“Racing Shadows” and Other Promptly Written Stories

by Narrative Style

Changing Your Baby

Author's Note:

This Story is a: Dark/Drama

Description: “The royal baby's diaper is changed. So is the rest of her.”

The mare watched out the window as the storm clouds were pushed back beyond the city's limits. With them went all of the snow that had accumulated on the buildings and streets. The crowd of Crystal Ponies could be heard celebrating in the courtyard far below.

A stallion's head resting next to her own sighed. “That's a relief. I wasn't keen on being buried under a sheet of ice.” He flicked his ear briefly against hers, then turned to continue down the bright corridor.

She smirked at him as she followed. “It seems you were right; staying wasn't a lose-lose.” She took a moment to observe the stallion as he snorted in answer. He was wearing a silver chest plate and bore a tame maroon coat and blondish mane, all sparkling like crystal. The last was a recent development, presumably the work of the Crystal Heart several floors below. The mare briefly held up her own blue hoof, observing that she could actually see the wall through her leg. It wasn't the first time, but it was certainly different.

They walked silently for a few minutes, striding confidently past the other ponies of the castle as they made their way down two flights of stairs. As long as they didn't stray too close, a maid and a guard were nothing suspicious in the castle. At a stretch of hallway just to the rear of the throne room, the pair slowed, checking that nopony else was around. Then they both slipped into a closet, sliding the door shut behind them.

The mare looked up at the stallion, squinting in the dark to make out his snout. “You ready?” she asked. Her forehooves found their way behind his neck and hung there.

The guard reached around her with a foreleg, squeezing her briefly before letting go. “I am ready to serve the Queen.” She could hear a quaver in his voice, but chose not to point it out. She couldn't fault him for being nervous at what they were about to do.

A green glow erupted along the stallion's back, flickering flames highlighting the cleaning supplies around them as his armor burned away. The fur underneath the fire lightened from maroon to a vibrant pink, and two great wings erupted from his back. The mare closed her eyes to concentrate, and a ripple of flame developed around her as well, revealing a short horn between her bangs before flowing across her legs onto her partner. With the extra magic coursing over him, the stallion began to shrink, his excess mass burning away. A horn spiraled out of his forehead, framed by a curly mane of purple and blue. The last of the flames coursed underneath, changing him to a her before dissipating.

The mare opened her eyes as she sat back on her haunches, cradling the little foal in her arms. She gazed into the little one's eyes, and couldn't help but giggle at the adorable sight before her. The baby cooed once, put her hoof in her mouth, and winked at the mare. She giggled again and nuzzled the filly affectionately. Then she reached out to the shelf behind her, fishing behind a pile of sponges for the last touch. Finally she hissed in satisfaction and pulled out two padded cloths, white on one side, blue on the other. She carefully wrapped one of the diapers around her charge's hind legs and taped it tight, eliciting a whimper, then another coo, from the foal. She leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, getting a cute little giggle in return.

“Just six months,” the mare whispered, “and I'll be back to check on you, okay?”

“Yeth.” The baby smiled up at her, and she imagined the filly was proud to have spoken a word. Another kiss, another adorable giggle.

Then the mare stood and, holding the baby carefully in the crook of her foreleg, nudged the closet door open slightly so they could see into the hallway. The next few minutes were filled with expectant silence and the occasional hug and nuzzle. Some voices could be heard from the throne room, but she couldn't make anything out. At last a set of hoofsteps approached; the mare grinned when her quarry came into view: a haggard white stallion was walking briskly down the hall, carrying a foal on his back identical to the one in her arm. She eyed it carefully, lit her horn, bit her tongue, and… with a brief flash that the stallion hopefully wouldn't notice, the two babies switched places.

She held a hoof to the new baby's mouth, pacifying it as she listened to the stallion move away. She quickly took the second diaper and performed the all-important changing ritual that the stallion had been taking the baby to do, using a few flashes of magic to clean the foal's bottom and incinerate the remains she had removed. Then she let green flames wash over her again, removing her Unicorn horn and adding Pegasus wings. A second wave of magic hid the baby's wings and temporarily turned the foal blue to match her own coat.

It was time to go. She very carefully opened the door and made her way up to the third floor, slipping into the occasional room to avoid direct contact with other ponies. The baby squirmed in her leg, but summoning a pacifier was a sufficient distraction for the time being. Reaching the window she'd watched the storm from, the maid took one final glance around, both inside and toward the streets below. It seemed the Crystal Ponies had already dispersed; the coast was clear. She opened the window and jumped, quickly leaving the castle behind. The baby squealed and giggled in her forelegs, innocently enjoying the ride.

Once she reached altitude, the mare dropped her disguise completely, allowing the feathered wings to be replaced by her own sleek, membranous appendages. Her coat turned to black chitin, her eyes turned solid blue and finally worked properly again, her legs grew holes, and the little filly she carried giggled in delight at the strange event. The Changeling smiled grimly. She hoped both of the foals would still be smiling in a few months, but it wasn't something she could guarantee.