I done to remotely deserve becoming an alicorn? If anything the elements should have turned me into a statue or worse.”

“But no, they grant me immortality and alicornhood, what more does life want from me? Does it just want to punish me some more? And now I have a kid to worry about possibly becoming a murderous psychopath who rampages throughout Equestria killing all they come across and I most likely having to fight them….I….I don't want that….I’m bad enough.”

“Why couldn't I have just died of old age like I was suppose to….” she started pacing again. “and now I can't die because I have to worry about the foal in me and try to make sure the don't become a threat….I don't even know how to raise a foal. I’m a soldier, not a mother. I’m a terrible candidate...I’m probably the poster mare for worst example of potential mother.”

She stopped and looked to the sky. “Why me? There are thousands of other much better mares deserving of being a mother, why make me one?” she shouted to the sky then slowly melted down onto the ground. “I haven't done anything to deserve having a kid….I’m a monster….” she turned her head to look at the graves once more. “If you girls were here I'd feel so much better...I'd have you to make sure I didn't do something really bad and screw up my kid forever…” she said and just laid there.

After a while she slowly got to her hooves and sighed. “Well….i guess there isn't anything I can do about it...all I can do is try not to screw up” she looked up at the Graves and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thanks for listing girls...it helped. I’m still afraid but I’m...calmer.” she said as she took her sunglasses out of her pocket dimension and placed them on her head. “Guess we will all see what happens huh?” She said before turning and heading for the gate. A moment later she felt hooves wrap around her from behind and she stopped and sighed looking down. “heh...thanks Pinkie...you always knew when I just needed a hug.”

Author's Note

Well then here we go, an event I should habe done a long long time ago but hadn't even thought about till the fic was completed. And not it exists here within this collection.

This should also help me get back into the routine of writing so.I can get back to updating my other fics thst are in desperate need of it but at least this give you something related to them to read eh?

Anyways not much to say about this as it speaks for itself I'd say.