Author's Note
This was a fun and unexpected little project that hit me out of the blue today. Four hours of work, and this is what came of it. I'm pretty proud, honestly.
I had three songs in mind and playing when I wrote this:
Ready, Set, Don't Go- Billy Ray Cyrus
Butterfly Fly Away- Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus
Butterfly Kisses- Bob Carlisle
So if you want context, check out those songs.
Given Firelight's behavior in the show, I also tried to include as many cutesy nicknames as possible. Boy was that a challenge. But I had a lot of fun with it.
I hope you guys enjoy it! I sure did! 
Daddy's Little Girl
Starlight Glimmer had a tempestuous relationship with her father.
Firelight always wanted the best for his little girl, and tried very hard to give it to her as she was growing up, but he had had to work often, and much of the time Starlight was left on her own or in the care of Sunburst’s family. Still, when she was a filly she had idolized her Daddy, and knew he loved her. But after Sunburst left for Celestia’s school, Starlight had become reserved, and withdrawn. Firelight’s fatherly instincts had channeled themselves into being overbearing. Suddenly Starlight was pushing him away rather than taking in the comfort he was trying to provide, and had eventually moved on to found Our Town and… Well, she didn’t like to talk about the rest.
She hadn’t gone to Sires Hollow since that day, and when she was called there last week alongside Sunburst, those tempestuous feelings had come to a head. She had let out years of repressed anger about her father’s treatment of her, and worried about the damage she had caused by doing so for a while, before she made her amends. She had left feeling better about her relationship with her father than she had in a long time. She had returned to Twilight’s Castle on the train, and life had gone on.
It wasn’t until now, a week later, that she was beginning to feel emotions that she did not understand, all of them connected to her dad.
She had been incensed by her father’s treatment when she had been there, but now, she reflected on his words from when they were making their amends.
"I just know how hard things were for you when you left home. I guess I wanted you to feel safe, like... when you were young.”
She had felt young when he talked to her, and under all of that frustration, she had felt safe too. Her father had been right about all both of those parts of it. Now that she was looking back, away from the situation, it hadn’t necessarily been as bad as she had made it out to be at the time. Distance tended to do that, some would say.
For some reason, as she lay in bed that evening, she thought about her father, the blanket he had offered her and tied to her head back at home. She felt a longing for both of those things, one she couldn’t quite name. She sighed, frustrated, and went to bed, but she did not fall asleep for another hour.
Her dreams that night were not dreams, but memories. Memories of early childhood, of moments with her father. The times when he bought her ice cream, the times they flew kites together, the few times he tucked her into bed at night. And when she woke up, eased out of that dream rather than startled from it since it was a Saturday, for a moment she had thought she was at home, on a Saturday morning, and any second Daddy would poke his head through the door and tell her it was time to wake up.
Then, reality set in.
She realized, even in her half awake state, that this would not leave her alone until she dealt with the issue. She got up, and showered, thinking over what all of this meant. She couldn’t really make heads or tails of it, but one thing became clear to her. She needed to talk to her father.
She grabbed a roll from a basket in the kitchen as a sort of makeshift breakfast, feeling the desire to leave not letting her have time for anything more formal. She ate it on the way to Twilight, whom she supposed was in the library. She was correct. She explained to Twilight that she needed to leave for the weekend to clear her head. Twilight, sensing her urgency, had given her carte blanche to take the weekend and Monday off. Starlight had grinned and given her friend a hug, before she packed her saddlebags and headed to the train station.
The ride there was long and just made her anxiety rise. She had sent a scroll to her dad that he was coming, and she assumed that he had gotten it. Even if he hadn’t, he would be thrilled to see her again. When the train stopped, she couldn’t get off fast enough. She got to her home and knocked on the door.
Very shortly, it swung open. “Sweetheart!” Firelight greeted, and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Starlight breathed in the scent of her father that smelled like old books, cheap cologne, and the unique scent that only belonged to him. She melted slightly in his hooves. “Hi Dad.” She said.
“Come on in!” He said once she reluctantly pulled away. Starlight nodded, and followed her father inside. She took a seat on the couch. “Can I get you anything to drink?” He asked her.
“Not right now, Dad. Thanks.”
Firelight gave her a smile as he sat beside her. “What’s on your mind, honey?” He asked.
Starlight paused, unsure of how to begin. “I know I was frustrated last week when I came here, Dad. I said some pretty harsh things. But I’ve been thinking and… I mean, I know I got angry with how you treated me, but after I thought about it, I realized that what you said about making me feel safe and young… You managed to do both.”
Firelight nodded calmly. “That’s all I wanted for you when you came here. Even for just a little while. To feel like you didn’t have the world on your shoulders.”
She nodded. “I was frustrated. I wasn’t thinking about how you would feel or even how I felt about all that underneath everything. I’m sorry.”
“I am too. But there’s more that you haven’t told me yet, isn’t there?” His eyes held a wisdom that Starlight could only think of as coming from his paternal instincts.
“I had a dream last night about moments I had with you when I was a filly. I don’t know what to make of it. If it was regret about how I talked to you or maybe something else. But I don’t know what it meant.”
Firelight put a hoof around her. “So you came looking for answers.”
She leaned into his touch. “Yes.”
Firelight was quiet for a while, unsure of what to say, of what it could mean. He knew what he hoped it could mean, but he wasn’t about to give voice to those thoughts. She was fragile right now, his daughter, and he walked a fine line between making her feel better or worse. He wanted the former for her, and thought that should he say something of his hope, it would end up being the latter. “It might be regret,” He said after a while, “But I don’t think it’s regret about how you spoke to me. If it was, you could have just sent a scroll to talk about it since you already spoke with me directly. You came out here for a reason, and I think only you know what that reason is. I’ll do anything I can to help.”
Starlight nodded. “Thank you.” She said, and was quiet for a while. Then: “You still have my blanket?” The question popped out of her mouth without warning.
Firelight looked startled by the suddenness of it, and then sheepish. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“You never used to be able to sleep without it. I held onto it all that time because it was important to you, and because I wanted to keep a part of your fillyhood here. Stupid, isn’t it?”
Starlight looked at him, smiling a little. “No, it’s not stupid. It’s sweet.” She said. “What else did you keep?”
Firelight looked contemplative. “I still have some of your old foal clothes, toys, and the stuffed animal you used to sleep with. What was her name again…?” He trailed off, trying to remember.
“Bun Bun.” She answered immediately. An image of a ratty pink bunny rabbit came to her mind. “I haven’t thought about her in years.”
“You used to play with her all the time. When I got home one day for lunch when you were around four, you were having a tea party with her.” He smiled at the memory. “When you saw me at the door, you jumped up so fast to give me a hug you spilled tea everywhere, and some of it got on her. You cried for half an hour while I tried to get the stain out.”
Starlight saw the memory in her mind’s eye, and her lips tipped into a smile. “I remember now. I was so upset because I thought I’d hurt her.” The smile dimmed. “I never wanted to do that again, to her or anypony. How could I not remember that feeling?” The words were weighed down with her remorse.
“Everypony forgets things, Starlight. But you remembered now, and that’s what matters.” Firelight tried to comfort her and pulled her into an embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.
“I know.” When Firelight pulled away, Starlight gave a weak smile. “Can I see her?”
Firelight nodded. “Of course.”
The two of them made their way to the basement, where two boxes were magically pulled apart from the rest. Firelight popped them both open, unsure of which one the bunny might be in.
When her father opened those boxes, Starlight felt like she was transported back in time, in a good way this time. Colorful toys, an album that she assumed to be her baby book, a pacifier, and the bunny herself was in one box, and the other had foal clothes. Firelight pulled the bunny out with his magic, and floated it over to his daughter. Seeing it again, Starlight grinned, pulled it into her hooves and squeezed it to her chest. It was stitched together in some places, and dingy with the passage of time, but it was still the same bunny she remembered. In that moment of nostalgia, something slipped out that she did not intend to say.
“Thanks, Daddy!”
She realized what she had said half a second later, but she saw the way her father’s eyes lit up at the word.
“You’re welcome, sugar plumb.” He said softly.
A warmth spread through Starlight then, and she smiled. Maybe it was the look in her father’s eyes, or maybe it was holding her old stuffed companion, or possibly his gentle tone. Whatever the reason, she felt as though something had clicked into place for her. Perhaps this was the whole reason for her visit. She had spent so many years trying to destroy the memory of the filly she’d been, that now that her peace had been made with her father, the filly inside of her was demanding acknowledgement. As she mused this, she looked back at the bunny, and her face grew to one of deep thought.
Firelight, happy as he was to hear the old name, could not let himself be swept away with it right now. He knew his daughter’s mind was churning with some thought he did not yet know, and maybe never would. But whatever the case, he had promised to help her, and he could not do that if he was not calm. So he waited for his daughter to come to him.
Starlight’s mind was spinning as she took into account everything that had happened since last night. The dreams, the train ride, the talk with her father, and now this. She had the feeling that her instincts about her inner child were right, but she didn’t know what to make of it. She focused on the quiet of the room. She hoped, perhaps in vain, that she could hear what that filly was saying, what she wanted. It was a very small voice in her mind. So tiny she could barely hear it. She had to strain herself to do so. But when she did, the filly said one phrase over and over again.
Let me out to play.
This moment was a crossroads for her. She sensed that if she should take this route, there would be no going back. She was scared to move, scared to speak, because if she did, that would make it real. But an image popped into her mind. The look on her father’s face when she called him Daddy. What father, especially hers, would give up a chance to have his little girl back for a day? She could see it in her mind, the way he would look when she asked, and it was that image that spurred her to action. She moved to look at him.
“Dad?”
“Yes, honey?”
“I know I said I didn’t like the way you treated me before, but I was wrong. Do you think maybe you could treat me like that again today- completely?” She asked as she gestured a hoof toward the boxes.
Firelight looked surprised for a moment, and it made Starlight tense, but then his face flooded with so much love she wondered how he wasn’t drowning in it. “Of course I can, Sweetie pie.”
Her Father’s acceptance wrapped around her like a warm blanket, and she grinned and went over to hug him. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Always, muffin. Now, let’s see what you want to take out today.” He said. Starlight nodded and pulled away from him. Firelight took everything from the boxes in a burst and laid it out for her.
There were colorful ABC blocks, some stacking rings, a tea set, a few assorted stuffed animals, a kite, and a pull-string doll from one box. In the other, there were a few onesies, some dresses, hoofie pajamas, the bows she used to wear in her hair, a bottle, a pacifier, and a pack of diapers that she seemed to recall from the short time she wet the bed as a filly.
She studied all of it for a very long time, trying to make deductions as to what she wanted and did not want. The clothing and other items of that sort wouldn’t fit her, she thought at first. But then she remembered an enlarge to fit spell- dilata aptare. But the question remained, what did she want? The toys were a no-brainer. Everything was pretty much a go there. But the clothing, especially the diapers, were up for debate.
A onesie wasn’t bad. She thought that would be passable since it could be easily covered up with a skirt or some overalls. The hoofie pajamas would probably be better saved for bed. And the dresses… Well she had her limits, and poofy princess dresses were it.
And then, there were the diapers.
She did not have very many memories of those bedwetting incidents, except for the distinct shame she used to feel at actually waking up to wet sheets those first few nights. The diapers had somewhat alleviated that shame, but also brought a different one. However, she recalled the first night she had worn them, and dimly remembered feeling protected when her father helped her put one on, and then the relief the next morning when her sheets did not have to be changed. It made her decide for it rather than against it. That feeling influenced her now. She put the things she wanted into one of the boxes, then turned back to her father.
“Ready, Daddy!” She chirped.
“Alright, princess, let’s get you changed.” He offered her his hoof, a gesture from long ago made manifest again now.
Starlight blushed, but took it, and they went upstairs. Starlight’s old room was covered with skulls, so Starlight guessed they wouldn’t be spending much time in here today. Still, she took out the onesie she had chosen, along with the pacifier, a diaper, the bows, and the bottle. Then, she cast the enlarge to fit spell, and everything grew to fit her size perfectly. Happy with herself, she turned to her Daddy expectantly.
“Okay, Twinkle Star, lay down for me.” Firelight said in a voice he hadn’t used for years. Starlight was immediately soothed by it, and did as he instructed. Absently, perhaps remembering what it felt like to be in this position so many years ago, she stuck a hoof in her mouth and started sucking it.
Firelight, noticing this as he grabbed the diaper and some foal powder from the bathroom nearby, chuckled. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll get your pacifier cleaned off when we’re done, alright?” He cooed.
Were she out in public, his intonation might have been aggravating, but here, it made her giggle, made her feel safe and loved. She raised up her flank as her Daddy slid the diaper beneath her, and powdered her lovingly, before he taped her up. She kicked her hooves, trying to make sense of this new feeling.
Firelight grinned fondly. “You’re still a squirmy wormy after a change, even after all this time. Some things never change.”
Starlight wasn’t paying attention to his musing, too busy focusing on how the diaper felt. It was soft, like a pillow she supposed. But the front was more plastic-like, giving off telltale crinkles that were customary of the garment. And it did make her feel young. Very young. She pulled Bun Bun to her and gave her a cuddle. She hadn’t noticed Firelight leaving to clean off the pacifier until he returned to pop it in her mouth. She gave a few experimental suckles and found it soothing, and got into a rhythm.
“There’s my good girl.” Firelight said. “Now, set Bun Bun down a minute so Daddy can get your onesie on, punky-wumpkin.” Starlight was a bit miffed at having to let her stuffed companion go, but did as she was asked. “Hooves to the sky!” He called. Starlight immediately complied, and Firelight slipped it over her head and into her hooves before doing up the snaps at the crotch. Finally, he pulled the bows and got them into her hair. In the interim, Starlight had picked up Bun Bun and cuddled her again. When she was completely dressed, Firelight took a step back, admiring his craft.
The sight of his little girl made his heart melt. She looked every bit the foal she had been almost eighteen years ago. He let out an involuntary “Awww” at seeing her. Starlight looked up at him when she heard that. “My precious little princess, you look so cute!” He said, tickling her until she squealed. When he was done, he pulled back. “How about Daddy gets you a drink, huh?” He asked, offering her his hoof to help her up.
She nodded with a giggle, suddenly feeling so carefree and light. She took his hoof and got up, and held onto it as she made her way to the kitchen. The bulk of the diaper made her waddle, making balancing rather tricky. She felt better that her Daddy had a hold of her and wouldn’t let her fall. They got to the kitchen and Firelight poured milk in the bottle, not bothering to ask what she wanted. She had always loved that the most growing up, and if she wanted a day of fillyhood back, his baby girl was going to get all her favorites from back then.
Starlight had sat herself in a chair in the meantime, finding it hard to walk in her diaper. She was happy to just sit and enjoy Bun Bun’s company. Firelight soon finished filling the bottle and went over to his daughter.
“Okay chipmunk cheeks, time for num nums!” He cooed. Starlight gave a happy nod, and Firelight yet again guided her around the house to the couch. Firelight sat down, and patted his lap. “Lay down in Daddy’s lap so he can feed you.” Starlight complied easily, laying across her Father’s lap. Firelight removed her pacifier, by hoof, almost earning a whine of protest. But when he put the nipple in her mouth, she was silent, barring a few burbles. Starlight gladly focused on drawing out the milk, feeling the cooling sensation as it ran down her parched throat. She found it wasn’t all too different from a pacifier except for being rewarded with milk. She finished the bottle quickly, and soon was just enjoying a cuddle with her Daddy.
Firelight savored this moment, and would for many years after, treasuring it like his greatest prize. For the space of a heartbeat, maybe a little longer, he truly had his baby girl back. He cuddled her and kissed her, nuzzling her occasionally, as he told her how much he loved her and how proud he was of her, and how cute she was. Starlight lapped it all up. Daddy had been at work for much of her foalhood, and having this time with him had helped her feel like this was a kind of do-over for that.
After a bit, Starlight began to wiggle. Firelight knew what that meant. “Alright, Daddy will let you down so you can play with your toys.” He said. Starlight got down, and crawled to the toys they had left in the room earlier. Immediately, she began to go to the blocks, building towers, sometimes making words from different letters. Occasionally she switched to stacking rings, but it was much more fun to make towers that Bun Bun could knock down. Firelight just sat back and watched her play, seeing what her imagination could do.
Slowly though, a new dilemma caught up with Starlight. She needed to pee. She hadn’t gone since her time on the train, and that was several hours ago. She was really starting to regret having that bottle. Starlight didn’t know what to do. She had never planned this part, and she didn’t know what decision to make. But she was beginning to realize she had to make one quickly. She was squirming now.
Firelight was not caught unawares. He knew of his daughter’s dilemma, but he also knew that he should not influence her decision unless she asked for his help. He was very patient as he waited for her to either make a decision herself, or ask him. He did not mind whatever she chose.
Starlight finally turned to her Daddy, looking scared. “Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“I need to pee pee.” She said.
“You’ve got your diaper on, sunshine. If you want to use it, I’ll give you a change. If not, I’ll take you to the big girl potty, okay? It’s your choice.” His voice was gentle and neutral in an attempt to show sensitivity to her situation and indifference to whatever she chose.
Starlight felt like she was going to explode. Time was running out. Her bladder was getting fuller with every second. She had to decide now. She looked at the bathroom, and then realized that even if she did make it, she wouldn't be able to do anything because she wouldn't make it that far. When she moved, the pressure worsened. The choice had inadvertently been made for her. So she calmed herself as much as she could and tried to let go. But it wasn't working. Her body was too well trained to just let go. So she tried a different tactic. She filled her head with childish thoughts, like drinking from her bottle, cuddling with her Daddy, and playing with toys, sticking her hoof in her mouth to help relax her more.
Finally, she was rewarded with a few drops, then a trickle, and then a stream. She failed to pay attention to anything else but the easing pressure on her bladder, and sighed in her relief. It was over.
Firelight himself was relieved when it was over. He hated seeing her in pain in any capacity, and that had been awful to see her look afraid. Now, he could fix the problem. He went over to her and bent down. “Time for a change, sweetums.” He said, and helped his little girl up. Starlight’s waddle was noticeably more pronounced this time, and Firelight moved even more cautiously to counter that. It took longer than either of them would have liked, but eventually they made it back to Starlight’s room. Firelight grabbed wipes from the bathroom, and unsnapped her onesie, starting the change, which Starlight felt like she was floating through as she tried to process everything that had happened.
She had wet her diaper. And it hadn’t necessarily been all that bad. Nothing like when she had wet the bed as a filly. Those times it had felt all cold and clammy, but this had been warm and oddly comforting. Not regarding the sensation itself, though that wasn’t all terrible, but rather in the knowledge that she would be taken care of and cleaned. That made her feel good.
When she reentered reality, she found that the change was over, and Daddy was throwing out her used diaper. He went to wash his hooves, then came back. “All better now, love bug?”
Starlight nodded. “Yes Daddy!”
“Good. Want to play some more?” Starlight gave a nod, and Firelight escorted her to the toys while he prepared her lunch, knowing she would be getting hungry soon. Keeping in theme with her foal attire, he gave her soft foods. Applesauce, mashed strawberries, and some mashed bananas, all that had been her favorite as a foal. When it was ready, he poured each into a bowl, and got his daughter to the table and began to feed her.
Starlight, feeling playful, made it difficult for her Daddy to feed her. It made him get creative, tickling her to open her mouth, making faces to get her to laugh, and making train gestures with the spoon. Starlight’s hunger soon overpowered her playful attitude, and she hunkered down to eat. When everything was gone, Firelight praised her for eating all her food, before he went to clean the bowl. When that was done, He settled down to cuddle his daughter some more.
Soon though, Starlight was yawning, sleepy. The stress of the morning combined with a full stomach was making her awfully tired. Firelight, quick as a whip, knew that with ease. “Come on, Snugglebunny. Time for your nap.”
Starlight was too tired to argue, and she followed him. Firelight helped her into bed once she got to her room, and tucked her in gently. He popped her pacifier into her mouth and sat on the edge of her bed, singing her the words he’d sung to her a million times as a foal. The sound of her father’s voice easily carried her off to sleep.
Firelight smiled, knowing the rest of today and maybe the next day might hopefully be more of the same. He kissed his little girl on the temple and whispered to her,
“Sleep tight, Starlight. Daddy loves you.”
And there was no greater truth than that.
