Tags: [Alternative Universe] [Comedy] [Slice of Life]

Characters: [Daybreaker] [Royal Guard] [Princess Luna]

Written By: Foal Star

Note: Takes place within Foal Star's age regression AU, an indirect follow-up to 'The Bathroom Brigade'.

"Here we are, Cannon Feather," Princess Luna spoke in a calm, cooing tone of voice as she held her son close and draped a wing over him. "This is the dream realm: The gateway, or doorway I should say, to other ponies' dreams."

Cannon Feather was amazed and astounded by what he saw! All around him was a vast, floating, starry landscape a whitish-blue in color. He seemed to be standing on nothing, yet he wasn't floating. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before! "Wow! Tis is amazing!" He exclaimed with wide eyed wonder.

Princess Luna nodded. "Indeed it is. I figured you deserve a reward for doing such a good job on your potty training. At this rate, I think you'll surpass Bucket Bridle and Bright Wing. And I hear Bright Wing has already progressed to the pull-ups stage. But if you can go another week without having accidents, I think you'll be ready for that stage too."

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Cannon Feather excitedly exclaimed as he buzzed his wings in excitement!

The night princess smiled, slowly removing the wing draped around her son. "Just make sure not to wander off too far now, Cannon Feather," She cautioned. "It is easy to get lost in the dream realm. And be careful about entering other ponies' dreams. Dreams can be easily manipulated, and doing so can unintended consequences."

Cannon Feather just nodded and gave a small salute. "Uh-huh. I be good, Mama."

Luna nodded back. "Very well, then. Just to be safe, however, I don't want to go into any dream without my permission. And while you needn't worry about having accidents while in the dream realm, dreams can still affect your body. So if you feel like you need to do something in the waking world, let me know so that we can rectify it." Then, lighting up her horn, she brought forth a series of doors that surrounded her on both sides. Such was how she usually accessed dreams, and tonight was no exception.

Cannon Feather, for his part, just stood there and waited for his mother to give him the all clear. He would be a good little pony.

However, as the little colt stood there in silence, he suddenly heard a vaguely familiar sounding voice calling out to him rather softly. "Cannon Feather."

The pegasus looked all around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. He couldn't trace it. "Mommy?" He tried to tug on Princess Luna to get her attention. "Ya hear tat?" But the moon princess was completely absorbed in whatever dream it was that she was currently in, and so she did not acknowledge her son's question at all.

The voice continued to be there, calling out to the regressed royal guard again and again. "Cannon Feather." It softly whispered, almost as if it were begging him to come to it.

Unable to ignore the voice, Cannon Feather reluctantly waddled away from the doors. He wasn't going very far, he would come right back to his mother's side once he knew where the voice was coming from. He just had to make sure everything was safe, that's what a former royal guard like him was supposed to do. So what if he wasn't out of diapers just yet? There was still that royal guard within him that wanted to make sure the princess was safe.

Suddenly, everything seemed to change for the pegasus colt. He no longer found himself inside the dream realm. Instead, he found himself in some place cold, dark, and dusty. In front of him was a door that read "The Chair". Cannon Feather gulped, he was starting to get a very bad feeling inside of him. He could've sworn he'd seen this sort of thing before, but where?

"Come closer, Cannon Feather. Don't be shy." The voice from before encouraged. It sounded as if it was coming from the other side of the door.

Gulping, Cannon Feather trotted towards the door, watching as it rose slowly and dramatically. Light briefly flooded his vision! When it faded, he gasped and nearly jumped back in surprise! He could now see a set of stairs leading up to a giant throne style toilet colored black. Attached to its tank was a large pull chain, and beneath was a set of pipes that were completely see through, leading down to what looked like a dark abyss.

Standing beside the toilet was a pony that seemed to look somewhat like Princess Celestia, but her face was hidden by a veil. And she was ominously holding onto the large pull chain with one hoof, as if ready to yank it down and flush the toilet at a moment's notice. Heck, behind her was a giant plunger, and there was no doubt as to what it was intended to do.

"Come on. Come up here, Cannon Feather. It's your time to go." The veiled mare insisted, her tone of voice sounding more dark ominous than warm and inviting.

The colt quickly began to realize what was happening. He'd had a nightmare like this before. And this time, his mother wasn't here to save him from it. What could he do?

"I said it's your time to go! Now hurry up and get up here!" The veiled mare impatiently insisted! "The chair is waiting for you!"

Suddenly, with a courage he'd never known before, Cannon Feather trotted up the steps to the giant toilet. But he didn't try to climb up on the seat. He just stood there, eyeing the veiled mare as she approached him. "I not gonna go!" He firmly insisted! "Ya not gonna make me!"

The veiled mare furiously stomped a hoof down, pulling the chain close with her magic. "You insolent brat! You don't have a choice in the matter! When I say you have to go, you have to go! This is gonna happen one way or another!"

But the pegasus colt roared in defiance! "No!" He stepped back and shut his eyes, trying to picture something in his mind. As he did so, the surrounding area began to change. When he opened his eyes again, he now found himself not in a cold, dark, dusty place, but in a bathroom that resembled the one he frequently used. There was even the moon-shaped toilet seat, though the toilet itself remained abnormally large. In place of the pull chain, however, was a shiny silver lever.

Then there was a splash, as the veiled mare suddenly found herself floating in the bowl of the monstrous toilet! "Hey, what is the meaning of this?!" She demanded. "Get me out!"

Cannon Feather, for his part, just climbed up onto the toilet seat and eyed the veiled mare. Then he stuck out his tongue. "Ya not the boss of me! I in control! Ya going for a swim! It's time for ya to go!" And then he pressed down the lever after jumping up to grab it.

"Don't you dare push that down!" Daybreaker demanded, but it was too late. With a click, the giant toilet flushed, taking the veiled mare with it on a one way trip down the drain! She screamed and hollered, throwing her hooves about in a vain attempt to escape her fate. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed. In mere seconds, she swirled down the drain and disappeared with a garbled cry of "Glug, glug, glug!". Then the water swirled down the drain and disappeared before returning without its passenger.

Cannon Feather then jumped down from the giant toilet, brushing his hooves off. His mother would be so proud of him. He had thwarted a nightmare all on his own. Now he just had to figure out a way to get back to her.

Yet just as the regressed royal guard was preparing to trot to the bathroom door and exit the dreamscape he'd found himself in, he was surprised to suddenly see a burst of light that opened up a hole in front of him! And then, who should emerge from the hole but a very furious looking pony that seemed like it resembled Princess Celestia if she took on the appearance of Nightmare Moon? "How dare you!" She hissed, shaking herself off as she swished her tail! "You weren't supposed to flush me! I was supposed to flush you, you insolent brat!"

Cannon Feather blinked in surprise. "Who are ya? Ya wook wike Aunt Cewestia. But ya not her."

The alicorn mare hissed and roared. "Who am I?! I'm Daybreaker: The prettier, smarter, better version of Princess Celestia! I am who she would be if she stopped holding back and stopped being nice to everypony. She should rule by force, because she knows best! She thought she could keep me locked up in the dream realm, but as long as she exists so too will I."

The pegasus colt giggled, laughing himself silly. "Ya just a big meanie. A poopy head. Ya bewong down the drain."

"I do not!" Daybreaker protested in a high pitched whine! "You should be fearing me, not making fun of me! Haven't you ever met Nightmare Moon, my no-good, ugly sister?"

Cannon Feather nodded. "Uh-huh. She not very nice eithew. But Mommy made her go bye bye with hewp fwom Aunt Cewestia. Ya the same," Then he smirked as a rather mischievous idea came into his mind. "But I awways wanted a youngew sibwing to pwotect. Ya will do nicely."

Daybreaker squeaked and eeped as she felt her body suddenly shrink, reducing her down to the same size and body weight as Cannon Feather (maybe a little smaller). And now clad around her rump was a diaper that had little suns printed on it to serve as wetness indicators. "H-hey! What have you done to me?!" She exclaimed in the most high pitched, foalish voice imaginable.

The regressed royal guard chuckled. "Ya my whittwe sistew, now. I gotta pwotect ya and hewp ya gwow up," He then took Daybreaker by the hoof. "Ya pwobaby just cwanky cause ya not used to being up late like I am. But is okay, I stiww gonna hewp ya," He led her over to a small, plastic potty that had just materalized. It was a shade of pretty pink and had the words "My Little Potty" printed on it. "Hewe, just have a seat and welax. Oh, and take off ya diapee too." He insisted as he promptly ripped the aforementioned padding off with the greatest of ease.

The regressed Daybreaker groaned as she sat down upon the toddler potty, legs crossed and hooves folded across her chest in a pout. "How long do I have to sit like this?" She complained in an impatient tone of voice.

Cannon Feather just made a tsking motion with his hooves. "Untiw I say ya can get up. Ya gotta sit thewe fow a while, that's what Mommy made me do when I started potty twaining. But now I big enough to use gwown-up potty, just wike Bucket Bwidle and Bwight Wing."

Just then, the bathroom door suddenly swung open. And who should come trotting in but Princess Luna? When the night princess saw the sight that awaited her, she could only smile and bring a hoof up to her face to try to suppress the giggles. "Oh, there you are, Cannon Feather. What did I tell you about wandering off?"

Cannon Feather whimpered and shrunk a bit from his mother's gaze. "Sowwy, Mama. But wook, I made a new fwiend. Her name's Daybweaker. Can she stay with us? Pwease?"

The night princess trotted over, eyeing the regressed alicorn with suspicion. "Ah, so you're Daybreaker. I heard stories about you from my sister, but I didn't assume you were actually real. I imagined you would be… taller."

Daybreaker huffed and snorted. "It was your stupid son that turned me into this. I just wanted to have a little fun with him, but no, he had to go and rain on my parade," She then looked at the alicorn. "Go ahead, do whatever you want with me, I don't care. Anything's better than sitting here. Honestly, I'd be better off down the drain."

But the moon princess shook her head from side to side. "Why would I do that to such a helpless little foal like you?" She then smiled. "I think maybe my sister and I could help you fix that attitude problem of yours. Maybe if you got the chance to grow up in a loving family, you'd see that you don't always have to have your way."

Cannon Feather jumped up and down, excitedly cheering! "Hooray! I get a big sissy!"

Daybreaker, for her part, just groaned. "Oh joy."