Coco walked along with Spring just behind her. "She'll understand, trust me."

Spring quirked a little smile. There she was, putting her faith in a beast, and not even one as majestic as the one she had fashioned with her own hands and skill. "You seem confident."

Coco glanced over her shoulder. "Why shouldn't I be? I... think I have a grasp of Tabitha. That's why... I wouldn't be her marefriend if I she was still a stranger to me." She approached the office and clopped on the door. "Tabitha?"

A muffled reply came from within, asking them to come in, so Coco did, mouthing the handle and opening the door to lead the way towards Tabitha.

Tabitha started with surprise to see Spring with Coco. "Huh? Everything... alright?"

Spring smiled. There was her beast, her majestic creature. "It's good to see you." That was true, as true as anything Spring knew.

Tabitha felt a tightness growing in her. Why did Spring have to be so pretty, and why did her body have to respond to it so quickly?

Coco shook her head as she advanced. "Tabitha, I've been speaking to Spring."

That surprised Tabitha. "About?"

Spring patted Coco's head much like Tabitha was in the habit of doing, even if Coco didn't accept it as easily. "Coco says that I... should extend more trust to you, stud."

Tabitha pinkened a bit with a combination of annoyance and embarrassment. "I'm not a stud!"

Coco cleared her throat. "In the most technical sense, you are, but let's not quibble over titles, please. Tabitha is Tabitha. Spring is Spring, and I'm Coco. We all know one another, and we are... bound."

Clop clop. Razz peeked in from the door. "Hello?"

Tabitha let out a little aborted laugh. "Well, the gang's all here."

Spring frowned at Razz. "You, I don't quite understand."

Razz blinked up at the elf. "I... don't understand you either, um, miss?"

Coco thrust up a hoof. "That's quite enough of that. Spring is with foal. She needs our support, all of us."

Razz blinked softly. "Oh, um, congratulations, I think. Who's the stallion?"

Coco pointed at Tabitha. Tabitha didn't argue it. Razz sank to his haunches. "Oh..."

Spring put a hand to her womb. "It's true. Inside me grows the filthy, wonderful, wild beast that will be our child. It terrifies me, and delights me. I can't wait, and I'm... I'm scared."

The admission brought the attention from all three. It was an admission of imperfection, of a failing in Spring's nature. It was a big thing, and they all knew it.

Tabitha tapped the desk in front of her. "Spring, come here." That certainly wasn't what she had planned, but... "Come here. Look, um, we'll work through this."

Coco smiled with sudden triumph. "I told you. It'll be fine."

"Fine?!" Razz stepped up beside Coco. "Our, um, stallion's already gone and seeded a mare out of our group and that's alright?"

Spring had moved and hopped right up onto the desk, her legs hanging off as she faced Tabitha with one leg to the left and right of Tabitha's torso. "Yes, my beast?"

Tabitha reached and held Spring at her sides. "Don't call me that."

"Why shouldn't I?" She asked as she wriggled a little, clearly taking delight in the contact. "You are a marvelous beast. My awe inspiring animal."

The words were demeaning, but said with such intense love. It confused Tabitha. It didn't help that a sizable portion of her lower part wanted to pull her off the desk to the ground and have her way with the elf in a moment of screaming passion. Maybe she was a bit of a beast? "We need to talk. We didn't ask for this, especially poor Coco and Razz, but it seems like you're... part of us."

Razz blinked as he crashed to the ground. "Part of us?!" Then he realized what that meant. "She's joining the herd?!"

Coco tilted her head, then pointed at Spring. "Razz, take a look at who you're worried about. Look at her closely, then tell me you don't want anything to do with her."

So Razz did. He looked over Spring. He saw a biped, tall and mysterious and deadly. He saw someone he didn't understand, with a foal growing in her. He licked his lips a little as he grew between his legs just faintly. With a start, it hit him. He was chasing away one of his practical fantasies. He was fighting against the very idea that a pretty biped mare would want to be with him.

But did he want that specific mare? They hadn't gotten along so well. "Spring?"

Spring looked over her shoulder towards him. "Yes?"

Razz licked over his lips again, nervousness building. "If... We should get to know each other."

Coco smiled and suddenly hugged her herdmate tightly. "That's the spirit. We all need to get to know each other better. Spring may... Please don't take this the wrong way, but you do come off a bit..."

Spring held up a hand. "My way is not your way."

Tabitha snorted at that. "That is one way to put it, but it... doesn't have to be?" If she could calm Spring down, make her a friend, that would be nice. "Alright, so, let's try to get along."

Coco stepped forward. "More than that. We have a foal on the way. Our family's first. We should be happy! I know this isn't exactly how we planned it, but it's happ..." She trailed off, blinking. "Wait a moment. Spring?"

"Yes?"

"It just occurred to me, you're not a pony."

"Very astute." She had a fine brow raised.

Coco rolled her eyes. "How long do elves normally take to... have a foal?"

"Three to four years? I'm told elves in regular contact with the mortal world can accomplish it faster. I am clearly mired in it." She gestured around the room. "I would expect two years."

Tabitha sank to her haunches, blinking. "That's a long time."

Spring shook her head. "Is it?"

Coco coughed softly. "So... while the foal is coming, it is in no great hurry. Let's not panic. By the time it arrives, we will be past this awkward phase."

Razz perked an ear. "We'll either be a happy family or sure we're not working out." That got him a few sour looks. He spread his wings defensively. "I'll be trying, honest! So, uh, Spring? What kind of music do you like?"

Spring pouted just a little. "Smaller beast, I don't want to get my alpha too jealous, should she see me socializing with a competitive male."

Tabitha colored rapidly. "He's not competition!"

"Oh? Then you won't stop him from... having his way?"

It was Razz's turn to color. "My way?!"

Coco put a fetlock over her eyes. "The only male we need to keep from having his way is that Horpip fellow. He's quite rude!"

Tabitha leaned to the side past Spring to look at Coco better. "Horpip? The new tenant? What'd he do?"

Spring waved it off. "He isn't in any violation of our terms, dear alpha. I... just worry that he may try to take me away from you."

Tabitha felt an angry emotion rise. Spring was hers! Wait, since when? Tabitha was left confused by the foreign bout of possessiveness. "Why do you think that?" she asked as she tried to sort herself out.

Spring slid smoothly from the desk. "We know one another. We were, and he still is, students of my mentor. He looks down on me and what I've done, and should he see an opportunity, he would eagerly throw me before our betters and announce my failure just to see my shame."

Coco's eyes drooped a bit in an almost cocky gaze. "Which, we both know, only Tabitha is allowed to do."

"Precisely!" cried Spring with a genuine smile. "We are reaching an understanding."

Razz snorted as he tried to hold back a little laughter, a hoof over his snout to keep back any words that'd just make the situation worse.

Tabitha shook her head slowly at the whole thing. "Right, well, he isn't allowed to take you anywhere you don't want to be. It's against the rules of the building, and I'm pretty sure against the rules of this country. Right?"

Razz bobbed his head. "That'd be foalnapping. A definite big no-no. You can't just go grabbing a mare and rushing off with her."

Spring raised a hand to just under Tabitha's flustered chin. "A woman must give her consent to such things. Only very special beasts are permitted to make off with her whenever their feral heart and throbbing needs demand to be met."

Coco came up between them and gently pushed each away with a hoof to either. "Then we agree. Horpip isn't allowed to take you away, and we won't let him, right?"

Razz bobbed his head emphatically. "We should tell Bubbles too, she's your guard, right? And that other mare, um, Night?"

"Did someone call me?" Bubbles invited herself into the busy office. "What's with the party?"

Spring let out a little sigh. "Such is my fate, consigned to be always surrounded by beasts."

Razz stood up, confidence building. "You... shouldn't sound so happy about it." She didn't agree, but she didn't disagree with him either. He counted it as a victory.

Bubbles raised a brow at the exchange. "Right, so... What's goin' on?"

Coco approached Bubbles with a little smile. "The new tenant, Horpip--"

"The Magnificent," echoed from above.

Coco blinked. "Um, yes, that. Please keep an eye on him, especially if he tries to get close to Miss Breeze." She pointed a hoof at Spring.

Bubbles shook her head. "Hey, Spring lives here, so I'll protect her and her stuff, promise. It's what I do." She turned to Tabitha. "I presume this is alright with ya?"

Spring clucked her tongue. "Do avoid speaking his name. He's grown quite... sensitive to it, and uttering it draws his attention. We don't need that kind of attention."

Tabitha gave an emphatic thumbs up. "Alright, so we won't let the H Man get his mitts on you, but, seriously. Spring? I need to know where we stand."

Spring seemed baffled. "Have I not been clear?"

Coco put a hoof on Spring's leg. "We are all very aware of your... affection for Tabitha, but let us put... that aside. Do you want to be a wife? A marefriend? We... should know that."

Razz nodded as his wings fluttered. "That aside, I get the idea. You're safe with us." As if they had never been threatened by Spring before. "We'll protect you."

Bubbles slapped her former coltfriend on the back. "Look who's gone and grown a pair!"

Author's Note

The family gathers and their hearts seem united for this cause.

It can only end in typos.