Fast's voice bubbled excitedly, "She's waking up!"

Silver felt many presences pushing closer as she fluttered her eyes open, only to squint them shut immediately. Everything felt too bright. "Oof, hello."

Twilight smiled gently. "Hello yourself. How do you feel?"

Silver's expression shifted to consideration. How did she feel? She raised her hooves and felt along herself slowly. She felt... normal. She felt... A sudden flash of memory took her. She was in a cylinder. There was fire. So much fire. She gasped with alarm and suddenly Night was on top of her on the bed. Her wings wrapped around Silver tightly. "You're safe."

Silver gave a little shudder and nodded before she forced her eyes open again. "I remember it..."

Night recoiled, her wings sagging. "I... I don't deserve your forgiveness, even if I know you're already working one up."

Silver frowned at her. "Night."

Night frowned back. "I won't accept it!"

"Night."

"What?"

Silver smiled gently. "You look amazing."

Night blinked. "What?" Her eyes were wide behind her glasses, peering at Silver.

Silver reached out and traced over Night's snout. "You look better in that suit than I did. You cut an imposing figure."

Night shuddered softly. "You never had a chance to wear half of it..."

Silver nodded and leaned up slowly. She began to sniff over the horn covering, though Night had no horn? "What does this do for you, without a horn to use with it?"

Night looked up at the delicate spirals meant to sorround a horn, her eyes crossed. "I... I don't know, to be honest." She frowned at Silver and suddenly shoved her back onto the bed on her back. "Why are you asking about that?! I killed you."

Silver flopped back and smiled. "You did, but I was the one that decided to be there, that failed spell that could have saved me... It was my choice, my actions." She raised a hoof to Night's chest. "I have my own agency. I failed, and died. I accept that. You... You and Twilight and all my friends... You didn't accept that. You refused to accept that, and here I am."

Twilight hopped up on the bed and moved in to nuzzle Silver's left cheek. "We couldn't accept that."

Fast hopped up on the right side and nuzzled the other cheek. "I... I'm sorry I ran away. The thought of it... without you..."

Silver snorted softly. "I once threw myself off a roof over the idea of losing you, Fast... We're even now."

She turned her eyes to Fluttershy, who timidly waited away from the happy reunion. "Fluttershy." She squeaked and looked up at Silver. "Come up here and get a hug."

Fluttershy colored darkly. "I'm not a part of your herd..."

Twilight reached out a hoof. "You're a friend. Friends get hugs."

The other ponies offered a hoof each, and Fluttershy looked left and right before slowly clambering onto the bed. Once she was close enough, she was grabbed and pulled into a great group hug. Things were quiet, and happy, for a time.

Fast broke the silence. "So, feeling it?"

It was Silver's turn to color swiftly. "Fast! Not on Fluttershy's bed! Stop rubbing me... right there."

Fast drew up a hoof to pump it in victory. "Our stallion is back!"

Twilight hiked a brow. "She is clearly a mare."

Fast shrugged. "A technicality. You and I both know she's as stallion as she wants to be at any given moment."

Fluttershy squirmed out of the hug. "T-thank you for the hug, but, um, I'll be going now, if you don't mind." She hopped to the floor and smiled at the family. "You can stay as long as you need." With a quick trot, she was gone.

Night tilted her head at Silver. "So, you're all back together?"

Silver quickly nodded. "I really think so... I feel happy, for that, and a little sad, from some of the memories from, you know, just then." She quickly put a hoof on Night. "Not your fault. Damn. My last words were to not blame yourself and you go and break that. What's a guy to do?"

Fast suddenly thumped Silver. "About that! Why didn't you have words for me?"

Silver rubbed the sore spot on her head. "To be honest, I don't know where half those words came from. Maybe it was the rush of the moment... but I won't use that as an excuse. I should have said something. Please, forgive me."

Fast threw up her hooves. "How do you even get angry at someone properly for that! Hey, jerk, thanks for not mentioning me while you died." She leaned in and nipped at Silver's shoulder. "It just... It's stupid, but it hurts." She took a slow breath. "Just this once, I'll pull a Silver on you." Silver perked an ear curiously. "I forgive you. There, just like that."

A smile spread across Silver's snout. "Thank you." Her eyes turned to Twilight. "The timing of that really sucked."

Twilight looked perplexed. "There's never a good time for that, but what do you mean, specifically?"

Silver developed a sly little smile. "I made you wait, for being a naughty mare, and you never did get your turn."

Twilight went red from the neck up and almost fell from the bed with surprise. "Even I'd... forgotten about that."

Fast was on her back, laughing wildly. "Oh! It's so good to have you back!"

Night put a hoof on Silver's snout gently. "One thing. I want to be sure this is you, being you, and not you, trying to force yourself."

Silver gently nuzzled the hoof on her face. "I love you so much right now."

Night smiled gently. "If you're faking it, it's very believable, but... how do you feel?"

Silver went quiet with consideration. "Like I said, it's a little mixed. I remember it all, the sad parts, and the happy parts. Most of the sad parts are over. My family is here, with me, and our foals are at home. I want to be with them, and all of you." She suddenly snorted. "Betting odds Celestia suddenly shows up with a new mission?"

Night wobbled a hoof in the air. "Fifteen percent chance of monster attack, twenty percent chance of sudden royal visitation, ten percent chance of family visit."

Twilight blinked at Night. "Seriously?"

Fast shrugged. "If she said it, it's probably true. Night's not much of a kidder." She darted in and kissed her. "She's my adorable little warrior of the night."

Twilight shook her head. "Well I don't care who tries to bother us right now. Let's go home, and I'll make sure you get some rest before dealing with more shenanigans." She hopped down from the bed and stretched a moment before moving for the door. "Up for walking?"

Silver vanished in a poof of silver magic, to appear beside Twilight. "I feel up for a lot of things. Being... fragmented was really dragging me down."

Night trotted to catch up as she raised a brow. "About that... Now that you have yourself back together, what do you think of being a mare?"

Silver went still and frowned. "I... hadn't even thought about it." She turned to look herself over. "I'm smaller, weaker, physically... But I don't feel as intimidating. I'm not sure I liked being intimidating when I wasn't trying to be. I did that enough as a human, and it never started feeling good."

Fast gestured to Silver's rear end. "And the important parts?"

Silver snorted. "I've had both before... I mean..." She closed her eyes and played the magic, and soon she was very male between her hind legs. "Ta da!"

Twilight poked her... him...? in the side gently. "We're asking a serious question."

Silver nodded at her. "I know. I'm still working it out. I feel fine right now. I've been through enough upheavals for the moment, so I don't want to gather up all the princesses to try and go back to being a prince, right now.... Let's just be happy with what we have." She nuzzled Twilight gently. "And somepony is still owed a special time."

As they walked out, they passed by Fluttershy, who was staring at Silver. She sighed a little and looked away, defeated.

Silver stopped and looked back at Fluttershy. "What's wrong?" Fluttershy didn't answer, which only drew Silver closer. "Fluttershy, you're our friend, please..."

Fluttershy gently ran her hooves in idle circles on the table. "Well... You're already... You're back to normal."

"Is that bad?" asked Fast.

Fluttershy shrunk a little. "You're going to go back to studding for any mare that asks, and leaving Twilight alone, and hurting her."

Twilight's wings snapped out and she looked ready to speak a hot argument, but Silver gently held up a hoof. "Fluttershy... I'm not Luna's stud anymore. I'm Twilight's stud." She smiled gently at Twilight. "To make her happy, and our herd, however she pleases."

Twilight began to darken. "Silver! Do you even know what you're saying?"

Silver nodded. "I'm giving my stallion side to you. Use it well." She leaned towards Twilight. "And interestingly."

Twilight stomped a hoof with confusion. "But... why?!"

Fast smiled with sudden understanding. "It makes perfect sense. If she gives it to you, now, then others can't make a claim for it without going through you, Twilight. Even Luna or Celestia will have to schedule their... activities through you."

Twilight sank to her haunches, took a slow breath, and nodded. "Very well. I accept your services, my stud. You will only provide when I say so. To do otherwise is to break this oath and the law."

Fluttershy looked perplexed at the entire exchange. "Can you do that?"

Twilight grunted. "Normally? No, but the studding laws were never taken off the books, just not used very often. Silver's the first official stud in over a century!"

Fast grinned. "Not bad, for not even being a natural stallion. You'll make a great stud." She rubbed up along Silver's side. "Can I be your partner?"

Silver smooched her cheek. "You already are my partner, my wonderful wife." She glanced to Twilight. "I presume I am free to service my herd?"

Twilight blinked and quickly nodded. "Oh, yes! Of course..."

Night chuckled softly. "If you had said no, that would have been a source of contention."

Fluttershy shook her head a little. "Are you alright with this, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded at her. "He, er, she just gave me full legal control over their... activities." She pointed a wing at Silver. "I will bring the law on you if you break this oath. It was your idea. I'll make sure any punishment is terrible, and creative."

Silver felt certain Twilight was telling the truth. She didn't want to feel the full ire of her vengeance with the weight of the law behind it. "I will be a loyal spouse, and stud."

Twilight took a soft breath, then smiled. "It's settled then. We're going home. Fluttershy, if you'd like to stop by, you're welcome as always."

Author's Notes:

Time to go home. Silver is feeling much more like Silver.

Now that that typo of the soul is cleared up, what will befall our protagonist now?