Fleur de Lis strutted down the stage aisle, hooves raised in her trademark regal strut. She kept her eyes closed to shield them from the onslaught of flashing cameras, but did little to hide her smile as the oohs and ahhs of the crowd filled her ears. Being Equestria's biggest supermodel, and therefore one of the most in-demand names in fashion, she was used to all the attention, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate every cheer and whistle from her admirers below.
Tonight the svelte unicorn was in Manehattan to show off the new summer line from Rarity, who was quickly becoming another in-demand name in fashion despite being newer to the scene. The outfit was a modestly revealing swimsuit, light blue with sapphires cut to look like fish scales, and a small yet fetching fin-like flap on the back. She called it Melodious Aqua, though some part of Fleur wished she called it What you Sea is What you Get, because by Celestia this outfit really left nothing to the imagination! She'd certainly worn more skimpier outfits in her career - mainly early on but hey, everypony starts somewhere - but she was just surprised at how Rarity, whose outfits were usually so grandiose and eye-catching, had asked her to show off an outfit so...minimalist.
"I was in an experimental mood, darling," she'd told Fleur, "plus with Princess Celestia promising a rather hot summer, it wouldn't do well to have everypony baking under layers and layers of fabric, hm?"
So there she was, underneath the stage lights with music blaring over the speakers to her walk down the aisle.
Now a little twirl to show off all angles. Ooh, that's a good pose. Raise the hoof a little more, there we go. And a little flick of the mane, the stallions go nuts for that one.
Cameras flashed faster and ponies cheered louder for Fleur's showing off, and she couldn't help but smirk to herself. She was playing this crowd like a fiddle.
And to seal the deal, a little flutter of the eyelashes. That's it everypony, eat it up. And maybe a little sway while I head back, for good measure.
As soon as Fleur went behind the curtain, she lowered her head and nearly collapsed on the floor right there. All the travelling and rehearsing leading up to this showcase had worn her out, and she was too exhausted to care who saw her falter backstage.
"Oh darling, that was magnificent!" Rarity squealed as she trotted up to the supermodel. "You had them eating out of your hoof! I can see it now, Melodious Aqua taking over every beach in Equestria!" She declared, dramatically pointing a hoof in a direction.
Fleur raised her head and managed to smile at the snow-white fashionista. "Glad I could provide, Rarity. I just need to go and-" she raised a hoof to her mouth and let out a quiet yawn, "-Pardon me. I need to go sit down, I've had a long day."
"Oh I completely understand," Rarity said with a nod. "Oh, you can go ahead and keep that outfit as a personal thank-you."
In truth, Fleur couldn't wait to finally be away from that thing, but she still appreciated the gesture. "Thank you, I'll be sure to wear it to the beach myself."
"Wonderful!" the designer chirped. "Now, I should see to the audience. No doubt I'll be getting plenty of orders thanks to you! Why don't you go and put your hooves up, you look exhausted."
"I will," she sighed, "thank you."
Rarity turned and trotted toward the audience, which was still chattering loudly beyond the curtain. Fleur kept her walk toward the other side, where her personal carriage was waiting. A white, slickly designed vehicle that Fancypants had bought for her on a whim one day. How she wished he was there right now, she could use somepony to lean on.
All that stood between her and her getaway was a sea of ponies screaming her name and flashing more cameras. It was one of the few times she was grateful for a barrier of burly, sharply dressed earth ponies surrounding her; as much as she loved her fans and smiled and waved to them, all she wanted to do now was get something to eat and go to bed.
She hopped into the carriage and collapsed on the seat, letting out a long sigh as she felt a gentle force pushing her back. Her legs ached and her head hung a bit. Sitting across from her was a unicorn stallion, sporting some glasses and a suit. In his magical grip was a clipboard. His name was Number Crunch, and he was Fleur's manager.
"Beautiful work today," he said, Fleur detecting the sincerity in his voice and feeling refreshed by it. "Let's get you fed and rested. The big one's over now but there's still an appearance at Canterlot Carousel in a couple of weeks for the official release of that swimsuit you have."
"Wasn't that the official release just there?" Fleur sighed, and shifted herself so her back mostly faced him. "Speaking of which, do me a favour and help me take it off, would you? I'd rather not sleep in it."
"Of course," he said, and his magic shifted to the outfit. Fleur felt the fabric stretching, and she was more than happy to move her legs out of it, sighing as she finally felt free. "That was just to show off the outfit, it still has to be released to the public. Rarity's just started taking pre-orders and it's going to take her some time to get those ready. So until then, you don't have any appearances to make."
"Oh thank Celestia," Fleur groaned as she flopped back down. As much as she loved being a supermodel adored by millions, it was such a hassle sometimes. "Now I just need some dinner and my bed."
"I have the first one right here," said Number, turning his magical grip toward a small plastic tub, floating it to Fleur. Inside were some leaves of lettuce, small sliced tomatoes and a few dollops of dressing. "Had this brought in from the finest in Restaurant Row. Minimalist and form-maintaining. I have another waiting for you for your gym session in the morni-"
"Another salad?" Fleur huffed, cutting him off. She turned her glare from the salad to the stallion, who looked a little hurt, and her gaze softened as she sighed. "I'm sorry, Number. I appreciate you ordering dinner for me. I've just had a long day and, to be quite frank, I'm getting tired of looking at salads and treadmills."
Number Crunch glanced down at his hooves, adjusting his glasses. "I'm just making sure you're good and healthy, ma'am."
"I know, and thank you for looking out for me," she said sincerely, "but I can't live on these small portions forever. I could almost see a rib in the mirror this morning, for Luna's sake!"
"Well, no offence," the manager spoke up, looking at her again, "but you do have quite a sweet tooth. Remember the dinner at last Hearth's Warming? I had to pry you away from that gingerbread house."
"I remember, thank you," she snarked, lowering her eyelids irritably for a moment before a dreamy smile covered her muzzle. "Oh, but it was just so heavenly. I couldn't help myself!"
"No, you really couldn't," he muttered under his breath, then quickly cleared his throat as she eyed him. "So, um, what are you saying exactly?"
"I'm saying that I want a break from rabbit food and rigorous jogging," she admitted. "I have a couple of weeks to myself, yes? Well, I'm taking a vacation. I'm going to indulge myself and enjoy life!"
"You seem to do that plenty with Mr. Fancypants."
"Well, yes, but a lady needs some alone time now and then. I'm going to enjoy myself, starting tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" He gasped. "But what about the gym?"
"Missing a few sessions won't kill me, Number. Besides, a break from drab equipment and the smell of rubber will do me wonders."
Number Crunch sighed and nodded. "Very well. Where were you planning to go?"
"I know just the place," she said with a smile as she popped open the salad tub. "Make a few calls, would you please?"
The next day, after her final salad breakfast for a while, Fleur de Lis was on the train leaving the Canterlot station. She was dressed in a baggy hoodie and sunglasses to conceal her identity. She was sure where she was going it wouldn't be made a big deal that she was around, but she wanted to be sure.
She was already starting to relax on the seat, even after Number Crunch making such a big fuss over her choice of holiday destination.
"You're going to Ponyville?!" he'd gasped, nearly dropping his clipboard, which he only did in dire situations. "What about Las Pegasus, or Haywaii? They're prime vacation spots this time of year!"
"Exactly," Fleur had retorted, "which is why if I went there, I'd be hounded day and night. I love my fans, Number, but I need some time to myself. Nopony would think to look for me somewhere as rustic as Ponyville. Besides, I have a friend living there."
"Rarity, right?" Number had then lit up. "Hey, maybe you can help each other organise the grand release! Maybe you can do some modelling for her and-"
"Number Crunch," Fleur had cut him off again, in that stern tone that always shut him up since it meant she was getting agitated. "This is not a work trip. I want to be somewhere where either nopony knows who I am, or nopony cares enough to bother me. I may pop my head in to say hello to Rarity, maybe get some lunch if she has time, but that's it. Besides, you said yourself that she has a lot of orders to work on, I'm not going to distract her."
"Of course, my apologies," he had sighed, shaking his head. "I just want this appearance to do well, for your sake."
"I know you do," she had said, her tone much warmer then, "you're the best manager I've ever had. Just, let me have a little time to myself, yes? Surely you can survive without me, and I'm certain you have some things you'd enjoy doing instead of always running around after me, hm?"
A few moments of silence had passed before he had finally conceited. "You have a point. Very well then, I'll let Rarity know you're coming at least. She's bound to know a good place for you to stay."
A quiet sigh escaped Fleur as the scene from the previous night played in her head. She meant it when she said Number Crunch was the best manager she'd ever had and that she appreciated him looking out for her, but he could just be so overbearing at times. He even still looked reluctant earlier that morning while she was waiting for her bouncers to load her bags into the train.
She looked up as a mare wheeling a small refreshment trolley walked down the aisle and stopped by her seat. "Drinks? Treats?" she offered with a smile.
"Just a coffee, thank y-" she caught herself as she eyed a can of orangeade on the trolley. She was on holiday, so why not be a little more adventurous? "Actually, I'll take some of that orange soda."
The mare exchanged a can for some of Fleur's bits and went on her way down the car.
Fleur held the can in her magic, and used it to crack it open with a tss of fizz. She felt an excitement well up inside. Soda was one of the many things banned from her life by her dietitian, a twig of a unicorn named Slimmin' Trim. She was sure that wasn't her real name, but it may as well have been; the miserable old mule always went on about how evil food was. "Sugar is the spawn of Tartarus! I'd rather have Cutie Pox than carbs! Ponies were made to eat fruits and vegetables, and that's how it will be!" and other such things she'd always yell like a drill sergeant while shoving salads in Fleur's face. And she didn't take kindly to Fleur's giggling at her pure outrage when she'd put on a few pounds after that Hearth's Warming fiasco. Fleur had no idea a pony's face could scowl that hard.
But here she was, holding an almost literal forbidden fruit in front of her. She felt so naughty and giddy, like a filly sneaking a cookie from the jar when her parents weren't around. She missed those days. She took a sip, and her eyes widened at the carbonation tingling her mouth, as well as the blast of orange on her taste buds. She was taken aback by the sensation. No wonder Slimmin' Trim was so grumpy all the time, if she was denying herself something as good as this!
Fleur leaned her head back and chugged the orangeade. A cold drink sounded like a good start to her little summer vacation.
In what felt like no time at all, the train had pulled into the Ponyville station. Fleur stood up and disposed of the trio of empty orangeade cans before exiting onto the platform, stifling a small burp into her hoof. She was relieved nopony seemed to hear it.
"There you are, darling!" a familiar voice called, and Fleur turned to see Rarity trotting up to her.
"Rarity?" she muttered in surprise. She knew the fashionista lived in Ponyville but she wasn't expecting her to actually meet her on her arrival. Nonetheless, the two exchanged a hug. "I thought you had a lot of orders to take care of?"
"Oh, more than plenty," the blue-maned unicorn said with a hint of pride, "but those can wait for a little bit. When your manager got word to me that you were coming to stay in town for a while, I just had to come and welcome you personally!"
"Well I appreciate it," the supermodel said, then looked behind Rarity to see a familiar purple alicorn and a small winged dragon approaching. "For a moment I forgot you were close friends with a princess."
"Of course," Rarity responded. "When I got the call, the least I could do was help you get settled in."
Princess Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly at Fleur. "Welcome to Ponyville, Fleur de Lis. Rarity told me how you were coming to stay in town for a while, so I offered to let you stay at the castle."
Fleur gasped, putting a hoof to her chest. "You're sure, princess? I don't want to be a burden."
"No trouble at all!" Twilight insisted. "Any friend of Rarity's is a friend of mine."
"Thank you," Fleur said with a smile, then looked to Rarity. "Both of you. I feel settled in already."
Twilight returned the smile, then looked to the dragon. "Spike, could you help Fleur with her bags?"
The purple dragon looked toward the trolley filled up with luggage being wheeled to Fleur's side by some station workers, who were tipped handsomely by the supermodel, and finally spoke up. "Um...that's a lot of bags. I dunno if I can..."
Rarity knelt down to him and fluttered her eyelashes. "Would you try it for me, my big strong Spiky-Wiky~?"
"Uhh if you ladies will excuse me," Spike suddenly muttered, voice cracking, and he shot through the air toward the trolley, "I have some luggage to carry."
The mares exchanged smirks, and Twilight looked as Spike grunted with exertion as he pushed the trolley. "That is a lot of luggage."
"Only the essentials," Fleur said, prompting an agreeing nod from Rarity.
Twilight led the way toward her castle, Fleur and Rarity behind her and Spike bringing up the rear, dutifully pushing the luggage down the street. Twilight and Rarity pointed out various shops that they passed, Fleur being most interested in the spa and Sugarcube Corner. Some sweets and pampering sounded lovely. She got a few looks and whispers from some passers-by, but nopony started hounding her for autographs so she counted her blessings. Rarity took her leave as they passed Carousel Boutique to get back to work, and Twilight had to remind Spike not to just go after her.
Once they arrived at Twilight's castle, Fleur fought the urge to ask how a tree could be made out of crystal and followed Twilight to one of the spare rooms. It was spacious enough, with furniture and a big comfy-looking bed.
"If there's anything at all you need," Twilight said, "just let me or Spike know."
"Thank you, but I think I'll be okay," Fleur said, and smiled warmly at Spike who was resting on the princess's back, panting and sweating. "Besides, I think Spike has done enough for me right now."
The two left Fleur to get settled in, and she wasted no time in getting her things set up. She only packed the essentials of course, so just a dozen outfits, four different perfumes and two boxes of makeup.
Once finished, she walked to the body mirror on the wall, took off her hoodie and sunglasses and sighed at her reflection. She was a tall mare, but absolutely petite in terms of width. Her snow-white body sported a large chest and long strong legs, but a small backside. She was surprised her cutie marks were still visible on her flanks. She pressed a hoof against her chest and her frown deepened when she felt a rib push on her sole. Slimmin' Trim was making Fleur into another her, and she didn't like it. She honestly wanted to fire her, but Number Crunch kept insisting it was for the good of her career.
A loud growl from her small stomach made a thought surface; My health and happiness come first.
She put her disguise back on, stepped out of the room and walked down the corridor, admiring how shiny and pretty everything was. Twilight certainly had an eye for interior design, or perhaps Rarity had lent her a hoof. Either way, she was impressed.
She pressed a hoof on the door and was halted by a voice. "Hey Fleur, heading out?" Spike asked as she passed into the entrance hall. "You don't have more heavy bags to bring, right?" He added reluctantly.
"Oh, I was just going to walk around, but thank you," Fleur said, then she blinked as an idea came to her. "Actually, could you tell me how to get to Sugarcube Corner from here?"
Fleur took her time walking down the street, taking in her surroundings. Ponyville was so quiet and 'old world' compared to Canterlot, and especially Manehattan.
These houses still have thatched roofs, she thought with a smile. How quaint.
Once again, ponies gave her looks and whispered amongst themselves as she passed by, but it seemed to be less about who she is and more why she was so covered up, so nopony interrupted her walk toward Sugarcube Corner. Part of her felt bad that she was hiding herself, since she loved to meet other ponies, but she just wanted to have some time to herself that didn't involve taking selfies with fans or signing photos or magazine covers.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a warm smell of baking entering her nose. A grin crossed her long muzzle and her stomach growled, prompting her to follow the delectable scent toward the cake-like building she'd stared at earlier. Sugarcube Corner.
As soon as she pushed open the door with a tinkle of the bell and poked her head in, she was assaulted by a barrage of pink. Her sunglasses went askew as a pair of blue eyes took up her entire vision.
"Hi hi hi! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, Fleur! C'mon in! Can I call you Fleur? Cuz you can call me Pinkie!" the pink practically squealed, ushering the poor confused Fleur inside and shutting the door. The pink backed up enough to let Fleur see it was actually an earth pony mare. A very, very pink one. "I'm Pinkie Pie and I'm here to sell ya some cakes! I thought about changing my name to Pinkie Cake, since I'm more about cakes than pies, but Pinkie Cake doesn't really roll off the tongue as good as Pinkie Pie. Plus pie runs in the family; my sisters are Maud Pie, Marble Pie..."
Fleur barely listened to Pinkie Pie's Wonderbolt-speed monologue; she was trying to figure out which question to start with. She managed to get one ready by the time she'd noticed Pinkie had stopped talking and was just grinning at her. "H-how did you know it was-"
"Fleur de Lis, biggest supermodel in Equestria?" Pinkie finished for her. "Well one thing was that ya came in all disguised and stuff. That's a cool hoodie, but it's not really cold enough for jackets and stuff, at least not to me. Then I smelled the smell of fashion on ya. Fashion kinda smells like Rarity, who smells like perfume and makeup." She shrugged. "But mainly? Twilight and Rarity told me you were coming!"
Fleur could only remove her hood and sunglasses, hanging them on her hoodie collar. No point in hiding her identity now. "I see...so, um, I would like to try something, if you wouldn't mind?"
"I don't mind a lotta things," Pinkie grinned and gave her temple a few taps, causing the thunks of hollow wood to sound out somehow. "Twilight says I gotta work on that. For now though, I got somethin' special just for you!"
Fleur watched as she turned into a pink blur that sped into the kitchen, giving her a few seconds to wonder if coming to Ponyville really was a wise idea before Pinkie quickly returned and set a cake on the table. A large, brown and white cake with lines and spirals of red going across and on top of it.
"Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream cake!" Pinkie declared, confirming Fleur's hopes.
"My favourite!" Fleur chirped, licking her lips. "But how did you know? Did Rarity tell you that too?"
"Nah," Pinkie said, "The author was planning to have me show up in this story, so I went and did some research ahead of time. He likes some weird stuff, but I like playing a big part!"
Fleur went back to looking concerned and flabbergasted. "Wh-"
"Anywho!" Pinkie quickly chirped. "Go enjoy some cake! This one's on the house!"
Fleur decided it would be easier to just accept Pinkie Pie's...eccentricity, and thanked her for the cake before taking it to a free table. She took a moment to gaze at how big it was. It looked like a proper birthday cake, so shouldn't it be shared with other ponies? But Pinkie said it was just for her, so maybe she could have some for herself and save some for later.
She lifted a slice in her magic, the smell of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry dancing in her nostrils. She licked her lips and took a dainty bite. Her eyes widened as the sweet sugary goodness blasted onto her taste buds. A sense of euphoria covered her mind like she had never felt before. She wasn't dreaming, right? She was actually tasting this in real life?
She wasted no time in finishing up that slice and picking up another. And another. And another. She lost herself in the sugary goodness and lost track of time. Before she knew it, she was licking up the crumbs on the plate.
"Good golly gosh, you were hungry!" Pinkie gasped from right next to Fleur, making her jump. "That or you really really really liked that big ol' cake!"
"Oh, it was delicious!" Fleur agreed, then put a hoof to her frosting-covered muzzle as she looked at the empty plate before her. "Goodness, I actually ate the whole thing...!"
But for some reason, Fleur didn't feel bad about it...she actually felt excited. She'd never done something so indulgent as eating an entire cake by herself before. She could only grin as she pictured her grumpy old dietitian's look of pure horror if she ever found out.
"Guess you were hungry and really liked it!" Pinkie deduced, letting out a squee. "If ya want, I can whip up another!"
Fleur moved her hoof to politely decline, but something inside her made her hesitate. An urge for more of that delicious cake. Just one more couldn't hurt, right?
"Oh yes please," she said with a smile, "and I'd love some more ordered to my room at Twilight's castle, if that's possible?"
"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie chirped, and began bouncing toward the kitchen.
Fleur eyed up the display window in the counter, and held her hoof. "Oh, Pinkie! Could I also get some of those lovely-looking muffins there, and possibly a couple of those cupcakes, and..."
A week had passed since Fleur had come to Ponyville for her break, and as she looked in the mirror one morning, the effects were definitely beginning to show.
She was definitely feeling well-rested, and she looked much more awake than she had before she first arrived. However, she also looked...rounder. Her stomach had grown a roundness to it that she could see the edges of peeking between her legs. Her face had grown a pair of chubby foal-like cheeks that indented when she pressed a hoof against them. Even her normally skinny legs had grown a little thicker. She turned to her side and noticed her cutie marks had grown more defined...larger, in fact. Like they had stretched to fill the space her bigger flanks had made.
"Goodness," she muttered to herself, giving her rump a little shake and blushing as it jiggled with new layers of adipose, "I've really been pigging out at Sugarcube Corner."
Almost on cue, her stomach let out a hungry growl, making her frown at it. "Oh no you don't. I have to eat something substantial, not just cakes and ice cream."
As good as that sounds, she thought.
"Well, maybe I'll stop in for a snack later," she decided with a grin, and headed out to town. She felt comfortable enough to go out in public without her disguise, since ponies were barely even looking at her as she passed. Though she did get a few more stares and whispers, mostly directed at her flanks.
Before she could be bothered by the whispers as she passed, an orange earth pony with a blonde ponytail hairdo trotted up to her.
"Howdy there, Fleur de Lis," she said, tipping her hat, "name's Applejack. Ah'm a friend of Rarity's."
"Yes, she and Twilight have told me about you," Fleur said with a smile. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Wish we could'a met sooner, but Ah've been plenty busy lately," Applejack admitted. "Got a school to teach at and a farm to run, y'all know how it is. Just wanted to say hi now that Ah got a spare minute."
Fleur nodded. Twilight had told her - in excruciating detail - about her School of Friendship, and how her friends, including Rarity, taught classes to all kinds of creatures there. So that only left one question on her mind. "You said you run a farm?"
"Sure do," she said, a proud grin on her muzzle. "Sweet Apple Acres provides the freshest and juiciest apples in all Equestria! We also make some mean apple cider, apple fritters, apple pies, y'all name it!"
Normally, apples would be the last thing on Fleur's mind given Slimmin' Trim's regiments, but something about Applejack told her that she could make a really nice apple pie and that she'd love to try some. But dare she ask?
"In fact," the farm pony went on, "if y'all ain't doin' anything, why don't ya c'mon down and try some? We had a dang fine harvest lately so we got plenty in reserve!"
Fleur was elated that she didn't have to ask, but she wanted to be polite instead of immediately taking her up on it. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose."
"Pffft," Applejack scoffed and flicked a hoof, "no trouble at all. Any friend'a Twilight and Rarity's a friend'a the Apples!"
With that, Fleur happily followed her out of town and toward Sweet Apple Acres. A voice in the back of her mind reminded her to control herself with the food, which brought her attention to the stomach and flanks that jiggled with her strut. She told herself that she'd watch what she eats.
And she indeed watched what she ate. She watched it disappear into her mouth, and she watched Applejack bring her even more of it.
As soon as she was sat down in the farmhouse's kitchen table, the smell of apples and fresh baking caused that little voice in Fleur's mind to change its decision and urge her to have as much as she could stomach. Fleur was more than happy to oblige as soon as Applejack set a platter of apple fritters down in front of her. They were so succulent and sweet, and as soon as one was done she just had to have another. And then another after that one.
Applejack was more than happy to cater to her guest's appetite, smiling as she baked and watched Fleur glut herself with abandon. The farm pony had the appetite of a few full grown stallions herself, so she respected another mare who knew how to eat. In fact, she was almost enabling it.
"Got a fresh apple pie for ya to try, sugarcube!"
"Just finished some apple crumble!"
"How 'bout a mug of my family's famous apple cider to wash that down?"
It just kept on coming, and Fleur just kept on eating. In fact, she only stopped once Applejack finally had no more to bake.
"Hoo-wee!" the farm pony panted, wiping some sweat off her brow. "Haven't seen anypony eat that well since Ah first met Twilight!"
Fleur stifled a burp and giggled at the comment, but her face contorted into a pained scowl when, now that the rush of adrenaline and greed was wearing off, a sharp pain in her stomach made itself known.
"Ooohhh," she groaned, gently putting a hoof to her distended middle, "I think I had too much pie..."
"Yup, she said that same thing too," Applejack chuckled, and carefully put a leg around Fleur to help her to her hooves. "Careful now, up ya get."
"Oof, thank you," Fleur grunted, letting out a hiccup as she awkwardly waddled alongside Applejack.
"How 'bout Ah take ya over to the spa?" the orange mare suggested. "Rarity keeps sayin' she goes there to relax after some bellyachin'...in both ways," she added in a low voice. "One'a them 'drown my sorrows in ice cream' types, y'know."
Fleur groaned again, but gave Applejack a nod in understanding. A trip to the spa to soothe her pains would do her lovely.
Finally, the big day had arrived. The official release of Rarity's Melodious Aqua swimsuit outside Canterlot Carousel. Anypony who was anypony was there, eagerly anticipating the designer's declaration and one last showcase of the outfit from Equestria's biggest supermodel.
However, things hadn't gone exactly as planned for Rarity. She planned to make a grand speech, let Fleur de Lis show off the outfit and let the customers either collect their orders or buy them off the rack in droves.
The problems all focused around Fleur herself...in that now, she really was Equestria's biggest supermodel.
The crowd was stunned into silence once Fleur revealed herself in the outfit. Once a svelte bombshell of a unicorn, she had become a tall, white balloon in the weeks she'd spent at Ponyville. All the constant visits to Ponyville and 'taste testing' from Applejack had finally caught up with her.
Her stomach was now a huge orb hanging between her legs, squishing against them, and swinging like a pendulum when she lumbered around. Speaking of her legs, they all now sported huge wobbling slabs of pure blubber that sagged over her knees in thick folds, especially in the back where her flanks were giving quite a bit of emphasis. Her cutie marks were stretched out to cover the expanse her enlarged, jiggling plot had created, and had gotten misshapen from the plethora of folds and rolls.
Her face now sported a pair of soft, buckball-like cheeks that gave her a bit of a squint, and squished when she gave a chipmunk-grin at the sight of Slimmin' Trim actually fainting at the sight of her. A huge slab of a double-chin squished against her jaw and rested on a good portion of her flabby chest. If any pegasi were to fly above her, they could see an abundance of thick rolls and folds all down her neck and back, showing from the very, very form-fitting swimsuit.
A few more moments of silence passed before a nervous Rarity, sweating at the podium, cleared her throat. And then she was immediately barraged with questions from the press, while Fleur shielded her eyes from the attack of camera flashes.
"Rarity, was this big production meant as a prank to the fashion industry?"
"Has Fleur de Lis been stress-eating from being overworked?"
"Where has Fleur been hiding?"
"Is this some kind of fashion statement?"
"U-um, yes!" Rarity finally spoke, waving a hoof to get the crowd to quiet down. "Ahem, yes, this little...'stunt', I suppose you could call it, is a fashion statement. I believe anypony can be beautiful, no matter what shape and size they are. Not just in my fashions, but in any fashion. Hence why I suggested Fleur take some time off to...'bulk up', as it were. To prove that Rarity can make the smallest and the biggest ponies feel beautiful!"
Fleur, and the crowd, had no idea what to say to that. It certainly wasn't the intended plan, given the fashionista's hasty explanation.
Some voices of approval sounded from the crowd, which quickly grew as more ponies smiled and nodded to themselves, muttering things about 'a very progressive outlook' and 'changing the mainstream fashion scene'.
Rarity and Fleur exchanged relieved looks. They'd saved the release. Fleur confirmed Rarity's story while she posed for some photos - as well as she could, given her limited mobility - and ponies filed into the boutique to make their purchases.
Once the press were done with her, Number Crunch trotted up to his corpulent client. "You are so lucky that went down well. I kept telling you to control yourself, that the diet regiment was there for your own good, but-"
He was silenced by a plump, white hoof over his mouth, and Fleur just smirked at him. "Oh calm down, everything worked out. Everypony liked it, Rarity's outfit is doing well, and I've been the most relaxed and well-fed I've ever been in a long time!"
"Well-fed indeed," he murmured under his breath, but he was cut off once again by Rarity trotting over.
"Thank Celestia we smoothed that one over," sighed the fashionista, using her magic to brush some stray hairs on her mane into place. "I was told you'd been enjoying the food in Ponyville, but I didn't think you'd like it that much!"
"Yeah, I couldn't help myself," Fleur admitted. "Your friends were just so welcoming."
"I'm just glad you were comfortable," she said, then grinned. "Maybe now the more 'plus-sized' ponies won't be so shy about ordering my designs now as well. I meant what I said about the smallest and largest ponies being able to look beautiful, after all."
Fleur grinned back, Rarity's open-mindedness making her feel at ease about being such a jiggly snowball.
"Now, I better be getting back to the store," Rarity added, then turned to walk back in. "Sassy Saddles can only manage such a big sea of customers alone! Oh, and it seems somepony wants to talk to you." She smirked and pointed a hoof.
Fleur blinked and looked where she pointed, and a warm flush covered her face as an older, moustached unicorn stallion walked up to her. He wore his usual fancy suit and bowtie, and a monocle on his face.
"F-Fancypants!" she gasped. Number Crunch frowned and went to tend to Slimmin' Trim, who was still collapsed amongst a pair of bouncers.
"Goodness, Fleur de Lis," he said, looking not quite sure what to think, "I suppose this is what common ponies mean by 'cutting loose'?"
Fleur's nervousness began to subside as she noticed he didn't exactly look disgusted at the sight of her. "I suppose I did...binge a bit. Stress-eating from work."
"Reminds me of that old Hearth's Warming party fiasco," Fancypants commented, slowly walking around the massive mare. "Especially the aftermath of it. I daresay I almost missed that old figure of yours."
Fleur stifled a yelp as she felt his hoof press against her flank, feeling it sink in.
"Definitely on the...'plush' side now, hm?" he chuckled warmly.
Fleur's blush deepened. "Y-you're saying...you don't mind...?"
"I can't see why I would," he said. "I've never had much of a problem with a pony showing that she enjoys the finer things in life. Plus, a long time ago such a figure would openly be considered...attractive."
Fleur's eyes widened, wondering where Fancypants was going with this. She shook her head. No, he couldn't possibly-
"And," he hesitated, his own face starting to redden, "well, I suppose you could call me old-fashioned, in that case."
Fleur almost felt faint. Fancypants was being as subtle as he could about it, but she could tell exactly what he was saying.
"Y-you mean, you find this..." she muttered, gesturing down to her wobbly, spherical form. "W-why didn't you say so...?"
Fancypants lifted his monocle with his magic and cleaned it on a handkerchief. "How would you feel if I had told you to gain a few hundred pounds because it appealed to me?"
Fleur giggled and leaned in to nuzzle him, which he returned. "Good point." Out of habit, she somehow found the strength to fling herself onto her coltfriend's back, causing his legs to nearly buckle beneath him.
"Oof!" he grunted, struggling to keep himself standing. "I suppose I shall have to start 'hitting the gym', as it were." He said with a strained chuckle.
"I'll help you with your pushups," Fleur purred, wiggling herself on top of him and nearly making him collapse again, but not from the weight.
The supersized supermodel giggled and looked toward her manager. "Number Crunch? Be a dear and order me a few boxes of bonbons, would you? Double chocolate!"