It was almost time for the party to begin, but they needed to get ready. Dusk, Dawn, and Spruce all had something to change into for the dance, but the grownups all had to get ready, and quickly.

The three foals headed out into the main room, dressed in their fancy outfits, a formal set of clothing for the three of them. Spruce looked embarrassed in the formal garb. Dawn looked very uncomfortable and wiggled as she went, and Dusk seemed very interested in the outfit.

As the three stepped out into the main room, the three parents were finishing up.

All three of the adults went quiet, turning as one to gape at their foals. "Aw." Maple ended up being the first to break the silence, prompting the others to rush in and fuss over how adorable their foals were in their outfits.

Spruce tried to shrink a little more with everypony looking at him, and he was trying to hide behind his tail.

Summer nuzzled him gently. "You look so cute, ah can hardly stand it!"

Winter nosed him from the other side. "Are you alright?"

Spruce wheeled on Winter with surprise. "Why did you, um, ask that?"

"Because you look how I've felt before." Winter put a hoof on his chest. "It's too much? Just tell me."

"Yea." Spruce slumped into a sad, little, heap. "It's too much."

Summer leaned in. "How about you wear the shirt, and take the coat off. It looks better with the coat, but if you want to go coatless, we're not gonna make ya."

Spruce considered the idea, ears twitching. "It's not the clothes, um, not just that." He worried his hooves gently. "This'll be the first time I'm with so many creatures at the same time, and they'll be kirin." He sniffled suddenly. "I'm only half-kirin, and I don't even look it. What if they don't like me? What if they're thinking it but never say it out loud?!" He had worked himself into a small, pathetic, crying, pile of foal by the end.

Maple's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden meltdown. "Hey hey, it's okay." She reached to pick Spruce up, but Winter got there first, snatching them away with his magic. Maple huffed, but looked to the other foals. "How're the rest of ya feelin'?"

Fortunately for them all, Dusk and Dawn seemed ready for the dance, minus watching Spruce with some concern.

Winter nosed and murmured at Spruce. There were no words at first, just proximity and shared warmth. "If you don't want to go, you don't have to." He nipped at Spruce's ear. "You owe them nothing, but, I think, they'd like to dance with you."

Spruce lifted the nipped ear curiously, the other pinned flat. "How do you know?"

"They're nice." Winter smiled gently. "I've met them before. They're curious and nice, not mean. They're friends you haven't made yet, but they'd like to fix that." He set Spruce down. "Take your coat off, then let's go. You can sit out if it gets too much. Okay?"

Spruce looked down at his coat. "Mm. No." He moved to join the others, coat still on. "Let's go."

Dusk reached over, tugging on Spruce's tail. "Are you okay?"

Spruce's ears danced, then he shook his head. "No, but I'm going to be." He pounced the others and they squealed as only foals could, soon hugging one another in firm support.

Summer smiled at the exchange. "We have some fine foals." She nosed gently at Winter's cheek. "And they have a caring father. You handled that pretty good, if ya don't mind mah sayin'."

Winter gave a short chuckle. "I am glad I was able to help. I think my own concerns have faded."

Maple trotted up to his side. "Doesn't seem like ya need to worry much now that they're happy." She gestured with her hoof at the foals. "Shall we be on our way, or do you wanna discuss this more?"

Winter glanced between the foals and his wives, then towards the door. "Let's go." With a soft sway of his ornate tail, he went with his wives, foals eagerly up front, towards the well-lit dance grounds, the field of flowers decorated with bright colors, ribbons, and lamps.

It was starting to grow late, but the gathering had gathered, and the food and drinks were beginning to be passed around as well. There were tables with more food and bits of art to enjoy as well. The foals became distracted with a whole new thing, kirin foals.

"Why don't you have a horn?" asked one of those foals, looking at Dawn curiously.

Dusk stood tall. "She is an earth pony kirin"

A ripple of 'ohs' echoed through the crowd of little curious faces.

The original speaker tilted her head. "That's cool!" She looked at Dawn. "So do you have wings, or are you just a pony?"

"Just a pony." Dawn trotted up to the bigger, younger, kirin. "If I had wings, silly, you could see them." She turned to display her back, with no wings in sight. "Do you have wings?"

"No." The kirin giggled with a grin, her tail twitching behind her. "But I have a horn. Nice to meet you." She turned, presenting her horn. "I'm BrightEvening. Do you wanna play with us?"

Dawn gasped. "What kinda game? Is it fun?!" She bounced with excitement, tail wagging back and forth.

Winter smiled at the sight of his foals rushing off with the others to play. "They're getting along. Good." He looked to his wives to see they hadn't rushed off, still close at his side. "You can play too."

Maple blinked softly. "I'm not a foal, and the play we'll be doin' is the dance."

Summer nodded in solidarity with Maple. "It looks like they're about to get started. The adults are all linein' up. Why don't we join?" She smiled at the other two. "Together."

Winter looked over the group. "Together. Always."

A kirin stepped up, tail swishing, the other kirin forming a semi-circle. Without calling, their foals rushed to them as the preparation for the line got serious. Soon, the whole family was facing the tail of the one in front of them, and the dance began.

As they had been warned, the dance got a bit fancier at times, with calls to turn one way or the other, to move and shake as they held the tail to shake it properly. It was a delicate balance, especially for the pony couple, but they were able to keep up and enjoy themselves as they danced, the children getting caught up in the movements and the music as they were all guided along by the rhythms.

None of them stumbled more than an instant, and they got through the evening with smiles. The line began to slow, but the energy didn't. The kirin started talking among themselves, turning from a dance to a chance to mingle and have fun. The children were delighted by this as they started playing together again.

After the dance was finished, the little family fell apart. Winter was looking for his little ones while Summer and Maple went off to grab a snack or two. He found Dawn by herself, which struck him as unusual.

"Hello." He sat beside her. "You alright?"

Dawn leaned against him and said nothing, but seemed in a quiet way to be happy to have him, and he returned the favor by quietly accepting her presence. They just sat there, side by side, and that was enough for both to look pleased.

The longer they were silent, though, the more curious he became. "Are you waiting for the others?" He didn't get a response for a long time. He rubbed against her. "Would you like to tell me where Dusk went off to?"

Dawn raised a hoof to point at where Dusk was charging towards them with Spruce at his side. The two colts ran right into Winter and Dawn, nearly toppling over them, but they all recovered with only a bit of squawking and shouting.

Spruce jumped on top of Winter as the largest adult, clinging to his horn, then his mane. Winter laughed at the sudden wrestling, grabbing at Spruce with his magic and squeezing the colt. "There you are. Everycreature having fun?"

Dusk nodded, bouncing. "This is neat. I've never seen so many kirin!"

Dawn bobbed her head. "Yeah! Yeah!" Her tail wagged happily. She leaned in. "I was a little nervous too. Dusk at least looks like a kirin."

Dusk colored when called. "I didn't pick it."

Spruce and Dawn practically fell over him from opposite sides with warm hugs.

Winter smiled down at Dusk. "You're perfect the way you are. There are other kirin here." He made a sweeping gesture. "One of the foals, Bright Evening, is only a kirin from her momma's side."

All three foals sat up with surprise. Dawn inclined her head. "What's her daddy then?"

Spruce pointed at himself. "I thought we were the only half-kirin here! She's nice." He flushed with embarrassment. "I, wow." He sat up with a smile. "We're not the only ones."

Maple gestured with her head. "I'm glad you're all lookin' real happy, but if ya didn't eat, ya should. Look at all the vittles they done spread out fer us."

Summer nodded. "Yah, it'll be yer only chance to try kirin food!"

With that, the foals took off, only to find out that Winter and the two mares were hot on their trail. Taking it as a race without any other prompting, they rushed to the tables, climbed up, and gazed with wonder at the glistening food and the rich smells that taunted them.

The kirin at the table all chuckled at the foals. "Help yourselves." The closest to them pushed forward a plate. "That one is spicy, be careful, but there are plenty with less, if you prefer."

The foals were barely paying attention, trying out the foods with reckless abandon. If a given dish was not to their taste, they moved on to the next with only a look of disgust.

Spruce's ears pricked at he sank his teeth into something that was cold, yet hot, at the same time. "Ooo, what is this?"

A kirin standing nearby smiled at the little pony. "Spice ice cream, a favorite. Cold, and hot, just like us kirin." Several other kirin nodded in agreement with this assessment.

Winter hummed softly at the offer, and then a moment later, at the description. "It certainly does sound kirin. I will have some."

The foals took a bit of time to sample a number of the dishes, making sure to get one of everything, if they like it, they were quick to share it with the others. Some of them they all liked, others had one or two champions. No food there was disliked by all of them.

Maple dipped her head at the kirin nearby. "Sorry if our foals are makin' a mess. We'll clean up after 'em, promise!" She watched as Dusk licked a bowl clean with a satisfied snort, then placed it back down on the table.

The kirin smiled at her, waving her worries away. "They're helping us enjoy the food, they're not causing trouble. Such darlings." They watched the little ones settle, clearly filled. "But their parents should take this chance to enjoy themselves. They look like they're not moving."

Summer pouted as she sat down with Maple and Winter. "The adults should have their own fun."

"I'm having fun." Winter nuzzled Summer, then Maple. "We're all together and everyone is happy. That dance was interesting." He flicked his tail gently. "And you all did a great job of keeping up with me. I was the one who tripped last."

Maple settled down beside Summer. "It's easy to dance when ah can see what the pony in front of me is doin'." She rubbed against Summer with a little murmur. "And ah had you two right wit' me." She wrapped her tail around one of Winter's, and one of Summer's, the three of them merrily wrapped together. "It's like bein' back at home."

Winter chuckled, but fell quiet with pensive thoughts. "I don't think there's many places I would be bothered being, if my family was with me."

Maple and Summer Awed in unison and hugged their husband tight.

It didn't last, as Autumn charged up. "I see you all have made yourselves comfortable!" She joined them at the table, just to lean in. "So, how was it? Did you have fun? Did you trip? Tell me every single detail!"

Winter smiled at the excitable kirin. "You are the heat that never dies. A blaze with no Autumn."

Autumn blinked at that. "I never thought of it like that! Wow, deep." She pressed a cloven hoof to Winter's snout. "But, seriously, tell me! How'd it go? Like it?"

Summer laughed brightly at Autumn's antics. "It went just fine. We did the tailshake. A little on the sloppy side, but we're not kirin. Ah bet yer used to more precision than we could ever do."

Autumn broke into fresh laughs. "No," she cut in sharply. "We just do it anyway. We have a little more practice, but no special kirin powers let us do the tailshake any better. I guess the difference is just how you think of it." She pulled back, pointing her hoof at each of the adults. "You think you failed because you were bad kirin, and some of us would think you were doing the dance great for a pony. You're new to town, gonna be some adjusting involved."

Author's Note

This family is adorable, that is all.

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