Test of Time
By Scribe Feather

✶✶0✶✶

	It had been six weeks since Equestria received a new princess. The new alicorn, Twilight Sparkle was celebrated and cheered for during her stay at Canterlot and her friends were there to support her new role. This new duty as an alicorn princess brought forth so many exciting experiences and responsibilities that the studious Twilight was eager to tackle.

	The first weeks as Equestria's newest alicorn was a hectic and exciting time for Twilight and all her friends. They were constantly invited to royal banquets and balls and celebrations held in Twilight's honor. Overnight, Twilight had achieved this high celebrity status that made every pony in Equestria want to interview her or buy her dinner or even recommend their hoof in marriage.

	Every day was a new experience for the alicorn. With an open and willing mind, Twilight was able to learn more about things she could only dream about. Her friends were always there to help her out and learn along with her. Much like her first days in Ponyville, Twilight learned all over again that the lessons she learned and the experiences she went through was more exciting with friends.

	As time went on, things started to slow down for Twilight and her exhausted friends. Soon everypony got a piece of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Spike had less invitations in the mail to sort through every day. After such a fast moving couple of weeks, Twilight and her friends were able move back to Ponyville, which was a welcome sight for all the homesick ponies.

	At first, nothing seemed to change all that much. Twilight's princess status was typically put on the back burner with all the ponies she personally knew in Ponyville. This allowed the new alicorn to slip back into her role as the bookworm the town knew her as.

	However, as life started to slow down to a tolerable walk, Twilight's busy mind was allowed to dwell on thoughts she never even considered before. She was an alicorn now, a role that never really clicked in her mind until now. She was told she was an alicorn, she could see she was an alicorn, but she never felt it until she returned to her library.

	Being an alicorn came with all the usual perks. Twilight was now a princess like her adored mentor Princess Celestia and her sister-in-law Princess Cadence. This transformation brought new powers as well, which required only minor training for the ever intelligent pony.

	And it was in that moment, quietly sitting at her bedroom window and watching the stars twinkle in the night sky, that reality suddenly hit Princess Twilight Sparkle. Her life was eternal.

	Where some ponies would be ecstatic, happily celebrating their long life with aspirations of pursuits of wealth, knowledge, and fame, Twilight felt different. Instead of a flutter in her stomach, Twilight felt a heavy pit weighing down her heart.

	If she was eternal and never dying...than what would happen to her friends? The thought twisted Twilight's insides and made her a tad bit queasy.

	At first, Twilight tried to cope with the problem. She tried to ignore the problem. She even tried to trade her immortality back so she could have a normal life span like her friends. None of this worked in the end for the intelligent pony. The flutter she once had from the excitement was replaced with a heavy twist of nerves deep inside of her.

	She had to fix this. She just had to.

✶✶1✶✶

	As Luna's moon hung high in the dark blue sky, Ponyville slept soundly and everything was peaceful. All the houses down the streets of the valley town were dark and window blinds were drawn. The only visible light at this time of night could be seen coming from the Golden Oak library.

	The library had long since closed for the day, but still light could be seen shining through the ground floor's lights. Books laid across the floor in small stacks, all organized by a complicated system of subject matter or book title. This long and lengthy arrangement could only properly be be decoded by the one who established it, Twilight Sparkle.

	Twilight sat at her reading desk, next to a curtain drawn window with a nearby candle giving her enough light to read the many books that surrounded her.

	"Twilight?" a thin ribbon of light slipped into the dimly lit room as Spike poked his head in. "Are you still up? It's three in the morning."

	The purple alicorn's head popped up from behind a stack of books that gathered themselves around her reading desk. "Y-yeah...yeah sorry," Twilight rubbed her eyes and let out a tired yawn. Her eyes had heavy, dark bags under them after hours of reading. "I've just been...doing a little reading."

	"You've been 'doing a little reading' ever since we got back from Canterlot," Spike opened the door a little bit more to allow him to slip into the room. A small candle holder that the dragon brought in with him illuminated the room a little bit more. "Is everything alright?"

	"I just...need to figure some stuff out," Twilight started, emitting a heavy yawn. "I have a lot of books to get through."

	Spike came in closer to Twilight's work area, scanning the many books that scattered across the floor around her. "'The Fountain of Youth'?" Spike read one book title out loud before reading others. "'Dimensional Rifts'? 'Starswirl the Bearded's Theory of Time'? Just what kind of project are you working on, Twilight?"

	Twilight let out a heavy sigh, "I'm trying to find a spell that will deage my friends..."

	"But age spells are never permanent," Spike recalled, "they always snap back after a week or so."

	"I know, Spike. I know...I just feel like...in all these books, there's gotta be a pony who found a work around. Some pony who explored the concept from a different angle."

	"What would you do if...you found a spell like that?"

	"An age spell that actually worked? I would be able to rest easy knowing that I wouldn't lose my friends," Twilight mused before looking at Spike with an inquisitive look, "why?"

	Spike didn't respond and instead walked over to the other side of the room. In the dim light the dragon wiggled his claws into the cracks of a loose floorboard, cleverly concealed under an area rug. He pulled out a dust tome and brought it over to Twilight.

	The tome was almost in pristine condition save for the dust that was easily wiped away. It was wrapped in a cool blue paper shell with the words 'Spells for the Mind and Body' outlined in silver foil on the front.	

	The new book was quickly ripped into by the studious pony. She browse the various pages, paraphrasing the large book swiftly. "This is it! This is what I've been looking for!" Twilight exclaimed loudly, hopping in place with a large smile on her face. After her quick celebration, she turned to her dragon assistant who seemed very hesitant about her discovery. "Spike...why did you keep this book hidden?"

	"I-I didn't do it to be mean, honest! It's just..." The baby dragon hesitated, grinding his heel into the ground. "I was worried you might find it and...do something drastic."

	"Spike, I wouldn't do that. Just because I'm an alicorn now doesn't change anything." Twilight comforted the young dragon in a friendly hug. "I'm still just Twilight...and you're still my assistant AND my friend."

	Spike sighed and wore a small smile. "Thanks, Twilight."

✶✶2✶✶

	Twilight took a royal chariot to the Crystal Kingdom the next day, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary. Spike wished her the best of luck and assured her he'd tell her friends where she was heading. However, WHY she was going to the Crystal Kingdom was kept between the two as a secret.

	The journey was long, but much safer in a land no longer under the rule of King Sombra. Twilight and her two royal guard ponies journeyed to the cold north without fault or issue.

	Once in the Crystal Kingdom, Twilight requested audience with Princess Cadence. She thoroughly explained her plans and made sure to include every detail about it. Cadence patiently listened, only occasionally asking questions. Twilight wasn't sure whether or not Cadence would go through with it, but she had to keep her confident front up, doing her best to explain it to the other alicorn.

	"So the spell would turn Shining into an infant?" Cadence finally asked once Twilight gave her the details.

	"Only if he sees himself as one, yes," Twilight stated with a nod of her head. "Some simple hypnosis and maybe an incontinence spell here and there and Shining's self image can be altered."

	"Is the spell reversible?" 

	"Of course," Twilight nodded, "I've done the research and all you would have to do is convince Shining to think of himself as his old self and the spell would revert."

	"As simple as that?"

	"As simple as that," Twilight nodded affirmatively, "I just need your blessing before I continued with my tests."

	Cadence thought it over, taking a long pause to consider her options. She sat there in silent thought for a few agonizing minutes before she let a smirk slip out. "Well, Shining would look kinda cute in a diaper," she started before looking up at Twilight. "Alright, you have my blessing. Just...be careful, will you?"

	"Of course, Cadence," Twilight nodded firmly, "and thank you."

	Cadence embraced Twilight in a deep hug. "I understand what you're going through, Twilight. I know it's hard, but Celestia wouldn't have made you a princess if you couldn't handle it."

	Twilight leaned into the hug, embracing her sister in law in a meaningful hug. And for a few moments the two froze like that, not wanting to let each other go as they got lost in their caring embrace. "I hope I can make her proud," the purple alicorn finally said.

✶✶3✶✶

	The busy Shining Armor was easy to find in the many rooms and halls of the Crystal Kingdom castle. He was where he usually was in the middle of the work week. The stallion was busy in his office with stacks of paperwork on his desk. It was tedious and boring work, but the dutiful pony completed all of it on time and without error. 

	"Knock knock" a voice peeked around the corner, causing Shining Armor to lift his head up from all the paperwork in front of him.

	"Twily!" He exclaimed with perked up ears as his face lit up. The tall, white unicorn swiftly got up from his desk, giving his sister a big hug. "Didn't think you'd be visiting! How ya doing?"

	"FIne, Shiny," Twilight answered, hugging her brother back. "I'm just here on...Princess business."

	"I get it. Private, exclusive stuff that you can't tell your brother about," Shining simply said, assuming he wouldn't be able to get a straight answer from Twilight anyway. "How long ya staying?"

	"Oh...a couple months," Twilight stated, "it's a long term project."

	"Cool cool, well don't forget about your brother while you're off 'princessing' around," Shining smirked as he gave Twilight's head a little rustle before moving past the alicorn.

	Twilight dashed up to Shining's side. "A-actually, I was hoping you could...Show me around?"

	"Well...sure, I can do that." Shining added leading the two down the hall, "but we're hitting the kitchens first. I haven't eaten anything all day."

	"O-oh of course. Yeah. No problem," Twilight scurried off alongside her brother.

	The two entered the royal guard mess hall, a smaller dining area where soldiers were fed between shifts. This large hall was kept separate from general castle complex It was much less extravagant in decor, supplying long cafeteria tables and sturdy bench seats for the hungry ponies. 

	Food was dispensed in a school lunch kind of way, favoring efficiency over delicate cooking. Large metal trays of food were put out on display on long tables against one wall where cooks and soldiers could easily access it. The various foods were swiftly scooped up by hungry soldiers.

	Shining was quick to gather his food, the messy slop looking ever so tantalizing to the stallion. Twilight decided to grab some food as well, won over by the various smells that filled the room. And with their food in tow, the two siblings found a spot among the ranks, sitting at a table among the other soldiers.

	Twilight carefully proceeded with eating, taking her princess like role to heart. This was excellent practice for her to eat like a princess in a public setting. Very few guards noticed how she ate, let alone acknowledged her as royalty in the fast moving room. Much of the soldiers worked quickly to get food in their stomachs within the small time limit they were allotted.

	Shining on the other hand ate more recklessly, adopting the rushed eating style of the ponies around him. He scooped the mushy food into his mouth in a cadenced pattern, swallowing the food shortly before another mouthful met his lips. He ate the bulk of his meals this way out of habit from his military background. Most of today's meal was gone efficiently and quickly with this method. It was rather impressive until a step in the rhythm was missed and he ended up dribbling a glob of food down his chin and onto his chest.

	"Oops!" Twilight quickly responded, levitating a napkin to clean up the food. "You eat like a real toddler, you know that?"

	Shining smirked and rolled his eyes, "oh shut up." He impishly allowed his little sister clean off the little bit of food on his chin.

	"Maybe we should get you a bib," Twilight half joked, using this as an opportunity to gauge her brother's response.

	"Oh I'm sure you'd just LOVE that. Being the big sister and everything," Shining sarcastically responded, giving Twilight's comment a big roll of his eyes. "Maybe you wanna get a high chair as well."

	"So that's a yes on the bib?"

	"You kidding? No! I don't need a bib to eat my food," Shining quickly responded with a hint of blush in his cheeks. He swiftly dropped the subject and returned to the rest of his meal.

	Twilight smirked, returning to her own meal as she mused quietly to herself. This might be easier than she first thought.

✶✶4✶✶

	For the next few weeks, Twilight put her plan into action. Every night before bed she would try and get Shining Armor alone for a short hypnosis session. She took her time whittling down Shining's mental maturity, carefully handling the procedure so the hypnosis would stick. Through her research, Twilight learned successful hypnosis required steadiness and careful progression.

	Shining's nightly routine was punctuated with Twilight casting a 'sleep spell' on him. While hypnotic suggestions were worked into his subconscious, the stallion would wake up every morning refreshed. These were some of the best nights he ever had and he encouraged Twilight to continue, unaware of the lasting effects.

	Gentle waves softly washed up at the white sandy beaches. Big fluffy clouds in one of the bluest skies Shining had ever seen floated above him. The soft dunes of white sanded coastline stretched as far as the eye could see to the left and right of the stallion. And in front of him rested a large blue ocean, almost as blue as the sky. The water was crystal clear and sparkled in the sunlight as the wind kicked up tiny waves in the distance.

	Shining sat there in awe on top of his single beach towel. A warm flutter in his heart filled his body with a fuzzy feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Tranquility flowed through his body like the water that stood in front of him. The water would just barely miss the edge of his towel, darkening the sands at his feet.

	His hooves dug deep into the soggy sands, scooping out a chunk of surprisingly soft earth. He placed the pile back down on the ground, gathering it into a small pile beside his towel. The small pile grew in size and before he knew it, he was in the thick of making an elaborate sand castle. A smile grew on his face as he began.

	He couldn't recall the last time he made a sand castle. It was something he hadn't done since he was a kid. It felt liberating to do it again. He never realized how much he missed doing it. He could recall all those wonderful family trips to the beach, even the far off years where Twilight wasn't born yet. Every trip was punctuated with one of Shiny's famous sand castles, each varying in design.
	
	Shining's current castle was built in a matter of minutes which was surprising since he could remember spending all day on projects that size. He figured it was just his skills he built up over the years.

	With his castle completed, Shining moved down off his beach towel and slip his body onto the cool, wet sands. He wiggled his hooves, letting them sink into the soft, wet sand like puddy. Instead of feeling coarse against his coat, the sand nestled him in it's fine texture.

	The waves would crash in the distance and rush up the sandy incline of the beach, soaking Shining's hooves with it's cool water. In a rhythmic pattern, water would crash, rush up the beach, and then recede like a steady song.

	With a calmed sigh, Shining closed his eyes and took in the sounds of the ocean. The waves continued their rhythmic beat of flushing up to his body and then receding. The water flowed around him ever so gently, warming his lower half with it's gentle current. Shining sighed once again, taking in the creeping warmth that covered his lower body. He could feel his body letting go as he laid upon the soggy sands.

	"Shiny...Shiny!" A voice began to echo in his head and the dreamscape began to fade into black. Reality ever so slowly replaced the sandy beach before snapping into place at the last second. "Shiny, you need to wake up. You wet the bed."

	The last statement caused Shining's eyes to jolt open, his pupils quickly shrinking in the bright morning sunlight. "Wh-what?!"

	The stallion quickly jumped out of bed, his lower half feeling wet and quickly cooled. To his disbelief, a large wet spot now took up his half of the bed. A faint smell of urine came off of the soaked sheets and bedspread.

	"H-how did this happen?!" Shining stared at the large urine stain as if it knew the answer. He was stuck in disbelief. In his mind the stallion began to panic, fidgeting in place as he did. "I-I haven't wet the bed in years!"

	"It's alright, Shiny. It was just a wet night," Cadence was quick to comfort her husband.

	Part of Shining Armor's mind wanted to believe Cadence and was entirely convinced that this morning was just a flook. However, another part of his brain, one a bit unfamiliar to the stallion, worried about the incident. His nervous brain worried about it happening again or what would happen if the other kids at middle school found out. Before he knew it, his eyes were watering up with held back tears.

	"Aww, it's alright, Shiny. Accidents happen." Cadence embraced her husband as little sniffles could be heard escaping the grown stallion's muzzle. "Tell you what, I'll take care of the sheets while you take a quick shower to clean up. Sound good?"

	"O-okay," Shining responded with a little quiver in his voice.

	With ears ducking down, Shining shamefully strolled into the shower, a visible yellow patch on his inner thighs. The urine was quick to wash off with some water, but the embarrassment left over from the situation was still strong on the stallion's regressing mind.

	By the time he cleaned up and dried off, Cadence had the bed stripped of it's sheets, leaving only a large wet spot near its center. The fluffy sheets were balled up in such a way that the stain wouldn't be visible. Shining felt more at ease seeing this, understanding that Cadence cared for him and wouldn't want to embarrass him.

	Suddenly there was a knock on the door, making Shiny cringe in anticipation. Reluctantly he answered, only poking his head out of the room to hide his humiliation. "Oh, Twilight. Y-you're here awfully early."

	"I was uhm, just excited," Twilight fibbed, "I was wondering how my...sleep spell was helping you."

	"O-oh...yeah...that," Shining blushed as he bashfully looked away for a second. He quickly recomposed himself and answer his sister. "Great! They worked great! Slept like a...baby..."

	"Fantastic!" Twilight hopped once with a smile. "Can I come in?"

	"No!" Shining quickly darted out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him and standing there as a barrier. "I-I mean...Cadence is still...asleep so I thought I'd just...you know, grab some breakfast."

	"Great! I'll join you!"

	"O-okay. Sure!" Shining nervously accepted Twilight's offer, leading the two back to the same cafeteria as Twilight's first day there.

	Shining still felt nervous as if Twilight could somehow figure out what happened earlier that morning. However he felt more at ease with Twilight there. Her company kept his nerves at bay.

	Food was eaten much slower today for the stallion. The morning events kept his nerves tense and wound up. His hooves would occasionally shake as anxiety swelled up a little too much between bites. Every now and then he would slip up and fail to open his mouth at the same time his spoon carried a mouthful of food it's way, resulting in some of it slobbering down his chin. He would quietly blush, quickly cleaning himself up before returning to eating.

	"Need some...help?" Twilight quietly nudged into Shining's thoughts.

	"No," he responded with a roll of his eyes, "I don't need a bib."

	"Actually I thought that I could...maybe feed you instead."

	"What?"

	"To make less of a mess."

	"Oh...well I guess...I have been kind of a messy eater lately."

	"Perfect! Open up!"

	Shining placed his spoon down and leaned forward. He allowed Twilight to pick up his spoon with her magic without another word. Instead of putting up a natural defense against such an infantile gesture, he allowed Twilight to feed him. He was surprised that he was so willing to accept it.

	Shining Armor kept his hooves in his lap as he patiently waited for each spoonful of food to be floated to his mouth. He happily accepted the offer, steadily polishing off the last of his meal.

	Other ponies around them found themselves staring at the two as the captain of the guard was spoon fed by his little sister. Shining didn't even notice their stares and Twilight did her best to ignore them.

	The meal went by without a hitch. With Twilight's steady hoof, Shining didn't spill any more food and that in itself made him feel much better.

	Twilight found enjoyment in playing the role of older sibling for once. It was a refreshing change of pace and she thought Shining looked cute opening his mouth to every spoonful she floated his way.

	Shining Armor was well on his way to becoming a real foal.

✶✶5✶✶

	Twilight's regression hypnosis continued every night as Shining's habits appeared younger and younger. Slowly, but surely, Shining began to depend on Twilight and Cadence more and more. He found it more difficult to do basic tasks like eating and bathing, quickly asking Twilight or Cadence for help instead of trying to do it alone. His vocabulary began to shrink as well, replacing long winded words that he picked up as an adult with more 'age appropriate' words that better fit his shrinking mental age.

	Through the regression training, Shining also acquired the habit of sucking on his hoof whenever he became nervous or tense. Cadence would tease the grown stallion by suggesting a pacifier as a better alternative, but Shining Armor was quick to dismiss the thought. However the more and more the suggestion was made, the more Shining began to consider it in the back of his mind.

	Shining's bedwetting continued to happen every night. Their bed sheets were frequently changed and the windows opened to air out the strong urine stink that filled the room every morning. Soon Cadence decided to take the next step, suggesting something that Shining was not one hundred percent sold on at first.

	"Honey, it's nothing to feel less of a stallion about. These things happen." Cadence tried to console her husband, taking the maternal route to convince him.

	"B-but they're diapers." Shining mumbled with a pout.

	"Nighttime undergarments," Cadence corrected.

	"Whatever they're called, I don't need them. I'm a big boy!" Shining fussed, stomping a hoof.

	"It'll be our little secret, honey. No one has to know,"

	Shining huffed as he looked at his wife. His eyes then trailed downwards to a soft plastic box that sat at her feet with the words 'Adult Nighttime Undergarments'. The package was kept plain and boring on the outside, explaining what the product was and how many pairs it contained and nothing else. It was made with the bedwetter in mind, but took great lengths to avoid embarrassing their customer. The diapers themselves were plain white and styled in a way of pull ups.

	"Promise not to tell?" Shining finally muttered, looking up at Cadence with innocent eyes. He was genuinely concerned about the other kids at grade school finding out.

	"I promise, Shiny," Cadence assured, giving the stallion a big hug.

	Shining put his full trust into Cadence, burying his face into the nape of her shoulder as he hugged her. He felt at ease in her arms, loving the security she gave him almost as much as Twilight did.

	"Alright," Cadence finally said after a long and thoughtful hug, "lets go get you in your first diaper."

	"'Nighttime undergarments'," Shining quickly corrected.

	Cadence chuckled, "'nighttime undergarments', of course, Shiny." 

✶✶6✶✶

	Shining's trip down regression road was well on it's way. Night time diapers were now a natural staple of his routine, shortly followed by Twilight's hypnosis to help him sleep. He found comfort in his new diapers, no longer having to worry about a soaked bed when he woke up. Now his morning routine was simplified with only a wet diaper to dispose of.

	Despite his regressing mental age, Shining's old self still clung to some old habits. He still insisted on completing his monthly reports and the stacks of paperwork that generated over time on his desk.

	Shining Armor was back in his office, a place he hadn't been in for weeks now thanks to Twilight's 'therapy'. Piles of paperwork had already piled up high in his inbox, requiring the captain of the guard's attention. With a focuses mind, he began digging into the backlog, an ink filled quill floating by his head as he worked away.

	At first, the stallion worked strong like he always did before Twilight came to town. He would read each paper thoroughly, make the necessary notes or signatures and move it to his outbox in a neat stack. It was a well practiced system that he had been doing for years. It was all rather efficient.

	However, not twenty minutes into his work, Shining Armor found his mind trailing off into daydreams. He would constantly shake himself out of his daze and write in a word or two before his thoughts came back. He was easily distracted, finding the odd water stains on the ceiling more interesting than his boring paperwork. Eventually he put his quill down, looking around for more entertaining things to do in his office.

	He quickly found a box of crayons among the assortment of bits and bobs that gathered dust in his desk drawers. He couldn't quite recall where the crayons came from and just assumed it was leftover from some visiting kid who was kept in that office to stay out of trouble. The colorful box held his attention longer than his office work and as time went on, more and more of his time was spent staring at the fun looking tools.

	Shining pulled out the blue crayon from the box, holding it for a second to examine the curious object. He smiled a tiny bit as he recalled all those drawings he made for his parents when he was a kid. He wondered if he could recreate any of his 'masterpieces' from so long ago.

	The boring paperwork that sat on neat stacks seemed like a worthy candidate for his experiments. With no direction or goal in his creations, Shining began scribbling odd shapes into the paper with his crayon. At first he just used blue, but quickly realized using all the other colors made his art more exciting and fun. Guard shift scheduling and budget read outs were suddenly covered in scribbles of all the colors of the rainbow, making them into abstract works of art. He quickly forgot about all the boring paperwork, his mind focusing on the fun task at hand.

	Amidst his playtime, Shining was suddenly interrupted by the sound of dribbling water. The strange sound caused him to snap out of his creation space to investigate. He then notice an odd warming sensation that floated around his rump. A quick check with his hoof concluded that there was a large puddle of urine around his chair. He suddenly gasped, looking down at his feet with pale cheeks.

	In panic, the grown stallion hopped up from his seat, trailing small drops of urine behind him. He looked at the mess he had made with wide, fearful eyes. His panicked brain scrambled to come up with a solution, but the only thing he could rationally come up with was to find Twilight. She'd be able to fix it.

	Leaving his stacks of crayon scribbles on a desk with a large urine puddle on the floor, Shining Armor dashed out of his office and made a beeline for Twilight's room. He passed a couple ponies on his way through the castle, likely showing off the yellow wet patch that formed around his rump and inner thighs.

	"T-twilight!" Shining called out as Twilight's door was swung open, breaking the quiet atmosphere that waited inside.

	Twilight had a couple books in front of her as she sat at a roomy writing desk. Paper notes and an ink quill floated around her head as she looked up from her studying. "Shining?" She said as she looked over the stallion in front of her. Her big brother looked close to tears as his lips quivered and his legs shook. "What's wrong?"

	"I...I," tears began to well up in Shining's eyes. "I wet myself!" He dashed into the room and laid his head against Twilight. "I-I was just coloring and it just happened! I made such a mess!" Tears streamed down his white cheeks, making them shine with moisture.

	"Hey hey, Shiny. It's alright," Twilight consoled her older brother. "Accidents happen. It's alright..." She patted her crying brother's back as he continued to cry into her neck. She had a calming effect on her quivering brother, turning his pathetic crying into sniffling and whimpers. "There there, no need for crying. You said you were coloring? I thought you were catching up on some paperwork."

	Shining sniffled, "y-yea, b-but the paperwork was so boring and I found crayons...I-I was drawing really good and then..."

	"Then you wet yourself?" Twilight added, causing a little cry to slip out of the embarrassed stallion.

	"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Shiny buried his face into Twilight as he continued to cry.

	"It's alright Shiny. Accidents like that happen all the time at your age."

	"I-I didn't mean to," Shining answered back.

	"I know you didn't, but just to be safe I think we should get you some daytime protection."

	"D-diapers?"

	"Only until you start potty training again. It'll just be a little break away from the normal routine. Nothing to worry about."

	"W-well I...I guess if it's only temporary..."

	"That's the spirit. Why don't you lay down on my bed and I'll get you a pair."

	"Y-you have diapers?"

	"It was...Call it intuition," Twilight fibbed.

	Shining laid himself on Twilight's bed, wiping a few stray tears off his cheeks as Twilight gathered her supplies. He watched intently as she placed a tub of scented wipes, baby powder, and a thick diaper with soft blue stars printed all across it's surface. He remained quiet as Twilight wiped the urine off of his inner thighs, replacing it with a lingering, infantile scent.

	"Then we'll set you down for a nice nap," Twilight added, slipping the thick diaper underneath Shining's lifted legs.
 
	"B-but my paperwork. I-I need to finish-"

	"Shh shh, don't worry about it...Just relax, Shiny," Twilight quietly said as she powdered Shining's crotch.

	Shining Armor willingly accepted the diaper as it was taped securely around his waist. He knew deep down that that's what he needed. He knew he needed it because Twilight said so and he trusted her.

	The grown stallion was put down for a nap shortly after. His crying drained him of energy, leaving him wanting a nap more than ever. With his new diaper crinkling loudly between his legs, Twilight tucked Shining into his bed, kissing his forehead lovingly.

	"Sleep tight, Shiny," Twilight said before turning off the bedroom's main light, leaving the door open just a crack to let the hallway light into the dark room.

	"Nini Twi," Shining mumbled, already half asleep before passing out.

✶✶7✶✶

	Shining did less and less of his usual captain of the guard duties as the treatment progressed. More of these tasks were shuffled to the next in command. As the weeks went by, Shining would spend less of his time checking on guards or filing paperwork and more time doing fun things like coloring and playing with toys.

	He now wore diapers all the time, no matter the occasion or location he was in. He found comfort in the crinkling garments, no longer having to worry about making a mess when he suddenly had an accident without warning.

	Every now and then a curious guard would come knocking on Cadence's and Shining's door, asking for the stallion or requesting his audience. To protect Twilight's experiments, the two mares would lie and make up a story about how Shining was out visiting their parents or was too sick to come to work today.

	Eventually, Twilight and Cadence started running out of excuses and would flat out admit that Shining was getting his diaper changed or too busy playing with his toys to work today. They usually got mixed responses from the guards. A lot of them weren't paid enough to nose too far into their commanding officer's life.

	Twilight saw her hypnosis sessions coming to a close as Shining became more and more like an infant.

	To commemorate Shining's regression into foalhood, Cadence enlisted her best builders to create a nursery for him. The nursery was a secret project that Cadence had in her head ever since Twilight suggested the idea of mentally regression Shining in the first place. Hidden behind a locked door of a room that no one used anymore, the group of builders began bringing life to Cadence's plans. The builders found it a bit odd that she insisted such a project to be kept secret, but they knew better not to ask too many questions about a job.

	After Twilight told her about Shining's public accident and how willing he was to wear the thicker diapers, Cadence decided this would be the best time to reveal the new nursery to the other two.

	The room's walls were painted a pleasing shade of light blue with cartoon animals trotting across it's surface. A changing table sat against the left wall, complete with it's fresh stock of thick, printed diapers and a sky blue diaper pail resting beside it. A tall crib with starry night sheets sat close to the changing table for easy transitioning between the two. The most eye catching object in the room was a large toy chest with piles of toys already piled in front of it found in the center of the room on top of a plush play mat.

	The old Shining Armor would have completely perished the thought or laughed it off like some joke. However, through months of mental training, this new Shining was more susceptible to the inviting colors and sights of the nursery. A big smile grew on his face as his eyes grew wide in awe.

	"Well go on, Shiny," Twilight said with a warm smile, "play with your new toys,"

	Shining's smile grew when he realized that all these fun and colorful toys were his! He didn't need to be told twice and quickly dashed towards the pile of blocks and plushies. With diaper crinkling loudly between his waddling legs, the mentally regressed stallion plopped down in the center. In a matter of seconds he slipped into his own little world of imagination and fun.

	"Wow, I gotta say Twilight. He's really changed for the better," Cadence chuckled, taking a seat in a chair against the left wall.

	"It took a lot of work, but I'm glad he's falling into the role alright," Twilight responded as she took her seat beside Cadence.

	"Do you think he's ready for the spell?" Cadence asked.

	A strong odor wafted past the two mares, cutting off their chatter instantly. Their noses instinctively curled as they turned to look at Shining who still happily played with his back to them. A large, offending lump bulged out the seat of his printed diaper confirming their suspicion.

	"I think he's ready," Twilight commented softly, contently watching Shiny toddle from toy pile to toy pile, stinky diaper sagging profusely between his legs.

	"I bet. Not even putting up a fuss about a stinky diaper," Cadence added, giving Shiny a motherly smile.

	"Probably didn't even notice," Twilight chuckled as she stood up from her seat. "I'll change him and we'll get started, alright?" Cadence nodded in agreement as Twilight stood up from her chair. She walked closer to the diapered stallion, her nose instinctively scrunching up when she got closer to his smelly diaper. "Alright Shiny, time to change your stinky diapee!"

	Shining perked up his ears and turned to face Twilight when he heard his name. It was clear that he didn't understand any of the other words not to mention the squishing texture that pressed against his rump.

	With a little bit of help from the grown stallion, Twilight laid him down on the ground, legs spread out wide like a real toddler getting his diaper changed. Twilight brought the needed diaper changing supplies: wipes, powder, and a fresh diaper. If everything was to go as planned, this would be the last adult diaper she'd have to change for her brother.

	As Shining's legs squirmed and kicked lightly into the air, his messy diaper was changed. Twilight made sure to use a lot of wipes to clean up the mess, replacing it's foul odor with the smell of baby powder. His new diaper was soon slipped on, crinkling loudly between his thighs.

	"Alright Shiny, I'm going to need you to be a good boy and look at your sister," Twilight said as she pulled Shining up to a sitting position, "can you do that for me?" Shining only drooled in response, staring back at Twilight with unfocused eyes as he giggled. "Close enough..."

	Twilight began to concentrate, her horn glowing brightly as she focused her energies into the single spell. For weeks she had been practicing, memorizing the necessary steps in the regression spell. She could recite the procedure backwards and forwards by now. She didn't want to mess this up after all the work put into it.

	The purple alicorn's horn shined brightly as Shining began to glow as well. A bright, blue light began to encompass the grown stallion's body, encasing him in it's sheer luminosity. The spell's blinding light filled the room, causing Shining Armor to shut his eyes tightly. Finally in a single moment, the light disappeared without a trace.

	"Shiny?" A familiar voice echoed inside the stallion's mind. He slowly opened his eyes and instantly recognized the pony in front of her.

	"Twitwi!" his high pitched voice squeaked and then giggled at the funny sounding words.

	"He looks adorable! I can't believe it worked!" Cadence wore a big smile on her face, eyes glued to the adorable foal that squirmed on the ground in front of the two mares. "I always figured I'd turn him back after a day or two of this," Cadence chuckled as she wiggled a hoof in front of the giggling colt. "But maybe caring for this cute little thing in his diapers will be more fun!"

	"It'll be nice being the older sibling for once," Twilight joined in with the laughing.