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prologue495 words
Part One2,000 words
Part Two1,551 words
Part Three2,859 words

Part Three

Time was running short for Flurry’s parents. In fact, it was so short that Cadance had to make things quick but professional all at the same time, something difficult to do when the afternoon was ticking by so suddenly. While still negatively moved by Shining’s actions thus far, she did her best to understand the stress he’d been placed under lately. If anything, Cadance was more content rather than aggravated at how well he had been able to control himself. She’d seen him do much worse in the past when under great amounts of pressure.

Just before getting Trixie situated, who was preoccupied at the time with inspecting the baby, Cadance came to her husband in private to tell him, "Just wanted to let you know…" He looked at her glumly, and didn’t say a word. "Hey, it’s alright…"

He raised his chin up a little bit in order to look her in the eyes. "It is? You mean it, hun?"

Cadance smiled his way, and said, "Of course I do. Look, I know how you must feel, but try not to worry. Everything always works out in the end. Right?"

The stallion started to form a smile, and said, "I guess it does…"

With her husband more focused on what he needed to be doing, Princess Cadance could now tend to the needs of the baby and her new sitter. "Trixie?" Cadence asked while walking up, sounding humble as ever. "There are a few things I’d like to go over with you before we depart for our brief journey."

Trixie had just finished putting down her saddlebag next to the couch in the living room, and was lowered herself from the crib. She looked at Cadance with a smile. "Sorry, your Highness. Trixie’s just so distracted by Flurry…" She glanced back to see the baby coming up to the bars, peeping through to see what was going on, not that she could ever really know at that age.

Cadance agreed with Trixie. "She is cute. That’s for sure."

"Well, besides that, look at those wings!" Trixie said this while hopping back up on the beams and pointing down at them. The way Flurry laid on her stomach made it easy for Trixie to spread one of them out, if only to get a good feel. "They’re so thick with feathers, and heavy…"

"Heh," Cadance quirkily giggled, hoping this wouldn’t go much further than it needed to. "I know, right?" She hoofed with a cheeky, suspicious grin, and then said, "Well, anyways, what do you say we get you up to date on where everything is, and how to go about keeping her entertained."

Trixie nodded, redirecting her attention from the baby to the instructor. "Yes, Trixie is ready. Although, Trixie’s sure she’ll have little trouble."

As they both left Flurry in her crib, Cadance began to speak while entering the kitchen. "I’ll go over the most important things first. Flurry can be… Well, she can be a real headache! Compared to how she is right now, that is…"

Cadance realized she wasn’t making much sense, especially after looking back at Trixie to check and make sure, who asked with interest, "What do you mean?"

Cadance blushed nervously, and explained, "She’s an alicorn, you see. Alicorns have loads of magic. We only just recently got an enchantment for Flurry from a pony named Sunburst, and it keeps her from being able to use her powers." Cadance inhaled some air before saying, "If that enchantment wears off, just call for us, and we’ll come."

Trixie questioned, "How does that work exactly?"

"It’s a spell ponies receive when they enter here. We established it just before having the crystal heart choose a babysitter." Trixie seemed fine with this answer, so Cadance proceeded to show Trixie the basics. "You’ll find her baby formula in the fridge. It’s already bottled and ready to be fed to her should she get a little hungry, which I can almost guarantee you, she’ll probably be wanting just that the moment we leave."

Trixie merely opened the fridge, and then shut it again. "Got it."

"Good… and of course, there’s food in there for yourself as well should you get hungry." Cadance walked towards the master bedroom, where a big, lush bed sat in the middle. It was being hastily made by Shining Armor. Cadance said to Trixie without entering the room, "You can either sleep in here, or on the couch across from Flurry’s crib, next to the balcony. Whichever you prefer."

Trixie hummed, "Hmmm, tough decision."

At that, Cadance rolled her eyes while smiling, and said, "I’m sure it is." She turned around and began walking back towards the living room where Flurry could be found, and asked loud enough so that she could be heard, "Hun? Did you change Flurry’s diaper, like I asked of you before we went to go see Sunburst?"

Trixie heard Shining Armor reply, "Uh, yeah! I did."

Before double checking his work, Cadance muttered, "We’ll see…" Up Flurry went, out of her crib, coaxed in her mother’s shimmering aura. "Hi there, baby girl!"

The foal was quickly held if only for a second so that Cadance could smell her. The second she knew whether or not Flurry’s fresh diaper needed to be tended to, the mother placed her baby back in the crib gently, and all Flurry did through it all was giggle when in her mother’s warm grasp. "See?" Shining asked, coming around the corner. "Told you I took care of it."

Cadance smiled, but didn’t look back at him. "We should be going, then. Just… Trixie? It’s very likely you’ll have to change Flurry's diaper at least once… Can you do that?" Trixie looked worried when asked, "Have you ever done that before? Do you need to be shown?"

Despite fear that she had forgotten the steps by now, Trixie assured not only herself, but Flurry’s parents, "Trixie’s done it at least a dozen times!" She said this statement boldly, and with confidently closed eyes. "Trixie remembers the orphanage having a very young foal that constantly cried, and she would only settle down for Trixie, but she was sweet in a way… She resembled Flurry greatly, come to think of it. If only Trixie could remember her name."

While Trixie held her head for a moment, Cadance asked, "Trixie, you okay?"

Trixie replied, "Started with an 'S', as Trixie recalls... Anyways, Trixie took it upon herself to change the foal when nopony else…" She gestured quotation marks with her hooves when saying, "Had the time."

"Really?" Cadance asked. "You did? Well… That’s a relief. Even though it’s silly for me to think this, I just hope it really won’t come to that, but considering it most likely will happen, are you sure you wouldn’t like a refresher?"

"No, no," Trixie insisted. "Trixie remembers it quite well. So long as there’s enough baby powder…"

Cadance mentioned before grabbing Shining Armor by one of his hooves, "Diapers and the baby powder can be found in the cabinet next to the fridge."

"We ready to head on out?" Shining asked while smirking.

"I suppose so," Cadance said with raised eyebrows. The way she looked around, double checking everything in her head, though, made it seem as if she were anything but ready to go. "Uhh… Trixie? Take care of Flurry Heart. We’ll be back soon. You said you knew how to keep her entertained, right?"

Trixie chuckled, and cockily said, "Naturally."

The Princess glanced mostly at Flurry, who was now beginning to whine for her mother. It was almost as if she knew they wouldn’t be back for a while. "Aww," Cadance sighed, coming on over to say goodbye.

Trixie didn’t stick around too long to watch such a scene, as even the prince was now using baby talk to appease his daughter. In the meantime, just to be sure, Trixie checked to see where the diapers were, as well as the powder. Afterwards, Cadance and Shining Armor could be heard finishing up, so Trixie regrouped with them just in time for Cadance to say, "Alright, we’ll see you when we get back."

Shining Armor smiled at their new babysitter as well, and Trixie hadn’t noticed it until just then, but the smiles they wore were anything but believable, or happy for that matter. Just as the door closed, and Trixie was all alone, she commented, "How entertaining… Trixie can’t help but wonder what threatens Equestria this time!"

Trixie had lost count of just how many instances there were of her minding her own business, and then some villain comes along seemingly out of nowhere to turn her world inside out for a brief time, or as Tirek forcibly once did, steal away her magic entirely. It was returned to her in the end, but putting that aside in her mind, whatever was going on now must’ve been of great importance to call both Shining Armor and Princess Cadance away from their child. With all this running through her head, Trixie hardly heard the baby crying for attention behind her. "Hmm?" As she stopped rubbing her chin, Trixie turned away from the door she’d been looking at. "What’s the matter? Already hungry?"

Trixie wasn’t about to devolve herself by talking like that of a baby towards Flurry Heart. Ever since Trixie was just a filly, she never could understand why other ponies would do that, and even to this day, it perplexed her. To Trixie, when growing up, baby talk always seemed like it would do more damage than good, because then the child wouldn’t know whether to form correct words, or to simple babble on the way they’d always done. Instead, Trixie kept her adult voice in check whenever speaking to Flurry. She started rounding for the kitchen, saying, "Trixie will have to get you something to eat." Just before she was able to finish the last words, however, a remarkably memorable smell passed by her nose.

Although it was putrid, Trixie found herself fondly lapsing to the past, and immediately uttered a few familiar words as well. "Whoa, now that is a magic trick!" Just like Cadance a few moments ago, Flurry was dowsed in magic, this time the aura belonging to Trixie. She was careful when levitating Flurry to the changing table found next to her bath. Trixie spent a surprisingly short amount of time loligagging, and unsecured the pin. Off came the dirty diaper, it only lasting about four seconds in her hooves before her magic grabbed hold of the ends to make it into a bag, and disposed of it in the trash.

Above the justly used waste bin came the powder along with a new diaper. It was uncanny how quickly Trixie was able to get Flurry to stay still long enough, and got her all cleaned and changed in what must’ve been only a few motions. "There!" Trixie grinned at her flawless work. "Trixie bet even Cadance would be impressed." Finally, the last item to come floating through the air in Trixie’s direction was a yummy looking bottle of milk.

After feeding Flurry, Trixie hoped the baby would grow tired thanks to a full belly, and fall asleep. Trixie made sure she wrapped Flurry up snugly in her blue blanket before adjusting her into Trixie’s hooves. Now sitting there, pleasantly wiggling and waiting to be fed, Flurry just looked so adorable to Trixie that she got a bit too distracted. With the bottle in her aura lowering, and Trixie’s smile rising, she couldn’t have possibly prepared what was coming next.

"AH-CHOO!"

Princess Flurry Heart had sneezed harshly, right into Trixie’s pretty face and mane, annoying her greatly. Had she not had the capability of bringing forth a cloth by magical means, and fast, Trixie would’ve likely had a tiny tantrum. Nevertheless, she calmed herself, and looked at the baby as though Flurry Heart knew just what she’d done. Although, she hadn’t. How could she? She’s just a baby, and these were the thoughts that ran through Trixie’s head. They helped, too, because Trixie was already rearranging her scoul into a friendly smirk.

"Trixie knows you didn’t mean to do that," the mare spoke in a matter of fact tone. She began feeding Flurry like she should've in the first place, and watched as the white liquid inside the bottle she held drain slowly with every slurp. Once it was all gone, Trixie sent it on its way to the kitchen sink. Using a fresh cloth, she also made sure no milk dribbled down Flurry’s chin. "Trixie bets that was pretty good, huh?" Flurry even responded by giggling, but no burp had come yet, and judging by the look on her face, this seemed to be irritating her with every slightly pained noise that left her lips.

Trixie remembered hearing something about this very situation when she was younger. It was best to help a baby out when they’re eating by burping them. She had some of the details wrong of course, but that didn’t stop Trixie from holding Flurry against her chest so that the foal's chin would be resting perfectly on the mare’s shoulder. All Trixie had to do was give three little taps on the back, and she’d be regretting it. The sound of burbling and flowing substance pierced her ears, but she dared not look at her ruined cape. All poor Trixie could do at that point was grit her teeth with a scowl, and return Flurry to her crib as soundly as possible. She quickly threw the cape away knowing good and well she’d likely never get the stains out of it, and decided to later buy a new one using the bits she’d be collecting once this whole fiasco was over.

"Flurry will need to be fed again, of course," Trixie mumbled through the teeth she was grinding. Once her article of clothing was discarded, she then suddenly, and rather loudly took in a deep breath, and sighed. "It’s… alright. These things happen." Trixie was even able to form a quivering smile through all of this, happy that it would only be her that would ever even know of these occurrences.

Standing by the trash, and again getting something from the fridge’s general area which happened to be another milk bottle, she also brought forth her nighttime silk shirt she'd brought along, packed away in her saddlebag. This time, Trixie simply fed the baby from up above the crib bars with her magic. Flurry seemed to cooperate the first time around well enough for Trixie to attempt this, and it remarkably went smoother than the last feeding. Flurry even yawned once she had complete her meal. The second bottle was put next to the first, but Trixie wouldn’t be attempting to burp Flurry this time around.

Instead, Trixie simply stayed like that, watching Flurry drift off to dreamland. By the time Flurry began snoring, Trixie began stuttering emotionally, "Y-you know… You’re more adorable than any other foal Trixie’s ever seen. Even though you sneezed in Trixie’s face, and ruined her cape… you’re still just… Just…"

A tear escaped, dropping onto the foal’s free hoof, waking her ever so slightly. Flurry blinked, and stared at Trixie for her to say, "A-and, you’re going to have such great adventures, and laughter with all your loved ones." Her face contorted, and animated into sheer seriousness. "Trixie can tell, too, that times will be hard for you, but not always… Through it all…"

Another tear fell as Trixie nodded.

"Trixie will gladly be your friend…"

Her hoof grabbed where her tears were landing, and Flurry hugged back. She faded back into her dream, and though Trixie wouldn’t know it for quite some time, those words would be the earliest of Flurry's wondrous memories.

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