"You have a large package at the mail office." The mare pointed the way towards the post office. "Did you plan to pick it up, or did you need us to bring it here?" She smiled brightly, looking ready to take care of it either way.

Winter considered the cheerful mail mare. "If you can bring it, that would be nice. I don't know how to put it together."

"Me neither." She inclined her head. "We don't assemble it, sorry... Um, if it helps, it usually comes with instructions." She saluted suddenly. "It's our job to get it to you, and we will do that! So, bring it here, or you'll pick it up there?"

"Bring it here, please. Thank you." Winter closed the door on the mailmare and returned to his wives. "I think the elliptical is here. They'll bring it by. We just have to set it up."

Maple clapped with excitement. "Ooo! I can't wait. I'll help." She pushed up to her hooves. "You don't get to work the maple trees without putting your hooves right on things. I'm not scared."

Winter smooched her cheek. "We'll work together."

With readiness, they were there when the knock came and they welcomed the sizable crate into their home. Winter grabbed it in his magic, but had to focus down to a single plank to make any progress at opening it. When he gave a sharp yank on a single plank, he could pry it free of the nails that held it down, and slowly they gained access.

Maple reached into the opening and began tearing into it, revealing the huge metal thing that seemed to be the central part, and little extra parts that went with it. "Hmmm..."

The two worked together to get the biggest part situated rightside up. It almost looked like a thing! They set the pedals in on the four posts, and it started to look closed to what the picture had displayed. "Almost..." Winter found a strange panel and put it up near the front, then ran the plug over to the wall. Soon, they had a workout machine ready for use!

"What is going on out here?" Summer emerged, peering curiously at the strange device in her living area. "Is that the walking-in-place thing?"

"Yes." Winter considered it a moment, then realized... He flicked it on with a flash of magic. It chimed and started booting up. "Fancy..." It tickled at old memories. Did he have one of those at some point? "Who wants to try it first?"

"Me!" Maple stepped up carefully onto the thing, almost tripping, but soon she had mounted it properly, hooves down on the platforms. "Alright! What... are these?" She peered at the strange panel and its brightly displayed buttons. "Quick start?" She touched her nose to that one. It chimed pleasantly and pictures began to display, as if she were walking if one pretended it was a front view. It showed her pace at 0 trots a minute.

She wasn't moving, so that made sense. She burst into giggles and tried walking, but it wasn't a machine for walking, exactly. It took her a moment to get used to the swaying rocking motion required, but she got into it and began powering along, the movie being displayed speeding up as if she were walking all the more briskly along the simulated terrain. "This is neat! Ah like it..." Stats showed her pace and pulse and other such vital statistics as she worked.

Summer leaned in from the side, watching the monitor. "How does it know so much about you?"

Winter held up the owner's manual. "It says it gets that from your hooves." He pointed one of his own at Maple's energetically pedalling ones. "That makes sense..."

Summer turned her hoof around. "Hoof to heart," she giggled. "Yeah, that makes sense... Huh. It knows how heavy you are too." She colored at that. "It's going to make fun of me..."

"It won't." He went in to nuzzle gently with her. "And your goal isn't to lose weight, just for that weight to be healthier."

"Stop tryin' to be reasonable!" She stuck out her tongue at him. "When do ah get a turn?"

"Oh, sorry." Maple touched her nose to the end button and dismounted to the ground, giggling. "Fun! We should try to use that everyday. Give it a try."

Summer climbed up slowly into place, letting out a little sigh. "I was a little worried I wouldn't fit..." But there was plenty of room for her to stand on it. "Now how does this thing work?"

Winter flipped through the instructions. "Ever had a place you wanted to take a hike through?"

"Any place?" Summer's vision went distant, roaming through exotic locations. "What about.... Southern Equestria, where it's all sandy."

Winter inclined his head. There was plenty of dirt outside... But he didn't argue out loud, instead showing and pressing the buttons to ask the machine for that location. The workout was ready, starting in a town square in the middle of the sandy south. "You can walk now."

She tried to walk, much as Maple had, with limited success. "Slide," urged Maple, and she did, transitioning to the swishing motions that got her hooves moving without any jostling motions.

"Oooo," she breathed out, already a little short of breath, but smiling. "This is... Interesting." She accelerated, the movie showing her powering out into the desert along a sandy road. "That's... That's funny." She got to watching her progress as she hiked. One part of it showed a big topdown of the whole course with a little icon of her walking. The rest showed the first person view of the exotic locale. It didn't fool anypony into thinking they were there, but it seemed to amuse her anyway. "Look at me go..."

Maple clopped in time with Winter's pace. "Look at you go!" she called out in solidarity. "We'll be looking better in no time." She giggled. "The worst part will be taking turns."

"Dont'... worry... about that." Summer's breathing was coming harder as she pushed, clearly working up a lather, body sheening with the exertion. "Ah'll get tired soon 'nough..."

Winter watched with a smile. They were liking it. It would help them be healthy. It was worth all that would be paid for it, and more... "Maple."

"Hm?" She jerked her head towards him as he talked. "What?"

"I am putting you in charge." He circles around the machine and Summer to get at her. "To make sure you both get your walk every day. Can you do that?"

"That's a big responsibility." She curled a hoof to her chin. "But ah'm ready!" Her attention slid back to Summer. "It ain't a race. You're looking worn, slow down a bit. Power walk, don't try to gallop."

"Right... Right..." She slowed down with a powerful gust of air. "Ah was... Whew... That really can take it out of you... Ah guess that's half the point..."

Winter pointed to a part in the manual. "You can adjust the resistance."

Maple's eyes shone with wonder. "Ooo! Walk slower, but harder... Like going up a hill..."

The manual hinted that some models could literally tilt up, to really go uphill, but that was not the model they had. They'd live without that feature... Winter nuzzled Maple gently. "Like it?"

"Love it!" She stood up. "Can't even wait to get another turn. I want to..." She paused. "Oh..." She brought a hoof to her belly and settled slowly. "I'm not the only one that wants to move... Hello in there."

Winter lowered his face to her belly. "Hello," he gently echoed.

Maple winced, but was smiling through it. "Ooo, I think they heard you... that's daddy..."

"Am I missing a family moment?" huffed out Summer, still walking along. "No fair!"

"Sorry." Maple slowly stood up. "Little one's just lively today. I think they're just as excited about this. Hm, did yours quicken? I imagine so."

"Celestia, yes!" Summer let out a breathless laugh. "Good morning and good evening. They make sure I know they're there. It's impossible to miss..." She slowed to a stop and dismounted unsteadily. "I am tired..."

Maple hopped right up and resumed the trek through the sandy desert. "I'm not!"

Winter went to nuzzle Summer's larger belly, and felt it. One of the little one's inside had kicked him, right in his nuzzling snout. It stung just a little, but he could feel only joy at that moment. "Oh..." He smooched the very spot it had come from. "Hello there... I can't wait to meet you."

Summer rested her hooves on either side of Winter's face as he nuzzled against her. "That is so pure..." Her breathing was slowing, recovering from her time on the machine. "Thank you..."

Winter sat up. "For?" He angled his ornate horn at the machine. "That? You are very welcome."

"Not that... But I am glad... I meant being here, and being a good father." She slowly rolled forward to get her snout to his, touching noses. "For being a good creature." They hugged close and she winced with a laugh. "They love you too."

He could feel it, little motions where their bellies touched. "Does it hurt?"

"A little." She sat back with a sigh. "But not too bad... They're just... woke up... Little things." She cradled her belly with a smile. "I want to hold them too... But you can't hurry these things along."

"No..." Winter stood up. "You're in charge," he called to Maple.

"Aye aye!" She didn't salute, busy cycling in place as she was. "Operation fit mommas is go!"

"I should go." Work, he had to get to it. "You two have fun." He went for a smooch on either of their cheeks, only to get caught.

Maple darted, missing the cheek kiss and getting full on lips involved, smooching with him and still cycling her hooves through it, breathing hard through her nose as she pressed against him. It was a curious sensation, to kiss a clearly exerting mare, but Winter was smiling, and she pressed.

Summer was the one that came between them. "Let him get to work. He'll be back." Summer kissed his cheek. "Have a nice day at work."

"I will." He rubbed noses with her, but got moving for the door. "Be safe. Come if you need anything." He slipped out the door, trusting them to take care of themselves while he was away.

"Party Pooper," panted out Maple, slowing in her motions. "Whew... I must have been really out of shape... Getting that tired so quickly... I hate it." She smiled at the machine as she slowed to a stop. "But, thanks to you, I plan to fix that."

Summer folded her arms. "How often are you going to make me do that?"

"As often as I can get away with it." She closed to touch noses. "You know it's good for you. And imagine Winter. He's working, right now, so we can keep that."

"Yeah..." Guilt was a motivation. She clambered up and resumed the journey across the sands, but only at a gentle walking pace. "This counts, right?"

"Yep!" Maple sat back, watching Summer go. "That's way more exercise than we were getting just sitting there... We'll want some trotting mixed in there, maybe even a gallop when you get used to it... But even walking counts."

"Even walking counts," echoed Summer with an unsure smile. If even walking counted, she could do that, and she was doing that, plodding through the simulated dunes of that faraway desert. "That was really nice of the princess... paying for most of this. I don't even pay her taxes."

Maple colored faintly. "I do a little."

Summer lifted an ear at that. That meant... "Business is that good?"

"Good enough to pay some taxes." Maple waved a hoof. "Maybe not this year, with this foal knocking me out of the orchard. But! I plan to get right back into it."

"One step at a time," gently cautioned Summer, walking forward.

Author's Note

And in this chapter, we get back to the warmest of family building. The mares have a workout machine, and their foals are moving. Double win!

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