It was never just an average day at the School of Friendship when a visitor came. There had been many since the school had opened. Some were just temporary substitutes like Trixie or Maud Pie. Others were like Chancellor Neighsay, interested in their own goals and not the school itself.
But today’s visitor was different, Princess Cadence had come to talk to the class about love.
Silverstream smiled, listening to the princess happily talk about what being a mother was like. At the same time, Flurry Heart was babbling and playing around on the desk, cute as a button.
Cadence just smiled, watching the little one play. “Children are always curious about the world around them. It’s a mother’s job to make sure they grow up right and stay of trouble,” She explained, as she scooped up Flurry Heart with her magic. “Now Flurry, that desk contains important papers for one of Twilight’s friends. If you wanna play, play with some toys.” She floated a few squeaky toys and a stuffed snail over, letting her daughter take hold of them.
Silverstream kept watching, more interested in the young foal playing with her toys and not having a care in the world. It seemed like the baby alicorn was having the time of her life, babbling and cooing while her mommy talked.
While the presentation continued, Silverstream’s gaze drifted over to Gallus, who looked rather bored judging by the distant expression in his eyes. He didn’t seem to be paying much attention to anything, not even the foal.
The faintest blush could be seen on Silverstream’s cheeks as she stared at Gallus. Ever since hearing how awful Gallus’ childhood had been as an orphan, she had felt that she just had to make it better somehow. She’d grown up in a big, loving family. But Gallus had never had anyone to offer that to him. She really wanted to give him some way to experience this love that Cadence was talking about. That, and she wanted to pay him back for when he’d helped her overcome her fear of the Storm King. It was the least she could do, and she knew it had to be special. Something that would put a big old smile on that griffon’s face and show just how much she loved him.
Now all she needed was a plan, but what could possibly work for them? She thought of taking Gallus back to Mount Aris with her during their next break, but he’d be just as much a stranger there as he was in Ponyville. Knowing her parents, they would probably get the wrong idea and think they were together. The young hippogriff blushed at that thought. She really did consider herself and Gallus to be in love, but in truth she’d never acted on it or told anyone. Especially not Ocellus, fearing that if she sensed love she’d be sure to blurt it out.
“Come on, Silverstream, think. How do I give Gallus a chance to experience love? A chance to have a family?” Silverstream thought to herself. “It needs to be something just for the two of us that we can do here at school.” Looking back at the little foal playing with her toys, she found herself grinning as she watched Flurry stacking blocks on the floor. Just like that an idea came to her. It was a bit silly though, but Gallus wouldn’t mind too much, right? “Hmm, it could work.” She muttered to herself, drawing a little baby griffin in her notebook. This would require some research. Being a big sister wasn’t the same as being a mom. Plus, there was the issue of whether to raise Gallus like a mama griffon, or a mama hippogriff.
Silverstream’s paw slid across the tomes on the shelves, humming as she did so. While the school library was more about history and other such literary topics, she was able to find a few books on foal care after discreetly asking Spike about it. She’d passed it off as a school assignment, hearing a rumor that pony schools did something similar. Something involving flour sack dummies.
Setting the book down on the table, Silverstream glanced at the cover image of a mother and her foal. As she flipped pages she remembered back to her own childhood, thinking about how different it was. Diapers were a foreign thing to her given that she’d grown up under water nearly her whole life. There was no need for the undergarments, from birth you basically just did whatever in a small spot and let the ocean clean you up. The only requirement was that you never do it in front of others, it wasn’t polite.
It hadn’t been ‘til the hippogriffs went topside that diapers had come back into use. Turns out that answering nature’s call worked a lot differently on land than it did underwater. Diapers had been a necessity until this thing they called “indoor plumbing” could be installed. Some young griffs still wore them. And Silverstream had seen the undergarments on little ponies quite frequently.
She knew there was more to this parenting thing than that, hence the research. She read on, learning about this process called “potty training” by which a mother would teach her foal how to use the bathroom, after which point the foal was no longer required to wear diapers. It was usually followed by a development involving education, around the same time that foals learned how to walk and talk. And it continued until the foal was basically an adult themselves.
The more she thought about it, the more Silverstream wondered just why the idea was sticking in her mind so much. The fact she had a crush on Gallus didn’t help matters either.
Just as the hippogriff was getting to the section about properly feeding, Smolder snuck up behind her and planted her claws on her shoulders. “Boo!” She shouted in a playful voice.
Silverstream let out a shriek, fluttering her wings some before calming down! She turned with a pout, taking a breath. “Smolder, that wasn’t funny. Didn’t Professor Fluttershy say it’s not nice to sneak up on other creatures?”
Smolder laughed again before smiling. “Oh come on, your reaction was hilarious,” Her gaze fell upon the book a second later. “What are you reading?”
“Nothing!” Silverstream squeaked, blushing as she covered the pages before her friend could see the cute illustrations. She wasn’t sure how her friends would react if they found out what she was thinking of doing. Then again, she had no idea how Gallus would react either. It was something that had never been done before.
“Uh, okay,” Smolder said, raising an eyebrow. “It’s not like you’re reading romance. Professor Rarity has those novels she never lets me read, says I’ll understand when I get older. Don’t know what she’s keeping from me. Whatever it is I’ve probably heard it already, dragons don’t usually shelter their young.”
“Of course it’s not romance, that’s more Ocellus’ thing.” Silverstream retorted with a humph.
Smolder smirked, putting a claw on Silverstream’s shoulder. “Yeah, she’s just too shy to admit it,” She paused. “So, are you studying or something?”
Silverstream took a second to think, staring back at the book. “Well… uh, I was just thinking of when I was young... and then about Gallus, and uh...did you know that griffins give birth to their young? I never knew that before.”
Smolder blinked and tilted her head. “Huh, really? Thought they came from eggs. You know birds and all. Same with dragons, changelings, and hippogriffs and seaponies.”
“I guess griffons do it differently,” Silverstream replied with a blush. “Must be hard to fly around with a little chick inside your belly. Ooh! Can you imagine Gallus as a chick? A little baby bird? Oh, I’ll bet he was just so adorable!”
Smolder made a gag face. “I hate that mushy stuff. Did you see Flurry Heart today? She was slobbering all over everything, and she tried to pull on my tail.”
“But you gotta admit she looked cute, especially in that little diaper,” Silverstream cooed. “I’ll bet Gallus wishes he got to have things like that in Griffonstone. When I found out what foals get here in Equestria, I was so jealous. Diapers, bottles, toys, foals here have it made.” She smiled clapping her claws together.
Smolder then teased. “Well if you like that so much, why didn’t you volunteer to foalsit Flurry Heart? You could play peek a boo all day with her, and let her bounce on your lap, and tickle her with your wings. Though you’d probably also have to do all the other stuff that comes with taking care of a foal,” She fanned a claw across her nose. “And I thought my brother smelled bad when he started molting.”
“Actually,” The young hippogriff commented. “That’s… sort of what I was thinking about with Gallus.”
The dragon raised an eyebrow. “You’re gonna make him your baby? Do you even think he’ll be interested?”
“He’s always wanted a family,” Silverstream innocently suggested as she twiddled her paws. “And I’ve always wanted to be a mommy. This way, we can both get what we want. It’ll only be a little bit.”
Smolder seemed a bit surprised. “So, what, you’re gonna raise him like he was a baby bird? Does that mean you’re gonna feed him like birds do?” She shuddered, remembering that little detail she’d learned from Professor Fluttershy’s class.
“No, I’m gonna do it the way ponies do it. Spoon feeding and bibs,” Silverstream cooed. “Oh, he’ll be so adorable! I’m sure he’ll say yes. I just… need to think of how best to put it. Sort of like the twins Professor Pinkie Pie brought to class once, only bigger and much better behaved.”
“Yeah but where are you going to find stuff that big? It’s not like ponies walk around wearing diapers,” Smolder added, staring at the image on the current page seeing a highchair upon it. “And yeah, if someone told me they wanted me to be their baby I wouldn’t know what to say either. A few months ago I’d say no way, but since coming here I have to admit that it probably wouldn’t be all bad. If it was someone I could trust not to take things too far, maybe I’d go along with it.”
Silverstream blushed a tad. “So, you won’t tell the others will you?” She asked, while pondering of how she’d get the need supplies. Would she even take the babying thing far enough to do diaper changes? She doubted Gallus would want that either.
“I guess not. Secrets are secrets, after all,” Smolder replied. “But I really think you should talk to Gallus about this. You’re the one who’s got a crush on him.”
“You knew?” Silverstream inquired.
“Not that hard to notice you keep staring at him,” Smolder explained with a shrug. “Figured something was going on. And you two have been close since whatever happened to you down in the catacombs. Maybe he feels the same way.”
Silverstream grinned. “Well, I think I know a way to find out. Now I just need to figure out a way to get the supplies without anyone noticing. Maybe Professor Pinkie Pie could help? She seems to know everypony and every shop in town.”
Smolder couldn’t help chuckled a little. “Yeah, wonder what her reaction will be to you asking about diapers? Why not just check out a foal store or something? That’s what I’d do.”
The young hippogriff decided to do just that. As it turned out there were lots of foal stores in Ponyville, and even some general stores stocked foal care items. She decided to try each one until she could figure out what exactly she was looking for.
The first store she went into clearly wasn’t intended for bigger foals. At least that’s what it seemed to Silverstream as she strolled the isles. Everything looked to be about Flurry Heart’s size, occasionally a bit bigger for some unusually big toddlers. But definitely nothing on Gallus’ level, or hers for that matter.
So the hippogriff made her way back to the front and strolled up to the counter, catching the attention of a cashier. An earth pony stallion of medium build with a light blue coat, a creamy yellow mane and tail, brown eyes, and an outfit that covered up what his cutie mark should. “Excuse me, Mister Cashier, can you help me with something?”
The cashier turned to the hippogriff. He’d seen her only sparingly in town but he never turned away a customer. “What do you need my help with? Need something retrieved from a higher shelf?”
“No no no,” Silverstream shook her head. “I was just wondering…” She paused, trying to think about what she should say. “Uh… do you maybe have any supplies for uh… bigger foals?”
The cashier’s eyebrows arched up a little. “How big are we talking?” Silverstream’s faint blush could easily be seen.
“Maybe… about the size of a teenage griffon?” Silverstream suggested sheepishly.
The cashier put a hoof to his chin, pondering the unusual request. “Well… sort of. We don’t exactly have such things in stock here at the store…”
“Oh, I see.” Silverstream’s shoulders sagged.
“-But,” The cashier interrupted. “There is a secret section in the back of the store for specifically special orders, kind of like yours. You’re the first one to suggest griffon size though, usually the requests for a pony. They may not be an exact fit.”
The hippogriff perked up, her eyes flashing with renewed vigor and excitement! “That’s okay! I’m sure I can make them work! Where can I find them?! Do I have to place an order?”
The cashier just grinned. “If you want to. Most ponies aren’t comfortable asking publicly for this sort of stuff, but I’d be happy to show you the way if you’re interested.”
“Yes please!” Silverstream eagerly encouraged. Her mind was racing with anticipation, she’d hit the proverbial jackpot!
So the young hippogriff was led along by the cashier towards the very back of the store, past any of the isles. He stopped at what looked like an ordinary store wall. After a quick peek around he lightly tapped a hoof against it three times in quick succession.
What sounded like a faint clicking noise echoed, and then the wall began to open up. An opening large enough for a pony became visible. Silverstream followed the cashier through it, and what she saw caused her wings to bristle outward with excitement!
A huge warehouse like layout greeted her wandering eyes, full of everything one would need to care for a really big foal. Not just diapers, but also highchairs, huge stuffed toys, big jars of flavored foal food, and even some cribs that could probably fit a princess (four princesses if they were Flurry Heart’s size).
“Wow, I never knew there was this big of a market for such things...” Silverstream commented in amazement.
“You’re hardly the first to ask,” The cashier said with a laugh as he waved a hoof toward the huge isles. “It’s actually a pretty common thing. There’s a lot of ponies who like foal things made for grown ups. And there’s a whole host of different reasons for why they indulge. For some it’s a way to relive their youth, a more carefree time. For others, it’s a personal hobby or interest, and I’ve known some who let close friends, family, or even special someponies be a part of it as caretakers.”
“Oh, I see, I’m not even sure if he’ll say yes yet,” Silverstream blushed again, staring around the back with aww. “So many options too,” A particularly bulky brand of diapers got her to giggle as she got the mental image of Gallus wearing something so big. “I guess I don’t really need that much to start with.”
“Doing this for a friend, huh?” The cashier said with a wink. “Well, might I suggest a starter care package? It’s good for those who are on the fence about trying it out. A two week’s worth pack of diapers, some custom colored bibs, a few of our most popular toys, flavored foal food, and a sleeper with a built in hatch. That way it’s easier to put diapers on or take them off.”
Without hesitation, Silverstream immediately declared! “I’ll take it, all of it! How much does it cost?”
The cashier smiled. “First timers get a half off discount. It’ll only cost you twenty bits for the whole package. Considering you could spend up a hundred bits or more buying them separately, it’s a real save.”
Silverstream payed for the package and bagged it up, taking it back to her dorm room in the school. “Now, how am I gonna get Gallus to try all this out?” She thought to herself. “I’ll have to be sneaky about it, he’s a clever little bird. Although, I forgot to ask if they make pacifiers for beaks. I don’t think a pony pacifier will fit, Gallus has a pretty big beak. Maybe I should try it first?” Her paw felt her own beak as she thought it over. She shrugged after a bit figuring she’d figure that out later.
He could always just suckle on his claw anyway. She remember being told she used to suckle her fin whe she wa little too. The more she stared at the bag, the more excited she got yet apprehensive at the same time. “Maybe I could try and tell him it’s an assignment? Then again, that’d be lying and Professor Pinkie said lying is how you lose friends.”
The thought of him laughing at her request made her blush once more. “Oh why does this have to be so hard?” After circling around her room for a few minutes she paused. “Oh, maybe I’ll ask him during a picnic that could work, nice and private,” The irony that said idea felt like a date didn’t cross her mind. But then she shook her head. “He wouldn’t wanna do it in public. He’d be embarrassed. It’s got to be somewhere where only he and I will see. Should probably just have it in my room. I’ll lock the door.”
Of course, that still left the dilemma of how to invite him. Asking him directly wouldn’t work. She thought about just writing a letter and slipping the note to him either during or after a class. But that could go astray. Someone could intercept the letter, or one of her professors might catch her in the act and scold her for passing notes in class.
She paced for a while more, and the picnic idea wouldn’t leave her alone. It was a nice day. There’d be lots of other creatures out and about in just the park alone, so it wasn’t like he’d suspect anything. And there’d be plenty of trees to hide behind for privacy. She’d seen couples do that. “Though we’re not really a couple. At least, I haven’t asked him yet.” She thought, and began to make her plan.
As the next school day came to a close, Silverstream spotted Gallus walking down the hallway and was quick to catch up to him. “Wait up, Gallus!” She called, seeing Sandbar and her other friends nearby as well.
Gallus stopped, turning around with a smile. “Oh, hey Silverstream, what’s up? You want to be assignment partners again or something?”
“Do I really ask that often?” Silverstream thought, trying not to blush. “N-no, I uh... was just wondering if you wanted to do something together later? Just the two of us.” She tried to keep her cool as she saw the glances from her other friends. Smolder especially, with her knowing smirk..
“What sort of something?” Gallus asked the hippogriff, not appearing to notice Smolder’s expression.
“You know, a uh... picnic at the park.” Silverstream replied. She thought for sure her blush was going to break out and give her away, it took everything she had to hold it back and keep her cool.
“Well… I don’t know. I have some homework I’d like to get done by then, and…” Gallus began.
“-He’d love to go!” Smolder encouraged as she shoved the griffon forward. “After all, friendship is all about spending time with your friends.”
“But I thought we were gonna-” Gallus began again.
Sandbar just grinned. “Dude, it’s okay. We know how you feel around Silverstream, it’s not a secret. Friends always have friends they’re more comfortable around than others.”
Ocellus smiled. “Oh a date! How lovely!” Her wings fluttered.
“What?! Oh no no no, it’s… it’s not a date!” Silverstream protested.
“Yona know hippogriff and griffon not good at lying,” Yona commented. “Yona want friends to be happy together. So friends go on picnic, and other friends wait for them to come back.”
“Exactly!” Smolder encouraged. “So you two go on that picnic date together, and when you come back you can tell us all about it.” She replied, giving a wink towards Silverstream when Gallus wasn’t looking.
“B-but I uh and uh..” Gallus’s cheeks began to flare
Silverstream clapped. “Oh, I’ll go make the sandwiches! Meet you up front in a couple of minutes.” She sang, heading off with a skip.
Gallus stood there in shock, cheeks burning as he watched Silverstream skip away. still trying to process what just happened. Before he could say much, Smolder patted him on the back. “What are you so shocked about?”
“I uh...well..” Gallus found himself at a surprising loss for word.
“I”m proud of you, first steps and everything.” Sandbar remarked with a teasing grin.
Gallus closed his beak, getting some of his sense back. He’d never thought he would ever be asked on a date. He wasn’t even sure he’d ever told her his feelings. Was it that obvious? “What do I do?” He asked, pacing from side to side.
“Just be yourself, naturally,” Ocellus replied, trying her best to stop a freak out.
“Yona think you have fun.” Yona giggled.
Gallus took a breath, fluffing his feathers a bit. “But what if I screw up somehow.? I’ve never done this before.”
“Come on,” Smolder retorted with a snort. “Don’t be such a scaredy griff. With Silverstream it’s almost impossible to go wrong.”
Sandbar added. “What are you so worried about, dude? It’s just a date. Friends go on dates all the time. It’s how they get to be more than friends, know what I’m saying?”
“That’s easy for you to say, you’ve got parents you can ask for advice. I’ve never done anything even close to this before,” Gallus grumbled. “But I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“Exactly,” Yona nodded. “Gallus go on and have fun with Silverstream. Then Gallus tell friends all about picnic later.”
And so it was that a nervous Gallus prepared himself for his first date. It was all he could think about for the rest of the day and into next, until finally it was time for the picnic.
It truly was a beautiful day. Not too hot and not too cold, the sun was shining just right and there was just enough of a breeze to take the edge off the heat. Which meant the picnic date was probably going to last far longer than Gallus would’ve liked.
Silverstream could barely contain her excitement! Partially because she was finally gonna be alone with Gallus, and also because she was gonna propose her idea. She felt confident he’d get to like it. Who wouldn’t wanna have the chance to get a second childhood? Especially if you were being cared for by someone who truly loved you?
Gallus watched as Silverstream skipped on over to him with a small wicker basket on her back, looking rather cute with the way she’d preaned her feathers. “Ready to go?” She asked, bubbling with anticipation on her face.
Gallus nodded slowly, opening the door. At least it gave him something to think about besides his feelings. “Sure... uh after you.” He politely gestured.
The two bird creatures (or half bird in Silverstream’s case) set out. Gallus was surprised that Silverstream insisted on walking instead of flying, flying was almost liberating to him. But this was Silverstream’s idea, not his. Sandbar had mentioned that it was always polite to do whatever the lady wanted when you went out on a date. So Gallus took the advice to heart.
After a good deal of walking they arrived at the park, Silverstream unfolding a lovely red and white picnic blanket in the shade of a nearby tree. Gallus, meanwhile, noticed that there seemed to be a lot of couples in the park today. He even recognized some of them: Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle, Derpy with that weird doctor pony with an hourglass cutie mark, he was even surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Cake in the park and they had brought the twins with them. Was it some sort of couples day? And why did Silverstream appear so fascinated by the twins?
The hippogriff gave a whistle, snapping Gallus back to reality. “Hey, you big silly goose, over here!” She gestured a paw. “I made sure to pack everything: Fresh berries, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, some kelp fritters that I tried to make like my mom always does, and a delicious apple pie for dessert.”
The young griffon slowly made his way over, sitting down on the blanket as best he could and trying not to blush. He wanted to come right out and say what was on his mind, but he decided against it. “What if she laughs at me because she thinks I’m just humoring her?” He thought. “Or what if all this time she’s been interested in someone else?”
Silverstream, meanwhile, had thoughts of her own that she was worrying about. “How am I going to tell him about my plans? And how do I get him to accept? I don’t wanna lie to him or trick him, but can I really just ask him outright?” She thought to herself, watching Gallus glance around as unsure as she was. Reluctantly, she decided it best to wait until at least after the picnic lunch. At least that way the food wouldn’t go to waste.
“And then, when I went to check out what I thought to be treasure I got tangled up in the kelp with the goofiest of expressions,” Silverstream said, finishing her tale of when she had been young and lived in Seaquestria. “I was quite the fin er pawful back then.”
Gallus laughed a little in between finishing off his slice of the apple pie. “That’s interesting, I guess. Grandpa Gruff never really cared about where I went or what I did growing up. As long as I didn’t leave Griffonstone, he didn’t really care. If not for Gabby and Gilda, I think I would’ve left Griffonstone a lot sooner.”
Silverstream couldn’t help herself. She leaped forward and gave Gallus a big hug. “Oh you poor thing! No one should ever have to grow up feeling unloved! Even though I had to live underwater, I had such a big family that it didn’t matter. Heck, I got to see my Aunt Novo every day.”
Gallus sighed. “You’re lucky. Seems like even Smolder and Ocellus had least had some kind of family, or someone who cares about them. I didn’t have anygrif to look up to. Sometimes… I wish I could’ve been born as something else. Or at least been born with some kind of family to come home to. It stinks being an orphan.”
Silverstream’s smile grew wider at the opportunity. “Well, what if you could relive your childhood the right way?”She asked, sliding the empty plates back into the basket.
“What do you mean ‘relive’?” Gallus asked raising an eyebrow noticing Silverstream blush and her paws fidgeting. What was she up to?
Silverstream gulped lightly and look around before, leaning closer to his ear. “Uh, like me being your mother.”
The young griffon just tilted his head in confusion. “What?! How would that even work? I’m already grown up, more or less.”
At that, Silverstream’s blush grew deeper. “Well… it’s kind of hard to say… but…” She gestured to a nearby tree. “Let’s talk about it behind there, I don’t want anyone else to overhear.”
Trusting his friend, Gallus reluctantly obeyed. “This has all gotta be some kind of elaborate prank or something. We may both be bird creatures, but Silverstream can’t possibly be my mother. Hippogriffs and griffons aren’t related. Surely, she knows that.” He thought.
Once behind the tree, Silverstream took one look around to make sure they were alone. Then she whispered to Gallus. “You know how Princess Cadence brought her daughter to the school yesterday?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Gallus wondered. “She was just a baby. A really energetic one at that.”
“Um, well... Cadence was talking about being a mother, and I, well...wanted you to be my baby!” Silverstream blurted out! Her cheek burning like coals.
“Wait, what?! I must’ve misheard somehow, because I swore you said you wanted me to be your baby.” Gallus responded in confusion.
Silverstream retorted. “I’m serious, Gallus. I even went ahead and bought a whole bunch of baby supplies just for you.”
Gallus jaw dropped at hearing this. The fact she’d gone to all that effort impressed him as well. “What? How? Why?”
“You said it yourself, Gallus, you never had a loving family growing up. And I’ve always felt like kind of a mommy at heart,” Silverstream explained. “Guess it comes with being a big sister and having little cousins come by for visits. I figured this would be a way for us to both get what we wanted.”
The griffon raised a claw. “Uh, just one question. When you say ‘baby’ does that involve… you know?”
“Diapers? Yes, of course,” Silverstream replied in a somewhat eager tone of voice. “I can show you what I got back at my dorm room. It’ll be more private, promise. Please, Gallus? It means the world to me.”
Gallus found himself unable to say no when Silverstream shot him that pleading, pouting puppy dog face. His heart beating just a bit louder. So what if he’d used it all the time on Grandpa Gruff to get what he wanted? That just meant he knew how effective it was. Besides, a faint part of him was actually intrigued. He’d heard rumors about diapers for “big hatchlings” as they were called in Griffonstone and he’d long suspected Gabby was one of them. Maybe this was his chance to see what they were like.
“Alright, I’ll do it. Just as long as you’re sure no one else sees us,” Gallus insisted. “And you better not go overboard with all the cutesy comments. I hate it when others use that kind of mushy talk, it sound so stupid.”
Silverstream just smiled, taking Gallus by the claw and leading him away. “Ooh! I was hoping you’d say yes! Come on, I’ve got everything set up in my room!”
Gallus’ jaw dropped again once he saw Silverstream pull out the large bag full of the supplies seeing the cute patterns upon the diapers themselves. They looked like the kind of diapers you’d see on baby ponies, but their size left no mistake as to who they were actually intended for. “Wow, uh they sure are bigger than I thought.”
“They are meant for ponies, but I’m sure they’ll fit you just fine, I hope. I specifically asked for stuff that’d be big enough for a teenaged griffon,” Silverstream beamed, double checking that the door was locked. “There other stuff too, but we don’t have to rush.” She said in her motherly tone, letting Gallus glance at the various items.
“Have you had all this stuff since you moved in here?” Gallus questioned as he saw not just diapers, but also bibs, powder, jars of flavored foal food, and even a fluffy sleeper that was a soft, baby blue in color.
“Oh no no, just since yesterday, like I said,” Silverstream booped his beak. “All you have to do is have fun,” She chirped gently nudging him to the bed to lay back. “I’ve changed a few diapers before, this shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Gallus gulped and felt himself start to sweat a bit. “Wait, you’re not gonna make use those things, are you?”
“Only if you want to, silly birdy,” Silverstream booped again. “Mama Silverstream doesn’t mind changing you.” She reached into the bag, opening up the seal before pulling out the large square of fluff. It even had little rattles on it.
Gallus stuck out his tongue. “I draw the line at doing anything in diapers, it’s disgusting!”
Silverstream just mothered. “Well, you can use the bathroom if you want. Just make sure you tell Mommy if you have to go so she can help you take off your diaper wiaper. Wouldn’t baby to have an accident on the floor, now would we?”
Gallus blushed hard. “Silver!” He covered his face in embarrassment at the baby talk, being so unused to such words. “The things I do for the sake of my crush.” He thought to himself.
“I can’t help it, I’m just so excited!” Silverstream patted his flank lightly.” You ready to be diapered?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” Gallus sighed, lifting up his rear as Silverstream unfolded the padding, before sliding it under him. He felt the soft interior press into him as his tail was needled through. “Wow, that is soft.” He thought, sniffing as Silver added some powder.
“Oh, can’t forget that baby powder smell, even if you wont be needing it.” Silverstream cooed, pulling the front up into place, grabbing each side and taping it into place.
Gallus sat up very slowly. The thick padding made even that simple task difficult. It pushed his legs apart more than he felt it should. The soft texture felt almost foreign to him, sort of like he was sitting on a giant pillow.
Silverstream smiled, helping Gallus to stand. “Oh, don’t you just look so cute? I could just eat you up, little chick!”
Gallus put a wing over his face to hide his embarrassment. “Can we please stop with the baby talk? I hate how everypony goes overboard with it for no reason.”
“All part of the experience of having a loving mommy, Gallus.” Silverstream said, beaming from ear to ear. She hoped she wasn’t overdoing it, but she was sure Gallus would get used to it.
Gallus simply sighed, taking his wing away from his face. “Well, now I guess I just do whatever babies normally do with their mommy.”
Silverstream gave a motherly smile. “Well, babies play games of course. Ooh, but before we start, here!” She dug into the bag again, this time pulling out a pacifier that matched Gallus’ feathers. “It’s probably not gonna be a perfect fit, but you’ll look so cute with in your mouth. Better than sucking on your claw.” She gave it to Gallus, who stared at the object, puzzled by it.
He eventually tried to pop it into his beak, only to find out that it hardly fit. And the mouth guard couldn’t be strapped into place, so it hung very loosely. He had to be careful not to bite too hard on the rubber nipple either, with his sharp griffon teeth he could easily rip it apart and accidentally swallow it. Not only would Silverstream not like that, but there was a good chance he could choke on it.
Silverstream watched the adorable scene of her new baby bird trying out his pacifier. It brought back memories of her babysitting Terramar after he’d hatched. He was every bit as curious as she had been. And Gallus reminded her a lot of her little brother even now. So shy and so easily embarrassed. “Okay, baby, would you like a nice plushie to play with?” She offered. “Or maybe some blocks to stack?”
Gallus blinked, staring toward the bag as he tired to suckle on the pacifier. “Uh, I guess whatever works is fine.” He noticed that the pacifier muffled his voice and gave it a slight lisp whenever he spoke.
“Good, blocks it shall be!” Silverstream encouraged as she took some foam alphabet blocks out of the bag and set them on the floor next to her bed. They were sized up slightly to be easier to hold in bigger joint appendages like claws. “Why don’t you show Mommy how high of a tower you can make? In fact, why don’t I help you so we can make the biggest block tower in the history of block towers together?”
Gallus nodded his head in agreement. With the pacifier dangling in his mouth he didn’t feel like speaking too much. All this attention was making him feel warm inside, a nice welcome feeling.
Mother and baby played together with the blocks for quite a while. How long exactly, Gallus didn’t know, and Silverstream apparently wasn’t keeping track. Perhaps that was the point of it though, for the little one and its caretaker to get engrossed in their own world, and just shut out everything else for a while.
Since Silverstream hadn’t said anything about using wings, Gallus opted to use them to try and put a few more blocks up on top. That was a mistake! He was not used to flying with the added weight of a diaper, and thus began to wobble in the air. “Whoa!”
As he fell, Silverstream managed to catch him, smiling all the while. “Oh, careful little chick, don’t want you getting any boo boos.”
“Sorry,” Gallus lisped through the pacifier. “I didn’t think the diaper would be so heavy.”
Silverstream just mothered, opting to do a quick diaper inspection as she peeled back the padding with a paw. “Doesn’t seem any heavier to me. You’re still dry, little chick.”
“Silverstream! Again with the baby talk! I told you to stop it, didn’t I?!” Gallus squeaked, embarrassed at being checked like that. He wiggled his flank a bit when his caretaker gave the padding a few comforting pats.
“Sorry, Gallus. But if you’re gonna wear diapers, you have to expect Mommy to check them. Sometimes, babies potty without knowing it,” Silverstream mothered. Then she heard Gallus’ stomach rumble. “Oh, goodness. Has it really been so long since the picnic lunch? I know we ate kind of early, but I thought it would’ve filled you up longer than that.”
“Well, it is usually the time of day when Professor Pinkie Pie brings snacks to class,” Gallus explained. “Can I help it if the cupcakes are so good? Maybe you could ask her to sneak me a few? Just make up some kind of story, I’m sure she wouldn’t suspect anything.”
Silverstream just shook her head. “Nu-uh, little chick. Cupcakes are not healthy for you. Mama can’t have you filling up on sugary snacks. Good thing she came prepared.” She gestured over to the jars of foal food and the bib.
“But that stuff looks awful!” Gallus spat out his pacifier. “You’re not seriously going to feed it to me, are you?”
Silverstream just nodded. “Mmm hmm,” She reached for the light blue bib, tying it around his neck with a simple knot. It covered most of his upper chest and had little bird prints on it. “It’s all part of the experience, little one.” She booped his nose before moving to get a jar and the plastic spoon she’d borrowed.
Gallus tried to run away before Silverstream could come back. But he couldn’t get very far, the thick padding between his legs made even just walking a chore. His movements were reduced to a humiliating waddle, which was all he could do to keep from falling and making his padded rear stick up in the air. The door knob jiggled as he tried to open it, forgetting it was locked tight.
“Now baby, don’t make Mama put you in a time out,” Silverstream playfully teased. “Would it make you feel better if I had the first taste?”
Gallus grinned. “You bet! And if you taste it and find it yucky, I don’t have to eat it!”
“Okay,” Silverstream agreed. “But when I taste it and enjoy it, you have to eat every last spoonful without a fuss. Got it? Or no cupcakes for dessert.”
Gallus nodded his head, figuring he’d just beaten the system in his favor. “Easiest bet I ever made!” He thought.
Silverstream just unscrewed the lid of the first jar, not even bothering to read the label to tell what flavor it was. Scooping out a spoonful out with the plastic spoon, she deposited it on her tongue and let herself savor the flavor. “Wow! This is so sweet!” She eagerly exclaimed, tempted to take another bite. “Okay, Mr. Picky Pants, a deal’s a deal. Now open wide for the choo choo train.”
Gallus felt embarrassed yet loved as he opened his beak for the first spoonful. Bracing himself for the inevitable awful taste. Hopefully when it was all done, he’d get something to wash it all down.
But when the plastic spoon’s contents were deposited on his tongue, his eyes lit up like stars in the night sky! Silverstream hadn’t been kidding, it really was sweet! To think that such a world of flavor existed, and he’d never known about it.
Silverstream grinned as she pulled Gallus close and had his head rest on her lap. “See? Mama knows what’s best for her little hatchling, Gallus.”
“I guess you were right after all. This actually isn’t as bad as I thought it was gonna be.” Gallus admitted.
“Could have been worse, could have been blended worms like baby birds get,” Silverstream teased, spooning him some more while doing games. “Here come the pegasus, soaring into Cloudsdale. Woosh!”
The process went on and on for several minutes, and several different flavors were presented to Gallus who accepted them all. Surprisingly, by the time he was done he felt strange. Sort of like how he felt after a big meal during the Blue Moon Festival.
Silverstream seemed to know what was wrong. Pulling him over her shoulder, she moved her paws to his back and patted it a couple of times. After a bit of effort, Gallus opened his mouth and let out a belch. Not really a big one, mind you, but enough to let some gas out. Afterwards, he felt much better.
““Whoa, Gallus!” Silverstream teased as she pretended to be offended. “That was a big one!”
Gallus simply sighed. “Hey, you got lucky. It came out the front, it could’ve gone out the back. That would’ve been a mess.”
“Heh heh, toot toot!” Silverstream teased some more, and then she offered. “Feeling up for a bottle to wash it all down, baby?”
Gallus licked his lips. “You bet! I’m absolutely parched!” He didn’t even question the fact that he was looking forward to a bottle of milk even though he knew it’d probably be in a baby bottle.
“Too bad I couldn't find griffon milk, but that’s okay.” Silverstream cooed, reaching into the bag. She had prepped a bottle ahead of time, just in case. And had been keeping it warm with a special pack.
Gallus waited patiently until Silverstream brought the bottle to his beak, inserting the rubber nipple of it into his mouth. “Go ahead, drink up. Just don’t drink too fast, you know that makes you gassy.” She encouraged.
Gallus smiled, before suckling gently on the, nipple feeling it squirt out milk in no time. He closed his eyes during the process, taking in the few minutes of silence between himself and his best friend, no his mommy. In those few moments, everything else just faded away. He truly felt like an itty bitty griffon, with Silverstream caring for him not unlike the way he was hopeful his mother had during the brief time she’d been alive.
It was true that Gallus was an orphan but he hadn’t been born that way. He didn’t remember what his parents looked like, he had no pictures for reference. And no one ever talked about them when he was around. He assumed they were dead, because he didn't want to think of the alternative. That they had dumped him and flown off because they didn’t love him. At the least if they had suddenly passed away, he could go on feeling like they’d loved him. That it wasn’t his fault they weren’t around anymore.
A few more minutes passed before Gallus noticed Silverstream gently humming. The big baby griffon had empties out his bottle and had been suckling it lighlty, causing another blush to radiate over his cheeks.
“Goodness, some griffon sure was thirsty.” Silverstream commented as she took the empty bottle away, patting his back gently.
“Uh, yeah. Thanks, Silverstream.” Gallus sighed, leaning into the light embrace.
“You know, for someone who’s never had a childhood before, you sure have no trouble acting like a big baby,” Silverstream commented as she continued to gently hum. “I hope this wasn’t too uncomfortable for you. I’ve never done this sort of thing with any creature before.”
Gallus just sighed, nuzzling further into Silverstream’s embrace. “Nah, it was totally fine. Sure, the baby talk was annoying and you went overboard with a lot, and the diaper could be a little too thick at times. But this actually is pretty nice, I guess.”
Silverstream couldn’t help but smile more at Gallus’ confession, even if it was a bit of a stubborn one. Standing up, she let go of him for a second. “Well, I did promise you some cupcakes. I”ll go see if Professor Pinkie Pie is around. You stay here and play some, okay?”
“Y-yeah, sounds good.” Gallus replied, staring at the large manticore plushie. Thinking of practicing pouncing with it. Just like little griffons do.
Silverstream put a paw to the door. “I’ll be back soon, baby. Mama promises. Just make sure to lock the door and don’t answer it for anyone.”
“But how will I know it’s you?” Gallus asked.
“I’ll give a secret knock, like this,” The hippogriff answered. She tapped against the door five times: Three times in a row, then a pause, then two more times. “Oh, while I’m out, do you need anything besides the cupcakes?
“You could fetch our homework.” Gallus replied, knowing they’d have to do it eventually, despite all the fun they were having.
“A cute little baby doing homework, hehe,” Silverstream cooed. “Such a smart little one.” And then she departed, leaving Gallus alone in the room.
Gallus waddled around, trying to get used to the padding as he pulled the plushie out if the bag. “Oh, you think you’re so tough? Haha.” Placing it a short distance away, he crouched down, diaper sticking up in the air as he prepped to do a little pounce, forgetting for a second that the padding might throw him off.
He lunged at the plushie, claws at the ready! But his diaper caused him to overcompensate, he pounced too far! He couldn’t stop himself, he rolled straight into the block tower he and Silverstream had built earlier, knocking it over.
Gallus stood up, brushing himself off. “Stupid diaper!” He grumbled childishly, turning his attention back to the manticore plushie. “I was just toying with you before. This time I’ll get you for real!”
This time the little griffon tried to counter the added weight of his diaper, opting for a bit less strength than his previous attempt. He lunged forward again. But again, his diaper caused him to miss. He rolled straight into the foot of Silverstream’s bed head first.
It didn’t hurt that badly, it was nothing more than a mild bump. But for some reason, Gallus wanted to cry. Why was he having so much trouble acting like a tough griffon? Pouncing should’ve been like second nature to him. Was the diaper really giving him that much trouble? It seemed like such a silly thing to be upset about.
Yet for a griffon, being tough was a virtue. So for Gallus to feel like he wasn’t tough at all was disheartening to say the least. It felt like the manticore plushie was taunting him, mocking him for being so soft. “I’ll show you, stupid plushie! Show you that I’m tough!” He puffed up his chest feathers on instinct, trying to hold back any tears of annoyance.
He lunged at the plushie once more, and this time he was able to catch it! He started attacking it over and over with his claws, making sure to actually damage it. “There! I showed you! You think I’m some stupid, diaper wearing griffon?! I’m only doing this to make my friend happy! I’m not a stupid, helpless little baby!” A faint tear ran down his chin, and he wasn’t sure why. That should’ve made him feel whole. Made him feel happy.
But it felt more like a lie, like when he’d denied sabotaging the Hearth’s Warming display so he’d get to stay a little longer with his friends. And hadn’t Professor Applejack taught him that lying to yourself was even worse than lying to your friends?
His claws pulled the plushie close to his chest as he hugged it tight, trying to regain his composure. But no matter how he tired to breath, it just didn’t seem to be working. “G-get it together, Gallus. Come on! Be like Sandbar, he never lets anything phase him. He always keeps his cool.” More tears joined the rest as he felt conflicted inside with recent events.
Just before things could get worse, he heard Silverstream special knock. Moving to the door he took a few more breaths, still clutching the plushie to his chest as he unlocked it.
Silverstream’s smile disappeared the moment she noticed the tears as she set the tray down, pulling Gallus into a hug. “What’s wrong, Gallus, did you get hurt?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.” Gallus tried to deny, squeezing into Silverstream.
The hippogriff gently rubbed his back, staring into his eyes. “Doesn’t seem that way to me. Come on, you can tell Mommy.”
“It’s stupid. I wanna feel tough, but I don’t feel tough,” Gallus confessed. “It feels like I shouldn’t be enjoying this.”
“Well, do you enjoy it? I never wanted to make you feel like you had to. I just thought you’d like having an actual mommy to care for you.” Silverstream explained.
“That’s the thing, I don’t know,” Gallus said in reply. “I mean, I sort of like the affection and not having to worry about anything, and even the diapers aren’t all bad once you get used to them. It’s just so sudden to deal with all of this after spending all my life trying to be tough and distant. You probably don’t know what that feels like.”
But Silverstream only pulled Gallus closer. “Gallus, you silly bird, it’s like you don’t know me at all. Imagine what it was like for me when the seaponies were allowed back on Mount Aris after the Storm King’s defeat. We had to learn how to be hippogriffs all over again. Everyone had to figure out who would do what and who would live where,” She added. “My family actually split up over it. Dad moved back to Mount Aris to lead the hippogriff army, but Mom loved being a seapony so she chose to stay in Seaquestria. It was hard being the only hippogriff who kept going back and forth. The moment Terramar and I learned something as hippogriff, we’d have to unlearn it and go back to doing things the way seaponies did.”
“Still, you had a family, which is more than can be said for me,” Gallus sighed. “I mean, I always felt there was something special between us. I just… didn’t think it would be quite like this.”
Silverstream let out a gasp! “Gallus, are you saying you love me?!”
“I guess I am. I was just never sure how to tell you,” Gallus explained to the hippogriff. “But now, you’ve kind of given me something better than that. A chance to have an actual childhood. A chance to be an actual baby griffon with an actual parent. And it all feels so sudden, to not only have all of this, but to feel like it’s okay to have it.”
The hippogriff simply smiled, stroking Gallus’ feathers. “There’s nothing wrong with that, Gallus. I’m happy to be your mommy. But I’m also happy if you’re happy. And if this doesn’t make you happy, then that’s okay.”
Gallus protested. “But it does, that’s the whole problem. It feels like it’s wrong to be happy.”
“But it doesn’t have to be, Gallus,” Silverstream encouraged. “No one knows but the two of us. Why do you think I brought you here and locked the door? I knew you wouldn’t want anyone else to know about this. This can just stay our little secret. We don’t have to tell our friends, or our professors, or even our families. It’ll just be between the two of us, I promise.”
Gallus finally stopped sobbing and removed his face from Silverstream’s chest. His eyes were reddened slightly, but he didn’t care. It felt good to get it all off his chest.
“Now come on,” Silverstream smiled again. “I went through all this trouble getting these cupcakes. It’d be a shame to let them go to waste.”
Gallus eagerly downed the cupcakes. He was surprised when Silverstream giggled at him. “What’s so funny?” He asked.
“You got frosting all over your beak, good thing I didn’t take the bib off,” Silverstream replied as she retrieved a rag. “Just hold still, Mommy will get you all cleaned up.” And Gallus cooperated as Silverstream cleaned his beak to the point where there was no trace of frosting.
Silverstream then noticed the demolished block tower from earlier. “Oh dear, did you knock over the block tower by accident?” When Gallus nodded, she told him. “Well that’s okay, we can build it back up together and make it better than ever.”
However, at that moment, Gallus felt a faint but familiar twinge in his bladder. He started to make an odd face as he crossed his legs.
Silverstream had a pretty good idea what that meant. “What’s wrong, baby? You gotta potty?”
“Y-yeah, I kind of do. I think that bottle of milk went right through me.” Gallus replied as he kept his legs crossed.
“Well, the bathroom’s right over there,” Silverstream gestured a paw across the room. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”
“I can manage just fine on my own.” Gallus insisted.
“But you’ll need Mommy’s help to take off your diaper,” Silverstream explained as she again took Gallus by the claw. “We’d better hurry before you have an accident.”
Gallus stubbornly tried to refuse, huffing. “I don’t need help.” But when he tried to undo the sides of the diaper, he found that his claws couldn’t do anything. They kept slipping. He could probably try to rip them apart, but then he wouldn’t be able to put the diaper back on and Silverstream wouldn’t like that.
“It’s okay, baby, Mommy can handle it,” Silverstream cooed. Her paws had soon undone the tabs, and Gallus could now easily slide it down. “You just go potty, and let Mommy know when you’re done so she can diaper you up again. Be sure to wash your claws.”
Gallus didn’t answer, he just shimmed the diaper all the way down and kicked it aside as he rushed into the bathroom, shutting the door.
A few moments later he exited, feeling much better. “What a relief.” He sighed. He didn’t even need to be told what to do, he went right over to the bed and let Silverstream put the diaper back on him.
After that, they played together for a while, rebuilding the block tower. This time, Gallus didn’t try to use his wings, when he could no longer stack the blocks ordinarily he stopped.
But all good things must come to an end eventually. In the middle of playing, Silverstream heard Gallus let out a yawn. “Ah, I think my little chick is getting sleepy,” She turned to Gallus. “Wanna try out the sleeper I got you? You may have to tuck your wings in, but it should fit pretty snuggly otherwise.”
“Sure, whatever.” Gallus yawned again, he was much too tired to protest.
“Okay then, lay down on the bed for me.” Silverstream instructed as she went to fetch the sleeper. Gallus obeyed without question.
It took some effort for Silverstream to get Gallus into the sleeper, primarily because it was clearly not designed with griffon wings in mind and tucking them into the outfit proved quite difficult. At last, however, she managed, and zipped up the hatch in the back. She smiled, noticing how the sleeper bulged a bit in back because of the diaper.
To complete the scene, she inserted the pacifier carefully into Gallus’ mouth, tying it to his beak with some string. Then she pulled the covers up to his neck, smiling at how peaceful and adorable he looked. She bent down and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. “Sleep tight, little chick. Mommy will be here for you when you wake up.” And she meant it. No matter what might come, she would always be there for Gallus, her baby bird.
Author's Note
Thanks for reading
