Springtime Falls on Winter's Frost

Maple ran her tongue over the frozen surface of the ice pop. It was her own creation. One had to mix maple with just the right other companions to make a proper pop, or you could end up with a slushy thing instead. Not that maple slush was an awful thing, a fine thing to stuff in a snow cone, really.

But that hadn't been her goal. She wanted an ice pop, and that was what she got, flopped on her side, nursing on the frozen sweet treat. She felt bloated and big and a little immobile. "Dang..." The kirin curse had caught up with her, leaving her rounded in a variety of ways.

A clopping from the door got her to sit up slowly. "Who's there?" she called out towards the closed door. "Ah'll be there, but it's gonna take a moment."

The door cracked open, something on the other side casually opening it just a little. "That you, Maple?" came the voice of a neighbor. "Everythin' alright? Jus' swingin' by to check in on you."

Maple smiled at the closed door, feeling a relief she didn't realize was needed. "Y'all are too nice... Ah'm a bit of a mess right now."

"Ain't no thing," assured the unseen stallion. "If ah can help, just lemme know!"

"Come in." She swiped at some of the drips of maple and stickiness, trying to compose herself as best she can as the stallion stepped in. "Sorry for the mess."

He took off his hat and held it between both hooves. "Ah came to help, not to throw blame around. Ah heard from Winter you two were havin' a hard time of it, and ah know he's kinda busy right now."

Maple groaned at the thought. "We're both out of work right now. Look at me! I'm a big blimp!" She fought her way to her hooves. "And he's workin' twice as hard in his own way to make sure we don't worry fer even half a second 'bout how the bits are comin'."

"Yer jus' fine, ma'am." He wasn't staring at her. That was impolite. "But ya could use a helpin' hoof. Mind if ah ain't the only one?"

This made Maple incline her head. "What? Only one what?"

"Helpin'." He whistled sharply, summoning the rest of Winter's poker buddies. "Friends gotta stick together! We'll get this place spruced up for ya."

The short pony with the large hat, Ten Gallon, tipped it on the way in. "Where would you like me to start?"

Maple couldn't see, eyes filling with tears. "Ya don't... have to..." But there they were, ready to help. "Winter made some fine friends... Well, if you're going to help, Ah insist ah know yer names!"

So they took a moment to introduce themselves. "Ma'am," following most of the names. Once they were said, they got to work cleaning and straightening.

"Ah'm Maple." Though the odds of any of them not knowing her name felt small. "Thank ya'all kindly for just... comin' like this. Did Winter ask ya?"

Ten Gallon peeked out of the kitchen, duster dangling from his jaw. "Nope."

"Reckon he never would," agreed a larger stallion. "Proud boy, that kirin. Why we figured we'd either come and get it done, or it wouldn't ever get done."

One walked past, taking out the trash. "That goes fer you too! This town ain't that big. We're a family, consarnit. So let us take care of a pony out of sorts." A loud chorus of cheers arose, all in agreement that helping a pony in need was a fine thing to do.

Maple perked an ear. She had heard something. She left the stallions to investigate the noise, drawn to Summer's room. "Everythin' alright?" She opened the door to find Summer peering at her confusedly. "Everythin's alright, promise!" She scurried in and closed the door behind her. "Buncha friends of Winter came to lend some helpin' hooves. Y'know, cleanin' up an' whatnot."

Summer skewed an ear off. "Really?" She jumped at a thump. "Sounds like they're half tearin' the house apart. Blasted stallions, don't know how to do thin's gently..."

"They're doing their best." Maple came in to gently rub noses with Summer. "Should I let them in here or not? Your call. They'll clean up. They ain't here to make fun of nopony. They saw me lookin' a mess and they didn't even bat a lash."

"You're still a mess." Despite that, she hugged Maple firmly. "We both do, er, are... Now... This is rude, help me up." With Maple's assistance, Summer got herself standing and they both headed out to the living room that had stallions rushing to and fro in their cleaning frenzy.

"Thank y'all kindly," started Summer, blushing mildly. "Ah'm hardly prepared for this... Sorry."

"Ain't no thang," assured one stallion that was doing the dishes with squeaks of the sponge against the dirty plate. "Winter's an upright kinda kirin. A fine friend."

"An' if his mares need a helpin' hoof," added another. "Well, ah ain't gonna let that be the case! 'Sides, he's gotta live here too.

"Oh, got jus' the thing." Maple hurried as best as her slow form allowed, throwing open the freezer and half-nosing out a five out of six pack of frozen maple sticks. "Eat up!"

Ten Gallon took one of the frozen treats and gave it a tasting lick. "Mmm, ain't bad." Which was sign enough to get the others over to try it, taking a pause from their work, at least briefly.

Maple watched them devour her sugary snacks with a smile with pride swelling visibly. "Mah best maple, made wit' love."

One of the stallions chuckled. "Yer makin' us blush. Ain't our place to take no love from another stallion's mare like that."

Maple snorted at the objection. "That's the kind of love that's alright to share. You take it an' you like it!"

"Yes, ma'am." The stallion had the sense to not argue that, tipping his hat instead. "Much 'ppreciated."

"Ah'll draw up a bath." A stallion trotted so gingerly towards one of the bathrooms. "Let you know when it's ready."

Summer clopped a hoof on her cheek. "It's nice bein' reminded we got such good neighbors like that. Ya know, this is the house they built."

"Ah remember..." It was hard to forget, their two houses having been mashed together, making their union as literal as possible. "They did a nice job with it too. I love our house."

"Love it too." Summer leaned over to smooch Maple's cheek. "An' the ponies in it." She jumped. "Ooo, easy in there..." She reached down to rub the spot where she'd been kicked from inside with a motion of her unborn foal. "Still ain't sure how big y'are, or if it's a colt or a filly... Think ah should check?"

Maple considered that with a soft hum. "Well... Checking is good, but you don't need to be told. Ah mean, let the nice doctor have a peek, jus' to be sure everythin's bakin' right in there, but they don't need to tell ya. That can still be a surprise. Not like we'll love 'em less whatever they come out as."

"That's true..." Summer sat up, spotting the bath drawing pony emerging. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I want that bath."

Maple swatted Summer's rump. "Go get 'em!"

As if Summer needed encouragement, she staggered towards the waiting water with an expectant grin.

Maple thanked the stallion on the way past. "Since yer all cleanin'... ah'll get the other bathroom." More mobile than Summer, she made herself to the second bathroom to enjoy some soap and the warm rays of a supportive community.

Winter returned home with a happy sigh. Another day's work complete! "I'm home," he called as he opened the door, just to pause. It was clean. It was all clean. Something had somehow... cleaned his house. "Everypony alright?" He hurried inside, horn closing the door behind him. "Summer, Maple?"

"Right here." Maple leaned out from the kitchen. "Welcome back!"

He smiled brightly and went for Maple. "Good. What happened?" He waved around at the strangely shining house. "Did you do this? You should be resting."

"I'm feeling more rested than I have in a week or two." She went in for a little peck that turned into a hug with him, resting against him with a happy sway of her tail. "Yer card buddies came by."

Winter's ears danced. "They did?!"

"They did." Maple turned away, heading for the fridge. "And they were ready to clean, so they did. You don't owe them anythin' more than showin' up fer the next game and whipping their flanks like they're missin'."

Winter sat with a smile. "That's... very nice of them. Is Summer alright? I don't see her."

"She's still bigger, and tireder, than me. She's gettin' her belly checked tomorrow, just to be double sure everythin's alright, but she feels fine, just big, and tired."

Winter felt woozy, thinking of that miracle in progress. "I will ask Miss Jubilee if I can go with her." He turned right back for the door. "I think she'll say yes, for this."

Maple tensed a moment. "Well... if we're makin' this a family trip, ah'll go too then! You'll make a mare jealous..."

"No!" He hurried to her side instead, rubbing against her. "You being there makes it even better. We'll make sure you're both alright."

"That sounds good." She smooched his cheek gently. "Go on and ask then. Ah got things under control thanks to those friends."

Winter trotted out with a big smile. He was blessed in so many ways it was hard to count. But he could whistle, so he did that instead on the way back to the factory. It was closed, or he'd still be working, but he went around the side and knocked on a metal door there.

It took a moment of quiet before the door opened a little. "Who's there?" asked a familiar voice.

"It's me, ma'am." Winter tipped his head at the closed door. "Sorry for coming so late in the day."

"It ain't day." Cherry threw open the door with a grin. "But I'll take a Winter at night once in a while." Her smile faded several notches. "You look serious. Everythin' alright?"

"Everything is fine, but they're going to the doctor tomorrow, to make sure everything is fine. I would like to go with them, if that's alright?"

Cherry stepped out of her factory to grab Winter by the cheeks between her hooves. "You adorable little thin'! Ah did say stallions get time too, and this counts. You go with them and be a good father, which means keepin' 'em company and cheerin' them out right now. Thank you fer lettin' me know." She turned back to her factory. "Let me know the day after how it went. Wanna know my little babyfilly's doin' alright."

"I will do that. Thank you, ma'am."

"Mom," she corrected. "Thank you, mom."

"Thank you, mom," he repeated properly. "Did you want to be there?"

"Temptin'! But ah got a factory to run." She threw open her hooves, encompassing all of the great building before her. "So ah'll be busy here. You be a quality dad, an' come runnin' to tell me the news afterwards. Each pony's got their place, ya hear?"

"Yes, Mom." He looked away and back. "Mom?"

"Hm?" She half turned towards him. "Somethin' else on yer mind?"

"Thank you." He could distantly remember someone else that had been mom, but that was a life and a world away. "You're a good mom."

"Aw. Ah do mah best." She trotted inside, kicking the door shut behind herself. They had settled everything, at least from her point of view.

Winter headed home, walking through the quiet streets of the sleepy country evening. Whistling felt right, so he picked up where he left off. Everything was ready for the next day!