Rainbow's Curse

“Have you tried… This tracking spell?” Pinkie Pie asked, poking her hoof at a list of directions jotted down in one of a dozen spellbooks scattered on the library floor.

Glancing over at the book, Twilight shook her head. “That’s for tracking down the missing sock in a pair,” she chided, sounding a little tired. They’d been trying to find a working tracking spell for over a day, trying to figure out where Rainbow Dash had gone too. All her spells had left her with an effect somewhere between total failure, flickering out after moments, or leading them to various swamps in the Everfree Forest. Twilight had begun to worry if it had been a foalnapping, not just some kind of curse-related mishap.

“How about… this one?” Pinkie asked, holding up another book.

“We tried that, Pinkie,” Twilight reminded her. “Attempt number three.”

“Oh,” Pinkie Pie’s face fell a bit as she remembered. “Well… Maybe somepony around town has seen her?”

“Fluttershy and Rarity are looking the old-fashioned way,” Twilight said. “I don’t know how much more help we’d be able to offer.” Sighing, she put down the book she had been reading through for the third time and looked up at the ceiling with more than a little bit of hopelessness creeping into her thoughts.

“Maybe we should take five and come back at this from a fresh perspective,” she recommended, closing the book and hovering it towards the shelf. “Do you want anything to drink? I think I’ve got-”

A knock came at the door, interrupting her words. Tilting her head slightly, she walked up to the door and answered it, seeing a mailpony she didn’t recognize holding a thick manilla envelope.

“Special Delivery,” he said, holding out a pen and pad for Twilight to sign.

Accepting it, Twilight asked, “Where’s the usual pony? She didn’t get hurt, did she?” She always worried that their usual mailpony wouldn’t see some obstacle and would land herself in a hospital somewhere.

“No, it’s just a special order,” the new pony said, taking back the pad. “Express speed.”

“Well, it sure got here… speedily?” Twilight said, a little unsure what else to say. “Thanks!”

“Have a nice day, ma’am.”

Closing the door, Twilight walked back towards the pile of books in the center of the library, tearing the end of the package neatly open and sliding out the contents to look over what the package might be.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” Pinkie asked, glancing over Twilight’s shoulder. “Is that- Eww!”

The picture that slid out the envelope was… Not suitable for a young audience. Rainbow Dash was wearing a really full diaper, her forehooves clearly rubbing against the front of its plastic cover in a way that left little to the imagination. Frowning and blushing towards the photo, Twilight glanced at what else was in the package. More pictures. Lots of them. Rainbow Dash in a crib, Rainbow Dash trying to snatch a teddy bear out of the air, Rainbow Dash crying on some kind of stage. A thick stack of pictures of Rainbow Dash in myriad humiliating and compromising situations.

Feeling more than a little uncomfortable looking at all those pictures, Twilight brushed them aside and flipped them over, looking at what else was in the package. A sheet of paper slipped out, with a note written, or at least arranged, out of old magazine clippings.

“Twilight,” Twilight read aloud, scanning the note. “I have Rainbow Dash held captive. If you don’t want these pictures of her shown to everypony in Ponyville, follow the contained map. Come wearing a diaper.” Glancing down further on the note, Twilight added, “P dot S, you’ll need it.” Beneath that, “P dot S dot S, make sure it’s store-bought, no magic ones.” And, finally at the very bottom of the paper, P dot S dot S dot S, come alone.”

“What’s that all about?” Pinkie asked, as Twilight pulled the map out of the envelope.

“It looks like someone’s got a problem with me,” Twilight said, frowning over the directions. “This looks like it should be easy to find. I can head over there right now and get this whole mess sorted out.”

“Doesn’t the note say to wear a diaper?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head.

Twilight blushed. “Well- Yes, but… It’s not like I’m actually going to let whoever this is get away with it.”

“What if they have a way to send out the pictures the moment they see you aren’t doing what the note said?” Pinkie asked, sounding concerned.

“Er... Oh, ponyfeathers. You’re right,” Twilight admitted. She simply wasn’t too excited about the idea of dressing up in diapers, or even being seen buying them, but it was for Rainbow’s sake. Clearing up the pictures back into the package and setting it by the door, Twilight glanced around to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.

“Well… I guess I’m going shopping,” she said, shrugging sheepishly to Pinkie Pie. “You stay here, in case I get any more mail or the others show up with news.”

“Roger!” Pinkie said, slapping a hoof to her forehead in a mock salute. “I’ll keep an eye out! Good luck!”

“Thanks,” Twilight said, before stepping a hoof outside to head to the store.

…

“Um… Can I help you, ma’am?” A squeaky voice came from behind Twilight, making her jump a few inches in the air and turn red-faced to see the teenaged pony with a red polo uniform and bad acne.

Twilight had been standing in the incontinence aisle for about ten minutes, staring at the inordinately large selection of diapers in front of her. Maximum absorbency, total protection, 24/7, all night protection, for mares, for stallions, uni, all in a half dozen sizes, colors, and designs. She hadn’t known what to get. With Rainbow Dash it had been easy: Basic summoning spell, and whatever magic had fueled her curse had seemed to make the diapers fit just right. For *herself*, though, she didn’t know what in the hay she was supposed to buy. And now a sales associate was asking to give her a hoof.

“Uh…” Twilight said. “Er… Well…” Gulping, she decided there was no time like the present to swallow her pride and ask for help. “I need to buy, some… uh… diapers. For somepony else!” She added, quickly, thinking up a likely excuse. “Yeah, somepony else who’s about my size. Y’know, for reference.”

“Right,” The teenage pony said, raising her eyebrow skeptically. “This… Other pony who looks exactly like you, what’s she need ‘em for?”

Biting her lip, Twilight considered it. The note hadn’t really said, except ‘You’ll need it!’ “Well, uh… Diaperey things? I guess?” She offered, hoping the explanation would be satisfying enough.

“Sure,” the sales associate said, glancing up at the shelf, back at Twilight’s backside for reference, then back up at the shelf. “Okay, here, these’ll do,” she said, taking a step forward and reaching up to grab a large pack of diapers labeled ‘ULTRA - TOTAL GARMENT PROTECTION’ in extremely large caps. A picture of the diaper suspended in the air was on the front, showing a garment thick enough to legally qualify as a pillow in some counties. The bulky squareish padding protruded from the diaper, with the tapes looking like they were strong enough to hold up to just about anything.

Squeaking, Twilight said, “B-but, they’re so… Do they really need to be that thick?”

“Hey,” the teenage assistant said in a placating manner. “You don’t want your ‘Friend’ to have any problems, do you? Better safe than sorry.” She smiled, making Twilight secretly wonder if her lie about the friend hadn’t been totally believed.

“Sure, right,” Twilight said. “And, uh, is there a bathroom here I can use? To… make sure they fit?” She asked.

“Just past the registers, the left of the doors,” the pony said, shrugging as she turned to walk away.

“Right,” Twilight said, glancing at her hooves for a second and then turning to the register.

There was no good way to carry the huge pack of diapers without being ridiculously obvious about it, but Twilight gave it a try anyways, holding the package behind her back in hopes that she might conceal a bit of the label, at least.

Seeing the line at the register then, Twilight gulped. There was no way she’d be able to wait in a line that long without somepony seeing, and she would have a hard time explaining her story about another pony of exactly the same size as her to everypony in line.

That’s when she saw the self checkout line. Perfect! She could just slip through, not have to deal with anypony, and be changed into one and on to save Rainbow Dash in no time. Trotting over to the machine, she set the package of diapers on the counter to scan it.

“Er…” she said to herself, looking at the buttons available. “I guess… This one?” Pressing her hoof to a button, the machine beeped and a little screen display popped in big block letters.

PLEASE SCAN CUSTOMER CARD

‘Hmm’ing, Twilight then hit the ‘Cancel’ button, looking around cautiously to make sure nopony was watching.

PLEASE SCAN ITEM

“Perfect!” This was going to be easy! Sliding the bulky package of diapers over the checkout, Twilight heard the machine beep once, then twice.

ITEM NOT SCANNED. PLEASE RESCAN.

Frowning, Twilight moved the package back and forth again. Beep. Beep.

PLEASE MAKE SURE BAGGING AREA IS CLEAR.

Grumbling, Twilight tried again. Beep beep!

ITEM NOT SCANNED. PLEASE RESCAN.

Again. Beep. Friggin’. Beep.

ITEM TOO LARGE. PLEASE WAIT FOR ASSOCIATE.

About to scream in frustration, Twilight finally looked up from the little screen, realizing only then that the repeated beeps from the machine had drawn more than a few stares. Blushing, she looked back at the package of diapers, then at the many, many staring ponies.

“Er… it’s for a friend?” She offered, weakly, just as the pony who’d assisted her earlier walked up.

Taking one glance at the situation, the teenage pony rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re gonna need to go through the regular lane for that,” she said. “It’s too big for the self-checkout.”

Blushing even more, Twilight said, “U-uh, oh, right…”

Grabbing the package, she shifted over to the lane that looked the shortest, trying to ignore what felt like literally everypony in the building staring at her.

Shuffling interminably forward as the line progressed, barely, Twilight tried explaining her story to the older pony in front of her in line.

“Of course, sweetie,” The elderly mare said, after hearing the stammered explanation. Smiling knowingly, she added with a wink, “I know her, she’s the one who needs my glasses.”

“No, but-” Twilight added, but then the nice old mare had checked out and was trotting out the door, leaving Twilight at the checkout.

“Do you have a rewards card?” The cashier asked, a pegasus stallion only a few years older than the teenager who’d helped Twilight before.

“N-no,” Twilight said, avoiding eye contact.

“Will you need a bag for that?”

“Y-yes please…”

“That’ll be twelve bits.”

Twilight froze, realizing a sudden problem. In her hurry to leave, she’d forgotten to bring money.

“U-uh…” She said, blanking on what to say.

“If you have a store card, that works too.”

“Uh…”

Twilight wasn’t about to go through this whole ordeal again. Besides, it was for Rainbow Dash.

“Ma’am? How are you going to pay?”

“Sorry about this!” Twilight shouted, grabbing the package of diapers and kicking over a stand of candy bars behind her to make a distraction. Before anypony could react, she was sprinting out the door with her diapers in tow.

Twilight Sparkle certainly wasn’t an athlete. She wasn’t anything next to Rainbow Dash, and Applejack would almost always beat her in a footrace so long as she wasn’t distracted with petty arguing. Even Pinkie Pie, almost constant eater of sugar and sweets, was probably more athletic than Twilight.

That all being said, Twilight could have won the 500 Meter Dash at the Equestria Games at that moment for how fast she was running. She knew Sugarcube corner was only a couple blocks away, so that’d be her refuge.

Trying to avoid thinking about all the attention she was probably attracting, Twilight sped like a racecar jet falcon bullet down the road, a purple blur followed just behind by a crinkly white blur. Reaching Sugarcube corner in record time, she skidded to a halt in front of Mrs. Cake.

“N-no time to explain!” Twilight told her, breathing heavily. “It’s an emergency! Where’s your bathroom?”

A second went by, and Twilight found herself blushing again. “Okay, that was a poor choice of words, but-”

“Right over there, dear,” Mrs. Cake said, unphased. Twilight nodded, sprinting past other customers and skidding into the bathroom as quick as she could.

And then she had to actually put on a diaper.

With Rainbow Dash, it had been pretty darn easy. She could see everything she was doing very clearly, the magic of the curse seemed to be helping things along, and the diaper hadn’t been quite so… enormous.

Lying down on the floor and looking between her legs, Twilight grabbed a diaper from the pack and unfolded it, looking up at it floating in the air and trying to figure out how she’d get it on. It was best just to go for it, she decided, so without further delay she waved her horn a bit, the purple glow of her magic slid it between her legs, and she reached for the tapes.

“What the…?” She muttered, looking up, confused. The tapes weren’t there! They were… “Oh,” She said, blushing a bit in spite of the fact that there was nobody to see her embarrassment. Flipping the diaper over so that the tapes were on the right side, she pulled it up in place again and yanked up the tapes, sticking them on snugly.

“There! All good,” Twilight announced, again to nobody in particular. Sitting up, she pushed herself to her hooves, took a step forward, and immediately slipped and landed back on her rump as the awkward bulk of the diaper kept her legs spread apart.

Trying again, she managed this time to shakily keep her balance, lifting up the pack of diapers and head outside. Walking through Sugarcube Corner in padding wouldn’t be fun, but after that she could hurry to get where she was going and have this whole ordeal over with.

She swung the door open, and saw Lieutenant Jam Sandwich, the local PPD officer who usually got all the legwork done. She was a little short, with an orange mane and white coat, but in full uniform and wearing a taser she looked plenty intimidating.

“Ma’am, you’re gonna need to come with me and answer a few questions,” The policemare said, in a flat voice.

Twilight gulped.