Rarity eagerly hummed a cheerful little ditty to herself, as she made the final arrangements necessary to convert her guest bedroom into a temporary nursery. She was going to need it if Sweetie Belle’s friends were going to be coming over for a play date, while their parents ran a few errands.
“It’s so wonderful to see my baby sister making friends at such a young age. It reminds me of the many adventures I had with my foalhood friends, when we were with Luna.” Rarity remembered, as she finished assembling the last of the cribs. She carefully tapped the wood with a hoof, to make sure the construction was sturdy and wouldn’t fall apart. Nothing happened, the crib was ready.
“Alright, let’s see if I have everything I need for the nursery:” Rarity said to herself, and started a mental checklist. “First up, cribs,” the young fashionista counted each of the cribs resting next to each other in a corner of the room. There were five of them, one for Sweetie Belle and each of her friends, and each crib had been made with a specific occupant in mind. “Changing table,” Rarity asked herself, as she eyed the magnificent padded structure at the opposite end of the bedroom. The soft-green mat neatly complimented the wooden, multi-cabinet structure. Pulling the cabinets open, Rarity saw that they were stacked with all the necessary changing supplies: wipes, foal powder, rash cream, and of course diapers. “Last but not least, playpen.” Rarity went on, as she walked over to the structure that was alternating shades of baby blue and baby pink in color.
There, sitting amongst the various toys and rattles, was Rarity’s ever so adorable baby sister, appropriately named Sweetie Belle. She had the same white coat as her big sister, but her eyes were an innocent light-grayish-green, and her mane and tail were split down the middle with the left side being light pink in color, and the other being a darker purple in color. “Waity!” she greeted, looking at up her big sister.
“Hello, Sweetie Belle. Are you enjoying your new playpen?” Rarity asked, lightly patting her sister on the head.
“I am, yow ta best big sistew evew!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed in her babyish tones.
“Ah, I’m flattered you think so highly of me,” Rarity cooed. “It’s always a pleasure to have you around, even if you can sometimes be a hoofful.”
“Tanks fow wetting my fwiends come ovew, we gonna have so much fun!” Sweetie squealed happily.
“I’m sure you will.” Rarity smiled, fondly remembering her own adventures as a toddler. In particular, she was remembering the occasion where her friend Rainbow Dash had tried to prove she could be potty trained faster than anypony else, and fell into the toilet. That particular experience was one that Rarity and her friends still occasionally brought up, even now.
“Uh, Wawity.” Sweetie nervously called, snapping her big sister out of her daydream.
“What is it, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity asked.
Sweetie blushed and pointed to her diaper, a noticeable damp spot had appeared on the front. “I made a pee-pee.”
“Oh my, and your friends are going to be here any minute too,” Rarity remarked, sighing a bit. Despite her sister being almost two and a half years old, their parents didn’t think Sweetie was ready for potty training just yet. Rarity disagreed, but then again she had been potty trained earlier than most ponies. Gently enveloping her baby sister in the soft glow of her horn, Rarity lifted Sweetie out of the playpen, and carried her to the changing table. “We’d better get you changed before they arrive.”
“I’m weawwy sowwy, Wawity.” Sweetie apologized, while being transported.
“Nonsense, Sweetie Belle, darling,” Rarity cooed, as she laid her little sister on the changing table’s padded surface. “Everypony has accidents. At least you didn’t do the other thing.” With that final sentence, Rarity set to work on changing her sister’s soggy diaper.
Meanwhile, one of Sweetie Belle’s friends was being accompanied to Carousel Boutique by her mom. It was Sweetie Belle’s first and closest friend, Scootaloo.
“But Mommy, I wanna use da potty!” Scootaloo complained to her mother, Dizzy Twister, as her dirty diaper was being changed.
Dizzy Twister just smiled and shook her head. “Now my little Scootaloo, we’ve been over this before. I know you think you’re old enough to learn how to use the bathroom, but you’re just not ready yet.”
“You awways say that!” Scootaloo protested. “I’m weady to weawn, but you won’t wet me do it! I’m sick of doing numbew one and numbew two in my diapees!”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Scootaloo,” Dizzy Twister cooed, as she completed the changing process and placed the old diaper into a bag for disposal later. “You’re only a baby once, you should enjoy your foalhood while you still can. Once you start potty training, your foalhood will start to come to an end.”
“I dun cawe! I stiww want to be a foww, I just dun wanna use my diapees!” Scootaloo complained, then she put on her best pair of puppy dog eyes as she asked her mother. “Can I pwease stawt weawning how to use da potty? It doesn’t even have to be the big potty you caww a toiwet.”
“I’ll tell you what, my little pony,” Dizzy Twister said sweetly, as she washed her hooves with a bottle of hoof sanitizer. “If you behave yourself at Rarity’s, we can start potty training you as soon you come home. How does that sound?”
“Do ya ‘Pinkie Pwomise’?” Scootaloo asked her mother. Her mother made promises all the time, and didn’t have the best track record for keeping them. But a ‘Pinkie Promise’ was never broken. Even under fear of death.
“What is a ‘Pinkie Promise’?” Dizzy Twister asked her daughter, having never heard of such a thing.
Scootaloo eagerly nodded. “Oh, it goes wike dis: ‘Cwoss my hewat and hope to fwy, stick a cupcake in my eye’-ow!” Scootaloo winced, in her attempt to repeat the motions for the promise, she’d unintentionally poked herself in the eye with a hoof.
“Are you okay, Scootaloo?” Dizzy Twister spoke with concern, stroking her daughter’s mane.
“I fwine, tat wasn’t the fwist time I’ve done dat,” Scootaloo replied, reassuringly. “So, will ya ‘Pinkie Pwomise’ we can stawt potty twaining when I come back fwom the pway date?”
“Sure, but only if you behave yourself,” Dizzy Twister vowed, then repeated the motions she’d seen her daughter make, even the painful part, as she said: “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye-ow!” Compared to her daughter, Dizzy Twister had intentionally poked herself in the eye, eliciting a few giggles from her amused foal.
“Otay, I’ww howd you to it. So dun twy to get ou of it!” Scootaloo declared, as she was scooped up and placed in the foal pouch her mother had strapped over her wings.
“Ding-dong!” went the doorbell, announcing the arrival of another guest at Carousel Boutique’s front door. With a smile on her face, Rarity trotted to the front door and opened it. In strolled Dizzy Twister and her daughter, Scootaloo. “Hello, Miss. Twister, thanks for bringing Scootaloo over. It means so much to Sweetie Belle.” Rarity greeted.
“Don’t mention it, Rarity,” Dizzy Twister smiled in response. “Scootaloo wouldn’t have missed out on this play date for the whole wide world of Equestria. Isn’t that right, my little future Wonderbolt?”
“Tat’s wight! I can wait to see Sweetie Bewwe and the west of my fwiends!” Scootaloo cheered, eagerly buzzing her small wings as she was lifted out of the foal pouch.
“Now, Rarity, are you absolutely sure you can handle looking after Scootaloo and four other foals?” Dizzy Twister asked anxiously, holding her daughter in her hooves. “It’s a very big responsibility, after all.”
“I understand your concern, Mrs. Twister, but I wouldn’t take on this responsibility if I didn’t think I could handle it,” Rarity replied, using her magic to carefully tug Scootaloo away from her mother. “Scootaloo will be no trouble at all. Isn’t that right, darling?” Scootaloo didn’t respond. Although she liked Rarity, she also found Sweetie’s big sister to be a little on the annoying side.
“Just promise me you’ll keep an eye on her. She’s mostly outgrown her flying surges, but she can still occasionally lift herself off the ground if she tries hard enough.” Dizzy Twister cautioned the unicorn babysitter.
“That won’t be a problem, from here on out my boutique is strictly a no-flying and no-magic zone, except for myself of course,” Rarity chuckled, prompting Scootaloo to roll her eyes. “You take care of your errands, and I’ll take care of Scootaloo.”
“Alright then, I’ll be back later,” Dizzy Twister informed Rarity, then another thought crossed her mind. "Oh, and one more thing. Make sure Scootaloo stays out of the bathroom, she’s not quite ready for potty training just yet.”
“Then she’ll fit right in with the rest of her friends, they’re all still in diapers as well.” Rarity replied, though in her head she was thinking to herself. “How I wish at least one of them was ready, diaper changing is the one part of foal sitting I always dread. So uncouth!” Still, she wasn’t going to disrespect the wishes of the foals’ parents, and not one of them had given Rarity permission to potty train their child.
“Good. It warms my heart to know Scootaloo has some friends in her age group. Friendship truly is a magical thing,” Dizzy Twister said with a motherly smile, and after giving Rarity Scootaloo’s diaper bag, she made her way to the front door. “Goodbye, Scootaloo. Be nice to Miss. Rarity.”
“Don’t worry, she will,” Rarity called, and held Scootaloo up with her magic as she cooed at the foal. “Wave goodbye to your mother, Scootaloo.”
“Goodbye, Mommy, see you watew.” Scootaloo said, waving a hoof at her mother.
“See you later too, my sweet little angel.” Dizzy Twister called, waving back. A few seconds later, she had trotted outside and slowly made her way back up the path.
“Okay, Scootaloo, let’s go and see your friends. I know they’ll be happy you’re here.” Rarity lovingly cooed, as she grabbed Scootaloo’s diaper bag with her magic, while still holding up Scootaloo herself.
“There’s no point in asking Rarity if she’ll potty train me, I know she’ll say no too,” Scootaloo thought, as she was gently carried upstairs to the guest bedroom. “There’s also no way I’m waiting for Mommy to start teaching me, that'll be ages from now. I’ll just have to do it myself, somehow.” But she didn’t quite know how just yet.
“Ah, here we are,” Rarity called, snapping Scootaloo out of her internal deliberations. Carrying the orange coated foal into the guest bedroom, the unicorn smiled. “All of your friends are already here, they’ve been waiting anxiously for you to arrive. Sweetie Belle especially,” and with that, Rarity carefully lowered Scootaloo into the playpen. “Here she is, everypony say hi to Scootaloo!” Rarity announced.
Four foals came crawling up to Scootaloo, all of them instantly recognizable to her. The white coated one was Sweetie Belle, the yellow coated one was Apple Bloom, the pink coated one was Diamond Tiara, and the silver coated was one was, fittingly enough, Silver Spoon. Sweetie Belle was the first in the group to speak up. “Hi, Scootawoo, I’m so gwad you couwd make it! We gonna have so much fun!”
Apple Bloom raised her voice next. “Hey thewe, Scootawoo, wong time no see. How’s wife tweatin' ya?”
“Wife’s fine, I guess,” Scootaloo shrugged in a neutral way. “Mommy woves to spend time with me, especiwway since Daddy’s awways wowking wate. But he stiww spends time with me, when he can.”
“You’we wucky, Scootawoo,” Diamond Tiara grumbled in annoyance. “Even though Daddy woves me, I tink he woves his job even mowe. Mommy’s awways eithew with him, ow pwacing big demands on me, tank goodness Daddy and Wandowph awe thewe to wein hew in if she goes too faw.”
“Yeah, youw mommy’s not vewy nice. She’s a weaw butt head.” Scootaloo replied, giggling a bit at her funny remark.
“Good to see you again, Scootawoo,” Silver Spoon greeted the foal, and took note of the diaper Scootaloo was wearing. It had cloud prints on it, and Wonderbolt style sticky tapes. “Tat’s a nice diapee you got thewe, Mommy and Daddy awways buy me the pwain white ones.”
“So awe none of yous potty twained yet?” Scootaloo asked in a soft tone.
Her friends all shook their heads. “Why, awe you?” Apple Bloom wondered the same thing.
Scootaloo shook her head. “Mommy won’t wet me yet, she says I’m not weady,” then she whispered. “But she doesn know my pwan.”
“And what is your plan, Scootaloo?” Rarity inquired, casting a suspicious eye at her friend.
Suspiciously, Scootaloo spat out her answer. “Oh, noting. Noting at aww, just a joke.”
“You absolutely sure about that, darling?” Rarity replied, appearing to glare at Scootaloo. “If there’s something you’re trying to hide from me, don’t bother.”
“I sweaw, it’s noting. I dun have any pwans, I’m just a baby. What couwd I possibwy be pwanning?” Scootaloo answered, trying to appear innocent.
For a moment, Rarity continued to look at Scootaloo, as if she suspected the pegasus wasn’t being completely honest with her. But at last, she relaxed her expression as she sweetly said. “Well, I hope you’re telling me the truth, Scootaloo. I don’t want any problems.”
“Dun wowwy, I sweaw I’ww behave. I pwomised my mommy.” Scootaloo vowed.
“Then I trust you’ll have no problems keeping your promise, am I right?” Rarity asked Scootaloo, with a modicum of sternness.
“Uh-huh.” Scootaloo nodded in response.
“And what about the rest of you?” Rarity asked the other foals, wanting them to follow Scootaloo’s example. “Are you going to behave for me today?”
“Yeah.” Every youngster present answered simultaneously.
Rarity smiled, her heart practically melting at the sight of the five adorable little foals she’d been tasked with looking after for the next few hours behaving so cutely. “I sure hope you will, because Auntie Rarity will have ways of knowing if you misbehave,” she said with a knowing yet friendly wink. “Now then, is anypony hungry?”
Sweetie Belle’s hoof shot up in an instant, her tummy had been growling quite loudly for sometime now. “I am!” she said eagerly.
“Me too!” Apple Bloom was equally peckish.
“Me thwee!” Scootaloo also decided it was time for nourishment. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon did so as well (though Diamond raised her hoof very reluctantly, as if embarrassed to admit she was hungry).
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing it’s just about lunch time,” Rarity cooed lovingly, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Just stay there, my sweet little angels. Auntie Rarity will be back shortly with the foal pouch.” After making sure the foals were safe and secure, she dashed out of the nursery, closing the door behind her firmly.
This gave Scootaloo the chance she needed to confess to her friends about something. “Can you keep a secwet?” she asked them, somewhat hesitantly.
“Absowutewy, Cwusadews honow!” Apple Bloom vowed. Alongside Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, she had formed an honorary club known as The Cutie Mark Crusaders, and after some convincing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were allowed to join as well. “Wha is it?”
Scootaloo looked all around, afraid she might be overheard. When she was certain the coast was clear, she leaned towards her friends and whispered. “I wewaay wanna weawn how to use da potty, bu my mommy wun wet me. She says we can stawt twaining when she comes back fwom hew ewwands, but I dun wanna wait tat wong. I know I’m weady!”
“So whadya do you wan us to do abou it?” Diamond asked, secretly a bit jealous that one of her friends was mature enough to start potty training before her. “You shouwd be wucky you can stiww stay in diapees. If it wewen’t fow Daddy and Wandowph, Mommy wouwd’ve awweady potty twained me. She stiww vows tat someday soon, she’s gonna make me sit on da potty tiw I go, no mattew how wong tat takes.”
“Yeah, why not enjoy the time in diapees that you stiww have?” Sweetie Belle wondered why her friend had to rush things. “Once you’we potty twained, you have to weave tem behind. And they’we pwetty comfy.”
“I been in diapees wong enough!” Scootaloo insisted, determined not to change her mind. “Today’s the day I finawwy take tat fwist step to geing ou of tem! I was hoping you gwiws couwd hewp me ou, bu I guess I just have to do it mysewf!”
Scootaloo’s friends briefly huddled with each other in a corner of the playpen, as if debating whether or not to help their friend go through with this crazy desire. Diamond Tiara was the first to turn around, and seemed to speak for the group. “If you weawwy tat sewious about using da potty, I guess we can hewp you ou.”
“Thewe’s jus one pwobwem though,” Sweetie admitted, with a slight blush. “I dun have a potty of my own yet.”
“Oh, tat’s not gonna be a pwobwem, cause I’m gonna use da big potty. You know, the one the gwonups caww ‘Da Toiwet’,” Scootaloo boasted, prompting several gasps from her friends. “Wha? I big enough fow it, just bawewy.”
Before anypony could say anything in protest, the doorknob to the nursery began to turn. “It’s Wawity!” Sweetie panicked a little. “We’ww hav to discuss tis watew.”
Just seconds after the five foals had clammed up, Rarity came trotting into the nursery with a pouch big enough to hold all of her young charges. “Okay, sweeties, time for num-nums.” she cooed, as she placed each of them into one of the pouch’s many compartments, starting with her little sister.
Lunch time was a largely uneventful affair for all involved, even for Silver Spoon who was usually a very picky eater.
Rarity spent the next half hour with the foals, alternating between playing with them, and watching over them as they interacted with each other. She had to admit, they were oh-so-adorable. Especially when they worked together to present Rarity with a crudely drawn picture of her in crayon, with the words “Best Foawsittew Evew” written underneath.
“Thank you very much, darlings,” Rarity exclaimed, happily accepting the portrait. “I’ve got just the place for this on my refrigerator downstairs!”
“We so gwad you wike it, Wawity! We wowked weawwy hawd on it!” Silver Spoon seemed proud of her work. “It was my idea to dwaw a pictuwe of you!”
“Bu it was my idea to wite the wowds on it!” Diamond Tiara boasted, she wanted equal credit.
“Well, regardless of who’s idea it was, thank you,” Rarity smiled, carefully storing the drawing away for public display later. Just then, the clock struck the hour mark. “Goodness, is it that late already?” the young unicorn asked herself. “Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun.”
“You dun mean-” Apple Bloom began, afraid that she knew what was coming next.
“I’m afraid so my dears,” Rarity replied, adopting a more serious tone. “It’s nap time, and you know what that means.”
All the foals gathered around instantly let out a mutual groan, they hated nap time!
“Bu Wawity, we nu tiwed.” Sweetie complained, as she and all of her friends were unceremoniously scooped up, and deposited inside their designated cribs.
“Oh I’m sure you are, you just don’t realize it yet,” Rarity said softly, as she tucked each of the foals in one by one. “Besides, I have some dresses that need to get done, and this is the perfect time for me to work on them without interruption.”
“Bu Wawity-” Diamond pleaded in vain with her foalsitter.
“It’s not up for discussion, all good foals need their naps. Otherwise they get cranky, and nopony likes a cranky foal,” Rarity rebuked their whining, then added as a little incentive. “Tell you what, sweeties. If you all agree to take your naps like good little darlings, I’ll take you out for ice cream when you wake up, how does that sound?”
“You weawwy mean it?!” the foals exclaimed with joy, to which Rarity happily nodded. This prompted them to shout. “Yay, ice cweam!”
“Bu wha if we need someting fwom you whiwe you’w in youw shop? Wike a paciy, ow a baba, ow a changie?” Silver asked nervously, concerned about the possibility of requiring something and Rarity not being there to retrieve it for her. It didn’t help that the silver coated foal didn’t have a stuffed animal to cuddle up with for security, like she did at home.
“Don’t worry, I happened to anticipate such a problem, and I’ve already come up with a solution.” Rarity told Silver, pulling out a small, white-colored device with a long, stick shaped object pointed upwards. Placing the object on a small table near the cribs, Rarity fiddled with the item for a bit, before a faint crackling sound could be heard.
“Whas tat?” all the foals asked (except for Sweetie, who was all-too-familiar with the object’s function).
“This is a baby monitor,” Rarity explained, pointing to the device. “If you little ones need anything, just call into the monitor. I’ll have another one in my workshop, so I’ll be able to hear you instantly. But please know that it is NOT a toy, it’s only if you need something important, like a change or a pacifier. Understand?” The foals all nodded in unison. “Very well then, sweet dreams my little ponies.” Rarity sweetly cooed, kissing them all on their foreheads, before she switched off the light and gently shut the nursery door.
Scootaloo closed her eyes, convinced that her current situation was futile. As much as she may have wanted to come up with a cunning plan to learn how to use the toilet, she was thoroughly convinced there was no possible escape route without Rarity finding out about it.
The orange coated pegasus foal was about to find out how wrong she was.
“Hey, Scootawoo. You asweep?” Sweetie Belle whispered amidst the darkness of the nursery.
“Nah, how can I faww asweep if I nu twied?” Scootaloo complained, tossing and turning in her crib.
“Ssh, keep it down, tat ting Wawity weft by ouw cwibs wiww heaw us if we dun tawk mowe quietwy,” Sweetie whispered in response, then she asked. “You stiww wanna weawn how to use da toiwet, wight?”
“Absowutewy,” Scootaloo nodded, and tried to keep her voice down too. “Why you ask?”
“We gonna hewp you do it, aww of us.” Apple Bloom continued the tradition of speaking quietly.
“Weawwy?” Scootaloo wondered, hoping beyond hope that this wasn’t a dream. It all felt so real, but then so did every dream she’d ever had.
“Yeah, unwess you too chicken.” Diamond Tiara taunted her friend.
“Nopony cawws me chicken,” Scootaloo angrily replied, barely able to keep her voice to a lower volume. “But how we gonna sneak ou withou Wawity knowing?”
“Just weave tat to me,” Sweetie smirked, a scheme forming in her head. “As fow the west of you, the baws on the side of the cwib can disappeaw with ta push of a button. I snuck out of my cwib befowe, so I fwee aww of you.” She did just that, taking full advantage of a secret that Rarity was unaware of. Once free from her soft prison, Sweetie quickly let out the rest of her friends, covering their landings with soft pillows (this also ensured they didn’t make any noise that Rarity might pick up on the monitor, they had no idea they could simply turn off the device).
“Otay, we fwee. Now wha?” Silver whispered urgently to Sweetie. “As soon as we weave tis pwace, Wawity wiww notice and come wunning.”
Sweetie responded by crawling over to her overflowing toy chest. Hidden behind it, amidst a bunch of stuffed animals, was a small record player. Sweetie chuckled. “I wecowded ta sound of me sweeping on tis disc. Wawity wiww nevew know, as wong as we come back befowe she finishes hew dwessmaking.” After carefully pushing the recording device into position, Sweetie placed the disc onto it, and turned on the player. Soon, the recorded sound of Sweetie’s snores could be heard echoing throughout the entire nursery.
“Otay, tat takes cwae of tat, but wha about da doow?” Scootaloo inquired, while trying to keep her voice down.
“Why da you tink I bwought my bwankie with me?” Apple Bloom responded, showing off her initative. “I did dis once when Gwanny was foawsitting me, she nevew expected it. I just need anothew bwankie.”
“You can use mine,” Silver offered generously, giving Apple Bloom her baby pink blanket. “It totawy cwashes with my coat.” Apple Bloom gratefully accepted the soft item, and combined it with her pink blanket. She then threw the combined creation at the door handle, and the blanket snagged easily! Then, with the slightest effort, the knob creaked and the door opened ever-so-slightly.
The five foals slipped through the tiny opening, making sure to leave it in place so they could easily creep back into the nursery later on. Once out in the hall, Sweetie led them all the way down to the other side, where the bathroom awaited.
The door there was locked too, and required the foals to stack themselves on top of each other. Scootaloo went last, and with a great amount of straining, she managed to buzz her wings with just enough extra altitude to grab the knob and gain access to the room.
“Otay, Scootawoo, or shouwd I say, Scootapoo,” Diamond teased with a playground mentality. “You weady to weawn how to use da toiwet? Is not too wate to back ou you know.”
But Scootaloo was never one to quit. “I’m weady awwight, today’s the day I been waiting fow fow a wong time!” she proclaimed, and eagerly marched into the bathroom ahead of her friends.
“Cutie Mawk Cwusadews Potty Twaining Teachews, Yay!” Scootaloo’s friends cheered, as they quickly followed their friend inside.
“Uh, yay?” Scootaloo replied, as she headed towards the toilet. She was glad her friends wanted to help her start potty training, and that they were okay with her using the toilet. But the previous “Crusader Adventures” had usually ended in disaster, and the last thing Scootaloo wanted was for this secret trip to the bathroom to be another one of those potential catastrophes.
Despite three of them being earth ponies and having occasional bouts of physical strength that far exceeded what was thought possible, it still took the combined rigour of all five foals to lift the toilet lid. Once it was up, Scootaloo immediately fumbled with the sticky tapes on her diaper, dropping it to her knees.
After pushing a step-stool close to the edge of the toilet, Scootaloo turned to her junior partners in crime and said with trepidation. “Weww, wish me wuck. I’m gonna do it!”
“Just be cawefuw not to faww in, thewe’s a monstew tat eats foaws wiving in thewe!” Sweetie Belle called out, remembering a story she’d heard once. “If you faww in, you’we a gonew!”
“Dun wowwy, I wun faww in,” Scootaloo promised, as she ascended the steps and slowly positioned herself in the correct spot. In her mind, however, she was worried. “Mommy and Daddy say there’s no such thing as monsters, but what if Sweetie Belle’s right? What if there really is a vicious monster living in the toilet, and it eats foals if they fall in?” she pondered, not daring to look down into the depths. “Otay, now wha?” she asked her friends, as she carefully sat on the seat with her back legs just dangling off the edge.
“You just do wha you do in youw diapee of couwse.” Silver Spoon spoke up, helpfully.
“Tat may take a whiwe, I dun have to go wight now.” Scootaloo complained, more disappointed than ever that she’d been changed by Rarity, shortly before being set down for her now cancelled nap.
Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon groaned together impatiently. Sweetie was more optimistic, however. “Tat’s otay, we can wait.”
“Bu jus sitwing on da toiwet untiw I go is bowing!” Scootaloo grunted. “I nee someting to pass ta time.”
“How ‘bout a stowy?” Apple Bloom suggested all of a sudden. “A stowy awways hewps pass ta time fow anyting.”
“A stowy sounds good, wha kind of stowies do you have?” Scootaloo asked Sweetie, curiously.
“I tink I ovewheawd Wawity tawking about a book cawwed ‘Evewypony Poops’, and how she was gonna wead it to me when I was owd enough fow potty twaining.” Sweetie recalled her sister’s words.
Scootaloo groaned and shook her head in frustration. “Tat book is fow babies!”
“Weww you awe a baby.” Silver pointed out, putting a hoof to her face.
“I meant weawwy dum babies, not babies wike me ow you gwiws,” Scootaloo rolled her eyes at her friend. “I wan someting mowe intewesting.”
That comment prompted Diamond to smirk, a quite naughty idea had formed in her head. “Oh, you wanna a stowy, Scootawoo? I’ww give you a stowy!” she piped up, all the while not-so-discreetly pushing a separate stool close to the toilet. “Is cawwed ‘The Wegend of Ta Potty Monstew’, and it featuwes a pegasus not unwike youwsewf, who was in a bathwoom just wike dis one. She was just sitwing on da toiwet, minding hew own business, tinking tat noting couwd possibwy go wong. And did I mention tat dis pegasus was awso a foaw abou youw age, going thwough potty twaining?”
“Whewe awe you going with tis?” Scootaloo reluctantly asked, despite how much of an unsettling vibe she was getting from the complex narrative so far.
“Oh twust me, I’m just geting to da good part,” Diamond grinned a bit evilly, as she continued the story. “So the foaw was sitwing on da toiwet, waiting untiw she had to go. Bu she was aww awone, she had no fwiends and no famiwy watching ovew hew. She insisted she was owd enough to go potty aww by hewsewf, then it happened.”
“Why am I getting such a bad feeling from this story, like I won’t enjoy where it’s going?” Scootaloo thought to herself, but like a sap she still had to ask: “So wha happened?
“Oh, do you wan to know?” Diamond asked, the malicious smile on her face growing wider and wider, and making Scootaloo more and more uncomfortable.
“Yes, I tink so.” Scootaloo nodded, with slight reservations..
“Do you weawwy wan to know?” Diamond inquired again, her smile now almost taking up all of her face.
“Didn I just say yes?!” Scootaloo angrily replied, wanting her to reach the conclusion of the tale.
“You absowutewy positivewy one hundewd pwecent swue you wan to know? It ain pwetty.” Diamond asked yet again, her lips straining to hold the massive grin which had now engulfed the rest of her features.
“Yes, I’m totawwy suwe, now just teww me aweady!” Scootaloo was fed up with waiting. “We dun have aww day ya know!”
“Otay, but dun say I didn wawn you,” Diamond said, as her face returned to normal and she appeared to suppress a slight chuckle. “The foaw feww into the toiwet.” she informed her avid listener.
“Is tat it, that dun sound so bad.” Scootaloo replied, feeling a bit let down at the anticlimatic ending.
“Oh, the stowy doesn end thewe,” Diamond ominously continued speaking in a creepy drawl. “Fow you see, as soon as she feww in, tat’s when ta wowst possibwe ting that couwd’ve happened, happened.”
“Wha do you mean?” Scootaloo asked innocently, not suspecting what was to follow (despite Diamond pushing her stool so close to the toilet that she could climb up on the seat if she so desired).
“Da Potty Monstew stuck, gobbwing up the foaw with a woud fwush!” Diamond announced dramatically, waving her hooves in the air. “Da foaw twied to fwy out and escape, but hew wings wewen’t stwong enough. She twied to caww fow hewp, bu the fwushing downed ou hew cwies, as she was sucked down the dwain and into the waiting jaws of Da Potty Monstew! She was nevew seen or hewad fwom again! They say Da Potty Monstew stiww wiwes, gobbwing up foaws unwucky enough to faww into a toiwet it wives in. Fow he fwushes them away and gobbwes tem up. And they got wost, fowevew!” To add emphasis to her words, Tiara proceeded to jump up and grab the toilet handle, forcing it down. A loud roar soon followed that resulted in the flushing of the toilet.
Scootawoo nearly jumped right off the seat in surprise at the sudden noise, which prompted her pink so-called ‘friend’ to laugh derisively . “Aw, was the mattew, Scootawoo?” she teased impudently. “Is the wittwe baby scawed of da toiwet now?”
“N-no I’m not, I ain’t scawed!” Scootaloo quickly shot back. “You did dat on pouwupose, and I was jus humowing you. Evewypony knows thewe’s no such ting as monstews.” But her terrified body language suggested something entirely different.
“Oh weawwy?” Diamond skeptically raised an eyebrow. “You suwe my stwoy didn scawe you even a wittwe. Is okay if you’we scawed of the toiwet, I used to be scawe of it too. Hay, wots of ponies awe scawed of toiwets at some point in theiw wives.”
“Diamond, tat wasn funny,” Apple Bloom scowled at the pink filly’s bullying. “Now, tanks to you, ouw covew is bwown! Wawity is suwe to have heawd that woud fwush!”
“Actuawwy, I dun tink she may have, tis time,” Sweetie referenced past experiences. “My sistew sometimes ends up ‘In The Zone’ as she cawws it, whiwe making dwesses. Tat causes hew to bwock out any and aww sounds othew than hew sewing. And if she was awawe of that fwush, she’d have awweady come hewe wooking fow us. I tink dis time, we in the cweaw. Just dun fwush again untiw we weady to weave ta bathwoom.”
“Otay,” Diamond said, now beginning to feel a little guilty. “I sowwy fow twying to scawe you, Scootawoo. I was jus jeawous tat you’d get to use the toiwet befowe me.”
“Why, da you have to go as weww?” Scootaloo had no idea why she asked that, she just did.
Tiara shook her head at that question. “Nuh, besides I dun tink I’m quite weady to weave my diapees behind just yet.”
“Weww, if you change youw mind, feww fwee to hop up hewe and twy. Aftew I’m done of cwouse.” Scootaloo chuckled, thinking they could make a game out of this (sort of like musical chairs, but with the toilet seat).
“So, does anypony have any ideas fow a good stowy to hewp me pass da time?” Scootaloo asked her friends, while waiting for ‘the big moment’. “I stiww dun have to go just yet.”
“I tink I got one in mind,” Silver Spoon suggested, remembering something she’d brought with her that day. “Is in my diapee bag in the nuwsewy though. But I tink I can get it and be back befowe wong.”
“Was it cawwed?” Scootaloo asked Silver, thinking anything had to be better than a book about pooping.
“‘Dawing Do an Da Quest Fow Da Sapphiwe Statue’, I tink,” Silver recalled the title. “Wan me to go get it?”
“Suwe, I seem to wecaww Wainbow Dash tawking abou Dawing Do with my mommy the othew day.” Scootaloo told her, having fond memories of her honorary big sister. She was still a bit annoyed at the fact that Rainbow Dash was not available to look after her, and thus was stuck with ‘Auntie’ Rarity. Then again, who knew if Rainbow Dash would’ve been as easy to outsmart as the unsuspecting unicorn, or if she even had a proper toilet Scootaloo could use (supposedly Cloudsdale buildings had cloud-based plumbing structures).
“Otay, be back in a fwash!” Silver promised, and dashed out of the bathroom as fast as her little legs could carry her. She returned shortly with the book, which depicted a pegasus on the front cover that seemed almost identical to Rainbow Dash in every way, except for the coat.
“Is dat Dawing Do?” Scootaloo inquired, scrutinising the novel.
“Uh-huh, and tis is the fwist book in the sewies. My mommy awways weads one to me befowe I go to bed,” Silver bragged about how much her parents cared for her. “I’ve heawd dis one so many times that I can wead by it heawt, bu I need da book fow wefewence.”
“Then wha awe you waiting fow, wead it to me, pwease!” Scootaloo demanded, wanting to know what all the fuss was about..
“Suwe ting,” Silver replied with an eager smile, and opened the book to the first page. She read the print: “Dawing Do and Da Quest Fow Da Sapphiwe Statue. Wittwen by A. K. Yeawwing-”
“You can skip ovew tat pawt, Mommy awways does tat when she weads to me befowe bed,” Scootaloo interrupted, not caring about the opening text. “Most ponies dun cawe abou aww tat infowmation, they jus wanna wead the stowy.”
“Yeah, Gwanny and Appwejack do da same fow me.” Apple Bloom agreed, thinking about her own special storytime periods.
“And Daddy or Wandwoph do da same whenevew I ask. Mommy nevew weads to me though, she awways finds someting mowe ‘impowtant’ to do.” Diamond added, with a hint of resentment.
“My pawents kind of do ta same.” Sweetie was the last to comment.
Silver groaned. “I am the onwy one who doesn skip ovew the infowmation pawt?” she asked, to a chorus of nodding heads. She reluctantly decided to skip over for the sake of her friends, and continued to read: “As Dawing Do twekked thwough ta twopical jungwe, da wet heat sapped hew enewgy and swwoed hew evewy step.”
“As da pwessuwe buiwt up beneath hew, Dawing Do found hewsewf unabwe to outwun ta heat. Suddenwy, da hot wava shot up thwough da howe at ta top of da tempwe! Bwasting Dawing Do and Da Sapphiwe Statue high into the aiw! Wuckwy, both wanded unhawmed on da gouwnd of da jungwe. Bu at dat vewy moment, as she dusted hewsewf off, Dawing Do found hewsewf face to face with hew awch nemisis, Ahuizotw.” Silver narrated, as she finished the fourth chapter.
She was just about to begin the fifth chapter, when her friends called her attention to something that she seemed to not have noticed before, as engrossed as she was in her novel.
At some point during the reading, Scootaloo had stopped listening to the story, and was concentrating deeply on a more pressing concern. The look on her face, combined with the series of audible grunts she was making, could only mean one thing!
“Abou time,” Tiara whispered, before she joined the rest of her friends in their loud shouts of encouragement. “Come on, Scootawoo! You can do it!”
Scootaloo strained hard, barely able to get out the words. “Pwease wook away, I wike my pwivacy,” Her friends duly obeyed, and just seconds after they had done so, Scootaloo heard the sound of something plopping down into the toilet bowl. Finally mustering up the courage to look down into said bowl, the sight that Scootaloo saw made her smile widely. “I did it! I wen poopy in da toiwet!” she cheewed, as she hopped down from the seat.
“Congwats, Scootawoo! I awways knew you had it in you, and noww, is owt of you!!”” Sweetie exclaimed, nearly reaching out and hugging her friend right then and there.
“I’ww say,” Tiara remarked, plugging her nose in disgust. “Scootapoo weawwy suits you wight abou now. Wha did you eat? ” Scootaloo chuckled at Diamond’s obvious discomfort, as the pink filly used her stool from earlier to grab some toilet paper from the roll. “Hewe, I beview Mommy towd me you supposed to wipe youwsewf with dis stuff.” she said, hoofing the pieces to Scootaloo.
“Otay, so I just wipe mysefw, then fwush and wash my hooves, wight?” Scootaloo asked her friends, as she tried to clean her plot as best she could.
“Yeah, just wemembew that we can’t stay in the bathwoom fow too wong aftew you fwush. Wawity is suwe to heaw it tis time.” Sweetie advised caution, as Scootaloo went to deposit the used toilet paper pieces in the bowl.
“Just to be suwe, nopony ewse wans to use the toiwet wight now, wight?” Scootaloo looked around at her friends, not surprised when they all indicated that wouldn’t be necessary. “Awwight den, wets get ou of hewe and back to the nuwsewy.” the orange filly instructed, as she buzzed her wings to reach up and pull down the toilet handle, flushing the toilet quite loudly indeed!
Scootaloo then quickly jumped down, hastily pulling up her diaper on the way. She was glad that her friends had already set up a stool next to the sink, so she quickly washed her hooves, before dashing out of the bathroom as fast as she could. Not however, before taking one last look at the toilet. “Don’t know what I was so worried about,” she thought to herself. “As long as I have my friends by my side, even something as big as the toilet doesn’t frighten me. And now I know there’s no monster living in it. The one under my crib though, I still have to deal with.”
“Thanks again for looking after Scootaloo for me on such short notice, Miss. Rarity.” Dizzy Twister said appreciatively, as she placed her daughter into the foal pouch just beyond her wings.
“Oh don’t sweat it, Mrs. Twister, it was my pleasure, as always.” Rarity smiled in return.
“She wasn’t too much trouble for you, right?” Dizzy Twister wanted to know if everything had been alright. “You know how curious her and her friends are, and foals will be foals.”
Rarity chuckled confidently at Twister’s question. “Don’t be ridiculous, Scootaloo wasn’t any bother at all, and neither were her friends.” She felt tempted to mention the one oddity that had occurred during the play date, in which she could’ve sworn she heard a toilet being flushed, only to find all five of the foals still in their cribs and the nursery door closed when she went to check. She decided not to bring it up, though. “I don’t have any proof that the flushing had any connection to Scootaloo and her friends, even though I’m thoroughly convinced it was them. Toilets don’t just flush all by themselves, or do they?” she thought to herself. “If they do, I must figure out how it works, for Sweetie Belle’s sake. No need to have her start worrying about that 'Potty Monster' she heard about from Button.”
“Is Rarity telling the truth, Scootaloo?” Dizzy Twister asked her daughter, with a healthy degree of skepticism.
“Yup, Auntie Wawity doesn wie,” Scootaloo nodded, with an imaginary halo over her head. “In fact, since we wewe so behaved, she took us ou fow ice cweam! I got wocky woad!”
“The little darlings were just so irresistibly cute, I had to reward them for their good behavior.” Rarity confessed, trying not to look too guilty.
“Oh that’s quite alright, a little treat is fine once in awhile,” Dizzy Twister told the unicorn. “Why, just last week my good friend Rainbow Dash invited me to a Wonderbolts show, and I decided to bring Scootaloo along for the experience. She loved it! In fact, I think they’ve got a future recruit right here!”
“That doesn’t surprise me, the little darling practically idolizes Rainbow Dash,” Rarity commented with a wide grin. “I enjoyed taking care of her, just give me a shout if you need me to foalsit again. I know Sweetie Belle especially likes having Scootaloo around. The pair of them are as thick as thieves!”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Dizzy Twister seemed open to the idea. “But I think their next play date should be at my house.”
“Well, I’ll talk with Mother and Father and see what they have to say. But I’m sure Sweetie Belle would love that very much.” Rarity said, positive about all their future playdates.
“Right, then I’ll start making arrangements sometime soon. But for now, I’d better get Scootaloo back home before my husband hires a search party to find us,” Dizzy Twister jokingly said, before turning to her daughter. “Say goodbye to Aunt Rarity, Scootaloo, and be sure to thank her for watching over you.”
“Goodbye Auntie Wawity, you wewe an amazing foawsittew!” Scootaloo called out, waving to the fashionista as she and her mother departed Carousel Boutique.
Once on the road back to their house, Scootaloo asked her mom. “So, do you wemembew yow ‘Pinkie Pwomise’ that you made befowe the pway date?”
“I sure did, my little pony,” Dizzy Twister giggled, booping her daughter lightly on the nose. “Once we’re back home, just say the word and I’ll get you to a potty, okay?”
“Otay, bu can you wead Dawing Do to me whiwe I’m on da potty?” Scootaloo inquired out of the blue. “I tink it’ww be a big hewp.”
“Of course I can, Scootaloo. I had a feeling you might be interested in Daring Do, call it a mother’s intuition.” Dizzy Twister smiled broadly. She wasn’t at all surprised that Daring Do would be playing a big role in her daughter’s potty training, after all it had been Daring Do that helped Dizzy Twister occupy herself when she was going through potty training (when she wasn’t much older than Scootaloo was now).
Heck, Dizzy Twister still liked to read Daring Do adventures whenever she had to go, a fact that she had gone to great lengths to keep hidden from her daughter (which was made possible by a secret bookcase she had stashed behind the rolls of toilet paper and various bathing products) and she could well remember enlisting the help of her own friends, to help her prove to her parents that she was ready to start potty training (a secret she had kept from everypony else, though she suspected her husband had his own secret potty training experiences that he would take to his grave).