It was a lovely summer day. Sunny, warm but not hot, and graced by a pleasant breeze. To a certain eight-year-old fox, it was the perfect day to ride his new bike. He peddled around, trying to go as fast as he could. He was even allowed to cross the street so long as he didn't go past the corner. He rode back and forth on his side of the street a few times before crossing. He peddled up a small hill, pretending he was a professional mountain biker. As he crested it, though, he spotted a lion cub sitting on the sidewalk, playing with some toys and chalk. He was coming up fast, but had time to swerve, missing her by inches. He nearly fell over before steadying himself and coming to a stop. He turned to look back and recognized the cub as Tania Frumkin, his neighbor's five-year-old daughter.
The girl looked to him and shouted ``Watch it! You almost hit me and you ruined my chalk drawing!''
Riddy, still rattled and growing angry shouted back, ``Well, you almost made me crash!''
Tania was quick with here response: ``You were going too fast! You need to slow down!''
He walked up to her. ``The sidewalk's for people to move on. You're in the way with all that girly stuff!''
``The sidewalk's for everyone!'' Tania retorted.
``But you're in the way!''
With this he gave her a shove. The lion cub lost her footing, toppling across a small doll house and onto the roots of an old tree stump. There was a crunch of breaking plastic followed by crying.
``Mommy! Mommy!'' Tania shouted. As she turned over, Riddy could see her hand was bleeding.
``I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'' Riddy said, but he knew he wasn't being heard.
To make matters worse, as she tried to sit up, a dark spot began growing on the front of the young lion's overalls, causing her to cry even harder.
Panic and guilt flooded Riddy. He truly had not meant to push her so hard or hurt her. He only wanted to push her onto the grass. But worse still, he knew he was in trouble.
A lioness, Mrs. Frumkin, came out of the nearest house and walked swiftly toward them. Now Riddy was frightened: he had heard rumors that she was a witch. But right now her focus was on her daughter.
"Oh, what happened baby?''
``He pushed me!'' Tania cried, pointing at Riddy.
Riddy began ``I didn't - ''
``Richard Marcus Klein!'' shouted his mother, Liz, who was now storming over ``What happened!?''
``Mom, I - ''
``He pushed me!'' Tania cried again
``Did you?'' Liz asked.
``I'm sorry. I didn't mean...'' Riddy hung his head, ears flattened, on the verge of tears himself.
``You are in big trouble young man!''
Riddy tensed.
Mrs. Frumkin put her hand on Liz's shoulder. ``Come inside with me. We'll talk. He can wait outside.''
Liz turned back to her son. ``You heard her. Wait here while we go inside and don't move an inch!''
Riddy sat on the hellstrip, hugging his knees with his tail curled around his feet. His mother went off to the house with Mrs. Frumkin, who was carrying a still-sobbing Tania. He wasn't sure how long he sat there. Realistically, it was probably a few minutes, but it felt like hours. He truly did feel bad about pushing Tania. He honestly never meant to hurt her but still, he had no excuse. He worried about what punishment the two mothers were concocting. Would he be grounded all summer? Lose his new bike? Have no more dessert until he left for college? He remembered the rumors about Mrs. Frumkin. Would she put a curse on him? Turn him into a slug? He felt about that low right now.
After Riddy had followed this line of thought for a bit, he heard the door open and his mom call him. ``Riddy, you can come in now.'' Her tone was flat, which somehow made it worse than if she had sounded angry, like she was a judge handing down a sentence. And in a sense, she was. He got up and started to trudge toward the house.
``Come on, step lively,'' Liz said.
Riddy quickened his pace to a trot, quickly crossing the fifty feet or so to the door. He entered the house and looked around. The interior was a bit odd. While it had modern features like light fixtures, it otherwise seemed old, decorated something like a medieval cottage. Peering through the hall, he could see herbs hanging on the kitchen wall. It certainly gave off a witchy vibe.
Liz and Mrs. Frumkin stood before him in the foyer, looking at him sternly. Tania half hid behind her mother, a bandage on her left hand and a pair of drawstring shorts in place of her overalls. She looked calm now, but her electric blue eyes still showed that she had been crying. Liz spoke first.
``Now, Riddy, before we discuss your punishment, is there anything you want to say for yourself?''
He looked at the girl ``I-I-I'm so sorry, Tania. I was mad but I didn't mean to push you so hard. I didn't want to hurt you or break your toy. I promise.'' He turned to his mother ``I promise.''
Liz pinched the bridge of her nose. ``I believe you, Riddy, but we still can't excuse you pushing or hitting anyone, especially not younger kids. Now, I was of half a mind to ground you for a month.''
Riddy winced.
``But, Mrs. Frumkin has come up with something more...creative.''
Mrs. Frumkin now took her cue: ``Since you pushed Tania, you should make it up to her. Now, her friend Bonnie is away on vacation, so every day this week you will come over and be Tania's playmate.''
``Leave me here? But she's...'' He looked at Mrs. Frumkin with a bit of fear.
``A witch?'' Liz said. ``I know, honey, I buy potions from her sometimes.''
``What? Is she gonna put a spell on me?''
``We're getting to that,'' Liz said.
``Now, here's the next bit,'' Mrs. Frumkin continued. ``You have to play the games Tania wants, do what she says, and be nice about it.''
``But Tania's a girl and she's into all... girly stuff.''
``Yes, Riddy,'' Mrs. Frumkin explained. ``That's part of the punishment.''
Riddy nodded nervously, realizing there was no way out of this.
``Now here's where the magic comes in. There is a powerful enchantment on Tania's bedroom that lets some of her imagination come to life. Normally, it doesn't affect other people, but I'll be changing it so the magic will work on you.''
``You're gonna let Tania do magic on me? But she's five, and she's gonna be mad at me.''
``Now, listen.'' The lioness knelt and put her hand on his shoulder. ``You are being punished but I don't want you to be scared. There is a lot the magic can do, but I made it safe. It can't do anything to actually hurt you or make any permanent changes, and I can step in if anything goes too far. I also made Tania promise to play nice so long as you do. She will have a lot of say in how your punishment goes, so it is very much in your interest to follow the rules I set forth. So long as you behave yourself, anything the magic does to you will be undone when you leave, so you can spend the evening as normal. If. You. Behave.'' She poked his chest at each word. ``Understand?''
``Yes, ma'am,'' Riddy nodded apprehensively.
``Now,'' the lioness said, ``Let's get this started.'' She presented a polished oval stone with a swirling pattern of translucent white and purple. ``Touch this and you'll be connected to the enchantment on my daughter's room.''
Riddy hesitantly extended his hand and place his palm on the stone. An electrical tingling sensation shot up his arm and through his body, making him feel dizzy for a moment. Afterward, something about his body felt... looser, like it was not longer so firmly held to its shape.
``Alright,'' said Liz, ``unless you need something else from me, I'll leave you to it.''
Mrs Frumkin replied, ``yes. I'll call for you to pick him up around 7:00 or sooner if anything important happens.''
``Alright then, I'll see you this evening. Riddy, be a good playmate.'' And with that, she went out the door.
``Now,'' Mrs. Frumkin turned to Tania. ``Have you decided what you want to play?''
``Yes, mommy!'' the lion cub said cheerfully. ``We're gonna be princesses and have a tea party! I think it will help him learn manners.''
``So girly,'' Riddy muttered.
``That sounds like a great idea!'' Mrs. Frumkin clapped. ``Are you going to dress up?''
Riddy looked at her in disbelief.
``Yes, mommy.'' Tania grinned. ``We're gonna wear pretty dresses and tiaras. And Riddy,'' she turned to him, ``you have to wear one of my pullups.''
``What? A pullup? I'm not going to wear a pullup.''
``Remember the rules.'' Mrs. Frumkin waved a finger. ``You have to do what she says. If she tells you to wear a pullup, then you wear a pullup.''
``Bu-but...'' Riddy turned to Tania. ``Wait, you wear pullups?''
``Only at night'' she said defensively, then more timidly, ``or if I have an accident.'' Once again she became more assertive. ``So if I have to wear one, then so do you!''
``And I think I can trust you with this little secret of Tania's,'' Mrs. Frumkin added, ``since I know for a fact that you wear pullups to bed too.''
``You do?'' Tania tilted her head. ``I thought you were a big kid.''
Riddy hid his face
``That's enough, Tania,'' Mrs. Frumkin cautioned gently.
``Sorry,'' said the girl.
``Now, if that's all, I guess you'd better get to it. Have fun.'' The lioness looked straight at the fox. ``And remember, Riddy, play along and be nice.''
Riddy nodded and began following Tania upstairs.
``I really am sorry, you know.'' Riddy said. ``I'm a bit worried you're gonna be rough on me because you're mad.''
``I won't.'' Tania said. ``That's why we're going to be princesses.'' She switched to a breathy sing-song voice. ``It is the duty of a princess to forgive and show good manners.'' She switched back to her regular voice. ``And I can be a good princess by helping a meanie learn some manners.''
``I'm not - '' Riddy covered his face.
He likely would not have finished that sentence anyway. The young fox was at a loss for words as he entered the pinkest, girliest bedroom he had ever seen. The walls, shelves, bed, and bed curtains were all various shades of pink, save for a few accents and motifs, and the white window frames and doors. A variety of toys and a menagerie of dolls and stuffed animals, some of them quite large, lined the walls.
``Now, first thing's first.'' The little lioness said with an air of superiority ``To be a princess, you must dress the part.''
``I still don't want to dress all girly.''
``I would rather say `pretty,' but whatever you call them, you still have to do what I say.''
``Okay.'' Riddy said ``C-can I at least pick the dress?'' he asked, hoping he could at least opt for something less girly.
``Hmm,'' she put a finger to her chin, ``we can pick together. Maybe you could learn a little fashion that way.''
``Thank you.'' Riddy figured this was the best deal he was going to get.
``Oh, maybe you will learn some manners. Now, I'll go first.'' Tania walked over to a set of doors and opened what seemed to be an impossibly large closet full of dresses. She took a minute to peruse the selection she had before selecting a particular lavender-colored number and taking it over to her bed, where she closed the curtains. Not long after, she emerged, having donned the dress in place of her blouse and shorts. On her head was a silvery tiara studded with plastic gemstones. In her hand was a similarly styled wand made of metallic plastic, with the gemstones in a star at the end. She waved the wand, casting sparkles around herself. She looked very much like a princess from a children's show.
``Now it's your turn.'' She pointed the wand at the closet.
Riddy sighed, ``Okay, let's get this over with.''
Together they looked through the closet. None of the options seemed very appealing, and Tania rejected a couple of the less girly ones Riddy looked at. Finally they settled on a Caribbean blue gown with few ruffles.
``A bit boring maybe, but the color goes with your fur nicely. And now for your pullup.'' She walked over to a dresser and opened a drawer, revealing three bags of DryJams, the same brand he wore, but this was the girls' version. He noticed, to his embarrassment, that they were the same size as his DryJams, too. Perhaps not too surprising; Riddy was a bit small for his age, so he wasn't that much bigger than Tania. The lion cub pulled out a DryJam. It has different shades of purple and pink with motifs of teacups and cookies, fitting for the tea party they were about to have. With a little pride she said ``These are magic so they never run out. I help my mommy that way so she doesn't have to buy more.'' She handed him the Dryjam and said ``now, you know what to do?''
``Yes, Tania.'' Riddy groaned a bit.
``Now that I am in my dress, you will call me Princess Tania, Princess, or Your Highness. And once you are dressed, you will be Princess Riddy.''
``Yes. Sorry, Princess Tania.''
``That's better.''
With that, Riddy went toward the bed and closed the curtain around him. He took off his shirt, shorts, and underwear and put on the pullup and dress; a simple affair. He emerged from the curtain, carrying his old clothes.
``Now, let's get rid of those things.'' Tania grabbed the clothes from him and threw them into the laundry chute. Riddy became concerned about how and when he could get them back.
``And now,'' Tania said, ``the inspection.'' She walked around him saying ``not bad not bad.'' She lifted up his skirt with her wand. ``And good job on the pullup. All good in case of accidents.''
``I'm not gonna have an accident.''
``But still, just in case.'' she teased. ``Now now for the final step...'' Tania pulled another tiara out of a drawer, a bit less ornate than her own. She beckoned Riddy to kneel and placed it on his head. ``Oh, you look pretty!'' she said. ``Go take a look at yourself.''
Riddy went over to one of the several mirrors in the room. He did indeed look pretty, though he would never willingly admit it. In fact, had he not known better, he might not have guessed the figure before him was a boy.
``Now,'' she clapped her hands and proclaimed ``It's time to play!'' in a sing-song voice. Suddenly, several dolls and stuffed animals came to life and said in chorus, ``Hello, Princess Tania!'' Riddy was stunned at the display. The room really was enchanted.
``Hello, my friends!'' She replied. ``I have a special guest today. This is princess Riddy. He was mean to me so now I'm going to teach him how to be a proper princess with manners.''
A few voices came from the crowd:
``Oh my.''
``Mean to Princes Tania?''
``And our first order of business is a tea party!'' Tania proclaimed.
``Yay!'' said the toys in chorus. And they set to work, opening a closet to bring out a table, chairs, a teapot, cups, saucers, and plates. The whole setup was assembled in the middle of the room. Riddy and Tania sat down on the chairs, accompanied by three stuffed animals: a dolphin in a white hat, a red panda in a pink petticoat, and a rabbit wearing a suit and monocle.
``Princess Riddy, let me introduce you to Lady Delfino,'' she gestured to the dolphin, ``Lady Pandora,'' she gestured to the red panda, ``and Sir Loppington,'' she gestured to the rabbit. ``And I believe you all now know Princess Riddy.''
``Hmm, quite,'' said Sir Loppington in an upperclass British accent. ``However I can't help but wonder. How to you mean that this new acquaintance of yours was mean to you? It is nigh incomprehensible that one would show cruelty to our sweet princess.''
``He almost hit me from riding his bike too fast and pushed me down when we argued.'' She showed her bandaged hand. ``So I'm going to help teach him proper manners.''
``How dreadful!'' said Lady Delfino
``How brave!'' said Lady Pandora
``How noble of you not not only extend forgiveness, but offer to elevate the etiquette of this barbarian,'' said Sir Loppington.
``I didn't mean to hurt you. I said I was sorry,'' Riddy protested.
The rabbit shot him a disapproving glare. Riddy held his tongue, even though he felt the plushies were being totally unfair.
``Why thank you, Sir Loppington. I'm just trying to be a good princess.''
``Yes,'' the rabbit said. ``Now let us cease our talk of such unpleasant things and enjoy some delicious tea.
Riddy prepared to spend his time sipping air from empty cups when Tania took the teapot and began pouring a streaming, brown, translucent liquid into the cups. He was shocked for a moment before remembering the enchantment on the room. With all the magic, he didn't know what to expect next. He awkwardly stared at the tea in front of him for a moment.
``Now, Princess Riddy, let me show you the proper way to drink tea. First you pick it up like this and make sure your pinky finger is sticking out.'' She picked up as described. ``Then you blow on it so it isn't too hot.'' Once again she demonstrated. ``And then you take a tiny sip, being careful not to slurp.'' She took a sip, barely making any noise. The plushies followed suit. Riddy tried to do the same, but his grip was shaky due to his inexperience and his frustration of the situation. He spilled a few drops and did end up slurping a bit. The tea tasted something like peppermint candy, but not so overwhelming. In fact it was rather delicious.
``I dare say'' said Lady Delfino. ``certainly unrefined but, not bad for your first time.''
Riddy resisted the urge to give a snappy reply to the backhanded compliment.
They continued sipping tea in this manner. Riddy slowly got better, not that this was something he wanted to get good at. All the while Tania and the plushies made utterly boring conversation about the affairs of the toys around the room, occasionally stopping to critique Riddy's tea sipping.
Riddy was actually disappointed to reach the bottom of his teacup and asked, ``may I have some more tea?''
``And how do was ask properly?'' Tania replied.
``May I have some more tea, please, Princess Tania?''
``That's better. You're already learning.'' She refilled his cup.
Riddy distracted himself from the conversation with drinking the tea, asking for a couple more cups, since its flavor was currently the only pleasant part of this situation. All that tea, however, led to a bit of a problem. A pressure began to build in his bladder. The young fox decided to get up to find the bathroom.
``Princess Riddy, where do you think you're going? You haven't been excused.'' Tania said
``I need to use the bathroom.''
``Oh my'' said Lady Pandora.
``Well,'' said Tania, ``you still can't leave the table without being excused, and you still have to do what I say. This is probably because you had too much tea.''
``I don't need to be excused, I gotta go!''
``Hmmph'' went the lion. ``Since you don't know how to properly excuse yourself to go potty, I have decided that you are not potty trained.'' She waved her wand and faint sparkles traveled in the general direction of Riddy's hips.
``What are you talking about!?'' Riddy exclaimed. ``Of course I'm pot - ''
But Riddy suddenly stopped as the pressure in his bladder disappeared and he began wetting his pullup. It grew warmer, thicker, and heavier.
``What did you just do?!'' Riddy half shouted.
``Like I said, you're not potty trained.''
Lady Pandora added her own commentary; ``It seems you weren't using your potty training properly anyway. And the fact that you now wet your pullups instead of using the toilet like a big girl reflects your lack of refinement.''
``Now that you don't have to go potty any more, you may sit down and finish your tea,'' Tania added.
Riddy sat down, defeated, and rather shocked at, in a way, being referred to as a girl. He gloomily finished his tea, this time not caring about holding the cup properly or avoiding slurping.
``Why, what little manners you had seem to have evaporated,'' commented Mr. Loppington.
``Well you'd be mad too if someone made you pee your pants.''
``Fair point, perhaps. Nonetheless I think it is quite fitting.''
``And what do you know?''
``Now Princess Riddy, that is quite rude!'' interjected Tania.
``Hmf'' was the fox's only response.
Riddy was reluctant to drink more tea, thinking it might lead to another accident, but he still wanted a distraction. He noticed that there was a plate of cookies, which he could have sworn wasn't there a minute ago. He began to reach for one.
``You need to ask permission first.'' Tania waggled a finger.
Riddy huffed and asked, ``May I have a cookie, please?''
``Hmm, maybe. So far you seem more interested in eating and drinking than joining in pleasant conversation.''
``I, uh. Fine, what were we talking about?''
From there, the conversation went on about the inane details of next week's planned wedding between two of the plushies, Miss Roo and Mr. Panda, and whether they should adopt some of the baby dolls. Tania asked Riddy if the wedding should have tulips or daffodils.
``I don't know, both? Ugh, this is so boring!'' He replied
``Now that isn't polite tea talk,'' Tania said
``Well, I don't like tea talk then.''
``I'm gonna tell mommy you're not following the rules and being a good princess!''
Riddy had had enough. ``But I'm not a princess. You shouldn't be able to boss me around or make me do girly stuff: I'm bigger than you and I'm a boy.'' He concluded his remark with a raspberry, eliciting a gasp from the plushies.
``Well you're still being a meanie.'' She waved her wand again. ``Maybe you'd be a better princess if you were littler and a girl like me.''
She pointed the wand at Riddy. A more intense cloud of sparkles enveloped him. Riddy felt a strange sensation, like he was being compressed. His entire body from head to toe to tail felt like wax; like it was being molded by a hundred little hands. His vision swam for a moment. When it cleared, something felt different. He saw the fur on his arms had changed; it was less fluffy and had changed to a pale tan, slightly lighter than Tania's. His tail, swinging behind him, had lost its fluffiness, too, in favor of that same tan fur, except for a tuft of pink right on the tip. He ran to the mirror and saw not a fox, but a lion cub the same age as Tania. His once green eyes were now pink. But he felt something else different too. He didn't just look like a girl. Riddy was a girl.
``What did...'' Riddy stopped. Her voice had changed too, now sounding younger and more feminine. She turned to face Tania, who was now a hair taller than her.
``You were being mean about being a big boy. And after all, boys can't really be princesses. You're also five like me, but since I'm potty trained and you're not, that makes me bigger than you.''
Riddy felt like she couldn't argue here. She really was just a little girl now, wasn't she?
``But but, why did you make me a lion?''
``Sometimes my imagination just does things. But now you can be my little sister!''
``But I'm not your sister.''
``But now you can be! Actually,'' She paused ``There's one more thing. Riddy isn't a girl's name, not good for a princess. You're Princess Rachel now.''
She pointed her wand at Riddy once more, causing her to feel dizzy.
She shook her head. ``My name isn't Rachel; It's Rachel!'' She covered her mouth ``No, wait. I'm Rachel. R-r Ra- Rachel. Why can't I say my name?''
``You mean Riddy? That's not your name, silly. It's Rachel.''
``But...'' Rachel trailed off into silence.
``Now,'' Tania turned to the plushies. ``What do you think?''
``Very fitting.'' said Sir Floppington.
``Excellent,'' said Lady Pandora.
``Princess Rachel herself looks fine,'' said Lady Delfino. ``But might I suggest that blue isn't really her color.
``Oh, you're absolutely right,'' said Tania.
Together with Lady Delphino, Tania went back through the closet and looked through it until they found a ruffled bubblegum pink dress with white lace. Rachel, meanwhile, had returned to looking at herself in the mirror. She was quite captivated by it. Mostly she had trouble processing that the completely transformed figure she saw was actually her. But on one level she was thinking I do look pretty. Rachel had become so preoccupied that she was a bit startled when Tania and Lady Delfino suddenly appeared with the new pink dress.
``Listen, Princess Rachel, we know that's a nice dress you have on, but it doesn't really suit you. We think this one will look better.'' Tania held up the new dress.
``But I don't want to wear that dress. It's too girly.'' Rachel crossed her arms.
``Well, I think this will look better on you, and you really are a girl now. Miss Roo?''
A large kangaroo plush, a good two feet taller than the cubs, hopped over. ``Yes, Princess?''
``Could you help us change Princess Rachel's dress?''
The kangaroo nodded. ``Why, of course.''
``I can change myself,'' Rachel protested.
``Ah ah.'' Said Miss Roo. ``Princess Tania's orders. Now, arms up.''
Reluctantly, Rachel lifted her arms and allowed first the tiara and then the blue dress to be lifted off of her.
``Oh my my,'' Miss Roo said to Rachel. ``You definitely got a soggy pullup. Maybe we should call you Princess Potty Pants.'' Her tone was motherly rather than teasing. Several snickers and whispers came from the dolls along the wall. Rachel blushed and tried to hide her pullup. ``But in all seriousness, you should probably get changed before you put on the new dress. You wouldn't want to leak on it, now would you?''
``Good thinking, Miss Roo.'' Tania said. ``Would you like a fresh pullup, Princess Rachel?''
``Yes, please,'' she replied. At least getting out of the wet pullup was an upside.
``Miss Roo, could you please get one for us?'' Tania said
Miss Roo hopped away and was back seconds later with a new pullup. She was very efficient as she slipped old pullup off of Rachel, gave a her quick cleaning with a wipe, and put the new one on.
``There, now, isn't that better?'' Miss Roo asked
``Yes, thank you, Miss Roo.'' Rachel said. After all that had happened, she was at least relieved to be clean and dry again.
``Now see? Proper manners aren't that hard,'' Tania lectured.
Rachel grumbled a bit internally, but didn't have the energy to argue.
``Would you like some help with her new dress?'' Miss Roo asked.
``Yes, please,'' Tania said graciously.
``Alrighty then. Arms up again, please.''
Rachel obliged and Miss Roo easily slipped the pink dress over her and placed the tiara back on her head.
``And to top things off...'' Miss Roo tied a small pink bow near the end of Rachel's tail. ``Now see, that wasn't so bad was it?'' asked the kangaroo.
``I guess not.'' Rachel said distractedly. She looked at herself in the mirror, taking in her now even girlier appearance with the frilly dress.
``I wonder what we should try next,'' Tania pondered, placing a hand on her chin. ``The tea party didn't really work out. Hmm.''
She didn't think for long before Mrs. Frumkin entered the room. ``Oh Tania, Riddy, it's time for lunch. I thought oh...'' she put her fingertips to her mouth, surprised as she saw two lion cubs. ``And what, may I ask, is going on here? Who's our guest and where is Riddy? Has he been behaving himself?''
Tania padded over to her mother. ``That's Princess Rachel, and no. Riddy wasn't being good at the tea party, so Rachel's my little sister now!''
Mrs. Frumkin still had a slightly shocked expression. She looked back and forth between the two little lions before getting a small, sly smile. ``Well, do you think you and Rachel could come down lunch?''
``Yes, mommy.'' Tania said, twirling her dress.
``And you, Rachel?''
Indeed, Rachel was hungry, something she had not noticed with all the distractions. ``Yes, Mrs. Frumkin.''
``Well come on down then,'' the older lioness said.
Tania went through the door while Mrs. Frumkin waited for Rachel to pass. As Rachel approached she commented ``Don't you look pretty? Oh, and adorable!''
Rachel pouted a bit.
``Oh don't take it like that,'' Mrs. Frumkin said gently. ``If you just go with the flow, maybe this will go by a bit easier for you.''
Rachel exited without saying anything as she pondered her words. She went down the stairs, followed shortly after Mrs. Frumkin, who then ushered the two girls into the kitchen. Rachel was glad to give her eyes a break from all the pink. The walls were off-white, lined with herbs and unpainted wood shelves. Overall it felt rather rustic, save for the stainless steel appliances.
Mrs. Frumkin turned to the girls. ``With this lovely weather, I thought it would be a good idea to have a picnic out in the front yard.''
``Out front?'' Rachel said. ``But people could see us out there. I'd never live it down.''
``Well, you don't really get a say in how you're punished, but I think you'll be fine.'' Mrs. Frumkin replied. She knelt down and put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. ``I would have cast a little illusion so nobody would recognize you, but your little transformation has taken care of that.''
Rachel looked at her reflection in the oven door. She still didn't want to be seen like this, but at least there was some comfort that nobody would ever think that little lion girl was Riddy.
``Now, what kind of sandwiches does everyone want?'' The lioness asked. ``There's tuna, PB&J, and chicken salad.''
``PB&J please!'' Tania said excitedly.
``Chicken salad, I think. I mean please,'' Rachel said.
``Very well. Now, before we head out, does anyone have to go potty?''
``Oh'' said Tania, crossing her legs a bit. ``I have to go. Rachel's fine because she isn't potty trained.''
``Oh, isn't she now?'' Mrs. Frumkin raised an eyebrow as Rachel blushed. ``Well okay, hurry along. You get your big girl panties back if you keep your pullup dry. And remember to wash your hands!''
And with that, Tania ran off.
Mrs. Frumkin looked down at Rachel. ``If you want to talk while we're alone, we can. How is your punishment going?'' She knelt with her eyes level with Rachel's, so close they took up her entire view. ``And to be clear, I want you to answer honestly.''
As Rachel looked deep into those eyes, she felt like she wouldn't be able to lie, even if she wanted to.
Mrs. Frumkin stood up and turned toward the counter to start making the sandwiches. ``So, is there anything you'd like to say.''
Rachel told Mrs. Frumkin about how the playdate had gone so far, describing how Tania had taken away her potty training and transformed her. She found though, that while she could complain, she was unable to omit her own behavior that had led to it, nor otherwise try to skew the story.
``Well, you didn't do as Tania told you, and those are the consequences,'' Mrs. Frumkin said.
``I know I did wrong by pushing Tania. But isn't this a bit much?'' Rachel asked.
``Hmm, perhaps. But you do have a lesson to learn. And like I said, it will go easier if you let yourself play along. You might even find something you like.''
Rachel paused for a bit. ``Tania's hand. Is it okay?''
``It's just a scrape; she'll be fine.''
``Couldn't you have healed it with magic?''
``I could have, but in the long run it's usually better to to let the body heal itself.''
``And did you really have to make her wear a pullup? It was my fault she had an accident.'' Part of Rachel was reluctant to sympathize with Tania, but she did share that embarrassment.
``She has rules to follow too, and besides, that bit wasn't entirely your fault. If she was that close to having an accident, she probably waited too long for a potty break.'' She finished making the sandwiches and placed them in the picnic basket on the counter.
At that moment Tania trotted back into the kitchen and said ``I'm done!''
``And did you wash your hands?'' Mrs. Frumkin asked.
``Yes, mommy.''
``That's my girl.'' Mrs. Frumkin turned to Rachel. ``Now, Rachel, could you be a good girl and carry the basket for me?'' She offered the basket.
``Yes, Mrs. Frumkin.'' She took the basket, reeling a bit internally from being asked to be a good girl. The basket was heavier than she expected, but she wasn't sure if this was due to its actual weight, or to her simply being in a smaller, weaker body.
Together the three lions made their way out the front door. Rachel looked around nervously, but for the moment, nobody was out. Mrs. Frumkin picked a spot on the lawn about halfway between the house and the sidewalk to lay down the picnic blanket. She then asked for the basket and beckoned for the girls to sit down. From the basket she pulled sandwiches, plastic plates, juice boxes, water bottles, and napkins. Rachel accepted her chicken sandwich and a water bottle. The then set about eating.
For a bit, they ate in silence. A coupled neighbors passed by, but seemed to mind their own business. Then Mrs. Frumkin asked, ``So, Tania. How has the playdate gone for you? And remember to be honest.''
Tania chewed her sandwich for a moment as Rachel looked back and forth between them. ``It's been fun having a tea party and playing princess. But Rachel still needs to learn some manners.'' She described the events of the day, much as Rachel had, though perhaps tilting things in her favor.
``Well that seems to be about what Rachel told me.'' Mrs. Frumkin said. ``So, Rachel. I know you've been off to a rough start, but has there been something you liked.''
``Well,'' Rachel hesitated. ``The tea tasted pretty good. But I can't like tea parties because I'm a b-, because I'm supposed to be a boy.''
``Well maybe some good tea is worth it.'' Mrs. Frumkin replied. ``And what about the dresses? Aren't they nice at least?''
``Yeah, I guess they're nice.'' Rachel crossed her arms. ``But they'd be better on someone else.''
``Well I think it looks great on you.'' Mrs. Frumkin replied.
``That's not what I - Oh no!'' Rachel pressed her hands into the front of her dress as she once again started wetting her pullup. Any attempt to stem the flow was futile.
``What's wrong?'' Mrs. Frumkin asked. ``Oh, did you have an accident?''
Rachel nodded and gave a soft ``yeah.''
``Okay, then. Maybe we should change your pullup.'' Mrs. Frumkin took a fresh DryJam out of the basket.
``No!''
``No? You don't want a change?''
``I-I mean, can it wait for a bit until we're inside?''
``Are you sure? You're not going to leak are you?'' Mrs. Frumkin leaned in, once again capturing Rachel's eyes with her own.
Rachel could tell from bedwetting experience that her pullup was wet, but nowhere close to leaking. ``Yes, I'm sure.''
They continued eating and washed down their lunch with water and juice. With the pleasant weather and good food, Rachel mostly forgot about her wet pullup. After they finished they lay on their backs and watched the clouds, seeing different shapes in them. After a few minutes they heard a voice call out from the sidewalk.
``Hi, Alina.''
The three sat up to see a dark blue skunk woman, whom Rachel recognized as Annie from a few houses over.
``Oh, hi Annie,'' Mrs. Frumkin greeted back.
``I just wanted to thank you for that recipe.''
``Oh, it's no problem''
Annie looked to Rachel, who grimaced slightly. ``I know Tania but who's this cutie?''
``Oh this is Rachel.'' Mrs. Frumkin said. ``She's ... visiting.''
``Well hi, Rachel.'' Annie waved.
Rachel blushed and waved back. ``Hi,'' she managed, glad that she had indeed not been recognized.
``So cute,'' Annie said as she continued on her walk.
Soon after Annie left, Mrs. Frumkin announced that it was time to go back inside. Rachel was a bit disappointed to leave the nice weather, but was also apprehensive about what would happen next on the playdate.
``Alright Tania, what's the plan now?'' Mrs. Frumkin asked.
``Um, we're gonna paint our nails and then we're gonna watch a movie!'' Tania grinned.
``Another girly thing?'' Rachel asked, exasperated.
``It'll be fun! And you still have to do what I say.''
``Okay,'' Rachel sighed, ``but can I at least get a fresh pullup first?''
``Maybe after. I really wanna paint our nails and you said you could wait.''
``Right.'' At this point Rachel didn't have the will to fight it at this point, afraid of what else Tania might do to her, and the need to change wasn't urgent.
They went back upstairs to Tania's room. The toys greeted them, but the two girls soon set about the business of painting their nails. Tania decided that their nails should match their dresses, leaving Tania with purple and Rachel with pink. Tania showed her the proper way to apply and dry it. Looking at her now pink nails, Rachel felt like there she had remaining vestiges that hadn't been converted to girlhood. But it seemed such a thing was a forgone conclusion.
``I don't like the way it smells,'' was the only complaint Rachel could muster.
``I don't really like it either,'' Tania said. ``But it's fun anyway. Once these are finished drying we can watch a movie.''
Once that was finished they went over the pink TV in the corner
``It only lets me watch one movie or two hours of regular TV a day, so we have to pick carefully.'' Tania tapped her chin. ``Do you like My Fairy Friend?'' She looked at Rachel expectantly.
This was at least a more favorable turn than others. As Riddy, Rachel had occasionally caught My Fairy Friend on TV. She had been interested, but felt it was against her (then) dignity as a boy to watch it, or be seen watching it even by her parents.
``I haven't seen it, but I'll give it a try,'' was Rachel's response, trying not to betray any real interest.
``Alright, I think you'll like it. It's my favorite!''
With a wave of Tania's wand, no need for a remote or scrolling through a menu, the TV came on and the opening credits began. The two lion cubs sat cross-legged on the floor to watch. The movie opened with the fairies celebrating spring in Fairy Valley when the evil witch Uglina from Gloomy Gorge showed up to steal the magic crystals that helped keep the valley beautiful. As some of the fairies left to find help, they came across three kids: the cat girl Pepper, her little brother Bobby, and her cocker spaniel friend Mina. Together the kids and the fairies faced various challenges, sang songs, and learned lessons. Pepper learned not to dismiss Bobby just because he was younger. Pepper and Mina made up after an earlier argument. Bobby learned to appreciate the beauty of things. Eventually they reached Uglina's lair as she prepared to destroy the crystals, defeating her with fairy dust amplified by the power of friendship. The movie ended with a celebration back in Fairy Valley.
Rachel had been quite captivated by the movie, at some point having laid down on her belly with her chin on her hands. She was actually disappointed that the movie was over.
``Wow, I actually did like that,'' she said as she got up to her knees.
``Isn't it great?'' Tania said with a grin.
``I-I still kinda don't like that I like it since I'm supposed to be a boy.''
``Well why not have this fun while you're a girl then?''
``Y-yeah, maybe you're right.'' Rachel stopped to think, feeling this might be a way to enjoy something she otherwise felt was taboo. ``So, uh, I guess I should ask what we're doing next.''
``I thought we should play house. I'll be the mommy and... I guess you'll be the auntie.'' Tania jumped to her feet.''
Rachel got up a little more hesitantly. ``Um, okay. I guess you'll have to show me.'' At least it wasn't quite as girly as a tea party.
The two walked over to a plastic play house that was tucked into one corner of the room, which Rachel had not seen earlier. Or perhaps it hadn't been there. The inside of the play house, while not enormous, seemed too big to fit inside its exterior walls. It was still relatively simple, consisting of a kitchenette, a small plastic table, and a small crib that held two baby dolls, a tiger and a unicorn. At first glance Rachel thought they were just ordinary, inanimate dolls, but some slight stirring showed that they were actually asleep.
``Okay,'' Tania said. ``I'll figure out what we're going to fix for dinner while you sweep the floor.'' With that, she handed Rachel a colorful, kid-sized broom.
Rachel set about sweeping imaginary dirt out the door of the playhouse while Tania rummaged through the cabinet and refrigerator, taking out some plastic food and dinnerware.
``Is it just going to be plastic food or will it be like the tea party?'' Rachel asked.
``Just the toys,'' Tania said without looking up from her task of pushing plastic sausages and carrots in a pan with a spatula. ``Sometimes it's more fun to just pretend without the magic.''
``Oh, okay.'' Rachel returned to sweeping, internally grumbling that Tania could have just pretended with her, instead of turning her into a girl along with everything else she had done.
Soon Tania announced the food was done, bade Rachel to sit at the table, and served the toy food on a plastic plate. Together they enjoyed the ``meal,'' which could be picked up with magnetic toy cutlery. Tania prompted Rachel to compliment the food, which Rachel said was delicious.
They hadn't been ``eating'' for long when the sound of fussing came from the crib.
``Oh, the babies are waking up. They must be hungry. Let's get them up. You'll take Lily,'' she gestured to the tiger, ``and I'll take Moonbeam.''
She picked up the unicorn under the arms, prompting a giggle, and put her in one of two little high chairs that Rachel was sure hadn't been there before. The tiger, on the other hand, continued to fuss and pout while Rachel picked her up. Tania bought out little spoons and fake jars of baby food, handing one set to Rachel. She then opened the jar, took a scoop of air, and stuck it in Moonbeam's mouth. Moonbeam swallowed and said ``That's yummy, mommy.''
``Awe, thanks, Moonbeam.''
Rachel tried to follow suit, but Lily pouted and turned her head.
``Come on, don't you wanna grow up to be a big strong tiger?'' Rachel prompted, hardly believing she was playing into it.
``No!'' snapped the tiger.
``Here comes the airplane.'' Rachel waved the spoon around a bit, making plane noises, but the Tiger's reaction was much the same.
``No aiwpwane!''
Rachel decided to change tactics. ``Well, if you don't want any, I'll have it.'' She pretended to take a bite. ``Mmm, that's good!''
``No, wait. Gimme! Gimme!''
``Okay, here goes.'' She stuck the spoon in Lily's mouth.
``Yummy!'' The tiger gave a smile, prompting one from Rachel in return.
After a few more rounds of feeding, the dolls started to squirm a bit.
``What's wrong?'' Rachel asked.
``They're done eating, so next they'll need to be burped and changed,'' Tania explained
``Changed?''
``Don't worry. They're only wet and it's not real pee pee. I don't want it to be icky.''
``Oh okay.'' Though Rachel still was not so keen on performing a diaper change.
Tania demonstrated with Moonbeam how to hold her and gently pat her back, prompting a little burp.
Rachel did the same with Lily. Just as she accomplished this, she realized she was having an accident of her own. She gently put Lily down and said ``uh oh.'' The pullup, already wet, became quite soaked, and Rachel could even feel the weight of it. ``Hold on, time out. I need to change my pullup.'' She exited the toy house.
``Hey, wait,'' Tania called after her. ``We need to change the babies first.''
Rachel didn't respond, walking over to the drawer where Tania's DryJams were.
``And those are my pullups, you need my permission to take them.''
``But I need to change!'' Rachel protested. ``I'm soaked!''
``Well the babies get to go first! You can't get a change until it's your turn.'' Tania huffed, waving her wand.
``Ugh.'' Rachel said and reached to undo her pullup. But she found she couldn't get a grip, like an invisible barrier was blocking her fingers. ``Come on, let me change!''
``Babies first!''
``Alright then!'' Rachel stormed back to the toy house.
Inside, the dolls had already been laid down on changing mats, their diapers exposed. A pack of diapers lay off to the side.
``I'll show you how to do it.'' She reached for the tapes on Moonbeam's diaper. She set her wand down on the floor to have both hands free.
Rachel decided to seize the opportunity; she quickly reached down and grabbed the wand, pointing it at Tania. ``Alright, I'm tired of this. Let me change. A-and while you're at it make me big again!''
Tania stood up and put her hands on her hips. ``Or what?''
``O-or I'll turn you into a toad!''
``You dum-dum. The magic is in the room, and it only works for me. The wand is just for fun.''
Rachel felt her ears flatten as she dropped the wand. ``Now, wait. I was just, uh, joking!''
``No you weren't.'' Tania stepped forward and picked up the wand. ``But since you want your diaper changed so badly, maybe you should be one of the babies, too.'' She tapped Rachel with the wand.
Rachel felt the same pressure as before, and once again her vision swam. As it started to clear, she lost her balance and fell on her rear end, feeling the squish of her wet pullup. She looked up at Tania, who now seemed much bigger. She looked down at her hands, which were now much stubbier than before.
``Oh no.'' she said.
``Miss Roo,'' Tania called.
A few seconds later the stuffed kangaroo poked her head in the window. ``Yes, Tania? Oh!'' She looked at Rachel in surprise.
``Could you please give this baby a diaper change?'' Tania pointed to Rachel. ``And then put her in time out. And maybe give her a binky and some mittens. She's in big trouble and I'm gonna tell mommy.''
``Yes, of course.''
``Diap - '' Rachel began.
Tania gave a quick ``thank you'' and ran off.
Miss Roo entered the play house, her eyes on Rachel. ``Well you can't seem to stay out of trouble.'' She glanced at the two dolls. ``Oh, Mr. Panda?'' she called.
A few seconds later a large panda plush in a porkpie hat and tie stepped into the toy house. ``Yes, my love?''
``But - '' Rachel tried to interject.
``Would you finish up changing these two while I tend to Rachel here?'' She gestured to Moonbeam and Lily.
``Yes, of course.'' He gave Miss Roo a peck on the cheek.
``Now, let's get you get you taken care of.'' Miss Roo pulled a changing mat, diaper, and wipes from her pouch, making Rachel lay down in the mat.
``Can't I just get another puwwup? I'm not a baby,'' Rachel protested.
``You look like one to me, about two years old I reckon. I don't think you're big enough for pullups.'' She pulled up Rachel's dress, and undid her tapes.
Wait, tapes? Rachel watched as Miss Roo balled up not a pullup, but a diaper. Rachel covered her face. ``Oh no.'' She still didn't look as she felt Miss Roo wipe her clean, slide a fresh diaper under her rear, and tape it in place.
``Now there you go. A nice clean diaper for the baby girl.'' She gave Rachel a pat on the rear, letting her feel the puffiness.
``But I'm not - ''
Before Rachel could finish, Miss Roo had stuck a pacifier in her mouth, which Rachel reflexively suckled. ``I think Tania will want you to keep that in. And one more thing.'' She pulled a pair of pink mittens from her pouch and put them on Rachel's hands. ``Up up.'' She helped Rachel to her feet. ``Now, to timeout with you.''
She led Rachel by the hand out of the toy house. The twice-regressed lion cub found that her legs were now a bit wobbly, but she was still perfectly capable of walking. They walked over to a small stool near the wall, where Miss Roo made Rachel sit.
``Now, you had better stay there until Tania gets back with her mother. I don't think you want to dig yourself in any deeper.''
The kangaroo sat against the wall, a few feet away. Rachel sat on the stool in silence, arms crossed, drumming her fingers and occasionally sucking on the pacifier. The minutes stretched out, as they had earlier after Riddy pushed Tania.
The door opened and mother and daughter entered the room. Both looked angry, though perhaps there was a bit of smugness on Tania's face.
``You seemed to be doing well there for a bit, but it looks like you aren't quite learning your lesson,'' Mrs. Frumkin said as she crossed the room.
Rachel moved to take the pacifier out, but Mrs. Frumkin pressed it in with a finger.
``You might want to think before you say something you'll regret. You may speak when I'm finished. Understand?''
Rachel nodded.
``I thought there might be a couple protests from you if you didn't want to go along with Tania's games, but I truly cannot tolerate you threatening to curse my daughter, even if it would never have worked. While I think reducing you to a toddler is fitting for that immature outburst of yours, I will still be calling your parents to discuss additional punishment. You'll be facing consequences regardless, but,'' she raised a finger, ``you can still earn some leniency if you are a perfect little angel for the rest of your visit. You got that?''
Rachel nodded again and paused, waiting to see if Mrs. Frumkin was finished.
``Now, mind explaining why you did this?'' She looked into deep into Rachel's eyes.
Rachel pulled out the pacifier. ``Tania wouldn't wet me change my puwwup. It was weawwy soaked.''
``From what Tania says, she just wanted to change the dollies first. You couldn't have waited a couple minutes?''
Rachel turned away, pouting.
``Well?''
``I guess I could've.''
``Now, is there something you'd like to say to Tania?''
Rachel looked to Tania. ``I'm sowwy I tried to cuwse you, Tania. It won't happen again.''
``It had better not.'' Tania said.
``Now that's better,'' Mrs. Frumkin said. ``If you act more like this then you might be worthy of being a big girl again.'' And with that she got up and left.
Rachel looked to Tania once again. ``So, what now?''
``You're just gonna be my baby sister now.'' She walked up to Rachel. ``And the first rule is good babies need their binkies and can't take them out.'' She pressed the pacifier back into Rachel's mouth. ``The second rule is that babies can't talk like big kids. And the third is that babies don't ask for diaper changes.'' She tapped Rachel with the wand, causing a momentary dizziness.
Rachel whined, but didn't feel like there was anything she could say.
``Now, let's get the playpen out so you can play with the dollies!'' Tania proclaimed to the room.
``Alrighty!'' said Miss Roo.
She and Mr. Panda pulled a collapsible playpen out from behind the play house. Not unlike the toy house itself, the play pen unfolded to a size that seemed impossible, given how small it was when collapsed. Already it had several toys inside that were clearly meant for babies or toddlers.
``And now let's get them in.'' Tania declared.
Miss Roo lifted Rachel up under the arms, something that hadn't happened since she was a little boy, and set her down in the playpen. Soon after, Moonbeam and Lily were deposited in by Tania and Mr. Panda respectively.
Lily pointed at Rachel and said, ``New baby!''
Rachel wanted to remove the pacifier and say something in protest, but found she couldn't spit it out or bring her hand up to pull it out. She suckled it anxiously. With nothing else left to do, she turned her attention to the toys. They included a bead maze, a shape sorting ball, blocks, stacking rings, and some very simple wooden puzzles. She sat down next to the bead maze and preoccupied herself with that, while the plushies took to other toys. As she pushed the beads around, a task made harder by her mittens and clumsy toddler hands, she tried to distract herself from her current predicament, imagining the beads as a sort of elevated train in a futuristic high-tech city. But her hours spent as a girl, perhaps not helped by watching that movie, brought about other images. She imagined the beads as fairies, like the one scene in the movie where they skated along vines.
She shook her head and crawled over to the blocks. After arranging a few to say "cars," she was relieved, at least, that she could still spell despite her physical age. She tried a few words of increasing length to try for some semblance of still feeling big. But an attempt to spell ``Riddy'' still somehow came out as ``Rachel.'' She stared at this result pondering how this was possible: she was sure she had picked the right letters.
Rachel didn't have very long to think about this, though. She felt a pressure in her gut and, on reflex, began to push a mess into the back of her diaper. She knelt there, unable to stop until the whole thing was finished. She began to whine a bit.
``What's wrong, Rachel?'' Tania asked from outside the playpen. ``Are you hurt?''
Rachel shook her head.
``Do you need a diaper change?
She tried to nod, but ended up shaking her head.
``What's the problem then?''
Rachel finally managed a to get some words around the pacifier, though not quite as she meant to: ``I went poopy.''
``Dat's icky,'' said Moonbeam. ``We don't go poopy in our diapees.''
``I thought you said you didn't need a change? Are you okay just playing in a poopy diaper?
Rachel could only whine in response.
``Well I guess you are a baby if you're okay playing like that. I'll let you finish stacking your blocks."
Rachel knelt and tried to stack the blocks into a simple, two-dimensional pyramid. But once again her reduced dexterity, now combined with being distracted by the state of her diaper, made the task harder. She knocked the pyramid down several times. As anxiety and frustration from her repeated failures, she suckled her pacifier. This actually helped to calm her down, and the task suddenly seemed simpler. It was only stacking blocks after all, nothing to get upset about. After one more attempt, she managed to finish the pyramid.
``Iss dun!'' She said as she stood up. She felt the weight in the back of her diaper and remembered why she had been upset. How could she have forgotten something like that? She began to whine again.
``You still upset about something, little Rachel?'' Tania asked. ``Oh, Miss Roo.''
The kangaroo hopped over to the playpen. ``Yes, Tania?''
``Can you see what's wrong with the baby here?''
Miss Roo sniffed the air. ``Oh, I think I know. Smells like someone needs a diaper change! Come here, Rachel.''
Without hesitation, Rachel waddled over to Miss Roo, who lifted her out of the playpen and laid her down on a changing mat. The set of wipes and another diaper came out of Miss Roo's pouch. Rachel kept her eyes closed as the change commenced. This one, understandably, required more wiping. Despite the rather gross task, Miss Roo hummed contentedly as if she changed messy diapers every day.
``And of course a nice new diaper `cause this little cub definitely needs them'' Miss Roo said in a sing-song voice, as she secured the new diaper in place. ``Okie dokie,'' she chanted as she helped Rachel into a sitting position.
Rachel sat there a moment, looking at her diaper. She really did feel, in this moment, that she was a helpless baby. Having to process this, after everything else that had happened, she didn't realize how tired she had become. She let out a stretch and a yawn.
``Oh, looks like it might be nap time for this little girl.'' Miss Roo turned to Tania. ``I know she's her to be your playmate, but I do think I should put her down for a nap.''
``Yeah, alright,'' Tania said, giving her own small yawn. ``I could use a break, too.''
Miss Roo walked Rachel over to the play house. The crib inside was now normal-sized.
``Cwib?'' Rachel muttered around the pacifier, a weak attempt at a protest. But she was too tired to make any real effort to object.
Miss Roo removed Rachel's dress and tail bow and had her step into some one-piece pajamas made of light fabric, then zipped up the back. She lifted the bars on the crib, placed Rachel down on the mattress, and closed the bars. She said something, but Rachel could not make it out as she was already falling asleep.
Rachel woke up feeling quite rested, vaguely recalling dreams about living the life of a toddler. For a moment she hoped that the events of the day had been also been a dream. Then she saw the bars. She stood up in the crib, but saw no way of opening the bars so she could get out. She didn't know how long she had been asleep. She could see a glimpse of the real window through the window of the playhouse. From the golden tint to the light, it seemed to be late afternoon. She wasn't sure what she should do, since there was nobody around that she could see, and she couldn't get out of the crib on her own. She considered calling out, but felt she could do with a moment of solitude. She sat down and suckled the pacifier as she looked over her babyish pajamas. An observer would be able to tell she was wearing a diaper. It seemed to be a bit wet as well, which must have happened in her sleep. But this much, at least, she was used to, being a bedwetter even under normal circumstances.
Eventually, Rachel heard the door to the bedroom door open. Mrs. Frumkin entered the playhouse with Tania at her side.
``Hi there, Rachel. Did you have a nice nap?''
Rachel nodded shyly.
``Well, it's time for dinner. So let's get you downstairs.''
Mrs. Frumkin stooped down to enter the play house and opened the bars on the crib before lifting Rachel out.
``Oh Tania, I think she should get her into something other than Pjs.''
``Okay, mommy. Miss Roo?''
The kangaroo hopped over. ``Yes Tania?
``Do you think you could find something pretty for little Rachel to wear to dinner?''
``Yes, of course.'' She hopped away and returned about half a minute later with a pink tutu. ``How is this?''
``Oh, it's perfect.'' Tania cheered. ``What do you think, Rachel?''
``M'kay'' Rachel nodded in acceptance.
At this point she was unwilling to challenge Tania, since it had only gotten her into more trouble, and she was hoping for some leniency in whatever additional punishment Mrs. Frumkin had planned.
``Alrighty then.'' Miss Roo unzipped Rachel's pajamas and gave her a quick diaper check, earning a blush. ``Hmm, a bit wet, but no need for a change quite yet. Arms up please.''
Rachel complied, and Miss Roo slipped the tutu onto her. The tutu fanned out a bit, and was short enough that it didn't completely cover her diaper.
``Well, don't you look fancy.'' Mrs. Frumkin bent down, hands on her knees to look at Rachel. ``Now, let's head down to dinner.''
She picked Rachel up and carried her out of the room on her hip. Rachel whined slightly at being carried in such a childish way. But as they descended the stairs, she was somewhat glad she did not have to handle the steps with her now stubbier legs.
They arrived in the kitchen, where Mrs. Frumkin placed Tania in a high chair and put a bib on her while Tania took her seat at the table.
``I think we'll get this out of the way for num nums.'' Mrs. Frumkin popped the pacifier out of Rachel's mouth.
``What's fo' dinnew?'' Rachel asked. She moved her tongue around inside her mouth. Apparently removing the pacifier did not improve her speech much.
``Oh, I ordered a pizza,'' Mrs. Frumkin replied, ``but you won't be having any on account of your behavior.'' She placed a three jars of baby food on the table. ``You'll have this instead.''
Rachel looked at the jars with a bit of disgust. ``Do I have'ta eat dat?''
``Yes, you do. If you behave yourself tomorrow, then you can have something tastier. I'll get Tania served now and then I'll feed you.''
She pulled the pizza box out of an insulated bag and opened it. The tempting smell of cheese, pepperoni, and sausage hit Rachel's nose. Mrs. Frumkin served a slice to Tania.
``I want two slices,'' Tania protested.
``Let's see how you do with one.'' Mrs. Frumkin replied. Then she moved toward Rachel.
Rachel looked longingly at the pizza, then turned apprehensively to the baby food.
Mrs. Frumkin unscrewed the lid off one of the jars, and Rachel caught the scent of peas.
``Alrighty then, let's get you fed.'' She dipped a spoon in the jar and moved it toward Rachel's mouth.
``I can feed mysewf.'' Rachel turned her head away.
``Well, you can get that privilege back, if you behave yourself. If you want this to be over quickly, you should cooperate.''
``Otay. Wet's get dis ova wif.'' She opened her mouth. And let Mrs. Frumkin insert the spoon.
She grimaced slightly. The mashed peas did not taste pleasant. Not awful, but not good either.
``That wasn't so bad, now was it?''
``I guess not,'' Rachel said weakly.
``Here we go again.'' Mrs. Frumkin had the spoon ready.
Rachel once again accepted it. This continued for a bit, switching to carrots and then chicken after the peas were finished. Those were a mild improvement. This was interrupted only by Mrs. Frumkin wiping Rachel's mouth with a napkin and getting Tania a second, smaller slice of pizza. Not soon enough it was over.
``Alright Tania, are you ready for ice cream?''
``Yes, mommy!''
Mrs. Frumkin served her a couple scoops.
``And what do we say?''
``Thank you, mommy.''
Rachel muttered ``ice cweam.'' But she figured she didn't have a chance the way things were going.
Mrs. Frumkin noticed her looking longingly at the ice cream. ``Yes, I know you want some. You can have ice cream tomorrow if you're good.''
``I undastand.'' Rachel nodded.
``Now,'' Mrs. Frumkin looked at the clock on the wall. ``I think it's about time I called your parents to give them an update. Then we can make arrangements for you to go home.''
Rachel hesitated. ``Otay.'' She paused again. ``Was I good enough to get dat leenee-, leen-... fo' it not to be as bad?''
``Hmm, I think so. I'll go over the details when I get back.'' And with that she left the room.
Rachel could hear Mrs. Frumkin pick up the phone and start talking a couple rooms away, but couldn't quite make out what was being said over the hum of the refrigerator. Tania, meanwhile finished her ice cream.
``I had fun today, even though you didn't always behave.'' Tania gave a casual smile.
``Hmf.''
``I think tomorrow you should be my baby sister the whole time.''
``Can't I be big?'' Rachel pleaded.
``Maybe the next day if you're good. You have to earn being a big girl.''
``I-I'ww be good den.''
``Yay! Tomorrow I think could be even more magical.''
Before Rachel could ask what this meant, Mrs. Frumkin called from the next room. ``Tania, could you come here a minute?''
``I'll be right there, mommy.'' She got up and trotted out of the kitchen.
Rachel sat there alone for a bit, pondering what the next day, and her additional punishment would bring. She heard a whispered conversation between Tania and Mrs. Frumkin, and the sound of Tania running upstairs, and then back down a short time after. A few more minutes passed and mother and daughter returned, with Mrs. Frumkin holding a large teddy bear and a diaper bag.
``Now, let's get this started.'' She set the diaper bag and the teddy bear down on the floor. The bear remained standing on its own legs. Mrs. Frumkin then removed Rachel's bib and set her standing on the floor. Then she removed the tutu, leaving her standing there in just a diaper.
``Looks like she could use a change,'' said the teddy bear in a voice that sounded like a kid in a cartoon.
``Good idea, Wuzzy. Might as well start off clean.''
Wuzzy pulled a diaper and wipes from the bag and bade Rachel to lay down. He changed her diaper, saying to her. ``There, isn't that better being in a fresh, clean diaper?''
Rachel didn't answer. On Mrs. Frumkin's prompting, she stood back up.
``Now, hold out your hand,'' the lioness instructed.
Tania presented her hand, and Mrs. Frumkin wrapped a string of shiny stone beads around it. The stones glowed blue, and Rachel felt a familiar, massaging pressure, only this time coming from within, pushing outward. Her vision swam again. When it returned and the pressure faded, she found that she was back at her normal height. Looking herself over, she could see she was a fox again, with the familiar orange fur and fluffy tail. But she realized she wasn't fully back to normal.
``I think, you already have some idea of what your additional punishment will entail. Instead of everything being undone at the end of the day, as agreed earlier, every night this week you will remain a girl named Rachel when you go home. And you will not be given back your potty training.''
``But-''
``Ah-ah!'' Mrs. Frumkin cautioned. ``And you will wear the clothes and diapers provided from this bag. Try to wear anything else, and an enchantment will bring some... further consequences.''
``Where's the lenient part, then?'' Rachel asked. She noticed her voice was still feminine.
``Because you did behave yourself the rest of the day, I have restored you to your normal age and species.''
``And what are those other consequences?''
``Oh, I'll keep that to myself. Stay in line and you won't have to find out.''
Rachel gulped.
``Wuzzy here will go home with you to make sure you behave and see to your diaper changes so your parents won't have to deal with it.''
``I'll make sure you get cleaned up nicely when you make tinkles and stinkies,'' the bear teased.
Rachel blushed. Tania giggled.
``Now, let's get you dressed.'' Mrs. Frumkin said.
From the diaper bag she pulled a pink blouse and pink cotton shorts and offered them to Rachel. The fox took them without complaint. At this point she was actually glad, as these were at least less girly than the other clothes she had worn today. She had just finished putting them on when the doorbell rang.
``Oh, that must be your parents.''
They went to the door, Rachel not sure what to expect. Her parents looked stunned for a moment, but greeted her warmly and didn't seem angry.
``Well, hi, Rachel, how did you first day here go?'' Her mom asked
Rachel felt a bit stung that even her parents called her by the new name. ``Not too good.''
``Well, that might work out better if you played along.'' Liz replied. ``But I'd rather not talk about that.''
Rachel's dad, Mark, added, ``Since Mrs. Frumkin is handling your punishment, we agreed not to do anything more on that front. So you can spend the rest of the evening normally. Or, as close to normal as you can like this, heh.'' He gestured to Rachel on the last remark.
``Dad...'' Rachel said
``Oh, and don't forget Wuzzy.'' Mrs. Frumkin pressed the teddy bear into Rachel's arms.
``I think this will be fun,'' said the bear.
Rachel's parents looked at Wuzzy for a moment, then Liz turned to Mrs. Frumkin. ``Is there anything else?''
``I don't think so,'' said the lioness. ``You can bring her by around 10:00 tomorrow morning?''
``Yes, that sounds good.'' Liz replied. ``Come on Rachel, let's get home.'' She chuckled. ``You know, I have sometimes thought about what having a daughter would be like.''
``Mom!''
``I'm only teasing.''
The walk back home, across the street and a few houses over, was perhaps 200 feet, but still too long for Rachel. The one downside of having her transformation partially reversed: she could now be recognized. She looked around nervously, walking between her parents to reduce her visibility. It was warm, and a gorgeous sunset was underway, so some neighbors were out. A couple were tending to gardens while others sat on porches, enjoying beers or engrossed in conversation. Some kids were playing street hockey near the corner. All told, most didn't seem to notice. One neighbor did ask about the pink clothes, to which Rachel said she had to borrow some after getting dirty.
Finally, they arrived home.
Liz addressed Rachel. ``Like I said, you're not grounded, so you can do what you want within the rules Mrs. Frumkin set.''
``Thanks, mom. I really don't want to go outside like this,'' she said, extending her arms outward. ``Could we just watch a movie or something?''
``I thought you might not. A movie sounds fine; let's see what looks good.''
The family gathered on the sofa, having agreed on a live-action WonderWolf movie from the 90s. It was a bit more serious than the cartoons Rachel normally watched, but still enjoyable. Wuzzy hid behind the sofa, frightened by the gun-toting henchmen. Rachel and her dad enjoyed the action scenes. For an hour and a half, she was able to forget that she was not quite her usual self. But that came to an end as the credits rolled. As she stood up, she once again became aware of the diaper between her legs.
``Thank goodness that's over,'' Said Wuzzy.
``Alright kiddo. That makes it about bedtime for you,'' said Mark.
``Bedtime sounds like the right idea,'' said Wuzzy. He turned toward Rachel ``Do you need a diaper change?''
``No.'' Rachel winced.
``You don't sound so sure. Let me check.''
He had Rachel tug down her pants enough to see the wetness indicator.
``Hmm, still dry for now, let's get you up to a bath.''
Rachel hugged her dad and exchanged a ``good night'' with him and went up the stairs. Wuzzy followed her up, and was going to follow her into the bathroom, but Rachel insisted that she could bathe herself.
``Alright then, if you think you can be a big girl. I'll get your Pjs out for you.''
Rachel was glad for the alone time. As the bath was running, she took off her clothes and pondered the diaper. While she was used to her DryJams, she had never handled a true diaper. Wanting to be rid of the thing, she quickly pulled it off and tossed it on the floor. She settled into the lukewarm water, enjoying the sensation for a few minutes, gently swishing her tail back and forth. Soon, though, she did have to set about washing herself, trying as much as she could not to think about a particular change that had happened to her.
Once the bath was finished, she dried herself off. She examined her discarded diaper and found the tapes had ripped, so she threw it in the trash. Rachel returned to her room, carrying her day clothes and wrapped in a towel. She found Wuzzy waiting in her room. Some blue Pjs and a changing mat were laid out on the floor.
``Alrighty then, let's get you dressed for bed. Did you bring your diaper with you?''
``It ripped.''
``Looks like someone doesn't know how to handle her own diapers then.'' He got a diaper out of the bag and put it on the floor next to the changing mat. ``I guess I'll just have to be in charge of all of that from now on. Now, lay down.''
Rachel set her towel aside and laid down on the mat, allowing Wuzzy to tape the diaper in place.
``There now. Doesn't that feel nice?''
Rachel was silent. The freshness felt nice, but she still didn't like that it was a diaper.
``Now, let's get your Pjs on.''
``I can do that myself,'' Rachel said indignantly. ``I'm just not used to diapers.''
``If you want to be a big girl, I'll give you a chance.''
Rachel turned to the pajamas. It was a two-piece set with short sleeves and bottoms. They were baby blue, patterned with pastel-rainbow-maned unicorns. A girly design, for sure, but Rachel barely gave it a thought as she put them on.
``Oh, I guess you're more of a big girl than I thought,'' Wuzzy remarked.
Rachel looked at herself in the mirror on her closet door. She was recognizable, but still looked very much like a girl. Aside from the pajamas, her eyes were still pink and her face looked more feminine. If she looked closely, she could see a bit of a bulge from her diaper, but it wasn't obvious. She didn't want to admit to herself that she looked pretty. She pulled herself away and walked down the hall to brush her teeth. Her mom happened to be passing through the hall to her own bedroom.
``Oh, Rachel. Are you just about ready for bed?''
``Yeah, I'm just going to brush my teeth.''
``Are you doing okay?'' Liz asked, brushing Rachel's cheek.
Rachel hesitated. ``I-I think so. I'm glad I'm back to...a bit closer to normal.''
Liz looked at her sympathetically. ``I know this is a lot, but you'll get through this. You might not seem like your normal self, but remember we love you no matter what.'' She gave Rachel a kiss on the forehead, then hugged her.
``I love you too, mom.''
She returned to the bathroom to brush her teeth, finding herself unable to look away from her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Perhaps it was her mother's words helping her accept the situation, or maybe the contrast from partially changing back from a much different form, or maybe a combination of the two. But for a moment the image in the mirror almost looked normal. Maybe, if she didn't fight it, and avoided getting in more trouble, being Rachel for a bit wouldn't be too bad. Rachel spat in the sink and shook her head, trying to get her mind off that track. She was supposed to be a boy, and this was a punishment. She shouldn't enjoy this. She looked at herself in the mirror again. Still, it would probably be best to play along with it, since trying to fight it had only made things worse.
This line of thought was interrupted as Rachel realized she was wetting her diaper again. The other part of her predicament. It was frustrating, but by this point she was starting to get used to these accidents. Apprehensively she returned to her room and asked Wuzzy to help her with a change.
``Oh, you want a change already?'' Wuzzy asked. ``Let me see.'' He tugged down her pants, looked at the wetness indicator, and gave the diaper a press. ``Oh you're just a little damp. These are pretty absorbent, and I don't want to be waste another one since I just changed you.''
``But won't I get a rash?''
``You don't feel the wetness do you?''
Rachel could feel it was thicker, but the moisture had been efficiently wicked away. ``No.''
``Well then, I think you'll be good until morning.''
``But - ''
``You'll be fine. And I'm not changing a diaper that's only a little wet, so you'd better get used to it.'' Wuzzy walked over to a corner, where he sat down. ``And no cheating.'' He pointed at her with his mitten hand. ``Well, good night, Rachel.'' He gave a yawn and then was still, appearing like an ordinary teddy bear.
Rachel stood there for a moment disbelief that she was being sent to bed in a wet diaper. But at least the bear was right that it wasn't uncomfortable. And by now she was becoming too tired to care much. She turned out the light and settled into her light summer sheets. As she drifted off, her last thoughts were: this is going to be a long week, but maybe will go better if I just go along with it.
