Author's Note

SUPER EARLY CHAPTER TODAY! WOOOOOO!

FINALLY, a longer chapter that wrote itself! YES! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR AGES.

Special thanks to Josh for letting me steal a wee bit of dialogue from him. You're the best! But you already knew that.

ENJOY THE CHAPTER BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL DID.

Comfort

For a moment, silence prevailed over the room. The mothers, with the exception of Windy Whistles, continued to prepare things for the evening. Windy saw her daughter’s friends enter and saw her freeze.

Rainbow felt her wings seize, her muscles tense, and her breathing quicken as she took in the sight of her boss and two of her coworkers. And for what seemed like forever, no one said a word. Then, Soarin and Thunderlane burst into laughter.

Rainbow felt shame encircle her like a wreath. She tried as hard as she could not to cry, but the shame, combined with how deep she was into her little space, made it difficult. The tears welled up and flowed out. To cover her face, She hid herself in her wings.

While Soarin and Thunderlane laughed, Spitfire remained stone faced. She did not react in any way, and behind her aviator glasses, her expression was inscrutable. No pony could tell what she was thinking.

Fluttershy rushed to her friend, putting her hoof around her and trying to calm her. Rarity did the same. Then, Pinkie stood in front of Dashie.

“And what are YOU laughing at?” It took a lot to get her angry, but somepony laughing at her friend was enough to do it.

“How can you be so insensitive?” Rarity exclaimed.

“Y’all are being mighty rude right now. Y’all have no right to be laughing at her.” Applejack said.

“Just because this is rather unusual to you doesn’t change the fact that she’s Rainbow Dash.” Twilight added.

“It’s a stress reliever.” Fluttershy said between giving Rainbow Dash comfort. “It doesn’t hurt anypony else and she was kind enough to share it with us.”

“That’s right.” Said Windy as she stood by her daughter. “And her friends were wonderful enough to try this with her. And if it were solely Princess Twilight or even Princess Celestia herself who looked like that, I doubt very much you would be laughing. After all, you wouldn’t laugh at a princess, would you?” She asked.

Their laughing slowed but did not stop, Although it was a weak chuckle at that point, because they had shook their heads no in response to their question. They would not laugh at a princess, but they couldn’t stop.

Windy explained a bit about her daughter’s little space, and though the laughter kept on, the explanation did not fall on deaf ears.

Spitfire suddenly raised a hoof, and it shut them up instantly. Despite being out of uniform, she was still their captain and was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Spitfire went over to her teammate, face still as unreadable as ever.

As she watched Rainbow Dash initially play, before anypony had said anything, she had been curious. At least to what had been going on exactly. As her friends and mother had explained, the picture started to clear up, and her reaction at them seeing her was explainable. She had been ashamed. But there was no need for that. Spitfire could see what she needed right now clear as day. She was not dealing with Rainbow Dash, the Wonderbolt, and one of the saviors of Equestria. She was dealing with a foal. And she had been around them enough at signings and events to know how to deal with them. She sat down next to Rainbow Dash and softened her expression, taking off her aviators glasses.

“That’s a really cool tower you’re making, Looks like it’s a little unsteady though. You need a stronger base if you wanna get it higher. Want some help?” She asked kindly.

Slowly, Rainbow lowered her wings, looked into Spitfire’s very calm and unusually sweet face and nodded. She folded her wings behind her again, and watched Spitfire’s very calculated movements.

“If you push these in together It’ll make it stronger.” She instructed. Rainbow nodded and suckled on her pacifier, beginning to move them like she suggested. Spitfire helped her stack up some more blocks and soon it was taller than anything she had ever built. When she flew up and put the last block on top, she giggled and clapped her hooves. This was the best one she had ever done! Spitfire eyed her proudly, much like she did when she had beat the record on the dizzitron.

“Great job, squirt. You did great.” She said.

Dashie smiled. “Fanks.”

Spitfire nodded. “We came to ask if you wanted to come out with us to get something to eat, but I can see you’re busy playing.”

Dashie looked up at her. “Wanna stay and pway wif me?” She asked. Her eyes were so big and pleading that for a second Spitfire lost herself in them. Then, she recovered herself and smiled, nodding.

“Sure. Sounds like fun.”

Rainbow squealed happily. Soarin and Thunderlane looked aghast but knew better than to question their captain.

Spitfire looked down at her kindly. “What do you wanna play next?”

Rainbow looked thoughtful. Then, she crawled over to a stray jack in the box on the floor. She started turning the handle with her hoof. When a pony in clown make up popped up, she giggled, and put down the lid, and started turning the handle again. Spitfire figured this was as good a time as any to get some information from her.

Spitfire knelt next to her. “So, you like being a foal, huh?” She asked.

Rainbow nodded. “Uh huh, ’s fun!”

“What do you like to do?” She asked.

Rainbow babbled about playing with her plushies, flying with her daddy, being read stories, and taking naps. Spitfire nodded.

“That sounds like fun.”

Rainbow suddenly stiffened when she realized that she had forgotten to show Spitfire her best friend. She went over to the crib, toddling this time because crawling too long gave her underside rug burn, and pulled out her plushie. She held it up for Spitfire to see. “Dis Dawing Do! She pway wif me a wot.” She said.

Spitfire cracked a grin. “She looks like she loves adventures.”

“Uh huh! She wed me an’ my fwiends to a tempwe!”

“Did she now?”

Rainbow nodded vigorously and began prattling on about the adventure that she, her friends, and the plushie had taken.

The more Rainbow talked, the more Spitfire found herself smiling. To see the pegasus so excitable made her happy. Her passion for this was evident- that much had Rainbow Dash written all over it. As the foal continued on, Spitfire felt something beginning to stir inside of her. It was something akin to the way she felt about teaching young cadets at the academy, but yet there was more to it than that. It was… it was… She struggled to find a name for it. The only word that came to her mind was protectiveness. That didn’t quite fit either, but it was closer.

Rainbow babbled on, explaining the adventure they had all gone on, when suddenly she felt warmth in her diaper. She didn’t even blink at the familiar sensation. Her last bottle had worked it’s way through her and she didn’t mind. Well, she hadn’t minded until she heard snickering that burst into full fledged laughter once again. Rainbow’s ears went back and she looked down, sad and ashamed with a sniffle.

It was more than Spitfire would stand for. She whirled around, signature glare on her face as she marched over to her teammates.

“HEY!”

Instantly the two stopped laughing and stood at attention, completely stock still. They gulped. This could not be good.

“Did I hear you two featherbrains laughing at her?” Her voice was as cold as the winter wind.

“N-No ma’am.” Thunderlane said.

“Does this look funny to you? Making a foal feel bad about herself for something that she can’t control? Is that how you get your kicks?”

“No ma’am!” They said together, sweating bullets.

“I should hope not! Because the next time I hear you laughing, it won’t be just her in a diaper, and I will make sure you use it! Am I understood?!”

“Yes ma’am!” They were scared straight.

“Good! Dismissed.” She said.

The two stallions scampered away from her as fast as they could. Spitfire turned to Rainbow Dash, who was sniffling and whimpering quietly. The protectiveness welled up again, demanding her attention. She put a wing around her.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t be sad. They’re just mean. Don’t let them take your smile away.” It was said so gently, like mist touching the ground with a hush. She didn’t even question where the sudden term of endearment came from. It just seemed to fit.

“Dey wight to waugh. I a dumb foaw fow doin’ dis.” It was so full of shame and sadness and a self-loathing that she had never before heard from Rainbow Dash. If Spitfire had to guess, she wagered that that was what Rainbow must have said to herself when she first tried this. And it filled the captain with righteous anger, but she controlled it as she spoke.

“Listen bug, you are not a dumb foal. You’re just doing what foals are supposed to do, and there’s nothing wrong with that.” She blinked for a second, and then wondered where in the hay are these nicknames coming from?!

Rainbow looked up. “Weawwy?”

Spitfire nodded. “If this is something that makes you happy, then you do it. Don’t let them get you down. If they keep this up they’ll turn into foals sooner or later.” She said with a wink. Rainbow giggled.

“Dey wook siwwy in diapees.” She said.

“They would. You, on the other hand, are cute in yours. Now, let’s go see if we can find your Mommy so she can change you.” Spitfire was about to step forward when she felt a light pressure on her hoof. She looked to see Rainbow Dash looking up at her. “What is it, baby bolt?” That one slipped out of it’s own accord, but it just seemed so right at the moment.

Rainbow blushed a little. “Wiww ou do it?” She asked. It was a little strange to her to ask that of somepony, but aside from her parents, who were busying themselves with getting the nursery ready for bedtime, and her friends, who were playing, Spitfire was the pony she trusted the most in the room. She had taken care of her at the Academy and at the barracks and made sure she was in top flying shape. Why was this any different? At least, that was her logic.

Spitfire’s only method of conveying her surprise was quirking an eyebrow, but it quickly melted into a smile. “Sure, little bolt. Come on.”

Rainbow obediently followed her to the changing table and hopped up. Spitfire got out all the supplies needed and then set to work. It had been a very long time since she had done this, only having done it for one of her little cousins a while ago. But it was ingrained in her enough to be old hat. She removed the wet diaper, balled it up, and trashed it. Then she wiped Rainbow down with warm wipes, and tossed those away. She slid a fresh diaper under her and put on some rash cream just to be safe. She liberally applied some foal powder, and then taped up the new diaper. Easy as pie.

“There we go. All set.” She said. Rainbow wiggled experimentally and found that the diaper was perfect. She giggled, slowly sat up, and gave Spitfire a hug.

“Fanks, Mama.” She said, and went off to play with her toys.

It was in that moment that Spitfire’s mind stood still.