Twilight Sparkle, her rump clad in a pair of white, star spangled pull-ups, bounced and played, her little, purple hooves clapping onto the green grass, her ears twitching and tail swishing. The yellow butterfly floated on the breeze, the gentle wind always carrying it beyond her reach. The butterfly darted away, and Twilight pranced after it, only stopping to study its ascent, its twirling away into the air and far beyond her reach. Her lips jutted into a pout.
"Twilight?"
The filly turned around and Velvet trotted towards her, smiled. "It's time for Mommy to check those pull-ups." She lowered herself down. "Are you dry and clean?"
Twilight turned and shook her padded patootie. "I'm dwy!"
Velvet nodded and patted her back. "Good filly."
Twilight bounced away, but Velvet cleared her throat. "Twily, Sweetie?"
Her hooves clapped on the ground as she chased the butterfly. Velvet sighed. "Twily, you have to go to the potty now. Remember? You're three and I know you can be a big filly."
Twilight watched a second, orange-winged, butterfly, reared up, lept and came down on her tummy. She was back on her hooves in an instant, pawing the ground as she prepared to chase the colorful insect. Velvet stepped around her. "If you don't go to the potty and wet those pull-ups, I will give you a spanking. Mommy doesn't want to do that. Can you please just go potty for mommy?"
Twilight gave one last fleeting glance at the butterfly then zoomed over to the pink training potty. She then jumped up after having done her business. Velvet smiled and ruffled her mane before gently wiping her bottom which Twilight squirmed through before Velvet tossed the wipe into the bowl and made Twilight lift her hooves, rubbing them down with sanitation wipes which were similarly discarded. Twilight made her displeasure with standing still plainly known, drumming her back legs and grumbling. Velvet pulled up her pull-ups and tapped her bottom. "All done. Was standing still so bad?" She caressed her back and Twilight leaned into the affection, muzzle pressed into her chest fluff. "You're being so good lately. I think you deserve a reward."
The filly glanced away at the approaching clap of heavy hoof steps then broke into a broad grin. "Shiny!" She bounded towards the colt who had just walked into the yard. Shining winced, but accepted her enthusiastic embrace, nuzzling her.
Velvet trotted over. "Shiny? Let me see that neck." Her voice was weary, but not surprised.
Shining grumbled much like his sister had a few moments earlier. "I'm fine, Mommy."
"No, you're not." Her magic brushed against the ring of blue and purple bruises that decorated his neck and chest. "Let me guess. Bullies were picking on a filly?"
His eyes cut to the side, staring downward away from his mother's piercing gaze. "A colt. He's smaller than everypony else, I just wanted to help him."
The healing magic worked its way past his fur and into his skin, soothing away ant pain left by the colt's combat. "I understand, but even guards call for back-up. It's foolish to get in a fight when you're outnumbered."
Shining puffed out his chest. "Daddy and his unit once took on a whole unit of Dia-"
"Yes, Sweetie. I know." Her magic moved down to his chest, brushing away the bruising. "A whole battalion of Diamond Dogs. They did. They won too-but a lot of Ponies didn't come home. Daddy likes to talk a lot about that sort of thing even after I ask him not to because it puts silly ideas in your head."
Shining's ears drooped. "I just wanna be like a guard."
She booped his nose. "You will be one day. A big strong guard. But you're not right now. You're just a little colt."
His lips trembled. "I'm not little."
Unshed tears shone in his eyes, but redness showed he'd been crying before and the fight hadn't gone his way. She wiped them away. "You are little and you're going to get hurt."
He sniffled. Twilight, not quite understanding what was going on, patted his side. He bit his lip in an effort to keep his tears unshed, but Velvet wiped at his cheeks. "You're a brave colt, Shining. But please try to be a wise colt too and go to an adult when you see trouble. If they can't-or won't-help...do what you need to."
Shining nodded. "I will."
"You'd better." She chuckled. "But Daddy will be proud to see you using that training he gave you. So, who was it?"
Shining shook his head. "You'll go tell their parents and they'll pick on me."
She lifted his forelegs. "I thought you were a brave colt, Shining."
Shining frowned. "Iron Heart and Silver Hoof."
Velvet rolled her eyes. "Them again? Little brats. Well, you gave'em what they asked for I hope."
Shining grinned. "I sure did!"
She chuckled. "Well, then. I am proud of you. But, you're still not allowed out without me or your dad for a moth."
He tramped the ground. "But Mommy!" The whine was so squeaky that even Twilight thought it was a bit much.
"It's only to make sure those bullies leave you alone, okay?" She kissed the last bruise near his chin, then wiped it off with her spell, then nuzzled him. He pouted, then relented and pressed his muzzle to hers.
Velvet smiled at Twilight. "I think you deserve a reward for staying dry all week. What do you want?"
Twilight thought for a moment. "Da park!"
"You want to go to the park?"
"Yeah! I want to go to da park!" Twilight jumped up and down, hopping around in a circle around her mom and brother. Velvet plucked her up in her magic. "Then off to the park we will go!" She placed her down, went into the house and returned with her saddlebag, picking Twilight up once again.
Shining followed his mother and little sister as they crossed onto the paved road that winded its way through the neighborhood. The houses on either side were simple, not the gilded mansions of the aristocracy. There were cottages lining both sides of the road, the yards alive with colorful flowers to match the soft pastels the houses were painted. A group of colts galloped around each other while a group of fillies pranced in an exciting game of hopscotch, both enjoying the freedom of the summer when school was out and the sun in her full glory shone down soft yellow light that warmed them and gave life to tasty grass which even the children of nobles (and though they'd never admit it) nobles themselves munched on.
The herd meandered down the polished stone road, enjoying the warmth of warm rock beneath their hooves. Twilight hopped over to a fountain and Shining helped her up with a boost of his magic while she took a long drink. When she was done, he placed her down and she darted down the road. Velvet took her in her own aura and plopped her down on her back. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her neck. "Down?"
Velvet complied, placing the filly on her hooves.
Twilight bounded ahead. "Race Big Brotha!"
Shining pawed at the stones. "You're on!" He then charged after her. Twilight squealed in utter delight and bounded away, running as quickly as her hooves could carry her. They darted straight down the street, their race carrying them towards the wooden gate of the park. Velvet broke into a light prance to keep up with them.
Twilight took the lead, bounding from the road, her leap carrying her into the air and onto a patch of grass. Shining galloped after her, much to her delight as she giggled and pranced away from the larger stallion. Shining strove to reach her, his hooves cutting down the blades of grass as both sailed over the fence. She tripped, tumbled over onto her back and, without missing a beat was back on her hooves to run away from her brother who was still giving chase.
Shining held back his galloping, allowing his sister to get a lead before he shot ahead. Twilight grinned and then attempted to catch up to her. He blew a raspberry and then she stopped, hurtling over to Velvet. "Mommy! Potty!"
Velvet patted her head. "Good filly!" She reached for her saddlebag with her magic and then stopped, slapped her own head. "Oh for the love of Celestia!"
Twilight blinked. "Mommy? What wrong?"
Velvet heaved a sigh. "Alright. Alright, time for you to try the big filly potty because Mommy was a silly pony and forgot to bring your training potty."
Twilight did a little dance and winced, realizing she probably should have told Mommy earlier. Velvet raised an eyebrow and snatched her up in her magic. "Let's go!"
Quicker than either her son or Twilight could run, Velvet pounded the grass, her heavy hoofsteps leaving dents in the dirt as she galloped towards the humble brick building that held the bathrooms. Twilight bit her lip, striving to hold it. The pressure bore down on her bladder, but she still managed not to leak. Luckily, she'd told Mommy just in time.
She still squirmed in her mommy's aura, hoping they would get to the bathroom soon. Velvet lept, sidestepping other Ponies and a balance beam. She jumped over a second balance beam, Twilight still securely held in her aura, but starting to squirm more and more. Velvet knocked on the door to the bathroom and a gruff voice answered that it was occupied. She shook her head. "One stall! Just one stall! If those damned high nobles would stop siphoning the damned..." She trailed off. Both Twilight and Shining were staring mouths agape. Her cheeks crimsoned and she set the still wiggling Twilight down and chuckled. "Well, um, THAT'S one for the swear jar."
Twilight whimpered and drummed her back legs while her eyes filled with tears. Velvet motioned for her to turn around which she did. She patted Twilight's pull-ups. "Okay, you're still dry. Think you can stay that way?"
The filly sniffled and tapped her front hooves on the stone. "I...I'll twy."
Shining looked to the stallion's room where an out-of-order sign had hung for a month, shook his head. Twilight was now tapping both her front and back hooves on the stone. Velvet laid on her tummy, facing her. "I don't know if you can hold it."
"I can, Mommy!" She shook her head, whimpered.
Velvet caressed her mane. "Twilight, it won't be your fault if you have an accident so I won't punish you if you do. I promise."
Twilight's tapping on the stone picked up speed. "I'm still gonna twy!" She squeaked as the first bits of pee wet her pull-ups. Her lip trembled and Velvet brought her into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Twily. Mommy's so sorry, this is Mommy's fault."
The filly only nestled deep into her mommy's embrace, still striking the stone with her hooves, a rhythm to go along with the potty dance she was doing. She squeaked again as more drops of pee were released into her pull-up. Tears fell down her cheeks while Velvet just held her, stroked her back. "You're not going to be able to hold it. I'm sorry, Twily."
Twilight burst into tears, allowing her bladder to release its burden, her pull-ups completely soaked. Velvet drew her close, whispered a lullaby while licking away her tears. "It's alright, Twily. It's alright."
She sniffled. "No libwary book?"
Velvet kissed her forehead just beneath her horn. "I'm not counting this one. So, if you keep dry and clean the rest of the day, yes a new library book."
She smiled through her drying tears and nuzzled into Velvet, just below her chin. Velvet rested her chin on her forehead, gently nickering to her before the bathroom door opened and Velvet picked Twilight up, laid her on her back. Twilight rested her cheek against Velvet's mane and Velvet trotted inside the bathroom, opening a changing table and laying Twilight on her back. Twilight rested on the grey surface and lifted her back legs. Velvet pulled them down and discarded them into the trash before pulling out another pair and some wipes, laying the pull-up to the side and gently wiping around Twilight's intimates, making sure they were clean before she set Twilight down and pulled on a new pair of pull-ups. Twilight pranced around in them. "I'm gonna keep these dry Mommy!"
Velvet drew her into one more hug. "I know you will, Sweetie."
Once released from the hug, Twilight bounced back outside into the sunlight, Velvet following her. Shining grinned and brushed her side with his magic with his magic, eliciting a giggle and making her run. Velvet smirked and sent her magic to tickle him. Soon both were laughing as she chased them.
Author's Note
If you think I'm exaggerating about park's public facilities, I'm not. The ladies' room in the public park has been out of order for three months. Three months. THIS IS A PROBLEM.
