“Mommy?”

“I’m here, Scoots,” came from the bathroom, followed by the sound of rushing water.

Scootaloo flopped back down onto the mattress. She had been in such a comfy doze under her colorful fuzzy blanket, with the sunlight tickling her nose. But then she had heard movement, and Fluttershy’s whereabouts suddenly became top priority.

But Fluttershy was only in the bathroom, doing typical grown up things, like washing up and taking care of her appearance. All grown ups were wont to perform these bathroom rituals in the morning.

Scootaloo sat in her crib and waited. The crib wasn’t particularly large. It wasn’t actually a real crib rather than a bed for fillies and colts, with latticed sides, that could be raised to keep the most unruly sleeper contained. Accordingly, the bars didn’t go very high. A big pony of Scootaloo’s size could have easily climbed over them into freedom.

A big yawn overtook Scootaloo. She rubbed her eyes awake, and stretched out her forelegs, and then she got on all fours and stretched her hind legs, fully stretching her spine down to the tip of her tail, her plastic wrapped butt crinkling up in the air.

“Oh my, isn’t that a pleasant sight,” Fluttershy said, “good morning to you, Scootaloo.”

“Hi, mommy,” Scootaloo said.

Fluttershy lowered the side of the bed. Freedom!

Well, Scootaloo still had to wait until she was lifted out the bed onto the floor. But now, freedom!

“You seem very eager to get going,” Fluttershy said, “Don’t worry. We’ll just grab some breakfast, and then we’ll be off to the bathhouse in no time.”

“Yay,” Scootaloo said, “is it fun there?”

“I’m sure they have comfortable and exciting baths,” Fluttershy said, “But I guess we’ll have to find out. Come, let’s get you dressed for the day so we can get going. I think we’ll just leave the diaper on, since we’re going to get cleaned up later, okay?”

“Okay,” Scootaloo said.

A change wasn’t very urgent anyway, since her diaper was still mostly clean, except for the adorable little saggy bulge between her legs, that betrayed last night’s events.

Scootaloo’s undershirt smelled fresh. Which was good, since they hadn’t brought any spare clothing. Fluttershy left Scootaloo’s panties out this time, since they were mostly pointless anyway, Scootaloo had quite comfortable underwear as it was. Scootaloo stepped into the legs of her pantyhose, and Fluttershy skillfully wiggled the soft wool over her rear, securing the button above the tail. Thankfully, the skirt followed, giving Scootaloo at least a chance of hiding the bulk.

They left their room and went to the, by now pretty lively, kitchen. Many ponies populated the scattered tables, ranging from the most reclusive news readers hiding behind their papers, to the most chatty families storming the breakfast buffet. It gave the otherwise rather ornate hotel a feeling as rustic as the kitchen’s decorations.

There was a tiny table free, but it had only one chair. Next to the chair was a family with a baby seated in a bright plastic high chair.

“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy said, “where did you get the high chair?”

“They’re over in that corner, dear,” the mare said, “Oh, hello there, little goldie.”

“Hello,” Scootaloo said.

“I think there should be one in your size too, darling,” the mare said, “Ooh, be careful … “ Her older child had almost spilled the orange juice.

The small foal was being fed formless brown mush from a small bowl. It looked positively revolting. There was a mess all over the tray, and the unidentifiable matter glistened in the sunlight in a less than appetizing fashion. Scootaloo had no idea how the tiny pony could be squirming and gurgling so happily.

Fluttershy retrieved the larger high chair, and seated Scootaloo in it. Scootaloo just barely fit in the plastic shell, but it was a very tight fit. She couldn’t move at all, and her hind legs were squeezed together snugly. Still, fair enough for taking breakfast, and the personal plastic tray was a big plus too.

“Hmm, I don’t think I’ll be able to lock the safety bar, since you’re sitting on the latch,” Fluttershy said, “but I’m sure you won’t slip out underneath, right?”

“Don’t worry,” Scootaloo said, “I’m on top of it.”

“I know, you’re very proficient at this,” Fluttershy winked, prodding Scootaloo on the nose.

The buffet was the most popular attraction in the room. Ponies were filed in shoulder to shoulder, loading up their trays with freshly served preserved and prepared foods, above and around each other, with only minimal hindrance and blocking. The uncanny efficiency of the process left the cooks hard pressed to keep everything stocked, but Fluttershy had no problem loading up her own tray.

“Baby food?” one of the cooks said.

“Um, yes please, if you have any,” Fluttershy said. How very observant.

“Only freshly made,” the cook said, “Reduced a batch just now, fresh fruit and grasses with lots of nutrients. Here you go.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened at the sight of the tray. The still steaming breads were mouth watering, a selection of rolls mixed with various grains, along with bits of butter and jam. The bread was complemented with fresh juicy fruit and sweet flowers.

And for Scootaloo, a bowl of unidentifiable brown glop.

“Really?” Scootaloo said, “Do I have to eat this? It looks weird.”

“Don’t worry, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, placing the plastic bowl on the tray, “it should taste nice since it’s fresh. Besides, there’s lots of nutrients in there, and you know how healthy nutrients are for you.”

“I guess,” Scootaloo said.

She reluctantly took the plastic spoon in her hoof. The matter wasn’t quite liquid, but almost, dripping from the spoon heavily, but still piling in the bowl. No wonder the baby had made such a mess, this seemed impossible to eat cleanly. Well, no point in putting it off any longer.

The spoon entered Scootaloo’s mouth, and the tastes veritably exploded. Apple, banana, citrus, kiwi, pear, grape, ananas, mulberry, strawberry, it was all there. But grass, wheats, sorrel and plantains separated the tastes and kept them all in check, so none would overpower the others.

“This is delicious,” Scootaloo gasped.

Not one, but two ponies laughed. The mare from the other table had been watching.

“Isn’t this just the best moment for a mom?” she sighed, “My little one had a very similar reaction. Almost makes me wish we could forget about it and try it again for the first time … Ooh honey, be careful.” Her husband had dropped cutlery to the floor.

“Is it really that good?” Fluttershy giggled, “Maybe I should try it too.”

Lacking a better alternative, Scootaloo picked up some baby food and held the spoon in Fluttershy’s direction. Fluttershy leaned over and ate it off the spoon without hesitation.

“Mmh … wow, it does taste good,” Fluttershy said, “These cooks are really working magic back there. Here, I have something for you too in return.”

She offered a small piece of bread with butter on it. Scootaloo knew what she had to do, she leaned forward and ate it out of Fluttershy’s hoof. The warm bread crunched deliciously.

Scootaloo ate a bit more of her baby food, until Fluttershy was ready again with another piece of bread, this time dunked in some jam. It was really neat eating like this, with the entire breakfast splayed out around her, either on her very own little plastic tray, or being held to her muzzle so all she had to do was to open up and enjoy it.

Scootaloo had never known breakfast could be this fun. And she had never known anypony could make breakfast as fun as Fluttershy did.

“Um, Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said quietly, “I’m … I’m sorry … you know, about, um. Yesterday.”

“Hm?” Fluttershy said, “What are you sorry for?”

“You know, uh,” Scootaloo said, “What happened … in the evening. I just wanted to apologize to you, um. I hope I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Oh, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said, “You didn’t do anything wrong. Tell me, did you enjoy what happened yesterday?”

Suddenly, Scootaloo’s cheeks were very hot. “Um, yes …” she said, “ … I enjoyed it. Very much.”

“And I enjoyed it too,” Fluttershy said.

“R-really?” Scootaloo said.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said, “You are a very nice pony, Scoots, and I enjoy being together with you. I think you’re really cute, and you being my little filly only makes it so much better.”

“T-thank you,” Scootaloo said, “mommy.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy said, “If something makes you happy, and everypony involved is happy too, then it’s all right to enjoy it. You don’t have to apologize for being happy, okay?”

“Okay,” Scootaloo said.

Her bowl was already empty, and they finished up what was left on Fluttershy’s tray. Fluttershy was the coolest grown up Scootaloo knew. True, she had friends who were really cool, but that’s just what they were, friends. Fluttershy was something else entirely. She was always calm and collected, and she always knew what to do. If Scootaloo felt unsure about something, Fluttershy was there with an explanation, and she always knew a good way of dealing with things.

Scootaloo hadn’t known grown ups could be like this.

“Can I have some more?” the colt on the other table said.

“Me too,” the stallion said.

The mare rolled her eyes and tried collecting all empty glasses at once. Fluttershy got up and went over to help her. They went to the dispensers together to get a refill.

“What can I say,” the stallion shrugged at Scootaloo’s inquiry, “I like the orange juice here. They’ve got their own supplier of fresh oranges, you can really taste the difference. Heard they got a shipment in yesterday, too.”

The mares returned, and Fluttershy also had two large glasses, one on her place and one on Scootaloo’s tray. The rich yellow juice glowed in the morning light.

Scootaloo waited until Fluttershy was seated, before taking her glass with her hooves. Together they raised their glasses and sipped. The juice was unbelievably ripe, a sour, bitter and sweet mixture taking up the senses. A chilly broadside of liquid, that left no thirst unquenched. The impression was so intense, Scootaloo immediately found herself drinking more.

“Mmh, tastes really good,” Fluttershy said, “I don’t think I’ve ever tasted oranges quite like this before. They’re much sweeter and more tangy than I would have thought.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Scootaloo said, “I guess they must be coming from really far away. Do you think they arrived yesterday with the … with … umm. Oh …”

“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy said, but the particular way Scootaloo squirmed in her highchair already suggested the answer.

“No,” Scootaloo whispered, “it’s just that I, um, I need to. Uh. You know.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Fluttershy whispered, considerately holding a hoof up to her mouth so the others couldn’t hear, “You didn’t even have a chance to do your morning pee yet. Here, I’ll make some room for you.”

Fluttershy took the empty bowl and the glass away from the highchair’s tray.

“You mean, um,” Scootaloo said, and twiddled her hooves nervously, “right here? In this chair?”

“Scootaloo, it’s a plastic high chair for babies,” Fluttershy said, “I’m pretty sure it’s been through worse before.”

That wasn’t exactly what Scootaloo had meant, for her concerns weren’t so much for the chair, as for the pony family happily chattering on not even a few strides away. But Fluttershy’s reasoning was valid, as the highchair’s occupant, Scootaloo was expected to find her morning relief in approximately this fashion. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if the baby in the other highchair had already been through the same ordeal. And if a baby could do it, Scootaloo could do it too.

The decision was expedited by the pressing urge in her full belly. The orange juice really had woken her sleepy body up. Scootaloo relaxed just the tiniest bit, and her body promptly took the chance to release. The sudden warm liquid on her skin made Scootaloo tensen, but she steadied herself against the empty highchair tray.

Scootaloo was still jammed in the tight seat, and her legs were squeezed together snugly around the already voluminous absorbent bulk. Consequently, the whole process took rather long, as Scootaloo basically spluttered her pee all over the insides of her thighs. A rain of hot little droplets dripped down the inner plastic of Scootaloo’s leak guards, before they found some dry fluff to vanish into, or they splashed back onto her skin, and made their way down under her increasingly damp rear.

The relief was pretty nice for a while, but it just took way too long. Scootaloo eventually grew bored with the wait for herself to finish up, so eventually she just kind of stopped paying attention. The rest of the orange juice looked very inviting. She made a grabbing motion towards the glass.

“Do you want your orange juice, Scoots?” Fluttershy giggled, “You’ll have to say it for me.”

“Can I have my orange juice please, mommy?” Scootaloo said.

“Yes you can,” Fluttershy said, giving her the glass.

Awesome! Being a good filly really paid off. Scootaloo drank deep from her prize. The yummy juice tasted even better now that she had made, or was still making, new room in her belly.

The hall had grown less busy in just a few minutes. Everypony seemed to have somewhere to go, even their breakfast was on a schedule. Eventually, Fluttershy cleared off their table and lifted Scootaloo out of her highchair.

“Let’s grab our things and get going, shall we?” Fluttershy said.

“Awesome,” Scootaloo said, hot on her heels, back to the room.

They put on their jackets and Fluttershy tied up Scootaloo’s boots. However, the saddlebags remained here. Instead, Fluttershy pulled out a bunch of diapers from the bag. She also borrowed a pack of baby wipes, as well as a bottle of shower gel, from the bathroom. And she casually carried the stuff on her back, plain for everypony to see.

Scootaloo tried to think of a protest, but they were already out the door. Now, it wasn’t unusual for a pony to carry diapers, but these diapers in particular were of an unusual size, and the only pony in question who matched the size was the filly at Fluttershy’s side. It wouldn’t take much to put two and two together.

They would have to go fast and hope that nopony saw them. They passed through the kitchen again, and the entire family from earlier turned to wave them goodbye. Fluttershy happily waved back. Scootaloo also waved back, because she wanted to behave properly, but she quickly scampered out of the room afterwards.

The lobby was mercifully empty and there was nopony outside, so they could reach the safety of the stroller without further incident. Fluttershy unzipped a side bag and put the shampoo inside, but then she zipped it up again.

The diapers and wipes landed in the tray under the seat. In the open, fully visible tray. Right underneath the seat Scootaloo would be sitting in.

“Do we really have to keep them there?” Scootaloo said.

“Oh,” Fluttershy said, “I just thought we’d put your diapers where we can easily reach them when we need them. I wouldn’t want you to have to wait for any longer than necessary, like when I need to search through zipped bags first. You can tell me if you think it’s a bad idea to keep them there, though.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, it made perfect sense, as Fluttershy’s ideas usually did. Scootaloo wouldn’t want to have Fluttershy rifling through the bags when changing her, and if Scootaloo could do anything to make things easier for Fluttershy, it was worth it.

And it wasn’t just one diaper in the tray, it was a whole bunch. You always take one extra for your foal, since you would probably be needing it. That’s what all the mommy magazines said. Fluttershy had been looking ahead in that regard, and Scootaloo’s (no longer particularly dry) hindquarters were evidence of the fact.

“No, it’s a good idea,” Scootaloo said, “thanks for thinking of me.”

“Of course I’m thinking of you,” Fluttershy said, nuzzling Scootaloo lightly, “I’m your mommy, remember? And besides, your diapers are really pretty. It would be a shame hiding them, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, “it would be a shame to hide them … “ Nice white plastic, cute baby blue decorations, funny little cartoons. What was there not to like?

“That’s what I want to hear,” Fluttershy said, “no more hiding, okay? We’re ponies, and ponies aren’t meant to hide.”

“Okay,” Scootaloo said.

She received another affectionate nuzzle, and was soon secured into the stroller.

It was kind of cool. Being a little foal, having diapers on open display in her stroller wasn’t anything unusual for Scootaloo. And, yeah, the diapers were obviously for her, but ponies wouldn’t care too much. Hopefully.

She could just relax and let Fluttershy take care of things. Fluttershy was looking out for her so sweetly. Fluttershy always knew what’s best. Why not embrace it, and enjoy the ride?

Not more hiding.

Yeah, she’d like that.