A Mother's Touch

by Smitty91

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

“Sweetie Belle? Can you come here for a second?” Cookie Crumbles yelled up the stairs.

“Yeah, Mom?” Sweetie Belle asked as she descended the staircase.

“We have something to talk about, Sweetie Belle. About this summer.”

“Okay, Mom. Go ahead.”

“This summer . . . We’re going to Manehattan, Sweetie Belle."

“Sweet! That’s awesome Mom! When are we going?”

“Wait, Sweetie Belle. What I mean is, your father and I are going to Manehattan. Alone.”

“By yourselves? Oh, okay. That’s cool. You guys deserve some time alone.” She was already starting to think about what she was going to be able to do over the summer with no parental supervision.

“I’m glad you're so understanding, Sweetie Belle. So I don’t have to do my whole speech?” She smiled.

“Nah, that’s fine. But if you spent a long time working on it, you can do it if you want.”

“You’re funny, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie started to head back upstairs, waving with her tail. “Hold on, we’re not done, Sweetie.” Sweetie stopped and turned around. “We haven’t talked about where you’re going to be staying.”

“What? I thought I would just stay here.” Her plans for the summer were already beginning to crumble.

“You can’t stay here alone for three months, Sweetie Belle!”

“But, Mom . . . I’m twelve years old!”

“I know.” She had Sweetie’s number better than she thought she did. “It would be too expensive to hire a foalsitter for that long, and I don’t want some stranger looking after you anyway. So you’ll be staying with Rarity.”

Sweetie paused for a moment, and formed a picture of the new situation in her head. She was going to be spending the next three months with Rarity. Suddenly, freedom from supervision became the least of her concerns. However, she tried not to show it.

“Yeah, that’ll be okay, Mom. I’ll stay with her over the summer. Is that all?”

“For now. We’ll talk about it some more later. You can go back to your room. Have fun. We’re having spaghetti for dinner so don't spoil your appetite with all the junk food I know you have stashed up there.”

“Okay, Mom.” Sweetie smiled and dashed upstairs and then went to her room. She had to think about what was going to come. She was incredibly excited about getting to spend the entire summer with Rarity. She dreamed about her often. This was going to be her opportunity! She decided to take a look at herself in her full-length mirror. She was, for the most part, a normal twelve-year-old pony. Her mane was a little curly, but not too much. She was a little shorter than most, but not too short. A little skinny, but not out-of-the-ordinary. Nothing that would ruin her chances with Rarity.

“Ooh, this is going to be great!” She ran her hooves through her mane, then she rubbed her hooves to feel her fur. Pretty soft for a kid her age. She turned around to get a look at herself from behind. Her tail was in pristine condition: fluffy and soft. She took great pride in my tail. That stripe down the middle always looked great. She turned away from the mirror and jumped on her bed. She laid on her back and placed her forehooves behind her head, looking at the ceiling. The possibilities of the summer slowly opened themselves to her. It wasn't what she had originally hoped for, but this summer looked like it was going to be one to remember. She had a feeling that it would take longer than usual for school to get out this year.

***

The days and weeks dragged by. Sweetie spent every day anxiously awaiting summer’s arrival. Her parents bought train tickets for Manehattan that left on the first of June, the Monday after Sweetie got out of school. That meant that once school got out, she had a weekend to wait before she got to be with Rarity. When summer finally did arrive, said weekend seemed as long as the two months of school. Sweetie spent most of the time that weekend getting ready. She had as much stuff packed as her mom and dad did! She was bringing books and her stuffed white tiger. She made sure that her tiger was buried deep in her bag, because she didn’t want Rarity to think she was too juvenile, but she really didn’t want to leave it home.

Sweetie hardly slept at all that weekend. She would lay awake in bed just picturing Rarity. It was still amazing to her that she got to spend an entire summer with the most beautiful pony in the world! They were actually going to do stuff together! They would go shopping, go see plays, maybe even go swimming! She decided that her friends from school would have to endure a summer without her. She wasn't planning on leaving Rarity’s side at all this summer!

Finally, Monday morning came. Sweetie’s parents’ train was leaving at noon, so they were going to drop Sweetie off at Rarity’s about nine. (They lived a long way from the train station.) Sweetie was already awake when they came to wake her up at seven-thirty.

The fifteen-minute ride to Rarity’s house seemed like an eternity. She was anxious beyond belief. She kept fiddling with her hooves and trying to keep from sweating. When they arrived at her boutique, she was almost hyperventilating. She looked at the two-story house where she was going to be spending the summer. Either it was bigger than she thought it was, or her being nervous made it seem enormous. She gulped and got out of the carriage.

She picked her large suitcase out of the trunk and grabbed the backpack that I put her books in. She swung this around her shoulder and took another look up at the house. She felt like she was going to strain her neck. She started lugging her suitcase up to the front door.

Sweetie’s mother rang the doorbell and Sweetie stood there, waiting for it to open. She went over what she was going to say. She had written a whole speech, to make sure things got off to a good start. “Hi, Rarity. I’m looking forward to spending the summer with you. Thank you in advance for taking care of me while my parents are gone.” That would be sure to impress Rarity. Things were going to be perfect.

Then, Rarity opened the door. Her long, beautiful mane was cascading down the back of her neck. She had a wonderful smile on her face that made Sweetie want to melt. She said hello to her mother and father and then looked at Sweetie, smiling congenially.

“Hello, Sweetie Belle. You look very nice today.”

Sweetie smiled sheepishly. She tried to say what she had planned, but the words died in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to say it. So, after a moment's pause, she shakily managed to say, “Thanks.” She mentally kicked herself for being unable to get her nerve up.

Rarity then invited them inside. They sat down in a room near the entryway with three large couches. Sweetie thought it must have been meant to be used for sitting around and talking.

“Thank you so much for taking care of Sweetie Belle while we’re gone,” Cookie Crumbles said.

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, dear. I’m happy to look after the little darling.”

Sweetie blushed and smiled again.

“You have the address for where we’re going to be, right?” Hondo Flanks asked.

“Yes, yes . . . You’ve made sure that I know your entire itinerary. In my opinion, you've planned this out much too carefully! You need to just do some things on a whim! And don’t worry, Sweetie Belle’s in good hooves with me.”

“We know. But you can understand that we’re a little nervous leaving our girl for three months!”

“Of course I can understand. Speaking of that, though, you should probably get going. You need to get to the train station early. It takes longer to check your baggage.”

“You’re right, you’re right. We shouldn’t drag this out. You have all the information you need and Sweetie Belle’s got everything she’ll need for the summer. But if she realizes she’s forgotten something, you’ve got a key to our house, so you can just go get it.”

Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks headed to the front door. Rarity and Sweetie followed.

“Be good for Rarity , honey. Do whatever she tells you.” Cookie Crumbles bent over and kissed Sweetie on the forehead.

Sweetie was a little embarrassed. “I will, Mom, don’t worry.” Her mother gave her a big hug. It looked like she was more worried about Sweetie being alone than she was.

Hondo Flanks patted Sweetie on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Sweetie. We’ll be back at the end of the summer.”

“I know, Dad. I’ll be fine.”

Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks went out to the carriage. Rarity and Sweetie stayed in the doorway. Rarity had her hoof around Sweetie’s shoulder, trying to comfort her. Sweetie guessed that she didn’t know that she didn’t really mind that her parents were leaving. But she didn’t mind Rarity’s hoof around her. Their parents got in the carriage and were off while Rarity and Sweetie waved at them from the doorway. They waved until the carriage had disappeared in the distance.

“Well, why don’t we go back inside, eh, Sweetie Belle?”

“Okay.” She didn’t seem able to talk very loudly to Rarity. She was still nervous.

When Rarity shut the door behind them, she said, “Alright. Before we get settled, are you hungry? Did you eat any breakfast this morning?”

“Not really. I had some orange juice . . ." In truth, she was starving. “I was kinda nervous this morning.”

“I can understand. Have you been away from Mother and Father before?” She misunderstood the cause of nervousness. But that was fine with Sweetie Belle.

“Not really. I stayed with our grandparents for a week once, before they died. But that’s it.”

“I see. Well, if you’re hungry, let’s get you some breakfast. Then we’ll get you settled into your room.”

Rarity started leading Sweetie through a room, presumably towards a kitchen. Gradually, Sweetie began to detect a familiar scent in the air. It was very pleasing, but she couldn’t place it quite yet. Rarity seemed to notice Sweetie’s sniffing, and said, “I guessed that you’d be hungry, so I made pancakes.”

That was what Sweetie was smelling! She recognized it immediately now. Pancakes were one of her favorite foods! She smiled widely as they walked towards the source of the delicious odor. She figured she had better say something. “I really like pancakes.” She felt so stupid afterwards, though.

“Really? Well, that’s lucky. Pancakes are my favorite things to eat for breakfast. I make them quite a bit. Looks like we’ll be having a pretty good time this summer."

They entered the kitchen, and there was a little breakfast nook to the side. It was a round table surrounded on three sides by big windows looking out onto her deck and her backyard. On top of the table was a huge pile of pancakes and maple syrup. Sweetie was salivating at the sight of it.

“Here, have a seat.” Sweetie started to get her food, but Rarity interrupted her. “Don't worry about it, I’ll get it for you.” She put some pancakes on a plate for Sweetie and then set it in front of her along with a jug of maple syrup. “In case you want some more,” she said. “But be careful, you don't want to get any on your nice fur. You look very nice in a tie, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie blushed noticeably and grinned. “Thank you.” With that, she started eating. Rarity sat down opposite her and took some pancakes for herself. Sweetie was torn between concentrating on eating her food and simply gazing at Rarity in adoration. She was very careful not to get any syrup on herself, though. Rarity started talking to her, and she was only able to answer in one or two words. She still wasn’t quite comfortable. When she realized she wasn’t going to be able to find out much about Sweetie at the moment, she started telling Sweetie about herself.

After a while, they had both eaten their fill of pancakes. “Thanks, that was wonderful.” Sweetie said, quietly. Then, without warning, I burped. I was so embarrassed! “Excuse me!”

“That’s okay. How about you get settled? Follow me and I’ll show you your room.”

Again, they started trekking around the house. They went back to the entryway to get Sweetie’s bags, and then they went upstairs. Rarity was ahead of her, and she had a perfect view of Rarity’s tail flicking back and forth in front of her. Her butt was great, but Sweetie thought Rarity so wonderful that she would never had said something like her "butt." Sweetie was in love.

They walked around upstairs for while, then Rarity opened a door to what Sweetie assumed would be her bedroom for the next few months. But when she looked in, it didn't look like any bedroom she knew. It was huge! This room looked like it was as big as her house! She stood in the doorway, open-mouthed. There was a huge, king-size bed in this room! She also saw that it had a bathroom attached to it. There was no way this could be her room!

“Is this my room?” she asked, hesitantly.

“Yes, it is, Sweetie Belle. It’s right across the hall from mine. I hope you like it, it’s the second-biggest room in the house. I save it for special guests. And you’re pretty special, Sweetie Belle.” Sweetie blushed again. “Well, I’ll give you some time to get settled. If you have any questions, I’ll be right across the hall. Oh, and one more thing; for the next three months, welcome home.” She leaned down and kissed Sweetie’s cheek. Sweetie blushed bright crimson and grinned sheepishly.

“Thank you.” Rarity walked out, leaving Sweetie alone with her stuff and a gigantic room where she would be residing for the next three months. This was amazing! But she was resolved to get things ready in her room as quickly as possible so she could spend some time with Rarity. So she set about setting out all her toiletries and organizing her books. She finished by setting her stuffed tiger on the bed. She'd need some bravery to start acting normal around Rarity, she decided. She paused to look at herself in the mirror. She smiled at my reflection. She was looking pretty good, even though her mane was still a little too long. Then she went across the hall into Rarity’s room. She entered to see Rarity sitting at a desk doing some writing. She smiled as she saw Sweetie come in.

“I see you’ve changed. More comfortable, now?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“That’s good. But don’t worry, I still think you’re cute.” Sweetie blushed again. “So you’re all settled in?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Rarity looked at the clock. “Well, it took you a while to get your room in order, how do you feel about some lunch?” Sweetie subconsciously started running her hooves through her mane.

“Yeah, that would fine. I’m kinda hungry.”

“Alright, Sweetie Belle, follow me.”

They walked back downstairs and stopped in a room with a couch. She told me to sit down. Sweetie smiled at her. “I’ll be right back.”

As Rarity left, Sweetie was suddenly overwhelmed with how great this summer was going to be. Rarity was being so nice to her. And the house was amazing. Her room was gigantic. She started feeling a little more relaxed.

In a moment, Rarity came back and sat down next to me and handed me a plate with some chips and a sandwich on it. Sweetie noticed that the crusts were cut off. She looked at Rarity a little puzzled, but Rarity just smiled and gave Sweetie a soda. Sweetie thanked her and started to eat. They sat there while Sweetie ate her sandwich. It was really good. Rarity was kinda treating her like a little kid, but Sweetie didn’t really mind. Any attention coming from Rarity was okay by her.

Once Sweetie had finished her food. she gathered a little courage and said, “Thank you, Rarity. That was great.”

“I’m glad you liked it, Sweetie Belle.”

***

“Why don’t you just go change into your pajamas?”

"Cool! But what about dinner?”

“I ordered a pizza.”

“Awesome!”

“Normally, I would have made one, but I didn’t have the time this afternoon.”

“That’s fine, I’ll go change.” Sweetie went back up to her room and dug her flannel pajamas out of her drawer and then set about taking care of her mane. She combed it a couple of times, and her tail quite a few times. In the end, she looked pretty good again. She walked downstairs and Rarity was sitting on the big couch. She smiled when Sweetie came down.

“Hi, Sweetie Belle. Cute pajamas.”

In spite of herself, Sweetie blushed. “Thank you.”

“The pizza should be here any minute.” Right after she said this, the doorbell rang. It was the pizza. Rarity brought out some plates and simply set the box on the coffee table.

Sweetie sat back and relaxed while she ate the pizza.

By the end of the time they had finished the pizza, Sweetie realized she was feeling kind of tired. She yawned, and Rarity had her lay her head on her lap. So Sweetie lied on her lap while Rarity stroked her mane.

She must have dozed off a little, because suddenly Rarity was looking down at her. “Did you have a nice little nap? You’re adorable when you’re sleeping, you know.”

There was a knock at the door.

“I'll get it,” Rarity offered. She walked out of the room and to the front door. Opening it, she saw a couple of the Princess' royal guards standing on her doorstep. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. What can I do for you today?”

“Miss Rarity?” one of the guards asked.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, that's me.”

“I'm afraid we have some terrible news, ma'am.”

“What's going on, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, appearing beside her older sister along with Spike.

Based on their gloomy expressions, Rarity guessed that the “terrible news” had something to do with her parents. Turning, she levitated a sack of bits over to Spike. “Here, Spike. Why don't you go to Sugarcube Corner and treat yourself to some sweets?”

“Sure,” Spike cried, grabbing the sack and running off.

Rarity sighed in relief and turned back to the guards. “Now you can tell me. Is it about my parents?” She prayed to Celestia that it wasn't.

The guards nodded.

“Oh,” Rarity said, raising an eyebrow. “And what about them?”

“They're . . .” The guard swallowed hard. “They're . . . dead, ma'am.”

Chapter 2

Rarity didn't hear anything else the guard said after that. His words went in one ear and out the other. All she heard was gibberish, intelligible talk. She felt as if somepony had ripped out her heart and set it aflame, then trampled on it, yet somehow she felt her heart beat faster. Her breathing became heavy, making her chest hurt and making it hard to breathe.

“Is there anypony you would like for me to contact?” the guard asked.

“No,” Rarity breathed out. It was so barely audible that it might as well have been a whisper.

The guard nodded. “We're terribly sorry, ma'am. If there's anything we can do, please let us know.”

Rarity nodded slowly, watching them go before shutting the front door. She turned to look down at Sweetie Belle, who seemed to be having a hard time processing what she’d just heard. At long last, Sweetie spoke.

“Rarity?” she said hesitantly. “Weren't . . . weren’t our parents' on their way to Manehattan when they left?”

“Well . . .” Her hooves were trembling. “Well, yes . . . they were . . . But that doesn’t mean . . . it doesn’t . . .” She couldn't even bring herself to say what it almost assuredly meant.

Sweetie knew it was true. She threw her hooves around Rarity, the only source of comfort she could think of.

“Rarity . . .” Sweetie was fighting back tears, but not quite succeeding. “Mama . . . Daddy . . .”

Rarity tried to hush her, but she wasn't in much of a better condition than Sweetie was. She rubbed Sweetie’s back as she cried on her shoulder. “Hush now, Sweetums . . . It’s okay . . . Everything’s . . . okay . . .” To Sweetie’s surprise, Rarity lifted her, one hoof under her rear, the other holding her head against her shoulder. While Sweetie sobbed into her shoulder, Rarity carried her up the stairs. “I'm . . . sure that . . . that if we just wait until tomorrow morning . . . everything will be cleared up, and everything will be fine. I’m sure they just got the wrong address. Don’t worry, Sweetums . . . It’s okay . . . It’ll be okay . . .”

They went into Sweetie’s room, where they sat down on the bed. Rarity kept hanging on to Sweetie and started rocking back and forth, quietly hushing her.

After a few minutes of sobbing, Sweetie gradually started to calm down. The shock of what she had heard was wearing off. She didn’t know for sure that her parents were dead. The guards might have simply gotten the wrong address. Rarity was right. Things would turn out okay. Once Sweetie had calmed down, Rarity set her down on the bed beside her. She looked Sweetie in the eye and ran her hooves through her mane.

“Now, Sweetie, we don’t anything for sure. There are probably dozens of trains between here and Fillydelphia. We don’t know that was our parents’ train. They’re probably already in Fillydelphia, and since it’s nearing nighttime over there, they’re probably already asleep. Don't worry. We should just wait until tomorrow when we can find out more. Now try to sleep, Sweetie. Good night.” She kissed Sweetie’s forehead and walked out, turning off the light as she left.

Sweetie got into bed and tried to rest. The bed was unbelievably comfortable, but she wasn’t really thinking about that. Her mind kept wandering to her parents. She couldn’t help feeling that they were dead. She tried not to think about it, but she couldn’t help it. She started crying again, but not as bad as before. Nevertheless, she was very tired. She fell asleep whimpering.

That night, Sweetie had a very strange dream. She was in a dark room. Really, she was just more or less standing in blackness. There was nothing around, literally. She was all alone. She called out for her mom and dad, but nopony responded. She felt very cold and sad.

Sweetie woke up the next morning to a very strange feeling. Something seemed wrong, but she couldn’t tell what it was. Her room was warm, what, with it being summer and all, but she felt chilly and a little damp. It took her a minute to realize what it was, and she couldn't even believe it when she figured it out. She had wet the bed! She hadn’t done that in years!

Sweetie simply sat there, staring at the spot on the covers in utter disbelief when Rarity walked in. She looked up at Rarity with wide eyes. She moved her mouth to try to explain, but she couldn’t manage to say anything.

Rarity looked surprised for a minute, but she quickly regained her composure. “Why don’t you change and take a quick shower. I’ll take care of this.”

It was then that Sweetie noticed Rarity looked very tired. Maybe she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. “I . . . I’m sorry . . .” She hadn't mean to do it! It was an accident.

Sweetie got out of bed. Her crotch was soaked. She was terribly embarrassed. The dark spot around her crotch made her accident obvious. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she went into the bathroom.

Sweetie couldn’t stop crying while she showered. She wasn’t that concerned about how she wet the bed, though. She was too busy thinking about her parents. Regardless of that, wetting the bed was very embarrassing. At the time, she’d been focused on her parents. She had basically given up hope that they were alive. Granted, nothing had really convinced her; she just felt it.

Sweetie dried off after her shower and began crying again. She looked in the mirror and examined her reddened eyes. She noticed her mane was messed up. Despite everything, she took a comb and spray and fixed it up. She then took to caring for her tail for a minute. It felt good to do something to distract her from what was going on.

She went back into her room. She noticed that Rarity had changed the sheets. Rarity was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring downward. She looked up when Sweetie walked in. She didn't even have to say anything. She confirmed what Sweetie had already felt was true. Sweetie could see it in Rarity’s eyes. Sweetie ran over to her and hugged her tightly. Rarity patted her back and they both cried. Their parents were dead.

***

The rest of the day was mostly a blur. Rarity was busy working on filling orders, meaning Sweetie was left with nothing to do. It was just as well seeing as how she didn’t feel like doing much anyway. She sat on the couch in a ball of self-pity while she flipped through a magazine. The weather outside matched her mood; it had gotten cloudy and it’d started raining. That would have made her feel worse, but she felt just about as lousy as a pony can feel at the time. During the day, she wondered what was going to happen to her. Without her parents, where would she go? She didn’t have any other family that she knew of, besides maybe Rarity. Both of her parents were dead. Her last grandparent had died two years ago. Thoughts of foster homes and orphanages terrorized her.

That evening, Rarity came out of her inspiration room to talk to Sweetie, who set the magazine aside. Rarity’s cheeks seemed almost as tear-streaked as Sweetie’s did. Rarity sat down on the couch next to Sweetie and started to talk. “Sweetie, I got something in the mail today from Mother and Father’s lawyer. It was about . . . well, about you.” She looked at Sweetie and smiled a little. “I bet you’ve been trying to figure out where you’re going to stay now. It’s a good thing Mother and Father thought about that kind of thing. I bet you’ve been thinking about it all day.”

Sweetie nodded.

“Well,” Rarity continued, “I’m sure they thought about a lot of different options, and they decided that they wouldn’t have wanted you to be raised by strangers in a foster home. If it’s okay with you, it’s been decided that I will take care of you.”

Sweetie was struck dumb on the spot. It appeared as if there was a silver lining! Of all the terrible fates she had thought of that day, she had never once imagined that she would get to stay with Rarity. That made her feel a little better. Rarity was right, too. Living with Rarity is what her parents would have wanted. Rarity was a wonderful pony, and she could provide everything that Sweetie would ever need. It was the best news she could have received!

Sweetie started crying again. She thought Rarity might have misunderstood her actions because she asked, “Is that all right with you, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie leaped on Rarity’s lap and gave her a big hug. “Of course it is, Rarity!” Sweetie was crying pretty hard while Rarity rubbed her back with her hooves, but Sweetie was smiling.

Sweetie went to bed with mixed feelings that night. There was going to be a funeral service for her parents. She wasn't looking forward to never seeing her parents again, but it was going to be pretty good living with Rarity. Of everything that could have happened to her, that was the best thing. She was going to be spending a lot of time with her favorite pony. She was worn out, so she fell asleep fairly quickly.

That night, Sweetie had another dream. It started out the same as the one the night before, all dark and cold, but while she was calling out for somepony to help her, Rarity came out of nowhere and picked her up in her hooves. She cradled Sweetie in her hooves and rocked her back and forth. She felt very happy in Rarity’s hooves. She felt safe and comfortable.

Sweetie woke up to the same sensation she’d woken up to the night before. She realized quickly that she had once again wet the bed, but there was something else. She had been sleeping with her hoof in her mouth! She pulled it out and tried to figure out what to do about the bed. Two nights in a row? Surely Rarity would get upset this time. Once could have been an accident, but not twice. While she was trying to figure out what to do, Rarity walked in. Sweetie had to admit, she had very good timing.

Sweetie started to stammer out an explanation, but couldn’t get beyond, “I . . . but . . . I . . . this . . . I . . .” She felt so ashamed.

Rarity didn’t react very much. She had carried in a black dress, which she set down on a chair beside her. “Oh, dear.” She bit her hoof and shook her head slightly. “Take a quick shower and put this dress on. I’ll clean this up.”

Sweetie got out of bed silently and took the dress into the bathroom.

She mentally kicked herself while she showered. What did Rarity think about her? Rarity couldn’t possible let this go by unnoticed. Two nights in a row was not an accident; it was a problem. But what was going on anyway? She’d never wet the bed before. It’d been at least eight years since she’d wet the bed. It wasn’t fair. She wondered about how Rarity would punish her. She got a little scared, but she didn’t think Rarity could really be that mean.

She got out and took a long time getting herself ready. She made sure her coat was neat. She combed her mane half a dozen times. She worked on her tail until she was sure it was perfect. She wasn’t in much of a hurry to get to where she was going. She started putting on the dress, but she stalled when she got to the sash. She couldn’t tie it. She thought about maybe going to ask Rarity for help, but didn’t think she’d know how to do it. Rarity had probably assumed she could tie it herself. She walked out to ask for Rarity’s help.

Rarity was sitting on the bed again (she had changed the sheets) and she was wearing a black dress. She looked at Sweetie as she walked in. “Um . . . Rarity . . . can . . . can you help me . . . with the . . . with the . . . sash?”

Rarity smiled a little and walked over. She knelt down in front of Sweetie and tied it. She was pretty good at it. “There you go, Sweetie.”

Sweetie thanked her.

“I’ll go fix you your breakfast,” Rarity said. She pecked Sweetie on the head, then left the room.

After a while, Sweetie went downstairs. Rarity was waiting with breakfast: cold cereal. Granted, it was Sweetie’s favorite kind (Sugar Hoops), but she had her hopes set on some of Rarity’s cooking.

“I’m sorry, Sweetie,” Rarity said, “I just didn’t have any time to cook anything.”

Sweetie tried not to be noticeably upset, but she thought Rarity could tell she was disappointed. “It’s okay.” Even to herself, she didn’t sound very convincing. She sat down and sullenly began to eat. Rarity didn’t say anything, and neither did Sweetie. It was a very depressing meal.

After they had finished, the two of them departed from the Carousel Boutique and started heading towards the funeral parlor in silence. Sweetie was trying with everything she had not to cry. She had cried enough yesterday. She had decided that she wouldn't cry anymore. Upon getting to the funeral parlor, they saw a large crowd of ponies who knew their parents. Some of them Sweetie vaguely recognized. There were a lot of ponies talking in the entryway, mostly about what a tragedy it was. Dozens of ponies came up to Sweetie and Rarity and said how sorry they were and offered their condolences. Sweetie knew she’d met a few of them before, but she couldn’t remember anypony’s name at the moment. The only ponies she recognized were Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, their parents, Rarity’s friends, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. Through all that, Sweetie didn’t cry. When the service began, and ponies began to speak about how great her parents were, she didn’t cry. When Rarity went up to speak and she talked, she didn’t cry. When Mayor Mare came up and spoke, she didn't cry. It was hard. She wanted to cry, but didn’t.

There was a small meal paid for by Rarity, and then everypony left. When they parted, Sweetie was told again how sorry everypony was. Sweetie was sorry, too. Rarity and Sweetie walked out of the cemetery. They were both ready to go home. Before they left, however, Rarity turned to Sweetie and said, “It’s okay if you want to cry, Sweetie.” Her kind words finally broke Sweetie. She started crying. She couldn’t help it at that point. All the sadness she had built up during the day was being released. Rarity hugged her until she was done.

Chapter 3

The sun was starting to set by the time they got home. (Sweetie had slept late that morning.) Rarity and Sweetie went inside and read for a little while. It started getting late, and Sweetie was beginning to yawn. Rarity walked in and sat down on the couch, then she turned to me. “Sweetie Belle... we have to talk about something.”

“Yeah?”

“Well . . . it’s about your . . . bed-wetting.”

Uh oh. Here it comes. Sweetie gulped. “Rarity, I swear it’s never happened before! I’m so sorry!” Rarity shushed her.

“Sweetie Belle, I understand. Don’t worry, I believe you.” She picked Sweetie up and set her little sister in her lap. “You’ve just been through a very traumatic experience. It’s perfectly understandable for you to have some problems adjusting. I’m not mad, and I’m not going to punish you.” She smiled, and nuzzled Sweetie’s nose. “However, we do need to do something. I’m running out of sheets. I think, Sweetie Belle, that the best solution would be for you to wear something to protect the bed until you get over this. Namely, diapers.”

Sweetie shot straight up. “Diapers!?” Rarity hushed her and had her lay back down in her hooves.

“I know you don’t like the idea, but you have to understand that we have to do something, and I think that’s the best way to protect the bed. It’s okay, Sweetie Belle. You’ll only wear them until you get over this problem. It’s not a bad thing, Sweetie Belle. You’re not a baby or anything!”

Sweetie didn't notice Rarity’s explanations, though. Her reaction to Rarity’s proposition wasn’t exactly the way she interpreted it. She was just surprised, not upset. In fact, the idea seemed somehow appealing. She didn’t understand why, so she quickly rationalized that it was the only way to protect the bed and the sheets. Rarity was looking hopefully at her and she decided to agree, though she tried to make it sound like she didn’t want to do it. “Okay, Rarity. I guess you’re right."

“I’m glad you agree, Sweetie Belle. If you’re ready, let’s get you prepped for bed.”

Sweetie nodded. Despite how late she’d slept, she was a tired little filly. The whole experience had been pretty taxing.

They walked up to Sweetie’s room. Rarity asked Sweetie to sit on the bed while she went and got a few things. While Sweetie waited, she tried to figure out why this wasn’t upsetting her. She didn’t reach any conclusions before Rarity came back with a lot of stuff.

“Okay, Sweetie Belle. Stand up for a second.” Sweetie did, and Rarity laid a plastic mat on her bed. Something seemed very wrong about this, but Sweetie couldn’t put her hoof on it yet. “Okay, now sit there, Sweetie Belle." Sweetie did.

That’s when Sweetie realized it. Rarity was going to diaper her! She yelped in surprise and tried to push Rarity’s hooves away. “Hold on, Rarity! I didn’t know you were going to put it on me. I thought I was going to put it on!”

Rarity grinned at her. “Sweetie Belle, I don’t imagine you’ve done much baby-sitting, right?”

“Well, I haven’t done any.”

“I thought as much. I also bet you don't even know how to put a diaper on. Am I right?”

“I . . . I didn’t really . . . think about that.”

She nodded and smiled. “That’s okay, Sweetie Belle. But you’re going to have to let me put this on you. You can't do it, and if you try, it could leak and that would defeat the whole purpose, right?”

“I . . . guess it would.”

“Right, now just sit back, and this will be over in a minute. And there’s no need to be embarrassed. I’ve worked as a nurse in the pediatric department of the hospital plenty of times. There’s nothing I haven’t seen before." Rarity giggled and Sweetie blushed bright red. “And besides, it's very mature of you to be so willing to try to find a solution to your problem.” Sweetie acquiesced, and laid back.

Sweetie stared at the ceiling. She was about as embarrassed as she figured she could be, but some weird part of her didn’t mind this. Rarity took a bit of talcum powder (baby powder as Sweetie knew it) and sprinkled it on Sweetie’s crotch. Sweetie yelped, but Rarity didn’t notice. Then she picked up the biggest disposable diaper Sweetie had ever seen. She lifted Sweetie’s legs with her magic, and slipped the diaper under Sweetie’s butt, like a baby. Sweetie was impressed at her strength. Rarity threaded her tail through the tail hole. She let Sweetie’s legs down and taped up the diaper. Once Sweetie was in it, she started to absorb the feelings. Her seat was padded, and there was material bunched up between her legs, and she could feel the inside against her skin. It was strange, but somehow familiar. The talcum that wafted up to her nose was a little comforting.

While Sweetie sat there absorbing her feelings, Rarity pulled one of her blue T-shirts over her head. “I think it’s a little warm for you to wear your flannel pajamas, don’t you? I imagine you were a little hot the last two nights.” She was right; Sweetie had been warm. “Well, climb into bed, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity tucked her in, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Goodnight, Sweetie Belle.” She left and turned out the lights.

All Sweetie had was the half moon coming in through her window. As she often did late at night, she began to think about the general nature of things. Her parents were gone, and she was dealing with their deaths. She was going to live with Rarity from now on. And at this moment in time, Rarity had her in diapers. A certain part of her screamed at how wrong it was for her to be in diapers, but part of her didn’t mind. Part of her kind of liked the idea. She was trying her best to ignore it, but it was persistent. She was arguing with herself. She was arguing about whether it was good that she was changed by Rarity. Part of her enjoyed being changed like that, but not in a sexual way. She felt safe. She felt comfortable. She felt taken care of. She reached down and felt the front of her diaper. It was very soft padding, plastic on the outside. It was very strange to be wearing that and a T-shirt and nothing else. She giggled for a second at the thought of being a baby again and being taken care of by Rarity. That idea seemed very pleasing to her. She chuckled and grinned and then laid back and went to sleep.

Sweetie had another dream that night, but she didn't remember it. All she remembered was feeling very safe and happy. That was the feeling she had when she woke up. She noticed immediately that she had her hoof in her mouth again. She popped it out and noticed that she wasn't feeling wet like before! She was very happy until she touched the front of her diaper and noticed that she was indeed wet. It just felt different because she was wearing a diaper. She stepped out of bed and went to the mirror. She looked at herself: her blue T-shirt stopped right above her diaper (which was sagging slightly) and left a bit of her tummy exposed. The pale yellow color of the diaper indicated that she had used it for its intended purpose. Coincidentally, the color of the T-shirt she had on could only have been classified as "baby blue." She chuckled.

She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't embarrassed at all. She put her hoof back in her mouth and started sucking on it. She watched herself in the mirror while she did. She closed her eyes while she sucked on her hoof. And then she realized she had to go to the bathroom again. Well, she was wearing a diaper and it was already wet . . . She fought with herself for a minute. Her rational side said, “What are you thinking? Are you going to wet that diaper voluntarily?! Why?” But her other side just said “Oh, it’s okay. It’s already wet. A little more won’t hurt it.” Eventually, she gave in.

The feeling was really kind of nice. Her urine hit the diaper and spread around, making it very warm. She closed her eyes and sucked on her thumb again while she wet her diaper. When she was finished, she looked in the mirror again and noticed that her diaper had started to sag slightly more. Again, she was caught by a weird urge. She decided it might be fun to get down on my hooves and knees and try crawling. So, she crawled around her room for a minute and it was! Her T-shirt was hanging down and she couldn’t stop from smiling. Just for fun, she decided to see what she looked like without the T-shirt. She threw it off and looked at herself in the mirror.

She loved the way she looked in the mirror. The best part was she could see little bits of white fur on her inner thighs, just below her diaper. She got on her hooves and knees again to see how she looked from behind. Her curly two-toned tail stuck out of the hole in her diapers and she couldn't help but chuckle at how she looked. It was then that she decided that she liked wearing diapers, and acting like a baby. She didn’t know how she reached that decision, but she did. She felt good doing it. And as soon as Rarity came back in, she was going to tell her. She started imagining herself in babyish positions and she hoped Rarity wouldn't think she was crazy.

Chapter 4

There Sweetie Belle was, on her hooves and knees, diapered rear end pointed at the mirror, in an obviously wet diaper, waiting for Rarity to come in. She had just made the decision that she liked diapers and she was waiting to tell Rarity. It was mere moments after she had made this decision when Rarity walked in.

Rarity was obviously surprised to see Sweetie in that position, but she quickly recovered. “I see you’re up, Sweetie Belle. I didn’t expect you to be awake.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “I see the bed’s dry. How ‘bout you?”

Sweetie hadn’t moved since Rarity entered. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyebrows were almost as high as they could go. It was shocking to see Rarity actually enter the room and be there when she was diapered, and wet, for that matter. It took a few moments for her to realize that Rarity had asked her a question and she was expected to respond. “Uh! Uh . . . n . . . n . . .” she stammered. “No.” she finally managed to say that she was wet. That was a step.

“That’s okay, Sweetie Belle. I didn’t really expect you to be dry. But at least the bed is okay.” Rarity paused and smiled at Sweetie Belle. “What say we get you out of that wet diaper before you get a rash?"

Sweetie’s mind was going crazy. She knew that she wanted to tell Rarity that she liked this, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She guessed she should have expected to be a little apprehensive. She guessed she didn’t want Rarity to think she was weird or something. She just couldn't say what she wanted to say.

All she could manage was a small, “Okay,” while she stood up. Rarity stood and patted the bed, motioning for her to lie down. She did, and even though a very big part her inside was screaming “Tell her! Tell her!” she remained silent. She bet she blushed rather noticeably as she set her padded rear on the mattress. She couldn’t be sure, but she wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Rarity was thinking to herself, What was she doing? Why did she take her T-shirt off?

The plastic on her butt crinkled as she shifted on the bed. She stared up at Rarity as her older sister prepared to undiaper her. She was sad, but she couldn’t bring herself to do anything to stop it. As Rarity undid the tapes, it seemed to Sweetie that time was moving at an agonizingly slow rate. The sound made her wince. It was all she could do to keep from whimpering.

When Rarity raised the front of her diaper, the rush of cold air on her privates made her gasp. Rarity, probably thinking she was scared or embarrassed, soothed her as she grabbed both of Sweetie’s ankles in her magic and lifted them. Then, she removed Sweetie’s diaper, carefully guiding it along her tail. When she set Sweetie’s rear down on the soft comforter, Sweeie missed the padding she got from the diaper. She went totally limp.

Rarity took a warm washcloth and wiped off Sweetie’s crotch. She felt like she was going to die of embarrassment. Not only because Rarity was treating her like a baby, but she wanted Rarity to do it. She loved it! She was still coming to grips with the decision that she had made.

Rarity frowned as she put her hooves on Sweetie’s shoulders. Sweetie stared up at her. She said, “Sweetie Belle, I know this all very hard for you, but there’s something we have to do today.” She paused. “We have to go to your house and decide what things you want to come here.” Even though the prospect of going back to her house terrified her, Sweetie tried not to make any reaction. “I’ll put the rest of it in storage, but we can’t just leave it all there . . .”

SweetieI nodded slightly. “Okay.” Rarity patted Sweetie on the shoulder and started to leave. She had in her magic a plastic bag containing Sweetie’s wet diaper. “Come down soon, and we’ll have breakfast. Then we’ll have to leave.” She shut the door behind her.

Sweetie was alone. She sat down on the bed and thought about what had happened. What went wrong? she thought. She was so determined to tell Rarity before she came in, and then she came in and Sweetie froze up. She couldn't say anything at all, much less confess something of that nature. Was she afraid Rarity was going to think she was crazy? Was she afraid Rarity wasn’t going to accept it? Whatever the reason, she simply couldn’t talk about it. She had to get her courage up to tell Rarity. She had to.

After her inner monologue, Sweetie went downstairs. Rarity was waiting with breakfast: cold cereal. Granted, it was Sweetie’s favorite kind (Sugar Hoops), but she had her hopes set on some of Rarity’s cooking.

“I’m sorry, Sweetie,” Rarity said, “I just didn’t have any time to cook anything.”

After they had finished, Rarity said it was time to go to their old home. All Sweetie could do was sigh and say, “Okay.”

Together, they walked back to their old house. As soon as they started up the pathway, Sweetie knew that this was going to be tough. Just the sight of the house brought back memories that tugged at her heartstrings. Rarity wiped Sweetie’s eyes and Sweetie followed her up the walk. Rarity still had her key to the front door that their parents had given her when she’d been younger. She unlocked it and walked in. She stood just inside the doorway and said, “Just look around for a while and tell me what you want to move to our house.”

Sweetie cringed. Rarity had said, “our house.” She had to remind herself that she was living with Rarity now. The home before her wasn’t her house anymore.

Sweetie looked around. This house had been her home for nearly ten years. She’d lived in it with her parents and Rarity her whole life. She saw the corner where she’d dump her saddlebags after school. She saw the couch where she and Rarity would sit on together while their mother read them stories. She saw the table where they’d eat dinner every night.

Memories of what had happened in this house came flooding back to her. She remembered her mom cooking dinner in the kitchen. She remembered her dad sitting in his chair reading the paper. She looked out a window and saw the tree house her dad and her had built together last year when she was nine. She remembered the time she’d gotten beaten up at school and her mom had covered her with Band-Aids and antiseptic. She remembered the big fuss her parents had made on her first day of school.

Then she saw a picture lying on an end table of her parents, Rarity, and her. She couldn’t have been more than two in that picture. She was naked except for a diaper and her parents and Rarity were holding her together. She picked up the picture and stared at it. They were so happy. Rarity and her were so happy. A few stray teardrops fell on the picture and then she started crying full force.

It was just hard to imagine that they would never be happy again. Her mom would never cook dinner again. Her dad would never help with her homework again. They’d never sit with her on the couch again. They’d never scold her, never praise her, never do anything again. They were gone. They were dead. She clutched the picture to her chest and sobbed some more. Rarity came and put her hooves around her. Sweetie guessed Rarity knew it wouldn't do any good to try to comfort her, seeing as how she was staying silent. Through her tears Sweetie managed to say, “The pictures. I want all the pictures. All the photo albums, all the pictures . . . I want to keep them.”

Rarity nodded and said, “Okay. We’ll take those.” Since she didn't make any immediate action Sweetie realized Rarity was probably going to have them picked up later. Sweetie guessed they probably couldn’t have gotten everything back in just her saddlebags anyway.

Still holding the picture, Sweetie wiped her eyes and started looking around again. There was a small clock on the mantle she had gotten for her mom last Mother’s Day. She remembered how much her mom had loved it. She was always cleaning and dusting it to make sure it was shiny. She liked that clock so much. “I want to keep that clock, Rarity. The one on the mantle.”

“Okay, Sweetie.”

Sweetie kept on looking. On one of the bookshelves, she saw a pair of her baby booties that her parents had bronzed. She’d always made fun of them for doing it. It seemed to her that it was a silly thing to do. Now she realized they only did it because they loved her and wanted to remember what she was like as a baby. It symbolized to her the love they had for her. “I want the booties . . . on the bookshelf.” She sniffled. “The bronzed ones.” She didn’t need to specify since they were the only ones there.

Rarity nodded silently.

Sweetie suddenly remembered something that she wanted. She walked to the kitchen and started rummaging through the closets. She had no idea where it was, but she knew they hadn’t thrown it away. It had to be here somewhere. Then she found it: a small, old, ragged apron. She used to wear it when she was little and she “helped” her mom fix meals. She didn’t know why she remembered it. She hadn’t worn it since she was about six, but she had to have it now. “I need to keep this . . . I used to . . .” She paused. “I used to wear this when I was little . . .” She wiped her eyes again. “When I would . . . help her fix dinner.”

Rarity held Sweetie’s shoulders. “Okay. We’ll take that.” She stopped and took a breath. “I know this is hard for you, but we have to do this. Be strong.”

Rarity was right; this was hard. Sweetie nodded to show Rarity that she was doing okay. She figured that she’d found everything she needed downstairs, so she decided to go upstairs and look there. When she was about halfway up the stairs, she noticed something at the top of the stairs that she hadn’t noticed in a long time. It was a painting her dad had done of her when she was four. She was smiling. Clutched in her hooves was her little stuffed bunny, Mr. Bun. It was so realistic. Even though he’d gone into business, her dad had always wanted to be an artist. He didn’t paint very often after Sweetie was born. This was the only one she could remember him finishing.

She had walked by it everyday and she’d just gotten used to it being there. She hadn’t paid any attention to it for Celestia knew how long, but now she noticed it. She saw what she had meant to her parents and how much they had loved her. “Th-that painting. Dad painted it . . . I . . . I . . .” She couldn’t even talk anymore.

Rarity said, “I understand, Sweetie. We’ll get that too.”

Seeing the painting made Sweetie remember her stuffed bunny. Her parents had given it to her when she was very young. She’d had it as long as she could remember. She carried it around everywhere she went until she was six, then she stopped because other kids made fun of her. She had to find it. She went into her room and into the closet. She dug around in the back for a while until she found an old cardboard box. She set down the apron and the photograph and opened it. Inside was exactly what she was hoping for; A collection of stuff that she had used when she was younger. She found her old baby blanket, her old night-light, and a bib. The box was stuffed with memories. She kept digging through it until she found her stuffed bunny.

She picked it up and looked at its worn fur, its button eyes, its resewn seams, its forlorn look. Everything about it came rushing back to her. All the years she’d spent with it clutched in her hooves, dragging it along with her everywhere. All the nights she’d drifted off to sleep with it resting on her pillow. All the times she’d cried into its fur.

Finally, she broke down and began to sob. She hugged the bunny tightly and rocked back and forth. The tears ran down her face. She couldn't do anything to stop it. Rarity knelt beside her and wrapped her hooves around Sweetie. She kept whispering that it was going to be all right and rubbing Sweetie’s back. Sweetie kept crying hysterically for a few minutes until she calmed down.

While she sat there sniffling, Rarity kept Sweetie in her hooves. She wiped the tears from Sweetie’s cheek and smiled at her. She looked so loving, so caring, Sweetie couldn't help but smile back. She didn’t know whether it was because she had found everything she wanted from her house or she didn’t want to look anymore, but she didn’t want anything else.

“Rarity? That’s all I need. We can go now.” She expected Rarity to ask her if she was sure that was all she wanted, but she didn’t. Instead, Rarity said, “Okay.” and then helped Sweetie stand up. She guessed Rarity understood.

They walked together back downstairs. Rarity kept her hoof around Sweetie’s shoulder the whole time until they went outside. In her saddlebags, Sweetie held the apron, the photograph of her family, and her stuffed rabbit.

They walked back to Rarity's house in silence. Sweetie kept staring at the picture of her parents. She missed them so much.

Upon getting back to the boutique, Rarity went upstairs and Sweetie went to the couch. She set her things on the coffee table and lied down on the couch. She kept staring at the old photograph. At first, she kept her eyes on Rarity and her parents. They looked so young, so happy. Gradually, her focus drifted to herself. She looked happy too. She must have been almost two when the picture was taken. She couldn’t help staring at her diaper. She figured she must have subconsciously made a connection between the diaper and being happy. She didn’t have any worries back then. She didn’t have anything to make her unhappy. She was completely carefree. She wished she could feel that way again.

She started to long for that carefree happiness again. That comfort, that safety. She had tasted it that morning when she enjoyed the infantile feelings of the diaper. She wanted it back. She decided to get it. Right then. She wiped the tears from her eyes and went to go find Rarity. She took her rabbit with her.

It took her a while for her to find Rarity; She had to check a couple different rooms before she saw her sister sitting in her inspiration room, working on something. Rarity saw her come in. “Hi, Sweetie Belle. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay,” Sweetie said. She must not have looked it. Her mane was messed up, the fur on her face was covered with dried tears, and her eyes were all red and puffy from crying. She paused for a minute. She started to talk, but she hesitated. This was going to be tougher than she thought. She looked down at her hooves. “Rarity?”

“Yes, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie bit her lower lip as she considered the magnitude of what she was about to say. Once she said it, it was out there. She couldn’t take it back. She could still back out of it and have Rarity continue to think she was sane. Who knew how Rarity would react once she told her? She could say no. She could stop wanting to take care of Sweetie. She could send Sweetie somewhere else.

Thoughts like that kept running through Sweetie’s head, but then she glanced up and saw Rarity smiling at me. She realized then that Rarity would never send her away. Her smile was so loving, Rarity would never stop taking care of her. She was slightly reassured by Rarity’s smile, so she bit the bullet and said it.

“Can I wear diapers?”

Sweetie looked down at the floor again. She had said it. It was out there. She couldn’t take it back now, no matter how much she wanted to. She had crossed that line. The pause that occurred after she said it was absolutely agonizing. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Rarity.

“What’s that Sweetie Belle?”

Rarity was surprised by her request, Sweetie Belle figured. She assumed Rarity thought she’d misunderstood her. But she couldn’t tell yet how Rarity had reacted. She was forced to repeat herself. “I want to wear diapers.” There was an empty feeling in her stomach and the back of her neck was all prickly. Even though she knew Rarity would never do anything to hurt her, she was absolutely terrified. Waiting for her reaction was hard.

"But you do, Sweetie Belle. Remember, we decided you’d wear them to bed.”

“I know, but I want to wear them . . . all the time.” She felt so dirty. She felt weird and sick and crazy. She thought about what she was asking for and she wondered if she hadn’t indeed gone off the deep end. She was twelve! What possible reason could she have had for wanting to wear diapers? She felt like she was about to start crying again. In retrospect, she was surprised she didn’t just wet herself right there. It might have helped her argument anyway.

Rarity walked over and knelt down in front of Sweetie. She raised Sweetie’s chin so she was looking her in the face. Rarity had a slightly confused and slightly concerned expression. “Sweetie Belle, why do you want to wear diapers?”

Sweetie was so embarrassed. It hurt to look at her sister. She wanted to turn away so badly. She wanted to run away. She wanted to say, “Just kidding!” and have it all be over. But she couldn’t. She had started this and she had to follow it through to the end, whatever end it may be. She said, “Well, this morning . . . when I was . . . wearing . . . the diaper . . . I felt . . . felt kind of . . . comfortable . . .” She bit her lower lip again. “I felt . . . safe . . . I . . . I don’t know . . . I felt happy.” The tears were welling up in her eyes again.

Sweetie gave in. She closed her eyes and she started crying again. She couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t take it anymore. She felt bad just looking at Rarity. She mumbled softly, “I’m sorry.” But Rarity wrapped her hooves around Sweetie in the biggest hug she had given her yet.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle, it’s okay . . . It’s okay, Sweetie Belle. Don’t be sorry, it’s all fine . . . Don’t worry.”

Sweetie wrapped her hooves around Rarity’s neck and continued to cry. She was so ashamed.

Rarity picked her up and laid her in her lap. “Dry your tears, Sweetie Belle. Don’t cry, it’s all going to be fine, Sweetie Belle. Don’t worry.”

Sweetie’s breathing was coming in short gasps now, but she followed Rarity’s advice and rubbed her eyes. She looked up at Rarity, wondering what she meant.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Sweetie Belle . . . I was just thinking. You see, I was little surprised by what you said.” She chuckled a little. “But I think I understand what you want. I can understand why you think that.

“You’ve just been through a very traumatic experience and you want to escape from all your cares and worries for a while. That could have been partly to blame for your bed-wetting. If what you want is to be babied, then what kind of sister would I be to keep that from you? It’s such a simple, innocent request, too. So don’t be scared, Sweetie Belle. If diapers are what will make you happy right now, then that’s what you will get.”

Sweetie Belle was ecstatic. All her fears had been dashed. This had lived up to her greatest hopes for how Rarity would react. She almost couldn’t believe it. “Y . . . you mean it?”

Rarity smiled at Sweetie and gave her another hug. “Of course I do, Sweetie Belle! Do you want to start right now?”

Sweetie was stunned for a second. “What?”

“Do you want me to put a diaper on you right now?”

Even though this was exactly what Sweetie had been hoping for, the actual, real prospect of being diapered again was a little scary. She guessed this was what she wanted, so there was no time like the present. She nodded slowly. “Y . . . yeah . . .”

Rarity picked Sweetie up again. “Okey-dokey, little sis.” She grinned, and they walked off towards Sweetie’s room.

The whole way there Sweetie was wiping the tears from her eyes. The walk was an interesting one. She was anxious to be diapered, but there was a part of her that didn’t want it. Part of her was clinging to her adolescent self-sufficiency. Part of her didn’t want to have to rely on anypony for anything. The more “adult”, the more “mature” part of her wanted to get by alone. Part of her was afraid of being let down, but she looked at Rarity, and all of those fears were assuaged.

They came into Sweetie’s room and Rarity set Sweetie on the edge of her bed. “Lay down, Sweetie Belle. I’ll be back in a minute.” She left, presumably to get Sweetie’s diaper.

Sweetie stared at the ceiling and clutched her stuffed bunny. She licked her lips in anticipation as she imagined what was to come. The part of her that wasn’t looking forward to this kept getting smaller and smaller as she began to understand that this was what she really wanted. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.

In a few moments, Rarity re-entered carrying a very distinct collection of objects. She set it down beside Sweetie on the bed and then turned her attention to Sweetie. All Sweetie could do was watch her actions with wide eyes, in a state of disbelief. She paused and looked at Sweetie. “You’re sure this is what you want, Sweetie Belle . . .”

Sweetie nodded slowly and hugged Mr. Bun.

Rarity nodded. “All right.” With that, she reached for the baby powder and began to sprinkle it liberally on Sweetie’s diaper area. The scent was thick and homey. Sweetie relaxed immensely as she inhaled the babyish smell. Rarity began to rub it in and Sweetie didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed. Sweetie was too caught up in being cared for. After Rarity had done Sweetie’s front, she rolled Sweetie over onto her side so she could powder Sweetie’s rear too. She made sure to get the small area above Sweetie’s tail as well as her cheeks. Before she rolled Sweetie onto her back, she took the diaper and spread it out beneath Sweetie so Sweetie would roll right back onto it.

Once Rarity did, Sweetie felt the padding beneath her and she heard the crinkling plastic. She closed her eyes and let the feelings overtake her. As she did so, a wide smile gradually grew across her face.

She opened her eyes slightly to see Rarity smiling down at her. She spread Sweetie’s legs apart and raised the front of the diaper. Once the diaper covered Sweetie’s crotch, she began to get the feelings of safety and comfort she had had this morning. The sounds of the tapes being attached were music to her ears. Once it was done, Sweetie was safe and secure in her diaper. Somehow, her hoof crawled up to her lips and she began to suck on it.

She hugged Mr. Bun and let out another contented sigh. Just as she was lost in euphoria,

Rarity lifted Sweetie up again and set her on the floor. Sweetie relished the feeling of being diapered. The bunched up material between her legs, the pressure, the crinkling plastic. It was great! She continued to suck happily on her hoof. Her change had left a small amount of powder on the bed sheet, which Rarity noticed. She said, “Well, I’m going to have to get you a plastic sheet to lie on. Or something . . .” She rubbed her chin while she got lost in thought for a moment. Her pondering, speculative look almost frightened Sweetie for a minute, but it passed and she smiled at Sweetie again.

"Well, Sweetie Belle, I know it’s a little late, but how about we get some lunch?”

Sweetie smiled and nodded. Rarity led the way back downstairs. Sweetie had a little trouble at the beginning of the walk because of the added bulk of the diapers. By the time they made it to the kitchen, she had basically gotten the hang of it. She sat down at the table in the little breakfast nook, enjoying the padding beneath her. She set Mr. Bun aside so she would be ready to eat.

Rarity said, “Just give me a minute to fix you something . . . In the meantime, this should tide you over.” She gave Sweetie a small bowl of applesauce, which Sweetie loved. “I hope you like it.”

Sweetie didn’t waste any time. She immediately dove into the bowl. At the rate she was eating, she finished it in moments.

Rarity came over and chuckled at how fast Sweetie had eaten. “I’m glad you liked it . . . but, hold on . . .” She took a napkin and wiped Sweetie’s face. It seemed Sweetie had missed her mouth a little while she was eating. When Rarity had her cleaned off, she smiled. “There we go. Now I’ve got a little something ready, let me get it.”

She came back with a plate that had a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, a glass of milk, and a banana cut into slices.

Sweetie said, “Mom used to cut bananas that way . . . She’d call them banana pennies.” She closed her eyes and sighed. Rarity came up beside her and hugged her. Then she kissed Sweetie’s cheek. Sweetie started to eat and Rarity went back to the kitchen.

In a few minutes, she came back with a salad and a diet soda. Sweetie remembered that on the first day she’d been over, Rarity had given her a sandwich and chips, but she'd given her a regular soda then. Why Rarity had given her milk now, she didn’t know, but she liked milk, so she didn’t mind. Rarity quietly munched her salad while Sweetie ate her food, not quite as quietly. Something about being diapered had an effect on her table manners.

Sweetie finished her glass of milk about halfway through the rest of her meal (her sandwich had too much peanut butter and not enough jelly) and Rarity refilled her glass. She thanked Rarity, who returned to her salad. They hadn’t really talked at all during the meal. Sweetie didn’t know whether the silence was uncomfortable for her, or she just wanted to say something, but she felt like she needed to talk.

“Rarity?”

She swallowed her bite. “Yes Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie hesitated slightly. “Are you . . . sure you’re okay with this? I mean, you don’t think I’m weird or anything, do you?”

Rarity smiled at her. “Of course I don’t, Sweetie Belle! I think the way you’re reacting makes perfect sense. And as long as you need me, I’ll be there for you. Whatever you need. You have no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed about anything. All I want is for you to be happy."

Sweetie blushed. How could she be uncomfortable with herself when Rarity was so kind and accepting? She smiled and said, “Thank you, Rarity.” She got back to her meal. Rarity finished just a few minutes before she did, but the mare just sat there and watched Sweetie eat. When she had finished, Rarity took her plate and placed it in the dishwasher.

“Sweetie Belle, how about this afternoon we take a nap?”

“Okay, Rarity.”

“You can go on up while I finish cleaning up.”

She ran up to Rarity’s bedroom and climbed into bed. When Rarity came into the room, she lied down beside Sweetie and patted her on the head and motioned for me to come closer. Sweetie scooted close to her so they could share the pillow. Rarity had Sweetie lay her head in her lap.

Sweetie brought her hindhooves up to her chest, wrapped her tail around herself, and began to suck her hoof. Rarity gently stroked Sweetie’s mane as she whimpered and tears dripped down her face. She remained with her head in Rarity’s lap and her hoof in her mouth. She was comfortable that way.

Later in the afternoon, Sweetie got a familiar feeling. She had to pee. Reacting as she normally would have, she started to ask Rarity if she could get up to go to the bathroom. She popped her hoof out of her mouth and said, “Rarity, can I––” She stopped herself when she remembered her current situation. Rarity didn’t know what she was going to ask, though.

“What’s that, Sweetie Belle?”

“N-nothing, never mind.” She started sucking on her hoof again as she returned to trying to get back to sleep. She thought she heard Rarity chuckling a little, but she could’ve been mistaken.

“Okay, Sweetie Belle. If you say so.”

Even though Sweetie was trying her best to get back to sleep, her attention was directed elsewhere. She was having an unexpected difficulty with wetting herself. She had done it before, but that was different. That was when she’d been alone in her room, when she was awash with babyish tendencies. Now she was laying on the lap of her new caretaker, who a very small part of her was still trying to convince that she was tough and self-sufficient.

She furrowed her brow in concentration as she tried to let it go. Gradually she began to suck on her hoof more strenuously. And yet she produced no results. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t. She knew she had to, but she couldn’t do it. She guessed she wasn’t quite ready yet. But then she got an idea. She got off Rarity's lap. Rarity looked at her curiously.

“Excuse me a minute,” she said around her hoof. Since she hadn’t bothered to take her hoof out of her mouth, it wasn’t quite that intelligible, but Rarity understood. She started to walk out of the room.

“Do you want me to take your diaper off?” Sweetie turned back and shook her head. Rarity misunderstood her actions. She thought Sweetie was going to the bathroom. Well, she was in a sense. But all Sweetie needed to do was be by herself for a few minutes. She wasn’t going to the actual room where most ponies go.

All she did was leave the room and turn the corner. She had entered some type of reading room or a small library or something, but that didn’t matter. She was alone for a minute, which was what she needed. She sat down right there on the hard floor. The padding under her behind reminded her of her condition. She closed her eyes and started sucking more thoroughly on her hoof. She pictured herself as she’d seen herself in the mirror that morning: wearing nothing but a wet diaper. She pictured herself as she was in the painting her dad had made. She pictured herself as she was in the photo with her parents and Rarity.

That did it. No sooner had she created that image was it that she began to wet. A smile crept upon her lips and she released a contented sigh as the warm, wet feeling spread over her crotch. She could feel the diaper absorbing the liquid as she released it. The wetness spread over the front of her diaper, sank down below and pooled a little at the bottom. Then she had finished.

She pushed slightly and felt how moist the material was inside.

Having done what she set out to do, Sweetie returned to the bedroom. Rarity smiled at her when she entered. Sweetie had been not been gone as long as Rarity had expected, and as she came back Rarity understood what Sweetie had done. She patted the spot beside her. Sweetie laid back down, laid her head on Rarity’s side, and curled herself back into the ball she was in before. Rarity gave Sweetie a little pat on her diapered behind and winked at her.

After a few minutes had passed, Rarity slid out from under Sweetie and laid her sister’s head on a pillow. Sweetie didn’t even move to help her; she just let Rarity manipulate her how she wanted. Once Sweetie was comfortable again, Rarity said, “I’m going to get dinner started, okay, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie nodded in acknowledgment from her position on the bed. She left for the kitchen while Sweetie continued to snooze on. She was suddenly reminded of her stuffed rabbit, Mr. Bun, which she realized she had left in the breakfast nook when she had eaten her late lunch.

Just as she had almost decided to go out and get it, Rarity came back in the room. She said, “Before I go get started, I meant to ask you: is there anything I can get you?”

Sweetie nodded. “Can I have my bunny?” She had taken her hoof out of her mouth briefly to ask, but then she immediately replaced it.

Rarity smiled warmly. “Sure thing, Sweetie Belle. I’ll get it.” She left for the breakfast nook, and came back a few moments later with Mr. Bun. Sweetie extended her free hoof to accept it, and Rarity gave it to her. She clutched it close and felt better. Rarity changed the movies and then came back to sit down.

“I think I’ll get dinner started in a little while. Sit up for a second, Sweetie Belle, and I’ll slide in.” Sweetie sat up, and Rarity took her place by Sweetie’s. Immediately after she had settled in, Sweetie laid her head back on her side and that’s where she stayed. Rarity’s loving hooves held her close. She could feel the warmth of Rarity’s body. She could feel Rarity’s slow, steady breathing. She could even feel Rarity’s heartbeat. Even though her eyes were closed, Sweetie could feel Rarity looking down at her.

It was in this position that Sweetie realized it: her parents were gone, but they were looking down on her and Rarity. They loved them, and they wanted them to be happy. Rarity would make sure Sweetie was happy. Rarity loved her, too. She was safe in Rarity’s hooves, in her care. Sweetie didn’t have to worry anymore. She felt a great release of tension. She snuggled closer into Rarity’s side.

Sweetie didn’t know for how long she slept. She was cuddled in Rarity’s side with her eyes closed, clutching her stuffed bunny and sucking her hoof. She didn’t dare move. She was so comfortable. They just sat there for a few minutes, Rarity running her hooves through Sweetie’s mane. Sweetie wanted to cry again, but this time for a different reason. She didn’t quite understand it. She was so happy. It was such happiness that she didn’t really know how to react. She felt like she wanted to cry, but she didn’t.

After what must have been thirty minutes of that, (it went far too fast for Sweetie’s taste – she wanted it to last forever) Rarity sat up and lifted Sweetie up. Sweetie opened her eyes. “I should go get started on dinner,” she said, “but before that, what say we get you changed?” She smiled and gave Sweetie a kiss. Sweetie hadn’t even had to tell her that she needed to be changed.

She carried Sweetie up the stairs and into her room. She laid Sweetie down on her bed again. She watched Rarity intently while she hugged her bunny and sucked on her hoof. Rarity had left the diapers and the powder next to Sweetie’s bed the last time she had changed Sweetie, so they were right at her disposal. Rarity undid the tapes on the sides and lowered the front. The smell of urine was quite noticeable even though it was mixed with baby powder, but Rarity (thankfully) didn’t seem to mind.

The air was chilly on Sweetie’s damp privates. Rarity got a look on her face like she had forgotten something, then said, “Hold on, Sweetie Belle. I’ll be right back.” She left Sweetie there, exposed and cold, but not embarrassed. Sweetie fidgeted a little as the cold air tickled her crotch, but Rarity returned quickly.

Rarity had in her magic a washcloth. She was going to use it to wash Sweetie’s diaper area. It was wet with warm water, and felt very nice on Sweetie’s chilled loins. She made sure to get every bit of exposed skin, which prompted a soft yelp from Sweetie. Once she had cleansed and dried Sweetie’s front, she rolled Sweetie onto her side and pulled the diaper off, sliding her tail through the hole.

She cleaned the lower part of Sweetie’s bottom, which had gotten a little wet. Then she got the little bit of fur between Sweetie’s legs and let her roll back. Then she got the baby powder. She powdered Sweetie’s front and was very careful to rub it in everywhere, then she rolled Sweetie once again and powdered her rear. Before she set Sweetie’s butt down again, she unfolded a new diaper underneath it.

As Sweetie’s bottom came to rest on the soft padding of the diaper, she smiled. Rarity spread her legs apart and pulled the diaper up to cover her front. She fastened the tapes and Sweetie was once again safely diapered.

Rarity put her hooves underneath Sweetie and lifted her up. She set Sweetie on her back and started to walk out. “Let’s get some dinner,” she said.

Chapter 5

Once the actual dinner had been prepared, Rarity carried Sweetie down to the kitchen and set her in the chair. It was an interesting feeling; the warm, soft padding under Sweetie’s bottom and the cold, hard wood under her upper thighs. She sat for a minute, hugging Mr. Bun and sucking her hoof, while she waited for Rarity to get our dinner.

She came back a few minutes later with two big plates of spaghetti. “I hope you like spaghetti,” she said. It seemed to Sweetie Belle that Rarity had the uncanny ability to always select her favorite foods. Maybe their parents had told her before they’d left. Sweetie squealed with glee as Rarity set it in front of her. She set her stuffed rabbit aside and grabbed a fork just as Rarity placed a large glass of milk beside Sweetie’s plate and a basket of rolls in the middle of the table.

Sweetie started eating right away and with very little concern for what Rarity thought of her behavior. By the end of the meal her entire face and front were covered with spaghetti sauce and bread crumbs, and she had a big milk mustache. Rarity chuckled, and her laughter made Sweetie notice what she looked like. She grinned sheepishly, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. She didn’t need to.

She said, “In the future, I think we should get you a bib.” To Sweetie’s surprise, and probably to Rarity’s too, she nodded her head vigorously at the suggestion. She guessed it would have at least saved her front in this situation. In its current condition, she hardly thought it was salvageable. While Rarity cleared the table she let out a small burp. Afterwards, she said, “’scuse me.”

When the table was cleared and the dishes were taken care of, Rarity came back and knelt beside Sweetie’s chair. With a rag, she wiped Sweetie’s face and chest clean. She smiled and ruffled up Sweetie’s mane. Sweetie giggled. “Grab your rabbit and follow me. I’ve got something to show you.” She walked off. Sweetie took Mr. Bun and ran after her.

They walked through a few hallways and rooms that Sweetie hadn’t been in before until they stopped in a room that faced west and had a large plate glass window. The sun was just setting and the image it presented was very pretty.

“Have a seat, Sweetie Belle, I’ll be right back.”

Sweetie plopped down on the hard floor and crossed her forehooves. She stuck her hoof in her mouth as she gazed at the gorgeous sunset. She glanced down and admired her attire, or lack thereof. She enjoyed wearing her diaper so it was visible. She was comfortable with that.

Rarity came back in a few minutes with a large pillow. It must have been large enough for Sweetie to lie on fully stretched out, without any of her hanging off. She set the pillow on the floor and said, “Have a seat, Sweetie Belle.” Instead of walking, Sweetie got down on her hooves and knees and crawled over to the pillow. She sat down and sank a little into its soft stuffing.

The pillow was so comfortable! The covering was silky smooth and it provided the perfect amount of softness and support. Sweetie relished the sensations the case made against the back of her thighs.

Rarity walked over to another side of the room to a piano. There was a piano that Sweetie hadn’t even noticed!

She sat down at the piano and uncovered the keys. Immediately, she started playing some beautiful classical piece. Her hooves just danced on the keys; it was amazing! Sweetie’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. After she had finished, she turned and smiled at Sweetie. “I take it you didn’t know I played the piano.” Sweetie shook her head slowly.

She took a book a music from a shelf next to the piano and opened it. She turned a few pages and began to play again. This time, she started singing along. Her voice was so beautiful. Sweet and soft, but full.

When she finished Sweetie clapped loudly.

Rarity smiled, “Thank you, Sweetie Belle.” Then she started playing again.

Sweetie almost melted as she listened to these words being sung by somepony so close to her. Considering how she’d felt for the past few days, this was the exact opposite feeling. She felt so completely safe, so free from worry, so loved, so contented. She felt like Rarity would take care of her forever. She was completely free from worry, just like she wanted.

After her childrens’ song montage, Rarity moved on to some stuff that Sweetie didn’t know as well. It was music that their parents had listened to, Sweetie remembered. Rarity played song after song as the sun sank on the horizon and the room was hued dark red. She kept playing as the sun vanished, and the room was illuminated only by the light above the piano.

A lot of the time while she was singing, Sweetie didn’t even hear the words. She would get lost in Rarity’s voice. It was so beautiful. Sweetie would listen to her sing more than she would listen to what she was singing. But it was all so beautiful that it didn’t matter. The message of the songs always came through even if she didn’t hear