Chapters "Do you want it, dear? Tell me you want it."
"Mph, yes... all... I want it all."
Cadance smiled, and levitated a final slice of chocolate cake to Shining Armour's lips. He opened his mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly with his eyes closed in pleasure. As he ate, Cadance snuggled up closer to him on the bed, taking the opportunity to give his big, soft belly a good feel with her hooves. Shining had put on yet another few pounds over the weeks; it wouldn't be long now before he officially became obese. Cadance couldn't wait for that day to come.
Swallowing his mouthful of cake, Shining moaned appreciatively as Cadance massaged his gut, running a pudgy hoof through her mane. After a few minutes of kneading his belly, Cadance sighed happily and wrapped her husband in an embrace, relishing in the warm plushness of his ample stomach. Shining smiled and wrapped his hooves around her back in response, pulling her in even closer.
After about five minutes or so of them simply silently cuddling, Cadance spoke up.
"You know, Shiny," she said, "there's, um... there's been something I meant to ask you about."
"Oh?" Shining replied, opening his eyes and looking down at her. "And what's that?"
"I really enjoy getting to feed you and cuddle you every night like this," Cadance smiled. "It's the most fun I can remember having since we took over here in the Crystal Empire."
"Awww..." Shining blushed slightly. "Same here, Cady."
"So, I was wondering," Cadance continued. "You've always been willing to try new things with me, haven't you?" Shining nodded. He was married to the Princess of Love; new ideas in the bedroom kind of came with the territory. "How would you feel about us, um... bringing another pony in here?"
Shining blinked. "Another pony? You mean, like another mare or something?"
"Well, no. I was thinking of bringing in another..." Cadance blushed and bit her lip. "Another stallion."
Part of being a married couple is acquiring the ability to communicate without words. Shining demonstrated this by not speaking, but giving Cadance a look that said, "Not quite what I expected, but you have my attention."
"I just thought, um..." Cadance groaned. "Ugh, it sounds so stupid when I say it out loud."
"Hey, come on, sweetheart," Shining said reassuringly, rubbing her shoulder. "I'd never judge you, you know that."
"Okay." Cadance took a breath, before continuing. "What I thought was... what if we picked out another stallion from the palace staff or something, or heck, even one of the guards, and invited him to join us in the bedroom at night? Even better, maybe we could look at, ah... fattening him up a bit, as well? That way, I could have two big, handsome stallions to enjoy instead of just one..." Cadance trailed off, and simply studied Shining for his reaction.
An awkward few moments of silence passed as Shining seemed to mull it over, before he spoke.
"Well," he said, "that's certainly an interesting idea. And it's not exactly the most outlandish idea you've had, either."
"You don't think so?" Cadance asked.
"Cadance," Shining laughed, "we've gone as far as swapping genders before. Inviting another stallion up here is far from the craziest thing we've done. In fact, I'm surprised we haven't tried it yet."
"But... are you sure you don't mind?" Cadance asked nervously. "I mean, you with another mare is one thing, but another stallion..."
"Pssh, it's no big deal," Shining said, waving a hoof dismissively. "We're the heroes of the Crystal Empire, Cady. It's not like anypony's going to judge us over this. Besides, what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom, right?"
Cadance paused, looking lost in thought herself. Slowly, a bright, eager smile crept across her face.
"Yeah... yeah, you're right. This might work! This... ohmigosh, this might actually work! " She laughed delightedly and squeezed Shining in an even tighter hug than she had before. Shining laughed alongside her and returned the hug, listening to her delighted giggling and waiting until she'd calmed down before he spoke again.
"I think I have the perfect candidate in mind, too," he said. "One of the guards. I'll speak to him tomorrow and tell him he's been..." He smirked. "Reassigned."
Cadance smiled demurely. "Oh? And just who would that be?"
"Flash Sentry." Shining greeted the orange stallion who stood before his desk. "I'm glad you could make it. Please, have a seat."
Flash nodded and obediently took a seat across from Shining, looking across at his commander. He did his best to maintain military discipline and look Shining in the eyes, but his gaze kept threatening to draw down towards Shining's belly. Even with the amount of times Shining's armour had been expanded by the blacksmiths, his flabby sides still noticeably bulged over the edges. If it wasn't for the adjustable straps, his stomach may well have been digging in, too. As it was, it swayed under Shining like a pendulum as he leaned forward in his seat.
"Do you know why I called you in here, Flash?"
Flash shook his head. "No, sir. Lieutenant Steel Valour just told me that you requested my presence for a new assignment."
Shining smiled. "Indeed I have." He leaned back in his chair, which creaked under his weight. "Flash, you've long set a fine example for the Crystal Guard. In your time with us, you've already received numerous commendations from your superiors. I have in my filing cabinet a report from your commanding officer expressing how impressed he was with your performance on that training exercise in the mountains, and I understand that you're very popular with your fellow enlisted stallions, too. You're a fine soldier, Flash Sentry, no doubt about it."
Flash felt himself swell with pride at Shining's compliments. "Thank you, sir."
"Because of your loyalty to serving the Empire—and by extension, its rulers—I have requested your presence for a more... personal matter," Shining continued.
Flash blinked. "'Personal', sir?"
"Yes. My wife is the Princess of Love, Flash, and as such, we are always trying new things in, ah... in the bedroom, shall we say."
Flash felt heat rising to his cheeks. Was this going where he thought it was going?
"Last night, Princess Cadance expressed her desire to have another stallion join us in our bedroom," Shining explained. "Due to your dedication to serving your country, and your unwavering loyalty, Flash... I would very much like for that stallion to be you."
Against all odds, Flash managed to keep his face expressionless. Inside him, however, it felt like a box of firecrackers had gone off. A chance to join the rulers in their bedroom, of all places? That was a position the other guards would have done anything to be in! And here it was, being hoofed right over to him!
"Now, before you answer," Shining said, "there's one catch you should know about. As you can probably tell, my wife has a thing for... larger stallions." He smiled. "So, we'll need to fatten you up a bit as well before you can join us. With the right diet plan, it shouldn't take too long.
"What do you say, Flash? You've already shown great dedication to serving your country. Will you show the same dedication to serving your rulers?"
Flash simply could not believe his luck. He was being given a chance to join the Princess of Love, and her husband, in their bedroom. If putting on a few pounds was the price for that incredible privilege, Flash would gladly pay it. He squared his shoulders and looked Shining straight in the eye.
"Yes, sir," he said, his voice cracking from excitement. "I'm ready, and eternally grateful."
Shining beamed. "Excellent. In that case, we'll need to start on plumping you up right away. Don't bother going to the mess hall from now on. Starting today, you'll dine in the royal dining hall, eating the same portions as I do. With the right food and portion sizes, we'll have you up to a fine weight in no time. I'll expect you there at dinner tonight, no later than 1800 hours. Dismissed."
Flash got to his slightly trembling knees, saluted, and tottered out of the office. Shining chuckled to himself.
"This," he decided, "is going to be fun."
As he trotted towards the royal dining hall, Flash couldn't help but feel a twinge of butterflies in his stomach. He was no less excited about joining Shining and Cadance in their bedroom now than he had been earlier that afternoon, but the notion of him being fattened up had made him pause for thought. He'd seen for himself just how much Shining could put away before, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous over how much food he could cope with.
Still, at least it would give him the chance to try some of the royal foodstuffs. The food served to the guards in the barracks could be described as nutritional, but basic. It had always reminded Flash of the food he got served in high school. Royalty, though? Well, it was pretty obvious where the saying "to eat like kings" came from. Licking his lips in anticipation, Flash found himself at the great doors which led to the dining hall. He entered at 1800 hours on the dot, as ordered.
Shining Armour was waiting for him inside, a warm smile on his face. "Ah, Flash!" he said cheerfully. "Punctual as always, I'm pleased to see. Are you ready for the first day of your weight gain programme?"
Flash nodded. "Yes, sir."
Shining chuckled. "Now, Flash, if you're going to serve me and Cadance personally, there'll be no need to stand on ceremony. Just call me Shining."
Flash blinked, before smiling sheepishly. "Okay... Shining," he said shyly.
"You won't regret this for a moment," Shining promised, as he led Flash to the long table in the centre of the ornately furnished room. "The food served up by the royal chefs here is second to none. I imagine it'll be a far cry from military rations," he added, winking.
Flash laughed and nodded as he took a seat beside Shining at the side of the table.
"Alright, Flash. Here we go," Shining said. "There'll just be one rule during your programme here; whatever's served to you, you must clear your plate. Understood?"
Flash nodded once more.
"Alright." Shining then called towards another set of double doors at the far end of the room. "Send it in!"
Immediately, the doors opened to reveal two ponies dressed in chef's whites, carrying two large silver platters with lids on them. They trotted briskly up to Shining and Flash and set the platters down before them, before whipping off the lids.
Flash's jaw dropped. The plate before him was piled high with the most delectable-looking food he had ever seen. Crispy fried strips of hay, browned to utter perfection, sat atop a bed of roasted vegetables amid a ring of lettuce and tomato. And the size of the meal... sweet Celestia, it was packed with food! There was scarcely a hint of the plate visible underneath it!
Flash immediately began to salivate by just looking at the food before him. Shining laughed as he took up a fork in his magical aura.
"Well, don't just look at it, Flash," he teased, before taking a bite from his own fried hay. "Dig in, soldier!"
Flash did not need to be told twice. Taking a fork in his hoof, he dug the utensil into his hay and inserted a forkful into his mouth.
Oh, sweet blessed sun and moon above. This went beyond just being great food—there were no words in the Equestrian language to describe how utterly transcendent this was. The hay practically melted on his tongue as he chewed it, sending vast, unending waves of flavour crashing relentlessly over his taste buds. This alone was worth taking Shining up on his offer, Flash decided. After a moment of startled delight, he began to emit a series of rapturous noises of sufficient gusto to make Shining start laughing again.
"I told you this would be a step up from the guards' rations, didn't I?" he said merrily, before taking another bite from his own meal.
Flash didn't respond, his eyes squeezed shut and tears of joy running down his cheeks as he continued to whimper ecstatically over his ambrosia. As he continued to delightedly wolf down his wonderful meal, he thanked Celestia, Luna, and whatever spirits may have been watching from above for granting him this privilege.
Almost before Flash knew it, his plate was empty. Huffing in disappointment, Flash looked over to Shining, who was watching him with a great big smile.
"Well done, Flash!" he said happily. "A clean plate, just like I told you. Very nice work indeed."
Flash nodded. "Thanks, si- Shining," he replied, smiling bashfully while self-consciously wiping a spot of drool from his mouth.
"Let's hope you enjoy our other courses as much as that one," Shining continued.
Flash's eyes widened. "Other courses?"
"Well, yes." Shining gave Flash a slightly hurt look. "You didn't think I'd send you back to the barracks hungry, did you? We've got two more courses to go before we're done here, Flash."
Two more courses? Flash swallowed. On the one hoof, that first course had been enough to serve as a full meal in itself, and he wasn't sure how much more his stomach could hold. On the other hoof, any opportunity to eat more of that scrumptious food was a welcome one. Inhaling deeply, Flash nodded his consent. "Okay, then."
"Excellent." Shining called once again for the chefs, who emerged carrying two new platters. This time, they contained a splendid-looking array of lettuce, buttercups and potatoes drizzled in peppercorn sauce. It was just as tasty as the first course, and Flash ate it with just as much enthusiasm.
When he was done, though, Flash felt an uncomfortable tightness began to form in his belly. He grunted, placing a hoof on his swollen abdomen in an attempt to ease the pain a little.
"Oh dear," Shining said sympathetically. "Was that a bit too much for you to handle?" Flash moaned and nodded.
"Hang on, I know how to fix this." The straps on Flash's armour were enveloped in purple as Shining unbuckled them, before placing a hoof on Flash's tummy and beginning to rub in small circles, eliciting a gasp of surprise from Flash.
"Just relax," Shining said softly, as he continued to massage Flash's aching belly. As his hoof gently kneaded and pressed into Flash's gut, he could feel the stinging pain slowly melt away, until it was gone, replaced by a pleasant feeling of fullness.
"Is that better?" Shining asked. Flash smiled and nodded gratefully. "Well, dessert should help settle your stomach a bit more, too. Something nice and simple," he said, as the chefs approached for a third and final time. This time, the platters each contained a large bowl of simple chocolate chip ice cream. Flash smiled in relief; he was worried it would be some really heavy cake or something, but ice cream sounded perfect.
Flash spent the last few minutes of his dinner cheerfully slurping down ice cream alongside his captain, enjoying the feeling of coldness spreading through his overstuffed tummy like a soothing balm. Once he'd cleaned his bowl, he leaned back in his seat and let out a low moan.
To say he'd overeaten was an understatement. He was so unbelievably stuffed that he felt like he'd need to summon a wheelchair to take him back to the barracks. His gorging had given him a good-sized food baby to show for it, forming an almost perfect hemisphere that stuck out from his abdomen as his stomach gurgled and churned.
"You did well, Flash," Shining said admiringly. "A week or so of meals like that, and we'll soon have you nice and round. But for now, I'd say you're eager to sleep that off, huh?"
Flash moaned again in acknowledgement.
"The barracks are too far away for you to walk there in that state, so I'll let you use the guest bedroom across the hall," Shining continued, giving Flash's shoulder a pat. "Now then, go and give your belly a rest. I'll see you here tomorrow at 0800 hours for breakfast. Okay?"
Flash nodded. "Thank you, Shining. For... ugh... for dinner."
Shining laughed. "The first of many, Flash. Now, off with you."
Flash got shakily to his hooves and stumbled, zombie-like, out into the hallway. Even with his belly feeling like it was about to split right down the middle, he couldn't wait for breakfast the next day.
"Well, Flash," Shining said admirably, "I think it's fair to say that you've made excellent progress in your weight gain over the past two weeks."
Flash smiled, and looked down at himself. It was true; a fortnight of eating Shining's huge, calorie-laden portions at every meal had caused him to fill out very nicely. He obviously wasn't anywhere near as large as Shining, but he was definitely much rounder than he had been.
Two weeks of concentrated eating had granted Flash a soft pot belly, which bulged out below him and quivered at the touch of a hoof. His rump and flank had also become quite well-padded, developing a bounce to them that they hadn't had when they'd been lean and muscular. Along the sides of his barrel, he had become noticeably wider, with a couple of love handles starting to form. His new look was finished off by a pair of coltish rounded cheeks. Shining smirked as he looked Flash up and down. He reckoned that if Flash was this nice and plump already, it wouldn't be too long before he became big enough to be called truly fat. It was a good start, no doubt about that.
"Did you weigh yourself before you came to me, like I asked you?" Shining inquired, stepping around Flash to get a good look at how his plot had plumped up.
Flash nodded. "217 pounds," he said proudly.
Shining whistled. "And that's up from 185 pounds just two weeks ago! Very impressive work, indeed. Now," he continued, giving Flash a toothy smile, "I've got some good news for you. I think that tonight should be the night all your hard work finally pays off."
Flash gasped. "You mean...?"
Shining grinned and nodded. "The royal chambers, tonight, 2100 hours. Though something tells me you won't be late for this one," he added, winking.
"Nuh-uh!" Flash shook his head, barely able to keep his legs from buckling from sheer elation. "I'll be there, Shining! You can count on it!"
Shining chuckled. "Well, there's plenty of time yet. Right now, it's only 1330. And if I'm not mistaken, you haven't had lunch yet."
That night, Flash and Shining stood outside the door leading to the royal chambers. Flash was unable to keep his excitement under control, beaming like a colt in a candy store and hopping from hoof to hoof, his belly and plot wobbling in time with him.
Shining laughed at the spectacle before him. "Relax, Flash. If you keep that up, you'll be too worked up to be of any use in there."
"I can't help it," Flash spluttered, giggling. "I just... oh Celestia, I can't wait! I can't wait, I can't believe it, ohmigosh this is really happening- "
"Flash!" Shining put a hoof on Flash's shoulder. "Seriously, calm down. We're just going to cuddle and play around for a bit. Nothing too mind-blowing."
Flash nodded, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.
"You nervous?" Shining asked.
"A little," Flash admitted.
Shining smiled and rubbed Flash's fleshy back reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll do great. Now, come on. Let's not keep the lady waiting."
On that note, Shining reached out and pushed the door open, leading Flash inside.
Princess Cadance was stretched out on the bed, waiting for them. Flash's first thought was how positively divine she looked. The second thing he noted was the playful look she was giving him—a look that Flash really, really liked.
"So, are you my two studs for the evening?" she teased, as Shining shut the door. Flash felt heat flooding his cheeks as she said that.
"We are indeed," Shining said playfully, placing a hoof on Flash's back again. "Cadance, meet our newly plumped-up playmate, Flash Sentry."
Cadance ooh ed. "The Flash Sentry?" she said, getting up from the bed and trotting over to them, before giving Flash a good look up and down. "Oh, my," she purred, poking a hoof into Flash's belly. "Well, haven't you just become the cutest little butterball since we last met? I can see Shining's left a good impression on you."
"Oh, I have," Shining said proudly, as Flash blushed an even deeper red from Cadance's contact with him. "This guy can put away food like nopony's business. Three big meals a day, three courses each, and he cleaned his plate every time!"
"Oh, I do so like a stallion who loves his food," Cadance said silkily, running a hoof across Flash's pudgy face, while Flash himself tried to stop himself from collapsing on the spot. "Well, you two, what do you say we take this to the bed? I want to give you both a good feel for myself."
"I'm game," Shining replied. "How about you, Flash?"
His throat as dry as sandpaper, Flash licked his lips and simply nodded.
The trio moved across the room to the bed. Cadance lay down on the middle of the bed, while Flash and Shining lay on either side of her, the springs in the mattress creaking in protest under their combined bulks.
"Alright, Flash," Cadance said cheerfully, "let's see just how cuddly you've gotten!" She reached over and pulled Flash into an embrace, wrapping her forelegs tight around his back, his squishy gut bulging around her own slender form. She made content little mmm noises as she relished in the feeling of Flash's warm adipose pressing against her.
Flash, for his part, was once again scarcely able to contain himself. He'd have been trembling if Cadance wasn't holding him so tightly, and his mind simply kept repeating, like a broken record, I'm cuddling with the Princess I'm cuddling with the Princess I'm cuddling with the Princess I'm cuddling with the Princess...
"Wow!" Cadance laughed, after she finally pulled away from Flash. "Shining, I think he might be even softer than you!"
"What?" Shining gasped, putting on an expression of mock outrage as he manoeuvered his bulk over. "Never! Let me see for myself." Flash gasped as he felt Shining pull him into his own forelegs. Before he knew it, he was pressing up close and personal against his commander's substantially larger gut. He was... oh sweet Celestia, he was so soft . It was like being hugged by the world's largest, warmest marshmallow. Flash found himself returning the embrace just as tightly, forced to wrap his hooves around Shining's sides since there was no way he could reach around his waist.
"Hmm," Shining said thoughtfully, as he continued to cuddle Flash. "Good and soft, nice and squishy, not bad. I'd give him a seven on the Gut-o-Meter."
"Oh, shut up, you," Cadance teased, swatting him across the back. "I'd say he'll be giving you a run for your money before you know it."
"We'll see, won't we?" Shining replied, smiling warmly at Flash as he rubbed his back. "I've already seen the appetite he has. Something tells me that those bunk beds in the barracks won't quite cut it before long. We'll probably have to get him a separate bed for the other guards' safety."
Flash laughed at his commander's joke, his voice muffled by Shining's flab. The idea of getting big enough to break a bed was one he found rather appealing, for reasons he couldn't adequately explain.
"Hey now, don't be selfish," Cadance said softly, moving around to Flash's back and wrapping her own hooves around him, causing Flash to whimper in surprise. "Why should you be the only one who gets to cuddle up with him?"
Flash found himself sandwiched between Shining and Cadance. In front of him was the warmth and pillow-like softness of Shining, who continued to gently rub his back as he embraced him. Behind him, Cadance had her own forelegs wrapped around his waist, gently poking and teasing his love handles as she watched them give under her hooves.
Flash closed his eyes and sighed as he allowed himself to be cuddled and pampered by his commander and his princess. Pleasure like this could not be put into words. Flash felt warm, fuzzy, secure... and oh so, so relaxed. He felt like all was right with the world. He had a great body, two great leaders, and he had the immense privilege of getting to spend time with them doing something as lovely and intimate as this. If heaven existed, Flash decided, it wouldn't be this good.
"So, Flash," Cadance cooed, whispering softly into his ear. "Tell us; do you feel big and handsome?"
Flash moaned, Cadance's words piercing the veil slightly. "Uh... uh-huh," he mumbled.
"Well, good," Cadance replied, "because I think we're going to keep you nice and round from now on."
"You'll love it, Flash," Shining said, grinning down at him. "Think about it; getting to eat whatever you want..."
"No more diet or exercise..." Cadance added.
"Nothing to do but just get bigger and fatter," Shining finished.
Flash moaned once more. It sounded like paradise. He nodded.
"Yes," he said softly. "I... I accept."
"Good man," Shining said, before he and Cadance finally released Flash to give him some room to breathe.
Flash rolled onto his back and sighed with utter contentment. His eyes were half-lidded, and a blissful smile crossed his face.
"Hey... Shining?" he asked.
"Yeah?" Shining replied.
Flash yawned. "You know those imported Prench oats we had for breakfast this morning? Can I get a triple serving of those at breakfast from now on?"
Shining laughed. "No sooner said than done, Flash," he said, patting Flash's belly.
"You'll go far with that attitude, Flash," Cadance smiled, giving Flash's flank a pat of her own. "We'll probably have to look at getting you some bigger armour soon."
"I'll see to that," Shining said. "I'll make sure he has plenty of room to grow, too."
The trio laughed together, before wriggling up close to wrap each other in yet another blissful embrace. Flash sighed happily as he felt the softness envelope him once more. Something told him he was going to like his new position.
THE END