“I am so excited for this friendship retreat,” Twilight said, walking along with her friends towards the train. “I can’t remember the last time we all got to hang out without having to save Equestria.” From above her, she heard Rainbow Dash chuckle.
“Well, we are awesome,” she said. “But, technically, we weren’t the last ones to save Equestria.” She grinned over at Starlight and Trixie, both of whom, along with Spike, had come to see the girls off on their friendship retreat.
“I was speaking in a broader sense,” Twilight replied. She turned to Spike and asked, “Are you sure you don't want to come with us?”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, I have three new comics to get through.”
“And I promised Trixie we’d practice more magic,” Starlight told Twilight. “It might be better if the castle was empty, if you know what I mean.”
Trixie let out a groan. “Relax. If anything breaks, Starlight will just go back in time and fix it.” Hearing Starlight laugh nervously, she quickly added, “Kidding.”
“We’ll take good care of the castle while you're gone,” Starlight promised Twilight.
“Have fun on your friendship retreat.” Trixie waved goodbye to the Mane Six as they boarded the train. In a hushed whisper to Starlight, she asked, “What in Equestria is a friendship retreat, anyway?”
In the same hushed tone, Starlight replied, “They’re gonna bond, share laughs, and, if I know them, they’re gonna sing a song.”
Trixie giggled behind a hoof. “We’re gonna have so much more fun than them!”
Starlight giggled alongside her friend before silently shushing her.
With her magic, Trixie reached into Starlight’s saddlebags and pulled out a bag of pretzels. “Twilight, wait! Starlight has something for you!”
Twilight, poking her head out of the train door, asked, “Huh?”
Taking the bag of pretzels in her magic, Starlight said, “Here. I, um, brought you snacks.” She gave a nervous smile, floating the bag over to Twilight, who took it in her own magic.
“Oh, how thoughtful,” she replied. “Thanks. We will . . . not get hungry on the train.”
“It was supposed to be teacakes but” – Starlight sighed – “it’s a long story. Have a great time!”
Twilight smiled. “You, too.” The door shut behind her as she stepped back inside, walking along the corridor until she spotted the compartment that her friends were all huddled inside of, sitting across from one another. She squeezed in between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. They all turned to wave goodbye to Starlight and the others as the train started to make its departure, picking up momentum as it went along until the scenery was nothing but a blur as the train rattled past, making its way towards the girls’ destination: Manehattan.
***
The ride to Manehattan was filled with the girls excitedly chatting amongst themselves, with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy being the opposite in terms of extremes with each other. While Pinkie Pie loudly talked about all the things she was planning on doing during their friendship retreat, Fluttershy, in her usual shy, quiet way, listed off the various things she would like to do during said retreat. Nopony, of course, was more excited than Rarity, who told the group that she was excited to finally be able to get her mane done, as well as a hooficure, explaining that she’d been so busy with work lately that she hadn’t had the chance to go down to the Ponyville day spa to relax. At this, Rainbow Dash offered up a snide remark, one that was quickly shot down by the other ponies in the group, bringing up how much the pegasus had enjoyed herself during their various visits to the Ponyville day spa. For a pony who supposedly didn’t like ponies touching her hooves, she seemed to enjoy hooficures quite a bit, a fact that left the pegasus blushing like mad, leaving the other girls to laugh.
The group arrived in Manehattan much earlier than expected, probably as a result of the fact that they had been so engaged in their conversations that they hadn’t even noticed that they’d arrived at Manehattan’s train station until the conductor alerted them that it was time to get off. Stepping off the train, Twilight led them to the spa that she’d booked for them a week ago, one that was guaranteed to help them relax and bond, which would inevitably cause them to become even closer as friends. Entering said spa, she walked up to the front desk and cleared her throat, alerting the receptionist, a mare who was currently engrossed in an article she’d been reading in a magazine, to their presence.
She looked up at the six of them, hastily setting down her magazine, and turning in her chair so that they had her full attention. “Welcome to Manehattan Escapes,” she said. “How may I help you?”
“Twilight Sparkle, checking in, party of six,” Twilight said.
“Ah, yes, Miss Sparkle,” the mare said. “We’ve been expecting you.” She rose from her chair and beckoned the group to follow her. “Follow me.”
As the group did so, Rarity said, “Ooh, I’m going to start with a facial, and then get my hooves done, and ––”
“Oh, this isn’t that kind of spa,” the mare said, turning her head to look back at Rarity, who fixed the mare with a questioning look.
“But isn’t it called ‘Manehattan Escapes’ because it’s a deluxe spa where you can escape all of your troubles?” she asked.
The mare nodded. “Yes, but we do things differently around here.” She stopped at a door, pushing it open and ushering them inside. “Before we get started, there are some things we need to go over.”
The group was about to go in the room before Applejack turned her head and spotted five familiar-looking fillies. Tapping Twilight’s flank to get her attention, she said, while pointing, “Say, Twilight, ain’t that Apple Bloom and her friends?” This caused the group as a whole to turn their heads in the direction in which Applejack was pointing. Not waiting for an answer, Applejack whistled and called, “Hey, girls, what are y’all doin’ here?”
Upon hearing Applejack’s voice, Apple Bloom, along with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon, all turned their heads to see the orange mare, along with the rest of her friends. Both groups walked towards each other until they were only a couple of feet away from each other.
“Hey, little sis,” Applejack said, beaming down at her, “what are y’all doin’ here?”
“I think I can answer that,” a new voice suddenly spoke up. Filthy Rich suddenly came into view. “You see, Diamond Tiara has been such a good little filly here lately that I decided to treat her and her friends to a day at the spa. I had to come to Manehattan anyway, so I figured why not make it fun for them while I’m away on business?” He smiled, pulling his daughter into a tight hug, and gently ruffling her mane with a hoof.
Diamond Tiara pushed her hooves against his chest, attempting to get away from him. “Daddy,” she whined. “Knock it off. We’re out in public.”
“Thanks for inviting us, Mr. Filthy,” Sweetie Belle spoke up.
“Uh, I prefer Rich, thank you, Sweetie Belle,” Filthy Rich gently reminded her, “and you’re most welcome. If anything, this day at the spa will give you girls a chance to get to know each other better.”
“What are you all doing here?” Scootaloo asked, turning her head towards the Mane Six.
“We’re on a friendship retreat,” Twilight replied.
“Friendship retreat?” Silver Spoon asked, giving the princess a confused look and titling her head to the side.
“That’s right, darling,” Rarity said. “Basically, it’s a chance for all of us to spend some quality time together.”
“Huh, kinda like us,” Apple Bloom said, beaming at her friends.
“Exactly,” Applejack agreed, nodding her head. “Well, we won’t keep ya. Y’all go on and have fun. We’ll meet up again at the end of the afternoon.” She smiled, watching her sister and her friends merrily trot down the hallway. She turned to Filthy Rich, who was still standing in the hallway. “Rich, are you sure it’s a good idea to leave them here alone by themselves? Don’t ya think ya ought to be keepin’ an eye on ’em?”
Filthy Rich chuckled. “Oh, no need to worry about that, Applejack. The staff will keep an eye on them. Besides, I’m sure they won’t be any trouble. They’re well-behaved.”
“Oh, you poor, naive, delusional fool,” Rainbow Dash muttered with a groan and a roll of her eyes.
A clearing of the mare’s throat caused the group to turn their heads to see her gesturing them towards the room she had opened.
“Oh, right,” Twilight said. “We’d better be going.”
“Nice talkin’ to ya, Rich,” Applejack said, trotting along with her friends into the room.
“You too, Applejack,” Filthy called after her. “And don’t worry about the girls. They’re in good hooves. If it’s all right with you, I think I’ll keep ’em for the afternoon.”
“Just make sure ya have ’em home by suppertime, ya hear?” Applejack called after Filthy Rich’s retreating form, before turning and walking in the room. She found that the others were already seated on a long couch. She squeezed in between them, staring at the mare sitting across from them.
“As I said,” the mare said, “welcome to Manehattan Escapes.” She floated over a tray containing a teapot and several teacups. She placed it on the table resting between her and the Mane Six. “Care for some tea?”
“Oh, yes, thank you.” Instantly, Rarity accepted a cup of tea that was generously poured for her by the mare sitting across from her. She took a sip and moaned. “Oh, wow, this tea is lovely!” She took another sip. “What’s in it?”
“Never you mind that,” the mare replied, waving her hoof dismissively. She glanced at the others, then nodded towards the tray. While they busied themselves with drinking their tea, she said. “My name is Love Tap, by the way. I will be taking care of you throughout your session today.”
“Pleased to meet ya, Love Tap,” Applejack said, taking a drink of her tea. She licked her lips. “Mmm, this stuff really is good.” She took another drink, swishing the beverage around in her mouth, before swallowing. She nodded to the rest of her friends. “Try it, y’all.”
Though tentatively, the others took a drink of their beverage, a small smile coming to their lips as a result.
Love Tap smiled. “I imagine you are all rather eager to begin the festivities, but before we get to that, I need you all to read and sign this.” She levitated over a thick stack of papers, creating six individual copies with her magic, which she then floated over to the Mane Six, who, while drinking their tea, began reading.
“What is this?” Fluttershy asked, peeking over the top of her copy, giving Love Tap a questioning look.
“Just a waiver saying that we’re not responsible for any lost or stolen items, any injuries you may suffer from during your session, et cetera, et cetera,” Love Tap said. “The sooner you sign, the sooner we can get started on your session.”
Twilight, along with the others, read in a quick manner, anxious to get to some friendship bonding, as well as some rest and relaxation. After the excitement following not only the defeat of Queen Chrysalis and the founding of the new Changeling kingdom, but also Starlight’s graduation, she and the others felt that they were in serious need of some R&R.
It took over a half-hour for the group to read the full contract. Upon doing so and signing their names at the end of it, Love Tap closely inspected them before smiling at the group and setting the signed documents on the table. “Very good, girls. Now we can begin our session.”
Rainbow Dash yawned, putting a hoof to her mouth. “Good, ’cause I’m starting to get sleepy.” She rubbed at her eyes. “Don’t know why, though.”
Fluttershy yawned as well. “Yeah, me too.”
“Me too,” Pinkie cried, smiling.
Too tired to move, the Mane Six slowly but surely laid down on the couch, cuddling up close to one another.
Love Tap smiled. “And so it begins . . .”
***
Twilight woke up feeling groggy. Rubbing at an eye, she raised her head, slowly turning her head to get a proper look around. In front of her were a series of white bars. Beyond these, there was what appeared to be bright sky-blue wallpaper with fat fluffy clouds painted on them, along with various smiling flowers, including a smiling sun, and cute animals. The carpet was a tan color, the floor housing several toys and stuffed animals. Across from the prison that she found herself in was what appeared to be a changing table, its shelves housing diapers of various sizes and colors, as well as some baby powder, baby wipes, and various lotions and oils.
Some feeling coming back into her body, she sat up, stopping shortly when she heard an audible rustle. Unsure of where it was coming from, she continued to sit up, although she didn’t feel the softness of the bed that she supposed she was sleeping on. She did feel something soft, but it certainly wasn’t the bed. She yawned, stretching her forelegs over her head, lazily smacking her lips, barely able to keep her eyes open. Looking down, she noticed something white between her legs. Still getting the sleepiness out of her eyes and body, she didn’t react immediately. It was only when she looked back up, her eyes meeting the changing table directly across from her, was it that reality finally smacked her upside the head.
Her eyes going wide, she looked back down at the white thing that was between her legs. Moving said legs produced the audible rustling she had heard earlier. There was a tightness about her waist that was just light enough to where it didn’t produce any pain. Her mouth fell open, her eyes growing in size, realizing that she was wearing what could only be a diaper. She looked back down at her diaper once again, giving it a poke or two, her ears perking up when she heard that rustling sound yet again. She immediately looked around her, noticing that her friends, while still asleep, were in the same condition. She darted to her left, violently grabbing Rainbow Dash by her shoulders and shaking her in an effort to get her to wake up. “Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash, wake up!” She quickly covered her mouth with her hooves, surprised that her voice was so high-pitched.
She opened her mouth yet again to talk, only to feel her tongue grazing against something that felt like rubber. Feeling around her mouth, she grabbed hold of a thin, plastic ring, pulling out the object and observing it, a string of saliva connecting it to her lips. She gasped, realizing that the object that had been in her mouth had actually been a pacifier. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? Unfortunately, she couldn’t quite formulate any ideas as to why this was at the moment. In fact, she couldn’t form any kind of coherent thought at the moment. What in the name of Celestia was going on!?
It was at this moment that the others began stirring, slowly but surely coming to their senses as the grogginess began leaving their bodies. It wasn’t until this moment that Twilight realized that her friends, like her, had also been sucking on pacifiers as they had slumbered. She watched them come to the same realization that she had, but at a much quicker pace. She figured that this was probably due to the fact that they hadn’t been as sleepy as she was. Her body was still trying to wake itself up. She yawned yet again, stretching her jaws muscles. She was starting to get some feeling back in her limbs.
“Hey, what the . . .” Rainbow Dash cried, the expression on her face a mixture of surprise and anger. She tried to get the diaper she’d been forced into off, but it was no use.
“What in the name of Celestia is going on!?” Rarity screeched, making everypony on the bed (or was it a crib, Twilight wondered) jump. Twilight noticed that, like herself and Rainbow Dash, Rarity’s voice was also very high in pitch.
As if to answer the fashionista’s question, the door to the room they were in swung open, and in sauntered Love Tap, closing the door behind her as she went. Stopping at the crib across from her and sitting down, she beamed at the six of them. “Ah, good, you’re all awake. Now we can begin the festivities.”
“What!?” all six ponies cried as one.
Love Tap gave them a confused expression, turning her gaze to Twilight. “Didn’t you tell them?”
Twilight blinked. “Tell them what?” She still wasn’t used to her voice being so high-pitched.
Now it was Love Tap’s turn to blink. “Didn’t you read the pamphlet?”
Twilight nodded. “Of course I did.”
“Then why are you acting so surprised?”
Twilight groaned, laying down on her belly and rubbing her temples. “This isn’t what I signed us up for! We’re supposed to be locked in a room, solving a giant puzzle together!”
“No, that’s not what you signed up for, sweetie,” Love Tap said. “See for yourself.” She levitated over the pamphlet that Twilight had sent in the mail, said pony raising her head to get a good look at it, only for her ears to droop and a horrified expression to come across her face. Somehow, she had accidentally marked “Infancy Regression” instead of “Inca Puzzle.”
“Oh, dear . . .” she said, putting a hoof to her mouth. “Well, can’t you just get us out of here and let us solve our puzzle?”
Love Tap shook her head. “I’m afraid that isn’t possible. The potion has already taken effect.”
“Potion!?” Applejack spoke up. “What in tarnation do ya mean, potion!?”
“Why, the potion that was in your tea, of course,” Love Tap said.
“I knew there was something that tasted funny about that tea,” Rarity said, stomping a hoof. “Why in the name of Celestia would you give us a potion without telling us!?”
“I thought you knew,” Love Tap replied, looking almost as taken aback as Twilight did. “Oh, dear . . . Well, unfortunately, my little ponies, there’s nothing I can do. You’ll just have to deal with it until your session is over.”
“And how long is that?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Until later this afternoon,” Love Tap said. “Miss Sparkle did book the room for the entire afternoon, after all.”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “Twilight, what have you gotten us into!?”
“Now, let me go over a few things,” Love Tap said. “By signing the contract, you’ve agreed to undergo the baby treatment for the remainder that you’re here.”
“What!?” Rainbow Dash cried. “Nuh-uh!” She crossed her hooves over chest and frantically shook her head. “No way! I’m not gonna wear diapers and act like a foal! You can forget that!”
“Come on, girls,” Applejack said. A blush came to her cheeks as she said, “This could be fun.”
“Come again,” Rarity said, digging a hoof into her ear.
“Could be?” Rainbow Dash echoed, glaring at Applejack. “What could possibly be fun about wearing diapers and acting like a baby!?”
“I’m just happy to be with all of you,” Fluttershy said, grinning.
“I agree with Applejack,” Twilight said. “This may not be so bad.”
“Twilight, surely you aren’t serious,” Rarity said, gaping at her friend.
“Just listen,” Twilight said. “We went on this friendship retreat to spend some quality time together and become closer as friends, right?”
“Yeah,” Fluttershy said.
“Well, seeing as we’re stuck like this until Celestia knows how long, we might as well make the most of it,” Twilight continued.
Love Tap smiled and cried, “That’s the spirit!”
“I . . . suppose we could give it a try,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah,” Pinkie cried, hopping up and down. “Besides, these diapers are really comfy!”
“Excellent,” Love Tap said. “Now, for the remainder of your time here, you will refer to me as Mommy or Mama, understood?”
“Yes, Mommy,” the six ponies said.
Love Tap cleared her throat. “Now then, as I was saying, there are some things we should go over before we get started. I’m sure by now, you have noticed that there have been some changes to your bodies. For one thing, the pitch of your voices are higher and you have no control over some of your bodily functions. Hence, the diapers.”
Rarity visibly cringed at that. “Ewww!”
Love Tap went on. “If you need anything, all you have to do is ask. While you are here, you are expected to act like babies, talk like babies, and crawl like babies. It’s all part of the experience You will be fed, so you won’t have to worry about having to go home hungry. Your diapers will be checked from time to time, if only to see whether or not you are in need of a change. Speaking of which, do any of you need changing right now?”
“No,” the six foals replied.
Love Tap smiled. “Good. Now then, it’s time to begin your bonding experience.” One by one, she picked up each one of the fillies and set them on the ground, then scooted them over to the various toys that lay scattered along the floor. “I want the six of you to play together. I’ll be right over there” – she pointed to a rocking chair – “if you need anything.” She bent down and tenderly kissed each of the fillies on their foreheads. “Have fun, my sweets.” She proceeded to walk over to her rocking chair and sat down.
Rainbow Dash groaned. “The next time we decide to do this, I’m picking the place.”
Twilight frowned. “I’m so sorry about this, everypony. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Well, we can’t worry about that now,” Applejack said. “We might as well make the most of it while we can.” She sat down on her padded rump and proceeded to pick up a wooden block. “Now, uh . . . does anypony know what this do-hickey does?”
Twilight provided no answer, her line of sight having been distracted by a puzzle that was lying just a few feet in front of her. Smiling, she walked over, opening up the lid and dumping the various puzzle pieces out in front of her, using her hooves to sort through them before beginning to look at each one individually, trying to figure out where each piece went.
Turning her head, she saw that the rest of her friends had started to play as well. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were currently busy stacking rings of various sizes and colors (Twilight noticed that they resembled Rainbow’s mane and tail) along a tall yellow pole. Rarity was playing make-believe with a couple of dolls, pretending that they were getting married. Twilight blushed at that, remembering how Spike had done the same thing back when Cadence and Shining Armor were getting married. Applejack was using various blocks to build something – a tower, it seemed like, judging by the sheer tallness of the structure, carefully using her mouth to wedge different blocks in where they needed to go. The only pony who wasn’t doing anything was Rainbow Dash, the cyan-colored pegasus sitting on her padded behind, forelegs crossed over her chest, pouting angrily while she scowled at the rest of her friends succumbing to their infantile desires. Twilight beckoned her over. “Hey, Rainbow,” she called, “why don’t you come help me with this puzzle?”
Rainbow growled, but nonetheless got up and walked over to her friend, dropping down onto her stomach and beginning to go through the various pieces and helping Twilight find out where they needed to go.
The room, which had at one point been quiet, was soon filled with the chatter and laughter of six little ponies playing together. Both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie seemed to be preoccupied with the rings, turning them over in their hooves and staring at them in wonder as if they had just now discovered them. Apparently the two wondered what they tasted like because the next thing anypony knew, they had the rings in their mouths, idly sucking on them as they were pacifiers.
“Oh, good heavens, girls,” Rarity cried. “Have some decency. Celestia only knows where those things have been.” Her friends continued to suck on the rings as if they hadn’t heard her. She rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her dolls, as, acting as the bride, she cried, “I do!” She giggled to herself.
“Girls,” Love Tap said to Fluttershy and Pinkie, “if you’re looking for something to suck on, I believe I have a couple of pacifiers I could give you.”
Unbeknownst to them as to why, Fluttershy and Pinkie’s eyes lit up at that suggestion, and they eagerly nodded their heads, opening up their mouths and happily beginning to suckle on the pacifiers that Love Tap had placed in their mouths. They resumed their playing with the rings.
The giggles and chit-chat that had captivated the room was suddenly broken as, with a loud cry, Applejack shouted, “Rowr! Applejack smash!” With her hooves, she proceeded to demolish her creation, sending blocks flying in every which direction, making her friends laugh and giggle. It seemed that inspiration had suddenly struck Rarity, as she suddenly got up and began building with the blocks, while Applejack, seeming to have lost interest in them, began playing with the dolls along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
Meanwhile, Twilight and Rainbow Dash continued to work on their puzzle, helping each other in finding new pieces and finding out where to place them accordingly. Rainbow Dash surprised everypony when she looked up at Love Tap and said, “Mommy, may I have a pacifier?”
“Yeah, me too?” Applejack asked.
“And me?” Rarity asked.
“Of course, my darlings,” Love Tap said, smiling, hopping down from her chair and depositing pacifiers into each of their mouths. She stopped upon pushing Rainbow’s pacifier in her mouth, turning to look at Twilight and inquire, “What about you, dear? Would you like a pacifier too?”
Twilight shook her head, her full attention on the puzzle that was laid out in front of her. “No, thank you, I’m good.”
“Well, alright.” Love Tap returned to her chair, sitting down and gazing at them lovingly while they went about their playing.
A half-hour later, Love Tap checked the clock, then set aside the book she’d been reading, hopped down from her chair, and stomped her hooves to get the attention of her little foals. Upon getting it, she said, “Alright, my little babies, who’s hungry?”
“Me!” every little foal in the room replied, raising their hooves.
Love Tap beamed. “Alright, then. Who wants to ride on Mommy’s back?” At this question, all six little fillies scrambled to their hooves and raced towards her, gently pushing each other out of the way to get to her. She giggled. “Now, now, my little ponies, that’s no way to behave.” She cleared her throat. She stooped down low until she was on eye-level with them. “Now, I can only fit at least three of you on my back, four if you’re lucky.”
“Don’t worry, Mommy,” Rainbow Dash said. “Me and Twilight can fly.”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Love Tap said. ‘Okay, you four” – she eyed Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy – “on my back, come on.” The little fillies cheered, each one taking a seat behind the other. “Now say giddy-up.”
The fillies giggled to themselves before crying aloud, “Giddy-up!”
With that, Love Tap began trotting towards a door that none of the fillies had noticed before, with Twilight and Rainbow Dash gliding on either side of her. She gently turned the knob and pushed the door open, passing through the doorway, leading the group of foals into what appeared to be a room split down the middle, housing a small kitchenette and a dining room, in which there were six individual highchairs. The six foals were strapped into them. “You wait here while Mama gets you something to eat, alright?”
“Yes, Mama,” the six fillies replied, then began talking to one another, speculating about what their meal would consist of while Love Tap entered the kitchenette.
“I bet it’s something yucky,” Rainbow Dash said, crossing her hooves over her chest, “like peas or something mushy.”
“But, Rainbow Dash, peas are good for you,” Rarity said.
Applejack nodded. “That’s right.”
“So?” Rainbow Dash said, sticking her tongue out at the two fillies. “That doesn’t mean they taste good. They taste all mushy and yucky.” She opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, and pointed down her throat. “Blech!”
“I’m sure that what I have here will be to your liking, Rainbow Dash,” Love Tap said, walking back over to them, balancing six jars of baby food, six plastic spoons, and six bibs on her back. One by one, she attached a bib to each little foal before depositing a jar of baby food and a plastic spoon onto each tray. “Okay, who wants to be fed first?”
“Uh, I’m pretty sure we can feed ourselves, thank you,” Rainbow Dash said.
“No, no, Rainbow Dash,” Love Tap replied. “You are a baby, remember, and babies can’t feed themselves.”
“Hmph!” Rainbow Dash pouted.
“Where did you get these bibs, Mama?” Applejack asked, tugging at her own to glance at it. “They’re kinda cute.”
“A baby store not far from here,” Love Tap replied, opening up Twilight’s jar of baby food and scooping up a bit of the orange stuff. She proposed the spoonful to Twilight, who eagerly opened her mouth and accepted it, a big grin coming across her face as the taste registered on her taste buds. “Why? Were you interested in going shopping later on?”
At that, Applejack’s entire face turned red. “Uh, n-no, not really.” She coughed into a hoof. Hearing some grunting, she turned her head to see Rarity attempting to manipulate her own jar of baby food with her magic, but to no avail. If Applejack didn’t know any better, she’d swear that Rarity was trying to go in her diapers. The unicorn, sweating and panting, finally gave up the fight, letting out a defeated sigh.
Love Tap seemed to notice Rarity’s futile attempts as well. “Your magic won’t work until the potion has worn off,” she said. “Sorry, dear.” She stopped, spoonful of baby food halfway to Twilight’s mouth, and sniffed the air. “Oh, dear.” She turned to Rarity. “Did you just . . .”
The others sniffed the air as well, instantly covering their noses and recoiling in disgust.
“Oh, jeez, Rarity, that’s so gross,” Rainbow Dash moaned.
Rarity, for her part, looked absolutely mortified, her entire face a deep shade of red, looking as if she was about to start crying. For reasons unknown to her, she did, her lower lip quivering before she started bawling like an infant, instantly reaching out her hooves towards Love Tap, unable to get a word in edgewise due to her sobbing. She calmed down somewhat, feeling her mama lovingly pat her head, cooing and whispering soothing words in her ear. “There, there, there,” her mommy said comfortingly. “It’s all right, Rarity. It’ll be okay. Mama’s here. There’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.” She was picked up out of the highchair.
“The rest of you sit here quietly while I go change Rarity,” Love Tap ordered.
“Ah, can’t it wait?” Rainbow Dash whined. “I’m starving here!”
“This will only take a moment,” Love Tap reassured her. “Until then, please sit here quietly and wait for me to get back.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Fine.”
“Come on, darling,” Love Tap cooed to Rarity, placing the filly on her back and walking out of the room.
“Poor Rarity,” Fluttershy said softly.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine how embarrassing that must be,” Pinkie added.
“Now don’t y’all go makin’ jokes,” Applejack barked. “Let’s just act like nothin’ happened, alright?”
“Applejack’s right,” Twilight agreed. “It was bound to happen sooner or later, so no making fun of her.” She gave Rainbow Dash a stern look. “And, yes, that means you, Rainbow Dash.”
“Ah, shut up,” Rainbow Dash said, sneering.
“Rainbow Dash, that wasn’t very nice,” Fluttershy scolded.
“Yeah, Dashie,” Pinkie agreed. “You better be good if you wanna get your num-nums.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Alright.”
“There we are,” Love Tap said, walking back in the room, carrying Rarity on her back, the filly looking much happier now that she was in a nice, clean, fresh diaper. “All better. No more crying.” She strapped Rarity back into her highchair. “Now, Twilight, where were we?”
“You were giving me my num-nums,” Twilight replied, smiling and blushing.
“Oh, yes, right, of course,” Love Tap said. She picked up the unicorn’s jar of baby food and resumed feeding her.
“But I’m hungry,” Rainbow Dash whined.
Love Tap sighed, setting the jar of baby food down on Twilight’s tray. “I suppose it isn’t very fair that Twilight gets to eat in front of you, is it?” Seeing the other fillies shaking their heads, she got up, walking over to a nearby cabinet and pulling out a box of cereal. One by one, she gave each filly a small amount. “There. That should hold you over while I feed Twilight.”
Rainbow Dash smiled. “Thank you, Mama.” She instantly began picking up the bits of cereal and popping them in her mouth, along with the others.
“You’re quite welcome, Rainbow Dash,” Love Tap said, sliding another spoonful of baby food into Twilight’s mouth.
Twilight moaned and licked her lips. “You know, this stuff isn’t half bad.” She happily ate another spoonful.
“I’m so glad you like it,” Love Tap said with a smile.
The little fillies were each fed one by one, each one complimenting the taste and texture of the food. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack seemed to enjoy it most of all; coincidentally, they were the ones who ended up making the biggest mess. With Pinkie Pie and Applejack, this was to be expected, but Rarity actually seemed to be rather embarrassed that she’d made such a mess of herself, a fact that wasn’t lost on her friends as they all giggled at her expense. She took the playful teasing in kind while Love Tap went about cleaning up her face, which was where most of the food had ended up, aside from her bib, which was hastily pulled off the unicorn and set aside for washing later. The trays themselves had accumulated quite a bit of baby food on them, which meant that they too would have to be cleaned as well.
Each filly was gingerly picked up from their highchair and set on the floor.
Applejack ran her tongue over the inside of her mouth and the roof of it. “That food sure made me thirsty."
“Yeah, me too,” Pinkie agreed.
Love Tap smacked a hoof against her forehead. “Oh, of course. I knew I was forgetting something. What about the rest of you?” Seeing the rest of them nod their heads in agreement, she walked over to the fridge, pulling it open, revealing a series of baby bottles filled to the brim with milk that were ready to be heated up. She pulled out six of them, one by one, setting them on the counter, before placing one of them in the microwave and setting a timer for at least thirty seconds. Seeing the fillies licking their lips in anticipation out of the corner of her eyes, she chuckled and said, “It’ll be ready in just a little while, little ones.”
Once each filly had their own bottle of milk, Love Tap led them back into the nursery, taking her seat once again at her rocking chair, smiling down at her little ones as they sat and suckled on the nipples of their bottles, some of them falling onto their backs, holding their bottles with all four hooves while they drank. Love Tap couldn’t but chuckle at how adorable some of them looked. An idea suddenly struck her. “Why don’t I read you a story? Would you like that, my little ponies?” She got a chorus of “Mm-hmm,” in response, and she strode over to a nearby bookshelf, her hoof scanning the various titles of the books contained within before selecting one and walking back over to the group. She settled down in the midst of them, and they instantly crawled over to nestle up against her, using her body as a pillow of sorts while they continued to drink their warm, sweet milk. “I think you’ll like this story, my little ponies. It’s a wonderful story about a deep-sea leprechaun.” She cleared her throat, flipping open the book with a hoof, and began to read. “Once upon a time, in a pineapple under the sea ––”
“A pineapple under the sea?” Pinkie Pie spoke up. She laughed. “That’s silly! I suppose next you’re gonna tell us that a sponge lives in there with his pet snail who he calls Gary!” The rest of her friends laughed along with her.
Love Tap chuckled along with them. “Well, if I may be allowed to continue, we may just find out, won’t we, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie laughed. “Point taken. I’ll be quiet now.” She popped the nipple of her bottle back in her mouth.
Once again, Love Tap cleared her throat. “Now, as I was saying . . . Once upon a time, in a pineapple under the sea . . .”
By the story’s end, all six fillies had finished their bottles of milk and were beginning to feel the effects that warm milk usually had on the body of a foal. Their eyes became heavy, their bodies became weak, and they began to yawn. Love Tap looked down lovingly at her little foals, seeing them slumped over on her body while others had taken to lying down on the carpet. “Aw, are my little foals sleepy?”
“Mm-hmm,” the foals replied lazily, some stretching, others yawning.
Leaning down, Love Tap nuzzled Fluttershy affectionately. “Then I suppose we’d best get you little ones to bed, huh?”
Yawning, Rainbow Dash asked, “Mama, can I have another bottle of milk?”
“Yeah, me too,” Twilight asked.
Love Tap nodded. “Of course you can, my little babies, but first, let’s get you to bed, shall we?” With her teeth, she gently picked up each filly and placed them in the crib that was directly across from the changing table, putting three on either end of the crib and covering them up with a bundle of thick, warm blankets. “There we are. Now, you little ones just lie there. Mommy will be back with your bottles.” So saying, she scooped up each filly’s bottle on her way out, disappearing out the door shortly with a flick of her tail.
Meanwhile, the fillies in the crib snuggled up close to one another, pulling their blankets up close to their necks and turning on their sides, silently waiting for their mommy to return with their bottles. Some, such as Pinkie and Applejack, even went as far as wrapping their hooves around their partners and pulling them close in order to cuddle with them.
“You feel really warm, Fluttershy,” Pinkie Pie sleepily noted.
“Here we are, my darlings,” Love Tap chirped, walking back in the room moments later. Hearing her, both Twilight and Rainbow Dash turned and accepted their bottles of milk as each one was lowered to them, instantly shoving the nipples in their mouths and beginning to suckle. She lifted up her hooves and turned on the mobile, a gentle, soft lullaby beginning to play as the mobile above them spun around and around, catching the attention of some of them. Still holding onto her bottle of milk, Twilight made an attempt to reach out and catch one of the dangling suns above her, only for her hoof to fall short.
Love Tap bent down and lovingly kissed each filly on the head, making them blush in the process. “Sweet dreams, my lovelies.” She stared at them, watching Twilight and Rainbow as they drank from their bottles and longingly watched the mobile above them, before turning and walking over to her rocking chair, presumably to finish reading her book.
***
It was hours later that Twilight and the others awoke, feeling wide awake and fully refreshed. The potion still seemed to be in effect, as she noticed that she still had the physical and mental state of a foal. She honestly didn’t mind. She rolled over onto her side, seeing Applejack on her left. To her right rested Rarity. Feeling a dampness between her legs, she reached down with a hoof, her eyes going wide upon realizing that she had wet her diaper while she’d been asleep. Despite the fact that there was no other pony around to bear witness to this, she still felt her cheeks burning up as she blushed. Seeing as how none of her friends were waking up anytime soon, she decided to go ahead and lay back down, resting her head against the soft pillow below her, using her hoof to pull the blanket closer to her neck, and snuggling against the warmth of Applejack’s body, letting out a content sigh.
About an hour later, the others began to wake up, slowly sitting up, stretching, yawning, and smacking their lips, allowing their eyes to get used to the light in the room, as well as get rid of the sleepiness in their eyes. Rainbow Dash rubbed at her eyes before noticing that she, like Twilight, was wet herself after she moved her legs. Looking down, she gently pried back her blanket, only for her face to go red upon seeing her wet, squishy diaper. She swallowed hard, her eyes shifting back and forth, silently praying that no one had noticed.
“Rainbow Dash?” Said pony turned her head to see Applejack giving her a concerned look from across from her. “What’s wrong, sugarcube?”
“Oh, uh . . . nothing,” she said quickly.
With a smirk, Applejack asked, “Are ya wet?”
Rainbow’s face flushed. She was about to open her mouth before Love Tap broke in.
“Oh, good, you’re awake,” she said, walking over to them. “Did my babies have a nice nap?”
“Mm-hmm,” the fillies replied, sitting up.
Noticing Twilight still snoozing, Love Tap leaned forward and gently tapped the filly on the shoulder. “Twilight? Twilight, darling, wake up.”
“Mm?” Twilight’s eyes fluttered open and she lazily lifted her head. She yawned.
“Time to get up, sweetie,” Love Tap said with a chuckle. She gingerly picked Twilight up and set her on the floor, then did the same thing with the other five fillies. Upon picking Rarity up, she noticed a foul odor in the air and looked down at her little fillies once she had set Rarity on the floor, noticing that all six of them had very obviously wet their diapers. “Oh, dear, did my little babies have an accident?”
All six fillies blushed at this and nodded their heads.
“It actually doesn’t feel that bad,” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Yeah, it feels kinda nice,” Pinkie added, poking at her wet diaper with a hoof, making it give an audible squish.
“Well, we can’t have that,” Love Tap said. “I don’t want my babies getting a diaper rash. Come on, my little ones, time for a diaper change.” Her little babies crawled after her as she led them over to the changing table, bending down to pick up Applejack first and went about changing her wet diaper, depositing it in the diaper pail that was beside the changing table. She proceeded to change the rest of them into fresh, clean diapers, the diaper pail quickly becoming full due to the dirty diapers being deposited in it. “There, all nice and clean.” She set Fluttershy on the floor and watched while she and the other babies began poking at their diapers, seeing which one of them could make their diaper rustle the loudest. “Now, the potion should be wearing off fairly soon. Your session is just about up.”
“Aw,” Pinkie whined. “Already?”
Love Tap nodded. “I’m afraid so, my little foal.” She bent down to affectionately nuzzle the filly. Kissing her on the nose, she added, “But don’t worry; you can always come back again some other time.”
Smiling, Twilight said, “I think we’ll take you up on that offer, Mommy.”
“I’d like that,” Love Tap said.
“Can we play some more, at least until the potion expires?” Pinkie Pie asked. At getting some odd looks from her friends, she asked, “What? I spend a lot of time with Twilight.” She giggled.
Love Tap allowed them to play for a bit longer. About a half-hour later, all six foals began to glow, being lifted up into the air, before a bright flash of light burst forth from each of them. The light dimming, they were lowered back onto the floor.
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash felt around her body. “We’re back to normal!”
“Oh,” Twilight replied. “That’s, uh . . . that’s great.” Her ears flattened against her head, and she plopped down sadly onto her padded behind.
“Oh, don’t look like that, sugarcube,” Applejack said, smiling. “We can always come back next time.” Turning towards Love Tap, she asked, “Right, Mama?”
Love Tap giggled. “Of course you can, my little ponies. I’d be glad to look after you again. But for now, it’s time for you to head on home. Come on, now . . .” She walked over to the main entrance, using a key that she acquired from a hook on the wall to unlock the door and open it, leading the group down the hall.
“Hey, wait,” Rainbow cried suddenly.
Love Tap turned around. “What?”
Rainbow Dash was about to point out the fact that the six of them were still in their diapers, only to notice that the hallway was crawling, quite literally and metaphorically, with other ponies, both old and young, still in their diapers. She swallowed. “Uh, never mind. Lead the way.”
And so, Love Tap did, back towards the check-in lobby and front entrance. Upon several ponies in the lobby looking up at them and giving them odd looks, the Mane Six blushed and did their best to cover themselves, most notably their diapers, to no avail.
“Rainbow Dash?”
Turning upon hearing her name called, Rainbow Dash saw Scootaloo walking down the hall towards her and the others, with Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Filthy Rich accompanying her.
Upon seeing that the little fillies were also dressed in diapers and sucking on pacifiers (Apple Bloom was currently busy drinking from a baby bottle), Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle. “Y’all got roped into this too?”
Blushing, Scootaloo said, “Y-yeah.”
“I’m so sorry about this, girls,” Filthy Rich apologized. “I could’ve sworn I signed up for the Inca puzzle room.”
“I’ll bet you anything Mother had something to do with this,” Diamond Tiara said with a scowl.
“Well, never mind that,” Sweetie Belle said through the pacifier in her mouth. “I don’t even care that your mom screwed us over; this was so much fun!”
“So Ah take it y’all had fun?” Applejack asked with a smile.
“You bet,” Apple Bloom said. “A blast!”
“Do you think we could do this again some other time?” Silver Spoon asked Filthy Rich, beaming at him.
Filthy Rich, needless to say, was taken quite aback by Silver Spoon’s request. “Wait, you girls actually liked this?”
“Mm-hmm,” all five fillies replied, nodding their heads and smiling.
Filthy Rich smiled. “If it’s all right with your mother ––”
“Oh, forget about Mother!” Diamond Tiara snapped with a scowl. “The only thing that’s important is what I want, and what I want is to do this again sometime soon!”
“Yeah, definitely,” Silver Spoon agreed.
Filthy Rich chuckled. “Well, I guess it’s settled, then. The next time I have business in Manehattan, I’ll drop you off here.”
Apple Bloom waved a hoof in a dismissive manner. “Pfft! Forget that! Why do that when we can just do it at home?”
“I never thought of that, actually,” Sweetie said.
“We’ll discuss it with Mother and Father when we get home,” Rarity said, putting a hoof around Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah,” Applejack agreed.
“For the time being,” Love Tap said, “we should probably get you girls out of those diapers.”
At this, all eleven diapered ponies let out a collective groan of disappointment.
“Now come on, girls,” Love Tap said. “You’re starting to draw attention, and not the good kind. Come on.”
“Can’t we just leave ’em on until we use ’em?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Well, I suppose you could,” Love Tap said, tapping a hoof to her chin. “Though, you might draw some unwanted attention on the train ride room.”
Apple Bloom sighed dejectedly. “Yeah, Ah suppose yer right. Alright, girls, come on . . .” With the other diapered ponies, she followed Love Tap to a secluded room, where their diapers were discarded into an empty diaper pail. Apple Bloom took this time to finish off her bottle of milk, getting a hearty pat on the back from Love Tap, resulting in a healthy belch and a sigh of content from her.
“Alright, come on, y’all,” Applejack said. “We’ve got a train to catch.”
***
The train ride to Ponyville arrived at the train station. Along with five little fillies, five mares, and one stallion, Twilight stepped off the train, smiling. “Well, girls, while we may not have gotten the spa treatment you were all expecting, I think you’ll all agree that it did help us escape our troubles.”
“That, it did, Twilight,” Rarity agreed.
“And not only that,” Applejack said, “it brought us closer together as friends.”
“Sounds like you guys had as much fun as we did,” Sweetie Belle said.
“We sure did, little sis,” Rarity said. “Come on, we’ll walk you girls home.”
“No need, Miss Rarity,” Diamond Tiara said.
Turning, Rarity gave the filly a questioning look. “Oh?”
Diamond Tiara nodded. “Mm-hmm.” She beamed at the four fillies behind her. “Come on, girls! Diaper party at my place!”
“Yeah,” the others cheered, running forward. “Whoo-hoo!”
Filthy Rich chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll have them home by bedtime. I’ll be sure to feed them.”
“Glad to hear it,” Applejack said.
“Girls, wait up,” Filthy called, running after the five ecstatic fillies. “Don’t you think we should stop by the baby supply store first!?”
The Mane Six watched the others run off before turning and beginning their trek to Twilight’s castle.
***
“A little to the left,” Spike instructed as the table was levitated in the space between the seven thrones. He closed one eye and squinted the other, forming a picture frame with his talons. “Oh, now rotate it just a hair ––”
The door to the throne room suddenly opened, and in walked Twilight and the others. “Hey, girls, how’d it go?”
Upon the interruption, Trixie and Starlight’s concentration was blown, leading to the table crashing to the floor just as Twilight entered. Giving the princess a nervous look, they cried, “Nothing!” in unison.
Twilight blinked in confusion. “What?”
“Let’s just say I learned a friendship lesson while you were gone.”
Twilight wiped a tear from her eye. “You’ve barely graduated and you’re already taking initiative.” She sniffled as she teared up some more. “Oh . . . So proud . . .”
“We learned about team building and problem solving,” Fluttershy said.
“And when not to sing songs,” Pinkie Pie added, smiling.
It had been agreed between Twilight and her friends that they were not going to disclose the details of their spa date to anypony. It was bad enough that their sisters and their friends knew.
“We certainly had a good time,” Rarity said, “but I really was looking forward to a spa day, and the Ponyville spa’s still open. Anyone?”
“Sounds good to me,” Twilight spoke up.
“I have a coupon,” Rainbow Dash added, amid mutual agreement from the others.
“We’ll meet you there,” Trixie said, waving goodbye to the gang as they filed out of the room. To Starlight, she hissed, “Quick! Do you have a spell that will make the spa ponies forget that the map table was there!?”
Starlight let out a groan of annoyance and fixed Starlight with a deadpan look. “Haven’t you learned anything about using magic to solve your problems?”
With a giggle, Trixie replied, “No. If we learned that lesson, how will we ever have fun?”
Starlight, along with Trixie, couldn’t help but giggle at that.