Responsibilities

Spike groaned as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the blinds, landing directly on his face and causing him to squint. It was a strange dichotomy, the pleasantly warm feeling of sun against his cheeks and the uncomfortable redness that burned through his eyelids. Rolling over, the groggy dragon slowly pried open said eyes, carefully rubbing the corner of one with a claw before grabbing his sheets and flinging them off of him.

Spike rolled into a sitting position, stretching out his arms and arching his back as he gaped in an impressive yawn, showing off a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he continued to stretch as he stood himself up on his clawed feet. Slowly, he shuffled his way out of the bedroom towards the castle’s extensive kitchen.

As he rounded a corner, the still sleepy dragon ran headlong into a happily trotting Starlight Glimmer, her horn glowing as she levitated a collection of books close behind her. The two bounced off each other, Starlight’s books falling to the floor as she lost concentration on her spell. Spike groaned once again as he lifted himself off the floor, back onto his feet.

“Ugh, sorry Spike,” Starlight said as she rubbed a hoof to her temple. “Guess I should actually look where I’m going next time.”

Spike chuckled dryly at the flustered face of his friend, offering a clawed hand in assistance for the little mare. Gratefully, she accepted the gesture, gripping with a hoof as he pulled her up. “Don’t worry, Starlight, it’s fine,” he replied.

As the mare pushed magic through her horn to recollected her books, she noted that Spike’s voice sounded just a little bit deeper than it had the last time they’d talked. Though whether it was just groggy morning voice or not she couldn’t quite tell. He was just growing up too fast for her to keep track these days. After all, the tip of her horn only came up to the base of his chest by this point.

“What are you doing this early, anyway?” he asked as he gestured to the books that were again floating inside her magical aura.

“Oh, well, just a bit of research,” Starlight replied, desperately trying to hide the blush starting to form on her cheeks. “As you know, Sunburst is coming in a couple days, so I was just looking into some, uh, things we could do together.”

Cocking one eyebrow, Spike grinned cheekily at the mare as she squirmed uncomfortably. “Uh huh, well, I certainly don’t want to keep you from research. Let me know what you find, will you?” This left the poor thing in a state of incomprehensible babbling as she tried to come up with an excuse, any excuse, to refuse the dragon’s “request.”

Tittering to himself, he again made his way towards the kitchen, leaving Starlight where she was until, almost a minute later, she realized she was alone once more.

Spike entered the kitchen through a low arching doorway, having to duck slightly or else his spines would scrape its peak. The room itself was large, with multiple countertops lining the walls as well as an island in the middle, while three ovens, each complete with stovetops, sat ready for another day of extensive use. The dragon trudged over to a coffee maker sitting on the counter next to a large spice cupboard. Forgoing a cup, he simply lifted the pot up to his maw and chugged the scolding liquid, showing no discomfort at all as it slid down his innards.

After replacing the pot with a satisfied “Ahhhh”, he made his way over to a large double door refrigerator, his expression now much more alert as he opened fridge and began collecting the items that he had prepared the night before. Multiple bowls of pastry dough, as well as frostings, fillings, and glazes lined an entire counter as the ovens were lit.

Spike toiled for over an hour, working diligently to ensure there would be enough food to keep Twilight contented for at least a little while. Several different kinds of cakes and pies began to pile up around the kitchen, as well as scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goods. He flipped an omelette in its pan; it was the fifteenth such omelette he had made this morning. Easing it onto a plate, the fluffy roll of egg and veggies joined a myriad of other dishes waiting to be consumed. It was a lot of work, keeping up with Twilight’s appetite these days, but the dragon really didn’t mind. He was happy to help his friends in whatever ways he could.

It had started nearly six months before, after the element bearers had been tasked by Celestia with locating an ancient ponish totem from deep within the badlands. The first notable change had been with their eating habits, the girls becoming much more ravenous than they had been previously. Though it affected each of them to differing extents, they all began eating much more frequently, while the sizes of those meals increased as well. It wasn’t long before the drastic increase in daily calorie intake took its toll.

Surprisingly, it was Rainbow Dash who was the first to notice, the athletic mare quickly growing a sizable paunch that eventually ripped out of her Wonderbolts uniform. The rest of the girls soon followed, each growing in slightly different ways, but all getting significantly bigger. It wasn’t long before their bodies began to hinder their own day-to-day lives, their reduced range of motion making menial tasks nearly impossible, at least for some of them.

This was where Spike came in. The loyal dragon now spent many of his days looking after his friends, helping them with anything they needed that they themselves were now unable to do. Every day started the same, making breakfast for Twilight before the insatiable mare woke up. Fortunately for him, as the purple pony grew, she began sleeping in more, no longer getting up before the sun. That at least gave him some extra time to work, and by Celestia did he need it.

Now that the last of the food was finished, dishes covering all available counter space, Spike gently blew his magical fire out across the spread, placing a simple charm on the food to keep it hot and fresh until it was ready to be eaten. Finally done with Twilight’s breakfast, he walked over to a cupboard and grabbed a box of plain cereal. Taking some milk out of the fridge, he combined the two into a bowl and began spooning the bland soup into his mouth. It wasn’t extravagant, but for him, he really didn’t need much more.

Finishing his cereal, Spike made his way out of the castle, leaving the food he had cooked where it was in the kitchen. Starlight would know what to do when the princess finally woke up.

Today was Wednesday, which meant that he would be spending the rest of the morning with Fluttershy, most likely helping to take care of her animal, before heading over to Rainbow’s.

Whistling as he walked, he meandered through Ponyville before reaching the outskirts of the town, following the dirt paths that lead to her picturesque little cottage. It was a beautiful morning with the sun shining and birds singing as they flitted through the trees. A soft breeze cooled the air while simultaneously driving the puffy clouds drifting by. The dragon’s claws, longer and sharper now than when he was younger, sifted through the sandy soil as he walked, the occasional grain of silica wedging between his toes.

Finally, the quaint structure came into view, Spike walking up to the front door and rapping twice before opening it. “Flutters, you home?” he called into the cottage. After a moment, he heard a muffled confirmation coming from the next room, followed by a soft clattering, like beads falling from a necklace. Closing the door, he walked through the living room and towards the source of the noise.

There, sitting just inside the kitchen, was a massive butter yellow pegasus, the swell of her enormous rump consuming most of the space in front of the entryway. Doing his best to push aside one giant cheek to make space, Spike squeezed into the room, his hip sinking into the soft flesh as he forced his way through. Fully entering the kitchen, he turned to see what exactly was happening.

Fluttershy was sitting on her haunches, the bulk of her thighs and butt lifting her rear hooves completely off the floor while her belly bulged out in front of her and pooled in the space between her legs. One hoof was pressed into the huge ball of fat, the obese mare desperately trying, and miserably failing, to move it out of the way. In her other hoof was the open end of a bag of animal feed, with the bottom of said bag clenched between her teeth. At the base of her turgid belly was a small plastic bowl, little dried kibbles scattered across the floor with very few having actually gone into the bowl.

Spike gave the big mare an unimpressed glare, cocking an eyebrow as her tubby cheeks started to burn from embarrassment. Reaching over and grabbing the bag of kibble, he set it down against the wall before crossing his arms and returning his gaze to the tubby mare, whose eyes were now focused straight down on her pillowy chest.

“Shy,” Spike said gently, his expression softening as he placed a clawed hand on her squishy shoulder. “How many times do I have to tell you not to worry about this stuff anymore? I’m here to help you, to make sure stuff like this doesn’t happen.” The dragon gestured to the mess now littering the kitchen floor. She heaved an exasperated sigh before looking up to join her gaze with his.

“I...I know that Spike. And I really appreciate everything you do. I just, I just hate being such a burden because of, well,” she brought her hooves to her enormous stomach, one disappearing into it as she squeezed,, while the other gave its round surface a couple of firm pats that sent a cascade of ripples splashing through the fat covering her huge body.

Spike gripped her other shoulder before bending his knees to bring him down to eye level with the pegasus, though the distance was not as large as it normally would be. Thanks to the massive cushion of her rump, she was actually taller sitting down than she was standing on her hooves

“Fluttershy, listen to me. You are not a burden, okay? I’m your friend, and friends help each other, right?”

She smiled in response, her hooves reaching out in a request for a hug. Spike gladly acquiesced, gripping her soft body and enjoying the warmth she radiated. “Thanks Spike,” the fat pegasus said softly. “I needed that.”

Releasing the hug, the dragon stood back up to his full height, the tops of his green spines just missing the ceiling. “So, have you had breakfast yet?” he asked as he walked to a closet and collected a broom and dust pan.

“Mmhmm,” Fluttershy responded, gesturing to the other side of the kitchen. Spike looked over to see three tall stacks of dirty plates sitting next to the sink, a raccoon slowly making his way through cleaning them one at a time.

Once he had finished cleaning the kibble off the floor, he took the bag of feed and began to fill the bowls lining one entire side of the room. The soft spoken mare called out for breakfast, and soon over a dozen animals were crowded together and eating happily. After placing the bag in a cabinet under the sink, he turned back to the blubbery pony who was now struggling to get back on her hooves. The dragon simply watched for a moment, an amused smile snaking its way across his lips as she tried desperately to heave her prodigious weight forward. Chuckling deeply, he sauntered up to her before offering his assistance.

“Need some help?” he asked, unable to keep the laughter from seeping into his voice. The obese pony only nodded meekly, her cheeks again turning red from embarrassment. Spike once again squeezed his way around her, standing in the entry between the kitchen and the living room.

Taking a moment, he assessed the situation facing him. Fluttershy’s rear swelled up to press firmly against her back, only the very tip of her pink tail poking out from between the huge crevice between her cheeks, while her cutie marks had stretched and distorted along with her expansive hips.

Kneeling all the way down, Spike reached forward and gripped her rump, his clawed hands getting devoured by the bulging globes. Testing his grip, he squeezed the handfuls of fat, eliciting a quiet “meep” from the beached mare. Slowly, he began to straighten his legs, pulling the massive butt up with him and subsequently tipping her forwards. Eventually, gravity was able to do the rest, her heavy tummy dragging her down with an impressive thump. Her huge body quaked from the impact, the aggressive jiggling causing her ass cheeks to clap together, only adding to her now furious blush.

Straightening up, the buttery pony’s stomach hung to the floor, its swaying mass brushing the tiles lightly. Fluttershy began to turn around, her body heaving as she shifted her weight. The sleeves of fat that had swallowed her forelegs, as thick as tree trunks, wobbled as they pressed into her belly, while her thighs were so big that they squashed against each other without even an inch of separation, further hindering her movement. Eventually, she managed to face him, her cheeks still a bright pink.

Spike had simply watched the process, somewhat mesmerized by the quivering of her bulges and folds. A quiet “Um…” brought the drake’s attention off the undulating fat and back to her round face. Clearing his throat completely inconspicuously, he raised a clawed hand to rub the back of his head while at the same time diverting his eyes down to the floor, his own cheeks gaining some color this time.

“W-well, uh, you ready to start the, um...w-whatever it is that has t-to be done today?” Spike barely managed to get out, his embarrassment at getting caught staring causing him to lose composure.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded, giving an accompanying “Mmhmm,” in confirmation, her timidness quickly fading. Spike wasn’t sure if the obese mare was simply trying to move on from the uncomfortable situation, or if she really was that oblivious, or perhaps naive would be more apt. Either way, the dragon was thankful to put his faux pas behind him. Walking back to the front door, he swung the decorative panel open and stepped back outside, the big pegasus slowly lumbering behind him. Looking back, he addressed her as she slipped her wide hips out of the door, her cutie marks scraping along its edges.

“So, what’s on the ticket for today?” he asked.

For a moment, she didn’t respond, the short walk having winded her enough to force her to take a second to catch her breath. After a few dry pants, she craned her head to look up at her friend, the fat on the back of her neck bunching up into soft rolls.

“Well, the first thing is to make sure the burrowing critters around the edge of the forest don’t need any help building their homes for the fall. After that, some of the shelters in the sanctuary need repairs too. Apparently the roofs have been getting pretty leaky.” Spike nodded, and with that, the pair started off towards the border between Fluttershy’s property and the Everfree Forest, the drake grabbing a spade and draping it over one of his shoulders as he walked.

Spike grumbled as he once again plunged the shovel deep into the hard dirt, flinging the lump of clay-filled soil off to one side before driving the blade back into the ground. He shot a displeased glance towards the weasel who was currently playfully bouncing around on top of Fluttershy, using her soft back and wide butt as a kind of makeshift trampoline. Apparently, the damn thing had dug his burrow right into the side of a kickball sized rock buried three feet under the hard soil; and instead of just digging a new burrow, it was now his responsibility to remove the rock, without destroying the existing tunnel. Sometimes the dragon worried that these animals were taking advantage of the sweet mare’s kindness. That, while perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, they let her dote over them simply because it was easier. This was doing nothing to alleviate those fears.

Taking a breather, nestling the handle of the spade into his elbow and leaning into it, Spike peered into the dark recesses of the forest, just a few yards in front of him. Back when he was a hatchling, the Everfree had always made him nervous, the monsters and creatures inside it causing no shortage of fear in the squishy little drake. Now, however, the dim forest had lost much of its menacing aura. That fact that he was now bigger than most of the creatures he had fretted over reduced its spookiness significantly.

As he stood there, ruminating, a sudden yelp of shock ripped the dragon out of his thoughts. Turning around, he scanned the area searching for the source of the noise, before his eyes fell onto a sight that had him burst out with sharp laughter. It seemed that Fluttershy had attempted to stick her head into a different burrow, probably to check on whatever animal was inside it. Much to his amusement, however, the fat mare had lost her balance and ended up tipped forward, half her torso stuck in the entrance to the hole. Her belly squished out around the edge of the tunnel, propping her up, while her ass hung in the air, back legs dangling off the ground. The little weasel was desperately tugging on one of her rear hooves, trying to pull her back out.

Spike let the shovel fall, strutting over to the hapless mare while wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye. Kneeling down where her belly met dirt, he leaned a hand into the soft fat for support, his other cupping one side of his mouth. “Hey Flutters, everything under control?” he shouted.

After a few seconds in which he thought she may not have heard him, the dragons sensitive ears twitched as they picked up a faint “...no” coming from the burrow. Grinning to himself, he stood back up and walked around behind her, pushing the annoying weasel out of his way with a foot.

“Don’t worry, Shy,” he said as he gave her rump a couple firm pats. “I’ll give you a hand. Again.”

Bracing his legs, Spike reached out and wrapped his arms around as much of the mare’s plot as he could. Despite his long limbs, he still couldn’t touch both cutie marks at the same time. Leaning in, the purple drake pulled as hard as he could. Fluttershy’s billowing rear pressed into his chest and face, his snout being enveloped by warm, fuzzy ass fat, while his arms sank into the jiggling globes. Slowly, he worked the blubbery mare out of the hole, the weight he was bearing steadily increasing as he pulled, his face contorting with the strain. Finally, as her yellow head popped out of its trap, her weight became too much for the dragon, his legs buckling as he continued to grip her backside tightly.

Fluttershy rubbed her eyes with a flabby foreleg, trying to force the dirt they had collected out. She was once again sat on her haunches, rear hooves suspended above the dirt.

“Thanks, Spike,” she said as she blinked rapidly, still trying to clear her vision. After a while of hearing no reply, she looked around the grassy area, not seeing her companion anywhere. “Spike?” she called out curiously.

A sudden movement underneath the obese pegasus drew her attention down, where a purple tail stuck out from under her drooping belly. Once again her cheeks burned red, a grimace overtaking her previous expression as she realized what had happened.

Spike tested his mobility, trying to lift an arm as well as tilt his head. Neither were very successful. Opening his eyes didn’t change much either when they were greeted with complete darkness. Attempting a breath, he became acutely aware of the incredible weight on top of him, his chest trying to expand against hundreds of pounds of pony. He could feel cool air on the scales of his feet, but he couldn’t do anything more than curl his toes.

After a few seconds, the weight on top of him began to shift. It started off small, but gradually increased until it was noticeably rocking back and forth as Fluttershy struggled to move herself off of him. Soon, the swaying fat was grinding into him, her giant rump smooshing and mashing into his muzzle while her belly sloshed against his crotch.

Spike grit his teeth, trying hard not to lose focus in the onslaught of sensations. He squeezed his thighs together as hard as he could, desperate to keep his dignity intact. As the soft mass above him continued to undulate, a single thought ran through the drake’s head: after this, he was definitely taking Rarity up on her offer to sew him some pants.

Spike leaned against a tree, the green spines running down his back digging into the bark slightly. Turning his head, he glanced over to the bulbous yellow lump currently splayed out on the ground. Hauling her own prodigious heft back from the sanctuary was difficult work, and Fluttershy had needed a number of breaks; this now her tenth one since they had started. She had set herself down in the grass to the side of the trail, her belly squashing out into a big mattress as she laid on it.

He remained patient, knowing that there was really nothing either of them could do to force the issue. That said, he was still eager to get Flutters back to her cottage. The sun was reaching its apex, and he hoped to grab some lunch before making his way to the other pegasus in their group.

After another few minutes, the exhausted mare was back on the dirt path leading home. She huffed and puffed as she lumbered along, flabby knees pressing into her hanging gut with each step. Her pronounced waddle caused her titanic rump to sway back and forth, the big mounds quaking every time hoof met earth. Spike dutifully walked beside her, his stride slow and deliberate so as to not go too fast. He knew how fragile she could be, so he did everything he could to keep her from feeling like a hinderance. Including trudging at a frustratingly slow pace.

Finally, the cozy little abode came into view, the finish line looking enticing as the pair crested one last hill. Off to the left of the house was another welcome sight: Harry the bear was busy scratching his back on a nearby tree. As they approached the cottage, the distracted ursine took notice and likewise made for the front of the building.

Upon meeting, the brown bear immediately went to smothering Fluttershy, showering the tubby mare with nuzzles and licking her mane. She cooed as she reciprocated. Well, reciprocated the nuzzles at least. “Oh Harry, it’s so good to see you!”

Spike simply watched with folded arms, smiling as the two shared their moment. Once they separated, he walked up to stand beside her, his leg squishing into the side of her fatty barrel. “Alright big guy, she’s all yours. You’ll make sure to keep her comfy and, most importantly,” he reached over to firmly pat the other side of her hefty belly, “full, right?”

The bear straightened up for a moment, a serious look on his face as he gave a goofy little salute. Fluttershy giggled softly at the display while Spike just continued to smile.

“Okay, good luck,” the dragon said facetiously as he turned to leave. Looking back at his obese friend, he gave a quick wave as he started down the path that had lead him there. “Bye, Shy, I’ll see ya later.”

“Bye, Spike,” Fluttershy said as she returned the wave in kind, smiling widely at her retreating friend. “Thanks again for all your help, and sorry for sitting on you!”