Sprout's Second Chance

The tip of the wine bottle made contact with the empty glass as Phyllis poured her second drink of the evening, having not made the time to start thinking of dinner just yet. She had just taken her first sip of her second glass when there was a knock at her door. Setting the glass down on the marble counter, she walked out to the hall and opened the front door, being met by a familiar face.

"Good evening, Phyllis," Hitch Trailblazer greeted.

"Sheriff," Phyllis replied.

"I just had a quick word with Izzy, I thought I should come by for your side of the story," Hitch told her.

Phyllis opened her front door the rest of the way then stepped aside, letting the stallion step into the foyer. Once she shut the front door, he followed her back into the kitchen.

"As far as I'm concerned, I gave her a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," the mare stated as she walked back to the center island, to her glass of wine.

"She wasn't concerned with the pay. She got the impression that she wasn't welcome back."

Phyllis let out a tired sigh.

"I guess I didn't make it clear that this is a punishment for him, and she made it fun."

The sheriff raised an eyebrow.

"I think you're more worried that this is starting to not be punishment for him so quickly, that he's beginning to accept it."

The CanterLogic CEO didn't reply.

"I think what you really need to worry about is your role in what you want to punish him for. You enabled his behavior. You convinced him to usurp my position, you gave him unfettered access to CanterLogic's production assets, and you let him get Maretime Bay's populace into a paranoid mob. By the time you were ready to reel him in, it was far too late. I think you need to step back a moment, and I'm going to help you do that."

"Why should I continue this if it's not punishment?" Phyllis asked.

"Phyllis, I warned you that this might happen. I told you this was a fetish for a lot of ponies. When he didn't see a way out, his mind began to accept it, and then because you couldn't disregard CanterLogic, you brought in the most exuberant, enthusiastic pony I know to foalsit for you. I don't think it's entirely fair for you to suddenly decide to take all of this away from him because he's started to enjoy it."

"You really think so? Continually treating him like a foal is a lot of added stress, Hitch," Phyllis argued.

"Phyllis, you want him to become a better pony, right? That's why you're doing this?" Hitch asked.

"Of course," the mare replied.

"Well, according to what you've just told me, he just had a fantastic day with a unicorn. Doesn't that potential new friendship outweigh any sort of remorse you want him to go through?" Hitch asked.

This again brought pause to Phyllis' objections.

"Of course treating him like this would be stressful, so why not keep on a perfectly enthusiastic foalsitter that you can absolutely afford?" Hitch asked.

Phyllis took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out.

"Alright. I'll give her a call," she conceded.

"No need, she's right outside. You go talk to her, and while you're doing that, I believe I'll help myself to a glass of this wine," Hitch told her.

She gave the sheriff a soft smile, then walked around the center island, exiting the kitchen towards the front door. She opened the front door, and just down the front walk stood Izzy. She had likely been waiting there, and she hadn't seen her behind Hitch a few moments ago. She stepped out into the evening air, and came up to the unicorn.

"Ms. Moonbow, I would like to apologize for my tone earlier. It was a rather stressful day, and I never really anticipated Sprout warming up to this treatment so quickly," Phyllis admitted.

"It's alright, Mrs. Cloverleaf. It honestly wasn't the first thing I was expecting when I got a call about a foalsitting job, but when I realized who it was, I thought I'd try my best at showing him how fun unicorns can be."

"And I think you ultimately succeeded in that. Obviously this isn't really going to be a punishment to him anymore, but with how he's come to enjoy it, would you like to come back again?" Phyllis asked.

Izzy gave her a smile.

"Same time tomorrow morning?"

After she had seen Hitch and Izzy on their way, Phyllis finally started to think about dinner, but decided to go check up on Sprout. Role play or not, she had a feeling he wouldn't nap for long. She went upstairs, walked down to his door, put her hoof on the door handle and heard... Crying?

She opened the door, and looked over to the crib, and sure enough, there was Sprout, curled up facing the wall, quivering.

"Sprout? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" She asked, coming up to the crib.

She heard him take a shuddering breath.

"I'm... I'm a horrible pony..." He replied, sniffling. "Izzy gave me such a good time today and... And... I was going to go over to Bridlewood and..."

Phyllis took hold of the side bars of the crib and lowered them, sitting down on the mattress, rolling her son over to his other side and pulled him up into a hug.

"Sugar cube... You're not a horrible pony. You know why? Because of the way you're feeling right now. A horrible pony wouldn't feel the slightest bit of remorse over what you did, and what you tried to do. Alright?"

Sprout's shoulders heaved, and after sniffling again, she felt him nod.

"And talking with Izzy today, I've realized that you've come to enjoy this treatment rather quickly, so it's not much of a punishment anymore."

"So... So it's going to stop?" Sprout asked, beginning to get himself under control.

"That was my first thought, but then I realized how it helped you make a new unicorn friend. So maybe you don't need to be punished," Phyllis said.

Hearing these words made Sprout's ears twitch, and another twinge of guilt hit his chest.

"Y-yes. Yes I do, mommy," Sprout said, half-confidently, pulling away from her barrel and sniffled again, as he got down off of the crib mattress. He walked over to the stool in the corner, and with his hooves quivering, picked up the paddle, and turned back to his mother, offering her the paddle.

"This was the only part of it that I really don't enjoy, so..." Sprout told her, holding the implement out.

Phyllis, not sure what else to do, saw how Sprout was shivering as she took the paddle into her front hooves. She stared down at it for a moment before taking it and standing it against the crib.

"Let me think about it, sugar cube. I didn't particularly enjoy using that on you the first time. And I'll make a deal with you. If you've come to enjoy this, then if you perform three hours of community service a week, then I promise to keep your bedroom exactly the way it is right now, and keep that changing table stocked. Sound good?" She asked.

Sprout gave his mom a smile, and nodded.

"Yes, mommy."

"Alright then. Izzy will be watching you the next few weeks for as long as she's in town. So what do you say we go get some dinner made?"