With Spike by her side once again and an army of assorted treats on the table, Twilight should have been estatic. And yet, something had started eating away at her (no pun intended) ever since Spike made his presence known. He had witnessed Twilight stuffing herself silly for the second time, and both occurrences carried the same sense of uneasiness with them. It was only when Spike had been in his own little world when Twilight took the appearance of one of her best friends did she truly feel relaxed and at peace with the process.

Twilight wanted to know--no, needed to know what was driving the young dragon to follow her so eagerly. It definitively wasn't something that she could simply ignore. Spike was her closest companion, and, through the years, they had made it imperative to share what was bothering one another to sort things out. This was no different.

Out of exasperation, Twilight's tummy growled fiercely, having grown tired of waiting to be sated. Spike took this as his cue and started pushing rows of cupcakes towards Twilight. She was about to make herself heard, but the instant she had opened her mouth a cupcake had materialized inside of it, and she had no choice but to chew. The mare had forgotten how hungry she was, and she couldn't help but let out a satisfied hum as she devoured her treat. Twilight didn't complain as one cupcake after another began to assault her gullet, and she was slowly letting up on finding an opening to speak. The cupcakes felt heavenly inside of her, and a lot more was on it's way.

After we...get done with these few rows...then we'll talk..., Twilight thought as she welcomed the food more reverently. She began to savor each one just as she had done with the pancakes that morning. Each cupcake went down as a bulge in her throat that could somewhat be seen even as it made its way past her breast. And as soon as it touched down, her belly shook with excitement as it gurgled its new contents. Nearing the end of the last row of cupcakes, Twilight noticed that her lips were caked with icing, and she hastily went over the mess with her tongue.

Spike simply stood there, waiting for her to finish with the icing. Twilight glanced over at him and noticed something that she should have noticed before. Sure, Spike was grinning at her in excitement, but it wasn't a face laced with mischievousness. He seemed to be genuinely happy for some reason, which brought back Twilight's previous intention to speak with him.

"Spike...we need to-unnnh." Twilight cringed, having both hooves on her stomach instantly as the gurgling ceased and the pressure started to build. Quickly, Spike brought over his stool and sat with her, one hand circling her belly as he wore a worried expression. Twilight did all she could to try to relax and free the gas, but she also took this opportunity to make her move.

"Spike...I have something to ask you," Twilight spoke as she strained to make out each word, the pressure really doing a number on her. She would survive, however, and she knew how she would end up feeling once the anomaly was quelled.

"Sure thing, Twilight. What's on your mind?" Spike asked normally.

"First off, why are you so *hic!* eager to help me with this? Is feeding someone else that enjoyable for you?" At this, the belly rub Spike was giving slowed down as he gave the question thought. Twilight saw him blush through her half-lidded eyes while she enjoyed her massage immensely. Finally, Spike turned to her with an answer.

"Well...you see, Twilight, I...oh, this is going to sound so corny." The unicorn could sense that he was going to tell the truth, and she listened intently. "Go on, Spike. You can *urp* tell me."

Spike shifted nervously, but pressed on. "I really like it when...when you're happy like this...and...," Spike gulped, "and when you're...full." Taken by surprise, Twilight was stunned. Still, Spike kept going. "It took me some time to realize it...but when we had breakfast this morning...all I was thinking about was if Rarity took your place. Then, when you really made yourself look like her, I...I lost myself. It was heaven, I admit it, but after we finished and I got my senses back, I remembered that "Rarity" was you. Sure, it was you who casted the spell, but I still felt like I disregarded you, Twilight, for my own selfishness. I'm...sorry."

A tear ran down Twilight's face as she smiled. She leaned over and hugged the sullen dragon tightly, whom looked up at her with surprise. Twilight's belly was compressed greatly, but it went unnoticed as Twilight began to speak.

"I'm sorry, too, Spike. While I was...indulging myself back then...I thought that you would tire of me if I wasn't that one somepony you cared for deeply. But even though I was one of those ponies, I overlooked that detail and I altered myself so that you would be happy. We've always stood up for each other, we've enjoyed each other's company; I never took it into account that this wasn't any different. Well, besides your new fascination of this." She removed her head from atop of Spike's and nodded at her ballooning gut. It looked as if she had swallowed Spike even though he was right there in front of her, nuzzling her stomach with non-profound affection while looking and feeling a hundred times better than he had been moments ago.

"Well, duh! How can you not appreciate something like this? It's so round and soft..." Spike went on with his rant as he started up his belly rub once again. Twilight simply smiled and listened as she was given her treatment. Her body slightly rocked back and forth in sync with the motion Spike was applying, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the half-asleep state she was entering. The orange glow of the evening sun detailed itself around the room, making for a truly serene atmosphere. If it weren't for her overwhelming hunger, she would have fallen asleep then and there.

This session was cut short, however, as the knot in her tummy suddenly became undone, and a mighty rumble snapped Twilight from her trance. The vibrations were powerful enough to shake Spike's hand off of her belly, and Twilight herself wrapped her hooves around it, attempting to contain the internal conflict. Ultimately, the gas found its way out through the only way available as the mare's cheeks began to inflate.

*UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRP!!!*

She lurched forward, leaning onto her belly as she helped to let out the trapped air. Her stomach has lost some of its size instantly, the sheer power of the belch indicating where it had gone. Finally content, the mare rested her head on the dragon beside her, catching her breath as she relished the feeling that was coursing through her. Spike, in turn, hugged Twilight tightly, smiling as he held her in his arms.

The two creatures stayed like this for a couple of minutes. It was only until Twilight mentioned that she was still famished that they both proceeded with the large remainder of food on the table. They tackled the food systematically, thanks to Pinkie Pie having already sorted them into groups. Everything from danishes to donuts went down the hatch, and Spike even helped himself to a few treats every now and then. A large jug of milk had been set aside for Twilight to quench her thirst from time to time, and it contributed to her getting gas attacks more often. They had to take more breaks as a result, but Twilight kept to her claim that she was still starving, so Spike gladly continued to feed her. Her coat was becoming a mess without her realizing it, icing and crumbs getting into her hair and fur as they picked up the pace.

Twilight's stomach gradually expanded outward as more food was stuffed inside of it, the sloshing venter threatening to burst at any moment. The rest of her body, on the other hoof, experienced a slight growth of it's own; limbs grew softer and pudgier, and her posterior began to slightly define itself as Twilight sat in her shrinking chair. Meanwhile, Spike's massages had improved greatly since the first few times Twilight pointed out which spots were the most troubled in her belly. He started to use both hands to cover a wider area over her gut, which helped to alleviate the tension Twilight held inside of her faster and more pleasantly than before.

Lost in the constant activity, Twilight grabbed an entire box of chocolates with her magic and proceeded to comically stuff her face with them, not bothering to slow down to chew as the delicacies slid down her throat in an almost single-file line. Quickly aching for something to drink, the milk jug levitated towards the bloated mare while promptly tilting for her waiting lips, and she panted for it as she chugged the oversized beverage greedily. Spike could only watch as the container was emptied in seconds before his eyes, and he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Twilight's face exhibiting a blissful euphoria. Milk dribbled from the corners of her mouth as she finished, and she made the empty jug float back onto the table.

Catching her breath, Twilight sat there, the consequences of her actions beginning to settle in. The dragon beside her grew worried; Spike knew from experience how counterproductive it was to drink so much milk in one sitting. He took a gander outside to catch the time and noticed that Celestia's sun had retired for the day, the outside world becoming almost pitch-black if it weren't for the lights of the village. Spike was surprised as he caught his eyelids becoming heavy, and he instantly snapped them open. Despite his long nap that afternoon, he still found himself to be in need of sleep.

"Spike-aaah!"

Did the concert end, already? You'd think that they would have pulled an all-nighter... Spike thought to himself, his mind currently preoccupied by its own thinking as he kept his gaze towards the window.

"Please *urp* Spike..."

Oh well, I guess they couldn't afford to keep those colts and fillies up with loud music...Unless-

"SPIKE!"

He swiveled his head to face Twilight, immediately taking in the scene that lay before him. The unicorn's form was squirming, an assortment of noises escaping it. Her tummy let out a series of loud gurgles, and it sounded as if it were bubbling something fierce from the inside. Twilight's brow was furrowed in concentration, but her half-smile betrayed any pain that she was probably experiencing. Spike instantly brought his hands to the source of the noise, making sure to put in the effort necessary to quell Twilight's stomach.

It was a long operation; Twilight was made to belch out any gas she could let loose, while Spike merely went over what he believed to be the origin of the problem. The mare was huge now; one would have made the mistake to think that she was heavily pregnant. She had scooted her chair back for Spike to work in front of her, which was quite a feat considering how weighty the librarian was, now. Twilight made sure to keep herself from moving too much for Spike to do his job more effectively, only to find that her belly made movements of its own, churning and convulsing as it trembled right in front of her. It was quite the sight, watching it shake independently, and she soon became hypnotized by her own abdomen. Twilight brought her hooves to rest on the ball of fur and felt for what her gut was attempting to contain.

Spike, on the other hoof, was trying to control the very beast that Twilight was showing affection towards. Despite all of his efforts, the anomaly showed no signs of calming down any time soon. He removed himself from Twilight, thinking as he watched her commence into a belly rub of her own. At first, Spike elected to simply wait for her system to relieve itself. However, his eyes were beginning to close more frequently, and he would have dropped on the spot if it weren't for all of the noise Twilight was making with her paunch alone.

It was then that Spike had an idea. Climbing off of his stool, he walked around the table to find the item he was looking for. He knew that Pinkie Pie wouldn't have left it out since it was a must-have at most of her parties, so it really didn't take long for Spike to discover it in the pile of junk food. Grabbing it by the middle, he triumphantly returned in front of Twilight with the cure in tow. The mare laggardly tilted her head to face Spike, tongue hanging out and her forehead strained. Spike started to panic.

"Twilight! Are you alright?"

She responded by hiccuping, then by peering down at what Spike had grabbed from the table. Spike noticed this and waved the container in front of her, trying to get her to focus.

"C'mon, Twi, you have to at least try this. If gas is the problem, this'll take care of it really quick."

Spike opened the can with a claw, taking off the metal flap in the process. He balanced himself on the stool as he attempted to raise the drink to Twilight's muzzle with one hand while holding her head in place with another. Twilight was only able to murmur "But I don't drink fizz-" before the liquid content of the can was emptied with success.

Spike stepped back, being cautious about what may or may not have happened next. Seconds went by, and it seemed that there wouldn't be any changes in Twilight's plight.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and the very next moment pandemonium broke loose. Her stomach ceased trembling, but now it sounded as if there was an entire vat of liquid being bubbled in the sphere. Twilight had broken free from her intoxicated state and was currently shooting Spike a worried glance, curious and afraid at what Spike had made her drink that could cause so much noise from within her. The consistent sounds were starting to worry them both, and Spike was just about ready to turn himself in for making Twilight explode.

Then she tried to speak.

*BBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPP*

*URP-hic-UUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRP*

*HIC-BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAP*

Records were broken as Spike swore the windows were shuddering from the sound being applied to them. Twilight began pressing her hooves into herself to be rid of the gas that had been plaguing her, and she continued to belch monstrously until there was nothing more to burp out. It took her a few good minutes to do so, and by the time she was finished her belly had shrunk again, though its new contents made themselves known as they now harmlessly churned under her fur.

"I think I've had enough *urp* food for today," Twilight spoke in a sarcastic tone, feeling a lot better as she hoped to get a laugh from her assistant. When he didn't respond, Twilight brought her head forward to scan the room for him. There he sat, almost curled into a ball on his stool and snoring loudly with a calm smile gracing his face. He had fallen asleep as Twilight was finishing with what Spike himself had started. Seeing the dragon in such a peaceful state made Twilight's heart ten times lighter. She got up from her chair and carefully carried Spike with her aura, but not before she magically preserved what was left of the junky buffet on the table. That's going to be for tomorrow... Twilight hummed to herself in her head, trotting towards the living room while her enormous gut noisily accompanied her. She lit up the fireplace instantaneously and sprawled her enlarged frame onto the soft carpet that lied in front of it.

With a groan, she was able to rest on her side as she set Spike down in front of her. The fun she had that day was finally taking its toll, and her eyes began to close shut as well. Just before they did, however, she saw Spike half-awake as he crawled over to her and curled up again, grazing Twilight's tummy with his back. The dragon felt warm against her belly; it could have only been described as therapeutic as the remains of the mare's stomach aches faded away, replaced with the sole sense of being impossibly full.

Feeling truly at peace with her surroundings, she allowed her eyes to close completely and enjoy the glow that danced on her eyelids from the fireplace.

"Goodnight, my number one assistant."

Author's Note

This reminds me of chapter 2. I'm uncomfortable with it, but here we are.

I'll update my page with plans for the last few chapters, and I'll get to any comments and questions tomorrow.

Goodnight, y'all. :3