Since Pickle Barrel was much more skilled than his twin sister Barley when it came to changing diapers, he took care of his own diaper first before tending to his sister. “Wow, we must’ve eaten something to do all of this to the padding!” Pickle teased as he completed the job and chucked the used diapers into the trash without a second thought.
Barley just sat up, groaning and gagging. “Why did you put the diapers in the trash? Now Mom and Dad are gonna find out when they come home! And I can’t believe you put me in another diaper!”
“Well, obviously,” Pickle replied with what seemed like a giggle. “You know the rules from when Mom and Dad potty trained us. When you have accidents, it’s back to diapers until the grown-ups say otherwise.”
Barley glared at her twin brother, if not for his ridiculous idea about using diapers in place of bathroom breaks during flight practice, none of this would’ve happened in the first place. “Whatever, let’s just take out the trash and wash our hooves.”
Pickle questioned. “What are we gonna do about the diapers?”
“We’ll bury them, of course!” Barley insisted. “You know, fertilize the soil. Mom and Dad will never know. We probably don’t even need to do potty training again, or at least I don’t. You probably will if you keep wearing diapers all the time.”
“And how do you know all those crazy stunts you made us do didn’t mess something up inside of us?” Pickle protested. “I’ve heard stories about that happening to ponies.”
Barley was in no mood to argue as she just grabbed the trash with her hooves and tried to keep it a good ways away from her. “Those are just old mares tails. They’re about as real as the potty monster you were always afraid of, which is not all.”
Pickle pouted. “I wasn’t afraid of the potty monster, you were!” He snapped. But his sister had already gone back to bury the diapers, so she didn’t hear him as a result.
Barley returned shortly, wiping sweat from her brows. Her hooves were covered in dirt and soil. “Okay. We’re going to wash our hooves, and then I’m taking off this stupid diaper. And I’m not changing you if you keep wearing them.” Turning her back to her brother, she trotted away to the lone bathroom that they shared. Normally it wasn’t a problem, not even the fact that there was only one toilet between the two little ponies. Yet as Barley entered the bathroom to wash her hooves (and the sound of shuffling, as well as rustling and crinkling told her that her twin brother wasn’t too far behind), she could remember an occasion where the one toilet had been a problem for her and her brother. It was an experience so vivid it had been burned into the back of her mind, and every now and then it would creep back up.
A much younger Pickle and Barley had been brought into the bathroom by their parents (back when it seemed like they were around more instead of traveling away constantly for their work). Mrs. Barrel in particular seemed rather excited, with enthusiasm so contagious it could’ve been mistaken for that of the town’s leading and only dress maker, Kerfuffle. “Oh, I have such a wonderful surprise in store for you, my little ponies!” She told her children, sporting the same coat color as them.
“Now dear, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Mr. Barrel cautioned. “They’re just starting it today, it’ll probably take a long time before they master it.” He had similar locks to the twins and similar eyes (though their mom had them too). He also didn’t seem to do as much flying, even around the house, despite being a pegasus. He seemed to prefer his hooves on solid ground and was always the one yelling at his son and daughter not to fly in the house.
“I know, I know, but I just can’t help being excited!” Mrs. Barrel replied. “I’m sure they’re gonna love it!”
Once she had the attention of both of her children, she gestured to a hoof to an object that to them looked strange and unusual. It was white, tall, and shaped like a bowl which had a round seat that covered the entire rim. If one stood atop the other they could probably just reach it. There was also a big tank attached to the back of the bowl.
“What’s that?” Barley was the first to inquire about the odd object standing before her and her brother.
“This is a toilet,” Mrs. Barrel proudly declared. “And as of today, your father and I want you both to start using it to do what you’re used to doing in your diapers.”
“Yuck!” Pickle remarked, making a face. “Why we have to do that?”
“Because that’s what all big ponies do. At least if they want to wear pull-ups.” Mr. Barrel explained (with a well hearted laugh at his son’s reaction). “And pull-ups give you much more freedom.” He made sure to emphasize that last bit.
Barley and Pickle exchanged excited glances! “Freedom to fly?” They asked at the same time! Even Pickle Barrel would admit that the diapers he and his sister wore restricted their movements, both on the ground and in the air.
“That’s right!” Mrs. Barrel said with a smile. “However, the toilet only has enough room for one pony at a time. So you’ll have to take turns using it. Which of you would like to go first?”
Despite the promises that came with using the toilet, Pickle didn’t quite feel like trying his luck with it just yet. At least if it did anything to his sister, he’d be safe (he made sure not to say that part out loud).
Barley had no such quarrels, she eagerly shot her hoof up! Mrs. Barrel approached her daughter! “Splendid!” Lowering herself briefly to Barley’s level, the mare proceeded to walk her daughter step by step through the process needed to display mastery of using the toilet. “We’ll start by taking off the diaper. You obviously can’t be wearing it if you’re going to use the toilet.”
Barley tried to take off her diaper all by herself, but alas her hooves were not as well coordinated as they would be a few years down the road and they kept slipping. Her mom didn’t mind, though. She just used her hooves to take off the diaper instead. “Don’t worry, you can come get your father or I whenever you need to go and we’ll help you do it. Eventually, you’ll be able to do at least some of this on your own.”
Barley then felt herself being lifted, not on her power but by the hooves of her mom. A most unusual experience for a pegasus foal so used to flying. Deposited onto the toilet seat, the foal was instructed. “Now, once you’re in the proper position you just need to sit until you either do something, or until your father or I say you can move. Then it’ll be your brother’s turn to try.”
Pickle watched his sister with interest. He wondered if anything was going to happen to her now that she was atop the toilet seat, and hovering just above that bowl it seemed.
Barley Barrel found it hard to do what was expected of her. She’d never really “went potty” in front of other ponies before, at least not intentionally. But she managed, somehow. At last a faint hissing sound could be heard, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had befallen the bathroom.
“Alright, Barley!” Mrs. Barrel sincerely cheered! “That’s exactly how you do it! And on your first try, too! Well done!”
Meanwhile, Mr. Barrel went over to a nearby roll and took several swaths of a paper substance from it. “Now you just wipe yourself using this, it’s called toilet paper. When you’re done, you can just drop it in the bowl.”
But Pickle Barrel had become impatient, especially since he was fast growing jealous of all the attention his twin sister was getting! She had made using the toilet look so easy, and no way was he about to let her get a leg up on him. “If she can do it, I can do it!” He thought in his little mind. Pickle began to buzz and flap his wings, taking to the air before either of his parents had a chance to react or realize what he was doing. “My turn!” He declared as he zoomed over to the toilet as fast as his wings would let him! He apparently hadn’t remembered his mom’s earlier phrase about taking turns.
Barley didn’t have time to react, and neither did her parents! Everything happened so fast! Her brother zoomed right over to her spot, not recognizing she was still on the toilet seat. He knocked her off, and she fell backwards into the toilet bowl. She only just remembered to flap her wings right before she would’ve ended up in the water.
And it was a good thing she had done so, as for Pickle (still wearing his diaper since he had forgotten to take it off) happened to spot something that had previously not caught either his or his sister’s attention. It was a long, gleaming shiny silver handle. He immediately went over to it while his parents were still in a state of shock at what he’d done. “What this do?” He asked aloud as his hoof happened to brush up against it and apply just enough strength to press it down.
Suddenly, a loud roar emerged from the toilet! Barley gasped in horror as she saw the waters below her started to swirl and surge ominously in a circular motion! “Mommy! Daddy! Help!” She cried, flapping her wings just to avoid falling into the water and being taken with it, wherever it was going!
As for Pickle, he’d jumped into the air when the roar had reached his ears! He could see what was happening to his twin sister, and he watched the frantic rescue of her by their parents just as the waters below swirled down the hole and disappeared. It came back a moment later, but now it was sparkling clean.
Only once Barley was safely on the bathroom floor, and Pickle was now perched atop the toilet tank, did Mr. and Mrs. Barrel both breath sighs of relief. “Well, as you just saw,” Mrs. Barrel explained to both of her frightened foals. “There is a handle on the left side of the toilet. When you press it down, it triggers what’s known as a flush. That’s how everything that’s in the toilet disappears, at least what’s supposed to be in it.” She hoped her emphasis alleviated the concerns of both her children.
Mr. Barrel, meanwhile, turned to Pickle as he glared at the colt. “And now you also know why you have to take turns using the toilet. Although in light of what we just witnessed, I’m thinking it might be better to get a training potty or two, just in case.”
Pickle didn’t say a word, now realizing what his rash actions had almost caused.
Ultimately, that frightening close call aside, there were no real bathroom dilemmas during potty training for either of the Barrel twins and thus their parents had decided not to get training potties (though Barley now wished they had). They’d both gotten out of diapers within a week of each other, though this was largely because Barley kept teasing Pickle non stop when she graduated first. She managed to do the same with pull-ups when it came time to graduate from them. And yet, she and her brother were back in diapers and having used them at least twice in the span of twenty four hours. How would they ever explain it to their parents if they found out?
Well, as the memory faded and Barley’s mind came back to reality, she again reaffirmed her belief that such a thing would never happen. She washed her hooves quickly but carefully, and made sure her brother did the same. However, she waited and lingered in the bathroom while Pickle waddled out. Only once she was certain the coast was clear did Barley move to her diaper and begin to try and take it off. She really wished her brother had asked before putting a new one on her.
However, the filly had only just begun to fiddle with her diaper’s tabs when she heard the sound of the front door being opened. Mom and Dad were home, sooner than expected to boot! “Hey Mom, hey Dad!” Pickle Barrel greeted both parents as they entered the house. “Guess what?”
Mrs. Barrel, however, took one look at what was on her son's rump and frowned. “Pickle Barrel, why in the world are you wearing a diaper? And where in the wide world of Equestria did you find diapers in your size?”
Pickle just giggled, shaking his padded rump all about. “Well, sis and I need more potty training because we had accidents in our pampers last night,” He happened to glance toward the bathroom with a knowing wink. “Right, sis?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Barley groaned and growled, realizing the jig was up. She then came waddling out of the bathroom, figuring it was no use trying to take off her diaper now. “Surprise?”
Mr. Barrel was only slightly more positive about being greeted with this news. “I suppose it’s what we get for not leaving our children with a proper foalsitter,” He said to his wife. “They must’ve gotten into another one of their silly contests.”
“Maybe this time, I’ll be the one who completes potty training first!” Pickle said with a grin.
“Never in a million years, brother!” Barley shouted back! “I beat you before, and I’ll beat you again!”
Mr. and Mrs. Barrel just sighed. “Here we go again.” They thought to themselves.