For the first time in her short life, Apple Bloom felt like she was truly in charge of something that wasn't imaginary. Sure, she had her moments where she was left to watch Winona while the rest of the family was out, but beyond giving her meals and taking her for the occasional walk, that job didn't require a whole lot of effort. A foal, on the other hoof, was a true test of responsibility. Granted, the foal she was put in charge of was just a teensy bit more self-reliant than a typical foal, but the point still stood. Applejack, for the time being, was still a foal, and despite her attitude, there were things that she wouldn't be able to do on her own. Bloom would take care of all of those things for her, no matter how weird or gross some of them might be. It was all her fault that Applejack was in this mess. Taking care of her until a solution was found was the least she could do.
The filly looked at her infantilized sister. Applejack still seemed quite bothered by the diaper wrapped around her waist, and was trying to pull off the pieces of tape that held it closed. Bloom couldn't help but smile a bit as she watched this. As adorable as it was, though, it was her responsibility to make sure that AJ didn't do things like that. She gently placed one hoof on Applejack's, nudging it away from the tape.
"Ah-ah-ah!" Bloom said, the slightest bit of teasing undertone in her voice. "No playin' with that, missy!" AJ looked up at her, giving her the sternest little look she was capable of.
"Ah don't wanna wear this thing!" the former farmer said, crossing her forelegs. "Ah may look like a foal, but Ah'm still mahself, an' Ah can use the bathroom like a grownup!"
"Oh really?" Bloom asked. "How d'ya expect ta get up on the seat?" She sat herself down next to Applejack in order to emphasize the size difference.
"Well...uh..." AJ tried to protest. "...Ah'll use a stepstool!"
"An' then you'll fall right through the seat," Bloom said with a little giggle. She noted her sister's negative reaction to the giggle and put a stop to any more that threatened to come out. "Look, Ah'm sure Twilight'll be able ta find a way ta change ya back, but fer now, ya jus' gotta wear the diapers, okay? Besides, we got no clue how strong this magic is. What if ya couldn't hold it?" AJ glared at Bloom, then sighed a resigned sigh.
"Ah s'pose yer right," Applejack said, glaring at the diaper with disdain. Bloom smiled and gave AJ a kiss on the forehead.
"Good filly," Bloom said, waiting to see the cute little angry reaction that would cause. There was no angry reaction, however, as Applejack just smiled lightly. Bloom, encouraged by this, picked her sister up and pulled her onto her lap.
"Does this mean yer gunna be good fer me?" Bloom asked in a motherly tone that surprised even her. Applejack gave her a look that fell somewhere between consternation and acceptance. She then nodded slightly.
"S'pose," she answered simply. "...But don't go doin' anythin' too embarrassin', alright?" Bloom smiled and nodded. She looked at her sister sitting there on her knee. Unable to resist the urge, she took hold of AJ's sides and began gently bouncing her on her knee. She watched to see if it would get the same reaction as it did with Pinkie, and sure enough, AJ began to giggle happily. Bloom was still baffled by how fast AJ's mood changed in situations like this. Part of her figured that it was due to some latent feelings that had been pent up within her, feelings of a desire to regain a fillyhood lost after the passing of their parents forced her to grow up much earlier than she might have otherwise. The other part of her called the first part an egghead.
Once she felt that Applejack was sufficiently calmed down, Bloom stopped bouncing her, letting her rest on her knee. She hummed quietly to herself. The filly had never really spent any time around foals before now. None of her friends had younger siblings, she didn't really stick around Sugarcube Corner enough to deal with the Cake twins, and the Apples who had young children didn't live close enough for her to see them regularly. So what in the hay was she supposed to do with this foal in her lap? It didn't take her very long to find an answer, as AJ's belly began to rumble.
"Oh yeh! Breakfast!" Bloom exclaimed. She rifled through the saddlebag that Pinkie had left her, finally finding a few jars of foal food. She showed one to Applejack, and was quickly met with a look of disapproval.
"Bleh! That looks terrible!" AJ said. "Ah don't wanna eat that!" Bloom sighed lightly to herself.
"Well then, what DO ya wanna eat?" she asked her now-little sister. The foal tapped a tiny hoof to her chin.
"...Apple fritters?" she asked. Bloom, feeling a bit sympathetic for all that her sister had to deal with already, figured that granting her this one thing couldn't hurt much. Plus, they had some pre-made in the fridge already, so she didn't even have to make them.
"Okay, Applejack," Bloom said with a smile. She put the foal food jar back in the saddlebag, then noticed something she hadn't caught before. She smiled as she inspected the other side of the saddlebag, which was designed to comfortably carry a foal. Before AJ could say a word, she found herself lifted up. She squirmed as Bloom tried to move her so that her legs fit through the holes.
"What in tarnation d'ya think yer doin'?" the foal protested, trying in vain to keep her legs out of the holes. "Ah can go down stairs mahself!"
"Uhh...Ah don't think so," Bloom replied as she guided AJ's hind legs through the proper holes. "Yer way too small fer that! Ah don't wantcha ta get hurt!" Applejack attempted to argue, but she didn't have much of an argument. She sighed and stopped struggling, allowing Bloom to slip her forelegs into their holes and secure her in the foal carrier. Bloom then slipped the saddlebag/foal carrier combo onto her back. She couldn't help but giggle a bit as she looked to her side and saw AJ dangling helplessly from it, a sour puss on her face.
"It's okay, Applejack!" Bloom said cheerfully. "No need ta get so down in the dumps! Big sister Apple Bloom's here ta take care of ya!" AJ managed a small smile, a smile which grew once Bloom got to trotting. The gentle bouncing motion created by her position as a saddlebag accessory was oddly soothing, and by the time they'd reached the kitchen, she had nearly fallen back asleep.
"Rise an' shine, sleepyhead!" Bloom sang as they arrived in the kitchen. Applejack's eyes fluttered open. She looked around, immediately catching sight of the delicious apple fritters that her sister was taking out of the fridge. Her mouth watered as she watched the delectable morsels go into the microwave. So distracted was she by her forthcoming meal that she didn't even pay attention to Bloom filling one of the bottles up with milk.
"Now we don't got a high chair or nothin'," Bloom told her sister as she pulled the now-warm fritters out of the microwave. "So if ya wanna eat, yer gunna hafta sit on my lap like a good lil' foal, alright?" Applejack was too enamored by the smell of the fritters to argue, and nodded eagerly. Bloom gave her a little nuzzle as she pulled her out of the foal carrier. She sat down, nestling her sister into her lap, and held out a fritter.
"Choo-choo!" Bloom said, remembering how her family would play with her when she was this age. "Here comes the choo-choo train! Next stop: Tastytown!" She giggled, partially expecting a little pout or protest from AJ over how she was treating her like a real foal, but the tiny orange filly didn't seem to care at the moment. Tastytown was preparing for departing passengers, if AJ's wide-open mouth was any indication. Bloom kept one foreleg secure around AJ's middle as she hoof-fed her the fritter with the other. It was quickly gobbled down by the voracious infant, so quickly that Bloom couldn't help but think about how right Granny Smith was when she described AJ's more-than-healthy appetite at this age. The next three fritters went just as fast, and by the time they were gone, Applejack's face was adorned with a very satisfied, almost vacant smile.
"That was good, right?" Bloom asked, already settling into this temporary new role. She glanced at the bottle of milk, then at Applejack. Figuring this moment of satisfaction was the best possible time to get around AJ's previous aversion to the idea, she picked the bottle up and held the amber nipple near AJ's muzzle. The foal took it in her mouth without a word of protest and began to suckle contently. Bloom smiled down at her sister and sighed happily as she watched her drink. She really was too adorable like this, almost to the point that the filly thought she might miss having her like this whenever Discord's spell was broken. She watched as her sister drank. Her appetite seemed to stretch to her thirst too, as she was already about three quarters of the way done with the bottle. At that moment, she couldn't think of a single reason why she'd been so concerned about this unintentional arrangement.
A reminder came quickly, however, as AJ's previously-content face suddenly filled with worry. The tiny foal started squirming, looking very uncomfortable and upset, but her suckling on the bottle had become so autonomous that she was having difficulty expressing what was troubling her. It didn't take Bloom very long to figure it out, though, as her nose crinkled up.
"Oh Applejack, ya didn't..." Bloom sighed. Applejack finally managed to pull away from the bottle. Bloom expected some sort of angry response from her sister, and was surprised to see AJ's eyes well up with tears.
"I-it jus' happened!" AJ whimpered. "Oh gosh, Ah'm so embarrassed..." Before Bloom could say another word, her sister began to cry. Bloom was almost more taken aback by this than what had just happened. It was certainly not like her sister to cry so openly. The filly sighed heavily and hugged her sister.
"Shh, shh...it's okay," Bloom said, trying to remember the things AJ and the rest of the family did to stop her crying when she was this young. "It's jus' a wet diaper. Nothin' ta cry 'bout. Ah'll take care of it."
"B-but Ah'm a big pony..." AJ sniffled.
"Ah know, Ah know," Bloom responded, gently turning AJ to face her, then rubbing her back. "Fer now, though, yer a foal, an' foals do that. Nothin' ta get upset 'bout." Bloom failed to mention that she would be mortified if she was in AJ's position. Such information probably wasn't helpful at the moment. AJ's crying gradually stopped, and Bloom relinquished the hug. "Now c'mon, let's get you changed."
A few minutes later, Applejack was situated in a nice, fresh diaper. After seeing what happened happen, her aversion towards wearing the garment had mostly faded. Apple Bloom had never changed a diaper before this, and was admittedly not too keen on the idea of doing so. As it turned out, it wasn't the most disgusting thing in the world. It was kinda gross, there was no doubting that. But it was tolerable, and if it meant helping her sister, whom she'd put into a big mess, then she could at least help her out of the smaller messes she made.
Applejack seemed quite sleepy after her change, so Bloom opted to let her take a nap in her bed. She found herself surprised once again at how easily AJ allowed her to do this. It was such a relief not having tonight with her at every turn like she thought she might have. The filly sat at the kitchen table, a small smile across her muzzle. If this whole situation remained as easy as this, waiting for Twilight to find a magical antidote might not be so bad.
"Well well well...you seem to be taking a liking to this new role, don't you?"
Apple Bloom whirled around, looking for the source of the voice. Her gaze eventually settled on the sugar bowl. She jumped up and ran to the bowl, removing the cover. She sneered at the tiny Discord in the bowl, and he responded with a playful smile.
"Oh, have you heard this one?" Discord asked, swimming his way through the sugar. "A pony is eating at a restaurant. She calls the waiter over and says, 'Waiter! What is this draconequus doing in my sugar bowl?' The waiter replies, 'the backstroke!' Isn't...isn't that priceless?" Discord let out a raucous laugh, tickled by his own humor. When he saw that Bloom was not reciprocating his mirth, he rolled his eyes. "I suppose you had to be there."
"Now cut that out!" Bloom said, incensed at his very presence. "Ah cain't believe yer showin' up here after what you've done!"
"What I've done?" Discord asked innocently. He ducked his head under the sugar, seeming to vanish before Bloom's eyes.
"Yes!" the filly responded. She began to lean closer to the sugar bowl, but decided against it. She had a good feeling that he was waiting for her to do so, at which point he'd pop out and spit sugar at her. This expectation only served to make her even more surprised when he suddenly appeared behind her, scooping her up with his lion paw.
"Silly Apple Bloom," Discord said, using his eagle claw to tousle her mane. "You know as well as I that you asked me for this." He snapped his talons, and a small cardboard box appeared out of thin air. He placed it gingerly on Bloom's head and whisked her over to a mirror. The filly looked at it, confused.
"...Emalb?" she asked. Discord rolled his eyes.
"Blame," he corrected her. "Get it?"
"Get what?" the bewildered filly asked.
"It says blame," Discord answered, sighing impatiently. "And it's a square. The blame falls squarely on your head." He turned his gaze to a random direction and spoke as if he were addressing somepony that wasn't even there. "The joke really is less funny if you have to explain it."
"Well...either way, Ah didn't ask fer this!" Bloom told him as she was placed back in her chair.
"Didn't you?" Discord chuckled, having a seat next to her. "You wanted to be the older sister. You are now the older sister. That sounds correct to me."
"But ya know that ain't what Ah meant!" Bloom practically shouted.
"Of course I know that, my dear," Discord said with a grin. "But where's the fun in doing just what you expected? I'm not the embodiment of order!"
"It still ain't nice!" Bloom cried out. "An' Pinkie's on her way ta Twilight's right now! They'll find a way ta fix this" Ain't no way mah sister's gunna be stuck as a foal ferever!" Discord smiled a sly smile, putting his arm around her.
"Dear, sweet little Apple Bloom," he cooed. "I never intended this to be permanent! As I told you, I told Celestia that I would use my magic for good, and I am! Casting an unbreakable spell on Applejack wouldn't be good, so the spell isn't unbreakable!" He traced one talon along the underside of Bloom's chin, grinning madly. "Of course, it's not exactly easy to break either. Even Twilight might have some difficulty."
"Well..." Bloom started, trying to keep a brave air around her voice but unable to hide the crack that her nervousness had caused. "...Twilight'll do it! She's real good with magic!"
"Why are you so desperate to change Applejack back anyway?" the draconequus asked, his claws tapping a steady beat in the table. "You're in charge of her for now. She can't boss you around or punish you like she spent most of yesterday afternoon doing. What's the harm in just letting her stay a foal for a little while?" Bloom tilted her head as Discord's logic tried to invade it. He had already said that it wouldn't be permanent. What WAS the harm in leaving her like this for a bit? Discord grinned as his words sank deeper into Bloom's mind, but her thought process was interrupted when her sister suddenly called from upstairs.
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack's little voice called out. "Ah need ya up here!" Bloom snapped out of her train of thought instantly and looked towards the stairs.
"Be right there!" she called out. Then she turned her gaze back on Discord. "Ah wanna change her back cause Ah love her an' she don't wanna be this way. So there!" The filly slid off of her chair and made an about-face, heading straight upstairs. Discord waited until she was gone, then hummed.
"I didn't expect her to get Twilight involved so quickly..." Discord mused to himself. "I suppose I'll have to up the ante a bit." The embodiment of chaos smirked and did a swandive back into the sugar bowl.
Bloom arrived upstairs and opened the door to Applejack's room. She was relieved to find her sister still on the bed, having worried that she might have accidentally rolled off. Neither pony noticed Discord pop up in the painting over the bed again. AJ was not at an appropriate angle to see him, and Bloom was paying too much attention to AJ.
"What's wrong, sis?" Bloom asked, taking a seat on the bed.
"Well...Ah cain't sleep," AJ told her, looking a little sheepish.
"Is that all?" Bloom chuckled, giving her sister's belly a little poke. AJ giggled a little.
"Well...Ah kinda wanted ya ta read me a story..." the foal said, blushing. "Mebbe it'll help me sleep."
"Well, sure!" Bloom said, smiling warmly. She rolled off of the bed and headed to the bookcase to look for the perfect book. Discord, meanwhile, watched with glee from the painting. He trotted off to the corner of the painting and snapped his fingers. A banner appeared just above his head that read, "Exposition Corner." He cleared his throat.
"My spell's been working just fine so far," Discord soliloquized. "Applejack's will is strong, but every time somepony treats her like the foal she now is, her will breaks more and more. Soon, she'll be quite happy just as she is. But I'm not quite done having fun yet. Perhaps miss Apple Bloom needs a little bit of magical assistance to become more accepting of this temporary new role." The draconequus snapped his fingers once more.
Applejack blinked, feeling a bit of a strange feeling inside her. She chose to say nothing about it, figuring that it was just her body working to adjust to the change it had been through.
"She doesn't suspect a thing," Discord said, a mad grin on his malformed face. "Something tells me Apple Bloom is going to have some difficulty resisting little Applejack's foalish charms." Having no need to stay any longer, Discord snapped his fingers a final time, and he and his banner vanished from the painting just as Bloom returned with a storybook.
"Alright, Applejack," Bloom said, hopping up onto the bed and sliding up next to her sister. "This is the one ya always read ta me when Ah was yer age an' Ah couldn't sleep."
"Johnny Appleseed?" AJ asked, perking up. Bloom nodded with a smile and opened the book. She felt AJ cuddle up against her as she began to read.
Bloom kept looking to her side as she read to AJ. Her sister looked so happy and content to just snuggle up and listen to the story. Bloom sighed happily, marveling at how adorable AJ was. As she did, she felt a warm, tingly feeling begin to overcome her. Had she the presence of mind to think about it, she would have probably felt that such a feeling coming up all of a sudden was a bit odd. As it turned out, though, she really wasn't too concerned about it. All that mattered to her right now was being here to take care of her little sister.