He had a headache. It was such a small thing compared to everything else going on, but it was a fact that Winter couldn't deny. To make it worse, it was growing as the flames crackled around him. Was being on fire a taxing thing? That made a sort of sense, but the headache wasn't helping him be calm at all, and he burned.

"Everythin' all right over here?" A stallion poked their nose in from closer to the main road, drawn perhaps by the light of the fire. "Oh..."

Maple waved wildly. "We're fine! This is a normal thin' fer him."

The stallion inclined his head. "This is normal? Uh... if everypony's alright?"

Maple and Summer nodded, even if the latter was a bit charred in places. "Well, alright then. G'luck wit' it." And off the stallion went about his business.

Summer patted herself down. "We've got to stop this, somehow."

"No we don't."

Summed raised a brow at Maple. "Ya done lost yer senses?"

"Nah." Maple was watching Winter. "Jus' reckon..."

The lights went out. The headache was gone, but so was he. He collapsed forward in an ungainly position. The fire began to gutter out, no longer fed. The kirin was back.

Maple gestured grandly. "Ta da."

"How could you know that?" angrily insisted Summer. "Were you jus' guessin'?"

"Yes?" admitted Maple without much resistance. "An' I was right." She nodded with smug victory. "Let's get him inside afore anything else crazy happens."

The mares circled to either side of the unconscious kirin. Swatting at a few lingering flames that didn't resist being stomped out, they were able to get in and heft him up on top of their shared bodies, carrying him inside.

"He's light," noted Summer. "I don't like it."

Winter felt lighter than usual, as if he'd burned himself like a candle to make all those flames.

They dumped him on the bed and retreated into the living room. Maple pointed back towards the bedroom. "Well, this won't stand. We gotta know what happened, and make sure it stops."

Summer nodded slowly. "Yeah... 'course... but how?"

Maple rubbed at her cheek. "Ah... don't know..." She began chewing at the edge of a hoof. "Could try the library? Think they got anythin' on kirins?"

"Doubt it." Summer frowned at the thought. "Hay, where'd the other kirin come from? A kirin would know about a kirin, ya think?"

Maple perked at that idea. "Now yer thinkin'! Ain't not a creature ah'd expect more to know 'bout kirin problems than another kirin. Ah'll ask around, find out where they came from." She hurried towards the door. "Make sure Winter's alright."

"Like ya needed to--" The door closed, Maple already gone. "--tell me." She rolled her eyes, heading into her bedroom to check in on Winter. "What happened to you?"

The next morning, Winter woke first. He shook himself out and hopped to the floor. However fatigued he had been, he trotted to the living room as if nothing had happened. He was hungry. Very hungry. He got right to making breakfast, extra sized!

Summer woke at the smells reaching her. "Hm?" Her hooves weren't resting on Winter anymore. "Wha?" But the likely outcome clicked soon enough. "Yer hurt! Ah'm supposed to be carin' fer ya." She hopped down and winced, still burned in places from her misplaced hug. "Shoot."

She came in at a walk, unlike the spirited trot Winter had performed. "Whatever you are making, it smells great, but are you sure you should be making it?"

Winter turned away from his cooking, the glow at the pan showing he was still gently shaking it as he hurried over to Summer. He nuzzled into her cheek and nudged against her, getting her over towards a chair.

"Fine fine." She climbed up into her spot. "Seriously though, you alright?"

Winter nodded as he put his attention back on preparing breakfast. Soon a great big portion of hayfries and lightly sauteed veggies were put out, seasoned and ready to devour. He hopped up opposiste of her and got right to eating without even a moment of delay.

"Ya did... feel light. Filling yerself back up?" But he did not answer, being far too busy glutting himself on food. "That makes sense enough... But what was that? Ya done scared us." He looked up at her briefly, but no words came, and he returned to his food. "Right..." Summer sighed and started at her own. "Mmm, just as tasty as it smelled. Does cooking yerself make ya better at cooking other thin's?"

With more food than a pony should eat in him, Winter sat back, a gently pleased face displayed. It could have been a silly grin, at least if one adjusted for his usual muted emotions.

"You look mighty pleased wit' yerself." Summer was smiling too. "Ah'm glad yer feelin' better." That was the more important part, she figured. "Gonna--" She started to slid from the chair with a wince, only to be grabbed whole body by Winter's magic.

He shook his head and hopped down himself, instead carrying her along. "We gotta get ready fer work!" she lamented, but there was no escape from the all encompassing magic on her. "Let go of me!"

But he didn't until she was carefully set on her own bed. He pointed at her, then the bed and a firm nod.

"Are you groundin' me?!" He only nodded again. "Ah'm a grown mare!" And yet he walked out, the door closing behind him. "Consarn it..."

Winter showed up to work, even if it was early.

Cherry noticed him from atop her cart. "What're you doin' here?" She raised a brow at him. "Lookin'... serious." She leaned forward. "An' without Summer. Is my Summer okay?!"

Winter pointed back home, then pointed at himself, then the factory.

"Ah..." She quirked a smile. "Ah must be gettin' used to ya, since I could swear ah get yer meanin'. She don't feel so hot, so you're here nice an' early to make up the difference." He nodded firmly. "Knew it!" She clopped her hooves once. "Alright then. You can help gather up some dew touched cherries that you'll get to help sort when the factory opens proper." She hopped down. "After me." She led the way for her worker.

He'd get his bits, but she'd extract the bits out of him. A fair trade.

Maple tried the books, but the books of a small town's library were woefully lacking, especially in details of a mythical far removed race. She was forced to give up with a sigh, but not on the project. She marched up to ponies she knew had seen it. "Hey, remember that kirin that came into town before?"

"Yeah?" The mare nodded in the memory. "Mysterious creature, but nice enough. What about 'em?"

Maple smiled brightly. "Do you remember where he came from?"

"The train." The mare pointed the way towards the station.

Maple sagged. The train was not exactly an answer.

And yet...

She thanked the mare and rushed off towards the station. She had to wait in line between two other ponies, but the moment she got to the front, she rushed the counter. "Hey there."

"Howdy, Maple." Just about everypony in that town knew all the other ponies. "Right nice to see ya. Goin' on a trip?"

"Maybe soon." Maple nodded quickly. "But fer today, was hopin' for information. Where do kirin come from?"

"Well, shoot, ya see." He was smiling a bit oddly. "When a kirin mare and a kirin--"

"--Not like that!" Maple waved wildly. "Ah mean, if ah wanted to ride a train to the kirins, which train would ah be wantin'?"

"Jealous ah Summer?" He was leaning over on a propped up arm, cheek smooshed against flat of a hoof. "Figure to get yerself one of those?"

Maple was confused at first, but it came to her, along with bright red cheeks. "No!" She already had a kirin, not that she was there to share that fact. "Since yer askin', ah wanted to get him a surprise ticket some time, to visit home."

"Aw." His unkind gaze turned gentle. "That's real nice'a you. Best to make it two though, or Summer will tan your hide somethin' awful." He chuckled as he ducked down, coming up with a big book. "Here's the list of stations." Thump, down it went, and he began flipping through it. "Now, they ain't got a station right on their doorstep, nope. Hear they're workin' on that? Ain't a thing right now, so no matter."

"But close? That kirin got here jus' fine," reasoned Maple out loud. "So it can't be too far."

"And it ain't." He dropped a hoof down on a listing. "Here ya go, this'll get you close, then ya gotta walk the rest." He turned the book to face her, showing the name of the station. "Then all the kirin anycreature could want."

"Even a kirin?" Posited Maple with a smile.

"Hm." The station officer raised a hoof to his chin. "Well, maybe if ya were a kirin, ya may want even more kirin 'bout. Can't say that for sure either way. Anythin' else ah can help wit' today?"

"No, but thank you." Maple dropped her head low. "You were a huge help!" And off she scampered.

Summer opened the door when it was clopped against. "It ain't locked. Like anypony bothers in this town." she opened it to find Maple. "Oh! Hey there Maple."

"Summer." Maple advanced with a smile even as she gasped for breath. "Got news. Ah know how to get to the other kirin."

"That's great!" Summer nodded with a smile that slowly soured, realizing something. Her lovely kirin had been fashioned from nothing. Would the other kirin welcome him, or would they know he was a fake on first sight and cast him out? She had raised him as much as a pony as any kirin. Would the way he acted turn them off and get him chased out of their town? "Maybe that thing he did isn't even a thing they worry about."

"Pardon?" Maple was watching her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Summer let out an 'oops'. She hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. "Ah'm just nervous... He done never met another kirin before! What if they don't get alon'?!"

"This is our Winter we're talkin' about." Maple touched nose to nose. "What kinda creature wouldn't like 'em? Ah'd be more worried some young kirin mare tried to steal him away from us!"

Summer's worry melted into laughter. "Winter would never let that happen!" Her brows came down. "Not after he learned his lesson last time. 'Sides, he has two foals on the way, he knows it, and he's a responsible creature."

Maple nudged at Summer, poking her front side. "So let's bring 'em over there so they can say hi. Ah'm sure he'll hit it right off."

Hooves were heard walking closer. Winter came into view, placid-eyed, but also tired. "You look awful!" burst Summer, rushing to hug Winter. "What is Cherry doin'--"

Winter set a hoof over her mouth, shaking his head, then pointing to the kitchen, where he was trying to get to.

Maple stood right in the way. "Nope! Both of you, sit down, relax. Maple's on the job tonight!" And off she trotted to get on that task.

Winter did not fight against Maple's volunteering to handle dinner duty for a change. He came inside, nosed at Summer warmly, and closed the door behind them with his glowing horn.

"Welcome home." She snuffled gently, noses close. "Oh, Winter, ah learned where kirins are from. We're thinkin' to go visit, all of us. Learn all about you, from the horse's mouth, as it were." Winter looked dubious. "They could help us avoid you settin' on fire again." His doubt faded. "An' we can learn all about kirin in general. Ya know 'bout ponies, but I don't know nothin' 'bout you. Ain't fair." She smooched his cheek. "All three of us."

Author's Note

How about we visit the kirin village? That sounds fun! Surely no typos will result.

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