//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: The Great Equestrian Gamble // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// One thousand pieces. That was quite a number, one that was difficult to conceive for Boxcars, because she couldn’t count that high. She could count, and read, but her schooling had been interrupted by the death of her parents. As scary as that big number seemed, Cactus assured her that everything would be fine, because a puzzle was just a whole bunch of little tasks masquerading as a big scary task. They had to find all of the edge pieces—the pieces that had a flat side to the them—and the corner pieces, which had two flat sides. This meant digging through the lid and the bottom of the puzzle box and sorting out which pieces were which. It also meant that her telekinesis was getting quite a workout, because this was a completely different set of actions than scrubbing, sweeping, or mopping. The constant, careful sorting left her a bit headachy in the base of her stubby horn, but it was a good sort of headachy. Cactus had brushed her mane and then pulled it into two pigtails, which were tied off with some of the ribbon from the presents. It left her feeling silly, and special, and there was now a warm sense of affection for Cactus, whom she had found herself trusting in spite of her reluctance. He was a good sort, even if he wore a scary, spooky mask and had a frightening, nightmarish face that made her butt bones feel tingly every time she looked at it. She found that she didn’t mind his face so much, because he was kind. It was obvious that Cactus was a soldier, just like her father, because he just had that way about him. Bertie did too, but her mannerisms seemed a little softer. Boxcars instincts told her that these were dangerous ponies, but the good kind of dangerous. Cactus started humming to himself as he sorted through puzzle pieces with her. Meanwhile, Bertie was wrapped in a blanket with Domino and reading a book about about the founding of Equestria to him. At the moment, the story was about how the different tribes couldn’t stop bickering even as the dreadful winter had chased them from their homes. Outside the window, the snow was now falling so thick and so fast that the view of the city was obscured. The radiator sang a cheerful tune as it filled the room with cosy heat and everything was perfect. Too perfect. The idea that all of this would come to an end had slipped into Boxcar’s mind and it disturbed her so much that she dropped the puzzle pieces that she was holding. To distract herself, she asked a question of Cactus: “What is your cutie mark?” On the couch, Bertie ceased to read and Boxcars saw her eyebrow as it arched in curiousity. The stallion stopped humming, turned his head, and looked at Boxcars. “It’s a microscope. There was a biologist that came through and stayed with my family on our homestead. He let me look through his microscope and BAM! Destiny hit me like a train. I saw the parasites in our drinking water… and a whole new world opened up to me. After the biologist left, my Pa, well, he done took me to Las Pegasus and began to hunt around for a boarding school that would take me at a price he could afford. Turns out, he couldn’t afford anything, but as luck would have it, he found a teacher for me. I was taken in by the Rat Catcher’s Guild and I was paid to be educated. My Pa was so proud because I was accepted, but the simple truth is, they were desperate for members and I was a warm body.” “You were a foal?” Boxcars asked. “I was… about five or so… I think.” Cactus’ face scrunched up in concentration and the overall effect upon his appearance was almost nauseating. “I missed my family, sure, but I was making money and I got the education I was needing. Learned magic too. I’m no Twilight Sparkle, but I’m no slouch in the magic department. I can teleport for several miles, which is pretty impressive, and that’s how I got onto the boat to meet you. I can’t do a whole lot of fancy magic, but I am rather good at wind manipulation, which is really handy in my line of work, because it allows me to move around deadly clouds of gas.” “Most of the time, he makes those deadly clouds of gas too.” Bertie, still holding her book, began to titter. “So says my lovely wife, who is forbidden from eating her beloved meal of neeps and tatties in the guildhall.” “I gotta go potty,” Domino said, and there was great urgency in his voice. “I gotta go potty now!” The hot cocoa was warm, soothing, and pleasing. Sweet, but also a little bitter, it was full of flavours that Boxcars didn’t recognise. There were cookies too, and all kinds of sweets, all of which she was allowed to eat as much as she wanted because her caretakers said that she needed to gain weight. Outside the window, it was grey and rather dark, and the snow showed no sign of letting up. On the floor a great many puzzle pieces were now spread out, some of them connected to one another, forming little islands on the green tiles. Boxcars was quite taken with the puzzle, and she enjoyed doing it, but she had a constant worry of how she was going to take it with her when she left. Bertie had finished the story about the founding of Equestria, and now cuddled Domino on the couch, talking to him in low tones about his posh penguin, trying to coax a name for his new friend out of him. But amidst all of this pleasantness, the great unknown lurked like some terrible beast, and Boxcars had trouble ignoring it. With each second, with each passing minute, with every hour that was wiled away, the need for answers grew stronger, and it gnawed at the back of her mind, a relentless need that could not be ignored. It seemed that Boxcars was not the only one who worried. “How long will you keep us?” Domino asked Bertie in a low whisper. “Domino… I’m sorry… I…” Bertie seemed caught off guard and she pulled the tiny yearling into her embrace, along with the penguin, who bore the crushing hug with stoic dignity. “Can you keep us?” Boxcars heard her brother ask and his voice was muffled as it came out from behind the penguin, but she heard him loud and clear. She felt herself sinking into the floor and for a moment, it seemed as though her heart had stopped beating. “Can you be my mum?” At this, Boxcar’s heart shattered completely, and she had vivid memories of her own mother, memories that her brother did not have. Squeezing her eyes shut, Boxcars could not bear to even look at her brother right now, and she hated him just a tiny bit for betraying the memory of their parents. “I don’t know,” Bertie replied and her husky voice was on the verge of cracking. “It’s so complicated… Cactus and I, we don’t even have a house. We don’t have a place for you to live. I don’t know how how to sort this out, I’m so sorry.” “Can’t we at least try?” Cactus asked of his wife. “We can’t just throw caution into the wind and run about willy-nilly,” Bertie replied and this time, her voice did crack. “We’re not prepared for this, Cactus—” “Bertie, you and I both know what is going to happen.” Cactus’ voice sounded commanding and firm in Boxcars’ ears, and her eyes were still squeezed shut. “They’ll shuffle them into some overcrowded orphanage and they’ll get separated when Domino gets shipped off to live with somepony who wants him because he is little and cute and because he’s at that perfect age when there are no diapers but he’s still small enough to be babied—” “Cactus, stop! Not only are you successfully making me feel guilty, you’re scaring them! Just stop!” “We can do something!” Cactus said, and now he was almost shouting. “Bertie, I want foals—” “Cactus, I can’t give you foals, you know that! Don’t you dare make me feel guilty over that!” “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty, I’m trying to get you to see that we have an opportunity! We just have take a little risk and stick our necks out! Just… work… with… me!” Boxcars opened her eyes to find that the two adults were a mess. Both were teary eyed, and she felt bad that they were fighting. She felt even worse that Bertie couldn’t have foals, and from the sounds of things, Domino was crying behind his penguin. Just as she was about to say something, Cactus grabbed her and she let out a terrified squeak as she was snatched up. He held her in a fierce embrace, and for a moment, she almost screamed. But then, the embrace felt good, it felt right again, and she wanted to be held. She longed to be held, she was starved for it and this felt so right. “Our lives are too dangerous, Cactus. We don’t have a house. We have no safe place to leave them while we do our work. There is no way that we’d ever be seen as fit parents and it’s cruel of you to get their hopes up… I can’t believe you’d do that, Cactus.” “If there was a way, Bert, would you do it?” “Cactus, I don’t see how—” “Just yes or no, Bert… if there was a way, would you?” Cactus’ voice was hard, flinty, and something about his sense of command was comforting to Boxcars, who was held tight in his embrace. Once more, she put her forelegs around his neck and held on, hoping to ride this awful storm out. “Yes, of course, I’ve grown quite attached to Domino already, and Boxcars too.” Cactus drew in a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then he had this to say: “When Equestria was founded, each tribe was allowed to keep one tradition that was exclusive to their tribe, just so long as it did not infringe upon the rights of others. It was a fresh start, and many of the old ways were cast aside with the hopes to find new ways.” Boxcar’s ears stood up, because this wasn’t in the story that Bertie had just read. “The unicorns held on to the ancient rite of apprenticeship. Princess Platinum and Clover the Clever both ensured that this tradition was written into the law of the newly founded Equestria. The rest of the founders saw the great wisdom in this and agreed that this was something worth keeping.” Boxcars felt herself lifted up and then she was set down upon the floor. She found herself looking into Cactus’ eyes, and he leaned down until his face was mere inches away from hers. This sudden, unexpected closeness made it difficult for her to breathe, and she found it quite uncomfortable. His eyes blazed with a fiery purpose that both scared her and gave her courage at the same time. “The rite of apprenticeship supersedes all other laws, Boxcars. It takes somepony of high authority to break this agreement. Take a gamble with me, Boxcars, and become my apprentice. I’ll see to it that you keep your brother and I won’t let anypony separate you, I promise. Everything you’ve done so far is a risk, and you’ve been such a brave, brave filly… now, I am asking you to take just one more risk… throw caution to the wind and take a little gamble with me.” Overwhelmed, Boxcars had no idea what to say, but keeping her brother well cared for and happy was tempting, so tempting. “Even if it is only temporary,” Cactus continued, “it would give Bertie and I some much needed time to sort everything out. More awaits you beyond apprenticehood, however, should you want it. Stay with me and I’ll give you an education and I’ll teach you a trade, but we can discuss that later. For now, just give me the time I need so I can look after you and your brother. Please?” Turning her head, she saw that her brother was looking at her with big, pleading eyes, begging her to say yes. Bertie too, was staring, her eyes were wide, glassy, and there was something… hopeful about them. She returned her gaze to Cactus, who was now almost snoot to snoot with her. Just looking at his disfigured face gave her butt bones horrifying tingles that made it difficult to sit and made her want to squirm. “I’m reckless, I gamble, and I take risks. I never should have teleported aboard that boat all by myself, but I did, and I know that I’m going to be reamed arsewise for doing that, but I don’t care. My curiousity got the better of me when I saw you and your brother on deck. You both looked so little and so helpless, even from the shore. Take a chance, Boxcars.” Reaching out with both forelegs, he placed both of his front hooves on Boxcar’s withers and held her. Now, Bertie had to have her own say in the matter: “Please, please for the sake of your little brother, say yes. I can’t believe that I’m going along with one of my husband’s harebrained schemes, but please agree!” “If I say yes, you’ll teach me magic?” Boxcars asked. “Yes, everything I can and I will see to it that you have an extensive education in all things magical and scholarly. Doesn’t that sound nice? Wouldn’t you like to be a smart filly? Smart fillies grow into smart mares, and smart mares are the best kinds of mares. Trust me, I know, this is an indisputable scientific fact.” She missed going to school and the temptation was almost too much to bear. Boxcars was unable to see any sort of downside to this, but there was so much that she didn’t know. She didn’t want this to end, she wanted to stay with Cactus and Bertie. Her brother needed to be provided for somehow, and this seemed a far, far better option than doing chores as a housekeeper. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. “I will be your apprentice,” she said to Cactus, and no sooner than the words had left her mouth then she found herself being crushed once more in his embrace, which she returned, wholly, completely, and without reservation. “Welcome to Equestria, Boxcars, thanks for taking a gamble with me! I’ll make it worth your while, I promise! I am a pony of my word! Oh, this is going to be the best Hearth’s Warming ever!” For Boxcars, it seemed that the great Equestrian gamble had just paid off.