Chapters "Come on, Sparky!" Hitch groaned under his breath as he pushed the little dragon along the floor of his office. "Don't try to fight it! When I say it's potty time, it's potty time!" The currently off-duty sheriff was not so subtly nudging the baby dragon towards the open door of his office's bathroom. It was a task made difficult by the fact that Sparky showed no willingness of any sort to cooperate.
Sparky protested as best he could, angrily babbling and growling at his adoptive father. Alas, it made no difference. Despite being a baby dragon, Sparky was powerless against a full grown stallion like Hitch. Soon, dragon dad and dragon child were in the bathroom, Hitch taking the liberty of shutting the bathroom door so as to deter Sparky from trying to make a run for it.
"Now just hold and let me get everything set up for you so you don't fall in again." The earth pony stallion scolded his charge. Then he lifted up the lid of the toilet, before bending down and clumsily fiddling with a special toddler seat as he fixed it in atop the normal toilet seat. Once he was certain it was in the right place, he reached out a hoof to scoop up Sparky and plop him onto the toilet.
Sparky wiggled about on the seat, babbling and whimpering as he gave Hitch the best pair of sad puppy dog eyes he could muster up.
Hitch didn't budge. "Nice try, mister. You're gonna sit there until I say you can get up. So get comfortable, Sparky."
The little dragon unhappily sighed and seemed to resign himself to his fate. He just sat there, his legs dangling off to either side of the seat. At least it was soft and warm, nothing like that cold, hard, regular toilet seat he'd used before.
For how long Sparky sat there with Hitch watching him, he knew not. All he knew was that eventually Hitch approached him and lifted him off the seat. What he saw seemed to impress him, prompting him to clap his hooves! "Good job, Sparky! That's the way to do it! Now was that worth making so much of a fuss about?"
The baby dragon just cooed.
"Well, you know what's coming next, mister," The off-duty sheriff declared as he pulled some toilet paper off a small rack nearby. "Hold still, please." He quickly carried out the wiping job, then discarded the used rolls in the toilet, before flushing it.
Then there was trouble: Midway through the flush cycle, the toilet made a strange gurgling sound and the water stopped flowing. Hitch knew immediately what the problem was. "Again?! That's the third time this week you've clogged it!" He complained whilst briefly looking to his charge. When he saw Sparky whimper and shrink from his gaze, he quickly apologized. "It's not your fault, Sparky. I just wish we had a dragon compatible toilet." With a sigh, he then retrieved a plunger and started plunging.
It took a lot of hard work and effort, but Hitch was eventually able to break up the clog and get the flush cycle to complete. He wiped the sweat from his brows as he did so, before removing the toddler seat, putting the lid of the toilet back down, and washing his hooves in the sink (whilst making sure Sparky did the same thing with his claws).
Potty training Sparky was always a struggle. And the earth pony stallion could only mentally reassure himself that he was rounding a corner. "A few more weeks, and Sparky will be fully trained. Then he can manage everything on his own. " He thought to himself.
Just as dragon dad and dragon child exited the office bathroom, there came a knock at the door. Hitch immediately called out. "It's open, come in!"
And who should come trotting into the office but Misty, one of Hitch's more recent friends? She was quick to apologize. "Sorry. I just didn't see anypony in the office, so I assumed it was closed. I was just going to see if you were coming to the brighthouse today? You haven't really been back since we defeated Opaline," And she questioned. "Your job can't be keeping you that busy, can it?"
The off-duty sheriff laughed ever so faintly, leaning back in his office chair as he sat down in it. "Of course not. Everything's been peaceful and quiet here in Maretime Bay. And that's just the way I like it. It means I finally have time to get around to doing something I've been trying to do for a long time."
"Oh? What would that be?" Misty pondered.
Hitch gestured a hoof to Sparky as the little dragon waddled over to him. "Getting Sparky Sparkaroni here potty trained."
At that the unicorn with a beautiful blue coat blinked in surprise. "I thought he was already fully trained. You know, seeing as he doesn't wear diapers."
At that the earth pony stallion blushed. "Actually, I did try that with Sparky when I first got him. The results were... not pretty to say the least. No matter what diaper brands I tried, he'd either rip them off with his claws or burn them up with his fire breath. And then he'd just go potty wherever he wanted to. I was actually just starting to train him when you started trying to kidnap him."
A wave of guilt washed over the unicorn mare. "Oh."
"Hey, it's alright, you didn't know," Hitch pointed out. "But after all that went down with Opaline, and then you joining our group, Sparky's potty training just sort of slipped through the cracks," He proudly puffed out his chest as he then proclaimed. "I'm more than up to the challenge, though. After all, I was out of diapers faster than either Sunny or Sprout. Heck, I don't think there was anypony I knew who was potty trained faster than me. That's how good I was at it."
"Really?" Misty questioned, sounding equal parts amazed and skeptical.
The currently off-duty sheriff nodded his head quite affirmatively. "Yup. Just ask Grandma Figgy and Phyilis if you don't believe me. They'll tell you, they've even got the pictures to prove it," Leaning down at his desk, he opened up a drawer and pulled out two pictures that showed him as a toddler. One showed him proudly posing in just a plain white diaper. And the other showed him in a similar pose with nothing at all on his rear. "See? That was me just two weeks apart. In just two weeks I went from not even thinking about potty training to pottying like a pro! It's a fact I'm very proud of!" And already, he was flashing back in his mind to that time, to when he had first dedicated himself to following the rules other laid out for him.
"Alright, my little Hitch," Mrs. Trailblazer said one day to her two year old son. She had the same coat color as him, but sported a beautiful blonde mane and tail styled short. Her cutie mark depicted a lovely pink fedora with a red feather sticking out of it. And her blue eyes sparkled like diamonds. "Your father and I along with your Grandma Figgy are all in agreement. Today's the day you're ready to give up your diapers."
"What? Give up diapers?" The two year colt blinked in surprise. As he did so, the padded undergarment hugging his rear crinkled audibly.
Mrs. Trailblazer smiled, effortlessly leading her son through the fine single story house they lived in in the very heart of Maretime Bay. She soon brought him into the bathroom, and ushered him towards a small, plastic bowl colored an uninspiring shade of white. "Yes, my sweet little angel. It's time you learned how to use the potty. Everypony uses it, and you will be no exception."
Hitch was a bit hesitant about the idea. To do what he was used to doing in his diapers in some plastic bowl he'd never seen before sounded strange, and not the good kind of strange. He turned to his mother, asking her. "Do I really have to, Mommy? I like my diapers."
Mrs. Trailblazer could only laugh at her son's reluctance and hesitation. She then effortlessly stripped the toddler of the aforementioned padded undergarment and tossed it aside without fanfare. "I know you do, Hitch. But you're too old to still be wearing and using them. Besides, you'll find that using the potty is very easy and far more convenient." She soon had him seated upon the potty, standing next to him with an encouraging smile.
"So... what do I do?" The toddler asked his mother as he sat there and stared at her.
"Well, whatever you used to do in your diapers. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate," Mrs. Trailblazer explained, effortlessly slipping into that posh tone of hers. "Just relax, feel the flow of nature as it moves through your body. Then let it all out."
Hitch was still anything but sold on the idea. "I don't think I have to go, Mommy. Can I please do something else instead? I promise I'll try to use the potty if I have to go."
"No, my little pony. You need to try!" Mrs. Trailblazer sternly scolded. "You're not getting up from the potty until I say you can get up, and that's final. Quit being so fussy and stubborn. You will learn to use the potty whether you like it or not."
The earth pony toddler found that he couldn't argue with such logic, especially not from his female parent. So he just sat there, and sat there, and sat there, and sat there some more. After a while, however, he felt something move inside of him. And within seconds, his tail hiked upward as a familiar scent reached his nostrils. "I... I did it, Mommy!" He proudly raised his hooves into the air! "I used the potty!"
Mrs. Trailblazer clapped her hooves in approval, not the least bit bothered by the smell wafting through the air. "You most certainly did, Hitch. I'm very proud of you! Now, can I count on you to do that again for your father and for Grandma Figgy? I know they'll want to see your success just as much as I do."
Hitch nodded. "You bet I will, Mommy! And you were right: Using the potty was easy."
The flashback ended as Hitch smiled, returning the photos to the drawer from which they'd come. "Yup, those were the days," He said with a giggle. "Now I just have to hope with Sparky that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"I see," Misty blinked quite slowly, unsure of what else to say. "Well... I guess I'll just tell the others what you told me. Best of luck with the training," Turning to Sparky, she briefly cooed. "And Sparky, be a good little dragon and do what Hitch tells you to do, okay?" Then she trotted out of the office.
As fate would have it, at that very moment a certain familiar red coated earth pony stallion quite literally bumped into Misty. "Hey, I'm not invisible, you know! You must be able to avoid me!"
"Sorry, Sprout. Didn't see you there, really," Misty sincerely apologized. "I was just leaving. Hitch is very busy right now, in case you couldn't tell."
Sprout frowned as he looked at the baby dragon currently running around the office unsupervised, giggling and making a mess of things. "Yeah, I can see that. I have eyes too, you know," He humphed and swished his tail. "That Hitch likes to think he's so smart. Yet he's letting that kid do whatever he pleases. I know when was Sparky's age, I could never get away with doing any of the things Sparky's done. And not just because I'm not a dragon."
"He's just a baby!" Misty pointed out. "He's not even potty trained yet."
At that the former deputy threw back his head and laughed heartily. "Oh, is that so? I guess it's not so easy controlling a baby dragon the way Hitch likes to corral critters. But you know what, he should be asking me for advice!"
The unicorn mare was immediately skeptical of such a claim. "Why would he need your help? He told me he was potty trained before either you or Sunny."
Sprout frowned as his brows narrowed in reply. "He told you that?! Well, did he also tell you about a little secret of his that I know?" Without being prompted to do so, he leaned in close and whispered into Misty's ear. "He actually went back to diapers for a while. Whereas when I was potty trained, once I got out of diapers I stayed out of them. And for the record, I could've easily been trained sooner than Hitch, I just didn't feel like it. Luckily, my mommy decided not to wait until I thought I was ready." And he began reflecting back to that fateful day when everything had changed for him.
It had started out like a normal day for Sprout, who was then just over two and a half years old. He'd already seen his friend Hitch get out of diapers, but had been in no hurry to join his fellow colt in diaperless freedom. His diapers suited him just fine. He would give them up when he felt darn good and ready. And of course, his father (who served as Maretime's Bay sheriff) had seen fit not to challenge such thinking.
The red coated colt's mother thought otherwise, however. Today just so happened to be one of the days she had taken off to raise her only child. And in her mind, there was no better day than today to start on an important development for her son. "Sprout," She said to him a while after breakfast. "The time has come for you to learn how to be a big pony, like your father and like me. That means learning how big ponies do their business."
"'Business'?" Sprout blinked his eyes rapidly, such a word sounded funny and foreign to him. "I have to go to work like you and Daddy?"
Phyllis had to resist the urge to chuckle. "That's not what I meant, sugarcube. I guess a better way of putting it would be answering nature's call," When her son still didn't acknowledge what she was saying, she sighed and settled for. "I'm talking about what you've been doing in your diapers. But now, you're ready to give them up."
"But if I don't wear diapers, Mommy, what will I do when I have to go?" The earth pony toddler nervously asked. "You said it's not polite to just go on the floors, or do it behind a bush."
Phyllis held out her hoof to her son. "Follow me, and I will show you." Holding tightly to her son's hoof, she led him through the house into a place he was already somewhat familiar with: The bathroom.
Soon, Sprout was brought before an object that was tall, gleaming white in color, and weirdly bowl shaped. He had glanced at it occasionally before and thought nothing of it. Looking at it now, he still didn't have the faintest idea what it was or why it was there. "Mommy, what is that?" He asked as he eyed the strange contraption with a mix of fear, curiosity, and most of all reluctance.
The glasses wearing earth pony mare was quick with the answer. "This is a potty. More specifically, it's one that grown-up ponies like your father and I use. And we call it a toilet."
"So... I have to use... that?" The toddler earth pony questioned. Just looking at it unnerved him. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like the look of the toilet at all.
"Of course you do, sugarcube," Phyllis cooed as she removed her son's diaper and then lifted up the lid of the toilet, exposing a curved horseshoe seat with water and some sort of hole underneath it. "I probably should've started potty training you sooner, that way we wouldn't have to jump right to this. But the Trailblazers have gotten Hitch fully trained, and I'm sure even Argyle is starting to think about potty training Sunny. So you are just going to have to do better than them, and go right to using the toilet."
Sprout frowned and questioned. "How do I use it, Mommy? I don't think I can get up on the seat."
Phyilis didn't let that stop her. She just scooped Sprout up and delicately placed him on the toilet seat. "There we go, problem solved. Now get comfy, sugarcube."
The red coated colt groaned as he hesitantly asked. "When can I get down, Mommy? I don't like this, it's too high up!"
The glasses wearing mare replied. "Just sit still and you'll be fine," Then she realized something. "Oh my hoofness, I forgot to get the timer!" Turning to her son, she instructed. "Stay there and don't move, I'll be back as soon as I can. If you have to do something, go ahead and do it." And she raced out of the bathroom as fast as she could!
Sprout, however, was not content to obey his mother on this. He wanted nothing to do with something so big and so cold to the touch (not to mention a little smelly). He had to get down somehow. Yet as he tried to maneuver his hooves about, he found himself suddenly losing his balance! Without warning, he slid off the seat and plunged into the bowl! The next thing he knew, his entire body was soaking wet! And to make matters worse, he was struggling to keep his head above the water's surface! "Mommy!" He screamed as he flailed about!
As luck would have it, Phyllis just so happened to come dashing into the bathroom at that very moment! Upon seeing her toddler son panicking and struggling to stay afloat in the toilet bowl, she immediately dropped the egg timer she'd been carrying! Without hesitation, she ran to the toilet and fished her soggy son out, plopping him down onto some nearby towels! "Sprout, what did I say about not moving?!" She scolded and lectured him!
Sprout whimpered and shrank from his mother's gaze. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I didn't mean to mess up. I just didn't like sitting on the toilet. It's too big and too wet, and sitting on it takes forever!"
The glasses wearing mare just sighed, putting a hoof to her forehead. "I know it's not very fun, Sprout. But it's something everypony has to learn. Nopony can stay in diapers forever."
The red coated colt frowned and snorted in reply. "Why not? Hitch is going back to diapers. He says his Grandma Figgy's going to let him."
At that, Phyllis stumbled back in disbelief! "What?! I can't believe she would ever entertain such an idea! She should be encouraging him to value his potty training, not disregard it."
"So how come he doesn't have to use a toilet, but I do?" Sprout complained as he stomped a hoof down in protest. "It's just not fair!" He then pleaded, throwing himself at his mother's hooves. "Please, Mommy! Don't make me do it!"
Phyllis could only groan and sigh anew in dismay. "I really didn't want it to have to come this, Sprout. I'm not letting you stay in diapers, no matter what your father or anypony else says. You're old enough to not need them. But if you don't want to use the toilet, then fine. We can hold off on that until you're a little older and a little bit bigger. In the meantime," She trotted over to a cabinet underneath the sink and pulled out a much smaller bowl made of plastic. "You can use this. This is a potty intended for ponies your age. From now on, you're going to use this to do your business whether you like it or not. Do I make myself clear, Sprout?"
The earth pony toddler frowned anew, but resigned himself to his fate. He knew that whenever his mother got into this sort of stubborn mood about something, it was best not to fight her and to go along with whatever she wanted. In that case, it meant using this toddler potty she had gotten for him.
"So there you have it. I actually got to start using a toilet before either Hitch or Sunny!" Sprout boasted as the flashback ended. "And if they ever tell you otherwise, Misty, they're lying. You can thank my mommy for practically forcing me to potty train even when I didn't want to. She was right, like she usually is on such things."
Misty just frowned and squirmed, shrinking from Sprout's gaze. "I'm not sure that's what Sparky really needs. Hitch knows Sparky better than anypony."
Sprout just swished his tail and trotted away. "Whatever," He remarked with indifference. "I guess it was nice bumping into you," Before disappearing all together, however, he was quick to turn around and add. "Oh, and I guess I do have to thank you for getting rid of that freaky fire pony that tried to steal all our cutie marks: Whatever you said her name was." And with that, as if to make himself heard, he strolled over the horizon and vanished from sight.
The unicorn mare could only blink. Even after all this time and all that happened, Sprout was still Sprout: Boastful and highly opinionated. But he was still friends with Sunny and Hitch, apparently. So who was she to question what they saw in him?
It took Misty but a moment afterward to remember what she had been doing prior to meeting Sprout. She made a beeline for the Crystal Brighthouse, now ready to let her other friends know why Hitch wouldn't be coming to visit it again for the foreseeable future.
On the way, the unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat happened to pass by Sunny's smoothie cart. And sure enough, Sunny called out to her unicorn friend as she trotted past. "Hey, Misty."
"Oh, hi, Sunny," Misty cheerfully greeted as she trotted over. Then she took notice of a glasses wearing unicorn stallion standing nearby. "And hello to you too, Comet."
Comet waved a hoof. "What's up, Misty?" He asked. "You looked like you were in a hurry."
Misty slowly nodded. "Yeah, I was just going back to the Crystal Brighthouse to tell our friends about Hitch. He's not going to be coming by anytime soon," She whispered in explanation. "Apparently, he's working on getting Sparky potty trained."
Sunny smiled. "I had a feeling that was the case. He mentioned it briefly just before we found the magic map leading to the Isle of Scaly," She put a hoof to her chin. "Maybe we should go back there sometime and ask Spike if he remembers anything about his potty training that could help us with Sparky's. Or at least, if he knows where we could find some flameproof diapers that Sparky won't be able to destroy."
"Actually, while I was talking with Hitch about it, I ended up finding out more about his own potty training," The unicorn mare explained. "And I also heard about Sprout's," She giggled in spite of herself. "Only he could've done something so silly on his first attempt. From what it sounds like, though, the toilets here in Maretime Bay are a lot different from the ones I remember back in Bridlewood," She frowned, trying to picture the memory more clearly. "It's so fuzzy. I swear, I used to remember it more in detail before I met Opaline. But now, when I try to remember it, I can't seem to recall much of anything."
Sunny Starscout's smile grew brighter as she reached out a hoof to her unicorn friend. "It's okay if you don't remember, Misty. Comet doesn't really remember much about his early years either."
Comet slowly nodded and gulped a bit as he confessed. "It's true. They're kind of a blur. I remember Violet Frost being a big part of my life, even back then. And I think I remember how I used to look up to her and wanted to be like her. I think that led me to start potty training at an earlier age than other foals, but that's about it."
Sunny began to giggle as Comet finished speaking. "You mentioning wanting to be more like Violet Frost actually made me remember something. Hitch and Sprout are half-right if they said I didn't start potty training until after they did," She began to recall memories long since passed. "My dad let me stay in diapers until I was at least three. But even he eventually decided I had to give them up and be a big pony." And a particular memory started playing again in her mind as if it had all happened just yesterday.
"Good morning, my little princess," Argyle cooed as he strolled into Sunny's nursery and lifted her out of her crib (which was due to be taken down and converted into a normal bed in a few weeks' time). "And how are we today?"
Sunny beamed happily as she stretched out her hooves, reaching up to touch her father's face. "Doing great, Daddy!"
Argyle smiled back as he pulled back his diaper's daughter. "Did you remember to keep your diapers nice and clean like I asked you to after I changed you last night?"
The toddler earth pony filly happily nodded. "Uh-huh. You said you'd have a big surprise waiting for me if I did."
Argyle inspected the padding and found it to still be in pristine condition. His daughter had done what he'd asked of her. "You bet I did, Sunny. And I think you're going to like it. Come on, now." He quickly carried her to the bathroom, taking great care to support her diapered bottom as she held tightly to him.
Sunny Starscout didn't know what to expect as she was set upon the bathroom floor and stripped of her diaper, watching her father unceremoniously discard it into a wastebasket nearby. "Now Sunny, you know that if it were up to me I'd gladly let you stay in diapers for as long as you wanted to. But it's not up to me. If you want to go to school with Hitch and Sprout someday, you're gonna have to learn how to manage without diapers," He briefly let out a sigh. "Much as I hate to admit it, Phyllis has a point about how you're getting too big to be using your diapers as a bathroom."
The earth pony filly whimpered a bit as she felt a faint breeze blow past her bare bottom. "You're really going to make me potty train?" She asked her father. "I know Hitch and Sprout are already doing it, but it doesn't sound like fun even if they say it is."
Argyle simply adjusted his glasses, smiling as he produced a package in a bright green bag. Ripping it open, he pulled out something thick and white. But it was clearly not a diaper. "I had a feeling you might say that, Sunny. Which is why I came prepared," He set the object down and unfolded it, revealing that it had colorful tabs that could easily be slid down or pulled up, and a very familiar six pointed star printed on the seat. "These pull-ups were specially made. But for you, they're worth the expense."
"Pull-ups?" Sunny blinked in surprise.
Argyle nodded. "You can take these on and off much easier than any plain old diaper. And they all have custom prints to boot. They're themed after those ponies I told you about in my research," When he saw his daughter try to reach for the pull-up, however, he quickly snatched it up and held it out of her reach. "Ah-ah, Sunny. You have to prove you're worthy of them, first. And you know what that means."
The filly hesitantly and somewhat sadly replied. "I... have to use the potty now?" And her question was soon answered as she was seated upon a plastic potty colored a shade of pretty pink. It had the words "My Little Potty" printed on the side in almost cartoonish fashion.
"Luckily for you," Argyle said with a smile as he laid his back hooves down and sat upon the floor next to his daughter. "I have plenty of interesting stories about Princess Twilight and her friends that I've discovered. And now I'm going to share them all with you to help you pass the time. I know using the potty doesn't seem like fun right now. But we can work to change that."
"My dad was right. Thanks to his stories and his encouragement, potty training was so much fun!" Sunny fondly exclaimed as her recollections came to an end. "But I started feeling bad for Hitch when he let himself go back to diapers while with his Grandma Figgy. So whenever she came over to watch me and Hitch was with her, I'd let her put me back into diapers too. It was our little secret. We tried to convince Sprout to join us, but he never did. Yet the fact is," She said with a chuckle and a cheeky grin. "He actually was the last one among us to get out of pull-ups. He really really didn't like having to use toilets, although he wouldn't say why."
"That's... fascinating," Misty uncertainly replied. "I never would've imagined you, Hitch, and Sprout could all have such different stories about such an important time in your lives. I mean, I guess I knew no two ponies would have exactly the same experience, but still..."
Sunny Starscout could only comment. "Well... it's something you never really think about. I just remember it because it was a time when everything seemed simpler, more magical. And I'd be lying if I said I haven't felt trying to go back to those days every once in a while, just to pretend my dad's still there."
"I'm... sorry. I didn't mean to make you..." Misty began but trailed off, feeling it better not to dwell on the issue.
Sunny wiped a lone tear from her eyes. "It's alright. It's good to talk with friends. And even if I wanted to, I can't change the past. The best I can do is try to change the future."
Comet nodded. "And look on the bright side: It was because of your dad's stories that you met Misty and I, and we all became friends. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't met you when I did."
The unicorn mare then replied. "Well... I think I'm gonna get going, now. I wouldn't want to delay you from opening up your smoothie cart for the day. Besides, I still need to tell Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy about Hitch not coming back to the brighthouse."
Just then, however, there came a loud whooshing sound! And what should touch down in front of Misty but the Marestream itself in all its glory?
"Hey, Misty," Zipp greeted as the side door of the flying machine opened up. "Pipp and I got tired of waiting for you. Actually, we were just on our way to Zephyr Heights. Would you care to join us?"
Author's Note
This really has no connection to the first "Potty Training Tales", but the title was the best thing I could think of. It's really intended to be more like the Bear in the Big Blue House episode, more of a series of indirect reflections and conversations about potty training.
And yes, this obviously involves a lot of headcanon, because the family situation for a lot of our main characters is unclear. As for Comet, I really couldn't think of how to fit him in, seeing as we haven't even the faintest clue what his past was like and likely will never learn anything of substance.
Misty was taken aback by the sudden offer from her two pegasus friends. "O-oh," She tried to recover and process her thoughts. "W-well I'd like to... but I was on my way to the brighthouse to tell you two and Izzy about why Hitch isn't going to be coming over anytime soon."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about Izzy," Pipp explained with a smile. "She said she had a crafting emergency to take care of, so she went back to Bridlewood to pick up some supplies. She won't be back until tomorrow at the earliest. Zipp and I were going to just hang out at the brighthouse, until we got a call from Mom."
Zipp had to groan. "Yeah, something about a last minute 'royal emergency' or something. But honestly, I think she just wants to see us and to make sure we're still okay after what went down with Opaline. Still, when Mom wants us, it's almost impossible to say no. She can be very demanding when she wants to be."
"So, do you wanna come with us? You didn't exactly get a chance to see all of Zephyr Heights the last time you were there." Pipp offered, once again laying out the proposal.
Misty looked back, and saw a nod of encouragement from Sunny and Comet. It seemed pretty clear to her what they would want. And the alternative would be spending her time in the Crystal Brighthouse alone, likely just sitting there and watching t.v. So the unicorn mare reluctantly decided then and there. "I... guess I'll come with you girls. Might be nice to see what else there is to do in Zephyr Heights besides visiting the royal palace."
Pipp happily stretched out her hooves and pulled her unicorn friend close! "Great! Come on aboard! Zipp and I can't keep Mom waiting all day!"
And as soon as Misty was safely aboard the Marestream, Zipp firmly grasped the controls. "Keep your hooves and tails inside the vehicle at all times!" She declared, before pulling back hard on the throttle as the Marestream took to the skies with a loud roar! It wasn't long before the marveolus flying machine was airborne, soaring through the clouds. Then and only did its passengers relax.
Without looking up from the controls, Zipp then saw fit to ask Misty. "So, what exactly is the deal with Hitch? He fall behind on his paperwork or something?"
"No, it's nothing like that. He's just working on getting Sparky fully potty trained, that's all." Misty explained.
"Oh, is that all?" Zipp commented, sounding completely unsurprised by such a statement. "I already knew that, I just didn't think that was his reason. Don't see why he can't do it at the brighthouse, we have toilets there too and they work just fine. Or at least, they were working just fine the last time I saw them."
Pipp could only shrug her hooves. "I guess Hitch just thinks it's easier to work on it while in his office. Or maybe he's just using it as an excuse because he wants to stay close to his job. He really does seem to enjoy being the sheriff."
The elder pegasus princess chuckled. "He sure does. He's practically married to the job as far as I'm concerned. And you've gotta hoof it to him, he seems to enjoy working alone. Guess after what happened with Sprout, he's a bit put off by the idea of having another deputy," When Misty shot her a puzzled look, the pegasus mare quickly replied. "You had to be there."
Misty blinked slowly. She could vaguely recall hearing about the role Sprout apparently played in the destruction of the lighthouse that had occupied the spot where the brighthouse now stood, but the exact details were still a mystery (one that nopony she asked seemed interested in discussing at length it would seem). "I see..." And she decided it best to change the subject, switching to something that was nagging and gnawing at her mind. "-So uh... how long has Hitch been working on Sparky's training? He's had Sparky for over a year now, hasn't he?"
Zipp nodded without looking back. "Yeah, but it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. It's not entirely because of you and Opaline either. A lot has happened since Sparky came into the picture. And I can say from experience that sometimes potty training can take a very long time."
"Oh, right," Misty realized. "Obviously, as the older sister, you had to help Pipp with her training even while you were working on your own."
At that, Pipp snickered and couldn't help but boast. "Well actually, even though Zipp started her training before mine, I was fully trained first."
A groan was heard from the elder pegasus princess as she complained. "It's only because I wanted to prove I could do it on my own, just like Mom wanted. Even when we were foals, it was clear that you were always the favorite between the two of us. If I wasn't the older sibling, I'm sure she would've made you the heir to the throne instead."
The popstar princess replied with a cheeky grin. "Sure, sure you tell yourself that, Zipp. Mom's got the pictures to prove who was the first to graduate from diapers."
"Is it true?" Misty asked Zipp, before hearing another groan. "I mean... only if you want to tell me. I don't really need to know that badly."
But the tomboyish pegasus just sighed in frustration, her posture becoming slightly tense in the process. "Something tells me you're not gonna be satisfied unless I tell you. And even if I don't, Pipp's probably gonna keep nagging me until I change my mind."
The pastel pink pegasus proclaimed. "You know me too well, Zipp."
So Zipp huffed slightly, swishing her tail in visible frustration. "Alright," Her annoyed tone did not change in the slightest as she began to recall. "Since I was the older sibling, I was the first to start potty training. And it went smoothly for a while. That all changed when Pipp started potty training too."
"Now Zipp," Queen Haven told her older daughter as she led both her and Pipp into the royal lavatory within the confines of the palace. "You've been doing quite well in your potty training so far. And now I want you to be a good big sister and help Pipp to understand how it works."
"Do I have to, Mom?" Zipp whined and groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Why can't you do it? She looks up to you more than she does me."
Queen Haven just replied in that authoritative, matter-of-fact tone of voice of hers. "I'm not always going to be around, Zipp. I'm very busy, you know. And having you and Pipp at my side when I'm holding court would be a distraction. Plus, I think Pipp will understand it far more easily if she has somepony to imitate."
The elder pegasus toddler sighed, resigning herself to the inevitable. "Fine, I'll do it. But only this one time, Mom. After that, she's on her own."
"Once should be more than enough. You figured it out pretty easily after I taught you what to do," Queen Haven explained as she pulled down Zipp's diaper and set it aside. "Alright, Pipp, are you ready to learn how to use the potty like a big pony?"
Pipp fluttered her tiny wings in delight! "Of course I am, Mommy!"
Queen Haven smiled. "Good. Then I want you to pay close attention to what Zipp does, and do it exactly the way she does it," She then encouraged. "Go ahead, Zipp. You know what to do."
Zipp had to force back a groan as she adopted the best instructive tone she could muster up. "It's like this, Pipp," She clumsily trotted towards a small plastic bowl that had been placed upon the tiled floor. "You make your way over to the potty and sit down on it, like this," She planted her rump firmly upon the potty and sat down. "Then you just relax, and do whatever you have to do."
"But what if I don't have to go?" Pipp questioned.
The elder pegasus toddler had to resist the urge to groan and roll her eyes. "Well, you just sit there and try, that's what really matters," Then she blushed. "But I do have to go. So do you mind looking away?"
"How can I learn if I do that?" Pipp pondered, but nevertheless obeyed.
Zipp then sighed, grunting as her tail hiked upward. It took her only a few seconds to fully empty herself, then she said to Pipp. "You can turn back around, now. I'm done."
Queen Haven, for her part, clapped her hooves in approval. "Well done, Zipp!" Turning to Pipp, she smiled and encouraged. "See how easy that was? Isn't that better than making messes in your diapers?"
The pastel pink pegasus toddler hesitantly and uncertainly replied. "I... guess."
Zipp, meanwhile, stood up as her mom pulled some toilet paper off of a nearby rack and used it to clean her older daughter's bottom. "Now, we clean ourselves up with toilet paper," She explained to Pipp, before picking up the potty. "And then we empty it out into my potty, and flush it all away." She emptied the potty's contents into the toilet, then pressed down the handle to flush it.
Pipp nearly jumped back in surprise at the unexpected loud noise! "Too loud!" She complained as she held her ears.
Zipp snickered, getting a mischievous idea in her head. "That's because it's the sound of the potty monster. It eats foals! Only grown-up ponies like Mom can handle it."
Queen Haven just groaned as she set the potty back down and then washed her hooves. "Zephyrina Storm!" She scolded quite sternly. "You know there is no such thing as a potty monster! You should not be making your little sister afraid of the toilet, she will have to get used to the noise eventually."
"What? Can't I have a little fun with her?" Zipp complained.
Queen Haven could only sigh. "Why must you be like this all the time, Zipp? You weren't always so stubborn and uncooperative," She then trotted over to Pipp, reassuring her. "Don't worry about your big sister, Pipp. I think she's just a little upset because I've been paying more attention to you lately. But I see a lot more of myself in you. Zipp, it would seem, has inherited your father's rebellious attitude."
"Where is Daddy anyway?" Pipp questioned. "You said he went away, but you didn't say where."
At that the queen bit her lip. "... It's somewhere very, very far away. Somewhere where you won't be able to find him. But not to worry, I know you'll see him again someday. And if he were here now, I'm sure he'd agree that you need to be like your big sister and use the potty," Kneeling down to Pipp's level, she pleaded with the toddler. "Can you do that for me?"
The pudgy pink pegasus toddler nodded. "Uh-huh. I can do that, Mommy."
Haven smiled. "Good," Then after helping Zipp wash her hooves, she led both of her children out of the royal lavatory. "Now Zipp, I'm trusting you enough to let you be bottomless for a while. Can I count on you not to stain the floors and make sure your sister keeps her diapers clean for an hour?"
Zipp gave a firm salute. "You bet I can, Mom!"
Queen Haven smiled back. "Then I'll leave you to it. Just remember to ask for help if you need it. The guards and maids will be more than happy to assist you as needed."
"Wait, I thought you took longer to get out of diapers than Pipp did?" Misty blinked in surprise once Zipp had finished telling her story.
The elder pegasus princess sheepishly confessed. "I did. My first time going bottomless didn't exactly end well. But it was only because I was trying to do it all on my own. I wanted to impress Mom and prove I could be a good role model for Pipp. And I learned the hard way that my body wasn't quite up to the task just yet."
Pipp snickered. "Yup. So you went back to diapers for several weeks while Mom worked on getting me fully trained. So you decided to do it all on your own. Yet if you'd just waited, Mom would've happily let you get out of diapers again, instead of you having to spend almost half a year in them. Whereas with me, I was out of diapers in just two months' time. Not bad for a supposed 'late bloomer' like me."
Zipp sighed. "Yes, yes, I've heard it all before. You don't have to keep rubbing it in, Pipp. Is it any wonder why I used to love getting you into trouble for the things I did as a filly? You were always trying to be 'Little Miss Perfect' and do exactly what Mom told you to do."
"And what was so wrong with that?" Pipp retorted. "It made her happy. But you had your way and I had mine. And at least now you don't have to keep secrets from me."
Zipp nodded. "Yeah. And don't forget who taught you and Mom how to fly properly."
Just then, the magnificent city of Zephyr Heights came into view. And in a matter of moments, the Marestream touched down within the limits of the city proper. Its passengers then disembarked.
"So, when should I meet up with you two?" Misty asked the pegasus princesses?
The tomboyish pegasus put a hoof to her chin, pondering. "Good question. Knowing Mom, it's probably going to take quite a while."
And Pipp then proposed. "Give it at least two hours. If we haven't come looking for you by then, come back to the Marestream. Got it?"
The unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat nodded. "Right, I got it," And she waved a hoof as she watched her friends trot away. "See you then."
Misty found herself utterly astounded and entranced by all that Zephyr Heights had to offer. Yes, Maretime Bay was nice and so was Bridlewood. Yet they could not rival the bright lights, screens, and lavishly decorated buildings adorned in all their gleaming, bold colors. And everywhere she looked, she could see pegasi (and even some unicorns and earth ponies) trotting to and fro, going about their business as usual.
So amazed and impressed was Misty that she soon lost track of time. She almost didn't notice when two hours had gone by and there was no sign of Zipp or Pipp anywhere. Reluctantly, that meant it was time to head back to the Marestream and wait for them there.
Yet the unicorn mare found it hard to find her way. There seemed to be no end to the sights that drew her attention one way or the other. As a result, it took her longer than she had originally anticipated to find the Marestream. And when she did, she found the two pegasus princesses already by the flying machine, waiting for her.
"Did you get lost or something, Misty?" Zipp questioned in an impatient tone of voice. "We were beginning to think something had happened to you."
"Hey, ease off on her, Zipp!" Pipp protested. "She was probably just taking in the sights. Zephyr Heights is truly amazing when you get to see it all for yourself. And she's here now, safe and sound."
Misty, for her part, just blushed and apologized. "I'm sorry if I made you worry. I didn't mean to."
Zipp apologized in return. "It's alright, Misty. What matters is that you're here. Now come on. If we hurry, we can probably make it back to Maretime Bay in time for lunch."
Yet it was then that Pipp happened to glance at her phone, and let out a gasp as she then exclaimed! "I don't believe it! Mom uploaded the wrong photos, again! I specifically told her not to pick those!" To demonstrate what had gotten her so worked up, she held up her phone for all to see. Plastered across its screen was a picture of a much younger Pipp, sitting on a pink training potty with her diaper pulled down to her knees, whilst she appeared to be clumsily fiddling with a much older (and bulkier) looking phone.
Zipp, for her part, couldn't resist letting out a laugh. "Oh, I can't believe I forgot that's how you got into phones, Pipp! Mom quickly realized it was the easiest way to keep you occupied during potty time. I never needed anything like that, not even picture books."
The pastel pink popstar princess huffed and snorted. "We can't all be like you, Zipp!" She then let out a groan whilst tapping on her phone. "I'm going to let Mom know about this so she can take them down before I become a laughing stock. My Pippsqueaks will never let me hear the end of this!"
Seeing the photo, however, made Misty question Pipp. "What exactly was your potty training like, Pipp? I mean, other than when you got into phones?"
"Oh, it wasn't anything special," Pipp somewhat nervously insisted. "The only thing I really had trouble with was the toilet because I was still kind of small by the time I started learning how to use it instead of a potty. And uh... things didn't exactly work out well for me because of that."
The tomboyish pegasus teased. "Yeah, I remember. You fell in and got flushed!"
"I did not!" The pudgy popstar princess protested. "Mom always said you couldn't go down the drain," And she was quick to change the subject. "A-anyway..." She coughed into a hoof. "Because of that... er... mishap... which was only partially true by the way... I was a little bit afraid to try my luck with the toilet again. It wasn't until I started talking with some other ponies online and finding out they had the same fear as me that I could work up the courage to start using the toilet like I was supposed to. That's when I started realizing that there were ponies out there like me, ponies who wanted to feel special and feel like somepony cared about them. And phones and other things were a way to connect to them."
The unicorn mare was surprised by such a statement. "Wow! So that's why you've built up such a huge online following."
Pipp nodded. "Yeah. But even I know that there's more to life than phones. That's partially why I opened Mane Melody in the first place. Everypony deserves a chance to feel beautiful on both the inside and the outside."
Zipp just impatiently replied. "Okay, okay, I think that's enough reminiscing. Now come on, we've got to get going! If we keep this up, we won't be back to Maretime Bay until late afternoon at the earliest."
Yet it was then that Misty had an idea, something that had just come to her as a result of the conversations she'd been having with her friends so far. "Actually," Looking to Zipp, she asked. "Do you think we could make a detour to Bridlewood? There's something I'd like to ask Izzy, and my dad. And I'd really like to ask them sooner rather than later."
Zipp and Pipp exchanged glances for a moment, before Zipp stated. "I guess a quick flight to Bridlewood couldn't hurt."
Author's Note
They never really stated or even implied what might have happened to Zipp and Pipp's father. The only context we really have is "Portrait of a Princess" suggesting Queen Haven has been a single mom since Pipp was a little filly. And there was a flashback in an early episode of "Tell Your Tale" that showed Queen Haven once fawning over Zipp as child, suggesting that Haven and Zipp might have been closer before Pipp entered the picture.
Despite a somewhat bumpy ride, it took very little time for the Marestream to make its way from Zephyr Heights to Bridlewood. And once it did, Misty was dropped off as intended, before the flying machine took to the skies once again, bound for Maretime Bay.
It felt good to be back in Bridlewood. The forest seemed even more lively and enchanted than the unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat had ever remembered it being. Yet as marvelous as it was, she could only take in the sights for a short time. She had wanted to come back to Bridlewood for a reason, there was something she wanted to ask from somepony important.
So Misty set off, her destination clear in mind. She just hoped her father wouldn't be so busy running his tea room.
Suddenly, there came the honking of a horn. And when Misty turned to look, who should she see coming up over the horizon but her fellow unicorn Izzy? The unicorn mare with a pretty pink coat and a curly blue mane and tail was driving her scooter that carried her crafting materials. Yet as soon as she saw Misty, she slammed on the brakes and made the scooter screech to a halt.
Izzy's eyes went wide upon seeing her fellow unicorn, and she happily threw her hooves around Misty in a powerful embrace! "Misty! What a nice surprise! I thought you were in Maretime Bay with Sunny and the rest of our friends."
Misty blinked slowly. "Well, I was. But I started thinking about some things, and decided to come to Bridlewood. There's something I want to ask my father. It's nagging my brain and it won't leave me alone."
"Hey, that works out for me!" Izzy cheerfully and chipperly replied. "I was just on my way to stop by the Crystal Tea Room to pick up some tea. With all the crafting projects I have to get done today, I don't have to stop, so I need my tea on the go. But I'm sure I can take a moment to drop you off with Alphabittle. Hop aboard, Misty." She floated over a spare helmet colored a faded shade of green.
Misty hesitantly accepted the helmet as she slowly stepped onto the scooter and grabbed hold of her fellow unicorn from behind. "T-try not to go too fast, Izzy." She pleaded with caution.
Izzy smiled. "I'll do my best, Misty. Now hold on tight!" Soon, she had started up her scooter again, and was zooming through the forest, weaving around the many dirt paths that cut right through it.
It took Misty a while to get used to the feeling of traveling at such a high rate of speed, all the while she did not loosen her grip on Izzy at all.
In a matter of just a few moments, the two unicorns screeched to a halt right outside the Crystal Tea Room, and Misty disembarked.
The unicycling unicorn smiled as she took back the spare helmet. "Well, here we are. Guess I'll see you around, Misty." And she prepared to step off the scooter as well.
It was then that Misty decided to ask. "Hey, Izzy, you said you were raised by my dad, right?"
The unicorn mare with a pretty pink coat blinked in surprise. "Yeah. And now I know why, I think I reminded him of you when you were a filly," She chuckled. "Boy did he learn the hard way how different we were. I mean, I didn't mean to give him a hard time. But I was just bursting with energy, and it had to be let out."
Misty fiddled with her bangs as she somewhat sheepishly asked. "Um... does that include when he had to potty train you?"
Izzy blinked once again and simply asked. "Why are you asking me?"
The unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat explained. "W-well, I've been thinking about it a lot recently. I mean... Hitch is working on getting Sparky fully potty trained again."
Izzy smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Of course I know about that, I'm Sparky's dragonsitter. There's practically nothing I don't know about him."
Misty continued, still somewhat bashful and withdrawn. "Y-yeah. So, from there, I started thinking about it more and started talking to our other friends about their potty training. And... I'm curious. You're the only one I don't know about."
At that, Izzy seemed to blush ever so faintly. "Oh, you wanna know, huh?" She put a hoof to her chin. "Well, I guess I can tell you. I mean, you're right that I was very jumpy and full of energy when Alphabittle first tried teaching me." And she began to reflect back to that very occasion in her youth, to one of the more "joyful" memories of her childhood.
Alphabittle sighed deeply as he pushed open the door to Izzy's bedroom. He'd been putting this off for long enough, the time had come for him to do what he'd once had to do for his daughter (whom he still held out hope was out there somewhere, and would come back to him someday). Yet in the back of his mind he was thinking. "I hope Izzy doesn't hate me for this. I know she seems to really enjoy her diapers. But she can't stay in them forever. She'll be the only unicorn left in the whole forest who does if I don't get her out of them now. "
Izzy, for her part, was just playing with her toys in an absentminded fashion. She had no idea her life was about to change forever and that she was going to undergo a major development.
The tall, bulky stallion trotted over to Izzy, sniffing the air as he did so. He was relieved when no smelly smells that smelled smelly greeted his nostrils. Izzy's diaper was dry and clean, for now. That meant it was all the more imperative he start teaching her how to give up such padded undergarments for good. He had gone down this road once before and it hadn't been so bad. Hopefully, with the experience he could still draw upon, things would be just as smooth as last time. "Hey, kid." He greeted Izzy in a very blunt tone of voice.
Izzy spun around, locking eyes with the stallion who had so kindly taken her in when she'd had nowhere to go. He insisted he wasn't her father, but that didn't stop her from looking up to him as a father figure. "Hiya Mr. Alphabittle!" She greeted with a swish of her tail and an exceptionally bright smile as she all but bounced over to him. "What are you doing in my bedroom?" She asked in a briefly nervous tone of voice. "Am I in trouble again?"
Alphabittle chuckled ever so faintly, patting the little filly on the forehead. "No, you're not in any trouble. But there is something we need to talk about. It's something very important, and something that everypony your age goes through."
"What would that be?" The unicorn filly pondered. She seemed to have no clue what the stallion was saying.
"Well..." Alphabittle began, before pausing and hesitating for a moment as he tried to summon up the courage needed. "It's about your diapers. Or rather, about getting out of them."
At that the filly's ears fell flat, causing her joyful mood to deflate. "What? But I like my diapers."
"I know you do, kid," The tall, bulky stallion replied as he took hold of Izzy by the tail, preventing her from trying to run away. "But everypony has to give them up eventually. So it's time you learned how big ponies go to the bathroom. Come on, I'll show you what I mean." He quickly dragged her away, doing his best not to look at the sorrowful, pleading look she was shooting him.
Soon, the two unicorns reached an isolated and mostly walled off section of the Crystal Tea Room. It wasn't anything fancy, and in fact it appeared to be very dimly lit. Only a few faint rays of sunlight pierced through the windows to light up the place. And within the room was what could best be described as a series of elevated trenches surrounded by white squares, and a colored tile nearby.
Alphabittle brought Izzy before one of the trenches and pulled down her diaper, then tossed it aside. "Alright, here we are. It's time to learn about the potty," He said in the best parental tone of voice he could muster up. "It's really easy: Just stand over the opening and relax. When you're done," He gestured to a nearby nozzle of some sort. "You can use that to clean yourself. And then you just press on that pedal," He pointed to the colored tile. "And everything disappears."
Izzy trotted over to the trench, eyeing it suspiciously as she peered down at the water flowing underneath it. "Am I supposed to use that?" She questioned.
Alphabittle nodded. "Yup. It's what all grown ponies use instead of diapers. You should be thankful they exist. I remember that when I was your age, we mostly still relied on chamber pots and open pits. Toilets are far more sanitary."
"So, I just stand there until I... go?" Izzy questioned.
The stallion nodded. "Yes, of course. Or at least, until I say you can move. Go ahead, just try."
"Nu-uh!" The unicorn filly protested as she stuck out her tongue! "I'm not gonna do it! The potty is stupid!" As she spoke this, she didn't realize she had dipped her tail into the bowl. And then, as she tried to move forward, she unintentionally stepped onto the colored tile in front of her.
There was a loud noise, and then Izzy felt her tail growing wet as some kind of unseen force pulled on it! Try as she might, she couldn't break free of its grasp! "Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs! "It's trying to eat me!"
"Don't be ridiculous, toilets can't eat ponies. There's no such thing," Alphabittle replied as he trotted over and effortlessly pulled Izzy's tail free. "Guess I should've warned you about keeping your tail lifted. And now you know why."
Izzy, meanwhile, found herself fascinated by the waters underneath her. They swirled and sloshed around within the trench, then suddenly disappeared and then returned. And when they did, the loud noise stopped. "What was that, Mr. Alphabittle?" She asked her father figure.
The unicorn stallion quickly explained. "That was just the flush, Izzy. It's how the toilet cleans and empties itself. It's pretty cool, isn't it? Almost like ma..." He quickly threw a hoof over his mouth to stop himself.
"Like what?" Izzy pondered.
Alphabittle quickly recovered, coughing into a hoof. "Er... nothing... nothing you need to know about. It's not anything you're supposed to say anyway," And he instead tried to change the subject. "A-anyway, now that you know how it works, I want you to use it from now on whenever you have to go number one or number two. I'm not buying you any more diapers, they're expensive and you're too old to still be wearing them!"
The unicorn filly whimpered a bit. "Really?"
Alphabittle slowly nodded. "I'm afraid so, Izzy. But as long as you're good about using the potty, you won't have to wear anything."
That made the filly's ears perk up as she excitedly exclaimed! "Oh goodie!" And she happily ran out of the bathroom, chanting again and again! "I get to be naked! I get to be naked!"
"Izzy, come back!" Alphabittle shouted as he ran after his charge! "I didn't say you could leave yet!"
As the memories faded, Izzy giggled. "Oh, those were the days, I can tell you. My potty training from there didn't always go smoothly. But it was still lots of fun, at least for me."
"Guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that's how it would've gone with you," Misty commented. "I hope you at least apologized to my dad at some point for causing him so much grief."
Izzy nodded. "Yeah, I did once I was fully trained. And I can safely say that if it wasn't for Alphabittle, I don't think I ever would've even bothered to potty train, let alone master it. I always wondered why he put up with me after everything I ever said or did," Turning to Misty, she then smiled. "But since meeting you and finding out you were his daughter, it all makes sense. In a way, we both got what we needed most: Alphabittle had me to help him find joy and happiness in his laugh again, at least for a while. And I got to have somepony to help me grow up, even if he couldn't take away what made me me."
The unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat replied. "Well, that's actually why I wanted to see him again and talk to him."
"Oh, you're thinking about your own training?" Izzy questioned.
Misty nodded back. "Yes. And I just can't seem to recall it. So I'm hoping he can help me with that. As long as he's not too busy."
The pretty pink unicorn mare with a curly blue mane and tail chuckled as she led Misty into the tea room proper. "Hey, since when does Alphabittle not have time for you? You always have time for family, no matter when that may be."
And as the two unicorn mares entered the tea room, there was Alphabittle himself at the counter, wiping it down with a rag whilst using his magic to prepare cups of tea for his thirsty patrons (what few there seemed to be at the moment). He looked up in time to see Misty and Izzy approaching him, and smiled as he then levitated over a steaming cup to Izzy. "Here you are, kid," He cheerfully greeted. "Made it just like you always wanted it."
Izzy happily accepted the tea and deposited the money to pay for it on the counter. "Thanks, Alphabittle! See you later!" She replied as she then all but bounced away, soon disappearing from sight.
Alphabittle then turned his attention to his daughter. "Misty-Wisty!" He exclaimed, throwing his hooves around her! "I'm glad you've come back, kid! I've missed you so much!"
"Yeah... well, I've been busy. But I'm sure you already know about all of that." Misty replied as she let her father hug her. This time around it felt warm and natural rather than awkward and uncomfortable.
Once the hug ended, the bulky stallion smiled brightly. "So what are you doing back in Bridlewood? I thought you were living in Maretime Bay with Izzy and the rest of your friends, or did you change your mind?"
The unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat shook her head from side to side. "No, Dad, that's not why I came here. Maretime Bay's still my home, and I don't see that changing anytime soon," She then cleared her throat, trying to think of how best to explain the reason for her unannounced visit. "Um... can I... ask you something?"
Suspecting nothing, Alphabittle happily nodded. "Of course, Misty. What did you want to ask?"
Misty swallowed hard and tried to whisper. "It's about my past, or rather... my potty training."
At that the stallion blinked rapidly. To say he was surprised by such a question would be an understatement. "Why do you want to know about that, Misty? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Misty admitted. "It's just... well... I've been thinking about it a lot today. And... it got me thinking about what you must've had to go through with me. You don't have to answer if you'd rather not talk about it."
But Alphabittle firmly replied. "Misty, I'll always have time for you no matter what it may be you want to discuss. If you really want to know, I can tell you. All the memories I have of you as a filly are burned into my mind, there was no way I could forget them after what happened," He got up from the counter and floated over a sign that read "Out to lunch" as he then trotted over to his daughter. "Come on, let's go somewhere where we won't be overhead. And then I'll tell you what you want to know." Already, he was thinking back in his mind to that time with Misty. A time when everything in his life had seemed to be nothing but happy.
"Okay, Misty-Wisty," Alphabittle cooed one day as he held his toddler daughter gently within his hooves and carried her through the Crystal Tea Room (currently not yet open for business). "I think you're ready for it. Today's the day you go from being daddy's little girl to being daddy's big girl. And that means it's time you learned how to use the same thing all ponies learn how to use eventually."
Misty, for her part, just smiled and looked up at her father. He was never wrong about anything. So if he felt that what was going to happen was something to be excited and happy about, then she would be excited and happy just like he was.
The unicorn stallion soon brought his daughter into a room lined with slightly elevated trenches that had running water flowing underneath them, and were connected to sets of gleaming silver pipes. Near them rested colored tiles, and nozzle-like contraptions that looked like they could be pulled out of the ground. To Alphabittle, he had seen such things several times before. But to his daughter, everything was strange and wondrous. It was someplace new and exciting.
Alphabittle then gingerly set his toddler daughter upon the floor, making sure to keep his eyes locked onto hers so that he commanded her full attention. "Here we are, my little pony," He cooed once again. "This is where your ticket to being a big pony awaits. And it starts by getting rid of your diaper, or at least just taking it off." He then fit words to actions by carefully removing and setting aside the aforementioned padded undergarment.
Misty shivered a bit at the sensation of her newly exposed bare bottom. "What do I do, Daddy?" She asked her father.
The bulky stallion instructed. "It's really simple, Misty. Just do what I say and you'll be fine, I promise," Clearing his throat, he continued. "Now, you see those trenches over there?" When his daughter nodded, he explained. "Those are toilets. And now that you're at least two and a half years old, you need to start using them."
The unicorn filly waddled her way towards one of the aforementioned toilets, eyeing it with hesitation and uncertainty. "How do I use them?" She pondered.
Alphabittle smiled. "It's really easy: You just gotta stand over them and keep your tail raised so it doesn't fall into the bowl. Then you just do what you would do in your diapers, except without the diaper on. Do you get it?"
The toddler unicorn tried to waddle into position as best she could. It was not an easy task given the way the tiled floors felt on her hooves. Yet somehow, she managed. And lifted up her tail just as her father had told her to. "Now what, Daddy?"
"Just get comfortable, Misty. And if you have to do anything, do it," Alphabittle encouraged as he stood off to one side. "I know you can do it! And I'll be right here this whole time if you need help."
So Misty stood there and waited. She wasn't sure if she actually needed to do anything, but for her father's sake she would try. Of course, just standing in one place was not very fun. But it was something her father and other ponies apparently could do without a problem, and she wanted to be just like him. So she stood there and didn't make a fuss. Until finally, she heard a faint hissing sound and heard something tinkling into the trench beneath her. "I... I did it, Daddy!" She cheered!
Alphabittle smiled, showering his daughter with praise! "I knew you could, Misty! See how easy that was? Now you just gotta keep doing that. And remember how that felt."
The unicorn filly happily replied. "Uh-uh, Daddy. I'll always remember."
"And from that onward, you were a pottying pro," Alphabittle told Misty as the flashback ended, the two unicorns now standing alone in the bedroom that had once belonged to Misty as a filly. "Well, as much of a pro as anypony can be. There were still a few mishaps and missteps along the way. But you and I handled them just fine."
"Guess maybe that's why I don't really remember it all that well," Misty commented as she took in the information. "It was so uneventful compared to what my friends all went through."
Alphabittle nodded. "Yeah. One of the benefits of raising Izzy and having to potty train her was that I got to realize how easy I had it with you," He then sighed and lamented. "Which made it all the more difficult when I lost you for what seemed like forever," He shut his eyes, shuddering. "I don't know what would've happened to me if Izzy and I hadn't met when we did and I'd taken her in."
Misty reached a hoof to comfort her father. "It's okay, Dad. It wasn't your fault what happened. And I'm here now."
"I know, Misty. I know," Alphabittle said slowly as he opened his eyes again. "Even so, I never got to see you grow up. And to hear that you had to spend the rest of your childhood and some of your early adult years in the care of somepony who didn't actually care about you at all, it's a lot to process. I only wish I could've gotten my hooves on that Opaline myself, 'cause there's a lot I'd have wanted her to answer for."
"She's gone now, she's never coming back," The unicorn mare with a beautiful blue coat replied. "She thought she could keep me locked away and that somehow that would make me want to be her friend. But she was wrong. She never understood friendship or what it means to be a friend. If she'd really cared about me, she wouldn't have kept me as her prisoner. I get the feeling that she only provided the basics for me because she felt she had to, not because she wanted to."
The bulky stallion sighed. "Yeah. I guess I should be grateful for all of that, not that it excuses anything else she said or did."
Misty blushed. "Well, there was one nice thing she did for me. It was actually right after she found me and basically took me in. And before she did whatever it was she did that made me forget about you, about a time before her."
"Oh, what would that be?" The unicorn stallion questioned.
Misty shut her eyes, recalling a memory long since passed and one that had buried its way deep inside her subconscious.
It hadn't been more than an hour or two since Misty had found herself being forcibly taken in by Opaline. The fire alicorn had been quite insistent on claiming Misty as her own, despite the objections of the child that she had a family she wanted to go back to.
"You're so lucky to have found me, Misty," Opaline said with a sinister smile. "Don't worry, I'll take such good care of you that you'll never want to leave. Then everypony will see just how much I really know about friendship. With a friend of my own, I'll finally prove that Twilight Sparkle wrong."
Misty just whimpered and shook with fright. This strange and tall pony was so scary looking, and her tone of voice did nothing to reassure the frightened child.
The fire alicorn soon led Misty up a winding staircase and opened a door that led to a small, cramped room that had seen better days. "You can stay here. This shall be your bedroom, Misty. And if you ever need anything, you need only to ask of me: The Great and Powerful Opaline. Just know that I can't go outside the confines of my castle too often. I must conserve what little power is available to me. If anything happened to me, you would be on your own again. And we both know you wouldn't last a minute out there."
Still, the frightened filly said nothing.
Opaline snarled, her eyes narrowing and her teeth gritting with rage. "Oh come on! Don't be silent with me! I'm your friend now, Misty! And I can't be a good friend to you if you won't tell me how I can help you! So speak up! How can I make you feel more at home so that we can get to know each other better?!"
The unicorn filly with a still beautiful blue coat whimpered anew, before an all too familiar sensation became known to her. "M-Miss O-Opaline?" She nervously and hesitantly asked, struggling to even look the fire alicorn in the eyes.
"Just Opaline," Opaline corrected. "Now what is it?"
Misty swallowed hard. "I... I have to go potty." And she crossed her back legs in demonstration of this growing urge.
Opaline's eyes nearly went wide! "What?!"
The filly apologized and shrank from Opaline's harsh gaze. "I... I'm sorry. It's just... I'm scared, and... well... you know..."
Sighing and groaning, Opaline approached Misty. "Oh, very well. Come with me, Misty. I do have a bathroom. It's not anything fancy, but it should suffice for you to take care of your bodily need," Yet she then warned in a harsh, unforgiving tone. "And if you dare do anything on my floors, you will be punished severely. Do I make myself clear?!"
"Y-yes, Opaline! I'll... try to hold it!" The unicorn filly promised as she uncrossed her legs and let Opaline take hold of her by the hoof.
The two ponies trotted their way back down the stairs and through the castle, until finally detouring down a dark hallway that appeared to lead to a small, tucked away room in one corner of the castle. Inside, it was possible to see a lone toilet similar to the ones Misty recalled seeing in her home. There was even the flush pedal and the shower-like nozzle for cleaning up.
"Go on! Do what you have to do!" Opaline commanded. "And know that from now, I expect you to be able to take care of your needs yourself. You seem old enough to know how to do this without help."
"Y-yes! I'll be quick! T-thank you!" Misty stammered as she raced into the bathroom and hastily shut the door behind her. It thankfully took her only a minute or so to take care of her urgent need and clean up.
"I only learned about the newer toilets after I started spying for Opaline," Misty explained to her father as her recollection ended. "It was quite a shock the first time I saw one. But I managed to figure it out with only a little bit of trouble. Even Opaline seemed impressed by it, not that it made her change anything about the bathroom in her castle. Still, it's probably the nicest thing she ever did for me, not that that's saying much."
"So I can see." Alphabittle commented, but couldn't bring himself to say anything more.
Misty blushed. "Yeah. It's been kind of weird to think about it all day. But at least now I know."
Alphabittle smiled. "Well, if you ever want to know about or discuss anything else about your past, you can always come back and see me again," He then turned away. "But I think I should get back to the tea room and to my customers. You can stay with me if you'd like. I'm sure your friends will understand."
As tempted as she was by the offer, the unicorn mare insisted. "Thanks, Dad, but I'm probably gonna be going back to Maretime Bay with Izzy."
Alphabittle nodded. "Had a feeling you would say that, Misty," He paused and wiped a lone tear from his eyes. "It's amazing to me how fast time flies. It feels like only yesterday you were born, and I was bringing you home for the first time. And now, look at you. You've grown up so fast."
"Dad, you know I'll always be your filly no matter what," Misty insisted as she trotted over and hugged him. "I'm glad I found out and remembered you. And now that Opaline's gone, hopefully we'll have more time to spend together catching up."
Author's Note
Given that it doesn't seem like Bridlewood has electricity (aside from one or two occasions), it would seem to me that their plumbing fixtures would not be as modern as either Maretime Bay's or Zephyr Height's. And Opaline's castle wouldn't be any different.
