Little Jolts of Shadow

by Shadowmane PX-41

Live Young, Think Young, Be Young

The Dazzlings led the Shadowbolts towards the Toybox, opening it wide so that they could get a proper look into the contents inside. There were a plethora of toys on the inside, ranging from towers with rings on them, rattles with varying designs, even a few things that they could dress up in like bonnets and tutus. That was just on the surface, however, as many more treasures were hidden underneath. Seeing as how they were more well-versed with the place, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata reached down into the deepest depths of the box, where they pulled out their toys.

A bunch of animals that were balloon-like in shape and texture. Squeaking upon being squeezed and pulling silly faces, the toys demonstrated this when the Dazzlings squashed them with their hands.

The Shadowbolts, easily yet mysteriously impressed with the actions went to get some toys of their own, scrambling through each other and pushing them around as they tried to get their hands on something they wanted before the others scooped it up for themselves. In the chaos, the five babies got their prizes. For Sour Sweet, a pink tutu and bonnet which she quickly put on; for Lemon Zest, a tiny rattle with a zig-zag design curling around it; for Sunny Flare, another animal akin to the Dazzlings’ ones; for Indigo Zap, a flippable board with shapes poking out of both sides accompanied with a dinky mallet; and for Sugarcoat, a little rubber ducky that must have gotten lost from the bathroom.

Letting naught but their own bodies lead the way, the Shadowbolts played with their items. Sour Sweet tried to stand up and dance, but her wobbly moves ended up with her falling onto her bouncy diaper. Lemon Zest made one shake of the rattle, becoming enamoured with the noise. It didn’t take long for her to shake it about as wildly as possible; calling back to the days when she would rave with her headphones on her head. Sunny Flare crawled to the Dazzlings and let the animal she was holding do the talking, causing a group hug to ensue between the three of them. Indigo picked up the mallet and begun to nail the shapes into the frame. It took a couple of hits to sink each one, but she quickly flipped it back over and repeated the process once they were all wedged in. As for Sugarcoat, she held the duck in her hand, with the pacifier still in her mouth. She tightened her hold on the tiny toy, letting another squeak noise emanate. She made another squeak. Then another. It was hypnotically satisfying to crush the duck if only to hear that noise.

Though none of them could tell, their worries and thoughts were starting to fade away, drifting off into the bliss of infancy. The pacifiers were doing as they were advertised, the toys captivating and commanding their attention the whole while, and the Dazzlings were on hand if they ever needed a playmate to join in with their little adventures. No matter how smart they were, how much they remembered, or what their futures were, one thing was certain. They didn’t want to stop playing.

Sunset Shimmer. Your little friends are starting to see the truth. They don’t want to grow up anymore. Adagio thought to herself as she watched the Shadowbolts losing themselves in their fun and games. Even though they don’t have magic pacifiers like we do, at least they see things our way now. When you come back for them, they might not even want to come with you. The perfect revenge for you taking our powers, don’t you think?

Y’know, I’m glad these five came along. Aria’s thoughts were vapidly different from Adagio’s. As much as this whole magic-made baby stuff is fun, it gets kinda boring when the only other company is Adagio and Sonata. I just hope Sunset drops them off here more often. I could use the extra fun.

Whatever my sisters are thinking, I’m just gonna go along with it. After all, thinking’s for big people. And we sure as heck aren’t that anymore... Sonata rolled her eyes. As long as we keep thinking these baby thoughts, we don’t need anything else. Why would we ever need anything else anyway? This is perfect through and through. Still, a part of me wishes babies could eat tacos. Then it would be as if we’d gone to heaven...

Time passed for the group and once again, they found themselves carried into the air by the caretakers. At first, they thought it was another feeding time, but that quickly dissolved when they were taken into an entirely separate room.

The walls were made of white ceramic tiles, with little pictures of bubbles and aquatic creatures painted over it. A set of large baths filled with hot, bubbly water sat before everyone, with some bath toys resting on the surface of the water. Everything looked inviting for the babies, but before any of them could enter the water, they were all fully undressed by the Embrace Sisters, hair bows included.

The Shadowbolts tried to cover up their shame with their hands, but it didn’t take long for them to be dropped in a bath together, with the Dazzlings in one right next to them. The pacifiers still kept in their mouths as everyone was being loaded, but they were taken away as soon as everyone was in place, perched on a nearby shelf. The same could be said for Mr Cuddlebutt, who had been snatchedfrom Sour Sweet's hands as well. At first, everyone wanted to cry over the loss of their soothers, but that notion vanished when Adagio grabbed their attention with a wave of water over their backs.

“If you’re upset about those, you’ll get them back after bathtime,” she said as her hair was filled with shampoo. “Speaking of which, now’s the time for us to resume that little tour you were all so in love with.”

“With that being said, welcome to the Bubble Bathhouse,” Aria swung her arms up. “There’s much less to do and you’re in a confined space, with much more time being spent with the caretakers, but at least when you’re getting cleaned, you can have fun with it.” As she said that, she put her face into the water and blew into it, causing bubbles to emanate around her. That got her a laugh from the Shadowbolts.

“The bath water’s made with this special stuff to make it extra comfy. And it makes our skin smooth as... well as our butts.” Sonata gave an innocent smile before dunking her head under the water, returning seconds later with a drenched hairstyle that hung down her shoulders.

“Ooh! I wanna do that too!” Lemon mimicked Sonata’s movements, dousing her head in the water. She burst out of it with her own hair slithering down her back.

"Oh, Lemon. You are such a silly-billy at times..." Sunny Flare reached over and tickled Lemon's armpits, laughing all the while, as did her poor, hapless victim as she spasmed with glee. She barely even noticed the shampoo being moulded into her hair as she continued to tickle her friend.

Indigo Zap didn't say much during the bath. Rather, she wanted nothing more than to get a feel for the water. She let it run between her fingers as she lifted it up, splashed it mildly with the palm of her hand, pushed it towards the others, and stayed utterly motionless as the water seeped into her pores. The smile came back, as did the feelings long lost since the days when she was a baby for real, and not just made that way due to Equestrian Magic. By the time it was her turn to get her hair lathered, she gladly took it without any hesitation or resistance.

"I wasn't going to admit it, but it turns out that this is more pleasurable than I was hoping," Sugarcoat said, watching the others being washed down. When her gaze turned to Sour, she saw that she was curling up, as if ashamed to be there with the rest of them. "Huh? What's the matter, Sour? You seem a bit crestfallen."

"M-m-m-m... Mr Cuddlebutt." She shaking pointed her hand towards the shelf where her teddy bear had been plopped, a small tear forming in her eyes. "I... I want him back. Why can't I take him in the bath with me?"

"Because, Sour. Teddy bears don't do so well in the bath." Sugarcoat reached over, put her hand on Sour's shoulders, looked her in the eyes and patted her back. "If you took him in with you, he'd be soaked from the inside out and he'd potentially... break apart."

"Break? As in, he'd... go away forever?" Sour asked, the tears in her eyes still welling up with each second. "I don't want Mr Cuddlebutt to go. I... I need him to be happy."

"Oh, Sour..." Sugarcoat pulled Sour Sweet into a hug without even thinking it. It didn't matter to her whether or not her friend got waht she wanted back; just so long as she didn't have to see her cry in her position. "You'll get her back once your bath is done. Now, c'mon. Let me see that little smile of yours again."

Sour Sweet fell into Sugarcoat's cuddle; the rest of the world draining away around her as she let some tears fall into the bath, vanishing just as rapidly as they appeared. Despite her being unable to be reunited with Mr Cuddlebutt, the main tether to her sanity and complacency, when she looked at the others enjoying themselves, she couldn't feel anything else other than calmness. Any thoughts of her going off of the handle and reverting to her old bipolar personality seemed long gone. With her smile returning, Sour reached for the corner of the bath and retrieved a small octopus, one big enough for her at least.

"There it is. Now—" Sugarcoat got a devilish smirk on her face as she flung a small wave of water into Sour's face.

"Oh, it's on, Sugar." Sour got the very same look on her face as she pressed the head of the octopus with her hands, spraying a stream of water into Sugarcoat's face. She fist-pumped after her retaliation, only for Sugarcoat to respond in kind with another watery strike, hitting Sour's chest, but mostly leaving her upper parts unscathed.

The two babies let their watery battle rage on. Sugarcoat relying on her own two hands to get the job done, while Sour Sweet resorted to the toys to act both as her defence and her offence, using whatever she could to avoid meeting a soaking. Within the chaos, a stray blast struck Sunny Flare, who turned her back to the both of them.

"Uh oh..." They both said together, watching as Sunny Flare got the attention of Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap, whispering in both of their ears and pointing towards her assailants. It didn't take long before the third party returned fire on both Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet, creating a five-way conflict between them.

Water was slung in every direction from all five babies. All sides were being blasted for each of the Shadowbolts, leaving them trapped and yet with clear shots of their opponents at the same time. If there was one thing that carried over from their past lives, it was their desire to win against the odds. That was exactly what they did, as the pool turned into what could only be described as a whirlpool of chaos and confusion. Rather than show displeasure or anguish in taking a hit, the five babies couldn't help themselves and just ended up laughing the whole while; the satisfaction in getting their peers deluged in water was enough to keep them going at it.

Pretty soon, though, the war came to an end. The intervention of Warm and Loving caused the Shadowbolts to stop, as the two of them cleaned their hairs, filling their bath with suds. Once the attacks stopped, the babies quickly calmed down, as did the waters they were battling on.

After the diminutive oceans settled, the Shadowbolts were lifted out of the water and set down on towels. They were dried from head to toe, then promptly redressed into diapers, then back into their onesies. Sour got her tutu, bonnet, and Mr Cuddlebutt back, as she and everyone else was rewarded with the return of their pacifiers. The feeling of serenity returned once more as they resumed suckling on the bulbs once more, almost autonomously.

"Doesn't it feel wonderful to be clean, girls?" Adagio asked as she and her two associates were also laid down to be cleaned. Their replies were a unison of nodded heads, as none of the Shadowbolts wanted to drop their pacifiers. "You all seemed to have a lot of fun in there, I could tell."

"We could all tell," Aria added. "You really are starting to enjoy this, aren't you?"

"Letting go of everything. Of all your worries, of all the past, of pretty much everything stopping you from having fun, it's the bestest-ever feeling on the planet!" Sonata threw her arms up, while simultaneously having her bottom powdered in preparation for her new diaper.

Everyone else in the room was properly dried off, clothed, diapered, and carried back off to the nursery by the Embrace Sisters. Business then resumed as normal for the Shadowbolts and Dazzlings. Pacifiers in mouths, their minds continued to dissipate as they let their bodies do all of the thinking for them. The first thing that they saw that wasn't on hand, they went to play with.

You're beginning to change, girls. No more of that stuffy old past life on the brain. Now, there is this life and only this life to think about. Adagio thought as she watched the Shadowbolts once more resume their playtimes, letting go of all their inhibitions. Growing up is so overrated. That's why this new life is perfect for you. For us. For everyone who's been dealt the roughest hand. And I hope that, by the end of today, you'll be wanting to come back again. And again. Eventually getting to the point where you'll want to cast Sunset out and live here with us. It's only a matter of time now...

Whatever Adagio's planning, forget about it, girls. We're not gonna force you or anything like that. We're long past that. Aria just idly batted her hand outward. If we did have a plan now, it'd probably get shot down by Sunset, her friends, or whatever schedule we've got. You just take it easy and enjoy it how much you want.

Y'know, I've never had a real friend for all my life. Well, technically, my sisters count, but they're less of friends and more like sisters. There's a total difference... But I digress. You've all changed that, girls. Sonata went over to Mr Stuffington, a blue bear with a bow tie on its' chest. Whatever dumb plan Adagio may or may not be thinking about, I don't really care. Just as long as we can keep playing forever and ever...

---

It grew closer and closer to 3 o'clock. Not that anyone in the room really cared about the time with their undeveloped or unattentive brains. The Shadowbolts were frolicking in the garden, taking in the sunlight as their hands brushed across the grass. Sour and Sunny tried to stand up again, but their diapers foiled that plan in an instant; their balance severed and jagged. The falls barely even hurt, as their bodies flattened the grass.

"Oh, the sun feels so wonderful today, doesn't it?" Sugarcoat spoke through her pacifier, looking up beyond the wooden planks of the fence toward the sky. "I never really gave it the love and appreciation it deserved when I was a big girl. Maybe because I was too busy with my studies. But now, I've got all the time in the world to change that."

"Hey! That looks fun!" Sour Sweet pointed over to the corner of the garden, where a dinky, yellow tricycle laid undisturbed. She wriggled her way over to it, rubbing the seat with her hand. “I wanna give it a ride.”

“Well, go ahead. No need to wait for an invite here, girl,” said Lemon Zest, shooting Sour another smile.

Sour used the bike as a prop to help herself stand up, maintaining her balance by tightly gripping the frame. Then, she tried to lift her leg up and over the chair so that she could properly take her seat, ready to carve up the grass, but that proved easier said than done, as her flimsy legs were hindered by her diaper. The process went on and on, with each attempt failing the same way.

Just as it seemed like Sour wanted to go back in and get some help, she found herself lifted off of the ground by the others, who had put their arms around and under Sour’s waist and diaper. With their combined effort, the girls put Sour onto her chair, though not without causing the other Shadowbolts to collapse after the fact with their balance stripped from them.

“Aww... Thanks, girls!” Sour clasped her hands together as she watched them get back on all fours. Then, she put her hands on the bars and positioned her feet when she was stopped by Indigo, who held Mr Cuddlebutt in her hands.

“Don’t forget your plus one, Sour.” Indigo gave her a wink as she returned the bear to her.

“Thanks, Indy.” She took the bear back instantly. “Now, take a seat, Mr Cuddlebutt. We’re gonna go for a ride together...” Sour planted the teddy bear in front of her, just resting on her diaper. As soon as he was comfortable, Sour began to peddle, the tricycle moving forward as she did so. She began her adventure across the open, rolling grassy fields of the Little Miracles garden.

“Ya think there’s some more trikes around here?” Indigo asked, before her eyes were caught by a small wooden shed tucked away in the corner.

“There might be in there...” Sugarcoat pointed to the shed that Indigo was fixated on. “But how are we supposed to open it on our own? The handle’s much too high for us to reach...”

“Why don’t we just climb on top of each other? Just like little kids do in those cartoons?” Lemon lifted a finger. “Ya never know, it could work.”

“Any other ideas?” Indigo asked the group, who could only shrug in response. She just gave a sigh after that. “Alright then. Tower of babies it is.”

The four babies went over to the shed door, which had turned the whole thing into a titanic monolith from their perspective. What seemed like something simple now stood imposingly over them, blotting out the sun and leaving them in the darkness of its’ shadow. Within the veil, they all discussed over how the tower was going to be formed, with some of them even arguing over who was going to be on the top and bottom. In the end, they decided on an order. With Sugarcoat at the bottom, Sunny Flare on top of her, Indigo after that, and Lemon at the apex. The Shadowbolts had propped themselves against the wall so as not to make their little tower wobble, or to give anyone the added pressure of walking with three others on their head. For Sugar, Sunny, and Indigo, the sensation of their peers’ diapers on their head was more plush than they were expecting, as if they were wearing a cushion hat covered in fabric.

“I’ve... almost... got it!” Lemon’s little arms stretched from her position towards the nearby handle and was just about to grab a hold of it, when a certain bodily function intervened. Just as her fingers touched the handle, she let loose a poop into her diaper, causing her to freeze up.

“Well, Lemon? Ya got the handle yet?” Indigo called from underneath her.

“I... I...” Lemon was still in a state of shock from her messed diaper. Unable to speak, she could only whimper as the gooey substance squelched underneath her. Lips quivering, she started to cry, retracting herself back to the tower. “I pooped myself!”

“Wait, what?!” Indigo’s eyes widened, realising just where she was in the tower. “OH, GROSS!” Indigo freaked out, shaking herself in an attempt to get herself away from the soiled diaper.

And that was what did it. The equilibrium disrupted, the tower if babies began to wobble as Lemon, Indigo, and Sunny fell from their positions and tumbled to the floor. Though they landed on their butts and chests, that didn’t stop Lemon from bawling. The very same messy sensation happened to Indigo and Sunny, and they too began to cry their eyes out over their ruined undergarments.

Sugarcoat, seeing her friends upset, crawled as fast as she could towards the door leading back into the day-care. She banged on it to get the attention of Sweet Embrace, who saw the crying babies instantly and charged onto the scene, with Sugarcoat toddling behind her.

“What’s wrong, girls?” Sweet asked, but didn’t need to hear the answer from them. She could tell from the smell, her noise picking up the acrid stench in seconds. Sweet recoiled from the smell, but quickly took the three crying babies and lifted them back into the room, ready for a change. “Warm, Loving? We’ve got some messes to clean up!”

Now Sugarcoat was truly alone in the garden, save for the lone Sour Sweet still being the biker baby that she was, it felt like all of her dreams of riding with her had died as quickly as they were made. With no-one else to understand and help build the tower of babies to reach for the door, any hope of riding a bike was gone. A small tear formed in her eyes next, and she ended up letting out a small cry as well.

“Sugar? What’s wrong?” Sour Sweet asked, looking at the tear-ridden baby.

“I wanted to play with you, Sour. To ride on a tricycle like you and Mr Cuddlebutt. But my friends pooped themselves and there’s no-one else to help me get another one...” Sugarcoat whined, then continued to sob into her hands.

“Oh, Sugarcoat...” Sour Sweet reached down to Sugarcoat’s head, tousling the hair on it; making sure not to disturb the bows that kept her two tiny pigtails in place. “You don’t have to be sad. It’s okay to not be able to do anything. That’s why there are big people who do it for us.”

“B-but the caretakers are changing my friends!” She pointed to the changing tables where Indigo, Lemon, and Sunny were getting a fresh diaper applied. The noise almost inaudible but their tears noticeably gone.

“But it’s okay. Sugar. It really is.” Sour reached a hand out for Sugarcoat. “If you want, we can share this thing. And hey, maybe after our friends get back, we can all ride together.”

Sugarcoat sniffled, looking towards Sour’s offer. She reached out for Sour’s hand and watched as she got off the trike, helping Sugar climb into the seat in her place. After she picked Mr Cuddlebutt off, she even helped put Sugar’s hands and feet in the right place so as to properly control the trike.

“There you go, Sugar.” Sour patted Sugarcoat’s belly, then crawled over behind the little bike. She held onto the back and lifted herself back onto two feet, then used her strength to push the trike off on its’ next ride, catching her fall with her hands as she transitioned back to her hands and knees again. “Go, Sugarcoat!”

Sugarcoat felt a giddiness in her heart as she rode the tricycle around the garden, the wheels leaving marks on the grass all the while. She hastily forgot all about her sadness as she rode on, the wind flowing through her little hair as she thundered along. Although she was in for the drive alone, she knew that it would be the last time. Whether it would be today or another day, she and her friends would ride together. In her imagination, they would be the world’s youngest biker gang. Eventually, ride stopped and the door reopened, as Warm Embrace took Sour and Sugar back into the room, closing the door behind her and drawing the curtains closed.

The majority of the toys and objects in the room had been pushed to the corners and walls or packed away, as a series of pillows and different-coloured blankets had been laid out in their place. Some of the babies had already been laid down, with only the Shadowbolts and Dazzlings left to be positioned. But once they were, they were tucked underneath the blankets, given back their pacifiers, and simply watched as the caretakers dimmed the lights. Only one thing came to their minds: Naptime.

“So, time to sleep?” Indigo asked as she looked at her friends. Who all chattered softly among themselves as they got themselves comfortable.

“Mmm.” Sunny nodded. “I wonder for how long, though?”

“Who cares. It’s naptime. Now we can sleep and dream of anything we want!” Lemon’s hands were locked into each other as a smile ran along her face.

As the others started to think about where they would go into the world of dreams, their invitation came sooner than they expected, as the Embrace Sisters began to sing a lullaby. Their harmonised voices were akin to an angel’s choir, and their calming tones coiled around the ears of all of the babies in the room, causing their eyelids to grow heavier and heavier with each lyric. By the time they were halfway, the non-thinking babies were asleep,. Only the Shadowbolts and Dazzlings made it all the way through the song before nodding off, their dreams beginning to form as they left the real world behind in their slumber.

Sugarcoat imagined the very same tricycle gang she had thought about coming to fruition, as she and her friends tore up the road on their five little trikes, with not a soul around to disturb them. Lemon and Indigo’s dreams were pretty much identical to each other, with the two of them in a world where everything was as bouncy as a trampoline. With every single bounce launching them higher and higher into the air. As for Sunny’s dream, she envisioned herself in a tea party with her friends, while Sour dreamt about being in a world where every stuffed animal could walk and talk. In reality, the five of them were sleeping. Pacifier in their mouths and dreams in their heads, not a single one of them wanted to wake from their little worlds. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the Shadowbolts were truly happy with being babies, and didn’t want anything to change...

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

This just got really creepy.

[Shadowmane PX-41]

9587571
Don’t worry. We’ll swing it back once Sunset comes.

[The Bricklayer]

9587604
I suspect a few spankings or a few sprits of concentrated rainbow magic are in order.