The sound of busy, excited chatter filled the corridors of Canterlot Mare’s Preparatory Academy. Just minutes prior, the last bell had rang, the students filtering out into the hallways, making a beeline for the exit. The grandiose wooden doors to the school swung open, Celestia’s falling sun sending long, lazy beams through the narrow corridor. Further along the hall, one of these shafts briefly dazzling a lone unicorn mare, fiddling with the contents of her locker. Raising a hand, she blotted the ray, letting it fall as the doors closed with a dull thump, rattling upon their tired hinges.
Clad in the standard uniform of the academy. A smart-looking navy blue blazer adorned her torso, leaving only a small window around her collar for her white shirt to poke through. Located just above her left breast, the School's crest had been finely embroidered; an ancient coat of arms, partially adapted to simplify and modernise the logo, stripping much of the finer details. Sharing the black, yellow and white colour scheme, a wide tie wrapped purposefully around her neck. Further down, a short plaid skirt sat around her thighs, the red and green tartan shifting and swaying with each slight jostle made by her hips; Hips which by all definition were exceptionally wide.
The mare was exceedingly large, well within the definition of obese, even by modern standards. Whereas the average pony would sport only a slight bit of a belly fat, or a marginally wider rear end, her weight gains had been rather more significant. The vast majority of weight accumulated around her lower half. Two mostly ovoid shaped masses of blubber formed her impressive pair of ass cheeks. Filling her skirt, the patterned fabric did little to distract from the basketball sized mounds, nor did they hide the cascade of flesh that filled out her legs so readily.
Her thighs and legs swelled outwards, rivaling tree trunks for sheer width, causing her socks to roll down towards her shiny black pumps. Her blazer and shirt were being stretched out significantly, the fabric around her cuff buttons forced apart as pale yellow skin, close to the colour of uncooked pastry batter crowded around the gap. Though not nearly as prominent as her arse, the mare's gut aggressively pressed forwards, forcing her to continually adjust her blazer time and time again.
Panting lightly, her honey coloured mane flopped and swayed around her rounded face, transferring several textbooks into her rucksack. Satisfied, she closed the door with a light slam, metal flexing slightly from the impact. Closing the zipper, she hoisted the bag over her shoulder, glancing down the corridor. Sighing, the stream of students had dwindled, the mare hoping she would…
“Oh, hey there Honey… how’s it going?” She stiffened, stopping in her tracks. A pompous, arrogant tone undercut the voice, muddying its thin veneer of politeness. Gulping, Honey turned around, a group of 4 mares stood watching her with a mixture of expressions; none of them particularly friendly.
“Err… hi Ruby…” She muttered, trying to avert her gaze as one of the mares strode up to her.
“That's Ruby Radiance to you, pig.” Barely a few inches from each other, Ruby circled around her, like she was inspecting a piece of meat. “Celestia, you really are a fat blob, aren’t you? No regard for your looks, no grace whatsoever, just like how you barged into this school without a care in the world.” The red-coloured mare snorted.
“You don’t belong here fatty… just because you have money doesn't give you the privilege to come to one of the best schools in Equestria and rub shoulders with us elite. Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah, you tell her Ruby.” One of the other ponies spoke up. “Ponies like her give us a bad name.”
“Hey! I deserve to be here! I...it says so in the school motto.” Honey responded, a cruel choir of laughter cutting her off at the end.
“Oh, puh-lease. You actually believe that crap means something? It’s just for PR you know, give something the plebs can look up to. Whilst the school might allow ponies like you to attend, that doesn't mean you're welcome here. My family has been at this academy since it first opened; my mother and my mother’s mother all passed through these hallowed walls. We don’t need its floors to be sullied by ponies like you or that friend of yours.”
“Speaking of which, where is she? Can’t be around here, I would’ve noticed the eau de gym locker stinking the place up. The one thing I can at the very least cut you some slack for is that you paid to be here; a sports scholarship shouldn’t even be allowed to get you past the front doors.”
“H...hey, you leave Autumn out of this!”
“Or what? She’s going to throw her second hand textbooks at me? I’m surprised they haven’t just torn through that tatty sports bag of hers… oh, and speaking of sports, are you still trying to get on the cheerleading team?” She asked, though it seemed more of a statement than a question.
“Ye…”
“Ha ha ha! Oh Celestia, that’s a knee slapper! A pony as tubby as you couldn’t hope to stay in any formation. You’d be better off painting the slogan on your ass, rather than embarrass our school in front of everypony else.” Glancing up at the wall, Ruby nodded to herself, then back to Honey. “Well, I’d best be going now. After all, I think piggy here needs her after-school snack. We’d better leave her to it, she might starve otherwise.”
“Heheh, yeah, bet she eats from a trough like an animal.” Another of Ruby’s cronies piped up, jeering at her. With a few more nasty comments tossed her way, the four slunk outside, leaving Honey standing there dejected. A long sigh left her lips, adjusting her weighty bag, cautiously plodding towards the door. Giving the wooden doors a solid shove, Honey covered her eyes, dazzled in the afternoon sun.
Descending the stairs, the front of the Academy was virtually deserted, at least from first impressions. From somewhere on her right, she could hear an odd discordant ‘clack clack clack’ on the pavement. Leaning around a wall, Honey caught sight of several ponies wearing soccer uniforms, chatting animatedly amongst themselves. Wayward streaks of mud and grass stains liberally spotted across their uniforms, thin beads of sweat trickling down their foreheads.
“Honey! Over here!” A voice suddenly piped up, drawing the pudgy mare’s attention. A shorter mare jogged over. A small smile graced her lips, Honey reciprocating the gesture, raising her hand.
“Hey Autumn. How did practice go?”
“Oh you know, same old same old really. Scored a few goals, bruised my knee a little, all good. Hey, you doing alright?” Autumn’s tone changed slightly, noticing how dejected Honey looked. “It’s Ruby, isn’t it.”
“Mmmhmm.” Honey mumbled, Autumn placing a hand firmly upon her shoulder
“Hey, never mind her, she’s not worth getting upset over. Besides, I’ve got some amazing news to tell you.” Honey glanced over, one of her eyebrows raised. “Not right here, I’ll explain later… you want to hit up the ice cream shop?”
“Sure, why not, I’m feeling pretty hungry.”
“When are you ever not hungry?” Autumn grinned, Honey rolling her eyes. Walking side by side, the pair soon went out of view from the academy. Given it was an early afternoon on a weekday, there weren’t too many pedestrians about. The majority seemed to be their fellow peers, enjoying the balmy temperatures as they took sideways glances at colourful displays in the shop windows.
Skirting past, the pair finally reached their destination. Looking a little worn compared to many of the stores on the street, nonetheless it stood proud. A large wooden sign hung above the entrance, depicting an exquisitely decorated sundae. It fluttered back and forth, the worn chains creaking with each jostle and shake. Eagerly holding out a hand, Honey pushed the door open.
Stepping in, the temperature dropped a few degrees, an involuntary shiver working its way up Autumn’s skin. Wooden tables were flanked either side by brown faux-leather seats, the chocolaty tones of the furniture blending nicely with the wood-paneled walls and the stone tiled floor, giving the place an almost homely feel. And speaking of chocolate, the whole establishment was permeated with sweet odours. Raspberry, vanilla, chocolate all hung in the air mingling, a small bead of drool leaking from the corner of Honey’s mouth. A small bell tinkled upon their entrance, a mare suddenly standing up from behind the counter. Catching sight of the two, her features blossomed into a glowing smile, wiping the counter with a small cloth.
“Autumn, Honeysweet, how are you two doing today?” She piped up, her round cheeks wobbling slightly.
“I’m doing just fine, Miss Knickerbocker, just looking for something to pick us up after a long day.” Autumn jovially replied, walking over to where the plump parlour owner stood. She was a rather rotund mare, a good deal larger than the average mare or stallion, demonstrated by the fraying, overstretched apron, the straining chord digging firmly into her doughy rolls. She was just a hair slimmer than Honey was, thick bingo wings sagging onto her elbows and chunky lower arms.
“So, what’ll it be today girls? The usual, or something extra?”
“The usual please Miss Knickerbocker.” Honey paused, sheepishly fiddling with her blazer. “Actually, could you make it an extra large please.” The owner gave her a small look, smirking slightly as she noted it down, eyes flicking over to Autumn.
“I’ll just have the same old sundae please.”
“Alright, one extra large chocolate milkshake and one Neapolitan sundae coming right up. Have a seat and I’ll bring them over.” Nodding, they slunk over to a nearby stall, Honey squeezing her wide behind with slight effort; Autumn easily seating herself opposite, unzipping her bag as she rummaged around inside.
“Sooooo, what is this news that’s got you so excited?” Honey began, as Autumn rustled through a plethora of papers, books and stationary. With a triumphant smile, she pulled out the item. It was a magazine, it’s glossy cover shining in the warm overhead light. For a good few seconds, she sat there in silence, her eyes flicking this way and that, drinking in the figure depicted upon the cover.
Standing at the end of a catwalk was a pegasus. The clothes she wore could best be described as unique, and at worst utterly ill fitting. This was because the mare’s massively obese body squeezed its way through innumerable holes in the dress, reminding Honey of fishnet stockings. Clothed in what approximated to a bedsheet worth of fabric, her creamy white flesh oozed and swelled outwards like great mounds of pastry dough. Her hands rested upon her hips, the abundant swaths of flesh eagerly depressing and swallowing her fingers in her ample butt blubber. She was an absolute mountain of a mare, her amber eyes telegraphing pure confidence.
“Autumn… what is this… is this some weird porn mag?” Honey started, swallowing from how dry her mouth felt.
“Nope! If you’d care to draw your eyes away from that enormous belly, you’d see who actually published it.”
“Equestrian Chic? Who are they?”
“You don’t know… alright, Equestrian Chic is the premier fashion magazine. And I’m talking ‘the’ with a capital T, H and E. Their coverage on current trends in clothing and lifestyle helps to dictate the next clothing season. Their influence over ponies can help to mould fashion and trends for a long time.”
“OK, but why should I get excited? I mean, she is pretty and all that, but what does this mean for us?” Honey rubbed her arm, Autumn flipping through the pages, arriving at one with a corner folded. Continuing the imagery of the cover, the double page spread had the same red-haired pegasus in a variety of poses, her morbidly obese form displayed at virtually every angle, giving some eyebrow raising snapshots at her exercise ball sized ass.
“Meet Bowstring, the star of the newest and largest modelling event on the east coast. Orchestrated by the widely acclaimed designer Extravaganza, this event aims to show off the beauty of those of a plus-size and beyond, with a wide range of eye opening and jaw dropping designs on display. This event to many industry titans has been an awe-inspiring experience, developing a greater interest in the limited plus sized business.” Autumn looked up, watching as Honey drank in the words.
“There’s plenty more in here about what exactly happened in the show and all the other ideas and speculations thrown about. I’m sure you’ve realised now, but it seems that bigger might be better in the coming weeks. Heck, I saw a report in the paper the other day talking about rising obesity levels in Manehatten, and a greater proportion of income is being channeled into the food and service industry. This isn’t some wild speculation from a seedy tabloid, this is reality, and Celestia damn it, I don’t want to be left behind for once.”
“So your saying we should get ahead of the pack?” Honey stated, Autumn giving an exaggerated nod.
“Yeah, exactly that! You know I don’t really care that I’m not the most popular mare in the Academy. That being said, Iwould like to be seen as more than somepony who got in with a sports scholarship. To have some clout? To be someponywho isn’t constantly pushed around by Ruby and her clique?”
Honey nodded, the sound of footsteps bringing her attention across. Holding a stainless steel platter, Miss Knickerbocker carefully scooped the two deserts out, placing them down with a thunk.
“Enjoy yourselves girls! If you need me, I’ll be around the back.” The two nodded politely as the rotund mare placed a few napkins down, disappearing as soon as she’d appeared. Looking at the chilled glass, a low grumble worked its way from Honey’s flabby gut, eying the white and red straw poking up towards her.
“Eh, why the hay not? If it doesn't get trendy, what exactly is there to lose? I’ll just be a bit fatter and harassed all the same…”
“And if everything changes, you’ll be light years ahead of the crowd…” Autumn shot back, pointing her long-handled spoon at her accusingly, gouging out a sizable blob of strawberry ice cream with the utensil and stuffing it into her mouth. Shrugging, Honey wrapped her lips around the straw, taking a long slurp. Her mouth filled with the chocolaty goodness, heavy and creamy as she quickly fell into a rhythm. Despite the massive size of the glass, the surface rapidly dropped as the mixture of milkshake powder, milk and half melted ice cream descended into her fold marred gut. Minutely, it swelled forwards, gelatinous flesh becoming firmer, forcing her blazer and shirt upwards.
In but a few minutes of near nonstop gulping, all that remained were dregs, slowly rolling down the inside of the glass. With a loud slurping pull, Honey finally let go, the straw falling out of her mouth, plinking into the glass with a light plastic thunk. “Gods, that was so gooouuuUUURRRPPppp!” Belching, she fell back heavily into the seat, relaxing into the cushiony embrace of the seat.
“Well, I didn’t think you’d be this enthusiastic.” Autumn breathed, her voice laced with hints of sarcasm. “Damn you can put it away.”
“Hey, you're the one telling me... bouuurrppp... how being massive is the next big trend.” She retorted, cream and milk chocolate heavy on her breath. A low, rolling gurgle slowly made its presence known, seeming to grow deeper in pitch, cutting through the shallow breaths Honey made.
Frrrrrrbbppptttppbbtt! A long eruption of flatulence suddenly made its presence known. Like the distant thud of artillery, the bassy blast rumbled out, amplified by the leathery material below her. She winced, causing her doughy cheeks to crease and quiver as the shock wave rippled across her flesh. Seconds later, the smell hit them. Rapidly slurping down over a pint’s worth of thick milkshake hadn’t particularly allowed for her to digest the goopy mass. Sweet gusts of chocolate blew around them, unfortunately tainted with a raw organic after smell, motes of methane and a rawer stench mingling in.
“Why do you keep drinking shakes! It’s hard to remember your intolerance to milk when you keep going back for more.” Autumn took a tentative smell, wincing slightly. “I think that’s even worse than how I usually smell…”
“Buuuurrppp… first, because shakes taste so Celestia damngood, that’s why. Second, because I don’t care what my… frrpbtt... body likes and doesn't like and finally, because I, err… sorta like it?” She weakly ended, sheepishly grinning.
“Trust my best friend to be so freaky… You're lucky I’m so used to smelling like a gym locker.”
“Thanks… but I think we’ve missed a trick here.”
“Eh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just one milkshake ain’t going to me bulk up… If we want to get ahead of the bell curve, we need to seriously put away more than just one serving.” Honey slowly raised herself, head rising above the seating so she could glance into the open door where the owner had gone through.
“Miss Knickerbocker! Can I get another milkshake please, one with extra cream!” Smiling naughtily, she caught Autumn’s eye. “I can hardly wait to start stuffing myself…”