Two Days Later-

Rarity stood at the precipice of disaster. It’d been a long, harrowing series of events, but now she was unable to continue without dire consequences. All she could do was stare in disbelief at her creation before her, wondering how she was to correct this grievous mistake. How could she have allowed for such a catastrophe? How was she—

“Oh, there they are.”

Rarity picked up the scissors she’d been looking for. She snipped away at the excess fabric on her latest project, taking care not to fray any seams. She couldn’t afford to have any ragged edges—this was to be the centerpiece of her next line!

“Hmm…” Rarity inspected her near-finished work. She was about to call this good, but she sensed there was something yet missing... something important. She was basing the outfit off a beautiful ensemble a Saddle Arabian had worn at a party they’d all gone to a few months ago, and she hadn’t had the time to sketch it out then.

Rarity stared at the mannequin before her, squinting as she tried to remember more details. She was pretty sure most of this was right, but there was one big thing it needed, something that went on the midriff—

“A gem!” Rarity pointed at the mannequin’s navel. “She had a gem in her bellybutton!”

Humming, Rarity waltzed over to her stash of various gemstones stored in a trunk. Yet as she began sorting through,her grin slowly began to fade. Each gem felt far too rough to be placed in such a sensitive place, and none of the ones she had were the right color. A few were close, but she couldn't find one that was perfect, and that’s what she was striving for.

“Oh, phooey.” She took off her horn-rimmed glasses, her lips curling back in a sneer. “It seems I have no choice. I'm going to have to visit… him. Ugh, I’ll need to put on something conservative...”

It’d been a productive day at Everfree Thrift and Pawn. A pair of unicorn stallions had come by in a strange-looking car to purchase everything in the store under five bits, claiming that they could find a use for it all. Nevermind that most of the stuff was clearly useless junk that nopony in their right minds would pay any more than five bits for—they seemed to think it was worth more, so the store owner wasn’t about to complain.

Said owner, Rough Cut, had his back turned when he heard the shop door jingle.

“Sorry, but I'm not taking any pawns or trades today!” he called out. “I just got cleared out by—”

“Good evening, cousin.”

Rough Cut hesitated. Whenever he heard that voice, it always promised trouble. Biting back a wince, he turned around with a smile that showed off his perfect teeth.

“Rarity!” He tipped his hat to her. “What a pleasant surprise! Come in, come in.”

Rarity’s smile was equally false. Every time she stepped hoof in here, it was always the same. This... stallion was so crooked she could almost feel the greed oozing off him.

“I need a sapphire, Cutty.” Rarity walked right up to the counter, her piercing gaze never leaving his. “Got any decent ones?”

Rough Cut smirked. “Always to the point. But whyever would you come to ME looking for sapphires? You’re quite the accomplished gem hunter, as you so often like to brag. Why, just this last Hearth’s Warming, you were going on how you found a cache of mystic topaz while suffering an eldritch migraine!”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “A special kind of sapphire. Tourmaline blue, oval shape, smooth as a river stone, about the size of a blueberry. I’m on a timeline and I don’t have the hours it’ll take to find, cut, smooth, and clean one myself.”

Rough Cut snickered. He’d already figured as much—she only ever came to him when she was in a bind. “Well, you know where my gem case is by now. See for yourself.”

Sadly, Rarity did know. Rough Cut kept his jewelry selection front and center, right beneath the main counter. It was the reason why she’d put on a properly fitting top—the first time she’d come in and looked, he’d gotten a faceful of her cleavage. Thanksgiving dinner had been awkward that year.

It didn’t take much looking before she spied something promising. A sapphire, perfect coloration and size, marvellously smooth and rounded. She squeezed the straps of her purse upon spotting it; blast it all, that ruddy gem was perfect. About the only thing off about it was that she could’ve swore it was glowing slightly, but that was undoubtedly from the store’s poor lighting.

“I thought that one might catch your eye.” Rough Cut cleared his throat. “That sapphire is—”

“A Saddle Arabian catseye.” She met his eyes with a shrewd look. “Is it real?”

Rough Cut glowered. Just once, he wished she’d let him finish the sales pitch. “Yes, it’s real. I had it verified by Silver Sterling this morning. Here’s the certificate of authenticity.”

He produced an embossed sheet of parchment to show Rarity. It bore both the logos of Ponyville Precious Purveyors and the Equestrian Traders Guild.

Rarity chewed on her lip. She knew Silver Sterling, and while his daughter was a little beast, his ability to recognize authentic gemstones was second to none. It seemed this really was the real deal.

“I’ll take it,” Rarity said. “How much?”

Rough Cut steepled his hands together. “Five-hundred bits.”

Rarity didn’t bat an eyelash. “Three hundred.”

Rough Cut laughed. “This is an exquisite piece from Saddle Arabia! Do you know what I had to do in order to get it in the first place?! The merchant I purchased it from—”

“Smuggler, you mean.”

Rough Cut narrowed his eyes. “Merchant. He excavated it near Maredina, but then barely managed to evade the cutthroats trying to steal it from him! He wouldn’t part with it for anything less than four seventy-five, so I’ll need at least five hundred to make a profit.”

Rarity leaned forward onto the counter. “You don’t make high-risk, pricey investments, Cutty. You buy things for cheap from ponies even shadier than yourself, then try to price gouge ponies that don’t know any better. The only reason I haven’t reported you is because I’m afraid they actually will find something in here that’s illegal or stolen.”

But Rough Cut didn’t budge an inch. “Suppose I do have something in here that’s illegal or stolen. If you report it and the cops find it, then you’d better have a good lawyer, because willful ignorance is a prosecutable offense. No matter what kind of deal you make, cousin, your reputation will suffer from the fallout. I wonder how well your clothing store will fare then?”

The two of them stared at each other, neither one of them moving a muscle.

…

…

...

Until finally, they both hung their heads.

“Why do we always do this?” Rarity stepped back, pinching the bridge of her nose. “One-upping and lies, suspicions and threats... Can’t it just be like when we were kids?”

Rough Cut drummed his fingers on the table, staring off at the wall. “What do you want me to do? I can’t do a background check on every single pony that comes in here trying to hawk their wares. I try my best to make good judgment calls, but I also gotta pay the bills. Sometimes things slip through the cracks.”

Rarity crossed her arms. “That doesn’t explain why do you price gouge so much. I’ve seen you do markups on things over twice what their worth! Are your bills really THAT outrageous?”

Rough Cut’s eyes dimmed. His grit his teeth so hard his head shook, his posture falling into a slump.

Rarity stared at him for a few seconds, but when the answer wasn’t forthcoming, she turned to see what he was looking at. A framed picture of a middle-aged mare, hanging on the wall behind the counter.

“Oh, darling.” Rarity murmured. “Don’t tell me Auntie Culet...”

Rough Cut suddenly looked very tired. “We… found out yesterday that the cancer’s come back. She’s scheduled to go back in for treatment start of next month, but considering how much the last round took out of her…”

There was a long, heavy pause.

“...How much did you really pay for the gem?” Rarity asked.

Rough Cut looked away. “Two seventy-five.”

Without another word, Rarity took out her purse. She produced a full, heavy sack of bits, tossing the whole of it on the counter.

CLINK!

Rough Cut raised an eyebrow. Slowly, he opened the bag, his eyes going wide upon seeing the number and color of bits inside.

“Rarity…”

“Do me a favor.” She put her hands on her hips. “The next time you’re struggling with family-related things like this, put aside your fucking pride, and TELL me about it. Petty rivalries and grudges aren’t worth it, okay? Family is more important. Your mother is more important.”

Rough Cut clutched the moneybag like it was his firstborn. “Y-Yeah. You’re right.”

Rarity gave him a sharp look. “Promise me.”

Rough Cut held up his hands. “Okay! I promise! I’ll come to you if there’s ever problems like this again! Jeez...”

Rarity smiled. “Good. Now, the gem?”

“Right…” Rough Cut fumbled for a set of keys on his belt. He undid the lock and floated out the gem, putting it in a black case for her.

“Fabulous.” Rarity placed the case in her purse. “Do keep me updated on Auntie’s condition, won’t you? Sweetie Belle and I will come visit once she’s settled. I’m sure she’d appreciate someone sprucing up those dull patient rooms they always stick her in…”

Rough Cut felt dazed as he watched Rarity walk towards the door. “When… when do you want me to pay you back?!”

Rarity flippantly waved her hand. She was out the door before he could say more, the entrance bell jingling in her wake.

Rarity walked through Ponyville’s streets at a brisk pace. Her creation beckoned her, and she didn't have much time to complete it. The looks on her customer’s faces when they saw what she’d cooked up would be divine, and she couldn’t wait to see how many orders this piece alone brought in! Sure, not everypony would be interested in something so... risqué, but there was definitely a market for such attire.

Her thoughts drifted to the final piece she’d acquired. Without even thinking she took out the box and opened it, wanting to get a look at the gem in proper light. Sparkling and flawless, it was even more extraordinary than she’d first thought. She delicately took it in her hand, shivering as its smooth, smooth surface touched her skin. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

She barely even noticed the strange sensation seeping into her. She suddenly felt an odd urge to place the gem into her navel, and her hands began straying to her stomach, an odd ache forming in her belly. Untold wonders raced through her as she hovered the gem over her bellybutton, her shirt the only barrier between an undoubtedly glorious sensation. It was almost as if something was trying to find its way inside her—

Rarity quickly shook herself out of it. What was she doing?! Not only was she a lady, but she was in public right now! She couldn’t go lifting her shirt and start sticking things inside her navel! Just think of the scandal!

“I’ve been working too hard again...” Rarity put the sapphire away before she changed her mind. The warm, pleasant feel of the gem had lingered, along with the memory of the wonderful feeling that’d blossomed inside her for a split second. She knew it was going to be hard to forget, and that meant that today would be a long day indeed.

“Well, forget it I must.” Rarity tossed back her mane and quickened her pace. “I have a dress to finish.”

Victory was hers. The dress had been completed in short order, and all messages and advertisements were well on her way. The original dress wouldn’t be one that she sold of course, it was merely for display. Although she might very well use it as her Nightmare Night costume this year. She wasn’t going to be a no-show fool because of all the last minute orders she had to finish the night before this year! Oh, no! She was going to be the talk of the town for sure in a getup like this! Unique and one of a kind!

She was enjoying a reasonably-sized portion of low-fat ice cream to celebrate when she heard a knock on the door.

“Hello? Rarity?” she heard a familiar voice call. “Are you home? I need to talk to you!”

Rarity frowned. Of course she recognized that voice, but it was well past sunset already! She set aside her half-finished dish and went to answer the door.

Twilight stood on her doorstep with mussed-up clothes and an unbrushed mane and tail. A manic look was on her face as she smiled toothily at Rarity.

“I did it!” She tittered to herself. “I did it, Rarity! I figured it out!”

It took all of Rarity’s willpower not to facepalm. So it was going to be one of those days, was it?

She stepped aside to let Twilight in. “Figured what out, dear?”

In reply, Twilight lifted Rarity’s shirt, jammed her thumb in Rarity’s navel, and fired off an unknown spell.

“!!!” Rarity jumped like she’d been shocked. She shoved Twilight away with a yelp, a mighty blush on her face.

“Twilight Sparkle!” She backed away a more few steps for good measure. “What in heaven’s name?!”

Twilight may as well not have heard. She was too busy holding up the thumb she’d just used. “Look!”

Rarity felt a chill. Twilight’s thumb held a golden glow, so bright it was almost painful to look at.

“Twilight,” Rarity said slowly. “What did you do?”

“It's like this all over Ponyville,” Twilight burst out. “Every mare I’ve tested! At first I thought I crafted the spell wrong, but I triple-checked the matrix and my calculations are perfect! Do you realize what this means?!”

Rarity almost stopped listening at 'every mare I’ve tested'. “That you have a poor sense of personal space?”

“That this is worse than I thought!” Twilight lifted her own shirt to stick her other thumb in her navel. Her horn flashed, and she pulled it out to show it was glowing, too. “Life magic is everywhere, Rarity! Every mare in town is saturated in it! It might even be all over Equestria for all I know! There’s no way Applejack is responsible for this level of exposure!”

She was speaking so fast that Rarity could barely understand. The tone was clear, but Rarity wasn’t very good with panicked yammerspeech. Especially not when the speaker’s mane and tail were in a horrid state, with bleary and bloodshot eyes, a greasy face, and a rather ripe smell to boot...

“Twilight,” Rarity said. “When was the last time you slept? Or showered? Or ate something, for that matter?”

Twilight threw up her hands. “There’s no time for that! If we don’t do something, all of Ponyville could erupt into one big maternity ward! A single catalyst could ignite the life magic of any mare in town, and WE’RE the most vulnerable! Our life magic levels are over fifty times that of any other mare I’ve tested, Rarity! We’re ticking time bombs on a hair trigger!”

It was a tricky call. Sometimes Twilight freaked out over nothing, other times there was a legitimate crisis. It was about a fifty-fifty call, in Rarity’s experience.

Sighing, Rarity gestured for Twilight to follow. They went into the parlor, where Rarity forced Twilight to sit while summoning a comb and brush.

“What are you doing?!” Twilight made to get up. “I just told you there’s no time for—”

Rarity silenced her with a look. “You’re rambling and raving so much that I can barely understand you. I know you want to help, but you can't keep pushing yourself like this. You need to dial it back a notch and get your bearings.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m fine! We need to focus on—”

“Twilight.”

Twilight grumbled something under breath. A huge part of her was still screaming at her to take action, but she relented and let Rarity tend to her.

“Have you heard back from the Princesses yet?” Rarity asked in a calm voice.

Twilight grunted. “Princess Luna wrote me back almost right away. You remember when I’d said the last record of a star surrogate was before her banishment?”

Rarity began brushing Twilight’s hair. “I do.”

“According to her, this used to be a pretty regular thing. The stars had some kind of relationship with us through her, and every couple of years, a surrogate would get chosen to carry however many stars that were scheduled to be born. But after the Nightmare Moon incident, that relationship was severed and the star spirits were left unable to come to be. They’ve been accumulating and accumulating since then, stuck in limbo without a way to come into the world.”

Rarity carefully worked to untangle a rather stubborn knot. “How many spirits are we talking, exactly?”

Twilight winced. “I-It’s impossible to say. About the only definite is there’s a LOT—so many that Princess Luna isn’t able to regulate the process. That means the star spirits are essentially free to clear the backlog as they please, and if they want to go fast, a lot of mares might end up...”

Rarity paused. She had to admit that sounded bad, but only at first glance. When you really thought about it, was the harm in a whole bunch of capable mares across Equestria serving as star surrogates for a while? It’s not like the ‘children’ they’d be having would be their responsibility...

“From the way you described it these stars before—or whatever they are—they sound rather benign.” Rarity snapped her fingers, and a stick of deodorant appeared. “Does being pregnant with these spirits pose a risk of injury?”

Twilight took the deodorant and applied it. “I-I, well... n-not really, no. Princess Luna said there’s the whole process is steeped in life magic, and the restorative and regenerative properties essentially guarantee a healthy, full term gestation. About the only oddity she’s observed as that the star spirits temporarily take the form of foals while in the womb.”

Rarity laughed. “Then if you want my opinion, I’m not sure there’s anything to worry about! It may be strange for many, but if the whole experience is harmless, we may as well let it happen. I know I wouldn’t mind, especially if provides a beauty boost…”

But Twilight was still torn. “You don’t even know how many you could get pregnant with! It could be one or two, it could be as many as a hundred! Maybe more!”

Rarity scoffed. “A hundred foals? Really, Twilight?”

Twilight bit her lip. “Well, maybe not a hundred... But it could still be a lot! We shouldn’t be so quick to accept this when we don’t know what we’re getting into!”

Rarity could only sigh. “Then perhaps Applejack can tell us more. Why don’t you go speak with her again tomorrow, hmm? Time might’ve refreshed her memory.”

Twilight considered that. “She’s probably still awake right now. I could—”

“No.”

Twilight fiddled with her shirt. “...Fine. Tomorrow, then.”

“Good.” Rarity looked over at the calendar. She didn’t have the store open tomorrow, but she had to get started on her next project for her fall lineup. She’d be busy for the majority of the day. “Stop by afterwards to let me know what you learn, alright? Maybe we can go watch a movie with the others, or something. I’d offer to take you to the spa, but they’re closed for a while, sadly.”

Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Really? What happened?”

“I honestly don't know,” Rarity said. “I was at the pet groomer’s this morning, and I watched from across the street as Aloe and Lotus shooed everyone out the spa doors in a hurry. I believe I heard them say they had some kind of family emergency…”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “Aww, I really would've enjoyed a trip to the spa.”

Rarity used a bit of magic to smooth out Twilight’s clothes. “You’re not alone. But we don’t always get what we want, I’m afraid. Although… if you want, I have more than enough beauty supplies here to give you the next best thing. Perhaps we could do that, instead?”

“Ooh!” Twilight perked up. “That sounds like fun!”

Rarity patted her shoulder. “It’s a date, then. But don’t expect me to offer a full body massage, darling. It’s not that kind of date.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Har, har. Well, if that’s that then, I have a date before that with this nice guy called Pillow. We’re meeting at this nice place called My Bed, so I should probably get going.”

Rarity chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll have a marvelous time.”

She made sure Twilight was suited before seeing her out. Rarity closed and locked the door, then turned off the front lights and started getting ready for bed. She wasn’t particularly perturbed by what Twilight had said, but the news lingered in her mind nonetheless. Specifically, that their own life magic levels were so much higher than everypony else’s. Although, given that the bond they shared with Applejack through the Elements was quite powerful, that wasn’t too much of a surprise.

Rarity traced her fingers around her navel. The feel of Twilight’s thumb shoved in there, tingling with arcing magic... it made her shudder even now. She was tempted to do it again just to see if she could elicit the same reaction. It almost felt similar to the sensations of the gem from Rough Cut, to be honest…

“Enough!” Rarity put a hand to her forehead. “Stop it, Rarity. A lady doesn’t fantasize about such things.”

After a visit to the privy, Rarity entered her bedroom. Her finished Saddle Arabian dress was on a mannequin in the corner, perfect and ready to go. She’d gotten the design down to a T! She was going to make bank on it for sure! The hardest part now was to stifle her creator’s impulse to fiddle with it further and just accept that it was done.

Yet as she made her way to her bed, a thought struck her.

“I never tried it on...” She slowly grew a sly smile. “I was so caught up in finishing that I never bothered! I always try on my own outfits, don’t I? It’s my own little reward.”

Her eyes drifted to the gem box on her nightstand.

“Yes. I think I deserve that much...”

Rarity watched herself in the three sided mirror, admiring herself from every angle to take in the beauty of her creation. Lace and silk weaved from a foreign land's best supplies draped over her figure, woven into art by her skilled hands. Rarity knew of her own ravishing qualities, but this amazing outfit made her drop dead gorgeous!

“Hel-lo, Rarity!” She might have to be careful who saw her in this, as she might very well make somepony pass out. The amount of bare skin alone would surely make any soft-hearted lover weak-kneed, and there was just enough cleavage to entice but not seem crude. Little more than a brassiere with sleeves covered the top half of her body while a thin veil hid most of her face, her beautiful eyes peeking out to haunt somepony, even with her reflction alone.

But the design was outdone by the quality of the fabrics she’d used. Chineighse silk and Arcturian lace, both so soft that her skin tingled whenever she brushed against it. The loveliness of the silks in the undergarments hidden away under the long skirt were enough to make her shiver. She ran her hands down her bare midriff until they met up with her wide hips, her generous curves emphasized to the point of jaw-dropping. Why had she never designed something like this before?

Rarity revelled in her own vanity a while longer before realizing she was still missing something. The one part of the outfit that’d eluded her until this evening, the pièce de résistance! She went to her nightstand and retrieved the Saddle Arabian catseye, taking it out to admire in the moonlight. It was so bright and shiny it almost looked like it was glowing, and as she took it out to hold in her palm, it was just as smooth as she remembered.

Rarity stroked the sapphire with her fingers. Quickly warming from her touch, its cut was so fine it didn’t feel abrasive in the slightest. One side of it was a simple rounded cushion cut, the other was a smooth, featureless dome. She’d never seen such a strange design before. The feeling of it touching her skin was wonderful to say the least, and even though it sounded crazy, she’d even go so far as to call the stone soft. In fact, it felt SO amazing, it almost felt there was a strange power coursing through her, thundering its way into her body. She couldn’t believe she’d lucked out finding such a specimen!

She slowly began to take it where it needed to go, but she didn’t do so with haste. Rarity let the gem's delightful surface run across her bare skin, starting just under her right breast and letting it slowly run down the length of her stomach. Every inch made the gem feel more and more alive, and Rarity moaned as the the wonderful sensation danced along her midriff. She could swear the gem was pulsing now, and every surge it gave off fired unspeakable sparks of power that worked their way into someplace deep inside her. Every muscle in her abdomen relaxed as the gem slowly approached its final destination, her gut feeling warm and loose, surrendering to the sensations. Carefully, she placed the gem on top of her tight navel, holding it there a moment as she watched herself in the mirror.

Then, she pushed it in.

A spark of lightning shot into Rarity’s belly. She gasped as that spark continued to send power down into her gut, hands moving on her own to gently stroke her soft coat. The powerful feeling slowly spread out across her belly, every rise and fall of her breath letting her know just how real it was.

Something started happening to the gemstone. It was moving, twisting itself about and pushing farther into her, embedding itself in her navel’s deepest recess. It was strange to Rarity, but its activity was making the sensations grow stronger, slowly pushing them to greater heights. It went so deep she actually lost sight of it, and Rarity moaned as something inside her changed, her insides fluttering about in such a manner that made her legs quiver. She now felt something within her start to grow, expanding from her most sacred of places.

Rarity continued to move her hands across her madly sensitive surfaces, almost unaware of the blossoming womb inside her body. It wasn’t until she realized her hands were getting farther apart that she noticed, but when it finally registered, all she did was coax it on. Her belly continued to push itself out farther, her soft skin allowed to stretch and make room for the womb growing inside her. She almost lost herself in a daze as the first tiny kick sent a tingle through her flesh, the sign of her motherhood causing her body to start changing even more.

Rarity’s breasts swelled and ached, pushing her brazier tighter as the clasps popped off one by one. She gasped for air when the last one was finally undone, healthy new flesh growing from her chest with every breath. She could feel her breasts begin leaking as they slowly began to put on pounds of new weight. Every small drop that left her nipples only made her realize how needy they were, and how bad she’d been to forget their needs.

Her mind was made up as she opened the broken brazier completely and allowed her far heavier breasts to fall softly against her body. She began to stroke them softly, each shudder and release causing her nipples to push wider into her palms. She had to coax them on, for they would be needed one day, and they had to be as ample as possible to feed the womb still slowly growing beneath them. Rarity grunted as the first proper release coated her hands, large streams pouring through her fingers and down across her belly. Any lost was replaced twofold as her breast kept pushing themselves outwards, further and further than ever before.

Rarity opened her hands wide in a futile attempt to cup her gradually growing rack. Bigger and healthier her tits became, her arms wobbling as their weight kept piling on. By the time they’d finally stopped she was unable to gauge their size anymore, but she was sure that even the largest bra in her collection would be unable to contain them. And even if it could, the milk still leaking from her rosy nipples would swiftly soak through...

Rarity attention returned to her still-blooming belly. Already she could feel the bottom of her breasts teased by the softness of her stomach’s fur, the firmness of her womb pushing itself larger. She felt another kick, this one far stronger than the last, and her hands stroked through the immense flutter that fired through her body as her breasts spurted another stream of milk that leaked onto womb. It only enticed her further as she allowed it to lubricate her hands, her flesh softening with each stroke, her womb pushing itself even higher and farther until it was a cradle for her generous breasts.

Yet it still had a ways to go before it could truly give her weighty chest any relief...

A wonderful sensation took root in Rarity’s nethers. It spread to her ample hips, and she could feel the tingle spreading out across her flesh with goosebumps echoing the sensation. Her already-curvy hips filled out and pressed into the expensive fabrics that contained them, and she stood fully erect as her legs felt like they were being stretched, mounds of soft healthy flesh piling onto her thighs. She let her hands slip beneath the beltway so she could feel them expand, her skin pressing harder and harder into the silks and satins. Little by little, her hands on either side of her body grew farther apart, the maternal form finally taking shape wholly in her thighs, signalling her foalbearing status as a worthy mother.

Rarity admired herself in the mirror. This was a form of beauty only a mare could accomplish, yet somehow… she seemed incomplete. Just then, she gasped as a fire ignited within her womb, the warmth bathing over her flesh in ever greater pulses as it began to push forward ever so slowly. The tenderness of her belly only caused her endless bother, the sensations driving themselves all over her body like a maddening itch. Her breasts started leaking again, more now than before, the liquid running down in rivulets as she kneaded and pressed her boobs in firm strokes. The little one inside her needed the room, she had to grow. She found herself thrusting her belly out as its shape continued to elongate and widen, relentlessly surging and pushing softly ahead.

Now something else besides her womb was pushing itself forward inside her, something that charged ahead toward a point on her unfinished mountain. Her bellybutton pulsed and throbbed oh-so-pleasantly as her paunch pushed farther on. Her flesh was billowing forward, her maternal form nearing its perfect stage, her belly escaping the limit of her grasp. Rarity grunted as her entire womb filled out both forward and to her sides in a sudden, potent bulge. Her teats ached greatly as they ballooned as well, and the sound of stressed fabric cried out below as it began to bite into her hips.

Her navel was a storm of sensation. The force which charged toward her belly's crest was in the forefront of her mind, pulsing… growing… widening. A soft tickle wormed its way toward the exit, and Rarity leaned back as she allowed her stomach to churn itself forward. Something wiggled within her button, folding time and again, each soft release of her navel's flesh growing larger. It continued to do so even as a bit of her belly's own flesh wrinkled from her navel’s tender expansion. Her womb kept pressing outward in all directions as warm flesh grew and grew, making her body prepared for what it needed to be. A final grand push pulsed through her body, accompanied by a warmth that spread through her maternal form...

And then it all ceased. Rarity was left to bask in the soft throbbing grace of her button's grand reappearance… along with a familiar presence lodged into the surface of her innie.

There was no scream, no cry of fear. Upon regaining her faculties. Rarity just looked at herself in the mirror and basked in what she had become. The sapphire was lodged within a wrinkle of flesh on the topmost part of her exposed navel, and while it was perhaps just her imagination, it seemed a tad larger than before. Although that hardly seemed important next to the sight of her foalbearing womb, radiating such a marvelous sense of completeness.

She seemed like she was so much more. So much greater, so much better than what she’d been previous. She hummed as she let the dress fall from her perfect body, drinking in the unrivalled beauty of her nascent motherhood.

It all meshed together so perfectly. Full, firm, ample breasts, her teats eager and ready to give. Her hips a testament to her ability to bear the young within her prodigious girth. Her overall curves a jaw-dropping sight, so much she couldn’t help but run her hands along them, caressing and fondling their immense size. But of course, the greatest sight sat between them, a wonderful shape that pushed out from the core of her body. Her belly was flawless save for a line running down its entirety, a telltale sign of her womb's fullness.

It wasn't something she had realized at first, but now it couldn’t have been more clear that this was something she’d felt incomplete without. Now as she stood there, enraptured by her motherhood and her womb freshly grown, she only wanted to see her foal grow and be healthy. She was so big that she had no hope of exploring every inch of her girth's immeasurable beauty, and her body had grown her foal to such a healthy size that she could only warmly hold and stroke her progeny lovingly, feeling it wiggle and kick in fits of new life that tickled her senses.

Rarity couldn’t help but be curious as to how far she could go. True, she knew this was something that had to be done, but she understood enough to know that the reward would be great. Perhaps it wasn’t pure charity that motivated her, but either way, she accepted her role within it all. She would do what she could, as best she could. Things would work out in the end.

The aftereffects of it all began to take their toll. Rarity felt the weariness creeping up on her, her body crying out for rest. Without protest she heeded the call and made her way to bed, giving her new form one last look before turning out the lights.

“Won’t Twilight be surprised when she sees…”

Rarity drifted in a sea of fog. She was in a place where clouds extended in every direction, yet the sky was all around. The only thing that registered with her was her womb, radiating warmth as it kicked and wiggled before her. A soft light emanated from the sapphire embedded in her navel.

Someone’s hand rested upon her belly. She looked to see who it was, only to find it was a ghost made of the same fog that was around her. It seemed to be saying something, but its voice was a whisper she couldn’t make out. She asked it to speak louder, but it vanished, scattering to nothing to merge back into the fog.

Rarity’s mind was blurry. She could barely even move her own limbs. She fought to free herself from the sluggishness, but then something inside her became alive. The sapphire in her navel shone brighter, and an unseen energy pumped into Rarity, filling her womb with power!

“O-Oh…” She could feel it swelling and growing with such intensity, both the gem and her bellybutton. Her paunch was wiggling ever so subtly, just enough to send a wonderful sensation across her skin, and the sapphire responded by pushing further into her. Wider it became as it carefully inserted itself, beating like a second heart and rubbing her havel flesh, tightly tucking itself away as it basked in the warmth of her body.

Rarity could feel her navel pushing against the gem. It shifted and moved with greater insistence, her innie desiring to become a proud outie. She could only softly groan from that wonderful feel, unable to do nothing as gem and navel fought for the limited room. Eventually the gem won out, somehow expanding until it’d taken up all the room it possibly could, lodged so tightly that it was practically a part of her. Rarity revelled in the sensations as she tried to understand what was happening, but before she could, the world started to fade away, much like a dream before one awoke.

A whisper reached her ears before everything went white. It was faint, but the words couldn’t have been more clear.

“Restore what we lost.”

Rarity opened her eyes. She was safe and warm in her bed, the morning sun peeking in between the closed curtains. On impulse her eyes traveled down to her body, only to sigh in relief as she found that yes, it all had been very real. A small hill rose up from the wool blankets, her pregnant belly heavy with swirling weight. Her breasts were become uncovered during the night, but she could tell they’d been leaking in her sleep, dried lines of milk running down the sides of them. Her nipples were even still glossy from a recent splurge.

She could tell they’d gained another size or two in her sleep. Rarity put her hands to them—just a normal, simple touch—and cooed as she was greeted by a jolt of pleasure. She couldn’t believe how sensitive they were, so large, plump and filled to the brim with her milk! She started rubbing them with care, and was quickly rewarded with a squirt of cream. The nutrient-filled liquid swiftly sank into her flesh like a lather, and she just laid there for a few minutes to bask in her own fertility.

She finally managed to leave her teats alone and glimpsed at the wonder of her womb, still covered by her silky sheets. The life within her occasionally kicked and wiggled, the sensation of its movements alone enough to entice her. The fabrics brushing against the mountain’s sensitive surface was just as lovely, sliding back and forth across her flesh. Her hands travelled up to stroke herself, and the same electric tingle sparked to life to creep across her gut. Her skin shivered from the buzzing, combined with her mere breathing making her womb sway beneath the sheets. She could feel the unspent energy pulsing through her, each hearty thud trying to push at the limits of her flesh. The warmth of her belly began to spread out into her body. If only her limits would go... if only she could grow.

Suddenly, a thousand tiny pinpricks tickled her womb. Rarity watched as her stretched flesh was covered with abrupt bumps and small twitches, and a firmness took hold inside her, one that bade her to thrust upwards, hard. Her belly shook within the sheets as a great pressure bloomed inside her, followed by a great tightness that rocked her belly. Lightning fired through her with such force she saw white, and a great gurgle resonated through her gravid girth.

“AH!” The internal sensations made Rarity mad with need for more. She goaded the sensations on as her belly expanded once again, shivers running through her as a the prickles and tingles teased her. Her baby bump jostled as it filled out more and more, taking up the lion’s share of her lavish sheets. The sheets began to tug and pull, testing Rarity’s ability to tuck herself in at night, but it proved to be no match for her growing womb as the blankets were pulled out from beneath the mattress.

Pressure was building within Rarity. She moaned as another wave of tightness struck her before one final surge to pushed her belly to its new final size. She stared in awe at what she’d just witnessed, the hill beneath her covers now twice the size of what it’d been. She could feel two sets of hooves kicking inside her, sending her insides fluttering and swirling about, and the her newest addition only added to her pristine maternal glory.

“Oh, yes…” Rarity lay there in a daze, basking in the warmth of her even greater motherhood. Her teats had seemed ample before, but now they seemed meager compared to the task they’d be now set with. At first she wondered what might have caused such a blessing, how she could’ve gone from one to two, but then she remembered the dream from last night. The power that’d coursed through her, the sensations she’d felt… it all had to be connected, didn’t it? Was this the work of the star spirits?

Rarity rested a hand on her belly. Yes, it had to be. These little dears, they’d been waiting for so long, and all they’d needed was a mother to carry them. She vowed she’d do so for however many that needed her, swearing a silent promise that she’d willingly do her part. A feeling of life welled up within her almost as in a reply, and her breasts each squirted a healthy stream of milk as they swelled one… two… then three whole cup sizes in seconds!

Rarity let her eyes fall closed. The weight of her womb pressing down on her was marvelous—so very real and full. Her burgeoning belly carried within it two nascent lives, and judging from the wiggles and tingles, possibly more very soon. She could hardly wait for the next ones to come in, pushing her womb to greater sizes, the warmth and delicious feelings only intensifying—

A loud gurgle sounded from her stomach.

Rarity snickered. “I suppose I’ll be needing a big meal after all that.” Carefully, she made her way out of bed, hefting her rather large obstruction of a womb easily thanks to her sultry curves. She’d see to feeding herself and the little ones soon enough, but first, she needed a proper outfit. She may find herself rather ravishing in her natural maternal state, but a lady had to have standards. Suppressing hunger was something she was used to, so she strode off to her wardrobe with a song, ignorant to how the gemstone still in her navel had not only grown to fill the space, but was now glowing with a soft, barely noticeable light...

The decision was a hard one, but in the end it was the reasonable choice. Rarity had gone through many old outfits, but none of them even came close to fitting so instead she’d decided to make use of an old design she thought would never take off. For a time she had been experimenting with maternity wear (it always sold well at a certain time of the year) but she wasn’t satisfied with her designs so she’d put them away for later. She still had the prototypes, though, so it seemed the old dresses would now see some use.

She settled on a light blue little number made out of an experimental fabric that was supposed to be form-fitting. Key words there being ‘supposed to be’, as it didn’t quite hug one’s curves the way Rarity had envisioned. Still though, it worked plenty well for her curves at the moment, so she couldn’t really complain. It annoyed her that she didn’t have anything that even resembled a big enough bra, but she supposed there could be worse things than letting her girls stay free for the time being. All she hoped was that if she decided to go out, nopony took much notice of her nipples bleeding through the soft fabrics.

Rarity's stomach grumbled again. Her hunger was getting greater with every passing moment, the hole in her tummy constantly gnawing away at her. She pushed past it as she managed to get some pants on—an old, very stretchy pair from when she’d been working out to lose some inches off her waist.

Rarity smiled to herself. “Oh darn, it appears I gained those inches back. I sure hope I don’t keep right on gaining inches—that’d be a terrible shame…”

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Rarity hesitated. That knocking was coming from outside, and it almost sounded like someone was trying to break down her door! She tried to think of who in Equestria would be trying to see her today—she was supposed to be working and hadn’t had anything planned!

“Oh, pins and needles.” Rarity put a hoof to her head. “I invited Twilight over…”

But that was supposed to be later in the day, wasn’t it? It was morning right now, not even half past nine! Why would Twilight be here already?

“Hmm…” Rarity looked down at her womb. It wasn’t like she could hide it, and besides, why would she? Why would she want to hide her body when it was in such a beautiful state? She was positively radiant! Surely Twilight would want to see what had happened!

But then again, She had seemed rather anxious about all this...

“Bah.” Rarity summoned a silk scarf to accentuate her neck as she walked out the door. “If it’s not her, I’ll just send them away. If it is.... well, Twilight’s a calm, reasonable unicorn. True, she overthinks things, but rarely does she let that interfere with her logic. I’m sure she’ll understand just fine.”

Twilight pounded on the door again, “Rarity! Are you home!?”

It wasn't looking good. The window shutters were all closed on the first floor, and she couldn't see any indication of activity within. Rarity was usually quite prompt in answering the door, too, so there was a good chance...

“RARITY!” Twilight pounded on the door, hitting it so hard pain lanced through her arm. “Rarity, this is important! Please come to the—”

“Twilight Sparkle! Refrain from trying to break down my door this instant!”

Twilight's eyes widened. She looked to her right and saw Rarity glaring at her through the kitchen curtains.

“Rarity!” Twilight rushed over to her. “Oh, thank goodness... They're gone, Rarity! Applejack and Rainbow Dash are gone!”

Rarity cocked her head. “What do you mean, gone?”

“I mean Applejack is missing again! And now Rainbow!” Twilight looked around like she was afraid of being mugged. “This has to have something to do with the star spirits! We need to gather the other girls and see if anypony else was taken!”

Rarity hesitated. “I uh, would positively love to, darling, but I'm afraid I'm not quite up for traipsing all over Ponyville at the moment.”

Twilight realized that she could only see Rarity's head through the curtain. The rest of her was concealed, hidden off to the side. “Did you not hear what I said? This is an emergency! The longer we stay separated, the greater chance something could happen!”

Rarity frowned. “Like what, exactly? You told me last night Princess Luna said this whole process was harmless. What are you so afraid of?”

Twilight now also noted Rarity's whimsical tone. They may have been discussing the weather for all Rarity was concerned, not the news that two of their friends had vanished to likely become impregnated with interstellar beings.

“Rarity,” Twilight said slowly. “Why are you hiding behind the curtains like that?”

Rarity pursed her lips. She stared long and hard at Twilight, an unspoken battle raging in her mind.

“I'm half afraid you'll have an aneurysm if I show you,” she finally said.

A pit formed in Twilight’s stomach. “Rarity...?”

Rarity sighed. Come inside. I've a feeling you're not going to be amenable as I'd hoped.”

Rarity could only wait and watch as Twilight stared agape at what she saw. It was something she expected to happen, but she didn't expect Twilight to remain silent quite so long. That she also let her mouth hang open didn’t help, either.

“Twilight?” Rarity took a step towards her. “Twilight, are you alright?”

Twilight recoiled like Rarity had the plague. “Am I alright?!” Twilight began pacing back and forth. “Ohhhhh Rarity, this is bad. This is really, really bad!”

“Bad?!” Now it was Rarity who took a step back, resting a hand on her pregnant belly. “Twilight, everything you’ve said about this has made it sound like there’s nothing to worry about! Yet you’re freaking out worse than I’ve ever seen! What’s gotten into you?”

Twilight threw up her hands. “You’ve had some of the most powerful magic in existence used on you by a bunch of non-entities that don’t even have the mental faculties to speak, and you’re wondering why I’M freaking out?! It’s been only half a day since I last saw you, and you look nine months pregnant with twins! These spirits clearly don’t have the slightest bit of reservation to what they’re doing! It doesn’t matter if there’s never been a recorded incident to date—if these things keep wielding life magic recklessly, there will be!”

Rarity was beginning to regret even answering the door now. “First off, they’re more intelligent than you give them credit. They may not be able to talk, but I can tell there’s a method to what they’re doing. They’re not blank slates like our babies are. They know what they’re doing.”

But Twilight wasn’t buying it. “No. Princess Celestia wrote me a response when I got home last night, and she warned me to be very careful dealing with the stars because they will lie to get what they want. You don’t think they wouldn’t butter you up to try and get you on their side? They’ve been waiting to have bodies for one thousand years! If that’s not a motive, I don’t know what is!”

Rarity put her hands on her hips. “Oh, for Luna’s sake… What’s got you so ruddy scared?!”

Twilight gave her a flat look. “Alien entities are using mind-affecting transformative magic on us without our consent, two of my friends are missing, likely spirited off to become complacent baby factories, and another’s having it happen right before my eyes. You’re right, I’m overreacting. That’s not a reason to be scared at all.”

Rarity had had quite enough. Quick as lightning, she lunged forward and grabbed Twilight’s hand. She pulled Twilight forward closer, then set Twilight’s hand upon her upon her fertile swell.

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “What are you—”

“Stop thinking.” Rarity rested both her hands atop Twilight’s. “Feel.”

They stood silent as Rarity held her there. After a few seconds she let go, but Twilight didn’t shy away. She let her hand feel the warmth of the womb under the dress, the beat of the heart racing through its mother's body. She felt the movement of the foals wiggling the gravid form of Rarity's belly, safe and sound as they prepared to come into the world.

“Oh…” she managed.

Rarity smiled. “Does this seem like something to be afraid of?”

It was something that tugged at Twilight’s mind. For years her life had been dusty books and lonely nights, sequestered away in towers, studies, libraries, and lofts. She’d told herself children were too much work, required too much time, effort, and sacrifice. She was someone who was being groomed for greatness! Protégé of Princess Celestia herself! Being a mother wasn’t a luxury a pony like her could, or ever would be able to afford.

But as she felt the miracle taking place inside her friend's body, the little lives blooming right in front of her eyes...

…

...

Maybe… perhaps she could—

“NO!” Twilight teleported with a BANG! She reappeared on the other side of the room, teeth gritted, eyes flickering white. The furniture around hem rattled as the air pressure rose.

Rarity cringed. “Oh, dear.”

“Get out…” Pulses of magic surrounded Twilight in scintillating magenta waves. “Get out, get out, get OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT OF MY HEAD NOW!”

The carpet beneath Twilight was burning. The windows rattled and shook as if there was an earthquake, dishes and cups clattering within the kitchen cupboards. Twilight clutched her head as if it would float away, pulling so hard on her mane she threatened to rip out clumps. The magic built and built around her, so dense that Rarity was having trouble withstanding it, until…

Poof! A tiny spark of light jumped free of Twilight. It jetted from her as if it were shot from a gun... making a beeline instead for Rarity. It passed straight through her dress to dive right into her womb, entering via the sapphire snug tight in her navel.

Rarity squeaked. She felt the spark drill deep inside her, fast and frantic like it’d just fled for its life. She shushed the terrified thing and rubbed her belly, murmuring soft nothings in a low voice.

“Hah… hah…” Twilight’s magic died down, but not entirely. It reformed into a magenta shield that encased her whole body like an eerie silhouette. “I’m going to ASSUME… that you’re not in your right mind at the moment! There’s no other reason you do something like that… Or at least you’d better not be in your right mind...”

Rarity gave Twilight an icy glare. “This is my choice, Twilight. Not the stars’, not anypony else’s, mine. I will carry as many spirits as I’m able, and I’ll thank you to respect my wishes. If you don’t like it...”

Twilight stayed silent. She studied Rarity carefully, now noticing a slight glow under her dress near her navel. The entity, the presence Twilight had felt worming into her mind, it’s magic signature was all over Rarity.

“Listen up, star spirits,” she said at last. “The pony you’re using right now as an incubator is one of the six that purified your mistress. If it weren’t for Rarity—if it weren’t for Applejack and Rainbow Dash—if it weren’t for ME, eternal night would now reign! Nightmare Moon would be ruling over the entire world with an iron fist, and the precious opportunity you’re all clamoring to exploit now wouldn’t even exist! That you’d even THINK to use any of us in such an intimate way without asking makes me want to rip your ungrateful plots out right now and fling the lot of you back into the aether!”

Silence. Rarity didn’t say anything, didn’t feel anything. Twilight may as well have been talking to herself.

“I’m giving you one warning, and one warning alone.” Twilight’s eyes crackled like lightning. “Let ponies decide whether they want to help you themselves, and if they refuse, leave them be. Do NOT try to influence their decisions with magic. If you keep pulling that stunt, I’ll find out how you’re all connected to us, and sever the damn link myself. I’m already starting to see how it’s done; it won’t be hard to see through to the end.”

For emphasis, Twilight raised her hand. A shimmering aura appeared around Rarity, one that held a distinct golden glow. It wavered ominously as Twilight swivelled her wrist.

Rarity felt her insides shiver. “Twilight, STOP!”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I am Twilight Sparkle. Element of Magic, Protégé of Sol Invictus, and Defender of Equestria. You may not want to listen to Princess Luna, but you WILL listen to me. If you make ANY of the mares you’ve already affected do anything they don’t want to do, there’ll be hell to pay. Hurt any of them, and there’ll be double hell to pay. And I swear by all that’s holy, if you try to use Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, or any other of my friends as leverage against me…”

Twilight’s eyes shone pure white. Her aura flared as bright as a miniature sun, her glittering mane and tail waving in an unfelt wind. The windows cracked and whined, the walls groaned, and the lights around them flickered on and off. Twilight’s power was so great that Rarity nearly fell to her knees, and for an instant, she even swore she saw a ghostly set of wings sprout from her friend’s back.

Twilight spoke in a voice that boomed like thunder.

“You’ll wish that you’d never existed.”

Then she teleported off with a BANG!

...

The house slowly returned to normal. There were a few creaks as the foundation re-settled, the windows and furniture going still. Rarity was left to collect herself in Twilight’s wake, smoothing out her mane and surveying the damage.

“Blast it all, Twilight Sparkle…” Rarity crossed her arms and scoffed. “She even listed out her titles… I swear, she can be more stubborn than Applejack sometimes! What am I going to do with her...”

A pair of gentle kicks tickled her womb.

“Oh, don’t worry about her, darlings.” Rarity stroked the top of her belly. “Twilight will come around, she’s just a tad… protective. She hasn’t had very many friends, you see.”

As Rarity was thinking, the hunger pangs suddenly returned in full force. Her stomach growled LOUD, and Rarity found any and all actions that weren’t stuffing her face to be woefully unimportant. She put the little incident behind her and made her way to the kitchen posthaste, adjusting little things here and there as she went.

“Not everything is a wicked super-evil sworn to take over the world, Twilight.” Rarity’s gaze lingered by the door. “I just wish you could see that.”

To say that Rarity was voracious was an understatement. The hunger pangs were starting to make her want to hunch over, and she needed something in her stomach, NOW. Her concerns over what’d just happened faded as she made her way to the kitchen, every step only serving to fuel her hunger more. When she finally crossed the threshold the thought of stuffing everything she could get her hands on was already set in her mind, and nothing was going to change that!

Rarity’s eyes fell upon a box, something she must’ve left out from yesterday. It was giving off such a heavenly sweet smell, and yet she couldn't remember what was in it. It didn't matter though, not with her gut grumbling and shaking like there was an earthquake inside her.

She was almost across the kitchen when the box suddenly disappeared. She was confused for a moment, but then realized that the box was already in her hands! A slight blueish sparkle was surrounding the box, but Rarity hadn’t summoned her magic… She reached up and saw that her horn was indeed glowing, though. Apparently, her cravings were so bad that she couldn’t even control her own magic!

Rarity fell back into a kitchen chair as she ripped the box open. What entered her mouth was nothing short of paradise itself: A strange mixture of chocolate and peanut butter, so thick and filling, her mouth watered from the first taste. Without remorse she dug into what remained, the king-ized treat disappearing in chunks down her gullet, eventually reduced to a satisfying weight in her stomach. Yet even after she finished the box she was starving, so she fired off her magic to start pulling things from the fridge and cupboards.

Even as Rarity consumed every piece of food that appeared before her, she couldn’t help but think of the delectable treats she had stored away. Creamy pumpkin spice eggnog, sandwiches coated in layers of assorted cheeses, secret stores of ice cream and candy that she occasionally dipped into. Her eyes fluttered closed as she envisioned the assortments of fattening and enriching food she had access to, all perfect for giving her body the necessary foalbearing improvements. Each one sounded so good, and she wanted every picture of food that floated through her mind so bad!

“Mmmm…” Rarity opened her eyes, but when she saw made her blanch. The table before her was filled to the brim with all manner of foodstuffs, many of which that had been on her mind recently! It was as if she’d summoned them just by thinking about them!

“Yes…” Rarity grabbed the nearest thing and shoved it in her mouth An explosion of cinnamon fired across her tongue, an apple fritter, she realized. She finished it off in seconds and went for a second, then a third… a fourth… over a dozen she devoured messily in less than a minute, the divine, delectable pastries leaving behind only crumbs. Rarity tried her best to control herself after the prior binge of slobbery, but her stomach quickly vetoed that idea, grumbling and groaning at how empty it was.

“Oh, very well.” There were seven apple fritters left, the remains of a baker’s dozen. She took three of them at a time and magically mashed them together into a super fritter, then stuffed the entire sticky treat into her mouth. The taste of the cinnamon and the apple mixing together was only outdone by the immense satisfaction of Rarity’s stomach finally receiving another morsel of food. But even then, it only issued one single, solitary command.

More...

All form of manners or self control disappeared. Rarity began grabbing larger and larger items from the table, devouring them without remorse as her greedy stomach bloated and swelled. Her hands eventually were not quick enough for her, and she found herself eagerly accepting floating piles of shimmering food as they were poured down her throat faster and faster. Her girth was starting to pinch against the table, her underbelly creeping below the drape of her maternity dress, her behemoth gut gurgling and churning inside her as it processed load after load of food piling in within her.

Rarity couldn’t stop eating. Every bite continued to expand her paunch, driving a needy warmth through her body. It was all so fattening, all so heavy and calorie-laden! It was against every dietary rule she’d set for herself, and she loved every minute of it. It was all so good that Rarity fell into a trance-like state, binging and feasting endlessly with nary a thought or care. The only thing that was certain was that she had to eat. She needed to eat! That was all that mattered! Nothing else! Just satiating the HUNGER!

It was only when Rarity needed something to wash down a particularly dry piece of food that she fell out of her daze. She had a split second of awareness before her lips were suddenly met by the mouth of a jug, and a rich sweet cream washed over her tongue. It only took a swig to clear her throat, but before the jug could get away she wrapped her hands around it and suckled at it eagerly. The haze returned as she tilted her head back and chugged eagerly away, the immense amount of thick liquid pouring into her stomach. Each long drag was loud and intense, so much that she felt streams of it pouring down the sides of her face, but she didn't care. The immense satisfaction of it expanding her gut further was enough to egg her on. Every second left her stomach larger than it had been before. She could feel her soft flesh stretching as fast as the sweet liquid poured in, her oiled skin made to fit her larger shape.

Finally, when the last drop was gulped, Rarity was there again. She saw what she’d been drinking—a large jug of chocolate mint eggnog she and Pinkie Pie had experimented in the kitchen to make. She could only sigh in relief as she tossed the empty container aside, letting it rattle on the floor with an unladylike belch.

“...Well, then.” Rarity needed a moment to survey the damage. “I seem to have gotten a bit carried away.”

The pure amount of food she’d just eaten was absurd. Rarity couldn’t even begin to venture a guess how much was packed in her gut, but that didn’t seem all that important. What was important was that the binge was now catching up to her, and she felt a powerful need to take a nap.

“I believe a spell in the sitting room sounds nice.” As she stood up from the table, she got a proper look at the devastation she’d just wrought on her prior diet. By the looks of the amount of wrappers, crumbs, and emptied boxes and cartons, she very well may have not just emptied her house of food, but a few around her as well! Such a realization normally may have frightened Rarity, but right now, she could only laugh. Even through all that she was happy, especially as her foals jolted to life, keenly aware of the food soon headed their way.

“It’s all for you, my darlings.” Rarity put a gentle sway to her step, rocking her mammoth belly back and forth. “You, and any others I can carry.”

As she walked towards her sitting room, Rarity couldn't help but notice that her maternity dress was stretched quite far. The meal had grown her belly to the point that she looked ready to pop with five well fed foals—a thought that was rather enticing to her. Speaking of which, her thoughts drifted back to the light that’d fled Twilight and zoomed straight to her, wiggling and buzzing almost in the same way as when the other two had entered her womb. Could that have been what she thought it was?

“Are you in there, sweetheart?” Rarity gave her womb a light poke. “Did you come to me after Twilight scared you off?”

Immediately, something fluttered inside her. Or perhaps what might be more accurate to say, a certain something in her navel began to wiggle quite vigorously. By the time Rarity had entered the sitting room and eased onto her favorite couch her body was already in shivers, the gem in her bellybutton vibrating with ticklish shudders that cascaded through her. The sapphire pushed on her sensitive navel, wiggling and gyrating against the soft flesh, and Rarity moaned and thrust her womb outward, trying to push back against the smooth gem. The feel of the slick surface brushing against the inner walls enticed her to continue the action, and when she did, her navel pushed out a tiny bit, her flushed innie fighting to escape.

Suddenly, the gemstone punched back in, hard and fast. An electric charge raced through Rarity in a burst, centering in on the fluttering sensation...

“Ohhhhhh, yesssss…” Her womb began to swell again, and she could feel the third foal growing within her. Her girth hung out more and more beneath the bottom of her maternity dress, the lower half of her ivory belly showing itself to the world. But that wasn’t all. A second charge raced through the gemstone, and a fourth and fifth foal flowed into her, nestling in her nourishing womb before beginning to grow up strong.

Rarity rubbed and stroked her belly as it grew. She could feel the enticing shivers race across her body, and every passing second her dress seemed smaller, the seams stretching and pulling apart as they fought a losing battle. Her stomach gurgled and rumbled alongside the waves of passion, warm layers of flesh piling on top of her womb, each one groaning and stretching her further outward. The floor began to be approached by her enticing mass, but this only spurred Rarity on. The bottom half of her navel soon peeked out from her dress, the gem within continuing to shudder and push with her navel's movements, pushing her belly ever larger.

The shudders and shivers now spread upward to focus instead on her breasts. Rarity she gave in to the desire to fondle them, moaning upon realizing how much they ached to be free. Her nipples were twitching and spasming and leaking without pause, relentless in their quest to be touched. Rarity’s hands found their way under her dress, and without a moment to spare she pressed into them, carefully circling the hardened towers as they leaked more milk. Her finger’s motions only served to lubricate the moist surfaces as her dress was soaked to the core, yet while they gradually spurted out more and more, no matter how hard she pressed they refused to fully free the built up nutrients within them. All they did was leak and ache, leak and ache, leak and ache...

Rarity whimpered. Her hands were drenched in thick cream, but there was so much more within! She finally wrapped her fingers around her stiff nipples and yanked in a milking motion, only to gasp as the action lead the milk down the canals of her breasts. At last the milk came charging out proper, spurting relentlessly into her dress and everywhere else in a torrent.

“AH!” The explosive action bloated her nipples, surging forward even as her tanks began to fill faster than they drained. Rarity’s two behemoths only slowed after they’d lathered her womb with gallons upon gallons of enriching milk, only held back by her dress that’d quickly become her bra. It was lifted up over the curve of her belly now, showing off her still growing womb, which was alight with fresh tingles as a fresh electric sensation coursed through her...

Rarity giggled. Her five foals kicked one by one, then there was a new duo of lighter, smaller kicks. She could only smile and caress her womb, feeling the newest twins growing inside her. She shuddered from each fresh thud of growth, her womb becoming as flustered and blushed as her face as the sensations picked up pace. Shivers arced through her flesh as her womb hung ever lower, bloating wider, now only inches from the carpet beneath her. The warmth of her belly radiated more and more, nothing holding it back from displaying all its maternal gifts. Rarity’s hands wandered along every contour and shapely curve forming before her, blossoming to ever greater heights that would be the envy of any mother. She felt so unworthy, so very grateful. So very blessed to receive such a wonderful gift.

But she knew she could do more...

Rarity knew well enough now what was triggering this. She could still feel the gemstone quivering in her navel, the epicenter of pleasure that continued to grace her. It was almost as if it had a mind of it’s own! Smirking, she grasped her enormous womb as best she could and thrust her hips into her belly, coaxing the weight to be pushed up and out. Her navel was immediately thrust forward, and almost as if it were surprised, the sapphire dug itself deeper into her bellybutton, accompanied by a delightful, life-giving jolt. Rarity groaned as a sensation like butterflies came alive inside her, her girth pushing outward in every direction to house the new foal.

“Ah-ha.” Rarity’s fingers danced along her belly. “So that’s the key, is it? You naughty spirits, you. You led me into getting this gem, didn’t you?”

The foals inside her squirmed.

“Twilight’s right, darlings. You should’ve—mmhhh—just asked me.” Rarity thrust her hips again, her navel getting bigger with each new foal. “I’m the E-Element of—oh yes—of Generosity. I wouldn’t have said no…”

The gem was slowly engulfed again by her bloating navel, only to then surge back out from Rarity’s efforts. The process went faster with every gyration of her hips, each time swelling her larger as she became pregnant with more foals. She became addicted to the wonderful sensations, unable to stop even when she felt her belly graze the floor, her navel only barely held back by its glittering captor.

She lost count of how many foals were inside her. Her mountainous womb was throbbing constantly, housing more and more tenants by the second. Every movement sent shudders through Rarity, the gem vibrating from the sheer number being welcomed inside. Her legs felt weak as a familiar coiling tightness gathered in her core, shivers crawling up her spine to herald an amazing peak. She surrendered to it as her body groaned and rumbled with life, her navel stretched across a greater surface as its wrinkles grew deeper and softer, dozens of tiny kicks resonating just beneath.

It crashed into her all at once. Fireworks exploded in her brain in a tumult, making her yell loud and lewd. Rarity flew high among the clouds as an eruption of warmth bathed over her, accompanied by one last mighty pulse of growth greater than any she’d had so far. The couch sagged lower under her increasing weight, creaking and squeaking as it fought to support her fertile form, the pillows swiftly soaked from a gush of marecum. The rush lasted less than a moment, but it was the best moment of Rarity’s life, and when she finally felt it cease, she was left to bask in the afterglow of the movement of her foals and the ache in her titanic breasts.

Only then did she truly realize how great she had become. Rarity could barely contain herself, smiling and blushing as she placed one hand on an ample breast and another on her burgeoning womb. The fact that she had been chosen to do something so significant made her feel so honored, and each life that wiggled within her prodigious girth left her in a state of absolute bliss. Both the gemstone and her navel were now the size of a cantaloupe, and as the former re-secured its position in the latter, Rarity felt a tingle across her skin as the mess that she’d made was cleaned.

Rarity’s eyes began to feel heavy. She leaned back into the couch pillows, her distended womb wiggling with life as it hung out before her. The sun peeked in through a window to warm her, and she couldn't help but admire herself. She realized her teats had also swollen several sizes, sloshing with milk needed for the days ahead, noted by a pressure that waited to be fitfully released by eager lips. Even Rarity’s hips seemed to have grown without her knowledge, larger and healthier than they were before, ready to burst forth from their once ample constraints that now barely fit her.

“Think I’ll just…” Rarity let the world fade away, her beautiful body feeling more complete than ever. “Just rest my eyes for a bit…”

“Wow, Twilight! She's HUGE!” Rarity felt someone wrap their arms around her womb, or rather at least as much of it that they were able. “It's like a wiggly little funhouse in there!”

The only thing evident to Rarity in slumber was the movement of her womb, the little twitches cascading into her teats that would leak into the soft fabrics of her dress. The lulling sensation was quite soothing, and she likely would’ve stayed drowsing had the sound of two voices roused her.

“Pinkie, I already told you not to touch her!” Twilight’s voice sounded like she was across the room. “Just stay here and watch her, alright? I thought I had enough reagents, but it looks like I’m gonna need more. A LOT more...”

Rarity heard the front door open and close. It seemed she was now alone with her bouncy pink friend, who she heard grumbling and grousing under her breath. But whatever grumpiness Pinkie had didn't last long, as when Rarity opened her eyes, Pinkie was skipping around as usual with that boundless smile on her face.

“Hey there, sleepy-eepy!” Pinkie was encased head to toe in magenta magic, much like Twilight had been before. “Did the foals keep mommy up all night?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. Of course Twilight would start putting shields around others. There very well might be a quarantine forcefield around the whole town by now.

Rarity rubbed the left side of her womb, smiling as she felt her precious foals bumping and tickling her skin. “Something like that.”

Pinkie gradually ceased her bouncing. “You know, I think Twilight is overreacting a little bit.”

Rarity snorted. “Did she put that shield on you without saying anything? Or did she at least explain before doing it?”

Pinkie snickered. “Just appeared in my kitchen and did it. I almost dropped my souffle!”

Yeah, that was about what Rarity expected. “Has she told you anything?”

In response, Pinkie inhaled a huuuuuuuuge breath.

“She said that the star spirits were being mean and not listening to Princess Luna and all the mares in town might become surrogates even if they don’t wanna be because there’s so many spirits waiting they’re starting to mess with ponies’ heads and that’s really not nice at all plus since Applejack is gone again along with Rainbow Dash they might not have gone willingly and Twilight’s worried the rest of us are next seeing as you’re like this but you look happy and besides I’m not really seeing the problem because my fingers aren’t cramping.”

Rarity wasn’t sure what was more astounding, that she’d been able to follow all of that, or how accurate that information was. She stared at Pinkie a few seconds with her mouth open before remembering herself and clearing her throat.

“U-Um… I’m assuming finger cramps are somehow tied to your Pinkie Sense?”

Pinkie beamed. “I get them whenever spirits try to do things to ponies that the ponies don’t want. Although... I did feel a little bit of a twinge about an hour ago combined with a telltale Twilight earlobe pinch. Maybe that’s what’s got her all up in a tizzy?”

Rarity had long ago ceased questioning Pinkie’s ability to predict oddly vague flashes of precognition, even when she wasn’t in the immediate area. “...There was an incident earlier involving her, yes. One of the spirits got a little overzealous.”

Pinkie’s jaw dropped. “WHAT?!”

“He’s very sorry!” Rarity added. “He knows better than to do it again! They all do! Twilight... erm, got rather angry, you see, and she felt the need to issue an ultimatum…”

Pinkie winced. “Did she break out the titles?”

The silence that followed spoke volumes.

“Bad spirit!” Pinkie glared at Rarity’s belly. “That’s a bad, bad spirit! You should know better than that! You should go to the back of the line!”

Rarity couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not sure there really is a line. I believe that’s part of the problem—”

“Don’t make excuses, buster!” Pinkie marched up, staring at a specific spot on Rarity’s womb. “You made her really, really mad! …What do you—oh my agates, that’s even worse! Even if she hadn’t noticed, you still shouldn’t have tried to convince her that way! That’s one of the biggest no-no’s in the spirit book! Now she thinks you’re ALL going to be trying that stunt, and it’s going to be really, really hard to convince her otherwise!”

Rarity was at a loss. She could put two and two together, but seeing it happen in front of her…

“You’d better think long and hard about what you did wrong while you’re in there,” Pinkie snapped. “And the rest of you better not follow his example if you know what’s good for you! If Twilight doesn’t punish you, then I sure as sugar will!”

Rarity sighed. It was only quarter after noon, and it’d already been quite the confusing day.

Pinkie frowned at Rarity’s stomach a little longer before returning to her usual cheery self. She met Rarity’s eyes with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll do damage control. I’ll bet I can talk her down.”

Rarity nodded. “I appreciate that, dear. Celestia knows she won’t listen to me.”

Pinkie waggled her eyebrows. “Not while you’re like that, at least. You’ve certainly got quite a few in there, eh? What’s it like?”

Rarity needed a moment to think how best to describe it. “...I’m not sure I can put into words. Good, certainly! But even to say it’s been marvelous doesn’t come close to doing it justice.”

Pinkie’s smile turned sly. “What if I told you I knew a way to make it even better?”

Rarity’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m listening.”

Pinkie rubbed her hands together. “Carrot Cake liked to give Cup Cake belly rubs when she was pregnant with the twins. Although judging by how often they wound up going to the bedroom right after, I’d say she liked them just as much as him. Think that you’d enjoy one?”

Rarity’s mouth went dry. She knew how sensitive her bump was, and the thought of someone else’s hands roving all over her was enough to make her nethers ache. “Who would do it? You?”

Pinkie smirked. “I’m gonna need a lot of lotion...”

Rarity was resting with her head on a pillow when Pinkie returned. She’d gathered every moisturizer Rarity had in the house, which considering it was, you know… Rarity, an ample supply. Probably enough to rub a belly three times the size of Rarity’s and still have some left over, to be honest.

“I wasn’t sure which ones to get, so I just got a little of everything!” Pinkie dumped the bottles in a pile beyond Rarity’s line of sight. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Rarity waved her off. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, darling.”

Pinkie first set to work squirting the lotions into a bucket she’d found. The mixed smell of aloe, berries, and herbs crossed Rarity’s nose amidst the squelching sounds, a combination of familiar and unique aromas that set her mind at ease. She’d almost zoned out again something slimy and tingly suddenly splattered onto her belly, making her jolt upright in her seat.

“Cold!” Rarity waved her hands. “Gah, warn me next time, darling…”

“Sorry!”

Rarity’s startle faded as the combined lotions lathered onto her skin. A coo escaped her as aches buried deep in her flesh faded away, her womb wiggling and throbbing once more. The movements amplified the pleasured sensations, her insides churning and fluttering with the motions of the soft hands on her belly. And the sensations only grew as Pinkie spread out to reach farther along Rarity’s engorged girth, a tingling warmth now igniting deep within.

Rarity felt a fresh jolt. Her skin was tight for a moment, her womb swelling larger as a new foal came to be. It grew to full size quickly before settling alongside its brothers and sisters.

“Ohhhhh, Pinkie…” Rarity could barely speak. “D-Did… did you feel that?”

Pinkie giggled. “I saw it.”

Rarity was fully aware of where Pinkie's hands were as they encompassed more and more of her foalbearing belly. She heard Pinkie laugh from every wiggle and throb she felt beneath her fingers, yet her attention was becoming distracted, as she noted she was starting to feel… full.
Each curious pulse that shuddered through her body made her womb feel more cramped, yet it relieved itself when Pinkie rubbed and push more lovely lotion into her smooth skin. Whatever this strange ache was Rarity wanted it gone—no, she needed it relieved.

She was about to say something when Pinkie suddenly stopped. Rarity squirmed as the fullness built up more and more, the cramped feeling intensifying without the constant attention.

“Silly gem is in the way.”

Rarity’s eyes flew open. Before she could stop her, Pinkie placed her hands on the edges of the humongous sapphire in Rarity’s belly button, giving it a mighty pull.

Rarity’s breath was stolen away. A storm fired through her body, jolt after jolt pumping into her. The gem was suctioned into her navel, sealed almost perfectly, and the act of pulling upon it had yanked at the soft nub beneath. Rarity shivered as her flesh rubbed against itself, the conduit to her womb flaring to life from the sudden attention, a feeling deep in her core stirring once more.

It didn’t happen immediately. Rarity’s womb wiggled and jostled, her skin blanketed in shivery anticipation from the gathering energy. The sapphire tried to pull itself back in, spiking more pressure into her womb as it pressed itself harder into her navel. It was actually fighting Pinkie’s grip, wiggling and pushing like it was trying to escape into her body, but Pinkie wasn’t giving up. The two going back went as they both inadvertently ravished Rarity, her motherly traits aching and shuddering from the building surge.

Suddenly, Rarity felt Pinkie place something near her navel. She wasn’t sure what it was, but Pinkie forced it around the edge of the gem and into her navel’s spongy flesh. It was the nozzle of a lotion bottle, and Pinkie was oozing some lotion past the edges of the sapphire and into the depths within.

“!!!” When Pinkie pulled again, the room was greeted to the sound of Rarity's flesh slicking against itself, the shuddering pleasure she was enjoying increasing twofold. The lubrication let Rarity’s navel rub against itself, the walls of her tunnel squeezing against the body of the sapphire as it gyrated and wiggled against Pinkie's grasp. Rarity was nearly overcome by the divine sensations, her navel throbbing and pulsing against her captor, pushing and squeezing at the contours of the sapphire as it slowly began to encompass it.

Pinkie propped herself up on Rarity’s belly. She started yanking with all her might at the gem, but it was resisting. Nevertheless Rarity could feel it slipping, the suction getting greater as her flesh pulsed and pushed for the needed room, her navel crying out to be free amidst the still-rising waves of power.

Suddenly, Pinkie slipped.

The gemstone plunged back down into Rarity's depths, and her belly glowed as all the gathered energy released. New foals started to come into be inside her, first two… then five… then TEN at a time! Her womb grew in blissful, tingling throbs that then cascaded out into every part of her, suffusing her with more and more amidst the divine, swirling magic. Her legs were spread wider as her size took up more of the floor, the maternity dress finally giving way to her advancing motherhood. Rarity’s pants popped and snapped as her thick rump made the couch sink lower, her curves pushing out beyond the range of her clothing. Meanwhile her breasts spurted and bloated further as her nipples quivered beneath the shredded cloth, pushing themselves larger and larger in the now-free space.

“YES!” On and on Rarity grew, dozens of foals entering her at a time. She welcomed them with open arms, rejoicing that she’d been blessed with more. Her skin tickled and stretched without pause even as the number of foals inside her reached triple digits, her maternal form being taken to another level, her breasts, hips, butt, and belly readying to swell even further...

She suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“PINKIE! What in Equestria did you do?!”

“Ah, heh-heh... Oops?”

Rarity ignored them. All her attention returned to her womb, so grand, so round, filled with so many safe and sound. The little lives within bumped and kicked at the walls of their sanctuary, even as more and more of them crowded in to become real. Her watermelon-sized navel pulsated endlessly, straining to escape the obstruction that still taunted it, wiggling and moving with shudders that shook her whole body.

Waves of pleasure bloated her belly as she thrust it forward, feeling it expand into her living space proper. Her navel pushed yet again at the entrapping sapphire, and again she pushed and thrust her belly button against it, feeling air bleed into her cavern as it began to bloat wider than the gemstone. Another lance of lightning and she thrust again, so many foals rushing into her womb as the growth rocketed, her navel and belly swelling even faster. It was so close to being free, the white glorious button starting to peek out behind the sapphire as the flesh stood out, blushed red.

Rarity’s belly was starting to touch the walls of her home. Yet even still she yearned to carry more, as many as she possibly could. She cried out as her crest billowed out deeper into her house, her belly button undulating against the boulder-sized sapphire. The greatest fit of tightness yet struck her, and she screamed out her joy as her lotion-soaked swell punched ]forward in fitful growth. At last her navel broke free, the gem shooting out to crash through her house, smashing against a wall to break into a million pieces.

Two more familiar voices arose in her mind.

“Alright, time to get her outta there.”

“Awww, but this is just getting good!”

“Rainbow, that gem was how I was puttin’ magic into her. I can’t control anything without it.”

“Hmph. Well, I suppose she can come here then… But she can’t have my napping spot! I just got it how I like it!”

“I was actually thinking of lettin’ the stars give her the deluxe treatment before bringing her here. Think she’d enjoy that?”

“Oh-ho-ho... She’s gonna LOVE you for that...”

Rarity could feel eyes upon her as a strange energy surged into her. Her vision blurred and went foggy, and she was suddenly aware she wasn’t in her house anymore. Then all at once, warm bodies surrounded her as they began to pamper and rub at her aching body. Every touch poured more growth into her with each passing second, feathers tickling all across her skin as her womb blossomed further…

Rarity groaned. Unseen hands were caring to every needy inch of her body's flesh, coaxing her ever larger as she became pregnant with ever more foals. Some of the hands found their way to her aching nipples, and a few swift tugs later, warm cream poured over the caring fingers as her breasts expanded further. The hands scooped up the bounty and lathered it into her skin, letting it soak into her flesh and shudder through her body as it made her madly sensitive skin stretch with ease.

It was utter bliss. The constant indescribable pleasure of her womb growing alongside her milky tits, both constantly being milked in a steady endless stream. A loud SNAP sounded as her waistband gave way, shards of black fabric revealing layers of healthy white flesh. Her plot billowed outward to match the rest of her size, and the rest of her body followed soon after, making her a giant in every way. Before long her womb a literal mountain that rose above the clouds, one that was only becoming greater as the minutes passed.

When Rarity finally looked to see where she was, she realized it was not Equestria. It wasn’t really anywhere. She was surrounded by clouds and sky, strange spirits floating around her gargantuan size as they saw to her every whim. They brought constant gifts of food and attention as they pampered her pregnancy without end. The ones which grew inside her were a great blessing to bear, and the spirits that served her saw to it she never had worry or need.

Rarity smiled. “Well, now...” She relaxed and stared up at the sky. “A girl could get used to this.”

“Twilight?” Pinkie said. “What just happened?”

Pinkie and Twilight stood outside Rarity's ravaged home, still in awe from the spectacle and strange flash of light they’d just witnessed.

“I don't believe it,” Twilight whispered. “She’s gone.”

“Gone?!” Pinkie looked frantically between Twilight and the house. “What do you mean, ‘gone’?”

Twilight struggled for words. “I-I mean she—”

“She means young Rarity has been taken to the Forest of Origin,” said a calm voice from behind them. “You needn’t fear, she is safer there than she would be anywhere else.”

Twilight and Pinkie turned. Approaching them from down the street was a navy alicorn, her starry mane and tail flowing like water in a stream.

Twilight and Pinkie immediately bowed.

“Princess Luna...” Twilight murmured.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle. And you two, Pinkie Pie.” Luna bade them both to rise. “Please, come with me. We have much to discuss.”