The tolling of the bells from the clock tower registered clearly in the ears of the two occupants inside Canterlot Carousel: Rarity and Sassy Saddles. Both counted the clanging chimes in their head and both arrived at the same number: Eight. That meant one thing and both unicorns knew it. It was the end of another working day, Canterlot Carousel was now officially closed.

It still struck Rarity as odd to have to do this. But when Sassy had informed her boss that she was now working a second job that started exactly at eight thirty every evening, and that she would need time to travel across town for it, Rarity had obliged the request. She herself knew what it was like to have two jobs ever since she'd become a professor at Twilight's School of Friendship.

Oh well, it couldn't be helped. Work was work and Canterlot Carousel still made more than enough money even with the reduced hours.

"Well, Sassy, I wish you another night of productive work at your other job," Rarity called out to her business partner as she waved a hoof. "I shall leaving closing detail to you, for my help is needed back in Ponyville. Twilight wants to begin discussion of the lesson plans for the next semester."

Sassy simply called back to her boss. "No worries, Rarity. I assure you that I once again have everything well in hoof. Canterlot Carousel shall remain as you leave it now."

The young fashionista allowed herself to smile. And with that she trotted out the front door, the jingling bell signaling her departure for the evening.

And that meant Sassy Saddles was finally alone once again. "Good." She thought as the unicorn mare with a beautiful coat of pale, light grayish-cerulean breathed a sigh of relief. This was a secret she had gone to great lengths to keep hidden, a secret that would surely destroy her reputation if were ever to be exposed.

Fortunately, being a cautious pony meant that Sassy took every precaution to ensure she couldn't be caught. Her brilliant orange eyes scanned every inch of the boutique from top to bottom and from left to right. She was indeed alone, there was not a pony or other creature to be seen. Rarity had just left for the evening and wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning at nine. And best of all, the streets immediately surrounding the boutique were currently void of passing ponies (and thus wandering eyes that might see what was not meant to be seen).

Prancing about like a giddy school filly, Sassy struggled to contain her excitement. Her job did indeed start at eight thirty sharp, but the distance was thankfully much shorter than she had actually claimed it to be. This meant she would have adequate time to put on the appropriate attire for her second job. She still couldn't believe how easy it had been to smuggle it into the boutique after hours and store it where Rarity wouldn't think to look.

So it was that Sassy gingerly skipped along to the back dressing room with a bright grin plastered on her face that she couldn't remove even if she wanted to. Known only to her, was a secret compartment on the very top shelf in that room. And only her magic could open or close it (courtesy of a spell she had taught herself for just such a purpose). The unicorn knew she'd have to be quick though, lest she be late for work. Fortunately, she was practiced in dressing and undressing herself as needed. "It shan't take more than a minute or two to put it on." She convinced herself. Yet in her haste to change her wardrobe, the mare forgot all about locking the door.

And that was a big mistake that would soon come back to haunt her.

Rarity came trotting back into the boutique, unaware of the discovery that she was soon to make. "Goodness, how could I forget to take my saddle bag with me?" She complained to herself. "Honestly, Rarity, you're far better than that. Without your saddle bag, all those carefully crafted dress plans would go to waste."

Hopefully there was still time to catch Sassy Saddles, for Rarity hadn't seen her business partner on the trip back to the boutique. So that had to mean Sassy hadn't left yet.

Though that struck the fashionista with a snow white coat as odd. Shouldn't Sassy already be on her way? Her second job wasn't for another twenty five minutes or so, but she still needed to get across town fast just to make it on time. Had Sassy maybe been called off?

"Thoughts for another time and place, Rarity. Focus on the task at hoof!" The fashionista mentally pep talked herself. "You left that saddle bag around here somewhere. Now where is it?!"

A quick glance around told the mare that it was nowhere within the immediate vicinity of her current location. And she could distinctly remember not going upstairs once that day. And she also knew that she'd had her saddle bag on her when she had come into to the boutique that very morning.

So it had to be in her workshop adjacent to the dressing room in the back (she didn't want to think of the alternative, that someone had stolen it).

Indeed that is where it was. But upon exiting her workshop, Rarity's wandering eyes just happened to notice the door to the back dressing room was open. And was it her imagination, or could her trained ears pick up the ever so muffled sound of crinkles?

Her curiosity getting the better of her, the fashionista decided to tiphoof over to the room and check for the source of the noise.

Upon entering the back dressing room, Rarity's beautiful blue eyes quickly fell upon a sight that she would've never expected to have seen in a million years.

In front of her stood the familiar tall (and somewhat lean) form of Sassy Saddles, even down to that lovely shaded mane and tail. But there was something noticeably different about the unicorn, or rather two somethings.

The first (and obvious) was that Sassy had inexplicably removed her signature black dress that Rarity had always seen her wearing. Said dress was set aside, resting on a nearby rack and carefully folded. The second was what really commanded attention though. For with the dress being absent it was easy to see an easily recognizable undergarment taped to Sassy's rump. It was a somewhat thick, slightly poofy diaper, clearly intended for a fully grown mare considering it fit its current host with no problems.

Unlike diapers Rarity had seen prior though (which were all the same white in color), this one was a stunning sapphire blue in color with a light blue leak guard poking out in the front. On the diaper itself, blue stars were printed all over alongside a yellow crescent moon on the seat and a yellow sun just above and below the leg holes. The whole thing was held up by light purple tapes, rendering the entire object easily recognizable.

Sassy was stricken with horror! She tried in vain to swish her tail around and try to block view of the undergarment, knowing full well it was futile! "R-Rarity!" She stuttered. Any and all confidence she might have had was gone, replaced with a level of anxiety so high the mare actually wished she had a pacifier (or something similar) to suckle on to calm her down.

It took the fashionista quite a while to find the words she wanted to say, and her tone of voice indicated that she was still trying to process the sight that had greeted her eyes. "Sassy, is that a d... d..." For a moment she too stumbled, before blurting out the obvious question. "Is that a diaper?!"

"What?! Um, n-no!" Sassy lied as her teeth began to audibly chatter in fear! "It's something... completely different! A top secret fashion trend, so secret that even you didn't know about it!"

Rarity arched an eyebrow upward, glaring at her business partner with a stare that could've turned even Discord to stone. "Darling, you can't possibly expect that to work on me, do you? If there was a top secret fashion trend, I would be the first to know. And I know what I saw, that is indeed a diaper you're wearing. A rather unique one at that, I was not aware they made ones in such varied colors," And then she turned on the third degree. "What I want to know is, what is it doing around your rump? And why have you removed your dress?"

The tall unicorn mare gulped, struggling just to stand upright with how much her knees wobbled. She hadn't felt this cornered since Rarity had told her she was shuddering Canterlot Carousel and discontinuing the princess dress, the very dress that had kept the boutique in business. "W-well, before you 'rightfully' terminate me over this, please allow me to explain." She began to confess, hoping that maybe the truth would at least allow her to part on decent terms with her soon to be ex-employer.

"Terminate? Who said anything about termination?" Rarity innocently replied as her entire demeanor seemed to change in an instant. "You must have a good reason as to why you would wear something so... Well, I actually don't how to describe it. I want to say 'peculiar' but I have seen far more irregular things than a grown-up in a stylized foal's diaper. I guess 'infantile' will have to do for now."

"Actually it's not a foal's diaper, although it does look like one," Sassy admitted as her cheeks flushed a bright shade of red. "It's a very finely crafted Silly Filly deluxe adult brand, custom ordered I might add. You can't simply buy this at a local foal store."

"My goodness, you seem to know a good deal about diapers and diaper brands!" The fashionista exclaimed with amazement. "Though that doesn't answer my question of why you wear it. Are you perhaps one of those unfortunate ponies who lack the ability to control their bodily functions?"

"Oh no no no! I am most certainly not incontinent if that's what you think!" Sassy protested with a shake of her head. "You're going to think it's silly and stupid, but I tell you it's true," With a gulp, she confessed. "You know that other job I got a couple of months back?"

The unicorn with a majestic white coat nodded. "Ah yes. It's why we settled on the schedule we now have," Then realization hit her like a bolt of lightning! "Wait a minute! Sassy, do you mean to tell me that your job requires you to wear that diaper?"

The tall unicorn confirmed her boss' suspicions with a nod. "Yes. I suppose now the cat's out of the bag so to speak. I am an adult foal model, one of the finest in all of Canterlot to boot too."

Rarity took the news of Sassy's secret occupation quite well, at least as far as Sassy was concerned. Sassy had expected her boss to yell and shout at the top of her voice, ranting on and on about how uncouth the whole thing was. Instead, Rarity seemed to just stand there with an expression on her face that was hard to judge. If not for the occasional blink of her eyes, Sassy might have thought she had rendered her boss paralyzed somehow.

All the same, the now discovered adult foal knew what was going to happen next. Rather than wait for it to happen she began to trot out of the dressing room, snatching up her black dress within the pale, light grayish-olive glow of her magic. All the while her diaper crinkled audibly with every step she took, reminding her of its presence. But she didn't have to change out of it. "Well, I at least hope that in spite of this 'discovery' working with you up to this point has been an honor, Rarity. Feel free to wish me luck in my future career options, probably as a full time model for adult foal attire."

Before Sassy had gotten far though, Rarity called out to her. "Sassy, just where do you think you're going?"

"You're obviously going to terminate me now that you know my secret. So I'm saving you the trouble." Sassy simply replied. Why was her boss making this all so complicated?

"Sassy, I haven't even mentioned termination once since I discovered this. Why would I want to terminate the mare with whom I've proudly co-managed Canterlot Carousel for a few years now?" Rarity questioned with the most sincere look on her face.

Sassy spun around, the sudden movement causing her diaper to compress and crinkle anew. "You're not mad at me for... this? It's not normal or natural."

The fashionista trotted over to Sassy and looked her square in the eyes. "And it's not normal for ponies to wear clothes, yet you proudly wear that dress of yours almost everywhere you go. This is in fact the first time I've ever seen you without it. Despite your current state of appearance, you're still the mare to whom I've entrusted care of Canterlot Carousel whenever I'm not present. Besides, everypony has their secrets. And who am I to judge you for something you do out of necessity for your other job?"

The tall and somewhat lean mare felt her lips quiver. "But that's the thing, I don't just wear them for work. Ever since I took up that adult foal modeling career, I've been wearing diapers like these far beyond what's necessary. I've even gone home in them and slept in them. Why would you want anything to do with a freak like me, who does things like that?"

"Sassy, you're not a freak and don't you ever say otherwise!" Rarity protested as she stomped a hoof down. "I may not necessarily agree with you being in such sized up undergarments and whatever else comes with it, but it doesn't seem to affect how you conduct yourself around here. This has been going on for a while now, has it not? Yet I haven't seen you once act like a foal within the confines of this boutique. Diaper or not, adult foal or not, you're still Sassy Saddles and you're still my business partner."

"You... really mean that, Rarity?" Sassy nervously questioned, a part of her still feared this might all be a ruse to get her to lower her guard. "You're really comfortable with... all of this?"

The fashionista smiled and proudly nodded. "If I wasn't, would we be having this conversation right now?"

That was enough to make Sassy realize that Rarity was indeed being sincere, and the adult foal finally allowed herself to relax. She carefully set her dress aside on the nearby counter, no longer feeling the need to cover up her clearly visible diaper.

Rarity motioned for Sassy to sit down, the adult foal obliging with only a little hesitation. For when she seated herself upon the floor her diaper crinkled once again, loudly enough for even Rarity to hear. Ordinarily the crinkling would having a calming effect on Sassy, helping her to relax and more easily slip into the mindset required of an adult foal model. But in this particular case it only served to remind her of the unease her boss still probably had.

"So, exactly how did you get involved in this whole 'adult foal' business, Sassy?" Rarity pondered as she sat down across from her fellow unicorn. "Prior to today I don't think I've even heard of the term."

A blush formed on Sassy's cheeks as she explained to the best of her ability. "It was quite by accident, actually. I was browsing through some magazines about half a year ago or so, and stumbled across an advertisement for models. I guess I didn't read all the way down or something, because when I signed up for it I had no idea that I'd committed myself to such a world as that of an adult foal."

"There's that word again, 'adult foal'," Rarity commented. "I'm guessing that refers to ponies like you who wear diapers even when you have no need for them."

"That is only half true, actually. Being an adult foal is so much more than just diapers," Sassy explained. "It's an entire underground market for grown ponies that wish to relive their foalhood. I'm talking things like onesies, pacifiers, rattles, baby bottles. Basically everything you'd associate with normal foals, but sized up for adults. Of course it's all done in secret, especially the modeling. Clients frequently opt to remain anonymous, only once or twice have I ever met a client face to face. And when I do I'm always sworn to secrecy too. These adult foals, regardless of who they are, never want word of their secret indulging to leak out."

The fashionista spoke not a word. She could well remember from the Gabby Gums incident in Ponyville how fast gossip could travel, and how easily it could ruin a pony's reputation even if it wasn't even the slightest bit true.

"Of course, I found out about all of this after the fact. I showed up to my first shoot thinking it was just going to be a normal one. You know, model some dresses and have a few pictures taken. Even when Photo Finish arrived and instructed the other models and I to 'get changed' I thought nothing of it." Sassy went on, recalling the experience as if it were only yesterday.

"I was not aware Photo Finish worked in this adult foal market." Rarity commented and then she thought to herself. "I wonder if some of the other fashion big shots I've worked with are part of it as well? I seem to remember there being a rumor about Sapphire Shores wearing diapers during her tours."

But Sassy shook her head and corrected her boss. "Oh, Photo Finish isn't involved at all. She's just there because her skills with a camera are second to none. She knows just how to bring out 'de magics' as she puts it. All she does is take the pictures, develop them, and send them out to the client. As she puts it: 'I make no judgements on ze nature of the client or ze nature of the request. I simply show up wherever I am needed, shoot what iz needed, then I go.'"

"So, if it was all an accident that you signed up to be one of these adult foal models, why did you go through with it?" Rarity questioned Sassy. "I would've simply explained my mistake and departed, after promising not to speak a word of my discovery of course. A lady never gossips."

"I suppose I felt an obligation to see it through," Sassy simply replied, not appearing to notice as her hooves subconsciously reached down to her diaper and started to poke at it. "I thought for sure I was going to hate it, but it actually wasn't so bad. Once you get used to it, the diaper is almost like having a pillow or a cushion tied around your rump. It's so soft, especially when you first put it on."

A gulp left the fashionista's lips as she proceeded to ask. "That brings me to something I've been dreading asking. You wear diapers, and clearly you take them off and on often if you know what they feel like. And since you're an adult foal, do you ever actually... you know?"

"Huh?" Sassy shot back a perplexed look for a moment, before she realized what Rarity was implying. "Oh satin and silk, no! Never in a million years! I always keep my diapers in pristine condition, thank you very much. There are other models for that. I happen to quite value my toilet training and have no desire to abandon it."

Rarity sighed in relief. "Good. I mean, I had a feeling you would never do such things anyway but I just wanted to be sure."

"I don't blame you for checking. Thankfully, there are plenty of models for whatever the client may want or need out of a shoot," Sassy explained. "We do all kinds of things. Sometimes it's simply posing in diapers, other times we get into more foalish things. There are occasions where I've been photoed whilst sleeping in a crib or being spoon fed in a high chair. Both of which are experiences that, like the modeling itself, took some getting used to. Photo Finish is always understanding though. She has a saying 'Ze first time is always ze hardest' and it's not hard to see why she says it."

"So, after the first shoot was over I assume you informed everypony of your intent to do it again?" Rarity wondered. "And it was because you'd come to like it so much?"

With a firm nod Sassy happily smiled. "Now you're getting it, Rarity. I couldn't believe it at first how much I enjoyed being an adult foal, how much I loved letting out a new side of myself. But it felt so good, it made me feel relaxed and young. So I did the only thing I could think of to keep it going, I volunteered to be a part-time model every evening possible. The trek across town was a cover story so that you wouldn't think it suspicious whenever I slipped away. But now I guess there's really no need for the false pretenses any longer."

"Indeed there isn't, Sassy," Rarity nodded. "And I suppose I've kept you here long enough. You should probably get going. I wouldn't want to make you late."

But Sassy had been keeping a careful eye on the time, it was something she had trained herself to do from the moment she had accepted the position of part-time adult foal model. "Oh, I won't be late. My other job isn't for another fifteen minutes or so, and it's not far of a walk from here."

"What are you implying, Sassy?" Rarity questioned. "Is there something you want me to do for you?"

"As a matter of fact there is." The adult foal admitted as she lit up her horn, floating over a small saddle bag and pulling out an object that was instantly recognizable to her boss.

"A baby bottle?" Rarity commented in confusion as she looked over the object. Yes, it was indeed a baby bottle. And it took her but a moment to realize what was being asked of her. "Oh, would you like me to heat you up a bottle? I don't think we have any milk."

Sassy simply replied. "There should still be some in that mini-fridge. You know how to heat up a bottle, right? I am pretty thirsty, you know."

The fashionista racked her brain, trying to recall if she did indeed know. And she did. It was a faintly preserved memory but she could remember heating up her younger sister's bottles when Sweetie Belle was just a foal. "Alright. One bottle of milk coming right up, little one. You just stay put."

A short time later, the soft blue glow of Rarity's magic held out a freshly prepared bottle of warm milk. "Oh Sassy," She called in a sing-song voice while shaking the bottle. "I have your bottle ready, come and get it!"

Sassy carefully trotted over to her boss. She didn't even mind that while doing so, her diaper gave her movements a slight waddle, while crinkling loudly for all to hear. She was just glad that her secret would remain a secret, and that she was not going to lose her other job. She would continue to live her double life, now with the full confidence that Rarity would help to cover for her.

The bottle was proof of that. And it was every bit as sweet tasting as the adult foal could've hoped for. She would've loved to lay in Rarity's lap and be fed the bottle, but there wasn't time for that. Besides, she wasn't sure if it would be wise to cross such boundaries with her boss just yet.

Still, a bottle was a bottle. And when the mare had sucked down every last drop, she let out a content belch. "Excuse me." She said with a giggle, as the rich taste of the milk worked its way down her tongue and into her stomach, making her feel nice and full.

After that, it was time for Sassy to leave. Applying her dress with little fanfare, she simply called. "Thank you, Rarity, for being so understanding about all of this. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, you just let me know, please."

"Details to be worked out at a later date and time, now get going!" Rarity ushered Sassy out the front door of the boutique, watching until her business partner disappeared over the horizon.