A Unicorn, a Changeling and a Bat Filly and the Baker
~2nd Serving~
Bat-Time Snuggles!!
The Baker's a simple man. So simple in fact that most remember him only by his profession, the 'Baker'. Simple defined everything about him from his messy permanent bed-hair, his approach to life, all the way to the warm pink pajamas his daughters had given him last Christmas. He is a man of simple pleasures. So simple in fact that one of his greatest pleasures in life was his daily evening routine.
"Cocoa." He said, reading off a mental check list.
"Check." His eldest daughter, a young unicorn filly, said from where she sat on the living room coffee table, hugging an empty mug, drained of its warm creamy cocoa.
"Sleepy." He said, quickly kneeling to wipe off the marshmallow cream moustache from the little unicorn's muzzle, much to her chagrin.
"Cheeeeck..." His youngest daughter, little changeling filly perched comfortably on his shoulder, tucked comfortably into the nook of his neck, murmured sleepily. This earned her a gentle petting on her kitty-cap to which she cooed happily in reply.
"Luna." He looked around. "Anyone?" The warm, cozy little living room was stubbornly thestral-less.
"Lulu's missing." Tia sighed, rolling her eyes. "Again."
"Where is that filly?" Baker sighed at the absence of his second eldest daughter. Being naturally nocturnal, the little thestral was the most difficult to get to bed at night.
"Um, Cadie'll find her, daddy." Cadie yawned widely. "Uh, Cadie's sure there's no way Lulu can sneak up on us, Cadie thinks." She said, raising her voice just a thimble over her usual whisper.
"3...2..." Tia counted down until her sister bit on the bait. "1."
Chomp...
Chew....chew....chew...
Baker suddenly had a little thestral filly biting him affectionately in the neck, stubby little fangs barely tickling his skin. 'Love-Nibbles', a show of affection surprisingly common to both changelings and thestrals, or so the few books on the two races had taught him. He turned his head this way and that, confirming to his own satisfaction that the little thestral was quite securely anchored to his neck. Yes, filly cannot be removed.
"Lulu, check." Tia said, crossing her hooves with a sigh. She gave a sudden squeak as Baker leaned down to scoop the last of his daughters from her wheel-chair. "W-wait, d-daddy! I..." She quietened down as she was cradled against his bosom as he began to make his way for the stairs. "F-fine, i-it's not like I like this or anything..." She muttered into his soft warm pajamas as she snuggled up closer for safety.
Baker shouldered open the door into his daughters' safe little sanctuary, the bakery's largest bedroom. "Night light mode." He called out. The wall lamps and night lights lit up to a warm, cozy glow, just enough to illuminate the star-studded ceiling and various sparkly galaxy-and-planet mobiles hanging from above. The night sky above melted away into the wall murals of sceneries from the Old World. These were interrupted along one wall by large wall-length windows looking out onto a balcony overlooking the canal sparkling under the moonlight below. A lone stargazing telescope stood watch in the darkness outside.
He tiptoed over Lulu's Elements of Harmony action figures lying about on the ground, carefully avoiding tripping on Cadie's foal-sized gondola paddle before navigating the maze of book towers that marked Tia's domain. "So, pajamas. Who first?" He said, looking about for his daughter's onesies.
"A bit of a no brainer, daddy." The ever put-upon Tia sighed from the comfort of his arms.
"You've got a point. I think Cadence fell asleep with the parking brakes on." Her father said, finding his lightly snoozing changeling daughter's grip on his shoulder and neck was stronger than a gondolier's paddle-grip. "As for Luna..." The filly occupying the other side of his neck spoke for itself. Nibbling intensified.
"Thank you for volunteering, Celestia." He summed up.
"Mmmph." Tia had somehow magically produced her fluffy strawberry-pink bunny-rabbit onesie in her muzzle, holding it up for him.
He took the onesie in one hand and skilfully slid Tia's rearhooves into the rearhoof sleeves as he deposited her on her soft pink bed.
"Hooves up, like you're cheering." Baker said. Tia could only roll her eyes at the childish request but obediently raised her forehooves to allow him to slip the forehoof sleeves on.
"Yay." Tia monotoned as her father zipped her onesie up securely.
"Now, your turn, Luna." Baker said, looking to his second daughter....only to find his shoulder suddenly thestral-less once more. "Luna?"
"I win! Lulu one, bat-jamas zero!" He heard the little filly declare her victory from somewhere behind him. He turned to find her rolled over on her back on her bouncy black bed, little hooves in the air, her Wonderbolt onesie stuck over her eyes. "This is me winging, always!" She declared defiantly, hooves flailing at thin air. Baker couldn't help but wince at the awful bat puns. He had decided it must be somehow built into bat pony genetics, denying all guilt on his part.
"I'd hate to see you losing, sister." Tia sighed, hoof in her face.
"Is it? Let me check this alleged victory." Baker said, picking up the giggling filly. "I don't see your hooves in the air, champ." He coaxed as he righted the filly and eased her rearhooves into her onesie.
"Too cool for old school, always." Lulu giggled at her father's ticklish handling. "E-eeeeee!" She gave a screech of laughter as her father found a particularly ticklish spot at the base of her wings. "O-okay! Okay! Y-you get to win too!" She gasped, raising her hooves for him.
"How generous." Her father said, slipping her small leathery bat wings through their holes and adjusting the onesie's hood around her big fluffy ears. "Now, try and keep that on at least half the night."
"Armour on. Bat-tle ready." Lulu nodded to herself. "Tia! Pillow fi-..." Her battle cry was cut short by a flying pillow to the face.
"Be quiet and go to sleep." Tia, living pillow cannon, huffed at her downed sister, pushing up her glasses up her muzzle.
"What shall we do about your sister?" Baker asked, pointing at the sleeping changeling still fastened to his shoulder like a cute and furry limpet. "We need to get her into bed somehow."
"Put yourself in her bed with her." The ever pragmatic Tia suggested.
Her father paused for a moment, seemingly considering the suggestion. "That works." He shrugged, before flopping onto his daughter's big cerulean blue bed and pulling the fluffy blanket on. "There, she's in her bed." He nodded to himself, satisfied. "Wait, there's one problem with this plan, Celestia." He added. "I'm kind of stuck here."
"I see no problem with this." Tia had somehow materialized on his chest, poking her head out to peer at him from beneath the blanket.
"I see one problem. I'm not in that bat." Lulu's muffled voice said. "There, problem solved." She said, somehow magically appearing beside Tia from under the blanket. "Eeeee~" She gave a happy little screech as she snuggled up against her father.
"What am I going to do with you three?" Baker sighed, shaking his head.
"I know! I know! bat time snuggle!" Lulu giggled.
"Fine. You asked for it." Her father wrapped his arms around all three of them and pulled them all into a tight snuggle under the blanket, earning him a chorus of giggles and one sleepy purr. They settled quickly, reveling in the warmth and comfort of the happy little world underneath blanket.
It was a while before the sound of soft, quiet breathing filled the room. The young father sighed softly as he slowly, gently dislodged the three fillies off himself before rolling off the bed. With practiced precision he tucked all three into the same bed before planting soft kisses on their foreheads. Then, with almost tactical stealthiness, he snuck out of the peaceful sanctuary as quietly as a shadow.
It was a quick step across the corridor back to his own room. "I feel like I forgot something." Baker paused at his door. He gave it a moment's thought before finally shrugging and retreating into his own room.
Barely a moment later the door to his daughters' bedroom slowly creaked open, revealing three little pairs of eyes, all gleaming with mischief in the dark.
The night was still young after all.