Fluttershy hummed happily as she skipped back to her cottage. When she reached the living room she slowly placed Spike down on the carpet. The baby dragon gazed upwards in amazement at all the bags of feed and bird cages, with drool going down his chin. Fluttershy giggled and wiped his muzzle. “I'm glad you like it, it's not big or rich, but it's cozy.”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, so much stuff! I wana pway!” He got up and was going to run off to the bags of feed, but Fluttershy grabbed the back of his overalls and pulled him back. “Now now, those aren’t toys. That's food for the animals.”
Spike looked up with a confused look and asked. “Animaws? Wike tigews and beaws?”
Fluttershy booped his nose. “That’s close, it’s mostly for bunnies and birds.”
Spike smiled and asked. “So, can I pway with the bunnies?”
Fluttershy tapped a hoof on her chin. “Alright,” She told him. “But you need to be gentle.”
Spike nodded in excitement, and squealed happily. “I be cawefuw, I a big dwagon.” He tried standing up but quickly lost his balance, and fell onto his butt with a loud plop.
Fluttershy just came by and helped him up. “Do you need help walking?” She offered.
Spike blushed and babbled. “Yeah, I tink so.”
Fluttershy helped Spike onto his feet, and with a wing supported him as he waddled along, with his diaper crinkling with each step. They then went out to the back to see bunnies hopping around.
Spike gasped at them and was going to chase them! But Fluttershy took Spike and held him close. “No chasing bunnies, Spikey Wikey, you'll scare them.”
Spike sighed, but gave a nod and watched as they hopped by him. He held out a claw, slowly petted the bunnies’ fur, and patted their heads. Fluttershy just watched with a smile printed on her face. “He’s so gentle and kind, I wish all dragons were just cute babies like him.” She thought to herself.
“Bunnies are soft.” Spike commented, drawing Fluttershy’s attention.
Fluttershy nodded slowly and cooed. “Yes, bunnies are very soft, that's why you have to be gentle.”
Spike babbled. “Tey a baby, wike me?”
Fluttershy gave a slight nod. “Yes, they’re babies like you.”
Spike gave a confused look at the bunnies, then looked back up at Fluttershy and asked “Whewe are their diapees?”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but laugh and smuggle Spike as she explained. “Oh, they don’t need diapers, at least not outside.”
Spike gasped. “Weawwy?! Does tat mean I dun need to weaw diapees?”
Fluttershy cooed. “You need to.wear diapers, because you live in a house. Adults can’t be cleaning your messes all day, right?” Seeing the bunnies bounce off back to their barrows, she then asked. “How about we go draw?”
Spike squealed. “Yeah! Ya got cwayons?”
Fluttershy giggled. “Yes, I have crayons.” She told him. The pegasus then gently placed the baby dragon onto her back and walked back to her cottage. Once inside, she slowly placed Spike in a chair. She then gave him a piece of paper with some crayons and cooed. “Can you draw a pretty picture?”
Spike eagerly nodded. He took up a crayon in his claws and started coloring a purple unicorn with him bouncing on her back.
Fluttershy smiled and decided to go make a bottle of formula. She took her time to measure the formula, mix it with clean water, and then shake it up. Then she took the bottle and started boiling it up in a pot of water. All the while Spike was doodling, scribbling the crayons over the paper, and bouncing in his diaper while gurgling.
Fluttershy just watched, smiling at the entire scene. “Aw, he's adorable. I hope Spike stays like this for a while. I would love to babysit him even more.” She turned back to see Spike finishing his drawing. He held it up. “See, Fwuttashy? I made me pwayin’ with Mommy!”
Fluttershy dawwed on seeing the scribbled purple mass that was Twilight, hugging a purple blob that was supposed to be Spike. The mare giggled. “Aw, that's so cute. You're quite talented, huh Spikey Wikey?” Fluttershy then took the picture and posted it on her fridge with a little bunny magnet. She then scooped him into her hooves, sat down in her rocking chair, and had him snuggle in her lap. He snuggled into her fur and babbled. “Baba! Baba!”
Fluttershy took the bottle of heated formula, and slowly placed it into the baby dragon’s mouth. He started to suckle, rapidly chugging the creamy warm formula, as he snuggled deep into her warm chest. He suddenly spat up some of the milk, but Fluttershy just giggled and wiped Spike’s chin. “How cute! I still can't believe how young you are, but it's no matter, I hope you stay like this for a little while. I’ll always be here for you.” She rocked the chair back and forth listing to the gentle suckling of the bottle, while humming a tune. Her eyes began to droop, and she eventually fell into a deep sleep.
At Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight was bucking apple trees with her back hooves, yammering on to Applejack (who was clearly irritated). “I didn’t expect Spike to forget how to walk. As I said before, he toddles adorably, making sure to raise his tail to keep his balance. It's adorable."
Applejack rolled her eyes. “With those thick diapers, it's no wonder he can’t walk without using his tail.” She thought. But the farm mare just replied with. “Uh huh.”
As she bucked another tree with her hooves, Twilight lifted the bucked apples with her magic, and placed them all in a wagon being pulled carried by Big Mac. Twilight continued. “Oh you should've seen him when.we were playing with the foam blocks, he actually tried eating one! Of course I had to take the block from him and explain to him: ‘No, no, Spikey. Blocks are for playing. not eating.’”
Big Mac laughed, walked along with the mares, and replied. “Reminds me of Applejack and how I tried to teach her to not eat blocks. One time she tried puttin’ one of the blocks into her bottle.”
Twilight and Big Mac burst into roars of laughter, and Applejack blushed. “Big Mac, can ya not tell Twilight those embarassin’ stories?”
But Twilight waved a hoof and cooed. “Oh, Applejack, don't worry. I won't tell anypony. Besides Spikey’s done way more embarrassing things already, and I just restarted raising him.”
Big Mac blushed. “How is Spike? I mean, is he doin’ alright?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, he's at Fluttershy's right now. She very good with animals and he took a liking to him when I first met her. So I think she was the perfect pony to watch him.”
Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup, very good choice. Fluttershy is the best with carin’ for animals.”
Applejack growled, as they went back to knocking the apples from the trees she vented. “What's gotten into you, Twilight?! I know we've been friends for about a week or two now, but I can tell you're not actin’ like yourself!”
Twilight brushed her bonnet with a hoof. “I guess that caring for Spike may have awoken some long buried motherly instincts in me.”
Applejack sighed and started to scratch the back of her mane. “It’s fine. Even if you're actin’ weird, you've been a big help. I just never thought of ya bein’ a mom is all.” She continued bucking trees and Twilight shrugged and continued bucking silently.
Spike had finished his bottle and threw it to the side. He then turned to see Fluttershy deep in sleep. But he was irritated and bored. “I want to go explore!” He thought to himself. He wiggled about, slowly lowering himself out of Fluttershy's grasp, and fell from her embrace, landing in a symphony of crinkles on the ground. Spike put his arms out and toddled around the room while. grumbling. “Thewe’s nothing hewe,” He then turned to see Angel napping in the kitchen. The baby dragon’s eyes glowed with foalish curiosity, and he slowly waddled over. In one swift movement, he grabbed Angel and hugged him close to his chest. “Pretty bunny!”
Angel shouted in anger and kicked about in protest. But Spike just carried the bunny away, only to just plop onto his diapered bottom and start petting Angel’s fur, cooing at how soft it felt between his claws. Angel eventually wiggled out of Spike’s grasp and started hopping towards the door.
Spike, with a determined expression, got up and waddled after him while shouting. “Come back, bunny!” But Angel just kicked the door open and bounced off, and Spike waddled out, following Angel into Ponyville.
Twilight was now rambling on about Spike again, with Applejack grudgingly listening. “Spike then drank two full bottles and as he laid in my lap, I of course had to burp him. Then Spike burped out some spit up and a letter from Celestia. It was so cute I think I'll have him tell Celestia what happened. Let him send a letter with a drawing!” She cooed.
Big Mac laughed. “Oh, you should see some of Applejack’s drawin’’s from when she was a foal. She loved drawin’’s of her eatin’. But you couldn't tell what it was she was eatin’!”
Twilight laughed. “Aww. Maybe afterwards, while we're looking for your old overalls, we can find those as well."
Applejack’s face was now a deep red. Just then a breeze hit Twilight’s bonnet, blowing it from her head. The unicorn stopped and started to rub her head with a dazed look. Applejack, concerned, came up and asked. “Twilight, you okay?”
Twilight nodded as she got up. “Yeah, I'm fine, but Spike…” Her eyes went wide, as memories of her caring for Spike like an actual baby flooded her mind! “Oh my Celestia! What have I been doing to Spike?!” She thought. She then turned to the bonnet and thought. “Wait...this bonnet! I didn’t start treating Spike like a baby and feel okay about it until I wore this bonnet! Could that mean?...” Realization hit Twilight, who squeaked, clapping her hooves together! “That's it! I think I know why Spike is acting like a baby!” She grabbed the bonnet with her magic and gave a sheepish smile to Applejack. “Applejack, I'm sorry to bail on you, but I need to go to Spike. I think I know why he’s acting like a baby, and why I was acting weird.”
Applejack (with a surprised look) whispered. “Yeah, ya go on ahead. Ya did a lot already.”
Twilight then ran off, as Big Mac blinked in confusion. “What in the hay just happened?”
Applejack shrugged and mumbled. “I have no idea. But I think it’s got somethin’ to do with that old bonnet she was wearin’.”