Author's Note

Another Twilight piece, not as dark as the other.

For those of you who don't know, Marjoram is an OC of mine. Basically was Celestia's first attempt at getting Twilight a friend...Marjoram too, actually. He's something of a weird uncle or a second father figure to Twilight, and actually helped Celestia teach Twilight her advanced studies.

Forbidden Arts

Forbidden Arts was a book Twilight had known about for a long time. One that she’d heard mention of, had appeared in all the restricted/banned text lists, had even talked with Celestia about it when she was younger. Marjoram too. She hadn’t been able to read it though, every time she asked about it she was shot down.

“It’s a very dangerous book, Twilight.” Celestia had said during their lessons that day, “You’ll read it when you’re ready, after you have more control over your magic.”

“No.” Marjoram had said bluntly, “You’re still a kid. You’ll read it when you’ve proven yourself. It’s dangerous in the wrong hooves.” Before gesturing down to the book she was supposed to read. He wasn’t the same sort of teacher that Celestia was, but...well Twilight later figured out that that had been the point.

Upon gaining her wings, and princess status, Twilight had thought she’d finally gain access. But it wasn’t until the Golden Oak was destroyed, and she got her castle, that she found it.

Celestia, and just about everyone she knew, had been working to rebuild her library. Sending books from all over. Even Marjoram had chipped in, even though most of his belongings had survived, buried under the rubble.

When a large crate of books arrived one morning, when Marjoram was asleep after a rough night, Twilight set about bringing it inside and getting it unloaded. It was a crate from Celestia, one full of books. The note said they were books left in Twilight’s rooms from Canterlot, and a mixture of ‘higher level spellbooks’ that Twilight would be interested in.

On top of the pile, like it had been arranged that way, rested an old copy of Forbidden Arts, the spine cracked and cover well worn. It was the most beautiful book she’d seen in a long time.

Twilight spent the next hour shelving the new books, adding them to her slowly growing collection and admiring how she had a few shelves full now. Never forgetting the book resting near her hooves.

When the books were sorted and shelved, she picked up Forbidden Arts and teleported to her room. She wanted privacy for this. And in case something went wrong, the noise would be dim enough from Spike and Marjoram’s rooms that they wouldn’t hear. They needed their sleep after all.

Twilight opened the book, and started to read. A huge, wide smile on her face. Not noticing the little note that fell from the book and drifted under her desk, well out of her sight.

(LINE BREAK)

Spike was dashing around the kitchen, dragging his little stool with him when he needed to. Mixing, checking the oven, and adding ingredients. He had...some sort of something in the oven. Pastry something, Marjoram figured, watching the little dragon scamper around.

Spike was making some kind of...custard? Whipped cream? Marjoram blinked blearily, watching as Spike added some vanilla before whisking again just as eagerly.

Both dragon and Marjoram stopped for a moment, turning as Twilight entered the kitchen. She was in one of her moods again, studying so much that everything else had followed by the wayside. They hadn’t seen much of her for the last week, ever since Celestia sent that crate of books. Neither of them were surprised.

“Hi Twilight!” Spike greeted with a smile, starting to whisk again.

“Hi Spike, hi Marjoram.” Twilight yawned, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a bottle of water, “Okay, I’m off-”

“But, Twilight, I’m making cream puffs! Don’t you want to stay and try one?”

“I will later okay?” Twilight yawned again, and it was clear to see the dark circles under her eyes, “but I’m really caught up in my reading.”

“We can tell,” Marjoram said dryly, “Come on, Twilight, we haven’t seen you out of there for a while. You’ve got to be hungry.”

“Nope,” A dreamy smile graced her lips, “I’ve got it covered. Thanks.” A flash of magic, and she was gone. Presumably teleported away back to the library.

“You tried.” Spike sighed. He bit his lower lip, worrying at it for a few moments, “Did you notice anything weird?”

“Twilight was being Twilight,” Marjoram shrugged, “Why?”

“Well...I probably just imagined it, but I thought she’d gained a little weight.”

Marjoram waved a hoof dismissively, “It’s fine. Probably been gorging herself on sweets while she’s reading. Who knows what she’s got stashed in that library. We’ll let Rainbow know and she’ll take her on some flights and everything will be fine.”

A few weeks later, when he was called back to Canterlot suddenly to teach classes for the rest of the term, he wished he’d listened to Spike’s warning. Spike, who joined Marjoram for a welcome ‘vacation’ back in his hometown, felt very similarly.

(LINE BREAK)

Twilight burped without thinking about it, the pressure releasing it’s vice grip on her gurgling belly. She lived alone now, in a too big castle. With Spike, Marjoram, and her usual visits by her friends it wasn’t so bad. But recently all of them had things to do, which was fair. They all lived busy lives after all, but still. It was harvest time for the Apples, Rainbow was on tour with the Wonderbolts, Rarity was cycling between Manehatten and Canterlot for the fall fashion shows there, Fluttershy was preparing her animal friends for hibernation and/or winter, Pinkie was up to her ears helping the Cakes with Sugarcube and the twins, and Marjoram and Spike were still in Canterlot.

Forbidden Arts and the other books kept Twilight busy enough. One spell in particular had piqued her interest, and she’d been using it almost constantly since. It didn’t have a name, it was so ancient, but it was meant to stop famines when the relationships between the tribes broke down. Mostly for unicorns, since they were the only ponies who could cast it.

Why a spell that conjured food was banned, Twilight didn’t know. The food was delicious, always perfect, and at the proper temperature. Sometimes there was too much of it, but who was she to complain. Ponies lived harder lives back then, needed the extra calories.

At first, Twilight’s Alicorn metabolism handled them with ease, but months of study and non-stop eating had worn that down to pittance. The amount of calories she was stuffing her face with daily was many times the amount she actually needed to survive.

Not that Twilight was really aware of this, however. She just ate when she was hungry, and she was always hungry. The only things she really cared about were her food, her books, and keeping her books foodstain free.

She took no notice of the extra weight she’d packed on. After nearly two months of gorging on this delicious food, she didn’t stop to wonder how she’d blown up so quickly. Hadn’t seen the warnings in the book, written in Old Ponish that she hadn’t bothered to translate yet, thinking it wasn’t important. Like the history of the spell.

Twilight had weighed a respectable 130 pounds two months ago. She now clocked in at 650 pounds. Not that she knew that. For all her intelligence, her addiction to the food she conjured every hour on the hour had rendered her blind to its effects. She didn’t notice when she couldn’t fit into her throne, couldn’t realize her bed creaking under the strain of her body, couldn’t hear her lungs wheezing for breath, couldn’t see the food rotting in the fridge because she hadn’t bothered for a bite of ‘real food’ in two months.

Twilight hadn’t noticed a lot of things about herself either. Like how, when in the throes of super morbid obesity, that her body was...very rounded. Not like some ponies at all where there was all those rolls and folds. No, Twilight was just...soft and baggy, no unnecessary folds at all. She’d also gained very evenly, even as her body started to lose its definition as such.

Her face and neck were one, the fat blending seamlessly with the exception of one double chin. Her cheeks melded with her neck, her double chin flapping when she ate or bothered to talk to herself. Squinting over the rounded mounds of her cheeks to read and see what she was eating.

Her neck and chest melded too, though her chest wasn’t as fatty as the rest of her. Mostly poofing out from between her front legs without impeding them too much. Creating one, albeit small, fold where her chest sagged against her stomach.

Twilight’s legs, front and back, had the most rolls. One for each joint, the twelve rolls combined sagging against each other, making her hooves look small and nubby in comparison. The joints encased so much that it took considerable effort to move. So she didn’t. Hadn’t for...oh, was it two weeks or three? Slurping down an ice cold, thick milkshake, Twilight couldn’t remember. She’d stood yesterday afternoon to retrieve a book, but that had been such a chore she’d needed three extra large pizzas after...

Twilight’s stomach was large. Pressing against all four legs firmly and touching the ground even when she stood. It would be...oh, less than fifty pounds before her stomach finally lifted her hooves from the ground and pinned her in place permanently, but again, Twilight wasn’t aware of that.

Her flanks and plot melded together as well, forming the first of the six rolls that encompassed her hind legs. Her rear overhanging her hocks so much that it wouldn’t be long before that joint was just a memory. Even her wings, once so muscular and slim were just like bags of fat resting against her stomach. She hadn’t flapped them for a while, mostly because the fat surrounding them would make it hard work to do so.

Twilight belched again, the sound echoing around the library. For as pristine as the books were, she couldn’t say the same for herself. Her front was splattered with food stains, and sticky from sodas, ice creams, and desserts. Her face was stained with food as well, and if she’d been in her right mind, she’d have been mortified.

Twilight shifted on the overlarge cushion she was resting on, not noticing how her fatty sides were now mere millimeters from touching the floor. She sighed contentedly, turning the page in this fascinating book on old spells.

Speaking of spell, a moment of concentration was all it took for a large, cheesy lasagna to appear. She didn’t use cutlery, using only her magic to hold the piping hot container as she plunged in muzzle first.

Twilight didn’t hear the front door of the castle opening, though that was meant to be quiet. Didn’t hear her friends break off to try to find her, or reconvene outside the library when the realized that must be where she was.

Though she sure as hell noticed when everyone, sans Marjoram and Spike they were scheduled to be gone for a few more weeks, when her five best friends flung open the door and Pinkie let out her party canon.

Those five friends took in the sight of one Princess Twilight Sparkle in equal parts horror and awe.

Twilight merely smiled, licking marinara sauce from her muzzle, “Hey...guys...want some?”