I spent most of the day watching over the ponies and keeping them within the area we had set as 'home'. A few tried to wander away, but a stern thinking at got them to turn around, and the attempts became less and less frequent as the hours went by.
Despite my objections, I was still the primary food source, which was... flattering in a way, but that milk has to come from somewhere! I swear they were getting gentler with their nursing, but producing all that milk wasn't free, and I was getting a powerful hunger. Beside that, having random ponies wander up and dive onto one of your crotch boobs for a snack? It was... degrading? I'm not sure that's the right word, but it felt strange for sure. It was far too intimate to just casually dole out for these ponies I'd probably leave as soon as they were stable.
Cindy spoke, responding to my inner thoughts, "Why not make some of them into feeders? If you asked for volunteers, I bet some of them would say yes after watching the way we react when we're fed from."
Dusk blinked up at us. "You're going to make milk-ponies?"
Sandra snorted, looking thoroughly amused. "Better than letting them tackle William over and over for a snack."
As if on cue, a two-headed burrower popped up from the ground beneath me and fixed both of its heads onto the two teats it found. I sighed with a combination of the chemical soup the feeding was producing and frustration. "We need to feed the feeders. I'm already starving. Magic and lactation both burn calories."
Sandra raised a brow. "Guess you won't be going fat anytime soon. Well, if you make milk-ponies, they'll be safe for contact, and can get some food from the army or other humans while the rest of the ponies work on getting the farm going."
Dusk bobbed his head. "And I think I saw some ponies that already had large... udders. Why not work with the ones that are already halfway there?"
It was settled. I looked into the crowd of working ponies and picked out two with visible crotch boobs and called them over. "You've been selected to help distribute food for the herd."
One of them just smiled, looking happy to be helpful but sharing no words. The other frowned with thought, but it seemed slow going. "How?"
Sandra moved up and raised a hoof, brushing it on the pony's hanging crotchboobs gently. "Just like William's doing. You'll let other ponies feed, and you keep yourself well-fed."
The mute one bobbed her head in easy agreement and sat on her haunches, waiting. The slow one tapped the ground a moment, seeming to think it through before giving a hesitant nod, but she looked nervous.
I smiled at her. "If you don't want to, you don't have to. Volunteers only."
She nodded at us and moved forward to kiss one of my hooves then scurry away in the crowd.
Dusk tilted his head. "She didn't want to do it, but..." He pawed at the ground. "I think she wanted to be sure you knew she, you know, follows you."
Cindy nodded. "Very nice of her."
The human-pony approached from before, walking along as a human might despite her mostly pony form. "I heard you're making milk-ponies?"
Sandra blinked. "We barely just begun, how'd you hear that?"
She shrugged softly. "A pony rushed up to me and told me as best she could. Talking is hard for her, but she's always honest."
I pulled the volunteer closer, petting over her back and feeling the gift inside of her, burning and ready. "They weren't wrong. We hope to get a few feeders that'll go with me to get food safely, then come back and help feed everyone else."
The human-pony pointed at herself. "Do me. I want to help my people, or ponies, as best as I can. It doesn't hurt does it?"
I decided to show by example, and reached down for that gift deep in the volunteering mare. Unlike the alteration to bones, it seemed soft-tissue erogenous alterations made the subject squirm and make little noises of both pleasure and mild discomfort. Her breasts swelled up as the gift rushed down into them. As the pressure reached just the right level, new exit points appeared, her teats gaining friends and extending slightly like cow teats. By the time the gift was expended, she looked ready to feed six ponies at once. The volunteer curled on herself, looking at her altered anatomy curiously, but still silently.
I left her to that as I slipped a collar around her neck. She was safe. The human-pony was still there, watching. "That didn't look so bad... If it'll help, I want to help."
Cindy smiled. "If you want it, then come here. And what's your name?"
"I... have a hard time remembering... I guess I could make up a new name, like some of the others did, but I keep hoping I'll remember it." She looked down at the ground, seemingly ashamed.
Dusk smiled gently. "Will might be able to shake that memory loose for you. Sandra told me he did that once."
Her eyes glistened with hope and she rushed up to me. "Please! Please try."
Well what could I say to that? I put my hands on her shoulders and felt inside of her. The gift was burning hot, hotter than I'd felt in anyone other than me. This made sense after a moment of thinking. She never even finished changing into a pony. Assuming most ponies got about the same amount of gift, she saved hers. "I could make you a full pony, if you wanted?"
She hesitated before shaking her head. "I'm comfortable the way I am, and it helps the others spot me from far away."
Sandra scuffed at the ground. "You're very brave, and nice. You're like... Crystal in a way."
Cindy quickly agreed, "Yes! She could be lesser royalty. She is a leader and a caretaker. But first..." Her horn shone and washed over the would-be royalty. I could feel the gift being stirred, and the human-pony wobbled and fell to the ground, a hoof being lifted to her head.
"I... My name is Samantha... I used to... work at the post office... My... my child..." Tears welled up in her eyes and Samantha punched the ground as awful truth came crashing down on her. She quietly cried to herself, and I tried to let her have that moment, even if she was directly in front of me.
Samantha sat up after she let it all out. "I... Well... Thank you. It's better to know the truth, as horrible as it is."
Cindy tilted herself a bit. "You say that, but many ponies here would be broken. Destroyed. If I thought I could, I'd zap everyone."
Dusk frowned a little. "What about me?"
Cindy took hold of an arm to point at Dusk. "Your gift is used up. I couldn't even try on you without a nice full belly. Besides, you already remember almost everything on your own."
Samantha tapped herself on the chest with a hoof. "I didn't forget why I came over here. I still want to help."
I considered out loud, "Well it'd look a bit odd, I mean, even more odd, for an upright pony to have breasts down at her belly, and you seem to still have some human ones to start."
Cindy directed the arm she still controlled to reach out and grab one of Samantha's breasts. "Yep, small but there. We can fix that."
Samantha blushed a bit. "Well, fine. It doesn't matter too much in the end, right? Why are we arguing udder placements?"
I burst into a short laugh. "Welcome to the apocalypse. Now relax, we'll take it from here." We held Samantha and dived into her gift. It was so available that it flowed quickly. Her chest swelled quickly, teats poking free of her fur coat. Her gift was still burning strongly despite the adjustment.
Cindy thought at me, ~She really should be royalty. May I?~
~You can do that?~
~If they're ready, and I think she is. You can feel it, can't you?~
The gift seemed to brighten as Cindy did something to it. It spread through her body and Samantha began to pant as if she were getting hotter. The gift started soaking into her body as a whole, becoming a permanent part of her before fading to dark. "I can feel them!" She looked around wildly. "I can feel all the ponies around us." The last of the gift sputtered out and Samantha was safe for contact.
Samantha was staring at us. "What did you do? What part of bigger breasts translates to... that?"
Cindy spoke up with a smile, "You're their leader, their caretaker... Their mother. Take care of them."
Samantha put a hand over her chest, fresh tears forming. "I was a pretty bad mother before..."
Dusk pointed at her. "This is your chance to set it right. They need you."
Samantha nodded slowly. "Y-yeah... they do..." She reached down and plucked up the other milk mare that had just sat there patiently. She cuddled the mare softly. "Let's get something to eat, and get to work."