//------------------------------// // On Land & Sea (Silverstream) // Story: Potty Training Tales // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// At long last, the hippogriffs were free of the tyranny of The Storm King. The time had come for Queen Novo to lead her people back to the surface and once again, take to the skies to rebuild their homes atop Mt. Aris. But there was a problem. One that was quite embarrassing but definitely needed proper addressing. This being getting her people acclimated to the old ways of maintaining proper hygiene. The problems started when Queen Novo led a small regiment up to fully assess the damage done when Tempest Shadow had assaulted the kingdom to get at the enchanted pearl. "Mom?" Princess Skystar nervously giggled. "I've got to do that thing we did in the potty pool, and I don't know what to do with no potty pool to go too!" Queen Novo looked around to see that her daughter's outburst on the matter had brought rise to others in her assessment party starting to squirm. "Hold it!" She cried out of concern that someone would act without having a plan to best handle this unplanned for problem. "But, Mom!" The orange-colored hippogriff whined audibly. "That's the reason I asked, because I just can't hold it anymore!" Queen Novo panicked as she quickly spotted a destroyed building. "There!" She ordered. "Go there!" "Okay!" Sky Star cried as she swooped into the run-down home, did her business, and came out a total chatterbox for how relieved she felt. "I'm next!" A guard boomed as he darted in from where Skystar came out. The process of hippogriffs going in and out of the derelict house started to reveal that the ruined building made a poor choice for a latrine. The wait for turns also caused some to have 'accidents'. Meaning Novo had to call off the whole expedition. Queen Novo and Princess Skystar, accompanied by some elder hippogriffs, started making trips back to the surface. This time with the goal of not only getting Mt. Aris back in shape but also to prepare her people for a life as hippogriffs over sea ponies, sea ponies that relied heavily on ocean currents eliminating liquid waste and cleaner fish processing the heavier stuff. "What about diapers?" Skystar inquired to her mother. "Didn't I wear those until I was able to use the restrooms in the castle?" Queen Novo blushed. "You're pretty old for diapers, Skystar." She remarked. "But Mom!" Skystar chimed. "Aren't they supposed to make it so we keep things clean and tidy without making our environment like we did to that old house?" Queen Novo was about to try again to quell her daughter's suggestion when an elder approached. "Your Majesty," He said with a blush. "For as outlandish the suggestion may be, I do believe it may be what is needed until we get the aqueduct and sewer system up and running again." The Queen grew a stern expression. "I won't be caught dead in one of those," She scoffed. "And neither should any of my subjects after how we were humiliated by being forced underwater by The Storm King. "Oh!" Skystar cheered. "What about those training pants thingies that have the fun pictures on them? They really helped when I was having some potty problems during the night!" Novo's eyes rolled. "Your daughter has a point," The elder stated. "Some of us still have ourselves so trained that being able to hold out until we head back to Seaquestria isn't a problem. However the younger ones may not be so capable." "Hee hee!" Skystar giggled with glee. "I can't wait to wear those cute ones with the little birds on them! They were so fun and would remind me about how important it was to not make an accident, because they'd fly away if I did!" Queen Novo sighed. "You're definitely your father's child," But she nevertheless relented. "Fine. I'll send the necessary word to Equestria to see about making this idea of yours work." "Yay!" Skystar cheered as she unintentionally had a bit of an accident. "See, Mom?!” She blushed. “This wouldn't have happened if I had those special training pants on!" Novo put her paw to her head and sighed. The first delivery of the requested garments came within a span of a week. However, as ponies didn't have much familiarity with hippogriff sizing and shape, they were aided by the more closely-looking griffons who, when paid handsomely, had no problem in aiding the Equestrian manufacturers in designing the first batch. "Bummer!" Skystar booed upon seeing how it had no design on it. "Why so boring?" "Because you're not a hatchling," Her mom replied. "And neither is anyone else who comes up during reconstruction." "Total bummer." The princess pouted as she put herself into the padded garment. The fit wasn't great but it was definitely tolerable. Far more tolerable than the alternatives currently available. The next few weeks were focused on the repair of the aqueduct and sewer system. The hippogriffs had no real experience in plumbing and consulted some plumber ponies and griffons to create a simple system, a system that would allow for fresh water to come in to every rebuilt home and business, while being linked to the old sewer system that went straight into a cave which let out over the ocean. The training pants were helpful as the process went on. The older hippogriffs were the first to have no need of such garments. And with better ease-of-access to sanitary restrooms, the younger hippogriffs like Skystar, needed them less and less. "Hey, Mom!" Skystar chirped as she flapped around her mom. "I'm a big girl again!" "Thank heavens," The queen replied. "Though I will admit this was a good way to transition our people back from the sea." "Hee hee!" The cheerful princess giggled. "Two great ideas in a single year! I am definitely proving that I'll be ready for the throne when you’re ready to retire and leave things to me to keep Mt. Aris safe!" "Actually," Queen Novo informed her daughter. "Seaquestria will continue to stand." Princess Skysar's beak dropped. "REALLY? But how?" Novo held the enchanted pearl in her hand. "I'm going to get Princess Celestia to assist me in breaking the pearl down to where its magical effect will be of no desire to any wannabe Storm Kings.” "Wow, Mom!" Skystar cheered. "That's brilliant!” The queen beamed with pride. “If you think that’s brilliant,” She went on. “I intend to give a shard to everyone in our kingdom so they can go from Mt. Aris and Seaquestria whenever they please.” “Wowie-Zowie, Mom!” Skystar glowed as she ran around in circles. “Shelly and Sheldon will be so happy knowing we can go back and forth to play on land and sea! It’ll be so much fun, and maybe we can even get my old dolls out and play together!” Queen Novo sighed. "I really need to find a playmate for you.". "You mean like that pony with the broken horn and cute little fuzzy guy who came to us for help just before The Storm King attacked? I really liked her. She was fun and that little guy was so silly!" Skystar commented. Novo felt it best to not remind her daughter of how it was, the now reformed, Tempest Shadow and Grubber to whom played dolls with her the very night of the attack, and how Novo had caught the broken horn unicorn trying to steal the pearl during the night before the attack started. "Hmm." Novo considered upon recalling how her niece, Silverstream, was very much like her daughter and how bringing her topside may be the perfect way to keep Skystar distracted while she focused on the rebuilding of the palace and finalized the completion of the Mt. Aris train station. “So awesome!” Silverstream shouted as she used a shard of the enchanted pearl to transform herself from a seapony back into a hippogriff. “I can’t believe we’re able to finally come out of the water!” Skystar felt her pink-colored cousin’s enthusiasm. “It’s great, right?” She bounced. “Take a deep breath!” Silverstream made a very audible inhalation of air before letting it out with a joyful expression across her face. “Wow!” She announced. “Actual air is amazing! Oh! I wonder if I can still fly?” Skystar was going to say something but knew her cousin was one who had to live the experience over being told about it. “Ow!” Silverstream whined as she crashed into the sand. “Guess I need to learn how to fly again, too.” Princess Skystar saw this as good as any time to get the above-water potty training started. “That reminds me,” The orange hippogriff stated while reaching into a satchel she was carrying. “Are you ready to re-potty train along with me?” Silverstream took to her feet quickly with anticipation. “Of course!” she glowed. “It’s got to be cool if it’s something you have to do to get back into being a hippogriff again! I can hardly wait to be able to explore everything topside as much as under the sea! There’s just so much to see, do, and know!” The princess reached into the satchel and pulled out a pair of training pants that were the same size (and shape) as the ones she was wearing. Silverstream’s enthusiasm became considerably less than before when she saw the drab designs. “I remember them being a whole lot cooler when I was a hatchling,” She grumbled. “Where are the fly-away birds for making whoopsies?” Skystar’s eyes grew wide. “I said that too!” Skystar replied. “However, Mom says it would be degrading to make hippogriffs our age wear what hatchlings wear to get used to being topside again.” “I know!” Silverstream suggested as she took the training pants from Skystar. “What if we drew on them?! We could do it like we did in art class before the Storm King kicked us out of our home!” Skystar beamed. “I like how you think, cousin!” She cheered. “Let’s go have some fun and show Mom how my idea to get everyone topside again is the absolute best!” Before heading up to Mt. Aris, Skystar had Silverstream relieve herself behind a tree surrounded by tall grass. She then helped her cousin into the training pants and led the way up to the city. Silverstream blushed as the feel of the padding on her flank was quite noticeable. “So what do I do if I have to go potty?” “We’ve got a couple of restrooms going but not many,” Skystar explained. “So you need to learn to hold it like you did as a hippogriff instead of as a seapony.” “There’s a difference?” Silverstream wondered aloud, clearly baffled. “Oh, definitely!” Skystar declared. “You may not even realize it until it happens, and it’s not fun at all without the water current and cleaner fish around to make it go away.” Silverstream thought on it until she felt a warmth developing around her waist. “Wow,” She thought aloud. “The sun is warmer than I remember it being.” Skystar looked for where the sun was and noticed it not directly glowing its golden light upon her cousin. “Where do you feel the sun at?” “Behind me!” Silverstream squeed. “It’s so awesome!” Princess Skystar allowed her eyes to make a quick check of her cousin’s training pants and found them to be colored yellow with a slight droop. “Silverstream,” She said as kindly as possible. “That isn’t the sun you are feeling.” “It’s not?!” Silverstream gasped while looking around. “Then what is it?” Skystar put a hand upon her cousin’s shoulder. “You got distracted and so excited that you didn’t notice you had to pee, and your hippogriff bladder let it all go.” She explained as delicately as possible. Silverstream blushed as she dared to look at what the princess had taken notice of. “No-no-no!” She cried. “How did this happen?” Skystar reached for her satchel to grab another pair of training pants, along with some items to help clean her cousin up and properly dispose of the used garment. “It gets easier,” She assured while gesturing towards a more private spot surrounded by tall grass. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and continue up to see all the cool new things everyone has done towards rebuilding our home.” Silverstream pouted. “I bet I wouldn’t have had an accident if there were fun pictures on this thing,” Silverstream moaned. “I know I never wanted to make the birdies fly away on mine when I was little. Terramar and Mom tell me all the time how that’s what got me to be a big girl when I was a hatchling.” Skystar shrugged. “And this is why I thought you’d be best to come up and show my mom how this idea is going to work! She may think my ideas are silly, but I know she’ll have to take them more seriously if my super-cool cousin agrees with me, too!” The capital city of the hippogriffs was bustling with construction. There were even ponies and griffons aiding in the rebuilding of the city. “Where are all the kids?” Silverstream wondered as she noticed all of the hippogriffs in sight appeared as old as (if not older than) her parents. “Mom wanted the elders out first because she says they remember how to be a hippogriff better than all us kids,” Skystar replied with a pout. “Even General Seaspray got to come up here." Meanwhile, the pink feathered hippogriff continued to scan the scene, and was blown away by how well her original home was developing. “It all looks so awesome!” She cried aloud. “I don’t remember much from The Storm King’s attack, but I do remember it being really scary and how we were all emergency evacuated into the castle to go into the pool leading down into Seaquestria.” “Kind of convenient, right?” Skystar pondered. “Though Mom says that the hippogriffs had been friends with the seaponies of generations past and were always welcome to their city under the sea if we ever wanted to come down for a visit.” “Why didn’t we ever get to visit before The Storm King attacked?” Silverstream wondered. “Likely because of The Storm King,” The orange feathered hippogriff concluded. “The transformation pearl was given to us by the sea ponies, and Mom wanted to keep it as much of a secret because she wanted it safe. Didn’t really help much when the Storm King found out anyways.” “Makes sense,” Silverstream shrugged before she then felt her stomach churn. “Oh, uh, I think I have to do the other thing…” Skystar gasped in worry as she didn’t know how or if her cousin’s bowels would hold up until they found a public restroom! “Can you hold it?” She asked Silverstream with hope. “I’ll try,” groaned Silverstream. “It just really really wants to come out, and that wouldn’t be good at all!” Skystar thought fast and recalled where the nearest restroom was. “This way!” She called while taking her cousin’s arm. “Just keep holding it!” “…Well,” Skystar began as a very embarrassed Silverstream looked up at her with tear filled eyes. “We almost made it.” “I really, really tried!” The pink coated hippogriff pouted. Skystar felt like a mother and, as such  worked to comfort Silverstream. “I know you did,” She acknowledged. “You can’t help that the restroom was fully occupied, and that there was a line to get in.” “I had no idea it would be so hard to be a hippogriff again,” Silverstream stated as she worked to ignore how she was being cleaned up by her cousin. “I guess it makes sense that all the grown-ups are topside while we are kept under the water.” “Oh, Silverstream,” Skystar cooed while working another pair of training pants onto her cousin. “You’ll get this just like you’ve gotten everything else.” “Really?” Silverstream declared with hope reflecting in her eyes. “Of course!” Skystar encouraged. “Wasn’t it you who helped me learn all those cool tricks?” The pink-colored hippogriff felt her enthusiasm returning. “Ooh!” She awed. “Maybe I can do stuff like that in the air once I get used to my wings again?” Skystar laughed as she helped her cousin to her feet. “Most definitely!” She cheered. “But let’s first go see my mom and show how there’s nothing wrong with fun prints on training pants for getting potty trained above water.” Silverstream’s wings flapped with excitement. “Definitely!” She cried. “I wonder if your mom will let us come up with the designs? I know those birds that flew away when I made an oops helped me a lot. I liked having fun, friendly birds and making them go away made me super duper sad!” “You know what?” Skystar smirked. “The two of us can do anything because we are the most awesome hippogriffs ever!” “Yeah!” Silverstream eagerly flapped her beak. “I remember your mom always saying that the two of us together was just too much!” Skystar nodded. “That’s right!” But then feeling a familiar urge in her bladder. “However, I need to use the potty now.” “Ooh!” Silverstream beamed. “Can I change you if you have an accident?” Skystar blushed. “I’m hoping I won’t.” She replied while heading off towards the nearest restroom. Silverstream sighed. “Oh, okay.”  An even more bashful Skystar then told her cousin.. “You know what, you can change me if I don’t make it.” The pink hippogriff stomped the ground with delight. “Yay!” She cried as she ran and gave Skystar a big hug. “You’re the best cousin ever!” Skystar felt her bladder release as a result of how much pressure her charismatic cousin put upon her. “Well,” she gulped while feeling a burning in her face. “Looks like you just got your wish.” Totally ignoring how it was due to her tight hug that her cousin had an accident, Silverstream imitated all the motions that Skystar had done for her. “Okay,” She said while gesturing to the spot where she had been changed. “Come sit here and Momma Silverstream will get you all better.” Skystar followed the instructions and smiled up at her cousin. “You know something, Silverstream,” She thought aloud. “Do you remember when we’d play house when we were younger?” “Yeah!” Silverstream gleed as she went about mirroring what Skystar had done for her. “It was so much fun, and Terramar made a great hatchling!” “Idea!” Skystar squeed. “Once we get you back to being a big girl again we can bring Terramar up, and we can play house with him as the hatchling again!” “I love it!” Silverstream squeed. “Get me some birds on these things and I’ll be the best big sister ever to lil’ Terri-Mary!” The two hippogriffs laughed as they finished the change, and headed off to the castle to make their case for fade-away bird prints to be put on all incoming shipments of hippogriff retraining pants.