"Shoulda asked about that." Summer scowled at her husband. "A pony mare doesn't... normally go through this."

"I'm sorry." Winter closed in at her side, tail lashing with worry. Let the emotions out, let feelings be feelings. He wouldn't bottle up his anger, no more. The nirik would only be set free when it was needed. "Can I help?"

"Mmmf... Ah'm powerful glad you talk more these days." She curled to touch noses with him. "Because ah need yer words right now. And ah need you to understand. When a pony momma and... a pony daddy... love each other very much..."

"We did that." He nodded firmly, remembering the act clearly enough. "A few times."

She swatted at him, barking into laughter. "Don't gloat! We did that... a few times... Now I'm growing a new wonderful child... Now, mmm, normally, a pony momma stays nice and slender until that big day comes. This!" She curled a hoof at her midsection, growing round. "This ain't slender! Ya ruined mah figure! Pesky kirin blood..."

"We didn't ask about that..." They had failed to ask the kirin how kirins had their foals, but they also hadn't even thought it'd be at all different from ponies. "Can I help?" He was sure he wanted to do that.

"Well, for one... ah'm gonna use more days off than I planned..." Summer stomped a hoof on the ground. "I hate that part... I don't want to be a layabout... but..."

"You are working harder than me." He kissed her cheek gently. "You are growing another whole pony in there. That's work. That's a job. You don't even get a break." He smiled gently at his wife. "We should check with Maple."

"Right!" Summer righted herself, blushing faintly. "Went an' got words, then got all smooth with 'em..." She set off at a firm walk, not outside though. No need for that! The union of her house with Maple's had been a complete success. She had only to go down a hallway to spill out into Maple's living room. "Ya here?"

"Hm?" Maple peeked out from around a corner, a smile overtaking her features. "Summer! Winter! My favorite seasons done came to say hi." She rushed out to touch noses to each of them, her own midsection swollen with impending life.

Winter hummed softly. "Not as large."

Maple blinked at this judgement. "Um, ain't sure how to take that..."

"He ain't wrong." Summer went to stand next to Maple. They were both swollen, but one was larger than the other, and Summer was winning that race. "Winter!"

"W-what?" He recoiled, ears pinning. "You don't have to shout..."

Summer curled a hoof at herself. "Either ya gave me one big foal, or ah got two of them in there! Twins in ponies are powerful rare... An' need extra care..." She sagged against a wall. "I'll be wit' the doctors at the end of this."

Maple leaned in to rub her side to Summers. "You'll be wit' all of us. Also, ya... got a foal afore I did, so maybe ah'll just swell up wit' time. It's too early to be sure, ain't it?"

Winter nodded with Maple's words. "We'll be here, for sure. Do you need today off?"

"Yes," miserably admitted Summer. "Please tell Miss Jubilee..." She smirked at the thought. "Be sure to tell her why. She'll probably like that."

"Probably..." Winter thought of their boss/adoptive mother. She seemed to enjoy the idea of their family growing, and the steps involved. "I will tell her, and work twice as hard." He turned for the door, Maple's door, as it was closer. "Need anything else?"

Maple raised a hoof. "I want a big tub with sour candy."

Summer thumped against Maple. "Not candy! There's a reason swollen mares have a reputation. Pickles. And, mmm, somethin' spicy fer dinner, please..." She sank to the ground. "Thank you..."

"I wish I could do more." Winter fled, shopping trip planning in his head. "Love you." He smiled at the two and vanished out the door to work.

Maple gently pushed at Summer, rolling her over slowly onto her side. "Well, he may be gone, but ah'm still here. How can ah make ya happier?"

Summer kept right on rolling on her own power until her belly was up. "I feel like somepony's fillin' me up from the inside! It... ain't that much fun."

"No it ain't." Clearly it wasn't as bad for Maple, but she moved with Summer, a sympathetic look worn. "Hey..." which faded to curiosity as she spotted something. "That ain't normal." She placed a hoof on Summer's lower belly, rubbing in slow circles.

Summer squeaked, eyes going wide. "Sensitive!" But not entirely in a bad way. She shivered and wriggled, trying to get used to it, but having Maple casually massaging her udder like that was a new sensation from every angle, considering she basically didn't have one of those before gaining a child on the way. "What'd... you find?"

[lewd]

Maple nosed slowly through the soft fur, her tongue flicking out at that nub of flesh that made Summer shiver. "This right here..."

"What... is that?" Most ponies didn't have to think about that, or even really have that, but...

Maple recoiled suddenly, licking her lips. "That's... That's milk." She went right in, nosing the spot the milk had come from, rubbing her sensitive snoot on that equally sensitive teat. "May I? Ah wanna try a little..."

Summer reached down, grasping Maple's head from above gently. "Be careful... Um, but alright..." No harm was being done to her, so far she could see. "Sensitive," she hissed, but smiled a little at her wife. "So take it easy."

Maple sealed her lips around that nipple, but didn't suck. She gently gummed at the spot instead, rubbing with her hooves in slow full-udder caresses. The way summer groaned and flexed beneath her was guidance enough that she was pressing the right buttons. Her mouth filled with milk, not the cool sort one expected from a box or bottle, but warm, body temperature warm and full of the life giving first milk meant for a foal. Thick, sweet... and she kinda liked it.

She formed a tight seal arond the teat, nosing into the spot as she encouraged it to surrender that rich prize to her waiting tongue, not that said tongue was idle, teasing and rubbing at Summer, drawing ever louder squeaks of pleasure. Maple wasn't a foal, and she fed for pleasure, a pleasure she was all too happy to share right back. "Consarnit..." Summer moved to hug Maple's entire upper body close. "Don't... stop whatever yer doin'..." sighed out Summer, holding gently to her lover.

Maple parted gently from the udder, only to switch to the other Summer had. "You two deserve equal love." She sealed to it, daring a little suction, just a little. It was enough to get things moving rapidly with a squeaking gasp from the pony attached.

"If this is what... it'll feel like, no wonder mother ponies always look so sunny and rosey." Summer laughed at the serene mental image of a mother with that little blush in her cheeks. "Ah'da never guessed... Good fer 'em."

"Good fer us too," got out Maple in a brief break. "Yer lucky ya happen to be right tasty on top of bein' a great pony."

"Aw." She ruffled maple around her ears. "Love you too, silly thing."

[/lewd]

Winter trotted with determination into the factory where good days happened. "Good morning," he greeted to ponies as he went by, waving at a few that popped up at a good time during his gait. "Good morning."

"Morning, Winter!" A stallion returned the wave, already seated as his place on the sorting line. "Ready for a day?"

"Extra ready." Winter knocked gently on the office door. "Ma'am?"

"Is that a kirin ah hear?" came the belle behind the door. "Come right on in."

Winter pushed in and kicked the door shut behind him. "Ma'am."

"Still getting used to that." Cherry Jubilee was smiling brightly. "But I like it... You jus' keep on singin' those sweet notes ah yers. Now, what's on yer mind? I don't miss havin' to guess half the time."

Winter pointed back the way he just came. "Summer's out today. It's my fault."

Cherry inclined her head. "Well, if it involves yer foal, ah suppose it is at least half yer fault. But it's half her fault too. Shared thing, those foals." She giggled out a sigh. "Do bring them by when they're finished with their grand entrance. I wanna see my little new child! But, gettin' distracted. Ya know we got a policy fer this. Any little daughter ah mine's feelin' down with a foal, she just takes the day off." She had a generous maternity leave, covering most of their pay without a word of fuss. "You know that."

"I know... But this is worse."

Cherry sat up sharply. "Is she ill? Is somethin' wrong? You tell me right now!"

"N-no!" He waved his hooves negatively. "But... kirin." He pointed at himself. "She's growing more than... usual. She's..." He hugged a big imagined ball in front of himself. "She's fine, but big... She won't be coming back until... the child, probably... I'm so sorry. I am ready to work extra hard."

Cherry sank to the floor, sliding from her chair. "Poor thing... What happens when you decide to see what you get wit' somethin' ain't a pony." She closed with him. "Still, if she had to go an' pick somethin', 'least it's a pretty thing." She smooched his cheek, smiling at his effimate features. Winter was still as much mare as stallion in shape, leaning more towards mare than even most kirin did, and they were already pretty effimate. "Alright. I know ah can trust you. You'll be workin' fer two, and ah won't raise not one word until she's got a foal in her arms, and some time to get used to 'em. One thing!" She raised a hoof at that last part. "Somethin' a lot of fellas don't even think about, but ah do."

"What's that, ma'am?" He inclined his head at her, cheeks warmed from the gentle kiss placed on them. "Did I forget something?"

"Ya sure did. Fathers get time too, once the foal's here. I won't be expecting either of you fer a while. You love that foal and their mother. That'll be yer job! I'll expect you to be just as diligent about it, and ah will be askin', so you hug them close and keep 'em happy. That's what a father does." Cherry nodded along with her words in the same tempo. "An' ah got a feelin' you'll be a fine one of those."

Winter smiled. It was no large grin. He was still a bit relatively subdued. "Thank you. I should get to work." He parted with one final wave and emerged from the office to take his place on the line, horn already glowing with the promise of many sorted cherries.

The ponies around him seemed to notice his readiness, adopting stances of equal vigor. Their line would be moving faster that day. It wasn't the first time Winter put in extra effort, and they had learned the signs some time ago.

Cherry was a kind boss, but she got her numbers to balance in the end. It's how she kept her factory running. It was that kindness, and demand, that got Winter sorting manically. Good cherries there. Red, green, bad... He couldn't sort all of them, not at that extra speed, but they were a team. He had to look at the ones that escaped the pony in front of him, and there was a pony behind him to finish the job. So long as they each did their part, the machine worked, that machine made of living ponies that produced delicious cherries ready to buy.

It was hard work, but it was work he was alright doing. The rewards felt more than worth it.

Author's Note

Welcome back Summer, Winter, and Maple. Family life proceeds. Winter's ready to be the dad of the family.