Chapter 7 (Conclusion):
Big Macintosh stirred as he heard the clock chime upon the wall. It a moment for his vision to clear, but when it did he was able to see that the clock’s hands were both pointed at twelve. He then realized he heard a soft, suckling noise and looked down to see that he had once again been nursing upon his hoof in his sleep. With a blush he quickly removed the appendage from his mouth and looked around to see that the lamps were still illuminating the room he was in, thus he felt it was safe to assume that it was midnight rather than noon.
He attempted to pull himself into an upright position, but the crinkling of the plastic as he moved reminded him of the diaper snuggly secure to his waist. Shifting to an upright position proved to be an even more difficult than before he had taken his nap, causing him to wonder if somehow his diaper had become bulkier. The answer would have certainly been more apparent if Big Macintosh had noticed the bottle he had been nursing before laid on the far end of the crib, completely drained.
Fortunately, the nap had had its’ intended effect and had refreshed Big Macintosh to point where he was now able to stand and walk, albeit in a rather wobbly way. Big Macintosh was able to climb over the bars of the crib with relative ease, and toddled towards the door. Upon opening it he saw Fluttershy sitting at the table in her kitchenette, focusing on something very intently. She raised her head upon hearing the door open and as she saw Big Macintosh she merrily said, “Oh, you’re awake!”
“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh responded somewhat timidly, still very confused over diaper change that had taken place before his nap.
Fluttershy seemed to sense this, as a blush appeared on her face as she said, “Oh my, there I was lecturing the girls about the importance of listening to a baby pony, yet I haven’t done much listening or explaining, have I?”
Big Macintosh merely cocked his head, waiting for her to elaborate.
“I’m not very good at talking to other ponies. Everyone in Ponyville knows that about me. Twilight, Applejack, and the others have done an amazing job of helping me become more comfortable coming out of my shell, but it hasn’t been an easy process. Despite that, I’ve always been good at taking care of others. It’s something that I just naturally pick up on and allows me to overcome my shyness and focus on the task at. That’s why I was so happy to see you… like that.”
Big Macintosh’s ears perked upon hearing this, and Fluttershy quickly continued, “You and I have rarely spoken before this. Talking to other adult ponies is always harder for me because I always feel as though I have to be careful to say the right thing or act a certain way. Seeing you dressed like a baby pony and how upset you were over what had happened to your doll, I didn’t feel any of my usual anxiety or uncertainty. I just knew that you were hurting and that I wanted to be the one help you.”
The quiet mare then headed back to the table and retrieved what she had set down when Big Macintosh had entered the room. Big Macintosh’s eyes widened at what he saw before him. There was Twilight’s old Smarty Pants, delicately stitched back together so seamlessly that he would be hard-pressed to even point out where the huge rips had been just a few hours ago. In a flurry of movement, Big Macintosh trotted over, embracing Smarty Pants in one foreleg and Fluttershy within the other. He fought back the wetness entering his eyes as he quietly whispered, “Thank you.”
Fluttershy nodded contentedly as she emerged from his embrace. She then added bashfully, “The diaper change was not only to get you out of that wet one. I’ve had to diaper a few of the animals when they stay inside, especially if they’re not housebroken. The diaper, bottle, and other things I used in your change earlier were some old things I used to use on my friend, Mr. Bear, when he was still a cub. It was actually through him and a few other animals that I learned that certain babying techniques used on even adult animals could have a surprisingly calming effect.”
“It’s true,” Big Macintosh mused as continued to warmly embrace Smarty Pants, “I’ve always had to help out with the farm since Granny is so old. I don’t mind it none, but even simple things like playing with toys or taking a nap felt like time wasted. We all had to work so hard to keep the farm running smoothly. That’s why when I first found Twilight’s doll here, I just knew I wanted it. At first I couldn’t make sense of why I would, and I intended to return it. But after I fell asleep with it a few times I finally understood why. Cuddling up with the doll made me feel safe and secure. It made me feel like a little colt again, and that feeling that way was finally okay.”
Big Macintosh let out a heavy sigh as though he had finally been released of an immeasurable burden he had been carrying for a long time. Fluttershy flew up and took the great stallion’s head into her hooves, softly stroking his mane and holding his ear near to her heart, just as she would have done for a true baby pony. The mare’s heartbeat did in fact sooth him and he said, “When my sister and her friends asked me to be a baby, I was so nervous. At first I thought it was because I thought it would embarrassing, but then as the day went on I realized I was afraid because… I actually liked being a baby again.”
He raised his eyes to meet Fluttershy’s, looking for any signs of surprise or disgust, but all he saw in them was a serene acceptance. He then added, “I think it’s kind of like what you described. The same way taking care of others lets you overcome your shyness, acting a like a baby pony allows me to open up too. Hehe, in case you couldn’t tell, I’m not much of a talker either.”
Both ponies had a good laugh at this. However, once their laughter died down they both realized that there was a question looming in the air between. Big Macintosh was the one to finally ask, “So where do we go from here?”
Fluttershy mused upon the question for a moment before she tentatively said, “You and I have both admitted that we need to practice opening up ourselves more. If you acting like a baby pony and me taking care of you can help us both do that… t-then why don’t we continue doing it.”
Big Macintosh’s eyes widened in surprise at her suggestion and Fluttershy’s face flushed red as she quickly said, “T-that is, if you don’t mind. I-I won’t want you to feel o-obligated to or…”
Before the blushing mare could continue her stammering proposal, Big Macintosh gently placed a mitten-covered hoof upon her lips as he smiled and said, “I’d love to.”
A wide smile spread across both the mare and stallion’s faces as they embraced each other. Alas, the force of the hug was enough to knock Big Macintosh off of his already diaper-induced wobbly legs, sending both him and Fluttershy both down onto the ground of her cottage. Rather than be put off by this Big Macintosh actually chuckled, “Rarity would be pleased to hear about this. She already asked me if I would give her feedback on her new line of baby pony clothes.”
“She would?” exclaimed Fluttershy excitedly as she lifted her head off his chest, “Oh, that’s wonderful! Oh, I could just imagine all the cute, little outfits she could design. You would look so adorable. Maybe she could design some crib accessories as well…”
Big Macintosh’s flushed pink once more as he said, “Uh, why don’t we keep this between us for a while before we tell our friends about it.”
Fluttershy’s cheeks then matched Big Macintosh’s as she giggled, “Hehe, sorry. I got a little ahead of myself. Besides, I know a little something about fabrics. I’m sure I could make some adorable things for you myself. But first…”
She then softly pushed her hoof against the bear’s face that decorated Big Macintosh’s plastic pants. The audible squish that the diaper produced confirmed her suspicions as she said with a loving smile, “It’s look you’re overdue for diaper change, my big, beautiful, Baby Mac.”