//------------------------------//
// The First Contest! 
// Story: The Great Wubtub 
// by The Great Wub Tub 
//------------------------------//

        Vinyl Scratch stood in front of the full body mirror in Octavia’s bedroom, her clothes discarded in a heap behind her, while she observed the ‘progress’ that she’d been making over the past few weeks. Octavia had been very strict about stick to the program, a fast on one day of the week, followed by a feast, and the rest of the week was spent with Vinyl being encouraged to snack, munch, and eat foods of the higher calorie, while not doing too much to actually burn those calories off. 
        All their hard work was beginning to make a visible effect as well, Vinyl idly playing with the bag of softness that grew out from her once thin as a board stomach. From nothing, the mare now sported a soft, white pot belly, the doughy flesh of moderate size, enough to force shirts to ride up if Vinyl didn’t keep them in check. Beyond that, a soft layer of plumpness had grown onto the mare’s rump, her hips, and even her thighs. Just enough that if someone was to give it a smack, the flesh could actually ripple now. Judging from how grabby Octavia’s hands had become on walk bys, Vinyl could tell that her special somepony was enjoying the added curves to her beloved. 
        Vinyl’s hands idly patted on her stomach, watching the white flesh rippling out with the pats, a focused expression on her face. She couldn’t help but feel a little bit odd about the whole thing. She was meant to become covered in this stuff, from head to hoof. Vinyl placed her hands under her pot belly, lifting it to get a better feel for the weight of it, before swiftly removing her hands and watching the fat resettle, jostling from the effects of gravity. Her whole body, capable of that ripple, covered in that weight. Idly, Vinyl’s thoughts drifted to what if she could master the ripple? What feats could she reach then? Probably just showing off fat for Octavia. The mare gave a slight snicker, before going back to the problem at hand. Clothing!
        Vinyl walked out of Octavia’s room, hands folded behind her head, wearing a white T-Shirt with paint splatter graphic on it, made to look like her stage name, along with a hoody and some baggy pants. At least, these clothes had been baggy a few weeks ago. She stepped in towards the kitchen area, finding Octavia to be busy preparing a pot of tea, while Show Time was seated at the table, drumming her fingers on the table top. The manager pony perked up at the sight of Vinyl, sitting up and smiling.
        “So what if your old landlord kicked you out? The guy was a jerk anyway! Octavia’s place is a hundred times better, and I’m sure you can find someplace even better if we just look! Cheaper, too.” Show Time grinned up at Vinyl, who suddenly dropped her ears against her head, cheerful expression turning sour at the memories of just yesterday, memories that she’d been trying to forget about with Octavia.

***

        “Sorry miss Scratch, but to stay in business, a stallion such as myself must stay with the times, and stay on his hooves. I can’t start taking pity payments IOUs now. What would family back in the homeland say if they saw me going soft? You have until the end of the day to move out your stuff, or I have cousins move it out for you...Or, if you like, I suppose I could take some of that fancy sound equipment off of your hands in substitution of payment. My daughter has been looking to get into the music business, Bubblegum Pop is true inspiration! Besides, according to TV and all the music, you’re not putting the music to very good use lately!”

***

        Vinyl could still hear the thick laughter of Mr. Stripes in her head, taunting and toying with her. Show Time was still nervously smiling, before the hot pot of tea was gingerly set on top of the hand she’d been drumming the table with. The manager yelped out loudly, before Octavia lifted the pot, face giving Show Time an annoyed look. 
        “Oops, clumsy me! I should really watch what I’m doing more carefully.” Octavia said, before setting the teapot in the middle of the table, before turning to fetch the teacups.
        “Subtle.” Show Time grumbled, rubbing at her burnt hand and magicing over a dishrag to wrap around her hand, while Vinyl took her seat at the table, letting out another sigh. She knew that Show Time meant well, but sometimes, that mare could be thick.
        “I have already made it perfectly clear, Vinyl can stay with me for as long as she needs. We’ve been talking about moving in together for months, after all. This was just the push we needed to get it done. I’m sure that lovely cottage at the edge of Ponyville can wait a little while longer, for this mess to sort itself out.” Octavia nodded, returning to the table and setting out three tea cups, along with a bowl for sugar cubes, along with a small pitcher of milk and cream, before finally pulling out her own chair and sitting down. “I’d still like to go over there and give that Mr. Stripes a nice, cordial chat…” Octavia mumbled.
        Vinyl lifted the pot with her magic first, pouring a cup for herself, before setting the pot down. The mare began to idly drop a few cubes of sugar into the cup, before starting to stir and just...thinking on her current predicament. Sure, the effort of her putting on weight was going at a decent rate, but her music had come to a bit of a standstill besides her daily practices. She glanced towards Show Time, who was in the process of pouring her own tea.
        “Soooo...any business offers, Showy?” Vinyl suddenly asked, making Show Time give a slight jump, just barely avoiding to get some of the hot tea on herself, before she set down the teapot and chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of her neck and looking at Vinyl. She glanced between Octavia, and Vinyl, before finally just giving a small sigh.
        “Nope, sorry kiddo. I mean, Octavia’s gotten a few concert halls pining for her, but you…” Show Time frowned, Vinyl Scratch giving a small groan and curling up slightly in the chair, lifting her tea up to idly sip. Things were worse off than she anticipated. How in the world was she going to make her comeback in the music industry, rebranding or not, if no clubs wanted her to play at them!? Vinyl groaned a bit, while Octavia pressed her mouth into a line on her side of the table. The grey mare poured her own cup of tea before walking off.
        The pair of ponies watched after Octavia, sipping their own cups of tea, Vinyl finding some comfort in the sweetness she’d achieved, before Octavia finally returned and unfurled a poster in front of them. Vinyl and Show Time gasped at the sight of it, eyes widening. It was perfect, almost too good to be true really, the pair glancing to each other, Octavia, and back to the poster again.
        “Do you really think this is legit? That it can, ya know, work?” Vinyl grinned, Octavia just smirking to the pair of them.
        “We’ll never know until we try, now won’t we? Finish your tea. I wanted to wait for that, but I always intended to go today. You’re coming too, Show Time. They need a three pony band, and Lyra is unavailable, and my ensemble is in Canterlot.” Octavia commanded, Show Time raising her hands submissively.
        “Hey, if this thing is the real deal, that means I’ll get in on it too, and I might be a manager now, but I can still play with you two goofs.” Show Time grinned, before all three of them went back to looking at the poster Octavia was holding up. ‘For one night only, enter into a battle of the bands at Mighty Meals and Music Buffet. The winner earns not only free admission for life, but their place on the wall of fame, and even a cash prize, in celebration of so many successful years of business.’. The trio were musical masters in their own right. They had this in the bag.
        “W-What do you mean you’re only taking a SPECIFIC kind of music?” Octavia asked, placing her hands on the table in front of her, glaring at the receptionist, who was raising the sign ups clipboard to hide behind, till only her eyes were peeking over it. Not that she could be blamed, Octavia’s face was not pleased, not in the least. Show Time and Vinyl Scratch stood back, letting Octavia do the heavy lifting for the time being. She was better at being a verbal hammer than either of them.
“W-Well, Mr. Mighty Meal decided that if certain restrictions were placed, the judging might become unfair, and that we should have the easiest kind of music to judge. Guitar, bass, and drums…” The receptionist said, Octavia straightening away from her, before giving a huff, and turning to walk towards the other two.
“Well, that was an utter waste…” Octavia grumbled, Show Time cocking her head at the other mare. 
“Um...You’re not seriously thinking about giving up now, are you? I mean, come on! Music is music, isn’t it? We can still totally win this! A bass guitar is still played in Bass Clef, just like the cello, and I can handle the guitar!” Show Time said, Octavia frowning a bit more, tapping her hoof. She opened her mouth to speak, before being suddenly cut off.
“I can play the drums. It’s all about beat, right? I can make that work.” Vinyl suddenly interjected, the other two turning to look at the mare. 
“Are you sure, Scratchy?” Octavia asked, before Vinyl simply grinned, and gave a firm nod of her head. 
“Alright then! I’ll go sign us up! I have the perfect name if we want to stay a little incognito.” Show Time grinned, before the trio began to approach the receptionist table, their spirits reignited. “Yeah, I’d like our group to sign up. The No Names.” Show Time smirked, feeling quite clever about her name choice.
“Um. The No Names is already taken.” The receptionist said, Show Time’s jaw dropping. The mare behind the table pointed, and the trio’s heads turned to spot another trio of ponies, the tops of their heads bandaged up to hide their eyes, busy getting ready for the competition. “Here’s a list of all the taken names…” The receptionist said, before turning the clipboard to face the trio. Names like The Guards, The What, Sabers and Violets, Organicae Inferority, Foals to Midland, and more were all taken.
“Well, buck…Now I’m out of ideas.” Show Time grumbled, Octavia giving out a small groan. 
“We could just be The Scratch.” Vinyl spoke up, peeking from between the pair of them, who both turned to Vinyl. 
“Well, I mean, it certainly isn’t a bad name!” Show Time grinned.
“Better than our previous name, without a doubt.” Octavia smirked, getting a prompt glare, before they all turned back to the receptionist and gave nods. “We’ll be The Scratch!” 
“Oh, great! Please go find a seat and wait for me to call your name. The competition is about to begin!” The receptionist said, the trio turning to go and find a seat, and discuss battle plans for the competition, as in who would sing, what to play, the works. Hopes were high, and anticipation was even higher. All they had to do was wait for their name to be called. Octavia thought of their picture on the wall of fame. Show Time thought of the cash prize. Vinyl? Surprisingly enough, she found her thoughts drifting to that buffet, her stomach gurgling idly. They’d forgotten to have a good breakfast!

***

        “We were waiting a solid hour, and all we figured out was that I should be the one singing!?” Octavia snapped at the other two, the trio of them on the stage, the curtain shut. Both Show Time and Vinyl just shrugged from their spots, 
        “You set the tone, and we’ll just follow your lead! Simple, right?” Show Time smiled, thought it was clear from her expression, she almost expected Octavia to turn and hit her over the head with that bass guitar. Given the mare’s past actions, it wasn’t too far of a stretch to believe, either. 
        “You can do it, babe! If anyone can make this work, it’s you.” Vinyl piped up from her spot at the drums, even giving Octavia some finger guns. The cellist turned and smiled sweetly at her love, blowing a quick kiss, before turning forward, the curtain beginning to be drawn back to expose the crowd. The restaurant was surprisingly packed, a large hustle and bustle of activity, servers darting about while ponies sat at tables and ate. In the back, a large buffet almost glowed in the dim light of the restaurant, Vinyl’s stomach giving a small gurgle. Octavia looked over the gathered crowd, before taking a deep breath. Set the tone, right.
        “Shut up and listen, swine!” Octavia declared to the mic, before Octavia just dove into the music. Vinyl and Show Time swiftly followed suit, the trio of them just pouring into the music like they would any other professional piece of music, in front of any other crowd of fans. In their hearts, they could feel it. They were already a shoo in to win this! They were professions, after all! 
        “I can’t believe we lost…” Octavia sighed, head in her hands, the trio of them seated at a table in the far corner of the restaurant, as one of the bands, Squishing Squash, performed their encore for their victory. 
        “Maybe if somepony hadn’t decided to call them swine…” Show Time grumbled, before the pair cast glares one another’s way. Before either of them could get into a proper blame game, Vinyl just leaned back in her chair and groaned, her pot belly declaring it’s hunger. Show Time frowned, before moving to get up. “I’ll go get us some food. It’s the least we can do, dragging ya out here.”
“Um, excuse me.” before Show Time could go anywhere, the pony from the sign ups approached the trio’s table, hands folded behind her back. “It seems that, um, well, the posters gave a little bit of misinformation...One band doesn’t win all three items. Three bands actually get to choose what they want. In order from first place to third. The cash prize and the wall of fame spot have already been claimed, so…You can put together the rest.” The receptionist spoke, before Vinyl was suddenly on her hooves, hands on the table and eyes wide.
“So that means we won the free buffet access for life!?” Vinyl asked, her stomach giving another gurgle, as if to ask the same question. The receptionist squeaked timidly, before offering the DJ an enclosed envelope. Vinyl reached out and took it from her hands, before ripping open the top, and taking out what was inside. It was three plastic looking credit cards, with Mighty Meals and Music’s logo on the front, with the text ‘Free Buffet Life Pass’ on it.Vinyl stared for a few moments, salivating slightly, before slapping down the other two. “I am going to get my victory food!” She beamed, before turning on her hoof and sprinting towards the buffet.
While piling up her plate, Vinyl’s concentration was suddenly broken by the sound of a small voice.
“DJ Pon3?” A voice asked, Vinyl turning her head to see that it was a plump filly, a mare standing a few steps behind her obviously being her mother. The alabaster DJ glanced about, before turning and crouching to look at the filly. Vinyl was never the best with fan interaction, which had been part of her problem. Hell, for the longest time, she was mute to the outside world. Yet, she felt she could tackle one little filly.
“Uh, how can I help you, little miss?” Vinyl asked, rubbing the back of her neck, while the filly took a few steps closer, not looking at Scratch herself, but more of looking at what Vinyl was sporting on her torso. 
“O-Oh, I was, um, wondering if you could maybe...autograph something, and, um, answer a question?” The filly asked, offering a picture of Vinyl, and a pen. Vinyl blinked a few times, before shrugging, and taking the pair of items.
“Sure, kid, shoot.” Vinyl said, before getting started on writing her autograph. “Oh, and who am I making this out to?” 
“Oh! I’m Night Bright! I was just wondering...are you pregnant?” The filly asked. Vinyl froze, eyes growing wide.
“Night Bright!” The filly’s mother began, before Vinyl just shook her head, giving a small chuckle.
“No, no, it’s fine…” She began, before turning back to Night Bright, and handing her the pen and picture back. “No, Nighty, I’m not pregnant. I’m getting fat.” Vinyl winked, before the filly stared at her, eyes wide.
“Why would you wanna do a thing like that!?” Night Bright asked, Vinyl standing up and reaching to muss the filly’s mane a bit.
“Because, I’ve decided I wanna support all the plus sized mares and fillies of the world, and I can’t quite do that while I’m a stick, now can I?” Vinyl asked with a smirk. Night Bright’s eyes seemed to glow with wonder, while Vinyl just picked up her plate, chuckling. “Have a nice meal!” She declared, before making her way back towards the table. If she glanced back towards the pair, she’d see the filly hugging the picture to herself.
“What was that all about?” Show Time asked, when the trio were finally all seated back at the table, Vinyl Scratch working on shoveling the food into her maw, her stomach only now beginning to be filled, and silence it’s eager rumblings.
“Oh, uh, a filly wanted my autograph, and wanted to know if I was pregnant. I told her the inside scoop.” Vinyl nodded, Show Time just staring at the other mare.
“And you gave out your autograph for free!?” Show Time said, before Octavia shoved the other mare’s seat over, Show Time yelping from the ground. Octavia idly reached over with a napkin, and wiped up any food debris on Vinyl’s face, before beginning to speak.
“I was actually hoping to ask you, Vinyl, how do you feel? About your new body and our goals? I know it’s a big change, and over the course these weeks, I haven’t been able to really ask.” Octavia smiled, while Vinyl leaned back in her chair, tapping at her chin, idly wondering how she did feel about this. The mare was silent for a few moments, her friends just staring at her, before Vinyl smiled, the image of the filly, and her excitement popping into her head.
“Actually? I feel pretty good! If anything, I’m not getting to the ideal weight fast enough!”