The Cutie Mark Crusaders were ready to take their regressed friends to Twilight. But there was one problem that they faced before they could do so. Getting the foals safely to Twilight's castle without anypony recognizing or spotting them. It would be quite a trek from the clubhouse to the castle, and since Sweetie Belle was still a relative newcomer to magic teleportation was out of the question.
Fortunately, Scootaloo had an idea. She bent down to the foals' level and scooped them up with great care, placing them onto her back beneath her wings as she unfolded them briefly. "You'll be safe under there, and nice and warm too I'll bet." She assured them.
Apple Bloom wasn't so convinced. "I don't know, Scootaloo. Your wings ain't that big. We're gonna need somethin' a little bit more than that to do the trick. Like a dress or somethin'."
Scootaloo made a gag face at that suggestion. "No thank you! Besides, it's not like we can just pop down to Carousel Boutique and ask Rarity to make something to cover up foals," The pegasus glanced around the room and quickly took notice of a discarded black outfit with green stripes. "I know, I'll just use my old Washouts jacket. Nopony will think twice, the Washouts still have their fans after all." She sloppily put said jacket on.
"Well, I guess that could work," Sweetie Belle reluctantly commented. "But you do realize we're going to have to walk to Twilight's castle, right? We don't have any extra helmets, especially not foal sized ones."
"And you gotta be sure to be extra careful with Diamond and Silver," Apple Bloom warned. "Granny always says that foals have to be treated gently 'cause of their tiny bodies. If they fall off ya they could bruise easier than rotten apples."
"Pwus me get motion sick if you go too fast!" Silver Spoon warned as she and Diamond huddled underneath the protective cover of Scootaloo's wings.
The tomboyish pegasus sighed and groaned. "Okay, okay, I'll be careful. It's not like I don't know anything about foals. I've seen Pinkie play with the Cake Twins before and seen lots of baby ponies. Can we just get going already? We'd probably already be at Twilight's castle by now if we weren't talking."
Apple Bloom carefully opened the clubhouse door, making sure that the path through the orchard was clear. It was, there wasn't a pony in sight anywhere. And with that the three fillies and their regressed charges quickly (but carefully in Scootaloo's case) made their way down the clubhouse steps with their destination clear in mind.
Since the School of Friendship had let out for the summer and lesson plans had long been finalized (Twilight always prided herself on being one step ahead), Twilight had expected to spend the day in her castle just doing what she usually did: Organizing and reshelving her entire library. As there were no friendship problems to tend to, no final exams to grade, and no big emergencies that needed to be addressed, the young alicorn was looking forward to a quiet and relaxing day.
Those plans were suddenly dashed when who should come bursting in through the castle doors but the Cutie Mark Crusaders? "Twilight!" They all called at once in between pants and pauses to catch their breath.
Twilight was briefly startled by the fillies' sudden entrance, but a deep breath later and she was back to her usual calm self. "Hello, girls," She greeted the Crusaders. "I assume you need my help with something?" As her eyes looked over the three she quickly took notice of the outfit Scootaloo was wearing. "And why are you in your old Washouts jacket, Scootaloo? I haven't seen you wear that since the Washouts left Ponyville."
"It's kind of hard to explain, just promise us you won't be mad with us," Scootaloo pleaded, before she took in a deep breath and said all at once. "We made a bet with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon where the losers had to do whatever the winners wanted, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon lost, and we had them taste test a potion that Apple Bloom was working on, and it turned them into foals, and we need someplace to set up a nursery for them, and we figured you were the best option for helping us keeping their regression a secret, so can you help us, pretty please?"
Twilight blinked a bit even though she had no trouble deciphering what Scootaloo had said, years of hanging around Pinkie Pie had trained her well in the art of understanding rapid fire sentences. That also meant that things which may have seemed impossible or hard to believe for her once upon a time didn't phase her, usually they would turn out to be true.
And that was the case as Scootaloo shed her Washouts jacket, and out tumbled two foals with coats that left no doubts as to who they could possibly be.
Diamond Tiara, despite her shrunken stature, immediately bowed before the commanding presence of Twilight even though she knew it was unnecessary. "H-hi, Pwincess Twiwight. Is me, Diamond Tiawa." She greeted, her voice substantially higher pitched.
Silver Spoon didn't say a word, especially since she was just getting used to not needing glasses to be able to see clearly (her bad eye sight hadn't come for a few years after she was born). But even she seemed to be awe of the princess who now clearly towered over her.
Twilight immediately bent down to lower herself to the foals' level as she asked them. "So, is Scootaloo telling the truth? Did this all get started over a bet?"
Diamond sheepishly nodded. "Uh-huh, Siwvy and me gave ouw wowd. Mama say wich ponies not go back on theiw wowd, so me dun and Siwvy dun eithew."
"It's only supposed to last a week," Apple Bloom confessed. "I told them what it would do and gave 'em the option to back out. They didn't take it. But I don't think they necessarily expected it to work. I kind of didn't either, but I couldn't think of any other way to test it to figure out where I was goin' wrong."
Twilight arched an eyebrow upward. "Now, Apple Bloom, I'm not sure if Zecora told you this but you should know by now that regressing ponies and whipping up regression potions on a whim is not a good idea. It takes very powerful magic to change a pony's natural age, especially when you're also not changing their mental state."
Apple Bloom gulped. "Am I in trouble, Twilight?"
The alicorn sighed and shook her head. "Not really, if what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon say is true, they agreed to this. But I really would appreciate it if you wouldn't use ponies to test out your potions, you could've produced results radically different from what you intended. You could make ponies sick, or worse," She sternly warned. "From now on, I don't want you whipping up any potions without first checking with me or Zecora to make sure they're safe. And if you're not sure, please don't try to test them on anypony or anything."
Apple Bloom nodded and tried not to look too unhappy. She had expected something like this to happen when she told Twilight the truth.
Sweetie Belle opted to change the subject. "So, Twilight, the potion's only supposed to last a week. We were hoping you could help us determine whether that's the case or not."
"And if it is, we were wondering if we could borrow that spare nursery you set up for Flurry Heart," Scootaloo offered. "We kind of promised to take care of Diamond and Silver until they turned back to normal. And we couldn't really care for them in the clubhouse, but we also didn't want to take them somewhere where ponies might spot them."
Twilight carefully picked up the foals with her hooves, placing them on her back as they bounced up and down on it. Then she used her magic to pull the little ones close. "Well, I can definitely check to see if that week long time limit is correct. And I suppose you can borrow the nursery. It should have everything you need. In fact," She gave a whistle. "Spike?"
The not so little dragon came rushing upon the scene with a flap of his wings a moment later. "Yes, Twilight?" Then he saw the foals in her magic. "Whoa! When did Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon turn into foals? Did you mess up a spell or something?"
Twilight shook her head. "This is the CMC's doing, and they're going to be caring for their regressed friends for the week. But I need to check and make sure that it is only a week," She explained to Spike. "So I want you to take the CMC to the nursery we arranged for Flurry Heart during her last visit. Make sure everything is fully stocked, and I do mean everything. If not, let me know so that I can go shopping for whatever we need."
"Can do," Spike gave a salute, before he then thought of something. "But what are you going to do if Diamond and Silver's parents come looking for them? Aren't they gonna think it's weird when their daughters don't come home this evening?"
At that Tiara let out a whimper and started to shudder. "No teww Mama, she not nice! She not gonna cawe fow me, she just weave me with hiwed hooves!" She desperately pleaded. "She why me not get to enjoy fiwst foawhood, and why me go thwough with potion testing."
Silver Spoon reassured her troubled friend. "Is okay, Titi. You not gonna go back to ya mama. You not be awone. Me stay with you."
"Even if ya own mama and dada come fow ya?" The rich foal asked, knowing how Silver Spoon had no real problems with her parents outside of the occasional disagreement.
"Dada wive in Cantewwot, wemembew?" Silver pointed out. "Mama wive in Ponyviwwe and waise me. Dada onwy come home on speciaw occasions. Tey know me wike being with you, we gaw paws fow wife!"
Diamond wiped a lone tear from her eye as she wanted nothing more than to hug her fellow regressed filly at that very moment. "Ya ta best, Siwvy."
Having witnessed such a display, Twilight reluctantly sighed again. "Well, I guess I'll just have to tell them what Diamond and Silver just told me," To the Cutie Mark Crusaders she added. "But I'm also going to make sure they know who it was that turned their daughters into foals. However they react to it, there's little I can do to help you with that. And if they ask if I've seen their daughters, I'm not going to lie to them for your sakes."
"It's okay, Twilight. If it comes to that, we'll fess up to everything and accept whatever punishment they have intended," Sweetie Belle agreed. "I'm pretty sure our families would agree to that, even Scootaloo's aunts."
Twilight nodded her head. "Very well then. Now off you go, Spike will show you to the nursery. And if you have any questions, be sure to ask him. I'll meet up with you after I've determined if the regression is only temporary."
And with that, Spike led the CMC away, leaving Twilight with the foals.
Spike ushered the Crusaders down several winding halls of the castle, until finally he stopped at a seemingly ordinary door that looked no different from any of the other countless doors in the castle.
But upon opening it the three fillies saw that it was not like most other rooms in the castle, this one was clearly different! It was a foal and caretaker's paradise! A fully stocked changing table with several drawers loaded to the brim with every type of changing supply, numerous packages of diapers (enough to build a fort with them you might say), and a smooth, padded surface with guard rails on either side to keep little ones from rolling off it. A crib big enough to fit an alicorn sized foal (Flurry was a bit bigger than your typical foal), complete with a mobile, pillows freshly fluffed, and blankets of all sorts. And a playpen with several toys of differing varieties scattered across the ground in front of it.
To say the three fillies were speechless would be an understatement, they could hardly believe their eyes!
The not so little dragon just chuckled. "That was the same reaction Shining Armor and Cadence had the first time they lay eyes on this nursery. Twilight figured her favorite niece deserved only the best. But it's seen some use for other little ones, Pinkie once brought the twins over for a playdate, and Twilight let them borrow the nursery when they stayed the night."
Apple Bloom was the first one to find her voice. "Lands sake, this place has got everythin' a little one could need! We'll have no trouble carin' for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon now!"
Sweetie Belle spoke next, trotting inside as she examined every inch of the nursery from top to bottom. "This is even better than we could've hoped for! This is a nursery fit for a princess, or in this case two princesses!"
Scootaloo just waved a hoof. "Seems a little extreme to me, but I guess it's better than having nothing," And she then declared. "Pinkie Pie makes caring for foals look so easy. If a pony like her can do it, then we can totally do it too! Am I right, Crusaders?!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were a little bit hesitant to share in Scootaloo's enthusiasm. Sweetie even commented. "I'm pretty sure even Pinkie Pie had difficulties the first time she took care of the twins. Foals are a big responsibility, after all."
Scootaloo was quick to reply. "I know that, but there's three of us and Diamond and Silver still have their normal minds. Plus, we'll have Twilight for back-up if things get really out of hoof. We can totally pull off a week's worth of foalsitting! And Twilight can cover for us if our families start asking where we are."
"Well that's good to hear, because you three are going to have to stay in the castle all week long," Twilight declared as she came trotting into the nursery with Diamond and Silver in tow. "The regression will indeed wear off after the week has expired, but just because their minds haven't changed doesn't mean it will be easy."
"What do you mea-" Apple Bloom began, before a very familiar odor reached her nostrils. Growing up on a farm she was well used to it and could tell what it was, but that didn't mean it was any bit more tolerable because of those factors. "Ugh!" She plugged her nose. "I should've known it would come to this eventually!"
Sweetie Belle tried to keep her face from turning several shades of green! "Now I know what Rarity must've gone through when I was a foal! This is so bad!"
Scootaloo gagged and started flapping her wings, trying to fan the smell away from her nose. "Ugh, tell me about it!"
Diamond and Silver just looked ashamed and sincerely apologized. "We sowwy."
Apple Bloom just sighed, picking up Diamond Tiara. "Well, it ain't your fault. You're foals now, foals do this all the time. It's kind of to be expected."
Sweetie Belle used her magic to pick up Silver Spoon, holding the foal a good ways away from her. "It sure is a good thing we thought to diaper you two before we came here, otherwise you would've made a mess on the floor."
Scootaloo trotted over to join her friends, still trying to keep the smell from reaching her nostrils (alas, her tiny wings could only do so much).
Soon both regressed fillies lay upon the changing table. They really didn't know what to say but mentally they hoped their friends would be up to the difficult task of changing their diapers. Neither of them were sure how much help they could give, what foalsitting experience they did have had usually amounted to just playing with the Cake Twins or occasionally watching younger relatives that came by for a visit.
"Best if we do this in phases, each pony does a different part of the job," Apple Bloom instructed to the others. "I'll take the lead. I've picked up a few things from all the younger cousins who've visited the farm. Scootaloo, you get ready to put the old diapers in the trash. And Sweetie Belle, you'll get the new diapers ready. Then you and Scootaloo can work on cleanin' up Silver Spoon while I handle Diamond Tiara."
"Whatever, just make it quick!" Scootaloo declared as she started gagging anew! "Are foals always this smelly?!" At least her scrunched up face seemed to be entertaining to her regressed charges.
Apple Bloom worked quick as a flash to undo the dirty diapers and pull them down, tossing them both to Scootaloo who seemed to treat them as if they were live bombs! She clumsily moved to toss them into the trash, relieved to see Twilight grab the trash bags with her magic afterwards and make sure the foul smelling undergarments were double bagged for good measure. Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, was using her magic to produce two new diapers from an opened package below, as well as wet wipes and foal powder (not to mention air freshener).
Diamond Tiara didn't wiggle too much as Apple Bloom cleaned her stinky rump and sprinkled in a few helpings of foal powder. The rich foal was glad to be smelling nice, and a new diaper felt absolutely refreshing to her.
The same couldn't be said for Silver Spoon, she was as jumpy and wiggly as they came. She kept shaking and kicking all about, which made it difficult for either Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle to get anywhere close to her.
"Come on, Silver Spoon, hold still!" Sweetie Belle complained as she kept trying to levitate some wet wipes over.
"Can't, the wipes tickwe! Tey so cowd!" Silver shivered.
Scootaloo growled, steadily losing her patience with her regressed friend. "I know they're cold, but if we don't clean you up properly you'll get a rash. Do you want that, young filly?! Because rashes hurt and they hurt bad!"
That did the trick, Silver Spoon froze in place. Not only would a rash be painful, but it would clash horribly with her gorgeous gray coat. She held still as the cold sensation of the wet wipes touched her rump. She was glad when it was over and she was rewarded for her cooperation with a new diaper, and plenty of sweet smelling foal powder.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had to resist the urge to high hoof each other, knowing that they would need to wash their hooves after performing such a "delicate" duty. Apple Bloom knew this too.
Twilight simply smiled. "No need to worry, the bathroom is just across the hall. Be sure to scrub those hooves thoroughly."
"And while you do that, I'll put these little ones down for a nap," Spike offered. "Trust me, little ones need sleep or they get very cranky. And you won't like them when they're cranky."