A part of Hitch always hated to leave his office for any reason. To that part of him it felt like he was abandoning his duties and responsibilities as the sheriff of Maretime Bay. But the more rational part of his mind overruled him. He needed a break, he needed to get away from it all, just for a little while.
Even so, Hitch was practically a nervous wreck as entrusted the care of his office (and by extension Sparky) to Sunny. Sure, it was only for a weekend. But the stallion was still very reluctant to leave despite having already packed up his things for his weekend getaway.
"Remember, Sunny," Hitch said to his childhood friend while taking one last look around his office, just to make sure everything was as it should be. "If something comes up that's not on the list, call me right away. I'll drop everything and come running back to take care of it."
Sunny couldn't help but giggle at the stallion's anxiety. No wonder he was taking the weekend off from his duties. The stress of the job (on top of all the other stress he had to deal with) was clearly getting to him. "Relax, Hitch. Everything will be under control. I'll make sure Sparky behaves, eats, and goes to bed when he's supposed to. And I'll make sure the paperwork is just the way you want it," She then smiled and patted his head. "You go enjoy your weekend with your gran gran. Tell her I said hello."
The now off-duty sheriff breathed a small sigh of relief, convinced that he had nothing to worry about. "I'll try to remember, Sunny. You know how things go there: Before I know it, the weekend's over and I have to go back to work. Time flies when you're being pampered by your grandmare." It was possible to notice a faint blush on his cheeks as he spoke those words. What he and Grandma Figgy did on the weekends when he came to visit her wasn't exactly a secret: His closest friends knew about it, not that Hitch would ever admit to it. It wasn't necessarily something he was ashamed of either. It was just that one part of his mind was always telling him that such a thing was wrong, even when it never won out.
"You always were a grandma's boy," Sunny teased. "So go ahead, go see her and relax. I wish I could go too, but I haven't saved up enough time off from my smoothie cart just yet."
"It would be nice to have you do it with me, Sunny," Hitch replied as he grabbed his bags and headed for the office door. "Maybe next time. Until then, just make sure everypony knows I won't be around the office this weekend. Don't want ponies to start panicking," He proceeded to blow a kiss to none other than Sparky. "See you on Monday, Sparky. Be a good little dragon for Sunny, okay?"
Sparkly babbled a reply. He seemed to be okay with the prospect of his papa not being with him for a few days.
Satisfied that everything was under control and that he wasn't forgetting anything, the stallion with an orangish-yellow coat grabbed his bags and departed. It wouldn't take him long to get to Grandma Figgy's, and already he could feel the butterflies in his stomach. Was he really about to do this again?
Hitch had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. "It's just for a weekend. Come Monday, I'll be rested and ready to get back to work like the big pony I am." He sought to reassure himself. It seemed to work, at least for the time being. He was certain that by the time he reached his grandma's cottage, she would already have everything ready for him.
At long last, the familiar outline of Grandma Figgy's cottage came into view over the horizon. In a matter of minutes, Hitch would come trotting through the door and into the warm, welcoming embrace of the only living family he had. Since losing his parents at a young age and soon afterward having to face the unexpected death of Sunny's father, Hitch had drawn close to his grandma. She was a pony he knew he could always turn to whenever he had a problem.
Pausing for a moment to compose himself and take a few deep breaths, the off-duty sheriff began to hesitate. There was that nagging part of his mind again, telling him that he was about to do and what he was about to let Grandma Figgy do to him was wrong. He was grown-up now, he shouldn't be seeking comfort in such childish things.
The nagging thoughts soon subsided the way they always did. If this were the first time the stallion was doing this, he might have felt tempted to agree with them. But he'd done this so many times already it had basically become a tradition, just like the traditions from Wishentine's Day. Once the thoughts had faded away completely, the earth pony broke into a happy gallop as he raced towards his grandmother's cottage. He really needed this!
Hitch soon reached the cottage's front door and eagerly knocked on it after carefully setting his bags down. It didn't take long for the door to open and his Grandma Figgy to come trotting out to embrace him.
"Hello, Hitch," Grandma Figgy chipperly greeted as she reached out her hooves and pulled her grandson in a warm, inviting hug. "How's my grandson doing today?"
"Doing the best I can, Gran Gran," Hitch replied as he did not fight the hug and instead let the warmth from it spread through his body. He proceeded to pick up his bags and carry them inside, not wanting to be a burden. "Life in Maretime Bay is fun, but it's also a lot of work. Being the sheriff means I'm the one everypony turns to whenever something goes wrong. I wouldn't trade it for all of Equestria, but oh boy can be it stressful! Add to that having to take care of Sparky, and some days I barely have the strength to make it through the day."
Grandma Figgy smiled as she closed the cottage door behind her. Now she and her grandson were alone. They would have the whole weekend together. And just by looking into his eyes, she could see how tense and troubled he was. Fortunately, she knew just the thing to help him take his mind off those troubles: Quite literally in fact. "Hitch," She spoke in a slow, gentle tone of voice. "Would you like me to get out your special stuff to help you relax?"
Upon hearing the words "Special Stuff" it was like a switch had been flipped on the stallion's personality. He briefly froze as a far away look came into his eyes. Then a big smile formed across his face as he replied. "Yes, Gran Gran. Want to relax."
The elderly earth pony smiled. The command had worked as intended, just like it always did. "Very well then. Come with me, and we'll get you all padded up."
Hitch obeyed without a word, following his grandmother through the cottage until they finally stopped outside a little room near the back.
Grandma Figgy pushed open the door and led Hitch inside. The room was almost like the kind of room you'd expect a foal to have, except everything was sized up to fit a full grown pony: There was a large bed with guard rails on either side, turning it into a makeshift crib of sorts. There was also a large, well stocked changing table, filled to the brim with adult sized diapers, wet wipes, rash cream, and foal powder. And there were several toys, including rattles, alphabet blocks, and a toy train painted in bright colors. The floor was covered in a soft, rubbery foam a baby blue in color. The walls were alternating hues of pink and yellow. And the ceiling was painted to look like the night sky, complete with stars and moons.
Hitch's eyes went wide with wonder as he took in the sights! "Thank you, Gran Gran!" He exclaimed, his voice having the faint hint of a lisp to it (the kind of lisp a small child might have).
The earth pony mare with a lovely pink coat just chuckled. "Don't thank me yet, my little pony," She gestured to the changing table. "We need to get you padded up so you're protected from any accidents."
In stark contrast to his usual independent self, the off-duty sheriff happily allowed himself to be hoisted up onto the changing table by his grandmother. And he wiggled and rolled about on the changing table's soft, padded surface, either not knowing or not caring as a thick, white, super-absorbent diaper was strapped to his rump. If one looked closely, they could see cartoon images of ponies printed throughout the padding to serve as wetness indicators.
Grandma Figgy helped Hitch down but a moment later, letting him get used to the extra weight around his rear. "There we go, grandson." She cooed.
Hitch immediately tried to move, only for the diaper to push his legs apart and reduce him to waddling in the most adorable fashion. When he took another step forward, his legs seemed to betray him and he fell to the ground. Luckily, he landed on his padded posture, which compressed and let out an audible crinkle. The stallion proceeded to poke at his diaper with a hoof, giggling as it compressed further. "Heh heh, poofy." He said in the most childish voice imaginable.
The elderly earth pony mare smiled as she trotted over, helping her grandson to stand. "Now you just stay here, Hitch," She instructed to him in a maternal tone of voice. "Don't wander off. Gran Gran will get dinner ready for you. And if you behave yourself, you'll get a treat afterward." To be safe, she put up a small gate. It was a gate that was much too big to stop a full grown pony, but her grandson seemed to treat it as an immovable and insurmountable obstacle.
Satisfied that her grandson was safe where he was, Grandma Figgy left the room and trotted to the kitchen.
Hitch was now alone, but he didn't seem to care. He just happily let himself fall back onto his diaper, and then crawled about the room. He didn't even try to waddle or stand up. It was like all his big pony worries had melted away, replaced by a carefree attitude. The world was his playground now. And play he would, to his heart's content.
So the earth pony with an orangish-yellow coat crawled about as his diaper crinkled audibly, his padded rump swaying from side to side with every move he made. It was playtime now. So what should he play with first? He was having a hard time deciding, everything looked so inviting.
At last, the stallion settled for playing with the alphabet blocks. He arranged them in no particular order, not caring the least if they were too close or too far apart. He tried to spell a few words as best he could, starting with "Grandma". But as he played and moved the blocks around he found it difficult to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds. Hadn't he been worried about doing this just a short while ago? Hadn't something been telling him that he shouldn't be doing what he was doing now?
The thoughts faded from mind almost as quickly as they came. As far as Hitch was concerned, this was totally acceptable. He was Gran Gran's little colt. Nothing else mattered. Gran Gran would be there to take care of his every need. He could relax and play to his heart's content, at least until his grandmother would tell him that playtime had ended.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours (but in reality had only been a few minutes), Hitch heard the door to his nursery open. In strolled Grandma Figgy, who let out an "Aw" when she saw what her grandson had been up to whilst she'd been preparing dinner.
"Hi, Gran Gran." Hitch greeted as he slowly crawled over to her, still speaking with that foalish lisp.
The elderly earth pony mare's smile grew wider and brighter as she helped her grandson to stand. She sniffed the air and patted his diaper, but felt no damp patches or lumps anywhere. "Good job keeping your diaper clean, Hitch," She showered him with praise that was only slightly exaggerated. "And thank you for staying in your nursery for me. You're such a well behaved little colt."
Hitch nodded. "Uh-huh. Be good for Gran Gran."
Grandma Figgy then went on speaking. "Well, all that playing must've made you hungry. And you know what that means."
"Hooray! Num-num time!" The padded stallion exclaimed as he clapped his hooves together.
The earth pony mare with a pink coat nodded back. "Yes, Hitch, num-num time. Let's see what delicious num-nums are on the menu today." She then took her grandson by the hoof and led him out of the nursery.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Hitch was amazed to discover a well worn highchair just his size waiting at the kitchen table! He didn't care at all that it was a baby pink in color. It was his highchair that Grandma Figgy had gotten just for him. She always kept it in reserve for occasions like these.
Grandma Figgy approached the highchair first and unlatched the bar. "Upsie daisie!" She cooed as she then helped Hitch slowly but surely scramble into the highchair. Once he was seated, she latched the bar shut once again. Then she retrieved a bib that was a baby blue in color and had the words "Grandma's Little Colt" written in such a way as a foal might try to write. Hitch didn't fight her or put up a fuss at all as she fastened the bib around his neck.
By now, the off-duty sheriff's stomach was beginning to rumble quite audibly. How long had it been since lunch? He tried to remember, but couldn't recall the time. He knew it had to have been a really long time, though. And now he was hungry. He made sure to tell his grandma that in no uncertain. "I hungry, Gran Gran."
The elderly mare replied. "I know you're hungry, Hitch. Just wait a moment. Gran Gran will get your num-nums ready." She trotted away, returning a moment later with a plate of freshly cooked vegetables: Including baby carrots, peas, and lettuce. She had made sure to cut the carrots and lettuce into small portions just for her grandson, and she sat down beside him.
Hitch took one look at the vegetables and immediately turned up his snout, protesting. "Yucky! Me want cookies!"
Luckily, Grandma Figgy knew just how to deal with such a picky eater. "If you eat all your veggies and don't make a fuss, Hitch, I'll let you have some of my freshly baked homemade cookies for dessert."
That seemed to satisfy the hungry stallion. He reached out a hoof to touch the plate, only to have it be gently brushed aside by his grandmother. "Now Hitch, you know how this works," She lightly scolded him. "You're not allowed to feed yourself. Gran Gran does it for you."
"Okay, Gran Gran." Hitch obeyed, and opened his mouth wide as he waited to be fed.
The glasses-wearing earth pony mare, satisfied with her grandson's obedience, used a fork to pick up some of the baby carrots and present them to Hitch. "Open wide for the aeroplane!" She cooed, before depositing the carrots into Hitch's mouth, watching him chomp happily away on them.
Slowly but surely, Hitch was fed his fill of the vegetables, never once making a fuss or trying to fight his grandma. He obeyed her every command without question and without hesitation. It was like he was a completely different pony.
At last, the plate of vegetables was empty. Grandma Figgy took it away, and brought out a plate of delicious looking chocolate chip cookies. The aroma from the cookies wafted through the air.
The off-duty stallion began to drool at the sight of the cookies. Yet he still waited patiently for his grandma to feed them to him one at a time. In the process, cookie crumbs and small traces of chocolate got smeared all over his face.
The earth pony mare with a lovely pink coat wasn't bothered by the sight of her grandson making a mess. She had cleaned up so many messes of his over the years, and this was no exception. So she just retrieved a green colored rag and used it to wipe off Hitch's face until it was spotless again. "Would you like some milk to go along with your cookies?" She offered him afterward.
The padded stallion nodded. "Uh-huh. Want milk."
So Grandma Figgy got up from the kitchen table and trotted away, returning shortly with a baby bottle full of milk. She presented the bottle's rubber nipple to Hitch, who eagerly accepted it and began to suckle down the bottle's savory contents.
Hitch drained the bottle quick as a flash, letting out a hearty burp afterwards. "Excuse me." He giggled.
"You're excused, Hitch." The elderly earth pony replied, before unlatching the highchair's bar and removing the bib from around her grandson's neck. She then helped him down to the kitchen floor, holding his hoof as he once more got used to the way his diaper pushed his legs apart.
Grandmother and grandson returned to the sized up nursery near the back of the cottage. Grandma Figgy was content to just stand and watch as Hitch played to his heart's content once more. "This is working out just like I hoped it would." She thought to herself. It was just like all the other times she'd done this with Hitch. Once the command was issued, he became perfectly content to be her little grandson yet again, just like when he was an actual foal. Oh, what a different world that had been.
The off-duty sheriff, of course, didn't have a care in the wide world of Equestria. No, all those big pony worries had magically disappeared. They couldn't trouble him or bother him anymore. Not while he was safe and secure in the comforting care of his Grandma Figgy. So he just spent the time playing happily with his toy train, running it back and forth in a circle while occasionally spouting "Choo choo!" over and over again.
Suddenly, however, Hitch froze. He became aware of a faint gurgling sensation in his stomach, and almost on instinct pressed a hoof to it. The gurgling didn't fade away, it just continued to linger.
Grandma Figgy could tell right away what the problem was. It wouldn't be the first time her grandson had done that in his diapers. That's what they were there for, after all. And whenever it happened, she would be ready and waiting to change him.
But it seemed like something had gotten through to the diaper wearing stallion. For he ceased altogether in his playing and stood up. A look of horror seemed to flash in his eyes as he raced to the door! "Gotta go!" He exclaimed, a sharp contrast to his carefree attitude earlier!
Grandma Figgy barred the way, locking eyes with Hitch as she asked him. "What's the matter, grandson?"
"I have to go potty!" Hitch exclaimed, his tone of voice now lacking that foalish lisp he'd been speaking with. It was almost as if he had reverted back to how he had been when he'd first arrived at the cottage.
The glasses wearing mare quickly realized what was happening. This was something that sometimes happened during the treatment. At first, she had been content to let Hitch do as he pleased in that case. But after seeing how stressed he was during the entire trip to the bathroom, they'd both agreed that something else would have to be done in situations like that.
And fortunately, Grandma Figgy knew just what to do to get her grandson to relax. "It's okay, Hitch," She reassured him whilst gently stroking his back with a hoof. "You know the bathroom's for big colts and fillies only. And you're not a big colt. You're Gran Gran's little foal. She doesn't care if you go potty in your diapers. That's what they're for. Just relax, let it go."
Those last few words seemed to trigger a response in the padded stallion, because he got that far away look in his eyes again. Then he slowly calmed down. "Okay, Gran Gran. No go potty in big colt potty. Me go potty like Gran Gran want me to."
The earth pony mare with a lovely pink coat smiled once again, satisfied that all was well. "Exactly," She then took her grandson by the hoof, figuring it would be best if he didn't have to dwell on the matter. "So don't even think about it. Just let it happen. Let's go watch some cartoons together." And she calmly led him away.
Soon, grandmother and grandson were seated on a well worn couch in the living room. With a flick of the t.v. remote, the television turned on. And soon, a bright, colorful show was being displayed on its screen. It was clearly intended for a very young audience, but neither pony seemed to mind.
Hitch became entranced by the cartoon and quickly let thoughts of everything else drift away, just as Grandma Figgy hoped they would.
Of course, the padded stallion couldn't put off what needed to be done forever. Eventually, his body stopped holding it in. The first thing to give way was his bladder, a faint hissing sound filling the air as his diaper swelled up. Slowly but surely, the wetness indicators faded away as the diaper filled up. Then, following a faintly audible grunt, Hitch's tail hiked upwards. His diaper bulged in the back as a familiar stench began to fill the air.
Grandma Figgy was well aware of what Hitch was doing, and wasn't bothered in the slightest. She was more than used to it at this point. So she just waited until she was certain her grandson was done, then sniffed the air as she pretended to only now notice the smell wafting through the air. "Smells to me like I have a stinky colt to deal with."
"I a stinky colt, Gran Gran!" Hitch exclaimed in childish delight, not at all troubled about what he'd just done. Why should he when his grandmother clearly wasn't troubled either?
The glasses wearing mare simply turned off the t.v., then once more took hold of her grandson by the hoof. She didn't want him to fall down and make the mess in his diaper even worse. "Come, Hitch," She spoke slowly and softly to him. "Let's get you changed."
It wasn't long before Grandma Figgy and Hitch returned to the nursery, Grandma Figgy taking great care as she hoisted her stinky grandson delicately onto the changing table. "Now remember, Hitch," She told him. "No wiggling about or fighting Gran Gran. We need to get you cleaned up so you don't get a rash."
The padded stallion gave a firm nod in reply, then occupied himself by sticking a hoof into his mouth and sucking on it. Right now, he didn't have a care in the world. Everything would be taken care of for him.
Taking a deep breath and pinning a clothespin to her nose, the elderly earth pony mare slowly undid the diaper's tabs and opened it. It was a good thing she had set up a diaper pail right next to the changing table. In the blink of an eye she had fully removed the dirty diaper from her grandson's rump and deposited it into the diaper pail. That was the easy part. She then took some wet wipes out from one of the table's drawers, using them to remove all traces of the "accident" from her grandson's flanks and rump. Thankfully, he didn't fight her at all during the wiping process. The wipes were subsequently discarded into a wastebasket.
All that remained was for Grandma Figgy to put a new diaper on her grandson. She retrieved one from an open box in another drawer under the changing table, this one being just as thick as the one before it. Quick as a flash, she had slid it under Hitch's rump and fastened the tabs, making sure the diaper was on securely and wouldn't fall off. For good measure, she worked in a generous helping of foal powder and even a bit of rash cream. "Okay, Hitch," She told him afterwards. "You wait there while I wash my hooves. Then I'll help you down."
Hitch was too busy sucking on his hoof to pay any attention to a word his grandma had said. Fortunately, that meant he didn't even notice when she slipped away to wash her hooves and then come back. He only became aware of her presence again when she was helping him down from the changing table. When he sat down on the nursery floor, his eyes filled with wonder as a cloud of foal powder billowed upward from the back of his diaper. Leave it to his grandma to put in more foal powder than she needed to put in. That was just one of the many things he liked about her.
"There we go. Doesn't that feel better?" The glasses wearing earth pony asked her grandson.
The padded stallion spoke not a word, but gave a reassuring nod. A fresh, powdered diaper always felt good. This was no exception. It helped him to feel even more relaxed.
The day passed slowly but surely after that. And Hitch and Grandma Figgy spent it watching as many cartoons as they could. Eventually, however, the sun set and the moon began to rise into the night sky.
That meant it was time for Figgy's grandson to go to bed, like all good foals did. Sure enough, Hitch let out a yawn as he struggled to keep his eyes open. That meant he wasn't going to put up much of a fight.
Grandma Figgy turned off the t.v. once again, and led Hitch back to the nursery. This time, she helped slip him into a pair of special pajamas that had extra room in the back and a zipper pouch to make diaper changes easier. The pajamas were a soft, baby blue in color, and were soft to the touch. To complete the look, Grandma Figgy popped a pacifier into her grandson's mouth, letting him suckle happily away on it.
Then, to help lull her grandson into a deep and restful sleep, the elderly earth pony began to sing a lullaby. It was the very same lullaby Pipp had written for Sparky, she'd kindly shared it with Grandma Figgy the first time the elderly earth pony had looked after Sparky for Hitch. It worked just as well for the parent as it did for the child.
Hitch found that he couldn't keep his eyes open. Slowly, they closed. And soon, he was fast asleep, his chest bobbing up and down with every breath.
Satisfied that all was well, Grandma Figgy turned off the light and closed the nursery door tight behind her. She would make sure to check up on Hitch as needed throughout the night, in case he awoke suddenly and needed something from her.
Just then, the phone rang. The glasses wearing pony went to answer it. She had never gotten one of those newer phones that ponies like Pipp were always fond of. The phone she had worked just fine, even if she couldn't know ahead of time who was calling her. She just picked the phone up off its receiver and carefully held it close to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, Grandma Figgy," The voice of Sunny called from the other end of the line. "Just calling to see how things are with you and Hitch. Everything's just fine here. I just put Sparky to bed for the night."
Grandma Figgy sweetly replied. "Oh, how lovely. I just did the same with Hitch. He's been such a well behaved colt today. I really wish he'd bring Sparky with him on these occasions. I think Sparky would love the treatment even more than Hitch does."
"So, how much does he know about... all of this?" The voice of Sunny questioned. "It's not permanent, but how much does he remember afterwards?"
"As much as he wants to remember," The glasses wearing earth pony explained. "I've let him know in no uncertain terms that he can always stop if he feels uncomfortable. But he always insists on coming back even after he knows what he'll be in for," A bright smile crept onto her face as she added. "I think a part of him feels like he grew up too soon, that he had to give up all the comforts of his childhood too early. And this is his way of returning to it. Whenever the stress of the real world gets to be too much for him, he can come here and leave it all behind for a day or two."
"That sounds rather nice, actually," The voice of Sunny replied. "It's not surprising he would need to be convinced at first to do it. He's the kind of pony who never takes a break unless you force him to," She then whispered. "Your secret's safe with me. Hitch shares with me and the others only what he wants to share. I'll see him back at his office on Monday." And then the call ended.
Grandma Figgy hung up the phone and stayed awake for a little while longer, just in case her grandson were to stir awake in the night. At last, however, she knew it was time to call it a night herself. She made sure to set her alarm clock in her bedroom so she could get up bright and early to check on Hitch the next morning and see how he was doing. Then, after taking off her glasses and climbing into bed, the elderly earthpony fell asleep too.