VII. Play day

'What are you girls doing today?' Rowan asked after he finished his last muffin.

'We always rest on Sundays. That doesn't necessarily mean we just sit down and do nothing, though. It mainly means we only do chores that are strictly necessary, and we try not to be occupied with any obligations. It's a day to be free and do what we like.'

'That sounds like a pleasant habit. But what do you do on such days?'

'We like to go on long walks, especially in the forest. Given the current weather conditions, that's not a good idea for today, though. Sometimes we visit friends, or people come over. Stella is usually in her filly mode all day, depending on whether we meet other people.'

'Some of our friends know about my filly side and our dynamic,' Stella added. 'When we're around those people, we don't have to hide our secret.'

'Wow, that's something special, I suppose. Are you visiting people today?'

'Nah, we didn't schedule anything,' Celester said. 'We estimated we would be tired from moving and everything that comes with it. Maybe next week. I'm glad we have no obligations today, though. I was almost done reading a book I really enjoyed, but didn't expect our bookcase to be in order already.'

She got up and scanner the shelves.

'Mommy, can I hook up my SimCaster?' Stella asked in her filly voice.

Celester turned around, holding a fantasy novel.

'I don't think that's a good idea, filly. I want to finish reading my book, I but have a hard time concentrating when you're being a rambunctious little pony.'

The pony's ears and tail drooped.

'Let's make a deal. You go play quietly for a while, so I can read in peace. When I'm done, you can play on the SimCaster. Agreed?'

Stella nodded vigorously.

'Good girl.'

'Can I get my building blocks from upstairs and play here on the carpet?'

'That's a good idea. Run along!'

The pony hurried out of the living room and ran up the stairs. Celester plopped down on one if the leather chairs and made herself comfortable. Rowan, in the meantime, just stood in the middle of the room, feeling like his mere presence was too much.

'And um... What do you want me to do?'

Celester looked up from her book. 'Just one thing, dear. Find a way to have fun.'

'But how? It's been years since I did anything for my own enjoyment. I've always been busy either doing something for other people, or trying not to draw attention from said people.'

Stella had returned by this point, suckling her pacifier. She carried a large transparent plastic crate, filled with small plastic bricks and pieces of various bright colors. Triumphantly, she set down the crate, took the lid off. She then carefully toppled the crate, making the content rattle loudly as it spilled on the large carpet.

'Maybe I have an idea,' she said, after taking her pacifier out and putting it on the coffee table. 'It might be out of your comfort zone, but would you like to play with me?'

Rowan hesitated and rubbed his big toes together. Stella noticed this and smiled warmly.

'You don't have to behave like a child, and I'll drop my filly voice if you want to.'

'B-but_why?_ I'm not a kitten.'

'Neither am I. Regardless of the role I play, I am an adult. It's just that I'm honest to myself by admitting I still like to play with toys meant for children.'

Rowan frowned. 'I don't get it.'

'When I'm playing with my toys, I tend to forget about everything around me. For a while, it's like there is no outside world. It helps me forget all the nasty and negative stuff, and focus on the good things I enjoy. Like beauty, wonder, and creativity, even in simple things.'

Rowan sat down slowly, careful not to hurt his ankle.

'And you think I might enjoy this too?'

'I hope so. It's be my pleasure if you'd give it a try.'

'O-okay. What do I do?'

'Build something. Whatever you like. It doesn't have to be big or look good, it's the experience that matters.'

Celester smiled from behind her book. She had not been reading at all. In reality, the unicorn wanted to see how Rowan reacted first. It was a rocky start, but eventually he got the idea to build a race car. Sensing that he began to relax, Celester leaned back and began actually reading her book.

'How do you do this?' Rowan asked after a while.

'What do you mean? Building? Playing?' Stella replied innocently.

'No, the entire filly act. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to insult you, but I it's not like I suddenly feel like a little bunny again.'

Stella chuckled. 'Don't expect some mystical feeling to suddenly manifest itself. It's not really like that.'

'Oh. It's just that there's a voice in my head that's constantly asking me what in Frith's name I think I'm doing. Do you ever have that?'

'I did feel self-conscious at first, yeah. I really had to learn how to shush that annoying voice that says "You're a grown mare, why are you playing with children's toys? And why are you wearing a diaper with a childish print?". I get why you have those questions. What I'm doing isn't exactly commonplace. Eventually, I learned to just enjoy playing, but I had to re-learn some of it once I told Celester about this part of me. It's one thing to play by yourself, but it's different when someone is watching. Especially if that someone is a person you love, and you're afraid she'll reject you.'

'How did that go for you?'

'Part of it came almost naturally for her, which made it easier for me as well. Once we discovered we liked and enjoyed the mommy-filly dynamic, we began planning how to incorporate it into our lives as much as we could. We both still lived with our parents back then, so we had to keep most of it hidden.'

Rowan titled his head. 'How did you keep your clownfish hidden? She's enormous!'

Stella giggled. 'I didn't. Annie was a birthday present from Celester, that she got me last year. And I didn't buy any filly clothing until I moved out. Back at my parents' place, the most I had was a small stuffed animal from when I was an actual filly, a pacifier I kept carefully hidden, and the most childish two-piece pajamas I could get my hands on. Once we got engaged and married, my "collection" grew. Celester's main love language is giving gifts, and she enjoys spoiling my filly side. If we didn't budget for that, she would buy us broke.'

Rowan and Stella continued playing, mostly in silence. Every now and then, Rowan looked up to watch Stella for a while. Oftentimes, it seemed like she was so absorbed in playing she did not even notice him. After an hour or two, Celester put her book down and went to the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later, carrying a tray with three plates.

'I made us some sandwiches to enjoy while I finish the last part of my book. Wash your hands before you continue playing, filly.'

'Okays, Mommy.'

Rowan and Stella dug in, and Celester absentmindedly ate while she read the last pages of her novel. Eventually, she shut the book and put it on the coffee table.

'Does my little filly need a change?'

'No Mommy.'

'Are you sure?' Celester asked, putting her hand on Stella's diapered behind. 'It wouldn't be the first time you leaked because you're so busy playing.'

'Mommy!' the pony whined.

Rowan stifled a laugh.

'So, still dry enough. Are you thirsty?'

'Yes Mommy. Can I have some apple juice please?'

'Of course. Do you want a glass?'

'No...' Stella replied shyly.

Rowan tilted his head as Celester headed off to the kitchen with a smile. He felt like there was a subtext he did not understand, while the mares knew exactly what was going on. When Celester came back, holding an oversized baby bottle, he understood. She sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her.

'Come up here, filly,' she invited.

Stella squealed and crawled on the couch, then across Celester's lap. With her butt between the unicorn's legs, Stella leaned back, resting her back in Celester's arm.

'Didn't you forget something?' the unicorn asked softly.

Stella nodded. 'Annie!'

Rowan noticed the clownfish laying on the far side of the couch. He wanted to get up and give the plushie to Stella, but it started floating on its own, weakly illuminated by a soft icy blue glow. Looking at Celester, he saw her horn was glowing in the same color, as the clownfish floated into Stella's arms.

'Wait,what did you just do?' he asked.

'I can levitate objects,' Celester said casually, demonstrating her statement by levitating the baby bottle she had put in the coffee table. 'I guess I forgot to tell you. I thought it was common knowledge.'

Stella latched onto the teat and began drinking steadily.

'There you go,' Celester said. 'I'll get you something to drink in a minute, Rowan. I have to make sure my little filly is well hydrated first.'

Rowan could not put a finger on it, but something made him watch the simple yet unusual event of a grown mare being fed a bottle that was obviously too large to be made for an actual child. When Stella was about halfway done, Celester began levitating the bottle again. She slid her now free hand down the pony's pajama pants and let it rest on the front of her diaper.

'It feels warm down there, filly. You must have just went.'

Stella nodded.

'Good girl. You're so cute. I love you, little filly.'

'I wuv you fhoo, mawmee,' the pony mouthed around the teat.

Celester idly played with Stella's mane while the pony finished the rest of her bottle. She softly hummed the melody of a nursery rhyme. Rowan's mind kept telling him all this was weird and wrong, but somehow, it felt right. It felt like exactly what he was longing for. Someone to hold him close, care for him, and whisper kind things in his ears. Someone who truly loved him for who he was.

'There you go, all done. Good filly,' Celester praised, taking the teat from Stella's mouth.

'Thank you, Mommy.'

Celester leaned forward so the mares could share a kiss. Stella slowly got back up and felt around her diaper.

'Maybe I do need a change now,' she shyly admitted.

'That's what I thought. You see? Mommy knows best. But first, I'm going to fetch our rabbit friend a drink. Do you like apple juice?'

Rowan nodded.

'Do you want a glass?' Celester inquired.

He tilted his head for a second, but then it dawned on him.

'Oh! Um, I... I guess I'd like a glass, please.'

Celester's horn blinked. 'Are you sure?'

'Y-yeah.'

She shrugged. 'Okay.'

Celester returned with two glasses of apple juice, handed one to Rowan, and plopped back down on the couch.

'Did you finish your book?' Stella asked in her grown-up voice.

'Mm-hmm.'

'How was the ending?'

'It was a satisfying climax.'

'That's what she said!' Stella laughed.

'Bad filly!' Celester scolded playfully, unable to fully contain her laughing. 'Seriously, though. It's hard to find a fantasy novel in which unicorns are represented properly. I usually avoid books about us, but this story was written by a unicorn. People who have never met any of us just don't have a clear grasp of how our magic works.'

'How_does_ it work?' Rowan asked.

'It's both fueled and developed by intimacy. When we have deep and meaningful relationships with others, especially romantic relationships, our powers tend to grow. Before I met Stella, I was hardly able to levitate a pencil. Most unicorns learn levitation during our puberty years, but my magical development mostly stagnated at age thirteen.'

'I can clearly remember our first kiss,' Stella reminisced. 'You hadn't kissed before, so the entire experience was new.'

'What happened?' Rowan asked curiously.

'My horn went into overdrive. We were kissing with our eyes closed, so it took a while until I noticed we were floating a foot above the couch we were previously sitting on. I was afraid Stella would be scared or push me away, but all I remember her saying was "Whee! We're flying!", Celester explained, doing her best imitation of Stella's filly voice.

'From then on, she was able to lift larger and heavier objects. We discovered that her power increased as we grew closer together. It usually does so significantly after we experience an emotionally bonding moment together.'

'Our first kiss, when I asked you to be my girlfriend, when you said yes to my proposal, when we both said "I do" at our marriage,' Celester summed up.

'Our first orgasm,' Stella chipped in.

'Stella!' the unicorn semi-seriously chastised.

'What? I didn't decide that having sex with you is magical, it just is. And I wouldn't want it any other way.'

'Do I... Is it appropriate to ask what happened?' Rowan said carefully.

'Let's say we floated all over the room and it took a while before my horn thought it was time to let us land on the bed again,' Celester said matter-of-factly.

'It _did_give us a whole new meaning to "being horny", though.'

'Alright, that's enough, young lady.'

Rowan startled. 'D-did I g-get you into t-trouble?'

Celester relaxed and smiled at him. 'It's okay, Rowan. You did nothing wrong. I do think we're done discussing our sex life for now. In other situations, I might have put Stella in the corner, but I don't want a certain little filly to leak all over the carpet.'

'Mommy!'

'Hush, filly. Rowan, do you need a change?'

He slipped his hand down his pajamas and inspected his diaper. As he felt the soggy front, he suddenly realized he had forgotten about his earlier wetting.

'I guess so, yeah.'

'Good. I'll go get both of you a clean diaper. Why don't you two tidy up in the meantime?'

'Does that mean we get to play on the SimCaster?' Stella pleaded.

'If my filly promises to be a good girl and tidy up, then yes.'

'Okays!' she replied, starting to frantically scoop the bricks into the plastic crate.

Celester returned with the changing mat, two diapers, and a package of wipes. She spread out the mat on the floor and unfolded one of the diapers.

'Come, filly. Time for your change.'

'Yes Mommy,' Stella said obediently.

'Rowan, would you finish tidying up for me?'

He nodded. With the moves of an expert, Celester changed the little pony into a clean pink diaper. Nearly all of the stars on the wet diaper had faded away.

'All done. Good girl! Your turn, Rowan.'

The rabbit hesitated.

'Stella, you go grab your SimCaster. It's upstairs in the room next to our bedroom. No need to hurry.'

'Okays Mommy!'

'She understands the hint,' Celester reassured once Stella had left the room. 'We know all the baby stuff is new and unfamiliar to you, and we don't expect you to be immediately comfortable with it. If at all, that is.'

'Th-thanks. It's just... Stella has her filly side, and you have probably changed her hundreds of times before. I... I try to think of something else when you're doing it, even though I'm okay with you seeing me naked and stuff.'

He carefully laid down, then stared at the ceiling.

'Do you find it hard to be so exposed to other people?'

'After everything Azalea did to me? Yeah, I guess I do. I don't think many guys just wake up one day to the discovery that their girlfriend meant something else when she said "you're mine". The collar and the chastity cage weren't even the worst part.'

'But those were pretty awful. What's worse?'

'The constant looming feeling that I didn't get a say in almost everything. Whatever I felt, thought or wanted just wasn't important to her. It's not good, but it was familiar to me.'

'Don't worry. That part of your life is over. Stella and I will always do our best not to force you into something you don't want. Even though we're married and you're not a part of that, we do share our house with you. You're not just a guest, Rowan. The list of guests whose diapers I change is _very_short. I invited you to live with us, because we care about you.'

'And because you have a promise to keep?'

'It might have been the reason why I decided to help you in the first place, but looking back, me paying it forward is just a bonus. I feel like in a few months, we'll consider each other to be friends.'

'I hope so. Right now, I have none left.'

'At least you have us. We're all done, by the way.'

'Oh. Thanks for changing... Um...'

'Your diaper?' Celester filled in.

'Y-yeah.'

'Do you find it hard to say that? Or awkward maybe?'

'I guess so, yeah.'

'That's normal, according to Stella. It'll pass.'

The pony returned with the box in which she had carefully packaged her SimCaster. She hooked up the console to the TV and handed Rowan and Celester a controller. Since the rabbit had never played on a console before, they decided upon a simple racing game. It looked cartoony and colorful, and was obviously meant to be family-friendly. The mares had obviously played the game before and knew all the tracks by heart. Rowan found it quite challenging to keep driving at a high speed, since every bend was new to him. Eventually, he got the hang of it - or at least well enough to not finish last.

Time flew, and they played a few other games as well. Rowan felt like he finally got to enjoy something that had never been part of his childhood. He was rarely invited for a playdate, and none of his friends had a gaming console. At some point, he even felt like he was doing something forbidden, as if he was not allowed to have this kind of fun. That feeling did not stay with him for long, however, as Stella's rambunctious enthusiasm turned out to be infectious. Rowan forgot time and space, and only had attention for the game - and for his new friends. He did not even notice when Celester went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

'Now that we're all satiated, how about a board game?' Celester suggested when they were done eating.

'Yay!' Stella exclaimed, clapping her hands. 'Oh, and I know where the boxes with board games are!'

Rowan's ears drooped. Celester noticed the sudden change in his demeanor. Once he averted his eyes, her horn blinked.

'What's up, Rowan? After dinner dip?'

'Nah... I'm not in for games. I'd rather watch.'

'You know you don't have to pretend nothing is wrong, don't you?' she asked kindly.

He frowned and tilted his head.

'I've got a feeling you're not telling us everything, Rowan. Is there anything wrong?'

He took a deep breath. 'I haven't played board games for years. Azalea wasn't the type, and I hated playing with my half-sisters.'

'Why is that?' Stella asked.

'They were horribly competitive, and often cheated. Whenever I told my mother, they either whined, or I was told to be the wiser older brother. I was expected to just let them get away with it. The last time I played a game with them, I won even though they had cheated. They complained and started an argument, and it ended with me getting in trouble. Somehow things escalated, and my stepfather grounded me for a week.'

'Wow,' was all Stella could say, staring at him with wide eyes.

'That's awful, Rowan. I'm sorry you had to experience that.'

He remained silent.

'I do have an idea, though. We own a couple of cooperative games as well. The premise of such games is to work together, to achieve a common goal. Your opponent is usually time, resources, or some other randomized component of the game itself.'

'So there's no rivalry?'

'On the contrary! In most games, every player has their own role. Capitalizing on the abilities of each player is the key to success. In other words, you have the best chance of winning if everyone helps each other play in the best way possible.'

Rowan's ears perked up. 'That actually sounds like fun. I'd like to try that.'

Stella turned to her mate. 'Which one should I get? Rocket Race?'

'I was thinking of Operation Foundation. That one is the easiest to learn if you're new to the genre.'

'Okays!'

The pony got up and zoomed out of the living room.

'Is she always this enthusiastic?' Rowan blurted out.

'Mostly, yeah. It's more apparent when she's in her filly mode, though.'

'I wish my half-sisters were more like her. It would've made my childhood a lot more bearable.'

'Little Stella would have made anyone's childhood more bearable,' Celester boasted with a laugh.

Rowan and Celester quickly cleared the table. While the mares set up the game, Rowan read the rules to try and understand the gist of the game. Operation Foundation turned out to be about a construction site. Every player took the lead of a group of employees, each representing a certain trade.

Their task was to collectively construct a certain building, within a given time. The challenge was to meet up to all requirements regarding size, facilities and quality - all without exceeding the budget. Like Celester had said, the game was not particularly complicated. The difficulty was mostly dependent on effectively managing time and resources, which could be made increasingly difficult for experienced players.

It took a little while for Rowan to get the hang of the game, but it was eventually himself who came up with the winning combination of moves for the final round. Without his idea, they would have lost the game. The mares praised him for his cunning, something Rowan found almost awkward. He was not used to being in the spotlight for being anyone's hero.

_ For a day of rest, it had quite a lot of new experiences,_ he thought during his diaper change before bedtime. He was so tired that he had dozed off before Celester was even done taping up his clean diaper.