Twilight Velvet sat on a couch in the living room, a book in her dainty white hands. The only sounds in the house were the slow ticking of the clock that hung off the wall, and the occasional ruffle whenever she turned a page. All was quiet in the Sparkle house.

Somehow it was unnerving.

Velvet put the book down on a table and sighed. She remembered that the house was once occupied by one very restless colt that would run around the house, saving his imaginary princess, and one very bookwormish filly that would almost always have her muzzle buried in a book or two.

She frowned, her lips forming a thin line on her face. She once thought that having some peace and quiet after everything she had to put up with raising her children would be rewarding, but now she wished otherwise.

Sure they grew up to be strong and respectable ponies, and she could not possibly be anymore proud of them, but she sorely wished that they would write to her more often, but she supposed that they were also rather busy ponies. Her daughter, Twilight Sparkle, whom was now an official princess of Equestria, now owns a castle of her own and with it, comes a slew of new important duties which would mean having even less time. Her son, Shining Armor, was a prince of an empire, which, needless to say, had his hands full as well.

Velvet stared longingly out of her window of her modest two story home in Canterlot. It was in the middle of the afternoon and Celestia’s sun shone brightly upon its denizens. Her thin frown dipped just a little further as the weather did not reflect her mood at all.

Why was she feeling so melancholic? She supposed it was because her husband was away too on a business trip, which left her utterly and completely alone for about a week. She sorely wished that something interesting would happen soon or else she’d lose her mind.

She stared at her book on the table that she had read at least twice, contemplating whether or not she should pick it up and read it again, or maybe grab a couple more books in its likeness to build a bookfort like she used to with Twilight. The memory brought a smile on her face and she mulled over the idea in her head for a minute. It could be an idea to stave off the debilitating boredom.

*knock knock*

Her ears perked up when she heard a sudden knock on the door. Could it be the mailpony? She wasn’t expecting any packages, and she was most definitely not expecting any guests to show up.

Curious, she made her way to the door, and turned the knob, opening it just a crack to see who was outside. Her face contorted into looks of confusion as she saw a figure cloaked in a very dark hoodie. “Can I come in?” came a very recognizable voice.

Before Velvet could open her mouth, the mysterious pony pushed their way in, walking through the threshold before closing the door behind them. Velvet raised an eyebrow at the spectacle and a spark of alarm rang through her mind. Equestria was a very peaceful country, and crimes were very few and far in between, but she started tensing up nonetheless.

“Thanks,” came the mysterious pony again as she (Velvet decided that the mysterious pony was a female due to her shape) plopped down on her couch.

“May I ask, who are you?” Velvet asked as politely as she could. Considering this pony just entered her house uninvited, she thought the stranger at least owed her a name.

In response to her question, the mysterious pony only giggled. “Don’t you recognize your own daughter?” She reached the top of her hoodie, and pulled it down and revealed none other than her daughter-in-law, Cadance!

Velvet gaped, and was speechless for a moment of this sudden turn of events. What was she doing here all of a sudden? Of course she was glad to see her, but the suddenness of her appearance was unexpected.

“I’ll go get some tea,” Velvet said as she made her way to the kitchen. Also, why couldn’t she recognize the mare that foalsat her daughter when she was younger and married her son? It must have been that hoodie, Velvet thought. It was probably enchanted so that it would make the wearer harder to recognize, but why would Cadance be wearing something like that?

Only time will tell, Velvet supposed.

~

Velvet emerged from the kitchen, tray in her hands and set it down on the table. Cadance was sitting on the couch that was occupied by herself a couple of minutes ago. Velvet sat down next to her. “It is very good to see you again,” said Velvet as she picked up the teapot in her magical grasp and began pouring out the tea into the tea cups.

Cadance picked up her tea cup, idly tapping her finger on the glassy surface and staring at her reflection in the brown liquid. Velvet realized that she must be thinking of what to say, so she decided to take a sip of her tea to give Cadance some time. She brought the tea cup close to her lips, breathing in the soothing aroma of the tea, before taking a sip.

“I’m sorry,” Cadance began. “I’m sorry for barging in your home like this uninvited.” Her mouth curved into a frown as she spoke.

“You’re welcome here anytime, Cadance,” Velvet assured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Velvet took a good look at her. Cadance was dressed in rather casual clothes for a princess, with a dark hoodie and blue jeans. But what stood out the most was her posture. She looked tired.

“Thanks, mom,” she said with a small smile. Velvet returned with a smile of her own.

“Would you mind telling me what’s troubling you?” Velvet asked gently as she scooted a little closer to her daughter-in-law.

Cadance bit her lower lip, as if she was hesitant. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course,” Velvet said in response, which brought a smile on Cadance’s lips.

“I’ve been feeling really tired and overworked lately, and I just wanted a little break from the hectic life,” she said as her ears folded in shame and a blush formed on her cheeks.

Velvet raised an eyebrow at that, but stayed quiet and nodded for her daughter-in-law to continue. “I just couldn’t take it and I decided to well…” she trailed off, her voice becoming small and she shrunk under Velvet’s gaze.

“You ran away,” Velvet concluded for her.

Cadance did not bother with a verbal response, but the pregnant silence told Velvet what she needed to know.

“It’s okay, Cadance,” Velvet said as she wrapped her arms around her, bringing her closer and stroking her mane softly. It reminded her of the times she used to do this with her real daughter, and it brought a small nostalgic smile to her face. “You’re welcome here anytime if you want to take a breather.” A thought entered Velvet’s head suddenly. “Why are you here in Canterlot? Don’t tell me you ran all the way here?”

Cadance closed her eyes and let out a tired sigh. “I had to, mom. The ponies there would recognize me instantly, even with the hoodie on. I don’t know how they do it, but I barely managed to get out of there.”

Velvet chuckled good naturedly. “I wish there was some way to get away from all of my duties, just for a couple of weeks. I’m not asking too much, am I?” said Cadance as she looked up to Velvet with watery eyes.

“No Cadance, I don’t think you are.” Velvet wished she could help, she really did. She loved Cadance as if she were her own, and she hated to see her like this, but there was nothing she could do. Unless…

“What is it, mom?” Cadance asked as she saw Velvet stare off into space.

In response to Cadance’s question, Velvet turned her head slowly, a small frown on her lips and eyes deep in thought. “I have an idea…” she said slowly.

“Go on…” Cadance said, her interest piqued.

“There is this spell that I know… that allows ponies to… swap bodies,” Velvet said slowly.

Cadance’s eyes widened at her words, and her mouth gaped. After a few moments, she said, “Are you suggesting that I trade places with somepony else?”

Velvet nodded.

“With who?” Cadance asked in confusion. Velvet remained silent, and the metaphorical gears in Cadance’s head slowly clicked into place, and she focused her pink eyes back to Velvet. “You?”

“I think that’d be the most practical choice, since I know the spell and you better than most ponies,” said Velvet calmly.

Cadance chewed on her lip contemplatively. “Would you really be willing to do that for me?”

“Well, I would, but I wouldn’t know if I could deal with my own son…” Velvet trailed off but the implication was there.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about Shiny. He’s been called off to inspect a changeling sighting in the West, so he’ll be gone for awhile.

Now the metaphorical ball was back on Velvet’s metaphorical side of the court. She cupped her chin, and hummed in contemplation, her eyes darting back and forth. Should she go along with this crazy plan? She did wish that she wanted something interesting to happen, but now that it was literally tossed on her lap, she was starting to rethink her decision.

After what seemed like forever, she nodded her head, and said, “Let’s do it.”

Cadance’s eyes lit up, and she squealed, wrapping her arms around her mother-in-law. “OH thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Cadance said in joy. “You won’t regret this!”

~

This was a dumb idea, Velvet thought as she sat in her private cabin in the train. Cadance wasn’t kidding when she said that she had barely managed to escape her duties, because as soon as they had completed the spell, the royal guard had come barging in looking for her.

So here she was, in Cadance’s body and surrounded by her royal helpers and servants. “You shouldn’t go running off on your own like that, your highness,” came from one of the servants. “It would cause a panic.”

Velvet sighed, and straightened out her dress that the pony servants had insisted she wear. Apparently, they had spare dress and accessories to make their princess presentable wherever they go.

She yelped when she felt one of the servants touched her wings. There was another thing that she wanted to complain about, was those darned wings. Why in Equestria were they so sensitive?!

“Hold still, princess. I’m trying to preen your wings.”

Velvet had to suppress a retort as she sat completely still, letting them dress her up like a doll. They polished her nails, brushed her fur, combed her mane, and placed her regalia like an icing on the cake.

When they were done, Velvet really did look the part, if the mirror in front of her was anything to go by. She looked absolutely stunning.

~
It was hours later, and the moon had long been raised in the sky. Velvet entered her private chambers, completely exhausted. She barely had any time to compose herself and gather her thoughts before she was thrust into work, performing all kinds of royal duties from renewing trading rights with buffalos, to taxes, to holding court for her subjects. That had been the most tiring part of her day.

She used her magic and practically ripped off the stuffy dress. Right now, all she wanted to do was to collapse on to the soft bed and sleep the rest of the week away. But she knew that proper hygiene came first, so she reluctantly made a detour to the royal bathroom, intending to take a quick shower before bed.

She entered the bathroom, and turned on the lights, the sudden brightness making her temporarily blind. She shook her head a few times, before her eyes focused and landed on the large full body mirror in front of herself.

Her eyes widened as she got her first good view of the body she was inhabiting. She wore a matching pair of a black bra and panties with white laces. Now that she was wearing nothing but her underwear, she could see how toned Cadance’s body is. Her pink fur shone brightly and was well groomed, as is her tri colored mane and tail that literally bounced whenever she turned her head.

Velvet dug her fingers into the fur on her stomach, and felt the smooth taut skin underneath. She reached behind her, intending to undo her bra. Isn’t this a violation of privacy? thought Velvet as she clasped the back of her bra. Then again, she was going to stay in Cadance’s body for at least another week or so, so it would’ve been unavoidable either way.

Without another thought, she unhooked her bra, letting it fall. She was greeted by a pair of very perky, and very round breasts. They’re perfect, Velvet thought in mild jealousy. They truly were something any stallion could hardly resist.

Next, she moved lower, her hands running along her waist, and grabbed the waistband of her panties. She paused, and turned around so she could get an eyeful of her flank. She could see her diamond, heart-shaped cutie mark, and her heart-shaped ass. She bent forward, slowly pulling her panties down. She flicked her tail to the side to reveal her winking slit that was already moist. Admittedly, violating someone's privacy like this was starting to get her excited.

Still bent forward, she gave her plump left ass cheek an experimental slap, and watched intently as the soft pliable flesh rippled from the impact. She stood up with a giddy expression on her face, her fists clenched in excitement as she gave a small squee. She had forgotten what it had felt like to have a body like this. To feel so young.

She decided that, even though she had to deal with being a princess, it would be worth it.

All of that shattered when she heard an extremely familiar voice come from the bedroom.

“Honey, I’m home!”

Author's Note

Here's another half baked idea. It's better than nothing, right? Right?

No? Okay then... T.T