//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Regression // Story: Mindset's Foalish Vacation // by LeyenEnyo //------------------------------// “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” I believe the entire castle could hear me. Before I could regain my composure, Cocoa came running in. “Mindset, is everything alright?!” “I... I...” I looked to her in shock. “What is it, dear? What's wrong?” “D-do you not see it?” “See what? I don't see anything.” I was about to answer when a thought occurred to me. How could she not see it? It's so... Unless... “Sweetie, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong.” “I... I saw a spider!” “A spider?” “Yes, it crawled down and scared me. I'm highly arachnophobic.” I didn't know why I was lying, but something in me told me not to trust her. “Oh my. Well, I'm sure it was just as scared of you. Don't worry, I'll have our maids take a look around the bathroom and find it for you.” She gave me a comforting smile. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.” I felt calm, even if I knew I lied about the spiders. “Now then, how about we go to the dining hall for some breakfast?” “Huh? Oh, yes, of course! Just give me a moment to change.” I was about to pull out the mat, when I noticed she did it for me and had a motherly look on her face. “Oh, you thought... No, thank you, but no. Once was enough.” My face was a tomato, or at least that's how I felt. “Oh! I'm sorry. I'll just give you a moment to yourself.” She looked a bit disappointed, but she understood and left. After I changed, I walked up to Robu. “I'm not going mad, am I? You see it, too?” Robu confirmed with a nod and a flutter of his wings. “Something's not right, here. The two of us should keep an eye out.” Robu gave a quick salute and flew to the top of my head, getting comfortable as I walked out. “You ready, dear?” “Yes, lead the way.” I followed her, thinking to myself, She must have noticed my appearance. She couldn't possibly be that oblivious. We entered the Dining Hall, where the first thing I heard was a “D'aww” from Glitter, starry-eyed by Robu. “He's so cute!” Robu looked at me in surprise as I smiled. “Yes, he is.” I sat down next to her as she sat on a highchair. It was bubblegum pink with a white tray table. “So, Your Majes-I mean Glitter, what are we doing today?” She thought for a moment before answering, “Well, I have to plan for the festival coming up.” Her lisp, once again, made it difficult to understand. “Festival?” “Oh, yes. The Maternal Mare Festival,” Cocoa explained. “Every year, we celebrate with a festival to honor the mothers of the kingdom.” “We also hold a competition for the mommies and their children. Most come close, but I'm currently the champion with Cocoa by my side!” Glitter smiled with pride at that fact. “Now Glitter, no need to gloat. It's not very polite.” “Sorry, Cocoa.” She had a face of guilt before it quickly faded when Robu fluttered to her. “Heehee! You're silly, Robu! Can you do tricks?” Robu simply started making whistling sounds. “Wait, if Cocoa is your mother, why do you call her by her first name?” I asked curiously. “Oh, we aren't actually related. I just look out for her like a mother would. So, we simply go off that. Technically, all of the grown-ups in this castle are her mommies and daddies in a sense.” Cocoa looked to her as she giggled at Robu's singing. “Huh... Never considered that.” I thought about it for a moment. Does this mean the other foals in this kingdom...? Nah, I'm thinking too much into this. My thoughts were cut short when a plate of strawberry pancakes was placed in front of me, with a good dose of syrup covering it. It was sweet, of course, as I began eating. However, something about it seemed familiar. I couldn't quite remember where, but I felt like I had tasted it very recently, but it was hard to tell due to the tartness of the strawberries. “So, my dear, what did you plan on doing?” Cocoa asked as she began wiping up Glitter's face, having finished before I did. “Well, I was thinking of looking at your library for a while, and then maybe have a therapy session with Glitter.” “Oh, yes, I recall we planned on visiting yesterday. That is, until you felt tired.” I suddenly remembered feeling that way. That's right, we were on our way there when I had to change, and after that, I felt dizzy. Why did I feel dizzy? That thought stuck with me until I looked into my fork's reflection and saw my current predicament. Could that have been when I regressed? No, Robu would have noticed. Wait, he was asleep; he didn't see me at that time. So then, that might be when it happened. But how did it start? Where did I... I stopped mid-bite as I recalled eating dinner first before the change. I looked to my plate with suspicion. “Is something wrong, dear?” “Huh? Oh, uh... Yeah, just full right now. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to wash my face off from the syrup.” I pushed my plate to the side and got up. Robu followed as I left the hall and went to a bathroom nearby. I checked myself in the mirror. “Hmm... I don't seem to have gotten any younger. Do you see anything, Robu?” He looked all around me and inspected. Other than what we already knew, he landed on the sink and denied. “Okay, good. Still, though, I should watch what I eat. It's possible what's causing this is in the food.” I washed my face and went back to the hall. “All done?” Cocoa gave me a caring smile. “Yes, sorry to keep you waiting.” “Oh, it's no trouble. Glitter, dear, will you be alright without me? I'm sure Circus Rose can look after you while I take the doctor here to the library.” “It's no trouble.” She gave a reassuring smile as the unicorn from yesterday came from the kitchen and lifted her off the highchair. “Can Robu stay, please?” “I suppose it couldn't hurt. Be careful with him, though, he's very delicate.” I watched as Robu flew to her and started to fly circles around her. “Ooh, I think I smell a diapee that needs a change,” the mare, who I assumed was Circus Rose, said. Glitter blushed but giggled. “Heh, looks like we won't be sidetracked this time,” I said as Cocoa and I walked. “True... That is, unless you need a change?” She gave me a sly look. “What?! No, I'm clean, honest.” Now I was blushing. “I'm sure you are, but just in case...” I squeaked as she pulled the back of my diaper and checked. “Good, you are clean.” “Was that necessary?” I asked in anger. “Well, I just wanted to be sure. You never know, after all.” I wanted to scream at her, but I couldn't. One look at her, and I felt an aura of motherly... something. I couldn't quite describe it, but it made me calm down. We continued, passing the fountain once again, which still mesmerized me for a moment, before we finally reached the library. The library was a sight to behold! So many shelves filled with books, it made me salivate a bit. “Whoa... This is amazing!!” “Yes, it is quite a collection. The princess loves reading these books.” “Huh? She reads all these?!” I couldn't believe it. “Well, of course, they aren't hard to read, after all.” ...And it was then that I could believe it. “Wait, what?” I looked at a shelf and saw that it was filled with easy to read children books. “Wait, these are... And these, too! These are all foal books?!” “Well, of course! You're in a kingdom of foals, what'd you expect?” I felt foolish for not seeing it sooner. “Oh... Right...” I was no longer impressed... Well, not in the way I was expecting. It was still an impressive collection. “If you want books that are more to your liking, the section down there has some.” She pointed to a section that had a sign above it that said 'Grown-up Library'. “Well, I guess it's better than nothing.” Searching the shelves, I found little on psychology, but I did happen across some interesting historical books about the kingdom. I wasn't a huge history expert, but given my current state and the kingdom's theme itself, I was curious. I pulled a few books out and decided that was enough for now. “Okay, I think I'm good. Now then, let's get to Glitter's session.” “Very well.” Cocoa led me back to the dining hall. ~*~ Due to the nature of foals and how they have short attention spans, I decided to take the session to Glitter. She was currently playing in her personal nursery, which was enormous, and made me want to play in it. I suddenly realized that feeling, and was slightly worried about it. Robu was currently flying around, exploring the place. I think he was having fun, too. “Glitter, time for your session,” I called out to her. “Session?” She gave me a confused look. “Yes, a therapy session. The reason I'm here.” “I thought you were here on vacation.” “Well, yes, I am. But don't you remember the letter you sent to Princess Luna?” I raised a brow. “Oh, right! Um, couldn't we just do it another day? I want to play for a bit.” “Now, Princess, we should get this done as soon as possible. The longer we delay this, the worse things are going to... To...” And she was gone. “H-hey!” I looked for her and found her giggling at the top of a slide. “Princess, we need to do this! Please, come down!” “No, you come up! The view is great up here!” I was getting annoyed, but I followed. It felt cramped, considering whom it was designed for, but I managed to get through. “Princess, please, now's not the time to be playing. If we don't resolve these issues you're dealing with, sooner or later, things are going to get out of hoof.” Before I could reach her, she slid down the slide. I looked to Robu. “Can I get some help here, please?” He simply shrugged and followed her. “If you want to catch me, you have to chase me!” she taunted. While I was mad at her, she was right about the view. I looked out and saw how high I was and the room itself felt like I was in a playground. I was feeling like a little filly again. My head felt dizzy, though, and I panicked. Whoa! Better not fall here. It was then I remembered. Wait, did I...? I pulled a compact mirror out of my bag and looked. Lo, and behold, I had changed, confirming my suspicions. The change wasn't as drastic this time; looked like I had regressed a few years. After putting away my compact, I carefully followed, going down the slide. “Okay, no more games! Now, we...” Once again, she was gone. “Dr. Mindset?” I turned to see Cocoa approaching. “I'm sorry. She's not really used to doing things like this, especially sitting still. She is a little filly, after all.” “And they're just sooo full of energy.” I groaned and sat down, noting the soft carpeting complimented my own padded tush. “Why would she send a letter to Princess Luna about her issues if she's just going to ignore those feelings anyways? It's quite clear she's not troubled by them, otherwise she wouldn't be so playful and happy.” “You think so, do you?” Cocoa looked to me with a serious face. “You telling me she's not happy?” “I know 'My Little Princess' well. She may seem playful, but something is eating her up inside. She's distraught, but she doesn't want to show it.” “Why?” “Because she doesn't wish to worry the others. Foals have a good sense to tell when somepony is upset. It's why they cry when their parents or guardians are not happy or comfortable. So, to put the other foals in this kingdom at ease, she puts on a brave face; she continues to be playful and happy for them.” “That makes sense, I guess, but that doesn't explain why she's acting this way towards me. I'm not a foal, and I want to help her overcome her worries.” “Well, that's just because she finds staying in one place boring, let alone talking about boring things such as work. To put it simply, she's a baby.” “And yet, she's willing to talk about the festival coming up?” I was skeptical. “Well, that may be boring to talk about, but she knows it's for something fun, so she puts up with it.” “So, let me get this straight. In order for me to talk to her about her problems, I have to make it fun for her?” “Well, yes. You remember being a filly, don't you? Didn't you find talking about this kind of stuff boring without something fun to help pass the time?” I had thought about it for a moment, but frowned. “Not really. I mean, sure, I understand the idea, but I never really did that kind of thing. Especially when I started school and everypony found out about my diapers. I wasn't exactly popular back in those days, so I became a sort of recluse to them. At least, until 'That Day' happened.” “Hmm?” “Oh, it's nothing, just a minor incident I had back then. It changed a lot for me, though, and even helped me find my calling in life. But, by the time I found out, most of my peers were old enough to talk about these things without distractions... Well, mostly. Some required a bit more help, but that was few and far between. Anyways, that was a long time ago, and most clients of mine nowadays are usually adults.” “Sounds to me you forgot how to handle little tykes like her.” She gave a comforting smile. “Heh... Guess so.” “Tell you what, how about you play with her for a little while before you start your therapy with her. She'll likely open up more if you do, and she'll know you more as a friend than as a boring grown up.” “Hey, I'm not that boring!” The two of us laughed for a while before we eventually calmed ourselves. “So, just play with her for a bit?” “Yes. Not only will it help her, but also help you, too.” Something about that seemed ominous, but I shrugged it off. “Well, I don't have much of a choice, anyways. Okay, I'll do it.” “That's the spirit. Oh!” She pointed towards the closet as Robu hovered near it. “I'm guessing she's in there.” I got up and followed the fluttering metallic arthropod. “Selling her out, are we?” Robu simply gave a chuckle sound as I opened the door. “Gotcha!” “Eep!” She jumped and rushed out. “You scared me and almost made me pee-pee!” I laughed. “Guess it's good you're prepared for accidents, huh?” I gave a playful look. “Now then, how about we play a game?” “A game?” she asked as she gave me a curious look. “Yep. If I can catch you before your nap time, you have to tell me what you're worried about.” “Ooh, ooh! And if you can't catch me, you get to be my baby for a game of 'house', and you have to do everything I say, deal?” “Huh?” I was startled by that, but confident. “Okay, deal!” Not like I can lose. “Nap time is in an hour, so you two don't forget,” Cocoa explained. The chase began and I followed carefully. “I'm not losing this one...” ~*~ I don't even think I need to explain what happened next. The clear winner was her. She laid on the floor with a pillow and blanket, sawing logs. I, too, was exhausted, but stayed up for a bit. “I lost to a two-year-old. How embarrassing,” I whispered. Robu fluttered and danced in communication. “Yes, Robu, I am going to hold my end of the deal. I did promise her that much, even if it means playing as the baby for her game.” He continued with a worried look. “I know, I know, I have regressed a little bit, but I still seem to be in control. I think my dizziness and headaches might be connected to it somehow. Luckily, I only had that one up on her play castle over there.” “...” “I don't know what I'm going to do. I still don't know what's making me regress in the first place. The sooner we learn that, the sooner we can reverse it... Hopefully.” He acted regal and made his antennae flowing to the side. “Princess Luna? What would she have to do with any of this?” His body language changed to that of suspicion. “Hmm, true. She did send us here, and she has been here before; surely she would have noticed things around here. Still, I don't think she wants us to be like this.” He believed differently and acted like a devious version of her. "Robu! That's slanderous. You know better than that. I mean really, Nightmare Moon? Luna hasn't transformed into that form in years, and we have no proof that she's involved." He looked guilty. “It's okay, apology accepted.” I gave him a kiss on his metallic head. Robu gave a pleased look. “Okay, so we need to do some research. Maybe some of those books I found will help us find clues.” Pulling out the books from my bag nearby, I began reading. An hour or so passed, yet I found nothing that would remotely be considered a clue. “This is no good. All I'm finding is that these books need some serious restructuring. It's asking me to look in the other books to find more information.” I put the books away as I felt some stirring from the Princess. “Mmm, is nap time over yet?” I didn't want to admit it aloud, but she was adorable when she was waking up. “I don't know. How long do you normally nap?” “Um... I think until Cocoa tells me.” “Well, I haven't seen her yet, so I don't think it's time. Go back to sleep, okay?” She gave a yawn and closed her eyes. Before she did, I heard a light hissing sound. At first, I thought it was my own diaper getting wet, (which it was wet,) but it turned out she was having an accident right there. I gave a muffled giggle and decided to pull some changing supplies out of the nearby changing table. Carefully, and without waking her, I started to change her diaper. “Kind of reminds me all those times I changed Geneva's diapers,” I whispered to myself, remembering my childhood friend. The task was simple and she only stirred for a moment, but I felt happy looking at her as she smiled. I figured she was having a nice dream. After that, I felt tired enough to join her. ~*~ I was later awakened by the sound of ripping. I opened my eyes to see Cocoa over me, holding a diaper that looked used. I then realized my own diaper wasn't wet anymore. “What the...?!” I jumped up in fright. She had changed me in my sleep! “Hey, I thought I said only once!” “I'm sorry, dear, but you had an accident and I couldn't let you sleep in your messy diaper. You could've gotten a rash.” She disposed of my old diaper and washed her hooves. “Uh... Well, even so, I still would've liked to give permission before-hoof.” Again, I wanted to yell, but her caring face made it hard to do so. “I'm sorry. I figured since you changed Glitter's diaper for me, I'd do the same for you as thanks.” “How did you know about that?” “I figured it was you when I went to take care of her, only to see she was clean. Not to mention she recalled seeing you changing her.” “Well, I... Uh...” I was speechless. I simply muttered a “thank you” as I got up and looked at my diaper, which was a little more colorful than before. “These aren't my usual diapers.” “I figured since you were playing the baby for Glitter, you'd prefer dressing up for the part.” “Oh, that's right. I forgot about that.” I noticed they were a little smaller than my usual ones, something I dreaded as it meant I shrunk. Looking in my compact, though, nothing seemed to change from before, so I simply chalked it up to my imagination. “Is everything okay?” “Oh, yes, I'm just... Checking my hair,” I lied. “Is she awake, is she awake?!” I saw Glitter bouncing around in glee. She dressed up in a foal-sized business suit with a fake mustache on her face. Her diaper was still showing, though. “I believe she is.” Cocoa smiled. “Yay! Now, to get the baby clothes!” She pulled out clothing suited for a mare like me. “I have to wear all that?” I looked as there were far too many outfits for one pony. “Not all of them. I'm letting you choose which one to wear to start with.” “Really?” She nodded. “Mhmm! But, once we start, you have to do everything I say, and no talking back. You promised.” “Yep, a deal's a deal.” I decided to choose a simple purple outfit. “Ooh, a onesie. A good choice to start with!” Without argument, I took my usual dress off and put the onesie on. I had a bit of trouble getting the button snaps on, which Cocoa helped me with. “Oh, what a cute pendant you have!” “Huh?” I looked at my pendant, one I've had for a long time. “Oh... Yes, it was my mother's.” “A gift to you?” “Well... Yes, in a way.” I hadn't really thought about her in a while. I started having memories of her, but I soon dismissed them. Now wasn't the time to reminisce. Looking at my reflection in my compact, I did feel like a little foal. “Okay, I'm ready.” “Great! Time to play!” Her lisp continued despite being the 'grown-up' in the game. “Goo-goo,” I said, pretending and trying to fit the role. “Heehee, baby is cute!” She led me to a play kitchen filled with plastic toys and a fake oven. “Time to feed the baby!” I sat down on a chair that looked like a highchair, only it was much lower to the ground and actually fit a pony my size. “I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's pretended to be the baby.” I whispered to myself. Next thing I know, a bottle full of formula was shoved into my mouth. “Here's your bottle!” I was surprised that the bottle had real baby formula in it, which had a slight chalky taste to it that made me cringe. Eww, this stuff is what we feed them?! It's no wonder why bottle-fed foals grow up being slightly irritable. I thought about that until I realized in that moment, Oh, wait, I was bottle-fed. “Drink up, little one.” She was enjoying this a little too much, I could tell. Tears of disgust went down my cheeks as the 'milk' touched my tongue and slid down my throat. I drank as much as I could before I started to gag. “Oh, looks like baby is done.” I gave a light burp as my face turned green. “I think I'm going to be sick... Please don't feed me that stuff again.” “But it's good for you!” “Maybe when I was an actual foal and my taste buds weren't fully developed, but now it tastes like... I don't even know what.” I think she saw how disgusted I was and felt sorry. “Okay, in that case...” I was mercifully pulled out of the chair and led to a large playpen. It was filled with baby toys of all kinds, (not surprising,) and could fit a pony my size. “There we go. Now you can play!” “Well, at least this one will be easier than the last task.” I started looking at the toys, finding one of those bead and wire toys you often find at doctor offices. Actually, I think my office had one too, come to think of it. Sometimes, my clients bring their children due to babysitter issues and need something to help entertain them during sessions. “Now to go and do grown-up things.” She started to do her idea of what grown-ups did... Which pretty much amounted to her going to a desk and pretend to work. What that work was, that was for her to decide. I simply continued playing with the toys, though I was bored with them rather quickly. “Hmm... I thought this whole 'being a baby' thing would've been easier, but I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do.” I noticed Robu flying nearby watching. “Getting a good show?” He simply whistled. “Okay! All done! Time to play with the baby!” She approached me and started tickling me. “Ah, stop! That... HAHAHAHAHA!” I couldn't control myself. I laughed as she continued, not stopping for a few minutes. When she did stop, I noticed my 'pamper' was a little damp. Little squirt made me pee. She chuckled and grabbed the clothes. “Time to dress up the baby in new clothes.” She grabbed some of the most foalish attire I had ever seen, only they were for me. Oh, I am SO going to regret this... ~*~ I sat there, suckling on a pacifier while my hair was in pigtails. I had a bib and a bonnet on, the dress I wore was far too short to hide my diapered rear, and I had socks and baby booties on my legs. Needless to say, I was not happy. Didn't help that my stomach was gurgling from that chalky formula earlier making its way back up. “D'awww, look at the cute baby!” Glitter said as she looked upon me. She looked at my horn and frowned, however. “Oh, I should take that ring off, it's kind of clashing.” Before she could take it off, however, I pushed her away and screamed, “NO!” “Ow!” She hurt herself on the floor and looked like she was about to cry. “Ohmygosh, I am so, so sorry!” I went to help her up and comfort her. “Why... Why did you push me?” “I really am sorry, Princess, it's just... This ring isn't for decoration. It's really important to keep it on.” “Why?” “Because... Well, bad things will happen if it gets taken off. I don't want to hurt anypony, and if you take off my ring, that could happen to you. Just trust me, okay?” She wiped away her tears and nodded. “Okay, I'll leave it on you if it's really important.” “It is. Plus, it's something my brother made for me. It's special in that regard, too.” I started having memories of my goofy brother; how he'd be covered in soot whenever his new inventions exploded because of a mishap or mistake he made. “I didn't know you have a brother.” She looked at me curiously. “Oh, yes. I have an older brother. Did I not mention that?” I put a hoof to my lips in contemplation. “Nope.” She sat closer and looked up, wide-eyed. “What's he like?” I chuckled. “He's a total goofball. Smart, but very clumsy. He's an inventor, too. He likes to build inventions and all sorts of crazy gadgets to help benefit other ponies. He's also very caring... So much so, that he often changed my diapers without hesitation, whether I wanted him to or not.” “He sounds really nice.” “He is. He cared for me for a long time, and sometimes I would care for him. He always knows when I'm in trouble, and would go to any lengths to help me. This ring is but a symbol of his devotion.” “What about your parents? Weren't they in your life?” “Well, yes, they were... Only, not as much as one would want.” I panicked and spouted, “D-don't get the wrong idea! They loved us, it's just... Well, my father is the General of Canterlot's Royal Guard. He was often busy when I was growing up.” “Didn't he come home to see you two?” she asked in confusion. “We didn't live in Canterlot when I was a filly. We actually lived in Vanhoover, which is in the Northwest corner of Equestria. Canterlot was in the center of the country and very far away from us. Because of that, we usually didn't see him all that much, except on special occasions. I admit, it did get very lonely at times. But, as rare as it was, it always brought a smile to his face whenever he did come home and saw us. He loved us very much.” “What about your mommy?” My face changed to that of dismay. “She... Wasn't really around at all. We'd see her, sure, but... It was often bittersweet.” “Oh. I'm sorry. I'm sure she loved you, in some way.” “Oh, I don't doubt that. I know she loved us, she just had a hard time saying it.” “I hope I'm not interrupting anything?” Cocoa had approached us and looked like she was about to take my picture... In my current attire. “Uh, no, you're not interrupting anything. What's up?” “Well, it's lunchtime, so I figured you two would be hungry.” She picked up Glitter and put her on her back. “Care to join us, Mindset?” I was about to accept, until my stomach reminded me of that 'milk'. “Ooh... Uh, yeah, I think I'll skip this one.” I winced in pain. “Oh, well, I figured I'd ask.” “It's okay. I was actually hoping to look around the kingdom anyways. Explore outside the castle and all.” I got up and changed out of that foalish attire and back into my usual dress. “I understand. Have fun!” The two walked off to the dining hall. It's probably a good idea not to eat any food around here anyways. I don't want to regress any further, and something tells me the food is connected to that. Robu landed on my horn as I grabbed my things and left the castle. ~*~ The town square was very eventful. Everypony was preparing for Maternal Mare Day as some banners were being made and hung between the market stalls. I looked as the mothers and fathers of all the foals were helping their little ones as they ran the shops. “Cocoa was right, the foals are the ones in charge. Even their stock is meant for foals.” I looked at the different shops as they each had foal supplies. Diapers, powder, toys, food, baby gates. Just about everything was meant for the foals in mind. There were a few meant for adults, sure, but for the majority, it was all about the babies of this kingdom. I soon came across a park, the children playing in the playground. “Hello, Dr. Mindset.” I turned to see a familiar face. “Oh, Ms. Frost Wind! Hello, I wasn't expecting to see you here.” “But of course. I'm on break for the moment, playing with my two boys.” “That's great. How are Cirrus and Nimbus, anyways?” “Just fine. The two are very happy right now. They're playing with the other foals.” “That's good to hear. I'm just exploring the kingdom at the moment. ” “May I join you?” “Sure.” The two of us walked for a bit, not going too far. “It's really strange. To think, this kingdom is run by foals. I guess it's just difficult for me to consider, especially since most foals aren't given such power where I'm from.” “It can be a strange concept for some. But just looking around, you can see how happy everypony is. With a ruler as young as Glitter is, this place is given true care for the people that live here, without any ulterior motive whatsoever. Innocence in youth, after all.” “I suppose, but I think the name of the kingdom needs work. No offense.” “Oh?” She gave me a glare. “Well, 'The Block Kingdom' is not the greatest name in the world. Then again, we have 'The Crystal Kingdom' back home, so I probably shouldn't be complaining.” She laughed. “I suppose it is a little lackluster. Actually, this kingdom had another name.” “Really? I didn't hear about that... Or read it anywhere.” I tried to recall if I saw a name before in the book. “Oh yes, most aren't aware of this, but the kingdom was originally named 'Fountonia'.” “'Fountonia', huh? A strange name, but I'm not one to judge. Still, though, why is it that others haven't heard of it?” “Well, it was a name that was lost some time ago. It is archived in the library, but most ponies usually just called it 'Block Kingdom' ever since the buildings were built with them. We just gradually forgot the name soon after.” “That's kind of sad. Well, regardless, it is your kingdom, so you can call it whatever you want.” We eventually walked back to the beginning of where we started. “Well, it was a nice walk. Thank you for joining me.” “It was no trouble. I needed a break from the boys anyways.” “They get a little rowdy, huh? I can understand, they are growing up after all. I guess it's a good thing the two are royal guards; I'm sure their training is keeping them well-behaved with the little ones. They probably even look up to them.” “Whatever do you mean?” She looked to me in confusion. “Well, the two are royal guards after all. The babies can look to them for protection. Not to mention they're both old enough to use the potty, so-” “Use the potty? I'm afraid they are much too young to start potty training.” I paused in disbelief. “Huh? But... Weren't they...” Before I could continue, the two ponies in question walked up to us. She was right; the two looked far too young to even start potty training, both being around the age of one. “Ah, here they are.” She lifted them both and cradled them. “My little cuties here do act like they could be royal guards someday, but that won't be for a while.” I was in stunned silence. Before I could process any of this, the two blushed and sighed as their diapers started filling. Even more so, they giggled and babbled incoherently as if they were proud of what they had just done. “I... Wha...” “Oh, looks like they both need to be changed, speaking of. If you'll excuse me, I need to take care of this. It was nice speaking to you, Doctor.” She walked off with the ex-royal guards in tow. I stood there, flabbergasted at what I had just witnessed. Robu tried his best to snap me out of it, but it was pointless. I was out of my element. “Robu... I think I'm gonna faint.” Black. Black was all I could see as my head hit the dirt.