Studying and Relaxing

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen

Chapter One

A wise unicorn once said: “all work and no play makes a pony dull and restless, but that might not be all that pony would feel if they spend all day working and never taking a break is exhausting all it’s own what with one putting more trouble on their backs then if they paced themselves and took a break once and awhile, because what I’m trying to say here is balancing breaktime, relaxation, and recreation with work and toil and hard earned accomplishment is a very important thing.”

The wise pony who said this was also known to ramble.

In any case, the nugget of truth in the quote always sang true to those who needed to relax the most. Hard working farmers pushing themselves just a little too far to bring in the harvest. Perfectionists obsessing over every little minute detail of a project long since overdue. Students with school work piling up and looming over them like a dark rain cloud. And for all these individuals in need of a break, each of them had their own special way to unwind. To relieve stress. To unload the heavy pain that bore down on their backs and minds like an incessant woodpecker. Some ponies read books while others painted. Some of them went for a run around the park while others meditated. And there were others still that partook in activities that were quite unusual to most...

It was late springtime in the quiet town of Ponyville and the weather was finally lightening up after weeks of spring rain. Ponies found the need to wear raincoats or dodge mud puddles less and less often as the cool rains subsided to the much sought after summer air. For many denizens of the small valley town, this kind of weather encouraged sunbathing, playtime in the park, and flying amongst the blue-white clouds that floated overhead.

For the learning students at the School of Friendship, however, the late spring meant the school year was coming to a close and that called for exams, term papers, and end-of-the-year projects. And for those who didn't want to repeat their classes over the summer, it was important that they passed those exams, term papers, and end-of-the-year projects. Throughout the school campus there seemed to be a tight tension looming over everyone’s heads. Scholarly stresses were high and the worries about passing classes were almost palatable. Study groups were assembled more now than ever, the school library was breaking records in the amount of books being checked out that month, and sadly the beautiful outside weather seemed to be wasted as students hit the books.

If one wanted to write a paper about friendship or friendship theory, they wouldn’t have to look further than The School of Friendship’s library. The school's library was Equestria's finest repository of all things friendship related. Only the royal records of Canterlot even came close to its extensive reading material. It was an elongated building, connected to the main hall of the school by a single doorway. The ground floor contained a dozen or so bookshelves paired with a dozen or so long reading tables. Above all this opened up a balconied second story where even more bookshelves could be found. If it was somehow emptied of its tall bookshelves and reading tables, the large room could very well be used as a spot for large gatherings and parties.

The library at this hour was rather quiet and almost completely empty save for a pair of students sitting at one of the long tables. In front of them laid a dozen heavy textbooks and half that of notebooks. They were certainly a peculiar pair, a griffin and an earth pony, but for this study session they were united under one goal: not to have to learn ANYTHING during the summer! For best friends Sandbar and Gallus, summer was for fun, for parties, and most importantly staying as far away from a classroom as possible!

At most times, Sandbar the earth pony was the only one who appeared to take his studies seriously. He took notes, wrote down important bullet points, and even marked significant book page numbers with colored tabs. Most of the material came naturally for him, but he mostly studied for Gallus’s benefit. The desk space in front of him was littered with cheat sheets and flash cards, anything that might assist his friend in absorbing the material. All of this was a labor of love for him and he was happy to help his friend out.

Gallus was, well, Gallus floated. The griffin hardly sat still for long and spent most of the time pacing with a book in his wings, rereading the same page over and over again. The wooden library chairs were incredibly uncomfortable and he never learned the most effectively through reading dusty old books anyway. He was more of a hands-on kind of griffin and staring at books all afternoon was hardly something he wanted to do today. While he did his best to answer the questions that Sandbar quizzed him with there were obviously other places he’d rather be right now.

“Ugh, so bored!” Gallus finally exclaimed, letting his book holding wing drop limply at his side. The heavy book he had been reading this past half hour plopped to the ground with a noisy rustle, “why are we even studying? The test won’t be for another two weeks!”

“Repetition helps the mind remember important information,” Sandbar answered, keeping his voice quiet, “if we study a little bit at a time then we’ll have less to worry about.”

“But this studying is taking hours out of my after school time,” Gallus replied, his wings twitching and readjusting themselves at his sides. He glanced over at a tall glass window that poured bountiful and beautiful afternoon light into the room, taunting him. “I need to get out there and fly a bit. I’m getting restless!”

“Just relax, man. We have a half hour left.”

“Flying IS relaxing,” Gallus groaned, stretching out his wings as they felt uncomfortable on his back, “I can’t stay cooped up in here all day!” He let out a heated breath through his beak, “you don’t have wings so I can’t expect you to understand." He began to pace restlessly, reading much less than ever before. "You probably like meditate or paint or whatever,” Gallus threw out a guess with a scoff.

Sandbar grew quiet and shrunk back, “well...kinda...”

Gallus raised an ear at this. “Kinda? That’s all you’re gonna say? Am I even close?” he asked as he hopped closer to the pony, “come on man, what is it?”

There was a heavy pause as Sandbar’s shoulders tensed up. “...Promise you won’t laugh?” he said after a sigh.

“Psh, you know I can’t promise that,” Gallus chuckled.

“No, I mean it, man,” Sandbar squeaked, “i-if you promise not to make fun of me or tell anyone else well...I-I’ll tell you...”

“You’re serious?” Gallus replied, momentarily dropping his usual cocky facade. “Well alright,” he answered, placing a claw on his chest, “as your friend, bound by the rules of pony friendship and my honor, I promise I won’t tell anyone or make fun of you for whatever you do to relax.”

“...Okay,” Sandbar gulped and then after a big long pause he finally spoke, “so like...you know how there are ponies who pretend to be kids to relax?” He paused as he waited for his lower lip to stop quivering, “and uhm...some of them might take things a step further and pretend to be...foals...”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not one of the ponies who pretends to be a kid...?”

“Sorry, I know it’s stupid. I’m stupid. Forget I said anything,” Sandbar’s eyes snapped back to his book with a defeated slump. He was ready to run away. It was stupid of him to even consider sharing such a stupid thing. Stupid!

“Hey whoa whoa, Bar, that’s not what I’m saying at all!” Gallus was quick to console his friend, “...I mean it is kinda weird, but it doesn’t mean I’ll like disown you because of it.” For an uncharacteristic moment, he spoke to Sandbar with a sincere and trusting tone. “I’m your friend and a little secret hobby won't change that,” he said while extending a claw, “still pals?”

“Pals,” Sandbar answered, shaking his claw, “...thanks for listening. It’s something I’ve kept to myself and, I don’t know, it’s kind of nice telling someone about it.”

“You’re welcome, man. You’re always there for me to keep me from doing something stupid,” Gallus shrugged, “guess this kinda makes us even.”

Sandbar let out a slow and steady sigh. For the first time in the last ten minutes his heart had finally let up and steadied itself. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Confessing that little part of him to a trusted friend made his heart feel five pounds lighter!

“Why don’t we clean up and head on out,” the pony said as he closed up his book.

"What about studying?" Gallus needlessly reminded the stallion.

“It’s a nice day out,” Sandbar smiled, glancing over at the beautiful view through the window. “Can’t waste it all in here!”

Author's Note

I wanted to revisit the Gallus/Sandbar relationship that I briefly explored in my older story "Study Buddies" and give it more of a slow burn. I think those two are cute together and adding diapers to the mix just makes it more fun to write! For a while now this story has sat on my writing desk as footnotes and fragmented paragraphs so I'm happy to see some semblance of a story start to finally emerge. Hope everyone enjoys!

Chapter Two

Before the pair knew it, those two weeks of studying flew by. Soon Gallus found himself taking the exam he was dreading the most: Ms. Twilight Sparkle’s exam on Advanced Applied Friendship Theory.

It wasn’t that he didn’t study, it was just that he worried that studying wasn’t going to be enough. Ms. Twilight was already notorious for coming up with the toughest exams on the whole campus. Why couldn’t it've been a Pinkie Pie class? Or one of Ms. Fluttershy’s? Dread didn’t quite cover what Gallus was feeling.

It had already been an hour since the exam started and Gallus hardly made a dent! Ms. Twilight didn't pull any of her punches when she made up this test. Pages upon pages of questions that required the griffin to dredge up obscure information on friendship theory. If he hadn’t studied with Sandbar all those times, he would have very likely flunked the whole thing on his own. He used thinking muscles he never thought he had! And to make things more stressful, many classmates finished before the first hour was up, which only made him more nervous as the classroom grew emptier and emptier.

Gallus was one of the last students to leave the classroom by the end of it all. He groaned by the time he managed to drag himself out into the halls. He never thought he could be so exhausted just from a stupid test!

“Hey Gallus!” Sandbar came catching up with the hovering griffin, “how’d the exam go?”

“Please,” Gallus groaned, ”don’t...don’t talk to me about exams right now, alright?”

“Was it really that bad?”

“I don’t know, I definitely had a tough time,” Gallus replied, “might have just scraped by with a passing grade, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

“I’m sure you did better than you think,” Sandbar smiled.

“Well whatever, class is over so all I want to do now is just relax and not think about a THING!”

“Heh, had the same idea myself!”

The pair scuttled back to the students' quarters, a separate building off the school's main campus that housed students who lived outside of Ponyville. It was a squat building, made up of four floors with about a dozen dorm rooms on each. The accommodations of each room were...livable by most standards. Each room was spacious enough to contain a bed, some living space, and each one came with its own connected bathroom. There was a closet and some space for storage, but most rooms came with the bare essentials and relied on the students to decorate them themselves.

Sandbar’s room was a perfect fusion of seaside furnishings and chill aesthetics. His bed was pushed to the corner as far as it could go to allow as much open space as possible. The living space was taken up primarily by a number of bean bag chairs, perfect for lounging and vegging out. The decor consisted of sea turtle shaped lamps and trinkets he brought from home. Colorful seashells sat on a shelf, each one with it’s own story to tell as a surfboard made of a bluish wood leaned in the corner next to a large paned window with thick blackout curtains.

“Finally,” Gallus exhaled as they entered. He immediately plopped himself down on one of the beanbags and groaned in exhaustion, “ya got any cloud tonic or anything?”

Cloud tonic was a pegasus-made carbonated beverage that came in a variety of carbonated fruity flavors. Best served cold, it's primary selling point was the tiny raincloud they trapped in every bottle that slowly refilled the bottle with tonic as the consumer drinks, effectively doubling the amount of liquid inside. It was considered a greenhorn mistake to accidentally let the fruity raincloud escape out of the top of the bottle because it was then impossible to coax it back in again.

“I’m sure I have a bottle or two stashed away in the closet somewhere," Sandbar replied, "I can look when I get back. First I gotta take a quick shower. Ms. Rainbow Dash’s athletics course left me a little rank.”

“Psh, wasn’t gonna say anything, but now that you mention it,” Gallus smirked.

“Yeah yeah, I don’t think I need a lecture from you,” Sandbar rolled his eyes with a quick laugh, “can you hang tight till I get out?”

“Might die of thirst, but I’ll manage,” Gallus replied before stretching his legs and slumping further into the beanbag’s cushion. And with that, the earth pony zipped into the bathroom moments before the shower could be heard running.

After quite a bit of waiting, it seemed that Sandbar’s definition of “a quick shower” was much longer than Gallus thought. A quick shower usually implied that it’d be...well, quick. What Sandbar was taking was, in fact, not that. Five minutes passed. Then ten. And before he knew it, Sandbar’s shower was reaching its twenty minute mark without any sign of slowing down.

Gallus emitted an aggravated sigh. Maybe he was going to die of thirst. Or maybe he was just being impatient. Either way he found himself waiting MUCH longer than he was prepared to endure. All his body wanted to do right now was relax, but if there was a promise of a delicious sugary cloud tonic waiting for him just ten feet away, then his mind wouldn’t let him fully relax until he found it. As tired as he was, his mind wasn’t letting him forget that he’d be even MORE relaxed if he had a nice bubbly drink to sip.

With an aggravated roll of his eyes, he finally submitted and rolled off the comfy beanbag Shouldn’t be that hard to find a bottle of tonic, right? He flung open the closet door and began his search. A couple outfits hung on wooden hangers to the left while the right side was mostly used for storage space. Cardboard boxes were stacked up high, each one marked with vague titles like "Holiday" or "Surf" written on the side in black marker.

Gallus ignored any box that wasn't titled anything related to food or drink, hoping that would somehow make his search easier. He pushed aside the box that said "Cooking" and nudged out of the way the box that was labeled "Sleep", eventually finding a box hidden behind the others.

This box was unmarked, bearing no tag or title that stood it apart from others. It was as plain as any other box and Gallus figured the drinks would be in there through sheer process of elimination. And a good thing too! He was kinda getting a little thirsty!

Pulling the box out of the closet and into the light, Gallus unfolded the box's top flaps. Much to his surprise, however, he didn't find any tonics or any drinks of any kind. Instead he found a plain white package made of a thick plastic, opened to reveal a row of neatly folded rectangles.

Utterly confused and possibly too curious for his own good, Gallus pulled out one of the plastic rectangles for a closer look. "What the...?" he mumbled to himself as he held the padded rectangle up in the air, allowing it to unfold itself to three times its length.

The plastic, padded thing appeared soft and fluffy on the inside while remaining smooth and stiff on the outside. Wings with tabs of tape hung off each corner of the plastic rectangle as well. A diaper?

Just as Gallus was in the midst of processing this discovery, Sandbar emerged from the bathroom, a blue towel wrapped around his head and his green fur fluffy and frizzy from being freshly dried. The pony only took a few steps into the room before his eyes shot open wide and his body petrified. Color drained from his face as he locked eyes with Gallus.

“S-so I guess..." Gallus shifted awkwardly after a few minutes of silence, "y-you weren’t joking when you said you wore...”

“I-I said I’d look for the tonics, man!" Sandbar stammered out with his face flush with red, "I-I didn’t want you to see...t-to see...!” A storm of emotions swarmed his face. Shock, fear, embarrassment, amazement, surprise.

“Y-you were taking forever!” Gallus replied in a knee jerk reaction. It was his first instinct to ensure that everyone else knew that this momentary invasion of privacy was in fact, not entirely his fault. Lucky for him, Ms. Fluttershy’s Introduction to Empathy and Insight 102 taught him some helpful lessons. “A-anyway, i-it doesn’t matter to me if you would rather be...wearing y’know...these,” he continued to say, still holding the open diaper in the air.

In a blush filled flash, Sandbar swiped the diaper out of Gallus's claws, “that s-stuff’s private, okay!?” The frazzled pony slammed the babyish garment back into the box and swiftly closed its flaps. “I-I just don’t want...I didn’t want you to see!”

Gallus’s griffin upbringing knew just what to say at this moment. It sounded something like ‘I was thirsty and you were taking forever to shower. I mean, who takes showers that long?’ Or maybe perhaps ‘you know, for a secret, you really didn’t hide it all that well. If you really wanted to hide it, you shouldn’t have left it buried in your closet where anyone could find it.’

“I’m sorry for snooping. I should have waited,” he said in place of all that, “you want to keep that stuff private and I should respect that as your friend.”

Sandbar passively nodded as he stared at the box under his hooves. His ears still warmed with blush. His petrified stillness was a result of a contradicting number of actions that grinded against each other like opposing clockwork. He wanted to run away, grab the box of diapers and hide inside his closet until everyone forgot he even existed. He wanted to yell, but not at Gallus, just...yell. He wanted to curl up and cry, just to relieve the coiled spring of stress that was building in his chest.

“Do you want...” Gallus chimed in, tapping into his small reservoir of friendship knowledge, “do you want me to leave you alone?”

“No...” Sandbar replied with a reluctant sigh, “no, that wouldn’t be fair.” He relieved the pressure he was pushing into the box with his forehoove. “You came over to hang out and relax. I couldn’t just kick you out because...” His words trailed off again. What was he even going to say after that? ‘I couldn’t just kick you out because I’m actually relieved you found this so I don’t have to worry about revealing it to you one day’? ‘Because deep down all I want to waddle around in big fluffy diapers’? “Because,” he ended up saying, “because I’m your friend and...I know you’d keep this secret if I asked you to...”

“Yeah, man, of course!” Gallus replied, “I’ll pretend I never saw the stuff! You toss that back in your closet and we’ll never talk about it again!”

“No...” Sandbar found himself saying amidst a sigh. He groaned at the clashing thoughts as they toiled inside of him again. He was a big bundle of nerves. A bundle of sensitive, easily upsettable nerves.

The truth of the matter was Sandbar really REALLY wanted to wear a diaper in front of Gallus. He had dreamt of this moment hundreds of times before. Maybe not Gallus specifically, but sharing this deep secret of his with ANYONE seemed like such a tantalizing idea! He wanted to do it so badly, but reality and worry always got in the way of fantasy. His heart was exuberant about the idea, but his mind would always be there to tug on the reins and keep him from doing something that he might regret.

“Do you wanna put a diaper on now?” Gallus came out and said.

“Wh-what?”

“I don’t know, I figure that if you’re really so embarrassed about it,” the griffin started, “then you either never wanna be seen wearing one or...you really wanna be seen wearing one.” He briefly paused to examine his line of logic. Yeah, yeah that sounded pretty sound to him. “So like, if you wanted to...you could put one on and see how you feel so you’re not worrying yourself sick wondering about it all the time.”

That seemed to shut the coiled spring down and for a brief moment Sandbar’s nervous little fidgeting stopped. Had he been left to his own devices, he might have very well just stood there, stammering out excuses and apologies, repeating ad nauseam about how awkward things might get and how he wouldn't want Gallus to feel weird. But something seemed to click when Gallus gave him the go-ahead.

“O-okay,” Sandbar found himself saying, which kind of surprised him.

“Then here,” Gallus replied, digging into the box again and pulling out the open diaper. “Put it on or don’t put it on. I promise I won’t laugh. I’m your friend.”

“O-okay uhm...I-I’ll be right back!” Sandbar exclaimed before grabbing the diaper and zipping into the bathroom.

“Right,” Gallus sighed before dropping back into his bean bag chair. Who knew convincing a friend to do what they already wanted to do could be so exhausting.

Sandbar was always a pony who aimed to please. He never wanted to end up in a situation where he let someone down or made a decision that was considered wrong. He was easy going, but frustratingly indecisive. It would always take him forever to cast the first vote. It was more difficult getting him to make a decision, any decision, than anything else.

It was obvious to Gallus that his friend really truly wanted to wear a diaper. For whatever reason it was, Sandbar was just looking for an excuse. Although in a weird way, Gallus kind of wanted to see him wearing it too. He couldn't quite explain why, but he'd be lying if he said this was a purely selfless act.

Moments later a plastic rustling could be heard as Sandbar emerged from the bathroom. He now wore the white diaper around his waist and the padding of the garment turned whatever angles of his backside into smooth, fluffy curves. He stood before Gallus ram rod and stiff at first, silently bracing himself for whatever was to come. Out of the dozen points of no return he had recently passed, this moment right here was the most most point of no return. He realized that there was definitely no turning back now. He was wearing a diaper in front of his best friend, out and in the open and laid bare to whatever ridicule or comments or jokes Gallus might throw at him. This was it.

“Huh,” was all Gallus could think to say. In any other situation he might have cracked a joke to break the tension, but even a cocky griffin such as himself couldn’t find the words. “So I guess...that’s not, like, a baby diaper from the store or whatever.”

“I know...it’s weird,” Sandbar shrunk back, lowering his head in shame.

“Psh, not as weird as some of the other pony stuff you do,” Gallus shrugged, "you ponies have like a THOUSAND different holidays throughout the year."

There was a heavy silence for a moment or two as the pair just stared at each other. Gallus was still trying to process it all while Sandbar was resisting every instinct to just run off and never return.

“I-It just started as something I did sometimes,” Sandbar suddenly started to explain in a stammered ramble, “you know, when I’m stressed out or worried.”

“Yeah?”

“A-and it helps. It really does,” Sandbar blushed, “look, I just put one on because you asked. I don’t expect you to understand all of this. It’s just a secret thing I do and since you’re one of my best friends I just...” his words trailed off as his head dropped to the ground. “It’s stupid, I know...”

“A little silly, maybe, but you’re more relaxed now that you’re wearing it. I can tell,” Gallus said, “your hooves aren’t digging into the carpet anymore, that’s for sure.”

“My...hooves?” Sandbar repeated to himself as he took stock. He noticed the coiled spring in his chest wasn’t there anymore and his heartbeat returned to a normal rhythm. “Yeah I...I guess you’re right,” he smiled softly.

There was another mark of silence. However this bit of silence felt...softer than the ones before it. There wasn’t a stressful tension hanging in the air. Instead it was more relaxed. More...softer.

"S-so uhm...y-you couldn't find the cloud tonics?" Sandbar started.

"No yeah, I didn't really know where to look," Gallus shrugged.

"I put them in the "Cooking" box. Because you cook food in the kitchen and that's where food's usually stored?"

Gallus rolled his eyes, "yeah...guess it's so simple when you explain it like that."

In an uncharacteristically silent fashion, Gallus watched the pony waddle over to the closet. The diaper around his waist crinkled up a storm, practically begging to be looked at the most. It was certainly a bulky looking thing, pretty thick too. It really had a knack for keeping Sandbar’s legs apart just so, forcing him to do this sort of cute, toddlerish waddle everywhere he went. His padded behind wiggled this way and that as he sorted through the small stack of boxes stashed in the closet. It made Sandbar kinda look kinda adorable, Gallus thought, kinda, in a way. It looked absorbent as well and for a moment he half wondered just how much liquid it could hold.

After quite some time had passed, Gallus finally realized he had been gawking at Sandbar's butt this whole time. He immediately broke away from the staring contest once he caught himself and instead threw his gaze over at a seashell lamp that hung on the rightmost wall of the room. This seemed like a much better opponent for the griffin’s gaze, only his stupid cheeks wouldn’t stop blushing.

“Here ya go,” Sandbar’s voice suddenly appeared beside Gallus, making the blue griffin jump a bit in his seat.

“Oh uhm...thanks,” Gallus cleared his throat as he accepted the bottle and idly popped it open. A puff of orange mist wafted out before he took a healthy chug of the sugary drink that bubbled inside.

“Sorry it took so long. I didn’t realize you were so thirsty,” Sandbar commented, carefully lowering himself down into another beanbag. His diaper rustled around him as it’s soft insides brushed against his butt like a cozy pillow.

Gallus glanced up at Sandbar, accidentally looking more at the pony’s diaper than anything else. “...yeah...” He simply said with another uncomfortable clearing of his throat. Now there were butterflies stirring up his belly. Luckily a cool gulp of tonic seemed to be enough to extinguish that problem.

He leaned forward in his beanbag and idly watched the bubbly liquid in his tonic bottle slosh about. It was everything he could do to not glance up at Sandbar and risk another staring contest with the pony’s diaper. He watched the little orange colored rain cloud inside slowly fill the bottle back up. His blushing ears swiveled forward to focus on the hissing of a hundred little bubbles popping in rapid succession. If he had devoted one hundred percent of his energy into focusing on the bottle, he might have very well been able to pull it off, however, in a brief moment of weakness, he let his curiosity get the better of him and his eyes drifted once again to Sandbar’s crotch.

“So like..." he blurted out, "so like when you wear...those things.” He shifted in his seat when his wings suddenly got uncomfortable to wear. All of a sudden he couldn’t even say the word ‘diaper’. “...Do you ever..." he paused greatly between words, not really knowing what he was asking until right before he asked, "ever, y’know, use them or whatever?"

Sandbar grew quiet as he swallowed a nervous gulp. He felt like a deer caught in headlights. He didn’t quite know what to say. If he was being perfectly honest, he could come out and say that he DID enjoy wet diapers - quite a bit actually - and to him it seemed wasteful to ever wear a diaper without using them as well. But he didn’t want to openly admit all that stuff in front of his best friend like some kind of obsessed weirdo. He didn’t want to suddenly overwhelm Gallus with the weird things he does. The griffin looked open and understanding right now, but he couldn't imagine how he'd react if he just laid himself bare and confessed every tiny detail of his private life.

No, that would just be too much...

But then again he couldn’t exactly lie. Not only would he have to lie - which was a skill he could never quite master - but he’d have to lie to his best friend. And even without trying he knew it’d be impossible to pull that off. Especially one that was convincing enough for an experienced liar like Gallus.

“U-uhm...y-yeah...kinda...” Sandbar answered kind of weakly, immediately plugging his mouth with his bottle of tonic before he accidentally elaborated. He chugged his cherry drink for a bit before he bothered to look up at the griffin.

Now it was Gallus’s turn to gulp. Hearing Sandbar admit such a thing made his feathers shiver, but he didn't quite understand why. He gulped down some more tonic to chill the warm butterflies that were once again growing in his belly. A cocky griffin like himself had never felt so nervous before. It was almost...exciting to hear Sandbar open up to him like that. It was like he was happy that he trusted him enough to admit such things. He felt closer to his best friend in a way. In a way the secret sharing was...fun.

"Cool, alright," was all he ended up saying. "Well u-uhm..." he tried to regain his bearings with a slight stammer, "like I said I don't mind like this whole diaper thing and all so if you ever, ya'know...need to go or...whatever..."

“You’re okay with me...going in diapers? You’re serious?”

“I mean whatever, I don’t care,” Gallus cleared his throat, quaffing his tonic and trying ever so hard not to stare at anything but the wall straight in front of him, “you do you. If you gotta go, I won’t stop you.”

Another heavy silence fell over the room as the two continued to avoid eye contact with one another. It was an awkward silence. An embarrassing one. There were a dozen and a half things the two wanted to say to the other, but too shy to start.

After quite some time, it was Gallus who finally broke the silence and blurted out what crazy thing his mind was focused on for some reason. “I mean that’s what diapers are for, right? It’d be a waste otherwise,” he added, mostly saying this rather unneeded information to himself.

Again. Another bit of silence.

Sandbar wallowed in the stillness of the moment. His cheeks and ears burned with a bright pink color as he stared down at the plush diaper that covered his crotch. The thing was glaringly white, almost challenging him to pee in it. It was as if wetting it would not only satisfy his own desire to do so, but to prove to the thing that he could, in fact, use it. A twinge from his bladder happily added to the decision, pooling it’s vote with the diaper’s, making the choice all the more obvious.

“W-well...now that you mention it,” he muttered with a blush.

Gallus nearly choked on his drink. For a brief moment his body tried to breathe in the carbonated beverage straight into his lungs. Hearing Sandbar made his cheeks flare up pink and his wings all tingly again. It almost made him smile too if he wasn’t currently coughing up tonic.

Regardless of what the griffin’s reaction was going to be after he got done coughing, Sandbar fell silent and focused. His attention concentrated on letting go of his hold on his bladder. It started with a subtle sigh as his legs slowly splayed apart. A muffled hiss turned gurgling rumbled from his crotch as a splash of yellow began to spread across his diaper. It was surprisingly easy for him to let it go once it got started. Even with Gallus there, he found peeing himself to be completely effortless.

Gallus tried his best not to stare. He didn’t know much about Pony social convention when it came to situations like this. Honestly, who would. So he thought it more polite not to stare. Or maybe, he thought, he was expected to stare. Did ponies like to pee while being watched? Was that like some friendly friendship thing he should have been doing? Would it be supportive of him if he watched his best friend pee into a diaper? Was he staring right now? Was he staring too much? He shook his head to clear the fog of questions when it got too thick. He ended up switching between half staring at the diaper and half staring at the ground where his back feet idly pawed the soft carpet.

Minutes later and the faint gurgling subsided. Sandbar's eyes fluttered open as he leaned back in his seat. The diaper now rustled less and now loudly squished with every move he made.

“W-wow,” Gallus muttered, “you really...y-you really soaked that thing...”

“Y-yeah...” Sandbar blushed with a little smile.

The pony looked down at the swollen diaper that bulged out his crotch. Despite all that tension and anxiety of doing it in front of Gallus, the feel of the wet diaper was always so relaxing and made all those worries seem silly. It's heated warmth, it's squishy consistency, even it's hefty weight. It all just felt so...softly. He dared not touch it though, despite really REALLY wanting to do that right now. Touching it with a hoof seemed...risky to do in front of Gallus. He instead opted to just squeeze his thighs together to revel in subtle sensations.

There were a number of things Gallus wanted to do right now. He wanted to fly around outside for a bit. He wanted to ask how it felt to pee in a diaper. He wanted to see how far the moisture traveled down the back of the diaper. And of course, he wanted to crack a joke or two. But even stranger, he wanted to ask if he could wear a diaper as well.

And after much pondering and thought, Gallus made a very valid and very rational decision.

“I-I just remembered I got...I-I gotta uhm,” he stood up even before his mind could conjure up a valid excuse, “brush up on my Animal Husbandry notes. Wanna be prepared for Ms. Applejack’s test.”

“Oh...” Sandbar replied, puzzled, unsure, and feeling a bit small, “w-well I can help you with that if you’d want...”

“No no, you’ve already helped me a lot as it is,” Gallus waved the pony off, “b-besides, I wouldn’t want to...cramp your style or whatever.” He rattled on as he inched towards the door, “I mean it’s already been exciting...f-for you I mean, to, you know, wear a diaper in front of me.”

"I-I really appreciate you letting me," Sandbar replied, finding it difficult to stand up from such a warm and comfortable spot.

Gallus took one last glance at Sandbar and then another, much longer glance at Sandbar’s...wet diaper. His stupid cheeks began to grow warm again and his stupid wings got all tingly again. “Th-thanks for the tonic. I’ll uhm, see you later,” he said with a forced smile before slipping out the door.

Chapter Three

A week passed and after a half a dozen more exams the academic quarter was finally over. Classes were done, tests were finished, and it was high time everyone shelved all this school business and moved on to more important things. Like summer vacation.

There was now only one hurdle that stood between them and a fun and relaxing summer: final grades.

Grades were posted in the main hall on a large bulletin board that covered an entire portion of the wall. On most days the board served as a central hub for holiday announcements, club meeting schedules, and the occasional “Junk For Sale” flier. However today all attention was drawn to the rows of papers that were neatly and orderly tacked to the cork. Every class this quarter was listed with all students who attended those classes arranged in two neat and tidy columns underneath each one. Beside each name was their final grade for that class and it was that grade that could make or break any hopeful summer vacation.

Sandbar and Gallus gathered in the main hall with the rest of the student body to find out their seasonal fate. As they walked into the hall they were met by a cacophony of noise and activity. All around them there were whispers and chattering students buzzing with worry, relief, and excitement. It was a hive of movement as everyone rushed about looking at the grading sheets, checking their own marks, and trying to figure out what their final grade would be.

“Maybe summer classes won't be so bad...” Gallus mumbled to himself as the pair slowly moved forward through the sea of students.

“Oh come on, dude, you haven’t even looked at your grades yet!” Sandbar nudged his friend’s side, “we’ll pass! Trust me! We studied hard this quarter! I got a good feeling!”

“Oh. Good,” Gallus sighed as they continued moving forward. Leave it to Sandbar’s “feelings” to predict the future...

All around him he could hear a dozen vignettes being played as students figured out their final grades. Some students were shaking their heads in disbelief while others were crying tears of joy or of disappointment. If he had to draw his own consensus, then he’d probably guess Ms. Twilight Sparkle really held nothing back this quarter. It was like a passing grade in her class came to her students as a relief rather than a reward.

Before they knew it, the two friends found themselves at the front of the crowd. The bulletin board towered over them like an ominous obelisk. Gallus took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for disappointment. “Here we go,” he said under his breath.

He scanned the rows of paper tacked neatly on the board. Jumping from class to class he hunted down his grades one by one. Hugs and Hoofshakes 101, Animal Husbandry and Agricultural Basics, Friendly Competition 204, Social Influence Application, and of course the one he was dreading the most: Advanced Applied Friendship Theory.

He collected the grades in his head, making careful calculations as he went along. If the answer was a passing grade point average then it called for celebration. Anything less...summer classes. Hugs and Hoofshakes was basically an excuse for students to gather around a plate of cookies and make small talk so that wasn’t going to be much of an issue. Friendly Competition, although physically exhausting, was never too hard either. But then there was Social Influence Application and Advanced Applied Friendship Theory. Those classes, with their long list of terms that needed to be memorized and heavy textbooks, would surely bring down his average.

Sandbar turned to his friend, “Well?”

“I passed!” the griffin exclaimed.

“You did?!” Sandbar gasped, eyes wide with surprise, “oh wow, that’s amazing!”

Gallus looked at the grades and then back at Sandbar. He had never seen the pony look so proud of him. The griffin’s chest swelled with pride and happiness. “Think this calls for a celebration!” he found himself saying.

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

Back at the dorms, a party was being thrown by the students in the common room to mark the end of exam season. Taking up the better half of the room was a massive table that was laden with food and drink. Pies and cakes, cookies and ice cream, even a selection of soda, juice, and cider piled high across the table.

The whole place was alive with chatter and laughter. Students sat together in small groups around the large table, chatting and laughing and enjoying the company of friends. It was a fun, relaxed atmosphere and it seemed to be a place where the students could finally let loose and enjoy themselves without worrying about grades.

A strict “No Faculty Allowed*” rule was posted at the door. Although the sign was more of a formality since traditionally no one really upheld the rule. Teachers often celebrated in their own way, but Ms. Pinkie Pie especially always had a knack of finding her way into any party she pleased when she had a tray of her famous double frosted cupcakes.

“To summer!” Sandbar exclaimed, hoisting up his mug of cider.

The rest of the group of friends raised a celebratory drink to that and cheered. A mix of glass bottles, metal mugs, and ceramic cups clattered above the center of the table before each one was retracted and everyone gulped down a celebratory gulp.

"So what's everyone doing for summer?!" Silverstream the hippogriff asked as she looked around the table with her trademark unbridled excitement. It was the kind of excitement that could be responded to with anything and she would eagerly listen to every detail.

Excitable and energetic, Silverstream never seemed short of enthusiasm and curiosity to learn about the world around her. Having spent most of her life isolated from the rest of the world, the hippogriff was always eager to experience new things, even if those things were experienced vicariously through others.

"Yona going home," Yona the yak barked in response, "pony summers too hot for yak. Go see family instead!"

The large and thick furred yak was a practical and prideful yak, filled with practical and prideful ideals. She was, as Ms. Applejack once put it, ‘rough ‘round the edges bu’ endearin’’. Coming from a home in the icy north, she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and she often did this bluntly and with a minor bias towards her yak heritage.

"Not hot enough if you ask me," Smolder the dragon added, "give me a lava bath over all of this..." She gestured vaguely in the air around her, "temperate stuff."

Being a dragon, Smolder had a reputation of being crude and competitive. In most situations, she was a reliable source of sarcasm. Her fiery personality was not unlike the flaming hot springs of the eastern regions she hailed from.

"My family’s been bugging me about paying them a visit," Sandbar added, "I’ll probably do that one weekend or another."

"Oh that sounds like so much fun!" Silverstream fluttered. “How about you, Gallus?”

“Me? Eh, I really don’t have any plans,” the blue griffin shrugged, “we never really have warm summers up in Griffonstone so I’ll probably end up spending it here.”

"You could always hang out with me and Ocellus!" Silverstream exclaimed as Ocellus the changeling meekly nodded beside her. "We're going to be staying in Ponyville for the summer to enjoy everything about that valley life!"

"Gal pal around Ponyville all summer?" Gallus scoffed, almost gagging on the overpowering..."pinkness" of the idea. "I think I'll pass..."

"Well the offer’s always on the table," Silverstream replied.

"We'd love to have you," Ocellus added.

The academically inclined changeling had a knack for blending into the background and rarely spoke up unless spoken to first. This allowed her to remain relatively unnoticed by most ponies, however it seemed like she preferred it that way.

"Yeah well I'll think about it," Gallus answered in a noncommittal tone and the chattering naturally moved away from the subject.

The conversation did give Gallus something to think about. He really didn't have anything planned for the summer. He figured he would just...do things. After months of scheduled classes, he wasn't quite sure what to do with his time now. When nothing else came to mind he simply shrugged to himself. All else fails and he could always just slum it and throw glass bottles at a wall with Smolder. That always passed the time. Or he could go back to Griffinstone and...do things there.

In the end he simply gulped down another frothy mug of cider. He’d cross that bridge when he got to it.

The festivities around them continued to rumble on even as the sun started to set over the valley. Evening oranges in the sky gave way to purples and dark blues as the night sky started to twinkle through the common room windows. A cool breeze blew through the open windows, carrying the scent of the foothills and the chirping of crickets which had to compete with the shouts of students and the smells of dozens of sweets and treats.

As the evening wore on, activity around the common room started to wind down. Energetic games of tag and eating contests transitioned into slow dancing and group reading. Loud, rambunctious shouting turned into quiet and intimate conversation. Before too long the noise level began to drop as snacks and guests alike began to thin out.

Sandbar polished off his fourth mug of cider. Normally he wouldn’t be drinking so much, but today was certainly a call for celebration. Even underneath his laid back exterior, the pony had still fretted over this quarter of exams. If not for his own grades, then for all his friends to pass as well! He always had such a terrible habit of worrying about the problems of others and it was all starting to take its toll. At least now, at the end of it all, he could sit back, relax, and quaff as much cider as he wanted. He was looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow as well!

Speaking of which...

“Thinkin’ I might turn in for the night,” Sandbar announced after a drawn out yawn.

“Yeah...” Gallus added, joining in with a forced yawn for good measure, “me too...”

"Psh, hardly even ten and you two are calling it quits," Smolder scoffed, "well then enjoy your early bedtime."

"Goodnight you two," Silverstream added.

"G'night!" Sandbar replied as the rest of the group said their farewells. After gulping down the last few drops of cider in his mug, Sandbar paired up with Gallus and the two of them made their way to the stairs.

When they reached their floor, Gallus followed Sandbar into his room almost by habit. It wasn’t unusual for the two to pull out a card game to play to wind down for the night or to lay about and chill to recover from an exhausting day. However, it’d be lying if he claimed instinct wasn’t the only thing driving him into Sandbar’s room.

“Be right back,” Sandbar said with a yawn as he trotted across the room.

“Going to the bathroom?” Gallus asked with almost a faint twinge of disappointment in his voice.

“Just real quick before bed,” Sandbar replied, turning his head towards his griffin friend. Gallus looked unusually awkward, standing in the middle of the room. "Is...something on your mind?"

“I-I was just thinking...about the other day,” Gallus replied so indirectly, “you didn’t seem to mind not using the bathroom that time.”

Sandbar’s cheeks flared up a bright red, “o-oh, that...”

"Had an awful lot to drink tonight too."

Sandbar quietly nodded at that. He knew he'd be up several times that night to pee. Of course the idea of wearing a diaper to bed did cross his mind once or twice that evening, but surely it’d be more trouble than it’d be worth, right? For starters he’d most likely leak in the middle of the night or come dangerously close to doing so. Plus the diapers were buried in his closet somewhere so he’d have to do some digging. And would he really wear a diaper in front of Gallus again?

“Alls I’m saying is that if you wanna...y’know, wear a...diaper again, then whatever,” Gallus paused, gulping a nervous gulp. He was having a tough time deciding whether he wanted to stare at the far wall or the floor.

Diaper. His beak tingled every time he said it. He could feel a hint of blush tickle his cheeks every time he said it, even if it was in just casual conversation. The fact that he avoided saying it nowadays wasn’t lost on him either. It had somehow magically become a forbidden word for him.

“A-and if you ever feel like the odd one out, ya know, I can...I mean I can wear one too if you want me to.” He crossed his arms across his chest, guarding that vulnerable spot that was growing on his chest.

Sandbar's ears perked up at this curiosity "You...want to wear a diaper too?”

“I mean only if it’d make you feel more comfortable wearing one yourself!” Gallus babbled on. “But just one night, alright?” he was quick to add, “I-I don’t wanna make ya think I’m some kinda...baby." The word kind of tickled a bit as he said it, forcing him to hold back a little smile that tried to crack his beak. A baby...A baby who needs to wear diapers. The smile tried to return with that added thought, but he managed to pull it back down to a serious scowl. “And you can’t tell a soul about it if I do!"

“I-I won’t I won’t!” Sandbar answered before recoiling with a blush, “so uhm...you want to now?”

“Okay fine I guess,” Gallus exclaimed with a roll of his eyes, “If it means you’ll stop begging and all...”

The closet door almost flung off its hinges as a blurred, pale green pony dove into the pile of boxes inside. Sandbar’s hooves jittered under his weight as he pulled out the familiar unmarked box and pushed it out into the middle of the room. Gallus shared in a bashful blush as their eyes locked onto the package of diapers that dwelled inside the cardboard box.

“H-here you go,” Sandbar stammered as he handed off a folded diaper, “you can duck down in the bathroom for privacy if you want or...”

Let me change you right here on the floor, he wanted to suggest. But he hardly had the chance to stammer any of that out before the diaper was awkwardly snatched out of his hooves. In a blink of an eye, a blurred, blue griffin rushed into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Alone in the room now, Sandbar grabbed a diaper of his own. He smiled to himself as happy butterflies started to tickle his belly. It all felt like a dream. A fantasy made real. He just hoped that Gallus would be alright in the bathroom on his own.

Meanwhile Gallus stood in the bathroom, staring down at the folded diaper he held in his claws. Was he really going to do this? Put on some baby pony diaper? The very idea made his feathers all tingly. What if this was all a trick? What if he messed it up? What if Sandbar ratted him out and told everyone about it?

He shook his head. This was ridiculous! It was a diaper! Just a stupid diaper! Sandbar was the one who was nervous about this stuff, not him! So why was he being so hesitant? Why was he taking so long to put it on if it was ‘just a diaper’? He was starting to feel a lot like Sandbar right now.

Just put on the diaper, Gallus thought loudly, just put on the stupid diaper already!

Fine, I'll put in the stupid diaper, he then grumbled back to himself. But only because it would make Sandbar happy. And no other reason.

The crisp diaper crackled as it's rectangular mass was unfolded crease by crease. It’s soft, inviting interior beckoned Gallus forward. He was more than willing to answer the call, he just wished his claws would stop shivering.

Not seconds into it he discovered that putting on a diaper was easier said than done. He sort of wished someone was in here to help him change. Someone...like Sandbar. Either way, he managed. After some careful maneuvering, skillful use of leaning against the wall, and a couple readjustments, he managed to tape the diaper, albeit loosely, around his waist.

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror. A happy griffin with a giddy grin and a pillowy thick diaper blinked back at him. The diaper in the reflection looked absolutely adorable on his mirror copy. A soft, cushiony, crinkly thing that rustled when he moved his rump this way and that. He shook his head and returned his beak back to that stoic, un-smiling type of expression that was his natural look. He couldn't give off the impression that he was enjoying this stuff after all. It was for Sandbar. He was wearing this thing because of Sandbar.

At the same time, Sandbar was changing into his own diaper. The process for him was much less awkward and the motions came to him like it had a dozen times before in the past. The diaper was opened, threaded between his legs, the tail tape was wrapped around the base of his tail, and the whole thing was pulled tightly around his waist with four tapes securely fastening the whole thing in the front. He sort of wished he had some baby powder or moist wipes to add to the mix, but this would have to do.

When he was finished, he was left with a pillowy softness enveloping his lower half. His breath became all quivery again as a pink blush refreshed his embarrassed face. A soft smile grew on his face as he stared contently up at the ceiling.

An unknown amount of time passed before his ears perked up to the sound of the bathroom door being opened. He climbed up to his feet to see Gallus finally emerging. He had to stifle a gasp when his eyes landed on the griffin’s lower half. He was wearing a diaper!

“Th-there, you see?” Gallus said, his limbs hardly bending at the joint. “N-now you don’t have to feel awkward being the only one.”

Sandbar remained silent, brimming with so much happy excitement that he could only stand perfectly still with his eyes widening. He really did it. Gallus actually did it! He actually put on a diaper! And best of all, he looked adorable wearing one!

After a minute of silence passed, Gallus took stock of the pony's strange look. “...What?”

Without saying a word, Sandbar swooped in for a hug. “Oh thank you! Thank you!” he exclaimed, nuzzling into Gallus’s chest feathers, nearly shoving the griffin off his feet in the process. "Never in a thousand years did I think that-! I-I mean I-I always hoped! But to see you-!"

“Alright, Bar, alright!” Gallus answered with a blush as he tried his best to pry the excitable pony off him, “I get it! I get it!”

“Sorry, it’s just that...seeing you...like that makes me...less embarrassed I guess.”

"Heh, well that's good I guess," Gallus smirked. In a silly way, seeing Sandbar happy kind of made him happy. "I mean you wanted to relax right?"

"R-right!" Sandbar smiled, "a-and I-I promise, I won't tell ANYONE about this! I swear it!"

“Well good...cuz, well, I’d just tell everyone that YOU wear them too!” Gallus smirked back.

"Right!" Sandbar barked back.

And after that, the all too familiar embarrassed silence fell over the two. As excited as he was, Sandbar couldn't quite find the confidence to go about his business now that the pair of them were wearing diapers. It was hard to act casual after that.

After a few more minutes, he was the first to speak up, breaking the silence with a yawn. “Well uhm, I-I still am pretty tired,” he explained as he stretched his hooves this way and that, “I’m super stoked that you did this for me, but would you mind an early bedtime?”

"So soon?"

"Well yeah, long day and all," Sandbar shrugged, "what did you want to play cards or something?"

"No, it's just...you still haven't used the bathroom yet."

"I-I haven't-? Oh..." Realization dawned on Sandbar, his cheeks flaring up a bright red. His excitable nerves were starting to give way to something more basic. Something more pressing. He really REALLY needed to pee. And unlike Gallus, he wasn’t keeping up with his bathroom breaks during the party. His thighs instinctively squeezed together, causing his diaper to crinkle.

He needed to go so badly, in fact, that his body hardly put up any resistance when he mercifully decided to simply let it all go right where he stood. Like many times before, it started with a breathy sigh. Only unlike those many times before, that sigh turned into a squeak. A loud one. The kind of squeak that only comes from someone who has been holding it in for a while. He chewed on his lower lip in an attempt to stifle these involuntary noises as his eyelids fluttered.

Simultaneously, his diaper began to swell. Not the subtle kind of swelling that came from a tiny accident leaking into it, but a droopy, over-saturated swell that came from a full strength stream of urine. The urine made an audible gurgle as it sprayed and splashed against the fluffy insides of the thirsty padding. A lot of it wasn’t fully absorbed by the diaper’s many layers at first and instead pooled around the front until the diaper had time to wick it away to the dry parts in the back.

Gallus watched wide eyed through the whole thing. This time he DID stare. He watched with great interest as Sandbar’s diaper morphed from a crisp and clean number into an enlarged, bloated thing that sagged a dingy yellow. The whole spectacle reminded him of his own diaper and how the silly little ‘accident’ Sandbar was having could easily be him in the near future. He gulped and blushed at this thought.

Finally, as all good things, Sandbar’s unbridled diaper soak came to an end. He was left with the aching relief of an empty bladder and the soothing warmth of a freshly used diaper. A smile grew on the pony’s face as he stared off into nothing.

"A-are you all done...?" Gallus asked in a small voice.

Sandbar peered out of the corner of his eye, down between his legs where a swollen mass of yellow now drooped lowly under his crotch. His gaze turned back to Gallus who, despite having witnessed the embarrassing sight of his best friend peeing himself a second time, waited on him with bated breath. He simply nodded. It was all he could think to do in such a soft moment.

“Y’know I-I can...change ya if you’d like!” Gallus then stammered, only this sounded more like a request than an offer.

“You...you would?!”

“O-only if you wouldn’t mind! I-I wouldn’t want to...offend you or whatever...”

It was tough to tell which one of them blushed the most at this idea. However, even to an outside observer, Sandbar was all for the idea. The stallion practically buzzed with excitable anticipation.

“O-okay!”

“Okay?” Gallus parroted, expecting something else like a ‘oh I wouldn’t want to impose’ or a polite ‘hey, yeah, that would be nice and I appreciate the offer, but I’m just going to change myself’. So it surprised even Gallus when Sandbar agreed. “O-okay!” he replied, “so uhm...go ahead and lay on the bed and I’ll change ya!”

Sandbar waddled off to bed as Gallus grabbed a fresh diaper from the box. He slowed a step or two to give his diaper more time to soak up the small puddles of urine that still sloshed inside the diaper. There were no complaints from Gallus seeing this, however, as the griffin basked in the sight. A goofy grin cracked on his beak as he watched the pony’s butt - thoroughly inflated by the pee soaked diaper - waddle towards the bed. It made him want to...well it was tough to say what it made him want to do. Touch it, he ventured, he wanted to touch the diaper... a lot?

Standing before his friend as Sandbar rolled onto his back, Gallus gripped the new diaper tightly between his claws. He stared at the pony’s crotch which had inflated the pony’s endowment into a thick bulge of absorbent gels.

A nervous thrill shivered down his spine as he thought about what was to come. First, he needed to undo the tapes. Easy. However as he reached for the diaper’s near bursting tapes, his talons hovered there. They then floated downwards towards the diaper’s middle where they explored the wet diaper where it was it’s thickest. He brushed a claw across the yellow surface.

He could feel the heat radiating from the pony’s crotch and felt himself becoming aroused. This would have been a pleasant side effect if the confines of the diaper wouldn’t give something as simple as getting an erection a bit of resistance. When he felt himself grow hard, the plush insides of his diaper brushed against him, reminding him that he was, in fact, in a diaper. As if he could forget.

His talons snapped back before he stammered out a hasty, “j-just checking for leaks!”

Sandbar just nodded meekly and laid his head back. He wasn’t concerned with the griffin’s methodology anyway. He was just thrilled he was getting his diaper changed by someone else. This would be the first time he’d ever had the pleasure and so far...it had been wonderful.

Gallus tried the tapes again, only this time his claws didn’t hesitate. One by one the tapes ripped off the plastic, causing the diaper to sag more and more. Once loose, the whole diaper peeled off the pony’s front to reveal it’s warm, yellow insides. A waft of heated urine floated into the room as the two friends tried their best to pretend it wasn’t there.

Seeing his friend naked wasn’t exactly new, but Gallus figured, even by pony standards, seeing his friend splayed out on the bed with a wet diaper was a call for an embarrassing aversion of the eyes. He still however managed to grab a glance at Sandbar’s cock, which was surprisingly still flaccid during the whole thing.

In all honesty, Sandbar might have very easily popped a boner during all this, but he felt much too soft for that to even be considered. He was just content with being able to wet a diaper through and through and just lay there as someone else changed him. That was certainly a rare and treasured privilege.

A roll of paper towels they had laying around, although a ridiculous and sad replacement, was sufficient enough to dab away the moisture. After that there was nothing else, but to slip the new diaper underneath, pull it between the pony’s legs, and tape it around his waist, completing the diaper change.

"Th-there," Gallus said at the end as he stepped away from the bed. "H-how does that feel? Snug enough?"

“Feels good,” Sandbar smiled with a sigh.

“Not too tight anywhere? It’s not like I do this a lot.”

"I-it's perfect," Sandbar blushed, as he lifted his head to examine the fresh diaper, "th-thanks."

The pony then leaned back and let out another content sigh. He floated there for a moment or two as he listlessly stared up at the ceiling. His heart just wouldn’t stop fluttering.

"So uhm...bed right?" Gallus chimed in, almost feeling bad for interrupting his friend’s...moment thing.

"Yeah," the thought magically made Sandbar more tired and he emitted a deep yawn, "bed should be big enough for both of us."

With a blushing nod, Gallus crawled into bed and slipped next to Sandbar who scootched to one side. Their diapers joined together in a crinkle filled chorus as the two friends shimmied next to each other, settling in for the night.

"Oh shoot! I almost forgot!" Sandbar exclaimed. He hopped out of bed and made a beeline for the nearby wall. A little nightlight with a seashell shaped cover was plugged in. "I never got around to swapping out the bulb.

“A nightlight...really?” Gallus raised an eyebrow.

Sandbar blushed, “it...helps me sleep. It won’t keep you awake, will it?”

“That little thing? Nah."

With the room properly illuminated by the very faint yellow light, Sandbar climbed back into bed, slipping stiffly beside Gallus. He had to break the silence by saying...something. Anything! “You uhm...comfy?”

“Psh yeah, unless you wanna cuddle,” Gallus sarcastically asked in an instinctively reactive kind of way.

“Alright alright, goodnight, man,” Sandbar answered as the lamp clicked off again before slipping the rest of the way into the blanket and curled up for the night.

The room darkened, save for the night light's glow and the even fainter glow of moonlight. More plastic rustling could be heard as Sandbar rolled under the covers.

“Yeah,” Gallus answered, hugging his chest with a claw, “night...”

Smooth, Gallus. Real smooth.

Author's Note

MAN, it feels good to finally have that chapter done. I’ve had that exchange at the end written out for MONTHS! It just felt so natural for Gallus to want to open himself up to those soft things like cuddling and acting like a baby, but he struck me as the kind of griffin who would get in his own way.

Maybe I’m just projecting my own habits on him though...

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten in my own way when it comes to experiencing the soft stuff of the ABDL kink. Normally when I'm diapered over a friend's house I joke my way away from any situations where I would be so vulnerable. ABDL stuff is weird. I’ve had my diaper changed in a room of strangers by someone I just met, but I can’t work up the courage to ask for a bedtime story.

Well, it is what it is. Hope you’re enjoying the story so far!

Chapter Four

It was no later than three in the morning when Gallus stirred awake. Although ‘awake’ might have been a misleading word considering the fact that Gallus had woken up a dozen times through the night in a series of chained naps. He stared blankly up at the ceiling while the room was cloaked in dim yellow light. For the life of him, he just couldn’t fall soundly asleep.

He sat up in bed with an aggravated huff. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep. It was this big bulky diaper that was throwing him off. No matter how much he shifted and tossed and turned, the diaper would always be there wedged between his legs, bunching up against his junk and pinching everything. He couldn’t understand how Sandbar managed to do it!

He looked over at his bunkmate for the night. Dimly lit by the soft yellow glow of the nightlight, he could see Sandbar’s form among the blankets. He could see the pony sound asleep as the mound of bedsheets gently rose and fell with his steady breathing. He had his back turned to the griffin, his cyan mane pushed up against the pillow in a messy batch.

As his eyes adjusted to the low light, Gallus smirked. Sandbar seemed to be able to sleep through anything. The stallion looked kinda cute like that. Curled up under warm blankets, sleeping so peacefully. Even wearing a diaper just as thick as Gallus’s, the pony was able to fall fast asleep.

The diaper. Gallus’s mind snapped back to that passing thought, Sandbar was wearing a diaper too. The thought made a tingling blush return to his cheeks. If Sandbar looked this cute just sleeping, he’d probably look even cuter if Gallus could see the diaper. It was a silly thought, probably something that Gallus would just entertain himself with in a passive daydream or something. But he was right there, inches away from a cute cushy bottom and Sandbar wasn’t there to ride him about finding diapers hot. There was no shame in being caught.

So with a steadily climbing heart rate, Gallus dared to take a closer look. Carefully he pulled the blankets down Sandbar’s body. He did it slowly so as to not disturb his bedmate, all the while scooching down the length of the bed ever so tentatively. Finally the blanket revealed Sandbar’s thick diaper. Gosh, he was right, it did make him look even cuter. A stupid blush heated his cheeks as his wings got uncomfortable to wear.

The soft white diaper rounded off to fit Sandbar’s rump so snuggly. He looked even cuter with how content he was slumbering. He looked so peaceful. And so...cute.

When he finally worked up the courage, Gallus dared to place an open claw against the pony’s diaper, giving it a tiny squeeze as he reveled in the soft, cushiness of the garment. He held his claw there as he tried to calm his racing heart. He then held back an uncool giddy giggle that wanted to slip out.

He could have laid like that for hours, gently fondling the pony’s fluffy diaper, but the moment was ruined when a padded thwamp shook the silence. Gallus nearly gasped as his talons shot away from the diaper and across his beak to keep himself quiet. A quick investigation into the sound revealed that his wings, now rigid and straight on his back, had inadvertently pushed his pillow off the bed. And to make matters worse, he realized that his penis was now unbearably hard inside his diaper.

Damn it, Gallus mentally kicked himself. He had teased himself too much.

In his tired haze he wanted to just simply rub his cock through the diaper. Boy did he want to do that so much! He could just rub, finish in his diaper, and that would be the end of it. Maybe he’d be able to sleep after that. But he knew it’d make too much noise. It’d be too loud and the last thing he wanted to do was wake Sandbar. The pony looked too cute to wake. No, to tend to a hard-on this big he had to get creative.

With a sluggish groan, he pulled himself out of bed and slinked off to the bathroom. His wings remained stiff and outstretched on either side of him, forcing him to walk sideways into the small, tiled room. The door, ever so gently, was shut behind him.

The light was blinding when he reflexively flicked it on. The tiny room screamed with white light as he squinted blarily at his reflection. Slowly his mirror-self came into focus. It started as a blue blur with a white splotch at the end. Then the definition of his wings and tail came into focus. Finally came the finer details like his frill of yellow-tipped head feathers, the edges of his primary feathers, and...his diaper. A visible bulge could be seen between his legs as his wings refused to lay flat at his sides. He had to take care of this.

Carefully he slipped the diaper down like a pair of shorts. Once it was past his tail, the whole thing dropped to his ankles and bunched up there like a sack of cotton. His stiff cock sprang up once it was freed from it’s padded cage. Scowling at the throbbing member, he covered the tip with a tissue, grabbed at it with a claw, and began to rub.

While he rubbed, his mind focused on his usual slideshow of mental images he normally recalled when he needed to rub one out. First flashed by his catalog of hot griffin babes, which he had painstakingly collected during his years in Griffionstone as a budding adolescent. Some of them conjured up one lonely night from a passing glance he once shared with a griffin girl. Or from pictures he remembered from his ‘well-loved’ copy of Feather Stuffed Pillows - Issue 43: Glitz, Glamour, and Good Times - which was accidentally thrown away years ago.

Then he dared switching reels and recalled his collection of cute pony girls he knew. And this almost felt like the complete opposite of what he looked for in sexy griffin girls. Where a griffin would shove you to the side and force the compliment out of you, a pony girl was soft like, cute and innocent. It was like, when it came to impressing chicks and earning their admiration, the two types of girls required a whole different playbook.

And then his mind went to diapers. It was a developing interest of his and while he wouldn’t admit it, he had a growing collection of images in that category as well. Thick diapers and wet diapers. He replayed the memory of Sandbar wetting himself in front of him, recalling the image with vivid detail.

He doubled his efforts and rubbed vigorously. In a brief moment he envisioned himself pressing his beak into Sandbar’s diapered crotch and breathing in the subtle scents of the pony’s freshly soaked diaper.

“F-fuuu,” Gallus moaned as strings of cum sprayed into the waiting tissue.

His hips jerked forward a couple times as his cock pulsed in his grip. He released a long sigh of satisfaction, slowly relaxing his legs and folding his wings back. He slumped forward against the counter, panting heavily.

It took him a moment or two to recover, which gave him ample time to clean himself up. It was fortunate though, all he needed to do was toss the soiled tissue into the toilet. Once pulled back into place, the soft confines of the diaper cradled his spent penis as it slowly reverted to it’s soft and flaccid state. At least now he’d be able to sleep more comfortably.

Turning off the overhead light, he waddled back to bed, crawling under the blankets as soundlessly as he could. The room was quiet save for the gentle snores coming from his best friend and the crinkling of plastic. He rolled over onto his back, the comfy mattress cushioning his body as he let out a deep sigh.

Suddenly Sandbar rolled over in his sleep, his hoof swinging over the griffin’s body and pulling him in. Gallus started to protest, but before he could, Sandbar pulled him in closer and snuggled against his side. The pony mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep. It sounded like a pleasant dream whatever he was saying. And it was pretty cute having the pony hugging him and hooking his hooves around him. Gallus decided to just relax, lay back, and get some much needed rest.

Sandbar then let out a long sigh and suddenly Gallus felt the side of his hip getting warm. His eyes shot open in the dim yellow light. Sandbar was pissing himself again. The creeping sensation made Gallus’s cheeks heat up. If he didn’t need to masturbate before he would most certainly have needed to take care of it now.

Still, he found it much easier to fall back to sleep this way. Maybe it was the post-orgasmic drowsiness. Or maybe it was the soft fuzzy feeling he was getting from his bunkmate’s sleep-snuggling. Or it could have been the subtle heat coming from Sandbar’s freshly soaked diaper.

Either way, Gallus was asleep in moments with the lingering sensation of heat on his side lulling him to sleep.

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

Morning broke hours later as a thin ribbon of sunlight cut between the room’s curtains and nudged the pair awake. Gallus groggily opened his eyes in the light, squinting at its brightness before letting out a groan. He slowly uncurled from Sandbar's embrace and stretched out his limbs, letting out a yawn.

Sandbar stirred next to him, reaching his forehooves high into the air in a stretch. “Mornin’,” the pony said.

“Morning,” Gallus replied with a yawn, “sleep good?”

“Mhmm,” squeaked Sandbar as the rest of his body twisted out in various directions to stretch out waking muscles, “slept great!” Slowly at first, the arising pony pulled himself up in bed and rubbed his tired eyes. His eyes refocused in the faint morning light as he rubbed the tiredness out of them. "Listen, I want to thank you again, genuinely, for doing this," he explained, "it's a little thing, but I want you to know it means a lot to me that you helped me with this."

"What are friends for," Gallus smiled. Although for a minute or two he started to question that phrase. Do friends normally wear diapers and sleep together? Was this typically included in a pony friendship contract?

“I think I can return the favor with some breakfast,” Sandbar said as he started to climb out of bed and stretch, “how’s that sound?”

“Can’t turn down free food,” Gallus answered with a smile and, because he wasn’t as well equipped for the morning as Sandbar was, emitted another big yawn.

With a smile, Sandbar tossed off his half of the blankets and rolled out of bed. A heavy sloshing could be heard as he stood by the bed, stretching some life into his stiff limbs.

His diaper, which Gallus couldn’t help but notice, had swollen into an eye-catching, heartbeat quicken, bulbous mass. Fragmented images of last night made Gallus lose his breath for a moment.

"You uhm," Gallus ahemed, "g-gonna go out there in a wet diaper?"

The question stopped Sandbar dead in his tracks. “Oh you noticed that?” Sandbar bashfully folded his tail over the swollen thing. Spending all night in the diaper he had almost forgotten just how swollen it had gotten. “I-I was just about to change.”

Sure you were, Gallus thought in disbelief. He could only imagine how far the pony would have walked off with that wet diaper if he hadn't said anything. Then again, changing out of it meant he would no longer be able to enjoy the view.

Regardless of how Gallus might have felt, Sandbar reached behind his back and undid the diaper’s tail tape. With one expert swipe across his front, all four tapes that strained to keep the diaper in place were all pulled away. The heavy, urine soaked garment came plopping down to the floor before he quickly rolled it all up and tossed it into its own tiny trashbag. By the looks of the routine, he had done this many times in the past.

“Be right back,” Sandbar said, snapping Gallus out of his daydreaming. He rushed out the door shortly after, leaving Gallus alone with his thoughts...and his diaper.

The “kitchen area” as the school faculty called it, was more accurately just a section of the dorm’s common room where someone put a fridge, cabinets, and a stove top oven for meals to be prepared at. The cabinets were usually filled with instant, quick-to-cook meals for students who were just not in the mood to cook anything extravagant. And most students oftenly were. The fridge typically served as a nice spot for cold drinks to be held or, in very rare cases, raw ingredients to actually cook up something decent.

Sandbar was one of the few students in the building that actually bothered with real cooking. Most of the others were perfectly okay with just settling for cheap instant meals, but he enjoyed cooking. Cooking was fun for him and he often cooked for others on special occasions.

“Morning Sandbar,” Silverstream yawned. Even as early in the morning as it was, the hippogriff was radiating a happy glow.

“Good morning,” Sandbar smiled.

“What’s cookin’?”

"Just some bacon and eggs for Gallus and me,"

"Gallus spend the night over in your room?"

“Yeah, we wanted to catch up after exams,”

“I understand, we’ve hardly seen each other outside of class,” Silverstream then gasped, “we should totally get the whole group together some time! You, Sandbar, Smolder, everyone!”

"Yeah, I think that sounds like a great idea," Sandbar agreed.

Meanwhile, Gallus sat in the middle of Sandbar's room, trying to kill time. Not being the biggest fan of the morning, it had taken him this long to lethargically crawl out of bed and pull himself into a beanbag chair where he had planned on waiting while the rest of his body woke up. Initially he was prepared to sit there until breakfast came. The smell of food would have certainly motivated him to move. However, as he lounged there, something more pressing began to make itself known.

“Ugh, I need to pee,” Gallus grumbled.

The door to the bathroom loomed on the other side of the room. No more than twenty feet away from where he sat, but it might have well been six HUNDRED feet away. The lazy griffin groaned. He’d HAVE to get up and pee...right?

His attention turned to his diaper. Obviously he didn’t HAVE to get up to pee, but more than a decade of potty training had conditioned the thought into habit. He could just use his diaper, obviously. It seemed silly though. With the bathroom being right there within eyeshot.

He’d probably have to sit in the thing till after breakfast. Maybe even longer. Maybe...Sandbar would make him waddle around in it for a little bit after that...Maybe even tease him or poke fun at his wet diapers...Maybe even change him on the floor like some kind of-.

He needed to pee really bad.

And so the griffin stood up and began staring off into space. His attention focused on peeing which seemed like such a simple goal at first. It was supposed to be easy right? Just...pee into the diaper! He had watched Sandbar do that twice in front of him...So why was it taking so long?!

After quite a bit of concentration he managed a tiny spurt. The small amount of urine dribbled down his cock and was quickly absorbed by the diaper. The foreign sensation immediately caused his bladder to clamp shut out of instinct and he was back to square one again.

“Come oooon,” Gallus grumbled as he repositioned himself.

He tried to pretend he was in front of the toilet as he scrounged around his memories for any nuggets of wisdom that might aid him in the unusual task of peeing in a diaper. What was that nervous bladder trick? Imagine waterfalls and flowing streams and running water?

Feeling ridiculous about it, Gallus closed his eyes and did just that. He pictured forest streams emerging from winter, gathering strength as the snow melt trickled past thawing dirt and dormant plant growth. The babbling brook gathered speed and started to flow over rocks and boulders as it grew wider and faster.

The awakened river now flowed around him, sweeping him along with its current. At first the water was a chilling cold, but it quickly warmed up and started to flow downwards against his legs. He could feel his fur become damp and his backside tingled as the heat surrounded his lower half.

Floating back to reality he felt his diaper grow warm. The stream of urine was weak, but the relief of an empty bladder was its own reward at this point. He opened his eyes and looked down in time to watch a slow moving spot of yellow grow larger across the front of his diaper.

“Oh thank Celestia,” he muttered as he drooped where he stood. He had done it! He nearly collapsed from the satisfaction alone. His beak hung open as he dropped back into the beanbag chair. An audible squish could be heard as his diapered rump met the cushiony seat.

“Breakfast is up!” Sandbar’s voice suddenly appeared, causing Gallus to jump.

“O-oh! Great!” Gallus stammered out before clearing his throat and hopping up to his feet, “s-smells delicious.”

“Hope you enjoy it,” Sandbar answered, sliding the two plates onto the small table nearby. “And don’t worry, I can change you after we eat.”

“U-uh ch-change?!” Gallus almost lost control of his feet for a moment there.

“Ha, you’re cute,” Sandbar snickered, taking a seat at the table, “come on and eat up before it gets cold.”

Chapter Five

Breakfast was delicious, but the silence that fell over them was unbearable. Or at least to Gallus it was unbearable. He would often glance up at Sandbar, hoping for some conversation, but the earth pony was just as quiet and mostly focused on his food. When Sandbar did look up, Gallus could only manage a brief smile or aimless wiggle of his eyebrows before he was forced to look back down at his plate due to the embarrassment of staring too long.

This was an unusual situation for Gallus. He normally excelled pretty well at small talk. Shallow comments like ‘weather’s looking great outside’ or ‘did you use salt AND pepper on these eggs?’ would usually bail him out of any potentially awkward silence. This time though, he couldn’t come up with anything. The ever present sensation of his diaper - the wet, yellow thing that was still kind of warm around his waist - was throwing him off his game and making his stupid cheeks blush WAY more than was necessary.

“So uhm, salt and pepper?” he finally stammered out, causing Sandbar to look up from his food, “th-the food I mean...You used salt and pepper?”

“...Yeah?” Sandbar replied, “Silverstream let me try some pepper she brought back from her trip to Mount Aris. I think it adds a nice extra bit of zest and color to the food.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” Gallus replied, “zest and...color...”

The two looked at each other for a moment. They glanced down at their food and then went back eating. Silence returned.

The silence for Sandbar wasn't nearly as agonizing as Gallus. He was just happy to have his best friend to cook for. Better yet, his best friend was wearing a diaper - a wet diaper - and that made something as simple as breakfast just fun to experience. He was happy that Gallus was still wearing the diaper. He was happy he was comfortable enough to pee in it. Really, just having the griffin around made Sandbar happy!

“That was really good, Bar,” Gallus said when the food finally ran out and the meal had run its course. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a good home cooked meal, even something as simple as their small breakfast.

“It’s the least I could do,” Sandbar replied, “I...really want you to know how much this means to me. Not just helping me change, but...” his eyes trailed downwards, “uhm...do you want me to change you now or...”

The comment called attention to Gallus’s diaper which had cooled to an icy chill by now. The foreign sensation made Gallus regret choosing this over the toilet. He wouldn’t be cold and wet if he just used the toilet. Why’d he use the stupid diaper again?

“Oh,” he started, “y-you know it’s no big deal if you don’t want to...”

“B-but I want to!” Sandbar said as he stood up from the table. A palatable excitement could be heard in his voice.

“I can just duck back into the bathroom and change if it’s too big of an ask.”

“You want your diaper changed or not?” Sandbar replied, “just lay down.”

Gallus’s beak snapped shut. ‘Your diaper’. Honestly not the most ideal word choice. If anything, it just made his stupid cheeks blush more. Thinking about it now, just taking off the diaper and showering was the logical choice. There was no need to involve Sandbar or embarrass himself by laying on the ground when he could just...take it off. He could have very easily turned the offer down. He could have easily just said, ‘no thank you, Sandbar. I am a grown griffin and am perfectly capable of taking care of my own diaper that I consciously urinated into and then proceeded to wear well into the morning meal and have only now decided to change out of it.’

Which is why he found himself lying on the ground, on his back, with his legs splayed out and ready for a change.

The diaper was...well it was wet, but not soaked. From Sandbar’s expert eye, it was clear to the pony that the diaper could easily hold another wetting before it actually needed changing. Still, by the way Gallus delicately laid on the floor and how the griffin’s cheeks wouldn’t stop blushing, changing him out of the diaper now was for the best. He seemed like he was reaching his daily limit of diaper related antics anway. So, without any more delays, Sandbar went right to work.

Through the whole thing, Sandbar managed to keep things professional. As much as he wanted to comment on how cute he thought the diaper looked or how proud he was of Gallus for allowing him to change him out of it, he resisted the urge. He resisted a lot of urges during that friendly diaper change in fact. He resisted the urge to press a hoof into the diaper and give it a good squishing. He resisted the urge to pat the griffin on the belly for a job well done. In a great feat of self control, he even resisted the terrible urge to get an erection, despite finding the whole thing...rather exciting.

Gallus was understandably very quiet. Had it been any other situation he might have made a snarky comment or cracked a joke or two, but the diaper had a knack for keeping him still and silent. He avoided looking up at Sandbar all together and instead opted for staring at the table that sat on his left. He could hardly make eye contact with his best friend under such circumstances, especially once the diaper was opened up, releasing a waft of stale urine into the room. As the acidic funk tickled his nose, a fresh blush filled his cheeks and he instinctively covered his face in shame.

All the while he was distracted by questions that hovered over him like pesky bees. Why was he letting Sandbar do this? Why did he choose to wet the diaper in the first place? Why wouldn’t his stupid cheeks stop blushing? Was this all for Sandbar? Or maybe a little bit of it was for him as well? He wasn’t actually enjoying himself, was he?

“Sorry I only got paper towels,” Sandbar spoke up as he dabbed the moisture away with the rough, quilted tissue. It sopped up the urine and the smell, but Sandbar had to admit there was some magic missing.

Paper towels were hardly a replacement for some scented wipes or at the very least some baby powder. The coarse napkins were absorbent, but certainly not the kind of thing you’d expect during a delicate diaper change. Still, he got the area nice dry with what he had. What he had, however, also involved a lot of poking and prodding around Gallus's nether regions which, as luck would have it, led to a rather involuntary reaction from the griffin.

Much to Gallus’s shame, his penis steadily grew harder and stiffer with each pass Sandbar made with the paper towels. He knew very well there was a time and place for everything and that right now was not the best time to get an erection, but his body must have missed the memo. Before too long it was an unmistakable detail Sandbar just couldn’t ignore anymore. “Oh,” was all the pony could think to say.

With a gasp, Gallus scrambled off the diaper and quickly covered up his shame with his claws wedging themselves between his legs. His ears turned pink with a strong blush as he scrambled to say something...anything! “I-it’s just cold in here!” he blurted out. “It’s not because of the diaper!” was something that he felt had to be said.

“It’s alright. I-It’s only natural,” Sandbar tried his best to assure his friend.

“I-I’ll just go shower real quick!” Gallus said, side stepping towards the bathroom door, “don’t want your entire room smelling like piss!” He tossed a glance at the open diaper which only caused his stammering and blushing to intensify. “B-be right back! Won’t be long at all! I-I’ll even clean up everything! Don’t worry!” And then the bathroom door shut and locked. Seconds later the sound of running water was heard.

“W-wait you don’t...” Sandbar tried to stammer out as Gallus scampered out, “I-I’ll uhm...you know, clean up for you...” His words trailed off into mumbles as he quickly found himself talking to an empty room instead which proved to be a pretty flat conversationalist.

He was left alone in the room once again. Alone with a diaper, spread out across the floor with its swollen insides exposed to the open air. Without his friend’s natural musk, the smell of old urine was starting to dominate the room.

He almost wished Gallus had left it on, even for just a little bit longer. Maybe not like the rest of the day or anything, but maybe just a few minutes longer. Maybe for a bit longer than a few minutes. Maybe until he started to leak or until he broke down and begged Sandbar to change him. Maybe he should have kept him in the diaper until it was so swollen he’d have to waddle around everywhere he went. Maybe he could have double diapered Gallus or...

“I better clean this up,” he finally mattered to himself, snapping out of the daze.

As he handled the diaper, rolling up in that familiar bundled up shape, Sandbar couldn’t help but daydream. Afterall, Gallus was wearing a diaper, he thought to himself as a dreamy sigh escaped his muzzle. His BEST FRIEND was wearing a diaper! Even minutes after changing him out of it, the whole experience felt like a fantasy. It was a dream come true!

With time to finally process the whole experience, Sandbar’s mind began racing with thoughts of diapers and wetting and cute griffin boys waddling around in diapers and cute griffin boys having accidents in their diapers and cute griffin boys kissing and...and...he lost himself in thought. He needed to throw the diaper away without any further delay. And he needed to do all that before his body heated up any further.

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

As all this happened, cold water ran down Gallus’s back while he stood still in the shower. He stared at his claws beneath him as streams of water flowed listlessly past them. The faint scent of urine was quickly washed away in the shower, leaving Gallus with his old familiar smell.

It was supposed to just be a diaper change. A simple stupid diaper change that would keep Sandbar happy and keep him from whining. Gallus only let the stallion change him and wipe him down because he just KNEW Sandbar would bring up some pony friendship stuff and guilt Gallus into doing what he wanted anyway. The diaper change was preemptive. Obviously. He wasn’t suppose to get a stupid erection from it all!

He threw a scowl down between his legs where his boner had now deflated to about half-mast. “And you had to make things awkward,” he chided the organ.

Luckily the icy water was cooling him down quickly. Pink heat was fading from his ears and his erection was dying down as well. He could feel his shivering heart start to normalize among the relaxing cold and it wouldn’t take long among the cold water for him to once again find his center. Maybe, he foolishly thought, maybe embarrassing himself by getting hard in front of his best friend could wash away just as easily as the water. He could only be so lucky...

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

Meanwhile Sandbar stood still, his hooves holding the wet diaper over the trash can ready to throw it away. It was ready to be thrown away too. All wrapped up in a neat bundle, the diaper was trash and, logically, trash needed to be thrown away. Simple as that. However, the pony still hesitated for reasons he couldn’t quite decipher.

He didn’t know why he was still holding the cold and hefty thing. With its crinkly plastic and the subtle pale yellow color covering most of its swollen surface. He couldn’t think of any real reason he was still holding this heavy, squishy thing that faintly stunk of stale urine. Not a single reason. Sure it kind of made his hooves tingle just holding it. And it kind of still smelled faintly of Gallus. And the fact that not minutes ago he had his best friend waddling around his room wearing it sort of helped. But still his mind struggled to come up with a concrete, logical reason why he couldn’t just throw the old diaper away.

The longer he held the diaper, the harder his cock grew. The longer he held the diaper, the more his hooves tingled. Before too long it was an urge he just couldn’t ignore. It was an itch he just HAD to scratch. It didn’t matter if Gallus could walk out and catch him in the act. In fact, that seemed to make it all the more enticing.

Stepping away from the trash can, he submitted to his primal urges and pressed the rolled up diaper against the length of his cock. The cold plastic chilled the heated organ, molding itself around the girth like gel. He bit his lower lip as the chilling sensation caused his cock to twitch.

“O-oh Gallus,” the stallion whispered with a shiver.

Keeping the diaper’s swollen face flush against his throbbing cock, Sandbar began pleasuring himself in the middle of his dorm room. It was an awkward position to do it, but as long as he kept Gallus’s old diaper pressed against himself, his aroused mind reasoned it’d be enough. The deviant part of his mind even reasoned that he could also just as easily put on the old diaper and masturbate like that, but no, there was still a shred of his logical mind in play to stop him from doing that.

While only half listening to the shower running in the other room, the stallion continued humping his friend’s old diaper, his mind flush with images of Gallus, all thickly padded up and waddling around without a care in the world. His humping intensified as the little narrative in his head continued following the diapered Gallus around, doing all sorts of cute things around him. Things that Gallus might be too butch or repressed to do in reality. Things that sometimes stretched into fantasy, but tasted all the sweeter to Sandbar’s flustered mind.

Oh how he only wished Gallus could be in diapers ALL the time. No awkward bashfulness or pride, just diapers, all the time, with Sandbar there at his side. He pictured himself riding Gallus in diapers, seeing the bulge in his diaper as they made out, panting and exploring each other’s bodies. He pictured himself spanking Gallus, slapping his bare bottom until it turned red as he pleaded for more punishment. He imagined himself double diapering Gallus - no, TRIPLE diapering him - and not changing him until those diapers were good and full.

Or maybe he himself was the one in the triple diapers. Still humping the old diaper, Sandbar happily accepted this alternative thought. Having someone else to wear diapers with was an incredible discovery. It was remarkable. It was exciting! It was amazingly hot! Being forced to wear diapers, having Gallus spank him for being naughty, being put in time-out after getting caught humping his old diapers. It was all just as tantalizing as the first thoughts were.

With a shuddering gasp, Sandbar came all over the diaper, splattering its shiny plastic face with the sticky liquid. By the time he finished cumming the heavy load quickly covered the slick shell of the urine smelling diaper, coming dangerously close to spilling off all together. As the sweet afterglow started to envelop his body, the stallion slid to the ground, his hooves carefully balancing the cum covered diaper out of fear of spilling it all.

He sat there in a post-orgasmic haze for a few moments until the sound of the shower being shut off snapped him back to reality. The cold diaper still hung in his hooves. A cloudy clear streak clung to its front face. He needed to throw it out. Now!

With legs like gelatin, the stallion managed to fumble around the dorm and clean up what evidence was left of his embarrassing masturbation session. It was touch and go for a bit as he struggled to overcome the lethargic afterglow his body wanted to revel in, but he managed to throw the diaper away, mop up whatever might have dribbled on the floor, and finally wobbled his way to the bean bag chair all the while trying to catch his breath.

Gallus emerged minutes later, wiping his head feathers down with a fluffy towel. He paused as he looked around the room. “O-oh...you...cleaned up,” he stated blankly.

“Yeah, I uhm...didn’t want the place stinking,” Sandbar replied.

“Yeah...th-that’s what I was thinking...” Gallus stammered back, “thanks,”

Silence.

“S-So uhm,” Gallus started, ”...are we still...good?”

“Yeah,” Sandbar smiled as the warm glow in his chest was just starting to fade, “we’re good...”

Author's Note

Am I glad to FINALLY get this chapter finished and out of the way. Truth be told, I had already mapped out the chapter after this one when I realized I just couldn’t leave the story of the last chapter hanging. It needed SOMETHING else before it could be finalized so I had to add this new chapter. And let me tell ya, it was tough getting this finalized. I hope it was worth the wait.

Some of the material used in this chapter were sourced from first hand experiences. But in an effort to keep these notes clean...I’d rather abstain from saying which parts exactly.

Chapter Six

Wind swirled around Gallus as he flapped his wings through the air. He soared above the clouds, catching the rays of the sun that filtered down onto him and through the feathers of his blue wings. Below him stretched the wooded foothills that curved around the edge of mountains like a lush green carpet.

Pausing his recon for just a moment, he hovered in place as he breathed in the crisp mountain air that thinned this high up in the sky. He allowed a moment of respite, closing his eyes among the light turbulence that nudged his flapping wings in various directions. He finished the brief loll with another deep breath that he let out as a contended coo before drifting downwards. His wings glided off a weak thermal that guided him back to the ground.

He returned to a familiar spot, a part of the trail where the path widened a bit to allow more than one line of traffic to travel through. Sandbar, Silverstream, and the rest of their friends all sat bunched up near a giant boreal tree. Large travel bags and backpacks sat on the ground in front of them as they all lounged in various states of relaxation.

“We’re on the right path!” Gallus signaled to the group, “this way!”

A couple of groans and mildly enthusiastic cheers came from the group as they gathered up their things to once again set out on the trail. There might have been a point in their journey where those cheers were much more energetic, but that had to have been more than an hour ago by now.

It was week two into their summer vacation and Sandbar, Gallus, and their friends had decided to go camping in the foothills north of town. It was to be the last big trip the group would go on together before their summer plans forced them all apart until that coming autumn. One last “big big thing”, as Silverstream put it, that would ensure everyone got their fill of everyone else before summer hit its hottest and busiest.

Gallus gladly took command on the adventure, boasting that he knew the perfect camping spot for such a trip. There were few in the group that knew the mountain foothills as well as he did. He spent many an afternoon cruising over the woods, finding the cool air that swept off the mountains to be calming. He’d boast that he knew these alpine woods like the back of his wings...at least, he knew them from above. On the ground, things looked a bit different, which required a bit of scouting ahead. But at the very least this detour allowed the group of friends to really take in the sights.

By now, summer was in full swing down in Ponyville and the valley town was enjoying sunny weather and cloudless skies. The days were growing long, hotter, and more humid and everyone back home was basking in the warmth.

It was a shame that apparently no one told these foothills about it. Here the seasons seemed to work on a delay. Despite the warmer weather bearing down on Equestria, the higher altitude, surrounding mountains, and maybe perhaps the natural magicks around the area as well made the weather in the foothills resemble late spring rather than summer. On some of the higher peaks, Gallus could even spy some snow that still needed to melt. It all reminded him of home in a way.

He continued to guide the group farther down the deer trail, doing his best not to get everyone lost again. The rest of the group meanwhile passed the time the best way they knew they could.

Ocellus spent that time flexing her studious muscles by remembering all the things she read about Equestrian flora and fauna. She had a natural talent for academics, easily absorbing just about anything she read in a book. She happily shared each point of natural interest to the group when they appeared along the trail.

“Look! It’s a Canterlot Grosbeak” Ocellus explained as she pointed towards a round, purple snowbird that perched itself on a distant evergreen branch, “I read that the color in its plumage is so vibrant, it goes into the arcanum spectrum!”

"Wow!” Silverstream exclaimed.

The changeling then pointed towards a bushel of freshly blooming flowers where a yellow and white bird fluttered about. "Oh! And a Spark-Tailed Hummingbird!" she exclaimed, “they spend more than half their life gathering flower nectar for their young!”

"Wow!"

"Is there anything in this forest that doesn't make you go 'wow'?" Gallus grumbled from the head of the pack.

Silverstream fell silent, falling behind the group for a bit as she actually put thought to this. There certainly were a lot of ’wow-things’ in the forest. She didn’t explore the Equestrian forests all that much. Spending most of her life underwater until very recently, there was still so much of the world that the hippogriff wanted to see. She had hardly gotten through all the wonders that Ponyville had to offer, let alone the surrounding hills and forests.

“Well...seaweed would be pretty boring to see,” the hippogriff finally said.

“Seaweed?”

“Yeah, seaweed. Saw it all the time back home,” the hippogriff nodded, “but I guess seeing seaweed in the forest would be pretty unusual...”

"So how much farther is this 'perfect spot' of yours?!" Smolder interrupted with a groan.

"We're almost there! Trust me!" Gallus exclaimed.

“‘We’re almost there’, he says...” Smolder groaned, “my feet are killing me...”

When they finally got there, no one could deny that the camping spot was, in fact, perfect. The forest opened up to a clearing large enough to accommodate a group of tents as well as a communal cooking area. A rocky river rushed not a stone’s throw away from the site, providing the area fresh drinking water as well as some lovely white background noise.

"Made it," Sandbar sighed as he let his heavy saddle bags slide off his back, "time to set up camp! What's everyone gonna do?"

"Fishing!" Yona the yak exclaimed.

"Right, I guess I'll go with Ms. Loudmouth and do some fishing as well," Gallus added.

"I'll get to setting up everyone's tents!" Sandbar said.

"We got the firewood then," Ocellus answered, trotting off with Silverstream

“And I’ll get a fire going!” Smolder so proudly proclaimed.

It was common camping knowledge that every campsite needed a good fire to cook marshmallows over. The art of building a fire was a skill all its own, however, being a dragon, a roaring fire was an incredibly easy task. The safe bet was to assume Smolder took the chore so gladly because she could build a fire, light it, and then have nothing to do, but lazily lounge about the place as everyone else toiled around her. But certainly someone needed to make the fire.

Despite the long hike that was needed to get there and the hard work needed to set up camp, everyone in the group was in high spirits and clearly excited for the next few days. Even after all the firewood gathering and unpacking and firemaking, the group of friends found the energy to enjoy themselves among nature. They swam, fished, and even enjoyed just taking in the picturesque views that seemed to crowd closely around the campsite on every side.

Before they knew it, day one of their trip was over and everyone retired to their tents for a good night’s rest. The fresh air, exercise, and excitement from the day made sleep come easily for the group.

Gallus was one of the first to head to bed. Acting as the group’s scout for the day was exhausting work after all. He certainly felt like he had earned a good night’s rest. As he laid himself down, he could hear the crackle of the nearby fire and the chatter of Smolder and Sandbar who somehow managed to stay up longer than him. He did his best to tune it all out, focusing instead on drifting off to dreamland.

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

“G-Gallus?” a quiet whisper stirred the dark silence inside the tent, ”you asleep yet?”

“Sandbar?” Gallus mumbled, half asleep.

“S-sorry to wake you,” the pony blushed, “I-It’s just getting kinda cold and I forgot to pack an extra blanket...”

Gallus deflated with a reluctant sigh. “Alright...scootch on in,” he mumbled.

Lifting up a wing, Gallus opened the side of the sleeping bag, beckoning the shivering pony into the warm bundle. Sandbar happily accepted and snuggled into the griffin’s side, rubbing his hooves together to shake off the cold.

“There, that should help,” Gallus mumbled.

Sandbar nodded in the darkness and did his best to make himself comfortable. The warmth of Gallus' body was a welcome reprieve from the chill of the night air. He was grateful for the griffin's kindness. As the two snuggled in close, Sandbar was enveloped by Gallus's scent. The toil of the day before made the griffin smell musky and his fur seemed to have acquired a faint alpine scent from the outdoors. It was a comforting aroma that helped to ease Sandbar's mind.

Without realizing it, Sandbar started to nuzzle his face deeper into Gallus’s chest fur, taking in deep, relaxed breaths along the way. The need to sleep was starting to fall to the wayside as he took the time to enjoy snuggling up against the griffin.

"Sandbar..." Gallus spoke up later in the night as the pair settled into their place among the bedding bundle.

"Hm?"

"That's not your leg I'm feelin', is it?"

"S-sorry, it's just so...intimate."

"Now who's being cute?" Gallus tsked, “do I need to give you some privacy or...”

“N-no no, i-it’ll go down on i-it’s own,” Sandbar replied. Even in the muffled moonlight, Gallus could tell the stallion’s face was beet red.

Silence fell back on the pair as they shuffled and shifted next to each other. Every couple of minutes one of them would try rolling over or inching to a different place among the bedsheets. All that moving around, however, made it impossible for Sandbar's..."intimacy detector" to soften.

Gallus tried to put it out of his mind. He was exhausted from the day’s walk and he wanted nothing more than to lay back and pass out. He tried just closing his eyes at first, hoping the warmth of Sandbar laying next to him would help loll him into a deep slumber. It quickly became apparent, however, that this would not be the case.

“Alright,” Gallus exclaimed softly with a huff, “if you’re not gonna take care of it, I might as well do it myself.”

"Wh-what?!" Sandbar squeaked, squirming, but not pushing out of the blanket bundle. "Wh-what are you doing?"

“Just pipe down and hand me that towel.”

The towel in question was a bundled up, mostly dry beach towel that Sandbar had used after a quick afternoon swim. Spending the better part of the evening drying near the campfire, the fabric was still a bit muggy and smelled faintly of river water and wood smoke.

Sandbar snatched the thing off the ground and threaded it down between the pair where Gallus's claws took hold of it. Working blindly in the dark, he wrapped the towel around the head of Sandbar's stiff horsecock, all while Sandbar twitched and shivered. Then, working completely by feel at this point, he began jacking the stallion off.

If Gallus had his way and if he wasn’t extremely tired from the day before, he might have very well made Sandbar earn what he was doing to him. He wasn’t sure what exactly the pony would have to do in order to earn a hand job from him, but he was certain in his tired haze that giving Sandbar a handjob would normally require the pony to do something.

Maybe he’d expect a hoofjob of his own before he even thought about tending to Sandbar’s needs. Maybe even a blowjob. Maybe he’d dress the stallion in a diaper and make him waddle around and squirm a bit before he’d grant him the honor of having his cock rubbed by him. Who could really say. Honestly, he was too tired to have an imagination right now.

This would have to do.

It was more of a maintenance wank anyway. Taking care of it was just a thing that needed to be done. The more he thought about it - or at least what qualified as thought this late at night - the less it mattered how Sandbar earned it. It didn't matter if he got a blowjob, or a handjob, or even if he got to sit on Gallus' face and got his dick sucked. The important thing was that Sandbar would keep him awake with his erection otherwise. That was the only reason he was doing this.

Sandbar continued to squeak and gasp. They were his best attempts at stifling his moans and guttural groans. He was cute like that, Gallus figured. Maybe that was why he looked so cute in a diaper. Waddling around in a big, poofy diaper. Completely helpless to stop himself when he has an accident and wets himself. Then that quiet sloshing he made when walking around in a soaked diaper...

Gallus had to shake his head and push that train of thought off its rails. Now wasn't the time. If he didn’t show some self restraint, he might have very well popped a boner himself. And he just knew he didn't have the energy for that.

“G-Gallus,” Sandbar murmured with a heated whisper.

The blue griffin just nodded and quickened his pace. That was the closest thing he was going to get from the pony as a signal. He was close. Gallus meanwhile did his best to feel around and ensure the stallion’s member was covered up so he didn’t end up having to clean much up.

Finally Sandbar started to make the cutest little squeaks as he rode out his orgasm. His body convulsed beside Gallus as his cock throbbed and flared inside the bundled up towel. His legs kicked and twitched and his breath shivered.

“Th-there," Gallus said at the end, clearing his throat as he blindly wiped the stallion's cock before balling up the towel and tossing the entire thing into a random corner, "n-now we can get some shut eye.”

Sandbar just silently nodded, which given the black darkness of the tent would seem kind of unnecessary in retrospect. Still, he wiggled himself into a comfortable position, rewrapping the bundle of blankets that draped around the pair to stave off the mountain cold.

"Sandbar..." Gallus spoke up once the two settled back into bed.

"Y-yeah?"

"You didn't actually forget your extra blanket, did you?"

"N-no..." the pony’s voice grew small, "sorry for not being honest."

"Eh, don't be. It wasn’t a very convincing lie anyway."

“And uhm, Gallus?”

“Yes, Sandbar...”

“...Thank you,”

“...You’re welcome, Bar,” Gallus added between yawns, “now go to sleep...”

Chapter Seven

The morning after was cold and crisp. A brisk chill was in the air as the hills woke up from an icy cold night. As the sun rose over the foothills, the wildlife that inhabited these taiga forests started to make themselves known among the mighty pine trees and tall grasses. Small creatures scurried through the brush; larger ones crawled and slithered away into the forested areas. Birds chirped and sang their songs of the morning, filling the air with a vibrant melody.

Gallus found himself waking up with a shiver as the rosy glow of last night’s vaguely remembered antics continued to tingle in his chest. At first, in those bleary minutes right after waking up, he worried that perhaps he had dreamt it all, but the balled up towel in the corner of the tent was all the evidence he needed. He was still cold though, colder still when he realized his bunkmate had left, but that was okay, he thrived in the cold.

After a morning stretch, he lumbered out of his tent, fumbling wildly with the zipper for a minute or two before his aching claws could grasp the tiny metal clasps. He was immediately greeted at the flap by a fresh breeze of mountain air. He let out a pleased yawn, cracking his neck and stretching his wings as far as possible. It was nice to be outside again, even if it was just as chilly as the tent.

Scanning the camp area before him, he found the place surprisingly empty. The only one he could see was Sandbar who was sitting on a log around the smoldering embers of last night’s fire.

“Good morning,” the stallion smiled.

“Morning,” Gallus yawned as he approached the fire ring, “where’s uh...where is everyone?”

“Smolder took them higher up for some girl things.”

“Girl things?” Gallus raised an eyebrow as he sat beside his friend, “what’s that even mean?”

“I ‘unno” Sandbar shrugged, “but there was a lot of giggling and they all scurried off right after breakfast. Silverstream suggested I hang back so you don’t wake up to an empty camp.”

“Well that’s nice of her...and you.”

“There’s still some pancakes left if you were hungry.” The pony gestured towards a covered frying pan sitting close to the fire pit.

“Oh pancakes sound great right now!” Gallus exclaimed before digging into the pile of cold pancakes and snatching one up in each claw.

“How...how did you sleep?”

“Pretty good actually, but still kinda tired,” Gallus replied with a beak full of pancake, “might go back to bed after this. I think my body just woke me up because I was too hungry.”

“Hey...a-about last night...” Sandbar started, “I kinda feel like there’s something we need to unpack from that...”

“What’s to unpack?” Gallus asked, swallowing another mouthful of cold pancake, “I was just tired from the hike. Wanted to get to bed and...avoid getting distracted.”

“A-and it was nice, but...I wanted to make sure it wasn’t awkward for us...sharing a bed.”

“We’ve shared beds loads of times!”

“Yeah, but we’ve never...you know,” Sandbar blushed, “this was different.”

“I was just helping us sleep,” Gallus simply said, “I figured, I ‘unno, you’ve helped me in the past so I should return the favor. You didn’t seem to complain much.”

“Well it was nice and...” Sandbar started to say and then simply blushed, “thanks again...”

Their conversation trailed shortly after, leaving behind a gentle silence filled with birdsong and rustling leaves. Gallus idly stared at the glowing, ashy embers in the firepit in front of them, chewing down the last few bites of his cold breakfast.

It felt like he needed to say something else. It felt like the conversation petered out before...something could happen. He wasn’t sure what that something was or if that something was even something to talk about. But as he thought more about it and washed his meal down with some water, a thought started to pester the forefront of his mind.

“I guess while we’re still on the topic,” he blurted out, “don’t be afraid to ask when we’re alone and you need...help sleeping...” All this indirect wordage was still making him blush. “I mean nothing weird or anything, but like...I don’t mind it if you need...help sleeping...”

There was a long pause. The sounds of nature played out around them as the two friends sat there quietly.

“Are...diapers considered ‘weird’?” Sandbar finally said.

“I ‘unno, I guess I’ve kinda...gotten used to them,” Gallus said after some thought, “so no, not weird.”

Again, there was that sense of needing to say something else. As the two sat by the warm glow of the fire pit, the feeling nagged on Gallus, egging him on to say something else.

“I guess if you ever needed help...changing as well, I guess you shouldn’t be afraid to ask about that as well...”

“Because diapers aren’t considered weird?”

Gallus cleared his throat and rolled his shoulder blades. His eyes darted around the campsite in case their friends were hiding in the bushes listening in on the conversation. “No, I-I guess not...” His wings suddenly felt itchy on his back. “I mean heck, you got ME to wear one,” he found himself saying, “and I even...you know, used it without issue...”

“Would you do it again? Like...right now?” The bubbling excitement in the stallion’s voice was almost palpable.

“Right now?” Gallus replied, “but we don’t even...have...” His words started to trail off as he looked up at Sandbar, who stared back at him with a knowing smile. “You brought some,” he then bluntly stated.

“Well I figured just in case,” Sandbar shrugged, “was gonna bring it up yesterday, but you were pretty exhausted from the hike up here...”

“So like...wh-where’d you pack them?”

A smile grew on Sandbar’s face as he hopped off the log, “c’mon, I’ll show ya!”

Practically yanking the griffin off his feet, Sandbar led the way back into the tent with wicked speed. He then dove right into his soft canvas backpack which sat in a small pile with the other bags near the door. A flash of white was revealed when he unzipped its main pouch.

“There?! Just in your pack?!” Gallus exclaimed, “wh-what if...someone saw?!”

“No one’s gonna snoop. They’re our friends,” Sandbar replied as he held up a folded, white diaper. “Ta-da!” He grinned wide as he showed off his prize.

“I guess you expect me to...wear that, huh?” Gallus said, trying to avoid staring too long at the diaper, feeling his face grow red doing so.

“You’re gonna have to ask me nicely this time...”

“Fine...” Gallus exhaled, “would you...uh please,” he added the word as an afterthought, “put me...i-in a diaper...please.”

Sandbar’s cheeky smile grew into a wide, prideful one. A big smile that was filled with excitement and giddiness. “Would LOVE to!”

Now the giddiness was starting to catch. In a way. For Sandbar, he couldn’t quite contain his enthusiasm as he scrambled to get everything set up for the impromptu diaper change. Gallus was, well, more Gallus in his excitement. Even as blush warmed his cheeks and the tips of his blue ears, he managed to hold together most of his blasé exterior. But it was given away in more subtle ways like the fluffing of his neck feathers or the involuntary flutter of his wings when he was nudged into position by Sandbar’s guiding hoof. In each of their own unique ways, the two were equally buzzing with anticipation.

Gallus’s sleeping bag was unzipped fully and spread out flat to act as a makeshift changing mat. He plopped himself on top of the slick, nylon fabric and watched with a mixture of readiness and enthusiasm as Sandbar slowly unfolded the fluffy diaper. At this point the two had seen each other in diapers, wet ones even, but Gallus still couldn't help feeling a little self-conscious. Sandbar, on the other hand, was too giddy to worry about any of that. He expertly fastened the diaper around the griffin's waist, taking great care to make sure it was secure, snug, and taped up evenly.

"W-wow..." Gallus said when it was finished. He had almost forgotten how good a diaper felt. That soft, fluffy padding wrapped up in that delicate, crinkly plastic. It made him feel... “You gonna put one on too?” he spoke, looking up from his splayed out position on his sleeping bag.

“N-no, not right now...” Sandbar shook his head, “besides, I think you look cuter this way!” He dared pressing a hoof into the plush layers of the diapered crotch. The pressing turned into gentle rubbing circles. “This way we won’t have to use some muggy towel to clean you up,” he went on, his breathing quivering, “this crinkly thing will soak it all up!”

“Y-yeah...” Gallus muttered, laying his head back down.

He stared up at the ceiling of the tent, a meshed window that revealed an open blue sky and the branches of tall alpine trees. A deep sigh breezed from his beak, wafting gently up into the air as his body tingled with a whole host of feelings. It was almost like he was floating, flying even. The world seemed to slow down, and he felt a profound sense of peace and contentment.

This peace was joined up with arousal as the two seemingly separate sensations mixed together to form a brand new pleasure. From the waist up he was relaxed and ready to fall back to sleep now that the cold breakfast bubbled away in his belly. Below the waist, however, mostly around the diaper area, eroticism began to stir.

With a smirk, Sandbar noted the growing bulge inside the diaper. “We should just keep you in diapers all the time,” he mused as his hoof grinded against the crinkly plastic.

“Th-there’s no way I’d...” Gallus was already saying defensively before his words petered into a low, quivering moan, “m-maybe some of the time...” He then muttered to himself as he surrendered to the thought.

A giddy quiver tickled Sandbar's spine as he heard the aroused griffon mull the idea over. It sounded like he was starting to warm up to the idea. “Yeah...h-have you waddling around in diapers,” he murmured, his hoof slowly pulling away from the diaper to fondle his own cock which throbbed. "L-little hatchling." He tried on the word like a new coat, unsure if it would fit the situation.

Gallus’s cheeks flared up pink as he wiggled with uncharacteristic bashfulness. “H-hatchling,” he tried on the word as well, finding that it tickled his beak when he said it.

“L-little hatchling in his...big, thick diapers,” Sandbar added.

"M-my...d-diapers.." Gallus moaned, his claws quickly picking up where Sandbar left off and groped his throbbing girth through the fluffy diaper. First one claw then both of them caressed the crinkling bulge that twitched inside the garment. He furiously rubbed the palms of his claws into the thick layers, desperately wanting to just shove both claws down his diaper to touch himself directly, but some unspoken rule kept him at bay. Something, even if it was only faintly heard in the back of his mind, told him that hatchlings shouldn’t put their claws down their diapers.

"B-big, thick diapers," Sandbar repeated, nodding to himself as he leaned against the griffin, his breath hot in his ear and his heart thumping excitedly in his chest. His scent was overwhelming, musky and animalistic. A long, drawn out moan oozed out of his muzzle as his cock pressed itself flat across Gallus’s padding. Beads of precum scribbled and streaked across the plastic surface.

Gallus shivered as he felt the diaper compress down onto his stiff cock. The two penises touched with only the many crinkling layers separating their arousal from each other. He couldn't help but let out a low, guttural cry and throw his claws outward across the sleeping bag’s slick surface. "A-ahhh," was all he could whine as he braced himself against the tent’s floor.

Driven by primal urges, Sandbar meanwhile bucked his hips into the crinkling diaper. His hooves dug into the sleeping bag underneath as he thrusted deep into the dry diaper’s smooth plastic shell. He humped rhythmically into the crinkly padding, his short breaths coming quicker and faster as his body reacted to the stimulation.

Gallus let out a shivering moan as his aroused acute senses took it all in. The soft padding firmly enveloping his throbbing erection. The rhythmic crinklings and grunts from the pair bouncing off the tent walls. The even present scent of the advancing stallion. He wasn’t normally on the...receiving end of things, but with the diaper between them, it all somehow felt right.

In the end, it was him who first reached that long sought after climax. A shallow rapid breathing preluding a stiff tensing of the back and a loud, open mouthed moan that buzzed the very back of his throat. Some sensual seconds later and his cock pressed itself against the fluffy insides before spurting its load wildly over itself. His hips involuntarily thrusted upwards into Sandbar's advances as deep groaning moans puffed out of him.

Minutes later and after a fair amount of vigorful thrusts, Sandbar's furious grinding ramped up in speed as his shallow breaths became even quicker. His back tensed up and his legs froze stiff, signaling to the pinned griffin of what was to come. Finally a sharp gasp pierced his muzzle and then his cock began to twitch.

Sandbar's orgasm was, understandably, much messier than Gallus's. Uncontained by any sort of absorbent garment, the stallion's sizable sticky load explosively sprayed itself across the diaper's plastic shell, shooting upwards and dribbling down the throbbing organ. The mess was further made messier as he continued to grind his twitching cock against the crinkly diaper, smearing the sticky puddles around. The two laid there for a moment or two as their chests heaved against each other for breath.

After a short reprieve, Sandbar finally lifted himself off the panting griffin, a grand smile of delight glued on his face. He beamed down at Gallus who looked as gloriously satisfied as he felt. He basked in the fuzzy afterglow as he admired the cute hatchling in his diaper. So cute and so tired. It looked like Gallus was just about ready to pass out.

Sandbar then spied the splotchy mess that covered the front of Gallus's diaper. "S-sorry," he then mumbled with new found mental clarity as his tender member slowly deflated between them, "I-I didn't mean to..." His words dissolved into a silly blush as he climbed off of Gallus and retrieved the old towel that had been balled up in the corner since last night. “G-guess we’re gonna get use out of the towel after all,” he laughed nervously as he used what clean parts of the towel he could find to wipe the diaper’s plastic surface off.

Right now Gallus would have had some snarky comment to add to that. Something about how Sandbar made a bigger mess than him and he was the one in a diaper. Or how cute he looked when he stammered like that maybe. But none of that managed to occur to the griffin as he floated there on his back, blissfully basking in the afterglow. It looked like cleanup was all on Sandbar.

“I’m just gonna zip up your sleeping bag and let you rest,” Sandbar said once he was done wiping the front of the diaper down.

Gallus just yawned in response. He was still tired from waking up so early, now he could add exhaustion to the list. Satisfied and content, but still quite exhausted. He only dreamily recalled Sandbar moving around him as the post-orgasmic haze lulled him into a warm and cozy drowsiness. He was only partially aware of the stallion brushing the towel across his crinkly diaper front and it only barely registered when he finally climbed out of the tent and left Gallus to sleep.

No more than twenty minutes passed before Gallus stirred awake. But not fully awake where he could climb out of his sleeping bag and start his day. It was more of a floating awakeness, an almost lucid dream in the waking world. What brought him back to reality made itself known once his dreaming brain was sober enough to recognize it. He still needed to pee. Badly.

Just use your diaper, idiot. The thought bolted into his mind before any other suggestion could be bothered consideration. His mind was so susceptible at this stage of not quite awake and not quite asleep. A sleepwalking wakeness that was ready to believe in anything provided it was the first thought through the door.

Just use your diaper, little hatchling, a softer voice added, that’s what they’re for.

It started with a loud hissing sound that was punctuated by a breathy sigh behind a smiling beak. If he was more awake to bask in the subtle sensations, he might have reflected on how weird it was to pee while laying down. He might have beamed at it all as the warmth that started around his flaccid cock slowly spread outwards and downwards until it encompassed his full, swollen diaper from back to front.

But being so tired, exhausted, and now lacking any valid excuse not to nap anymore, he was ready to drift back to sleep once his bladder was done. He shifted his legs about as the nylon bag swished against his fur. The diaper was nice and full now and not a drop of it had escaped. He might have thought about that as well, but right now sleep was the sweetest song his mind could play for him.

“Oh hey, girls!” Sandbar’s voice could be heard outside as hoofsteps and wing flaps approached the campsite, “back so soon?”

“We didn’t want to keep you and Gallus alone for too long,” Smolder said with a teasing flavor to her voice.

“Where is Gallus anyway?” Silverstream then said.

“He’s still sleeping. Pretty exhausted after the hike yesterday,” Sandbar replied.

“Lazy bum!” Yona exclaimed.

Lazy, Gallus repeated to himself with a smirk in his final lucid moments before falling asleep. Yeah, lazy was pretty accurate. Especially for a griffin who couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed to pee. But it was a soft, innocent laziness in its own way.

Just a little hatchling, a part of him mused, a little hatchling in his baby diapers. Not getting up to use the potty. A little baby who’s gonna have to stay in diapers all the time after this. He rolled in his sleep at this thought.

Enjoy your little nap, hatchy, the soft internal monologue cooed, someone will change your diaper later.

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

A couple hours later Sandbar reentered the tent on careful hoofsteps. He slipped into the delicate stillness as quietly and as quickly as he could before zipping the flap back up. He smiled softly at the sight of Gallus still fast asleep, splayed out as much as a zipped up sleeping bag would allow.

The blue griffin was a real cutie when he slept. Made even cuter knowing he was wearing a diaper underneath. It was the subtlest of sounds he enjoyed the most. The quiet breathing inflating the griffin's chest before slowly lowering, the faint crinkling that rustled every time he turned in his sleep, the soft squishing of-

Sandbar's cheeks flared up as his ears perked when realization dawned on him. Gallus didn't actually...

With even softer steps he tiptoed over to Gallus. He tried to steady his shaky hooves as he slowly unzipped the swishy sleeping bag, doing it carefully so as not to disturb the slumbering griffin. The weighty flap was then pulled away just as carefully, revealing Gallus’s soggy diaper underneath.

Sandbar’s eyes grew wide at the sight as he momentarily forgot how to breathe. There he laid in a soaked diaper, sleeping soundly as if he didn't have a care in the world. It looked like the little hatchling had a wet night. Just the idea of Gallus suddenly turning into a bedwetter was enough to make Sandbar’s cock begin to grow hard.

He leaned in for a touch. Just a quick touch to sate his curiosity at first, but soon he was rubbing the sodden thing. Squishing it and squeezing it. He knew he was playing with fire at this point. He would have been positively paralyzed with humiliation if he was caught fondling the griffin’s diaper. But he just couldn't get enough of how cute it made him look, how soft it felt, and how it made his hooves tingle.

He could tell him he was just checking for leaks, Sandbar told himself, if Gallus woke up he would just explain to him - calmly - that he was just making sure his diaper wasn’t going to leak. Or that he tripped and...was just getting back to his feet when he woke up. His mind scrambled to conjure up seemingly foolproof excuses that he may or may not need in the near future. He was just checking for leaks, he assured himself again, just...doing a very...thorough job at it...

Suddenly Gallus started to stir, jumping awake just long enough to open his eyes. Sandbar's hooves recoiled in shock as he readied his preemptive excuse.

“I-I was just-”

"I'll get changed in the morning," Gallus mumbled with bleary eyes. He looked up at the looming stallion for a few sleepy seconds before passing right back out.

After the initial shock quickly subsided, Sandbar just rolled his eyes. Looks like he was on cleaning duty again. He couldn’t let his friend sleep in a soggy diaper all morning, now could he. Once Gallus fell straight back to sleep he went right to work.

Even when he did it with the most gentle of tugs, the tapes of the diapers sounded like firecrackers in the still silence of the tent. He paused for several minutes between each one, ears burning to listen to the sounds of nature outside. Birds tweeting, wind rustling, leaves falling. He was waiting for that moment when all those sounds would change to stifled giggling or murmurs of conversation, signaling that his fellow campers had returned from the lake and that the pair's embarrassing situation had been discovered. The anticipation made his heart race with excitement, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of being caught.

As he slipped the diaper out from under Gallus’s snoring and lethargic body he entertained the idea of letting the secret get out. Would it really be all that bad? These were their friends after all. The group had shared plenty of secrets among each other, would this one really be all that strange?

His bag caught the corner of his eye. Inside he knew there were still a couple more diapers that he had packed for the trip. He didn't exactly know why he packed so many, but the thought of Gallus wearing them for the rest of the trip did cross his mind. He had enough padding in that pack to keep the little hatchling protected for at least a day or two.

He could just picture it now. Gallus waddling around the campsite, being the group's camp baby for the trip. Helping him toast the perfect s'more, showing him how to catch his first fish, teaching him to swim. This camping trip would have been filled with all sorts of firsts for the baby griffin.

Sandbar sighed a wistful sigh as he stared with misty eyes at Gallus who continued to sleep underneath him. The blush inducing fantasies tingled up and down the stallion's spine as he balled up the old diaper and stashed it away safely under a bundle of tightly wrapped trash bags. Some other time...

He floated there for a moment or two to allow the daydreaming to settle. Images of baby Gallus waddling around with his beak covered in drool slowly faded as his throbbing cock cooled back to its flaccid state. "Hey," he then said, nudging the griffin's side, "it's time to get up."

"Hub-what?" Gallus said as he stirred awake again.

“It’s time to get up,” Sandbar repeated, resisting the urge to add ‘little hatchling’ to the end, "everyone else is waiting."

Gallus, still a bit sluggish from the nap, took a moment to respond. "Yeah alright, I'm getting up," he replied, "just give me a sec while I change outta..." He looked down at his lower half, very much exposed and very much not swaddled in a diaper. He then looked up at Sandbar with a blush as ever so faintly remembered sensations from the mid-nap diaper change played in the back of his waking mind.

“Y-you were gonna leak if I didn’t change you,” Sandbar quickly said.

“Oh, thanks,” Gallus replied, sitting up in his sleeping bag and then stretching, “guess I kinda...y’know, used it.”

“Y-yeah...” Sandbar blushed, fragmented figments of his flustered daydreaming flashed in the forefront of his forehead for another fraction of a second. He shook it all away. "E-everyone's waiting for us by the rapids," he stammered out, "wanted to go for a hike, but I told them we couldn't without our brave scout."

Gallus chuckled at this as he grew more and more awake. "I'm your griffin!" He beamed sluggishly as he stretched his wings. “Come on,” he said as he hopped to his feet and made it over to the tent flap, “I’m itching to get some fly time in!”

Chapter Eight

On the last night of the camping trip’s last day, the group gathered in the center of camp around the fire to roast some marshmallows. It was Silverstream’s idea after she realized they had gotten through the whole camping trip without a SINGLE toasted marshmallow, a crime the hippogriff just couldn’t allow.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the picturesque landscape of the foothills, the group circled a crackling campfire. Dry wood snapped under dancing flames as playful shadows danced around the campsite. Under the canopy of stars that illuminated Princess Luna’s night sky, the friends gathered around the warm inviting flames, staving off the evening’s chilly cold with its inviting embrace.

“Sorry again about not packing enough blankets for everyone,” Oculus apologized for the fifth time that evening as neatly folded blankets were passed around the campfire circle, “I didn’t account for Smolder needing multiple layers.”

“L-look, I don’t do c-cold that well, alright!? S-swim in some lava and l-let me know how it goes!” the shivering Smolder exclaimed, huddling as close as she could to the fire with blankets wrapped tightly around her body.

“No worries! We can just share!” Silverstream exclaimed as she snuggled close to Ocellus who wrapped the pair under the warm blanket.

“Come on, Gallus, you can share mine!” Sandbar said as he opened up one flap of his heavy blanket

"Is...this another one of those pony friendship things?” Gallus asked.

“...Kinda,” Sandbar replied as stifled giggles from Silverstream and Ocellus could be heard. "Come on, it's freezing and we only brought so many blankets."

Gallus scoffed, "psh, cold doesn't really bother..." Then he caught Sandbar in the corner of his eye and he allowed the weighty blanket to be draped over his shoulders.

He wouldn’t be the first to admit it, but cozying up next to Sandbar did kind of feel...nice. It was under the warmth of the blanket that he was starting to realize just how uncomfortable the cold was making him. The cold, as he would state many many times to his friends, never bothered him. It was practically a requirement when growing up in Griffonstone.

For so long, he had embraced the frigid isolation that had permeated his hometown of Griffonstone. The bitter cold was a constant companion, a stark reminder of the tough exterior he had learned to adopt. Gallus had grown accustomed to just dealing with the cold, believing that it never bothered him. It was almost like a badge of honor, a requirement for survival in a place where sunny warmth, both physical and emotional, was scarce.

But as he gazed into the dancing flames, he couldn't deny the yearning for something more. The warmth of friendship, the simple act of sharing a blanket, had opened a crack in the icy facade.

“W-who’s hogging the marshmallows?!” Gallus then said, ”pass ‘em over!”

The bag of marshmallows exchanged hands and hooves until they found their way to Gallus. Sandbar watched as Gallus skewered a marshmallow with his stick, a tiny twinkle glinting his eye. "Y-you want me to help ya?"

"I got it!" Gallus waved the pony off, "it's just a s'more. I can make a stupid s'more."

Sandbar deflated a bit as Gallus did, in fact, make the stupid s'more. He toasted the marshmallow, laid it out on a bed of graham cracker and chocolate. All by himself, Sandbar was a bit thwarted to realize, with no help from him. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t even the teensiest bit disappointed.

“So,” he then started, “anyone got a story they wanna tell?”

"Oh, Yona got good story to tell!" Yona exclaimed, thrusting herself into the circle, "this story about Brawnhoof, strongest Yak alive!"

"Brawnhoof was strongest yak ever lived in Yakyakistan. He was famous for his powerful hooves that could smash through anything, even the toughest rocks in the mountains. Yakfolk tell stories of how Brawnhoof once even lifted an entire mountain with just one hoof!"

Yona's voice grew louder and more animated as she continued, "One day, biiiig storm hit Yakyakistan, and whole village in danger. The winds were so strong that they blew away all the houses and yaks all had to huddle together for warmth. But Brawnhoof not afraid. He stood tall in middle of the village and began stomping his hooves on ground, creating big rumbles that made the storm weaken."

"Other yaks were amazed by Brawnhoof's strength and courage so they joined in and started stomping their hooves on ground as well, creating more rumbles that made the storm weaker and weaker. Finally, storm calm down, and the sun came out. From that day on, Brawnhoof was known as the hero who saved Yakyakistan from the great storm!"

“Lifted an entire mountain, huh?” Smolder said with a raised eyebrow once the excitement stirred up by the yak’s story telling had settled.

“Entire. Mountain,” Yona nodded as she plopped back down onto her spot on the log, “two if he get VERY angry!”

“That’s not how you tell a story,” the dragon replied with a roll of her eyes, popping an entire s’more into her mouth, “let me tell you ‘bout Drakar!”

“So long ago there was this mighty dragon named Drakar. Now he was feared and respected by all who knew him, for he had the strength and power to conquer ANY challenge that came his way. Drakar lived high atop a mountain, where he spent his days honing his skills as a warrior.”

“One day, Drakar heard a cry for help coming from a nearby village. The villagers were being terrorized by a ferocious beast that had been ravaging their homes and stealing their livestock. Drakar knew that he had to act fast if he was going to save the day so he soared down from his mountain and landed in the village square, where he was met by a crowd of frightened villagers. They told him about the beast and begged him to help them defeat it.”

“Without hesitation, Drakar set out to find the beast. He searched far and wide and used his keen sense of smell to track the creature to its lair. When he found it, he found the beast asleep, its massive form curled up in a dark corner of a massive cave. Drakar approached the beast slowly, readying himself for the battle that was to come. When he was within striking distance, he let out a mighty roar and charged at the beast with all his might.”

“The beast awoke with a start, and the two clashed in a battle that shook the very earth beneath their feet. Fire and fury erupted all around them as they fought, each one determined to emerge victorious.” Smolder stood up from her seat and waved a char tipped stick in the air like a sword, reenacting some moves Drakar the Warrior probably used in his fight against the beast...probably. “In the end, it was Drakar alone who emerged triumphant! He defeated the beast and saved the village from its wrath. The villagers cheered and praised him for his bravery, and Drakar basked in the glory of his triumph.”

“And so, the legend of Drakar the Mighty Dragon lived on, a testament to the power and strength of those who dare to stand up to the greatest challenges. Every dragon alive today tries to live up to Drakar’s example.”

“What kind of beast was it?” the voice of Ocellus chimed in.

“Huh?” Smolder said.

“The beast Drakar fought,” the changeling clarified, “what kind of ‘beast’ was it?”

“Psh, I dunno. Does it matter?” Smolder dismissed, “beast’s a beast! Drakar needed to fight something and he fought a beast and defeated it! End of story.”

“Hmph! Brawnhoof fight beast easy,” Yona stated, “he fight TWO!”

“He wouldn’t stand a CHANCE!” snapped Smolder.

“Alright alright,” Ocellus quickly chimed in, “anyone ELSE have a story? Something that’s not so...fighty maybe?”

“I got one!” Sandbar exclaimed, scooching up in his seat.

“Once upon a time, there was a little pony named Twirl. Twirl was very shy and often found it hard to make friends. She loved to dance and would spend hours practicing her moves, but was too afraid to perform in front of others. One day, a group of ponies invited Twirl to join them for a dance party, but she was too nervous to accept. They didn't understand why she wouldn't come and began to tease her, saying she was no fun.”

“Feeling sad and alone, Twirl wandered off into the woods. There, she met a wise old pony who listened to her troubles and offered some advice. The wise old pony explained that it was okay to be shy and that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and she encouraged Twirl to focus on what she loved to do and to not let others bring her down.”

“Feeling inspired, Twirl returned to the dance party and this time, she found the courage to join in. The other ponies were amazed at her talent and soon everyone was dancing together, having a great time. Twirl even taught the others a new move she had been practicing.”

“The party made Twirl realize that it was important to be true to yourself and to not let others' opinions dictate how you feel about yourself. She also learned that by being open to others and sharing her talents, she was able to make new friends and enjoy new experiences.”

“Blech,” Smolder finally said, gagging, “do all pony stories have to have touchy-feely endings?”

“Yona like dragon story better,” Yona said, “had more fighting!”

The rest of the night wore on in much the same way as the group enthralled themselves in joyful storytelling and s'more eating. Folk tales and anecdotes mixed with personal experiences and delicious snacks. With each story told, the group grew closer. Laughs echoing through the forest, mingling with the sedated sounds of nature. Marshmallows were toasted to perfection, transforming into gooey delights sandwiched between chocolate and graham crackers.

But as the hour grew late, the weariness of the day started to weigh upon the group of friends. The final stories were shared, punctuated with yawns and stretches as Princess Luna’s sleepy spells fell over the campsite. Reluctantly, one by one, the friends untangled themselves from their cozy spots, bidding goodnight and making hasty plans for the morning.

With sleepy smiles and content hearts, they shuffled back to their respective tents, guided by the soft glow of the moonlight and the fading fire light. They knew that tomorrow would bring the end of their camping adventure, but the memories they made here would linger, reminding them of the bonds they shared and the joys they experienced together.

Author's Note

The chapter does lack an expected amount of pony/griffin diaper love, but I felt the scene needed wrapping up before I changed the setting. Plus, I feel having the occasional non-fetish oriented chapter helps the story breath and feel more organic.

Chapter Nine

High above the rolling hills and azure lakes, Gallus soared through the crisp, sun-kissed air. Up here there was a certain stillness save for the gentle breeze that tousled his feathers, carrying with it the pleasant scent of warm earth and distant mountains. Up here, the world was still, all the bustling and trouble of Ponyville was far below his beating wings, forgotten to him even just for a moment. Up here was where he felt the most at home.

He could never quite explain it when Sandbar asked about it, but things just...made sense up here during his morning flights. The wind whispering in his ear, the clouds brushing his face, the sights and sounds of the world below all coming together to paint a perfect picture of serenity. No problems, no stress, no worries.

Just him and the sky.

"Hey Gallus!" a familiar voice called out from the ground, miles away at first, but as Gallus’s mind drifted back to the world it started to come into focus. When he opened his eyes and peered down towards the ground, he could see Sandbar waving him down. Even at this distance it was clear the stallion was brimming with anticipation. He had good news he wanted to share, that was obvious.

So Gallus locked in his wings and gilded back down to the ground. It was a steady decline, slow and deliberate as the ground slowly rolled up to meet his claws which slid a bit on the gravel as he landed back down on terra firma.

"Hey, Bar, what's up?"

“My parents invited us over to the beach house for the weekend,” Sandbar explained, “come on! It’ll be great!”

“I don’t know...wouldn’t it be kinda weird to bring your...friend to dinner?”

“My mom insists,” Sandbar said, “she mentioned you specifically.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Well, I guess I kinda talk about you a lot in our letters.”

“Oh,” was all Gallus thought to say.

The two had been hanging out a lot with each other ever since school let out. Truth be told, he never really gave it much thought. Without the distraction of class or homework, the pair seemed to naturally gravitate toward each other.

He assumed it was a friendship thing, although he still wasn’t quite completely clear on how friendships worked. From what he gleaned from school, he gathered friends are kind of just someone you hang out with a lot. Although was a friend also someone you waddled around in diapers with and gave impromptu handjobs to? Maybe that was a more-than-friend thing. Maybe that’s what Sandbar’s mom gathered from their letters. Maybe Sandbar was a little too open about what he did in Ponyville.

“Does she know about the...diaper stuff?” Gallus was surprised to find himself asking such a question.

“No no, sweet Celestia, no!” Sandbar shook his head, “I’m open to my parents about a lot of things, but...that’s kinda...I don’t know, awkward to talk about.” The pony continued with the faintest of blush filling his cheeks, “I mean, you can’t exactly bring that up in normal conversation, right?”

"Right..." Gallus replied before pausing, "...so...when we leavin’?"

Turtle Beach was a small town built on a thin strip of coastline along the ocean. It got its name from the large population of mosaic shelled turtles who swam to its sandy shores to lay their eggs each spring. It was during that one month that tourists flooded the small town, densely packing the streets in hopes to witness the beautiful sight.

During the summer months, Turtle Beach saw a smaller amount of tourist traffic, but most beach goers sought after bigger and better accommodated beach fronts that time of year. For the rest of the year, the town reverted to its usual quaint self. Ponies here were the laid back sort, usually fisherman or surfers searching for the quiet life.

Getting there was a short train ride away. Along that afternoon trip, Gallus watched as quiet valley life slowly transitioned into quiet coastal life. Outside of the window rolled hills dressed in shades of emerald green that stretched past the train tracks, speckled with patches of wildflowers in vibrant hues. The sunlight bathed the grasslands in a warm, golden glow, casting long shadows that danced playfully among the wind swept grassy meadows. Clusters of tall, proud trees stood like sentinels among the tall grass as quaint farmhouses dotted the valley land.

As the train chugged along, the lush greenery subtly gave way to scattered sand dunes, their delicate patterns shifting like ripples in the wind. Occasional glimpses of the sparkling ocean blinked on the horizon like dark blue jewels among the sandy tans and sky blues. The air carried a faint scent of salt as they approached the town, a gentle reminder that the vast ocean was just beyond the horizon.

Before too long, they had arrived at Turtle Beach station, positioned just on the outer edge of town. Turtle Beach was not too unlike the rest of Ponyville in that it was a rather small town. It lacked the pushing and shoving crowds of any large city and there seemed to be an overall sense of calm. Like no one was in a rush to go anywhere.

Exiting the train, Gallus and Sandbar stepped onto the platform, their feet making soft clinks against the weathered wooden boards. The train station was quaint and cozy, adorned with seashell-themed decorations and banners of teal and gold. A large mosaic turtle statue, intricately detailed and painted in vibrant colors, greeted visitors at the station's entrance.

Turtle Beach's main street was a picturesque scene, with quaint shops selling seashell crafts, beachwear, and freshly caught seafood. A small ice cream parlor tempted passersby with its sweet aroma, while a cozy café invited them to relax with a cup of coffee and a view of the ocean. Sandbar was also keen to point out that the local post office maintained a mailbox somewhere off the coast specifically for seaponies.

Further down the road, nestled against the horizon, stood the town’s lighthouse, its most iconic landmark. The white and red striped structure rose proudly from its rocky perch on a bridged island just offshore of the main beach, ensuring safe travel for ships at sea. A smiling mosaic turtle was painted on the side of the tower.

“Splash the Turtle,” Sandbar told Gallus as the two made their way across town, “she’s like the town’s smiling turtle mascot they like to put on stuff for the tourists. They put her on everything! T-shirts, hats, surf boards. Kids love her!”

“Seems a little too...’smiley’,” Gallus raised an eyebrow at the sugary sweetness of Splash's smile. Even during their short walk through Main Street he caught a glance of some stores selling beach towels and toys all with the smiling Splash the Turtle on the front.

“I think it’s kinda cute,” Sandbar shrugged.

The residential areas of the town had streets lined with houses that stood on stilts with a charming blend of coastal and quaint architecture. Some houses were adorned with surf boards, while others showcased intricate woodwork. Much like the houses that straddled its left and right, Sandbar’s parents’ home fit right into the seaside, beach side aesthetic.

An older stallion with a seafoam green coat and a pale blue mane tied in back like dreadlocks was at the door to greet them. As they approached, they could immediately sense a relaxed and carefree energy from the stallion. "Bar! You dudes finally made it!" He welcomed his son with open arms, happily swooping in for a big hug.

Beside him was a light yellow mare with an unkept pink mane. She almost appeared just as laid back as her husband, but her eyes reflected a friendly, welcoming sort of personality. The kind of pony who was easy to talk to, approachable, and could probably explain just about anything with a calm and patient tone of voice. She waited patiently beside her husband before hugging Sandbar.

Between the two adults was a young filly, no older than preschool, with a pink and teal windswept mane and a pale green coat. Sandbar enthusiastically snatched the little foal off the ground and embraced her in a big hug as she squealed and giggled in his hold.

“Gallus, this is my mom and dad, High Tide and Beachcomber, and my little sister Coral,” Sandbar introduced the group to the griffin.

"This the dude you were talking about?" Beachcomber asked.

"Yeah, guys, this is Gallus," Sandbar said.

"So wonderful to meet you," High Tide beamed.

"Nice to meet you too," Gallus replied, reaching out a claw.

"Gallus, buddy,” Beachcomber chuckled as he stepped forward, ”we don't shake hooves in this house."

Catching the griffin completely off guard, Beachcomber swooped in and gave him a big, body squeezing hug. He practically lifted him up into the air with his enthusiastic embrace. The rest of the family joined in shortly after, surrounding Gallus in a family hug. Even Coral did her best to join in with a happy giggle.

As Gallus found himself enveloped in the warmth of this close-knit family, a mix of emotions swirled within him. Griffon were naturally such emotionally cold creatures. And growing up as an orphan in Griffonstone, he hadn’t experienced many affectionate gestures. The genuine warmth radiating from Sandbar’s family was something new all together and for the first time in a long time, Gallus felt a sense of comfort and connection. It was a feeling he couldn't quite define, but it left him with an unspoken desire for more of these heartwarming moments.

“We made up the guest bed for you two dudes,” Beachcomber said, “Bar should still know the way.”

“I haven’t been gone that long, dad,” Sandbar laughed, “upstairs, second door on the left. Past the nursery.”

“We’ll let you get settled in then,” Beachcomber beamed, “should go out and see the town while you have the chance.”

Entering the house, they were greeted by a cozy and inviting coastal retreat. The interior was adorned with a mix of seaside decor and warm, earthy tones that immediately made them feel at home.

The living room was spacious yet comfortable, with large windows that allowed the soft afternoon sunlight to filter in. The walls were painted in soothing shades of seafoam green and sandy beige, occasionally broken up by hanging vacation photos and nautical-themed artwork. Plush, overstuffed sofas and armchairs with soft, ocean-inspired cushions were arranged around a low, wooden coffee table in the center of the room. A soft, area rug with colorful tropical paradise flowers designs stretched out beneath. In one corner, a bookshelf held a collection of well-loved novels, seafaring tales, and a variety of trinkets collected over the years.

The dining area was adjacent to the living room, separated by a partial wall adorned with seafoam green wainscoting. A large, rustic dining table with mismatched wooden chairs invited guests to gather for family meals. Overhead, a simple chandelier with seashell accents added a touch of elegance to the space.

The upstairs guest room was nothing extravagant but it was comfortable. Like many of the rooms in the beach house, it had an overarching cozy feeling. The room primarily consisted of a bed and a dresser, with a few sea themed decorative touches on the walls. The bed was dressed in clean white linens and topped with a colorful throw blanket straight out of Beachcomber’s store. The dresser was made of a light-colored wood and had several colorful story seashells sitting on its top shelf.

A tall window stood across from the bed overlooking the simple cobblestoned roads that snaked through the town's loose grid beyond. The window was framed with light-colored curtains that swayed gently in the salty breeze. The view from the window was peaceful, with small shops and cafes lining the streets below. At night, the streetlights illuminated the town and added a cozy ambiance to the room.

Gallus let out a large sigh as he plopped down on the bed the moment they entered the room, bouncing a bit on the springy mattress. The train ride here had been exhausting, and he couldn't wait to get some rest. It seemed like no matter how many times he traveled by train, it always left him feeling drained and fatigued. The constant motion and noise, coupled with the cramped seating and lack of fresh air, made for an uncomfortable journey. Despite the views outside being picturesque, Gallus found himself unable to fully appreciate them because of his overwhelming exhaustion. Maybe he could find the energy to reflect on the beautiful views after a quick nap or two.

Sandbar headbutted his side before he could get too comfortable. “Come on, get up! I wanna show you around while we’re in town!”

“Eh, think I’ll pass. Train ride really wiped me out,” the griffin groaned.

The pony continued nudging him out of bed. “Come oooon, the bed’ll be there when we get back! This is the first time you’ve seen my hometown! I wanna show you the best spots!”

"Alright alright, I'm up!" Gallus groaned some more, nearly flopping to the ground after lazily rolling off the beckoning bed, “lead the way.”

Sandbar was positively ecstatic to show Gallus all the great sights of his hometown. He pointed out the local cafés, boutiques, and surf shops that lined the quaint town’s main road, entertaining his guest with fond memories of beach parties and surfing contests. They passed by the café where he had his first poetry reading, its cozy interior still filled with mismatched tables and the soft sound of acoustic guitar strumming in the background.

“It picks up more in the evening,” Sandbar commented as the pair glanced through the windows of the nearly empty café, “I wonder if old Starfish hangs out here. He was my poetry teacher growing up!”

As they strolled further, Sandbar led Gallus to a rocky cove where colorful seashells were arranged in intricate patterns along the stone walls. "This is Shellstone Cove," Sandbar explained, a twinkle in his eye. "Local artists come here to create beautiful sculptures and artwork from the treasures the sea leaves behind.”

Gallus examined the works of art that lined the walls. Driftwood sculptures and sea glass mosaics filled the space like an impromptu museum. There was no bureaucratic organization to it all, but there did seem to be a rhythm in the arrangements. It was a rhythm that he didn’t understand, but a rhythm all the same. Still, even to his artistically naive upbringing, he could appreciate the work and effort put into the pieces.

But the best thing, according to Sandbar, was yet to be seen.

It was late afternoon by the time he brought Gallus away from the cobblestoned streets of town and down to the coastline where the fishy, salty ocean scents intensified. The pair traveled far from the comforts of well established footpaths and found themselves entering the outskirts of town.

Sandbar had to backtrack a tiny bit as they journeyed on, but the pony seemed to be working on an innate mental map of the area that had only slightly changed over time. Trees had moved and paths overgrown, but after navigating narrow dirt trails and barely visible nature trails, he found himself leading Gallus to his long sought after goal.

“Tada!” the stallion said with excited, showy flare.

Behind him stretched a small secluded beach with golden sand and crystal clear water. The hidden area was free of any trash or signage for tourists and was as pristine as nature could make it. It was tranquil in a way with its beautiful view of the late afternoon sun twinkling off the water as rocky outcroppings bordered both sides of it for added privacy.

It was a beautiful sight for any enthusiastic beach goer, but Gallus wasn’t much of a beach goer. "Oh cool, a beach,” he said as he rolled his eyes.

“Come on!” Sandbar said excitedly, grabbing Gallus’s claw, ”let’s go for a swim!” He started to tug the griffin towards the inviting waves that splashed against the sand.

Only Gallus didn’t budge. Instead he yanked his claw out of the pony’s grip and his shoulders drooped. “I...I can’t swim...” he said with a defeated sigh, barely able to look Sandbar in the eye. “I...never learned how.”

“Aww,” Sandbar accidently said, quickly slamming his mouth shut and quickly backpedaling. “I-I mean it’s no big deal...r-really.”

“I just never learned how okay!” Gallus snapped back, crossing his arms, “Back in Griffinstone we don’t have sandy pony beaches or crystal clear oceans to swim in. Just cold, icy lakes that freeze over nine months out of the year! Too cold to do anything!”

He sulked and scowled at the sandy beach that stretched out before them. A stupid, white sandy beach, with its stupid water. He couldn’t think of one good reason why he let Sandbar drag him down to this stupid stretch of land. What was so great about stupid swimming anyway?

Sandbar sat beside his moping friend. He watched as the gentle blue waves sloshed against the sandy shore as seagulls cried overhead.

“I can teach ya if you want,” he finally said to his friend, “to swim I mean.”

“Don’t bother,” Gallus grumbled as he glared at a particularly blue colored sea shell in front of him, “I’ll probably just mess it up anyway.”

"I'm a good teacher! Come on!" Sandbar hopped back to his feet, “it’s just like flying...I think.” After a moment’s pause he frowned when Gallus wouldn’t budge and then grabbed him by the arm, “come on! I’ll show ya!”

Gallus was wanting nothing more than to stubbornly pout. There was nothing in the world he wanted to do right now then glare at the pale sand around him, but Sandbar was just as persistent. He continued to pull at the griffin’s arm even when the obstinate bird didn’t budge an inch. After a while, it was Gallus who submitted. If only to save his arm from being pulled out from its socket.

He maintained his stubborn pout well into the water. He followed Sandbar farther out, but he made sure the pony knew that he was only doing this because he was so insistent. He wanted to make sure that Sandbar knew that he was NOT going to swim. Swimming was a waste of time anyway. He got this far in life without knowing how to swim. Why bother learning such a stupid skill now?

“It’s easy. All you gotta do is stay balanced enough to keep your head above the water,” the pony explained as they waded deeper into the water, "steady your breathing and you'll realize your body wants to stay above the water all on its own." The water was up to their chests now. The salty water sloshed against the pair as underwater currents nudged at their limbs. “Then it's just a matter of paddling through the water.”

Sandbar demonstrated by curling his legs up and floated in place. He bobbed there for a second or two, expertly maintaining a fine composure above the lapping water before floating back to his feet.

“Go on! Try it!” Sandbar cheered the griffin on.

Gallus just scowled at the asinine task. Float? THAT’S what he wanted him to do? He pulled him ALL the way out here to float? Floating wasn’t swimming. Why was he wasting his time out here in the stupid ocean?!

But...it was Sandbar...

“...Fine.” Growling under his breath, Gallus followed the pony’s directions. As water nudged him about, blopping against his sides and making balance rather difficult, he curled his legs up and started to float. Or rather,“float” might not have been the best word for Gallus’s first attempt. Or his second attempt. The first five or six times weren’t so much as “floating” as they were “tripping underwater, sinking, and then splashing as he scrambled back to his feet”.

He growled and huffed at every failure. Sandbar had made it look so easy! No matter how much he splashed in frustration or scowled at the stupid ocean for being stupid, Sandbar remained at his side with words of encouragement. He didn’t laugh or smirk or make any kind of sarcastic comment like Gallus assumed he would. Or at least, that’s what he felt he deserved for not being able to grasp a simple skill like swimming. The pony instead would say things like “almost! Try to kick your legs off the ground all at the same time” or “spread your wings out for balance”. Nothing that came close to “try again, idiot” or “you gonna stop wasting my time?”

Eventually though, he got the hang of it. Turns out if he steadied his breathing and had a healthy lung full of air, his body floated much easier. It was so stupidly simple once he got the breathing down. Once that was internalized everything else fell into place. It took only ten or so times, but soon Gallus was floating in the water like the best of them.

“There,” Gallus finally said with a plain voice, “can we go now?”

“Why don’t you try swimming a circle around me,” Sandbar helpfully suggested, “you’ll get the hang of it by doing, promise!”

A flat out ‘no’ was the response that quickly materialized in Gallus’s scowling mind. But a flat out ‘no’ wasn’t what managed to come out of his beak when he looked at Sandbar and the pony’s supportive smile. Instead he just let out a reluctant sigh. “Fine, but just one lap.”

And just one lap he did. Once around Sandbar as the pony shouted words of praise and that was it. Then, he dared another lap. Just to make sure he was doing this stupid swimming thing right. After that, he swam a little bit more and then a little bit more. Before long he started to experiment with some small hops into the air before diving beak first into the salty water and popping back up with a splash.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was starting to get the hang of it. The water no longer felt like a dreaded obstacle but a familiar, supportive companion. It was no longer a force to be reckoned with. It was an extension of himself. Gallus found himself enjoying the smooth way that his body moved through the water. The way he could bend and turn his body, gliding through the water like it was no big deal.

He was getting the hang of this swimming thing. He was starting to really get the hang of it! He could almost feel the pride swelling in his chest at his new found swimming prowess. It was a feeling that had him feeling so invigorated that he started to really pick up speed, moving across the water faster and faster. It was, indeed, a lot like flying!

He swam and swam and swam until he realized he was completely out of breath and his muscles were sore. And yet he felt...weirdly accomplished.

Eventually all good things must come to an end and by the end of it the pair found themselves running out of sunlight. So, reluctantly the two made it for the shore, swimming, then wading, then walking back onto the sandy beach.

“Thanks for teaching me,” Gallus said as they emerged from the water.

“Hey, don’t mention it. No problem at all!”

“No I mean it,” Gallus replied with an uncharacteristically sincere tone, “I know I’m not always the best student...or the quickest learner. But I really do appreciate it.”

"Hey, you did well on your first try," Sandbar said, "Coral could hardly stay up right on her own until like the fifth or sixth try.

"Your sister's like two," Gallus grumbled.

"Yeah, but least you didn't have to wear a swim diaper like she did." Sandbar joked, jabbing Gallus in the side. "Well come on. It's getting late so let's head on back home."

Chapter Ten

The next morning Gallus and Sandbar woke up to a king’s feast. High Tide spoiled the two with a big breakfast and all that delicious home cooked food left the pair lounging lethargically in the living room as warm morning light filtered through the curtains.

Sandbar lazily leaned back on the couch. His stomach felt pleasantly heavy from the hearty breakfast and the cushions were the perfect amount of soft and comfortable. He couldn't help but let out a relaxed sigh as he sunk a little deeper into the seat.

Beside him, Gallus sprawled himself out, barely awake. He managed to remain that way well through breakfast and all that heavenly food felt like a delightful dream. He skirted on that lovely edge between coherent awakeness and sluggish food coma.

As the two laid there, slowly digesting the large meal, Sandbar’s parents trotted around the room, gathering bags by the front door. High Tide was the first one to approach the languid pair and broke the quiet, post meal stillness. “Me and your father are taking Coral to a birthday party,” she explained, “we won’t be home until the evening so you two’ll have the house to yourself for the day.”

“No wild parties now,” Beachcomber chuckled, “there’s leftovers in the fridge for ya and if you’re feeling particularly ambitious there’s stuff in there for seafood pasta. Seafood doesn’t get any better than Turtle Beach!”

“Thanks dad, you guys have fun!” Sandbar said.

“You two as well! See you dudes later!” his dad said back as the three made their way out the front door.

There were distant hoofsteps on the front deck, then down the steps, and then...silence. The relaxing peace of an empty house started to settle around the pair as they reclined next to each other.

“So...” Sandbar started after waiting for a few minutes.

Gallus looked up from his spot on the couch. “So...?” he replied.

“We got the place to ourselves.”

“Mhm.”

"The whole house!" Sandbar grinned, "for the whole day!"

"Mhm," was Gallus's response. He failed to see what the big deal about that was.

“Check the green bag,” Sandbar's grin grew wider.

Groaning that he had to YET AGAIN get up from a comfortable lounge, Gallus made his way over to Sandbar’s green bag which he had assumed, up until now, was just filled with some clothes and weekend supplies. He was so foolishly confident in this assumption in fact that he saw nothing wrong with just picking up the bag and opening it. This confidence immediately turned to cold regret as a stack of neatly folded diapers came pouring onto the floor.

“Y-you crazy?!” Gallus squeaked as a blush flared across his face, “wh-what if your parents found out!” He scrambled to gather up the armful of items that laid scattered on the ground.

“Come ooon, I packed the stuff for a situation just like this!”

“Fine,” grumbled Gallus, arms full of diapers, “but you’re getting padded up first, so lay down.”

“Hold on,” Sandbar replied as he quickly repacking the items, “we gotta do this right!”

Taking Gallus by the claw, Sandbar zoomed up the steps and made a beeline for Coral’s nursery. The room was decorated with a lot of sea life and ocean themed items, creating a serene and calming atmosphere. The walls were painted in soft shades of blue and green, and the curtains were made of a sheer, lightweight material that allowed the gentle sea breeze to flow through the room. The crib was adorned with a fluffy white comforter decorated with embroidered starfish and seashells, and a mobile featuring various sea creatures hung above it. The dresser was made of natural wood and had shell-shaped handles on each drawer. On the walls hung beautiful paintings of different ocean scenes, depicting colorful fish, dolphins, and sea turtles. The floor was covered with a plush, ocean-blue rug, and a cozy rocking chair was placed close to the crib, perfect for late-night feedings and cuddles.

“Your sister’s nursery?” Gallus said, paying the most attention to the little wooden rocking seahorse in the corner which he kind of wished he was small enough to ride. “What are we doing in here?”

“We got a proper nursery at our disposal,” Sandbar said, trotting over to the well stocked changing table, “can’t let it go to waste!”

Gallus rolled his eyes at the table. “There’s no way either of us are gonna fit on that, Bar.”

“I’m not expecting us to,” Sandbar replied, picking up a container off one of the changing table’s shelves, “but if we’re gonna diaper up, we’re gonna use this.”

“Baby powder? Why? We’re not even gonna be wearing that long.”

“Just humor me. Please?” Sandbar said as he pulled out a towel from his bag and laid it on the floor. Once it was all smoothed out he rolled onto it and laid on his back.

Rolling his eyes, Gallus gathered the usual diaper changing supplies. He grabbed a white diaper from the bag, the baby powder that Sandbar just HAD to have and, as an afterthought, he even grabbed the container of wipes off of the changing table in case Sandbar decided he wanted to try that as well.

Kneeling beside the giddy pony, Gallus started the diaper change by popping open the tub of wipes. The soothing sea breeze scent wafted into the air as he extracted a wipe. Sandbar shivered a tiny bit at the cold wipes, but did nothing else except giggle to himself and squirm. It seemed that Gallus’s instincts were right. The big baby pony wanted as much of the baby treatment as he could manage. Sandbar would try sleeping in the crib if he could fit.

As he unfolded the diaper and slid it under the eager stallion, filling the stillness in the room with its loud crinkling, Gallus shook his head and smirked at the whole thing. Maybe sleeping in a crib wasn’t such a bad thing. It did look comfy and having those barred walls around the bed seemed...safer in a way. You wouldn’t have to worry about any pillows falling out. And you wouldn’t have to worry about getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom because...well, diapers. Maybe he wouldn’t mind spending the night in a crib as well. Maybe more than just one night...maybe he’d replace his bed with a crib and spend EVERY night in it.

“Don’t forget the baby powder!” Sandbar’s voice chimed in, snapping Gallus out of his daydreaming.

“Powder, right,” Gallus rolled his eyes and picked up the container. The smell of the baby powder made Gallus’s feathers quiver. “O-oh...” was all he could manage to say as his claws instinctively curled up around the powder container. The slight pressure caused another puff of powder to be squeezed out, teasing the griffin’s nostrils again.

“Little hatchy likes his baby powder!” Sandbar cooed from his spot on the floor.

“I don’t!” squeaked Gallus, immediately clearing his throat and trying again with a slightly more confident, “I-I don’t. It’s just...stupid powder.”

“Well whatever. Just remember that I need powdering first!”

Gulping, Gallus recomposed himself as he sprinkled the powder Sandbar’s crotch as quickly as possible. He tried not to breathe, lest the smell trigger him further down a blushing road of soft embarrassment. He did have to admit, Sandbar looked pretty cute laying on his back like that, diaper open under him, his crotch covered in a thin layer of white powder. However the longer he stared the more he worried he might accidentally smell the baby powder so he quickly put the bottle down and pulled the diaper up between Sandbar’s legs. It wasn’t until the end of the diaper change when Sandbar was standing up did Gallus dare breathe again.

Sandbar waddled off to the closet’s full body mirror to admire his diaper’s fit. “Not bad,” he smirked as he wiggled his diapered rump at his reflection, “you’re getting good at this!”

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Gallus replied passively as he stared at Sandbar's swaying butt for a moment longer than he'd planned, laying back on the towel, “now you gotta change me!” He tried to not look too excited about all this. It would have made him look too vulnerable or...silly.

After modeling in front of his reflection for a few more minutes, Sandbar eventually toddled his way back to Gallus and went right to work.

He decided not to torture the blushing griffin any more then he had to and moved through the diaper change at a...reasonably accelerated pace. To return the favor, he even used the scented wipes as well. The wipes masked and muddled any masculine scents that Gallus might have had. That, coupled with a generous amount of baby powder, just about squashed any chance that Gallus would smell like anything other than a big diapered hatchy.

Heh. A big diapered hatchy. Oh how he wished Gallus was just a toddling griffin, completely dependent on his diapers. How he wished Gallus would helplessly fill his diapers up all the time and beg him to change him. Sandbar would change him, of course, but only when HE decided the diaper was full enough.

He imagined changing Gallus on the floor of the nursery, just like this, while the little hatchling squirmed and whined about how full his diapers were. He imagined the smell of dirty diapers hanging heavy in the air and how warm his diapers would get after filling it up. How pent up Gallus would get having his diapers rubbing against him all day. He’d be aching for attention, his cock as hard and as throbbing as it could be once released from his dirty diaper. And it’d all be up to Sandbar on whether he’d get attention or if the stiff thing would be wrapped back up in a diaper for later. It was Sandbar’s decision.

Sandbar smiled to himself as all these fantasies danced around in his head. His diaper tightened the more he thought about Gallus being his cute hatchy self. The diaper change, so routine at this point, took a momentary back seat to the daydreaming and without realizing it he started to hum a playful tune his mom would hum whenever she changed him as a foal.

Gallus tried his best not to get too lost in the ever growing cloud of powder that surrounded him. He tried not to breathe too much or too hard and any breath he did let slip, quivering as he could smell nothing but powder every time. It was all his mind could focus on right now. That stupid babyish scent that stupidly made his stupid cheeks blush all stupidly.

Sandbar, being the empathetic pony he was, picked up on this and decided to sprinkle more of the white powder on Gallus's chest, rubbing it into the griffin's feathers. The griffin groaned as his concentration was ruined by the tummy rubs.

"Little baby hatchy," Sandbar smirked.

Gallus tried to reply with some sort of "don't call me that", but what ended up coming out was a high pitched whine instead. He was too flustered to respond with words and was forced to cover his face as he started to blush uncontrollably while his cock started to stiffen among the baby powder.

And there it was. For a moment, Sandbar saw a tiny glimpse of that cute little hatchling he longed for Gallus to be. A cute, helpless, diaper dependent little thing who toddled around in his cute little diapers, filling them up without a care in the world. The vulnerability was just so...adorable. So adorable in fact that Sandbar's cock couldn't help but grow a bit stiffer in its diapered confines.

He finished the diaper change as the griffin covered his burning face, punctuating the end of the change with a little peck on Gallus’s forehead.

“All nice and dry, powder butt,” Sandbar said softly in Gallus’s blushing ear. And then, because it just felt like the natural thing to do, he gave his forehead a quick kiss. A little kissy for his good little hatchling.

For the moment Gallus laid there in a daze, doped up with tingly feelings. His face felt hot. Hotter than he ever felt it before. He felt embarrassed. Humiliated, even. And yet...it didn't feel bad. He did nothing to stop Sandbar from getting him all flustered or applying the powder or even giving him a cute nickname. If anything, he encouraged it. And even worse, he LIKED it!

Gallus wasn’t sure why, but the way Sandbar treated him, it felt...

Suddenly a brightly colored beach ball rolled into view, bumping into Gallus’s daydreaming body. He looked up and spotted Sandbar on the other side of the room, smiling giddily.

“Alright, I’m up,” Gallus rolled his eyes, sitting up and bumping the ball back to the diapered stallion.

Stopping it with a hoof, Sandbar bopped it right back. And then, pausing first to raise an eyebrow at the silly pony, Gallus rolled it back. Back and forth the ball glided across the floor, hopping a tiny bit as its near weightless mass ramped over any minute wrinkle in the rug.

"This is stupid," Gallus was quick to declare with deflating boredom after the tenth or so rebound.

“You wanna try playing with something else?!” Sandbar asked brightly.

Gallus scanned the room. All around them laid scattered a smattering of toys fit for a foal. Stuffed marine animals, puzzles and blocks made of bulky chunks of plastic, sensory toys. Colorful, eye catching toys that were meant to grab the attention of a bright eyed foal. None of them caught the griffin’s eye.

“You want to...play?” Gallus said puzzled, “...why?”

Sandbar just shrugged, “I can just read you a story if you think these toys are too big for you.”

For a reason Gallus was too embarrassed to admit outloud, he felt his cheeks flare up at the mere suggestion of having a story read to him like some kind of hatchling. He hastily tried to change the subject. “F-fine! I’ll play with the stupid toys!”

Grabbing for the nearest toy, he plopped down on the padded playmat and tried his best to...play with it. The toy was a padded block with tags sticking up off its edges and had a heavy bell inside that clanked and jingled every time it moved. Gallus found the pastel pink and green thing, like many things when he was too stoic to enjoy them, stupid and a waste of time. What was the point of it?

Still... it did seem to make Sandbar happy that he was there. The stallion seemed so excited to have someone else to play with. Maybe all these toys weren't so stupid after all. Gallus hesitated for a moment, then allowed a small, hesitant smile to tug at the corners of his beak. If indulging in a little playtime with these seemingly silly toys brought joy to Sandbar, maybe there was merit in setting aside his gruff exterior...if only for a moment maybe.

So he tried another toy, hoping that it would somehow magically make sense. He picked up a toy boat made of brightly colored hunks of plastic. The pink and purple toy felt so foreign in his talons. He examined it inquisitively as he rotated it in his claws. He wasn’t really sure what to do with it at first. Was the boat supposed to...DO something? Was he supposed to do something?

He tried again, this time grabbing for a soft seagull plushie with big floppy wings. The stuffed toy was a fluffy thing with rounded and simplified features to give it a friendlier appearance. It also looked very huggable - if Gallus ever thought to think in that way. However, much like all the other toys, this one just sort of...sat there in his claws, doing nothing as usual.

Maybe he was approaching this all wrong. What would Sandbar expect him to accomplish from all this stupid playing? The seagull needed a name, right?...Percy. If Gallus had to give the toy a name - and only if he absolutely HAD to name the plushie for some desperate reason - Percy seemed fitting. And what else? What else would Sandbar expect from him? Well he'd probably ask Gallus some stupid question like "what does Percy like to do for fun?" or like “what music does Percy listen to?”

And those stupid questions were obviously stupid, but like...again, if he was forced to decide, Gallus would probably say that Percy liked to...he liked to chase waves as they lapped up and down the beach. And...he liked to...draw funny pictures in the sand with his claws. And he probably liked flying a lot too!

Meanwhile Sandbar...well it didn't look like Sandbar was making much progress either. He sat beside Gallus, fumbling with a pile of hoof sized foam blocks. He spent the first few minutes just shuffling the pile around, pushing the brightly colored blocks into smaller piles and then pushing them back into one big pile.

Then he started idly stacking the blocks on top of each other. Nothing resembling structure at first, just loose and mixmatched towers of varying height. There was no rhyme or reason to his stacking, he just sort of...stacked. Then he got more creative with the towers, swapping out structurally sound squares and rectangles for more fun shaped triangles and polygons. He even managed to include a cylinder in there once and awhile.

Before long, he was waddling around the play area, setting up walls and buildings in a spread out cityscape. The buildings were often fragile and fell over all the time, but part of the fun was building them up again, this time with a different combination of brightly colored blocks.

Every now and then he’d pause, sometimes in thought, sometimes to throw a glance over in Gallus’s direction, who was starting to enjoy himself. Occasionally the stoic and hardened griffin would be caught smiling goofily at the seagull plushie he was playing with so much which made Sandbar smile as well. During those brief slip ups, he resembled the cute little griffin Sandbar had so often fantasized about. He felt proud of Gallus for feeding his inner child and excited to finally have a playmate so open to trying the things he liked.

The two diaper butts stayed like that for about another hour. Periodically Gallus would help build a block tower or Sandbar would grab a plushie from the outskirts of their play area so that Gallus’s seagull wasn’t lonely. They both gradually sunk into the rhythm of play. The initially foreign toys began to feel more familiar as time went on.

By the end of it, Sandbar stood up to stretch his legs. “Alright, powder butt,” he announced, ”let's go get something to eat!”

“Yeah sure,” Gallus replied, with a surprising amount of reluctance in his voice. He didn’t fully realize it then, but he was actually starting to have fun.

He looked down at the stuffed seagull plush, now sitting comfortably in his lap as a constant playmate. Percy probably liked to eat food as much as he did, but he figured it'd be best to leave the plushie here. With that same strange reluctance slowing down his actions, he perched Percy atop a stout block tower before standing up. His legs, tingly with a half asleep tingle, took a moment to remember how to stand.

Already he felt...a coldness cloud his chest. Not a wintery chill, but more like the lack of warmth. Like his heart had gotten used to a nice fuzzy sweater around it and was suddenly stripped of it. He threw a glance over at Percy and had to fight the urge to snatch him up and give him an apologetic hug for abandoning him like this. But that was something Sandbar would probably do, but not him! No, that would have just been...s-stupid...

He looked up just in time to watch Sandbar’s eager butt waddling out of the room. The stallion’s padded behind was looking particularly yellower than it was before. The tingly warmth in his chest seemed to transfer its way to his cheeks as he followed.

The kitchen was open and airy, featuring granite countertops, modern appliances, and white cabinets that contrasted beautifully with the soft coastal colors. A large window over the sink framed a picturesque view of the sandy backyard, where a wooden deck stretched out toward the ocean.

It was also a well stocked kitchen which became all the more apparent as Sandbar started waddling around the room, gathering ingredients. From the various cupboards and the fridge, he grabbed spices and vegetables and dry pasta, arranging them near cutting boards and bowls. Sandbar's mom was even nice enough to make sure the fridge was stocked up with plenty of cloud tonics and it was a generosity that the pair happily took advantage of.

Gallus helped out where he could, cutting up vegetables and setting the table, but overall Sandbar had the cooking thing covered. The pony so naturally moved from station to station, easily whipping up a dish that smelled delicious. And his crinkly diaper butt rustled every step of the way.

So when he had done what he could, Gallus grabbed an icy cold tonic from the fridge and plopped his padded butt at the table and watched Sandbar go. As he waited, he got hungrier and as he watched Sandbar’s padded - albeit a tiny bit soggy - diaper butt move about the kitchen, intrusive thoughts started to wiggle their way in. If he looked at the situation from a certain angle, it was sort of like...a little hatchling waiting for daddy to make dinner for him. He was kind of missing Percy though.

Suddenly a dish slid in front of him, cutting his trail of thought short. Steaming in of him was a bowl of perfectly cooked noodles with expertly cut vegetables all tastefully coated in a finely crafted, buttery smooth sauce. It was well seasoned too, with various spices and herbs mixed in with not one over powering the main dish.

It looked delicious! It looked mouth wateringly good! It looked...

“What is it?” the culinarily stunted Gallus finally said.

“Seafood pasta,” Sandbar replied as he took his seat, “traditional dish we have around here. Everyone does it a little different, but this is an old family recipe. Dad always says you can’t get any better seafood than from Turtle Beach.”

Gallus started eating about halfway through the explanation. The nuances of varying seafood pasta recipes didn’t really matter because he was so hungry. He was about four bites in before Sandbar smiled.

“How is it?” Sandbar asked.

Gallus struggled a bit, trying to answer midbite. “Oh! Delicious!” he replied, inadvertently dribbling some sauce down his front.

Sandbar chuckled, “maybe we should get you a bib.”

Had he not been so hungry, Gallus might have replied with some snarky or sarcastic comment. But with a beak full of food, all he could manage was a smiling scoff and roll of his eyes. Maybe even a bit of a blush too.

The first sauce dribbling was certainly a mess and by the end of it he half wondered if he should have worn a bib afterall. He wasn’t going to, obviously. Bibs were something little hatchlings wore because they played with their food more than ate it. And, obviously, Gallus wasn’t playing with his food so he wasn’t a hatchling who needed a bib. But then again...he was wearing a diaper, something he sometimes forgot about. Maybe if he asked extra nicely Sandbar would get him a bib...

Once they were finished, they lingered at the table for a relaxing sobremesa. Gallus was finishing off his third cloud tonic of the evening when he looked up at Sandbar who had been unusually quiet these past couple of minutes. He glanced across the table to find Sandbar staring off into space.

“...Sandbar?”

Only the stallion didn’t respond. He instead kept his eyes partly closed, leaning forward ever so slightly as he appeared to be concentrating on something. Any experienced mother or babysitter would recognize that pose right away. It was the same posture any potty training toddler made after they resigned from using the potty that day and opted for the more convenient diaper taped around his waist. He stayed that way for a moment or two longer, sighing softly to himself as if to make it impossible to think he was doing anything else.

“Wh-what?” Sandbar finally asked with a chuckle as his diaper soaked up the rest of the urine.

Gallus blinked. “You just...look cute is all,” he said as he looked away, “relaxed and...well, cute...”

“You gonna...go too?” Sandbar asked, trying his best not to sound incredibly excited about the question.

“Y-yeah yeah...sure, I just...” Gallus said as he shifted in his seat, ”I just gotta...”

Sandbar leaned forward in anticipation as Gallus got into position. He resisted the urge to dive under the table to get front row seats of the cute griffin peeing his diapers. That would have probably scared him off. He knew he was already asking a lot of Gallus to pee himself right there, but he had noticed how much easier it was getting to convince him to do those things. Not too long ago, Gallus would have been caught dead in a diaper, but now...now he was practically a good little hatchy already.

While he watched Gallus pee himself - acquiring the same half-lidded, spaced out expression as him - Sandbar noted the pressure growing deep in his gut. It appeared that High Tide’s healthy and hearty breakfast was just now working its way down and the delicious pasta only agitated this.

“Say uhm...have you ever thought about...” Sandbar started with a stammer. The kind of stammer he always got when he wanted to bring up something delicate or embarrassing, ”I-I mean when you put on a...a diaper, have you ever thought about...doing more than just wetting?...Like...messing?”

Author's Note

The block stacking scene was inspired from an experience I had when I spent the weekend over an APDL caretaker’s house. She had a full fledged nursery with a crib and highchair and I was excited to finally experience those things, but I was also incredibly nervous. New person, a new place, plus this new person was gonna change my diapers which will always be a blushy and tense situation.

Anyway, as a sort of ice breaker, shortly after I was changed into my first diaper, she pulled out a tub of building blocks and we sat in the middle of the nursery playing with them as we made small talk. It was nice to have an approachable activity to settle in on before we got into the more “intense” activities we had planned. It was just talking while idly building towers with the small wooden blocks until it all collapsed and we built the tower all over again. Certainly helped calm things down.

Chapter Eleven

“Messing?” Gallus repeated with a blush as the pee in his diaper soaked into the padding. “T-the thought had crossed my mind...once or twice.” In truth it had crossed his mind more than once or twice. It only seemed like the next logical step after wearing diapers so many times. He always figured in the back of his mind that it was only a matter of time before he would have to...soil himself. But he couldn’t really, could he? Doing that seemed almost... “What? Like right here? In the kitchen?”

Sandbar bashfully shrugged, “a hatchling wouldn’t know better.”

“O-oh...I-I guess you have a point...” Gallus blushed even harder. A hatchling wouldn’t know any better.

“I-I’ll do it if you do it!” Sandbar quickly said, “I-I mean so you don’t feel left out...”

Gallus blushes heavily, but still had to roll his eyes at this, “yeah alright fine.”

And with that he put down his fork which he had been fiddling with around the same time Sandbar asked him the question. He hopped up to his feet and fidgeted around as he gathered the mental energy to...make a baby of himself.

It was hard for him to forget that he was in the kitchen. But at the same time he also couldn't forget the fact that he was diapered. He remembered what Sandbar said and couldn’t help but agree. He was, afterall, just a little hatchling who didn’t know any better. Bathroom, living room, kitchen, it didn’t matter where he was. He was wearing a diaper and he needed to go potty.

Sandbar too got into position on the opposite side of the dining table. Although he was much more excited to poop himself, even he had trouble overcoming that pestering guilt that he had been conditioned to feel after all those years of using the potty. Despite really really...really REALLY wanting to do it, it was difficult to overcome his body’s natural instinct to hold it in until he could get to a proper toilet.

In the end, after standing there frozen in place, both of them ended up filling their diapers almost simultaneously. Standing around the kitchen table, partially leaning against it, their diapers began to inflate in the back, bulging and sagging with a heavy mess. The two grunted and huffed, legs quivering, and feet digging into the cool tile floor. The unmistakable sound of diapers being filled echoed through the room, followed by a pungent odor that filled the air.

Gallus had to admit, it did make it easier to go knowing that Sandbar was doing the same. Somehow knowing he wasn’t the only one making a mess of things made it easier to tell his body that it was okay to go. It also made it kind of exciting knowing that Sandbar was feeling a similar mushy, warmth tugging down the back of his diaper as he was and that made it feel...pretty arousing if he had to be honest.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as the two processed what had just occurred. When they weren’t staring into space, taking in the warm mush that now filled their diapers, they were throwing awkward, bashful glances at each other, blushing furiously when their eyes met for a brief moment.

Sandbar was the first to break the silence with a sigh of relief. He looked up to see Gallus bunched up and avoiding eye contact. “Are you...finished?”

“Of course I am,” Gallus said, “now what do we do?”

“How...h-how does it feel?”

“Like I just messed myself in the middle of the kitchen,” Gallus grumped.

“No, come on! You were getting really into it!” Sandbar replied, “how does it feel? Like really?”

“Well...” Gallus took a mental step back. “It’s...” he dwelled on the warmth that emanated from the squishy lump that stuck to his rump, “heavy and...warm.”

“Y-yeah?”

“A-and...doing it wherever was...kinda cool, I guess,” Gallus continued, “felt like...I was getting away with something...naughty...” Why did he admit that?

“Y-yeah? A-and...w-what else?”

“W-well it’s...” Gallus took another mental step back and realized something, “wh-why am I the one answering all these baby questions? YOU’RE diapered too!”

“Y-yeah...I-I...g-guess I am,”Sandbar blushed, “it’s really...” his words trailed off as a hoof found its way to the back of his diaper. He tested the squishy mess with a poke, a prod, and then a firm smushing. It made both him and Gallus shiver with pleasure. And then his back legs gave out, plopping to the tiled floor with a loud squish. “Mushy...” he smiled a huge smile.

Now it was Gallus’s turn to blush. “M-mushy huh?” he replied with a gulp. He couldn’t quite explain it, but watching the pony plop down so haphazardly, landing squarely on his poopy mess made him...very aroused. For a moment he entertained the idea of pressing his beak right up against the stallion’s sagging diaper butt, letting him sit right there on his face so that he could feel the warm, crinkly mass cover his face the same way it hugged his own backside. “W-we sh-should probably change!”

Back in the nursery, the two stood among the toys that laid scattered across the floor. They both looked across the room at the changing table where Sandbar’s bag of diapers waited.

“S-so I-I g-guess we...gotta change now...” Gallus said unenthusiastically.

“Y-yeah...yeah...” Sandbar mumbled in agreement, “g-gotta change...”

Neither of them moved. It was a few more minutes of silence before Gallus spoke up.

“I-I mean if we change now, we’ll just be...changing into another diaper...So really we don’t need to rush things and change immediately...”

“Y-yeah...”

“I-I mean, it’s not...s-super vital that we change RIGHT NOW, right?”

“Yeah...”

Again, another long pause fell over the pair as the stink of their messy diapers lingered behind them. After a little while longer and without saying a word, Sandbar waddled away from Gallus’s side and plopped down on the ground to play with toys.

Gallus blushed as he watched the whole thing, his arousal building as he stared at Sandbar’s sagging diaper sway behind him, only to be squished against the playmat under his weight. He joined moments later, waddling over to the toys and then, rather gingerly sitting down beside him, messy diaper and all.

The two busied themselves with some random toys that sat in a pile in front of them. It was tough to play with the toy boats and stacking rings when the squishy diapers were a constant thought in their minds. It was less about playing and more about staving off the inevitable. They both knew that eventually they’d have to change, but at the same time both of them - for one reason or another - really...didn’t want to do that yet.

Gallus looked over at Sandbar who was staring at him with the biggest of smiles. “Wh-what?” the griffin asked.

“N-nothing, it’s just...it’s starting to smell like a real nursery in here,” Sandbar bashfully smiled.

“Yeah...” Gallus felt a silly smile crack his beak. “J-just...just a couple of diaper babies playing in their...poopy diapers...”

“W-waiting for mommy to come and check them...” Sandbar added.

“A-and...wh-when she does check on them...” Gallus replied as he inched over to the stallion’s side, “she’d probably...check their diapers...l-like this...” He reached out a shaky claw and pressed it against Sandbar’s warm diaper crotch. He could feel the stallion’s member start to stir through the swollen padding. “T-to really give the diapers a thorough check...”

“O-or l-like...this,” Sandbar responded in kind, reaching for the griffin’s crotch and started to rub gentle circles into the squishy, crinkling garment.

“Y-yeah...” Gallus moaned, his arousal building, “their s-stinky...baby diapers...”

“Mmph!”

Words fell to the wayside as the two explored each other’s diapers. The sound of crinkles and squishing filled the room as the two poked and prodded the other’s diapered crotch, both trying to gather the courage to move on. Even while their cocks grew and bulged out the sodden padding, neither of them felt brave enough to venture further.

This changed soon enough when the arousal started filling their bodies. Their rubbings became deep and slower and both of them started to moan and pant shaky breaths. Sandbar leaned in for a kiss. His mind intended for it to be an innocent peck on the cheek, but his body pushed him forward and gave Gallus’s beak a deep, sensual kiss. Gallus, equally as caught up in arousal and lust, didn’t hesitate to reciprocate.

Electrified by the touch, Gallus climbed on top of Sandbar, pushing the stallion onto his back and inadvertently rolling his rump across the poopy mess that filled his diaper. Blocks and toys were cleared away by sweeping limbs as they kissed and moaned while hoof and claw rubbed against each other’s bodies. Their diaper fronts pressed firmly against one another, causing the warm padding to squish. Gallus grinded his tenting diaper front against Sandbar’s, moaning as the heavy mess in his diaper pressed into him with each thrust.

"Th-this is s-so wrong," Gallus sputtered while holding back a moan, "this is your sister's nursery!" The admission of this truth felt like sweet forbidden fruit and made the moment all the more arousing. It felt even more powerful when he realized his body wasn’t slowing down out of guilt. It kept grinding against Sandbar no matter how guilty he felt.

"She's not...u-using it right now," Sandbar grinned with a shiver, “j-just two diaper babies in their thick. Poopy. Diapers!”

Gallus moaned even louder at this, thrusting his padded crotch against Sandbar. His cock throbbed inside the urine soaked diaper and only strained more and more as he thrusted into the stallion.

“My good...l-little hatchy!”

"I-I told you not to...call me that," Gallus said weakly with a bit of a whine as he tried to keep up the rhythm.

"Why not?" Sandbar grinned, "you s-sure smell like...like a hatchy. And that diaper didn't get full all on its own now did it?"

Egged on by Sandbar’s teasings, Gallus’s humping grew in strength, in speed, and in desperation as his cock throbbed inside his diaper, begging for more. Sandbar responded in kind and thrusted his hips upwards into the advancing diaper humps. Each thrust upwards was coupled with an equally sensual mucky mess as he dropped to the ground and pressed the squishy thing against the playmat.

“I-I’m...I-I’m! I’m a good hatchy!” through gritted teeth Gallus shouted the last part as his body tensed one last time.

Like a coiled spring, his strained body convulsed forward and down. He pressed himself against Sandbar, diapered crotch against diapered crotch as his throbbing cock started to spray its load, coating the inside of his diaper with each involuntary thrust of his hips.

Meanwhile, Sandbar, already so dangerously close to a climax of his own, took advantage of the griffin on top of him and pulled him in close. Squeezing their bodies against each other, Sandbar reached his forehooves as low as they could manage to grab hooffuls of the griffin’s diapered rump. Fondling the squishy mass that hugged Gallus’s butt, Sandbar thrusted upwards and finally passed the point of no return, covering his diaper with his own sticky load.

There was heavy moaning, some pathetic little squeaks and grunts, and then finally after the apogee, just panting. For several minutes after that the two just laid there, catching their breath. Gallus rested his head against Sandbar’s heaving chest as he tried to recover the strength in his limbs. Some time passed and nothing happened as their bodies recovered from the orgasmic experience. Some more time passed and Gallus was finally able to slide off of Sandbar, still trying to recover from...all that.

“Okay...” Sandbar panted, “we should...probably...change now...”

“I guess so...” Gallus replied as he rolled onto his back. He was feeling too fuzz-brained to hide the obvious disappointment in his voice.

“I could just...leave you laying here like this,” Sandbar smirked as he stood up on shaky legs, “leave you here for...mom to find you...sure she wouldn’t mind changing your diaper then...”

“Alright alright,” Gallus rolled his eyes, “I’m getting up...” He pulled himself up to his feet while, once again, allowing his mind to fantasize on the stallion’s teasings. Oh if only he could just lay there and let Sandbar’s mom...his mommy...clean him up.

The two waddled out of the room, legs quivering as the blissful afterglow swelled in their chests. They were most certainly overdue for a change. A quick shower would do the trick. Stepping into the bathroom, the chilly tiled floor contrasted wonderfully to their full diapers still pleasantly warm against them.

The bathroom was made up of soft hues of seafoam greens and sandy beiges, reminiscent of the ocean and sun-kissed shores. The walls were adorned with nautical-themed décor, featuring framed seashell prints and whimsical illustrations of sailing ships. Aside from the toilet - which the pair obviously were not going to be using this evening - the bathroom featured a simple, weathered vanity crafted from repurposed driftwood, its surface adorned with jars of homemade candles and bars of handcrafted soap. A decorative seashell-shaped soap dish held fragrant bars of homemade soap, while a collection of candles, also homemade, circled the sink.

The centerpiece of the room was the spacious bathtub, a gleaming porcelain vessel that looked like an excellent place to spend an afternoon soaking in. A collection of mismatched jars and bottles lined the edge of the tub, each containing a homemade concoction of bath salts, essential oils, and dried flowers, ready to infuse the bathwater with natural fragrances and therapeutic properties.

A bath sounded kind of romantic, but without exchanging a word, the pair agreed neither of them had the energy for something so elaborate. A shower would do just fine.

Catching a glimpse of their reflections in the vanity’s mirror, two diaper butts stared back at them. Their diapers were visibly stained a deep brown from front to back and were noticeably bunched up in the front from rigorous movement. The tapes so desperately clung to the material, straining to keep the whole thing together. Even Gallus, who up until this point was still sort of wondering if they had to change RIGHT NOW, had to concede. They needed a change.

Exhausted and still feeling a bit lethargic from their intense diaper grinding, the pair unceremoniously took off their diapers, balling them up as best as they could before placing them aside for later.

Once the shower had properly heated up, the two climbed in and got clean. The warm water felt heavenly. It was a welcomed sensation after waddling around in such full diapers for so long. Both of them could admit, in their own way at least, that there was a unique pleasure in wearing wet and messy diapers, but there was an even more unique pleasure in taking those wet and messy diapers off and getting cleaned up. Sour earthy stenches were replaced by pleasant smells of lavender and peppermint. The sticky muck was washed off with water and the two were starting to feel a little more mature again.

After the relaxing shower, the pair emerged fresh and clean. The diapers laid waiting for them, requiring them to toss them into the trash can outside once they were dried off. For a moment Sandbar entertained the idea of tossing them in the diaper pail, but sadly they were too big - and stinky - to consider that a viable option. Once those things were taken care of, the pair spent the rest of evening relaxing outside on the deck to watch the sunset over the ocean.

The beach house had a lovely wooden deck perched just above the sandy shores of Turtle Beach. Constructed from weathered wood, the deck exuded a rustic charm that blended seamlessly with its coastal surroundings. Stretching out from the back of the house, it offered an ideal vantage point for watching the ebb and flow of the tide, as well as catching glimpses of playful seabirds and distant sailboats dotting the horizon.

It featured an ample seating area, complete with cushions and oversized pillows that invited lounging. Comfortable wicker chairs and a sprawling hammock beckoned guests to unwind and soak in the tranquil atmosphere. A rustic wooden table stood at the ready, adorned with candles and seashell accents, providing the perfect spot for al fresco dining or leisurely conversation.

Surrounding the seating area, potted plants and blooming flowers added a touch of vibrant color to the deck, while strategically placed umbrellas offered respite from the sun's rays during the warmer hours of the day. Soft strands of twinkling fairy lights were draped overhead, casting a warm and inviting glow as evening descended, creating an enchanting ambiance for gatherings under the stars.

The pair loosely cuddled up on a long couch that overlooked the sandy beach beyond.

“Hey,” Sandbar started, “thanks for...doing all that for me.”

“You wore a diaper too,” Gallus scoffed.

“I know I know, but, I know I was asking a lot to expect you to...y’know, in the middle of dinner like that...”

“O-oh right...” Gallus replied with a blush, “well I can’t say I didn’t like it...” He tried his best to hold back the genuine thrill he got from pooping himself like that. “it wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do again...”

“Y-yeah?”

“Yeah, it was...really fun kinda actually.”

“Would you ever...” Sandbar started again, egged on by Gallus’s enthusiasm, “well I mean, would you ever go 24/7?”

“24/7?”

“Yeah, like wearing diapers all day for a solid stretch of days,” Sandbar said, “using them when you needed to...M-maybe playing the role of hatchling the whole time...?” He said the last part with an air of caution, not full confident that Gallus would agree.

“O-oh,” Gallus blushed, “well I guess a couple days wouldn't be..t-too bad...”

“A-and I’d be there to change you!” Sandbar assured, thinking this would somehow sweeten the deal, “I-I wouldn’t leave you hanging or anything...”

“Heh, well I guess if I...had someone changing my full diapers, it wouldn't be too hard...”

“Yeah?” Sandbar’s ears perked up and soon his entire face lit up, “o-okay, yeah! That’s...exciting to hear!”

The excitable pony fell silent after that and the conversation drifted off into the quiet evening. Even without say much more about it, Sandbar’s mind teemed with possibilities. Now more then ever, his fantasized of having a little baby griffin waddling around the place was so tantalizingly close! Day dreams were one thing, but...all of this could actually happen! He tried not to let his imagination run too far away with the concept, but what if? What...if....?

Later in the evening, Sandbar’s parents returned with Coral in tow. Sandbar and Gallus had long since moved indoors, pining for a nice comfy couch to laze about on.

“We’re home!” sang Beachcomber’s voice.

“Welcome back, you guys!” Sandbar chirped like the good son he was.

“I hope you two had a good night in,” High Tide said, “I’ll be right back. I need to put this little missy down for her nap.”

Coral looked up with bleary eyes, clearly exhausted from her big day out. High Tide carefully held her in her arms and carried her upstairs.

“What did you two dudes get up to while we were gone?” Beachcomber asked.

Gallus nearly jumped at the question, his sharp wit suddenly drying up in an instant. His beak opened and closed a couple times as he stumbled over his words. “W-well w-we j-just.”

“O-oh you know, just chilled and watched the ocean,” Sandbar quickly rescued Gallus, “cooked Gallus some of your famous seafood pasta.”

“Hey excellent!” Beachcomber smiled, “you know you can’t get any better seafood than from Turtle Beach!”

“Th-that’s what Sandbar was saying...” Gallus managed to stammer out, throwing a thankful glance over at Sandbar. “H-how was the party?”

“Heh, oh you know, buncha little dudes and dudettes running ‘round, getting sugar highs off cake and ice cream. I think Coral had a great time.” the older stallion chuckled as he stretched his back. “Course, think playing chaperone all day wiped us all out. Let your mom know I’m out on the deck when she gets back, will ya, dudes?”

“Sure thing, dad,” Sandbar replied.

And with that, the older earth pony slid out onto the wooden deck in a leisurely saunter, closing the sliding glass door behind him. Sandbar and Gallus breathed a collective sigh of relief as they laid back on the couch. That was almost too close...

High Tide returned moments later and smiled at the lounging pair. “Where’s your father?”

“On the deck,” Sandbar replied mid-yawn.

“Shoulda known,” the mare chuckled, “kid parties are fun, but a lotta work. You two gonna head to bed soon?”

“That sounds like a pretty good idea,” Sandbar said with another yawn.

“Can I get a hug before you dudes head up?”

Instinctively, Gallus wanted to swiftly turn the offer down. Hugging might have been a widely accepted pony thing, but him and hugging were...Passing acquaintances at best. He started to stand up and readied a good excuse about how he was too tired for a hug right now or that it still felt a little weird to be doing something so...pony.

At the same time, and also instinctively, Sandbar hopped right up to his feet and swooped into his mother’s arms for a good hug. “Goodnight, mom,” he chirped. The hug was deep and loving and lasted for quite some time before Sandbar left and trotted up the steps.

“Gallus, you too, “ High Tide smiled, ”don’t think I’m lettin’ you go to bed without a hug.”

Gallus reluctantly slid over to the motherly mare, awkwardly opening his arms up for a hug. He wasn’t much of a hugger and lacked experience in the matter, but High Tide was nice enough to meet him the rest of the way. “G-goodnight, M-Mrs. High Tide,” he said, lingering on the hug a bit longer than he had planned. But the hug was so gentle, it didn’t seem like High Tide minded.

“Got a little carried away with the baby powder, huh?” she said to the griffin.

In a flash, Gallus’s cheeks grew beet red. “I-I...have n-no idea what you’re talking about!”

“No need to get all stressed, Gallus, it’s just baby powder,” the mare softly chuckled, “...now not cleaning up after yourselves after using the nursery is a different story altogether.”

“I-It’s n-not what you think! Sandbar and I w-were just-”

“I told you there was no need to get stressed. Don’t worry about it,” High Tide smiled, “I think it’s cute that Bar has finally found someone who will play his little diaper games.”

“Y-you knew?!”

"Of course," High Tide said, "what kind of mother would I be if I didn't notice a couple diapers missing from Coral's nursery? I think it’s cute. We all find different ways to relax and decompress. I’m just happy Bar’s found a cool dude to share it with.”

This made Gallus blush and for a rare moment in his life, he couldn’t quite think of what to say, “th-thanks for letting me know...I-I should probably shower again to get the powder stink off.”

High Tide just chuckled and shrugged.“You don’t have to if you don’t wanna. I think it smells nice.” She then winked, “like a cute little hatchling.”

Chapter Twelve

Moments later, Gallus entered the guest room to find Sandbar already climbing into bed. The griffin appeared softer in a way, shoulders relaxed ever so slightly as he processed the depth of emotion he was feeling. His expression, normally so guarded and stoic, now betrayed a sense of bashful astonishment. A faint tremor lingered in his movements, like subtle ripples on the surface of a still pond disturbed by a gentle breeze. Like a good little hatchie...

"Ready for bed?" Sandbar asked, snapping Gallus out of his daze.

"Y-yeah...yeah yeah," Gallus stammered out as he climbed into bed himself, "yeah...bed..."

“...Everything alright?”

“Y-yeah yeah, just uhm...just...tired,” Gallus blushed as he slid under the covers until his head feathers were the only thing exposed.

Sandbar just smiled at the bashful griffin. He really looked cute this way. His cute little hatchling.

Just as the two were starting to settle in, there was a knock on the door.

“Knock knock,” High Tide said as she trotted into the room, “wanted to see if you dudes wanted a bedtime story to help you sleep,” she showed off the small storybook in her hooves, the title “The Moonlit Meadow” written brightly on the top with the cover depicting a tranquil meadow with a single unicorn foal with white fur sleeping soundly among the wildflowers.

“I think we’re a little too old for bedtime stories, mom,” Sandbar said with a very sonly roll of his eyes.

“Oooh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” High Tide smirked, throwing a glance over at Gallus, “come on, do your dear mother this favor.”

“We- uh, I-I uh appreciate the offer,” Gallus said, ”b-but uhm that I-I mean wh-what I’m trying to say-”

“What did I tell ya about getting stressed about things,” High Tide waved the stammering griffin off, “I told you, I think it’s cute.”

“Well...” Sandbar said with a yawn, a bit slow on the uptake, “I guess if Gallus doesn’t have a problem with it.”

“Wonderful! Then make room!”

The two did just that, simultaneously sliding to opposite edges of the bed, allowing High Tide to slide right up between them. Once she was comfy, Sandbar naturally leaned in on her left side. Meanwhile, with a bit of hesitation, Gallus eventually scooched his way close to her right.

“There we go, all snuggled up,” the mare said, “I think you two dudes’ll like this one. Puts Coral right to sleep when I read it to her.”

The storybook had thick and heavy pages that had a subtle sheen, reminiscent of moonlight dancing on water. The illustrations were beautifully rendered, depicting the scenes that large, easy to read print described on each page. High Tide read the book with a gentle tone, showing off the gorgeous illustrations to the pair with each turn of the page.All the while, Sandbar and Gallus were surprisingly into it, spellbound by the mother mare’s gentle cadences that lulled them into a sleepy stupor.

The Moonlit Meadow

In a secret corner of the forest, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the world, there lay a meadow that shimmered under the moon's soft light.

A wise unicorn of white fur watched over the meadow, her gentle presence a comforting beacon in the tranquil night for the many woodland creatures who lived there.

Every night the wise unicorn would float through the meadow, wishing every little animal a goodnight.

Goodnight, little bunnies, who frolicked in the grassy fields, now tucked snugly into your burrows, cozy and warm.

Goodnight, little squirrels, who darted among the treetops all day, now using your fluffy tails as soft blankets for the night.

Goodnight to the family of foxes, nestled closely together in their den, sharing warmth and safety beneath the starlit sky.

Goodnight to the gentle deer, lying upon their mossy beds, eyelids growing heavy with the promise of peaceful slumber.

Goodnight, tiny dormouse, nestled within the hollow of a tree trunk, and goodnight to the hedgehog, curled up beneath a blanket of leaves.

Goodnight, little mice, nestled in their underground tunnels, and goodnight to the songbirds, nestled in the branches above.

Above them all, the unicorn watched with a gentle gaze, her horn glowing softly in the moonlight as she whispered a soothing lullaby upon the evening breeze.

Goodnight to the little ones all snug in their beds, bundled up warmly against the night and ready for dreamtime.

Sleep tight, little ones, and may your dreams be as beautiful as the night sky above.

Once the story was finished, High Tide closed the book with a gentle thud. Sandbar was out like a light. He passed out somewhere between the part with the squirrels and the foxes. High Tide chuckled at her slumbering son and passively brushed aside some of the stallion’s cyan mane. Gallus, at the same time, found himself resting his head on the mare’s shoulder, his breath as soft as he felt.

“Goodnight, Bar,” High Tide said, kissing the slumbering stallion on the forehead. “And goodnight to you too, Gallus,” she then said, kissing the griffin on the forehead.

“Thank you,” Gallus found himself saying, “f-for the story I mean...”

“You’re very welcome, hatchy,” High Tide smiled, making Gallus’s cheeks flare up, “you gonna be a big boy and stay dry tonight or do you need some help before I go?”

“I-I uuuuhh,” Gallus was lost for words. And this so very rarely happened in his life of snark and sarcasm.

“If I know my Bar, you dudes came over with the thickest, crinkliest little diapers you could manage,” she went on with a wink, “I can change you into one if you’d like.”

Once again, Gallus found himself lost of words. Nothing coherent could quite materialize as his cheeks continued burning red hot with blush. “Please...” he eventually found himself saying.

High Tide’s smile widened into an expression of pleasant surprise. “Alright, hatchy, we’ll just have to be quiet with it. Don’t wanna wake up Bar,” she climbed out of bed with the softest of hoofsteps, “where’s your diaper bag?”

Gallus gulped as he resisted the urge to point out that it wasn’t technically a diaper bag, but ended up wordlessly pointing towards the green bag in a pile by the dresser. High Tide trotted softly over to the bag and opened it up.

“Oh these are just the cutest!” she chirped with the softest exclamation she could manage. She held up a white padded rectangle and examined it. “Very absorbent too I bet.”

Again, Gallus resisted the urge to elaborate.

Humming a soft, tuneless song, High Tide gathered up all the things she would need. The diaper was handed off to Gallus who laid there holding it against his chest as she momentarily left the room.

For those handful of minutes, the bedroom door was left open and for that time Gallus thought about how exposed he was. He thought about how exposed any diaper change would be if this was a normal occurrence. If he was...just a little hatchy...privacy would be so rare. He would probably get his diapers changed anywhere mommy decided. On the bed, on the floor, on public bathroom changing tables, on a bench at the park. It dawned on him that it really didn’t matter where he wanted a diaper change. All that decision making was left to mommy and daddy and...he actually sort of kind of maybe liked the thought of that...

When High Tide returned several minutes later she brought with her a tub of wipes, baby powder, and much to Gallus’s surprise, a soft pink dolphin plushie.

Gallus assumed the position, which at this point was starting to feel surprisingly natural. As High Tide approached the blushing griffin with her armful of supplies, he meekly slid down the bed and onto his back, legs splayed out, and ready for his diaper change.

Ready for mommy to give him a diaper change...

“Here you go, hatchy,” High Tide said as she handed off the plushie dolphin, seamlessly trading it for the diaper, “why don’t you keep an eye on our little friend here while I change you.”

Gallus knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to distract him just like a real toddler. At first he wasn’t going to give her the pleasure, but then he held the toy in his claws. The dolphin certainly felt...soft. Softer then the softest cloud. He held the toy so delicately, rubbing his claws against the incredibly velvety material as he felt himself relax.

While the griffin was so very obviously distracted to fuss so much now, High Tide went right to work. Continuing her tuneless humming, she nudged Gallus into the optimal diaper changing position and unfurled the large diaper. Gallus was only distantly aware of everything she was doing as she changed him the only way a mother who had changed hundreds of diapers in her lifetime could.

It all made Gallus realize just what he had been missing. Up until now, their diaper changes were so...utilitarian. So straightforward and efficient. They changed each other with wipes and powder, wrapped each other up in a diaper, and that was it. Never would he have imagined that there were subtle things they could have worked into the routine. Fluffing up the diaper, gentle coos and pats on the belly, soft rubs on the inner thigh. It all seemed so minor and subtle, but it also made Gallus feel...small? Safe? It made whatever troubles that clung to his chest just melt away. It made him realize he wanted more of it. He wanted more!

“Oop!” High Tide said with a playful gasp, “someone’s excited for their diaper change!”

Eyes bulging, Gallus looked down in terror as his cock stood stiff in the air. “I-I’m so s-sorry!” he exclaimed in a strained soft voice. His claws immediately darted downwards to cover up his shame.

“It’s quite alright there, Gallus. It’s perfectly natural for little hatchies,” the motherly mare smiled, shooing his claws away, “of course, we’ll never get this diaper to fit properly with...that in the way.”

“I-it’ll go down on its own!” Gallus exclaimed in a harsh whisper. Wincing as he glanced down at the member that throbbed between his legs. He just hoped he was right.

“Tell you what,” High Tide said, plucking a wipe from the container, “if you promise to stay still and not wake Bar up,” she draped the wipe across the tip of Gallus’s stiff member, “I’ll help you take care of this for you, alright?”

Gallus was finding it difficult to say many words so he opted for a meek, but hasty nod.

“There’s a good hatchy,” she replied, giving his upper thigh a gentle pat, “now lay back and relax and we’ll take care of this.”

Continuing her lighthearted humming, High Tide proceeded to work Gallus’s throbbing shaft with her hooves. She rubbed him delicately, starting from the very base and then right up to the sensitive tip that nearly sent Gallus over the edge each time. She worked with the organ so tenderly, playfully almost, bringing the griffin out from the fog of uncertainty and up climbing the mountain of pleasure. And throughout it all she expertly kept the cool wipe perched right on top of his cock. In case of any sudden accidents, she would likely say.

She just had such an enthralling touch. An experienced hoof that so expertly rubbed his throbbing length. Whenever he might have thought he was getting numb to one sensation, she dexterously switched directions or changed up her technique. He was overcome with so much pleasure bubbling inside of him that every now and then he felt a squeaky whimper slip out of his beak.

“Shh shh shh shh,” High Tide hushed in a quiet tone, “not too loud now. Bar’ll get all cranky if you wake him up.”

Gallus’s beak slammed shut, quieting his huffing moans in an instant. His breathing only intensified as time went on while he struggled to keep himself from making too much noise. He shoved the dolphin plushie against his beak seconds later in a last stitch effort not to completely lose control of his voice. The plushie’s nursery scent of baby powder and lavender filled his lungs as his eyes fluttered.

It took everything in him not to absolutely lose it as her magic hooves pleasured every inch of his throbbing girth. It was less about enjoying the pleasure and more about stopping his body from involuntarily squirming all over the bed. He even started to moan again, which might have sounded even the slightest masculine if it wasn’t for the whispering squeaks that joined them.

“Not. So. Loud, hatchy,” High Tide hushed again, this time with a little sternness in her voice, “don’t make me have to get you a pacifier too.”

Again, Gallus’s beak slammed shut, muffling the squeaky groans that oozed out of his mouth. For a fleeting moment he had half a mind to make a fuss so that he’d earn that pacifier, but...for many reasons, mostly primal lust, he obeyed like a good hatchling.

Because he was a good hatchy. A good little hatchy who was getting his diaper changed by...m-mommy. He might end up wetting the bed otherwise. He might have an accident and mommy would have to change his sheets. Maybe even punish him. Maybe force him to wear diapers all the time until he proves to her that he was a big boy. He’d have to ask her to take him to the potty and maybe he’d forget sometimes and end up filling his diapers right in front of her!

Gallus’s squeaky moans were getting faster and his breathing heavier. It wouldn’t be long now. His hips thrusted upwards ever so slightly as his cock was rubbed faster and faster. He panted and panted until finally...

He shoved the dolphin against his beak, muffling a long and drawn out moan that oozed out of his mouth. His lower half twitched and spasmed as his penis coated the inside of the lavender scented baby wipe. High Tide rested her weight on one of his legs to prevent it from kicking into the slumbering stallion beside him.

“That’s my good boy,” she was heard softly saying among the post-orgasmic haze. And as he laid there, doped up on feel-good chemicals, he believed her. He was a very good boy...

Everything that immediately followed was a blur. High Tide wiped the area clean and disposed of the dirty wipes into the mini trash can by the door as Gallus just...laid there like a ragdoll. He hardly even flinched when she powdered him - thoroughly - and then tenderly pulled the diaper up the rest of the way, snuggly taping it around the dazed griffin’s waist.

She smiled warmly at the bewildered griffin, watching as he laid there nearly passed out from the earth shattering orgasm. As she gathered up the changing supplies, leaving the dolphin toy of course, she threw a glance over at Sandbar. Despite the diaper change happening beside him and despite Gallus being rather...animated throughout it all, her son was as passed out as ever, completely dead to the world.

“You know what,” she smirked to herself, ”I think Bar could use a diaper too” She retrieved another diaper from their bag and trotted back over. “It’ll be our little secret.”

Gallus remained silent, but incredibly interested. Still in a bit of an afterglow lightheadedness, he watched with bated breath as High Tide proceeded to change her son into a diaper as equally thick as the one he was wearing. He was as excited, albeit a little bit dazed from it all, as he was for this diaper change as he was for his own. And throughout it all, with all the nudging and wiping and powdering, Sandbar didn’t stir in the slightest, making Gallus kind of regret not being louder during his...diaper change. Before he knew it, Sandbar was as thickly padded as he was. And looked pretty cute doing it too.

Once that was done, High Tide tucked the pair back under the warm bedsheets, giving them each a kiss on the forehead. “Good night, my little hatchy,” High Tide whispered as she kissed Gallus before tiptoeing out of the room.

Unable to find his words, Gallus simply murmured some sounds that sounded a bit like “goodnight” and then, at the very end, some quiet squeaky sounds that sort of sounded like “momma”. Then the room was cloaked in still darkness once again.

In the darkness he could still feel the pink dolphin in his claws. Throughout all this excitement he had completely forgotten to return it! And yet...he really didn’t want to. Afterall, High Tide was already gone and what was he going to do? Climb out of bed and waddle off to the parents bedroom and...quietly offer the toy back? No, of course not...Besides he was already so tired and she already went through the trouble of tucking him in and she even gave him his goodnight kiss so that was all the more reason not to return the toy. It could wait till tomorrow. Until then...Until then he could...keep the dolphin company.

Gallus settled back into bed, plushie in his arms. He let out a peaceful sigh as the quiet stillness of the room rolled over him. Everything was just so peaceful. He gave the dolphin a gentle hug, mostly out of instinct as he was still riding high on all those feel-good emotions that High Tide filled him to the brim with. He wore the goofiest of grins on his face as he sleepily stared up at the dark ceiling. He really was a good hatchy...

And so, hugging the dolphin closely in his arms and diaper crinkling loudly in the silent room, the good hatchy drifted off to sleep, dreaming about soft fluffy things.

Author's Note

Moonlit Meadow was intended to emulate that distinct, storybook style found in Disney’s 1959 Sleeping Beauty. One of the movie’s most striking features was its backgrounds which were stylistically rendered by artist Eyvind Earle. Pulling inspiration from pre-Renaissance Gothic works, medieval tapestries, and illuminated manuscripts, Earle’s hard work led to an incredibly unique looking movie that perfectly captured that medieval fairytale feel.

Chapter Thirteen

Gallus dreamed of fluffy clouds and rainbows. His dreams weren’t normally so...soft, but he realized he wasn’t all that upset about it. It was freeing in a way. The usual tension he carried in his waking life, the constant need to prove himself, was absent here. Instead, he felt a lightness, a carefree sensation that he rarely allowed himself to experience. There was no need to be tough or guarded; he could just be.

He found himself floating effortlessly in the open sky, gliding through an endless expanse of blue as his feathered wings so easily kept him steady. Rainbows could be seen in the dozens, streaking the sky with bright colors in every direction he looked. Down below was an azure ocean that stretched far over the horizon, meeting the colored sky at its edge.

Around him the clouds were like giant cotton balls, so fluffy and inviting that he couldn’t resist the urge to fly through them. They’d put up only a tiny bit of resistance as his wing tips brushed against them, but would then pop with a soft gust and turn into cooling mist.

As he continued to drift through the serene space, a flock of albatrosses glided into view. The large white birds with their enormous wingspan floated through the skies as smoothly as he did, gently maneuvering until the group surrounded the griffin in a loose formation.

Gallus had never actually seen an albatross in real life, but he vaguely recalled a lecture about them in Ms. Fluttershy’s class. He remembered how they spent most of their lives out at sea and could glide hours over the waves without flapping their long wings once. They were such efficient fliers, in fact, that their heart rate while in flight was close to their heart rate while at rest. Gallus often wondered if that meant they could nap while flying.

Gallus followed the albatrosses as they banked and swooped towards the ocean below. They descended with breathtaking precision, their wings barely making a sound as they cut through the air. Gallus felt a surge of exhilaration as he joined their dive, the wind rushing past him and the salty sea air filling his senses as he got closer and closer to the ocean below.

Coming just short of touching the gentle waves, Gallus and the group of birds glided listlessly above the water. He watched as the large birds plunged into the water one by one, their sleek bodies slicing through the surface with barely a ripple. Each bird seemed to disappear for a moment, only to reemerge with a glistening fish clasped in its beak.

When it was finally his turn, Gallus took a deep breath and folded his wings against his sides. He plunged towards the water, expecting the usual shock of cold that came with diving into the sea. To his surprise, the water was warm, like a soothing embrace that welcomed him into the bluey depths. The sensation was oddly comforting and only intensified as he swam further below the surface.

He opened his eyes and marveled at the underwater world, surprisingly well lit and colorful even as he ventured deeper into the gradually warming layers. Schools of colorful fish darted around him as they weaved around the sunbeams that filtered through the water. The scene was mesmerizing, each fish a brilliant splash of color in the clear water.

Reaching out, he tried to see if he could catch a fish, but had little success. Every time he reached out a claw, slowed down by the water, the fish would always be just out of reach. Still, he tried a few more slow swipes, determined to catch at least one.

He reached out one last time and finally his slowed down claws made purchase, taking hold of a large blue and yellow striped fish. His clawtips sank softly into the fish’s surprisingly pliable body. Once in his hold, the life in the fish seemed to slow to a frozen state, taking on an almost toy-like appearance. The scales, once slick and slimy, smoothed to a fabric feel, fuzzy almost.

As his dreaming mind slowly registered this oddity, the world around him gradually began to melt and fade. The warmth of the water and the vivid colors of the ocean started to dissolve, replaced by the soft light of the morning sun that streamed down on him.

He drifted back to the waking moments later, the remnants of the dream lingering in his mind like a pleasant memory. He lay there for a moment, savoring the tranquility he had felt in the dream as his eyes slowly opened. His vision was dominated by the pink dolphin plushie which had found its way squeezed tightly against his face after a night’s worth of shifting around. He then felt the diaper rustle around his waist, reminding him of last night. His memories, now properly organized after a night of processing, flashed fond memories through his mind.

Even as he grew more and more awake, there was part of him that just wanted to keep sleeping. Or at the very least, wanted to lay in bed forever snuggling the dolphin. Every light and sluggish squeeze he gave the stuffed animal in his bleary-eyed state caused a fuzzy feeling to surge up his chest. It made him smile softly to himself, it made him want more.

Eventually though, nudged further along by the morning light that only got brighter the more he stalled, he sluggishly pulled himself up to a sitting position in the bed.

Beside him Sandbar was sitting up in bed. Judging by the bedhead and the occasional yawn, he hadn’t been up for long.

“G-good morning,” he said.

“G-good mornin’,” Gallus blushed.

“Did you...put me in a diaper?”

“Uhm...y-yeah!” Gallus replied, deciding that admitting that was much less embarrassing than explaining how he watched Sandbar’s mom put the diaper on him. He could have admitted to a lot of things that happened last night, but it was just too much to be honest about right now. Besides, it was supposed to be a secret.

“Well...you did a pretty good job,” Sandbar said, “a little risky, but...thanks...” He then nodded towards the pink dolphin, “that from Coral’s room?”

It was only now that Gallus realized he had been hugging the pink dolphin in his arms. In fact he had been cuddling the thing, practically snuggling with it. “I-I uh...” he was lost for words as he had a mild panic attack. Should he be honest now? Should he throw the toy away and pretend it just...accidently slipped in his arms? Should he... “I-I uhm...I uh...borrowed it from her room,” Gallus replied, “to help me...sleep...” Why was lying about a children’s toy so much harder than lying about anything else in his life? Although it didn’t feel like a lie...There were some nuggets of truth in there.

“You needed a plushie to help you sleep?”

“Y-yeah...”

“It...makes me so happy to hear that,” Sandbar smiled warmly before glancing down at his diaper, “okay, well, we’re gonna have to take these off.” There was hesitation and reluctance in his voice, “don’t think I’m not ready to admit to my parents that I play as a baby on my off time.”

“What should we do with them?”

“We can just roll them up and shove them in our bags for later,” Sandbar replied, “unless you want to go waddling around my parents with it on.”

He was joking, obviously, but that didn’t stop Gallus from briefly fantasizing about it. The lingering warmth of the tender diaper change from last night still glowed in his heart. Gosh if only he could stay in this diaper. He wanted to stay in it...He wanted to stay in diapers forever! He wanted to stay in them forever?

“Alright alright, it’s coming off,” he rolled his eyes as he tore off the diaper in one swift motion.

Already he was feeling more grown up, more mature. Certainly a more presentable mindset to approach the world that was outside the bedroom door. Without the constant cushion - however comforting and reassuring it might have been - he was starting to feel like his old self again...whatever that might look like anymore. As he rolled up the diaper in a loose wad and tossed it into the open bag he heard Sandbar giggling behind him.

“What’s so funny?”

“You got powder marks on your butt, dude!” Sandbar laughed.

Blushing, Gallus’s eyes snapped to the nearby full body mirror where his reflection stared back. Streaks of white could be clearly seen dusting his backside. They were a mark of a hatchling, but strangely so, Gallus didn’t mind the association. It felt oddly comforting, a reminder of the tender moments he had of last night. Without realizing it, a soft shy smile crept its way onto his beak as he continued to stare.

“Got a little carried away with the baby powder, huh?” Sandbar snirked

“Sh-shuddup!” Gallus replied, clearing his throat as he hastily wiped the powder away, “y-you're lucky I didn’t cover you in baby powder when I put you in yours!”

After the diapers were stashed away - and after Gallus returned the plush dolphin to Coral’s nursery - the pair ventured to the ground floor. The house was quiet and still this morning. Quiet enough to allow the gentle sound of crashing waves to seep in.

High Tide and Beachcomber were found in the kitchen with Coral sitting in her highchair next to the table. Judging by the messy bib around her neck, it had been a fussy morning for the toddler.

“Ah ha, there they are!” Beachcomber smiled, waving them over, ”morning dudes. Sleep good?”

“Yeah, pretty well,” Sandbar replied, nudging Gallus again with a grin.

Gallus nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed now. “Morning,” he added, trying to shake off the last bits of sleep.

“Gonna hit the beach after breakfast,” the older stallion went on, casually wagging a spoon of mushy food in front of Coral, “if you two dudes wanna tag along.”

“Yeah that does sound pretty fun!” Gallus nodded.

“Groovy!” Beachcomber replied before turning back to Coral who had been doing nothing but squirming and fussing this whole time. He picked up a bright orange spoon topped with a glob of mushy baby food and hovered it in front of the infant’s muzzle. Coral just scrunched her face and craned her head away from the food with a huff of disapproval. After wagging the spoon in front of the foal a little more, Beachcomber finally gave in with a sigh. “Guh, Bar, you mind tagging in?” he said, “Coral’s been fighting me all morning.”

“Wouldn’t mind at all!” Sandbar said as he pushed a chair up close to the highchair and took the spoon from his dad. “Ready for some nummy breakfast, Coral?!”

Coral was still being her usual tired, grumpy self, but fussiness was momentarily forgotten as Sandbar took his spot next to her chair. Sandbar seized the opportunity and made a game out of it, pretending the spoon was a little airplane zooming through the air.

“Here comes the airplane, open wide!” he said, making exaggerated flying noises.

Giggles started to erupt from the little foal as she opened her mouth, allowing Sandbar to sneak the spoonful of food in. She chewed happily, her mood lifting with each playful bite. Sandbar kept the game going, occasionally switching it up with different silly voices and characters for the spoon. Sometimes it was a choo choo train, sometimes a slow moving hermit crab. All of it done with theatrical delight that kept the little foal eager for more.

Taking a spot at the table, Gallus watched, impressed by how effortlessly Sandbar made the whole process seem so fun and engaging. Even this early in the morning, the stallion had such energy to his performance. He kept his little sister entertained through the whole meal. The little foal could hardly eat with all the giggling she was doing.

Gallus blushed as he tried not to stare at the feeding. But as usual, his stupid brain so stupidly and effortlessly transplanted him into the scene, casting him in the role of giggly toddler getting fed in a highchair. Lingering images of last night and the smell of baby powder still in the back of his mind allowed his imagination to easily get the better of him.

It seemed fun in a way, to put up a fuss during breakfast. It wouldn’t have mattered whether he was hungry or if he liked the food, what was important was the game of it all. To fuss and wiggle and squirm, getting his face and bib all messy and splotchy with food as his exhausted caretaker - conveniently Sandbar in this scenario - tried their best to get their fussy hatchling fed. He was never the biggest fan of mornings, but he’d reckon the fun meal time games Sandbar played for his sister would make him actually look forward to it. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of it all...

“You must be hungry, Gallus,” High Tide chimed in.

In a snap, Gallus’s attention pulled away from the adorable scene to the motherly mare that was smiling warmly across the room. Was she...watching him the whole time?

“O-oh yeah yeah, hungry, yeah,” Gallus tried to say as leveled as possible.

“I can getcha something if you’d like.”

Gallus gave one last glance in Coral’s direction before saying, “I-I’d be fine with whatever.” But then worried that she was going to start feeding him baby food as well if he didn’t suggest anything else so he hastily added, “l-like toast or whatever.”

“Would you whip up Gallus some of your famous chocolate chip waffles, please, mom?” Sandbar asked, energetically waving the plastic spoon just out of reach of his giggling sister.

“Chocolate chip...waffles?” Gallus raised an eyebrow at this. Like they were...made of chocolate chips? He knew ponies liked their breakfasts sweet, but...wouldn’t solid bars of chocolate in the shape of waffles be a little overkill?

Sandbar’s eyes lit up at his friend’s response. “You mean you haven’t had chocolate chip waffles before?”

“Well...no, guess not,” the griffin shrugged.

“Okay, well usually I save those for special occasions,” High Tide smiled, ”but just for you Gallus.”

“I’ll help get ya started,” Beachcomber chirped as he hopped up and started digging through a cabinet of pots and pans.

Weaving around the kitchen, the couple gathered the needed supplies. High Tide expertly mixed the batter, adding just the right amount of chocolate chips, while Beachcomber heated up the waffle iron. The two ponies worked in seamless harmony, passing ingredients and utensils with practiced ease. High Tide poured the batter into the waffle iron, and Beachcomber carefully timed each waffle to perfection, ensuring they were golden brown and crispy on the outside while gooey and sweet on the inside. In moments the kitchen filled with the mouth-watering aroma of melting chocolate and cooking batter.

“Here ya go, Gallus. You get first batch!” Beachcomber said as he slid down a plate of light and fluffy looking speckled waffles smelling sweetly of chocolate.

Gallus’s eyes widened at the sight of the waffles. They looked absolutely delicious, with melted chocolate oozing out from the pockets and a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. He took a bite and let out an involuntary hum of delight. “These are amazing!” he exclaimed, his mouth full of waffle.

“Told ya,” Sandbar grinned, finally finishing up feeding Coral and joining Gallus at the table. “Mom’s waffles are the best.”

High Tide and Beachcomber beamed at the compliment, clearly pleased with their work. They set about making more waffles for the rest of the family, ensuring that everyone got a taste of their special creation. Even Coral got a small piece which she gladly scarfed down without any syrup or fuss at all.

After finishing their delicious breakfast, the family started preparing for a day at the beach. The house was all abuzz with the sounds of clinking dishes and chatter as they gathered their beach gear. Drinks and snacks were packed in a cooler, neatly folded towels and toys packed in bags, and even a diaper bag - which Gallus was unfortunately acutely aware of - was packed for the trip. Lastly a pair of brightly painted surfboards were pulled down from the deck and carried off. The anticipation of a relaxing day by the ocean filled the air, and soon, they were ready to head out.

It was a beautiful summer day on the beach, with the sun shining brightly in a clear, blue sky. The gentle sea breeze carried the soothing scent of salt and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore. Seagulls called out as they soared overhead, and the soft, golden sand felt warm underhoof. The ocean sparkled like a vast, inviting sapphire, its surface dotted with the occasional boat or swimmer. It was the perfect day for a beach outing, and the family couldn't wait to make the most of it.

The family settled on a prime spot on the beach, spreading out a collection of large homemade beach towels. Each one boasted vibrant, handwoven patterns that added a burst of color to the golden sand. In the center, a large sun umbrella adorned with a cheerful sea turtle design stood tall, casting a generous shade over them.

“Groovy!” Beachcomber exclaimed with a sigh as he unfolded a well worn beach chair and plopped down in a cold patch of shade, “diggin’ the energy today.” The fatherly stallion yawned and stretched sluggishly at the relaxing atmosphere.

High Tide busied herself with prepping one of the surfboards, this one vibrantly colored with bright sun beams and stylistically rendered waves, with a puck of wax. Meanwhile Coral toddled over to a patch of beach and sat her swim diaper clad bottom down before she started digging into the golden sands with her little hooves. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she pushed the sand around, tiny giggles escaping her muzzle. Sandbar enthusiastically joined her, armed with a yellow plastic shovel and bucket. He started scooping sand into the bucket, showing Coral how to make little mounds and castles. The foal watched her big brother with wide, curious eyes, mimicking his movements with adorable determination.

As the family settled in, Gallus simply stood at a distance, leaning against the sun umbrella. He watched Sandbar and Coral playing in the sand, a mix of curiosity and hesitation tugging at him. The carefree laughter and genuine enjoyment they shared made him smile, but he still felt a bit out of place.

“Come on, Gallus!” Sandbar called out, waving a plastic shovel in his direction. “Play for a bit!”

Gallus hesitated, shifting his weight from one paw to the other before giving the enthusiastic pair his best apathetic shrug. "Nah, I'm good," he replied, his voice uncertain.

"Oh, come on," Sandbar encouraged, "It'll be fun! Coral would love it if you helped us build a big sandcastle."

“Sancassle!” the little foal beside him exclaimed, mirroring her older brother’s beckoning gestures.

With a sigh, Gallus finally relented. "Alright, alright," he said, plopping down beside them.

At first, he just idly pawed at the sand in front of him, passively watching Sandbar and Coral continue their sandcastle project. He watched as the brother and sister construction crew worked together piling up a big pile of moist sand in the center of their build area which served as the castle’s central building as the material was patted down and smoothed out. Sandbar would run off to grab buckets of water as Coral tirelessly shoved sand into the pile, digging quite the hole beside her in the process.

Before long, Gallus picked up a plastic shovel and started digging. If anything it was to help the little Coral collect sand. But after a while he started contributing to the construction project, building outlying towers and walls.

"See? Not so bad," Sandbar grinned, nudging Gallus playfully.

Gallus chuckled, feeling more at ease. He began to contribute more actively, helping to shape the walls around the perimeter and adding intricate details with his claws. Coral giggled and clapped her hooves whenever Gallus made a particularly good addition. And that, sillily enough, actually encouraged him to keep helping. As the castle grew taller and more elaborate, he found himself genuinely enjoying the activity.

“Oh!” Coral suddenly exclaimed, clambering to her feet.

“What is it, Coral?” Sandbar asked.

“Poddy!” the little foal exclaimed, squirming and dancing from hoof to hoof. Her back legs squeezed tightly together with shaky success.

“You gotta potty?” High Tide asked as she stood up, “alright, let’s go back inside and you can go potty.”

The little foal just nodded, a look of dire desperation growing on her face as she squirmed. High Tide quickly took Coral’s hoof and began to lead her back toward the house, moving as swiftly as the little foal could manage.

“Think she’ll make it?” Gallus found himself saying, looking up towards the house as the two shapes slowly got smaller.

“She’s been getting better,” Sandbar answered automatically, not even looking up from their sand building project, ”but sometimes it’s a close call.” He then paused and looked up at Gallus. “Why?” he smirked, “afraid she’ll graduate diapers before you?”

“N-no!” Gallus snapped back, cheeks blushing as he slumped back down and busied himself with digging, “j-just asking...”

Minutes later, High Tide returned, carrying a slumped Coral in her arms. The toddler’s pout and teary eyes told the story before High Tide even spoke.

“Well that was fast!” Sandbar exclaimed.

Coral slumped with a pouting lip. Her little face was scrunched up in frustration, and she was clearly trying to hold back tears.

“We had a little trouble making it all the way,” High Tide commented softly, “did your father happen to pack a just-in-case bag for the little lady?”

“Yeah, right over here,” Sandbar said as he handed off the nearby pink bag.

With diaper bag in hand, High Tide set Coral down on a beach towel and pulled out a clean diaper, wipes, and powder. Coral’s lip trembled and she sniffled as she looked up at her mom. “It’s okay, sweetie,” High Tide cooed, gently wiping away her tears. “Accidents happen.”

Suddenly Sandbar gasped, “Oh hey! Mom could show you how to surf!”

“Surf?” Gallus said, ”I only just learned how to swim yesterday.”

“Oh it’s SUPER easy! She teaches greenhorns all the time!” Sandbar beamed, “hey mom, do you think you could teach Gallus how to surf?”

“Teach him how to surf? Far out!” High Tide smiled at the idea as she popped open a tub of wipes, “let me finish changing this diaper and I’ll be right with you dudes.”

Sandbar simply nodded and turned back to building while Gallus hesitated for a moment. His stupid cheeks were blushing again.

‘Finish changing this diaper’. She said the phrase so casually. It made Gallus’s stupid brain start to fantasize again, putting him in the little foal’s place again. Fantasizing about being laid on the towel to be changed out in the open. He envisioned High Tide’s practiced hooves changing his diaper with the same casual efficiency she showed Coral. The thought of being laid bare out in the open, where anyone could see, made his cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and excitement.

Gallus’s mind wandered further, imagining what it would actually be like to be in Coral’s place, to have someone take charge so openly and without shame. The thought of being treated like a little foal, with someone else deciding when he needed a change, was both humiliating and thrilling. He could feel his face burning as he imagined High Tide’s hooves on him, the feeling of the fresh diaper being snugly fastened around him in front of everyone.

A shiver ran down his spine as he let his mind go even further. What if he was the one who couldn't make it to the potty in time? The idea of trying to use the big boy potty, only to end up using his diaper instead, filled him with a mix of shame and strange excitement. He pictured himself squirming in desperation, his back legs squeezed tightly together just like Coral's, but ultimately failing to hold it in. The warmth spreading around him, the unmistakable bulge, and then the realization that he had wet himself. The thought of High Tide noticing, casually commenting on it, and then changing him out in the open added a forbidden thrill that he couldn’t ignore.

“Gallus?...Gallus!” High Tide’s voice came into focus from the back of his mind, tugging him out of his daydream.

“What!? What?” Gallus exclaimed, shaking his head.

“We’re ready when you are,” High Tide said, balancing two surfboards in front of her. One of them was the sunbeam and wave design from earlier and the second had the big smiling face of Splash the mosaic turtle on its face. She was standing in waiting now, having finished with Coral, who was happily toddling off to join Sandbar in their sandcastle building. “...to surf?”

“Oh right! Surf! Right!” Gallus exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, momentarily resembling the panicked Coral from not too long ago. As he brushed the sand off his feathers, he tried his best to shake the blush from his cheeks. He took a deep breath, trying to push away the lingering thoughts. “Let’s go and s-surf!”

Gallus knew very little about surfing. He knew it was a sport of some kind and that somehow involved surfboards and water. But beyond that all he knew about it was what he saw since he came to Turtle Beach. All throughout the morning he could see the surfers further out at sea performing an array of impressive tricks, their movements fluid and controlled as they rode across the tall waves that rolled in the distance. If swimming was a lot like flying, then it looked like surfing was closer to the aerial feats that The Wonderbolts performed for crowds of thousands.

“Alright, Gallus,” High Tide began, plopping the two surfboard on a patch of beach in front of them, “we’re gonna start things off with paddling and then working on popping up. That’s when you stand up after catching a wave.”

“Standing up? We’re gonna practice standing up?” Gallus rolled his eyes, “sounds hard.”

“It’s good to start with the basics,” High Tide replied with a patient smile. “A solid foundation is important. Just like anything else, you need to crawl before you can fly. Watch me first.”

Gallus watched as High Tide hopped onto her board and laid flat. After paddling the air a couple times she smoothly transitioned from lying flat to standing upright on the board in one fluid motion. Gallus rolled his eyes at the simplistic display, but mimicked the mare all the same, tucking his wings in as he paddled the air with his claws before hopping to his feet on the board.

After a few more practice runs on dry sand, more paddling and more pop ups, High Tide nodded affirmatively, “great! Now we’re ready for some white water!”

They carried their surfboards closer to the shoreline, the sound of waves growing louder with each step. As they waded into the cold ocean, the waves swirled around their calves, the gentle tug of the current nudging them this way and that. They waded out into the salty water until it was just deep enough to lap at their underbellies.

Once there High Tide helped Gallus get into position, giving the griffin helpful pointers as he climbed up onto the floating board. Advice that, a sarcastic Gallus might have rudely pointed out was obvious. OBVIOUSLY he had to position himself just right so his weight was distributed evenly across the board. OBVIOUSLY he could use his wings as added balance if he wanted. OBVIOUSLY he should always be mindful of the ocean so a wave doesn’t sneak up on him.

But when he finally found his footing, balanced just right on top of the large board, none of those sarcastic comments materialized. It would have been unfair to High Tide anyway, she was only trying to help. And so, like a good student, he stayed quiet, nodded, and heeded her advice.

And then when a small wave approached, she gave him a gentle push.

“Paddle, paddle, paddle! Now pop up!” she called out.

Gallus did as he was instructed, paddling with all his might and then scrambling to his feet just as the wave caught his board. For a brief, exhilarating moment, he was riding the wave, feeling the power of the ocean beneath him. For that brief moment he felt like he was floating, riding out the ocean’s energies like a cloud.

He was so caught up in this moment, that he failed to notice when the wave ran out of power and became nothing more than still ocean water. Ocean water that could no longer keep him afloat. He came tumbling off the board shortly after, plunging into the shallow water.

High Tide laughed and clapped as he surfaced, a wide grin on her face. “That was awesome, Gallus! You’re a natural!”

Gallus smiled at the praise, but then his old self started to shine through. “Yeah, but I fell.”

“You’ll get better with practice!”

Gallus’s first instinct, as with many things that seemed difficult, was to call it stupid and give up. Something in him reasoned that he was somehow supposed to magically be good at it despite never surfing before. That something argued that if it was supposed to be fun, then why was it hard? Why oh why, that something said, would he willingly hop on the board just so he could be thrown off by the ocean?

And so, he turned back towards the ocean and waded back into position to try again.

Every wave he managed to catch went more or less the same way. He wobbled as he hopped back on his feet, but there was visible improvement each time. He started to hesitate less, balance was recovered quicker, and before too long he was popping up as naturally as ever.

Between waves, the pair had some time to just float there. For those few minutes there was a calm where the pair could just float on their boards, side by side.

High Tide glanced out toward the horizon. “You know, this is one of my favorite places to just...be. No noise, no rush. Just you and the waves. It’s a good spot to clear your head.”

Gallus looked at her thoughtfully. “Yeah, I can see that. It’s...different out here. Peaceful. A lot like flying. I feel the most at ease when I’m flying.”

“Groovy,” High Tide said, "I'm glad Bar found you. He seems happier hanging with you," she gave the griffin a smile, "and I can tell you're happier with him too!"

“Oh well,” Gallus replied, his stupid cheeks blushing, “summer wouldn’t be the same without him.” He glanced down at the water, idly trailing a claw through its surface, “I’m just glad he puts up with me. I can be a lot sometimes.”

“Yeah, well, so can he,” High Tide replied, her smile never faltering. “But that’s the point, isn’t it? You don’t just ‘put up’ with each other. You make each other better. You give him that spark, and he gives you...a place to land, maybe?”

Gallus blinked, caught off guard by the insight. He looked out at the horizon, the waves stretching endlessly before them. “I guess he does,” he said quietly, his voice almost lost to the rhythmic crashing of the surf.

“Alright, heads up, here comes another good wave. You’re doing good so far!”

By mid day, Gallus’s muscles were sore. All this paddling and balancing was exhausting work. But no matter how much he paddled back and forth, wobbled, and occasionally fell off, High Tide was there encouraging him every step of the way.

“You getting tired there, Gallus?” High Tide appeared at his side after a rather enthusiastic fumble.

“Yeah, guess I just...lost focus...” Gallus replied, shaking the sea water off his head feathers.

High Tide nodded understandably then looked out towards the shoreline. “Looks like everyone’s settling down for lunch. I don’t know about you but I’m starving!” she said, “good work out there!”

“But I didn’t even do any surfing,” Gallus said as they waded to shore, “not like...”surfing” surfing.”

“Practice makes perfect,” High Tide replied, “once you master riding white water, riding waves will be child’s play! Besides, did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Gallus shrugged.

“Then that’s all that matters,” the mare smiled then winked, “would have been cute to see you when you were first learning to swim though, hatchy.”

The pair carried their boards out of the water, and back to the rest of the group. Sandbar, Coral, and Beachcomber had put a pause on their beach playing and gathered near the center of the beach spot where snacks and sandwiches were being gathered and coolers were used as makeshift tables.

Gallus noticed that the sandcastle had expanded to a large castle town. Beyond what started out as a large sandy fortress surrounded by expertly carved walls, the territory of the kingdom had expanded to several feet of beach around it. A smaller perimeter wall encircled small houses made of mounds of sand topped with little seashells and loosely gridded off by roads carved into the sand. There was even what appeared to be farmland nearby, decorated with little sandy farmhouses and cattle made of driftwood.

“Gallus! We saw you out there surfing!” Sandbar exclaimed, “you were great!”

“Heh, yeah, thanks,” Gallus couldn’t help but smirk.

“He’s a natural,” High Tide added, “we’ll be having you riding double-ups in no time!”

“Who’s hungry!” Beachcomber called out, holding up sandwiches neatly wrapped in folded brown paper.

“Starved!” Gallus called out, grabbing his meal and chowing down. “By the way,” he started to ask with a mouthful of sandwich, “where did you learn how to surf, High Tide?”

“Self taught! Been surfing for years!” High Tide replied, “and don’t talk with your mouthful, sweetie.”

“It's how her and dad met. Right, dad?” Sandbar added.

“Oh yeah sure, happiest day of my life,” Beachcomber laughed, “at least once the bruising went down.”

“...Bruising?” Gallus repeated.

“I ran into him with my surfboard,” High Tide replied,

Lunch was casual and eaten at a leisurely pace as the group hid from the sun during the hottest part of the day. As they ate, they chatted and shared stories. High Tide entertained the group with some of her favorite surfing adventures along the Equestrian coast while Beachcomber had his fair share of humorous tales from the small store he ran on Main Street. Even Coral joined in with her babbling, her giggles filling the air whenever Sandbar or Gallus made a funny face at her. The whole meal went by uneventfully save for the very minor pause in the festivities when Beachcomber had to excuse himself to take Coral back to the house for a quick potty break, but returned a few minutes later with the foal giggling in his arms.

By the end of it, the group was ready to set out again. The first one to break away from the group, albeit in an unchoreographed waddle, was Coral who made her way over to the bag of toys that sat near the now empty coolers. Her big brother Sandbar joined shortly after to help the little foal pick out the most fun toy.

Gallus meanwhile flopped onto a beach towel, his limbs sprawled out as he sank into the warm embrace of the soft fabric. His muscles throbbed with the satisfying ache of a full morning spent catching waves. The shade from the umbrella above offered a welcome respite from the midday sun, and the cool ocean breeze whispered across his fur and feathers.

He watched Sandbar and Coral scamper off with their toys, their laughter blending with the rhythmic sound of the waves. The steady crash and retreat of the tide seemed to lull his tired body further into relaxation, each breath coming slower and deeper.

The world around him softened. His eyes stung with salt water and fluttered shut. He just needed to close them and rest them for a bit. His beak tilted slightly to one side as he surrendered to the quiet pull of sleep. His chest rose and fell steadily, his thoughts giving way to a pleasant haze. For the first time in what felt like hours, everything stilled, leaving only the gentle hum of the ocean and the warmth of the sand beneath him.