Applebloom shifted, fluttering her eyes at the dark. “Um… Hello?” She glanced around, the world an endless black void—save for a large chalkboard, ‘Bubble Pony Class’ written across it. Applebloom furrowed her brow, looking at it dubiously, then looking at the void around her again. “Is anypony there?”
She looked to her right and saw Scootaloo fade into view, looking just as confused as her. “Applebloom?” Scootaloo asked, “Where are we?” She looked around, pausing on the chalkboard… Then pointed behind Applebloom.
Applebloom looked to her left and saw Sweetie Belle fade into view. “Um… Guys?” Sweetie’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat and gestured to the board. “What are we doing here? What’s a… ‘Bubble Pony Class’?” She read from the board, looking to her friends for answers.
“Ah dunno…” Applebloom muttered, her friends trotting closer to her. Hic! A bubble left her mouth and floated high above the chalkboard in front of them. They all shared a timid glance, Applebloom furrowing her brow at it. The bubble bulged out, growing bigger and gradually tinting a moderate cerise. First it doubled in size; then grew larger and larger still, until it was three times as big as any of them.
The front of the bubble ballooned out, forming into a head as hooves popped out the front and back—three smiling flowers blooming on the bubble’s flanks. “Welcome, my little ponies.” The bubble opened its eyes, Cheerilee’s voice coming out of its mouth, a slight squeaky undertone clearly present. “I’m glad you all made it to your first class.” It remarked, floating down to near the ground in front of them.
“M–Miss Cheerilee…?” Applebloom stuttered, eyebrows raised as she looked the doppelganger of her teacher up and down. “Ah um… Ah don’t think I understand.”
Cheerilee chuckled, “Don’t worry, Applebloom. That’s why you’re here at my bubble pony class.” She looked back and gestured over the chalkboard. “I put the class together to help ponies learn about bubble ponies, and how to inflate into one themselves.”
The three looked to one another, then back at her, perplexed expressions adorning their faces. Scootaloo cleared her throat, “Is that what you are? A bubble pony I mean?” Cheerilee nodded, a patient smile across her stretched features. “What’s it like?”
“It’s like… It feels like being as free as the breeze.” She lifted and floated in a circle mid-air, “Like I’ve left all my problems behind and just… Floated away from them.” She floated over, leaning in between Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, “I’m not the only pony you girls know who’s a bubble pony.” She winked at the two fillies, white and orange fading in behind her. They squinted, spying Applejack and Rarity through Cheerilee’s bulbous, transparent features.
“Rarity?” Sweetie’s voice cracked as her eyes fluttued at Rarity. She leaned around Cheerilee, blinking again in shock as Rarity trotted over, her form inflated out a shiny transparent white. Her hoofsteps sounding muffled.
“Who else could cause bubbles to be in fashion at this time of year? Hokey Smokes?” She chuckled, her voice high pitched-ly squeaking like her little sister’s cracking voice. She leaning down and nuzzled Sweetie’s cheek. Sweetie eeped, the nuzzling cold and slick.
Applebloom leaned the other way around Cheerilee, who casually floated out of her way. “Applejack? You too?”
Bubble Applejack tipped her non-bubble-y hat and nodded, trotting over. Her hooves producing the same, muffled, hoofsteps as Rarity’s had a moment prior. “Ah’ve been a bubble pony for a long time, Applebloom. Longer than you’ve been my little sister even.” Her voice had the same bubbly squeak as the other two—She nodded to Cheerilee, who was floating around above them, watching with a kind smile. “Cheerilee taught me and Rarity all about them years ago.”
Applebloom nodded slowly, Scootaloo edging away from the five. “Don’t worry, Scootaloo.” Cheerilee settled to the side of her. “You’re not the only pony who thought at first that this wasn’t quite cool enough for them.” She pointed to the black void, a faint cyan shape fading into view.
“Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo stepped a couple steps toward where her idol approached from.
Rainbow nodded as she trotted up to them. “In the flesh.” She held out a non-bubble hoof to Scootaloo who bumped hooves with her, an ecstatic grin on her face. “Let me tell you, Scootaloo. This is pretty rad if you ask me, which you should, because I know rad when I see it.”
Applebloom looked from Applejack to Cheerilee, “Ah’ don’t think I get it.” She shook her head, “Applejack, we ain’t unicorns. How are we supposed to turn into… Bubbles?” She gestured to Applejack, who chuckled in response.
“Easier than you might think.” Cheerilee remarked, “And since we have an experienced bubble pony here with us who isn’t a bubble yet,” She nodded towards Rainbow Dash, who perked up and grins. “Perhaps we have the perfect opportunity right off the cuff to show you little ponies how it’s done.”
Rainbow saluted Cheerilee, “I’m on it!” She strutted out in front of them all, between them and the chalkboard. She and Cheerilee shared a nod, Cheerilee floating over to her.
Cheerilee drifted down to the ground, then sat softly on her haunches. “Now, the process is really quite quick, and requires almost no effort on your part.” She gestured to Rainbow, “Observe.” She curled over, her eyes squinting shut as she inhaled deeply. A slight breeze blew the three fillies’ manes toward Cheerilee’s gaping mouth, opening wider as her cheeks and chest puffed up. Wider and tauter, her expanding chest pushed her head higher in the air, until she was twice Rainbow’s height.
The three fillies leaned closer to her as Cheerilee held her breath, examining her girthy chest and cheeks. They looked up to her. She winked back and exhaled. A massive bubble spilled out of her maw and enveloped around Rainbow. Her frame was coated in rolling layers of Cheerilee’s bubble as it expanded around her, coating her legs and back, then her tail and neck. Finally, the bubble completely covered her and Rainbow closed her eyes, her hooves picking mere millimeters off the ground
The bubble filled out, round and taut, expanding well past Rainbow, even threatening to engulf Cheerilee soon. Then suddenly—Pop! Rainbow disappeared in a sudden swarm of bubbles. Air rushes over the fillies, blowing their manes back as the bubbles dispersed. Scootaloo gasped, a large cyan bubble pony floating from the cloud down to the ground in front of her. “Pretty sweet, am I right?” Rainbow called down to them, the same slight squeak in her tone.
Scootaloo nodded, beaming up at Rainbow. Her eyes twinkled as she noted Rainbow’s coat having a soapy sheen, light refracting through it and shining out as an array of colours. Applebloom and Sweetie trotted over and examined Rainbow as well, their eyes as wide as small sauce plates. “Now it’s your turn, girls.” Cheerilee calls.
They all snapped their heads to look in her direction. “Wait, what?!” Sweetie squeaked.
Cheerilee nodded Rarity floating over next to the bubble mare. “It’s okay, Sweetie. Come here and I’ll help you out.” She smiled, gesturing Sweetie over.
“I think it would be best if you two helped out as well. A familiar touch might put their concerns at ease.” Cheerilee nodded to Rainbow, then Applejack. They both nodded back to her, floating over to their little sisters. Honorary in Rainbow’s case. They led the trio a ways away from one another. “That’s good enough.” Cheerilee nodded, “Don’t worry about a thing, girls… My three assistants wouldn’t do anything to hurt any of you, you all know that. It’ll feel like wet feathers and silk dancing across your coats; just a little tickle. Nothing more, we promise.” Cheerilee’s assistants nodded, sitting on their haunches, each in front of their respective fillies.
Applebloom looked down, biting her lip. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about any of this, sis?”
Applejack sighed, “It wasn’t ever the right time, Applebloom. But… Now’s the right time. We think you’re ready.” She reached down, putting a hoof on Applebloom’s shoulder. “It’ll be fun, Applebloom. Don’t’cha worry now.”
“And it’s really cool?” Scootaloo beamed at Rainbow, shifting her weight hoof to hoof rapidly.
“Almost as cool as the Wonderbolts.” Rainbow winked, “And let me tell you, it can let us pegasi go really fast in the air.”
“Rarity… Are you sure this won’t hurt?” Sweetie asked. Rarity nodded.
“I promise.” She responded, smiling back to Sweetie.
Cheerilee looked over the three pairs, floating just overhead. “Don’t worry, girls. Everything will be just fine. But we don’t have much time in class this time I’m afraid.” She floated over each pair in turn, just slightly above the older mares reach. “While I’d love to take the opportunity to relish your first time… My assistants, it’s time to begin.”
All three older mares nodded, almost in sync, and begin sucking in air. Applebloom’s bow tugged at her mane, which was being slightly pulled toward Applejack. Standing here in front, she saw just how wide Cheerilee’s mouth became when she turned Rainbow into a bubble.
Every second Scootaloo stood, Rainbow’s mouth gaped wider. Her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s. Every minute Sweetie trembled by her sister, Rarity’s chest bulged out toward her further.
Until—Shooom, out of their mouths bubbled huge bubbles. Smaller bubbles bubbled out around the larger ones in the center, some joining them, causing oscillating ripples to wash across the bubbles’ surfaces.
Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie all clenched their eyes shut. Applebloom’s in imitation of what her sister had done, Scootaloo’s in anticipation, Sweetie’s in anxiety for what might happen. Moments passed and the bubbles shuffled over the three. Engulfing their lithe bodies, the silky film of the bubbles traveled from their noses across their faces, down their necks to their chests and down their forelegs. Their bubbles filled under their barrels and across their backs and flanks.
Applebloom shuddered under her breath, a strong feeling of lightheadedness washing over her and disappeared as soon as it came. Scootaloo’s wings twitched instinctually, her body lifting just ever so slightly off the ground. Sweetie Belle, however, giggled. The bubbles felt like Cheerilee had said: Damp feathers and silk waving over every inch of her body.
“That’s it, girls… Just let your thoughts drift away, and your normal pony body will follow.” Cheerilee’s voice reverberated slightly in their bubbles, seeming to come from everywhere at once. They relaxed, the feeling of gravity all but disappearing as their thoughts floated away. “That’s it, just follow what your instincts tell you.” A feeling of swelling grew in their heads, seeming to push at the confines of their skulls but not hurting in the slightest.
Pop! Their bubbles popped, the swelling expanding out of their heads and traveling down their bodies. Their skin felt like it was lifting off them, like it was suddenly light as spider silk. Small, regular bubbles bounced off them, indenting their skin slightly. Applebloom reopened her eyes, her sister’s image barely visible through a haze of a thousand bubbles.
She reached toward Applejack and the bubbles dispersed, her hoof now clearly in view. It had a slight sheen to it, and was just as transparent as the other mares. She gasped and heard the gasps of her friends. Scootaloo’s wings twitched, sending her gently floating off the ground as she marvelled at her own body. They were all lighter than a feather, and drifted gently, slowly bouncing off the ground every time they touched it.
Applebloom jumped up in the air, laughing as she soared high above her friends and her sister. She brought her hooves up to her face, gasping softly as she saw them through her hooves. She drifted down, landing on Applejack’s back. Applejack glanced back at her, and hopped a little, sending Applebloom spinning through the air, laughing all the way.
Scootaloo twirled around in the air, her mouth wide but silent in awe; the ground forgotten as she inspected every inch of herself. After a while, she looked and noticed she was upside down—Rainbow snickered, watching Scootaloo wiggle around, trying to right herself in the air.
Sweetie yipped and bounced around, poking and pulling at herself as she giggled through the air. She eventually bounced into Applebloom, who giggled back and pushed Sweetie back the way she came. Sweetie threw her forelegs out, yelling, “Weee!” She drifted and twisted through the air back towards Rarity, who caught her.
Rarity sat her back on the ground. She smiled and fixed Sweetie’s bubbly mane back behind her ears. To Sweetie Rarity’s hooves felt like the bubbles she felt earlier. “Silly filly.” Rarity said, patting Sweetie’s mane with finality.
“Very good, girls!” Cheerilee called out to them, attracting all of their attention. “Now, calm yourselves. I have some more to tell you about bubble ponies.” She giggled, watching the fillies try to swim over. “If Applejack could assist me, we could show you all a special thing Earth Ponies can do as bubble ponies.” She waved her hoof to Applejack, who nodded and trotted over.
“Now… Floating and and defying gravity aren’t the only thing bubble ponies can do.” She explains, “They can also inflate. By inhaling an endless amount of the air around us, we can expand far beyond the limits you might think our bodies can handle.” She looks at each of the fillies, ensuring they followed what she had said or if they had any questions. ”Now, each type of pony has a type of inflation specific to them that only they can do.” She nodded to Applejack. “Applejack is going to help me display to you what earth pony inflation is and how to do it.”
Cheerilee and Applejack shared a look and suddenly turned around, facing back towards the fillies and their sisters. Cheerilee glanced back at them over her shoulder, quickly bouncing her eyebrows twice with a subtle grin. “Watch very closely, girls.” Applebloom looked to her friends in confusion. Sweetie and Scootaloo also shared looks and raised eyebrows, before they all looked back to Cheerilee and Applejack.
Cheerilee looked away from the fillies, Applejack and herself both hoisting their flanks in the air, adopting the downward dog pose. The fillies blinked in confusion, staring at Applejack and Cheerilee’s raised flanks, the telltale sound of inhalation gently raising from the prostrated pair. Their flanks shimmered subtly, air filling them and pulling the skin taut.
Their flanks filled with air, raising their back hooves gently off the ground, and grew larger and more transparent. Sweetie blinked, then began to fix her hair as she saw her reflection in Cheerilee’s left flank cheek. Light reflected off of them, rainbow refractions glimmering through their wet sheen. Applebloom flinched in surprise, her tail flapping out, straight and rigid.
Applebloom blushed softly and pointedly looking to Cheerilee as she noticed her sister’s labia puffing out from between her cheeks, as both of their flanks grew larger and larger. But she looked away from Cheerilee to the space between the two as she noted Cheerilee’s labia was doing the same thing. The puffing and inflation reminded her of her own genitalia; far different from what she remembered of her sister’s genitals from the few times she’s spied them.
She watched Cheerilee and Applejacks flanks bump into each other, and the sound of rushing air ceased. They stared, Applebloom hesitantly inspecting her sister’s inflated flank, embarrassment overridden by fascination and curiosity. She looked her over, taking in every detail of the way light bounced and refracted off and through the bubble-y skin, before Applejack and Cheerilee began to deflate, a very soft breeze blowing over everypony else.
After a couple seconds, their flanks were back to normal size, the two turning and bowing to the group, Rarity and Rainbow clopping their hooves, Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie soon joining in. “Thank you.” Cheerilee said, once again standing. “You should try, Applebloom.”
Applebloom croaked and cleared her throat, “Ah um…” She adjusted her bow, “Ah’ dun’no about that…” She looked down, blushing slightly.
“C’mon now, Applebloom. It’s fun.” Applejack trotted over, resting a bubble hoof on Applebloom’s shoulder.
Applebloom looked up at Applejack, “A-Are you sure, Applejack? It looked a little... “ She paused. “Embarrassing...”
Applejack shook her head, “Ain’t nothing embarrassing about it. We’re all mares here, aren’t we?” Applebloom nodded, furrowing her brow at ‘mares’. “Ah’ wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest, Sis’.”
Applebloom sighed, looking back down. “...Ah… Guess I could try it…” She murmured, looking back up and smiling a little. “It’s like… Kinda like show and tell, right? Like, look how we can inflate.” She added. “W-We um… Inflate and show it off, then tell about it…” She said, chuckling a little.
Applejack nodded. “Exactly.” She patted Applebloom on the back, gesturing her toward the front of the class. “Now get on up there and show us what you’ve got!”
Applebloom nodded, trotting forward to where Cheerilee is. “You’ve got this, Applebloom.” Cheerilee patted her on the shoulder, then trotted down to where Applejack and Applebloom’s friends are.
She looked at them all one by one, glancing at each of their faces, then sighed. She took a breath, swallowed her pride, and turned on a dime, hoisting her flanks into the air all in one motion. She exhaled, then took another breath and exhaled it sharply. “C’mon, Applebloom…” She murmured to herself, “You can do this…” She clenched her mouth shut, scrunching her face up in concentration as she inhaled slowly, as deep as she could.
As she neared her lung capacity, she kept inhaling just as strong, not a single hitch or pain delaying her as she kept going. She felt her flanks enlarge. They felt like somepony was caressing them with the same silk that was all over her body. She kept inhaling. Her lungs didn’t hurt, it felt like she could breathe in forever and ever. “There yah’ go!” Applebloom’s tail straightened out, a strange feeling washing over her as she almost paused in embarrassment. “You’re better than Ah’ was when Ah’ first did it!”
She opened her eyes, glancing back as she kept inhaling. She smiled a little, closing her eyes and inhaled more. A shudder rolled through her, the feeling of her labia inflating sending shivers down her spine, until she couldn’t inhale anymore. She held her breath, a building pressure pushing out from her chest, threatening to explode out of her if she didn’t—Fooshhh! She exhaled softly, itching her throat as all the air rushed out of her.
She coughed. Applejack galloped over to her and pat her back, “There you are, Sis… You did really good!”
She rubbed Applebloom’s back as she cleared her throat. “Ah’ did?” Applebloom asks, clearing her throat again as she looks over to her friends, who return her gaze with wide grins and flushed cheeks. “Ah’… Ah’ guess Ah’ did, huh?” She smiled, trotting over to her friends.
Scootaloo and Sweetie glomping onto her, hugging her tightly. “Applebloom, that was amazing! You got so big!” Sweetie squeaked.
“Yeah! It was so cool, I can’t wait until it’s my turn to try!” Scootaloo said, beaming at Applebloom.
“Well, since you’re so excited.” Cheerilee leaned down, the trio looking from each other to her, Scootaloo’s face going blank as her mouth drooped open. “If you could assist me, Rainbow Dash, we could move onto the topic of pegasus inflation.” She said, looking to Rainbow expectantly. Scootaloo followed her gaze to Rainbow, beaming widely at her.
Scootaloo stared after the two as they trotted to the front of the class, Rainbow Dash standing with her side to the group. “Now, I could very easily explain how pegasus ponies can inflate when they’re bubble ponies. But…” She trailed off, gesturing to Rainbow Dash. “I have my lovely assistant, Rainbow Dash, here, and she’s raring and ready to show it off to all of you.” Rainbow nodded, grinning widely. “So to save on time, I’ll simply back off and let you get to it, Rainbow.” Cheerilee backed up, Rainbow spreading her legs wide on the ground.
Her wings unfurled, flapping and stretching slowly, and she looked over to Scootaloo with the same grin. Scootaloo nodded to her, and Rainbow winked back, looking straight forward again. She inhaled softly, then exhaled, her eyes drifting shut as her body relaxed. “Whenever you’re ready, Rainbow.” Cheerilee chimed in softly; Rainbow nodded in response.
She inhaled strongly, her mouth clamped shut as air sped through her nostrils; they flared wide open as her eyes clenched into a determined focus. Her wings twitched, shifting at her sides. Scootaloo noted the feathers puffing and fluffing out as Rainbow inhaled more and more air. Fwump! Her wings unfurled—the sound reminding Scootaloo of a towel being unfolded in the wind—and began to grow in size. Scootaloo’s mouth dropped as she stared, her gaze drifting up as they grew larger.
Her wings grew and grew, twice their normal size. “She could pick up buildings with those”, Scootaloo thought, her eyes widening as the wings kept growing and growing to three times their size, where they finally stopped. Rainbow stood still, her wings moving gently in the breeze, the light shining off of each feather.
“Wow…” Scootaloo murmured, watching silently before Rainbow started exhaling softly, her wings deflating with her breathing. She flapped her wings, the mammoth sized flappers shrinking slowly, until they were back to normal.
Rainbow opened her eyes, looking over at Scootaloo with a grin. “Wow indeed, am I right? But that’s about my safe limit.” She chuckled and trotted over, “Now…”
Cheerilee trotted over to Scootaloo with Rainbow; Scootaloo looked at the two, eyes shifting between them quickly. “...Now?”
“Wouldn’t you like to try now?” Cheerilee asked, leaning down and winking at her. “Bet Rainbow’d be proud if you got it right.”
Rainbow bent down and nodded, “You know I would! It’s like… So totally awesome.” She and Scootaloo locked eyes for a moment, “Give it a shot, Scootaloo. There’s nothing to lose.”
Scootaloo opened and closed her mouth; she looked between the two again and nodded. “O-Ok–...” She cleared her throat, “Okay.” She repeated.
Rainbow nodded, “Okay?”
Scootaloo nodded and beamed at her, “Okay! Let’s do this!” She galloped past Rainbow and Cheerilee to the front of the class. She stood with her side to the group and looked toward them; Rainbow smiled and nodded to her. Scootaloo grinned spastically and started quickly inhaling through her nose.
Her frame bulged, her entire body puffing out slightly; her eyes glanced from wing to wing, expression growing perturbed. Her breathing hitched, and she started coughing, the air pouring out of her. “Whoa!” Rainbow flew over, landing next to her and putting a hoof on Scootaloo’s back; just below the base of her neck. “Take it easy there, kiddo. You’re going too fast.”
Scootaloo stopped gagging and choking on air, and looked up at Rainbow, her brow furrowed deeply. “You have to breathe it in slower... And you didn’t stretch your wings enough, they might get locked up.” Rainbow said, tracing a hoof to either of Scootaloo’s folded wings. “Try stretching them out, and breathing slower. That should do the trick.”
Scootaloo nodded a little, breathing in and out quickly. She flexed her wings, stretching them in every way she can, stretching every muscle—just the way Rainbow had taught her during their flying lessons. She inhaled slowly, and exhaled slower. Then inhaled again, slowly pulling in air.
Her natural capacity soon surpassed as her chest swelled slowly. She flinched, her wings twitching and shifting without her say so, and nearly coughed. But Rainbow’s hoof on her back calmed her down and she kept inhaling, her frustrated expression changing to determination, just like Rainbow’s.
Her wings unfurled, popping out to either side and nearly knocking her off balance. Her legs naturally spread wider and she kept inhaling. “Applebloom… Her wings are almost as big as Rainbow’s…!” Sweetie whispered. Scootaloo heard, and she smiled to herself as she kept going. She wanted them to be bigger, as big as Rainbow’s had gotten.
But she soon felt her wings stop growing, and the rest of her start puffing up. So she held her breath, looking back at her wings and staring in awe at them—they were huge! They were everything she’d dreamed them to be! If only she could hold her breath forever.. But she felt the itching desire to relax, and let out her breath sharply, stumbling a little as the pressure pushed her off balance.
“Scootaloo!” Rainbow picked her up and slung her about in the air a little, her weightlessness causing her to spin around above Rainbow, “That was awesome!” Rainbow yelled at her, “Great job, Scootaloo!”
Scootaloo grinned, falling back down towards Rainbow. “Did you see my wings?! They were awesome!” She asked, “And huge too!”
Rainbow nodded, putting her back down. “I know, it was totally cool!” She offered her hoof to her; Scootaloo bumped hooves with her, and gave her supporting leg a small hug. Rainbow pat her back. “You did good, Scootaloo.” Rainbow said as Scootaloo pulled away.
Sweetie smiled at the pair, then glanced over to see Cheerilee smiling at her. “Now. Onto Unicorn inflation methods.” She said, trotting over to Rarity, “Rarity, if you could help me demonstrate.” Sweetie’s smile deflated slightly; she gulped. Rarity went over to Cheerilee, the two a couple of feet away from the group. “When you’re ready.” Cheerilee backed up.
Rarity exhaled, widening her stance. She took shallow breaths, her brow quivering as her breaths grew longer and quieter. She opened her eyes and smiled at Sweetie, nodding to her before closing her eyes and exhaling again. Her head drooped slightly, her face relaxing briefly.
She started inhaling a steady stream of air, her relaxed face clinching very slightly, a soap sud dripping down the side of her brow. Her horn quivered, very slightly wobbling on her forehead. Her breathing skipped, just for a moment, and she wheezed before the base of her horn bulged. Sweetie gasped, her eyes staring dead at Rarity’s growing horn.
Rarity raised her head higher, her horn’s bulge gradually growing along the length of her horn, elongating, and puffing out in size. It spurted out, resembling a long balloon of the kind a clown would use, but at twice the width of what her horn should be. Longer and wider, every inch puffing out—Rarity’s concentration increased with every ring around her thinning horn. Bead after bead of sweat-like suds dripped down her cheek; Sweetie gulped. “That… Looks like it’s hard…” She murmured under her breath.
“It’s not very hard, Sweetie. It just takes… concentration.” Sweetie jumped as Cheerilee’s hoof patted her on the back. She looked to her, then back to her sister. “You’ll understand when you try in a minute.”
She nodded after a moment, her head making very faint movements. Sweetie bit her lip, watching Rarity’s horn tower over them all, the very tip proving to be the most challenging for her sister. Rarity’s brow was curled inward, her eyes squinting; her breathing had slowed to a crawl. But, little by little she got more in. A high pitched squeal growing as her breathing neared stopping—Fump! The tip of her horn inflated, and she held her breath there. Relaxation flooded her features, a graceful smile growing as she exhaled gently through her lips.
Slower than with Applejack and Rainbow’s expansions, her horn shrunk away. The massive balloon shape on top disappearing into her head. “Give it a shot.” Cheerilee whispered to Sweetie.
Sweetie looked to her, frowning. “I um… I don’t know about that…” She looked down.
Rarity trotted over, “Oh Sweetie Belle… There’s nothing to be afraid of. And if you don’t get it entirely on your first try, it’s okay.” She nuzzled Sweetie’s nozzle, “It won’t hurt, dear.”
Sweetie sighed, “I dunno, Rarity… It looks hard.”
“Quite frankly, it’s not easy.” Rarity sighed, looking down. But she looked back up at Sweetie, “But it’s rewarding that way.” She nodded, stiffening her brow at Sweetie with a small smile.
Sweetie stared back, a frown still on her face. “...It feels rather nice, Sweetie. Just… Give it a shot.” Rarity deadpanned.
Sweetie sighed and nodded. “Okay...” She stood up and trotted over to where Rarity was earlier. She glanced back, find reassurance in Rarity’s smile, and looked away again. She sighed deeply, turning around. Rarity smiled back at her, but Sweetie couldn’t find it in her to reply in kind. She widened her stance, and started inhaling.
She felt her skin pulling further and further away from where it normally was and stopped, breathing out deeply. “It isn’t going to my horn.” She said, looking over to Rarity and Cheerilee. “It’s just going everywhere.”
Rarity nodded slightly, “You have to try to hold away from everywhere but your horn. It doesn’t naturally go there, you have to force it.” Sweetie nodded tentatively, “It’s a little straining, but worthwhile.” Rarity smiled brightly; Sweetie smiled back a little.
“Okay.” She nodded and exhaled. “Okay…” She whispered, then started inhaling at a steady rate. Her skin wavered, pulling out and pushing back in various splotches across her body. She just barely started to feel her horn move before letting her breath out, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing. In, and out, in… and out.
She started inhaling again, steadily her skin inflated—far more steadily than last time. Her chest expanded out, far out, and pulled back, pushing the air to her forehead. Her forehead bulged out, but she ignored it and pulled the air in again. It stayed in, nothing on her body bulged or inflated as she breathed in. A drip of suds ran down her cheek, then another, and another.
Her eyes clenched closed; water beaded under her eyelids—the base of her horn suddenly bulged out wide, wide and chunky, like a fat dinner plate at the base of her horn. She held her breath, her cheeks puffing out before exhaling softly. She opened her eyes, looking down and frowning.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Rarity trotted over, resting a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder. “You did it!”
Sweetie shook her head, “Not really…” She murmured softly.
“Oh pish-posh! You did phenomenal, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity yelled, throwing a hoof in the air, “It took me weeks of practice to get as far as you did, don’t even harbor the thought that that was a bad first try. You were great, darling!” Sweetie smiled a little, looking up. “There’s my confident little sister.” Rarity smiled back brightly, patting Sweetie on the head. “You did great, Sweetie.”
“Thanks, sis…” Sweetie replied, scratching the back of her neck.
Rarity nodded as Cheerilee cleared her throat. “Now that we’ve showed you all how to do your specific racial inflation… Are there any questions?” She asked, looking from Applebloom, to Scootaloo, then to Sweetie Belle.
Applebloom scratched her head, looking down and shrugging a bit. As did Sweetie, though she then turned and hugged her sister. Scootaloo glanced at Rainbow, then to Cheerilee and raised her hoof. “Yes, Scootaloo?” Cheerilee asks, raising an eyebrow at Scootaloo.
“How big can you guys really get?” Scootaloo asked, looking to each of the four mares curiously. “Like… You’ve grown pretty big so far, but what’s your limit?”
Rainbow grinned, “Really big.” She gestured out wide with her hooves, “Bigger than we have space for at the moment…” She hummed, landing on all fours. She glanced at the chalkboard and kicked it with a backhoof; the board soared off into the distance, disappearing into the darkness around them. “That should do the trick.” She nodded.
She gestured to the other three older mares, “Come give me a hoof showing these little fillies how big we can really get.” Rainbow chuckled. They all exchanged looks and trotted over, standing several feet apart with grins as wide as their faces can handle. “Ready?” She asked. All four of them looked at the three fillies; they all nodded back to the mares.
The mares smiled and their grins went away as they all close their eyes and frown, exhaling and inhaling slowly; their breaths growing softer and more relaxed. “Girls…” Applebloom whispered to her friends, “They seem… A little too serious about this.” She remarked quietly, watching the four.
They started inhaling, a breeze pulling the fillie’s manes towards the maws of their sisters and teacher. Their bodies instantly filling out and puffing up, and their tails standing up in the air: stiff as boards; then starting to extend like a long balloon. Rainbow’s wings jutted out to either side of her, filling out like when she had inflated earlier, and extending like her tail.
Seconds ticked by, until the four are two ponies height over the fillies. They stared up at them, their mouths hanging open as the mares’ hues tinted just barely more vibrant, and coats gradually losing their transparent gleam. Light reflected off them like puddles under the sun; blotchy white orbs all over them; nearly blinding the fillies.
Their coats glew as they grew, the colours shifting slowly to bright, vibrant and vivid versions of themselves, glowing brighter; the mare’s almost angry expressions standing out against their glow; their marks stretched across their swollen flanks. Their inflating bodies bumped into each other, their heads standing tall over the three fillies, several ponies in the air. The fillies backed up slowly, huddling closer together and shuddering with gaping mouths as the four continued growing larger and brighter.
The fours’ tails slowly grew to a halt, their bodies pressing into each other, and squishing Rainbow and Cheerilee together in the middle. Their bodies overfilled and wobbling from the pressure of Rarity on the left and Applejack on the other side. The fillies stare up at them as they finally stopped growing and hold their breath. “Wow…” Scootaloo whispered.
The fillies studied the massive forms of their mentors for several seconds, until the rush of air blew their manes back, the four deflating slowly until they’re back to normal. Applebloom whistled softly, then started stomping her hooves in applaud. Scootaloo and Sweetie follow her example, their hooves stomping as they hooted and whistled, cheering the mares on.
“Thank you, thank you.” Rainbow said, trotting forward and bowing to them. “Of course, that was our comfortable limits. Though… I suppose we could go bigger.” She grinned, winking at them. “If we were trying to pop that is.”
Applebloom furrowed her brow, “What’s popping like? Does it hurt bubble ponies really badly?” She frowned and tilted her head, her bow flopping over to the side.
“Not necessarily.” Cheerilee responded. “It doesn’t hurt us really because we just reform in our normal bodies. The most it does is give us a sharp pain, but then we’re back to normal.” She explained.
Rainbow looked from Cheerilee to the fillies, “...Do you fillies wanna see it for yourselves?” She said, smiling and raising an eyebrow at them
Applebloom and Sweetie both looked at their sisters, then at each other, and frowned. “Ah’ dunno about that.. That’s a little unnecessary for teaching, I think…” Applebloom mumbled to Sweetie, who nods.
“I don’t want to hurt Rarity…” She murmured, looking back to her sister.
Scootaloo hummed, “But they’re not gonna be hurt really. It’s like a pinch, right? And they have to do it to go back to normal anyway so…” She trailed off. “I say yes.” She whispered to her friends.
“Well…” Applebloom sighed, looking back at the mares. They were giving the three expectant grins. “Ah’ guess so…” She looked to Sweetie.
Sweetie nodded a little, “If you put it like that…”
Applebloom nodded, looking to the mares. “If um… We’d like to see if that’s okay.” She told them.
Rainbow nodded. “Awesome.” She remarked, looking to the other three mares and nodding. “Get ready, girls.” She said to them. They all nod and start stretching, making sure every part of them is limber and ready. She stretched as well, flexing her wings out as far as she could, then folding them back. “Alright…” She nodded, looking to the others who nod back. “Here we go.” They all spread their stance wide, and slow their breathing.
“Don’t worry, Applebloom. I’ll be fit as a fiddle in a jiffy.” Applejack said, taking off her hat and looking to Applebloom. “Hold onto this for me though.” She tossed her the hat, winking. “For safekeepin’.”
Applebloom nodded a little, putting the hat on top of her bow and grimacing at Applejack. “Okay...”
“This is gonna be so cool, Scootaloo.” Rainbow said, her breathing slowly evening out. “Just watch.” She closed her eyes.
“It’s certainly a sight to behold.” Rarity said, also closing her eyes. “But entirely safe, Sweetie.” She added quietly, just barely loud enough for Sweetie to hear.
The three nodded, Scootaloo fidgeting in place. “Go Rainbow Dash!” She cheered, throwing her hooves up excitedly, “Woo!”
Rainbow smiled, her brow furrowing as concentration spread over her face, the smile fading as she exhaled deeply; the other three exhaled as well, the same concentration spreading over their faces. They started breathing, the small wind pulling toward them as they grew quickly in size, seeming to waste no time this time. Their tails pointed out and grew, as did Rainbows wings.
Their coats lose their transparency and started shimmering with light as the colours tinted brighter and more vibrant. The same as last time. They grew bigger and bigger, hitting what was established before as their limit then bulldozing over that and continuing to grow larger and brighter. Their expression scrunched in, as if rage and fury washed over them. Their coats tinted darker, like their color was angry. The fillies stared, their mouths wide as their vision is flooded with nothing but the massive girth of the mares. Their bodies dark, brilliant and wider than small houses.
Their expansion slowed, their bodies squashing against each other. Their tails were each a dozen yards longer than they usually were, and their bodies far larger than any building in Ponyville. The fillies stared up at them... As the mares eyes shoot open and their heads expand rapidly. Their manes filled with air and expanded way off into the sky above them, their cheeks expanded out as if they were massive chipmunks.
Rarity’s horn once again shot out like a long balloon, this time even girthier than before and twice as long. Sweetie whimpered, her friends huddling closer and shivering with her as they stared up at them. The mares bodies started to tremble, and Sweetie hid her face in Scootaloo’s mane as the mares squished against each other, becoming more and more massive.
Applebloom stared, her eyes locked on her sister as grew slowly into the sky for what seemed like hours. Scootaloo’s eyes sparkled as she watched Rainbow’s dark and voluminous form quiver and wobble. Sweetie dug deeper into Scootaloo’s mane, quivering faster and heart beating faster than she’d ever felt before.
BANG! The mares exploded, the fillies shielding their eyes as blinding light and bubbles spew out of where their mentors were. Their ears rang, an echoing bang returning twice, each time weaker but reviving the dying ring in their ears as they all huddled together, hiding their faces.
After some time, the echoes faded and the ringing died, but they hid their faces until the last small bubble popped. When finally, Applebloom turned and looked, blinking her blurry eyes. “A–Applejack?” She asked, pulling away from her friends and taking a step toward her sister.
The four mares were back to normal, no longer bubble ponies. But they looked extremely out of breath as they sat there, gasping. Applejack waved to Applebloom, who waved back and shook her friends, “Look, girls! Look!” She cried, and the two looked and beamed.
“Rarity!” Sweetie yelled, galloping over and tackling her sister in a hug, “You’re okay!”
“Of course, Sweetie Belle…!” Rarity said through a strained voice, between gasped breaths. “But I’m… Out of breath, Sweetie so if you could…” She pushed Sweetie gently and Sweetie complied, backing away from her sister, but smiling nonetheless.
Scootaloo stared, standing next to Applebloom. “...That was so totally awesome!” She cheered, jumping into the air and spinning, still weightless. “Rainbow Dash, that was amazing!” She yelled, righting herself as she landed on the ground. “When can we try?!”
Applebloom nodded, “Yeah! That looked really fun!” She turned, sharing an excited look with Scootaloo, then looking back to her sister.
Sweetie glanced back and stared, mouth agape. “...What?!” She squeaked, curling into herself and crouching low, “Girls, that’s a little too much too fast!”
Applejack sighed, her breathing slowing down, “Well. Y’all’re welcome to give it a go.” She nodded to Applebloom. “So long as y’all don’t mind if we lay here and watch. We’re mighty exhausted after that and need a bit to relax.” She smiled.
Scootaloo and Applebloom galloped over, crouching by Sweetie Belle. “C’mon, Sweetie! It’ll be awesome!” Scootaloo yipped, beaming at Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie shook her head, “I don’t want to, it looks scary, girls…” She frowned.
Applebloom frowned as well, “Well you can’t be a bubble forever, you have to turn back sometime, Sweetie.” Applebloom sighed, patting her friends back. Sweetie grimaced, nodding a little bit. “Do it with us so you’re not alone.” Applebloom asked. Sweetie looked down, her expression growing softer. “Like they said, it’s just a little pinch and it’s over. It’ll be fun, Sweetie.”
Scootaloo frowned, resting a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder. Sweetie looked up, locking eyes with Scootaloo. “We’ll be right there with you the whole way through, Sweetie.” She smiled softly, Sweetie smiling back. “Promise. When have we ever let you down?”
Sweetie hummed, “Well…” She trailed off, smiling more as the two of her friends share a nervous glance. “Not that I can remember.” She giggled, hugging her friends. “Okay.” She nods, pulling back.
They both jumped into the air, cheering as they galloped back to where they were. Sweetie stood up and galloped over with them. “Okay!” Applebloom waves to the mares. “Here we go!” They exhale like the older mares did, slowly easing their breathing and closing their eyes.
The three started to inhale, their bodies expanding quickly and their faces focused. Their eyes clenched shut as they start growing higher into the air, their coats reflecting a rainbow sheen and growing more opaque. Their tails stood out at attention. Scootaloo’s tiny wings unfurled into lengthening balloons.
They grow larger, until suddenly their head expanded and cheeks bulged wildly. Their manes stand off of their heads and flooded out into the darkness. Sweetie’s horn ballooned out, standing tall above her as they all wobbled and grow larger. “Good work, girls.” Cheerilee’s voice echoed up to them, despite the noise of rushing wind. “You all did wonderfully this evening. But I’m sure you’ll do even better next time.”
“Be sure to come back next week, my little ponies! There’s another lesson in bubble ponies just waiting for you, and I’m sure you all don’t want to miss it!” She cried, waving to them as they grow taut and start shaking violently. “See you next week!” BANG!
Applebloom sat up gasping for breath, brow soaked and blankets tossed on the floor. She looks around her room, furrowing her brow. “...What in the hay was that…?” She murmured.
Sweetie rolled out of bed, out of breath and caught in her blankets. She tumbled across her room, rolling into the wall before she got her head untangled and out from under her covers.
She looked around the room, eyes full of fear and confusion. “...What…?”
Scootaloo sprung out of bed, wings flapping violently and lifting her an inch off her bed before tiring and dropping her back to it.
She looked around her room, then to her nearby Rainbow Dash poster, “...That was awesome.”
“Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.”—Khalil Gibran
Author's Note
Honestly can't say it's my fetish, but this was definitely interesting to write. Not many people know about my style of writing, but to get a certain vibe/emotion in a piece I like to find a piece of music that represents the emotion or the flow of what I'm going for. Sometimes even the rhythm of action is accounted for.
Typically, I hide the music that inspired specific pieces as grammar in the story that links to the Youtube page. Example: ,
That's the first piece of music that helped with a few scenes in this. Another would have to be Chopin's Nocturne Op.9 No.2. Something about these two songs has a very floaty, bubble-like feel to them. Perhaps it's just my remembering classic Disney animations—The ones animated to classical music? They were typically rather surreal, and this commission seemed to be intentionally surreal so the link seemed natural to me.
There was one other song, but I can't seem to find it anywhere online. I think my friend sent me a song that no one else has, and part of me thinks it's intentional no one else does. So I'll refrain from uploading it somewhere to share. It was rather bubble-y though, and very classical sounding. I think it was neo-classical, but I can't be sure.
Regardless, I had a lot of fun writing this. Though it was rather stressful writing it as quickly as I did, the quickness that the deadline demanded really seemed to help push me forward, which I will keep in mind in the future.
