Little Jolts of Shadow

by Shadowmane PX-41

Meanwhile...

As Sunset Shimmer sat silently scrawling notes in class on her lessons, a myriad of thoughts ran through her mind; namely about the Shadowbolts and how they would be coping without her guidance. She had never been one to overly panic about these kind of things, but in the case of people being turned into infants granted the magical power to talk, a part of her couldn’t help but feel cautious about the future. A part of her wondered if they had acclimated too much and didn’t want to grow back up in the first place, while the other side worried about the possibility of them escaping the daycare to either find her or something else.

With the ringing of the bell, Sunset was liberated from such thoughts, packing her stuff up for the next lesson of the day. As she let everyone else leave after her so as to give her proper time to put everything back into her bag without making a mess of it, another thought sprung to mind; namely, about the babies she had been introduced to by her friends after the end of their first day at the daycare. She had been trying to put it off for the longest of times, but another part of her didn’t want to. If it was true and they were the Dazzlings in infant form, she could only wonder how they were treating her children.

Sunset trudged into the corridor and was about to call her friends, when she felt a hand tapping her shoulder. She leapt into the air with a little yelp, turned on the balls of her heels and stared into the eyes of Pinkie, who slid backwards to show the rest of her friends into Sunset’s field of view.

“Hey, girls. How’s your day been?” Sunset asked, limply waving at the Rainbooms.

“Well, aside from all of the boring egghead stuff in science class, I’d say that things have been pretty chill, really.” Rainbow folded her arms.

“But more to the point, how are you doing, Sunset? I’ve been meaning to properly ask you what with all of the chaos that’s been going on in your life with the Shadowbolts. I mean, five babies all at once? As a lady of fashion myself, that kind of stuff could end my career as a seamstress without someone else lending a hand...” Rarity placed a hand to her head. “No matter how adorable they may be, I have to admit that it’s a heavy burden to bear.”

“I know. That’s why I’ve been trying to think about how we’re going to change them back, whether it’s a song or some other kind of magic. But right now, all we really can do is care for them.” Sunset let a sigh slip out of her mouth. The Shadowbolts didn’t deserve this kind of treatment, especially after what they had been through in the past. “And because I can’t really stay at home all day, I always have to leave them at this centre until I can come back for them.”

“Well, at least you’re doing the right thing, Sunset. Ah have to admit, much as it would be sad, Ah would’ve done the same if ah didn’t have Granny Smith or Big Macintosh to pick up the slack.” Applejack patted Sunset on the shoulders softly. “I’m sure they don’t mind a thing or two about it.”

“Yeah, but... that’s not the only thing I’ve been thinking about recently.” Sunset pried Applejack’s hand off of her body. “Se, there were some other babies that the Shadowbolts like there...”

“And what’s so wrong with that? If I were a super-tiny baby, then I’d take every chance I could get to play around and make some new friends. Then, we could share our toys together, talk on and on and on and on and on about stuff, sleep together, even get diaper changes together. But that’s just me.” Pinkie tipped her hand. “In fact, I still do all that kind of stuff when I have to babysit the Cake Twins. Those two can be really fun to play around with sometimes. Plus, it’s kinda juicy to hear Pound going on about slaying the cuddle dragon of Paddington, or Pumpkin saying that she’s gonna advocate for baby rights someday.”

“Pinkie, at times, I don’t think we’ll ever understand you.” Rainbow Dash deadpanned with a lifted brow.

“Well, I guess it would be normal if other babies could understand them, but... those babies looked awfully familiar.” Sunset scratched her chin, picturing the infant Dazzlings with the baby Shadowbolts. “In fact, I’d say that they were the spitting images of Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk; the three sirens who turned CHS into a Battle of the Bands a while back...”

“Well, I’m sure it’s probably just a coincidence. Babies these days look so much like people do, so it’s easy to get them mixed up with someone else.” Fluttershy walked forward with her hands clasped together. “So if they looked like baby Dazzlings, then I’m sure that they mean no harm. They might not even know who they are and just be ordinary, regular babies like all the others at the daycare centre.”

“I guess... but then why would the Shadowbolts be so buddy-buddy with them? If they’re the only babies that they know can talk properly, then how could they establish a friendship with those other babies? If we were being realistic, their friendship would probably only be conveyed with actions, rather than with words.” Sunset paced back and forth, trying to envision the conversations between the talking baby Shadowbolts and their new ‘friends’. “I mean, I’m happy for them finding some kind of happiness in their situation, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel that something fishy is going on here. I guess when I come and get them again after school, I could try and get a better look at them, see if they really do have some kind of hidden secret between them...”

“Oh, Sunset. You worry too much. Perhaps we should all come with you together, see just how the little ragamuffins are getting on with each other.” Rarity gave Sunset a nod. “I’ve got nothing really urgent on my deadlines anyway so I can spare a visit with you.”

“If it’s alright, I want to come along as well. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of those babies myself, and to see these new friends that the Shadowbolts are making.” Fluttershy’s smile grew cartoonishly wide as her hands slid down her sides.

“Ah, shucks. Guess I’d better tag along too. Ya’ll might need the extra help bringing the Shadowbolts back home.” Applejack tipped her hat to Sunset and the others.

The others chattered in agreement as they laid their hands together in a stack, before throwing said stack into the air. Once everyone’s hands came back down, the bell rang, signalling the beginning of their next class. As everyone dispersed, their thoughts were full of the Shadowbolts and their baby friends, rather than that of the potential lessons they were about to face.

If those babies really are the Dazzlings, then I’ve got quite a few questions to ask them. Sunset clutched her bag as she approached the next classroom on her regime. How did they survive after the Battle of the Bands? How did they get turned into babies, and what would they want with the Shadowbolts? Maybe I am overthinking things, but I haven’t seen them in a long time, so who knows what they’re up to?

---

When the hour came for the students CHS to be dismissed for another night, Sunset Shimmer and her friends all met up together by the portal, before all venturing off down the streets towards the daycare centre with one another, all talking about how their days had been and about the baby Shadowbolts. For the most part, they were chipper and eager to see the little ones, with Sunset being the only one deep in thought out of the group. From her perspective, she thought that the Dazzlings would be bending the Shadowbolts to do something devious, or that they might have been swayed to lose faith in her and her friends.

“You know, I kinda hope that, if they are the Dazzlings, that they have changed; that they’re not the same sociopathic hate-eating monsters we knew them at Canterlot High.” Fluttershy chirped as the group walked away from CHS. “If they really have changed, I want to give them another shot, so that they get taught all of the right things this time. Plus, I bet they’re super cute and cuddly as babies...”

“If they’re babies, Fluttershy. If.” Rainbow Dash brushed Fluttershy’s hair with the palm of her hand. “For all we know, they could still be out there and Sunset’s mistaken three squirts at daycare for them.”

“Yes, yes, we don’t know yet. But it always helps to remain optimistic about the whole thing, doesn’t it?” Rarity flashed a grin. “Personally, I always have a soft spot for little ones. So pure, so uncorrupted, so much a treat to watch.”

“Personally, if it weren’t for whether or not they like or dislike this, being a baby again is something extraordinarily rare for someone. It’s a second chance at being able to have that innocence that you once forgot about.” Twilight pushed her glasses closer to her face. “If we all had the chance to be babies again, it would be such a treat.”

“If only, Twilight. But personally, I’d kinda wanna put that stuff off unless I’ve really not got a lot going for me.” Rainbow twisted her wrists. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d be down for the chance to be a squirt again, but my life’s too awesome for me to toss away like that.”

“Same here. Ah’ve already got a good life down on the farm. Ain’t gonna give that up for nothin’, even if being a baby again does sound like a good way to get back that part of me ah lost.” Applejack tipped her hand ouward.

“What about the opposite? What if the Shadowbolts find too many positives with being babies that they don’t want to grow up?” Sunset asked, grabbing the attention of the whole group. “What if they choose to stay babies because they don’t want to grow up because of how much fun they’re having?”

“Huh?” The Rainbooms all chorused.

“If the Shadowbolts like being babies too much and they don’t want to grow up, then what are we going to do? We could turn them back to normal, but they wouldn’t like it or even try to run away from us, or stay at the daycare centre instead...” Sunset never wanted to be the kind of person to see the worst possible outcomes, but in the case of the baby Shadowbolts, her claims had some ground to stand on. In the midst of her internal debate, Sunset slapped herself across the face. “No. What am I saying? That’s not going to happen. They’re smart babies, they want to grow back up when we find the cure for them. They’re just enjoying the moments and nothing more. Right?”

The other Rainbooms could only look at Sunset as she tried to forge a phoney grin, showing some kind of hope that her words could be credible. But because of how little they knew about the Shadowbolts, due in part to the fact that they barely spent any time with them, all they could do was force lame faces of their own, in an attempt to give her some form or solace.

“It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. They like being babies but not too much that they want to stay that way forever. Someway, somehow, they’re resisting the urge to keep that way.” Sunset kept telling herself those words as she saw the daycare in the distance. “They’re fine. They’re totally fine.”

The girls walked into the daycare and saw the receptionist working at the desk again. For Sunset, it had been only the fourth time, but for the rest it was the first. As soon as she saw Sunset, the receptionist said. “Had a nice day at school, Sunset?”

“Yeah. It was alright. Nothing really too special, just another day at the books, writing down answers to questions. Same old, same old.” She chuckled, trying to hold back the worries that she had surfaced when it came to the babies she was caring after.

“Good. And are these your friends?” She asked, looking at the other Rainbooms.

“Yes. Yes they are. They’ve come to help me take Lemon, Indigo, Sour, Sugar, and Sunny back home.” She nodded. At least that was something she didn’t have to fret over or overcomplicate. “I hope that’s alright with you.”

“Of course it is. Let me show you all to the room.” The receptionist walked out from behind the desk and headed down the corridors, with the Rainbooms following closely behind her. “I must say, they’ve really been enjoying their stay, according to the Embrace sisters. They’ve said how there’s not a single thing they do without a smile, especially with their new friends.”

Those words hit Sunset more than they should have. Her fears were beginning to come true. If it were possible that the Shadowbolrs were diving deeper and deeper into contentment with their babyhoods, then the chance of them growing back up was beginning to fade more and more.

Everyone came to the door and the receptionist led them all inside. Immediately, the girls were hit by a bright kaleiodscope of coloured walls, toys, padded floors, and babies playing around with the toys inside, with the Shadowbolts and Dazzlings sprinkled into the mix in different groups. Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, and Sunny Flare were building things with Aria Blaze while Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap were playing tag with Adagio Dazzle and Sonata Dusk. As well as the babies, Sweet, Warm, and Loving Embrace were either changing diapers or overseeing the activities with a grin on their faces.

“Aww...” the Rainbooms all swooned in unison with each other, awestruck with the sight of the playing babies.

When the Shadowbolts saw that Sunset had returned with the rest of her friends, they all stopped what they were doing and crawled over to them, with giggles in their voice as their little hands and knees shuffled across the floor, before they all came to a halt by the titanic teenagers.

“Sunset!” Lemon threw her arms up, clutching Sunset’s thighs with an eager grin on her face. “You’re back!”

“Hey, Lemon. Did you and the others have fun?” Sunset asked, picking Lemon Zest up as the lady went off to collect the carrier she had left behind.

“Yeah. We’ve been having lots and lots of fun with our new best friends!” Lemon squealed in delight as she looked down at the Dazzlings. “Dagi, Aria and Sonata!”

At the mere sight of the Dazzlings looking at the Rainbooms, and the Rainbooms looking at the Dazzlings, both sides could only widen their eyes and turn away. It really was true. The Dazzlings were babies again, and the Rainbooms had finally found them at last. It had seemed like forever since they last saw each other, with neither side knowing exactly what the other was pulling.

“So... it really is true. You found the Dazzlings, girls.” Sunset took the other babies in close to her body with the help of her friends. “I should be mad that they’re here, furious even for what they did. But... for some reason, I just can’t bring myself to hate them.”

“Maybe that’s because they’re super-duper tiny babies who’re super fragile now? That they can’t sing to turn anyone into a screaming, anger-driven maniac so that they can make themselves stronger?” Pinkie looked down at the three baby Dazzlings. “I gotta say, all my anger towards ‘em just went up in smoke. And not the smoke used in parties when you bring out a big name.”

"So... how did they get turned into babies again?" Rainbow Dash asked, sliding over to the three former sirens. "I mean, I thought that magic for them was all but gone, wasn't it?"

"I think they got turned the same way that the Shadowbolts did, by having a bit of a fight with each other while magic was near the proximity. One of them probably said that they were acting like babies and the magic just kicked in like that." Twilight squatted down and took a closer look at the girls, mainly at their clothes, the bows on their hairs, and the booties on their feet.

"Don't think there's any chance that they're pulling something mean like they were before. But still, ah gotta wonder what in the hay they're doing here? Wouldn't they want this kind of stuff to be over like the others do?" Applejack leaned in to the infant trio herself.

"Oh no, trust me. Growing up is a bad thing for us right now." Sonata shook her hands out in front of Applejack. "If we grow up, we have to do big girl things like think for ourselves, feed ourselves, survive for ourselves. Here, we can just have everything given to us like that." She tried clicking her fingers, but no snapping noise could be heard.

"It's true, Rainbooms. The grown-up life is absolutely terrible. At least, it was for us. So, we've decided that we're not going to grow up. We are going to stay babies until the end of time, because that way, we have a free and easy life with nothing trying to shoot us down for doing what we do." Adagio lifted a finger of her own as she glanced over into Sunset's eyes. "So, any thoughts that you might have had about us pulling some kind of revenge scheme are entirely out of the window. I mean, yeah, I admit right here and now that we had something up our sleeves, but your little ones were able to just... break that idea. They made themselves our friends and we've just gone along with it."

"Wait, for real?" Rainbow Dash cocked a brow. "You're being serious, right? You really don't want to grow back up again?"

"Why would we ever want to grow back up? Growing up is a terrible thing. When you have to live for yourself, it's so hard to juggle money, jobs, commitments, others, everything around you." Aria twirled her hand around. "If we wanted to grow up, we'd have to accept the fact that we'd be getting nothing out of it, that we'd be slaves to the outside world. When you really think about it, the entire outside world is just one big prison, with this little daycare centre being the only place where we can be free, be who we truly want to be. Be babies until the planet implodes or something or whatever. I don't really care, so long as we get to live the life of luxury."

"But how are you gonna stay babies forever when you have to grow up eventually?" Pinkie held her hands out to the baby sirens. "I mean, I'd totally love to be a diaper-butt, gurgling little kid forever, but I knew when to grow up and I grew up. How are you gonna fight that?"

"You think you're the only one with magical things, girls?" Adagio tapped the pacifier in her mouth. "With these, we don't age. At all. As long as these things stay in our mouths, we can stay babies forever, no matter how much you beg, plead, cry, or anything else."

"Yep. Magical pacifiers are the bestest thing ever, aren't they?" Sonata asked before she resumed suckling away at hers.

"Well... O...kay then?" Sunset couldn't bring herself to find any other words as she saw the carrier being returned to her. She laid each of the Shadowbolts down in it, before lifting it back up. "In any case, it's, uh... nice to see that you're finding your place in this world, girls. Don't let us keep you from it." She chuckled lamely once again, dumbfounded and caught off-guard by the Dazzlings' new ideals.

"They really do mean it, y'know." Sugarcoat nodded as she poked her head out of the carrier. "We've been with them all day, they don't want to grow up. At all."

"Yeah. They told us how, after the Battle of the Bands, their life was horrible." Sour Sweet cuddled Mr Cuddlebutt as the group lifted the carrier holding her and the other Shadowbolts out of the daycare. "I can't really feel that they're making the wrong choice now that they've laid out their blocks on the situation."

"But... were you really meanies to them, Sunset?" Sunny Flare blinked as she lifted her eyes to Sunset's field of vision. "Did you and the girls do something bad to them that made them come here?"

"Well, I wouldn't really say bad, per se. But... I guess, looking back at it, we did kind of cause this." Sunset took one last look at the Dazzlings as they went back to playing with the other babies in the daycare. "Though... I suppose, what we did was bad... and good at the same time. I'm just happy that they're happy, and that they're not hurting anyone else." Sunset closed the door once more, parting ways with the Dazzlings again, at least until the next time she had to leave the Shadowbolts behind.