...keeps the bat pony eating
Sweet Mist put a hoof to her mouth as she looked at the mirror. The bat pony in the glass sported a pair of chubby lime cheeks, and even standing right in front of it she could see the curvature of her rounded belly sticking out between her legs. She turned to the side, her chubby cheeks turning a little pink when she noticed just big her flanks had gotten, her cutie mark of a half-moon fruitbowl grown to fit its new space.
"Gosh," she murmured, moving her hoof beneath her jaw and feeling a slab of fat squish when she pushed in, "I really pigged out over Hearth's Warming."
Being a newer member of Princess Luna's night guard, Sweet Mist was granted some time off during the holidays to celebrate Hearth's Warming. And celebrate she did; there was no shortage of candy and treats, and her mom made a mean many-berry pie. But now all her gorging and relaxing had caught up to her, and she was due to return to duty the next day.
She shook her head, and she shared a determined frown with her reflection. She couldn't like this; what would her fellow guards think? What would Princess Luna think?
"I haven't done a proper workout since my break started," she realised, and pattered her hooves. "Time to get back into my routine. Her Majesty doesn't need a butterball as a guard."
She decided to start with some stretches. She leaned back and forward, pushing out her front and back legs not unlike a cat. She unfurled her pointed bat wings and gave them a stretch and a flap while she bent out.
She stood up straight and shook herself out, grinning to herself. She was warmed up and ready to go farther.
"Maybe a little jog around town," she decided, going to her wardrobe and pulling out a track jacket and beanie, pulling some sweatbands over her forehead and ankles. "Then a little flight. Just to Ponyville and back, nothing too crazy."
After zipping up her jacket, she stepped outside the front door, locking it behind her, and began a soft jog down the Canterlot street. Hearth's Warming was over, but Equestria was still covered in a blanket of fluffy white snow, with more flakes trickling down from the dark clouds above. Thankfully for Mist, the snow had been plowed off the cobblestone pathways. The other ponies who were out braving the cold were either returning home from visiting relatives, or trying to snag something good in the after-holiday sales.
Mist's breaths were even but heavy, thick clouds of hot air leaving her mouth as she travelled around wagons and pedestrians. She didn't like the fact that she was already working up a sweat and her legs were beginning to ache; had she gotten that out of shape in such little time?
"No pain, no gain!" she huffed under her breath.
Pain. Pain. So much pain.
Sweet Mist had practically collapsed into Ponyville, earning a few concerned glances from passers-by from her rough landing and her round rump flopping onto the cold snow, making her squeal and shiver right back onto her hooves. Her wings folded back in, having nearly gone numb from the effort of hauling her overweight body to Ponyville for the better half of the trip.
"Maybe this," she wheezed, head lowered with exhaustion, "wasn't such, a good idea...t-too much, too soon..."
Her nostrils twitched, and her head shot right back up, eyes wide. A warm, delicious scent had crept up her nose. Apples, batter and a hint of cinnamon. Her stomach roared with hunger and she licked at the drool starting to drip from her mouth, feeling reinvigorated as she trotted toward the marketplace.
She crept around the crowded market, passing the stalls selling things like winter clothes and warm foods, trying to find the source of that delicious fruity smell. Thankfully she didn't have long to wait; she spotted a stall with apples painted on the sign, and she squeezed through to the front, trying to ignore how her belly squished up against ponies as she went. On the counter was a bowl of juicy red apples, a pitcher of apple juice and a steaming hot tin of apple pie. Her mouth went slightly agape, fangs glistening with desire. Her belly let out another desperate gurgle.
"Sounds like y'all could use a lil' bite, sugarcube," chuckled the earth pony mare behind the stall. She took an apple from the bowl and held it up to Mist. "Care fer a sample?"
"Oh, yes please!" squeaked the bat pony, taking the fruit in her own hoof and taking a bite. She gasped as the taste filled her mouth, and almost immediately after the first bite, she was left with just a core. "O-oh Luna almighty, these apples are delicious! Could I get a drink too, please?" She took a few bits from her pocket and set them on the counter.
"Sweet Apple Acres only provides the best," boasted the earth pony, tipping her hat and pouring a mug of juice. "There ya go!"
"Thank you," Mist gasped, grabbing the mug and chugging down the juice. "Oh, I needed that. But now I need some of that delicious pie."
"That's a popular one," the mare said, taking some more bits and cutting a slice of pie from the tin. "We got plenty leftover from Hearth's Warmin' since we get pretty into makin' the food, y'know."
Mist's generous flanks wiggled happily from the first bite of pie, and she swallowed and looked at her with wide eyes upon registering what she'd said. "Plenty leftover?"
"Uh-huh. Heck, we got a whole barn full'a the stuff back on the farm! Apples, apple crumble, apple cider, apple juice, you name it. We won't be hurtin' for food over the winter, Ah tell ya what."
Sweet Mist stopped chewing as she imagined such a thing. A whole farmyard barn full of these delicious treats! A bat pony with a love for fruit and a 'healthy' appetite would be in paradise. And she was such a bat pony.
Thoughts filled her head. Ideas. Urges. Temptations. She wanted more of these apples. She needed more. But she couldn't afford a whole barn full of it, so how would she get to it?
"Uh, sugarcube?" the mare's voice broke through to Mist, snapping her out of it. "Yer gonna drop yer..."
"Huh? Oh!" the bat pony blinked and adjusted the slice of pie so it didn't topple off her hoof and into the snow. "Sorry, I just kinda...spaced out."
"Yeah, Ah get that a lot," she chuckled, and grinned at her. "Well, y'all have a good day now!"
"Uh, thanks," Mist said, giving an awkward smile as she backed off, "you too!"
The batpony scarfed up the last of her pie and began to wander around the market, pretending to look at different stalls to while away the time until that apple pony went to go home.
At nightfall, Sweet Mist was sneaking down the dirt path leading out of Ponyville. She had watched the apple pony make the trip up and down this road a couple of times, so she figured this road led to Sweet Apple Acres.
She was relieved to see she was right; at the end of the road was a farmyard, with a big farmhouse, an empty orchard to the far side, and the promised land; the large red barn near the house. She moaned with gluttonous excitement, licking her fangs at the thought that had crossed her head many times that day of how much could be inside.
Once the lights in the house turned off and the farm was dark and silent, she made her move. She crept out from behind a tree and stalked across the courtyard, taking frequent glances to the house's windows for any movement or lights turning on. The snow crunching beneath her hooves made her flinch, despite how gentle her steps were.
Her eyes locked onto the orchard in the distance, and she couldn't help but imagine how it would look after winter. Full green leaves, huge juicy apples dangling from their branches. So many trees, so many apples...
"Yip!" she gasped as her belly let out a long, loud roar of hunger. She froze, ears flattened against her head as she looked to the farmhouse.
All kept silent and still. She breathed a sigh of relief and pressed a hoof into her soft stomach. "Shhhh!"
The bat pony leaned up on the barn, back against the wall and her belly hanging down. Her wing slipped between the two large doors and with some effort, she managed to pry one open enough to squeeze inside, albeit needing to wriggle her wide behind through the crack. She felt the walls inside, and her hoof brushed against the switch, lighting up the barn. Her jaw dropped and eyes dilated.
That apple pony wasn't kidding; floor to ceiling, the barn was piled up with apples, boxes of apple crumbles and pies, bottles of apple cider and apple juice, the works!
Mist let out a thrilled hiss and pattered her hooves before practically diving into the pile. She targeted the lone apples first tossing cores and apples drained of their juices over her shoulders as she dug in. Her tail swished and wagged on the hay-covered floor with glee.
A little burp escaped her, and she turned to the boxes of pies and crumbles. She flipped one open and wasted no time digging into a pie, the apple and cinnamon mix combined with the soft crusty batter making her squirm in place. "Mmmmm~!"
One by one, boxes and tins flew toward the barn door as Mist helped herself. She knew she was technically stealing, but she couldn't help herself; she was smitten by these apples, and needed as much as her belly could hold. Her belly that was slowly distending and bloating with every few gulps.
She let out a happy sigh and looked toward a tall bottle of apple juice. She needed something to wash all that down, after all.
She opened and tossed away the lid as she leaned back, sprawling out and holding it in her front hooves as she chugged, drops of juice escaping her mouth and dribbling down her cheeks and chins.
A louder, wetter belch, and she discarded the bottle. She rubbed her belly, which felt rather full and taut now. Maybe she should stop and make her leave before-
"Ooh, are those apple tarts?" she giggled and pulled over a platter of the little treats. "Can't go without dessert~!"
The next morning, a rather irritated Applejack was walking across the courtyard with a tall, dark blue alicorn striding next to her. The alicorn was dressed in a robe and slippers, a cup of coffee steaming in her magical grip.
"I just received your message, Applejack," said Princess Luna. "The head of my personal guard told me one of our own failed to report in, so I was lucky to hear a bat pony had been found on your farm."
"Well, Ah ain't so lucky," the earth pony grumbled as she trudged toward the barn. "Wait till y'all see inside."
Luna watched as Applejack pulled open the door to the barn, and raised an eyebrow when she saw an empty bottle roll to her hoof. She nearly dropped her coffee when the barn light turned on.
Inside, nestled amongst a mountain of apple cores, empty pie tins and boxes, and drained bottles, was an incredibly bloated bat pony. Her belly was a perfectly spherical dome, her tree-trunk like hooves resting on it. Her face, stained with crumbs and juice, sported a pair of cheeks like deflated buckballs, creased by her contented smile, and a thick roll of flab covered her neck. Her flanks spread out beneath her like a fluffy green sofa, cutie marks distorted by rolls and dimples. Her tail twitched occasionally in her deep sleep.
"Well, this explains a few things," murmured the Princess, reluctantly pressing a hoof into the thick roll on Sweet Mist's belly. The change in pressure caused a belch to erupt from the lime blob, but she still didn't stir.
"We were plannin' to sell all this extra stuff for some extra bits," Applejack sighed. "Least spring's just around the corner, Ah suppose. Just as well, she ate a whole orchard's worth'a apples! And even Rainbow Dash couldn't handle as much cider as she just drank in one night!"
"It is not all bad news, Applejack," said Luna with a warm smile. "After all, somepony loved your apples and baking so much they felt the need to relieve your stock single-hoofed."
The earth pony smirked. "Heh, well Ah suppose it is pretty flatterin', when ya say it like that. But how're we gettin' her outta here? Big Mac's visitin' his sweetheart till tomorrow night and he's the only one strong enough to get this big ol' blob outta here!"
"You can leave that to me," Luna assured her, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm sure my magic is powerful enough to carry even this much weight. She's lucky the Royal Guard has a complimentary gym membership for such occasions. Besides, I'm sure you'd like her out of the way before she starts looking for her breakfast."
Sweet Mist's nostrils twitched in her sleep. "Break...fast...~"