To Be Cared For

by Nido_King

Therapy Session

Silverstream hated feeling nervous. It always caused her stomach to flip and flop, making her feel like she was in a constant state of needing to throw up but being unable to. This nervousness had been plaguing her practically from the moment she had woken up, as today was the day Miss Rarity was taking her to Canterlot to visit her friend, the one she'd said specialized in helping resolve the strange emotions Silverstream had been experiencing lately. The train ride from Ponyville to Canterlot had done nothing to ease her nervousness one bit, and Silverstream had to fight the urge to take flight and run as she followed Miss Rarity through the streets of Canterlot.

Having never been to Canterlot before, on any other day Silverstream would have awed and gawked at the many sights and sounds Canterlot had to offer. Instead she kept her eyes mostly locked onto the road beneath her as the pair walked closer and closer to their destination.

“We're here, dear.”

Silverstream looked up at the sound of Rarity's voice, now noticing that the mare had stopped. Looking up at the building they were now standing in front of, she was shocked at just how... normal it looked. In her mind she had been expecting something similar to a doctor's office or even one of Rarity's boutiques, a place that clearly advertised that it offered some form of services to potential clients. But the one floor building stood out little against all the other houses they had passed on the way here, with a few flowers on the windowsill and a garden gnome by the stairs being the only signs of individuality.

Silverstream didn't realize she had been staring at the house for longer than she should have until she heard Rarity clear her throat beside her.

“Well, it would be rude to keep them waiting long. Follow me, dear, and I'll introduce you two.”

Swallowing back another rising tide of nervousness welling up in her throat, Silverstream followed Rarity up the steps and towards the front door. With zero hesitation, Rarity raised a hoof and knocked three times against the wooden door.

For several seconds, only silence answered. Just when Silverstream was about to wonder if they weren't home, her ears perked up as she heard the distinct sounds of hoofsteps approaching the door. A click of the lock followed before the door swung open and a pony stood just past the threshold.

Rarity's face practically lit up at the sight of the mare. “Velvet Song!”

“Rarity! Oh, it has been too long! How are you, dear?” The mare replied with equal joy in her voice as she embraced Rarity in a hug.

“Oh, busier than ever before, you know how it is!” Rarity said as she returned the mare's embrace, the two sharing a quick laugh as they pulled away from one another.

“I'll bet! So...is this the student you wrote about?” The mare asked as she directed her attention from Rarity towards Silverstream, causing the young Hippogriff to wilt slightly under her gaze.

Just like her home, Velvet Song was nothing like Silverstream had expected, though in the back of her mind she reminded herself that she didn't know what she had been expecting in the first place. The unicorn now standing before her was a rather portly looking mare, but not in an overweight or unhealthy kind of way, but a very confidently comfortable way. Her coat was a very light lavender, only a shade or two away from appearing white like Rarity's, and her mane and tail were mostly pink with a few streaks of blue going through them. Her eyes were a very soothing blue, one that made Silverstream feel at ease a little just by looking at them despite her still present nervousness.

“He... Hello...” Silverstream managed to say, waving slightly at Velvet as she did.

Velvet only continued to smile as she nodded her head. “Now, don't be a stranger, come in, come in!” Stepping aside for a moment, she let the pair walk inside before gently closing the door behind her.

If Silverstream had been asked to pick one word that described the inside of Violet Song's home, it would definitely be “homey”. Everything from the pastel wallpaper, to the glass cabinet full of knickknacks next to the record player, to just the fresh smell of freshly baked cookies presented an atmosphere of “Make yourself comfy and at home here.”

“Would either of you like some tea?” Velvet asked as they entered into what Silverstream presumed was the living room.

“Oh, yes, tea sounds lovely.” Rarity was quick to reply.

“And how about you, miss...” Velvet trailed off as she turned to Silverstream. “Forgive me, but don't believe I got your name earlier...”

“Oh!” Silverstream blushed as she realized how rude she must look after not even introducing herself. “Sil-Silverstream. My name is Silverstream.”

“Silverstream...” Violet repeated, smiling yet again. “What a lovely name you have, dear.”

Silverstream's face turned a brighter shade of red. “Thank you...”

“Would you like some tea as well, Silverstream?” Velvet asked again, this time getting a quick nod from the young Hippogriff. “Wonderful! You two make yourselves comfortable, I'll be right back.”

As Velvet Song stepped into the kitchen for a moment, Rarity and Silverstream both took a seat at the small table in the living room. As they waited, Silverstream observed the room some more and noticed several framed papers hanging on the walls. Focusing on them, she could make out that they were all various degrees including Psychology, Counselling, and Child Care, among several others.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Velvet said as she stepped back into the living room, carrying in her magic a large tray with a kettle, several tea cups, and a smaller tray of biscuits on top. Gently setting it down onto the table, Velvet gracefully poured a cup of tea for Rarity and Silverstream before pouring one for herself and sitting down across from them.

“It appears...” Rarity began as she accepted her tea, “... that you've done some redecorating since the last time I was here, am I correct?”

“So you noticed,” Velvet Song replied. “It was starting to feel a little stuffy in here, so I redecorated a while back for a nice change of pace.”

“It certainly shows,” Rarity responded as she took a sip of her tea.

As the two unicorns chatted, Silverstream remained silent as she occasionally sipped her tea. It was unlike her to act like a third wheel like this, but at the moment she was content with letting Rarity do all the talking for now.

At some point Rarity and Velvet Song must have noticed that Silverstream had yet to chime in since they had all sat down, because they both shared a knowing look for a brief moment before Rarity set down her tea cup and stood up. “Well, it has been absolutely lovely catching up with you after so long, but I believe it's time I depart.”

“We're leaving?” Silverstream asked, causing Rarity to giggle.

“Not we, me. The whole purpose of us coming out here today was for Velvet to have a counselling session with only you, and my presence here is certainly getting in the way of that. Fear not, I trust Velvet Song completely, and know that you will be more than safe here with her.”

Before Silverstream could attempt to come up with a rebuttal, Rarity had already made for the door and had one hoof already outside. “I'll be back in a few hours, see you then!” she called back before closing the door behind her.

Whatever security Silverstream might have felt from having Rarity accompany her vanished along with her. An almost suffocating awkwardness settled in the air of Silverstream remained silent, doing everything she could to avoid Velvet's gaze.

Velvet, for her part, seemed completely unfazed by Silverstream's silence, her comforting smile never once leaving her face as they both sat there without a word between them. After what felt like forever to Silverstream, Velvet Song finally spoke. “This is your first therapy session of this kind, correct?”

When Silverstream didn't respond, Velvet Song went on. “It's not unusual to be apprehensive during your first, second or third session with a therapist, no matter the reason. If you're having trouble thinking about what to say, how about I ask you a few questions to start and you can answer them as much as you feel like? Sound good?”

The more Velvet Song talked, the more at ease Silverstream began to feel as the tension that had been gradually building inside her seemed to diminish. It was still there for sure, but for now Silverstream felt like she could put it aside for now. “Okay, that sounds good.”

“Wonderful! To start, what's your family like? How many members, besides you?”

“Well... there's my mom, Ocean Flow, and my dad, Sky Beak. Oh, and of course there's Terramor, my little brother.”

Velvet Song nodded in understanding, her gaze silently asking for Silverstream to continue.

“My parents are... hmm...” Silverstream tapped a talon against her beak in thought. “They still love each other, but they're kind of... separated right now. But not 'separated' separated, they just live in different homes around Mount Aris. Does that make any sense?”

“It does. And what about this brother of yours? How is he doing?”

“Last I saw him he was doing pretty good. He comes to visit me sometimes, and he's just as excitable as me sometimes.” Silverstream chuckled to herself as she thought back to some of Terramor's past antics. “He was a bit of a talon-full back when we were kids.”

“Oh? As his big sister, did you happen to help your parents look after him while he was growing up?”

“Yep!” Silverstream replied with a wide grin on her face. “I loved looking after Terramor, and it helped take my mind off of th--” Silverstream suddenly froze, her eyes becoming hazy as her mind once more circled back to the days before and after Mount Aris was invaded by the Storm King.

“Rarity has told me a little about your lessons at her school,” Velvet Song was quick to interject, snapping Silverstream out her stupor. She had heard about what had happened to Mount Aris and the Hippogriffs living there, and knew the signs of spiralling back to traumatic memories at a glance. There was nothing she could do about it now, sadly, but she made a quick mental note of it just in case as she carefully steered the topic back to happier subjects. “How are things at the School of Friendship? Are you enjoying your time there?”

After a brief moment, Silverstream responded with a nod of her. “Yeah, I love it at the school. I'm learning so many new things about Friendship, and all my friends are there too! We have so much fun together! Like this one time my friend Ocellus, she's a Changeling by the way, asked us all to help her study and...”

Velvet Song listened intently as Silverstream opened up more about her friends and time spent at the school. Every once in a while she would interrupt to ask a quick question or have something clarified for her, but other than that she just allowed Silverstream to continue on for as long as she felt comfortable. By the time Silverstream had finally stopped for a moment to catch her breath, almost an hour had passed them by.

“More tea?” Velvet asked during the brief lull in conversation. As she refilled Silverstream's cup, she was happy that Silverstream had finally relaxed enough to open up like she had. Setting the kettle back down, Velvet decided now was a good a time as any to try and steer the conversation towards the root of why Rarity had asked her to speak with Silverstream. “So... Rarity mentioned to me that you occasionally volunteer at a local nursery. Is that true?”

“Yep!” Silverstream replied before taking a quick sip of her tea. “I love looking after the little foals, they're so cute!”

Velvet Song smiled. “That we have in common, it seems. Tell me though, have you ever felt any unusual feelings while looking after the foals? Feelings like longings to return to a simpler time, perhaps?”

Silverstream couldn't help but sigh. She knew this moment was going to happen eventually, it was the whole reason Rarity had arranged this meeting with Velvet in the first place. “Not at first, but recently I have started feeling a little... jealous of how the foals never have to worry or care about things like school and stuff.”

“Do you happen to know what triggered these feelings, by any chance?” Velvet inquired further.

“I do, actually. I was walking into the nap room after changing one of the foal's diapers and I saw one of the other caregivers sitting in a rocking chair in the corner. She had one of the foals in her lap and was singing them a lullaby while feeding them a bottle before bed. I'd seen this happening a bunch of times already, but for some reason that moment just... stuck in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about it over and over again, even when I slept. I even...” Silverstream blushed as she almost whispered, “... started sucking my thumb at night.”

Not a speck of judgment reflected back in Velvet Song's eyes as she nodded again. “it's not unusual or uncommon to experience such feelings sometimes, especially as you get over. Normally these feelings subside before long... but I'm guessing the reason you're here is because not only have these feelings not subsided, but they've continued to only grow stronger, am I correct?”

Silverstream didn't reply right away, but the look on her face said everything Velvet needed to know already. “Is there anything you can do to help, Miss Song?”

“I can certainly try,” Velvet song replied as she drained the rest of her tea. “There are multiple different mental or physical exercises I can recommend to help you focus and live without these feelings disrupting your life. Alternatively, we can go ahead and start with a more personal practice that I have found often works the best at easing these feelings of yours.”

“You mean the Ageplay stuff?”

“Ah, so you know of it already. Yes, I am suggesting taking part in an Ageplay session here with me. However, I must stress that ultimately how we progress from this moment comes down to you and only you. I can make suggestions and show you possible paths to take, but in the end only you can choose to take them.”

“Even the diapers?” Silverstream asked, now genuinely surprised. From what she had read in that book Rarity had suggested, she had assumed that wearing and even using diapers was an essential part of Ageplay and not an optional choice.

“Yes, even the diapers. While most of my clients use diapers as the easiest means to slip into a more childlike mindset, I have still many more than a few who can just as easily go without them. Again, this will only go as far as you are willing to take it and if at any point you want to stop for any reason, simply say so and that will be the end of our session.”

Standing up, Velvet began collecting all the used plates and cups with her magic. “No rush, dear, take as long as you need to decided. If you need more time to think it over, we can always schedule another session for the future, it's no trouble.”

As Velvet stepped back into the kitchen to deal with the dishes, Silverstream sat in thought as she considered her options. The more and more she thought about it though, the more appealing the idea of being cared for an looked after like one of the foals at the nursery sounded to her. The fact that Velvet Song had stressed that Silverstream could say yes or no to anything meant if she found she didn't enjoy something she could always just move onto something else without it being an issue.

Plus, Silverstream had always been the kind of Hippogriff to eagerly try something at least once, and if this could ultimately solve the feelings she had been experiencing lately, then what reasons did she have to ultimately not at least give it a try?

By the time Velvet Song returned, Silverstream had already made up her mind. “I want to try the Ageplay, please, “she blurted out before Velvet could even think to ask.

“Wonderful!” Velvet replied with a beaming smile. “If that is what you want, then follow me and we can get started.”

Getting up, Silverstream followed closely behind Velvet Song as they walked deeper into the unicorn's home, eventually coming up on a seemingly unremarkable door leading to a room at the back of the house. With a bit of magic, the door lock clicked open and the pair stepped inside.

Silverstream's jaw practically hit the floor at what lay inside. It was like she had stepped into a completely different world, one born out the wishes of ever foal and child to have ever lived.

Bright pastel colours covered practically every inch of wall space, mixed in with stickers and drawings of cute animals, rainbows, toys, and everything you could think of that would make a child smile. The floor was covered in what felt like only the softest of plush carpets and was just as colourful as the walls, and a massive crib with a mobile occupied one corner of the room, while a changing table occupied another. Rows of shelves had been placed against the wall just next to the changing table and seemed to hold just about every diaper type ever made judging from how many different varieties of colours and designs Silverstream could see at but a glance. Just out the corner of her eye she spotted what appeared to be a play area with a red plastic table and matching chairs, a playpen, and the largest chest of toys Silverstream had ever seen, only dwarfed by the massive pile of plush animals sitting nearby.

A tap on her shoulder managed to snap Silverstream out of her stupor as she glanced over at Velvet Song, who seemed to be doing her best to suppress a giggle.

“No matter how many times I see that look of wonder and awe on my clients faces, it never gets old. Now, my little Hippogriff, where would you like to begin?”

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

So, we're finally getting into the babying stuff. Can't wait to see how cute of a baby Silverstream makes for.

[Ahmad J Charles]

Aw yeah, we are back baby! (pun not intended lol).

Glad to see this is still going.

[Ethanback119]

is there gonna be more of this cause this is a god tier story

[Fluttershyisacutegal]

heh cute I must say so myself