The next morning was pretty much the same routine as it had been since Scootaloo had first been regressed. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy woke up first, and a short time later, Scootaloo did too.
"Is it bad if I'm starting to get use to the concept of waking up every morning with a wet diaper?" Scootaloo thought to herself, as Rainbow Dash changed her into a clean diaper "It still feels uncomfortable, but it's just not starting to bug me as much. Heck, even messing my diaper in front of Diamond Tiara last night didn't feel as bad as it probably should've been. Am I just having it happen so often that it's no longer a big deal?"
"There we go, a nice clean diaper for our little foal." Rainbow Dash smiled, as she strapped up the new diaper and lifted Scootaloo off the changing table.
"Tank you mommy Wainbow Dash." Scootaloo said kindly.
"You're always welcome Scootaloo. I'm actually starting to not mind changing you so much." Rainbow Dash replied, as she brought Scootaloo downstairs "I still don't think it's my cup of tea, but it's actually not as bad as I use to think it was."
"Weawwy?" Scootaloo asked nervously.
"Of course. What's wrong Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash asked "You seem troubled. Is something on your mind?"
"It's noting, weawwy." Scootaloo lied.
"If there's something bugging you I wanna know. And I'm sure Fluttershy does too." Rainbow Dash said seriously.
"It's just, I can't hewp but feew wike using my diapee isn't becoming as much of an issue as it was when tis aww began." Scootaloo admitted.
"Well, you are still a foal. It's only natural that after a while using your diaper start becomes a habit." Fluttershy explained.
"But I dun' wanna stawt intentionawwy using my diapees," Scootaloo replied anxiously "I dun' wanna to soiwing mysewf and not minding it. But I feaw, that it's gonna happen to me. And I feew wike I couwd fowget all my memories fwom befowe I was wegessed."
"Even the bad memories?" Fluttershy asked.
Scootaloo nodded "I know my past wasn't aww that gweat, but I dun' wanna just fowget the few happy memowies tat I had. Those happy memowies awe what awwowed me to befweind Diamond Tiawa wast night. And I dun' wanna fowget about being a cutie mawk cwusadew, and making new fwiends."
"You won't forget your past Scootaloo." Rainbow Dash said, after a long silence.
"How do you know tat?" Scootaloo asked anxiously.
"Just the fact that you're still able to remember them, and don't want to forget them. It's obvious they still mean a lot to you." Rainbow Dash explained.
"But what about my mowe foawish antics? What about those?" Scootaloo asked.
"They'll probably still be present and will pop up from time to time." Fluttershy stated.
"But I won't have to wowwy about using my diapees on puwpose, wight?" Scootaloo nervously asked.
"Of course not. As long as part of you still doesn't want to do it, you won't." Fluttershy replied "Now please stop worrying and enjoy your breakfast."
"Okay mommy Fwuttewshy." Scootaloo smiled, and began to nurse from Fluttershy's teats. This was the one part about being a foal that she really didn't mind. For some reason, breast milk tasted better than anything she remembered having as a filly. Even the burping part afterward wasn't so bad.
"Hey Scootaloo, guess what?" Rainbow Dash asked when breakfast was finished.
"What?" Scootaloo replied.
"You're not gonna believe this, but Princess Celestia herself wants to see you! Apparently, somepony told her about what's happened to and she wants to see for herself." Rainbow Dash said, barely able to contain her excitement.
"So, I guess that means we're going to Canterlot?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yup, by royal escort no less!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly.
"I dun' suppose I couwd just say no wight?" Scootaloo asked sheepishly.
"What, are you worried that Princess Celestia is gonna see one of her subjects in a diaper? I'm sure she's seen plenty of foals by now." Rainbow Dash replied.
"Stiww, I just dun' wanna be seen in pubwic weawing a diapee. The woyal guawds wiww know, especiawwy that Fwash Sentwy stawwion that sticks out wike a sowe hoof." Scootaloo said with concern "He'ww pwobabwy waugh the hawdest of."
"He's not gonna laugh at you Scootaloo." Fluttershy stated.
"How do you know he won't?" Scootaloo asked.
"Because he's not gonna see your diaper, and neither is anypony else." Rainbow Dash explained.
"Of cowuse they'we gonna see me with a diapee! Are you bwind?!" Scootaloo shouted.
"No, I just happen to have something that I know you're going to like. It's a little something your auntie Rarity designed for you." Rainbow Dash said with a smile.
"Wait, you can't possibwy mean tat-" Scootaloo stated.
"Your Wonderbolts onesie is ready!" Fluttershy smiled, presenting the object to Scootaloo. Just like Rarity had promised, it was orange and the various members of the famous stunt flying team were printed all over it. And on top of that, it felt very soft.
"Tat was fast! Auntie Wawity must've wowked wewaay hawd to make it in such a showt amount of time." Scootaloo said, as she examined the object.
"Make sure to thank her for it the next you see her." Fluttershy reminded Scootaloo.
"I wiww." Scootaloo replied "So, when do we weave fow Cantewwot?"
"The letter said we need to be ready to go in an hour." Rainbow Dash explained "They're expecting us to meet up with your uncle Spike, and your aunts, at the crystal tree castle. They'll pick us up from there."
"Well, we'd better start packing for the trip. And I think it's best if we give Scootaloo a bath before we leave." Fluttershy suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea. You pack, and I'll take care of the bathing." Rainbow Dash replied.
"Are you sure, I can easily handle the bathing part." Fluttershy stated.
"Thanks for the offer, but I know what I'm doing. We agreed to take turns on everything, that includes giving our daughter a bath." Rainbow Dash explained.
"Well, if you're sure that's what you really want to do, I guess I'm okay with it." Fluttershy said, and kissed Rainbow Dash on the cheek.
"Sewiouswy, you'we kissing now of aww times?" Scootaloo asked.
"She has a point there. Our romance can wait. For now, we need to focus on what's important." Rainbow Dash said to Fluttershy, and flew upstairs to get the bath started.
An hour later, Scootaloo's new onesie had been put on. And just after she, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy had arrived at Twilight's castle, so did their escort.
"So, how do you like your new onesie so far Scootaloo?" Rarity asked.
"It's pewfect. It's as soft as my diapee, pewhaps even softew." Scootaloo replied.
"I'm glad to hear that." Rarity smiled "Let me know if there's anything else I can design for you."
"Tanks again fow designing it fow me Auntie Wawity." Scootaloo said honestly.
"It was nothing, I'm just happy that you're happy. Try your best to keep it clean." Rarity replied.
"I wiww." Scootaloo stated.
"It looks pretty good on you Scootaloo. And it makes you look even cuter than you did before." Pinkie Pie said with a smile.
"Tank you for the compwiment Auntie Pinkie." Scootaloo said cheerfully.
"Just doing what I can to make you smile. After all, that's what I do better than anypony else. Well, except maybe for Cheese Sandwich, but that's only because he's been at it for longer than I have. Hm, I wonder where he is right now, and if he's thinking of me." Pinkie Pie stated, a dreamy sigh escaping her lips.
"What was that last part again Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
"Oopsie! Uh nothing, nothing at all. Just, pretend you didn't hear that." Pinkie Pie said sheepishly. And fortunately, aside from a faint chuckle from Applejack, no one said anything. The rest of the trip passed in silence.
"I guess Pinkie Pie has feelings for Cheese Sandwich." Scootaloo thought to herself "Then again, it was kind of obvious that those two have a chemistry. I'm just wondering why Cheese Sandwich didn't stay in Ponyville after Rainbow Dash's birthaversery? And if he knows about what happened to Boneless?"
"We will be landing in Canterlot momentarily." one of the royal guards called out.
"Please make sure you have all your valueables with you when you depart, and watch your step." another royal guard added.
"Remember, just because this is a private meeting does not mean it's anything special. So don't be nervous." a third royal guard finished.
"Seems like a whole lot of hootin' and hollerin' for something so mundane." Applejack admitted, as the escort landed in Canterlot in front of the royal palace. Everyone quickly got off, and the royal guards went away.
"Well, no sense in just standing around here. We might as well go inside." Rainbow Dash said bluntly.
"For once, I agree with Rainbow Dash." Rarity said reluctantly "I just wonder why Princess Celestia is so interested in Scootaloo's regression."
"I have a feeling we're about to find out." Fluttershy said, somewhat nervously.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were waiting just on the other side of the doors, when Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and the others arrived.
"Hello again to all of you. Luna and I are glad you all could come on such short notice." Princess Celestia greeted warmly.
"Rest assured that although they could not come down from The Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor are aware of why we called you all here today." Princess Luna added.
"So, what is your reason? It must be important." Spike said, looking around.
"Hey, where's Discord?" Fluttershy asked "I haven't seen him since the day he learned that Rainbow Dash and I were a couple. He said he was going to move to Canterlot for a while."
"He's probably off bothering Prince Blueblood or some other pompish noble. I wouldn't put it past him." Rarity guessed.
"Does Discord know about what's happened to Scootaloo?" Twilight asked.
"Indeed he does. In fact, he was the one who broke the news to me. And I must say, it came as a shock when he did." Princess Celestia explained.
"That's putting it lightly sister. You literally spat out your tea and sprayed it all over him when he told." Princess Luna stated.
"Really? I wish I could've seen that." Rainbow Dash chuckled.
"So, if he knows, then why isn't he here right now? It can't just be because I broke his heart. Right?" Fluttershy asked, feeling rather guilty. Discord had taken the news of her engagement to Rainbow Dash quite harshly. Fluttershy had been quite surprised to see him actually shed tears, something she knew he didn't do very often. Since that day, Discord had only sent her one letter, saying that he intended to stay in Canterlot while he tried to pull himself back together.
"While his recent 'emotional trouble' as he put it is partially to blame for his absence, the bigger reason is because 'Foals are chaotic enough without me. They don't need my help to see how much fun chaos can be.' Or at least, that's what he told me." Princess Celestia explained.
"But Discord's 'temporary disappearance' is not what we invited you here to discuss." Princess Luna said seriously.
"I thought you just wanted to see me wike dis, because you wanted to make suwe mommy Wainbow Dash and mommy Fwuttewshy wewe taking good cawe of me?" Scootaloo asked.
"I'm afraid that is only half true." Princess Celestia confessed.
"Wha... what do you mean?" Scootaloo asked nervously "Is thewe someting wwong with me?"
Princess Luna looked at Princess Celestia, then at Scootaloo "Perhaps there is, and perhaps there isn't. It all depends on one thing." she said ominously.
"And tat wouwd be what?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well, do you remember when I first appeared in your dreams?" Princess Luna asked.
"I wemembew. I wemembew tat being when you towd me tat as Pwincess of The Night it was youw duty to come into my dweams." Scootaloo replied.
"Good, you still remember. Unfortunately, that only means that what I feared is true." Princess Luna said glumly.
"You know, now tat I tink about it, why didn't you appeaw in my nightmawe 3 nights ago? I weawwy couwd've used youw hewp back then, considewing what I had to enduwe." Scootaloo asked.
"I wish I knew the answer to that question myself Scootaloo, but I'm afraid I do not know." Princess Luna replied "The instant I sensed that your dream was turning into a nightmare, I tried to enter it. I should've been able to stay in your dream for at least a minute."
"Why onwy a minute?" Scootaloo asked.
"The imagination of a foal is incredibly vivid, even while asleep. And it is constantly changing. To stay in it for more than a minute takes a lot more energy than it does to stay in the dreams of a filly or colt. Such a thing can be incredibly dangerous, so I cannot do it often." Princess Luna explained.
"But it appears that, Luna was not able to even enter your dreams, even when she was using as much of her power as she possibly could." Princess Celestia finished "Soon, she found out why."
"It seems that your regression, although physical, has not completely taken over your mind." Princess Luna stated seriously "Half of it still retains the mentality of a school aged filly. The other half, however, has the mentality of a foal. And those two halves have been struggling to co-exist in peace. That struggle is what has prevented me from appearing in, or keeping watch over, your dreams. I do not know why that is so, and my sister and I called you here in the hopes that we might discover the answer."
"I think I might have it, though I don't think you're going to like what you hear." Twilight said grimly.
"By all means Twilight, enlighten us." Princess Celestia encouraged.
Twilight sighed "Very well. As I'm sure you know from the letter I sent, I was the one who provided Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy with the means by which Scootaloo was regressed."
"We remember. You told us that you had given them a potion which turned Scootaloo into a foal. What does that have to do with Scootaloo's state of mind?" Princess Luna asked.
"Yeah, spit it out already egghead! You gave us that potion, and you said it wouldn't hurt Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash said seriously.
"Well, I intended for the potion to regress Scootaloo physically AND mentally." Twilight explained "And by all accounts, it should have done exactly that. It was actually based off of a spell that existed as a type of punishment in ancient times. Princess Celestia had the spell declared illegal and immoral upon her ascension to the throne, claiming that it was wrong to erase a pony's mind. Regardless of the circumstances under which it could be useful."
"So you gave us something that was ILLEGAL?!" Fluttershy asked crossly.
"The spell I used was a modification of the original, so it wasn't illegal." Twilight stated.
"But why didn't it work?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I don't know the answer to that unfortunately." Twilight admitted "I've gone over all my notes, and I didn't make any mistakes. I didn't substitute any ingredients, I didn't heat it up to the wrong temperature, and I certainly didn't misread any information that I was looking over when making the potion. Despite all of those things, it's obvious that the potion didn't work as I had intended it to."
"So, what does this mean? Does that mean I couwd wake up one day and suddenwy wose aww my memories of my past wife?" Scootaloo asked frantically.
"At this point, I can say with almost 100% certainty that, a delayed reaction is out of the question. Your memories are safe." Twilight admitted "In the worst case scenario, the foalish part of your mind might try to take over. If that happens, I should be able to whip up a potion that will 'restore the status quo' or revert your mind back to how it was as a result of the last potion."
"Are you sure that you're not just guessing on that?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I have no way to know for certain that anything I try will work. Even if Scootaloo wanted to be turned back into a filly, I wouldn't be able to promise that I could make a potion that will do just that." Twilight explained "Alternatively, if you decide not to trust me and let whatever happens happen, I will understand. I let you all down with this failure."
"But if it wewen't fow you'we faiwuwe, I'd have nevew made fwiends with Diamond Tiara. She'd onwy have Siwver Spoon as a fwiend." Scootaloo said honestly "And Pound and Pumpkin Cake wouwdn't have anypony theiw own age to pway with. Not to mention, Auntie Wawity wouwdn't have a weawiabwe foaw modew to wowk with. So, youw faiwuwe acutawwy wowked out fow the bettew."
"Really? You're not mad at me even after what I tried to do?" Twilight asked.
"I am a wittwe, but I know you wewe onwy twying to hewp me." Scootaloo explained "Just do me a favow?"
"What's that Scootaloo?" Twilight asked nervously.
"Pwease dun' twy to make a potion that wegesses a pony in both body and mind. It's just not wight." Scootaloo said seriously "In the wwong hooves, it couwd be vewy dangewous."
"I couldn't have put it better myself." Princess Celestia commented "Seeing as the potion did not work as you intended, I will let you off with a warning Twilight. But if you should even 'think' about trying to continue experimenting with regression, please run it by Luna or I first. I made that spell illegal long ago for a very good reason, and the last thing I need is a kingdom at risk of mental regression."
"I understand Princess Celestia. I'm sorry that I didn't consult you on the matter when I was working on the first potion." Twilight apologized.
"It's alright Twilight, we have all made mistakes. Some, worse than others." Princess Celestia admitted "That being said, it was nice to see the now youngest subject of my kingdom come to me. I have actually longed to have a child of my own, but alas, my responsibilities to this country have made such a desire impossible."
"Hey, dun get any ideas about me!" Scootaloo protested.
"Relax Scootaloo, I would never dare kidnap a foal. Not even if by doing so I could give the foal a better life." Princess Celestia replied.
"I knew you wewe just joking." Scootaloo admitted.
"Well, this has been a very enjoyable visit, but I think we should be going home now." Fluttershy said "It's almost time for little Scootaloo's nap."
"Ah, but I'm not twied yet mommy Fwuttewshy." Scootaloo said with a yawn, as she, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and the others left the palace.