Hitch sighed as he stepped out of the shower; he dried himself off as he walked over to the sink, where he continued to get himself ready for his morning patrol. As he got himself ready his ears perked up at the sound of giggling. He chuckled a little as he turned around, there was a small bundle of towels on the floor. Something was beneath them, growls and playful whines came from beneath the bundle. He reached for the bundle and pulled down a single corner. His son poked his head out; claws positioned to grab hold of his prey. He then let out a cute little roar.
Hitch feigned fear. “Oh no!” He playfully fell backwards as his son jumped on him and pinned him down. “No, a ferocious dragon has disrupted the peace of Maretime Bay.” He chuckled a little as he finished. “Pick on someone your own size.”
Sparky laughed his little head off as he climbed to his fathers neck. When he reached his target; he raised both claws up, glared at his prey, and hugged his fathers neck lovingly. Hitch smiled happily as he sat up and hugged his baby back. He never imaged himself being a daddy to a dragon. But, now he couldn't imagine a day without his baby boy. He carried his baby over to the sink; hearing him giggling as he sat him on the counter. He then kissed him on his forehead and finished getting himself and his son ready for their patrol.
Hitch knelt down so that his son could get into his favorite spot on his back. Sparky grumbled a little as he struggled to pull himself up. He grumbled and growled in slight irritation, until he finally managed to get one of his legs over. He climbed his way onto his favorite spot. Once there he purred happily and pressed himself happily against his fathers back. Hitch smiled as he stood up, grabbing his sheriff badge and pinning it on his sash. He walked to the door and exited their home. Finally, they were ready to begin the morning patrol.
They started as always with main street; making sure that no litter had appeared overnight, and reminding most of the towns residents to pick up their trash. They went from main street to the towns center plaza. Numerous stalls and shops were open there. It was a place where multiple ponies were known to gather. Which meant it was another place where there was bound to be litter. And, like always more than a few ponies had already littered. With a sigh they quickly cleaned up the mess, checked with the shop and stall owners to see if everything was alright, and checking to see if a certain earth pony was still reporting for his community service. They moved on to the third area, the waterfront.
The waterfront wasn't usual active in the early morning; but it was being prepped for the event held later that week. They made their way through the groups of ponies preparing for the event. Some were setting up stalls; while others were hanging banners and other various flags. Hitch nodded in approval; while at the same time he couldn't help but feel a form of excitement. He usually just acted as security; while all the couples got to enjoy the show. But, this time he was going to be taking part in the event. To say he was a little excited was an understatement. For a moment his thoughts drifted to Primrose. He couldn't lie she was a pretty cute unicorn. She was also pleasant company and there was something else about her that attracted him. He just couldn't put his hoof on it.
He heard his baby yawn before feeling him nuzzle into his back. He pulled his phone out and checked the time. It was almost Sparky's nap-time. He did a quick safety check and quickly started making his way back home. If he hurried he could make it back in time to get him to bed. He turned and started making his way to the stairs.
Primrose quickly made her way to the station; she was a little excited to see both Hitch and Sparky again. At the same time she was nervous; she never looked after a baby before, much less a baby dragon. She wasn't sure what to bring with her; she figured Hitch would have a list of how to care for his baby, and she assumed he would have a few things set up to care for Sparky. As she made her way to the station; she started to think about the event coming up. Aurora by the sea. She asked a mare about it after having tea with Hitch. Apparently, it's a really popular event for Maretime Bay. Especially for the young couples who believe in a rumor about the event. Apparently, if one of the fish swim up to you while you and your Coltfriend or Marefriend are standing in the shallows. It is a sign that the two of you are meant to be together.
She thought. “It would be nice if that were true.” She let out a sad sigh. Apparently, not a single fish had ever swam up to one of the couples since the event started. Not a single one. But, it was a happy thought to keep in mind. She continued walking down the street towards the station.
She stood at the door to the station and was just about to knock on the door. Before her hoof could make contact; the door opened she couldn't stop her hoof from coming to rest on Hitch's chest. A blush appeared on her face as she looked up and met him face to blushing face. They stared at each other in silence.
Hitch spoke quietly. “Primrose, glad you could make it.” He couldn't believe how perfectly timed this was. He stepped to the side and invited her in. “Come on in.”
She nodded and hid her sheepish smile behind her mane; she couldn't believe that had just happened. If she didn't know any better; she would have guessed both of them were in some kind of cheesy love story. That was when she felt a slight chill go down her spine.
She thought for a moment. “Wait, did I just think of something that was true.”
The sound of the door closing snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned to face him as he turned and faced her. He walked up to her and smiled; causing her to blush again. He blushed again as well; he wanted to greet her properly, but she somehow kept him from forming his words.
She smiled and said. “Hello, Hitch.” She added. “Nice to see you again.”
He smiled back at her and found his voice. “Good to see you again also.” He thanked her. “Thanks for watching Sparky for me.”
She replied. “No, problem.” She asked him. “Where is he?”
He motioned for her to follow him; he lead her to one of the converted prison cells in the back. The cell had been turned into a nursery; he lead her to the crib and she looked inside. She saw the cutest sight she had ever seen. Sparky was curled into a small ball and sleeping peacefully in his bed. He had his favorite blanket draped over him and he had his favorite stuffed animal cuddled next to him. She could hear him not only snoring softly, but he was also purring. She was tempted to reach into the crib and rub his back. He just looked so cute sleeping in his crib.
Hitch smiled happily at his sleeping son; he then leaned down and gently kissed him on his forehead. Sparky grumbled a little as he smiled and moved into a more comfortable position. Now, Primrose had to keep herself from touching the baby. Hitch motioned for her to follow him; she nodded and followed him out of the room. As Hitch reached the door he took another look at Sparky.
He whispered. “Love you, baby boy.” He heard Sparky babble a little in his sleep.
Hitch gently closed the door and made his way to the front of the station. Primrose was waiting for him there. He smiled at her again and thanked her. “Thanks, again for watching him while I'm out on noon patrol.” He asked her. “Are you sure you can watch him?”
She nodded and answered. “Yes.” She hid her nervousness behind a smile. “I'm actually hoping he wakes up.”
Hitch commented. “You are going to regret saying that.”
She questioned. “Huh?” That was when he pulled out, not a small notepad but a huge file folder. He offered it to her and she used her magic to float it in front of her. The moment he let go; even her magic struggled to keep the file in air. Once she got a better grip on it; she looked at Hitch with a look that screamed. “What did I just sign up for?!” He chuckled a little before he walked forward and hugged her.
Her heart skipped a beat for a moment as her mind tried to process what was happening. She was being hugged by Hitch Trailblazer. He broke the hug and looked at the time. He had to start the afternoon patrol now. He thanked her once more and walked out of the station. Leaving her alone with his baby. For a moment all was quiet in the station; only the sound of Primroses' breathing. She looked around for a moment before she walked over to the desk. She set the file down and opened it.
She read the first page. “First rule of taking care of a dragon baby.” She gulped when she read the next part. “Carry some burn gel.”
Over the next thirty minutes she had managed to get to page five of the file. At first she was worried; she didn't have any burn gel or fire proof mittens. Thankfully, the file told her there was some in a nearby drawer. Page two told her about Sparky getting hungry after he was done napping. It gave her detailed instructions how to prepare his food.
She turned back to the page and questioned. “Does he really eat crushed gems?” Her ears perked up as she heard small cooing and whining noises come from the nursery.
She commented. “I guess he's up now.” She made her way to the nursery.
She gently pushed open the door to the nursery. She could hear the tired babbling of the baby dragon. She looked at the crib and saw Sparky sitting in his crib. She walked up to the crib and looked inside; being met with the tired eyes of the baby dragon. He cooed a little as he reached for her. Primrose couldn't help it now, she reached into the crib and pulled him into a caring hug. He purred happily as he rested his tiny body against her shoulder. Primrose let out a quiet “Aw.” as she gently patted the little baby's back.
She heard a small rumble come from the babies stomach; he must be hungry right now. Thankfully page three told her where he kept the pre-made formula. She wondered why he wrote page two then. Maybe it was just in case he didn't make enough formula. Sparky whined a little as another growl came form his stomach. She shushed the baby before carrying him to the kitchen. He purred happily and nuzzled himself further into her warm shoulder. He felt happy being held like this; his father always did this after he would wake up. Primrose smiled happily; she never held a baby this close to her. Much less a baby dragon.
She opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a baby bottle. She noticed that it was filled with some kind of strange powder. Page three also mentioned that it was a mixture of some crushed gems and some formula. All she had to do was add a little water and somehow the gems would do the rest. She took the top off the bottle and levitated it over to the sink, she then added the water. What happened next surprised her. The liquid in the bottle glowed like starlight; various lights and energies filled the bottle to the brim. As the light dimmed a strange liquid sparkled in the bottle. She looked at it for a moment; simply amazed by what had just happened. Sparky noticed the bottle and cooed a little as he reached for the bottle.
Primrose awed a little as she said. “Here you go.”
She floated the bottle to Sparky and the little dragon drank his meal. As he drank the contents of the bottle; Primrose remembered the rocking chair in the lobby of the station. She made her way out of the kitchen and to the lobby. Once there she walked over to the chair and sat down. She moved Sparky into a more comfortable position, the little baby looked up at her as he continued to drink the liquid. As they sat their Primrose gently rocked the chair back and fourth. Sparky stared up at her while she stared down at him. It wasn't long until he finished his meal.
She asked him. “All done, little one?”
Sparky purred happily only to feel a familiar pressure in his stomach. Thankfully, she noticed and pulled him up to her shoulder, she started to gently pat his back. As she patted his back something caught the corner of her eye. She moved her head to get a better look; what she saw was writing on the wall. It was in black ink. It was a warning that Hitch left for himself.
“Baby Dragon's Burp Fire, Duck!”
She had little time to react as the little baby let loose a loud burp. She felt the heat on her back and heard it hit something. Sparky giggled a little as she turned to see what the fireball had hit. She was met with a giant candy cane where a lamp had stood. Before she could form a question; Sparky had jumped out of her hooves and started zooming all through the home. He was moving so fast Primrose got dizzy from his speed.
She stopped herself and said only one word. “File.”
She ran back to the kitchen and opened it. Page five warned her of dragon babies and their gases. Apparently, they not only burp fire, but it also comes out the other way. Page six warned her of too much formula, it may cause him to puke. Page seven warned of him teething; thankfully it included a teething ring, made of stone. Then she reached page eight.
She read the page out loud. “Beware, after feeding and burping. Dragon babies love to zoom.” She screamed as he ran under her legs; effectively knocking her onto her side. She groaned a little before she noticed another warning written on the bottom door of a cabinet. “Watch your hooves.”
She grumbled. “A little late.” She got back to her hooves and flipped to page nine. She smiled at this page; it was a complete guide on how to tire him out. She smiled wickedly as she read an entry, it mentioned something about a cabinet in the back of the station.
The station was completely dark; so dark one would think that it was a cave. A cave home to the most ferocious monster in all of Equestria. A cave only the incredibly brave or the foolishly stupid would dare to enter. Primrose breathed heavily as she made her way through the darkness. She had something held in front of her. She hoped and prayed that it would be enough to stop him. Something crawled in the shadows to her left, she gasped as she turned towards the sound, her eyes crazy with fear as she listened for more movement. He, he was just a baby. How could he do this? Something moved behind her; she felt it just brush past her tail. This wasn't good. He was toying with her, at first it lulled her into a sense of dominance. The beast simply let her feel like she was winning. But, in reality it was luring her into the most dangerous part of its layer.
It had her right where he wanted her. A simple unicorn with little knowledge of magic. A unicorn that had no idea where he was. His plan had worked far better than he had hoped. Now she was in the perfect position for him to strike. He perched himself into the rafts above her. Crouched down and bared his lethal fangs. Then, in a single motioned he launched himself at her; his horrible roar echoing loudly through his den.
Primrose smiled and yelled. “Gotcha!”
Sparky shrieked as she caught him mid pounce. He had just jumped off a stack of pillows and had almost won the game. But, Primrose proved she was more of a predator than he was. She had caught him with little to no effort. He giggled madly as she pinned him to his back and playfully nipped at him. Threatening to eat his tiny claws and feet as he laughed happily. She giggled a little as she smiled at him. He smiled back at her before he yawned. His eyes seemed to droop a little and his tiny body seemed fatigued. He grumbled a little as stretched his tiny claws to her.
She awed. “Come here little guy.”
She gently wrapped her hooves around his tiny body and pulled him close to her. He purred happily as he snuggled into her neck, gently pressing himself into the warm scarf she wore. She smiled as she used her magic to move a pillow closer to them. She gently tilted his head up a little; before gently resting him and herself onto the pillow. She heard him grumbled and purr again as he tried to wrap his claws around her. She returned it with a gentle hold of her own. Both of her arms wrapped around his tiny body in a protective hold. After playing for five straight hours both of them were tired. And, almost immediately both of them fell asleep.
The door to the station opened. “Hey, Primrose, I'm back.” He walked over to the desk and removed his sash as he continued. “Sorry, I'm late. A unicorn accidentally.” He paused when he noticed how quiet it was in the station. This type of silence was the product of one of two things. One they were gone, or two. He quietly made his way from the front of the station to the back. As he entered the hallway; he slowly made his way to the nursery. As he reached the door, he paused only for a moment to listen.
He then gently opened the door and was met with a very precious sight. Both Primrose and Sparky were asleep in the middle of the room. Sparky was snuggled happily in her hold. While she looked like a young mother happily resting with her foal. Hitch couldn't help but smile at the adorable sight. Before he closed the door; he pulled out his phone and snapped a quick picture of them.
As he walked back down the hall he commented. “I'm gonna have to ask her to baby sit more often.” He chuckled a little as he finished. “None of the girls could ever get him to sleep.”
He sent the picture he took to his friends.