Male Seahorses have the Baby!?

by Homeshine

4:What is the measure of a man?

Celestia took the news rather well, all considering, "Oh, dear; I've heard of this from Queen Novo, but I've never actually ... is everything going to be okay with the pregnancy?"

Shining Rolled his eyes while responding, "Twilight is going to send all of us a 'comprehensive, cross-indexed report, including original, first-hoof research, as well as a literature review of Seaponies' historical ideanyms.' I think that was what she said?" He turned to Cadence.

"I think that's close enough."

Luna said, "Yes, that rather does sound like Twilight Sparkle. Especially when it's to help ponies she's close to."

Celestia continued, "Well, make yourselves comfortable while you're back in Canterlot. if you're feeling up to it, we'd rather thought you might come to a soirée we're having this evening. But given your current situation, I can understand if you might not want to attend."

Shining turned to Cadence, "I'm up for it if you are. You could even wear that Tuxedo that Miss Rarity made you."

"oh- well, I was..." Cadence said

"Please?"

"Only if you wear the dress she made you."

"Um... well..."

"I'll even help you with the 'eyeball wand'."

"I don't suppose my armor would fit me any more anyway... Deal!" They clapped hooves in agreement, while Celestia and Luna looked on confusingly.

* * *

"So what's the deal with your uniform?" Spitfire asked a very strangely-dressed palace guard. "I know a guard's dress uniform is supposed to be formal dress, but you look like the Princess in 'Star Mares'. Did you lose a bet?"

"It's ... my commander ... I tried to pick him ... her up, by accident. So now this is my uniform as long as he ... she says so."

"What? Who is your commander?"

"It was Prince ... Princess Shining armor ... he's a girl now. I don't know why. But I'm sure not going to ask."

Spitfire looked into the active gala inside the palace ... "Reaaaaaaaly. Now this I've got to see. as you were, soldier." She stopped and turned as she walked past, grinning, "And it looks good on you."

"Um... thank you, ma'am."

* * *

Cadence shook hooves, "Fancy Pants, well it's been ... fancy meeting you here. I don't think I've ever gotten to talk to you in person."

"Pleasure to see you, my dear; however, I must away at the present. Urgent business needs attending to." He walked off to talk to a different group of fancy-looking ponies elsewhere.

Shining came tottering over with two cups of punch, trying desperately not to spill any on his fine dress. "I don't get it ... why does the girl usually get the punch on dates, anyway? Can you still get it next time, even though ... you're the guy and all?"

Cadence took one cup and knocked it back like a shot glass. "What I don't understand; whenever I really start talking to someone for any length of time, they leave."

Shining Armor responded rather matter-of-factly, "Of course. You need to shop the room."

"What?"

"Kiss up. Make the sale. Schmooze. Gladhand. You're not getting to know people's life story; you're networking."

"Like gossip?"

"Sort of. Except it's not things that have already happened. It's things that might happen later. It's 'future gossip'."

Cadence took Shining's other cup and knocked it back, as well, "I don't suppose they have anything stronger?"

They were approached by an opportunistic Prince Blueblood, bringing with him his own two cups, "Well, sweetie, you look thirsty, and you should smile more! I bet you would look amazing." He said, hoofing one cup over.

The cup which was intercepted by Cadence, "I wouldn't drink that if I were you."

Prince Blueblood said unconvincingly, "Oh, are you two together? I didn't know." Blueblood started monitoring Shining Armor's face, more closely pulling in, "Have we met before? I don't remember such a fine, sweet thing like ..."

Shining Armor deepened his voice until he could sound accordingly authoritative, "Can the flattery, Blueblood."

That, at least, finally got Blueblood's attention, "No. No! Oh, my word, yes! My, how you've changed. What on Earth happened? Feeling like less of a stallion? So I suppose this is your lovely wife Cadence, or should I say lovely husband now?"

"And yet you're still single." Cadence smiled. "And I swear... if you spiked my ... wife's drink I will report you to Auntie Celestia myself."

He defended himself, "Hey now, nothing of the sort. And I had no idea he ... she was your wife's ... wife." he blinked, confused.

Shining Armor decided to intercede, "We had a bit of a trouble earlier with some guards who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I think my wife ... husband is getting a bit ... jealous?"

Cadence opened her mouth to say something, and then stopped. "My goodness, I think you're right, Shiny. Maybe it's the testosterone talking."

* * *

Spitfire couldn't believe it. Not only was Commander Prince Shining Armor now very princESS, but Princess Cadence was looking very princely. Well, there was only so much to observe from afar... "Well, it appears I'm not the only ball-busting female commander anymore."

Shining Armor tried to whirl around in a military about-face, but apparently forgot he was wearing a dress, so instead he tripped on it and went crashing to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Spitfire asked the lump of dress on the ground.

"BLUGH!" Shining's head poked out of the lump, "I wasn't expecting to see anyone else I knew here! I wasn't exactly the high-society type before I married Cadence. Could I get some close air support?"

Spitfire stifled a giggle with one hoof, before she and Cadence helped Shining back to his hooves, "What in Equestria happened to you? That must have been one heck of a spell accident! Or are you deciding to get more in touch with your feminine side?"

"Well, I was angry when it first happened, but now it's becoming more of ... both, actually. Maybe it is the hormones, like what's happening to Cadence."

Blueblood smirked at that, "So it's not just skin deep? Oh, this is rich! I guess you'll be less of a stallion for quite a while, then?"

Cadence replied instead, to Spitfire "I keep feeling as if I'm about to deck Blueblood, but I think it's the testosterone talking."

"No. I want to deck him all the time. I think it's his face talking."

Blueblood continued, unperturbed, "So it looks like I'm the better stallion now. Let me know if you need anything heavy lifted. Any jars opened?"

Spitfire got an inch from Blueblood's face, "He's ... she's ten times the stallion you could ever hope to be. And ten times the soldier!"

"Oh, is she featherbrain? I'd ask you to take it outside, but I don't believe in fighting like a girl."

"You're on, pointyhead!"

Cadence tried to intervene, following after Shining and the other two as they ran off for the balcony, "Guys! Girls! Guy-girl!"

* * *

It was the end of the battle that was surprising. Not the fight's outcome; the fight's outcome was essentially preordained. One side had a well-trained battle commander in Spitfire. Blueblood's side had ... well ... Blueblood.

Blueblood started with a swirling discus-style roundhouse punch, which Spitfire deftly dodged by flapping into the air slightly, casing Blueblood's punch's momentum to carry him over the railing, and causing him to throw himself over the side. But what was surprising was what came next.

Shining Armor, the very one who was being fought over, grabbed at him at the last possible second and managed to secure Blueblood's left hind leg before being carried over himself.

And there they hung, upside-down. Shining hanging from the handrail, giving the world a very good look under his dress, with one arm around Blueblood's leg, who was also upside-down, below Shining.

"Please don't let go!" Prince Blueblood was actually ... crying.

"I'm not about to." Prince Shining Armor promised.

Spitfire continued her whirl around from the fight and came about parallel to them, "I didn't expect that would happen! I'm sorry. You okay?"

"HELP! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! I Yield!"

"Settle down!" Spitfire grabbed his other hind leg, "I've got you both. Let's get you landlubbers back to the ground side of the castle. ... Wow, Shining, you have changed all the way through."

"Oh, quiet, you!" Shining blushed as Spitfire dragged them back over some bushes. They landed in a heap.

Prince Blueblood looked up at Shining Armor as he regained his footing, "Why ... why did you save me?"

"I ... wanted to be the better stallion."

"I was wrong, then. You are the better stallion." They shook hooves.

A flash of light foretold the sudden teleportary arrival of Celestia and Luna, in midair over them both.

Luna spoke first, "Celly, has a single Gala of yours ever gone correctly since my return?"

"There was that one that ... Hmm, well, no; that ended poorly, too. Hmm." Celestia continued unabashed, "But that would be boring. They would be so boring and... terribly boring otherwise! Something's got to spice them up!"

Celestia turned and faced Shining Armor, "And I think someone's started along the path to alicornship. That was indeed brave of you, for reasons that have nothing to do with the battlefield. We'll keep an eye on you, ... princess." Celestia winked. Shining blushed again. "There are more trials, which I'm sure you'll pass in time."

Blueblood pouted. "What about me? I said he was the better stallion!"

"You ... still have a ways to go, but I suppose that is on on the right track."

"Can you at least get us out of here and back to the Gala?"

'Princess' Shining Armor looked up at Celestia, "It would be faster."

Celestia rolled her eyes, "Very well; we may shortcut through my cloud realm, but only-" and here her eyes became slits as she glared at Blueblood "If you touch NOTHING!"

"Yes, ma'am. And sir, er, ma'am, or sir.

* * *

The guard burst in the door the next morning, "Princess! The Prince would like to see you."

'Princess' Shining Armor looked up from the report 'she' was reading. "Tell him I'll be right there."

Shining met up with 'Prince' Cadence after a brisk jog, "What's going on?"

"I just received a very ... strange request from Prince Blueblood. He wants me to turn him into a girl, as well. I think he thinks it will help him become an Alicorn princess. Which is silly. I'm a boy and I'm still an Alicorn. I'm not sure he's learned the right lesson, here." Cadence paused for a moment. "I'm tempted to say I'm going to change him just to embarrass him."

Shining disagreed, "That would make us guilty of the same thing. You can't make fun of and hurt someone simply because the opportunity presents itself. It would do nothing positive. Leave it be."

Cadence looked up at Shining, "I thought you'd answer that way. You are becoming more like a princess ... in more ways than one."

Comments

[Shadow Star]

this needs a M rating.

[Alaborn]

Blueblood can become a mare through the same approach Shining Armor used.

(And I just happened to write a story with Blueblood pregnant via a seapony.)

[Scyphi]

"I keep feeling as if I'm about to deck Blueblood, but I think it's the testosterone talking."

"No. I want to deck him all the time. I think it's his face talking."

Such is the paradox of Blueblood.

Struck a better balance on who's encouraging who this time. Keep it up!

[FairyFun]

10309924
I don't think anything in this deserves an M rating -_-

[Greenhorn]

"Well, it appears I'm not the only ball-busting female commander anymore."

I have little doubt she is still single at this point.

[mrier27]

Luna spoke first, "Celly, has a single Gala of yours ever gone correctly since my return?"

Nope. None of them. I promise.

It’s all YOUR fault, Luna!

[Eris Dis Harmonia]

Well... this is rather intriguing.

[Silent Wing]

10309935
If you mean 'A Royal Pain', than I have to say that it was agreat story.

[Alaborn]

10310766
Yep, that's the one.