Silver grabbed Night Watch in a fierce hug and the two began to kiss and nip one another with sharp teeth in the loving exchange only lunar ponies had. They wasted little time getting down to business, and crashed into one another with building zeal as all the pressure of being apart was let go, and they each enjoyed the company of the other.

Sweating and heaving, they snuggled in side-by-side. Night gently nuzzled Silver's cheek. "You've changed. For the better I think? Did you... I won't say enjoy, but do you regret going?"

Silver frowned a little. "That's hard to say, at times. I think I did more good than bad. I do know I'm glad to be here." He rolled with her and put her on top of himself as he wrapped her in warm wings. "Beside my first wife."

Night nuzzled gently. "I haven't been idle while you were away. The road was completed, of course, but so is the guard training academy. Rough Tumble's doing quite well. I think the stallion still hopes to impress you."

Silver kissed her nose. "I expected no less. Oh, what happened with Twilight? Were you there for that?"

Night frowned. "In part. We were entertaining some curious guests, and some of them apparently had some kind of magical disease that was transmitted to Twilight and Fast Change, not that Fast Change minded, since it came with a sharp rise in libido and Twilight was there to act as a relief valve of sorts."

Silver snorted and laughed a little at the image of Twilight being tackled to the ground by an amorous Fast Change. "Wait, did she get infected by the guests, or Fast Change?"

Night rolled her eyes behind her thick glasses. "Fast Change. Our guests were very well behaved until they left." She began softly stroking and teasing over Silver's barrel with her fluffy wings. "I missed you."

"You have no idea." Silver kissed her quietly a moment. "I would think about you constantly. Celestia can find another pony to go with her on these trips."

Night slid off of him and stretched her wings out wide. "It's not that simple. You are a prince, you have responsibilities. We both knew that. Now tell me about this other you?"

Silver sat up onto his haunches. "You mean David? He's another version of me, basically, from another possible version of my timeline."

Night raised a brow. "Should I be worried that made sense? What do you plan to do with him? He's wandering around right now. Mostly harmless, from what I can tell, but he's not you."

Silver leaned forward to touch noses with Night. "I plan to give him a warm welcome to Equestria. Let's make his stay a pleasant one."

"How long until he's a pony?"

Silver raised a brow. "Who says he has to become one?"

"One, he's you, mostly. Two, most humans have made the switch. The odds are in favor of him eventually seeking that transition." She softly snorted. "Does that bother you?"

Silver considered over it a moment. "I think he's fine as a human, but it's his choice, ultimately. If he wants to go to four legs, then I'll try to make that a smooth transition, surrounded by friendly faces."

Night raised a wing. "As opposed to under pressure on a cold hospital floor, half sobbing before a goddess of the land?"

Silver cringed at the reminder of his own transition. "Yes, opposed to that. I want him to be treated well and fairly in all the ways I wasn't."

Night leaned towards Silver. "Do you have feelings for him? You sound very doting."

Silver tapped a clad hoof on the floor. "Well, yes, I suppose. I want to be a good caretaker, and a friend. I don't want him to be lonely and scared, like I was at times."

Night nipped at one of Silver's ears. "You're a good pony." Those words made Silver relax, and Night gently rubbed her snout against his cheek. "I'll help out where I can. Think he wants to train with us?"

Silver nodded a little before pausing. "Wait, why are we talking about this instead of wildly enjoying our time back together?"

Night flashed a toothy grin. "I'm enjoying it right now. I'm glad you're back. The foals are glad you're back. Twilight and Fast are glad to have you back. The whole energy of the castle has changed with you being here, and I love it." She flapped powerfully, lifting into the air. "Next time, I'm going with you." She darted in, kissed him, and took off into the castle with a pleased expression.

Silver barely got out of the room before being approached by Fast Change. "Ready for that spell?"

He smiled and nodded at Fast. "Now, do you have a spell for this? I know you do most of it with magic."

Fast raised a hoof. "Once I have it down, it becomes magic, but I learn from spells, so, yes, I do have some spells for you. Now what do you plan on being?"

Silver looked uncertain at the question. There were so many kinds of ponies. "Let's start simple, with an earth pony."

Fast drew out a book from her saddlebag with her magic and unfolded it. She quickly flipped through it before showing a spell to Silver. The little runes were, of course, in the unicorn alphabet, which he had still not learned. He pulled out his book and dig out his reference and it quickly came back to him as he compared back and forth between the writing and the key to translating it.

"If you do it right, you'll be a perfectly normal earth pony. Note, you'll keep your cutie mark, of course."

Silver perked an ear. "How do I turn back, if I don't have a horn anymore?"

She pointed at herself. "I turn back just fine. Letting go of these spells is a lot easier than putting them in. Besides, you have to be a real master to do it permanently anyway, so, worst case, you wait." She leaned in and smooched him on the nose. "I'll take care of you while you're an earth pony."

Silver wrinkled his snout. "Earth ponies aren't helpless."

Fast waved a hoof. "Sure sure. They're ponies like the rest of us... But they can't fly, and they can't do magic."

Silver wondered if Fast had always felt that way. "They have a magic, it's just not unicorn magic."

Fast raised an ear. "Do you mean the growing crops thing? Anypony can tend a farm if they really want to. The griffons and minotaurs do it, and you don't see them claiming they have fancy magic behind it."

Silver felt anger build, but he couldn't think of the exact words to use. "It's more complicated than that. Alicorns are not alicorns without all three kinds of magic, and it definitely is magic."

Fast suddenly sprouted large wings and fluttered them with a smile. "See, I'm an alicorn, look at me. No earth pony magic here."

Silver poked her. "You are not an alicorn. You're a winged unicorn. Other ponies can feel the difference, and I definitely know the difference."

Fast smirked and leaned in. "You say that, but I played the part of Sun Butt a few times while you two were away, and nopony noticed a thing at all. Earth pony magic's a nice little fable to make earth ponies feel good about themselves. Poor things."

Silver stomped the ground. "You saw me make the crops grow!"

Fast nodded. "I sure did, but you're a unicorn, and an alicorn, so magic is a part of you. Big Mac and Applejack didn't make it grow that fast. You're not proving your case here."

There was one way to prove it. "I'm going to be the most powerful earth pony you know." He set the two books down in front of himself and looked between the two, deciphering the spell as his lips moved, reading it almost outloud.

Fast gently nuzzled his shoulder. "I'm sure you will be. You know I love you, right?"

Silver paused. "What? Of course." As annoyed as he was at her being a bit racist, he wasn't that angry about it. He threw a leg over her and they hugged gently. "You know, these new horseshoes aren't just for show."

Fast tilted her head as she looked over the iron shoes curiously. "I thought they were just that. What are they?"

Silver raised a hoof for easier inspection. "They focus that magic you don't believe in, earth pony magic." He read quietly and practiced the letters until he felt good enough to give it a real try. His horn glowed brightly with the intense power of the transmutation spell, and silvery sparkles rained down on him as his wings melted away and horn began to recede. His muscles swelled faintly as he grew into an earth pony frame. Lastly, with a bright flash, he changed colors, becoming a deep navy blue, though he still had silver mane and tail. He looked even more like Trixie, his adoptive mother, than usual, if one ignored the fact that he was an earth pony.

Fast suddenly tackled him to the ground and nibbled at his neck. "You're adorable! Now you're an earth pony just like your little colt cuddling partner."

Silver easily rolled her off and slid to his hooves before setting a hoof on her back. With a bright flash of earthen magic, vines that weren't there before creeped in along the nearest window and rapidly ensnared Fast Change. "There you are. It should be easy to get out, being 'just' earth magic."

She squeaked and wriggled before she changed to a breezie and fluttered out of the way of the vines before resuming her normal shape. "Very funny! That wasn't any earth pony magic I ever saw before."

Silver tilted his head. "Funny thing, but it feels more... natural as an earth pony. I guess with it being the only kind I have at the moment, I can focus on it."

Fast pointed out the window where the clinging vines still intruded. "Your father would be delighted right now."

Reminded of Rough Draft, Silver nodded slowly. He hadn't thought of his adoptive father in a while. That pony that had once just been an OC of his, who turned out to be a real pony, and who worked so hard to protect him. "We should invite them over for a visit. I don't say hello to Rough Draft and Trixie nearly often enough."

Fast flashed a bright smile. "I'll send a letter. It'll be faster and neater with horn magic. Do you even know how to write with your mouth?"

Silver blushed faintly. "Not very well..." As an earth pony, there were limits he'd have to get used to.

Author's Notes:

You're an earth pony, Silver. Enjoying it?

Let's hope you didn't typo that spell.