The Phantom of Canterlot

by Azure Drache

Welcome to the castle

“A Tartarus of a plan this is!” Snowy thought before she threw another glance over her shoulder, her gaze falling on Cheese and Potato, who were hiding behind the corner of the next side street behind her. “This is never going to work!”

Her attention was dragged forward again when she misstepped and nearly slipped on the smoothed stones of the street. Uncomfortable, she shifted her legs a bit, it always took a while till she got used to being in the shape of somepony else. At the moment, she had the pleasure of using Oven Cloth’s persona. The fact that Oven Cloth was a few sizes smaller than her didn’t help though. It had been a long, long conversation about this plan, and in the end, it came out that Cloth’s shape would be the best for the job; small, cute and with a bit of authority of a firefighter. The argument didn’t fall in Snowy’s favor, but this didn’t mean that she had to be happy with it.

She straightened herself up and kept moving forward past the empty alleys. A stray smell still lingered in the air from the day before, some mixed spices and, when she sniffed again, cinnamon, if her nose was right. With her wisdom about the other cities in Equestria, she always wondered a bit how Canterlot managed to still smell so good.

The pony she was looking for should trot by soon. As far as her team had found out, she came across this way every evening, shortly after her shift in the castle was over. Nervous, Snowy pushed away a strand of her mane. “Why can’t you wear your mane bound behind your head, Cloth?” She blew another strand away. “So,” she looked around the empty alley, “where is she?”

Barely anypony crossed her path, the street was rather empty at this time of day. Still, no sign of her. “What if they have got something wrong? What if she has another shift today or is sick or…” a lot of possible circumstances passed through her thoughts, making her even more nervous. “This all would be so much easier if we had more time!”

Without the time limit they surely would be able to come up with a better plan, some that didn’t require her to trot through town in Cloth’s shape. For her it was already a concession that she used it, Snowy still could have denied the good arguments if ‘Melted Ice’ wasn’t still under the sharp eye of the guards. It already was a risky task to get out of the house she was actually ‘invited to stay in’ with the guards watching it day and night. More so when they got more and more into the idea that she, and not the griffons, were to blame for the factory incident. Sure, she could have changed into anypony after leaving the house’s line of view, but she went along with their plan as a sign of goodwill.

Snowy sighed. “Good there is no pressure, no pressure at all.” She just had to complete the plan, convict the griffons, find the stolen artifact, and return it to the guards in the shape of Waterdrop. But at the moment she needed to finish the task at hoof. Hopefully before somepony recognized that it was Cloth who was lying in her bed now. “Really a breeze…”

By thinking of Cloth, the moment when she had turned into her the first time came back to her mind. Cloth stood there, a little bit baffled, then had examined her own shape very closely, moving her hoof over her coat and brushing through her mane.

“Even better than a mirror,” she had said.

That was before she had jumped around and proclaimed how awesome this ability must be.

“It can indeed be awesome,” Snowy had answered with a smirk and then had jumped on the bed and cackled like a chicken, completely with pecking and using her front legs as imitation of wings. All in Cloth’s cute shape. That had caused good laughs among the others, Cool, Cheese, Potato and Chimney, and, after a few seconds, also by Cloth.

Things went out of hoof when the inevitable happened and Potato had interfered and demanded, “Do me! Do me!”

Snowy facehoofed inwardly. “Well, at least better than the opposite reaction.” The others had only let her rest after she had shifted into every mare present. Good thing that wasn’t hard to do. Sure, at first she had been worried that the remains of her wounds would cause her problems, but after her shapeshift into Cloth had gone well, her worries vanished.

This was not the time for memories though and she pushed them away. She had something to do and a distraction was too risky. Focusing back on the streets, she watched out for the mare once more. Still no sign of her, the only companion she had most of the time was the echo of her own hooves and it stayed so till she had passed two other streets already. “I can’t walk through Canterlot all day in this shape, every moment I do so, the chance to meet somepony who knows Cloth raises more and more.”

Snowy froze and flinched back her ears when suddenly a stallion crossed her way, coming from one of the side streets. She had been so deep in thoughts, she hadn’t heard him coming closer.

“Miss,” he politely greeted and passed by.

Luckily not the mare she was looking for. She just nodded and relaxed. “She will be here soon, stay focused!”

It took nonetheless a good while till she finally showed up. When the castle gate opened, releasing the ponies from the dayshift, Snowy was able to spot her in the middle of the group.

Blue and magenta mane and tail, white coat and a bit of orange at the feathertips of her wings, that was her. As it seemed, she was surrounded by guards, kitchen helpers, administrative staff, and a few cleaners, most of the ponies who worked in the castle during the day.

“Okay, stay calm, don’t make her suspicious.” Snowy slowly moved forward, staying in the middle of the street. “Just let her pass you by and then misstep against her, no problem. She is just the wife of the Captain of the Guard, really nothing to worry about.”

She gulped when she got nearer. “Here goes nothing!” Snowy’s heartbeat increased with every step. “Just don’t lose your nerves now, stay calm… and stop staring at her!” Quickly, she looked down on the street again, only using her other senses to keep aware where the other mare was.

A few ponies of the group passed her, forcing her more and more to the side of the street, making it hard to stay in her way without drawing attention. “Come on, just a few steps, I only have this one chance!” She stepped forward…

“Cloth!”

She almost reached her. “Just a little closer!” She reached out with her hoof

“Cloth!” A stallion grabbed her hoof and turned her around. “Cloth, what a pleasure to meet you here.”

Before she could react, the stallion had pulled her hoof up to his lips and placed a kiss on it. “I thought you were still on duty this evening, my dear.” He leaned in to give her another kiss, this time on the lips. Snowy barely hold herself back to not punch him and just evaded his kiss by stepping to the side, making her collide with a blue stallion.

“Hey, watch your step!”

“I… I am sorry,” Snowy apologized immediately, throwing a quick glance at the Captain’s wife. “Ponyfeathers!” She was already a few steps ahead of her, so much for the plan to ‘accidentally’ bump into her.

“My dear, are you alright?” the stallion asked her, moving his head in front of hers, dragging her attention back to himself. Snowy gave him a serious look for the first time… and her fur stood on end.

“Silent Water! Cloth’s special somepony!” Her ears flattened and she ducked a bit. “Ponyfeathers!”

With his gaze still on her, waiting for a response, she wasn’t able to come up with something more suitable than, “Oh, uh, hi, uh, Silent Water!”

He pulled his head back and gave her a questioning look. “Cloth, why are so formal all of the sudden?” He moved forward again, pressing his head against her cheek, nuzzling her. “I told you, I prefer if you call me just Sil.”

“Oh, oh of course, I normally would do that,” she stopped his unwelcome nuzzling with a hoof, pushing him back. “But I, uhm, I am still on duty, yes, on duty, like I told you.” She smiled. “You know, no private acting on duty, that’s the way things work.” She moved her head to the side and dared a quick peak after her target.

“Oh, sure, Cloth,” he replied, moving his head in her line of sight again, “I mean Officer Oven Cloth.” He blinked. “And when does your shift end today,” he moved closer, whispering seductively, “Officer?” His lips curled up into a smile, “I know our favorite restaurant always has two places free for us.”

“That sounds greaaat,” Snowy said, pulling back so she was nearly sitting in an attempt to make room between him and her face. “Sadly, I… I don’t know how long I have to work today.” She slid a bit back on her rear-hooves. “Yeah, really a shame, isn’t it? A lot of work today.”

“Indeed, it is.” He looked a bit disappointed. “What about tomorrow?” One of his wings found its way on her back, sliding slowly around until it reached her throat, moving upward till it reached her chin, lifting it up a bit. “We could visit the park together, if you’d like?”

Snowy’s rear-legs screamed urgently to buck his face, to shove his feathers off of her. With all her willpower, she suppressed that urge, knowing the action would put Cloth in trouble.

“I will think about it,” she said, pushing his wing back a bit too roughly with a hoof. “Right now however, I have my duties to fulfill, so I will tell you either after my shift or tomorrow if that will be to late.”

He was going to reply when Snowy saw that the mare she was going after vanished into one of the crossing streets and put her hoof on his mouth. “Later… my dear.” She shivered inwardly and quickly placed a kiss on his cheek. “Ugh!” “I have to go, see you later!” And with that words she already galloped on, after the other mare.

Confused, Silent Water looked after her. “Yes… see you later, Cloth…” He placed his hoof on the place she had kissed him and smiled before he shook his head. “Mares, it would be boring if they were different than they are!”

***

It didn’t take Snowy long to catch up to the other mare, still she was completely out of reach. Snowy stood on a little plaza, looking upward into the sky where the pegasus she was looking for hovered happily. In front of the windows of a nearby house, a few levels above the ground, her target was having a conversation with some young stallion inside.

“Oh, come on!”

While being Cloth had a lot of advantages, flying wasn’t one of them, leaving her with very few options.

She moved closer, thinking what she could do. Should she try to come up with something to lurk the other mare down or better inconspicuously trot below her and wait for her to land again?

While she was still unsure, the choice was grabbed out of her hoof when another stallion entered the plaza and drew the attention of the mare by waving and calling her name. It only took a moment for her to respond and, unfortunately for Snowy, fly over to him, even further out of her range.

She gave the newcomer a look, he was a bit bulky and athletic, typical for a guard, like the white coat and short mane he had. On his back, he carried a saddlebag.

“It’s always getting easier…”

A whiff of their conversation reached her ears while she approached them, catching the words ‘husband’ and ‘shift schedule’.

“Seems he is some sort of messenger. Hmm, can I use that somehow to my benefit?”

She thought about giving him some attention and starting to flirt with him to get close enough to touch the mare, if she landed, that is. There was just a little problem, not that she had much experience flirting with males, none to be honest, but that she was still in Cloth’s shape!

A lot of ideas shot through her mind, one more crazy than the previous, all inappropriate for her as long as she was playing Cloth.

“All this just to touch a mare.” Snowy smiled a bit by this thought. “Never had guessed it would be so difficult once I was practically in hoof range to her.”

Now the stallion got aware of her approach, stepping in her way, between her and his Captain's wife.

“Can I help you, miss?” he said in an questioning, unfriendly tone.

“Why do all the guards have to be so rude?”

“Uhm, yes, if you don’t mind. I heard that a famous… goldsmith lives nearby,” Snowy improvised.“But I can’t find him, maybe you could help me?”

“A goldsmith?” the guard wondered. “I don’t know any who live around here. You may have more luck in the merchant district.” His gaze wandered up to the sunset. “Better try tomorrow though, it is getting late, no gain in disturbing them at home at this time anyway.”

“You're probably right about that,” Snowy replied, trotting right in front of him. “I should wait till tomorrow to speak with him, still, if I can find where he lives now, it can spare me time searching tomorrow.” She looked up. “Did you hear about him, miss?”

“Lovely Drawing, my name is Lovely Drawing,” the mare replied.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Drawing, my name is Oven Cloth. Can you tell me where to find the goldsmith I am looking for?”

“Sadly not,” the pegasus thought for a second, “no, I haven’t heard of him either.”

“What did you say?” Snowy placed her hoof to her ear. “Could you come a little closer, please?”

“I said, I have no clue where to find him either,” the mare shouted down to her before her gaze wandered over the rooftops in the direction of the setting sun. “I am sorry, but I don’t have the time to talk at the moment, but Fast Word here can surely spend a few more minutes to help you, right, Fast Word?”

“Sure can, ma’am,” he nodded, “would be nice if you would speak with your husband about the problem of mine in the meantime.”

“Of course,” the pegasus smiled. “And now if you two would excuse me.” She flew off with another smile.

“This turned out very well,” Snowy thought sarcastically. “Great job, Flöckchen, really well done.”

“If you tell me more about the pony you are looking for,” the guard stallion dragged her out of her thoughts, “I might be able to help you find him.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, of course.” Snowy gave him a random description to distract him while she thought of what to do next.

“Sorry miss, but I have never met somepony like the one you described and I am sure I would have if he lived here.” He watched the sky while he thought about it again. “Thinking about how often I travel between the castle and this part of the city, I am sure I would know if he had a house around here.”

Snowy’s ears perked up. “You travel between the castle and the city regularly?”

“Yes, miss.” He moved aside so she was able to see his saddle bag better. The coat of arms of the Royal Guard was on it, together with a blue scroll, marking him as a member of the reporting service. “I have the honour to serve Her Majesty by delivering messages between the castle and civil servants around the city. And other civilians from time to time.”

“Impressive, you must be really important.” Snowy nodded approvingly, stretching out her hooves for the bag. “May I?”

“Of course,” he said proudly.

She laid her hooves on the bag, examining the coat of arms further. “It’s beautiful, only… “ She lifted it a bit and placed it back in a more correct position. “There you go.”

“Thanks, miss,” he gave her an apologetic smile, “I am sorry that I can’t help you with your search.”

“Oh don’t worry about it, you have helped me a lot actually. Don’t have to look around here anymore since you know this area so well.”

“Glad to be of help, miss.”

“Could you do me another favour, Fast Word?”

“Depends on what you want, miss.”

“Well, I am curious, not often does one get the chance to talk to a courier of the Royal Guard, do you mind telling me more about you and your job?”

He smiled and got into a more impressive position, “would be a pleasure, miss.”

***

“Did you get her?” Cheese shouted when Snowy came around the corner of the agreed meeting point.

“No, I didn’t,” Snowy answered.

“Why not?`” Potato asked. “You only had to touch her!”

“It really wasn’t that difficult!” Cheese added.

“I ran into Cloth’s,” she pointed at her body, “special somepony.”

“Ohhh…” the other two made.

“Yes, ohh,” Snowy continued, “I think I was able to prevent any harm to their relationship, but it hindranced me to touch her, and when I had escaped Silent Water, I chased after her, but she flew off before I was able to touch her.”

“That is not good!” Cheese said and sat down. “How are we supposed to get you into the castle now?” She lifted her hooves in frustration.

“My mission wasn’t an utter fail,” Snowy said.

Cheese and Potato’s ears peaked up. “It wasn’t?” Potato asked.

“I still may be able to get into the castle,” Snowy made a vague gesture, “ I was able to touch one of the couriers.”

“Hey, that’s great!” Potato exclaimed and clopped her hooves together.

“Well, there is just a little problem… well, two to be fair. We talked for a little while, still, my knowledge of this pony’s background is very limited and,“ shyly, Snowy rubbed her front leg. “Uhm, it was a stallion.”

“Oh…” the other mares said together.

***

Snowy breathed in deeply, trying to calm her nerves. She stood in the middle of the living room of her guest house, surrounded by most of her team. After she had told Cloth what happened while she ‘borrowed’ her body, Cloth had nodded and told her she will visit
Silent Water, making sure everything is fine, and then left.

“Being male is nothing to be afraid of,” Cool tried to support her. He rubbed his head. “At least I guess it doesn’t feel sooo different.”

“You will just be a bit taller and stronger,” Chimney agreed. “Like the size difference you already have with Cloth.”

“And your brain will shrink a few sizes.” Potato giggled in an attempt to break the tension.

“Har-har, very funny, Potato.” Cool shook his head, amused. “And you will act far more polite and mannerly, Snowflake.”

“Yes, with all the blood in your muscles and not in your brain,” Potato flickered her tail, “you are not smart enough anymore to make fine taunts.” She pressed her hoof on her forehead and bumped into Cool’s side.

“The pure horror.” Cheese grinned.

“Okay, okay,” Snowy raised a hoof and smiled, “I get it. It will not be so different.”

Now with all the attention back on her, she shook her body one last time, exhaled and then let the green flames roll over her body from muzzle to tail.

“It feels... odd,” was her first thought before she reopened her eyes. She held up her hooves and turned them before her eyes, before looking down at herself. Chest, mane, far larger muzzle, everything seemed to be in place.

“Handsome*,” Cheese commented. “Not the worst choice, not at all”

“She didn’t really have a choice anyway,” Cool replied. “So, how does it feel? Something weird or strange?”

“I don’t know,” Snowy moved a step forward, “there is the size difference and the slightly different viewpoint, but…” she froze and quivered while her head pulled up by the next step.

“What?” Cool rushed next to her, ready to catch her if she fell. “What is it?”

Crossing her hind legs, Snowy unhappily stood in place. “This… doesn’t… feel right,” she said between gritted teeth.

“Did you mess up some body parts?” Cheese now trotted to her other side. “Is something missing?”

“No,” Snowy answered, “there is nothing missing.” Her face turned red like a tomato. “There is something too much!”

“Too much?” Cheese peaked around her, over to Cool and gave him a questioning look. She couldn’t see anything wrong on the side she was standing and by Cool’s headshake, she assumed it was the same on his side. “I can’t see anything that’s not meant to be where it is, what do you mean?”

“I… there… “ Ashamed, Snowy let her gaze fall to the ground. “It simply doesn’t feel right!”

“What? What doesn’t feel right?” Cheese inspected her body once more. “Your tail, mane and everything else is where it should be, if something is wrong on the inside, we can’t see it.”

“That’s the problem!” Snowy complained. “It should be inside, but it is outside and I can feel it when I move!”

“It should be inside, but is outside?” Cool repeated. “What are you… “ He stopped and his ears peaked up in realisation what Snowy was referring too. His lips curled up and he started to giggle.

“That is not funny!” Snowy said, blushing even more and with a bit of anger in her voice.

Cool put his hooves on his mouth to suppress the giggle, but with very little success. If anything, his giggling turned louder.

“Stop laughing at me!”

“I am,” a loud giggle escaped Cool’s mouth, “so sorry!” He let his hooves sink and started to laugh. “But this is hilarious!” Now his whole body shook in laughter.

Snowy started to turn around, away from him, but stopped immediately. “This is embarrassing!”

“Oh, you don’t mean she…” Chimney threw a look at Cool, then at Snowy and back to Cool, who tried to nod during his laughter. A soft giggle now raised in Chimney’s throat too, curling up his lips and forced its way out so he joined Cool’s laughing.

“Stop it!” Snowy demanded, but both stallions were unable to.

“Are you willing to tell us too?” Potato asked with an annoyed gaze. “What is so funny?”

“She… she…” Cool clopped on the ground, bursting in laughter again.

“She means…” Chimney started, but a giggle stopped him from speaking further.

“Guys!” Snowy shouted. “You are not helping!” If she would have been able to, Snowy would have sunk into the ground in shame.

“She is feeling her stallion parts!” Cool quickly spat out before his forelegs gave in and he lay down with his laughter, now no longer suppressed.

“You know…” Chimney was able to add, “the…” he stopped, giggled again and swung his hoof a bit to the left and right like a bell.

Potato’s jaw dropped and she turned to Snowy. “You have problems with… “ she pointed vaguely on the former mare’s flank. “them?”

With a face like she bit on very acrid lemons, Snowy nodded. “Hmm-hmm.”

“You can’t be serious!” Potato closed her mouth and facehoofed before she threw a look over to Cheese. The other mare had placed her hoof on her mouth and when she became aware of Potato’s gaze, she lowered her ears backwards, disgusted by the situation.

“Arg!” Potato sighed and moved forward next to Snowy. “You!” she poked her in the chest, “keep trotting around, you will get used to it. If these guys can do it,” she pointed at Cool and Chimney, “you surely can too.”

“But, Potato,” Snowy said sheepishly.

“No! No excuses!” Potato insisted and grabbed her muzzle, pulling her forward. “You will trot on!”

“I can’t!” Snowy resisted, but Potato pulled with such a strength that she was dragged forward anyway. “Please!” she begged and pushed backwards with her forelegs. “This is very uncomfortable!”

“I don’t care about uncomfortable! Am I the only pony here aware of the situation we are in?” Potato said angrily, stomping a hoof. That gesture even caught Cool and Chimney’s attention, enough so that they stopped their laughing and giggling for a second. “We don’t have time for you all to be playing foals again! If you don’t get into that castle soon, Snowflake, we will never be able to convict the griffons and that means we never get you,” she poked Snowy in the chest, “back as Waterdrop! That not only means you will lose all the things you achieved till now, but also everypony else that knows you will never hear from you again! Unless you spoil your secret to them too, of course!”

“I…” Snowy started, but didn’t know what to say. Cloth’s words brought back memories of the last few days, when nearly all of her friends showed up to ask Melted Ice about what happened to Waterdrop. It had been hard to not tell them the truth, but there wasn’t really a choice. Only Pear, who visited two times, knew about her outside her team. “I…” she started again, but was cut off by Potato once more.

“Spare us your excuses! Just move your flank forward!” Potato turned back to the other stallions. “And you,” they both winced under her gaze, “stand up and do your best to help her, stop rolling around like foals and support her or I will twist your ears till even Celestia can’t fix them anymore!”

Cool and Chimney were instantly on their hooves.

“Good.” Potato nodded. “Now move, Snowflake!”

Slowly, Snowy moved one hoof forward and, with a deep breath, she moved one of her hind legs too.

“Just keep going, you can do it,” Chimney said.

Snowy closed her eyes and lifted her head upward to the ceiling, trying to ignore the awkward situation. She wriggled and shook several times, but she set one hoof before the other constantly, step by step.

“You're doing good, just don’t stop,” Cheese said.

“Yeah, keep trotting,” Chimney added.

“I’ll try my best, guys,” Snowy told the ceiling. “It is just not ea… “ her sentence stayed incomplete when she tripped over the carpet, failing to find her balance again and faceplanting on the floor.

“Are you alright?” Potato moved by and helped Snowy up again.

“I am fine,” Snowy rubbed her nose, “it is just really hard to get used to the differences in shape so fast.”

“I believe that,” she pushed the stallion forward again, “so you better keep trotting.”

The former mare sighed, but moved obediently forward.

In the following minutes, her steps became more and more natural, just her face keeping the sour expression.

“Well look at you,” Cheese said and her lips curled up, “in the end, we did make a fine stallion out of you.”

If looks could kill, Cheese would have disintegrated right away when Snowy’s gaze hit her.

***

“Alright, he left the castle a few minutes ago,” Chimney reported when he came back from his look-out near the main gate.

“Good, then it is time for you to dress up, Snowflake.” Cool gave her a nod. “The same goes for us,” he told his team. “Everypony knows what their task is? Once Snowflake enters the castle, there is nothing we can change anymore.”

Snowy looked at the present ponies, receiving a nod in return from each of them. Her whole team stood gathered before her, except two ponies. The rude stallion from before had refused to help with such a ‘stupid mission to get a fillyfooler back in the team’ as he had called it. The second absent pony was Cloth, currently off duty to have lunch with Silent Water to prevent any damage to their relationship caused by the mission.

They had considered to let one pony stay at the house to keep up the semblance of Melted Ice being home, but in the end, this was an all or nothing mission, so they decided against it. They will either get Waterdrop back and this meant nopony would care much about Melted Ice anymore or they will fail and then there would no point in keeping that disguise up. Therefore, shortly after changing of the guards before Snowy’s room, they all left the house. Snowy had disguised herself as Pear Thrower, she was sure he was okay with it.

Now, while Snowy vanished into a small alley to do her shapeshifting unobserved, the firefighters pulled up most of their gear. Everything that could take too long to equip when they needed to hurry, like the protection suit for the body, was buckled on. Stuff like the heavy helmets and oxygen masks with bottles lay at the ready on the back of ‘The Blue Whale II’, their fire brigade carriage.

As the team leader, Cool had decided, totally by happenstance of course, that today would be a good day to train the handling and field repair of their carriage, with equipment completely on and the carriage filled with water and everything. At least that was what he told the Captain of the Canterlot Firefighters, Big Helmet. As for place for their training, he decided that the little square, not far away from the eastern castle gate, would be a far better place than the courtyard of the fire department. It was about field repairs and training after all. Big Helmet had raised an eyebrow, but only shrugged and gave his okay. Even when Cool had told him, already on his way out of his office, that they will maybe extend the training till nightfall, Big Helmet had only rolled his eyes, but didn’t retract his permission.

A moment later Snowy came back, now disguised as Fast Word.

“Are you ready?” Cool asked her when she stood next to him.

“I doubt I could ever be ready for this.”

“I count that as yes.” He placed his hoof on her shoulder and whispered, “Just remember what I told you about acting as a stallion and everything will be fine.” This was his attempt to give her courage.

Shortly before they left the house, Cool had dragged her to the side so that the others couldn’t hear, and explained a few things to her about how stallions acted when no mare was around and also a few more things about general behaviour. From his explanation, Snowy guessed that this was some kind of secret between stallions that mares shouldn’t be aware of.

“I’ll do my best,” she was going to give him a hug, but stopped when she remembered that maybe somepony could see them. It would raise some questions when the real Fast Word and Cool didn’t know each other. Cool noticed her attempt and nodded when she stopped, instead of a hug he raised his hoof for a hoofbump. With a second delay, Snowy bumped in.
Before Snowy left for her attempt to get into the castle, she addressed the others one final time.

“Guys,” she said just loud enough for them to hear and when she had their attention, she continued, “I just want to thank you all for your help. No matter how this turns out, I am very grateful that you all tried your best to help me get back my life and accept me as one of you.”

While the others just smiled, Potato said, “Oh, shhh, don’t get us all sentimental now. It is natural to help you and no,” she raised a hoof to stop Snowy from coming closer,“ you surely won’t get a group hug from us in this shape.” Her tone made clear it was a friendly squabble.

“Charming like ever, Potato.” Snowy giggled. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome. Now go and make sure that these griffons get their fair punishment.”

“And you can get that group hug when you are back as yourself,” Cheese said and stuck out her tongue.

Shaking her head with a little smile, Snowy turned around to trot to the castle gate, but stopped when Cool had one last thing to add.

“Remember, we are just one fire outbreak away.”

She simply nodded.

***

“Wow, that really worked!” Snowy thought, very surprised. “I never would have guessed it was really that simple.”

When she had reached the gate, the guards at it had just gave her a bored look. It had taken only a short little lift of her head and a ‘hey’ while she kept her pace and they let her pass without any questions. A simple ‘hey’ in return was all they gave her.

She wasn’t able to suppress a disbelieving look back after she had made a small distance between herself and them.

“Stallions…” she shook her head to get rid of that way of thinking, she had a mission to do and needed to focus now.

Snowy trotted over the path of white paving stones, her gaze hung on the main building for a moment. The many towers, all built of white stone too, were very impressive. She had been here before one or two times during her five years in Canterlot, but never was allowed to freely trot around without the attention of the guards. They had always kept an eye on her when she was inside the castle walls.

Now however, in shape of one of them and, furthermore, already behind the fortifications, things were different.

According to the plan, she could now either trot through the courtyard, past the School for Gifted Unicorns and take a sideway past the hedge maze, taking the risk to be seen by somepony that knew Fast Word and get caught up in small talk wherein she would make a very bad figure, or, enter the castle’s main building by a side door instead, where she could easily get lost. Not to forget that probably, there were some very important nobles trotting around who could have use for a pony of the reporting service too.

“Mhh…” she made while her gaze shifted between the the two paths real quickly.
When she reached the crossroads, she hadn’t made a decision. Still she had to keep her pace to not raise suspicion, so she let her instinct decide and took the right path into the main building.

As luck had it sometimes, the door she reached at its end was open, but lead right into the storage area of the castle’s kitchen. Considering how often deliveries of fresh food arrived, it made sense to place it here, Snowy however didn’t benefit from this.

“Is a courier allowed to roam around in the kitchen?” she wondered. “Or should I turn around and try my luck with the other way?”

She was about to turn around, but hesitated again. If one of the ponies who had seen her taking the way to the kitchen now saw her leaving all of the sudden, they might wonder why.

“Would they even notice at all?” Unsure, Snowy first turned back, then again towards the crossroad and back to the kitchen. “Maybe they would and will ask me about it.” She flinched her ears, looking back. “Or am I just getting paranoid?”

“Hello, Fast Word.”

Snowy jumped a bit while her heart skipped a beat.

“Easy there,” a lemon yellow earth pony mare stood in the door, giggling. “Seems you are a bit jumpy today, Fast Word.”

“Uhm,” Snowy put a hoof on her chest and tried to fake a smile while she calmed down, “you shouldn’t sneak up on ponies, you may scare them.”

“You are just a little scaredy cat.” The mare waved off with a smile. She moved over the threshold and stopped in front of her. “So, what brings you here at this time of day? I thought your shift was already over.”

“Uhm… I… “

“You wanted to sneak into the kitchen and get ahold of some of the cake leftovers from dinner, right?” She lifted both eyebrows and gave him an accusing while still smiling look.

“Uhm, hehe, yes, you got me, hehe.” In attempt to look abashed, Snowy rubbed her foreleg before she remembered the advice from Cool Air and rubbed her neck instead.

“You are not only a scaredy cat, you’re also a sweet-toothed pony, Fast Word.” The mare shook her head, luckily her smile stayed. “Alright,” she pointed into the storage area with her head, “come in.” She trotted back into the building, but stopped a few steps later. “But don’t let the chef see you!” she said sternly and poked “Fast Word” in the chest. “I don’t want to get in trouble because of you.”

“I will do my best,” Snowy promised. “If I can, I will avoid being seen by anypony.”

“Good,” the yellow mare said and cantered over to the first door on the left. “Here,” she trotted in and picked up a box full of vegetables, “since you are following me, you can make yourself useful while you do so.” And with these words she pressed the box against Snowy’s chest.

“Oh, of course.” Snowy grabbed the box and placed it on her back. “Just let us hurry a bit, you know, the chef shouldn’t see me.”

“Alright, you can go on ahead, I will follow when I have gathered the eggs and a few other things.” She grabbed a little basket and started to do as she said. “The cake is on the table in the servants’ break room, but don’t forget to drop the box in the kitchen for me first, just place it next to the chopping board.”
“Will do,” Snowy replied with far more confidence in her voice than she really felt. She passed by the storage room and stood right in front of the next problem. She had no clue where the kitchen or the break room were and before her, the way forked already.

Peaking into the left and also into the right corridor, she just shrugged and took the left one. In the end, somehow, one way will lead into one of the main corridors of the castle.

“Hey!” the angry voice of the mare sounded from behind her. “First the work, then the cake, Fast Word! I knew you would go straight for the cake, you rascal!”

Snowy looked back with an apologetic smile. The head of the other mare peeked from behind the corner, throwing an angry look at her.

“Would you believe me if I told you I have no clue were the kitchen is?” Snowy asked.

“Don’t even try to lie to me!” A yellow hoof showed up and pointed into the other corridor. “Move your flank to the kitchen and don’t let me catch you trying to sneak away again!”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Better for you.” The mare vanished into the storage room again.

“Phew, she really has a temperament, I should see that I get rid of this box and leave this area of the castle as soon as possible. I have other things to do than eating cake.”

At least she had the direction of the kitchen now. Without any other incidents, she moved towards it, following blindly in the direction the other mare gave her, till her nose told her the way. Canterlot already smelled good in her opinion, but it was nothing compared to the smells that seeped out of the kitchen.

As if by themselves, her legs dragged her forward now, even if she wasn’t hungry, that smell lurked her in and it was highly possible that there was a connection between the main corridors and the kitchen. That was what she calmed her conscience with at least, while she put her hoof on the wooden door and pushed it further open.

She was greeted by the warm light, flooding out of the kitchen caused by the big fires under the three, two-pony high cooking pots. Whatever soup there was cooked, it smelled wonderfully. She stepped in and her gaze wandered around between all this culinary delights and fruits from all over Equestria and beyond. The room was filled with colours, from nearly every wall, cabinet or cupboard hung a bunch of herbs or spices, filling the air not only with their smell, but also making the room look homely.

Snowy placed the box of vegetables on one of the workplaces and moved her head over to the nearest bunch of herbs. She didn’t know what this one was, but when she moved her nose close to it and sniffed, she really wanted to take a bite out of it.

“I don’t have time for this…” her conscience reminded her. With regret she pulled her head back and scanned her surroundings a little more. Four doors were leading out, the one she came through, two on the other side of the kitchen and one the side opposite to the cooking pots.

Taking another deep breath, followed by a lick over her lips, Snowy moved on. She made her way past the many little tables and kitchen cabinets, over to one of the two doors that shared a wall. She was nearly there when something caught her attention again. It was a small blue flower, which peaked out of a stack of vanilla seed pods on one of the tables. The flower itself was interesting with all its small blossoms and pink tiny stalks that sprung out of the main stalk, but what really catched Snowy’s attention was the thick and heavy smell that hung in the air around it and covered all the other smells.

It took just a few sniffs and she felt dizzy all of the sudden. She shook her head, but it didn’t help. And when she breathed another time, her mind felt like it was covered in soft and comforting wool.

“What… is… this…?” she thought, but her mind already drifted away. She started to stagger, her legs felt like pudding and her vision blurred. She blinked. She blinked again and the flower was now right before her. For a second a voice in her head asked why she suddenly stood before it, but it was far in the background and vanished in a split second again.

Without her intention, her head moved forward, her lips opened and she took a big bite from the flower, ripping off nearly a half of it.

“Candy,” the small voice in her head said, “tastes like candy.”

Before she could swallow the bite, unexpectedly her nose started to itch. With fascination, Snowy watched it turning orange. “Funny…” But it didn’t stop there, the orange colour spread, taking over her snout more and more, moving over her skin, first slowly, then faster and faster. She sneezed, spitting out the flower, and noticed the ground was getting closer. She sneezed again, stepping backwards and again she sneezed, with more force this time. She bumped into a table, tipping it over and with loud clatter, everything on it fell to the ground. The few fruits and vegetables just rolled around more or less silently, but the dishes really made some noise.

“Hey!” somepony shouted from behind the two doors. “What is going on in there?”

A few other voices raised too and the little voice in Snowy’s head thought that this could be a problem really soon. In the moment however, she had to fight with a coughing fit that had followed the sneezing, her throat felt like it was filled with sawdust. Uncontrolled, she swung her wings and flew backwards till she got stopped by the fireplace and the cooking pots on it, ramming a few of the cupboards on her way. One fell of its holder and crushed into the sink below. The little voice told her to stop flying and get out of the kitchen instantly. With her mind becoming clearer again with every second, she agreed.

She suppressed the coughing as much as she could and threw a look at the mess she had caused. “Ohhhh…” she thought.

“What the hay are you doing?” the mare who had let her in was to hear from the corridor, obviously she was galloping towards the kitchen.

Now Snowy came fully to her senses again, panicked, she shot a look at her again orange coat and another to the mess and the half-eaten up evil flower. She had to get out of here! Her gaze flew around, both sides were blocked and the door on the other side of the room too far away. Only a few seconds till the ponies would reach the kitchen: an angry shout from the stallion and his comrades behind the two doors made that obvious. Without any more hesitation she jumped into the next best hiding place she could find.

*

The door to the kitchen was smashed open and the kitchen chef burst in, followed by a few members of his staff and also one night guard, who still had a little piece of cake clinging to his cheek.

When the chef saw the mess in the kitchen, his face first turned red and then he burst into flames like only unicorns were able to. “Who did this!” he shouted with his strong and loudvoice, which he gained by years of yelling at his subordinate. The mare who let ‘Fast Word’ in galloped through the opposite door in the same moment.

“Flower Bouquet!” The attention of the chef focused on her. “What did you do?” It wasn’t really a question.

“I…” Flower Bouquet looked around for a moment to realise what mess the kitchen had become.

“What did you do!”

“I did nothing,” she took another look around, “I was fetching some stuff from the storage room. I just ran back when I heard the sound from here.”

“And all this mess happened by itself, huh?” He stepped towards her. “Or what explanation do you have?” He pointed at the chaos. “You were supposed to watch over this place, not mess it up!”

“Uhm, sir,” the member of the Night Guard spoke, “she couldn’t have done this.”

Angry, the chef turned around to him. “And why not?” he yelled at the guard.

The look the guard stallion gave him back did a good job at calming him down. Even in his own territory, he didn’t want to mess with a member of the Guard, so his next sentence was a lot more polite.

“I mean,” he cleared his throat, “what makes you think so?”

The guard pushed away a few kitchen helpers and moved a little closer to the center of the mess. “First, the center of this mess is close to the door we came through, while she,” he pointed at her, “came from the other direction than we did and was therefore farther away from this mess than we were. I doubt she could be so quick, that she not only was able to leave this room before we arrived, but also managed to gain a good distance from this room so that she was able to enter in galloping speed.”

“That is only guessing,” the chef said.

“Hmm,” the guard agreed, “furthermore and that is the main evidence, look at her.”

The ponies did as they were told.

“She is too small to reach the upper cupboards and throw them down without climbing on the workplaces or a stool, which would need even more time and she doesn’t have wings.” Now the guard flew up himself and pointed at one of the upper cupboards that was still in place. “And this,” his hoof stopped before a tray of smudged ingredients that slowly slid down the door of the cupboard, “is clearly caused by some pegasus wings, you can see it at the way it is placed.”

Flower Bouquet let out a sigh of relief, not only because she was proved innocent now, but also because Fast Word was absolved of guilt too.

“But when she didn’t do it,” a blue mare out of the group asked, “and we neither, who was it then?”

“That is the question,” the guard answered, “somepony else must have been here, leaving the room through that door over there.” He pointed at the fourth door.

“Impossible, that door leads only to the storage room for the pots and pans and other kitchen utensils, there is no exit,” the chef said.

“In that case, the one who caused this is either in that room, or is hiding in this one.” The guard took one of the pans, a really heavy, iron one and moved over to the door. “I will check the storage room, while you search here.” He raised the pan, shifting it in his hoof a bit till he got a good grip and, ready to strike, he pushed the door to the storage room open.

“Come out with raised hooves or I will come in and get you out by force!” the guard demanded, looking into the dark room. With a few seconds passing by and nothing happening, he asked for a candle. One of the mares ignited one at the fire and offered it to him.

“No, just hold it up so I can see, if there is somepony, I better keep this pan ready.”

She did as told and stood close to him, they stepped forward into the room, looking out for anypony that could show up. He with his raised pan, she with the candle. There was nopony, just the mentioned kitchen stuff.

“It seems whoever we seek is not here, as long they are bigger than a mouse.” The guard lowered the pan and let his gaze move around. There was no place big enough to even hide a filly. “So much for this room. In this case,” he turned around and gestured for the mare to follow, “whoever caused this mess must still be in the kitchen.”

“What if it was a ghost?” one of the stallions of the staff asked.

“There is no such thing as ghosts, Deep Ditch,” Flower Bouquet lectured him. “Especially not in our kitchen!” She closed one of the cabinets she had looked into a bit louder than necessary.

“Whoever it was, there are not so many spots to hide in here,” the guard said.

Indeed, it took them only a minute to look everywhere; where at least a filly was able to hide in or under. Into every cabinet, every chest and even under every tablecloth they looked, no sign of anypony.

“That can’t be! It must have been a ghost then!” Deep Ditch said.

“Stop that nonsense. There are no ghosts in here,” the chef rebuked him. “There must be another explanation.” But his words didn’t have the desired effect, not only was Deep Ditch still worried, the most of the other kitchen helpers threw worried looks around.

“That is indeed strange,” the guard confessed. “Flower Bouquet…”

“Yes?”

“Have you seen anypony else down here, except for the ones that should be here?”

“Uhmmm… “

The guard raised an eyebrow.

“If you have seen somepony, tell us now!” the kitchen chef demanded.

Flower Bouquet looked down and rubbed her leg. “The only one I saw who doesn't belong here is Fast Word. He came to the door and asked me for a bit of cake from dinner today, so I let him in.” She looked up again, “he carried this box for me,” she pointed at it. “He had been here, but, since we didn’t find him now, I guess he just placed it there and left for the cake.”

“What did I told you about letting other ponies into the kitchen?” the chef scolded her. “That will have consequences, Flower Bouquet!”

The mare shrunk under his words, but the guard raised his hoof and stopped the chef from speaking further. “Fast Word?” he asked. “The courier of the messenger service, that Fast Word?”

Flower Bouquet nodded, ashamed.

“You tell us, Fast Word, the earth pony courier, came through the outer door a few minutes ago and asked you for cake. Is that right?” the guard repeated.

Another nod.

“What is the problem with it?” the kitchen chef asked. “As an earth pony, Fast Word couldn’t have done this as you told us yourself . He isn’t a unicorn either, so he couldn’t have magically arranged all this. Also,” the chef rubbed his muzzle, “I confess you guys from the guard are maybe not the nicest, but always full of integrity. Hardly I would believe he would have done this, even if he could. No offense.”

“None taken,” said the guard. “The thing is, Fast Word was on his way to the Captain’s office when I saw him last time and this was maybe five minutes ago. Shorty before I entered the dining hall. No way he turned around, left the castle and re-entered through the storage room door with Flower Bouquet a few minutes ago.”

“I swear to Princess Celestia, I saw him, I even talked to him.” Flower Bouquet instantly assured them. “Just a few minutes ago, right there in the storage room at the end of the hall.” She pointed hectically to it.

Nopony said it, but a shiver ran down their spines.

***

Author's Note:

* There was a long discussion with my editor and pre-readers about this word. I had written hoofsome, but they thought handsome would be better and I shouldn't overthink/ponifie things.
Also there was a longer discussion about this in the writers group
The suggestion '"My my you're looking herd worthy tonight"' by PheonixTV really sounded interesting and I suggested it to my editor but she told me not many people would get it without context and lore to it.