"So I can really get anything I want?"

Twilight shot Spike a side glance. She could swear that he looked just a little bit bigger than when they'd entered the doctor's office. His strides were a bit longer, his muscles bulged just a little bit more, and his head looked as though it'd shot up at least a few more inches since they'd left. On a dragon as large as Spike was getting, though, a few inches was a pretty paltry number when compared to over eight feet of broad-shouldered, hulking dragon muscle.

Still, though, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was swelling, outwards as much as upward, with his chest and arms inflating in size and muscle with every powerful breath that he took. His every stride left a deep gouge in the dirt road, his lengthy claws raking through the earth whenever he lifted his titanic feet. Ponies all throughout town watched him go, eyes wide as saucers. Some looked upset; others looked terrified. Some looked angry, and others just seemed plain confused. But all of them gave him—and Twilight by extension—a wide berth, evidently not wishing to get too close to the draconic mammoth skulking down the street.

Twilight bit her lip, swearing inwardly at the obvious nervousness in everypony's eyes. They'd only just gotten used to a teenage Spike walking throughout town, and that was before he'd grown so huge that he had to duck down to his waist in order to avoid destroying every doorway he walked through. I'm lucky that they know me well enough to give us the benefit of the doubt; otherwise, I don't know what would stop them. To be honest, she didn't blame them. If she were a random townspony, and saw Spike in his...embiggened state, she'd be afraid of another dragon attack, too.

Spike, for the most part, seemed not to notice, but she could see the flicker within his eyes that suggested something more. For all his life, he'd been a social creature, albeit a snarky, sarcastic, nap-loving one. Now, he could see the distrust and surprise in everypony's eyes, and she knew that he was old enough to know what it was. His tongue, forked and long enough to wrap several times around Twilight's torso, flickered out between his lips as he squared his (admittedly impressively-sized) shoulders.

Twilight turned to look up at him as they walked, passing through the town square. She did her best to keep a smile on her face, though the small sliver of worry that not everything was okay still lurked in the back of her mind. "Within reason," she said, meeting his eyes. "Though I did just get a bonus from the Princess that I've been meaning to spend, so I'll do my best to get a bit extra."

As if in reply to her offer, Spike's stomach rumbled, and loudly. A few ponies nearby looked around with a frantic look in her eyes; Twilight guessed that they thought that it was an earthquake, or maybe another bunny stampede.

She herself only put a hoof to her mouth, giggling as Spike's digestive system made its displeasure known as best it could. It really was no surprise. With a build as huge as that—her eyes flickered involuntarily over his thick, chiseled abdomen, and his bulging calves, measuring, calculating, and analyzing—it was no surprise that he'd need so many calories just to keep going. If his recent...activity was any indication, she noted, shifting a bit uncomfortably as she noticed his pecs bulging out a little further than she remembered, he was probably still growing, and would likely need even more food as a result.

For a moment, she pondered that situation, running a few calculations through her head, and shivered. Where am I going to get enough money to feed him at this size? And if he gets any bigger? Twilight swallowed.

For his part, though, Spike seemed overjoyed. "That sounds great, Twi." She was getting used to his deeper, rumbling voice, albeit more slowly than she'd like. "I'm starving. I could eat a house!"

She almost flinched. He noticed, giving an awkward chuckle. "Bad choice of words, huh?"

Twilight snickered—she couldn't help it. "Maybe a little bit," she admitted. She was again reassured, though, that this really was Spike underneath that ton of muscle: that it really was her baby brother hiding inside of that mass of bulk and power.

"And here we are," she finally said, coming to a stop. Spike halted beside her, his feet digging deep into the ground as his weight sunk into the tender soil. "The Ponyville marketplace."

Ponyville had grown in the past few years since Twilight had moved there. Not enough to have any big buildings, retail stores, or—more relevantly—major shopping markets, but enough to have swelled the ranks of its market vendors until they filled a rather large pavilion near the center of town. Everything was sold there: from apple carts to a carrot stand, to three different bakeries and at least two delis, there was something for everyone in the Ponyville Marketplace.

Spike's stomach grumbled again, and he exchanged a look with Twilight. She paused, sniffing the air as a delectable smell crossed her nose. Her neural patterns were instantly put to work, firing off as she attempted to analyze and dissect the source of the scent. Savory...a trace of salt. Approximately thirty percent hydrocarbons by weight, and—

Spike lifted his oversized snout into the air and sniffed. "Mm... Hey Twilight, do you smell that?" A soft, dreamy grin crossed his face, with one lethal-looking fang sticking out over his upper lip. "Egg-and-spinach quiche. My favorite."

Within a moment, Twilight had gotten it. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "It's a quiche of some kind—probably with egg. Hey, Spike?"

She paused, looking around and noticing that her much larger compatriot wasn't beside her. "...Spike?" she said, in a slightly smaller voice. Darn it. How could you lose an eight-and-a-half foot dragon?

In seconds, though, she'd found him again.

"Hey, buddy! Whataya think you're doing?"

"Spike!" Twilight barked, cantering up to him. "What is going on here?"

Spike looked down at her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well...Twilight...you see—"

"This big...brute just stomped up to my stall and started grabbing everything it could see!" The vendor sputtered, his Manehattan brogue coming out with his obvious agitation. "The hay is up with that?"

"Excuse me!" Twilight said sharply. She rearranged her wings on her back, the feathers reflexively flexing outward as her cheeks flushed a bright pink. "That beast happens to be my brother. And though I apologize for any trouble he may have caused you, that does not give you the right to call him names like that!

"As for you," she went on, turning to give Spike her best I-know-what-you-did-Mister glare, "What do you say?"

Spike looked down. A mountain of pastries, pies, and other baked good were piled high in his cradled arms. His beefy biceps were wide enough to make a large-enough "basket" to hold a veritable feast. "But Twilight—"

"Nope. What do you say?"

Spike rolled his eyes, though she noted the flicker of apology in his eyes. "Sorry," he finally muttered.

Twilight perked up an ear. "What was that? I couldn't quite hear you."

"I'm sorry I took your stuff," Spike blurted.

"There we go." Twilight smiled pleasantly before turning back to the vendor. "And you, sir?"

He stared at her with wide eyes, mouth hanging slightly open. "W-wings," he stammered, blinking rapidly. "And a h-horn. You're that Princess."

She tilted her head to the side. "Perhaps. Now, do you have something to say to my brother over here?"

"B-brother?"

Twilight nodded. She tapped a hoof impatiently, hoping to get her point across. To his credit, Spike did a wonderful job of Looming Over Everything beside her, his massive bulk casting an impressive shadow over the stand, though it was more incidental than anything. At his size, she'd be more impressed if he couldn't manage to loom over somepony.

The vendor swallowed. "I—I'm sorry, all right? I didn't know."

"Very good." The smile returned to Twilight's face, and she turned to nuzzle her saddlebags. Where did I put that bag of bits...? "Now for, the food," she said absently, referring to the mountain of food still held in Spike's bulging arms. "How much will it all be?"

He told her.

Three minutes later, with a substantially lighter wallet and a pleased dragon at her side, Twilight slogged through the center of the marketplace with a bewildered expression on her face.

"That much money for the contents of one stand?" She shook her head. "That's ridiculous! How am I supposed to—"

She was interrupted by a loud rumbling. The sound echoed in her ears, and she followed its source until her eyes came to rest on Spike's well-muscled—if a little rounder—stomach.

There was a beat of silence.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Spike twisted a claw in his mouth, fiddling between two of his sharper incisors. "I'm still a little hungry, Twi," he said, the sheepish smile returning to his face. "That was a pretty good appetizer, though."

Appetizer? "You hate fifteen pounds of food!" she sputtered. "More, if you count the unused apples that he threw in as well!"

He shrugged. "Well, what can I say?" He flashed her a toothy grin. To his credit, though he did look more than a bit guilty. She decided that she deserved that kind of vindictive satisfaction. "I'm a growing boy."

Twilight groaned, slapping a hoof onto her forehead. "Well, what am I supposed to do now?" She floated her purse back up to her nose, looking it over unhappily. "You cleaned me out entirely, and that was just one stand! I had no idea that I'd need to buy this much food—where will I get the money without going all the way back to the treehouse or asking the Princess for more?"

"Yoo-hoo!"

Twilight blinked, turning around to look over her shoulder. "Rarity!" she exclaimed, eyes widening. "You're awake!"

"But of course I am, darling. Did you think that a small fainting spell could put little old moi out of commission?" Rarity beamed, fluttering her eyelashes before craning her neck upward to look at Spike. "And hello, Spikey-Wikey! You're looking simply smashing today!"

Twilight managed to catch the light blush that rose to Spike's cheeks. "D-do you think so?"

"My dear: I know so." Rarity gave Twilight a wink and took a step closer to Spike. "Now, I couldn't help but overhear that the two of you have a bit of a dilemma, if I may. What was it, again? Something about food?"

"You could say that," Twilight said glumly. She shot Spike a glare and he winced. The sight was more than a bit comical, given that it was a several-hundred pound dragon with over eight feet of height flinching beneath the withering gaze of a pony that came up to only just below his hip. "I've already used up all my money, and Spike is still hungry!"

Rarity took in a sharp breath. "My dears, that simply won't do!"

"Tell me about it," Spike muttered, scratching his stomach. Rarity's eyes, Twilight noticed, tended to linger on his ab muscles for just a second too long. The other unicorn lifted a hoof to rub her eyes before continuing on.

"I suppose I shall have to step in, then." Rarity turned up her nose with a small sniff. "I could never leave a friend in distress."

She opened an eye, giving Twilight a knowing look. A soft smile crossed her face. "It just so happens that I've received my latest profits from my new line of Canterlot dresses, and I just so happen to have them on my person."

Spike's eyes widened as a purse noticeably fatter than Twilight's rose up beside Rarity, its contents jangling enticingly. He licked his lips, entranced.

"I already know what you're going to say. 'No, Rarity; I couldn't possibly have you spend your hard-earned money on me.' But I shall insist." Rarity raised an eyebrow, giving Spike a long, hard look. Twilight thought that she saw something else spark in those bright blue eyes, but for the life of her, she couldn't put her hoof on what. "For what better use is there of one's bits than to aid one's friends?"

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, but another grumble of Spike's stomach made her think the better of it. Instead, she only gave Rarity a tired smile. "Thanks, Rarity. I really appreciate it." She paused. "We really appreciate it, I should say."

Rarity waved a hoof. "Oh, think nothing of it, dear. I'm more than happy to help."

She turned to face Spike, her neck cracking as she did her best to meet his eyes—even when the tip of her horn only just reached his belly button. "Now, dear, what did you want to get?"

There was a hungry look in Spike's eyes. "Well...I can think of a few things."

And so, for the next hour and a half, Spike ate.

And ate.

And ate, and ate, and ate.

He devoured the contents of an entire apple cart in minutes, pouring dozens and dozens of apples down his throat. He chowed through twenty loaves of bread in as many minutes, stuffing his face with biscuits, sweetloaf, and strudels. Pound after pound after pound of fresh-picked produce vanished into his gullet; Twilight felt guilty enough to tip the vendor for psychological counseling after being exposed to the sight that was Giant Spike Eating Everything.

And still Spike ate on.

He gathered up piles of fruits in his arms, throwing them up in the air and letting them fall until they hit the bottom of his stomach. He crammed his cheeks full of taco, pizzas, and hayfries, scarfing down every stray calorie he could find. By the end of it, Twilight would swear that they'd cleaned out the entire contents of at least half the square. Needless to say, quite a few shoppers would go home hungry that day.

She watched with no small amount of awe as another fresh-baked pie disappeared into Spike's mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, his cheeks bulging with buttery crust and apple tart. "Mm," he mumbled. "That's good stuff. Caramel glaze?"

The vendor looked startled. Honestly, Twilight couldn't fault him. It wasn't every day that an eight-foot tall, totally ripped teenage dragon came up to your stall and devoured everything in sight. "Um, y-yes."

"Good stuff," Spike repeated, his voice rumbling in his chest. He popped another whole pie in his mouth, swallowing it whole. "You're a pretty good baker."

"T-thank you." The baker's reply sounded more like a question than a response.

Beside him, Rarity was clearly doing her best to hide the grimace that was clearly displayed across her features. Her formerly bulging purse was now filled with nothing but air; a hopeful glance inside was greeted only by the buzzing of a fly. Oh, please let this be the last one...

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Spike burped. It was a long, low belch, sustained over several seconds, and one that smelt of everything from pears to oranges to fresh-made quiche. "Sorry," he said once it was done, shooting Twilight a grin. Without as much as a by-your-leave, he plopped onto the ground, the earth shaking beneath his massive weight.

One claw-tipped hand slowly rubbed against his belly, his formerly-defined abs now dominated by a bulging, rounded stomach. It was an impressively-sized organ, one that flopped out over his waist, and sloshed as the earth vibrated beneath him. With the way things were going, though, Twilight had no doubt that his metabolism would make short work of it. She squinted, trying to make out Spike's head against the sun. Even sitting down, he was still a head taller than her. Still, she could swear that he hadn't been that close to nine feet just a few seconds ago...

"That was really good," Spike said, letting his hand rest on his stomach. He beamed at Rarity. "Thanks, Rarity. You're a really good friend."

Rarity fluttered her eyelashes in return, taking a step closer and returning the smile. "Why, of course, my dear. All you had to do was ask." She lifted one hoof, stroking it down the side of one of his generously-muscled arms. "Really—I'd do it for any of my friends."

Twilight's eyes narrowed.

Any other thoughts, though, were interrupted by a loud yawn. She turned to look at Spike, whose eyes looked bleary. "Nngh," he muttered, scratching the side of his folded wings. "After all that awesome food, I could use a nap."

"We could go to one of the meadows nearby," Twilight suggested. "They have plenty of space."

"Nonsense!"

Rarity gave Twilight a sharp, almost shocked look. "Have my dear Spikey-Wikey lying out in the cold mud? His pristine scales would get all dirty!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Rarity, I—"

"Oh, but my own Boutique is only just down the road." Rarity smiled pleasantly, running a hoof through her mane. "I'm sure I can offer you a place to rest—to 'crash,' as it were—for a few hours."

"I—"

"That sounds great, Rarity." Spike gave her a giant smile, hugging his oversized arms to his chest. He yawned again. "Thanks."

Twilight closed her mouth. It was clear she'd been overruled.

Carousel Boutique was quiet when they'd entered. "Sweetie Belle is upstairs, asleep," Rarity had said, turning on the lights with a flicker of her horn. "We should have the place all to ourselves. Isn't that nice?"

Getting Spike inside had been a bit of a challenge, yes, but not one that they hadn't been able to fix with some telekinesis and a bit of yoga that Rarity said she'd picked up from a few ponies out in the country. Besides, Rarity hadn't seemed too bothered by the rather large dent that was now left in the front door. At least her entrance was a pair of double doors, which had made the whole experience much more pleasant.

Twilight didn't miss the way that her friend's eyes had slid across her when she said all to ourselves. To be honest, though, she couldn't bring herself to care. She was just happy to have somewhere to rest her hooves after that harrowing ordeal.

A trickle of something cold and uncomfortable trickled down her spine. And that's just lunch...

We're going to have to do that every meal.

On every day.

For the rest of his life...

Twilight gulped.

I think I need help.

"Oh, Twilight. Doesn't he just look so precious?"

She flashed back to reality, glancing over at Rarity. The white unicorn stood over Spike's head, peering down at him with her hoof over her mouth. He was laying sprawled out on the floor, lying on top of a trio of mattresses laid out in a row to better accommodate his bulk.

"Well, I shouldn't say precious, really," Rarity said, giggling into a hoof. "Not for a creature as large and beautiful as he. Truly, my dear—have you ever seen someone so strong and...well, manly?"

Twilight blinked. A haze had seemed to have descended over her mind, fuzzing up her thoughts as she did her best to put two and two together. Her thoughts were rather violently interrupted, though, when she realized that something was happening.

"...Rarity?"

"And his arms—simply divine! That chest." Rarity shuddered with evident glee.

"Rarity!"

"And—sorry, darling. Pardon me. Did you say something?"

Twilight gulped. "Is it me, or is he growing again?"

As she watched, Spike's limbs stretched out further and further away from his body. Already, she could see layers of muscle adding up on top of his already-massive physique. This wasn't a slow change, like what she'd observed over the past few hours. No: this was an active, fast growth spurt—and if the volume of food he'd consumed had anything to do with it, a big one, too.

Beside her, she could hear Rarity's quiet, awestruck voice.

"Oh, dear."