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

Characters: [Noi] [Starlight Glimmer] [Sunburst]

Written By: Foal Star

Note: Takes place in Foal Star's age regression AU before the events of 'Rarity's Escape in Manehattan'.

It felt like forever for Starlight when she was forced to spend time as a foal, entirely within the care of Twilight Sparkle. And it was even worse when she was taken to the Crystal Empire by Twilight, ultimately presented to the one pony she'd hoped never to have seen her in such a weak and powerless state: Sunburst.

To say that their first meeting had been awkward would be an understatement. Starlight wished more than anything she could've teleported away, turned invisible, done anything really just to get away. Alas, there was nothing she could do as Sunburst trotted up to her, eyeing her with shock and surprise.

Eeping and blushing, Starlight had forced out. "H-hi, Sunbuwst. Is me, Stawwight Gwimmew. Ya wembew me, wight? We gwew up togethew, befowe ya went away to study magic."

Sunburst had to fight back the urge to giggle. "Oh yeah, I… totally didn't forget about you!" He'd said with a nervous laugh. "I've heard quite a lot about you. Apparently, you were behind an attempted foal pandemic, and you tried to tamper with time too. And now you're back in diapers, I see."

"Y-yeah, but onwy untiw Twiwight says I've weawned my wesson," Starlight had insisted with a pout. "Ten I gonna be awwoed to go back to being a gwown-up. And I pwomised nevew to mess with time twavel ow age spewws evew again."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you look really cute right now," Sunburst had said with a grin. "I've actually read more than a few books on foalcare in my spare time, n-not that I was planning on raising any foals or anything. I was just bored and wanted to read something different. I… don't have a lot of practice, though. So I probably couldn't change your diapers."

At that Starlight had thrown up a hoof and whimpered. "No! Deaw Cewestia, no! I wouwd die of embawassment if ya did tat!"

"Relax, I was only teasing. I'd rather not have to change diapers, it just doesn't sound pleasant," Sunburst had replied. "Still, I'm glad to see you've learned your lesson, Starlight. And I promise, I'll try to do a better job of staying in touch with you from now on. Maybe if I'd have done that sooner, you wouldn't have done the things you tried to do."

So it was of great relief to Starlight Glimmer to not only learn that Sunburst hadn't forgotten her after all (though she suspected he wasn't telling her the whole truth about why he hadn't stayed in touch with her like she'd wanted him to), and that he didn't seem to think any less of her after what she'd done. It was the first good stroke of luck she'd enjoyed since being thwarted and captured.

Eventually, the months spent as a helpless foal passed, and Starlight was overjoyed when Twilight informed her that she could go back to being an adult again.

However, Starlight soon learned that she was not being given free range to do as she pleased. There was a catch. The catch required her to move in with somepony who could be trusted to keep an eye on her, serving as her parole officer more or less. And somepony who could turn Starlight back into a foal if she tried to do anything evil again.

That somepony was none other than Sunburst, who had basically volunteered for the role. And was more than happy to have Starlight move into the Crystal Empire with him. "I'm sure this won't be a permanent arrangement," He told her on the day when she arrived at his house (which was strangely tucked into an isolated corner of the Crystal Empire, hardly the kind of place where somepony who'd attended Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns would be found). "In fact, I already have the perfect idea in mind for how we can help show everypony that you've mended your ways and seen the light."

"And what would that be, Sunburst?" Starlight questioned, confused and fearful of what he might have her do.

Adjusting his glasses, Sunburst explained. "Well, you know how I said I was reading all those books about foalcare?"

The unicorn mare gasped and stepped back! "You're not turning me back into a foal again, Sunburst! I won't let you! I'm never going back to diapers again! NEVER! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

But the robed stallino chuckled, stroking his goatee with a hoof. "Oh Starlight, relax. I never said you were going to be the foal. And I'm not going to be the foal either," He cleared his throat and explained. "I was thinking we could adopt one. There's lots of little ponies in need of a good forever home."

Starlight breathed a much needed sigh of relief and waved a hoof. "You should've said that before you started talking about foal care, Sunburst," Then she added her own stipulation. "But I want to be somepony who's not an actual foal. The only thing worse than being in diapers is changing them."

At that, Sunburst smiled as an idea came to him. "Well then, I think I know just the filly for us to adopt. With that mentality you just displayed, I'm sure you'll be a very big help in helping her out."

A few days later, Sunburst and Starlight officially became the adopted parents of an earth pony filly named Noi. The filly was more than happy to have found her forever home, and seemed not to care at all about the checkered past of her adoptive mother. She didn't even put up a fuss when she was relocated to the Crystal Empire, even though it meant saying goodbye to all the ponies in Ponyville she'd gotten to know.

"Now Noi," Sunburst took the liberty of explaining as he and Starlight brought their adopted daughter home. "I want you to understand something right away: You don't have to call us Mommy and Daddy if you don't want to. We want you to feel comfortable around us, and we don't want you to feel like you're forced into anything."

The filly nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, Mr. Sunburst."

Sunburst smiled, patting his newly adopted daughter on the forehead. "That's a good filly. I'm glad we understand each other. And in time, I hope you'll come to love living in the Crystal Empire as much as I do," Then he turned his attention to a particular detail that was impossible to have overlooked. It was what Noi was wearing on her rump. It was a plain white diaper. Apparently, after the two waves of the foal pandemic, she had become rather opinionated about giving up the padded undergarments. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, Noi, I think it's time we started focusing on something very important. Don't you think so, Starlight?"

Starlight Glimmer firmly nodded. "I highly agree, Sunburst," And she turned her full attention to Noi, scooping up the child with her magic and carrying her to the bathroom. "You need to start using the potty like a big filly. Everypony uses the potty. You can't stay in diapers forever." As if to add emphasis to her point, she proceeded to pull down the filly's diaper.

Noi eyed the toilet and frowned at the great porcelain bowl. "I don't wanna!" She protested as she stuck out her tongue. "I've gone through potty training twice already! I don't wanna go through it a third time!"

Starlight groaned, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Now now, young filly, you know you're gonna have to be potty trained if you ever want to go to school again. I'm sorry you had to go through the whole potty training process twice already because of me. But if you could do it then, you can do it again. You know how this works. There's nothing to be afraid of." She began not so subtly nudging the filly towards the porcelain throne.

The padded filly tried to dig in her hooves in an attempt to prevent herself from being moved. It was of no use, the crystal floors did not respond to her hooves. And of course, she was powerless to fight back against Starlight's magic. All too soon, she was being placed onto the toilet seat once the lid had been raised. And then she just sat there, her legs dangling to either side. "I'm not gonna use the potty and you can't make me!" She growled at the unicorn.

Starlight just trotted up to Noi and nuzzled her on the side. "Oh, we'll just see about that, young lady. I can be very persuasive when I want to be. One way or another, you will be potty trained, no matter how long it takes. Sunburst and I are in agreement on this. You don't have to like it, but that's how it's going to be."

Noi responded by letting out a long, drawn out sigh. But she seemed to apparently become resigned to her fate. "Fine," Then she turned to Starlight and asked. "Could you at least get a book or something to help me pass the time? Please?"

Suspecting nothing, Starlight happily replied. "Of course I can, Noi. Just wait right there, I'll be right back. And if you do do anything while I'm gone, just call for Sunburst." Then she teleported away with a flick of her horn.

Noi grinned as she saw her adoptive mother disappear from sight. Her plan had worked. She then jumped down from the toilet seat and clumsily pulled her diaper back up. She wasn't about to be forced into potty training again if she could help it. And with that belief firmly in mind, she waddled out of the bathroom, intent on giving Starlight the slip.

Starlight Glimmer teleported back into the bathroom about a moment or so later, completely unaware of what had transpired in her absence. Held aloft in the glow of her horn was the book Daring Do and the Sapphire Statue, maybe not the best book to give to a filly like Noi, but she seemed far beyond the stage where Everypony Poops would've sufficed.

"Okay, Noi," Starlight cheerfully called. "Do you want me to read this book to yoi, or-" But her sentence was cut off as she observed what was now an empty bathroom with just a toilet with its lid raised and nothing more. The unicorn mare groaned, realizing what must've happened. "-Oh, that filly! Why must you be so stubborn, Noi?!" She complained. She let her magical hold on the book fail, causing it to fall to the floor with a loud thud.

Frustrated by the filly's defiance, Starlight turned and trotted out of the bathroom, determined to find where her adoptive daughter had disappeared to. With any luck, she could find Noi before she would be presented with a diaper to change (or worse, an "accident" to clean up).

Yet the reformed unicorn needn't have bothered searching at all. Right as she exited the bathroom, she was greeted by the sight of Sunburst nudging Noi back into it. He seemed to be doing so in a far more gentle, yet nonetheless commanding way. "I know you're not a fan of having to do it all over again for the third time, Noi. But potty training doesn't have to be a hassle, it can be fun if you let it."

"How can it be fun? All I do is sit on that big potty for ages. It's so boring." Noi complained.

Sunburst smiled. "Well, not only do you have books to read, but every time you use the potty like you should, Starlight or I will give you a sticker to put on your own little chart. And if you get enough stickers, we'll even let you go without a diaper around the house every now and then. How does that sound?"

"You really mean it, Mr. Sunburst?" Noi asked, sounding hopeful yet hesitant.

The glasses wearing stallion nodded, ushering the filly towards the toilet. "Of course. Now come on, up you go!" He carefully hoisted her up and placed her back upon the toilet seat.

"You're a lot better with foals than Miss. Starlight is, Mr. Sunburst." Noi commented as she sat upon the toilet seat, content for the moment.

"Well, it helps that I'm well read on the subject," Sunburst declared. "And don't worry, Noi. Even if you do regress again somehow, you won't have to go back to diapers. I've also bought a potty just right for foals."

"Then why are you making me use the grown-up one instead?" The filly complained.

Sunburst explained. "Because you're a growing filly, you're old enough not to need some toddler potty. I know you can go potty on the big pony potty like a big girl. So go ahead, get comfortable. You're not getting off the seat until I say you can. And remember, it's okay if you don't have to go. What matters is that you try."

Noi sighed and nodded. "Uh-huh. I understand. Thanks for helping me, Mr. Sunburst," Then she turned to Starlight and added. "And Miss. Starlight, I'm sorry I tricked you."

"Oh, it's alright, I probably should've known better than to try and force the issue," Starlight apologized in reply. "But Sunburst is right, you need to use the same potty all colts and fillies your age use. You're old enough to know how, and big enough not to worry about going down the drain."

"Yeah, I know." Noi replied as she continued to sit on the toilet.

Starlight, for her part, just looked at Sunburst. Potty training Noi had been a little bit difficult so far, but she hoped that she and him as adoptive parents were up to the challenge.