The train station is the only building in town that is completely modern and in good repair. It has to be, since if it were a wreck like the rest of Field Town it might slow down the delivery of goods to Canterlot, and wouldn’t that be a travesty? The train is moved by magic these days. In school, we learned that they had been pulled by teams of ponies for centuries before the Magi-lev tracks were invented. I’m glad it’s faster and cheaper than the old way. If not, you can bet the C-Trolls would have teams of us district ponies hauling the things till we died of exhaustion. Instead, they just round up a few ‘volunteer’ unicorns and draw out their magic to power the train. After all, district unicorns are fitted with magic inhibitors as soon as they’re born. So they aren’t using any of their power for anything else. The C-Trolls are hooking up their ‘volunteers’ to the engine with rubber tubes that fit over their horns and attach to the inhibitor rings implanted into their horns.
I realize I’m concentrating on anything I can to distract me from thinking about saying goodbye to my family. The path to the door into the train car is roped off and our families are gathered there on the opposite side of the ropes from us. There are cameras hovering all around us. Some are carried by Canterlot Pegasi, others are being levitated by Canterlot unicorns. They are all reporters and everything they see is being broadcasted on the Magi-vision screens all across Canterlot and the districts. The only time those screens work in the districts is when the Games are happening or when the C-Trolls want to show the execution of rebels and traitors.
I don’t know why they feel the need to film our farewells. Is it just to humiliate us? Or do Canterlot ponies get some kind of sick, vicarious thrill out of seeing all this? I don’t know, but I forget the cameras when I’m hit in the side by a tiny blue and orange lightning bolt.
“Blue! What are you doing?” I hiss at him, trying to move to keep myself between my brother and the guards so they won’t see him. “You have to stay behind the ropes! You’ll get beaten.” I edge towards the ropes, maybe I can get him back behind them before one of the guards sees.
“I don’t care!” he wails, drawing the attention of the cameras and the guards. “I wanna go with you! You’re my Big Sister Best Friend Forever!” Tears flow freely down his cheeks and his whole tiny body shakes with sobs as he clings to me. The damage is done, I see the guards coming towards us. Then I notice that nearly all the cameras are focused on my brother and me. The guards are hesitating. Maybe they’re reluctant to beat a little colt on camera? I crouch down and hug him tight, I don’t have to fake tears for the cameras, I’m crying as hard as Bluesky. I pat his back and nuzzle his flame colored mane, wishing I could just stay here holding him forever. Swallowing my tears and putting on a brave smile is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
“You can’t come with me Blue.” I say quietly, but loud enough for the camera-ponies to hear. “I need you to stay and take care of Mum and Dad till I get back.” He lifts his tearstained face up to look at me. “B-b-but…”
“Shhh, it’s alright. I’ll come back, ok? You’re my Little Brother Best Friend Forever. I’ll always come back to you. You remember how I saved you when you got stuck in the tree? And the times I brought home the extra sweet clover that grows by the stream and shared it just with you? You just take care of yourself and our parents and don’t worry about me. I need you to be a big, brave colt for them until I get home. Can you do that for me L.B.B.F.F?”
He puts on a shaky smile of his own and wipes his nose with a hoof. “O-ok, I’ll be brave. I’ll watch you on the screens and pray to the princess for you every day, B.S.B.F.F.”
He shouldn’t have mentioned the princess. While it isn’t actually forbidden to offer prayers to Princess Luna, it is frowned upon. We’re supposed to only offer prayers to Celestia. I hold my hoof out to him, hoping the C-Trolls don’t pay much attention to what he said.
“Good, brohoof on it?” I ask. He nods very seriously at me, bumping my hoof with his (the hoof with his boogers on it, eww). We both say the rhyme together, and make the traditional motions as we do “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
I spot our parents pressing up against the ropes as close as they dare, Mum reaching out for Blue. I lift him up and pass him to her. She doesn’t say anything, but I don’t mind. I think I’d start bawling again if she did. Dad surprises me by taking off his big gray cowpony hat and putting it on my head. I have to stick my ears out to keep it from falling down over my eyes. “Be safe.” He says, and then turns to lead Mum and Blue away.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaw! Wasn’t that sooooo sweet!” I hear Bauble gushing behind me. “Such a good big sister even though she’s such a little filly herself. It makes me what to squee! Doesn’t it melt your hearts gentlecolts?”
I turn and see the pink pony has intercepted the guards before they can go chase down my family to punish them. At that moment, I could hug him.
The cameras move along with him to watch the rest of the goodbyes. The rest are much more subdued. I pull Dad’s hat down over my eyes to hide from the cameras until Bauble shoos us all into the train car. He makes sure we all get settled into the car before closing the doors after one last wave to the cameras. I curl up on a luxurious bench as the train pulls out of the station and try to keep my sobs too quiet for the others to hear.
I don’t get to cry for long. Old Cider stomps into the car, looking shockingly sober. “Alright kids, gather ‘round and listen up if you want more than an ice-cube’s chance on the sun of survival.”
All of us look at the amber unicorn in shock. None of us have ever seen him this serious. I glance over at Bauble. The pink stallion is nodding.
“Yes my dears, pay close attention to Mr. Cider. He’ll be the one persuading the sponsors on your behalf during the Games. I’m going to go *ahem* powder my nose. I’ll see you all again when we arrive in a few hours. Tata darlings!” He prances out, leaving the six of us alone with Old Cider.
“Eeyup! You heard right kiddos. I’ll not only be your line to the sponsors, I’ll also be in control of which of their gifts you get sent and when they are sent to you. All of you have seen enough Games to know what a difference a sponsor’s gift can make on the chances of survival. I’ll also be your advisor on what training to get before the Games begin. It’s my job to make sure you give the audience a good show before you die. You’ll probably all die, but if you do exactly what I tell you, there’s at least a tiny chance that one of you might survive to the end. Any questions?”
I can almost hear jaws hitting the floor in shock, my own included. I had no idea how much of our fate rested in Old Cider’s hooves. Before any of us can finish getting our mouths closed, Cider nods and continues.
“Good. I’ll leave you to ponder on that for now. Bauble and I will be planning strategies for each of you. We’ll discuss them with you individually after the parade tonight. Until then, I’ll leave you all with a bit of general advice. Get some sleep and don’t fight your fashion designer when he dresses you. Later kiddies, I need a drink.”
With that, he trots out, using his magic to pull down the blinds as he leaves. As a winner of the Harmony Games, his magic inhibitor had been adjusted to allow him to perform basic telekinesis. The car is dark and there is nothing for us to do but follow his advice. As I drift off, mine are not the only muffled sobs to be heard in the dark car.