Paradigm Shift

Crawling out of bed and getting to her hooves, Snowy glanced once again to her vacant mattress. Waking up to discover Aegis had left at some point, likely having gotten up well before she had, was a bit of a mixed bag. On one hoof, she was relieved that there wouldn’t be any awkwardness after the spontaneous fling they’d had - on the other, though didn’t have to deal with him immediately, she had no doubt that it would only be a matter of time until she crossed paths with him. As she wandered into the bathroom, not quite hungover but a bit groggy from the night before, her thoughts wandered aimlessly.

Setting the water of her shower to warm, she sighed. It probably - no, it definitely hadn’t been a wise idea to get sloshed with Aegis, but there was nothing she could do about that now but brace herself for the inevitable. While she wasn’t worried about what she would do when she bumped into the guard, she was a bit concerned that he may misconstrue what had happened. One-night stands and wild, passionate flings had to be a thing in Equestria, so she was more than likely getting herself all worked up over nothing - probably.

Her long, warm, relaxing shower did wonders, even if it took longer than she’d expected to clean patches of her matted, slightly crusty fur, and it left her feeling refreshed. Regardless of her sleeping in, what Aegis may or may not be doing, and the late morning hour, she had the entire day to herself - in fact, the next two days. One of, if not the best thing about being employed in the Canterlot castle was that her schedule meant she had weekends and holidays free.

Stepping out of the shower and snatching up a towel, she began drying herself off. Her first order of business would be to get something to eat, preferably something greasy from the cafeteria, but that was the only item on her itinerary. As she wandered out of the bathroom and into her bedchamber, her eyes drifted over her room.

She’d never been a messy person, yet her metamorphosis had made tidying up far more of a trial than it used to be. Digits and an opposable thumb were, in her opinion, two of the things she missed the most about being a man - fortunately for her and her slovenly quarters, she didn’t have to fret too much. As with the private rooms of all the staff, the live-in maids would make sure her abode was spick and span before sunset.

Giving herself a cursory once-over in her vanity, ensuring she was decently presentable, she trotted through the exit, into the corridor, and in the direction of the cafeteria. Thoughts of savory hash browns and breakfast quiche danced through her thoughts, bringing a smile to her face and a skip to her steps, though her merriment ended almost as soon as it began. Rounding a corner, she nearly bumped squarely into one of the castle’s many servants.

The palace, though informal in some ways, was beholden to a number of traditions that had supposedly gone back for generations. Nearly everypony who worked in the keep wore a uniform of some sort, from the guards and their armor to the couriers and their sashes, but there was one group that stood out amongst the rest - the maids. Stallion servants trotted about in a vest, bow tie, and shirt, while mares tended to their duties in a short black dress, white apron, and a mobcap. She’d always thought they looked exceptionally cute, though the one facing her looked to be in anything but a pleasant mood.

Slightly taller than herself and with a more slender build, the pegasus’ silvery plumage and coat contrasted wondrously against her monochromatic outfit. The fur on her body extended up her wings and down her legs, growing slightly darker in hue closer to her hooves and pinions. Though her coloration and attire were striking, it was her amethyst eyes that stood out the most on her.

“Excuse me,” she stated, stepping to the side to continue on her way - unfortunately, the pony mirrored her movement and remained directly in her path. “Sorry, I -”

“Anon,” the mare whispered.

Snowy’s ears perked up, a chill ran through her, and her eyes shot over to the pony’s face. “Pardon?”

“Anon,” the mare tranquilly repeated. “I’d like to talk to you about him.”

“The human who was in my old room?” she quipped, falling back on her alibi. “Didn’t you hear, Celestia sent him back to his homeland - some place called Earth, if I remember right.”

Unmoving, the maid smirked and squinted over at her. “I heard that, but…” she hummed, leaning in and bringing her snout to the kirin’s ear. “I don’t think he ever left ~ did he, Anon.”

The blood in Snowy’s veins ran to ice. “I d…don’t know what you’re talking -”

“How about we continue this conversation somewhere more private - that is unless you think I should talk to Twilight about it. You know, I heard the Princess of Friendship has been asking around about Anon a lot lately - like a lot,” the mare continued. “If you think I’d be better off chatting with her about what happened, I can -”

“Ok ok ok ok ok,” Snowy frantically hissed, conspiratorially looking around herself. “Just keep quiet and follow me ~ alright?”

Grinning from ear to ear, the servant gestured in the direction of Snowy’s room. “By all means, lead the way.”

Snowy turned and swallowed hard knowing she’d been pressed into a corner. Buck - buck! There was no way some random maid could have figured out what was really going on ~ was there? Unwilling to make a gamble of what the mare may or may not know, she hastily trotted back into her room and held the door open.

As the pegasus strolled in, she slammed the door shut and glowered at her unwanted guest. “Alright, what’s going on? Why the hay do you think I know anything about -”

“You do know I’m the one who’s been cleaning your room ~ right?” the maid cut her off. “Judging from that shocked expression of yours, I’m going to guess no - bearing that in mind, let me point out a few things. Anon always kept a glass of water on his nightstand, he read Power Ponies, Mega Mare, and Super Sentai Stallions comics, and he had a funny way of keeping his shampoo, the same sort of shampoo you’ve been using, sitting in a particular way in his shower.”

“S…so?” Snowy sputtered, breaking into a cold sweat. “He left some stuff here when he left, so what?”

“And you just so happen to have the same comics he was reading, plus the hoofful of new issues that were released since he left, sitting in the exact same spot on your coffee table?” the mare quipped. “That’s one heck of a coincidence.”

Involuntarily glancing over, seeing the comics and a glass of water right where the servant had described them, Snowy scrunched her snout. This was bad - really bad, but she could still cover her hindquarters. She drew a deep breath, steadied herself, and stared over at her visitor without budging.

“And?” she groused. “There’s nothing wrong with a mare reading comics or keeping something to drink by her bed. As for the shampoo, I tried it after I moved in and happened to like it - shocking and quite scandalous, I know.”

Lowering and shaking her head, the pegasus chuckled. “Oh those are just the small things. Your mannerisms, speech patterns, and the routes you take through the castle are all exactly the same as Anon’s - oh and you coincidentally order the same meals as him, even though you only arrived at the castle just a short while ago.”

Snowy’s jaw mutely flapped, her heart sank, and her stomach twisted in upon itself as she realized she’d been found out. “If, and that’s a darn big if, you were right, what are you going to do about all this?”

Studying the mare, she fought the urge to bite her lower lip. What the actual buck?! If somepony had told her that there was a marish equivalent of Sherlock Holmes gallivanting about in the Canterlot castle as an unassuming maid, she would have called them a lunatic and reported them to the royal guard - regrettably for her, it sure as heck looked to be like there was. With her anxiety slowly rising, her thoughts wandered to a dark, very unpleasant place.

Needless to say, if her true identity was revealed, she’d become a laughing stock throughout the castle, Canterlot proper, and quite possibly all of Equestria. Her time as Anon had seen her, formerly him, as somewhat of a novel celebrity, the only human in the land, and she’d really rather not ponies assume she’d voluntarily changed her species, sex, and gender because the rumor mill could and almost assuredly would twist the story. As if it wasn’t troubling enough to consider what the general public would think of her, the notion of Twilight discovering what had happened made her hair stand on end.

Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and Element of Magic, wasn’t a bad pony by any means - that being said, she had an almost fetishistic fascination with learning and science. Snowy had endured hours upon hours of questions from the young alicorn upon his arrival to Equestria, being prodded on everything from the mundane to the exquisitely private, and it was only because of Celestia’s intervention that she’d been spared a full-blown inquisition and thorough examination. Shuddering at the thought of being poked and prodded by the perky, pesky, purple pony, she suppressed a shiver.

“I wasn’t going to do anything,” the servant responded, “but we are going to do a few things…”

“We?” Snowy balked. “What’s this we business? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?”

Trotting forward, the mare giggled. “First thing’s first, I want you to tell me if I’m right. If I’m wrong, I’m sure a more extensive investigation wouldn’t bother you a -”

“Fine,” Snowy bleated. “It’s me, Anon! You have to swear not to tell anypony!”

Cocking her head, the maid looked into her eyes. “And you go by Snowy now?”

“Until I can get myself changed back into a human, yes,” she sighed. “Listen, I can explain everything, but you have to swear - swear not to tell a soul about this.”

The pegasus seated herself and crisscrossed an X over her bosom. “Cross my heart - if that’s not good enough, I’ll even shake on it.”

With a defeated sigh, Snowy hung her head and sat down. “Just bear with me…”

Staring at the beginning, when she’d met Rain at the Ponyville train station, she recounted the humiliating tale of her metamorphosis and the subsequent misdirection she and Celestia had enacted - of course she left out the particularly raunchy bits, filling in the gaps with hazy details or outright lies, but she’d prefer to keep some of her amorous exploits personal. She only stopped to answer the occasional question or concern, blazing over the past few weeks at a breakneck pace, until her tale came to the night before. When she suddenly remembered what the maid had said about being the one assigned to her room, a blush crept into her cheeks.

“Y…you know what, I think I’ll tidy up myself,” she stammered, bolting to her hooves.

“Why?” the mare placidly asked. “Is it because you had that guard over last night?”

For the second time that morning, Snowy felt like she was about to have a heart attack. “No! I was just -”

“Snowy ~ can I call you Snowy?” the pegasus breathed, standing up and prompting her to give a subtle nod. “In my line of work, learning a bit about staff members fraternizing is about as tame as it gets - trust me, if you knew the things I knew, you wouldn’t be embarrassed at all.”

Snowy’s eyes widened in surprise at the assertion. “Wait ~ seriously?”

“Mmmhmm,” the servant hummed. “Granted, I pride myself in keeping things confidential, but you’ll just have to believe me. Having some fun with a guard is small potatoes.”

Awestruck and more than a little incredulous, she had to force herself to concentrate on the matter at hoof. “Well that’s a relief. So you’re gonna make good on your promise and keep this under wraps?”

“As long as you help me clean up this pigsty and come into town to help me with some chores, sure,” the pegasus cheerfully exclaimed. “I’m Silver, Silver Shine, by the way.”

“Snowy Glow,” Snowy reflexively noted, reaching over and shaking the mare’s hoof.

She knew it - she bucking knew there’d be some kind of a catch. All but literally stuck between a rock and a hard place, she had no choice but to do what the mare wanted. The last thing in the world she needed was to be known as that guy who got turned into a cute, fat-flanked mare who’d slept with one of the guards - furthermore, things would definitely get weird with Aegis if he found out she was - er - used to be Anon.

Displeased with the situation but having little choice, she grimaced. “So what’s the plan, Ms. Shine?”

“First order of business is that you’re going to help me clean your room,” Silver remarked. “While it really doesn’t bother me to deal with sheets that have been - Ahem - gently used, I’d rather you carry them to the laundry room.”

Marching over and pulling the blanket, linens, and pillows from the bed, Snowy bit back growl. “Alright…”

Silver beamed and traipsed to the bathroom, leaving the disgruntled kirin to her task. “I’ll be in here if you need me - oh and you don’t have to call me Ms. Shine. Silver works!”

As she wrestled with the cushions and pulled off the covers, Snowy’s thoughts darkened. All things considered, she should have been grateful. Instead of rushing off to convene with Twilight, who’s snooping had apparently been noticed by the sleuthing and remarkably observant pegasus, Silver had directly confronted her about the matter. Wrapping her sullied, still slightly damp linens in her relatively dry comforter, she grabbed the bundle in her teeth and threw it over her shoulder.

“Mmmph mph - MMPH FFFN PH!” she cursed through the cloth. Opening her maw and letting the makeshift sack fall to the floor, she leered over at the restroom. “I’ll bring these to the laundry room.”

Peeking her head out, Silver frowned. “Are you sure you want to do that? Anypony who sees you carrying your stuff by yourself might stop and ask what’s going on - that and a pony doing their own laundry raises eyebrows among the staff.”

“What - really?” Snowy balked.

“Yeah…” the maid hissed, stepping out and rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s sort of a tell when somepony shows up with blankets and covers to wash - means they either had an accident or they’re too embarrassed to let one of us deal with it.”

As she lifted a forehoof to ask what she was supposed to do, Snowy was blindsided by her own curiosity. “Since we’re keeping all sorts of stuff under our nonexistent hats, care to give an example?” she inquired. Seeing the mare go to answer then immediately hesitate, she donned her most disarming smile. “Come on, it’s not like you don’t have some serious dirt on me.”

Silver peeked over at the door and motioned her closer. “Ok, but you gotta promise to take this to the grave. So there’s a certain royal, not one of the Princesses, who’s really, really, really into some kinky stuff.”

“How kinky are we talking here?” Snowy pressed.

“I’m not gonna name names or get into the specifics, but it’s kind of odd to find diapers, a pacifier, in a grown pony’s room - for the record, none of the diapers were soiled, but yeah…” the pegasus murmured, somehow managing to look revolted and amused at the same time.

Completely taken off guard by the admission, Snowy knit her brow. “I…huh…”

Tempted though she was to ask for specifics, she abstained and let the matter lie. She’d always wondered what the regal residents and guests of the castle did behind closed doors, away from prying eyes and the public, so it was relieving to hear that at least one of them had something to hide. With Silver disappearing back into the bathroom, she dragged the linens to the door.

With no way of knowing what the maid was doing or how long she’d be left waiting, she put herself to work tidying up. While she didn’t have any clothes to worry about, having her old wardrobe neatly folded and put away, there were a few things she could busy herself with. As she drifted to and began sorting her comics by issue and series, her ears swiveled to the sound of humming from the restroom.

“So is this how you normally do things?” she called out.

“Dragging ponies off to their rooms? Heavens no,” Silver laughed.

Snowy shook her head as she straightened one little pile of comics. “I meant cleaning the rooms - like are you normally by yourself when you do it?”

Reappearing and peeking out at her, the pegasus smiled. “Most of the time, yeah - well, no, usually we have a cart of cleaning supplies. I would have wheeled my stuff in here, but I sort of put everything on hold to catch up with you in the hallway.”

“Speaking of which ~ exactly why did you want to talk with me?” she asked. “I doubt you did the same thing to the pony you mentioned with the diapers.”

Silver inched out of the bathroom with two dirtied towels and a washcloth draped over one wing. “Honestly, because I couldn’t believe what was going on! It’s easy enough to put the pieces together if you find sex-toys, mare’s lingerie in a stallion’s room, or love letters to somepony that didn’t come from their spouse, but for a human - the human to get turned into a kirin of all things?! I’ll put it this way, I’ve seen things that are less bonkers when Discord comes to visit!”

“I…I don’t know if I should be insulted or honored,” Snowy noted.

“Honored - definitely honored,” the maid tittered, trotting out and tossing the towels onto the heap of linens. “Like you said, it’s not like this is something you wanted to happen.”

“Yeah…” she sighed. “You know, for a second there, I was worried you were going to extort me or something.”

“Extort?” Silver parroted, cocking her head to one side.

Looking over at the pegasus, Snowy nervously smiled. “Yeah, like you’d put me in one of those little maid outfits and ~ what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

The mare’s eyes had nearly doubled in size, a broad, impish smile split her muzzle, and her wings excitedly fidgeted on her back as she looked the kirin from top to bottom. “I wasn’t going to do that, no, but…”

Snowy grit her teeth and bolted past the mare, into the bathroom, and into the basin. If she could have kicked herself, she would have beaten her own behind so hard that she couldn’t have sat for days - no, weeks! Turning the water on full blast, she doused herself and quenched the smoldering flames that were moments from consuming her.

“Are…are you ok?” Silver murmured, drawing her eye.

“Peachy!” she seethed. “Just wonderful!”

In shock, awe, or some combination of the two, the pegasus watched her spontaneous, wholly self-inflicted metamorphosis into a nirik. “That is so cool! Does that mean you’re excited?”

“Mmmhmm!” Snowy loudly hummed, shivering under the flow of frigid water.

“If you think talking about getting you a uniform is exciting, just wait until you try one on!” Silver enthusiastically bleated, skipping in place like a joyous filly. “With that sapphire mane of yours, you’re going to look beautiful in one of our dresses!”

Snowy reached out, turned the knob on the spigot, and stemmed the flow of water, sensing herself dip back past the emotional flash-point. “Goody…I can’t wait…”

Stepping out of the basin and letting her still-heated body dry itself, she pinched the bridge of her snout when her guest traipsed out and into her room. Her heart told her that Silver wasn’t a bad pony, but there was no way in Tartarus she was going to risk doing anything to get on the mare’s bad side. If going into town and trying on a silly outfit meant her secret would be kept, it was a relatively small price to pay.

The good news was that cleaning her room, dragging the linens to the castle’s miniature laundromat, and leaving the palace went as smooth as butter - the bad news was that, as soon as she and Silver trotted through the portcullis and into the city proper, her newfound associate became exponentially more chatty. Darned if she could say how or why a maid was allowed to leave the keep without getting approval from a supervisor, but the pegasus’ casual nonchalance led her to believe the behavior was anything but extraordinary. Keeping pace with the lanky mare, she peaked a brow and cleared her throat.

“I hate to interrupt, but where are we going?” she grumbled.

Waving to a circular building near the western wall of the palace, Silver beamed. “The Canterlot Carousel! Ever since Rarity opened the place, her new boutique has been providing uniforms and tailoring services to the castle,” she explained. Leaning closer to the kirin, she lowered her voice. “Don’t tell anypony, but I’d bet my bottom bit that there’s some nepotism involved.”

Snowy slowed, intrigued by the assertion. “What makes you say that?”

“According to some documents I saw in the finance office, they’re paying Rarity almost double what they’d been paying Hoity Toity for the exact same job! I would never bring it up to any of the Princesses, but doesn’t it sound kind of funny that one of Twilight Sparkle’s friends is suddenly contracted and making darn good bits for a simple job?” she breathed.

Having lifted a forehoof and opened her mouth to speak, Snowy pursed her lips. “Have you always been this observant?”

“Yup!” the maid chirped. “Mom wanted me to get into detective work, but I thought it would be boring.”

“And taking a servant job for the Princesses isn’t boring?” Snowy incredulously countered.

Dismissively batting a wing, the pegasus snickered. “Sweet Celestia, no, not at all! Figuring out who committed some silly little crime would be easy - unraveling the nuances of politics and who’s diddling who is much, much more fascinating!”

Snowy dumbfoundedly watched the mare proudly keep trotting like nothing was the matter. The unassuming maid was either an idiot savant, somepony akin to a more practically skilled Pinkie Pie, or a criminally underappreciated genius - regardless, her investigative skills would be put to better use doing something other than amassing gossip. Absentmindedly looking to her left, drawn by a blur of motion, she stopped dead in her tracks.

“Did you see that?” she grunted, bringing the pegasus to a halt.

Following the kirin’s gaze, Silver squinted over at an alley down the street. “See what?”

Though she shook her head, Snowy’s eyes remained on the narrow backstreet. “I thought I saw somepony run down there in a hurry.”

“You mean Twilight?” Silver inquired.

Snowy’s head whipped around to gaze up at the servant, as her heart skipped a beat. “Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?”

Trotting ahead and to the boutique, Silver nodded. “She’s been following us for the last - oh, twenty minutes or so. I gotta say, she’s really skilled at teleportation too.”

“Seriously? She’s seriously tailing us and you didn’t say anything?” she squawked, rushing to catch up with the mare.

“What would telling you accomplish? Think about it - if I mentioned it, you’d start acting differently and put her on her guard. As far as she’s concerned, excluding you getting a little too close to seeing her, she had no idea that we know she’s watching us,” Silver explained, stopping at and pushing the shop’s door open. “After you!”

Making a mental note to pry about Twilight’s activities later, once they were somewhere more private, she hurriedly trotted into the boutique and off the street. She’d had a feeling that the Princess of Friendship would make an appearance at some point, since she’d stepped in on her and gotten quite the eyeful, although she wouldn’t have guessed she’d be stalked by the young alicorn. As she took a breath to steady herself, she looked over at a tall, sky-blue unicorn with a fiery mane and tail approaching them.

“I’m Sassy Saddles and welcome to the Canterlot Carousel.” the mare began, stopping and giving a small bow. Looking over at Snowy, she smiled. “I presume this is a new hire?”

“No, I - Oooph,” Snowy grunted, elbowed in the side by the servant beside her.

“She is, yes,” Silver interjected. “If you could get her fitted for one of our uniforms, I’d appreciate it.”

Sassy wheeled around and briskly began trotting to one corner of the shop. “This way, my good mares,” she noted, beckoning for them to follow. “You two may be in luck. One of your fellow maids, a Ms. Carillon as I recall, was just here the other week and I believe you’re close to her size.”

Snowy paid the tall, horned mare little heed, finding herself far more interested with the dizzying array of articles around her. She’d never been to a pony clothing store before ~ why would she? Up until a few weeks ago, all her clothes had been custom made and delivered to her on Princess Celestia’s orders. Marveling at a sea of dresses, her eyes drifted over to a particular area swimming in lace.

She should have figured that the denizens of Equestria would occasionally don lingerie, but this was her first time seeing it in person - well her first time seeing it well. Many months prior, while attending a gala in the castle, she’d spotted a mare bowing and unwittingly showing off garters, a matching belt, and a sheer pair of panties. Though she couldn’t fully wrap her head around it, likely because creatures of the land typically wore nothing at all, there was something immeasurably provocative about seeing a pony adorned in unmentionables.

“Hey!” she barked, snapping from her spontaneous reverie as a length of fabric wound around her waist.

“Hold still, dear,” Sassy tutted. “How do you expect me to fit you if I don’t have your measurements?”

Displeased with the development, Snowy forced herself to remain still. She wasn’t a maid, nor had she any desire to dress like one, but biting the proverbial bullet to buy Silver’s silence superseded her frustrations. Soon enough, she’d be back in her room at the castle, preferably having gotten something to fill her stomach, and be able to relax - she hoped…

Sassy stepped back, levitated the measuring tape to herself, and snorted. “And I was so close too. Not to worry, I should have a uniform for her by tomorrow.”

“Were the measurements off?” Silver quipped.

“Just by a hair,” the unicorn responded. “Ms. Carillon is slightly shorter than you are, miss…?”

“Snowy Glow,” Snowy groused. “Shame it won’t fit, but I’m not -”

“Get it anyways,” Silver interrupted. “If it’s just a little short, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Snowy gawked over at the pegasus but somehow managed to remain silent. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have caused a scene, although the circumstances were anything but ordinary. Sassy apparently had some connection with Rarity and therefore Twilight, Silver still had her thoroughly hamstrung, and upsetting either of them would do nothing but dig the hole she was in deeper. Clamping her eyes shut, she filled her lungs, held her breath for a moment and slowly exhaled as the unicorn trotted away.

Reaching over and patting her shoulder with a wing, Silver grinned. “You are going to look so cute! With a flank like yours, I bet you’ll have all the guards fighting for a peek!”

The mention of guards brought Aegis to her mind. The stallion, much like her formerly human male self, had an eye for at least a small hoofful of the maids, so she couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction would be to seeing her in one of the outfits - particularly one that rode high on her tush. Unwittingly fantasizing about the centurion, speculating on if he was thinking about her, she started when the pegasus drifted closer.

“What?” she huffed.

“Can I - um…” Silver faltered. “Can I touch your mane? I know that’s gotta sound kinda funny, and the last thing I want to do is offend you, but it’s just so fluffy.”

Shrugging, she lifted her head. “Knock yourself out, but don’t do anything funny.”

She couldn’t say what the mare’s definition of funny was, but it evidently didn’t include burying her face in the soft, wooly, sapphire hair around her neck. While she was sorely tempted to shove the feathered pony away, she abstained and held her ground. She could understand why most ponies would have an interest in her but be too polite to pester her about it, considering it toed the line of being rude, but having Silver sniffing her mane was just a touch weird.

Waiting a hoofful of seconds, she gently pushed the mare away when she noticed Sassy moving in their direction. “Ok, that’s enough of that.”

“S…sorry,” Silver stuttered. “It’s so soft and it smells really good! Has anypony ever told you it smells good?”

Aegis had in fact made a comment about her smell while they’d been cuddling at one point, though the memory was fuzzy at best. As a neatly folded maid outfit hovered over to her, she extended a hoof. Now that she had the thing, irrespective of how well it fit, she figured she would be expected to…

“Try it on!” Silver exclaimed. “There are fitting rooms in the back.”

The quicker she put on her fashion show, the faster she’d be able to slink back to her room and get some peace - as such, with the garment held in one hoof, she meandered past the racks of clothes and to the nearest fitting booth. She’d fully expected Silver to follow her, since this whole harebrained scheme was her idea, though she hadn’t anticipated Sassy trailing along to see how she’d look. Refusing to look back, she slipped into one of the small rooms, kicked the door closed behind her, and lifted the attire.

Getting dressed as a human was one thing, having done so more times than she could count over the years, but she quickly discovered that doing so as a quadruped wasn’t nearly as simple as she’d hoped. What should have been an easy task, something that took a minute or two at most, ended up taking far, far longer than she’d hoped. As she darkly muttered to herself, realizing that having a mastery over her magic would make things go more smoothly, she wriggled into the outfit and then turned to look at herself in a mirror hanging on one wall.

To her utter amazement, she didn’t look bad at all - in fact, she looked pretty darn good. As Silver had asserted, the black and white of the uniform complemented her coat, mane, and eyes exceptionally well, thought there was a small problem. Turning in place and inspecting her backside, she discovered just how short the dress was.

The hem of the dress only partially covered her rear, leaving most of her soft, doughy tush fully exposed. While she had every right to be annoyed with the ill-fitting garment, the sight of her juicy flanks sent an unexpected thrill through her. She didn’t just look like a maid - she looked like a sexy maid.

Hearing excited whispering from outside, she glanced to the door. She couldn’t lurk in the fitting room forever, so she steeled herself, summoned her courage, and saw herself out. To heck with it - like pulling off a band-aid, she’d rather get her exhibition done and over with quickly. As she trotted out, keeping her eyes on the floor, the pair of mares outside quietly gasped and stepped back.

“Oh my gosh - Snowy, you look amazing!” Silver exclaimed.

Snowy refused to look up at either of them, feeling her cheeks starting to darken. “You’re just saying that.”

“She isn’t, I assure you,” Sassy replied as she inspected her. “Though that dress is a bit short, it suits you rather well - in fact, I don’t think anypony would take umbrage with how you wear it.”

As she shrewdly rubbed her chin, a smirk crept across Silver’s face. “I think you’re right, Sassy, but maybe we should get some input from a few other staff members.”

Having neither seen nor heard any other employees within the boutique, Snowy stiffened. “Where? In the castle?”

The pegasus turned, nodded to the couture, and proceeded to the exit. “Exactly. If worse comes to worst, we can always bring it back - besides, like my mom used to tell me, you should take clothes for a spin before deciding you want to keep them or not.”

“If you’d like to keep it for a day or two, be my guest,” Sassy added.

“Fine,” Snowy groaned, trudging after Silver.

Trotting through and out of the shop, she did her best to remain calm. While the residents of Canterlot were used to seeing maids and guards while out and about, considering they were routinely sent out for errands, it would likely be the first time any of them would have seen a kirin adorned in such a fashion. She only lifted her gaze occasionally, ensuring she wasn’t about to run into anything or anypony, while she and her feathered associate made a beeline back to the castle.

The few townsponies she did pass paid her little mind, merely glancing over at her before carrying on their way, as did the pair of centurions posted at the main gate - regrettably, once she’d stepped hoof into the keep, things took a turn. The palace’s staff saw one another on a daily basis, so spotting a new maid, much less a kirin of all things, instantly made her a focal point of attention. It was subtle, so subtle that she may have missed it if she was a human, but hushed, excited whispers of passersby drifted to her ears.

Though she was tempted not to look, worried that she may be met with looks of derision, glanced over in the direction of the throne room. As she’d feared, a number of servants and no fewer than three guards were watching her and quietly chatting with one another. She should have been embarrassed, especially because one of the stallions’ excitement of seeing her was gradually slipping from its sheath beneath him, yet their captivation with her evoked a curious sense of pride and confidence.

Slowing, she altered course and trotted toward the small group. It was only right that she correct the ponies, letting them know that she hadn’t spontaneously switched jobs to become a servant - at least that’s what she told herself. Leaving Silver in her wake, she sauntered over to the onlookers, raised a hoof in greeting, and smiled.

“Snowy, right?” one of the guards asked. “I thought you took Anon’s position as the Princesses’ errand mare?”

“Oh I am,” Snowy smoothly responded. “I just wanted to go out with - um - my friend Silver to try one of these on! What do you think?”

The ponies’ approving nods and smiles bolstered her self-esteem and soothed her tattered nerves. It was one thing to think she looked nice, but it was extremely rewarding to hear her thoughts echoed by somepony else. She turned to give them a better look at her sides, almost enthused to display her attire, and found Silver looming over her.

“Friend?” the pegasus softly repeated. “You consider me a friend?”

The expression of barely-kept joy on the mare’s face erased the lingering concerns she’d had about the mare. Silver may have been a bit odd and quirky, having brazenly spoken to her about who she really was, but she didn’t appear to be a bad pony - slightly bubbly and holding some untapped genius for solving mysteries, but not a bad pony by any means. As a wave of relief washed over her, finally understanding that she was in no real peril, she laughed and gave a slight nod.

“Maybe not a close friend yet, but I think you’re alright,” she sighed.

Before she could blink, the pegasus shot forward and wrapped her in a hug. The embrace was strangely soothing, lifting her spirits and bringing a smile to her face, though it ended nearly as quickly as it had begun. The sound of hooves against polished marble, ponies rushing past, and Silver’s immediate withdrawal prompted her to look back over her shoulder.

“My my - it appears as though somepony has hired a new maid without my approval,” Celestia remarked, lowering her head toward the stricken kirin. “Are we seeking a new career line?”

“N…no,” Snowy sputtered. “Silver thought I’d look good in one of the uniforms.”

“It’s true, my liege,” Silver affirmed, bowing. “Since she’s new, I thought she’d like to learn what us servants do in and around the castle - with that in mind, I figured it was only appropriate that she get the full experience.”

Remaining where she stood and leaning over, the Princess eyed Snowy’s side and barely covered flank. “I suppose it won’t hurt anything, though the dress is a bit revealing ~ wouldn’t you say?”

Snowy’s face blossomed into a brilliant crimson as she saw the mischievous grin on Celestia’s face. “It’s n…not like I was going to flaunt it or anything!”

“Of course you weren’t,” Celestia tittered, trotting by and down the corridor. Stopping after several paces, she peered over her shoulder at the kirin. “If I may make a small suggestion - should you keep that particular outfit, perhaps a pair of panties would be in order.”

Left speechless, Snowy watched the towering alicorn trot away. She’d just started enjoying herself, if only a touch, but the Princess’ words brought her back to reality. While she may not have been in any trouble or potential peril, strutting around with her tush hanging out wouldn’t do her any favors - on the contrary, she could potentially cultivate an unwanted name for her.

“I…I think I’m gonna get something to eat,” she hastily stated, giving a wave over to Silver. “I’ll catch you a little later ~ alright?”

Silver nodded and rubbed the back of her neck with a wing, seemingly realizing she’d played a part creating the small spectacle. “Alright. I’ll see you later, Snowy.”

Snowy genuinely would like to pick the mare’s brain a bit, in part because she was almost certain she’d seen Twilight peeking around a corner at her not a minute before, but that would have to wait until later. Cantering away and to one of the many less-used stairwells within the castle, she hurried upstairs and to the relative sanctuary of her room. While she was quite hungry, not having eaten anything since the night prior, she wasn’t about to go to the cafeteria in her current getup.

Only stopping once she was in her bedchamber, she slammed and locked the door closed behind herself. Talk about a wild morning - she’d woken up after a fling, been accosted by what she initially presumed was a sadistic servant, and wound up with her first and only piece of pony apparel. As she strolled around the end of her bed, a sudden movement at her side caught her eye.

She stopped and turned to her vanity, thankful that the motion was only her reflection. Looking herself over, she smiled. Now that she didn’t have a nosy pegasus and a unicorn waiting on her, she had a little more time to fully appreciate her appearance. Fluffing up her mane with a forehoof, the gnawed her bottom lip and waggled her eyebrows at herself.

“The things I’d do to you if I was still a human,” she mused, giggling at the thought.

It was entertaining to consider what she would have done if she’d run across a mare as cute as herself when she’d been a man, yet the notion of what a man would do to her was just as compelling. Imagining what it would feel like to have a hand squeezing her rump or running down from her neck to her abdomen sent a shiver up her spine. She may not have been able to indulge in her impulsive fantasy of self-cest, but there was a stallion who may be interested in seeing her in her sexy little outfit.

Sensing her marehood tingle and nipples go hard, she wheeled around and flagged her tail. Yeah, she could definitely turn a few heads if she paraded around the castle like this. A bat of the eye here, a kissy face there, all while strutting and swaying her hips - that’d definitely get Aegis’ motor running. Balancing on three legs, she reached under herself and caressed her loins.

It could have been partially or fully due to her metamorphosis, but she couldn’t fully explain what was going on with her libido. She’d gone from grumpy to turned on at the drop of a hat - moreover, she felt warmer than usual. Just as her cloven hoof graced her clit, making her shiver with delight, she growled and shook her head.

No, this wasn’t the time to succumb to her heckishly marish urges. She was going to get undressed, go get a very late breakfast, and carry on with what was left of her day without anything else going awry - for buck’s sake, she wasn’t some horny, hormonally charged teenager! As she carefully squirmed out of her dress, ignoring the subtle ache in her nethers, her thoughts dwelled on one thing - rather one stallion she hoped to see again…