> A Couple of Secrets
>  by Nido_King
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Ch. 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you can’t stay any longer?” Sugar Belle pleaded as she watched Big Mac hook himself up to the empty cart, glancing briefly over at the horizon. “It’ll surely be dark by the time you get back! You could always stay the night and—“

“Nope,” Big Mac quickly interjected, sighing as he fixed the unicorn mare with a sad look. “Believe me, I would love to want to be spendin’ more time with ya, Sweet-pie…”

Sugar Belle blushed as Big Mac called her by the pet name he knew she loved, sending her heart all a flutter.

“… But I still have chores to do on the farm. My family is countin’ on me to help them out, so I can’t stay any longer.” Walking up to his marefriend, Big Mac gently nuzzled her cheek as he whispered into her ear, “No matter how much I want to spend more time with ya.”

Giggling, Sugar Belle nuzzled Big Mac back, the smell of fresh apples filling her nose. “I know… Is it selfish of me to want to spend a few more moments with my special somepony?”

“Nope,” Big Mac replied, nuzzling Sugar Belle a few moments longer before reluctantly pulling back. “I’ll come visit y’all again in a few days, promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it!” Sugar Belle said jokingly, smiling as she watched her big, strong stallion turn around and begin the slow trek towards the edge of town. He had only gotten three steps away before she called out to him. “Wait!”

Pausing, Big Mac turned his head slightly to glance behind him, only to be taken aback when a set of soft lips pressed against his cheek, a dopey look appearing on his face as the stallion positively melted from the kiss. 

“One for the road,” Sugar Belle said, giggling at the lovestruck look on Big Mac’s face. He is so easy to tease sometimes! She thought as she watched him canter away, a renewed bounce in his step as he set off for home. She stood there watching him until he disappeared over the hills, a profound sadness lofting over her when she could no longer see his red backside. “I miss him already…” Sugar Belle said longingly as she turned and walked back into her shop, closing the door behind her with a sigh. 

Strolling into the kitchen, Sugar Belle began to occupy herself by preparing a fresh batch of cupcakes for the shop, hoping to take her mind off the feelings of loneliness that always followed after Big Mac’s visits. Ever since Big Mac had entered into her life, Sugar Belle felt happier than she could remember ever being. No matter what kind of day she was having, all it took was one look at her colt friend and all her worries would just wash away. Just picturing herself walking alongside him through town, their sides brushing up against each other as they walked, laughing together as they enjoyed a nice meal, before retiring to her bedroom so she could snuggle up tight with the stallion as they—

Sugar Belle gave a sharp shake of her head, her cheeks tinted red from the scintillating image now in her head. No, bad Sugar Belle! Now’s not the time for such fantasies! You’ll ruin the cupcakes! Doing her best to push the image from her mind for now, Sugar Belle worked on pouring the batter she had been mixing into the pans, smoothing them out before gently popping them into the oven to bake.

As she set the timer for the cupcakes, she couldn’t help but smile as an idea wormed its way into her head. Besides, there are still other ways I can enjoy myself…


[Big Mac]


Just like Sugar Belle had said, the sun was almost done slipping below the horizon as Big Mac finally crested the hill and saw Sweet Apple Acres just ahead. For most of the trip, Big Mac had been in a daze, still left in a lovestruck state from Sugar Belle’s parting kiss. But as he reached the gates to Sweet Apple Acres, he felt the toll of that day finally make itself known, the aches in his legs draining him of all the excitement and joy seeing Sugar Belle had filled him with. At the moment, Big Mac wanted nothing more than to just crawl into bed and rest until the rooster crowed the next day.

After stowing the cart in the barn and unhooking himself, Big Mac strolled up to the house and let himself in, his ears perking up at the sound of paws stampeding across the floor, bracing himself not a moment too soon as Winona came barreling around the corner and leapt up at him, licking his face excitedly.

“Alright, alright,” Big Mac chuckled as he gently pushed Winona back down, smiling as she wagged her tail at him. “I’m happy to see ya too, girl. Were you a good pup while I was gone?”

Winona gave a sharp yip in response, as if to say, “Yes! I was a very good girl!”, which earned her a loving pat on the head from Big Mac.

After a moment, Big Mac began to notice how strangely quiet the house seemed. “Say, girl… you wouldn’t happen to know where AJ and the others would be, do ya?”

Replying with another excited bark, Winona raced off into the kitchen, Big Mac following behind her moments later. When he entered, there was still no sign of his sisters or Granny, but he did notice Winona sitting in front of the fridge. As he got closer, he saw a note stuck to the fridge that hadn’t been there when he had left earlier that day, peering closer to read what it said.

Big Mac, got called away by the Map suddenly, so had to take off while you were gone. Apple Bloom and her friends are holding another one of their Day Camps to help others find their cutie marks, and what with Granny away at her bingo tourney…

“Oh, right…” Big Mac muttered, having completely forgotten that Granny’s Bingo Tournament was tonight.

… That leaves just y’all and Winona to hold down the fort for now. Don’t think this means you can shirk on your chores! You know full well that harvest season in just round the corner, so we need to get started if we’re gonna make it in time! Anyway, shouldn’t be gone long, be back to help as soon as I can. 

	-Applejack

Big Mac hmmed in thought as the contents of the note sunk in. Other than Winona, he had the house all to himself, something that rarely happened. Even with all the duties Applejack had been undertaking alongside her friends, and Apple Bloom and her friends getting their cutie marks, it was still pretty unheard of for the Apple Family home to be nearly empty. A smile split across his muzzle as the implications of this became known.

His aches and pains from before seemed to vanish in the face of the opportunity before him, because now was the chance for Big Mac to indulge himself in something he hadn’t been able to for some time, and he wasn’t about to waste a single moment of it!

A low growl from his stomach momentarily derailed his excitement, realizing that it had been some time since he had eaten lunch with Sugar Belle.

“Food first, indulgence later.”  


[Sugar Belle] 
 

With a smile on her face, Sugar Belle made her way upstairs after closing the shop for the night. As much as she enjoyed baking, she had been looking forward to this moment ever since Big Mac had left. While she still would have still loved it if he had decided to spend the night instead, the fact that he had refused was a blessing in disguise, as it gave her the perfect chance to indulge in a certain… “hobby” of hers.

Stepping into her room, she quietly locked the door behind her to make absolute sure she wouldn’t be interrupted. While it was unheard of for the ponies of Our Town to just waltz in uninvited, Sugar Belle wasn’t about to take any chances, especially considering the activity she had in mind. After pulling the blinds shut, Sugar Belle excitedly skipped over to her closest. 

After rummaging around inside for several moments, she finally found what she had been looking for, pulling out a large rectangular package from inside. The bright pink packaging was covered in images of cartoon hearts, blocks, baby bottles and other such imagery associated with foals, except for the image of a full grown Pegasus mare on the front, smiling while wearing a visibly thick diaper on her behind. Written across the side in big colourful lettering were the words, “Forever Foals, Supreme Adult Foal Diapers.”

Smuggling such a large package into town without being noticed had been an endeavor Sugar Belle had spent weeks planning towards, but it had all been worth it in the end. Pulling out one the diapers from the already opened package, Sugar Belle pressed her nose into the plastic padding and took a quick whiff, sighing at the fresh scent of strawberry scented perfume laced into the padding. Giggling like a filly on Hearthswarming Eve, Sugar Belle pranced over to her bed, laying the diaper open on her covers before hopping up. The pink unicorn was a big ball of nerves and bubbling excitement as she lowered herself onto the soft padding, using her magic to carefully thread her tail through the hole in the back. 

Just as she began to pull up the front, however, she gasped as she realized she had forgotten something. Leaning over her bed, Sugar Belle pulled several items out from underneath The first was a large pacifier, which she quickly popped into her mouth and began to suck happily. With that done, she floated over a big bottle of foal powder, which she used to sprinkle a flurry of white powder into her belly. Can’t be too careful!, she thought as she set the powder aside and once more worked on pulling them front of the her diaper up.

Her diaper… the mere thought of it filled her with glee as she finally pulled the diaper up and over her belly, quickly making sure it was aligned properly before taping it up nice and tight. Now securely diapered, Sugar Belle poked the front of her diaper, earning a rewarding crinkle in return. The diaper was a similar shade of pink to match her coat, and was decorated in adorable prints of teddy bears and blocks. Giggling, Sugar Belle began to bounce up and down, the creaking of her mattress drowned out by the loud crinkling of the diaper, the soft padding hugging her every curve like a fluffy pillow.

After several moments spent revelling in the softness and security of her fresh diaper, Sugar Belle hopped back onto the floor, the thickness of the diaper pushing her legs apart slightly and causing her to noticeably waddle, something that made Sugar Belle feel more and more childish by the second as she walked laps around her room, enjoying the feeling for the first time in so long.

For as long as she could remember, Sugar Belle had longed for the days of her foalhood, the days spent feeling carefree and happy. Unfortunately, she had given up those pursuits along with her cutie mark after she had joined Starlight’s town. After getting her cutie mark back, the feelings of wanting to be a foal had returned, and Sugar Belle had been unable to resist the temptation after so long. After that first night spent back in diapers, however, Sugar Belle knew she had made the right choice. 

Eventually, Sugar Belle grew tired of just prancing around and decided it was about time she started getting into “character”. Still sucking her pacifier, Sugar Belle pulled out several foal toys from under her bed, including lettered blocks, a rattle and a child’s xylophone. As she waddled towards the toys, she made sure to levitate over her stuffed bumblebee (which she had named the original name of “Cupcake”) from atop her bed, hugging the plush animal in her arms as she plopped her padded rear onto the floor.

“Let’s pway!” Sugar Belle mumbled behind her pacifier, settling into a foalish mindset as she began to arrange the lettered blocks. “S-U-G-R B-E-L-L! Look, Cupcake! I spell my own name!  Aren’t I smart?”

The stuffed bee said nothing as Sugar Belle devolved into giggles, playing with her toys without a care in the world…


[Big Mac]


After a quick dinner of leftovers, Big Mac quickly retreated to his room, making absolute sure to lock the door behind him and shut the blinds to his room. Even though he knew he was alone in the house and that Sweet Apple Acres was far enough away from Ponyville that he wouldn’t have to worry about prying eyes, Big Mac couldn’t help but break out into a cold sweat, his heart beating furiously in his chest at the real chance to get to indulge in a rather strange “hobby” of his.

Once he made absolutely sure he was safe, Big Mac breathed a sigh of relief, though his heart continued to hammer away in his chest not from fear, but pure excitement. Walking over to his closet, Big Mac very nearly yanked the doors off their hinges as he threw them open, rummaging around inside before pulling out a seemingly innocent looking cardboard box. Once it was opened, however, it revealed a wealth of items that seemed very out of place for the stallion to own. Such as a bright curly yellow wig, which Big Mac was quick to pop onto his short mane, giving him a more bouncy and vibrant mane. This was the same one he had worn during the Sisterhooves Social, when he had disguised himself as “Aunt Orchard Blossom” so he could enter into the contest with Apple Bloom.

After the fact, it had been easy for him to brush away the entire thing as a one time thing, dressing himself up like a mare in order to please his younger sister. What he had neglected to tell any pony at the time, however, was that that hadn’t been the first time he had dressed up as Orchard Blossom, let alone the last.

Walking over to his mirror, Big Mac took a second to make sure the wig was nice and neat, before smirking at his own reflection. “My, my, don’t you look marvellous my dear!” Big Mac said, adopting the Orchard Blossom voice he had used during the Social. “Oh, but you’re still much too plain! We’ll have to fix that now, won’t we?” Returning to the box, Big Mac removed a white and blue trimmed dress with prints of apples across it, which he carefully and delicately put on. With that done, he removed two lengths of pink ribbon from the box, trying one around his neck before tying the other around his barrel, nicely holding the dress in place. After that, he removed a set of dress shoes from the box, daintily slipping his hooves inside. After slipping on a flower pinned band on to his fore-hooves, he returned to face the mirror, swishing the hem of the dress with his tail.

“Oh my, darling! You look positively stunning in that dress! Oh, won’t all the mares be jealous when they see you in this, hmmm?”

Of course, Big Mac had no intention of ever letting another pony see him like this ever again. He didn’t secretly yearn to be a mare, that much he was sure of, but he couldn’t help getting jealous seeing all the mares around town getting to wear such beautiful gowns. The first time he had tried on one of Applejack’s dresses while she was away, he had felt like a whole different pony, modelling himself in the mirror for hours after that, filled with an almost unexplainable joy.

“Oh, but you’re not quite done yet, darling!” Big Mac said to his reflection. “There’s still one more thing until you’re really beautiful!” Nodding his head, Big Mac returned to the box and pulled out a makeup kit. He still blushed from the the memory of the day he had purchased it for Rarity, saying that it was a surprise gift for Applejack. Big Mac could tell the mare wasn’t buying his story in the slightest, but she had still sold him the kit without a word and hadn’t anything about it since. Whether she knew what he intended to do with it or not, Big Mac couldn’t tell, but he was at least relieved by the notion that if she did know, that she had elected to keep his secret so far.

Pushing all that aside, the stallion in mare’s clothing turned back to the mirror, setting the kit at his hooves as she delicately picked up the eye liner tool and began to curl his eyelashes with apparent practiced ease, feeling himself become more and more beautiful with each passing second.


[Sugar Belle] 
          

Time had lost all meaning to Sugar Belle, too immersed in the innocence of a foal playing with her toys. At the moment she was tapping away at the small xylophone, a smile on her face as she randomly struck each note. She might not have been playing anything, but to her it still sounded like music to her ears as she played, happily sucking away at her pacifier.

“Eep!” Sugar Belle gasped as she felt a growing warmth down below, almost losing her pacifier from the surprise. Glancing down, her eyes widened as she watched the front of her diaper darken as she freely wet herself, so lost in the mindset of a foal that she had barely noticed the urge to go until it had already been too late. At this point Sugar Belle couldn’t have stopped the flow even if she had wanted to (which she didn’t), so she just sat back and let it happen. Seconds felt more like minutes as Sugar Belle watched the previously fresh padding become used, seemingly captivated by the sight. Eventually, the flow stopped, but by that point the diaper had become visibly used to anyone who could see it.

And yet, Sugar Belle was still smiling, seemingly pleased with her little accident. After all, wetting her diaper like that was something a foal like her was expected to do, and knowing that she had done it made her feel even more like a foal than ever before. Scooping up her rattle, Sugar Belle shook the toy as she poked at her wet diaper, feeling it squish beneath her hoof. Flopping onto her back, Sugar Belle basked in the feeling as she sucked away at her pacifier and played with her rattle, feeling all her concerns just wash away.

As she lay there, her mind began to wander, conjuring up the image of her playing in her very own nursery. She would crawl around the carpeted floor, her diapered behind wiggling in the air as she played with her toys, not a care in the world. Suddenly, she would notice something odd, poking at her padding to find that it was wet. She would giggle and smile, continuing to play despite the wet diaper for some time before it would begin to get cold and clammy. Only then would she finally cry out, the cries of a foal echoing through the room.

After a moment, the door would open, and her Daddy would come in, the big, strong stallion soothing her as he carried her to the changing table and changed her into a fresh diaper, making her giggle as he tickled her belly. Now clean, he would then carry her to the kitchen for lunch, and she would just sink into his soft, red fur—

Sugar Belle’s eyes snapped open, bolting upward as her fantasy came to an abrupt end. Her pacifier slipped from her mouth and bounced against the floor, but Sugar Belle didn’t notice, too overcome with shame at herself. She couldn’t deny that that had been Big Mac in her fantasy, caring for her like she had always dreamed of. And yet, the thought of Big Mac knowing about her little secret filled her with nothing but fear.

What would he say? Would he think it was cute? Would he be disgusted? Would he… break up with me for it? Just imagining it made her stomach twist into knots. And yet, Sugar Belle felt even worse knowing that she was keeping secrets from him. Maybe I should…

A quick shake of her head dispelled that notion before it could fully form. No, I can’t. Everypony has there own little secrets, it’s just… Now fully awake from her previous foalish state, Sugar Belle glanced down at her diaper, the warmth having faded to be replaced with a cold wetness. “I guess I should get changed…” Sugar Belle muttered, yawning as she realized just how as tired she was. Getting up, she walked over to the package of diapers and removed a fresh one. She always did sleep best while diapered, after all. 

After a quick change into a fresh diaper, Sugar Belle returned her toys to their spot under her bed and crawled into bed, hugging Cupcake tightly as she snuggled under the covers. As she drifted off to sleep, still sucking on her pacifier, a single thought was at the forefront of her mind:    

He can never know…


[Big Mac]


In almost no time at all, Big Mac had nearly finished transforming himself from a normal stallion into an utter heartthrob of a mare. After curling his eyelashes just right, he had added a light blue eyeshadow to go with it, and was just about done powdering his cheeks. That just left one last thing to take care of before his makeover was complete.

Returning to the box one last time, Big Mac scooped out a small bag containing several sticks of lip gloss in a variety of colours. “Now, which colour would suit me best, hmm? Green? Nah… Blue, maybe? No, not quite… aha!” Smiling, Big Mac removed a a bright shade of pink lip gloss, giggling with excitement as she skipped back to the mirror to apply it. 

With a gentle hoof, he carefully applied a smooth coat of lip gloss to his lips, puckering his lips and making kissy faces at his reflection. “My, my, dear, don’t you look simply divine tonight!” Posturing himself in front of the mirror, Big Mac made faces at the mirror, imagining himself walking down the catwalk, lit up by the flash of cameras as the crowd cheered him on. He knew he had made the right choice in going with the pink lipstick, it was one of his favourites after all. As he modelled for the mirror, he couldn’t help but notice how the shade of his lips matched Sugar Belle’s coat—

Big Mac froze. As if finally waking up from a trance, Big Mac stared at himself in the mirror, no longer enamoured with his looks as the image of Sugar Belle remained firmly stuck in his mind. “… What am I doin’?” He asked himself after a moment, now disgusted at the pony staring back at him. Here he was, a grown stallion prancing around in mare’s clothes like some kind of darn fool! And what if Sugar Belle ever saw him like this?! What would she think?!

Tears began to drip down Big Mac’s face, his makeup running as he tried to wipe the tears away and only managing to ruin the makeup even more. Overcome with shame, Big Mac tore off the wig and tossed it back into the box, soon followed by the dress, shoes and all the bits of makeup he now only felt disgust towards. After shoving the box back into the deep recesses of his closet, Big Mac raced to the bathroom to wash away the makeup off his face, soon removing any and all evidence of his activities.

Now overcome with exhaustion, Big Mac dragged himself over to his bed and crawled under the covers, hoping that sleep would remove any lingering traces of his shame. But sleep would not come easily for Big Mac, as he tossed and turned restlessly, knowing in his heart that this wouldn’t be the last time he would end up all gussied up in front of the mirror like before. When sleep finally came to him that night, one thought remained at the forefront of his mind:      

She can never know…
> Ch. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack grunted as she kicked another tree, prompting the tree to release its bounty of fresh apples into the waiting baskets below. Pausing to wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead, Applejack took a second to fan herself with her stetson. “Phew! Mighty hot out today, ain’t it?” Applejack asked, placing her hat back on her head. When she didn’t get a response, she glanced across the field where Big Mac was currently applebucking a nearby tree. Or rather trying to, as he gave a halfhearted kick to the trunk, barely causing a third of the apples to fall free.

Applejack frowned at the sight. She’d noticed earlier that he seemed sort of distracted, but hadn’t given it much thought until know. Walking up to her brother, she asked, “You alright, Mac?”

Big Mac didn’t respond, not even to acknowledge that he had even heard her as he stared at his hooves, his attention focused seemingly elsewhere. With a huff, Applejack breathed deeply and hollered, “Big MacIntosh!”

That seemed to work, as Big Mac jumped nearly a foot into the air out of fright, glancing fearfully around before his gaze finally settled on Applejack and he noticeably relaxed. “Oh, hey, AJ. Somethin’ ya needed?”

Applejack was silent for a moment, the look in her eyes making Big Mac fidget nervously. After a moment, she finally asked, “Are y’all alright? You’ve been kinda out of it lately, and I’m startin’ to worry…”

Big Mac opened his mouth, probably to lie and say he was just fine, only to realize who it was he was talking to. Sighing, Big Mac hung his head as he muttered, “Nope…”, plopping down on his haunches and leaning back against the trunk of the tree. “I miss Sugar Belle…” he said wishfully, looking up at the sky as the image of Sugar Belle’s smiling face filled his head.

“Ah, so that’s it,” Applejack replied. With cider season right around the corner, the Apple family had been hard at work making sure they were prepared for the inevitable rush, leading to an even bigger workload than usual. That had unfortunately meant that there was very little time for the family to relax, and while Applejack had the excuses of needing to teach classes or responding to calls from the Map, that had ultimately left Big Mac to pick up the slack, meaning it had been some time since he had gotten the chance to spend time with his special somepony.

“Why don’t you take a break and go see her? I’m sure she’d love to—“

“Nope,” Big Mac was quick to respond with a shake of his head. “Too much work to be done.” Getting back to his hooves, Big Mac kicked the tree behind him once more, this time causing the rest of the apples to come loose. Before Applejack could even attempt to change his mind, he was already galloping away towards another section of the orchard, likely to avoid Applejack following him as due to still needing to take care of this part of the orchard.

Growling, Applejack stamped her hooves in frustration, before reluctantly returning to her chores.


***


“He can be so stubborn sometimes!” Applejack vented to Rarity later that day, the two having made plans to enjoy a brief lunch together at a cafe in town before the pair needed to teach classes. “I hate seein’ him so dejected lookin’, but the darn pony won’t listen to a word I say! It’s just another ‘Nope!’ before he runs off again! I swear…”

Light snickering from her companion made Applejack pause for a moment as she glanced at Rarity, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Rarity with a hoof to her mouth in an attempt to hold back her laughter. “What? What’s so funny?”

“Forgive me, Applejack,” Rarity said after taking a moment to get her laughter under control. “It’s just that hearing you talk about how stubborn your brother can be reminds me of another pony who can be equally as stubborn. Correct me if I am oh so wrong, but I do believe that this is a perfect case of the ‘pot calling the kettle black’, is it not?”

Applejack opened her mouth to refute her, only to close it again just as fast. “Yeah, yeah, y’all don’t have to remind me… I learned my lesson about askin’ for help a long time ago. Still, I just wish there was somethin' I could do to help him…”

Rarity was silent for a moment, her face scrunched up in a look of deep thought as she tapped a hoof against her chin. “Perhaps I could be of assistance, then. I believe I might have the perfect idea in mind to help a certain pair of lovebirds earn some much needed alone time together.”

Applejack seemed skeptical, raising an eyebrow before saying, “Sorry to say it, Rares, but I don’t think yer idea of ‘alone time’ is the kinda thing Big Mac and Sugar Belle would enjoy.”

Rarity huffed, glaring at the earth pony from across the table. “Applejack! Must you always be so quick to assume the worst of my ideas? The least you could do is have the common decency to hear me out first before jumping to conclusions!”

Raising her hooves defensively in front of her, Applejack quickly replied, “Alright, alright, I’m sorry! Yer right, least I could do is listen to yer idea first before shootin’ it down. So spill, what’s this idea of yers, then?”

Seemingly placated, Rarity’s features softened as she took a sip of her tea. “Thank you, darling. As it were, you may be surprised to hear that my family owns a cozy little log cabin just south of Vanhoover. Every summer when I was a filly, we would pack up our things and head down for a quiet week at the cabin, just me, my parents and dear little Sweetie Belle.”

“And knowin’ you, I bet y’all must have hated ever minute of it, bein’ away from your dresses, sewin’ machines and all that.”

“It was… less than ideal, I will admit, but I still remember fondly the times I spent with my family there. Sadly, as the years have passed, we’ve found ourselves visiting that old cabin less and less. My parents still hold the deed of course, but it’s mostly taken care of these days by an old family friend who lives in the area. However…” Rarity smiled as she met Applejack’s eye, “Were I to inquire about using the cabin to my parents, I do not doubt they would need very little in the ways of convincing.”

“Really? You’d do that for me, Rares?”

“But of course, darling! Anything to help a friend and her family! Just imagine it, dear: a secluded cabin deep in the forest, miles away from even the closest city. Sounds like the perfect place for a nice couple to reconnect, wouldn’t you agree?”

Applejack smiled. “Well, when y’all put it that way, it does sound like just the thing!”

“I figured it might,” Rarity said, unable to keep a hint of pride out of her voice. “I’ll speak with my parents later today and let you know of the results post-haste. Now, if I’m not mistaken, we’d best be off if we’re going to make it on time. It won’t do if the teachers are tardy, now will it?” Raising a hoof, Rarity flagged down a passing waiter. “Oh, sir! Cheque please!”


***
 

Sugar Belle sighed for probably the hundredth time that day, resting her head in her hooves as she stood behind the counter of her store. Her thoughts drifted as she daydreamed, images of Big Mac filling her head. “I wonder what he’s doing right now?”

“What who’s doing?”

“Oh!” Snapping out of her daze, Sugar finally noticed Double Diamond and Night Glider staring at her strangely from across the counter. “Sorry! I was… distracted… Was there anything you two wanted?”

“Y-yeah…” Double Diamond said after a moment, sharing a concerned glance with Night Glider. “Could… could we get one blueberry frost muffin and one cinnamon apple fritter, please?”

“Coming right up!” Ducking behind the counter, Sugar Belle scooped up a blueberry frost muffin and deposited it in a brown paper bag. As she moved to do the same for an apple fritter, she paused as the scent of apples tickled her nose. Big Mac always makes the best apple fritters…

“Yo, Equestria to Sugar Belle!” Night Glider yelled, tapping a hoof against the glass display.

“Oh! Sorry!” Blushing, Sugar Belle snapped up an apple fritter and tossed into the bag, racing back to the counter to finish the order. “That-that’ll be three bits, please.”

As Double Diamond payed her, he looked up at her with concern in his eyes. “Are you alright, Belle? Some of us have noticed you seem to be out of it more and more as of late.”

Night Glider grinned devilishly as she nudged Double Diamond in the side. “Bet ya ten bits it has something to do with a certain hunk of a stallion, am I right?”

“Night Glider!” Sugar Belle replied, burying her face in her hooves to hide the deepening blush spreading across her face. “It’s not like that!”

Both ponies stared at her with a look that said they weren’t buying her story in the slightest. After a moment, Sugar Belle sighed again as she rested her head against the counter. “Ok, you’re right… I miss Big Mac… he’s been so busy with work at the farm that he hasn’t had the time to visit me lately…” 

“So go and visit him then!” Night Glider suggested. “I’m sure he’d love it if you surprised him with a visit to the farm.”

“Oh no! I can’t do that, that would only distract him and I know how important the farm is to him and his family!”

“More important than his marefriend?” Night Glider countered.

Sugar Belle just looked away, hanging her head in dismay. “I… I… Once Cider Season is over, I’m sure he’ll have all the time in the world to come visit me. I just have to patient is all…” No matter how much I don’t like it…

A knock at the door caused the three of them to all glance over at the door. “It’s open!” Sugar Belle called out to let whoever it was know they could just come in.

Pushing the door open, a Pegasus stallion dressed in the uniform of the Equestrian Mail Service poked his head inside. “I have a letter here for a Miss Sugar Belle? Is a Miss Sugar Belle home?”

Sugar Belle’s face positively lit up as she cried, “I’m Miss Sugar Belle!”, racing around the counter to stop mere inches from the mailpony’s face, causing him to recoil back in surprise of the newly grinning mare. As he reached into his bag and retrieved the letter, she quickly snatched it out of his grip, dancing back and forth on her hooves as she giggled with excitement. Tilting his hat in her direction, the mailpony turned and took off, having plenty of deliveries left to carry out.

Sugar Belle was practically bubbling over with excitement. While her and Big Mac hadn’t had the chance to see each other lately, they had still taken the time to exchange letters between then, which had quickly become the highlight of Sugar Belle’s day. However, as she read the envelope, her smile slipped from her face to be replaced instead with a confused look. “That’s strange…”

“What is it?” Night Glider inquired. “You look like somepony just told you Santa Hooves wasn’t real.”

“It’s just… the address says it’s from Sweet Apple Acres, but this isn’t Big Mac’s writing. I wonder who it could be…” She gasped as a dark thought came to her. “You don’t think something bad has happened to Big Mac, do you!?”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Night Glider exclaimed. “Open it already!”

Practically shredding the envelope to bits, Sugar Belle quickly extracted the letter from inside, her eyes feverishly swimming across it as she read. Slowly, her fear changed to relief as she progressed through the letter, but the look of confusion in her eyes still remained.

“Well?” Night Glider asked after several moments of silence. “What does it say? Don’t keep us in suspense, girl!”    

Finally, Sugar Belle looked up from the letter towards the waiting Night Glider and Double Diamond. “It’s from Applejack. She says Big Mac is fine, but was wondering if I wouldn’t mind coming to visit sometime soon.”

“Ha! See? I told ya they wouldn’t mind if you popped in for a visit!” Night Glider said, grinning at the knowledge that she had been right the whole time.

“Wait, there’s more…” Sugar Belle muttered as she read the letter further. “She says… she says that a friend of her owns a cabin just outside of Vanhoover, and asked if I would like to spend the weekend there with Big Mac a… alone… just the two of us… together…” Sugar Belle’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates as the letter slipped from her grip and fluttered to the floor.

“Sounds like just the thing you need!” Double Diamond said. “We’ll hold down the fort while your gone, so you won’t have to worry about a thing!”

Sugar Belle only barely heard Double Diamond, lost in a daze as she envisioned herself alone with Big Mac, with no pony else around to disturb them… A dopey smile plastered itself across her face at the mental picture. “I’ll reply back right away!”

After bidding her a fond farewell, Double Diamond and Night Glider quickly left the store, allowing Sugar Belle to switch the “Open” sign on the door to “Closed”. Giggling with excitement, Sugar Belle bounded up the stairs towards her bedroom, scrambling to find some stationary in order to write a reply. Finally finding some, she wasted little time in putting pen to paper as she hastily wrote back.

Dear Applejack, I would love to—

Sugar Belle paused mid-sentence, her previously boundless excitement demising slightly as she glanced over at her closet door, seemingly looking through it at the items that lay hidden within. Sugar Belle was not ashamed of her little hobby, but what she was ashamed up was keeping it a secret from Big Mac. She knew how much the Apple Family valued honesty, so just knowing that she was hiding something this big from the stallion she loved caused a knot of shame to twist around in her stomach. 

What if… what if he takes it the wrong way? What if he’s disgusted by it? What if he— Sugar Belle gave a strong shake of her head, dispelling the cloud of “what ifs” that threatened to consume her. If there was one thing Sugar Belle was sure of, it was that Big Mac was strong, compassionate and, most of all, understanding. If there was any pony in Equestria who would be able to understand her feelings, it was him. 

Steeling her resolve, Sugar Belle returned to writing her response.

— I would love to come visit…


***


Groaning, Big Mac dragged himself across the orchard towards home, another hard day of work having finally come to an end. Right now, Big Mac wanted nothing more than to grab a quick dinner before climbing into bed for the night. However, as he stepped through the door to the family home, he quickly realized that wasn’t about to happen when he heard a voice from the living room.

“Big Mac? Could y’all come in here, please? There’s somethin’ I be needin’ to talk with ya bout…”

Sighing, Big Mac turned and made a beeline for the living room, finding Applejack already sitting on the couch waiting for him. “What is it, sis?” He asked, his tone making it very clear that he would rather not be doing this until later.

“Have a seat,” Applejack replied, gesturing to the nearby comfy chair. “Y’all must be exhausted after today.”

Hopping onto the chair, Big Mac glanced at his sister as he tried to piece together what this was about. Is this about needin’ to race off across Equestria on another mission? But why would she need to talk to me about that? Did Apple Bloom get in trouble at school again? If so, why wait till now to tell me?

His heart seemed to skip a beat as a thought came to him. Could… could she have found the box in his closet? The one with all his “special things” inside? Why would she even look in there!? Is she—

“I’d like to talk to ya able Sugar Belle.”

Big Mac breathed a quick sigh of relief at that, though a hint of worry mixed with a dash of anger dropped into his gut as he regarded Applejack. “What about her?” Big Mac replied, glaring at his sister. “I love Sugar Belle, so I hope to Celestia that y’all didn’t drag me in here to tell me ya want me to break up with—“

“No, no! Nothin’ like that!” Applejack was quick to respond. “Sugar Belle’s a fine mare, and I’m glad you found someone like her to be with. No, what I wanted to talk bout was somethin’ else regardin’ her. Tell me, Mac, how long has it been since you and her started datin’?”

Big Mac blinked, surprised by the odd question. “Bout… six months, I suppose?”

“And when was the last time you two got to spent any time together, just you and her?”

Getting an idea where this conversation, Big Mac breathed deeply through his nose. “Applejack…”

“Now don’t you go ‘Applejack’ me! I’ve seen how down you’ve been while workin’ out in the field lately, and I’m plum sick of it! Even if it wasn’t affectin’ yer work, which it is, I still don’t like seein’ a family member so down in the dirt like you have! Which is why me and Rarity decided it was bout time you and her went away together, to get just away from everythin’ for a few days and just enjoy each other’s company. What do you say?”

Big Mac didn’t even so much as hesitate. “Nope. Too much—”

“I know, I know… ‘Too much work’ ya say, which is why I decided it was finally time to call in some help. They’ll be here tomorrow to help clear out the orchard in yer place.”

Big Mac’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But… but Applejack! We can’t afford to—“

“Actually, turns out we can,” Applejack interjected with a beaming smile. “Thanks to Twilight helpin’ us balance the books last season, turns out we’ve got more than a few bits left over just in case. Now, y’all can sit there and keep comin’ up with excuses as to why I’m wrong until the rooster crows, but I just have one thing left to say to ya…” Reaching behind her back, Applejack produced an already opened letter. “Y’all don’t want to disappoint Sugar Belle, now do ya?”

Big Mac found himself at a lost for words, barely able to ask, “W…what?”

“See, this here’s a letter that just arrived today from Sugar Belle herself. I knew you would refuse until the cows came home, so I decided to let your marefriend in on the idea first. Seems she thinks it’s a wonderful idea, and is really looking forward to gettin’ the chance to come visit ya after so long. Would be a right shame if I had to turn her away disappointed after all that, wouldn’t ya say?”

No matter how he looked at it, Big Mac was trapped. Applejack had come at him fully prepared to shoot down any excuse he could muster, getting Sugar Belle’s okay was simply the final nail in the coffin. With a defeated sigh, Big Mac hung his head and muttered, “… Fine, y’all win…”

With a delighted smirk, Applejack hopped off the couch and walked up to Big Mac, rubbing her hoof down his back. “Glad you finally agreed. Sorry I had to gang up on ya like that, but I know y’all’ll appreciate this after gettin’ to be with Sugar Belle for a few days. I just wanted to make sure my big brother is happy, okay?”

As much as he wanted to deny it, he understood where Applejack was coming from. Family looked out for one another, even if that meant needing to force the issue once in a while. “Eyup…”

“Good. Now, ya should go off to bed. Sugar Belle’ll be here by lunch time, so ya better be ready and packed by then and it won’t due to be half asleep when she arrives, now will it?”

Nodding his head, Big Mac set off for bed. Truthfully, he was looking forward to being able to spend time with Sugar Belle, no matter how much he had need to be shoved towards it. And yet, he couldn’t help it as his mind focused to a much deeper concern, something that he had been trying to ignore for sometime by busying himself with farm work.

As he stepped into his room, his eyes briefly glanced at his closet, knowing exactly what he kept hidden inside. The simple thought of telling Sugar Belle about his secret hobby scared him more than the idea of going up against a rampaging hydra with three legs tied behind his back. And yet, the knowledge that he was keeping something this big from her. It would be a disaster if she every found out that he had been lying to her all this time.

And find out she would, of that much Big Mac was sure. Sugar Belle was a smart mare, he knew it was only a matter of time until she noticed something was off and started digging. The fact that he had even kept it a secret from his family for so long was a complete miracle, but Big Mac knew his luck couldn’t hold out forever. One way or another, she was going to learn about it eventually, better she hear it from him rather than find it out on her own. Even knowing that fact didn’t make Big Mac feel better at the prospect of telling her, fearing what her reaction would be...

Would she laugh? Would she be disgusted? Would she tell everypony she knew about his secret? Would he then become the laughing stock of all of Ponyville? Would she—

Bonking himself in the head with his hoof, Big Mac pushed the imaginary fears as far down as he could, lest they consume him. Sugar Belle would never do that, that wasn’t the kind of mare she was at all, and he knew that better than anyone! Sugar Belle was kind, sweet and understanding. He knew, deep down, that no matter what happened, Sugar Belle was not the mare who would maliciously abandon and embarrass him over something like this. Like it or not, this weekend away was the perfect time for him to finally come clean to her, and that no matter what became of it, he would face it head on.

With renewed determination, Big Mac began to make plans for the upcoming weekend. No matter what the outcome, Big Mac would make sure he was prepared to face whatever came at him, no matter what!
> Ch. 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of a train whistle cut through the air like a hot knife through butter as the train departed from Vanhoover station, leaving Big Mac and Sugar Belle alone on the platform with their luggage. Much of the train ride there had been spent in silence as the pair were content in simply being together again after a long period apart, with the occasional small talk passed between them to help pass the time. Now having reached their destination, the two ponies glanced at the station around them.

“Wow… I’ve never been to Vanhoover before,” Sugar Belle said, turning to her coltfriend and asking, “Have you?”

“Nope.”

“Say… didn’t Rarity say there would be a pony here to greet us?”

“Eyup.

“So where—“

“Hello there!”

Both ponies glanced across the platform, quickly spotting a grinning Earth pony running up to them. His coat was a light shade of brown while his mane, which was partially hidden behind the dark stetson he wore, was a leafy green with small hints of grey tugging at the edges of his mane indicating his age. As he got closer, they could just make out his cutie mark of an axe slicing straight through a block of wood.

Bounding up to them, his smile only seemed to grow wider as he approached. “Well now, I reckon you two are the ponies Rarity told me to keep an eye out for, am I right?”

Big Mac nodded his head. “Eyup.”

“Wonderful!” Turning to Big Mac, he extended his hoof out, which Big Mac was quick to shake. “I’m guessin’ a workhorse like you must be Big MacIntosh of the Apple family, and…” Looking to Sugar Belle, he reached down and took her hoof in his own. “… This sweet lass must be Sugar Belle,” he said as he lightly kissed her hoof, earning a giggle from Sugar Belle and a glower from Big Mac.

“Yes, that’s us,” Sugar Belle replied as she pulled her hoof back. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr—“

“Name’s Wood Chipper, but please, feel free to call me Woods. Everypony else does, after all. I’m here to escort you two to your little getaway for the time being. My wagon’s parked right outside, so just gather up your bags and I’ll help ya load them up.”

Gathering up their things, which consisted of a few bags between them and a portable cooler with some supplies for the stay, they followed Wood Chipper out to where he had parked his wagon. As they loaded their things into the back, Sugar Belle asked, “So… how long have you known Rarity for, Mr. Woods?”

“Ah, since she was but a wee filly, that one,” Woods replied, still grinning ear to ear as if the expression was permanently plastered to his face. “Me and her daddy go way back, bunch of troublemakers the two of us were in our youth. While Hondo was lucky enough to find himself a one in a million mare to settle down with, I much prefer the single life myself. Give me some wood to chop, some fresh air, warm food in my belly, and a roof over my head and I’m a happy stallion.”

After loading everything into the wagon, Woods hooked himself up and began to lead the way, before long passing through the city gates into the forest south of the settlement.

“You know,” Woods remarked as they strolled down the path through the forest, “I’m really glad to know that the old girl’ll have guests again. It’s a real shame to see a nice place like her go without any visitors for so long. I’ve done my best to keep her in tip top shape, but it’s still not the same without anyone there to stay under her roof.”

“Well, we were kinda overdue for some time away, just the two of us,” Sugar Belle said, staring longingly up at Big Mac, who stared back with an equally longing expression as the two shared a quick kiss between them. “It’s been too long since we got the chance to just be with one another.”

“Ah, there be quite a bit of distance between you then, I imagine?” Woods said, earning a pair of nods in return. “Well, somepony once said ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’, so maybe there be some truth to their words if you two can weather being apart for so long.”

The trio made some more small talk between them as they walked further along the trees. After another twenty minutes or so of walking, Woods proudly declared, “We’re almost there! Right past this here bend lies your home for the next little while!”

Turning a corner, Woods was proven right as a modestly sized log cabin lay ahead of them. It wasn’t anything too lavish, but it looked remarkably well kept, no doubt owing to Woods’s vigilant care. “Well, there she is! Ain’t she a real beaut?” Walking up to the cabin, Woods swiftly unhitched himself from the wagon as he strolled up to the front gate. “Come on, I’ll give ya the grand tour!”

Following behind him, the three stepped onto the porch as Woods retrieved a set of keys from within his hat and unlocked the front door. As the three of them filed inside, Big Mac and Sugar Belle took in the sight of their new home away from home. Much of the space was taken up by the living room, consisting of a large sofa, two plush chairs and a small table in the centre of the room, all of which bordered a large stone fireplace fixed to the back wall. Off to the side lay a decent sized kitchen, complete with overhead cabinets, a fridge, stove, oven and more than enough countertop space to prepare meals on. Nearby, a staircase led up to the second floor of the cabin.

“Wow…” Sugar Belle muttered.

“Eyup…”

“Like it? Yeah, it ain’t much, but it’s certainly a nice place for the two of ya to stay. As you can see, there’s the main room, complete with fireplace, over there’s the kitchen, and the bathroom and shower are right around the corner. Bedrooms are upstairs, enough for each of you to have your own room. Or, if you’re prefer to share a bed…” Woods laughed as the couple both broke out into a blush. “Ha! I’m just teasing ya! Anyway, I saw you brought yer own food with ya, but I took the liberty of supplying you with some food. There’s a shed and a chopping block out back if’n ya ever in the need of some firewood, and if there’s ever anything ya two need while yer here, feel free to let me know. I have my own little cabin a ways down the path, ya can’t miss it, but it’s far enough away from here that you two will have the place all to yourselves. Any questions?”

Big Mac and Sugar Belle shared a glance for a moment before glancing back at Woods. “Nope, I think we’re all good. Thanks for all yer help, Mr. Woods.”

“Ah, much obliged. I best be on my way then, so I’ll leave you two to set-up on yer own. Hope ya enjoy yourselves!” With a tilt of his hat, Woods walked past them out the door. The couple him carefully unload the few bags they had brought with them before hooking himself back up to his wagon and being on his way, soon little more than a speck in the distance.

It didn’t take the pair long to unpack their things, tossing their bags into separate rooms upstairs before working on emptying the cooler they had brought. True to his word, Woods had seen fit to supply them with a more than plentiful supply of fresh produce and other such foods, more than they could ever imagine consuming in a single weekend between the two of them.

However, as Big Mac worked on emptying the cooler, he noticed a bottle that hadn’t been there when he had packed the cooler that morning. Pulling it out, he found himself holding a bottle of Sweet Apple hard cider, but not just any bottle, but one he could tell right away was from the family’s personal stock. Taped to it was a note that read, “A little gift for the happy couple. Hope you enjoy it! - Applejack.”

Big Mac chuckled, making a mental note to thank his sister the next time he saw her. As he finished unpacking the cooler, he looked up to see Sugar Belle walk into the kitchen.

“You hungry?” She asked him, glancing out the window as the sun inched closer and closer to the horizon. “I could make us an early supper of vegetable soup, if you’d like.”

Smiling, Big Mac leaned over and nuzzled his marefriend. “That sounds lovely.” Stepping back, Big Mac cracked his shoulders as he too glanced briefly out the window. “Think I’ll go out and chop us some firewood.”

“Working already?” Sugar Belle said with a huff, glaring at the back of Big Mac’s head as he trotted over to the door. “But we just got here! Can’t you save that for tomorrow?”

’Sorry, Sweetie-Pie,” Big Mac said as he pushed the door open, “I reckon I might start going a bit stir crazy if’n I don’t get some work done soon. Once I’m done out back, though, I promise ya the rest our stay will be devoted to spending it with you, okay?”

Sugar Belle wanted nothing more than to grab the stallion by the ear and drag him back inside, but she did none of that as she watched the door close behind him. His devotion to his work was both something she loved and something that got on her nerves about the stallion, but she wouldn’t change him for anything in the world. Besides, he did promise and Sugar Belle was going to make absolutely sure he held to that promise, no matter what it took!


[Big Mac]


Just as Woods had said, there was a chopping block set up just a few feet away from the cabin, an axe already embedded slightly into the block. After retrieving a big enough pile of logs from the shed, Big Mac gripped the handle of the axe with his teeth and yanked it out of the block, holding it tightly as he placed the first log onto the block. With a jerk of his head, the axe came down on the log with a mighty “thunk!”, chopping straight through the piece of wood with a single stroke and leaving two perfect pieces of firewood to fall onto either side of the chopping block.

It didn’t take long for Big Mac to get into the rhythm of things, placing one log after another onto the block to be cut down by his axe and fall to the side. Again and again he repeated this action over and over.

Place, chop, fall. Place, chop, fall. Place, chop, fall. 

It almost became second nature to him as his body moved in an almost mechanical fashion, repeating the same actions again and again with barely a thought. But as his body worked, his mind was deep in thought, going over the same things again and again. He had promised himself that he would finally let Sugar Belle in on his little secret, but the when and how he was going to go about doing that still alluded him. Every time he imagined bringing it up in casual conversation, his mouth would dry up faster than a pool in the badlands, and the none of the alternatives he had envisioned seemed any more likely to succeed.

After several minutes spent mindlessly chopping wood, Big Mac paused for a moment, panting for breath as he placed the axe at his hooves, sweat matted to his fur. As he stretched his neck to get all the kinks out, he realized he was overthinking things again. Sugar Belle had been right when she’d pointed out that they had just arrived, which meant there was plenty of time for his to come clean about his secret hobby. No need to rush in and make an utter fool of himself, eventually the right moment would present itself and when it did, he would act on it.

And if that moment never did decide to present itself? Well… then he was just going to have to improvise then. 

With his mind a touch quieter now, Big Mac picked the axe back up with his mouth and returned to chopping more firewood.


[Sugar Belle]


Humming to herself, Sugar Belle worked to carefully cut up carrots and celery into neat slices before tossing them into the already prepared pot to simmer. Once that was done, she turned her attention to the burner beside it, checking to make sure the vegetable broth she had already prepared was coming along nicely. After a quick taste test, she added just a touch more spices to taste before placing the lid back on the pot.

There was something inherently soothing about cooking to Sugar Belle. While baking would always be her true calling (as if the cupcake displayed proudly on her flank wasn’t a dead enough giveaway), Sugar Belle still very much enjoyed working with other forms of food preparation, learning new things she could potentially also incorporate into her baking skills. It was almost like a form of meditation to the unicorn, allowing her destress from a day and focus her mind on other matters.

Other matters like the stallion currently outside chopping firewood, and just how she was going to break her secret to him. She couldn’t just come out and say, “Oh, by the way, I like wearing diapers and being treated like a foal, just thought you should know!” That would be far too awkward and could potentially result in scaring him away for good. No, if she wanted to do this right, then she needed to gently ease him into it before revealing it to him in full. Just how she was going to accomplish that, however, had yet to come to her.

Sighing, Sugar Belle worked to prepare supper for them, the matter of revealing her secret still stuck at the back of her mind. Calm down, Sugar Belle! You’re a smart mare, you’ll figure someway to tell him! Right?… Right? 


***


The sun had dipped even closer towards the horizon by the time Sugar Belle hollered for Big Mac to come inside for supper, the stallion having cut himself enough firewood to likely last the rest of the year and then some. As expected, the soup that Sugar Belle had prepared was lovely, perfectly blending each vegetable with a mix of spices and seasoning into an almost heavenly dish.

However, very few words were spoken between the pair over the course of the meal. Occasionally, the two would glance over at the other at the same time, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before they hastily looked away to focus back onto their food.

After supper, the two quietly agreed to spend the rest of the evening inside, resting together on the couch by the fire. Only this time there would far more talking between the two, as Big Mac decided to pull out the bottle of apple cider Applejack has given him.

It wasn’t long before the pair were practically howling with laughter on the sofa, the bottle of cider sitting open on the table next to a pair of shot glasses they had found in the cupboards. While neither one was particularly drunk yet, they were just tipsy enough that their cheeks had begun to blush, words flowing much more freely as the pair exchanged tales between then.

“She did not! You’re making that part up!” Sugar Belle exclaimed, holding a hoof to her lips to keep her laughter in, despite a few giggles slipping out.

“It’s true!” Big Mac replied, confidently adding, “With Celestia as my witness, not a false word have I uttered this day!”

Sugar Belle replied by devolving into a fresh bout of laughter, holding onto Big Mac to keep herself from toppling off the couch. “Oh, I wish I could have been there!” She said once she had gotten her laughter under control. “That would have been a joy to watch!”

“Oh, it was, mark my words.” However, the smile on Big Mac’s lips slowly slid into a frown as he glanced at the fireplace. “I wish you could have been there too…” he muttered, though not quiet enough for Sugar Belle not to hear him and glance up at him.

“I sometimes wish I could spent more time with you, too…” she said, resting her head on Big Mac’s shoulder. “Being so far away from you is hard, but I wouldn’t give up what we have for all of Equestria.”

“Neither would I,” Big Mac replied, leaning over and nuzzling Sugar Belle’s cheek. “I love you, my adorable Sweetie-Pie.”

“And I love you, my big, strong stallion.”

Nothing more needed to be said as the two snuggled together on the couch, basking in the warmth of the fire. As the moments ticked by, Sugar Belle felt a feeling in the pit of her stomach, Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but right now Sugar Belle knew more than ever that now was the time to finally come clean. “Hey, Big Mac—“

“Sugar Belle, I—“

They both stopped, turning to look at one another at the realization that they had both spoken at the same time. “Sorry, you go first.” Big Mac offered.

“N-no, you should go first.”

“No, you go. Whatever you have to say is much more important than what I was about to say.”

Sugar Belled opened her mouth to refute him again, before closing it and giving a shake of her head. Glancing towards the fire, Sugar Belle finally said, “Big Mac, I… there’s… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now, but I… I’ve been too scared to tell you. I have a… a secret I’ve been keeping from you.” 

“A… secret?” Big Mac repeated, his voice sounding more confused than anything else.

Forcing herself not to look Big Mac in the eyes for fear of completely breaking down, Sugar Belle hung her head in shame as she continued. “I’ve… I’ve wanted to tell you for sometime, but… but… I was too afraid… afraid of how you would react. This secret of mine…” Sugar Belle felt like she was on the verge of tears now, “It’s… it’s not normal… so I was afraid that you would… would look at me like some kind of freak or weirdo, or—“

Sugar Belle stopped as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, holding her in a comforting embrace. Sniffling, Sugar Belle sunk into Big Mac’s embrace, the feeling of security wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

“I could never do that you,” Big Mac finally said, his voice calm and soothing as he did his best to reassure the unicorn. “I love you, and nothin’ will ever change that. No matter what this secret of yours is, I promise that it won’t change how much I love you.”

“Thank… you…” Sugar Belle squeaked out, feeling some of her anxiety melt away. “I needed to hear that…”

“If it makes you feel better, I…” Big Mac paused for a brief moment before continuing, shame written clear across his face, “… I also have a secret I’ve been keepin’ from you.”

Sugar Belle thought she must have heard him wrong, so she glanced up at him and said, “A secret? You?”

Big Mac nodded. “Not just from you, but from my family too. If they ever knew…” Big Mac shuddered slightly. “I don’t even want to think bout what would happen if they ever found out. Just like you, I was afraid that if you ever found out, you wouldn’t want to be together with me anymore… I… I…” Whatever Big Mac was going to say further, it all disappeared the moment he felt Sugar Belle’s lips press against his cheek, a sense of calm washing over him as she leaned over to whisper into his ear.

“I also meant every word when I said I loved you,” she said, placing another kiss against his cheek. “I know that keeping a secret from yer family couldn’t have been easy, but I just want you to know that no matter what it is, it’s not something that could make me stop loving you. Afterall…” she giggled as she thought back to before they started dating, “Any stallion I would choose to be together with even after making an utter fool of himself to earn my affection must be pretty special.”

Big Mac was giddy with excitement from both kisses, a feeling of relief passing over him. “Well, I’ll have you know that no matter how embarrassin’ or strange your secret is, its can’t possibly be any weirder than mine.”

“Oh, really?” Sugar Belle replied, smirking up at him. “Is that a challenge? Because I’ll tell you now that nothing could be stranger than what I’ve been keeping a secret.”

“Are you so sure of that?” Big Mac countered, grinning as well as he met Sugar Belle’s eye. “Well, now you’ll just have to tell me your little secret so I can prove to you that mine is weirder.”

“Oh no, I’m not letting you pull one over on me like that! How about you tell me your secret first and I’ll be the judge, hmm?”

Big Mac seemed to consider it for a moment before replying, “Alright, but only under two conditions.”

“Name them.”

“First, it would probably be easier if I showed you rather than told you.”

“That’s fair,” Sugar Belle admitted. Seeing was believing, afterall. Considering what her secret was, showing him would probably be much easier than trying to tell him. “What’s the second condition?”

“The second thing is…” Scootching closer, Big Mac tightened his grip on Sugar Belle and said, “That we would spend a little while longer together by the fire.”

Without a word, Sugar Belle relaxed herself into Big Mac’s arms, staring at the fire as she rested her head against his broad shoulder, feeling him relax moments later. For a few brief moments, the pair sat in total silence, content in just spending a few extra minutes snuggling with their special somepony. Deep in their hearts they both knew now more than ever that no matter what happened next, they would face it together.
> Ch. 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was a bad idea…

That single thought was running through Big Mac’s head on repeat as he stood in the centre of his room, the door shut behind him as he stared at one of the bags he had brought with him, the one containing everything he needed to indulge himself in his secret hobby of dressing up like a mare and fawning over himself in the mirror. 

Only now it wasn’t a mirror he was about to get all dress up for…

Big Mac nearly jumped out his skin at the sound of several light knocks against the door, whirling around to find it still closed. “Big Mac?” Sugar Belle said from outside the room, a hint of concern in her voice. “Are you okay? You’ve been in there a while now…”

“E…Eyup!” Big Mac quickly replied, doing his best to try and swallow his building anxiety. “I’m just… just nervous is all! I’ll be done in a moment!”

There was silence for a moment before Sugar Belle replied, “All right, if you’re sure…”

Breathing heavily, Big Mac turned back around to face the bag once more, no closer to working up the courage to open it then he was before. As he stood their, his mind drifted back when they had been together on the couch by the fire, and what Sugar Belle had said to him then.

“I also meant every word when I said I loved you…” Her voice echoed in his ears, “… No matter what it is, it’s not something that could make me stop loving you…”

Breathing deeply through his nose, Big Mac readied himself as he strolled up to the bag and unzipped it, staring at the myriad of items that lay safely inside. Despite his hooves trembling like leaves in the wind, Big Mac reached into the bag and began to get ready…


***


Sugar Belle was starting to worry again. She knew this couldn’t be an easy thing for Big Mac, but she couldn’t help herself as she started to pace outside the room, periodically pressing her ear to the door in an attempt to pick up any sounds from inside. Occasionally she would pick up the sounds of muffled movement from inside, as well as what sounded like… singing? “What could he possibly be doing in there?” she wondered.

As she raised her hoof to knock again, she heard Big Mac call through the door, “Okay, I’m ready. You can come in now, Sugar Belle.” 

Suddenly overcome with uncertainty, Sugar Belle glanced at the door knob, feeling a knot of fear start to grow in the pit of her stomach. Come on, Sugar Belle, you can doing this! You promised you would support him, no matter what!  And yet, the aspiring baker couldn’t find the will to open the door, afraid of what she would see on the other side.

Of course, deep down Sugar Belle knew the real reason she was suddenly stalling. Once she saw what Big Mac’s big secret was, it would only be a matter of time until it was ultimately her turn to reveal her secret to him, and she wasn’t looking forward to that in the slightest. 

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Sugar Belle finally forced herself to open the door and step inside. “Okay, Big Mac, I’m coming I—“ Sugar Belle froze, her eyes widening and her mouth flopping open at what she saw standing before her. Honestly, Sugar Belle didn’t know what she was expecting to find on the other side of the door, but she could certainly say that this hadn’t been it. “Wha… what… the…”

Standing in the middle of the room was Big Mac… or what appeared to be Big Mac anyway, now dressed in a sunflower yellow sundress while wearing a large bouffant wig on his head, slippers on his hooves and… was he wearing makeup too!? Sugar Belle was at a loss for words, standing as still as a statue in the doorway as her brain tried to process it all.

With each passing second, Big Mac wanted nothing more than to find a deep hole to hide in. His face was even redder than usual, no matter how much he tried to hide it behind a layer of makeup. He had never felt so humiliated and ashamed in all his life at having somepony—anypony!—see him like this. During the Sisterhooves Social, he had told himself that it had all been for Apple Bloom, so he had been prepared to face what ridicule would come his way because of it. But now…

Working up the courage to look up, Big Mac met Sugar Belle’s eyes, looking for even the smallest hint of disgust in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes… the ones he had first fallen in love with all those months ago. Clearing his throat, Big Mac began to speak. “Do… do you remember that story I told ya way back, the one where I dressed up like a mare so I could compete with Apple Bloom in the Sisterhooves Social?”

Sugar Belle nodded her head, her eyes not even so much as glancing away from him as she picked her jaw up off the floor.

“Well, ya see… the thing is… that… that wasn’t the first time I had gotten all dressed up like that.  The truth is I’ve been doin’ this for… for some time now, long before you and I started datin’. When I’m like this, I just feel… prettier. Happier, like there’s nothing I can’t do if I really wanted to!” A smile spread across Big Mac’s lipgloss covered lips as he finally put into words how it felt for him to dress up like this. However, his joy was short lived as he was overcome with another wave of shame. “I… I wanted to tell you sooner, but I…” Big Mac hung his head, too ashamed now to look as Sugar Belle as he muttered, “I was too embarrassed ta. I mean, who ever heard of a stallion wantin’ to dress up like a mare!? Like… like some kinda… some kinda freak!” Big Mac shouted, clamping his eyes shut to keep tears from leaking down his face.

Hearing Big Mac shout like that finally managed to snap Sugar Belle out of her stupor. With slow steps, she walked closer and closer towards Big Mac until she was standing directly in front of him. “Big Mac, you look… you look…”

“Ridiculous?” Big Mac muttered, his eyes still trained on the floor. “Disgusting? Pathetic?”

“Gorgeous!”

Like a rubber band, Big Mac’s head snapped up to look at Sugar Belle, dumbfounded to find the mare smiling up at him. “Wha…what?”

“I mean it! You look absolutely gorgeous right now!” Strolling around him, Sugar Belle took in his every shape and curve. “Could you twirl for me, please?”

“Uuhhh…” Still in a state of shock, Big Mac did as he was asked without question, his shoes clicking against the floor while he did so. 

Sugar Belle practically squeed with glee as she took in Big Mac’s new appearance. “Oh, I wish I could look even half as good as you do right now! And your makeup!” Getting up right in his face, the exited unicorn squished his cheeks with her hooves as she admired his makeup. “Did you learn to do this all by yourself?”

“E…Eyup? I’ve had a lot of time to practice and— Wait, wait, wait!” Pulling back, Big Mac shook his head to make sure he wasn’t imagining all this. “You’re not… disgusted by all this?”

“Disgusted?” Sugar Belle echoed, tilting her head slightly. “Why should I be?”

“Because… because I’m a stallion!” Big Mac shouted, stomping his front hooves in frustration. “Stallion aren’t supposed to wear dresses, or put on makeup or… or… or any of this!”

“Says who?”

“Says… says everypony, that’s who! If anypony ever knew… if my family ever knew, I’d… I’d…” Grunting, turned his back to Sugar Belle in shame. “You… you should be laughing at me, not encouraging me!”

“Would it make you feel better if I was? Laughing at you, I mean.”

“N…no, but… but…” Big Mac was at a loss for words, having fully expected Sugar Belle to be disgusted by all. Before he could wallow any further into self doubt, he felt a hoof against this back and the feeling of soft lips against his cheek.

“I’m sorry…” she said, her voice practically bursting with concern. “I’m sorry you had to hold all this in for so long. I can’t even imagine how you must have felt, feeling like you should be ashamed because of something you truly enjoyed. No matter what any other pony might think, I don’t have a problem with you wanting to dress up like this.”

“You… you don’t?”

“Of course not! I mean, it’s obvious to me that this is something you really enjoy doing and you’re not hurting anypony by doing it, are you?”

“N…No…”

“And there you go!” Smiling, Sugar Belle nuzzled her cheek against Big Mac’s, making sure not to accidentally smug his makeup. “As long as you enjoy it, I don’t see a problem with it. As far as I’m concerned, all that matters is that you stay true you, instead of trying to be some pony you’re not.”

In that moment, Big Mac felt truly lighter, like he had been carrying the weight of the world for so long and had finally had it lifted off his shoulders. A smile spread across his lips as he leaned down and nuzzled the wonderful unicorn beside him. “What did I ever do to deserve somepony as wonderful as you, Sweetie Pie?”

“I ask myself that same question every day,” Sugar Belle replied, looking up at the stallion in mare’s clothing with a sly grin. “Of course, you realize this means I’m going to inevitably ask you to do my makeup for me, right?”

“But of course!” Big Mac replied, adopting his Orchard Blossom voice as he gave a shake of his mane. “After all, it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of Equestria if I kept all these beauty tips to myself, now would it, hmmm?”

Sharing a laugh between them, the pair settled into a comfortable silence for a bit, relaxing from the stress of the last few minutes.

Eventually, Big Mac spoke up. “Hey, Sugar Belle?”

“Yeah?”

“I… I think this means it’s your turn now, remember?”

In a blink, Sugar Belle seemed to visibly wilt, her ears drooping as she quickly looked away. “It’s… I… I mean we don’t have to do this right now, do we? We could always wait until tomorrow to—“

“Nope,” Big Mac forcibly replied, placing his hoof on Sugar Belle’s chin and prodding her to look him in the eye. “I know how tempting it can be to put this off, but I also know that if y’all don’t do this now, then you’ll only keep puttin’ it of more and more.”

Sugar Belle sighed, unable to deny that he was unfortunately right. If she didn’t do it now while she had the chance, she might never be able to do it at all… “I know, it’s just…” A blush began to spread across her cheeks as she said, “… It’s… it’s kinda embarrassing…”

“More embarrassin’ than a stallion who likes to dress up like a mare?” Big Mac replied, trying his best to comfort his marefriend. “You accepted my secret, so the least I can do for ya in return is to try and understand yours. Remember what I said before?” Placing his arm on her back, Big Mac pulled her into a hug, running his other hoof gently through her mane. “I love you, and nothin’ will ever change that.”

Sugar Belle sighed, feeling some of her anxiety wash away. “I know, I just… need a moment…”

Big Mac said nothing, continuing to run his hoof through Sugar Belle’s mane comfortingly. They remained that way for some time, neither one of them uttering so much as a word.

Eventually, Sugar Belle reluctantly pulled away from Big Mac and turned towards the door. “Alright… time to get this over with. Follow me…” With heavy hooves, Sugar Belle trotted to her room across the hall, Big Mac following in step behind her. The whole time, Sugar Belle couldn’t shake the dread building inside her, like she was walking towards her own execution. 

As Sugar Belle walked into her room, Big Mac paused in the doorway. “Do ya want me to wait outside while you—“

“No, you might as well come it. It’ll be easier that way.” Walking across the room, Sugar Belle stopped in front of one of her bags, the one containing all her foal supplies. Her heart hammered away in her chest furiously as she stood there, feeling her throat tighten and her mouth dry up as she tried desperately to work up the courage to do what she needed to do.

“Sugar Belle?” Big Mac said from behind her, noticing how much she was trembling. Could this secret of her’s really be that bad? he wondered, his mind starting to conjure up any number of possibilities as too what it could be.

After several agonizingly slow minutes, Sugar Belle eventually used her magic to unzip the bag, holding it above her head as she turned to face Big Mac. “Well… here it is…” she said as she turned the bag upside-down and unceremoniously dumped the contents onto the floor.

Big Mac was taken aback by the large pile of items strewn about before him. Lettered blocks, a rattle, a pacifier and plenty of diapers… all things you would need to take care of a foal. Big Mac’s heart shot into his throat as he wondered, Could… could Sugar Belle be pregnant?! But… but we never—

Panting slightly as he tried to collect himself, Big Mac began to notice something odd about all the supplies, especially the diapers. He had cared for both Applejack and Apple Bloom when they were foals, so he was no stranger to diapers like these, except that these ones seemed… too big. Much too big to fit a young foal. In fact, they seemed just big enough to fit a full grown pony, particularly a pony like—         

Big Mac’s eyes widened as the pieces slowly came together in his mind. “Sugar Belle… are these… are all these for you?”

“Y…yes…” Sugar Belle replied, hanging her head in shame. “All of this is mine, even the… even the diapers…” Sugar Belle’s embarrassment only grew as she finally uttered the dreaded “d” word out loud. 

“But… but why?”

“It’s because…” With a heavy sigh, Sugar Belle finally admitted, “I’m… I’m an Adult Foal. I… I like to pretend like I’m a foal again, playing with toys, crawling around everywhere, drinking from a bottle and even… even wearing diapers.”

Now it was Big Mac’s turn to stand there with his mouth hanging open, his mind working at full capacity to try and digest all this.

“I… I know this must be a shock to you… and I… I understand if you’re disgusted by all this but… but … I…” Unable to stop herself, the words just seemed to tumble out as Sugar Belle rambled on and on. “… This is a part of me, something I’ve felt since as long as I remember. I tried giving it up along with my cutie mark after I started living in Starlight’s village, but the urge just kept on coming back over and over again until I… Until I just couldn’t deny it anymore. When I act like a foal, I feel… happy, like all the stresses and problem in my life just fade away. I mean, what foal needs to worry about things like working a shop, or doing taxes to making sure your special somepony doesn’t accidentally discover your secret!” 

Now hyperventilating, Sugar Belle looked about ready to faint as she continued to ramble, tears started to roll down her face. “And… and I started fantasizing about you… you looking after me, like a Daddy caring for his foal! I’ve wanted that more than anything else but I couldn’t… I couldn’t—“ Sugar Belle was suddenly silenced by the feeling of a pacifier being popped into her mouth. In a state of shock, Sugar Belle automatically began to suckle the pacifier, feeling some her anxiety start to dissipate. Looking up, she saw Big Mac standing over her, a look of concern written clear across his face.

“Breathe, Sweetie-Pie. Just… breathe.”

Doing as she was told, Sugar Belle took a deep breath through her nose, not once pausing from suckling her pacifier. As she filled her lungs with much needed oxygen following her outburst, she felt Big Mac reach up and wipe her tears away, glancing up to find, of all things, a comforting smile on his face.

“Better?”

Sugar Belle nodded her head, as she did feel better than she had before.

“Good. Now, I have a few things to say, so I just need to you to listen to me. Can you do that for me, Sweetie-Pie?”

Again, Sugar Belle nodded her head.

“Alright…” Taking a deep breath of his own, Big Mac began. “First of all, I just want you to know that you were very brave in telling me all this. I know it couldn’t have been easy to admit all this, let alone to another pony like me.”

Sugar Belle actually felt a smile start to tug at the edge of her lips, feeling herself relax a small bit from Big Mac’s appraisal of her.

“Secondly, I just have to say that you win our little challenge from before. I can honestly say that your secret is far more embarrassing and stranger than mine…”

And just like that, Sugar Belle felt those same good feeling start to fade, glancing down at the floor.

“…However,” Big Mac continued, “Just because it’s strange doesn’t mean it’s wrong, nor does it mean I don’t want to try and understand it.”

Looking back up, Sugar Belle felt like she was going to start crying again as she said, “You… you mean it?”

“Of course! Honestly, there’s still much about you being an ‘Adult Foal’ that I don’t understanding, so who better to help me understand than you?” Suddenly, Big Mac’s soothing smile slipped into a frown. “Sadly, I can’t fulfil yer last wish. I can’t be your Daddy.”

Sugar Belle felt her heart drop at hearing that from him, but she knew it was a long shot anyway. There was no way he was going to want to—

“However!” Big Mac suddenly said, his Orchard Blossom voice in full force as he said, “How you feel about havin’ a Nana instead, hmm?”

Sugar Belle’s eyes positively lit up like a neon sign. “Really!?”

“But of course! Why, what kinda pony would I be if I let an innocent foal like you without somepony to look away her and make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble? I’d be delighted to help!”

Practically pouncing Big Mac, Sugar Belle wrapped her arms around the large stallion as she hugged him tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!”

Smiling, Big Mac patted her on the back as he returned the embrace. “Now… it’s getting late,” he said, glancing out the window at the night sky. “I think it’s bout time for somepony to get herself ready for bed.”

“But… but I’m not ti…tired…” As if on cue, Sugar Belle let out a loud yawn, the emotionally trying events of that night finally starting to take its toll on her.

“Nuh uh! Foals need their rest if they’re ever want to grow up to be big in strong!” Pulling away from Sugar Belle, Big Mac turned around and picked up one of the diapers off the floor, holding it up for Sugar Belle to see. “Come along now, hop up into bed and Nana will change you.”

“Wha…what?” Sugar Belle gasped, her eyes drawn to the diaper. “Are… are you sure you’re okay with—“

“Now, now! I don’t want to hear any complaints!” Turning her around, Big Mac began to lead her over to the bed. “Foals can’t be trusted to keep themselves dry through the night, so Nana will just have to make sure yer nice and padded up! Now hop up!”

Is… is this really happening? Sugar Belle wondered as she hopped up onto her bed and laid on her back. The unicorn was a big ball of conflicting emotions, but the biggest emotion of all was giddy excitement. I’m about to be changed, not by myself, but by another pony! 

“Lift up, Sweetie-Pie,” Big Mac said as he unfolded the diaper, gently sliding it under Sugar Belle’s bottom and threading her tail through the back.

“Do you even know how to change a diaper?” Sugar Belle asked in-between suckling her pacifier.

Big Mac just looked at her with a deadpan expression on his face. “Two younger sisters, remember?”

“Ah, silly me…” Sugar Belle was silent as Big Mac worked to diaper her, sprinkling a helping of talcum powder onto her belly before bringing the front of the diaper up and over her belly. Sugar Belle felt like she was on cloud nine, practically bubbling over with excitement as Big Mac securely taped the diaper onto her.

“And… there we go! My little filly is all snug like a bug in her diaper. Now she’s finally ready for bed!”

Giggling, Sugar Belle wormed her way under the covers, revelling in the crinkling of her diaper. Just as Big Mac was about to tuck her in, however, she suddenly shot up and yelled, “Wait!” Using her magic, Sugar Belle picked up her stuffed Bumblebee and brought it over to her, hugging it tightly in her arms.

“Oh my! Now who is this little fellow? A friend of yours, perhaps?”

“Yep! This is Cupcake and he’s my bestest friend in the whole world!”

“Well, it’s quite a pleasure to meet him. Now, no more dillydallying outta you!” Pulling the covers up, Big Mac tugged Sugar Belle, making sure she was nice and snug. “Would you like Nana to sing you a lullaby to help you sleep?”

Sugar Belle nodded, relaxing as Big Mac began to sing to her. Big Mac had the most beautiful singing voice, and she always loved it when he sang for her. Slowly, her eyes began to grow heavy as she drifted off to dreamland, secure in the knowledge that she had a Nana to look after her. Before long, she was fast asleep, making adorable purring noises as she slept.

Big Mac stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of his marefriend’s sleeping form. She looked so adorable and peaceful… With a smile, he leaned down and gently kissed Sugar Belle on the cheek. “Sweet dreams, my lovely Sweetie-Pie.”

Sugar Belle mumbled something, but remained fast asleep. On careful hooves, Big Mac tiptoes across the room towards the door, making extra sure to softly close the door behind him as not to disturb the slumbering mare. Sighing, he slumped against the wall, feeling more exhausted now than he had after even the toughest of work days. The night had certainly been a strange one, and he just knew that it was only going to get stranger from their.

As he got up and began a slow walk towards his bed, Big Mac was already making plans for the morning. Seeing how happy and peaceful Sugar Belle had looked had lit a fire in him, and he knew that it was his duty to make sure she had the time of her life during their stay.

After all… It was a Nana’s job to look after their foal, was it not?
> Ch. 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A beam of sunlight slowly began to creep across the floor of Sugar Belle’s room, eventually falling on the slumbering mare’s face. Grumbling, Sugar Belle batted at the light, as if trying to knock it away from her face so she could continue sleeping. After several attempts, Sugar Belle yawned as she opened her eyes, realizing that her attempts at getting back to sleep were in vain. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she sat up in bed, her ears perking up at the sound of muffled crinkling coming from beneath her covers.

Snapping awake, Sugar Belle ripped the covers off, starring wide-eyed at the thick diaper she was wearing. All at once, the events of last night came flooding back to her. Big Mac revealing his secret to her, revealing her secret to him in turn, him offering to be her “Nana”, him diapering her and singing her a lullaby…

The unicorn blushed at the lingering emotions she felt after everything that had happened, unknowingly sucking away at the pacifier still in her mouth. A part of her still wondered if everything had just been a dream, a wonderful dream she was only now waking up from.

Her ears perked up again as she began to notice a sound coming from downstairs. Listening closer, Sugar Belle could just make out what sounded like singing. Was Big Mac already awake? Her curiosity peaked, Sugar Belle climbed out of bad and walked towards the door to her room, her diaper causing her to waddle the whole time. As she opened the door and stuck her head out, she could hear the singing much clearer now, cautiously tiptoeing out into the hall and following the sound. Reaching the stairs, Sugar Belle crouched down and peered through the gaps in the railing.

From the top of the stairs, Sugar Belle could just make out the kitchen below, as well as the large form of Big Mac standing in the kitchen, wearing the clothes he had shown her the night before as he worked to make what she could only assume was breakfast, humming to himself the entire time. Seeing Big Mac dressed like he was finally confirmed to Sugar Belle that the events from last night had not been a dream, but had been very real indeed. The unmistakable smell of apples and cinnamon wafted up to tickle her nose, her stomach grumbling as she was reminded of how hungry she was.

Sugar Belle moved to climb down the stairs, only to pause before her hoof could touch the top step. Glancing behind her, she shook her diapered rump, causing the diaper to crinkle slightly. While Sugar Belle utterly adored how the diaper always managed to push her back legs apart enough to turn her walk into a waddle, one thing she had never even considered was needing to travel up and down stairs while wearing the thick padding. She had always indulged herself in the comfort of her room, so needing to use the stairs had never been an issue until now. She couldn’t help but imagine herself ultimately tripping down the stairs, wincing at the mental image of her falling into a heap at the bottom. 

“Bi—“ Just as she began to call out the Big Mac, Sugar Belle stopped herself as she remembered Big Mac’s words from last night. He said he would be willing to be my Nana, so maybe… “Na… Nana?”

Big Mac stopped singing at the sound of Sugar Belle’s voice, turning around and glancing up at her, a warm smile spreading across his face at the sight of her. “Ah, I see my little filly is finally awake!” He said in his Orchard Blossom voice. “I meant to wake you up sooner, but y’all looked so peaceful I couldn’t bring myself to disturb ya. I’m almost finished makin’ breakfast, so why don’t ya come on down while Nana gets everythin’ ready for ya?”

Sugar Belle said nothing, nervously glancing at the steps before glancing back down at Big Mac.

Big Mac gasped. “Oh! Does somepony need some help gettin’ down stairs?”

Sugar Belle nodded her head, pleading with her eyes for Big Mac to come and help her.

“Oh, dear! How silly of me! I wouldn’t want my Sweetie-Pie to accidentally take a tumble and hurt herself, now would I?” Switching off the burner, Big Mac galloped over to the stairs and walked up towards Sugar Belle. “Oh, please forgive Nana for being so forgetful! She should know that little fillies like you need extra care sometimes!” Reaching the top of the stairs, Big Mac held out his hoof to Sugar Belle. “Here, let Nana help you down the stairs…”

Smiling, Sugar Belle graciously reached out to grab Big Mac’s hoof, suckling her pacifier as she was carefully led downstairs. While she did end up tripping once or twice, Big Mac was there the whole time to steady her and keep her from falling. After several slow moments, they finally reached the bottom as Sugar Belle was led into the kitchen. 

Letting go of her hoof, Big Mac walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for the infantile mare. “Go on, climb up for Nana.”

Doing as she was told, Sugar Belle hopped up onto the chair and plopped her padded rump down on the seat, giggling as her rump sunk into the soft padding of the diaper. Her tail wagged behind her as she watched Big Mac scoop out what appeared to be fresh porridge into two bowls and set them on the table, taking the seat next to her as he gently popped her pacifier out of her mouth so she could eat.

“Now, Nana knows how hungry you must be, Sweetie Pie, but Nana has to ask you somethin’ first. Are you a big mare who can feed herself, or do you want Nana to feed you instead?”

Sugar Belle blinked at the odd question, glancing down at the bowl of porridge in front of her. Ordinarily, needing to ask for help to feed herself was something she had never considered. And yet… she couldn’t deny how appealing the idea sounded to her in that moment, and how utterly foalish it sounded.

Giggling, Sugar Belle threw up her arms and exclaimed, “Nana feed! Nana feed!”

“Alright, settle down, little one,” Big Mac said with a chuckle as he picked up Sugar Belle’s spoon with his hoof and scooped up a helping of porridge. After blowing on it to make sure it wouldn’t be too hot for such a young filly, he held it out to her and said, “Now, open wide for Nana!”

Opening her mouth with a loud, “Aaahhh…”, Sugar Belle was rewarded with a spoonful of apple porridge, the taste of apples and cinnamon tickling her taste buds as she chewed.

After taking a moment to eat some of his own porridge, Big Mac scooped up another spoonful of porridge and held it out to Sugar Belle. “Here comes the train, Chu Chu!”

And thus, the pair fell into a happy rhythm as they enjoyed their breakfast. Eventually, Big Mac fed the final spoonful to Sugar Belle, noticing that despite his best efforts, Sugar Belle had somehow gotten porridge on her belly. “Looks like somepony is a messy eater! Nana will just have to make sure to make you wear a bib from now on then.” Getting up, Big Mac picked up the bowls to put in the sink for later, before grabbing a washcloth and running it under the tap for a moment. Walking up to Sugar Belle, Big Mac began to wash the porridge out of his marefriend’s fur, prompting a bout of giggles to erupt from the pink unicorn.

“Na… Nana! Stop!” Sugar Belle pleaded in-between giggles. “That… that tickles!”

“Hold still, Nana is almost done…” After a few more seconds filled with giggles, Big Mac eventually finished scrubbing the mare clean, stepping back to let the mare catch her breath. “There! A clean foal is a happy foal! Now, since you were such a good little filly while Nana fed you, Nana has a surprise for you!”

Sugar Belle giggled, clapping her hooves together in excitement as she watched Big Mac walk over to the fridge and reach inside, her eyes widening as he pulled out one of the baby bottles she had brought, only this one had been filled to the brim with milk. When did he…

After taking a moment to warm up the bottle with hot water and dry it off, Big Mac walked back to the table and set the bottle in front of Sugar Belle. “Now, you sit right here and behave yourself while Nana goes upstairs for a moment. Can you be a good foal for Nana while she’s gone?”

Nodding her head, Sugar Belle picked up the bottle in his hooves and brought it to her lips, soon rewarded with a steady flow of warm milk for her efforts. Sugar Belle didn’t even notice Big Mac leave, drifting deeper and deeper into a foalish mindset as she happily suckled her bottle, her belly filling up with warm milk.

Sooner than she would have liked, however, the bottle finally ran dry, a few last suckles only earning her puffs of air in return. Setting the bottle back down, Sugar Belle was unprepared as she let out a loud burp, covering her mouth with her hooves as she began to blush once more. Giggling, she popped her pacifier back in her mouth and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her now full belly with a content sigh. “Ahhh… this is the life…”

“I’m back!” Big Mac called out as he strolled down the stairs, the bag of Sugar Belle’s supplies slung over his back. “Now that yer nice and full, I think yer ready for some play time!”

Sugar Belle squeed with excitement as she was helped down from her chair before racing off into the living room. Big Mac couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched her padded rump sway along with her tail, bringing to his mind the image of Winona as he followed behind her. Pulling out a blanket and unrolling it onto the floor, Big Mac pulled out all of the toys Sugar Belle had brought with her and set scattered them in a circle atop the blanket. “There, now everything’s ready for my little one to enjoy herself!”

Without needing to be told, Sugar Belle plopped herself down on the blanket before reaching for the nearby blocks and beginning to stack them. After she had stacked them up to her horn, Sugar Belle knocked the bottom brick out from under it, giggling as the tower tumbled down around her. As she reached for the blocks to begin stacking another tower, she realized that something was missing, glancing around at all the toys with worry. “Where—“

“Hello, Sugar Belle!”

Looking up, Sugar Belle found herself face-to-face with Cupcake, nearly toppling back out of surprise. Looking past the stuffed bumblebee, she saw he was being held by Big Mac, the stallion sitting across from her as he puppetted the plush animal. Raising his voice even higher than he already had, he said, “It’s me, Cupcake! Yer very bestest, westest friend in the whole world! That looks like fun, can I play with you? Pretty, pretty please?”  

Holding her hooves over her mouth, Sugar Belle giggled as she replied, “Sure! I’d love if you would play with me, Cupcake!”

And so, Sugar Belle played with her toys in infantile bliss, the time just flying by as the air was filled with the sound of joyous laughter. Suddenly, Sugar Belle paused from her playing as a sudden urge made itself known, frowning as she glanced down at her diaper.

She had to pee.  Normally, the fact that she was wearing a diaper would usually cause her to go with barely a second thought, often times so lost in the mindset of a foal that she barely even noticed. However, the thought of doing so in front of Big Mac made her feel suddenly very self-conscious, biting her lip as she wiggled around.

Noticing Sugar Belle’s sudden change in behaviour, Big Mac asked, “Sweetie-Pie, what’s wrong?”

Refusing to meet Big Mac’s eye, Sugar Belle eventually managed to mutter, “I… I have to go potty…”

Big Mac paused, realizing quickly the situation Sugar Belle was in and why she seemed so ashamed. After thinking it over for a moment, Big Mac picked up Cupcake and began to make it speak again. “But, Sugar Belle! The potty is for big ponies, not little foals like you! That’s why you wear diapers, so you don’t have to worry about using the potty yet!”

“I… I guess?” Sugar Belle replied uncertainly.

“However…” “Cupcake” continued, “I’m sure if you asked Nana, she’d let ya use the potty like a big pony. I’ll be with you the whole time, so no need to be afraid!” 

Sugar Belle was silent as she considered Cupcake’s words. Just like with breakfast, she realized Big Mac was offering her a choice, the choice to only take things as far as she was comfortable with. What’s more, she realized he was letting her know in his own way that no matter what choice she made, he would stick by her.

After a moment of thinking it over, Sugar Belle made her decision, scrunching up her face as she tried to let go.

At first, nothing happened, years of potty training fighting against her. Steadily though, a small flow began, quickly becoming a roaring stream as Sugar Belle wet her diaper, a low hissing sound filling the room as her diaper began to swell beneath her. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally stopped, leaving the mare now wearing a very used diaper. “Na…Nana?” She squeaked out, glancing up at Big Mac with pleading eyes.

“Yes, Sweetie-Pie? Tell Nana what’s wrong.”

“I… I…” Blushing heavily, Sugar Belle looked like she was about to start crying as she finally said, “I… I had an accident…”

“Oh, come here, Sweetie-Pie…” Big Mac cooed as he hugged the mare, running his hoof comfortingly down her back. “Don’t be sad, that’s why foals like you need to wear such soft diapers, to hold in all their little accidents. It’s nothing to a shamed of.” After holding her for a few more moments, Big Mac stepped back and booped her lightly on the nose. “Just lay back, and Nana will see about changin’ ya into a nice fresh diaper. How does that sound?”

Nodding her head, Sugar Belle suckled her pacifier for comfort as she laid back onto the blanket, listening as Big Mac rummaged around inside the bag for a moment. Keeping her eyes trained on the ceiling, she could hear the loud rip of the tapes as her diaper was undone, the cold air brushing against her fur as the used diaper was pulled out from under her. A small shriek escape her throat as she felt the coldness of wipes against her fur, but it was only for a moment before she felt the soft padding of a fresh diaper slide under her rump, followed by the scent of talcum powder in the air.

The whole time, Sugar Belle was strangely calm, almost like having her diaper changed like this was the most natural thing in the world to her. And it might as well have been, as she basked in the feeling of safety and security of having her diaper changed, knowing that meant there was somepony there to look after her and make her feel loved. Eventually she felt the front of the diaper being pulled up before the tapes were secured in place, sealing her once more into a soft, cushiony diaper.

“There, all clean!” Leaning down, Big Mac pressed his lips against Sugar Belle’s belly and blew a short raspberry, prompting the mare to erupt into a fit of giggles. “There’s my happy filly! I was wondering where she went.”

“Thank you, Nana,” Sugar Belle said, staring into Big Mac’s eyes as she removed her pacifier and tilted her head up so she could kiss him on the nose. “I love you, Nana.”

“And I love you, my adorable Sweetie-P—“

KNOCK! KNOCK!

In an instant, the atmosphere inside the cabin popped like a bubble, the two ponies shooting to their hooves as they stared in the direction of the front door, their hearts simultaneously skipping a beat as they heard more knocking against the door, followed by a voice that made their blood chill. “Big MacIntosh? Sugar Belle? You two fella’s home?”

“It’s Wood Chipper!” Big Mac said, whispering under his breath to keep from being heard by the pony at the door. “We can’t let him see us like this!”

“I know!” Sugar Belle whispered back, just as terrified as her colt friend. “What do we do!?”

“Should we wait for him to leave?” Big Mac suggested.

“But doesn’t he have a spare key to the cabin? What if he comes in!?” Glancing over at Big Mac, a desperate idea began to form in her mind. “Quick, give me your dress!”

“Wha…what?”

“Just do it!” Sugar Belle replied, nearly ripping the sundress off the stallion’s body with her magic before he finally got it off and she was able to throw it on herself. It was obvious at a glance that the dress was clearly too big for Sugar Belle, but Sugar Belle was banking on that in the hopes that it would work to conceal the diaper she was wearing. Pointing at Big Mac, she said, “You stay hidden, I’ll go see what he wants.”

“But… but Sugar Belle–“

“Coming!” Sugar Belle called out as she strolled over to the door, wincing at every little crinkle her diaper made. Finally reaching the door, she threw it open to find Woods standing on the porch, blinking at her sudden appearance. Putting on the best smile she could manage given the situation, Sugar Belle tried to remain calm as she said, “Oh, Wood Chipper! What a pleasant surprise!”

“Hello, Sugar Belle,” Wood Chipper greeted with a tilt of his hat. “Sorry if I’ve come at a bad time…”

“No, no, no, no! I was just busy drying my mane after a shower, which is why I didn’t hear you right away! Did you need anything perhaps?”

“Just came by to let y’all know I’ll be headin’ into town for a bit, and wanted to see if there were anything ya wanted me to pick up while I was there.”

“N-no, I think we’ve got everything we need. Thanks for the offer, though…”

“Alright, if ya sure…”

As Wood Chipper began to walk away, an idea suddenly popped into Sugar Belle’s head. Do I dare? “Uh… Wood Chipper! Hold on a moment!”

Pausing, Wood Chipper turned back around to look at her. “Ah, think of something ya need?”

“Well, it’s just… if it’s not too much trouble, I mean… I was wondering… wondering if you wouldn’t mind picking me up some paper and crayons while you’re in town?”

Wood Chipper raised an eyebrow at the odd request. “I could try, but whatever for?”

“Well…” Glancing around, Sugar Belle smiled as she said, “It’s just… being here has started to awaken my more creative side, and I was hoping I could draw something to remember it all by.”

“Ah, I see!” Wood Chipper replied with a grin. “Captivated by the landscape, are we? Can’t blame ya none, even after all these years I still find myself being wowed by the place. Alright, I’ll see what I can do! I expect I’ll be back some time before nightfall, so don’t wait up for me, and y’all have a pleasant day now!”

“You too!” Sugar Belle called back as she watched Wood Chipper depart. Once she couldn’t see him anymore, she jumped back inside and slammed the door behind her, slumping against it for support as she slid down onto her diapered rump with a relieved sigh. Phew! Good thing I already went, or I would have probably wet myself out of fear! 

Poking his head up over the couch, Big Mac asked, “Is… is he gone?”

“Yeah, he’s gone…” Sugar Belle replied, sighing as her racing heart began to go back to its normal rhythm. “That was way too close a call…” 

“Eyup.”

The two shared a glance between them for a moment before breaking out into a fit of laughter, laughing from a mix relief and at how utter absurdity they must have looked in that moment. 

After getting their laughter under control and catching their breath, Sugar Belle grinned as she looked over at Big Mac. “You know… Woods said he probably wouldn’t be back for some time, so how would you feel about doing something a bit more… adventurous?”

Big Mac raised an eyebrow at Sugar Belle’s choice of words. “What’d y’all have in mind?”

“Well…”


****


Some time later, the pair exited the cabin and stepped out into the sunlight as they began a slow trek into the bordering forest. However, rather than go out for a stroll as a couple, they instead were going as a Nana and her foal, with Big Mac wearing his yellow sundress again as he carried a picnic basket on his back. Sugar Belle followed beside him, the light blue dress she was wearing doing an adequate enough job of hiding her thick diaper, besides the occasional crinkling coming off her as she walked.

While the two were understandably nervous about going outside dressed as they were, they couldn’t deny that they felt a certain exhilaration from it, secure in the knowledge there there weren’t any ponies around to gawk at them. Still, they didn’t travel far, only a few minutes away from the cabin just in case somepony were to stumble upon them and they needed to make a swift getaway.

After laying out the picnic blanket, the pair settled in for a nice quiet lunch of sandwiches and veggies, with a few bottles of warm milk packed for Sugar Belle to enjoy. Very little was said between them as they enjoyed their lunch, just enjoying the other’s company as they basked in the sights and sounds of the forest around them.

After both had had their fill, Big Mac stood up to pack everything back up, when suddenly he felt something against his nose. He had just enough time to look up at Sugar Belle’s smiling face before she shouted, “Tag! You’re it!” and took off, giggling the whole time.

Big Mac looked confused for a second, before a grin broke out across his face. “Oh, yer in for it now! Come here!” Chasing ofter her, the pair ran around in circles around their picnic sight, laughing and giggling like a pair of school ponies after sneaking out late at night for a date. 

Eventually, Big Mac managed to catch up to waddling mare, playfully pinning her to the ground as he whispered into her ear, “Tag, yer it.” Grinning devilishly, he leaned down and began to lightly nibble along Sugar Belle’s ear, causing the mare to gasp from the contact.

“Bi—Nana! That’s not… that’s not how you play tag!” Wiggling underneath Big Mac, Sugar Belle somehow managed to free her ear from Big Mac’s grasp before flipping them both over, the pair rolling around on the grass for a moment before they finally came to a stop, only now Big Mac was lying on his back with Sugar Belle standing over him, her grinning face staring down at him.

“Tag,” she said as she booped him on the nose a second time, “You’re it.”

“Alright, alright, ya caught me…” Big Mac remarked as he looked up into Sugar Belle’s eyes. “I think y’all deserve a reward for that one.”

“And I know just the thing…” Sugar Belle said as she leaned down and pressed her lips against Big Mac’s, Big Mac returning the kiss as the world seemed to fade away around the two lovers. In that moment, all that mattered to them was each other, and no force in Equestria would be able to stop them.

Well… except for their need to breathe, as the two only pulled away once they finally needed to catch their breath, both gasping for air as their lips separated. Rolling over, Sugar Belle flopped down next Big Mac, her dress train riding up to reveal her diaper to the world, but Sugar Belle couldn’t really find the effort to care as she lay beside her colt friend, staring up at the sky as a family of birds flew above the treetops.

“Hey, Big Mac?”

“Hmm?” Turning his head slightly, Big Mac glanced over at the mare beside him. “Yeah, Sugar Belle?”

“I… I just wanted to thank you for… for all this,” she said, gesturing at herself. “Getting to spend this time as… as your foal, with you looking after and caring for me… it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of happening and more.” Sighing contently, she added, “I feel like the luckiest pony in Equestria right now for having someone as understanding as you beside me.”

“Well, I’d say that makes two of us, then,” Big Mac replied, smiling as he looked back up at the sky. “I was so ashamed and embarrassed about wanting to dress up like a mare, and yet you accepted me without so much as a second glance. There’s not a pony in all of Equestria that I’ve felt more comfortable bein’ myself around than you, and I thank y’all for it.”

The two ponies were silent for a moment longer before Big Mac added, “I love ya, Sugar Belle.”

“And I love you too, Big Mac.”

Nothing more needed to be said at that point as the pair laid there, two of the happiest ponies around for miles.
> Ch. 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After packing up their picnic and walking back to the cabin, the pair quickly snapped back into their roles as a Nana and her precious foal. Sugar Belle wasted little time in returning to her toys, the sounds of foalish giggling filling the cabin. Eventually though, Sugar Belle grew bored with this, which was when Nana decided now was good time for her foal to take a nap. Despite how fussy she was about having her playtime interrupted, all it took was one lullaby from Nana and she was out like a light.

While she napped, Wood Chipper returned from his trip into town, dropping off the crayons and paper Sugar Belle had asked him for. Thankfully, Big Mac had the foresight to undress himself before then, thankfully avoiding the potential embarrassment of needing to answer the door in a dress and makeup. When Big Mac had nudged Sugar Belle from her nap and told her about the colouring supplies waiting for her, she had been a bubbling well of excitement as she was carefully lead downstairs by Nana to play with her new toys.

Sugar Belle hummed to herself as she suckled her pacifier, happily scribbling away with her crayons. Having fully embraced her inner foal, Sugar Belle wasn’t even bothering to use her magic as she clutched the crayon tightly in her hoof as she drew. Across from her, Big Mac was occupying himself with a crossword puzzle book he had brought with him, occasionally peeking over at Sugar Belle to see how she was coming along with her drawing.

Younger than a Mare, five letters… Big Mac didn’t have to think hard on that one, writing “filly” into the boxes. Moving onto the next clue, Big Mac tapped his pencil lightly against his chin in thought. Valuable or beloved, eight letters…

“Look, Nana!” Sugar Belle suddenly exclaimed, derailing Big Mac’s train of thought for a moment. “Look what I drew!”

Setting his book down, he smiled as he saw what Sugar Belle had drawn. If you didn’t know any better, you would think an actual foal had drawn it with how messy it looked. Still, Big Mac could still make out what appeared to be a house in a green field, several trees in the background while the sun shined brightly in the sky. Standing next to the house were two pony shaped blobs, a red one and a pink one. Above the blobs, Sugar Belle had also scribbled in messy writing “Nana” and “Me!” to tell them apart. 

“I drew us!” Sugar Belle giggled. “Isn’t it pretty?”

“Why, it looks wonderful, dear!” Big Mac cooed, walking over and patting the foalish mare on the head, succeeding in earning even more giggles from her. “I think somethin’ this wonderful deserves its own spot on the fridge. Would you like that if Nana hung your drawin’ up on the fridge?”

Sugar Belle nodded her head in response. Still smiling, Big Mac took the image and strolled over to the fridge and pinned the drawing to it with a free magnet. “There! Now everypony can see how talented my little filly is!”

“Yayyy!” Sugar Belle cheered, clapping her hooves together excitedly. “I’m gonna draw many drawings for Nana to hang up on the fridge!” Picking up her crayon, Sugar Belle went right back to doing just that, suckling her pacifier as she focused onto her drawing.

Big Mac felt his heart fill with warmth at the sight of Sugar Belle so focused on her drawing. She looked so happy, so carefree, so… A lightbulb lit up in Big Mac’s head as he walked over and picked up his crossword book again. Eight letter word for ‘valuable or beloved’… Sparing one more glance at Sugar Belle, Big Mac filled in the answer:

Precious.


****


As evening bled into night, Big Mac cooked up a nice dinner of apple salad, mashed potatoes and steamed carrots for the two of them, happily feeding Sugar Belle her meal at her request. 

“Very good, Sweetie Pie!” Big Mac praised her as he fed her the last of her supper. “You managed to eat it all without making a mess. Nana is so proud of you!” Once Sugar Belle had swallowed the last of her food, Big Mac reached over and began to tickle Sugar Belle’s belly, a fresh bout of giggles erupting from the foalish mare’s mouth. “Who’s Nana’s little Sweetie-Pie? You are! Yes you are, yes you are!”

“Na—Nana!” Sugar Belle pleaded as she was tickled, second away from wetting herself from laughter. Luckily, Big Mac stopped his tickle torture before that could happen, allowing the mare to catch her breath.

“Since you’ve been such a good filly for Nana,” Big Mac said, “I think you’ve earned yourself a reward, my adorable Sweetie Pie.”

“Yay!” Sugar Belle’s tail wagged behind her as she watched Big Mac walk over to the fridge and remove a bottle of milk, licking her lips as he warmed it up for her. However, her happiness became confusing as Big Mac began to walk towards the living room. “Ummm… Nana?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Big Mac smiled as she said, “Come along now, Sweetie Pie! Nana has a special surprise for you in the living room!”

Still confused, Sugar Belle climbed down from her chair and waddled behind Big Mac into the living room. As Big Mac climbed up onto the couch, her patted the spot next to him. “Hop up, dear. Nana knows you can do it.”

Sugar Belle’s eyes widened as the pieces began to connect in her mind. Does… does this mean he’s going to… Despite a few awkward attempts thank to the thickness of her diaper, Sugar Belle finally managed to hop up onto the couch (with a little help from Nana, of course), scooching closer to Big Mac as he patted his lap.

“Lie down for Nana now, dear…”

Sugar Belle’s heart hammered away in her chest as she laid down in Big Mac’s lap, her pacifier removed as he held the bottle over her face. This… this is really happening… I’m about to fed a bottle like a… like a foal! 

“Now, open wide for Nana!”

Opening her mouth, Sugar Belle didn’t have to wait long before she felt the nib of the bottle pass her lips, automatically sucking away as a stream of warm milk filled her mouth and flowed down into her belly. Sugar Belle was in utter heaven, her body tingling with warmth as she was fed her bottle like the foal she was. So comfortable was she in that moment that Sugar Belle didn’t even notice as she began to wet her diaper, too lost in the tranquil bliss of being Nana’s foal. Time lost all meaning as Big Mac began to sing to her, her eyes beginning to grow heavy. She probably would have fallen asleep right there if not for the bottle finally running dry, her belly now filled with warm milk.

“There we go! All done your baba!”

Sugar Belle barely registered Big Mac’s voice as she felt her body shift, too lost in euphoric bliss to notice as Big Mac picked her up and rested her chin on his shoulder. She felt his hoof caress her back for a moment before he gently tapped her on the back, once, twice… “URP!” Sugar Belle blushed as she let out a loud burp, a line of drool dripping from her mouth onto Big Mac’s shoulder.

“That’s it, let it all out for Nana. We wouldn’t want you to get a tummy ache, now would we?”

Giggling at the knowledge that she had just been burped for the first time since she was an actual foal, Sugar Belle nestled into Big Mac’s embrace as she reached up and wrapped her arms around lovingly around Big Mac’s neck. “”Thank you, Nana,” Sugar Belle said as she nuzzled against Big Mac’s shoulder. “This has been one of the happiest days of my life. I wish we could stay like this forever…”

“Me too, Sweetie Pie…” Big Mac murmured as he rubbed Sugar Bell’s back. “Me too…”

The couple sat there together for sometime, both wishing that they could stay this way forever. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be, as the two knew in their hearts that they had responsibilities and friends and family back home, things they couldn’t ignore no matter how much they desperately wanted to. Still, the two ponies took a small solace in the fact that their time together had been spent well, greatly strengthening their relationship as they allowed the other to indulge in their wildest dreams.

Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t still continue enjoying every last minute of their time together before they had to head home, a fact pointed out as Big Mac put his hoof on Sugar Belle’s diapered rump and gave it a squish. “My my, you really filled this one, didn’t you? I think somepony needs a change into a fresh diaper, doesn’t she?”

Sugar Belle giggled as she pulled away from Big Mac and hopped down from the couch, waddling happily as she was lead upstairs for a well needed diaper change.  


****


And so, the final day of their stay finally arrived. After a morning spent playing together as Nana and her foal one last time, the couple reluctantly changed out of their roles and began to clean up the aftermath of their brief stay. Any remaining food was packed neatly into the cooler, all the clothes and items they had brought with them had been packed away into their respective bags, their beds were neatly made and any trash (especially all of Sugar Belle’s used diapers) had been collected and scooped into a large garbage bag before that was then tied up inside a second garbage bag. 

Woods had informed them when they had arrived that any trash wouldn’t be thrown out until the day after they left, so the pair wanted to make absolutely not to leave any evidence of their special activities behind. After finishing up dusting and cleaning around the cabin, you wouldn’t even know that a pair of ponies had just spent the weekend there. 

Woods arrived soon after to escort them to the station, as well as see them off. “Now, don’t be strangers, ya hear?” Woods said as the train pulled up to the station. “Feel free to come back anytime and visit if’n yer in the area!”

“We will,” Sugar Belle said as she walked up and gave Woods a quick hug. “Thanks so much for all your help.”

“No need ta thank me, dear. As I said, any friend of Rarity’s is a friend of mine! Oh, and please say hi to Rarity for me when ya get back to Ponyville, would ya?”

“We will, don’t worry.” As the train signalled for passengers to embark, Big Mac and Sugar Belle waved one last goodbye to the old Earth pony as they climbed onto the train and took their seats. In mere moments, Vanhoover station was behind them as the train set off for Ponyville.

As Sugar Belle watched the hillside zoom by them, she sighed as she pressed her hoof to the glass. “Looks like our little get-together had finally come to an end…”

“Eyup,” Big Mac replied from beside her.

“Still, it was certainly a memorable one, wasn’t it?”

“Eyup,” Big Mac said with a smile as he leaned over and nuzzled Sugar Belle’s cheek. “Who coulda ever imagined the weekend would’a ended up like it did?”

“I’ll say!” Sugar Belle said with a smile as she rested her head against Big Mac’s shoulder. “Still, it was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it?”

“Eyup…” Was Big Mac’s reply as he glanced out the window. “Ya know… it doesn’t have to end just yet. Ya could always stay for dinner, I’m sure nor Granny nor Applejack wouldn’t mind.”

“Hmmm…” Sugar Belle thought for a moment before sighing. “As much as I’d love to, I really should be getting home and back to my little bakery. Plus, Double Diamond and the others will probably want to hear all about my big weekend away with my special somepony.” Glancing up to see Big Mac frowning slightly, she giggled as she said, “Don’t worry, I intend to give them the short version if they ask. Our time spent as Nana and foal will stay just between us, as it should.”

“Eyup…” Big Mac said one last time as they two became silent, happy to just share one more moment together.

“Approaching Ponyville Station!” The conductor’s voice soon filled the cabin. “Any passengers getting off at Ponyville Station prepare to disembark! I repeat, any passengers getting off at Ponyville Station please prepare to disembark!”

“Well, there’s my stop,” Big Mac said as he began to pull away from Sugar Belle. Before he could though, Sugar Belle took the chance to land one last kiss on his cheek, causing the big stallion to practically melt in his seat. Leaning forward, she whispered something into Big Mac’s ear, something that caused a smile to spread across his face as he leaned over and whispered something back. As the train pulled into the station, Big Mac finally pulled away to collect his luggage before making his way for the nearest exit.

Applejack was there to greet him as he disembarked, running up her big brother and giving him a big Apple Family hug.”There ya are, ya big goof. So, how was yer weekend away with Sugar Belle?”

“It was…” Glancing over his shoulder, Big Mac smiled as Sugar Belle waved at him from the cabin, waving back at her as he said, ”… lovely.” 

Applejack chuckled at the dopey, lovestruck look plastered across her brother’s face. “Well now, as glad as I am to her that, I hope ya haven’t gone soft on me after a few days away with yer marefriend! There’s still plenty of chores to be done back on the farm, and you’ve got a lot of time to make up for!”

“Eyup!” Big Mac replied, the two laughing together as the train began to pull away, Big Mac’s gaze following Sugar Belle the entire time as the train set off down the tracks towards its next destination. Picking up his bags, Big Mac slung them over his back at the two Apple siblings made their way down the path back into Ponyville.

“Reckon y’all were right, Applejack,” Big Mac said suddenly, catching Applejack off guard for a moment.

“Right about what?”

“When ya said I’d ‘appreciate this after gettin’ to spent some time with Sugar Belle’. A weekend away was just what I needed, and I’m glad to have a sister like you lookin’ out for me.”

“Darn tootin’! Somepony has to be there to wrangle your stubborn behind! Now come on, Granny’s got a fresh apple pie waiting’ for us back home!”

Smiling, Big Mac set off for home, thinking back to the words Sugar Belle had whispered into his ear before they’d parted:

Until next time… Nana.


[Sugar Belle]


As Ponyville Station disappeared from sight, Sugar Belle sighed as she leaned back in her seat. Despite needing to part with Big Mac for now, her heart was still filled with warmth at the knowledge that they would be together again soon, reaffirmed by the words Big Mac had whispered lovingly into her ear:

Until next time… my sweet foal.   
> Ch. 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fall was in full force in Ponyvile, the leaves on the surrounding trees changing from green to gorgeous shades of red, orange and yellow as the air began to grow colder in preparation for the coming of winter. Bracing a gust of wind that nearly succeeded in knocking her on her flank, Sugar Belle clutched at the scarf she was wearing as she made her way down the streets of Ponyville.

Despite the weather, Sugar Belle still had much to smile about. Her apprenticeship with Mrs. Cake was going well, her baking skills having improved by leaps and bounds thanks to the more experienced mare’s tutelage. If that wasn’t enough, her apprenticeship also meant she got to spend more time in Ponyville, which meant more time to spend with her special somepony, Big MacIntosh.

Sugar Belle let out a content sigh as the image of a certain apple red stallion popped into her head. She could hardly believe that almost a year had passed since the two had started dating (ignoring a brief misunderstanding during Hearts and Hooves day), and Sugar Belle couldn’t remember a time she had been happier. Actually that wasn’t true, as there was one memory she cherished more than any other; the memory of the time the pair had spent the weekend together in a cabin just south from Vanhoover, a weekend that had drastically altered their relationship for the better.

Sugar Belle still felt her heart fill with joy every time she thought back to that weekend, when the pair had shared their deepest, darkest secrets with one another. For Big Mac, it was a desire to dress himself up like a mare, with dresses, makeup and pretty mane in all. For Sugar Belle, it was the desire to dress and act like a foal, complete with wearing and even using diapers. Despite the pair believing that revealing their secret would end up tearing their relationship apart, it had only served to strengthen their relationship further as the pair then spent the majority of that weekend not as marefriend and colt friend, but as a loving Nana caring for her young foal.

Unfortunately, Sugar Belle had begun to long for that feeling again, the feeling of being cared for like a foal. However, due to the couple’s busy work schedules, they had barely had the time to indulge in their newly shared hobby outside of a few brief and secretive moments while together.

Which was why Sugar Belle was currently braving the chilly winds in order to reach a very distinct building in Ponyville. It was partially the reason, actually, as she had another goal in mind as she walked up to the very stylish Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door.

“Come in!~” came a singsong voice from within as Sugar Belle stepped inside, the chime above the door alerting the owner to a new guest.

“Ah, Sugar Belle!” Rarity said with a smile as walked up to the mare. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she noted, “Your consultation isn’t for another ten minutes, after all.

“I know,” Sugar Belle replied as she unwrapped her scarf from around her neck, the warmth of the boutique casting away any lingering chill from her coat. “I just thought it would be nice if we had a chance to talk first. We haven’t really had a chance to get to know each other very well, and I suppose I was hoping you and I could maybe become friends?”

“Why, that sounds like a marvellous idea!” Rarity said, practically bouncing on the tips of her hooves. “Follow me to the kitchen and I’ll put on a pot of tea for us.”

As she followed Rarity into the kitchen, Sugar Belle took the time to admire the main showroom, taking in the array of beautiful dresses on display. “You know… I think this is my first time being inside your store, Rarity. It’s a lot… bigger than it appeared from the outside.”

“Appearances can be deceiving, my dear,” Rarity replied with a noticeable hint of pride in her voice as she set the kettle onto the burner. “There we are. Now…” Walking over to the table, the pair sat across from each other as as Rarity asked, “Where would you like to begin?”

“Well…”

And so, the two ponies occupied themselves with getting to know one another. Sugar Belle told Rarity about how her apprenticeship with Mrs. Cake was going, while Rarity regaled Sugar Belle with tales about the dresses she was currently making to showcase in her boutique in Canterlot. If any pony walking outside were to pick up on the sounds of the two mares laughing, they might be forgiven for thinking the two were a pair of old friends who had reunited after a long time apart.

Once the tea was ready and Rarity had served the two of them each a cup, their conversation began to shift to other topics. Eventually, Rarity asked the inevitable question of, “So, how is your relationship with Big MacIntosh going?”

“Oh, it’s wonderful!” Sugar Belle exclaimed, positively grinning from ear to ear. “Ever since me and Big Mac started dating, my life has been one happy moment after another. I’ve never met a pony before who I’ve felt more comfortable being with, he’s just so…” Sugar Belle sighed wistfully as she held her face in her hooves, a lovestruck grin on her face. “So lovely…”

Rarity giggled at the expression of profound love painted across Sugar Belle’s face. “I’m happy to hear that. I know Big Mac has had some… interesting mares in his life before, so it’s nice to hear that you’ve each finally found your special somepony.”

Sugar Belle nodded her head at Rarity’s words, taking a moment to take a sip of her tea. “Actually, I wanted to thank you for letting us use your family cabin a few months ago. That weekend we spent together was one of the happiest moments of my life.”

“Ah, no need to thank me, Sugar Belle. I’m just happy knowing that you two were able to spend some quality time together.” Taking a sip of her own tea, Rarity giggled as she added, “Oh, you would not believe the look on my father’s face when I asked him if I could let a pair of friends use the old cabin. I’ve only ever seen him that happy on the rare occasion his team actually wins a game!”

The two mare giggled for a moment before settling into a comfortable silent as they enjoyed their tea. After several moments, Sugar Belle decided now was a good time as any to inquire about one of the reasons she was there. “So, Rarity, I was wondering… would it be too much trouble for me to ask if we could use your cabin again?”

“Not at all, darling! All you have to do is ask and it’s all yours and Big Mac’s for as long as you need it!”

“Thank you! Oh, there must be some way for me to thank you for all you’ve done for us!”

“No need, seeing the pair of you happy together is payment enough.” Sparing a glance at the clock, Rarity gasped as she realized how long they had been talking. “Is it that late already? Oh my, we’d better start your consolation right away if we’re going to get it done in time!”

Sugar Belle’s smile began to slowly disappear off her face. “Oh, right… the consultation…” Sugar Belle had been simultaneously dreading and looking forward to the other reason she had wanted to meet with Rarity. “Well, you see…”

“Oh, one moment, dear!” Running into the showroom, Rarity returned but a moment later with her notepad and a pencil held in her magic. “Now, what kind of dress were you looking for me to make? Something bold and flashy, or something more casual perhaps? Is it for a formal occasion or—“

“Actually…” Sugar Belle interjected, nervously rubbing her hooves together. “The dress I want isn’t really for me…”

“Ah, so a gift then? Well, who is this lucky mare then? Oh, I’ll need to figure out their measurements if I don’t—

“It’s…” Sugar Belle gulped as her tongue twisted itself into knots. Moment of truth… “It’s… its not for a mare, actually…”       

A thick silence fell over the pair as Rarity stared at Sugar Belle, a hint of confusion in her eyes as Sugar Belle felt like she wanted to disappear under Rarity’s gaze.

“Sugar Belle,” Rarity suddenly said, her voice eerily calm as she set her notepad and pencil down in the table. “If I am going to be making this dress for you, then I am first going to need you to answer a single question before I will agree to your request. And please, I ask that you be completely honest with me and tell me only the truth. Is that fair?”

Sugar Belle nervously nodded her head.

“Very well. Now… would I be right in my assumption that you want me to make this gift for none other than Big Mac?” 

Hanging her head, Sugar Belle nodded her head again. When she finally worked up the courage to look up a Rarity, she was supposed to find, not disgust or condemnation on Rarity’s face, but a look of understanding.

“Ah, so he finally told you, did he?”

“Wha… what?” Sugar Belled replied, her mouth hanging open in shock. “You mean… you knew?”

“Not knew, more like suspected for some time now,” Rarity said with a smirk. “You see, I had begun to notice that Big Mac seemed to linger somewhat whenever he passed by my boutique, as if admiring the dresses I had put out for display that morning. I thought nothing of it at first, you see, as countless ponies walk by my store on any given day. However, I suspected there was something more when Big Mac walked into my shop one day to inquire about makeup, of all things. When I asked him why he was looking for makeup, he became noticeably nervous as he quickly muttered out some lie about it, ‘being a late birthday gift for Applejack’, not that I was fooled for even a moment, mind you. Still, I am not one to stand in the way of another’s quest for beauty, so I assisted him as best I could in picking out a shade of makeup that I knew would match perfectly with his coat. Judging by how happy he looked the very next day, I suspect I made the right choice.”

“And you weren’t… disgusted by it?” Sugar Belle cautiously asked.

“Oh, heavens no! It is my belief that beauty knows no boundaries, whether they be gender, species or even walks of life, everyone is allowed to look as beautiful as they feel without need to fear shame or ridicule for it. I will not judge any stallion who wants to look good in a dress, no matter who they may be. Don’t worry, his secret is safe with me, of that I can assure you.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sugar Belle smiled. “Thank you, Rarity. You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that from you.”

“Now, as for the dress…” Rarity continued, picking her notepad back up with her magic as she began to sketch out ideas. “You’re in luck, as I was the one who designed the uniforms for the Ponytones, so I already have his measurements in my files. Unless of course he’s put on a few pounds since the last time I checked…” Peering over her notepad, she smiled at Sugar Belle as she added, “Probably due to a few too many baked sweets given to him by a certain unicorn mare, hmm?”

Sugar Belle blushed, chuckling to herself. “Actually, I had a few ideas I wanted to run by you, if that’s okay…”

“Of course! If there’s any pony who would know what a pony like him really likes, it would have to be you.”            

So together, the pair worked to design the perfect dress for Big Mac, one that would surely knock his horseshoes off.


***


The sound of wine glasses clicking together rang through the air as Big Mac and Sugar Belle shared a toast, both smiling from ear to ear. The couple had arrived at Rarity’s family cabin just a few hours before, and had decided to go all out for a nice romantic, candle lit dinner. Laughter filled the air as they enjoyed their meal, while sharing a bottle of red wine between them.

By the time they were finished, the sun had only just set below the horizon, the moon rising up to take its place. After taking a moment to clean up the dishes, Big Mac turned to Sugar Belle and said, “Now that that’s all taken care of, what would y’all say to having some ‘special fun’, my precious Sweetie Pie?”

“Eager to get started, are we?” Sugar Belle giggled, blushing slightly as at the anticipation having Big Mac switch into her Nana to take care of her. Quelling her bubbling excitement for now, Sugar Belle batted her eyelashes at Big Mac as she said, “Before we begin, I have a little surprise for you.”

Big Mac raised an eyebrow slightly. “A surprise?”

“Mhh hmm! You wait right here while I go get it.” Going him a quick kiss on the cheek, Sugar Belle galloped over to and up the stairs, leaving Big Mac to wait in the kitchen with his thoughts.

What is she planning? Big Mac wondered to himself. It’s not my birthday… I wonder what she—

“I’m back!” Sugar Belle called out, snapping Big Mac from his thoughts as she descended the stairs, a large, flat box tied up with a box carried aloft in her magic. Trotting up to him with a smile on her face, Sugar Belle took the box in her hooves and held it out to him. “Surprise!”

Big Mac eyed the box apprehensively as he took it from her. “What’s the occasion?”

“There isn’t one. Just a little something for being the best Nana ever. Go on, open it! Open it!”

Chuckling at Sugar Belle’s excitement, Big Mac set the box down as he undid the bow with his teeth and carefully popped off the lid. His eyes widened at what he saw inside, his mouth flapping open as he attempted to form words. “Is… is this…”

Sugar Belle nodded her head, smiling as Big Mac carefully extracted the item from within, treating it with the care of an archaeologist unearthing a rare and priceless artifact.

Holding it up, Big Mac was left speechless at the sight of the dress held in hooves, sown from a vibrant green fabric that perfectly matched the colours of his cutie mark. Golden filigree delicately woven into the fabric lined the hem and collar of the dress, as well as forming beautiful designs on the train of the dress. Finally, a bright red apple brooch served to hold the collar in place.

“Wow… this is… wow…”

Sugar Belle smiled at being able to render even somepony as quiet as Big Mac utterly speechless. “Do you like it? I had Rarity custom make it just for you.”

Big Mac’s already wide eyes became will with fear at the mention of Ponyville’s resident fashionista. “You… you told Rarity!?”

“I did, but she said she’d started to suspect something after the time you asked her for makeup tips. Don’t worry, she’s totally okay with you wanting to look pretty and everything, and promised me that your secret will remain safe with her.”

Big Mac let out a sigh of relief at that, having guessed that Rarity had deduced his secret long ago and had been keeping it under wraps all this time. “That’s good…”

“Well? What are you waiting for? Try it on!” Sugar Belle encouraged him, grinning from the excitement of it all.

Big Mac needed little encouragement after that, as he walked into the living room to don his new outfit. As the soft fabric brushed against his coat, Big Mac felt a bolt of excitement shoot up his spine. Taking a moment to pin the brooch in place, the stallion glanced over his newly attired form. Despite being known as pony of very few words, Big Mac could still be very articulate when he wanted to be, and yet even he was at an utter loss as to how to describe how wonderful the dress felt on him. Perfectly hugging every curve and muscle, the dress fit almost like a second skin, feeling more natural than anything Big Mac had ever worn before. Twirling around, a smile spread across his face at how the dress train moved with him, flowing gracefully behind him like a physical extension of himself. 

In that moment, Big Mac was in utter heaven.

“I take it you like it?” Sugar Belle said with a giggle as she watched her colt friend take in his new dress with wide-eyed awe and amazement.

“I… I love it! Thank you so much!” Running up to Sugar Belle, Big Mac embraced her in a fierce hug, nearly knocking her over in the process “Thank you so much…” Big Mac repeated, tears of joy threatening to pour down his face.

Patting the stallion on the back, Sugar Belle smiled at the mere sight Big Mac clearly overjoyed with his gift. “I’m glad I could make you happy after everything you’ve done for me. You know…” Grinning devilishly, Sugar Belle leaned over to whisper into Big Mac’s ear, “Rarity also said that she wouldn’t mind if you ever wanted to model some outfits for her…”

Chuckling, Big Mac pulled away as he patted Sugar Belle on the head. “Maybe later, as for now…” Leaning over, Big Mac kissed Sugar Belle on the forehead as he said, “I think it’s time a certain little filly was changed into a fresh diaper before she piddles all over the floor!”

“Na-Nana!” Sugar Belle replied, blushing from a mix of embarrassment and excitement as she took Big Mac’s hoof and was carefully lead upstairs. Her heart filled with warmth as she glanced over at her special somepony.

I couldn’t have asked for a better colt friend than Big Mac. Or a better Nana!


THE END