What Are Friends For?

Nopony knew how Applejack and Rarity had become friends, not even the ponies in question. In gradeschool they had been sworn enemies. As they'd gotten older they'd slowly learned to tolerate one another. Both were businessmares and they would occasionally talk in the marketplace about business. When both became caretakers of their siblings their conversations turned to family. In time, Applejack and Rarity learned a great deal about each other. Rarity learned that the "dirty, farmpony" she'd teased in school was an honest, hardworking mare who loved her family. Applejack learned that the "prissy, frou-frou annoyance" was a generous, hardworking mare who genuinely cared for others. One Summer Sun Celebration both followed Twilight Sparkle into the forests with several other mares to defeat an evil returned from a long exile. After that, their friendship had been cemented. Their had been some bumps in the road, but they had grown so close that they had lunch together every Friday. That is why Rarity was so concerned this particular Friday. Applejack, who was so dependable one could set their watch by her, had not shown up. Applejack was also eight months pregnant with the spawn of Caramel, a particularly worthless stallion who had shamed his Earth Pony ancestors by skipping town when his marefriend wound up pregnant. Rarity raised an eyebrow as the sun rose higher into the sky.

Every Friday at four o'clock for the past three years they had met up. Nothing had come between it before. Whatever it was it had to be a disaster. Nothing would make Applejack go back on her word. Finally, Rarity decided that the only course of action left to her was to go check on her friend. She left the sandwich shop and made her way through town. Thoughts of the apple farmer played in her head. Now that she thought about it she hadn't seen Applejack in the marketplace this week or anywhere else around town. She saw Rainbow Dash napping on a cloud.

"Rainbow Dash, Darling!" She called up to the cloud.

Dash yawned. "Yo, Rarity. What's up?"

"Have you seen Applejack around?"

"You didn't hear?" Dash flew down to the earth.

"Hear what, Darling?" Rarity asked, confusion turning to alarm. "Is Applejack alright?"

Dash scratched the back of her head. "Well, sort of."

"What does that mean?"

"She's on bedrest. Can't go anywhere. Could you think of anything more awful? I'm gonna visit her after I finish up some weather work."

"I'll visit her as well."

Dash nodded. "She could use the company. I gotta get back to work."

Dash took to the air again and began to buck a patch of clouds. Rarity headed towards Sweet Apple Acres. The fields of apple trees were in bloom, red fruit and green leaves stretching as far as the eye could see. The scent of apples spread over the farmland, sweet and inviting. Rarity didn't much care for farms, but that scent was one of the few things she loved about it. Big Mac was moving through the orchards, bucking trees and collecting the succulent fruit. He nodded at Rarity as she greeted him. The expression on his face was somber. He was no doubt worried about his sister, Rarity decided. Applebloom appeared to be at work building something. She had a pair of safety goggles on as she sawed a piece of wood under the gaze of Granny Smith.

"Hello, Granny." Rarity greeted.

"Hi, young'un."

"I'm here to see Applejack."

"Oh, that's wonderful." Granny said. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her."

"Talk some sense into her?"

Granny sighed. "She's gotten this idea into her head that we're ashamed of her. We ain't! We just want her to be happy."

"I'll talk to her."

"Thank you, Child."

Rarity walked into the house and then up the stairs that led to Applejack's room. She had been up here before, during an enchanted, nearly forgotten summer full of exploration and discovery and something that might have been love. Each step she took brought back memories of those days. Had it been seven years already? She had been up here since then, of course, for apple cider and intimate conversations, but it hadn't been nearly as frequent as that summer.

"Darling? It's me."

"Rarity?" There was a note of panic in Applejack's voice. "W-what are you doing up here?"

"I've been worried about you. You missed our lunch get-together."

"Oh, I'm sorry Rares. I'm on bedrest, doctor's orders."

Rarity opened the door. Applejack frenziedly pulled the blankets tighter around herself as if she were trying to hide something. What she couldn't hide was the sharp odor and bottle of baby powder on the desk. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything alright, Darling?" Rarity asked, sitting on the side of the bed.

"I'm fine." Applejack's eyes shot to the side and her face scrunched up as if she'd bitten into a lemon. It would have been cute if Rarity hadn't been so concerned for her friend. She placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder.

"You know you can tell me anything right?"

"I know that, Rares."

She shifted. Her body was swollen with the triplets she was carrying. Her legs squirmed beneath the blankets. "I'm feelin' tired. Maybe you could come back later."

Rarity glanced at the lotion, noted the odor and observed her friend's discomfort.

"There is one thing. Granny Smith says you've gotten a foolish idea in your head that your family is ashamed of you."

Applejack curled up beneath the blankets. A pained look crossed her face. "I'm the one that's ashamed. I should never have let Caramel talk me into his bed."

"You were in heat. I've humped trees before when I've been in heat."

"...You stay away from my trees."

"Oh no, none of your trees." Rarity quickly corrected. "Your family understands. They're not ashamed of you and neither should you be."

Applejack had begun to squirm. She bit her lip. "You're a good friend, but could ya leave me be?"

The squirming got worse as she kicked her legs beneath the blankets and mumbled something about foals thinking her kidney was a punching bag. She bit her lip as a look of desperation passed over her face.

Rarity placed a hoof on her cheek. "It's alright, Darling. Let it go."

Applejack's eyes widened. Then, with a sigh born of shame and relief, she released her bladder. The smell of urine filled the room as pee filled the diaper she was wearing underneath the blankets. A chocked sob escaped her lips and Rarity gathered her up in a hug, stroking her mane and holding her close. Applejack buried her muzzle into the white coat of Rarity's chest. Rarity patted her back as Applejack emptied her bladder and cried at the same time.

"C-Celestia's punishing me. That's why I'm pissing myself like a little foal."

Rarity soothingly rubbed circles in the small of Applejack's back as Applejack wrapped her forelegs around Rarity. "I'm fairly certain Celestia is not in the business of punishing ponies with incontinence. And you have done nothing to merit punishment in any case. If anypony deserves punishment it's that coltfriend of yours who ought to be strung up by his testicles."

Applejack giggled at the mental image. "But, I should've had more self-control and not given into him."

"None of that. Nopony can be blamed for their urges. It's all perfectly natural."

Applejack nuzzled Rarity's chest and received a nuzzle in turn from Rarity. Rarity let her go.

"About that diaper-"

"I can change it."

"Don't be silly. I wouldn't be the Element of Generosity if I let my friend change her own diaper. Besides, Sweetie Belle was a bedwetter. I know how to change diapers."

Using her magic she swept the blankets aside to reveal Applejack in a soaked, yellowed diaper. Ignoring the tang of urine she motioned for Applejack to lift her legs. Applejack hesitated, but then lifted them up. Rarity could have used magic, but using hooves lent a gentle, intimate touch that Sweetie Belle certainly used to appreciate. She removed the diaper and set it in a wastebasket next to the bed. Then she picked up a bottle of lotion and slowly rubbed it into Applejack' fur. Applejack shivered unconsciously as Rarity's hoof moved over her intimate parts with the lotion. Then she got some powder and sprinkled it liberally on Applejack's bottom. Applejack couldn't help but moan in pleasure at the feel of the lotion and the powder.  After Rarity finished, Applejack pointed to where the other diapers were. Rarity found them in the chest-of-drawers and pulled one out with her magic. Then she fitted it around Applejack's shapely rump. Applejack snuggled into it.

"Thank you, Rares."

"What are friends for?" Rarity asked. She lay down next to the other mare and ran a hoof through her mane. "You look good with your hair loose."

Applejack blushed. "Aw, shucks. I reckon I do."

"Really I need to style your mane one of these days."

"Nah, I like it as it is."

"Well, you do have a certain natural beauty."

Applejack cuddled closer to her. Rarity wrapped a hoof around her shoulders.

"Everything's going to be okay, Applejack. It'll all be okay." She whispered into the other pony's ear.

"Rarity?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know why I remember this, but my mama used to sing to me after she changed my diaper. Could you...?"

"What song?"

"Hush now, quiet now."

"I know that one."

She began to sing, her sweet voice filling the room.  Applejack laid her head on her shoulder.

"Hush now, quiet now

It's time to lay your sleepy head

Hush now, quiet now

It's time to go to bed"

Applejack's eyes grew heavy as Rarity continued to sing. It wasn't very late in the day, but the day had exhausted her. With her friend singing to her and the feel of her hoof running through her mane she felt her mind drifting away.

Rarity stopped singing as she realized Applejack had fallen asleep.

"Sleep well, Darling." Rarity kissed her forehead and trotted from the room.