It is an undeniable fact that all ponies, no matter their class, share certain bodily needs. It is also a fact that that their class (or the one that they aspired to be) limited their acceptable method (or methods) of expressing them, and that these methods changed over the course of time.
And so it was that the teenage unicorn Rarity, who was not of high class but strove to act as close to it as possible, spent the first several minutes of her morning lamenting silently how she was caught between a rock and a hard place by the full bladder which had roused her from sleep.
A true noblepony would either have servants to handle her chamber pot, one of the new flush lavatories nearby, or both. But Rarity had no servants and while she had (through great effort) persuaded her parents to purchase a modern convenience, it had been installed in the same outhouse which had always been annoyingly far away as a foal.
Back then she had just used her pot freely, of course. But now she knew better, which meant she had no choice but to get up out of her warm bed, descend two flights of stairs, and endure the spring rain (what were the pegasi thinking having it at this hour?) in order to relieve her needs. Because it was the proper, ladylike thing to do.
And so, it was perhaps a little annoying to walk into the dining room (where the back door was) and find her mother changing her little sister’s diaper right there on the floor, with no sense of propriety at all. Especially as she entered at just the right moment to get a solid whiff of its contents, which rather put her of the idea of breakfast.
“Ugh… wasn’t she supposed to have been pot-trained by now?” She inquired as to her little sister’s status. Using a chamber pot was… acceptable for a small foal, regardless of their class.
“I guess not,” Answered her mother in far too cheery a tone considering what she was doing. “Ah well, she’ll be ready on her own time, just like you were. No sense rushing it.”
“I actually made an effort!” Rarity thought but didn’t say out right as she stepped delicately around the scene. Still, her body language seemed to communicate enough for little Sweetie Belle to turn her head and say. “Is Rawity mad at Seetie?” She seemed quite downcast at the thought.
Rarity was actually more angry at her parents for their lackadaisical approach to child-rearing, but had no idea how to explain that to a toddler in front of one of said parents. So she just settled for “No, of course not.”
But Sweetie was not so easily reassured. “Then why Rawity going?”
“I just need to step out for some business, and then we can all have breakfast together, okay?” The young, hopeful future fashionista declared.
This seemed to satisfy Sweetie, but then their mother spoke up. “You’re really going out for that? It’s pouring, and you know how you get when you get your hooves muddy. Why not just- “
“-Because I don’t want to, Mother!” Came the cutting interruption before Cookie Crumbles could try to lure her daughter back to chamber pot use. She knew how that would go: First she would just use it when it was wet and muddy, then at night, then when she didn’t feel like interrupting her latest romance novel or sewing project, the justifications would pile up until finally… “And honestly, with the price you paid for the new fixture, you should be glad somepony is getting your money’s worth out of it for the time being.”
She exited through the backdoor before her mother could register another argument, and immediately found her hooves sinking into the mud while rain poured down on her back. Joy.
In the half-minute or so it took her to reach the outhouse to relieve her needs, her coat was thoroughly soaked and her legs caked in mud up to the fetlocks. She wished her parents had bothered to move the flush lavatory indoors. Outhouses and chamber pots were fast becoming obsolete in the eyes of the upper class. Moving the plumbing indoors just seemed like the natural thing to do.
But Hondo and Cookie didn’t seem to think the same. If not for Rarity’s begging and pleading, they probably wouldn’t have bothered paying somepony to come and install one in the first place. She should be grateful her desire was at least somewhat met. Now if only she could teleport like some great sorceress, at least then she might not get so muddy.
She at least took her time to enjoy the novelty using the facilities: Both the flush which allowed her to empty her bladder without afflicting her nose, and the sprayer which made sure all parts of her were nice and clean afterwards. By using them together she also managed to mostly rid her hooves of mud. A futile effort, given that sooner or later she would have to leave the temporary shelter of the outhouse and endure the elements all over again, but at least it made her feel better.
Reluctant to step out, she stalled by turning around to take a good look at the lavatory: A gleaming white porcelain trench set into the floor, with shiny silver pipes coiled lovingly around it. Only the slightest flecks of grime belied its use, and there was no scent at all, a far cry from the noisome pit which had previously occupied its position. Well, perhaps no surprise it was clean if she was the only pony who ever seemed to use it…
In any case, magnificent as it was for such a vulgar tool she could only stay looking at it for so long. With a brief curse that she had forgotten to bring boots, Rarity steeled her nerves and plunged back into the outdoors, ready for the journey back inside.
“There are plenty of diapers in the cupboard under the sink.” Cookie was heard saying as Rarity entered from outside.
A slight grimace crossed Rarity’s face for a moment. “Is she really not ready to grow out of those yet? By the time I was her age-“
“-You wet yourself as often as you made it to the pot, dear” interjected Cookie, “Trust me, I would know.”
That wasn’t how Rarity remembered it, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue about that at least. “At least I was trying, mother. Shouldn’t Sweetie be trying too?”
Cookie looked ready to counter, but the use of her name had brought the toddler into the conversation. “Seetie try!” And then, after a moment. “Seetie try what?”
“Look, if you want to give it a go today, then it’s your decision. But if it turns out she’s just not ready…” Cookie interjected.
“Then I will buy the next dozen packs of diapers myself!” Rarity pledged. (She certainly wasn’t going to promise to change any, far too uncouth.)
That seemed to satisfy Cookie. “Very well. I don’t want to hear any complaints if it doesn’t work. A deal’s a deal.”
Rarity humphed, confident of her skills. “And if I succeed, you have to promise you’ll keep up the training.”
“Sounds reasonable to me. You can have the whole day, Hondo and I will be out of town,”
Cookie explained. “Just don’t try too hard, everypony learns on their own time.”
Rarity snorted. “You seem to be in no rush to train her at all. Somepony needs to step up.” She thought. By the time she was Sweetie Belle’s age she had taken great pride in being fully pot trained. Even if her sister wasn’t aspiring to such great heights yet, that was no reason not to take a monumental step in personal hygiene.
No sooner had her parents’ carriage departed for the station, than did Rarity put her plan into action. The first action being to get Sweetie on board, of course. Thankfully, the tiny filly was quite adoring of her older sister and eagerly asked. “So can we pway pwincess?”
Rarity assumed a carefully chosen look of contemplation. “Hmm… we could, I suppose. It’s only…”
“What?” Sweetie asked.
“Well, I’m afraid it would rather spoil the mood if we had to break to change your diaper. Such a disgraceful smell hardly befits a princess, after all.” Rarity frowned.
Sweetie thought about it for a moment. “I could try and… not poopie?”
“Oh, you can do that?” Rarity asked in feigned surprise. “Mama said you weren’t ready yet.”
Sweetie looked a bit bashful. “Well, I can try… pobly still pee pee though.”
Rarity looked down at her sister. “Well, if you’re willing to try at least, then there is one thing that might help. Do you remember when Mama tried to get you to go on the pot?”
Sweetie’s face wrinkled for a second, though it was not clear whether it was from distaste or just the effort of recalling a memory already weeks past. Finally she asked “The… big pot?” Rarity nodded, at least their mother’s chamberpot would seem big to a foal. Sweetie’s face sank. “That… didn’t go vewy well.”
“I know,” Rarity carefully answered. “But a lady does not give up at the first hurdle, she keeps trying until she succeeds. Although perhaps the road to success is not always the straight one…” Sweetie just looked confused at that, so Rarity dumbed it down a bit. “That is to say, sometimes when something isn’t working, one should try a different way of doing it.”
“Thewe’s a diffewent way?” Sweetie seemed a little eager. “Mama say cowts do it a bit differently, but I’m a fiwee so I don’t tink-“
“No, no, nothing to do with that,” Rarity hastily interrupted. “But if you put your outdoor shoes on, I’ll show you what I mean.” Her horn lit up, levitating both said tiny booties and her own more fashionable (and mud-resistant) footwear over to them.
“We’re going out?” Sweetie asked in wonderment. “Without Mama?” Pretty much all her previous excursions beyond the house had been in Cookie’s company, after all.
“Not really,” Rarity had to admit. “More like, we’re going to see a special part of the house that’s outside for some reason”.
Sweetie still seemed to consider this quite exciting though, and quickly slipped her hooves into the boots. Rarity quickly donned her own shoes while glancing out of the window. Good, it had stopped raining, and so she ran through a mental checklist of the things she would need.
Thankfully, most of them were readily to horn, and she soon found herself leading Sweetie towards the back door, itself an object of wonder to the filly, who had never (at least in her brief memory) been through it.
A brief trot brought them to the outhouse, and Rarity opened the door to let Sweetie in ahead of her before following and closing it behind. As she had hoped, there was plenty of room for her to stand to one side of the lavatory trench, which Sweetie was looking at curiously. Finally, unable to decipher its purpose, she turned to her sister and went. “What this?”
Time for her pitch. “This, Sweetie Belle, is a lavatory, what proper grown-up ponies do their… pee pees and poo poos in.” It took a bit of effort to use the childish terms as opposed to some euphemism, but she wanted Sweetie to understand right away.
Of course, intention didn’t mean success. “Labortory?” Sweetie tried to sound out the word. “An Mama pees in her pot, I’ve see her do it.”
“Yes, yes she does,” Rarity admitted. “And the other as well,” She thought. “But I’m not telling if you don’t know. Somethings aren’t polite for a lady to discuss.” “But afterward she empties the pot in here. And given how you struggled with using it, I wondered if you might be better off going directly in the lavatory instead, like I do.” She explained.
Sweetie considered this for a moment, and then her face took on a look of surprise. “Rawity pee an poo?” Apparently, the idea of her elegant older sister performing such base functions had never crossed her mind, which Rarity couldn’t help but take as a compliment.
Still, she assumed a modest tone when replying. “All ponies do, dear. Indeed, all creatures, and I am no exception. But we can also choose to do so in more dignified ways than mere animals. You saw me coming out here this morning, didn’t you?”
Sweetie thought for a moment, then nodded. “Rawity come here to lobtory? To go pee pee?”
Rarity nodded. “Yes, indeed. And if you’re struggling with “lavatory”, it’s also called a “toilet”.
“Toywet” Sweetie echoed with a nod of her own.
“And I brought you out here now so that you could try using it, before we go inside and play.” Rarity explained.
Sweetie looked over at the toilet more hesitantly now, still unsure of what she was supposed to do. “I pee pee?”
“Whatever you need to do, dear. And then I just press this-” Rarity enveloped the flush pedal in her magic. “And it all goes away.”
“Disappwear?” Sweetie looked even more troubled, seeming to gulp. “Bye bye, foevew?”
“Not you, darling, just your mess. Even the smell mostly vanishes. Much nicer than carrying it around with you, no?” Rarity reassured her sister.
Sweetie nodded, somewhat more encouraged.
“Well then, let’s get started,” Rarity beamed. “The first thing, of course, is getting rid of these… things.” She fit action to words by undoing Sweetie’s diaper with her magic.
The filly immediately sat down on her rump in surprise. “Make diapee disappear?” Wondering if her sister was going to throw it down the drain.
“No, no,” Rarity said with a bit of a chuckle. “It’s right here. It’s not meant to be flushed. But you can hardly use the toilet wearing it, can you?”
Sweetie thought that one over for a moment, then gave a brief nod.
“Now, just back up until you can feel the edge of the toilet against your back hooves, okay?” Rarity instructed.
“Kay.” Sweetie tiphoofed backwards, stopping in the appointed place with a bit of a start as she felt it brush against her fur. It was kind of cold.
“Now the most important part here is to remember to lift your tail. Otherwise, you’ll just get it dirty. Can you do that, Sweetie?” Rarity asked. (Not the advice she ever thought she’d be giving her sister, but she could cover when a lady shouldn’t lift her tail later.)
Sweetie obligingly raised her cute little tail out of the way. “How long I have to lift it?”
“Just till you’ve done what you need to do, dear. Now, go ahead!” Rarity encouraged with a smile, standing and taking the role of an observer.
Sweetie just looked a bit confused. “But I downt need to do nothing.”
“It’s ‘I don’t need to do anything.’, Sweetie,” Rarity corrected. “And what do you mean you don’t?”
“Downt need ta pee, don’t need ta poo,” The filly replied in a singsong voice that made it sound obvious. And then she added hesitantly “That a pwoblem?”
Rarity paused a moment before responding. “Not a problem per se, but we can’t progress with the toilet until you do. So I’m going to work on my stitching, and you can put your tail down for now. But remember to lift it straight back up if you feel you need to go.”
Sweetie frowned. “But me wanna pway!”
“Sweetie Belle, we can play all we want after you use the toilet.” Rarity gently encouraged as she took out some sewing supplies she had brought with her. “She had breakfast almost an hour ago. She has to be ready to go soon.” The fashionista thought but knew better than to say such things out loud.
The little filly just grumbled. Standing around and waiting was boring. Now she could remember why she hadn’t enjoyed being sat on her pot. Too much doing nothing while other ponies watched over her, expecting her to do something. With diapers, she could just play around and somepony would be there to change her after she went.
But Sweetie wanted to be like her big sister. Her big sister used this and seemed to do so with ease. If Rarity could do it, why couldn’t she?
The filly waited and waited, occasionally looking back to Rarity who kept one eye on her sister while the other one was occupied with a needle and some fabric. Sweetie felt trapped, like a princess in a dungeon like those fairy tales she enjoyed having read to her before bed. Only in this case there was no prince to come and rescue her.
Looking down, Sweetie gazed at the hole and the water flowing within it. Nothing. She was ready to give up. “Tis bowing.” She complained and trotted forward, ready to take back her diaper.
However, due to Rarity’s earlier visit from when it was raining the floor was still a little bit slippery. Sweetie’s hooves slid, trying to keep her from falling. One hoof stepped onto the flush pedal Rarity had displayed earlier, just before Sweetie slid back and fell!
A mighty roar rang out, and it felt like something was tugging on the filly, dragging her along towards the rear of the outhouse! She tried to fight back, but it seemed like whatever was doing the tugging wouldn’t let go! Did it plan to swallow her? Then she remembered Rarity’s statement about the tail, the filly looked back. Somehow her fall had caused her tail to dip itself into the toilet. Was this how it made things disappear, by eating them?! And judging by the strength it displayed in dragging her along, it seemed she would find out soon!
“Rawity, help! Toywet trying to eat me!” Sweetie screamed in horror!
Rarity looked up from her stitching, her eyes quickly falling upon her little sister’s distress! True, it was highly unlikely the toilet had enough power to actually suck her little sister down the drain, but the fashionista wasn’t going to take that chance! She immediately surrounded her little sister with the glow of her horn and pulled her tail free of the drain as the flush cycle ended! She yanked a bit too hard though, causing Sweetie to fly face forward into her.
“Rawity save me!” Sweetie clapped her hooves. The frightening experience from seconds earlier had completely left her.
The hopeful future fashionista just sighed, gently prying Sweetie away from her face. “Of course I did, Sweetie Belle. And now you know why you must always be mindful of your tail when using the toilet,” She adopted a bit of a lecture voice, before gently moving Sweetie back to the place she’d been in before. “Now, why don’t we try that again? I’m sure by now you must feel the need to do something.”
“But me no wanna! Me wanna go back to diapee!” Sweetie pouted and protested. “Toywet too scary!”
Rarity laughed off her sister’s concerns. “You had one mishap, and fortunately I was around to save you. But the toilet is nothing to be scared of. I promise, I won’t let it harm or eat you,” Gently coaxing her sister she added. “It just wants to be your friend. And you like making new friends, right?”
Sweetie nodded very slowly.
Adopting a wink and a smirk, Rarity planted the idea. One she could faintly remember working for her, albeit with just a chamber pot. “Well, what this friend wants is for you to use it.”
“But why it growl and twy to eat me? Tat not very nice.” Sweetie frowned, sticking her tongue out at the object.
Rarity tried not to giggle at the display. “It was upset because you weren’t using it properly. And it’s very lonely, because only I use it. It needs company. Now go ahead, you know what you have to do.”
Reluctantly, Sweetie obeyed. “Okay, me twy.” She took a deep breath and relaxed. It didn’t happen right away (in fact it took several minutes and Sweetie was ready to give up again), but eventually the little unicorn felt something move inside her. A steady sound like water flowing from the sink reached her ears, alongside what sounded like a plop or two, and a smell similar to that of a used diaper reached her nose.
Rarity was practically overjoyed! “Well done, Sweetie Belle! You successfully used the toilet! See, it wasn’t so hard after all, was it?”
Sweetie hesitantly nodded. “No, but me stiww like diapees. Diapees safer, more comfy.”
“More comfortable, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity corrected as she frowned. “And after all that effort you put into doing your pee pees and poo poos in the toilet, surely you don’t want to go back to diapers. Think of all the freedom you’ll have if you give them up.”
“Me no wanna give them up.” Sweetie pouted.
Rarity sighed, sensing that she wasn’t going to break through to her sister just yet. “Well how about this, Sweetie Belle? I’ll let you stay in your diapers, and Mother and Father can change you as much as you want when you’re in their care,” She was quick to add. “But at least once a month I would like it if you could use the toilet, or at least your chamber pot. It is acceptable for a foal your age after all.”
“Otay, me agree,” Sweetie smiled and nodded, then she looked down at herself. More specifically, her flank. “How me get cleaned up after using toywet, though?”
“Well, first you have to flush. You know how it works,” Rarity explained as she stepped on the flush pedal. “Then there’s the sprayer, over there,” She gestured to a nearby object that looked like a shower nozzle. “You use that to clean up,” She enveloped the nozzle with her magic. “It’s easier to use it with magic than it is with hooves. Hold still, please.”
Sweetie was soon cleaned, and then Rarity helped her wash her hooves and put her diaper back on (making sure it was secured properly, having it fall off would be a disaster). The two departed the outhouse, booties and all. And the rest of the day passed in a blur for the two sisters.
Cookie and Hondo returned that evening. “So, how was it, Rarity?” Cookie inquired, noticing that Sweetie Belle was still in diapers. “Seems like you didn’t quite achieve success.”
But Sweetie protested. “Mama, me use toywet wike Rawity! Now me big pony! But Rawity says me stiww get to wear diapees and ya and Dada change me. But me stiww twy to use toywet once a month,” Then she added. “Rawity save me when toywet try to eat me.”
Cookie just giggled, patting Sweetie on the head. “Such an active imagination, you have. But it seems like a deal’s a deal. Rarity is right, you can’t stay in diapers forever,” Scooping Sweetie up she added. “From now on, we’re at least going to try to get you to a pot before bed and in the morning before breakfast. We can work our way up to the toilet.”
“Just in case, I think we’ll buy some more diapers,” Hondo suggested. “Rarity still had some accidents until she was five.”
“Father!” Rarity whined as a blush formed on her cheeks, prompting Sweetie to giggle hysterically.