> The Fattening Sleep > by Nekiyha > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ruby Red > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Ruby Red had gone to sleep one night, happy and safe with the knowledge she would continue to sell her wonderful baked goods to Ponyville. The next she woke up to fear, uncertainty, and weighing almost two-hundred pounds more than she’d had. She came to learn she hadn’t slept her usual eight hours: she’d slept away more than a month. Ruby Red was a unicorn who specialized in all things bakery, her expertise reaching toward soups, chili, and sandwiches as well. She did good business, and the sudden increase in demand was startling. She had gone to sleep barely breaking even with her business, and now she had extra bits. Which was good, she needed to renovate her restaurant and apartment. Ruby stood behind her counter on aching legs, trying to ignore the growling in her stomach. She still wasn’t sure how she’d gotten down her stairs, as she’d gotten her sides caught on the sides several times. She had been scared she’d be stuck on the stairs for a while, until she’d managed to squeeze past the problem areas and made it down. Ruby felt conflicted about her new size. She’d always been fat, baking all day would do that to a mare, but now she had almost doubled her previous weight, and she could feel it. Her knees hurt, her hooves hurt, she couldn’t walk to feet before panting for breath. Sweat gathered in the creases and folds of her many rolls of fat. They itched sometimes, and it made wearing her too-tight apron really uncomfortable. However, despite the drawbacks, Ruby was enjoying herself. She was fat already, so no more diets or exercise if she could help it. She could indulge all she wanted without sly looks and whispered remarks. Nopony could judge, not anymore. Ruby wasn’t the fattest in Ponyville now, not by a long shot. In spite of herself, Ruby was falling in love with her fatter body. It was hard to stand, but laying down was a new comfort. Soft, and warm, and squishy all over. Ruby sighed, staring down at her pudgy, sagging chest. The apron seemed to emphasize her new gains. Her stomach growled again, and this time Ruby couldn’t stop herself. Lunging for the nearest cake she had on display, Ruby used her magic to levitate the dome lid from over the cake. Sliding the cake over the counter, Ruby forwent cutlery and manners. In full view of her customers, all seated to small feasts of their own, she shoved her muzzle into the cake and began to eat. Later that week, Ruby forked over most of her savings to one of the new companies that had sprung up, renovating her entire building. No more stairs, no more thin hallways or doors. It was all going to be easy. In the meantime, Ruby could sit back at the nearby motel, and stuff herself silly with all the food she could afford. It came as no surprise that when the renovations were complete, Ruby had needed the help of three Belly Boards to get back to her life. Her cream-coloured body had expanded much too quickly for her under-used muscles to keep up. In the span of weeks, she’d hire new employees to help. By the time Twilight and her friends were returned to Ponyville, Ruby was laying in her kitchen, unable to move her fat bloated body an inch. Ruby was the heaviest ‘working’ pony in all of Ponyville, relying on her magic to do everything for her. She taste-tested everything that left her kitchen, and sometimes ate entire batches of ‘inferior’ product. Ruby was rich, and so fat she could do little but eat and sleep. She was content, and that was what mattered to her. > Octavia and Vinyl Part One > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Octavia woke up, tried to rise from her bed, had realized her predicament, and had screamed. Heavy, jarring hoofsteps preceded Vinyl opening the door to Octavia’s bedroom. Both mares froze in place, panting for breath for different reasons, staring at one another in shock. Octavia could barely believe the mare in front of her was Vinyl Scratch, but the hair, Cutie Mark, and distinctive eye-colour all gave it away. Vinyl had never been the most athletic pony, but she was always at a healthy weight. Now, she was a blob of a mare. Probably close to twice her normal weight. A sagging belly, sagging plot, and sagging chins all made the reality of the situation seem more absurd. Vinyl could barely believe Octavia was in front of her. The prim and proper mare had absolutely ballooned overnight. No wonder Octavia had screamed: the mare was so fat she was having trouble getting out of bed. Uncomfortable silence stretched on as the two mares tried to get used to the sight and feel of their bodies. “Um,” Octavia broke the silence, “Help?” Vinyl smiled, and waddled over. With both her magic and body weight, they managed to get Octavia to her hooves. Octavia swayed a little, sweating already from the exertion of just getting out of bed. “This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to play my cello!?” Vinyl shrugged, her widened shoulders causing soft ripples in her fat body. She turned on her heel, and waddled out of the room, angling her hips so they wouldn’t get caught in the doorway. Octavia sighed, looking at her massively bloated self in her mirror, “I’ve got to lose this!” Octavia opened her wardrobe, digging through her ties, suits, and dresses, before finding what she was looking for: her little-used exercise clothes. Trying to get the too tight clothes on was a challenge that left Octavia sweating and gasping for air, wincing as the seams creaked and groaned as they settled. It was uncomfortable, but it would do. Squeezing out of her bedroom and out of the front door, Octavia’s eyes burned when they saw sunlight, like she hadn’t been outside for a long time. Octavia shook her head, that was ridiculous. She’d just been outside yesterday- Then she saw what she was looking at. Too wide doors, sturdy furniture, and fat (obese) ponies were everywhere. All chattering anxiously and looking terrified. A few seemed not to care about the sudden increase in weight, but most looked worried. More than a few had jogging suits on. Octavia ignored the curious looks of ponies around her, as she slowly began to trot. It was awkward, and uncomfortable, and Octavia was already sweaty and panting after a few steps. She steeled herself, and pushed herself. She was too aware of her many pounds of fat jiggling and wiggling with each movement she made, and that spurred her on. She made it halfway around the town square, just outside Sugarcube Corner, before she realized she hadn’t eaten anything. One inhale of the delicious smells coming from the bakery halted Octavia mid-step. She lumbered to an awkward stop, and was inside the door before she realized what she was doing. Octavia couldn’t stop herself from ordering a ‘light’ snack of a large milkshake and a dozen cookies. She sat at a booth, basking in the air-conditioning. One sip of the milkshake, and she couldn’t help but undo all her ‘hard work’ from her ‘jog’. All the while, a little voice in the back of her head just told her she deserved the break and the treat. After all, it wasn’t everyday she ate like this, right? (LINE BREAK) Vinyl was...conflicted. Her music career didn’t depend on a certain level of fitness. If she so desired, she could even be a room away and her magic would know exactly what to do with her turntables. Vinyl was free to do what she wanted, eat what she’d like, and never have her music suffer for it. Octavia, on the other hoof, had to be able to stand on her hind legs and hold that position, maybe for hours at a time. As it stood, pun unintended, Octavia couldn’t even stand on her hind legs, much less try to play. Vinyl wanted to see her longtime friend blossom into the fatty she was clearly meant to be, but music was intrinsically a part of who they both were. It was hard, watching Octavia to pile on more weight when it was clear she didn’t want to. So, Vinyl had written a proposition to one of the new companies dedicated to new technology to help those too fat to do everyday tasks. Vinyl was blanking on the name, something along the lines of ‘feel good’. She had written them a proposition: she would plug the company in return for them developing a device that would help Octavia play again. Vinyl’s fame as DJ-PON3 would come in handy to the company, especially since she could feel her mobility get less and less every day. Her advertising would be invaluable to them, she hoped. All she had to do was make her case, and get Octavia back. (LINE BREAK) Octavia’s half-circuit of the town square had gotten more pathetic as time wore on. With each passing week, her weight continued to climb. Her workout suit had given up weeks ago, making her buy a bigger one out of sheer frustration. Now, less than a month later, it was beginning to give up as well. Little tears in the fabric were filled with sagging fat. Her stomach bulged over the waistband of her pants, not touching the ground because of how tight the pants and shirt were. It was uncomfortable, and hot, and miserable, and Octavia couldn’t keep lying to herself anymore. She was too fat to play, and would never play her cello again. She sat under a tree, heaving for breath in between sobs. She was ruined, and nothing anypony could ever do would stop that. Octavia would never perform again. With current events in Equestria, Octavia could focus on what her body had been trying to tell her: that she should be the biggest glutton she could imagine. She was never going to play again, so why continue to hold herself back? It was a long shot, but she could earn some money participating in the different eating contests around Ponyville, or could teach young ponies how to read music. Hiccuping, Octavia somehow got to her hooves. She was exhausted, and starving. No more ‘controlling’ her portions. From now on, she’d glut herself at every meal and at all times in between. She lumbered into Sugarcube Corner, mentally vowing to throw her tracksuit away when she got home. Octavia wouldn’t need it anymore. > Soarin and Spitfire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spitfire awoke the rest of the Wonderbolts with a screech. Soon after waking up, everypony within the facility was shocked, horrified, and stupefied. Seemingly overnight, everypony had gained a staggering amount of weight. All of the formerly fit pegasi were all carrying at least fifty extra pounds of weight on their frames, and it showed. Bunks creaked as they tried to get themselves out of bed to see their commander. Pajamas that had once fit were stretched, torn, and bursting at the seams. What would have taken seconds took the group of frightened, disoriented pegasi minutes. By that time, Spitfire had managed to get out of bed, and was visibly shaken. She took in the sight of her fattened squadron with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Looking at his commander, Soarin was just as taken aback. Whereas most of the pegasi had gained around fifty pounds, it looked like Spitfire had packed on over two-hundred pounds. Unlike the others, her pyjamas were gone. Clearly, they had given up the battle of covering their owner long ago. “What happened?!” She finally stammered, breaking the awkward silence. Ponies looked at each other, hoping somepony would know. Nopony knew anything, however. Shaking herself from her thoughts, Spitfire did her best to try to calm herself down, and get herself back into ‘commander’ mode as her teammates called it. “Alright, everypony, we don’t know what’s going on, or how this happened. I’m going to write to Princess Celestia and when I’m finished I expect the lot of you to be jogging laps around this facility! I’ll join you when the letter is sent. Go, go, go!” Ponies hastily shed their too-tight pajamas on their way out. There was a heap of too small clothes on the floor, but they could be cleaned later. Heaving herself to her desk, Spitfire began the letter as promised. It was disorienting, holding the pen between her jaws and feeling her fat chins squishing together while her neck fat swayed as her head moved. The waves of fat caused her chest to jiggle in response, and Spitfire couldn’t help but wonder what had happened. If it was just the Wonderbolts that were affected; then there would need to be an investigation. This was clearly some form of curse… Spitfire caught sight of her calendar, and dropped the pen. It clattered against her desk, rolling to fall onto the floor. Ever since she was a school-filly, Spitfire had crossed off the days of the calendar. Partially to help her keep track of important dates, and to help keep herself organized. If her calendar was right, they were missing over a month of time. Trying to stand up from her chair, Spitfire realized something: she had seated herself so firmly that her plot was bulging out of the spaces at the sides of her chair. The feeling was beginning to hurt, pinching the sensitive flesh and reinforcing just how large Spitfire felt. Scooting herself away from her desk, Spitfire strained to get herself out of the chair like she’d had when she’d been fit. Her fat plot refused to budge. Grunting, Spitfire rocked herself forward to put all four hooves on the ground. With an aggressive shake, Spitfire broke the chair against the back wall, sending her entire mass shaking from the impact. Reaching around with a hoof, trying to touch the tender spots of her plot, Spitfire realized she lacked the flexibility to reach that far back behind her. Panting for breath, and sweating like a pig from such a simple thing made her reach down and grasp the pen again. Hopefully it’s just us. Please, oh please let it just be us that’s like this. (LINE BREAK) Soarin had barely taken three steps at a pace that he would call ‘pathetically slow’ and he already felt like giving up and curling back into his bunk. Glancing to the others, he wasn’t the only one in this situation. As much as he was loathe to admit it, Spitfire was the largest of the Wonderbolts. A much as he was suffering, Soarin didn’t want to imagine what it would be like to try to do this at her size. Soarin grit his teeth, trying to pick up his feet a little higher off the ground. Already the strain was burning his muscles, and he could feel his muscles threaten to cramp. Wheezing for breath, tears springing to his eyes as his lungs burned. Sweat started pouring off of him, prickling his skin and gathering in the soft rolls of his back and under his wings. Slowing down to a stop, Soarin had to move to the side of the track, coughing from how hard he was wheezing. Looking around, he realized he wasn’t the only one who had to stop. Frustration, as well as bile, clawed at the back of his throat. This was supposed to be easy, they were supposed to be the elite flying force of Equestria and they couldn’t even move a few meters without having to stop and rest. Flapping his wings experimentally, he winced at how heavy they felt. It felt weird to even use his wings, and he could feel just how out of practice he was. Swallowing, Soarin took several deep breaths. Then, he stopped. Sniffing experimentally, Soarin couldn’t help but be drawn to the mess hall. The smell...was that pie!? Not really noticing the others following, Soarin squeezed himself through the too narrow door. The space had been converted into a buffet overnight. Steaming trays full of all sorts of foods, ranging from breakfast, to lunch, to dinner fare. Accompanied by several beverage machines and a large dessert cart. The cart was piled high with all sorts of goods, but what caught Soarin’s eye was a pyramid of glistening, steaming pies. Not really conscious of what he was doing, Soarin let his stomach make the choice for him. Taking the uppermost pie from the pyramid, Soarin set it on a tray. Looking at it, his stomach grumbled loudly, the force of it making his new fat ripple. Soarin decided the lone pie looked lonely, and put three more on the tray. Setting the tray down on a table, Soarin poured himself a large glass of milk from one of the machines, taking a cautious sip. It was frothy, and thick, and delicious. Perfect to accompany his pies. Forgoing knife and fork, Soarin stuck his entire muzzle into the first pie, groaning in ecstasy as the tart apple filling graced his tongue, accompanied by a caramel sauce inside and a crunchy sugar glaze on top. With barely a second thought, Soarin devoured the pie in record timing. Downing the glass of milk, he was surprised to see that another glass was set before him. Looking up from his hunger-induced frenzy, Soarin saw a pegasus he’d never seen before. She had a coat that was the same shade as vanilla buttercream, her mane and tail a shocking green. She was fatter than Spitfire, clearly suffering exhaustion by just standing. A smile graced her fat face, causing dimples to appear. Soarin was caught off guard, “W-who are you?” “I’m Greenleaf. I’ve been your new chef here for well over a month!” “A-a month? But…” Soarin’s mind blanked. He had just gone to sleep the night before his fit, athletic self. He’d woken up to find himself a blob of fat, and none of his teammates faring any better. “Your old chef retired, remember? She sprained her hoof and since she was so close to retirement anyway, you all came together to raise the last money she needed to live comfortably for the rest of her life.” Soarin’s eyebrows furrowed. Now that it was mentioned, he did remember the incident. But, they hadn’t hired anyone yet- “Don’t worry about it, Soarin! You’re too hungry to think straight! I saw your guys’s run! Very impressive for ponies of your sizes!” Before Soarin could reply, his mind still spinning, Greenleaf shoved his muzzle into the second pie. The taste of chocolate and coconut wiped his concerns from his mind, and his stomach roared for more food. Without prompting, the other Wonderbolts binged on their own foodstuffs of choice, all being waited on by Greenleaf. > Celestia's Growth > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A loud grumble, and a pang of hunger, was what woke Celestia from her deep slumber. Her body was deeply attuned to the cycle  she and Luna used to keep the sun and moon in their proper positions, but her body was also intent on receiving breakfast before she rose the sun. Thankfully, this wasn’t a new development. Celestia barely had time to blink the sleep from her eyes before the door to her suite was flung open, and a massive trolley was pushed through the wide door. The smells of breakfast wafted over, waking Celestia up more than a cup of coffee could have when she was slender. Using her magic, she lifted her bulk into a specially made cart. If she made a mess, it was easier to wipe off the stone floor than try to clean her massive amounts of bedding. The servant smiled warmly, seeing the massive mare get settled, “Hello, Princess. Today, the chefs offer apple pancakes, hashbrowns, omelettes, fried tomatoes, and toast. We have coffee, tea, juice, and milk. Would you like anything else?” Celestia smiled warmly, “No thank you, Twinkle Star. That sounds lovely. Go on to your other duties, I’ll leave the trolley here when I’m done.” Twinkle Star bowed stiffly, her stomach hanging down low enough that it touched the floor when she did. With heavy steps and wheezing breaths, she left Celestia by herself. Celestia licked her lips, lifting the silver dome off of the platter. Steam drifted up from the hot food, and Celestia couldn’t stop herself from digging in. After she’d devoured the mountain of food, Celestia left the cart for the cleaning staff to deal with. In days gone by, Celestia would have cleaned the dishes herself. However, she’d gotten too wide to get to the bowels of the palace. Instead, she made her way to the throne room. Hopefully, Twilight would have some more information. Even if it was just proving Stout Wrangler and the others were safe. Twilight being so worked up made Celestia nervous. Making it down to the throne room, Celestia parked herself beside Luna, who had fallen asleep in her own cart. The two of them were too large to fit on the dais where they used to sit, but now they made do sitting in front of it. Celestia smiled at Luna, happy that her sister had finally given up trying to stay in her room. Looking at how Luna’s fat oozed over the edges of the cart, being pulled down over the sides by gravity. Soon, Luna would outgrow her cart. Shifting her own weight a little to make it a bit more comfortable, Celestia couldn’t help but note that she too was almost too large for her cart. Celestia sighed, looking around the expansive throne room. It was mostly empty; the guards no longer served any real purpose now. Plus, even if there had been guards stationed, the chances of them being able to move quickly enough to help would be slim. So, Celestia ‘held court’ from the throne room, knowing full well the chances of visitors were slim. At least here she could get some of the endless paperwork done. Luna let out an incredible snore, and Celestia chuckled to herself. Trust sister to never change. Celestia summoned a blanket, and draped it over Luna’s withers, hoping that any modicum of comfort could be brought to her younger sister. The cart looks uncomfortably tight after all. So much had changed over the course of so little time, in the grand scheme of things. Especially for Luna and Celestia. They lived so long, and things had changed so rapidly. It was almost ludicrous. A burst of green flame erupted above Celestia, and her magic caught the scroll on reflex. It was  good Spike was still helping Twilight, even in this small way. Celestia unfurled the scroll, and was genuinely surprised at what she saw. The normally meticulous writing was smeared and stained. Not only was the ink smudged all over the page, but after an experimental sniff Celestia confirmed ketchup was as well. Ketchup, and grease? It was odd. “Perhaps this is Spike’s fault,” Celestia assured herself, even though she knew it was Twilight’s writing on the page,” Maybe he smudged it getting it to me.” Celestia squinted through the mess to read the message Twilight had penned. Dear Princess Celestia, I wanted to write to you about what I’ve found about Stout Wrangler and the other corporations. I haven’t found anything, and I’m finally putting this investigation to rest like I should have a long time ago. I’m going to use the deal Stout Wrangler and I made to make the best of this situation, just like everypony wanted. Your loyal subject, Twilight Sparkle. P.S. Spike says hi. Celestia stared long and hard at the letter. It didn’t sound right. That, that can’t be Twilight. I need to send somepony to Ponyville right away. Using her magic, Celestia rung  large gong that had been installed the day that Luna had finally gotten too big to get back to her own room safely. It summoned servants, and Celestia fully intended to send somepony to Ponyville to ensure the safety of her prized student. It took several minutes, but a side door creaked open. Three servants poured in, two pulling massive carts piled high with foodstuffs. The noise awakened Luna, who glared blearily at the servants before licking her lips in anticipation, realizing they had food. “Hungry, your Majesties? I have some food from BucDonalds for you, from Stout Wrangler herself. I was going to come and tell you, but you called and I thought you’d like to try them since we were coming up here anyway. I have tacos for Princess Luna and chili cheese fries for Princess Celestia,” Honey Night made a motion with a bloated foreleg. With that the other two servants deposited their large carts in front of their respective alicorns. Luna wriggled excitedly, causing her cart to groan loudly in protest. “Thank you!” Luna smiled at the servant, then levitated one of the many tacos on the cart. She took one bite, then proceeded to almost inhale the next four, moaning in pleasure as she did. Celestia looked down at the offering, smelling the delectable scent of the piles of fries, chilli, and cheese before her, “I have one request if you-” Honey’s eyes went wide, “Please, Princess? BucDonald’s released these products just for you two. I need to make a report back. Just a bite?” Celestia chuckled warmly, putting her fear aside for a moment, “Alright my little pony.” Honey beamed, “Thank you so much!” Celestia sighed, levitating a mouthful of the steaming hot chili cheese fries to her mouth. It smelled heavenly. Taking the portion into her mouth, her eyes flung open and forgoed magic all together. She buried her muzzle into the pile of chili cheese fries, starting to eat as much as she could cram into her mouth at the same time. Honey Night smile widened as she watched the two alicorns gorge themselves on the offerings. “What did you want to ask me to do?” Honey asked cautiously. If BubbBeaker’s formula had worked- “I-I want more fries,” Celestia murmured, her pupils dilated. Honey had the distinct feeling that if it were possible, Celestia’s wings would be outstretched in sheer joy. “More taco!” Luna declared before going back to her feast. Honey’s smile widened even more, “Of course your Majesties. Let me know if you’d like anything else. > The Cello > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vinyl Scratch wheeled herself through the widened doorframe, unable to keep the smile off of her muzzle. Finally, she’d done it. With her sponsorships and advertising deals, she’d finally convinced everypony to listen to what she’d wanted. So, in her cart, Vinyl rolled herself into the kitchen, unsurprised to find Octavia where she’d left her earlier in the evening. Octavia was in her own cart, one that was mechanically driven, parked at one end of their modest kitchen table. Empty takeout containers, pizza boxes, soda bottles, and discarded napkins and litter littered every available surface, even the floor underhoof. Ever since Octavia threw out her tracksuit, her weight had increased dramatically. Before she’d given up, she’d had some shape left to her. Now however, hundreds of pounds of fat had collected in folds and rolls around her body, giving her a blob-like appearance. The only part of Octavia that still had shape to it was her front half. Vinyl credited Octavia’s years of music practise for this. Despite months of non-use, her front legs and chest muscles were still there: mostly because Octavia didn’t have magic to feed herself. Vinyl waved, and motioned for Octavia to come into the living room. Octavia perked up a little, “DId you bring dinner back? Thank you so much!” Vinyl rolled her eyes, then shook her head. She rolled herself into the living room, and waited for Octavia to do the same. When Octavia did, Vinyl excitedly levitated the package to Octavia. Octavia looked confused, but she tore open the packaging, and opened the box. Then she squealed, and Vinyl chuckled. Using her magic to speed up the process, Vinyl assembled the device while Octavia sped into her room as quickly as she could. She came back with her cello case, dust-free and still lovingly cared for. Vinyl wheeled herself back a little, to watch as Octavia hooked the device to her cart, and pulled her bow out. There were a few minutes of tuning and adjusting height, but then Octavia was in position. Vinyl beamed throughout the first simple song Octavia played. Panting from the effort, tears streaming down her face, Octavia carefully moved the device and cello away from the cart to ram into Vinyls, trying to give the other mare a hug. “Thank you so much! This is better than dinner!” Vinyl smiled in response, pausing to wipe at her own eyes. “It’s going to take me a while to get back into it properly, but when I’m ready you and I are going to do a duet together, right?” Vinyl nodded, of course they would. If anyone could help Octavia get her standing in the musical world back, it would be Vinyl. “Now, how about we get dinner?” Octavia asked, “I’ll pay. I expect the whole story of how this happened so bring your notebook and a pen. If Vinyl could laugh, she would. All she did however was shake her own body with silent peals of laughter that did nothing but threaten the integrity of her groaning cart. > Crystal Empire > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Crystal Empire could be a dangerous place, with or without magic. King Sombra’s magic still held sway, buried deep within the minds and hearts of the Crystal Ponies. His magic had once seeped into the ground, polluting everything it touched. His influence may be gone, but with dark magic it could be brought back in an instant. Outside the Empire was dangerous as well; they were in the North after all. One wrong move and somepony could get lost outside the dome of magic, and be stranded in the freezing cold. Princess Cadance and her husband, Shining Armour, did their best to route out the dangerous magics within the Empire proper. They did their best to ensure that nopony, regardless of intent, would be able to unlock any of King Sombra’s traps or curses. They had light posts and guards patrol outside of the dome, just in case somepony got lost during bad weather. They did all they could to ensure the still unsure populace of the Empire that rulers didn’t have to be cruel and unjust. They’d been succeeding, until everypony had woken up one morning to find themselves suddenly fatter than they’d ever been before. Some ponies had gained relatively little, yet others hundreds of pounds. After the initial panic had died down, they realized it had been months, not overnight. Something, someone, had put everypony under the influence of some spell and the populace had panicked. In an effort to keep the peace, especially while still trying to figure out what exactly had happened, Cadance and Shining had decided to to have a cautiously positive outlook over the changes that had occurred. Yes ponies were bigger, but look at the new industry and jobs that had been created. Ponies who physically couldn’t handle extreme weight gain hadn’t gained much, simply being chubby rather than obese. Cadance noticed that the Crystal Ponies, in spite of the fear, had taken to their new dimensions rather well. They’d even taken more of a liking to herself and Shining, since they’d gained quite a bit. Cadance wasn’t exactly sure why, but if she had to guess, it was likely because of their long enslavery. None of them had the resources before to put on extra weight, so maybe that was it? Regardless, Cadance and Shining did their best to put their people at ease. They ate large banquets, fully embracing the new lifestyle that had been forced onto them. Cadance was most excited about this change. She’d always been slender, and societal pressures for Princesses always ran high. This was a break from her strict regimens, and Cadance reveled in it. The royal couple welcomed all the new technology that was built to accommodate larger ponies, even buying some of the tech themselves. Cadance gained a lot of weight quickly, mostly due to her staying relatively sedentary while Shining still moved about to ensure his guards were still keeping an eye on things. Cadance was used to having her subjects approach her with love problems. Fights, misunderstandings, lack of communication. From friends, couples, and all sorts of other relationships. As the populace of the Empire fattened, she found these problems weren’t nearly as common. Ponies followed their leaders’ lead. Love, acceptance, and compassion filled the Empire to such a scale that Cadance’s magic picked it up in the air. It was beautiful that all the ponies were so happy, turning a potential threat into a strength. Four months after the Empire had awoken, Cadance’s stomach had finally grown large enough to prevent her hooves from touching the ground. Even with her legion of well-used Belly Boards, she simply was immobile. She loved food, loved what the fat was doing for all of her people, and she didn’t even try to curb her gains. Fat had become a symbol of peace, hope, and love. What kind of ruler would she be if she didn’t set an example? She wanted to be a symbol for her people in a way Shining couldn’t: and it worked. Five months after the Empire had awoken from the Fattening Sleep, and Cadance couldn’t be happier. She stayed in the crystal palace, willing and able to talk to the subjects that dragged themselves away from their eating long enough to visit. Unlike many with magic who found themselves immobile, Cadance forgoed the mobility carts and scooters. Press visited often, from Equestria, the Empire, and beyond. It had taken a while for the northern railroads to be repaired after months of neglect, but once the Empire made itself accessible again, ponies visited in droves. There was one pony in particular Shining and Cadance wanted to see, and soon after the railway opened again, they weren’t disappointed to learn Twilight would visit them. (LINE BREAK) Twilight’s massive body swayed and jostled in time with the train, the soothing motion almost soothing her into sleep. Her mind was too wound up to allow for that, however, still spinning from her meeting with Stout Wrangler. Twilight was berating herself for listening to Stout, and felt even more upset that she’d somehow agreed to work with the pony she was sure had caused all of this. On her way back from Ponyville, Twilight had heard the news that the Empire Railroad had been opened. On a whim, Twilight decided to go visit Cadance and Shining Armour on the next train out of Manehatten. Twilight sent an express letter she was on her way, and got onto the train. Twilight sincerely hoped, due to their isolation, that the Empire had been spared. She doubted it but she hoped. As the spires of the Crystal Empire got closer, Twilight breathed deep. She had a feeling she’d need all the calm she could to make it through her visit. It was going to hurt to see everypony so changed, especially Cadance and Shining. The train pulled into the station at the edge of the Empire, and Twilight rolled her cart onto the platform. She scanned the crowd, and her heart ached at the sight. Things had escalated here. The ponies that were out and about were grossly overweight, using whatever they could to keep their gigantic bodies mobile. There were fewer ponies than Twilight had expected, though the streets weren’t as deserted as Griffonstone’s. “Twily!” Twilight’s eyes snapped to the source of the noise, and she was taken aback by how large her brother had gotten, even though deep in her heart she’d expected it. Shining was massive, using what looked like three Belly Boards to keep himself mobile. Even then, it looked like he had difficulties reaching around his stomach to walk. His stomach had taken the brunt of his gain, but the rest of him was packed full of fat as well. His toned muscles were gone, buried under pounds of fat that collected in every portion of his body. He still had a semblance of a neck, but the beginnings of the fat rolls that was sure to overtake it were present. He had three chins, and fat squishy cheeks. His shoulders and flanks had bloated with so much fat that they sagged over the edges of the rest of his legs, making him look very wide. Twilight put on a mask of a smile, and carted herself over, “Shining!” “Glad you could visit, sis. It was a long train ride, did you need to stop somewhere to eat?” Twilight was hungry, but she wanted to see Cadance and spend time with her family doing something that wasn’t eating, “I’m okay, thanks.” “We can get something from the palace. The chefs have been doing such an excellent job,” Shining said, beginning the laborious process of getting himself turned around, “You’ll...love it!” Twilight said nothing, simply watching as Shining started to lead the way to the palace.It wasn’t normally a long walk, but with how much work Shining had to put into one step it took twice as long as it would have usually. All the while, Twilight had been smelling the delectable scents of the Empire. The Crystal Ponies were large from what Twilight could tell. Not quite as large as the residents of Griffonstone, but coming very close. They overfilled seats, took up large portions of the sidewalks, and on one memorable occasion broke their mobility scooter under them. Finally, the brother and sister reached the castle. Shining was terribly out of breath, panting and wheezing. Sweat dampened his white coat, and seemed to pool among his rolls and folds. It looked uncomfortable, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel sorry for her brother. The throne room was much the same as Twilight remembered, with the exception of the blob that was her sister-in-law. Cadance lay at the foot of the dias she once ruled from, taking up a significant portion of that part of the room. Cadence had become a blob, barely recognizable as a pony at all. Her distinguishing features, her cutie mark and face, were so distorted by fat that if Twilight didn’t know better, she’d say the blob in front of her wasn’t Cadance at all. Cadence’s eyes were just visible between a sliver of space between her sagging forehead fat and her gargantuan cheek fat. Her face was further obscured by a servant who had climbed up her many neck and cheek rolls like a ladder, and seemed to be feeding her something. The servant, seeing Twilight and Shining approaching, stopped the feeding, and climbed back down. She was an obese mare with a large, drooping stomach. She bowed to Shining, then stood to the side, clearly awaiting orders. “Twilight!” Cadance rumbled, her voice weak and wheezy from her weight, the sound slurring a little because of her impressive amount of face fat.. “Cadance! It’s so good to see you!” Twilight sincerely hoped Cadance couldn’t hear the forced edge to her voice. “You’ve...been eating...well,” Cadance observed, squinting hard in an attempt to see through her fat. Twilight looked down at herself as much as she was able, “Not really,” She muttered, and winced when she realized how loud she’d been. “That’s terrible!” Cadence gasped, “Things are...so good here...you must be...hungry.” “No, I’m-” Twilight’s stomach betrayed her at that moment, letting out a huge growl that shook Twilight’s body. Twilight sighed in resignation, already mentally preparing herself for what was to come. “Third...lunch..please!” Cadence called, the servant nodding and ringing a bell next to a wide stairway off to the side of the throne room. It took a few minutes, but servants did bring up huge cartloads of food, panting and sweating as they did. They appeared happy at least. “Eat with us, Twily!” Shining begged, his eyes shining in the light of the room. Twilight sighed, then nodded. She wanted to talk, but knew that it would be a stupid thing to try to do while they were eating. Nothing seemed as important as food nowadays. Twilight started eating, feeling resigned. At least I get to spend time with them, even if it isn’t ideal. A year later, by the time Twilight and Celestia and Luna were all locked in their food addictions, Cadance and Shining were still happily unaware of the difficulties faced elsewhere. They were happy, their people were happy. While they missed their family and friends, they received letters from them still, which was almost as good as seeing them. When every new letter arrived, Shining would have the servants read it out loud. He had finally hit immobility, and he lacked the breath to talk any more than a few words at a time without needing to stop to breathe. Cadance could hear the letters, but couldn’t see them. Her fat had finally rendered her blind, and had made eating solid food almost impossible. So in an effort to ensure his wife didn’t starve, Shining ensured Cadance was hooked up to a system of tanks and hoses that constantly pumped milkshakes and other liquid treats into her mouth. Whatever it took to keep her happy and full. All in order to keep the ponies happy. > Luna's Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna watched from the stained glass window of the throne room as the sun slowly lowered to the west. From her position, in one of the largest mobility carts available, she could see the sun sink over the western horizon. Without missing a beat, Luna summoned her own magic and raised the moon, breathing life into the millions of stars so they would twinkle along. It was a familiar sensation, and a welcome one. Other than eating, sleeping, and rare bouts of hunger, Luna wasn’t able to get the variety she’d always craved in her life. No more midnight flights, no training, no nothing but being here in the throne room in her cart. Until her hundreds of pounds broke it, at least. Luna didn’t mind the monotony of her days, not really. She had the dreamscape still, and that was enough sensation of anypony willing and able to enter it. Her nightly duty done, Princess Luna allowed herself to relax for a while. It would take a while for ponies to fall asleep, and she wanted to be in the dreamscape when the majority would be asleep. To do otherwise could leave somepony in a nightmare she couldn’t detect. Nightmares were increasingly rare, but she still wanted to be safe. Once enough time had passed for her to be sure the vast majority of ponies were sleeping, Luna allowed her consciousness to drift into the dreamscape. With her magic she could scan dreams, set up wide alarms for ponies at risk, and generally just keep half an eye on everypony’s dreams without needing to consciously look through them all. Almost all of them featured eating to some degree, and had been for a long time. For almost all ponies, food dreams had become a welcome companion to their new lives, allowing ponies to eat what they couldn’t afford in real life. Luna had pushed these dreams to the extremes before, hoping to ford some happiness to the dreamers. Skimming through the dreams on a surface level, Luna was content to leave well enough alone. Ensuring she would be alerted should any nightmares arise, Luna allowed herself to back out of the dreamscape. Feeling contented because she knew her subjects were contented, Luna looked up at the night sky. Both she and Celestia could tell the time without clocks, through their magic and through sheer experience. I wonder if it’s too late to order a third dinner? Luna pondered. She wriggled her muzzle a little, tossing the idea around in her mind. Whatever. I’m sure the cooks would love a challenge this late. Luna rang her assistance bell, and when Honey Night appeared, she barked her food order, “Tell the chefs I want as many of those new-fangled ‘tacos’ I keep hearing so much about! As many as they can make!”