Before long, they had unpacked their things and got themselves sorted in the new home. The three little ones had cleaned up and were dashing around excitedly, and the two mares were only looking a step less excited.

Autumn appeared shortly after with a small entourage of other kirin. "Hello! Welcome, welcome! Here, I brought some of my friends, for you to meet. They're looking forward to it too." She stepped aside and waved the other kirin forward. "And this is Winter, married to Summer." She pointed as she went. "And they had a cute little kirin child, Dusk, who's a twin sister to Dawn, not a kirin." She kept right on pointing with each name. "But that's not all! He married Maple too, and they had Spruce. They're all one big happy family!"

A cheer went up at that. "Awesome, a kirin family! That's totally sweet. We got a lot of family-based ponies around too," One of the newcomers spoke up, pressing into the house with a smile. "And you all look ready for the festival." He swished his tail, flicking it from one side to the other, then back and forth, slowly building speed. "Whoa, that feels great."

Dawn's ears wobbled and flattened. Dusk took a protective position in front of her. "Who are you?"

The strange kirin turned to the foals. "Oh, hello there." He lowered himself down to his belly. "What an adorable little fella you are."

Winter's magic glowed around both foals, drawing them up and over to float on either side of him. "They're not used to other kirin, and so many. Please give them some time to adjust."

The kirin flipped their ears back before they rebounded almost as suddenly. "I'm being rude, sorry." He hopped up to his hooves and started for the door. "This is a new experience for most of you. Just know you're welcome here." He popped out into the crowd of other kirin.

Winter leaned down to brush a nuzzle against his children. "That's nice, right?"

Summer nodded, and Maple offered a smile. "Everypony's nice so far, but--" She laughed nervously. "It's a lot." She looked up at where all the smiling kirin were. "They weren't quite this excited the last time we visited them."

Autumn pressed through them easily. "Coming through, coming through!" She turned around when she got past them to face the crowd. "You all have things to do. Shoo." She waved them away, banishing the kirin off and away. "Sorry about that. They just got excited about the idea of a pony-kirin." She brushed herself off, looking rather pleased with herself. "Anyway, you'll want to get cleaned up, and the big party won't start until nightfall, so you've got time to kill."

Winter inclined his head at Autumn, nose twitching faintly. "I don't mean to pry, but is this a first?"

"First?" Autumn jumped. "Oh! Right, yeah?" She looked to little, floating, Dusk. "You are the first half pony, half kirin that I know of."

Dusk paddeled in the air, getting nowhere. "Is that bad?"

"It's not bad," hotly defended Dawn. "Besides, I'm half pony and half kirin too." She folded her little arms and huffed. "I just don't look so, uh, obvious?"

Autumn laughed softly at their antics. "I suppose you two are a special case. How cool for you. Be unique!"

Dusk perked up slightly at the thought of being different. "How can I be unique if my sister is the same thing?"

Winter gently nuzzled his floating son. "Being one of only two is still fairly unique, Dusk." He turned his nuzzles on Dawn. "And you're right, you are exactly the same half and half. You don't need a funny horn."

Dawn grabbed Winter's snout, giving her leverage to pull up onto his head and cling to his horn despite his magic on her. "What's the party about?"

Autumn snickered at the antics of the filly. "Didn't I say before? We'll be doing the tailshake dance. I hope your tail's ready to shake! Little foals like you can play with the other foals if you like, or dance with us big creatures if you prefer. I'm going to show the moves to the tailshake in a few minutes, you're all invited if you want."

The family listened as the kirin explained, even as Dawn climbed down from her father's horn. "I don't know." Dusk floated down, set down by Winter. "I'll watch." He glanced aside at Dawn. "Then we can decide."

"Only after," suddenly added Spruce. He approached at a sedate walk. "Technically, I'm half too." He pointed at Winter. "He's my dad."

Dawn colored fiercely across her face. "I'm sorry! I forgot! Which sounds so bad. I'm sorry!" She pounced Spruce, just to bury her face against his side and shoulder. "Forgive me!"

Spruce threw her down, just to roll onto her, smooching her chest. "You are, um, it's okay." He sat up on her, tail swaying. "Let's learn the dance." He stood up and dragged her along, hooves sliding.

The three foals charged out, their parents trailing behind with gentle smiles.

"I hope they enjoy the festival." Maple let out a gentle sigh. "I worry we're not doing enough."

Winter touched her shoulder. "They're children. Let them enjoy the festival without worry, and we can enjoy it without worry too." He considered for a quiet moment as they walked through the kirin town. "Don't feel like you're being judged. You're not, I think." He tapped the ground as he went. "They are marveling, at the ponies who married one of them. At the kirin that married them. They are happy, I think."

Summer nuzzled Maple's back gently. "You're worrying too much, Maple. You always worry too much." She poked at Winter with her hoof. "I wish you'd learn from her example."

Winter started at that. "You want me to worry more?"

Summer burst into a fit of giggles. "Sometimes, a little." She shook her head. "I'm being a little silly, and nervous. Let's learn this dance."

They arrived at a clearing among the trees where familiar kirin stood, Still Insight. Still smiled on spotting them in kind. "Winter, Summer, Maple, and—" She trailed off, eyes lowering to the little ones dashing excitedly about. "Mmm." Her horn glowed gently a moment. "I can feel the family in them all. All yours?"

Winter blushed faintly. "All mine."

Still raised a hoof to her face. "You wasted no time at all. Congratulations. Have you put aside your fears then?"

"Yes." Winter advanced on her, the two meeting nose to nose in a gently bump. "Thank you for your help." He turned back to his wives. "We are very happy."

"Pleased as punch." Maple nodded firmly. "Now, are you the teacher of the special dance?" She tossed her head with a little smirk. "I hope it's easy to learn."

Still laughed gently. "I'm not the only teacher. I'm a guest dancer. But, since you are here today, I will be the one here for you." She gently urged them back. "Join the others. Turn to face the creature in front of you's back end, yes." She stepped up to help some kirin that weren't quite facing the right way. "Don't be shy. Pretend you're lining up for something you want. Alright. Now."

Still stepped back to where she could see the whole semi-circle of kirin, and two ponies. "In front, take a step forward. Good. Second, grab their tail by the tip. You can use your mouth or your magic, take your pick." There were some giggles and chuckles, but the second kirin took the first kirin's tail with a glowing horn. With that first done, it began to ripple along, each kirin grabbing the tail of the one in front of them as they walked, the semi-circle becoming a full circle slowly.

When they reached Maple, who was at the front of the family's section, she colored brightly. Being an earth pony, magic wasn't an option. Sure, a few kirin had just chomped the next's tail in their mouth, but it was her turn. She glanced back at her supportive family, then gently nipped the kirin in front of her on the tail and started ahead.

Winter was right behind her, gently grabbing her tail in his magic, and he snorted with a smile as his tail was grabbed in Summer's mouth.

She, in turn, lowered her tail so Dusk could get a grip with his flickering magic. The colt was still learning how to use that horn of his.

Dawn grabbed Dusk by the tail with a little playgrowl of a successful hunt.

Spruce took hold of Dawn without fanfare, allowing the circle to complete itself around Still. Still applauded. "Good good! Now the shake! With every step, sway your tail in the direction of which hoof you just stepped forward with. Back and forth and back and forth. The faster you go, the faster the shake."

They did their best to move together, some a little better than others, some moving far slower than others, but as they learned, they worked together to do the best they could manage. The shaking was awkward in places, but also enjoyable in its own way, even more so as they saw the expressions of pleasure and delight on the faces of their partners as their tails shook to and fro, up and down, and around.

A song picked up, drums beating a rhythm, and a melody running through the air. They were doing the tailshake, a dance of community and kinship, where the movement of the kirin, or pony, ahead and behind both mattered, as did one's own. They all had to come together in a joyful harmony to do it right. That circle wasn't perfect, but they were doing it, clumsily or not, they had become one community unit.

Still clopped her cloven hooves along with the music. "Step, step, step." Right in time with her claps, which was in turn along with the music. "Sway, sway, sway. You're all doing it. Not so eager!" She pointed at a kirin swaying a little too much. "The kirin behind you is attached, remember. We don't want to go too hard. Step, step."

Summer nudged Winter's rump. "This is great."

"A very interesting dance." Winter swayed his tail, brushing it fuzzy bottom against Summer's snout. "But it's very good fun, too."

"Very fun," squeaked out Dawn from behind them. "Ready!"

Dusk nodded lightly. "Ready, yes. We can do the dance. I want to do the dance, the real one."

Spruce glanced back at the grown pony that had his tail, then looked forward at his siblings ahead of him. "Okay." No great fanfare.

Maple turned an ear back at the rest of the family. "Sounds like we're all going to do the tailshake. I'm so proud of everycreature right now."

Still held up her hooves. "And stop, gently, don't crash into your forward partner." Despite her words, a few did bump at the call to stop, but nothing bad happened other than a few laughs at how silly they felt at doing it. "Now, at the real dance, they may ask you to get a little fancier." She swirled her hooves. "Turning away, towards the outside, then back into the circle and grabbing their tail again. Or even switching partners. Don't panic, you already have the hard part down."

Winter raised a hoof.

Still pointed at him. "Yes?"

"We would prefer to stay close to our children." He pointed at the three little ones. "That's alright?"

"That is perfectly fine." Still nodded firmly. "This is a celebration, not an excuse to make kirin, or ponies, upset. If you want to, do it. If you don't, stay where you are. No words, just stay still. If a creature's staying still, you leave them alone, and just worry about moving yourself. This is a dance of us all being together." She paced around the edge of the circle. "Now, I have work to do, you have practicing to do. Break, but stay in line, and get ready to dance again!" She trotted off.

Author's Note

A fun dance, but it does involve some basic trust, letting your neighbor grab your tail like that as you all go around. Would you give it a spin?

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