Silver settled that night between the warm forms of Twilight, Fast, and Night surrounding him. He was cradled between them, and he thought as he settled to sleep.

This was not a bad world.

Why would Celestia do something like this?

He decided to review what he could iron down as facts.

Fact, he never made it to the ship he and Celestia were supposed to be on.

Fact, Celestia was not there when he woke up.

Fact, Celestia has not tried to contact him.

The last bothered him perhaps most of all. If this was the act of another, surely Celestia would want to reach out to him, make sure he was fine and find out what happened instead of their planned journey. But if she did it on purpose, why wouldn't she come just as swiftly, spinning tales to throw him off balance and comfort him with lies until he let the whole thing drop?

It didn't quite add up. Well, who was he? He was a damn prince! He sat up a little with a frown. "If answers won't come to me, I'll find them myself." His little murmur got sleepy complaints from his slumbering wives, and he settled back down. Having decided on it, he felt better, and sleep came for him.

He awoke in an equally familiar, but different, bedroom. Luna reclined on a rather comfortable looking bed, but hadn't she had pillows?

"You look perplexed, my prince. Celestia insisted on it. 'Sleeping cushions are too old fashioned', or so she claimed." She snorted softly. "I'm still getting used to it." She rolled up to her haunches, but didn't leave the bed. "Join me."

Silver smiled. "I'm being invited to bed by a very captivating mare."

Luna leaned forward. "We are glad you understand the gravity of the matter." She tapped the mattress. "Come."

Hopping up, Silver was soon seated just in front of her, and they shared soft nuzzles. Silver was still young, as a pony. Even his gained alicorn stature put him a bit below Luna, but that should change with time. "Luna, I'm not upset to see you, but why?"

Luna tilted her head. "I was thinking strongly of you. I..." She glanced away and back. "I will confess. I took charge for you, which is something that has hurt us both in the past, but I cannot ignore your pain."

Silver inclined his ears forward. "I don't want you picking fights with anyone. Luna, I'm going to fight my own battles, starting tomorrow. Expect to see me in Canterlot in person."

Her face brightened. "Truly? Well, you know you can call on me. Fighting on your own hooves does not preclude having allies at your side." She pulled Silver closer with her magic and kissed the top of his nose. "Will you sleep with me?"

Silver let out a soft fit of laughter as he snuggled in with her, pulling up the blanket over them both and getting comfortable. "Is it strange that I can feel you meaning it literally?" He held her gently. "We can consider other things when I'm there in person."

Sun streaming through the window, Silver awakened to find a new day and squinted his slit eyes a moment before he hopped to the floor and began stretching out.

"How are you today?" Night was seated nearby, watching him.

"Better." But he always said that. "Today, I fight." He trotted into the shower without pause and began washing himself off. "I'm going to find out what's real, and what's fake, and start living. No matter what, I want to start living."

Night didn't move, looking to where he rested in the shower. "Tell me what you dreamed of."

"I don't think it was a dream."

"Don't play semantics. Whatever you saw. Whatever you experienced, share some."

Silver emerged from the shower, toweling himself off as he went. "You had magic armor that enhanced all kinds of pony magic, even subtle kinds like durability and strength. You could fly faster, farther, kick as strong as Applejack on her best day. Hay... You might have had other talents, but we never got to finish exploring them." He looked up at her. "You were so happy..."

"Why?" She tilted her head. "Why did that make me so happy?"

"Your talent doesn't work internally?" Silver approached her and kissed her on the bridge of her nose. "I didn't forget your words. You are an amazing pony, but you still feel you lack your own magic."

Night frowned slightly. "I suppose... that's true... Borrowing Fast's was quite the experience. So I had a magic of my own?"

"You did." He nipped at her shoulder, then began to pull his clothes over, getting dressed quickly with his magic. "You were a goddess, easily a physical match for the family, but you had to pay a terrible price to get it."

"Terrible?" She frowned all the more, leaning forward. "Is this one of those cautionary tales?"

"If you take it as one." He shook out a bit, getting his saddlebag in place. "I died wearing most of the armor, then you took it and found the rest. You literally upended the universe to get me back, ordering around Twilight to do it. You were the alpha female of the herd to be certain." He looked up at Night. "If a great silver thing comes from the sky, tread cautiously."

Night stood there, gazing without comprehension a few moments before her eyes narrowed. "That's impossible. If you were dead, the vision would end, wouldn't it?"

"You'd think." He waved a hoof. "I'm growing more certain that it wasn't a dream, but what was it, and who threw me in it, that's what I want to know. Night, I'll be back later. Mind the castle for me?"

Night whistled high and dropped to two low notes. The door burst open moments later with Fast Change charging in. "What, what?"

Night pointed at Silver. "Do not let him leave your sight. I'd follow him myself but I'm fat and slow right now."

Fast saluted sharply. "Aye aye, my adorable captain." She turned to Silver. "You heard her. You're not getting away from me. So where are we going?"

Silver spread his wings wide, which was enough prompt for Fast to sprout two feathery wings of her own and stretch them out. He approached her and rubbed chin to chin. "Canterlot. Night, we'll be back, promise. No more running away from this." He went to the window with Fast following after him.

Night trotted behind them. "I didn't think you were running away in the first place. Something has really rattled you. I hope you find the answers." She smiled a little. "Your home will be waiting for you, successful or not."

Silver looked over his shoulder. "I believe it, and you. Tell Twilight and the others I'll be thinking about them." He put a hoof to his chin. "Oh, and tell Tumble to decide when he wants that date he's deserved for so long."

Fast burst into sudden manic giggles. "Oh you amazing bastard! You're going to drop that bomb on him while you're not here? Glorious."

Together, Fast and Silver took to the sky, leaving Night to roll her eyes and go seeking the others. "I wouldn't mind that, if it didn't come with the dying part." She glanced back at where her two lovers had vanished. "Not worth that price."

Twilight was pleased when she heard Silver had taken flight. "Fast'll keep him from anything too stupid."

Night raised a brow.

"What? She's a little... eager, but she isn't stupid. They shouldn't get into too much trouble. Besides, Silver needs to get out and do things." She turned away from Night. "I'm only sad we're a bit large to be chasing after him. I still can't believe it... Why would Celestia be involved in something like this."

"She isn't." Night frowned at Twilight. "Sixty percent."

Twilight raised a hoof, but it came back to the ground without a word. "Then what? You obviously see something, Night. Why didn't you share it with Silver?"

Night sank to her haunches. "He needs to talk to her, in either event. They need to face the past, together. I don't see what is, just what isn't, which isn't as helpful as I make it out to be right now. I wish I could get a grasp on the situation sure enough to see what is right now. Speaking of which, what was that about Pinkie Pie, at the intervention?"

Twilight raised a brow. then gave a soft 'oh'. "Well, there was that experiment, to reach Silver's home. It kind of backfired... Pinkie got mixed up in it, but we got her back. She was..." Twilight rolled a hoof. "Infected, I suppose is a word, but the sickness turned humans into ponies. It's completely harmless here, in the land of ponies."

Night raised a brow high. "And yet it terrified Silver just to think of."

"Well he was a human?" She shrugged softly. "He's in a very delicate state. I'm hoping this trip shakes some of that out of him and we can get some clear answers."

Night nudged Twilight. "I hope so too, but clean up Pinkie. I don't care how theoretically harmless it is. Besides, you have a human living right here in the castle, or did you forget? He's made it this long as a human, would be a shame to break that out of carelessness."

Twilight put a hoof over her snout. "Oh! You're right. I'll take care of that right now, promise." She made the Pinkie Promise, ending with a poke to her right eye. "See you later, alright?" She rose and trotted off, presumably in search of Pinkie.

Night let her go and continued her search. Tumble wasn't hard to find. He was outside, practicing his stances with a spear. Night picked up another and moved to join him, but he recoiled away. "Night! No! You're too pregnant to spar."

Night spat out the spear and frowned at him. "Story of my life right now. Tumble, how are you?"

With her no longer trying to enter a spar, he relaxed. "Well and fit. Is Silver feeling any better?"

"He is." She nodded. "Well enough that he wanted you to think about something."

"Oh, like what?" Tumble cocked his head, peering at Night curiously.

"When your date's going to be."

"What date?" His curiosity turned to a mild frown. "With who?"

"With him, I should think." Night rolled a hoof. "His idea, not mine, but I approve. He wants to go on a real date, with you."

Tumble's spear fell from his numb jaws before he brought trembling hooves together in excited clops. "Seriously?! How?! Oh Celestia! Yes, yes yes! A thousand times yes!"

Author's Notes:

It's all good news for at least one member of the castle.