> Expanding Relations (revised)
>  by D-APE
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dragon Lord Ember came across a much-desired change in terrain. The seemingly endless forest, marked as “The Everfree” on her map, annoyed Ember to no end. Winded from an almost non-stop flight, she glided down towards the ground. During her descent, she was vaguely aware of a colorful pegasus sleeping upon a small low-hanging cloud. She passed the cloud and landed lightly in a field of grass.

Ember let herself fall on her lithe rump. She sat there for some time, basking in the warm afternoon sun and watching the bustling town in the distance. When she felt recovered enough to continue, she opened her satchel, and pulled out the map and compass gifted to her by Twilight Sparkle almost ninety sun cycles ago. Navigating with a map and compass was a first for Ember. In the Dragon Lands, there weren’t any cartographers—the word Twilight Sparkle had used to describe someone who drew maps. And there certainly weren’t any compass makers. Even though Twilight Sparkle had explained as best she could, Ember still didn’t grasp exactly how the compass worked; something about magnets and poles was all she could remember. What she did get was that the little arrow pointed north. It was useful when there was cloud cover blocking out the sun or stars.

However, she met with some trouble in The Everfree Forest. Shortly after she had entered the forest, the compass went haywire. At first, that was okay; she could see the position of the sun and judge north from that. But then these brief storms would roll in out of nowhere, and the sky would blacken. The rains drenched her scales miserably, and gusts of whirling wind made flying challenging. Then, as quickly as they came, the squalls would vanish. When the sun reappeared, she would find herself traveling in the wrong direction. It was a frustrating ordeal, but now she was clear of that awful forest. When Ember was ready to return to the Dragon Lands, she resolved to go the long way, around The Everfree Forest.

At least Ember was fairly sure she was on the right side of The Everfree Forest. But, it was possible the town that she had been watching wasn’t Ponyville. There were many other towns near the border of the Everfree Forest. Depending on where she had come out, Ponyville could still be a considerable distance away. Her thoughts drifted to pony she had seen earlier. Perhaps whoever was snoozing the day away would have the directions she sought.

Ember spread her wings and took to the air, soaring to the cloud. Her scaly soles touched down upon the fluffy white surface where the pegasus slept without a care in the world. The pony was thin yet muscular in a compact way. Her coat was the color of a clear sky, and her mane and tail were like that of a rainbow.

It crossed Ember’s mind how easy it would be for a less-enlightened predator to take the pegasus unaware. Although hunger, her constant companion, gnawed at her under the surface, the pegasus didn’t look all that appetizing, all wiry muscle and far too skinny. She shook her head and chased away those beastly thoughts that crept into her psyche like an unwelcome guest. It would not do to think of her potential allies as prey.

She padded over to the pegasus and nudged her firm back with a hind paw. “Hey, wake up!”

The pegasus groaned, irritated. Without even rolling over to face Ember she grumbled sleepily, “How many times do I have to tell you ponies, I don’t do weather control anymore. Talk to Thunderlane if you have a complaint.”

Ember didn't know what the pegasus meant. “I don’t care about the weather. Direct me to Ponyville.”

At that, the pegasus rolled over, and two magenta eyes fluttered open and settled on Ember. She sat up with a start. “What's a dragon doing here?”

“Like I said, looking for Ponyville…”

The pony jumped to her hooves and took on a defensive stance, staring down Ember with narrowed eyes. “Why? Are you here to cause trouble?! I may look small, but I’ve beaten way bigger baddies than you!”

Ember sighed. “I seek Spike, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle. They’re... allies of mine.” Perhaps friends would have been a better word, but it still seemed too much like expressing feelings for Ember’s liking.

“Allies…?” The pegasus’s expression softened, but her stance was still wary. “Those are some of my best friends. Who are you?”

Ember puffed out her chest in pride. “I am Dragon Lord Ember, daughter of the mighty Torch, and you should respect and fear me, for I am the leader of all dragons!”

The pony eyed her up and down and smirked at her in blatant disrespect. “You know, you aren’t that scary. Aren’t Dragon Lords supposed to be bigger?” Ember noted that the pegasus was more than a head shorter than her, but she understood most of her height advantage was because she stood up on hind legs, as smaller dragons tended to do. It amused her that she could burn this vexing pegasus to a crisp in dragonfire if she were so pleased. Of course, she wouldn’t let it come to that, but the idea was pleasant.

“Perhaps I should destroy Equestria, you disrespectful cur. If you would rather insult me than give simple directions, then I will seek someone more helpful elsewhere.” Ember whirled, moved to the edge of the cloud, and spread her wings in preparation to glide away.

A hoof touched Ember’s shoulder. “Wait-”

Ember slapped the hoof away with a claw, rounded on the pegasus, and yelled, “Touch me again, and you’ll lose the hoof!”

The pony winced and retreated a few quick steps. Ember ran a claw over her head spines, brushing against the Bloodstone Scepter strapped to her back. She could feel its power pulsing through her veins as always. It was a comforting feeling.

The pegasus lowered her head before the angry dragon, ashamed. “I’m sorry, maybe we got off on the wrong hoof. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was only joking around.”

This behavior was a surprising change. Ember took a deep breath, then let it out. Her rage slipped away. She moved forward and stood over the pegasus, letting the silence simmer for a long moment. “Very well, I accept your apology.”

The pegasus extended a hoof towards her. “Name’s Rainbow Dash.”

Ember stared at the hoof for a long moment, unsure of what to do with it before resolving to turn a claw into a fist and bump it. “Okay, Rainbow Dash, where’s Ponyville?”

“Just over there.” Rainbow Dash thrust her hoof at the village in the distance.

Ember made a face like she was tasting something she disliked. Through clenched teeth, she hissed a “Thank you.”

“What’s wrong?” Rainbow Dash looked at Ember quizzically.

“I’m not used to showing gratitude. It’s not something dragons often do.”

“Oh, that’s weird.” Rainbow Dash rounded Ember, her soft coat brushing up against the dragon’s side. The pegasus’s muzzle nudged one of the dragon’s wings. The sensitive skin on Ember’s wing tingled under Rainbow Dash’s touch and warm breath.

As if acting on their own accord, Ember’s leathery wings spread to full span. She looked over her shoulder at the pegasus that seemed infatuated with her backside. “Hey! What are-”

“Are those awesome wings just for show?” The pegasus unfurled her feathery wings and gave the dragon a toothy grin.

Ember smiled back, displaying her sharp white canines. “I know how to use them, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Oh yeah? Care for a race to that red building with the bell tower, just on the edge of town? After, I’ll help you find our mutual buds. If you think you can keep up with a Wonderbolt, that is.”

“You’re delusional if you think you can match me.”

“Is that so? Well, I should warn you I’m the fastest pony in perhaps all of Equestria.” Rainbow Dash moved to the edge of the cloud, feathery wings spread to full span.

The conceited pegasus shot Ember a smug grin. Ember wanted nothing more than to wipe it off the overly-confident Rainbow Dash—to shatter her pride into so many pieces the pegasus wouldn’t be able to look at her reflection without remembering how Ember had beaten her. She joined the pegasus at the edge of the cloud, leaned forward, and spread her wings. “You’re on.”

The pegasus glanced at the sun. “Good timing. Any moment now, that bell will chime, and school will let out. That will be our signal to begin. I hope you’re ready to lose in front of fillies and colts, Dragon Lord Ember.”

“We’ll see, Rainbow Dash. I’ve never lost a race before, and I’m not about—”

DING

Rainbow Dash leaped into the air and took off.

DONG

Ember followed as the bell continued to chime, muttering a curse for losing her concentration and letting Rainbow Dash get a head start, but with several quick and powerful pumps of her wings, she pulled up alongside the pegasus, matching her speed easily.

The two shared a look. Rainbow Dash didn’t look at all worried, but neither did Ember as she accelerated and pulled ahead. She heard cheering coming from the direction of the schoolhouse. A crowd of pony younglings was gathered on the front lawn, watching the display.

“GO RAINBOW DASH!” One of the younglings shouted, jumping up and down. Rainbow Dash seemed to feed off the ponies’ admiration, gaining more and more speed. She became a rainbow-hued streak that bolted past the dragon.

The schoolhouse was getting larger and larger. There was no point in holding back anymore. Ember pumped her wings as hard as she could. She passed Rainbow Dash but hit the wall of her capability. At this point, Ember knew she was incapable of going any faster, but surely her top speed was more than enough to beat a pony.

Ember’s victory was all but assured; she was almost to the established finish line. She could see the younglings clearly now. The one cheering the loudest was an orange filly with purple hair.

Thunder boomed, and a wave of energy and color surged passed her. Suddenly, impossibly, Rainbow Dash was standing on top of the bell tower, looking as smug as ever.

Ember skidded across the roof, knocking ceramic tiles loose in the process. She had somehow lost the race.

Shocked and dismayed, Ember plopped down at the edge of the roof, hind legs dangling off. She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. After a long journey, and a race that pushed herself to the limit, she felt positively exhausted, mentally and physically.

Rainbow Dash dropped down from the tower and sat next to Ember. The younglings below showered the pegasus with praise.

“You are impressive, Rainbow Dash.” Ember felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment at expressing a heartfelt compliment to a pony of all creatures. “It's a shame you were born a pony, you would have made an excellent dragon.”

“Thanks, I guess?” Rainbow Dash laughed.

Ember’s mind was in turmoil. She wasn’t sure why she was saying such silly things. As a proud dragon she should've been playing down her defeat, perhaps mention that she had flown for several hours, non-stop before their race, and that the pegasus was apparently well-rested and better prepared. Surely she could have won if not for that.

First, she was out-skilled by this Rainbow Dash, and now she was complimenting the pegasus for it. Why? What purpose did it serve but to make her look weak to a creature whose very nature was to be prey for stronger predators such as herself? But wasn’t that the whole reason she was here? To better understand these ponies, to expand dragon relations with Equestria.

But, instead of shame, she felt something akin to admiration for Rainbow Dash. Ember’s eyes drifted over the features of the pegasus who, at the moment, was staring hypnotically at the Bloodstone Scepter strapped to the dragon’s back, particularly, the glowing red crystal that reflected in her big magenta eyes. An unusual and unexpected observation popped into her head. Ember felt a sudden fondness growing within her for this Rainbow Dash who acted so much like a dragon. It was like the pegasus was an old friend and not someone she had just met. The thought that the pony was rather pleasing to look upon, if a bit scrawny, crossed her mind as well. She averted her gaze and shook her head, trying to chase off the odd notions and the surge of uncomfortable feelings. It wasn’t the first time this had happened to her. A similar experience occurred with Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. It was like there was some unseen force binding the ponies to the Dragonlord, a bond that burrowed deep within her psyche.

The moment the two shared was cut short by both of their stomachs growling in unison. Rainbow Dash’s hooves clutched her small toned belly as if her stomach pained her. “Ugh, I guess I worked up an appetite. Could've sworn I ate something before my nap. Are you hungry too?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Ember nodded  A curious thought struck her suddenly. Could a dragon, like herself, even eat pony food? She knew ponies opted for vegetation over meat. The prospect certainly didn’t seem appealing. Ember’s stomach growled again, making her well aware of how desperately hungry she was, but after the race, she felt far too spent for a hunt. All she had to do was get a little sustenance for energy. Then she could catch fish in the river she saw in the distance. Surely her superior dragon stomach could handle a few plants.

“Rainbow Dash! Who’s your awesome dragon friend?” The little orange pegasus below inquired. Most of the group of school children that had watched the race had moved on, but three fillies still waited below, staring up at Ember with big curious eyes.

“Hey, crusaders!” Rainbow Dash fluttered down from the roof and ruffled the smaller pegasus’s purple mane. “This is Dragon Lord Ember. She’s here on a very important diplomatic mission.”

Ember dropped to the yard ungracefully and nearly botched her landing. She was far weaker than she realized. If she didn’t eat something soon, it was likely she’d collapse from exhaustion.

The fillies beamed with excitement.

“That’s soooo awesome!” the orange pegasus exclaimed.

“I didn’t know Dragon Lords were so pretty.” the white unicorn said.

“Can we help with th’ mission?” asked the yellow one in an odd accent.

“Maybe,” Ember asked. “To whom am I speaking, younglings?”

“I’m Sweetie Belle, your lordliness!” the unicorn said.

“Scootaloo!” the pegasus said.

“Ah’m Applebloom!” said the yellow filly with a big bow in her poofy red mane.

Rainbow Dash took on an authoritative pose with her head raised high. “Alright, kiddos! Listen up! It’s mission briefing time…”

The three fillies snapped into attentive poses with serious expressions upon their faces like whatever Rainbow Dash would say next would be the single most important thing they would ever hear.

“You three are to make haste to Twilight Sparkle's castle and inform the princess that Dragon Lord Ember has arrived in Ponyville so that she can make whatever preparations are required. This is a very important mission, and failure is not an option. Do I make myself clear, Cutie Mark Crusaders?!”

“YES MA’AM!” They all saluted in unison.

“Dismissed!”

And just like that, they were galloping down the road to carry off their mission.

Rainbow Dash giggled. “Now that that’s over, how about we go find ourselves some grub before we hit up Twilight’s Castle?”

“Lead the way.”

Ponyville and Dragon Lord Ember’s domain were as different as fire is from ice. Her home smelled of salt water, smoke, and sulfur. Ponyville had a more earthy smell of lush grass, blooming flowers, and rich soil. And each pony she passed throughout her journey had their unique fragrances. It seemed many ponies, especially mares, maintained the scent of their coats, manes, and tails through the use of special oils and perfumes with great meticulousness. Ember didn't know much about ponies, something she hoped to rectify with her visit, but she could tell they were immaculate, pleasant-smelling creatures.

In the afternoon light, walking through the cobblestone streets of the fabled pony village, Ember had never seen so many ponies in one place before. The agile little cyan pegasus pranced confidently beside Ember. Her hooves made clip-clop noises on the hard stone street whereas the dragon padded along silently on her scaly soles.

Rainbow Dash and Ember made their way past rows of numerous wooden cottages with angled thatch roofs. For Ember, It was a strange notion to live so close to neighbors. Dragon families often lived dozens of leagues from each other and fought tooth and claw over territory disputes. And they certainly didn't construct their homes; they dwelled in caves.

The pair passed three mares with marks of different flowers on their hindquarters. They giggled over some gossip as they planted vibrant flowers in a garden. When they noticed Ember, one of the trio said something in a hushed tone, and the other two burst out laughing. Ember shot them an annoyed look, and they averted their eyes and returned to work in their garden. It seemed a lot of ponies didn’t know what to make of the dragon walking through their town. Many of them, when they came upon her path, opted to turn and take another route to wherever they were heading. Some, particularly younglings, stopped and gawked at the dragon. It was very unnerving. The rest didn’t seem to care, as if they were used to seeing strange visitors in their town.

Ember noticed that every plant in Ponyville, from the smallest flower to the tallest tree, seemed to be placed and trimmed to be aesthetically pleasing. She doubted that was by accident. She figured the ponies must work hard to keep their town kempt and pretty. It seemed like a waste of time to Ember.

A strange building came into view. Granted, all of the town's architecture was strange to the Dragon Lord, but this particular building was exceptionally different from the buildings around it. It was a vibrant and overly detailed cylindrical structure that narrowed towards the top, where a triangular flag flapped at the mercy of the wind. By the road, an intricately carved and painted sign read “Carousel Boutique.”

“Oh my stars, do my eyes deceive me?! Dragon Lord Ember, is that you, darling?” came a familiar voice from behind.

Ember whirled towards the speaker. She wasn't prepared for what she saw. The unicorn that stood before her amongst several pleasant-smelling boxes floating by the power of her unicorn magic was unmistakably Rarity, but there was definitely more of the pony than she remembered. Put simply: Rarity had gotten undeniably fat. She had the girth of two Rainbow Dashes smooshed together hip to hip, and it was possible that she weighed twice as much as the lean pegasus did. Ember’s mouth began to salivate profusely. For some reason, Rarity looked scrumptious to the starving dragon. Her predatory instincts were screaming for her to pounce the unicorn and devour her on the spot despite countless witnesses. But her severely tested willpower held her back. If she so much as bit the pony, she would make herself an enemy of Equestria.

“S’up, Rares?” greeted Rainbow Dash.

Rarity huffed, “Rainbow Dash, must you insist on using such ill-suited slang and nicknames? Especially in the presence of a Dragon Lord.” She looked to Ember, something she saw made her gasp. “My word, Ember, Are you alright? You look like something is troubling you dearly.”

Ember’s stomach groaned like a roaring dragon. She could only manage one word, “Hungry.”

“Oh you poor poor dragon, it would not do to let an honored guest in Ponyville wither away from starvation.” Rarity gestured to the floating boxes, “It would be a great honor if you would let me share my afternoon meal with you. You see, I might have gone a little overboard during my shopping. I’ve more food than I could ever hope to eat in one sitting. Everything at Sugarcube Corner looked heavenly delicious.” She looked to Rainbow Dash. “Even though you tend to scoff at the foods I partake in, you’re always welcome to join as well.”

Rainbow shrugged, “I’m in dire need of refueling, myself. Honestly, I feel like I could eat anything.” She nudged Ember with a knee, “Ready to get your grub on?”

Ember was barely aware of anything other than Rarity. She struggled to tear her gaze from the portly pony. With much effort, she shifted her attention to the enticingly scented boxes and lunged at the nearest one, taking it into her claws. She ripped the box open to find rows of strange ring-shaped food that didn’t even remotely resemble a plant. She grabbed one and shoved it whole into her maw. Ember moaned as she masticated the soft and unusual edible ring. Her taste buds were hit with such an intense and unbelievably delicious flavor, and her orange eyes almost rolled back into her head. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she fell upon her slender rump with the box in claw.

“Oh my, Darling! You must have been starving,” Rarity said.

The dragon swallowed and immediately got to work devouring another of the delicious rings. How could the ponies make something that wasn’t meat taste so overwhelmingly amazing?
Thoughts of sinking her fangs into Rarity’s bulbous rump were momentarily forgotten. In fact, everything else seemed distant and unimportant. Ember was completely infatuated with the delectable contents of the box that were rapidly diminishing under her onslaught.

“Dang, girl!” Rainbow Dash said from somewhere far away.

There was much activity in her peripheral vision, strange flashes of light being the most prominent, but none of that meant much anymore, she was in her separate reality where getting more glazed doughy rings into her belly was the only thing that mattered. At least it was the only thing that mattered until the box was suddenly empty. Dazed, she looked around to find Rainbow Dash and a crowd of impertinent observers standing around her. A few of the ponies had strange devices that snapped off quick flashes of light before spitting out a fantastic recreation of the scene on a flat surface. Ember looked around for the other boxes of treats and found them missing. Did she eat those too? “Where’s the rest of the food?”

The pegasus guffawed, “While you were chowing down on those donuts, Rarity took the rest inside to set up a ‘civilized buffet’ with her fancy-pancy fine china, silverware, and platters.”

The door to the boutique creaked open, revealing Rarity standing in the entranceway. “What a ghastly noise, I should ask Applejack to oil the hinges again.” She looked to Ember and Rainbow Dash. “Ladies, come inside, away from this riff raff.” Rarity gestured to the rather large crowd that had gathered in front of her shop. “The boutique is closed for the day, and you’re all loitering about on private property. Now go on, shoo,” she said to the congregation of overly curious ponies.

The crowd murmured amongst themselves. “Is she talking about us?” One mare’s voice stood out from the others.

“Riff raff, well I never.” said another.

A good portion of the onlookers dispersed, but a few ponies lingered. “We’re clearly on a public street,” uttered an oppositional black stallion.

Rainbow Dash reared and stomped her front hooves in an aggressive manner. “You heard the lady! Move it! Move it! Move it!” Rainbow yelled. The natural huskiness in her voice was far more prominent than usual. The remaining crowd scattered. Then the pegasus thrust a hoof at an unusually low hanging cloud. “You too, Flitter and Cloudchaser!”

“How did she see us?!” Two pegasus ponies popped out from behind the suspicious cloud and flew off.

Ember licked the sticky glaze off her claws before looking down at herself and touching her hard midsection. She was surprised to see that the normal concave of her belly was no longer there. Those ‘donuts’ she had eaten were quite filling, but the desire to eat was not yet diminished.

Together, Rainbow Dash and Rarity helped Ember to her hind paws. The dragon felt Rarity’s soft protruding belly press up against her back scales. “Come along, darling. I’ve set up a proper feast for us inside the comfort and privacy of my humble home.”

Ember willingly let Rainbow Dash and Rarity guide her into the eccentric pony dwelling. Rarity made a display of bumping the door closed with her bountiful rear. The impact sent shockwaves through her flabby flesh. The fiendish thoughts of tearing apart the unicorn with teeth and claw returned with a vengeance. If not for the aroma of something equally enticing, she may have acted on that impulse. It didn’t take long for Ember to locate the source of the enchanting scent. Upon a low wooden table in front of a big plush purple and pink striped couch was a veritable smorgasbord of strange but intriguing pony food, none of which even remotely resembled plants that she had knowledge of. Thinking little of it, Ember placed her satchel and the Bloodstone Scepter down upon a nearby end table. The next thing she knew she was sitting down on the snug overstuffed couch, chowing down upon the nearest delectable treat.

Rainbow Dash did an impressive aerial  flip over the buffet table, and fluttered down next to the dragon. “Awesome, Rarity got fudge.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity shouted, glaring at the pegasus.

“What?” Rainbow asked innocently from behind a mouthful of fudge.

“No aerial acrobatics in my house.”

The pegasus swallowed her mouthful. “Sorry.”

“Hmmph, apology accepted.”

“Dang Rarity, you went all out on the sweets. We got our cheese danishes, assorted cupcakes, pound cake, cheesecake, carrot cake, cream pie, pumpkin pie, fudge, brownies, cookies, and a gosh darn triple layer chocolate cake.” Rainbow Dash’s excitement was evident in her tone. “It all looks so delicious; I think I’ll try some of everything.”

Desperately trying to keep Rarity out of her thoughts, Ember occupied her mind with taking a mental note of the names of each food item, all the while funneling tasty treat after treat down her gullet. She barely bothered chewing most of it before sending her mouthfuls down into the awaiting depths of her belly.

Despite Ember’s best effort, Rarity’s pudgy body kept competing for her attention, especially when the unicorn sat down next to her. The couch creaked ominously from the added weight. Between the three of them, there was no unused space on the sofa, and Rarity’s squishy hips and love handles were forced, tantalizingly, against the dragon’s side. Ember figured she only had one way to keep herself from eating her unicorn friend. She had to pack her stomach to the absolute brim with pony desserts, to the point that she couldn’t possibly eat another bite—but the more she ate, the more she craved.

Not slowing down her rate of consumption in the least, Ember couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at Rarity. The classy unicorn had taken the time to place a slice of carrot cake on a ceramic plate. She used a fork in combination with her telekinetic powers to take measured ladylike bites, occasionally moaning behind closed lips as she chewed. Occasionally, she took measured sips from a glass of some strange white substance. Struggling, the dragon tore her gaze away from the sight, and looked over to the comparably smaller pegasus instead. Rainbow Dash’s method of eating was the polar opposite of Rarity’s approach. She was keeping up with Ember’s accelerated pace. Her hooves and muzzle were smeared with frosting and crumbs. The pegasus was well on her way to her goal of having a bit of everything on the table.

“My goodness, Rainbow Dash. You are uncharacteristically gluttonous today. Aren’t you worried about your figure?” Rarity inquired after polishing off the slice of cake, then placed a slice of pumpkin pie on her plate.

Rainbow Dash gobbled up an entire brownie in mere seconds before responding. “Nah,” the pegasus burped, “I’ll burn all this off during my daily exercise regimen.” The pony reached for something else to shove in her maw.

“If you say so, darling.”

The three didn’t bother with any more conversation and instead devoted all their efforts to eating. Their bellies bloated outward as the supply of food began to dwindle. At one point, when both Ember and Rainbow Dash reached for the last block of fudge, Ember viciously snarled, baring her fangs at the pegasus. Rainbow Dash yelped and decided to go for something safer. Ember noticed Rainbow Dash had slowed down her rate of consumption significantly. It was clear she was quickly running out of space in her distended stomach, but there was an admirable determination in her magenta eyes as she kept at it. For Ember, despite how much she had already eaten, she always seemed to find more room. Her tested digestive organ continued to stretch and stretch to accommodate more and more. Surely it would end soon; there had to be a limit.

Rainbow Dash groaned while holding her distended blue belly in her hooves, smearing frosting across the skin that had turned rosy from stretching. “Can’t. Eat. Another. Bite.” The stuffed pegasus let out a fierce and drawn-out belch and fell back against the couch. Down for the count.

Rarity, for her credit, kept on eating at a leisurely but steady pace. There wasn’t much left, and between the two of them, they had finished off everything but the triple layer cake, and that too was disappearing. Ember’s claws tore the cake apart, grabbing big chunks of the messy cake and shoveling it into her mouth. Each swallow caused her scaly belly to bloat outward further. Finally, the last of the cake joined the impressive mass of food filling her belly. She let out a satisfying burp. With her stomach being crammed full of sweets, Ember finally got a respite from the fiendish urges to eat her friend. The dragon felt she was capable of eating a bit more, but she definitely couldn’t handle the entirety of the fat unicorn at the moment.

Rainbow Dash cradled her overextended middle and groaned. “Sooo full-URP! But it feels so good… Rarity, I owe you an apology. I totally understand you and Twilight now.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow, “How so, darling?”

“I know why you two eat like this all the time. That felt… actually pretty good, to just give up all self-control for a bit.” She rubbed her belly some more, and groaned. “But I can’t do this again. I have to stay trim for the Wonderbolts. There’s never been a tubby Wonderbolt.”

“Maybe you could be the first. You could make history. You would definitely appeal to the Canterlot elite. Larger mares are all the rage there. I’ve made a killing with my new line of plus-sized clothing.”

Rainbow Dash’s bloated belly gurgled and squelched. “I don’t have to worry about getting fat.” She patted her middle and released a loud undulating belch. “I’ll burn all this off during my daily training session tomorrow.”

The two ponies lapsed into a comfortable silence as they laid about in lethargy, looking quite content as they lazily rubbed their distended bellies. Ember surveyed the scene. There was nothing left but crumbs and smudges of frosting upon the many ceramic plates that laid strewn across the table. The only thing that remained was a glass pitcher, half full with the strange white liquid the two ponies had been drinking. Curious, the dragon clutched the pitcher in her claws and brought it to her muzzle to sniff. “What is this?”

“We call that milk, darling. Go ahead, try some. It’s quite refreshing.” Rarity said, suppressing a burp.

Ember took a probing and restrained sip from the pitcher. The beverage was surprisingly chilled, and the creamy liquid felt pleasant descending her throat and down into her engorged stomach. Deciding she quite liked milk, the dragon gave up all restraint and began gulping down the rest of the cool liquid from the pitcher. Her already comically bloated belly visibly swelled even more as the impressive amounts of food already inside absorbed the creamy addition. With the pitcher drained of its contents, Ember set it back down on the table and fell back against the couch as her long reptilian tongue licked her muzzle clean of milk, frosting, and sticky crumbs. Patting her ungainly engorged middle, the dragon let out a drawn-out belch that topped in octaves all the burps the three had let out that afternoon. It was likely the entire town heard it as all the plates, silverware, and glasses on the table rattled.

“Good?” Rarity inquired, her lips upturned in a knowing smile.

“It was, thank you. I'm curious, how is it made?”

Rarity and Rainbow Dash giggled, their bellies quivering. “It might seem strange to someone who's never had it before… Perhaps it would be best if you were to stay blissfully ignorant of that knowledge,” Rarity said.

“I want to know so I can recreate it in the Dragon Lands.”

“Uhhh… well, if you really want to know—”

“Just tell me already!” the dragon demanded.

“Okay, okay… You see—how should I put this?” Rarity blushed. “Mammals, specifically female mammals, have these teats or udders,” Rarity lifted her pot belly and rubbed the two plump mounds with small pink nipples beneath, “that excrete the milk. Mothers typically create it to feed their young.” The unicorn let her belly plop down on the cushion beneath her. The soft flesh jiggled about for a second.

Ember was not disgusted like the pony seemed to think she would be. Truthfully, she might have been if she hadn't drunk the delicious milk first. “Did you create this milk?”

Rainbow Dash guffawed.

“Oh heavens no, darling. This delicious milk is from a cow. Most of the milk we use is from cows. It may seem strange, but we use their milk to create many different foods. Such as those delectable desserts we just had.”

“I would like one or seven of these cows to take home with me.”

Rainbow Dash laughed again, though it was halfhearted. Her eyelids were drooping as if she could barely keep them open.

“Well, you can't just take cows. They’re sapient creatures, and you'll have to pay them for their milk,” Rarity explained, an expression of concern on her face.

“Pay? Why can't I take these cows? Are they fierce fighters?”

Rarity shifted in her seat and laughed nervously. Ember sensed an uneasiness in the unicorn, perhaps even a dash of fear.

“Darling, I think Twilight could explain the concept of payment for goods or services far better than I could. Knowing her, she’ll probably draw up a few pie charts and graphs concerning the subject. I'm sure by now the princess has been informed of your arrival. She's probably awaiting you in that magnificent crystal castle of hers.” Rarity heaved her heft off the couch. As her quivering flesh settled from the sudden movement, she looked at Rainbow Dash and Ember in a way that made the dragon feel uncomfortable. “Such messy eaters, you two.” she scoffed. Rarity was not wrong; there were bits of food and frosting all over Ember and the pegasus. “Thankfully, I’ve got just the spell for this.” The unicorn brow furrowed in concentration as her horn began to glow with magical energies. The blue-hued glow spread to Rainbow Dash, Ember, the table, the couch, everywhere remnants of food had clung. In a brilliant flash, everything and everyone became spotlessly clean. The only evidence of the feast was their engorged bellies. “That prestidigitation spell worked marvelously. I’ll have to thank Twilight for showing me that useful trick. It certainly saves time—OH!” Rarity’s face suddenly lit up in excitement. “I almost forgot, I’ve got a gift for you, Ember! Wait right there, darling. I’ll be right back.”

“I do like gifts. Is it more food?” Gifts, such as treasure to add to her hoard, were acceptable to Ember, as long as it wasn’t something that had to be killed for her.

“Not quite, dear. But I’m sure you’ll love it regardless.” Rarity's posterior bounced, swayed, and quivered as she went into another room, leaving Ember alone with a very sleepy looking pegasus.

Rainbow Dash yawned before snuggling up against the dragon and resting her head on the dragon’s shoulder. “You’re soooo warm.”

Ignoring the pegasus, Ember looked around at her surroundings, noticing that the room was far too flammable for her likings. One dragonfire belch would ignite the delicate cloth drapes and curtains, the plush purple carpet, the heart-patterned wallpaper, the intricately designed wood furniture, or the many clothes on display. No dragon with any sense would live in a place like this. It may not look as pretty, but cold stone made a better home for a fire-breathing dragon.

Before long, Rarity returned. “Found it!” The unicorn beamed as she floated over something brightly colored. Ember took it into her claws and examined it. It was a dress of sorts; soft to the touch, masterfully tailored, of intricate design, and the colors of fire.

“It's a sundress. Nothing too formal.”

“So this is why you took my measurements before you left the Dragon Lands.”

“Yes indeed. Oh, you simply must try it on!”

In truth, Ember didn't care for clothing that wasn't armor, but she didn't want to upset her friend. So she carefully and gently untangled herself from a now-sleeping Rainbow Dash, and heaved herself and her big ungainly belly off the couch. Rarity guided her in front of a mirror. With the help of the unicorn’s magic, they managed to get the dress on and somehow button it up over her bloated belly. It was comfortable, despite a bit of tightness around the midsection. Rarity had even considered her tail in the design; the skirt parted in the back.

“You look marvelous, darling. It really emphasizes your feminine curves. And the color goes well with those fierce eyes of yours.”

“I do like the color.”

“That's a relief, darling. I had to take a gamble on the color scheme.”

Ember had never worn anything other than armor before, but she was surprised by the pleasure that wearing the fiery sundress brought to her, even if it didn't provide much if any protection in a tussle. A word came to mind that she didn’t often use, “It’s beautiful, like treasure..."

“Just like you, darling.” Rarity said, making Ember blush at the compliment.

“Although, maybe I should've used a more flexible material.” The unicorn patted Ember’s taut bulbous middle, causing it to wobble and gurgle beneath the thin fabric. “You keep eating like this, and you’re likely to burst out of that dress. As superb as my stitching skills are, they won’t hold under stress forever.” Rarity lapsed into a thoughtful expression, “Perhaps, I should start working on your next dress, in case you outgrow this.”

“Thank you, Rarity, but that’s not necessary.”

“I won’t take no for an answer; it’s what a good friend does. I am the element of generosity after all. Now, how about we head over to Twilight’s castle, I’m sure she has a lot to talk to you about. Since we came back from the Dragonlands, she’s been obsessed with studying dragons. You wouldn’t believe the amount of notes she took during our visit, and poor Spike has become a test subject for her experiments. Nothing harmful, mind you.”

Ember looked over at the sleeping pegasus. She watched the pony’s gurgling belly rise and fall with each breath. “What about Rainbow Dash?”

“Let her rest. I swear that pony is asleep more than she’s awake.”

“It would be good to see Spike and Twilight again.” In agreement, the two friends exited the front door, and made their way down the street, albeit at a leisurely pace. They followed the path towards the enormous crystal castle looming over the village. Maintaining pace with the unicorn, Ember held her belly like a pregnant dragon as it gurgled and squelched, hard at work digesting her massive meal. Dragons were known to have a much faster digestive system than most other inhabitants of the world. This was due to their highly corrosive stomach acid that was capable of melting gems. Already Ember’s superior stomach was freeing up space as the mass of food began the process of moving further down her digestive tract.

The dragon found herself admiring the way Rarity’s plump features moved as the pony walked in an almost waddling gait. Her fat rear swayed and bounced in rhythm with her hanging blubbery pot belly and quivering teats. She watched that purple tail, smooth and shiny like fine silk, swish back and forth, enticingly. Ember licked her lips as the hunger began to return. Thankfully, she got distracted by a whiff of sweet and mouthwatering scents of food she had yet to experience. It was enough to snap the dragon out of her tunnel vision.

“Ahh, we’ve reached the Marketplace. Do you remember what I said about exchanging goods or services for payment? This here is a prime example of the Equestrian economy at work.”

The marketplace was a wide open area in the center of the village. The dragon found herself surrounded by countless ponies and dozens of small but colorful canvas and wooden structures with various stallions and mares standing or sitting behind counters that separated themselves from the ponies out in the open. “What is all this?”

“Those are what we call trading booths. Here we trade bits, or coins, for a particular merchant’s food or wares. Although some traders can be convinced to barter goods for other goods.”

“So instead of just taking what you want, you give them coins for it? This seems overly complicated to me. How does one acquire these bits?”

“Well, take me for example. I make clothing and sell said clothing to other fashion-conscious ponies. They give me an agreed amount of bits, and I provide them with my creations. That’s how I make my living.”

“Ahh, I think I get what you’re telling me.”

“Of course you do, darling. You’ve got a sharp mind. I would expect no less from a dragon cunning enough to become the Dragon Lord.”

Ember followed her nostrils to one stall that caught her attention. Behind the counter, an orange pony with a peculiar hat shouted, “Apple Family baked goods! Cooked fresh this morning! Made with the finest apples in all of Equestria!” She spoke with a strange accent. It didn’t take the pony long to notice the dragon gaping at her ‘baked goods.' “Howdy, Rarity! And you must be Dragon Lord Ember.” The pony extended her hoof towards the dragon. “I’m Applejack, a pleasure t’meet you.”

Ember turned her claw into a fist and bumped the pony’s hoof, in the same manner she had with Rainbow Dash. “How did you know who I was?”

“How could ah not know who yah are? My lil sis n’her friends came gallop’n through here earlier spout’n this and that about being super special agents for the Dragon Lord on a very important mission. You made quite the impression on those three.”

Rarity giggled, “Oh, to be a filly again.”

Ember’s belly grumbled as she eyed the sugary desserts on and behind the counter. “I see you admiring my pies. Would you like one? On the house, of course. Ah think yah find em mighty delicious.”

Ember nodded.

“Why don’t you take a seat over on that there picnic table, and I’ll bring one out to you.”

Ember and Rarity made their way to the table and sat down across from each other. Ember licked her lips as Applejack came out from behind her counter with the apple pie balancing on her snout, a fork stuck in the crust. Applejack placed the rather large pie in front of Ember with surprising dexterity for a creature without claws or magic to help her. “Go ahead, sugarcube, dig in.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Ember cautiously sniffed at the strange pony food. Her mouth watered from the enticing scent. With a dexterous claw, she picked up the fork and jabbed it into the crust to gather up a glob of the gooey apple center before bringing it to her maw. The flavor quickly overwhelmed her self-control, and she proceeded to eat the rest without restraint. Bite after bite; the pie quickly disappeared down her gullet to the sound of fork clanking against the bottom of the tin. When she couldn’t gather up anymore with the utensil, she discarded it and brought the entire tin to her face, lapping up what remained with a long nimble tongue before licking her snout clean. She dropped the tin onto the table with a clank, then raised her piercing eyes to Applejack, “More?”

“You don’t want more of those disgusting garbage filled pies.” Said a stranger, wheeling over a cart of pastries, her poofy red mane bobbing up and down.

“I don’t?”

“Nope. Here, try this.”

“Huh-MMMPH.” The newcomer shoved a hoof full of pastry into Ember’s gaping maw. The dragon resisted, at first—it was too delicious to deny. She sucked the gooey and crusty substance off the pony’s yellow hoof. Her reptilian tongue coiled around the appendage like a snake, licking it clean of all the flakey and gooey bits, her throat working to pull down lumps of pastry into the depths of her already engorged stomach.

The pegasus pulled her hoof free. A trail of saliva followed. Judging from the come hither look she gave the dragon, the strange pony didn’t seem disgusted by the experience—“Strawberries are oh so much better than those nasty apples. Wouldn’t you agree?” Ember opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, another pastry was shoved in.

“You take that back, Strawberry Sunrise! Apples ain’t garbage. My family works very hard to grow n’harvest those apples. Ask anypony—apples are miles better than strawberries.” Applejack rolled over her own cart full of desserts.

Thoroughly enjoying her sugary strawberry treat, Ember watched with amusement as Strawberry Sunrise and Applejack pointlessly argued about which fruit was better, apples or strawberries. To Ember, they were equally delicious, but when she swallowed and opened her mouth to say just that, Applejack shoved in one of her apple-filled desserts.

Unable to get an unmuffled word out, Ember resigned herself to her sugary fate. She willingly let the two ponies stuff her swelling belly full of tasty treats for their competition, though neither pony seemed interested in Ember’s opinion since they kept her mouth full of fruity baked goods. Regardless, she loved every moment of it. Her growing globular gut strained the threading of her sundress. Scaley teal flesh peeked out between the struggling buttons, the dress becoming tighter and tighter as it tried to contain the dragon’s bloating form.

It seemed pony food was quite fattening. All that Ember had devoured that day were beginning to take their toll on Ember’s previously lean figure. Along with her belly, her hips and rear were slowly but noticeably expanding, testing the seams along the side of the dress and causing the skirt to climb up her thickening thighs.

Rarity had remained silent while Applejack and Strawberry Sunrise argued about who had the better desserts as they stuffed Ember like a prized pig. Since the other two ponies were freely offering up their goods with no charge, the unicorn had helped herself to one of Applejack’s pies, casually taking small and ladylike bites. All the while, she kept a curious eye on Ember’s expanding middle. “Oh dear, I think my stitching is about to reach its limit.”

Rarity’s prediction turned out to be accurate. Swallowing an entire slice of strawberry pie proved to be the final straw, or rather, last thread. One after another, in a chain reaction, buttons popped off and shot off into the distance.

An unlucky chestnut stallion with a gold hourglass cutie mark yelped as he was struck. "My eye!"

Ember's teal belly, a squelching bulging ball of partially digested food and fat, surged forth, free of its bonds. After seeing the damage they had wrought on Rarity’s dress, the two ponies ceased their feeding session. Ember found herself relieved; as tasty as the food was, at the rate they had been feeding her, Ember’s stomach was struggling painfully to contain its contents. She looked like a brood mother that was about ready to lay a half a dozen eggs.

“I’m sorry, Rarity. I guess we got a lil carried away.”

“I’m sorry too.” Strawberry Sunrise said, looking down at her shuffling hooves.

“Oh, it’s quite alright, ladies. My mind is abuzz with ideas for the Dragon Lord’s next dress. I have this magnificent stretchy fabric that just came in from Manehattan that I’ve been dying to try out.” Rarity finished off the last of her pie. “I’ll consider this pie as compensation.”

“Are you alright there, your lordliness?” Applejack asked, looking at the dragon with worry written upon her face.

Ember cradled her aching gurgling gut and let out a belch forceful enough to rattle the food carts and empty pie tins. The ponies in the vicinity winced from the thunderous sound. “I’ll be fine…” She pushed away from the table and attempted to stand up, but the bloated dragon was not prepared for her ungainly middle throwing off her balance. She stumbled and almost fell back down on the bench before righting herself. “Ugh… just need to let my stomach digest all this delicious food. Thank you for the meal. It was…” She patted her quivering orb of a belly and let out another burp. “...quite enjoyable.”

“Anytime!” Said both dessert merchants in unison, then glared at each other with contempt.

Ignoring the two quarreling ponies, Ember set her eyes on the plump unicorn.  “Rarity, I’m ready to proceed to the castle now.”

“Certainly, darling.” With much jiggling flesh, the pony managed to get her hefty body up from the bench.

Ember paused for a moment before turning back to the orange earth pony who had begun clearing and cleaning the picnic table. “Applejack?”

“What can I do you for?”

“Do you have any milk? I’m feeling quite parched.”

“Nah, sorry, sugarcube. But! I do have a keg of apple cider. Would you like a mug? No charge, of course.”

“Apple cider? Yes, I would like to try that.”

Applejack trotted over to her trading stall and gathered up one of many wooden mugs. “One mug of delicious apple cider come’n up.” Using her teeth, she held the mug underneath a tap connected to a large wooden barrel. Then she flipped a handle with a hoof. Amber-colored liquid began flowing into the mug. Ember was impressed at how easily the pony handled the task without claws or magic to assist her. When the cider was about to overflow, she flipped the handle again, and the stream stopped. “Here you are. One mug of the best dang cider you’ll ever have.”

Ember took the mug of frothy liquid into her claws, and sniffed at the sweet-smelling beverage. She took a few cautious sips. It was refreshing, but it wasn’t as good as the milk she had become quite fond of. Regardless, she drained the entire mug in one go, slamming the empty mug down on the counter and letting out another hearty satisfying belch. “Thank you, pony. Your tribute is much appreciated.”

“See ya ‘round. Come by anytime.”

With that, Ember whirled, her exposed gut sloshing about, and began moving in the direction of the crystallized castle looming in the distance. Rarity followed with a waddling gait. Careful not to overly jostle their quivering overstuffed bellies, they both moved at a slow leisurely pace down the road, digesting the mass of food in their bellies—in Ember’s case, quite rapidly. Although unbelievably delicious, it didn’t take her body long to break down pony food and turn it into mostly excess fat. She could feel herself getting fatter by the minute. More seams of her dress ripped, and the skirt barely covered her expanded rump.

They reached the manicured lawn of the castle without event. Ember gaped up at the impressive structure made entirely out of crystal. Finally, Ember had found a pony building that didn’t look like it was made of kindling. Being a gem-eating dragon, she pondered if it was possible for her to eat the architecture. Already, she was feeling peckish again.

“Here we are, darling. No matter how many times I see it, I’m still struck with awe when I look up at this magnificent castle.”

“It is impressive. How do ponies manage to mold crystals like that?”

Rarity waddled her way to the entrance and tapped a device attached to the wall, causing a bell to chime. After a moment, the disembodied voice of Twilight Sparkle, as clear as if she was standing before them, said, “Just a moment, I’ll be right there.”

“Well, it’s more like it molded itself. The castle appeared after we defeated Lord Tirek.”

“Ponies bested Tirek? How?” Ember asked, incredulous.

“Through the magic of friendship, of course.”

Confused by the statement, Ember was about to ask Rarity to clarify when the double doors swung open, revealing a short but stout purple dragon. It seemed Rarity wasn’t the only one who had put on weight since their last time together. Spike was looking well fed, which wasn’t surprising considering the food that was readily available to him here in Ponyville. “Ember! I’m so glad you’re here.” Spike rushed over on his stubby legs and threw his arms around Ember’s soft midsection.

It was an odd sensation feeling her newly acquired gut engulf part of the other dragon’s muzzle. Even stranger was the feeling his gut squishing against her fatter thighs. Her face burned with embarrassment at the public display of affection. Hugs made her feel weird. Unsure of what to do with her claws, she patted the other dragon on the head. “Okay then, nice to see you too.”

Rarity mewed. “You two are just so cute.”

Ember despised that word. “Cute? Cute?! Dragons are not supposed to be cute!” She disentangled herself from Spike and pushed him away, albeit not roughly.

“Sorry, darling, I didn’t mean to offend you. Hugs are quite normal in Equestria. No need to feel embarrassed here.”

“Blah! Next thing you know, you’ll have me making friendship bracelets or picking flowers."

“Oh! I do like making friendship bracelets. And picking flowers is nice too.” Rarity grinned.

“You ponies are unbearable.”

“Who is it, Spike?!” came Twilight Sparkle’s unmistakable voice from inside the castle. Ember could hear the princess's hooves clopping upon the crystal floor as the pony approached. She could also hear the pony huffing and puffing.

“It’s Ember!” Spike called back.

After a moment, Twilight Sparkle reached the entranceway, breathing heavily from exertion. “It’s *huff* so good *puff* to see you again, Ember.” The sight of the pony was shocking. Put simply: Twilight had put on weight as well—a lot of weight. Gone was the slim perky nerd with the nonstop questions Ember remembered. Twilight was much bigger than Rarity—an obese parody of her old self. If not for her unique color scheme and cutie mark, Ember wouldn’t have recognized the jumbo sized princess. She looked like she weighed three times as much as Rainbow Dash. Her big blubbery belly hung down to her knees and protruded outward along her sides. It was a giant orb of pliable fat. Her face had softened as well, with chubby cheeks and a double chin. And her hips were noticeably wider than Rarity’s—easily visible behind her protruding gut when looking at the princess from the front.

Ember began salivating again as her stomach growled for the princess’s fat flesh. The dragon’s lips involuntarily pulled back from her teeth, revealing her sharp canines. Something vicious stirred within her. Savage instinct consumed her mind. The dragon hungered like never before. The feeling was insufferable, if she didn’t do something, predatory instinct would consume her, and blood would no doubt flow.

“Are you okay, Ember? Is something wrong?” The obese pony asked, looking more than a little disturbed by what she saw in the dragon’s eyes.

“I… I...” Ember had to do something, anything, to keep herself from pouncing Twilight Sparkle, and sinking her canines into the princess’s fat flesh. She screamed, raised a claw to her mouth, and bit down, hard. Hot sticky blood flowed into her mouth, and down her face. Expressions of absolute horror covered her friends’ faces. She focused on the pain as she spread her wings, pumped them earnestly, took to the air, and flew away from the castle, away from Ponyville.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dragon Lord Ember let out a lengthy undulating belch that echoed throughout the valley. The sound was so loud, Ember was certain it could be heard a league away in Ponyville. The dragon sat on her newly acquired fat rump, leaning against a tall oak that rooted next to a winding river at the bottom of the quiet mountain valley. Her claws rested on an absurdly distended belly. It gurgled and squelched loudly as the abundant contents within churned. Scattered all around were piles and piles and piles of fish bones, all scorched black by dragonfire. It had become such an enormous struggle to move about with a gut heavy with such tremendous amounts of fish meat that she had to sit down and let all that meat digest.

Ember had spent a good part of the morning catching and devouring every single fish that was unlucky enough to swim by. They were big fish, too, and in great abundance. It seemed the ponies that lived nearby didn’t eat fish. The ones in the river had been, for the most part, undisturbed and left to grow fat and slow and breed in significant numbers. Ember had feasted until her gut had become so ungainly and heavy with the burden that she was too slow to catch anymore.

Ember was satisfied for the moment, but she knew that would not last forever. Since coming to Ponyville yesterday, the Dragon Lord’s appetite had exploded. Being hungry wasn’t new to Ember, but she had grown accustomed to ignoring her insatiable stomach. Sure, as the Dragonlord, she was capable of acquiring more than enough meat to fill her belly to the brim if she commanded others to catch her meals for her. But that would go against her own proud and stubborn nature. Of course, this meant she spent most of her time hunting for her next meal while avoiding other, larger predators in the unforgiving Dragonlands.

In her head, Ember kept seeing the look of terror upon the ponies she had fled from in front of the crystal castle. The dragon knew she was treading on thin ice. If she gave in to the temptations to sink her sharp chompers into a pony, it would mean the end of her relationship with Spike and her equine friends. She just couldn't let that happen. She liked having friends, even if they were weak little ponies. They made her feel special and wanted.

Appetite wasn’t the only thing that had changed within her. All those excess calories had to go somewhere. Since arriving, Ember had gone from skin and bones to plump. Then plump to chubby. Then finally to her current state; downright and undeniably fat. And she had only just arrived yesterday afternoon.

Despite how slow and cumbersome the fat had made her, she welcomed the change. Being bigger was a good thing for a dragon. Ember had despised being small her entire life. Most dragons had great respect for those larger than them. Her father was the biggest dragon alive, and no dragon dared cross him, except for maybe herself. So she enjoyed the extra weight, even though thus far she had only grown wider, not taller. But if she continued down her current gluttonous path, perhaps she would grow taller in time as well.

The idea of being bigger excited her in more ways than one. She patted her gut and gasped as it wobbled and jiggled and squelched. Taking a claw, she traced the rounded curve of her abdomen upward then downward. She groped her engorged belly with one claw and slid the other under her gut and between her soft thighs; thighs that now rubbed together when she walked.

She let out a moan as her digits dug between all the soft flesh and found the more sensitive female parts of her nethers. She pleasured herself for some time, drenching her claw in the juices of her loins. Ember climaxed imagining herself growing fatter and fatter. She let out a scream of pleasure that echoed throughout the valley. She rode waves of ecstasy for a few moments, and then shortly after, blissfully drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, Ember woke with a start. Nature was calling. The position of the sun indicated it was around noon. The dragon relieved herself amongst the bones. Between hunger fits, like now, Ember could think clearly and coherently. But when the hunger had her, she couldn't help but lose herself in it. Able to form complex thoughts, she suddenly felt ashamed. Not because she was fat now, but because her expanding body had ruined the beautiful sun dress Rarity had labored to make for her. The tattered remains lay among the bones. When she first woke up, the torn fabric still tightly clung to her frame. It might have been salvageable if she had the sense to remove the dress before going into a hunger-fueled rampage upon the unsuspecting schools of fish that traversed the river.

Ember felt bad about her behavior yesterday. The wound on her claw was just a dull throb now. The flesh was mending nicely, but it was likely her friends were worried sick after seeing her bite herself in desperation.

Perhaps now she could handle being in the presence of the overly enticing obese princess. Although not as tasty, meat seemed to keep her hunger at bay longer than the fattening pony food. As well, Ember’s Bloodstone Scepter was now in their possession. At the very least Ember had to reclaim it. Resolved, the dragon spread her wings and pumped vigorously to become airborne. Sluggishly, due to the extra weight, she flew towards Ponyville.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grasping in her magic a can of whipped cream and one plump, steaming apple pie, Starlight Glimmer pranced cheerfully into her mentor's sanctum. She found Twilight Sparkle sitting on her haunches in a big cushioned chair. It was a chair that the princess favored and one of the few that could still support her weight, which she had gained a lot of in just the past few months.

It had been a while since Twilight Sparkle had last stepped on some ill-fated scale, but Glimmer estimated the alicorn had long surpassed two hundred pounds. By her estimates, Twilight Sparkle was closer to three hundred, easily making the princess the fattest pony in Ponyville.

The chair was looking quite snug around Twilight's softer body. When she shifted her weight to get more comfortable, the chair creaked ominously beneath her bulging hindquarters. It wouldn't be long before the obese pony would outgrow even that cherished chair as well, but for now, it held.

A few days ago, to better judge just how big Twilight had gotten, Glimmer had sat in Twilight's chair while the alicorn was sleeping in her chamber just down the hall. The smells of lavender and coconut, the very smells of Twilight's favored coat and hair product, was strong in the midnight blue cushions with its white half-moons and stars. Glimmer's slender rump settled into the impressive indentation of Twilight's ponderous purple plot cheeks. Pink forehooves rested within a large dip where the princess's fat teats and gut had pressed their considerable weight into the cushion. Sitting in Twilight's seat, there was plenty of space on each side of Glimmer’s hips. She figured there was enough room for a second average-sized pony to sit comfortably with her, yet Twilight's corpulent body all but overflowed that same space. The experience had stirred something overwhelmingly pleasant and primal within Glimmer, and she had been forced to jump out of the chair before she stained it with the juices of her arousal.

Twilight Sparkle's brows furrowed the way they did when she was in a focused mindset. The princess's vibrant purple eyes darted from left to right as, for the hundredth time it seemed, she thoroughly scrutinized the extensive, meticulous notes that she had taken while in the Dragon Lands months ago. At that time, the alicorn was a mere one hundred and thirty pounds.

Twilight was so absorbed in her work, she didn't seem to notice that Starlight Glimmer had entered the room, despite the echoing clip-clop her hooves had made on the crystallized floor. That did not last long. The moment Twilight's nostrils picked up the sweet mouth-watering scent of one of Applejack's famous apple pies, the alicorn's attention was immediately drawn away from her work and towards the source of another potential meal. Plump purple cheeks flushed and a look of... well, Glimmer wasn't quite sure what was behind her mentor's expression. She thought it was a cross between wonder, desperation, and perhaps even sexual arousal.

Glimmer couldn't help the smug smile that crept upon her pink face from the sight of her mentor's expression. "I thought you might still be hungry. And, well..." The unicorn pushed strands of purple and teal hair away from her blue eyes. "Applejack was having another bake sale in town, and I couldn't help but think of you."

Resting upon Twilight's rotund gut was a rather thick notebook. Ever since she had gained enough flab to do so, Twilight had been putting her broad belly to good use as a soft, squishy book stand. Three other notebooks had been set upon a wooden end table nearby. The alicorn had broken up her notes on dragons into four separate subjects, each with their dedicated book. Glimmer had read through all of them once or twice. There was Dragon Anatomy, Dragon Psychology, Geography of the Dragon Lands, and Dragon History. It was impressive how much detail Twilight put into even the most mundane of information.

Twilight smiled innocently. "That's very sweet, but I just ate a—" From within the depths of the princess's stomach, a monstrous growl butted into the conversation like a freight train before tapering off in a low rumble, leaving Twilight to giggle nervously. Once again her almost insatiable stomach had betrayed her. Twilight's purple hoof absentmindedly rubbed her needy belly in circular motions. "I suppose a small snack would be welcomed." She set her book down on the table with the others.

Glimmer's sly smirk turned into a full toothy grin. "Would you like some whipped cream?"

Twilight nodded as she nibbled lightly on her bottom lip. She looked at the pie in much the same way a horny mare might look upon a stallion's throbbing erection.

As Glimmer proceeded to release an entire can's worth of whipped cream upon the rather large pie, Twilight shuddered and gyrated her meaty thighs together, sending her obese body into a fit of quivering flesh. If there was one thing Starlight Glimmer had noticed about Twilight Sparkle over the past few months, it was that the princess had grown to really love food. And the higher in calories, the better it seemed. As a secret fat admirer, Glimmer was more than happy to enable Twilight.

As the whipped cream piled up higher and higher, Glimmer made a mental note of everything Twilight had devoured that day. To start her day, the gluttonous pony had eaten an enormous stack of seventeen pancakes drenched in butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. After that was an entire baker's dozen of frosted donuts. Then a whole iced carrot cake. And to wash it all down, Twilight had gulped down a half gallon of pure heavy cream. For lunch, Glimmer had gone into town to buy four super-sized hayburgers and an extra large helping of hayfries for Twilight. And what better way for the growing princess to finish off the massive meal than an extra large vanilla milkshake? With a diet like that, there was no question how Twilight had put on so much weight in just a few months.

After a moment, the can was empty, and the pie floated over to Twilight and rested upon her soft belly. Twilight was beyond taking slices and putting them on a plate. Why waste time cleaning more dishes when she could eat it right from the tin with a fork? Despite how messy the foods she often ate were, the fat alicorn was extremely efficient and neat with her eating. Every last drop and crumb made it into her greedy maw. Very rarely would she get food on herself.

Starlight Glimmer plopped her slender rump down on the couch across from Twilight Sparkle. The princess didn't seem to notice her anymore. Twilight's full undivided attention was on her latest meal. Nothing else appeared to matter to her but that pie. The unicorn stared dreamily at Twilight's body, fantasizing about how much bigger Twilight was going to get if Glimmer continued to stuff her like a prized hog day after day. She had already become so fat that she was incapable of seeing anything beyond the apex of her gut without a mirror, certainly not her own marehood.

Glimmer was so lost in her admiration that she didn't notice a third pony had entered the room. Trixie jumped up on the couch and sat next to Glimmer. "Enjoying your pie, Twilight?" Trixie said, a toothy grin plastered on her face.

"Mmm-hmm!" Twilight allowed through stuffed cheeks, before swallowing a glob of delicious apple pie and immediately shoving more into her maw.

Glimmer's head snapped towards Trixie, eyes widening at the implication of that knowing grin. "What did you do to that pie?!" Glimmer whispered harshly in Trixie's ear.

Trixie's grin seemed to grow even wider; a devious twinkle was in her eye. "Oh nothing, just a harmless practical joke..." She slyly whispered back under Twilight's range of hearing, before going into a fit of giggling.

Glimmer's eyes darted back towards Twilight in search of something going horribly wrong. At first, everything seemed normal, then she saw it. Twilight's purple teats were poking out from underneath her considerable gut, dark purple nipples erect. There was something else: her round udders appeared bigger than normal. Glimmer wondered if this was simply a recent, natural growth that she hadn't noticed until now. But as she watched, her eyes widened in comprehension. There was no doubt about it now: Twilight's teats were visibly swelling, slowly but surely. Twilight, however, didn't seem to notice as she blissfully shoved more globs of pie into her maw. The tin was almost empty now.

After a few more gulps, visible lumps descending her neck and disappearing into the depths of her belly, Twilight lapped up what little remained of the pie in the bottom of the tin with a nimble tongue. Satisfied, she set the empty tin down on the nearby coffee table with a light clatter. She licked her lips. "Ahh, that hit the spot." Twilight patted her belly, and a burp slipped out from between her lips. "Heh, excuse me." She apologized, blushing cutely.

“Would you like something to wash down all that pie, Twilight? Perhaps some fresh milk?” Trixie asked, that mischievous grin still dominating her muzzle.

“NO!” Glimmer shouted, then blushed when Twilight gave her a perplexed expression. “I mean, uh… I’m feeling antsy, let me get you the rest of the heavy cream from this morning. I should have brought that out with the pie, anyway.”

Twilight still looked perplexed. “Okay… thank you, Glimmer.”

It was apparent Twilight hadn’t noticed her teats were getting bigger. Glimmer figured if no one drew attention to it, whatever Trixie did to the pie would wear off before the princess was aware of it.

Glimmer hopped down from the couch; her hooves clopped noisily onto the crystal floor.

"You know Starlight; I don't think it necessary for you to get that cream, Twilight alrea-AHH!" A pink hoof smacked the back of Trixie's head; then blue hued magic dragged the mischievous unicorn off the couch and out of the room with Glimmer.

When they were out of sight and out of hearing of Twilight, Starlight released Trixie. Scowling, Glimmer glared into the other unicorn’s wide purple eyes. "Okay, explain exactly what you did to that pie," she commanded.

Trixie looked ashamed as she averted her eyes to stare down at her shuffling forehooves. "It was just a light-hearted prank. I think the spell will fade... eventually."

"Eventually?! What?! When her tits are as big as a house?!

"No! I don't think they'll grow that big. Once they start lactating, I'm sure they'll shrink a bit..."

"Lactating?! Lactating!? Oh no, she's going to be pissed once she starts leaking milk all over her castle..."

"I'm sorry, Starlight. I thought you'd find it funny. Trixie certainly did."

Glimmer let out a sigh; her rage drained out of her. "I suppose it is a little funny, but you—" She pressed a hoof into Trixie's chest, "—need to come clean with Twilight. We don't want her going out into public when she starts to lactate. We'll keep her inside for the rest of the day to not further embarrass her."

"Do I have to tell her now?"

"Yes, NOW! You cast the spell; you take the blame. I'm going to get that heavy cream." Glimmer left an abashed Trixie in the hall and headed towards the castle's kitchen. On her way there, she came across Spike sitting at the dining table. As he often did, he was reading his comic books while snacking on gem cupcakes. The princess wasn't the only one putting on weight in the household. Spike's ball of a gut pooled in his lap, threatening to overflow it. He glanced up at Glimmer as she passed by and gave a lackadaisical greeting. "Hello, Starlight."

"Good Afternoon, Spike."

"Have you seen or heard anything about Ember?"

"No, I haven't. Sorry, Spike."

He sighed, shoved an entire cupcake in his maw and went back to reading about superheroes. Since his last encounter with Ember, Spike had been moping around the castle and eating almost nonstop. It saddened Starlight Glimmer, and she wanted to comfort him, but she knew it was best to give him some space while he worked things out on his own. So she continued to the kitchen in the next room to grab the bottle of heavy cream from the fridge.

With the glass bottle of chilled, sloshing liquid hovering around her head, she took a moment to take inventory. She had filled the pantry to the brim just a few days ago, but already their supply was dwindling. She had just enough ingredients to make a massive tray of lasagna for dinner. There was the triple layered chocolate cake with strawberry frosting that she planned to feed to Twilight for dessert. Three big bags of unopened potato chips. One more container of Spike's gem cupcakes. A half-full barrel of the Apple family's apple cider. A box of chocolate-and-peanut-butter fudge. In the ice chest was an untouched gallon tub of strawberry and chocolate ice cream. And on the kitchen counter next to the sink, was a big pink pig-shaped cookie jar. When Glimmer lifted the lid, she noticed half of the assorted cookies she had placed in there yesterday had been eaten. To a typical pony, it would seem there was plenty of food, but Glimmer expected that Twilight and Spike would devour everything by tomorrow night.

Starlight Glimmer would have to dip into the royal coffers again. They had already used up the insurance bits from the tree-library that Lord Tirek had destroyed. It seemed naughty using tax money to keep the princess fat and happy, but the people didn't seem to mind, or if they did they didn't protest vocally. The food was rather cheap and readily available in Equestria, thanks in large part to such lush farmland.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Twilight's furious voice carried down the hallway as Glimmer made her way back to her mentor's sanctum.

Glimmer slipped back into the room with the bottle of heavy cream in tow. Trixie was looking at her shuffling forehooves again. Twilight was trying to lean forward in her chair with much protest from the creaking wooden frame. Her broad belly scrunched up as much as it could, but Twilight's range of movement in comparison to a pony the size of Starlight or Trixie was minuscule. Only now, because they had more than doubled in size, was Twilight able to view part of her expanding tits with wide purple eyes. She reached around her paunch to rub them, but they must have been tender because she whimpered as they jiggled about in her hooves, the milk audibly sloshing around inside.

Twilight could only hold that pose for a few moments before she flopped back against the chair huffing and puffing. Unfortunately, the sudden shift in weight proved too much for the poor chair. One of the legs cracked and splintered apart. The chair fell heavily on one corner. Despite the redistribution of weight, the remaining three legs held for a second, and then they too cracked and splintered apart beneath nearly three hundred pounds of pony. When Twilight's legless seat slammed into the ground, the force caused the backboard to detach from the frame and Twilight was laid flat on her back with the ruined chair beneath her. The impact caused her thick thighs, sizable gut, and huge milk-filled udders to jiggle about like flan for a few seconds. Her globular gut rose and fell rapidly, as the sudden shock left the obese princess gasping for breath.

Hysterical laughter burst from Trixie's mouth.

Ignoring her rude friend, Glimmer set the bottle down on the coffee table and rushed over to help her mentor. "Oh my gosh, Twilight, are you okay?"

Twilight's plump cheeks were rosy. "I'm just peachy..."

Trixie guffawed in the background. Glimmer shot the unicorn a glare that made her look down at her hooves again in guilt-ridden silence.

Twilight sighed. "They just don't make sturdy chairs anymore."

"Sure, it's the craftponyship that's the problem." Trixie giggled.

"Trixie! I SWEAR to Celestia, if you make one more snarky comment, I'm teleporting you to the middle of the ocean! Help me get her up," Glimmer said.

"Sorry..."

They rolled Twilight on her belly and struggled to heave her off the ruins of her chair and onto her hooves.

"Thank you." Twilight allowed, her face still flushed.

"Twilight, considering your, uh predicament, perhaps you should stay in for the rest of the day."

"Yes, that's probably for the best." Twilight popped the cork out of the bottle of heavy cream and levitated the chilled refreshment to her lips. She gulped all the creamy liquid down greedily in one go. It seemed to calm her. She put the empty bottle down next to the pie tin.

“Well then, since I’m stuck with you two, perhaps we could discuss something pertinent.” Twilight waddled over to her massive crystal desk against the wall. Her corpulent rear end bounced and quivered as she went. Still swelling, her sloshing teats swayed and slapped her big hanging pot belly and quivering thighs; she winced slightly every time her milk-filled teats impacted other parts of her body.

A nearby, well-placed window allowed a shaft of sunlight to spread across the desk. Dust motes danced in the illumination, occasionally landing lightly upon towering stacks of old tomes and scattered piles of scrolls. But there was one spot on the desk where the light did not touch, and in that shadow lay the Dragon Lord’s Bloodstone Scepter. It seemed to drink in the darkness like it belonged there. “Let’s talk about our visitor from the Dragon Lands.”

“Why did she leave behind her scepter?” Glimmer inquired as Twilight plopped her heft down upon the cushion placed in front of the low desk. At least they didn’t have to worry about Twilight breaking another chair: there was nothing below the cushion but hard crystal floor. With much less jiggling, Trixie and Glimmer joined Twilight. As Glimmer settled into her seat, she could feel Twilight’s soft hips pressing into her.

“My guess was she forgot it in her haste to get out of Ponyville,” Twilight said.

“Why did she bug out, again?” Trixie asked.

“I’m not quite sure. Ember looked distressed yesterday. I can still see her wild expression, like a cornered animal. I have no idea why she would bite her claw like that. I hope she’s okay.”

“Do you think she’ll even come back?” Glimmer flipped through a nearby tome about magical artifacts.

“She has to. We have her Bloodstone Scepter. That’s when we’ll have our chance to help Ember resolve her issues.” Twilight’s stomach gurgled as the pie and cream churned within. Her purple hoof rubbed her belly as she let out another burp. “I have been doing some heavy research on magical artifacts. Something’s odd about Ember’s scepter. Despite being so powerful, there’s no record of it in any of the books I’ve been able to get my hooves on.”

“That’s unusual, you’ve got the largest collection I’ve ever seen,” Trixie said.

“Yes, perhaps there might be something within the royal archives in Canterlot or the Crystal Empire, but I think it’s a long shot. Throughout history, ponies and dragons have given each other a wide berth, so our information on them has been limited. Most ponies consider entering the Dragon Lands as suicidal. I don’t think anypony has ever been able to get this close to the scepter until now.”

“If we’ve given them such a wide berth, how did you acquire the egg Spike hatched from?” Glimmer asked.

“Celestia only said that it was found abandoned. When I was in the Dragon Lands, Ember let me see a hatchery. The first thing I noticed was that the eggs were twice the size Spike’s had been. It’s possible Spike’s natural mother felt the egg would not hatch. In fact, it might have never hatched if I hadn’t interfered magically.” Twilight winced and momentarily squirmed in her seat. Her teats seemed to be giving her some discomfort. In an attempt at distraction, she kept talking. “I had Maud take a look at the crystal. She told me that she had never come across anything like it before, but she could tell it wasn’t formed naturally. She didn’t stay long. Oddly, I think she was repulsed by the gem.”

“You know that crystal kind of looks like the Alicorn Amulet.” Trixie idly fidgeted with her tail. “The alicorn amulet was inherently evil. Perhaps this Bloodstone Scepter is as well?”

“Mind domination may seem evil to us, but dragon culture is very different from that of ponies’,” Twilight explained.

Suddenly Glimmer didn’t feel comfortable being around the scepter. Her gaze was drawn to the blood-red crystal. The room seemed to warp and twist around it. Suddenly her friends seemed far away and the room, impossibly large. She felt lightheaded. Black smoke swirled inside the stone hypnotically. Something inside was watching her, taking her measure.

“Glimmer,” a voice far away said. “Glimmer!” Again the voice called. Purple hooves grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, and a concerned face floated before her. “GLIMMER!” All of a sudden, Twilight was holding her as Trixie looked on concerned.

Glimmer shook her head, chasing away madness. She suddenly felt exhausted. “Huh?”

“You were trembling, are you okay?” Twilight released her grip on Glimmer.

“Yeah, I’m just feeling tired all of a sudden.”

“Maybe you should go lie down,” Twilight suggested.

“A nap, yes, that’s what I’ll do. Oh! But what about the lasagna for tonight? I have to cook.”

“Trixie shall prepare the lasagna.”

“Can you even cook?” Twilight asked, looking unconvinced.

“Most likely.”

“Most likely?! What does that even mean?”

“How hard could it be? You just throw a bunch of stuff in a pan and set it on fire.”

“After what you did to me, I think you should stay far away from my food.” Twilight looked to Glimmer. “Starlight, we’ve got you covered. Spike and I will cook. Take a nap. We’ll wake you before dinner.”

“Okay, thank you, girls.”

Starlight Glimmer got to her hooves and headed in the direction of her room. She moved as if in a dream as if she wasn’t fully in control of her body. Her hooves felt heavy and awkward. Instead of going directly to her chambers, she soon found herself in the kitchen, staring at the piggie cookie jar. As if possessed, she took the entire jar back to her room with her, munching on the pig’s delicious contents as she went. She fell asleep in her bed with a full belly and an empty pig on her end table.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the center of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash had perched herself upon the roof of the towering town hall. It was peaceful there, and no one bothered her as she blissfully licked at her quadruple-scoop ice cream cone; the perfect treat for another hot and humid day in Equestria. So hot, in fact, she felt it necessary to purchase two cones, one of which she had already devoured.

Since yesterday, Dash had been indulging, admittedly, a bit too often. She had spent most of the day, and the night prior, eating nothing but junk food and a lot of it. Junk, she thought, what a strange adjective for food that tastes so awesome. She disliked the association; it wasn't worthy of her vocabulary. So, for now on she would replace the undeserving term with awesome-food, because she was awesome, and she would only associate herself with awesome things, like ice cream.

Being a fitness expert, Dash was well aware that all those calorie-rich awesome-foods that she had been consuming would wreak havoc on her athletic body if left unchecked. However, she dismissed these concerns when they came up by telling herself that she would work extra hard during her next training session—a training session that she had yet to commit to that day.

Lethargically, Dash watched the ponies below go about their day. They, unlike her, were actually accomplishing things. All their hustle and bustle made her think about taking a nap. She could too; she quit her weather job, and it was the offseason for the Wonderbolts. Others, such as Twilight, warned it was a bad idea to leave her job. It provided a routine and something to get up in the morning for. Even if the pay wasn’t much, it was a way to get out and help her community. Dash, of course, blew off their protests. To her, it made no sense to keep working her old job. Dash could live lavishly for years off her big fat Wonderbolt paycheck. As for a daily routine, that might be important to an egghead like Twilight, but Dash liked living sporadically, doing what she wanted, when she wanted. And why work so hard for meager, almost minimum wage pay when she was sitting on more bits than she knew what to do with? And helping the community? What better way to help the community than entertaining the masses with her stunning, mind-blowing aerial feats. No, Dash was confident she made the right decision. With all that extra time, she had no distractions from her training. At least she didn’t until Dragon Lord Ember arrived in town and the pegasus suddenly developed the appetite of a parasprite.

A silhouette approaching Ponyville from the air caught her eye. Is that? A bloated reptilian form was sluggishly moving towards Twilight’s castle. “Yo! Ember!” Dash quickly lapped up the rest of her ice cream and finished her cone in one big bite. Big mistake; she winced from the ensuing brain freeze, and was forced to wait for the debilitating pain to pass before she was able to spread her wings and leap from the tower.

Dash made a beeline towards her newest friend. "Wait up!" Despite having a sloshing belly full of awesome-food, she could still manage flight easily. For now.

As Dash pulled up alongside Ember, the dragon turned her head to regard the pegasus with her fierce slitted eyes. "Rainbow... Dash..." She managed, panting from exertion.

Dash could tell that Ember wasn't accustomed to her added poundage yet. And judging from the apparent increase in size from the last time Dash had seen her, that poundage would likely increase tenfold in the very near future. The pegasus also noticed, with a surprising tingle in her nethers, that every pump of the dragon's overworked wings sent her bountiful belly, rear, and thighs into a mesmerizing display of constant jiggling movement. Ember had become undeniably fat, and Dash, oddly enough, found herself liking it. A lot.

Dash just couldn't help herself from playfully teasing Ember. "Moving a little slow there, hotshot." The pegasus flew circles around the slow-moving and much fatter dragon. "Maybe you should drop some of that extra baggage." Dash rolled upside down and flew backward directly beneath Ember. Her hooves shot up and fondled the dragon's squishy hanging gut. She was surprised by how silky smooth it was. It reminded her of a snake that Fluttershy had let her touch, but much warmer, like there was a burning furnace beneath the surface. When Ember's jaws snapped at Dash's head, the pegasus broke off and pulled out of range of those gnarly dragon teeth. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. You know, you could really hurt somepony with those chompers."

Ember snarled, "Maybe... that... was the point."

"Yeesh, what a buzz kill."

With a face deeply flushed and her struggled flapping becoming less frequent, Ember looked like she was barely holding it together. As a result, she was moving closer and closer to the ground, until, finally, she gave in and landed in a park not far from Twilight’s castle. Clearly exhausted, she immediately collapsed upon her considerable belly. The scaley orb of fat and guts pushed her plump booty outward, putting her in a rather revealing pose. Her long tail swished about in irritation as her chin rested on the grass. She huffed, releasing a puff of smoke from her nostrils. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I… wasn’t really going to bite you. At least, not hard.” She spoke into the grass.

At this point, Rainbow was blatantly blushing from the sight of her. “...S’all good. Hey, do you need help getting up?”

“Nah, I’m just… going to rest here for a moment.”

“Tuckered out, huh?”

Ember grumbled.

“Rainbow Dash and Ember!” came Rarity’s distinctive voice from behind, along with the crunching sounds of hoof falls on grass.

Rainbow spun around to regard her chubby friend and saw that Fluttershy was hovering alongside the unicorn. Both were toting bulging saddlebags. “What’s up, girls?” she said, hoping desperately that her friends hadn’t just seen her staring a bit too long at Ember's hefty rear end.

Looking concerned, Fluttershy fluttered over to Ember’s side. “Oh my, are you okay? Ember, was it?”

The exhausted dragon hadn’t even attempted to move. She was still resting her chin on the grass with her big belly spread out beneath her. “Give me... a moment. I’ll be fine.”

“Well, if you say so… I’m Fluttershy, by the way,” the pegasus said meekly before returning to Rarity's side.

“What brings you two out here?” Rainbow Dash asked, cheeks returning to their usual blue shade. She figured Fluttershy and Rarity didn’t notice what could have been perceived as perverted staring.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, darling…” Rarity removed her saddle bag and began unpacking. Fluttershy did the same.

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” Rainbow asked as she watched Rarity spread a blanket on the ground in a nice, shady spot.

“We’re having ourselves a little picnic. We wanted to invite you, but we couldn’t find you earlier,” Rarity explained.

Fluttershy piped in, “It was a spur of the moment thing that I arranged after I saw how beautiful this day turned out to be.” The soft-spoken pegasus began laying out a set of teacups, as well as a large thermos no doubt filled with hot tea.

Rarity smoothed out the creases in the blanket. As always, the overweight unicorn was obsessed with doing everything as close to perfection as possible. “For once, the weather ponies got the clouds cleared before noon. The weather team just hasn’t been the same since you resigned, Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash ignored the comment. Rarity had also been part of the vocal opposition to her quitting her job. She refused to let her friends guilt trip her, even if they did feel they were acting in the pegasus’s best interest. They were just going to have to accept it and move on.

“I asked the others that I could find, but being such short notice, most of them couldn’t make it,” Fluttershy said from her spot on the blanket, changing the subject in a blatant attempt to defuse an argument before it began. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were the only ones who supported Dash in her decision.

“Since you're here, you two are welcome to join us.” Rarity offered, “We’re just waiting on Pinkie Pie to bring the snacks.”

Although she seemed previously disinterested in the conversation, Ember visibly perked up at the word ‘snacks.’ With some effort, the dragon maneuvered herself into a sitting position as her stomach growled noisily at the prospect of more food. “Snacks? What kind of snacks?” Ember’s orange eyes glimmered as she licked her lips.

“Oh, knowing Pinkie, an abundance of sugary treats. She said she was baking them herself.” Rarity fluffed a frilly pink pillow and stuffed it under her as she spread out on the blanket. “Pinkie should be along shortly.”

Although Rainbow Dash had a belly full of ice cream and all the other awesome-foods that she had eaten that day, the prospect of Pinkie’s baking was more than a little appealing to her. “Yeah, I could hang for a bit.” She strode over to her pony friends and made herself comfortable upon the soft blanket.

Fluttershy looked at Ember and patted a spot next to her, “Umm, if you don’t mind, Dragon Lord Ember, I’d like to take a look at your claw.” The pegasus removed a small pouch from her saddlebag. Stitched into the fabric of the pouch was the universal symbol of first aid, a red cross.

Ember didn’t bother with standing up on hind legs. Like a pony, she moved over to Fluttershy’s side on her claws and back paws, her big belly swaying to and fro. The grace of her movement made apparent that Ember could just as easily walk on four limbs as two. “My claw? What about it?”

Rainbow Dash recalled her friends talking about how Ember had savagely bit herself before fleeing into the hills, but Dash hadn’t remembered that conversation until now. If the dragon was injured, she certainly didn’t show it.

“I heard you got hurt yesterday, and I just wanted to take a look at the wound. Make sure it’s not infected or anything,” Fluttershy explained. “I mean if that's alright with you.”

“Dragon blood burns too hot to suffer from infections, but you can look at it if you want.” Ember let Fluttershy maneuver her claw in yellow hooves. Rainbow Dash watched with interest. There was a noticeable bite mark on the back of her claw, but it certainly didn’t look fresh. Dash remembered vividly how Ember had attempted to bite her in response to the pegasus playing an admittedly dangerous game of ‘mock the fat dragon.’ Those gnarly teeth looked like they could do some serious damage.

After thoroughly inspecting Ember’s claw for a moment, Fluttershy said, “Fascinating, I didn’t realize how resilient dragons were. It looks like the wound is almost fully mended. Does it hurt at all?”

With her claw released from Fluttershy’s hooves, Ember flexed her digits, “No, not anymore.”

One question was on Rainbow Dash’s mind, and she didn’t doubt it occurred to Rarity and Fluttershy, but it was difficult to ask. Why did she bite her own claw in the first place? After a moment of consideration, Dash decided it was best not to bring it up. She chalked it up to be some weird dragon thing that ponies wouldn’t understand.

Ember’s stomach growled again, but much louder this time. Her claws gripped the underside of her overflowing belly and lifted it up before letting it plop down upon her lap, causing the orb of blubber to jiggle about hypnotizingly. “This Pinkie Pie better get here soon, I’m starving.”

“Already here! And you certainly don’t look like you’re starving, miss dragon.” Suddenly Pinkie Pie was there, prodding Ember’s belly with a hoof. The pink appendage sunk into the dragon’s squishy gut by a considerable amount. The pony giggled as she removed her hoof from the soft embrace of Ember's belly, and the flab rebounded.

Somehow Pinkie Pie had approached the group unnoticed as if she had merely poofed into existence just outside everyone's field of vision. What's more, the baffling pony had towed a cart overflowing with pastries, cakes, pies, and glass gallon jugs of what looked like heavy cream. It was a task that should have made more than a little noise, but Rainbow Dash hadn't heard so much as a squeaky wheel.

Ember had a bewildered expression, but the others, including Dash, paid the situation little mind. They were used to Pinkie’s mystifying and inexplicable feats that had once driven Twilight Sparkle into a complete mental breakdown trying to explain.

Pinkie didn't give Ember even a moment to fathom what had just happened. “Hi, there! Ember, right?” The dragon opened her mouth to respond, but Pinkie didn't pause long enough to allow that. “Silly question, of course, you're Ember. There's only been the talk of one new dragon in town, and her name is Ember. So you must be Ember. I’m Pinkie Pie, and I’m so thrilled to meet you finally. I hope we become bestest of friends.”

Ember opened her mouth again in an attempt to get a word in, but Pinkie shoved a cupcake into her gaping maw. Her slitted pupils widened to big black ovals as she began masticating the sudden sugary interruption.

Pinkie continued talking, “I would’ve met you sooner, but Fluttershy’s talking ape friend wouldn’t let me.”

“What ape friend, Pinkie?” Fluttershy's face scrunched up like she was trying to figure out a difficult math problem.

“You know, the dirty one.”

Ember swallowed the sugary contents of her mouth only for Pinkie to shove another cupcake in.

“He had me running all over Equestria trying to find this super special paper for his fancy typewriter, even though I really really wanted to meet you because I’m supposed to meet every new arrival in town as soon as possible. I mean, come on, everypony knows that. Then I found the paper and brought it back to him, but then he said it was the wrong color.”

Mouth momentarily empty, Ember attempted to speak again only to be shut up with yet another cupcake.

“So I was like, you wanted white. I got white. And he was like, that’s eggshell white, I need true white. I wanted to meet the dragon everypony was talking about so I asked him if he could just use what I brought him. I couldn’t tell the difference from the other papers he had typed on anyway, but he said his publisher would notice and just throw it out without reading it because how unprofessional it was to have different color paper half way through the script. So I went back to the village where they sold the special paper, but then the store clerk was like, they don’t make that color paper anymore. So I went back to the dirty ape and told him. And he was like, oh I don’t need paper anymore, I found some under a pile of bananas. And I was like, you’re bananas, you damn dirty ape! But then he was like, you don’t need to be so harsh. And he was right, that was little too mean, so I apologized. Then after all that, he typed up two sentences, gave up, and went to take a nap.” Pinkie shoved another cupcake into Ember’s maw. “You know, you’re a good listener, Ember.”

Rainbow Dash had no idea what Pinkie was going on about, and she didn't care. She was far more interested in the cart of food. “Pinkie, I’m sure Ember enjoys your baking, but would you mind sharing with the rest of us?”

Pinkie stopped her rambling and looked over her shoulder at her pony friends, “Hmm? Oh, of course! Have at it.” She fed another cupcake to Ember.

Rarity engulfed the contents of the cart in her magic. Carefully, she floated the copious amount of awesome-food over to the center of the blanket and spread it all out in an orderly manner. Then the unicorn wasted no time helping herself to a slice of carrot cake. Fluttershy nibbled on a cherry-filled pastry, while Rainbow Dash started carelessly shoveling anything and everything in reach toward her snout, avoiding the pies, of course. Words could not properly describe her hatred for pie of any kind.

Pinkie seemed to be having fun keeping Ember’s cheeks stuffed full of her baked treats. The glutton of a dragon wasn't making it easy for her. She barely chewed before sending big chunks of food down her hatch. Blissfully stuffing her own face, Rainbow watched visible lumps descend Ember’s throat before disappearing in her bosom. She was practically swallowing entire cupcakes whole at this point. Dash was worried the dragon would start choking, but she seemed to have a very stretchy esophagus.

“Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my friends enjoy my baking! Are you enjoying my baking, Ember?” Pinkie asked, even though she was diligently keeping the dragon’s mouth full.

Ember nodded her head and said something incoherent through a mouthful of cupcake, spitting crumbs all over Pinkie Pie who giggled as she prepared to shove another cupcake in. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Pinkie grinned. “When I finally got away from that dirty banana eater, I was so sad to hear you had left town. But when I visited Twilight to bring her a big batch of cookies, she told me you would be back because you left your scepter behind. I got so excited I couldn't sleep. So I started baking. Before I knew it, I had made all this.” She gestured to the pile of food, then fed Ember another cupcake.

They all spent the next two hours chatting and eating. In Ember and Rainbow Dash’s case, more eating than talking.

Rarity, being the civilized one, ate like a propper Canterlot elite: small bites and taking moments to chew thoroughly and savor the taste. After swallowing, she would take a moment to respond to a question or share her thoughts about a particular subject. Then take a sip of tea mixed with Pinkie’s heavy cream and several cubes of sugar. Slow and steady was her method, but she was consistent with her gluttony, eating far more than a weight-concerned pony would, her round marshmallow-like belly filling out and expanding across the blanket.

Fluttershy, the thinnest of the group, had long since stopped eating after only two fruity pastries. Between light sips of her tea, she talked about how Discord had suddenly left without an explanation.

Rainbow Dash was no longer following the conversation. She had filled her obscenely bloated stomach to the point of pain. She could easily be mistaken for having an overdue pregnancy. What’s more, it didn’t escape her notice that she could no longer see the outline of her abs or ribs. Nor could she see her compact muscles flexing beneath the skin when she moved. Her body had softened with a slight layer of fat in a very short time. It wasn’t enough to be considered overweight, but if she continued eating the way she was, that would change, and soon. She moaned with a mix of pleasure and pain, cradling her overstuffed belly in her hooves. Suddenly an involuntary and unladylike belch escaped her lips, and much of the pain in her abdomen subsided. She didn’t apologize, which earned her a scoff of disapproval from Rarity. It didn’t bother the pegasus; she never had qualms about being unladylike before, and she wasn’t going to start now.

Where Rainbow Dash had eaten like one of Applejack’s potbelly pigs, Ember in comparison made those pigs seem like they were on a diet. Pinkie, like always, had gone overboard with her snack preparation. This time more than usual, making far more food than even four ponies could hope to eat in one sitting, even with Dash and Rarity’s ridiculous appetites. Although Rarity and Dash ate enough to be considered serious competition in any eating contest, Ember, with Pinkie’s eager assistance, had eaten the vast majority of the supplied food, and it showed. Her belly had gotten disproportionately huge compared to the rest of her body. It looked like it could fit Pinkie Pie inside it with room to spare. Speaking of Pinkie Pie, the pink pony was partially laying upon and sinking into that vast scaley dome so she could better hold the rim of the last gallon jug of cream to the dragon’s greedy lips. Every gulp caused her noisy, squelching, gurgling, and sloshing stomach to surge outward a little bit more.

Ember’s belly wasn't the only part of her body growing either. Her insane digestive system seemed to be rapidly converting her massive meal into more fat. Her heftier rump increased her sitting height by several inches and was still growing before Dash’s eyes. Her curvy thighs grew thicker. Her already wide hips grew even wider. Even her arms, chest, and tail became thicker with pliable flab. Ember had long since left overweight and entered obese territory. By Rainbow Dash's estimation, it was very possible she was as heavy as Twilight now, if not more so, and Princess Nerd had more than likely surpassed 300 pounds already. An exciting thought occurred to Rainbow Dash; Twilight Sparkle had gotten to her current weight over months, Ember had done it in less than two days. How much bigger would she be in a month?

Ember finished off the last of the cream, meaning everything Pinkie brought had been devoured between the five of them. Pinkie slid off of Ember’s gut. Her pony-sized indentation bounced back immediately and caused the giant orb to wobble about for a moment. Ember wrapped her tail around her hip before letting herself fall from her upright sitting position to laying on her back. The movement jostled her ludicrously overstuffed tummy, and a loud undulating gurgling noise came from within, which preceded a belch like no other that escaped along with a brilliant torrent of pink flames. The tree, whose only crime was providing shade for the group, was utterly incinerated above the roots. Ash fell like snow on and around everyone gathered. Thankfully, the flames dissipated quickly enough that they didn’t need to get a fire brigade to save the park.

The ponies let out a collective gasp. Rainbow Dash, suddenly felt slightly less safe around the dragon. She had seen this kind of thing hundreds of times with Spike, but this was a whole different level. All that she could hope for was that the next time Ember needed to burp like that, she would not be facing an inadequately flame resistant pony or one of Ponyville’s many buildings made primarily of kindling.

Eyes half-lidded and lips upturned in a satisfied smile, Ember managed a “Sorry about that…” before fully closing her eyelids and appearing to fall into peaceful slumber.