A small, light green mare lay curled in her tiny den, some clumps of semi-thawed dirt still clinging to its messily scraped out walls above her. Stains of deep red blended in with the deep browns of the earth, signs of her special friend’s painstaking effort to carve out a cozy little home for her and their soon to be foals that were slowly growing in her belly. The little mare glanced at the narrow entrance, anxiety prickling in her chest as she watched it, hoping that he’d come back in from the biting cold raging outside of their home soon.
She could hardly bear the intense worry she felt every time he went out, it was a necessary task and one she couldn’t complete with her swollen belly, but, it still gnawed at her every time. The dead grass crunched beneath her pale hooves as she turned to start fussing with it, hoping it would be a good distraction from the worry.
It didn’t take long before the crunch of trudging footsteps caught her attention, head whipping to the narrow entrance as her heart lurched in her chest. She didn’t even have to see the dark colored stallion to know that Tar was back, he was back and alive.
The tension in her body slowly released as Tar wriggled through the tunnel, a surprisingly fat squirrel clutched in his jaws as a weary smile peeked past the fluffy prize. His mumbled, “Hewbo” made Emma giggle softly.
“Hewow, you was gone so wong. Was ebeyting otay?” Emma asked in return, scooching herself over to turn towards her special friend, worry still plain on her face.
“Yuh,” Tar dropped the prey into the nest in front of his special friend as he leaned in to nuzzle her neck. Beneath Emma’s thick fur he could feel just how thin she’d become, sparking a flicker of guilt in his chest. Guilt that he couldn’t get enough food, guilt that she was going hungry, guilt that he’d partially caused this situation, “Was hawd to catch but did it fow you. Am mowe den wowth it.” He purred.
Emma smiled up at Tar, not minding the touch of his frigid muzzle, “Emma know you am best huntew.” She replied, her words full of warmth and appreciation for his efforts.
Tar knew he was lying, he’d gotten lucky when he found the old, dead tree toppled over by the winter winds, but her smile made the little white lie worth it.
A little grunt escaped the thin stallion as he settled into the nest, trying to ignore his aching joints and sore muscles, “Emma wowwy too much.” He sighed as he caught her watching him.
“It am cause Emma wub you~” She purred, trying to hide her anxiety as she nuzzled into her partner before extending a hoof to tug the squirrel closer and nudged it towards Tar, “Do Taw wan fiwst nummies? Been doin so much huntin.” Emma said, her tail faintly wagging as a nervous smile spread across her face, praying he’d eat at least some part of it. Even with his reassurances that he ate while outside their den she could see he was getting thinner with each passing day.
Tar’s once plump face had sharpened, his eyes had dulled, his sides were sucked in, and his dark black pelt hung from his thin frame. Emma could see just how badly this winter was wearing him down and it filled her with regret. All she could do was sit and wait until her foals were there. It had begun to eat at her.
“Nu, nu, nummies am for Emma.” Tar replied, waving her off with his hoof as he tried to scoot it back to his mate.
“NO!” Emma suddenly snapped, her tone harsh and shockingly angry as her voice cracked.
Tar jolted back with surprise as his eyes widened in confusion, ears pinning back. The expression he gave caused Emma to immediately duck her head into her dewlap out of embarrassment.
“U-uhm…sowwy…meant, Emma weawwy wan Taw to num some…wif Emma…” She murmured, a little shocked herself by her own temper.
“If dat means su much to Emma den…Taw num a wittwe.” Tar replied after a moment of thought, he couldn’t deny something so clearly important to her.
A soft sigh escaped the tiny mare as she looked back up at the bigger unicorn, a tired but warm look in her eyes as she watched Tar place a hoof over the furry little carcass and started to rip the fur out, flicking it into the nest as extra padding for Emma and their soon to be foals.
“Emma,” Tar looked to his special friend, returning Emma’s warmth as he put a hoof over hers, “Taw wub you~” He whispered, voice filled with pure adoration and love as he leaned in to press their foreheads together.
“Emma wub you too~” She breathed back, raising her free hoof to wipe a bit of brownish fur from his cheek, “Wub you mostest ebews.”
—
“T-Taw!!” Emma called out as her breath came out in heavy pants, her eyes turning to her swollen belly as dread welled in her chest. Another contraction rippled through her body, causing her breath to catch in her throat as her teeth ground together.
“TAW!!!” Another wailing call rung out through the den as tears welled in Emma’s eyes, internally begging for her special friend to come back. She couldn’t do this alone, she just couldn’t. What if something went wrong? She’d never had babies before, everything was so new and terrifying to the little green mare, stuck in her empty nest.
“P-pweeeease…” Emma choked out as her hooves helplessly scraped through the bedding beneath her as wave after wave of pain rippled through her belly as her body tried to push the foals out. “Pwea-ase come back…” she whimpered back, her bright blue eyes desperately flicking to the entrance once again.
As though her desperate pleading had been magically answered, Tar would come scrambling through the narrow entrance, a startled squawk leaving him as his horn caught on a root and jerked his head back. A rain of dirt showered down over him, filling his fur with crumbs of earth.
“What wong?! What wong?!” Tar asked, his eyes immediately locking onto his teary-eyed special friend and her frantic whines.
“Ba-babbehs!” Emma gasped out as she strained, desperately trying to push as new contractions caused tears to roll down her cheeks. Her hoof extended to Tar as a strained moan of pain escaped from her, spurring the black unicorn into action.
“Don’ wowwy, am hewe. Emma am doin gweat!” Tar quickly grabbed her hoof as he settled in next to her, gently petting her mane to comfort her as she leaned into his rough, winter tinged fur, “Make deep bweavies.” He shakily instructed her, trying to recall the faint memories of his mother and his younger siblings’ birth.
Tar took a moment to steel himself before he leaned to peer past her heaving flanks and at the small puddle of fluids that had formed in the dry grass and fur between her legs. A small gasp would leave him, startling Emma who tried to crane her head to look back as well.
“Wh-wha? Am evew-nhg!” Emma was cut off as her body forced her to push again, her worry peaking as she gritted her teeth.
“Taw can see babbeh! Emma doin weawwy good, jus’-jus’ keep pushin!” Tar urged his special friend, watching with awe as his first foal was born. A sight that had frightened him as a colt somehow felt like so much more now with his beautiful special friend and the wonder of a new life that he’d helped make.
Tar shuffled down, his hoof slipping from Emma’s as he leaned to gently break the amniotic sac surrounding the bright white foal before he carefully pinched its scruff between his teeth and lifted it, peeping, from the birth surrounding it.
Emma was twisting her head around as far as she could, watching her special friend with bated breath as her heart raced in her chest as Tar carefully lifted the first of their new additions. The tiny flash of white caused her to suck in a breath as the fear, stress, and anxiety slowly started to melt away at the precious sight. That was her baby, a tiny, wriggling little thing that cried and peeped as Tar slowly lowered it down in front of her to clean.
She was a tiny little filly who softly clung to Emma’s snout as she leaned to lick her silky, bright fur. The gentle touch caused her tears to turn from those of pain and fright to love as she cooed and nuzzled the little bundle of fluff, she couldn’t believe they were finally here.
Foal after foal would be laid in front of Emma, green, black, dark green, brown, and grey. Only four would peep and chirp as she cradled them close, the last two laying deathly silent next to their exhausted mother. Tar looked down at the two with a mournful look as he gently stroked one of their still warm bodies. They were the smallest of the litter, just too weak to survive the birth. But, it was just something that happened. Tar knew it and so did Emma.
“Do…Emma wan say goodbye befowe…?” Tar trailed off, he didn’t have the heart to verbalize what they’d both do next. His steel grey eyes turned to Emma who was still weakly licking at her new litter.
Emma’s head slowly nodded as she turned to look at the little bodies, an ache in her chest as she moved her foreleg to gently caress her lost babies, “Do Taw fink shouwd name dem?” She asked, looking up at her special friend with drooping eyes.
“Yuh.” Tar nodded as he gave Emma a faint smile, “Dis one can be Ash,” He declared as he touched the little gray body, looking to his mate to get her approval.
Emma nodded at the name, “Dat am pretty namsie. Fink dis one shouwd be…Toast.” She replied after a long moment of thought as she tapped the brown stillborn.
“Dat am wondewfuw namsie.” Tar said as he gently rubbed Emma’s back, earning a little, tired coo from his special friend as she leaned into him.
“Hewe, get you stwengf back.” Tar said as he nudged one of their children’s bodies to her, “Taw wiww cwean and move babbehs to get some miwkies.” He added as he trotted behind Emma, scooping out mouthfuls of afterbirth soaked grass and fur that he’d start to haul outside.
The frozen snow felt familiar around his legs as he walked through the trench he’d burrowed into the drifts, taking the filthy bedding deep into the woods to bury where desperate predators wouldn’t be able to track them from. He let out a deep sigh as he dropped it into a deep hole he’d scooped out, his face turning up to the sky. For the first time in a long, long while he finally felt like things were getting better.
Tar felt a twinge of hope as he watched a bird soar overhead, its faint, dark shape splitting into two for a moment as his vision blurred. He wobbled and leaned to the side as his brow furrowed, a fuzzy, oppressive feeling washing over him as his front legs gave out and he suddenly crashed into the snow. His skull felt like it was full of cotton and his limbs weren’t listening to him, vision slowly darkening as he stared at the sky. Its blue was a cold but inviting hue.
—
Emma anxiously looked over to Tar who was slumped against the wall, his breathing labored and his eyes half closed as she nursed their foals. He’d taken hours to return from tossing the soiled bedding and when he did, the black stallion was weak and cold as ice. The miracle of their first litter was overshadowed by the sudden downturn in her special friend’s health. It filled her with worry and the thought of him dying was ever present at the edges of her mind but she never really let herself dwell on it. There was no way something like that could happen. Everything would be fine.
“Taw?” Emma finally spoke, pulling the feeble unicorn’s attention to her and the foals at her udders, “Dah babbehs need dem namsies.” Her voice was soft and gentle as she shuffled a bit closer to him, her warm flank pressing against his as Tar slowly lifted his head.
“Namsies?” Tar croaked softly as he looked to their brood, his gaze finally focusing a little as he looked at the little, roly poly foals nuzzled up to their mother’s warmth. “D-dey pwobwy do.” He agreed as he moved around a bit to face his special friend, his legs trembling from the effort as the black unicorn moved. A heavy sigh escaped him as he plopped onto the nest, unable to move with the thoughtfulness he had before.
“Whad…whad am Emma finkin?” Tar asked, panting softly from how hard it had become to move. He’d notice how his special friend turned her gaze down to their litter as he dragged himself to face her, lip softly quivering as she gently pet one of their babies.
“W-weww, fink maybeh dis one be Snow?” Emma responded after a long moment pointing to the white pegasus filly with little tufts of a brown mane and tail that was currently latched onto her left breast, “Am pretty, wike dah snow.” She added, finally glancing up to her special friend.
By now Emma could hardly recognize the black stallion she’d fallen in love with. Tar’s fur was coarse and messy, and while she’d done her best to groom him while pregnant it just never seemed to be enough. He’d lost so much weight, sacrificing meals and constantly hunting, suffering on her part for the bad decision they’d both made.
“Dat am… ambestest namsies fow Snow.” Tar agreed, voice weak as he looked over their other soon to be named foals. There was a green earthie filly with a white mane that seemed to be the largest of the litter and a perfect, peeping replica of her tired mother. Nuzzled in beside her was a darker green unicorn foal, the only colt out of their litter of six. He had a few tiny tufts of black hair and Tar could make out a faint dapple pattern in the low light of the den. The last was a little black unicorn, just like him, but she sported her mother’s white mane. He knew favorite babies were never a good idea but he couldn’t help but smile softly at the sight of her.
“Taw fink dis…dis one shouwd, uhm, be Pine. Wike Taw’s daddeh.” Tar said as he studied the sleeping filly, he wondered what she’d look like when she was grown. Probably just as pretty as her mother. The thought caused his heart to twist as he looked at his hooves.
“Pine am good namsies.” Emma replied, noticing the fondness in his smile as he named their smallest daughter. She couldn’t help but notice the same mix of features her mate had seen.
“And…dis one wiww be…Fewn.” Emma added as she stroked her mini double.
“And w-wastest can be-,” Tar lowered his head into his neck as a small cough escaped him,”Can be Shwub. Fink he’ww…be gewd huntew when…aww gwowed up.” Tar said, a bittersweet smile on his lips as he studied the colt.
“Oh weww Shwub wiww hab dah bestest tea-chew when wawm times am backsies.” Emma chirped, trying to cheer her mate up as she gently touched his cheek.
Tar flinched away from her, his smile turning downwards as he stared at the dirt wall across from him, “Emma…” He whispered in a low voice, as though he didn’t want their still helplessly blind and deaf foals to hear him.
“Nu am…am gon make it dat wong…” Tar quietly admitted, voice cracking. It was the truth. It hurt to even talk, dragging himself about in their little nest was an exhausting task, and he could feel his energy fading bit by bit. He’d managed to eat but it was far too late by now.
“N-nu!” Emma’s voice wavered as she stared at Tar, coming out as more of a stage whisper. She wanted to yell at him, deny his words and insist he’d be alright but the strength just wasn’t there. The belief in those words wasn’t in her.
“Taw am sowwy…am sowwy nu c-couwd du enough…” The once strong Unicorn whimpered as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to prevent the tears from escaping as he heard a heart wrenching sob escape his special friend.
“Nu! Nu, Taw did bestest job.” Emma insisted as she hopped up, the chirpies peeping in protest as their mother moved away to cradle Tar’s head on her hooves. He buried his head into her warm, fluffy chest, inhaling her sweet scent as she desperately clung to him.
“Am…so sowwy Emma nu couwd hewp…” Emma’s voice shook as she stroked her special friend’s thin, tangled mane, tears starting to roll down her cheeks and her hooves trembled, “Am so sowwy…” she choked out.
The two stayed pressed together for a few long moments, the embrace filled with regret, and pain, and sorrow. Their cheeks were wet with tears as they both let out silent sobs into each other’s fur. They hadn’t even gotten that much time with each other, only one fleeting warm time that had been filled with so much sweet, blissful ignorance.
“Emma…Taw w-wan you do somefin….pwease?” Tar asked as he finally looked up at his crying mate.
“Emma w-wiww do anything fow you.” Emma vowed, voice still trembling as he gently wiped tears from the stallion’s eyes.
“When Taw…go to sweepies and nu wake up… num Taw, to make mowe miwkies fow babbehs…Pwease, pwomise Taw.” Tar pleaded, his grey eyes filled with a determination and conviction that broke Emma’s heart.
Emma couldn’t muster up any words in the moment, only weakly nodding before she leaned down to press her snout into his mane, soft sniffles escaping her as she held Tar close, “E…Emma pwomise…” She choked out.
After a few more tear filled moments Emma would scoop their foals up and tuck them between them. The tiny den was filled with gentle humming broken up by the occasional sniffle as she groomed Tar’s mane, working out the knots and smoothing it out as he tried his best to hum along with his special friend despite his fading voice. The wind outside faintly whistled along with the pair’s soft song, the cold unforgiving winter seeming to acknowledge their pitiful existence just this once.
