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Description
The spirit of autumn was in full effect as the Fall Festival lasted well into the evening hours. This was when things really started to pick up. Everywhere one looked, one could see the homemade lamps hanging from the clotheslines on high along all the beaten paths, illuminating the booths and pavilions in an ambiance of natural and artificial light. More guests arrived as the golden sunset took center stage. Every so often, a cool breeze would carry with it scents of lavender, pine, and cinnamon; a seasonal bouquet perpetuated by the merchandise of the many vendors and booth owners present on this festive evening.

*grooooowl*

“Ugh…” Diamond Tiara rubbed her groaning belly as she made her way through the park. “Explain to me again why exactly I let you drag me all the way out into the boonies for some hick festival?”

“Oh, don’t be like that.” Chirped Silver Spoon, placing her hands on Diamond’s shoulders as she walked closely behind. “You’ve been having fun, right? And like I said before, it’s nice to get out of the city sometimes!”

“Well, sure Sil. But all we’ve done since we got here is listen to a bunch of old people yammer on about their ‘traditions’ in a boring speech, watch a bunch of concerts from old timey bands no one’s ever heard of, and play a bunch of games meant for children... And would please take that thing off your head?”

“Hm?” Silver reached up to readjust the small hat adorned with a pair of moose horns atop her head. “But this is the prize I won for knocking down all those cups at that one booth! I could’ve gotten you one too, y’know. You seemed to be having a pretty hard time…”

“Tch! That game was rigged!” Diamond exclaimed indignantly. “I threw that ball as hard as I could and the things didn’t even budge! That old guy’s lucky I didn’t climb over that counter and strangle him! …making a fool out of me…”

Silver could giggle as her companion fumed. She couldn’t help but find it adorable when she pouted.

“Well, there was that dance too, don’t forget.” She said, skipping ahead of Diamond a bit as she spoke. “That was fun, right?”

Diamond sighed in minor annoyance at the mention of the partnered event they’d participated in a while ago.

“That was…kinda fun, I guess… But did you really have to squeeze my butt that hard?”

“I told you! I had to make sure you didn’t go anywhere! It’d be easy to lose your partner in the middle of all those people, y’know?”

“…right.” Diamond rubbed a rather sore spot in the very center of one of her enormous rump cheeks as she was reminded of Silver’s somewhat rapacious handsy-ness where her tush and tummy were involved.

As if anyone could lose track of MY ass in a group of people… Thought Diamond, nonchalantly patting the sore spot she’d just rubbed. Much as she hated to admit, she did have a habit of standing out.

Of course, that tended to come naturally to someone pushing a solid 300 pounds.
Always on the larger side of the girls her age, Diamond Tiara had long since raised the white flag in the battle of the bulge. And being naturally bottom-heavy, she sported a rear end that almost always demanded a trip to the mall to replace its cramping confines for more spacious quarters. All three of her back-side’s roommates signed the tag on her shorts with the letter X, though they’d likely soon have room for one more occupant what with the appetite of their landlord. Not one to sacrifice fashion for a trivial thing like size, Diamond had instead chosen to accentuate its shape with a pair of black leggings she wore beneath her shorts. The juxtaposition between light and dark gave her lower half a more retro look.

As she seemed not to own many shirts capable of completely concealing her burgeoning belly, Diamond had opted to take advantage of her potentially embarrassing clothing malfunction by calling all of her tops de facto belly shirts, having grown accustomed to the occasional side glance to the point that she didn’t even seem to notice them anymore. Not that it mattered, as all her shirts seemed to cling to her like a second skin anyway. At least the black one she wore looked good with just about anything.

Where most girls her size would sport a couple layers of belly flesh, hers was a more prominent gut. Pale, round, and dome-shaped like a smooth bowl of rice or pudding, it muffined a bit as the waist of her tight shorts squeezed it slightly. Though, that was rather hard for one to tell such, as her bright yellow jacket flanked it on either side. Despite initial reservations, she’d decided that it actually complimented her black and white colors rather well. And being more pear-shaped, Diamond’s arms and chest were closer to the slender side of plump, allowing her to pull of the look of the jacket and belly shirt as only a girl of her size and shape could.

She wasn’t one to let a little extra meat on her bones keep her from looking fabulous.

*grooooowl*

“At any rate,” Diamond continued. “I want to get back before it gets too dark. I haven’t eaten in forever, and these smells are driving me crazy! Half the reason I’ve been walking around so much is because I’ve been trying to find out where they’re coming from!”

“Ha ha! What are you talking about?” asked Silver, chuckling merrily at her friend’s complaint as they came over a bridge above a babbling stream. “We had lunch just an hour ago, remember? You ate, like, almost half a chicken and three helpings of mashed potatoes!”

“That chicken had to have been overcooked.” Diamond countered. “I swear, these country bumpkins have the weirdest tastes. Besides, we didn’t get anything really sweet afterwards though. You can’t really call it a meal unless you get desert too, right?”

Coming into a clearing, Diamond glanced over every table and booth in sight, trying to determine the origin of all the sweet smells permeating the air. Moving up behind her, Silver slid her hands under Diamond’s arms to rub her belly on both sides.

“What about all those candy apples you ate? Those were good right?”

“Sure, if you could even hardly taste the caramel on those things. They’re supposed to dip them in the stuff, not just pour it on top. That’s not dessert, Sil. That’s practically just your daily servings.”

“But-“

Diamond held up a hand to cut off Silver Spoon as she sighed in exasperation.

“Look, this was a really nice gesture, and it was sweet of you to bring me out here and all, but I think I’m ready to call it a night.” She said with finality.

“Oh… I see.” Silver Spoon’s heart sank as she realized her attempt to spend some fun time with her bestie had turned out to be a failure. She’d wanted to give Diamond a chance to get out of the city for a while and see the beautiful countryside. The Fall Festival seemed like the perfect opportunity, but it didn’t appear that she’d enjoyed herself much at all.

“I…s-suppose I’ll just call us a cab then…” Silver said with a sad smile. Taking on a more forlorn face however, she retrieved her phone and made to call the local taxi service.

Seeing this, Diamond Tiara suddenly couldn’t help but feel like she’d just stepped on her friend’s favorite stuffed animal. She didn’t mean to sound crass, and she certainly hadn’t meant to hurt Silver’s feelings. Reaching out, she put a hand on Silver’s to stop her from dialing.

Oh, jeez…

“Alright, fine.” She said, looking away. “Let’s do ONE more thing before we go. Whatever you want. Sound good? Umpf!”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she found herself enveloped in an especially enthusiastic hug.

“Ohh, thank you, thank you so much! I promise we’ll have fun at the next thing!” she exclaimed, spinning around and cupping her hands over her eyes to try and get a better view of things. “…And I think I know just what it should be! C’mon!”

“Huh? Wh-hey!” Diamond could only jog-waddle in response as Silver grabbed her hand and took off in a seemingly random direction.

*groooowl*

It seemed no matter what the choice, her belly would not cease its complaints. An hour or two was too long to go without a snack.

Oh please… She thought. Whatever it is, please let it be near food!

---

“So? What do you think?” asked Silver excitedly.

“…You’re kidding, right?” Diamond, staring up at what had to be the last thing she wanted to do that evening.

“Corn mazes are always fun!” exclaimed Silver. “You never know where you’ll pop out, and there’s always little surprises at every dead end! I love these!”

To Diamond Tiara, corn mazes meant two things; a lot of running, and a lot of wasted time. Neither of which were very appealing thoughts, especially on a relatively empty stomach. And what was worse, the sweet smells in the air had grown stronger. So strong, in fact, that she could actually start to discern what more of them were. Cinnamon, pumpkin, cranberry, and…apple? The sudden rumbling of her belly brought her out of her reverie as she addressed Silver.

“Uh, y’know, when I said we could do anything you wanted, I wasn’t actually suggesting something this b-”

“Well, let’s get started!” Seeming to not hear her, Silver took Diamond by the arm this time as she stormed headlong into the grassy labyrinth.

---(Not 5 minutes later…)---

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me… Diamond thought as she rounded another corner, the twelfth she’d searched around since she’d ended up by herself. How is she going to drag me into this place in the name of doing it together and then disappear into thin air?

She fumed silently as she wandered aimlessly through every twist and turn she came across. Everywhere she looked, there was only more tall corn. Had any of it been cooked, she’d have considered just eating through it. If you can’t find an exit, why not just make one?

This is exactly why I can’t stand coming out to places like this, maze or no maze, it all looks the same anyway! I swear, country folk just don’t know how to-

Pausing mid-thought, Diamond caught a whiff of a positively heavenly aroma on the air. This one was sweet. And warm. And close. Guided by her nose more than her eyes, Diamond made her way through the maze, doing her best to track the source of the smell.

If it’s the last thing I do tonight, she thought. I’m going to find whatever’s giving off that smell, devour it whole...

*growl*

And shut you up!

Nearing one of the far reaches of the maze, Diamond could practically taste the apples and cinnamon as she got closer and closer to her goal. Coming to a wall in a dead, she thought she could actually see steam rising from over the top of the grass.

Steam like that can only come from one thing! She thought, licking her lips in anticipation as she took a few steps back.

Whatever had been haunting her nose and belly were just beyond a thick barrier of corn grass. But she doubted such a thing could withstand more than a couple hundred pounds of hungry female ramming into it with the force of a marshmallowy wrecking ball.

*CRASH!*

Her assumption had proved correct. Almost overwhelmingly so, as Diamond careened through the corn maze as if it’d been made of tissue paper. Using more force than was needed, she’d ended up tumbling over herself and landing in a heap of crushed corn stalks, dead grass, and pies.

…Pies?

“D-Diamond Tiara?” squeaked a tiny voice.

Rubbing her head as she struggled to sit up, Diamond looked up to find a table piled high with dozens of the most fresh looking pies she’d seen all day. Apple, by the smell of them. Not just the table, but on the ground as well, within some boxes, and on top of others. Even a nearby stool. There were pies all over the place! The small voice almost hadn’t even registered, as the smell alone almost overwhelmed Diamond’s senses. Were it not for the young girl appearing from behind the tower of treats, with a shocked look on her face like she’d just seen a train crash into a toy store, she’d have believed it was the pies themselves who’d spoken to her.

“Huh~? …Hey, I know you…” she said, half dazed as she stood up and dusted herself off. “You’re…”

“I’m…A-Apple Bloom…” the young girl said nervously, seeming to hide a little behind a nearby stack.

“Bloom?” Diamond repeated. “You’re Applejack’s little sister? YOU’RE the reason I’ve been smelling pie ever since I got here!?”

Realizing she wasn’t in any danger, the girl cleared her throat as she stepped out from behind the pies.

“*A-hem!* That’s right! I’m Apple Bloom!” she said, gesturing towards the banner above the table. “And welcome to Pie-a-palooza!”

“Right… what are you doing out here in Nowheresville?” Diamond asked, not taking her eyes of the pies. “Your sister drag you out to this total lame-fest too?”

“Uh…well, actually I…kinda live out here…” said the young red-head rather uncomfortably.

“I see.” Diamond picked up a pie to examine it before Apple Bloom’s words had registered, face-faulting as she realized how rude she just sounded. “…Oh. Um…right, sorry.”

Clearing her own throat this time to pretend nothing happened, Diamond moved on to business.

“So what’s with all the pies?” she asked, intently. “You having some kind of a bake sale? …Please say ‘yes’…”

“Ah, absolutely!” chirped Apple Bloom. “I’m entered in the Fall Festival Bake Off! It’s an annual tradition out here. Granny Smith’s won first place 20 years running! Big sis has won the blue ribbon a bunch too! So now it’s my turn!”

There seemed to be a small fire behind the young girl’s eyes as she spoke. An indomitable will to succeed in the same way her predecessors had and do them justice. But then, just as quickly as it had come, Apple Bloom’s expression turned to one of sadness and distress.

“…or at least, that’s the idea. But no one’s come to my booth yet!” she exclaimed, waving a hand over the dozens of pies at her station, all still warm and entrancing enough to look at, much less eat. “How am I supposed to win if no one buys a single pie?”

Diamond thought about it for a moment. The answer was obvious.

“Well…just a shot in the dark,” she began, looking around at the empty area they were in. “But it might have a little something to do with the fact that you set up behind a giant corn maze… Y’know, kind of out of sight and away from just about every potential customer in the Festival?”

The news seemed to baffle the young chef.

“Wha?? But…but… I was told that this was the perfect spot!” she said with conviction. “That everyone would have to come by this spot at least once during the festival! I don’t understand. Where is everybody?”

It was all Diamond could do to keep from smirking at the child. Youthful ignorance was its own disadvantage, it seemed. Clearly she’d been tricked, most likely by another competitor. Who sets up a shop in such an obscure location? And for that matter, if it had been so good, why was she the only one out here? In truth, it wasn’t any of her business, but it would leave a bad taste in Diamond’s mouth to not at least try to explain the reason behind Apple Bloom’s apparent lack of progress.

*groooooowl!*

Her belly, it seemed, had an even better idea.

Thinking for a second, Diamond reached into her jacket, retrieving her wallet.

I’ll kill two birds with one stone!

“Tell you what Bloom,” Diamond said, a mischievous smile on her face as she licked her lips. “Why don’t you let me show you to the winner’s circle?”

---

“Diamond! Where are you?”

It had been over two hours since they’d entered the maze together. Pausing for a moment just to lace up her boots had proven to be a mistake as Silver had lost sight of the object of her affections. Having solved the labyrinth in less than half an hour, she’d spent the last two hours searching every square inch of the place in search of Diamond. She’d even memorized most of it by the time she’d exited it last.

“Where could she be?” she asked herself. “I could have sworn she was right beside me the whole time.”

It was getting darker and she didn’t like the idea of her best friend being out by herself in unfamiliar territory. It was bad enough that she didn’t like the countryside anyway. Pacing around the front entrance of the maze, she’d begun to call Diamond’s phone for the umpteenth time when…

*BUUUUURRRP!!*

A thunderous eructation that seemed to shake the very ground at her feet occurred so unexpectedly that she’d nearly jumped out of her skin.

What in the world was that!? She thought, glancing in the direction of the sound. It seemed to have come from around the far outside corner of the labyrinth. Grim curiosity taking hold, Silver cautiously approached said corner to try and investigate the source of the disturbance. Nearing the corner, she thought she heard voices.

“…*hah*… Oh…much better…” came a familiar voice, albeit far more labored than normal.

“C’mon, Ms. Tiara!” came a much smaller voice. “You’re almost there! The record is 49 pies sold in a single festival! You’re at 48! Just one more and I’m a shoe-in to win first place!”

“A-ah…yeah…just, gimme a sec…”

Certain she’d found what she was after, Silver peered around the corner of the maze. Almost instantly, her face flushed bright crimson.

Lying flat on the ground, before a table completely full of empty pie pans, Diamond Tiara lay splayed out like a starfish, breathing heavily…with a belly big enough to tower over her, full enough to be half as tall as she was when lying down. Glinting slightly with perspiration, Diamond’s belly gave off a groan of fullness as it barely shook with its owner’s every breath.

Silver Spoon felt her mouth go dry and her hands numb as she gazed at the majestic orb of her friend’s middle. She’d never seen it so full in her entire life. The sight was proving too much for her to process. It was all she could do just stand there and watch, her mouth gaping open as a wild grin crept across her features.

Diamond took hold of another pie, looking at it lovingly, like it was the answer to all her problems.

HOW is this kid so good at baking!? She asked herself, surprised that she was still going after 48 whole pies. How did she even have room? I was already full after number 20… Even I don't know where I'm putting it all at this point... but these are…just incredible!

Bringing it to her lips, Diamond opened wide to take her nth bite, splashing her mouth in a delectable wave of apple and cinnamon, brown sugar, and graham-cracker crust.

THIS is how you’re supposed to do apples… she thought as she savored the bite.

“Go, go, Diamond! Go, go, Diamond!” cheered Apple Bloom from behind the table, hopping back and forth as she ushered on her best customer. This had turned out to be a great day after all! For a moment, she’d thought it was weird how Diamond had so much money to keep buying pies, but she’d quickly disregarded it once she’d seen the pace she’d taken in consumption.

“I can’t believe it…I’m actually gonna do it…” She looked down at Diamond. Or at least, as much of her as she could, what with her enormous belly in the way. “WE’RE actually gonna do it! That first place ribbon is all ours!”

“Hm…Mmf?” Diamond was hardly even paying attention as she’d emptied the rest of the pan into her waiting maw, mouth full as she made to ask what Apple Bloom had just said.

“*gulp!* Ugh…did you say s-*glorp!* H-Huh?”

Dropping the pan, both hands went to her belly as Diamond rubbed the groaning orb. Something was wrong. After swallowing that last bite, something seemed to shift within her. It was as if her belly, so accepting of everything she’d had to give up to that point had suddenly, and sternly, said ‘no’.

*grooooaaan!!*

“Hurgh!”

“Ah! Diamond? What’s wrong?” Asked Apple Bloom, rushing to her side as Diamond winced in pain, clutching her over-swollen gut.

“A-ah, I think…I-I think that was…a little too much…!” she said through gritted teeth, sweating profusely as her balloon of a belly roiled with activity. It sounded as if she were housing some massive beast within her that suddenly wanted out. Apple Bloom instinctively took a step backwards.

“T-too much? What do you mean too much?? What’s going on!?”

The rumbling crescendoed as Diamond’s belly began to quake. Apple Bloom took a few more steps back, turning head slightly and raising her hands to cover her face as she feared the worst.

“I…agh…I feel like…I’m gonna…ex-”

*pop!*

“*Uurp!* Ooooohhh….much~ better…” Diamond sighed, letting out a petite belch as the shifting within her tummy reached its peak, forcing her belly-button to pop outwards.

Stretching her arms out as much as she could, Diamond finally relaxed as she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Apple Bloom slowly peeked through her fingers, breathing a heavy sigh of relief that Diamond was still intact. Though her engorged belly looked as solid as a rock, her skin as shiny as a balloon, even in the dimming light.

“Now…that’s what I call a meal…” said Diamond, smiling as she rubbed the taut sphere.

Turning her head as much as she could, she addressed her young audience. “So...Think I improved your… chances at all for your little…dance-off… or whatever…?”

Clasping her hands in joy, Apple Bloom danced a circle around Diamond Tiara as she spoke.

“Oh absolutely! Most definitely! Completely abso-tively!!” Stopping at Diamond’s head, the little girl knelt down and gave her the best side hug she could. “Thank you so much, Ms. Tiara! I’m gonna take all these receipts to show the contest proctor right now! I’ll never forget this, I promise!”

Returning to the table, Apple Bloom grabbed up all the little slips of paper she’d received after selling each of her pies, skipping her way down the path towards the main festival area.

“H-hey… wait a second.” Diamond called out. Apple Bloom stopped and turned around.

“Yes? What can I do for you? Ask me anything!” she chirped. Diamond shifted her gaze back to the top of the table.

“…Is that another pie I see up there?” she asked, sluggishly pointing to the tabletop. Sure enough, there was yet one more of the scrumptious apple pies that young Bloom had produced in the name of filling her sister and grandmother’s shoes. Still quite warm, and smelling heavenly, it was a shame to see it so lonely up there by itself.

“H-huh? Wait…you’re not actually gonna…”

“What? Oh, no no. I’m definitely done for the night. Heh…” Diamond chuckled at Apple Bloom’s concerned look, though she certainly understood where it came from. “I held up my end of the bargain. What say I get one for the road?”

“Hm? Oh! Well, in that case…” Grabbing up the pie, Apple Bloom gingerly set it beside the heavily swollen form of Diamond. “It’s all yours!”

“Great….Let’s call it even then…” Diamond said, groaning from fullness, her belly almost taller than young Apple Bloom.

“Oh, yeah…if you see a tall girl with silver hair and glasses…could you let her know where I am?”

“Silver hair and glasses?” Bloom repeated, glancing over to the side. “Um…”

Following her gaze, Diamond turned her head to find the unconscious form of Silver Spoon, face down on the ground with her eyes glazed over, with a broad, happy grin on her face…in what looked to be a pool of her own drool as her mouth hung open…

“Oh…just great…” sighed Diamond. “In that case…I don’t suppose you could call us a cab…?”

Apple Bloom just giggled as she nodded in response. “You got it. Whatever you want.”

Walking over to Diamond one more time, Apple Bloom knelt down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Next time, let’s go for 50!” she said in a half whisper before rushing off.

“Heh, sure thing kid…” said Diamond, aware that the child was out of earshot already. Looking over at her unconscious friend, Diamond could only sigh in both annoyance and amusement.

“Alright, fine…” she said aloud in Silver’s direction. “So MAYBE the country isn’t all that bad…”

Though, on second thought, she thought, lightly rubbing her stomach, taking in its sheer gargantuan proportions. Maybe a tow truck would be a better idea…

Description
The spirit of autumn was in full effect as the Fall Festival lasted well into the evening hours. This was when things really started to pick up. Everywhere one looked, one could see the homemade lamps hanging from the clotheslines on high along all the beaten paths, illuminating the booths and pavilions in an ambiance of natural and artificial light. More guests arrived as the golden sunset took center stage. Every so often, a cool breeze would carry with it scents of lavender, pine, and cinnamon; a seasonal bouquet perpetuated by the merchandise of the many vendors and booth owners present on this festive evening.

*grooooowl*

“Ugh…” Diamond Tiara rubbed her groaning belly as she made her way through the park. “Explain to me again why exactly I let you drag me all the way out into the boonies for some hick festival?”

“Oh, don’t be like that.” Chirped Silver Spoon, placing her hands on Diamond’s shoulders as she walked closely behind. “You’ve been having fun, right? And like I said before, it’s nice to get out of the city sometimes!”

“Well, sure Sil. But all we’ve done since we got here is listen to a bunch of old people yammer on about their ‘traditions’ in a boring speech, watch a bunch of concerts from old timey bands no one’s ever heard of, and play a bunch of games meant for children... And would please take that thing off your head?”

“Hm?” Silver reached up to readjust the small hat adorned with a pair of moose horns atop her head. “But this is the prize I won for knocking down all those cups at that one booth! I could’ve gotten you one too, y’know. You seemed to be having a pretty hard time…”

“Tch! That game was rigged!” Diamond exclaimed indignantly. “I threw that ball as hard as I could and the things didn’t even budge! That old guy’s lucky I didn’t climb over that counter and strangle him! …making a fool out of me…”

Silver could giggle as her companion fumed. She couldn’t help but find it adorable when she pouted.

“Well, there was that dance too, don’t forget.” She said, skipping ahead of Diamond a bit as she spoke. “That was fun, right?”

Diamond sighed in minor annoyance at the mention of the partnered event they’d participated in a while ago.

“That was…kinda fun, I guess… But did you really have to squeeze my butt that hard?”

“I told you! I had to make sure you didn’t go anywhere! It’d be easy to lose your partner in the middle of all those people, y’know?”

“…right.” Diamond rubbed a rather sore spot in the very center of one of her enormous rump cheeks as she was reminded of Silver’s somewhat rapacious handsy-ness where her tush and tummy were involved.

As if anyone could lose track of MY ass in a group of people… Thought Diamond, nonchalantly patting the sore spot she’d just rubbed. Much as she hated to admit, she did have a habit of standing out.

Of course, that tended to come naturally to someone pushing a solid 300 pounds.
Always on the larger side of the girls her age, Diamond Tiara had long since raised the white flag in the battle of the bulge. And being naturally bottom-heavy, she sported a rear end that almost always demanded a trip to the mall to replace its cramping confines for more spacious quarters. All three of her back-side’s roommates signed the tag on her shorts with the letter X, though they’d likely soon have room for one more occupant what with the appetite of their landlord. Not one to sacrifice fashion for a trivial thing like size, Diamond had instead chosen to accentuate its shape with a pair of black leggings she wore beneath her shorts. The juxtaposition between light and dark gave her lower half a more retro look.

As she seemed not to own many shirts capable of completely concealing her burgeoning belly, Diamond had opted to take advantage of her potentially embarrassing clothing malfunction by calling all of her tops de facto belly shirts, having grown accustomed to the occasional side glance to the point that she didn’t even seem to notice them anymore. Not that it mattered, as all her shirts seemed to cling to her like a second skin anyway. At least the black one she wore looked good with just about anything.

Where most girls her size would sport a couple layers of belly flesh, hers was a more prominent gut. Pale, round, and dome-shaped like a smooth bowl of rice or pudding, it muffined a bit as the waist of her tight shorts squeezed it slightly. Though, that was rather hard for one to tell such, as her bright yellow jacket flanked it on either side. Despite initial reservations, she’d decided that it actually complimented her black and white colors rather well. And being more pear-shaped, Diamond’s arms and chest were closer to the slender side of plump, allowing her to pull of the look of the jacket and belly shirt as only a girl of her size and shape could.

She wasn’t one to let a little extra meat on her bones keep her from looking fabulous.

*grooooowl*

“At any rate,” Diamond continued. “I want to get back before it gets too dark. I haven’t eaten in forever, and these smells are driving me crazy! Half the reason I’ve been walking around so much is because I’ve been trying to find out where they’re coming from!”

“Ha ha! What are you talking about?” asked Silver, chuckling merrily at her friend’s complaint as they came over a bridge above a babbling stream. “We had lunch just an hour ago, remember? You ate, like, almost half a chicken and three helpings of mashed potatoes!”

“That chicken had to have been overcooked.” Diamond countered. “I swear, these country bumpkins have the weirdest tastes. Besides, we didn’t get anything really sweet afterwards though. You can’t really call it a meal unless you get desert too, right?”

Coming into a clearing, Diamond glanced over every table and booth in sight, trying to determine the origin of all the sweet smells permeating the air. Moving up behind her, Silver slid her hands under Diamond’s arms to rub her belly on both sides.

“What about all those candy apples you ate? Those were good right?”

“Sure, if you could even hardly taste the caramel on those things. They’re supposed to dip them in the stuff, not just pour it on top. That’s not dessert, Sil. That’s practically just your daily servings.”

“But-“

Diamond held up a hand to cut off Silver Spoon as she sighed in exasperation.

“Look, this was a really nice gesture, and it was sweet of you to bring me out here and all, but I think I’m ready to call it a night.” She said with finality.

“Oh… I see.” Silver Spoon’s heart sank as she realized her attempt to spend some fun time with her bestie had turned out to be a failure. She’d wanted to give Diamond a chance to get out of the city for a while and see the beautiful countryside. The Fall Festival seemed like the perfect opportunity, but it didn’t appear that she’d enjoyed herself much at all.

“I…s-suppose I’ll just call us a cab then…” Silver said with a sad smile. Taking on a more forlorn face however, she retrieved her phone and made to call the local taxi service.

Seeing this, Diamond Tiara suddenly couldn’t help but feel like she’d just stepped on her friend’s favorite stuffed animal. She didn’t mean to sound crass, and she certainly hadn’t meant to hurt Silver’s feelings. Reaching out, she put a hand on Silver’s to stop her from dialing.

Oh, jeez…

“Alright, fine.” She said, looking away. “Let’s do ONE more thing before we go. Whatever you want. Sound good? Umpf!”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she found herself enveloped in an especially enthusiastic hug.

“Ohh, thank you, thank you so much! I promise we’ll have fun at the next thing!” she exclaimed, spinning around and cupping her hands over her eyes to try and get a better view of things. “…And I think I know just what it should be! C’mon!”

“Huh? Wh-hey!” Diamond could only jog-waddle in response as Silver grabbed her hand and took off in a seemingly random direction.

*groooowl*

It seemed no matter what the choice, her belly would not cease its complaints. An hour or two was too long to go without a snack.

Oh please… She thought. Whatever it is, please let it be near food!

---

“So? What do you think?” asked Silver excitedly.

“…You’re kidding, right?” Diamond, staring up at what had to be the last thing she wanted to do that evening.

“Corn mazes are always fun!” exclaimed Silver. “You never know where you’ll pop out, and there’s always little surprises at every dead end! I love these!”

To Diamond Tiara, corn mazes meant two things; a lot of running, and a lot of wasted time. Neither of which were very appealing thoughts, especially on a relatively empty stomach. And what was worse, the sweet smells in the air had grown stronger. So strong, in fact, that she could actually start to discern what more of them were. Cinnamon, pumpkin, cranberry, and…apple? The sudden rumbling of her belly brought her out of her reverie as she addressed Silver.

“Uh, y’know, when I said we could do anything you wanted, I wasn’t actually suggesting something this b-”

“Well, let’s get started!” Seeming to not hear her, Silver took Diamond by the arm this time as she stormed headlong into the grassy labyrinth.

---(Not 5 minutes later…)---

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me… Diamond thought as she rounded another corner, the twelfth she’d searched around since she’d ended up by herself. How is she going to drag me into this place in the name of doing it together and then disappear into thin air?

She fumed silently as she wandered aimlessly through every twist and turn she came across. Everywhere she looked, there was only more tall corn. Had any of it been cooked, she’d have considered just eating through it. If you can’t find an exit, why not just make one?

This is exactly why I can’t stand coming out to places like this, maze or no maze, it all looks the same anyway! I swear, country folk just don’t know how to-

Pausing mid-thought, Diamond caught a whiff of a positively heavenly aroma on the air. This one was sweet. And warm. And close. Guided by her nose more than her eyes, Diamond made her way through the maze, doing her best to track the source of the smell.

If it’s the last thing I do tonight, she thought. I’m going to find whatever’s giving off that smell, devour it whole...

*growl*

And shut you up!

Nearing one of the far reaches of the maze, Diamond could practically taste the apples and cinnamon as she got closer and closer to her goal. Coming to a wall in a dead, she thought she could actually see steam rising from over the top of the grass.

Steam like that can only come from one thing! She thought, licking her lips in anticipation as she took a few steps back.

Whatever had been haunting her nose and belly were just beyond a thick barrier of corn grass. But she doubted such a thing could withstand more than a couple hundred pounds of hungry female ramming into it with the force of a marshmallowy wrecking ball.

*CRASH!*

Her assumption had proved correct. Almost overwhelmingly so, as Diamond careened through the corn maze as if it’d been made of tissue paper. Using more force than was needed, she’d ended up tumbling over herself and landing in a heap of crushed corn stalks, dead grass, and pies.

…Pies?

“D-Diamond Tiara?” squeaked a tiny voice.

Rubbing her head as she struggled to sit up, Diamond looked up to find a table piled high with dozens of the most fresh looking pies she’d seen all day. Apple, by the smell of them. Not just the table, but on the ground as well, within some boxes, and on top of others. Even a nearby stool. There were pies all over the place! The small voice almost hadn’t even registered, as the smell alone almost overwhelmed Diamond’s senses. Were it not for the young girl appearing from behind the tower of treats, with a shocked look on her face like she’d just seen a train crash into a toy store, she’d have believed it was the pies themselves who’d spoken to her.

“Huh~? …Hey, I know you…” she said, half dazed as she stood up and dusted herself off. “You’re…”

“I’m…A-Apple Bloom…” the young girl said nervously, seeming to hide a little behind a nearby stack.

“Bloom?” Diamond repeated. “You’re Applejack’s little sister? YOU’RE the reason I’ve been smelling pie ever since I got here!?”

Realizing she wasn’t in any danger, the girl cleared her throat as she stepped out from behind the pies.

“*A-hem!* That’s right! I’m Apple Bloom!” she said, gesturing towards the banner above the table. “And welcome to Pie-a-palooza!”

“Right… what are you doing out here in Nowheresville?” Diamond asked, not taking her eyes of the pies. “Your sister drag you out to this total lame-fest too?”

“Uh…well, actually I…kinda live out here…” said the young red-head rather uncomfortably.

“I see.” Diamond picked up a pie to examine it before Apple Bloom’s words had registered, face-faulting as she realized how rude she just sounded. “…Oh. Um…right, sorry.”

Clearing her own throat this time to pretend nothing happened, Diamond moved on to business.

“So what’s with all the pies?” she asked, intently. “You having some kind of a bake sale? …Please say ‘yes’…”

“Ah, absolutely!” chirped Apple Bloom. “I’m entered in the Fall Festival Bake Off! It’s an annual tradition out here. Granny Smith’s won first place 20 years running! Big sis has won the blue ribbon a bunch too! So now it’s my turn!”

There seemed to be a small fire behind the young girl’s eyes as she spoke. An indomitable will to succeed in the same way her predecessors had and do them justice. But then, just as quickly as it had come, Apple Bloom’s expression turned to one of sadness and distress.

“…or at least, that’s the idea. But no one’s come to my booth yet!” she exclaimed, waving a hand over the dozens of pies at her station, all still warm and entrancing enough to look at, much less eat. “How am I supposed to win if no one buys a single pie?”

Diamond thought about it for a moment. The answer was obvious.

“Well…just a shot in the dark,” she began, looking around at the empty area they were in. “But it might have a little something to do with the fact that you set up behind a giant corn maze… Y’know, kind of out of sight and away from just about every potential customer in the Festival?”

The news seemed to baffle the young chef.

“Wha?? But…but… I was told that this was the perfect spot!” she said with conviction. “That everyone would have to come by this spot at least once during the festival! I don’t understand. Where is everybody?”

It was all Diamond could do to keep from smirking at the child. Youthful ignorance was its own disadvantage, it seemed. Clearly she’d been tricked, most likely by another competitor. Who sets up a shop in such an obscure location? And for that matter, if it had been so good, why was she the only one out here? In truth, it wasn’t any of her business, but it would leave a bad taste in Diamond’s mouth to not at least try to explain the reason behind Apple Bloom’s apparent lack of progress.

*groooooowl!*

Her belly, it seemed, had an even better idea.

Thinking for a second, Diamond reached into her jacket, retrieving her wallet.

I’ll kill two birds with one stone!

“Tell you what Bloom,” Diamond said, a mischievous smile on her face as she licked her lips. “Why don’t you let me show you to the winner’s circle?”

---

“Diamond! Where are you?”

It had been over two hours since they’d entered the maze together. Pausing for a moment just to lace up her boots had proven to be a mistake as Silver had lost sight of the object of her affections. Having solved the labyrinth in less than half an hour, she’d spent the last two hours searching every square inch of the place in search of Diamond. She’d even memorized most of it by the time she’d exited it last.

“Where could she be?” she asked herself. “I could have sworn she was right beside me the whole time.”

It was getting darker and she didn’t like the idea of her best friend being out by herself in unfamiliar territory. It was bad enough that she didn’t like the countryside anyway. Pacing around the front entrance of the maze, she’d begun to call Diamond’s phone for the umpteenth time when…

*BUUUUURRRP!!*

A thunderous eructation that seemed to shake the very ground at her feet occurred so unexpectedly that she’d nearly jumped out of her skin.

What in the world was that!? She thought, glancing in the direction of the sound. It seemed to have come from around the far outside corner of the labyrinth. Grim curiosity taking hold, Silver cautiously approached said corner to try and investigate the source of the disturbance. Nearing the corner, she thought she heard voices.

“…*hah*… Oh…much better…” came a familiar voice, albeit far more labored than normal.

“C’mon, Ms. Tiara!” came a much smaller voice. “You’re almost there! The record is 49 pies sold in a single festival! You’re at 48! Just one more and I’m a shoe-in to win first place!”

“A-ah…yeah…just, gimme a sec…”

Certain she’d found what she was after, Silver peered around the corner of the maze. Almost instantly, her face flushed bright crimson.

Lying flat on the ground, before a table completely full of empty pie pans, Diamond Tiara lay splayed out like a starfish, breathing heavily…with a belly big enough to tower over her, full enough to be half as tall as she was when lying down. Glinting slightly with perspiration, Diamond’s belly gave off a groan of fullness as it barely shook with its owner’s every breath.

Silver Spoon felt her mouth go dry and her hands numb as she gazed at the majestic orb of her friend’s middle. She’d never seen it so full in her entire life. The sight was proving too much for her to process. It was all she could do just stand there and watch, her mouth gaping open as a wild grin crept across her features.

Diamond took hold of another pie, looking at it lovingly, like it was the answer to all her problems.

HOW is this kid so good at baking!? She asked herself, surprised that she was still going after 48 whole pies. How did she even have room? I was already full after number 20… Even I don't know where I'm putting it all at this point... but these are…just incredible!

Bringing it to her lips, Diamond opened wide to take her nth bite, splashing her mouth in a delectable wave of apple and cinnamon, brown sugar, and graham-cracker crust.

THIS is how you’re supposed to do apples… she thought as she savored the bite.

“Go, go, Diamond! Go, go, Diamond!” cheered Apple Bloom from behind the table, hopping back and forth as she ushered on her best customer. This had turned out to be a great day after all! For a moment, she’d thought it was weird how Diamond had so much money to keep buying pies, but she’d quickly disregarded it once she’d seen the pace she’d taken in consumption.

“I can’t believe it…I’m actually gonna do it…” She looked down at Diamond. Or at least, as much of her as she could, what with her enormous belly in the way. “WE’RE actually gonna do it! That first place ribbon is all ours!”

“Hm…Mmf?” Diamond was hardly even paying attention as she’d emptied the rest of the pan into her waiting maw, mouth full as she made to ask what Apple Bloom had just said.

“*gulp!* Ugh…did you say s-*glorp!* H-Huh?”

Dropping the pan, both hands went to her belly as Diamond rubbed the groaning orb. Something was wrong. After swallowing that last bite, something seemed to shift within her. It was as if her belly, so accepting of everything she’d had to give up to that point had suddenly, and sternly, said ‘no’.

*grooooaaan!!*

“Hurgh!”

“Ah! Diamond? What’s wrong?” Asked Apple Bloom, rushing to her side as Diamond winced in pain, clutching her over-swollen gut.

“A-ah, I think…I-I think that was…a little too much…!” she said through gritted teeth, sweating profusely as her balloon of a belly roiled with activity. It sounded as if she were housing some massive beast within her that suddenly wanted out. Apple Bloom instinctively took a step backwards.

“T-too much? What do you mean too much?? What’s going on!?”

The rumbling crescendoed as Diamond’s belly began to quake. Apple Bloom took a few more steps back, turning head slightly and raising her hands to cover her face as she feared the worst.

“I…agh…I feel like…I’m gonna…ex-”

*pop!*

“*Uurp!* Ooooohhh….much~ better…” Diamond sighed, letting out a petite belch as the shifting within her tummy reached its peak, forcing her belly-button to pop outwards.

Stretching her arms out as much as she could, Diamond finally relaxed as she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Apple Bloom slowly peeked through her fingers, breathing a heavy sigh of relief that Diamond was still intact. Though her engorged belly looked as solid as a rock, her skin as shiny as a balloon, even in the dimming light.

“Now…that’s what I call a meal…” said Diamond, smiling as she rubbed the taut sphere.

Turning her head as much as she could, she addressed her young audience. “So...Think I improved your… chances at all for your little…dance-off… or whatever…?”

Clasping her hands in joy, Apple Bloom danced a circle around Diamond Tiara as she spoke.

“Oh absolutely! Most definitely! Completely abso-tively!!” Stopping at Diamond’s head, the little girl knelt down and gave her the best side hug she could. “Thank you so much, Ms. Tiara! I’m gonna take all these receipts to show the contest proctor right now! I’ll never forget this, I promise!”

Returning to the table, Apple Bloom grabbed up all the little slips of paper she’d received after selling each of her pies, skipping her way down the path towards the main festival area.

“H-hey… wait a second.” Diamond called out. Apple Bloom stopped and turned around.

“Yes? What can I do for you? Ask me anything!” she chirped. Diamond shifted her gaze back to the top of the table.

“…Is that another pie I see up there?” she asked, sluggishly pointing to the tabletop. Sure enough, there was yet one more of the scrumptious apple pies that young Bloom had produced in the name of filling her sister and grandmother’s shoes. Still quite warm, and smelling heavenly, it was a shame to see it so lonely up there by itself.

“H-huh? Wait…you’re not actually gonna…”

“What? Oh, no no. I’m definitely done for the night. Heh…” Diamond chuckled at Apple Bloom’s concerned look, though she certainly understood where it came from. “I held up my end of the bargain. What say I get one for the road?”

“Hm? Oh! Well, in that case…” Grabbing up the pie, Apple Bloom gingerly set it beside the heavily swollen form of Diamond. “It’s all yours!”

“Great….Let’s call it even then…” Diamond said, groaning from fullness, her belly almost taller than young Apple Bloom.

“Oh, yeah…if you see a tall girl with silver hair and glasses…could you let her know where I am?”

“Silver hair and glasses?” Bloom repeated, glancing over to the side. “Um…”

Following her gaze, Diamond turned her head to find the unconscious form of Silver Spoon, face down on the ground with her eyes glazed over, with a broad, happy grin on her face…in what looked to be a pool of her own drool as her mouth hung open…

“Oh…just great…” sighed Diamond. “In that case…I don’t suppose you could call us a cab…?”

Apple Bloom just giggled as she nodded in response. “You got it. Whatever you want.”

Walking over to Diamond one more time, Apple Bloom knelt down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Next time, let’s go for 50!” she said in a half whisper before rushing off.

“Heh, sure thing kid…” said Diamond, aware that the child was out of earshot already. Looking over at her unconscious friend, Diamond could only sigh in both annoyance and amusement.

“Alright, fine…” she said aloud in Silver’s direction. “So MAYBE the country isn’t all that bad…”

Though, on second thought, she thought, lightly rubbing her stomach, taking in its sheer gargantuan proportions. Maybe a tow truck would be a better idea…