The ponies of Equestria are no strangers to adversity, but five years before the return of Nightmare Moon, they faced a crisis the likes of which had never been seen before or since. One summer morning, every mare from Cloudsdale to Appleloosa awoke to find their backsides had expanded to an incredible size, with each cheek slightly bigger than the owner’s head. The Equestria-wide affliction had occurred without warning or explanation, only seeming to spare the very old and the very young.

Panic stricken mares by the dozens wobbled their way down to the nearest medical centre to see if anything could be done about their oversized rumps. However, despite the efforts of the greatest medical and magical minds in Equestria, the giant butts seemed as though they were here to stay.

It wasn’t long before Equestrian authorities suspected that the sudden… “endowment” was an intentional act. Celestia herself issued a royal investigation into the bizarre occurrence, and sure enough, within a few days, a trail was found. However, finding the trail was the easy part — it would take another four and a half years before the perpetrator could be identified, tracked, and brought to justice.

Little has been disclosed about the culprit, but it is known that they are an extraordinarily powerful wizard who unlocked the secrets of widespread, targeted transmogrification… and who chose to use it for their own perverted ends. In exchange for a lighter sentence, the wizard agreed to share their findings with Celestia’s researchers, who were able to whip up a counter-spell in a matter of days.

However, Celestia faced a new problem. Upon announcing the creation of the counter-spell, many despondent ponies approached her requesting — politely — that the “Big Butt” spell be left alone. And no, it wasn’t just the stallions who were making these requests; plenty of mares stepped forward to advocate the preservation of the plump pony plots.

Four years is a long time to get used to something. Every mare had adapted to walking around with the extra weight, the athletes and dancers had found a new centre of balance, doors had been widened and new clothes had been bought… everywhere in Equestria now accommodated for the extra size. And this is all without mentioning how fond the mares of Equestria had grown of their added attractiveness, especially the lesbian and bisexual mares, who were nothing short of enamoured.

So ultimately, Celestia put it to a vote. Thousands of ladies squeezed their oversized derrières into the booths to have their say. And even with stallions prohibited from voting, the consensus was clear… the big booties weren’t going anywhere. It seems the mares of Equestria are quite attached to their butts. A fact that I think we can all be thankful for.