//------------------------------//
// Easel's Rare Portrait 
// Story: Easel's Rare Portrait 
// by TomaTanuki 
//------------------------------//

Easel's Rare Portrait
By: TomaTanuki

*dingle-dingle-ling*

Easel Palette looked up from his book as the bell on the door jingled. The magenta-colored stallion marked his place and set the book down, smiling as a unicorn mare stepped into his shop. Her coat was a beautiful, almost glistening shade of white, and her mane and tail were violet. The saddlebag across her back blocked his view of her cutie mark, but he was sure he'd seen her around Ponyville before. Adjusting his beret, he straightned himself up a little, hoping he looked presentable.

“Good afternoon miss,” he said cheerfully, “welcome to Artisan Crafts. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?”  

“Oh thank you, darling. As a matter of fact there is.” The mare replied with a smile as she made her way over to him. 

Now that she was up close Easel could see she was a little haggard. It was subtle, and she'd clearly tried to fix herself up, but Easel's eye for detail picked out a few stray hairs poking up from her mane. This was a clear sign of stress, one that he was quite familiar with. 

“I was hoping I could commission a painting from you.” She continued, snapping Easel out of his examination. “My sister, Sweetie Belle, is in your painting class and she tells me you're, and I quote, 'the most amazingly talented artist in Ponyville'.”

Easel blushed a little at her flattery, reaching up to smooth out his two-toned mane out of reflex, “Well, I don't know about that. But I-” He cut himself off as something clicked in his head, “Wait, Sweetie Belle? Ah-ha! Then you must be the famous Rarity she's always talking about.”

Rarity gasped, lifting a hoof up to her mouth in horror, “Oh goodness! I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm terribly sorry, I'm just so frazzled and I... ” she trailed off, taking a deep breath to calm down.

“It's no problem at all, really,” Easel replied softly, giving her a moment to compose herself again, “Now that we're all acquainted, Miss Rarity, what kind of painting are you looking for?”

“Just 'Rarity' please,” she corrected gently, “we're practically neighbors after all.”

Easel chuckled and nodded, “Alright then, Rarity, what can I do for you?”

Rarity blushed a little as she opened her saddle bag with her magic. A small photograph, wreathed in her pale blue aura, came floating out and drifted towards Easel. 

Taking the photo into his hooves, Easel nearly broke into a fit of giggles at what he saw. It was an old monochrome picture of a unicorn filly sleeping in her crib. Along with the diaper around her flank she had an adorable little bonnet on her head and a small blanket in her hooves, one end of which she seemed to be chewing on. The stallion tried his best to suppress a snicker as he looked between the photo and the blushing mare a few times. 

“Yes, that's me,” Rarity said bashfully, giggling despite the slight embarrassment, “It was taken when I was less than a year old. However, as you can see, it's certainly seen better days.”

Easel took another look and, now that he wasn't distracted by the adorableness, he could see what she meant. A large section of the photo was discolored by a light brown stain, some of the toys in the crib and part of little Rarity's foot almost totally obscured by it. 

“It happened this morning,” Rarity explained sadly, “I was looking through an old photo album, trying to brainstorm an idea for my parent's anniversary present. All of a sudden I heard a loud crash in my kitchen! I jumped up and ran downstairs, only to see my...” She paused, forcing a smile on her face, “my dear little sister was trying her hoof at making cookies... using my antique Zebrican mixing bowl.”

Easel's eyes widened a little as the mare took another deep breath before continuing.

“Anyway,” she continued, speaking in an overly chipper tone. “Once I had cleaned up the mess I returned to my room. You can imagine my surprise when I saw that I had knocked over my coffee cup when I jumped up.”

“Ooh,” Easel cringed, “I'm really sorry.”

Rarity let out another sigh and shrugged. “It's quite alright, darling. Luckily none of the other pictures were damaged. Still, I was rather distraught. That's the only copy of that particular photo, and my mother adored it so. Heehee, she used to love pulling it out to show my friends. It was embarrassing, but still...” 

Easel smiled as Rarity trailed off, momentarily lost in the nostalgic memory.

“However, as I was about to throw it away, Sweetie Belle mentioned that you might be able to help. And then, inspiration!” She stuck her hoof out dramatically. “I was struck with the perfect idea for their gift!”

“And that's where I come in, right?” Easel asked, though he knew the answer was obvious.

Rarity smiled at him and nodded, “Precisely. I'd like you to paint a portrait based on the photo, in full color of course.”

“Of course.” Easel smiled and took another, much closer look at the photo. Tapping his chin with his hoof, he started thinking, “Do you remember what color your blanket and bonnet where?”

Rarity thought for a second before responding, “Well, I don't remember the bonnet but I still have Blankie-” she cut herself off, her face almost fully crimson. “I-I mean my blanket. It's the same color as my mane.”

Easel nodded, pretending he didn't hear her slip up. “When do you need it finished?”

“Well their anniversary is just next week... Tuesday to be exact. I'm quite willing to pay extra if that’s any trouble.”

“Hmm...” Easel scratched his head at this and checked the small calender on his desk. Today was Thursday, meaning he'd have a little less than four days to get it done. It was certainly doable. He didn't have any other projects to work on, and if he started on it that night he could have a rough sketch done before going to bed. After that-

*SLAM-jingle*

“Hey Mr. Easel!”

Rarity and Easel jumped in fright as the shop's door flew open. Both of them looked over and saw a powder blue pegasus with a bright red mane tied up with a bow standing in the door way. She gave the two a bright smile as she held up a small paper bag.

“I brought you a snack!” She said brightly as she flapped her wings, hovering over to the pair. “Fresh jelly doughnuts! Mrs. Cake even gave me an extra 'cause they were about to close up for the day.”

Easel took a deep breath, patting his chest as he recovered from the scare. “Well, that was very nice of her.” He signed and turned back to Rarity. “Rarity, this is Nene, my assistant.”

The unicorn let out a demure chuckle and gave her a friendly nod, “Very nice to meet you, dear.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” Nene replied offhandedly as she reached into the bag, pulling out one of the sugary pastries. “So whatcha up to Mr. Easel? Are ya-” She let out a long high-pitched gasp when she spotted Rarity's photo on the desk, “Oh my gosh that is soooo cuuuuute! Is that you Miss Rarity?! Awww, you were adorable!”

Rarity giggled at her, just a little bit of pink returning to her cheeks this time, as Easel rolled his eyes.

“Ahem.” Easel cleared his throat to get her attention. “Nene, Rarity asked me to paint something for her by Tuesday. I know it's short notice, but do you think you can watch the shop for me tomorrow so I can work on it during the day?”

Nene stood a little straighter and raised her hoof in a salute, nearly smushing her doughnut against her forehead rather comically.

“You can count on me, Mr. Easel!” She declared, “You won't have anything to worry about. Well, except eating. You gotta eat to keep your strength up or you'll get sick like last time.”

Easel blushed a little but nodded his head nonetheless. He sometimes tended to get too involved with his projects but thanks to Nene that was happening less and less. “That's very true, thank you Nene.”

“Yer welcome!”

“Well, that settles that,” Easel said as he turned back to Rarity, “I'll get started right away. If you'll come back tomorrow I should have a sketch ready to show you and then-”

*SPLAT* 

Easel's eyes shot open as a big glob of strawberry jelly suddenly splattered all over his desk, most of it landing right on Rarity's photo. He looked up, first at Rarity's horrified expression then over to Nene, who currently had her doughnut in her mouth. His eyes started to twitch a little as she slowly chewed and swallowed her mouthful before smiling sheepishly.

“Heh-heh. Um, oopsie?”

“N-Nene... you...” Easel took a few deep breaths, trying not to lose his temper. After all it was just an accident and, who knows, he might be able to-

“Don't worry! I can fix it!” Nene cried as she pulled a few napkins from the bag. Pulling the photo over, she started scrubbing it quite vigorously. However, despite he best efforts, all she managed to do was smear the jelly even more. 

“Nene stop! You're making it worse!” Easel grabbed at her hooves, trying to pull the photo away from her, “We need to clean it carefully! Now stop before-”

*Riiip~*  

Easel and Nene froze, eyes wide in shock as they looked down at the poor photo, which was now messily torn in half on top of being completely covered by jelly stains, the little filly in the picture barely visible anymore. 

“I... I didn't...” Nene trailed off, starting to sniffle as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, “I'm so sorry! It was an accident, I didn't mean to! I-”

“Nene,” Easel said calmly but firmly as he raised his hoof to quiet her. “Just... go get some paper towels from the back. Now, please.”

The pegasus shrank back a little and nodded her head before scurrying off to the back room. Easel watched her go before turning back to Rarity, who was staring at the destroyed picture forlornly.

“I'm really sorry Rarity. Nene means well she just...” He trailed off, shaking his head, “If there's any way I can make this up to you, please just name it.”

After a brief moment of silence Rarity finally sighed, looking up at him with a sad smile. 

“It's... it's alright, darling. It was just an accident after all.” She picked up both halves of the photo with her magic for one last look before dropping them into the waste bin. “So much for the painting though. Unless you think you can recreate it from memory, that is.”

She smiled at him hopefully, but Easel had to think about that for a moment before answering. He tried to picture the photo in his mind but even with the close look he had, he couldn't remember every detail. 

“I could certainly give it a try,” Easel offered, “But without something to use as a reference I'm afraid it won't be exactly like the photo. If that's okay, then-”  

“Umm...”

Easel looked over as Nene came back in, a roll of paper towels tucked under her foreleg.

“I... I have an idea that might help,” She whimpered a little, as if she was pleading with them, “I know I messed up but, please, give me a chance to try and make up for it!”

Narrowing his eyes, Easel glanced over at Rarity. The unicorn simply smiled at him and nodded, clearly her experience with her little sister made things like this a little easier.

With a sigh, Easel waved Nene over and smiled, “Alright, go ahead, Nene. What's your idea?”

Nene brightened up a little, glad that they weren't too mad at her. “Well, if you need something to look at while painting, why don't you have Miss Rarity model for you?” Easel arched an eyebrow in confusion, as did Rarity, “She could dress up like a baby and pose for the picture. We could even make up a little set that looks like her bed and I can bring some of my toys down too if they’ll help! It'll be great!”

“D-Dress up... like a baby?” Rarity stuttered, her cheeks turning pink again at the thought of this, “I-I don't... that sounds...”

“That's... quite a creative idea Nene,” Easel chuckled at the pegasus and gave her a pat on the head, “But I don't think it'd work. I'm sure Rarity has better things to do than sit in my studio for a few hours.”

Nene's smile practically melted, “B-But...”

“It's alright,” Easel said gently, ruffling her mane a bit, “We'll come up with something so don't worry about it.”

“How long do you think it would take?” Rarity suddenly asked, surprising both of the art ponies.

“Umm... well...” Easel paused and shook his head to clear it, “I-I suppose it could take anywhere between two and three hours.” 

To his surprise, Rarity chuckled at this, “Well, if that's all you need it'll be no trouble at all. I've already closed up the boutique for the night, and if you'll just let me run back and grab something and we can get started right away.”

Easel blinked a few times as he processed all of this. “Are... are you sure about this? I mean I'd be happy to do it but... you didn't exactly sound happy about dressing up like a baby.”

“Oh I was just a little surprised by the idea, that's all,” Rarity tittered, flicking her mane with her hoof. “It might be a tad embarrassing, but it'll only be for a little while, and if you're as good as Sweetie Belle says, I'm confident you can make it look just like one of my baby pictures. Nopony would be able to tell I had posed. Unless, of course, somepony told them.”

Easel shivered at Rarity’s tone of voice, nodding his head at the subtle warning. 

“Oh, you don't have to worry about that!” Nene declared, “Plenty of ponies come in and ask for silly pictures and we never tell anypony about them. Like the time Miss Fluttershy wanted-”

“Nene!” Easel cried out, covering the pegasus' mouth and chuckling nervously. “Don't worry about a thing, Rarity. As far as anypony will know, I just copied your picture. Nene and I will get started on a set for you, so take as much time as you need to get ready.”  

“Excellent darling! Ooh this is going to be so much fun!” Rarity giggled as she turned towards the door again, bidding Easel and Nene goodbye as she departed.

Easel waved as Rarity departed and smiled at his assistant ruffling her mane a little, “Alright Nene, let's get to work!”

Nene giggled and snapped out another salute, “Yes sir, Mr. Easel!”


******************** 


It had taken Rarity a bit longer than she expected to find what she was looking for, and Celestia's sun had started to sink into the horizon as Rarity made her way back to Easel's shop. Rarity noticed the sign on the door had been flipped to 'Closed' and that the lights in the shop were off. However, when she pushed the door it opened just as easily as it had earlier, making the little bells jingle. Taking a look around she spotted another door in the back corner of the store, some light peeking out through the bottom.

No sooner had she entered than the door opened and Nene poked her head out, her face lighting up when she saw the unicorn.

“Hi Miss Rarity! You're just in time!” Nene cried as she darted over to Rarity and started tugging on her foreleg, “Come see, come see! You're going to love this!”

Rarity giggled and allowed herself to be pulled into the side room. Inside, her eyes went wide at what could only be Easel's art studio. Dozen's of canvases were lined up against the walls along with several racks of brushes, painting palettes and other assorted tools. Most noticeably, the shelf right next to the door held well over a hundred containers of paint. They were organized by color, giving the shelf a rather dazzling appearance that made it a work of art on its own. 

Finally her eyes fell upon the back wall, her jaw nearly dropping at what she saw. A light pink bed sheet had been hung up as a backdrop and another had been draped over a small stool. A pillow was hanging from a string near the middle of the sheet along with a teddy bear hanging to its right. For such a simple set up it achieved the look of a little filly's bed perfectly. 

Easel himself was standing in the center of the room with a blank canvas set up on a wooden easel. Much to Rarity's surprise, however, the easel was currently hovering just off the floor, cloaked in red magic. Looking between the set and the canvass Easel tilted his head slightly, revealing a similarly glowing horn peeking from under his beret. Apparently satisfied with it's position, he released his magical hold on the easel and turned towards Rarity. 

“What do you think?” He asked, holding his hoof towards the set. “Not bad for short notice, huh?”

Rarity giggled, stepping inside for a closer look. “Not bad at all darling. I hope this wasn't too much of a bother.”

“It was no trouble at all.” Easel replied as he started browsing his collection, picking out some brushes from the racks. “Nene was actually the one who set it up, and she did an excellent job.” His smile faltered a little, a light blush appearing on his cheeks. “She, uhhh... even picked out what you'll be wearing. That is, if you're sure-”

“I'm positive.” Rarity replied, cutting him off. “I used to play dress-up like any other filly. This should be no different.”

“Heehee, yup!” Nene cried, tugging at Rarity's leg again. “Come on, you can use the laundry room to get changed.” 

“Off we go then, dear!” She chuckled, once again allowing Nene to drag her along to the back of the studio and through another door.

The laundry room was much what Rarity would have expected. A basin with a washboard and an ironing board off to the side and a few clotheslines strung overhead along with a few empty clothing hampers. There was a small winding staircase near the far corner, presumably leading up to the second floor. Nene directed her towards the center of the room were a small box was waiting. Reaching inside, the excited pegasus pulled out the first item, a large sun bonnet.

“It's not exactly like a filly's.” She explained, “But Mr. Easel said it'd do.”

Rarity nodded and took hold of the bonnet with her magic. “I think it'll work quite nicely.”

Nene giggled a little as the unicorn placed the bonnet on her head, and reached back into the box. 

“Umm, we didn't have any blankets that were the right color you could use, so-”

“Heehee, don't worry dear.” Rarity giggled as she finished tying the bonnet's strings. “I've got that part taken care of.” Levitating her saddlebags off her back she reached in, pulling out a cozy-looking blanket the exact shade of her mane. 

“Oooooh!” Nene's eyes went wide as she hovered over, touching it with her hoof. “Wow, that's really nice. Is that the same one?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, indeed. I've made a few alterations over the years but this is still my dear Blankie.” Cooing to herself, Rarity wrapped her blanket around her middle, nuzzling the soft material. “I'm so glad I could find it. I just couldn't imagine having this portrait done without it.”

To her credit, Nene didn't even snicker at this, simply nodding in agreement. “I think that'll make it even better. Now just one more thing.”

She reached into the box again, pulling out a small white bundle and holding it out to her.

“Do you want me to leave while you put it on?”

Rarity just chuckled as she took the item with her magic. “Oh nonsense dear. Why would you need to-” she paused as she took a closer look at the item in question. “Oh... oh my.”

“Is something wrong?” Nene asked, tilting her head a little in confusion.

“Oh... no, dear it's just...” Rarity trailed off again, unfolding the item so there could be no doubt what it was... a large disposable diaper. “I was just... well, I was expecting to wear a towel or perhaps even a pillow case. Not an actual... d-diaper.” She blushed a little as she examined the oversized garment. “Where does one even find them in this size?”  

Nene could only shrug. “I dunno. Mr. Easel bought them a long time ago. Before I even moved in.”

“I see.” Rarity replied with a raised eyebrow, her eyes still glued to the diaper. “I can't help but wonder why he would need them.”

“For painting.” 

Surprised but the quick answer, Rarity turned towards Nene. “E-Excuse me?”

“Well, he hasn't done it in a while,” Nene began, “But sometimes Mr. Easel would get so into painting that he wouldn't want to stop for anything. So he'd wear one of those so he wouldn't have to. He used to skip meals too but I'd always pester him until he ate something.”

Stifling a chuckle, Rarity gave the little pegasus a pat on the head. “I'm sure he's very lucky to have an assistant like you.” Looking to the diaper again she sighed and moved it towards her flank. “Well, no going back now.”

“It's not that bad.” Nene said, offering her a smile. “When I got sick with the feather flu and couldn't get out of bed, Mr. Easel let me wear one. It was a little weird at first but I got used to it. They're actually pretty comfy.”

Rarity smiled back at her as she slipped the diaper between her legs. Carefully threading her tail through the small slit below the waistband she carefully wrapped the soft garment around her waist and folded the sides to her front. Pulling the plastic tabs from the tapes she secured them in place, resulting in a comfortably snug fit. Rarity wiggled her hips a little to make sure it wouldn't fall off, eliciting a giggle from Nene that made her blush. 

“S-Sorry, heehee,” Nene apologized, “That was just really cute.”

“It's... it's alright dear.” Rarity sighed, reaching back with her hoof to feel the diaper. Suddenly, as if the ridiculousness of her attire finally dawned on her she burst into a giggle-fit herself. “I suppose I do look rather silly. But, all for a good cause.”

“Yup!” Nene chirped. 

A knock at the door caught their attention as Easel called to them.

“Rarity? Is everything alright?”

Rarity reached out with her magic and pulled the door open. When he caught sight of her, Easel's eyes shot wide open and, though it was hard to tell under his coat, he blushed quite heavily.

“Everything is fine dear.” Rarity replied, walking towards him. The diaper's bulk pushed her back legs apart very slightly, but she somehow managed to make the minor waddle look dignified as she made her way back into the studio. “Are we ready to begin?”

Shaking his head, Easel let out a nervous chuckle as he hurried back to his canvas, lifting his palette into the air with his magic. “Umm, y-yes, I'm all set. Please have a seat and I'll start outlining everything out. It's going to take a while so make sure you're comfortable.”

With a nod, Rarity climbed up onto the covered stool and took a seat, her diaper crinkling slightly as she did so. She shifted around for a moment until she was sure she was in a position she could hold. 

“Alright, I think that should do it.” Rarity said as she adjusted her blanket and bonnet a little, “Go right ahead dear.”

“Umm, you umm...” Easel began hesitantly, “You... do you want to-”

“Oh, right!” Rarity exclaimed, guessing what Easel was getting at as she pulled a corner of her blanket up and slipped it into her mouth. “Bebber?”

Easel chuckled a little at her muffled reply and nodded, picking his brush up with his teeth, “Purfec'! H'rr go'sh”

Rarity raised an eyebrow as she watched Easel lightly dip the brush into the paint and begin tracing lines onto the canvas. She wondered for a moment why he wasn't using his magic but she quickly remembered that she herself preferred to do somethings without it. Magic was certainly helpful for a unicorn but for some the hooves-on approach was preferred. 

“Psst. Psst!”

Turning her head ever-so-slightly, Rarity noticed Nene watching her from the laundry room door. The pegasus held her hoof up to her eyes and closed them, signaling for Rarity to do the same. With a slight nod, Rarity turned her head back and did just that. Without her sight, the unicorn focused on her other senses. Her blankie around her was as warm and comfortable as she remembered it, and even the diaper hugging her flank was surprisingly cozy. The sound of Easel's brush scribbling against the canvas was rather relaxing and, aside from an occasional soft hoof step, Nene was perfectly quiet. The taste of her beloved Blankie wasn't quite as pleasant but it was nothing she couldn't endure. 

For several minutes she sat perfectly still, imagining how much her mother would love the painting and silently thanking Celestia that everything had turned out alright.

That is, until she felt a familiar bit of pressure in her lower abdomen

'Oh dear!' It took all her restraint not to move as the call of nature hit her. She tensed up a little, hopefully unnoticeably, as she tried not to think about it. 'Confound it, Rarity why didn't you go before before coming? Oooooh and why does it feel this bad? I haven't had that much to drink today. Just a bottle of apple juice with lunch, some of Pinkie Pie's raspberry punch and- Nyeeee that isn't helping!'

Biting into her blanket Rarity tried with all her might to hide any sign of distress. Easel was doing her such a big favor she didn't want to delay him any further. However, as the seconds ticked by Rarity realized that this was a losing battle.

'I'm sure he'll understand,' Rarity reasoned, her eye cracking open, 'After all I'm sure he wouldn't want me to-' 

Her thoughts were cut short when she saw the look on Easel's face. The narrowed eyes, the upright ears, even his posture, it was a look she knew all too well. He was in the zone. Completely, passionately and utterly focused on what he was doing. Even if Celestia herself spontaneously appeared behind him he probably wouldn't notice. 

Though her half open eye she watched him vigorously sketch her form. Suddenly his horn lit up and several tubes of paint were lifted from the shelf without him even looking. His eyes shifting around rapidly, from her to the sketch to the paints and back to her again, he picked out several of the tubes and passed them to Nene, who dutifully took them aside. All the while, Easel's brush scarcely left the canvas except to return to the palette for more paint.

'I... can't interrupt him now,' Rarity told herself as she closed her eye again. The zone was a fickle state of mind. Once you were in, it was easy to be knocked out and excruciatingly difficult to get back in again. As an artisan herself, she would not, could not bring herself to break his concentration now. Unfortunately, this only left her with one choice. 'At least I'm in the proper attire.'

Swallowing her pride and hoping her shame wouldn't be too visible, Rarity took a deep breath relaxed her entire body. The effect was immediate as a warm wetness began to pour into the diaper. Thankfully, the garment held up rather nicely, soaking up the moisture surprisingly fast. Rarity could feel the warmth of her urine spreading throughout the diaper, covering her entire flanks in mere seconds. 

Suddenly regretting her decision, Rarity tensed up again to try and stop the flow but it was too little too late. All she managed to do was squeeze the last of her pee out of her bladder and into the diaper. 

'Well... on the one hoof that certainly feels better,' She thought to herself, even as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. 'And on the other I just soiled myself in front of two ponies. M-Maybe they won't notice. Oh, how could they not notice!? What will I say!? How can I possibly explain-'

“Ooooh, now would ya look at that?”

'… what?' Rarity's eyes suddenly shot open and, much to her shock, found herself looking up at a much larger pony. For that matter, she was looking up! She was no longer sitting on a stool but laying down in... a crib. Her crib.

Before Rarity's mind could process that information, she was suddenly enveloped by an aura of magic and lifted up from her little bed. She flailed her hooves for a moment, getting them more and more tangled in her blanket, before the mare holding her started to gently nuzzle her cheek.

“Ooh there there now. No more tears, my little gem.”

The effect was immediate. Rarity stopped squirming and struggling, going limp in the aura as she looked at the mare holding her.

“M-Mama?”

The pink unicorn giggled softly, sitting back on the floor and pulling Rarity into her hooves. 

“Shh, it's alright now sweetie. Mama's got you.”

'W-What's going on?' Rarity asked herself as her mother rocked her. 'W-Why is mother here and... why did I just call her 'Mama?' I haven't called her that since...'

“Come on now, let's get you outta that and into fresh diapie shall we?” Rarity's mother nuzzled her once more and gently set her down on the floor.

Rarity tried to protest as her mother changed her but through the whole process all she managed to get out was an occasional babble or whine. Her mother on the other hand seemed to be quite enjoying herself as she cleaned her up, taping a fresh diaper around her flanks before lifting her up again.

“There we go, all better now. No more yuckiness fer you, ha ha!”

'This is just... I don't...' Rarity desperately tried to figure out what was going on, but as her mother pulled her into another warm embrace that didn't seem very important. Curling up into a tight little ball, Rarity closed her eyes and listened to her mother's heartbeat.

“I love you so much, Rarity.”

“I... w-wuv you too, Mama.”

“... Rarity? Miss Rarity? Hello?”

A nudge on her shoulder made Rarity jump suddenly, her eyes springing open again. Taking a quick look around she found herself back in Easel's studio, the stallion himself standing before her with Nene at his side.

“Are you alright?” Easel asked, “You dozed off while I was painting.”

“D-dozed off?” Rarity asked, suddenly letting out a soft yawn. “Oh... oh my goodness. I'm terribly sorry, I must have been more tired than I thought.”

Nene giggled a little, reaching up to help her down from the stool. “It's okay. In fact it probably turned out for the best!”

Rarity raised an eyebrow at her as she set herself back down on the floor, her legs wobbling a little bit. “How do you mean?”

“See for yourself.” Easel said proudly as he stepped back over to the painting. As he turned the canvas around, Rarity's jaw nearly hit the floor. The little filly version of herself on the canvas looked exactly like the one that was in the photo. The colors were absolutely perfect as well, giving the whole thing a look a that it was early morning. 

“I-I can't... that's... how long was I asleep!?”

“Umm, heh, about an hour...” Easel chuckled, rubbing the back of his head with his hoof. “M-Maybe two. I don't know what came over me. I got the outline done so fast I thought I'd try some base colors. When I got that done, you didn't seem uncomfortable so I went ahead and did some shading and then-”

“And then you snored a little.” Nene said, cutting off Easel's nervous rambling. “You also mumbled something and that kinda clued us in that you were asleep.”

Rarity blushed deeply but her smiled didn't falter. The end results were well worth any embarrassment. Even-

'Oh heavens, how could I forget?' Rarity screamed mentally as she recalled wetting herself, 'At least now I can say it happened in my sleep but-... wait...' 

Looking back at her flank she flexed her legs out, the diaper crinkling rather than squishing. It was dry as a bone. 

“I... I didn't... was that part of the dream too?” She whispered to herself, almost unable to believe it.

“Sorry, didn't catch that. Is something wrong?” Easel asked as he gathered up his supplies to be cleaned. 

Rarity quickly turned back and shook her head. “Oh no, not at all darling. In fact, you could say everything is even better than I could have hoped for!” Unable to contain herself, Rarity rushed over and threw her hooves around the stallion. “Thank you ever so much! My parents are just going love that painting.”

His cheeks now a good three shades redder, Easel chuckled and gently returned the hug. “Well, I'm very happy that you're satisfied. Nene will ring you up in the shop but you might wanna take that stuff off first.”

“Oh, right!” Rarity chuckled as well, remembering what she was wearing. “A fabulous idea darling. Be right back.”

As Rarity rushed back into the laundry room, Nene looked up at Easel and whispered. “I think we're in the clear.”

Easel let out a long sigh of relief, nearly collapsing on the floor. “Thank Celestia for that. If she had woken up while we were changing her out of that wet diaper, who knows how she would have reacted.”

Nene nodded in agreement, “So, umm, is this one of those things we just pretend never happened?”

The art pony gave her a sly smile and ruffled her mane. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Heehee, that's what I thought.”

End