Chapters Little Brother, Our Foal Forever
Little Brother, Our Foal Forever
By Dashiel
Twilight flipped the pages on the ancient spellbook with her magic, rustling her wings in agitation. She had time, it was true. She was a princess, potentially she had eternity, after all... but she couldn't help but feel a certain amount of urgency.
Finally, her searching stopped. The library in her treehouse home had been almost completely denuded, the shelves bare of books and scrolls, every cupboard flung open, every drawer hanging empty.
"This is it! Spike! This is it! I found it!"
"Huh?" grumbled Spike groggily from his basket, pulling his thumb out of his scaly muzzle. He pulled his eyes open, blinking in the semi-darkness, as he slowly came awake enough to realize that Twilight was downstairs, reading by candlelight again. "What did you find Twi that's wonderful tell me more... snnrrkkk..." The dragon closed his eyes again, pulling his blankie over his head and curling up even tighter. If there was one thing he'd gotten used to in the many years he'd been living with Twilight, it was her midnight eureka's.
Twilight, for her part, danced around the library on her hoof-tips, fluttering her wings happily, before vanishing in a bright flash of purple light.
***
Princess Cadence lay awake in her voluptuous bed. The pillows were sheathed in silk, as were the sheets. The comforter was plush and warm, and the lacy curtains were exquisite. Beside her lay her husband, he was asleep and snoring. The lump was cute when he slept. She gently stroked her hoof down his mane, bringing it back to her muzzle where she could smell his stallion musk.
"Oh my knight Shining Armour," she said softly. He was a handsome stallion, prepared to defend her honour and to serve her in every way possible. He was even great in bed, it was true. He had the boundless stamina of an earth pony, and could do things with his horn that would make a sailor blush. The one thing he couldn't seem to do, however, was produce an heir. She wasn't sure where the problem was, truth be told, and was starting to get worried. He was young, virile, strong... and mortal.
Cadence felt that pit in her stomach drop, yawning wide with worry. She was a princess, one among thousands, millions even. She was gifted with enormous magical power, perhaps even more than her aunts Celestia and Luna, seeing as she controlled the magic of love itself. Love was, after all, the most powerful of friendships. Love was said to hold the universe together. Cadence could feel it, too. And most of all, she loved Shining Armour.
Tears wet her muzzle as she stroked her hoof once more down her love's neck, ruffling his mane. He was young yet, maybe he would be young long enough.
Her musings were interrupted when, with a bright flash of purple light, Princess Sparkle appeared in the middle of her bedroom.
"Twilight?" hissed Cadence. "What are you doing here?" She moved to cover Shining's eyes. He snorted and grumbled, so she bent low quickly and murmured softly in his ear, "It's okay, love, go back to sleep."
She smiled as his muzzle grew a really daft grin and he fell asleep. Typical male.Their torrid love-making earlier had tuckered the poor thing out the same way.
"I've got it, Cadence! I've found it!" Twilight's words were urgent and loud, for all she was trying to keep the volume down. Cadence ever so carefully got out of bed, sliding to the cold floor, shivering slightly.
"What have you got?" the pink alicorn trotted over to Twilight, easing herself through the heavy curtains. The lavender alicorn held a small, aged scroll in the firm grasp of her magic, horn glowing softly. Cadence's heart skipped a beat as her hooves clip-clopped on the cold stone, echoing through the darkened chamber.
"Well, I... I know you've been thinking the same thing I have." Twilight's eyes found Cadence's again as the pink princess' gaze flickered to the bed and back. "It's an old spell. A really old spell. But I found it!"
"Is it..? You really can..?" Cadence leant forwards, eyes scanning the parchment. The spell was complex, not beyond what she could understand, but the nuances weren't her forte.
"I've seen it done, Cadence! I didn't have the power then, but now... this is foal's play. Literally." Twilight grinned wide at her own joke.
"Can you really cast it?" Cadence held her breath.
"I... think so."
"Now?" Cadences voice was taut with hope.
Twilight looked at the bed thoughtfully. "I guess so. Shouldn't you, you know, ask him first?"
Cadence blew a stray lock of her mane out of her eyes. "I'm his wife, I think I know what's best for my beloved husband. Besides, it's not like you can't undo it."
Twilight nodded thoughtfully, her horn already aglow as she walked slowly towards her brother. "True. I mean, it's in his best interest."
A beam of light shot out from her horn, enveloping the gently snoring stallion. The light intensified as arcane energies spun and whirled through the room, and then went out.
***
Shining Armour opened his eyes and yawned, stretching. Then he rolled over, and found his view of the room obstructed by white, wooden bars. He lay there for a few moments, wheels spinning in place. Bars. That didn't... that didn't make sense. Where had they come from?
Confused, he rolled back again. And found more bars. Huh.
He rolled onto his back, and looked up. Above him floated a cloud, a sun, a moon and a diamond. Huh. Again.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned, stretching again. He felt good, really good... but weird. Everything felt all wonky and out of place, and then there were the bars, and the weird objects floating above him. Opening his eyes again, the four objects were still above him, but now that he could concentrate a little, he realized that the objects were made of wood, painted by hoof. They reminded him of the mobile that had been... above his... crib.
He looked at the bars again, on either side. He looked up at the rotating mobile. He looked at the foot of the bed to find a solid, white, high board that seemed to stretch up several feet. The head of the bed was a similarly high, and made of plain white-painted wood.
He was in a crib? A giant crib? He threw the covers back awkwardly, which he now realized were covered in cuddly duckies, and tried to stand up. And failed. He fell over backwards, and bumped his head on the bars. Giving a squawk, tears sprung to his eyes.
At the fussing, a large creature appeared above him, which swam into focus as his vision cleared again.
"Aww, did ickle Shiny hurt himself?" the monstrosity said. "Let Mommy Cadence make it all better." Huge hooves reached down out of the sky and scooped him up, and he found himself slung way up high. As his eyesight - which wasn't behaving properly at all - adjusted, he realized that it wasn't that the crib was huge, or that the room it was in was huge, but that he had shrunk.
The enormous cadence held him deftly with one hoof, pressing him close to her chest, as she took him over to the bed which last night he remembered falling asleep in. It was now an ocean of mattress, and he found himself almost swimming in it. The only saving grace was that he had been put onto a slick mat with high edges around three of the sides.
"Cadence?" he tried to ask. His voice was high-pitched, and he lisped. Putting a hoof in his mouth to feel around, he discovered he had no teeth. He sucked on it thoughtfully for a moment before Cadence batted his hoof away playfully.
"Baby shouldn't chew his hooves. Here, have a binky instead." So saying, Cadence levitated a pacifier through the air and popped it firmly into his muzzle. He sucked on it in shock. "There, baby Shiny is all safe now with Mommy. Did you have a good sleep?"
Shining Armour, after a number of attempts, pushed the binky out of his muzzle. "Wha' happened, Caddy?"
"Uh uh uhh! Baby Shiny doesn't get to call me Caddy anymore. I'm Mommy now, or Mama."
"Cad--"
"Say it."
"Uh," Shining Armour looked all around the room. The oversized alicorn was apparently serious. "Uh, Mommy , what happened?"
"Well, Mama has been worried about her darling for a while... and now, with help from your big sister, something has been done about it. Don't worry, you're perfectly safe. You'll always be perfectly safe. Did you sleep well?"
"I... think so... but what did you do?"
"I got the foal we've always wanted, darling. I've got you!"
"But I'm not a foal!"
"Are you sure?" Cadence smiled softly, tickling his tummy with her wings.
"Hey! C-cut th-that out! Y-you know I'm t-ticklish! S-stop i-it or I-I'll--" Shining Armour suddenly went rigid, blinking wildly. He felt a sudden warmth between his legs, and kicked his hooves around urgently trying to move or stop the sudden flow or do anything .
"Shh, hey, honey, relax, it's okay," said Cadence.
"B-but..."
A wing on his stomach calmed him. Cadence stroked him gently with a lazy hoof. "It's okay, baby. I've taken precautions."
Shining Armour raised his head and looked down at his crotch. The tickling, rather than making him hiccup and giggle like normally, had caused him to wet himself. He was mortified, but this changed to utter surprise when he realized what he was wearing. Between his hind legs, around his crotch, with a little tiny stubby tail poking out between, was a large, white, plastic-covered item of clothing, turning ever so faintly yellow.
He was wearing a diaper, and right now he realized that not only was he wetting it, but that he had already wet it hours ago, in his sleep. He'd been diapered in his sleep, put down in the crib, and had wet the offending article of clothing like the foal he appeared to be.
He was speechless. Cadence patiently waited until he stopped kicking, and then gently stroked his diapered area to see if he was still wetting it. She tutted and smiled again. "Looks like baby shiny needs a new diapy-wipey, huh?"
"Nuh-uh," protested Shining Armour, "I dun need--"
Cadence patted his bulging crotch, then lifted him up into the air with her magic. He could feel how the heavy fabric drooped low, pulling down heavily. It was warm, and... surprisingly comfortable. It was, however, becoming wet and ever so slightly itchy. "Looks like my little foal does need a change."
"Dun wan' a diaper!" he protested again.
"Well if you think I'm letting a li'l stinker like you crawl around without protection, you've got another thing coming. Just because your mommy is a princess doesn't mean she wants to clean up after you all day long. Besides, we've only just bought that Davenport, and I won't have you staining it. Twilight! Twi! Your baby brother needs a clean diaper!" Cadence called, loudly.
Shining Armour winced. "Caaadddd!"
"What did I say to call me?"
"Uh, I mean, uh, Mommy... please don't--"
"Let everyone know my foal needs clean diapers? Oh, don't worry, I've already made arrangements with the laundry personnel, and plenty of fresh, clean diapers will be delivered daily. All the guards have been put on the alert to make sure that the little prince isn't allowed to toddle around on his own."
"Cadence?" called a familiar voice.
"Twily!" called Shining Armour, struggling in the air, where he was still floating.
"Oh! Is he awake? My baby brother's awake!"
"He certainly is, and he needs clean diapers!"
Shining Armour's mouth dropped open as Twilight Sparkle, his... bigger sister, bounded into the room, followed by a pink bag packed full of supplies. His heart sank almost as low as his overfull diaper as he was whisked into the air and twirled around by the over-enthusiastic lavender alicorn.
Twilight giggled as she placed Shining Armour back down on the changing mat which was still spread on the bed. She deftly lifted his hind hooves with her magic and tugged on the plastic panties which covered his pinned-on white, fluffy cloth diaper. The golden pins on each side snapped open and the soggy, heavy and now uncomfortably-cool terrycloth was pulled away from his crotch. The sudden wash of cold air made him squall and complain, and he found the binky placed gently back in his muzzle. He sucked on it reflexively, and found a dog-eared diamond-dog teddy-troll placed into his paws. He clutched it to himself fiercely and glared. This just made Cadence giggle and she kissed him on the nose.
Twilight was efficient, as if she could ever be any other way. Wetwipes were quickly slipped out of the packet to attack his diminutive sheath and retracted balls. He squealed, spitting out the dummy.
"Ooh, I bet that's cold, huh? Well don't worry, you'll be nice and warm soon enough," said Cadence soothingly. Twilight carried on regardless, the clothes wiping all around his diaper-area and up under his tail. Folding the dirtied wipes expertly and rolling up the soggy diapers into a neat bundle, the offending items were disposed of in a trash-can and a diaper-pail respectively.
Twilight was humming to herself happily as she produced a bottle of talcum powder, tamping it neatly above him. Then she dipped a hoof into a jar of ointment, and ran her hoof along his most intimate places. He wriggled and writhed, it felt decidedly odd .
"Oh stop complaining," chided Cadence, "I don't want my foal to get a diaper-rash!"
Shining Armour just glared, he was being held fast and couldn't have done much except squirm even if he'd tried. Indignantly, he kicked his chubby little legs around, but it was no good. Twilight eased a soft, warm, pink fluffy terrycloth under his behind, threading his tail neatly through the elasticated hole before pulling the front tight and re-applying the pins.
"Hmm, Cadence, what do you think my baby brother should wear? The blue, or the pink?"
Cadence scrunched up her muzzle thoughtfully. "Definitely the pink, it brings out his eyes."
"Pink!" squawked Shining Armour indignantly.
"See!" agreed Cadence, "He likes the idea!"
Before he could disagree, he found himself enveloped in a very frilly set of pink plastic panties, and a one-piece outfit which large snapped buttons up each of his hind legs and across his huge, padded behind.
"Fresh and clean!" crowed Cadence, and she kissed his hind-hooves. Shining Armour couldn't help but giggle as they tickled.
"Ca-- Mama! Noo! Tickles!"
"Come on, then, Shiny. Mama Cadence and your big sister Twily have a big day today! Auntie Lulu and Tia are away on business in Saddle Arabia, so we're handling Equestria."
Shining Armour gulped, kicking his legs as he hung in the air again, helpless in the magical field of his two new mommies, as they trotted happily through the palace towards the throne room.
Snickers followed him, but every guard he could spy was always stoic and stern-looking.
Eventually he was placed, gently, into a playpen next to the two great thrones of Equestria, and found he was supposed to amuse himself with his teddy, a blankie, a pillow and a collection of coloured blocks complete with numbers and letters painted and etched on them. He, his diapered derriere and the changing pack full of clean diapers and supplies were all in complete and total view of every single bemused noblepony and applicant as they started filing through the great double doors.
He sulked, and pulled the blanket over his head. It wasn't quite big enough to cover his whole body, so everypony was treated to the strange view of a heavily-diapered foal playing peekaboo with a teddy.
He wasn't sure how things could get worse. One thing was sure, he was going to find out.
Little Brother, Our Foal Forever
Little Brother, Our Foal Forever
Arrested Developments
By Dashiel
Shining Armour was pissed. He was captain of the royal guard, husband to the Royal Princess of the Crystal Empire. prince of the crown... and foal in diapers, at the mercy of two monstrous mommies.
He'd tried arguing with them, he'd tried shaking the playpen he was trapped in, but it had been no good and had only earned him a timeout where his wailings didn't disturb the princesses. He'd eventually given up and had moved on to stacking blocks. When they'd put him in the damnable playpen, they'd given him a collection of the wooden toys to play with. He was currently stacking them with purpose and with precision.
He'd separated out the blocks with letters and numbers on, and had found just the ones he needed. Almost, at least. Grumbling, he came to a decision. He hadn't been able to find an 'I' so he was reduced to using a '1' instead, but it would be close enough. Eyeballing the completed row, the blocks spelled out hct1b★ gnikcuf.
He was still congratulating himself when a shadow loomed over him.
"I see ." said Cadence. Shining Armour winced, turned around and grinned, but his surrogate mother was having none of it. With her magic, she quickly rearranged the blocks and scanned the words. Then she flung them into the playpen, picked him up with her magic, and in almost a single smooth motion, unfastened all the snaps around his hind legs, yanked down both his frilly plastic pants and pink cloth diaper, and applied her wings.
SWAT!
"Ow!" he yelped.
SWAT!
"Owww!" he yelled again. It didn't help.
SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT! SWAT!
"You. Are. A. Very. Naughty. Foal!" Cadence punctuated every word with a swat of her wings to his rapidly more and more tender backside until his yelps broke into a full-fledged bawling. Finally the torture ended and he found himself enveloped in soft feathers and cradled. It took an eternity before he calmed down enough to stop blubbering, all the while Mama Cadence was murmuring to him softly.
"That was very naughty of you, my darling little Shy-Shy, and you should know better than that," she said softly. "Naughty little foals need to be punished. Are you going to do it again?"
"N-no," he squeaked out.
"No what ?"
"No... Mama?" Shining replied, hopefully. As he did so, a warm wave of love washed over him. He glanced at her horn, it was glowing. She was... she was zapping him. He wouldn't fall for her wily tricks! He would resist!
"That's better," the pink alicorn said, "and I should hope so, interrupting the Day Court like that whilst your Aunties are away!" She nuzzled him softly, and the feelings of love and happiness intensified. He caught himself sighing happily at the wonderful feelings, and grumbled inwardly.
"I bet he's just cranky, did you feed him this morning?" asked the amused voice of Twilight Sparkle, as she caught his grumpy expression.
"Oh!" Cadence looked down in shock at the foal she cradled in her wings, his backside still glowing from the spanking. "No, I didn't! Oh that's terrible of me! Come on, Shy-Shy, time to fix that at once !"
Oh thank the stars, Shining Armour thought to himself as his diapers were re-pinned and his plastic pants replaced, I bet I'll get hay fries and carrot sauce today, since it's Wednesday, oh, I can taste them now... she'll change me back of course and--
Shining's thoughts were cut off as Cadence trotted smartly back to her throne and eased herself down into it, rolling onto her side. Spreading a wing for a modicum of decency, Shining found himself levitated gently under the widely-spread feathers, under her hind legs and deposited carefully up against her most private of places - two nubs nestled between her legs. His muzzle opened in shock and, as if waiting for just this to happen, he was shoved forwards and the nearest of her teats slid into his mouth. He closed it in shock, and was rewarded with a spurt of warm, creamy milk, and an accompanying surge of love.
He worked his mouth, still in shock, and was forced to swallow the sweet liquid as it played across his tongue, which in turn caused more milk to flow from his continued nursing.
Cadence smiled demurely as she beckoned the hesitant nobles to continue forwards. Soon enough, the business of the day continued, with only two pauses. The first was to swap teats for the extremely sleepy Shining Armour, and the second to summon a binky and a crib. The first was necessary to placate the fussy foal as his comforter was removed, and the second was necessary so he could continue sleeping. And snoring.
Looking up from her beloved as she pulled the fleece cover up around his ears, she motioned to her lips with a hoof. "We shall continue, but please, I ask of you to be considerate of the sleeping prince."
"O-of course, your highness," replied the next claimant, and he cleared his throat softly. With a nod from the princess, he began to speak. In the crib, Shining Armour snored gently and smiled in his sleep.
***
Shining Armour woke up. He was warm and comfortable, and snuggled himself deeper into his bed. At his motions, though, a soft voice spoke up. "Shiny? You hungry, darling? Don't worry, Mama will see to that."
Shining yawned as he felt himself lifted up out of bed. It had been a long day of swats on the backside and then cuddles to make up for it, with each spot of good behaviour rewarded with a surge of happiness, and each misdemeanour repaid with a light spanking. He was far too tired to go through yet another argument about mealtimes, so sleepily just buried his muzzle into the warm fur of the mare who set him down ever so gently and hesitantly placed a full teat into his mouth. He'd suckled on his wifes teats long ago, before they'd decided on this crazy idea of turning him back into a foal, and had found it rather erotic. He decided to secretly enjoy this interesting form of the roleplay they'd engaged in,and nursed gently.
"Oh, Shiny, Cadence was right ," said Twilight, "this does feel wonderful. I'm going to go back to sleep now, okay baby?"
Shining's eyes shot open as he stared at the teat in shock. He tried to pull away, but Twilight's gentle yet insistent magic meant he could do little else than nurse anyhow. He tried to move, tried to stop, but was unable... and he was hungry, and tired... and comfortable... and she was happy, and he... well... he sighed and began to nurse.
Eventually, he too fell asleep, mouth still full, suckling earnestly, long past when her teats were both empty.
***
Shining Armour woke up again, and stretched. Bars to the left, bars to the right, mobile overhead. Humph.
"Twily?" he called, his voice squeaky and high-pitched.
It was Cadence who trotted up to tower above him. "Hello there Shy-Shy! How is my little darling this morning? Do you need a change?"
"Cadddyyy," he whined, "let me out of this!"
Cadence frowned. "I thought I told you--"
Shining Armour crossed his forehooves and scowled. "I wan' you to make me bigger 'gain!"
Cadence smooshed his cuddly little cheeks together. "Oh you're so cute when you're angry! I tell you what, if your diapey doesn't need changing, I'll make you big again, okay?"
Shining Armour brightened. He was warm and comfortable, and most of all, the bed was completely dry. This was going to be a cinch. "Sure! Cos dat's--" Shining Armour lifted the fleece comforter, and then lowered it again. "Um, diapey is clean. You can make me big again now."
"Oh really," asked Cadence, raising her eyebrow. In one swift motion, she waved her horn and swished the blanket off. Shining did his best to cover his bulging crotch with his hooves. Gently but firmly, Cadence moved his hooves aside. "That doesn't look dry, does it?"
Slowly, Shining Armour shook his head. Moments later, he burst into tears. Instantly, Cadence picked him up and held him close. "Shh, it's okay, Shiny. It's okay. Mommy loves you."
"B-but I w-want to b-be big! I d-don't w-want to b-be a foal!"
Cadence patted him softly until his blubbering turned to muted sobs. "I love you, Shiny, and I don't want to lose you... and I've wanted a baby for a long time..."
"B-but--"
"And you've been so stressed lately, I thought it would do you good to... to have a vacation, from all of it." Cadence's ears pricked up hopefully. Shining Armour dried his tears on her nightshirt, feeling another surge of love from her horn. "It's just for a little while, okay?"
"Weeelll..." Shining Armour looked at his hooves. "Do I have to?"
All at once, the good feelings that had been flowing through him stopped. "You... don't want to make me happy?"
"Oh I do! I do!"
"Great!" crowed Cadence. "Then it's settled! You'll be a baby for a while, just a little while, and then we'll change you back! Come on baby, it's time for breakfast, then a diaper change."
Shining Armour was whisked out of the darkened bedroom still not entirely sure what had just happened.
***
Shining Armour savoured the delicious smell of frying hay, mushrooms and waffles as it wafted throughout the small kitchen. Celestia and Luna always ate in the dining room, but Twilight and Cadence felt no such compulsion. They'd shoo'd the cooks out and had taken over themselves.
"Ready for some nummy nummy num-nums?" asked Twilight, beaming with smiles. She had on a light purple apron, which said 'kiss the ali-cook'.
"Uh-huh!" replied Shining Armour enthusiastically. He was settled securely into a high-chair, tied in with straps and a bowl of gruel was placed in front of him, with an easy-to-use hoof-ringed spoon. "Wait," he said, "where's my hay fries? My mushrooms? Where's the waffles ? And where's my coffee! I can't start the morning without cof--"
His muzzle was plugged with a large bottle of something warm and sweet. He tried to splutter indignantly, but Cadence was having none of it. "Whilst you're our baby, you'll have formula. Coffee isn't good for babies."
Shining Armour pulled the bottle out of his mouth, pouted, and hammered his hooves on the highchair until the gruel was sent flying. "Want coffee! Want hay fries! Want waffles!"
Twilight grumbled, and picked up a rag with her magic. "Do that again and I'll spank you myself, baby brother." She glared until Shining Armour sqeaked out an apology. Returning to cleaning up, she shared a look with Cadence before staring back at her baby brother. "If you promise to be good... we can give you some waffles. But no coffee!"
"Soda inna afternoon?" bartered Shining Armour.
Cadence and Twilight shared a Look with each other, and it was Cadence who answered. "Weeelll... soda's also bad, but... if you promise to be good... you can have a cup of soda. But later ."
"I be good," replied Shining Armour.
"And you'll eat the porridge too?"
Shining Armour screwed up his muzzle. "Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"Feed it me."
Cadence rolled her eyes. "Okay, my precious. I'll fetch you another bowl - a small one to leave room - and I'll feed it to you, and then you can have your hay fries, mushrooms and waffles. With syrup if you eat all the porridge like a good boy."
"Me promise be good mama," said Shining, opening his mouth as Cadence returned with a new bowl of porridge.
"Open up, here comes the choo-choo train! There's a good boy!" Cadence levitated a spoonful of porridge into Shining's muzzle. Reluctantly at first he chewed on it. He ears pricked up as he tasted the apple, and from then on eagerly swallowed every morsel, accompanied as it was by a surge of love from Cadence each time.
In no time at all, the bowl was empty, and he was given a simple wooden plate all his own, with a small pile of mushrooms, some hay fries and the long-promised waffles. With syrup. He didn't bother using his horn or slipping on the fork-ring, he just lowered his muzzle and dove right in. A few moments later he came up for air, with half his breakfast all down his chest and the rest in his bottomless tummy. He burped happily and slumped back in the highchair, full.
Shining was still relaxing when Cadence once more lifted him up out of his seat and laid him gently down on a changing mat. He squealed when the cold air hit his previously-padded parts, but the princess paid it no mind. She cleaned, powdered, oiled and diapered the little prince efficiently and dressed him back up in a once-piece suit which left his legs bare but did nothing do hide the extreme bulge behind his tail.
"Aww Ca--Mommy! Do I have to have a diaper on? I'm not a real foal..." Shining whined.
"And who woke up this morning wet? Again ?"
Shining Armour looked down his belly at his hind legs. They were splayed wide apart. He instinctively tried to cross them, but the diaper was just too thick. His one-piece suit was taut against the leg-snaps, and the plastic pants bulged out at the sides and between the gaps. "Only cos I couldn't get to potty." Shining Armour crossed his forehooves again.
"Oh, baby, that doesn't matter to me! I love you so very much, Shy-Shy, and I'll always be here to take care of your little accidents."
"But I won't have 'em when I's big again!"
"Well even if you did," said Cadence, kissing his hooves one at a time, "I would take care of you. Now, Mommy and your big sister Twily have some shopping to do, so little Shy-Shy's going to have to go to a very special place for the morning, okay?"
Shinng Armour froze. "What?"
"My little Shy-Shy is going to go to daycare ! Isn't that wonderful?" Cadence smiled down at the foal on the changing mat, her horn glowing softly until his look of horror changed to gentle complacency, and he nodded.
***
Little Brother, Our Foal Forever
Daycare Blues (and Pinks)
Little Brother, Our Foal Forever
Daycare Blues and Pinks
By Dashiel
Shining was sulking. Cadence had him fastened securely into one side of a foal-carrier saddlebag, the other side was full of toys and other little foal supplies. He was kicking his back legs in annoyance as Mama Caddy was chatting with the daycare matron about his morning routine.
"...and I've brought him his teddy, and two bottles, with one spare nipple. He likes to drool a lot so you'll probably have to rinse them after you've fed him. Oh, and if you don't burp him after feeding-times, he'll get the hiccups. He's not a colicy baby, but--"
"Your highness," interrupted Softly Spoken, the daycare matron, holding one hoof up for silence. "Your highness, everything will be fine . Little Shy-Shy will be just fine here at Pins and Pawprints Daycare and Nursery . Don't you worry, we have everything a foal could possibly need or want."
"I-if you're sure," stammered Cadence, peering back to look at the little prince. He stuck his tongue out at her and scowled.
"Tsk tsk, such manners," said Softly. Shining squeaked as he felt the straps around his shoulders being untightened, and his seat fall away. The corn-coloured unicorn nurse with the cornflower-blue eyes, mane and tail had him held in her TK field as she floated him and his supplies over. Softly's face got closer and closer, and her expression stayed quite, quite serious until, suddenly...
"Boop!" said Softly, and she poked him in the tummy, tickling him. Shining couldn't help it, he giggled. "Boop!" said Softly again, and again. "I just don't understand it," she said in a sing-song voice, "I can't seem to find the off-switch... beep, boop, beep!" she said, remorselessly tickling the little foal to a peal of giggles. It was only when he was gently laid down on a changing mat that he realized Cadence had gone.
Cadence... was gone . He was free of her, he could escape, he could... he could... he stopped, his heart beating quickly in his chest. He started to cry. He was scared. He sniffled and sobbed, pouting.
"Aww, Shy-Shy, you miss Mama? Don't worry," said the soothing voice of Softly Spoken as she cooed at him, kissing all four of his hooves, "she'll be back in no time."
The unicorn lifted him up and cuddled him until he stopped crying. He didn't understand it; he wasn't a foal, he was... a big foal. Yeah. He was captain of the freaking guard, and he most certainly didn't miss his Mommy. He sucked his forehooves thoughtfully and noisily as his rear end was lifted into the air before being placed back down against a soft, warm and comfortable surface. His two-tone tail was threaded through the back and the diaper was expertly pinned closed before a pair of plastic panties was shimmied up his legs and pulled tight against his crotch.
"Heeyyy!" he cried out out, placing his hooves against his sides. "no need diapey!"
Softly kissed him on the nose as she pulled a onesie over his head and snapped it closed around his tail and butt. "House rules I'm afraid, champ. And besides, you were so wet when I changed you, I should call you Soggy Pants McGee ."
Shining blushed, hotly, and sucked his hooves noisily some more. "Would'na bin iff'n you'd not tickled me," he said with a sulk.
"How could I resist, with a cutie like you? Come on, it's time to meet your playmates!"
Shining Armour found himself placed delicately upon Softly's back. Her tail wrapped around him to keep him secure. His eyes cast down to her cutie-mark, a stork carrying two babies, and realized that he was in good hooves.
Softly strode confidently into a big, plushly-outfitted playroom full of a whole herd of noisy, rambunctious foals - colts and fillies both. "Attention, children," said Softly, in a cheerful tone of voice, "we have a new visitor today! Let's make him welcome! His name is Shiny, and his mommies tell me that when he grows up, he wants to be captain of the guards."
Shining Armour had faced many great evils in his time, from changelings to warg attacks. Nothing could have prepared him for the sea of foals that enveloped him. They pulled his tail and cooed about how pretty it was. They put bangles in his mane, and offered sticky crayons and other toys. And then, almost as quickly as they came, they vanished, depositing him in the arts and crafts corner of the daycare.
"When you grow up, huh?" asked a voice. "So, how long did it take you before your 'mommies' ditched you here?"
Shining Armour looked up at an olive-grey unicorn with a wildly-sticking-out mane and deep blue eyes. He worked his jaw for a few moments, before answering, "uh, about three days."
"When you grow up, huh? I thought so. Name's Swirly, or it might as well be. Everything's a something-y around here. And that's Bluey, or just Blue." Swirly pointed to another unicorn who was enthusiastically dabbing his hooves on a piece of paper fastened to an easel. Contrary to Shining's expectations, 'Bluey' was white.
"'Sup," said Bluey.
"Hey, don't I know you? You look real familiar..." Shining Armour tapped a hoof against his jaw for a few moments before his eyes went wide and he bared his teeth in a snarl. "Blueblood! You tried to get my sister executed! I'm going to--"
Shining Armour leaped at the astonished white unicorn, and clocked him good on the side of the head as the pair slammed into the easel and bounced off into a nearby table containing several tins of paint. Seeing an opening, Shiny opened his mouth and bit down on an ear, punching with the other hoof. Swirly for his part leaned back on his haunches and laughed, spurring them on. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fi--"
Suddenly, all three were enveloped in a glowing field of soft, white light, as Softly Spoken trotted over with a very serious expression on her muzzle. Her eyes seemed to glow with a pique of anger as she regarded the three, seperated, helpless foals.
"And just what is the meaning of this?"
"H-he, er, he..." began Shining Armour.
"Ixnay on the rince-pay, Shy-Shy!" hissed Swirly. Shining Armour opened his mouth wordlessly, then shut it again.
"I... sowwy. He... I... umm..."
"I see . Your mommy did warn me you could be a bad influence. I should have known when you found your way to these two trouble-makers. I think you've all earned a time-out." The matron observed the three silently for a moment, noting their dripping-wet, multi-coloured coats. "Which, to save time, you're going to spend in the baths." She wrinkled her nose as they spread paint all over the nursery, and marched them straight through a set of double doors at the back.
Shining Armour looked around in awe. The nursery was deep in the heart of Canterlot Castle, almost under the very mountain itself. Hotsprings fed the municipal system, and it was these that also apparently fed the baby baths.
"Come on, you three," said Softly as she lowered them onto changing tables, "time to get ready for a bath."
"Aww! I dun wike baths!" complained Bluey, kicking his legs about. Showing an expert level of power and concentration, Softly easily stripped Swirly and Shiny's diapers off, bundling them up and tossing them into a laundry bin, whilst at the same time she soothed the third squalling foal.
"You do so like baths, Bluey dearest. You just hate getting in . You also," Softly giggled, kissing him on the forehead, "hate getting out . So come on, what do you say? For me?"
"We-ww... okies. If I hafta."
"Yes, you do. You're all mucky, and you three need to make up and learn to play nice. Now, I'm going to be watching, but the water's not too deep and not too hot, so call if you need anything, okay, hon?"
With that, Softly Spoken deposited the three naked foals on the edge of a wide, shallow, steaming pool of water and waltzed out of the room.
Shining blinked in surprise. "So, uh... we're in trouble, right?"
Swirly shook his head. "Naa, not really. You were bad, so you're in trouble. The rest of us are just fine."
Shining pouted. "I don't get it. Blueblood, what the heck are you doing here? Like that?"
"I could ask da same of you, Shiny," said Blueblood, "but I think you can work it out."
Shining Armour scrunched up his face for a second, watching as the other two waddled into the pool. "You're... big. Like, uh, like me?"
Swirly sniggered into his olive-grey hooves. "Big. Yeah. Real big, diaper-butt."
"I mean you're an adult... when you're... not a baby."
"Yeah, that's about the whole of it," said Swirly. "And I bet you can guess why. Go on, take a guess."
Shining Armour pointed at Blueblood. "Nephew, right? Nephew to Celestia."
"Uh huh. Guess who his mommy is."
Shining Armour's muzzle fell open in shock. "But... she's been..."
"Gone for a thousand years," replied Swirly. "Luna really loved her boy, though, so Celestia kept him safe. So what happened to you?"
"My two 'mommies' happened," began Shining. "Twilight became an alicorn, and... I'm her brother. I'm... married to my other 'mommy'."
Swirly hissed through his teeth. "Tough break. Come on, get in. You can't just stand there with all that paint matted in your fur. Take a load off, relax."
Shining Armour tip-hoofed slowly in. The water was just on the too-hot side of warm, but surprisingly enough he found he still had to fight against his immature nature to actually get in. The matter was decided when Swirly's horn glowed briefly, and Shiny found himself upended into the steaming lakelet. He came up for air, spluttering and cursing.
"Careful, don't want to let Softly hear you use those words. She'll wash your mouth out."
Shining Armour glared at the recalcitrant unicorn. "So, which alicorn is your mom, then?"
Swirly sniffed. "Don't have one. I'm the greatest unicorn that ever lived, and growing old wasn't on my list of fun things to do. So I developed a spell to keep me young forever."
Shining Armour's muzzle worked soundlessly again for a few moments, before he splashed playfully at Swirly. "Greatest unicorn who ever lived, huh? Don't tell Star--" Shining broke off.
Swirly nodded. "Exactly. I kinda... misjudged the enyouthment vector. It fluctuates a little, but not enough that I care to go through potty-training every few years. They make diapers big enough nowadays anyway."
"Starswirl the Bearded," exclaimed Shining Armour, whistling silently.
"More like Starswirl the well-padded," said Blueblood. "Believe me, when he sleeps... let's just say he needs nighttime diapers all the time.
"Hey!" protested Swirly.
"And the great juicebox heist of nine-eighty-three was solved after one naptime break."
Swirly splashed water at Bluey, who giggled and dodged. The water hit Shining full force, and he retaliated in kind. A few exhausting minutes later, and the bathroom was well and truly soaked, as were the three foals.
Bluey rolled over onto his stomach, kicking his hooves. "'m sowwy," he said to Shining, blushing slightly. He looked down at his hooves. "I didn't really wanna have your sister hurt none. I was just kinda mad. I'd only just gotten made big again, was gonna be a big party, and it was boorrriiinngggg. And then I got covered in cake. And Auntie made me small again. Said if I gotta misbehave like a toddler, then I'm still gonna be one."
Flopping down to rest, kicking his hooves idly in the warm swell, Shining nodded. "I... can see that. It's okay. You were a jerk though."
"Was past my bedtime," replied Blue, guiltily.
Shining laughed, as he finally took a look around. The room was of red sandstone, shaped to remove any sharp corners. Little holes were in the walls and floor all over so that the overflow water would be removed. It was lit from above by a large, softly glowing ball full of fireflies. Water flowed out through the little drain-holes, but in through a larger, squarish hole in the side of the rock.
Shining looked at himself. He was clean enough. He looked over at his two friends. "Hey, you two ever think about running away?"
Bluey shook his head. "I tried it, at first, but... you can only get so far in diapers."
"What'm I gonna run to ?" asked Starswirl, pointing at himself. All two feet of diminutive foalishness.
Shining huffed. "Well I'm gonna make a run for it. Gonna find... somebody. Or something. Or... Swirly, do you have a spell that can re-age me?"
"Sure," Starswirl shrugged, "it's in my spellbook, you just have to go get it. Problem is, it's lost. Has been for over a thousand years."
"You mean the one with your phony spell in it, that didn't work?" asked Shining Armour, with a sudden, feral grin.
Starswirl sat up, blinking. "You've read it?"
"Do I look like an egghead?"
"You look like a little pudgy little piggy, but no. You don't strike me as the intelligent, bookish type. Neither of you two do."
"Heeyyy!" protested Bluey, splashing again.
"Yeah, well, my sister is ," huffed Shining, poking Swirly with one hoof.
"Your sister, the alicorn, right?" clarified Swirly.
"She fixed your spell. She used to be a unicorn. She has your book, so unless you've got something better to do, are you gonna help me or what?"
"She fixed it? It works?" Swirly jumped up, wobbled on his back hooves, then fell down again into the water. He groaned, and hoofed himself in the muzzle. "It'll never work, you know. But hey, whatever, maybe she wrote down how she fixed it, too. Let's do it. Blue, you in?"
"Does it mean getting messy and dirty, and sneaking about through secret passages?" asked Blueblood, eyes wide and hopeful.
"Funny you should say that," replied Shining Armour, "but yeah, it kinda does." He pointed to the hole which was used to refill the pool.
"You wanna climb up there ?" asked Bluey, aghast. He toddled closer. The hole was pretty big, and although the rock was smooth, it was dry. There was also a light at the end of the tunnel, it didn't look either too steep, too small or too long.
"Yeah," said Shining, "I do."
"Well you can't go like that," said Swirly. "We're gonna get out of the castle? We need clothes. And supplies."
"Done, and done," said Shining. "Just get over here and help me. I... can't put these on myself."
Shining Armour had clambered out of the shallow pool and over to a dresser of sorts, where he had pulled out three large, fluffy diapers, two pairs of plastic panties, some pins, some bottles of juice and some onesies, along with a diaper-bag to put them all in. Swirly found him lying on his back, kicking his legs about, as he tried to pin up a diaper.
"Oh here, let me... I got this... put that there, and this there... and... like that... no, wait... yes! And then..."
"Ow!"
"Sorry! ...Then... done!"
Shining Armour rolled hesitantly to his hooves. Amazingly, the diaper was on, and it was snug. He pulled on the plastic panties and threaded his tail through the hole in the back, and then twirled around to admire himself. Then he pulled on a soft, blue onesie and snapped it up. "Now it's your two's turn!"
In short order, both Starswirl and Blueblood were diapered. Swirly was double-diapered, as they didn't know how long a trip it would be. Blueblood wore pink, because they couldn't find any other colours that fit him. Not that Shining let anyone else look. They were all wearing onesies snapped closed over their amply padded backsides, and carried diaper-bags full of essential supplies - namely anything they could find that looked even remotely useful, including some rubber duckies, a teddy, a rattle, some rope, extra plastic pants and a bonnet. Blueblood said he got sunburn easily.
The three crowded around the hole, looking up anxiously.
"You sure about this?" asked Bluey
"Nuh uh," said Shiny, "but I wanna get outta diapers this side of the next millennium, so I don't have much choice."
"And I wanna see my old spell-book again. It's mine and I want it."
"Can... you make me big again? And then we can eat cake?"
"Rather than wear it? Sure, I can do that, if I get my spellbook," said Swirly.
Shining Armour eased his forehooves into the hole, and gingerly began to pull himself up. His padded rear crinkled loudly as he pulled it in afterwards, but it fit. His back legs were splayed wide by his thick diapers, but it didn't affect his footing.
Inch by implacable inch, the three naughty foals squeezed themselves up through the tunnel, and towards freedom.
