Winter sat with his swaying tail carving relaxed trails behind him as he looked over at the other members of the group. There were about five there, including Winter. Each had a small stack of bits in front of them, though the bits varied in denomination from single bits to a hundred in a single coin.

Winter's stack had a few twenties and singles. He wasn't the richest there by far, but he wasn't the poorest either. It seemed clear there was skin in the game, regardless. He pointed to his stack, then to the pile that seemed to be the largest.

The earth pony that owned that enormous pile sat up. "Don't be sad none. We don't run on forsakin' rules fer that. Ah can only go as far as the highest pony. Won't be doin' the pushin'." He polished his chest with a hoof and a haughty expression. "Ah'm mostly in it fer the fun of it."

Winter inclined his head at Ten Gallon, who seemed to have the smallest stack of the bunch.

The rich pony gathered the intent with no more words than the none given. "Rule stays fer all of us. We play small until the junior players drop out, or stop bein' so small!" He clopped his considerable hooves together. "Name's Firm Step and it's nice to meet you. Yer the talk of the town."

Winter pointed at himself with an inclined head.

"Yes, you." Firm laughed at the very notion. "Not many got Miss Jubilee singin' their praises. Let's see how yer game goes."

They dealt out the cards. The game was quite similar to Texas hold 'em. He knew that game. Half the winning was not letting other see what you drew, and he knew how to do that. He was a calm kirin, and calm was his specialty!

"Before ya worry." Firm was watching Winter. "Ah'm dealin' out change. We can all play." They would not cancel games despite the lower players doin' their best against players with much larger bits.

The game's time ran out long before his bits did. Winter went home with a pouch about the same size as he had come with. The trick was that the amount each coin was worth had tilted slightly.

"Winter?" Summer was watching him come in the door. "You alright?"

Winter inclined his head at her. What about him wasn't good?

Summer reached out and carefully patted some flames away from his shoulder. Oh. "Yeah, don't know what you were doin'. Was it that stressful?"

Winter set his bag aside with a jingle. He pointed to it with a little smile.

"Ah don't know how much ya went with..." She sniffed the bag, for the good that did. "But ya look happy with it, so guessin' it went well." She threw her head towards the kitchen. "Ah got a snack ready fer ya, big player."

Winter gently nuzzled her and threw a hoof over to draw her close. However things went, Summer was worth being around. Without a word, he plodded past her to find what she had made. Turned out to be just as tasty as she promised. Light, crunchy, and just what he needed after that game.

The drink was a sweet fruit blend that seemed a little sour compared to the usual.

"Like it?" She was watching him. "Just the thing fer just before bed."

He swigged the last down and set the glass down with a nod. A last nuzzle and the two were off to bed to end the day.

It was a pity that the next game night didn't go so well. He came home with new smoldering flecks of flames and an empty bag of bits to his name. "Fleeced ya, huh?" Summer was there to help pat him out and offer consoling hugs.

"Probably did that on purpose." Winter perked an ear. "What? Never heard? They got the new player nice and comfy so they could take it all." She slid the empty money bag away. "Yer gonna have to get better, and jus' having a poker face ain't gonna cut it."

Winter touched his nose to her cheek and pointed in the factory's direction.

"Nothin' doin'!" She stomped in place. "Ah know how much ya went with this time, and makin' that up would overwhelm ya. Jus' take it as a lesson well in need of learning'." She huffed as she made sure she entirely put him out. "Don't bet what ya ain't already lost."

But he was back for the next card night. Sure, he was one of the low ball players with only single bit coins to their name, but he ignored any laughter that came from it. He was there to learn. When to fold and when to push. He had to learn their reactions just as well as hiding his own. He also had to react.

That was one of the stranger parts of it. He had to look happy or sad about things, to throw the others off their game at the right time. He had to seem confident in his placements. There were no words needed, but he still had to communicate clearly.

Ten Gallon nudged him away from the table. "Ah see what yer doin'. Right smart of ya." He tipped his enormous hat towards Winter. "Ain't so hot fer me. Ah ain't that bang-up at the game."

Winter inclined his head at the other low-bit player. He offered a hoof and Ten accepted it as the small pony came in for a hug.

Ten giggled as he came away from it. "Ya hug like a mare." It didn't look like he was complaining about that fact. "Come on, let's not give up our few bits to those aces so easy."

Much to the irritation of the other players, they didn't knock Winter out of the running for most of the session. He was getting the hang of it.

"Yer playing for real." Firm Step had his hooves crossed and was giving Winter a stern look just before he could flee with his lack of winnings. "Ain't right fer a bit player to stay on that long. Either play for real or find a lighter table to be at."

Glancing around revealed the other players looking at him anxiously. They wanted him to take one option given... Winter just nodded and walked off. Did that mean he'd be back with more bits? It was as many words as came from him on the average day.

"You're not smoking." Summer came in for warm noses and a quick smooch. "Does that mean you won? You won last time and..."

He had smoldered. But he wasn't that day. He returned the kiss and hugged her gently. He didn't share his plans, though. On his own, he would win or lose. That was a stallion's game between stallions. Dragging her into it just felt wrong.

Jubilee came up behind Winter the next day. "All planned. Yer big day's comin' this weekend!" She slipped a note past him. "All the invites are out. Everythin' is ready." She turned to the rest of the workers with a big smile. "We're takin' the last half of the last day off. Ah expect you all to show up with smiles." A cheer erupted. "An' you will get paid fer the missin' hours." The cheer redoubled in intensity, and Jubilee nodded in satisfaction.

Winter accepted the slip and floated it in into easy viewing. As Jubilee promised, that weekend. He pointed to himself, then Summer.

Jubilee hiked a brow at him. "Hm? What are ya askin'?"

Summer waved from her line. "Ah think he's askin' if we're prepared. Ya mentioned suits an' stuff, but none of us got that."

"Oh! Yes, of course." Jubilee started back towards her office. "Got that all sorted, but we should make sure everythin' fits right. What looks good on paper ain't always the real deal once you try it on." She was gone into her room with a click of a shut door.

The floor was full of a fresh wave of congratulations being offered to them. It was something of a surprise when Maple showed up. "I wasn't expectin' it neither!" She waves her hooves frantically at the other two members of her herd. "Just told Miss Jubi—Er, Mom had things fer us."

The three arrived at Jubilee's door at the same time. It was open. Inside was a smug Jubilee in front of three racks of clothing. Two of them were flowery dresses. One was a sharp tuxedo.

She had the dresses done up with ornaments of maple trees and honey jars on one, with cherries of all sorts on the other. The tuxedo had a bold pattern of icy breezes and blazing heat as if in competition across their cool colors. All three ponies approached the suit that was built for them. The earth ponies felt over them with curious hooves while Winter hovered his up into a slow rotating view before himself with the sheen of his magic.

"I don't need not one wit of magic to see that you all love it." Jubilee clapped her hooves with a starry smile. "You'll all look so dashing!"

Maple nosed into her dress with some hesitation. "An' we can keep these?"

"Yeah, it ain't for a second?" Summer peered at her boss with doubt.

Jubilee waved that right away. "They are already yours." She leaned in with a smile a size too large. "That is, assumin' you like them, ah course!" She walked in a dance towards Winter. "They cut this with your lines in mind. Destiny may have shaped you like a mare, but you'll be the most dashing stallion in the building."

Winter lowered his head as the tux slid closer. He stepped into it as he pulled it into position around himself, soon wearing it entirely in a move that would be called cheating to any pony that wasn't a unicorn. He pace from hoof to hoof as he looked himself over.

The wives were applauding at the appearance of their fire-winter themed husband. Maple leaned forward. "One thing. Our husband, lovely as he is, does also tend to ignite once in a while..."

Jubilee waved at Winter. "Go ahead, do the fire thing."

That was so much easier to say than it was to do. Winter frowned a little without arriving at an idea that would force the issue. He wasn't angry or upset, and his emotions felt securely controlled. He just wasn't ready to ignite.

Summer threw a leg over him, the other busy holding her dress. "He doesn't get to pick when he'll go on in flames. Ah'm pretty sure he doesn't want to do that even once."

Jubilee inclined her head at that. "Well, that's jus' fine. I had that suit made with that in mind, so it shouldn't burn up so easily. He can' get mad and still look good. Jus' hope he never has reason to be mad at me." She batted her lashes as she turned in place. "But ah am his mother, so ah'll get right on his nerves given some time."

Maple burst into giggles at that presented idea. "Mom, are you really alright being our honorary, well, moms? I have a mom!" She threw her hooves wide. "In fact, callin' you both mom will be kinda awkward."

Jubilee raised a brow. "You ain't even the first wife that had two moms in attendance. Just pretend ah'm hers." She pointed to Summer with a little smile. "No offense to hers', but she ain't in a position to be there, much as I'd like her to be."

Summer wilted at that. "Ah can't help that none..." Her parents being there was well beyond her power. "Still... if you insist... mom... then ah accept that. But you best not be bad mouthin' mah original parents! They worked hard to get me where I am."

"And ah'm right glad they did." She went in for a hug with Summer. "Or ah'd never got to meet with ya!"

Author's Note

So, silly question, but I have been using a grammar checker for the last week and change. Notice any difference?

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