Little Jolts of Shadow

by Shadowmane PX-41

The Nursery: Before and After

Sunset's spare room was, to put it bluntly, a mess. Dust littered every corner of the room and the items that she had left in storage. Old pieces of furniture, some lava lamps, and more were just strewn about, with no pattern or sense of organization. If Rarity was here, she would let out a scream that could shatter glass.

"Okay, Sunset. This is a pretty funny joke." Little Indigo did not look amused in the slightest. The way she crossed her arms and pouted was all the clarification she needed to show. "But seriously, where's our new room?"

"This is you're new room, silly!" Pinkie pinched Indigo's chubby cheeks. "It's just not ready yet. We've gotta put up the wallpaper, put the toys in, get all the other baby-raising furniture all set up, everything!" Pinkie very nearly threw her arms out, remembering that she, Sour, and Sugarcoat were still in her arms. "What? Did you think we were just gonna put the five of you in a stuffy, icky, boring room like this?"

"Yes." Sunny, Sugar, Sour, and Indigo all chorused in perfect sync with each other.

"Girls, it's totally fine." Sunset chuckled. "I'm not gonna put you in a dusty room where I keep all my old stuff."

"Yeah, that's why the others are coming." Pinkie nodded. "Twilight and Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack, and even Dashie too! They'll be sure to get this place all nice and tidy for you girls in no time!"

"But we don't need all this baby stuff." Sugarcoat groaned. "We're fully-grown teenage girls! We're too old for that kind of stuff!"

"And yet, you've got the body of an infant." Sunset smirked and gave Sugar's left cheek a tiny pat. "Trust me, girls. It's all gonna be fine. And plus, you won't be like that forever. We'll find a way to turn you back in no time."

"Plus, Sugar, you've gotta enjoy this a little more." Lemon Zest smiled at her. "People never get a chance to be babies again. We're super-duper lucky to have another shot at it. And, this time, you'll be able to remember all that stuff; instead of having mom and dad tell you everything and show those pictures."

"Lemon, I think you're enjoying this a little too much. And you've not even started playing yet." Sour gave her a little glare. "You're probably gonna think it's boring, or that you'd want more and more toys. There's a reason why babies don't remember things, y'know."

"Yeah. It's so they can actually enjoy their time." Sugarcoat folded her arms.

"Hey, don't knock something up until you try it." Sunset shrugged. "It was a magical incident. Magic in this world's really been a bit of a hassle for us. For all we know, it could make your minds like playing with those toys and blocks."

"Anyway..." Pinkie Pie stepped outside and went back into the living room, placing Lemon and Sunny back on the couch. "This is gonna be a pretty busy job, Sunset. So we're gonna all gonna have to chip in one way or another."

"You sure you can keep 'em occupied?" Sunset asked, coming back into her room with the other babies. "It's a big job, turning a spare room into a baby's nursery in one day. "If it wasn't for the other girls, it'd be an all-night task. But that's not the point. How are you gonna manage with their..." She put a hand to the side of her mouth and whispered, "Bladder problems?"

Indigo's eyes shrunk even smaller than ever as the thought of messing herself popped back into her mind.

"Pinkie, if you've not got a secret stash of diapers with you, I swear to god..." She growled, crawled up to her chest and grabbed the collar of her shirt.

"Chill out, silly-willy." Pinkie pulled Indigo off and reached into her hair, pulling out a little pack of them. "Rule #1 of being with babies: Always come prepared. That's a little thing I came up with after sitting Pound and Pumpkin for Mr and Mrs Cake."

"Pinkie, just how deep is that hair of yours? And why does it have all of that stuff that shouldn't logically fit in it?" Sugar climbed up Pinkie's chest and tried to reach into her hair, barely even making it past the teenager's eyes.

"It's Pinkie Pie, girls. Best not to question things." Sunset nodded, patting Pinkie on the back. "And Celestia only knows what's in her hair at this point. Last I remember, she put an entire bucket of pudding in it."

"Yep!" Pinkie licked her lips. "And good quality, straight-from-the-movie-set pudding it was!"

---

Just as Sunset finished setting the Shadowbolts into the room, the doorbell rang, which Pinkie Pie went down to answer. As she left the room, Sunset placed Lemon's green onesie on her, putting it over the fluffy, white undergarment. Lemon herself giggled as she wiggled in Sunset's arms, feeling her diaper contort and bend with her.

"Hey, Sunset? When's that room gonna be ready?" Lemon asked as she was carried back over to the other padded Shadowbolts.

"Well, first, we need to get the rest of the Rainbooms." Sunset sat Lemon down before taking a seat on the couch herself. "Making a room for a bunch of babies is a hard job. And considering that this came out of absolutely nowhere, we've gotta work overtime to try make it good for you."

"I don't care about quality, Sunset. Just as long as you get us a decent room." Sour Sweet squeaked, putting her little hands on her hips. "Please? The least we could be now is comfortable."

"The girls are here, Sunset!" Pinkie Pie chimed as she poked her head back into the room. Once she stepped back into it, the other Rainbooms came in with her. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle.

"We got Pinkie's message and came right over." Twilight moved to the front of the group. "What's the problem—" She took one look at the five baby Shadowbolts "—here?"

"Sunset..." Rarity slowly inched herself forward towards the couch. "Are those... babies?"

"Yeah." She blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "It's kind of a long story."

"Oh my gosh." Fluttershy burst out of the girls and looked down at the five infant Shadowbolts, her face making the biggest, toothy smile it could ever make. "You. Are. Adorable!" She quickly brought all five of them into a big and strong hug, almost crushing them all with how tight her embrace was. "Oh, I just wanna eat you all up, yes I do!"

"S-Sunset!" Indigo violently patted Fluttershy's shoulder as her face turned blue. "Tell her to let go! Geez!"

"Yes, please! I don't wanna die this way!" Sugarcoat could barely muster up that sentence as she choked for breath.

As Fluttershy heard the babies' chatter, her grip quickly broke on them and they fell back onto the plush couch. She stood back up and stepped back to the other girls, whose mouths had all hung wide open.

"Uh, Sunset?" Rainbow was the next to walk forward. "Am I going crazy, or did I just hear those babies talk? And not in the whole gibberish sense, either. Like, properly saying actual sentences?"

"Yep!" Lemon grabbed onto the armrest and pulled her head up to the girls. "We can talk alright. That little lightshow that hit us was very nice if I do say so myself. Be sure to let it know I say thanks the next time you see it, K?"

"That... is a talking baby." Applejack pointed at Lemon Zest.

"We're ALL talking babies!" The other Shadowbolts groaned in unison. "Geez!"

The other Rainbooms didn't know how to react to the babies at first, but in the end, they replayed the outburst over and over in their minds and simultaneously swooned over them all, choosing cuteness over any sense of shock and horror.

"Aww..." They all cooed together and came over to the Shadowbolts, picking up one for themselves, leaving Sunset and Twilight without one in their hands.

"Oh no..." Sugarcoat groaned as Applejack pressed her against her cheeks. "Now they're gonna think we're cute. This is a disaster."

"Aren't you just the cutest little talking bundles of joy ever?" Rarity pinched Sunny's cheeks and held her up to her face. "You would look so much cuter in cute dresses and outfits. Maybe once we get you into a cosy room, we can talk about it."

"Look, before we get out of hand with this whole cute thing, we'd better get started on that room right away." Sunny Flare pointed towards the dusty, musky, disaster area of a room that was Sunset's spare room. "The quicker we're all settled in, the faster we can think of a way to change us back to normal."

"Back to normal?" Twilight walked up to Sunny. "You mean that you're—"

"Yes. Yes. OMG. YES." Indigo snarled, pulling her head out of Rainbow's hold. "Twilight! It's us! Indigo Zap, Sunny Flare, Lemon Zest, Sugarcoat, and Sour Sweet from the Friendship Games! Remember us? We used to mock you and force you to use that freaky magic on yourself?"

"Indy..." Lemon's little middle finger slowly raised.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Twilight backed up and pushed her hands out in front of her face. "This isn't right. You're not babies. Last I recall, you were close to graduating Crystal Prep."

"Were being the keyword, Twilight." Sugarcoat's tinny voice broke through the resounding murmurs of the Rainbooms. "I don't know what kind of magic's been messing with this place now, but it's made the five of us into babies, and now we can't seem to turn back to normal. And while you and the other Rainbooms are acting all lovey-dovey over us, I personally don't like this one bit."

"I'm still shocked as it is, Sugarcoat." Twilight approached her and held her stubby little hand. "How did magic turn you five into babies like that? And why did you come to us specifically for a cure?"

"Because, last I checked, you and your friends were the ones with the magical stuff down." Sour Sweet huffed. "Can't you just do one little spell and wave your little magic wands around to fix this? Or is that too 'outdated', 'last season', and 'a poor representation'?"

"Still as feisty as always, Sour Sweet." Twilight deadpanned. "Even as a baby, you've not lost your touch."

"Well, duh. It's in her name, after all." Pinkie cocked a brow as she patted Lemon's head and hugged her.

"Well, if everyone's all done with the introductions, can we get started on that room now?" Sunset asked. "I want to make sure their room's ready by tonight. We don't know how long we're gonna have to keep caring for them."

"I've got you covered on the shopping, Sunset," Rainbow smirked and shone her geode in the light of Sunset's ceiling lights. "Just give me the list, the cash, and I'll be back in a flash."

"You might need to make a few trips, Rainbow Dash." Sunset walked over towards her desk and pulled out a small notepad and pen from the drawer, before scribbling down the items she needed. "Wallpapers, supplies, some toys, and some furniture in general. "Now, I know for a fact that it's not all sold in the same place. And even with your super speed, you've only got two arms as it is."

"Eh, it's no biggie." Rainbow slid her hand down her chest and took Sunset's finished list. "I barely even get tired anymore thanks to that crystal from Camp Everfree. Doing a few supply runs for these little stinkers is gonna be a breeze."

"Good." Sunset climbed off of the chair. "While she's out, Rarity and Applejack, you can help me with getting all the old junk out of my room and making it a bit more presentable."

"I can do that." Applejack nodded and flipped her hat up.

"I suppose I could provide some assistance of my own." Rarity dressed in a pair of blue latex gloves and strapped a surgeon's mask over her mouth and nose. "There. Now, I'm ready." She gained some stares from the other Rainbooms and from a couple of the babies. "What? The dust in that room is hard to get off my hands. And inhaling it is just as bad."

Sunset just rolled her eyes at Rarity's remark. "Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. You seem like the most capable with kids." She watched as the three of them picked up the baby Shadowbolts. "I want you to try and keep the kids busy while we get everything else sorted. That sound good?"

"Mmhmm." Fluttershy nodded.

"Absotivelutely, Sunset!" Pinkie added.

"I know them all the best, so I think I know all the best methods of making them feel comfortable." Twilight looked down at the five babies. "Though... maybe not so much personally. Just, as far as Crystal Prep goes."

"Eh, good enough for me, I guess." Indigo shrugged.

"Alright. We've all got our jobs, so let's go, everyone." Sunset clapped her hands together. "Rainbow, you make the runs. Rarity, Applejack, give me a hand with the room. Everyone else? Just enjoy yourselves."

"Let's do this!" Everyone called out, immediately leaving the room or settling down with the other Shadowbolts.

On Rainbow Dash's end, it was a little bit of a shock, having to get used to taking care of babies. She was still deep into her time at CHS and hadn't even considered trying to raise a kid yet. Mostly due to her awesomeness being "too raw to ignore." All of her training at the track, combined with the super speed from her geode was about to pay off, though, as she quickly shot into the first store and started to poke around for the items she needed, zipping back to Sunset's house once she was happy with her choices.

As for Rarity, Sunset, and Applejack, Applejack handled the work just fine, while Rarity seemed to hesitate as she sifted through the chaos of Sunset's stowed, dust-coated objects. She often picked some of them up like she was performing a medical procedure, only she had to look away at how grimy everything was. All the while, Applejack just lowered her brows as she continued on with the work; not bothered by a single thing on display. In fact, on a few occasions, she blew the dust off of the items, scattering it all over the room like a sprinkling of icing sugar over a large cake. And as for Sunset, she too didn't seem to mind as much as Applejack, but she knew the stuff much better and handled it the proper way. Some old guitars, clothes, and even some stuff from a few trends and phases she went through were picked out and properly dusted off.

Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy knew how well the Shadowbolts operated but weren't expecting them to be babies in the slightest. It was a little bit of a rocky transition, trying to think about what would be best for them, but also best for babies, and trying to think of a way to bring the two together without trying to disturb, displease, or make the girls feel uncomfortable. Or, at least, Fluttershy and Twilight were. Pinkie had already taken the initiative and did some entry-level playing with the baby Shadowbolts, blowing raspberries into their tummies and tickling them in sensitive places like their armpits. For the most part, it seemed to work, as the five infant Crystal Prep girls couldn't control their fits of laughter.

The Shadowbolts, while still adamant in the lie that they were still teenage girls, just trapped within the bodies of babies, found themselves at the mercy of the Rainbooms. There were kisses, hugs, and many more of Pinkie's shenanigans to come in the future, and they couldn't do a thing about it; much to some of their dismays. Lemon Zest, on the other hand, was enjoying every second of it, relishing in Pinkie's playfulness and keeping a big smile plastered on her face the entire time the room was being set up for them.

It took everyone a while to do their jobs, but in the end, Rainbow Dash finally arrived back with her shopping goods, while Applejack and Rarity helped Sunset clean off the last of the things in the spare room. The three of them wiped the sweat off of their brows as Rarity took the gloves and mask off.

Finally, all of the Rainbooms came together, leaving the Shadowbolts in Sunset's care as they all went off to the spare room with the paint and wallpapers, shutting the door behind them.

"We're nearly there, girls." Sunset smiled and booped each of the Shadowbolts on the nose. "You've done a good job of being patient for us."

"If by patient, you mean being tortured by Pinkie Pie's raspberry blowing and tickling, then yes, we've been patient." Sour lifted one of her little eyebrows.

"It was fun, though. You can't say no to that." Lemon Zest was still smiling and clasped her hands together. "Ooh! Can you do it to me now, Sunset?"

"Maybe once we're done, Lemon." Sunset patted her back. "For now, all we can do is wait..."

---

"It's ready!" Pinkie Pie sing-songed as she eventually popped out of the spare room's door. "And I think you're gonna love the results, Sunset!"

"About time!" remarked Sugarcoat as the five babies were all picked off and carried to their new bedroom. "It only took, like, three hours to make. It's almost sundown out there." She pointed to the setting sun in the distance, clearly visible through Sunset's ceiling-high windows.

"Alright, girls. Let's see just how much work the girls put into this..." Sunset opened the door into the nursery; the bright lights almost blinding the babies as they all went inside.

Once everyone's eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room, they were met with a very tranquil sight. Bright colours of cream and aqua lined the walls, with cartoon stars painted on the ceiling. The floor itself was entirely padded, and slightly squishy underfoot. There were a few toys already set out if neatly organized for a baby's room. Five cribs laid against the wall, each with the Shadowbolts' names and some little items drawn onto the front. A teddy bear for Sour and Lemon, a book for Sugarcoat, some clouds for Indigo, and a sun with some clouds on it for Sunny Flare. The cribs looked readily made, with pillows and tiny covers for each that looked much comfier up close. There was a tiny wardrobe, a couple of toy chests, and a changing table with some drawers beneath it for the excess diapers and powder. Truly, it was everything the Shadowbolts would need for their situation.

"I do hope that you like it, girls." Twilight bowed before them. "It was a lot of hard work."

Before anyone could say anything else, some tears began to form in Lemon Zest's eyes. "Girls... This is... perfect!" Her eyes twinkled like the stars in the nursery rhyme she'd be hearing for a good few months to come.

"Alright. I might not like my body, but I have to agree. This is pretty high-quality stuff." Sunny Flare marvelled at how well-placed everything was. "Plus, the cribs aren't all in separate locations, so we don't have to look far for each other at night."

"It all looks so big..." Indigo stared out at the room as if she was standing on top of the world's tallest mountain. "Maybe it's because we're all so small."

"Well, it could use some touching up here and there, but I suppose it's acceptable." Sugarcoat was the first to critique the room as an actual adult trapped in a baby's body. "If I were actually younger in mind, I'd like this too."

"Mmm..." Sour tried her hardest to find something wrong with the room, but no matter what she found, it quickly evaporated with how seemingly perfect it all looked. "Okay, if you can't beat them, join them. I like it too." She gave a small grin. "But that doesn't mean I'm still OK with this whole baby thing."

"I'm glad that you all like it." Sunset set them all down onto the floor. "Why don't you all break it in before we go to bed? Go on, do whatever you want." She watched them all wander off around the place; knowing full well that this was only the beginning of a long job.

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

Oh boy oh boy... The girls have their hands full, that's for sure. Honestly, though, they can pull through. (Hopefully.)

[Matthew Malysza]

Awesome

[DarkSpider]

I honestly forgot this story existed. Ah well. Good chapter, can't wait for more

[Latecomer]

Erm... weren't they all diapered as part of the spell in the first chapter?

[Shadowmane PX-41]

9579596
I’m pretty sure I said that early on. If I forgot to add it, let me know.

[Latecomer]

9579635
Yes, you did - so why are they being diapered here?