In the coming weeks, Twilight had a rough time accepting her friends’ scheme to fatten up (or ‘friendly up’, as they put it) one of their own. At first, a part of her didn’t want any involvement whatsoever, but then she would sit down with her at lunch, facing her chubbier friend head-on as Sunset stuffed her face with crusty mac-and-cheese and rubbery chicken sandwiches and weirdly thin milk until her squishy balloon of a tummy was fit to pop, and Twilight wondered, ‘why was I against this again?’

With absence came clarity, but shortly thereafter came longing, and thus relapse. Twilight knew she had to balance the two if she was ever going to decide her part in all this.

So she did what she did best: she made a plan.

She invited Sunset to go out for breakfast on the weekend, to which she obviously said yes. Twilight ordered oatmeal while Sunset ordered a stack of pancakes sandwiched between layers of cream cheese made to look like a cake, topped with whipped cream, blueberries, milk chocolate chips and maple syrup. Even Twilight's mouth watered when she heard about it. She said she wanted blueberries with her oatmeal.

Looking her over again, Sunset hadn’t grown much since Twilight came back into town, but it wasn’t hard to tell she was going places, i.e., outwards from every angle. And compared to when she left, Sunset had grown quite a bit: for example, a good chunk of what she ate went to her thighs, and what thighs they were! -- filling out her skirt like the cream cheese filling out her dish, oozing out of the gaps, raising the surface til it fit an almost dome-like mold (a double dome, in the case of her skirt), and though they were still mostly covered, Twilight could deduce from the way the fabric contoured around them that her thighs would rub together every other step. She could not begin to wonder how warm it must be in there.

Her belly had grown into quite a pooch, spilling just over her waistband as she stood up. She could ride her skirt up to contain it, but it would always come back full-force whenever she sat down. It gave a bit more depth to her belly button, which was rarely ever out and only if she was feeling careless about her appearance (she never was when she knew Twilight was around, that much she noticed), but far more than when her tummy was flat and only ever displayed in beachwear. Her back was hard to make out with her vest on, but whenever a gust of wind lifted it upwards or Sunset walked quickly enough, there could be made out the small crease of love handles forming above her hips which Twilight was very aptly tempted to grab. And she could tell that her bra was getting tight from the faint outline of her breasts beneath her orange S/M tee, straining to fit into their cups.

As they waited for their food to be done, it led to this very interesting exchange:

“Do you want to go clothes shopping soon?” said Twilight.

“Ooh, that could be fun!” said Sunset. “I’m a little overloaded on clothes, though.”

Twilight chuckled.

“Yeah, I guess you would’ve had to get some done pretty recently, huh?”

Sunset looked at her for a second or two, frowning with one eyebrow higher than the other.

“Nnnno? Why would I?”

They changed the subject.

There was an apparent lack of shyness in Sunset's demeanor that led Twilight to believe she was either in denial or completely oblivious to the newfound changes to her figure. Twilight didn't know which she preferred.

Soon, the conversation steered in the direction of their careers: Twilight was hitting the books as usual and had just applied for a general scholarship, of which she was quite proud, and now, so was Sunset; speaking of, Sunset had just given her two-weeks’ notice and planned to go gaming full-time -- with her friends “helping out” with food, she was spending less and eating more, which meant that her current stream of ad revenue was enough to live off of. It worried Twilight to hear she was so dependent on them, but she kept her mouth shut -- it was all part of the plan, wasn't it? And then, with gaming giving her more time to be sedentary...

Their food arrived. Sunset’s dish was bigger than either of them expected: the pancakes were fluffier, the cream cheese more so, and whipped cream cascaded down the sides, dividing the syrup into little waterfalls that practically flooded the bottom layer in a pool of sweet, dark, liquid sugar. It put Twilight’s plain white bowl of oatmeal with the occasional blueberry to shame. It was almost worth the bill. It was definitely worth it for Twilight, just to see Sunset dig into it with wide eyes and wider mouth, impaling and slurping up every inch she could get her fork on, sometimes drowning her bite in syrup, just to be thorough in how she cleaned up. When all but the last layer-and-a-half was defeated, she sat back with her full tummy and sighed.

“Oh, wow, that was great! Do you want the rest of mine?”

“Huh? Uh, no, I’m--”

“Really? You’ve been looking at it since you finished your oatmeal.”

Twilight looked down and saw that her oatmeal had indeed been emptied, the taste of creamy oats and blueberries somewhat fresh on her lips. She barely realized it was gone.

She shrugged and took the rest of Sunset’s plate. It was everything she thought it would be: sweet, filling, and decadent, with just a hint of fruity flavor from what was left of the blueberries, pairing ridiculously well with the chocolate chips. She almost wished there was more by the time she was finished, but if there was, she was worried it might be too much and try to eject itself.

After taking some time to digest, they said goodbye and parted ways, Sunset going one direction while Twilight went back the way she came...

...before turning back around and going the same direction as Sunset.

As much as she liked the food and Sunset’s company, the real purpose of this excursion was to determine Sunset’s eating habits, as well as her habits overall -- a blind experiment, not risking any demand characteristics that Sunset might suddenly be conscious of during testing. This would be all her.

Thus began the process of watching, checking the time, writing any activity in her phone’s note-taking app, then going back to moving behind her at a comfortably stealthy distance. Wash, rinse, repeat. For nine-and-a-half minutes, Sunset walked, then sat down for a rest at an outdoor café -- a sensible act for someone who ate as much as she did. Thirteen minutes and a root beer float later, she was up again. At noon, she ordered a hot dog, swallowed it like a candy fruit roll, then had another before the minute was out. Twilight was stunned: the sight of Sunset’s gullet swelling out with each of what should have been bites, seeing that she was so egregiously casual about it, that it was like a second chin that only appeared for a few wonderful, solitary instants--

Twilight slapped herself. She had to, anytime she gazed longingly at one of Sunset’s sumptuous body parts. This wasn’t an excuse to ogle her from afar, not a result of believing that this type of attraction was dirty and could only be justified by viewing it under purely intellectual circumstances, and certainly not a byproduct of this whole scheme she and her friends were putting on, such that everything about their relationship needed to fit that secretive and clinical mold to rectify her actions...

...right?

The more the experiment continued, the more she felt it shouldn’t. Not that she wasn’t enjoying herself, but the joy was soured knowing she could be discovered at any moment and risk ruining their friendship. How long had they known each other? About since Twilight went through something she understands was very much like what Sunset went through, something she never quite learned the nitty-gritty of, but she knew it was sensitive -- a betrayal of some kind. Twilight was one of her only friends after that. To take that trust and just...

Before she could contemplate further, Sunset took an odd turn into a part of town Twilight was unfamiliar with. Plain brick walls covered in grime and dirt became more common. The sound of dogs barking and sirens wailing were nonstop. Why was she here? Sunset lived in a much nicer place than this. Had she caught on to Twilight’s antics? Was she trying to lose her tail?

That hypothesis was disproved soon after she came to the entrance of a dark alleyway. Sunset looked around, posture hunched like she was trying to hide inside her vest. She ducked in, and Twilight followed.

There in the alley, wearing a trench coat and sunglasses, was someone Twilight hadn’t seen before: a girl with light blue skin and hair arranged in bangs and a ponytail, lazily covered by an off-kilter fedora.

“Well, Sonata?” said Sunset.

‘Sonata’ nodded. She reached into her trench coat and took out what once looked to be a hard shell taco, but was now a crushed mess of meat, cheese, and shredded greens after spending too much time in a coat pocket.

Still, it had Sunset drooling all over herself.

“Everyone knows my love for Mexican food knows no bounds,” said Sonata, her cute voice sounding strange, attached to such dramatic language. “Promise me you'll savor it.”

“Oh, I will!” With both hands, Sunset grabbed up the taco-mess and shoved it straight into her open gob. Grease and lettuce shavings littered the bottom half of her face as she breathed in and out in snorts, sounding almost like a pig as she ate just like one.

“Before we go any further...”

“Hm?” Sunset’s cheeks, though tightly packed, still had some jiggle to them as she abruptly stopped chewing to look at Sonata with patient, hopeful, hungry eyes.

“...I’m gonna need payment. Up front.”

Sunset grumbled. With sauce-stained hands, she grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it up, causing her belly to droop and bungee out.

Sonata bit her bottom lip.

“Mmm, there we go!”

Sonata crammed another gloopy taco into Sunset's half-full mouth and promptly began playing with the ball of dough hanging around her waist.

Sunset groaned, ecstatic from the taste of the taco combined with the massage of Sonata’s fingers.

“And if we keep this up,” Sonata said, taking another taco out from yet another pocket, “there'll be way more where that came from!”

Twilight didn't even bother checking the time. The scene was too much for her to look away, even for a second. Who was this girl, ‘Sonata’? How long had they been doing this? And did Twilight really want to be part of it badly enough to interrupt?

There came a point where Sonata had two “tacos” in each hand, trying and failing to keep the good stuff from gushing out between her fingers as she gave it the kiss of life; meanwhile, Sonata was on her knees, hugging Sunset’s near-full belly with firm, groping hands and kissing it right on the belly button. She was talking to it between kisses, using baby-talk to say how squishy it was, that it was a good boy, yes it was, oh yes it was. She gave it a raspberry. She barely noticed as some of the taco meat landed on the rim of her fedora.

When all the tacos were eaten (except a few that Sonata said she was saving for herself), Sunset turned around to leave, and Twilight -- realizing again that she was still on a stealth mission -- backed into a different corner.

Sunset may have walked (albeit slowly) into that alley, but she came out waddling, so full and sluggish that it put her in a haze.
As she rounded the corner of the alley, rubbing at the red hand-marks on her jutting, round belly and moaning like a ghost, Sonata waved goodbye.

“See ya tomorrooooow!”

“Oh... oh... oh...”

With little else to do, Sonata examined her hat, finding what drippings had been caught on the rim. She would have wiped them off like any normal person... if she was a normal person. Instead, she lapped it up with her tongue -- ‘waste not, want not!’ -- walking all the while towards the alley’s opposite entrance to get back on the winding path home.

She was shocked into dropping her hat when she saw Twilight blocking her way, hands resting authoritatively on her hips and brow sternly furrowed.

“What is your relationship with Sunset, exactly?”

“You!” Sonata gasped.

Twilight gazed at her questioningly.

“‘Me’? Do I know--?”

Sonata interrupted her, rushing to put her hat back on as quickly as she could.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re here for, I just can’t stay too long, or else they might--”

“Theeeere you are.”

With an ‘eep!’ to rival Fluttershy, Sonata crouched behind Twilight. Out from the shadows of the towering brick monuments came two more girls Twilight didn't recognize: one pink with purple-and-green pigtails, and one yellow with a poofy orange hair that was mostly pinned back, devilish smirks plastered across both their faces. The latter seemed to be the one that spoke before, saying in the same low, seductive growl:

“And where have you been exactly?”

“Oh, hey, Adagio! Aria!” Sonata chuckled nervously, peeking out from the admittedly weak hiding spot that Twilight was. “Just got lost, is all. But hey -- Twilight found me! And she was leading me back to you guys! Isn’t that great?”

The girl with the orange hair -- ‘Adagio’? -- looked at Twilight, raising an eyebrow. Twilight shook her head.

Adagio snapped her fingers and pointed upwards. Like a trained dog, Sonata stood up straight and walked towards her until she was an arm’s length away. There, Adagio reached into the collar of Sonata’s lofty coat and yanked out a leash attached to a choker on Sonata’s neck, which had apparently been there the whole time. Sonata stumbled forward, hunching over as the leash was pulled closer to the ground and Adagio spat pernicious hellfire into her ear.

“You're not Sunset's pet. You're not Twilight’s. You're mine. Got it?”

Unwise as it was to interrupt, Twilight dared to do so.

“Um, I’m sorry, do we know each other?”

Adagio looked at her, visibly taken aback by the question. She eyed Twilight up and down, tapping her finger to her lips until, to Twilight's surprise, Adagio grabbed her by the chin and turned her head from side to side, examining her like she was an animal for sale. Twilight's heart pounded. She wondered if she would do the same to her that she did to Sonata, putting her on a leash and yanking her around like some pet. She could only hope the girl couldn’t smell the fear and partial excitement on her.

“You don’t look like you have brain damage.”

“Excuse me!?” The words blurted right out of her.

“Her ugly twin sister, maybe?” suggested Aria.

“Perhaps.” Adagio pushed Twilight’s chin away like she was pitching a discarded bottle, causing her to stumble back a bit and massage her throat to recover.

Adagio’s focus was back on Sonata. After all this time, Sonata’s leash was still secure in her hands. She put her fists on her hips and leaned into Sonata, close enough for her to taste her breath.

“Now, what were you really doing out here?”

“She was giving my friend tacos,” Twilight reported.

Slowly, Adagio looked back at Twilight with an expression she could not decipher. She felt like she said something wrong.

“Are you with anyone?” Adagio asked Twilight.

“Um, what?”

“Like...” Adagio spent a couple seconds trying to find the right word. “Are you together with someone? Are you looking?”

Still, Twilight barely understood the question -- or rather, what answering either way would mean for her.

“Uh... not... really?”

“Hm.” Adagio nodded slightly. She sounded... disappointed? Then she turned her attention back to Sonata, and her demeanor immediately hardened.

“Tacos, huh? Now, why in Equestria would you be so giving all of a sudden?”

Twilight’s mouth hung open.

‘Equestria!? They’re--? Then--!’

“You don’t appreciate them,” Sonata answered.

The girl behind Adagio -- ‘Aria’, if one was the other -- laughed. Adagio gave her a look and she fell silent with a sharp inhale.

“Oh?” Adagio said to Sonata. “And you do?”

“Tch, duh! I mean, I’m the one who brings them home as leftovers, why else would I do that?” Sonata’s giddy attitude was flooring in just how obviously lacking it was in self-preservation, at least from where Twilight stood.

Adagio’s mouth morphed into a toothy, crocodile grin.

“Well, if you appreciate them that much, I think I found a way to free up all that space you’ve been hogging up in the freezer!”

Just like that, the look on Sonata’s face dropped.

“Uh, saywhatnow?”

“Ugh, finally!” Aria groaned.

Adagio looked back at Aria with that same ugly grin.

“What are you so excited about, Aria? After all... you'll be helping her.”

“Y-you mean helping you, right?”

Adagio ignored her, but refused to look at Sonata directly. She crossed her arms, abruptly pulling Sonata forward yet again.

“Sonata's personhood privileges are revoked. If she hears anyone refer to her directly, she should correct them without making eye contact. Does she understand?”

“She does,” Sonata sighed.

“Good.” She turned around to look back at Twilight. “Call us if you're ever looking for someone!”

Twilight nodded shyly.

And just like that, Adagio dragged Sonata off into the darkness with Aria trailing close behind.

“Seriously, you meant helping you, right? Adagio? Adagio!?”

Twilight sighed. What a mess that was. Now, if she could just find her way back to--

“Urgh... Twilight?”

Twilight turned around with a jolt and saw Sunset Shimmer, exactly whom she wanted to see... though not if it meant being seen.

“Sunny! Uh, hi! What are, uh-- what are you doing here?”

“Uhhh... nothing.” Sunset, whose eyes were narrowed by a resilient grog, looked around the alley. “Who were you talking to just now?”

“Nobody.”

“Huh.” Sunset nodded.

Twilight saw that Sunset's shirt was still hiked up above her belly button from when Sonata, uh... had her way with it, some grease and strands of cheese surviving her attempts to wipe it away. Twilight pointed at it. Sunset frowned at her, not understanding what she meant, so Twilight -- feeling bold -- pulled it down herself, feeling the moisture and body heat radiating off of her and combining with the refuse of her previous meal to make for a weirdly intimate experience, like cleaning baby food off a fully grown woman. Sunset, obviously experiencing this first-hand, blushed, blinking some of the haze from her eyes as it happened.

“Wuzzat... URRP! ...really necessary?”

“Oh! Not really, sorry. It’s just that I didn’t think you wanted it to stick out like that, and since it’s so big, I thought--”

“What’s so big?”

“Uh... wow, would you look at the time, I gotta go!” said Twilight, keeping her eyes on her watchless wrist as rounded the corner. ‘Now, how did I get here, again?’

And now, for what Sunset incorrectly thought to be the third time that day, she was alone.

Her hand went up to her belly on instinct. Her stomach wasn’t exactly concave, that much she knew. Maybe it was a bit more of a curve than there had been since she started this whole mood journey, she could accept that. In truth, Sunset knew she had put on some weight, and that people like Sonata were kind of weird about it -- it made some sense, nobody she knew was bigger than the dolls in the girl’s toy aisle -- but was it really that noticeable?

If she was going to find out and find out for sure, she couldn’t ask just anybody -- she had to ask the size expert.

Author's Note

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't forget to stuff yourself with lots of turkey and corn casserole! (Mmm, corn casserole... 🤤)