Cutie Mark Crusaders Potty Training Teachers, Yay! (Part 1)
Scootaloo could hardly believe the day she was having, and what she was currently going through. Just how it had come to this?
Well, that was a silly question, she knew the answer to that. But that didn't mean she understood why it had to happen. "Out of all the things I've kept secret, this had to be the one thing they found out about." Scootaloo thought to herself, as she reflected back to how she had ended up inside of Carousel Boutique's master bathroom, while her friends were about to do something no other group of friends had ever done.
The day had started off like any other for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. All four of their founding members had woken up and gone to school as usual.
It was still hard for Scootaloo to believe that Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara had been her friends for so long already. It seemed like only yesterday she'd met Sweetie Belle for the first time, and befriended her.
Once school let out for the day, the four crusaders had immediately adjourned to their clubhouse, albeit with some reluctance from Scootaloo.
The first item of business for the Cutie Mark Crusaders was roll call, which Apple Bloom decided to head up.
"Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom called out.
"Here." Sweetie Belle replied cheerfully.
Apple Bloom checked Sweetie Belle's name off of the checklist, then called out "Diamond Tiara?"
"Is this roll call really necessary when we can all see each other?" Diamond Tiara asked "I mean, it's not like one of us is going to suddenly turn invisible or anything."
"Hey, this is part of bein' an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader," Apple Bloom complained "Don't forget, you're the one who begged and pleaded with the three of us to let you join, even though you already had your cutie mark."
"Don't remind me," Diamond Tiara frowned "I still can't believe I actually had to resort to begging to get something, I never like it when other ponies have to see me beg." And already Diamond Tiara could recall that faithful day when The Cutie Mark Crusaders were formed.
It was the day of Diamond Tiara's cute-ceañera, which was held at Sugarcube Corner. Her father had spared no expense to make the celebration as lavish as possible, but he had also been quite insistent on one thing. "I want you to invite all of your classmates, includin' Apple Bloom," he had told her "You two need to start hangin' out more often, because one day the two of you will be business partners, and any sort of bad blood will make business deals much more difficult."
At first, Apple Bloom didn't want to go, but with some pressuring from her sister she had been forced to agree (much to her displeasure). During the party, she met two other fillies who were also blank flanks, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. And soon after they met, they came up with an idea that would change their lives.
"Seein' as none of us have our cutie marks, why don't we form a special club dedicated solely to findin' em?" Apple Bloom proposed, as she, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo sat at a table at Sugarcube Corner. By now, the party was in full swing, with ponies dancing and playing games.
"I'm liking this idea!" Scootaloo said eagerly.
"Me too, but what will we call ourselves?" Sweetie Belle asked "If we're going to have a club, we've got to have a name. A really good name at that."
The three fillies debated amongst themselves for a little bit, rattling names such as 'The Cutie Mark Three' and 'The Cutastically Fantastic', before finally settling on 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders'.
"So then, it's settled! From this moment on, we're officially callin' ourselves 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders'!" Apple Bloom declared "And we ain't stoppin' til we've found our cutie marks, no matter what it takes!"
"Yeah! That's amazing!" Scootaloo cheered.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Sweetie Belle added.
"And now that we've settled that, I'm going to go check on my scooter to make sure nopony's stolen it," Scootaloo declared "I'll be back soon." And she slipped away before either Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle could say anything, quickly blending in amongst the crowd of ponies.
"So, Apple Bloom, are you enjoying my cute-ceañera?" Diamond Tiara asked, as she approached the table Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were at.
"Actually, yes," Apple Bloom replied "The three of us are formin' our own club, dedicated to gettin' our cutie marks."
"'The three of us'? I only see two." Diamond Tiara observed.
"Scootaloo left to go check on her scooter, but she said she'd be back soon," Sweetie Belle explained "She has a tendency to disappear at random intervals for various reasons, then come back later. Anyway, we're calling ourselves 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders'. We're going to hang out every day we possibly can. It'll be great!"
"A club dedicated solely to getting your cutie marks?" Diamond Tiara remarked "Now I've heard everything."
"You're just jealous because you never thought about doin' somethin' like that when you were a blank flank." Apple Bloom taunted.
"Who said anything about jealousy? I'm not jealous!" Diamond Tiara insisted, though both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle could tell that was an obvious lie.
"Well, if you like, maybe we could make you an honorary member," Apple Bloom suggested "Once we get set up that is."
"Really?! You'd let me join, even though I already have my cutie mark?!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed, before quickly realizing it might be in her best interest to not be so loud. She had a reputation to keep up. Quickly trying to divert the attention she had drawn for her statement, she said loudly "I mean, not that I care about any of that, it's just a stupid club. I could come up with a much better club myself."
"Apple Bloom's the one in charge," Sweetie Belle whispered to Diamond Tiara, once the crowd's attention had turned away from Diamond Tiara "You'll have to ask her."
"Oh please, please!" Diamond Tiara pleaded desperately, no longer caring who saw her, all she could think about was making sure she was part of the club. She was convinced it was the only way she wouldn't lose Apple Bloom's friendship.
"Well, I don't know," Apple Bloom replied "You've been actin' pretty smug since you got your cutie mark, and we ain't really lookin' to expand."
"But you three NEED me," Diamond Tiara insisted "I already have my cutie mark, so I can help tell you fillies how to earn yours," then in a whisper she added "Plus, I can protect you from other ponies who make fun of you for not having your cutie marks. Especially Silver Spoon."
"If you can do that, then I guess we could see about letting you join from time to time," Apple Bloom considered "But as an honorary member that already has their cutie mark, you'll mostly just be givin' us advice."
"That's a compromise I'm willing to accept." Diamond Tiara replied, shaking Apple Bloom's hoof, and so it was settled.
"Hey girls," Scootaloo greeted, trotting over to the table "Sorry that took so long, a bolt popped off my scooter and I had a hard time putting it back in place. So, did I miss anything important?"
"Diamond Tiara's joining our club," Sweetie Belle told Scootaloo "She's going to be an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader, isn't that lovely?"
"What?! No way! She already has her cutie mark, how could she help us?!" Scootaloo asked angrily.
"By giving you three advice, and protecting you from other bullies," Diamond Tiara told Scootaloo "And you three will definitely need my help."
"It's a pretty good deal, considerin' Applejack's been breathin' down my neck about bein' friends with Diamond Tiara for a long time now," Apple Bloom added "And you, Sweetie Belle, and I are gonna be the ones who come up with the crusades we embark on."
"But, but-" Scootaloo stuttered, trying to think of a valid counterargument.
"But what, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked "If you have a reason why you think Diamond Tiara shouldn't join, tell us."
Scootaloo paused, and seemed to think hard about something in her mind, but after a couple of minutes she reluctantly said "Never mind, it's nothing. I guess she can join us. But if she ever goes back on her word, I'm kicking her out!"
Diamond Tiara still couldn't believe how long it had been since that fateful day, and how her other crusaders had still not kicked her out even after the incidents with Gabby Gums and Twilight Time.
"Now, let's try this again," Apple Bloom said serious "Diamond Tiara?"
"Here." Diamond Tiara reluctantly replied.
"Excellent," Apple Bloom smiled, as she checked Diamond Tiara's name off the list "Scootaloo?"
For some reason, Scootaloo seemed to be acting as if she were a bug under a microscope, or at least that seemed to be how to best describe her reaction. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere except the clubhouse.
"Here, but can I just be excused really quick?" Scootaloo asked nervously (and fast paced as a result) "I have something I need to get from home."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait 'til we've gone over today's plans," Apple Bloom replied, checking Scootaloo's name off the list "And of course, we all know I'm here, or else I wouldn't be able to do this roll call. So, now that we're all here, it's time to discuss what we're gonna do to get our cutie marks! Any suggestions?!"
Scootaloo stood up, ignoring Apple Bloom's suggestion "Actually, I have an idea, but it requires me to get the thing from home!" she said, and made a mad dash for the clubhouse door. But before she could open it, there was a small flash of light. Scootaloo gulped, that could only mean one thing. "Stupid spell, you had to fail on me at the worst possible moment, didn't you?" she thought angrily to herself.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara didn't say anything. They were too busy staring at Scootaloo's flank, more specifically what was around it. A thick diaper hugged Scootaloo's rear end tightly, the tapes holding it in place quite well. But from a distance, one could mistake the diaper for a cloud.
Scootaloo's cheeks turned the brightest shade of red they possibly could, as she could hear the snickers and chuckles from her friends as they tried rather badly to contain their laughter. Hoping to somehow outsmart them, Scootaloo quickly put her hooves over the front of her diaper, blocking it from view as best she could. "You didn't see anything!" she insisted "Your eyes are playing tricks on you! Remember the time we mistook tree sap for cutie marks?"
Diamond Tiara was the first one to break the silence "Of course we remember, but that was tree sap," she pointed out "There's no way we could mistake something as noticeable as a diaper. The real question is, why are you wearing one?"
"You know, Diamond Tiara's right," Apple Bloom realized "Nopony your age wears diapers, Scootaloo."
"And how come we never noticed this until now?" Sweetie Belle added "And don't say it's because you wear dresses, because I've never seen you wear a dress even once."
Scootaloo's embarrassment was quickly replaced with anger, as she stomped her hooves on the clubhouse floor "It's none of your business why I'm wearing a diaper! I don't stick my nose into your personal lives!"
"We're just askin' a question, Scootaloo." Apple Bloom replied.
"Whatever it is, you can tell us. We won't laugh." Sweetie Belle promised.
"We won't?" Diamond Tiara said, prompting Apple Bloom to nudge her with a hoof "I mean, we won't. It'll just be our little secret."
"You're just saying that to make me confess!" Scootaloo said angrily "I'll never tell you girls!" That prompted a series of fiendish smiles to form on the faces of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Really? Not even if we were to tickle you?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
"You wouldn't dare!" Scootaloo shouted.
"Try us!" Apple Bloom replied, and tackled Scootaloo without further fanfare, pinning her to the floor. "I'll hold her down!" Apple Bloom said to Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle "Let her have it!"
Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle stepped forward, and after Sweetie Belle used her magic to pluck two feathers from Scootaloo's wings, they proceeded to tickle Scootaloo senseless.
"No, please, have mercy!" Scootaloo cried, as she was tickled over and over again. Despite her best efforts, Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh herself silly, the tickling was too much.
"Do you give up, Scootaloo?" Diamond Tiara taunted "Because we can do this all day if we have to, maybe it'll even help your friends earn their cutie marks!"
"I'm not telling and you can't make me!" Scootaloo protested.
"Too bad, what a shame," Apple Bloom chuckled, plucking a feather for herself "Now it's time for you to experience some extreme tickling." And in seconds, Scootaloo now found herself subjected to tickling from three different sides of her body. Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle tickled her left and right back hooves respectively, while Apple Bloom snuck in a tickle or two across Scootaloo's stomach, which had the result of making the pegasus laugh even harder. She was laughing so hard that tears came into her eyes.
"S-stop it, you're gonna make me pee myself!" Scootaloo demanded.
"Well, you are wearing a diaper, and that's what diapers are for." Apple Bloom teased.
"But I don't wanna pee myself in front of you girls, I'll die of embarrassment! Please, I'll do anything, anything!" Scootaloo pleaded, even as she continued to laugh and laugh like there was no tomorrow.
"The only way to make it stop is for you to spill the beans, and not the kind you eat!" Sweetie Belle told Scootaloo "Otherwise, I hope that diaper's taped on properly."
"How many times do I have to say it?!" Scootaloo said in between fits of laughter "I'll NEVER tell you!"
"Then prepare to wet yourself! Let her have it, Diamond Tara!" Apple Bloom ordered.
"With pleasure!" Diamond Tiara smirked, and after taking all three feathers she began to tickle every part of Scootaloo's body that she possibly could, inducing the most amount of tickles possible in the least amount of time.
"N-N-Nooooooooooooo!" Scootaloo shouted, barely able to say anything due to how hard she was laughing "A-alright, alright. I-I'll tell you, just please stop the tickling!"
"If you insist." Diamond Tiara replied, dropping the feathers on the floor and giving Scootaloo a much needed chance to breath.
"Thanks girls," Scootaloo said, once she had caught her breath "But don't ever do that again!"
"We won't, as long as you keep your word and tell us why you're wearing that diaper," Diamond Tiara demanded "We're all ears."
Scootaloo looked left, then right, then left again, as if hoping for some way out of her predicament. Alas, there was nothing. The time had come for her to confess. Reluctantly, Scootaloo took a deep breath and said "I-I-"
"Yes?" Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara all replied eagerly.
"I'm not potty trained." Scootaloo whispered softly.
"What was that?" Apple Bloom asked "A little louder, Scootaloo, so we can hear it."
"You really want to know that badly?" Scootaloo asked, to which Apple Bloom nodded. Scootaloo groaned, but reluctantly swallowed a lump in her throat and confessed "I'm not potty trained! There, I said it! Happy now?!"
A long, drawn out silence hung over the clubhouse. Nopony said anything, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara all stood there in silence. It seemed to take a while for this information to sink in all the way. And Scootaloo didn't bother to say or do anything else, she was too embarrassed. She was just grateful her diaper was still clean.
Diamond Tiara was the first one to break the silence "Really? You're not potty trained, not even a little?" Scootaloo reluctantly nodded "Oh come on, Scootaloo, you can't possibly expect me to believe that's true."
"But it is!" Scootaloo replied "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!"
"Didn't your parents ever at least try to train you?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"My dad died when I was about a year old," Scootaloo confessed "Mom got so distracted with grief that she kind of forgot about potty training. Then she had to get a job so we wouldn't lose our house, and she's just been too busy to train me, or find somepony who will."
"Really? Not even after all these years?" Apple Bloom asked "That seems like an awful long time to forget about potty trainin'. Even my family found time to teach me how to use a bathroom, despite Ma and Pa passin' away before I was old enough to learn."
"My mom keeps saying she'll set aside time to train me, but then something always comes up and she forgets," Scootaloo explained "I keep trying to remind her, but she just gets so caught up with work that she just brushes it aside until it's too late."
"And you haven't even tried to learn by yourself?" Diamond Tiara asked Scootaloo.
"Well, have any of you ever tried to potty train yourselves?" Scootaloo asked in response, nopony answered "I thought so." she said unhappily.
"But then, if you've been wearin' diapers for so long, how come we've never noticed until now?" Apple Bloom wondered out loud.
"You know, that's actually a really good question," Sweetie Belle commented "I was wondering the same thing myself. I never once noticed you were wearing a diaper, not even when we were playing. Although, now that I think about it, you seemed to be really hesitant about anything that involved your flank. You never wanted to play tag, unless it was shadow tag."
"If you must know, I've been covering up my diapers with a spell," Scootaloo reluctantly confessed "A spell cast by Princess Twilight. It makes the diaper invisible to the naked eye if you're not in the same room it's cast in. It also blocks out the smell, for a little bit. It was the only way I agreed to leave home, there was no way I was going to let myself go out in public like this!"
"And those special Twilight Time lessons? Are they-" Diamond Tiara wondered out loud.
"Yes they are," Scootaloo nodded with great reluctance "Twilight's been potty training me whenever she finds the time, it was just a secret between the two of us, and she hasn't been doing it often. Now go ahead, make me fun of me!"
And that's exactly what they did, or at least what Diamond Tiara did. "We're going to have to come up with a different name for you now, Scootaloo," she chuckled, all the while poking at Scootaloo's diaper with a hoof "Maybe we should call you Crinkleloo?"
"No, that's a terrible name!" Scootaloo replied "And stop touching my diaper!"
"Well, I have to make sure you don't need a change," Diamond Tiara smirked "It would be a shame if you got a diaper rash because you stayed in a dirty diaper."
"I think we'd know if she used it," Apple Bloom said to Diamond Tiara "For now at least, it's as fresh as a daisy."
"But if she were to actually use it, I think we could try our luck with changing her," Sweetie Belle suggested "I wonder what a diaper changing cutie mark would look like?"
"You're not finding out, I'm not going to use my diaper!" Scootaloo insisted "Besides, I didn't bring my changing supplies."
"Oh really?" Apple Bloom asked "Are you sure we wouldn't find things like foal powder and diaper wipes if we checked your saddlebags? They did seem a bit bulgy today."
"Don't you dare! I don't go snooping through your saddlebags, do I?!" Scootaloo protested, angrily stomping her hooves. This only had the result of making her friends laugh at her some more.
"Ah, come on, Scoots," Apple Bloom teased "There's no need to act like a pouty baby."
"I'm not pouting!" Scootaloo complained.
"The look on your face says otherwise," Sweetie Belle pointed out "If that's not a pout, I don't know what is."
"Is the wittwe baby cwanky?" Diamond Tiara asked in a teasing tone of voice "Maybe she'd like a baba, or a paci?"
"I am not a baby, and I am NOT cranky!" Scootaloo bellowed at the top of her lungs, steam escaping from her nostrils.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and even Diamond Tiara took that as a sign that Scootaloo was about to blow, and it was best not to say anything. They waited for a few minutes, until Scootaloo had calmed down enough to where it looked like she wouldn't explode with anger. Then, Apple Bloom broke the silence by apologizing. "We were only teasin' ya, Scootaloo. You said we could make fun of you."
"Well, it stopped being funny the moment you called me a baby!" Scootaloo replied.
"But only babies wear diapers," Diamond Tiara spoke up "And you're wearing a diaper. So that makes you a baby. Granted, a big baby, but still a baby."
"I said I'm not a baby!" Scootaloo snorted "How many times do I have to say it?!"
"Don't mind Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle apologized "Apparently, she isn't completely done teasing you. But I'm sure she'll stop now. Right, Diamond Tiara?" And Sweetie Belle proceeded to angrily glare at Diamond Tiara not unlike the way a mother would glare at her child that misbehaved.
Diamond Tiara gulped, this was the first time she'd ever seen Sweetie Belle look so angry. "Right," she said nervously "Sorry for the teasing, Scootaloo. I got carried away."
"Well, now that we've gotten over the fact that I'm wearing a diaper, let's get back to the business of earning our cutie marks." Scootaloo suggested, hoping to change the topic.
But as soon as Scootaloo had suggested this, Apple Bloom looked to Sweetie Belle and asked "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
"I think so," Sweetie Belle nodded "If what you're thinking has to do with Scootaloo's current situation."
"That's exactly what I'm thinkin' about," Apple Bloom replied "And I was thinkin', we've never tried to earn our cutie marks in teachin' somepony else how to use a toilet, have we?"
"No, of course we haven't, otherwise it would be on the chart." Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"Then why don't we try it?" Apple Bloom suggested "We'll potty train Scootaloo, and in the process we might just get our cutie marks!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle then proceeded to shout loudly "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS POTTY TRAINING TEACHERS, YAY!"
"Um, yay?" Scootaloo replied nervously. She wasn't sure how she should feel about the idea of two of her best friends teaching her how to use the bathroom.
"Now wait just a minute!" Diamond Tiara protested "You two can't possibly mean to tell me you're going to try and earn your cutie marks by potty training Scootaloo!"
"Why not? It sounds like a good idea." Apple Bloom replied.
"I've got two good reasons why it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of, and why it's not going to work," Diamond Tiara explained "First of all: Every time you three have tried to earn your cutie marks, it's always ended in failure. Do you want Scootaloo's potty training to end up the same way?! And second and more importantly: Who ever heard of a potty training cutie mark?! Who in their right mind would want a cutie mark like that?!"
"Any cutie mark is better than no cutie mark at all," Sweetie Belle responded "But if you don't want to help us, that's fine. You can just stay here and come up with new ideas for crusades, while we have all the fun without you. It's your choice."
"Well, maybe I want to stay here so as to save Scootaloo the embarrassment when her potty training inevitably goes horribly wrong?" Diamond Tiara suggested "The fewer ponies that have to witness it means there will be fewer ponies around to make fun of her because of it."
"Really? You'd miss out on a chance to make fun of me?" Scootaloo replied "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."
"If she doesn't want to tag along, that's fine," Apple Bloom said to Scootaloo "I guess she's just not interested in helpin' you out. If she thinks we somehow can't potty train you on our own, it would be nice if she could step up and do it. But she doesn't have to, if she doesn't want to."
"But that also means that if we do succeed in getting you potty trained, and get our cutie marks as a result, she won't be around to see it or even take any of the credit," Sweetie Belle added "Oh well, it's her loss. Now come on, we're wasting time just standing around here!"
But before Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle could even think about leaving the clubhouse with Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara spoke up "Oh, alright, I guess I'll come along as well. If for no other reason than so I can say 'I told you so' when it doesn't work out. Just don't expect me to help that much, I already have my cutie mark, so I don't have to worry about getting stuck with a potty training one, unlike you or your friends."
"What would a potty trainin' cutie mark even look like?" Apple Bloom wondered out loud.
"We'll worry about that later," Sweetie Belle replied "For now, let's just focus on finding a bathroom for Scootaloo to train in."
"Uh, before you girls do that, I think you should ask my mom for permission," Scootaloo said sheepishly "She'd start asking questions if I were to suddenly go around the house without a diaper on."
"I was just about to suggest that myself," Diamond Tiara insisted "You can lead the way, Scootaloo. It'll be much faster on your scooter, than if we go on hoof."
"But I can't go out like this!" Scootaloo protested, pointing to her diaper "I'll be the laughing stock of the town!"
"Well, what do you want us to do about it?" Diamond Tiara asked impatiently.
"I don't know, just do something to cover up my diaper!" Scootaloo demanded "Otherwise, I'm not going anywhere!" Then, an idea came to her mind "Sweetie Belle, maybe you could cast a spell on it?"
"You mean, the exact same spell Twilight casts?" Sweetie Belle replied "I can't do that. Not only do I not know what spell she uses, but I don't think I have the magical skills to cast something that powerful."
"Do you at least know a spell that could cover it up, even just for a little while?" Scootaloo asked "Please? If you do, I promise I'll co-operate one hundred percent on this whole potty training thing. I won't question you, Apple Bloom, or Diamond Tiara at all."
Sweetie Belle was silent for a moment, as she attempted to rack her brain for any possible spells she could cast that would satisfy Scootaloo. At last, she spoke up and said "I think I know something, but I can't do it often, I'd probably only be able to get my horn to co-operate for one casting."
"Just do it!" Scootaloo pleaded "I can always borrow a dress from home if we have to go somewhere else," under her breath she added "As much as I hate dresses."
"Okay then, but remember your promise." Sweetie Belle smiled, as she proceeded to shut her eyes and concentrate. Her horn slowly sparked to life, at first only producing a few light green sparks, but gradually produced a noticeable glow. The glow surrounded Scootaloo's diaper, and with a poof it disappeared. Upon hearing the poof, Sweetie Belle opened her eyes. She saw Scootaloo looking at where her diaper should be, but not finding it there.
"What did you do to it?" Scootaloo asked "Did you make it disappear?"
Sweetie Belle shook her head "No, I just put a cloaking spell on it. Nopony can see it, but you can probably still feel it if you try to move. We'd better get moving, it won't last long, and I don't think you want to be out in public when it wears off!"
"Good point!" Scootaloo nodded, and dashed out of the clubhouse door, heading for her scooter. Once her fellow crusaders had climbed into the wagon in the back, Scootaloo sped off for home. "I can't believe I'm actually about to be potty trained by my friends," she thought to herself "This is weirder than letting Diamond Tiara join the club even though she already has her cutie mark."
Cutie Mark Crusaders Potty Training Teachers, Yay! (Part 2)
As Scootaloo sped off towards her house, she found it hard to keep the thoughts off of the fact that her friends and fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders now knew her greatest secret. "I knew I should've gone to Twilight before going to the clubhouse," she thought to herself, as she scooted her way through town, carrying her friends in the wagon behind her "But, I guess this secret was going to come out sooner or later. Still can't believe they're actually going to try and potty train me though, that's got to be the craziest idea anypony's ever come up with to try and earn a cutie mark."
Normally, Scootaloo enjoyed her scooter rides through Ponyville, whether it was seeing how fast she could go, or what sort of new event or visitor was attracting attention. But due to the current circumstances, all Scootaloo could focus on, was making it home before the spell wore off. "If my diaper is exposed to all of Ponyville, I'll never live it down." she thought to herself, and was relieved when at last her house came into view. Quick as a flash, Scootaloo drove up to the front yard, and brought the scooter to a halt. "Alright, we're here!" she announced to her fellow crusaders "Now let's hurry up and get inside!" And before Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, or Diamond Tiara could protest, Scootaloo was leading them through the front door and shutting it behind them. Shortly after doing so, the spell wore off, and with a puff of light green magic, the diaper returned.
"Scootaloo, you're home early. What a surprise," a gentle and sweet sounding female voice called "And I see you've brought guests." The owner of the voice soon revealed itself as an amber coated pegasus mare whose mane seemed to be styled into a pink colored curl, while her tail looked a bit shaggy and had a hint of a lighter pink tint in the center. Her eyes were a dazzling rose in color, and her cutie mark depicted three small tornadoes.
"Hey, Mom," Scootaloo greeted somewhat nervously "Well, my friends and I had an idea about earning our cutie marks, but I figured we should probably come and see you first," then she turned to the other crusaders and said "Girls, meet my mom, Dizzy Twister."
"Hello, Miss. Twister." Apple Bloom greeted.
"Hello to you too," Dizzy Twister replied "You must be Scootaloo's friends, she's told me a lot about you."
"She has?" Diamond Tiara asked, to which Dizzy Twister nodded "What exactly has she said?"
"From what I've been told, the three of you are her closest friends," Dizzy Twister replied with a smile, then she noticed the diaper on her daughter's flanks "Apparently, close enough to know about her 'secret'."
"Yeah, they kind of just found out," Scootaloo admitted, blushing in embarrassment "That's kind of why they wanted to talk to you."
Deciding to save Scootaloo any further embarrassment, Sweetie Belle stepped forward and said to Dizzy Twister "We're always trying to earn our cutie marks any way we can. And we were thinking that, maybe we could try potty training Scootaloo. But she said it was best if we talked to you about it first."
"But what about you, Diamond Tiara?" Dizzy Twister asked "Don't you already have your cutie mark?"
"Of course I do, and even if I didn't I certainly wouldn't want a potty training cutie mark," Diamond Tiara quickly replied "I'm merely helping out because Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's 'crusades' tend to end badly, so I figured they might need a helping hoof or two."
"So, can we do it, please?" Sweetie Belle pleaded "Even if it doesn't get us our cutie marks, at least we'll hopefully be able to get Scootaloo out of diapers."
Dizzy Twister looked at Scootaloo's friends, uncertain how to respond to their question. She seemed hesitant to say or do anything for a few moments, but at last she put on a serious look and said "Well, I'm not opposed to the idea of you three wanting to help my daughter, in fact I find it sweet that you're not making fun of her just because she's still a diaper wearer."
Scootaloo wanted to speak up and protest that statement, but she reluctantly kept her mouth shut when she saw the smiles on Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and even Diamond Tiara's faces.
"But," Dizzy Twister continued "Potty training is a big deal, and a long term process. It's not something you can instantly teach in a day. You can start it, but at best it would probably take the better half of a year before Scootaloo would be officially potty trained for real. On top of that, I'm going to be leaving shortly to go to work and won't be around to supervise the four of you. I wouldn't want to come home to find I have a mess to clean up."
"We won't make any messes, we promise." Apple Bloom insisted.
"Aside from the ones Scootaloo will hopefully be making in the toilet." Diamond Tiara muttered under her breath.
"I'm not saying you'd intentionally cause trouble, but you fillies don't exactly have the best track record for staying out of it," Dizzy Twister said reluctantly "It's great that you're concerned about my daughter's well being, but I will potty train her when I have the time."
"You always say that, but you never get around to actually doing it, Mom," Scootaloo complained "If I had a bit for every time you've promised to train me, only to forget or have something come up, I'd probably a whole pile worth of bits!"
"I know I've made that promise many times before, my little Wonderbolt," Dizzy Twister said with a sigh "I always mentally kick myself for constantly putting it on the backburner. But this time I intend to keep my promise! This weekend, we can start potty training you."
"But that's a whole two days from now!" Scootaloo complained.
"I'm sorry, Scootaloo, but for something as important as this I have to make sure you and your friends have an adult keeping an eye on you." Dizzy Twister said seriously.
"Actually, Rarity's agreed to watch over us!" Sweetie Belle suddenly spoke up "In fact, we were just on our way to Carousel Boutique, but we decided to stop here and get Scootaloo something to cover up her diaper, as well as make sure we had your permission to train her. It must've slipped my mind earlier for some reason."
"What?! What are you talking about?!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed "Rarity's made no such promise!" This prompted Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to glare angrily at her, and she quickly realized what was going on. Reluctantly, she hastily said "I mean, yes she has, I just forgot! Silly me!" and she nervously chuckled to herself.
Dizzy Twister appeared to eye Sweetie Belle with a look of suspicion for a moment, while Sweetie Belle remained silent and attempted to keep up the most sincere smile she could manage. But at last, the tension was broken as Dizzy Twister told Sweetie Belle "Well, as long as you have somepony like Rarity watching over you, I guess I can reluctantly give you and your friends permission to train my daughter, just this once."
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cheered, and high hoofed each other in celebration.
"But remember what I said about potty training," Dizzy Twister added "Even if you succeed, I'm still going to be potty training Scootaloo on my own. And after this attempt, I will not be giving you three permission again. Do you understand?"
"We understand, Miss. Twister," Diamond Tiara nodded, and so did Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle "We promise that after today, regardless of how this potty training attempt works out, we'll keep our noses out of further intervention."
"Good, see that you do," Dizzy Twister replied with a cheerful smile and turned her attention to Scootaloo "Now, is there anything you need from me before you head over to Carousel Boutique, my little pony?"
"No thanks, I'm good." Scootaloo insisted.
"Really? Then you wouldn't mind if I checked your diaper really quick, just to be sure?" Dizzy Twister asked, slowly approaching Scootaloo.
"Mom, not in front of my friends!" Scootaloo demanded "My diaper's still clean, just look at it!"
Dizzy Twister took one look at the diaper, and immediately she could see that her daughter was telling the truth. The padding's snow white color was not disturbed even the slightest. "Well then, feel free to pick out whatever dress you want. Consider it your reward for keeping your diaper clean all day." she said cheerfully to Scootaloo.
Scootaloo reluctantly followed her mother to a nearby closet filled with girlish dresses of all sorts, and quickly picked out the least fru-fru outfit she could find amongst the collection. It was still a dress with a girly pink color, but otherwise nothing was really special about it, and it covered up the diaper nicely.
"Why did you lie and say Rarity was going to watch us?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle, once the Cutie Mark Crusaders had left Scootaloo's house and set off for Carousel Boutique "You could've at least said Princess Twilight was going to watch us and that would've been somewhat true."
"Rarity was the first pony that sprang into my mind." Sweetie Belle said in reply.
"Besides, Carousel Boutique's bathroom's gotta be fancier than the one at the Golden Oaks Library." Apple Bloom added.
"Does it really matter how fancy the bathroom is?" Diamond Tiara asked "If Scootaloo's going to be using it to potty train, I don't see why it matters what the bathroom looks like. As long as it has a functioning toilet that should be good enough."
"I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with you on something, Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo responded "But I guess any bathroom would be better than the one at Sweet Apple Acres."
"And what's so wrong with havin' an outhouse in the orchard?!" Apple Bloom asked angrily "Besides, it's not like we don't have a regular bathroom. The outhouse is more for those long apple buckin' sessions than anythin' else."
"I'll admit it I was actually surprised your family had the money to pay for a regular bathroom," Diamond Tiara said to Apple Bloom "Are you sure Sweet Apple Acres isn't secretly sitting on a stash of money or something?"
"What's all this talk about bathrooms got to do with anythin'?" Apple Bloom replied angrily "And since when did it become important how my family spends the money we earn."
"You're the one who started it with your comment about how fancy the bathroom at Carousel Boutique would be." Diamond Tiara told Apple Bloom.
"Can we just shut up about bathrooms for now?!" Scootaloo complained "You're not helping to make this situation any less awkward!"
"Well, you're the one who's wearing diapers at an age when most ponies out grow them." Diamond Tiara commented.
"If I wasn't driving this scooter, I'd make you pay for that remark!" Scootaloo said angrily "In fact, are you actually going to help me at all? Or are you just going to tease me, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle do all the work?!"
"You can worry about that once we actually start the potty training," Diamond Tiara replied "Besides, I never promised not to tease you about it from time to time."
Before Scootaloo could say anything in response, Sweetie Belle shouted "We're here!" as the familiar sight of Carousel Boutique greeted the eyes of the four fillies.
Braking carefully, Scootaloo brought the scooter and wagon to a halt, while making sure not to get dirt onto her dress. "The last thing I need now is for Rarity to have an excuse to make another dress for me." she thought to herself, as she removed her helmet, and allowed Sweetie Belle to take the lead as they walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.
Rarity was more than a little surprised to see Sweetie Belle and her friends at the front door. "Ah, Sweetie Belle, how...unexpected," Rarity greeted, her face seeming to briefly contort itself out of a smile, before quickly reverting to normal "I wish you had told me sooner that you were bringing your friends over today."
"Sorry, Rarity," Sweetie Belle apologized "But this was kind of a last minute thing. Something 'unexpected' came up."
Rarity was going to ask Sweetie Belle what she meant by unexpected, but just by taking one look at Scootaloo (more specifically what she was wearing), she could see what the 'unexpected' thing was. "Does Scootaloo wish for me to make her a new dress?" she asked "I can see that there are certain 'specifications' that will need to be taken into account."
"We didn't come here so I could be your new fashion model!" Scootaloo spoke up rudely "I don't need any new dreses, thank you very much!"
"Scootaloo, that wasn't very nice." Apple Bloom said, angrily jabbing Scootaloo with a hoof.
"It's quite alright, darlings," Rarity replied politely "But an apology would be nice."
"I'm sorry," Scootaloo apologized "I just don't really like dresses."
"Understandable, though dresses are certainly not anything to be afraid of," Rarity commented "So then, why are you all here?"
"We just wanted to come over and do something with Scootaloo to try and earn our cutie marks," Sweetie Belle told Rarity, making sure to omit the exact details about what they were going to do "We won't get in your way."
"Well, normally I would not mind too much, and would gladly let you girls stay," Rarity said kindly, before a small frown formed on her face "Unfortunately, today it is simply not possible. I need to step out for a while to hunt for gems, it is for a dress for a very important client, and I do not know how long I shall be away."
"But Rarity-" Sweetie Belle began.
"No buts, Sweetie Belle," Rarity interrupted, trying her best not to sound overly harsh "You fillies have a tendency to get into trouble at a moment's notice, and this dress has taken me all day just to come close to completing."
"But we won't touch the dress, Miss. Rarity," Diamond Tiara pleaded "In fact, we promise we won't go anywhere near your workshop. What we're doing isn't going to involve it."
"Please? We'll clean up any messes we make, we promise!" Sweetie Belle vowed, shooting Rarity her best pair of puppy dog eyes "If we cause any trouble, you can hold it against me. I can be grounded for however long you and Mom and Dad decide is appropriate."
"That's very nice of you to offer, Sweetie Belle," Rarity replied "But I'm afraid my answer is still no."
"Come on! Pretty please with a cherry on top!" Sweetie Belle pleaded, practically clinging to Rarity's front right leg and refusing to let go.
"Sweetie Belle, this isn't going to make me change my mind," Rarity insisted "Now please let go of my leg."
"Pretty pretty please?" Sweetie Belle pleaded, only clinging harder to Rarity's leg.
"Sweetie Belle, I'm not going to say it again," Rarity said seriously "Please let go."
But Sweetie Belle only clung even harder, and in the sweetest, most innocent voice she could muster, she said "Pllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease! It'll be like we weren't even here!"
Rarity wanted to say no, but her will to resist melted away when she locked eyes with her sister. The look on her face was just too strong and too adorable to say no to. With a reluctant sigh, Rarity admitted defeat and said "Oh, alright. I suppose you and your friends may stay. But I intend to hold you to your word about not setting hoof in my workshop, or going anywhere near it. And I also want you all to be on your best behavior. If I come home and find that you went back on your promise, I shall not allow any of you back here until I feel you have learned your lesson. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Rarity," Sweetie Belle nodded "As Celestia as my witness, I promise, my friends and I will leave your boutique as spotless as it was when we arrived! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
"Nice touch addin' that Pinkie Promise." Apple Bloom commented.
"Thanks, I figured it would add an extra amount of honesty to my words." Sweetie Belle replied, smiling happily.
"Well, Sweetie Belle, I hope you're aware of the fact that a Pinkie Promise is never broken," Rarity warned "Now, is there anything you girls will need that I can get for you?"
"Nope, we're good. We've got everything we need for this crusade." Sweetie Belle said cheerfully.
"You worry about the gems, and we'll worry about the crusade." Apple Bloom insisted.
"See that you do, and best of luck with whatever it is you girls are planning to do." Rarity replied kindly, before she headed out the door and closed it behind her.
"I can't believe that actually worked." Diamond Tiara commented, once Rarity had left.
"I'm just glad she doesn't know what you're going to do," Scootaloo said, as she quickly (but carefully) took off the dress, leaving her in nothing but a diaper. "The fewer ponies that have to know, the better. If Rainbow Dash found out, that would be my worst nightmare come true."
"Enough chit chat, let's get to the bathroom and get the potty trainin' underway," Apple Bloom insisted "I got a good feelin' that today's the day we earn our cutie marks."
"You say that about every crusade, Apple Bloom." Diamond Tiara remarked, as the quartet of fillies made their way up to Carousel Boutique's master bathroom.
"This time I really mean it!" Apple Bloom said seriously "Somethin' in my heart tells me that this crusade is goin' to be the one!"
"I'm actually hoping I don't get a cutie mark by the time this is over," Scootaloo commented nervously "I can't imagine what sort of cutie mark I'd get, but it would have to be one of the worst cutie marks ever."
Once inside the bathroom, Apple Bloom took the liberty of closing the door so as to give the fillies privacy. While Diamond Tiara raised the lid of the toilet, so that Scootaloo would be able to sit down on the seat.
Scootaloo felt a whole new wave of embarrassment wash over her, as Sweetie Belle used her magic to pull down Scootaloo's diaper and check it.
With a smile, Sweetie Belle announced "Still nice and clean, we can begin." while leaving the diaper hugging Scootlaoo's knees.
Slowly and carefully, Scootaloo trotted over to the toilet, her cheeks practically flushing red as she drew closer and closer to the porcelain throne. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as Scootaloo at last found herself looking up at the toilet. Was she really about to do this?
"Go on, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom encouraged "Just sit down on the seat."
"While we're still young if you don't mind." Diamond Tiara commented.
With a great deal of nervousness and embarrassment, Scootaloo carefully turned around and positioned her rump, before sitting down on the seat. The potty training had begun.
A few seconds passed uneventfully, before Scootaloo turned to her friends and asked "Well, now what?" even though she knew the answer.
Her friends giggled, as Sweetie Belle replied "Just do what you'd normally do in your diaper."
"But that might take a while, I don't really have to go right now." Scootaloo complained.
"That's alright, we can wait until you do," Apple Bloom said kindly "But you're not leavin' the bathroom, and neither are we. You promised you'd cooperate, so no buts."
Scootaloo sighed, as she remembered the promise she had made. She really couldn't go back on it now without angering her friends. "Can you at least do something to help pass the time?" she suggested "Anything's better than just sitting here."
"Maybe we could sing a song?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
"What?! Are you out of your mind?!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Well, it's what Rarity and Mom and Dad used to do for me," Sweetie Belle explained "I thought it would work here too."
"How about a board game?" Apple Bloom proposed.
"And how is Scootaloo supposed to move her piece when she's sitting on the toilet?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"I.... guess I hadn't thought of that." Apple Bloom realized.
"Maybe, one of you could read me a story?" Scootaloo asked, blushing slightly "Preferably something really long."
"Oh, oh, I know! How about Everypony Poops?!" Sweetie Belle suggested "Rarity's bound to have a copy of that, she used to read it to me all the time when I was going through potty training!"
"That's for three year olds, which I'm not!" Scootaloo remarked "I want an engaging story, something that I'll be interested in."
This prompted Diamond Tiara to smirk, as an idea came into her head "Okay, Scootaloo," she said in a tone of voice that sounded sinister "You want to hear a story? Well, I'll tell you a story that'll I think you'll find to be really interesting. It features a pegasus pony not unlike yourself, who was in a bathroom just like this one. She was just sitting on the toilet, minding her own business, thinking that nothing could go wrong. And it just so happens, that this pegasus pony was a filly going through potty training."
"Where are you going with this?" Scootaloo asked Diamond Tiara.
"Oh, I'm just getting to the good part," Diamond Tiara smiled as she continued her story "So this pegasus filly was sitting on the toilet, waiting until she had to go. But she was all alone, she had no friends watching her, and no family. She insisted that she could go potty all by herself. And then, it happened."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like where this is going?" Scootaloo thought nervously, as she waited for Diamond Tiara to continue the story.
"I know what you're thinking," Diamond Tiara spoke up, interrupting Scootaloo's thoughts "Right now you're thinking 'What happened?'. Well, do you really want to know?"
"Yes, I think I do." Scootaloo nodded.
"Do you really want to know?" Diamond Tiara asked again, the smile on her face growing wider and wider, which only served to make Scootaloo feel more uncomfortable.
"Yes, I do. That's what I just said!" Scootaloo said angrily.
"You're absolutely positively one hundred percent sure you want to know?" Diamond Tiara asked yet again, her smile growing so big it looked like it was going to fall off her face.
"YES, I'M SURE!" Scootaloo complained "Now just tell me already!"
Diamond Tiara appeared to suppress a chuckle as she said "Okay, but I should warn you that it's not pretty."
"So, tell me, what happened?" Scootaloo demanded "I don't have all day!"
"Well, she fell into the toilet." Diamond Tiara told Scootaloo.
"Really? That's it? That doesn't sound so bad." Scootaloo replied.
"But my story doesn't end there," Diamond Tiara spoke up in an ominous tone of voice "That was just the beginning. For you see, when she fell in, that's when the worst possible thing that could've happened occurred."
"She got stuck?" Scootaloo asked.
"No." Diamond Tiara said with a shake of her head.
"She got covered in toilet water?" Scootaloo guessed.
"No," Diamond TIara replied, shaking her head "The toilet began to flush itself, with the pegasus filly still inside of it. The filly tried to flap her wings and fly out, but she couldn't, they weren't strong enough to lift her up. She tried to call for help, but the sound of the toilet flushing drowned out her cries. So she was sucked down the drain, never to be seen or heard from ever again. But they say her spirit lives on in the pipes of toilets all across Equestria, laying in wait for some unsuspecting colt or filly to sit down on a toilet she's occupying. Because anypony unfortunate enough to sit on a toilet her spirit is in, will be pulled in and flushed away. And they get lost, forever!" As soon as she said those words, she proceeded to press down on the toilet handle, producing the loud roar that announced the flushing of the toilet.
Scootaloo nearly jumped in surprise at the sound of the flush, which prompted Diamond Tiara to laugh hysterically. "What's the matter, Scootaloo?" Diamond Tiara teased "Is the little baby scared of the toilet now?"
"N-no I'm not!" Scootaloo protested "You did that on purpose! I was just humoring you!"
"Oh really?" Diamond Tiara asked skeptically "Are you sure my story didn't frighten you even the slightest? It's okay if you're scared, lots of ponies are scared of toilets at one point or another."
"I'm not scared!" Scootaloo insisted.
"That wasn't very nice, Diamond Tiara," Sweetie Belle said angrily "We're supposed to be helping Scootaloo potty train, not make her afraid of the toilet!"
"It was just a joke," Diamond Tiara replied "Not my fault if you girls can't take it! Besides, if I can't at least have a little bit of fun with this situation, then there's really not much of a need for me to stick around."
"If it was a joke, then we weren't laughin'," Apple Bloom said, glaring angrily at Diamond Tiara "You do that again, and you can forget about taggin' along on any future crusades. Now, apologize to Scootaloo!"
Diamond Tiara sighed "Oh, alright. Sorry about my story, Scootaloo. I didn't mean to frighten you, at least not intentionally."
"It's okay, it didn't really scare me," Scootaloo insisted "I mean really, a toilet that flushes all by itself just because a pony fell into it? That's just nonsense."
"Yeah, I guess my story really didn't make much sense to begin with," Diamond Tiara realized, laughing somewhat nervously "But you said you wanted a story."
"Well, it was an alright story," Scootaloo said to Diamond Tiara "Save it for your next scary story contest with Silver Spoon, and maybe you'll win."
"I might just do that." Diamond Tiara agreed, and made a mental note to remember the story she'd just told.
"How about we read you a different story?" Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo a few seconds later "An actual story from a book?"
"Do you have any Daring Do books?!" Scootaloo asked eagerly "I'm a HUGE Daring Do fan!"
"That would explain why you dressed up as her for last Nightmare Night." Apple Bloom said to Scootaloo.
"Yeah, Daring Do is probably the second most awesome pony in all of Equestria!" Scootaloo commented, momentarily forgetting she was sitting on a toilet "Well, third most awesome if you include my mom, and fourth most awesome if you include Princess Twilight!"
"Who's the first?" Diamond Tiara asked, though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.
"That's easy, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cheered.
"I knew it." Diamond Tiara whispered under her breath.
"I don't know if Rarity has any Daring Do books, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said nervously, then she remembered something "But lucky for you, I just so happen to have a copy of one from the Golden Oaks Library."
"Where is it?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's in my saddlebag, downstairs!" Sweetie Belle replied eagerly "I'll go and get it, stay right there!" and Sweetie Belle dashed out of the bathroom in the blink of an eye.
Scootaloo tried her best to wait patiently for Sweetie Belle to return, but that was easier said than done when she was sitting on a toilet. By now, her rump was starting to get a bit sore from sitting without moving. "If only I could get up, just for a moment or two." Scootaloo thought to herself.
But before Scootaloo could even think about doing such a thing, Sweetie Belle dashed back into the bathroom, a copy of Daring Do And The Quest For The Sapphire Statue held aloft with her magic. "I know this isn't one you haven't read before, but it's the only one I had," she said to Scootaloo "Shall I read it you?"
"Are you gonna do with your magic?" Scootaloo asked "Because it might take a while before I have to go, and I don't want you to get tired out from holding the book for such a long time."
"If my magic starts to fade and needs to rest, I can just switch to holding it with my hooves," Sweetie Belle told Scootaloo "Now, are you comfortable?"
"About as comfortable as I can be in this situation." Scootaloo replied with a shrug.
Sweetie Belle beamed brightly upon hearing the statement "Good, then we can begin!" she proceeded to open up the book, and read from the first page "Daring Do And The Quest For The Sapphire Statue, Written by A. K. Yearling."
"Just skip over the publishing details, please," Scootaloo insisted "I usually go back and check them out after I finish the story."
"You sure are picky, Scootaloo." Apple Bloom commented.
"Actually, I do the same thing," Diamond Tiara admitted "Most ponies usually check out who wrote the book and where it was published after they've decided if they like it or not."
"Anyway," Sweetie Belle interrupted, clearing her throat. She proceeded to skim through the publishing details, before stopping on the first page of the actual story "Chapter 1: Jungle Journey. As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky. But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days. Few days... it might as well be a few months, or a few years!"
"That reminds me of the time I ended up in the hospital with a broken wing," Scootaloo spoke up, interrupting Sweetie Belle's story reading "It felt like it would take forever for my wing to heal."
"How did you break your wing in the first place?" Apple Bloom asked "You haven't really used them for flyin'."
"It's a long story, and one that I really don't feel like talking about." Scootaloo replied.
"Did you crash your scooter while trying a new trick?" Diamond Tiara asked "It seems like every day you're out on that scooter, trying to do something crazy."
"Like you haven't tried to bust out a sick move or two whenever you go to the skate park?" Scootaloo taunted.
"Do you actually want me to read the story, or do you just want to make idle chit chat with Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle asked angrily "Because I'm getting tired of having my reading interrupted every five seconds!"
"Sorry, I'll try to keep my commenting to a minimum," Scootaloo apologized "You can continue reading, I promise I'll listen."
Sweetie Belle sighed "Alright, I'll hold you to that promise." and she resumed reading.
Chapter after chapter passed by in the blink of an eye for Scootaloo, who became all the more engrossed as the story went on. "Daring Do is so amazing!" she thought to herself.
"But Daring Do had little time to congratulate herself on her escape," Sweetie Belle narrated "For no sooner had she caught her breath, when who should appear before her but her arch nemesis, the vast and horrible, Ahuizotl! Chapter 4: Ahuizotl's Scheme."
Sweetie Belle was going to proceed to read onward, but at that moment she and her fellow crusaders noticed that Scootaloo had stopped paying attention to the story. Scootaloo was now grunting hard, which could only mean one thing considering where she currently was.
"Go on, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom encouraged.
"You can do it!" Sweetie Belle added.
"Took you long enough," Diamond Tiara muttered under her breath, before she smiled and said "Better late than never, right?"
Scootaloo did not respond, the task she was currently doing required concentration on the highest level. She continued to grunt and push, until at last her efforts were rewarded with a light plopping sound as well as a somewhat audible hissing sound.
"Good job, Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle beamed, her tone of voice all but showering Scootaloo with praise "You did it!"
"I'll say," Apple Bloom commented, putting a hoof to her nose "What did you have to eat today?"
"Just some good old fashioned apples." Scootaloo replied, raising her rump from the toilet when she was certain she had finished.
"Well, if you're done, please wipe and flush so that we can put an end to this potty training business." Diamond Tiara insisted.
"Hehe, business," Scootaloo chuckled "That's a good one, Diamond Tiara."
"Wait! Before you flush, we need to check our flanks!" Apple Bloom spoke up "Gotta see if those potty trainin' cutie marks appeared or not."
"You girls do that, while I help Scootaloo wipe." Diamond Tiara said, as she reluctantly removed the hoof from her nose, and retrieved some toilet paper.
"You don't have to do this, Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo replied, as her bottom was wiped clean "I can do it myself."
"True, but think of this as my way of making up for teasing you and trying to scare you," Diamond Tiara suggested "I really am sorry about all of that. As your friend, I should've been more helpful and understanding."
"Hey, if the roles were reversed, I'd have probably done a lot of the same things," Scootaloo told Diamond Tiara "You're still a good friend. Just try to cut back on the teasing from now on."
"I can do that." Diamond Tiara nodded.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle checked their flanks several times, but they were still blank. "Well, I guess we can consider this crusade a bust." Apple Bloom said glumly.
"From a cutie mark stand point anyway," Sweetie Belle added, then an idea came into her head "Hey, since we were able to get Scootaloo to use a toilet, maybe we should try our luck with some other colts and fillies. Maybe we just need to try harder to get our cutie marks in helping other ponies with potty training."
"Maybe we could even make it into an official service," Apple Bloom considered "And Scootaloo could join us once she's fully trained. If she wants to, that is."
"Are you kidding?! If there's a chance it could get me my cutie mark, I'm all for it!" Scootaloo said eagerly, as Diamond Tiara dumped the used rolls of toilet paper in the bowl and allowed for Scootaloo to flush the toilet "And if it doesn't work, at least we'll doing something useful."
"You three come up with the most ridiculous ideas for cutie marks," Diamond Tiara commented, as she removed the hoof from her nose "A potty training service? Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?"
"So, you're saying that you don't want to join us?" Scootaloo asked, as she trotted to the sink and washed her hooves "Because we were going to let you be in charge of it."
"What?! Why me?! You three are the ones who want to do this potty training thing so badly!" Diamond Tiara remarked.
"But you've said it yourself that your cutie mark represents leadership and getting others to do what you want." Sweetie Belle said in a somewhat pleading tone.
"And don't you want to get a chance to use that talent?" Apple Bloom added.
"If you don't want to join, that's fine," Scootaloo commented "But I thought for sure you'd love the idea of bossing us around, while we try to earn our cutie marks."
"Well, when you put it like that, how could I say no?" Diamond Tiara said with a smile "Alright, consider me in! Just don't forget that you three are under my supervision!"
"We won't forget, Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo replied "Because with you, you're going to make sure we're reminded of that fact every day."
"Only if I really have to," Diamond Tiara remarked "I'd rather be your friendly boss, than your angry boss. So, who's going to be our first client?"
"Actually, it's clients," Sweetie Belle said eagerly "We're going to potty train The Cake Twins!"
Reluctantly, despite having done her business in the toilet, Scootaloo put her diaper back on when the time came for her to head home. "It's going to feel so weird when I no longer have a diaper hugging my rear end all the time," she thought to herself, as she walked through the front door of her house "But at least I'm *finally** getting out of them! I just hope Mom isn't going to forget about potty training me, like she always does.*"
"So, my little Scootaloo, how did the potty training go?" Dizzy Twister asked her daughter.
"It went great!" Scootaloo replied eagerly, buzzing her wings in excitement "I actually managed to go in the toilet and everything! It felt so good!"
"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Dizzy Twister smiled "I've written myself a note so that this time I really will be able to potty train you. We can start tomorrow after breakfast, how does that sound?"
"Sounds good," Scootaloo agreed "But I can ask you something?"
"What is it, my little Wonderbolt?" Dizzy Twister asked.
"When you're potty training me, can you read to me from the Daring Do books?" Scootaloo spoke up "They really did the trick at Rarity's, and I find they help to pass the time."
"Why certainly," Dizzy Twister nodded "You didn't even have to ask. I'll even do the voices, if you want me to."
That prompted Scootaloo to shake her head in protest "I'm not a three year old, Mom!" she remarked. In her mind she was thinking "At least when Sweetie Belle did it, I could laugh at her really bad Daring Do voice."
"Of course you aren't, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister said with a giggle "I was only teasing, I know you don't like the voices anymore."
"Just make sure you remember that when you're potty training me." Scootaloo insisted.
"I will, Scootaloo, I will," Dizzy Twister nodded firmly "Now then, it's getting late. Off to bed with you, young mare. Tomorrow's going to be a very important day for you."
"Don't I know it." Scootaloo yawned, as she carefully trotted upstairs to her bedroom. She knew that even if things went as smoothly tomorrow as they did today from a potty training standpoint, it would probably still be a long time before she would be able to go without wearing a diaper around the house, but Scootaloo still couldn't help but feel like tonight would be like the end of an era.
"I might have know Daring Do was the key to helping my daughter with potty training," Dizzy Twister thought to herself, as she tucked her diapered daughter into bed and lovingly kissed her goodnight "My parents read Daring Do to me when I was going through potty training, and I still sometimes take one of her stories with me when I have to go. I'll have to ask Princess Twilight if she can send me a second set of all the books in the series, so I have one for my daughter, *and** for me.*" Dizzy Twister just hoped her daughter would never find out about the fact, that Dizzy Twister herself had been a late bloomer for potty training.
