Pinkie found herself back at the Puff’s residence as Mr. and Mrs. Cake believed her to be, “…too hyper to do her job.”. She wanted to talk about the events that occurred but was glared down by Mrs. Cake who asked “Where’s the foal you are watching, Pinkie?”. The party pony wanted to go on about the events in downtown Ponyville but knew the looks The Cakes were giving her would not change to happy ones unless she showed how true she was to her “Pinkie Promises” and being “Pinkie ‘Responsibility’ Pie”.
“I hope he came home…,” she said while entering into the Puff home. It was completely dark inside with the exception of some night lights and one lit room that had its door cracked open.
***
The illuminated room was Swaddle Puff’s nursery. Pinkie took a moment to peer in through the crack to see Swaddle back in a diaper grumbling as he knocked down a block tower.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK
Swaddle turned with a jolt of surprise as he noticed the party pony begin to swing the door open.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
Swaddle sighed.
“Yes,” he pouted.
Pinkie’s normal enthusiasm was gone as she entered. Her mane had even lost a bit of its ‘poof’, too.
“So, uh…,” she trailed. “You’re a stallion?”
Swaddle gazed at her with a shrug.
“Uh-huh,” he replied.
“And you liked being seen as a mare?” pursued Pinkie. “Kind of like Big Macintosh who has always dreamed of being a princess and is willing to dress up as Orchard Blossom in order to do nice things for his sister?”
“It was you who saw me as a mare,” stated swaddle while gingerly playing with a toy car. “I thought it was fun so I didn’t say anything.”
“Do you really need diapers?” edged Pinkie. “If so that is okay but, seriously, who would want to wear diapers to just wear diapers?”
Swaddle grew a look of displeasure from Pinkie’s last rhetorical question.
“They’re comfortable,” he scowled. “And I’m not the only one who likes to wear diapers who is all grown up.”
Pinkie appeared baffled.
“Seriously?” she gasped. “You don’t use them to, uh, you know?”
Swaddle’s look got more agitated.
“What if I did?” he pressed back. “It’s not like I’m incapable of changing myself.”
“But how can…?” stammered Pinkie. “Why?”
Swaddle took to his hooves.
“Look,” he stated. “I’m not asking you to do anything you don’t want to. I’m not even asking you to watch me anymore. You can just go home and forget all about this and be like all the others.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” wondered Pinkie.
“It means,” huffed Swaddle. “You’re not the caring, fun-loving, understanding pony my parents and I thought you were. So go home.”
“I care,” Pinkie retorted. “I just-”
“-think I’m some sort of immature, stupid, pony!” snapped Swaddle. “Do you know how hard it is to have a diaper for a Cutie mark? Do you have the slightest idea what it is like to do the work I do and not want to feel all safe and comfortable after having ponies yell in my face because they feel I’m not doing my job as a finance manager?”
“But-“ Pinkie tried to say.
“-Do you know I have to ‘paint’ over my Cutie Mark each day I go to work? Do you know how frustrating it is to not be allowed to do what helps you feel better after being beat down by impatient ponies for doing your absolute best to be honest in a largely dishonest field?”
There was a short pause.
“Look,” he said. “My real name is shining Ash. My father took my mother’s name when they got married as he was shamed out of his family for ‘not living up to his expectations’. My mother never fit in with her family’s longstanding soap business in the Dragon lands. So, when I was born, they both promised to not let the darker side of ponies hurt me.”
“darker side of ponies?” asked Pinkie as her mane continued to lose its frizz.
“You saw it!” boomed Shining Ash. “Spoiled Rich making that big scene in town for no reason beyond satiating her desire to put down others!”
Pinkie was feeling overwhelmed with emotions as the mare bounded about. His crinkling diaper making her wonder if The Cake twins were saying such things in their babble when they were having a tantrum.
“When I learned my special talent was to do things for foals my parents got really scared,” continued Shining Ash. “They worried I’d be ostracized as a result of being a colt who looked like a filly who had a ‘Cutie Mark’ of a diaper on my flanks! So they taught me math and I learned I could do really good financial work and got my degree in accounting and finance along with my CPA! I’d ‘paint’ over my Cutie mark each-and-every day to hide my ‘Special talent’ while using makeup and other things I hated so I wasn’t mistreated by ponies for being the real me!”
Tears were now forming in Pinkie’s eyes.
“Our family moved here to Ponyville to get away from all the cruel ponies in Fillydelphia that would recognize my mother and father along with those ponies who’d openly tell clients I was some sort of freak pony for looking like a mare when I was a stallion!” roared Shining Ash. “We are starting a foal food business so we can finally be at peace away from any pony who’d ever remember my dad being the not-so-macho Puff and my mom for being ‘that soap pony’ along with me being treated like a dirty diaper by more-and-more ponies who’d listen to ponies, like Spoiled Rich, about how no pony should have their business affairs handled by some sort of ‘freak of nature’!”
Pinkie shuttered and folded in on herself. She had never been yelled at in such a way before. She felt absolutely horrible and did not know how to fix things.
“So, Ms. Pie!” snorted the padded stallion. “Feel free to go home and forget I even exist!”
“Don’t say that!” cried Pinkie as she found a pacifier on the floor, shoved it in the angry stallion’s mouth, and ran out of the nursery in tears.
Shining Ash huffed and resumed playing with his toys while suckling on the pacifier.