Daring Do encounters an ancient artifact that turns her into the avatar of a fertility goddess.
Daring Do. Adventurer, archaeologist, scholar, philanthropist, and all around heroine to the ponies of Equestria. She's faced countless threats and challenges in her years traveling the world, and her efforts have earned her rewards, accolades, and prestige. However, she now finds herself against a new foe, one foul and sinister, so evil and diabolical that even she is powerless to fight against it.
Forced time off.
Banished by her superiors at Canterlot University to the dreary, ho-hum city of Prodigal Point, Daring Do is forced to find a way to cope with deal with her increasing boredom and insatiable curiosity. However, her attempts cause her to stumble upon a mysterious conspiracy, one being carried out by an enigmatic group of ponies with unknown motives. She's soon smack-dab in the middle of the action yet again, and while she's used to such things, she also winds up with a bigger problem that's completely new to her: motherhood.
“And this next part of the tour is my personal favorite,” the museum tour guide said to the two ponies behind her. “It’s home to the oldest and most priceless pieces in our collection!”
Daring Do wanted to scream. This was boring. This was utterly, staggeringly, mind-numbingly boring. It was even worse than paperwork back at the university, and by Celestia, was that ever saying something. She couldn't believe she was going to have to spend another five days in this pathetic excuse of a city, all because of some stupid stipulation in her contract. Damn the pony who invented the concept of fine print!
“As you can all see,” the tour guide rambled in her dry, bland voice, “this is where we house the oldest relics ever found here at Prodigal Point. Some of them are several thousand years old! Erm, please be careful.”
Speaking of dry and bland, that was a good way to describe the entire town. Daring still couldn't believe that the board would do this to her! All because she was having too many ‘adventures' that didn't bring in any valuable relics to the university?! This wasn’t fair! It wasn't her fault that the seemingly dormant volcano had decided to erupt when she’d visited, and how was she supposed to know her old friend was secretly working with the griffons?
Daring was snapped out of her grumbling thoughts as she bumped into the only other pony on the tour. He apologized, as he did for everything, and went back to taking pictures of anything he saw. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. A tourist caught in this city's little trap for those like him. Typical. Maybe Prodigal Point wouldn't be so bad if tourists weren't the only ponies she ran into, but that’s the way it’d been so far. All the locals were locked up in their houses, and the few that she had seen acted as though they were in mourning.
“And this is the pride and joy of our museum!” the tour guide said.
Daring 's attention was actually grabbed. It was the first time this mare had even sounded marginally interested about something. So she did have emotions.
“This is an ancient, sacred relic, the most beloved of the ponies who live here!” The tour guide gestured to an object on a raised pedestal. “Behold—the Amulet of Graveeda!”
Daring blinked several times. The amulet was a large silver coin about the diameter of a baseball. Carved upon it was an image of a very pregnant mare resting upon a large leaf. The name felt fitting given what the amulet looked like, but Daring couldn’t help but think it was odd. The relic in itself was strange enough. The name didn't really help matters.
“It’s said that when—” Suddenly, the tour guide stopped short as somepony called out her name. “Oh! Is it that time already? Shoot… e-excuse me, folks, I need to attend to something! I’ll be back in a moment.”
Daring wasn't sure why, but the tour guide seemed rather glad when she saw who’d called her over. At first she thought it was her boyfriend or something, but then she saw how old the stallion was. It was still odd, though, especially when the tour guide excused herself from their presence while around the crown gem of the museum.
Daring was just about to see what they were up to when she was surprised by a sudden poke to her plot.
“Hey, could you hold my camera?” the tourist said.
Daring almost jumped out of her skin from the impromptu grope. “What!?”
“I want to take a picture next to the Amulet, and I can't be in two places at once. C’mon, help me out.”
She rolled her eyes. “You're not even supposed to get close to these things.”
“I know!” The tourist's eyes gleamed. “How many chances do you get to break the rules in a museum? They never let you touch anything! This is a golden opportunity!”
Daring started to trot away.
“Wait!” the tourist said, thinking fast. “If you don’t do this for me, I’ll tell them that you followed them!”
Daring stopped. What the hay was this? Grade school? Ugh. She turned around with a sickened glare on her face, stomped over to him, and swiped the camera out of his hooves. “Alright, fine! Just hurry up about it.”
The stallion trotted right up next to the pedestal the amulet was resting on with a giddy snicker. She could only roll her eyes as he casually leaned against it, the look of some kind of rogue lawbreaker on his face as he defied all the rules with this one simple act.
Daring fluttered slightly into the air to get a good shot. She tried to get the idiot into frame as he constantly fidgeted, trying to get into a more 'photogenic' stance. Heh, maybe she could bust him for doing this. It sounded like good payback, but then again, he was just some stupid kid not even out of college. He wasn’t worth the trouble.
“Would you stand still, kid?!” Daring snapped. “I can't get a good shot—”
And then it happened. The idiot tripped over his own hooves while trying to pose differently again, lost his balance, smashed into the pedestal, and sent the priceless amulet flying.
“Shit!” Daring dove for the relic. She slid across the floor on her stomach and watched it arc just over her hooves... right before it landed in her grasp.
BZZZAP
Daring felt a sudden, terrible shock lance though her body. She could’ve swore there was a flash of light alongside it, too. It was gone in an instant, though, the artifact now safely in her grasp.
“Aww, my camera...”
Daring looked up. The idiot kid was fawning over his dollar store disposable camera, and didn’t seem to care that he’d almost destroyed a beloved, ancient artifact. She really wanted to break his nose right about now, but her rage was tempered by the knowledge that she was just as guilty herself for going along with his stupid plan.
“Kid, I swear to Celestia—”
She was cut off by the sounds of hoofsteps approaching.
Their differences were set aside as they quickly undid the damage, righting the knocked over pedestal and placing the amulet back upon it. They exchanged a pair of dirty glares, then did their best to stand about nonchalantly as the tour guide and the strange old stallion rounded the corner.
“I'm sorry, folks, but we have to close early due to... uh, the exhibit's belated cleaning! Yes!” The tour guide began leading them the way they came. “So if you would please make your way to the exits—”
“Uh, ma’am?” The tourist spoke up, holding up his broken camera. “Is there someplace I can go to recover my film? I kinda dropped this.”
The tour guide absentmindedly took his camera. “Yes, yes, we have facilities for that. Now please, it’s urgent you leave immediately. Thank you for visiting the museum...”
The duo began to leave, but Daring dragged her hooves, hanging back as she strained to overhear something between the tour guide and the old stallion beside her.
“...sure she's ready for this?” The tour guide whispered. “...just come of age to be a candidate...”
The old stallion whispered back in a tired voice. “An entire generation is going to be lost If we don't find a Godmother soon. We have no choice.”
Daring tried to hear more, but they started getting a suspicious look in their eyes. She grinned nervously at them and quickly picked up her pace, brushing past the bumbling tourist that seemed at a loss of what to do without his camera.
“What in Equestria was that about?” Daring muttered to herself. She walked out of the museum and out into the strangely empty streets. Her adventure sense was tingling like a familiar itch in her brain, and she was all too happy for any kind of distraction. She knew there was something up here, and it had something to do with that amulet. She needed to know more, but that required snooping and research.
Daring sighed. The former would require planning, but at least she knew a place to start on the latter.
()()()()()
“Closed?!” Daring said with wide eyes. “But it's not even six-o'clock!”
“I'm sorry, Miss Do,” the young librarian said as she locked the library door with her magic. “But I can't watch over the library today. I've received some... bad news.”
Daring was about to protest, but then she saw the sorrowful look in the look in the mare’s eyes. She didn't want to cause a scene, but she’d gotten there just as the mare was closing; she’d hoped to get started on her investigation tonight.
“Are you sure I can't step in for a second?” Daring asked. “I just wanted to look at some books to learn more about the legends of this area.”
“All of the lore and history books were checked out earlier this afternoon,” the librarian said in a hollow voice. “I'm sorry, but I’m not up for a late night searching party while you try to find something more obscure. Excuse me...”
The librarian brushed past her quietly, not meeting her eyes as she began to slowly trot down the street.
Daring frowned. Now that was certainly interesting. A bunch of books about ancient legends suddenly all being snatched up? What were the odds? Her adventure sense was tingling more than ever now, and she was chomping at the bit to know more. She had to learn something; if not about the talisman, then maybe at least the town...
“What exactly has all of you ponies in such a sour mood?” Daring quickly called out to the librarian. “Er, if you don't mind me asking, that is. It's like you all lost a relative or something.”
The librarian stopped. Her ears drooped a bit, and she looked back at Daring with watery eyes.
“I can't speak for everypony, but... I can say that my husband and I were expecting—”
She placed a hoof over her flat stomach.
“—and now we're not.”
Daring felt a pit form in her stomach. She was momentarily speechless as she stared slack-jawed at the librarian.
“Oh… oh, jeez. ..” Daring hurried over. “H-hey look, I didn't mean… ugh, me and my big mouth. I’m so, so, sorry. I had no idea...”
But the damage was already done. The librarian was starting to break down, and she almost looked like she might flat-out collapse. Daring wasn't sure if it would help, but she placed a hoof on her shoulder, partly out of sympathy, and partly to steady the poor mare.
Bzzzap!
A shock like static electricity jumped between them. It was almost like back when she’d touched the statue, but far less pronounced. Daring winced and made a note to ground herself better in the future. These static snaps were getting annoying.
In a rather nice surprise, however, the librarian seemed to calm down. Daring did her best to be there for the poor mare as she composed herself.
“I'm sorry, it’s not polite to cry in front of strangers,” she sniffled. “It’s… just been a hard day.”
Daring patted the librarian’s shoulder. “Are you going to be open tomorrow?”
The librarian looked away. “I… I’m sorry, but… I just c-can’t think right now. If you don't mind, I’d really just like to go home.”
“Sure, sure.” Daring stepped back with an awkward smile. “Go on ahead, then. I’ll get the books some other time.”
“Thank you.” The librarian cleared her throat and turned to leave. “Have a good evening, Godmother.”
Daring blinked. “Eh? What did you call me?”
The librarian didn't seem to realize what she meant. “Uhhh… what did I say?”
“You just called me...” Daring stopped herself short. Something about this felt odd, and not in a good way. “Never mind. You just get home, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Daring took off into the sky, leaving the earthbound mare behind. The cool evening air caressed her wings and face as she headed back towards where she’d been staying, all the while trying to understand why she’d been called the same thing that she’d heard in the museum. It just didn’t make any sense, and Daring Do did not like being left in the dark.
“I smell me a mystery.” A rogue-ish grin crept onto her face. “And by Celestia I could certainly go for a good mystery right about now.”
Grrrrrrr...
Daring raised an eyebrow at the noise. It’d come from her stomach, and her insides suddenly felt like they were shifting around. She also felt absolutely starving. An odd contradiction of hunger and nausea, but it propelled her quickly through the night.
“Ugh.” Daring put a hoof on her gurgling gut. “I swear, if I get food poisoning from that awful street vendor earlier, I am done with this place. Mystery and everything else be damned.”
()()()()()
Daring opened the door to the small house which served as her solitary vacation getaway. She needed a toilet, and she needed one now. Her stomach had kept churning the entire flight over, and now she wasn't sure how much of her lunch was going to wind up on the floor. At least she could be as noisy about it as she wanted; the house was being paid for exclusively her.
“Damn iiiiiiiit…” She dashed straight to the bathroom, lifting up the seat cover to the toilet and planting herself before it. “Damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnit…” She gulped down deep lungfuls of air, resigning herself to a night of misery.
But nothing ever came. She simply sat there for a time, breathing heavily as she tried to not be overwhelmed by the warmth now sweeping through her body. There was a painful knot in her stomach, growing in intensity as time went on, yet no matter how bad it got, the contents of her stomach never came up.
Daring wasn't sure this was food poisoning anymore. But whatever the case, she had to weather the storm. Every couple of minutes the knot would get intensely painful, then recede back into a warm blanket of tightness. She'd be lying if she said it didn't feel like somepony was gently stroking her, trying to lessen the discomfort, and she’d be lying twice if she said she didn’t enjoy a good belly rub.
What could she say? She liked being pampered.
Slowly, the knot disappeared. Its waves of pain were slowly blotted out, faded by the warm rush of that strange ghostly hoof gently caring for her. Soon, all that was left was a warm glow, and her gut felt relieved somewhat as the knot went away, leaving only a loosened relaxation to flow through her. Daring sighed in relief now that the worst had seemingly passed, leaving only that wonderful warmth and a strange weight in her gut.
She looked down and thought she seemed a little bloated. She got to her hooves and inspected herself, and sure enough there was a subtle sag to her paunch. She wrote it off as gas or something. Stupid freaking street vendor. She knew those tofu kabobs had smelled funny.
Speaking of food, though, what really grabbed her attention was a sudden craving for peanut butter. Peanut butter and something else, but she wasn't quite sure what. Whatever the case, the kitchen was well stocked, so chances were whatever she was strangely craving would be there. All she had to do was find it.
Daring let her nose do the tracking once within the confines of the kitchen. The peanut butter was easy enough to find, a rather large jar of it to her surprise. But it was what she wanted alongside it that was hard to pin down. She started opening cupboards in pursuit of her quarry, muttering all the while.
Bread and jelly? No, not something sweet.
Crackers? No, not something dry.
Cucumbers? Hmm, closer, but not quite—wait, why was she even considering that?
Daring tried to shake that last one out of her head, but she couldn’t help but feel like she was on to something. She perused her inventory one last time, and that was when she found it. It made no sense, but this was exactly what she was looking for. It was the accursed orange food she normally abhorred, but right now looked absolutely delectable.
“Heck yes.” Her prior feelings about carrots were dismissed as she ripped open the bag and spilled them out next to the jar of peanut butter. She wasted little time in combining the two estranged food stuffs, the taste of which left her strangely fulfilled with every bite. Daring just stuffed her face for a time, dozens of unsuspecting carrots being drenched in brown paste before disappearing into the seemingly endless hunger of her maw.
“Why does this taste so gooooood…” Daring was about to continue feasting, but then stopped as she began to feel... strange. Her stomach suddenly dragged lower as a heavy... something dropped into her belly, something that wasn’t food. The abrupt sensation sent a queasy feeling through her body, and she realized that she might be evicting all the food from her stomach after all.
Daring was taking a few steps toward the kitchen's exit when her stomach suddenly rumbled again. The sensation shook her gut, a long, winded moan accompanying the warmth that bloomed from her stomach's movement. She could swear the sagging pudge of her waist felt even heavier.
“What’s happening…” Daring murmured, letting her head rest against lower cupboards as she let herself lay gently on her plot. She looked down at her stomach, unsure as waves of warmth slowly overtook her. Suddenly she could feel it again, that ghostly hoof stroking her paunch, coaxing her into an easier state of mind.
A gentle, soft voice began whispering in her mind.
Relax.
Breathe.
All will be well…
Daring felt her stomach move with her breath, in and out. Another rumble shook it about, and the weight within bloated alongside. She groaned lovingly as the care from the ghostly hooves made her feel warm and serene. Suddenly she felt a bump, as though something inside her had tapped gently against her stomach. She looked down curiously and felt it again, and a slight bulge appeared on her belly for an instant.
Daring's stomach rocked about again before she had time to question it. But this time, it didn't stop. Her breathing increased rapidly as she felt something within her growing, the limits of her stomach being prodded as a mass pushed against it.
“Ah…” Daring watched her stomach rise and fall with each labored breath, and each time it seemed it would rise higher than it fell. Her belly grew tighter as it rose, her limit being reached, then surpassed, and she groaned as she felt the warm mass within her continue to grow despite the strain. Her stomach was forced into a strange elongated shape, and before long, it was longer than it was wide.
“Mmhhh...” The gentle hooves continued to press against her, coaxing out that wonderful warmth. It seemed to soak down into the strange shape her stomach was taking, but she didn’t mind one bit. She felt her skin stretching as her belly pushed out again, her gut reaching such a size that Daring could swore she saw her belly button peek out from underneath her fur. She continued to watch her gut swell higher, the growth always seeming to catch up before she could exhale completely, always reaching a new height. She wasn't sure if it was going to stop… but then again, she wasn't sure if she wanted it to stop.
Another rumble migrated deeper into the core of her belly, a pressure building up from the growth as it looked for one last bit of room. Daring fidgeted as the top of her belly felt like it was pressed against something, something that was trying to push out from within. Harder and harder she could feel it pushing against the crest of her elongated stomach, and it felt so good, she could barely suppress her moans.
The first push made the shape far more solid, her breathing only enhancing the effect. Another felt like it was rushing up to meet the force that continued to press against her belly, like a maddening presence working its way forward. Daring squirmed and moaned as the unseen hooves made her hot and bothered, pressing harder against her fuzzy navel, which was clearly visible to her now. The pressure slowly grew, and Daring watched fascinated as a strange nub appeared from her belly button. It looked to be the same color as her, but it also seemed stuck. The pressure behind it grew and grew, her stomach rocking about madly as Daring's quickened breaths only served to stimulate her more. She felt a thrust, the nub trying to force itself past, only to make her ache and moan madly as it sank back in. It tried it again, and again, and again, matching her quickened breaths each time, in sync with her rises and falls. Every repetition made her squirm and ache for more as the nub gently tickled the sensitive area of her navel.
Suddenly, the pressure spiked, pushing farther and farther, not stopping. Daring cried out as her muscles tensed from the surprise, her navel slowly gaining ground, more of it appearing before her eyes. She could see it straining against her flesh now, could even feel it moving.
“AH!” She was rocked by a spasm, and the pressure rocketed down the course of her belly. The little nub surged in size momentarily before popping into shape, a gentle throbbing signalling its escape. She looked like a pregnant mare now, and her cries from such wondrous feelings echoed loudly through the private home.
Daring tried to register what had just happened. Before she could, though, the pull of sleep began dragging her under. The pressure and warmth was slowly lessening, finally running its course at last. Her breathing grew shallow as her eyelids gently fluttered shut, and she drifted off into a gentle sleep. The prior activity had left her with a belly button that was now an outie, but more amazing than that, a nascent life was within her womb, carefully poking and prodding at its new surroundings with tiny hooves.
The unborn foal's gentle bumps and kicks brought a soft smile to Daring’s face as she drifted off to pleasant dreams.
()()()()()
“What do you mean it didn't work?!” the old stallion demanded. “It had to have! You said she was the last candidate!”
There was a nervous murmuring amongst the ponies standing in the circle.
“Y-You don't understand, sir,” a mare stammered. “It would have worked, but a new Godmother has already been chosen! Look!”
The pony held up the Amulet of Graveeda, and sure enough, the carving within was aglow with a single star gleaming in the center.
“Impossible,” the old stallion breathed.
Each pony in the circle looked at each other as hushed whispers traded back and forth between them.
The mare gulped and wet her lips. “W-What do we do now? What does this mean?”
“You know what this means,” a tall pony in a hooded robe said.
They all turned. There were more excited murmurs, and they parted way as he made his way into the circle. He approached the mare holding the Amulet, taking it and holding it up to inspect its glow in the torchlight.
The old stallion bowed. “Headmaster…”
“We have to find her,” the Headmaster said. “Quickly, before the equinox is upon us. Send out everypony we have immediately. The new Godmother must be found.”
Daring woke up feeling absolutely wonderful. She wasn’t exactly sure why, mind you, but that didn't mean she couldn't bask in the inexplicable goodness. She yawned and stretched her limbs around her mammoth gut, letting her legs gently caress its sides. She moaned softly as her hooves stroked it, and she opened her eyes to behold her gorgeously gravid girth. Slowly, the haze of her sleep disappeared and her senses returned…
“Wha... WHAT!?” The memories of last night slowly returned. “No... oh no, this is bad!” Daring slapped her hooves over her eyes. “Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!”
Slowly she lifted her hooves up, gradually taking in her profound stomach once again. It almost seemed unreal as she watched her gut rise and fall with her slightly labored breathing. The warmth of its immense mass washed over her, bathing her in its radiance and maternal glow. She prodded it, and feeling the mass of her gut moving created a wonderful tickle deep within. She retracted her curious touch, but then something within her womb stirred, gently shaking it about and causing a familiar feeling to explode through her. She let out a long, low moan from the sudden burst of activity, her belly moving rhythmically about.
Daring was at a loss for words. This situation didn't make any sense to her, not one hoofing bit. She was pregnant, obviously, but being pregnant wasn't supposed to feel like this! Or at least, she didn’t think so. She wasn't exactly experienced.
Daring pursed her lips. How in the world did this happen? This just reeked of magic, or a curse, or a hex, or—
Daring smacked her forehead. “The shock from the amulet… argh! Of course the ancient relic is cursed! It's always, always cursed! Smooth move, Daring. Real smooth, freaking move! Treasure Hunting 101, and you went and bucked it up like some amateur!”
She sat there a while, fuming. The rising sun was peeking in from the kitchen window, and she realized she’d slept through the entire night. She’d rather not have done it on the kitchen floor, but at least today she could get some work done.
“Gotta do research,” she muttered. “Fuck... I don’t even know if this kid is mine! And if it’s not, I’m gonna have to find who the parents are! Er... somehow.”
Daring almost felt bad about regarding the life in her as annoying, but she pushed those feelings aside for now. At least she believed it was real, and not some kind of weird illusion. Which meant she wasn’t gonna be doing anything reckless for the time being... great. Another adventure where she had to deal with a handicap.
At least it could've be worse. This wasn’t the worst thing that’d happened to her before on an adventure; not by a long shot. Better to play foalsitter for a while than to be constantly fearing for one’s life, wondering if you'll ever be able to fly again, or racing against the clock as a poison races through your veins.
Daring got up off the floor, needing to make use of some wingpower to lift herself over her gut. As she’d feared, sleeping on the floor hadn’t been kind to her, and now was sore as Tartarus. It didn’t seem like she’d be doing much flying today, but then again, she probably wouldn’t have anyway. Luckily, she seemed to only have one foal on the way (though a rather big one) so she could still walk with little trouble.
Daring started to trot to the bathroom, taking her time to get used to the new weight between her legs. She needed a shower something fierce, and research could wait until after she’d tended to herself. She did her best to ignore the new feelings coursing through her, as every stride caused her legs to brush up against the sides of her firm womb, the child within rolling about as it tried to find a more comfortable position.
Daring sighed. “For Celestia’s sake. If just walking is this distracting...”
She shut the bathroom door behind her with a slam. It was gonna be a long day.
()()()()()
“We've been to almost all the prior candidate's households already, sir,” a young mare reported. “There's no sign of a delayed reaction to the Amulet.”
The Headmaster sighed. “And we don't have enough time to go checking every mare in town… shit! The Amulet doesn't act spontaneously! It's power was already almost drained before this; it can’t have provided much energy now!”
“This new Godmother isn’t going to last if we don’t hurry,” the old stallion said from beside him. “The boon from the awakening will fade, and the curse will return in full.”
Another member of the group spoke up. “Sirs, um… I was thinking… what if the new Godmother isn't a candidate?”
The two stallions turned to her.
The mare shifted on her hooves. “What if the Godmother is an outsider? You know, somepony who doesn't live here? The Amulet’s almost always on display. It could’ve been touched or brushed against by somepony.”
The Headmaster considered that for a moment. After exchanging a glance with his elder, he cleared his throat and spoke in a loud voice. “I want the city locked down. Lie if you have to about the reasons, but no tourist, and I mean NO TOURIST is leaving until we find the Godmother! Swift Bell, go send for Showcase. She's the one who’s been giving tours for the last month.”
One of the young initiates saluted and disappeared from his sight.
The Headmaster then turned to a pony standing over by the window. “Quick Fix.”
Quick Fix perked up. He was a pegasus stallion with a silver mane and tail, his coat was a soft shade of white, and his eyes were pale blue. His cutie mark was a wrench with a white snake wrapped around it, and his wings occasionally twitched from a nervous tick.
“Yes, sir?” Quick Fix said.
“Start sending teams to the families that have signed for well wishes in the Godmother book.” The Headmaster’s voice grew more emphatic. “And please, please be discreet. We're not trying to open old wounds. You just need to find a mare who's happy to have her foals back.”
Quick Fix nodded. “I’m on it.”
()()()()()
Daring poked her head out around the alleyway corner. She’d been cautious about avoiding attention, but years of adventuring had left her with a lingering paranoia. She didn't want to be seen so suddenly heavy with foal, although she had to admit to herself, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal. This city was huge, who was going to know? It wasn't like she was well known around here. She probably could've gotten away with walking down the street without much of a fuss, but instead she’d opted to be careful, staying to alleyways and rooftops.
Even gliding was becoming a chore, though. She could barely manage the small distance between two buildings, much less flying across a street if need be. Daring really hoped that the answer to her problems wouldn’t require much use of her woefully sore wings, as she doubted she’d be able to manage. She rolled her shoulders and poked her head out once again, wondering where the hay that librarian was. It was still relatively early in the morning, but well past the time she was supposed to open.
“I hope she didn’t decide to stay—huh?”
Daring heard whistling from down the street. She almost ducked back into hiding, but then noticed who it was. It was the librarian, that sad sulking mess of a pony from last night... jaunting down the street whistling Cranky Doodle Donkey. She was even wearing a new-looking dress, although it looked to be a little loose around her waist for some reason.
“What the...” Daring stared dumbfounded at the mare. Of course, doing so allowed the front half of her body to stand out from the alley, meaning that it wasn't long before the librarian noticed her.
“Oh, hello!” the librarian said brightly. “Waiting on me? Sorry about that. I just had to pick out a dress to mark the happy occasion.”
Daring raised an eyebrow. “Yesterday—”
“Oh, phooey about yesterday,” she said with a giggle. She unlocked the library, motioning for Daring to follow. “Come on in.”
The library was like a sanctuary compared to the dreary atmosphere outside. There hadn't even been a passing tourist amongst all the locked doors and shutter-closed windows, and the empty streets had been downright eerie. Daring gratefully crossed the threshold, noticing that the librarian had already gone behind the front desk to check some files. This was good, as the librarian was probably the only pony who would remember that she wasn't pregnant the day before. Now was her chance to close the distance between them so she could keep her little ‘problem’ out of sight.
Finally at a range close enough to not rouse suspicion at her unseen cargo, Daring wet her lips and spoke up. “So, uh... about those books on history that I wanted to get yesterday. You wouldn’t happen to have anything about the…” she coughed. “...the A-Amulet of Graveeda, would you?”
The librarian looked up from her work. “The Amulet? Hmm, I think that… maybe in the older... yeah… yeah! You should be able to find books about the Amulet in our history section. Check the encyclopedias about obscure Equestrian history first. They’re in that room over there.”
She pointed to a doorway close by, which thankfully, was at such an angle that Daring wouldn't need worry about being spotted on her way over.
“Alright," Daring said. "Thanks.”
She'd just started walking toward the room mentioned when a kick suddenly rocked her belly. She managed to suppress any noises she may have made, but strangely enough, she instead heard... giggling?
Daring looked toward the librarian. She was blushing, and apparently didn't realize Daring was still there. Not questioning fate, Daring started moving again before anything else weird could happen, but then the kid kicked again. The feelings were maddening, but didn’t have time to dwell on them, as she was distracted again by another loud chuckle from the mare behind the desk.
This time the librarian seemed to realize she was being stared at. She carefully cleared her throat before turning away from Daring. Daring kept an eye out as she continued onto her destination, and noticed that the librarian was looking downward. She seemed to be mumbling to something, but Daring couldn't tell what. And the desk was just as good a screen for her as it was for Daring, so...
Daring shrugged and pushed it out of her mind. She had to find the answer to her problems right now, not wonder why some librarian talked to herself.
()()()()()
Daring had been looking through volumes of dry textbooks for the last hour, and had just only found something that might help. A small section with a heading 'The Amulet of Graveeda' mentioned the relic in small detail, although it was pretty sparse on details.
“Sacred artifact… held in high regard by the ponies of Prodigal Point… silver disc of platinum etched with the likeness of Graveeda… blah, blah, blah.” Daring rolled her eyes and crossed her hooves. “Not much help there. Seems like another dead—wait, what’s this?”
There was a small footnote at the end of the article. In tiny text it said, “For more information, see The Founding of Prodigal Point, Volume Twelve.”
Daring groaned. She’d actually seen that collection of volumes while browsing around in here, placed up on one of the higher shelves. There was a stepladder in the room, but she couldn't really use it thanks to a certain package lodged between her legs.
“Damn it.” Daring snapped the book shut and chewed on her lip. She really didn’t want to climb a ladder right now. There were no other leads, though, and she was getting impatient. She decided she’d go for it, but, she’d be doing it in a special way. Despite the soreness in her wings, she could fly while using the step ladder as a kind of guide rail, kinda like back at flight camp when she was a filly. It was a pretty rudimentary thing, and she was confident it would work.
“Here goes.” Up the ladder Daring went, slowly flapping without aggravating her tired muscles too much. Her wings protested with every beat, but still, she kept on. It thankfully didn't take long her long to do this, thankfully, but now she’d encountered a new problem. The stepladder wasn’t high enough to reach the shelf she was trying to get to, which meant she was going to have to fly solo.
Daring pursed her lips. “Of course it's never easy.” She took the final length toward the book, snatching it in her grasp.
“Ha!” she said. “Got it!”
Then one of her wings seized up.
“GAH!” She lost stability and collided into the book case. In a span of luck she managed to correct herself just before she landed, but not before the disturbed stepladder fell over in a loud BOOM, burying her in a small avalanche of books.
Daring stared up at the ceiling, taking heavy gasps of air. She was on her back, and the world spinning was around in circles. She was fine, hadn’t even landed hard, but that little exertion had left her feeling lightheaded.
"Ugh..." She saw that her belly was covered by a thin layer of books, which caused a brief flutter of panic. Her thoughts immediately went to the foal, but a wiggle and kick allayed her worries.
“Sorry about that,” Daring murmured to her belly. “I’m not usually this clumsy, I swear.”
“You alright in there?” the librarian called.
Uh-oh.
“I’m fine!” Daring said quickly. “Just some books fell over, that's all!”
“Oh, well I can help with that!”
Crap. Daring tried to sit up, but her overly large tummy made it considerably difficult. It felt like there was a tent pole lodged between her sternum and hips. “No, no! It’s fine, really! I just—”
“Oh, dear...”
Daring froze. The librarian was standing at the entrance with a look of concern. Thankfully there was still a thin layer of books covering Daring, but her gut was so large that it looked like she was covered up to her chest. She didn't really know what to say as the librarian trotted over in a hurry, and all Daring could really do was lay back and wait for the inevitable.
“Oh, you poor dear!” The librarian said. “Let me... help...”
Daring wasn't looking, but she was pretty sure that the lack of speech was followed by a jaw dropping to the floor. When she did look to make sure the mare hadn't passed out, she saw the librarian easing herself down to the floor to sit, as she seemed unable to take her eyes off Daring's awe-inspiring size.
Daring didn't really know what to do. What could she do? How many times had she had to explain away a sudden pregnancy before? How many times had anypony?
“It's you.”
Daring cocked her head. Of all the things she was expecting to hear, that wasn’t one of them. “What?”
The librarian's voice was filled with wonder. “I d-didn't even think you were real, but here you are...”
Daring watched as the librarian tried to hide her emotion behind one of her hooves, the other drifting down to rest on her own stomach. She barely hid a smile as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Oh, thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you… th-thank you so much…”
“Thank you?” Daring didn't know how to take that. “Thanks for what?” She did her best to pull herself out of the book pile, which went easier thanks to the librarian's magic.
The librarian frowned. “But you're... you're the Godmother! You have to be! You saved my child!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!” Daring managed to sit herself upright. “I don't even know what a Godmother is! And how would I save anypony with this watermelon dragging me down?”
Recognition dawned in the librarian’s eyes. “You… you don't even know what you are, do you?”
“Of course I do!" She tried to get up but found herself grounded, as the cramped muscle in her back made flapping her wings impossible. She dragged her hooves over her face in a prolonged groan. "I'm Daring Do, adventurer extraordinaire! It’s okay if you haven’t heard of me; I'm not from around here. I only just came to Prodigal Point a few days ago. Do you know why is this happening to me?”
After a long silence, the librarian spoke. “...I might.”
Daring shifted, trying to get comfortable. “I’m all ears.”
The librarian’s eyes grew distant as she looked off at the far wall. “My mother used to tell me a story when I was younger. I always thought it was a fairytale, but it’s apparently quite real. It was about a curse that'd steal away foals from a mother's womb.
“Long ago, there was a cruel, powerful spirit who terrorized this town for many years,” the librarian said. “Her name was Apate, and she was a master of trickery, fraud, and deception. She treated the ponies of Prodigal Point like they were her slaves, and she was especially was hateful towards young children and their mothers.”
Daring raised an eyebrow. "Seems like a strange demographic to single out.”
“When Apate was brought into this world, she was given a vision,” the librarian explained. “She would be free to sow mischief and sorrow wherever she went, and her power would go unchallenged in all things. However, her downfall would ultimately be brought about by the meek, and her death would be delivered by the nurturers of the meek. Apate interpreted this as any mares who had young children, and so out of paranoia, she singled them out and treated them the worst of all.”
Daring resisted the urge to facehoof. That sounded about typical for a fairytale, but if it were actually true, then this Apate was an utter idiot. You didn’t beat down the ones who were prophesied to take you down. All that did was give them all the more reason to want to take you down. It seemed that no matter where she went in the world, one constant remained the same: bad guys were really, really stupid.
“So what happened?” Daring asked.
The librarian hung her head. “Apate wandered the world for a time, causing misery and strife before coming to Prodigal Point. She claimed it as her own, then began to spread her tyranny to other nearby towns. However, over time, murmurs of unrest began to arise, and acts of rebellion sprang up. The ponies gradually grew more and more defiant, until finally, a mare named Graveeda stepped up and organized a proper resistance. Plans were made to overthrow Apate, but unfortunately, Apate learned of the resistance before they could make a move. Apate decided to break the spirits of the rebels, and since the group was primarily composed of mares, she laid a curse on the town that'd steal foals from a mother's womb before they were born.”
Daring could now see how all these pieces fit together. “And lemme guess, that didn’t break their spirits."
“The entire town flew into an unholy rage," the librarian said. "They abandoned all pretenses and swarmed Apate’s palace, overwhelming her defenses and bringing her down with brute force. They demanded that she remove the curse, but she refused and instead tried to slay them all with a powerful spell.”
Daring couldn't help but grin. “Try to cast a doomsday spell that takes time and concentration to cast when a bloodthirsty mob is busting down your door. Never understood why villains always think that'll work.”
“And this case was no different,” the librarian said. “Graveeda was the one who stopped her, running her through with an enchanted spear. But as Apate was in her death throes, she shattered the spear to pieces, intending to make the weapon overload and take her killer with her. Instead of killing Graveeda, Apate’s energy flowed into the her, turning her into a powerful spirit in her own right. The darkness and evil that'd consumed Apate was burned away, leaving only light and love behind."
"In the years that followed, Graveeda devoted herself to protecting the town from various threats," the librarian said. "She also devoted herself to undoing the curse that kept stealing away the town’s foals, as it had endured beyond Apate's death. Unfortunately, the curse proved to be too difficult for Graveeda. The best she could do was come up with a sort of band-aid fix, and a rather awkward one at that.”
Daring looked down at her swollen belly. “Which is this Godmother thing, I'm guessing.”
The librarian began undoing the buttons on her dress. And as she did, she began to recite a poem.
No mother may now bear their young for cruel Apate’s trap is sprung. Upon the fourth month’s final day, black mist will steal the foals away and lost forever they will be their faces shan't the parents see.
But through Graveeda’s chosen one the cruel curse can be undone between two wombs safe they'll stay, until they can come out to play.
Oh Godmother, to you we pray save us from doom and disarray Your blessings do our fears allay and keep Apate’s curse at bay.
Share in our love and in our life Shield us from sorrow and foul strife long may you live, free us of woe and through you may our unborn grow.
With the last button undone she opened the front of her dress, and this time Daring was the one who felt her jaw drop. The librarian’s stomach, which had been flat last night, had slightly swollen, as if she'd swallowed a large grapefruit. Nowhere near the size of her own belly, of course, but seeing it nevertheless had Daring in a daze.
“I always knew that the Godmother shared in the mother's progeny to provide protection from Apate’s curse,” the librarian said, smiling. “I just didn't know she could bring them back, too.”
A million questions flew through Daring's head. The one that rang loudest sprang forth first.
“H-Hang on, back up! I didn't bring your kid back! I don’t even know how anypony could do that to begin with! What makes you think that—”
Daring was cut short as the librarian leaned forward, gently rubbing Daring's enormous belly. A feeling of warmth welled up in her gut, and while she had a sudden temptation to be rather indecent, she held her urges in check. The librarian then kissed Daring's stomach where she’d been stroking, and the warmth magnified even more.
“I-I…” Daring couldn't hold back a slight moan as a tingle spread across her girth, her eyes unbelieving as a slight shimmer rippled across her skin. Her gut began to radiate with a warm glow, alongside a soft throbbing sensation, an identical one reciprocating in the librarian's belly. A slight kick rocked their wombs together, a single disturbance both simultaneous and mirrored on the same location of their paunches.
The librarian spoke up past Daring's awe. “My mother also said that rubbing the Godmother's belly brings good luck.”
Daring could hardly believe what she’d just seen. “B-But, how? How did you know?”
The librarian blushed as she put a hoof on her own pregnant stomach. “Sometimes a mother just... does.”
If Daring hadn't left home without her hat, it would be pulled over her face by now. “Oh, man… this is weird. This is almost too weird, even for me!”
“No, it’s alright!” the librarian insisted. “Nopony around here will think differently of you, and belief in the Godmother is common enough that your appearance will—”
“I can’t do this!” Daring held her head in her hooves. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be your fertility goddess or whatever! I have a life of my own, dreams, a career, all that stuff! I'm not ready to put down roots and become some kind of broodmother!”
“You don't understand,” the librarian said with pleading eyes. “I didn't believe my friends until I saw them, and I still thought it was a hoax until it happened to me! You have no idea what kind of pain this town is going through! You can fix it all! You can give everypony back what the curse has taken!”
Daring wasn't going to listen. This was all crazy, and she wanted nothing to do with any of it. She never even wanted kids in the first place! How was she expected to carry the generation of an entire town!? The panic rose like a tidal wave in her mind, threatening to bear down and destroy everything, her breathing and heart rate picking up.
It was then that a voice entered her mind, soft and pure. It spoke but a single word, but it carried all the force of a hammerblow.
See.
A strange force rushed through Daring’s mind, and the world disappeared in a flash of light.
()()()()()
Daring’s legs were moving on their own. Her wings were gone, and she couldn't help but feel like something was protruding from her skull. Something else was pestering her, too, like a sickness or strange nausea that was constricting her gut. She barged her way into a room that looked like a bathroom, and as she looked in the mirror, she abruptly realized who she was.
The librarian was hyperventilating. The pain in her belly was increasing, feeling like a firestorm of glass. She let out a gasp as a particularly strong stab drove her to her knees, and she caught a glimpse of a black smoke oozing out of her bellybutton.
“NO!” The librarian cried. “PLEASE, NO!”
The pain in their stomach increased dramatically. Something invisible was constricting it, its size fading with a bone-chilling coldness. The black smoke now began pouring out of her mouth as well, cutting her screams short and making her gag.
Then, it all stopped. The librarian was left laying there on the cold, tile floor, weak and exhausted from the attack.
She noticed the strange emptiness that now pervaded their insides.
She let out a tiny whimper, tears forming in her eyes.
“No... nononononononono...” she finally opened her eyes and dared look, her gaze slowly looked upon what she feared.
The world came back in a rush. Daring snapped her head back and yelped, breathing hard as the feeling of horror left her. She finally registered that she was back in her own body, and she found herself looking down at the swell between her legs. Never before had she been so happy so see and feel its warmth. She gave it a loving stroke and to feel the life within, and the foal kicked back at her worried prodding.
“Wow…”
Daring jumped. She looked up and noticed that the librarian was standing at a distance, a look of awe on her face.
Daring rubbed her head. “How long was I out?”
“Only a few minutes, but your eyes...” The librarian shook her head. “I've never seen a pegasus' eyes do that before. I didn't hurt either of you, did I?”
“No, but—” Daring cut herself off with a shiver. The echoes of that scream were still ringing in her ears. “Sheesh. I'm... sorry about what happened. I didn’t know it was like that.”
Either Daring hid her pain badly, or the librarian could hear it in her voice. “You saw—”
“More like f-felt.” Daring wasn't the type to cry, but the memory of that thing crawling through her and doing something unspeakable was enough to make her voice tremble.
The librarian trotted over and sat down next to Daring. “Hey, it's alright, see?” Shepicked up one of Daring's hooves and let it rest upon her own, less gravid belly. “You brought him back, and now he'll never be taken away.”
Daring smiled as she felt the life jump within them both. Even if she didn't know how she’d done it, the fact that such a horrible thing had been undone left her in a moment of pride. Maybe being the Godmother wasn't such a bad thing? She still wasn't quite sure.
The librarian seemed to sense her slight change of heart. “So, you think you could help my friends out? Help us all out?”
Daring couldn't look her in the eye. A part of her wanted to say yes, but it was a tall order. “I don't know. I want to, believe me, but I'm just not sure how I’d fit ‘em all in here.” She gave her stomach a casual tap.
“Well, you already have a few in there, don't you?” the librarian asked. “Think you can fit a few more until we figure out how the Godmother deals with the curse?”
Daring winced. “Er, actually, this is just yours.”
The librarian stared at her. “You're kidding.”
Daring’s expression remained unchanged.
The librarian laughed nervously. “Are… are you sure that that melon you have in there is just mine?”
Daring just shrugged. “Yeah, I'm sure.” She wasn’t sure how, mind you, but she was.
The librarian went pale. “I'm going to get THAT BIG?! Ahhhh! I'm not going to have anything to wear! Oh, my mother was right about Clydesdale foals!”
Daring couldn't help but laugh. “I’m sure that—”
She was cut short by the sound of the front door being forcibly swung open with a loud CRASH!
“Clever Quill!” A loud voice shouted through the space. “We need to speak with you!”
Daring had been through enough scrapes to recognize the sound of trouble. She was already getting up to leave by the time the librarian’s name was called out. Meanwhile, Clever Quill was leaving to see who had just arrived.
“Wait!” Daring called after her. “Your dress.”
“Oh! Right.” She quickly began refitting the buttons.
The booming voice from before spoke up again, “NOW, Misses Quill! I don’t have all day!”
“One minute, you oaf!” Clever Quill yelled back. “Your overtly loud entry knocked over the books I was sorting!” She turned back to Daring and spoke in an undertone. “There's a back door over in that corner. Use it just in case.”
Daring looked where she pointed, and could barely make it out in the darkness of the back room they were in. “You know, I usually don’t hear the words 'just in case' unless—”
“You're far more important than I am!” Clever Quill said in a rushed voice. She heaved Daring up onto her feet. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
Daring began slinking like a shadow towards the door. As she got close, though, she couldn't help but stop. She couldn’t very well have anything bad to happen to the mother of the foal she was carrying. Clever Quill was now arguing with whoever was at the door, but Daring couldn’t make anything out from so far away.
Cursing, Daring doubled back around and got closer so she could hear what they were saying.
“I've never heard of your order and I think you’re full of manure,” Clever Quill said. “If a group like that was real, then either you’re all utterly incompetent, or you enjoy watching the entire town suffer! If all you’re going to try and intimidate me with a load of horseapples, you can—HEY!”
Daring heard the sound of a dress being ripped.
“What in Celestia’s name is wrong with you?!” Clever Quill shouted. “You stupid jerk! That was a brand new dress!”
“Your husband wrote within the Book of the Godmother that our order was to wish well for your lost foal yesterday,” the gruff voice said. “And yet here you are, heavy with one.”
“He was mistaken,” Clever Quill said. “I was mistaken, rather. I overreacted at dinner last night.”
“Mistaken about losing a foal?” The gruff voice let out a snort. “Are you saying your husband lied to the order? Because that’s a capital offense… and so is lying to me!”
“S-Stop! What are you—what in Equestria is that?!”
Daring didn't know what to do. She couldn't very well fight with a full-term foal in her! But she couldn’t just leave Clever Quill like this; there had to be something she could do!
“Just a trinket that's going to tell me that you're lying,” the gruff voice said. “And oh, hey! Would just look at that! Magical residue all over your belly! And not just any residue—Godmother residue.”
“That’s not even a thing!” Clever Quill spat. “It sounds like something you made up just now! And even if it were, it wouldn’t prove anything other then that the Godmother is back!”
“I might believe that, but you also have some on your hooves…” there was a pause. “...and your dress, and even your mouth! Damn it, you had some very close contact with her, and bloody recently, too! Tell us where she is!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, moron! Why don’t you and your goons go—OOF!”
Daring heard the sound of a mare grunting in pain.
“BRASH! Are you insane?!” a new voice cried out in alarm. “Back off! You’re going way too far—HRK!”
There was a second grunt, this time from a stallion.
The first voice spoke again in a low, dangerous tone. “We’re going to find the Godmother, and when we do, we're gonna lock her up until we all get what we deserve! Search the entire library from head to hoof! Three of you, check the upper floor! The rest of you, sweep the ground! Cinderwing, you go check that room she came out of, and don’t you dare miss a damn thing.”
Daring muttered a curse. Opening the door now would just let them know she was there. But then again, it'd probably take the heat off of Clever Quill. She decided to take the risk. She peeked beyond the door to see how much time she had, and that’s when she noticed that one of the stallions was brandishing a strange silver coin in his magic. It was giving off a strange light that was moving all over the room, and when it passed over Daring, the warmth in her belly increased. It began to spread to the rest of her, and by the time she realized what was happening, it was already too late.
FLASH! Daring’s entire body lit up like a firework.
The stallion almost dropped the silver coin. “SHE’S HERE!”
“Shit!” Daring waddled to the back door and disappeared out into the old alleyway.
“OUT OF THE WAY! SHE’S MINE!”
Daring suppressed a sneer. She certainly knew which voice that was. She'd be happy to do a number on him if things were different, but as it stood, she had to get away as quick as she could.
The sound of the back door smashed open wasn't a good sign for her progress. She debated stopping and trying to fight anyway, as the weight of her cargo already starting to tire her out, but she didn't want to endanger the little one. She had no way of knowing what would happen to Quill's foal if it was hurt in her own womb, and she wasn’t about to risk that.
“Give it up, Godmother!” Brash called after her. “You know you can't run.”
Daring hated admitting it, but he was right. Every fiber of her being still ached, and she was already out of breath. She just wasn’t agile like this, so she stopped and turned around to face her pursuer.
“Well, well, look at you!” Daring finally met 'Brash', a young earth pony, large for his age, wearing some kind of robe that was probably a uniform of some kind. “Aren’t you the pretty thing! If you weren't so important and fat, I might do some things to you.”
She could already tell he had a sparkling personality.
“Oh yeah, Quick Fix is gonna have to pay up big time for this,” Brash said, smirking. “Nice lookin' little meal ticket like you? Hoo boy, the things I would’ve done to you before this. I’d seriously kill for a mare or two with as nice a plot as yours.”
Daring narrowed her eyes. “Is everypony in your order a gentlestallion like you?”
Brash chuckled. “Too long of a story to say why, but let’s just say the Headmaster will skin Quick Fix alive if he finds out I got put in charge of finding you. Fortunately, long as I have my way, nopony’s ever gonna be the wiser.”
Daring was tempted to give him a piece of her mind, but her attention was elsewhere. Her gut was beginning to feel weird, and not in a good way this time. She was beginning to worry it might have something to do with Clever Quill, and the thought of this idiot hurting her or the foal made her want to give him a taste of cast-iron horseshoes.
“This whole deal’s kind of a hush-hush thing back at the palace,” Brash continued. “Not very many ponies know that the Godmother is real, and because of that it won’t be hard to ‘detain you’ in exchange for ‘tradeable currency,’ if you catch my drift. I'm gonna have so many bits in my pocket I won’t even know what to do with ‘em! Maybe I’ll get some fine ladies to follow me around.” He circled around to her backside. “Or just find one or two with a plot as nice as yours, heh.”
The unpleasant feeling in Daring’s belly was getting worse. It felt like an intense version of nausea, and it was causing her to double over in pain. A rather strange sensation abruptly rocked her womb, and she had to roll onto her back to prevent falling on her face.
“What did... you do... to Clever Quill?” she barely managed to ask before the feeling increased yet again.
Brash shrugged. "Snooty librarian was giving me lip, so I knocked the wind out of her to shut her up. Now, get up off your back before I make you. I gotta take you someplace more private before anypony else turns up.”
Daring couldn't answer him. A blind seething rage had consumed her over hearing that he’d knocked the wind out of a pregnant mare. She wanted to kick his ass, but instead all she could do was groan as her stomach felt woefully sick.
“Whoa, what the hay?!” Brash took a step back. “What's going on?”
She wasn't sure if he expected her to answer. It felt like her stomach was being compressed, but that was actually a good thing, as the pain diminished considerably along with it. Her breathing picked up as she felt the warmth of her paunch slowly degrade, and she opened her eyes to see that with her every exhale, her gut was shrinking.
“No… NO!”” She didn't want to believe what she was seeing, nor did she want to believe what it meant. “Not that! Please—GAH!”
Brash had kicked her hard in the ribs. “Knock it off, bitch! They ain't gonna believe I have the Godmother if you don't have a nice big foal in ya! Grow it back, now, or you and that kid are in for a world of hurt!”
Daring couldn't hear him. Not over the anguish in her mind, and certainly not over the white hot fury. She looked up at him, that big stupid slack-jawed face positioned perfectly behind her back legs.
“HAAAAAAUUUGH!” With a savage yell, Daring pulled her rear legs close and bucked him with everything she had.
WHAM!
She felt his jaw shatter beneath her hooves. The teeth flying overhead were certainly a nice bonus, but the real icing on the cake was his sudden backwards flight down the alley. He landed flat on his back and twitched a few times on the ground, his eyes glassy and unfocused before going out like a light.
Daring got to her hooves and spat in his direction. “You slimy little shit! I should smash your balls while I’m at it! How dare you threaten—”
There was a loud gasp from the library’s back door.
Daring looked. It was a unicorn; mostly like one of Brash’s goons. He was looking between her and Brash with wide-eyes, momentarily at a loss. She was tempted to rearrange his face as well, but she knew better than to full-out charge a magic user. Even the inexperienced ones had a trick or two up their sleeves usually, so instead she opted for Option B.
“Girls, don’t fail me now.” Her wings were still sore, but now that she weighed considerably less, she was confident that she’d be able to get away. Without a second thought she took to the sky, aiming for distance instead of height as she sped past the tops of buildings. Before long the library was far off in the distance, and she was left alone gliding between the puffy clouds.
Daring couldn't help but think about what’d just happened as the adrenaline wore off. She didn't know much about being the Godmother yet, but something told her that spontaneously losing her ‘cargo’ like that wasn't a good sign. She debated circling around back to library to check on Clever Quill, maybe see if she could get her to safety, but just then, her gut began acting up again.
“What now...” she groaned. It was getting warm, really warm, and rumbling something fierce, too. Something in her told her she had to land, fast, so she did in an alleyway several blocks away from the library.
The warmth in her stomach redoubled as soon as her hooves hit the ground, spreading out farther and rumbling her belly about in a big way. She felt something heavy begin filling and stretching out her womb, something familiar and pulsing with life.
“Ohhhhh...” Daring fought to keep her senses throughout the pleasurable haze. She’d be lying if she said it didn't feel incredibly good, and she’d be lying twice if she said she wasn't relieved to feel these sensations returning... but she couldn’t do this here. It was too vulnerable in an exposed alleyway to be incapacitated, and so out of necessity, she chose the nearest doorway and scrambled inside, closing it behind her with a click.
The room was dark, but not so much that she couldn't see. She was inside a small under-tended kitchen with little bits of clutter scattered here and there on the counters and table. It was blissfully empty, and looked like it had been for a while.
The waves of magic demanded that Daring find a place to safely plant her fuzzy rump. She made no fuss as she sat against the tile floor, a cupboard propping up her back. The floor was cold, but she was radiating so much heat that the entire space was already starting to feel cozy.
Daring tried to think while she was lucid. What did this mean? Was she about to start carrying a different foal? It didn't make sense for it to be spontaneous, though. It had to have been caused by some sort of trigger. She remembered the shock from when she’d touched Clever Quill. That was most likely it, but she hadn’t touched another cursed mare since then, and if she hadn't touched another mare then that meant—
Daring’s gut began to rumble, the warmth blooming alongside her labored breathing. Each intake gave her eyes a new sight to see as her belly grew, the weight within slowly becoming more prominent as its distinct shape could be seen again. She cooed softly and cupped it gingerly in one of her hooves, just feeling it grow and push against her arm while the ghostly hooves returned to join in on the lovely belly rub. A great kick from within made her blush, and she enjoyed the moment of joy alongside a flush of gravid goodness as her stomach rocked about.
It was Clever Quill's foal. She didn't know how she knew, but it didn't really matter to her at the moment. She simply relaxed and let the magic do its work as it spurred on her growth. It was a familiar feeling, yet at the same time new, as this time she was more aware as to what was happening.
If she was honest with herself, she could get used to these strange, lovely feelings.
Daring just breathed, feeling her gut move against the pressure of the hooves that stroked her. It didn't take long for another rumble to rock across her stomach, the mass pushing forward to encompass her entire middle. She could feel the heat so clearly, the skin becoming taut and stretched, a gentle throb racing across the surface. She continued to focus on breathing, the rush of air enhancing the effects as her belly swayed in and out.
The hooves continued to work, and she could feel them leeching something into her that coaxed her belly's warmth to the surface. Another rumble disturbed the calm, and her womb surged out even more as its shape became more and more distorted with every breath. Daring could feel it weighing her down properly now, her every breath increasingly labored as her belly pushed itself out farther. The pressure was like a spring inside her, and when she opened her eyes she saw stretch marks briefly appear on her skin before vanishing in quick bursts of light.
The foal continued to grow inside her, and she groaned at the feeling of it, a need for release as her bellybutton began to show itself once again. Her paunch was truly grand in its size, yet still well short of her previous proportions. She just continued to breathe, her immense package rocking to her labored motions as she grunted from the buildup. The warmth continued to build alongside the pressure, her muscles growing tense as her stomach contracted itself against the growth. The magic took a distinctive red hue as Daring held in a breath, the entirety of her belly shaking from a strong throb echoing through the mass. She could tell a big pulse of magic was coming, and she pushed against her own limit with everything she had.
Her womb exploded in size. Her mind became a storm of growth and weight as the sudden release did not let up, her womb continuing to grow heavier as she breathed harder and harder. Every pass of the hooves made her gut spasmodically twitch, its size swelling more each time. She hummed as the magic kneaded her flesh, a tingle erupting across her gravid surface as it slowly filled out. To her delight, she noticed the crest of her mountainous waist reaching out farther and farther, but then suddenly, she felt the growth halt.
Her size seemed right to her now. She just rested for a time, taking stock of herself and noting that apparently, she really did have some room to spare in there. Perhaps she could take on a second or third, after all. She lovingly stroked her stomach and bathed in its warmth, nothing at the moment meaning more than to see her womb returned. She noticed something a bit off about it, though—it'd stretched so quickly that her navel hadn’t been pushed out, and it remained as flat, ingrown, and normal as it’d ever been.
There was a deep gurgle in her gut.
Daring gasped as her belly lurched outward a few more inches. The pressure returned with a vengeance, this time focused on her belly button. Her womb pulsed in time with her heartbeat as more magic rushed into her body, fighting for every last inch of room she had to give to push out her navel from within. She groaned as her nub begin to poke out once more, its once miniscule size slowly becoming greater as it tried to force itself out. Alongside she could feel the weight of her gut increasing sharply, the magic pressing against every part of her bulbous belly.
Daring felt the nub push against its constraints, an eager thrust alongside every pulse of growth it obtained. The thrusts increased in intensity, one after the other as her belly became firmer and thicker. The feeling of her breathing only served to enhance the effect, her nub feeling closer to escape the deeper she breathed. Her muscles tensed in a subconscious reaction that made her stomach churn forward, and she was forced to suck in mighty breaths, again and again and again. An absolutely delightful feeling rushed through her every time, swamping her girth completely and infusing her with heat.
There was an audible noise from her gut, the loudest one yet so far. Daring felt something churn just behind her navel, and her belly was flooded with pressure. The magic took on an even redder hue as her belly repeatedly began pushing outward, trying to force her navel forward in a constant climax of action. Daring instinctively thrust her gut forward, trying to help it along as best she could. Her innie began to move, slowly but surely, and finally she felt the soft sensitive flesh sliding past the walls of her navel. She could see it now, standing out clearly from the rest of itself, throbbing and swelling as it finally began to have room.
Daring continued to push and thrust, and her entire belly contorted as a spasm rocked its surface. Her navel pushed outward in a single loud POP, then immediately surged in size from the pressures used to force it out. Daring just panted as waves of heat from her gut bathed over her, the gentle throb of her bellybutton fading as it returned to a normal size. Her womb lost its reddish glow and returned to a regular sheen, the warmth receding into an even tide of comfort rather than a constant turmoil of pleasure.
Daring put a hoof to her head. Her thoughts began to become a little more coherent, and she tried to figure out what to do next. She wasn’t sure what to do about her situation, or the curse for that matter, and now that a group of ponies were apparently after her—
BAM!
Light flooded the room as a pony barged into the kitchen from the far door. It was a brown unicorn stallion with a cream mane and tail, and his emerald eyes were alight with fury as he wielded a broom in his magic.
“Alright, weirdos!” he growled. “Get out of my spa before I…”
He stopped dead when he saw Daring. His eyes widened upon seeing her stomach, his broom clattering to the floor.
“Buh?”
Daring almost laughed. Who could blame him for his confusion? What would she say if she barged in on a very pregnant mare after hearing a slew of questionable noises?
“Wait, are you my twelve o'clock?” the stallion asked. “I thought you canceled... what are you doing back here?”
Daring was about to say no, but then thought better of it. This guy would only get more suspicious of her, might even cause a scene. She didn’t need that with those robed goons on her tail, and she didn't exactly want to place bets on her gut magically shrinking again.
“Y-Yeah,” Daring said. “I just came in through the back because I didn't want anypony to see me. Sorry about that.”
The stallion gave her an odd look.
Daring thought fast. “Y-Y’know, they might think I was fat and stuff.” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you think I look fat?”
The stallion’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “NO! Oh, ah… erm, no, heh. Certainly not. You look beautiful! Lovely! Radiant, even! And about to start a wonderful family, too! You must excited!”
Daring barely withheld her smirk. Even she had to admit that that was downright evil, but damn if his reaction wasn’t priceless.
The stallion shuffled his hooves. “But, um, what was with the racket earlier? I heard, ah… noises.”
Daring smiled and patted her belly. “Junior likes to kick a lot, and sometimes he can be pretty rowdy. I’m so close to my due date that I thought it was labor starting. I get a little scared whenever I think he's coming.”
As if on cue, the foal in her gut gave forth a heavy kick, rocking her womb around enough that the stallion could see even from across the room.
That seemed to put him at ease. “Oh! Well, that's perfectly natural. My own wife always was a little nervous when ours started getting active, so I can understand that.”
Daring nodded. “So you’re a father, then?”
A flash of pain ran across his face. “I, uh... well, y-you don't wanna hear about somepony else's kids when you're about to have your own on the way. I’m sure you have other things to worry about. Er… so anyway, what made you change your mind about coming? I hope it wasn't to force your advance payment out of me. I told you over the phone that you have to warn me a lot sooner than a few hours for a refund.”
Daring bit her lip. “Um, well… m-my sister got some bad news recently, and I thought I should go see her! That’s why I cancelled, see. But then my husband and I talked about it a bit, and we decided I shouldn't go because of... well, you know.” She patted her immense womb.
Thankfully, the stallion didn’t seem to have issue with the story. “Perfectly understandable. Well then, how about we stop dwelling on undesirable topics and give you that world-class belly message you ordered, hmm?”
The words ‘belly’ and ‘message’ together drew Daring’s attention like a moth to a flame. “Yeah… yeah. I think I’d like that.”
She got up with a little help from the stallion, and the two of them went out to the main floor of the spa.
()()()()()
“What in Luna’s luscious lanyards happened out there, Quick Fix!?” the Headmaster roared. “I thought you understood what’s at stake here!”
Quick Fix kept his head bowed. “I'm sorry, sir! I was just doing what I thought was best!”
“And that was to put Brash in charge of finding the Godmother?!” the Headmaster slapped him with his telekinesis. “He’s the absolute LAST pony you should’ve chosen! He was on probation for a reason, you dolt!”
Quick Fix winced from the pain. “H-He told me he’d been pardoned—”
“He LIED!” Flecks of spittle flew from the Headmaster’s mouth. “The only reason he wasn’t excommunicated in the first place was because his father begged me not to! And if that weren’t bad enough, while he was out there, he tried to pass off a band of mercenaries as members of the order! There’s no telling what might’ve happened if the Godmother hadn’t used her power to escape them!”
Quick Fix jolted up, his mouth agape. “W-What?! Mercenaries?!”
The Headmaster’s glare drilled through the young stallion. “Explain yourself, Quick Fix. Tell me why you put a pony of such dubious character in charge of this! What was going through that thick head of yours?!”
Quick Fix gulped. His body was wracked with shivers, and it was a wonder he could stand up straight. He was quiet for a few seconds before finally giving his reply in a hollow whisper. “H-He blackmailed me, sir. He’s known a secret of mine for a long time, and he threatened to divulge it if I didn’t let him run the investigation.”
The Headmaster coldly narrowed his eyes. “And that secret is…?”
Quick Fix let out a sigh. “I trust you remember former Headmaster Drake and his wife.”
“What of them?”
“When Drake was ousted, he vowed vengeance on the ponies who supplanted him. His wife was with foal, and so they came up with a plan to have their child infiltrate this order and seize it from within.” Quick Fix gestured to himself. “That child was me. I was raised to exact revenge on my parent's’ behalf, but… I don’t want that anymore. I listened to your teachings, saw the good the Order was doing, and I began to question what my parents told me. I wasn’t going to go through with it, but then Brash found out and threatened to expose me, and I was forced to do what he wanted.”
Quick Fix seemed almost ready to collapse, but he managed to keep it together while the headmaster watched him intently.
“Oust me,” Quick Fix said. “I endangered the mother of mothers with my cowardice. I don’t deserve to be in your confidence now that you know who I am. I don’t even deserve the honor of being in the order devoted to her servitude. I...”
“Stop.” The Headmaster's old voice rang out in the dusty office. “I will personally see to it that both you and Brash are properly dealt with according to the tenants of our order, but right now, I need you to be the stallion that earned his place here.” He held the the pendant that seemed to glimmer less and less as he looked at it, little motes of light disappearing one after the other. “We’re running out of time.”
Quick Fix lowered his head further. “I... let my fear control my actions. I acted in an unprofessional manner and nearly cost us everything. I’m not worthy to be a part of this order.” He reached inside his robes and placed a small silver coin at the Headmaster’s hooves. “I’m willing to resign from my position.”
The Headmaster mulled over his words. He picked the coin up in his magic, examining it in the light.
“No." The Headmaster set the coin back down in front of Quick Fix. “You’re getting off the hook that easily. You helped make this mess, so by Celestia, you’re going to help us clean it up. You’re going to assist in the search for the Godmother, and only after she’s rescued will you be punished for your actions.”
Quick Fix nodded. “I understand, sir.”
“You’d better,” the Headmaster said. “We didn't rise up against Apate just to become our own enemy. We need to work together right now, or everything we’ve built will be lost.”
Quick Fix rose back to his hooves. “You don’t really think that'll happen… do you?”
“Not while I have the reigns it won’t,” the Headmaster growled. His voice began to rise again. “But it doesn’t help when I give my number two simple instructions, and he allows pieces of scum like Brash to take advantage of him!”
Quick Fix’s ears drooped. “I… I have no excuse.”
The headmaster sighed deeply as his tone cooled. “We’ve worked so hard these last years. Trying to undo the damage of the past, watching over the Godmother in secret, all to let the ponies of Prodigal Point live normal lives. This little debacle is just a testament to how fragile this whole plan is. If we don’t move carefully, we’re going to have the entire town thinking that we’re some kind of dictatorship. You got lucky that it was only Brash that was so disrespectful to our code, that he was stopped before things got any worse.”
The Headmaster drove his point home with his gravelly voice. “And I DO mean you got. Bucking. Lucky.”
Quick Fix shivered. “I-I understand.”
The Headmaster picked up the silver coin and bounced it off Quick Fix’s head. “I’m going to be overseeing this personally from now on, and we’re going to be doing things my way.”
“Yes, sir.”
The two of them looked at a pedestal beside them, where the Amulet of Graveeda hung by a platinum chain. The spark of light within it was dim, only getting weaker by the second.
The Headmaster swallowed hard. "Let’s just hope we’re not too late."
Daring followed the stallion into the spa area. It looked pretty up to date with recent equipment, but it all looked rather dreary at the moment. There were barely any lights on, the tables were all empty, the hot tubs were drained of water, and there wasn’t anypony around save for them.
“Has business always been this been bad?” Daring asked. She felt like she knew the answer, but...
“It was fine until about a month ago,” the stallion said over his shoulder. “A lot of my regulars started cancelling, then the walk-ins slowed to a trickle. Before I knew it, I’d found quite a bit of my schedule cleared, and it wasn’t even enough to keep me occupied, let alone my apprentices. I still have enough to get by, but after what…”
He cut himself off with a jerk of his head. He tried to hide his face from her, but before he could, Daring saw his twisted expression.
“Well, I-I just thought it best to close shop for a few days,” he said with a slight hitch in his voice. “Take a break and get my bearings, y’know? I’ve only been taking ponies who still had appointments, and me and the misses have been up in the loft, erm... recuperating, I guess.”
Daring watched him carefully. It was pretty obvious what'd happened to the poor guy, but experience had taught her not to assume. She simply nodded her understanding and gestured for him to go on.
“Sorry again about coming at you like that in the kitchen.” He offered her a strained smile. “When I heard noises coming from the employee lounge, I thought that it might be some kids pulling a prank or something.”
Daring waved him off. “No worries. I probably would’ve done the same thing.”
“Heh, yeah," he said. "Well, no harm done, I guess. Anyway, here we are.”
He opened a door to a more private area of the spa. Inside was a spacious room, warm and bright, completely sealed off from the public space with beds, hot tubs, and tables of considerably higher quality. The colors were soft and inviting, and places to store all manner of beauty products were in every nook and cranny.
And perhaps best of all, in the center of the room was a hot tub built into the very layout of the room. It rose just slightly out of the floor, and within it, Daring could make out a soft padding that she guessed was for laying on.
“Good thing you showed up when you did,” the stallion said. “I almost drained the water out of the tub.”
Daring began to wonder just how pampered she was about to be. “Wow, you really meant world class, huh?”
“You did buy the deluxe package.” He took her hoof in his and carefully escorted her to the tub.
Daring couldn't help but blush. “So formal with a lady, and you don’t even give her your name? For shame, sir.”
“Call me Teddy. Everypony else does.” He winked and continued guiding her to the waiting bath.
The path into the tub was inclined to make it easier for her to get into, but it didn't go up so high that she felt it might be dangerous. She also couldn't help but notice that it seemed raised just high enough that Teddy wouldn't need to bend over to provide his services to whoever was within it. Daring reached the edge and took a tentative step into the warm water, and immediately felt it begin to work away at the stress built up in her leg. Interestingly, the walls of the tub weren’t smooth, but rather porous in such a way to prevent slipping. There were also some guiderails she could use once she got to the other side where the padding was.
Teddy continued to help her as she got to the far end and made to turn around. She sat down on the padding and leaned back, gently gliding into the tub with the water working its way across her body. The tub’s surface rose higher as her full-grown girth joined the rest of her, and she was surprised at how much of it stood up above the water line.
Daring just sighed heavily as she let the warmth soak in, the stress already beginning to melt away. "Man, did I ever need this.” She adjusted herself, sinking further into the tub. Even the leftover stress from older adventures was soaking away into the warm bath, and she couldn’t help but let out a long, windy coo. She lay with her eyes closed for a time, resting against the heavenly soft padding built into the tub while Teddy went about his tasks.
Daring zoned out for a while, letting her stomach lift and fall into the water from her tempered breathing. Its surface was covered in a slight sheen from the water, and her fur was matted enough to reveal exposed navel. It wasn't until she felt something soft and warm tease her womb that she opened her eyes at all, seeing that Teddy was now beside her holding a wet sponge and a bottle of lavender soap.
Teddy chuckled. “Comfortable?”
Daring smiled. “Very much so.”
“Good.” He squirted some soap onto her tall island of a womb. “Just relax and enjoy. I’ll take care of you two.”
The soap must’ve had some form of moisturizer mixed into it, as the sponge glided across her girth with barely any resistance. Daring's feelings were anything but platonic as Teddy’s soft strokes spread a wonderful feeling across her belly, his gentle massaging driving so many wonderful tingles across her weighty womb. The entire process made Daring realize just how massive she was, as Teddy was taking almost five minutes just to clean one side. Occasionally she’d feel a strange flutter within her gut that wasn’t from her foal kicking, and while the sensation was confusing her, it felt nothing short of extraordinary.
Teddy began to move around to the other side, carefully stroking her girth in slow circles. She did her best to hide her moans as she breathed harder, her stomach rising up higher out of the water more and more. She groaned deeply as the feelings mixed with her gut's movement, a strong twitch rocking it about every so often. She couldn't help but lean into his strokes to get him to press harder; anything to drive that intense sensation just a bit deeper. Teddy picked up on this and obliged, his firmer touch making the butterflies within her grow stronger.
His final ascent left Daring in a daze. The higher he went, the greater her twitches felt, his constant movement gradually causing her pleasure to swell to a new peak every time. Daring's noises grew a little less private as a deep warmth surged out into her extremities, her stomach noticing a change especially, and she could swear her womb was becoming more sensitive as time went on.
By the time Teddy finally reached the summit of her swell, Daring had become so reactive that it was a small wonder that he hadn't stopped to see if she was okay. Daring's twitches became even stronger as his soft warm sponge began circling her navel, looking far more like she was thrusting her gut out of the water to coax him on. She could feel something deep within her stirring, something grand and wonderful, and her self-control was waning as Teddy continued his ministrations.
His first pass over the exposed navel left her breathless. A storm of fluttering sensations spread out all over from the sponge’s touch, and then he scrubbed harder, either in response to her reaction, or just trying to get out a stubborn patch of dirt. Daring could only groan loudly, trying to resist the urge to help the twitches along by physically thrusting into the massage. Every stroke made her insides move, the tiny, tickling butterflies whisking about in an endless swelling tide. She had no idea what would happen if she lost her cool, but a small, secret part of her couldn’t wait to find out.
In a sudden move, Teddy twisted the sponge onto her naked navel, the grinding sensation like a lightning bolt that drove down deep into her. The jolt ignited a fire within Daring, and her back arched as her belly's twitches became full, immense throbs. For a split second she felt her gut fill up more of the tub, the water sloshing around from the titanic movement. Something on her belly was thrown off from the wave of motion, but Daring was too swept up in the moment to realize what it was.
Daring recovered from the engorged feeling, reveling in the warmth washing over her in waves. A series of fading shocks raced through her, her girth feeling rather satisfied. Daring opened her eyes to see Teddy dousing her belly with water to remove any excess suds. He noticed her stare and gave her a rather sly look, which she really hoped wasn't for the wrong reasons.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I, uh... got a little excited there.”
“No, it’s alright. That's what usually happens.” He set down the small bucket he’d used to wash her and went over to one of the supply closets. “You're not even the most extreme reaction I've ever had, truth be told. Although, you must’ve never had a belly massage one before. I’ve never seen anypony with that much latent stress!”
Daring looked down at the mountainous swell before her. “Yeah, well, one day you're out living your life with not enough time for anything, and then all of a sudden, you wake up one day and realize you need to take things a little slower.”
Teddy snickered. “Life has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn’t it?” He looked through the assortments of bottles as he hummed to himself. “Still though, I'm still surprised you reacted so strongly to just my cleaning you off. I must be getting good at this.”
Daring cocked her head. “I thought you said my reaction was normal.”
Teddy shrugged. “Yeah, but most others only react like that after I use this.”
He pulled an unlabeled bottle out from the top shelf, showing it to her. “This is called Godmother's Kiss. I usually charge extra for it, but it’s all part of the world-class pampering package.”
The use of the word 'Godmother' had Daring both worried and excited. “W-Why’s it called that?”
“Dunno. It's an old recipe that I got from my great-granpappy’s journal.” He trotted back over with a pair of new sponges. “It’s made from super secret ingredients, and apparently, it was once used for royalty! Pretty cool, huh?”
Daring bit her lip. She wasn't sure if Teddy was implying something, or just being coy. “Y-You don’t say? That is pretty cool, I guess.”
A sly grin crept up on Teddy's face. “Yes, it is. And do you wanna know why?”
Uh-oh. “Um... W-Why?”
He took a step forward. “Because you are—”
Please don't say the Godmother, please don't say the Godmother, please don't say the Godmother…
“—going to be absolute putty in my hooves when I use this on you!”
Daring blinked several times. “Wat.”
Teddy waggled his eyebrows. “Don't act innocent with me. If that little show from just a sponge and some soap drove you mad, then this is going to be a display for the ages. Prepare yourself, Miss Do, for I know your weak-spots, and with all that stress inside just aching to be let out...”
The two sponges flew up into the air and began circling around his head. “I'm going to destroy you! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
...Okay, false alarm. Teddy was just a goofball with a taste for theatrics. She could handle a harmless weirdo.
It was strange though, seeing such a change in attitude from just a moment ago. He’d seemed rather sullen right up until he’d started cleaning her, but now, he was suddenly smiling and messing around? What had changed? Did she have anything to do with it? Or was he just happy to have a client?
Either way, she didn’t want to spoil his mood with questions. “Bring it on, sponge-boy!" She blew a raspberry at him. "I’ve gotten in my share of hairy scraps before. Your dumb ol’ lotion doesn’t scare me.”
Teddy rubbed his hooves together with an evil grin. “Oh, you say that now...”
()()()()()
Quick Fix and the Headmaster were looking at a magical map of the town. On it were moving markings which indicated where agents were looking for the Godmother. The scout who’d made the initial sighting was with them as well, and he’d just begun recounting everything that’d been gathered from reports.
“From what we can tell, she moved through the alleyway to get to the library,” the scout said. “She stayed there until Brash and his goons showed up, then fled off somewhere to the southwest.”
The Headmaster continued to contemplate the map. This Godmother was resourceful, he’d give her that. There was no less then four possible routes she could take out of Prodigal Point in that area, and it’d be no surprise if she did.
“And you're sure no one’s seen any trains leave?” the Headmaster asked. “How about a pegasus trying to fly out of the city limits?”
The scout shook his head. “We’ve been maintaining stories about broken engines and bad storm fronts closing in. If she’s left the city, she didn’t go through one of the main routes.”
Quick Fix spoke up. “Perhaps she smuggled herself out? There are more than a few ponies in this town who’d be willing to do that kind of thing...”
“We thought of that,” the scout said. “Most of those types work down at the docks, and we’ve already bribed them to 'take the day off'. It's unlikely she’s tried that way.”
The Headmaster scratched his chin. "It might be worth it to check—”
Suddenly, the Amulet of Graveeda began to glow.
The Headmaster looked over. “What the…”
The amulet continued to vibrate more and more, its light shining brighter. It let off a pleasant hum, then in the blink of an eye, it leapt into the air and released a blinding flash of light.
“GAH!” The three stallions shielded their eyes.
The Amulet’s humming died down to silence, ceasing its shaking before landing back on its resting place. The warm glow remained, however, pulsing softly in the afternoon light.
Quick Fix was the first to speak. “Uh…”
“By the stars,” the Headmaster breathed. His eyes went wide before snapping back to the map. “Quick! Are there any progenimysts in the direction she went?!”
The scout swallowed hard. “Th-There are a few, but not in the immediate area that I know of.”
The Headmaster grit his teeth. “Damn it. That reaction could only have been caused by a progeny salve, and a powerful one at that! We need to—”
“I know where she is.”
The Headmaster turned to Quick Fix. “How?”
Quick Fix pointed at a building a short distance away from the library. “This spa is owned by a descendant of one of the Royal Progenimysts. I know him personally. He’s told me on more than one occasion that he knows how to make progeny salves. He’s also the head masseuse, so he’d be more than capable of producing that kind of reaction.”
The Headmaster gave Quick Fix a scrutinizing look. “You say you know him personally?”
Quick Fix nodded. “His name’s Tender Care. He’s a good pony.”
“Would he be willing to talk to us if you went with the search party?” the Headmaster asked.
Quick Fix glanced to the side. “So long as nopony breaks down his door and starts demanding answers.”
The Headmaster scowled. “I’d assume one colossal-sized blunder is enough for one day.”
Quick Fix hung his head. “Yes, sir.”
“Then get going. And for Celestia’s sake, show some bloody tact! This is a delicate situation, and we’re not going to get anywhere by trying to use force!”
Quick Fix and the scout both bowed, then trotted out of the office without another word.
The Headmaster sighed as they left. He turned back to the Amulet, his expression unreadable as he examined its now-healthier glow.
“Quick Fix!”
Quick Fix stopped. “Sir?”
The Headmaster took up the Amulet of Graveeda in his magic and floated it over to the younger stallion. “Take this with you.”
Quick Fix blanched. “W-WHAT?!”
The Headmaster looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon. “We’re running out of options. The sooner the Godmother gets this, the better. Now go! Move like your life depends on it!”
Quick Fix took the Amulet from the Headmaster and put it in his saddlebags. “I won't let you down!”
He and the scout galloped out of the office, leaving the Headmaster alone. He sighed and sat down in his desk chair, looking out at the silent, despondent city.
“This Tender Care bought us some time. I can only pray it's enough.”
()()()()()
A Few Moments Earlier-
Teddy had needed about fifteen minutes to get started; he’d forgotten some form of catalytic agent that kick-started the lotion's properties. Daring didn't mind though. The bath was still warm, and she was pretty sure the water magically refreshed itself every few minutes. She eventually dozed off and hovered in the sweet spot between sleep and wakefulness, until a spark on her skin ignited a flutter of feelings.
Daring's eyes snapped open. The butterflies were back in full force, but this time, they were being tied up in a knot close to where the spark had originated. It was being made tighter... tighter... tighter by the second. Teddy's sponge pressed in against the knot, soft yet firm, slowly making it looser but never quite releasing it. Daring’s entire womb felt alive as an untold number of tiny prickles danced across her skin, and she couldn't stop herself from groaning. Suddenly, Teddy pressed into her stomach and undid the knot at last, the release sending a wave of pressure into her body.
The pressure pushed at her belly's meager limitations… and then amazingly, surpassed them. Daring saw her body was not lying to her; her belly had grown slightly from the release, and it was the most amazing thing she’d ever felt. Teddy grinned as he rested his pad on her side in his magic, slathered in a strange, blue glowing substance that was the source of the spark.
“And that was just a dollop,” Teddy said.
Daring wasn't sure if he was blind to what just happened, or whether he was messing with her again. Her pregnant belly was definitely larger than it'd been just before, but yet she didn't care. She just wanted him to keep doing whatever was he was doing.
Teddy squirted a little bit more of the Godmother’s Kiss on his sponge and resumed washing, causing a new knot to appear within her womb. The butterflies that'd been dancing inside her before were swept up in a fresh swarm, and the knot abruptly felt all the tighter. Her need for release kept climbing, her belly alive with thousands of tiny sparks, the lotion being driven into her skin from Teddy’s soft pads. Daring was losing her will to resist again, subtly pushing her stomach into his massage to try and lure him into releasing the pressure, but he continued to tease her with gentle strokes.
The need began to consume her, something in her demanding that the knot be released. Nothing else mattered, not Teddy, not the ponies chasing her, not anything else in the world. All that mattered was the knot.
Slowly but surely, the knot loosened. Daring felt warm waves of pleasure surging through her, each one hastening her breath and driving her womb into motion. She felt the entire mass quiver with a strange urge, a kind of building ache that demanded be brought to an apex. Her pleasure-filled shivers arced across her grand girth, and the action only served to drive her further into a frenzy.
Teddy pushed hard again, and there was a second internal pop! Bolts of lightning flew across Daring’s body in an instant, and she was struck with a fit of shivering goosebumps. The pressure returned again, flowing into her stomach and making her girth grow outward once again, a slight bit of water splashing out of the tub.
Daring thought that Teddy might pause for a moment to put on some more of that heavenly lotion, but all he did was continue to massage her mass. Her belly was a madhouse of sensations, the feelings fluttering deep within as she continued to be assailed with shudders. She tried to focus on her breathing, but every few moments her gut would be rocked by a gentle gurgling, expanding ever-so-slightly. Aches in her womb built only to be released in an instant, each burst sending new waves of warmth and growth into her.
She’d swollen to the size of twins by the time Teddy had reached her navel, full-grown and ready to be born any second. He was finding aches she didn’t even know about without even trying, obliterating them in an explosion of delightful tingling. She was utterly enthralled by his touch, lost in the amazing sensations as he encircled the highest point of her womb, the feelings only getting stronger. Daring felt one of Teddy’s hooves upon her as he had to balance to get her fully exposed navel; apparently it was now just out of reach for him. Red and delicate, it too had swollen from her recent growth, throbbing up and down in time with her thundering heart.
Teddy placed a large glob of Godmother’s Kiss upon her bellybutton, allowing it to sink in on its own. Daring grunted from the intrusive power seeping in, the final and greatest point of stress churning her insides about. A massive knot was now forming, and she could feel the pressure trickling in, her womb coming alive with bursts of fluttering tickles that raced into every corner of her girth. She panted like a dog on a summer day, meeting Teddy’s eyes with a pleading look that bordered on desperate. No words were exchanged, but Teddy knew what she needed.
With a roguish smile, he ground his sponge into her navel with a strong twist.
Daring screamed in delight. The huge knot loosened from Teddy’s kneading force, and she couldn’t help but thrust into his motions as her belly throbbed. She thrust and thrust, each time being followed with wonderful sensations of her womb growing, stretching, expanding. The knot was almost undone now, and the pressure was so great that she was sure it couldn’t build up anymore, but it continued to and then some!
She was losing her mind from being so close to the edge. The throbs of her belly were so much greater now, and the knot was almost ready to burst. Her stomach already much larger than when she began, and yet, all she wanted was more...
Yes, she realized, she wanted more growth. She wanted more room. She wanted more, more, more, so much more, until she could carry them all.
Pop!
The dam finally burst. Daring’s belly throbbed with such a force that it knocked Teddy away, the pressure ignited and pouring into her body. Her womb glowed with power as it expanded, quickly rising over her in a series of mighty throbs. It felt like a current of electricity was running through her, making her feel alive as the magic made room for so many soon-to-be-foals. She couldn't contain her cries of delight if she tried, and they only grew louder upon feeling a strange something tickled her navel.
Daring gasped as a tiny spark came into being, flitting into her womb through her bellybutton. She felt it implant itself deep within her core, and a few seconds later, she watched in awe as her belly glowed ever-so-slightly. A second set of legs began kicking alongside the first, making her coo and sigh. She could scarcely believe what'd just happened, but before she could even recover, another spark appeared and flew inside to join the other two. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her belly glowed once more, stretching and groaning as its girth was pushed far above the tub. Now three sets of legs rhythmically kicking within her, their movements bringing her no end of pleasure.
Now a fourth was looking to be let inside, circling and tickling her navel to try and gain her favor. Pleasant prickles of warmth accompanied the spark’s prodding, and eventually she relented. There was a single point of pressure as it pushed its way into her, which quickly magnified into a blooming heat when the new foal sparked into being. Her belly stretched farther without complaint, her girth gradually increasing to ever-greater size as the foals grew large and healthy.
Without warning she felt two sparks ignite together, twins she knew. They eagerly pushed into Daring with a jolt, their appearance and entrance so sudden that the extra room inside her quickly began to run out. The pressure in her womb began to build... and build... and build, until her gravid girth underwent yet another growth spurt. Her sensitive paunch rocked back and forth with the surge, bigger, heavier, fuller, the ancient magic struggling to keep up with the growing foals. Finally the twins were the same size as the others, and for Daring, the realization that six lives were kicking and moving within her...
Then Daring felt a new spark appear, weaker and tinier than all the rest had been. She was unsure of what it meant, but then the little spark then became two, and the two became three! The triplets dove into her womb one by one and grew at a rapid rate, leaving Daring a grunting, groaning mess as her body struggled to accommodate. She could feel her belly stretching, but it wasn’t fast enough. She needed more power. She needed more room. She needed to be able to provide for them all.
Her glowing middle began to thrust upward of its own accord. It continued until a new knot built inside her, bigger than all the rest, gradually putting more and more force behind the thrusts. She let out a loud cry, desperately craving some kind of release, but she was at the mercy of the rapidly-building magic. It became such a great force that her stomach felt SO tight, the thrusts coming now in huge, immense throbs, until finally, at long last...
POP!
It felt like there was an explosion inside her womb. Her pregnant belly bulged out in every direction as it grew... and grew... and GREW, gaining meters of size in a measure of mere seconds. The sudden flux of power also allowed more sparks of life to come into being, flitting inside her to push her girth to new heights. She wasn’t in a state to count how many there were, but even if she was, they were simply coming in too fast! She was getting lost in the sheer size and weight of so many little ones, and it was threatening to become too much for her.
Seemingly in response, the magic around her middle spread to encompass her entire body. A wave of dizziness washed over Daring, and a few seconds later, the hot tub began to feel a little… small. Her back hooves were now brushing against the far walls of the jacuzzi—er… no, they were poking out over the edge! Her shoulders and rump were now pressing against the sides of the tub, the water within the quickly-shrinking tub was splashing out onto the floor. The weight of her titanic paunch was becoming more manageable as the rest of her increased in size, her body awash in raw, tingling power.
Daring revelled in the heightened sensitivity that the growth brought. She could feel her muscles thickening, her joints and tendons creaking as every part of her lengthened and strengthened. She'd doubled in size and still continued to inch upward, a feeling of pure, delicious giddiness suffusing her. She felt so very full. She felt so much like a mother. Her grand womb was a blessed fertile ground for new life, and she was its guardian; chosen to keep vigil.
More and more sparks spontaneously ignited, pushing Daring to new heights, each one growing both her belly and her just a little bit more. Her belly was expanding just a little bit faster than the rest of her, but it was never so much that it threatened to overwhelm her again. Her motherly shape grew until it was mere inches from the spa ceiling, but just as her navel brushed against it, the storm finally passed at last.
Lost in a daze and barely conscious, Daring could only breathe as her womb gently throbbed with life. It was warm and comforting, both to her and children within. She cooed softly, feeling them all wiggle and kick inside her, sending pleasant shivers down her spine. Slowly she felt the repercussions of so much magic on her body, her muscles and joints tired from being stretched and regrown with every new foal, and she couldn't help but drift off to sleep.
As she did, she gently stroked what she could reach of her tremendous paunch. She wouldn't let anything happen to them. Not now, not ever. Nothing would take them from her, and in that moment, she swore an oath that she’d keep them safe as best she could. And with that vow uttered, Daring fled from reality and into pleasant dreams.
Teddy wasn't sure how to react. He’d been in something of a trance ever since he’d touched Daring with the Godmother's Kiss, and he was only just now coming out of it. He remembered everything that he’d done, and none of it felt like it’d been against his will, but it was still weird. Every stroke he’d given her had felt right, and he’d been filled with an intense desire to both help and heal. The stress knots he’d felt in her had seemed more like webs of pain, and he'd tried his hardest to rid her of them.
Of course, now he realized that those ‘stress knots’ were something else entirely.
Teddy stared in awe at the spectacle before him. A giant of a mare with a mountain of a womb had grown out of the tub, easily snoozing while her full-grown foals occasionally kicked and moved about. She had to be at least twelve feet tall at the shoulder, he didn’t even want to guess what she weighed, and her womb was so large it was brushing against the ceiling with her every breath!
Teddy scratched his head. Had he done something wrong? There was magic in the Godmother’s Kiss, that much he knew, but it’d never caused a reaction like this. The most he’d seen before this was that a pregnant mare would occasionally find themselves a little farther along than when he’d started. It was a difficult thing to believe when it happened, but he’d seen it with his own eyes several times, and others had confirmed it for him.
But he'd never seen anything like this.
“This can’t be real,” he muttered. “Godmother’s Kiss is strong stuff, but it’s not supposed to—”
The realization hit him like a slap to the face.
“THE GODMOTHER! SHE’S—Eep!” He slammed his hooves over his mouth. It wouldn’t do to go waking her! His great-grandpappy’s journal had spoken of the Godmother several times, but he’d always thought it was nothing but poppycock! But now he stood before her; a goddess blooming with power and life, just as the stories foretold.
Teddy didn’t know what to do, or say. Was she older than she appeared? Was ‘Daring Do’ really her real name? Why was she here in his spa?! What did she want from him? And perhaps the great question of all…
“Would she be willing to help—huh?”
Daring had coughed. The temperature in the room plunged with a nasty chill, and her body glowed with red magic as a wisp of black smoke rose from her mouth.
Teddy paled. “Oh, no.”
He could only watch in horror as the curse did its work. In a terrifying display, her belly shrank down slightly as a foal was stolen from her womb. She coughed a second time, and a larger cloud of smoke escaped her mouth as more young were taken away.
“No… NO!” Teddy tried to run to her, but he immediately encountered a wall of brutal cold. It was like jumping into a lake in the dead of winter, and he leapt back with a shriek of pain.
He tried several more times to get to her, but he could never get more than a few feet closer. He could only watch on in horror as more black smoke rose out of Daring’s mouth, each time causing her gut to shrink that much more.
“I don’t understand!” Teddy said with a sob. “Why?! Why would it wait until now to attack her? Is it so strong that even she can’t stop it?”
The rest of Daring’s body was shrinking now, too. Little by little, Apate’s curse drained her and stole the foals away, taking them to parts unknown. A black cloud now hovered above her dwindling form that radiated a foul chill, and before long she was back to her previous size. Teddy was powerless to do anything to stop the process, and then just like he’d seen once before, the smoke disappeared from the room, leaving no trace of its presence.
Teddy stomped at the ground. It wasn’t fair. Neither he nor any of his neighbors had done anything to deserve this! A stupid sin of the past was going to rob Prodigal Point of its future, and if even the Godmother was powerless to stop it, then there wasn’t anything they could do! He tried to approach Daring again, and found that the cold had diminished along with the black cloud. She seemed to be all right, save for the obvious, and when he was close enough to see within the tub's walls, he discovered something else that made his heart skip a beat.
She was still pregnant. Daring’s girth was the size it had been when she’d first arrived, the sides of her womb occasionally distending from the unborn foal’s prodding. She was warm, too, just as warm as she’d been when he’d felt her before. He could tell there was still a great deal of magic within her, so perhaps there was still hope for whoever else had felt her touch.
Teddy was struck with realization once more.
“Touch...”
He turned and dashed out of the room.
()()()()()
Daring woke up feeling odd. She couldn't quite place it, but the first thing that came to mind was that she was rather cold. She opened her eyes, expecting to see herself as a giant with a mammoth belly towering over her like a monolith, but there was no such thing. She was a normal size, still sitting in the tub, the water turned off.
She was just wondering where Teddy was when he trotted in from a side room.
“Oh! You’re awake.” He came over, a worried look on his face. “Enjoy your nap?”
Daring blushed. “Sorry about that. Didn't mean to like... pass out on you. Heh.”
Teddy smiled. “Happens all the time. It’s a running joke in the spa business that you can tell how good a masseuse is by how many of his clients fall asleep on him.”
Daring snickered at that. Well, at least Teddy seemed to be acting normal. Maybe that whole giant avatar of fertility thing was just a dream. A pleasant dream, mind you, but a dream nonetheless.
“So, what’s next?” Daring asked.
Teddy’s face lit up. “I actually had an idea for something special. I’ll need to go grab a few things, but I think it’ll be worth it. It might even be better than the massage!”
Daring blinked several times. “Better than what you just did to me?”
Teddy put a hoof behind his head. “Uh, well… maybe. We’ll have to see if you’re up for it. It’ll take me a few minutes to get everything set up, so until then, here.” His horn lit up, and the tub was refilled with hot water. Some calm music began playing from across the room, and a few scented candles lit up, filling the room with the scent of lavender.
“Stay right there, okay?” Teddy said. “I’ll be back in a flash.”
He backpedaled a bit, then turned and hurried out of the room.
That was... sudden. She wasn't quite sure what to make of his sudden departure, but there was something in his voice that gave her pause. Did he think she’d actually leave? There wasn’t any real reason to. He’d been great so far, and if he had something even better on the way, then she was certainly interested.
Unless...
Daring looked down at the refilled tub, remembering that it’d be empty when she woke.
“Ah, jeez.” She looked at her stomach, its size still large thanks to the hefty foal within, but nowhere near what it'd been. What was with all of that? What had happened? What triggered it? Did it have something to do with Teddy? The curse? Those order idiots and their ‘plans’ for her?
All of this made no sense, and she was getting a headache trying to make sense of it.
Daring leaned back into the tub, the warm water swirling around her and soothing her tired body. She didn’t know what was she going to do about the families and their lost foals, but at the very least, she’d learned that she could hold a fair share of them. The problem was figuring out how she was going to help anypony by doing it. If the Godmother was such a significant figure, where were the ones on her side? Shouldn't she have, like, protectors or something?
A pair of voices coming from a side room snapped Daring out of her reverie, followed by two sets of hooves approaching. One of them was likely Teddy, but who was with him? She perked her ears up and listened, trying to see if she could make anything out.
If she strained, she could just hear their hushed voices whispering back and forth.
“...not in the mood for this, Teddy! She's... ...isn't coming back!”
“...is the real thing! I’m positive! All you have to do is—”
“We can get her back! I saw it with my own eyes! She really is the Godmother, and she can resist the curse! We can fix this!”
“Damn it, Teddy! I can’t take…”
Daring let out a heavy sigh. She could tell they were trying to be quiet, but their voices were steadily getting louder. Their emotions were rising, too, the mare’s voice already wavering.
That wouldn’t do. The curse had already tormented them enough.
Daring spoke in a loud voice. “I guess the jig is up, eh?”
The whispering stopped. There was an awkward silence, and the side door reluctantly opened. Teddy stepped out with a sheepish smile, and lagging behind him was a unicorn mare with a tan mane and tail. Her coat was a faded shade of maroon, and her hazel eyes were sparkling with tears. She met Daring’s gaze with a furious sneer, then stormed past Teddy to make her way over to her.
“Listen, bitch,” the mare spat in a venomous voice. “I don't know who you are, where you came from, or what ideas you’ve put in my husband’s head, but knock it the buck off! You’re trying to take advantage of us when we’re mourning the loss of our firstborn?! I oughta kick your teeth in!”
Teddy cringed. “Merry, you don't—”
“No,” Daring said. “It’s okay. She has every right to be suspicious. I would be too if I were in her position.”
Merry hesitated. Upon getting closer, she’d seen Daring’s massive swell of a belly. She still looked angry, but the sight of a mare apparently defying the curse seemed to have tempered her rage.
“How do you still have your foal?!” she demanded. “Every expecting mare in town lost theirs to the black smoke!”
Daring smiled. “I know you believe there's nothing that could bring your filly back, but do you really want to say that she's gone forever? Do you really want to just give up? To accept that you’ll never hold her in your arms?”
Merry narrowed her eyes. “If you think you can get what you want by pulling on my heartstrings, you’re sorely mistaken. I have to accept that she’s gone, or I’m never going to move on with my life! If this is what I can expect from some 'Godmother,' then you can cart your sorry plot right out the door!”
Daring’s eyes glittered. “I can see it, you know. How you lost her.” She felt a warm flutter course through her body, a flash of insight playing in her mind. “You were in your bedroom, napping. It came and took her while you were sleeping, and you woke up with a shriek of pain.” Daring glanced over at Teddy. “He came running when he heard you yell, and all he could do was watch your daughter disappear, powerless to stop it.”
Merry flinched like she’d been slapped. “How… how do you…” Her face twisted into a grimace, and she closed her eyes to try and stop the tears. “Damn it…”
“You can feel it, can’t you?” Daring's voice was soft and calm. “The magic I have. It’s calling you, telling you reclaim what you’ve lost. You don’t have to grieve anymore, Merry. You don’t have to close your heart. You can have your daughter back, and start the family you’ve always wanted.”
Merry’s pain was evident, but she didn’t shy away. Nor did she deny anything that Daring had said. She could feel the ambient magic in the air, tugging at her, caressing her, trying to push her towards this strange mare. It made her horn feel tingly and strange, and finally she just stared at Daring, the tears falling free down her face.
“What do you want?”
“To help you.” Daring leaned out of the jacuzzi, beckoning for her to come closer. “All you have to do is ask.”
Daring wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. It felt like instinct to do this, and while it was pretty weird, it seemed to be working. Slowly, Merry approached Daring, kneeling down beside the bubbling tub, a vulnerable look on her face. Daring took her hoof and placed it on her distended womb, coaxing her to stroke it in small circles like Clever Quill had.
Daring could feel her stomach getting warmer. A new tingle extended out across the surface, spreading to fill her entire body. Merry continued to caress Daring’s womb, and then, as if in a trance, she leaned forward and kissed the top of her navel, a name whispered under her breath.
Daring felt a spark ignite. As Merry pulled away, that spark became a small wisp of light that flew out from her mouth, flitting forward to dive down Daring’s throat. Her reaction was stymied by her womb suddenly feeling alive, gurgling and rumbling with sudden pressure, and she could feel her insides shifting as a new life began to form.
Daring’s breathing became erratic as her gut slowly swelled before her eyes, pushing higher and higher as Clever Quill’s foal was joined by Merry’s. The warmth in her body suddenly spiked, and Daring felt something surging up her throat. In an instinctual reflex she arced her head back and exhaled, and a bright shimmering aura left her mouth, floating through the air towards Merry. Merry took a step back as the tiny spark approached her face, stopping and hovering before her as if waiting for something.
Merry stared. She didn’t say anything for a long time, until finally, she breathed out a name in a quivering voice.
“M-Marigold?”
The spark dove down Merry’s throat in a flash. It surged down her body until it left a warm glow in her gut, and Merry grew woozy, swaying on her hooves until she was caught and laid gently down by Teddy. She passed out with a small groan, and as she did, Daring felt another, pleasant twitch in her womb.
Daring's stomach began to glow and throb. It seemed that the growth of Merry’s foal wasn’t quite done yet, and Daring had to do her best to control herself over the immense sensations. Her gut felt full and stretched tight, but then, it expanded a bit to accommodate the developing foal. This process repeated itself several times, each time making her more and more pregnant.
She heard a mumble from Merry and looked over, only to watch in amazement as her belly surged outward, as well. Their wombs throbbed together in sync, an immense scene of growth as the foal returned from the void. They both groaned with every spurt they both experienced, and it was several minutes before it was all over.
The glow left them both, and Daring gasped in wonder as a new set of hooves danced and bumped inside her womb. She surmised that her belly was now twice the size it had been, with Merry’s as large as Daring’s had been previously. The fluttering kicks that they could both feel roused Merry from her daze, and Daring couldn’t help but smile as a look of bemusement crossed her face. Teddy’s misty eyes were glued to the child in his wife’s womb once again, and upon seeing her awake, he took her hoof and brought it down to feel their wiggling child.
“She's back...” Merry began sobbing and laughing at the same time. She carefully stroked her belly, as though it might disappear again. “S-She’s back! She’s really b-back!” Merry hugged Teddy in a fierce embrace, and the two of them cried in each other’s arms as they watched their daughter prod the inside of her mother's womb.
Daring watched them for a while, enjoying their sounds of laughter and joy. The curse's work was undone, and she couldn’t help but feel a great swell of pride. This malady was a terrible thing, and only the Godmother could nullify it. She could do this. She could become whatever the Godmother was. She could actually do some real good in the world, instead of just scouring the world in search of adventure, fame and glory.
Daring tried to get up out of the tub, but found that the task was quite difficult. She was a good deal heavier than she had been. “Nnngh,” she grunted and pulled herself onto her haunches. “Heh, you’re a big one, ain’tcha? Gonna take some time to get used to this.”
“Need a hoof?” Teddy asked. He came over and helped her out of the tub, grabbing a few towels in his magic.
“I can’t thank you enough,” he whispered as he helped her dry off. “You’ve truly just done a miracle! If you ever need anything, you know who to call.”
“Yeah,” Daring said over a few heavy breaths. She could definitely feel the weight of the 'twins', and she’d be hard pressed to do much more than walk at this point. “No worries. Glad I could help.”
“What are you going to do now?” Teddy asked. “You could stay here, you know. We could bring other families—”
“There are ponies after me,” Daring said. “I don't know what they want, but I don't think they mean well. I’m not going to put you two in danger.”
Teddy pursed his lips. He looked like he was about to argue, but then glanced over at his wife. Merry was humming a lullaby to her swollen stomach, swaying back and forth while tears streamed down her face.
“You should know something before you go,” Teddy said finally. “I think my Godmother’s Kiss salve was what triggered your ‘episode’ earlier, but whatever it did didn’t last long. It wasn’t even five minutes before the curse appeared and took the foals from you, and I think it siphoned some of your power, as well.”
Daring's eyes went wide. “Oh, for Luna’s sake… it never can be easy, can it? The horseapples just allllllllways have to hit the fan. Never fails.”
“I read that you're supposed to be immune to it, but for some reason it still worked on you.” Teddy looked up at the ceiling, specifically at a slight wet patch where the top of Daring’s bellybutton had touched it. “I don't know what that means, but it definitely isn’t good. You have to find a way to fix it before it does something worse.”
Daring thought about that for a moment. “Look, I honestly don't know what I’m doing. This all just kinda got dumped on me, and I’m running on a combo of instinct and auto-pilot. I’ve been picking up on some things, but if you know anything about this Godmother stuff, I’d love to hear it.”
Teddy searched his brain. “...Do you have the Amulet of Graveeda?”
Daring shook her head. “I think it’s still at the museum.”
“Get it,” Teddy said immediately. “The Amulet and the Godmother are two sides of the same coin. If anything can help against the curse, it’s Graveeda’s keepsake.”
“How do you know all this?” Daring asked. “This isn’t exactly required knowledge for a spa manager.”
“I told you about my great-grandpappy’s journal,” Teddy replied. “He worked in the old palace, and he heard and saw some things. I also checked out a book about the Godmother from the library when all of this started.”
“Do you still have it?”
“No,” Teddy grumbled. “I freaking lost it somewhere, and the fines are going to be murder to pay off. Clever Quill shows no mercy to those who lose her books.”
Daring couldn't help but sigh. “I should get going. Something tells me they have a way of tracking me down whenever I do… you know, the thing.” She gave Teddy a pointed look. “And if they do show up, don't be a hero. Your wife and daughter need you. Understand?”
Teddy nodded. “I understand. Good luck.”
Daring then turned to leave, but before she could, a voice from called from behind her.
“Godmother.”
It was Merry. She waddled up to Daring, still sniffling and dabbing at her eyes. Once close, she knelt down before her in an awkward bow.
Daring felt a warm glow in her chest. “Hey, none of that. C’mere.” She coaxed Merry out of her stilted bow and brought her into a friendly hug. “I’m gonna fix all of this, okay? Don’t you worry. Daring Do’s on the case.”
Merry hiccuped and hugged her back. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I’ve been told from time to time.” Daring pulled back and waved farewell. “Stay safe, both you. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I could say the same to you,” Teddy replied.
Daring smirked. “Sorry, stupidity's a requirement for my line of work.”
She went out the doorway and into the alleyway, sneaking off into the shadows as best she could.
()()()()()
A While Later-
Knock, knock, knock.
“We're closed!” Teddy called out. “Come back tomorrow!”
“Teddy!” a familiar voice asked. “I need to talk to you!”
Teddy frowned. “Quick Fix? What the hay… Merry, stay in the loft, okay? I’ll be right back.”
He made his way down the stairs and to the front door. He undid a few (but not all) of the locks so he could open the door a crack.
“What're you doing… here…”
His friend Quick Fix was wearing in a black robe adorned with silver runes. Behind him was a group of ponies all clad in the same getup, none of which he’d ever seen before.
“What’s with the getup, Fix? And the posse behind you, too? Nightmare Night isn’t for six months.”
Quick Fix rolled his eyes. “Can I come in?”
“Maybe,” Teddy said evenly. “What do you want?”
“Quick Fix swished his tail. “ I don’t have a lot of time. Please, can I come in and talk?”
Teddy studied the other stallion closely. He hadn’t known Quick Fix to be deceptive, but that didn’t mean he was immediately trusting. Still, though, there was enough sincerity in his voice to merit hearing him out.
“The peanut gallery stays outside,” Teddy said.
“Fine.” Quick Fix gave a signal to his compatriots, and they stood at ease near the entrance. Teddy undid the locks and let him in.
Quick Fix didn’t waste time. He took a seat in one of the chairs nearest the door and gestured for Teddy to do the same. The two stallions sat across from each other in an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, neither one sure who should start.
“Haven't seen you in a while,” Teddy said at last. “Last I heard, you were working for old Glory Finch doing accounting or somesuch. What’s with the getup and military doctrine all of a sudden?”
Quick Fix looked his friend dead in the eyes. “Was she here?”
“She?” Teddy cocked his head. “‘She’ who?”
“Don’t play dumb.” Quick Fix gestured towards the stairs to the loft. “Pregnant mares aren’t exactly known for stealth, and your wife believes the staircase to be far more hidden than it actually is.”
Teddy did a double-take. “Merry!” He spat out a curse. “I told you not to—ugh! Damn it!”
“Calm down, Teddy.” Quick Fix hadn’t moved, nor had his voice changed at all. “Despite what you may or may not believe, I’m here to help.”
“You’re one of the ponies chasing her, aren’t you?!” Teddy demanded. “I can't believe that you of all ponies would want to stop the Godmother!”
“I just need to know if she’s still here.”
“She helped me and my wife!” Teddy shouted. “How can you expect me to rat her out to you!?”
Quick Fix shook his head. “It’s not what you think. Her life's in danger.”
“Yeah, from you and your goons!”
“No, you idiot, from the curse!” Quick Fix stopped himself and took a deep breath, letting the heat leave his voice. “It's my fault this has become a misunderstanding, but you know me. I wouldn't help a group that meant to harm others, and especially not one so sacred as the Godmother! Please, I just need to find her so I can give her something.”
Teddy held his old friend's gaze. He didn’t like any of this one bit, but the fact that Quick Fix was pleading with him rather than using threats said a lot about his motives.
“She left a while ago,” Teddy admitted. “I don’t know where. She was convinced you and your group were after her for the wrong reasons, and she didn’t want others to get caught in the crossfire. I don’t know much about what’s going on, but if you and your group really are on her side, you need to get her the Amulet of Graveeda. Something’s wrong with her, and that’s probably the only thing that’ll be able to help.”
Quick Fix clicked his teeth. “Headmaster Glory Finch was thinking the same thing. That’s why he sent me here to give it to her.”
He reached into his saddlebags and showed Teddy the Amulet of Graveeda, shining brightly with a deep, inner light.
Teddy’s jaw dropped. “Holy…”
Quick Fix got up to leave, not wanting to perturb his friend anymore than he had. “One last thing. How many foals was the Godmother bearing when she left?”
Teddy shook his head clear. “T-Two, including my wife's.” He seemed too shaken to say much else. “Why?”
“The more foals she takes on, the more times the curse is multiplied.” Quick Fix patted his friend on the shoulder. “Guard your wife well, Teddy. If things go south, she may very well give birth to one of the last children of Prodigal Point.”
And with that he left, rallying the search party outside to sweep of the area. The Godmother couldn’t have got far, but even still, she may have gotten just far enough to prevent them from finding her in time.
Quick Fix glanced at the fading Amulet before stuffing it back in his bags.
Daring had had some good fortune and found an old unused robe in one of the alleyway trash bins. She was now walking slowly down the street, her ‘problem’ somewhat hidden, but still bulging out so far that anypony who took a good look at her would notice. It was hard trotting with so much offset weight, even more so as her senses were overwhelmed by the strong kicks of the foals.
To make matters worse, there were more ponies on the street now, although most were stallions that paid her no mind. She tried to avoid eye contact with them, but she couldn’t help notice a faint spark of hope flicker in their faces from time to time, as if they’d heard a rumor too good to be true.
Daring marveled that she’d gotten this far without being stopped. She was just doing her best just to put one hoof in front of another, and her beleaguered walking had to look odd to anyone who bothered to look. She was just silently thanking her good luck when she felt another wave of magic coming on, and she could tell that it was going to be a big one.
Without much fuss she slipped into an alleyway, not wanting to risk being seen out the open. The foals inside her had begun shifting around, causing a strange tickle that was triggering something else. She'd just gotten out of sight as the next part started, and she groaned as her girth rocked back and forth of its own accord.
It was throwing so much weight around she had to take a wide stance to keep her balance. It jostled around in many directions, but it eventually settled in a clumsy forward and back rocking motion. Her entire body eventually swung with it, the robe teasing her sensitive skin. She couldn't help but gasp as the mass between her legs displaced itself, the feeling of so much weight moving causing no end of flutterings.
Daring had to find a seat, quickly. Her gut was getting warmer, and she was beginning to understand what that meant. Daring opted to sit where she was, her own plot a little more cushy than she remembered, but she didn’t worry about that right now. The foals were jostling around enough that she could see her stomach distend from obvious points of internal prodding. She squirmed as she watched her belly be bumped and prodded from the inside, the internal pressure moving around in an oh-so-lovely way.
Daring couldn’t believe how good she felt. The sensations had become amplified after the spa, and now, even the little things felt so much greater. The two foals in her were basically fighting for more room, rolling around like a couple trying to figure out which side of the bed they preferred. Clearly they were too cramped in there. Her girth was already considerable, but she knew it wasn’t enough. She needed to prepare for more foals. She needed to know how to grow.
As if on cue, Daring felt something inside her, like a spark that grew into a fire. The heat in her womb bloomed immensely, and her mind was caught off guard as her stomach began pulsing much harder; both from internal prodding and her own breathing. The familiar pressure built up quickly behind the heat, her gut slowly becoming firmer as an unseen force filled her with more magic. She watched her belly swell once more, the sensitive surface expanding across the ground in quick throbs.
Daring couldn't help but stroke herself, the mass growing softer as it ballooned out in front of her. It stopped just short of looking like triplets, and the sensation of the foals within her moving and exploring their new boundaries gave her shivers. She didn't care about her size anymore. She just wanted the foals within her to be happy and healthy. And judging from how much they rocked her belly about, she knew that they were.
Daring still wasn’t quite sure what was triggering this. Was she the one controlling it, or did the magic have a mind of its own? Each episode had had different circumstances associated with it, but they all seemed to elicit the same reaction. Eventually though it would end, and her gut would feel tight and firm once more, the foals settling down.
This time, however, it was lasting longer than usual. Fortunately, she didn’t have a problem with this, as it was so wonderful to rub that softened mass between her legs, to coax out the next throb with tender care. It was sad that the strange ghostly hooves had yet to return, though. They'd appeared the first few times, but hadn't since.
“Excuse me?”
Daring's thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice. She looked up, and noticed a pegasus stallion staring at her from his backdoor.
“A-Are you?”
Daring smiled. “C'mere.”
Hesitantly he obeyed, his eyes wide with awe. She had him sit before her and gestured to her warm, glowing womb.
“Go on,” she said with a chuckle. “I won’t bite.”
Gently, the stallion began rubbing her belly in soft, kneading strokes. She could only sigh, delighted as a soft throb pressed into his touch, his ministrations stoking the fire inside her and drawing out more magic. The stallion was dumbstruck as he massaged the living breathing mass before him, coaxing out warm throbs time and again to feel her precious cargo.
She felt a strong wave of magic coming, encouraged by his slow circling hooves. She grunted from the building force and pushed into him as her belly throbbed hard enough to push him back a little. He was shocked by the surge of power, and could only sit and stare bewildered as her warmth bathed over him.
“So,” Daring said as she recovered. “How’d you know it was me?”
It took a few seconds for the stallion to snap out of his daze. When he did, though, he got up without a word and went inside his house. He returned a moment later and showed her a piece of parchment.
“Ah,” Daring said. “Yep. That’do it.”
It was a wanted poster with her picture on it. Not the most accurate likeness she’d ever seen, but it did show off enough of her profile. The message along the bottom was hard to figure out, though. It sounded more like a missing pony report than a bounty? Whatever, probably just a ruse to work over the kinder hearts. She'd seen such tactics used before.
“Gonna turn me in?” Daring asked the stallion.
The stallion shook his head. “G-Godmother, I…”
But Daring already knew what was on the stallion's mind. However, f she said yes, it was probably going to incapacitate her. Two was a task and a half, but three? She only had the barest idea of how to control this power, and she had no idea how the magic had made the rest of her bigger back in Teddy’s spa.
Yet what else was she supposed to say? To hear 'no' from the one pony that could help you, just so she could aimlessly wander around and probably get caught anyway?
“...Take me to her,” Daring said.
The stallion widened his eyes. “I-I don't have anything to give...”
Daring rolled her eyes. “Who would put a price on this kind of thing?! C’mon, dumbass. Time’s a-wasting. Help me up so we can go get your kid back.”
The look on the stallion’s face was priceless, like a kid on Hearth’s Warming that’d just been given the best present ever. He eagerly helped her up onto her hooves, and after Daring caught her breath, she let him lead her inside his house.
()()()()()
“How long?” Quick Fix asked.
Headmaster Glory Finch examined the Amulet of Graveeda, the light at its center growing dim. “Hours. Half a day at most.”
“Is there anything else we can do?”
“Nothing that won’t start a riot.” The Headmaster sighed deeply. “A pity that your friend couldn’t delay her at his spa a while longer.”
Quick Fix shifted back and forth on his hooves. “The search party and I combed the streets and alleyways in the area, but we didn’t find any trace of her. What if the citizens are hiding her?”
The Headmaster shrugged. “Then they’re hiding her.”
“But sir! We can’t—”
“No!” The Headmaster snapped. “We can’t escalate our efforts! The fear of oppression runs deep in this town, Quick Fix. If we even show a hint of dominion, we'll risk open rebellion! We are servants of the Godmother, and by extension, servants of our little ponies. We are not, nor have we ever been, their rulers!”
Quick Fix grit his teeth. “Headmaster…”
The Headmaster’s eyes were hollow as he turned back to the amulet. “If we are to fail, then we'll fall keeping to the code. If we start to violate our ponies’ rights, we're no better than—”
The Amulet was suddenly swiped out of his grasp.
The Headmaster blinked. He looked over and saw Quick Fix fitting the Amulet around his neck while preparing to leave.
“I believe you said something earlier about me needing to help clean up this mess,” Quick Fix said matter-of-factly. “Suppose I should get to it, then.”
“Quick Fix,” The Headmaster said with a voice full of dull fire.
“I’m not gonna sit around while the future of this town dangles by a thread!” Quick Fix grabbed a map and a compass from a nearby table. “We’re not their rulers or keepers? Fine. But that doesn’t mean we should sit around and do nothing! The ponies of Prodigal Point need the Godmother, and the Godmother needs us! I’m not about to abandon her or them, and if you’re gonna just sit there and mope, do me a favor and stay the hell out of my way! I’m gonna find her if it’s the last thing I do!”
He left without another word, the sound of his wings the only thing marking his exit.
The Headmaster watched him leave without comment. He stood silent and stoic in his office, but then as he went back over to his desk, the ghost of a smile graced his lips.
“Maybe I was wrong about him.”
()()()()()
“Will this be fine?” the stallion asked Daring.
Daring chuckled. She’d simply asked him for a place with plenty of room, and he showed her to his home's living room. It was a spacious place that would've looked rather homey under different circumstances, but right now, the windows were shut, the curtains were drawn, the lights were dimmed, and the fireplace was unlit.
“This’ll... work...” Daring suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. A jolt wracked her body shortly after, and the foals in her womb leaped fearfully.
The stallion hesitated. “Are you alright?”
Daring shook her head clear. “I’m fine, heh.” She pulled her robe closer around herself. “Just a little chilly, that’s all.”
“Want me to light a fire? It'll only take a minute.”
“Nah, I’m good.” Daring nudged him towards the door. “Hurry and go get your wife. I'll wait here.”
The stallion obeyed, but he seemed uneasy about doing so. “I’ll just be a moment, promise. Make yourself comfortable.”
Daring watched him leave in a rush. As soon as he was gone, she put a hoof to her forehead and closed her eyes. Something about that cold was just... wrong. She had a feeling she knew what it was, but she couldn’t dwell on it right now. Her legs were still aching from the earlier trip, and she seriously needed to find a place to rest. There was an oddly shaped couch in the room, one of those things that wouldn’t look out of place in a psychiatrist’s office. It looked rather plush, too, so she decided that was a good place to park her rump.
Her instincts were proven right. She lay upon the couch carefully, her foal-filled womb towering over her as she wrapped the robe around her like a blanket. She still couldn't quite shake that cold feeling, but cuddling up with the warmth of her belly so close both strengthened and soothed her. She felt herself getting drowsy, and she probably would’ve nodded off had she not heard the sound of hoofsteps.
What rounded the corner brought down a heavy hammer on Daring’s heart. The stallion’s wife was an utter wreck, disheveled, beaten down, and bereft of hope. It looked as though she hadn't looked after herself in weeks, and only the strength of her mate had been keeping her going.
“Celestia,” Daring breathed. It was a wonder that this mare was even still alive. It hurt to even look at her, and Daring couldn’t even imagine the stress this must be putting on the husband.
She made up her mind right then and there. She didn't care if she was never able to walk again. Consequence be damned, this mare, this mother, had suffered enough.
Daring tried to call the mare over, to bring her near, but she seemed frozen in place. A look of total disbelief was etched on her tired and worn features, and it wasn't until her husband gave her a slight push that she reacted at all. She stumbled forward on weak, haggard limbs, her eyes never leaving the twin-filled womb before her.
Daring reached out and touched one of her hooves. “Hi.”
The mare looked like she’d been shocked. “You… Y-You’re really…” She began to tear up. “No, you can't help me. It's been too long.” Her voice hitched and cracked. “I can't even remember her name! I can’t remember my daughter’s name!”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Daring lifted up her chin so she was looking her in the eyes. “Listen to me. It’s gonna be alright. I’m gonna help you.”
The mare hiccuped. She didn’t look away, but she was so lost that the words barely registered.
“Do you still want her back?” Daring asked.
The mare weakly nodded behind broken sobs.
“Then we’ll bring her back,” Daring said. “Simple as that.”
The mare still didn’t look like she believed. “H-How?”
Daring guided the mare’s hoof to her waiting belly. “Like this.”
It was just like before with Merry. As soon as the cursed mare touched her, Daring felt the warmth in her womb pick up. The mare kneaded Daring’s taut flesh in small circles, her eyes glazing over and her breaths evening out. The magic in the air became palpable, and as if in a trance, she leaned forward and kissed Daring’s pregnant stomach. Once more Daring felt a spark ignite from the touch, and a wisp flew out of the mare’s mouth and flew immediately into Daring’s.
However, the mare did not whisper the foal’s name.
Daring’s womb began to swell. It pulsed alongside each breath, surging with heat every time it grew bigger. A pressure built up within her, pushing against her stomach's expanding limits, but once it again, it surpassed them and pushed her girth to new heights. Daring couldn't believe how truly large she was becoming, but when the first real throb hit her, she became lost in the endless flutters that worked their way through her immense belly.
Daring ached with need as a warmth surged up her throat, and she leaned back to let it loose. Once again a light left her mouth and floated toward the expectant mother, who looked at it longingly, but no words came. The wisp stayed for a time, flitting back and forth in the space between the two mares, but then it slowly faded, leaving the mother alone once more.
Daring didn't understand what went wrong. But she had little time to figure it out, as something in her gut demanded her attention. It’d begun glow similar to before, but now it was much, much stronger. The sudden influx of magic left Daring moaning in bliss, and on instinct she shifted slightly to reveal the crest of her mountainous belly to the mare, who approached once more with glassy eyes.
The mare wrapped her lips around Daring’s sensitive navel.
“Ohhhhh…” The brief touch from a kiss had brought about strong feelings by itself, but this was something else entirely. Daring rode the storm of sensations that made her entire body pulse with building magic, the mare continuing to create stronger waves that raised the sensations to new highs. She pulled and sucked on Daring's swelling button, making her tremendous girth surge larger, increasing the pressure along with it. Daring thrust her gut in tandem with the throbs of growth, and each time the mare pulled deeply, Daring’s belly would rise a little more...
Daring was suddenly rocked by a spasm, making her groan deeply. Before she knew it, she’d shoved her navel wholly into the mare's mouth. A portion of the warmth inside her poured into the mare, who staggered backwards and fell to the ground. Now her belly began to glow and fill out, rapidly growing into a motherly shape as the nameless foal returned from the void.
Daring could feel the little one entering her womb, as well. Her gurgling, rumbling gut was filled with otherworldly light, each surge of growth rocking and shifting it about. Daring herself was unable to concentrate on anything but the weight forming within her, sighing as her mass quivered with tingling throbs. She thrust upward again, the peak of her womb being pushed outward even farther, its shape truly growing into a healthy set of triplets.
She couldn't contain herself amidst all the throbbing and growth, her belly rising and falling from her hot and bothered breathing. There was a last mighty surge of growth, causing her to yelp in surprise, and her belly surged upward immensely until her womb was filled with a powerful pressure from three full-grown foals sharing such a snug space.
Daring could only breathe easily as she watched her new size rise and fall with grace, the warm throbs slowly tapering off and the warm glow leaving her. It wasn't until she could hear the sounds of a couple happy and crying from the return of their lost foal that she realized it was all over. Yet she couldn't join them in their revelry, as she abruptly felt both tired and cold. All she could do was wrap the robe tighter around her body and slowly close her eyes, hoping that her tall belly was unaffected by what she felt.
()()()()()
The stallion couldn't believe it. His daughter was back! she was really back! He held his wife in his arms and felt her swollen stomach, sniffling slightly as the foal poked curiously at his hoof. His wife came to shortly after, and upon discovering that she was pregnant once more she smiled and laughed for the first time in days.
The stallion looked over at Daring. “Godmother, how can we ever—”
His words were cut short as he looked at her. Her eyes were closed, her face was pale, and she was radiating a chill instead of any heat.
“Godmother?” He came over and touched her… only to recoil instantly from the sting of a freezing chill. It had felt like he’d touched dry ice!
“Hun, what's wrong?” his wife said.
The Godmother arched her head back, an expression of pain on her face. She let out a hacking cough, a cloud of black smog rising out of her mouth.
The wife backed away. “No…”
The cloud grew thicker and more ominous, the temperature in the room falling rapidly. It started to spread out to fill the room, but before it could, a sliver of light appeared within the center. It separated itself from the darkness and flew back into the Godmother's mouth.
Daring let out long, scratchy breath as her eyes flew open.
The stallion went to her again. “Godmother, what's—”
Her hoof whipped out and yanked him close.
“GAH!” Daring’s hoof was both amazingly warm and bitterly cold. The stallion winced from the painful touch, but then forgot about it as he saw that her eyes. They were glowing pure, white light, with contrails that looked like comet’s tails.
“The Amulet.” Daring said in an otherworldly voice. She coughed and expelled another cloud of black smog, “We must have the Amulet!”
Without another word she passed out, the warmth leaving her touch as only coldness remained.
For a moment the stallion was stunned. He’d never seen anything like that before! The amulet? What amulet did she mean? How could he possibly know—wait… hold on. Did she mean THE amulet?!
“Honey?” his wife asked him. “What’s happening to her?!”
“I'll be back, Blossom!” The stallion galloped towards the door. “Don't touch her! Whatever you do, do NOT touch her!”
His wife watched him leave, a fearful movement rocking her womb. She couldn't help but echo that fear as she turned to watch more smog rise from their daughter's savior.
()()()()()
There was a meager crowd gathered in the space before Quick Fix. It was far less than what he’d hoped for, but it was all he could get with some many ponies unwilling to leave their homes. He was surprised he’d gotten this many, truth be told. There were even a few mares in the crowd.
“The Godmother is real!” Quick Fix said to all of them. “She’s out there right now, helping anypony she can find, but she’s in danger! She can’t fully fend off the curse without the Amulet of Graveeda!”
He held the Amulet high above his head, causing a murmur of surprise among the crowd.
“If you find her, tell her that I’ve been sent to give it to her!” Quick Fix continued. “She has nothing to fear from our order! We are her allies, not enemies! We are her chosen guardians, and with our help she may restore all that has been lost!”
The crowd grew uneasy, exchanging looks of worry amongst themselves.
Quick Fix spoke over them once more. “I know this is a lot to ask. A great change has struck us all with no warning, but we must adapt! We must find the Godmother! Spread my message to all you see! Tell them that Quick Fix seeks to give the Amulet of Graveeda to the her! Hurry!”
Quick Fix then spread his wings and took to the skies. He didn’t really know if this was going to work, but he had to get the word out somehow. He had many more places to go, much more hope to spread. Ponies needed to know that the Godmother was out there—
“WAIT!”
Quick Fix slowed. He’d just cleared the rise of a buildings when he heard a voice from below. He banked back around and saw a single stallion on the edge of the crowd, jumping up and down.
“What is it?” Quick Fix asked as he landed.
The stallion was pale and frantic. “The Godmother is at my house! I think the curse is attacking her! You need to come quickI”
The crowd reacted immediately, but Quick Fix silenced them. “Where is your house?!”
“I’ll take you there!” The stallion whirled around and sprinted off.
Quick Fix followed at full gallop. A few ponies from the crowd followed as well, the future of their families in the balance.
()()()()()
Daring was freezing. She'd no idea where she was, or what was happening. All she knew was that it was dark and cold. There'd been a voice at one point, saying something about an Amulet, but it'd faded away along with her body. She was now just a spark adrift in a frigid void, and everything felt so very far away...
There was still some warmth she could feel; the warm glow that emanated from her womb. No matter how cold she got that source never died, standing like a bastion against whatever had stolen the world from her eyes. The three foals within danced within her warm and safe, but that was to be expected.
After all, the curse wasn’t attacking them anymore.
Daring could feel it pulling her, dragging her numb form down into the deepest reaches of the darkness, and the cold was sinking deeper and deeper, trying to get at her soul. All she could think of was her life, and what it had led to. There was so much about her old life that she’d loved: The adventure, the discovery, the danger, the money. But in all of it, she’d never done something as selfless as this. Was this as rewarding as all those other things she’d done? Was it something worth giving her life up for? In the end she’d only been able to restore three families. Would a stronger pony have been able to do more?
As her world grew colder, Daring couldn't help but smile, the warmth of the far-off womb never fading. She supposed that three was a good number. Three families saved, three lives allowed to live? That was more than most could say they’d saved. Maybe somepony else could’ve done more, but she was the one who had been given the chance. So many had been taken, and so many were still lost but these three inside her womb? They were safe.
And that was good enough.
()()()()()
Quick Fix and the stallion skidded to a halt at what they saw. The stallion’s house was covered in ice, the windows were frosted over, icicles hung from the gutters. A dreadful smoke was rising from the chimney, with all of it slowly spreading. A pregnant mare was outside with a panicked look on her face, backpedaling away from the ice.
“Blossom!” The stallion ran up to his wife. “Are you alright? What happened?!”
Blossom shivered. “I tried to stay with her, but the cold got so bad… I had to get out before everything froze! ”
Quick Fix looked down at the Amulet of Graveeda. The light within it had faded, now replaced by an ominous black mark.
Quick Fix turned to the stallion. “Please tell me that smoke is from a fire.”
Both he and Blossom shook their heads.
Quick Fix knew his was going to be bad, but this was even worse than he expected. He began to make his way towards the house’s front door.
“W-Wait!" The stallion called out. "What are you doing?!”
“I have to go!” Quick Fix said. He touched the door handle and let out a hiss of pain. It felt like he’d touched a burning stove. “The Godmother needs the Amulet!”
“Are you crazy?!” the stallion demanded. “You’ll freeze to death!”
Quick Fix whirled around and bucked the icy door, shattering to pieces with a sound like breaking glass. “Look after your wife, eh? She looks like crap.”
And with that he flew inside.
“Idiot!” The stallion yelled after him. “Damn it… the Godmother’s in the last room at the end of the hall!”
()()()()()
Quick Fix was greeted by darkness. The warmth of outside was left behind as soon as he crossed the house’s threshold, and he did his best to pull his robe close while staying aloft. The air was filled with such an intense chill that the couple’s belongings had frozen solid, and the walls looked brittle to the touch. The tip of his wing brushed against a door frame, making him let out a pained yelp. It seemed there was no safe place to land, and the only way he’d get in farther is by keeping in the air.
“Gotta be fast.” He made his way down the lifeless hallway, his wingbeats steady and sure. His nose and ears had already gone cold, and the ends of his legs were starting to go numb. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that a thick, cloying smoke was hanging in the air with a ghostly stillness, but it was steadily retreating away from him. Perhaps it was because he was carrying the Amulet?
Quick Fix found the open doorway at the end of the hall. The smoke was at its thickest here, its icy bite stinging his eyes. He could see something at the heart of the smoke—a soft glow, a beacon that brought forth a slight shimmer to the Amulet. As he drew close, the smoke pulled back to reveal a circle of untouched ground. The Godmother lay there on a couch, shimmering in the eye of the storm as powerful magics warred over her.
Yet upon taking one look at her, it was clear which side was winning.
Daring was pale, the color of her fur undone by frost and magic. The air hung still around her, far colder here than the rest of the home. An occasional gout of smoke would rise from her lips, but besides that she was still as death. Quick Fix feared the worst, but then, he noticed something that gave him pause.
Her enormous womb was still intact.
Quick Fix landed in the circle and laid a hoof upon it, surprised to find that while chilly, a gentle warmth still emanated within. A weak kick answered his prodding, followed by two others in quick succession.
Quick Fix looked upon Daring, a strange mare that knew nopony in this town, and yet had tried to do so much. It seemed that she’d refused to let the families she met suffer, despite what it meant for her own well-being.
Without hesitating, he took the Amulet of Graveeda and placed it around her neck. He leaned close to her ear and spoke softly, praying to the powers above this would work.
“Wake up, Godmother. Your little ponies need you.”
()()()()()
Daring wasn't sure what she just heard. Possibly a voice, but it was so far away that she couldn’t make out what had been said. She somehow knew that the voice had been speaking to her, so she focused a little harder, trying to see if she could catch anything else.
There was a light off in the distance. It sparkled only briefly, but it still dazzled her eyes. Daring began to feel something, a warm something, like a strong hoof pressing into her listless body from far, far away. It roused from whatever malaise she was in, but before she could make any headway, the cold bit deeply into the warmth and made it recoil.
Daring didn't understand what was happening. How could she still feel her body when it was so far away? How had she been separated from her body in the first place?! She didn’t know the answer to either, but as she was wondering the warmth returned in full force, this time as a torso that wrapped around her.
“Listen to me,” the voice said. She heard it loud and clear this time. The cold savagely sank its fangs into the warm body, but it didn’t let her go. Instead, it wrapped a pair of wings around them both like a feathery blanket. “Take what you need from me. Use it to come back to us! Don’t let the curse win!”
Daring could see it now, a light off in the distance that beckoned to her. It was her body, calling to her! She wanted to go to it, but she was consumed by a strange numbness. The warmth of the torso was removing a layer of it, but there was still so much more—
Somepony kissed her, their warm lips breathing life into her dwindling spirit.
Daring felt a fire alight in her belly. She could feel herself breathe again, the numbness fading to lucidity. She was in a blue, hazy void filled with wispy clouds that lazily drifted past her, stretching on and on in every direction without end. Through the link to her body she felt the curse spread to the unknown pony, and it wasted no time in stealing their life away.
But it was no use. The pony was fading, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Grgh!” Daring wiggled and flailed around. “C’mon! Snap out of it, girl! You’ve been in worse traps than this! You just need to—”
A bright silver star appeared off in the distance. It glowed with a mighty, divine power, and she recognized the energy calling out to her.
“The Amulet!” She stretched out her hoof, and felt herself begin racing towards the star. The clouds of the void whizzed past her as she flew forward at dizzying speed, but it wasn’t fast enough. The warmth of the stranger was fading. The darkness was closing back in as well, the cold numbness creeping back into her limbs.
“Come onnnnnnnnn!” Daring grit her teeth. “Faster! FASTER!”
“The stranger’s warmth was almost gone, no more than an echo within her body. The bitter cold was crushing her with its presence, and just as she was about to fade out, she threw herself forward and sailed headlong into the star.
A blast of heat exploded outward, burning away the cold, ravenous dark in the blink of an eye. Daring’s vision became filled with light, and the full sensation of her body returned… just in time to feel like she was on fire. Vast amounts of power flowed into her body and soul, all of which she eagerly absorbed, until the world faded to white.
The first thing Daring realized is that she could breathe again. She opened her eyes with a fitful gasp, expecting to see the ceiling of the home she’d entered, but there was no ceiling, or even a room at all. Instead, she was still in the blue, hazy void filled with twinkling stars and wispy clouds. She noticed that her body was entirely normal; no womb extended out to greet her, and all her aches and pains were gone.
“What the…” Daring looked all around. “Where am I?”
This place has many names, a voice said from all around her. The Empyrean Vault, the Ethereal Plane, Elysium, the Barzakh, the Yetzirah. It is a place of judgment and inanity, of reward and punishment. Some cultures revere it, others fear it, but that has not changed what it is.
Daring felt her hackles rise. She tried to find the speaker but she saw nopony. Before she could panic, though, a strange, silver fire the size of a house erupted before her. It's warmth felt strangely familiar, and when the voice spoke again, the fire flared with every word.
You’ve done well, Daring Do. It seems I was not mistaken in choosing you.
Daring’s lips parted. “I know you. You’re the one that’s been whispering things to me all day!”
I am the first, the flame said. I am mercy, I am renewal, I am life. It was by my hoof that the spirit Apate was slain. I believe you have heard my name once or twice before.
Daring was almost rendered speechless. “Graveeda...”
The flame waved back and forth. Apate’s power did not make me immortal, but it did allow me to linger in this place after my mortal body passed. I have remained here ever since, nullifying her foul curse, watching over my home and safeguarding its descendants.
Daring thought about that for a moment. “Heh, what do ya know? And here I thought only the evil guys got the big power-ups. So you’re kinda like a benevolent demigoddess or something, eh?”
Perhaps, but even as a demigod, I've never able to fully undo Apate’s last act, Graveeda said. The greatest scholar of my time, Starswirl the Bearded, aided me in my research. I sent word to the Equestrian Princesses, the Zebrican Kings, the Griffonian Thanes, even the Yakyakistan Monarchy. None could provide insight. I haven't given up hope, but at this point I am beginning to wonder if I will always be needed here.
Graveeda showed Daring an image to their left: one that Daring recognized as the silver artifact she’d seen back in the museum.
In my final days, I cast a spell that linked my power to my favorite amulet. From that point on, it served as a conduit to my spirit here in the Ether, and also allowed me to guide those that would share this responsibility. My chosen avatar would then be able to use my power to beat back the Apate’s curse whenever it resurged, as well as protect the town from other magical threats.
Daring saw something in the distance, a shimmer that gradually took shape. Three foals sprang into being, a colt and two fillies. They ran around in a field while playing with each other, laughing and smiling.
The curse is truly a dark thing, Graveeda said. It targets nascent souls forming within their mothers and snatches them away, body and soul, to hold them hostage in this place of limbo for all eternity. The curse will just steal them away again without constant protection, and only a pony with a link to my power can provide that. I found that the only way to allow the foals to be born is if I carried them to term, and when they were ready, I returned them to their mother’s womb. Not an elegant solution, but it works.
Daring watched the three little foals roll and play around. “So the mom experiences some kinda ‘phantom pregnancy’ while the Godmother carries the kid for real and keeps ‘em safe from the Black Smoke of Doom. Hmph. Yeah, that is pretty messy, but from what I’ve seen in my adventures, ancient curses tend to be real buttnuggets to deal with. I suppose what’s important is that everything works out in the end.”
The fire burned a little brighter. We think much the same.
Daring shifted back and forth. “Those three foals… are they… are they t-the ones I was carrying?”
Yes. They were not harmed by the episode you experienced.
Daring breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank Luna. For a minute I thought that…” She stopped short as a thought struck her. “But what about all the others that got snatched? Geez, there’s gotta be thousands of ‘em stuck here!”
Tens of thousands, Graveeda corrected her. They too shall be fine, for while it has taken a few weeks to wrest them from the void, I have recovered them all.
Graveeda's fire sparked, and suddenly Daring could see. Countless embers floated freely in the space around them, each one a tiny fire like the immense one that blazed before her.
Daring felt her skin prickle. “Whoa…”
Normally, when the Godmother has been found, she is brought before me here in the ether upon touching my amulet. However, in this instance, I was unable to fully summon you because I was too busy locating all of these lost souls. Graveeda’s fire dimmed. I'm sorry you had to suffer because of that.
Daring waved her off. “Hey, no biggie. What’s important is that we managed to get a lid on all of this.”
Indeed, Graveeda said. The curse is held at bay once more. The lives that it held hostage are now here with me in the ether... but that’s not truly what we want, is it?
Daring sighed. “No, it’s not. We want ‘em back with their moms. And you can’t do that by yourself.”
Not by myself, Graveeda agreed. A spirit cannot manifest in the physical realm without a body, and mine wasted away long ago. I need a willing, living soul as a conduit for my power, with a pure, healthy body to function as a vessel. With these two things, I can find the mothers of these little ones, and help bring them into the world.
Daring bit her lip. “And if you don’t have those two things?”
Graveeda’s voice fell. Then they stay with me here until another candidate comes along.
Daring dreaded what she was going to ask next, but she asked it anyway. “So, you need to, like… become me or something? Is that what you’re saying?”
Yes and no, Graveeda replied. When a Godmother is awoken, she gains full access to my power while I rest within them. Nothing of either of us is overwritten or undone. If you choose to accept me, you will gain the magic I stumbled upon long ago, and I will gain the ability to save the children of Prodigal Point. That is all.
Daring’s eyes widened. “Wait, choose? You’re giving me a choice in this? You’re not forcing it on me or anything? No sudden evil monologues, deceptions, or last-minute betrayals?”
Graveeda laughed. I wouldn’t be much of a ‘benevolent demigoddess’ if I did that.
A smirk crept up on Daring’s lips. “Touche.”
I've seen brief instances of your old life, Daring Do, Graveeda said in an earnest voice. I've seen the things you’ve done, and what you love to do. Becoming the Godmother would mean giving all of that up and devoting yourself to your subjects. I'd be no better than Apate if I tried to make you do this, and an unwilling host would make a poor conduit, anyway. You wouldn't be the first to say no, and none would think less of you for it.
Daring contemplated it for a time. She loved adventuring, exploring the world, courting danger at every turn and hunting for artifacts. She was still young and full of vigor, and the notion of settling down had never really been on her radar. This was a huge responsibility, and it’d bring a lot of changes that she’d have to learn to adapt to! Was she ready for this kind of thing?
“You said these guys’ll just stay here with you?” Daring gestured to the formless sparks floating around them. “They won’t fade away or anything?”
So long as their mothers still live, Graveeda said. If another Godmother is found before that time, and the family still wishes to bear them, they may return.
“But I’m special aren't I?” Daring pointed out. “The Godmother can't just be any mare.”
Correct.
“...Would the curse come back if I turned you down?”
Not for some time, Graveeda said. But yes, eventually it would. As I said before, I don't know if it can ever be truly removed. Apate poured all her power into this spell, and the best I’ve ever been able to do is circumvent it by fooling it into thinking there is no foal at all, when in fact it's technically in two places at once. I will be able to manifest enough power thanks to this meeting to suppress the curse for another decade or so. Hopefully, that'll be long enough for another Godmother to appear. Those conceived in your absence would be born normally, and the little ones here I'd look after.
Daring mulled it all over. She knew that the mothers would eventually get over the loss and probably try again, but did she want to be the one to tell them that she couldn’t save these innocent lives? Did she be the one to admit that she’d been selfish and thought of herself first, and that they only had ten years to find a replacement? She admitted that this was all rather sudden, but still. She had a chance here to do some real good in the world. Was she really going to pass it up?
“...Okay. I'll do it.”
Graveeda’s flame flickered. Are you sure? Be careful, this is not a choice to make lightly.
“Did I stutter?” Daring asked, her eyebrow raised. “Look, these kids all deserve a life! It sucks rotten salt that they got screwed over like this, and I’m not gonna be the one to deny them! I’ve lived a pretty active life so far, but hey, if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s adapting to the situation. So strap yourself in and lay it on me, sister. You’ve got yourself a Godmother.”
Graveeda laughed again. Very well. Prepare yourself.
The silver fire enveloped Daring, its heat familiar and intense. She recognized it as the same kind of warmth she’d always felt in her womb, and it was a pleasant, welcome thing. It swirled around her twice before coalescing, shrinking down, its essence becoming compressed.
Graveeda’s voice lost some of its formal tone. Er, just to warn you, this process is a little… intimate. It may get a little weird.
Daring waggled her eyebrows. “I may like weird.”
Daring was suddenly aware of hooves on her shoulders, along with a set of legs wrapped around her waist. The fire had taken on a form all its own, and one of a mare no less. Graveeda was a silver unicorn about one and a half times her size, with white starry eyes and a flowing ethereal mane. Her cutie mark was a golden, glowing ankh, and she smiled bashfully as she met Daring’s eyes.
“Like I said,” Graveeda said from her own mouth. “This may get weird.”
Daring smiled and pulled her closer. “You talk too much.”
Their lips met in a tender kiss. Graveeda embraced Daring and ran her hooves through her mane, pulling her tight with a pleasant hum. Daring closed her eyes and surrendered herself, allowing the spirit take control and have free reign. An amazing warmth was fed into her body, like a roaring fire being pumped into her very being. She moaned and pushed back into Graveeda’s kiss, dragging more of the wonderful sensation out of the demigoddess and into her own body. She could feel it now, the power rising higher and higher with every long breath, and she moaned into Graveeda's mouth as she continued to drag that sensation out, again and again.
Daring felt her gut rising to cushion against her lover's soft plot. Graveeda felt it as well, and she broke their kiss and looked down between them. She smiled and placed a glowing hoof upon it.
“Thank you again, Daring Do,” Graveeda said. “From me, and all those you’re going to help.”
Daring licked her lips. She gave Graveeda a small salute, grinning as her eyes sparkled with new magic. “Looking forward to working with ya.”
Graveeda’s form wavered, and she turned back into pure fire. She flew around Daring in dizzying circles, then without warning, she coiled like a snake and flew straight down into Daring’s mouth.
“AH!” Daring jerked back in surprise. Graveeda pushed down deep inside of her, the warmth and power of a demigoddess merging with her very soul. Daring's profile gave off a mighty flash of light, and just as quickly as it began, it was done.
Daring felt her belly button pop out of place again. Her stomach grew threefold in an immense throbbing surge, and that soft, lovely warmth she’d been feeling all day bathed over her once more. She watched her expanded belly rise and fall, sighing deeply as the waves of heat now came consistently instead of in sudden, uncontrolled spurts.
Daring let out a long sigh and stretched, her stomach churning with butterflies from the aftereffects of the joining. “Now that’s more like it. Pretty good gig all in all, I suppose. Certainly beats grading papers.”
Suddenly, she felt something tickling her, right at the base of her navel. Three little lights were dancing on the crest of her belly, moving back and forth eagerly.
“Well hey there, guys. You ready to—GAH!”
All three of them dove into her belly button at the same time. With a wonderful tickling sensation they traveled down into her womb, landing with a spike of a pressure and igniting within her like coals on a fire. Daring gasped as three sets of legs abruptly grew within her, shaking and rumbling her gut with their kicking.
“Heh… g-good to see you guys, too,” she managed weakly. “I take it you missed—”
She was interrupted by another tickle on her stomach.
Daring looked. It was another little ember, poking at her skin as if it were requesting entrance. It wiggled back and forth, but almost seemed timid in its actions.
“Oh, I’m fine.” Daring coaxed it with a poke of her own. “Go on. Get in there.”
Without further prodding, the little thing forced itself down through her navel. Daring grunted as a storm of sensations struck her, the light travelling down to her womb to ignite like another coal that billowed her gut. The force of it stretched her paunch taut and firm, and she closed her eyes with a moan, rubbing it as best she could.
Another tickle at her navel, followed by another sudden push down into her core. A fifth child popped into being within her, and her gut was filled with a wonderful ache that forced her womb ever-larger. Before she had time to recover she felt more pressing against her navel, this time an incredible four trying to enter her belly all at once. They tested her limits by all eagerly flying in together, making her gut grow in a series of sudden throbs! She felt even more trying to come in while she was still growing, and when she opened her eyes to see how many were left...
"Oh... Erm, hi there."
She was surrounded by an immense cloud of souls. The little ones blinked and shimmered at her like the northern lights, all lining up to be restored. It hadn’t really hit Daring that she was going to be playing host to such an immense host of life, but in that moment, as she looked at the tens of thousands of ‘stars’, she truly realized just what she’d signed up for.
“Nngh!” Daring grunted from the sudden pressure of becoming pregnant with an additional six foals. “Feeling a little small here, Graveeda! I’d like to get this done sometime today!”
There was a flare of warmth in response. Daring was struck by a wave of dizziness, and an aura of light appeared around her. The little dots of light suddenly looked smaller—no, she realized, she was getting bigger! A strange buzzing coursed through her limbs as the rest of her body caught up to her womb, her frame widening and expanding, doubling in size by the second. Before long she was the same size she’d been back in Teddy’s spa, but this time, she showed no sign of stopping.
The lights wasted little time. Entire groups began diving into Daring’s navel, the passage slowly accommodating more and more until the stream was almost constant. Her senses were driven mad by the dual sensations of the lights entering her and her body straining to keep up, and she let out a delighted scream from the forces being exerted on her. Her body would grow in a single immense throb, and then more coals would enter her and grow her belly in another throb. The time between these events was slowly lessening, but try as Daring might, it seemed that her belly was gradually outpacing her.
She let out a long moan when the stream became constant, her entire being in a constant state of growth and bliss. Daring had no idea how big she was, as there was nothing in the void to compare herself to, but if she had to take a guess, she’d put herself at around the size of a city block. Her belly was more than three times that size, and the sensation of the lights forcing their way in made her feel all manner of delightful butterflies throughout her body. Shivering tingles coursed through her skin as she continued to take all of the foals in, her navel a constant funnel for them, and the power of Graveeda never waned as it continued to make her ascend.
At last Daring could feel the end nearing, the last of lights making their way within her. Although, many of them were still growing to their full size. Their weight was truly monumental as she felt them pushing at her walls, stretching her paunch even more, but considering she was monumental herself, it wasn’t an issue.
The throbs of growth were becoming less gentle as Daring's gut became taut. She began unconsciously thrusting herself forward into a strange ghostly pressure, coaxing her belly to grow just a little more with each pulse.
“Damn... tease...” Daring muttered. She rolled her eyes, each the size of a house and getting larger by the second. “I can take… anything… you throw at me...”
The pressure within her womb built even more. The foals were still growing, and she was falling behind. Daring could feel the stress stretching her paunch to its limit, the foals fighting for room she didn't have. She could feel her gut spasm as it tried to grow just a little bit more, but her muscles were a force of iron that bound it to its current size.
Daring noticed a tiny pinprick of fire before her face. Graveeda took on her mare form and landed on Daring’s nose, comparatively no more than the size of a flea. She let out a merry laugh that echoed in Daring’s ears and spoke to her titanic host.
How does it feel?
Daring smirked. She spread her mighty wings and rubbed her mountainous womb with gentle strokes. “I’ve had worse.”
Graveeda laughed again. If only there were more like you.
Graveeda dove down Daring’s throat once more. Daring felt a final wave of warmth surge into her gut, and her womb broke free from its invisible bindings. The sudden growth sent such a wave through her that the rest of her doubled, then tripled to get to the ratio it had once been at, and even still, her belly was left a little larger in comparison than it had been before.
All Daring could do was let loose a deep contented groan as her gut rocked about. At last, they were all inside her. She could carry them all. Their mothers back in the real world would soon be given the good news, and all would finally be well.
Sleep slowly began overtaking Daring, but she could still feel them in her womb, warm and happy as they tickled her from the inside with their little kicks. She sighed in contentment and let the glow of the void lull her into peaceful slumber.
()()()()()
Daring realized she couldn't feel them anymore. The warmth within her was still there, but the weight and size were gone. She looked down and saw that her paunch was almost flat, only slightly distended like she'd had a big meal. She also realized that she was on a fancy four-poster bed in a massive room, and the Amulet of Graveeda was snugly fastened around her neck.
“Good morning, Godmother.”
Daring damn near fell off the bed. Squawking, she looked to her right and saw an old stallion in a white robe, gazing at her with a fond expression.
“What the hay is the big idea!?” Daring demanded. “Ya nearly gave me a heart attack, ya git!”
“Excuse me.” The stallion cleared his throat. “Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Glory Finch, Headmaster of the Graveedan Order. Welcome to Prodigal Palace.”
The title combined with something related to Graveeda struck a familiar note in Daring’s memory. “Headmaster? Wait… are you the head guy of the ponies that were chasing me?”
The Headmaster bowed his head. “I hope any misunderstanding can be made clear. We mean you no harm.”
“Little late for that.” Daring grumbled. She settled herself back into the bed. “...Nice robe. Do only your acolytes wear black, or did you all suddenly decide to switch to something less gloomy?”
The Headmaster shrugged. “Black is the color of mourning. We wear it when there's no Godmother in office to pay tribute to her passing. When a new Godmother is chosen, we resume wearing the traditional white.”
Something clicked in Daring’s head. “You... guys were never trying to stop me, were you?”
“We were not,” the Headmaster said. “It shamed us all greatly to think you feared us in any respect. On behalf of the entire Order, you have my most sincere apologies.”
Daring snorted. “Fear isn't quite the word I’d use, but maybe if you didn’t let scumbags like Brash into your order, we wouldn’t have had any problems! If it weren’t for Clever Quill—”
She suddenly remembered what Brash had done. “Wait a minute, is she okay?! Where is she? Where am I?” She put a hoof on her belly. “Where are the foals?!”
“I can answer all of those questions and more.” He gestured to the bed. "If I may?"
He seemed to be asking permission to sit, so she gave it. As he got comfortable, she realized that it was going to be very unnerving to have ponies looking up to her as an authority figure. She usually ran away from these things as fast as her legs could carry her, not willingly embraced and made out with them.
The Headmaster was silent for a moment before speaking in a tired voice. “We went into hiding some time ago. The last headmaster did very deplorable things, broke almost every code that we’re supposed to live by. Our reputation was all but destroyed because of it, and we’ve spent the last thirty years restructuring ourselves and rooting out the last lingering dregs of corruption. It’s not been easy.”
“I think you missed a few,” Daring muttered, remembering Brash.
“There are still problems,” the Headmaster admitted. “But we seek to improve ourselves every day. We’ve come a long way from the tyranny of my predecessor.”
“What happened?” Daring asked.
The Headmaster winced. “Let's just say you're not supposed to lock away the Godmother and ration her out like a prize to those with status or enough money. I only hope that Quick Fix will be a fitting example of what all of us should strive to become... if the fool boy lives."
Daring frowned. Why was that name so familiar? She remembered Brash mentioning it while he was taunting her, but hadn’t mentioned anything about his life being in danger. Er, at least not seriously.
“He was the one who got the Amulet to you when you were being overcome by the curse,” the Headmaster said, noting Daring’s confusion. “He then used his own life force to revive you so that you could break free and ascend.”
Wait, the voice! The stallion that'd helped her when the curse had almost killed her! “I actually remember that! Wow, he totally saved my flank! Is he alright?”
The Headmaster didn’t answer right away. “...We've been giving him treatment, but I don't know if—”
BAM!
The door to the room burst open. Standing at the threshold was a haggard, shaking stallion, covered in bandages with uneven eyes.
“The Captain of the Guard is to always be at the Godmother’s side!” he said in a wobbly, cracking shout.
“Quick Fix!” A mare in nurse’s scrubs came up behind him, who immediately bowed to Daring. “I’m so sorry, m’lady! He stormed off as soon as he was conscious.”
The Headmaster snorted. “Seems the ether has yet to claim you, Captain. So eager to see the Godmother on her day of apotheosis?”
Daring felt her skin prickle upon hearing that word. She reached up and felt her forehead, but it was still bare. She had to admit she was a little sad not to get the ‘full package’, so to speak, but then again, she would’ve had trouble wearing hats again.
“Just doing... my duty…” Quick Fix swayed back and forth before falling to his knees. “P- Permission to...”
He slumped into the nurse’s arms. She had a moment of panic while she felt his pulse, but relaxed upon noticing the rise and fall of his chest.
“So,” Daring said to the Headmaster as Quick Fix was carried away. “You're not the bad guys.”
“We are not,” the Headmaster confirmed.
“And you want to help me.”
“It's our sworn duty.”
“Alright, how soon until I can start helping everypony in town?” Daring asked. “They've gone on like this for too long. They need their kids back.”
“We can hold our first session in a few hours, during the twilight,” the Headmaster said. “It's the time in which you’ll best be able to channel your power. I recommend holding off on doing any experimenting until we can teach you to use your magic effectively, though. You’ll have trouble controlling yourself otherwise.”
Daring wasn't exactly sure what he meant. Or by magic, considering she had no horn. She was about to ask him to elaborate, but then he motioned to the Amulet around her neck.
“Right.” Daring put a hoof on it, feeling its warmth pulse against her skin like a heartbeat. It glowed at her touch, and her gut grew ever so slightly with a noisy gurgle.
“Whoops!” Daring’s hoof flew away. “Sorry, heh.” She looked away with a blush. “So, is there anything else I should know?”
The Headmaster thought for a moment. “Let's not overly stress you right now. The danger has passed, so we can take things at your leisure. I’d advise starting by only seeing a few mothers a day so that you might—”
“Nope!” Daring said immediately. “This town has been through too much to have to deal with some kind of waiting list. We take everypony we can get and set this train a-rolling.”
“But—”
“I’m in charge, aren’t I?” Daring demanded.
“You are, but I don’t think—”
"They've been through enough!" Daring made a slicing motion with her hoof. "I don't care how much YOU think I can take. I’m not going to little a little discomfort get in the way of helping these ponies, so whether you like it or not, we’re going to help as many of them as we can, as fast as we can!”
She got up and shuffled off the bed without waiting for his reply, stumbling as she adjusted to her lessened size. “Now then, where’s your kitchen? I got all kinds of weird cravings going on, and I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. I’m so hungry I could eat my pith helmet!”
Headmaster Finch stared at where she’d just been lying, and then finally back down the hall. He did this several times before chuckling and shaking his head.
“Oh, she's gonna be a good one.” He got up and started after her. “Quick Fix is going to have his hooves full.”
()()()()()
That Evening-
Daring was escorted to a part of the palace that could only be described as a throne room. The walls were white marble with silver trim, with pillars every twenty feet or so emblazoned with golden ankhs. The ceiling depicted a dual painting of the twilight and dawn, the significance of which being the times at which the Godmother’s power was strongest. The area was large, but not dreadfully so, enough that a feeling of privacy and warmth still radiated through the space.
Daring was resting on a strange seat the likes of which she’d never seen before. She’d been informed it was called the Godmother's Cradle, an odd name considering it looked nothing a cradle, but appropriate nonetheless. It was silver and white with a backrest in the shape of an ankh, and she found that she could lay, lean, or even sit upon it in great comfort while still not being too far off the ground. Which was good, because Daring would’ve hated to have to sit on some hard, uncomfortable throne for hours on end.
However, even with the warmth of the room and the comfort of the strange throne, Daring was uneasy. Most of the knowledge about the Godmother was lost, apparently, and Glory Finch only knew so much from being a squire back in the day. The only other knowledge they had was from old books and accounts, and while Daring was certainly no stranger to digging through old tomes, the information was very piecemeal.
From what she could tell, there was quite a bit more to being the Godmother than just giving back the foals stolen by Apate’s curse. She also held significant political power, not just in the city, but the surrounding areas, as well. In times past, the Godmother’s authority had been just under the Equestrian Princesses, and the surrounding countries would often times send emissaries to negotiate local trade routes. She wasn’t able to glean much more in the few hours she’d had before coming here, but even still, that much was a lot to take in.
Daring shifted uneasily in the cradle, sitting upright as she tried to ease her nerves. The Headmaster was standing at her side like he’d been all day, and he curiously watched her fidget and squirm about.
“Are you sure you want to see them all?” he asked for the fifth time. “It really is no issue to—”
“Finch,” she said with a sigh. She knew he meant well, but damn if he wasn’t a worrywort. She’d seen less uptight ponies preparing for grad school exams. “I’ve got this, okay? I just… thought there’d be more than seven of them.”
The Headmaster pursed his lips. “A lot of ponies are skeptical. The Order of Graveeda is nothing but an ancient memory to most. I'm guessing they’re worried we’re just making promises based off an old superstition.”
Daring exhaled out her nose. “Can’t suppose I blame them. I almost had a fit when I woke up and saw that first foal in me. Was worried I’d gone nuts. I almost decided to take the next train back to Canterlot.”
“What made you come around?” A sly grin crept up on the Headmaster’s face. “Was it when you discovered the… sensations that come from using Graveeda’s power?”
Daring blushed furiously. “How'd you… did the old Godmother tell you about that?! She had to have. There’s no other way you'd know.”
“We shared stories...” he admitted, his expression wistful. “...among other things.
Daring’s wings about fanned out at her sides. “Did you two—”
“Another life,” the Headmaster said firmly. “Don’t worry yourself with it. Focus only on what’s ahead of you. We'll figure this out one day at a time.”
It was difficult for Daring not to want to pry, but something told her he’d be rather tight-lipped. Perhaps she’d get the details out of him later, but for now, she took his advice.
“Thanks again for staying for the first one,” Daring said. “I know you said you shouldn’t because of sanctity or whatever, but I appreciate having somepony walk me through this.”
“I see no harm in making exceptions when the circumstances demand it.” Her gave her a pointed look. “Such as when the Godmother tries to bite off more than she can chew.”
Daring groaned. “Would you relax, already?! I told you can handle it! I thought I was the one calling the shots!”
“It's not my place to tell the Godmother what is right,” the Headmaster said with a slight bow. “Merely to warn her when she’s about to do something stupid.”
Daring clucked her tongue with a knowing grin. “Finch, Finch, Finch. If that’s the case, you’re going to be warning me a lot.”
The door on the other side of the room opened ever-so-slowly. The mare that walked through the other side looked as though she'd tried to clean herself up for the occasion, yet Daring could see the bags under her eyes and tiredness to her gait. There was a place for her to sit if she so chose, yet she could just as well stand and remain at eye level with the Godmother in her seat. This one chose to stand.
“Hey there,” Daring said. “What’s your name?”
The mare wet her cracked, dry lips. “Zephyr, ma’am.”
“Zephyr, huh?” Daring smiled. “Nice to meet’cha. You know what you’re here for, right?”
“Yes, I...” Zephyr seemed unsure for a moment, but then she found her voice. “I want him back.”
“Good.” Daring leaned forward and grasped one of Zephyr’s hooves. “Then call him.”
She placed the Zephyr's hoof upon her slightly-pudgy paunch. She coaxed Zephyr to stroke her in an easy circle, and almost instantly, the warmth began to build. It was nothing she hadn't seen before, but Daring still watched in awe as her womb began to glow. The mother’s eyes glassed over, and she leaned forward to plant a kiss on Daring’s belly.
A tiny spark appeared from Zephyr’s mouth that dove into Daring’s navel, and all she could do was prepare for her slightly distended stomach to bloom with life anew. Daring leaned back in her seat as she let that familiar growth in her gut return. She could feel it brushing out past her legs, the sensitive surface tickled by her fur brushing against itself. The warmth continued to fill her at an even pace as the pressure challenged her stomach's limit, and before long she had a practical ball hanging from her waist.
Daring tilted her head back and let the wisp fly back out her mouth when she felt it arrive, watching it flit over to the entranced Zephyr. Zephyr saw the wisp, and as it approached, she whispered a name under her breath. It promptly vanished into her, and the Godmother’s power lifted her ever-so-slightly, leaning her back in a gentle embrace. Her belly was now plainly presented, glowing with the same radiance that was within Daring.
Daring watched the shape of her belly change as her womb filled. She groaned as strong legs pushed and distorted her girth, growing in an immense surge that pushed her paunch forward. Slowly strengthening throbs joined it as pressure in her navel pushed, and the mother before her softly crooned, her gut growling incessantly as it ballooned outward in sync.
Daring felt another kick, and then another push. A single great throb caused the foal to grow suddenly, and she was caught off guard from her belly becoming taut with the sudden weight. Her navel was a storm of sensations as the soft flesh slid out to present itself once more. The magic suddenly brought Zephyr closer, and Daring gasped as she felt a pair of lips on her sensitive navel.
"?!" The pressure within Daring skyrocketed. Her own womb surged in size, an immense twitch rocking her gut about. Zephyr continued to suckle on the little nub, each long drag making both of them larger... and larger...
Daring felt her belly spasm, causing a wave of warmth to push into the mother. Zephyr’s womb swelled and throb in surges of enriched growth, yet she didn't stop. She just kept pulling on Daring’s belly button, moaning in such a way that the vibrations ignited butterflies within Daring.
Then Daring felt a second spark. It was quite the surprise, but sure enough, another little foal began swiftly growing in her womb. She looked over at the entranced Zephyr, wondering if she’d known was carrying twins. Their bellies churned and groaned in protest as they were pushed outward again, teasing them both incessantly with the tickling sensations. Daring could feel every push, every throb, every movement that either foal made, and while it’d caught her off guard, she was confident she could handle it.
Then the pressure built up even more.
Daring’s eyes went wide. “You've gotta be kidding.”
The second spasm was greater than the first, copious amounts of magic pouring into Zephyr. Their wombs quivered and grumbled from the power, then all at once, they ballooned outward enormously with the emergence of the third foal. It kicked and pushed a few times at its siblings, as well at the walls enveloping them all before settling into place.
Daring could only sigh in relief as Zephyr finally went limp, the magic gently floating her back into the chair across the way. She seemed to be sleeping, pleased with what'd happened. She stroked her pregnant belly in her sleep, humming dreamily. She'd have quite the surprise waiting for her when she woke, but for now, she was at ease.
“Huff… huff… Yousee, Finch?” Daring panted. She couldn’t him see over the enormous swell of her womb, but she figured he hadn't moved. “Told you I could handle it.”
There was a dismissive noise, followed by the sound of hooves walking away. “I suppose I won't be needed here.”
Daring didn't protest as he left, but she did kinda feel odd flying solo so soon. Maybe she shouldn’t have tried to put on any bravado, but what was done was done. She could manage things from here on out.
The Headmaster turned back to Daring just before he went out the door.
“Have fun seeing the other six.”
()()()()()
That Night-
Daring was a mess of nerves. She’d been escorted back to her private chambers after bringing back the foals of all seven mothers, and it'd been extremely trying to keep her size under control. Her womb was only as large as one may look with triplets, but there were actually far more in there; an ability of the Godmother that Glory Finch had coached her in beforehoof. Things had gone much smoother after the episodes with the triplets, but it gotten harder and harder to maintain her size as each mother came and went.
Now Daring lay in her four-poster bed, propped up on pillows with her belly taut with ten foals. The surface blushed and wiggled with the little ones inside, her navel throbbing with each tiny twitch. She was trying to see if she could keep things under control rather than just cutting loose, but the pressure inside was incredible. She was filled with a strangely pleasant ache that begged to be answered, but instead she just focused on her breathing. She’d never find her limits if she didn’t test herself, so she couldn’t release the stress just yet.
Suddenly, something started tickling her at the base of her belly. Her breath was stolen away as it slowly traveled up her sensitive surface, making her quiver and gasp. It was getting closer to the crest of her womb, to the navel that ached to be touched. Unconsciously she coaxed whatever it was, her belly becoming a giant knot of nerves that built up more and more. The tickling was getting so close, but then, it stopped just short of its conquest.
Daring let out a frustrated grunt. “Come on…. come onnnnn!” She thrust her gut upward, trying to tease the tickling to the last stretch. Stubbornly it refused, staying exactly where it was no matter what she did, and she was left desperately wondering why it had stopped.
A warm, smooth surface ground against her navel.
“AHHH!” Daring exploded in size. Her body doubled, tripled, then quadrupled in seconds, her belly surging to its true majesty and rising swiftly toward the ceiling. The bed was utterly crushed by her expanding bulk, nearby objects sent flying across the room. Her girth pushed and rocked about as it filled out before, with dozens of hooves kneading her from the inside and coaxing her ever larger. Her body and belly grew until she filled the room and then some, her hooves, head and womb pressed snugly against the walls and ceiling, but then the growth finally subsided.
Daring closed her eyes and just listened to the sound of her breathing, her titanic womb still twitching in the afterglow of released pressure. She had no idea what had caused that. She was probably gonna have some explaining to do, but damn if that hadn’t felt—
She heard somepony snickering.
Daring opened her eyes. It was hard to look around from her vantage point, but she managed to see two tiny ponies standing just outside her room. They were both laughing hysterically, one of them holding a familiar sponge in his magic.
The Headmaster got his laughter under control. “I’ll consider that an effective demonstration. You’ll make a fine Royal Masseuse, Tender Care. Possibly also a progenimyst, if you can make more of that salve.”
Tender Care twirled his sponge and put the bottle of Godmother’s Kiss in his bags. “I most certainly can, Headmaster. We can negotiate my salary later.”
Daring narrowed her eyes at the two stallions. "Hello, Teddy.”
Teddy broke into a shit-eating grin. “Hello yourself, Godmother! Man, you’ve really put on weight since I last saw you. You should really cut back on the donuts.”
Daring swiped at him with her tail.
“I hope you understand now why I wanted you to take it slow,” the Headmaster said seriously. “Even if your heart was in the right place, you’re still learning control. You could very easily destroy the palace.”
Daring rolled her eyes. “Fine. You’ve made your point.”
“I hope so.” He wiped a bit of plaster off his shoulder. “I'll let you and Tender Care get reacquainted. The public section of the palace is now closed, and once we have you shrunk back down to size we can see to your restoring your room. After that, we can try to hit the books again.”
Daring shifted her weight, causing the walls and ceiling to creak ominously. “The more I can understand, the better.”
“As you wish.” The Headmaster bowed and walked away. “I’ll meet you in the library.”
Meanwhile Teddy squeezed his way into the room and clambered onto Daring’s rear hoof. “How you holding up?”
Daring sighed. “Please tell me you can shrink me back down.”
“Probably.” He pulled a bottle of glowing green paste out of his bags. “My grandfather knew his stuff when came to making magic salves, and Glory Finch told me that you were gonna need help staying de-stressed these first few weeks. Consider me at your beck and call, your mighty Godmother-ness.”
He began massaging her with the paste. It had a cool feeling, like aloe, and the glow spread out to encompass her entire form. Daring felt herself able to concentrate again. She immediately refocused herself like she’d been trying to do before, and before long she started to shrink.
“Gotta admit, you got me good with that little sneak attack of yours,” Daring said. “You really know what you’re doing.”
Teddy chuckled. “That move works on the wife, too.”
“I’ll bet,” Daring said. “So, you’re gonna be working for me now, eh? Gotta warn ya, I can be pretty demanding.”
“I think I’ll manage.” Teddy hopped off her shrinking hoof and resumed his ministrations. “After all, you can’t be too uppity with the guy who knows all the weak spots on that big ol’ belly of yours.”
“Ha!” Daring crowed. “That’s the spirit! I swear, I was worried it was gonna be all bowing and scraping with the guys around here. Do me a favor and never change. I’ll need someone to keep me from getting a big head.”
Teddy snorted. “Along with a big everything else.”
In no time at all Daring was compressed once again, the feeling of so many in a space so tight still giving her no end of ache and need. Yet she could handle it, even if they were cramped inside a womb made no bigger than for a single foal. She felt like she was a little bit taller than before, but perhaps that was just her imagination.
“Suppose I should get to it,” Daring muttered, looking over at the door. “I still have a lot I have to learn.”
Teddy patted her shoulder. “You’re gonna do great. I know it.”
Daring went off to find the Headmaster, to learn more of herself and the duties she had to uphold.
And so began the reign of Daring Do, a fair and kind Godmother to her subjects.
