I awoke with more energy than before. I didn't even need Robu to tell me I was younger. When he showed me my age, I had to admit that this was a weird coincidence, as if fate had determined this age to be a special moment for me. “I'm nine. I'm at the age when I lost control of my magic.” My thoughts were interrupted by cheers and talking.
“Let the Maternal Mare Day Festival begin!” I heard outside my window. Looking out, I saw the streets filled with ponies of all ages, (mostly foals,) as they celebrated the day.
I, however, wasn't ready for this. I knew she was coming eventually, and she would take me outside to be her little filly for the day.
Knock knock!
And there it was. “Come in...” I really wasn't ready for this.
Cocoa entered with changing supplies and a diaper that better fit me. The diaper was colorful and foalish looking, with baby animals on them. I wanted to argue about it, but I doubt I'd have any say on the matter. Besides, I needed my diaper changed. “Ready for the big day?”
“Um, about today, I know you're just doing it to make me feel comfortable and join the festival, but you don't need to-” Before I could finish, a hoof shushed me.
“Now now, Mindset, it's no trouble at all. Just relax and let go of your worries. Besides, Glitter loves your company.” She laid me down on a changing mat and began to change me. I didn't even fuss with it. I was so used to it by now that I didn't even blush. “Now, I heard you wanted more suitable clothes, so I got you this. Purple is your favorite color, yes?”
Looking at the dress, I saw that it was eerily similar to my purple dress from when I was a filly. It had a few differences though, just so it didn't freak me out. For one, the dress had a Cuddle Bear design on it, which did make me smile a bit. It also didn't cover my diaper as much as my old dress. Guess it wouldn't really matter here, since most of the kingdom's population was diaper-clad anyways. Without hesitation, I dressed myself in the outfit and looked in the mirror. I had to admit, I actually looked really cute in it. “Huh, this is actually really nice.”
“I knew you'd like it. Now, come along, we still need to get Glitter ready.” She directed me out of the room and had me follow her, Robu closely behind. There was no point in fighting. Today, I was her foal for the day. The two of us entered Glitter's nursery.
Glitter was wide awake from the cheering outside. “Cocoa, it's time, it's time!” She was bouncing in her crib, her diaper sagging and swinging to her movements.
“Yes, it is time, but we're not going until we get you into a clean diaper and clothes.” She lifted her and took her to the changing table, where I watched Cocoa go through the process. The attire for Glitter was far more infantile than mine: a dress with a cartoon baby pony looking at bunnies. Her diaper was similar to mine, only smaller. Lastly, a pacifier was placed in her mouth. “There, all set and ready for the day.”
“Yay!” She was so excited, I swear she was going to wet herself again. “You ready, Mindset?”
“Uh, well, I'm still not sure about all this,” I answered.
“Nonsense, today will be a great day! Just give it a chance!” She gave her pacifier a few suckles afterwards.
I had to admit, her ability of persuasion was strong. Then again, it could be I'm just too weak to her infantile charms. Darn it, why'd she have to be so cute?! I gave a sigh and answered, “Okay, I'll give it a shot. Just don't expect me to be experienced to all this.”
“Well, I think we've stalled long enough. Come on, let's get to the festival.” Cocoa led us outside. Along the way, I noticed the guards were shifting in place as a telltale crinkle was heard.
Oh, shoot, did she actually take me seriously?! Sorry, you guys. I didn't expect Circus and Frost to actually make diapers a part of the guards' uniforms, though I did feel more comfortable knowing I wasn't alone. I just hoped they weren't upset by it.
~*~
The town square was packed with stalls for games, food, and toys for everypony. I had to admit, a foal she may be, Glitter certainly knew how to throw a party. “This is actually really cool.” Robu was also enjoying the sights, as well, though he did keep himself in the sky to avoid the hustle and bustle of the town.
“Glad you like it. Many ponies do.” Glitter smiled.
“So, what's our itinerary for the day?” Glitter looked confused. I guess being partially regressed means not understanding some words.
“We need to first sign up for the competition that's going to happen later,” Cocoa explained. “The booth for sign-ups is over here.” We followed to the very booth where we waited for Cocoa to sign us up.
“You feeling okay?” I looked to Glitter, who had a worried look.
“Um, I've never really done these things before. This is all kinda new to me.”
“Well, don't worry. Cocoa is great with foals. Just look at me, after all. And don't be afraid to have an accident. She's got plenty of spare diapees for the both of us, and has no problem changing them.”
“Uh, thanks. I'll keep that in mind.” To say I was out of my comfort zone was an understatement.
“She's the best mommy anypony could ask for. I'm sure she'll be a great mommy for you, too.”
That caught my attention. “Say what now?”
“And done. We're all signed up,” Cocoa interrupted, inadvertently changing the subject.
“Great, now let's play!” Glitter was really excited.
“We've still got some time before it begins. Why don't we have some breakfast first.”
“I wouldn't mind some breakfast.” My stomach gurgled for food. The three of us walked to the food court where we had some waffles. Glitter had syrup all over her face and hooves. “Ever the messy eater.”
She stuck her tongue out and said, “What are you talking about? This is the best way to eat.”
“Yes, well, let's get you cleaned before you ruin your dress.” Cocoa took some wet wipes from the diaperbag and began to clean her up. “So, Mindset, once I get our little princess all clean, what would you like to do first?”
I took my last bite of the waffle and thought about it. “I don't know. What's available?”
“Well, there are some games that we can play to kill some time. The competition doesn't begin until Noon.”
“Well, I guess that can work.” The three of us walked to the game stalls and played for a bit. “Hey, Cocoa, what exactly am I to expect from the competition?”
“Oh, it's nothing so different from what you'd expect. Simple group games like an obstacle race, food eating contests, etc. We'll just see which games are chosen, but if you don't feel up to it, you let me know.”
“But you should try them. They're really fun!” Glitter added.
“Whoa, wait, 'chosen'?” I was confused.
“You'll see soon enough. Just relax and enjoy the day.”
I guess they were going to remain cryptic about it. “Do we get anything if we win?” I was curious.
“Oh, just simple medals. Nothing really much,” Cocoa responded. We came up to one of the booths and found Frost Wind with Cirrus and Nimbus in tow. I was about to respond when I noticed the three had some fierce competitive faces. Looking to Cocoa and Glitter, they both showed the same. “Frost Wind...”
“Cocoa Puff...” Frost returned.
“Planning on entering the competition?”
“Yep, and my boys and I are ready to get the gold this time.”
“The only thing your boys are ready for are diapee changes,” Glitter remarked, causing the two guard foals to blush and cover their wet diapers.
“Laugh while you can, little princess, we aren't holding back.”
“And neither will we, right Mindset?”
I panicked for a moment. “Huh? Me?!”
“Well, duh! Why do you think we have you with us? You're on our team!”
“Oh, no, I'm not really all that great. I don't even know what games are in the competition. I'd probably just be a liability to you.” I wasn't expecting this kind of reaction when I joined them. Even when I was younger, I wasn't very competitive, and I didn't feel any different now.
“Don't be so modest. You kept up with Glitter for a while not too long ago. You should do just fine,” Cocoa told me, trying to make me feel better. It didn't really work.
“Well, I guess we'll just have to step up our game. And...” Frost got close to Cocoa. “We have our usual wager?”
“Wager?” I looked to Cocoa.
“If we win, Frost has to eat nothing but baby food for a week, and the same if Cocoa loses,” Glitter answered with a giggle. “And we've never lost.”
Wow, didn't know they were this serious. I had to admit, it was starting to get frightening. “Um, Cocoa, Glitter, can we discuss this privately?”
“Uh-oh, somepony is scared,” I heard Cirrus, though his words were little more than baby babble.
“Yeah, maybe she needs a new diapee!” Nimbus added, again in baby babble form.
“Says the two who are soaked right now.” I think they didn't expect me to understand them, because they both jumped in surprise and wincing upon touching the wet padding they're wearing. Glitter giggled to herself as she watched them panic.
“Is everything alright, Mindset?” Cocoa asked as we turned away from them.
“When I agreed to be your foal for the day, I didn't expect it was to help you win a bet. I can't really condone any of this. Plus, I'm not really the athletic type.”
“I understand if you feel uncomfortable with the bet, but I didn't have you come with us for that. I honestly wanted you to join us for your sake. Try not to think about the bet. What matters today is you having fun. Nothing else.”
“Honest?”
“Honest.” She smiled and nodded. I thought I saw a flicker of something off of her, but I shook it off as nothing.
I gave it a little more thought and answered, “Well, okay. How hard could these games be, anyways? If babies can do it, I can, too.”
“That's the spirit!” She turned back to Frost. “So, is that all you needed to say?”
“Yes, well, don't want to hold you up any longer. See you at the games.” And with that, the three walked away, probably to change diapers.
“Don't feel too bad when you lose! Some baby food tastes really good!” Glitter added.
~*~
Time passed as we enjoyed the festival, playing some games and eating some snacks. However, I was more focused on the upcoming tournament and preparing for it. “You don't need to be so nervous, Mindset, the games haven't started yet.”
“I'm sorry. Like I said, I don't really know what's going to happen. I don't even know how many there are.”
Cocoa sighed. “Okay, I'll teach you the basics. There are three games during the tournament, but what they are will be randomized. You have many games, from the egg toss, the bottle drinking contest, the obstacle race, and so on. They're all chosen by wheel from the judges at the very beginning. This allows for it to have some variety and not always be the same thing over and over. We all participate, myself included, in whatever challenge they land on. Each placement, whether it's first, last or anywhere in between, earns points, though they scale depending on the team's placement in the challenge. At the end, the team with the most points wins. In the event of a tie, the teams that tied do one last challenge. Whoever wins that, wins overall. How's that?”
“I see, so you don't really know what challenges you're going to have until they choose them. That's why you weren't specific earlier.” I thought carefully about this. If it's randomized, then there's no telling how things will go down.
Glitter fidgeted as she ate her stringed carrots. “The worst one has to be the treasure hunt. You have to find certain objects in a huge sandbox and the sand likes to get in 'uncomfortable places'.” I noticed a blush on her.
I shivered at the thought, as well. “Ooh, yeah, I know what you mean. 'The Desert in the Diaper' feeling. I hope we don't need to do that one.”
“We'll just have to wait and see.”
“Hey!” We turned to see Circus Rose approaching us. “Good luck, you three. I hope you do just as well as when I was on your team.”
“Huh? Wait, you used to be on their team?” I looked to the others.
“Well, yes. All teams must have three members. It used to be Glitter, Circus, and myself,” Cocoa confirmed.
“But I resigned last year. I wanted to spend more time with my little Beam and help him run the shop.” She nuzzled Quick Beam, who giggled and cooed.
“I see. Well, I'll try my best.”
“They're about to announce the start of it any minute now. We should hurry to see it.” The five of us, Circus and Beam included, walked to the center of the town square, where many other ponies had gathered. Robu continued to fly above and landed on the roof of a kiosk in the area, getting a better view.
“Greetings, everypony, to the Maternal Mare Festival Tournament!” Cheers and applause were heard as the announcer, an ice-blue earth pony who looked to be in preschool, began the event. “Today is a great day for this tournament. The sun is shining, and not a cloud in the sky. Good thing, because I hate being in cold, soggy diapers, and I know all of you do, too! I'm your host, Snow Crystal, and I will be announcing the games today!” The ponies, most notably the foals, cheered in agreement. “Oh-Kay, now let's go over the rules! There are ten games to choose from. We'll spin the wheel thingy until it lands on three different games. Those three games will be the challenges we do for the tournament.”
“Aww, she's so adorable.” My weakness for cute things strikes again. To be fair, though, anypony would find her cute. Her purple shirt with a pink horseshoe on it with a pink skirt, which did little to cover her thick diaper, complimented with a large bow tie in her hair.
I was so enraptured by her cuteness I wasn't listening to the rest of the rules. It didn't matter, I already heard it from Cocoa. “Oh-Kay, time to choose our three games!” She went up to the wheel and tried to spin it as hard as she could, though her small size made it a bit difficult. “And... The wheel has stopped and landed on 'Red Light, Green Light' as our first challenge!”
“'Red Light, Green Light'?” I was a bit perplexed.
“What, you've never heard of it?” Glitter asked.
“No, I haven't.”
“Don't worry, they'll explain the rules for the games,” Cocoa explained.
“Exactly, now shush!” Glitter was eager to hear the next challenge.
“And challenge number two is...” The audience held its breath. “Tug o' War!”
“Okay, I'm familiar with that one,” I assured.
After another spin, the little pony called out the final game. “And challenge number three is the Block Stack!”
“Block Stack?”
“Again, they'll explain them.” Glitter was really impatient.
“Oh-Kay, those are our three games. Now to announce our teams! Our first team is Team Citrus with Orange Crush and her two fillies, Lemon Wedge and Limeade!” The three posed as the crowd cheered. “Next up, Team Sky with Frost Wind and her two colts, Cirrus and Nimbus!” The trio looked to us and smirked. “Our next team is Team Blossom with Blue Tulip with her baby sister, Lilac Breeze, and her daughter, Clover! Next, we have Team Smooth with Jazz Beat along with her partner, Cinnamon Bun, and their son, Bass Clef!”
I was surprised that Snow Crystal knew what they meant by 'partner', as the two mares nuzzled each others' noses for a brief moment, (and kind of remind me of my own partner.) It was actually really progressive. In any case, she turned to us and pointed.
“And last but not least, we have our reigning champions, Team Royal with Cocoa Puff and our very own Princess Glitter Star!” The crowd cheered until the announcer looked to me. “But what's this?! Looks like Team Royal has a new team member in their ranks. Joining our two champions and replacing Circus Rose is the newcomer, Mindset Shield!” I blushed as the crowd gazed at me. “Not much is known about this pony, other than she's a native from our neighboring country of Equestria. Although, looking at her, she certainly looks like a resident of our little kingdom, what with the clothes and diaper.” I turned pink and instinctively hid behind Cocoa. “Aww, she's shy. Let's give her a round of applause to cheer her up!” The crowd made no hesitation to try and cheer for me, but I still felt nervous.
“Aww, Mindset, you look so cute when you're shy.” Glitter giggled to herself.
“And those are our contestants! Let's get this tournament underway!”
“Best of luck, Cocoa,” Frost said confidently.
“To you, as well, Frost,” she returned.
~*~
“Oh-Kay, let's begin the first challenge! We have the track all set up and ready to go. Good thing, cause the teams are just itching to get started, and I know it's not from diaper rash!”
“I think that last announcement was T.M.I.” She was right, though. All the teams were getting ready for the game.
“Well, that's little foals for you. They tend to speak before they think,” Cocoa commented.
“So, do you really think I'll be of any help?”
“Don't be so quick to doubt yourself. I'm certain you'll do just fine.”
“I hope so.”
“Let's go over the rules! All teams begin at the starting point and race to the end. However, there is a stoplight at the end, a part played by one of our judges, and when he says 'stop', all teams must freeze in place. Not even your tails must be moving, otherwise you and your team will be sent back to the start. If any of your teammates reach the end, they are safe to move freely, but if you or any other teammate that hasn't made it to the end moves when in the 'stop' position, the whole team, again, gets sent back to the start.”
“So, if any are at the finish line, but one of your teammates get caught, they too have to start over? Jeez, talk about pressure.” I felt nauseous.
“Now, Mindset, remember: above all else, this is just a game. Just have fun, and don't worry about winning,” Cocoa reminded me. I had to admit, despite being new to this, it was comforting to have a pony like her believe in me and make me feel safe.
“The teams will score points when all teammates reach the end, their scores determined by their position in the race.”
“So we don't win until all of us reach the end. Got it!” I felt confident for once.
“Alright, we're ready to begin! All teams, head for the starting point and get ready!” We, and many others, walked to the starting position as the judge playing as the 'stoplight' got into position. “Oh-Kay, all teams at the ready?!”
We all held our breath as we waited for the signal.
“And go!”
The three of us began our sprint to the end.
“Stop!” I nearly fell on my face but held still. Cocoa and Glitter also stayed in place. “I see you! Back to the beginning!” The team that was caught was sent back.
“Ooh, Team Citrus begins with a poor start as Limeade was caught moving, due to her tripping on her face!”
“Sorry.” I heard the poor filly say as she sounded like she was crying, probably from hurting herself.
“Go!” And back to the run, we went. It didn't take long for the pony to shout, “Stop!” I paused, and I heard another pony sneeze. “Back to the beginning!”
“Ooh, tough break, Team Blossom is sent back due to Clover sneezing! Meanwhile, Team Sky has a small lead on Team Royal, as Mindset is slightly behind Cirrus!”
What?! She was right, I was behind Cocoa and Glitter, as well as Team Sky. No, don't be discouraged. Just relax, and focus. I prepped myself to go as fast as I could.
“Go!” I threw everything I had to catch up, almost tripping at some points. “Stop!” I froze in place.
“Wow, Mindset has closed the gap on Team Sky! Her and Cirrus are neck-and-neck!” I felt excited to have caught up. “Meanwhile, Team Sky's first teammate to reach the end is Frost Wind, with Cocoa Puff from Team Royal close to reaching the goal!”
“Go!” Another burst of speed had me push past Cirrus.
“And Cocoa Puff reaches the end while our princess finishes shortly behind Nimbus, followed by the two wedded mares of Team Smooth, Jazz Beat and Cinnamon Bun! Meanwhile, Mindset takes the lead over Cirrus and is about to cross the goal!”
“Stop!” I froze immediately.
“You can do it, Mindset! You're so close!” I heard Glitter and Cocoa cheering for me.
“Team Royal may just win this! Meanwhile, Teams Blossom and Citrus are neck-and-neck, and Team Smooth's Bass Clef is right behind Cirrus of Team Sky!”
Yes, I'm gonna win it for us! I don't know if it was fate or poor timing, because I felt my body gurgle, and I knew it wasn't from hunger. Oh no... Not now... I tried to hold it in, keeping my tail from moving, as doing so would send us back. I felt it quiver and tense up, wanting to lift for the inevitable. Come on, hold it... HOLD IT! It was no use. Being incontinent, I couldn't control it.
“Go!”
I never felt so relieved to hear that word, (in more ways than one.) Time seemed to slow as I let 'Nature' take its course. Oh Sweet Celestia, that was too close.
My silly filly. Did you have an accident? It's okay, Mommy's here to change you. Just let it all out. I'll clean you up and put you in a fresh diaper.
What?
“Mindset, what are you doing?!” I heard Glitter shouting.
“Huh?”
“And Cirrus crosses the finish line, earning Team Sky first place, followed by Team Smooth for second!”
“Oh no!” Snapping out of my relief and confusion, I forgot I was supposed to finish the race. I quickly ran for the goal.
“Mindset has finally crossed the finish line, earning Team Royal third! I wonder what happened? Perhaps she hadn't heard the judge's call?”
“Mindset, what happened? You were right there!” Glitter looked upset with me.
“I-I'm sorry! I got distracted with... Something...” Hot blood filled my face as I felt the 'contents' squishing in my diaper.
Glitter realized what I meant when a familiar smell entered her nose. “Eww! You did 'it' there?”
“I couldn't help it! All that food from the stalls all just pushed their way out of me. If the judge hadn't called out 'go' right then, we'd all be sent back. I panicked!”
“That's enough, you two.” Cocoa stepped in to dissolve the argument. “Glitter, you're no different. Remember last year?” Glitter did noticeably blush. “Mindset, you did great, given the circumstance. Nopony is blaming you for what happened.”
I frowned for a moment and asked, “Really?”
“Absolutely! Besides, even if we didn't win this challenge, we still have two more, and third place isn't a bad starting point. We can catch up from there.”
“Well... Okay.”
“Yeah, she's right. I'm sorry, Mindset.” Glitter pouted out of guilt.
“And there you have it, folks! Team Blossom finished for forth, meaning Team Citrus is last. The scores for now are:
Team Sky with six points!
Team Smooth with four!
Team Royal with three!
Team Blossom with two!
And lastly, Team Citrus with one!
Oh-Kay, the next challenge will commence in fifteen minutes!”
“Ah, perfect time for us,” Cocoa mentioned as she looked to me.
“Huh?”
“Well, you don't expect to compete with a soiled diaper, now do you?”
“Oh, uh...” I forgot for a moment that I still had a mess to clean up. “Y-Yes, I would like that.” Cocoa led me to a restroom, where she privately changed me, along with Glitter who needed her own diaper changed. Oddly enough, I took a double take when she looked like... Perhaps it was just my imagination.
~*~
“Oh-Kay! The next challenge, Tug O' War, is ready. This challenge requires physical strength. No magic! No wings! Two teams pull on one rope, pulling the other team to the center. A flag on the rope starts on the center line and points to who's winning as it moves closer to either of the two outer lines. Once the flag reaches either line, the corresponding team wins the match. This will be a 'Bracket-Based Challenge', meaning that teams who win their matches will move on to the next one. However, with five teams, one team will need to wait until two others have completed their match to determine who they will face. All teams will choose a number between one and five to see who goes where.”
I watched as Cocoa chose our number, along with the other teams. “So, do you think we stand a chance?”
“Uh, duh! Those two babies don't know what they're in for! We'll beat them,” I heard Glitter remark.
“And we have our brackets! The first match will be Team Blossom versus Team Smooth! This will determine who will face Team Royal in the Semi-Finals!”
“N-no way, we got seeded?!”
“Hee hee, 'Royal Advantage'.” I noticed Glitter sticking her tongue out in gloat.
“Meanwhile, Team Citrus will face off against Team Sky! Then, before we begin the Finals, we'll do a Bronze Match to determine whose team will be given third.”
“So we can relax and simply watch the competition.” Cocoa said as she sat down on a seat.
The match between the two teams were entertaining, as Team Blossom tugged to victory, putting Team Smooth in last for the challenge. “And with that, Team Blossom moves forward! They face off against Team Royal after our next match. Up next is Team Citrus versus Team Sky!”
“Well, this will be interesting.” Glitter simply sat down on her rump and ate some popcorn as the two teams stepped up.
“Are the two teams ready?!” They both nodded and prepared themselves. “Go!”
It ended just as it began. Just about everypony, save for Team Sky, dropped their jaws in shock. “W-what just happened?!” I asked.
“I knew they were practicing, but... That was just ridiculous!” Glitter had a face like she needed another change, though her diaper was clearly clean. She even dropped her popcorn.
“Wow! I don't know how it happened, but Team Sky just pulled Team Citrus like they were nothing! The judges are currently searching Team Sky for any signs of cheating or false start, as that seemed a little too easy for them.”
“You don't think they'd do that, do you?” I asked Cocoa.
“If they did, it'd be a surprise to us. Frost may be our rival, but she would know better than to stoop so low.” Cocoa shared Glitter's fear.
“Hold it!” Frost shouted. “I believe Team Citrus was not prepared. We will go again for their sake.” The crowd cheered.
“What sportsponeship! Team Sky is ready to try again, and it looks like Team Citrus has another chance!” Everypony sighed in relief as the two teams tried again. “Ready? Go!” The two teams pulled with all their might. Thankfully, this time was much more reasonable, but it still seemed to easily favor Team Sky. “There's no doubt this time. Team Sky is the winner!” The crowd cheered again as the team posed for victory.
“Well, that was interesting.” I watched the three walk off to take their seats. Cocoa and Glitter still had looks of concern. “You two don't look too giddy for this.”
“They've improved.” Cocoa looked to them. “There's a chance this may put us at a disadvantage.”
“I know. They both had two foals, which should've equaled them out. Instead, they pulled as if they had no opposition.” Glitter bit her lip. “I think this might be it for us.”
“Huh? And where is all that confidence from earlier?” The two looked to me in confusion. “You two cheered me up when I wasn't confident about my abilities. Maybe you should've saved some for yourselves.” They looked to me curiously. “Look, it makes sense that they're strong. The two foals are guardponies, after all.” Cocoa seemed confused by my remark. “Or, er, they have the qualities of guardponies.” I panicked. I forgot that I'm supposed to believe they're actual foals. Don't blow your cover!
“Well, that is true...” Cocoa agreed after giving me a quick suspicious look.
“Besides, we haven't shown what we can do. Let's not hold back and get through this together!” Even I was feeling inspired by my words.
“You're right! Let's do this!” Glitter bounced in excitement.
“The next match of Team Royal versus Team Blossom is about to begin! Both teams, to your positions!” The three of us stepped up and grabbed the rope with our teeth, or whatever Glitter had in her mouth. We watched Team Blossom approach us on the opposite end. “Oh-Kay! Both teams ready?”
I prepared to pull on the signal.
“Go!”
We tugged with all our might and gained ground. It felt like pulling a large weight, (which in hindsight, makes sense,) but we gave the opposing team a challenge. It took us some time, but we pulled the flag to our end.
“And it's over! Team Royal wins the match and heads for the finals! Meanwhile, Teams Citrus and Blossom are not done yet! It's time for the two to compete to see who will take third. It's time for the Bronze Match!”
The three of us walked to get some water. “Congratulations, you three, for making the finals!”
“Thank you, Circus. We appreciate it.” I took a few gulps from a water bottle.
“Yes, congrats. You three seemed to pull it off.” Despite the somewhat condescending tone, Frost seemed real eager to face us in the next match.
“To you and your two boys, as well,” Cocoa responded. “Though, I must ask, how did you and your boys improve so well?”
“Well, we simply trained harder than we normally do, and a partial regre-umph!” She was immediately stopped by one of Cocoa's wings, which immediately got my attention.
“Not here...” She looked around and directed her to another location.
“Um, Circus, could you look after Glitter for a moment? I need to blow my nose.” I made up an excuse.
“Oh, uh, sure.”
I carefully followed them, trying to not be spotted. They went to a secluded area and began talking. “I apologize, but Mindset is still regressing.”
“Truly? I thought she would've been done by now.”
“It seems she might be worse than we thought. We're trying to help her relax with this festival, but something doesn't seem right. She's behaving like...”
“Like what?”
Cocoa seemed to have been really contemplating her thoughts. “Well, I'm not certain, but have you noticed anything strange from your interactions with her?”
“Hmm, well, the last time we talked, she had passed out from that formula Glitter fed her.” I really wish she hadn't brought that up again. I already felt nauseous just by being reminded of it. “Although, she did seem rather surprised by... Oh.” A look of realization formed on her face.
“What?”
“When Cirrus and Nimbus came to us. We had talked about how the two boys were, and she brought up how they were both capable of protecting the other foals, as if she remembered them as when they first met.”
“Are you sure? She had already begun the regression by then, she should have not remembered what they looked like.”
“I know, but I'm certain that's what she meant. What does this mean?”
“I don't know, but for now, just play along and don't try to do anything suspicious.”
Too late for that. I already know your secret. I heard enough and returned to Circus and Glitter. Still, though, I need to do the same. I can't let them know about what I know. Secrets, secrets, secrets. Seemed like nowadays, that's all I would think about.
“Took you a while. Team Citrus won third,” Glitter informed me. “Where's Cocoa?”
“She's having a chat with Frost. I saw them along the way.”
“Oh? Somepony call for me?” Cocoa approached us.
“Just wondering where you were. It's time for the Final Match!” Glitter delightfully skipped in place.
“Well, we shouldn't keep them waiting.”
The three of us walked to the ring, the foalish crowd cheering in anticipation. “And Team Royal enters the ring, along with Team Sky!” Those three got on the other side. “Oh-Kay, let's get this started!”
“Mindset... Glitter... Whatever you do, don't let up.” The feeling was intense.
“Ready...” We grabbed the rope. “Go!”
Things seemed to go quick, but we felt the tug nearly pull us completely. However, by some miracle, we stopped the pull just before going over the line. Glitter grunted and squirmed as she pulled. I honestly didn't think she would last as long as we did, but she pulled her weight with the rest of us. Looking at the opposing team, they seemed to show a bit of smugness, seeing how they were so close to victory.
Cocoa, however, was determined, and was probably why we hadn't lost yet. The amount of adrenaline that flowed in her was staggering. Through gritted teeth, she directed us. “Mindset, Glitter, pull. Pull as hard as you can!”
Slowly, we gained ground with each step. I could tell Team Sky was panicking a bit. “Incredible! Just when Team Sky was about to take the win, Team Royal pulls out all the stops and recovers just in the nick of time!”
Sweat poured down my face, and I thought I felt my bladder release, but I ignored it as I continued to pull. The flag on the rope inched further and further from the line. Eventually, we managed to get back to the center. I was exhausted and losing energy fast, and the others were not faring any better. Fortunately, so too was Team Sky. Frost's facial features contorted and twisted in discomfort as we continued to pull. Her two sons were the same.
“We're back to where we began! These two teams are just incredible! They're both giving it everything they've got!”
It felt like we would win. Of course, in these stories, you know something had to go wrong. I had moved just right for Celestia's sun to blind me for just a moment, but the moment passed. Staring out, however, I was caught off-guard by one thing. Looking at Cocoa, the image I saw was too weird and... Well, it surprised me. Enough to make me lose my grip. “Huh? Mindset!”
“What?!” Glitter's call snapped me out of it, and I grabbed the rope again. Sadly, we had lost our ground and slowly losing more. “Oh no, oh no, oh no!”
“And it's over! Team Sky is victorious!” As crowds cheered, I was dumbfounded.
“Mindset, that's twice now! What's going on with you?!” Glitter looked like she was about to throw a tantrum.
“I-I'm sorry, I just... I mean...”
“That's enough, Glitter.” Cocoa stepped in. “We knew it wouldn't have been easy when we saw them earlier. We're lucky to have gotten this far.” She lifted her up. “Besides, we still have a chance. It's not over.”
“Oh-Kay! Things are looking interesting this year, folks! The scores have been added and are as follows:
Team Sky earns six points with a total of twelve!
Team Royal gains four points, totaling to seven!
Team Smooth earns one point, putting them with five!
And lastly, Team Blossom earns two points and Citrus earn three, both tied with four!
This is getting exciting! Will Team Sky dethrone Team Royal as the new champions?! I can't wait! In the meantime, we'll take another fifteen minute break!” A brief pause before we heard, “Good thing, because my diaper is wet and messy. Mama, can you please change me... Huh? What do you mean 'the mic is still on'?” A bit of panic and blush before she turned off the microphone.
“Eh heh heh, not the most professional of commentators, is she?” A nervous smile formed on my face.
“Like I said, speaking without thinking.” Cocoa laughed to herself.
“I don't see how you're so happy. We're about to lose and you're laughing it off like the bet means nothing.” Glitter was really irate.
“The bet doesn't mean anything.”
“Huh?”
“Glitter, the whole point of today is to have fun. Nothing else matters, not even that bet. If we lose, we lose. Nothing else to it.”
“But...”
“So I'll eat baby food for a week. Big deal. This day is for Mindset's enjoyment. This is all for her.”
Glitter was speechless for a moment before she responded with, “Okay.”
I didn't know what to feel about this. I didn't want to have us lose because of my actions, but I felt safe with Cocoa's words. Not to mention 'she' kept appearing.
~*~
“Is the mic on? Oh-Kay! The next and final game is about to begin! The last challenge is the Block Stack. The rules are simple: each team builds a tower of blocks and try to stack them as high as they can in ten minutes, without letting the tower topple over. Don't worry too much if they do, as you can still continue stacking, just remember that the clock won't reset if your tower falls. The team with the tallest tower by the end of those ten minutes wins the game!
The restrictions are that you can't purposely knock another team's tower down. Doing so will be immediate disqualification, and will likely put you in time-out. You also can't use blocks from other teams, which are color-coded to prevent cheating and confusion. Use of magic and wings, however, are allowed, but no spells to permanently hold the blocks in place or defy gravity.”
Not that I could do such spells. I may be a unicorn, but even I had a limited skill set. Things like anti-gravity spells and the like were not my cup of tea, even if Princess Twilight were to teach me. No, I had stuck to more psychology-focused spells during my training with her, and some minor spells just for the sake of experimenting. Levitation, however, was natural for me, (and every other unicorn,) as it was one of the most basic of spells, but I knew to limit it in this challenge.
“Oh-Kay, all teams choose a table!” We chose the purple table and got ourselves ready. “All teams ready?” We saw the others with Frost and her foals on the sky blue table. “Go!”
Glitter immediately started stacking the blocks while Cocoa and I stabilized the tower. A few blocks fell from the top, but Glitter was quick to re-stack them. The other teams seemed to be more reckless as they just kept stacking, their towers at great risk of toppling. All except Team Sky, of course. “They seem to be handling themselves well.”
“Don't worry about them. Just focus on our tower,” Cocoa instructed me.
“Uh-oh, Team Citrus's tower has just toppled. They'll need to pull out all the stops to catch up. Meanwhile, Teams Sky and Royal are neck-and-neck!” The crowd cheered as we continued to stack. Another tower then fell down from Team Smooth. Our tower wobbled back and forth as more and more blocks were added.
“Glitter, slow down! If we don't stabilize the tower, it's all gonna fall,” I shouted.
“You two can slow down. I'm not gonna let them win this one.” Glitter was determined to not let Frost and her sons get a clean sweep.
“Well, we won't win if our tower falls over!” She wasn't listening to me as she continued to stack, forcing us to speed up. I panicked as the tower continued to shake.
“Team Royal's tower is looking unstable. Can they keep it from falling? Team Sky is looking proud as they continue to stack.” The timer had passed the five minute mark as we managed to stabilize the tower slightly.
I still didn't feel calm, but Cocoa looked like she was having the time of her life. “This is getting exciting. I can't remember when Glitter had this much determination in this game.”
“What do you mean?” I gave her a look of confusion.
“Usually we win these things so easily, it got quite boring. With you around, things are getting really fun. Aren't you feeling that thrill? That adrenaline pumping through your veins?”
I hadn't considered it at first, but I couldn't deny, it felt nice. Great, even. “Huh, I do feel a rush.”
“That's great. Now, will you two rush down there?! We need to beat them!” Glitter was quick to remind us of our current predicament.
“Oh, yes, right. Mindset, if you would?” Cocoa lifted a block from her wing, which I took with my magic to pass to Glitter, who was fluttering in the sky with her wings, being careful not to let the gust knock over the tower.
Our stacking and building continued, but try as we might, we were still just behind Team Sky. “One minute, everypony! It's make-it-or-break-it time!”
“Come on! We need to keep going! Give me more blocks!” Glitter looked to us, but Cocoa looked concerned.
“We... We're out of blocks, dear.”
“WHAT?!” I thought Glitter was about to throw a tantrum right then and there. “How could we be out? Our tower isn't even the same size as theirs!”
“Because we didn't build ours like theirs! We used most of our blocks to keep the tower supported,” I informed the diaper-clad princess.
“No...” She looked so depressed at that response.
“Thirty seconds!”
“I'm sorry, Glitter. It's my fault.” I just wanted to hide in shame.
Glitter was about to respond in anger, but saw my face and changed. “I... No, I shouldn't have rushed. It's my fault we're about to lose.”
Things seemed dire for us, but then some pollen drifted into Cirrus's nose. “Ah... Ahh... ACHOO!”
Crash!
The sudden sneeze caused their tower to topple over. The look on his face took on an 'uh-oh' expression. “Oh no! Team Sky's tower has just fallen over!” The buzzer sounded as time ran out. “And time is up! Looking at the towers, it's clear that Team Royal wins!”
“We did it!” I felt my spirit lift.
Glitter cheered in joy as she danced, to which I soon joined her. Cocoa smiled as we both danced.
“The scores have been tallied!
Team Royal earns six points, putting them up to thirteen points!
Team Smooth earns four points, putting them up to nine!
Team Citrus earns three points, putting them at seven!
Team Blossom earns two points, totaling to six!
And lastly, Team Sky earns one point, putting them at... thirteen points! We have a tie!”
The crowd cheered in joy as the scores were announced. “Wait, so both teams won?” I looked to Glitter and Cocoa.
“Not quite. Remember the rules?” Cocoa asked.
“Oh, right, in the event of a tie...”
“It's time for a tie-breaker! Will the two teams come up to the wheel?” Snow Crystal directed us to go up to the wheel that was used to choose the challenges. “Oh-Kay! Now, as a tie-breaker, a member from both teams will step up and spin the wheel together.”
Cocoa and Glitter looked to me and decided I would be the one to spin it. “You two sure?”
“You got this, Mindset,” Glitter cheered.
Nervous as I was, I walked up to the wheel and saw Nimbus approach. “Now, the two of you will spin the wheel.” Nimbus and I picked a peg we could both reach and pulled as hard as we could. The wheel spun until it slowed down and landed on an image of two foals running on some obstacle track with batons in their mouths. “The Obstacle Course Race has been chosen! Oh-Kay, we'll take one last fifteen minute break to set up the obstacle course! Enough time to drink a bottle of milk and maybe eat a cookie!”
“I can't believe we still have a chance to win this. I thought we would never make it to a sudden tie-breaker match with them.” I felt pride in that fact.
“Well, it may not be over yet, but never underestimate the power of Luck. If Cirrus hadn't sneezed, we'd have lost for sure.” Glitter was still engaged in winning this. “Okay, so the race is real simple. I doubt you will have any trouble with this, Mindset.”
“Why do I get the feeling you like making me nervous?” Something about Glitter just made me wary of failure.
“Well, given your current track record...”
“Glitter...” Cocoa warned.
“Okay, look, all you need to do is get through the course. There's no real skill required. Just get to the end.”
“That sounds simple enough,” I agreed.
“Oh, and don't drop the baton.”
“Thewhatnow?” I spoke all at once in one word.
“Nothing to worry too much about. Just a baton you need to carry through the race and give to the next pony until the finish line,” Cocoa explained. “I'm sure our little announcer will explain it more in detail.”
“Okay, so now what?”
“Well, I'm kinda hungry. Can we get some cookies, please? Snow made me hungry for some.” Glitter was giving a pleading face to Cocoa.
“I don't see why not.” The three of us walked to get a quick snack, which I was always ready for.
~*~
“Oh-Kay! This is it, everypony! The final FINAL challenge! The only two teams on this is Team Sky and current champions Team Royal!” The foal-filled crowd roared in cheer. “Now, the rules of the game are simple. It's a relay race through an obstacle course. Both teams will have a baton to carry with their mouths through the race, which one pony carries until they lap the course, giving the baton to the next teammate. The first team to get all of their teammates through the course wins! Again, no magic or flying.”
I looked at the course with awe. The track wasn't long but had a lot to work with. Balance beams, swinging pillows, tubes to crawl through, etc. It was a little daunting. “We need to go through all that?”
“Don't worry, Glitter and I will go first. We'll show you how it's done.” Cocoa gave me a confident smile.
“Will the two teams approach the starting line?” We walked up and got ourselves ready. “Will the first to race please come and take their batons?” Glitter and Cirrus both walked up to grab the batons and returned. “Oh-Kay! Are you all ready?!” The crowd cheered as we positioned ourselves. “And... Go!”
Glitter and Cirrus both took off in a flash. As I waited and watched, I noticed that I would be racing against Nimbus and Cocoa would be going with Frost, no doubt to keep it fair. Looking back at Glitter, I noticed she was quite agile, even with a thick, (and currently sagging,) diaper. After a lap around it all, Glitter quickly reached the line and gave the baton to Cocoa, who immediately continued the race seconds before Cirrus gave their baton to Frost. The two mares flew, (figuratively speaking,) around the track at a quick speed. I had to admit, I was greatly impressed, especially when the two crawled through the relatively tight tubes with a similar speed. However, every so often, a flash of her would appear. Shaking my head seemed to work in dispelling her.
“You ready, Mindset?” Glitter looked to me with concern.
“Huh? Oh, yes, I am.” I poised myself to grab the baton. Cocoa came to us just ahead of Frost. Without hesitation, I grabbed the stick and took off through the course. The balance beam was first, which was a bit of a challenge, or would have been had they been smaller. Since adults were playing, it made sense that they'd be just big enough for them to cross, and for foals, it was like a wide road. I looked back and saw Nimbus not far behind as I finished and got to the swinging pillows. Being careful to avoid them, I got through easily enough. The tubes, given my current age and size, were also a breeze. Jeez, it's almost like this course was catered for foals, even the bigger ones. It felt a little too easy, but the thought of actual foals getting hurt from this was likely on the minds of all the grown-ups. Regardless, Nimbus was closing the gap on me. Uh-oh, need to hurry!
“Mindset has just reached the hurdles!” They were low enough for the foals to jump over. I was surprised that Nimbus had been keeping pace with me, but then I remembered a foal's energy. We both came to the final stretch, a trail of pylons, that we had to crisscross around. Looking at the finish line, Glitter and Cocoa cheered me on. Even Robu was whistling and fluttering for me.
You can do it, Mindset! My eyes shrank to pinpricks as her voice echoed into my mind. The world seemed to fade as a spirit appeared before me. You can do it! Come to Mommy!
My mind felt like it was in a haze, but rather than fight it, I slowly embraced it. Mama...
The crowd echoed in my mind as I came forward until I felt something thin and tape-like touch my face. I grabbed the tape off and snapped out of it as I saw myself in front of my team. “Whoa... Did I win?”
“Are you kidding?! Yes!” Glitter pranced in place.
I felt myself lifted into the air by Cocoa as I was lightly thrown and caught in the air. “Wow, I didn't know I had it in me.” I saw Frost comfort Nimbus, who felt rather bummed, but impressed.
“You were wonderful, Mindset.” I feared seeing my haunting spirit again, but was relieved to find Cocoa still herself.
“Thank you, Cocoa.”
~*~
Three teams stood at the winner circle as our team stood on the First Place platform. “This year was amazing! For the first time in a gazillion years, we had FOUR challenges!” I assumed she didn't really know how long it had been with that imaginary number. “In Third Place, with nine points, we have Team Smooth!” The two mares lifted their little colt in celebration as they received their medals. “In Second Place, with a tie-breaker match, we have Team Sky!” Frost simply smiled as her two foals gave salutes similar to the royal guards, and wore their medals proudly. “And in First Place, with what was such a hoof-biting tournament, our reigning champions, Team Royal!” Cocoa and Glitter both gave a triumphant bow while I blushed and smiled.
Glitter walked up to Snow Crystal and asked for the microphone. “This year's Maternal Mare Festival has been amazing! You all did such a great job!” The crowd's cheering intensified. “Yes, wonderfully done. However, we can't forget that none of this would have been possible without our fellow ponies from Equestria. A special thanks to Princess Luna, who helped restore our fountain and brought peace back.” I smiled at the thought and wondered if I should tell that to her, seeing how Her Majesty wasn't here to welcome them. “And, I'd like to give a special thanks to Mindset...” I felt myself get pulled to the front. “...Who has been helping me overcome some fears I had been feeling.” The crowd seemed confused for a moment, but continued.
I, however, had a bad case of “pink face” and a dampening diaper. Embarrassed by the attention, I didn't notice my legs being tangled by the microphone cord and tripped, smacking my horn on the pedestal behind me. The crowd, as well as Glitter and Cocoa, gasped as I fell. However, I paid them no mind.
My focus was on the spinning piece of metal that had dislodged from my horn.
“Oh-no...” was all I could say as the ring keeping my power in check flew off and rolled into the crowd. “My inhibitor ring!” I shouted to Glitter and Cocoa, but it was too late. Already, I had begun losing control. A pillar of light radiated from my horn, reaching into the sky as the crowd gazed in confusion and awe. Robu, however, understood what happened and panicked as his anti-psychic barrier activated. My body levitated off the ground as my horn surged and sparked. My eyes began glowing a bright, almost blinding blue light as I screamed in horror.
“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?” That memory resurfaced in Glitter's mind. I know, because I heard it. I heard everypony's thoughts. All at once. Glitter's face twisted in fear as sudden surges blasted into the crowd. None were hurt physically, but the foals contorted as they grabbed their heads, memories flooding into them. Memories long since forgotten.
Another surge sent a wave of “Truth”, if you will, to another group.
“What's going on?!” Glitter tried to use her magic to shield herself from another blast that aimed in her direction, but being psychology magic, not physical, the shield had no effect. She blanched as memories of her previous life flooded her brain.
“But Father, you mustn't! The people of Donnybrook are just as scared as we are! They don't want to fight!”
“I will hear no more of this. Our crops have become scarce, and that tyrant of a king, Avarice, is starving us to death! We cannot sit on our laurels any longer! If that fool will not listen to reason, then war is the only answer.”
“They are just as desperate! We have ownership of the mountains and forests. That's wood and water that they are denied of! If we could just-”
“Wood and water is NOT what he wants! He's only after our sacred mountains because he believes there are precious stones and metals within them. His kingdom is built out of greed!”
“And ours is no different! The crops we grow are eaten before they can be sold, let alone replanted and regrown. We are starving because you refuse to ration them!”
“There is no choice to make here, Radiance! Need I remind you that it was he who took your mother?!”
“...” That last remark struck a cord with me.
Meanwhile, Robu quickly searched the crowd, trying to find my ring and return it to its proper place.
Another burst released as foals were flooded with their lost memories. Some even growing angry towards their caretakers.
“Help... Help me...” I begged to those that would hear me, tears dripping from my face. Cocoa was struggling with her own memories flooding in, though it seems hers and many other adults weren't as severely affected by them as their charges. She, like Robu, searched for the ring. Chaos ensued as more and more thoughts flooded my mind, the pain of so much information entering all at once being far too taxing to bare. My screams echoed through the foal kingdom.
Another surge, another group of foals remembering.
Sounds of war cries fill a battlefield.“Princess Radiance, you must get out of here!”
“No, I refuse! This bloodshed must stop! Tell your troops to retreat, and evacuate the people!”
“We cannot. His Highness ordered-”
“This war is about two old stallions acting like foals! The way to win is diplomacy!”
“But, Milady, we must-LOOK OUT!”
BOOOOOOOM!!
“...Ooh... Captain Cirrus, are-AH!”
“Uurg! P-Princess... I...”
“CAPTAIN CIRRUS!” The next thing I hear are sobs from the mare.
I feel my body weaken. My eyes get heavy. No... I'm falling... becoming comatose... My pendant floats into view from the magical energy. M-Mama...
Another surge.
“The damage is too severe. He will not survive.”
“I mustn't let him die; he saved my life!”
“Your Majesty, no amount of medicine can cure his wounds.”
“Too many have already lost their lives this day, Frost Wind. I will not allow another!”
“Unless you can reverse time, there is no hope for him.”
Sounds of horseshoes appear. “Milady, your father, His Majesty, has gone missing! He and King Avarice have not returned from the peace meeting!”
“What?! I... I must go. Captain Nimbus, please, watch over your brother for me. I must find my father.”
“Milady, please, allow me to escort you. It might be a-”
“Nimbus... please...”
“...As you wish, Milady.”
Cocoa saw a shimmer on the ground. “Robu!” She called out to the robot near it and directed him. Robu quickly went to grab it.
Another group of foals know the truth.
“F-Father?!”
The sound of foals giggling fill a cavern.
“Father, what has happened to you?! You are a foal!” Baby babble was the only answer given. “It's as if... Time was... That's it!”
The world darkened around me. I... Can't move...
Robu grabbed the ring in the chaos and flew to us as one last burst affected the remaining foals.
“Princess, what have you done?!”
“I... This wasn't how I...”
“More than half the kingdom has been turned to foals. How could you do this?”
“I thought if I could reverse time to all that have been injured or gravely ill, it would save them.”
“By turning them into foals?!”
“I didn't know it would go this far, and with such a small dose!”
“Princess, the two kingdoms are in an uproar. The war may be over, but now they want answers and the one responsible for this!”
“I... Then I will punish myself by joining them! I'm not ashamed of what I've done and will rule as a foal myself if I have to!”
“Radiance, wait!”
“I'm no longer to be known as such, Cocoa. I am and forevermore to be addressed as-”
“Stop! You will forget who you are if you-”
Crash!
“Cocoa, what have you... Wait, I... I still...”
“Milady... You have regressed, but...”
Silence. Silence was all I heard soon after as Robu locked the ring in place. The world began to brighten as my magic began to subside, as if I had finally breathed after surfacing from water. However, the real damage had already been done. The whole kingdom had remembered everything, and foals began fighting among themselves. As I fell, my pendant fell off and unlatched on the ground. Looking into the picture, I was again reminded of her. Of my mother.
“Mindset!” I turned to see Cocoa, but with my mind still foggy from this event, she appeared as...
“Mama...”
“Mindset, sweetie, are you alright?”
“Mama, I... There's so much I...”
“Mindset, what are you talking about?” The illusion began to fade; Cocoa returning to her normal self. That's when I realized that my issue wasn't seeing my mother herself. It was seeing her through Cocoa. As if I were replacing her.
Tears continued, only with a renewed sadness. “I... You...” And that was all I said as I took off into the forest, leaving everything else behind. The only thing that kept pace was Robu as he chased after me.
“Mindset, wait!” Cocoa, though hesitating for a moment, followed soon after, taking the pendant with her.
Glitter, (or Radiance, if you prefer,) was dealing with her own problems. As her senses restored themselves, she looked out to her kingdom and was horrified by her people fighting among themselves much like the war in the past, only, (and thankfully,) with far less blood being spilled. The Fountain was a blessing in that regard.
Sadly, not all the foals were fighting each other. Many others, likely regressed after Fountonia was established, looked to her with anger, babbling how she was the one responsible for their current state. Glitter began panicking and started backing away. “Ponies of Fountonia! Lend us your ears!” Glitter looked to the microphone still in operation and being used by two, twin-like ponies. Their words seemed to draw everypony's attention. “It's not each other you should be fighting...”
“...But rather, Her Majesty, who should be punished. She is the reason you're all foals.”
“It was her and The Fountain of Youth that changed you all and it should be her who should be thrown out!” The two turned to her with smug arrogance as all the foals in the kingdom turned to her.
“WHY YOU SLIMY LITTLE-!!” Glitter shouted in rage towards the two.
“You should have taken our offer sooner,” one piped.
“You and Princess Luna are going to regret what you've done,” the other added.
With that in mind, the only place of safety she knew of was in her castle. However, before she could reach the doors, she was ambushed by a group of foals. “No, wait!”
“BACK OFF!!”
Glitter opened her eyes as she saw a couple of foals acting as her guards. “C-Cirrus?! Nimbus?!”
“Milady, you must seek shelter!” Cirrus responded.
“Leave them to us and the others!” Nimbus added.
“O-others?” Glitter looked to see her royal guard, both adult and foal, protecting her and the rest of the civilians from the irate foals. “You mean you aren't mad?”
“Oh, a little, but we did swore an oath to protect you, no matter what,” Nimbus responded.
“We may be foals, but that oath will forever stay true so long as we shall live. Besides, all the guards kind of known about it for a while. Now hurry!” Before Glitter could get up a stair, Cirrus added, “Oh, and Milady...” Cirrus looked to Glitter. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“Y-You're welcome. I was returning the favor.”
“Princess, we must go now!” Frost Wind flew over them and carried Glitter into the safety of her castle.
Elsewhere, Circus Rose was in a panic as foals charged past her. She looked to Quick Beam with worry. “You aren't angry, are you?”
Quick Beam, however, shook his head and babbled, “I chose to regress, remember? I love being a foal.”
These words calmed her as she lifted him onto her back. “In that case, we need to help Her Majesty.”
“Agreed. The poor lass must be scared out of her wits.” With that, the two took off to the castle and used a secret entrance most didn't know about.
~*~
“Mindset... Mindset!” Cocoa shouted into the Foal Forest. “She has to be here, I saw her go in.” Her ears perked as she heard me crying. “Mindset?” Her search led to the Foal Falls, where I had been staring at my reflection in the water. She sighed in relief as she approached. “Mindset, I was so worried. I thought you might have-oh!” Robu, anger in his eyes, blocked her from getting closer. “Robu, please?” She tried to get around him, but being quick and nimble, he blocked her with every move. “I just want to-”
ZAP!
“Ow!” She was shocked by his defense system; something Tinker and I installed on him for protection from predators that often mistake him for a real butterfly. Electric sparks emanated from his wire-like legs, and while the charge wasn't lethal, it was painful. “R-Robu...”
“Robu.” The mechanical bug turned to me with worry. “It's okay. Let her pass.” As instructed, he allowed her to come closer as he fluttered towards me and landed on a small rock on the river shore. “So, you want to talk, do you.”
“Mindset, I don't know what's going on, but I want to help you. As a little filly, I'm sure you-”
“Stop calling me that!” This caught her off-guard. “I am not a filly. I'm a mare. A thirty-three year old mare who has a Ph.D. and royal training from Princess Twilight herself.”
“Oh, are we playing a game of pre-”
“And I know about the Fountain!”
“...Tend.” She was silent afterwards.
“Yes, I know what you've been doing to me. How you've been trying to regress me into a foal.”
“I... I see. I did feel my memories returning back there; it makes sense that you would-”
“I've known since the beginning.”
“What?” She stumbled for a bit.
“Though I don't know why, for some reason, the water can't affect my memories. Ever since my second morning here, I've known about you regressing me. That spider I mentioned was a lie. Sorry.”
“Oh. Well, that explains a few things. Though, it also raises some new questions.”
“After I saw my reflection, I went and did some research. I found Doctor Reversion's diary.”
“Hmm, I was wondering where that went.”
“I also found the Fountain itself, and no, I don't mean the one in the foyer of the castle, I mean the True Fountain. The one surrounded with Morganite crystals.”
“Oh my! That's... I never thought anypony would find that.”
“I even found out the real reason why this kingdom is run by foals. Not only because the two warring kings regressed, but because Glitter, or rather Radiance, made a mistake and regressed half the kingdom.” I turned to her. “Am I wrong?”
She was speechless for a moment. “I-I'm surprised. You've discovered more than anypony has before you. I'm impressed.”
“Thank you.”
“But, please, you must understand that we didn't do this because we felt like it.” She was in a panic. “We only do it to help others. Others who might be emotionally hurting.”
“Emotionally hurting?”
This calmed her down. “That's right. Those with deep seeded wounds. Wounds left behind by Life and its cruelty and need a restart on their lives. We never do this to those who aren't in need of it. It's one of our rules.” She searched her memories. “I even remember when our first visitor from Equestria came. What was his name? He was a prince. Prince... Ah, Prince Dusk Shadow.”
“Dusk Shadow? Is this what happened to him?” I gave it a bit of thought. “Now it makes sense. He did have a rough foalhood, ever since his cruel father had claimed power in his kingdom. To make matters worse, he had to train himself to actually fight and dethrone him, missing out on an important part of his life. Even afterwards, he continued his busy life, never really having fun.” Cocoa looked to me in confusion. “I have his psyche profile. I actually tried to consult him about it, but he usually avoided answering me, preferring to keep to himself about it. I was surprised to hear about his regression, but found he was much happier. I should thank you for helping him, but how did he learn about... Luna.”
“Seems your princess wanted to give you a similar treatment.” She got closer and sat next to me. “It wasn't supposed to be this way, you know. Gli-I mean Radiance, she just wanted to end the war. She tried her best to stop her father, but...”
“I know. I could feel it in her heart... Well, technically, in her mind, but I'm sure her heart was feeling it, too. When she saw Cirrus injured, I could feel how guilty and sad she felt. He almost died saving her life.”
“Yes, I heard about that. Of course, once an idea to save him popped into her head...”
“Yeah, kind of hard to not choose it.”
She sighed. “All that little filly wanted was to help the kingdoms. I guess she considered her inability to prevent the war as a weakness. And now, she's too scared to tell everypony the truth. That she's the reason we're all foals. That we all regress.”
“We?” I looked to her puzzled.
“Oh yes, even we adults regress from time to time. How do you think we've stayed alive for so long?” She did have a point. “Every so often, one of us might suddenly regress due to a thought or simply just wanting to join the fun. It takes a lot of willpower to keep ourselves from ending up like the others.”
“I can't imagine what it must be like.”
“Well, I suppose it isn't entirely bad. Being a foal for a while can be fun. I can't say the same for the diapers, but I suppose that just requires getting used to.” I rolled my eyes. “Then there's the cure, as I'm sure you discovered, which helps keep us in check.”
“So there is a cure?”
“Yes. It ages and restores the memories of those who drink it. But technically, just growing up will give a similar result. I can't guarantee your old memories will return, but at least you won't suddenly shrink. Still, to stay alive for as long as we have, that would mean we would have to drink the water ourselves and on a regular basis, just to ensure that the foals in the kingdom can be looked after.”
“So why not just let them grow up?”
“Because some of them can't.” I was confused. “There are two types of youth water: the youth water at the cavern is the purest form. Those that drink enough from it or expose themselves for a long period of time will regress...” She sighed. “And sadly, remain regressed. They can only age to a certain point. After that, it's as if time stands still. The princess is an example of that.”
“Really? You mean she...”
“She's really stuck like that. Even if she remembers much of her life, she is in a permanent state of youth. And she will likely remain that way for a very long time.”
“Wow, I had no idea.”
“The reasons, we believe, that she still retains some memories is due to a few factors.
One, she's an alicorn, though even they can be greatly affected. Her father and King Avarice are examples of that.
Two, she didn't drink enough to reach the same level as the others. I had stopped her before she finished out of fear she'd be lost to us, as well.
And three, her mental and emotional state were in turmoil over her mistakes. Not just regressing the kingdoms, but the fact that Cirrus's injuries were her own doing.”
“How did she get into Donnybrook?”
“Well, with the war deemed over with the two kings making a treaty, the people of Donnybrook allowed her in as an ambassador, and as a doctor. She did have medical skills to treat the wounded. That's how she gave them the water.”
“I see.” I took a moment to think. So, that's why her affinity for medical practice was so good. “A shame she's stuck like that, but then again, 'The World's First Foal Doctor' would be quite an interesting title for her.”
She just laughed at the idea. “I suppose it would make things quite interesting!” She took a moment to regain her composure. “Back to the water, diluting it does, however, make the effects temporary. This is what we did on you, and most of the kingdom's current residents. The streams that connect to this river help dilute it so that those that drink it regress, but not permanently. Even the Falls here help that process by churning it. Then it all goes to the fountain in the castle. Anypony that drinks it will grow up eventually. So, don't worry, the cure will work on you.”
“That's good to know. I don't want to stay as a foal forever. I have a life back home.”
“I know. Your princess was pretty clear about you coming back with all your memories.” There was a bit of a pause. “Mindset, I know you didn't come out here just to talk about the Fountain, or Glitter's plight.”
I knew this was coming. I played 'dumb' to try to avoid it. “What makes you say that?” She showed me my mother's pendant. “Oh.” Playing 'dumb' didn't really work.
“She's really pretty, and she looks very happy.”
“She is.”
A frown formed on her face. “I know Glitter is a little too naive to understand, but your mother... She didn't just leave, did she?”
“I don't want to talk about this.” I confessed.
“Well, I do. Mindset, you've spent much of your time here learning about us, but you've not told us nearly as much about you. I know it must be hard, but you can't keep hiding it in. After all, wasn't it you who said, 'dwelling on the past will only be poison to one's psyche.'”
Hearing that from her, I wasn't expecting to put my own hoof in my mouth. “I...”
“She didn't just leave, did she, Mindset?” she repeated.
“Well... Depends on what you mean by 'leave'. I mean, in a way, one could consider death as a way of leaving. Leaving behind everything and everypony. From one plain of existence to the next.” I took a breath. “She died when I was born. Placental Abruption, according to my brother and father. Literally gave her life for me, and is also the same reason I wear these things.” I gave my diaper a few pats.
Cocoa's face was in shock from this. “Oh-no. Sweetie, you mustn't blame yourself for what happened.”
“I know that! And I don't blame myself, or at least, not anymore. See, my father and brother didn't tell me she died at foalbirth until I was about fifteen years old. They thought I would blame myself for her death, just like you. They weren't wrong, but that didn't stop it from hurting.”
“I'm sure it's still hurting even now.”
I gave a sad laugh. “Oh, like you wouldn't believe! But it's not about how she died that hurts. It's how I realized that my memories of her were all lies.”
“Lies?”
“You see, for the longest time, I thought... I felt like I knew her. That I had memories of her. These memories were what kept me from going insane from depression. I didn't realize it at the time, but they were just figments my mind created when I was a foal. To protect my mind from the truth. They were happy memories of us bonding and playing together; things that any daughter would expect. Course, they were rather vague, which made it even more believable, since they were all memories of me as a baby. Of course I wouldn't remember all the details. I was so... Enraptured by the lie, I couldn't see the truth in front of me. How sad my brother and father felt when I had a birthday. They'd try their best to hide it for my sake, but even they were hurting.”
“Oh, Mindset...”
“So, imagine my surprise when I find out none of it was real. How the walls of my life just suddenly crumbled upon finding the lies within the support beams. My world took on a different view, one that felt more bleak. Everyday, I would pass this park, filled with families. Seeing all the happy foals be with their mothers, just smiling and playing. Even back then, I envied them. Envied how they could just be there, in their company, when I couldn't have that luxury. That's why I've never really liked this day, this 'Maternal Mare Day'. Because I could never celebrate it, save for maybe visiting her grave.” I could see some tears falling from her. Then again, I was blinded by my own. “You know, even if other ponies may have had mothers who died, at least they still had real memories of them. Memories that could make them smile, and remember all the good times they had. But me? No, I didn't even have that! I mean, how could I? We only met once, and she was about to die, and I was too young to even remember any of it.” A sob escaped me. “I miss her... and I don't even know her.”
“Mindset...”
“And to make matters worse, because of how she died, and because of my 'special' condition, I was the butt of everypony's joke. 'Oh, here comes Mindset the Baby! Let's all laugh as she involuntarily soils herself!' I was bullied, mocked, embarrassed, shamed... It didn't matter what I had to say or how many times I explained it, they still treated me like a foal.” Robu was dripping wiper fluid from his eyes, no doubt to imitate sadness. “Then, of course, 'This Day' comes along, at the same age I currently am now, and the meanest bully I had goes and takes that pendant and smashes it, thinking it as nothing but a simple piece of jewelry. We then get to my 'favorite part', the moment I lose my magic control out of rage and spite. That day, I fell into a coma while my classmates and teacher undergo psychology-based magic from my overload. Sure, it worked out in the end, but it was still a week of my life taken from me! Even then, while not as often, the bullying continued until I graduated from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, got my Ph.D., and became the Royal Therapist.”
“Mindset, sweetie...”
“Finally... I come here. And you two just begin taking away everything I worked for, and start filling me with these thoughts and making those false memories resurface! I try to block them out, try to ignore the pain, but you all just keep opening the old wound! You especially, Cocoa... I keep seeing her through you, seeing her ghost haunt me even now, and I don't know what to do. Do I continue to fight for the truth and suffer, or give in and let the lies fill me with bliss once more? Do I just replace her with you and pretend she doesn't exist? Do I just let it all disappear and forget everything about my old life?! I don't know, but I... I...” I was spent. All I could do was cry at that point.
Then I felt her embrace.
“C-Cocoa...”
“Mindset, know that I will never replace your mother. That was never my intention. All I was trying to do was help you experience what you had missed out. I may not be perfect, nor will I be the same as her, but I will do my best to fill those missing pieces of your life.” She stroked my hair and continued to hug me. “And if what I do is too much, just tell me, and I promise I'll stop. All I want is for you to be happy.” There was no holding back now. My eyes flooded as sobs escaped me. I remembered that I had not told anypony how I felt. How much it really hurt. Sure, my father and brother knew, but I never told them personally. I always tried to keep a positive face around them. This was the first true time my shell had broken, and it felt so relieving to just open up. “It's okay. Just let it all out.”
I felt the spirit of my mother watch in sadness as I let go of my pain. As I emptied thirty-three years of sorrow in one single moment.
Just me, Robu, Cocoa, and Sweet Dream.
