Daring Do and the Amulet of Graveeda

Daring Do and the Amulet of Graveeda

Part 4

Daring followed the stallion out of the kitchen and into the far more obvious spa area. It looked pretty up to date with recent equipment, but at the moment it all looked rather dreary. There were barely any lights on, the tables were all empty, the hot tubs were drained of water, and there wasn’t anypony around save for them.

“Has business always been this been bad?” Daring asked. She felt like she knew the answer, but she had to be sure.

“It was fine until about a month ago,” the stallion said over his shoulder. “A lot of my regulars started cancelling all of a sudden, then the walk-ins slowed to a trickle. Before I knew it I’d found quite a bit of my schedule cleared, and it wasn’t even enough to keep me occupied, let alone my apprentices. I still have enough to get by, but after what…”

He cut himself off with a jerk of his head. He tried to hide his face from her, but before he could, Daring caught a glimpse of his twisted expression.

“Well, I-I just thought it best to close shop for a few days,” he said with a slight hitch in his voice. “Take a break and get my bearings, y’know? I’ve only been taking ponies who still had appointments, and me and the misses have been up in the loft just... recuperating, I guess.”

Daring watched him carefully. It was pretty obvious what had happened to the poor guy, but experience had taught her not to assume. She simply nodded her understanding and gestured for him to go on.

“Sorry again about coming at you like that in the kitchen.” He offered her a strained smile. “When I heard noises coming from the employee lounge, I thought that it might be some kids pulling a prank or something.”

Daring waved a dismissive hoof. “No worries. I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

“Heh, yeah. Well, no harm done, I guess. Anyway, here we are.”

He opened a door to a more private area of the spa. Inside was a spacious room, warm and bright, completely sealed off from the public space with beds, hot tubs, and tables of considerably higher quality. The colors were soft and inviting, and places to store all manner of beauty products were in every nook and cranny. And perhaps best of all, in the center of the room was a hot tub built into the very layout of the room. It rose just slightly out of the floor, and within it Daring could make out a soft padding that she guessed was for laying upon.

“Good thing you showed up when you did,” the stallion said. “I almost drained the water out of the tub.”

Daring began to wonder just how pampered she was about to become. “Wow, when you said world-class you really meant it, huh?”

“Well, you did buy the deluxe package.” He took her hoof in his and began carefully escorted her towards the tub.

Daring couldn't help but blush at the courtesy. “So formal with a lady, and you don’t even give her your name? For shame, sir.”

“Call me Teddy. Everypony else does.” He winked and continued guiding her to the waiting bath.

The path into the tub was inclined to make it easier for her to get into, but it didn't go up so high that she felt it might be dangerous. She also couldn't help but notice that it seemed raised just high enough that Teddy wouldn't need to bend over to provide his services to whoever was within it. Daring reached the edge and took a tentative step into the warm water, and immediately felt it begin to work away at the stress built up in her leg. The walls of the tub weren’t smooth, but rather porous in such a way to prevent slipping. There were also some guiderails she could use once she got to the other side where the padding was.

Teddy continued to help her as she got to the far end and made to turn around. She sat down on the padding and leaned back, gently gliding into the tub with the water slowly working its way across her body. The tub’s surface rose higher as her full-grown girth joined the rest of her body, and she was rather surprised at how much of it stood up above the water line.

Daring just sighed heavily as she let the warmth soak in, the stress already beginning to melt away. “Ohhhhhh man, did I ever need this.” She adjusted herself a bit and sank a little further into the tub. Even the leftover stress from older adventures soaking away into the warm bath, and she couldn’t help but let out a long, windy coo. She lay with her eyes closed for a time, resting against the heavenly soft padding built into the tub while Teddy went about his tasks.

Daring zoned out for a while, just letting her stomach lift and fall into the water from her tempered breathing. Its surface was covered in a slight sheen from the water, and her fur was matted enough to reveal exposed navel. It wasn't until she felt something soft and warm begin to tease her womb that she opened her eyes at all, and he saw that Teddy was now beside her holding a wet sponge and a bottle of lavender soap.

Teddy chuckled. “Comfortable?”

“Oh yes,” Daring said, smiling. “Very much so.”

“Good.” He squirted some soap onto her tall island of a womb. “Just relax and enjoy. I’ll take care of you two.”

The soap must’ve had some form of moisturizer mixed into it, as the sponge glided across her girth with barely any resistance at all. Daring's feelings about it were anything but platonic as Teddy’s soft strokes spread a wonderful feeling across her belly, his gentle massaging driving so many wonderful tingles across her weighty womb. The entire process made Daring realize just how massive she was, as Teddy was taking almost ten minutes just to clean one side. Occasionally she’d feel a strange flutter within her gut that wasn’t from her foal kicking, and while the sensation was confusing her, it felt nothing short of extraordinary.

Teddy slowly began to move around to the other side, carefully stroking her girth all the while in slow circles. She did her best to hide her moans as she breathed harder, her stomach rising up higher out of the water more and more. She groaned deeply as the feelings mixed with her gut's movement, a strong twitch rocking it about every so often. She couldn't help but lean into his strokes to get him to press harder; anything to drive that intense sensation just a bit deeper. Teddy seemed to pick up on this and obliged, and his firmer touch made the butterflies within her only grow stronger.

His final ascent left Daring in a daze. The higher he went, the greater the twitches within her felt, his constant movement gradually causing her pleasure to swell to a new peak every time. Daring's noises then grew a little less private as a deep warmth surged out into her extremities, her stomach noticing a change especially, and she could swear her womb was becoming more sensitive as time went on.

By the time Teddy finally reached the summit of her swell, Daring had become so reactive that it was a small wonder that he hadn't stopped to see if she was okay. Daring's twitches became much stronger as his soft warm sponge began circling her navel, looking far more like she was thrusting her gut out of the water to coax him on than any movements on his part. She could feel something deep within her stirring, something grand and wonderful, and her self-control was waning as Teddy continued his ministrations.

His first pass over the exposed navel left her breathless. A storm of fluttering sensations spread out all over from the sponge’s touch, and then he began to scrub a little harder, either in response to her gasp or just trying to get out a stubborn patch of dirt. Daring could only groan loudly, trying to resist the urge to help the twitches along by physically thrusting her gut into the massage. Every stroke made her insides move, the tiny, tickling butterflies whisking about in an endless swelling tide. She had no idea what would happen if she lost her cool, but a small, secret part of her couldn’t wait to find out.

Then, in a sudden move, Teddy twisted the sponge onto her naked navel, the grinding sensation like a lightning bolt that drove down deep into her. The jolt ignited a fire within her, and her back arched as her belly's twitches became full, immense throbs. For a split second she felt her gut fill up more of the tub, the water sloshing around from the titanic movement. Something on her belly was thrown off from the wave of motion, too, but Daring was too swept up in the moment to realize what it was.

Daring recovered from the engorged feeling, revelling in the warmth that was washing over her in waves. She could also feel a series of quickly fading shocks racing through her, and her girth felt rather satisfied. Daring opened her eyes to see Teddy dousing her belly with water to remove any excess suds. He noticed her stare and gave her a rather sly look, which she really hoped wasn't for the wrong reasons.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I, uh... got a little excited there.”

“No, it’s alright. That's what usually happens.” He set down the small bucket he’d used to wash her and went over to one of the supply closets. “You're not even the most extreme reaction I've ever had, truth be told. Although you must’ve never had a belly massage one before. I’ve never seen anypony with that much latent stress!”

Daring looked down at the whole mountainous swell before her. “Yeah, well, one day you're out living your life with not enough time for anything, and then all of a sudden, you wake up with a melon between your legs and realize you need to take things a little slower.”

Teddy snickered. “Life has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn’t it?” He continued to look through the assortments of bottles he hummed to himself. “Still though, I'm still surprised you reacted so strongly to just my cleaning you off. I must be getting good at this.”

Daring cocked her head. “I thought you said my reaction was normal.”

Teddy shrugged. “Well, yeah, but most others only react like that after I use this.” He pulled an unlabeled bottle out from the top shelf. “This is called Godmother's Kiss. I usually charge extra for it, but for you, it’s all part of the world-class pampering package.”

The use of the word 'Godmother' had Daring suddenly both worried and excited at the same time. “I-interesting. Why’s it called that?”

“Dunno. It's an old recipe that I got from my great-granpappy’s journal.” He trotted over to her holding a pair of new sponges. “It’s made from super secret ingredients, you see, and apparently it was once used for royalty! Pretty cool, huh?”

Daring bit her lip. She was having a hard time getting a read on Teddy, and she wasn't sure if he was trying to imply something or just being coy. “Y-you don’t say? That is pretty cool, I guess.”

Teddy grinned slyly. “Yes, it is. And do you wanna know why?”

Daring suddenly felt as though she was getting backed into a corner. “Um... W-why?”

He took a step forward. “Because you are—”

Daring cringed. Please don't say the Godmother, please don't say the Godmother, please don't say the Godmother…

“—going to become absolute putty in my hooves when I use this on you!”

Daring blinked several times. “Wait… what now?”

A devious smirk crept up on Teddy’s lips. “Don't act innocent with me. If that little show from just my sponge and some soap drove you mad, then this is going to be a display for the ages. Prepare yourself, Miss Do, for I know your weak-spots now, and with all that stress inside just aching to be let out...”

The two sponges flew up into the air and began circling around his head. “I'm going to destroy you! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Daring rolled her eyes. Okay, false alarm. Teddy was just a goofball with a taste for theatrics. It was strange though, seeing such a change in attitude from just a moment ago. He’d seemed rather sullen right up until he’d started cleaning her, but now he was suddenly smiling and messing around. What had changed, exactly? Did she have anything to do with it? Or was he just happy to have a client?

Either way, she didn’t want to spoil his mood with questions, so she just played along and stuck her tongue out at him. “Bring it on, sponge-boy. I’ve gotten in my share of hairy scraps before. Your dumb ol’ lotion doesn’t scare me.”

Teddy rubbed his hooves together with an evil grin. “Oh, you say that now...”

()()()()()

Quick Fix and the Headmaster stood in the office looking at a magical map of the town. On it were moving markings which indicated where agents were patrolling and looking for the Godmother. The scout who’d made the initial sighting was in the office with them as well, and he’d just begun recounting everything that’d been gathered from reports.

“From what we can tell, she moved through the alleyway to get to the library,” the scout said. “She stayed there until Brash and his goons showed up, then fled off somewhere to the southwest. We haven’t seen her since then.”

The Headmaster continued to contemplate the map. This Godmother was resourceful, he’d give her that. There was no less then four possible routes she could take out of Prodigal Point in that area, and it’d be no surprise if she did thanks to the attack.

“And you're sure no one’s seen any trains leave?” the Headmaster asked. “Or a pegasus trying to fly out of the city limits?”

The scout shook his head. “We’ve been maintaining stories about broken engines and bad storm fronts closing in. If she’s left the city, she didn’t go through one of the main routes.”

Quick Fix spoke up. “Perhaps she smuggled herself out? There are more than a few ponies in this town who’d be willing to do that kind of thing.”

“We thought of that,” The scout said. “Most of those types work down at the docks, and we’ve already bribed them to 'take the day off'. It doesn’t seem like she’s tried that way.”

The Headmaster scratched his chin. “Hmm, it might be worth it to check—”

Suddenly, the Amulet of Graveeda began to glow and rattle about.

The Headmaster looked over. “What the…”

The amulet continued to vibrate more and more, its light shining ever brighter. It began to let off a pleasant hum, then in the blink of an eye, it leapt into the air and released a blinding flash of light.

“GAH!” The three stallions shielded their eyes.

It was over in an instant. The Amulet’s humming died down to silence, and it ceased its shaking before softly landing back upon its resting place. The warm glow remained, however, pulsing softly in the afternoon light.

Quick Fix was the first to speak. “Uh… what was that?”

“By the stars...” the Headmaster breathed. His eyes went wide before snapping back to the map. “Quick! Are there any progenimysts in the direction she went?!”

The scout swallowed hard. “U-um, well, there are a few, but not in the immediate area that I know of.”

The Headmaster grit his teeth. “Damn it. That reaction could only have been caused by a progeny salve, and a powerful one at that! We need to—”

“I know where she is.”

The Headmaster turned to Quick Fix. “Wait, you do? How?”

Quick Fix pointed at a building a short distance away from the library. “This spa is owned by a descendant of one of the Royal Progenimysts. I know him personally, and he’s told me on more than one occasion that he knows how to make progeny salves. He’s also the head masseuse, so he’d be more than capable of producing that kind of reaction.”

The Headmaster gave Quick Fix a scrutinizing look. “You say you know him personally?”

“For about five years now, yes. His name’s Tender Care. He’s a good pony.”

“Do you think he’d be more willing to talk to us if you went with the search party?” the Headmaster asked.

Quick Fix nodded. “So long as nopony breaks down his door and starts demanding answers.”

The Headmaster scowled. “I’d assume that one colossal-sized blunder is enough for one day, hmm?”

Quick Fix hung his head. “Yes, sir. I won’t force anything on her or Teddy.”

“Good, then get going. And for Celestia’s sake, show some bloody tact! This is a delicate situation, and we’re not going to get anywhere by trying to use force.”

Quick Fix and the scout both bowed, then turned and began trotting out of the office without another word.

The Headmaster sighed as they left him. He turned his gaze back to the Amulet, his expression unreadable as he examined its now-healthier glow.

“Quick Fix!”

Quick Fix turned. “Sir?”

The Headmaster took up the Amulet of Graveeda in his magic and floated it over to the younger stallion. “Take this with you.”

Quick Fix blanched. “W-what? Are you sure?”

“No,” the Headmaster admitted. “Especially not after what you told me earlier, but we’re running out of options here. The sooner the Godmother gets this, the better. Get to it her as soon as possible. Understand?”

Quick Fix carefully took the Amulet from the Headmaster and put it in his saddlebags. “Consider it done.”

He and the scout left, leaving the Headmaster alone in his office. He sighed and sat down in his desk chair, looking out at the silent, despondent city.

“Well, at least this Tender Care bought us some time. How much, however, remains to be seen.”

()()()()()

A Few Moments Earlier-

Teddy had needed about fifteen minutes to get started, as he’d apparently forgot some form of catalytic agent that would kick-start the lotion's properties. She didn't mind though, the bath was still warm, and she was pretty sure the water magically refreshed itself every few minutes. She eventually dozed off and hovered in the sweet spot between sleep and wakefulness until a spark on her skin ignited a flutter of feelings.

The butterflies were back in full force. But this time, they were being tied up in a knot close to where the spark had originated, and it was being made tighter and tighter by the second. Something soft yet firm pressed in against the knot, slowly making it looser but never quite releasing it. Daring’s entire womb felt alive as an untold number of tiny prickles danced across her skin, and she couldn't stop herself from openly groaning from the sensation. Suddenly a force pressed into her stomach that undid the knot at last, and the release sent a wave of pressure into her body.

The pressure pushed at her belly's meager limitations… and then amazingly, it began to surpass them. Daring opened her eyes to see that her body was not lying to her; her belly had in fact grown slightly from the release, and it was the most amazing thing she’d ever felt. She also saw that a pad was resting against her side in Teddy’s field of magic, slathered in a strange, blue glowing substance that was the source of the spark.

Teddy grinned. “And that was just a dollop.”

Daring wasn't sure if he was blind to what just happened, or whether he was just messing with her again. Her pregnant belly was definitely a tad larger than it had been just before, but yet she didn't care, as she just wanted him to keep doing whatever it was he was doing.

Teddy squirted a little bit more of the Godmother’s Kiss on his sponge and resumed washing, causing a new knot to appear within her womb. The butterflies that had been dancing inside her before were swept up in a fresh swarm, and the knot abruptly felt all the tighter. Her need for release kept climbing, and all the while her belly was alive with thousands of tiny sparks, the lotion being driven into her skin from Teddy’s soft pads. Daring was losing her will to resist again, pushing her stomach into his massage to try and lure him into releasing the pressure, but he continued to tease her with gentle strokes. The need began to consume her, something in her demanding that the knot be released. Nothing else mattered right then, not Teddy, not the ponies chasing her, not anything else in the world. All that mattered was the knot.

Slowly but surely, the knot began to loosen. Daring began to feel warm waves of pleasure surging through her, each one hastening her breath and driving her womb into motion. She began to feel the entire mass quiver with a strange urge, a kind of building ache that demanded to be brought to an apex. Her pleasure-filled shivers arced across her grand girth, and the action only served to drive her further into a frenzy.

Teddy finally pushed hard again, and there was a second internal pop! Bolts of lightning flew across Daring’s body in an instant, and she was struck with a fit of shivering goosebumps. The pressure returned again, flowing into her stomach and making her girth grow outward once again, causing a slight bit of water to splash out of the tub.

Daring thought that Teddy might pause for a moment then to put on some more of that heavenly lotion, but instead all he did was continue to massage her mass. Her belly was a madhouse of sensations, the feelings fluttering deep within as she continued to be assailed with shudders. She tried to gently breathe to maintain herself, but every few moments her gut would be rocked by a gentle gurgling, and then it would expand ever so slightly. Aches in her womb would build only to be released in an instant, each burst sending new waves of warmth and growth into her.

By the time Teddy had reached her navel she’d swollen to the size of twins, full-grown and ready to be born any second. He was finding aches she didn’t even know about without even trying, and he was obliterating them in an explosion of delightful tingling. She was utterly enthralled by his touch, lost in the amazing sensations as he encircled the highest point of her womb, the feelings only getting stronger. Daring felt one of Teddy’s hooves upon her as he had to balance to get her fully exposed navel; apparently it was now just out of reach for him. Red and delicate, it too had swollen from her recent growth, throbbing up and down in time with her thundering heart.

Teddy placed a large glob of Godmother’s Kiss upon her bellybutton and allowed it to sink in on its own for a moment. Daring let out a grunt from the intrusive power seeping in, the final and greatest point of stress churning her insides about. A massive knot was now forming, and she could feel the pressure trickling in, her womb coming alive with bursts of fluttering tickles that raced into every corner of her girth. She began panting like a dog on a summer day, meeting Teddy’s eyes with a pleading look that bordered on desperation. No words were exchanged, but fortunately, Teddy understood what she needed. He gave her a roguish smile, and then without further hesitation, ground his sponge into her navel with a strong twist.

Daring screamed in delight. The huge knot began to loosen from Teddy’s kneading force, and she couldn’t help but thrust into his motions as her belly throbbed with immense pleasure. She continued to thrust and thrust, each time being followed with wonderful sensations of her womb growing, stretching, expanding. The knot was almost undone now, and the pressure was so great that she was sure it couldn’t build up anymore, but it continued to and then some. She was losing her mind from being so close to the edge. The throbs of her belly were so much greater now, and the knot was almost ready to burst. Her stomach already much larger than when she began, and yet, all she wanted was more.

Yes, she realized, she wanted more growth. She wanted more room. She wanted more, more, more, so much more, until at last she could carry them all.

Pop!

The dam finally burst. Daring’s belly throbbed with such a force that it knocked Teddy away, and the pressure all ignited and poured into her body. Her womb glowed with power as it began expanding, quickly rising over her in a series of mighty throbs. It felt like a current of electricity was running through her, making her feel incredibly alive as the magic made room for so many soon-to-be-foals. She couldn't contain her cries of delight if she tried, and they only grew louder upon feeling a strange something begin tickling her navel.

Daring gasped as a tiny spark came into being and flitted into her womb through her bellybutton. She felt it implant itself deep within her core, and a few seconds later, she watched in awe as her belly glowed ever-so-slightly. A second set of legs began kicking alongside the first, making her coo and sigh happily in response. She could scarcely believe what had just happened, but before she could even recover, another spark appeared and flew inside to join the other two. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her belly glowed once more, stretching and groaning as its girth was pushed far above the tub. There were now three sets of legs rhythmically kicking within her, and their movements brought her no end of pleasurable sensations.

Now a fourth was looking to be let inside, circling and tickling her navel to try and gain her favor. Pleasant prickles of warmth accompanied the little spark’s prodding, and eventually she relented and welcomed it with open hooves. There was a single point of pressure as it pushed its way into her, which quickly magnified into a blooming heat when the new foal sparked into being. Her belly stretched farther and farther without complaint, her girth gradually increasing to ever-greater sizes as the new foals grew large and healthy.

Without warning she felt two sparks ignite together, twins she knew. They eagerly pushed into her with a jolt, their appearance and entrance so sudden that the extra room inside her quickly began to run out. The pressure in her womb began to build and build and build, until her gravid girth underwent yet another growth spurt. Her sensitive paunch rocked back and forth with the surge, bigger and heavier and fuller, the ancient magic struggling to keep up with the growing foals. Finally the twins were the same size as the others, and for Daring, the realization that six lives were kicking and moving within her was nothing short of utter bliss.

Then she felt a new spark appear, weaker and tinier than all the rest had been. She was unsure of what it meant, but then the little spark then became two, and the two became three. The triplets dove into her womb one by one and began to grow at a rapid rate, leaving Daring a grunting, groaning mess as her body was suddenly unable to accommodate. She could feel her belly stretching, mind you, but it wasn’t fast enough. She needed more power. She needed more room. She needed to be able to provide for them all.

Her glowing middle began to thrust upward of its own accord. Slowly it continued until she felt a new knot building inside her, bigger than all the rest and gradually putting more and more force behind the thrusts. She let out a loud cry, desperately craving some kind of release, but she was at the mercy of the rapidly-building magic. It became such a great force within that her stomach felt like it was about to burst, the thrusts coming now in huge, immense throbs, until finally, at long last, it all released at once.

POP!

It felt like there was an explosion inside her womb. Her pregnant belly bulged out in every direction as it suddenly grew and grew and grew, gaining meters of fundal height in a measure of mere seconds. The sudden flux of power also allowed more sparks of life to come into being, and they promptly flitted inside her to help push her girth to new heights. She wasn’t in a state to count how many there were, but even if she was, they were simply coming in too fast. She was becoming lost in the sheer size and weight of so many little ones, and it was threatening to become too much for her.

Seemingly in response, The magic around her middle spread to encompass her entire body. A wave of dizziness washed over Daring, and in a strange turn of events the hot tub abruptly began to feel a little… small. Her back hooves were now brushing against the far walls of the jacuzzi—er… no, they were poking out over the edge. Her shoulders and rump were pressed against the sides of the tub, too. The water within the quickly shrinking tub was overflowing and splashing out onto the floor, and the weight of her titanic paunch was becoming more manageable as the rest of her increased in size.

Daring revelled in the heightened sensitivity that the growth brought. She could feel her muscles thickening, her joints and tendons creaking as every part of her lengthened and strengthened by the second. She doubled in size and still continued to inch upward, a feeling of pure, delicious power suffusing her and filling her energy. She felt so very full. She felt so much like a mother. Her grand womb was a blessed fertile ground for new life, and she was its guardian; chosen to watch over and keep stalwart vigil.

More and more sparks spontaneously ignited as they helped push Daring to new heights, each one growing both her belly and her frame just a little bit more. Her belly was still expanding just a little bit faster than the rest of her, but it was never so much that it threatened to overwhelm her again. Her motherly shape grew until it was mere inches from the spa ceiling, but then, finally, the storm passed at last.

Lost in a daze and barely conscious, Daring could only breathe as her womb gently throbbed with life, warm and comforting to both herself and children within. She cooed softly, feeling them all wiggle and kick inside her, gently sending pleasant shivers down her spine. Slowly she felt the repercussions of so much magic on her body, her muscles and joints tired from being stretched and regrown with every new foal, and she began to drift off to sleep.

As she did, she gently stroked what she could reach of her tremendous paunch. She wouldn't let anything happen to them. Not now, not ever. Nothing would take them from her, and in that moment, she swore an oath that she’d keep them safe as best she could. And with that vow uttered, Daring fled from reality and into pleasant dreams.