> The Great Wubtub
>  by The Great Wub Tub
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The End of an Age
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Vinyl let out a soft groan into fabric, her head stuffed into a dark grey pillow, her body laying prone across the couch. The lights were off, and the TV blared across the room from her, reporting on the latest news in the music business. There were sounds coming from the door to the room, but Vinyl paid no mind to them. She was busy focused on other problems. Her musical career was over, her life would follow, fall to shambles. Her special talent was going to be rendered useless! What was she going to tell her Mum and Da? What was she going to tell her manager? What was she going to tell Octavia!?
        As if summoned by the very thought of her name, Vinyl’s door suddenly flew across the room and clattered onto the floor, the light from the outside hallway filtering into the room. Vinyl didn’t bother to get up to look who it was, since she knew only one mare who not only could do that, but would do that in a heartbeat if she had to. Vinyl couldn’t dare to face her, or the mare probably with her. So, she did her best to shove her head deeper into the pillow.
        “She’s been like this all morning, even since turning on the musical news broadcast station. I thought that she was doing better, buuut then she tricked me out of the room to get us some coffee, and went right back to moping.” Vinyl’s ears heard the crisp voice of her manager, Show Time. She was a show pony unicorn who used magic and music to perform on stage. Recently had retired and went to managing up and coming talent like Vinyl. She was nice enough, but would she remain that way without the funds?!
        “Right. It’s a good thing you called me, than. I’ll have somepony replace the door post haste. In the meantime…” There came the posh, delightful voice of Vinyl’s favorite mare in the world. Octavia Melody, first chair cellist, and Vinyl’s marefriend and musical partner. Vinyl took on the stance of if she didn’t look, they’d go away, but still those steps drew closer, until finally, Vinyl was moving not of her own free will.
        Octavia lifted up Vinyl Scratch easily enough, turning the mare about and adjusting her without any resistance from the downtrodden unicorn, before Octavia sat down onto the couch, and sat down Vinyl Scratch right in her lap. It didn’t matter that Octavia was an earth pony, as Vinyl was already a twig of a mare to begin with. Lithe, with only slight feminine curves to her. It was her vibrant mane and tail that helped her stand out, while Octavia was much more gifted, in both her subtle beauty of colors, and the healthy, curvaceous body type she sported.
        “Now, what seems to be the problem, you utter knob?” Octavia asked, setting herself to fixing up Vinyl’s appearance. Straightening the small shades that Vinyl had on the tip of her nose, and adjusting the purple scarf that the mare had wrapped around her neck, clasped together by a treble clef. Octavia had a similar blue scarf, simply clasped together by a pair of eighth notes. They’d been hearth warming gifts that the pair seemed to find any excuse to wear.
        Vinyl just swallowed down a lump that had formed in her throat, before slowly pointing at the still going TV, which all in the room had been ignoring up to that point, choosing to focus on Vinyl instead. Octavia and Show Time both frowned, before looking over to the television to see exactly what all the issue and hubbub was on about. 
        “And our top story for this morning, DJ Pon-3 Vinyl Scratch is at an all time low in the charts! Previously one of Equestria’s top musical stars, Miss Scratch’s popularity has been falling for quite sometime now in the face of numerous scandals and failed CD releases. We have reached out to DJ Pon-3 for comment, but she has been unavailable thus far...SO, we have the next best thing! Current chart topper, rising star, Bubblegum Pop!” The host declared, before the camera panned to focus on the little filly known as Bubblegum Pop. A loud hiss sounded in Vinyl’s living room, that name having gained more than a little animosity amongst the trio. Vinyl simply slumped more into Octavia.
        “The issue with DJ Pon-3 isn’t only simple, but it’s like, totally plain as day to see!” Bubblegum Pop declared, the little filly chewing her obnoxious bubble gum. “Not only is she old hack, and I don’t mean to say she’s old, which she like, might totally be, but her stuff is dated, and boring! It’s always the same old same old wub wub, bzzt bzzt, techno remix with some classical thrown in there cause her, like, wife or whatever takes pity on her! She’s got nothing to stand out about! I mean, nothing about her is interesting at all! I know that’s, like, super mean, but sometimes that’s how the truth is, ya know?” Bubblegum Pop spoke, the host nodding almost obediently to the ravings of the little girl.
        “So, what exactly are you trying to say, Miss Pop?” The host questioned, camera flicking to him only briefly, before refocusing on the filly teen idol.
        “It’s simple, really. DJ Pon-3 has nothing going on for her outside of her subpar music! That might have gotten a pony somewhere in the dark ages, but this is modern day! A musical pony is more than just a music, they’ve gotten be a representation! They gotta be a symbol of everything they believe! Like me, I believe that any teen pony can achieve their dreams, if they just try enough! What does DJ Pon-3 believe in? Parties? We got, like, Pinkie Pie for that! Speaking of Pinkie Pie, buy my new album for a chance to party with not only her, but me too, the one and only Bubblegum Pop!” Bubblegum Pop said, the show host nodding his head once more.
        “Strong words, from a strong little filly. Next on our show, we have-” The television was suddenly shut off, Show Time holding the remote out towards the television, clearly quite displeased.
        “Who the tartarus does that little worm think she is!? Most of her music is so autotuned it's painful to listen to, and her concerts are pure lip synching! She doesn’t even write any of her own music!!” Show Time growled, glaring at the TV as if she could force the little filly to listen to her words. “Why, if I got just five minutes in a room with that little-” 
        “You’d call me first, because I have a lot more reason to tear her a new one than you do.” Octavia huffed a bit, before Vinyl finally stopped slumping against her, sitting up in her lap and giving out a sigh.
        “But, she’s right. I don’t have anything going for me. I have no target audience, I don’t have any big merchandise. Even my music is falling behind! I’m a mess. I’m gonna have to move back to my parent’s place, Show Time, you should just back Tavi…” Vinyl slumped, giving a small groan and hiding her face in her hands. Octavia patted the mare softly on the back.
        “Scratch, come on, you know I’d never leave ya like that...And I’m legally obligated not to, since I signed you both onto a joint contract for the next five years, sooo….Yeah.” Show Time said, rubbing the back of her neck, only for Octavia to give her a sharp glare. “N-Not like I’d leave if I WASN’T legally obligated to, anyway!” Show Time chuckled a bit. Vinyl just groaned more, curling into a ball on Octavia’s lap. Octavia sighed softly, setting Vinyl back down onto the couch before getting to her hooves.
        “Oh, come on, Vivi, I’m sure there’s something we can-” Octavia began, taking a few steps away, before her foot stepped onto a discarded pizza box. Octavia glanced down at it, opening her mouth at first to yell at the pair for letting the room start to become a sty, before she spotted the logo of the pizza box. It was a rather surplus looking pony, about to stuff their face with pizza. The cellist considered it idly, before a grin slowly began to grow onto her face. “Show Time, come over here for a second.” 
        Vinyl watched silently from the couch, eyes glancing between the pair of mares, who looked to Vinyl, each other, and the pizza box under their hooves. There was a lot of hushed whispering and wide eyed glances from Show Time. Vinyl found her melancholy squelched by the curiosity of what exactly the pair were talking about over there. Eventually, Show Time spoke loud enough to be heard by Vinyl.
        “That idea...It just might be insane enough to actually work out…” Show Time mumbled, Vinyl frowning from her spot.
        “What exactly are you two plotting over there?” Vinyl grumbled, before Octavia suddenly reached down and lifted up the pizza box, aiming it directly at Vinyl, tapping the picture of the fat pony.
        “Simple, Vinyl...We’re going to turn you into a regular fat ass.” Octavia grinned widely, while Vinyl’s jaw dropped. She knew that look Octavia was giving her, a look of pure determination.
        When she said she was going to make Vinyl Scratch into a fat ass, she damn well meant it.
        

> The Feedening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “Octavia, I really don’t...get this plan. I mean, how was starving me all day yesterday, and making me fat going to help my musical career?” Vinyl questioned, sitting on a chair in front of a large table, Octavia walking to and fro the kitchen, hands either loaded up with a platter or a plate that was covered, or empty and on the return trip to the kitchen. She’d even set out a large pitcher of milk by this point. All in all, Vinyl was staring a feast right in the face, and after being forced into a fast of the bare minimum of food yesterday, her rumbling stomach was eager for it. 
        “Simple, Vinyl. I read up on it, and I’ve found that the best way for a pony to pack on those wanted pounds, is to starve themselves the day before a nice, big binge. So, Show Time and I worked out a schedule. Tuesdays will be your binge days, while the rest of the week we can focus on marketing and rebranding you! That’s the second part of the big plan. Not only are you going to pack on the pounds, but you’re going to become a whole new mare! That little hellion might have moved onto the fillies and tweens, but we’re pursuing a market that has not a single lick of representation in the media business! The big mares!” Octavia explained, seemingly quite chipper about it, setting down another platter. Vinyl stared in front of herself, mouth pressed into a line. “It’ll be like the beauties of old!” Octavia added, giving Vinyl a few pats atop her head.
        The alabaster mare gave a small huff, looking over the variety of platters in front of herself, curiosity nagging at her. What in the world was Octavia preparing inside of that kitchen? For that matter, when did she learn to cook, and in such a volume! She leaned back in her chair, turning to fix her gaze on the cellist, dressed in slacks and blouse and an apron, a sharp contrast to Vinyl’s sweatpants and baggy tank top. Vinyl usually didn’t dress down to such a degree, but Octavia had insisted. Finally, her curiosity became too much, and Vinyl popped the question.
        “Wouldn’t it be easier to, you know, just order a pizza and some buckets of chicken? Besides that, I know we’re doing this for my musical career and all, but...um...what about our...ya know…” Vinyl blushed, poking two fingers together, Octavia having to stop and stare at Vinyl for a few moments, her mind connecting the dots, before the mare suddenly released a proper laugh, standing there and giggling for a solid minute, before walking over and getting on her knees next to Vinyl’s chair.
“Vivi, I promise you, we could get you to the size of a house-” a brief look of panic went across Vinyl’s face, which prompted a snicker from Octavia “Not that we’re going to...But, even if you did get that big, I wouldn’t even begin to care or think negatively of you for it. I love you for you...and you know what they say, more cushion for the pushing and all that poppy cock.” Octavia winked, before leaning in and kissing Vinyl on the nose. The DJ smiled softly, the other mare getting to her hooves, before suddenly flicking her right in the horn, making Vinyl yelp out. “And no beloved of mine is going to get fat off of grease and empty calories! Advancements in magic and medical might have removed the big dangers of getting fat, but that doesn’t mean we can get cocky! We’re doing this the right way! Voila!”  
        Octavia lifted off one of the coverings with a flourish, an explosion of steam washing over the table and wafting over towards the DJ. Vinyl took a single sniff, before she felt her mouth begin to water. It was spaghetti, done up with butter and Vinyl’s favorite sauce. The mare salivated slightly, while her stomach released another rumble. It remembered the pain and suffering it had been put through yesterday, and it demanded satisfaction for such a transgression! Octavia slid the plate to rest in front of Vinyl, before placing a fork in her hand, and moving to rest her hands on the shoulders of the other mare. 
“Dig in, Scratchy.” 
Vinyl needed no more urging on, driving her fork into the plate of pasta with eager gusto, giving it a spin to collect a portion of the precious noodles, before lifting the fork into the air. Octavia leaned over Vinyl to blow on the steaming hot pasta, the pair of them sharing a brief snicker, before Vinyl helped the fork finish it’s mission right into her awaiting maw. Vinyl’s mouth clamped down around the fork, and the taste honestly surprised her. It tasted truly delicious, at least by Vinyl’s standards! The noodles, the butter, the sauce! She slurped up the few stragglers with glee, before setting her fork back to work, Octavia assisting in the ritual, while her free hand had a napkin at the ready for whenever Vinyl’s face got too bad. 
Nothing so good or zesty lasts forever, and soon the fork clinked against the plate, Vinyl leaning back and letting out a breath of satisfaction. After not eating for a day, that was the best pasta that Vinyl had had in her life. In fact, Vinyl seemed quite content, that is, before Octavia walked around, and pulled off the covering of another platter, revealing a stack of cut sandwiches, the mare grinned at Vinyl good and wide. 
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re full after just one small plate of spaghetti, Scratchie. This is a full course meal after all, and that was just the first course.” Octavia said, bringing the platter closer, Vinyl eyeing it and Octavia as they approached, before the platter of spaghetti was taken away, and the platter of sandwiches took its place, the pile gazing at Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch gave a feeble first nod, before Octavia simply sat right down on the table, lifting up one of the sandwiches. Vinyl eyed that sandwich as if it was a loaded gun, before swallowing a lump in her throat, and opening her mouth.
Octavia casually placed the first sandwich into Vinyl’s mouth, a snicker escaping her, the bite sized sandwich fitting into the unicorn’s mouth flawlessly, before Vinyl closer her maw and got to chewing and swallowing the sandwich. Once more, the taste was enjoyable. Nice, crisp, filled with all her favorite veggies. The mare had been reluctant at first, but once that first sandwich was down, her mouth was open again. Octavia grinned, lifting up the second sandwich cut from the pile. 
“And now the mare wants me to feed her. Ugh, I shouldn’t spoil you, you need to lose weight SOMEHOW...But, I suppose, since we’re just starting, it couldn’t hurt…” Octavia teased, forcing a blush onto Vinyl’s cheeks, before she began with the second sandwich of the batch, it going down easier than the first, and when it went down, the third followed its brethren, and soon they were being marched to their doom, each sandwich from the hands of Octavia to the mouth of Vinyl, before chewed and swallowed. Eventually, the plate ran dry, and Vinyl was left with a soft groan. Her stomach was beginning to bulge slightly, which served to only put a smile on Octavia’s face.
“Ugh...Tavi, where did you learn to cook like that?” Vinyl asked, the cellist lifting up the two used up platters and taking them away, while a third platter loomed at the far end of the table, glaring at Vinyl, Vinyl staring back sheepishly. What loomed under that third covering, waiting to assault her?
“My little sister, actually. A sweet filly, quite skilled at high dining. I’ve picked up a thing or two from her.” Octavia declared, returning to the room before stepping over to the third platter. Her hands gripped the lid, and Vinyl braced herself, preparing for the worst. What was it going to be? Some thick, cheese drenched mexican? A casserole meant to make Vinyl burst!? The mare prepared for some explosion of steam, of smell...The lid came off simply, and all that was waiting for Vinyl was a wide variety of berries, resting atop a whip cream covered crust. Octavia gave a soft chuckle, sliding the platter over. The dessert didn’t even look that big. “I thought you could use something a bit...lighter to round off the meal.” Octavia smiled, taking a spoon and carving out a piece, before offering it to Vinyl. Vinyl opened her mouth, leaned forward, and took the bite, before visibly shuddering at the sweetness, letting out another delighted sigh.
“...What even is this?” Vinyl asked, glancing to Octavia, before opening her mouth once again, and being gifted with more of the dessert.
“Pavlova. Originally I planned to spoon feed you parfait, which came at the very high recommendations of a donkey I’d met not too long ago, but after doing some research I discovered Pavlova, and decided to go with that instead.” Octavia explained, before lifting up another spoonful. “Now, come on, just a bit more.” Octavia grinned, Vinyl simply opening her mouth, and accepting the rest of the sweet treat.
At long last, the sweet Pavlova, as creamy and fruity and delicious as it might have been, was finally demolished, Vinyl slumping back in her chair and letting out a groan, her stomach distended out like a small sphere, the surface blushing slightly thanks to the amount of food stuffed in. Octavia chuckled once more, before pulling out Vinyl’s chair, and getting onto her knees in front of the other mare. Giving her knuckles a quick crack, Octavia began to softly rub and knead at the belly, providing almost instantaneous relief for the white unicorn, who sighed softly thanks to the touch.
“There, now that wasn’t so hard, was it? Just think, the first binge is the hardest. Now, it should be smooth sailing and all that! Even if they have to steadily get bigger.” Octavia smirked, leaning in and peppering the swelled tum with a number of kisses, while Vinyl leaned back, eyes closed, just taking on the belly rub Octavia was providing her with.
“Ya know, Tavi, save my music career or not...I could get used to this…” Vinyl sighed, mouth slightly stained with the remains of the pavlova, Octavia still paying attention to her belly. The cellist smiled softly, giving another of her soft giggles. 
“Mmmm...Me too, Vivi, me too.”

> The First Contest!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

***

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

***

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

***

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

> Enter, the Best Friends!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “She’s...doing...what, exactly? I’m sorry, but like, what you just described me is so completely and totally stupid and moronic that I don’t think even she’d be dumb enough to even attempt such a crazy plan!” Bubblegum Pop snorted, the dark pink diva stretched out on her massive couch, just basking in her top floor penthouse somewhere in Manehatten. Golden statues of herself still to welcome outside the doors of the penthouse, and outside of the building an electronic banner was constantly displaying her latest fashions, songs, and merchandise. Bubblegum Pop Central, BPC, it read at the top of the building in big, bright shining letters. 
        “U-Um, well, Miss Bubblegum Pop, ma’am, it was reported that Vinyl Scratch appeared at a music competition at Mighty Meals and Music Emporium, downtown. At first we believed that she might be pregnant, judging from the bump in her stomach, but, well, after listening in for a little while longer...It was gathered that she’s intentionally getting fat to reach out to the plus sized demographic…” The shy pony mumbled, pressing their index fingers together and slinking away from Bubblegum Pop. The pop star, tween idol stared at the secretary pony for a few minutes longer, her face blank, looking quite bored, if anything, before once more she spoke.
        “Inkpot, come here...NOW.” Bubblegum Pop barked out, the other pony nodded shakily before getting onto their hands and knees, crawling forward so that they were face to face with Bubblegum Pop, not daring to stand higher than the filly. Bubblegum Pop reached into the mini fridge under her couch, before taking out a can of BPC brand fizzy pop from it’s depths, cola flavor. Bubblegum Pop opened the can, taking a heavy swig of it, before suddenly spitting the entire mouthful into Inkpot’s face, staining the secretary's glasses with the foul, brown liquid.
        “I-I’m sorry, Miss BP! Y-Y-You just commanded that I keep an eye on DJ Pon3 and her significant other, Octavia, just incase they tried to do anything, like make a comeback or something! I thought that this wa...wa...warranted notice!” Inkpot stammered, but Bubblegum Pop just reached an arm out, and dumped the rest of the cola on top of the other pony’s head, her face filled with contempt. When the contents were dumped out, Bubblegum Pop crushed the can, and threw it directly into Inkpot’s face.
        “I only want to be alerted if they do anything SERIOUS, you IDIOT. Now, get this mess cleaned up, right now! Also, I want you to have them stop all production of BPC Cola, it tastes nasty now!” Bubblegum Pop directed, waggling and brushing at her tongue.
        “B-But, we brought BPC Cola back just last week!” Inkpot stuttered, getting back onto her hooves, only to receive the glaring eyes of Bubblegum Pop.
        “And now I want it discontinued! Don’t question what I say, just do it, you ninny!” Bubblegum Pop shouted, Inkpot nodding her head before turning and running from the room, no doubt to grab some janitorial staff for the large stain on the carpet. Bubblegum Pop just leaned back onto her couch, before a wicked grin began to grow across her features. “Let that big dumbo try and get fat! I won’t even have to drive her music career into the ground anymore, she’ll do it all herself! Bubblegum Pop is gonna be on top of the boards forever, baby!! All of Equestria’s ponies will love me, Bubblegum Pop!” The pony cackled, laughing loudly into the empty penthouse, basking in her own glory and expert planning.

***

        “Um, Tavi, I know what I said back at the buffet and all that, but it was more of a metaphorical, spur of the moment, I’m totally not serious sort of thing!” Vinyl Scratch pleaded, but her pleading only got a hearty laugh out of Octavia, who was gripping Vinyl’s hand and pulling her along behind herself, the cellist walking with determination and purpose. 
        “Actually, Vinyl, believe it or not, your words aren’t the only thing motivating me! It just reminded me! Our friends from Ponyville are in town, Lyra and Bonbon! They’re opening up a new candy shop, and they’ll be in Manehatten for awhile. Can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner. So, while Show Time is out and about, trying to find out a deal...somewhere, we’ll be on our own mission.” Octavia informed the alabaster DJ, Vinyl blinked a few times, before her face lit up.
        “Oh, Lyra and Bonbon are in town!? Why didn’t you say so sooner?! And, uh...what do they have to do with our, um, mission?” Vinyl inquired curiously, cocking her head towards Octavia, who stopped, only to turn and give Vinyl a wide, almost wicked grin.
        “First off, I didn’t tell you because they called yesterday while you were out in a food coma, and I didn’t think of it until now...as for what they have to do with our mission.” Octavia said, before reaching forth and gripping the soft flab of Vinyl’s pot belly, making the mare give off a soft squeak. “If there is any couple in Equestria that can’t only plump you up, but give us tips on being an even better feeder and feedee pair, it is those two love birds. You remember how thin Lyra was in music school right? You thought that her weight gain was just a coincidence to go along with meeting Bonbon?” Octavia smirked, Vinyl thinking about it.
        Back in musical academy, Lyra had been as thin as a twig, giving even Vinyl a run for her money! Then, they graduated, and Lyra had fallen in love with the young, candy creating entrepreneur known as Bonbon. Ever since then, Lyra had went from twig to big, and Bonbon’s constant fawning over the mint colored mare’s size suddenly made a lot more sense.
        “...I feel dumb now. I just thought Bonbon made good candy.” Vinyl blanched, which simply got a snicker from Octavia. 
        “Oh, she does, Scratchie...But she can make a whole lot more than ‘just’ good candy. A whole...whole lot more. She showed me once, during a time when you and Lyra were off at some convention. The things I saw, the things her candy was capable of…” Octavia stood silent for amount, staring through Vinyl, off into the past, remembering, reminiscing. Suddenly, she returned to the present, face beaming with determination, taking one of Vinyl’s hands into both of her own. “I’d stake my life on their ability to help us out now in our time of need! Do you trust me, Vivi?” Octavia asked, staring directly into Vinyl’s eyes, the DJ stunned for a few moments, mouth agape, before she shut it firmly, and gave a nod.
        “Yeah, I trust you, Octi.” Vinyl smiled softly. Octavia leaned in, and stole a kiss from the white unicorn, before they were suddenly off against, Octavia pulling Vinyl by her hand, Vinyl following with a renewed vigor inside of herself. Octavia hadn’t steered her wrong on this quest yet, and more than that, the entire thing had actually been a little fun so far! So, if Octavia wanted Vinyl to trust her about this latest step on their strange adventure! Plus, any excuse to hang out with Lyra and Bonbon against sounded good to her.
        After a few more minutes of walking down the busy Manehatten streets, and stopping to buy Vinyl’s hungry pot belly a doughnut so that it’d be silenced, they finally arrived in front of the shop. ‘Sweetie Drops Candies and Treats’ it read on the outside window and the sign above the store, Bonbon’s cutie marks serving as a large identifying factor. A small help wanted sign rested in the corner of the window, and a ‘closed’ sign hung over the door, but neither of the musicians paid it too much mind. Vinyl stared idly at the name on the sign, a small look of confusion on her face. She’d never quite gotten why Bonbon insisted on putting her stores under the Sweetie Drops name, but she didn’t question it. With a breath for good luck, Octavia and Vinyl moved into the store.
        A soft jiggle of a bell heralded the arrival of the pair, and before them stretched exactly how you’d want a candy store to look. A wide, open floor with a fountain of various candies in the center, eager to fill up various sized baggies. The walls to either side, reaching up to the ceiling, filled with sweets and treats and candy bars galore. Vinyl felt her mouth hang slightly agape once more, eyes scanning over the bounty in front of herself. Her stomach gave a small growl, and all Vinyl could do was give it a few comforting pats. They were here for bigger fish, after all. The gentle music of a lyre filled the air, the counter left empty. Octavia sashayed her way forward, a smug look on her face, before beginning to idly tap on the service bell on the counter, starting gently at first, but getting more insistent with each passing second, working her way up to a crescendo, face filled with childish delight, until finally a voice broke through her ceaseless ringing of the bell.
        “Can’t you see that the sign outside says closed!?” A voice huffed, Vinyl bouncing slightly on her hooves, excitement building in herself. The door to the back of the shop opened up, and in stepped an utter visage for the pair of musicians.
        Lyra, back in musical academy, had been tall and lanky. The typical awkward bodied mare. Now, though, she had truly blossomed into an entirely different kind of pony. Cheeks were thick, round and rosy, joined by a second chin to give her face a rounded, adorable, chuberic look to it. Her neck had thickened slightly, and she possessed a pair of meaty shoulders that connected to equally as meaty arms, even the fingers slightly thicker, yet still maintaining their dexterity. Her breasts had bloomed out, becoming to mighty milk jugs indeed, barely contained by the T-Shirt that tried to hold them, which only wanted to advertise the store front. Her breasts, the size of large watermelons, looming above a gut that had been lovingly grown out into a curve of it’s own, the type that would jiggle and quake with each step. Going further south, her wide hips were squeezed into some black khakis, the fabric doing it’s best to contain the adipose of her hips, her chunky ass, those thighs and calves, all of it summing up to give Lyra a surplus, desirable hour glass figure.
        “Lyra!!!” Vinyl Scratch declared with glee, leaping over the counter without another moment of hesitation, colliding with the surplus sized mare, who only yelped out in surprise, fat frame locked into a hug, before she burst into an equal amount of laughter and glee, wrapping her arms around Vinyl, the pair spinning briefly before pulling apart just slightly, gripping one another’s arms and bouncing up and down. “Celestia, look at you! You look great!” Vinyl beamed, Lyra just laughing along with the mare.
        “What are you two even doing here!? You should have called! Said that you were coming! Me and Bonners, we’ve just been so busy, and yeeee it’s just so great that you two are here! I’m sure Bons will be just as happy! What’s this about, cordial? Business? Candy?” Lyra fired off her rapid fire questions, before she gazed down at the bump Vinyl sported, before gasping softly, eyes snapping between the pair. “Is Vinyl pregnant?!” Lyra blurted out, staining the cheeks of the alabaster unicorn crimson. Octavia just smirked, before stepping around the counter to lift up Vinyl’s shirt, and give her potbelly a quick smack, sending it jiggling.
        “Even better. Where’s Bonbon? We’ve gotten discuss with her the matter at hand.” Octavia said, giving the belly another flick. Vinyl blushed and squirmed slightly, while Lyra’s eyes just filled with total wonderment about what was going on before her. The grin that grew on her face was enough to send a shiver down Vinyl’s spine. What had she gotten herself into now?
        “Bonbon’s in ‘the lab’. Come on, I’m sure she’ll be totally excited! No, thrilled about this. If you’re here for what I’m thinking, we got just the right candy for ya.” Lyra winked, before turning and making her way through the back door and down the steps into the basement of the building. Vinyl and Octavia exchanged a quick look, Vinyl slightly worried, Octavia nothing but confidence, before the pair of them nodded and began to follow Lyra down the same steps. In for a penny, in for a pound, or a hundred of them, give or take. 
        The atmosphere of the shop changed completely as the trio made their way underground. The friendly guise of bringing smiles to fillies faces and filling the world with sweets was gone. No, as they dove into the depths of the basement, this became the world of delving into untold candy arts that the mind could hardly stand to comprehend, of crafting treats that were illegal for very good reasons. Of pushing the boundries from just plain candy, into borderline obsession. Large test tubes of various colored liquids bubbled against the wall, while under their hooves was a thick, glass floor, hiding under it vats of unknown substances, popping and churning. A shelf filled with unknown materials lined one wall, and it all seemed to come together in a simple contraption in the center of the room. All in all, the same design as upstairs, just a different theme.
        “Bons! You’ll never guess who’s here! Vinyl and Octavia!” Lyra shouted into the basement, Vinyl and Octavia following close behind her. They knew better than to go around touching anything. This may as well have been the lab for a mad scientist, and they’d watched enough B movies to know how that usually went. 
        “Vinyl and Octavia!? Tell them to hold on a minute!” Bonbon’s voice echo’d through the basement, the sounds of a clutter and crashes being heard in the back, another separate room. Vinyl could scarcely think of what went on in there, before Bonbon suddenly burst through the door, dressed in a lab coat with heavy industrial gloves and goggles. Apparently, whatever did go on back there, Vinyl didn’t want to know. The mare removed her gloves and goggles, before just grinning at the pair, giving them a rather...sultry expression. “Well, well, well, this is an unexpected, very pleasant surprise. What’s the occasion?” Bonbon asked, making her way forward, looking over the pair.
        “We need help. I know you’ve been busy, so the squabbles of us big time musicians have probably been placed to the backburner, but Vinyl’s in dire straits. Her career is on the line, and I think I have the perfect way to fix it. A total rebranding and reimaging of her image, along with more music.” Octavia said, Bonbon stopping in front of them, leaning into Lyra’s plush form and unashamedly giving a squeeze to the large mare’s rump, while her eyes flicked between Vinyl and Octavia.
        “While, Octavia, you know that you’re our best friends, I don’t see how exactly we can help.” Bonbon said, Lyra giving Vinyl a sympathetic look, while the alabaster DJ blushed a bit, preparing for what was coming. Octavia didn’t skip a beat, before she lifted up Vinyl Scratch’s shirt, and gave her belly a firm slap.
        “I plan on getting Vinyl up to a good, plus sized weight, so that she can market herself for all the big mares out there in the world, and have a chance. Bubblegum Pop said that the new music business is all about branding and standing for more than music? Well, Vinyl is gonna stand up for all the fat chicks out there.” Octavia said, giving a firm nod, while Vinyl blushed, shifting where she stood.
        “And, um, we were hoping that you could help us out with becoming a better feederism couple. The whole fat appreciation and all that…” Vinyl Scratch blushed once again, while Lyra and Bonbon stood there, whispering between one another, Vinyl and Octavia left to stand in silence while the pair decided what to do exactly about the pair. Finally, Lyra reached forward, and placed her hands firmly onto Vinyl’s shoulders, gazing straight into the mare’s face.
        “Vinyl, you gotta be totally honest with me right here and now. Do you want to get fat? I don’t mean chubby, I don’t mean thick, I mean outright fat, so that you can actually be the poster mare for mares out there like me. If you don’t want it, you won’t be able to fit the horseshoes you’re looking to fit here. Simple as that.” Lyra informed, staring Vinyl directly in the face. Vinyl stared forward, eyes wide, the weight of Lyra’s words resting on top of her.
        Vinyl had, in the last few weeks, honestly never thought about it too in depth. Did she really want to be fat, and more than that, to represent an entire demographic? That’d never quite been her style in the first place, dealing with too much stress. That’s why she didn’t have the most loyal of fanbases. Sure, Vinyl Scratch knew that she could make music just fine, but beyond that, it always came as a challenge to her. It was why she was so grateful to Octavia and Show Time, they had done most of the heavy lifting for her in her music career. Dealing with fans, with clients, signing the deals, Vinyl had just been able to breeze through it all without a care in the world. Things had been easy, and the moment they got hard, her music career fell apart. Could she really fit the horseshoes Lyra described. Vinyl thought of looking towards Octavia, to find some guidance, but then it wouldn’t be what she wanted, now would it? Vinyl focused on Lyra. It wouldn’t be hard, to just turn around, to go home, fade into obscurity, let Bubblegum Pop win. Maybe find a nice, cozy job working a cash register at a music store…?
        Vinyl suddenly reached forward, gripping Lyra by her own shoulders, staring deeply into the golden eyes of the mint mare over the rims of her smaller, ‘casual’ shades, gripping that fat, her face looking the most determined it had in months.
        “No. I don’t want to get fat. I NEED to get fat, and I need to know how to be a proper fatty, and we need your help to make it happen. So, please, by Celestia, can ya help us out?” Vinyl suddenly pleaded, Octavia visibly taken aback by the sudden spirit coming out of Vinyl. Bonbon simply smiled, quite impressed herself. The Vinyl she knew was a mare who was more likely to hide behind those big shades of hers and crawl under her turn tables then even think about facing a problem head on. Whatever that outburst had been, it was definitely a welcome change compared to the norm. Lyra stood there, resolute and silent for a few moments, before her face turned to one of delight once more, letting go of Vinyl’s shoulders and clapping her hands once.
        “Well, awesome! Come on over here, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know! Bonbon and Octavia should probably go in the back and discuss their view of things, and make the perfect candy just for you!” Lyra cheered, before speeding to start and guide Vinyl away. The DJ glanced towards Octavia, who gave the mare a thumbs up, before turning and beginning to follow after Bonbon into the back room, where they’d begin not only crafting the candy that would plump out Vinyl’s waistline, but put her into the game for real. 
        Lyra took Vinyl to the far corner of the room, before sitting the mare down, and taking a step back. Vinyl stared up at Lyra, who just stood there for a few moments, silently, tapping her hoof for a few minutes, before giving out an aggravated huff, turning, and flopping her large rear next to Vinyl on the corner couch. 
        “Uh, something the matter?” Vinyl asked, cocking her head at the hearty mare.
        “Well, I was going to just streamline the whole process by singing to you about being a fatty, but since we’re not main or even side characters, coming up with songs on the fly is a bit of a pain in the ass, especially since in this medium all that could be provided are lyrics.” Lyra explained, pouting. Vinyl just stared at the other mare, her mouth pressed into a line as she just accepted her friends typical weirdness. Lyra just shook her head, before putting back on her game face, turning to Vinyl. “But that’s not important right now! What’s important, is filling you in on being a good feedee!” Lyra spoke, Vinyl nodding and putting on her own game face.
“Simply put, Vinyl, the whole process has to be enjoyable. Eating, binging, fullness, bellyrubs, fat appreciation, all of that has to feel as good to you as foreplay! Trust me, once you get that down...mff…” Lyra shuddered slightly, chewing her bottom lip. Vinyl just stared at her friend, cheeks lighting up a bright crimson once more, a slight fear rising that her friend might decide to get some relief while sitting right next to Vinyl...before she suddenly snapped out of it, almost making Vinyl jump. “Secondly, confidence is key! If you’re gonna represent us fatties, ya gotta be confident about it, work it girl! That means that you’re gonna have to invest in some tube tops! Put what you got on display! Besides that, well...It’s just enjoying a new kind of relationship with your partner. Like, in a proper feederism relationship...Your body is the sexiest thing in the world. Straight up, and the fact that they can take credit for it is even better. Hell of a time. There’s also this thing called mutual feederism, buuut that’s a totally different beast...BUT, Ya get what I’m laying down?” Lyra asked, cocking her head.
“I mean...I think so, yeah! If I’m gonna show off for you big gals, I better be confident about it, but behind closed doors, I can just sit back, relax, and let Tavi do most of the work with my future fat self?” Vinyl asked, Lyra just grinning and giving a double thumbs up to the mare.
“Yep, that’s pretty much all there is to it! Plus, I’m sure you’ll find lots of fun ways to work your flub on your own....Bonbon likes to eat candy out of my belly button sometimes...mff…” Lyra shuddered, before Vinyl gave her friend a firm pat on the shoulder. Same old, uncensored Lyra. Yet, that was part of the reason that they were such good friends, now wasn’t it? 
The door opposite of the room suddenly opened, and out stepped the pair of earth ponies, Bonbon striding out with swagger, a wide grin on her face, while Octavia seemed to be rather hot, her cheeks flushed, rubbing at her arm slightly. Bonbon was holding something in her hand, and making a B line for Vinyl Scratch. 
“We’ve all come to an agreement! Oh, this is exciting!” Bonbon said, before reaching out and grabbing Vinyl by the hand, tugging her onto her hooves without another word, the DJ just releasing a yelp while being led by Bonbon to a full body mirror which had lowered from the ceiling, the excitement radiating off of the mad mare doubtless. She was obviously eager to see whatever was going to go down, well, go down. When they stopped in front of the mirror, Bonbon placed a large, circular candy in Vinyl’s hand, a smile on her face. “Just pop this into your mouth, and start suckling away. The effects will become apparent soon enough.” Bonbon smiled, Vinyl just shrugged, before popping the large jaw breaker into her mouth.
Then, she waited.

> Packing on the Pounds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Vinyl felt the jawbreaker in her mouth, moving it around slowly with her tongue, the sweet blueberry flavor filling her mouth and appeasing to her tastebuds. Vinyl had always had a bit of a sweet tooth, after all. The room was mostly silent, Octavia, Lyra, and Bonbon’s eyes watching Vinyl in anticipation, even Vinyl was focused on Vinyl, or her mirrored image to be more exact. The jawbreaker tasted good, sure, but Vinyl wasn’t exactly here to be a taste tester for Bonbon. Lyra had that market locked down. Vinyl rocked on her hooves slightly, testing the candy with her teeth. Yep, it was a solid one. 
        “Um, Bonbon, I don’t think that this is doing anything…” Vinyl frowned, before suddenly feeling a gush of liquids filling her mouth, eyes widening as the jawbreaker began to dissolve at a higher speed. Bonbon chuckled from Vinyl’s side, reaching forward and patting the mare on the arm.
        “Just...do me a favor and buckle up, Vinyl hun. We’re dealing with some interesting magic here, after all. Technically what’s about to happen shouldn’t even be possible on the pony body, but it’ll still be a bit of a doozy.” Bonbon comforted the alabaster DJ, who just gave the candy maker a sidelong, rather perplexed look. What did Bonbon mean, Vinyl didn’t feel anythi-
        There was a sudden lurch in Vinyl’s stomach, the mare groaning, arms flying to wrap around her midsection, a groan flying from the lips of the mare. A look of concern crossed Octavia’s face, but Lyra gave the cellist a comforting pat on the shoulder. Bonbon knew what she was doing, after all. Besides, there was nothing much anypony could do now, since the candy was in full effect. It was all a matter of sitting back and letting it run it’s course.
        Vinyl held onto her midsection, her body heating up, cheeks flushing bright red. Whatever was happening inside of her body, it wasn’t exactly the most pleasant of sensations! It was like a bubbling, right under her skin, centered in her core, at her stomach. Soon enough, though, Vinyl felt something even stranger than the bubbling. It was as if something was pressing up against her arms, more and more insistent. Nope, it didn’t seem like it, it definitely was. Vinyl moved her arms, before yelping out loudly. The lurching was gone, but now she got a front row seat to her stomach, bubbling and growing out in front of her very eyes, the adipose multiplying thanks to the magic in the candy, shirt riding up more and more to expose the dome of white, but that wasn’t all. The sensation was spreading. She was in for quite the ride.
        The effects went both up and down, but it was becoming readily apparent exactly what kind of body shape Vinyl had. Upwards, Vinyl’s breasts did receive a boost in cup size, of course, but it was nothing ground breaking, straining her poor shirt even more, but it stood strong, logo and name warped and bloated across her chest, as if to mock Vinyl for what she was putting herself through with that candy. Her torso as a whole was plumping up, her entire frame growing thanks to the candy. She wasn’t going to be chubby, she was going to be fat. The DJ simply endured, as it was more than likely way too late to go back anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound, after all.
        Vinyl watched her arms become much more akin to marshmallows, puffing up with a thick layer of plump fat, not enough to hang down, but enough to be plenty visible, the weight spreading all the way down to her fingers, each one getting it’s own micro layer of fat to wrap around. Vinyl was so amazed by what was going on with her arms and hands, that she didn’t notice her face rounding out, cheeks plumping outwards on her face, fleshing it out, while her chin found that it was being joined by a twin right underneath. Yet, this didn’t compare to what had been going on down south.
        Vinyl’s hips absolutely flared out, swelling out with her waist, the feeling enough not make the mare wobble on the spot, panting thanks to the sensations surging through her body down there. Her hips were far from the only things swelling, her ass bloating outwards, ripping a tear down the pants Vinyl had been wearing, the same story on her thighs as those bloated outwards as well, ripping and tearing down the seams. It rocked down to her thighs, Vinyl groaned louder than before, everywhere down below swelling out. 
        When the growth at long last came to an end, Vinyl could only stare into the mirror in front of her with a profound sense of disbelief. No longer was she a skinny mare rocking a slight potbelly, oh no. She was big, she was large, she was fat...Yet, seemingly more than that, the feeling that was hitting Vinyl Scratch like a truck was a fatigue to a degree that she’d never experienced before in her life, and a very...very intense gnawing feeling of hunger. Vinyl swayed on her hooves, while her stomach unleashed a loud rumble into the room, Vinyl turning to look at the other three.
        Their expressions varied, but all were positive. Bonbon’s was perfectly pleased, both with the results that had come from Vinyl’s body, and the fact that her candy had worked so perfectly. Probably was considered illegal to Equestria at large, but may she’d be able to do something with it on her own if she could find the right venues? Lyra, on the other hand, was utterly brimming with excitement, bouncing slightly on her hooves, sending her entire fat form jiggling with each subsequent bounce. Finally, Vinyl’s head turned to Octavia, and her cheeks lit up bright red.
        Octavia was chewing her bottom lip, eyes slightly lidded while she just devoured Vinyl’s new form with her eyes. Every curve, every inch of flab, every single roll of fat, the torn clothes, the soft face, it sent shivers up and down the spine of the cellist, as desire filled every fiber of her being. Octavia only had one want in this world, and that is to feed that hungry gut. To press her hands into the mounds of flesh that Vinyl’s ass had become, nestle her head between the tree trunk like thighs Vinyl now sported. If Octavia had to aliken Vinyl to anything, it was going to have to be like the old depictions of goddesses, so thick and lush in their beauty. Oh, she knew what was causing this, knew perfectly well, the injection site on her arm telling the story plainly, but Octavia didn’t give a damn. She’d asked for it. If Vinyl was making changes, then damn it so was Octavia! They were in this together, after all.
        “If you two could go fetch Vinyl some new clothes, that’d be utterly lovely...I’ll deal with the piggy’s stomach problem.” Octavia smirked, grasping Vinyl’s new, pudgy hand in her own. 
        “Uh, Octy…?” Vinyl began, before Octavia reached up and placed a single finger against the mare’s lips, a smug expression on her face. 
        “Please, Vivi. Bonbon told me that they have a flat upstairs with a fully stocked fridge. All you have to do is get that hungry tummy up the stairs and onto the couch. Think you can manage?” Octavia smiled sweetly, Vinyl blushing hotter before giving a single, meek nod to the grey mare. Octavia only grinned wider, before she began to walk off, dragging Vinyl behind her.
        “Have fun you two!” Lyra called, waving after them, Vinyl stumbling after Octavia. Looking behind herself was a rather shocked expression. Her friends only offered support and thumbs up. Vinyl swallowed a lump in her throat, before looking forward, Octavia firmly guiding her. 
        Vinyl felt very strange while walking in her new body, the weight of it all. The rippling effect of each hoof fall, landing with an audible thump into the air, her body jostling softly, from her wide rump swaying side to side, to her belly rippling like a bowl of jello with every step, her thighs brushing slightly together as she moved forward. Vinyl stumbled more than once, but Octavia was always there to turn and help the mare back to her hooves, and give a casual grope to one of Vinyl’s new or enhanced curves, before they resumed their trek to the apartment above the candy store.
        The door opened before them, and Octavia led Vinyl into the apartment that Lyra and Bonbon shared. It was a larger flat, with a sweet smell filling the air, plush carpeting and a large couch wrapped halfway around the living room, coffee table and TV all set up. Octavia guided Vinyl over to the couch, before she turned the mare, and pushed her onto the seat, Vinyl landing with a small oof, before blushing, looking down to see how much of the couch she actually took up. It was definitely on the verge of two seats. If not for this being the house of Lyra and Bonbon, Vinyl could tell that the couch would have been creaking under her ass. The cushions indented deeply, her weight putting the reinforced furniture up to the test, but it passed with flying colors. A good portion of Vinyl wondered if the furniture back at Octavia’s place would fair as well.
        “You just sit down and relax, Scratchie dearest. You’ve been doing so well throughout this whole thing, and it’s only going to get more interesting from here on out, Vivi. Now, let’s get to it.” Octavia winked, leaning in and sharing a kiss with Vinyl, the DJ blushing, feeling a pair of hands gripping at the globe of soft, kneadable fat that her stomach had become, fingers digging into it, just to feel as much of it as they could,while Octavia’s tongue thrust into Vinyl’s mouth, staking claim. Vinyl simply submitted, her tongue moving against Octavia’s own. Finally, the kiss broke and Octavia leaned away, hands departing from the massage on Vinyl’s gut. Octavia giggled, pressing her finger to Vinyl’s lips, before she walked behind her and made a Beeline for the kitchen.
Vinyl sat on the couch while the sounds of humming and food creation drifted away from the kitchen, smells soon following after them. Vinyl didn’t dare to look, though. Instead, she just sat and patiently waited, idly patting at her belly. The first pat was an accident, but the sound it made got Vinyl’s interest. The next pat was to test if it was just a fluke, and the one after that was to see the range. Soon enough Vinyl was snickering away, drumming at her gut, watching the jiggles travel outwards, listening to the bass and sound of her belly bongo, giving off a bit of a laugh. Maybe she could put this in a remix? Wouldn’t that be a thing!
Vinyl found that her focus on the belly bongos was suddenly interrupted by a smell entering her senses, a slight stream of drool exiting her mouth. Vinyl took a deep breath, before her eyes flicked down to see what was the source. Octavia had found and prepared a variety of doughnuts for the alabaster mare, and they smelled utterly delicious, so fluffy and sugary, Vinyl was having trouble resisting mashing her face against the plate and just inhaling them. Seems this new gut was a lot more demanding than it’s predecessor. 
“I’m usually against having a bit of dessert before we get to the main course, but who am I kidding, the appetite you’re rocking now must be impossible to spoil. No matter what order I stuff that gut, isn’t that right, Scratch? DJ Piggy?” Octavia teased, sitting down next to Vinyl, lifting up a doughnut, offering it to Vinyl, swaying it side to side teasingly, the DJ just eyeing the pastry, her stomach rumbling out, demanding that the games stop and Vinyl get down to business. Without any alternative, Vinyl obeyed, opening her maw wide and consuming the doughnut nearly whole, gnashing the fluffy bread betwixt her teeth, feeling the glazed sweetness tease her tastebuds, Vinyl shuddering. Had the jawbreaker done something to her tastebuds, or had she simply never noticed how damn good a doughnut could be. Soon enough, the first was gone, and Vinyl’s maw was opened wide and waiting for more. “My my...you have become a piggy. Oink for me. Show that you want this, that you’re proud of it.” Octavia teased, setting the plate of doughnuts down but still in reach. One hand massaged and gripped at Vinyl’s gut, moving in slow, circular motions, while the other reached for the second doughnut.
“Oink oink.” Vinyl let out without a second thought, eyes locked onto that doughnut, almost as glazed over as the ring shaped pastry itself. Octavia smiled softly, eyes looking over that new body, the crumbs that rested on Vinyl’s pudgy cheeks and her double chin. She lifted up that second doughnut, and Vinyl consumed it in much the same fashion as the first, savoring the sugary sweetness in her mouth, rolling the debris around in her tongue, before swallowing the pastry and releasing a sigh of joy, of content. It was undeniable, Vinyl liked the doughnuts, and the belly rub, but more than that, she adored that Octavia was the one orchestrating both.
The doughnuts were not long for this world, Octavia and Vinyl working as a dangerously efficient team. Octavia fed the doughnuts to Vinyl, and Vinyl consumed them completely, a true bane to the existence of doughnuts everywhere. If left unchecked, the plate would be the future of doughnuts everywhere. Barren, with only a few crumbs and bits of frosting left in silent memorial. Vinyl leaned back against the couch, giving a loud belch, before her cheeks lit up. Seems that’d be more likely to happen as well. Octavia giggled, giving the mare a few pats on the cheek, before moving off to the kitchen for the next batch of goodies.
Vinyl’s eyes drifted down to herself, at the expense of white, at the strain her clothes were put under just by trying to contain her body in any capacity. The crumbs of the doughnuts that filled up her cleavage and dotting the tops of her breasts, Vinyl wondering who was to blame for the mess. Yet, while Vinyl looked herself over, squeezing at her flab and her curves while she waited, a small blush coming onto her face. All things considered, the mare had to admit, she certainly didn’t look all that bad! It was charming, adorable even, and with the right attitude, Vinyl was betting that she could make it damn well sexy, too! That was the right attitude to have, after all. If she was gonna support mares like Lyra in the limelight, had to be positive!
Octavia came back around the couch, holding in her hand a large bowl of salad, a coy grin on her lips. Judging by the looks that she was giving Vinyl, she was in the same boat of thought as Vinyl was. Vinyl was rocking this new body! Octavia sat at Vinyl’s side, leaning in to steal another kiss to the cheek, but there was no other words, no more formalities. Octavia pierced the leafy greens of the salad, drenched in Vinyl’s choice dressings, and the feeding began a new, at a more gentle, intimate pace this time, Octavia cuddling into Vinyl’s fat side, Vinyl just opening, closing, and chewing her food, but the peace of it was nice.
Neither of them mentioned it, but they knew that the peace wasn’t going to be lasting them too much longer. They’d attained their goal, after all. Vinyl had officially become a fatty. From here on out, it was all a matter of making it actually official in the eyes of the public. Rebranding herself, getting the new Vinyl out there and loved. So, for the time being, Vinyl instead focused on the crisp crunch of the leafy greens, the veggies and their dressing mixing in her mouth, lifting one pudgy arm to hug Octavia close to herself. Part of Vinyl idly thought back to how they hadn’t just been able to take time to enjoy one another’s company in ages.
With the rise of Bubblegum Pop, and the scandals that seemed to just spawn endlessly after that filly made her debut, they were both forced onto the front lines. Constantly squelching foul rumors, fighting off what could be the end of their careers. Octavia was strong, firm willed, and with an old family name with enough power to crush anything that came for her. Vinyl, on the other hand? Well, that’s how they’d landed in this position in the first place, now isn’t it? Yet, the little hellion couldn’t get to either of them at this moment, so that was all the thought they were going to be permitting her to have a part of.
Food came and went in a continuous line for Vinyl, provided by her loving cellist, and she enjoyed every bite, till the rumblings from Vinyl’s stomach came to a halt. From there, what came next was clear. Octavia settled down in front of her beloved, before just digging her hands into the surplus of belly that Vinyl found herself with, fingers pressing inwards, before just pressing the palms of her hands firmly against that gut, rubbing in circles, enjoying it. The softness, the girth, the warmth, unlike anything Octavia had ever experienced before in her life, and it was all hers to enjoy.
“So, uh...What exactly did you and Bonbon do in the backroom while Lyra was explaining to me how to be a fatty? She told me that I had to be confident and work it.” Vinyl explained, while Octavia simply shrugged her shoulders, looking up to Vinyl.
“Oh, Bonbon just streamlined the whole process by singing a song...And, well, sort of gave me an injection to get the...blood pumping.” Octavia said, squirming slightly where she kneeled, cheeks lighting up a shade of crimson. “Watching you get fat was one of the most erotic experiences I’ve ever been able to enjoy...Mff, I’m still enjoying aftershocks…” Octavia cooed, Vinyl blushing while looking down at the mare, before a grin spread across her lips.
“Well, I mean, I don’t wanna get too fat...I’m sure we could enjoy some...exercise…” Vinyl suggested, Octavia chuckling, before slowly beginning to make her way up Vinyl’s pudgy form.
“Yes, I suppose that is a plan. One I certainly don’t mind indulging in.” Octavia smiled, getting closer and closer to Vinyl, both of them slowly closing their eyes while their mouths parted, anticipation and desire building. Closer...closer…
“Vinyl, Octavia!! You’ll never guess the marketing deal I just got our hooves into!” Show Time shouted, throwing open the door to the flat.
This was the first time Show Time had heard Octavia curse proper, and what a string of curses it had been. 

> What's In A Name
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“So, who exactly is it that you were able to score this big deal with, Show Time?” Vinyl Scratch asked, the joint manager leading the pair of mares through the streets of Manehatten. Octavia still felt a little sore towards Show Time for interrupting her and Vinyl’s moment together, but this was something about the future of Vinyl’s career after all. So, for now, the cellist stayed silent… Naturally plotting her revenge for when the chance presented itself. Vinyl was wearing some clothes that Lyra and Bonbon had snagged for her. A small, silvery hoody jacket that did nothing to cover anything, even when zipped up, so Vinyl left it open. A black tank top with Vinyl’s party shades and some random rave like words embedded to the front, which also failed utterly in any attempt to hide her gut, all tied together by a pair of cargo pants that actually fit quite snugly on Vinyl’s frame.

“You’ll never believe this, but...I got us a deal with somepony inside ATC. The heiress herself.” Show Time grinned, Octavia’s face filling with complete, total shock. 

“Y-You...You got us a deal...With Chocolate Spice, the heiress of All Things Chocolate? I’m… I’m sorry, Show Time, but I truly doubted your competence in such matters as getting us a deal with somepony, well, so prestigious. I am truly impressed.” Octavia smiled, Show Time giving a soft chuckle, which turned into a small sigh. Let the payback for interrupting Octavia and Vinyl begin.

“Um. Who’s Chocolate Spice?” Vinyl questioned the pair, both of them stopping cold and turning to Vinyl. They exchanged glances, debating on which one would be the one to inform Vinyl of what exactly she was getting into. Eventually, Show Time stepped forth.

“Chocolate Spice is the heiress to one of Equestria’s biggest chocolate empires ever. Her ancestors began the company, and her family has been in the business ever since. She’s the latest in a long line, and has a bit of a… reputation, despite only being around fourteen. The company has their fingers in a lot of pies, and after pulling a few strings to get us into a meeting with her, your whole new angle actually struck a chord with her. The good kind. Said that a famous pony like you, with a body type with what you’re rocking right now...Lots of potential, she said.” Show Time explained, Vinyl frowned a bit, shifting where she stood.

“Uh...Aren’t I in this whole mess partially because of filly whose head is way too big for her shoulders?” Vinyl inquired, glancing nearby to a massive billboard stretching over a building. Bubblegum Pop’s face was staring down at them all, imploring them to go out and purchase not only her latest album, in stores now, but to buy all the merchandise that went with it for the chance at winning the big prize of the party with Pinkie Pie and Bubblegum Pop. Vinyl could only imagine how Bubblegum Pop got a pony like Pinkie Pie to party with her… of course, it wasn’t that hard of a feat to begin with.

“Yes, but you’re also partially in this mess because you lacked the funds and confidence to really ignore Bubblegum Pop, unlike Octavia...So. Imagine this filly as an insurance method. A backer to keep the other filly from ruining all of your reputation. Again.” Show Time explained, Octavia clasping her hand rather firmly on the manager’s shoulder, giving a small squeeze.

“Plus, this time, we won’t be blindsided or anything like that. Riiight?” Octavia asked, slowly squeezing that shoulder till Show Time eventually yelped, tugging away, Octavia simply offering an innocent smile.

“Yes, yes, right...Just don’t crush my shoulder. I said I’m sorry, jeez mare.” Show Time huffed, rubbing at the shoulder Octavia had been squeezing. The cellist simply smiled, before walking over to Vinyl and wrapping an arm around her waist, the handful of love handle she gripped was less than subtle, giving it a little shake, bringing a blush onto Vinyl’s face.

“But, don’t worry, Vivi. We’re going to be right with you the whole entire way. If I don’t like how this… Chocolate Spice is doing things, I’ve got your back. So does Show Time.” Octavia smiled, offering a thumbs up. Show Time mimicked the support, Vinyl glancing betwixt the pair, before a small smile grew on her own face. The three of them were a lot more consolidated now. Before, they’d been split up. Octavia was busy with concert season, while Show Time had the weight of trying to protect Octavia, Vinyl, and her own name from the influx of drama and rumors. Octavia had been fine on her own, and Show Time was a clever mare, but Vinyl had crumbled like a leaf...But not this time. Her small smile grew into a proper grin. Sure, it’d been rough at the start, but this honestly might be the first shot at regaining normalcy after Bubblegum Pop’s entire debut! Well, besides a certain waistline, but that was actually the least of Vinyl’s worries.

“Well than, what are we waiting for? Let’s go meet this Chocolate Spice!” Vinyl beamed, looking between the pair. Both Octavia and Show Time seemed visibly relieved at Vinyl’s declaration, before nodding to affirm the new course of action, and the three began back on their quest, heading for the large ATC building right here in Manehatten, the chocolate colored building rising above it all into the air. It was just one filly after all, so, how hard could talking with her and striking a proper deal really be?

The lobby of ATC was imposing. It was a large, chocolate colored lobby, various shades of soft, creamy brown and gold, from the floors to the high ceiling above. The doors were heavy, double doors with golden handles, going off this way or that. The receptionists desk was an entire other room, separated from the lobby with only a window between the two rooms. Vinyl sat patiently in one of the designated waiting chairs, taking note of how much more snug they felt then before. Not enough that Vinyl could get stuck, by Celestia that’d be embarrassing, but enough that she was aware of the arms rests on either side of her at all times. Octavia sat next to Vinyl, holding the DJ’s hand within her own, giving it the occasional squeeze of confidence whilst Show Time spoke with the receptionist.

“That mare better not have been pulling our legs, or I will…” Octavia began, before Show Time turned and began to walk towards the pair, a wide grin on her face.

“She’s waiting for us upstairs, eightieth floor!” Show Time grinned, before making her way for the far hallways filled with elevators. The pair of musicians exchanged a look, before rising to their hooves and following after Show Time. Too late to turn back now, after all. If Bubblegum Pop could spoil a reputation, none of them wanted to imagine what Chocolate Spice was capable of. What was with fillies with money being such a frightening prospect?

The ride up the elevator was tense, each floor dinging past and carrying them closer to the grand confrontation. Did this Chocolate Spice even wish to take them seriously, or was this all some kind of sick joke because a pony like her was in a position to make it? It was probably the fact that it was a filly making the offer that made this such an unsettling experience. At last, the elevator stopped with a ding. The trio looked between one another, each one offering a reassuring smile to the other, before finally the door opened, and they strode forward. Now or never.

The room they found was a shock to the senses. They might have been dealing with a filly, but this was an office proper. The walls were a soft red color, the same as the carpet, pictures of the previous CEOs and owners of the company lining the walls. At the far end, rested a massive desk, with a tinted window behind it. Behind the desk, lounged the filly herself. Her chair was a cloud with something solid enchanted onto the top, allowing her to just kick back and float. The filly herself might have been about the same age as Bubblegum Pop, but that was where the similarities ceased.

Chocolate Spice was an earth pony, coat a soft, milk chocolatey brown, mane hued with a plethora of soft, copper tones, eyes a dark amber color. She was a portly filly, no doubt from a childhood of snacking on her family’s product, all wrapped up in a business dress, and yet… the expression on her face, she seemed utterly bored. That was the biggest difference between the two fillies. Bubblegum Pop’s face was always a carnival of the most exaggerated of emotions that she could manage. Chocolate Spice, the trio was having trouble deciding if she was feeling anything at all at the moment.

“Miss Ch-” Show Time began, before the filly just raised a hand to silence her.

“Move. You’re in the way of the deal maker, or breaker.” Chocolate Spice said simply. Show Time frowned, before clamping her mouth shut. Octavia fixed the filly was a rather annoyed look, before the pair of them stepped to the side, all attention locking onto Vinyl. The DJ sunk her head slightly into her scarf, but that did nothing to hide her from the piercing gaze of the billion bits filly, as much of an understatement as that title might be.

Chocolate Spice got out of her chair, stepping right onto the desk before striding forward, dropping onto the floor without the slightest hint of ceremony. The filly marched directly up to Vinyl, thrusting her hands out to grip at Vinyl’s gut. The DJ released a shock yelp, while Chocolate Spice felt as much of her surplus sized body as she could. Nothing was sacred from her reach, Octavia having to more than slightly bite her tongue to the display of another mare having her hands on her special somepony.

“Oh, quit whining. I’m just seeing if you’re the real thing. So many of you celebrities are fake. I wouldn’t be surprised if somepony tried to pull the wool over my eyes with a fat suit...But, you’re the real deal. From the tits to the gut, and even your fat ass. Good for you.” Chocolate Spice surmised, taking a few steps back away from Vinyl, till she hopped back and was sitting on the top of her desk. “So, there’s a few things we need to discuss first.” Chocolate Spice began, fixing the trio with her gaze. “First thing that needs to go, is the stage name.”

“H-Hey, what’s wrong with DJ Pon-3?” Vinyl asked, poking her head fully out of her scarf, frowning at Chocolate Spice now.

“It’s tainted. Ponies think of your name, and bad things come to mind. So, we’re going to need to brand you under something else altogether. Still a DJ, still music, but...more. That’s your whole new thing, right, more? So. DJ...something.” Chocolate Spice mused, tapping at her chin. 
“DJ Plumped Up?” Show Time suggested, giving a simple shrug of her shoulders.

“No. Way too on the nose. Hm...what to pick, what to pick...” Chocolate Spice denied the name. Octavia stood there, slightly dumbfounded at how...in control this filly was acting. Sure, she was the fastest track they had to getting Vinyl back on the floor, as it were, but already she was pushing on Octavia’s limits of things she’d permit. Octavia glanced towards Vinyl, trying to figure out just exactly what the alabaster mare was thinking at the moment. Octavia found herself surprised by what she saw. Octavia had expected Vinyl to be sniveling, sinking into her scarf, just trying to avoid the start of a possible difficult situation. Yet, Vinyl seemed to be truly thinking on the matter at hand. Vinyl shifted slightly where she stood, gazing down, occupying her eyes with what was on her shirt while she mused, before inspiration struck. Show Time had been suggesting a string of names, but it was Vinyl’s suggestion that brought pause.

“Well, what about DJ...Wubtub? I mean, I always say that I make wubs, and there is the phrase a ‘tub of lard’ sooo…” Vinyl said, giving her gut a small poke. Chocolate Spice stared at the mare for a few moments of silence, before just shrugging.

“Fine. DJ Wubtub it is. Doesn’t have any of those dumb number letters or dashes, either. I won’t need to listen to your manager’s suggestions anymore either.”

“Hey!” Show Time pouted

“But with that out of the way, we can move onto things that are more important. DJ Wubtub, ever been behind a camera?” Chocolate Spice asked, cocking up an eyebrow. Vinyl swallowed down a lump that had formed in her throat, glancing around to the others, before looking back to Chocolate Spice. Vinyl had a feeling she wasn’t going to like where this was about to go.

***

“Well, that was certainly an ordeal…” Octavia idly commented, sipping on the complimentary chocolate shake that All Things Chocolate had provided for them. The team was gathered in the dressing room which had been provided for Vinyl, a rather plush room with a vanity, a personal bathroom, and some other comforts such as a large bean bag chair and a bell for more chocolatey shakes. Vinyl was slumped over in the main chair of the vanity, Octavia standing to her side, while Show Time was lounging in the nearby bean bag chair. The commercial had already been shot, recorded, and sent off to be viewed by focus groups. Now, it was all a waiting process.

        “I don’t think it went well. I really don’t think it went well. Ugh, I only do good at those huge parties is because I can sit behind my DJ booth, keep my shades on, and just not speak to anypony. Way easier than...that. Why did that have to be in the contract?” Vinyl groaned, leaning back in the vanity chair and rubbing her temples. The amount of time she’d spent in this chair, all dolled up just for two minutes in front of a camera for an advert in which Vinyl didn’t even have to speak. Just eat some chocolate at a DJ booth. 

        The deal which they’d struck up with All Things Chocolate had been simple enough. All they expected out of Vinyl was that she do no drugs, and keep a general positive public appearance. That was easy enough, considering that despite what precious scandals had said, Vinyl was as clean as a whistle. Beyond that, she simply had to help advertise All Things Chocolate when they asked, and in return, ATC would provide her funding, business support, and squelch any scandals that may try to come up that were baseless. Aka, make Show Time’s job quite a bit easier, especially if a certain filly decided to rear her head.

        “Oh, come on Vinyl, it was actually pretty good! I mean, sure, Octavia got roped into it at the last minute, but you two are pretty prominent faces, and a celebrity power couple. Ponies love stuff like that.” Show Time suggested from the beanbag. The pair of musicians just let out a joint sigh, Octavia passing over the milkshake for Vinyl to suckle upon while they waited for the verdict. This was either going to make their quest a lot easier, or things were going to become a lot more difficult for the group. If there was one thing you didn’t do when dealing with All Things Chocolate, it was waste Chocolate Spice’s time.

        The trio of them found that their time of worrying about the commercial was brought to a sudden and abrupt end. The door to the dressing room flung open, and Chocolate Spice stood behind it, holding up a stack of papers. The trio fell silent, all eyes on the heiress of ATC, her blank face. What was she thinking about? Had the commercial flopped, was this all a waste of time? Chocolate Spice looked up from the papers, her face blank. Not a one of them dared to speak. It was as if time itself was slowed down.

        “The commercial resonated well with focus groups. We’ll start airing it tomorrow. You’ll get the cash magically transferred to your account of choice soon, and we have Show Time’s contact information should we need her. You know where the exit is. DJ Wubtub has our full support going forward.” Chocolate Spice said in her typical, careless voice, before turning and making her way out of the dressing room without another word. The trio was left in silence once again, before suddenly bursting into cheers. They’d done it. The commercial had succeeded, and that meant that the deal was going to go through without any issue.

“Well, I can confidently say, that the world is going to have to watch out from now on. DJ Wubtub is going to be kicking that annoying little snot right to the bottom of the boards before this is finished!” Show Time grinned, jumping to her hooves and fist pumping, excitement plain on her face. Vinyl just let out a small chuckle, shrugging her shoulders and raising to her own hooves.

“I don’t want to do anything quite like that… I just wanna be able to play music again without having to look over my shoulder every five seconds.” Vinyl said, letting out a small breath of relief.

“And you will, Scratchie, the both of us will. For now, though, let’s just focus on the time being. A big hurdle is done with, and the road can only be easier from this going forward. How about we all head back to Lyra and Bonbon’s, and celebrate with them over some candy and cider, mmm? I’m sure we can find some cider in this whole city.” Octavia spoke, wrapping her arms around Vinyl Scratch, giving her a quick kiss upon the temple. The DJ beamed, leaning back into Octavia.

“Just, one condition...No chocolate. I think that after an entire commercial dedicated to eating it, I could go without chocolate for a little while!” Vinyl snickered, the other two joining in the mare’s choice of less chocolate in their lives. With the deal that had just gone through, there was going to be a lot more of it from now on.
	

> The Longest Play
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Do you have...desires?” the sultry voice of the mare narrator said, the scene unfolding on the TV screen. It was a foggy club, a beat sounding out through the air, the camera focusing on the DJ booth. There, just swaying her hips to the beat, and looking completely different. Vinyl Scratch was, for lack of a better term, fat. Belly, hips, tits, face, all of it was layered in flub that wasn’t there just a few days ago, and yet, the way the mare was wearing the new girth, confidently, it looked rather appealing on her.

“Nopony should have to deny their desires for long.” The voice continued, as Octavia Melody walked onto the scene, looking as sharp as ever, holding a bowl of miniature chocolate squares. “Now introducing All Things Chocolate’s Desire On The Go Chocolate Squares. Feed your desires.” The announcer finished, Octavia picking up a square of chocolate and popping it into Vinyl’s mouth, the pair of them giving one another what could be described as bedroom eyes. “DJ Wubtub sure enjoys it. We’re sure you will too.” was the final phrase, before the camera cut to the logo of All Things Chocolate, ‘DJ Wubtub Approved’ written on the bottom.

Bubblegum Pop glared at the TV screen, before hitting a button to make it slowly rise back into the ceiling. That didn’t help. The commercial was still burned into her irises, her teeth gritting together, hand firmly gripping the edge of her couch. This was exactly the kind of thing that Bubblegum Pop thought she’d removed completely off of the table when she wrecked that dumb DJ’s career. Yet, there it was, plain as day, airing on national television. The first step to a comeback. There was only one pony she could blame this on. Only one pony who deserved the blame for this mess.

“Inkpot!” Bubblegum Pop shouted into her penthouse, the angry voice echoing out through the rooms. There was a crash from nearby, before one of the doors opened up and Bubblegum Pop’s secretary rushed out, hurrying to stand before the filly, sputtering out apologies, but Bubblegum Pop didn’t listen, nor did she care. The filly simply brought down the TV screen again, before turning it towards Inkpot once more, and letting the commercial play out. When the entire thing was done for, Bubblegum Pop sent it back into the ceiling, before fixing Inkpot with her glare. “Mind telling me...EXACTLY what that was, Inkpot?” Bubblegum Pop questioned the shy pony, drumming her fingers on the couch.

“I-It was a commercial, Miss Pop. Fe-Fe-Featuring Vinyl Scratch, Octavia Melody, and some new chocolate and a new name...And Vinyl Scratch was fat,” Inkpot recited what they’d seen on the commercial, voice growing shakier as Bubblegum Pop grew less and less pleased with the answer that Inkpot was giving to her. The filly just stood on the couch, before gripping Inkpot by her shirt collar, her wings flaring out in displeasure.

“No, no, no, you stupid ninny!” Bubblegum Pop hissed, before throwing the shy pony away from her, Inkpot landing with an ooph. Bubblegum Pop began to pace on top of the couch, eyes narrowed at Inkpot. “I told you, to keep an eye on that annoying pest of a DJ, in case she tried anything funny. It should have been easy, considering that she’s scared of her own shadow when it comes to public appearances, hiding behind those stupid shades… So, how did she get into a deal with All Things Chocolate without ME knowing about it?! What in Tartarus is this whole DJ Wubtub gig!?” Bubblegum Pop snapped, Inkpot stumbling back, visibly sweating.

“W-Well, Ma ma...Miss Bubblegum Pop, I tried to inform you about her raise in weight…” Inkpot sputtered, but Bubblegum Pop just fixed the pony with a glare which could bore a hole in somepony unprepared, and Inkpot was totally unprepared for the glare, moving their arms over their head as if to protect themself from the weight of Bubblegum Pop’s ego.

“Obviously you didn’t try hard enough! Now get out there, and do your job right, or I am going to find somepony else who can do it better than you. I can promise you that if that happens, you are never ever going to have a career near anypony important ever again. If I can take out a prominent DJ and...other musicians, I can wipe you completely off the map. Get me a meeting with All Things Chocolate. I’m sure I can make them see how much of a liability that fat has-been really is...” Bubblegum Pop hissed. Inkpot swallowed a thick lump that had gathered in their throat, before turning and dashing outside of the room. Inkpot had a lot of work to do.


***


        Vinyl and Octavia were enjoying a moment of relative peace together. They were seated in Octavia’s living room in her flat, the cellist leaning against the DJ, hand idly rubbing at the dome of off white which Vinyl now called a belly, Vinyl simply relaxing after a session of music making with Octavia. While getting Vinyl back in a good, marketable shape had been a key focus, music was never far from either of them. If anything, Vinyl found that actually getting to work on her turntables while Octavia rocked her cello was some of the most valuable time she’d had throughout this entire fiasco. Now it was time for some equally pleasant cuddle time with Octavia.

        “You know, Scratchie...Show Time is off on business, Lyra and Bonbon are busy at their store, there’s no chance of anypony coming in to disturb us. How about we...put this new you to the test, Miss...Wubtub?” Octavia asked, giving a little wiggle of her eyebrows, and a swat to Vinyl’s belly. The DJ blushed brightly, watching her form ripple out from the source of impact, before turning and grinning at Octavia. The cellist moved suddenly, climbing atop the other mare, mounting her belly and locking her arms behind the other mare’s neck.

        “That does sound pretty good to me, Tavi…” Vinyl smiled softly, leaning towards Octavia. Octavia leaned towards Vinyl in return, their lips parting softly, anticipation building. This was going to be their first, proper together time since before this adventure of theirs began, and there wasn’t going to be anypony to interrupt them…

        Suddenly there was a loud knocking up the door to their shared home, both of them freezing mere centimeters away from actually getting to the kiss they’d so craved. Octavia clenched her fists on the couch the pair of them shared, letting out an aggravated groan. Vinyl softly beat her head off of the back of the couch, joining Octavia in her disdain. Octavia dismounted from Vinyl, before the DJ rose to her hooves. Maybe they’d be lucky and it was just the mail pony here to drop off a package?

        Vinyl opened the door to the flat, before suddenly stumbling back and falling onto her plush ass, eyes widening, mouth dropping, a look of horror upon her face at what exactly waited for her on the other side. It was a horror that Vinyl didn’t think she was going to see again till at least Hearth’s Warming, maybe sooner. Not here, not now. Octavia blinked at Vinyl’s stuttering shock, walking over and opening the door a bit wider, before she too froze at the sight of what waited for them on the other side.

        Waiting for them was a unicorn stallion, coat the same off white variety as Vinyl’s own, while his mane was a blazing red color, as if the counter point to Vinyl Scratch’s own. He adjusted his own pair of red tinted shades, looking over the pair of shocked ponies, an expression of confusion on his face.

        “Um, is now a bad time?” The stallion asked, before Octavia simply shook her head, regaining her composure and straightening up her posture.

        “Why, not at all! We just weren’t expecting you, or really, any of Vinyl’s family, Long Play… the rest of the clan isn’t with you, are they?” Octavia asked, cocking up an eyebrow, before leaning out of the door to glance around the hallway to her flat, as if she was expecting the rest of them to suddenly appear and increase the shock that Vinyl was going through. Long Play just chuckled, shaking his head and stepping into the flat, offering Vinyl a hand.

        “No, no. I was able to convince them to hold off on a whole family visit. Though, they definitely had a big variety of questions about you, Scritch Scratch. Commercials, DJ Wubtub, really? Is there something going on, lil sis?” Long Play asked.

Vinyl’s cheeks lit up a soft red as she took Long Play’s hand and rose to her hooves, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “Oh, right, you’ve been out of Equestria on tour, so you wouldn’t exactly be in the musical loop…” Vinyl mumbled, letting go of Long Play’s hand and shifting towards Octavia, hoping the cellist could pick up where she left off. While the DJ was on the rebound from what Bubblegum Pop had done, it was still a sore subject for her to go over. 

        “You know the overnight sensation of Bubblegum Pop?” Octavia informed, “Let’s just say that while she was on the rise, a variety of scandals popped up around the music ecosystem for quite a wide group of musicians. I was able to stamp mine into the dust, but Vinyl here… Now, we’re in the process of rebranding her and getting her back onto her hooves. The weight gain is a little unconventional, but it was decided to be the best and most impactful option.”

Long Play gave a small nod, glancing between the pair of them. “So, let me get this straight. A little filly get uppity, spread some rumors, and your entire musical career fell to shambles,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorframe. “My little sister, the pony I intended to let carry on the family DJ legacy, got taken out by some minor high school bullshit? You can’t be serious. Now your plan is to just get fat, and star in some chocolate commercials? What’s to stop this filly from screwing you over all over again, pushing you farther away from music? Making you curl up and mewel for mama like a foal at the slightest sign of drama? That she won’t turn your whole new weight into a laughing stock? Honestly, Pops ain’t even dead yet and he’d be rolling in his grave.” Long Play snorted, Vinyl only blushing all the harder. Octavia opened her mouth, intending to tear into stallion like there was no tomorrow, but Vinyl raised her hand, holding Octavia off from setting into her brother.

        “I expected that sorta thing from Guitar Riff… But, you’re right.” Vinyl sighed, looking to the floor. That was the biggest chink in her armor. Vinyl’s confidence was always a shaky subject, and all Long Play had was good points. If she was going to really stand up to that filly, and get back to the top, Vinyl was going to need to know how to take on a bully without defaulting back to Octavia. This was just how Long Play did things, and Vinyl knew that if she wanted his help, she was going to need to nip this in the bud right now. “But, as true as that all might be, I can still beat you in a music competition.” 

Both Long Play and Octavia froze at Vinyl’s sudden declaration. It was a little known secret that among the Scratch family, there was a bit of a music pyramid. At the top, was Vinyl’s parents, Sunlight Sonata the double bassist and Bass Drop the DJ. From there, it went Long Play, and below him was Guitar Riff the rocker and Synchro Beat the pop star, while at the bottom rested Vinyl herself, the ‘classical DJ’ so coined thanks to her collaboration with Octavia. You could challenge to move up and down the pyramid, but nopony had really done that since they’d gone off onto their own musical careers.

“Well. I guess if you want to prove that the filly was right, I can humor you. Maybe you can salvage something and pick up your old violin from home. I’m sure Octavia’s ensemble could use another stringed instrument.” Long Play smirked. Vinyl rolled her eyes, before beginning to walk towards the sound studio within the flat. Octavia followed closely next to Vinyl, simply wrapping an arm around the mare and giving her a squeeze.

“You can do it, Scratchie.” Octavia smiled. There was no point in asking if Vinyl thought she could take her brother on, or even showing a hint of doubt. Octavia knew how huge of a step this was, for Vinyl’s confidence and musical prowess. Vinyl’s brother had always been a bit of an inspiration to Vinyl, an inspiration and a hurdle to get over. Thus far, Vinyl had been unable to get close to topping the hurdle, but the fact that she challenging Long Play now simply showed the progress Vinyl had made with her confidence. If she could actually beat Long Play, that’d be something else entirely.

The sound studio of Octavia’s flat was a large, circular room, more like an arena really, set off to the far end of the flat. It was filled with a variety of instruments and sound equipment, more than any average pair of musicians could ever need, but Vinyl and Octavia were not your average pair of musicians either. When the passion and thrill of music was truly in the air, well, the splinters and small debris of instruments of yesterday made it evidently clear what the pair of them were capable of. Long Play looked it over quietly, before walking over to one of the turntable stations set up.

“I’m sure you know the rules set forth by our ancestors. Me Vs. You, no outside help, so your marefriend is gonna just have to be moral support. Sure you can still even handle a solo act, Scritch Scratch, or are you only worth some spit while you got your special somepony to pick up the slack?” Long Play taunted, not letting up in his teasing. Vinyl simply rolled her eyes, walking over to her own turntable DJ booth, made as such thanks to the various stickers and colored marks across it. 

“Yeah, yeah. I know all the rules. I’m not gonna need her help to beat you anyway,” Vinyl responded, blowing a raspberry at her elder brother. Long Play got into position, a turn table flanked by a pair of massive speakers. On the other side, Vinyl took up position, while Octavia moved in besides her, clearly away from her cello, so relatively powerless when it came to facing off in a musical competition. Long Play had no worries of Octavia interfering, especially without her cello. He had no idea about the power of her vocal range, unlike all the patrons of Mighty Meals and Music buffet. This was probably for the best.

The pair of siblings faced each other down, their faces set. The pair of them moved as if a mirror, pulling eye shielding shades from seemingly nowhere, removing the smaller sets the pair of them wore, before placing on the more obscuring set. Octavia almost felt bad that Show Time was going to miss this, but at the same time, she got the feeling that this wasn’t the type of show that you displayed to the masses. Even her being here was slightly intrusive, but Octavia wasn’t going to be going anywhere during this. This was something the mare had to see.

For the pair of DJs, this wasn’t simply a matter of tossing music at one another. This was a battle of magical prowess and wills. To prove that their brand of musical expertise was the superior of the two. To show that they belonged on the higher rung of the family pyramid. Vinyl was a bit of an expert when it came to mixing orchestra. Symphony, and stringed instruments with electronics and symphonic systems, the composer of the modern age. Long Play, better known as 33 1-3 lp, was more raw and natural with his beats. Octavia felt a swelling in herself, a burning anticipation. Now she’d get to see, first hand, what happened when two ponies like this clashed.

The air itself grew heavier, the horns of the unicorns lighting up, while a small buzz filled the air, their speakers being activated. It was time to get to the thick of it. Their speakers ignited like cannons going off, and the battle of music had begun. If Octavia had to describe the experience, it was like watch professional fighters, trading blows without ever having to approach one another. Unleashing powerful snippets of their own musical flavor, to be compared and contested with what the other DJ had to provide. For Vinyl, it was physically and mentally taxing. She had to do this, of that there was no doubt in her mind.

Briefly, Vinyl’s mind flashed back to foalhood growing up with Long Play. He had always wanted to be a DJ, to work with records and sound systems. Vinyl had wanted to play in orchestra, before a rather fateful competition against other foals who sought to play strings in the orchestras of Equestria proved they all had something that Vinyl didn’t. The ability, to not want to fill whatever they played with improv to try and improve it. Vinyl had been crushed, and it’d been Long Play’s words that snapped her out of it. Was she going to let a bunch of old snobs decide what she could and couldn’t play, or was she going to pick up the pieces and make it work for her? Could Vinyl really beat the stallion who had helped her get where she was, so many times through her life? 

Suddenly, the mare snapped out of her trip down memory lane, Vinyl Scratch tugged firmly back into the present. That was when it dawned on her, how her body moved to the music. How the music flowed through Vinyl in ways she hadn’t experienced since she was a filly just playing for her family. The whole reason she’d gotten into this business of music in the first place. Because she enjoyed working with the music, showing off exactly how good she could be, seeing the proof of her skill in the reactions of the listeners, that is, until she’d started to perform for bigger crowds, anxiety and doubts settling in that Vinyl just wasn’t ready to fight… but no more.

If Vinyl wanted to get anywhere, if she wanted to be able to stand on her own two hooves, and not have others constantly worrying for her. Vinyl was going to prove right here, right now, that she could handle herself just fine. That her music, that her confidence was enough to topple even her own big brother. Plus, there was something oddly giddy about the feeling of music moving through her new, surplus frame. Dropping hard enough beats that she could feel the reverberations in her gut. The thought was enough to make Vinyl snicker. Maybe with enough training, she could make the jiggling work for her in music making?

Octavia’s eyes flicked between both of the competing, watching their movements. The flickering of horns and flurry of movements never ceased. Reverbs and pounding beats shook the air, the sliders of Vinyl’s turntables never ceasing in movement, Vinyl’s hands seemingly glued to the records which she had chosen to play. Octavia felt a slight pang of envy, watching the pair of them wield magic to enhance their music making skills, doing things that she’d have trouble keeping up with. If Octavia was to tell the truth, she was surprised at which the skill Vinyl was displaying. She had seen her play in public, and private, hundreds of times before, but never quite like this. Watching the pair so intently, Octavia began to notice the difference in the playing of the pair. Vinyl was throwing everything she had into the turntables. Long Play seemed much more relaxed, but the contest pressed on.

The musical clash between the pair came to a close, Long Play stopping casually, his own music slowly dying off. Vinyl danced and played for at a few minutes more, before finally sputtering to a halt as well. The contest was over, Vinyl standing there, drenched in a layer of perspiration, out of breath, horn sparking off slightly from the amount of magic she’d let off. Long Play stood across from her, not nearly as affected as the mare, yet Octavia could tell even from her spot across from him, that Long Play was almost as winded as Vinyl. Nopony said a word for a while, just standing there, letting the music in the air slowly fade out. Finally, Long Play reached up and removed the shades from his face, a large smile spreading across his face.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Seems that my little sister really isn’t as helpless as it looks. Also seems that your waistline isn’t the only thing that’s gotten bigger, Scritch Scratch. You might just be able to handle a filly after all.” Long Play smirked, stretching out before beginning to walk away from the the turntables and towards the exit. Vinyl smiled quite wide, before just slumping against one of the large stereos she’d been using in the dual, sliding down the length while making a sound like an deflating balloon. Octavia smiled at Vinyl, intending to commend her, before she saw Long Play simply walking outside of the room out of the corner of her eye. 

“You’re leaving so soon? You only just got here! Plus, all you did was get into a musical battle with Vinyl,” Octavia declared, having chased Long Play out of the room while Vinyl rested.

“Yep. That’s actually more than I intended to do in the first place.” Long Play paused on his walk towards the exit, looking over his shoulder at Octavia. “But, she doesn’t need my help. That’s the most confident I’ve seen Vinyl in...yeesh, I don’t know how long. Back when we were kids, she would have never had the guts to challenge me to a musical battle. All I wanted to do was make sure my little sister wasn’t gonna get herself hurt,” Long Play said, before turning his back back to Octavia again.

“You’re a right asshole sometimes, you know that right? The least you could do is say she won, or that you love her,” Octavia accused, but all that did was bring a chuckle out of Long Play.

“And you’re a crazy twat, but I’m pretty sure you can give Vinyl all the love she can handle. As for who won...I guess Scritch Scratch is just going to have to come home sometime to check up on the leaderboards herself. See ya later, Octopus. I’ve got bigger fish to fry. The musical underground needs me. You get the idea. Just tell her to stay focused on what she loves. Don’t end up like this little filly.” Long Play waved, exiting out of the room. Octavia stared after him, quite annoyed, before just sighing. He probably had a point, too. Octavia didn’t dwell on the matter. She simply walked back into her music studio, before lifting Vinyl up in her arms bridal style, displaying her earth pony strength easily.

“Let’s get you into someplace more comfortable, and then we can cuddle more properly, eh?” Octavia asked, the ivory mare simply pressing herself into Octavia, arms wrapping around the neck of the earth pony, and Vinyl nodding her head. The smile on her face was wide and genuine, the excitement of the mare plain and on the surface. Vinyl didn’t have to say any words, Octavia could see it herself.

It didn’t matter what Long Play put on the leaderboards back at home. In Vinyl’s heart, she’d won. If she could take on Long Play, Bubblegum Pop wasn’t going to be any problem at all.